1 00:00:01,160 --> 00:00:05,000 Speaker 1: Twenty six from four. This is ESPN fifteen thirty Moeggor. 2 00:00:05,080 --> 00:00:09,920 Speaker 1: FC Cincinnati opens up MLS regular season play on Saturday 3 00:00:10,320 --> 00:00:14,360 Speaker 1: a home match against Atlanta. It's gonna start at four 4 00:00:14,520 --> 00:00:18,840 Speaker 1: forty five late afternoon tilts as the Orange and Blue 5 00:00:19,440 --> 00:00:21,919 Speaker 1: gets set to take on its first MLS opponent of 6 00:00:21,960 --> 00:00:25,279 Speaker 1: the season after last night's win in the CONCACAT Champions Cup. 7 00:00:25,960 --> 00:00:28,440 Speaker 1: The match on Apple TV MLS Season Pass where our 8 00:00:28,440 --> 00:00:31,000 Speaker 1: friend Devin Kerr is on the call and kind enough 9 00:00:31,000 --> 00:00:31,880 Speaker 1: to join us this afternoon. 10 00:00:31,960 --> 00:00:33,919 Speaker 2: Devin, it's awesome to have you. Good afternoon. How are you. 11 00:00:34,880 --> 00:00:37,159 Speaker 3: I'm doing well, Bud. Always pleasure to be with you. 12 00:00:37,200 --> 00:00:39,320 Speaker 3: All the kindness is on your end though, for having 13 00:00:39,360 --> 00:00:41,960 Speaker 3: me back, regardless of results or whether you know you 14 00:00:41,960 --> 00:00:43,720 Speaker 3: guys seem to keep inviting me. I gotta know what's 15 00:00:43,720 --> 00:00:44,120 Speaker 3: in the water. 16 00:00:45,000 --> 00:00:47,680 Speaker 1: Well, well, you know, I've wondered myself, and I've lived 17 00:00:47,680 --> 00:00:50,000 Speaker 1: here for basically my entire life, so we'll try to 18 00:00:50,000 --> 00:00:50,599 Speaker 1: figure that out. 19 00:00:50,680 --> 00:00:51,879 Speaker 2: It's it's awesome to have you. 20 00:00:51,880 --> 00:00:54,959 Speaker 1: Nonetheless, I feel like early in the season last year 21 00:00:55,000 --> 00:00:57,320 Speaker 1: when we talked, you know, f C Cincinnati was coming 22 00:00:57,320 --> 00:01:00,720 Speaker 1: off a preseason of upheaval and you know, you had 23 00:01:00,720 --> 00:01:04,120 Speaker 1: players not reporting for training on time, not reporting at all. 24 00:01:04,280 --> 00:01:08,440 Speaker 1: The Lucho Acosta situation goes sideways, they acquire Evander at 25 00:01:08,440 --> 00:01:10,520 Speaker 1: the last minute. I feel like, at the very least, 26 00:01:10,520 --> 00:01:12,680 Speaker 1: there's a little bit more stability for this club going 27 00:01:12,680 --> 00:01:13,319 Speaker 1: into the season. 28 00:01:14,560 --> 00:01:18,480 Speaker 3: Stability in terms of availability based upon the factor's you 29 00:01:18,600 --> 00:01:20,880 Speaker 3: just reference, but also because of health. Mo. I mean, 30 00:01:20,880 --> 00:01:23,400 Speaker 3: the team was battered early on last season, right, and 31 00:01:23,440 --> 00:01:25,600 Speaker 3: that was something that they dealt with a whole year long. 32 00:01:26,319 --> 00:01:29,640 Speaker 3: So yeah, Pat Newton definitely has a list of mary 33 00:01:29,680 --> 00:01:31,600 Speaker 3: men that he's able to call upon, just did so 34 00:01:31,720 --> 00:01:34,600 Speaker 3: last night and the result in CONCAT Champions Cup, a 35 00:01:34,600 --> 00:01:38,119 Speaker 3: heavily rotated squad that sort of aligns a much stronger 36 00:01:38,520 --> 00:01:40,640 Speaker 3: lineup you would think for the weekend. But I would 37 00:01:40,640 --> 00:01:43,120 Speaker 3: agree with you. I think the consistency of availability for 38 00:01:43,200 --> 00:01:47,320 Speaker 3: his players has created a quality brotherhood early on. Certainly 39 00:01:47,319 --> 00:01:52,440 Speaker 3: playing some good football brief instances again with that rotation 40 00:01:52,640 --> 00:01:54,880 Speaker 3: last night, but a lot to build upon, and certainly 41 00:01:54,920 --> 00:01:56,600 Speaker 3: a stark difference than what we saw at the beginning 42 00:01:56,640 --> 00:01:58,240 Speaker 3: of twenty five. Yeah. 43 00:01:58,280 --> 00:02:01,040 Speaker 1: See, and look at every team wants to score more goals, 44 00:02:01,080 --> 00:02:04,320 Speaker 1: but that's been a stated objective this offseason. Last night 45 00:02:04,400 --> 00:02:07,360 Speaker 1: felt like they passed that initial test with flying Colors. 46 00:02:07,360 --> 00:02:10,480 Speaker 1: But as the season begins to unfold in MLS play, 47 00:02:11,200 --> 00:02:11,880 Speaker 1: how do they do that? 48 00:02:11,919 --> 00:02:13,240 Speaker 2: How do they generate more offense? 49 00:02:15,280 --> 00:02:18,079 Speaker 3: Yeah, that's a loaded question. It's not one player, right. 50 00:02:18,160 --> 00:02:20,440 Speaker 3: You've got a vander who can create and score on 51 00:02:20,480 --> 00:02:22,480 Speaker 3: his own. You've got dan K upfront who can do 52 00:02:22,600 --> 00:02:25,200 Speaker 3: that as well. I actually look a little bit deeper 53 00:02:25,240 --> 00:02:28,160 Speaker 3: into the engine room. You need health within the midfield. 54 00:02:28,520 --> 00:02:31,200 Speaker 3: You know, Pavel Buca is going to control things for 55 00:02:31,280 --> 00:02:33,360 Speaker 3: you and he's going to be the general within all 56 00:02:33,360 --> 00:02:36,440 Speaker 3: of that, but Smogidi has to be his running mate. 57 00:02:36,440 --> 00:02:39,440 Speaker 3: Wobodo needs to be healthy. They didn't have that last year. 58 00:02:39,480 --> 00:02:42,080 Speaker 3: So they struggled for control in the midfield when you 59 00:02:42,120 --> 00:02:44,440 Speaker 3: start to push to the outside in the wing back positions. 60 00:02:44,720 --> 00:02:47,639 Speaker 3: They struggled for quality and they struggled with death, something 61 00:02:47,639 --> 00:02:50,799 Speaker 3: that they've also in the offseason gone after. Ramirez is 62 00:02:50,960 --> 00:02:54,520 Speaker 3: a key pickup, the Ecuadorian from Lega Tiquito. So you 63 00:02:54,560 --> 00:02:57,160 Speaker 3: are going to need more chance creation from all. 64 00:02:57,080 --> 00:02:57,720 Speaker 2: Over the field. 65 00:02:58,040 --> 00:03:00,520 Speaker 3: As great as a vender is and as an MVP 66 00:03:00,639 --> 00:03:03,120 Speaker 3: candidate every single season, and as great as Denk can 67 00:03:03,160 --> 00:03:06,080 Speaker 3: be inside the top of the eighteen. We are no 68 00:03:06,200 --> 00:03:08,840 Speaker 3: longer in a league where over the span of thirty 69 00:03:08,840 --> 00:03:11,840 Speaker 3: four games, two players can get it done. The glimpses 70 00:03:11,880 --> 00:03:13,639 Speaker 3: of brilliance will be there, they will get you over 71 00:03:13,680 --> 00:03:16,840 Speaker 3: the line in crucial moments. But with the ambition that 72 00:03:16,960 --> 00:03:20,560 Speaker 3: is FC Cincinnati a supporter Shield title every single season 73 00:03:20,560 --> 00:03:22,639 Speaker 3: and the opportunity to that's an MLS Cup, you need 74 00:03:22,639 --> 00:03:24,800 Speaker 3: contributions all over the field. That's why I'm looking at 75 00:03:24,800 --> 00:03:26,840 Speaker 3: the midfield in the width to be able to supplement 76 00:03:26,919 --> 00:03:27,840 Speaker 3: the attack going forward. 77 00:03:28,880 --> 00:03:32,200 Speaker 1: I feel like as as last season unfolded, we kept 78 00:03:32,240 --> 00:03:35,120 Speaker 1: talking about how wide open the East was relative to 79 00:03:35,160 --> 00:03:37,360 Speaker 1: the previous year, and then we got to the playoffs and. 80 00:03:37,320 --> 00:03:39,120 Speaker 2: It wasn't so wide open. 81 00:03:39,760 --> 00:03:43,640 Speaker 1: An FC Cincinnati saw firsthand how how good Miami was 82 00:03:43,720 --> 00:03:44,520 Speaker 1: in the postseason. 83 00:03:44,560 --> 00:03:46,080 Speaker 2: How do you handicap the East this year? 84 00:03:49,840 --> 00:03:53,040 Speaker 3: I would still say that it is wide open, just 85 00:03:53,080 --> 00:03:56,760 Speaker 3: because there's so many things that we don't know right. 86 00:03:57,160 --> 00:04:00,920 Speaker 3: You know, there is going to be pressure at inter 87 00:04:01,040 --> 00:04:04,400 Speaker 3: Miami because it's inter Miami. Like the ambition that they 88 00:04:04,440 --> 00:04:07,320 Speaker 3: have is certainly that of the Cincinnati. The difference is 89 00:04:07,320 --> 00:04:09,800 Speaker 3: is they're coming off an MLS Cup winning season. The 90 00:04:09,880 --> 00:04:13,040 Speaker 3: names they've added, you are going to have a target 91 00:04:13,080 --> 00:04:14,840 Speaker 3: on your back even more. It's kind of funny how 92 00:04:14,880 --> 00:04:17,799 Speaker 3: they've gone from this friendly fire just a few seasons 93 00:04:17,800 --> 00:04:19,919 Speaker 3: ago to the foe that everybody wants to slay and 94 00:04:19,920 --> 00:04:21,840 Speaker 3: they the villain. Certainly, they're going to be one of 95 00:04:21,839 --> 00:04:25,080 Speaker 3: the favorites, but I still like what you're getting in 96 00:04:25,240 --> 00:04:28,920 Speaker 3: other teams in the East. You've got changeover at those 97 00:04:28,960 --> 00:04:31,159 Speaker 3: noisy neighbors down the street and the Columbus Crew. With 98 00:04:31,160 --> 00:04:34,599 Speaker 3: the departure of Wilford Nancy. You know, Toronto has made 99 00:04:34,640 --> 00:04:38,320 Speaker 3: some moves as well. Charlotte has added more firepower. Certainly, 100 00:04:38,360 --> 00:04:40,239 Speaker 3: Miami is going to be the favorite in the East, 101 00:04:40,240 --> 00:04:43,640 Speaker 3: but it's really difficult to say, oh, these teams are 102 00:04:43,680 --> 00:04:46,359 Speaker 3: also going to be great. There's just too much talent 103 00:04:46,440 --> 00:04:49,159 Speaker 3: early on and we have no clue how it's gonna 104 00:04:49,160 --> 00:04:51,480 Speaker 3: shape out in thirty four games. Don't let anybody else 105 00:04:51,520 --> 00:04:52,400 Speaker 3: tell you they think they know. 106 00:04:54,000 --> 00:04:56,560 Speaker 1: I got sixty six degrees today. I wish we were 107 00:04:56,600 --> 00:04:59,960 Speaker 1: going to have that on Saturday. Nonetheless, atmosphere should be awesome. 108 00:05:00,080 --> 00:05:02,839 Speaker 1: Him It's uh, it's great to have FC Cincinnati back, 109 00:05:02,920 --> 00:05:04,240 Speaker 1: and hope you guys have a great call. 110 00:05:04,279 --> 00:05:06,680 Speaker 2: Thanks man Oh with a pleasure 111 00:05:06,720 --> 00:05:07,560 Speaker 3: Mother with the pleasure.