Speaker 1: Welcome in.
Speaker 2: It's time for an Atlanta United two season preview on
Speaker 2: the SDH Network. I'm Jason Longshore, Madison Cruse, and I
Speaker 2: had the chance to catch up with lots of folks
Speaker 2: as we get ready for the Atlanta United two season
Speaker 2: opener tonight. You can listen to it. You can listen
Speaker 2: to most Atlanta United two matches on the SDH Network
Speaker 2: all season long. We will have the radio calls for you.
Speaker 2: You can listen on our Mixler channel. You can also
Speaker 2: listen by going to Soccer down Here dot net and
Speaker 2: clicking listen at the top of the page. Let's start
Speaker 2: things off with Madison and head coach Steve Cook.
Speaker 3: Steve, I guess for starters, you know, how is the
Speaker 3: preseason ben for you guys? And you know what's the
Speaker 3: energy heading into Friday?
Speaker 4: Well, I think first it's been really enjoyable. The players
Speaker 4: have really worked hard brought into what we're trying to achieve.
Speaker 5: The spirit is good.
Speaker 4: But at this time of year, when nobody's got any
Speaker 4: points and you've not played any real exciting games, then
Speaker 4: of course we're all in good, good spirits, you know.
Speaker 4: But I think it looks a very together group. It
Speaker 4: looks a group that can play well together as well.
Speaker 4: So we have some high hopes, but I'm assuming every
Speaker 4: single other team in the league has high hopes too.
Speaker 3: We talked to Cooper, Ryan and Ronan you know, earlier.
Speaker 3: What has it been like adding in some of those
Speaker 3: new players a lot of experience, and then also having
Speaker 3: a lot of those younger players that are still developing
Speaker 3: but have played with you before, all kind of coming
Speaker 3: together to form this group.
Speaker 4: It's been incredible because I think the players that have
Speaker 4: been introduced to the group this year have really come
Speaker 4: in shown so much leadership and real good quality as well.
Speaker 4: And I think because of that, the young players have
Speaker 4: had people to look up to, which they have always
Speaker 4: had in the past, and I think not only they're
Speaker 4: looking up to them, but they're also looking at them
Speaker 4: and going, these guys are good players, and therefore.
Speaker 5: We need to step up in our game.
Speaker 4: So I think it's good from not only helping them
Speaker 4: learn how to be professional players, but also helping them
Speaker 4: improve as players, and also giving them a serious competition
Speaker 4: because obviously it's going to be performance based and whether
Speaker 4: you're twenty three or thirteen, whoever plays well gets the spot.
Speaker 4: So it's really creating that incredibly good dynamic of togetherness,
Speaker 4: but it's also creating a dynamic of competition, which is
Speaker 4: exactly what we need.
Speaker 1: Have you seen it?
Speaker 3: Has it kind of come together really quickly for you?
Speaker 3: Have you really seen everyone click immediately or has it
Speaker 3: been a little bit of a slow building but you're
Speaker 3: getting to a point where you're seeing everything come together.
Speaker 5: Yeah, that's a good question.
Speaker 4: I think in the early stages, maybe after a week
Speaker 4: or two, we said, we've got some good guys here.
Speaker 4: You know, We've got some really highly intelligent people, some
Speaker 4: really highly motivated people, and we've got some people who
Speaker 4: care about out each other and care about the profession
Speaker 4: and the role that we all have. And I think
Speaker 4: because of that, it's just gradually improved, you know. And
Speaker 4: the players have really taken it on board. And it's
Speaker 4: the players team. They're leading the charge. And we've got
Speaker 4: some really really great people who are showed real signs
Speaker 4: of good leadership and they're really taking it on board.
Speaker 4: And I think we've got a nice blend. And again,
Speaker 4: it's going to be a performance bace, so whoever plays
Speaker 4: well plays and it won't just be about giving young
Speaker 4: kids a go and it won't just be about playing
Speaker 4: people to win the games. It's going to be a
Speaker 4: really good blend of competitive people, good people who care
Speaker 4: about the team and care about winning, and then you know,
Speaker 4: hopefully that will take us a long way this year.
Speaker 3: I want to ask about Hobby or armis obviously returning
Speaker 3: from last season, how have you seen his game improve
Speaker 3: in the preseason from last year and also to just
Speaker 3: being that leader as we know that we've seen him
Speaker 3: last season be that captain. You know, how has he
Speaker 3: really embraced it and taken on to it this season?
Speaker 5: Well? Have he's come back in as the captain, as
Speaker 5: the leader?
Speaker 4: But it's easier to lead other leaders who want to
Speaker 4: come with you than it is to just drag along
Speaker 4: a bunch of people who don't want to do that.
Speaker 4: He's setting high standards. We're all setting high standards, and
Speaker 4: people are either maintaining those standards, improving those standards, or
Speaker 4: they're getting left behind.
Speaker 5: So I think have he's showing that?
Speaker 4: But more importantly as a player, I think he's come
Speaker 4: back in in great shape, in great form, and I
Speaker 4: think he's going to not only be a good leader
Speaker 4: for our team, but I think He's going to be
Speaker 4: somebody who, whether it's this club or somewhere else, is
Speaker 4: really going to kick on because I think, you know,
Speaker 4: his performance last Saturday, for example, against the USL Championship
Speaker 4: team was absolutely outstanding. So I think he's got a very,
Speaker 4: very bright future in the game. Is playing at a
Speaker 4: level that I've not seen a twos player play in
Speaker 4: the past, and long may that continue, And hopefully that
Speaker 4: now means other players also keep up with him and
Speaker 4: even surpass him as well, because that's the nature of
Speaker 4: what we're doing. You know, we want to create healthy competition.
Speaker 4: We want to create a positive tension in the group
Speaker 4: where it's about intensity and competition, but it's also about
Speaker 4: bringing each other together and bringing each other along and
Speaker 4: have he is the embodiment of that in our group.
Speaker 3: I want to ask about a player that we talked
Speaker 3: a lot about last season as well, but Dominic chunk Wi.
Speaker 3: Seeing his development, seeing him get that time with the
Speaker 3: first team in the preseason, also getting his first EMLS
Speaker 3: debut with the team against Charlotte. What does it mean
Speaker 3: to you to see him flourish under you with the
Speaker 3: twos and now see him really step up more into
Speaker 3: this professional realm.
Speaker 4: Well, first, I'm delighted for Dominic. You know, is a
Speaker 4: really good person. He's a very hard working young man.
Speaker 4: He's earned it every step of the way. He wasn't
Speaker 4: given anything. He wasn't given a contract before he'd played well.
Speaker 5: For the twos.
Speaker 4: He was always in a situation where he was chasing
Speaker 4: and chasing. He's been a little fortunate with probably or
Speaker 4: we are unfortunate with a few injuries in early preseason
Speaker 4: with the first team, so then he's ready to step in.
Speaker 4: But as I say all the time, it's only an
Speaker 4: opportunity if you're ready for the opportunity. Otherwise it's not
Speaker 4: an opportunity at all. You're just going to go along
Speaker 4: for the ride. And I think he's shown the first
Speaker 4: team staff, all who didn't know him before apart from one,
Speaker 4: that he not only can be a good person for
Speaker 4: training and has the right mentality and has the right
Speaker 4: physical makeup to play the game, but he's also got
Speaker 4: some qualities that can really help the first team. I'm
Speaker 4: so pleased to get on the field because I think
Speaker 4: once you've got that first ten to fifteen minutes behind you,
Speaker 4: it life becomes a little bit more easy.
Speaker 5: And you feel like you're in the group. But he
Speaker 5: has a long way to go.
Speaker 4: He's seventeen, just and he's got to get some real
Speaker 4: serious minutes this year with us, and frankly he's got
Speaker 4: to play well for the twos as well when he
Speaker 4: plays a year. He's already had his two call ups
Speaker 4: and maybe there's going to be more in the near future.
Speaker 4: But I think wherever he plays, whenever he plays, he
Speaker 4: has to be a player who everybody notices not only
Speaker 4: has been a young player with potential, but a high performing.
Speaker 5: Player with a great deal more to give in the future.
Speaker 4: I think that is really what he's got a knuckle
Speaker 4: down on and I think he can. Sometimes in football
Speaker 4: you never know, right and you know you need a
Speaker 4: little bit of good fortune and look along the way,
Speaker 4: and I'm hoping he gets that because he's a terrific
Speaker 4: young man with hopefully a really high level and very
Speaker 4: bright future ahead of him.
Speaker 3: Last couple ones, looking back at last season and then
Speaker 3: going into this one, what were some of the things
Speaker 3: that you wanted to see change and really really improve
Speaker 3: as you guys head into this new season.
Speaker 4: I think as we end the season, you know you're
Speaker 4: always looking forward and saying, well, how can we improve
Speaker 4: the group? And one of the key things for me
Speaker 4: was having better leaders throughout the group, better character and
Speaker 4: attitude and training habits throughout the group. But also a
Speaker 4: player in every position who we can rely on assigned
Speaker 4: two's player in every position that we can rely on
Speaker 4: to be there every day, working hard every day, being
Speaker 4: a good player every day in training, so that we
Speaker 4: can then improve the environment for everybody and especially the
Speaker 4: young ones. And then from there, I think then it's
Speaker 4: just looking at more of instead of just signing good players,
Speaker 4: can we sign good players who can blend together? So
Speaker 4: these were two key pieces for me. Blend together as
Speaker 4: players have the right plaining qualities that match together. But
Speaker 4: then I think again that blend of characters, that blend
Speaker 4: of people that trust each other and work hard for
Speaker 4: each other, and no matter what, are going to be giving.
Speaker 4: They're all especially on bad days. You know, it's always
Speaker 4: easy when you're doing well on the field and you
Speaker 4: know you're winning three nil to give everything, But what
Speaker 4: about the days when we're not doing so well or
Speaker 4: we're struggling as a group. And I think we have
Speaker 4: a group of guys who are going to really do
Speaker 4: that this year and can win games in different ways
Speaker 4: as well. Yes, when we're playing really well, but also
Speaker 4: when we need to do a little bit of dirty work. Think,
Speaker 4: I think we've got some guys who can do that
Speaker 4: as well. So we're excited and we're very optimistic, and
Speaker 4: we're very positive about what we've seen and what hopefully
Speaker 4: will come. But again, feet on the ground, we have
Speaker 4: no points. Fortunately, nobody else has any points either.
Speaker 3: How do you want the team to play this year?
Speaker 3: Like the style of play that you guys want to
Speaker 3: see on the field?
Speaker 5: You know, this question is.
Speaker 4: An interesting question because every coach gets asked this, and
Speaker 4: I don't want to be the cliched.
Speaker 5: You know, we want to have the ball and then
Speaker 5: we want to go win it back and that stuff.
Speaker 4: I think we need to have a team that, regardless
Speaker 4: of the situation of the game, regardless of our opponents,
Speaker 4: we can impose ourselves on the game. We can be ourselves,
Speaker 4: whether it be a buildout game or whether it be
Speaker 4: something that's high pressing or something even when we don't
Speaker 4: have the ball. Do we have a team that can
Speaker 4: perform really well and be in control of the game
Speaker 4: with and without the ball?
Speaker 5: And that means sometimes we're going to be up against it.
Speaker 4: Sometimes we're not going to play well, but we can
Speaker 4: still control the game and get a result, and a
Speaker 4: team that can win games in a couple of different ways,
Speaker 4: because make no mistake, in American soccer, and especially in
Speaker 4: Major League soccer, you can winning away from home.
Speaker 5: Is hard, but you can do it, and.
Speaker 4: It just means you might have to play a slightly
Speaker 4: different way for periods in a game or even the
Speaker 4: whole game. But I think we have a group of
Speaker 4: people who are invested in that part of it this
Speaker 4: year and are truly on board with trying to not
Speaker 4: only play well and play a nice, attractive brand, but
Speaker 4: are also very invested in winning games and being not
Speaker 4: only competitive, but going past that and actually being one
Speaker 4: of the best teams in the league. And you know,
Speaker 4: it's a long way to go with I think twenty
Speaker 4: eight league games, so we have to show that from
Speaker 4: the beginning. But then it's about consistency and we have
Speaker 4: to keep that consistency.
Speaker 5: We've had a great preseason.
Speaker 4: It is only preseason, but the consistency of attitude and
Speaker 4: work has been there, and hopefully we can see that
Speaker 4: not only on Friday, but we can see that for
Speaker 4: the twenty seven games after that.
Speaker 3: Speaking of Friday, a good challenge for you guys going
Speaker 3: up against New York Red Bulls too. You know how
Speaker 3: they're going to play. You know, what are some of
Speaker 3: the things that you guys are going to try to
Speaker 3: do to minimize what they do on the field.
Speaker 5: Yeah.
Speaker 4: I mean, when you're seeing Red bull team, whether it's
Speaker 4: in Leipzig or Salzburg or New York.
Speaker 5: You're going to get. You're going to get what you see.
Speaker 4: Like we've seen for years and years, a very energetic,
Speaker 4: very brave, high pressing team who maybe go man to
Speaker 4: man at times and risk it a little bit at
Speaker 4: the back, outstanding the counterpress, very solid in terms of
Speaker 4: their attitude to wanting to win the game and do
Speaker 4: some of the dirty work that doesn't get noticed all
Speaker 4: the time. And they've got good players who can play now.
Speaker 4: And I think there's been a shift in the Red
Speaker 4: bullet a little bit the last few years. I have
Speaker 4: so much admiration for that sporting group in general, because
Speaker 4: I think they're always adapting, they're always innovating, and they
Speaker 4: really are an exciting team to watch. I think all
Speaker 4: of the games that Red Bull are in, you would say,
Speaker 4: are exciting. Our job is to make sure we're so
Speaker 4: good with the ball that we can eliminate that press.
Speaker 4: And then when we do make mistakes and we do
Speaker 4: give the ball away, we have to physically match their
Speaker 4: output as well, and if not match it, we have
Speaker 4: to go beyond it. And I think they're always exciting games.
Speaker 4: Usually we have games that are full of goals with them,
Speaker 4: hopefully they're only going in our direction and not in
Speaker 4: the other way. And I think, look, it's a home
Speaker 4: opener and it's a first game of a season, so
Speaker 4: none of us know what we're really going to get.
Speaker 5: You know, nobody's really got too much video on each other.
Speaker 4: But I do think that our boys are prepared and
Speaker 4: I think we understand what Red Bull are gonna bring
Speaker 4: to us, But they might have a few worries of
Speaker 4: their own against us, you know. I think our challenge
Speaker 4: is to be ourselves, dominate and impose our will on
Speaker 4: them and also kill the will of them and the
Speaker 4: spirit of them, because we know that if we don't
Speaker 4: do that, then Red Bull can get on top of
Speaker 4: you pretty quick. So again, it's exciting feet on the ground,
Speaker 4: but it's we're very positive and very hopeful that we
Speaker 4: can have a good start.
Speaker 5: For the season on Friday.
Speaker 2: Next up on our Atlanta United to twenty twenty five
Speaker 2: season preview, let's hear from homegrown future homegrown midfielder currently
Speaker 2: with Atlanta United to Cooper Sanchez as we catch up
Speaker 2: with him about his off season and expectations for twenty
Speaker 2: twenty five Perfect.
Speaker 3: I mean, I guess we'll start off. You know, how
Speaker 3: excited are you for the first game of the season
Speaker 3: on Friday.
Speaker 6: Yeah.
Speaker 7: I think we've been building all preseason. I think we
Speaker 7: have a really strong team this year to do something special,
Speaker 7: and I think we're just randing to go. You know,
Speaker 7: we've done well in preseason, so just ready to go.
Speaker 3: You've also had an exciting offseason as well, going with
Speaker 3: the U seventeens for the US men's national team. You know,
Speaker 3: we're with.
Speaker 1: Them when they qualified for the World Cup.
Speaker 3: What was that experience like for you?
Speaker 7: Yeah, I mean the my call up was you know,
Speaker 7: I feel myself I deserved it.
Speaker 1: I've been you know, working hard.
Speaker 7: Doing well in my obviously here in my environment, so
Speaker 7: but to get together with you know, the best players
Speaker 7: in my age group, to represent our country, to.
Speaker 1: Qualify for a World Cup was I mean huge.
Speaker 7: Every game was you know, like a World Cup final
Speaker 7: to be honest, because all you needed to do was
Speaker 7: top of your group and we did that, won all
Speaker 7: three games. And yeah, now the job is World Cup,
Speaker 7: so focusing on that now.
Speaker 3: So yeah, you know, twenty two goals, you know that
Speaker 3: was very very nice in one game.
Speaker 1: Let you guys go.
Speaker 7: Yeah, fortunately didn't get one, but yeah, it wasn't my role.
Speaker 3: But yeah, but going into this two season, I mean
Speaker 3: looking back at last year, what kind of sets it
Speaker 3: apart in your mind from just what's happening on the
Speaker 3: field off the field, like what are you seeing and
Speaker 3: how excited is the team getting ready for.
Speaker 8: This new season?
Speaker 7: Yeah, I would say it's a completely different team from
Speaker 7: last year. You know, a lot of new faces and.
Speaker 1: I think the.
Speaker 7: Biggest difference was is the training environment. I think the
Speaker 7: intensity this year is something different. And yeah, I mean
Speaker 7: that's that's pretty much.
Speaker 3: How has it been getting to know these new players
Speaker 3: and kind of forming that chemistry?
Speaker 7: Yeah, obviously mostly when we played against last year, you know,
Speaker 7: on other teams and they're obviously doing well, like Ryan
Speaker 7: and Nick and boys. And so getting them, you know,
Speaker 7: in our team now and just building chemistry with them.
Speaker 7: They're they're all good people, so you know it was
Speaker 7: pretty easy. But yeah, we're just looking looking forward to
Speaker 7: the season.
Speaker 1: What are some aspects of your game?
Speaker 3: Have you seen the most improvement from last year to
Speaker 3: think wing into this season.
Speaker 7: I would say myself was a big thing was like
Speaker 7: one B one defensively duels everything.
Speaker 1: I think that's improved.
Speaker 7: You know, I'm getting bigger and stronger as time goes on,
Speaker 7: you know, that happens. But I think I'm putting more
Speaker 7: care obviously into into my duels and trying to win
Speaker 7: every duel that I can. And yeah, that's something that
Speaker 7: would be different this season for me.
Speaker 8: How has the style of play evolved a little bit
Speaker 8: this year? In preseason?
Speaker 7: Yeah, I think last year we had a lot of
Speaker 7: technical players, you know that always wanted the ball to
Speaker 7: feet and I mean, including myself, that's the type of
Speaker 7: player I am. But I think this year we have
Speaker 7: a good mixture of you know, dynamic runs in behind
Speaker 7: all of that. So it's a good it's a good combination.
Speaker 9: And yeah, how much has it helped you to have
Speaker 9: a guy like Will Riley around, who has been here
Speaker 9: before now comes back after his time in college, has
Speaker 9: a ton of experience.
Speaker 7: Yeah, obviously, I mean it's just learning everything, even Will,
Speaker 7: you know, Hobby still, all the guys on at the
Speaker 7: first team. You know, it's a big it's a big help,
Speaker 7: you know, just learning little details. And you know Will
Speaker 7: was obviously experiencing usl before he he left for college,
Speaker 7: so you know, just asking him, I mean.
Speaker 1: Little things, that's yeah, He's he's been helpful.
Speaker 2: When you have a group like that that you feel
Speaker 2: comfortable like in your role asking you know, whether it's veterans,
Speaker 2: whether it's guys you're just a little bit older than you,
Speaker 2: how about how helpful is it to have those guys
Speaker 2: that you can bounce off of and learn from.
Speaker 7: I mean, that's I think that's the biggest one of
Speaker 7: the biggest parts of you know, our development as young
Speaker 7: young professionals coming into the team is having guys that
Speaker 7: are gonna help us, you know, because we're gonna make mistakes.
Speaker 7: That's that's gonna happen. We're all gonna make mistakes. But
Speaker 7: you know, having guys that won't treat you like you're young.
Speaker 7: You know, if you're good enough, you're old enough.
Speaker 2: So yeah, you know, you look ahead to Friday. It's
Speaker 2: the Red Bulls. You know exactly how they're gonna play.
Speaker 2: You know what to expect, what are the important things
Speaker 2: and getting a result.
Speaker 1: I think just matching their intensity.
Speaker 7: You know they're gonna come pressing first fifteen to twenty minutes,
Speaker 7: so you know, just kind of trying to break them down,
Speaker 7: tire them out, and uh yeah, score goals.
Speaker 2: Next up, Atlanta United to newcomer Ryan Carmichael, a player
Speaker 2: he has a lot of success in MLS Next Pro
Speaker 2: and hoping to bring that to Atlanta. Here's our conversation
Speaker 2: with Ryan. Let's start with, you know what came into
Speaker 2: the decision to come to Atlanta this season.
Speaker 10: I think I was here a couple of years ago
Speaker 10: with the combine and I like the setup, and then
Speaker 10: obviously I saw what they're trying to do obviously.
Speaker 5: With the first team.
Speaker 10: On the second team, we bro got in a load
Speaker 10: of player, older players, so if they were going to
Speaker 10: have really strong squad, and I wanted to be a
Speaker 10: part of it this year.
Speaker 8: Though, how's the group come together in preseason?
Speaker 6: Better than you'd probably think that.
Speaker 10: I think we're from the first game, everybody just seemed
Speaker 10: to click on the s. We've had a couple of
Speaker 10: great results over preseason and everybody's got the fitness and
Speaker 10: so we're all excited for Fridaily.
Speaker 2: For people who are getting to know you and getting
Speaker 2: to know your style of play, how would you describe
Speaker 2: your game?
Speaker 10: Fast and direct? Mainly I like to get him behind
Speaker 10: the back then and score goes off one or two
Speaker 10: touch So if I had to compare, someone will probably
Speaker 10: be Jimmy Vardi based on my stature as well.
Speaker 8: Okay, I like it.
Speaker 3: What has it been like forming those new relationships and
Speaker 3: connections during the off season for you guys.
Speaker 6: I could it's the same everywhere.
Speaker 10: The first couple of weeks is hard, like you're getting
Speaker 10: to know people, you're kind of feeling it out. But
Speaker 10: once you get playing and stuff like, it's basically like
Speaker 10: another family, So you get used to everybody pretty quickly
Speaker 10: that you see them every day, so it's not too
Speaker 10: hard once you get used to everybody, but those first
Speaker 10: the first week or two year a bit, especially in
Speaker 10: your younger years. But now it's it's been easy enough
Speaker 10: settling in here, especially that a lot of other guys
Speaker 10: are new as well, So everybody's feeding each other out
Speaker 10: a bit. But yeah, it's been easy enough.
Speaker 3: Yeah, you have a lot of experience as well coming
Speaker 3: into this team. Now, how are you going to bring
Speaker 3: that experience to help some of these younger guys develop
Speaker 3: a bit more, but then also bring in that leadership quality.
Speaker 1: On the field.
Speaker 10: Hey, Yeah, I've a bit more experience and obviously the
Speaker 10: younger guys, and I think it just help them movements
Speaker 10: and different things you learn as you get as you
Speaker 10: play more like movements offootball, things that just clean up
Speaker 10: your touch and stuff like that. And if they're willing
Speaker 10: to listen, and it's going to be easy enough on
Speaker 10: the seem to be so.
Speaker 3: Yeah, from talking to Steve and Jose and the coaching
Speaker 3: staff heading into Friday, what are they willing to see?
Speaker 5: You guys do want the.
Speaker 8: Field this season for in the United two?
Speaker 10: Win first and foremost, But basically put what we do
Speaker 10: out there in the prow this in the game and
Speaker 10: I'm sure.
Speaker 5: It will help us along the way to that winn.
Speaker 10: But he wants us to express ourselves and play our
Speaker 10: own football at the same time, because he knows once
Speaker 10: you get out there, it's everything kind of sick can
Speaker 10: sometime to the go to the dog.
Speaker 3: So yeah, what are some of the challenges that be
Speaker 3: your Red Bulls bring for you guys, And how are
Speaker 3: you guys gonna try to minimize them on Friday in game?
Speaker 10: Well, they're high pressing and big, strong, hunk fast, So
Speaker 10: I think if we can get out of that first
Speaker 10: initial press and beat that, then we'll have a lot
Speaker 10: of joy in behind because we're also pretty fast and
Speaker 10: physical up top. So if we can beat their first press,
Speaker 10: then it's turns into our game going attacking them. So yeah,
Speaker 10: I think that's the main thing we've got to look
Speaker 10: out for.
Speaker 2: The last interview, on the twenty twenty five at Lanta
Speaker 2: United two season preview, we caught up with Ronan Win.
Speaker 2: You've seen him with the first team in preseason. He
Speaker 2: signed a second team contract and hopefully we'll have his
Speaker 2: visa in time to take part in tonight's match. Don't
Speaker 2: forget You can listen to Atlanta United to Soccer all
Speaker 2: season long on the SDH network, click listen on soccer
Speaker 2: down here dot net, or if you have the mixler app,
Speaker 2: you can listen on the Soccer down here channel there.
Speaker 8: Make sure you're following us at Soccer down here on.
Speaker 2: All your social media platforms and enjoy our conversation with
Speaker 2: Ronan Win and we'll be talking to you tonight as
Speaker 2: at Land United to host the New York Red Bulls too.
Speaker 2: Let's start with just your journey to Atlanta out of
Speaker 2: the draft, a lot of time with the first team
Speaker 2: in preseason.
Speaker 8: How are you feeling going into the season starting on Friday.
Speaker 6: Yeah, really good. It's been a great experience so far,
Speaker 6: being between both teams, you know, playing with players that
Speaker 6: I've never played with before and players that have been
Speaker 6: in the professional ranks for a while. Really looking forward
Speaker 6: to it and I kind of wait for what's the company.
Speaker 2: What's been the toughest thing adjusting to the level at
Speaker 2: the professional game.
Speaker 6: The speed of play? Yeah, easily, I've never played, I mean,
Speaker 6: especially with the first team. It's crazy how quick the
Speaker 6: decisions are made. So that's definitely been playing wise, the
Speaker 6: biggest biggest adjustment.
Speaker 2: Does it help you almost to start there in preseason
Speaker 2: and then come to the MLS next pro side and
Speaker 2: settle in.
Speaker 6: I was saying to Matt, one of the assistant coaches,
Speaker 6: being training with them for six weeks now and then
Speaker 6: coming down playing in the second team games. I feel
Speaker 6: like it's prepared me so well, and I feel like
Speaker 6: I'm already, you know, like into the game, and I
Speaker 6: feel like I could play at that speed, just because
Speaker 6: those guys playing in MLS a different level. Yeah.
Speaker 2: So you've been through the journey of being like the
Speaker 2: young guy and the college team, and then becoming the
Speaker 2: older player and becoming the veteran and the wiser player.
Speaker 2: You're kind of in a reverse situation now as a
Speaker 2: rookie pro but older than some of your teammates.
Speaker 8: Have you kind of settled into that.
Speaker 6: I think you're just gonna play a role. You know,
Speaker 6: when you're with the first team, work hard. You know,
Speaker 6: you gotta run hard. I mean, obviously do that with
Speaker 6: the second team, but here I can be more vocal.
Speaker 6: I can lead by example more. On the other side,
Speaker 6: I'm learning more so just being around them, So asting
Speaker 6: between the two is good. But I guess I'm allowed
Speaker 6: to take a leadership role on one end and then
Speaker 6: on the other end I can.
Speaker 1: I'm just learning.
Speaker 6: I'm the student, whereas the side I can be the
Speaker 6: teacher sometimes.
Speaker 3: Well, during preseason being with the first team, what was
Speaker 3: one of the biggest things that you learned from Ronnie
Speaker 3: Dyler and you're gonna take with you as you go
Speaker 3: into them last next pro season.
Speaker 6: I think kind of the seriousness of every single play
Speaker 6: on the field. There's no letting up at any point,
Speaker 6: you know, if it's a set piece, if it's a throwing,
Speaker 6: if they have a goal kick, you know, fa facing
Speaker 6: the ball. There's a lot of things that he talked
Speaker 6: to me about and he asked me questions about, and
Speaker 6: you know, you got to look at yourself after playing games,
Speaker 6: after training, and he's kind of challenged me. So I
Speaker 6: think just not taking any plays off and staying focused
Speaker 6: the whole time.
Speaker 3: For a lot of Atlanta fans who maybe don't necessarily
Speaker 3: didn't see you in pre season with the first team,
Speaker 3: how would you describe how you play?
Speaker 6: I feel like I can be difference maker defensively. I
Speaker 6: think I'm I could win my one v one battles
Speaker 6: and then also try and create chances like full Bexter.
Speaker 6: But I'm always gonna work hard, I'm always gonna get
Speaker 6: into challenges. I'm gonna shout when I make a block,
Speaker 6: I'm gonna uplook the team, and I'm gonna do anything
Speaker 6: to win to win the game.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 3: Coming from the college space and then coming into pro.
Speaker 3: How important was your college experience for you to be
Speaker 3: able to be so successful in getting the chance to
Speaker 3: then jump to the front level.
Speaker 6: Yeah. I think a big thing that maybe people that
Speaker 6: don't go to college don't get is everything off the field,
Speaker 6: kind of the lifestyle that you build. So there's a
Speaker 6: lot of let's say school for example, a lot of
Speaker 6: people don't have that, and I've got to be focusing
Speaker 6: on school, focusing on the field, diet, There's so many
Speaker 6: more things that go into being a professional, and I
Speaker 6: think that's what college kind of set me up to
Speaker 6: be successful when I come into this environment.
Speaker 1: Awesome for me.
Speaker 3: How excited are you for Friday to get to go up,
Speaker 3: get to go to fifth third and play with the team.
Speaker 6: Yeah, really excited. I've been looking forward to it, looking
Speaker 6: forward to it for.
Speaker 8: A while now.
Speaker 6: I'm still actually trying to get my visa, so I'm
Speaker 6: hoping that gets done by Friday, But whenever I play,
Speaker 6: really looking forward to. It's been a while since I've
Speaker 6: played a real competitive game, So
Speaker 1: Absolu a awesome, perfect