Call It What You Want: A CBS Sports Golazo Network Podcast · CBS Sports, USMNT, U.S. Soccer, MLS, World Cup, UCL, Americans Abroad

Pepi to Fulham? Freeman to Villarreal? McKennie the "perfect" center forward? (Soccer 1/27)

·1 hr 4 min·4 clips

Luciano Spalletti called Weston McKennie "the perfect center forward."

1. Call It What You Want opens with Jimmy Conrad, Tony Meola, and Charlie Davies talking about the 2026 World Cup countdown and the 125-day roster deadline. 2. Jimmy Conrad matters as the host who frames the episode around World Cup timing, roster pressure, and Americans Abroad performances. 3. The episode asks what matters more right now: club form, transfer moves, or World Cup roster position. 4. Tim Weah records an assist for Marseille in a 3-1 win over Lens, and Marseille stay seven points behind PSG in Ligue 1. 5. Patrick Agyemang scores again for Charlotte, with the goal coming after a goalkeeper error in a 1-1 draw with West Brom. 6. Chris Richards scores on his 100th Crystal Palace appearance in a 3-1 loss to Chelsea, while Mark McKenzie gets an assist on a throw-in for Toulouse in a 2-0 win over Brest. 7. Pellegrino Matarazzo’s Real Sociedad beat Celta Vigo 3-1 despite playing the second half with 10 men after a red card. 8. Tony Meola matters because he gives the managerial and tactical view on why Matarazzo’s work at Real Sociedad looks organized and stable. 9. Charlie Davies matters because he pushes the striker discussion toward role fit, positional flexibility, and how players are used. 10. The hosts note that Real Sociedad have three straight league wins and are up to eighth in La Liga after sitting 16th when Matarazzo arrived. 11. Tony says Matarazzo has pushed "all the right buttons" and that the team now looks more balanced and collaborative in its shape. 12. Jimmy says he wants to see how Matarazzo’s tactical work translates into a deeper breakdown because he sees a "team shape nerd" topic there. 13. Luciano Spalletti’s quote about Weston McKennie becomes a central talking point, especially the line that McKennie is "a perfect center forward." 14. The hosts connect that praise to McKennie’s role for Juventus, where he has also played right wingback, defensive midfield, and attacking midfield. 15. Charlie says the label is an overreaction for a pure striker comparison, but he agrees McKennie’s off-ball runs and aerial ability make him useful high up the pitch. 16. The episode then moves into a CONCACAF striker ranking, where Raul Jimenez, Jonathan David, Folarin Balogun, Ricardo Pepi, Haji Wright, and McKennie are all discussed. 17. Tony and Charlie describe the show as a "calma, calma" moment, with March and the next international windows expected to bring more pressure and clearer answers. 18. The format is conversational and debate-driven, with recurring jokes about snow, U.S. Soccer pajamas, and the "daycare" backdrop behind Charlie Davies. 19. Fans of U.S. men’s national team roster debates and European transfers would like this episode. 20. Viewers wanting a tight single-topic interview may skip it.

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