The following podcast contains explicit language.

Hi, I'm Stefan Fatsis and this is Slate's sports podcast, Hang Up and Listen for the week of June 23rd, 2014.

On this week's show, we'll talk about, oh, what do you think we're going to talk about?

We're going to talk about the United States, a stick a fork in your eye, disaster in the Amazon slash. We played brilliantly and proved we belong on the world stage, God damn it, two to two tie with Portugal on Sunday. Slate correspondent Luke O'Brien was at the game in Steamy Manawas, Brazil, and he will paint a word picture of the scene. Also, we'll discuss the death of San Diego Padres, hitting legend, Tony

Gwynn, and what makes a sports hero. Slate executive editor, Josh Levine, is away this week.

Joining me from Slate's New York Bureau is Mike Peska, host of the Slate Daily podcast, The Gist

with Mike Peska. Hi, Mike Peska. Hello. How are you? Good. Filling in for Josh. Seated next to Mike is Brian Curtis, who is a staff writer for the worldwide website. Grantland, welcome to the show, Brian. An author of Word Freak and A Few Second of My Poor Popular Titles. Those were good books. Thank you for having me. I feel like you guys, with Josh opting out, you guys created some cap room, and instead of Carmelo, Anthony, you signed Bonzie Wells. So I'm happy to be here. The mid-level exception. That's right. There's definitely a podcast called The Mid-Level Exception. There has to be, right? Yeah. Every phrase in sports has been assigned to a website or a podcast.

And if...

And if one hasn't, it will.

All right, before I self-immolate while discussing USA Portugal, a quick plug for a book event.

Please join me, New York Times columnist, legend, George Vessie, and novelist S.AS New York expert Kevin Baker for a panel chat,

promoting the anthology for the love of

baseball, a celebration of the game that connects us all. I wrote about my baseball glove. I will bring my baseball glove. The event is Wednesday at 6.30 p.m. at the Museum of the City of New York. We'll post a link on the hang-up show page if you'd like to attend, or even if you'd like not to attend. All right, I am still

deflated, exhausted, gutted, gutted in the sense of sick to my stomach by what happened in

Manawas on Sunday evening. The United States men's national soccer team allowed a gift goal in the

fifth minute and another gift goal, albeit a beautiful gift goal from a superb cross by the best player

in the world in the fifth minute of stoppage time to fall two to two to Portugal.

A win would have secured U.S. advancement to the round of 16.

The tie leaves everything to be determined by a game on Thursday against Germany, who will have 27 more hours of rest, didn't play in a rainforest,

or have to take the equivalent of three New York to Los Angeles flights.

Mike Peska, you watch the game. You were not there. What were your impressions?

Okay. I'll talk about the game in a second.

...