What's up guys, welcome to another episode of Sounders FC Pod-Cast presented by Toyota. We're still in the MLS break, but doesn't mean there's no games or in the thick of the league's cup right now. And after losing to League of Mx and the O-Star game, the MLS teams really came back strong in these cups. I think I read somewhere that it was out of eight games, MLS teams 1-7. Something that high is pretty high.
One of those wins that didn't count against Mexican team was a Sounders win, beat Minnesota at home, continuing their very good form. But Switch gears now and do play League of Mx team this coming Sunday. Tough to know what to expect. I was talking to a first. So one of my really good friends is that he's childhood club. And so I go and take a sip of the game.
I said when I was playing I remember Monterey, Santos Laguna, Chivas, Club America, T-Gress Leon, and never came across Club Nacaxa, never ever. So I don't know what to make of them, much to make of them. And I don't know how serious League of Mx teams also take League's cup. They might. It's just hard to gauge because it's such a new competition.
We've all said, let's focus first on the Sounders. You said on the last podcast that you thought Schmetsch had a very strong team which he did. One of the very strong lineup. Same for this one. Yeah, same for this one. I think there's been enough rest. Strongest lineup, both. Strongest lineup possible. But then the question is, do you start Paul Rathrock now?
You know, I mean, he arguably was the difference in that game coming on the field, which is crazy. And he's playing with so much confidence and, you know, to get a goal and an assist on a night to come on as a sub in what, 20 minutes. Yeah, that's pretty impressive. You know, you really can't ask for anything more. He's at least earn himself for the remainder of the season. He'll be the first second name called off the bench, which is high praise for a good club like the Sounders.
But like you said, it's, you know, I watched, I was just watching the scores the first couple nights of a, of least, and I couldn't believe it. I think Mexican team won one game out of, you know, the first 10 or 12 games. And if you look at the, at the standings right now, I mean, you know, Nekoxa goes to Minnesota. They go a man up after 20 minutes and still Minnesota gets the result at home.
And, you know, the, the, the St. Clair had what 16 saves an all time record or something like that. So credit to the keeper, but still the inability to put the ball away. So, yeah, I think the Mexican teams are playing for, for a lot here. If you, if you go down the tables, I mean, really the only, there's a couple groups that have two Mexican teams. So of course, they're going to be in second place. But right now, I mean, Austin FC has Puma's and Monterey and Austin has two wins.
They've already advanced out of that group. And now it's going to be okay. Who advances out of Puma's and Monterey to get the result. You look at DC United in Atlanta, you know, those two teams might advance and one more game between Atlanta and Santos.
Pachuca's at the top of their group, but they only have two points. And so it's up for anyone's, anyone's hands and that one. And then Mazatlan will probably make it through in the other group. But then they're at risk for only having like two teams advance or maybe three teams advance out of out of the group, which.
It goes to what you said, right? Like how serious are they taking it? But when I look at the lineups and you look at the, I don't know too much about the players. Right. I'm indicative. It's indicative of the jersey number on the back. Yes, you've seen a lot of 45 75, which is, you know, an academy player. But for a lot of these teams, they've been a pretty strong lineup for what I can tell.
Yeah, yeah. And it's quite a surprise. I just don't know if they're, they're just really not taking it that serious when it comes to game time. Yeah. It's got to be tough when you are in a way team. Both the way teams are playing away from home. And there's no one in the stadium. It has no atmosphere like the Santos game just a couple nights ago. So it's a weird tournament.
I just, I, I'm still struggling to understand the tournament in and of itself and. Yeah, it's just very strange. But you know that, you know, when Champions League comes along, they take it. That's a full strength lineup every single time. You don't see that in a championship.
You don't see it. It's so lopsided like that. It's definitely closed. But I would say overall league MX still has been ahead. But you don't have to say like the, I mean, there's had had to have been conversations between MLS and the Mexican. We're saying we need strong lineups. You're going to, you're going to have to play your strongest lineups. That's coming from the top down. Yeah. And it just hasn't, hasn't either resulted for the Mexican league teams or they just don't really care. Yeah.
But I think if you, if you have, you know, the semi finals end up being all MLS teams, they're going to have to rethink this thing because it just doesn't make any sense. It's, it's also interesting how which teams they're choosing from Mexico. I just, I don't know if they're basing it off a class or a
tour like average scores who's making it through. I don't know. So yeah, it's been an interesting tournament and surprise for me to see MLS teams getting the results that they have against, you know, normally historically have been very good Mexican. Yeah. Yeah. So to that degree, at least, I mean, for the sound is they didn't play Mexican team that played against a common foe in Minnesota who did go down to 10 men.
Yeah, I mean, yeah, it's been very lopsided. It's been very lopsided. And you know, those late goals, you mentioned, rough rock coming on goal and it says, Jolomores continuing. He's very good form as well. Yeah. We saw about just under 60 minutes of Pedro, what did you make of his performance? Still yet to be determined. What, what position he is.
There's just flashes and glimpses. Yeah, always flashes and glimpses. But I still don't think anyone around him is really understanding what he needs. I don't even know Pedro knows exactly what he needs from the guys around him. Yeah. I still think that there's going to be there's it's going to take time for everyone to fire on all cylinders. It's it's kind of difficult.
If you know, you look at a L.A.F.C. and you have the front three that are all on the same page and their game plan is just go and fly. Right. Yeah. But when you look at our squad, it's not necessarily that way. Yeah, one guy that wants to fly in some Pedro, but the others kind of want to play a bit more position based around.
It'll to be TBD. Yeah. Well, we'll keep the conversation going. We just been joined. I would say by the man at the moment, this is the man of the moment. So we've been trying to get Paul Ruffrock in here for a while. And it hasn't happened. But not because of port. I don't want to say Paul's been big time in us. Oh, yes. It was because of port. Okay. I can say, nah, nah, nah, we've been trying to get him for a while. He's been in crazy form.
So Paul, welcome to the podcast. We're really happy to have you here. I'm going to start by saying you're actually Brad Evans favorite all time sounder now. No, no, not even joking. I have evidence. Like all time. Yeah. Like more than all of us. So how does that how does that how does that feel to have Brad say your favorite sound of all time?
I'm on it. Do you want to know why I mean, I'll tell you why. I think we have some similarities. Thank you. Exactly. That's what we talked about. I mean, what? Almost two months ago now we talked about the just the, you know, we aren't the best players.
But we're aware of that. Right. And as a, and, and, but there's something to be said about if you don't, if you're not going to be the best player technically, you're not going to be the best player physically the strongest, the fastest, whatever it is, then you have to outwork everyone.
And at the end of the day, your work is going to determine whether or not you're on the field or not and stay on the field. Is that something that you've, you've thought about or has it been something that's coming with time has someone on the coaching staff sat you down. I guess talk about the, the like genesis of it is it from college going to a hardworking school like Georgetown and that was kind of your MO of, I know you guys had some like weird ass subbing at that school.
Basically play in like 20 minute shifts or something like that and you just fly. Talk about like how, how it came to be where, you know, where you're at right now. Yeah, I think that's a, it's a good story. I think when I was little, I, I thought I was the best player. And I think we all did at some point. Right. And then I think that really shifted, especially in the move to college. And I started out in Notre Dame. God redshirted my freshman year, barely played my sophomore year.
And it was sort of staring at my career in the face at that point of like, am I going to keep doing this? I didn't like it there and transferred to Georgetown. And we had some really good players. And I think I realized in that season, there were a lot of guys who were more talented than I was. And the way I was going to get on the field was just providing consistency and giving the coach.
A player that he knew what he was going to get out of every time. And if I stayed healthy throughout the year, guys were going to go down at some point. And that's what happened. And I actually didn't start like 10 games in the middle of that season. And then one of our top wingers got hurt. And I started the last 10 games of the year. And that's when we won the national championship. But that was my first kind of understanding of that. And then I think I went through a different evolution here.
But I was in a tough place, maybe 12 weeks ago. There was a weekend where I didn't make the first team roster or the second team roster. Because we had too many first team guys playing with the second team as well. And I just remember that weekend.
And I worked with like a mental skills coach on things like this a little bit. And I was talking through all this with him. And I think in that moment, I was feeling sorry for myself. I wasn't taking accountability for all the things I could have been doing better. And our team was suffering. And I wasn't getting on the field. And I think there was a wake up call for me during that season here where I was like, we need like, we need just some better energy in the locker room.
And I just started doing a couple of things like that where I was like, you know, I'm just going to start chat with more guys, try to build more meaningful connections with them. Because at that point, I was like, this could be my last year here. Right. And then I'm like, you know, we have this little tiny speaker that we take on the road and in the home locker room. I'm like, let's just get a huge speech.
I just spent a couple hundred bucks. I looked at the biggest speaker I could get on Amazon. And I brought that in for. And she brought that for the away trips. And it was too big to care on the plane. So I had to get another I had to get a second speaker to take on away games. But I just started pouring my energy into that. And. And I think the staff too were really helpful. Like, especially guys like, like I owe a lot to Andy Rose in some tough moments this year.
And he's just keeping me steady and saying like, like, helping me understand what my role was in that moment, what they were valuing me for and how I could just lean into that really hard and not try and stay not try and move out of the lane of just stay in my lane.
And continue to be the hardest worker and really like lean into that because if I don't have that, I don't have a lot. I think you know that too, right? And I just started doing that. And I mean, and then before that Minnesota game where I feel like that was kind of my first break on the on the team was.
I had my best week of training that week. And I was just it was just lights out. I was it was just kind of that culmination of a couple weeks of work. And then Alex just happens to get injured on the first play. Yeah. But I've just been trying to lean into that more. And it's been fun. It's been really fun.
I'll give you an example my my rookie year. It was my only losing season in MLS, but I got I got hurt, pulled my quad, pulled my quad, pulled my quad out for the season right hated it was making, you know, 400 bucks a paycheck at the time. And I kept calling my parents and I was like, what am I doing here? Like I can just go get a job. I could go back to school and I could have a career. And my parents basically said the same thing like stop being a, like you have an opportunity.
You're going to see it through. And then when it's done, it's done. Don't don't let someone else make the decision for you. Right. You know, do do it until you can't do it anymore. Right. And I think there's just a lot of similar. And then second year I had two guys in front of me at center mid one went down with an ACL four games in the season next guy with like 14 stitches. And then all of a sudden it was my turn to start.
Right. And then you go on to win an MLS cup and win and play every game. And there's a lot to be said about that. There is something to be said about some tough love sometimes. Kind of like makes you switch on and click into high gear. Yeah. But yeah, hats off. I mean, we've just enjoyed enjoyed watching. Big time. Yeah. From up top, you can you can feel the energy. 100%. Now it's not about it. You know, like you said, 100% eight to 10 weeks now.
And it's something that we can feel, but also the crowd can feel like when they come on the field. Yeah. Yeah. Fans are stoked. You know, if you're starting like there's a pretty audible roar when they hear your name because I love it. You have to speak to the crowd and the crowd can feel that too. Yeah. That's really important. I think you guys are giving yourself not enough credit. You guys are good players.
You guys are talking like you can't play and you just run around and make tattoos that you guys can play. Like let's not. It's not downplay that much, but we're not Steve's aquani. That's different. That's the old one. I actually played men's league. And I'm washed. I'm absolutely so out of shape. But no, I wanted so your Seattle guy. Let's go back a bit before in the beginning. So I think if I'm not wrong, your club here was Seattle United. That's right.
But did you do any other sports with the old soccer? When did it kind of we cause I'm from England, right? We grew up and it's like I'm going to play football. We don't think of any other sports. But so many American, you know, it could be baseball. It could be basketball. It could be football. And then they kind of end up doing soccer. Yeah. I even had teammates in college who still want sure they were going to play soccer and end up doing it. How is it for you growing up with soccer?
A thing where you gravitate towards that. I want to do this professionally or will you just play because it's what you're good at? But I've a sports involved washer story and that's like, yeah, I grew up playing a bunch of sports. I'm from the big family as well. So we were all playing a number of different sports. But I really liked soccer. It clicked pretty early. But throughout my childhood, I was mainly playing baseball, basketball and soccer.
And I think the other thing that honestly, I looked back on being a really important hill of a moment in my childhood was we spent two and a half years living in Tokyo. Oh, wow. And my mom's English. Nice. So I went to a British school over there. Nice. During that period, I was playing like six sports. I was playing for a Japanese academy team for soccer. I was playing cricket. I was playing rugby. That's all sports. Foot Saul. And then I was playing baseball with basketball.
I love it. And then I think it was like my freshman year of high school. I was still playing Seattle United. And I was playing on the basketball team in my high school. And I actually ran cross country that year too. And I got a couple of injuries that year. I was like, I can't keep doing all this. And the tournaments just started getting more and more. There was more tournaments. It was more of the schedule was more congested. And that's kind of when I made the choice to just soccer.
But I was kind of a late bloomer too. I mean, I think I was good when I was young and Seattle. I think I was kind of well known. And then really like when everyone else hit their girls, I didn't really hit my girls. And I was another name was the only school that recruited me. So yeah, kind of a late bloomer in that sense a little bit. I didn't get recruited to the academy until my senior year.
And I didn't play in the academy until the last half of the season. Crazy. It's crazy. I think I think that's what makes a lot of people drawn to you. Because it's everything you're saying is just like you've overcome a lot to get on the pitch. Yeah, it's not been handed. It's not been easy for you in that sense at all.
I want to ask quick how important Schmetz has been and his the reason why almost not every game, but almost almost for every game. I go down and watch you guys warm up and I sit by Schmetz and I get some intel. I just ask him questions. How's this guy doing? How's that guy doing? He always speaks really highly of you, right? And I think once you get a call to trust you and like you've earned each trust. And Schmetz is like kind of guy like one show in your kind of in with him.
How big is it been in a sense of because I was even surprised because I thought okay Paul comes off the bench. It was really well. He's no younger player on this team. You can just keep doing that. But eventually he's like no, Paul's going to start like and you started a bunch of games and there was other guys on the bench who you think would be starting but Schmetz was like no, he's playing better. You've earned that. How much did that vote of confidence mean to you from Schmetz?
A lot. I think Schmetz has a really hard job. And I think people don't give him enough credit sometimes. You know, he has to manage a lot of different expectations and a lot of different players and you know you have you kind of have an idea of who should be playing with the way the rosters built and stuff. I think this year it's been it's been great to see him like really putting out his team and the team that he wants to play.
Yeah, I like his style too. And I also think you know of the conversations that I've had with him. I noticed that he's actually much more observant than people realize. He's picking up on a lot of the minutiae and the little things of every day who's connecting with who. And I also understand that it's like a it's a building thing that is different from the past teams I played on right.
I think on some second teams I was on you have like a good week of training or two and then you're starting the next game where you score a goal and they're going to start you in the next game. And with Schmetz it's like it's much of this it's like a longer bill. It really like it's slow building thing which I'm sure you guys both. Yeah, not me. I was in this lineup right away. I'm joking. I was on a bench. I was on bench. I'm joking.
But I also might I think what was exciting for me and what I feel lucky about is like the way things have happened organically and I also think my situation was good for the team too. And that like he I was I proved his decision right which I was really happy to do right like he made a ballsy call starting me in some of those games and the paid off.
And that feels really good to know that the gaffer is like taking a chance on you and you're like I'm going to prove them I'm going to prove you right. But also it's it sends a message to the locker room. Yeah, right. That to me is probably the biggest piece. You know you're a good player. He knows you're a good player. But there's guys on the bench that are saying well that's this guy starting right now and at the end of the day when you do produce like numbers don't lie at the end of the day.
100% you can't keep a guy off the field with their work rate if the numbers are all good they're hitting their numbers their 90 minutes plus goals assist whatever it is. There's no argument there no matter how good the player is. Yeah, has there been any communication in the locker room guys that have continuously like impressed you on a weekly basis that you didn't know that they're such a top top player.
Is there anyone in there that's pushed you and kind of taking you under their wing or is this kind of just been like I'm working on myself and if I break the starting lineup you know then I'm going to gain the trust of the locker room.
Yeah, I think developing better relationships with the guys has really helped me too and I didn't pay enough attention to that in the beginning of the year I kind of thought I could just kind of outwork it and get there eventually through that and I think what's also really paid off has been getting to know guys better and like really taking moments to chat with them.
I think over this honestly a guy who I've gotten really close with is Obed and I think he's a really good player and honestly if I had to vote in MVP for the year so far I would but I would vote him just in his consistency of performance week to week.
And we've gotten really close on the trips back just will watch the game together and you guys watching the game on the plane. Wow, okay, yeah, the video guys are good at like they can just air drop it to the computer crazy and we'll just sit and that's been really helpful for me I think it's been helpful for Obed to read Baker White and gets in there sometimes too but we'll just sit and just chat through every scenario with each other and that's helped me develop a better relationship with him.
I think he knows what I'm going to do when I get the ball now more and I think you guys can probably see that little bit especially when we get those rotations on the right side like it's been we've been having some fun together but I think I think what he does and the way he breaks lines for us and and then obviously like I think Christian has been really helpful.
I'm constantly asking him little things of I think one thing when I was starting to get a couple more games I was still losing a couple balls just a little too loosely like I would get a I'd get some contact and it was sort of like a half hour and then I wouldn't get the call because you're never going to get in the call.
Yeah, yeah, I just played over my profile. Yeah, it's not like that. And Christian like I was you know I just would have a number of little conversations with him even just like in the locker room for going out to training like hey what do you think about there and just his way of looking at like how he's choosing to win the space before he goes for the ball or like putting in putting his arm out so that they have to be his arm and just over even those next two three games like I had two or three of those moments.
Again, and I won the foul or I kept the ball there. So yeah, that's no one better than Christian at like somehow winning the ball. Yeah, that's a great, great shout. No, I mean, I'm going to ask you as well, Brian because I you kind of said it here with the when I've only known you at the sounders and from when I know you it was Aussie and Brian in the middle only known you as a start start start captain captain captain for you.
For you when was the moment because I'm not as Paul as well when you kind of and I'm not as Paul if you have this I know bread did have this when you kind of knew okay I'm here I belong in I can play in the city I can have a long career in this league like I know my place in this team because in our locker room you're one of the guys we look to right you're vocal vocal leader.
You were organizing on a pitch all the time but when did I click for you to kind of be like okay I'm here and I belong and I can now be myself pretty much.
Yeah, it took a couple years. I mean, even though I did start in Columbus and then came here start start but I think it took probably until my fourth year in the league where you feel like established because there gets up there there's going to be a point hopefully and this is I think what you have to think about is doing your job but also understanding the tactics of what Schmetz wants and then being able to dictate everyone on the field like they're your chess pieces also.
Yeah, and that is the next level of like leading a team is the ability to do your job and to not be flawless but to be very very good and also be able to tell everyone else what they need to be doing on the field and a whole people accountable. Yeah, but that only comes with years of trust like it doesn't come overnight right there's exceptions to that rule.
Nico comes into the team yeah, his pedigree showed right he wasn't a 23 year old kid he had played at Boko juniors. Yeah, so that's a little bit different of a scenario. So you're talking about a young kid trying to break in and it's getting your game down first before you even start doing that but it takes it takes years to be able to develop that.
Yeah, I think all of us have leadership qualities. It's just different. It all comes out in different ways. You know, I'll ask you like who is that guy for the sounders in your opinion. Who's is it Christian? Yeah, Jeff is it's coming in front of you on the back. Yeah, I think those the three that you named all have elements of that.
I think you know they offer I think they're we're still kind of figuring out who like where they're best situated in some of those moments and who can really be the guy to get on us at times. I think JP definitely has that like feeling from guys and staff but I think what's difficult about steps for all is like you can only lead so much from goalkeeper so far. That never stops Casey Keller. You never stop Casey.
I know you say. But I mean something I notice with those three guys especially is just like the consistency of their performance and training they're always pretty sharp. Yeah, I think for me I don't feel like I'm there yet. I think that stretch of games where I did get some starts when we got some wins.
I started to feel comfortable in the team and with my place in the team and that I I can bring a lot of value but I know for me like and with my spot on the roster and whatever for me it's like I got a performer every game. Yeah, yeah, and I think even guys like Christian and Steph and JP they feel that too right and and for different reasons right I think for Steph it's like I got a I got a good guy right behind me.
And if I take a week of training off if I take a couple of games off 100% right he's right there and you guys know that too just like someone's always breathing down his. Oh, someone's always there. Yeah, so you know I definitely don't feel like what you're saying establishing the lead yet and that's something that obviously develops over time but I do think that that couple of games stretch where I got some starts in a row and we were winning games too.
I'm like okay like I do feel like I belong in the league and I can play here and I can and I can see where I could continue to grow and flourish in different roles in the league if I continue to bring it. Yeah, after game and we have to wait. I think it's brilliant. I think everything you're saying here is the thing that I've been impressed with the most is the watching the games on a plane after the game. That's fantastic because back then I saw you I don't think everyone.
The only one that did it was Ziggy. Ziggy would watch it right. Remember we got smacked at home to LA galaxy four nil and the next day Ziggy came in. I mean it was hot and for where the team meeting and Ziggy said who here has watched the game since yesterday and not every hand went up. You know I don't think I did watch it. I definitely put my hand up. I was still a young player. I definitely watch the game. I didn't watch the game. I got a part of my hand up. I didn't want to dig it up.
I was looking at me but a lot of guys didn't. Now you guys have access to everything. What's the time go match analysis remember that thing right and it was just we didn't have all of this right. So I think but to see a player in your position there really want to study and this and that I think that speaks volumes.
It's what I'm trying to do. Let me ask this as you go into again we still have a lot of season left but when you think about it of season the season beyond what parts of your game are you like okay I really want to focus on that locking on that and add this to my game going forward. Yeah I think every off season has been a little bit different for me. I think my my approach has changed a little bit like in the past it was I want to be the fittest guy going into camp.
And and then I would around that training I would add just other technical training system day sharp. I think this year my focus going off season I really would like to improve the confidence of my of my shot. And I think being like really deliberate about that over the six weeks that we have could make a big difference. I think it's I think it's something that's really difficult to train in season. Yeah it is yeah you know you you're out there taking a couple shots in the physios or.
You're running after you pretty quickly after the day. Right. Right. Right. I think that's something I would really like to improve. And then you know I I've been lucky I have a I think the other thing that's been contributing to my success here is I have such a good support and I work around me. Yeah yeah. So many coaches and different people who I know in the area who are constantly checking in on me and who I'm working with.
There's a guy TR stone back I don't know if you guys know this guy. He's head of Corver. Okay. Or a Corver. But he's been really helpful just like helping me with little like understanding different moments and and going into that moment with an idea of what to do before I get the ball. Yeah. Where my outlet is. Yeah. So I think a lot of my work is going to be with him in the off season and the off season. But I also believe in you got to take some time. Oh yeah completely off. Oh yeah.
So I'll probably do at least a week or two where I'm just yeah away for it for a second. Did you have Bob in Toronto? I did. What was your you ever reflect on that in the time that you trained or you know had a couple games with the first team? Yeah I like Bob. I think he got. He got thrown into a really bad situation. And you know I don't want to speak to you, Bally on Toronto. But the reality was that club was kind of a mess when I was there for a number of reasons.
And he but from from what I did get from him. I was training with first team Corver and I played two games and they didn't go so well. I had one game where I came in at Vancouver and you know I came in for four minutes. So I was like that kind of debut where you just come on the field really and make a couple sprints. But the second game I came in to was like at home it was the next game. We were playing Orlando and we the club had one and I don't know five or six games.
And I was just kind of like it was one of those game shirts like they didn't have another option. It was the only attacking player that they could play and they brought me up from the second team. And how to pretty good run I came on like the 60th minute at home. We're tied zero zero with the land though like honestly keeping a tie in that game was a good result at that point. And last play the game corner kick. I'm top of the box and then I see a man free so I go to mark him.
He's the guy who scores the goal. It was just after that I'm like I don't see how they're bringing me up right. But my experience with Toronto was I think really good for me. I learned a lot. I don't know if you guys tell the story but my first game was with the second team and I broke. I broke my hand in the first minute of my pro career and then had to have 10 week surgery. That's how I started my professional career after I got drafted.
But I learned a lot about myself that I was completely alone. I had nothing of what I have here. I had no support network. I was living alone in the second team apartments. It's a disaster. And you kind of like my paycheck was 1400 Canadian a month which translates to like... Yeah. Exactly. But in terms of Bob just any lessons from him. I just remember my first US national team camp was in January camp I got called into. Oh no sorry it was actually gold cup in 2009.
It was my third year in the league. And I just remember we were doing passing and he was on our backs like screaming in our ear just like faster. Yeah. Give it give it give it give it like is that intensity still there? 100% and I like going back to Bob. I there's he has a lot of qualities that are similar to Schmetz. I think I don't know if you would agree with that but I really felt like the way he like kind of oversees everything. And you know there's a couple guys who still do it like that.
I think Bob's up there like Bruce is kind of like that as well. But I remember I was like I felt I was so ambitious in that time in Toronto. I would I would go up to Bob's office and be like you know kind of like what can I do to be up here. I love that. They didn't take me to preseason my second year and I went into his... They went away and you didn't go with the team?
I didn't go with the team and I had been promised in the offseason that year that I was going to be in preseason and that I didn't get the call. So they came back for like a week stretch before they were going somewhere else I wanted his office I was like taking me to preseason. And he ended up then he still ended up not taking it. But I remember the couple other conversations I had with Bob in some of those moments. He was just so straightforward with me.
I would be like you know and and he kind of he showed me my own night video a little bit. Like I would ask some questions and he'd say to me what a stupid question. And it would be the typical question like what can I do to get better? It is kind of stupid question. Like it's like you already know and also if you're if you're smart enough you that's not a question that you're asking.
And the only thing it's doing is opening the door for him to tell you why you're not confirming his belief already. And he would he would tell me you know you played with us yesterday you were sloppy on and he remember every play that I had the day before. So and but I kind of like that. And I will the last thing is he at the end of my time there I kind of spent the last six weeks training with first team and it.
There was just sort of a feeling that it wasn't going to happen but I was still like kind of chasing this this dream of you know then maybe signing me and I kind of had a final conversation with him and he's just like you're not ready. You're not ready. You're not good enough. You're not good enough to be a first team player and that was like. That's all I needed for that off season. Yeah.
But I love that because some players can hear that and that's it. That's it. They won't take that as motivation. That would be the end of it and I've seen it happen a lot as well. So I think your mentality is obviously in the right place. I'm curious if your mindset changes when Schmetz names his lineup and you're on the bench and you're not going to come in 30 minutes 25 minutes or when you're starting if your approach is different to how you're going to play.
Because I'm calling your games. I'm up in the radio before you I could be wrong. Maybe get again. I think you may come on a half time. I can't remember but I said on the end. I'll say this now. I've never seen a player at this club. You can change a game without having to touch the ball. It's just your movement. It's your work. It's your getting fouls. You're just making things happen against us.
I'm not that crowded. It's like a high energy. But I know your fit guy. 90 minutes. That's tough to do. Coming on is a bit different. The team is a little bit worse. Your mindset changed. Was it the same all the time? What if you start and go coming up the bench? I think the story in my head changes. I think I was actually talking. I had me a little bit before this and I was talking to them about this.
I think I bet you guys have some stories about this too. But for me, it's like every day I need to have something that's motivating me for that practice. Whether it's Smetredin, Pomean 11 this weekend. Because you usually know 3 days before. Often it's that and I'm like I'm going to show him that I'm going to make you question that a little bit. Or it's I need to bring life into this game. Or for the start it's like I had 3 in a row and for my fourth one I think it was against Austin.
It's like can I prove again that I belong here? So I think for me it's like it is different every game. I think for the L.A.F.C game reflecting on it. I wasn't as tuned in as I needed to be as a sub and when I came on I wasn't sharp enough. Because I actually had like two moments early in that game. I think it was still 2-0. I got in early in the box. I did a combination with Obed and I actually had a good look with my left foot.
For me it wasn't completely switched on for that game in the same way that I had been in some of the past in sub-pans. So then the next game I think the next game was the Minnesota game that we just had. I need to be ready from the get. I approached it a little bit differently with my nutrition as well. I joke with the physios like we're doing micro dosing for a sub and for a starter. We have the whole protocol. But it's like with the cafe I use caffeine, using four games.
And that's been a huge help from having realized how much of a performance and hands you that huge. I was always relaxed before a game. I was always super relaxed before a game. I was never someone that got into my head or thought I was always very relaxed. And that's once I earned it though. I've been the beginning. It was tough for me.
When I came in I was behind Cain or Smith. If you remember Brad, I won the number 11 and Ziggy said you're going to have number 19. And I was like I want number 11. That's what I want. You're going to have number 19. And he gave 11 to Cain or Smith. And then the week before the season started, he traded Cain or Ziggy came in and gave me number 11. That was after a long preseason.
And those days were tough. Once I got established, I think for me, I was pretty set on what I was doing. I was pretty relaxed before a game. But I was not like you. I was not like you. I was not like the biggest guy running around. Play like in short bursts, like sprints and stuff like that. That's a little bit different. Are you Brad? Yeah, I'm curious. Yeah. Yeah, I mean, it's the same thing. Sleep all day. Go for a little walk. I love to just sleep and eat on game days.
But we didn't have like the tools. Yeah, you guys are this is different to different game. Yeah, I'd get into locker room. And I would take a hot bath. Just like warm up for like five or six minutes and make sure that my muscles felt like warm. And then they always had soccer tennis set up on the opposite side where the food is before the game. I think that got outlawed by Schmetz. Yeah, you lose one game, Bailey. One of those guys gets injured. It's because of the sock tennis.
Yeah, but pretty chill. Super chill. I would always have a cup of coffee. But I think before the game. Yeah. Yeah. Crazy. It's probably terrible. That's crazy. But I think you're talking about caffeine pills. Yeah, I'm taking a spark. Yeah, electrolyte. Yeah, I would get I still do actually I get kind of burpee for games. And that's why I know it's like it's my it's funny with my girlfriend.
All right, it's game day. I guess our burp on a non non game day. She's like it's not. Yeah, but I realized for me it's like I have to have the same. It was much more strong when I wasn't eating the same thing every time. So I have the same exact meal. Yeah, four hours before every it's chicken and rice. Yeah, yeah, I think a lot of guys are like that. We can just simplify on game day. Yeah, it's always the same. I was the same way as well. So I was going to ask you this.
So your insia, obviously mentioned you mentioned a support system. How much does that help though? The fact that it sees your hometown team. You have your family here girlfriend here all of that here. I'm against playing from these fans. And I'm assuming I'm not going to guess I'm assuming you at least went to some sound is games.
Yeah, I was at the first match. Yeah, so Brad score in the normal game. Yeah, but just how you could be worse Jordan that before people are from you know see the money go, cad and roll. Yeah, I think that's what I'm going to do. I'm going to do a lot of stuff as well. How much is that just being just a big, big factor in your success as well. A huge. And I think you just feel like a little more settled. Yeah. Number one.
I owe a lot to Wade Weber to good guy man. Really, really good guy. And a really good mentor for me in a number of stages of my life. That off season after Toronto, I had no club. I was actually the two clubs I was looking at was club in Northern Ireland. Oh man. And then I had spoken to Wade and Wade was really straight up with me just like like they have no plan for you. There's no first team path for you.
Yeah, he laid out the land of like the guys that you know the guys were they were in the pathway and was just kind of like I don't even know where we're going to play you. But you'll be a good guy to have on the roster. And he kept the faith in me throughout that year. And I also know that behind the doors, he was he was putting my name forward in a way that in the way that he could. Right.
But he has been he was really influential for me. I think I've been living at home. Yeah. I had a little stand where I was on the houseboat but I'm like still back at home. And that's been great. Like you know having my parents come to the games is been awesome. And also having this table relationship.
Also, I think it really helps off the pitch. I've helped man. Yeah. Yeah. So all of that's been really and I think like there's a narrative that being a home of being a hometown kid that really helps you. And I saw that at Toronto because I didn't have that right. And you just I don't know what it is. I don't totally understand it. But people love rooting for hometown. Yeah, one of the own. Yeah. Yeah.
And it's like it's it gets people excited to have that success. And it's been really cool to see all the people that it touches right. It's like. You know my elementary school teachers get to talk about it and the local Thai food place that I go to every week. So like different things like that that you just don't get it if you're not playing your hometown. Yeah. Just those little things. My favorite Mexican food spot if I was able to go there every week.
I ordered like that. It's this unspoken thing that can like charge you up. Yeah. A lot of us like wish we had. Yeah. Yeah. Enjoy it while it's here. I'm totally okay not living in my hometown. Yes. How are you? Raise your hand. Hello. Also California. It's pretty nice. We'll talk later. I still need a jersey. All right. We can make that happen. Thank you. Yeah.
My very last question is because I think the theme I'm getting here is I mean you're saying things like in the offseason. I was told I had no club. I. The team went to preseason. I was left behind. These are tough tough moments in having a career. What keeps you going. How have you been able to have a mindset of like. When one goes close I'm going to keep banging the door until someone comes and opens it. Like I'm going to keep going because it's not an easy thing to do man.
Very, very tough and multiple times after the fifth time could just be like like it's not meant to happen. Yeah. When you kept going you're getting the rewards for it now. I know there's probably a lot more ahead to probably hopefully lots more goals for you and lots more appearances. But yeah, what's kept you going after all those setbacks? That's a good question. I think it's a combination of factors. I think it's a little bit of ignorance.
Not actually like fully understanding the scope of where I was at, but I look back and be like man I was in a dark place there with few few ways to get out. I think my support network obviously just like having people around me who were constantly like. Still supporting the career that I was doing still like giving me love in those moments. I don't know what it is there's something that excites me about when like the chips are down.
And I've actually always like my best moments in my career throughout since I was a little kid have been like when the team's been down a goal. And just like I actually get excited at our kickoff because I'm like no one's expecting anything right now or like you know we need something to lift us out of here.
But I can like list off like five or six moments in finals and different big games where it was like we were struggling we were down a goal or like in my career where it looked pretty pretty grim. And I pulled out of it and like I don't know the stories are more fun. Yeah no love it. Yeah keep going because you're really for you man. Yeah we're going to read in the me master's that the founders are going to sign this guy that guy and we've all been. Don't worry about it.
Yeah what I have some questions for you guys before we end like yeah what if I see you guys have for me like so great question. Yeah like I said I was in your position where you know I had worked my way into the starting lineup but I always thought at any moment it could be young for me and I read in the papers the founders were signing this player this player to play in the
period. Yeah that's just the first thing that you remember that that's why I was a man but I've never had a conversation with me so I played with a chip on my shoulder for those moments. I've been the biggest one for you was Christian Tefert yeah that was a message, it was done a German deep yeah, three years in a row at same position than all the sudden they go and sign a guy from Germany that's going to play my position yeah without having a conversation
with me. Yeah I don't know but maybe been different. Yeah so I had a clear what they do with that I was pissed and I played angry and I just in the back of my head I was like I'm going to show these guys like no one's going to like take this from me. They're gonna have to prove it also. Just because you're being signed doesn't mean that you're gonna start and be a good player.
So I think there is something to be said about playing with a chip on your shoulder, and I think you've seen that with Jordan lately too. I think it's playing with a little bit of fire that I haven't seen in a lifetime. And it's kind of transformed him, and I hope that he keeps it. And so if you can kind of hold on to balance of like being good in the locker room, but also playing with that chip, and hopefully you always have that, right? I think players like us will always have that.
Just indicative of the stories that we have and told about our careers. But it happened everywhere. It happened with the national team. It happened with Seattle number number of times. And you just have to battle through it. And it's a case of like leaning on your support system too. Don't be afraid to be vulnerable. It was something that I didn't have. I didn't talk with a sports psychologist. I never opened up to my partner at the time. I kind of kept everything inside.
Like, yeah, I'm fine, I'm fine. And I imagine what it maybe where it would have gone if I had just opened up and been vulnerable to. Yeah. Yeah. Well, that's great. And my advice will be pretty similar. And that, but no, mine's a bit different, but I'll give it maybe a couple of examples. Like when I came into preseason, I had a really good preseason. Oh, nine, my rook here. Like we went down to Ventura. I think it was Ventura the first preseason.
I was playing well, but I was always on a second team. Right. And I'm watching the guy playing left me on the first team. And I'm like, there's no way. Like how can you not see? Like I'm killing, like I'm playing good, not playing went to Argentina. Was still on the second team. Wasn't playing. And I'm getting like frustrated. And the week before the season, they traded the guy in that position, got the number 11 shirt. And then I twisted my ankle.
And then didn't make it back for the Nogra game. The following would be played Salt Lake. I think I had an assisted J-Qua, went to Toronto, scored against Devin Frey. Um, and then, and then that was it. Then that was my position. But every week I knew that I had, and this is every season. Some of the wingers we've had at this club, the Montenegro, great player, Maro Zalis, Mara Martinez. Like these were good players. So for me to play, I had to be on every week.
And I told you something I did every off the, every season. The moment we made the playoffs and it was confirmed, my first text was always the Ziggy. And I saw the story before. And it was this week in training, I only been a second team. Because I wanted to go against James Riley, or whoever was Adam Johansson, I was starting right back for that week in training. Because I wanted to be sharp for the playoffs. And I always went like that.
So my mindset was, was there's three or four other wingers at this club who are very good. The moment I dip, they're going to play. I can't dip. I can't. And that's what kept me going all the time. So I think you, about you have your way ahead of a lot of where I was, a lot of players I've seen in terms of your mentality and mindset. I think you're ready on the right track.
So my advice if you just keep doing what you're doing, you have an ability to change games just by energy and moving around. And I think both of you give yourself a lot more credit. You're actually good players. Like you guys aren't just guys, you run around and don't know, very technical, very good. But you have that piece of it that you can't teach that part, man. You can't teach that. You can't teach resilience. You can't teach that. You ever have it, you don't. And you have to develop it.
And I think you have. So we root for you. Like for me, that you're generally Brad's favorite sound of all time. You're climbing up my list. Hi, you have to have to compete with all by and me calling a few guys, but you're on your way. So now we're going to be rooting for you for the rest of the year. Hopefully we'll have you back on here at some point. But I'm just fine. Yeah, all the best this weekend. We will try behind the shield. You will be back. Good, yeah, all the best this weekend.
And we're here any time. Any questions you have anything we're happy to help, man. But pleasure, man. We're really happy for you. Thanks, guys. Thank you, Paul. Thank you, man. Every weekend, it's alwayseden Gent Leave.