WEBVTT

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You're listening to Raising Anchor on 990 WBOB.

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Welcome to the Raising Anchor Soccer Show with

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Matt Entrigan and Jason Carey. Your home for

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news, analysis, and everything Rhode Island FC.

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Each week, they take you inside the locker room,

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inside the tactics, and inside the storyline

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shaping RIFC. Here's Matt and Jason. Rhode Island

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FC hit the road to take on the Indy 11 in the

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weekend with their first collision of the season.

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Will RFC be able to find fourth gear and pass

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this team to find victory lane or will Sean McCauley

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and company have other plans in store? for the

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amber and blue. John Morrissey of USL Tactics,

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the USL show, backheels this league. Probably

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everything that is connected to USL in an official

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or unofficial capacity joins us here on the show.

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John, it's so great when you get to come on and

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talk soccer with us. No, it's always a pleasure

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when you guys have me on. So excited to be here.

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You know, I gave you all the flowers a second

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ago. I'm sure there's 17 things I didn't even

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list. Do you still have your substack or is it

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all backheeled now? Is there something I'm missing

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that needs to be rectified here? Yeah, I've moved

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the substack to ghost, which is kind of a nothing

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in terms of what the newsletter is. I have added

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like new tools. So if you've ever seen me post

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like a player graphic card with stats, anybody

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can go look that up now. So I would encourage

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people to check that out. It's like free and

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everything. Do we need to find a new title to

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bestow upon you at some point? Is it official

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USL insider? Is it USL analyst supreme? Like,

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have we workshopped that for you? I like analyst

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supreme of the options here. I think Devin Kerr

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might get angry that you're encroaching on his

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space neighbor. Needless to say, and of course

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I'd be remiss if I didn't also introduce the

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co -host with the most in one, Mr. Jason Carey.

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Jason, how is it going and how are you holding

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down the Ford in Rhode Island? Doing great, you

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know living the the New England dream, you know,

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I'm not not in Hawaii But you know weather is

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starting to get good except for the weekends.

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The weekends are terrible during the week It's

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great, you know, but the weekends are just like

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58 raining. So, you know is what it is I mean

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it rains every day here but it's only for five

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seconds and then it's beautiful weather so I

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will not brag I will not make you feel any less

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now I know both of you on the east coast not

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living the best life possible listen this is

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going to be a fun show of course just not because

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we have john on but we get to preview the india

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11 they're always a scrappy team when these two

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meet and then we've got tons of content especially

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a very expansive mailbag. John, a lot of people

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want to know a lot of things about you, so I

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hope you're ready to give the tell -all VH1 unplugged

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as we jump into this. Preparing for it. Awesome.

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Well, then let's jump straight into it. Let's

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get where we need to get. And that, of course,

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is starting with the head -to -head record. Jason,

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John, these are two teams that you wouldn't know

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it because of the record in regular season play.

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And then, of course, some postseason shenanigans.

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These might be one of the most even keel setups

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when we talk about. who's taken points from who

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and where they've taken those points. Jason,

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do you want to just give us the rundown on exactly

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what that looks like when we talk about these

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breakouts and in terms of the history of these

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two teams? Yeah, so looking at the record here,

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two wins, two losses and a draw between the two

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teams. Last season it was split to one nil victories

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for each side. You know that they've kind of

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traded blows back and back. with the exception

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there of that emphatic 3 -2 win in the playoffs

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there. It's kind of been a bit back and forth

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between these two teams here. Yeah, of course

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we see, you know, the last match ending 1 -0

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to Rhode Island. It was a scrappy game. Ima Mabika,

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RIP, sent off in the 80th minute for a red card.

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Amusa Ongo, only the thing that keeps these two

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sides separate on the night. John, we bring you

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in for this particular show because we know you're

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an Indy 11 homer. We know how much you love these.

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I'm disappointed you're not wearing the corn

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cob kit tonight. I know that you have one. Walk

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us through, as you've watched these matches in

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particular, what you've seen between these two

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sides when they go head -to -head. I think the

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interesting thing, at least on the Indy side

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of things, is you can kind of track the tactical

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development or lack thereof for this team. It

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really was that kind of mid -2024 point where

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Indy is in the middle of a successful run in

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the U .S. Open Cup, and they're still somewhat

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possessive. They're very counterattack -minded.

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And since then, it's the progression, getting

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more direct, leaning into the long ball, becoming

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as physical as you can get, which I think sets

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the table for a really interesting matchup as

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Indy has gotten younger and faster. And maybe

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he's going to try to bring something a little

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bit more refined to this iteration of the game.

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Yeah, you know, I think about the, there's a

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fact here ahead because it's one of t these two

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coaches now, t say tied for second in t championship.

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Ben Peerman front after the Lew city Cruz, Sean

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McCauley gets t even argue that Kano actua most

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tenured coach becaus signed in 2023 ahead of

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t these two coaches now ha lifeline or span of

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life in the championship. When we talk about

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the evolution of their games, and I know we'll

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break down each one here in a second, but when

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you look at these two sides coming together,

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this has to be kind of the old guards when it

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comes to tactical strategy and flexibility at

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this point. Do we think we're going to see something

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different or is this more of two sides forcing

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their way on each other in a battle of both wits

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and physicality on the night? It feels like both

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organizations. have followed the same broad arc

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of where they're trying to go tactically. No,

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I'm not going to sit here and tell you what we

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saw from Rhode Island on opening day two years

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ago is the same exact system you're getting now.

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But in broad strokes, you're growing, you're

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learning, you're adapting to the talent and where

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the league itself has gone. And I would say the

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same thing about Indy. I think Sean McCauley

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is a very pragmatic manager, and he's leaned

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deeper and deeper into the idea of pragmatism,

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of verticality. So it's it's similar, but grown

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over the same period of time that we've seen

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Macaulay and Smith go at it. Jason, I've told

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you at length that the three three draw on July

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5th for our first ever. It was our fireworks

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celebration for the 4th of July, but it was the

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first time these show these two teams ever showed

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up for each other. It was a stoppage time at

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the death equalizer. I think it was Harvo tapping

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it in. This game had. I think this game kind

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of set the table for not only the experiences

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we'd see against India in the future, but also

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kind of that was that July spark. That was where

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we were post the Lew City 5 -2 in the initial

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season. We were trying to find out where we wanted

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to be when we grew up. In those regards, when

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we look at Indy and you just think about it from

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an eyeball test, like don't talk about the stats.

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How does Indy rank when you think about the teams

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that Rhode Island FCS to show up for on game

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day? I mean, yeah, I. I remember that game being

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being kind of during that summer run. But then

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I've also if you look a little bit ahead a month

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later, right, we had that midweek stretch where

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we played them on a Wednesday, I think it was

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and Connor rotated the team very heavily. I think

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we ended up losing. And there was also we were

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sandwiched between Hartford and Detroit. So it

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was a pretty tough week there for us. So they've

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been a team that's We've kind of traded blows

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back and forth. Like I mentioned there earlier,

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it's it's always a team that I look forward to

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seeing us play, but never really confident it's

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going to how it's going to go one way or the

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other until I actually get to see the match.

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Yeah, I think that's right. They're not quite

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the boogeyman of Loudon or Pittsburgh just yet,

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but they also don't stand out as a team that

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we can just breeze through. You know, after the

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conversation with coach Agarte after last week's

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game, I don't think there's a single team in

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the Eastern Conference right now. that we could

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say we could breeze through. Maybe the rest of

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the Eastern Conference could say it out of Sporting

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Club Jacksonville, but we certainly can't say

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that on the Eastern side of things. So it will

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be interesting to see how these two teams line

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up. And to get there, we got to talk about the

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availability report here for a second because

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I want to make sure that we know. Who's going

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into that for this game? And of course, I did

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not put the right slide up. So I'm just going

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to hide that. We're going to talk normal shop

00:09:05.350 --> 00:09:07.649
here. But it looks like from a Rhode Island FC

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side of things, it looks like it's going to be

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CJ Williams still questionable from that day

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to day. I obviously didn't get to see him in

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training this week as I'm on Oahu. But it looks

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like CJ Williams is the only player right now.

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We thought Leo Alfonso might be in some sort

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of concussion protocol, but we saw him on the

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night. And then from the Indy side of things,

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John, I'm going to lean on you. I know the two.

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that are on season ending injury list situations

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in Hayden White and Pat Hogan. Is there anyone

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else that McCauley can't get to right now because

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of a knock or a lingering type of injury that

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they're not going to see on the starting 11 or

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the 18 man roster? Those are the big two. Charlie

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Sharp, you wouldn't say he's injured, but he's

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somebody who started a lot of games early, got

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injured and really hasn't reclaimed his place.

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But yeah, other than that, we've kind of got

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the whole picture there for Indy. Alright, and

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then from the ref reporting side of things, I

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feel like this is something Jason we have to

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keep saying each week because we talked about

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the impact of Encarnacion. Now we got it. I think

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this is the this is a staple of the show moving

00:10:08.159 --> 00:10:10.059
forward is that we're going to talk about these

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friends and we're going to talk about the impact

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that they have had when it comes to Rhode Island

00:10:13.320 --> 00:10:16.720
FC historically. Yeah, looking at the ref assignment

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for this match, head referees going to be Thomas

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Snyder assistant referees. You're going to be

00:10:21.840 --> 00:10:25.580
Josh Lemkins and Adam Soleil. and the fourth

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official being Salvador Flores. Snyder, historically

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one of the highest carding refs in the championship.

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So fun for a team like Rhode Island and a team

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like Indy that seems to show up for these types

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of battles. He averages over six cards a game

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in the last two seasons. It's calmed down a bit

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in this current season. His claim to fame for

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us, if we go back into the way back machine,

00:10:48.320 --> 00:10:51.210
is that ever, ever popular nil -nil. against

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Loudon back in 2 that suspicious handball made

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the save that night ball don't lie gentlemen.

00:11:00.970 --> 00:11:05.049
S a nil nil when it came t in that regard. Yeah,

00:11:05.549 --> 00:11:11.669
tha penalty from Zach Ryan. H was kind of just

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juggling for uh hit the ability to felt like

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a bit of taunting John, how do you not insert

00:11:24.559 --> 00:11:26.639
the narrative of the referee performance and

00:11:26.639 --> 00:11:28.679
the impact that they have on games when you're

00:11:28.679 --> 00:11:31.299
writing the 17 million words you put out a week?

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It very much is game to game. I'm sympathetic

00:11:35.940 --> 00:11:38.100
to the fact that this is a hard job for these

00:11:38.100 --> 00:11:41.220
guys who aren't paid very much, are jetting everywhere

00:11:41.220 --> 00:11:43.700
across the country in the same way a team might.

00:11:44.110 --> 00:11:46.710
There are certainly matches where a referee makes

00:11:46.710 --> 00:11:48.649
their presence felt whether it's a big penalty

00:11:48.649 --> 00:11:51.590
call a bad penalty call perhaps ascending off

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For the most part I try to keep it as focused

00:11:55.090 --> 00:11:58.850
on the pitch as I can Unless the referee is really

00:11:58.850 --> 00:12:01.789
making themselves the main character So when

00:12:01.789 --> 00:12:03.629
you were watching the game last week for Rhode

00:12:03.629 --> 00:12:06.940
Island Did you ever feel at one point Encarnacion

00:12:06.940 --> 00:12:09.639
impacted that game beyond? I mean, we were happy

00:12:09.639 --> 00:12:12.399
with a 4 -1. Brooklyn, probably not so much,

00:12:12.440 --> 00:12:15.360
both as players and fans, but if you ask the

00:12:15.360 --> 00:12:17.299
staff, if you ask the players, if you ask the

00:12:17.299 --> 00:12:20.059
fans after that game, it was like an asterisk

00:12:20.059 --> 00:12:22.120
that, yes, we got the win, but also that ref

00:12:22.120 --> 00:12:23.980
should never be welcomed back to Centerville

00:12:23.980 --> 00:12:27.159
Bank Stadium. Do you see that as you build your

00:12:27.159 --> 00:12:31.149
case about analyzing these teams? I tend to focus

00:12:31.149 --> 00:12:33.970
on it more in the postseason, where I feel like

00:12:33.970 --> 00:12:36.629
the referees are bringing a new approach to the

00:12:36.629 --> 00:12:38.889
table. I tend to think things in the regular

00:12:38.889 --> 00:12:41.269
season kind of wash out over the course of 30,

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34 games. When you get to the playoff atmosphere,

00:12:45.110 --> 00:12:47.669
and I think about Pittsburgh in particular, when

00:12:47.669 --> 00:12:49.990
they went on their title run, they wanted to

00:12:49.990 --> 00:12:52.289
be direct, they wanted to be physical. That's

00:12:52.289 --> 00:12:54.909
a style that invites cards. So if you get a referee

00:12:54.909 --> 00:12:57.889
who wants to be a disciplinarian, that has a

00:12:57.889 --> 00:13:01.049
huge impact in the highest leverage moment. Something

00:13:01.049 --> 00:13:03.309
like the Brooklyn game, I tend to be a little

00:13:03.309 --> 00:13:05.929
bit more forgiving unless it's pretty flagrant.

00:13:06.929 --> 00:13:09.870
It sounds like we may see then at the end of

00:13:09.870 --> 00:13:13.370
the season the potential for a ref power ranking

00:13:13.370 --> 00:13:16.649
at the end of the season. Before we go to break,

00:13:16.809 --> 00:13:19.169
do you have a favorite ref? Jason and I are homers

00:13:19.169 --> 00:13:20.909
for a particular one, but I'm curious, is there

00:13:20.909 --> 00:13:23.389
a ref that stands out above all others for you?

00:13:23.889 --> 00:13:26.549
I will say the, I can't remember what the name

00:13:26.549 --> 00:13:28.990
of the referee union is. They invited me to give

00:13:28.990 --> 00:13:31.809
an hour long talk about tactics in the USL last

00:13:31.809 --> 00:13:34.710
off season. So credit to the referees. They know

00:13:34.710 --> 00:13:38.269
ball clearly. I don't know if I have a favorite.

00:13:38.750 --> 00:13:41.250
Elton Garcia is just a guy who I'm like, I'm

00:13:41.250 --> 00:13:43.190
always clocking in when he's calling a game.

00:13:43.289 --> 00:13:45.809
Like he's up to something some of the time and

00:13:45.809 --> 00:13:49.850
he stands out for me. Jason, do you want to tell

00:13:49.850 --> 00:13:52.830
him who we're the biggest homers of? Yeah, whenever

00:13:52.830 --> 00:13:55.889
we have Natalie Simon wheels fell that she she

00:13:55.889 --> 00:13:58.269
refs games very fairly kind of let some flow

00:13:58.269 --> 00:14:00.909
So it's always we know it's gonna be a good game

00:14:00.909 --> 00:14:05.759
That's a really good shout. Yeah and I mean,

00:14:05.759 --> 00:14:09.320
she hasn't re championship this this time like

00:14:09.320 --> 00:14:12.340
she's starting to g into the NWSL and the M.

00:14:13.139 --> 00:14:15.720
L Pro rel in the league and y be talking about

00:14:15.720 --> 00:14:20.480
that by t Maybe we've seen her last on to bigger

00:14:20.480 --> 00:14:24.440
divisions, but break and when we return, down

00:14:24.440 --> 00:14:34.070
the Rhode Island F. Thank you for listening to

00:14:34.070 --> 00:14:36.649
tonight's broadcast powered by Sprout Coworking.

00:14:36.990 --> 00:14:38.990
For all your business needs, large or small,

00:14:39.289 --> 00:14:43.769
visit sproutcoworking .com. Powering 990 WBOB,

00:14:44.090 --> 00:14:47.350
that's sproutcoworking .com. Now let's get back

00:14:47.350 --> 00:14:51.090
to the raising anchor soccer ship on 990 WBOB

00:14:51.090 --> 00:14:55.580
with Matt Entrickett and Jason Carey. back here

00:14:55.580 --> 00:15:00.399
on the raising And if you missed the tab haven't

00:15:00.399 --> 00:15:04.860
used an internet w covered that on monday or

00:15:04.860 --> 00:15:09.240
show. So go back and list in ninth place. It

00:15:09.240 --> 00:15:16.570
feels some really important win But because of

00:15:16.570 --> 00:15:18.669
that, I want to look back on these last five

00:15:18.669 --> 00:15:21.649
games across all comps. And of course, the championship,

00:15:21.889 --> 00:15:23.610
because I think that's the picture that we have

00:15:23.610 --> 00:15:26.269
to separate and paint differently when you look

00:15:26.269 --> 00:15:29.990
at how this team has been in form. Jason, you

00:15:29.990 --> 00:15:31.750
know, I don't know if you're going to paint glass

00:15:31.750 --> 00:15:34.629
half full here or half empty. So you're in control,

00:15:34.750 --> 00:15:36.250
my friend. Walk listeners through how you want

00:15:36.250 --> 00:15:39.929
to set this table. I mean, you know, 4K no los

00:15:39.929 --> 00:15:41.690
dos, maybe a little bit of column A, a little

00:15:41.690 --> 00:15:45.259
bit of column B. So like if we. Put all competitions

00:15:45.259 --> 00:15:47.879
into it Doesn't look particularly great. We've

00:15:47.879 --> 00:15:50.879
got one win two losses and two draws technically,

00:15:50.879 --> 00:15:53.279
you can argue the hartford is a draw because

00:15:53.279 --> 00:15:56.460
of the way the Um pranks cup brought to you by

00:15:56.460 --> 00:15:58.659
jaeger meister. It happens, but like I I don't

00:15:58.659 --> 00:16:01.019
really count the it's a draw If it was if it

00:16:01.019 --> 00:16:03.740
was westchester if it was if it was if it was

00:16:03.740 --> 00:16:06.659
hearts If it was cosmos i'd count it but because

00:16:06.659 --> 00:16:10.379
it's hartford it can never be end of story But

00:16:10.379 --> 00:16:13.149
if we're looking at just the league Actually

00:16:13.149 --> 00:16:15.789
three one and one which is the last time not

00:16:15.789 --> 00:16:19.509
too bad And it's funny if we take a look at the

00:16:19.509 --> 00:16:22.350
parallel to our opponents this week in Indy They

00:16:22.350 --> 00:16:25.009
also have the same record in the last five matches

00:16:25.009 --> 00:16:27.990
three one and one and the funny thing here is

00:16:27.990 --> 00:16:30.330
Looking at those two the one loss and the one

00:16:30.330 --> 00:16:33.210
draw They're actually absolute. They're completely

00:16:33.210 --> 00:16:37.870
flipped. So we drew with Tampa Indy lost to Tampa.

00:16:38.129 --> 00:16:41.570
We lost to Birmingham. They drew with Birmingham

00:16:41.929 --> 00:16:44.669
I don't know if that says anything at all about

00:16:44.669 --> 00:16:48.490
these matchups, or just explains the insane parody

00:16:48.490 --> 00:16:53.289
that is the Eastern Conference this season. John,

00:16:53.289 --> 00:16:54.909
how do you subscribe to that? And obviously,

00:16:55.129 --> 00:16:57.610
Kano lost to Jay Heaps. He did not lose to Birmingham

00:16:57.610 --> 00:16:59.950
on the night. There was insider trading going

00:16:59.950 --> 00:17:02.070
on there. But John, when you look at these two

00:17:02.070 --> 00:17:04.490
teams from the head -to -head perspective, are

00:17:04.490 --> 00:17:06.609
they in form, as you would call it? Are they

00:17:06.609 --> 00:17:10.150
out of form? Where do they fit on the momentum

00:17:10.150 --> 00:17:14.559
test for you? I would argue that Indy is in pretty

00:17:14.559 --> 00:17:17.579
good form. You can look at games like Tampa Bay

00:17:17.579 --> 00:17:20.759
or the loss to Omaha in the USL Cup and maybe

00:17:20.759 --> 00:17:23.460
fight against that interpretation. But I think

00:17:23.460 --> 00:17:26.779
Indy is doing what they want to do, executing

00:17:26.779 --> 00:17:29.460
on their principles in the games where they've

00:17:29.460 --> 00:17:32.059
got a good shot, i .e. not counting Tampa Bay

00:17:32.059 --> 00:17:35.059
because they're curb stomping everybody. On the

00:17:35.059 --> 00:17:37.220
Rhode Island side of things, I probably land

00:17:37.220 --> 00:17:40.240
similarly. The Portland one really stands out

00:17:40.240 --> 00:17:44.000
as a major blip for me, but I still have the

00:17:44.000 --> 00:17:46.519
Charleston win fresh in my mind, the performance

00:17:46.519 --> 00:17:48.259
against Brooklyn that you're just coming off

00:17:48.259 --> 00:17:51.079
of. There are these moments where it really all

00:17:51.079 --> 00:17:54.160
comes together, and in this part of the season

00:17:54.160 --> 00:17:56.720
that is still somewhat early, the fact that you

00:17:56.720 --> 00:17:59.400
can string along decent performances and then

00:17:59.400 --> 00:18:02.220
really show what you're made of, that's promising

00:18:02.220 --> 00:18:07.160
in my mind. agreed and in that promis in ninth

00:18:07.160 --> 00:18:12.299
place a win thi else goes our way. And be championship

00:18:12.299 --> 00:18:17.339
because it's it probably won't, but a high as

00:18:17.339 --> 00:18:22.480
fifth place for t on the outside of a play first

00:18:22.480 --> 00:18:25.940
half of the season be the match that we've b

00:18:25.940 --> 00:18:31.059
testing the medal of Rho all season have been

00:18:31.059 --> 00:18:36.539
argu from an optics perspective continues to

00:18:36.539 --> 00:18:41.660
match the oppo speaking from their table they

00:18:41.660 --> 00:18:45.920
wake up and don't res they're further down and

00:18:45.920 --> 00:18:51.099
t at least 10 points on the I don't know if you

00:18:51.099 --> 00:18:56.529
subscri no players just gonna say But there's

00:18:56.529 --> 00:18:59.549
something to it where Rhode Island seems to be

00:18:59.549 --> 00:19:01.990
asleep at the wheel when there are, quote unquote,

00:19:02.190 --> 00:19:04.930
lesser table standings when it comes to the opponents.

00:19:05.289 --> 00:19:09.230
Thoughts on that? I think that is a very fair

00:19:09.230 --> 00:19:11.349
theory. I think it's something you see across

00:19:11.349 --> 00:19:14.230
the league quite often. But you think about that

00:19:14.230 --> 00:19:16.769
Tampa Bay game in particular for Rhode Island

00:19:16.769 --> 00:19:19.529
FC, where the defensive approach is really locked

00:19:19.529 --> 00:19:21.930
in. I thought the midfield performance was about

00:19:21.930 --> 00:19:24.529
as good as you can get against this rowdy's team.

00:19:24.799 --> 00:19:27.039
You think about the way that Connorsmith changes

00:19:27.039 --> 00:19:30.019
up the tactics late in that match to ultimately

00:19:30.019 --> 00:19:33.359
earn a draw. Everything felt sharp from the Rhode

00:19:33.359 --> 00:19:36.339
Island side and then you go and it's Portland

00:19:36.339 --> 00:19:39.319
and it's a major letdown. Like that, those two

00:19:39.319 --> 00:19:41.259
games paired together really proves the theory

00:19:41.259 --> 00:19:44.500
of what you're saying. It is a focus thing. It's

00:19:44.500 --> 00:19:46.619
something that you have to wrap your arms around

00:19:46.619 --> 00:19:49.759
in the changing room. I think Rhode Island probably

00:19:49.759 --> 00:19:52.319
has the mentality to get over the hump and stop

00:19:52.319 --> 00:19:54.950
it from being a major problem but Hey, that's

00:19:54.950 --> 00:19:57.869
something you got to focus on as a group. Agreed.

00:19:57.950 --> 00:20:00.630
And how that will come together this weekend

00:20:00.630 --> 00:20:04.150
in Indy will look something like what we think

00:20:04.150 --> 00:20:07.369
Kano did this last weekend. Although he's a tinkerer,

00:20:07.829 --> 00:20:10.309
he may have found success in this formula after

00:20:10.309 --> 00:20:13.150
putting four goals against Brooklyn. Jason, walk

00:20:13.150 --> 00:20:16.089
listeners through who we think might be the starting

00:20:16.089 --> 00:20:19.069
11 guaranteed to be wrong out of Rhode Island's

00:20:19.069 --> 00:20:22.720
camp. Yeah, so we think he's gonna go with essentially

00:20:22.720 --> 00:20:24.940
the same lineup here. He put out this last weekend

00:20:24.940 --> 00:20:29.819
with Coque Vegas and net here a back line of

00:20:29.819 --> 00:20:33.319
Nick Scardina, Kareefa Yao, Omni, Jope and Aldair

00:20:33.319 --> 00:20:36.619
Sanchez there in the back Clay and Hugo as you're

00:20:36.619 --> 00:20:40.119
holding midfielders with Joe Jaya, Amos Shapiro

00:20:40.119 --> 00:20:43.579
Thompson, Leo Alfonso and JJ Williams up top

00:20:43.579 --> 00:20:46.920
there. I Think when I look at the this line up

00:20:46.920 --> 00:20:50.640
here though, I can also kind of see a swap between

00:20:50.640 --> 00:20:54.200
Ames Shapiro Thompson and Bitti Rodriguez. We

00:20:54.200 --> 00:20:57.880
talked about how maybe that position could be

00:20:57.880 --> 00:21:00.460
interchangeable for this team going forward,

00:21:00.539 --> 00:21:04.539
depending upon the tactics. When it comes to

00:21:04.539 --> 00:21:07.220
Nick, I think that he'll probably get another

00:21:07.220 --> 00:21:11.119
shout, but no Darcey is also a good option there

00:21:11.119 --> 00:21:14.319
too. It's very much kind of dependent upon how

00:21:14.319 --> 00:21:17.460
Kano sees the match. See, I've got a back three

00:21:17.460 --> 00:21:20.579
of Nodar say in this game and not Nick because

00:21:20.579 --> 00:21:23.500
and we'll talk about it on the Indy side. Indy

00:21:23.500 --> 00:21:26.500
does not. They have not yet managed to keep a

00:21:26.500 --> 00:21:29.099
clean sheet in any of their games, with the exception

00:21:29.099 --> 00:21:32.140
of some U .S. Open Cup, U .S .L .2 action. And

00:21:32.140 --> 00:21:34.279
so for me, that tells me that we don't need to

00:21:34.279 --> 00:21:37.740
rely as conservatively on a defensive back foot.

00:21:37.980 --> 00:21:40.700
While Scardino offers a great range, and Giorgiaia

00:21:40.700 --> 00:21:43.640
said it himself in last week's post game, that

00:21:43.640 --> 00:21:45.700
it kind of untethers him and he doesn't have

00:21:45.700 --> 00:21:48.440
to play as defensively. I think there's something

00:21:48.440 --> 00:21:51.720
to be said about when we have a back three, we

00:21:51.720 --> 00:21:54.079
can focus a little bit more on quicker transition.

00:21:54.029 --> 00:21:58.369
and have more bodies for the risk of the transition

00:21:58.369 --> 00:22:03.450
side of things, when I s mostly is aerial. And

00:22:03.450 --> 00:22:07.049
so t in the lineup instead of we're going to

00:22:07.049 --> 00:22:11.390
need as ma we've got in the team when defense

00:22:11.390 --> 00:22:16.039
and just crosses o I'm not saying Scardina doesn't

00:22:16.039 --> 00:22:17.660
have it, and I wouldn't be surprised because

00:22:17.660 --> 00:22:21.180
we know Kano rewards players that do well. And

00:22:21.180 --> 00:22:23.380
when you get team of the week honors, that could

00:22:23.380 --> 00:22:26.759
be a good case to say, hey, you are not getting

00:22:26.759 --> 00:22:28.759
removed from this this team, at least from a

00:22:28.759 --> 00:22:31.539
starting 11 perspective. So I can see the tactical

00:22:31.539 --> 00:22:33.480
line up more on the Frank Nodarse side, but I

00:22:33.480 --> 00:22:35.900
could also see the reward coming for Nick Scardina

00:22:35.900 --> 00:22:38.000
and all of his accomplishments. I guess, John,

00:22:38.319 --> 00:22:41.799
you get to be the tiebreaker here. You don't

00:22:41.799 --> 00:22:44.299
get held to any real quote here on this. We won't

00:22:44.299 --> 00:22:47.059
use this against you later in a clip, I promise.

00:22:47.579 --> 00:22:49.279
But which way would you lean if you were setting

00:22:49.279 --> 00:22:53.059
this up as Kano Smith? So if I'm Kano Smith,

00:22:53.180 --> 00:22:55.619
I want to come into this game and be on the front

00:22:55.619 --> 00:22:58.200
foot as much as I can. And knowing what you know

00:22:58.200 --> 00:23:01.559
about Indy, it's kind of a 4 -3 -3. They really

00:23:01.559 --> 00:23:04.500
want those wingers to push high upfield. And

00:23:04.500 --> 00:23:06.579
if that's the case and Indy loses possession

00:23:06.579 --> 00:23:08.779
of the ball, that means you've got a lot of room

00:23:08.779 --> 00:23:11.519
to attack them in the wide spaces. you're going

00:23:11.519 --> 00:23:13.259
to get more from Skardina than you are from No

00:23:13.259 --> 00:23:15.779
Darse. If you're looking to counter, get the

00:23:15.779 --> 00:23:19.460
right back up field. Now, there is a world where

00:23:19.460 --> 00:23:21.460
maybe Rhode Island looks at this game and says,

00:23:21.900 --> 00:23:24.000
great, we actually want the defensive medal.

00:23:24.119 --> 00:23:25.819
And then we're just going to trust Quasera on

00:23:25.819 --> 00:23:28.599
that wing to be the lone wolf who's doing it

00:23:28.599 --> 00:23:31.000
all on the counter. So I would start at Skardina

00:23:31.000 --> 00:23:33.279
because I think that if I'm Rhode Island, I'm

00:23:33.279 --> 00:23:36.279
good enough to go and take control of Indy. But

00:23:36.279 --> 00:23:40.630
I could see either route. Once again, I've proven

00:23:40.630 --> 00:23:43.150
to myself that I'm the least ball -knowing person

00:23:43.150 --> 00:23:46.390
on this show. Thank you, John. I appreciate that

00:23:46.390 --> 00:23:49.230
so much. Then let's get into the X -Factors here.

00:23:49.690 --> 00:23:51.569
Who do we think from Rhode Island's camp is going

00:23:51.569 --> 00:23:54.069
to be the X -Factor on the night? John, as the

00:23:54.069 --> 00:23:55.869
guest of honor so that we don't steal your takes,

00:23:55.930 --> 00:23:59.210
we'll let you start. Yeah, it's Clay Holstad

00:23:59.210 --> 00:24:02.950
for me, if only because of the way Indy wants

00:24:02.950 --> 00:24:05.990
to play. It's long goal kicks, constantly hoofing

00:24:05.990 --> 00:24:09.160
it upfield. You need somebody who can sit in

00:24:09.160 --> 00:24:12.200
the midfield, win those second balls, make sure

00:24:12.200 --> 00:24:15.180
that Indy can't get the territory that they want

00:24:15.180 --> 00:24:17.900
and sit in the final third. I'm kind of trusting

00:24:17.900 --> 00:24:20.299
that Hugo Becker is going to do that job on his

00:24:20.299 --> 00:24:22.519
own. But if he can double up, get that effort

00:24:22.519 --> 00:24:25.160
from Holstad, quickly break through in these

00:24:25.160 --> 00:24:28.059
lines after recovering, he's going to be the

00:24:28.059 --> 00:24:31.000
X factor if he gets that done. Jason, I'll let

00:24:31.000 --> 00:24:34.539
you have second honors. Yeah, I think it's going

00:24:34.539 --> 00:24:38.119
to be JJ. He's been somewhat of a menace for

00:24:38.119 --> 00:24:41.980
defenders this season. He's been able to knock

00:24:41.980 --> 00:24:44.660
on wood so far, stay healthy. And I think if

00:24:44.660 --> 00:24:47.039
it continues, he's gonna probably have one of

00:24:47.039 --> 00:24:49.619
the best seasons of his career if he can keep

00:24:49.619 --> 00:24:53.750
it going. No, JJ also notoriously shows up in

00:24:53.750 --> 00:24:56.450
a big way when it comes to playing away at Indy.

00:24:56.450 --> 00:24:58.890
So that's probably a good take. I think Kareem

00:24:58.890 --> 00:25:01.190
Fayao is going to have either the night of his

00:25:01.190 --> 00:25:03.630
life or he's going to be in some sort of danger

00:25:03.630 --> 00:25:06.069
all night. He's going to be tested again from

00:25:06.069 --> 00:25:08.710
that aerial situation because there's not a lot

00:25:08.710 --> 00:25:10.849
of times where I've seen, at least in the games

00:25:10.849 --> 00:25:12.690
I've watched from Indy, where they're catching

00:25:12.690 --> 00:25:16.410
in a explosive transition unless they've intercepted

00:25:16.410 --> 00:25:19.289
something higher up in the opponent's final third.

00:25:19.750 --> 00:25:23.950
They're not going to break through R as carve

00:25:23.950 --> 00:25:28.910
and then probably in. So it's going to be set

00:25:28.910 --> 00:25:33.470
defensively and have aerial duels are going to

00:25:33.470 --> 00:25:37.089
of set pieces where you c you can bring JJ into

00:25:37.089 --> 00:25:41.430
as the tallest guy on that be tested probably

00:25:41.430 --> 00:25:48.619
more th John, the last question I have for you

00:25:48.619 --> 00:25:51.920
is, stylistically, tactically, we've now seen

00:25:51.920 --> 00:25:55.220
three iterations of Kano's teams. We're a long

00:25:55.220 --> 00:25:57.319
way from what we've identified as Kano Ball,

00:25:57.359 --> 00:26:01.880
which is a mutated version of Lily Ball. Where

00:26:01.880 --> 00:26:03.839
do you take this team, and how have you seen

00:26:03.839 --> 00:26:05.759
those? You've watched and written about them

00:26:05.759 --> 00:26:10.420
so far in 2026. It almost feels like a synthesis

00:26:10.420 --> 00:26:13.160
of some of the ideas we've seen over the last

00:26:13.160 --> 00:26:15.900
handful of years, right? there have been moments

00:26:15.900 --> 00:26:18.220
of kind of defending in the back three and then

00:26:18.220 --> 00:26:22.079
breaking forward and having the right back kind

00:26:22.079 --> 00:26:23.720
of change where they're playing from phase to

00:26:23.720 --> 00:26:26.859
phase. There is some element of the long ball

00:26:26.859 --> 00:26:28.960
to this team, like trying to seek out the space

00:26:28.960 --> 00:26:31.339
in the channels, but there's also a willingness

00:26:31.339 --> 00:26:34.819
to be patient. It just feels very balanced in

00:26:34.819 --> 00:26:37.880
a way that has always been the idea for KonoSmith,

00:26:38.240 --> 00:26:40.259
but feels like it maybe is meeting a logical

00:26:40.259 --> 00:26:43.480
end more than I've seen in years past, and especially

00:26:43.740 --> 00:26:46.519
When you think about 2025, some of those struggles

00:26:46.519 --> 00:26:48.779
in the middle of the season and the dry spells,

00:26:49.680 --> 00:26:53.160
I feel like things are just more aligned of we

00:26:53.160 --> 00:26:55.480
understand the shape. We understand the principles.

00:26:55.720 --> 00:26:57.460
We're going to be a pressing team. We're going

00:26:57.460 --> 00:26:59.799
to be able to break out of our block when we

00:26:59.799 --> 00:27:01.660
need to. But we want to be on the front foot.

00:27:02.319 --> 00:27:04.859
I've enjoyed watching this team play because

00:27:04.859 --> 00:27:09.000
of that. It's been fun to see so far. Still not

00:27:09.000 --> 00:27:12.019
sure if the goals will remain consistent through

00:27:12.019 --> 00:27:14.980
the entirety of the season. And of course, do

00:27:14.980 --> 00:27:17.299
we see a little bit more of a defensive compromise

00:27:17.299 --> 00:27:19.779
as we've definitely let in more goals. Even though

00:27:19.779 --> 00:27:22.380
we have a positive goal differential so far early

00:27:22.380 --> 00:27:24.420
in, it will be one of those talking points I

00:27:24.420 --> 00:27:26.160
think that we have to watch for the rest of the

00:27:26.160 --> 00:27:28.640
season. We've got to go to our second break,

00:27:28.680 --> 00:27:31.410
but when we return, John and I mean, John by

00:27:31.410 --> 00:27:34.009
himself is going to break down the entirety of

00:27:34.009 --> 00:27:36.309
India Levin's role to play here on this weekend.

00:27:36.549 --> 00:27:39.049
Don't go anywhere. It is the raising anchor soccer

00:27:39.049 --> 00:27:45.609
show. Fans as the weather becomes more and more

00:27:45.609 --> 00:27:49.089
unpredictable, be sure to check out 990 WBOB's

00:27:49.089 --> 00:27:51.349
weather page for all your temperatures, storm

00:27:51.349 --> 00:27:54.390
and travel info. Stay prepared for whatever Mother

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Nature has in store with the 990 WBOB weather

00:27:57.970 --> 00:28:01.400
page. Now let's get back to the Racing Anchor

00:28:01.400 --> 00:28:05.359
Soccer Show on 990 WBOB with Matt Entrickett

00:28:05.359 --> 00:28:10.059
and Jason Carey. Here with John Morrissey of

00:28:10.059 --> 00:28:13.000
USL Tactics getting into this in the 11 side.

00:28:13.740 --> 00:28:17.579
John, 16 players out at the end of 2025 for McCauley,

00:28:18.039 --> 00:28:21.119
13 new additions. We said earlier, he's one of

00:28:21.119 --> 00:28:23.099
the most tenured coaches at this point in the

00:28:23.099 --> 00:28:25.420
championship with just three seasons under his

00:28:25.420 --> 00:28:28.019
belt. That's a wild thing to have to say, considering,

00:28:28.019 --> 00:28:30.359
you know, other coaches either get three months,

00:28:30.380 --> 00:28:33.640
it feels like, or they get 30 years. Want to

00:28:33.640 --> 00:28:36.859
talk about the level of this momentum and movement

00:28:36.859 --> 00:28:39.759
in the roster transitions here. What does this

00:28:39.759 --> 00:28:42.240
say about McCauley's style of football that he's

00:28:42.240 --> 00:28:45.279
trying to play here in 2026? Is this a change

00:28:45.279 --> 00:28:47.440
in tactics? Is this an evolution of the game

00:28:47.440 --> 00:28:50.099
as he sees it? Or was this a case of players

00:28:50.099 --> 00:28:52.880
last season not reaching the heights that McCauley

00:28:52.880 --> 00:28:55.720
needed to take them and now he has to retool?

00:28:56.940 --> 00:28:59.920
I think McCauley was very confident in what he

00:28:59.920 --> 00:29:02.839
was trying to do tactically. and he didn't trust

00:29:02.839 --> 00:29:05.940
the the core of the roster because of performances

00:29:05.940 --> 00:29:09.480
but also a lack of explosiveness a little bit

00:29:09.480 --> 00:29:13.000
up there in years and so the approach this offseason

00:29:13.000 --> 00:29:14.740
and i'm glad you kind of mentioned the magnitude

00:29:14.740 --> 00:29:19.200
of what indy did they kept a a core around but

00:29:19.200 --> 00:29:22.660
they really tried to build some new depth to

00:29:22.660 --> 00:29:25.339
supplement what they had so you think about some

00:29:25.339 --> 00:29:27.619
of the returning players jack blake is one of

00:29:27.619 --> 00:29:29.720
the best creative midfielders you've got in this

00:29:29.720 --> 00:29:31.880
league You could say the same thing about Aiden

00:29:31.880 --> 00:29:33.980
Quinn, but he's really converted to become a

00:29:33.980 --> 00:29:37.140
full -time left back. And even then, as a left

00:29:37.140 --> 00:29:39.740
back, Quinn is going to underlap play inside.

00:29:40.119 --> 00:29:42.299
And that's really the defining relationship on

00:29:42.299 --> 00:29:44.220
that side of the field. So you're bringing back

00:29:44.220 --> 00:29:46.779
Bruno Rendon on the right, and he's a different

00:29:46.779 --> 00:29:49.839
sort of player. He's all speed, all physicality.

00:29:50.180 --> 00:29:52.319
And those are the two poles that Indy wants to

00:29:52.319 --> 00:29:54.759
build around. So you think about the new faces.

00:29:54.920 --> 00:29:57.579
It's Paco Craig and Anthony Herbert, just two

00:29:57.579 --> 00:30:00.289
really physical center backs. not going to get

00:30:00.289 --> 00:30:02.549
anything past them in a one -on -one battle.

00:30:03.430 --> 00:30:06.230
You think about up top, where they added a ton

00:30:06.230 --> 00:30:08.869
of new options. And a lot of the year, they've

00:30:08.869 --> 00:30:11.329
just decided, we're taking Noble Lakello, who

00:30:11.329 --> 00:30:13.869
was a defensive midfielder for Phoenix last season,

00:30:14.250 --> 00:30:16.289
and he's just going to be the big target guy

00:30:16.289 --> 00:30:19.990
up top. So it's this mix of, we know what the

00:30:19.990 --> 00:30:22.529
core of a D11 is going to be, and we're really

00:30:22.529 --> 00:30:25.309
happy to experiment around that, see what sticks.

00:30:25.740 --> 00:30:28.099
and ultimately just try to out -physical whoever

00:30:28.099 --> 00:30:30.339
we can and trust that the talent is going to

00:30:30.339 --> 00:30:34.549
carry us from there. I would ask then, we know

00:30:34.549 --> 00:30:36.730
some of the big signings, Ocala, which still

00:30:36.730 --> 00:30:39.269
incredible that he's now a more targeted forward

00:30:39.269 --> 00:30:42.529
midfielder. He was a bruiser, a world beater

00:30:42.529 --> 00:30:45.069
on the back line of Phoenix last year. Of course,

00:30:45.170 --> 00:30:47.490
you ask, how do you lose a goalkeeper like Hunter

00:30:47.490 --> 00:30:51.430
Solt? Will you upgrade in MVP and playoff or

00:30:51.430 --> 00:30:54.890
USL final winner, Eric Dick? Who were the players

00:30:54.890 --> 00:30:57.890
that you were surprised that did not get retained

00:30:57.890 --> 00:31:00.849
versus maybe the players that Macaulay upgraded

00:31:00.849 --> 00:31:04.640
for? Yeah, I mean, it is an interesting question.

00:31:05.319 --> 00:31:07.299
And one of them that I really think about is

00:31:07.299 --> 00:31:10.119
Brian Schaefer, who was on loan for Indy at the

00:31:10.119 --> 00:31:13.119
end of last season and looked terrific. So much

00:31:13.119 --> 00:31:15.259
so that actually Tampa Bay just went and got

00:31:15.259 --> 00:31:17.480
him instead. And he's probably been an all league

00:31:17.480 --> 00:31:21.400
player. In the midfield, James Murphy was a real

00:31:21.400 --> 00:31:24.259
block for this team. And he's gone and done a

00:31:24.259 --> 00:31:26.519
good job for Loudon. So I think clearly people

00:31:26.519 --> 00:31:29.960
around the USL respected what he was doing. I'm

00:31:29.960 --> 00:31:31.740
trying to think who else. James Moussa in the

00:31:31.740 --> 00:31:35.559
back line, spent a year or two in Indy, a full

00:31:35.559 --> 00:31:38.660
New Zealand international on his day. And he

00:31:38.660 --> 00:31:40.900
really is representative Moussa of maybe the

00:31:40.900 --> 00:31:43.940
change in aspect of what they wanted to do defensively.

00:31:44.319 --> 00:31:46.359
Moussa is good with the ball at his feet. He's

00:31:46.359 --> 00:31:48.700
a little bit rangier in the ground he covers.

00:31:49.359 --> 00:31:52.519
When you replace him with a Herbert, with someone

00:31:52.519 --> 00:31:54.619
like a Paco Craig who's deep into his 30s at

00:31:54.619 --> 00:31:57.190
this point. you are getting away from the idea

00:31:57.190 --> 00:31:59.369
of playing it around the back and really going

00:31:59.369 --> 00:32:02.789
for just defensive integrity, grit, the things

00:32:02.789 --> 00:32:04.589
that a high school football coach would talk

00:32:04.589 --> 00:32:07.329
about, in other words, for characteristics. But

00:32:07.329 --> 00:32:10.250
hey, it's working for Indy in terms of the system

00:32:10.250 --> 00:32:13.529
they want to run. Getting into the Indy's form

00:32:13.529 --> 00:32:16.730
here, obviously higher on the table, you could

00:32:16.730 --> 00:32:19.049
look at this in one of two directions, similar

00:32:19.049 --> 00:32:20.890
to the same way we talked about Rhode Island's

00:32:20.890 --> 00:32:24.920
form. in their last five, two wins, two losses,

00:32:25.079 --> 00:32:29.039
and a draw. Championship wise, they're 3 -1 -1

00:32:29.039 --> 00:32:33.299
in league play. But I'm looking more, I'm focusing

00:32:33.299 --> 00:32:35.779
in, and maybe this is wrong of me to do so, but

00:32:35.779 --> 00:32:38.079
I'm looking at some of those drop points in there

00:32:38.079 --> 00:32:41.329
across all competitions form. a loss against

00:32:41.329 --> 00:32:44.170
Union Omaha and a draw against Fort Wayne and

00:32:44.170 --> 00:32:47.630
Prinks Tires Cup action. It makes me feel like

00:32:47.630 --> 00:32:49.710
even if there's rotation, even if you're trying

00:32:49.710 --> 00:32:52.890
different things, it feels like they're almost

00:32:52.890 --> 00:32:54.809
getting in their way when we talk about building

00:32:54.809 --> 00:32:57.430
that momentum. Where do you take in the 11 right

00:32:57.430 --> 00:33:00.650
now and how they're trying to be informed as

00:33:00.650 --> 00:33:03.930
the season progresses? I think they're going

00:33:03.930 --> 00:33:05.950
to be really heartened by the Lexington game,

00:33:05.970 --> 00:33:08.630
even though they played almost the entire 90

00:33:08.630 --> 00:33:12.380
minutes up man. Does that count? Jason and I

00:33:12.380 --> 00:33:13.960
talked about that. Does that count when you have

00:33:13.960 --> 00:33:15.980
a red card three minutes in? We had a red card

00:33:15.980 --> 00:33:18.400
against Detroit last year, six minutes in, and

00:33:18.400 --> 00:33:20.680
we just said, hey, at this point, we're going

00:33:20.680 --> 00:33:23.079
to just enjoy it and maybe not focus as analysts,

00:33:23.140 --> 00:33:25.759
because this is all going to be downhill. Well,

00:33:25.759 --> 00:33:27.700
to tell you the truth, when I'm writing my column

00:33:27.700 --> 00:33:30.140
and that happens, no, it doesn't count. I'm very

00:33:30.140 --> 00:33:33.740
much phoning it in. If you're in the 11 and that

00:33:33.740 --> 00:33:36.940
game ends up being close for, what, 75 minutes,

00:33:37.240 --> 00:33:39.500
the fact that you can get over the line late

00:33:39.500 --> 00:33:42.000
make some key substitutions and tactical changes

00:33:42.000 --> 00:33:44.720
to make it happen, it feels like a game that's

00:33:44.720 --> 00:33:47.900
a momentum builder for them. And the odd thing

00:33:47.900 --> 00:33:50.359
with Indie and the way they've managed the schedule,

00:33:51.059 --> 00:33:52.940
they feel like they've just not cared about a

00:33:52.940 --> 00:33:55.720
lot of these Cup games. And that's not even to

00:33:55.720 --> 00:33:58.819
say that they've hugely rotated the squad because

00:33:58.819 --> 00:34:01.460
there have been starters, but it feels like a

00:34:01.460 --> 00:34:04.160
little bit of a less intense approach from the

00:34:04.160 --> 00:34:06.220
11 when they're taking on the Fort Waynes and

00:34:06.220 --> 00:34:08.760
taking on the Omahas. So that makes the form

00:34:08.760 --> 00:34:12.079
a little bit difficult to gauge. I ultimately

00:34:12.079 --> 00:34:14.500
think Sean McCauley is happy with where things

00:34:14.500 --> 00:34:17.659
have gone, if only because he's found solutions

00:34:17.659 --> 00:34:20.019
at Stryker. He keeps evolving how he wants to

00:34:20.019 --> 00:34:22.679
use Quinn. Like, there's been good progress of

00:34:22.679 --> 00:34:26.300
the chemistry of this team along the way. I still

00:34:26.300 --> 00:34:29.119
think, and Jason, agree or disagree, that that

00:34:29.119 --> 00:34:31.800
was Indy 11 versus Aaron Malloy, and you can't

00:34:31.800 --> 00:34:39.000
tell me otherwise. Yeah, maybe. I that red card

00:34:39.000 --> 00:34:41.940
was like so like you punch someone in the face

00:34:41.940 --> 00:34:43.599
and you're confused. You're getting sent off.

00:34:43.739 --> 00:34:47.179
Come on. At least at least when JJ did it, he

00:34:47.179 --> 00:34:50.019
knew better. He just walked off the pitch. Be

00:34:50.019 --> 00:34:52.880
fair to Fort Wayne. I watched a good amount of

00:34:52.880 --> 00:34:55.480
that game that I knew nothing about them. They

00:34:55.480 --> 00:34:58.539
were surprisingly fun. Like in here attacking

00:34:58.539 --> 00:35:02.780
talent. So fun. Yeah. Hey, hey, hashtag not a

00:35:02.780 --> 00:35:07.760
USL one podcast. All right. Lock it in. Alright,

00:35:07.880 --> 00:35:09.840
well, let's get into the starting 11 projected

00:35:09.840 --> 00:35:13.760
for this Indy side and I'm basically going off

00:35:13.760 --> 00:35:16.300
of what they played in their championship route

00:35:16.300 --> 00:35:20.039
last weekend. Of course, Eric Dick in net with

00:35:20.039 --> 00:35:22.179
and you know, the league wants to tell you this

00:35:22.179 --> 00:35:24.960
is a 4231. John, I'm so glad that you said, you

00:35:24.960 --> 00:35:27.179
know. the ball of knowledge that you have that

00:35:27.179 --> 00:35:30.079
this is a 4 -3 -3 in everything, but maybe the

00:35:30.079 --> 00:35:32.800
lineup sheet. You've got Logan Niedlinger on

00:35:32.800 --> 00:35:35.159
that right side with Paco Craig and Anthony Herbert

00:35:35.159 --> 00:35:38.000
as your paired center backs. And then you've

00:35:38.000 --> 00:35:41.679
got Aiden Quinn, the converted left midfielder,

00:35:41.699 --> 00:35:45.000
left winger as his age has beleaguered him. He

00:35:45.000 --> 00:35:46.920
continues to see, I call up the Graham Zussi

00:35:46.920 --> 00:35:49.980
effect out on that left back side. You've got

00:35:49.980 --> 00:35:53.409
your double pivot of Cam Lindley. and Josh O

00:35:53.409 --> 00:35:57.349
'Brien, and then a midfield three looking like

00:35:57.349 --> 00:36:00.230
Loic Mesvani, Mesonavi, excuse me, Jack Blake

00:36:00.230 --> 00:36:03.090
and Bruno Rendon, and then Edward Kizza, the

00:36:03.090 --> 00:36:06.309
lone striker in this team. John, first question

00:36:06.309 --> 00:36:09.190
is how much of this looks like what we should

00:36:09.190 --> 00:36:12.530
expect out of a starting 11 here on the game

00:36:12.530 --> 00:36:16.110
this weekend? I would be surprised if there are

00:36:16.110 --> 00:36:19.280
any changes from that lineup. Once Macaulay kind

00:36:19.280 --> 00:36:21.340
of finds his guys, he's pretty happy to keep

00:36:21.340 --> 00:36:23.960
running them out. The only switch we've seen

00:36:23.960 --> 00:36:25.860
over the past couple of weeks is Kizza getting

00:36:25.860 --> 00:36:28.099
the minutes instead of Ikello at the nine spot,

00:36:28.539 --> 00:36:30.940
which makes sense because Kizza is the only striker

00:36:30.940 --> 00:36:34.400
Indy brought back from the 2025 season. He's

00:36:34.400 --> 00:36:36.219
never going to be the golden boot winner, but

00:36:36.219 --> 00:36:38.059
if he gets to 10 goals, it's not going to be

00:36:38.059 --> 00:36:40.559
a shock. So maybe there's a switch at the striker

00:36:40.559 --> 00:36:43.480
spot, but other than that, feels pretty set in

00:36:43.480 --> 00:36:47.530
stone for now. Looking at this lineup here, where

00:36:47.530 --> 00:36:49.829
would you say that Indy is the most dangerous,

00:36:49.949 --> 00:36:53.030
but then on the opposite side, like what is maybe

00:36:53.030 --> 00:36:56.309
the most vulnerable part of this lineup here?

00:36:57.130 --> 00:36:59.949
Yeah, kind of flip sides of the same coin with

00:36:59.949 --> 00:37:02.269
both of those questions, and it's how you're

00:37:02.269 --> 00:37:06.469
using the wing players. Misanvi and Bruno Rendon,

00:37:06.570 --> 00:37:09.170
they're going to push high. They want to be attacking

00:37:09.170 --> 00:37:13.469
minded. And if they really overextend and then

00:37:13.469 --> 00:37:16.650
Aiden Quinn does the same thing, Suddenly you've

00:37:16.650 --> 00:37:19.309
got two physical slow center backs that don't

00:37:19.309 --> 00:37:22.590
have much protection. So Indy wants to use that

00:37:22.590 --> 00:37:25.550
as a weapon to bully opponents, score goals,

00:37:25.789 --> 00:37:28.630
lump passes into the box. If that doesn't work

00:37:28.630 --> 00:37:30.889
for them, it could be trouble. And I think that's

00:37:30.889 --> 00:37:32.969
what we saw, if you think about the Fort Wayne

00:37:32.969 --> 00:37:35.750
game in particular. Fort Wayne came in understanding

00:37:35.750 --> 00:37:38.449
we have a lottery of to work within the channels

00:37:38.449 --> 00:37:42.269
and they exploited it again and again. talking

00:37:42.269 --> 00:37:44.409
about Indy's X factor for them. We're going to

00:37:44.409 --> 00:37:46.469
make you go last since you know more about this

00:37:46.469 --> 00:37:49.010
team. I've got Jack Blake. I'm cheating because

00:37:49.010 --> 00:37:51.670
he's coming in hot off of Team of the Week honors.

00:37:52.090 --> 00:37:54.230
I wanted to say, O 'Kello, but he doesn't seem

00:37:54.230 --> 00:37:56.789
to be getting a starting role as much now as

00:37:56.789 --> 00:37:59.710
McCauley has maybe gotten some of those, again,

00:37:59.909 --> 00:38:02.869
quote unquote, lock -ons. You could also say

00:38:02.869 --> 00:38:04.889
Quinn because he just does incredible things

00:38:04.889 --> 00:38:07.780
as a journeyman in this league. Jason, I stole

00:38:07.780 --> 00:38:10.219
three right there. Your talent pool is getting

00:38:10.219 --> 00:38:12.460
more limited by the second. Who do you have as

00:38:12.460 --> 00:38:14.420
an X factor from Indy side of things that you're

00:38:14.420 --> 00:38:20.099
watching on this game? I mean, probably like

00:38:20.099 --> 00:38:23.840
Cam Lindley here, leading appearance at 127th

00:38:23.840 --> 00:38:26.639
in his five seasons. Probably shows how important

00:38:26.639 --> 00:38:29.300
he is as like the kind of glue that keeps this

00:38:29.300 --> 00:38:34.119
team together season by season. John, the floor

00:38:34.119 --> 00:38:38.019
is yours. Well, I will shout out Lindley. I did

00:38:38.019 --> 00:38:40.619
like one quarter of the way through team of the

00:38:40.619 --> 00:38:42.920
year and had him in there. He is the kind of

00:38:42.920 --> 00:38:44.760
guy who's maybe not showing up on the stat sheet

00:38:44.760 --> 00:38:47.599
all the time, but it's the positioning, the knowledge

00:38:47.599 --> 00:38:50.239
of the game. I will go elsewhere in the midfield

00:38:50.239 --> 00:38:54.199
and point to Josh O 'Brien. In a group where

00:38:54.199 --> 00:38:56.500
Lindley is going to be the protector, Blake is

00:38:56.500 --> 00:38:58.820
going to rove and try to be this creative presence.

00:38:59.539 --> 00:39:02.380
Josh O 'Brien has become a really strong threat

00:39:02.380 --> 00:39:04.639
making these late arriving runs into the box.

00:39:04.889 --> 00:39:07.409
where he's just good at wreaking havoc. Once

00:39:07.409 --> 00:39:09.409
upon a time, he was considered to be a centerback

00:39:09.409 --> 00:39:11.590
for this team, and he's another player that's

00:39:11.590 --> 00:39:13.690
kind of moved up and up the lineup as McCauley

00:39:13.690 --> 00:39:16.909
keeps tinkering. To me, he's been one of the

00:39:16.909 --> 00:39:19.809
most improved players of the season. I mentioned

00:39:19.809 --> 00:39:21.949
Clay Holstead on the other side of this question.

00:39:22.530 --> 00:39:25.250
The midfield battle involving those two feels

00:39:25.250 --> 00:39:28.280
like it'll be really consequential. He reminds

00:39:28.280 --> 00:39:30.260
me of the same treatment we've been giving you

00:39:30.260 --> 00:39:32.659
go back Iraq starting as a center back for us

00:39:32.659 --> 00:39:35.639
and Moving his way provincially up the midfield,

00:39:35.760 --> 00:39:37.820
you know You said something and I'm gonna I'm

00:39:37.820 --> 00:39:40.460
gonna I'm gonna tease your tease your opinions

00:39:40.460 --> 00:39:42.820
here for a second You're already working on your

00:39:42.820 --> 00:39:45.320
you know team of the year contenders Is there

00:39:45.320 --> 00:39:48.179
a Rhode Island FC player that is at least giving

00:39:48.179 --> 00:39:51.099
you a reason to every you know much keep attention

00:39:51.099 --> 00:39:55.380
to them I mean JJ and quiz they're doing what

00:39:55.380 --> 00:39:58.019
they do. And maybe that's recency bias with what

00:39:58.019 --> 00:40:00.280
I saw out of the Brooklyn game, certainly. But

00:40:00.280 --> 00:40:03.920
I think they've been great. There will be a midfielder

00:40:03.920 --> 00:40:06.119
from Rhode Island in the discussion for me mentally.

00:40:06.480 --> 00:40:09.019
I need to look 20 games from now and see who

00:40:09.019 --> 00:40:12.780
that is. But I think those would be the buckets

00:40:12.780 --> 00:40:15.659
I'm looking at from this team so far. Well, let

00:40:15.659 --> 00:40:18.199
us know how we can influence that in any way,

00:40:18.619 --> 00:40:21.920
shape or form. But when we return, we got to

00:40:21.920 --> 00:40:23.500
go to break and we're going to break down the

00:40:23.500 --> 00:40:25.920
biggest storylines ahead of Saturday's showdown.

00:40:26.199 --> 00:40:28.699
It's all here on The Raising Anchor Soccer Show.

00:40:29.739 --> 00:40:31.960
Now let's get back to The Raising Anchor Soccer

00:40:31.960 --> 00:40:36.280
Show on 990 WBOB with Matt Entrickett and Jason

00:40:36.280 --> 00:40:40.840
Carey. All right, here into the storylines and

00:40:40.840 --> 00:40:43.039
the mailbag for the extended edition, there's

00:40:43.039 --> 00:40:46.219
an international break. starting on june 1st

00:40:46.219 --> 00:40:51.360
in the privilege of two call up with Uganda and

00:40:51.360 --> 00:40:58.239
Anthony He and Tobago, the 2018 jerks Qasera

00:40:58.239 --> 00:41:01.300
getting the call up if that's official yet, but

00:41:01.300 --> 00:41:09.880
breaking that news, I guess expectations or or

00:41:09.880 --> 00:41:14.510
like b these players as they get Obviously, it's

00:41:14.510 --> 00:41:17.369
not World Cup related, but do we see them making

00:41:17.369 --> 00:41:20.110
a lesser impact in this game in terms of minutes

00:41:20.110 --> 00:41:23.670
managed? John, I'll start with you. I think not.

00:41:23.829 --> 00:41:26.369
I think the players are used to, and especially

00:41:26.369 --> 00:41:28.650
the internationals, are kind of used to the burden

00:41:28.650 --> 00:41:31.170
of trying to balance the effort they're giving

00:41:31.170 --> 00:41:33.690
with the understanding of that honor of representing

00:41:33.690 --> 00:41:36.409
their country. Now, if you're a Miami FC who's

00:41:36.409 --> 00:41:38.630
got two Curacao internationals, maybe it's a

00:41:38.630 --> 00:41:40.429
different story as they prep for the World Cup.

00:41:40.670 --> 00:41:42.849
But I think in this game, it's kind of no holds

00:41:42.849 --> 00:41:48.039
barred. Yeah, I would think that like, you know,

00:41:48.139 --> 00:41:50.260
Georgia told us he only has to travel 12 hours

00:41:50.260 --> 00:41:54.039
instead of 25 this time He'll probably be he'll

00:41:54.039 --> 00:41:56.099
probably be fine. You know, they're professionals

00:41:56.099 --> 00:41:59.880
they can deal with it But John here as part of

00:41:59.880 --> 00:42:02.000
our homework, you know Sometimes we like to listen

00:42:02.000 --> 00:42:05.440
to other clubs podcasts and the guys from cue

00:42:05.440 --> 00:42:07.860
the smoke seemed to indicate the fans are frustrated

00:42:07.860 --> 00:42:11.239
With Indy's lack of progress after not making

00:42:11.239 --> 00:42:15.010
the playoffs last season And now a probable early

00:42:15.010 --> 00:42:17.510
exit from the Prinks Cup unless, you know, things

00:42:17.510 --> 00:42:20.289
maybe go their way and they kind of get for him

00:42:20.289 --> 00:42:23.550
there. Only one month win in the month of April.

00:42:23.690 --> 00:42:25.809
They felt as if McCauley might be in the hot

00:42:25.809 --> 00:42:28.409
seat at Indy. Do you think there's any truth

00:42:28.409 --> 00:42:31.510
to any of this as, you know, he's one of USL's

00:42:31.510 --> 00:42:35.230
most tenured championship coaches? I will say

00:42:35.230 --> 00:42:39.070
I thought he might get the axe over the off season,

00:42:39.250 --> 00:42:41.659
like if there was a time to do it for Indy. it

00:42:41.659 --> 00:42:44.079
felt like a very clean and natural breaking off

00:42:44.079 --> 00:42:46.880
point. Given the way that Indy have started this

00:42:46.880 --> 00:42:49.699
year, at least in terms of points earned in the

00:42:49.699 --> 00:42:52.639
USL Championship, he's probably coached his way

00:42:52.639 --> 00:42:54.920
off of the hot seat. And I've been impressed

00:42:54.920 --> 00:42:57.000
with the clarity of the style, the way the new

00:42:57.000 --> 00:43:00.420
signings have integrated. So I am very sympathetic

00:43:00.420 --> 00:43:02.360
to the take from the Key of the Smoke folks.

00:43:02.760 --> 00:43:04.440
They are boots on the ground in a way that I

00:43:04.440 --> 00:43:06.340
unfortunately am not able to be at this point.

00:43:06.699 --> 00:43:09.219
But I think for now, at least, he's probably

00:43:09.219 --> 00:43:12.760
got himself in a decent territory. They wear

00:43:12.760 --> 00:43:15.820
the corn cob kits with pride is the boots on

00:43:15.820 --> 00:43:20.719
the ground we need. So John, I want to again

00:43:20.719 --> 00:43:22.599
step into your analytical brain here for a second.

00:43:22.840 --> 00:43:25.619
Fop Mob has indeed rated as the second highest

00:43:25.619 --> 00:43:28.219
team currently in the championship. Does that

00:43:28.219 --> 00:43:30.719
vibe with what you're seeing in your own analytics

00:43:30.719 --> 00:43:32.820
or is there something you'd like to go and talk

00:43:32.820 --> 00:43:37.880
to the analysts behind Fop Mob? I think what

00:43:37.880 --> 00:43:41.199
India is very good at is stopping the opposition

00:43:41.199 --> 00:43:43.980
from getting high quality chances. And if you

00:43:43.980 --> 00:43:46.079
look at something like the expected goal difference

00:43:46.079 --> 00:43:48.039
that they've put up, they're top five in the

00:43:48.039 --> 00:43:51.500
league. Now watching them play and just the extremity

00:43:51.500 --> 00:43:55.380
of the long balls and the physicality, mentally

00:43:55.380 --> 00:43:57.800
I probably am just biased against that because

00:43:57.800 --> 00:44:01.099
it's maybe not the prettiest soccer. I have them

00:44:01.099 --> 00:44:04.719
more in the 6 to 12 range, like top half of the

00:44:04.719 --> 00:44:08.119
league, not a contender contender. But hey, the

00:44:08.119 --> 00:44:10.340
data says what it says, and I'm allowed to disagree

00:44:10.340 --> 00:44:13.039
with that. All of a sudden, I think we're now

00:44:13.039 --> 00:44:16.079
in the top 10 and probably just after that Brooklyn.

00:44:16.260 --> 00:44:19.960
So it's really just an aggregate of stats, which

00:44:19.960 --> 00:44:22.840
sometimes can tell maybe where the team's going.

00:44:23.300 --> 00:44:26.280
But it's a long season. Hey, the man's a legend.

00:44:26.960 --> 00:44:29.230
Yeah. Nicholas Murray still has his power ranked

00:44:29.230 --> 00:44:31.389
as 14th. So I live and die, but with Murray,

00:44:31.530 --> 00:44:36.710
right? So, uh, but you know, kind of maybe tying

00:44:36.710 --> 00:44:38.809
into that, you know, is the verdict even out

00:44:38.809 --> 00:44:42.050
on indie 11 yet? With the exception of the Detroit

00:44:42.050 --> 00:44:45.070
city FC game there, most of the wins are against

00:44:45.070 --> 00:44:48.030
teams in the bottom half of the table, uh, with

00:44:48.030 --> 00:44:49.829
one of them, a third minute red card, which we

00:44:49.829 --> 00:44:53.309
just kind of talked about in their favor. So

00:44:53.309 --> 00:44:56.400
like Is this team still need more time or do

00:44:56.400 --> 00:45:00.019
we think we know who they are yet? We know who

00:45:00.019 --> 00:45:04.440
they are stylistically. I think there's just

00:45:04.440 --> 00:45:07.460
something about the way Indie plays where it

00:45:07.460 --> 00:45:12.940
is so to the point and so unglamorous that yeah

00:45:12.940 --> 00:45:15.280
you're going to get wins against teams like Jacksonville

00:45:15.280 --> 00:45:17.260
and it's not going to be pretty along the way

00:45:17.260 --> 00:45:19.590
but it is going to be effective. When you come

00:45:19.590 --> 00:45:22.050
up against the better sides in the USL that have

00:45:22.050 --> 00:45:24.949
more arrows in the quiver and can break out different

00:45:24.949 --> 00:45:28.170
styles, that's more challenging for Indy. And

00:45:28.170 --> 00:45:30.530
that's probably why I have them lower down in

00:45:30.530 --> 00:45:32.369
my mental power ranking of where they're going

00:45:32.369 --> 00:45:36.789
to slot in. Could they break up and show me something

00:45:36.789 --> 00:45:38.670
different and maybe push towards contention?

00:45:39.190 --> 00:45:41.789
I think it's possible, but I feel pretty confident

00:45:41.789 --> 00:45:44.090
in understanding where they're at in that kind

00:45:44.090 --> 00:45:47.289
of upper mid tier for now. I'm sorry. I'm confused.

00:45:47.329 --> 00:45:49.070
You're supposed to win against Sporting Club

00:45:49.070 --> 00:45:51.690
Jacksonville. I don't think we got those notes

00:45:51.690 --> 00:45:53.570
at the beginning of the season. I don't think

00:45:53.570 --> 00:45:58.010
San Antonio did either, though. Crazy, crazy.

00:45:59.489 --> 00:46:01.909
Jason, I'm going to flip this question. You tried

00:46:01.909 --> 00:46:03.949
to catch John out of sorts. I'm going to try

00:46:03.949 --> 00:46:05.730
to catch you out of sorts. Same question back

00:46:05.730 --> 00:46:08.429
to you with our team in Rhode Island and Kano

00:46:08.429 --> 00:46:12.489
Smith. Is the verdict in on us yet? No, absolutely

00:46:12.489 --> 00:46:15.900
not. I mean, we've seen It's the same old song

00:46:15.900 --> 00:46:18.360
and dance, right? We were starting a little bit

00:46:18.360 --> 00:46:20.960
better than we did in the last two seasons, but

00:46:20.960 --> 00:46:23.719
we know that this team tends to kind of peak

00:46:23.719 --> 00:46:27.219
later on in the season. Once the like the winter

00:46:27.219 --> 00:46:29.480
kind of finally thaws off, you know, it takes

00:46:29.480 --> 00:46:31.699
a while here in New England. It lingers on for

00:46:31.699 --> 00:46:34.239
a long time. So our team does the same thing.

00:46:34.239 --> 00:46:36.059
They just take a little while longer to get going.

00:46:36.519 --> 00:46:39.820
So I'm not going to make any judgments until

00:46:39.820 --> 00:46:45.949
like July or August. So. Um, looking at this

00:46:45.949 --> 00:46:49.769
indie team, um, you know, we, we first got into

00:46:49.769 --> 00:46:54.510
league 2024, Hunter salt was phenomenal over

00:46:54.510 --> 00:46:56.690
time. It kind of felt like he kind of fell off

00:46:56.690 --> 00:47:01.110
at some point. And so he's gone, go out and get

00:47:01.110 --> 00:47:04.090
Eric Dick. He's always been huge for Pittsburgh

00:47:04.090 --> 00:47:06.070
against us. They're one of those teams. We tend

00:47:06.070 --> 00:47:08.130
not to do well against you. If we somehow get

00:47:08.130 --> 00:47:12.030
past their defense, he stops whatever, you know,

00:47:12.349 --> 00:47:15.300
so How has he been performing and kind of integrating

00:47:15.300 --> 00:47:17.780
into this defense for Indy so far this season?

00:47:18.840 --> 00:47:22.320
It has not been the Pittsburgh level of performance

00:47:22.320 --> 00:47:26.059
from Eric Dick. He's been good, slightly above

00:47:26.059 --> 00:47:29.019
average by the advanced metrics, even the traditional

00:47:29.019 --> 00:47:31.079
stuff like a save percentage or goals against.

00:47:31.679 --> 00:47:34.639
I'm not going to say he's been spectacular, but

00:47:34.639 --> 00:47:37.599
I think a lot of what the value that Eric Dick

00:47:37.599 --> 00:47:40.119
brings you is that ability to manage the box

00:47:40.119 --> 00:47:44.340
on set pieces. catch -crosses, understand maybe

00:47:44.340 --> 00:47:46.380
when to speed the tempo up in terms of taking

00:47:46.380 --> 00:47:49.960
a quick kick, restarting in that manner. So some

00:47:49.960 --> 00:47:52.840
of it is just hard to quantify. I think Indy

00:47:52.840 --> 00:47:55.900
probably wants him to elevate and be that guy

00:47:55.900 --> 00:47:58.280
who could maybe, I mean, do what he did for Pittsburgh,

00:47:58.460 --> 00:48:00.139
right, which is elevate them into a contender

00:48:00.139 --> 00:48:02.340
that can win a championship without scoring a

00:48:02.340 --> 00:48:05.119
goal in the playoffs. Now, can he repeat that?

00:48:05.280 --> 00:48:07.800
That's going to be very hard, but Indy probably

00:48:07.800 --> 00:48:12.159
wants a bit more from him. Speaking of Indy 11

00:48:12.159 --> 00:48:15.300
and what they want, they're unbeaten at home

00:48:15.300 --> 00:48:17.840
in their last eight matches, seven wins in a

00:48:17.840 --> 00:48:21.480
draw. We've only seen one win against Indy at

00:48:21.480 --> 00:48:24.139
their home in playoffs and that put everything

00:48:24.139 --> 00:48:26.900
on the line. Does that set the barometer for

00:48:26.900 --> 00:48:30.079
how we should expect these things to go? Is it

00:48:30.079 --> 00:48:32.710
more for Rhode Island? Could a smash and grab

00:48:32.710 --> 00:48:35.329
of one point be what all teams would be happy

00:48:35.329 --> 00:48:38.210
with? Or is there a real testament here to a

00:48:38.210 --> 00:48:41.409
statement to say we can go and upset what this

00:48:41.409 --> 00:48:46.510
level of streak has been for Indy 11? You know,

00:48:46.869 --> 00:48:49.090
this caught me by surprise because I don't tend

00:48:49.090 --> 00:48:51.449
to think of Indy as having much of a home field

00:48:51.449 --> 00:48:53.789
advantage. That maybe there's just something

00:48:53.789 --> 00:48:55.809
about the pitch at Carroll Stadium that that

00:48:55.809 --> 00:48:57.730
goes their way and it's kind of harder to play

00:48:57.730 --> 00:49:00.210
on for teams that. want to be more conventional

00:49:00.210 --> 00:49:03.269
in the way they're approaching possession. It

00:49:03.269 --> 00:49:05.610
is going to be difficult. They understand the

00:49:05.610 --> 00:49:08.090
confines. They know what they're trying to execute.

00:49:09.030 --> 00:49:11.429
I don't think it's going to be more difficult

00:49:11.429 --> 00:49:13.650
than your average away game if we're just grading

00:49:13.650 --> 00:49:17.050
on that curve. But innately, Indy is just a tough

00:49:17.050 --> 00:49:21.789
matchup overall. Both of these teams here, RFC

00:49:21.789 --> 00:49:24.530
and Indy, are just of five teams here that have

00:49:24.530 --> 00:49:28.070
a positive goal differential. These matchups,

00:49:28.070 --> 00:49:30.789
though, between us tend to be tight fairs, often

00:49:30.789 --> 00:49:35.889
ending 1 -0 or become somewhat slugfests. With

00:49:35.889 --> 00:49:39.829
at least five goals scored from both teams, what

00:49:39.829 --> 00:49:42.309
kind of scoreline are you expecting that we should

00:49:42.309 --> 00:49:45.949
be seeing on the weekend here? This feels like

00:49:45.949 --> 00:49:49.789
a game where it's going to be 1 -0, 1 -1, 2 -1,

00:49:49.989 --> 00:49:52.690
like an under three goals kind of territory.

00:49:53.550 --> 00:49:56.230
Indianately, they're going to slow the game down.

00:49:56.380 --> 00:49:59.420
In terms of the time the ball will be in play

00:49:59.420 --> 00:50:01.940
out of the 90 minutes, it's going to be closer

00:50:01.940 --> 00:50:05.519
to 40 -45. In other words, there's just not going

00:50:05.519 --> 00:50:07.500
to be as many opportunities to be putting goals

00:50:07.500 --> 00:50:09.880
on the board. So I would expect it to be a little

00:50:09.880 --> 00:50:13.320
bit punchy in that way. And I think that's right,

00:50:13.460 --> 00:50:16.280
too, because Eric Dick is the difference maker

00:50:16.280 --> 00:50:18.559
in that. And how many goals have we scored in

00:50:18.559 --> 00:50:20.940
our lifetime against him at Pittsburgh? Whether

00:50:20.940 --> 00:50:23.320
it's the same team or not, you can't deny it.

00:50:23.309 --> 00:50:25.469
He's just a giant and net, so it's going to make

00:50:25.469 --> 00:50:28.329
it more difficult. I think that's the right one.

00:50:28.449 --> 00:50:30.929
Well, then, guys, let's end this with how do

00:50:30.929 --> 00:50:33.510
each of these teams take three points from this

00:50:33.510 --> 00:50:35.150
match? John, we're going to put you in the middle

00:50:35.150 --> 00:50:37.550
of the sandwich so we can get that indie take.

00:50:37.769 --> 00:50:39.750
You know, we can get Rhode Island on each side

00:50:39.750 --> 00:50:43.469
of that. So, Jason, start things off here. I

00:50:43.469 --> 00:50:45.610
mean, yeah, they really talked about momentum.

00:50:45.610 --> 00:50:47.969
And I think that's really important for our FC

00:50:47.969 --> 00:50:50.829
to kind of, you know, take that momentum into

00:50:50.829 --> 00:50:53.969
this next match. The one thing I'm curious here

00:50:53.969 --> 00:50:56.750
is India has the lowest average possession in

00:50:56.750 --> 00:50:59.150
the league. So that means it's probably more

00:50:59.150 --> 00:51:01.690
likely that our FC is going to see the lion's

00:51:01.690 --> 00:51:04.630
share of the ball. So they're going to need to

00:51:04.630 --> 00:51:07.449
to not revert back to last season where we just

00:51:07.449 --> 00:51:09.289
passed it around sideways. I think they're going

00:51:09.289 --> 00:51:12.320
to need to play a bit more direct. we saw even

00:51:12.320 --> 00:51:14.199
earlier when they tried to just give the ball

00:51:14.199 --> 00:51:16.059
to Hartford and say, here, you do something with

00:51:16.059 --> 00:51:19.039
it. I don't know if they could trick Indy into

00:51:19.039 --> 00:51:22.519
having some possession there. But I think if

00:51:22.519 --> 00:51:25.400
they can continue to be direct, carry that momentum

00:51:25.400 --> 00:51:28.320
forward, I think RFC can walk away, at least

00:51:28.320 --> 00:51:31.099
with a point. John, how about from Indy's side

00:51:31.099 --> 00:51:33.780
of things? What do they need to get done? Yeah,

00:51:34.039 --> 00:51:36.519
it's winning the second ball battles, making

00:51:36.519 --> 00:51:39.590
sure that you are Recovering possession when

00:51:39.590 --> 00:51:42.389
Rhode Island tries to play over you, it's having

00:51:42.389 --> 00:51:44.789
stability in your rest defense. So when you've

00:51:44.789 --> 00:51:47.690
committed a bunch of bodies forward, is Cam Lindley

00:51:47.690 --> 00:51:50.030
low and in position? Is maybe Logan Neidlinger

00:51:50.030 --> 00:51:54.150
on the weak side? Staying aware, preventing Rhode

00:51:54.150 --> 00:51:56.010
Island from getting a quasar on the break or

00:51:56.010 --> 00:51:58.190
finding JJ Williams as a transition connector.

00:51:59.449 --> 00:52:02.449
And you add in the set piece component. If he

00:52:02.449 --> 00:52:04.969
makes mistakes, loses focus in that phase of

00:52:04.969 --> 00:52:07.639
the game. it really undercuts everything that

00:52:07.639 --> 00:52:10.559
they're trying to do. So it is just intentionality

00:52:10.559 --> 00:52:14.019
and focus in every sense of the defensive phase.

00:52:14.900 --> 00:52:17.400
Yeah, I've got winning the midfield transition

00:52:17.400 --> 00:52:20.519
as well. I really am interested in the in the

00:52:20.519 --> 00:52:23.039
spark between each of the double pivots I think

00:52:23.039 --> 00:52:25.639
that's gonna be one of the most interesting Not

00:52:25.639 --> 00:52:27.320
duels because obviously for them to see each

00:52:27.320 --> 00:52:29.320
other something's gone terribly wrong and in

00:52:29.320 --> 00:52:32.219
terms of final opposition penetration But I do

00:52:32.219 --> 00:52:33.780
think the midfield battle is where it's at and

00:52:33.780 --> 00:52:35.760
I think that also comes from the way Rhode Island

00:52:35.760 --> 00:52:38.360
will press Indy, you know, I talked earlier about

00:52:38.360 --> 00:52:40.800
how they've conceded goals. A lot of it has come

00:52:40.800 --> 00:52:44.199
from quick recoveries where Indy is scrambling

00:52:44.199 --> 00:52:46.900
back to their net. So I think that that's going

00:52:46.900 --> 00:52:48.760
to be the thing to watch. But it's got to come,

00:52:48.940 --> 00:52:51.079
if I'm being honest, from a goal where Rhode

00:52:51.079 --> 00:52:53.519
Island takes the lead early. They don't. they

00:52:53.519 --> 00:52:58.539
have not yet shown t to claw back and succesf

00:52:58.539 --> 00:53:01.800
they may have equalized, a second half team.

00:53:01.880 --> 00:53:05.440
And i into the second half to e that's going

00:53:05.440 --> 00:53:09.519
to be somet to see an adjustment from out on

00:53:09.519 --> 00:53:12.900
the front foot. U a nil nil game and it ge all

00:53:12.900 --> 00:53:17.199
the way to the 80th be surprised there honest

00:53:17.199 --> 00:53:20.539
the key thing for me is w night. Whichever team

00:53:20.539 --> 00:53:25.119
win ahead goal and the go ahead three points.

00:53:25.280 --> 00:53:27.500
You know, kudos to Indy. They're leading in set

00:53:27.500 --> 00:53:29.300
piece goals right now. They're leading in a lot

00:53:29.300 --> 00:53:31.639
of aerial dual categories. They love crossing.

00:53:31.719 --> 00:53:34.780
They love lobs into the box. So I think that's

00:53:34.780 --> 00:53:37.500
going to be Rhode Island's big piece. I wouldn't

00:53:37.500 --> 00:53:40.139
say we've had bad set piece defending. It's considerably

00:53:40.139 --> 00:53:42.900
improved from last year, but I'm not sure that

00:53:42.900 --> 00:53:46.079
this may be the biggest test so far of our defenders

00:53:46.079 --> 00:53:48.400
when it comes to that aerial battle. So that's

00:53:48.400 --> 00:53:51.099
what I've got there. We got to transition now

00:53:51.099 --> 00:53:53.860
into the most fun part of this particular show.

00:53:54.039 --> 00:53:56.500
It's why there's like 100 people in here waiting,

00:53:56.980 --> 00:54:00.380
desperately needing to know all things John Morrissey.

00:54:00.679 --> 00:54:03.079
So John, this is essentially mostly the John

00:54:03.079 --> 00:54:05.539
show now, and we're going to get right into this.

00:54:05.900 --> 00:54:09.639
Jake F writes in. Where do you rank our IFC in

00:54:09.639 --> 00:54:16.019
terms of physicality? Probably top five borderline

00:54:16.019 --> 00:54:19.639
borderline, like in the 10 to five range. I look

00:54:19.639 --> 00:54:22.320
at a team like Indy, a Hartford, a Brooklyn,

00:54:22.840 --> 00:54:26.099
maybe a Jacksonville, they all are clearing Rhode

00:54:26.099 --> 00:54:28.500
Island. So then you kind of get into the second

00:54:28.500 --> 00:54:32.000
bucket, maybe at a Louisville, Detroit, somewhat

00:54:32.000 --> 00:54:34.679
comparable, Pittsburgh, in the middle of their

00:54:34.679 --> 00:54:36.820
own stylistic change of trying to be a little

00:54:36.820 --> 00:54:39.840
bit classier. So I think Rhode Island is maybe

00:54:39.840 --> 00:54:42.639
top five, but probably in kind of a second tier

00:54:42.639 --> 00:54:45.320
relative to some of the real bruisers in the

00:54:45.320 --> 00:54:47.900
USL. I don't love that you put Hartford above

00:54:47.900 --> 00:54:50.139
us in anything, but I feel like you did that

00:54:50.139 --> 00:54:54.380
with intention. No intention. There's something

00:54:54.380 --> 00:54:56.099
about Hartford that is also a little bit ugly

00:54:56.099 --> 00:54:59.440
to watch that informs the way I'm answering with

00:54:59.440 --> 00:55:02.320
them. I know where Dispy stands in his rankings,

00:55:02.500 --> 00:55:04.619
Defender of the Year. I know. OK, I don't like

00:55:04.619 --> 00:55:08.699
to acknowledge it, but I understand. Liz R here

00:55:08.699 --> 00:55:11.739
says, is RFC a home playoff team in your opinion?

00:55:13.460 --> 00:55:17.960
They should be. The East is so wide open this

00:55:17.960 --> 00:55:21.400
year. Like it's Tampa Bay and anybody could go

00:55:21.400 --> 00:55:26.179
and do the thing. On talent, on tactical organization,

00:55:27.079 --> 00:55:29.340
Rhode Island really could be the two seed if

00:55:29.340 --> 00:55:33.119
everything goes right for them. Will they? I

00:55:33.119 --> 00:55:35.679
think they should be top four. I can't see the

00:55:35.679 --> 00:55:38.360
future. I don't have the crystal ball, but the

00:55:38.360 --> 00:55:41.440
way things are coming together for Louisville

00:55:41.440 --> 00:55:44.539
and Charleston. not connecting Miami feels like

00:55:44.539 --> 00:55:47.239
they're hot at the wrong time. I think there's

00:55:47.239 --> 00:55:49.820
a way Rhode Island goes and does it. I don't

00:55:49.820 --> 00:55:54.340
know by your words. We hope we pray Frank B writes

00:55:54.340 --> 00:55:56.900
in who's been the biggest surprise drop off so

00:55:56.900 --> 00:55:59.239
far this season in your mind either by player

00:55:59.239 --> 00:56:01.940
or by team and and John before you answer, I

00:56:01.940 --> 00:56:04.059
feel like I want to try to think if I know ball

00:56:04.059 --> 00:56:07.219
here, I'm going to put a contender in for sporting

00:56:07.219 --> 00:56:09.480
Lexington, but I don't know how you I just want

00:56:09.480 --> 00:56:10.760
to throw that one out there before you say it

00:56:10.760 --> 00:56:13.030
so people know I'm as smart as you. No, you're

00:56:13.030 --> 00:56:14.809
absolutely right. I thought they were just going

00:56:14.809 --> 00:56:17.050
to come out and be the best team in the USL.

00:56:17.730 --> 00:56:19.869
And maybe drop -off is the wrong framing with

00:56:19.869 --> 00:56:22.949
them, if only because they didn't make the playoffs

00:56:22.949 --> 00:56:25.969
last season. But drop -off relative to expectations,

00:56:26.409 --> 00:56:29.010
where they're the first team to ever pay a $100

00:56:29.010 --> 00:56:32.090
,000 transfer fee for a USL player within the

00:56:32.090 --> 00:56:34.030
league. And then they become the second team

00:56:34.030 --> 00:56:36.170
to do that within the span of the same offseason.

00:56:37.010 --> 00:56:39.469
And then they're second to last in the West right

00:56:39.469 --> 00:56:43.150
now. They feel like the only answer for this

00:56:43.150 --> 00:56:45.769
question. And I think as an extension of that,

00:56:45.929 --> 00:56:48.750
Philip Goodrum as a player, he's just not scoring

00:56:48.750 --> 00:56:50.889
in the way that they thought he would when they

00:56:50.889 --> 00:56:56.250
signed him from Louisville City. All right. Hard

00:56:56.250 --> 00:56:58.210
-hitting question here from soccer with Brian.

00:56:58.849 --> 00:57:02.630
How did you get so smart? Well, shout out to

00:57:02.630 --> 00:57:07.489
Brian, a fellow indie fan. How did I get so smart?

00:57:07.610 --> 00:57:11.119
Well, one. thank you that is too kind, actually.

00:57:11.960 --> 00:57:15.380
It's watching too much soccer, reading as much

00:57:15.380 --> 00:57:17.719
tactical analysis stuff, statistical analysis

00:57:17.719 --> 00:57:20.860
stuff as I can, and then like doing the dang

00:57:20.860 --> 00:57:24.420
thing. There's no better way to improve your

00:57:24.420 --> 00:57:27.460
understanding of soccer and anything than by

00:57:27.460 --> 00:57:30.760
writing about it, trying to analyze it. Practice

00:57:30.760 --> 00:57:34.159
makes perfect in that regard. And what I'm, geez,

00:57:34.340 --> 00:57:37.159
six years into at least having the Twitter account

00:57:37.159 --> 00:57:40.420
onward. So I've got plenty of reps in in terms

00:57:40.420 --> 00:57:42.980
of trying to understand the USL and how the game

00:57:42.980 --> 00:57:46.619
is played. So no falling into a vat of chemicals

00:57:46.619 --> 00:57:50.460
is what I'm hearing. Yeah, I took the super soldier

00:57:50.460 --> 00:57:54.380
serum and that's how it happened. Love it. Brad

00:57:54.380 --> 00:57:57.039
L writes in with all the goals so far for Rhode

00:57:57.039 --> 00:57:59.920
Island FC this season. What number of players

00:57:59.920 --> 00:58:02.719
do we think will hit double digit goal contributions?

00:58:05.179 --> 00:58:07.460
Looking back, and I don't know if I was doing

00:58:07.460 --> 00:58:09.900
the math right, so caveat, I think it's only

00:58:09.900 --> 00:58:11.980
happened, what, three, four times for this team

00:58:11.980 --> 00:58:16.940
previously? Yeah, it was three. Yeah, Williams,

00:58:17.300 --> 00:58:21.360
Chico, and Fusan are the only ones. Okay. I think

00:58:21.360 --> 00:58:24.179
Williams is easily going to get there. I think

00:58:24.179 --> 00:58:26.539
Quasera is going to get there just based on the

00:58:26.539 --> 00:58:28.780
way he's looked this season, the goals and the

00:58:28.780 --> 00:58:31.800
assists, the like coming for him. Is there a

00:58:31.800 --> 00:58:34.219
chance that the international duty kind of knocks

00:58:34.219 --> 00:58:37.320
him off course? There is a possibility. So I'm

00:58:37.320 --> 00:58:41.360
banking on two. Could there be a third guy? Could

00:58:41.360 --> 00:58:44.360
Afonso hit the right form and start scoring some

00:58:44.360 --> 00:58:47.579
of these shots? It's possible, but two feels

00:58:47.579 --> 00:58:52.980
like the safe answer. My favorite question here

00:58:52.980 --> 00:58:56.699
from Rachel M. Talking mascots, who is on your

00:58:56.699 --> 00:59:02.059
USL Mount Rushmore? So I'm tempted to say it's

00:59:02.059 --> 00:59:04.539
Monterey Bay's Kelpie four times over. I think

00:59:04.539 --> 00:59:09.480
it is. I think he's God's gift to the idea of

00:59:09.480 --> 00:59:12.380
the mascot. Look him up if you don't know him.

00:59:12.500 --> 00:59:15.260
He's kind of just like a mess of coral, but there

00:59:15.260 --> 00:59:17.760
are like Finding Nemo -style fish coming out

00:59:17.760 --> 00:59:19.760
of him. There's a fishtail coming out of the

00:59:19.760 --> 00:59:22.679
bottom of his kit. He wears a weird hat. Everything

00:59:22.679 --> 00:59:26.679
out about him is kind of beautiful. In seriousness,

00:59:26.880 --> 00:59:30.320
it's Kelpie. It's Gnarly from Orange County SC.

00:59:31.059 --> 00:59:34.519
He's kind of like a post -gritty, just orange

00:59:34.519 --> 00:59:36.980
-bois the guy, but something about him is very

00:59:36.980 --> 00:59:40.559
winning. He's gritty. Teemu Gritty is what it

00:59:40.559 --> 00:59:45.679
is. You went to go buy it. Yeah. Yeah. I think

00:59:45.679 --> 00:59:48.340
the George Washington of Mount Rushmore is Kickaroo

00:59:48.340 --> 00:59:51.260
for the Richmond Kickers. Been around the block.

00:59:51.739 --> 00:59:55.400
Who doesn't love a kangaroo, by the way? Fourth

00:59:55.400 --> 00:59:58.650
spot, Friendly the Bear. whose Detroit city's

00:59:58.650 --> 01:00:01.369
kind of on -again -off -again mascot. Listen.

01:00:01.949 --> 01:00:04.570
Listen. You gotta go for someone who just looks

01:00:04.570 --> 01:00:07.829
like Derpy and kind of under -designed at a certain

01:00:07.829 --> 01:00:10.590
point. I find that very attractive in a mascot.

01:00:11.050 --> 01:00:14.210
In a world where Kelpie is so excessive, Friendly

01:00:14.210 --> 01:00:16.469
the Bear is kind of the opposite whole. You know

01:00:16.469 --> 01:00:20.469
the story of Friendly the Bear, right? Remind

01:00:20.469 --> 01:00:23.880
me. So that mascot was found in the trash can,

01:00:24.119 --> 01:00:26.380
and they just washed it and revitalized it and

01:00:26.380 --> 01:00:28.099
made it the mascot. Like they literally found

01:00:28.099 --> 01:00:30.380
that costume in a dumpster. I think that's beautiful.

01:00:31.239 --> 01:00:33.760
Do you think there's a mod for Five Nights at

01:00:33.760 --> 01:00:36.840
Freddy's where it's just all the USL mascots?

01:00:37.920 --> 01:00:41.260
I play it. All right, well then, since you did

01:00:41.260 --> 01:00:43.840
the five or the four that you, I should remember

01:00:43.840 --> 01:00:45.420
how Mount Rushmore works here, since you did

01:00:45.420 --> 01:00:47.519
the four, I'm gonna do the four worst in my opinion.

01:00:48.000 --> 01:00:53.179
And I'm gonna say it is snaggy, even though he's

01:00:53.179 --> 01:00:55.260
officially not. He's more like the Meow Wolf

01:00:55.260 --> 01:00:58.980
one. That is the stuff of nightmares. It was

01:00:58.980 --> 01:01:01.840
Tiki Mon for the Harrisburg Islanders. That one

01:01:01.840 --> 01:01:04.880
was scary. I did not like that one whatsoever.

01:01:04.880 --> 01:01:08.309
I like him. Oh, no, no, no, no. It's Dylan because

01:01:08.309 --> 01:01:11.929
I will show Hartford hate on my own show. And

01:01:11.929 --> 01:01:13.969
then I'm in it. We're just going to do this for

01:01:13.969 --> 01:01:15.710
both. It's friendly because there's just not

01:01:15.710 --> 01:01:18.250
enough effort there. So, you know, you can have

01:01:18.250 --> 01:01:20.369
it each way. Jason, you get to be the tiebreaker.

01:01:20.429 --> 01:01:23.670
I would say a shout out to for for bad as I really

01:01:23.670 --> 01:01:26.250
don't like cash the rocker or whatever. Oh, I'm

01:01:26.250 --> 01:01:29.090
not a big fan of like, like anamorphic people

01:01:29.090 --> 01:01:32.289
like it's got to be like an animal or monster

01:01:32.289 --> 01:01:34.510
or something. It's just like it's just a dude.

01:01:35.440 --> 01:01:37.659
I think I would lose in a fight against Hoot

01:01:37.659 --> 01:01:40.179
from Union Omaha. I think if we scrapped, I would

01:01:40.179 --> 01:01:42.539
lose a fight. But anyways, we're getting way

01:01:42.539 --> 01:01:45.400
off track here. What's the next question? Phil

01:01:45.400 --> 01:01:48.360
W writes in, if you had to guess, how much time

01:01:48.360 --> 01:01:51.480
do you consume, excuse me, how much time a week

01:01:51.480 --> 01:01:55.420
do you consume all things USL? What's the shot

01:01:55.420 --> 01:01:56.940
clock for you in getting all of this out the

01:01:56.940 --> 01:02:01.579
door? So on the average weekend, it's probably

01:02:01.579 --> 01:02:04.659
10 to 12 hours, and that might be conservative.

01:02:06.509 --> 01:02:09.530
That's across both days? That's across both days.

01:02:12.630 --> 01:02:14.750
During the week, I've obviously got two podcasts

01:02:14.750 --> 01:02:17.550
that I'm doing. So that's two and a half up to

01:02:17.550 --> 01:02:19.670
three hours a week minimum. There are midweek

01:02:19.670 --> 01:02:22.690
games. The beauty of working from home is that

01:02:22.690 --> 01:02:24.949
it can kind of be USL time at any point if I

01:02:24.949 --> 01:02:30.170
need it to be. All of that put together, it's

01:02:30.170 --> 01:02:32.670
easily 20 hours a week. And that probably feels

01:02:32.670 --> 01:02:36.000
like a low ball estimate. They need to start

01:02:36.000 --> 01:02:37.880
paying you my friend. They need to start paying

01:02:37.880 --> 01:02:40.760
you Should I have to back you on for getting

01:02:40.760 --> 01:02:46.079
part of the way there? All right next one here

01:02:46.079 --> 01:02:49.460
from Eric and are we rushing pro rel or is it

01:02:49.460 --> 01:02:59.639
the right time parentheses drink I Mean I Put

01:02:59.639 --> 01:03:02.460
aside the idea of is it gonna work or not? Is

01:03:02.460 --> 01:03:04.880
it the right time? And I think the answer is

01:03:04.880 --> 01:03:08.840
probably yes. When you think about the World's

01:03:08.840 --> 01:03:11.079
Cup, and maybe it isn't going to be the big moment

01:03:11.079 --> 01:03:13.460
that everyone kind of hoped it is, but it is

01:03:13.460 --> 01:03:16.179
kind of this line in the sand of the USL wants

01:03:16.179 --> 01:03:20.119
it to be this spark for growth. So you've got

01:03:20.119 --> 01:03:23.980
that win behind your back on one hand. In terms

01:03:23.980 --> 01:03:28.139
of implementing ProRail, do you need it so that

01:03:28.139 --> 01:03:30.800
the tiers of the leagues aren't that far apart?

01:03:31.179 --> 01:03:34.269
And right now, League One, especially at the

01:03:34.269 --> 01:03:36.610
top end, in the bottom end of the championship,

01:03:37.570 --> 01:03:40.869
both in terms of salary, front office build out,

01:03:41.130 --> 01:03:44.670
quality of play, all of that is fairly similar,

01:03:44.829 --> 01:03:48.730
where ProRail isn't going to be a financial burden

01:03:48.730 --> 01:03:51.250
for a team that goes down to a great extent,

01:03:51.710 --> 01:03:54.210
or too much of a ramp up for the teams that are

01:03:54.210 --> 01:03:57.889
coming up. Maybe if we wait 10, 15 years, it's

01:03:57.889 --> 01:04:00.929
a different story. So if you just institutionalize

01:04:00.929 --> 01:04:04.679
that, implemented at this point in time, it probably

01:04:04.679 --> 01:04:08.320
makes more sense. Again, I don't know if it's

01:04:08.320 --> 01:04:10.780
gonna work, but I very much think strike while

01:04:10.780 --> 01:04:12.860
the iron's hot and get this thing done is the

01:04:12.860 --> 01:04:15.760
right move. I mean, for all of us in this, you

01:04:15.760 --> 01:04:18.719
know, hobby for us, somewhat paid job for you,

01:04:18.920 --> 01:04:22.440
we need this to work, so... Yeah, it's kind of

01:04:22.440 --> 01:04:26.039
work. You could say that again. Yeah. Kyle K

01:04:26.039 --> 01:04:28.519
in this fashion to opposite side of the coin

01:04:28.519 --> 01:04:31.300
here writes in how many more teams do you think

01:04:31.300 --> 01:04:35.099
we might see shut down by 2030? Or do you think

01:04:35.099 --> 01:04:37.880
we've seen the last of it from the USL championship

01:04:37.880 --> 01:04:40.800
and up? So I guess Kyle has no faith in Super

01:04:40.800 --> 01:04:45.730
Women's or USL one at this point. Thank God we're

01:04:45.730 --> 01:04:46.989
not talking about the Super League, because they

01:04:46.989 --> 01:04:48.869
would have a very negative answer to that question.

01:04:48.869 --> 01:04:50.989
We can. You can add it. It's your show right

01:04:50.989 --> 01:04:53.750
now. It's the John Show. Do what you want. I'm

01:04:53.750 --> 01:04:56.110
not going to name specific teams, because that

01:04:56.110 --> 01:04:58.530
feels very rude for people whose livelihoods

01:04:58.530 --> 01:05:00.809
are at stake. But I think there are probably

01:05:00.809 --> 01:05:03.130
three of the remaining eight teams in the Super

01:05:03.130 --> 01:05:06.250
League that are on thin ice. So watch that space.

01:05:07.289 --> 01:05:11.139
In the championship... Never say never, because

01:05:11.139 --> 01:05:14.300
I don't think people saw Memphis coming, for

01:05:14.300 --> 01:05:16.960
instance. But I think you could probably look

01:05:16.960 --> 01:05:20.000
at two or three teams that are even a question

01:05:20.000 --> 01:05:24.119
mark for 2030. And maybe, say, Premier doesn't

01:05:24.119 --> 01:05:26.099
work, ProRail doesn't have the impact people

01:05:26.099 --> 01:05:29.340
think. That could change very quickly. But I

01:05:29.340 --> 01:05:31.239
don't think we're going to lose more than two

01:05:31.239 --> 01:05:33.420
of the existing clubs by that point in time.

01:05:33.980 --> 01:05:36.139
I'm going to add an addendum to this then, since

01:05:36.139 --> 01:05:38.719
we're going to run long here anyways. Does Santa

01:05:38.719 --> 01:05:41.519
Barbara sky ever actually take flight and does

01:05:41.519 --> 01:05:43.420
North Carolina ever get back into the league?

01:05:45.179 --> 01:05:50.659
Oh, boy, of the two, I think North Carolina joining

01:05:50.659 --> 01:05:54.699
USL Premier is likelier. Santa Barbara is just

01:05:54.699 --> 01:05:57.360
another one of those very weird expansion things

01:05:57.360 --> 01:06:00.719
where they keep pushing and they keep pushing.

01:06:01.000 --> 01:06:03.860
They're like changing stadiums. They've got investors,

01:06:03.920 --> 01:06:07.059
but no real money behind the thing. I'd be surprised

01:06:07.059 --> 01:06:12.820
to see them play. Yeah. All right. Next one here,

01:06:12.980 --> 01:06:15.639
Greg H says you can have dinner with five soccer

01:06:15.639 --> 01:06:18.579
legends. Who and why are you picking them? Before

01:06:18.579 --> 01:06:23.159
you answer this, Greg, why five? Like and John,

01:06:23.179 --> 01:06:25.679
if that's too difficult, just do two or three

01:06:25.679 --> 01:06:29.539
and Greg can be happy with that answer. No, I

01:06:29.539 --> 01:06:32.429
like it. I've got. I've got at least three that

01:06:32.429 --> 01:06:35.449
I feel good about. So first and foremost, as

01:06:35.449 --> 01:06:38.969
someone who got into this sport really as a top

01:06:38.969 --> 01:06:41.849
of hot spur fan, I would like to have a meal

01:06:41.849 --> 01:06:45.489
with Harry Kane. Also because of the fact that

01:06:45.489 --> 01:06:48.050
he's very much like a mouth breather kind of

01:06:48.050 --> 01:06:49.929
guy. And I think there would be something vaguely

01:06:49.929 --> 01:06:53.309
comedic about just hanging out with him. We're

01:06:53.309 --> 01:06:56.469
giving him some credit there. Second up, Peter

01:06:56.469 --> 01:06:59.389
Wilt, who is really at the core of Indy Levin's

01:06:59.389 --> 01:07:01.909
founding, kind of a Johnny Appleseed figure starting

01:07:01.909 --> 01:07:04.530
clubs all over the Midwest. Say what you will

01:07:04.530 --> 01:07:06.389
about him. I think he would be a fascinating

01:07:06.389 --> 01:07:09.210
person to talk to. Just about like the state

01:07:09.210 --> 01:07:11.349
of the game in this country because he's been

01:07:11.349 --> 01:07:15.329
there at the ground level. Clint Dempsey up there

01:07:15.329 --> 01:07:17.909
for me because he seems like a really good hang,

01:07:18.150 --> 01:07:21.780
first and foremost. So I'm stopping at three

01:07:21.780 --> 01:07:24.019
to rein this in but those are like three that

01:07:24.019 --> 01:07:26.579
I feel like would be an interesting set at the

01:07:26.579 --> 01:07:28.880
dinner table for me Jason you want to take a

01:07:28.880 --> 01:07:30.760
shot at this? Have you put any thought into this?

01:07:31.539 --> 01:07:34.500
I mean, I also would I I really admire Clint

01:07:34.500 --> 01:07:37.360
Dempsey. I I think he could be a good dang He

01:07:37.360 --> 01:07:39.139
seems like a good dude, too. He's got a good

01:07:39.139 --> 01:07:42.440
story there about how we wait You can't steal

01:07:42.440 --> 01:07:44.940
John's answers. There are thousands and thousands

01:07:44.940 --> 01:07:46.900
of soccer players out there. I'll swap it out

01:07:46.900 --> 01:07:50.420
for Landon Donovan then. Landon would be boring.

01:07:51.860 --> 01:07:57.139
Talk to him about the hair plugs. Just have a

01:07:57.139 --> 01:08:04.059
hospital dinner conversation. I don't know. Wardiola

01:08:04.059 --> 01:08:07.360
might be interesting. He might be really crazy

01:08:07.360 --> 01:08:09.760
and too intense the entire time. That could be

01:08:09.760 --> 01:08:11.880
fun, like if you get them off on some tangent.

01:08:15.219 --> 01:08:19.359
I don't know, Henri maybe, you know. Ask him

01:08:19.359 --> 01:08:24.899
about his feelings on Kate. I appreciate that.

01:08:25.960 --> 01:08:28.159
I got, I have three. I'll just, I'll go really

01:08:28.159 --> 01:08:30.979
quick. I think it would be fantastic to have

01:08:30.979 --> 01:08:33.840
dinner with. First and foremost, I'm going to

01:08:33.840 --> 01:08:36.430
go, I'm going to go Wilfrid Nancy. I think that

01:08:36.430 --> 01:08:39.210
the way he has seen the game, especially in his

01:08:39.210 --> 01:08:41.409
current situation, love to ask him, like, you

01:08:41.409 --> 01:08:44.649
know, reflecting back. But and I've seen that

01:08:44.649 --> 01:08:46.609
I've heard him talk and he seems like a very

01:08:46.609 --> 01:08:48.890
inspirational person, despite maybe a little

01:08:48.890 --> 01:08:51.390
bit of conservation at times. And plus just trying

01:08:51.390 --> 01:08:53.329
to get through dinner with with an accent. You

01:08:53.329 --> 01:08:56.510
know, that could be fun in and of itself. I'm

01:08:56.510 --> 01:08:59.180
also going to go Nate Miller. But I'm only going

01:08:59.180 --> 01:09:02.680
to ask Nate Miller questions related to Kano

01:09:02.680 --> 01:09:04.899
Smith so that Kano and I can become better friends

01:09:04.899 --> 01:09:06.979
because apparently Nate and Kano are like the

01:09:06.979 --> 01:09:09.960
best of buddies because Kano and I just we are

01:09:09.960 --> 01:09:11.920
like oil and water and I got to figure a way

01:09:11.920 --> 01:09:14.920
on how to penetrate and pierce that that man's

01:09:14.920 --> 01:09:17.199
cold heart towards me. So I'm going I'm going

01:09:17.199 --> 01:09:18.859
Nate Miller. I might even go Tommy Stone. I'm

01:09:18.859 --> 01:09:21.279
just gonna do three coaches here and that's that's

01:09:21.279 --> 01:09:25.060
my whole that's my whole schtick. But then player

01:09:25.060 --> 01:09:27.840
wise and I'm going to go to the time Ibrahimovic

01:09:27.840 --> 01:09:30.479
because I want to know if he is always like that

01:09:30.479 --> 01:09:32.199
when the cameras aren't on. I don't think he

01:09:32.199 --> 01:09:35.520
is. But if he is, I want to find out firsthand

01:09:35.520 --> 01:09:39.159
and report back. And then the other one, Stephen

01:09:39.159 --> 01:09:41.800
Gerard, I just want to know what it's like to

01:09:41.800 --> 01:09:44.939
be a living legend that, you know, put an entire

01:09:44.939 --> 01:09:47.479
city on his back and took them to heights that

01:09:47.479 --> 01:09:50.439
they had never seen. So that's my five, at least.

01:09:51.239 --> 01:09:54.039
and I'd go from there, but we are running so

01:09:54.039 --> 01:09:56.520
long, so we gotta move straight to the next one.

01:09:56.899 --> 01:09:59.579
Travis I or Travis L, I'm not sure if that was

01:09:59.579 --> 01:10:02.739
lowercase, predictions for the first year a USL

01:10:02.739 --> 01:10:05.899
team wins the US Open Cup. When's it gonna happen,

01:10:06.000 --> 01:10:12.819
John? My gut reaction was never. I was kind of

01:10:12.819 --> 01:10:18.779
thinking the same thing. It needs to happen soon.

01:10:19.380 --> 01:10:22.180
Not only because like. Is the USL going to exist

01:10:22.180 --> 01:10:25.100
15 years from now? Who can say? But also the

01:10:25.100 --> 01:10:27.600
speed with which MLS has grown, it's only going

01:10:27.600 --> 01:10:32.720
to get more difficult. So maybe MLS, maybe MLS

01:10:32.720 --> 01:10:34.880
just pulls out of the cup and this becomes kind

01:10:34.880 --> 01:10:37.439
of a cheat of a question. But yeah, never was

01:10:37.439 --> 01:10:43.300
the gut feeling. Jacob here saying, how many

01:10:43.300 --> 01:10:45.699
stadiums in the USL have you been to and what's

01:10:45.699 --> 01:10:49.560
your favorite in -person experience? Apologies

01:10:49.560 --> 01:10:52.100
if I forget anybody, but I think it's seven,

01:10:52.420 --> 01:10:55.920
and it's Westchester, Indy, Brooklyn, Phoenix,

01:10:56.319 --> 01:11:00.100
Tulsa, Oakland, and Portland. And of those, it's

01:11:00.100 --> 01:11:04.159
clearly Portland. Like that fan base is rabid.

01:11:04.819 --> 01:11:07.300
The attentiveness to the game and the understanding

01:11:07.300 --> 01:11:10.039
of what's happening on the pitch kind of unmatched.

01:11:10.159 --> 01:11:15.529
So I had an absolute ball up there. Sam R here

01:11:15.529 --> 01:11:18.670
saying, can you please explain your Twitter banner?

01:11:19.449 --> 01:11:21.869
So I will say, I saw some of these questions

01:11:21.869 --> 01:11:24.170
beforehand and then I got onto the dock live

01:11:24.170 --> 01:11:26.470
on the show and realized, oh, there's more. And

01:11:26.470 --> 01:11:29.750
this one is taking me out. So it is a screenshot

01:11:29.750 --> 01:11:33.109
from the movie Miami Vice directed by Michael

01:11:33.109 --> 01:11:36.729
Mann. You are seeing Colin Farrell and he has

01:11:36.729 --> 01:11:39.489
just delivered the line, I am a fiend for mojitos.

01:11:39.880 --> 01:11:42.760
And I think that really speaks to me in a way

01:11:42.760 --> 01:11:48.939
where I kind of have to represent it. Do you

01:11:48.939 --> 01:11:51.600
drink mojitos? Is that your spirit animal of

01:11:51.600 --> 01:11:54.319
a drink? It's more Colin Farrell as my spirit

01:11:54.319 --> 01:11:59.180
animal. Would you have a mojito with Colin Farrell?

01:12:00.039 --> 01:12:02.340
I would have a mojito anytime to be clear, but

01:12:02.340 --> 01:12:06.720
especially in that scenario. Alex writes in who's

01:12:06.720 --> 01:12:09.359
your projected winner for the World Cup? Who's

01:12:09.359 --> 01:12:11.899
your dark horse? And are you going to any games?

01:12:11.899 --> 01:12:14.840
John did the USL to the US Soccer Federation?

01:12:14.960 --> 01:12:17.199
Did someone roll out the red carpet so that you

01:12:17.199 --> 01:12:18.920
could attend these games and analyze them with

01:12:18.920 --> 01:12:22.119
your own eyeballs? No, and I'm also like not

01:12:22.119 --> 01:12:25.560
made of money, so I'm not going to be attending

01:12:25.560 --> 01:12:28.000
any games. Unfortunately, is it because you spent

01:12:28.000 --> 01:12:33.020
$300 ,000 on Nick's tickets? Man, I wait. I'm

01:12:33.020 --> 01:12:36.310
not like I'm a Pacers fan. That's my thing, but

01:12:36.310 --> 01:12:39.130
I wish I could be going to a Knicks game. That

01:12:39.130 --> 01:12:43.130
atmosphere right now seems unreal. In terms of

01:12:43.130 --> 01:12:46.050
some of the picks, I claim no deep knowledge

01:12:46.050 --> 01:12:49.390
of international soccer. I'm too into the USL

01:12:49.390 --> 01:12:52.310
rabbit hole at this point. I like France a lot,

01:12:52.909 --> 01:12:54.970
something about that team, good mix of veterans

01:12:54.970 --> 01:12:57.829
and guys on the come up. In terms of a dark horse,

01:12:58.270 --> 01:13:00.810
and this is just pure vibes of reading athletic

01:13:00.810 --> 01:13:06.079
articles, go for Columbia. hum as writing off

01:13:06.079 --> 01:13:10.560
into the sunset. Jason, after doing nothing,

01:13:11.060 --> 01:13:15.560
absolutely nothing for Minnesota United. I mean,

01:13:15.640 --> 01:13:17.800
that hilarious. Do we have a dark? Do we have

01:13:17.800 --> 01:13:19.439
a dark horse yet? Do we have I don't know if

01:13:19.439 --> 01:13:22.020
we've even talked picks yet. Do you got your

01:13:22.020 --> 01:13:24.579
Belgium still the dark horse, right? They're

01:13:24.579 --> 01:13:28.439
they have been now for like the last four World

01:13:28.439 --> 01:13:31.819
Cups. Lukaku is going to score 17 goals in this

01:13:31.819 --> 01:13:35.289
World Cup. I swear it's gonna happen. Alright,

01:13:35.510 --> 01:13:37.609
getting into this, Ramiz, I don't know, I'm not

01:13:37.609 --> 01:13:39.569
gonna say this right. This is embarrassing considering

01:13:39.569 --> 01:13:43.270
I covered this league. Ramiz Hamouda? Just signed.

01:13:44.069 --> 01:13:46.789
Nailed it to Werner Bremen. Who are the next

01:13:46.789 --> 01:13:49.789
three most likely players to make the jump out

01:13:49.789 --> 01:13:53.789
of USL Championship? The next one we will see

01:13:53.789 --> 01:13:57.050
is almost certainly Jamir Johnson. He was really

01:13:57.050 --> 01:13:59.489
highly vaunted in a couple of MLS academies.

01:13:59.649 --> 01:14:01.829
He's doing the Orange County thing, so he's already

01:14:01.829 --> 01:14:05.489
got one foot out the door. I'm liking what I

01:14:05.489 --> 01:14:08.050
see out of Colton Swan for the Charleston Battery.

01:14:08.970 --> 01:14:11.609
U .S. youth national team prospect. Had a year

01:14:11.609 --> 01:14:14.109
in college soccer. He was quite good, but still

01:14:14.109 --> 01:14:17.670
kind of that 20 -20 range where he feels like

01:14:17.670 --> 01:14:21.819
he's still in prospect mode. I'm holding stock

01:14:21.819 --> 01:14:24.359
in Abdel Latif Abakora, reigning Young Player

01:14:24.359 --> 01:14:26.920
of the Year from Loudon United. Hasn't played

01:14:26.920 --> 01:14:29.659
yet this season because of an injury, but there

01:14:29.659 --> 01:14:32.000
was some real smoke there that there was interest

01:14:32.000 --> 01:14:34.479
in him. So he's going to be my third guy where

01:14:34.479 --> 01:14:38.539
I'm trusting the process with him. Follow up

01:14:38.539 --> 01:14:41.359
to that. Anyone on RAFC that should be eyeing

01:14:41.359 --> 01:14:46.310
MLS? It's an interesting question. because it's

01:14:46.310 --> 01:14:49.310
so hard to predict what MLS is looking for when

01:14:49.310 --> 01:14:52.970
they sign a player out of the USL. For a second

01:14:52.970 --> 01:14:54.789
there, I kind of thought Frank Nodarse was going

01:14:54.789 --> 01:14:58.189
to be the guy who could maybe make a jump. Looking

01:14:58.189 --> 01:15:01.189
at this team, I think maybe Hugo Bekarek is the

01:15:01.189 --> 01:15:04.170
guy who has the profile in terms of the skill

01:15:04.170 --> 01:15:07.770
set and the versatility where that projects the

01:15:07.770 --> 01:15:11.260
best at a higher level for me. I'm going to jump

01:15:11.260 --> 01:15:13.159
in because I actually know something for once

01:15:13.159 --> 01:15:15.220
here. I think it I think the two players that

01:15:15.220 --> 01:15:18.239
we should be watching are it does Quisera make

01:15:18.239 --> 01:15:21.039
the return back in if he has a breakout season

01:15:21.039 --> 01:15:23.739
I could see and he has connections back to a

01:15:23.739 --> 01:15:26.439
team like Montreal who basically they don't even

01:15:26.439 --> 01:15:29.460
pay players they like make barter trades with

01:15:29.460 --> 01:15:31.260
like whatever objects are in the front office

01:15:31.260 --> 01:15:34.199
and then cash them in at a pawn shop to get players

01:15:34.199 --> 01:15:37.659
signed like I could genuinely see a Quisera resurgence

01:15:37.659 --> 01:15:39.720
with Montreal and the other one that I'm watching

01:15:42.640 --> 01:15:45.899
I don't think he could ever be a starter in an

01:15:45.899 --> 01:15:47.979
MLS squad, but I absolutely think he could be

01:15:47.979 --> 01:15:51.460
an impact substitute role for one of the teams

01:15:51.460 --> 01:15:54.300
on a tighter budget or teams looking to find

01:15:54.300 --> 01:15:56.300
value and don't want to go out and take a chance.

01:15:56.680 --> 01:15:59.260
I do think that those three players. possibly.

01:15:59.319 --> 01:16:02.399
But I think you' it's back Iraq that's at the

01:16:02.399 --> 01:16:07.119
he wants to get back to United before he really

01:16:07.119 --> 01:16:11.760
g because he only left Uni that that was it.

01:16:11.979 --> 01:16:15.140
Otherw to take a chance on two m have waived

01:16:15.140 --> 01:16:20.439
him and sent him I agree with you john that got

01:16:20.439 --> 01:16:30.300
the biggest ceiling a USL premier players signing

01:16:30.300 --> 01:16:34.220
in the league or have we already seen it because

01:16:34.220 --> 01:16:36.500
the way some of these player contracts are written,

01:16:36.800 --> 01:16:39.920
we just don't know it yet since teams haven't

01:16:39.920 --> 01:16:42.920
been announced. Basically saying, we've signed

01:16:42.920 --> 01:16:45.500
a player maybe to a three year deal starting

01:16:45.500 --> 01:16:47.300
this season, so they will already be a premier

01:16:47.300 --> 01:16:48.779
player. They don't know it. Do we think we're

01:16:48.779 --> 01:16:50.159
there yet or do we think there's going to be

01:16:50.159 --> 01:16:52.760
a massive reconstruction effort when we get to

01:16:52.760 --> 01:16:57.220
the premier side of things? So. Pending who gets

01:16:57.220 --> 01:16:59.920
admitted to the league, there are already six

01:16:59.920 --> 01:17:03.239
guys who I think are set in stone for it. One

01:17:03.239 --> 01:17:05.399
of them, well, two of them from Louisville, Taylor

01:17:05.399 --> 01:17:07.880
Davila and Josh Jones, where they're just announced

01:17:07.880 --> 01:17:10.579
on contracts through 2028. And maybe there's

01:17:10.579 --> 01:17:13.340
a chance Jones especially goes to MLS, but those

01:17:13.340 --> 01:17:15.739
guys feel locked in. Molloy and Goodrum both

01:17:15.739 --> 01:17:18.300
on three -year deals. Now Lexington, just because

01:17:18.300 --> 01:17:20.460
of the market size and the attendance they draw

01:17:20.460 --> 01:17:23.000
is more of an edge case. and then Sacramento

01:17:23.000 --> 01:17:25.460
just announced multi -year extensions for Freddy

01:17:25.460 --> 01:17:27.920
Klee and Jack Kerr. They'll be the defensive

01:17:27.920 --> 01:17:30.479
core of that team and unless Sacramento just

01:17:30.479 --> 01:17:32.939
ends up in MLS, Sacramento is going to be in

01:17:32.939 --> 01:17:36.579
USL Premier. So those are the guys who they feel

01:17:36.579 --> 01:17:39.399
like they're already set to make that jump up.

01:17:40.779 --> 01:17:44.479
All right, final question then here. Thoughts

01:17:44.479 --> 01:17:47.880
on Pep Guardiola here and ranking his overall

01:17:47.880 --> 01:17:52.210
impact on football as a whole? I don't think

01:17:52.210 --> 01:17:56.390
you can overstate how impactful he's been. And

01:17:56.390 --> 01:17:59.170
it's easy to think about the early era, the tiki

01:17:59.170 --> 01:18:02.930
-taka, introducing this real focus on possession.

01:18:03.510 --> 01:18:06.029
But I think there's something to be said for

01:18:06.029 --> 01:18:09.170
the analytical approach, the way that you can

01:18:09.170 --> 01:18:11.750
break down the pitch and understand valuing certain

01:18:11.750 --> 01:18:15.970
areas of it, that constant willingness to experiment

01:18:15.970 --> 01:18:20.829
and try something new. Yes, he was influential

01:18:20.829 --> 01:18:23.890
in terms of spreading ideas, but there was a

01:18:23.890 --> 01:18:27.210
way he went about it that made PEP and continues

01:18:27.210 --> 01:18:29.949
to make PEP special and influential. So, yeah,

01:18:30.029 --> 01:18:33.029
he's an enormous figure in the development of

01:18:33.029 --> 01:18:36.449
the game over the last 20 years. Now it's up

01:18:36.449 --> 01:18:39.710
to Kano to find a new person to change the way

01:18:39.710 --> 01:18:41.789
he plays the game and he won't be able to deploy

01:18:41.789 --> 01:18:45.899
Guardiola tactics every week. John, it's been

01:18:45.899 --> 01:18:48.319
so fun doing these mail bags. We gotta keep doing

01:18:48.319 --> 01:18:51.100
these in the future. Gotta get back to the regular

01:18:51.100 --> 01:18:52.920
show for the radio side of things. They missed

01:18:52.920 --> 01:18:56.020
all of this. So if you're just tuning back in

01:18:56.020 --> 01:18:57.819
and you're like, this transition is so awkward,

01:18:57.960 --> 01:19:01.520
it's because you missed 30 minutes of Colin Farrell

01:19:01.520 --> 01:19:04.560
worship. And I encourage you to go back to either

01:19:04.560 --> 01:19:06.979
the podcast side or the YouTube channel where

01:19:06.979 --> 01:19:09.840
you can catch all the raw, unedited footage.

01:19:10.489 --> 01:19:14.590
getting into this watch i Defiant 16 36 will

01:19:14.590 --> 01:19:18.810
be ho party this weekend at the for that 7 p

01:19:18.810 --> 01:19:24.170
.m. Kick off also don't forget to bring because

01:19:24.170 --> 01:19:28.659
Jason is going to Yeah, Jason's going to be there

01:19:28.659 --> 01:19:30.899
and start trading duplicates. We have a mission

01:19:30.899 --> 01:19:33.819
to fill all of the Cape Verdean rosters so that

01:19:33.819 --> 01:19:36.579
we can get those signed at their send off. So

01:19:36.579 --> 01:19:38.640
if you've got Cape Verdean cards to give us,

01:19:38.819 --> 01:19:40.840
we're close. OK, in fact, I'm going to open one

01:19:40.840 --> 01:19:44.859
as we do the send off here. But, you know, John,

01:19:44.859 --> 01:19:46.500
I'm going to ask you real fast. Are you a panini

01:19:46.500 --> 01:19:50.579
sicko like us? So the giveaway here is I read

01:19:50.579 --> 01:19:54.039
that sentence in the agenda and thought you meant

01:19:54.039 --> 01:20:00.119
the sandwich initially. It was lunchtime, so

01:20:00.119 --> 01:20:03.460
maybe that was influencing me. But yes, yes to

01:20:03.460 --> 01:20:05.779
the sandwich, not really with the cards. I wish

01:20:05.779 --> 01:20:08.000
I was because I think it's very cool, but it

01:20:08.000 --> 01:20:11.270
was just never a thing I got into. We'll make

01:20:11.270 --> 01:20:12.829
sure we give you all of our duplicates so we

01:20:12.829 --> 01:20:15.729
can get you around for the next one. If you are

01:20:15.729 --> 01:20:17.670
not going to the watch party, make sure to catch

01:20:17.670 --> 01:20:20.890
all the action on Nesson Plus, ESPN Plus, or

01:20:20.890 --> 01:20:23.850
of course tune in to Tom and Nick on 790 The

01:20:23.850 --> 01:20:26.949
Score on your radio dial. John, it's been so

01:20:26.949 --> 01:20:29.789
great having you on the program. Always a pleasure.

01:20:30.010 --> 01:20:31.689
What are the final shout outs? How can people,

01:20:31.829 --> 01:20:33.529
I mean these people all know where you are. They

01:20:33.529 --> 01:20:35.649
know where you live probably, but how are they

01:20:35.649 --> 01:20:38.090
finding you on the social worlds to follow all

01:20:38.090 --> 01:20:41.020
your incredible work? Yeah, at USL Tactics on

01:20:41.020 --> 01:20:44.460
Twitter and Blue Sky. I have a newsletter, I'm

01:20:44.460 --> 01:20:46.840
on many podcasts, so listen to this league and

01:20:46.840 --> 01:20:50.460
the USL show. Moreover, subscribe to Back Yield.

01:20:51.180 --> 01:20:53.500
If only because I'm writing like 14 ,000 words

01:20:53.500 --> 01:20:56.560
about the USL a week, but also we're doing awesome

01:20:56.560 --> 01:20:58.659
stuff if you think about the World Cup and want

01:20:58.659 --> 01:21:01.159
to follow the US national team. there's not going

01:21:01.159 --> 01:21:03.300
to be a better place to do it. So general plug

01:21:03.300 --> 01:21:05.180
for that, because that's really the core of what

01:21:05.180 --> 01:21:07.199
I'm doing. And I think we're really driving discussion

01:21:07.199 --> 01:21:11.500
of all things. U .S. soccer. No P .O. box for

01:21:11.500 --> 01:21:13.520
fan letters to come set your way about Diego

01:21:13.520 --> 01:21:16.939
Luna snubs. Just slide into the DMS on that one,

01:21:17.819 --> 01:21:26.029
fellas. Oh, man. Thanks again, Josh. Always,

01:21:26.350 --> 01:21:28.270
always a great time hanging out with you. Can't

01:21:28.270 --> 01:21:30.090
wait till they have you on next time. Thanks

01:21:30.090 --> 01:21:31.930
everyone else for joining us. We'll catch you

01:21:31.930 --> 01:21:38.189
next time. Anchors up. Anchors up. You've been

01:21:38.189 --> 01:21:40.189
listening to the Raising Anchor Soccer Show.

01:21:40.750 --> 01:21:43.229
You can follow the show on Twitter, Reds, Blue

01:21:43.229 --> 01:21:47.649
Sky, and TikTok at RISC Podcast and at Raising

01:21:47.649 --> 01:21:49.750
Anchor on Instagram. And be sure to check out

01:21:49.750 --> 01:21:52.829
and subscribe to Spotify, iTunes, YouTube. or

01:21:52.829 --> 01:21:55.189
wherever you listen by searching for Raising

01:21:55.189 --> 01:21:57.829
Anchor. Make sure to check out all of our coverage

01:21:57.829 --> 01:22:00.390
over at The Blazing Musket for all your New England

01:22:00.390 --> 01:22:04.569
soccer coverage, including RAFC news at theblazingmusket

01:22:04.569 --> 01:22:08.189
.com. Fans, we thank you for listening. We ask

01:22:08.189 --> 01:22:09.970
you to be kind and courteous to your neighbors

01:22:09.970 --> 01:22:12.350
as you leave the show. We thank you for joining

01:22:12.350 --> 01:22:14.970
us and look forward to seeing you again. Until

01:22:14.970 --> 01:22:17.229
then, I'm your main man, Juju. And on behalf

01:22:17.229 --> 01:22:19.649
of the Raising Anchor crew, goodbye for now.

01:22:19.970 --> 01:22:23.060
And as always, we are. Rhode Island FC!