SDH 1v1: Callum Williams, Apple TV's MLS Season Pass

Now it's very much part of the cause that there's players that are moving left, right and center, leaving Major League Soccer for the top leagues in Europe. But then the top players in Europe are also coming here now as well. So it's tremendous just to see the growth, and it almost comes at a perfect time in my opinion, with you know, the little thing that we've got next summer coming up with the FIFA World Cup in twenty twenty six. You know that sort of a big deal,

isn't it. So it comes at the perfect time in my opinion. So it's been great to see that the salary cap has been sort of loosened as well the domestic deals that are now allowed to be done with the internal transfers, I think has made the league even more exciting and riveting as well. There was a couple of eyewatering transfers or trades and entirely short what was

supposed to call them at the moment, but deals. We'll second with that show we deals that were done internally in MLS that I thought, Wow, this is a new age of Major League Soccer and it's very, very exciting. But look, let's let's make no bones about it. Atlanti United are leading the way in terms of ushering Major League Soccer into this new realm.

And the one thing which I've now noticed is how much Major League Soccer is a part of the conversation, where sort of alluding to what I was saying earlier on that that was never really the case when I first came to the league, and so it's just become a part of the global footballing conversation, and so obviously growing it domestically is of vital importance. And I think

that is that has grown really quickly as well. Markets like Atlanta again have led the way, and there are a handful that have had similar success locally as well. And look, there's still one or two markets that made a helping hand. We all know that. But overall, I think major League soccer is in the best place it's

ever been. I will always remember Madison. I came to America to be the voice of Sporting Kansas City back in twenty eleven, and I was a rifle twenty one year old, and I left the BBC and I got pelters. I got a lot of sort of friendly abuse from people sort of suggesting that I was making a massive mistake and coming to America and are cares about football

soccer over there. And I will always remember walking around Kansas City and I had the Sporting Kansas City T shirt on the polo, the club polo that they gave us, and at that time, they had just rebranded they were no longer the Kansas City Wizards, and there was a new stadium on the way, and it was all very exciting, but it hit me a little bit as to how much work we had to do when I was walking around Kansas City and nobody had any idea what it was.

Nobody knew what Sporting Kansas City was. They didn't recognize the logo. Somebody mistook it for an indoor soccer team and a minor league hockey team. You know, it was just I like to call those the dark days of Major League hockey. You know, those were interesting days. But look, I mean that just not the case anymore. And one of the markets, look at, Kansas City, led the way massively in those early days. For sure. I think Minnesota has done a remarkable job. I think the LAFC franchise

has done wonderful as well. There's been so many Portland timber Seattle sound as we could go on so many teams that have done so well in terms of marketing themselves and making themselves relevant in the market, but Atlnti United are the ones that stand out on top. To come from absolutely nothing and have the success that they have done in terms of relevancy in a market is absolutely wonderful. I don't know the exact number, Matterson, but I keep hearing there's going to be sixty five thousand

plus on opening on Saturday. And if that's the case, well there is a prime example as to how much people love and care about Atlanta United. And I think that's only a good thing for Major League Soccer or good Atlanta United. It's good for Major League Soccer because that full stadium, with the designated players that are on offer, with the standard of football that's on offer, this really

could be anywhere in the world. And so I'm very, very excited to see Saturday, and I think it's going to be a very It's interesting.

here in Atlanta on Saturday. And even moving towards that, I mean, when you got told you were doing this game for Atlanta United versus c F Montreal for the home opener, I mean, how excited are you to get to come to the Bends and with everything going on, getting the chance to come into a part of the call.

than others, and Atlanta is one of those markets. But I'm excited because I haven't been to Atlanta for a couple of years now for an MLS game. For sure, I was fortunate enough to commensate on Chelsea Club America and the Benz last summer, which was a great feeling. It was wonderful to do that, and the crowd was great, and it was a really good occasion and wonderful to

see that facility. But I'm very excited to sample it now from an Atlantic United points of view and to see how the fans are to understand a bit more of the foot in culture. We get in on Friday, and I'm looking forward to to spending some time in coffee shops and whatnot and just listening to people talking

about the game because they will. I've been in football cities across across the globe where this happens, where people are just talking about the game, and I'm excited to do that and just listen to what people are saying and embrace the excitement. I think that that's the most intriguing thing.

to Atlanta, which will be nice. But one thing looking at it, looking at Atlanta and the way that they've obviously handled the transfer market, getting Latte, lat getting Miguel Amor on back here, you got Saba, you got madan Chuk. What are you expecting to see from this offense and what are you expecting to see from those specific players as you head into Saturday.

thing for the league. But I was doing my notes the other day as I saw sort of frantically go through them in preparation for the game, and there's been five new players that have come in obviously over the course of the off season, but that front four in itself is an estimated cost of forty six million dollars. We have never seen that in Major League Soccer before, and usually when you spend money like that, looks is

usually not half back. And so I would expect and I don't have any inside of knowledge at the moment. I don't have any lineup information or anything, but I think it's very, very difficult to not expect Emmanuel Latte lat to not start. If he doesn't start, I'll be absolutely I'd be beyond surprise because you spend that sort of money on the center forward. He's here for one

reason and one reason only. I would assume it would be LOBSI I need say, on the left, An Shook in the ten, and Almiran on the right hand side, and that would be the supporting cast. But Almron's role will not be a wide player. He will not be a winger so to speak. He will be very much an inverted attacking almost like a ten and a half really, and so I expect me and Anchook and almir to combine on several occasions. And that the one thing that I think Atlanta United now have that they haven't had

in the last couple of years. Is a center forward that can actually get behind the line and actually do so with pace and can stretch the back line as well. So Latte lat is somebody that is blessed with pace. He's not the biggest guy, but to my understanding, he's quite a strong individual as well, so can if needed, play that hold up role in certain pockets of the game,

but that obviously won't be his main roles. So I would expect Miguel Almron to get the ball on many an occasion and maneuver inside and try and slip it through the back line for Latte La to latch onto. And if he doesn't do it well, Midanchuk probably will if not love Janice may very well have the best chance of doing it as well. So it is mouth watering. I think that's the best term a phrase to use

when you describe this Atlanta United front four. Also, who I'm assuming will start in the center of midfield isn't bad either, Slisha, I expect to be a little more reserved, but I do think Mate Click one of the most underrated midfielders in Major League so last year I didn't realize until doing the numbers. Madison DC United obviously didn't have a great year last year. My tears click in that team that didn't make the playoffs managed to get

thirteen assists. So he's going to be somebody I think that's going to absolutely be involved in the attacking front and will almost be a perfect box to box number eight midfield. So I think the key area for me though, in my understanding of how Montreal want to play, because I did Montreal a couple of times last year and they Ronnie Dayler said to us, and I agree with him that they do overplay at times, but they are

very good at it. Last year in Addison, they went with a five a five man back line and what that did for them from an attacking point of view was great. They gave them a lot of opportunities to play the ball into wide areas. We saw the likes of David Bugui and Jack Kill Marshall Rotti in the latter stages of the season when he joined from Toronto.

Tom Pearce, who came over from England as well, has a wicked left foot, can cross a ball and pick out a pass like no one else, so they have really good options on the attacking front, but I just wonder what that does to them defensively, because the one thing that we saw several times last year is that

was how they were exposed. And when you have somebody as lethal as Miga Almiran and on the other side as Lodger needs say, Yes, they're not traditional wingers, but I still think that sort of space where they are. I think there's going to be a lot more space than there usually is because of the high pressing fullbacks that I expect Montreal to play. So look, it's going to be a Montreal going to sit back a little more.

Do they understand the task at hand. Are they a little more confident in the wather they want to go and play? I don't know. Montreal have brought in eleven new players. It's been an overhaul, although in Major League Soccer that seems to be sort of standard, really doesn't it. But I think Montreal, I think we'll set up in a way that it's not necessarily going to be a low block, but I think they'll be counter pressing. I think they may change things throughout the game as well.

Because the Hong Kong CIS has the there's evidence there to suggest that he does that, and I've seen it physically several times. But I think, honestly, the wide areas are going to be are going to be the real threats. From an Atlanta United point of view.

all knew that they had to go big. They had to go with a known name and an international manager that was full of experience but also had experience in Major League Soccer as well, because this leads a different animal compared to the majority across world football. But Ni Dayler is the perfect one to do that, given the fact he's one MLS cap with NYCFC in the past. He also has such a glistening European resume that he's more than familiar with how to approach the game in

different ways. He's more than familiar with how to deal with big characters and egos and is more than happy to deal with expectation. He's managed Celtic for goodness, and then Celtic are a Guardianshulan club across European football and if you don't win, you know about it at a club like Celtic. The same could be said for Standard

li Asian club Bruger as well. These are massive football clubs and so honestly, I think Ronnie Diiler was the perfect appointment for Atlanta United, and well done to Garth laga Way for getting it done. So look, I mean Atlanta for me are a story in the off season that will continue to be a story throughout the season as well. All eyes obviously on Miguel Almron for obvious reasons.

But I think a lot of people are very excited about Latte lat and I think the one thing that the Laste lat deal does for me Madison is it does usher major league soccer into a new era. And I mentioned it briefly earlier on about it being a part of the global footballing market. I have friends back home in England, Middlesbrough fans that are friends, and they are absolutely devastated that they've lost their top center forwards. But they've lost their top center forwards to a major

league soccer team. I never thought we would say that, at least not right now. Maybe in fifteen twenty years, I thought maybe, But we're saying that right now, and that's incredibly exciting because who knows where we're going to be now if we carry on riding this trajectory. In ten to fifteen years time, there were Premier League teams that wanted him. It'swhich town were desperate to sign la Selaud. Nottingham Forest made an inquiry and there was another team

in there as well that we're asking. So this is a very wanted commodity. It's a very very wanted player and yet he's ended up in our league, has ended up in Major League Soccer. For me, that is beyond exciting and also beyond integral in terms of Major League Soccer turning this corner now, because what this does is it sets the standard, and Major League Soccer has long

looked at Atlanta United to do that. But I think now what this does is it because of the loosening of the salary cap and the loosening of the of the not the talary cap storry, loosening of the the internal ability to do deals. I think what this does is it does force other club ownerships to put their hand in their pocket because they have to compete, such as the demand of fans across Major League Soccer. Now people will not stand for being mediocre, and I don't

blame them either. So I'm very, very excited because I do think Atlanta United have helped maneuver Major League Soccer into a new era. And I wonder just how long it'll be before the likes of a twenty million dollars signing may not necessarily become a regularity, but I wonder how long it'll be until we see that done by not just one season, five, six, or seven seams.