When you put the numbers up, whether it's Messier or Ronaldo, what they did when they first started their career, even though they kind of burst on the scene and there was a lot of attention, they weren't putting up the numbers that Lamin Amal is doing right now. The

The Hello, Sunshin, I'm Alexi Lawless, and welcome to the State of the Union podcast.

We look at the beautiful game on and off the field through the lens of red, white, and blue colored glasses.

This show will be talking, well, a USMNT roster drop.

Yamal's teen dream, Liverpool's tears, Julian's double tap, MLS's CCC response,

Manu's palace intrigue, beyond the towers, Bob the General Lee, 1971, and so much more.

But first, joining me as always my friend, my colleague, my guiding light, David Mossie,

a soccer savant and a Fox Soccer researcher and writer extraordinaire.

Monsi, how you doing on this Thursday, March 13th in the year 2025?

I'm doing well after a couple of late nights covering the Konkakav Champions Cup.

I am back at it here for the pod.

All sorts of action going on.

We will get into that. Have you

watched Red or seen anything or want to talk about anything interesting in your life beyond the

ball? The one thing I've got is I watched this eight-part Apple TV documentary. In 1971,

the year that music changed everything. Now, as I'm sure you know, 1971 is often held up as one of the great years in the history of music.

Marvin Gay, what's going on?

Joni Mitchell Blue, Rolling Stone Sticky Fingers, The Who Who's Next?

Zeppelin Four.

All sorts of legendary albums came out that year.

But this documentary juxtaposes all that with what was going on in the world,

the Vietnam War, civil rights, and all the rest.

...