Scuffed | USMNT, World Cup, Yanks Abroad, futbol in America - Episode 90: An interview with Raphaël Wicky, coach of the U.S. U17 men's national team

Episode Date: July 25, 2019

The U17 World Cup starts in three months! Wicky kicks off a camp in California this week as he and the boys prepare for the tournament in Brazil. He discussed how the team improved at the Concacaf Championship, his impressions of the DA playoffs, his thoughts on where on the field Kobe Hernandez-Foster will likely play at the World Cup and outlined some of the roster decisions he faces in the next three months. Skip the ads! Subscribe to Scuffed on Patreon and get all episodes ad-free, plus any bonus episodes. Patrons at $5 a month or more also get access to Clip Notes, a video of key moments on the field we discuss on the show, plus all patrons get access to our private Discord server, live call-in shows, and the full catalog of historic recaps we've made: https://www.patreon.com/scuffedAlso, check out Boots on the Ground, our USWNT-focused spinoff podcast headed up by Tara and Vince. They are cooking over there, you can listen here: https://boots-on-the-ground.simplecast.comAnd check out our MERCH, baby. We have better stuff than you might think: https://www.scuffedhq.com/store Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Welcome to the scuffed podcast. I'm Adam Bells in Minneapolis. With me is Greg Velasquez in Des Moines. We talk about U.S. men's soccer. Our guest today is Rafa Wiki, head coach of the U-S. U-17 men's national team. The boys will kick off a camp Thursday in Carson, California, where they'll play friendlies against the L.A. Galaxy second team in Orange County, SC, both U.S.L championship sides.

And the roster for that camp should be out by the time you listen to this. After that, they'll have one more camp in September before the U-17 World Cup starts in October. Rafa, thanks for coming on the podcast. Really appreciate your time. Sure. Thanks for having me. Let's start with World Cup qualifying.

Your team, the U-17s, progressed quickly in that tournament, the Concaf Championship in May. And by the final, in my opinion, they were playing some really lovely soccer. How did you get them to play so well so quickly? Yeah, I agree with you. I think the team became better and better as long as the tournament went on, which is not. normally, as well it was my almost first time being together with them. We have never played with each other or we never really had a real game together. So it's obviously being together every day, watching videos, training sessions,

and then just getting to know each other better, which makes normally a team better, more comfortable with the style of play, the head coach wants, knowing their own roles on the field, off the field, better. So that makes normally a team progress. And that's what we saw at Concord. Yeah, I was pretty happy with what I saw during the whole tournament. I didn't think that we played really bad or bad in the first game because even if we were 2-0 down against Canada in halftime

before they scored the opening goal after 22 or 23 minutes, We were clearly dominating. We were clearly better. But you could feel, obviously, the team a little bit nervous, a little bit, a little bit still finding their roles and getting to know Canada as well. We expect it then maybe to be a little bit more aggressive, to press a little bit higher. So that all was part of the game. And then, obviously, they surprised us with two actually beautiful goals. They scored in like two minutes, I think.

But I didn't think that the first team we played really bad, really bad. Because it doesn't always mean when you lose that you play bad and when you win that you play good. That's not, that's not how soccer works. But yeah, gladly we got then a great reaction in second half when we turned the game around. And I think that was very, very important as well for the mentality and for the mental state of the group to see that, okay, if you believe, if you keep on going, then you can turn around things. So that was a huge point for this tournament. And then, yeah, I think every game, the team became more comfortable, more secure.

And by the end, the best is what you said. The best part was the first half against Mexico. I think we played not a perfect. In soccer, there's no perfect. But we played a really, really good first half. but it was 1-1. That was the mistake. You should not have been 1-1 at halftime.

Yeah. Well, you know, before we get into that a little bit more, what specifically, you know, other than being more comfortable with each other and more comfortable with you, what specifically did the players start to do better as the tournament went on? As, you know, as specific as you can be about that

would be, I think would be interesting to listeners. Yeah. We're going into the first game, we had against Canada, We had six days of preparation where we, if the staff spoke and said, okay, what are we going to expect from Concordraft? What will the teams do? So we had three, four points. The teams will sit deep against us.

They will try to stay compact and make us life difficult. The teams will try to hurt us on counterattacks. The teams will try to herd us on set pieces. So these three, four points, we analyzed and we said, okay, how do we break? how do we play against that? How do we break down a team who is sitting deep? How do we manage not running into counter attacks? Because that's what the team wants.

And how can we be very solid on set pieces defensively, but very creative as well and dangerous offensively? So we trained on these things in these five, six days, which is not a lot of time. Usually national team coach has a year and a half time to prepare that, but we try to do the best out of it in these five, six training session. and with video analyzing as well with a clear message to the team

so that's where the whole staff and the team work together on these things as the game went on especially after the second half with Canada turning around that game I think the team understood more what Concorda Calf will be, teams sitting deep,

how can we break them down the things me as a head coach ask the team to do and we show them video and we trained these things So all that became better or they got more comfortable doing that game by game. And that's how the team then became more secure and better. And yeah, out of the experience of the first half against Canada, maybe where we didn't play bad,

but we played slow, we didn't play fast enough. Canada was defending very, very compact and closed the center. then obviously we talked to the team or we asked them questions. So if the opponent team closes down the center, so where will be the space? So the team gave the answer on their own. They said, okay, we have to play faster and break them down over the sides. So all of these things, they then started to do it. And game after game, they were actually then realizing and making their own decisions on the field.

When they saw that the team is blocking the center, they knew, okay, we have to go over the sides. When the sides were blocked, they knew, okay, there will be more spaces in the center. So all of these things then made our team more comfortable. One thing you did was move, I don't remember which game this happened, but one thing that happened over the course of the tournament was Gio Rana, who started the tournament in the center of the pitch, started lining up more consistently on the left wing, and Gianluca Busio ended up more in the center of the pitch. Can you talk about that decision? Was that a, Was that the instruction?

And what was the thinking behind that? Yeah, we did that after the first game. We analyzed the first game. We spoke as well to the players and with the staff. Then we decided, okay, let's start Gio Raina on the wing. As he is really good in one versus one, he really likes that. He really likes taking on players. He is one of his strengths.

He's fast. He has a lot of power and pace. So we did that and John Luca as well we thought he can help us in the center midfield as a number eight number 10 a lot So we did that and that worked out really well I think both players felt comfortable in the positions But as well for the future I don't want to have them statically in these positions I still want them because they both can play

John Luca can play on the wing and Gio can pay in this in this the center and vice versa. So in the future as well, I want them to change and to change these positions during a game on their own. It's not always, it doesn't have to be static. But yeah, we did that after the first game. Okay. Yeah, I was curious what you see as Gio Raina's long-term position as a player and, you know,

what's his ceiling? I know he gets a lot of attention, you know, he was just, he's on tour with Dortmund right now or it just was. But what's your take on him as a player? Well, he's a very special player. He has special qualities. He's a game changer in the offensive part of the field. He has, I think, incredible talent, ability to change a game, to score, to prepare goals and opportunities.

So he needs no rhythm. For the last six months, he didn't really have. continuous rhythm, which means he didn't have any games before coming to Concaf. I think his last full game was probably, so Concaf was early May. I think his last game before that was probably the Nike friend was in December, 2018, which is five, six months away. So at that point, and even without having rhythm and get a lot of games, he did really, really well at Conccaf.

but it's very important for him now to have full pre-seasoned in Dortmund, with whatever team it will be, and now he was with the first team a little bit, but it's important for him to be there, have a full pre-season, get ridden, get games every weekend, 90 minutes, if it's just the 19s, the 23s, or the first teams of Dortmund. It doesn't really matter to me, but for him it's important to get minutes. And then the position is a topic we, I mean, we all talk about.

he can play, I think, all, if we're talking about four or five offensive positions, he can play them all. He can play as a right or left winger. He can play in a 4-3-3 as a double number eight and number 10, and he can even, I think, play as number nine coming down in between the lines. He is comfortable there.

So, yeah, I'm curious as well where Dortmund will play him. I saw if the first team he played one game as a number eight or ten and the second one he played as a winger. So I think he has time to figure that out, and time will tell. But I don't think it's very important right now that he's fixed on one position. Yeah. He's not an old man yet, so he has time to figure it out. No.

Yeah. How did you come up with the qualifying roster after having seen so little of the pool? I think you were named as the coach in March, and then obviously the tournament was in May. That's not very much time. Who helped you make those decisions about who to include in the roster? That was a lot of people helped me in this transition at the Federation. We have a great scouting department with Tony Lepora, the head of scouting, and then he has his three scouting managers, west, east and central America.

And so with that help, with Tabramos, who knows all the players as well, and we yeah they helped me to build a roster obviously there was there was a lot of good work done before with the previous coaches in the last one and a half two years here so there was a roster of 40 45 players and then we choose for the minicamp early april i think we choose like 25 to 30 players to go into a little mini camp and from there then to make the final roster for conquer calf Obviously, I was still depending and listening and trusting the talent ID department, but as well, a few decisions I made on my own after the mini-camp. But obviously, the help from the talent idea department was very, very helpful and important.

Okay. Well, you mentioned the game against Mexico in which the first half was, I mean, really a joy to watch. I wasn't the only one who was kind of celebrating as we were shredding Mexico. and the attack, but like you said, we didn't score. Can you tell the story of the game sort of in your eyes, how that went down? Yeah, well, first of all, obviously, we have our, we try to develop a style of play. We try to play out of the back and then progress into the next third of the field or into the finals.

That's our game model. That's how we train. That's what we want to do. And as well, for the Mexico game, we had a game plan as well. And we knew that they may come and press us higher than previous teams at Concord Cap because almost no team really came and pressed us. But we knew Mexico probably will press us and we were prepared for that. We knew how they will press us and we had a plan how to break them down when they pressed us. And the players, our players, felt pretty comfortable playing out of the back and trying to prepare a goal scoring opportunity.

And did actually really, really, really well in this first half. creating a lot, a lot of chances, playing a really, really dominant style of play and well-organized defensively as well, so that Mexico, who is a strong team and who always creates chances, didn't really have a lot of chances, maybe two or three in the first half. So, yeah, that is a great job. Our team are players besides of putting the ball in the net. That's then the main objective. So that's probably the only negative thing we have to tell each other that, yeah, in the end of the game, it's about winning.

It's about, yes, style of play. You want to play nice soccer. But in the end of the game, if you have so many chances, you've got to be clinical. You're going to be, how do you say, brutal because you know, and I knew, and with soccer experience, you're not going to have a second half like that. It's not possible. It's just not possible because. The opponent's coach is usually a good coach too. They have a plan.

They have a staff. They react. They analyze. And in half time, you have 15 minutes to change some things. And we knew exactly, or I knew out of my experience, it's not going to, we're not going to continue like that. It's not possible. So, yeah.

And that's then what happened. I don't want to get two in the weeds, but what did they change? And how did that allow them to get hold on the game in the second half? Well, they changed the way they pressed us from goal kicks, but that is not really the main topic. It's just that I think we played nearly a perfect first half in possession, and it's just very, very difficult in soccer to reproduce the second half like that. I mean, we created, when I remember the stats, and I'm usually not going off the start, but I think we had 65 to 35 possession. We had 15 to three shots on goal. we hit twice the post, once the crossball,

we had a really good chance, and the goalkeeper had a great first half. So it's not possible to recreate that. I mean, there was a very good team on the other side of the field. So it's just in soccer, out of experience, not possible to do that. And then they made a substitution one or two in half time and changed some little things. And I think the second half was still a good half,

but it was just more 45-55 or 50-50. So I don't think that Mexico could dominate us completely. I think as the game went from a minute 60 to 90, I think that's where we started struggling a little bit. Earlier we had chances to even beginning of second half, we had one or two big chances with Janduka Bousio, I think, and I think Alfonso. But again, we didn't score.

but then it started just to be more equal to the game. And we didn't have, let's say we were not as clear in possession in the second half. We were not as calm in possession in the second half as we were in the first half. And I think that's when the game turned into more in a transition game. And that's where we started struggling more than in first half. But it was still quite equal. And, yeah, I mean, they could have scored, we could have scored. and we finish one one after 90 minutes.

It was a little bit unfortunate that we had two, three players injured in that game. They were still all sitting on the bench. We didn't give them injured on the roster list, but I knew that Jack DeVries and Brian Kio, I couldn't bring in that game because Axelahehaner, I couldn't bring because they were injured, but they were still on the bench. So no one really knew. but obviously in an intensive game like the final,

it would have been nice to have Brian Kario and Jack DeVries who were important pieces in our tournament and bring in after 60 minutes and give the team a second win. That was one of the strengths we had during all tournament. Whoever player had changed, the guy who stepped in was really good and did a great job. so yeah

but that's not an excuse that's just a fact yeah yeah and but yeah I mean the game was equal second half and then and then sometimes it's details we go into overtime

obviously it was a long tournament you could feel that the team's getting tired and the when you're tired your concentration is less good we got a little bit more sloppy but we're still in the game and then there was one error

in the overtime and they score and that's just what makes the difference in the end. That's why I said in the beginning when you have such a first half and when you have so many chances, we need to learn to finish that and we need to learn to finish that game with these chances

because you're not going to have as many chances by the end of the game in the second half. So we need to learn of that. The mentality cannot be that we think, oh, it's going to continue like that. We have five, six, seven, chances we're going to have five six in a second as no we got to we got to finish the chances and try to be more clinical yeah and the game should have be i think three one or four two in the first

half and then we would maybe talk differently now but right it's all maybe yeah no it's i was still i'm very very pleased with the tournament i was very very pleased with the way the team responded and the way the team played and then in soccer yeah sometimes the result goes your favor sometimes not but the way the team worked to together, was together as a group for these four weeks and played was very, very positive. Yeah, absolutely, absolutely. So you talked a little bit about Jin Luca and geo-interchanging positions. That reminds me a little bit of the national team where, you know, the senior national

team where the wingers are tucking in and sometimes, you know, Christian Pulisic is getting out wide, even though his starting position is the middle of the field. How much is the style of play for the U-17s meant to? mirror what the senior team is doing under burrhalter um well we're not trying to copying anything but obviously um we i talk with with gregg a lot and i have my my exchanges with tap and i mean tab as well 20s plays a very offensive possession based style so so we're yeah there is an alignment there is an alignment we're talking about principles what we want to want to teach the players the positioning of players, it's, yeah, it goes into the similar or same direction.

Yeah, which is positive. There is a vertical alignment from the first team to the use, but we're still trying to build that. But like I said, not copying anything. I mean, I'm the coach and I have to bring in then my words, my way of teaching and coaching. But there is a similarity of position. but it's more about the principle, the style of play and the way how you want to build and create chances, which, yeah, we try to do in a similar rate in the first team, yes. Okay, okay.

How do you think about your midfield? Is it, this is kind of a nutty question, but I'd love to hear your take on it. Is it two sixes and an eight or a six and an eight and a ten or a six and two eights? Like how do you think about it? You're right. You're right. It's definitely three midfielders. But it's not important to me if it's two six and a ten or two eight and a six

because I believe the game is dynamic. And then once you're in possession, you're not in a static shape. So you can start with one six, but then when you're under pressure, maybe one of the number eight or ten drops down and then you have two six. And then the third mainfielder needs to. go a little bit higher and be in between the lines and he then becomes maybe a 10. So defensively, sometimes you defend higher up and then you're not in a shape. You're man-orientated and sometimes you're a little bit deeper.

And yeah, then you may have two number sixes in front of the defensive line. But it's definitely three midfielder's who I want in changing positions. We played a lot with Adam Faldania, Daniel Leva, Buzio, some with, Saldanya and Brian Kario. So these players have to rotate. I want them to rotate. I don't want them to be static when we are in possession. And we will try to continue building on that.

But it's not so important if it's 26 or 2.8 or however you call it. Okay. Okay. Switching gears a little bit. You just spent a lot of time at the Development Academy playoffs, if I'm not mistaken. What did you come away with? Did anyone in particular catch your eye? Yeah, there is a few players we invite to the camp now in California.

I think we invite five or six new players or some are new. Some come back they were in before. I was a Generation of Ditas Cup in mid-April in Dallas, and I already saw there a few players who I thought they're interesting. there is so many players in this country it's so big so there's a big pool of players and I saw now a few new ones

as well at the showcase in Oceanside and we invite a few new ones from there but I'm not planning on my plan is not to change for the World Cup 10 12 players obviously not because we have a core group we have very good players

and all of them are healthy and will be released for the World Cup. But it's possible that we have two, three changes in that roster, yes. Oh, okay. So you're thinking like single-digit number of changes, small single-digit number of changes between qualifying and the World Cup for the roster? Am I hearing you right?

That's the plan now. Yeah. Okay. That's the plan right now. I will go into camp by Friday. Then I will see a few new players. I will compare them. we'll see.

But as well, you know, it's, we have, we have a team who qualified. We have a good team mentality. We have a good chemistry in the team. Yeah, there must be competition. So that's why we have five, six new players in. There is competition for spots. As well, when you go into a tournament like the World Cup, you also, it's not only the individual player who is important, but it's a team.

It's the roster. How do you choose a roster? not in a tournament, in a World Cup, and I talk about my own experience as a player, not everyone out of these 20, 21 players will have minutes all the time. So sometimes you need players who understand their role who are very supportive, even they don't play. So if you only have, let's say you have 20 players

who are all, let's call them star players, and they have all a big ego. But there's only 11 players. and when you're in tournament between game A one and game two you may make two three changes not six seven changes and between game two and three again maybe two three changes and not six seven then you still have players who don't play so all these things are going to be important with choosing a roster so that they actually have quality we have big quality as well in the death of the of the roster but as well player who are supportive even if they wouldn't start every single game yeah and Interesting. So how does the level of competition at the DA playoffs compare to the U-17 and U-19 levels in Europe? You've spent a lot of time in Europe, obviously?

Yeah. I mean, like I said, there's a lot of, there's a lot of talent, there's a lot of good players in this country. It's so big. It's very difficult to compare. When I was at the GA Cup in Dallas, there were European teams, they were South American teams, River played, Valencia from Europe, Olympic Leone, from France. France, West Ham, Zagreb.

There were really good academies there. In the end, Seattle Sounders won the tournament. So, there is, people do a good job. There is good talent. I think there's good work being done here. The most difficult point, I always say, is here is to filter and to find all these players because it's so big. And then bring them to the best environment where

they can individually progress, but still have maybe a school or job possibility as well, because education is still important for these 16, 17-year-olds. And I think in these aspects in Europe, the clubs are maybe a little bit better organized. A lot of the clubs have school and sports together, so they help them to go through these years between 16 and 19. the whole system is different. You have this tradition in the United States. You go to college and the college degree and that tradition we don't have in Europe in most of the countries.

So that is still something the clubs, some of the clubs have now sport and school solutions, but I think it's very few. That will be something probably next five years which more clubs have to go into and will go into. So there is development. But in terms of quality, there is really good quality here. At the showcase, I think the top players of my national team, or a lot of the players of my national team, were not there because they already play either MLS or play USL, which is a good thing.

Yeah. So they are young and they're young higher up. So I think the quality was maybe a little bit less good than a GA Cup where a lot of the players were there. but still this always gives opportunity for other players to step in for youngers players to step in and the quality overall was very interesting okay you've been drawn speaking about the world cup you've been drawn in a pretty tough group Japan the Netherlands and Senegal I think all of them you know have been strong at the senior level lately what do you make what do you make of the competition and can you give us a little scouting report on them Yeah, so the first thing is always, what are your expectations?

I didn't expect to have an easy group at the World Cup. At the World Cup, normally there is no easy groups. There is not many easy teams. When I look at our group, yeah, it's strong. We have the European champions with Netherlands, which just became champion in May, June. But if it wouldn't have been the Netherlands, it could have been Italy, France, Spain. They're not so bad neither. So it's just great.

It's a great challenge to play against these guys. Then we have Japan, which is the Asian champion. They just became Asian champion. But again, if it wouldn't have been Japan, it could have been Paraguay, Chile, Argentina, who else is there from South America? Ecuador is there. I think Ecuador. So there is a lot of just good teams from the other continents too.

And Senegal, the African teams are always strong. They're always very physical. they're always, they're always athletic, maybe sometimes a little bit wild from structure-wise, but they're very talented. So it's a great group, it's a challenging group, but I'm very confident. All the games will be tough, but that's good for the kids. That's good for the progression and for the development of our players. Yes, we want to go there, we want to win, we want to go through.

That's our main objective, but it's not going to be easy, and we knew that. We're now trying to prepare, focus on us. We will have scouting reports of the other teams, but mainly focus on us. And hopefully all the players are healthy and can be a release so that we have the strongest team possible at the World Cup. And then go there to win and enjoy. Okay. Getting to the home stretch here, so bear with me. You might have a problem that's unusual for an American coach when it comes to rosters.

you have a lot of depth at left back. I'm thinking of Kobe Hernandez Foster, who obviously has been playing centerback for the U-17s, but also George Bello, John Tolkien. Jonathan Gomez is a little younger, but he's out there, and I'm sure you've seen him play. And then Adam R. Moore has been in a lot of rosters. How are you handling that?

I mean, is it frustrating to have so many good left backs? Oh, no. No, that would be not good if it would be frustrating. That's very good. That's competition. Competition makes the athlete better, become better, and it's good for a coach to have these many choices. But the reality is that since I'm here, George Bello, was never with us.

He was injured. He is still trying to get back into full fitness, I think, with Atlanta. So fingers crossed, he will be back and healthy. then George Bello is a great possibility for me as a coach. So our usual fullback since I'm here were John Tolkien and Adam Armour. Kobe can play there, and he probably will play there in the future. Right now, Kobe was our centerback, our left centerback. And we will see.

I'm now going into Can. I may try him on a different position as well, but right now we don't have that many left for the centerbacks in this age group. So Kobe is right now important for us there. Okay. So it's not super likely that we see Kobe moving out wide come October? It's not impossible. It's not impossible.

But I have to see, again, I have to see who is available. Is George Bello available, hopefully? Then we have, like you mentioned, Tolkien and Adam Armour and George Bella, we have three very interesting left backs. Then I may not need him there, depending on the situation. But it's not impossible that he will play. I know he played with Galaxy a few games or some games there. And so it's good for me. Kobe is a player who gives me three different positions.

He covers three different positions, which is very positive. Yeah, yeah. Who are some of the centerbacks on your radar who weren't playing in the Cockcaf Championship? I guess we'll find out this afternoon when the roster is released who exactly is on your radar. But does anybody come to mind? Yeah. Yeah, so we invited Mason Judge, who was already in before, but never with me. He comes from Frankfurt.

We invite Nikonath Carrera from FC Dallas. We invite Jonathan Tompkinson, who used to play at Solar FC, but now is in Norwich in England. And as well from Solar FC, I left for the centerback is Joshua Ramsey, who is in for the first time, too. So we have, besides of Kobe, Axel Alejandro and Taimon Gray, who as well gives us cover different positions. We have a lot of centerbacks there. And it's going to be interesting. I'm looking for meeting these new players and seeing them train with us. Okay. Yeah, very interesting. That's a lot of centerbacks. I guess it'll be good competition.

One player who I don't believe is a citizen yet, but who has been impressive in USL, and I know that if I don't ask about him, people are going to be like, why didn't you ask about him? Is Moses Nyman? I think he's an 03. He's a young 03. Have you noticed him? Is he on your radar? He's a very nice center midfielder. Yeah, Moses is playing for under 16 national team. He is in with the younger age group. So it's not new. I know him. I saw him at Jacob.

I saw him at the different tournaments. Right now, our midfield is pretty busy and pretty strong. We have Maxi Deeds coming in, who is at Freiburg in Germany. We have Daniel Leva. We have Busio. We have Brian Kauya, with Adam Salbania. We have Gilbert Fuentes from San Jose Urskic, who is more offensive, but it's also one of those trees.

We have Tiger Freeman who can play there. So there's a lot of players in these positions. We know that Kobe could potentially play as a number six. Tavern Gray can potentially play as a number six. So there's a lot of traffic in these positions. But we know Moses, yeah. Okay. Let me ask you injury question.

Joe Scali recently had surgery. Do you expect him to be ready for the World Cup? I hope so. I hope so, yeah. He's not going to be now in for the camp. I'm not sure hopefully he will be ready for the September tournament in the Netherlands when we go there

but we have to take that probably day by day and see how he recovers but I have obviously a big hope that he will be ready by mid of October yes does he project as a as a fullback long term

I know he's played right back but you've tried him at centerback a little bit right? I have no I've played him at the centerback when we played out with three sometimes when he build up this tree but yeah I mean he has he has the physicality to play

as a right back he goes up and down he's very offensive he can create he has a great mentality there's certain things he needs to he needs to become better he knows that and we're not going to talk about that in the radio here but yeah I think

he has ever seen to become a good a good food like if he if he gets healthy again and can progress in the weaknesses he had. Personally, I've never had another center back since I'm here, but I'm only here since three months, and I've only had a team twice.

We will see. He's right now, not in the plan of the centerback, but, yeah, I know that him as well, he gives me the possibility to play him there. Yeah, maybe I'm wrong. Maybe he did play in one of the, maybe 45 minutes in Concord Calf. He came and helped out in the center,

but he's in our plans on the right fullback position. Okay, all right. And then one last roster question, unless you want to say anything else about it, Buccio, Bello, you know, assuming Bello gets healthy, Buccio stays healthy, and Raina, do you expect them to be all released by their clubs?

Have you gotten any word from them? I mean, assuming, of course, they're healthy? I hope they will be released. I know this is always a big topic. It will be more of the under 20s than with the under 17s. But I hope that there will be a release, first of all, because it's a World Cup. You don't know how many workups in your life you will play. Hopefully for all of that, they will play more with the older age groups and if the men's,

but you never know that. So if you have a possibility, then it would be obviously great for them to be released. and have made this experience. For me as a coach, it would be great to have all of them. We are in touch with the clubs, but this is right now, obviously, too early, but I haven't had any negative feedback concerning the release. But we will look at that once it gets closer, and clubs know our schedule. And I think they, as well, that's what I feel they support us,

and they want to support us and give the players as much support to play that World Cup. Okay. All right. Well, turning our attention to you a little bit. You've answered this question in other places, but what appealed to you about this job? You were coaching in Champions League, you know, less than two years ago, and now you're in the U.S. coaching the U.S. U-S. U-17s.

Like, what did you like about the job when you decided to take it? There were different factors which I really liked. The first, obviously, I had really good. conversations with Greg and the other people from the Federation. So in terms of philosophy-wise, that matches my way of seeing the game and the project they had here was, so I thought it's very interesting to come in here. I think it's a great market to come in here. I've followed the U.S. market since 10 years now, since I've retired or played here.

Even I was in Europe, I was always following it. I have a lot of former teammates being coaches in the MLS. Now Jesse Marth went over to Europe. But I have always been in touch with these guys and went to visit them in their clubs and followed the league and followed as well the US soccer. I think it's a great market. It's a talented market. It's a good time as well to come into this project with the changes US soccer had, with the World

Cup ahead in in 2026. So all of that made it for me interesting to join this position, this market. And I'm working with top talented players. Yes, I coached Champions League, which was an amazing experience, and I'm proud of that. But for me, it's more of the project which is interesting. The project, I like to develop, if it's in a federation or in a club, I like to develop players, help develop a style of play. And I think there is a lot of chances and opportunities to do that here.

So, yeah, and then as well, I have some private, my wife is from the United States. And so there's also a private point in here who I was interested in coming over here. So there are different factors which were important. And then in the end, it's just a feeling. You have to go about your feeling. and that's what I did and I'm very pleased and happy to be here. Yeah.

Wives are very important. I have one too. She's important. What's going to be the next step for you personally after the World Cup? It seems like a natural move for you, you know, if Tab Ramos decides to move on for you to maybe take over the U-20s

or maybe a technical director job. I don't know what all is going on at soccer house, but can you give us a... any insight about what's next? No, not at all. I cannot because, I mean, I have a contract as an under 17 coach, and that's what I'm right now. And, I mean, Tab is a great coach, very successful. He has his job.

So I haven't had any thoughts about that or calls or talks or meetings about that. And it's not really in my plan. I really tried to, I just took this job three months ago and I'm very into that. right now. And I'm happy to be here and, yeah, focus on that. It goes quick in soccer. We all know that or in sports in general. So I'm trying with the experiences I've made in the past,

in Europe was my last job in Champions League and everything, not to look too far in the future because it goes so quickly. But no, I haven't had any thoughts about that. Okay, fair enough. Anything you wish I had asked? asked you about anything else you want to talk about no I'm good I'm good I mean it was interesting good questions I was happy to to explain some of our idea some of the things maybe people have watched and maybe now understand a little bit more in

details because I know it is when you watch a soccer game and then when you have the insides of a coach or on what the plan is and what you want to do then some things may may seem a little bit easier to understand and then but no um Thanks for your support, and hopefully we can all enjoy a great World Cup. Yeah, good luck to you, Rafa. And I should say, yeah, congratulations on a very encouraging performance at qualifying, even despite the loss in the final. I think most people were very pleased with what we saw.

So congratulations on that. Well, thanks very much for your time. Thanks for answering the questions and everything. Take care. Sure. It's a pleasure. Thank you. Take care.