Maddy questions for Jason that would be six package in variety before we get into the discussion about it.
The six.
I know we got. We gotta save it for later. We're filming.
We'll save all that, save it for later, Okay, Mad questions question would not be part of the six pack.
Okay, question for Jason, not related to six packs. I mean, let's all, do we want to move it towards Atlanta United? Are we already moving towards that area? Yes, I get the thumb stuff. We're doing it. Okay. Looking at n y C, I think for me, at least, they're a team that scares me because of if you look at some of the late goals that they've had, they're very good at rallying and like finding something like they're just really good at that. What are some of the things
that scare you about n y C? And what does Atlanta need to do to come out of this with three points?
I think NYC is in some ways really similar to it United in the way that they approach the games and also in the way that they are not quite hitting where they want to be just yet. It's a team that's not having a whole lot of possession at the moment, and they want possession, and I think you could say the same about Atlanta, although I wonder what that ideal possession number is for Rodney Daila and the way that the game has evolved, I wonder at times.
And this is a very frustrating thing. As I'll pull a soapbox back out for a second. It's very frustrating that stats are different depending on what site you're looking at in terms of possession and key passes and kind of basic stuff, depending on if you're looking at the league site, SOFA score, OPTA. It's all way too different. It's very frustrating at the moment trying to get a good feel of teams because the numbers are varying and
that doesn't help. But team are under fifty percent possession this season according to most places, and that's that's not where either one wants to be. So who kind of gets that right, Because somebody's got to have more than fifty percent of the ball in this game. I believe that's how it works with one hundred percent on offer. So who gets it and do they get it in the right places that they want to have the ball? Both teams are capable, they just haven't quite found it yet.
Both teams have great strikers that can ruin your day. In Latte, lot In Alonzo Martinez Martinez scored a goal, had two assists in Costa Rica, just obliterating Believes to qualify for the Gold Cup, so he wasn't really tested. He played one hundred and thirty five minutes. I'm I think on the Atlanta side, what I want to see, and I think it affects how you you limit NYC a little bit, is I want to see Lenin especially involved on a regular basis high up the field on
the right. I think that starts to fix the offensive rotations a little bit more, whether it's Saba or Miguel on the right side as the winger coming inside a little bit to give Lenin space. It's gonna fix them in more of a location rather than some of the freewheeling we saw a little bit early on when you didn't have the fullbacks getting as high. So I think that just gives more coherence to the way that Atlanta
wants to play. Get Lenin involved, feed him. The other thing that's a big question mark is Keaton Parks and how much he's going to be able to play for NYC. You know, he left the game in the last match in the first half. He returned to training yesterday according to Pascal Johnson, And where is he going to be Because if you don't have him, that idea of NYC getting more to where they want to be in terms of possession, it's a lot harder without Keaton Parks. He's
such an important connector for that group. And if he's not one hundred percent or can only go forty five or thirty or sixty And honestly, look, Atlanta might be in the same situation with matteish Klik, who is back in training, but I can't imagine he's ninety minutes fit if he's going to get the starting spot. Both of them are very important in the way that the teams want to play. Both of them are going to be limited to some degree that we don't really know yet.
So those two could be the most important players in each team forgetting the way that they want to play across and we'll see who's more effective at it.
So we've talked a lot about and we've.
Jerifer Jason go for it.
Is John like on a crazy delay in Central Georgia, it's very.
Fun, It's very possible. We've talked about with Atlanta there. How I think it's changed. The narrative.
Arn is changing because of the way they've been playing in the second half of games. But early in the season the second half wasn't what you wanted after a strong first half. And we know that Atlanta comes out of the gate and can just create fireworks like crazy off the bat. In looking at NYC, what's that time of the game where you're kind of being more on your guard because we know we've had you know, Atlanta's had teams in the past that were dangerous at the
end of halves. Columbus was infamous for collapsing at the end of halves a couple of years ago. Even though they want a trophy, Like, when is that time where you where New York can kind of try and turn their screw.
It's so early to tell. I mean, I think, you know, with two new managers, I think we're getting a sense of what these things look like over time, and it's early and last week you kind of have to throw out to a degree.
I think NYC has had a.
Knack for scoring like goals, so you have to worry about that a little bit as this team fatigues in Atlanta. But NYC is going to be a little short handed as well with injuries. I can't imagine keeping Parks unless you save him for the last thirty or so. I can't imagine he's still on the field at that point, and then they look different. I think it's an interesting topic in funeral just because of Atlanta's talked about it.
Ronnie Dila has talked about it. We watched the session yesterday, Mattie and I and it was a lighter physical session and that was by design. This is something that Dailah has spoken about. He spoke about it yesterday. Trying to find that balance between how much work to put in in terms of the fitness side of things and how much to keep some fuel in the tank for the
weekend match. And until you get to know the group you're working with, and that's the players, that's the medical staff, that's the sports science staff, that's the physical training staff. Until you all kind of work together a little bit, you're I don't want to say guessing, because that's gonna people will run with it and take it in into
a different direction. You're evolving it, and I think Dilah's talked about a couple of times, and I thought he was really clear yesterday and saying it he wants the team to have more energy on the weekend. And maybe they've gone a little bit harder during the week early on as you're trying to get ideas across, as you're trying to get the understanding of the way you want to play across. So it seems like he's consciously dialing that back to try to have more energy on the weekend.
Long term, you've basically had a longer preseason in the way, if you want to think about it, because you're going to be more physically fit in general, which will help you later, but it's hurts you a little bit in the second halves of games. I didn't really see that issue in Cincinnati too much. So I think it's having an effect in terms of managing the workload during the week while not just throwing away a session. And it's
something we talked about in Training Ground Dispatch. There's your plug, go watch it about how you can still accomplish very important things while not working as hard physically, And I think Derek Williams nailed it with the competitive aspects of the activities that they did that didn't overtax them physically. So I think they're getting that. I think Atlanta in terms of those second halves, Jared is getting that right.
The deeper we go into the season and they'll continue to kind of dial it up and dial it in. The schedule is gonna get weird and you got to adjust on the fly anyway. But I think the second halves are gonna be better. They've been getting better, and I think they're going to continue to be better if this team has a little more freshness about them in that second forty five. And I think Diala's taking actions to make that happen.
Maddy, for Jason, what else is on your mind?
I do this every time. My Mike has always needed and I try to talk and it's fine anyway, John.
Is infecting you. I know that this rough. I think this is rough.
I know from talking about it a little bit earlier this week and even to like just chatting as well for me, like when when Ronnie was talking in the postgame press conference after Cincy, he talked about, you know the team in those moments where you know Cincinnati is able to come back and you know, capitalize on a turnover and Evander's able to find the back of the net. It's losing shape, losing discipline, losing concentration, and I think
for me it's I agree with you. I think the second half in the game against Cincinnati was a lot better than the second half so we've seen earlier. I think it was more of a complete half. It didn't feel like twenty minutes they were good and then the rest was kind of fallen off. I think that they put in the work for that, and for me, that was the fight that I saw. That's what I wanted
to see, and I saw it. But for me it was also too It's not the turn it's not the free kick that is given up that allows them to take it. For me, the loss of concentration comes from that second goal five minutes later. That's where that comes in. It's because you get in your head almost that free kick goes in and then and it's okay, we got.
To bounce back.
Everything's frantic now and then you give up a turnover. And since I was able to capitalize in this match against NYC, when you look at that, what does Atlanta need to do? To stay focused and to not lose discipline, to not lose shape in those moments where you know, maybe there is a turnover, maybe there is a goal, and y s he's able to put one in, Like, how can Atlanta overcome that hump and keep things level and keep playing the game that they're going to play.
The way they could overcome not losing any kind of focus, not losing any kind of shape, not losing any kind of mental fatigue. The way they would overcome that is to become a robot, which is not going to happen between now and then. It's not physically possible. I don't think give it time. Probably it will by some point. They're humans, And I think this is something that you know when when I see people have this conversation, it's just, oh,
they should focus better. Well, let me ask everybody out there listening. Are you one hundred percent locked in, focused, never distracted when you're at work? Never, never, never you glance at something else? Never, never, never you doom, scroll never never never always locked in on that.
Spreadsheet You're not now here's what you have to do. And I thought Derek Williams nailed.
It yesterday when he talked about this. In those moments which are human. You're tired, you're maybe frustrated, you're maybe overwhelmed, you're physically feeling it. In those moments where you feel it, and players do and coaches do. And that's why you went to a line of five last week. Ronnie was dead on. The game was getting away from you a little bit before the first foul that led to the free kick. You tried to change it.
You couldn't.
All right, when you start to feel that slip, which is just to happen. Derek talked about it with Charlotte as an example, and they do a really good job of it because look, they're not super expansive to begin with, so it's an easy transition for them. You start to feel, man, the game's getting away, we're tired, where we're hurting a little bit.
What do we do? Play it?
Long?
Bomb it, get the ball out of your your half.
Just keep it simple, write it out until you can create some positive momentum going the other way, until you can regain your wits about you, whatever it is, find that. And I think this team is good enough defensively, especially in normal situations, to concede that a little bit to concede that possession a little bit, just relieve the pressure, and you are are striving for something in the way that this team plays that is very top top, very high up here, and it's a great vision to have
and it's a great goal to have. It's impossible to be there for ninety minutes every single game.
You just can't.
So in those moments where it's getting away from you, and it's never easy to flip a switch and change who you are and change the way that you want
to be. But you need to find a way to do it more in these moments where it might be the sixty fifth minute before or after you make subs, and might be after you make subs and guys are coming in and it's all discombobulated because you brought in fresh legs here and they're running around like crazy, and then you know Mirian Chuket is tired and he's trying to catch his breath and he just wants to hold the ball a little bit, keep it like you need to be able to have something to where it's we
need a little bit of time here, bombit long. Let them try to build up the play and defend. And this team's good enough in defending to do that. Defending in normal situations. Don't give up turnovers in your own third, don't give up you know, bad turnovers in the middle third. Don't give up dangerous free kicks. Don't have those transition moments hurt you when you're set to defend. This team's good,
so lean to that. And in the moments where you feel the game getting away from you and the focus, focus, intensity, momentum. I mean, we can hit the thisaurus all day on it. When those things get away from you, concede possession, get organized and defend and ride it out. And I think if this team can find that, they're gonna be just fine. I think they're gonna have more energy as they go. I think all the little tweaks are working. The team is getting better as you go. They should have more
than they do. Welcome to soccer. It sucks sometimes, so you have to figure out how to ride out those moments where you're getting punished.
And to me, that's it.
And I think if if Derek's feeling that that, you know what we can do that we can sit back and defend between him and Steun, the full backs drop and to defend the two central midfielders in front. You can defend pretty deep, you can be smart. You're never going to be a defense first team, but you can be for five or ten minutes at a time.
That's what you need to do. That's how you deal with it, because you're not going to become a robot.
Tomorrow broadcast plans for Atlanta nighted on the weekend, taking on NYC six thirty for pregame coverage starting on ninety two nine the game and the Odyssey app ape Gordon Madison Cruz on that.
Then we'll have garth agerway in the booth a little bit before seven o'clock. Mike Conty and I will jump in for that. Then we'll jump back out. Abe and Maddy will finish pregame. Then we'll jump back in right before seven thirty seven forty is your kickoff time. And I believe possibly Jarrett Smith will be doing postgame with Abe Gordon. If Jarrett Smith has not turned into a robot as of yet.
The odds are the odds are ever in your favor, The odds are good.
If not, then Maddie will have to do postgame, somebody will, and we'll go from there.
Abe will just probably be yelling at both of yous.
Abe is basically eternally on a mechanical bowl and we've taped his hand.
To the bull. He might be a robot, he might be the one.
We've taped him to the mechanical bull so that even if he gets bucked off, he's still gonna hang on and it's honestly gonna be worse for him if he can't hang on, if he does.
Lose his balance. It's true. It's true.
Check out on our social media platforms Instagram and I believe it made it to threads as well, and it's on our YouTube channel. Clip from Rhys James of Chelsea pretty much laying down the gauntlet that they want to win the Club World Cup.
So pretty cool. That's out there.
Articles also at Soccer down here dot net training ground dispatches out from yesterday. You've got clips making their rounds as well, lots of content. And then we got two high school games tonight. Maddie and I will be in Covington for East Side hosting North Oak Cooney. That'll be on the Numero Uno Mixler channel and then on the Deuce it will be Drew Dickinson and John Nelson from Brookwood High School. One of the oldest rivalries in Georgia
high school soccer Parkview at Brookwood. They hate each other if they're playing Tiddley Wings let alone soccer.
Yes, the kids don't understand.
They don't know what it's like. Sean Johnson knows what it's like. Walker Zimmerman knows what it's like. Josh Wolf knows what it's like.
My uncle it's like they played on the team as well.
There you go.
I told them all the time, like when I tell them when the first high schood I did with you guys was that game, and they were like, oh, it's bad. They're like they're going to kill each other. Like it's going to kill each other. And they know it too, Like I'll mention it in just passing and like my uncle will just get like a sea of rage and I'm like, whoa, it's how.
I feel about Sandy Creek. So you know it's all good, Okay, I can.
Yes, So it's gonna be. And then we also have the two's on Sunday after Chattanooga FC.
Another one that might invoke rage from some people, some Atlanta people and some people in East Ridge as well, because that they're gonna play next week, which that's gonna be chaos. We'll see if Chattanooga FC's a little distracted on Sunday.
Yeah, Chattanooga might like Chattanoog. I'm not saying that Chattanoog is gonna rotate. Chattanooga just might be careful. We like, Hey, we're gonna play some subs in the sixtieth minute. I need because a points in MLS next pro is one thing, but they're playing the team in the East Ridge and the midweek, and that's honestly, that's gonna be more important for their hearts and minds.
It should be. It absolutely should be. That's gonna be wild next week in.
The stadium too, because good friends of Network is so Sonya as well as of Courson and my friend Alex. They're going up to watch the game. So I told them, I said, listen, you got to give me like up to date. If stuff's happening, you got to let me know.
Sorry, we'll be stuff happening there.
Sorry, because I'm gonna have a delay, but you got to tell me what's going on.
Yeah, you're gonna need a camera in the stands.
Yeah, Yeah, you're gonna need a few. Good luck to everybody involved in that one. But yeah, we'll be statements. Yeah, basically we'll be we'll be a little busy between now and Sunday night and back when morning Espresso is back for you on Monday and s the Aha n back for you on Monday. We'll have lots to talk about because we'll all be very busy, absolutely true. So that's gonna do it for a show.
Because Maddie and Jason they've got a tape six pack and that's going to be out very very soon.
We're gonna catch up with Steve Cook.
That's going to be a part of our conversation getting us ready for the twos in Chattanooga. So busy weekend across the board High School, this afternoon on the Deuce and on the mother Ships. So fo Jarrett for Maddie and this is just me looking at it, and so down that way is Jason at least in mind what you just broke your wrists trying to point in a certain direction. What are you doing?
I was trying it, well, I was trying to do it with my left trying to do it with my left hand. But I have to go that are you doing the macarena. What are you doing trying anyway?
Uh? Yeah, bye Tyler. Terrence glad that Tyler came by. We gave him some food wrecks, and we also have a story that uh for Ronnie Dialleer. Later, Glenn Crooks joined us. In a half hour, We're out. We'll see you this weekend play Save everybody whatch you plot, y'all since it is the end of the show that means we get to do this.
Bye.