SDH 1v1: Efraín Morales on Pressure, Pride, and the Path Forward

Welcome man, It's time for another SDH one V one. I'm Jason Longshore. Now I was part of an interview recently with myself with Madison Cruz. Caroline Hood was with us as well, and we had the chance to catch up with f Rian Morales after Atlanta United training ahead of Wednesday's match against the Chicago Fire. F Ryan has been playing consistently as of late in a center back pairing with Louisa Brahm, and we talked to f Ryan

I mean, I think, first thing, getting the first couple of starts here in the last couple of games. You know, what does it mean to you have that confidence that Ronnie does to have and put you in those positions to get you in the starting spots.

Yeah, obviously to be able to get that confidence from the coaching staff I would say it took a little while, but I'm glad I.

Ultimately got it Bolivia. Playing in Bolivia makes a difference.

I think I was able to kind of move forward with those games and I was able to translate a little bit.

I'm hoping to be.

Able to build on it with Bolivia as well.

When you've got the opportunity to go play there, what are some of the biggest things that you've learned from your time playing.

Over the national team?

For me personally, I think it was a pressure aspect and the nerves aspect.

Of the games.

Obviously, those games in South America can be really nerve racking, a lot of anxiety, I mean a lot of pressure. I mean definitely. The culture in South America revolves around soccer, so it's a big deal for all the fans and for everyone that lives in Bolivia. So being able to manage that and playing the games confidently was big for me.

So for Bolivia for you to be able to qualify for is.

It on your your mom's or your dad's side?

My dad's sound awesome, Yes it What does it mean when you've got the opportunity to play there, especially for your family as well?

For my dad.

I mean he, like I said, for all Bolivia's it's the biggest thing is to be able.

To go and play for your national team soccer.

So my dad seeing me be able to do that, he was really proud and he was really happy.

And I have a bunch of family out there that are that are.

Really happy for me, and I'm just hoping that I could return the gesture.

Yeah, and you know coming back here as well, having that newfound confidence as well being I think just a young center back in a position like that where you are in those physitions where it's a lot of anxiety where you have to talk a lot in those moments, especially with World Cup qualifying with them, also here with the team too, you're one of the most vocal bizzed I hear as well. You and know a Cobb. You know, where does that come from for you as well?

And how have you developed that in your game?

Yeah, that's one of the biggest things that I think the coaching staff has has put on me, like they've made that my responsibility. They've been tailing me since since twelve years old in the academy. Obviously, being a center back.

You need to be able to be vocal.

You need to be able to be communicate, and having you know, Derek Williams, de Youngergers and all those guys kind of helping me, you know, how to be intentional with it, how to be detailed, has really helped me improve my game.

How has that been to having that big core group of guys, especially defensively with Derek, Steon, Ronald and having all of you guys, and also to having Matt and Noah as well, guys you've known too.

In the academy.

Yeah, that's so im boring, Like you said, having a balance between young guys and the older guys, because obviously you have the older guys always giving you advice, but then you have the younger guys that you can relate to and talk about, you know, the nuances and things that some of the older.

Guys might not understand at the moment. So having that balance has helped me a lot.

I want to ask to you It was talked about a little bit before, but I want to get into it too. You know obviously at Georgia Tech right now getting a major as well, very lucrative school as well. I mean, how is being a student kind of helped you being a professional athlete as well. How have you balance that and also like how does it help you vice versa both ways?

Yeah, like you said, it could go both ways.

Obviously, just the being able to focus on the task actually makes helps for sure, and that's obviously something that I have to do there at Georgia Tech.

At times.

It can be.

Difficult at times. It's a lot of workload between soccer and school. But for me mostly there's obviously the education aspect of it, but also having the outlet in terms of just social life and that type of stuff. Being around other students my age has helped me keep mentally and mentally valves.

Yeah, I mean I know, I mean sports management major. So the only hard thing I did was sports law, but that was just lockdown.

Webcam so that was fine for me. I was handled that. I was great.

I can only imagine the soccer doo net Tech as well. But with that too, I mean balancing that you talk about, I think like the friendship and having people that around your age, Having that, how has that.

Helped you, especially with being a professionalize having the communication, having that.

Social relationship with your students there, but then having it here too. Being a lot more friendly having those conversations too.

Yeah, I mean, of course there's the aspect where with soccer there comes a lot of anxiety, there comes a lot of stress, there comes a lot of nerves, and always having those those just friends outside of soccer have helped me a lot sometimes to just be an outlet and be able to get away from soccer. And then, like you said, there's there's the social aspect of it, the communication aspect of it that has honestly translated a

A difference for me.

Has that been helpful, especially I think with the difficult stretch the team has been on having those outlets for you to be able to disconnect from football a little bit, to be able to have that outlet.

Yeah, for sure.

I mean obviously, like I said, when there's there's there's a lot of stress here at the facilities, sometimes being able to have the outlet for that.

Makes makes a big difference your time with the twos as well, how did that time help you prepare coming up here, getting these minutes with the first team and getting these last couple of st arts as well.

With the team. It was I mean being.

Able to have consistent game time is probably the most important thing for any footballer. I mean that's I think what anyone will tell you. And so being able to deal with the twos wherever it is it helps your game a lot. And not to mention the twos is you know, we try to be competitive, but it is also in this in a sense like you can try things out, you can have a little bit more leniency, and I think that was important for me because I got to kind of adjust a few things and learn what works.

And what doesn't, especially with adaptability to in games where you need to be called upon when things can change as quickly.

How did how did you quickly get adjust to that? Being able to be adaptable in games.

I think that's that's one of the biggest ones for a lot of the young guys, is you never know when your names would be called on, so always being prepared, I mean it's the next amount of mentality and being able to stay healthy, being able to play with the twos and just stay levelheaded because obviously there's ups and downs and just being ready is really important.

How is that relationship between you and Luisa Broom developed over the last couple of games as well, because, I mean, even from watching the game against Toronto, that connection seems to have just clicked immediately between both of you guys.

Yeah, I think I think we compliment each other in the sense we're both you know, we're both very competitive, we both want to win, but at the same time, we understand each other in the sense how we don't necessarily have to be screaming at each other.

The whole game.

I think we could be a little bit more intentional with our communication when it's just you know, even just talking at at a normal voice level, not necessarily screaming at each other. I think that's when we get the best out of well with each other. We understand that. So I think I've been able to we've been able to develop that.

How do you guys compliment one another? What are some of the things that you bring to the table. But then Louise also brings as well.

I mean, Louis is definitely the consistency, the experience.

They mainly the experienced aspect of it. I think me obviously, I might bring a little bit more risk in the build out. I might do a few more things that he might not do. But like you said, there's there's the risk and the reward for it. So I think being able to have him who you know what you're gonna get out of him.

You're going to complete all his he's.

Gonna make all his tackles, and me on the other side, it might be a little shaky sometimes, but we'll try to do some things.

I think you get the best.

Both worlds with Luise. He doesn't talk a whole lot. Has that helped bring your voice out a little bit?

Yeah, Like that's why I was kind of explaining her.

I think it makes me more comfortable to be who I am that I can really you know, take I guess a little bit more of a lead in that situation and knowing that that it compliments him and when he speaks to me, you will speak to me personally, you know, calmly and stuff like that, And I think that's really brought up more and more of a leadership role for me in the backgun.

How has it's.

Been funny watching you with Leuis because I feel like your game brings out a lot of great qualities in his game.

Two that complimenting one another. How have you seen like him help you be a better player?

For me, the biggest one is just being just being comfortable with my mistakes.

I know that, you know, if I'm a young guy, I'm gonna make mistakes, and I know having him next to me, like, he's never gonna necessarily get mad at me for I mean, unless they're something that needs to be changed, of course, but he's he's he's there, he's gonna support me regardless of the mistakes I make.

And now when I do make a mistake, I necessarily have that at the back.

Of my mind, like, oh God, like I'm worried about what he's gonna do whatever.

So I think that's been the biggest, biggest part for me.

Has that been one of the hardest things for a young player of breaking into the level that you're in now is being willing to make mistakes.

I think that's one of the personally, one of the biggest changes I've made in terms of, you know, the last few years in comparison to this year, is being okay.

To make mistakes.

Obviously, center back is a position where you have to be really careful with the type of mistakes you make, which is another thing that I've been really trying to work on. But mistakes are generally part of the game, and even though you're a young guy and you want to.

Break into the team, like, mistakes.

Will happen regardless.

Is that one of the reasons why like having that experience with the second team.

Laying consistently, is that one of the reasons why that team is so important in the players development?

Oh?

Yeah, Like I think it's so important.

Like like, like I told her, it's the game peticity aspect of it, but also the ability to you know, make errors and adapt. I think that's definitely I've taken that with me into the first scene.

How how hard was it for you when you signed really young and had two maybe two and a half years of a lot of injuries and just not being able to get on the field consistently.

How hard was that time for you?

Yeah?

It was.

It was definitely hard mentally in the sense that because I mean, I'm sixteen years old, and I know I probably should have known that I don't know everything, but in the moment, I think, like you know, I know everything and this is bad, like it's It was definitely a lot of stress and anxiety, and I just I think looking back at it now and I try to kind of like pass that on to the young guys, like just be patient, It'll be okay, because I mean,

Essentially, what helped you the most.

During that time for me just being able to communicate back, like efficiently with a medical staff, but also just have a family, Like I said, the audlet aspect of it two, and I think the school aspect two, because I mean I was able to know that, you know, things don't happen to work out, I do have somewhere else that I could go.

How cool has it been over this past run to be I.

Mean, honestly, you're playing a starting All Star consideration kind of a US level.

You're getting consistent games and rising to the standard.

Just when you think back to those times when it was hard.

How rewarding is it to have what you're having right now?

Yeah?

Really rewarding in the sense that because when I was, you know, fifteen, sixteen years old, For me, it was like, you know, a black hole, like it felt like I wasn't gonna get out. So obviously seeing where I am now and being able to look back at it does it does feel good. But at the same time, at the end of the day, it's like you have to stay levelheaded.

It's been three games, which in the Crank scheme of things doesn't mean anything. So you know, it's just a matter of just onto the next, on to the next, on to the next.

Because three good games could mean nothing with you, they played ten battles.

So big thank you to everybody at Atlanta United for making this possible and most especially thank you to f Rain for taking the time to speak with us. We always love to see players as they make that journey from the Atlanta United Academy and f Raan was one of the first academy players that Atlanta United ever had, all the way through the second team and then into the first team and thriving at the MLS level and for f Rain, thriving at the international level with his