All right, you ready? Yeah, talk to me talk to me check check check check check Hello and welcome into the section 109 podcast from studio breezy we have a nice number of subscribers right now Matthew We have 69 nobody subscribe. Just kidding. Please subscribe like on YouTube. Yeah on YouTube. We have 69 Like comment subscribe do the thing we love that and we're gonna catch up on a few comments today Matthew before we do Winning is fucking fun. Did I enjoy winning? Better than I enjoy losing My hot take continues to be and I know many others will not agree, but we should do more of it Highly recommend. Yeah Yeah, highly recommend So take us through Matthew obviously the vibes are high right now But take us through how you're feeling for game losing streak snapped on right before we get to the full preview But how are you feeling with the overall performance? How are the vibes? Vibes are good. I think If we had won that game In kind of the manner that we won the New England game Which was coincidentally our last win Coming off of the four game losing streak. I would be happy that we won Because winning cures everything But also a little a Little concerned that it you know this may not be a sustainable thing Yeah, to remind folks the New England game like they were the better team for about 68 minutes And then we drew around the 70th minute. We drew a red card It was second yellow that turned into a red and which was very good And then we dominated from 70 to 90 and put the game away And it's a deserving win But it's not a win that we got 11 on 11 and while that counts because you drew the red card You did the things to do it doesn't feel as good. This was a comprehensive victory Whistle to whistle. I mean, there's moments of of whatever because it's a good league But this was a win we deserved On the balance of things. Yeah, we were the better team We had we had more shots. We had more shots inside the box We we had way more shots on target. We won the XG battle pretty handily Depending on who you look at. Yeah, I we should talk through a little bit of that I didn't even write the other one down just because it I thought ours was just a much better number That that made more sense It was it was a thorough it was not Dominant, right? We we did get the goal and we a very deserved goal But that was also it like from then we seeded possession and played like a team that had lost four games in a row in that desperate to just get the result locked down the game and get the result but I think differently from the last few games And spoiler alert before we get to my one of my key takeaways is we didn't have any defensive errors now We've been plagued by them at times this season and we just had a really clean game from that point of view And we really just controlled everything but let's get to the lineup's Matthew I'm sure Bob will hold on would like to hear them answer makes a lot. Hi boys And Toby who's hiding somewhere, but take me through the lineup take us through some of the surprises because pregame you found me and I think you Looked me in the eye and you say we're fucked Which is also? Matthew and I don't live game day. Well first of all actually let's remind a little bit normally we live game day in a very pessimistic manner. Yeah meaning Matthews and my superstition is pretty shared and that is to say like we're gonna lose And that's what we say a lot like things are gonna go poorly at everything's gonna go bad And then when we win it's like the expectation has been set but also like we haven't jinxed it But because all the juju has been bad and because we haven't been able to get anything done We changed everything we marched a different direction shout out to Daniel if you're listening Because they had such a big group that they had the whole like thing close so we couldn't mark same direction We marched a different direction. We set up all the TFO in like different orders including like yeah It was just completely different. I did not wear my lucky shirt, which has not worked in two straight games So I'm not wearing it anymore. I were a women's jersey to a men's game Trying to just break things up a little bit and before the game when you were telling me and being very negative Which this is what I want to talk about was why you were being negative and pessimistic before the game in particular Which I think had some merit I was being nothing but positive I told you I was changing the vibes and being pessimistic wasn't working and I was like fuck you were gonna win and we did so I don't know by the way I don't know what because I should we change everything I think I'm just gonna reset and go back to what we did before and then if it doesn't work I don't know origin or reset everything again, but anyway Tell me why you're feeling pessimistic rolling into the game when you lift the lineup, so So or the context here is Game on a Saturday night. The night before was Orlando's debut game in the league's cup the MLS competition with League of Mecces and Orlando is hosting Montreal in in Orlando and a couple of players Number one a couple of regular Next pro players for Orlando. Alex Freeman the right back and Yutaro Just go to or something like that. I'm probably pronouncing that Japanese name pretty wrong. No idea He's really fucking good. I like him a lot. We're what's all I know we're both on the bench for Orlando for for bigger Orlando and Alex Freeman gets gets maybe 12 minutes at the end of the game It's like a 4-1 game that they pretty thoroughly dominated And and that was all she wrote the lineups come out on Saturday and Alex Freeman is in the starting lineup for Orlando City B Which isn't like that unheard of he's played he played in both other games against us And Yutaro is in the starting lineup for Orlando City B again. Not crazy. He had played in at least one of the games against us previously You forgot you forgot a player. I'm not done yet. Okay. Those are the two regulars and then we get to the more fun ones Luca Patraso Canadian left back who Has not played a second and MLS next pro ever in his career ever was starting at left back He did not feature at all in the league's cup game. No, he was on the bench But he started at left back and he's played a few games for Orlando over the year and then he has like he has like 23 or 30 less appearance over the last two years He's he's an MLS player. Yeah, and then the interesting one couldn't have told it by how he played. Oh, sorry the real interesting one was Jack Lynn who is who did play who'd featured for 15 minutes 16 minutes by the way 12 He was in the same substitution moment as Alex Freeman He in the 78th. Oh, you're right. I thought this is 7 I thought it was a 75th. I apologize Freeman was in the 84th By the way, and Cicada was in the 84th. So they just got about five minutes. It's got a did-play interesting. He did anyway It doesn't really matter Jack when is an interesting name because he was is the reigning In a three-way tie the reigning MLS next pro golden boot winner And if I've understood correctly the MLS next pro MVP from last year. Yeah, that sounds right And by the way the year before that I think he also was a first-team player first like MLS next pro first team quote Like all-star type of thing in his first year in the last night's bros. He played two years from what I read on transform art Maybe I don't know My point is that's that's a real interesting one because obviously he he has three appearances in the most next pro including last night I blur Saturday night rather. Yeah, one of them was I believe the There was a game maybe midweek in a weird in like that special inner Miami scheduling break Which they kind of just gave them a little extra time during Copa America for I don't know messy reasons and Or a land both Orlando City and inner Miami dropped like five MLS players apiece into a next pro match And it was wild. It was it was actually high high comedy. So I think he got what one of those I don't I don't I didn't actually look at the third the other game he played. I would suspect This is the first away game. He's played all season my first outside of the state of Florida I don't know that Miami or Orlando was at home But all four of these players so they played Friday night were flown in on Saturday, right? You think they flew him coach? No, they brought a PJ man. Are you sure? I mean I bet they flew him coach But they flew American Airlines No, if they flew a PJ happy with four players. I'm even more impressed. I doubt they did How long I guess it could have been more than four players because they guess they could I coaches and stuff down there for that I'm sure they would have had a support staff person. How long do you want to vampol? I look this up No, I don't I don't I think if any listeners can figure it out or you should figure it out later Because it's not worth figuring out now. Okay, but this is that is fun. So yeah, but they bring in some players and This is this is essentially the concern that we always have with them was next bro still have by the way is that like for whatever reason They drop down a bunch of players to play against you. Hey, my laundry's done. Nice It it turns out though If you don't let players have the ball at all the share of the game They don't do anything to be fair Freeman, which who is not a drop down. He is a regular most next pro player That also gets to go up. Yeah, he's on an almost contract, but he's young. He's good player He's real fucking good. He was their danger man all night. He was their only danger He probably had up. Let's say they had point six XG. I don't remember what it was He probably had he probably had point five of it or point four of it on what they were on those two chances that he had Yeah, I mean, he's a good player one of them is like a one of them's a really good chance one of them's a less good chance But they're both like one-on-one with one defender and the goalkeeper or Lando did an interesting thing where you know They played it back for Kind of a similar system to us actually 4-2-3-1, but the left back mostly didn't run that much and They kind of well he was they chasing Alex McGrath They kind of attacked in a in a back three and let Freeman just go high and why and it's why it's wild because they basically started two MLS Outsidebacks they started the guy who's just an MLS player who clearly didn't want to be there Which was hilarious and not something that I would have expected But it's what what definitely happened in Luca Patrasso And then on the other side Freeman like was just he was I mean dominant for large portions of the game When he got a chance he had two big like get over the top where he it's like oh boy that guy I can and I do remember him from the first game We played them away with that soggy field when we got absolutely we absolutely robbed them was also good It's smash and grab he I remember him being really really good and yeah I like him a lot so go through the lineup for them real quick now that we've delayed in a little bit on that Sorry for us. Oh You didn't even do their whole I have I don't care about their the rest of the lineup Their lineup was pretty standard outside of outside of those play they drop down four players And they started those four players call it two extra players or whatever else But the lineup was really good and you looked at that and said holy shit We're fucked and I looked at that and said boy That's a rough way to try to get back to winning ways and then We just didn't let like you said Jacqueline touch the ball at all I mean, really don't let him touch it. So Kuda didn't do much. He's I think he In part because Milo will get to the line of his thing But when Milo had his was defending on his strong foot when he would cut inside They just really didn't let him have the ball at all I think that kind of worked out in that in that part and then Yeah, they're they just the left back look disinterested I don't know man that was just it was just not what I expected I was I thought they put up a tougher fight and we really So I think it a lot of that comes down to the way we played. Yes, correct. I agree now we Made it a point of emphasis to control the game and did not let them have any of the game and That's that's really important for us because when we do that we are we are much better for sure than when we Sometimes a game and next broken easily devolve into this like kind of a track meet back and forth end-to-end Super exciting for the neutral if you're just trying to watch some of us next bro But not it's not how we that's not how our team is successful And so we did a great job of Making the game about things that we do well Yeah, and I think the game got played on our terms Yeah, and I think that that bears out in both the score line the and the analytics And most of the conventional stats do so something that you asked brought off podcast last time Was like are you gonna continue before you left? Are you gonna continue with with the formation that we had changed it for two games and he said I don't know that was his response I don't know we're still thinking about it They didn't continue with it. Yeah, we went back to a back four. So let's get into it Jean Antoine in goal coming off of Coming off his suspension for the red card and getting at Carolina core extraordinarily unlucky to not win But yeah at the MLS goalkeeper wars which shout out to Jean and that's just really really cool Right, and he if he doesn't hit the post there. He wins that. Yeah, exactly A really a really cool thing at the MLS all-star game who won by the way I turned it off after the crown goalkeeper really. Yeah, I thought for sure the day So I watched I watched the first two matchups No, I didn't watch the final and I thought for sure the Dallas goalkeeper who just threw it into the corner seven times in a row The two best shot stoppers in the tournament happened to play it in the semi-final together Shit to rude did not allow a goal in goalie wars at all That's wild. He is also nine foot tall So it makes sense six but these 21 and six foot six like it's I think he's six foot eight It looks like he should he I just watched the Olympics basketball replay today And I think he looks like he should be playing Olympic's basketball. He's so tall. Yeah, absolutely So shout out to shout out to Jean for the for the honor. That's really really cool Well, they were honored to be able to play with him to be clear right back Milo Garvanian Yeah, return to the right side for Milo right center back for read czar czar Left center back duven vfara left back joseph perez. Yes, we know totally Tully was not in the match day squad at all don't like that We hope that he's back soon rumor. I heard was From Tully at the bar. So not a rumor was that he has a he has an injury that he picked up during our last game And he's not quite yet a hundred percent Yeah, well, hopefully hopefully he's back soon and he's very a very tough boy So he played through it the rest of that game and didn't come out and then was having the bad after effects after the game And yeah, he we need him back very soon But but I say that like for he played great. We were fine, but totally just such a different maker, especially on set pieces Two sixes in this game. Jude Arthur and Andres Jimenez are in Zazu And here's here's where we get to the interesting change Yeah, this I would this I never would have guessed a single ten in Luis Garcia Sosa. That's not the part I wouldn't have guessed right winger Alex McGrath captain and apparently right winger left winger Taylor gray striker meti Womrey and and to add something to this it played like a 4-2-3-1 in defense and it played like a 4-3-3 in attack That's pretty common, but Andres was pushed up quite a bit when we were attacking Not all the time, but he pushed up quite a bit and got forward and really tried to dictate with passing Going a lot a lot further forward than Jude did offensively But they also on defense were very much a double pivot with Jude sometimes going up and running around and Andres staying put Or them switching and whatever else so it was it was nice to see it play fluidly And I see a really nice understanding between those two guys in particular defensively and in possession I think they probably played the most minutes side by side. I don't think they definitely the most minute side by side In a double pivot this season, and I think I could really see that That chemistry there and in this game in particular That was really good because we were able to control by keeping the ball and by defending well And we really didn't allow anything to come up through the middle there and that is in large part due to those two guys Yeah, it was it was a excellent performance in midfield And really from the from the oh, I'll say also you had Milo and JP tucking in pretty aggressively in this game into the midfield Which added to numbers in the midfield and added to our Our control I'm not gonna say domination of the midfield but our control of the midfield I would I would say it was pretty dominant in possession. Yes, I would agree with that defensively I I'm not saying we were bad. I just wouldn't classify quite as domination in the midfield. We were good in the midfield I would definitely Offensively we controlled the midfield especially and that's also because lucho just went super saiyan for that whole game lucho's We'll use Garcia. So by the way lucho's inclusion in this game really I I think Took a like up a notch Our ability to just possess the ball if you ever watched an 80 and 15 and to probe a little bit If you want something to watch it uh You know he he was he was really really good to kind of just dictate Uh and probe the edges and and try to find some penetration um, but mostly just to keep the ball and to keep the tempo and You know, I think I think it was a real a real interesting move by by the staff and it clearly paid off So it to play for rod underwood you need two things you need a lot of things But you need two things in particular first thing is decision making that's one a one b Is first touch and in this game? Luis had both of those at at 100 percent. He was his first I don't know if he had a bad first touch all game his if you go watch that 90 and 15 he is constantly receiving the ball turning weaving zigging zagging at all the right times and making the decision to either recycle to turn and go forward or to dribble and and keep it He is it was it was a real masterclass from Luis and he really dominated this game um, not single yeah, it was kind of single handling and possession in the midfield other players did a lot of stuff but it was just like Get the ball to Luis and then pass somebody else and get it to Luis and pass somebody else and get it too I was just constantly Luis on the ball and I really think that that helped us defensively too because they couldn't turn us over Right and that first hand we played away to them. They turned us over regularly repeatedly and often And in this game, I mean they couldn't There there are moments in that 19 and 15 Where Luis gets the ball turns into like four different guys Scampers around turns back around comes back and like it's just I mean it's like the balls It's a little bit messy ask and I don't use that like lightly like it's a just with the way the ball is attached to his left foot That whole game was just wonderful. Yeah, 57 touches for him. It is 73 minutes um You know his passing accuracy was 84 percent created three chances pretty good Pretty good performance. Yeah, um so I think this game This game starts hot Uh, you can clearly see in a third minute. We had essentially a tap and let's go. Let's go to the to eight second set Uh I can't remember. It's lucho or if it's uh, on dress Commits a foul. Oh, yeah. Yeah, at like the 10 second mark It's it's uh on dress. Okay. And then lucho commits one right after about the 40 second mark As soon as we put the ball back in play we were very clear something remember when rod said like we're not getting Um, the proponents are getting too many touches before we get a tackle and before we get a challenge in yeah We changed that literally eight seconds into the game. Yeah, the the pressing the The pressing and I don't mean I don't just mean like You know the the back line the up the hourland of back line has the ball and we press which did happen But also just pressing from from the first touch wherever the ball is Was uh the intensity was was was raised on dress also um Does the thing that on dress is so good at which is to commit a yellow card worthy foul in the first minute? So you won't get it. Yeah Just to set the tone and and and I thought I thought that kind of thing mattered Um, and I think I think for some of those For guys like jacklyn and and luke patrasso especially who are just getting minutes down here Uh, you're on the road. It's kind of hot Now it's steamy because it's raining which is probably honestly better for you know than given that I live in orlando Uh, but like you come into this environment. You're like, uh, you know a guy like luke patrasso especially like, uh, I don't really want to be here He very clearly didn't want to be there in my and so like when you go and it's like it's like some of those It's like some of those times where we've hosted an MLS team and in a an early early exhibition Where it's like purely minutes They're at some lower division whatever side they're not like it's just purely a minutes exercise for them And they don't want to get hurt and you're more up for the game than they are You can stab a bitch During those times of games and I think that was that was the mantra of like no no no like we don't give a shit What you? Think about this game. Yeah, this matters to us Like we need this one and I thought we came out with that intensity Uh and and directness taylor greg gets a shot off Yeah, that was in the box in like the tip the second minute So one thing that I think we did we kind of got maybe got away from a little bit But thing that we did early on this season that you and I commented on is like we Shot and crossed just much more frequently um than in past seasons like We had guys it's not pulling up from like distance, but it's like you got a you got a shot on goal A lot more of taking it rather than waiting for the perfect shot Um and a lot of that and a lot of earlier crossing And I think i'm not saying it's perfect because there are times you should wait for the better shot There's time you should make the extra pass whatever else, but I think you saw a statement of intent like you're saying from minute Two or whatever when it won whenever taylor hits that first shot across Which is not a great shot to take to be to be honest Like it's it's it's way out there and like it's not a real hard save He takes the very similar shot that forces the difficult say because it dips right at the end a few minutes later Um, but you do see that like guys are going to have to step to taylor Because he's ready to go guys are going to have to step to other players guys You're gonna have to follow look at patreon so it is not follow Alex's run What what happens what happens just a minute later right after the taylor shot Uh, the right back closes in And and is mindful about taylor And so the ball this also comes off of a pressing sequence where we win the ball Yeah, high up the field or land is still has some numbers to back But jp makes the overlapping run and fizzes the ball across the six Uh, and in part he's he's that free because they're mindful of taylor gray Uh, they're mindful of of what he can do Excuse me in that in that channel Uh, and and they were taking that shot when he did a minute earlier Uh Could be just that little bit of he's probably going to shoot i need to be more. Oh, you off we go Yeah, yeah, I agree And in that just so jp fizzes the ball. This is third minute Uh golden golden chance that's the best opportunity we've created all season Yeah It really is Uh, a massive chance that that mcgrath is just unable to to keep the ball down on um And You know, I don't know about you, but like When you're when you're on a four game losing streak and you get that chance and you miss it's oh man That's what my here we go again. I was that's exactly what I was thinking Uh, and and all credit to and that's the guy I wanted to default to exactly the person I wanted to fall to as well, uh, and all credit to Alex because Uh, it didn't it didn't seem to phase him He had the goldfish mentality the striker mentality more He just kept going he got six shots in that game. I looked it up. Yeah, he has six shots And I remember I counted five to you, but he got six shots in that game Um, and he of course gets the goal later um And but he's dangerous all game And he just continues to push and push and push and does not let that miss, uh, get to him Yeah, 40 of 48 passing it's 83 percent from the right wing position Uh He had six shots One was blocked three off target, uh, including that one and two others that were Massively close He had the goal. Well, they have the one he has to say there's the one is to save and then he has the one that that's saved Uh, just a ridiculous. Let's talk about Alex a little bit more at wing here for a second So first of all, I never expected that Um, but one thing I really really liked about him at right wing when we were pressing and when we were defending His work rate is just so much different than the average winger Um Because he's used to what is the thing that makes Alex special he runs and runs and steps and runs and steps Um, and like he gets into he gets into these opportunities and makes opportunities for himself for others and gets in his base He does a lot of different things, but that, um, really translated in the way that I would I don't know if I wouldn't have expected, but I just didn't know how it would translate to right wing and I thought he was Spectacular, um, and he made the amount of returning runs Um, where he was at one end of the field because he was playing much more like a wing back than he was a winger Where he was just going end to end running doggies as full used to say Um end to end sprints and like he would be at one end Um, making a play the ball would get turned over And he would be the one going back and taking the ball away from the winger Um, who was trying to cut it on my low on the other end It was just it was spectacular And he also added a lot of numbers to midfield Um, and I I really do think based on how he played that until he's used a bar comes back healthy I don't know that we're going to see Alex there every game because some neighbors need him in the midfield But I think we're going to see him preferred there Um, at least to start games Um, and then what we did later in the game is we dropped him back in the midfield and we put another winger out there But minjay out there, um, but yeah, I think Alex was a revelation for me at least at at right winger 76 touches on the night Um He was this is this is the part that really stands out for me Uh, he won three tackles all three tackles that he attempted he won Uh, one block three clearances. They were all with his head um Five interceptions seven recoveries. Yeah, the seven recovery and 500 those are insane Statistics for a winger for a way there aren't these districts if you're in the midfield um Five interceptions is Seven interceptions. So five interceptions seven recovery Five, I don't actually know recovery type of five interceptions is wild dude. That is Yeah, he was electric in this game. Uh, he was six of eight in ground duels Uh, he was fouled three times He he was an absolute monster and he got six shots That's just bananas. Yeah. Yeah, he was all one And if if he plays like that At right wing We're gonna be pretty good. Yeah, um, and and this was a comprehensive Performance on the control side because we really just defensively we had the numbers back So we had a couple key turnovers that you not to call anybody out that turned the ball over But we had a couple key turnovers in the midfield that both you and I were like, oh, no When the turnovers happened, but every single time we had numbers back every single time those turnovers were 15 yards or so outside of the 18 yard box So we could recover. We were able to to do things and We really just didn't Give them any hope. Um, I asked john and twenty after the innocent hat. How many um Big saves did you have? You know, and he said zero I wanted to make sure he didn't think he had any big saves. Um, he's one would have made him So like he would have felt that um, and there's there's the one that looks like it's a really big save There's two that look like really big saves towards the end of the game One that's actually off target, um, which he doesn't know anything about so it's great that he saves it um, and then there's the one that uh Bounces up to him on the cut-in where guy beats like five guys But you also get the ball poked away and it bounced off his foot, but neither of those are like what he would classify or I would classify as big saves like he just really Didn't have much to do And that goes back to the control where we controlled the ball with possession on the offensive side and a little bit of defensive possession And then when we did get, um, when we did back off after we scored on we did let them like come on to us and like Absorb some pressure we bent and didn't break just like earlier on in the season We it's a different kind of control, but it's like we didn't get stretched out. We didn't get roasted There was always there was always help Every time and and that's and that's really key because like you you're going to get beat on occasion And there were moments where we got remember the first Orlando home game where, um Tsikuta, uh, absolutely annihilates um For it. It's free that's out on isolated on the wing and like just Does the thing that really good wingers do? I think it's my love but yeah, it's free. Um Doesn't matter. He gets annihilated, but it's free and he cuts it back in and makes it happen, right? And We didn't let that happen a single time and there was on that play one of the things that sticks out as there was no help Yeah, and in this game there was help. Yeah No, it's huge What do you want to see next game? And I know you did a little uh watching of some Toronto Yeah, so let's let's before we get into that There's there's one thing I do want to see and I didn't write down my third key takeaway, and this is just going to be yet uh We got the goal 57th minute or so And that was outside of a couple moments. Uh men jay gets uh Not a breakaway because he's very much on the wing Um, but we get kind of a counter attack moment Uh for men jay right after you subs on in the 82nd minute There wasn't much We didn't do much with the ball after we scored now part of that is We got the goal. We got the lead We've lost four in a row. We need to protect this lead. We need to predict these points Uh part of that is orlando changed how they were playing And made it really difficult for us Uh, I think that should be acknowledged as well. Yeah orlando is decent and um What I what I want to see Um in in a toronto games scenario when we get that one if when we get that one goal lead tell you Is I want to see us Not rest on our lorals laurels laurels laurels Uh, I I want us to Be able to win the ball back and be able to play with the ball more have a little bit that defensive possession Yeah, invite or land or uh invite toronto To press a little bit into to to step up a little bit because I think orlando's back three or toronto's back three can be taken advantage of uh, especially in transition And and transition does not have to be you win the ball. It's counter attack Transition can be We've passed the ball around midfield 555 times in the span of four seconds. You're stepping up and now we hit you um with with some space and some numbers uh I I think they're they're incredibly vulnerable from that kind of um from that kind of play and This is the type of game where Uh Someone who has that like incisive pass qualities, uh that can split lines Someone like uh someone like a louise carciososa who put a great ball for alex mcgrath Uh that the keeper made a nice save on someone like calum watson Who had a couple of great balls in behind in the first half against philadelphia Uh those types of players with some with some time and some space I think might have a chance to to really make an impact in this game, especially with a one goal lead Um, I don't know what what rod's gonna do. Uh, I don't know if he's gonna If you if you if if I had to pick right now today Assuming that anna totally is not a hundred percent and not going to be available. I think we go at the same group again. Mm-hmm Because why change it? Uh You know and your natural change and one that we did make in the 73rd minute Uh with lucho on a on a yellow card already Uh with a one goal lead And and we all of a sudden we were not having much of the ball We brought on calum watson for for louise carciososa Uh a little bit more running in midfield a little bit of an opportunity for that final pass that we never fresh legs That we never had a chance to actually play um But I think I think that's that's an avenue Uh, toronto don't give up a lot. They've only given up 21 Uh, 21 goals in 17 games Uh, or no, they've given up 26 goals in 17 games. They've only scored 21 Uh, and and they scored four goals in their last game. Um, so they have a lot of draws. They don't typically Uh They only have three draws It's it's reversed from why you're used to it wins I thought I thought I heard him say on the broadcast that or lando had like eight draws toronto Oh, what's the matter? Lando? Oh I'm not toronto. Uh, they don't they don't give up a lot. Uh, they're If you remember from from earlier podcasts Uh, I've said that like the way we play We try to have We try to have games not have a lot in them Did you call it the murphy's law? Uh, yeah. Yeah murphy's law and soccer Uh, we try not to have Games with a ton of uh of opportunities for things to happen Uh, toronto kind of live by that same standard. Um, just not a ton happens in their games Um, now that being said like don't get me wrong. Like they've got some good players like they've got We say this all the time everyone in this league has some really good players. Uh, I think they skew a little bit younger Then then some teams we play Uh, but like I'll I'll note this Uh, you know, they've got a three-year mls. Thanks pro player who we all know From his one season that new amstradam pays us by teas Uh, he'll probably be playing right wing or left wing back Depending on what they're what kind of scheme they're going with Um He's a good player And if you remember from from him and at new amstradam He'll he'll dribble past you like he's incredibly technical Also with speedster He can create for himself or others Uh, and an extremely versatile kind of player like Everyone Can do those kinds of things in this league on these mls2 teams and I uh, I think an underrated an underrated bit of of this game Is that I don't think toronto travel that well Uh, based on their on their home Their uh, home road splits their home road splits Uh, if memory serves from looking at the standings, uh, this is not exactly any flesh spirit Probably not This this is not exactly an easy trip for them Uh, this is not like flying to to new york Right. Yeah, like you've got a you've got to leave toronto. It's also going to be a little warmer here Yeah, it will and you've got you've got to come chat a new guy And whether that means you're you're taking a connection On on delta or on united or something like that uh, or your Um, or your your fly and and busing like we do a lot for some of our road games Um, like that's that's not terribly easy for a young team and Uh, I I think it'll be important for us to come out and play And like establish that we're going to play our game again Uh, and then take the chances when they come And take the second chance when they come and bury them before they have a chance to have some hope Love, uh, that Prediction love that idea. Uh, we should do that. I have a couple stats. I'd like to run by you Uh, let me finish the subs real quick and then let's get into some stats 82nd minute double change minjay quack came in for jude arthur Uh, manjay went to the right way I said mint jay did not play the six and now and how x mcgrath dropped and uh into the aid and and address went to the six Uh, ethan corn for metty walmry Uh, he would put an absolute shift running around Uh, and then 90 welcome back ethan corn 94 starting or to the field rather 94th minute, uh, joseph perez Uh it went for a ball and I think he uh, I think he just got a cramp Oh, he said he said he said he's fine, but like I was worried Uh and jesse williams came on to replace him for the the last like two minutes of established time So Fowling is winning is a thing you like to say Do you know the foul totals for them and fouls totals for us it was like 14 to 8 Was 14 to 8 we in the we in the first half good job Uh, we in the first half had nine and they had five second half We had five they had three but nine fouls gives you a little peek at the intensity that we were pressing to in the first minute like Yeah, um, they had one shot on target, which I would argue they had zero because that was a deflection Um pretty sure that's the one that uh, we think skewed the xg Or I think that's the one that skewed the xg, but also they've got a a kind of a cross uh that That uh, it was it was jean's first actual involvement Uh that he it's a cross that he that he saves they probably give him a say let's say for that Maybe um we had 492 total passes. They had 453 In in our own half we had 188 in their own half. They had 234 Yeah, and our up in the opposition half so in their half we had 241 in our half They had 155 even though we backed off and let them Come after us. It shows you how much control we had and we were in their half We didn't just have a bunch of defensive possession in our own half the game was played the game was played in their half The tilt was really nice on it and I and for long periods because like again We have they have a similar number of total passes to us completed Or I guess it's just total passes In our half we have a similar number in their half as they haven't their half And they have anyway we just it's a those are two when I looked at that stat that may be very happy Yeah, that's that's definitely like to particularly positive staff. That's that's the stat that When it happens like that for us. We typically we typically do pretty well Correct. Uh, I'll note here Uh cs 25 touches in the opposition box cfc has the possession here at 47 Uh to 53 with orlando having 53 fatmab has it reversed. Yes, 52 and 48 52 48 Um Possession is a little bit a little bit subjective very and I think that It's also it's it's indicative of the 96 minutes or whatever Um But only because it's so heavily weighted or landos possession is so heavily weighted to the last 30 um And I wish I wish I looked at that number at half time but the burrito was calling my name In the first half uh fop mob says we had 63 to 37 Yeah, it checks out and in the second half it says they had 62 to 38 Yeah So You know that's it's fop mob. It's not perfect. But there's your yeah, there's your breakdown that checks out. Um Matthew Are you ready to get to a few listener questions? Uh, let's do it. I think these are mostly older questions They are and I apologize we didn't get to them till now some of them are comments some of them are questions um, but Albert said I'm uh, this is going back to the atlanta game Also, I'm not sure if I missed this but I was hoping you guys would talk about how atlanta coach got a red card Um, I was seated in the midfield and waving to him was an amazing bonus at the game. Yeah, shout out first of all for waving to him Hell yeah, yeah, that's that's actually a pretty easy one Uh, and something we should have talked about I don't think we talked about on the review because I forgot about it uh, the atlanta coach said something Uh, that was a little over the line, but he also said it outside of his box Uh, and you can typically get away with that Um with with one of those things at a time, but not both Also, I was told that both coaches were warned both benches were warned pregame That the boxes unlike any other game including last game, uh, who I told the fourth. He was a um chicken for not Uh, enforcing he was standing right there with the guy way outside his box and he just walked away I was so irritated, but um The they they told him before the game they were the adventure they were going to enforce the boxes So like coaching staff needed coaching staff needed to stay inside the box So when he was outside the box and like you said said something bad it was just an immediate get out of here Yeah, you one of those things you can get away with and also you know he knew Because he walked off the field pretty calmly. Yeah, um his point was made Yeah, I that he also may have been trying it's you never know But sometimes coaches are trying to get tossed out or trying to get a yellow maybe wasn't trying to get a red But sometimes coaches are trying to motivate their team with uh, um a display of whatever and uh Much more of a common thing in basketball way more common in basketball, but it's but sometimes it does happen in soccer Um, yeah, all right next one Thanks guys for the great podcast. Appreciate that. Can you talk about how man of the match? Quote unquote is being selected because I was a little bit surprised that mcgrath was selected after missing a penalty Um, oh, this is the atlanta game And unless he's knocked the one who took it and I just missed it. That's from outward again He said like, you know if I need he said I might need glasses It might not have been him that took it, but I think he took it and missed it How did you get me into the match? Uh, this is the atlanta game again pretty easy yet to assist Also, how is man of the match selected? I have no idea I think Don't actually know the answer to this. We should probably ask somebody if we remember Um, not if we were we should ask somebody the next time somebody's on the podcast that would know but Alex knows Um, not Alex mcgrath Alex and the petal in the front office, but I bet you it's an intern in the front office And I don't mean an intern like I mean just like somebody who works in the social media I don't mean actually mean intern. Sorry. We used to have so many interns that worked I think it's probably somebody in the that looks at kind of like how it feels Because I don't think they're doing voting that I've seen during the game They used to do in-game voting, but I think somebody is that was a that was a weird means thing I think somebody looks at it and goes That makes the most sense and let's be real like this is a the man of the match award thing is a um It's the right word for this. I'm marketing piece. Yeah, it's so like who's a big name player McGrath's captain um Who who fans like who's going to generate some some clicks? That's why I think it is the um and I think of course we're trying for somebody who deserves it But like they I think it's it's just a really had to assist It's just a really simple like yeah, but sometimes you see I've seen defenders or gene or somebody get it where you're like they had nothing to do or or whatever like some I do think it's very just a very subjective thing where somebody that's not um You don't have the coach picking picking man of the match during the game put it that way I think it's just somebody in the front office who's selected to pick it And I do think that there is a a marketing piece or a social media piece that goes into it Where if they could pick somebody that's going to get a little better engagement. They're going to do that And I think that makes sense. I think that's how it works across sports um a lot of times With online things. This isn't a broadcasting. It's an online thing Quite frankly, I don't care how they pick it That wasn't the question The question was how do they pick it? And that's my guess don't actually know um Timmy old Timmy Duncan asks Who do you guys think should be the next inductees into the hall of legends? And I like this question a lot uh that's fun as as someone who is on the nominating committee um Who are you thinking? Giving it a second thought since we uh since we put together the The group for the last time, but like look we had what six names last time five names last time I Don't remember. So Bill Zaka and Thomas Clark were your three inductees that part. I remember uh, I remember we had Chris Oching In the in the group to be voted on we had Aaron Ridley in the group to be voted on Do we have Caitlin Newsom as well? I don't know. She was who I thought when we were talking about Long before it happened like who I thought could be one of the first or second ballots So she would be on my uh on my thing um so I would and I'm not speaking for the group here. This is just me speculating um I'm going to guess that all three that did not Uh that did not get selected Will probably be back on the ballot. I'm going to guess by the way hall of legends is fucking cool It's actually in the hallway on the thing. It's so good. It's it's dope. Uh, I'm going to guess those three you're going to be back. Um, there is Uh, there is a bit of criteria for how that how how folks are selected to be on the ballot. Um, There's a there's a kind of a time in waiting requirement similar to how Uh cooperstown uh baseball hall of fame so like markets wouldn't be eligible next year Uh, no, I I want to say it's like three year gap Uh You know who might be eligible next year. I've slept since then uh one will be eligible at some point But I don't know if he's on he's your no brainer first ballot when he becomes eligible And I don't know if that's next year or this next year of the following year Also, also are you are we doing it every year? See if she doing it every year. I think I think we're going to do it every year But we did three the first round. We made a side to only have one So I will say the next ones I'd like to see inducted depending on like eligibility. I guess for like timeout Um one Hernandez is number one I mean like once one's gonna get to the hall of fame when one is eligible to get the hall of fame I don't think that takes a the question. The question was who do I want to see on the next one and once my number one Um, I think katelyn new sum's up there for me. I think she's an original cfc woman's player She's given tremendous tremendous service to the foundation She continues to do that she continues to be an integral part of the china fc community And I know one of the criteria is like or one of the possible criteria is like The commitments are not what I can't think today. Um is like uh contributions to yeah It's not just on the field right it's off field too. And she like checks those boxes like very few others um And then I'll give you maybe one that um, I don't know if you're thinking of but I'm thinking of right now What's it so mr. Sheldon grizzle? I think he not only being a founder and a player Um, but he's also was a general manager And vice chairman of the board for a long time. He signed him. He signed on that That uh, share certificate up there And uh, he would also be in my store. That's my three. That's my three short list You can put it whatever order you want, but that's kind of the three Next ones I would put on my uh on my list. Uh, probably in that order I I I think we gotta find a way to get chris oching in there eventually by the way great with chris oching great with air and red that's a that's a tough one though because chris's last season was 2015 Just because it's been a while doesn't make it any different. No, but like we fan vote. Why I still might make it a little more difficult uh I mean I can think about it like If if i'm if memory serves in chris's last season was 2015 One showed up at the end of 2015 One's first season those seven games one regular season and six playoff games at the beginning of his Incredibly long cfc career Was 2015, you know one more person. I haven't mentioned It's not quite there yet, but first ballot person for me Richard dixon Uh, yeah, I haven't even given that any thought Because he was a player up until about three weeks ago Uh, but yeah, I I think I think richy will Will almost certainly Also, first bow is gonna be one day first bow is gonna be difficult when you made that like comment earlier about first ballot But first bow is gonna be difficult if we start doing one a year Because like you may have multiple deserving But obviously you don't want to get to a point where you're doing two or three a year and like you don't want to use up all your ammo Right or or just you don't have that many people that are like you want it to be um, you don't want people to be getting in who And this is going to sound really callous, but like taint the like quality You don't want to have 30 people when there should be 10 And I'm not saying there shouldn't only be 10. There's probably I don't know what the number is with the number might be 30 but you don't do 30 in 10 straight years and then don't know who to add after that so it's interesting to think about how to do that I'm glad I'm not a part of that process. I'm glad I just get to vote as a as a shareholder and uh, yeah, so I think She's gonna be some fun ones and that's a very good question for mold timmy uh, if I tell you what, uh, I'm willing to wave all the damn rules that I Partially came up with if we win a ship Minter women seem if we win a ship. I'm waving all the rules That's very funny. Um, I'm actually gonna skip the last uh comment from albert. It's sad. Um, I was gonna mention a Um, a funny one, but i'm gonna leave that leave that one alone because it wasn't uh, it's making me sad Um But thank you for those comments on the youtubes. I'm sorry. We took a little while to get to them Uh, we took a little break obviously when things got busy and so now that we're back We'll be a little more trying to be a little more diligent with some mailback stuff. Yeah, so let's let's Now that we are recording on august 1st and this will be released on august 1st Uh, which I just put a time clock on me now. You're welcome Uh, so we've got toronto on the weekend and then we've got two three straight road games afterwards At huntsville at crown legacy And then at miami Uh, the crown legacy in miami games Uh, actually and huntsville Will all be our second trips To those locations on the season and on all three of those cases will be our last time Playing each of those three teams Um, so a big month coming up Uh, we'll close it on on sunday of labored a weekend with atlanta at home And then we've got what is it columbus Uh, and then a break and then at new england at toronto And then we close the season on mls next pro decision day At home with near gread bulls the beginning of october So is the business end? We are The goal remains for you and i on this podcast Being in the top four was fun and we still like to get back there Just make the playoffs, baby. Yeah, and and where are we now 31 points? Uh, we we we need 10 more Uh, probably 13 would make me feel a lot better Uh, but we need So like we're we're we're in we're in a good position Uh, and these games that we have how many more games we have left nine Well, we should be able to get 10 points in nine games. I would hope so and and and and like You know, depending on how like think about who's at the top of the league right now You've got since nadi. You've got philadelphia. You got chicago Uh, and new york city now that they're finally getting some of those games in hand. That's basically your top four What's the common thread? Of those four teams we've already played them And They're all in north haste And I don't like them. We don't play them again. Yeah, we've already played them We don't play them again. And they all have to play each other more So what that does It does mean the fourth the third and the fourth place Could be a little closer to us if if those teams beat up on each other uh There is there is a chance for the best team in the in the southeast division of the eastern conference To be able to sneak their way up Uh And and you do that by by being the best team in the southeast division you win your You win your games In your division. So like this game against hunsville Uh matters a lot. We'll play toronto twice What what what actually I mean, yes, it matters to be Hunsville But like what really matters is to continue to try to get three points at home and one point on the road and let the draws fall Let the extra points fall where they may But we have more than enough home games that if we just win our home games were good Right, almost certainly good So we're basing you and I are basing that line on like the line of points to make the playoffs the last two years So unless something goes crazy different, um, the line to make it is gonna be roughly 40 points, right? Because we've got toronto we've got Atlanta Columbus and ruddables we have four home games left if you win three of those you're at nine points We're probably right around that playoff. I'm not saying we only need to win those But i'm just saying we have four if we win our four games at home that takes us 12 points if we draw our Four games on the road should be five if we draw our five games on the road that would take us to 17 points would be fine So obviously we're probably we're not gonna do that exact thing because you're not you're gonna Maybe win one away and lose one at home or tie one at home or whatever Right, but like the goal needs to continue to be as it it has been forever in soccer if you win At home and you draw away from home and those are the considered good results if we do that on average We're gonna be fine and we have plenty of games to do that and now that we've kind of At least for one game very small sample size reverted to our earlier season form where we've controlled the game Yeah, if we just play like we played the other night We're going to win most of our games at home and we're gonna win a couple of our games away and we're gonna be fine Yeah, exactly Thank you listeners viewers for listening for viewing for watching for hanging out If you're not subscribed to youtube, please do so it make me happy Would even though I love having that nice number It'd be cool to start creeping towards that hundred hundred subscribers mark Give us some comments Let us know what kind of questions you have what you think we should be thinking of and talking about And uh, yeah, we will catch up with you soon. We'll see you saturday. Peace [Music]
