U.S. vs Ecuador & Australia Preview + 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifying Outlook

Alexi Lalas’ State of the Union Podcast

FOX Sports

Soccer, News, Sports, Sports News

4.4 • 1.1K Ratings

🗓️ 9 October 2025

⏱️ 53 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Alexi Lalas and David Mosse gear up for the USMNT’s October window with plenty of burning questions. Will the U.S. lock in a back three, or shift back to a traditional four? How will they adapt without Dest — and with Jedi Robinson on limited minutes? And if you bring four goalkeepers, shouldn’t at least two get a shot?Alexi reveals his Starting XI for the window — featuring Matt Freese in goal, a veteran back line, and Pulisic and Balogun leading the charge against Ecuador and Australia.Around the globe, World Cup qualifying gets wild: CAF, AFC, UEFA, and CONCACAF races all heating up, while MLS playoff spots hang in the balance with Messi’s Miami fighting for position and Jordi Alba’s farewell on the horizon.Then it’s #AskAlexi and One for the Road, where Alexi salutes Darlington Nagbe — one of the best to ever do it. Intro (0:00)3 Burning Questions for USMNT Window: Back 3 vs Back 4? (5:02)Alexi’s Best Starting XI (11:36)2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifying Preview (21:07)MLS Weekend Preview: Messi double duty? (32:42)#AskAlexi: Why the 2026 FIFA World Cup will be a huge success (37:31)Happy Trails Darlington Nagbe - Alexi’s GOAT (44:39) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	If the World Cup started today, this is who my best group of players would be.
0:05.5	If Marisa Pochitino in this window decides to play with a back three for both of these games,
0:12.5	then I think it's a clear indication that this is what he wants to do going forward.
0:17.8	If Matt Freeze really is your guy and you believe that he is, then yeah, you give him that
0:23.5	opportunity and you say, you're my starter.
0:26.2	It is your job to lose.
0:27.5	I firmly believe that in his prime, there is not a team in the world that Darlington
0:32.8	Nightby couldn't have walked into and would not have missed a beat.
0:57.7	Hello, Sunshine. I'm Alexi Lalas and welcome the State of the Union podcast.
1:01.8	We look at the beautiful game on and off the field through the lens of red, white and blue-colored glasses.
1:07.2	This show will be talking, well, the U.S. men's national team, a predicted lineup, possibly.
1:13.0	World Cup qualifying, Ozzie, why the 2026 World Cup will be a success.
1:14.5	Darlington, Nagby,
1:16.8	goodbye, Hollywood Bowl,
1:18.6	Puerto Rico, and so much more. But first joining us always my friend, my colleague, my
1:20.5	guiding light, David Mossy, a soccer
1:22.7	savant and a Fox soccer researcher and writer
1:24.4	Extraotony! Mossie, how
1:26.6	you doing on this? What are we looking at?
1:28.4	Wednesday, October 8th in the year 2025. I'm doing well. And if by Ozzy, you mean Ozzy Osbourne,
1:34.4	that we are in sync today because my, what are we watching is music related. Really? Wonderful.
1:39.6	Well, you know, we talk music every once in a while. It's near and dear to both of our hearts.
	...

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