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

Tillman to the double in chaotic UCL league phase finale | USMNT attacking mid depth chart (Soccer 1/29)

·1 hr 8 min·4 clips

Benfica needed their goalkeeper to score a header to reach the knockout round.

1. Call It What You Want: A CBS Sports Golazo Network Podcast centers this episode on Champions League league-phase chaos and the U.S. men's attacking-midfield depth chart. 2. Jimmy Conrad hosts with Charlie Davis and Tony Meola, and their soccer references matter because they break down Champions League results, American players, and U.S. national-team implications. 3. The episode asks whether the new UEFA format delivered enough late drama and which U.S. attacking midfielders are forcing Mauricio Pochettino to reconsider the depth chart. 4. Benfica's finish against Real Madrid becomes the first major topic because the hosts describe a late goal from goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin that changed qualification math. 5. The hosts say Benfica thought a 3-2 win was enough before learning they needed one more goal in injury time. 6. They explain that the match had a delayed start, which left the Real Madrid game standalone on the screen while other fixtures were already finished. 7. The panel then lists the American Champions League production line: nine players, eight clubs, 12 goals, and four assists. 8. Folarin Balogun, Ricardo Pepi, Weston McKennie, Malik Tillman, and Tim Weah are the main scorers named in that rundown. 9. They also mention a debut for 18-year-old Marvin Dills, who played seven minutes for Eintracht Frankfurt against Tottenham. 10. Dills' background is specific: he has represented both the U.S. and Germany at U18 level and played four U19 friendlies in 2025. 11. Malik Tillman's two goals against Villarreal are treated as the clearest American headline from the group phase. 12. Charlie Davis credits Tillman for pressing the goalkeeper and finishing a second chance with clean technique. 13. Tony Meola says Tillman was not an obvious choice a month earlier, but his performances keep him in the conversation with Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie. 14. The hosts note that Tillman has now scored two Champions League braces, including one in November 2024 with PSV and another against Villarreal. 15. A separate discussion covers Monaco's 0-0 draw with Juventus, where Balogun had a finish ruled out for an early push and McKennie tracked him down in a 1v1 sequence. 16. Charlie Davis uses that match to talk about scouting behavior, saying coaches watch reactions, hold-up play, defensive work, and what players do when they lose the ball. 17. Jimmy Conrad echoes that theme by describing how coaches should study the other 87 to 88 minutes of a 90-minute match, not just shots and assists. 18. The tone is conversational and tactical, with frequent sidetracks into youth development, scouting videos, and old match memories from the hosts' playing days. 19. Fans tracking U.S. players in Champions League and Europa League should get a lot out of this episode. 20. Listeners wanting a pure match recap without coaching details may skip it.

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