First time in a long time on a very special weekend. It's a very special blossom. Here we go's bringing our buddy Kevin Egan to start hour number two.
Good morning, Good morning, Johnny boy.
Hey brother, what's going on?
What is the crack? As we say in Arden, that means how are you all? Well?
Well, yeah, well the crack is we're running about five hundred miles an hour, kind of like somebody that you know and uh, making sure that you brother.
It's like when when do you when do you catch your flight? The head north?
A little bit later on, just in from the gym.
I'm a sweaty, sweaty betty right now, whatever went to do me?
Burne, Bill Campe appear at my wife?
So, now who handles?
Wait, it's Kevin Patrick. He's not in Vegas, says right, what's that? Two? No not anymore?
Yeah that well, I was going to see if oh that's Rich Wait hang on yeah Rich Ransom. Yeah, Rich Ransom is our resident Philadelphia Union fan, and so we do want to discuss Philadelphia and Atlanta as a part of your is in here.
So who, so who handles boot camp? Better?
Is it you?
Or is it the boss?
It is uh, I do you know what's funny?
Meg?
Meg destroys me with core stuff like if if if there's any kind of a plank competition or sit up competition, destroys me. But she hates doing sprints and stuff that I love. So we're just we're just different in that sense.
See.
I just I just let the let the two of you do that. And it's like, give me my four mile walk once a week, and I'm in good shape. I just and then by the time I'm done an hour and twenty minutes later, I'm just like, nope, leave me alone, is saying happening.
I'm gonna go sit in the corner and just go.
You know, wce a week, Johnny, you can be doing that every day.
Come on, I get it. I mean, how many steps do you get in a day?
Ten thousand?
Wow? Try to No, that's what I thought it was.
Yeah, because you try, you're supposed to get ten or you're supposed to get was it eight?
Or you're supposed to get ten?
I don't know. All I know is I'm turning forty in a few weeks.
Oh whatever, I'm turning forty in a few weeks, and I want to I want to turn that corner into a new decade, you know, fit and healthy, So doing.
My best turning forty whatever.
You're still in your mid thirties. What are you talking about?
Smart man? That's that's why I love you, you know. So MLS three sixty, I want to get the MLS three sixty question in here. What is the most.
Interesting part about MLS three sixty and what is the when it comes to the broadcast in and of itself?
What is the most challenging thing about MLS three sixty?
I think the most interesting I'm trying to think about it from the viewer's perspective as opposed to in our seat or maybe I'll give you r seat. The most interesting is just I love the reactions of the analyst next to me. I love I can't focus on anything else but our main monitor and the show program monitor. Like I can't focus on anything else, and I won't. I refuse to look at the nine bucks that we have to our right hand side that you'll often see Dax, Klen, Sash and Brad looking at.
So sometimes they go.
And I'm like, don't react, you know, stay the course and focus on what you're doing. So that's a lot of fun. My hope is that we can inform, educate and entertain and if somebody decides to tune into MLS three sixty and give it a go for first time and they may not be the biggest fan of Major League Soccer that by the end or are an hour in if you give us a go from seven thirty to nine thirty, say that window. Because this weekend we've got a boatload of games. First time in MLS history,
we've got fifteen games on a Saturday. Yeah, So I hope that we can inform and educate, entertain, have a bit of fun as well well.
And the idea for me doing the livest of the live television like something like that where you're basically just bouncing and bouncing and bouncing. There's a lot of trust. What I've always told folks about live television. Don't know how many folks have a dog, but you know when you take your dog out for a run at the lake, and the dog, you know, like if you've got to, you've got a Golden retriever. Golden Retriever just loves to
go play fetching. He gets the stick out of the lake, you throw the you throw the stick in the lake. The Golden Retriever goes and gets the stick and brings it back to you on the shore for round number two. What do you see above the water line when it comes to that Golden retriever? You just see the stick between the stick between the teeth and he's just puffing and he's just doing his thing, and it's just all calm as he's coming back to shore.
What's going on below the water line? That Golden Retriever is doing this? Man?
The stuff above the water line is what folks see on television. They don't see below the water line is what happens to make live television be live television. Yeah, and it speaks a lot to the confidence you've got to have to the folks that are talking to you about we gotta go. You know those kinds of moments. You've got to have that kind of confidence and you've got to be that locked in.
Yeah.
And obviously we're trying to be as live as possible. Maybe we're ten seconds behind at certain points because a goal goes in elsewhere and our producer's got to quickly queue it up with the EVS machine, and then we go to another game. It's a lot of fun. I love the opening of the show in the sense that, like you can really get into each game, maybe before a goal is scored, but sometimes you know, we could have eight games going on at the same time, and
next thing, a game kicks off. You're trying to speak about it for a second, but we got to bounce to another game. I couldn't pick a show that suits me more in terms of my own enjoyment, genuinely, Like, I've worked on many shows, and I would pick MLS three sixty number one, and it's not even close, just because of the people I'm working with and also what I get to cover and see, I'm looking at the comments here. I've never fully focused on the comments on
this show, John, like I'm doing right now. Abby, good morning, Hope you're well, love you to pieces. You're the best. Jordan, I did not know that happened. That's wild.
And Alex, how are you. That's great that you met Shay Given what a legend he is, Irish legend Shay given.
So yeah, pretty cool this And like I said, this is our version of three sixty. When we do the am it's like trying to balance the guests guess what's going on their mind, and then the comments.
It's all this kind of stuff.
You guys do such a phenomenal job.
Well, and thank you for that, sir, reminder that you mentioned.
That you've got all all all the activity going on, all seventy five games happening on Saturday, and you've got I think you're gonna have at some point you're gonna do they have the ten box all ready to go. Ten Yeah, should have, because you're gonna have six. You're gonna have six at seven thirty and then another four at eight thirty. Math is right, So ten bucks, you're gonna have a ten box.
Man, This is this, This is the star stuff that gets John Nelson excited. You see a ten box, you lose your job.
I do, because once again it's that whole idea of hosting, and it's like, all right, I know, I have all of these opportunities to tell stories simultaneously, and you'll have you'll have that one, you'll have the afternoon game in the barn, so you'll have at least highlights to get you into the six. But then it's six chances to tell stories or technically, well then it's another four and so you're having to sit there and you're jugging all ten when it comes to what's going on here.
And we're at a stage, we're at a stage a season where we have real strong opinions on teams, like we've seen enough now, we've seen enough from Atlanta to have a strong opinion on Atlanta from Philadelphia, you know, and so on. So like a game for me, like Seattle Nashville is a fascinating game. Seattle have the exact same record right now as Atlanta. If you were to ask the question honestly and appreciate that coming from that's.
Just come in there.
Three sixties a bomb, So much energy from you, sir, Thank you, thank you, thank you. I've got I feel like with three sixty if I don't meet the commentator's energy. So if if there's a commentator on a game that hits a nine out of ten on a great goal and our producer four seconds later says, go keV, if I come in at a five or six out of ten, it just doesn't it doesn't add up for the viewer. It doesn't sound right. So it's just that where hopefully
the show has good energy. But you know, Seattle and Atlanta. Wow, this stage the season, John, but Seattle were many people's pick to win the Supporter Shield Atlanta. Absolutely everybody had Atlanta in the top four in the East this year.
You know, I don't know anyone that didn't.
Yeah, So then, what what's your your diagnosis so far, doctor Egan, about what's been going on with Atlanta so far? Here is I know, obviously expectations at the Children's Health Care of Atlanta training ground and outward big.
That's it's like you have one thing and right now you only have this to show for it. Yeah.
I think there's there's so many facets to what's going on right now. One so let's let's focus on the positives first. The positives are there's chances being created in games. Hitting the woodwork twice in the last game, Miguel has a goal ruled off that I hate to see that decision made, even though I understand it. I understand the rule and the player, you know, blocking the cross doesn't have control of the ball in that, I get it
when I read the rule book. But the fact that on the fact that it has such a small plays such a small role in the goal and rules out a beautiful strike for Miggie is a killer so many There's positives in a lot of ways, but man, there's so many things that are concerning and I get I saw Felipe Cardinas on Twitter yesterday talking about the personality within the.
Team and I couldn't disagree with him. I listened to it. I listened to it thinking I see a lot of this.
There's a lot of things in the game where I'm looking for big personalities and I think when you look and it doesn't need to be shouting and screaming. Michael Parkhurst had a massive personality on the field for Atlanta United without screaming and shouting all the time. Darlington nagbe a huge personality in the way he stepped in moments, in the way he used his body to make a
statement in games. This is Atlanta United players, honestly, stop looking around for someone else to do it, start doing it yourselves. It feels like that sort of a moment for these players that are clearly good enough. In my mind, I think that it's way too soon to be judging Ronnie Diler too much. I've seen some comments out there that Ronnie Diler's got to go. I don't I don't buy into that at all. After eight games, I think
you've got to give a coach time. But it's not good enough from a team that have spent fifty million on an attack that you to expect more chances, more goals. But the issue, the big issue, I think, is the cohesion in midfield. And I would with that team, with that group of players, I would switch to a three back. I would I would switch the three back. I would go wing backs. And I think you've got a big decision to make whether it's Brooks Lennon or Saba Lobjanite
on the right hand side right now. I think I'd lean towards Saba on the right hand side as a wing back Pedro Amador on the left. And I think in that sort of a system you can get Mirron Schuk a little bit deeper while still having balance and you can play mcgal Almiran off Manuel Lael.
All right, So that's that's diagnosis, Kevin Egan. I feel like I need to get you a stethoscope for situation.
No, And it's not doom and gloom like like MLS is forgiving. The season could be turned around instantly, and I hope that's the case. I live in Atlanta. My son is wearing Atlantica oightted jerseys every day. I want this team to do well and I want to try and get to more games. If I if I if I if I could with James. But I just I just you kind of you're craving. You just want to see more as a fan watching the game right now
from the players that are there. And it's not just the skill and the passing and the chance creation and the tactics. Sometimes it goes beyond that and you think about leaders that Atlanta United have had, and those are the players that personality that's been mentioned before right now I think is missing.
Kevin Egan hanging out with US head coach, head coach. He is the host, head coach and host.
He is the host of hashtag MLS three sixty because that's what they encourage, the hashtag and MOLAST three sixty on the weekends on Apple TV. When you look at so then all right, so follow up question, how much time do you a lot for patience when it comes to integrating who should be where and what and all these things when it comes to formation and laying everything out. Because we've seen, we've seen out of the blocks, and yes, I know it was CF Montreal. We've seen against NYC
and the comeback there. You've seen how electric this group can be with me dropping back a little bit and being part of the price with who John with uh with you had that Midanchuk dropping back? Yeah, sorry, I went native with the pronunciation. It's all the years I had spending hot time I heard you say it.
I was just curious.
Midchu no nice, I just didn't hear you. I'm sorry, Yeah, no.
It's it's well, it's because I'm coming through with allergy, so it's midn chuk uh.
Yeah.
So you have Midanchuk playing deeper, acting more of a playmaker. The space was there for him to create, and you saw what happened as NYC with the big comeback. You saw it early in the year again with Latte Lot and with Miggy and everybody coordinating against CF Montreal. So my, what I'm gathering free from from you here is what
you're looking at stylistically. How much patience are you giving all of these new transactions to be a part of this new group to find themselves or was your patients in training camp and you've got to hit the ground running. Where's your level of patients about integrating all these pieces.
It's an interesting one because Ronnie Diila did say just a few days ago, if the players aren't doing it, they'll be gone. He kind of said something, am I right in saying that guys were probably there. It was
something along those lines. I need to get the quote from my prep today, but that was a big thing to say, is that he's a coach with a reputation of an MLS champion coming into this club from winning in twenty twenty one with New York City, and I don't think he's going to want any players that aren't living up to the billing or aren't giving it absolutely everything. They need to move on because the standards that Atlanta United have been set from the early days and they
should be they should be held accountable these players. I think Sasha and brad have been talking a lot on the show, and Bradley made the point last week on wrap Up that he sees a little bit of a He sees Atlanta United as a counter attacking team. Remember with Tato Martino, this team played nearly counter attacking football via possession, luring teams in and then all of a sudden, you find Nagbeat in a little bit of a pocket.
He sprays it whye for Tito Vial but.
In away Goos Miggi and Joseph, and all of a sudden this team was flowing and attacking and fun and and and direct and lightning quick. The players like Saba, Miggi La, those profiles are similar. Mironchuk isn't that guy at all. Alexi Mironchuk is is much more of a heavy possession style. I would think, uh, you know, from watching him over in Syria, ab from speaking with some of my friends at CBS about Mirron Chuck over with
Atalanta as well. Maybe in that system change if there was to be one, he plays a little bit deeper where he's a classy ball player and he is that guy. We did a piece of analysis on the show a few weeks ago, Dax did talking about that, just how he became that link and all of us. He looks so good doing it, and he's passing the ball in a much more impressive way than we've seen from Bartok Slish or from uh well, Click hasn't played a whole
lot since he's been with the club. You know, Tristan Mayumba is impressed, and I think Ronnie died as a fan. But I like Mer and Chuck in that deep role, and I do like Jay Fortune as well.
All Right, So Maddy Cruz was at practice and so hanging out with us here. She was hanging out in the green room and so yes, Kevin, get your caffeine and there we go.
So, Hey, Mardy, Hey, what's up?
Good?
How are you great?
Thank you?
Kevin was wondering about Ronnie at practice the other day, and I know that you and Jason on training ground dispatch got the chance to see what's going on with Ronnie. And Ronnie's like, well, if you ain't performing, you ain't gonna be out there. True, You're you're not gonna be here. You're you're not gonna be out there. You're not going to be here, period. What was the vibe with Ronnie Dialer this week?
Well, I'll tell you if you watched our dispatch, me and Jason said it. I think out of the time we I think for me, I've only been really a part in covering the club for about a year now, but I think Jason even said it.
I said it.
I think that was one of the best media availabilities I've ever attended.
Wow, Why is that?
It was just so open and raw and it was very much laid all out on the table and it was everything. It talked about everything and like what needs to be done. And the thing that I think I took away from it was, you know, people are asking, like his philosophy, what he wants to do and is very much He's like, well, it's not my philosophy. It has to be Atlanta's philosophy. It has to be whatever it is. I want players to contribute. I want them
to do things. But it's something that resonated with me, even with bartows Sleish when he talked this week like he thinks for being too nice, and I agree. I want to see some greediness. I want to see them go out there. If a player gets tracked down, I want.
Everyone coming in, but I want to see it from him too. Absolutely ill. Players can talk all they want.
The greatest leaders this club has ever seen, Michael Parkhurst and Darlington Nagby, in my mind, both of them didn't speak a whole lot. So if players want to go and have media availability and impressed impressed the media through their wonderful you know, gritty tones come on, that's that's all well and good, But be that guy in the dressing room and be that guy in the field and set the tone inside the first five minutes.
I agree.
I agree, I because I think I think we've seen glimpses of it from him too. We've seen glimpses of it, I think last season in particular, and I want to see more of it this season. And I mean, what better way to prove that you got the greediness and going up against the Philadelphia Union?
I mean, I mean, I mean, you got you got Philly, and we and Kevin. We know what Philadelphia and Atlanta when those two come, when those two go up against each other, it's like two rams on a mountain side on National.
You know, yeah it is and and and and Philadelphia right now have have gone off the boil a little bit too.
But I do like a lot of their pieces.
I hated the gaz Dag trade on on their part because they're already you know, Earnst Tinner talking about maybe we'll do something in the summer.
You're thinking, no, you've that You've just brought in four and a half million.
You know, you've got to go and spend it, Go and go and help Bradley Carnell, who's now he's a fan of Indy Vasilev. I get it, he's going to play in the Vasilev in that role, But Vasilev has never been a goalscorer. You're not replacing the goals from your all time leading goal scorer in Daniel Gazdag. I would nearly like to see more minutes from Kevin Sullivan if that's the case, and let's see if he can be a little bit more goal dangerous. But Barrebo's gone
off the boil a little bit of late. Damiani looks good. I think he prefers Damiani and ty Baribo to lead the line. I think Janglovinovich is a huge loss in the back for them. He's been a big, big player since coming in early in the season. I thought he looked really good, former Neweles player. So when he went up against Messi, like you know, I went on his Instagram and I could see on his instagram you had a photograph of when he played for Newels against Messi
and how he's just got to him. And anyway, I just think I think it's it's two teams right now that are desperate for all three points. And I think Atlanta with the counter attacking players that they can have, I think if Atlanta can be strong defensively, there's goals in this team for sure.
All Right, you want to cut the promo because I know that you got to go and shower and catch your playing and all those kinds of things. Got the promo for us so we can watch the ten bucks coming up this weekend.
It is the first time in MLS history we've got fifteen games on Saturday. Fifteen games. Got thirty teams in the league now, everybody competing on Saturday for a first time, including Columbus Miami, the only two one beaten teams in Major League Soccer. Who's better you decide? We'll find out on Saturday as well. But MLS three sixty is where it's at. We're gonna have what did we say, John, ten games going on at the same time on MLS three sixty. John Nelson's gonna have himself at ten bucks
and join us for the ride. Here.
I'm seeing some great comments. Use the hashtag MLS three sixty. Get involved in.
The chat too, all right, So who's gonna win? Cody or Sena Cody or Sina. This is a tough one. I love both.
I love both that I was going.
Wells as people.
They're two of my favorite people.
Yeah, I don't know, man, I'm gonna I'm gonna go Cody, Cody's Cody's, Cody's the local boy up here.
I'm gonna go Cody, clean finish or are you gonna have some shenanigans?
There's no chance to clean finish, no chants.
Jokoy well and full disclosure.
Somewhere in my stacks, I have an interview with a young Cody Runnels when he won a state championship in Okay at Lasseter High School. Yeah yeah, on DBC Pro and I've got it. It's one of the most fun interviews I ever did because in his corner for that match Glacier, some guy named Dusty Rhodes and Diamond Dallas Page. They were in his corner in the match, and Dustin called. In the middle of the interview. Dusty answers his cell phone and he's like on camera and he's trying to
figure out who does well. I'm talking to Cody and he goes here it's Dustin. Literally while the interview is going on, and so I have to talk to Dustin Road on a cell phone while I'm talking to Cody with a microphone and Dusty in the interview after the after he.
Won the title.
So still always knew how to entertain, you.
Know, American Green, Dusty Roads as always my friend.
You know now that you have the keys to the kingdom, you can come in in the hour of chaos whenever you want. Basically, parties, we're always talking this. This is what this block is for. I've kept you for three minutes. Uh Serge Demion Chuck the fourth official has gotten mad because we've gone past the number that's on the lightboard.
Love you very much, my friend. Just be safe, get up there, have a great show. I'm gonna enjoy it. I'm gonna take a picture the ten bucks I done.
What have I never seen all these comments before on the show. I'm loving thanks for stopping bike, appreciate you, Thank you. And Sena breaks Flair's record. Yeah, could very well happen. I'll just say this. I had three wonderful years with WWE. I was you know, I was more than happy.
I needed to turn the page.
I was gone for my family, constantly, like five six days a week of young kids and I love Soccer's my love Sena and Cody Rhodes two of the best guys, two of the best best guys for everybody in that building. So to see those two collide is a real special moment, I know for.
Cody and yeah, we'll see.
I could care less who wins in all truth, like, as long as they put on a masterpiece, which I know they will, that's all that matters.
But I'll be focusing on MLS three sixty.
Yeah, you'll be kind of busy on the two speaking that in Vegas. Love you, my friend, don't be a strength.
Love you guys too. Thanks seeing Maddy. All the best. Everybody, take care of guys.
There goes Kevin.