SoccerWise - Timo Werner Shock SJ Transfer, TFC-Sargent, Michael Boxall (MIN) & Brandon Vasquez (ATX)

Episode Date: January 13, 2026

A big show packed with news and guests for Soccerwise. First Tom breaks the news as Timo Werner & San Jose approach a landmark deal. They also talk about Toronto's pursuit of Josh Sargent and Eric Ramsey leaving Minnesota. Then David sits down with Michael Boxall (MIN) & Brandon Vasquez (Austin).6:30 Timo Werner In Talks With San Jose18:50 TFC Potential Record Transfer For Josh Sargent38:00 Eric Ramsey Leaves MIN & Cam Knowles Takes Over45:11 Ice Cream Shop Chucky Lozano1:08:10 Michael Boxall Interview1:24:05 Brandon Vasquez Interview

Well, everybody, we've got a good one for you. Soccer-wise is back. David Goss and Tommy Scoops with you for the breaking of breaking news. If you are watching live on YouTube, if you're watching later on YouTube, or if you're just listening to the podcast, Tom did the whole like, I'm a piano player, stretches the fingers as we're talking and then just starts rocking live as we're getting ready to do this show. I felt like I had a good rundown, Tom. Josh Sargent, potentially the third highest transfer in MLS history. Eric Ramsey, one of the best coaches in the league is heading back to England and now Minnesota has a gap to fill. Chukilotsano has burned the bridges and is on his way out in San Diego. We have no idea how that looks or what that means, one of the biggest names in the league. But you did it again.

We got, we were working the phones quite a lot, just getting things done here. So it's been a busy week, busy all. offseason as always around MLS. If we're going to use a music analogy, I would say more about just jam band action, just everybody's in, we're feeding off each other, just follow my lead, and there's no script. It's just a good one. Which brings me to RIP, Bobby Weir, grateful dead front man. Devastating blow.

I obviously care very deeply about that band and this artist and what he's meant to, a billion people, or however many, like including myself, he's 70, a 79-year-old man, it shouldn't be shocking, but going to Deaden Company shows and I get to sit, stand in the pit, so you're in front of the stage, watching when interviews the way he takes care of himself. I just thought that guy was going to live for, I thought he'd be touring for another decade because of, like, his youth energy. Probably outlive you, in theory, was the assumption. If there was a bet on that, like, the smart money would have been on him.

Turns out he had cancer that they had never announced. He had, like, a quote about, like, you know, not like, you know, death is, like, the last great thing that you can do. I don't fear death. I'm not like, you know, it's the capstone of a life worth living. And just such was his philosophy. When Jerry Garcia died, I was a baby in 1995. My mom, it's the reason why I'm a deadhead and a huge Grateful Dead fan. When Jerry died, when she found the news, she put on a Grateful Dead record and helped me as a baby.

It just so happened that I was with my mom and my family this weekend when found out the news about Bob Weir. So there's at least a little poetry there, but RIP to a one of one. And this makes you very sad. Yeah, it's one of those moments. I think that it causes you to reflect, right? Because it's like, oh, this is a temple of my life and all of these little moments that he's created that affect you. As you know, my first date with my now white was at a dead and co-show out in Palo Alto. So something very closely connected to all of us.

and Tom getting deep this weekend as I rattled off in group chats about inane things that don't matter, which if you're not part of our Discord, you should be because you could be someone doing that with us. So you can get access to it if you subscribe to our Patreon. Of course, you can always hit us up on Blue Sky on Instagram as well. I really appreciate the Celtic fans who jumped into the comments of the YouTube from last one. telling us that we're a knob-ins and all that type of stuff. I think there was a lot of really great points made, actually, from a bunch of them.

So I actually genuinely appreciate them engaging in some of the things. One of the funny ones about it is like, oh, well, like, he doesn't know anything. And it's like, this is Tieri-R-Ree's assistant. And I'm especially emboldened right now because I interviewed Stephen Marrera on Thursday at the MLS Media Marketing Tour. I sat down with 12, 14 players for a couple minutes. We're going to roll those out into the shows over the next. few weeks. Awesome conversations. Just a good, like, relaxed time to talk to a lot of people.

Really fascinating talking to the World Cup guys because just like imagining being on the precipice of this. Like Tim Ream, one of the best convos, I was like, how often are you talking about this? Like what? And he's like, everything my family has done has been geared towards this year. We're not thinking past it. Everything we did, moving to Charlotte, all these things, three kids, like is geared towards being in this spot. But then you got to live in it. Like you can't just bypass it. So all of that was really fascinating. But Stephen Marrera played in League on. He's going to play

in a World Cup, right? This guy knows more about soccer than you than me than anyone in our comments section. He said, Wilfred Nonsei's the best coach he's ever worked for. He's a big time coach. He has zero doubt he's going to be successful in Europe. He went and visited him in Scotland. I was going to say, he got picked

up on the cameras and I was asking around and it was at the Rangers game. Someone was like, yeah, I don't know if Wilfred's longer. I was like, yeah, man, he just lost the Rangers. I'm expecting him to get fired. I hope. If he's just there for a visit, that's nice. If there's a contract, tell him not to sign it. And Marrera was like, hey, I don't really watch this league.

It was not super impressive or high quality. The thing I watch, which is really, really funny. But just saying all of that, Tieri Henri and this guy think Wilfron Nancy's good at his job. A lot of people in our comments section don't think that he is. I wonder who I'm going to lean with in this duopoly between these two. Wonder we'll fall on this scale. So I really, really enjoyed that. But the reason a lot of you are here is because we're about to talk about one of the biggest transfers of the offseason.

It seems that Timo Werner is close to joining the San Jose earthquakes. It will be the biggest signing in the club's history. It doesn't feel like much of a debate with that one where San Jose has sat. That doesn't take away from what Chris Hollisky accomplished with the club and what some of the other additions they've made. but we're talking about someone with 57 caps for the German national team at 29 years old joining the San Jose earthquakes. We're talking about someone who scored a boatload of goals in the Champions League, who's been in European championships and the whatnot, playing the Premier League, playing the Bundesliga. And we are talking about someone we thought we'd be connecting to a different MLS team.

And Tom, now we are talking about potentially the next San Jose earthquake. First of all, George Best, Eresher, if we want to go back to the NASL days. Second of all, Magnus Erickson Erasure, how dare you? David Goss. I was waiting to see. I thought we were getting Matthias Perez-Garcia on this one. You ain't walking through that door. Jokes aside.

Sources have told myself and the athletic that Timo Verner, they are nearing a deal to sign him. This is just about at the finish line. Pretty sure agreements are there. Just, you know, final details, thanks. firmly, firmly, firmly, expecting this to be done. I'm quite honestly a little bit surprised that it isn't done already

that's kind of the confidence in where this thing stands. I really like it for San Jose. Like you said, he's like 57 caps of the German national team. I know that he's not an active German international because he hasn't played almost at all

for Leipzig this year. That was the conversation in the summer is when he was leaving his 18 month loan with Tottenham that Leipzig said, hey, we love you, you know, club, you're not in our plans kind of thing. So he tried to call their bluff

They tried to call his bluff when the Red Bulls were talking for him and he didn't want to take a pay cut, as was his right. And then they were not bluffing when they said you're not part of the plans. And Timo Verner really needs a change of scenery, a fresh startup. I've spoken to people in Germany about him. And it's a lot of positive things. But it was like, yeah, like even around the Red Bull stuff. Yeah, he needs, he needs a fresh change of scenery. I think he'll be good and really good in MLS.

Like he just needs to leave some of these environments and everything that happened. Like, this is a guy who's not that far. move from, you know, like 28 Bundesliga goals. It's when he left Leipzig to go to Chelsea before he came back to Leipzig. He's 29 years old as long as his, if his physical data is still around where it's been for the last decade, right? And that's an if, that's not a definite. If it is, this is a fantastic signing.

If it's even like 10% off, like, he'll still be really, really good in this league. I think that's what is going to hinge on this making it a good signing or like, oh, my God, what a great signing. there's a lot to predict with this because of the 13 minutes played this year. Like we don't actually have a clear picture of who Timo Werner is. But profile is massive. And one of the things you hope is even if some of the physical ability has taken a half step back, I've said this a couple times.

Guys like the Wayne Rooney's of the world, the Tierrauneris of the world, have come into this league and you see, okay, really high level soccer player. so if some of it goes away, they can still figure it out. That hasn't always been Timo Werner's profile as a player, and I think that's the danger and that's the question. It's a different style of player, but if you're saying, you know, Emil Forsberg wasn't central to RB Leipzig when he left to come to the Red Bulls,

and he's one of the best players in Major League Soccer. So if your hope is that Werner's probably not as good of an overall player as Forsberg, but a similar setup of a guy who was really effective there, career started to look like it was tailing off, needed that fresh start, needed a new opportunity, and has taken it with, you know, has taken the mantle and helped lead that club to an MLS Cup. Tim O'Vernar, I said, is the biggest name because, I mean, he's better than Joseph Martinez in 2026. Like, I can't imagine that's not true. Right.

So, like, is it the best use of the money and whatever number that is and whatever? I don't know. But they're not going to be a worst team for making this move. Yeah, I really like this signing, and it's going to be a new look, attack, a new look team, just in general year 2 under Bruce Arena. The last two MLS jobs that Bruce Arena had in second year, he won the Supporters Shield, the Galaxy and New England Revolution. So there's a lot of expectation on this team improving, again, I thought that they were year over year much better under Bruce Arena. Part of that is confirmation bias because I don't want to speak for you, but I know that you have the same reference for Bruce Arena and the expectations. Like, where he goes, he wins pretty much all of the time.

and he's the one putting together this roster. Losing Christian Espinosa obviously hurts. I don't want Timo Werner to come in and it would just be like a comparison to Christian Espinosa the whole time. I think it needs to be the sum of the parts. So, Timo Verner is, I think, a really good sign. It's a really good way to have things moving

in a positive direction again for the fans. Christian Esmnoz, officially signed his new contract with San Jose. So the question marks over Pumas bids and Liga Mex's interest, that's done now. You know he's there. and then for the third DP spot, it's open. They could bring it a 10. They could bring it a winger.

I don't know exactly how Bruce Arena plans to set this team up. If it's going to be the 343, 3, 352, something like that. And Timel Verner plays in the channel off the left where he has been so, so, so successful for Leipzig over the years. Or if it's going to be something a little different, I'm not sure. I just think him and Chichol Rongo will make sense together. And then, again, whether the third DP is a 10, it's a winger or something else. like they got something cooking here. So I think one of the things that I should have started with and reset is just for San Jose fans,

this has to be exciting. It's a statement of intent from the team that has literally never existed. Like someone just put in the chat, having Werner and MLS is great for the league. In abstract, I don't know that that's always true. Having San Jose be a club that goes out and gets a player like this, that's great for the league because you're just adding another team. like if timo verner had come and played for fc cincinnati i don't know that it changes the face of major league soccer but having san jose be a team that's going to go and get a player like this and spend a number

like this and appeal to a player like this that's really really big that's kind of what bruce did at the revs and now he's doing it again at san jose elevating these teams into the halves versus the have knots does it lead to a supporter show does it lead to a top four seed this year does it lead to a great team i'm I'm still not sure on that part. But being in that stratosphere for this club is massive. And that's the first thing we should state with this. In terms of the setup, think about Adam Buicksa and Gustavo Bo. And Buxta's ability to stretch the field long and score goals and be a pure goal score

and Bo living underneath. That's what O'Rongo, I felt like was forced to do with Joseph, which is the only part of this that I find odd. Like it felt like an unhappy marriage at times with that. And now you're leaning back into it, except. as I said, I think Timo Verner is a much better soccer player right now. His athleticism should be game-changing if he still has it. And I would love to see it be a 10 because then you get the someone creating underneath.

The two of them can go and stretch the field high and create chances. I wouldn't want to like for like replacement for Christian Espinosa because I think the way Espinoza played last year was this is how we have to set it up because of what we have, where now it's blank slate. What's our dream scenario? Yeah, and a couple of points here, like, Timo Verner, again, first and foremost, what's going to matter is the goals he scores. That's why he's here. That's why they signed him. And I think he will score a lot of goals. The other part of this is San Jose was, if not the worst team defensive team in MLS last year.

They were one of them. They were putrid. And that's not just because of Joseph Martinez or maybe Chichot or whoever else was in the attack. That wasn't Christian Espinosa. Joseph isn't exactly a high-pressing forward at this stage of his career. Chichot Rongo didn't seem to have a ton of interest in that either. Team O'Verners, basically, his entire career is playing in a high-pressing transition system. So going to that baseline against the ball is going to be helpful as a knock-on effect for the rest of the team. They still need plenty of additions. The further you go back in the team, the defensive spine. But starting up top, you don't feel like you're playing 10 on 11 or sometimes 9 on 11 when the season was pretty bad defensively.

Then you're going to be okay. And I think that that helps maybe not massively, but that's not nothing. Yeah. No. Sorry, one more on this too in terms of just little details. His contract was up in the summer.

So whether there's a small fee for it to happen, now I'd be surprised. Leipzig has been very clear about wanting to move them on, get them off the books, all of that. So I'm assuming that the like transfer fee is either nothing or very, very negligible. Can you imagine being an accountant who works for one of these European teams

who just want to get guys off the books where it's like, oh, hey, here's like, like I did this, didn't I do this joke literally last week about the Las Vegas Raiders? who are paying $50 million to coaches who don't coach their team. Can you imagine being an accountant who's like, I don't really understand that world. I just know the numbers I look at. And it's like, you guys know you're paying all these people millions of dollars

to not work for you. And the sporting side's like, oh, yeah, dead wood, had to get it off the books. Necessary. And then that's to San Jose's quality, because if they can get them in for preseason and they can have them for the full season, that's huge.

Another thing, and I think about this coming off some of the interviews I did last week with players, he's only played 13 minutes. So normally these players coming from Europe are by the end of the MLS season, 18 months straight of high-level soccer with no break. I think Timo Verner's probably got a little bit of a break in there because he hasn't really been playing. And so for San Jose, they could get a full fresh season this year out of him, which would be absolutely massive for the. team. So as you said, the huge question marks are going to be at the back, helping defend from the

front, scoring goals, playing from leads. All of that makes it easier. They still need to solidify at the back. They have a pretty good history, Bruce does, of finding the right guys in some of this and putting them together. But this is a huge moment for San Jose Earthquakes fan. It's a huge moment at the start of this season to add another team in last year. We had the meme of me falling over, as you told me out of nowhere that Chichotoranga was traded from RSL to San Jose. As you said, there was a bump of quality this year. This feels like a leap potentially. If this isn't the only move,

if this is just the start of the offseason for them. Yeah, there's going to be a very small one in comparison. But while it's on the top of my mind, the club have signed a highly rated Academy product, Tomo Allen to first to a professional deal. It's going to be next pro this year. And then it'll be in the first team. they have that other DP spot open.

I'm expecting them to use it. They've been in talks about another goalkeeper. I don't know where that stands or if we get our top guy, we'll sign them, and if not, we'll be good with Daniel. But there should be more to come here. And Timo Verner getting close and that one being kind of the first real major move,

I think is a really good way to start it and a really good way to have optimism going around as you finish up. The other deals that are going to be, important, but getting the TPs right is most important. And we'll talk about it a little bit later on when we run through the ice cream shop and all the news that's come out of some of the Academy products that they've not done right by so far and some of the issues that exist for this club.

But what we saw in New England was that Bruce fixed the first team first, then he fixed the second team, then he fixed the Academy. And it all pretty happened pretty much exactly along those timelines. and if that's the case, then this would be the start with the first team. I saw DeWan Jones last week, and he's excited to have an offseason, a preseason with the team. I'm going to be playing for. And I think he was pretty excited for what this team's capable of doing as a group. We saw Bolaroo last year.

The hope is he's able to take a jump this year. And if that comes with more defensive solidity and more cohesion behind him, and it sounds like overwhelming talent in front of them, there are huge question marks around this, as we keep saying, but 113 goals and 47 assists in 216 appearances across some of the best leagues in the world. For a 29-year-old with 57 caps of the German national team is a pretty good start for the San Jose earthquake. Let's continue up top. Let's talk Josh Sargent.

This was one of the big stories that came out over the weekend on the books currently with relegation threatened Norwich in the championship. I almost just said the USL championship. So congratulations to Jake Edwards for the dumbest naming convention ever created across the USL, which almost tricked me on that one. And then the connection to TFC, Tom, which would be one of the, it sounds like, potentially biggest transfers in league history. Toronto FC has made a bid worth $18 million to Norwich City for Josh Sargent. Negotiations are ongoing. Toronto are confident. Josh Sargent wants this move.

Norwich have postured publicly that they don't want this move. in the relegation zone and Josh Josh Sargent is a very good player for this team, very consistent player when he's been fit, which he made team of the season in championship last year. He just scores goals and he's a good player. He's a good championship player. So they don't want to lose him in the middle of a relegation battle.

The manager came out and said something to the effect of, yeah, so Josh Allen, Josh Sargent didn't play this weekend. He kind of told the team like... Josh Allen did play this week. Yeah, Josh Allen did play this weekend. Josh Sargent didn't play this weekend. As he kind of told the team, like,

trying to push the move through. It was, this isn't an injury related absence. This is, uh, Josh Sargent telling the team that he was sitting out this weekend as negotiations are ongoing and try to put pressure to make that happen. The manager came out and said, you know, Josh told me that and I said, okay, like, don't worry. Like, hey, he's not moving this, this winter. I've spoken with people around this deal and I threw that quote out a couple people and nobody really seemed worried that that was going to be written in stone. So Toronto will continue pushing Norwich are obviously looking for a higher fee and looking for some time to buy a new forward and in the way that if you sell Josh Sargent, let's say it ends up

being a 20 million fear. We'll just insert whatever final number. Whoever you're calling for as a forward or as a relegation threatened team, well, the club that you're trying to buy from, they know you just got 18 or 20 million bucks. Guess what the price is for our forward, whether he's good, bad or indifferent. It's 18 or 20 million bucks. So I think it has more to do with posturing than this is, than it becoming ugly. But that is a possibility. too. What I know is Toronto have been working on this for some weeks and I think that's probably why

Josh Sargent felt the need to you know, hey my head's not right with the transfer stuff I need to sit out because this is not something that came up overnight. This is not new. Man, he got smoked by some Norwich veteran player or like former player on some media

thing after the game. I think they won 6-1 in the FA Cup or something like that. Wasn't locked into that. Yeah, clearly not. someone was like, oh, everything he's built in Norwich, completely gone with one text message. I can't believe he sent that text message. I mean, you know, talk about Brett Flau, and text messages. Things have changed quickly.

Back, back, wow, wow. Didn't see that one coming. Sideswiped on that one. It, this clearly going to, it feels like it's getting a little contentious, which I think is unfortunate. Sargent's obviously been fantastic for this team since, coming down from the Premier League. He's scored 13, 15, 16 goals a season.

He's already had a pretty good year, seven goals, three assists, and 21 starts in the league. And so he's been a huge player for this team. They're obviously struggling. They won't get relegated because they just signed Ali Ahmed, who's going to be the best player in the league. So they should be fine. But I can understand it feels like for Josh Sargent, it's this.

One, it's a huge opportunity at a bunch of money. two his family clearly was the big reason he didn't go to germany in this last off season and i would want to live in toronto i'd rather live in toronto than norwich so if that is a huge factor in the way he makes his decisions about where he wants to be in his career then that would be pretty attractive to do the last one is he's played well and just can't crack pocettino's rotation and as i said talking to these guys who are around the World Cup, it's on their mind every moment.

It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. So if he needs to make a move to change it, I don't know that this is it. That part I find very odd. Like the MLS season is not going to start for a little while. It's hard to prove yourself. You're basically going to have a month of games before the March camp where that's your real last chance to get in.

Correct. But at this point, it might just be, okay, whatever I can do is whatever I can. can do and you try it. Yeah, club form is not the issue for Josh Sargent and the U.S. national team. He's straight up and awesome for Norwich consistently for several years. And he has been within the picture of the United States. It's just when he's been with the national team, he hasn't replicated that club form. So I don't, I mean, I don't know this for a fact, but I don't think that chasing a world cup spot was near the top of the motivation for this move. I think it's something that's been on his

mind for some years. It's been on his family's mind for some years. Again, as you alluded to, the deal was set with Wolsburg this summer. They went to Germany. Like, there was like a medical, like all the terms were agreed. And at the last minute, him and his family decided we don't want to do this. They love Norwich. I also want to be clear about that. Even when they got relegated from the Premier League, somebody with value like him, somebody who has been very good, like there was some other interest in England and there was interest in Germany at that point. And it was like, he's, really happy at Norwich. And from what I'd heard for a while was, MLS is kind of, if he's going to leave Norwich, like, that doesn't mean it definitively.

Things can change, but they clearly did not want to go back to the Bundesliga. And when FC Cincinnati were trying to sign him 18 months ago now, he agreed to terms with them. He's greenlit that move. If Norwich and Cincinnati agreed, he'd be playing for Cincinnati right now. So I don't think that this has much to do. do with like the short term goal short term in terms of timing obviously the world cup is a long term goal but i don't think this has that much to do with the short term timing of putting yourself in the best position for the world cup this has more to do with clearly there's something him and his family want the money is going to be very good you get to be the face of the team in toronto it's a good

situation to come into and i think i think it would be a very very positive move for him and again just to reiterate sources are confident we have st louis fans asking questions guys, I appreciate that this is the most important part to you. I don't care about the discovery rights right now. That is not going to hold up this deal. St. Louis will get something. The last I heard in 22 when they got rid of the allocation order, St. Louis got to pick one player that you have discovery rights to forever

until they come here, whether they come to St. Louis or somebody else. Josh Sargent. Why would you pick? Can I just throw this out there? If you're telling me I get a pick of someone forever, I'm going the Tom Boger Golden Boot Style and I'm saying unnamed, unknown, unborn player who will be a star.

Why are you going to put a name to a forever? That was a mistake, St. Louis. You have to put a name to it. What are you talking about? You can't just leave it unfulfilled. Lino messy? I don't know. It was...

Listen, you're from St. Louis. I think Becky Sarah Rund is from St. Louis. I would say unnamed, unknown future child of Becky Sauer Ron, who will be the... the best center back in the war. So Lutz Fanich deal and he was the one making that choice. He thought he's going to be here for 30 more years to cash in on this chip. I thought now we're really getting off on an uninteresting tangent.

Who has the forever international spot trader? Is it Houston or is it RSL? It's RSL, isn't it? Yeah, yeah. But, yeah, like, the discovery rights part of this transaction is not anywhere near the top talking points. So same, I've never gotten as many discreet. recovery rights questions. Nice.

And St. Louis, I appreciate if you're a fan of that team. I'm not saying you're doing anything wrong. It should be less about, like, I saw some treats. It's like, well, if we're going to get money, we have to, we have to be involved. I think you should be pointing your iron maybe towards the club. There was no chance they were putting up anywhere near this money to sign. It sounds like if he was going to join Cincinnati, he would have joined St. Louis if they put the money on the table.

They ain't coming close. Yeah. I like that future ex-skeleton. the chat says Houston had one traded too, but they finally got it back. They did. This is a person who's invested in future. That's why. He knows all those future picks based off the picture.

I'm just guessing. On the sergeant side of things. So we talk sergeant. On TFC, on first glance, I'm a little confused. First reaction. Let me work through my feelings out loud. Tom, I thought that's what we're here for. Don't deny your feelings.

Why don't you go talk to your partner about how to to do this properly in the negative reaction. Yeah. It's a lot of money. And in the way they've reset themselves and rebuilt out, I like the Georgie Mihailovich move. I like a lot of the moves they've made. Are Georgie Mahalovich and Josh Sargent the two best players on a dominant MLS team?

Yes. Two best players on an MLS Cup winning team. I don't know that. How do you? I guess, I mean, I guess it's a hypothetical. I can't be proven right. you can't be proven wrong until it happens. Well, one of us will be proven something at some point if he comes.

But it's hypothetical for right now. I mean, and there's just so many other things. So there's so many other things that go into the team. But my first thing would be yes, but continue. So I think I landed back to one of the reasons I've always loved Josh Sargent, since he was a U-17 with the U-S. national team and had that incredible year where he played U-17 and U-20 World Cup in the same year, is as a goal scorer, he does a lot of things.

He is a creator. You can play through his feet. He can make the game easier for the players around him. And that probably is what makes me okay with this and elevates him. And I think the easiest comp is Josie Altador. Like Josie came to Toronto and he came as the true center forward and all of that. But you saw his full range of abilities when he played there. And they do it in slightly different styles.

But you have to be, if you're putting up $18 million in a transfer fee and you're coming in and you're the face of the team, you have to do it all. you cannot be, we have an interview coming out today on Yovalich. Yovalich said, I just want Tappans. I don't care. I just want to score goals. Don't talk to me about the other 98% of the field. But Josh Sargent can't be that guy on this number. And I think he's good enough to not.

He's 25 years old. And so like he should continue to get better. And I think in Toronto, there should be, I think, a little safety. And like, there's probably sell on value down the road. So you're not completely sinking this money in. And there's no way to get out of it. in the future, or maybe he asked to get out of it if he has a great three years and someone else comes along and all of that. But I would go back to Emmanuel Latelah. Like, the

responsibility of being a DP and coming here and being the face of a team and the star of a team is different than being a really good player on a team where everyone maybe is a little bit more even. I think sergeants carried a bit of that responsibility in Norwich. So there's maybe some safety for Toronto and all of that. These are the initial thoughts that went through my head time. I netted back around to, I like this team, if this is the case. I would agree. I will start talking about the price point because there were some people that were questioning the potential fee. I think that that's just not based in reality at all. So he's 25 years old in prime. His last four seasons in the championship, including

this one, which is obviously only half a season so far, 15 goal contributions in 3,000 minutes, 18 goal contributions in 1900 minutes, 20 goal contributions in 2,000. minutes and then this year it's 10 in 2000 for a relegation team right now they're in they're in either the relegation zone or firmly in a relegation battle um those players do not leave clubs at that age and that profile and that pedigree for less than 20 million you talk about lots a lot say lot like that's a that's a great example to point to just in terms of coming from the same league a similar age profile i think that joss sergeant does more like in his game than lotsa let's hey lot does in terms of creation or link up, play, all that stuff.

Lata Lott was $22 million plus adons. Josh Sargent, Norwich had a bid accepted by Wolsburg for $28 million. When Cincinnati tried to sign them, they were like, if you bid less than 25 million pounds, which is what north of 30 million U.S., it's like, don't, we're not going to answer. That's, I mean, 10K is under that number. So like that just gives you, right, that just gives you the line of like, where teams have spent historically in MLS and historically as in hitting historic numbers

and then how much more it takes to get a guy like this. Right. And so I think for all those reasons that the 18, like, it'll probably have to be a little bit more for this bid to be accepted. But something in this ballpark is completely fair. And there's, you know, some clouds over his future or the club's future. If they get relegated, the price ain't going up, man.

So I think with all these factors, it's almost like a slightly, cut rate deal. And like, again, they had a bid accepted for $28 million. Like, that's $10 million more than what, what this bid is. So I, I severely push back on that. In terms of, I think he, he would, where would he be right? If he signed tomorrow, if you're doing, here are my top 10 center forward than M.A. Where would he be? Pretty close to one than 10, I think. I'm just banging him off real quick. Brian White, obviously, number one. No, yeah, it's a good question. I mean, sons on that list. We'd be talking about them about like, with like, like,

Petermusa. Yeah. Yeah, I think that's fair. I think that's a good comp. And if you could sign Petter Moussa for any number in MLS, you would take him. I actually like that comparison. And yeah, I think you've talked me back around. I mean, I guess the point would be he will do more things than Dengay than Hugo Kuypers. Yeah. And those are the numbers just below that have been hit. And I look at the roster and I say, obviously, like Jose Sifentes, I like that ad. And again, if he can drop and create, I think you get more out of Corvino. I think you probably get more goals from Georgie rather than just the need for pure chance creation for him, which makes his life easier and you can continue to add to this

team. I think there's a lot to like if you're Toronto. And I think for him, the one thing that's so funny, and the reason I wrote Team America on the title of our YouTube is just, I always thought it was wild that Michael Bradley and Josie came to Major League Soccer to play for a team out of Toronto. And now it's like Georgian sergeant aren't on that same level. But like, no one values American players more than Canadian teams. That's a good point, man.

And there's no other way to slice it. I don't know that outside of St. Louis, every other MLS team. And I get Cincinnati's on that list would spend for an American player who's not the face of the national team already. It's a very good way of putting it. there are a handful of teams in MLS that could even, you know, realistically make this deal happen. Toronto, obviously one of them.

The others that come to mind, Atlanta don't have a DEP spot, since they don't have a DEP spot, Chicago has Kipers and they're chasing Levantalski anyway. The list ain't that long. Like LFC can't or don't need like galaxy, right? Like, it's a shorter list, like when you really go through it. Like, all right, who would actually do a 20 million feet plus whatever the salary is going to be to bring him here? For Toronto as a whole,

I just would love this move. And you look at this team, you don't even have to go 12 months ago. You didn't even have to go 6, 7 months ago. This team had the albatrosses of Insinia and Bernadiski on the books. Insinia was benched. Bernadesschi was running around in a cloud of vape smoke. You had some of the worst, like roasted was one of the higher paid centerbacks in the league.

Petreta for a time was the highest paid left back in the league. Sean Johnson was good. He was obviously still a high paid goal. keeper like that was that was worth it and now it's let let hype the thing we're talking about sergeant and georgia mojavitch are the new look in the attack corbinu who comes in for a million dollars like that's that's a good deal i thought he was good last year and now when he's your third or fourth best attacker instead of your first or second yeah that's a much better spot for him walkers zemberman comes in a free agency Luca gavron is getting the keys to be the new starting goalkeeper sefuentes in the midfield all these

changes within the last 12 months, more like seven months, is this team goes from missing the playoffs and like a joke to, oh, they're serious. Like this would be one of the teams towards the top of the east, I think, if this deal gets done. Depending on what line you want to take from a date when you want to count it, you could say there are nine new starters in the last 12 months in this team, depending on when Richie and Corbino were there and whether you consider them a start at the time

or not. but you could argue that going into last season, the only people you had pegged as a starter was Jonathan Osorio and Alonzo Coel, who is currently still a starter. And I don't know that that will be the case when we finally get to the season. And they still have a centerback to go. They also still have an open DP spot. Or I guess they wouldn't if this one finished.

And they have a couple open U22 initiative spots. So they could continue to get better potentially going forward. It's a fascinating club. They're like, okay, we're out of the Italians. We're going to reset. We're going to be a different team. They job a giant cash for and big deal on Georgie. And now this would be the, if this number hits around where we think in the fee of $18 million,

the third largest transfer fee in MLS history, which is sick for this team to continue to push that. And to reset that, number one, son young man at 26.5 million. Number two, Lats a lot at 22 million plus add-ons. and then potentially three would be Josh Sargent if it comes in in this range. And then the fourth, currently third because this isn't done, is Rodrigo de Paul at around 17 million. So that's kind of the- He's more than 10-K.

So Denke has already moved down the list. Yeah. On the national team front, we don't, like we said, we don't know how this works. We don't know what it means. But Ricardo Pepi did go out with an injury in the last week. And it sounds like it will be a lengthy one. It's his forearm.

At least two months. at least two months. So that's that center forward pool where, remember, Sergeant got called in in the fall. He got his shot. He didn't take it. I didn't think he played well against South Korea. I think it's fair to say that Pochitino gave him a chance and he doesn't land.

But that could open things up once again. And for Sergeant, just scoring as many goals as possible for as long as possible, is his best chance at getting back into the team. All right, let's go on to our next huge story. Eric Ramsey, head coach of Minnesota United for about 18 months. is heading to take over West Brom in England. He is taking his top assistant Dennis Lawrence with him. So almost two full seasons as head coach.

The way he worded things is they went to three semifinals. That's a little bit loose because they're conference semifinals, which are quarterfinals of the competition. And of course, a U.S. Open Cup semifinal, Western Conference quarters, the two seasons he was there. 58 points last year is the club record. They finished fourth in the first. the Western Conference as Eric Ramsey leaves to go take over in England.

Tom, it's not wholly unexpected. He's been connected over and over again. He speaks multiple languages. He's a smart guy. He worked at Manu. He got the Minnesota job for a reason, and that same reason has left him attractive. Correct. And it's a very positive story.

Eric Ramsey, just an excellent young manager. He comes to Minnesota. He turned down some stuff in England to take Minnesota as his first. job and that shows the difference in how people are looking at this league and part of that conversation and this mirrors when we talk about young players and when it's time to move on is you know ramsing not going to come here if you're like well you got to hold out on the contract and we're not budging it like part of the conversation was this is his first job it's not going to be his last very very good young manager we were on the show last week and this was right

after strousberg announced that he wasn't there was a different head coach i'm blanking on who it was I was like, oh, that's great, good for them. And I didn't even notice that West Brom's job was open. 48 hours later, he's accepting it. Right, we did say winners of the day was Minnesota United that Strasbourg's job got filled. It wasn't technically untrue, but it didn't last very long. So all of that being said, I think he's going to be awesome at West Brom. I think so, so highly of him as a tactician, but man-manager and like a modern young coach,

I think he's just going to be successful wherever he goes. That's how I'm going to feel. He obviously knows that. League knows that area. Like you said, he worked for Manchester United before coming to Minnesota. Before that, he was at Chelsea's some stuff with the Welsh national team, all of his badges, all of this. He speaks all these languages.

I just think he's going to be super successful. Minnesota, I've turned to assistant coach Cam Noles. He is the new head coach, not interim head coach, the new head coach. He was interim before Ramsey got here and he had, I believe it was two wins and a draw, something like that at the beginning of the season in 24 before Eric Ramsey took over. The players love him. well, well respected within the organization and there, he's getting his chance

as the first team head coach. He is in, obviously he's there now. They didn't have to do a wide coaching search. They didn't have to wait. When Ramsey took over, they had to wait for him to come. They had to wait to figure out the deal and then the visa stuff and everything like that. Preseason open for them today.

And Camdenoles is the head coach. There is no interim. There is no waiting for a new guy. There is no question marks every day in training. okay, is there going to be a new head coach? And so part of that continuity for a team who's losing a lot this winter is a positive for me. It's good that he's in-house. I've spoken in Cam Noles a couple of times.

I covered his two teams a few times in NextPro. Always enjoyed talking soccer with him. I enjoyed watching his team's play. I would say you mentioned the three games unbeaten to start last year where he went through all of preseason as head coach before Eric Ramsey took over. I think he was the one that sort of set the style. Like he was the one who kind of looked at the team and was like, this is what we're good at and this is what we're going to do. And it felt like Eric Ramsey came in, assessed and was like,

yeah, he was right and just doubled down into it. And I say that in a positive for Minnesota and saying, this is a coach who's kind of been there already. He's been an assistant in MLS for 10 years. He's been a two team head coach twice for two different clubs. He's been an interim head coach who's run a preseason. And now he's been Eric Ramsey's assistant. for 18 months.

Like you can't have a better plug-in-play option. And so I think overall from Minnesota, this ends fine. Talking to Michael Boxall last week right before this broke, actually, like 12 minutes before. He already was saying, we have a lot to replace. He kept leaning back on the loss of Tanny Oluas Shea and the fact that they never really replaced him. And now Robin Ludd has gone.

And like, there's a lot for this team already to do. So this is not just, okay, we put up 58 points. We're going to put up 58 points again because Cameron Knowles is ready to go. Like this team has to progress. It has to change. It's going to do so from a personnel point of view. And it probably needs to do so to an extent from a style point of view. But it doesn't feel like they're in a tough spot because of this move,

which I think for a lot of clubs that wouldn't be the case, Columbus, for example, being one of them right now. Can I throw the hairbrain John Parker idea at you that I learned, which I don't think is a bad take. his take was that these signings are worse for MLS teams and that they shouldn't be coupled like players because the best case scenario, and let's just take the obvious one, for Colorado, the best case scenario is this, which is your coach does well and he leaves. And with a player, player does well, they leave, you make money.

With a coach, that's not really the case. Now, I don't totally agree with this, but I didn't think it was a bad take to throw out there, so I'm bringing it on to the show and John's going to be jumping. up and coming up and down while making satan somewhere in New York right now. No, it is an interesting, and like, I understand the point, but like, they were, like, they should have beat Austin in the Open Cup semi-finals. Like, it was not taking anything away from Austin, but they were home, they were the favorite, like going into that game and knowing if you win, you get to host the Open Cup final,

and maybe they would have been the, maybe they would have beat Nashville, who knows, that's too many maybes, but, so the best case scenario is you win a trophy and then they leave. The best case scenario is, is the Wilfron-Nazi scenario. where he wins two trophies with Columbus and then leaves. Yeah. I think the key to it all is you need some continuity somewhere. Like I wouldn't be shocked if someone in this space in some negotiation at some point was like, if this is the deal and you're bringing your staff, who would be the next coach?

And is there a way to build a contract where Dennis Lawrence is going to stay and take over when you leap? Now, I don't know if you can even like legally do that. but I do think that's the one fear, which is there needs to be some level of continuity. And if it's just the sporting director, then it's just the sporting director. That's where it's great that you have Cam Noles who worked under him for two years and has done the job who can step in. The Rapids, for example, don't have that right now. But maybe as you go forward, that's the idea. And I do think that there's a positive for a club to project the ethos, which is we give opportunity and we allow.

It's the same with players. Like if players know, hey, if I go there and I do well, they're going to let me move, then players are going to be more willing to go there. And I think coaches will too. And then to your point, you'll probably get the cream of the crop in terms of the options. And you would hope that that leads to trophies going down the road. But I think it's very interesting. Note here, congrats to Jeremy Hall for getting the job as the USU 18 coach,

but also would be someone who could have stepped into a leadership role in Minnesota who's leaving over the last week. Okay, let's get into the ice cream shop, Tom. Let's start in Houston. And then we'll go to the big store. San Diego. Yes, so Houston Dynamo. I was told that they were going to be unveiling some new signings this week. They did two today. Defensive midfielder Augustin Bouzat, a 31-year-old from Veles Sarasfield. He had 180 appearances in six years. Just a South, somebody that has had a lot

of success in South American Leaks. He had a 31. He was a captain of Veles, I believe, and that was another thing that the club wanted this winter, not just quality players, but, and we spoke about the Guillermo move that still hasn't been announced. That'll be announced this. week. That's another guy who at 31, he think he was captain, one of the leadership players for Santos. I'm sure Namor took the captain's arm band when he got there, but somebody who not just played at a high level, but had the like leadership responsibility, those things on top of, you know, first and foremost, you got to be a good player. You're not just there to be an assistant, right? So that's one of the signings. Centerback, Lucas Halter, 25-year-old centerback from

Botafogo. He's there now. That's, that's another defensive signing. So they got to deem it in the centerback. Guillermo, the winger, will be here. He's a D.P. Hector Herrera reported either over the weekend or at the end of last week. That deal is being finalized. He's back. He would not be a DP, which is obviously very important for this move.

Probably not a first choice starter. I like the signing. I think it's a good move. We'll see how it all gets on. It is obviously a lot of veteran influence coming into the team. And then lastly, this is not one of the deals that is set to be announced this week because it is still ongoing. Mattes Bogus

Last I heard is there still has not been a breakthrough between Cruises Zool and Houston We'll see if either side is going to budge Because Cruz Zold don't want them Houston do We'll see what comes next I don't know who else has made any bids Or if there are any like other serious serious suitors

That Bogus would want to go to But as of right now Houston Still working on the Bogus deal But not there yet Just continuing to put pieces together Continuing to be a better team than they were last year Just spot the ball and move forward, Tom.

Like, this is... 100 better every day. But I love the booze that move. Like, you need cover for Jack McGlynn. If you believe in the attacking pieces you're bringing in, let's say Bogush comes in, and it's Guillemann, Boghush off the wings. They need to provide a ton of the attacking impetus. It's, I say that in saying it's okay for Jack McGlynn to, quote, unquote, be your 10 in that

setup because those winger should be creating chances in goal scoring as well. And it shouldn't, he's not carless heel in this team. It shouldn't fully fall on his shoulders, but he's good enough to say, set guys like that up. And he, talking with him last week, he felt like he had a relationship with Ponce towards the end of the year. And he felt like they really started to bond. And so, if you put

those three with true cover, which is what Bozat sounds like alongside Arter, that's the right setup for this team to be able to be dangerous and bringing in finally a replacement for Mikhail is just massive for them. Acey, I think his son is in the academy for Houston

and he obviously lived in Houston. He will be suspended. If he does join, are we sure? I think, no, he had two games left to his suspension. Because I believe that that just, I don't know this for a fact. And maybe we'll get clarity when it's announced. But people, so I don't know this personally, but people seem to be confident that the ban has.

There's a statute of limitations. No, that like he was suspended for the first two games of what year did he leave 24? 24. Oh, even though he wasn't on a roster in the league, those games. games were served? We'll find out. Interesting. Okay.

Oh, wait. So, Kyle Macaroni in the chat says, he missed his first three leagues game in Mexico. Is that true or was that just? I believe that. I mean, maybe it's all fuzzy. I remember seeing something like that where like the band just carried over.

I mean, in theory, those things should follow because you're supposed to not be able to like for other versions of suspensions like Pagba couldn't just go playing another league. Well, that one is different. Okay. Louis-Sloris bit a player in. the Netherlands and Liverpool signed him while he was on that suspension and he didn't carry over. Okay, well, this is something for all of us to figure out.

Really, really fun. But I think for Houston, you've got to feel good about what you're doing so far and what you're putting together. Let's go to San Diego. This is the wild one, Tom. Chikilotsano, first signing for the club, big signing, massive number, big name. And his time has come to an end with no clear resolution. Correct. Well, I think that they're trying to plan the resolution. Tyler Heaps, San Diego's CSO, was speaking to media as preseason open this weekend,

and just straight up said Chukuzano was not in the team's plans for next season, for this season, rather. So he's available. I think we thought this might be the case, given that he got suspended by the team and then wasn't starting when he was back by the end of the playoff run. And he's too marquee of it. player to have if you're not planning on starting him. The team, like, heaps in his, like, media avail is saying, you know, this is sporting reasons,

you know, I believe he said something the effective. We don't see if as a starter, which is, I don't think that's sporting reasons is kind of my point, but this is going to be difficult on the San Diego side monetarily because it was like a 12 million fee. he was the fifth highest paid player in MLS last year at around 7.5 million. If you want him, if there's interest, whether it's in Mexico or somewhere else in MLS, my opening offer would be a free transfer plus we'll cover $1.5 million of his salary and just, hey, be happy that you don't have to buy out 100% of the contract.

Like, I think that's where negotiations start if you're somebody trying to acquire him because everybody knows that you're trying to move him on, which, again, I think a lot of people figured that before Tyler Heaps came out and said that. So I don't even know if that's necessarily new, but I don't, like, they don't have a lot of leverage in this. And it's more important to just keep the team moving forward. They were awesome last year. And Lozano was good when he was on the field. He didn't play a ton of minutes because of injuries and then when things kind of blew up at the end of the season.

Mikey Varis, contract extension was announced, I believe, today or yesterday, off the success that he had last season. Listen, when Chuky signed, I thought it made sense off the field, like big name. you know, who else, if, listen, if you're going to run the Carlos Vela playbook for L.A.F.C., like, who was on that list that you could go through? Chiki was top of it. Yep. He played 1,800 minutes in MLS and had nine goals and 10 assists last year.

Yeah. Like, he wasn't bad, which is where the sporting side doesn't make sense, which is, if he ended up being a PR signing who wasn't as good on the field as you expected, that's like a best case scenario. And therefore, you could roll it forward and get the production. So it's clearly something else that. that's wrong based off what we saw in the playoffs as well. But to your point, and I think it took me a little while to understand it fully,

is for San Diego to open up the designated player spot, they either need someone to take his entire salary from them or buy him out. Those are like the two spots. So I don't think if in a scenario in which, think of, think of a Jacamo Veroni to Montreal. think of Joseph Martinez. It's probably even a better example, to Miami. He was technically bought out by Atlanta,

but they weren't buying out all of it. It was a trade and whatever's left is a buyout. That's what the scenario is. I guess for people, my point is for people to contextualize, I think this will be an issue for people. If he wanted to go to Club America and play for $20, San Diego doesn't get out of the contract because someone's got to pay him $7.5 million a year.

And so if that happens, the only way that can happen is San Diego buys him out, and then he goes in place for free. Right. He goes on a free somewhere else. And your point is, right. And your point is, as an MLS team,

you could approach and say, hey, if you want to buy out most of the contract, we could cover some of it. You'd save a little bit of money. It doesn't change anything roster rule-wise. This is money out of the owner's pocket that does or doesn't change. And San Diego saves a little bit of money, and another team might get a free shot at Chuky Lozano.

And just to clean that up just a little bit, I think it might have been a little bit of view. You're dying with me going through it. Think about, it's a transfer to another team. Then whatever money, whoever he plays for next is not paying $7.5 million per year every year. Yeah. Whatever money they're not paying, San Diego owes him. Yeah. After the transfer, they still have to pay him no matter what.

They could just not buy it out and it's just on the salary cap. So there's no point in doing that. The point is it's a transfer. but San Diego are going to be holding most of the bag on this one. And for San Diego, it's the money thing that they have to get through. It's also the DP spot then that he holds, which if they chose not to buy him out and, I don't know, loaned him or did something like that. They wouldn't open up that spot.

Now, what's interesting about that is they're not exactly a team that you look at and say, oh, they're going to use all of them. So they could choose. You don't need anybody else. Exactly. So they could choose to try something different for a year. maybe send him on loan, maybe try something and see if you could recruit some. I think your point is there's probably no world in which someone's giving him $7.5 million

per year over the next few years. So if you figure out something short term, it probably doesn't happen. We have someone in the chat saying Mexican media is connecting him to Atlanta, which I, if I recall correctly, Tata kind of iced him out of the national team. Correct. So I don't know that that would make sense. He obviously had his best days under one caller's Sorio. At the time, he came originally out of the Pachuca Academy,

sort of before him and Ace Ache, were the early ones in the reset of the way they did things. He still has name brand recognition, and you'd assume if he's fully available, a Chivas, a Monterey, a clue of America, whatever, takes risk. I don't know that any of them spent money. Do you have any MLS team in your head that you're like, oh, this is a team that would go and do this?

I was going to ask you that. I've told that there's nothing that's like tangible and it's all like super. Again, I'm not even suggesting that that land is true, but I'm just saying wherever there is the interest and stuff, there's nothing that's imminent or is even likely at this point at the beginning. But I mean, I don't know, man. Like, I think like he's, it depends on your situation.

If you have a DP spot open and you can get him on the cheap, like I'd be good with that roll of the dice. But there's Montreal's tried to do this for the last six years. Yeah. But like, I don't know, the galaxy have an open TV spot out of nowhere. That was one of the ones that popped, yeah. I mean, they make the money back selling jerseys. Yeah.

So, I mean, I think he's been, it all depends on, on, I don't have a good answer for within MLS because I think we all just assume that this ends at Chivas or Tigris or insert any of the big league of Mekis teams, but I don't know that for a fact. That's just speculation. Yeah. Somebody in the chat says Austin. Austin do have a D.P. Spot open.

Like, when I think of this stuff, I'm like, can R.S.L. get a shot at Chukki-Lotsano? They'd never get otherwise because the fee's a little bit cheaper. And like you said, Montreal's tried stuff like this. I just don't even know if Chuky's going to even open the door to be like, yeah, I'm going to come. And then if he's not, what is the situation end up being? If he's unhappy in San Diego and there's issues off the field, I can't imagine it gets any better. I would picture this as one where we will be shocked if it happens.

And if it happens, it'll be a wild move. Let's talk about some stuff that has gone down. Daniel Edelman being traded to St. Louis for roughly $700,000 in Gamm. This was the move they tried to make with Chris Durkin two years ago or last year. Like this is the guy they should have done that for at this number. Instead, they did way more for Chris Durkin who didn't fit their style. I like Edelman. even if the ceiling with him isn't super high

and it seems like where the Red Bulls landed on this is a fine number for a guy who has started every game in a season and has started in an MLS Cup and it's only 22 years old. Yeah, he was the captain of the U20 World Cup in the United States. I think he's a good player, very clearly good MLS player,

maybe that there's even more there too, but I like this pickup by St. Louis. I'm told, so it's 700,000 in game plus another 150 in add-ons. I just think it's a good, touring level player for St. Louis. And I believe this is their first major signing of the off season. So I think that helps too.

Yeah, it's starting a little slow, but a positive one to start with. There's a couple more that feel close to them. What do you want to, what do you want to hit? Let's do Louis Muriel first. I do want to get the Blackman here at some point, even though I know that that's probably five days old, just happened to happen right after her show last week. Love it.

Louis-Mariel. Very, very close to joining junior FC. So that's really positive for Orlando. It would be good for him, too, to go back to Columbia. We'd open a deep-be spot for Orlando. And I'd expect the team to use another one to use that spot rather than just left to leave it open. That's a big chip for this team to play with.

We'll talk more about it as this gets done and more about it as we learn more about where they might pivot to with that deep spot. But this is big news for Orlando. Yeah, this was the big move for them to make in this offseason. I saw they loaned out one of the U-22 guys as well, so trying to move some stuff around. And that opened a U-22 slot, yep. So to see who they can kind of lean on. We had a bit of the debate last week.

Where would you spend it? I sort of said, I'd do it out on the wing, just find depth like a Tom Barlow behind Duncan McGuire instead of spending big money. But that is off the books now because the Starboy is headed to Cincinnati. We are talking the most Midwest guy in Major League Soccer. Wisconsin's own Tom Barlow heading to Cincinnati. Huge signing for FCC. You want a Josh Sargent back of that?

You don't need it. You've got the legend himself. Let's talk about Blackman then. So right after we finish the show, I'm getting 18 messages. Tristan Blackman's headed to Miami. God damn it, we just did a whole Miami thing. I can't believe we messed that up. And then pretty quickly right after it turned out that he wasn't.

Right. So there was an erroneous report. out there that they were fine that miami was finalizing a deal to acquire trist and black set that aside what i know about the situation is they've they this was another one that's been going on for in terms of like a bid an interest they ended up with a three million dollar cash for offer to vancouver fortress and blackham vancouver don't want to lose them and CEO uh axel suester came out and put a statement out which is pretty quickly pretty loud for like they never sanctioned move forward. They want to sign him to a new contract. Now, first of all, I think that he

deserved a new contract. But second of all, you got to follow through that one at this point. So the idea that a deal was being finalized is just not true. Never was true. But the idea that Miami really wanted him is very true. I assumed that when they signed Mikhail, because I'd been aware that there was some whispers and rumblings and this might be a thing, even though Blackman wants to be in Vancouver, there was still a possibility. And I figured when Mikael got signed. Like, all right, like, that's it. I'm not here about this anymore.

And then when you saw the rumor that it was being finalized, I was like, whoa, like, what the hell? And it's just wasn't true, wasn't there. But the interest was real. The bid was real. That would have been easily the highest in league move for a centerback for defender. Again, reigning defender of the year. Really, really, really good player.

Vancouver just got to get a new contract. So he has, he's making 800,000, and he's got two years left on his deal, 27 being an option year. So the assumption is that he's going to, a new contract instead of that one to cover it. And I guess the fair belief is as a defender of the year, you pushing in towards Max Tam?

I think Miami would have done something close to that because you don't make this move without it being a new contract. I'll tell you what. But Tom, where do they get the money? I'll tell you what. If I'm Tristan Blackman, I don't show up to preseason if I don't have a new contract or if a new contract isn't close. If your CSO came out and said, we're going to sign him to a new deal,

you'd expect that deal. I hope to see Tristan Blackman in Vancouver because I just think it's been a great fit and a great spot for him. Some of the other big pieces of news it sounds like Griffin Yao is headed to New England. I don't know if that's official official or Tom official

for around 400,000. Deal's been agreed. Some needs to be finalized but of transfer fee a little bit north of 400,000 Griffin Yow product at DC United's Academy, went to Westerloo and Blossom there and now he's on the verge of coming back. So we've got Brooklyn Raines, who's been brought in. We got Ethan Kohler and now Griffin Yao, three guys who played for

Mitchovich with youth national teams. If you listen to our soccer wiser episode, this was like Doyle's big, oh, this is the zag that I would make. And so clearly everyone in New England listened to that episode, they loved it. We're finally getting Bobby back from his long sojourn vacation to the Southern Hemisphere. And we will prepare a second episode of that show. But it gives you a I'm coming on and just talking about the most anti-analytics or just spot the ball. Spot the ball, man. I'm just going to be there for the every man. You'll be the, what's the guy who coached Michigan for the one game?

What's with the cutoff shirt? Is it Biff? I think it's Biff. I think it goes by Biff. The Cleveland Brown's offensive line coach from Hard Knocks where when he would say, he was a big fat guy and when he would say, like his stomach would pop up. That will be Tom coming. That's a ball coach.

That'll be Tom coming into the show. Danny Pereira's contract extension official. Big. We talked with Brandon Vasquez a little bit. He's excited to get back on the field. He's slow rolling it. He said, you know, the expectation is back on the field in April. But if it's not right, we're not going to rush it.

I think it's an acknowledgement from everyone that the World Cup is probably out of his sights. And the key is to make sure that he's healthy and a part of the team. But he seems pretty confident in what he can do with this group. Owen Wolf and Danny Pereira were the face of that team last year. They're the best part about that group. I think Jane Nelson's a good ad. So locking in Danny Pereira is really, really big. We mentioned this with San Jose that we were going to hit.

So Cruz Medina, it sounds like, is headed on loan to Chivas' second team. Source is telling me it's a loan with option to buy to Chivas. He will likely start with the second team at the beginning to get him some minutes and see where he might stack up with the first team. But it is technically to Chivas. It is technically to Chivas. And then coming off the back of that, and Cruz Medina is one of those names. we've said a lot on this show because he is coming behind a georina of the world

was considered one of the best youth players in the country who was considered one of the best future stars um his dad posted on instagram and said even with him being a fan since birth and becoming a homegrown willing to do anything for the badge the sandals the earthquakes found away every way to kill his dream all these people they have in charge now have no clue uh no other player would feel the club like he would have but they would have never given him a chance. I would not recommend San Jose's Academy to anyone. I read this in saying it because his dad is a MLS next coach for a different club and is in the soccer scene in California. This is not just kids parent yells. This is someone who knows

the soccer sphere in North America and understands the job and what's happening. This is the frustration people are feeling with this club. And I said it for Bruce, the job is to fix the first team, the second team, then the academy. That's the flow. The second team is tied in. It's not by itself. You don't have to win MLN's next pro championship. That's not the point of what we're saying. But this is a broken system for a while. And Cruz Medina was supposed to be the start of the next error that Chris Leach had put a lot of energy while Matias Almeida was still there to refix the academy. And Cruz Medina's class was the first one. Oscar Verhoven was a part of that class as well. And they were supposed to push into the first team, change the perception

of San Jose in the region for young players to want to go there and then change the perception globally. And now you have Chance Cowell, who it sounds like is headed to R.S. I talked with Kate Cowell last week. We talked about it. And he goes, yeah, he might get a shot now. Like there has just been no opportunity and no resources put in to keep players connected to the team. And this is where you need additional assistant coaches and IDP plans. And all of that that helps players feel engaged and can. continue to get better. Part of this is on Cruz Medina. He got short opportunities and he didn't improve himself. It's not easy, but he didn't. So all of that is not on the club's fault. But the

opportunities were not massive. There was not consistency. There wasn't a clear plan. And I would have loved to see a number one prospect in the country help lead this club from we don't make the playoffs and we're not competitive a little bit forward. And it's really unfortunate that he doesn't get the opportunity. Okay. I think that's most. of it for us on this show. Brian Ramirez, sounds like signing for FC Cincinnati. I like this move.

25-year-old experienced, helped L.D. Uki-do go deep in a copa-lib, is more of a natural wingback than converting a winger to a wingback, and it feels like a good move for FC Cincinnati. Anything you want to hit before we get out? No, I think that does it. Unless you have a second salvo to the Tyler Boyd conversation

from last show. It was tough. That was a tough performance. formance from me and I take it. Huge shout to everyone in the chat hanging out. I love that we have a bunch of people in college who have classes first of the semester coming up or lunch breaks right now. And beautiful.

They like to spend their time with us. We love doing this show live. We love talking all the breaking news, especially when a Timo Verner signs and everything else like it. So thank you to all of you for listening. If you're listening to the podcast, we've got two interviews for you coming up from our media marketing tour. We talked a lot about Minnesota United with Eric Ramsey.

We talked to their centerback, Michael Boxall, about long throws their style, the season to come, as well as the chance to represent New Zealand at the World Cup. We also talked with Austin FC designated player, Brandon Vasquez, as he works his way back from the devastating injury, what he thinks could be in Austin with the talent around him, as well as the battle to rebuild himself and come back stronger than ever. Really excited for this one. One of the best seasons for Minnesota United. You've known this club. What did this year mean to you? What did it mean to the team? I think from the outset, we kind of knew what sort of identity we had coming in from the 2024 season.

So I think the first half of the season, we just took that and ran with it. I think it was fun to play with. Obviously, Tanny was probably one of the better plays in the league and really excited to watch week and week out. And I think once we let him go to Villarreal, it's just kind of, we faulted a little bit. And I think that's where we need to find our, where we need to take a step forward this season is what we do with the ball. And just be more creative and finding ways to win games. Is that in the game model or does the game model have to shift? I think it's going to have to shift a little bit.

I think we, I don't think we have to stray too far. from where we are defensively, but I think it's the players in the positions where we expect them to control the tempo of the game, that we expect them to be a bit more of a focal point for us. Your wing backs are obviously a huge part of what you do, and then you kind of dictate everything that happens out there. What's it like when you watch those guys start bombing down the sides? I think that's, I mean, that's the key to us getting out and breaking pressure.

So I think we've obviously seen the breakout season of Mark Hinesh do so well. Yeah, happy to see him really thrive in what we do. And then I think if we are able to unleash bongi a little bit more, I think he kind of played maybe within himself or maybe the system restricted him a little bit. So if we can kind of let him off the lead a little bit where just let his talents flourish, I think we, because he's exciting to watch once he's free-flowing

and kind of has to think a little bit less. So if myself at the back can kind of give him more of a platform to have the freedom to do that, then we'll be, yeah, more enjoyable to play with, and then I think for the fans, a little bit more fun to watch as well. Yeah, he's been a special player. We've seen it in bursts here and there. The other key for you, and you know the best center forwards in this league, what they do. You train against Calvin Yabois every week.

What can he be? How does he affect the game? How does he get sort of to his ceiling in MLS? I think when he came in, he was exactly what we wanted, like kind of playing on the back shoulder. So I think if we, the way we build up our play in the midfield third, if we can make that more predictable so that his runs are more clear cut. I think he's a little bit undecided in when he feels like he needs to come and help us to keep possession or does he need to be an outlet for us. So I think if we become more predictable through the midfield and have a bit more position of the ball, then that'll make his job easier.

because I think he's freakishly fast, can finish well. But I just think it's tough for any attacker if you give them the ball 30, 40 yards from goal. It's like, okay, go score a goal. It's like, that's pretty tough to do. There's maybe one player in this league that can kind of do that regularly. So if we can make it more predictable for him, then I think we, yeah, greatly increase our chances. You've sort of seen the ebbs and flows for players coming in. Pereira comes in.

It's a bit of a struggle. than year two, they find their feet. What do you as a team do to try and help those players get comfortable quicker and get to that level faster? I think so much of us into how willing the player coming in is to adapt. I think learning the language is a huge part of that. Obviously, we have a quality contingent of Spanish-speaking players

that make him feel comfortable. But obviously, the adjustment coming from Argentina is difficult. think, especially to Minnesota of all places, it's, I imagine not, not too similar to where he's from. So, yeah, it's a lot to adapt to. And, but I think he came in the beginning of this last season, hungry and ready to perform. And I think we saw so much more of what he can do. But I think he's, he's still got more he can kind of tap into for us. So you talked about getting more into the attack, getting more opportunities. The big outlet for you has been the long throw. Yeah. How long have you known you had it?

How much do you care about it? Because this is my bone to pick. Okay, okay. I mean, I've ever since probably 15, 16, and I've been able to toss it in further than the average person. But it's not something I want to be like, hey, coach, let me do this. I really want to do it.

I'm like, if it's what helps us win games, then I'm more than happy to. But I think there's some instances where it's better to just get the ball back and play and get it on the deck. But then the way we used it this last year, as well as with set pieces and corners, I think it almost became, at least to me, like a running joke.

I was like, okay, here's another goal coming up. And the ease in which Mike Enich tapped in his four-yard hitters was comical almost. Are you annoyed that you don't get to be on the other end? Because that's the funniest part about it is you would be the perfect person to be on the other end of the long throw. I mean, we tried that,

and it just wasn't as successful for some reason. But I know I'm more than happy to not be the focal point of that. But it's funny, especially in a way stadiums. When I'm trotting up to take a long throw for the fourth or fifth time, you're getting stick from the crowd. And then when one hits the back in the night, you just turn around and just like smile. And it's, yeah, it's comical. I haven't seen, do you do the towel?

Do you have a towel when you're in Minnesota? Yeah, yeah, we've done a towel. And there was, there's actually been a few occasions where the opposition and bench have like taking the towel. Like the subs will like take the towel and hide away and then

I can't remember who it was but we so they like hit the towel and then I think we scored from it and then I think I picked up the towel and like threw it at them. I was like you guys can have that I don't need that shit so. Okay well that's a great way to handle.

See here's the thing. I'm like for soccer we pay we want to watch people play great with their feet. Yeah yeah. I'm not against it being a strategy I think there should be rule. I don't even with one throwings. Let's just replay.

Yeah, yeah. Play within three yards, keep the ball on the ground, let's go and let's play. Yeah, yeah. But I don't think it's a bad thing to do that it's legal. I said that, and everyone's so mad at me.

People are so mad at me that I'm anti-long-throw. They're like, it creates more chances, it makes the game more exciting. It's like, here and there. So you're right now the leader of the long-throw community, and I'm in direct opposition

with the long-throw community. No, I mean, I... I didn't know that you were a reluctant leader. I'm not going to be like, yeah, I'm not going to have it in my, like, Instagram bio or anything, but it's, I think it's for what we needed this season. Maybe next, this season we don't use this much. But I think it's laid on in games, it has a place.

But I think you're seeing almost like 80% of the teams and the English top flight are hurling it in from any, any opportunity they get. So, I mean, I doubt that we're watching Minnesota United Games to come up with that. but um well the rumors aren't the opposite maybe i mean you never know but i mean i feel like the game has become so analytical and stat based where um i mean i grew up you just don't see

kind of players who just have a true feel for dictating the play of the game so i don't know one of my favorite players like recently or even growing up so i would love to see players like dennis burkemp or miss it ursul those are players i love to watch the most Yeah. So it's like, I just want to see those kind of, that kind of talent on the ball. And, yeah, I doubt at any point in time in Erzell's career, he flicked on a long throw. So, yeah, I mean, I love to, yeah, I'd love to watch, yeah, Prime Barcelona or some of the best teams play the best football in the world.

That's so much fun to watch, but I think sometimes winning is just as fun too. and if we have to do that through set pieces, then so be it. I think there's also, so I'm at a very, very low level, played centerback as well. And there was fun in those games, which is constant pressure. Because you guys sit in and people dump balls, and it feels like you get to be very active in a game for a centerback because the game's kind of on you a lot.

Yeah, it does feel that way, although I think for me in a back three or back five, whichever way you call it, it's, I like to be involved. So it's, and it becomes less about me versus this. number nine and it's you just can never switch off it's always about organizing the sixes and get everyone in the right position where um i've for sure had better personal seasons playing in a back four just because you're yeah it's you versus their right potentially usually their best player right usually the nines are the the highest paid best players so it's my job to shut them down

If I've done that, I've done my job more or less. And then also with the ball playing out, I feel like in the back three, it's just so much of it is just a 10-yard pass there or there where I don't mind. High completion percentage. I would hope so. Whereas in a back four, it's like you have a chance to, you have opportunities to step in, to break lines and potentially start an attack, which I enjoy doing.

but at the end of the day, it's the coach's job to think of how we play, and I have to do that as best I can. And winning, you said, is fun, and a large key to winning was Dane St. Clair. You've played with him for a while. Yeah. What's it like knowing he's leaving, the experience of him saying goodbye, and then how do you replace him? I mean, I think we, from what I remember of Drake Callender,

I think he was getting called into U.S. Mid-National Team Camp, so he's definitely got the quality, and I think just now is going to get the opportunity to truly shine with. So I think we are able to replace Dane pretty well. Obviously, Dane's, yeah, I think I feel like enough's been said about Dane. He's got all his accolades, and I think he's... He'll say a little bit, too. Oh, so yeah.

And I think he likes the spotlight. He enjoys the pressure. He enjoys the eyes on him, so he'll have a great time in Miami, I'm sure. But yeah, replacing him, you're never going to replace that and what he brought. But I think if we can be as defensively sound as we were and kind of limit the – I don't think there were too many games where our goalkeeper had a ton of high-quality chances to save to keep us in games. And that was just a product of how we defended. So I think if we can give Drake the same support that we gave Dane,

then he'll be good for us and important for us. What does Minnesota mean to you? I mean, for me, it's where my son was born. I think coming in when we're playing at the University of Minnesota Stadium, and I remember my first like two or three months there where we weren't great. We weren't that great. But we can week out. The Minnesota fans were like showing up.

It's like pretty much selling out that lower bowl every single time. So I think when you get that kind of unconditional support, it feels pretty special. So I think now it's at the point where I'm like, I want to reward that like so badly. And so yeah, I think we've taken steps forward the last couple years. This year is going to be another tough one where, yeah, we need to add some. a few things to our arsenal to truly compete with the top teams in our league. But I think most of what we have in the building will get us there and just need a couple more pieces, I think. For you, it feels like it's a special relationship with Minnesota and the ability represent it.

And now you have a World Cup coming. Yeah. And a World Cup coming here. And with your country, what does it mean to be a part of that? I feel like getting to the World Cup has been... why I've been playing with the national team. Obviously, I made my debut 2011.

2010 was the last time there at the World Cup. So I was like, obviously, probably wasn't even a thought on that squad being in college, but watching those guys and then playing with them the next year, all I ever wanted with the National Team was to get back to the World Cup and obviously

lost playoffs against Peru, Costa Rica. Obviously, with the expanded World Cup, it should have been almost a certainty for us to get there and we have. So now it's just not about getting there. It's about help because we've got so many young talented players on that team that have kind of just getting foothold to the game and have bright futures ahead of them where if I can kind of help them thrive and get the best out of them, then I think we have a chance to get up our group. But yeah,

to do it in a country where I've spent probably over high. half of my adult life. It's going to be pretty special. Friends and family here. Made a lot of friends and family in the U.S., so to be able to do it closer to them will be pretty cool. I know, obviously, names you know, the Ryan Nelson's assignment, L.A. too. They used college like you did to get out. And now, you know, for us, we've been doing our research and putting out episodes about every country, talking about 17-year-olds who are making A-League debuts. It feels like there's a new style of player coming from New Zealand, a new generation that like you said, is about to get platformed at a really big level.

Yeah, absolutely. I think the way, as I mentioned before, about how football has become statistical and analytic, that you're finding the top European clubs aren't just going to Bok or River Plate or Lisbon to pick their players. It's, no, it doesn't matter where you come from anymore. So I like the Wellington Phoenix sold a player to Bayern Munich a few years ago. you're getting

um yeah Copenhagen are plucking new zealanders for yeah to play for their first team and it's like back when i was playing it yeah i i mean i was probably just a bad footballer back then so those opportunities didn't didn't um went around for me so to see young new zealanders getting that chance is is pretty awesome to see uh do you have a favorite world cup moment as a fan is it 2010 i think it's yeah for me 2010 as a New Zealander, that's got to be the best moment for me, for them to... The draw against Italy?

Yeah. I think finishing their World Cup unbeaten was... Like, it's a cool thing to say, but I would have liked to have seen them kind of go after it against Paraguay to... I think getting out of the group is probably a bigger feather in the cap than being unbeaten. Yeah, for New Zealand, that would be the biggest one. And then I think the 98 in 2002 was the first two World Cups where I was like... getting into football and truly, truly, like, love the game.

And O2, kind of your time zone, a little bit easier to watch. Yeah, exactly. Naldo at his peak, well, we'll be exciting to watch at this World Cup. We're looking forward to congratulations. Thank you. And I can't wait to watch you all season. Appreciate it, man. A less long throws.

I'm just kidding. I'll throw a few quick ones in short and then whip one in. Perfect. Just for you. Love it. Thank you. Well, awesome time chatting there with Michael Boxall. Let's go now to our interview with Brandon Vasquez of Austin.

an FC. Brenna Baskas here, obviously the big story we got to talk about, didn't finish the year on the field, unfortunately. Yeah. Where do you stand right now? How do you feel? What's the last few months been like? I think I saw you at All-Star and it was weirdest time, I think, for you to be injured.

For sure. I mean, to get injured like a week before the All-Star game is, it sucks. But, you know, it is what it is. It's one of those, like, curve balls that life throws at you and you just have to deal with it. You know, I think, I believe. even that saying that life is 10% what happens to you and 90% of how you react. So this past couple of months I've just been grinding, you know.

I've just been at the training facility. Didn't really have an offseason because I was just rehabbing the whole time, you know, trying to get back as fast as possible, but also as healthy as possible. So, yeah, man, I've been in the gym working with the trainers. These physios have been with me the whole offseason. That's the family Christmas dinner with the physios? Pretty much, pretty much. We went to L.A. a couple days ago to go see Dr. Mandelbaum, the surgeon who did my surgery.

And testing is perfect. I'm coming along really well and right where I'm supposed to be. So, yeah, good. People can't see because it's on here. Is the goatee, the mustache, the hair? Is that part of the rehab experience? Yeah, you know, I've always wanted to grow my hair, but it was always annoying me during training.

And I thought if there's any time to grow my hair long, it's going to be right now. I don't have to be in front of cameras. There's the 90%. It's the 10% that happens, the 90% you handle. Is there anyone you've leaned on? Is there anyone who reached out during this process that you've talked to that's kind of guided you through it?

Dude, everyone, man, around the league, Pariola, Jordan Morris. You know, those are the guys I was closest with on, like, national team that reached out and like they've both been there yeah talk to matt miasga and nick haggling they've had um season ending injuries and those are one of my closest friends as well so um you have had so many so many other players reach out and like give words of positivity and advice and you know it's it's helped a ton so big shout out to those guys and i think for for us from the outside on the field i think i know i was saying a lot felt like you were the going to be the linchpin to a lot of what was supposed to work.

How hard was it to watch over the course of the season? Of course, man. Watching these games and not being able to contribute or watching a perfect cross-going that would have been perfect for me and it's just like, oh, it like tugs at my heart a little bit, you know? But, you know, like I said, I think it's just trying to view the situation

and the best life possible just so that like mentally it's like I don't have to like wear this like heavy vest on me all the time you know it just is what it is and I took the bright side out of it got to spend a lot more time at home with my family and with my son watching him like grow up every single day closely it's like it's been that that part's been a blessing center forward coming maybe he's a lefty too so you know he's going to have to be special

yeah exactly could be special or you could go Brandon Aubrey round just make him a kicker He's not even two years old, and he's, like, dribbling the ball. He's, like, kicking. Yeah, so I think naturally he has it in him. Okay, I love to hear that. Yeah. I think one of the things that I was looking forward to seeing, I'm curious what you got from the time you played with him,

but more being around, the way you and Muratou Zuni can connect. Because we saw with Brenner, you took a lot of responsibility dropping deep and creating, even though you can be that center forward. Is that a similar role that you think you'll fill there? Yeah, you know, when I first signed to Austin, And that's the exact thing that Austin told me. They were going to use me as like a holdup striker and that Myrtle is going to come in and that he's good with his pace and finding the spaces in behind.

So we're kind of like figuring that out still. Obviously, I haven't had the last six months to work with him. But I think working on those strengths with each other is really important. And then the big news coming out of Austin Owen Wolf's contract. What have you seen from him in the small time you've been with him and what makes him so special? He's an absolute baller. He's a very special player, obviously. Everyone knows that.

But, yeah, I mean, I love playing with him. He's a good player to connect with. He's very creative and finding the spaces to receive and turn and find balls in behind. So it's fun to play with him. And being, even though he didn't get to play with full year, being an MLS but not being with Cincinnati? What was that experience like? Yeah, that felt weird because I was there for so long, you know? It felt like weird being back and then going to Cincinnati.

to play them in a different jersey you know it it's uh it's all love with them man you know i have so many special memories with them i have a special place in my heart for them but uh yeah um austin's been absolutely unbelievable with me um the fans the the team you know they treat me so well they've welcomed me i really do feel like family in austin um and uh obviously the city's unbelievable so there's so much to do um it's a great great city to be in There's no water, but does it feel more like home for you? I mean, there's several lakes. Yeah, there's a lot of lakes.

Yeah, they're pretty nice. Yeah, West Austin is full of lakes and rivers and hill country and wineries. And there's a lot to do in Austin, man. It's a great, great city. So I've been enjoying every second there. And as this year comes up, how do you sort of mentally put yourself in a place of what you want to accomplish in 2026 and how you go about it? Yeah, you know, um, I, I just want to be back as healthy as possible,

but also I know with the World Cup around the corner that I have to, if I want to give myself the best opportunity possible, that I have to, like, come back flying, you know. So I've been working really, really hard in rehab to try to be as strong as possible. And just now that I'm on the field, sharpening up those details so that when I'm back, I can be as lethal as I can. It feels like your team is setting up for you.

Just for Salas comes into. Jay Nelson comes in, it feels like the pieces are coming together to fit around what you do best. Yeah. Yeah, I'm excited for those players that come in. I think they're going to help the team an unbelievable amount. I think they're going to be perfect pieces for us and they're going to help us get a lot of success. So having them on the field, I think it's going to be crucial for us. What should the goals be for Austin this year as a team?

To do better than we did last year. I think we have another tournament to play in. I think we just have to be a winning team, you know, keep out. adding those three points, I think a lot of times last year. We drew games that we were supposed to win. So I think just being able to hold on to scores a little bit better towards the end of the game and close games out and just, yeah, be a dangerous team. I think that's the Austin that we know we can be and that we know the fans want us to be. One of the things that's interesting about this team is the core feels very young. you are going to be a leader in that.

What are you like as a leader? Yeah, you know, it's an interesting spot because I've always been one of the younger ones. Right. All of a sudden before I know it, now I'm like one of the older ones. And it's great. You know, I know a lot of the younger guys look up to me. So I like being an example on the field, outside of the field, trying to motivate players the best way I can

and show them what discipline it takes to be a successful player on a successful team. I've been on several winning teams, so I know what it takes to be a championship team and it's not easy. You need everybody to be fully on board with that. So, yeah, I'm just trying to be an example for other players around me.

You've seen Atlanta, you've seen Cincinnati, obviously in Mexico big clubs. Where does Austin sit in these normal? American clubs. What is the ethos of this club? Where does it sit in sort of that pantheon? It has so much potential, man, so much potential. We have everything. We have the city. We have the fans. We have the stadium, the training ground, the team. Just we have everything to be a championship team. And I truly believe that if, like, this group of players that we have completely locks in this year, we can do that. Before you play, you're going to cut the hair?

You know, I've enjoyed it. My wife likes the long hair. That's all you need. You know, I might have to just learn how to be using a headband on the field. And we'll see. We'll see. When I'm back playing, if it really annoys me, it might be chopped off. Everyone listening to this will be excited for the unveil,

because it's a bit of a mystery right now. Voice only. I appreciate you taking the time to join us. Can't wait to see you back on the field. And always the pleasure. Thanks, man. Pleasure is mine. Thank you.

That's all for our interviews. In this one, we've got plenty more to roll out. We're going to have more shows for you coming up. We're also going to add in those interviews as things go along. We've got our season previews still to come as well. So thank you once again to all of you for listening. And we'll talk to you again very, very soon.