WEBVTT - 10-21-25 Lance with Chris Albright

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<v Speaker 1>Still Amander takes a left footage shot.

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<v Speaker 2>That's seek.

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<v Speaker 1>He's been the best on the pitch off season and

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<v Speaker 1>the next clamation point on the regular season for the

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<v Speaker 1>Brazilian All right, let's talk MLS Cup playoffs. Buckle up,

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<v Speaker 1>it'll be hell is Real in a best of three series.

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<v Speaker 1>Two seed FC Cincinnati will take on seven seed Columbus.

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<v Speaker 1>The Orange and Blue will have home field advantage, hosting

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<v Speaker 1>game one next Monday, kickoff schedule for six forty five

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<v Speaker 1>from TQL Stadium. For more on that, let's go straight

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<v Speaker 1>to the source, the general manager of the Orange and Blue.

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<v Speaker 1>That would be Chris Albright. Chris Lance McAllister, how are you.

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<v Speaker 3>I'm doing great, Lass, Thanks for having me on.

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<v Speaker 1>It is great hearing your voice. Congratulations you guys finish

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<v Speaker 1>off the regular season with a three goal victory on Saturday,

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<v Speaker 1>a five game unbeaten streak. How do you feel this

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<v Speaker 1>club is positioned heading into the playoffs?

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<v Speaker 2>Position well, I think we have positive momentum, really strong

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<v Speaker 2>season to finish only a point out of the Supporter Shield,

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<v Speaker 2>you know, one of the major trophies in our sport.

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<v Speaker 2>Really proud of the job the players and the coaches

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<v Speaker 2>did to position us to you know, potentially only have

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<v Speaker 2>to go to Philadelphia if we have to leave TQL

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<v Speaker 2>Stadium on the road time LS Cup. So great opportunity,

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<v Speaker 2>ahead of the ahead of the club, and I think

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<v Speaker 2>everybody understands that.

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<v Speaker 1>Fourth straight playoff appearance, twenty wins for the second time

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<v Speaker 1>in three years. Man the journey included injuries, in additions

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<v Speaker 1>and international call ups and more injuries. This club navigated

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<v Speaker 1>a lot. How big was the depth you built up

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<v Speaker 1>along the way.

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<v Speaker 2>I got a great team behind me when we talk

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<v Speaker 2>about player identification, scouting, recruiting. This is the deepest group

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<v Speaker 2>I think we've had since I've been here in Cincinnati,

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<v Speaker 2>one of the deeper groups that I've you know, my

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<v Speaker 2>probably over twenty five years in the league have been around.

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<v Speaker 2>So I think we were ready to be able to

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<v Speaker 2>sustain some of that. Guys really stepped up, young guys,

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<v Speaker 2>star players, So you know, I think we're well positioned

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<v Speaker 2>with with a lot of contributors having contributed during the

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<v Speaker 2>season to be ready for the playoffs.

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<v Speaker 1>Now, Chris to back all of that, what does it

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<v Speaker 1>mean to have an ownership group that's been all in

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<v Speaker 1>in pursuit of an MLS Cup?

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<v Speaker 3>Oh, it's it's unique, is what I will tell you.

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<v Speaker 2>It doesn't exist in a lot of places in MLS.

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<v Speaker 2>You know, Carl Lindner and the group of owners have

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<v Speaker 2>given us incredible support resources to be able to go

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<v Speaker 2>out and and build a perennial winner. You know, obviously

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<v Speaker 2>we have one trophy under our belt, but are looking

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<v Speaker 2>to capture MLS Cup and again the local support from

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<v Speaker 2>from this ownership group is unlike any other in MLS.

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<v Speaker 1>We saw Brenner's brilliance on display again Saturday. I think

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<v Speaker 1>his fourth goal in six games, six matches on loan

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<v Speaker 1>back here, is it safe to say he's fit in

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<v Speaker 1>quite nicely in his return.

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<v Speaker 3>He's fitting great.

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<v Speaker 2>You know, look at he's He's matured a lot in

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<v Speaker 2>his time away. I think he's got better as a player.

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<v Speaker 2>He clearly under the system and the things that the

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<v Speaker 2>coaching staff had asked of him in the past. So

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<v Speaker 2>I think that was a really nice transition for him

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<v Speaker 2>to kind of tactically be clued.

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<v Speaker 3>In right away and know how we want to play.

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<v Speaker 2>And he's a special player, and he's scored some important

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<v Speaker 2>goals to put us in at the two seed, and

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<v Speaker 2>we'll expect more of that in the playoffs.

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<v Speaker 1>Speaking of a special player, Evander sets a club record

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<v Speaker 1>with his twenty second goal across all competition on Saturday. Man,

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<v Speaker 1>old man, what a season he turned in for you guys.

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<v Speaker 2>He's he's been incredible. You know, his to be able

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<v Speaker 2>to acclimate that quickly to a group obviously replace you know,

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<v Speaker 2>a big player in Lucho Acosta. He has this ability

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<v Speaker 2>to make the game slow down when everything around him

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<v Speaker 2>is going a million miles an hour.

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<v Speaker 3>He looks like he's playing a different sport. His ability to.

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<v Speaker 2>To strike a ball and score goals set up other players.

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<v Speaker 3>It's really remarkable.

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<v Speaker 2>If you haven't if you're a neutral and you haven't

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<v Speaker 2>been tql to come see a special player.

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<v Speaker 3>He certainly wanted to come see boy.

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<v Speaker 1>And what a Moment's Saturday Night for the Cincinnati kid.

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<v Speaker 1>Nick Haglan, who suffered a really scary injury early in

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<v Speaker 1>the season in May, hospitalized ten days in Atlanta. I

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<v Speaker 1>talked with him during that process on the show. Was amazing.

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<v Speaker 1>It was so scary to hear what he went through,

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<v Speaker 1>made it back, played, scored Saturday Night. What a moment

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<v Speaker 1>for him in this club.

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<v Speaker 3>That's great.

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<v Speaker 2>Nick is so deserving of all the success accolades, the

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<v Speaker 2>way that people talk about him. He's an integral part

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<v Speaker 2>to the culture, the kind of heartbeat of the club,

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<v Speaker 2>A player that when I first talked to when I

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<v Speaker 2>arrived about four years ago, I knew he was going

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<v Speaker 2>to be a part of our plans. And he really

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<v Speaker 2>is an extension of myself, the coaches down there in

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<v Speaker 2>the locker room, you know, helps helps get across exactly

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<v Speaker 2>what we're trying to achieve. And really happy to see

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<v Speaker 2>him score the other night in front of his family

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<v Speaker 2>and his hometown.

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<v Speaker 1>Chris, I don't want to leave out for someone who

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<v Speaker 1>has had his finger on the pulse of everything this

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<v Speaker 1>club has been through. I don't want to leave out

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<v Speaker 1>Pat Noon and tell me about the job Pat has

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<v Speaker 1>done in navigating all that's come his way this season.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah. Look, he's a former Coach of the Year for

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<v Speaker 3>a reason.

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<v Speaker 2>I mean, there's not you know, many coaches that are

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<v Speaker 2>in you know, in Pat's you know, at Pat's level

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<v Speaker 2>as far as to be able to lead men and

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<v Speaker 2>tactically do the right things on the field.

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<v Speaker 3>And he's going to continue to be.

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<v Speaker 2>Challenged with with a really big matchup against against Columbus

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<v Speaker 2>over the next hopefully too, but perhaps three games.

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<v Speaker 3>But yeah, of course, can't.

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<v Speaker 2>Say enough about the job that Pat and staff have

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<v Speaker 2>done to position us with a real big opportunity.

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<v Speaker 1>Your goalkeeper, Roman Cellentito made his return from a leg

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<v Speaker 1>injury suffered in early September, and US national team camp

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<v Speaker 1>produced a clean sheet Saturday night. You've got depth again

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<v Speaker 1>at that spot. How do you proceed at that spot

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<v Speaker 1>versus Columbus.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, look, Romans, Evan did an incredible job while Roman

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<v Speaker 2>was out. Roman was, like you said, picked up a

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<v Speaker 2>knock in national team camp.

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<v Speaker 3>It was an honor for him to get called up.

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<v Speaker 3>Unfortunate he got the injury. Uh. Roman's been our number

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<v Speaker 3>one for a long time.

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<v Speaker 2>But but we're certainly confident in the job that Evan

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<v Speaker 2>can do.

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<v Speaker 1>Uh.

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<v Speaker 2>We have a young goalkeeper named Paul Walters, a who's

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<v Speaker 2>a Cincinnati kid. So I think we have an abundance

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<v Speaker 2>of talent and depth at that position, and anybody that's

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<v Speaker 2>asked to do the job, I think we'll be ready.

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<v Speaker 1>Let's look ahead to Monday. Here we go again, FC

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<v Speaker 1>Cincinnati and Columbus Crew. When I say FC Cincinnati and

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<v Speaker 1>Columbus crew, what do you think of.

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<v Speaker 3>A lot of anxiety for myself sitting up in the

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<v Speaker 3>booth now it's uh. Look, I think it's great for

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<v Speaker 3>our league.

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<v Speaker 2>The rivalry that you know pre dated myself arriving, but

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<v Speaker 2>that has only grown with the success of both clubs.

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<v Speaker 2>I think it's a wonderful product for MLS. And if

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<v Speaker 2>you are a you know, just a sports fan and

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<v Speaker 2>haven't been out to TQL Monday night, that our stadium

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<v Speaker 2>experience in in game is as good as there is

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<v Speaker 2>in any sport. I'm a fan of all of them.

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<v Speaker 2>Come out. You'll be home in plenty of time to

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<v Speaker 2>see the second half of some Monday night football game,

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<v Speaker 2>which I don't know will be very competitive as Jaden

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<v Speaker 2>Dangles has his hammy injury against the Chiefs on the road,

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<v Speaker 2>so not sure that that. Yeah, I'm pretty sure we

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<v Speaker 2>can beat that product. So you know, please come out

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<v Speaker 2>and support us.

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<v Speaker 3>We certainly are going to.

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<v Speaker 2>Need it, and you should really come be a part

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<v Speaker 2>of something special, no doubt.

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<v Speaker 3>No doubt.

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<v Speaker 1>Very well said Game one Monday TQ tickets available now

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<v Speaker 1>Fccincinnati dot com slash tickets. Hey, I know you're incredibly

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<v Speaker 1>busy getting ready for this. I really appreciate you making time.

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<v Speaker 1>I enjoyed the conversation and best.

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<v Speaker 3>Of luck, Lance. Thanks a lot.

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<v Speaker 2>I would just say one more thing six thirty tomorrow

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<v Speaker 2>night at Madtree Parks and Rec and Blue Ash. We're

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<v Speaker 2>gonna be getting fans together, players myself, giveaways, prizes a

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<v Speaker 2>little like Playoff launch party. So encourage everyone six thirty

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<v Speaker 2>tomorrow night, Mada Tree Parks and Rec.

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<v Speaker 3>To kind of fit. This week started on the right foot.

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<v Speaker 1>Love it, love it not bad at all. Hey, thanks

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<v Speaker 1>again Chris, and best of luck.

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<v Speaker 3>Thanks last all right, take care there you go.

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<v Speaker 1>Chris Albright, general manager of the architect behind It and

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<v Speaker 1>the journey. I mean you talk about a thirty for

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<v Speaker 1>thirty and what they've been through from injuries to the

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<v Speaker 1>additions and then the international call ups, mass number of

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<v Speaker 1>call ups and then more injuries and navigating through all

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<v Speaker 1>of it to the number two seed and hosting the

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<v Speaker 1>Columbus Crew after clinching a fourth consecutive playoff appearance and

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<v Speaker 1>twenty wins for the second time in three years. I

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<v Speaker 1>loved what he said about ownership and the ownership group's

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<v Speaker 1>commitment going all in in the pursuit of MLS Cup

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<v Speaker 1>and as He said, it's rare in that leg, and

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<v Speaker 1>it's awfully nice.