GDLA+ Friday, 7/10/2026

It's Friday guys. It's Friday. FIFA Friday. FIFA Friday. It's a big day. FIFA football. And furry Friday. I got my shoes. Okay. We got floral Friday too. A lot going on. Welcome to GDLA Plus. Maria, nice of you to join us. Nice of you to join us. Today is the last FIFA World Cup match at LA Stadium. So it's a big deal and we're live all across the city to get you caught up on all of the action. And speaking of action, Disney brings one of its biggest animated hits to live action or life. But does the live action Moana deserve a trip to the theater or more like a trip to the island? Hmm. I'll tell you if you should screen it or stream it. Oh, I like that. Stream it or screen it. Uh, thank you. No LA restaurants. Okay. Later this hour, a local Tik Tok creator will share the spots she says are the city's best kept secrets. Okay. Our top story though right now, less than an hour away, Spain facing Belgium in the quarterfinals of the FIFA World Cup. Spain has won two out of the last four World Cups and all eyes are on their teenage sensation Lamine Yamal, who's already a global soccer icon. As for Belgium, they'll be without their key midfielder Amudu Awana, who ruptured his ACL in the game against the US men's national team. Belgium will not be an easy opponent though for Spain after the team has come to life in its last three games scoring 12 goals. So it's going to be an exciting one for sure. Not to say the least. Yeah. Um, all right. Metro has apparently gone all in, right? We've been talking about this and Metro and the world cup for, for months and months. So it has gone all in with shuttles, fan zones, even special tap cards. And today's game is their last shot to win over new writers. Mario Ramirez has been live at a union station. He's been hanging out. He's been entertaining us. What is it called? Metalina? Oh, um, Metta. Metta. Metta. Metta. Yeah. He got the Metta finger. Oh my gosh. I can't remember it because it was a made up name. Yeah, it was not mariachi, but it was. Oh, metalachi. Metalachi. Metalachi. Yeah. It sounds like a drink actually. It kind of does. It actually does. Maybe Mario went and ran and got something, maybe a horchata or something. Mario looking good. Mario. What's going on now? Anyone else flip you off today? All right. So, you know, Oh, I'm sorry. I bumped into you guys. The line for the union station shuttle drop off. So look at this. We've been following this line and it's been steady all morning, but they've been doing a great job. Metro has of clearing the area out. Hey guys, Metro volunteers here who've been doing a great job. And you can see one of the buses headed to the stadium right now. It takes about an hour. So by the time this bus gets there, they are going to be arriving right at kickoff. And so we're still starting to see fans trickling in. Hey, let me ask you guys, how has it been volunteering for Metro getting all of these crowds into those buses? It has been such a blast being able to meet people from all around the world and being able to interact with them. It was just such a great time. Have you gotten a chance to go to any of the games? No, I would love to, but it's a bit late now, but I would have loved to go to one of the games. Yeah, it's bittersweet. So let's keep going. Let's head down this way. And, you know, the tickets, we talked to a few people here who said they paid a thousand dollars each for the tickets. And we're going to get on this bus before we let you guys, before we send it back to you guys, there might not be anybody on the bus. Is there anybody on the bus? All right. So let's go. Let's go. This is one of many buses that have been heading to LA Stadium. All right. So we've got a few fans on here. Hey, who's excited for the Spain game? Spain, Belgium? Do we have all Spain fans? All Spain fans? Who are you rooting for? Belgium. Belgium. All right. So we're starting to see a lot more Belgium fans. Do you feel like you're outnumbered? Yeah. Yeah. A prediction. Can we get a prediction? No. Good game, hopefully. Yeah, but you're hoping that Belgium wins, right? Okay. Okay. Now, Spain fans. Spain fans. There we go. Is this the baby's first game? Yes, her first World Cup. I'm sure that was a wild guess. All right. So, um, let me, let me get up. Can I get an ole, ole, ole, ole, ole, ole, ole. We'll send it back to you guys. I like it. Go España. Go España. What are you saying? It's fine. Oh, it's her. Okay. But she says it very, um, authentically when you say Spain. They don't pronounce it. They do the, the, the. Barcelona. They do the Cathillian. Yes. B. Remember that song? I took a pill and beat them. Show Avicii. I was cool. Okay. Yeah. All right. I'll play it for you. Okay. Uh, some of those who can't make it to the stadium are expected to gather in Culver city where there's a big watch party taking place. Um, Nick, where was our invite? You were live at Ivy station with more the place to be, huh? This is the place to be if you didn't get into LA stadium. So take a look. People are filling in that just opened at 11 o'clock and they're filling in here. There's a big stage. I want to take you this way though, because the world cup from 2010 Spain one and the cup is actually here on display last half hour. So they put it here in the case. So people have been coming here. In fact, the cup was in Dallas and it's made its way here. Of course, with the Spain match coming up this way, I want to bring in some of my new friends as well. Hugo and Rosa who are here. They're very eager. You guys, where are you from? We're from Spain. I'm from Madrid. You're from Spain. Yeah. And you came here to watch the game. Well, we started here, but yeah, it was definitely a thing to do. Okay. What do you think of the turnout here right now? Amazing, right? Like the atmosphere having Spanish fans here, LA. I mean, it's awesome. And Spain being here, it's just great. Yeah. Hugo, what do you think about LA so far? LA is amazing. I mean, the weather is really close to Spain, to Valencia, where I'm from. So always nice weather, nice people, a lot of freedom. So it's pretty cool to be here. Silly question, but who's going to win today? I think that's not even a question. Let's hope Spain, let's hope. Belgium is a tough team. So let's see. Very confident fans out here. Again, we're at Ivy station in Culver city. Thank you guys so much. Casa España, you see that the large screen there, there's a bar off to the side of the screen serving Spanish beer and wine, food trucks. And of course people are welcome to bring their blankets and chairs here. Hundreds are expected to be here, but if they do win, I'm told it's going to be a big party here, maybe upwards of a thousand people. So we'll see. For now live in Culver city, I'll send it back to you. How fun. I love it. Who are you seeing most people rooting for out there, Nick? Well, you know, given it's Casa España, we're seeing a lot of Spain fans, you know, let me see if I can find some more people to talk with. Let's try these people here. Hi guys, we're live right now. Can I talk to you real quick? Okay. What's your name? Hi, I'm Gia. And who are you rooting for right now? Spain, of course. I'm from Spain. Yeah. I moved here two years ago, but it's my country, it's my house. I'm so excited. I hope we win. It's been a long, it's been 16 years since we haven't been in part of the finals. So I'm excited. Who's your favorite player? And I'll say, oh, yeah. All right. Thank you so much for talking with us. All right. So people are excited. Uh, noon is the kickoff. So we'll be watching. We'll be watching too. Thank you so much, Nick. Thank you, Nick. Okay, now we're going to head out and check in with Coco. She's at the fan zone in Venice beach. Hi Coco. Hey there. That's right. The party is getting started here in Venice beach and official world cup fan zone. People are starting to pick their spaces so that they can watch the game. Once it starts at noon, Spain versus Belgium. I want to introduce you to John. Now he's one of the event organizers and tell us about what people are going to experience. Well, first of all, this is Venice beach. It's the most iconic fan zone in all of Los Angeles. We've got surf. We've got palm trees. We have soccer. We have the beautiful game on screen. We've got food trucks. We've got a full bar. We've got bars for the kids. We have plenty of activations for all the children involving football. It's going to be fantastic. Yes. And what's so cool is you also have a black party for people. That's right. So what we've done in order to enhance your experience for people is we've closed off windward where we expect thousands of come on in here. All of the businesses there are doing activations. They have specials, they're running screens. So we really it's entire Venice is having a party. This is Venice. This is Venice on fire. I like that. Venice is come kick it. Well, this is in Venice. It's the best place to be. We've got the beach. We've got the sun. We've got the soccer. We want you here. So let's hear it for it. Go love the energy. Okay. What are you looking forward to with the game? Maybe a one, one and my windows game and everything here is awesome. So come on down, come and join us. And for you as a fan, what do you think of this as a fan zone so far? Nice. It's very nice, very spacious. Everybody fits in here and the food is going to be great. Thank you so much for talking to us. Yes. Have a one night out here in a speech. This is going on today and tomorrow. I'll send it back to you. Okay. That looks like a lot of fun. All right, Cocoa. Thank you. Now remember, you can watch Belgium and Spain from LA stadium on Fox 11 right here. The match kicks off at noon. Return with football HQ for postgame match coverage. And of course, stay with us because we'll be right back. Before we head to break. It's usually furry Friday, right? Well, it's also new film Friday. And I'm so glad you're here because I know Moana has a lot of meaning to you. It highlights a lot of the Island culture, the Polynesian culture. And we're going to talk about now it's joining the live action world. It's new film Friday. It's in full effect with the new Moana. And this time the live action version of the 2016 animated film is in theaters. Maui, demigod of the wind and sea, hero of men. So it goes like this. Maui, shapeshifter, demigod of the wind and sea, hero of men. Yeah. That's how he does it. That's of course, Dwayne, the rock Johnson reprising his role as Maui and Catherine playing Moana. Now this live action remake is expected to make between 60 to $65 million at the domestic box office. And since a Roxy and I both saw it and I know you've seen the original, let's talk about what we like. Maybe let's talk about what we thought could have been better. I like that. We were bringing back the original songs and water. What can I say except you're welcome. I like that. The rock is back as Maui. I can't actually picture anyone else. Oh my gosh. Playing that work with Disney and live action. I thought this was a well done live action film because of a lot of the elements in Moana, the water, the island, the culture. It was really nice to see it represented in a live action way. I think it just enhanced the beauty of the island and the culture. Sometimes you sit and wonder, you're like, hmm, did we need to remake this film? And that's what a lot of people were saying a couple years ago with Lilo and Stitch. I really enjoyed the live action Lilo and Stitch. So I was very curious to see how they were going to do it with Moana. Now Lion King was hit or miss with the live action version as well. I think it sometimes works better when it's humans and not talking animals. Yeah, I agree. Okay. I agree with you. The music was great. Yes. The sentiment. What did you like? Wait, what was the pig's name? Oh, so cute. Anyway, I was trying to remember in the animated version, was the pig more involved in the adventure? I guess so. Right? Like it just completely was gone and my kids pointed that out too. They're like, why was the pig not in the adventure? Little standout star. Right, right. I don't know. It would have been harder to do it. No, because they had the chicken. Oh, the rooster. Yeah. Hey, hey. The rooster. Hey, hey. Right. So I don't know. That like bothered them and it's funny I noticed that too. Yes. So that was something we maybe could have worked on a little bit more. That scene was pretty wild, huh? This was interesting. Yeah, pretty wild. Yes. Was she the one that actually sang the song originally in the animation? No, she wasn't. They recasted that role for Moana. However, they did have the original voice actress of Moana lend her voice to sing. There's a track on this soundtrack that has her voice. They still incorporated her, which I thought was very nice. The film was also produced by Dwayne The Rock Johnson, his production company, Seven Bucks Productions. So he came out on stage at the Hollywood Bowl, which is where they had their world premiere, and he talked about how much meaning this film has for him and his culture and representation. And that's why before I say, should you stream it or screen it, I want you to talk about the importance of representation, especially specifically with Moana and this island culture. Well, I love it because Dwayne has such a connection to the islands in Hawaii, and he's Samoan. That's all incorporated in that. So I haven't seen this one, but I really want to see how truly authentic it is. And with him at the helm, I'm assuming that it is, especially like the culture and what they do in general, not just Hawaii. This is not specifically about Hawaii, but just all of the islands, right? Absolutely. So I liked the first 2016 animated film Moana. I wasn't a big fan of the sequel a couple years ago. Agreed. So I was very curious, how was I going to feel about this live action Moana? So should you screen it or stream it? Drum roll. There you go. I think you should screen it. Oh, yay. Yes. I'll tell you why. I think it's, I'm singing along. You can attest to this. I was singing along. I think the message is even more bold this time around because of the human connection that's incorporated with this. I definitely teared up at the grandma scene. Oh, you weren't the only one. Yeah, it was definitely, it was touching. I think it's a great summer movie. It's a great summer movie to sing along with. And also it's so beautifully done that I feel like you need to see it on the big screen. Just appreciate it. Yeah. So she's still the empowering character that we saw in the animated film. Absolutely. Good. Yeah. I look forward to it. If you see Moana in theaters this weekend, let us know. Send us a little message and we'll read it on the air Monday and we'll do our recap. 60 to 65 million projected. That's pretty good. Yeah. Besides new film Friday, you know what else it is? It's TGIFF. And you know, we have some cuties today for Furry Friday. Thank goodness it's Furry Friday. Good day, LA DJ. Drop the meows. We got Zoey in Burbank and this is a little cowgirl. Lasso on over here. Meow. Zoey. That is one cute kitty. Next up we've got Cypress and Irvine. Very patriotic pup. Red, white, and blue eyes. Next, okay, we're going to Hemet. How many pups do you guys count? Four. Four. That's right. Lucifer's the one that can't talk to me. Lucifer, Gemma, Sassy, and Copper. Roll over call. I like Gemma. Everyone's present. Yeah, Gemma. Of course you do. Yeah. Next in Fontana, we've got Abby. And even though Abby's team was eliminated, Vivo Mexico Siempre. Abby with one B. I haven't seen Abby. By the way. Maybe it's A-B. A-B or Abby is double dip because Abby was on my shout out last week. Oh, our viewers are smart. They're strategic. They are. Doubling their odds. I love it. Proudly representing Team Mexico. Next, you know Millie Bobby Brown. Well, this is Millie Doggy Brown. Love the name in Ontario. And I think you've got probably a million nicknames for her. She's two months old and she's got many nicknames. You want to hear some of them? Yeah. Millipede, Millie Vanilli, Millard Fillmore, Meek Millie, and Young Millionaire. Yeah, pretty good, huh? You know what else is good? When I get your emails. If you want to see your fur baby featured right here on Furry Friday, just email me at furryfridayatfox.com. But don't forget your name and city. We need to know so we can give you a proper shout out and a pun. Give you a proper shout out and a custom pun. No, no. I'll make it. She will come up with it, but she needs info. I need some info. Gotcha. To make it. I mean, she's good at what she does, but she needs some info. Yeah, while you look through your pet photos to send them to me, we'll be right back. Furry Friday at fox.com. Welcome back. So if you've been watching the World Cup, you may have noticed something a little different after some of the biggest goals. Fox's play-by-play announcers will say a few words and then go completely quiet. Whoa. So listen to Fox's Derek Ray commenting Argentina's dramatic upset. This was on Tuesday. Messi was in position. Sending it over. So the long pauses are completely intentional. In TV sports, it's called laying out. Derek Ray told the Atlantic that he actually stopped himself after saying, can you believe this after, after Argentina's third goal, because a cheering World Cup crowd was better than any words that he could have said. I see. Veteran play-by-play announcer Ed Buck said not talking can help the viewer experience the moment rather than being told how to feel. True. So laying out is a hallmark of American sports broadcasts. And now that you've heard it, you'll probably start noticing it for the rest of the World Cup. I find that when we even here are covering events where it's like, I don't know, like a live parade or some kind of live event, we, I think, get uncomfortable and feel like we need to fill the silence. And when you are watching as a viewer, oftentimes I'm telling, you know, I'm not the one anchoring. I'm telling the anchor, like, stop talking. I want to take me there. Let's listen. I want to listen to the quiet because sometimes that paints the mood. But does that bother people that it's quiet? I don't think so because it's the ambience. The same way I feel when you're watching either a late night guest or a comedian and they're, they're doing crowd work and they stop because the audience is laughing. Instead of continuing their joke, you let it linger a little bit so that the laughter is a soundtrack. I think the cheering is part of the game. It's a soundtrack. You know, and now that I think about it, so occasionally we'll go back and forth and watch it on, I think it's the Telemundo, but you know, the Spanish speaking station, they're like, they are definitely more expressive and they, I don't understand a lot of it, but it's just kind of fun to listen to them go off during a goal. There is definitely a difference in covering the event versus the English speaking announcers. I do, I do notice that, but it doesn't bother me. I actually do appreciate the quiet, right? Listening to the crowd and showing them and showing them cheering. And I, like they said, you kind of feel like you're experiencing it alongside them. I mean, there's enough action. You have the crowd, you have people displaying so much emotion. You don't need to fill it, but I just know from my own experience, there's a difference when you're sitting up here, there's this pressure to speak and not like let there be silence. But when I'm a viewer, I notice I want that silence. I want to hear maybe nothing when there's an event happening. Yeah. I want that. Do you have friends where you're in a car and they can't let there be any silence and you're just like, it's okay to also just be quiet together. Yeah. That's a sign of like when people are uncomfortable, people feel like they have to fill the silence. When you're really comfortable with someone, you can sit in silence. Yeah. That's, that's so true. I did learn something new from that story though. It's got laying out. Yeah. I'll be watching the game later. I'll be going. That's an example of laying out. Yeah. Yeah. But you'll wait to tell them until after it comes back and you'll say, see that silence that was laying out. Yeah. Okay. Let's try it. Okay. Ready? It doesn't work with this. Okay. Well, because nothing happened to be natural. Right. Right. Right. Right. Okay. I'll keep going. So the U S is of course, sadly, we're so sad that is out of the world cup bringing one debate back into the spotlight. Of course, did America's youth soccer system set the team up to fall behind before players ever reached the national stage? I see. So this is a real question. I love that you lay out after you read a story, you just started going, huh? Yeah. See, I do my own version of the layout because we have to kind of absorb what I just said. Right. Real time laying out. Okay. So the athletic points to our pay to play youth sports system. Oh my gosh. I can speak to this. Mallory, our producer, you know me, right? And this is what, this is my life right now. This is what I complain about. Okay. So they say many competitive clubs charge thousands of dollars a year. And some elite programs can cost families tens of thousands. Once you add travel tournaments, pricing, talented kids out before they ever have a chance to develop. So unlike other countries where professional clubs or governments help fund youth development, America's system is mostly run by independent clubs that rely on parents to foot the bill. And the problem doesn't end at soccer, uh, across all sports costs rose 46% from 2019 to 2025. And this is according to Aspen Institute research. Okay. I was just complaining about this today. Yeah, you were, you heard me to me because Gus is in a basketball tournament and this speaks to it so much. It costs so much money for him to play, not just at school, but on the travel team or club ball, club basketball. I know it costs money to be in the club. It costs money to drive down to Anaheim or garden Grove or Las Vegas or wherever to go. And then you pay to have them be in the tournament. You pay to park at the tournament. You pay to get in the tournament to watch. I mean, it is such a, a racket and it's true. So many kids who are unable to afford this. I do have to say something about my son's club team. You ball, they have, um, part of the kids are on scholarship. That's nice. Yeah. So there, he does definitely assign so many spots and there's not, there's, there's a few of them. And he tells the rest of us that we have to pay a lot because we do help to fund his scholarship. How do you feel about that? Yeah. I mean, I get it, I get it, but I also want to express my frustration. Is it a little bit of a tax deductible then if it's going toward, is it, is it considered a 501c3? Some of it can be tax deductible. Okay. That's correct. How much more would you say you're paying more than you would if you didn't have to factor in that scholarship program? Oh gosh. I mean, there are other clubs. Um, you know what? I really don't know. I wouldn't begin to know actually. All I know is that a lot of parents that I have met and have run into, like this is part of what we do for our kids, whether they want to play on a larger level, like whether they want to play in college, this is just something that they are supporting their kids. So even the fact that he's on a team, if he wants to go to the tournament, you have to pay extra for him to even go to this tournament. Like how much is that approximately? Okay. So to play in the tournament, cause this is a special one. It's, I think it's an extra $300 plus to be in the club because of what they're doing this summer. It was like $1,700 for four months, just for four months. Wow. And then you have to pay to park at the place you're going to play. And then not only that, but these, these club sponsors or whatever, they're sponsoring the tournament. They talk to all the businesses around the gym and you can't just park randomly at some parking lot. They block it off purposely. And can I just say to pay where they forced you to pay? I know, I know where you're coming from as my brother plays baseball. So I feel you on all that. I hear the amount of money that goes into that. It really is an investment for them, you know, to, to keep advancing in this field, pun intended, my brother plays baseball. Your son plays basketball, but I will say on a completely other note, now I know and see why these athletes one day, when they do make it big, that they make sure the number one person they take care of for the most part is their mother. It is the, it is the, the thank you, you know, and you don't do it to get paid back, but I'm so glad. And that's why they're like, be careful. These girlfriends that these athletes get sometimes that look at, you know, their wallet, they take care of the moms, take care of the mama, the mamas that were taking them to practice, buying the uniforms, paying the fees to the pop. Oh yeah. The moms and the dads that are out there, how to give them shout out. Absolutely. We all go through you and my dad and yeah, they, they, uh, they do a lot. Yeah. This is why I don't want my kids to play sports. They're good dancers though. That's fine. Yeah. Not competitively just for fun. We'll be right back. I'm going to keep it something else. Oh, thank you. Thank you. Thank you. You should go to a Lou out again. What are you doing later? What was it? We should go to the Luana afterwards. Go watch the rock. Thank you for saving me. That's what I was talking about. That's what, well, no, no, that's not what I meant, but, but thank you for trying to save me. I appreciate that. You know, I got to throw something in before we talk about the hundredth birthday of the library. You guys were talking about talking in the car and silence is okay. Silence is okay. Don't get me wrong. But, and I have been accused more than once, you know, but about that same thing taught, you know, not talking is okay too. So I hear that from my people in the car more than once. Hey, you know, I, I talking is my form of love. It's your love language. And when, you know, when we're just, yeah, my love language is speaking. And I, you know, so I, I don't think that that's true for everybody. I mean, quiet in the car to me is somebody who's in trouble. Somebody's in trouble. If I'm not talking, I'm mad. I'm mad at you. I'm mad. That's what I'm tired. But anyway, you know what? I'm not tired. I could be tired. I could be tired. I have said that I'm just like, you know, I'm just not in the mood. I'm tired. I'm, you know, and that's the truth, but let's talk about the library. Come on. We have to do it today because there's some FIFA thing going on there too, but it is also the library's hundredth birthday, 100 years old this month. And so I got to do the math real quick. When did it? Oh, 1926. Cause it's 2026, a hundred years old, hundred years old right now. They've got a lot of things going on at the library. One of them is actually a viewing party today for the, uh, for FIFA, for FIFA. It starts, it starts at noon. So you still got time to get there. And you know, maybe that's the spot where you want to go watch, uh, Belgium crush, uh, no Spain crush Belgium that maybe that's the spot, but at any rate, it is an amazing library built early on. And when I was flying, when I was flying it, I really got drawn back to that pyramid on the roof that everybody sees. And there's that torch up there. And I'm like, is that the same torch from the statue of Liberty? Or is that the same idea? It is not has nothing to do with the statue of Liberty. That is the torch of learning the light of knowledge apparently. And the original one gold leaf is actually inside the library and you're actually allowed to touch it. And I think that is pretty nifty as well. They've got a lot going on. They have special exhibits down there. Lots of photos. It's a library, lots of reading, you know, it's a library, but there's something else they have there that I was, I'm really curious. I was trying to find more information. They have audio memories from a hundred years ago. They have just, I guess, random people that would come in and talk about their day or what was going on. And I, to me, I would find that amazing just to listen in what people were talking about way back in the day. They have a lot for sale. They've got a lot of commemorative stuff for sale. Do you know they still have the viewfinder? Do you guys remember the viewfinder, that thing you put in front of your eyes and you clicked it? You remember those? They still have those down there. And apparently they're selling cartridges that have photos from a hundred years ago and the lifetime in between of the library. Some of the artwork is amazing, a little pricey, but anyways, a hundred years old today or this month. Go check it out. Yeah, right? Isn't it nifty? I think the whole thing is pretty cool. Yeah, and like I said, that torch on the top, that is the original gold leaf actually inside the library. That's a replica up on the roof. I'm being serious. You can go over, get really close to it, touch it and everything. But yeah, hundred years old kind of puts things into perspective. If you really look around there, when you saw the pictures early on from when it first got into LA, none of those big buildings, there was none of that around there. The library was really, truly the only building there. And also, I don't know if this is true, but Hope Street ends at the library or begins at the library, depending upon, you know, half empty, half full. And I was told one time that that was kind of on purpose because, you know, knowledge is hope and hope is knowledge. Ladies, that's a great place to end. We'll take a break, Stu. Thank you. And we'll be right back. Have a great weekend. All about discovering new favorites, favorite players, teams, and of course, all that food. With millions of visitors coming to Los Angeles, where should people go for a meal that's worthy of a championship celebration? Well, we have TikTok creator Maddie Mayo, who is here with the answer with the hidden gem restaurants that give you a taste of the world without ever having to leave LA. That's right. Welcome. Thank you. Thank you for having me. What a great journey you're on to explore all the different cuisines represented here for the World Cup and beyond. Oh, yes. Oh, yes. So tell us about your inspiration and how you got started. I mean, Los Angeles is one of the most diverse food cities in the world. We do cuisines exceptionally well here. And today we're going to talk about three restaurants that basically represent that. And we have first we're going to talk about River in Venice, which is this Japanese inspired restaurant. So the food is really, really elevated. Loving the food. Absolutely. And then we're going to move on to Tacos Los Cholos in Huntington Park because we're in LA. You have to have a taco. And then we're going to end with Anadak Thai, which is the food we have here, which is this amazing Thai restaurant in the valley. Yeah. Tell us about River, first of all, because Japanese cuisine is you can either have it elevated or, you know, kind of Japanese street food is trendy, too. Yeah. So River is definitely one of the most exciting restaurants in LA right now. It's the hardest reservation to get still. So it's very popular. It's not necessarily a hidden gem anymore, but it is beloved by locals and tourists alike because it's on Abbot Kinney. So you can really make a whole afternoon of it. You can go shopping before or after. And River is this amazing combination of Japanese cuisine. But then this California coastal vibe, the atmosphere is amazing. Obviously, the food is incredible. So it kind of gives you those best of both worlds. So what dish would you recommend there? OK, so we have to get the Japanese fried chicken and you have to do the tuna hand roll. You have to order some gyoza, tons of skewers. The best thing about River is that you can just order the whole menu and share with everyone and everything's great and literally you can't go wrong. You can't go wrong. All right. Well, Mexico, they're a big favorite here and one of the host countries, obviously, of this World Cup. We have a lot of Mexican fans. So we're talking about tacos. Where's a go to place for some good tacos? This is very controversial in LA, but Tacos Los Cholos is my favorite taco in the city. You have to get the carne asada taco, the ribeye taco. This is a taco spot that pops up at every single food festival across LA. It's so beloved. People drive across town for it. It's in Huntington Park, so you can get the east part of LA. You can drive across and it is just the tastiest. OK, and what do you recommend there? The carne asada taco, the ribeye or the filet mignon taco. OK, and obviously a lot of people are passionate about Mexico. So does that place capture the same energy of our fans here? Absolutely. It is as authentic as it gets there. They really embody the spirit of Mexico and the tacos are just they're authentic. And for people visiting LA, there's so many different cuisines, whether the country is in the World Cup or not. And Thailand didn't make it. But of course, soccer fans want to get some good grub going on. So what did you bring for us? OK, so this is from in the valley. It is one of the best Thai restaurants in the city because it kind of blends the authentic Thai food. But then it has this trendiness to it. Locals love it. Again, tourists love it. They actually do this thing called Thai Taco Tuesdays, where people line up for hours to get a spot. But it's like in their back alley. It's like folding chairs. It's like a very casual vibe, but it feels like this block party and they just do they just have the best food. So we are going to do their Thai fried chicken with the sticky rice. I feel like that's amazing. Yeah, dig in for it. And this is the branzino. OK, these are their two main dishes that everyone has to order when you go there. And it smells so good, so flavorful because of the spices or the sauce and the cilantro on the branzino. This sticky rice is sticky. I'm going I mean, it's so tasty. And how did you find this place? I mean, Anajak Thai is just such a L.A. staple and I feel like it's become such a tradition, especially the Thai Taco Tuesday, that they they're just beloved across. There's not one person I've ever heard that doesn't love it. Oh, I hear that. Do you hear the crunch? Oh, look at this. It's like an Anajak Thai mukbang right now. Oh, OK. I love the fact that, you know, soccer sports brings people together, but so does food and culture. And that's what it's all about. If you're not a fan of soccer and you don't know much about it, people are coming for the parties and the food. Exactly. And we're in L.A. again. You can get any cuisine here at the top level. So it's a perfect place to go out and eat. Well, you're doing a great job highlighting everything and all the cuisines that you can enjoy during the World Cup. Maddie Mayo, thank you so much for joining us. And cheers. Yes. Belgian soccer super fan is turning heads with his one of a kind World Cup road trip. We introduced you to this guy last month after he shipped that vintage BMW. He nicknamed the beast across the Atlantic to follow Belgium's World Cup journey. There he is. He's driven the car to every match, cheering on his team while sharing the adventure with fans on Instagram. And ahead of tonight's Belgian game against Spain, Adam and the beast paid a visit to us here at the studio. And he had a chance to chat with Laura Diaz and Christine Devine. Of course, Adam, you and I met about two weeks ago. That's correct. When you first started this track here on the West Coast. So you've traveled a lot of miles. You've got a lot of stories to tell. Tell us exactly what's been the high point so far. Well, I think the high point is actually being here, honestly, you know, back here in L.A. for the quarterfinal. So that was really a big of a surprise for Belgium to reach, you know, that stage and winning against the U.S. I'm very sorry, guys. Seattle was also a pretty major point for us. But overall, just great journey, great atmosphere, you know, meeting people along the way in Seattle and being back here is just wonderful. So we're looking at the beast here. You had the vehicle shipped over here. That is correct. That is correct. So shipped from Belgium all the way to Baltimore, across the ocean, across the Atlantic. Right. And then I drove from Baltimore to Seattle to attend the first Belgium game. You know, and since then I've been driving here in L.A. back to Seattle and back to L.A. I guess here again. And if we win tomorrow, then the next step might be Dallas. But step by step. First, let's win tomorrow. Obviously, the longer the road trip, that means your team has been successful. When you and I were riding around in the car a couple of weeks ago, you said to me that the team hadn't been playing as well as you hoped. So here we are. You must be over the moon. Absolutely. I mean, Belgium, you know, slowly we're picking up, you know, chemistry in the team. So that was also a big of a change and still happy to be here. I think. Yeah. At the beginning, we're not very, very good, as you as you know. But yeah. And Spain is the same. I think kind of they started slow. But right now, Belgium and Spain were building up. So tomorrow should be a tough game. Share something of your choice, a favorite meal, a favorite story, a favorite stay. I mean, I've been here for now four weeks. I mean, a month, you know. So, wow. Favorite meal. You know what? I'm in L.A. In and out. Well, not your fries, but the burger. I would say, you know, the landscape, Montana, was honestly beautiful. Even here, the coast, PCH driving, you know, from Seattle to L.A. on PCH, was just a wonderful experience. And people everywhere, they were nice, seriously. So, yeah. Wow. Laura got in the car. I think he gave her a ride to work. They rode together. Yeah, they rode to carpool. OK, so during this FIFA World Cup, one young athlete got the ultimate invite. OK, I'm so jealous. Walking the ball out to the opening of the match right here at L.A. Stadium. His name is Knowledge. And Christine Devine met up with him at soccer practice, because knowledge is power. On the pitch with a young player named Knowledge Lighwood. I'm 12 years old. OK, what grade are you in? I'm in seventh grade now. And whether it's a header or this striker scoring a goal or playing for the prestigious L.A. Galaxy Academy. Or on the mic, Knowledge knows a thing or two about soccer. How much soccer do you do? I do everyday soccer nonstop. Since you were how old? Since like three or four years old. And this year he got the invite of a lifetime. My job was just like walk, walk in the field. At a group stage match last month, he got to be an official FIFA match ball carrier. I did a little week and I walk around the circle and I get to have circle this way. It was Iran versus Belgium at L.A. Stadium. Mom Brandi Holloway explains more. Kia was the sponsor, so they chose him to walk the ball out. And I just couldn't be more proud. He was just so poised. So he just owned the moment. And it was amazing. This is Rancho Cienega Park in Baldwin Hills. And this here is a week long camp for kids, co-ed. It's here where I met up with Jamaican born coach Jermaine Brown, also the godfather of knowledge. Sky's the limit for knowledge, right? I've been here about 20 years in the area and easily the most talented kid we've seen. On this day, knowledge was helping to mentor at a free camp under Brown's non-profit, A Field of Dreams. I'm a veteran. You know, I was in the Marine Corps for eight years. So got out, wanted something to do, got blessed to coach kids, decided to just stay in the community. As the father of knowledge looked on, mom says their child's a pretty special guy. Straight A student, a pillar of his community, always thinking about the kids who want to be in the position that he's in. His inspiration? My dad and my trainer and my mom. And I just want to make them proud. Knowledge is on track to take football to a higher level. He's at invites to tournaments in Spain and Portugal. A feeling for him sometimes. There's a lot in his shoulders already. Hey guys, I just left down my first World Cup and it was so much fun. Back to all the dreams created at that packed L.A. World Cup stadium. You know that it's like looking around and thousands of people watching and like you just know that that's gonna be me one day. We're gonna see. Yes, absolutely. What a superstar.