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<v Speaker 1>Here we go. It's another edition of First eleven. I'm

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<v Speaker 1>Dave Johnson with Bruce Murray. Yeah, your connection with the

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<v Speaker 1>DC United. We get set for the LA Galaxy on Saturday.

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<v Speaker 1>We will have that for you on iHeartRadio app iHeart

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<v Speaker 1>Sports DC. You can sing along with Apple TV. That's

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<v Speaker 1>a ten to fifteen on Saturday. But that's bearing the lead.

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<v Speaker 1>DC United after a promising start, the five to two

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<v Speaker 1>loss to Nashville in the quarterfinals of the Open Cup.

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<v Speaker 1>After the game, head coach Troy Lasain relieved of his

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<v Speaker 1>duties as head coach. Of course United right now four

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<v Speaker 1>ten and seven in the standings, twelfth place among fifteen

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<v Speaker 1>teams in the Eastern Conference. At the end of the day,

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<v Speaker 1>it is a business and Troy Lesain knows this. It's

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<v Speaker 1>all about results. Frustrating part and get Bruce to comment.

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<v Speaker 1>We feel for Troy Lesain and his commitment. He worked

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<v Speaker 1>so hard to make it happen. We understand why the

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<v Speaker 1>decision made the results just not there. But Steve Goff

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<v Speaker 1>noted in the Washington Post that he works so hard

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<v Speaker 1>to work on the culture of DC United. We noticed

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<v Speaker 1>it at the training facility, you know. Photo galleries celebrating

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<v Speaker 1>the history, including alumni of the team and the legends,

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<v Speaker 1>celebrating the four championships. Obviously, you know, flying out the

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<v Speaker 1>players for the game against San Jose that celebrated the

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<v Speaker 1>inauguration of this league back in nineteen ninety six. So

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<v Speaker 1>Bruce Murray again, this is just it's a cruel business.

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<v Speaker 1>It's just about results. But certainly Troy Lassain's heart was

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<v Speaker 1>in this club because he grew up knowing about this

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<v Speaker 1>club and he was a fan of this club.

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<v Speaker 2>As unfortunate as to what happened, but you know, he

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<v Speaker 2>wanted to try and make DC United a family atmosphere.

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<v Speaker 2>He wanted to involve the players from the past. He

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<v Speaker 2>wanted to involve you and me, allowing us to access

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<v Speaker 2>out on the field talking to players. You know, he's

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<v Speaker 2>a super guy, a great guy, and it just it

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<v Speaker 2>didn't come together for him here. I still think he

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<v Speaker 2>knows quite a lot about the game. I just don't know.

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<v Speaker 2>I don't know how the locker room and how it

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<v Speaker 2>worked out that way. But I feel sorry for him.

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<v Speaker 2>I feel bad for him. He's a great human being.

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<v Speaker 2>But you're right, it's a brutal business and he needs

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<v Speaker 2>to move on.

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<v Speaker 1>And we wish him the best. And the look he

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<v Speaker 1>had success gotting the Red Bulls into the playoffs before

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<v Speaker 1>he came here. It just didn't work out here. Listen,

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<v Speaker 1>when coaches lose positions in any sport, it does not

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<v Speaker 1>mean they can't coach. It just means it didn't work

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<v Speaker 1>out for whatever reason in the position. And often coaches

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<v Speaker 1>in every sport move on and find success, and we

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<v Speaker 1>wish him success. The washing post of reporting, Renee Veeler

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<v Speaker 1>from Swiss Clubs for VET will be the next coach,

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<v Speaker 1>and that's not been officially now, so we'll see how

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<v Speaker 1>that plays out. Until that plays out, Kevin Flanagan United's

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<v Speaker 1>director of Youth Academy and player Development will oversee the

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<v Speaker 1>team and that includes Saturday against the LA Galaxy. And

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<v Speaker 1>this is a moving train, Bruce Murray, any way you

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<v Speaker 1>can relate what the players must be going through right now.

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<v Speaker 1>Have you been in a similar situation where, look, you've

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<v Speaker 1>got forty eight hours to step on a field and

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<v Speaker 1>it doesn't matter who's coaching, there's business to take care of.

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<v Speaker 1>How do you deal with that?

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, you have to go back to your instincts. You

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<v Speaker 2>go into emergency thinking there's nobody who's running the show.

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<v Speaker 2>Kevin's not going to be able to get his message

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<v Speaker 2>across in a game. But the team needs to pick

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<v Speaker 2>up three points. So you have to go on your instincts.

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<v Speaker 2>As a pro. You're there for a reason, and you

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<v Speaker 2>have to go out and you have to play the

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<v Speaker 2>way you're supposed to play, and you'd be surprised that

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<v Speaker 2>you get a what You'll find quite a few times

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<v Speaker 2>when they have these coaching changes, there's a lot of

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<v Speaker 2>good results, and it's because the players are just playing free.

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<v Speaker 2>They're not playing with restriction, they're not playing under some

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<v Speaker 2>type of system. They just go out and they play.

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<v Speaker 2>It's almost like the streetball. I've been in this situation.

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<v Speaker 2>I US men's national team coach got relieved of his duties.

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<v Speaker 2>I was in Bermuda and you know we I think

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<v Speaker 2>we're going through with Spain the next but Bob Gansler

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<v Speaker 2>was relieved at his duties, and uh, it was it

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<v Speaker 2>was bizarre. You know, all the players would get together

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<v Speaker 2>in different rooms and try and figure out, you know,

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<v Speaker 2>how we're going to play. And but it was, like

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<v Speaker 2>you said, it's just it's it's not easy. But the

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<v Speaker 2>players go back to what they just go out and play.

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<v Speaker 2>That's what it is.

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<v Speaker 1>Why sometimes and I believe and I want you're coming

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<v Speaker 1>on this, that a jolt does create a response. Maybe

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<v Speaker 1>it'll be short term, maybe long term, but because it's

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<v Speaker 1>just like momentum when you're winning, when all of a

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<v Speaker 1>sudden you're struggling to score, are you're losing, the games

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<v Speaker 1>just keep coming And is as hard as you try, Uh,

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<v Speaker 1>it's hard to hard to break either good or bad habits.

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<v Speaker 2>No, I would, I would agree with that. You know,

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<v Speaker 2>the situation they're in is it's a it's a good

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<v Speaker 2>one in a way. I mean, because now everyone's just

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<v Speaker 2>going to do what they want to do out in

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<v Speaker 2>l a And and you'd be surprised, Dave. I mean,

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<v Speaker 2>there's there's so many times professional soccer is really difficult

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<v Speaker 2>because you're in a situation where do this, do this,

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<v Speaker 2>do this, don't do that, don't do this, don't do it,

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<v Speaker 2>and you become a robot, right, And so now you're

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<v Speaker 2>going out and you're just letting it rip. And I

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<v Speaker 2>think that you're going to see that the way we

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<v Speaker 2>play on Saturday, and I think you're going to see

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<v Speaker 2>a lot of people playing with a lot of freedom.

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<v Speaker 1>Now on Saturday. I mean, I don't want to get

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<v Speaker 1>into the tactics. And again it's we're talking you're changing

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<v Speaker 1>on the fly. There won't be time to make a

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<v Speaker 1>lot of changes. But I think something we talked about

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<v Speaker 1>on Wednesday, even though United scored first, a great goal

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<v Speaker 1>by Gabrielle Protti, even though they were up actually to nothing,

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<v Speaker 1>this team still needs to create more chances. That's an

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<v Speaker 1>easy statement, create more chances. Okay, you are a guy

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<v Speaker 1>that made your living of chances in scoring goals. Take

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<v Speaker 1>me through the mental process that has to happen for

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<v Speaker 1>that to happen for DC United.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, and that's exactly what I'm talking about. Players playing

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<v Speaker 2>with freedom take chances. Nobody's going to get punished for

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<v Speaker 2>taking chances on Saturday. There's a new you know, they

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<v Speaker 2>don't have a coach right now, so they're just going

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<v Speaker 2>to play and and you'd be surprised when you do

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<v Speaker 2>take chances. If you look at Pirani's goal, he just said,

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<v Speaker 2>you know what, I'm just going to take two players

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<v Speaker 2>on and I'm going to go ahead and swing and

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<v Speaker 2>take a shot, and of course it ended up being

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<v Speaker 2>a great goal. I think you're going to because you're

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<v Speaker 2>not going to be afraid of losing. I'm watching DC United, Dave,

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<v Speaker 2>and I see players that seem very scared to lose

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<v Speaker 2>or make a mistake, and that way, you start playing

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<v Speaker 2>negative and neutral all over the field. And you go

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<v Speaker 2>from a guy on the left wing who's getting ready

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<v Speaker 2>to cross the ball, doesn't like to look. He goes

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<v Speaker 2>back and the ball ends up at the center back

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<v Speaker 2>and you've gone nowhere. So I think you're going to

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<v Speaker 2>see players playing completely free and creating chances will come

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<v Speaker 2>because it's going to be a little bit street ballish.

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<v Speaker 1>Now, one player do want to celebrate that. It seems

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<v Speaker 1>like he's playing and we commented ins Nashville and we've

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<v Speaker 1>seen it every time he comes in off the bench

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<v Speaker 1>is Jackson Hopkins. He seems to be playing with a

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<v Speaker 1>commitment that says, all right, I want more playing time.

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<v Speaker 1>So if you're gonna give me five minutes, ten minutes,

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<v Speaker 1>I'm just gonna go out. I'm just gonna go out.

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<v Speaker 1>Case in point, he takes a shot thirty yards and

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<v Speaker 1>you know what, it didn't miss by much. And that's

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<v Speaker 1>what I've seen from him, is he's come back from injury.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, let me just put it completely so that there's

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<v Speaker 2>no way you can misinterpret it. Jackson Hopkins needs to

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<v Speaker 2>be starting, and he needs to be on the field.

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<v Speaker 2>He is an absolute box to box runner. He's strong,

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<v Speaker 2>he's got a massive frame. You know, Jackson Hopkins is

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<v Speaker 2>gone from a kid to a man in a year.

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<v Speaker 2>And you know I'm telling you right now, Jackson Hopkins

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<v Speaker 2>needs to be on the field. He needs to be

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<v Speaker 2>on the field.

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<v Speaker 1>Well, maybe it'll be on the field Saturday, more time

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<v Speaker 1>against the Galaxy again. We will join you at ten

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<v Speaker 1>fifteen Saturday night, So go ahead and bring the craffee

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<v Speaker 1>and stay up late with us. And again our best

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<v Speaker 1>wishes to Troyle, saying this is a real business. We

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<v Speaker 1>get passionate, we get emotional about it, but at the

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<v Speaker 1>end of the day we deal with people on a

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<v Speaker 1>personal level and there's some pain. And we wish again

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<v Speaker 1>Troylet's saying every success and thank him for really his

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<v Speaker 1>hard working commitment, because I think Bruce, we know he

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<v Speaker 1>tried real hard to make it right in DC United,

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<v Speaker 1>and no doubt it'll work for him somewhere else. We

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<v Speaker 1>thank you for your time on first eleven. Again. You

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<v Speaker 1>can find us wherever you find your podcast, Please tell

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<v Speaker 1>your friends as we continue on this journey together. Thanks

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<v Speaker 1>for listening. And we promised eleven minutes or less and

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<v Speaker 1>it was