And welcome in for the first time ever here on the Morning Show, Matt Denny Grand Exalted pooh Bah, otherwise known as General Manager for North Texas SC. Matt, Welcome to the Morning Show. Thanks for dropping by, Thank you, thanks for having me. All right, So, for those that don't know your story, how did you end up there at North Texas And it's a real interesting deal where they brought you in specifically to be the GM for that club.
How did all this break down for you?
I mean, it really all started. I joined the organization in twenty ten and worked as a sales rep. I really stumbled into it and enjoyed it, had some success and kind of found success learning the organization, learning the ropes and working with the different departments. And when they started this team, I think I've had a lot of interactions with the departments and ownership and they said, look, we think you'd be a good fit here to get this opportune that he learned the ropes and has stead
his club in in the direction it's going. And I interviewed for the job really not knowing if that's what I wanted, if that was a good move, and it was a jump because you know, at the time, we didn't know if it would be something that would have longevity or not. So I was leaving something that I've been pretty stable at to this and never look back, and just I'm a product of the club and organization
giving opportunities to homegowings and some talent. And I've had so much, so much cool things that I've done during this you know. Obviously twenty nineteen we won a championship, then we moved to a new stadium in Arlington, which was away from our training site about forty five minutes away.
Then had to deal with COVID so much learning there and joining an MLS nex Pro as a new league now and then we've also got some some cool announcements we'll have in the next few weeks which will really kind of intriguing.
I can't say too much.
But come on, come on.
I'll leave you leave you guessing.
But it's really exciting and really going to change the trajectory of the club in a big way.
See, he's in no more than three minutes in.
He gives the tease to draw folks to continue to pay attention to what's going on at North Texas over the next little bit. How much have you learned about yourself? You know, going from that first job title to where you are now, how much have you learned about yourself as as as a captain of Industry as a part of that franchise.
Like, it's been immense.
It's like this year when we got to a championship, I kind of reflect on and when we started in twenty nineteen and how I really didn't I kind of didn't know this was how much work went into it. It was kind of stumbled into the first championship the first year, but just seeing the amount of work that
goes into it. I've been surrounded with some great people, but the work that goes into it behind the scenes is just it's just immense, and it's stuff that people don't see, you know, those our Aflect trainers turning up at six am to get players ready the late night, and and the just the.
Hours that people put in.
It's it's really uh, it's really amazing to see the good people and and that's I think the biggest thing is if you surround yourself with good staff, good people, there's so much opportunity and it's been it's been rewarding to see people progress, staff and players and where they've gone.
It's it's just it's really a unique club and a unique position because we we really stand by that that homegrown development, but not just for players, for staff too, and you've seen it throughout throughout the years.
In that twenty nineteen roster.
Uh, there are a couple of names that folks immediately gravitate toward. One obviously, Ricardo Peppy. Ronaldo Damis is another one who's done really well and in other levels, and Brandon Servenia, I know, is a part of that one.
There.
There's also a guy that shares a name with me, but his has an age where mine does not, and he got his first goal in Major League Soccer and my social media lit up. There's like, oh, you just got No, it wasn't me. What's it like for for you and for the organization, both North Texas and NFC Dallas to see the investments that you make in those young academy players and be able to invest in them and then you get to have them spread their wings
and go into other places. What's it like to see that growth and get to see them either move up or move up and move on.
Yeah?
I think you know that's that's how bread and butter. That's what only shitts. That's what organizations really the foundation and to see them. Obviously you've got the big names, right Peppy. People still stop me and say, I was at that first game in twenty nineteen when he scored a hat trick and people didn't know and didn't know what his trajectory would be. But even the names you mentioned, there's Tan of Testament, Brian Reynolds, you know, there's so many,
But take those those huge names out of there. What's really cool as well is there's players that have careers now.
You know, there's players that you see and I'm watching the playoffs now of you know, every league that's playing in the United States, and you see names in almost every team, and it's really just to see that if you had a heat map of where players are now, it's just the opportunity with the lower leagues, it's really it's created the opportunity not just for the higher names, but for other people to have a career in soccer that they wouldn't have had years ago.
And I think that gets lost on folks a lot of the time, where even if you aren't moved on on the eight figure transfer or what have you, and you get to move on to Europe, you still have the opportunity to do really well and make a career for yourself on a bunch of different levels and a bunch of different leagues, really in around the plane. And I think that gets lost on folks. Development means capital D development, not just moving folks on for that big payday.
No, that's exactly right, and you'll see it with Steph, and I think you'll see it. You know, in ten twenty years, you'll see these former players be coaches and again they wouldn't have had that opportunity.
But the cool thing is is we're.
Known for our academy and bringing those homegoing players through and this club really is about bridging that gap. And it's a cliche, I know a lot of club's used, but we're not just doing that. We're doing you know, we signed international players, we signed international players on loan. We've had college players, We've had players leave college and
have success. And you know, we've had open tryouts and we have Banal Comungo's obviously our great story, but Thomas Pondecca came from open tryouts, and you know, we're having that access to the community and the hopeful plays. It's, you know, this opportunity out which is really cool as well.
I would I would recommend that folks read up on Bernard's story. It is fantastic and how he has been able to become a part of the fabric there in the under the FC Dallas umbrella. Expectations I know are always high for North Texas there in whatever league they're in, and now that we're talking about MLS next Pro. When you came into this season, expectations were there, but as the season evolved, everyone was gunning for you in.
The Western Conference.
What was it like to see the guys and the staff respond in that way to sit there, It's like, all right, fine, you guys want to come at us. You you kind of sit there and it's like, all right, bring up, We're still going to be at the top of the table in the West by the time we're done.
Yeah.
I think it's something it's something we embraced and I got to be honest with you. Every year when we build a roster, we're like, this is a good roster, and it's like, you know, you always think this is it, this is our year.
And our successful you know, group of players.
That we've got, and we went into this season kind of just just flying.
We had a coaching change in the middle of the season.
But one thing we've done all season, regardless of what else has gone on behind the scenes, is we've really stayed humble to that and we've taken it one game at a time, and it's to the point where we're in the championship now and it's like, you look back and it just went so quick. But we were literally, let's go one game at a time and it's just take care of business step by step, and we've really kind of embraced that fort a year.
How difficult is it for young men or young front office personnel to sit there and navigate a coaching change in the middle of a season where you have an expectation, you want to be more successful, you want to continue to be successful. How difficult is it for those young men to navigate it? And what was it like for you as the general manager to see everyone navigate it as well as they have.
Yeah, I think it really comes down to just a whole mentality, and we've got that next man up or next person up mentality here that if something comes up.
We deal with it.
And if it's hey, we're not getting first team players this week, or you know, there's a big MLS tournament for MS next and we don't have access to as many places, we just deal with it. And really it's one of those things that it's a machine we've built, so we're not surprised when it happens. Right when we lose players to the first team and they go up, Yeah, we would like to have them still at North Texas, but that's the machine we're building and we're not surprised
when that happens. And just like the coaching change, you know, John moved to the first team, it was great and Michelle Garbini, he's someone that's been here since we started, one of the original staff, and he's grown, He's taken his license and he's on his his B license, he's doing his A now, completing it. And I'm really happy for him because he's he's learned a lot and grown
so much. And when he stepped in as the head coach from the middle of the season to now, the amount of growth he's seen as well has been remarkable.
So I'm really happy for him.
And he's he's someone that's put in so much work and passion towards the club.
It's it's just really great to see.
But again, we're just when something happens, we know that's that's the reality of this club.
Halftime with Matt Danny here GM at North Texas s C as they get ready for the MLS Next Pro title game this weekend up against the Philadelphia Union Too. Time to brag on your players a little bit for those that haven't seen you this year. If you and I were sitting in a TV booth and we were getting ready to call a match, you know it's North Texas s C against you know, sdh's B team or whatever. You and I are in the booth, I turn to you. You know they run the title card up. It's in
North Texases. He's playing so and so, and the Voice of God does the voiceover you and I are sitting there doing the stuff in the booth. If I was to sit there and say, Okay, who are some of those folks that folks need to pay attention to when they drift in and watch this championship game for the first time, if they haven't seen them LS Next Pro, who would be some of those instant faces that folks would recognize and gravitate toward. From your perspective, Okay, I
need to keep an eye on this person. I need to keep an eye on this person for North Texas to be successful and to get them to this point.
Who am I gravitating toward here?
Yes, a tough one because it really is the depth we've got. I could name everyone right, it's a great team.
We got time. We got time. Man, it's good.
So what I'm going to tell you is like from from goalkeeper to the bench, even our bench when we bring them in, we're not we're not dropping a level. We're adding and we're creating some diversity in the way we play.
But our goalkeeper, my co.
Colode, is having a phenomenal year one that we you know, we know he's capable of, we didn't expect. You know, he competed in Goalie Wars this year Goalkeeper of the Year. So it's not many times where you can say, watch that goalkeeper. He's phenomenal. And we've got that the.
Top to bottom.
I think you know, one exciting player that you see is just some some magical stuff. Is Petrinio just just phenomenal player and he does some some stuff on the field, but in practice, if you watch him, it's it's mind blowing. And then one of our really really exciting young talents is Diego Garcia and and he's had a phenomenal year.
You know, we bought him in.
Last season and he's he's played a lot of minutes and and he's only just turned eighteen, but he's come to North Texas and within a short amount of time, in less than two years, he got a call up to the US national team, went to Brazil and played some games. He got to do preseason with the first team. We played Miami at the Cotton Bowl and he got to play against Messi and it was you know, just it happens so quick, and those things are great stories too.
But he's one to watch. And you know, i'd say right now, just on form is Anthony Ramirez. You know, he comes in from games and he's changing games. So again, I could list a ton of players, and I feel bad not mentioned everybody.
Well that's why you go to FC Dallas dot com and follow North Texas sc on all their social media so you can keep an eye on what's going on. But this adds to the dynamic that we're talking about where Ramirez is an academy product, Colode comes to you from Columbia University, and how does Padrino come to you from Flamingo? How does something like that happen?
You know, this is one where we've got obviously great connections through Andres and NATA and scouting staff. So our scouting staff is scouting forsty Dallas, but we're also scouting for Texas. We're trying to find young talent and he's one that was breaking into first seament Flamingo and you know, just I think he didn't see the opportunity and whether that's players ahead of him, staff or whatever, but he
wanted to change his scenery. And people see this as a real opportunity, which it is, to get in front of the MLS organization, be involved here and have that shot. And we've seen it with Padrino, We've seen it with Nico Gordon, who you know, he's a guy that's played I forgot how many games with twelve eighteen games for Birmingham City in a championship, you know, and you know, we're seeing this and people are seeing it as an opportunity,
which it really is. And we've again, you go back four or five years, we didn't have examples to show them.
But now when we're going and we're.
We're talking with agents and we're talking with the families, and we're saying, look, we've got this player, this player, this player, this is their stories. You know, is it is it an opportunity to come here or play fourth division in England or well, you know, get loaned out to a third division team in Brazil. There's definitely an opportunity here. And I think that USA is just the reputations growing for the sport and people want to get involved.
When it comes to these kinds of conversations, I mean, I assume that you have international minutes on your phone. I imagine that you probably have WhatsApp or something like that. When it comes to having being a place that grants an opportunity, we phrase.
It like that.
What are conversations like? I mean literally, you look at you know, and I'm looking at just the transfer list from October, so basically the last thirteen months of transfers. It is Botafogo, it's the barsa residency here in the United States.
Flamingo.
We talked about colleges Birmingham city you mentioned with Nico Gordon, you have some other collegiate impacts as well, and then the academy. I mean, what is it like fielding phone calls from Europe about being interest to be a part of North Texas SC What is that like for you?
No, it's it's something really, It's just a really unique position to be in. And every day when I kind of look back, I'm like, wow, that's it's such a cool opportunity.
But the more and more I see it, and.
The more and more I'm involved with it, you realize that the gap and the difference between the infrastructure in Europe and infrastructure in USA, it's really getting close. And you know, people come here and Nico is a great example and he just said, Matt, these facilities you have are ridiculous. You know, as I what do you think
about the level? And he's like, there is some amazing talented players here and he's like, you could put these guys up against any Premier League U twenty three team, you know, and it's sincere.
You know, he tell me if it's not.
But just it's really refreshing to see and obviously, you know, Europe's a dream for everybody but I think that the gap is getting, you know, so much closer.
When it comes to MLS Next Pro and level of competition across the board. I know, looking into the playoffs, a lot of folks were sitting there and thinking, Okay, it might be kind of chalkish on the eastern side and then chaos on the western side, But it ended up flipping when you look at the playoffs and the postseason and the level of competition in MLS Next Pro.
Has there been one thing that has stood out to you about the level of play over time that that has stood out as a part of your as a part of your perch there at North Texas.
Yeah, I think it's it's just a again it's a cliche, but there's no easy games.
There's no game we've walked out of there.
Well, you know, for the most part, there's no easy games, and when it comes to playoffs, it's really any team can win.
Home Field advantage has been so huge for us this.
Year playing out of Choctaw and and we've created an environment that's that's really favoring us at home. But I think the thing that stands out is, you know, teams are trying to play and you know, we've played other over the years of the games, and when you get to this level, both teams are trying to play the right way and it translates. So when people are stepping now onto the MLS field, it translates. You know, they're trying to play the same style of soccer the same way.
You know, obviously there's difference with speed to play in physicality, but it translates to MLS. And when our players are stepping onto the training field with the first team, they're really not skipping a beat. You know, it's it's preparing them for MLS in a really good way. And I think that they're playing against teams that are trying to play the right way and that the same way is really beneficial.
You've got a game coming up.
I don't know if you I don't know if you know this, but you're playing in a championship game coming up this weekend against Philadelphia Union two. They've got some massive talent coming out of the Eastern Conference eight thirty Eastern time at Toyota. So if anybody's going to Choctaw, I imagine there's a sign ups like don't go here, go to Toyota on Saturday. What are you looking forward to the most about this match, and it can be on the field or off, and then what work still
needs to be done on the field or off? Do you think to make sure that this goes off without a hitch and you guys come across as the great hosts that you always are in situations like this.
Yeah, I think the thing I'm most excited for is just it being here. It's at this point, it's a celebration and I think you'll see that every team that was looking to host over the last few weeks has been planning for a Cup in the opportunity that happens. In the last few games, it's been like, man, this would really hurt if we didn't make the championship and host, because you've been doing all this planning right, And at this point it's just executing obviously working with a league
and making sure the presentation is good. But the team's in such a good moment and they're playing well, they're enjoying it, and I feel like this is just the reward for the season. It's not there's so much the pressure is going to happen, but the guys as have got here, they deserve it, and it's about showcasing what we can do as an organization and what the team can do on the field. So it's more of a like the precures turned into excitement, you know, and it's
it's making sure things are going well. The only thing can't controls however, So it's looking good right now.
So you mean you haven't put the the inflatable dome over the top of Toyota to make sure that it's a hermetically sealed environment and everything.
Is gonna be.
Yeah, not yet.
We gotta work.
So is that part of the surprise that you're gonna have in a couple of weeks, You're gonna mention that there's gonna be a hermetically sealed environment going forward now for North Texas?
Is that it? No, No, that's not the case.
There's definitely some some renovations going on here at toilet So it's exciting times for the organization.
So are you sure you don't want to break any news this morning?
No, I'm good. I'm good. We got some some things to do before then.
So okay, all right, so your your seat at the table is reserved for when all that stuff turns into a fish announcing announcements and everything, so you can always come back and visit any time and let us know what's going on. MLS next Pro Final Championship game eight thirty Eastern time coming up this weekend. The top seed out of the West, North Texas scgm at Denny dropping by, Matt. It was great to see it. Thanks for dropping by the morning show. Good luck with all the planning, and
may the championship go off without a hitch. And I know that you guys top seed in the West, are looking forward to being good hosts in every sense of the word. Thanks again for dropping by the morning show. We'll catch up with you.
Soon, my friend.
I appreciate you having me.
Thank you.
That's Matt Denny. He's the Grand Exalted Poopa. He's the GM at North Texas. And thanks to our buddy Edwin Pintorn, Roll Hernandez out there at FC Dallas for making that happen.
That's very, very cool.