Lobbing Scorchers, Ari Liljenwall and Noah Riffe break down the first week of the 2026 World Cup with the group stage opening round officially in the books. Egyptian supporters took over Seattle for Belgium and Egypt, downtown fan zones were buzzing without the USMNT even playing in town yet, and Seattle looks every bit the part FIFA hoped it would be. Has the Emerald City already made the case for an even bigger role in future FIFA events?

Lobbing Scorchers digs into the USMNT stock after a 4-1 demolition of Paraguay, with Folarin Balogun emerging as a Golden Boot candidate and Gio Reyna finding his form. But how much should expectations actually change after just one game, and could Australia, with Mohamed Touré and Nestory Irankunda, be a tougher test than anyone is giving them credit for?

This week's Agenda Check: Has the expanded 48 team format been better or worse than expected? Are blowouts a real problem, or is Cape Verde drawing Spain proof that the Cinderella stories are alive and well?

The boys share their favorite World Cup moments so far: Cape Verde keeper Vozinha goes from 50,000 Instagram followers to 10.9 million after the Spain draw, Messi drops a hat trick on Algeria, Haaland and Mbappe both bag braces, and FC Dallas striker Petar Musa scores for Croatia in a 4-2 loss to a sharp looking England side.

Ari and Noah round out the show with the latest from Sounders training. A Sounders scrimmage against Belgium (a 2-1 loss featuring Antino Lopez, Osaze DeRosario, Sebastian Gomez, Paul Arriola, Nouhou, Jesus Ferreira and others), Brian Schmetzer trading notes with new Belgium coach Rudi Garcia, and an encouraging Pedro de la Vega update with a target return for the August 1 trip to Portland.

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About Lobbing Scorchers

Lobbing Scorchers is a Seattle Sounders and MLS focused show brought to you by Sounder at Heart. Hosted by Major League Soccer’s Ari Liljenwall and Noah Riffe. Join us as we lob our scorching takes on the American soccer landscape, Seattle Sounders, Major League Soccer, USMNT and more.

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Ari Liljenwall

A soccer columnist and journalist for Major League Soccer covering soccer in America’s top flight league. Liljenwall has over ten years of experience reporting on the Seattle Sounders, beginning his career as a beat writer in 2014. Liljenwall is a graduate of Western Washington University and hails from New Mexico.

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Noah Riffe

Director of Content for Sounder at Heart with roots in traditional reporting. Riffe began his career covering FC Dallas in 2015 before interning with Sporting Kansas City in 2018 also making a career at The New York Times and USA Today. A Seattle native and lifelong Sounders fan, Riffe brings nearly a decade of experience in soccer storytelling across multiple MLS markets.

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