WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.360 --> 00:00:03.279 We are live today out at Smith's. It's our Smith's 2 00:00:03.279 --> 00:00:07.200 Football Fridays. We're the Smith's on night to night. Come 3 00:00:07.240 --> 00:00:09.400 on by and say hi. We've got tailgate passes for 4 00:00:09.439 --> 00:00:11.240 the Utah football game coming up tomorrow. 5 00:00:11.320 --> 00:00:12.199 Arizona's in town. 6 00:00:12.199 --> 00:00:16.800 We've got a nice Modello cooler. Now it's empty, but 7 00:00:16.879 --> 00:00:20.920 it is branded as Modello. But there's no ice inside 8 00:00:20.960 --> 00:00:23.399 the cooler. There are no Modelos inside the cooler. Our 9 00:00:23.399 --> 00:00:26.120 next guest, I think if there were Modelos inside, Donny, 10 00:00:26.160 --> 00:00:28.600 I could have convinced you to come down to Smith's. 11 00:00:29.640 --> 00:00:31.879 I was right around the corner. I mean I almost 12 00:00:31.879 --> 00:00:34.399 turned around and once you said you had a cooler 13 00:00:34.920 --> 00:00:38.000 Modello cooler. But yeah, I'm proud I made the right 14 00:00:38.000 --> 00:00:39.320 decision by getting on the freeway. 15 00:00:39.799 --> 00:00:41.119 No, that's smart. 16 00:00:41.520 --> 00:00:43.679 No, And that's my favorite thing about you. You make 17 00:00:43.719 --> 00:00:46.920 good decisions, Donny. So I've always appreciated that about you, buddy. 18 00:00:46.920 --> 00:00:52.159 All Right, So I asked Jason, I asked Kurt, I 19 00:00:52.200 --> 00:00:54.759 asked Pablo a question that I haven't asked you because 20 00:00:54.799 --> 00:00:58.359 it's been a little bit. The question generally is this, Doney, like, 21 00:00:59.119 --> 00:01:03.399 did you give the potential for something special right now 22 00:01:04.120 --> 00:01:06.519 to make a little cash and then play the long game. 23 00:01:06.599 --> 00:01:08.359 And look, if that's the deal, that's the deal, right, 24 00:01:08.480 --> 00:01:10.680 There's so many different ways to do this. I'm not 25 00:01:10.719 --> 00:01:15.439 even judging, But what do you think about the decision 26 00:01:15.480 --> 00:01:19.120 making process? That certainly brought in a lot of good 27 00:01:19.159 --> 00:01:21.319 young talent that may pay off in the long run, 28 00:01:21.359 --> 00:01:23.840 But did they sacrifice the opportunity to make a run 29 00:01:23.879 --> 00:01:24.239 this year? 30 00:01:25.400 --> 00:01:29.280 Absolutely not. I think the outlier in this conversation with 31 00:01:29.359 --> 00:01:32.920 the goals and assists and Andres Gomez put up and 32 00:01:32.959 --> 00:01:34.599 I don't know if he's ever going to be more 33 00:01:34.719 --> 00:01:39.519 valuable to be truthful and transparent than he is right now. 34 00:01:40.319 --> 00:01:43.040 And I hope he has an incredible career over at 35 00:01:43.040 --> 00:01:47.120 Ren and internationally for Columbia. But I can remember a 36 00:01:47.159 --> 00:01:49.640 time in which need Grabovoy had like eight goals in 37 00:01:50.079 --> 00:01:53.719 twelve assists, and that was the one year that you know, 38 00:01:53.799 --> 00:01:59.680 he topped out. I think Dominic Marchuk is going to 39 00:01:59.719 --> 00:02:03.159 be as important for Rial Salt Lake over the next 40 00:02:03.239 --> 00:02:06.599 couple of years, and quite honestly have a more immediate 41 00:02:06.640 --> 00:02:11.000 impact than what ponders Domas did, because remember Andres for 42 00:02:11.039 --> 00:02:15.639 that first year really struggled to adapt. Dominic Martschuk looks 43 00:02:15.639 --> 00:02:19.360 like he's been a part of this club for eighteen months, 44 00:02:19.400 --> 00:02:24.240 not a month and a half. The problem isn't losing 45 00:02:24.280 --> 00:02:28.319 under his doma. The problem is that Chijo Rongo, since 46 00:02:28.360 --> 00:02:32.560 that game in Portland in the subsequent suspension, has been 47 00:02:32.599 --> 00:02:36.639 nowhere close statistically to the player that he was. And 48 00:02:36.719 --> 00:02:39.319 then the bear on his truth is that they've got 49 00:02:39.319 --> 00:02:41.759 two number two goalkeepers, neither of which want to become 50 00:02:41.759 --> 00:02:45.759 the number one goalkeeper based on performances, errors, and inability 51 00:02:45.800 --> 00:02:47.120 to hold onto the starting position. 52 00:02:49.039 --> 00:02:51.400 All right, I'm glad you brought up the keepers because 53 00:02:51.800 --> 00:02:54.080 for our listeners, my man's a center back, so he's 54 00:02:54.120 --> 00:03:00.319 about to get sensitive. I've learned, Brian, through people like 55 00:03:00.400 --> 00:03:03.919 you and Jason and Pablo, that when it comes to 56 00:03:04.520 --> 00:03:07.439 certain goals allowed, you cannot just crack on the keeper, 57 00:03:07.639 --> 00:03:09.560 and you can't just crack on the back line. 58 00:03:09.599 --> 00:03:11.080 And Pablo often talks. 59 00:03:10.800 --> 00:03:13.639 About defending as a group, and so I get all that, 60 00:03:14.520 --> 00:03:17.280 but dude, what is it like nine goals conceded in 61 00:03:17.360 --> 00:03:20.800 three games and two keepers that look really skittish? I mean, 62 00:03:20.879 --> 00:03:23.719 I don't And I asked Kurt prior to the window opening, 63 00:03:24.400 --> 00:03:25.599 are you looking for a keeper? 64 00:03:25.800 --> 00:03:27.719 And he said, no, we like what we have. 65 00:03:28.319 --> 00:03:30.759 But to your point, neither of those two have taken 66 00:03:30.800 --> 00:03:34.039 advantage of the opportunity to make the job theirs. And 67 00:03:34.080 --> 00:03:36.240 there have been some rough moments from Jay Glad and 68 00:03:36.240 --> 00:03:40.360 Philip Quinton. So as a former center back, and I 69 00:03:40.400 --> 00:03:42.840 always feel bad that you guys are punished so punitively 70 00:03:42.960 --> 00:03:46.479 because goals change everything. What do you most attribute to 71 00:03:46.520 --> 00:03:48.960 what I perceive to be a really leaky defense with 72 00:03:49.039 --> 00:03:50.400 only four matches left. 73 00:03:51.360 --> 00:03:53.479 Well, you're right, it is. It is. It is a 74 00:03:53.520 --> 00:04:00.639 group effort. But I would actually dumb it down that listen, 75 00:04:01.039 --> 00:04:04.000 the goalkeepers to make the save or don't make the 76 00:04:04.039 --> 00:04:06.719 save based on the shots that they're based and I 77 00:04:06.719 --> 00:04:10.000 would agree with you in moments real saw Lake is 78 00:04:10.039 --> 00:04:13.800 giving up way too many shots. That being said, the 79 00:04:13.840 --> 00:04:17.360 shots that they're giving up aren't worldies. I mean, these 80 00:04:17.439 --> 00:04:22.839 aren't These are savable goals. And I mean, listen, I 81 00:04:22.920 --> 00:04:25.199 go back to the days of Nick Romando, and if 82 00:04:25.279 --> 00:04:28.439 Nick Romondo, one of the best goalkeepers, if not the 83 00:04:28.439 --> 00:04:32.680 best goalkeeper historically in Major League Soccer, would give up 84 00:04:33.000 --> 00:04:36.279 a goal that compromised his team that he felt that 85 00:04:36.399 --> 00:04:38.600 he could have stopped, you would have been able to 86 00:04:38.639 --> 00:04:40.959 tell by his body language. You would have been able 87 00:04:40.959 --> 00:04:43.439 to tell by his facial expressions, and the moment that 88 00:04:43.560 --> 00:04:48.040 he retired it opened up the door for David Ochoa. 89 00:04:47.720 --> 00:04:53.279 And you saw Zach McMath come down from Vancouver where 90 00:04:53.319 --> 00:04:56.759 he's a backup goalkeeper, and he was supposed to be 91 00:04:56.959 --> 00:05:00.560 kind of the conduit of, you know, short terms success 92 00:05:00.560 --> 00:05:03.319 but the long game being a show. A chow takes 93 00:05:03.319 --> 00:05:06.279 from the Western Conference finals the next year, ownership change, 94 00:05:06.279 --> 00:05:09.560 some things go sideways. He's been sent off. He's now 95 00:05:09.560 --> 00:05:11.560 currently I don't know if you know this, the backup 96 00:05:11.560 --> 00:05:14.759 goalkeeper to Huge Larisse at LAFC. So he's going to 97 00:05:14.759 --> 00:05:18.480 be the airpay and goalkeeper once Larise is gone at LAFC. 98 00:05:20.560 --> 00:05:23.360 I think they've tried to bude their time and understanding 99 00:05:23.360 --> 00:05:27.279 that Gavin Beavers' is upside is extraordinary. But I would 100 00:05:27.319 --> 00:05:30.199 say that the weakest position on this team has been goalkeeper, 101 00:05:30.639 --> 00:05:33.360 and it has been goalkeeper for the past couple of seasons. 102 00:05:34.040 --> 00:05:36.839 Even so much so is that I thought that either 103 00:05:36.920 --> 00:05:40.480 Maxine Kroppo or John McCarthy, who were both going to 104 00:05:40.480 --> 00:05:45.439 be moved on from LAFC, were absolutely the right goalkeepers 105 00:05:45.439 --> 00:05:48.079 to take a runout So that's just my humble opinion. 106 00:05:48.399 --> 00:05:50.800 I don't do the numbers, I don't make the decisions, 107 00:05:51.839 --> 00:05:55.040 but I'll double down in saying that for whatever hope 108 00:05:55.120 --> 00:05:58.319 Real Salt Lake has in these Western Conference playoffs and 109 00:05:58.519 --> 00:06:01.920 the identity of trying to lift an MLS Cup trophy, 110 00:06:02.560 --> 00:06:06.920 it'll be determined by goalkeeping. And right now, goalkeeping is 111 00:06:07.040 --> 00:06:10.199 the weakest fascet in terms of consistency of what we've 112 00:06:10.199 --> 00:06:12.480 seen for Rielsa Lake for the better part of the 113 00:06:12.519 --> 00:06:13.519 last five months. 114 00:06:14.000 --> 00:06:18.160 Hugo Lauris reference. Come on you, Spurs, thank you, Donny. 115 00:06:18.199 --> 00:06:20.000 I believe is there a match this weekend that you 116 00:06:20.040 --> 00:06:22.000 and I need to discuss real quick, non sequitor? 117 00:06:22.120 --> 00:06:23.879 Are we gonna do? Are we gonna do hot sauce? 118 00:06:24.040 --> 00:06:25.759 Are we gonna do? The loser? 119 00:06:26.399 --> 00:06:28.519 Well, we did it, we did it, We did it, 120 00:06:28.560 --> 00:06:31.920 and for once in a generation, my Spurs beat your 121 00:06:31.959 --> 00:06:33.720 proud man you and you never paid up. 122 00:06:33.800 --> 00:06:36.199 So is it a double or nothing situation this weekend 123 00:06:36.279 --> 00:06:36.439 or what? 124 00:06:37.720 --> 00:06:40.480 Either way, let's do it this way. Next time. I'll 125 00:06:40.480 --> 00:06:42.360 come into the studio and we'll do it live on air. 126 00:06:42.399 --> 00:06:43.399 We'll see how you have love it? 127 00:06:43.759 --> 00:06:45.759 Love it? Okay? Fair enough? That still feels like a 128 00:06:45.800 --> 00:06:46.839 bet I lose even though I won. 129 00:06:46.920 --> 00:06:51.839 Anyway, moving on, okay, So one more keeper question for you, okay, 130 00:06:51.920 --> 00:06:54.120 and then I've got a lot that I need to 131 00:06:54.120 --> 00:06:55.079 give from you today. 132 00:06:54.839 --> 00:06:56.439 Before I set you loose in a few minutes. So 133 00:06:57.240 --> 00:06:58.360 it's it's go time. 134 00:06:58.920 --> 00:07:00.519 Do you go with the vet, Do you go with 135 00:07:00.560 --> 00:07:03.040 the guy who has the experience, Do you go with 136 00:07:03.079 --> 00:07:04.680 the guy who appears to be a little bit more 137 00:07:04.680 --> 00:07:08.240 of a front facing communicator because he's older, or do 138 00:07:08.240 --> 00:07:10.240 you go with the youngster because you like the upside? 139 00:07:10.759 --> 00:07:12.800 At this point, Donny, they've got to pick a lane. 140 00:07:12.879 --> 00:07:16.399 Yeah, yeah, Unfortunately you have to pick a lane. But 141 00:07:16.480 --> 00:07:19.800 I don't think it's necessarily the present versus the future. 142 00:07:21.199 --> 00:07:24.279 I think it's just based on this last week and 143 00:07:24.639 --> 00:07:28.279 in these last weeks, what you've seen with the cools 144 00:07:28.319 --> 00:07:30.439 that have been given up. Listen, this is Gavin Bieber's 145 00:07:30.519 --> 00:07:33.199 position to lose, and I think he lost it again. 146 00:07:33.879 --> 00:07:36.680 And I think, quite honestly, this is going to be 147 00:07:36.879 --> 00:07:39.959 what the fifth time there's been a back and forth 148 00:07:40.040 --> 00:07:42.879 between it's your job, it's his job, it's your job, 149 00:07:42.920 --> 00:07:46.120 it's his job. Now it's back to your job. So 150 00:07:47.439 --> 00:07:51.600 I just think from a psychological perspective. Gavin hasn't been 151 00:07:51.680 --> 00:07:54.160 through this, and you have to be patient and you 152 00:07:54.199 --> 00:07:56.800 have to understand young goalkeepers are going to make some 153 00:07:56.839 --> 00:08:00.399 silly mistakes. So I wouldn't be surprised. I really wouldn't 154 00:08:00.720 --> 00:08:03.120 if tomorrow night down in Austin, when Max Brado's steel, 155 00:08:03.199 --> 00:08:06.800 Max and I get to starting eleven. Uh that exactly 156 00:08:06.879 --> 00:08:08.519 Math is back between the posts. 157 00:08:09.240 --> 00:08:11.680 Had Max on yesterday. What a delightful guy. Man, you 158 00:08:11.720 --> 00:08:13.480 guys do a great job. So excited to have you 159 00:08:13.519 --> 00:08:15.519 on the call. All Right, we got we gotta talk 160 00:08:15.600 --> 00:08:19.279 chi Cho because you know, I don't know, and Max 161 00:08:19.319 --> 00:08:23.319 obviously being you know, with his la gig, so he 162 00:08:23.399 --> 00:08:25.879 has an understanding of chi Cho the person in a 163 00:08:25.920 --> 00:08:30.439 way that I don't. I guess Mercurial strikers are pretty commonplace. 164 00:08:30.519 --> 00:08:33.840 We've had him here with Sabo and Eurah. And when 165 00:08:33.879 --> 00:08:39.039 that suspension went down, yes, the best example, thank you sir. 166 00:08:39.519 --> 00:08:42.000 When the suspension went down, Man, I talked to guys 167 00:08:42.000 --> 00:08:45.399 over there, and you know, there's just this concern like 168 00:08:46.000 --> 00:08:49.000 could this be the thing that spoils a special season 169 00:08:49.039 --> 00:08:52.279 for both the player and the club. And you can't 170 00:08:52.279 --> 00:08:54.759 spin it any other way than he hasn't looked the 171 00:08:54.799 --> 00:08:55.440 same since. 172 00:08:56.080 --> 00:08:58.279 Uh. If they're gonna do anything special, it's gonna be 173 00:08:58.279 --> 00:08:58.960 on Nine's back. 174 00:08:59.000 --> 00:09:01.320 It just is so your thoughts on all that where 175 00:09:01.320 --> 00:09:04.120 we stand right now with Chicho, Yeah. 176 00:09:04.320 --> 00:09:07.960 I thought the link to the suspension was ridiculous. The 177 00:09:08.039 --> 00:09:09.480 fact of the matter that he took him out of 178 00:09:09.480 --> 00:09:12.039 the All Star Game, he took away from the starting eleven, 179 00:09:12.080 --> 00:09:14.879 and he took him away from potentially being the captain 180 00:09:14.919 --> 00:09:18.000 of the All Star team. It has certainly affected him, 181 00:09:18.159 --> 00:09:22.720 as have injuries and suspensions, multiple suspensions to the yellow 182 00:09:22.759 --> 00:09:27.000 card warning situation, as well as the injury that he 183 00:09:27.120 --> 00:09:30.200 picked up on the backside. We thought that it would 184 00:09:30.200 --> 00:09:33.279 be Diogo underneath Chicho and this team would jump to 185 00:09:33.320 --> 00:09:36.600 another level, and at times it has shown what it's 186 00:09:36.639 --> 00:09:40.519 certainly capable of doing, and at other times we haven't 187 00:09:40.559 --> 00:09:45.440 seen nearly. The goal that he forced Siatchenko into an 188 00:09:45.440 --> 00:09:50.399 own goal at Houston shows how dangerous he is. That 189 00:09:50.600 --> 00:09:52.720 ball he hit off the half skip from the hut 190 00:09:52.759 --> 00:09:59.360 bounce against Portland Timbers was inches wide and I would 191 00:09:59.360 --> 00:10:02.240 suggest that he's still the same chi Cho. He just 192 00:10:02.320 --> 00:10:07.000 needs that goal because I think it's been like maybe 193 00:10:07.159 --> 00:10:09.480 three of the last nine games is being able to 194 00:10:09.519 --> 00:10:13.320 take a part of and that's just devastating. So this 195 00:10:13.399 --> 00:10:15.960 was at a time where he's whatt seventeen goals thirteen 196 00:10:16.000 --> 00:10:20.240 assists of the break Savos record for season single season 197 00:10:20.279 --> 00:10:24.000 goal scoring records. So I'm of the personal belief he 198 00:10:24.120 --> 00:10:26.279 just needs to get one, and if he gets one, 199 00:10:26.799 --> 00:10:34.080 I think the weight of the pressure of being deviates, 200 00:10:34.879 --> 00:10:37.159 because I think he's been stretching a little bit to 201 00:10:37.200 --> 00:10:38.720 get back into the form that he was in. 202 00:10:39.639 --> 00:10:42.360 How much, and this was Max's point yesterday, how much 203 00:10:42.559 --> 00:10:46.759 of Chico's dip in production is because Andress is not 204 00:10:46.840 --> 00:10:50.440 out there, you know, giving him service, providing opportunities, taking 205 00:10:50.440 --> 00:10:51.320 pressure off of him. 206 00:10:51.320 --> 00:10:52.320 How much of that is there? 207 00:10:54.559 --> 00:10:59.759 I don't. If I say zero, that's probably not correct, 208 00:11:00.399 --> 00:11:03.559 because I do think there was. I do think there 209 00:11:03.639 --> 00:11:06.519 is a freestyling characteristic to the way that those two 210 00:11:06.600 --> 00:11:10.799 teams are. Those two players played within the team concept 211 00:11:11.519 --> 00:11:13.919 because there was still structure. But I think Pablo also 212 00:11:14.039 --> 00:11:18.720 understood there is a connectivity an intuition between those two players, 213 00:11:19.279 --> 00:11:21.840 and they made each other better, and I do think 214 00:11:21.919 --> 00:11:26.519 that's part of the equation. But Chicho's good enough to 215 00:11:26.559 --> 00:11:31.039 play in so many different versions of that position that 216 00:11:31.399 --> 00:11:33.840 I think it's I think it's more about finding his 217 00:11:33.919 --> 00:11:37.519 rhythm and his fitness and his sharpness again as opposed 218 00:11:37.559 --> 00:11:41.039 to just laying it at the feet of Andres Gome's departure. 219 00:11:42.200 --> 00:11:44.360 All right, now, let's move over into the space of 220 00:11:44.360 --> 00:11:47.720 how they're trying to replace not just the production of 221 00:11:47.759 --> 00:11:49.759 Andres Gomez, but simply that position. 222 00:11:50.360 --> 00:11:52.519 And kids, let's learn a little soccer term. On a Friday. 223 00:11:52.559 --> 00:11:55.320 It's called like for like, right, So, Donny, this is 224 00:11:55.360 --> 00:11:58.840 not like for like soccer knowledge everywhere because the players 225 00:11:58.840 --> 00:12:01.679 they're asking a fill in for Andres don't play like him, right, 226 00:12:02.240 --> 00:12:05.799 So give me your opinion on how the progress is 227 00:12:05.799 --> 00:12:08.279 going to try to replace what Andres brought out on 228 00:12:08.320 --> 00:12:08.600 the wing. 229 00:12:10.679 --> 00:12:13.679 I think Lachlan Brooks showed industry of getting up and 230 00:12:13.759 --> 00:12:16.919 down and showed a level of commitment on both sides 231 00:12:16.919 --> 00:12:21.399 of the ball that Diego Orcum that Andres had a 232 00:12:21.440 --> 00:12:25.679 little bit more freedom from, if that makes sense, because 233 00:12:25.679 --> 00:12:27.519 he was so good in the attacking phase of play 234 00:12:27.519 --> 00:12:32.879 and scoring so many goals that there was less of 235 00:12:32.919 --> 00:12:36.039 a structure for him to defend as much. And I 236 00:12:36.039 --> 00:12:38.639 also think, listen, you've gone through four right backs right, 237 00:12:39.080 --> 00:12:41.440 You've gone through Brody, You've gone through Body, you've gone 238 00:12:41.480 --> 00:12:44.240 through Clinton, and you've gone through Jervaine Brown. So I 239 00:12:44.240 --> 00:12:46.679 think that's another part of this conversation in terms of 240 00:12:47.320 --> 00:12:50.879 and Vera picking up injuries and suspensions. So there's a 241 00:12:50.919 --> 00:12:54.919 defensive component to this too. But I really, really really 242 00:12:55.000 --> 00:12:59.200 like Dominique Marchuk. I love the way he gets back 243 00:12:59.240 --> 00:13:02.279 and he gives you the hust. He's got the final product, 244 00:13:02.399 --> 00:13:05.080 and I think in these two, these last two appearances, 245 00:13:05.480 --> 00:13:08.480 he's certainly shown what he's capable. Now I'm not trying 246 00:13:08.480 --> 00:13:11.080 to get out over my skis, but the potential is 247 00:13:11.120 --> 00:13:15.360 there to be as effective as on dress, but more 248 00:13:15.399 --> 00:13:19.080 of an immediate effectiveness, as opposed to the eighteen months 249 00:13:19.080 --> 00:13:21.000 that it took for Andres to be in the form 250 00:13:21.000 --> 00:13:22.919 he was to be sold over to Red. 251 00:13:24.000 --> 00:13:27.960 So we've seen really bright moments from Diogo for sure. 252 00:13:28.120 --> 00:13:30.240 I mean, you can see what Kurt and Jason and 253 00:13:30.279 --> 00:13:32.080 everybody saw on him, and you can see why they 254 00:13:32.120 --> 00:13:33.399 wrote the check to bring him over. 255 00:13:34.159 --> 00:13:35.840 It's still early, so there's. 256 00:13:35.600 --> 00:13:38.759 A lot of like observation, not conclusion going on, But 257 00:13:39.080 --> 00:13:41.240 like I said, four matches left in its playoff time, 258 00:13:41.320 --> 00:13:44.440 so there's not a ton of time to be, you know, 259 00:13:44.559 --> 00:13:45.200 messing around. 260 00:13:45.519 --> 00:13:47.559 What have you seen so far that stands out? 261 00:13:47.639 --> 00:13:51.080 Most five games played, three starts and that goal when 262 00:13:51.080 --> 00:13:53.039 you watch Diogo and how do you see the kind 263 00:13:53.080 --> 00:13:56.480 of the interchange synergy between he and Chicho working out 264 00:13:56.519 --> 00:13:58.279 so far well? 265 00:13:58.600 --> 00:14:01.159 So this one will hit home a Manchester United fan 266 00:14:01.279 --> 00:14:05.879 because he was at Copenhagen when they beat Manchester United 267 00:14:06.559 --> 00:14:10.639 and had incredible performances not only against Manchester United but 268 00:14:10.720 --> 00:14:13.799 against Bayern Munich as well. And previously going to Copenhagen, 269 00:14:13.799 --> 00:14:16.799 he was at Benfica and played against Arsenal in Europe 270 00:14:16.799 --> 00:14:19.840 as well. So I've seen what Diogo is capable of 271 00:14:19.879 --> 00:14:23.360 doing at a higher level than Major league soccer. I'm 272 00:14:23.360 --> 00:14:27.480 not surprised. I think he's continuing to adapt both on 273 00:14:27.559 --> 00:14:30.159 and off the field. I think the guys have taken 274 00:14:30.200 --> 00:14:33.159 him in immediately and recognized what a player he is. 275 00:14:33.600 --> 00:14:37.159 And I think that even though statistically Matt Crooks hasn't 276 00:14:37.200 --> 00:14:40.600 been putting up crazy numbers, there's a work ethic that 277 00:14:40.679 --> 00:14:46.360 goes unnoticed in the system and they're two completely different players. 278 00:14:46.759 --> 00:14:48.440 But you also have to make sure that the system 279 00:14:48.480 --> 00:14:51.799 and the structure matches the players on the field, right, 280 00:14:52.320 --> 00:14:56.159 So I think the biggest miss book, I don't know 281 00:14:56.159 --> 00:14:59.320 how to say this correctly, not that I think there 282 00:14:59.320 --> 00:15:02.559 was a mistake and the timing of not getting Diogo 283 00:15:02.919 --> 00:15:06.000 into market in a similar way that they got Chicho 284 00:15:06.159 --> 00:15:09.200 in the market, meaning that two and a half weeks 285 00:15:09.240 --> 00:15:12.399 before Chicho was even available to be registered, he was 286 00:15:12.440 --> 00:15:15.600 already training with the team. Whatever the delay was to 287 00:15:15.600 --> 00:15:19.399 get Diogo here, I think was a mistake because you 288 00:15:19.480 --> 00:15:21.600 missed out on the better part of him, probably about 289 00:15:21.679 --> 00:15:24.879 six to seven games, where that would have had him 290 00:15:24.879 --> 00:15:29.200 in his prime form and understanding what's necessary at this 291 00:15:29.320 --> 00:15:33.399 stage of the season. So I could see him starting tomorrow. 292 00:15:33.799 --> 00:15:36.360 I would also remind people that it's a three game 293 00:15:36.559 --> 00:15:40.279 window once again ahead of the international break, So if 294 00:15:40.279 --> 00:15:44.159 he doesn't start this week this weekend in Austin, I 295 00:15:44.159 --> 00:15:46.960 would assume that he starts the next two matches. For ourselves. 296 00:15:47.879 --> 00:15:50.720 I want to ask you about Anderson Julio, who I 297 00:15:50.759 --> 00:15:54.159 think deserves as the kids would say, done, he deserves 298 00:15:54.159 --> 00:15:55.039 his flowers this year. 299 00:15:55.039 --> 00:15:56.679 I think he deserves a lot of credit. 300 00:15:56.399 --> 00:15:59.240 For because you know, I was told his best friend 301 00:15:59.279 --> 00:16:01.279 on the team was Andrew Gomez, and so you lose 302 00:16:01.320 --> 00:16:02.519 your buddy, you know what that's like. 303 00:16:02.559 --> 00:16:04.159 You played for different clubs. 304 00:16:04.399 --> 00:16:07.519 And sometimes he's coming off the bench with Chicho's stuff. 305 00:16:07.519 --> 00:16:08.399 He's had to start. 306 00:16:09.000 --> 00:16:11.759 And I never thought Anderson Julio could be a double 307 00:16:11.759 --> 00:16:13.480 digit goal scorer in Major League Soccer. 308 00:16:13.519 --> 00:16:16.519 He gets one more. He's at ten, which is pretty impressive. 309 00:16:16.720 --> 00:16:19.639 So what's your take on what we've seen from Anderson 310 00:16:19.679 --> 00:16:21.519 as the both the player and just kind of the 311 00:16:21.519 --> 00:16:23.799 teammate through these turbulent a few weeks or so. 312 00:16:24.879 --> 00:16:27.360 Yeah, Listen, I think when you lose somebody that you 313 00:16:27.440 --> 00:16:29.559 hang out with off the field, for you and your 314 00:16:29.559 --> 00:16:34.240 wife or your partner, you know, it's it's stings, but 315 00:16:34.639 --> 00:16:36.879 it shouldn't affect your performance on the field because you're 316 00:16:36.879 --> 00:16:41.240 a professional athlete. For Anderson, if you look at his 317 00:16:41.320 --> 00:16:45.480 goals per minute ratio, he's actually extremely high in Major 318 00:16:45.559 --> 00:16:48.879 League Soccer. But the reality is that because he has 319 00:16:48.960 --> 00:16:55.399 a certain profile and a certain proficiency for stretching back lines, 320 00:16:55.919 --> 00:16:58.399 he's looked at more so as an impact player off 321 00:16:58.440 --> 00:17:02.840 the bench, and his historically he hasn't really lasted physically 322 00:17:02.879 --> 00:17:05.400 past the seventy fifth minute mark. If you go back 323 00:17:05.400 --> 00:17:07.680 and you look at his records, I would, I would. 324 00:17:08.079 --> 00:17:10.319 I would probably be a betting man and say he 325 00:17:10.359 --> 00:17:13.880 hasn't had a full ten games of ninety minute performances 326 00:17:14.000 --> 00:17:18.400 underneath his belt since he's been here. So knowing that 327 00:17:18.519 --> 00:17:21.079 Chicho is available, he's always going to start. You can 328 00:17:21.119 --> 00:17:23.759 always double up he and Chico, and now with Croaks 329 00:17:23.799 --> 00:17:27.640 and Diego and Luna, you have multiple options. So either way, 330 00:17:28.319 --> 00:17:32.279 I think he's he has been much much more effective 331 00:17:32.359 --> 00:17:35.400 than previous years with the minutes that he's had on 332 00:17:36.359 --> 00:17:38.720 the field, whether that's from a starting slaught or coming 333 00:17:38.759 --> 00:17:39.240 off the bench. 334 00:17:40.079 --> 00:17:42.440 All right, I want to get a preview with the 335 00:17:42.480 --> 00:17:44.920 Austin match coming up. But before we do that, one 336 00:17:44.960 --> 00:17:48.200 more question here. As you're putting together, you know your 337 00:17:48.279 --> 00:17:51.400 board for the call and you're you're you're doing the 338 00:17:51.440 --> 00:17:54.160 eleven for RSL, which is if you had to pick 339 00:17:54.200 --> 00:17:58.640 one spot where there's the most competition, which spot is 340 00:17:58.680 --> 00:18:01.359 it and why? 341 00:18:02.000 --> 00:18:03.160 CON's a good question. 342 00:18:05.240 --> 00:18:05.680 Right back. 343 00:18:05.759 --> 00:18:11.519 Maybe I'm going through it. Yeah, you know, there's a 344 00:18:11.559 --> 00:18:13.119 part of me that one would want to say that 345 00:18:13.200 --> 00:18:16.599 Nelson Pelacio playing in that central part of the midfield 346 00:18:16.640 --> 00:18:21.119 with Amataelli and Brian o'heada. I don't. I don't think 347 00:18:21.119 --> 00:18:24.640 Nelson gets enough credit because I think he's a really 348 00:18:24.680 --> 00:18:28.920 good player. But the problem is the consistency between Oheita 349 00:18:29.000 --> 00:18:34.160 and Annelli has been extraordinary this year. I would say 350 00:18:34.319 --> 00:18:38.920 probably the number ten positions because Crooks, Diogo and I 351 00:18:38.960 --> 00:18:43.119 would throw Diego Luna into that conversation. All can be 352 00:18:43.599 --> 00:18:47.079 incredibly effective if given the keys to the Ferrari, but 353 00:18:47.279 --> 00:18:51.599 in completely different ways. There are three completely different players 354 00:18:52.880 --> 00:18:56.880 right now. The two challenging positions are right back and goalkeeper. 355 00:18:57.240 --> 00:19:00.839 I would say that's the toughest to choose from because 356 00:19:00.880 --> 00:19:07.680 maybe they are the most competitive without either position having 357 00:19:07.680 --> 00:19:08.799 a clear cuss breakthrough. 358 00:19:10.200 --> 00:19:13.400 All right, let's move over to Austin. That's the next opponent. 359 00:19:13.799 --> 00:19:16.720 Really cool city, really cool venue. Was there a couple 360 00:19:16.759 --> 00:19:20.640 of years ago when Austin actually beat RSL in the playoffs? 361 00:19:20.680 --> 00:19:24.200 It was a heart wrenching loss. Josh Wolf has phenomenal hair. 362 00:19:24.240 --> 00:19:27.680 He's also a good friend of yours. But I'm not 363 00:19:27.799 --> 00:19:30.160 going to sit here and tell you I've been smashing 364 00:19:30.240 --> 00:19:33.079 Austin tape all year, Donny, But I will say when 365 00:19:33.079 --> 00:19:35.440 I was down there for that match where they got 366 00:19:35.559 --> 00:19:39.240 RSL pretty good after a dream start, I was really 367 00:19:39.279 --> 00:19:42.839 impressed with their form. From my vantage point, it looked 368 00:19:42.880 --> 00:19:45.079 like that a lot of talent. So why hasn't it 369 00:19:45.160 --> 00:19:47.680 worked out for your buddy this year? And what's RSL 370 00:19:47.759 --> 00:19:49.680 up again? Says they traveled down to Austin coming up 371 00:19:49.720 --> 00:19:50.359 on Saturday. 372 00:19:51.240 --> 00:19:53.680 Yeah, there's a couple of things here. Number one, I 373 00:19:53.680 --> 00:19:57.279 think we have to acknowledge. Claudia Arena Georeana's dad was 374 00:19:57.279 --> 00:20:00.839 a general manager and after the World Cut twenty twenty two, 375 00:20:01.359 --> 00:20:03.799 he was let go from his position as general manager 376 00:20:03.839 --> 00:20:07.839 at Austin FC. There was a lot of heavy contracts 377 00:20:08.720 --> 00:20:11.359 that that club was carrying for players that weren't nearly 378 00:20:11.400 --> 00:20:15.319 good enough that were signed from Claudio Rodolpho Verrell, who 379 00:20:15.440 --> 00:20:18.640 was an assistant coach for Pep Guardiola has taken over 380 00:20:18.680 --> 00:20:21.799 the sporting director role. A little bit wet and green 381 00:20:21.839 --> 00:20:26.720 behind the ears with understanding the MLS, the MLS rules 382 00:20:26.720 --> 00:20:30.319 and regulations of signing players. I think they missed out 383 00:20:30.319 --> 00:20:33.000 on some important players at the beginning of this season. 384 00:20:33.519 --> 00:20:36.759 They were quite light heading into the year because they 385 00:20:36.759 --> 00:20:39.720 had to get out of some certain contracts. They signed 386 00:20:39.720 --> 00:20:44.359 guys like Jader Obrion, Giosi Zardez, Diego Rubio, guys with 387 00:20:44.519 --> 00:20:48.440 MLS experience to tie them over in some positions, and 388 00:20:48.480 --> 00:20:53.680 then signed Osman Bukhari, the Ghanaian international, Mikhael Dessler, the 389 00:20:53.839 --> 00:20:59.920 right back from Finland, and then a Svatsko who was 390 00:21:00.039 --> 00:21:02.680 the Ukrainian center back who finally just got his debut 391 00:21:02.720 --> 00:21:07.079 at LAFC the other night. They haven't matched expectations, but 392 00:21:07.160 --> 00:21:10.240 that year you watch them, in my humble opinion, they 393 00:21:10.240 --> 00:21:13.759 were better than LAFC. And in that offseason they ended 394 00:21:13.839 --> 00:21:15.799 up losing a couple of players that they didn't think 395 00:21:15.799 --> 00:21:18.440 they were going to lose, and it threw their project 396 00:21:18.920 --> 00:21:23.759 into complete disarray. What I will say is if anybody 397 00:21:23.759 --> 00:21:26.480 wants to see what or what Austin's capable of doing, 398 00:21:26.880 --> 00:21:29.720 go watch that LAFC game. They walked out of there 399 00:21:29.759 --> 00:21:31.920 with a one to one tie and they probably should 400 00:21:31.920 --> 00:21:35.359 have won that game, and they were missing Dreusi, so 401 00:21:35.400 --> 00:21:38.920