With the September international window upon us, Tuesday's episode of the Sporting KC Show revolved around the U.S. Men's National Team and its ongoing World Cup qualifying campaign.
Hosts Nate Bukaty and Carter Augustine welcomed ESPN color analyst Taylor Twellman, who discussed the meteoric rise of Christian Pulisic, the development curve of young players in the U.S. MNT player pool, the tricky challenge of facing Costa Rica on Friday in Red Bull Arena, and the potential involvement of Sporting KC defenders Matt Besler and Graham Zusi in both upcoming qualifiers.
"I'd be shocked if you don't see Matt Besler or Graham Zusi in both games, especially the one at home," Twellman said as the U.S. prepares to host La Tricolor on Friday (5:30 p.m. CT, ESPN) before traveling to face Honduras next Tuesday.
Besler joined the same radio station this morning, speaking with Border Patrol hosts Bukaty and Steven St. John from U.S. MNT training camp near New York City. One talking point to emerge was the fact that Friday's match will be played at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey, which features a large concentration on Costa Rican immigrants. The Sporting KC captain also shared his keys to beating a dangerous team the U.S. has faced twice over the last 10 months, looking to July's 2-0 Gold Cup semifinal win over Costa Rica as a recipe for success.
"We'll have to try and find a ball out wide. That's where space is going to be because they put most of their numbers in the middle of the field," Besler said. "It's about getting our outside backs involved, getting our wide midfielders involved and sending in some crosses from out wide.
Listen to the entirety of both interviews below, including the full episode of the Sporting KC Show.
Tuesday night: Taylor Twellman on the Sporting KC Show
Wednesday morning: Matt Besler on The Border Patrol
