BREAKING NEWS: U.S. Soccer Sporting Director Matt Crocker heads to Saudi Arabia, Pulisic slump continues, Group of Death rankings

Alexi Lalas and David Mosse are back with a new episode of State of the Union! The show starts with the breaking news that U.S. Soccer Sporting Director Matt Crocker is leaving his current post to move to work with the Saudi Arabian football federation. Alexi and Mosse break down the implications of this as we rapidly approach the World Cup before moving on to U.S. Abroad where Flo Balogun and Ricardo Pepi found the back of the net for Monaco and PSV. Weston McKennie was suspended due to yellow card accumulation and Christian Pulisic’s scoring drought reached 16 games for club and country. Next, Alexi and Mosse preview the midweek quarterfinals in both the Champions League where Real Madrid and Barcelona are looking for 2nd leg turnarounds and the CONCACAF Champions Cup where LAFC is the only MLS side to take a lead into the 2nd leg. The pair roundup the weekend action from MLS before getting into the most difficult groups in the coming World Cup in #AskAlexi. Finally, in One for the Road, Alexi discusses the Americanization of soccer and what is the American soccer identity. Presented by Zillow #Zillow (0:00) Intro  (1:39) U.S. Sporting Director Matt Crocker leaves for Saudi Arabia (4:46) U.S. Abroad: Pulisic slump, Balogun & Pepi score(10:23) Emma Hayes as USMNT coach?(21:53) MLS Recap: Sebastian Berhalter bags another assist (25:49) #AskAlexi: Group of Death Rankings(36:27) One For The Road: American Soccer Identity Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices