FIRST FULL DAY OF EURO 2024 INSTANT REACTION | Do it Live! Presented by BMW

Rog and host of Men in Blazers’ “Early Kickoff” Sammy James celebrate the first full day of Euro 2024, featuring Italy’s 2 – 1 win over Albania and Spain treating Croatia like Germany treated Scotland. Plus, a look ahead at tomorrow’s England matchup with Serbia. And, a preview of the Early Kickoff crew’s trip to Germany.

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it’s R it’s Saturday first full day of Euro 2024 oh foolish thanks to Fox deciding not to wear the 9:00 a.m. games who needs to broadcast those that’s a choice um bassm fishing still a bigger sport in the United States clearly than the football but so much took place and we will live it all with you today oh the sweet fre fre flowing go fill footballing Feast that we’ve reveled in Euros go go crazy Switzerland giving hungry a good swatching Spain battering Croatia and the Italians making Albania look like the best team in the world but only for about the first 23 seconds uh as we’ll look forward also to the games ahead tomorrow by those games I mean England versus Serbia England expects every man to do his duty not just on the field but in the old extracurriculars with the Fearsome Serbian Ultras if you know what I mean we’ll talk about it all with you g fops who can ask us anything tell us anything that’s on your mind and my guest the host of early kickoff oh men and Blazers media Network’s Morning Show which I love it Graces its own pod feed uh and every single morning tells you all you need to know in 10 minutes or less the show is set to relocate tomorrow to the Euros yes or should I say y early kickoff invades Germany um it’s a joy to welcome ahead of his 300 a.m. flight tomorrow morning oh it’s Mr Sammy James good evening how we doing yes um football doesn’t sleep and early kickoff definitely isn’t sleeping tonight you’re really putting the bloody early into early kickoff we will talk about your journey which is Planes Trains and Automobiles I’m so excited for you uh really to broadcast from the Deutch land uh to our ears every single bloody morning and Sammy I’m not a doctor but I can very easily diagnose you got a nasty case of Euro fever can you tell us what’s a Vibe like in the United Kingdom at the moment uh well the English part anyway sorry Scotland fans before England and full first invariably lukewarm performance tomorrow is the nation of wash in St George’s Flags can I get a temp check I wouldn’t say a wash with St George’s Flags but I think that um my feeds both Instagram and X yesterday were a wash with people getting very excited about um the Euros there is something over here that I think people you know obviously Euros aren’t as big as World Cups but people do love the Euros it is such a special tournament and I think there’s also that extra little bit of anticipation that realistically we can win the Euros the World Cup’s a massive Lottery right you’ve just got those extra few nations in there you don’t know what you’re going to get but like the Euros is realistic for a country of England size to win so I think people are getting excited but as ever as England fans everyone’s doing the little bit of um self-deprecating oh no Portugal are good or Italy are good or no Spain are good but really deep down every England fan thinks we can win it we can I actually think the England have about as much chance of winning the Euros as the US Men’s National Team do of of winning the Euros U but we will talk more about England uh in a minute but first let me remind you dear listeners how you can get stuck in um and then we’re going to break down the action for today’s games this is a do it live which means did gfop you large part of the show come with us let’s wildly kneejerk overreact to the first 24 hours of the Euros together ask us questions about football or life here’s how just scan that Q on the top left of your screen take you into a zoom with our producer J dubs who was up bloody early with me filming with Joe SC and now here we are again uh it’ll take you into a zoom with jdubs come and be with us he’ll set you up it’s Audio Only you don’t even need to put a shirt on um and if your question or comment can’t wait slap it in the chat we’ll be reading them throughout the show get your likes in come be with us all I can say is you’re watching this live a million thanks to the great people at BMW for making this possible um we have a forthcoming new YouTube series called ultimate Road to Glory um in which we had the joy of visiting um four Copa America host cities that the United States are going to play in we ate all the barbecue soaked in all the culture and celebrated their distinct passionate football cultures we so bloody love making them uh thanks to everyone at BMW the first episode on visit to Charlotte oh that City I miss you so minty we’ll be out next week before we dig in I want to raise my third first Michelob balra of the day to the memory of a footballing great Kevin Campbell uh who passed today the former Arsenal Forest but really an Everton Legend he’s a Londoner but he got our club a striker death was announced today AG is 54 Too Young Too Young um it’s just a gent who came through with Arsenal won the league with them um ultimately arrived at Everton and this will not surprise you when he came in we were in a relegation battle I know it sounds familiar but Kev arrived and just lifted the morale in the locker room like few footballers have ever seen blasted nine goals in his first eight games I’ll say that again an Everton Striker nine goals in his first eight games and saved us almost single-handedly proceeded to become our top scorer for a couple of Seasons scored a Derby winner at anfield uh and also probably most importantly in all of this uh became the club’s first black Captain I just say rest in peace super Kevin Campbell a great man he was as wonderful Sammy on the field um but he probably even greater off it he was I mean um he’s very much um part of my early memories of watching the Premiership I actually remember the the ITV highlights show the Premiership and that was kind of the everon that um you Wayne Rooney and David Moyes and and that that era of Everton and and Kevin Campbell was was one of the uh kind of shining lights you had so many great Center forwards in that area had obviously Brian McBride um also saved this from relegation but dunk of course so yeah I think I always Kevin Campbell in that era this was just a he he touched David Moes he came he saved us during the Walter Smith era um there’s a beautiful image that Wayne Rooney posted on his social media today of young Wayne Rooney I mean even when Wayne Wayne Rooney was 16 17 he looked about 32 33 but he’s just scored he’s on Kevin Campbell’s back two legends just riding together almost from two different Generations a remarkable uh moment in time uh rest in peace super Kev by the way David in the chat says to you Sammy it’s very early for early kickoff yes God bless and it’s is going to get even earlier when they move to deuts land but to the football on Fox today my highlight going to say the way the host Fantastico Jules breach calls all man um Alexi Lis he always refers to as Alexi Laos which is very English and also probably she’s meaning it at this point um but God bless let’s start with the game which is just finished Italy 2 Albania one Italy defending Champions um who then proceeded to crap the bed and not qualify for the World Cup um a team unrecognizable from from their last victory I think just nine members of that Squad from the 2021 Wonder are still on the team and new coach powerboard spetti um there was a very odd feeling around this team going to this in that they’re Champions yes but far less is expected of them and Albania Dark Horse material unbeaten in their the last seven qualifiers so many of their fans um spent the run up to the game snapping gy in front of their Italian counterparts a moment which has gone super super viral God bless them um one gfop at notorious fntsy uh tweeted us and said the albanians have disrespected my culture Italy by 50 um but it was not it meant to be at the outset I’m old enough to remember when Italy were the most defensive lockdown deadbolt katano football team uh in the in the 80s and ’90s but no longer longer cuz the albanians pounce on the most casual Italian throw from DeMarco badami latched onto the ball as it kind of bounc lanly teely in the box and he just lashed down put on a rumor I mean I really felt for him this man had just given his everything to the singing of the Italian national anthem with the passion of Gigi buffon’s ghost and suddenly had to pick the ball out of the net quickest goal in Euro’s history Sammy 23 seconds honestly could it have been more shocking if donarum had just been slapped across the face by with a large Kone no I it was definitely the highlight of the day I think was was Albania um scoring so quickly as well um magnificent moment and one that I thought would rock Italy more because I think the way that Albania set up I think they they’d been searching for that early goal but you know as I think as it coming up in the chat and I’ve seen it maybe too early I don’t know if I buy into the fact you can score too early I believe that genuinely I will go to my grave um believing as an Everton fan genuinely when we do score in the first minute or two you know we have lost the game lucer in the chat asked the question did Albania score too early um did Albania snap the spaghetti too early the great Christina Scot STS in the chat says the real lesson yes is don’t snap the pastor um um to don’t never ever never ever snap the spaghetti it’s like you know how in America they go mad when you stand on the logo or the side of the field or the center of the field snapping the spaghetti that is fighting talk and it is fascinating what you’ve said stadium in Dortmund by the way the yellow wall was a red wall it’s like a home game for Albanian fans I think they took 80% of the tickets and and for a minute the place exploded I agree with you Italy in that Crucible the tenacity of the response normally when you leak a goal early it is Nightmare fuel because suddenly you have to score and you are opened up but Italy it’s almost just like a punch in the chops that brought them to life they snapped into their Rhythm um within seconds Pelini almost equalized lofted a shot wide right but on 11 minutes they leveled the score old school way off the corner taking short Exquisite pass from Pelini the Albanian backline which had only conceded four times in the hle of qualifying totally switching off allowing Baston of Inter Milan to rise like a balar on the river Po and five minutes later it would get worse F Albania Bella that really creative Sardinian Mischief maker with an epic technique lash home um he’d been injured in a run up to this one with a muscular problem um and the joy as he charged off almost the relief I like to imagine that he screamed that’s for the Massac spaghetti um this Italy Sammy they’re passing really Immaculate for large spells here they do not seem as vulnerable as advertised no they don’t I mean there was a moment in the second half where Albania fans cheered just because Albania managed to get into the Italian half that’s how much control um the Italians had of this game especially once they once they got two one up and Burell is so important for them um the Italian media in the past two weeks is basically all they’ve been talking about a bit similar to how the English press keeps talking about Luke Shaw Italian press have been talking about Bella and and his injury and whether he would be f it and look amazing goal an amazing goal and such an impressive turnaround because I think to to yes okay we maybe Albania scored too early but to turn it around that quickly was hugely impressive and I mean in that group it’s it’s now I think the the next game match day two Italy versus Spain is going to be huge because whoever can win the group will have a nice little runs we’ll have a nice little run you almost said to the final Sammy you’re almost shipping them all the way there by the way Telly shippingham spetti the Bal king of a coach looking on fantastically handsome in very hard to pull off but he made it look easy hybrid tailored jacket beautifully tailored jacket um with the hybrid tracksuit um Italian lettering on the back which is really quite a woof I think it’s called technically called a jack suit um it looks like if Pep Guardiola had a uh one of his one of his hybrid designs out there uh and just decided he was going to gift it to another ball King it is a choice it is a dangerous game I don’t think I could pull that off but he looks so bloody handsome um and as is Italy we’re trying to close out the Game knocking that ball around later on the nerves did build up um there was a massive donaruma rib sa off Minaj stopped there being a sting in L taale um ultimately a massive uh win for Italy in that opening game could have only gone better if skaka had scored so important uh Italy um getting I think there was a there was a f moment tip wide in the first half was a close as he came a giant for his Club atanta just one goal low now in 17 caps this team will need him to find that edge that they will need if this is to be a Deep Run talking about Edge Spain thrash Croatia 3-0 um and going into this one all the talk was about Spain’s Young Guns the poster boy linal just an incredible human being you watch him on a field the way he thinks the speed the intelligence uh the fearlessness this kid is a what is it a sophomore in high school America I mean that is you probably all know uh sophomore in high school can you imagine your sophomore playing in the European Championship as the youngest ever player um starting a Euro 2024 game at the age of 16 uh gent born after the iPhone was launched after the last episode of The Sopranos head after Rihanna released umbrella I mean these are remarkable realities we’re watching pedri and Nico Williams both 21 but there’s also the Spain of joselo 34 Danny caral 32 and the opening goal scorer Alvaro morat 31 so much scrutiny of this man um and his ability to summon anything resembling potency um proud member of the former Chelsea Striker poets Department 29 minutes Fabian Ruiz stabbed the ball straight through the creation batt line Morata one-on-one a situation you got to be candid um that him more than pretty much any big game Striker not named Betto loves to miss but he mely created space with that first touch finished lethally with a second he gave the eyes um you can tell he’s been training with the greats with joselu um and 2 minutes and 17 seconds later it would be two this time it was faban Riz the The Finisher dance like a Spanish Billy Elliott caral capped off the first half for a fine finish from a yamal assist a Champions League final goal for goal tick Euro 2024 goal tick um Spain oh I mean they were fast um they were they were lethal they were clinical Samy in key moments they really were I I thought that this one would be much tighter um especially given Croatia’s record in in major tournaments even when they they always seem to perform better than the sum of their parts you know they knocked out Brazil in the in in Qatar they always seem to to bring it but Spain just very quickly dampened um their Spirit really didn’t they and and as you say it’s that mix of old and young it’s really odd isn’t it you’ve got really really well really really old their mid-30s but for a footballer and then so young and then them combining it worked very nicely and I think Spain had been one of the teams in this tournament that people have gone oh Spain are always good but I don’t think anyone’s seriously talking about them as contenders lots more people preferring to talk about their neighbors Portugal as potential winners well you got to look at that today that’s a real statement win and it was over by halime really and at that point I think Catia looked at it as damage limitations yeah I mean CAA there’s a sense going in here that they most important pieces were aging But ultimately it was their finishing uh to let them down their woeful lack of clinical and and in key moments said defending utterly woeful those two combined to syn them there was an Everton player I can’t remember who who once said that our team only has two problems we can’t attack and we can’t defend um and that was what Croatia were like in Key moment today car tanner in the chat with a big one Sammy can I borrow your ITV or BBC account since the American broadcasters do not think it’s necessary to you know show all the Euro matches so which ones did you not have today was it Hungary Switzerland no we didn’t have yeah the first game it was not on um I think ultimately it was on fubo uh whatever that is um whatever the channel is that I I’ve got all the bloody channels I don’t know where they are and I’m kind of fer it I normally miss the first 45 minutes of any game just trying to work out where the hell it’s broadcast welcome to America in that early game not visible to most of us on American television because reasons unclear um but there was a subl licensing of it to the aforementioned um FUBU um because Bass Masters fishing it’s big the protour I mean soccer America sport of the future as it has been since 1972 am I right what did you Miss America a very disappointing Hungary wilting against Switzer land we were told to pass their sell by date but they went emphatically despite a late Hungarian rally 3-1 not a great Euros for nationalists so far Scotland’s Alex sammon was there to watch his team crap the bed as we’ll discuss in a moment and oh the Turkish excuse me God I getting my I’m getting my uh my nationalist autocrats mixed up um or band’s black shirts behind the Hungarian goal tough gents um and a tough day for those bles I did love the banner one Swiss fan had which proclaimed fondue is better than goulash gfop at real damn Wier pronounced those are fighting words Sammy I mean that really is that’s when you see a sign like that you just Ian it makes me want to commit football violence when I first saw that I thought it said greish not gash and I thought that was a weird sign to bring to to the euros and then I was like oh no way of course they not I just I just see greish everywhere don’t I um yeah you working you’ve been working a bit hard on early kickoff when you’re seeing greish instead of the goulash I’d be candid I’m going to go out on the on an edge here and just say I would choose goulash every bloody day give me a great goulash I mean fondu got people breaking past it you got people Bing goulash I’ve got to say this is this is we’re just 36 hours into this bloody tournament I think the football fans are just taken it too far Sammy already well look I’m I’m off tomorrow I’m going to have to start researching every country’s Cuisine because it’s clearly the uh it’s the theme of the Euros is to uh try and get your insults by food it’s just knock verse baby 247 that’s all it’s going to say first they came for our goulash and I didn’t speak out because I was not a goulash that’s kind of where we are this is enough people back down it’s only football do not hate on the gouie um we got a touch upon last night very very quickly it makes me bloody sad um the worst thing to happen to Scotland beautiful Scotland since I don’t like to be hyperbolic but since a battle of floden in 1513 Germany five Scotland W Germany you heartless bastards they took the field for the first time at home with a slight bout of worry German public looking for a team they can believe in again after being burnt by dismo performances in the last two World Cups um that made you truly understand what the word shaten freuder really means um you know also there’s a sense of political unrest boiling underneath this tournament the policing real concerns even the trains I mean the Germans yes I do hear in my voice that they they know how to make the trains run on time not anymore Sammy where you’re going it’s going to be astonishing the Scots God love them I love Scotland my grandma was from there she was from Glasgow she was proper hard um and they not participated in tournament outside the United Kingdom since 1998 so 200,000 members of The Tartan Army um which is just joyous I think the to Army are it’s diasporic Scots I know there’s like five million Scots in Scotland but there were tot Army members who flown them from America from Australia uh from all over the bloody World almost on a national mission to drain Germany of beer which has been magnificent uh to witness felt like they’d won the game before kickoff with that rendition of the flow Scotland which was immense and Powerful um and really made you feel a sense of surging op optimism and fearlessness but what came to pass honestly harder to watch than the death of heard 5% of Scotland apparently was in uh was in Germany God that’s incredible 5% of Scotland and even just the underage ones did uh I think drank Munich dry but God it was hard the Germans just kept sticking that ball back down their throat early and off and London born Chelsea Academy developed Jamal msala and floran verts the Stars just shattered the Scottish will to live both Sammy they’re both just 21 um and almost simmer with the promis of silver I try not to I try not to get too excited about the first games of a World Cup um you know the second goal though that pass from K to kimick to f vers I mean my God that’s worth all the that first right oh 100% another team Germany who I think everyone’s not been 100% sure what to make of them because of the way that you know they sacked flick and then nar’s only had four games but it’s their own tournament but they’ve also been poor at major tournaments recently but then you actually look at some of the talent and some of the goals and some of the way that some of their you know I mean havit clearly right now is a different player to the player that he was two or three years ago and actually now looking at the Germans going like God could they win it I think there’s a lot of teams who people have been quite quick to write off because of what’s happened the last two or three years but actually they’ve got players in form in form at the right time and and they’ve got nlman I mean there was a couple this is what’s so odd about this um about this Euros is there’s a couple of very good coaches in this Euros Do’s um um the nlman um the spetti I mean these are real coaches these are not um the kind of coaches who are normally in International Football old burnouts or just young guys you just couldn’t hack the club career um nlman I think is what is the Difference Maker here with this German team this is a true tacn tactician his team 3-0 on the man up at halim ended with five different goal scorers six if you include rudiger even Nicholas ful scored um first time Germany have scored five f in a Euros game is that good um Hungary and Switzerland also in the group possibly ster a test to come um we should probably I mean this is a let me thr on this rule you do not believe in the score too early rule which is which is objectively true I’m sorry but do you believe that we should probably avoid there a leading question your honor sustained overruled do you believe Samy that we should avoid crowning Germany Champions until they played a team who were more than the paper bag with a hole in it probably I think I think maybe seeing Germany against the Swiss might give us a little bit more of an idea cuz I thought that Switzerland were very impressive and they’ve got some good players across that Squad you actually look at it and you go like o no one’s mentioned them as dark horses but maybe maybe they should have um I also just think that this this point of the Euros right now you are seeing quite a few matchups which is top tier nations against Nations that if it were as an ordinary qualifying game you wouldn’t blink twice that Germany would win that comfortably they’re not playing tier one Nations I think only maybe Spain Italy in that first round of match is when in the group stages is when you’re getting kind of big hitter against big hitter I think this tournament we’re going to see a lot of teams putting impressive performances but it’s really when it gets to the quarterfinals that we’re going to find out what teams are actually made on it is an odd tournament Samy it really really is with this this three and they’ve got this odd number of teams 24 they didn’t go to the full 32 so in in many groups three teams will get through which kind of takes away the the Jeopardy and I think it’s led to this kind of high octane uh football from the off but God bless Scotland who were the opposite of high octane um got seeking to make history by getting out the group stage for the first time ever um they got the reddest red card that ever reded could have been it could have been a Tartan card the fell from Ryan Porteus it was that Savage that crude um God bless Scotland they created 0.00 expected goals are essentially the Everton of International Teams brilliant quote though by the Scottish manager Steve Clark he was asked about the 0.0 expected goals he said I don’t look at Stats immediately after a game somebody told me Germany’s expected goals were less than two that shows how clinical they were which is it Sammy is he not looking at the stats or is he only looking at the stats and he wants to stat it up about yeah I think I think probably the latter on the 0.0 XG by the way I don’t know if you saw this but um uh Greg’s the famous um Bakery saus r p and and they are doing a promo and this isn’t sponsored um where they’re going to give away the amount of sausage rolls compared to teams expected goals so they were going to if if uh Scotland got two expected goals they were going to give away 2,000 sausage rolls and it was 0. so Gregs gave away zero sausage rolls um from their from their genus promotion that they did they’ve had to spend no money and they’ve got more marketing off their little gimmick than they could ever dreamed of oh my God Gregs and yes if you’re wondering they spell Gregs the proper way with three G’s tell us in the chat what the American equivalent of Gregs is uh it’s not bur halter um but in my BMW ultimate moment of the match the Scottish finally did score VRA rudiger own goal in the 87th minute by the way because it was him I do believe legally it should have counted double um but it did uh cause many many trolls who Savor Scottish suffering I’m not amongst them to pull out this stat rudiger is now Scotland’s joint equal top scorer in the Euros over the last 32 years it’s also bloody cruel but the Scottish fans God bless them um in that moment proceeded to celebrate this truly meaningless goal um as if it was a memory that they will carry forever the whole stadium filled with chance of you’re not singing anymore in glaswegian brogue um singing at the German fans who are 41 up until the Germans scored again about 12 seconds later uh and silence them God bless Scotland this team AP circus act P multigenerational trauma I mean just they they are they are Everton an in an international kit really Sammy they are they are they had some impressive results in qualifying though I think if they can ref find the form of about 18 months ago where they beat Spain they beat Norway they beat Georgia and they came quite close to beating Spain in Spain as well I think ultimately just lost so I do think that all that you really need to get through to the last 16 is probably one win one win maybe and draw four points and you’re definitely through so there is a lot of Hope of them actually reach in the last 16 there is there is but this even as underdogs this was a pretty insipid disorganized Panic rash rabble of a performance um final score on my boxing score card Scotland fan six Germany five um and thank you to every single Scottish fan and there were many of you who tweeted us the reminder which I think the whole world needs in this moment that Argentina lost their first World Cup game and still went on to win it keep telling yourself that Scotland uh your game midweek against Switzerland is now pretty much the ever um I will say to go from optimism to Doom so bloody quickly it felt like the the funeral scene from Four Weddings um with that morning Scotsman Matthew quoting oron in his beautiful beautiful accent stop all the clocks cut off the telephone prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone silence the Pian then we muffled drum bring out the coffin let the mourners come and lovely segue in that it’s quite depressing to touch upon England Sammy we are under 24 hours away now from the moment when England kicks off their Euro’s Journey against the immensely direct Serbia 300 P.M tomorrow please let it be on Fox please don’t give it to FUBU great headline in the guardian this morning South Gate enters the age of unreason where he can’t win even if he wins Sam me does that sum up kind of The Surreal mood around the the nation at the moment as Gareth heads into his Force most probably final tournament as England manager the nation is kind of divided if he’s a genius for guiding us within touching distance of Glory or an idiot for taking his golden eror of talent and not bloody winning anything he yeah is very very divided and I think if you went down to most pubs in England ask people their opinion on Gareth Southgate I think generally the mood is fairly low but I personally think if you look objectively of what he’s achieved in the past very good but I think this tournament now defines whether he’s been a manager that had some good times but ultimately was a failure or if he becomes a success and I think now it is literally because we’ve reached quarterfinals under him we’ve reached semi-finals under him we’ve reached finals under him you have to win it really now and with the team and the lineup that’s there the defense is weak but the Midfield and the attack is incredible the talent at his dis osal the amount of depth that he’s got I think that is it now I think Gareth knows that too that realistically that’s how he’s going to be judged is how this tournament goes and that’s quite it feels quite harsh that eight years is going to be boiled down to a month but I think that’s how it’s going to happen that’s football baby and the English national Obsession there’s always one going into a big tournament yeah I’m old enough to remember Beckham’s meta tsel none of us even knew what a meta tsel was till he broke it then we all just became utterly medically expert Gerard or Lampard was another one that went on forever um we love a national debate in England the head of a tournament and the one currently is who will play in Midfield along Dean rice um they’ve got a real feeling they’re going to unleash the Trent Alexander Arnold days what’s your feeling Sammy yeah I think he will go for that um it’s not what I would do I think that Bellingham would do a better job there and I think think that you need to play foden centrally because that’s where you can get the best out of him but I don’t think that Gareth will I think that Gareth will put Bellingham in the 10 foden left zaka right if he’s fit um I I like Trent I do and maybe against um against teams like Serbia where we’re gonna have to break them down and they’re going to be very direct I think that Trent can I think that Trent Trent can play a great role but yeah it depends really the ultimate thing is we all worry in England so much about the starting lineup matches like are generally in international tournaments are won in the final 30 minutes we always we obsess so much about who’s going to start the very very first game and then once the games are underway we kind of forget about all of this debate it’s basically just to fill the pages and pages of websites and YouTube videos in the build up into it we we obsess Sammy do not take away my um yeah I mean you’re right you speak to most managers and I’ll tell you now the most important thing is a manager knows they’re finishing 11 not their starting 11 but the other area for concern left backat Luke Shaw battling back from a season of injury in which he’s played like like 15 times um Kieran trippier um is seen as a tactical weak point quite fascinated by what Harry Kane feels about all of this so much weight on his shoulders um but now when he thinks of one of our own the own is essentially German fans who claim him dude is now playing the Euros for England on this adopted home soil of Germany um I need to get a prediction for you Sammy about how you feel tomorrow is going to go this Euros has been a goal Fest of of just optimistic attacking football um how much would you bet this is going to be the first rary scrap a nil nil oh well I was about to go all all confident and say yeah I mean it makes sense that both teams will score a hatful of goals but actually I I think England will win but I think I don’t I cannot see us keeping clean sheet it’s the F it’s likely to be a back five that’s never played together and that’s mad going into a tournament like a completely untested back five and we’re playing against someone that I as a fulam fan know extremely well Alexander mitovich and I can bet you anything he is chomping at the bit to get a goal tomorrow and he just will he just it’s so funny in the English debate um we don’t really think much about Serbia we’re self-obsessed like we’re either going to do ourselves in or we’re going to find our Rhythm Serbia are not a bad football team as you mentioned two of their three most important players um are currently playing in the Saudi Arabian League which makes him even more of a world card mitovich who just mentioned uh and serz minkovich Savage teammate at Al hillal which can cut one of two ways they can either be off the pace or still fresh fairly undented ready to roll because I do fear for the amount of Miles the Premier League players on this England side have run already this season it was a staleness um in that one-nil loss to Iceland just dead leggedness um I’m sensing a dull underwhelming unconvincing opening performance a narrow one-nil win I think that Anthony Gordon has got something to do with can I get a final score from you Sammy um I’m going to look at recent evidence that actually England have started tournaments well um it’s often been our second game that has been uh England’s uh kind of poor one uh obviously it was it was USA uh in the in the World Cup um and then before that it was the Scotland game that we drew nil nil so I actually I do think that we will win tomorrow I’m going to go for something like 3-1 um I think that you can read too way too much into the Iceland game I think that nearly all nations have had poor all the big Nations have had poor friendly results France Drew with Canada like there’s too many to to name of just random results that have happen give their full name Jesse MOS Jess can Kum in the chat says have some Faith Rod you’re English after all I’m as American as Kenny pow now K Plum by the way one other awful storyline to watch chairman police have spoken up publicly about concerns of an intelligence Gap in the level uh of aggression is their term for the latest generation of English football fans like Samy as the supporters Gather in Germany for their first ever postco Euros the gaming Serbia tomorrow has actually been designated as high risk um due to just the toxic mix of elements of the two groups of supporters I want to be clear this is elements of the support a lot of the Serbian fan Bas is phenomenal a lot of the most of the English fan base bunch of characters uh but both have real elements who are going in for a bit of aru baru the serbians actually have a large group of Ultras who are very prutin um and so the organizers have reduced this is amazing all the beer sold at the stadium to low alcohol which I’m like yeah that’ll solve it they said we’re doing that to it lower aggression levels I’m not sure if they’re also lowering the quality of the cocaine sold around the stadium and also lowering the odd nature of the pro Putin political views which I think are probably more of a greater driver of the violence that please God will not happen tomorrow than the beers uh but sometimes it’s the Small Things um by the way I’ll be live after that England game with none other than the great Rebecca L whom you may know from such movies as the Premier League on NBC so come and join us here tomorrow one other quick piece of news before we take your questions massive day for Brighton fans new coach unveiled um and he’s got American Roots an American Born gent Fabian her saer will be the replacement for the wet hair gel stylings of Roberto derer um herd sailor who is 31 I mean he’s 31 uh even yal would say that’s young that is bloody young guided St Paulie to promotion in the Bundesliga uh last season he becomes the youngest permanent manager in premier league history by the way there’s so much about him that I love um he was born in Texas in Houston his parents German born mom Swiss dad were temporarily working um lived there for his first two years before moving to Germany I think he considers himself like David Vagner who actually played for the United States but we asked David Vagner if he’s American he’s like nope um considered himself fully German but 31 years of age I think that’s half of Danny welbeck’s age about a quarter of Lewis dunks can’t wait to see him and his two tattoo sleeves on the Premier League Sidelines next season um what do you think of him Sammy here’s the God and football and 10 years from now Street good friends living large in Texas he’s going to be magic yeah yeah I I I wouldn’t um claim to know a huge amount about what he’s done but I think um his promotions at s poy um and then that club is a club that’s not been in the Bundesliga for for an awfully long time an absolutely crazy German club um and you know he has done wonders there Brighton always get it right Brighton just always get it right so you can sit here and say oh it seems a little bit of a gamble when Brighton never ever get it wrong they they just so funny that’s so funny we we had the Brighton’s um CEO Paul Barber join me for an interview about a month ago it’s one of my favorite we did last year find it it’s on our pod feed it’s on our YouTube he said something amazing he said um the day you start the day you hire a new manager is the day you start looking for your next new manager so I do wonder what’s going on there today whether he’s just typing the word sha and D into his Google which I’m sure is pretty well the way they do it God bless I love your theory that Brighton never get it wrong teams never get it wrong until they do okay to your question by the way I hope he’s not going it wrong because I love Brighton and H Alum they give me joy they give me life I love everything about them so please God all of it will just be just the most gracious uh intense um and uplifting fit to your questions reminder of how this works here on YouTube live uh scan that QR code in the top left of your screen or click on the pink comment in the the chat takeing to a zoom with our producer Jay dubs who’s really the puppet master of all of this one of the most incredible human beings in the world it’s also almost his birthday um so give him some love he’ll tell you everything you need to know do not worry you won’t appear on screen because I know I’m soiling your day by appearing on screen for those of you who don’t want to ask a question smash that like button um let’s start with oh it’s Gustavo tell us where you’re from what’s your question beautiful hey Raj uh I’m from Central Florida area it’s a city called Lakeland Lakeland sounds like a historic part of Florida Gustav I’ve got many a little bit you know it’s named after Lakes so there’s there’s something I know part of the reason there’s not you know Florida’s a complicated place but one of the things I love about Florida is they just kind of they kind of half ass a lot of the naming at a certain point they’re just like okay we’re not even going to try anymore um we’ll just you know let’s go some lakes here let’s just call it Lakeland um by the way were you at the game were you at the Brazilian game the one1 lost to the one-1 loss against the United States there was so many at the game man yeah no I actually have never been to that Stadium uh I want to go it’s just one of those things I haven’t actually like made the time to go are you are you braavo am I just am I oh no I’m Colombian hey oh oh my God you are a daddy Gustavo oh my God by the way can I ask you because I know you’ve got a question for me the United States though when you smashed us did that surprise you or were you just like yeah I mean these are just two different weight CL I’m trying to work out right now Gustavo which is a real us team I spent time with Joe scell this morning asking him that question which is a real us team was it the one that beat uh Brazil 1-1 or is it the team that absolutely got smothered overwhelmed self-destructed against Colombia were you surprised are we like yeah Colombia this is what we do I think I was surprised just because of the the form of the US like I thought that their players were going to come and do a little better I guess there’s everybody always talks about Greg right and maybe he didn’t plan the game properly or whatever it was but um yeah Colombia as you guys have said it and you know it’s it’s still on the records they’re they’re playing today actually they just scored their third goal so they’re in a 23 game on beting run you might want you might want to tell your coach Gustavo about another rule that we have which is scientific and true do not score all your tournament goals too early maybe you’re falling into that trap baby but what was your question tell us tell us what you came here to ask oh yeah sure I mean it kind of has to do with Colombia too but just all these players that are playing these uh big International competitions now just wondering what your take is on on their Fitness levels cuz I noticed even with players that now where they’re winning games they’re trying to manage their minutes and take Tony crows out after the halftime because they don’t really need him anymore and that type of thing the level of the oh big time Big Time I mean tell me are people talking about that in England at all I mean when I watched the Iceland game I think you’re right to say do not read too much into it and all that crap other rule we don’t read too much into international friendlies but so many of those players sacka looked utterly shattered um you know just from an attacking perspective particularly which is the strength of England there was so many dead legs there is there any conversation about that because your motto is football don’t sleep on early kickoff um football don’t sleep and neither do we I mean football has never the calendar has never been more unforgiving for these Elite footballers it no I mean I don’t think people are talking about it too much and I do think that sometimes leggin shows in matches like friendlies and then when it comes to the real thing players just find find a depth don’t they they find a different gear and I think sometimes tiredness can come in towards the end of tournaments but I think you’re seeing even in today you know I think you haven’t I’m not it’s not been one game or one player I’ve been like oh he looks a bit leggy I think when you get into those opening group stages everyone’s had two or three weeks to kind of you know change the pace from from Club football I think for me right now like last season wasn’t anything extraordinary in terms of um the amount of games it’s next year and the year after that when you add the club World Cup and when you add in the expanded Champions League when you that’s that’s where I actually start to wonder whether this is going to get unsustainable this current format of football has been sustainable for the best part of 25 years we’ve kind of had this amount of games but it’s the upcoming few years where I do actually think that we’re going to start seeing this more and more and this is actually going to start becoming an issue the thing I do worry about is the um is that still that Jerry rigged 2022 World Cup which uprooted the whole calendar and made that year and also the pandemic right before it which kind of uh shattered the traditional Rhythm and when you speak to these footballers they are absolutely not just physically shattered mentally shattered um and these Premier League footballers you know the the the English um Team many of the ones that are playing for Manchester City just a workload um you know the 60 plus games on these young bodies uh There is almost no Gustav time for recovery for these footballers and they’re almost in a um in an unprecedented moment in time where they don’t quite know what the effect of this wear and tear and Relentless footballing schedule on those those young bodies is going to be I mean I’ve told this story before um but I think it’s an important one it’s an important one by the way for for men’s football it’s a really important one for women’s football football to where the calendar is is exploding the so much new real estate of tournament just being flung in which we welcome because it represents a reflection of the the growth of the women’s game but uh a lot of the players are rightfully fearful about because obviously it’s going on at the same time where there’s very little understanding of women’s sports science and why so many Elite women’s footballers tearing acl’s had an unprecedented and clearly accompanying connected um so when I I used to travel around um making a film ahead of the 2014 World Cup and went to the Netherlands to speak to Aaron Johansson the Icelandic American who’d had the season of his life at azed almore he’s a young kid he his early 20s you know playing a World Cup qualifying at the United States but also that year AED went deep into the Europa League um and he said to me I think he played 63 games give or take that season off off camera um we were walking through alore which is a beautiful little canel town and he he said then he said I am shattered um he said I’ve never played this many games I genuinely feel it my legs I can’t recover uh I don’t know how to recover um ultimately his career never really recovered he you know his career was one of um a sweet and wonderful man unfulfilled promise um injury um and and and um that that ultimately uh went in a upward trajectory and implemeted um so we will see we will see I hope I mean ultimately I hope um that none of this is the case and that England have the the game of their life a tournament like this with England going deep is I mean it’s magical particularly for the American fan I think so many American fans connect to this team the Italian team obviously the huge Italian American diaspora but for England to go deep would be a thing of Joy um Gustavo come be with me and Rebecca L tomorrow and we’ll be a to talk with with actual knowledge having bloody watch them but God speed to you mate your Colombians beating up the bolivians um I hope you score more than 51 so we get a moral Victory before we play Bolivia uh in that first game of the Copa call anytime you gorgeous man um thank you thank you thank you oh it’s an old stalwart uh we’re going to take two quick more ones before we pop off it’s a great oh Joshua Youngerman remind us where you’re from and what’s your question oh uh I’m in Brooklyn New York uh you always sound shocked when you remember that fact Joshua well I’m locked out of my apartment right now so you know I have nothing better to do than to call you guys maybe how did this happen how did this happen to I’m an idiot Roger that’s how yeah but really I’m a human being that’s locked myself out of my apartment many times so I am quite fascinated to live with you how did you do it well I forgot my keys in my apartment cuz I was going to my local bar to watch the Spain kti game yes and um I didn’t leave an extra set out which I usually do and I live alone so now I have to wait till locksmith God bless you need to leave an extra set of keys behind the plum pot behind the plum pot to the left of the front door that’s oh you know Joshua this is a jdubs idea producer jdubs has just texted me to say bloody hell Youngerman do you not know basic football fandom um means you need you always leave an extra set of keys Behind the B ah next time next time God bless that’s when whenever you get robbed then you know it was Mo who did it but tell us tell us what your question is you’re amazing man yeah so um I I hope England win too because I I lived there for a while and you know it has that team has a special place in my heart but um you know I I’m going to make a reckless prediction and I want you to tell me if I’m either being Reckless or I should go to uh what Betting Company sponsors you again um I you know you talking about prize picks it’s a fantasy St yeah yeah I should go to go to prize picks and and bet this yeah I like this I like this Theory you’re on spooling here I’m gon to make a reckless decision you tell me if it’s Reckless or not okay you match your sense of recklessness against ours Josh you’re basically my football therapist so um I think and he’s currently the leader of the competition uh I think that Kai hits could win the Golden Boot in this competition just based on the fact that he’s in a system that’s so perfect for him right now in Germany in with the German team and he’s gonna get a lot of opportunities to score and their their attack is so potent I mean I know they have to play they have a lot harder competition coming up for sure but I I see them going far and I just I think artetta has clearly unlocked something but I also think noggles man has unlocked something in this player and I just think this system is set up for him to really have an amazing tournament and possibly win God that Shakira wacka wacka song is going to sound terrifying in German as you’re about to find out Sammy what do you think K have it baby I I I think that arteta saw something in him that none none the rest of us did didn’t he and um with with artetta and nlman molding him into this uh unreal player I I think top scorer is I just don’t know if he’s going to quite get the twos and threes that I think you need in order to to get to that top scorer he’s never really been that kind of a a striker attacking midfielder that really grabs lots of goals in the the game he often just grabs one so I can’t quite see him being top scorer but it’s a great outside bet I bet you’d get decent odds on that and I think all The Usual Suspects you’re in bapp and your your canes you you’re not going to get any kind of a return with so I I think I think that despite you obviously um you know not being in a great place right now in terms of the fact you’ve lost your keys I think your head’s in a good space in terms of who you might be backing as that as that Dark Horse you know I I think the thing that I find not just wrong in your theory though joshu Youngman but borderline humanly offensive is that it’s Nicholas F CR eraser so you know it’s um it’s hard to eat like that when F CRA is also at the table if you know what I mean um so I’m still leaving all my money on on Big Nick but I love your question I really love your question because it is a reminder and again we’re working off scan evidence here people we are working off scaned evidence one game 20 minutes we got to resist the urge to Crown Champions but I do think your your question uh hints um an advantage a competitive advantage that this German team do and I’m sure Norman’s walking around the German Camp um he’s got deeply intelligent footballers Kai havit and that’s what artetta saw in him this is a deeply and you speak to the other players they’re Blown Away by his tactical intelligence and how it manifests on the field I think he’s going to be an incredible manager I think he’s going to be um one of those guys that kind of moves into management and then is Coveted by um every team just because of his truly deep and profound understanding of the game and International Football doesn’t really have that um it’s a cruder game you know when England have been good how have they done it they’ve done it with defending conservative football um you know the double pivot um and working out to nit goals obsessing about set pieces throw in Corners fre kicks um I mean that’s International Football as we know it in the situation but there is the possibility that Germany do have this next evolution of uh of an intelligent set of footballers with an intelligent manager nman is not I’ll say this again and he won’t be for long he’s not an international manager International managers love working on their golf game they love you know eating well they love going around the big cities of the world it’s not a serious job if you’re serious and young in football um lman took it for um almost a Redemption uh almost a sabatical almost to you know Germany in Germany when you have a World Cup at home just saying when you have a World Cup at home it’s it’s it’s massive for a manager to manage their team at home um and so there’s many reasons he took the job but he’s not an international manager having that brilliant brain as manager and a brilliant brain like Kai havitz and several of I mean vers bloody similar msala bloody similar Tony Crose of course he came back do you want to be part of this brilliant Brain Trust yeah I’ll ride with you one more time um it is it is really um it is really going to be fascinating watching them try and think their way uh through this tournament as much as play it Josh Youngerman please come back on tomorrow tell us how you got into your apartment if you got into your apartment if you need to sleep the night and men and Blazers World Headquarters we’ve always got a fot on for you baby let’s wrap this one up with a final call let’s hope she’s got a house keys oh welcome back it’s Christina Scott STS remind us where you are old stotty and tell us what your question is oh it’s not like Christina starts to be so quiet but I do know what a question was uh it’s um she’s got a unmute you’ve got to unmute Christina come on you know that it’s not your first rodeo no it’s not I am here from joffin Missouri and my question is for the lovely Sammy James yes you mentioned recently that you want to come to the magical city of Kansas City would you want to do an early morning kickoff summer holiday in Kansas City absolutely we haven’t done it well this is our first summer holiday the one to Germany that’s uh that’s starting tomorrow but I think that’s a perfect perf uh summer holiday number two can we uh can we make those Stars Al line r bloody Al Christina STS did Sammy pay you to ask this we just got him to bloody Germany honestly we had to I had to sell a lung on an illegal Market somewhere to be able to pull this off and you now you’re trying to get you’re trying to like yank him off to Kansas City I will tell you however um and by the way when you tell him about some of the crap we at at casy Joe’s that’s Zan um at casy Joe’s where else did we in Kansas City went to the went to the first world war museum which was truly truly remarkable went to the Negro League Baseball Museum which is one of my favorite Musea um in all uh of the United States of America some of the crap we at in your city was um was borderline ecstasy Betty raised for breakfast uh actually ice cream for breakfast I went and got a burger at Town Topic um which was just one of the most chilled Vibes at about 3:00 in the morning I adored all of it but we’re coming back to Kansas City Missouri June the 30th we’re actually playing at the Madrid theater with Brendan hunt Christina STS tickets just gone on sale on our website the night before the US play will be in Kansas City I hope you can come raise a point with us we’ll be in Atlanta Georgia June 26 um we’ll be in Los Angeles next week June the 19th at the LR theater oh best best race in Hudson uh Charlotte North Carolina we’re coming for you July the 9th um come be with us gfop PS Christina starts I cannot wait to be with you Sammy you are getting up at like crazy o’clock to fly you going tell us how you get you flying to the Netherlands and then you train it into Germany right yeah so London to uh einhoven uh the the old us Football Factory uh there um but not but not stopping uh we then get uh three trains uh to a little town called deburg uh which there’s a bit of a football Mecca right in Germany um the Rin Ru Valley there’s actually four stadiums all within about a Metro ride of one another so you’ve got dusel dorf you’ve got gson kirken you’ve got cologne and you’ve got Dortmund all within about 20 25 minutes um espar uh between each other so we’re staying in a little town called Berg which kind of is in between them all um and then we can just pop off each day uh to uh to a game so I think we’re doing a game every day except the Wednesday but we’re still going to go down to Cologne where Scotland are playing Switzerland and soak up the Scots um so yeah it’s this little football Mecca in Germany you know lots of the stadiums Frankfurt and Berlin and Munich uh are a long long way away but four of them just happen to be in this nice little neat area which is where we’re heading to go you are going to be creating content for us on the daily when you go to the Scotland game you’re going to get hammered just by contact High um but tell us how it’s going to affect the early kickoff podcast which you can find on its own feed men and Blazers early kickoff one of the joys of my day is to listen to that for 10 to 12 minutes every morning tell us what you’re going to do uh the link by the way is in the chat right now to subscribe to early kickoff to her a load more Sammy tell us what you and the great George what a team are going to do from Germany on the ground well we’re just going to hopefully try and give an audio flavor of what it’s like to be at the European championships in Germany and whilst everyone Waits For The Copper America to get underway you can kind of live and breathe and experience the Euros via VIA early kickoff and from our point of view Raj we get an extra hour to make it so we’re delighted you never time difference we in bed when your grandchildren ask you in German grandfa when did you move to Germany you’ll say well that’s a very interesting question we didn’t actually like Jan it just gave us an extra hour to make early kickoff and that’s why we live here now um here’s a look at everything else coming up at men Blazers World Headquarters next week we are back here on YouTube live throughout this summer of soccer um tomorrow we will be back um all of it brought you by our friends at BMW who have done so much to to power us through this uh incredible summer starting tomorrow with the Mother of Dragons Rebecca Low herself we’ll talk about that England game 5:00 pm eastern time we’ll be live on YouTube Becka and me do not miss that but then Monday series of Copa America previews brought to you by Dove men plus care which hurt Gomez and I go deep first of all on the US team’s hopes and dreams uh then what the rest of the field looks like um and then spend some time talking about Canada with their new manager Mr Jesse Marsh which is an incredible moment uh I think for conera him going up north um and just going full on Northern Exposure do not miss it remember Los Angeles we’re coming to you next week Wednesday night 8:00 pm local time the LR theater tickets available on our social come be with us come be with Brendan and honestly it’s going to be amazing and the last word today it’s been fascinating to hear Brazilian Legend Ronaldinho declare that’s it guys I will not watch any Brazilian game at the cop of America or celebrate any Victory I’ve had enough it’s a sad moment for those who love Brazilian football this is a real quote it’s hard now to find the spirit to watch the games it’s one of the worst teams in recent years no respectable leaders only average players I’ve never seen a situation as bad as this lack of love love for Brazil shirt and lack of football you you lose 1-1 to the United States and let’s just say the result hit as hard down there as I think it did up here in the United States but for different reasons and I love it I love you too Sammy you and George early early do not miss that flight travel safely You Beautiful human being thanks for being with us tonight pleasure thanks for having me R and thanks to you America this is R saying Big Love come on England and courage