RSL back at action against an old rival coming up, and some fun storylines surrounding this little soccer club. The head coach, Pablo Master Honey on a Thursday, Pops, Happy Thursday, Man, how are we doing?
Happy Thursday? Spen's doing great.
Let's appreciate the time. So let's not bury the lead. Diego Luna a all star once again. Back to back All Stars selections for Diego. That has not happened for RSL since Nick Romondo and Kyle Beckerman over a decade ago. So we have a lot to talk about that does not involve all Star selections and such, but a nice nod for Diego.
Pablo, what are your thoughts?
Yeah, I think it's I think it's awesome for both Diego and the club. You know. I think as we've spoken about, you know, I think the Millers want to really build a fantastic team that can be a perennial playoff team, and I think in order to do so, you have to have players that are consistently playing at
a really high level. I think Digo is a great example, and and so I think it's it's a great step for for the club and and Diego to continue to you know, mature into a well rounded player, a player that's playing at a really high level with the national team, and someone that hopefully will be around for many years to come.
What was your reaction when you had found out that you were selected to the All Star team for the first time. I feel like that's kind of a nice little box check to dream that most young players have.
Yeah, especially you know, obviously not not prevalent and in Europe all Star teams. But I think growing up as a even if you just play soccer as I did, you're aware of you know, the NBA All Star Game, the Baseball Star Game and the NFL Pro Game or
you know. I think it's just a great recognition and and and and I think in today's MLS it's a lot different than back in the day where there's so many stars in in in our league, and so to be a you know, a player like Diego who's now in his third year of MLS and and you know, to be recognized, it's pretty powerful. And it's definitely a boost of confidence, you know, and and you can also have the national team to his resume and all these things.
It's it's pretty impactful, and it's I think an indicator that you're moving in the right direction. And uh a great experience as well, you know, because you get to you get to meet all these guys, obviously Messi and all the other guys that will be there, and it's almost like a fraternity of sorts for four days or three days, you know, and you get to mingle and and and share experiences and get to know the guys
that are across the field from you. Some of the guys that you compete against weekend and week out, but some of the guys that you grew up you know, idolizing and and really shaping your game around these players. So it's going to be it's really a wonderful uh few days to be recognized and to spend with the other guys.
You know. I always talk about this.
I don't think, well, I know, I don't, and I'm quite sure most of our domestic sports fans don't fully understand the magnitude of who Lionel Messi is in the ECO system simply of the sport of soccer. I mean, he's Michael Jordan, He's Tiger Woods, he's whatever name you want to throw attached to the sport that most people believe is the greatest ever do it. I know there's
a debate there. I'm not educated enough to have a take, but I don't even know, like what the question is, what do you think it's going to be like?
For?
And I know this has already happened, But when you when you take the field, when you take the pitch, and you look over and literally the greatest to ever do it is standing there. What sort of osmosis or whatever the hell it is can be ascertained from just that experience of playing with training and playing in a game along with the greatest that's ever done it.
Yeah, yeah, obviously it's it's it's almost surreal, right. I
think it's an out of body experience. You know. I had the opportunity to play alongside David Beckham in an All Star game, and even in that moment, it was like I was in a different planet and I was just soaking it all up and asking him questions about his career, and and you know, it's like one of your one of your heroes, is right there next to you, and and it's one of these moments that it's like you never thought it was possible, because you can imagine
when Diego was growing up, Messi was in his heyday, you know, and so then, and they have a lot of similarities in their game, you know, And so I'm I'm I'm sure that he modeled a lot of what he does from what he saw with Messi on the screen. And then to share a locker room and a field and the opportunity to compete in the game together, I mean, it's it's it's unworldly, it's it's it's it's a magnificent opportunity.
It's it's it's hard to kind of put into words, but I think you're I found myself thinking, I can't believe I'm in the same room with these guys. Like it's just it's it's surreal.
Yeah.
I can remember when we had Beckham here, and you know, initially he came here with Real Madrid and I was low Scalactakos and they had you know, rude band, mister Roy and you could keep Kaka, I mean, you know, Eco Cassius, we could keep Roberto Carlos. Like I remember
when that group walked into the hotel. We were waiting for them to get off the bus, and you know, they're such like a holy bleep like they're actually here, and you know, Beckham's whole thing is like his celebrity ultimately, Like he was a very good player.
I'm not trying to say that he wasn't.
He was a very good player for club and country and in England. But I feel like Messi is that times ten, you know. Like again, I just don't know that I really have any an accurate frame of reference for what that dude is for the sport that you're so consumed with.
Yeah, no, I think it'd be reminiscent of when Pele came to NASL in the seventies, yeah, or in the late early eighties, like that was the Cosmo sold out every stadium, you know, And I can't it's got to be the same field because when you're so accomplished at the international level, like it's one thing for the you know, the the average sports fan to say, oh, I know, Messi, but this is someone that you grew up idolizing and watching and win all kinds of European titles, you know,
and being the you know, Bolondo or winner the best player on the planet six or seven times or whatever it is, and now you're sharing the field with them. Yeah, it would be like playing with Michael Jordan. It's the same type of feel and you know very few people on the plan and get the opportunity to spend even a moment with some of these greats.
I have a little bit of a non secuitar odd question for you that I wanted to ask you today when I saw you on the rundown and you know, we're right smack dab in the middle of the NBA Draft with Round one last night, round two tonight. And I'm always fascinated at the dynamic of the synergies between front offices and coaching staffs and how that manifests and
pertains to decision making processes. And every front office does it different, and quite frankly, even front offices that are essentially set up the same, they do a different too, because people are just different, and personal are just different, and priorities are just different and experiences are not the same.
How is the process coming along, Pablo? You've had a lot of change over, and the weird thing is a lot of changeover in the midst of some really good success, like Elliott did build a team that was successful, and you coached a team that I thought was the most exciting we've had here maybe ever, but now there's a new ownership group, there's a new primary decision maker. You were let's see here strongly encouraged to embrace your new
insistent coaches, is how I'll put that. How is this process coming along with the different ownership, the different front office, the different coaches, and all the personalities you have in the rooms where it happens, sorry, Hamilton fans, to try to kind of figure out how you guys are going to make this work.
As far as the draft moving forward next.
Year, just in general, just everything, whether it's you know, the synergies to try to sign players or just the project overall.
Jason Tony Kirk, you the whole thing.
Yeah, well, one thing and that hasn't changed from last year. Whilst quite a few players have come and gone from last year. The one thing that we stick to as both front office and and coaching staff is our processes, you know, And I think the one thing is the because it takes time to develop really deep relationships like those don't happen overnight, and so the processes help us continue to be in the rooms after all the games when there's big decisions to be made. About a player.
We're all in the same room where we all have open dialogue. You know, we we the you know, the best idea wins and how are the best idea as far as how we're going to go through the process wins And so it's super collaborative and and and and I'll say that, you know, the the change of ownership, Whilst you know it just seems like it's a t there's there's now there's there's a new ownership group and and their vision is, like I said earlier, is to build a team that Salt Lake fans can really really
wrap their arms around for many years to come. And so that that's obviously trying to keep players like Diego Diego Luna and some of our you know, Mechanelly and some of these players that are going to be the core players of the team. And so I think we're all aligned on those things. And I think that that comes from having deeper relationships than be business titles. You know, oftentimes it's a GM and a coach and those two have different perspectives, and Kurt and I also have different
perspectives at times. But I think it's the it's the communication within the constant communication within that relationship that helps us both find a good middle ground to move forward as a group, you know, and that involves Jason and
Tony and the coaching staff and then ownership as well. Right, And so I think whilst it's been a lot of moving parts, I think the consistency and the same people in the room at least from the front office and the coaching staff, has allowed for this transition to be as seamless as possible whilst working to improve the group moving forwards.
So the annual and every time this comes out, you know, I always just kind of find it and are interesting to dig through this list. So the total roster spend list was released and maybe you guys have well I know you have access to this, but when it becomes public, it becomes something that people debate. And you know, as of now, you guys are third love you have the third lowest payroll in Major League Soccer. How does something like that land with the head coach of the team?
Again, you know, I know, I know you hate hearing me say this, but like that stuff is beyond like beyond our control. There's there's you know, at least beyond my control. My job is to make sure I do everything I can to get the best out of the players that we have. Obviously there's there's room for growth in that department, and we're work insteadfastly to improve the group and bringing you know, some difference makers, both in
the attacking side and the defensive side. And so you know, things obviously haven't gone the way they have the way we wanted them to. But I'm always the eternal optimist, and I think that through the struggles that we had in the first part of the season, I mean I've seen it, and I've felt that the maturity of the
group going through some very difficult times. And now if we can stabilize the group and get a couple more good results and then bringing some difference makers, I think we'll set ourselves up for a good run in the second half of the season, but more importantly next year
and beyond. So whilst the current situation is it has been difficult, I think, you know, given that we have money and to spend, I think it allows us to now really be precise and the type of player that we want, type of character that we want, and the position that we need in order to really make a push.
You love when I ask you those questions. It just makes your day. I know how much you enjoy it. I appreciate your willingness to answer it. I mean, look, in a roundabout way, I'm trying to get your back right, and that's kind of like give the guy some ass.
Yeah, yeah, I get it. I get it. But you also understand, like my standpoint for sure, if if I look at it from that perspective, and I'm just the victim and I'm not helping this, I'm not trying to find a solution. I'm just I'm just you know, you know, they're just tossing blame. And one of the things I never do is blame anyone. I always look at myself first, and I go, man, we got to do better, Papa, let's go, man, we got this, you know. And so
that's just my mindset. But but yeah, I think you need to represent uh, you know, level of consistency and and you know, elite performers to be perennial playoff to be a perennial playoff team. And I think we're working towards that, probably not as fast as some people would like, but just know that the work is getting done behind the scenes. And again, I believe in the direction we're moving it and really proud of the Uh the way
you know the guy played last game. The guys have trained the last couple of weeks leading into this game, so I think we're we've got some positive momentum moving forwards.
Do you feel like going third person is an accurate portrayal of your humility?
Pablo, Just kidding, I'll stop, I'll stop.
I'm just there's somebody that lives upstairs, Spence, and and that's just the truth. And he's he's always digging in and he's always trying to get me to do more. But it's not third person like the the guy that's better than it's third person like U. There's there's some there's some person living upstairs that I'm always dealing with.
Now I know, man, I'm luck, I'm impossible. It's why I can't stay married. So that's that's the deal. All right, Moving on, you referenced your last game. Uh, let's start with Johnny. Johnny Russell, who we've been waiting to see, fit and inform and opens his bank account, as the soccer folk will say, So let's start there. Uh, what was that like for you to see him tally that goal, and then and as far as what you liked the performance overall.
Yeah, I think I'll start with just the collective team performance. You know. Again, I think in soccer the ideal is score a couple of goals and give nothing up. And I think from top to bottom, the guys that started the game, the guys that came in the game really had a great impacts. So I would look at that as a collective team performance. And then Johnny, you know, we brought him in because we felt like we could use we can lean on his experience, but also he
can make plays, and you know I can. I can show you probably twenty five other times in the season where we had the same similar situation that Johnny was in and he just capitalized on it. And I think, you know, as he was dribbling the ball, I knew exactly what he was thinking as he was cutting across the field, is that he's going to go near post on the goalkeeper and use the other players a screen
so the goalkeeper couldn't see it. And those are things that, like, again, we train them, but it's one thing to train it without pressure. It's another thing to have the game feel like a training session, right, and I think you have to be so calm and poised in those moments that are really hectic and fast, and I think Johnny's experience and his quality really allowed him to do so. So you know, he's been he's been struggling with a little
bit of an aductor. But I believe that he'll be in a good way for you know, this game at the weekend, and and hopefully you know he's going back home, uh to to case and you know he's got you know, he's he's really pumped up for this game. So both him and an extra motivational aspect to their performance this weekend heading into skc oh.
He's got to play, Boblo. He's tell him to take whatever you need for the abductor. He's got to play on Saturday, doesn't.
He Yeah, on one leg, he'd play. It would just be it would it'd be impossible for him not to be out in the field. And and and again it was just a little strained. We were cautious with it, you know, given that you know, he those were his first forty five minutes and he left again with an adductor. But he's recovered well, he's trained great this week. He's been sharp, he's been bright, and like I said, more importantly than anything else, he's motivated.
And if we're going to crack on Diogo because he hasn't played well, we need to give him flowers for when he does something heat tally the assist on Johnny's goal with a very nice through ball.
Yeah, and and the play that actually before he actually played the through ball spence with some high level technical work yep, to like Bob and we between two or three guys, and and this is what we've seen in Diego when he's playing out his best, you know. And and and really you're absolutely right. I think it's a moment to really mention how hard you know, he's worked in these last couple of weeks to put himself in position to play as well as he did and contribute
on a really really important goal. You know, he put that ball in the play for Johnny, and you know, and so I can't say enough things because you know, in sports, everyone thinks it's it's uh, everyone's got it easy, right, These guys are well paid everything, you know, what could possibly we're on. But we're all human beings and we all suffer and we all go through good times and bad times, and I think when professional athletes are going through a tough time, it's times one hundred because of
the scrutiny from the public and it's not easy. And so see what I've seen in Diego is really this evolution of a man in a way that has you know, he's going through probably one of the most difficult parts of his life. But then stuff's on the field and is one of our best players, if not our best player on the weekend. So really proud of him and really excited to see what he can continue building as we move forward.
All Right, last thing, I'll set you loose on this kind of a sneaky big game for a number of different reasons Saturday, namely, you and SKC are right next to each other. They've got nineteen, you've got eighteen. Wanting to keep that momentum rolling, so give us a little helped update. Do you have a chance to repeat your starting eleven for the first time in months?
Which is wild? What do we expect? Can you see, Saturday? How do you come away with three?
Yeah? You know, I think for us it's it's it's again. We I think we've learned a lot from the games that we've played so far. And the one thing is the way we get after the ball was really good against DC. And I think when we press higher up the field and we cause turnovers. Now we got guys like Gozo and Reilly and Johnny in positions to really counter right, and I think that's going to be really important.
I think the heat will play a big factor. So again, dominating game or controlling the game with the ball will be another critical aspect. You know, they had a game Wednesday or yesterday, and so how can we really dictate the game with the ball? And I think that will be the key. So we've got to execute, We've we've got to you know, take our chances when when when they come. But more importantly is how can we control the flow of the game with the ball. And I think we have the team to do that.
All right, Buddy, thanks for the time today, Best of luck throughout the weekend.
We'll chat soon.
Awesome s Bence, Thanks Budd.
Boblo Master Runny ourselve back at Action and on Saturday, Sporting Kansas City. That's a six thirty first kick at Children's Mercy Park. It can be seen on Apple tv MLS Season Pass