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Til for RSL this week.
It potentially is the busiest stretch of the entire season.
After a little bit of a kind of.
Light June into July, we've gone and the lads, as we say here for the lads have really turned the page, unbeaten in eight of their last nine. It's League's Cup action coming up on Wednesday before they return. MLS play in New York on Saturday, and the head coach, Pablo Master Money on a Monday afternoon, Happy Monday, Pops.
How we doing.
Great? Bud?
Appreciate the time as always, so when it comes to the League's Cup, I know you guys prioritize everything.
I know.
I know you want to win trophies.
What sort of dynamic or challenge that is a little bit different does this tournament kind of face you as the manager? And then intertwined in the question when it simply comes down to how busy the schedule is, how are you guys balancing this out.
Yeah, So I think the way they format a determined this year has been actually pretty good where they the first leg of it, the first three games are you know, within ten days and so you know what you're up against, so you can really just focus on the first stage of the League's Cup. So I think that's a big improvement from from last year, which was pretty which was intertwined with league games. So here we've just taken ten games to focus in on our three opponents, and so
I think that part was good. So I think the biggest balance is again, you know, we run a pay best for forward in these tournaments and we won. We run the risk of really putting our players in precarious situations from the just fatigue perspective, which then increases the odds of injuries and performances. And so I think that's been the toughest thing because these games are coming and
fast and we want to keep running. You know, a group that's been doing really well the last you know, seven eight weeks and building that chemistry and and that connection, but you but you just run into you know, it's it's you know, it's really difficult from that perspective. But but the guys have been you know, I think we've been having it. We've found a good balance with the groups that we've been playing. The guys have been doing
really well. But you know, I think for this game we're gonna have to give a couple of guys breathers and give other guys an opportunity. And I think that rotation has worked pretty well. But uh, you know, we got one game left, and uh, you know, we want to make sure we ended on the right now.
Is it lega MX or lega MkIS you got to help me?
I hear it right, you're both.
Uh, it just depends on you know. I think for us it's lega MX. For them it's legams.
What did you just throw a third option at me? Cheez?
Yeah, because the thing is M in Spanish is M right, but they say it really fast, so it sounds like m eks. Okay, so it's it's m makis.
Yeah, okay, all right, fair enough.
However, your tongue fels on the day. If you want to roll it, you know, if you want to just let it go, it's league amakis.
I'm going league at Max Pops.
I'm just That's That's how I've always rolled that's how I'm that's so I'm gonna continue role. So let's let's talk about the first two matches. The Club America, who massive club. I think they finished second in this tournament before and obviously very famous. It almost felt like a road game, so many Club America fans and I'll tell you what man I mean, we'll.
Get to you know, the unfortunate ending with the San Luis game.
The Ratha Cabral performance was a little romando ish when it came to the you know, him stepping up and saving those pks must have been a great moment. Would you like most about your team's win against Club America, Well, you know, I.
Think the biggest thing was the way the guys competed against the big team. You know. I think we've you know, we've we've done them and and league in the last recent weeks. But going up against the Juggernaut to start this competition, I thought the guys put their best foot forward and play the heck of a game on both sides of the ball, and you know, to concede with whatever it was like fifteen seconds left of injury time. I think it was a gut punch for the top
of performance we had. And then then penalty kicks, Rosa stepped up and and you know, carried the team and and and did what he's capable of doing, and that was fantastic. So that was that. That was a really good performance where I felt like, man, it was just it was the last play of the game, and I knew we just had to make sure that we were
you know, on point. But to be fair to them, you know, rots and the tape back, I mean, there wasn't much where they could go with that ball, and in the little space the guy had to shoot, I mean he crushed it. So you know, tipped your cap off to them, but felt gut it for the guys.
And then moving over to the second game you played in League's Cup, it was another really good game. The San Luis game they got you in PK's what stood out most.
Yeah, I think again, I think this is where we ran into a bit of fatigue. There's a few guys out there that have been going you know, Saturday Wednesday for a month now, and I think there's a bit of tired legs. Early on, I think the first goal we conceded was uncharacteristic, a bit of sloppy play with the ball that transitioned into you know, sloppy playing about the ball. And you know, they they you know, they they tied up the game and then went on to
take the lead, you know. And I think, but the interesting thing, Spence is, you know, we had an opportunity to go to one and we didn't capitalize on a PK and and then the momentum swung their way. They
scored a goal and minute. You know, but but in both games, the way the guys have responded from really tough moments, you know, being able to keep their heads in the in the game after conceding in the last player game against America and winning the PKS, and here conceding a goal late but still staying in the game and tying it up late, I think are really good examples of the mentality of the group and and and how we've come a long way from the start of
the year. And then obviously the PK was the PKS were unfortunate. You know, PK's are a lot like a game. You know, if you start with big momentum, whether it's a goal or a save, it just makes you know, it just makes it a lot easier for the next next guy's going If you miss on the first one, that goal shrinks a little bit and the goalkeeper gets a lot bigger. So but I think we took a
lot of important moments in that game. We digested that as a group today spent probably a good half hour and change on, you know, managing moments to bring the game under our control a little bit more. And the guys are really receptive. And so now we have correctro in this next game, which will be again another tough game and one that hopefully we can take experiences from the seven least game and applying to this next game.
Okay, what are you up against on Wednesday?
And you know, I started reading through the tiebreaker scenarios and then I decided to go on and live my life instead of continuing. So I can't sit here and tell you that I'm extremely well versed on exactly what you need to do to get through? Can you get through if you go get all three on Wednesday and and tell me about this side that you're playing against.
Yeah, so there's still a slim possibility that we can get through. We need to take all three. P k's are even the two points in PK's is not an option, and then we're gonna need quite a bit of help, right, I think we're gonna need the help from four or five different teams, and in this competition, it can definitely happen. So instead of worrying about all that stuff, just you know, put a put a great group up there that's ready to win the game and then let the chips fall
what they may. And as far as correctro there. They're a team that, uh, you know, they haven't done well in this tournament, but the decent and the last turn in the last league play, and again, I think when you come to this third game, it's it's really a battle of attrition. I mean, because you know, I'm talking to the coaches from the Mexican teams and Aaron saying like, this is impossible. We don't even have a day to prepare, and I'm saying, well, yeah, it's not like we haven't
actually day either. We're under the same thing. So so I think, you know, I think players will be running on fumes and it's really about this is a mentality game for me. Obviously we're going to freshen it up, but the expectation is is a team that wants it more, that digs more, that believes more will be the team that wins the game.
How, if at all, do those dynamics shape the eleven selection, because it sounds like slim chance to advance. Uh, you have put yourself back in the middle of the MLS playoff chase and we'll get there. But also you want to win and you hope that everything kind of falls your way. So when it comes to all those dynamics, it feels like pops that could go either way. You want to rest your guys for the playoff chase or you want to go all in and get three.
How do you balance that out?
Yeah, that's a great question. You know, I think there's one way, and it's it's it's it's it's a bit of a gamble, and I think we're you know that that I'm willing to take it is have a few prescribed subs that have time so that you can get your best players on the field, but you can also manage their load. Right, we got it. We got a bunch of guys that are running in the red. But if this were going to be a league game, a midweek league game, which we're taken in as a MIDWEK
League game. You know, our our our toughest day of the week of training would be would be Wednesday, and that equates forty five minutes. Equates to our training session load, not the emotional impact, not all the other stuff which is which is also a load for this promote just a physical output perspective, you know, having some prescribed changes at halftime to keep the group fresh, but also have your your your best players available to compete in this game.
I think as a as a good middle road and where where it might where you might get caught with that is obviously if you need to make some if someone gets injured latent games, you might be under it.
But but I think you know, the guys that the guys that we're playing the majority of the minutes are have have been rested, are robust, and feel like it's a it's a calculated risk that we're willing to take to put ourselves in position to both get our best players on the field, but also not put them through the grinder as MLS league play continues thereafter.
I know it's a little bit of yesterday's news.
However, I was out of town last week and so I haven't had a chance to talk to you on air about the return of chi Cho and what that was like, and also getting a win over a really good San Jos, a team which is more important than anything. But what was it like to have Chia Chho back in the building and give me your thoughts on that win.
Yeah, it was strange. It was almost surreal, you know. You know, I think Chie Scho having been in that stadium all of last year and in the sea, you know, his connection with with the fans, it was really peculiar. And I think for me seeing him across the field and knowing that he's cabled, you know, scoring goals from nowhere was was obviously yeah, you know, it gave me a bit of nerves, but the guys just really handled themselves well. That played a great game. They knew what
the what they're up against him. He's got a lot of friends in the locker room still, and so for me, it was always interesting to see the dynamic when a player of his magnitude comes back to the club, how those players are going to respond, because obviously he was the man when he was here, and those players looked at him like the leader and the captain, and so sometimes there's just almost subservient feel when when that player
comes back in a different team. But you wouldn't have noticed that Chicha was with our group last year because these guys, these guys played fantastic and and they didn't take their foot off the gas from minute, you know, from the first minute to the last. So really proud of that performance. And then from from as far as the collective, you know, obviously gave us a big three points because they're they're they're right around where we are
on the table. And so again another big psychological hurdle for us, you know, starting and second to last and in the west and then kind of marching up and so we got really good momentum going and it was really good to get that result against you know, a dynamic a team like San Jose and against our old teammate in Chicha.
Did you have an opportunity to catch up with them at all, and if so, what were those conversations like, Yeah, No, he.
Was really gracious, you know, he says, you know, obviously he misses he misses not being here with the group.
You know, with the fans, the stadium, like it brought back a lot of old feelings, but he was really grateful for the time that he spent here with you know, with with his teammates and the staff, and it was kind of a welcome back, and you know, it was it was a really strange It was really strange, but you know, I think Chicho he's he's a real gracious human being and and shared that with not only myself
and the staff, but also with all his teammates. So it was it was good to see Chicho back, and I'm grateful that we were able to give the three points.
Tell me what you've seen both in training and then during matches from Diego since he came back. I mean, he got the goal the other night. It was the first goal for you guys since May. It was a little bit of a poacher's goal, do you respect? I mean, I'm not calling him that. We know how good he is. Is Is there a little fatigue? Is there a little like adjustment? Tell me where you're seeing from Diego right now?
Yeah?
I think you hear the nail on the head, you know, I think you know, going into this last game Diego, Luna has played fifteen matches in the last seven weeks, right, and that is obviously what I'm talking about when you when when the players are playing in the red from a physical load perspective, like and then you've taken all the travel. You know, they played some friendly games before the Gold Cup, played all the Gold Cup games here, and then obviously he went to the MS All Star Game.
All those little things add up and it doesn't let the body reset in the way that it needs to. And and I think the other part too is, you know, I think he feels, and we've been talking with a lot about this that you know, he's sometimes he's got to do more than what he needs to with our group. And I mean, and you know, in my message to him as this group was coming when you were gone, and all we need you to do is just recover the right way, get your feedback, and then just play
play as you have. Then you don't need to do anything more than just do your job as the best of your ability. And if you can do that, you're you're going to get back into not only you know, helping the team win, but continue on this trajectory of development and growth that has been incredible from the start of the year.
So ultimately we and we'll get to the new additions, but before you get there, you know, I didn't know much about Lachlan when he was acquired, felt like he had some moments early on. Why ultimately do you think it didn't work out with Lachlan as he's he's now moved on.
Yeah, you know, I think every you know, it's that's a great question, and I think Lochlan would probably have the best answer to that. I think for me, you know, it's not an easy league to assimilate to. It's and if you're not getting the plane, it's really hard to get those wheels turning, and and and and and to commit to your craft away from home is very difficult
as well. So I think there's a lot of there's a couple of things going on away from the field that were that were difficult for him, and then he wasn't getting the type of reps and and so you know, one of the things I always talk to young players about is everyone wants to know what they need to
do to play on Saturdays the big games. And I'm saying the most important days are Tuesday through Friday, and until you're the best player on Tuesday through Friday, it's going to be very difficult to get a crack on Saturday. And so that's why it has to be a real commitment to to your profession, right It's it's it's the days that nobody cares about. No one's going to write about your training session on Wednesday on social media, you know,
ever getting likes, no one cares. But however they're the most important. And I feel like it establishes a great foundation for young players to understand that this, this commitment, this training session, sharpening the tools is the only way forward forever. And then once you do start playing on Saturdays regularly, you got to double down on the Tuesday
through Friday. And I just don't think he ever got up to speed and performed at a level throughout the week that would give him more opportunities at the weekend. And so unfortunately it just didn't work out for him. But hopefully, and and and I've heard this quite a few times spent over the course of my you know, my my years coaching is uh, you know, four or five years later running the players and they're like, now
I know what you mean. I didn't you know. And and I think Einstein has a quote where it's like you can't fix the problem in the same place that it occurs. Sometimes you need separation from the experience or from you know, the words that your parents give you or you know, mentors give you, and you need to go out and live that experience and then and then it'll make sense to you. So you know, hopefully you
know sooner than rather than later. He you know, understand that it's it's really about being a master of your craft, and that only happens Tuesday through Friday, and then we can talk about the games and all that other stuff.
And also, and look, I want to be clear, I have zero inside information about what happened with Lachlan, but I find it. I've always found this fascinating, Pablo any sport, whatever it is, the art of analyzing talent combined with the necessary knowledge of whether or not the talent is also a professional. And that's an intangible thing. It's really really hard to identify because ultimately, and I say this all the time, just get me the talent, then we'll
figure it out. You know, I don't care if there's redundancy between Diogo and Diego. They're both awesome figured out. Give me the talent's figured out. How do you go about and I know it's a collaboration. I know it's Kurt his staff, Jason, Tony and then you and your staff, how do you go about the best way possible to understand whether or not Okay, we like the talent, but is he a pro?
Does he know what to do to be professional every day? How do you do that?
Then?
How quickly do you notice whether or not that's going to be an issue?
Yeah? I think that's the toughest thing, Spence. And and to be fair, you know, we can extrapolate a lot of information from like has this player traveled a lot? You know? Has he has he been to Europe before? Has he left his country before? Because that's a big that's a big thing for us because if he's done that, that means he's got the capability of living away from family and still excelling. Right, So I think that's that's
a big thing, you know. And then and then it's really zoom zoom calls and conversation and our leadership coach Grant Barge is on these calls of us and it has a bunch of great questions that hopefully will disseminate some some personality things, right, Like is he is he a does he have a growth mindset versus a fixed mindset? Like some of these questions can give you this way, but at the end of the day, it's all it's all the roll of the dice. And I say that
because the human being is so complex. In other words, the problems that you'll face here won't be like the issue that you face elsewhere, or if you're going through some kind of personal stuff now, well, the interview we did six weeks ago has nothing to do with what
you're going through now. And we're all feeling beings, and so if we're not in a good way off the field, it's going to be very difficult to have the player that we thought we had because you're going through some stuff off the field, and so there's so many factors that go into the person being able to be the best professional. But I think we do a wonderful job of asking the right questions of getting to know, you know, looking out body language on the zoom right, is he
slumped over? Does he look engaged or you know, is he upright? Is he motivated? You know? But I also had a player when I was in Colorado, and it was almost like someone gave him the cheat sheet to me, and he says, listen because this guy he scored a ton of goals in his league. And I'm like, how are we get this guy? Like, this guy's a big
time player. And he gets on the zoom and he says, I work every day, coach, I will, I'll like do a study the soccer and I work every day and I work every day, and I'm like, oh man, this is my guy. And he gets there and it was like the complete opposite of what you said. And then I went back to the coaches and they're like, yeah, he works hard. Yeah, but he works hard for that league over there, right, And so then there's a subjectivity as to what, you know, a professional and a hard
worker looks like. So there's so many there's so many variables that go into it, and and really what we want to see is like, Okay, now you're here, who are you? You know? And unfortunately sometimes that means it doesn't always work. And you know, I think lafc is
we've seen this in two players this year. One they grabbed a you know, a Turkish international and they bought him in January and they just let him go in the summer, and this is a guy with a long resume, right scoring goals and all kinds of different leagues, but it just didn't work right. And then you have Jeru, who every you know, one of the best strikers of our time, was here for a year and it didn't
work right. So even if you know everything, if if you've seen him play on TV and Champions League and World Cups and all these different things, sometimes it's just not the right thing. And it could be the place, it could be the way they play, but it could also be there's a there's there's there's a life outside of the game that has a huge impact on how these players behave once they're on the ground.
What's gotten in Ojeita? What's going on here?
I mean one goal in like eighty games and now three in the past three like what and what sort of look?
Everybody likes to score goals.
It doesn't matter what position you play, what what sort of jewice can that give them?
Well, it's it's I think ironically, it brings him a lot of confidence and all the other little things that we're asking him to do from from a pivot position, right, I answer your question, I mean he's watching a lot of Ronaldo MESSI highlight. It's it's yeah, it's out of his you know, he doesn't score a lot in training. He just does his job and does a really good job at that and facilitating the ball from the back to the front and keep you know, and pressing. But
you know he's he's got a hot hand. And you know, the crazy thing is is once once you believe your goal scorer, uh, you're you're going to be scoring goals, whether it's on set pieces like he did at the weekend, or if that second goal he scored, he whipped it in and found the back post. You know, So like these things start happening, and the same thing with the strikers or players that feel like they can't score it,
they just won't, you know. So we're gonna we're going to keep riding them and keep asking him to do what he's been doing because he's been a huge catalyst and I think, you know, for our group that's been
struggling to score goals this year. You know, we talked with the pivots quite a bit and said, hey, guys, listen, a Mecca got forlored in the last game and combined nicely at the top of the box, and I think Johnny got the foul for a PK, So like they're getting more involved in the attack and I think that's what we need in order to be a more dynamic team.
Well, and as we say here today with back and by the way, would you characterize a Mecca as one hundred percent yet?
No, No, I think he's still about sixty minutes fit. And it's so tough in the middle of the season to go from out six weeks the ramping them back up. But I'll tell you spent. You know, the performances that he's had have been really really sharp, really sharp coming into games and really changing, you know, the games that he started. I thought he's played really well. So he's close,
He's just not. He's not all the way there. He will continue to build up his minutes in lieu of a strong push towards the end.
Well, it's interesting as you kind of look at this a little bit because I thought Ruiz against Club America was dynamic, and you've got a Mecha coming back healthy and suddenly Ojita's on fire. Like that positional group you have with that central holding mid is so strong and certainly a lynchmin Are all three of them good enough where maybe you look at some sort of way to get all three of them on the field, even if one of them has to play in a different spot.
Well, you know, I think we built such as it's taken so long to get the attacking group going, and I feel like they're they're doing a great job, you know, Diego, Diogo and that Gozo and then obviously we have some new players in camp now that you know. For as much as I'd like to do that, we also have to remember that in order to have a good run, you're gonna need death. Anything happens to these guys, we'd
have no replacement for what they're capable of doing. And so you know, the rotations would be really important to keep them all engaged in all sharp so it won't be like just two guys playing. It'll be a good rotation. And what it allows us to do is look at our opponents. Right, So if opponent's playing a really high line and want to play us really tight, Pablo Ruis
has to be in that game. If you know, if there's gonna be space between their their front line and their back line, we can use a mecca and o Haeta because they're both really good with driving with the ball and making lines on the dribble, and then any other combination will work as well. So you know, I think it lends itself to having a really good combination of those three, which will be critical, and we can
now keep them fresh. For last year, you know, a Mecca and no Haita played every almost every minute of every game, and towards the end they're running, They're running on fumes. And so I think the three of these guys playing at the levels of the playoff playing at give us not only great options in the short term, but will allow us to keep them fresh as we progress with the season.
All right, with a few remaining minutes, let's talk about the new toys you have to play with.
We've been waiting.
Anxiously for some reinforcements and they're on the way. So Rawan Cruise has been on the ground for a week. I'm told twenty four year old Brazilian Pablo. As I always say, I'm not going to lie to you, I have not been grinding on Botafogo tape, so I don't know much about this young man. But in your limited experience, what sort of player. Is he What sort of person is he? And when you think we'll see.
Him, Yeah, he's a fantastic individual. He's got a really he's he's got a big heart and and just always a smile in the space a little bit like Anderson Julio as far as the energy gives off, is really
really positive. As far as his play, he's kind of like a nine and a half type player where he's got the he's he's got the defensity to stretch, but he's got really really soft feet to combine as well, And so a player that can play on the highest line but also dropping into that the space between the lines, being able to combine with teammates running off of them and or turning and going with the ball. So fantastic technically, and he and he's good in front of goal and
he's can hit the ball with both feet. So a really dynamic player. And I think it's going to help some of our younger players because what I've seen in you know, the four training sessions that we've had with him is the way he brings and makes makes the teammates around him better as well. So he's been a he's been a great uh you know, great player to
have him with camp, and obviously we'll seem more. We haven't been able to see him over big spaces yet, but obviously we have a lot of tape and looked at it and he does a lot of things that we need for our team. So I think he'll be a great pick for our for our group.
Finally, before I say you lose, I also have not been dialed into the Czech First League lately. However, Victor Olatunji I believe is on the ground and we'll await his visa, medical, all those things to get done. But he is the other reinforcement addition on the way. Same question, what kind of player, what kind of person? When do you think we'll see him?
Yeah? Another he's a Voracius reader, is what we learned when we did the zoom. He's really well spoken, it speaks perfect English, has traveled to many different places in Europe. And from a physical perspective, you know, he's a big body, right, you know, you know Hamas and a Lave, you know, and he's probably one of the biggest guys I know.
And I would say he's like Hamas and Lave on skilts, right, he's six foot four, a towering figure who does a great job stretching the back line and getting into good goal scoring positions in the box. And so I you know, I think it does a couple of things. I think, you know, our team is relatively a small team, a short team, so his size and his ability to hold hold up the ball and run behind defences along with getting in the box for for guys like Diogo and
Diego combining at the top and or crossing balls. Now I think we have a real a real option with a Latunji with Victor to be a real threat. So both these, both these players who want and Victor, I think will make us a much deeper, a much more dynamic team in the attack.
I think any other additions before that window closes, you know.
I talked to Kurt today. He says, there's there's there's a couple there that may or may not come through. So I you know, I think these were these were our primary targets and uh and we were able to secure them. So that's that's awesome. And then you know, if we get one on one or two more, it would be it'd be as I am. So I'll keep my fingers crossed. But More importantly, I think these guys are well, we'll take up a lot of attention to really focusing on and and acclimating them into the group.
So really excited, and I think a couple, you know, I think both of them may be available for the Red Bulls game, with maybe Crews being available for the game on Wednesday. So I really excited in this next week to get these guys into the group and start cracking on.
There we go.
Well, it's been fun to see the forum turn around and be excited to see what you do with these new pieces. Thanks for the time, buddy, have a good week.
Okay, thanks, Bans, appreciate it.
Buch Thick, Pablo Master running as with a midweek tilt in League's Cup Action, they need a miracle. They need to win without going to PKS and then they need six different results to go their way.
So you know, we'll see how that goes.
Back to league play coming up on Saturday against New York and then Charlotte is the week after that. They're back home next on the twenty third against Minnesota. Go to RSL dot com for single game tickets. Brought to you today by our friends at Advanced Window Products. Where you can get twenty five hundred dollars off when you buy ten windows or more. It's a local Salt Lake company operated by a guy, Nate Orchard, the mayor of sac Lake City, of course, his friend Jake Weber.
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