But time now for the triumphant return. He's been a busy boy. He's traveling all over the place, but I believe he's back in town now. Brian Dunseeth RSL Legends, Dottie, how are you, buddy, I'm good.
I'm good. Yeah, I appreciate that. By the way, two things. Number one, I'm so happy for you, man, you're absolutely killing it. I love to see the arc of your career and how you've established yourself as the voice of sports here in Utah, and just the role that you have in educating people and getting the guests that you have. You do such a great job. And then I'll know in my own minds. I like to think that tribe
called Quest is be open just specifically for me. So yeah, man, I'm always appreciative of the opportunity to talk with you. My man.
Well, I appreciate the kind words. And yes, when we think Dottie, we think RSL. So it is for you, or excuse me, we think tribe call Quest it is for you. Are you back? Are you back on the ground, Bryan?
I am, I am. I was just my wife and I were just calculating what these last two months have been since I did the United States first game against Turkey two months ago out in Stanford, Connecticut, and I've done thirty eight games in two months times. So the FIFA Club World Cup, I think I did twenty five games in twenty eight days back to MLS and then I just came off doing six games in eight days for the League's Cup. So very very very fortunate and
a very very busy time. And my wife Jade is doing what I mean or can give me this opportunity for a dream drib.
And it feels like to reciprocate your kind words, your career has really taken off as well. I mean, what's it kind of been like to expand this role that once upon a time was calling RSL games on the radio or doing pre aff and postgames on the radio with me, and now to experience where your career arc has taken you.
Yeah, no, man, listen for those that don't know when I retired or what, they just basically said, you're not good enough. My first job in the business was with you doing prem postgame radio for real sell late games and that was that was two thousand and six. That would have been right around May two thousand and six.
And you know, here hear this crazy path of not having an agent, and you know this trying to create relationships and be a man of your work and be a man of you know good, you know, like your morals and sticking to it, especially in this business which you know you can sell your you can sell your soul pretty quickly, as we've seen a lot of guys in our business do. Yeah, man, really really really fortunate.
And the FIFA Club World Cup was the first time that I was getting the opportunity to be the undisputed number one analyst, you know, being able to call some amazing games with Andris Cantor for Lionel Messi, and then to Miami, to being there and watching PSG thrump Real Madrid and call the game from MetLife Stadium and that four mil thrashing, and then you know, four days later watching Chelsea beat PSG at their own game in the
sellout of MetLife Stadium. You know, to the point where I got invited to a FIFA dinner one of those Gallas and I said, nah, I'm my left coast, Jay goes, are you out of your mind? You are absolutely going And it's Cipriani's on fifty fifth Wall Street and being there with Infantino and Arsen Benger and you know, iconic players like Stoychcough and Cofu and being around all the guys from the zone and you know, hearing them speak in front of me about you know the job that
I do. It was. It was wild man, so very very very thankful, very fortunate. You know, a broadcast that on his own was doing good, jillions of numbers doing on T and T almost two million eyeballs for the game. Yeah, it's outside of outside of calling a World Cup or calling a ua F Champions League final. This was the biggest game that I've could have been a part of. And yeah, hopefully keep the ball rolling and continue to grow and evolved as a broadcaster. It's it's been a fun ride.
Man, it's really cool.
I wonder, Donnie, how you would articulate because I heard, you know, Don Garber has told the story when he was in for our listeners who don't know. Don Garber is the commissioner of Major League Soccer and when he was with the NFL, they went overseas and he saw a real Madrid game and I think it was in it ins to Don who scored like a crazy scissor kick, like thirty yard bomb, and that was like Don's eye
opening moment to wait. Soccer has played like this, And my father oftentimes tells the story similarly of being with the NBA NBA International prior to his staying with MSG, and he was over in Madrid and went to a Real Madrid game and saw the way soccer was played over there juxtaposed the way that it's played here. How do you articulate, like when you're calling a FIFA World Cup Championship match between two powerhouses like Chelsea and PSG, and then you're asked to call like a Columbus crew.
I don't know, San Jose, game? What what?
What are the main differences in the way the game is played at the highest of levels in Europe or wherever, opposed to the way that it's played here in Major League Soccer?
And are we making progress here?
Yeah? Let me let me, let me, let me attack this from the way you fit or doesn't get the respect that it deserves. And you and I go back to that first year with Real Salt Lake, playing up at Rice Cycles and trying to put together a team led by Jason Christ and Clant Mathis and Eddie Pope and Dante Washington myself, you know, mixed in with Brian Candler, mixed in with a bunch of dynamic, young, inexperienced, heavily talented, heavily egoed kids, and where the modern game is now
versus then it's undescribable. I mean I could sit here and try to wax poetic verbally and I still wouldn't touch the growth that we have in a league soccer, the speed of player, the technical ability, the infrastructure. I mean, we were getting dressed in the football locker room, stepping out on that turf, and our bodies were breaking down on a daily basis because ten months training on turf and never being on grass is absolutely murdered all of us.
And to see now what happens, you know, down at the Zebra, the training facility for we also like the infrastructure for the academy, for the Monarchs, for the Royals, the investment, the collective bargaining agreement, all these things. It's incredible what we've seen in real time. But we're also then trying to judge the you know, this juxtaposition of a team that's thirty years old, versus these infrastructures that
are over one hundred years old. And even the game against Club America the other night, I mean, you have one hundred years worth of difference between these two clubs. We all saw laking Club America. You're talking about Chelsea, You're talking about PSG. It's to spend. You know, Chelsea spent over two billion dollars on players in the last three seasons, versus a PSG that has an unlimited checkbook
because it's state funded. So when you're talking about that, you're talking about players that are worth you know, anywhere from fifty to one hundred million that are sprinkled throughout that roster. And to see the speed, the athleticism, the intelligence, the technical ability to see and try to put together food for thought when you're talking about tactics and you know, execution, it's it's it's just not fair to try to compare the elite of the elite versus what we've seen in
Major League Soccer. I know, we're constantly trying to wed and this is what the brilliance of the FIFA Club World Cup because we say, oh, you know, like Fluminense in Brazil. You know, I wonder what they would look like against a premier league team, a game that matters. This summer was not about friendlies. This summer was about the winning team taking home over one hundred million dollars
one hundred million dollars. So the balance is the speed of play is going to look different, the technical ability is going to look different, and the overall quality the assets are astronomical versus when you're in Major League soccer, you know that there's a really strong starting eleven and then it's going to taper off a little bit. But I think that's the brilliance of having owners like inter Miami with Jorge Mas and David Beckham that are pushing
the envelope of growth in Major League soccer. I still don't think David Beckham gets the credit he deserves for coming at the time in which he did to the
LA Galaxy. But I also don't think he gets the credit for what he's done in terms of building inter Miami, because I think that club is really going to push the envelope and fast track and rising tide is going to lift all ships in Major League socer, and I think we're going to see I call it nuclear arms spending, Spence I think you're going to see more and more nuclear arms spending because it's going to be the necessity of MLS teams having to spend between ten to fifteen
million just to stay with him touching distance, as other teams are going to look to push the threshold somewhere between twenty five and thirty five million per off season and per summer transfer window.
There have been some very notable signings as of late, and the sun has set in La Donnie.
See what I did there, my guys, Sonny.
I did and I can't.
I'm excited.
He's been my favorite because you know, I'm a Spurs guy and I've loved him for a long long time. In a vacuum. What sort of effect does this have? Not just for LAFC, but what does this say about players willingness to look at MLS.
As strong as ever? Rodrigo de Paul leaving at Atletico Madrid to go play in Miami, you know, think about Thomas Mueller signing Invancouver leaving you know, FC Byron. This one's a little bit different though, because I don't think I know, you know the power of funny with the South Korean market. A guy who has one hundred and thirty four international appearances for South Korea. He is he is a a K pop superstar footballer and it's funny.
I do the podcast, the LC Podcast of an Expertos and the moment that there was the announcement that Sonny was leaving Tottenham Hotspur, we were doing the podcast and the jump in numbers on the podcast was extraordinary. Whether it's TikTok, Instagram, Facebook or Twitter, the numbers are outlandish because out the money. Don't worry about the money the twenty six twenty seven million that's spent, that's going to
be recouped the Jersey sales. I hope LFC and Adidas are prepared because that black and goal number seven in English and in care is going to be unbelievable. They had a Hello Kiddy Night at Bimo Stadium about a month ago and it was outrageous to see the response. This is going to be a destination demo stadium, a destination for not only the Korean fan base in Los Angeles, but the Korean fan base as a whole. I think
it's genius. It's a messy level type impact, and that's what I think is the most fascinating that fans truly don't understand the South Korean market and this is so much bigger than anybody could truly understand in real time. And by the way, that's a branding commercial side. On the field, I'm in love with Sonny. I think he's fantastic as a human being. As a player, his net
goal contribution, goals and assists is extraordinarily high. And for anyone says, yeah, but he's thirty three, he's thirty three with young man's legs, so plenty left in the tank. Brilliant execution from LAFC and I'm glad to deal up done.
Your guy, Max handled that politician. I don't know if you saw the clip, but there was a city council woman. Oh my gosh, can we not have politicians involved in signings?
They don't know their elbow from their rear.
So she alluded to the fact that now that Sony's playing in LA somehow he's gonna help us win a World Cup, and then Max step steps up and brilliant It's like, yeah, we might get a US South Korea final.
I thought your guy handled that so well, del.
Max man, he's the best. He's absolutely you know it reminded me of when Bastin Steinsteiger signed with the Chicago Fire and a similar thing happened. And so this is where, you know, let's I agree with you. Let's just keep politics out of sports and just let sports be sports.
No doubt, no doubt.
All right, before we get to some specifics with RSL, we've got a couple of years sample sized with this League's Cup tournament.
Donny, what do you make of it?
What do you like what we're trying to do here with MLS and LEGUA Macki's yeah, I do.
I do the adjustment to the format that it is MLS versus League A Mechi's in every single game. I think it's brilliant. I think it helps both sides to really understand from a business perspective, from an on the field perspective, what's happening. Covering the Club America game, Pablo and I talked about it's going to make him and his coaching staff better because they're going to understand going against Jardiney, the manager from Club America, being one of
the best in the region. You know, the influence, the tactics, the shape, the change of systems, the substitution patterns. All of that are hugely, hugely beneficial. And again, I think it's naive to suggest that there's not an opportunity for maybe Club America fans that see Real Salt Lake beat them to say, hey, hold on a second, I'm in Salt Lake City, my family, we grew up Club America fans. I'm going to go out and support Real Salt Lake.
They're going to be my local team. And I'm still going to support Club America each and every time they're on television, and we can go to a game and support them. So there's a cross branding effect ahead of the World Cup next summer, Mexico, Canada and the United States holding games. And I think within you know, my
friend is my rival, my rival is my friend. I think somewhere there's a conversation and the relationship between legan Mechi's and Major League Soccer to continue to evolve and grow, as well as creating organic rivalries in the meantime.
How do these two leagues match up currently? I think once upon a time the gap between where League at Mekis was and MLS was was massive.
Is that gap closing?
Do you think these two leagues are at least on similar footing at this point.
Yeah, I think there's certain teams that have passed the majority of the League A Mechi's teams, but the superstar teams are still the superstar teams. And you know, when you talk about the monsters and the giants of chieves Ta, Guadalajara, Pulmas Cruz, as who think about America, think about Tige, I think about Pachuca, think about Monterey, you know they. I think more and more you're seeing LEGA Mch's leadership
adopt ideas that MLS has had. I think you're seeing League A Mechi's teams be really impressed with the infrastructure and the spend of the way that MLS is doing things. And I think more and more, as these games happen, there's going to be more players that their first instinct would be to play for League A Mechis that are now saying, hold on a second, I've played against that MLS team. They're really good. I'd rather be a part
of that. And thinking about from a family perspective, off the field perspective, and what that looks like of life in America. So I think a lot of things are happening right now that are wake up calls for league at mechis that are wake up calls for Major League Soccer. And overall, I think it's going to strengthen the product product, both on and off the field.
So over to ours. A couple of minutes left, I've got with you, Donnie. There they are unbeaten in nine of their last ten. We'll get to the new additions. But what do you what do you to tribute this recent turn of form too.
I think it was adapting to who they weren't and by that I mean the departures of Crooks, Chicho Anderson, Julio Andres Gomez. I thought, and I understand the ownership change created its own circumstances, but Pablo was kind of put in a lurch to try to compete with the big spenders and the strengthening of rosters at the start
of the season. He's adjusted. And by the way, for anyone that doesn't think Pablo is very very intelligent, he and his staff in terms of tactics, just look at the response of how they got the best out of Paulo Luiz. When Brian o'heeda was away trying to get
his paperwork sorted. The evolution of Diego Luna while he was gone and coming back to a team, and now you know the significant spend on both Rowan Cruz and Olatunji and what that means even with strengthening maybe a couple other domestic spots before this summer transfer window closes. I think what Pablo and his team have done if they put themselves in a position to get into the playoffs when that certainly wasn't a certain It wasn't for sure. And now how quickly can they adapt both the new
players into the team. Can the new players adapt to the culture, the dynamics, the training habits, and then the structure and go out and be the best version of themselves and the reason why they were brought into play for Risso Lake.
So let's dig into these signings real quick. Ron Cruz, we saw him last night for about thirty minutes. It was a pretty quiet thirty minutes. He's brought in as a DP. Pablo on the show called them a nine point five somebody who can play striker but also make plays, so designated player. There's a purchase option at the end of eighteen months. What do you know about him? How do you think you'll fit in here.
Yeah. So a player that was a part of Bodafogo's squad for FIFA Club World Cup, didn't play, hasn't played a lot of minutes recently, very dynamic, high high, high ceiling, spent some time over in Europe, scored I think twenty four goals and like fifty appearances, came back. If he's coming out of Brazil, I would put him. Yeah. I would use the example of Colorado's Hafel Navajo, the number nine, where it took him a little bit of time to adapt and once he did adapt, these last ten years
two years, he's been fantastic. So I'm hoping he's like Hafa Navajo in Colorado. Great size, great intelligence, great technical ability. He's adapting to the teammates. The teammates are adapting to him, similar to Williagatta. Similar. The good news is he's early, like Chicho al Latunji, great experience Nigerian in Sparta Prague. He's got some international understanding of what it means. He's
kind of a right side underneath type Ish player. They need that, especially with Dominic Marchuk being nowhere near the player we thought he was capable of being so we'll see how quickly they adapt. Still think they need competition at right back. Besides that, everything else looks pretty good. I need to see more from Diogo Gonsalvez. Still haven't
seen enough from him. But they got some tough decisions to make, and we'll see as important players coming in, I think is as important as some of the players going out.
So the Olatunji kid, the Victor Olatunji kid more of a natural nine.
Yeah, And also.
Both these two players Doney are big and tall and long, and Pablo on the show a couple of weeks ago was kind of bemoaning the fact that they just aren't a very big team. They actually just scored their first corner of the year and it was Oheita, who suddenly is like scoring goals left and right, which is wild. But as far as the natural nine, how do you think a tune Gi fits in?
Yeah, I don't know if he's a true number nine. To be quite honest with him, With what I've seen so far, I think he's I would probably use very similar the nine point five conversation, or maybe an underneath type of guy, or maybe even like on the right hand side when he's facing goal. He's frightening, and that's what they're going to look Listen. You know for Pablo talking about bodies, you know, a god is good size, peels and good size, but they need players that conversion
to opportunity is much higher. And you know, the Cover Medica game is maybe the perfect example of the Cincinnati game, the perfect example that Willie a Gotta puts himself in some great spots, but he's not a natural converter. He needs three or four opportunities. And so that's effectively what you're trying to buy is guys that need two chances to find the back of them as opposed to guys
that you have that need three to four chances. So that's going to be the challenge for the two new guys coming in.
You may have answered this question because you reference the compet right back that you think needs to be there. But Kurt on the show yesterday alluded to one or if not two potential additions before this window closes, which I believe is in about two and a half weeks. Any thoughts on where that could or should be? What does that look like?
I mean, I'm of the belief since Brooks Lennon and Aaron Herrera left Real salt Lake And these are multiple, multiple years that Real Salt Lake has been extremely weak at the right back position. You know, Andrew Brody was supposed to be the guy, and Body Hidalgo was supposed to be the guy. You know, You've gone through three or four or five different options. Noel Kalaskin has done a fantastic job, but I'm not of the belief that
he's a right back. Kimmler to win Mechanelli was being played at right back, I didn't think he was a right back. So there's going to be players that are experienced and that are going to be made available. And I'm of the belief that what this roster needs is experienced MLS type of veteran guys in that locker room that can help navigate some of the lesser experienced players as well as some of the foreign players that don't know the riggers and the daily ins and outs of
what it takes in Major League Soccer. I think having a couple of really experienced MLS guys are always important, and I would use that example. I would use the example of Toronto FC when Toronto FC had Giovinco and they had Michael Bradley, and they had Josie Altador. They still had the Jonathan Assorios. They had the Beta Shores, they had the Justin Morrows, they had the Drew Moores.
And I think it's a very undervalued group of players that become high value type of players for a team in the locker room.
I believe eleven matches left Dottie before the end of the season, before he set you loose. Do you feel like this recent turn of form, combined with the additions will be enough to get RSL into the playoffs and maybe do something I'll just say somewhat interesting.
I think they're a playoff team with these additions. I don't think they're a home playoff team with these additions. That creates its own set of circumstances. But as I say that, I would reference last year in the final
was LA Galaxy against the New York Red Bulls. It's a different tournament once you get into the playoffs, and it's all about form, it's all about momentum, and the idea of this weekend being a perfect example, if we also LA can go to the New York Red Bulls and walk away with three points, that's the type of
mentality that they need to start creating. It's a free hit, it's out of conference, and you need to be able to understand that you are going to have to be on the road in the playoffs based on that first half of the season. So if you start to do that, then you build yourself to confidence and the momentum necessary to potentially make a run at an MLS Stup final.
All Right, my guy, I appreciate the time as always, Welcome back, welcome home. Go spend some time with that family and we'll chat soon.
Be well, okay, appreciate you, ma man, thank you all right.
Brian donseeth rsl vet's played ten years in MLS, was on the Olympic team, was the captain of that Olympic team, and now broadcaster for Apple TV and Turner Sports, doing some really really big matches including the FIFA Club World Cup final between Chelsea and PSG, which is pretty phenomenal to see dot to see Donny's career spike the way that it has done. Stops by today courtesy my friends
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