1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:02,719 Speaker 1: There is a lot going on here at Oakley Greens, 2 00:00:03,160 --> 00:00:07,440 Speaker 1: by the way, awesome place on Saturday evening to watch 3 00:00:07,560 --> 00:00:13,520 Speaker 1: FC Cincinnati versus Columbus Game three, the final game. FC 4 00:00:13,640 --> 00:00:17,919 Speaker 1: Cincinnati could not close out Columbus in Game two on 5 00:00:18,040 --> 00:00:22,239 Speaker 1: Sunday night, so pivotal decisive Game three, six o'clock is 6 00:00:22,520 --> 00:00:25,240 Speaker 1: your kick. You can watch it here on MLS Season 7 00:00:25,320 --> 00:00:27,840 Speaker 1: Pass on Apple TV. You can watch it at home 8 00:00:27,880 --> 00:00:30,880 Speaker 1: on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV. And what a 9 00:00:30,920 --> 00:00:35,040 Speaker 1: great Saturday of MLS soccer. You're gonna have FC Cincinnati 10 00:00:35,040 --> 00:00:38,000 Speaker 1: and Columbus and if the Orange and Blue win, they're 11 00:00:38,000 --> 00:00:40,599 Speaker 1: gonna take on either Miami or Nashville. That series has 12 00:00:40,640 --> 00:00:44,000 Speaker 1: gone to a Game three that immediately follows the hell 13 00:00:44,120 --> 00:00:46,479 Speaker 1: is Real tilt. So mL Season Pass is gonna be 14 00:00:46,560 --> 00:00:50,040 Speaker 1: very busy Apple TV. The great Sasha question kind enough 15 00:00:50,080 --> 00:00:51,800 Speaker 1: to join us to talk about the series. Sasha, it's 16 00:00:51,800 --> 00:00:52,720 Speaker 1: good to have you. How are you? 17 00:00:53,920 --> 00:00:55,240 Speaker 2: And I'm good? How you guys doing? 18 00:00:55,520 --> 00:00:59,280 Speaker 1: We are well? So FC Cincinnati kind of came on 19 00:00:59,360 --> 00:01:03,040 Speaker 1: glued on Sunday, and I think if that's a game 20 00:01:03,080 --> 00:01:05,560 Speaker 1: in June, you can do what Pat Noonan said and 21 00:01:05,680 --> 00:01:08,280 Speaker 1: just kind of forget it right Burn the tape. How 22 00:01:08,400 --> 00:01:11,520 Speaker 1: much more concerning was that performance given the stakes of 23 00:01:11,560 --> 00:01:11,920 Speaker 1: the game. 24 00:01:13,760 --> 00:01:17,440 Speaker 2: Yeah, it was concerning. I think that Columbus came out 25 00:01:17,440 --> 00:01:19,759 Speaker 2: and played the game like it could be the last 26 00:01:19,800 --> 00:01:22,720 Speaker 2: game of their season, and they fought hard and Cincinnati 27 00:01:22,760 --> 00:01:25,920 Speaker 2: didn't match that intensity whatsoever, and so they were sent, 28 00:01:27,280 --> 00:01:30,959 Speaker 2: you know, they were sent, you know, to the showers, 29 00:01:31,360 --> 00:01:33,960 Speaker 2: I think, with a disgusted taste in their mouth after 30 00:01:34,000 --> 00:01:36,800 Speaker 2: the game. And I do kind of agree with Pat 31 00:01:36,800 --> 00:01:39,000 Speaker 2: Noonon that you just burn the tape and you say, hey, guys, 32 00:01:39,080 --> 00:01:41,160 Speaker 2: listen to tow or die time. Now. The mentality has 33 00:01:41,160 --> 00:01:42,959 Speaker 2: got to be better. But also if you just look 34 00:01:43,080 --> 00:01:45,440 Speaker 2: up and down the pitch, I don't think anybody on 35 00:01:45,480 --> 00:01:47,920 Speaker 2: Cincinnati can say that they gave everything they had in 36 00:01:47,960 --> 00:01:50,160 Speaker 2: that game and that they played up to their usual level. 37 00:01:50,560 --> 00:01:53,840 Speaker 1: Yeah. I guess that was my takeaway, right. Columbus played 38 00:01:53,880 --> 00:01:58,040 Speaker 1: desperate FC Cincinnati the exact opposite of desperate, which, like 39 00:01:58,120 --> 00:01:59,920 Speaker 1: I get it, they had the breathing room of having 40 00:02:00,040 --> 00:02:02,520 Speaker 1: a one game to none lead, But this is the playoffs. 41 00:02:02,600 --> 00:02:06,000 Speaker 1: It's a rival. This troupe between these two teams is 42 00:02:06,040 --> 00:02:10,400 Speaker 1: often not tilted in FC Cincinnati's direction. In games like this, 43 00:02:11,200 --> 00:02:13,840 Speaker 1: I walked away disappointed from just how it looked. If 44 00:02:13,840 --> 00:02:15,800 Speaker 1: you compare the two teams on Sunday. 45 00:02:16,520 --> 00:02:21,359 Speaker 2: Well, I think every FC Cincinnati fans should be pretty 46 00:02:21,440 --> 00:02:23,760 Speaker 2: upset and pretty disgusted with the effort. 47 00:02:23,800 --> 00:02:23,960 Speaker 1: You know. 48 00:02:24,000 --> 00:02:26,200 Speaker 2: Obviously, I think when they come back home and play 49 00:02:26,240 --> 00:02:28,519 Speaker 2: at TQL Stadium, the fans are going to be behind 50 00:02:28,520 --> 00:02:30,960 Speaker 2: the team and they're they're gonna be that twelfth man. 51 00:02:31,000 --> 00:02:33,000 Speaker 2: They're gonna be loud, they're gonna be supportive, and I 52 00:02:33,000 --> 00:02:35,560 Speaker 2: think the Cincinnati players will thrive off of that. But 53 00:02:36,120 --> 00:02:38,600 Speaker 2: there were just a lot of performances up and down 54 00:02:38,600 --> 00:02:41,399 Speaker 2: the starting eleven that you can just say that's nowhere 55 00:02:41,480 --> 00:02:44,360 Speaker 2: near good enough in a game where you can eliminate 56 00:02:44,400 --> 00:02:48,760 Speaker 2: your biggest opponent, your biggest rival in state Darby, and 57 00:02:48,800 --> 00:02:50,480 Speaker 2: it just was not good enough at all. 58 00:02:50,840 --> 00:02:53,840 Speaker 1: And it was glaring to me because I thought in 59 00:02:53,919 --> 00:02:56,920 Speaker 1: Game one, while it was just a one goal game, 60 00:02:57,000 --> 00:02:59,520 Speaker 1: they were in control. You know, clubs didn't possess the 61 00:02:59,520 --> 00:03:02,400 Speaker 1: ball as often as they do. FC Cincinnati didn't feel 62 00:03:02,440 --> 00:03:05,320 Speaker 1: like it was helter skelter those final twenty twenty five 63 00:03:05,360 --> 00:03:08,120 Speaker 1: minutes once they took the lead, And so the performance 64 00:03:08,160 --> 00:03:10,640 Speaker 1: on Sunday was sobering on a number of levels. I 65 00:03:10,639 --> 00:03:13,559 Speaker 1: guess the comparison to Game one being one of them. Tactically, 66 00:03:13,840 --> 00:03:15,880 Speaker 1: is there an adjustment you'd like to see pad Noon in. 67 00:03:15,919 --> 00:03:20,040 Speaker 2: Make No, I don't think it's tactical. I think it's 68 00:03:20,040 --> 00:03:22,840 Speaker 2: going to end up being personnel decisions for him. Obviously, 69 00:03:22,960 --> 00:03:25,720 Speaker 2: Kubo is now suspended, So who plays on the left? 70 00:03:26,080 --> 00:03:28,160 Speaker 2: You know, does he go with Engle, who's a little 71 00:03:28,160 --> 00:03:30,280 Speaker 2: bit more safe, or does he go with Orishano, who's 72 00:03:30,280 --> 00:03:33,360 Speaker 2: a little bit more attacking and gives you a little 73 00:03:33,400 --> 00:03:36,240 Speaker 2: bit more talent on the field. Alvis Powell started in 74 00:03:36,280 --> 00:03:38,240 Speaker 2: that game. I don't think we see him start again. 75 00:03:38,320 --> 00:03:41,000 Speaker 2: He was not very good. So if Hagland is healthy, 76 00:03:41,520 --> 00:03:43,920 Speaker 2: I would put him straight back into the lineup. Otherwise 77 00:03:43,920 --> 00:03:45,880 Speaker 2: then he's got another decision to make as to who 78 00:03:45,920 --> 00:03:50,760 Speaker 2: plays as his third center back. If Wobado is healthy 79 00:03:50,800 --> 00:03:52,880 Speaker 2: and you think you can get seventy minutes out of it, 80 00:03:53,240 --> 00:03:55,760 Speaker 2: does he go back into the lineup. So Pat Newton's 81 00:03:55,760 --> 00:03:58,560 Speaker 2: got some big decisions to make personnel livese But tactically no, 82 00:03:58,720 --> 00:04:00,680 Speaker 2: I think in Game one they play very good. They 83 00:04:00,680 --> 00:04:03,280 Speaker 2: were totally in control. Like you said, they probably should 84 00:04:03,320 --> 00:04:05,400 Speaker 2: have scored two or three more goals in that game, 85 00:04:05,440 --> 00:04:07,440 Speaker 2: but they never really seemed threatened. 86 00:04:09,160 --> 00:04:11,560 Speaker 1: The East, we have three series coming down to a 87 00:04:11,640 --> 00:04:15,480 Speaker 1: game three, beyond Philadelphia closing out Chicago into how do 88 00:04:15,520 --> 00:04:17,920 Speaker 1: you handicap the remaining two series in the East beyond 89 00:04:18,040 --> 00:04:19,839 Speaker 1: FC Cincinnati and Columbus. 90 00:04:20,839 --> 00:04:23,960 Speaker 2: So Inter Miami. I thought going into this series against 91 00:04:24,000 --> 00:04:25,760 Speaker 2: Nashville they would have wiped the floor with them, But 92 00:04:25,800 --> 00:04:29,200 Speaker 2: then Nashville played very good in Game two, also played 93 00:04:29,200 --> 00:04:31,880 Speaker 2: with a great mentality, a bunch of fire playing at home, 94 00:04:31,920 --> 00:04:34,120 Speaker 2: you know, behind their home fans, and they got themselves 95 00:04:34,120 --> 00:04:36,640 Speaker 2: back into it. So I know now going into Game three, 96 00:04:36,680 --> 00:04:38,640 Speaker 2: I think Miami is going to have some doubt creeping 97 00:04:38,680 --> 00:04:40,360 Speaker 2: into their minds. They're going to think back to the 98 00:04:40,440 --> 00:04:43,200 Speaker 2: last season when they got eliminated by Atlanta in this 99 00:04:43,279 --> 00:04:45,599 Speaker 2: same round in a big upset, So that one's going 100 00:04:45,640 --> 00:04:47,839 Speaker 2: to be close, But I do think that Inter Miami 101 00:04:47,920 --> 00:04:50,520 Speaker 2: is going to prevail. Then we've got Charlotte against New 102 00:04:50,640 --> 00:04:52,960 Speaker 2: York City, which is a tough one to handicap because 103 00:04:53,000 --> 00:04:55,440 Speaker 2: this game is the series has been so tight. They've 104 00:04:55,440 --> 00:04:57,600 Speaker 2: played one hundred and eighty minutes and scored one goal. 105 00:04:58,120 --> 00:05:01,120 Speaker 2: It may come down to just a difference maker. And 106 00:05:01,760 --> 00:05:04,679 Speaker 2: it's hard to bet against Charlotte FC at home this season. 107 00:05:04,760 --> 00:05:07,560 Speaker 2: They've been so good now that Wilfrid Zaha is back, 108 00:05:07,600 --> 00:05:08,960 Speaker 2: I give the edge to Charlotte. 109 00:05:09,160 --> 00:05:13,240 Speaker 1: You've got three game threes on Saturday, a game three 110 00:05:13,440 --> 00:05:16,279 Speaker 1: on Friday, another one on Sunday. It's going to be 111 00:05:16,320 --> 00:05:19,760 Speaker 1: an extraordinarily exciting weekend. Certainly a lot of fun down 112 00:05:19,800 --> 00:05:23,560 Speaker 1: at TQL Stadium MC Cincinnati and Columbus. That game starts 113 00:05:23,560 --> 00:05:26,880 Speaker 1: at six o'clock. All the playoff coverage all weekend long 114 00:05:27,040 --> 00:05:30,400 Speaker 1: MLS season pass, Apple TV. Sasha, we appreciate the time, man, 115 00:05:30,440 --> 00:05:31,280 Speaker 1: Thanks so much. 116 00:05:32,120 --> 00:05:33,640 Speaker 2: Thanks so much. Talk to you guys soon.