WEBVTT
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How is your executive producer that you were trying to
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navigate to make sure that you could be here with us.
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Good morning, my executive producer and boss Logan. My beautiful
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daughter who's two years old, is at a day camp
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nearby that she does not go to, but my wife
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and son do. So I made some arrangements, went to
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training yesterday with the Union, got Logan over to day
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camp for a little bit and gives me a little
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bit of a morning here for at least maybe an
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hour and a half, and I'm right back into the
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prep mode and with the two year old. But happy
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to be with you as always, my friend.
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It's great to see you. We got you for fifteen ten,
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for fifteen solid before Michael Parker's comes into court till
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I got to ask you about life on the Richter scale,
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And it's probably both figuratively and literally with Ryan Richter
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the new head coach, How are things different now? Because
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for anybody to sit there and say, oh, yeah, it's
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just Atlanta and iited in Philadelphia, you're different than it
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was earlier this year by a law stretch.
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For sure. I'm not trembling as much as maybe I
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was the first half of the year to your point there,
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It's taken me back to eighth grade science class with
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mister Fleiegra nearby where I'm living right now. But first off,
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let me say I'm so happy for Ryan getting this
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interim tag. It's kind of like a little Sandlot moment
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for me. My first job with the Union in twenty sixteen,
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I was the voice of Bethlem Steel, which is our
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second team now Union two, but at the time they
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played in USL before next Pro and Ryan was the captain,
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so I was out on sponsorship things and going to
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you know, kit launches and various other different events with
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him and Derrick Jones. And you know, that was towards
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the tail end of his career. A supplemental draft pick
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for the Union, by the way, has worked his way
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all the way up from pre Union academy all the
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way through to a first team assistant coach a couple
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of years ago under Jim Curtin Union two coach recently
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the last two years, and now with this interim tag,
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and things are very very different. The guys, I feel
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like are playing with a little bit more freedom. I
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feel like John that the break came at a right
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time for the Union, and I think a lot of
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teams maybe could say that that are towards the bottom
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of the table in both East and Western conferences, and
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I think it was a reset. There's definitely been some change,
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you know, Sporting director John Sheer got that job. A
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couple guys are out, like Olwatson mccon. You had a
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great year last year next to Glesnes an up and
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down season. This year is really a center back one.
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He just transferred to Rangers. He didn't come back after
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the World Cup with South Africa. And you know, we
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start now with six consecutive home games, including League's Cup.
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So we beat a good Red Bull team three to one.
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We get our third clean sheet against Seattle last week,
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and we play a struggling Atlanta side, so we have momentum.
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But I think the focus for Ryan and company and
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I hate to use a cliche, but it really is
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one game at a time for this group.
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That's a dollar in the jar. By the way, we'll
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take a look at the jar at the end of
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the year. You've been reading my notes. I did want
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to talk about the back line because m Kanye didn't
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want to come back and so he was transferred out
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and then you bring in somebody that you're familiar with.
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It's not necessarily an even swap, but what's it like
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to have somebody back from Birmingham, Not Birmingham as we
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say here in the Southeast, but Birmingham. He comes back
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to a place that you know, get back to where
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you once belonged to Loretta. I mean, what's that like?
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The tenor of the club has totally changed. And what's
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important with bringing back a kay Wagner is a lot
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of the guys know him, and the new guys are
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already getting the feel and the vibe. Just being down
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there a little bit and talking to Kayle off the
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side myself several times already since he's been back. It's
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like he's picking up right where he left. This is
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a guy, multi time All Star, multi time Best eleven player,
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This is his home and I think speaking with him,
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you know, a lot was reported in the press and
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conge I think by fans that it was solely you know,
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family and his wife, but also it was a football
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or soccer decision as well. And Kai had a great
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time here and he's very into the Philly sports scene,
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the Pride. Also, of course, his young kids being in
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the Philly and also the South Jersey area, and on
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the field, I could speak to tactically what the Union
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sorely missed. For those watching or listening that did not
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see any of us, we had a lack of service
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from the channels. In half number one. We never really
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replaced left back in a Kai Wagner quality. And I'm
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not trying to put down a Philip and dinga Ornite
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Harriel who filled in it left back all the way
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from training, from preseason training and training camp out in
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Spain all the way to this point, but there was
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a slew of other players. We even played Finn Sunstrom,
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a nineteen year old who played in USL with North
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Carolina at that spot. So sorely missed the crosses and
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then we weren't as lethal John on set pieces, and
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you know he lost. He had to fill that void
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in some others. But Kai just has a whole dynamic
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and also you know, having a guy with the leadership.
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I think the Union went from as you well know,
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really since the COVID twenty twenty season, where we've been
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objectively one of the best teams at home and also
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just record, I would say that we missed the veteran presence.
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When you lose the four guys like a Wagner, a
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Glesnies an Uwa back to Denmark and a Tibree, but
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a DC, you're asking young kids to step up and
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thrusting a role that they're not maybe comfortable or accustomed
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to doing. And I think, and I don't fault Bradley
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Carnell or any of the staff or the other players
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saying hey to Anit Howrie or somebody else. Yeah, you're
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gonna have to start calling out guys and training you
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will have to step up maybe in that regard, maybe
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including maybe an Andre Blake too, that's very voiceous with
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this back line, but might not be this guy that's
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expected to call out people. The same with Ali Badoya,
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who's taken on a different role. So you had the
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voice and presence alone of Kai in the locker room
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and also on the field like that, there's a different expectation.
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And I see it at training John behind the scenes
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about the intensity, and that's what Ryan. I heard that
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word a lot yesterday at training down in Chester. Keep
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up the intensity and then you know, tactically what I'm
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saying just a little bit different versus like I can
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go into particulars about you know, ball rotation, a man
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for man marking versus zonal marking. But the back line, John,
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to your question, I'll finish with this was a problem.
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The Union were very anemic. Were still we're still not
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fine too with our finishing up top with the strikers.
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That's one point. The second point is as bad as
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we were finishing, we were probably even more so lackluster
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defensively in front of Andre Blake, which really led to
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a disappointing first half of the year. And hopefully with
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Kai back and Nate Harriol playing center back and the
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emergence of a Neil Pierre Frankie Westfield has been a
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delight at right back, it's going to be a totally
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different second half for the team.
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Voice of the Union, Dave Leno joining us for oppo
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research here on a freestyle Friday. Okay, since you mentioned it,
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I'll skip a line and I'll go to the offense
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from the back line. Milanilaski, who at times has proven
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himself to be a very bad man, and I mean
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that in the most optimistic sense possible. I mean the
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guy can light it up. It seems like if you
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get him, if you get him lighted, then that fuz
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can really carry you for quite some time. Alaski Domiani,
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Indiana Vasilev who freaks out every time he's on the
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show and he sees the Tormento scarf over my right shoulder,
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you know, the offense that is there. It seems to
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the engine kind of seems to be turning over a
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little better than it has in the past. Am I wrong?
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It's fair to say. I think I would like to
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see and this is just my play by play opinion.
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I would like to see us a little bit more
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dynamic in the transition game. And I think that's where
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we were really good last year in the supporter shield years,
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Like how quick can we go you know, you know,
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make a turnover quickly, go into space. And I remember
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a goal that we scored last year at Montreal that
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at a Vassleve d on Q scored like the second
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minute and we were down the length of the field
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in about seven eight seconds. And that was like a
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Bradley Carnell or the Union DNA type of goal where
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we maybe don't like to have a lot of the ball.
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We dispossessed the opposition and we go quick. I would
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like to see a little bit more verticality moving forward,
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the tear that Elaski's going on. This is a guy
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that switched his kid from thirty two and assumed the
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number ten Jersey. He missed a penalty, which I think
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I know early hindsight's easy to say, but he missed
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a penalty down at Mercedes Benz. You remember the game
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back in mid March down there in which we lost
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three to one. If that goes in early on in
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the game, Domiani had a chance with the volley, might
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have been a different outcome again very early in the season.
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And now we're at a different point for both of
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our clubs. But Iloski scored seven goals in the last
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five and what's different about him what Ryan Rick or
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the interim manager is doing. So Bradley could deploy him
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either at a second ten and a four triple two
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or as a second nine as a second striker, and
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I think Ryan prefers, and he said this publicly, as
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a second striker to a Bruno Damiani, or you can
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bring in Ezekiel Alado. And the thing that makes Eloski
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special is his quick release, and he can really make
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something out of nothing. Yes, if like you see in
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one of the goals that happened from westfield, where he
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curls the ball up ahead, it bounces once one time
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hit beautiful finish will be Lostky he can do that.
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He could run into space off a back shoulder of
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a center back, but then quickly like he did in
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against Red Bull New York, a ball floats into the box,
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spins at a three to sixty off a defender, shoots
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and scores behind Marshall Ruddy. He can do that too,
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and that's the key for him finishing shots from a
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rapid rate, you know. And I feel like center backs
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have to pay attention because he could run into space
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off of a center back. He can lurk out like
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to the tip of the eighteen the penalty area and
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take a shot from twenty twenty five yards away. Or
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he can do some combination play, which is a tactic
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in the build up of the Union, where we were
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losing a lot of the second and third balls the
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first half of the half of the year. I think
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fans would tell you, the media would say that we
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weren't stringing three, four or five passes together. That has
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changed in the last couple of games on this wind streak.
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And again it's only a small sample size, but I
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think a lot has to do with Laski deployed up there.
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But I will tell you this, Guys like Bruno Donmiani
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only has one goal this year. He had seven last year.
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He would tell you needs to finish in front of goal.
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Ezikiel Alado club record transfer fee. The kid's only twenty
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for me, you know, in over a decade in MLS, now,
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I know there's still some acclamation period to a guy
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from gotten I played in Sweden coming to the United
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States for the first time, not knowing really anybody, There's
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still going to be time to be worked out. But
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Alido is this big presence where he could run into
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space like a Miquel Uha. But we're not seeing a
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lot of those direct balls over the top from the
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Union into space lately. Maybe we'll see a little bit
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more of that against Atlanta. We'll have to see on
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Saturday night. But he does provide that hold up play
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like a Bruno. So while the Strikers lastly aren't scoring
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and finishing at a rapid rate that we all would
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love to see, and they would too. It's the work
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against the ball that the requirement in our system, the
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defensive work from your nines and from your tens. That
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guys that you mentioned, like at Alaski, like Indiana, Vasla
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is running all over the place, scores an open play
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against Red Bull. The emergence of Cavin Sullivan recently starting
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a lot more for the Union right now, Quinn Sullivan,
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that kuy Wagner. It's a totally different team. And I
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know people are saying, hey, Dave, you just brought Kai
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back and Quinn's coming off the ACL but I can
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tell you the vibes are different. On the two game
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win streak, it's our longest win streak of the year,
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and hopefully that will continue against the struggling Atlanta team.
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I was gonna ask, what kind of a matchup for
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you anticipating in this one? Another one one of those
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Atlanta Philly you know, knockdown, drag out Broad Street street
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fight kind of things. What kind of the match you expecting.
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Yeah, I think it's going to be a battle of
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you know, an Atlanta team that comes in, I think,
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you know, they want to go after the game and
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maybe replicate what Seattle did was make it very ugly
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for the Union in the first forty five minutes and
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there were very little frugal opportunities in front of goal.
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And I expect, you know, tatsa Martinez group to take
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a page out of Brian Schmetzer in the matchup. And
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what I mean by that is, you know, a mix
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of a high line of confrontation what I've seen on
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tape from Atlanta. The question that I have for the
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Union again quickly, you know, if they get a turnover
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on a Miron Chuck al Maroon, how quickly can they
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play a ball into space to a to a Luke
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at your daily then ford to you know, a spurting
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Cavin Sullivan to lead on in Alasky or Dommiani whoever
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starts in the game. So that for me is key
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because another factor that I've seen and John correct me
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if I'm wrong, but I've seen a ton of service
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from the width of teams recently, like in New England,
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like a Charlotte against Atlanta, where I feel like Atlanta
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is conceding space on the channels. And that's when you
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bring a guy like Kai Wagner where he didn't put
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in a ton of crosses against Seattle because I think
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that was part of their game plan to deny Kai
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getting forward up on the left, and I think a
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very good scout at that, and I expect Atlanta to
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do the same. Atlanta's right against our left hand side,
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but I expect Kai and Frankie Westfield to get forward,
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and I think that is I think something that just
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in my opinion that Richter and staff can use its
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disposal because a lot of times what I see is
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a lot of ball watching from Atlanta recently on this
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what win listened seven skid is that like guys that
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are just easily running in the box like a couple
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through balls and scoring. So I hope from the Atlanta
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perspective that they clean that up a little bit. Of course,
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you know, with my Union cap and Polo on, you know,
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I look for our team to go on a you know,
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a three game win streak into League's Cup. I think
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that will help us. But these runs in behind, I
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think from the Union, I think that's key. My question
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for Atlanta is how organized is that back line going
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to be against US. I have no qualms about the
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Miuran Chuck scoring five goals, Almi run finally getting on
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the board and back to back games. I know the
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new acquisitions that they brought in as well, so hopefully
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it can be a great toe for toe, you know
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matchup where we're having a plethora of shots, maybe more
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of the shots on target for the Union in the matchup.
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But I expect a great game because, like you said,
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the Union Atlanta games, no matter where they are on
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the table, they're always thrilling in a joy for me
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to broadcast.
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The back line for Atlanta, I would anticipate being some
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combination of left to right Bias Alonzo Mehai and Tomas Hakobe. Yeah,
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and so from that I have I have no qualm.
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Cooper Sanchez is away with the U twenties, so that
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probably means it's Tristan and maybe will Riley getting the start.
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I would anticipate in a four to two three one
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that you're probably looking at, I would say striker would
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be an interesting question. Is it Fafa Pico up top?
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Then you're looking at what's it going to be on
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the left. Then you would have you know, Miguel and
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Alexi as a part of that. So I've got one,
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I've got one question in the midfield with Fafa up top,
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what I would posit for Atlanta in the attacks since
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you mentioned your left with Wagner and say Wagner and Vassilev,
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I would posit in return the right hand side with
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Alexi and whatever that rush is. And if you see
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Hakob coming forward, which he's not afraid to, that possibility
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of getting behind that back line I'm looking at save
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Wagner and mid Anchuk is being one of those good
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one v one matchups to keep an eye on on
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Saturday night.
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Yeah, I love that. And then the question that I
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have for us, and I think a lot of your
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US soccer fans might keep a track on this guy,
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eighteen year old six foot seven Neil Pierre. You know
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he was very good in Denmark playing with one of
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the clubs we have a partnership for Lingby. You know,
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how does he do coming off a secondary assist to
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Westfield and leading on the goal for Elasky. So I
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look for Pierre who's we know how Lethally can be
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on set pieces, but also despite his lanky frame, he's
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a very adept passer. Comes in with a lot more confidence,
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learn how to even more so at eighteen years old,
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be more of a professional going overseas, playing in an
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environment you're not accustomed to. Right, even though he's he
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started with his US youth team, so that partnership between
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him and now Nate Harriel has played all four spots
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in the back line. How do they derail and limit
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especially in rest defense like an al Maron, like im yourron,
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chucklick you're saying, or whoever else start some top. I
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know fawfall Right hasn't scored in maybe the last couple
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of months. But when I first came to the Union,
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Pico was on the team. It was a delight to cover.
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I used to call him the gazelle affectionately. Love to
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see him run in the space, could finish well. So
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it'd be good to see Fafa back. And I know
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Sergio Santos I believe is still on the roster as well.
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I think hasn't played in considerable time, so things can change,
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you know. Look MLS, you know nine teams in each
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conference make the playoffs. Both of us are maybe not
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in prime positioning right now. The Union have a little
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bit more momentum up into the game. They're at home,
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the crowd certainly sensing that. You know, Quinnsvac ties back that.
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You know, I think it's gonna be a nice environment
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down in Chester on Saturday night. But like you said,
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I think there's an Atlanta team that that's hungry for points,
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and I know they're going to go after the game.
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I do not expect them, and I would be shocked
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if they if taught us as, hey, we're gonna sit back,
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let the Union have the ball and break us down.
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I don't think that would be a good sign for
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for Atlanta, even though the Union don't like to really
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play with a ton of possession. So looking forward to
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a great game. Always a pleasure to cover these two teams.
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And I'm excited to keep the momentum going. And then
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we'll see as it relates to the League's Cup for
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the Union, where we're home for another three games what
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that does to our growth and momentum in the second
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half of the season.
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Hit the promo for me before you go, sir.
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Yeah, So the Union against Atlanta, I have our Union
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radio call in the Philly market. Anybody can hear it
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from anywhere on the ninety seven to five the Fanatic
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app at seven point thirty. Also the home radio feed
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on Apple TV. Choosing home radio I'll be on the
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call with Union legend Sebastian the two, but I always
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like to plug Mike and Jason to do a terrific
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job with Atlanta's radio call. Be a delight to see
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them in Chester. They do a great job, as is
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your program as well. And keep up the amazing work.
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You and I always bounce from different sports, which we
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certainly love that versatility and hoping for another great weekend
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of MLS.
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Absolutely, my friend, great to see you, have a fantastic call,
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have a great weekend and we'll catch up with you soon.
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My friend, great to see you.
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00:00:00.640 --> 00:00:03.200
How is your executive producer that you were trying to
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navigate to make sure that you could be here with us.
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Good morning, my executive producer and boss Logan. My beautiful
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daughter who's two years old, is at a day camp
5
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nearby that she does not go to, but my wife
6
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and son do. So I made some arrangements, went to
7
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training yesterday with the Union, got Logan over to day
8
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camp for a little bit and gives me a little
9
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bit of a morning here for at least maybe an
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hour and a half, and I'm right back into the
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prep mode and with the two year old. But happy
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to be with you as always, my friend.
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It's great to see you. We got you for fifteen ten,
14
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for fifteen solid before Michael Parker's comes into court till
15
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I got to ask you about life on the Richter scale,
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And it's probably both figuratively and literally with Ryan Richter
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the new head coach, How are things different now? Because
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for anybody to sit there and say, oh, yeah, it's
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just Atlanta and iited in Philadelphia, you're different than it
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was earlier this year by a law stretch.
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For sure. I'm not trembling as much as maybe I
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was the first half of the year to your point there,
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It's taken me back to eighth grade science class with
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mister Fleiegra nearby where I'm living right now. But first off,
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let me say I'm so happy for Ryan getting this
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interim tag. It's kind of like a little Sandlot moment
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for me. My first job with the Union in twenty sixteen,
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I was the voice of Bethlem Steel, which is our
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second team now Union two, but at the time they
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played in USL before next Pro and Ryan was the captain,
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so I was out on sponsorship things and going to
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you know, kit launches and various other different events with
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him and Derrick Jones. And you know, that was towards
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the tail end of his career. A supplemental draft pick
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for the Union, by the way, has worked his way
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all the way up from pre Union academy all the
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way through to a first team assistant coach a couple
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of years ago under Jim Curtin Union two coach recently
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the last two years, and now with this interim tag,
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and things are very very different. The guys, I feel
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like are playing with a little bit more freedom. I
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feel like John that the break came at a right
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time for the Union, and I think a lot of
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teams maybe could say that that are towards the bottom
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of the table in both East and Western conferences, and
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I think it was a reset. There's definitely been some change,
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you know, Sporting director John Sheer got that job. A
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couple guys are out, like Olwatson mccon. You had a
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great year last year next to Glesnes an up and
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down season. This year is really a center back one.
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He just transferred to Rangers. He didn't come back after
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the World Cup with South Africa. And you know, we
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start now with six consecutive home games, including League's Cup.
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So we beat a good Red Bull team three to one.
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We get our third clean sheet against Seattle last week,
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and we play a struggling Atlanta side, so we have momentum.
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But I think the focus for Ryan and company and
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I hate to use a cliche, but it really is
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one game at a time for this group.
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That's a dollar in the jar. By the way, we'll
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take a look at the jar at the end of
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the year. You've been reading my notes. I did want
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to talk about the back line because m Kanye didn't
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want to come back and so he was transferred out
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and then you bring in somebody that you're familiar with.
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It's not necessarily an even swap, but what's it like
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to have somebody back from Birmingham, Not Birmingham as we
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say here in the Southeast, but Birmingham. He comes back
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to a place that you know, get back to where
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you once belonged to Loretta. I mean, what's that like?
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The tenor of the club has totally changed. And what's
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important with bringing back a kay Wagner is a lot
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of the guys know him, and the new guys are
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already getting the feel and the vibe. Just being down
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there a little bit and talking to Kayle off the
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side myself several times already since he's been back. It's
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like he's picking up right where he left. This is
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a guy, multi time All Star, multi time Best eleven player,
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This is his home and I think speaking with him,
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you know, a lot was reported in the press and
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conge I think by fans that it was solely you know,
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family and his wife, but also it was a football
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or soccer decision as well. And Kai had a great
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time here and he's very into the Philly sports scene,
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the Pride. Also, of course, his young kids being in
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the Philly and also the South Jersey area, and on
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the field, I could speak to tactically what the Union
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sorely missed. For those watching or listening that did not
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see any of us, we had a lack of service
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from the channels. In half number one. We never really
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replaced left back in a Kai Wagner quality. And I'm
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not trying to put down a Philip and dinga Ornite
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Harriel who filled in it left back all the way
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from training, from preseason training and training camp out in
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Spain all the way to this point, but there was
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a slew of other players. We even played Finn Sunstrom,
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a nineteen year old who played in USL with North
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Carolina at that spot. So sorely missed the crosses and
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then we weren't as lethal John on set pieces, and
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you know he lost. He had to fill that void
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in some others. But Kai just has a whole dynamic
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and also you know, having a guy with the leadership.
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I think the Union went from as you well know,
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really since the COVID twenty twenty season, where we've been
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objectively one of the best teams at home and also
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just record, I would say that we missed the veteran presence.
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When you lose the four guys like a Wagner, a
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Glesnies an Uwa back to Denmark and a Tibree, but
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a DC, you're asking young kids to step up and
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thrusting a role that they're not maybe comfortable or accustomed
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to doing. And I think, and I don't fault Bradley
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Carnell or any of the staff or the other players
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saying hey to Anit Howrie or somebody else. Yeah, you're
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gonna have to start calling out guys and training you
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will have to step up maybe in that regard, maybe
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including maybe an Andre Blake too, that's very voiceous with
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this back line, but might not be this guy that's
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expected to call out people. The same with Ali Badoya,
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who's taken on a different role. So you had the
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voice and presence alone of Kai in the locker room
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and also on the field like that, there's a different expectation.
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And I see it at training John behind the scenes
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about the intensity, and that's what Ryan. I heard that
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word a lot yesterday at training down in Chester. Keep
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up the intensity and then you know, tactically what I'm
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saying just a little bit different versus like I can
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go into particulars about you know, ball rotation, a man
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for man marking versus zonal marking. But the back line, John,
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to your question, I'll finish with this was a problem.
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The Union were very anemic. Were still we're still not
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fine too with our finishing up top with the strikers.
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That's one point. The second point is as bad as
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we were finishing, we were probably even more so lackluster
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defensively in front of Andre Blake, which really led to
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a disappointing first half of the year. And hopefully with
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Kai back and Nate Harriol playing center back and the
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emergence of a Neil Pierre Frankie Westfield has been a
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delight at right back, it's going to be a totally
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different second half for the team.
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Voice of the Union, Dave Leno joining us for oppo
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research here on a freestyle Friday. Okay, since you mentioned it,
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I'll skip a line and I'll go to the offense
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from the back line. Milanilaski, who at times has proven
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himself to be a very bad man, and I mean
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that in the most optimistic sense possible. I mean the
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guy can light it up. It seems like if you
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get him, if you get him lighted, then that fuz
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can really carry you for quite some time. Alaski Domiani,
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Indiana Vasilev who freaks out every time he's on the
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show and he sees the Tormento scarf over my right shoulder,
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you know, the offense that is there. It seems to
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the engine kind of seems to be turning over a
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little better than it has in the past. Am I wrong?
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It's fair to say. I think I would like to
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see and this is just my play by play opinion.
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I would like to see us a little bit more
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dynamic in the transition game. And I think that's where
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we were really good last year in the supporter shield years,
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Like how quick can we go you know, you know,
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make a turnover quickly, go into space. And I remember
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a goal that we scored last year at Montreal that
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at a Vassleve d on Q scored like the second
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minute and we were down the length of the field
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in about seven eight seconds. And that was like a
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Bradley Carnell or the Union DNA type of goal where
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we maybe don't like to have a lot of the ball.
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We dispossessed the opposition and we go quick. I would
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like to see a little bit more verticality moving forward,
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the tear that Elaski's going on. This is a guy
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that switched his kid from thirty two and assumed the
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number ten Jersey. He missed a penalty, which I think
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I know early hindsight's easy to say, but he missed
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a penalty down at Mercedes Benz. You remember the game
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back in mid March down there in which we lost
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three to one. If that goes in early on in
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the game, Domiani had a chance with the volley, might
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have been a different outcome again very early in the season.
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And now we're at a different point for both of
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our clubs. But Iloski scored seven goals in the last
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five and what's different about him what Ryan Rick or
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the interim manager is doing. So Bradley could deploy him
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either at a second ten and a four triple two
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or as a second nine as a second striker, and
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I think Ryan prefers, and he said this publicly, as
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a second striker to a Bruno Damiani, or you can
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bring in Ezekiel Alado. And the thing that makes Eloski
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special is his quick release, and he can really make
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something out of nothing. Yes, if like you see in
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one of the goals that happened from westfield, where he
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curls the ball up ahead, it bounces once one time
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hit beautiful finish will be Lostky he can do that.
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He could run into space off a back shoulder of
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a center back, but then quickly like he did in
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against Red Bull New York, a ball floats into the box,
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spins at a three to sixty off a defender, shoots
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and scores behind Marshall Ruddy. He can do that too,
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and that's the key for him finishing shots from a
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rapid rate, you know. And I feel like center backs
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have to pay attention because he could run into space
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off of a center back. He can lurk out like
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to the tip of the eighteen the penalty area and
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take a shot from twenty twenty five yards away. Or
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he can do some combination play, which is a tactic
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in the build up of the Union, where we were
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losing a lot of the second and third balls the
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first half of the half of the year. I think
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fans would tell you, the media would say that we
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weren't stringing three, four or five passes together. That has
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changed in the last couple of games on this wind streak.
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And again it's only a small sample size, but I
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think a lot has to do with Laski deployed up there.
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But I will tell you this, Guys like Bruno Donmiani
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only has one goal this year. He had seven last year.
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He would tell you needs to finish in front of goal.
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Ezikiel Alado club record transfer fee. The kid's only twenty
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for me, you know, in over a decade in MLS, now,
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I know there's still some acclamation period to a guy
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from gotten I played in Sweden coming to the United
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States for the first time, not knowing really anybody, There's
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still going to be time to be worked out. But
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Alido is this big presence where he could run into
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space like a Miquel Uha. But we're not seeing a
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lot of those direct balls over the top from the
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Union into space lately. Maybe we'll see a little bit
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more of that against Atlanta. We'll have to see on
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Saturday night. But he does provide that hold up play
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like a Bruno. So while the Strikers lastly aren't scoring
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and finishing at a rapid rate that we all would
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love to see, and they would too. It's the work
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against the ball that the requirement in our system, the
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defensive work from your nines and from your tens. That
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guys that you mentioned, like at Alaski, like Indiana, Vasla
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is running all over the place, scores an open play
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against Red Bull. The emergence of Cavin Sullivan recently starting
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a lot more for the Union right now, Quinn Sullivan,
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that kuy Wagner. It's a totally different team. And I
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know people are saying, hey, Dave, you just brought Kai
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back and Quinn's coming off the ACL but I can
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tell you the vibes are different. On the two game
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win streak, it's our longest win streak of the year,
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and hopefully that will continue against the struggling Atlanta team.
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I was gonna ask, what kind of a matchup for
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you anticipating in this one? Another one one of those
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Atlanta Philly you know, knockdown, drag out Broad Street street
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fight kind of things. What kind of the match you expecting.
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Yeah, I think it's going to be a battle of
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you know, an Atlanta team that comes in, I think,
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you know, they want to go after the game and
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maybe replicate what Seattle did was make it very ugly
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for the Union in the first forty five minutes and
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there were very little frugal opportunities in front of goal.
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And I expect, you know, tatsa Martinez group to take
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a page out of Brian Schmetzer in the matchup. And
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what I mean by that is, you know, a mix
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of a high line of confrontation what I've seen on
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tape from Atlanta. The question that I have for the
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Union again quickly, you know, if they get a turnover
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on a Miron Chuck al Maroon, how quickly can they
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play a ball into space to a to a Luke
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at your daily then ford to you know, a spurting
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Cavin Sullivan to lead on in Alasky or Dommiani whoever
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starts in the game. So that for me is key
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because another factor that I've seen and John correct me
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if I'm wrong, but I've seen a ton of service
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from the width of teams recently, like in New England,
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like a Charlotte against Atlanta, where I feel like Atlanta
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is conceding space on the channels. And that's when you
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bring a guy like Kai Wagner where he didn't put
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in a ton of crosses against Seattle because I think
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that was part of their game plan to deny Kai
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getting forward up on the left, and I think a
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very good scout at that, and I expect Atlanta to
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do the same. Atlanta's right against our left hand side,
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but I expect Kai and Frankie Westfield to get forward,
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and I think that is I think something that just
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in my opinion that Richter and staff can use its
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disposal because a lot of times what I see is
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a lot of ball watching from Atlanta recently on this
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what win listened seven skid is that like guys that
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are just easily running in the box like a couple
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through balls and scoring. So I hope from the Atlanta
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perspective that they clean that up a little bit. Of course,
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you know, with my Union cap and Polo on, you know,
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I look for our team to go on a you know,
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a three game win streak into League's Cup. I think
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that will help us. But these runs in behind, I
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think from the Union, I think that's key. My question
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for Atlanta is how organized is that back line going
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to be against US. I have no qualms about the
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Miuran Chuck scoring five goals, Almi run finally getting on
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the board and back to back games. I know the
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new acquisitions that they brought in as well, so hopefully
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it can be a great toe for toe, you know
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matchup where we're having a plethora of shots, maybe more
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of the shots on target for the Union in the matchup.
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But I expect a great game because, like you said,
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the Union Atlanta games, no matter where they are on
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the table, they're always thrilling in a joy for me
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to broadcast.
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The back line for Atlanta, I would anticipate being some
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combination of left to right Bias Alonzo Mehai and Tomas Hakobe. Yeah,
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and so from that I have I have no qualm.
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Cooper Sanchez is away with the U twenties, so that
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probably means it's Tristan and maybe will Riley getting the start.
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I would anticipate in a four to two three one
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that you're probably looking at, I would say striker would
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be an interesting question. Is it Fafa Pico up top?
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Then you're looking at what's it going to be on
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the left. Then you would have you know, Miguel and
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Alexi as a part of that. So I've got one,
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I've got one question in the midfield with Fafa up top,
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what I would posit for Atlanta in the attacks since
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you mentioned your left with Wagner and say Wagner and Vassilev,
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I would posit in return the right hand side with
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Alexi and whatever that rush is. And if you see
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Hakob coming forward, which he's not afraid to, that possibility
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of getting behind that back line I'm looking at save
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Wagner and mid Anchuk is being one of those good
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one v one matchups to keep an eye on on
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Saturday night.
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Yeah, I love that. And then the question that I
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have for us, and I think a lot of your
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US soccer fans might keep a track on this guy,
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eighteen year old six foot seven Neil Pierre. You know
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he was very good in Denmark playing with one of
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the clubs we have a partnership for Lingby. You know,
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how does he do coming off a secondary assist to
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Westfield and leading on the goal for Elasky. So I
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look for Pierre who's we know how Lethally can be
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on set pieces, but also despite his lanky frame, he's
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a very adept passer. Comes in with a lot more confidence,
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learn how to even more so at eighteen years old,
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be more of a professional going overseas, playing in an
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environment you're not accustomed to. Right, even though he's he
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started with his US youth team, so that partnership between
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him and now Nate Harriel has played all four spots
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in the back line. How do they derail and limit
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especially in rest defense like an al Maron, like im yourron,
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chucklick you're saying, or whoever else start some top. I
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know fawfall Right hasn't scored in maybe the last couple
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of months. But when I first came to the Union,
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Pico was on the team. It was a delight to cover.
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I used to call him the gazelle affectionately. Love to
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see him run in the space, could finish well. So
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it'd be good to see Fafa back. And I know
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Sergio Santos I believe is still on the roster as well.
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I think hasn't played in considerable time, so things can change,
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you know. Look MLS, you know nine teams in each
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conference make the playoffs. Both of us are maybe not
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in prime positioning right now. The Union have a little
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bit more momentum up into the game. They're at home,
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the crowd certainly sensing that. You know, Quinnsvac ties back that.
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You know, I think it's gonna be a nice environment
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down in Chester on Saturday night. But like you said,
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I think there's an Atlanta team that that's hungry for points,
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and I know they're going to go after the game.
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I do not expect them, and I would be shocked
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if they if taught us as, hey, we're gonna sit back,
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let the Union have the ball and break us down.
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I don't think that would be a good sign for
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for Atlanta, even though the Union don't like to really
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play with a ton of possession. So looking forward to
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a great game. Always a pleasure to cover these two teams.
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And I'm excited to keep the momentum going. And then
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we'll see as it relates to the League's Cup for
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the Union, where we're home for another three games what
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that does to our growth and momentum in the second
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half of the season.
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Hit the promo for me before you go, sir.
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Yeah, So the Union against Atlanta, I have our Union
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radio call in the Philly market. Anybody can hear it
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from anywhere on the ninety seven to five the Fanatic
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app at seven point thirty. Also the home radio feed
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on Apple TV. Choosing home radio I'll be on the
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call with Union legend Sebastian the two, but I always
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like to plug Mike and Jason to do a terrific
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job with Atlanta's radio call. Be a delight to see
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them in Chester. They do a great job, as is
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your program as well. And keep up the amazing work.
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You and I always bounce from different sports, which we
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certainly love that versatility and hoping for another great weekend
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of MLS.
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Absolutely, my friend, great to see you, have a fantastic call,
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have a great weekend and we'll catch up with you soon.
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My friend, great to see you.
