WEBVTT - Lance with Kyle Smith 1-12-26

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<v Speaker 1>Six thirty seven, seven hundred wlw RNL Carrier Sports Talk

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<v Speaker 1>presented by Kelsey Chevallet Am Lance McAllister. Thanks for hanging out.

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<v Speaker 1>Let's talk some soccer. FC Cincinnati players report to camp

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<v Speaker 1>this week. On hand will be a new edition with

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<v Speaker 1>local ties. A cool story full circle story. Thirty three

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<v Speaker 1>year old defender Kyle Smith was the two thousand and

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<v Speaker 1>nine GCL South Player of the Year at LaSalle High School.

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<v Speaker 1>His journey includes three seasons with Louisville City FC and

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<v Speaker 1>the USL, the past seven seasons in MLS with Orlando

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<v Speaker 1>City SC, and now with the Orange and Blue. What

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<v Speaker 1>a treat pleasure to welcome in Kyle Smith. Kyle Lance McAllister,

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<v Speaker 1>how are you?

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<v Speaker 2>I'm doing well? How are you doing?

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<v Speaker 3>I'm fantastic. Welcome home.

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<v Speaker 1>I mean, how exciting it must be to now be

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<v Speaker 1>looking forward to playing in front of family and friends.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, it's very exciting. Honestly, I can't wait to get

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<v Speaker 2>in TQL Stadium and start playing.

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<v Speaker 1>Do I understand this correctly? Your parents have to be excited.

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<v Speaker 1>They've been season ticket holders of FC Cincinnati, Is that right.

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<v Speaker 2>Yes, they have. They've been seasoned ticket holders. I think

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<v Speaker 2>since the MLS since FC Cincinnati started in the MLS,

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<v Speaker 2>so quite a while.

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<v Speaker 1>Man, oh man, So let's backtrack a little bit. Man,

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<v Speaker 1>let listeners know about some of these background. After you

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<v Speaker 1>graduated from Transylvania University, and I understand you were working

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<v Speaker 1>in accounting and you were playing amateur soccer with the

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<v Speaker 1>Cincinnati Dutch Lions, tell me about that time.

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<v Speaker 3>In your life.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah. So when I graduated, I moved back home and

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<v Speaker 2>then I got a job with the University of Cincinnati

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<v Speaker 2>at the College of Medicine, working in accounting. So you know,

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<v Speaker 2>I did that for about two years while I was

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<v Speaker 2>trying to break it in, break into professional soccer. And

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<v Speaker 2>like you said, I played for the Cincinnia Dutch Lions,

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<v Speaker 2>and then I started doing like open tryouts and I

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<v Speaker 2>thankfully made Louisville City, So I got an opportunity and

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<v Speaker 2>got my foot in the door with that cole.

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<v Speaker 1>Just so fans understand when when you're going to these tryouts,

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<v Speaker 1>you're paying at these tryouts and you're you're one of

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<v Speaker 1>a gazillion trying to stand out.

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<v Speaker 3>That explain that situation.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, honestly, it's kind of like American Idol, Like anybody

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<v Speaker 2>can show up, so you got some people that are

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<v Speaker 2>good and some people that are not so good. But

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<v Speaker 2>it's it's difficult to you know, stand out because there's

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<v Speaker 2>so many people. So I went in with you know,

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<v Speaker 2>a particular strategy of just you know, trying to score

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<v Speaker 2>as many goals as possible, and you know, it helped

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<v Speaker 2>me stand out. So I think that's why I got

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<v Speaker 2>the opportunity.

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<v Speaker 1>I was reading an excellent story that Carter Chapley wrote

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<v Speaker 1>about you for Fccincinnati Dot Comedy and he mentioned you

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<v Speaker 1>back in the inaugural season of FC Cincinnati in twenty sixteen,

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<v Speaker 1>you had tried out for the Orange and Blue.

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<v Speaker 3>Is that right?

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah. I was an open try out again, so you know,

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<v Speaker 2>like anybody can come, and there were hundreds of people there, so, uh,

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<v Speaker 2>you know, I didn't make it, and I didn't get

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<v Speaker 2>the opportun counity with FC Cincinnati, but I went to

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<v Speaker 2>Louisville City as well and did the same thing and

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<v Speaker 2>they gave me, you know, an invite te tryout where

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<v Speaker 2>there was about only twenty kids there, and then I

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<v Speaker 2>got invited. I was one of like three guys to

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<v Speaker 2>get invited to preseason with them, and then we went

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<v Speaker 2>to IMG Academy in Florida, and then I got two

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<v Speaker 2>weeks to try out, and then they offered me a

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<v Speaker 2>contract after those two weeks.

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<v Speaker 3>Unbelievable. What a cool story.

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<v Speaker 1>Kyle Smith checking in tonight and new is remember the

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<v Speaker 1>Orange and Blue FC Cincinnati camp opening this week. So

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<v Speaker 1>you've been aware obviously and following long since the first

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<v Speaker 1>season of the Orange Blue. Just give us your impressions

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<v Speaker 1>of FC Cincinnati, what they've built and what they've become.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah. I feel like they've the past a few years here,

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<v Speaker 2>they've definitely, you know, raised the standards in the MLS.

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<v Speaker 2>They've been consistently at the top of the table, and

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<v Speaker 2>that was a big reason why I wanted to come

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<v Speaker 2>play here, because of the winning culture that they had created. So,

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<v Speaker 2>you know, I'm super excited for this season and I

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<v Speaker 2>really can't wait to get start are with them.

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<v Speaker 1>So how take me through this offseason? How did how

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<v Speaker 1>did the whole FC Cincinnati opportunity turn out to be

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<v Speaker 1>a thing, and and now you've put pen to paper,

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<v Speaker 1>how did it come about?

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, so they contacted my agent and uh, at the time,

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<v Speaker 2>I was in negotiations with Orlando, my old team. UH,

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<v Speaker 2>and you know, once I heard that Cincinnati was interested,

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<v Speaker 2>I you know, kind of shifted gears and definitely wanted

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<v Speaker 2>to pursue that opportunity to come home and you know,

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<v Speaker 2>play for such a great club and in a great

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<v Speaker 2>city where I'm from. So I, you know, jumped on

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<v Speaker 2>that opportunity.

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<v Speaker 1>Kyle, tell FC Cincinnati fans who are listening right now,

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<v Speaker 1>what the type of player you are, what you think

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<v Speaker 1>you do well, and how you envision your role here.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah. So with my old team, I was kind of

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<v Speaker 2>like a Swiss army knife. I play multiple positions, and

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<v Speaker 2>I think that's kind of, you know, my role that

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<v Speaker 2>I'll have here as well, and you know, just kind

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<v Speaker 2>of step up whenever I needed when my when my

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<v Speaker 2>numbers called, and I you know, work hard on the field.

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<v Speaker 2>I'm a defender and but I can also play in

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<v Speaker 2>the midfield, so I I try to keep it simple

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<v Speaker 2>and then you know, just I uh, I think I'm

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<v Speaker 2>a player that has good spatial awareness on the field.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah.

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<v Speaker 1>Do you do you know any of your new teammates

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<v Speaker 1>from from previous playing days?

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, so Nick Haglin and I played against him for

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<v Speaker 2>you know, since we were like eleven years old. Yeah,

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<v Speaker 2>and then he guests played for my team one year,

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<v Speaker 2>and he was actually showing me some pictures today of him. Yeah,

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<v Speaker 2>guests playing when we were probably like twelve thirteen years old.

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<v Speaker 1>I I always say I I enjoyed talking with Pat

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<v Speaker 1>Noonan when he's on the show with me, and I

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<v Speaker 1>always said I thought, if I were a player, I'd

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<v Speaker 1>love to play for Pat Noonan. Give me your early

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<v Speaker 1>impressions of him and what you've heard about Pat Noonan.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, I would say he has very high standards and

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<v Speaker 2>he's a coach that wants us to you know, work

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<v Speaker 2>hard and come in every day and you know, keep

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<v Speaker 2>raising the standard and and building the winning culture that

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<v Speaker 2>they've already you know, kind of established. So my first

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<v Speaker 2>impressions are, you know, he seems like a great guy

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<v Speaker 2>and a great coach, and I'm very excited to get

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<v Speaker 2>to play for him.

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<v Speaker 1>Take me back to two thousand and nine, a while ago.

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<v Speaker 1>You're the GEO GCL South player of the aar at

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<v Speaker 1>Lasal High School. What are your memories of your playing

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<v Speaker 1>days at LaSalle High School.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah. I had a great time at LaSalle High School.

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<v Speaker 2>It was a great school. I think they you know,

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<v Speaker 2>helped me improve as a as a person and.

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<v Speaker 3>As a player a lot.

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<v Speaker 2>So I'm very thankful and grateful that I chose to

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<v Speaker 2>go there for my high school. So yeah, I think

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<v Speaker 2>it's a great school for anyone to go.

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<v Speaker 1>To, you know, as the hometown kid. And coming back,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, everybody's gonna come out of the woodwork. They're

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<v Speaker 1>going to have tike request. Are you ready for this?

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah? I think so, but I have you know, I

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<v Speaker 2>have a lot of family here, so you know, they

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<v Speaker 2>get first DIBs on the tickets. But I think I'm ready.

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<v Speaker 3>Good.

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<v Speaker 1>Hey, uh, I know it's been a whirlwind and I

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<v Speaker 1>know you've got a busy week ahead. Thank you for

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<v Speaker 1>making time tonight. Congratulations. I'm really happy for and I

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<v Speaker 1>hope we can talk again during the season.

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<v Speaker 2>All right, thank you very much.

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<v Speaker 3>All Right, take care, Kyle, all right, take care. There

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<v Speaker 3>you go.

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<v Speaker 1>Kyle Smith, thirty three years old defender FC Cincinnati from

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<v Speaker 1>from LaSalle to an open tryout to getting an opportunity

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<v Speaker 1>with Louisville City FC in the USL and try I mean,

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<v Speaker 1>think of it. You're you're trying out for FC Cincinnati

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<v Speaker 1>back in the the inaugural season as well, and then

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<v Speaker 1>seven seasons in MLS, And now the next chapter becomes

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<v Speaker 1>a chance to come home.

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<v Speaker 3>That is really cool.