1
00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:02,320
Speaker 1: Think about it. I was transferring from a big club

2
00:00:02,560 --> 00:00:05,920
Speaker 1: ral Betty's to a big club Tigrez, and yet I

3
00:00:06,000 --> 00:00:08,479
Speaker 1: gave really, I gave up my career to a league

4
00:00:08,560 --> 00:00:11,160
Speaker 1: that didn't even start yet, and I felt like that

5
00:00:11,320 --> 00:00:14,080
Speaker 1: was part of my duty as an American player to

6
00:00:14,160 --> 00:00:17,360
Speaker 1: help grow the game. It was sort of given myself

7
00:00:17,400 --> 00:00:19,560
Speaker 1: to a league that didn't start yet because I would

8
00:00:19,840 --> 00:00:21,800
Speaker 1: likely convince other players to do the same.

9
00:00:25,239 --> 00:00:28,800
Speaker 2: What's going on, everybody? Welcome back to Inside American Soccer

10
00:00:29,080 --> 00:00:33,400
Speaker 2: for our special US Men's national team January Transfer Windows special.

11
00:00:33,560 --> 00:00:35,960
Speaker 2: I'm your host, Tom Bogert, and as always, I'm joined

12
00:00:35,960 --> 00:00:38,080
Speaker 2: by my friend, one of the greatest players in US

13
00:00:38,120 --> 00:00:40,920
Speaker 2: soccer history, a veteran of three World Cups, a former

14
00:00:41,040 --> 00:00:43,880
Speaker 2: us U twenty World Cup and MS head coach, tap

15
00:00:44,159 --> 00:00:47,360
Speaker 2: Ramos tap. The hollidays have started, Hanukah has already started.

16
00:00:47,400 --> 00:00:49,720
Speaker 2: Christmas is coming up here. You got any big plans

17
00:00:49,720 --> 00:00:50,080
Speaker 2: coming up?

18
00:00:50,200 --> 00:00:52,240
Speaker 1: Yeah, big plans. One of the few years when my

19
00:00:52,600 --> 00:00:55,040
Speaker 1: brother is actually in from Arizona, so I have my

20
00:00:55,520 --> 00:00:58,720
Speaker 1: brother and his family here, My kids will all be here.

21
00:00:58,840 --> 00:01:00,880
Speaker 1: They'll be a big, big Chris miss this year for US.

22
00:01:02,320 --> 00:01:05,200
Speaker 2: Oh that's exciting. Do you guys host What is that?

23
00:01:05,480 --> 00:01:08,520
Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, we're hosting, and it doesn't always work out

24
00:01:08,520 --> 00:01:12,080
Speaker 1: that way with everyone being in one place at one time,

25
00:01:12,160 --> 00:01:14,720
Speaker 1: but we are lucky enough to have everybody this year.

26
00:01:15,800 --> 00:01:18,800
Speaker 2: Yeah. Oh that's the life. There's nothing more special than that.

27
00:01:19,360 --> 00:01:22,600
Speaker 2: I'm lucky that my family I still live fifteen minutes

28
00:01:22,600 --> 00:01:24,480
Speaker 2: for my parents, my wife's parents as well, kind of

29
00:01:24,480 --> 00:01:27,160
Speaker 2: the same area, so that helps. And it's always nice

30
00:01:27,160 --> 00:01:30,080
Speaker 2: to have everybody together and once again putting together my

31
00:01:30,120 --> 00:01:32,840
Speaker 2: own pickup game on Christmas Eve morning. So soccer is

32
00:01:32,880 --> 00:01:34,240
Speaker 2: always part of these holidays.

33
00:01:34,240 --> 00:01:37,840
Speaker 1: Wow, I didn't know that. Okay, oh yeah.

34
00:01:38,160 --> 00:01:40,160
Speaker 2: You did know that, but it's okay, we'll see you

35
00:01:40,200 --> 00:01:42,679
Speaker 2: if you and your son are there this time. You know, No, well,

36
00:01:43,040 --> 00:01:44,040
Speaker 2: who knows. I don't know. I don't know.

37
00:01:44,080 --> 00:01:46,840
Speaker 1: If I knew that Thanksgiving you put something together.

38
00:01:46,959 --> 00:01:51,920
Speaker 2: I didn't know that. It's every holiday. Last year after

39
00:01:51,960 --> 00:01:54,480
Speaker 2: doing so we do Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve. I've been doing

40
00:01:54,480 --> 00:01:56,960
Speaker 2: this for honestly, I'm thirty. I've been doing this for

41
00:01:57,000 --> 00:02:00,400
Speaker 2: like twelve years. It's been It's really awesome, to the

42
00:02:00,440 --> 00:02:03,160
Speaker 2: point where now people like Easter fourth of July, like, hey,

43
00:02:03,160 --> 00:02:04,840
Speaker 2: you're putting together a game it's like no, no, no, just

44
00:02:05,280 --> 00:02:07,760
Speaker 2: Christs and Thanksgiving for that. So we'll figure it out

45
00:02:07,800 --> 00:02:12,119
Speaker 2: for ye. Outside of that, on today's show, it's all

46
00:02:12,120 --> 00:02:15,320
Speaker 2: things January transfer window. We are six months away from

47
00:02:15,320 --> 00:02:17,399
Speaker 2: the World Cup. This is the last transfer window before

48
00:02:17,440 --> 00:02:19,880
Speaker 2: the World Cup. The World Cup happens during a transfer window.

49
00:02:19,960 --> 00:02:23,000
Speaker 2: Obviously that will not impact the form of the players

50
00:02:23,000 --> 00:02:25,520
Speaker 2: going into that. So what's going on with all the

51
00:02:25,520 --> 00:02:28,400
Speaker 2: players in the US men's national team pool? Who could move,

52
00:02:28,639 --> 00:02:31,679
Speaker 2: who should or shouldn't move? All of the latest information

53
00:02:31,720 --> 00:02:33,400
Speaker 2: and sourcing that I've got, we're gonna give it to

54
00:02:33,440 --> 00:02:35,639
Speaker 2: you here and then we're gonna go inside the locker room.

55
00:02:35,639 --> 00:02:39,200
Speaker 2: We're talking about transfers. So in Tab's incredible career, he's

56
00:02:39,240 --> 00:02:41,040
Speaker 2: gonna tell us about a couple of the big moves

57
00:02:41,080 --> 00:02:42,840
Speaker 2: that he made. So I'm very very excited for that.

58
00:02:43,880 --> 00:02:46,920
Speaker 2: But to get right into the transfers or the potential transfers,

59
00:02:47,120 --> 00:02:51,519
Speaker 2: this January, it's an interesting time. If players were going

60
00:02:51,560 --> 00:02:53,440
Speaker 2: to make a move, it should have been in the summer,

61
00:02:54,080 --> 00:02:56,720
Speaker 2: making a transfer six months before the World Cup, where

62
00:02:56,760 --> 00:02:59,119
Speaker 2: it's mid season for most of these players, the ones

63
00:02:59,120 --> 00:03:01,880
Speaker 2: that aren't in MLS or in South America, so to

64
00:03:02,040 --> 00:03:07,040
Speaker 2: move mid season and potentially risk playing time or or

65
00:03:07,160 --> 00:03:10,079
Speaker 2: continuity and being comfortable and risking the idea of you're

66
00:03:10,120 --> 00:03:13,200
Speaker 2: not gonna land well on a team is very dangerous.

67
00:03:13,280 --> 00:03:15,240
Speaker 2: So the tenor of the show is going to be

68
00:03:15,400 --> 00:03:17,600
Speaker 2: about a lot of guys who aren't gonna move, and

69
00:03:17,840 --> 00:03:20,560
Speaker 2: that's what most of the segment's gonna be because in

70
00:03:20,600 --> 00:03:22,600
Speaker 2: the summer, these are just a sample of the guys

71
00:03:22,639 --> 00:03:24,639
Speaker 2: who did move, and a lot of these players really

72
00:03:24,720 --> 00:03:29,440
Speaker 2: needed to move. Tim Waya, Johnny Cardoso, Giorana, Mark McKenzie,

73
00:03:29,520 --> 00:03:34,040
Speaker 2: Eunice Musa, Malik Tillman, Matt Turner, Patrick Gajamo. All of

74
00:03:34,080 --> 00:03:36,320
Speaker 2: those players moved in the summer, so obviously they're not

75
00:03:36,360 --> 00:03:39,720
Speaker 2: moving in the winter. Since then, a couple of guys

76
00:03:39,760 --> 00:03:42,560
Speaker 2: have signed new contracts Matt Freeze to stay at NSCFC,

77
00:03:42,680 --> 00:03:46,080
Speaker 2: Miles Robinson e f C Cincinnati, Max Arsten Columbus Crew,

78
00:03:46,280 --> 00:03:49,200
Speaker 2: Jack McGlenn Houston Dynamo. None of those guys are moving

79
00:03:49,240 --> 00:03:51,560
Speaker 2: because they just signed new deals, and pretty much to

80
00:03:51,640 --> 00:03:54,880
Speaker 2: a man, I agree with all of those So for me,

81
00:03:55,000 --> 00:03:58,240
Speaker 2: tab it is the guys who might move this winter

82
00:03:59,120 --> 00:04:02,600
Speaker 2: are not likely to any of the key players. It's

83
00:04:02,640 --> 00:04:05,120
Speaker 2: more likely to be guys on the fringes or if

84
00:04:05,160 --> 00:04:07,520
Speaker 2: they think that they need a move or special circumstances.

85
00:04:07,520 --> 00:04:11,120
Speaker 2: So so, tab how difficult would it be if, say,

86
00:04:11,320 --> 00:04:13,720
Speaker 2: and we're gonna talk about Poolstic soon, but like if

87
00:04:13,800 --> 00:04:16,760
Speaker 2: Christian Polisik were to move this this winter? How how

88
00:04:16,800 --> 00:04:17,760
Speaker 2: big of a risk with that?

89
00:04:18,160 --> 00:04:20,320
Speaker 1: Well, let me let me start by saying this. I've

90
00:04:20,360 --> 00:04:22,840
Speaker 1: been lucky enough to speak with you quite a few

91
00:04:22,920 --> 00:04:26,280
Speaker 1: mornings now. As we've been you know, doing this show

92
00:04:26,360 --> 00:04:29,920
Speaker 1: together and and speaking with you about transfers and news,

93
00:04:30,000 --> 00:04:32,000
Speaker 1: I almost feel like I'm going to the bakery and

94
00:04:32,040 --> 00:04:35,279
Speaker 1: I'm getting that warm bread, you know, So I get that,

95
00:04:35,400 --> 00:04:38,039
Speaker 1: I get that feeling. I really like it's that warm

96
00:04:38,040 --> 00:04:41,680
Speaker 1: bread coming out of the oven type news. But yeah,

97
00:04:41,760 --> 00:04:45,839
Speaker 1: I mean that. You know, when it comes to two transfers,

98
00:04:46,120 --> 00:04:49,000
Speaker 1: you know, there's so much to consider because it starts

99
00:04:49,000 --> 00:04:51,479
Speaker 1: really with the age of the player, right it started

100
00:04:51,520 --> 00:04:53,840
Speaker 1: you know, where are you in your career? It starts

101
00:04:53,839 --> 00:04:55,800
Speaker 1: with that, do you really want to make a move?

102
00:04:56,160 --> 00:04:59,560
Speaker 1: Then it then you have to consider the competitiveness that

103
00:04:59,640 --> 00:05:02,080
Speaker 1: you have going on in your position within your club.

104
00:05:02,279 --> 00:05:04,640
Speaker 1: Are you in a good environment where you're playing all

105
00:05:04,680 --> 00:05:07,839
Speaker 1: of the time, right, that's important. And if you move,

106
00:05:07,920 --> 00:05:09,960
Speaker 1: do you go to an environment where you're gonna play

107
00:05:09,960 --> 00:05:12,119
Speaker 1: more where that's going to be better for you? Again,

108
00:05:12,200 --> 00:05:14,720
Speaker 1: depending on your age, are you growing in your career?

109
00:05:15,080 --> 00:05:15,320
Speaker 2: Right?

110
00:05:15,600 --> 00:05:18,680
Speaker 1: Then you go into your positional situation in your new club.

111
00:05:18,720 --> 00:05:21,200
Speaker 1: Are you walking right in and playing right away? Are

112
00:05:21,200 --> 00:05:24,880
Speaker 1: you helping right away in that position? And the extension

113
00:05:24,880 --> 00:05:27,760
Speaker 1: of your career? Are you moving into a club which

114
00:05:28,040 --> 00:05:31,880
Speaker 1: will extend your career? Like example, if Christian politic who's

115
00:05:32,040 --> 00:05:33,800
Speaker 1: by the way, in a great situation that personally I

116
00:05:33,839 --> 00:05:36,400
Speaker 1: don't think he should move at all. But let's say

117
00:05:36,440 --> 00:05:39,760
Speaker 1: he could go to Real Madrid next, right, So even

118
00:05:39,800 --> 00:05:42,080
Speaker 1: if he didn't did what he didn't do well there,

119
00:05:42,960 --> 00:05:45,960
Speaker 1: going to Real Madrid will obviously extend your career because

120
00:05:46,000 --> 00:05:49,200
Speaker 1: you have another move from there. Right, That's something to consider.

121
00:05:49,520 --> 00:05:54,160
Speaker 1: And then money, Let's not forget this is about the money.

122
00:05:54,240 --> 00:05:54,680
Speaker 2: The lead there.

123
00:05:55,200 --> 00:05:57,719
Speaker 1: This is about the money. If you get more money

124
00:05:57,720 --> 00:05:59,680
Speaker 1: to go somewhere else and you're gonna make money for

125
00:05:59,720 --> 00:06:02,400
Speaker 1: a period of time, then that's gonna be good for you.

126
00:06:02,560 --> 00:06:04,720
Speaker 1: So there's a lot of things to consider that we

127
00:06:04,720 --> 00:06:08,440
Speaker 1: can go into each individual case. And that applies to

128
00:06:08,600 --> 00:06:11,400
Speaker 1: whether it's a middle of the year transfer or a

129
00:06:11,480 --> 00:06:13,279
Speaker 1: middle of the summer transfer, let's.

130
00:06:13,080 --> 00:06:17,320
Speaker 2: Say, right, and and that's that's good insight. But particularly

131
00:06:17,400 --> 00:06:19,360
Speaker 2: for this January window, given how close it is to

132
00:06:19,440 --> 00:06:21,600
Speaker 2: the World Cup, like there's not gonna be a ton

133
00:06:21,600 --> 00:06:24,640
Speaker 2: of movement again, particularly for the key guys in the pool,

134
00:06:24,640 --> 00:06:26,120
Speaker 2: because a lot of them are in good spots, and

135
00:06:26,440 --> 00:06:28,880
Speaker 2: as I said, off the top, guys who who kind

136
00:06:28,880 --> 00:06:30,640
Speaker 2: of either needed a move or are ready for a move,

137
00:06:31,000 --> 00:06:34,239
Speaker 2: like Giorana at Simwaya, Johnny Cardoso, all for different reasons

138
00:06:34,240 --> 00:06:37,440
Speaker 2: like Reno wasn't playing in Dortman, Cardoso was wanted by

139
00:06:37,440 --> 00:06:38,760
Speaker 2: a bunch of clubs and he ends up going out

140
00:06:38,800 --> 00:06:41,520
Speaker 2: Letical Matriid and sim Waya was unwanted by Juventus finds

141
00:06:41,520 --> 00:06:43,640
Speaker 2: a really good spot in Marseille. So the summer was

142
00:06:43,680 --> 00:06:45,680
Speaker 2: the time for oh man, like I need to change

143
00:06:45,680 --> 00:06:47,560
Speaker 2: my outlook or okay, like if I'm ready to make

144
00:06:47,560 --> 00:06:49,920
Speaker 2: the next step, as Johnny Cardoso was, all right, it's now,

145
00:06:50,040 --> 00:06:53,039
Speaker 2: it's not January because there's just too much risk involved

146
00:06:53,040 --> 00:06:56,400
Speaker 2: in a handful of months before the World Cup and

147
00:06:56,600 --> 00:07:00,280
Speaker 2: going to a new team. These this example isn't like

148
00:07:00,400 --> 00:07:04,400
Speaker 2: apples apples but well for Nanci struggling mightily at Celtic.

149
00:07:05,080 --> 00:07:08,719
Speaker 2: He joins that team mid season as a coach. They're

150
00:07:08,760 --> 00:07:10,800
Speaker 2: playing games every three days. You don't have any time

151
00:07:10,800 --> 00:07:12,800
Speaker 2: on the training ground, and all of a sudden, it's

152
00:07:12,800 --> 00:07:15,600
Speaker 2: it's looking like a complete disaster, and it's it's not

153
00:07:15,680 --> 00:07:18,800
Speaker 2: quite the same for players. But hell, even Giorana when

154
00:07:18,840 --> 00:07:20,640
Speaker 2: he went to Nottingham Forest on loan a couple of

155
00:07:20,680 --> 00:07:23,440
Speaker 2: years ago, he didn't get up to speed with that

156
00:07:23,440 --> 00:07:25,400
Speaker 2: team very quickly. He got a couple minutes off the bench,

157
00:07:25,440 --> 00:07:27,400
Speaker 2: and then all of a sudden, he was He was

158
00:07:27,440 --> 00:07:29,560
Speaker 2: not even he wasn't even a non US sub. He

159
00:07:29,600 --> 00:07:32,200
Speaker 2: wasn't in the mass day squad. So making moves in

160
00:07:32,320 --> 00:07:35,600
Speaker 2: January is never the easiest thing, but particularly this close

161
00:07:35,640 --> 00:07:37,720
Speaker 2: to a World Cup, and I thought it was important

162
00:07:37,720 --> 00:07:40,840
Speaker 2: for us to establish while we're gonna talk about again

163
00:07:40,880 --> 00:07:43,320
Speaker 2: the next four players or next three players, sorry, in particular,

164
00:07:44,120 --> 00:07:46,120
Speaker 2: who aren't gonna move. This is all why, this is

165
00:07:46,120 --> 00:07:49,600
Speaker 2: the backdrop to the general points for all these conversations.

166
00:07:49,960 --> 00:07:53,200
Speaker 2: But to go into the Spacific specifics, let's talk about Poolisic.

167
00:07:53,480 --> 00:07:55,840
Speaker 2: So he was rumored to be linked with Manchester United.

168
00:07:55,960 --> 00:07:58,480
Speaker 2: I don't. I don't really believe it, Like maybe they're interested. Sure,

169
00:07:58,640 --> 00:08:00,760
Speaker 2: they're probably interested in a billion plays everybody gets in

170
00:08:00,800 --> 00:08:04,000
Speaker 2: to Manchester United. All that being said, his contract for

171
00:08:04,040 --> 00:08:06,239
Speaker 2: Acing Milan expires in the summer of twenty twenty seven.

172
00:08:06,920 --> 00:08:09,280
Speaker 2: He's in incredible form of AC Milan, particularly the last

173
00:08:09,320 --> 00:08:12,880
Speaker 2: two seasons. There is if you're advising him, there is

174
00:08:12,920 --> 00:08:15,280
Speaker 2: you would say, zero percent chance to move this winter,

175
00:08:15,560 --> 00:08:18,200
Speaker 2: stay at a cy Milan. And then if you're Acing Milan,

176
00:08:18,680 --> 00:08:20,360
Speaker 2: you don't want to sell him right now. One because

177
00:08:20,720 --> 00:08:23,760
Speaker 2: you're in the Scudetto race and he's pretty much been

178
00:08:23,760 --> 00:08:26,240
Speaker 2: your best player. And three, if he goes through a

179
00:08:26,240 --> 00:08:27,800
Speaker 2: World Cup and does well as I think we all

180
00:08:27,800 --> 00:08:30,160
Speaker 2: expect him to do, that's gonna be more valuable of

181
00:08:30,160 --> 00:08:32,120
Speaker 2: a transfer in the summer if he is to leave

182
00:08:32,160 --> 00:08:32,720
Speaker 2: Basey Milan.

183
00:08:33,720 --> 00:08:35,880
Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean, you know, we can go into each

184
00:08:35,920 --> 00:08:38,439
Speaker 1: one of those categories. I think you simplified it pretty

185
00:08:38,480 --> 00:08:40,640
Speaker 1: well in terms of where he is sitting right now

186
00:08:40,640 --> 00:08:44,240
Speaker 1: at AC Milan. Let's not forget Milan is a big,

187
00:08:44,280 --> 00:08:47,720
Speaker 1: big club, right and although the SIRIEI is not what

188
00:08:47,800 --> 00:08:50,800
Speaker 1: it used to be twenty years ago, it's a very

189
00:08:50,800 --> 00:08:55,720
Speaker 1: competitive league in which he's doing amazingly well. I would say,

190
00:08:56,200 --> 00:08:59,400
Speaker 1: you know, what Christian Polisic is doing a Milan is

191
00:08:59,480 --> 00:09:03,760
Speaker 1: history in terms of what an American national team player

192
00:09:04,280 --> 00:09:07,680
Speaker 1: potentially could do overseas. You know, it's overseas, that's it's

193
00:09:07,720 --> 00:09:10,320
Speaker 1: not something that could be matched every day, regardless of

194
00:09:10,360 --> 00:09:14,000
Speaker 1: the skill of the player. Now, a move to Manchester United,

195
00:09:14,040 --> 00:09:16,240
Speaker 1: let's take that for example. So you know, when you

196
00:09:16,240 --> 00:09:19,280
Speaker 1: think about moving to Manchester United, obviously it would be

197
00:09:19,320 --> 00:09:23,120
Speaker 1: a big money move which works, So that would be

198
00:09:23,240 --> 00:09:26,240
Speaker 1: that would be a check right. The next one would be,

199
00:09:27,120 --> 00:09:30,040
Speaker 1: you know, would it work in terms of extending your career?

200
00:09:30,160 --> 00:09:33,680
Speaker 1: Is there another move after Manchester United? And that would

201
00:09:33,679 --> 00:09:36,160
Speaker 1: be another check, right, because playing at a huge club

202
00:09:36,240 --> 00:09:38,920
Speaker 1: like that, you're definitely not ending your career there. If

203
00:09:38,960 --> 00:09:41,640
Speaker 1: things don't go well, there's somewhere else you can go.

204
00:09:42,240 --> 00:09:44,320
Speaker 1: But now you've got to look at you know, Christian

205
00:09:44,360 --> 00:09:47,640
Speaker 1: Polistic has already been in the Premier League. I you know,

206
00:09:48,160 --> 00:09:51,720
Speaker 1: not that he didn't he didn't do poorly, he didn't

207
00:09:51,760 --> 00:09:55,480
Speaker 1: excel the way he is in Syria. And because of that,

208
00:09:55,720 --> 00:09:57,600
Speaker 1: I think he's at a good place. I think he's

209
00:09:57,640 --> 00:09:59,720
Speaker 1: at a place where he's showing his best. And by

210
00:09:59,760 --> 00:10:03,040
Speaker 1: the way, I still think he's getting better, you know,

211
00:10:03,120 --> 00:10:05,120
Speaker 1: every time you watch him to play, So so I

212
00:10:05,160 --> 00:10:08,760
Speaker 1: think he's in a good environment unless those two categories,

213
00:10:08,800 --> 00:10:13,560
Speaker 1: the two first categories are are heavily on one side.

214
00:10:13,679 --> 00:10:16,520
Speaker 1: I think Christian politic, like you said, the World Cup

215
00:10:16,559 --> 00:10:19,440
Speaker 1: is coming up. I think he'll have a great World Cup,

216
00:10:19,480 --> 00:10:22,480
Speaker 1: and at least we're hoping that he will. And I

217
00:10:22,520 --> 00:10:24,000
Speaker 1: think he needs to stay where he is. I think

218
00:10:24,040 --> 00:10:25,240
Speaker 1: he's at a great place right now.

219
00:10:26,600 --> 00:10:30,679
Speaker 2: I agree, and honestly having like, let's pay it forward

220
00:10:30,720 --> 00:10:33,880
Speaker 2: to the summer after the World Cup, whatever happens, if

221
00:10:33,880 --> 00:10:36,080
Speaker 2: he re signed with ASA Milan, I kind of think

222
00:10:36,200 --> 00:10:40,000
Speaker 2: football and wise, that's the best option. But we talk

223
00:10:40,040 --> 00:10:43,240
Speaker 2: about finances. A mid table team in England at this

224
00:10:43,280 --> 00:10:45,440
Speaker 2: point can outspend the top teams in Italy for the

225
00:10:45,440 --> 00:10:47,679
Speaker 2: most part, and that's just kind of the reality of

226
00:10:47,679 --> 00:10:49,520
Speaker 2: the TV money and the spend and everything else. So

227
00:10:49,920 --> 00:10:52,760
Speaker 2: I understand the draws that might pull him back to England.

228
00:10:53,080 --> 00:10:54,640
Speaker 2: I don't know if I don't really want to see

229
00:10:54,720 --> 00:10:56,520
Speaker 2: him go back to the premire Like Tabuck he said,

230
00:10:56,880 --> 00:10:58,679
Speaker 2: like I thought he was good at Chelsea, but he

231
00:10:58,760 --> 00:11:01,200
Speaker 2: was he was misused. How many different positions did he play?

232
00:11:01,200 --> 00:11:03,720
Speaker 2: And yes, like he got injured a few times, so

233
00:11:03,760 --> 00:11:05,360
Speaker 2: he's in and out of lineup and that didn't help

234
00:11:05,360 --> 00:11:08,520
Speaker 2: the situation either. But and Chelsea is a one off, right,

235
00:11:09,200 --> 00:11:11,640
Speaker 2: if he went to Newcastle in the future, I think

236
00:11:11,679 --> 00:11:14,360
Speaker 2: I'd be I'd be excited. But for me, if he's

237
00:11:14,400 --> 00:11:17,240
Speaker 2: going to leave a c Milan, a club like Bayern

238
00:11:17,320 --> 00:11:19,319
Speaker 2: Munich at the moment, they don't need him. They've got

239
00:11:19,320 --> 00:11:23,000
Speaker 2: some wonderful world class wingers. But hypothetically speaking, if he

240
00:11:23,000 --> 00:11:24,920
Speaker 2: were to go to another big club, that's the kind

241
00:11:24,920 --> 00:11:26,760
Speaker 2: of team I'd rather see him go to than than

242
00:11:26,800 --> 00:11:29,840
Speaker 2: say Manchester United or or somebody else in England.

243
00:11:30,280 --> 00:11:32,880
Speaker 1: Yeah, agreed. I mean because we didn't discuss also the

244
00:11:34,200 --> 00:11:37,320
Speaker 1: positional situation, which is what we talked about him. You know,

245
00:11:37,880 --> 00:11:40,360
Speaker 1: he's in a good situation at ACE Milan where he's

246
00:11:40,400 --> 00:11:42,600
Speaker 1: playing all the time, he's playing a position he looks

247
00:11:42,840 --> 00:11:45,880
Speaker 1: completely comfortable and that, by the way, we haven't found

248
00:11:45,960 --> 00:11:49,080
Speaker 1: on the national team yet, right, So he's much more

249
00:11:49,160 --> 00:11:51,920
Speaker 1: comfortable playing for a CE Milan than he is on

250
00:11:51,960 --> 00:11:54,200
Speaker 1: the national team. And if you were to go to

251
00:11:54,280 --> 00:11:57,760
Speaker 1: Manchester United, now you have all of that pressure on

252
00:11:57,800 --> 00:11:59,760
Speaker 1: your shoulders. Right now, you come in as a big

253
00:11:59,760 --> 00:12:03,880
Speaker 1: trendans for now you have the responsibility of bringing Manchester

254
00:12:04,000 --> 00:12:06,720
Speaker 1: United back to the Champions League and potentially to win

255
00:12:07,120 --> 00:12:09,560
Speaker 1: the title, right because that's what Manchester United is about.

256
00:12:09,640 --> 00:12:11,200
Speaker 1: They want to you know, every year.

257
00:12:11,080 --> 00:12:12,640
Speaker 2: They chuse or don't get relegated.

258
00:12:12,679 --> 00:12:15,840
Speaker 1: Well last year it was close enough, right, But but

259
00:12:16,160 --> 00:12:18,679
Speaker 1: it would be a big responsibility. It would be weak

260
00:12:18,720 --> 00:12:21,400
Speaker 1: to week in terms of like this guy's doing great,

261
00:12:21,480 --> 00:12:24,360
Speaker 1: this guy's doing terrible, and I just don't think he

262
00:12:24,440 --> 00:12:27,480
Speaker 1: needs that amount of pressure around himself at this point.

263
00:12:28,800 --> 00:12:31,960
Speaker 2: Yeah, I agree, and I would look at the track

264
00:12:32,000 --> 00:12:35,040
Speaker 2: record of recent big signings for Manchester United over the

265
00:12:35,080 --> 00:12:39,280
Speaker 2: last genuinely decade. I don't think that that we need

266
00:12:39,840 --> 00:12:42,280
Speaker 2: US Man national team stars at that club at the moment.

267
00:12:42,640 --> 00:12:45,120
Speaker 2: On to another person who has been linked with Manchester United,

268
00:12:45,120 --> 00:12:46,800
Speaker 2: and again maybe you and I have been as well.

269
00:12:46,800 --> 00:12:49,160
Speaker 2: They're gonna be rumored two about a billion people. But

270
00:12:49,679 --> 00:12:53,520
Speaker 2: Tyler Adams, and this isn't new because he's been linked

271
00:12:53,520 --> 00:12:56,640
Speaker 2: with Liverpool and some other big clubs, like he's been

272
00:12:56,679 --> 00:12:58,880
Speaker 2: one of the better defensive midfielders in England over the

273
00:12:58,960 --> 00:13:01,280
Speaker 2: last twelve months. In particular since he's over the last

274
00:13:01,280 --> 00:13:04,440
Speaker 2: two years really after those injury issues, but even before

275
00:13:04,440 --> 00:13:07,320
Speaker 2: the injury, which the injury clouds everything for Genuary, even

276
00:13:07,320 --> 00:13:09,640
Speaker 2: before the injury. This would be a mirror of the

277
00:13:10,000 --> 00:13:14,040
Speaker 2: Christian poolsit conversation of do not leave a great situation

278
00:13:14,320 --> 00:13:15,800
Speaker 2: six months before the World Cup if you're.

279
00:13:15,720 --> 00:13:19,440
Speaker 1: Tolerated, And I would add something to that, and you're right,

280
00:13:19,559 --> 00:13:21,720
Speaker 1: he's in a great situation. He's playing all the time,

281
00:13:22,000 --> 00:13:24,920
Speaker 1: his coach loves him right, and he you know, and

282
00:13:24,960 --> 00:13:27,200
Speaker 1: he's playing in the EPL in the middle of the

283
00:13:27,240 --> 00:13:30,360
Speaker 1: tape of a table team which has done well for

284
00:13:30,400 --> 00:13:32,559
Speaker 1: the last couple of years. I mean, it's going to

285
00:13:32,640 --> 00:13:36,120
Speaker 1: be difficult for him to find that situation. But now

286
00:13:36,160 --> 00:13:38,560
Speaker 1: there's another issue I think that comes up. And you

287
00:13:38,600 --> 00:13:41,040
Speaker 1: and I discussed this last show, which was you know,

288
00:13:41,080 --> 00:13:44,040
Speaker 1: he's been playing more minutes. He's almost played the same

289
00:13:44,040 --> 00:13:45,880
Speaker 1: amount of minutes this year as he has in all

290
00:13:45,920 --> 00:13:48,360
Speaker 1: of the years in the past. So the injuries. The

291
00:13:48,400 --> 00:13:51,560
Speaker 1: injuries are a big deal because now it's becoming almost

292
00:13:51,600 --> 00:13:54,000
Speaker 1: every year that there's an injury. And I think when

293
00:13:54,080 --> 00:13:57,880
Speaker 1: you go into a big transfer to big club, they

294
00:13:57,920 --> 00:14:00,680
Speaker 1: want that durability of being able to play two games

295
00:14:00,720 --> 00:14:04,839
Speaker 1: a week and at this point, you know, given the

296
00:14:04,920 --> 00:14:08,080
Speaker 1: history of the injuries that have come along, I think

297
00:14:08,160 --> 00:14:10,280
Speaker 1: Tyler Adams is at a good place and shouldn't be

298
00:14:10,320 --> 00:14:11,840
Speaker 1: considering a move.

299
00:14:12,160 --> 00:14:15,960
Speaker 2: I agree, and moving forward to talking about like, let's say,

300
00:14:16,200 --> 00:14:18,920
Speaker 2: hopefully things are gonna be okay and he's back on

301
00:14:18,960 --> 00:14:20,480
Speaker 2: track it and good for the World Cup on all

302
00:14:20,520 --> 00:14:23,560
Speaker 2: of that, looking at the summer because Borne mythory club

303
00:14:23,560 --> 00:14:26,800
Speaker 2: that sells right and they have been a springboard for

304
00:14:26,840 --> 00:14:28,320
Speaker 2: a lot of players, and I think that he's in

305
00:14:28,320 --> 00:14:30,440
Speaker 2: a really, really good situation. But when you perform very

306
00:14:30,440 --> 00:14:33,840
Speaker 2: well at Bourne, myuth bids come in. That's that's how

307
00:14:33,840 --> 00:14:38,040
Speaker 2: it goes. I don't really have like a dream destination

308
00:14:38,240 --> 00:14:40,800
Speaker 2: off the top of my head for Tyler. When we're

309
00:14:40,800 --> 00:14:45,720
Speaker 2: talking about hypotheticals. He's been in Germany. I don't know

310
00:14:45,800 --> 00:14:48,600
Speaker 2: exactly how well he might fit in Spain, but that

311
00:14:48,640 --> 00:14:51,360
Speaker 2: could be interesting as somebody who like his His play

312
00:14:51,400 --> 00:14:53,680
Speaker 2: style makes a ton of sense in England, makes a

313
00:14:53,680 --> 00:14:56,520
Speaker 2: ton of sense in Germany maybe, like he'd be a

314
00:14:56,520 --> 00:14:58,520
Speaker 2: fun destroyer for one of the big Spanish clubs. But

315
00:14:59,040 --> 00:15:01,400
Speaker 2: I don't know, because you even look up the table

316
00:15:01,440 --> 00:15:04,880
Speaker 2: in England, which would probably be more likely like a

317
00:15:04,880 --> 00:15:06,960
Speaker 2: club like Liverpool. Don't know if he totally fits Again,

318
00:15:07,000 --> 00:15:09,080
Speaker 2: we just talked about Manchester United. I don't know how

319
00:15:09,160 --> 00:15:11,640
Speaker 2: much co signing I would do for any player going

320
00:15:11,680 --> 00:15:13,920
Speaker 2: to that club, just given how difficult it is in

321
00:15:13,960 --> 00:15:16,640
Speaker 2: the turmoil that seems to constantly surround them. So there

322
00:15:16,680 --> 00:15:20,000
Speaker 2: isn't really like an obvious next big step for Tyler Adams,

323
00:15:20,040 --> 00:15:22,200
Speaker 2: though there are plenty of options because of his quality

324
00:15:22,240 --> 00:15:22,640
Speaker 2: in form.

325
00:15:23,960 --> 00:15:28,280
Speaker 1: Yeah, you know, and I agree with the Germany part right,

326
00:15:28,400 --> 00:15:31,200
Speaker 1: So I can see sort of a big move for

327
00:15:31,280 --> 00:15:33,960
Speaker 1: Tyler Adams would be maybe going to a Frankfurt or

328
00:15:34,000 --> 00:15:37,960
Speaker 1: going to a Dortmund or maybe a laver Cuzin even right,

329
00:15:38,040 --> 00:15:40,560
Speaker 1: so he could plan one of those big German clubs,

330
00:15:40,560 --> 00:15:44,240
Speaker 1: not necessarily probably Byron, right, because Byron is gonna just

331
00:15:44,280 --> 00:15:46,560
Speaker 1: pick the best of the best at this point. But

332
00:15:46,640 --> 00:15:48,280
Speaker 1: if you look at all those other clubs, is that

333
00:15:48,360 --> 00:15:51,880
Speaker 1: really an upboards move for him to go to Frankfurt

334
00:15:52,040 --> 00:15:56,200
Speaker 1: or Labor Kuzen or Dortmund. From where he is now,

335
00:15:57,000 --> 00:15:59,440
Speaker 1: I think he's in a great place. I'd like to

336
00:15:59,440 --> 00:16:01,800
Speaker 1: see him stay there and play there a couple more

337
00:16:01,840 --> 00:16:03,320
Speaker 1: seasons before he makes a move.

338
00:16:04,520 --> 00:16:08,040
Speaker 2: I agree, and again financially too. I'm I don't know

339
00:16:08,080 --> 00:16:11,000
Speaker 2: this for a fact, but I'm assuming that Bournemouth can outbid,

340
00:16:11,320 --> 00:16:14,360
Speaker 2: you know, a club like Frankfort on a contract just

341
00:16:14,400 --> 00:16:17,000
Speaker 2: because of all the money in England. One more player

342
00:16:17,040 --> 00:16:19,320
Speaker 2: that we want to talk about here is Western McKinney.

343
00:16:19,960 --> 00:16:23,080
Speaker 2: So Weston McKinney is out of contract in the summer

344
00:16:23,120 --> 00:16:26,480
Speaker 2: with Juventus. Sources have told me Juventus have not approached

345
00:16:26,520 --> 00:16:29,400
Speaker 2: him about extending that contract yet, so starting January one

346
00:16:29,480 --> 00:16:33,040
Speaker 2: he can start officially having conversations with clubs abroad about

347
00:16:33,080 --> 00:16:35,160
Speaker 2: signing for free in the summer. So that is something

348
00:16:35,160 --> 00:16:38,280
Speaker 2: to watch. Aston Villa wanted him a couple of years

349
00:16:38,280 --> 00:16:42,400
Speaker 2: ago when when Douglas Louise went from aston Villa to Juventus,

350
00:16:42,560 --> 00:16:45,800
Speaker 2: Juventus almost sent McKenny back to aston Villa as part

351
00:16:45,840 --> 00:16:48,840
Speaker 2: of that deal. He couldn't agree personal terms. He's obviously

352
00:16:48,880 --> 00:16:50,400
Speaker 2: been at Leeds, He's been in England in the past.

353
00:16:50,720 --> 00:16:52,920
Speaker 2: F C. Cincinnati came very very close to signing him

354
00:16:53,160 --> 00:16:55,040
Speaker 2: a couple of years a couple of summers ago as well.

355
00:16:55,360 --> 00:16:57,480
Speaker 2: There's gonna be plenty of interests in Europe. There's always

356
00:16:57,480 --> 00:16:59,760
Speaker 2: gonna be some interest in MLS in the summer. So

357
00:16:59,800 --> 00:17:02,320
Speaker 2: West McKinney again, not a guy that's gonna move in

358
00:17:02,560 --> 00:17:05,840
Speaker 2: the winter, but as a free a potential free transfer

359
00:17:05,880 --> 00:17:08,080
Speaker 2: in the summer, he's gonna be interesting to a lot

360
00:17:08,080 --> 00:17:08,720
Speaker 2: of clubs.

361
00:17:09,080 --> 00:17:10,960
Speaker 1: Yeah, And I hope he has an opportunity to go

362
00:17:11,040 --> 00:17:13,280
Speaker 1: back to the EPL. You know. I think he would

363
00:17:13,320 --> 00:17:15,320
Speaker 1: do well with the middle of the table team or

364
00:17:15,359 --> 00:17:18,080
Speaker 1: even an upper upper middle of the table team, like

365
00:17:18,119 --> 00:17:20,840
Speaker 1: a like a Crystal Palace for example, a team that's

366
00:17:20,880 --> 00:17:25,200
Speaker 1: competitive to win things. And I think because of his personality,

367
00:17:25,320 --> 00:17:27,440
Speaker 1: I mean, I think it's sort of been figured out

368
00:17:27,440 --> 00:17:30,720
Speaker 1: in Italy, don't we talk about every summer going into

369
00:17:30,760 --> 00:17:34,080
Speaker 1: the season, we're talking about where is McKinny going, Because

370
00:17:34,119 --> 00:17:36,480
Speaker 1: somehow they're getting rid of him and there's no position

371
00:17:36,560 --> 00:17:40,080
Speaker 1: for him. But somehow he fights through it, and he

372
00:17:40,160 --> 00:17:43,359
Speaker 1: fights through it because he's that good. Western McKinney is

373
00:17:43,400 --> 00:17:45,560
Speaker 1: that good. I think he can pretty much play on

374
00:17:45,640 --> 00:17:48,720
Speaker 1: every team. But it seems to me like people have

375
00:17:48,800 --> 00:17:52,440
Speaker 1: figured out that that Western McKinny needs to be under

376
00:17:52,520 --> 00:17:57,000
Speaker 1: constant pressure to perform at his best. And because of that,

377
00:17:57,200 --> 00:18:00,720
Speaker 1: I really hope that uh he does not returned to

378
00:18:01,080 --> 00:18:04,240
Speaker 1: MLS yet, because you know, as you mentioned Cincinnati being

379
00:18:04,280 --> 00:18:06,639
Speaker 1: one of the teams, you know, this is one of

380
00:18:06,720 --> 00:18:09,560
Speaker 1: the things where MLS in Europe are a little bit different.

381
00:18:09,600 --> 00:18:13,080
Speaker 1: And I think that's the competitiveness of the day to

382
00:18:13,200 --> 00:18:16,080
Speaker 1: day training to fight for a position on the weekend,

383
00:18:16,480 --> 00:18:19,600
Speaker 1: that that doesn't exist as much in MLS as it

384
00:18:19,640 --> 00:18:23,159
Speaker 1: does overseas, and I think that benefits a player like

385
00:18:23,240 --> 00:18:26,240
Speaker 1: Weston McKinney, and I hope he can stay in that environment.

386
00:18:26,440 --> 00:18:29,080
Speaker 1: But I think he does have an upboards move and

387
00:18:29,160 --> 00:18:32,439
Speaker 1: I hope that you know, this summer coming up, he

388
00:18:32,520 --> 00:18:34,520
Speaker 1: can find a team in the EPL because I really

389
00:18:34,600 --> 00:18:35,880
Speaker 1: do think he can succeed there.

390
00:18:37,240 --> 00:18:38,920
Speaker 2: Yeah, I think his play style lends to it. He

391
00:18:38,960 --> 00:18:41,960
Speaker 2: didn't do great leads. That was a really difficult situation

392
00:18:42,119 --> 00:18:45,439
Speaker 2: for pretty much everybody but Tyler Adams, not just the

393
00:18:45,440 --> 00:18:47,560
Speaker 2: American players, right, Like you look across that squad, there

394
00:18:47,600 --> 00:18:50,000
Speaker 2: are a lot of players that struggled within that team.

395
00:18:50,160 --> 00:18:51,720
Speaker 2: So I don't think you can hang that on him.

396
00:18:51,920 --> 00:18:54,280
Speaker 2: When Yes and Villa, when I was reporting that out,

397
00:18:54,359 --> 00:18:55,960
Speaker 2: I was like, this just makes a ton of sense.

398
00:18:56,000 --> 00:18:58,480
Speaker 2: And that's a team that you named or a Crystal

399
00:18:58,520 --> 00:19:01,800
Speaker 2: Palace or I think again even in Newcastle, think he

400
00:19:01,840 --> 00:19:04,560
Speaker 2: could fit within that team Fulham. I think Newcastle are

401
00:19:04,600 --> 00:19:06,560
Speaker 2: the highest of all those teams, given you know, the

402
00:19:06,600 --> 00:19:08,800
Speaker 2: championship right now and the money that they've got coming in.

403
00:19:09,040 --> 00:19:11,879
Speaker 2: But just something like that rather than say the traditional

404
00:19:11,880 --> 00:19:14,560
Speaker 2: top four, because it would be a similar situation for

405
00:19:14,640 --> 00:19:17,720
Speaker 2: him at Juventus where like he's earned playing time events,

406
00:19:17,800 --> 00:19:20,840
Speaker 2: which is extremely impressive, but as we've said, every week,

407
00:19:21,240 --> 00:19:23,479
Speaker 2: he's playing at a ton of different positions and he's

408
00:19:23,520 --> 00:19:25,679
Speaker 2: more of a utility guy than like, I don't know

409
00:19:25,760 --> 00:19:27,800
Speaker 2: if you went to Fulham, would you just be the

410
00:19:27,800 --> 00:19:30,800
Speaker 2: starting number eight for you know, eighty percent of the games, right? Like,

411
00:19:30,840 --> 00:19:32,640
Speaker 2: So I think that would be important for him too.

412
00:19:33,119 --> 00:19:36,560
Speaker 1: Yeah, agreed. You know, I think we're we're sort of

413
00:19:37,600 --> 00:19:42,160
Speaker 1: you know, putting McKinney right, we're defining him as exactly

414
00:19:42,200 --> 00:19:44,320
Speaker 1: as he is. And I think you're right. And you mentioned,

415
00:19:44,560 --> 00:19:47,760
Speaker 1: you know, you mentioned Leeds United. You know, it's difficult

416
00:19:47,760 --> 00:19:49,920
Speaker 1: for any player to go to a club that's struggling

417
00:19:50,000 --> 00:19:53,879
Speaker 1: to stay to fight relegation, right And I think and

418
00:19:53,920 --> 00:19:55,960
Speaker 1: I think that's that's where they were, and that's that's

419
00:19:56,000 --> 00:19:58,800
Speaker 1: a difficult position for any player. I'm sure, we'll get

420
00:19:58,800 --> 00:20:01,640
Speaker 1: into Josh Sargent later, but you know, when you get

421
00:20:01,640 --> 00:20:03,560
Speaker 1: into these clubs, you're at the bottom of the table.

422
00:20:03,600 --> 00:20:05,520
Speaker 1: It's about so much more than just playing.

423
00:20:06,040 --> 00:20:07,640
Speaker 2: And I agree with you, I don't think that westn

424
00:20:07,680 --> 00:20:09,600
Speaker 2: McKinney is a guy who makes sense to come to

425
00:20:09,800 --> 00:20:14,240
Speaker 2: MLS this summer. Though again, like Cincinnati put a very

426
00:20:14,280 --> 00:20:15,840
Speaker 2: strong off front of the table. I think that that

427
00:20:16,000 --> 00:20:17,640
Speaker 2: I know, I know that would have been more than

428
00:20:17,720 --> 00:20:19,720
Speaker 2: even if he went to aston Villa. So that is

429
00:20:19,720 --> 00:20:21,159
Speaker 2: going to be the poll that that is part of

430
00:20:21,160 --> 00:20:24,280
Speaker 2: the motivations. On the pressure side of things, there is

431
00:20:24,320 --> 00:20:26,960
Speaker 2: something to be said of like right, like if he

432
00:20:27,040 --> 00:20:30,119
Speaker 2: comes back to MLS, like there's you're not fighting for

433
00:20:30,160 --> 00:20:31,600
Speaker 2: a spot on the field, right, you know you're gonna

434
00:20:31,600 --> 00:20:34,840
Speaker 2: start unless it's a disaster. But the other responsibility is

435
00:20:35,119 --> 00:20:38,199
Speaker 2: if you think the team isn't gonna win. And I

436
00:20:38,200 --> 00:20:40,639
Speaker 2: think that there's another part of the pressure. While still

437
00:20:40,640 --> 00:20:42,880
Speaker 2: agreeing with you that that it's better for him stay

438
00:20:42,880 --> 00:20:45,200
Speaker 2: in Europe at the moment, really quickly A couple other

439
00:20:45,200 --> 00:20:48,040
Speaker 2: guys that I would put in the don't expect him

440
00:20:48,080 --> 00:20:50,439
Speaker 2: to move, though maybe there there is some interest in

441
00:20:50,480 --> 00:20:55,400
Speaker 2: rumors Diego Luna, Ricardo Peppy, Brian White, Diego Luna, there's

442
00:20:55,440 --> 00:20:57,360
Speaker 2: always interest in him. Think that would be a big

443
00:20:57,440 --> 00:20:59,600
Speaker 2: risk for him to leave right now, and Real Lake

444
00:20:59,600 --> 00:21:01,879
Speaker 2: obviously don't want to lose him. They are open to

445
00:21:01,880 --> 00:21:03,840
Speaker 2: selling him after the World Cup. They want him to

446
00:21:03,880 --> 00:21:06,040
Speaker 2: be a real AsSalt led player going to the World Cup.

447
00:21:06,320 --> 00:21:08,399
Speaker 2: Ricardo Petby, I think he's in a good spot with PSV.

448
00:21:08,680 --> 00:21:12,000
Speaker 2: But that's another guy where if you're if you're West Ham,

449
00:21:12,040 --> 00:21:14,960
Speaker 2: if you're full of it, if you're a lower table

450
00:21:15,000 --> 00:21:17,920
Speaker 2: team in the Premier leagu right now, this is a

451
00:21:17,960 --> 00:21:19,959
Speaker 2: guy that you might target to Okay, like we need

452
00:21:20,000 --> 00:21:22,320
Speaker 2: a forward, all right, let's go try to get RICARDA. Petby.

453
00:21:22,640 --> 00:21:24,960
Speaker 2: So it's not a zero percent chance for him. I

454
00:21:25,160 --> 00:21:27,560
Speaker 2: just I think i'd be surprised. And then Brian White

455
00:21:27,680 --> 00:21:30,360
Speaker 2: for different reasons. If there's a move for him. There's

456
00:21:30,400 --> 00:21:32,400
Speaker 2: been interest in the Championship before. I think it's much

457
00:21:32,400 --> 00:21:33,879
Speaker 2: more likely if he were to move it would be

458
00:21:33,880 --> 00:21:35,879
Speaker 2: within MLS. All of that being said, I think he

459
00:21:35,960 --> 00:21:38,560
Speaker 2: just signs a new contract with Vancouver and stays there.

460
00:21:38,640 --> 00:21:41,000
Speaker 2: But those are three guys that there could be some

461
00:21:41,040 --> 00:21:43,960
Speaker 2: real interest in and real possibilities, but I wouldn't expect

462
00:21:44,000 --> 00:21:46,000
Speaker 2: them to leave. We're gonna be right back with a

463
00:21:46,040 --> 00:21:48,520
Speaker 2: quick break. After that, we're gonna talk about some of

464
00:21:48,560 --> 00:21:50,919
Speaker 2: the guys who I think that actually might leave or

465
00:21:50,960 --> 00:21:53,840
Speaker 2: has real possibilities, and the latest information I have on them.

466
00:21:54,000 --> 00:21:57,280
Speaker 2: So stay tuned for that. We'll be right back. Please rate, review,

467
00:21:57,320 --> 00:22:00,000
Speaker 2: subscribe Inside American Soccer with Tom Over and Tom around

468
00:22:00,080 --> 00:22:13,919
Speaker 2: wherever you get your podcast. All right, welcome back. We

469
00:22:14,040 --> 00:22:15,960
Speaker 2: just spent the whole first segment telling you all the

470
00:22:15,960 --> 00:22:18,120
Speaker 2: guys who won't move, which is not the most fun

471
00:22:18,160 --> 00:22:20,880
Speaker 2: way to do a January Transfer window special. So here

472
00:22:20,920 --> 00:22:22,680
Speaker 2: we are with some of the guys who we think

473
00:22:22,720 --> 00:22:24,560
Speaker 2: that actually could move from the latest that I'm hearing.

474
00:22:24,840 --> 00:22:26,920
Speaker 2: The difference is, again for everything we said in the

475
00:22:26,920 --> 00:22:30,280
Speaker 2: first segment, is these aren't your pool six Adams mckennie's

476
00:22:30,359 --> 00:22:31,960
Speaker 2: Chris Richards of the world. These are going to be

477
00:22:32,160 --> 00:22:35,200
Speaker 2: a little bit further down the pool. But for each

478
00:22:35,320 --> 00:22:38,480
Speaker 2: individual case, it's a possibility for this winter. So let's

479
00:22:38,480 --> 00:22:42,960
Speaker 2: start with Orlando City wing back Alex Freeman. He will

480
00:22:42,960 --> 00:22:45,320
Speaker 2: move within the next twelve months. It just depends on

481
00:22:45,359 --> 00:22:49,400
Speaker 2: if it's now the summer or next winter. He's got

482
00:22:49,680 --> 00:22:51,600
Speaker 2: a year left on his contract. Sources have told me

483
00:22:51,680 --> 00:22:53,760
Speaker 2: Orlando are still trying very very hard to change his

484
00:22:53,760 --> 00:22:56,320
Speaker 2: mind and to stay. I don't think that there's really

485
00:22:56,359 --> 00:22:58,520
Speaker 2: anything that they could do to convince him at this stage.

486
00:22:58,560 --> 00:23:00,760
Speaker 2: That that's been what I've been told from sort since

487
00:23:00,800 --> 00:23:04,119
Speaker 2: the summer. Villareal are still in the absolute pole position

488
00:23:04,240 --> 00:23:06,840
Speaker 2: driver's seat. There was a little bit of interest from Bournemouth,

489
00:23:06,920 --> 00:23:10,480
Speaker 2: but it was from what I understand is the feeling

490
00:23:10,600 --> 00:23:14,280
Speaker 2: is Villareal, unless that they fumble this, they're gonna have.

491
00:23:14,680 --> 00:23:17,119
Speaker 2: They're gonna have the inside track at signing Olex Freeman.

492
00:23:17,240 --> 00:23:21,000
Speaker 2: So the question becomes do you do this now? And

493
00:23:21,040 --> 00:23:23,000
Speaker 2: from what I've been told, the player himself wants to

494
00:23:23,000 --> 00:23:25,520
Speaker 2: stay with Orlando through the World Cup, both for the

495
00:23:25,520 --> 00:23:29,480
Speaker 2: club and for himself. He's the no question starter with

496
00:23:29,560 --> 00:23:32,439
Speaker 2: this team. He has developed very well within Orlando and

497
00:23:32,480 --> 00:23:34,640
Speaker 2: that has helped launch him into the national team pool.

498
00:23:34,800 --> 00:23:36,480
Speaker 2: And when he got there, when he got his chances

499
00:23:36,480 --> 00:23:38,760
Speaker 2: in twenty twenty five, he took it with both hands.

500
00:23:38,840 --> 00:23:40,920
Speaker 2: And he's a guy Toad that we both feel really

501
00:23:40,960 --> 00:23:42,840
Speaker 2: strongly that is going to be on the World Cup squad,

502
00:23:43,000 --> 00:23:44,760
Speaker 2: which is not something that we would have even had

503
00:23:44,800 --> 00:23:46,960
Speaker 2: on our radar this time last year. So credits to

504
00:23:46,960 --> 00:23:48,919
Speaker 2: Alex screaming for that. He's in a great spot. He

505
00:23:48,960 --> 00:23:50,919
Speaker 2: wants Orlando to get someoney. He doesn't want to leave

506
00:23:50,960 --> 00:23:55,080
Speaker 2: for free, but if he has to, that's a strong possibility.

507
00:23:55,440 --> 00:24:00,760
Speaker 2: So I think the most rational outcome here is Orlando

508
00:24:00,760 --> 00:24:03,520
Speaker 2: and Villareal agree some sort of feet, some sort of compensation,

509
00:24:04,080 --> 00:24:06,760
Speaker 2: and Alex Stringman stays with Orlando through the World Cup

510
00:24:06,800 --> 00:24:09,600
Speaker 2: and then joins Villa Reale in the summer. But tap

511
00:24:09,720 --> 00:24:11,240
Speaker 2: that that's a situation right now for me.

512
00:24:12,119 --> 00:24:17,040
Speaker 1: Yeah, you know, let's start with a move mid season.

513
00:24:17,240 --> 00:24:19,399
Speaker 1: Let's say he were to move in a few weeks

514
00:24:19,400 --> 00:24:21,520
Speaker 1: and went to Viereel. First of all, vi Areel they

515
00:24:21,560 --> 00:24:24,600
Speaker 1: have Aaron Buru playing as the right back. He played

516
00:24:24,640 --> 00:24:27,080
Speaker 1: I think the first ten or twelve games. But they've

517
00:24:27,119 --> 00:24:30,960
Speaker 1: had Mourinho play there, They've had Navarro play there. They

518
00:24:30,960 --> 00:24:33,480
Speaker 1: are having difficulties on that right side of the field

519
00:24:33,520 --> 00:24:36,760
Speaker 1: getting someone to be steady, right, So there's the possibility

520
00:24:36,760 --> 00:24:41,120
Speaker 1: that he plays. But this is a big risk, right

521
00:24:41,280 --> 00:24:43,359
Speaker 1: you know, Alex Freeman is in a good moment. I

522
00:24:43,359 --> 00:24:45,280
Speaker 1: think we both had him in our top five in

523
00:24:45,359 --> 00:24:48,920
Speaker 1: terms of like best players. This year, he's he's on

524
00:24:49,680 --> 00:24:52,520
Speaker 1: the national team, not only going to the World Cup,

525
00:24:52,600 --> 00:24:55,280
Speaker 1: he's fighting for a starting role at the World Cup.

526
00:24:56,400 --> 00:24:58,840
Speaker 1: You know, there's a possibility you moved to Vireal in

527
00:24:58,880 --> 00:25:01,800
Speaker 1: the winter and you don't play, and now you don't

528
00:25:01,800 --> 00:25:04,000
Speaker 1: play for the next two three months. That can happen

529
00:25:04,480 --> 00:25:06,880
Speaker 1: and that could drop you from the national team. That's

530
00:25:06,920 --> 00:25:09,159
Speaker 1: a big, big risk, and I don't think one that

531
00:25:09,280 --> 00:25:09,960
Speaker 1: he should take.

532
00:25:11,640 --> 00:25:14,040
Speaker 2: Yeah, and that's definitely something with him in his camp

533
00:25:14,520 --> 00:25:16,639
Speaker 2: are very conscious of, which is why I would be

534
00:25:16,680 --> 00:25:19,560
Speaker 2: absolutely shocked if he left Orlando this winter because of that.

535
00:25:19,880 --> 00:25:21,800
Speaker 2: Whether or not there's a deal agreed with Hillarriale and

536
00:25:21,840 --> 00:25:24,000
Speaker 2: either a loan back or the deal it goes into

537
00:25:24,040 --> 00:25:27,000
Speaker 2: effect on July first, or whatever the date would be,

538
00:25:27,480 --> 00:25:28,879
Speaker 2: I feel very safe that he's going to be with

539
00:25:29,000 --> 00:25:31,760
Speaker 2: Orlando for the next two months. Another very high performing

540
00:25:31,800 --> 00:25:35,120
Speaker 2: player Hajji Wright. He's the forward for Coventry City. Coventry

541
00:25:35,359 --> 00:25:38,040
Speaker 2: are flying right now in the Championship. Hajji started the

542
00:25:38,080 --> 00:25:41,440
Speaker 2: season incredibly. He's cooled off a little bit, but still

543
00:25:41,480 --> 00:25:45,399
Speaker 2: a guy with his goals, with his physical traits, obviously

544
00:25:45,400 --> 00:25:48,680
Speaker 2: his technical ability, but when if you're a west Ham

545
00:25:49,200 --> 00:25:52,040
Speaker 2: and you're desperate to sign a forward, Hajji Wright has

546
00:25:52,080 --> 00:25:53,800
Speaker 2: to be on your list. Whether he's their first choice

547
00:25:53,960 --> 00:25:57,920
Speaker 2: verse seventh, right that I think that's immaterial, But I

548
00:25:57,960 --> 00:26:01,399
Speaker 2: think that there's like a possibility, right, Like there's gonna

549
00:26:01,400 --> 00:26:04,160
Speaker 2: be interest. I'm not sure that he moves this winter,

550
00:26:04,240 --> 00:26:08,240
Speaker 2: but anytime you look at the Championship leading scorers January

551
00:26:08,320 --> 00:26:09,800
Speaker 2: is always a possibility for to go to the Premier

552
00:26:09,880 --> 00:26:10,919
Speaker 2: League Worhills.

553
00:26:11,200 --> 00:26:14,439
Speaker 1: Yeah, and it might be a good, good possibility for Hosie, right,

554
00:26:14,480 --> 00:26:16,600
Speaker 1: And if he gets that opportunity, he should definitely go

555
00:26:16,720 --> 00:26:20,000
Speaker 1: for it. You know, first of all, you know, teams

556
00:26:20,160 --> 00:26:23,120
Speaker 1: like these kind of players that are that are tall, big,

557
00:26:23,359 --> 00:26:26,040
Speaker 1: strong and look good getting off the bus. You know,

558
00:26:26,080 --> 00:26:30,120
Speaker 1: it just makes the team look good. On top of it,

559
00:26:30,240 --> 00:26:33,560
Speaker 1: he is he has been a proven scorer in the Championship,

560
00:26:33,640 --> 00:26:36,520
Speaker 1: right and and of course his natural next move would

561
00:26:36,560 --> 00:26:39,320
Speaker 1: be to try to be in the EPL. So it's

562
00:26:39,359 --> 00:26:41,959
Speaker 1: normal that a team that's lacking scoring would be looking

563
00:26:42,560 --> 00:26:45,480
Speaker 1: for someone like him, And I think if he gets

564
00:26:45,480 --> 00:26:48,080
Speaker 1: that opportunity, I think he's one of the guys that

565
00:26:48,119 --> 00:26:51,160
Speaker 1: I think, even if it's midyear unless it's a bottom

566
00:26:51,200 --> 00:26:54,800
Speaker 1: of the table relegation team. Let's say like a Wolf

567
00:26:54,840 --> 00:26:58,200
Speaker 1: set this point or a team like that. I think

568
00:26:58,200 --> 00:26:59,679
Speaker 1: you should take that opportunity to move on.

569
00:27:00,240 --> 00:27:03,439
Speaker 2: Yeah, Like it'd be funny to be like, oh, I

570
00:27:03,440 --> 00:27:04,960
Speaker 2: want to get to the Premier League and you leave

571
00:27:05,040 --> 00:27:07,280
Speaker 2: the team that's in first place in the championship for

572
00:27:07,480 --> 00:27:09,920
Speaker 2: the distant last place in the Premier League, and then

573
00:27:09,960 --> 00:27:12,200
Speaker 2: in six months those two teams are very very likely

574
00:27:12,240 --> 00:27:14,760
Speaker 2: to swap. So I would agree advise against Wolves. I

575
00:27:14,760 --> 00:27:16,200
Speaker 2: don't again, I don't know if that's an interest or

576
00:27:16,240 --> 00:27:18,400
Speaker 2: not doen or anything else. And we're probably saying things

577
00:27:18,400 --> 00:27:21,000
Speaker 2: that are obvious to him and in people in his camp.

578
00:27:21,400 --> 00:27:23,240
Speaker 2: But when you're performing the way that he is and

579
00:27:23,280 --> 00:27:25,879
Speaker 2: the way that he has, that's always going to be

580
00:27:26,400 --> 00:27:29,520
Speaker 2: kind of top of mind. Tap is this a player,

581
00:27:30,160 --> 00:27:32,600
Speaker 2: I believe the timelines would have aligned, Like was he

582
00:27:32,680 --> 00:27:36,000
Speaker 2: somebody that you worked with with the USU national?

583
00:27:36,359 --> 00:27:38,560
Speaker 1: I did a little bit, and you know, Haji's a

584
00:27:38,640 --> 00:27:42,199
Speaker 1: great human being, hard worker, He has all of the

585
00:27:42,280 --> 00:27:44,840
Speaker 1: qualities off the field that you would want in a player.

586
00:27:45,600 --> 00:27:47,760
Speaker 1: You know, he's a little bit quiet, but you know

587
00:27:47,840 --> 00:27:50,720
Speaker 1: he he he'll do anything for you. So he's a

588
00:27:50,800 --> 00:27:53,959
Speaker 1: very coachable player and I think he'll fit into any system.

589
00:27:53,960 --> 00:27:56,439
Speaker 1: But obviously, you know, when you're a goal scorer, the

590
00:27:56,440 --> 00:27:58,040
Speaker 1: only thing that matters at the end of the day

591
00:27:58,080 --> 00:28:00,880
Speaker 1: is how many goals you're scoring, and if you're not scoring,

592
00:28:01,119 --> 00:28:02,560
Speaker 1: the rest of it really doesn't.

593
00:28:02,320 --> 00:28:05,760
Speaker 2: Matter, especially in England and especially if you make a

594
00:28:05,800 --> 00:28:07,800
Speaker 2: January move. But he's in a really good spot with

595
00:28:07,880 --> 00:28:11,680
Speaker 2: Coventry City, so there's only only good possibilities here for Hajji, right.

596
00:28:12,640 --> 00:28:14,200
Speaker 2: I'm not again, I'm not sure if I would expect

597
00:28:14,240 --> 00:28:16,080
Speaker 2: him to move, but he's somebody that should absolutely be

598
00:28:16,119 --> 00:28:19,359
Speaker 2: spoken about, just because of all of those circumstances. I

599
00:28:19,440 --> 00:28:22,000
Speaker 2: know they got to talk about Subatian Burhalter, so I

600
00:28:22,080 --> 00:28:24,879
Speaker 2: cautioned all of this to say I would be surprised

601
00:28:24,880 --> 00:28:28,240
Speaker 2: if he leaves the Vancouver white Caps, but he's out

602
00:28:28,240 --> 00:28:30,840
Speaker 2: of contract in a year. He is not playing for

603
00:28:30,840 --> 00:28:32,880
Speaker 2: the Vancouver white Caps on its current deal. He has

604
00:28:33,680 --> 00:28:36,960
Speaker 2: significantly outperformed that He just came off of his career

605
00:28:37,000 --> 00:28:39,640
Speaker 2: best season, was his named best eleven in MLS, breaks

606
00:28:39,640 --> 00:28:41,440
Speaker 2: into the US national team, was one of the best

607
00:28:41,440 --> 00:28:45,400
Speaker 2: players in the Concap Champions Cup for Vancouver. If Vancouver

608
00:28:45,920 --> 00:28:49,200
Speaker 2: mess around on the contract, there are gonna be plenty

609
00:28:49,200 --> 00:28:52,640
Speaker 2: of offers in MLS. I know from sources that teams

610
00:28:52,640 --> 00:28:55,160
Speaker 2: have called asking Vancouver, hey, what's the situation. You know,

611
00:28:55,440 --> 00:28:57,840
Speaker 2: as long as he hasn't signed a new contract, teams

612
00:28:57,840 --> 00:29:01,040
Speaker 2: are gonna call, Teams are gonna try. This makes too

613
00:29:01,080 --> 00:29:04,320
Speaker 2: much sense for these two parties to not come to

614
00:29:04,360 --> 00:29:07,400
Speaker 2: a new deal. And the last I heard on the negotiations,

615
00:29:07,400 --> 00:29:10,760
Speaker 2: per sources, is they weren't that far off, and from

616
00:29:10,760 --> 00:29:15,640
Speaker 2: my understanding, the salary expectations, or at least initial ass

617
00:29:15,680 --> 00:29:19,800
Speaker 2: from Burhalter, is not unreasonable. The only issue is for

618
00:29:19,920 --> 00:29:23,280
Speaker 2: Vancouver to create room to give him the contract, they're

619
00:29:23,320 --> 00:29:25,400
Speaker 2: gonna need to move players out. So that's gonna take

620
00:29:25,400 --> 00:29:28,200
Speaker 2: a little bit of time and probably speaks to why

621
00:29:28,200 --> 00:29:31,400
Speaker 2: this hasn't happened yet. But the longer it goes, the

622
00:29:31,480 --> 00:29:35,080
Speaker 2: more teams are gonna call. And I would have said so.

623
00:29:35,200 --> 00:29:38,120
Speaker 2: Dane Saint Clair, I reported this week, is about to

624
00:29:38,160 --> 00:29:40,640
Speaker 2: sign with into Miami. He was a free agent from

625
00:29:40,640 --> 00:29:43,000
Speaker 2: Minnesota United. They have been in contract talks for months.

626
00:29:44,000 --> 00:29:46,080
Speaker 2: I use him as an example because if you ask

627
00:29:46,160 --> 00:29:48,560
Speaker 2: me in November, I would have said, man, there's like

628
00:29:48,600 --> 00:29:50,800
Speaker 2: one percent chance that he leaves Minnesota. It just makes

629
00:29:50,840 --> 00:29:53,920
Speaker 2: too much sense. They have the money, the player loves

630
00:29:53,920 --> 00:29:57,200
Speaker 2: the team, the team loves the player. It's gonna happen. Well.

631
00:29:57,240 --> 00:29:59,920
Speaker 2: Sometimes teams get a little bit too cute in these negotiations.

632
00:30:00,000 --> 00:30:03,000
Speaker 2: Teams try to shave money or try to win a negotiation.

633
00:30:03,360 --> 00:30:04,880
Speaker 2: All of a sudden, Dan Saint Clair gets a pree

634
00:30:04,880 --> 00:30:08,840
Speaker 2: agency and he leaves Sebastin Burholter. I would be surprised

635
00:30:08,840 --> 00:30:11,320
Speaker 2: if he leaves, but until he signs a new contract,

636
00:30:11,360 --> 00:30:12,280
Speaker 2: it is a possibility.

637
00:30:14,200 --> 00:30:19,120
Speaker 1: Would I would like to see Burholter move overseas. I

638
00:30:19,160 --> 00:30:22,360
Speaker 1: think I'd like to see him go the Aiden Morris route,

639
00:30:22,720 --> 00:30:25,719
Speaker 1: and even if it is a championship team overseas. And

640
00:30:25,760 --> 00:30:27,680
Speaker 1: this is the reason I'm gonna tell you this. You know,

641
00:30:27,920 --> 00:30:32,320
Speaker 1: Burholter is a very good player. He's a good person.

642
00:30:32,520 --> 00:30:36,280
Speaker 1: I know him, a little bit hard obviously hard worker.

643
00:30:36,400 --> 00:30:39,240
Speaker 1: This is the reason he made, you know, one of

644
00:30:39,280 --> 00:30:42,959
Speaker 1: the reasons he made the the MLS Best eleven. But

645
00:30:43,040 --> 00:30:45,440
Speaker 1: once you make the best of eleven as a young player,

646
00:30:45,680 --> 00:30:48,760
Speaker 1: what else is there in MLS for you? I think

647
00:30:48,760 --> 00:30:50,880
Speaker 1: it's time to try something else. I think with the

648
00:30:50,920 --> 00:30:53,600
Speaker 1: progress that he made this year. I think it would

649
00:30:53,600 --> 00:30:57,120
Speaker 1: be important for him to try himself at a different

650
00:30:57,200 --> 00:31:01,640
Speaker 1: environment where he has potential to go to go to

651
00:31:01,680 --> 00:31:04,239
Speaker 1: the limit. And I think it would be great if

652
00:31:04,280 --> 00:31:07,320
Speaker 1: he could find a move overseas somewhere, because I do

653
00:31:07,400 --> 00:31:09,920
Speaker 1: think that he will continue to grow and he will

654
00:31:09,960 --> 00:31:13,360
Speaker 1: do better overseas. At the same time, he's a marginal

655
00:31:13,560 --> 00:31:17,600
Speaker 1: roster national team guy, whether he's in, whether he's out,

656
00:31:17,680 --> 00:31:20,640
Speaker 1: you know, and I think going overseas and doing well

657
00:31:20,680 --> 00:31:23,440
Speaker 1: could really help him to not only be on the team,

658
00:31:23,480 --> 00:31:26,840
Speaker 1: but potentially fight for a starting position on the team.

659
00:31:27,800 --> 00:31:31,800
Speaker 2: Devil's advocate on that one is Pochatino has shown that

660
00:31:31,880 --> 00:31:33,920
Speaker 2: if you're playing well and playing in MLS, that's cool,

661
00:31:34,040 --> 00:31:36,520
Speaker 2: Like it's not going to be looked down upon. What's

662
00:31:36,560 --> 00:31:39,160
Speaker 2: most important is that you're playing and playing well and

663
00:31:39,520 --> 00:31:43,000
Speaker 2: moving in January, you risk not playing and not playing

664
00:31:43,000 --> 00:31:45,720
Speaker 2: well for whatever new club you get to. Also, the

665
00:31:45,760 --> 00:31:48,800
Speaker 2: financial side of things, he's going to make more money

666
00:31:48,800 --> 00:31:51,680
Speaker 2: in MLS than any other league, right, I think that

667
00:31:51,680 --> 00:31:54,240
Speaker 2: that's just realistic. He's more valuable to the Vancouver white

668
00:31:54,280 --> 00:31:57,440
Speaker 2: Caps than he would be to say, Middlesbrough or insert

669
00:31:57,440 --> 00:32:01,800
Speaker 2: a championship team, though they do have money. This mirror

670
00:32:01,840 --> 00:32:04,920
Speaker 2: is a little bit Max Arsten. And also for the

671
00:32:04,960 --> 00:32:08,760
Speaker 2: club situation, Middlesbrough really wanted Max Arsten. I don't know

672
00:32:08,800 --> 00:32:10,320
Speaker 2: what they would have paid in the contract. Maybe it

673
00:32:10,320 --> 00:32:14,680
Speaker 2: would have been similar to the Columbus crew, but they

674
00:32:15,160 --> 00:32:17,360
Speaker 2: liked him, but they weren't willing to pay more than

675
00:32:17,360 --> 00:32:19,479
Speaker 2: like two or three million. And if you're Columbus, if

676
00:32:19,480 --> 00:32:22,840
Speaker 2: you're Vancouver, what's more valuable two million dollars in a

677
00:32:22,880 --> 00:32:26,440
Speaker 2: transfer fee which is really negligible, or having a best

678
00:32:26,480 --> 00:32:29,240
Speaker 2: eleven quality player in your team. So this is one

679
00:32:29,240 --> 00:32:33,120
Speaker 2: of those difficult quadrants of he's really good and really

680
00:32:33,200 --> 00:32:36,000
Speaker 2: valuable to an MLS team, and he would be good

681
00:32:36,000 --> 00:32:38,760
Speaker 2: and valuable to a European team, but he's twenty four

682
00:32:38,880 --> 00:32:42,280
Speaker 2: or whatever, so the European teams aren't spending the fee

683
00:32:42,440 --> 00:32:44,640
Speaker 2: would that would be necessary to get him out of

684
00:32:44,680 --> 00:32:48,400
Speaker 2: his club. So you're kind of not stuck. But you

685
00:32:48,560 --> 00:32:51,640
Speaker 2: understand why Vancouver and Columbus for Arson, would reject a

686
00:32:51,680 --> 00:32:55,200
Speaker 2: small bid, and also you understand why the players would

687
00:32:55,200 --> 00:32:57,440
Speaker 2: then sign a new contract. So this happened ere long

688
00:32:57,480 --> 00:33:00,520
Speaker 2: a few years ago as well. He was much more

689
00:33:00,560 --> 00:33:02,480
Speaker 2: valuable to the new York Red Bulls at the time.

690
00:33:02,960 --> 00:33:06,959
Speaker 2: Then he would then then like Southampton or insert FC

691
00:33:07,160 --> 00:33:09,360
Speaker 2: nunts would be paying in a transferty because of his

692
00:33:09,400 --> 00:33:11,520
Speaker 2: age and his profile. So it's a little bit of

693
00:33:11,560 --> 00:33:14,400
Speaker 2: if an awkward situation for a player of his quality

694
00:33:14,440 --> 00:33:15,000
Speaker 2: and age.

695
00:33:15,480 --> 00:33:17,760
Speaker 1: Yeah, no doubt. I mean we've seen another player is

696
00:33:17,800 --> 00:33:20,680
Speaker 1: Miles Robinson being another one right where he's had some

697
00:33:20,720 --> 00:33:23,400
Speaker 1: opportunities the money was not good enough in Holland or

698
00:33:23,440 --> 00:33:25,880
Speaker 1: wherever else he was going to go and decided, hey,

699
00:33:25,920 --> 00:33:28,360
Speaker 1: I'm going to stay here. The problem with that is

700
00:33:28,360 --> 00:33:30,200
Speaker 1: when you stay here long enough, and by the way,

701
00:33:30,240 --> 00:33:32,880
Speaker 1: it's all good and and and when you talk about

702
00:33:32,880 --> 00:33:35,800
Speaker 1: how valuable these players are, whether it's you know, Burholter

703
00:33:36,240 --> 00:33:40,560
Speaker 1: at at Vancouver and Arston at Columbus, there's no doubt

704
00:33:40,560 --> 00:33:44,040
Speaker 1: the value for the club. But the player has to

705
00:33:44,040 --> 00:33:46,800
Speaker 1: think about his career, right, not about the value for

706
00:33:46,840 --> 00:33:49,120
Speaker 1: the club. And I think in terms of a career,

707
00:33:49,520 --> 00:33:52,000
Speaker 1: you wait a couple more years, maybe that window closest

708
00:33:52,000 --> 00:33:54,960
Speaker 1: of having an opportunity to go and potentially play in

709
00:33:55,040 --> 00:33:57,360
Speaker 1: some of the best clubs in the world, because you know,

710
00:33:57,520 --> 00:34:00,200
Speaker 1: if you go overseas now that opens the window to

711
00:34:00,320 --> 00:34:03,520
Speaker 1: everything and staying at home. You kind of know that

712
00:34:03,560 --> 00:34:06,120
Speaker 1: if you sign a three four year contract at home,

713
00:34:06,520 --> 00:34:08,400
Speaker 1: that the rest of your career is likely going to

714
00:34:08,440 --> 00:34:10,280
Speaker 1: be at home. And that, by the way, that's okay,

715
00:34:10,600 --> 00:34:12,960
Speaker 1: and that's okay because MLS is at a great level,

716
00:34:13,200 --> 00:34:16,320
Speaker 1: and that's okay because you're playing great soccer. But that's

717
00:34:16,320 --> 00:34:18,960
Speaker 1: something to think about and that.

718
00:34:19,239 --> 00:34:20,839
Speaker 2: Is a very good point tap too, as well as

719
00:34:21,120 --> 00:34:23,360
Speaker 2: his age as right twenty four out of contract in

720
00:34:23,360 --> 00:34:25,560
Speaker 2: the year. Same thing with Miles Robinson when he ended

721
00:34:25,640 --> 00:34:28,480
Speaker 2: up signing with with FC Cincinnati free agency. If it's

722
00:34:28,480 --> 00:34:31,839
Speaker 2: not now, it's probably not going to happen, because when

723
00:34:31,880 --> 00:34:33,879
Speaker 2: are you going to have more options than when you're

724
00:34:33,960 --> 00:34:36,719
Speaker 2: either free or twelve months left in your contract. And

725
00:34:36,760 --> 00:34:40,080
Speaker 2: then when you sign that new deal, like again, let's

726
00:34:40,080 --> 00:34:42,879
Speaker 2: say Buralter, let's just hypothetically same number, one point five

727
00:34:42,880 --> 00:34:44,960
Speaker 2: million per year. That's more than what he would get

728
00:34:45,000 --> 00:34:47,640
Speaker 2: in Europe. And also like then, when you sign the contract,

729
00:34:47,680 --> 00:34:51,479
Speaker 2: you can't ask Vancouver to consider offers. It was starting

730
00:34:51,520 --> 00:34:53,000
Speaker 2: to keep on bringing Arson, but I think that these

731
00:34:53,040 --> 00:34:56,520
Speaker 2: two players are similar both in profile quality aige situations.

732
00:34:57,239 --> 00:35:00,279
Speaker 2: Arson signed a new deal in the summer when bid

733
00:35:00,320 --> 00:35:04,480
Speaker 2: was rejected by for Middlesbrough and then this winter it's like, hey,

734
00:35:04,480 --> 00:35:06,320
Speaker 2: I kind of want to move to Europe. The Columbus

735
00:35:06,320 --> 00:35:08,040
Speaker 2: Crew have every right to be like you just signed

736
00:35:08,040 --> 00:35:11,319
Speaker 2: a new contract. No, like there's or if all right, kay,

737
00:35:11,440 --> 00:35:13,680
Speaker 2: like we valued you really highly on the contract. Thus

738
00:35:13,680 --> 00:35:15,359
Speaker 2: our asking price is going to go up as well.

739
00:35:15,440 --> 00:35:18,200
Speaker 2: So that is the situation for Bolton, and I'm glad

740
00:35:18,239 --> 00:35:21,120
Speaker 2: that they pointed that out of Hey, like it's it's

741
00:35:21,200 --> 00:35:23,359
Speaker 2: kind of like now it is the time and same

742
00:35:23,360 --> 00:35:26,160
Speaker 2: thing at Miles Robinson was another good example. He stayed

743
00:35:26,200 --> 00:35:28,080
Speaker 2: in him last and now he's gonna be a DP

744
00:35:28,160 --> 00:35:30,799
Speaker 2: center back on a second contract for Cincinnati. He's he

745
00:35:30,880 --> 00:35:33,080
Speaker 2: got one point five million per year his first two

746
00:35:33,120 --> 00:35:35,120
Speaker 2: years at the club. That is, I know for a

747
00:35:35,120 --> 00:35:36,480
Speaker 2: fact that is more than you all for someone on

748
00:35:36,520 --> 00:35:38,560
Speaker 2: the table in Europe. And now he's getting like three

749
00:35:38,640 --> 00:35:42,120
Speaker 2: million or something in that ballpark. That like that's double

750
00:35:42,239 --> 00:35:44,600
Speaker 2: triple than what he might have gotten at you know,

751
00:35:44,640 --> 00:35:46,560
Speaker 2: a Dutch club or a Beltian club or whatever. Right

752
00:35:46,600 --> 00:35:50,080
Speaker 2: like so in a vacuum, I get it. I understand

753
00:35:50,120 --> 00:35:54,240
Speaker 2: the yeah, man, like you go to PSV or whatever

754
00:35:54,280 --> 00:35:56,160
Speaker 2: the next level of club might be in Holland and

755
00:35:56,160 --> 00:35:58,239
Speaker 2: then you make the move to the championship or lower

756
00:35:58,239 --> 00:36:02,360
Speaker 2: Premier league team. But we all need to challenge ourselves

757
00:36:02,440 --> 00:36:07,000
Speaker 2: better fans had on this one, what would you do right?

758
00:36:07,080 --> 00:36:09,359
Speaker 2: Like you've got you've got an offer that's that's three

759
00:36:09,520 --> 00:36:12,000
Speaker 2: x anything else on the table. It's easy to say

760
00:36:12,000 --> 00:36:13,719
Speaker 2: that when it's not your money. It's easy to say, go,

761
00:36:13,760 --> 00:36:15,120
Speaker 2: try to do the harder thing, Go, try to go

762
00:36:15,120 --> 00:36:17,040
Speaker 2: to the different compan It's easy when it's your money.

763
00:36:17,080 --> 00:36:18,800
Speaker 2: When that's sitting in front of you, When you've got

764
00:36:19,120 --> 00:36:21,480
Speaker 2: you've got one career and you've got one prime.

765
00:36:21,280 --> 00:36:23,920
Speaker 1: It's really hard to turn that down without a doubt

766
00:36:23,960 --> 00:36:27,040
Speaker 1: that you know you. I would never blame a player

767
00:36:27,080 --> 00:36:29,600
Speaker 1: for taking the money. You have to take the money.

768
00:36:29,640 --> 00:36:32,200
Speaker 1: Your career is very short. I know sometimes fans don't

769
00:36:32,200 --> 00:36:34,439
Speaker 1: want to hear that. But at the end of the day,

770
00:36:34,480 --> 00:36:36,960
Speaker 1: this becomes a job like every other job. You know,

771
00:36:37,000 --> 00:36:39,920
Speaker 1: you're throwing your body in there every day. You know,

772
00:36:40,000 --> 00:36:41,759
Speaker 1: you don't know how long your career is going to be.

773
00:36:41,800 --> 00:36:44,680
Speaker 1: The more money you can make, the better. But what

774
00:36:44,760 --> 00:36:47,440
Speaker 1: I also do know is that you can get to

775
00:36:47,480 --> 00:36:50,239
Speaker 1: the end of the career wondering what if, right, what

776
00:36:50,400 --> 00:36:52,799
Speaker 1: if I went to play, and that's something that you

777
00:36:52,960 --> 00:36:55,080
Speaker 1: have to live with and there's no price for that.

778
00:36:55,080 --> 00:36:57,480
Speaker 1: That has nothing to do with money. That has to

779
00:36:57,520 --> 00:37:00,360
Speaker 1: do with did I put myself in position to be

780
00:37:00,480 --> 00:37:03,000
Speaker 1: the best that I could be and reach the highest

781
00:37:03,080 --> 00:37:05,640
Speaker 1: level that I could reach, And that's a question that

782
00:37:05,680 --> 00:37:06,960
Speaker 1: you ask yourself at one point.

783
00:37:08,480 --> 00:37:12,040
Speaker 2: It's always trade offs, and these are like you're allowed

784
00:37:12,040 --> 00:37:14,840
Speaker 2: to criticize it, right fans, Like I'm not saying earlier

785
00:37:14,880 --> 00:37:17,480
Speaker 2: than now, but just it needs to be considered and

786
00:37:17,840 --> 00:37:19,400
Speaker 2: if you take the money, then you're gonna get some

787
00:37:19,440 --> 00:37:21,360
Speaker 2: criticisms of well, what if he could have done that?

788
00:37:21,440 --> 00:37:25,239
Speaker 2: But it's it's not always a be all end all

789
00:37:25,280 --> 00:37:26,920
Speaker 2: as well, because sometimes guys go to Europe and it

790
00:37:26,920 --> 00:37:29,520
Speaker 2: doesn't quite work out, Like justin Jay much much lower

791
00:37:29,600 --> 00:37:31,520
Speaker 2: level than the guys that we're talking about right now.

792
00:37:31,520 --> 00:37:34,680
Speaker 2: But he played for Dallas like fifteen games when he

793
00:37:34,760 --> 00:37:37,959
Speaker 2: was like seventeen, sixteen or seventeen, and in the next

794
00:37:37,960 --> 00:37:40,440
Speaker 2: four years, I think he's played a total of like

795
00:37:41,400 --> 00:37:43,800
Speaker 2: fifteen first team games in Europe. He's only played for

796
00:37:43,840 --> 00:37:47,040
Speaker 2: second teams. And I don't blame him for taking the chance.

797
00:37:47,040 --> 00:37:49,279
Speaker 2: I respect him for taking the chance. But maybe his

798
00:37:49,320 --> 00:37:50,880
Speaker 2: career is a little bit different and he just come

799
00:37:50,920 --> 00:37:52,160
Speaker 2: back to the Red Bulls and hope we can get

800
00:37:52,200 --> 00:37:54,520
Speaker 2: it back on the track. But I also think it's

801
00:37:54,520 --> 00:37:57,399
Speaker 2: important to point out the points where it's not this

802
00:37:57,800 --> 00:38:00,480
Speaker 2: magic elixir that just go to Europe and bang, all

803
00:38:00,480 --> 00:38:02,560
Speaker 2: your dreams come through, right. Sometimes it doesn't work out.

804
00:38:03,480 --> 00:38:07,200
Speaker 2: Beyond that, a couple more that are not quite I

805
00:38:07,200 --> 00:38:09,000
Speaker 2: think I'd be surprised at both of these players. Either

806
00:38:09,000 --> 00:38:10,799
Speaker 2: of these players makes the World Cup squad, but they're

807
00:38:10,800 --> 00:38:12,920
Speaker 2: still in the pool. So let's talk about him. Josh Sargent.

808
00:38:13,600 --> 00:38:17,759
Speaker 2: Norwich City are struggling. They're doing wallful. Josh Sargent has

809
00:38:17,760 --> 00:38:20,960
Speaker 2: been one of their bright spots and at with that,

810
00:38:21,400 --> 00:38:24,280
Speaker 2: there's definitely a possibility he moves in January. He's good

811
00:38:24,320 --> 00:38:27,680
Speaker 2: and Norich stink. It's pretty much that simple. Sources that

812
00:38:27,719 --> 00:38:31,160
Speaker 2: I've spoke to around this expect Norich are not going

813
00:38:31,160 --> 00:38:34,240
Speaker 2: to be asking for the same number that they were asking.

814
00:38:34,400 --> 00:38:37,080
Speaker 2: They quoted FC Cincinnati like thirty million dollars US. That

815
00:38:37,160 --> 00:38:41,080
Speaker 2: was eighteen months ago. This winter, this summer, he was

816
00:38:41,200 --> 00:38:44,399
Speaker 2: very close to a move to Wolfsburg in the Bundesligam

817
00:38:44,520 --> 00:38:47,320
Speaker 2: That was like twenty eight million dollars US sergeant traveled

818
00:38:47,320 --> 00:38:50,120
Speaker 2: to Germany. Ultimately, he and his family decided, you know,

819
00:38:50,120 --> 00:38:51,440
Speaker 2: and actually we don't want to think this what we

820
00:38:51,440 --> 00:38:54,200
Speaker 2: want to stay at Norwich. That's not going to be

821
00:38:54,200 --> 00:38:56,600
Speaker 2: the asking price this winter from what I understand, which

822
00:38:56,640 --> 00:38:58,680
Speaker 2: makes it more and more possible that he does move.

823
00:38:59,040 --> 00:39:02,520
Speaker 2: This is a guy that it's not for me from

824
00:39:02,560 --> 00:39:05,440
Speaker 2: what I understand, I think it's it's not if, but

825
00:39:05,520 --> 00:39:07,400
Speaker 2: when he comes back to MLS, and I don't know

826
00:39:07,440 --> 00:39:09,439
Speaker 2: if that would be this winter or not. But he's

827
00:39:09,480 --> 00:39:12,440
Speaker 2: a guy that I think makes sense. I think Cincinnati

828
00:39:12,440 --> 00:39:14,400
Speaker 2: would have paid at least twenty million four and they

829
00:39:14,440 --> 00:39:16,800
Speaker 2: would have set a new league record. So that's the

830
00:39:16,880 --> 00:39:18,160
Speaker 2: kind of guy that I think would make sense in

831
00:39:18,320 --> 00:39:20,600
Speaker 2: MLS two. But he's just somebody to look at this

832
00:39:20,600 --> 00:39:24,480
Speaker 2: this winter and then another players Tristan Blackman, Vancouver white Caps.

833
00:39:24,719 --> 00:39:26,560
Speaker 2: I hope that this in photo doesn't become stale. But

834
00:39:27,160 --> 00:39:29,480
Speaker 2: in the next few days MS Vendor of the Year.

835
00:39:30,440 --> 00:39:32,320
Speaker 2: He's due a new contract because you and defender of

836
00:39:32,320 --> 00:39:33,600
Speaker 2: the Year, you asked for a new contract. That's how

837
00:39:33,600 --> 00:39:36,800
Speaker 2: it goes in the world. I'm assuming he stays in Vancouver,

838
00:39:36,840 --> 00:39:38,480
Speaker 2: but if a new contract doesn't come, that opens the

839
00:39:38,480 --> 00:39:40,759
Speaker 2: possibility that he either moves within MLS or somewhere else.

840
00:39:40,760 --> 00:39:43,640
Speaker 2: So any anything to add there on Sergeant of Blackman.

841
00:39:43,440 --> 00:39:45,000
Speaker 1: I'll start with black Men because I think it's a

842
00:39:45,040 --> 00:39:47,560
Speaker 1: little bit of an easier one. You're defender of the year.

843
00:39:47,680 --> 00:39:51,080
Speaker 1: You need to get defender of the year money, whoever's

844
00:39:51,080 --> 00:39:52,600
Speaker 1: gonna give it to you. That's where you're gonna go,

845
00:39:52,840 --> 00:39:55,160
Speaker 1: and whether it's your club or another club, And that's

846
00:39:55,200 --> 00:39:57,520
Speaker 1: what should happen with black Men, who, by the way,

847
00:39:57,800 --> 00:39:59,920
Speaker 1: I think is a great defender. I love the way

848
00:40:00,040 --> 00:40:02,839
Speaker 1: he plays. I've always been a fan of the way

849
00:40:02,880 --> 00:40:05,879
Speaker 1: he plays, in his intensity, with the way he does.

850
00:40:05,960 --> 00:40:10,520
Speaker 1: Think so big fan of that. In terms of Sergeant,

851
00:40:11,040 --> 00:40:12,440
Speaker 1: I think I'm gonna tell you a little bit of

852
00:40:12,440 --> 00:40:16,680
Speaker 1: the future on Sergeant. I think I think Sergeant I'd

853
00:40:16,760 --> 00:40:19,400
Speaker 1: like to see Sergeant go back to Germany play for

854
00:40:19,480 --> 00:40:23,080
Speaker 1: one of the top of the table clubs if possible.

855
00:40:23,400 --> 00:40:26,759
Speaker 1: You know again, I'm gonna name clubs like Frankfurt. I'm

856
00:40:26,760 --> 00:40:29,680
Speaker 1: gonna name clubs like, you know, like labor Cuz in

857
00:40:29,680 --> 00:40:31,839
Speaker 1: one of these clubs. I hope that he can get

858
00:40:31,840 --> 00:40:35,640
Speaker 1: a move move like that and then I'd love to

859
00:40:35,680 --> 00:40:37,960
Speaker 1: see him finish in Saint Louis. That's where I'd like

860
00:40:38,000 --> 00:40:41,400
Speaker 1: to see Sergeant go after that. You know, I forget Cincinnati.

861
00:40:41,400 --> 00:40:43,560
Speaker 1: I'd like to see him go back to Saint Louis.

862
00:40:44,680 --> 00:40:46,759
Speaker 2: They like him. Ownership doesn't want to pay up for

863
00:40:46,800 --> 00:40:48,200
Speaker 2: what it would cost to get him now, so maybe

864
00:40:48,239 --> 00:40:50,040
Speaker 2: one time in the future, but again, a local Saint

865
00:40:50,120 --> 00:40:53,839
Speaker 2: Louis kid, that would be pretty pretty cool. That's it

866
00:40:53,960 --> 00:40:56,080
Speaker 2: for the big kind of transfer discussions we've got, but

867
00:40:56,080 --> 00:40:57,719
Speaker 2: we're not done with the show. We're gonna take a

868
00:40:57,760 --> 00:41:00,320
Speaker 2: quick break, and speaking of transfers, we're gonna listen to

869
00:41:00,360 --> 00:41:02,480
Speaker 2: some stories about from Tab about his playing career. In

870
00:41:02,520 --> 00:41:04,560
Speaker 2: some of those moves we're not gonna talk about. I

871
00:41:04,600 --> 00:41:06,520
Speaker 2: don't think the Brooklyn Italians, but I will take a

872
00:41:06,520 --> 00:41:08,040
Speaker 2: transfer story on that if you've got a tab. But

873
00:41:08,080 --> 00:41:10,640
Speaker 2: we'll be right back. Thank you for listening, Please rate, review,

874
00:41:10,640 --> 00:41:27,600
Speaker 2: and subscribe to Inside Americas. Welcome back to Inside American Soccer,

875
00:41:27,880 --> 00:41:29,800
Speaker 2: and for this segment, we go inside the locker room

876
00:41:29,840 --> 00:41:32,880
Speaker 2: and Tab, You've made a couple of really big transfers

877
00:41:32,880 --> 00:41:34,480
Speaker 2: in your career. You know, you know, you like to

878
00:41:34,520 --> 00:41:36,759
Speaker 2: downplay things, but uh, you had, you had some big

879
00:41:36,760 --> 00:41:40,360
Speaker 2: blockbuster moves in your day, particularly trailblazing for an American

880
00:41:40,400 --> 00:41:42,799
Speaker 2: soccer players. So I'm gonna give you the floor. Which

881
00:41:42,840 --> 00:41:44,600
Speaker 2: one which of your transfers do you want to talk

882
00:41:44,600 --> 00:41:45,120
Speaker 2: about first?

883
00:41:45,960 --> 00:41:48,560
Speaker 1: Well, I mean there, I'm gonna speak about two because

884
00:41:48,600 --> 00:41:50,960
Speaker 1: I think they're they're quite different one from the other.

885
00:41:51,200 --> 00:41:53,480
Speaker 1: And uh, I don't know that i'd call him blockbuster

886
00:41:53,600 --> 00:41:56,800
Speaker 1: moves that were back in the newspaper days and black

887
00:41:56,840 --> 00:42:01,440
Speaker 1: and white TV, I think, but uh, but no. But

888
00:42:01,719 --> 00:42:04,400
Speaker 1: you know, when we qualified for the World Cup in

889
00:42:04,480 --> 00:42:07,480
Speaker 1: nineteen ninety, you know, that was the days in which

890
00:42:07,600 --> 00:42:10,960
Speaker 1: with our national team, not every game we played, you know,

891
00:42:11,080 --> 00:42:14,279
Speaker 1: was an international games. Sometimes we played club teams. So

892
00:42:14,360 --> 00:42:16,880
Speaker 1: I remember we played against IAX in Washington, d C.

893
00:42:17,520 --> 00:42:20,400
Speaker 1: And after playing i X in Washington, d C. I

894
00:42:20,480 --> 00:42:22,920
Speaker 1: was able to get an offer from Rhoda from Holland

895
00:42:23,600 --> 00:42:28,160
Speaker 1: to go and play in Holland and decided not. I

896
00:42:28,280 --> 00:42:30,719
Speaker 1: had the offer on the table for a three year contract,

897
00:42:30,960 --> 00:42:33,760
Speaker 1: decided not to accept the offer because we were getting

898
00:42:33,760 --> 00:42:36,080
Speaker 1: ready to go to the World Cup, and I decided

899
00:42:36,120 --> 00:42:38,040
Speaker 1: to wait it out until after the World Cup. So

900
00:42:38,120 --> 00:42:40,600
Speaker 1: right after the World Cup, I received an offer from

901
00:42:40,640 --> 00:42:42,840
Speaker 1: Spain to go play in second division in Spain with

902
00:42:42,920 --> 00:42:45,880
Speaker 1: a small club, Figueras. But it was a time for

903
00:42:45,920 --> 00:42:47,839
Speaker 1: me to make a decision. Do I go into first

904
00:42:47,840 --> 00:42:50,040
Speaker 1: division in Holland or do I go into second division

905
00:42:50,040 --> 00:42:52,760
Speaker 1: in Spain? And I thought, for my style of play

906
00:42:52,880 --> 00:42:56,279
Speaker 1: and my goals, which one of my goals was to

907
00:42:56,280 --> 00:42:59,640
Speaker 1: play in La Liga, I thought that going to Spain

908
00:42:59,719 --> 00:43:01,920
Speaker 1: on a one year contract, taking a chance, there was

909
00:43:01,960 --> 00:43:04,000
Speaker 1: a better move for me. So it was it was

910
00:43:04,040 --> 00:43:06,120
Speaker 1: a big It was a big chance I took at

911
00:43:06,120 --> 00:43:08,800
Speaker 1: the time, you know, turning down a three year contract

912
00:43:08,800 --> 00:43:12,200
Speaker 1: for a one year contract. But that's what I decided

913
00:43:12,200 --> 00:43:14,200
Speaker 1: to do that that's what was good for me at

914
00:43:14,200 --> 00:43:18,000
Speaker 1: the time. So sometimes you have to make those decisions.

915
00:43:18,040 --> 00:43:19,880
Speaker 1: And again I'll go back to what I said at

916
00:43:19,880 --> 00:43:22,080
Speaker 1: the beginning of the show, which is about sometimes considering

917
00:43:22,120 --> 00:43:24,920
Speaker 1: your age, considering position, considering the coach you're going to have,

918
00:43:25,280 --> 00:43:27,400
Speaker 1: style of play, of the team you're going to go into.

919
00:43:28,360 --> 00:43:31,000
Speaker 1: Those are all considerations, and because of that, I decided

920
00:43:31,040 --> 00:43:31,720
Speaker 1: to go to Spain.

921
00:43:32,040 --> 00:43:34,520
Speaker 2: What was it like when you arrived in Spain? What

922
00:43:34,640 --> 00:43:37,080
Speaker 2: was the what was the reaction I guess from the

923
00:43:37,120 --> 00:43:39,200
Speaker 2: locker room because particularly in those days, like there's still

924
00:43:39,200 --> 00:43:41,879
Speaker 2: some some anti American like, oh, he's an American, you can't play.

925
00:43:41,960 --> 00:43:44,280
Speaker 2: Were you really playing up your your Uruguayan in heritage

926
00:43:44,280 --> 00:43:45,640
Speaker 2: when you got in the locker room or or what

927
00:43:45,719 --> 00:43:46,919
Speaker 2: was that like being received from.

928
00:43:46,840 --> 00:43:49,640
Speaker 1: Your Yeah, it was unusual. It was unusual obviously to

929
00:43:49,760 --> 00:43:53,480
Speaker 1: sign an American player. So you know, later on that season,

930
00:43:53,560 --> 00:43:56,160
Speaker 1: whenever I played well, they would say the Uruguayan player,

931
00:43:56,400 --> 00:43:58,160
Speaker 1: and if I had a bad game, they would say

932
00:43:58,160 --> 00:44:02,640
Speaker 1: the American. That's sort of how that worked, which is

933
00:44:03,200 --> 00:44:06,040
Speaker 1: I couldn't help but read that every time, like every

934
00:44:06,080 --> 00:44:08,560
Speaker 1: great game I was from Uruguay, every bad game I

935
00:44:08,680 --> 00:44:14,080
Speaker 1: was the American player. Yeah, but in the locker room, listen,

936
00:44:14,280 --> 00:44:16,319
Speaker 1: I got I you know, as soon as I got

937
00:44:16,320 --> 00:44:19,640
Speaker 1: to Spain, I you know, the coach that I had

938
00:44:19,680 --> 00:44:22,960
Speaker 1: automatically just brought me into a room and said this

939
00:44:23,000 --> 00:44:24,920
Speaker 1: is where you're gonna play. You need to do this.

940
00:44:25,040 --> 00:44:26,960
Speaker 1: Can you do it? If you can't do it, I'll

941
00:44:26,960 --> 00:44:29,560
Speaker 1: find somebody else who can do it. That's that's as

942
00:44:29,640 --> 00:44:31,600
Speaker 1: quickly as that went. And I said, coach, yeah, I

943
00:44:31,640 --> 00:44:34,680
Speaker 1: can do what you need, you know. So it was

944
00:44:34,960 --> 00:44:37,000
Speaker 1: it was a tough environment. I went to for a

945
00:44:37,040 --> 00:44:39,319
Speaker 1: great coach who I learned a lot from. And then

946
00:44:39,680 --> 00:44:42,319
Speaker 1: and then my next move from there, obviously I went

947
00:44:42,320 --> 00:44:46,040
Speaker 1: to Betty's. You know, Betty's, I had a after the

948
00:44:46,040 --> 00:44:49,280
Speaker 1: one year in Spain, they renewed me that year, bought

949
00:44:49,320 --> 00:44:52,359
Speaker 1: me from US Soccer. At the time, US Soccer owned

950
00:44:52,400 --> 00:44:56,080
Speaker 1: our contracts. Although we owned we owned eighty percent, the

951
00:44:56,120 --> 00:44:58,839
Speaker 1: players owned eighty percent of the transfer. US Soccer owned

952
00:44:58,840 --> 00:44:59,839
Speaker 1: twenty percent.

953
00:44:59,760 --> 00:45:02,080
Speaker 2: So I so you got eighty percent of I got

954
00:45:02,080 --> 00:45:02,720
Speaker 2: eighty percent.

955
00:45:02,600 --> 00:45:04,759
Speaker 1: Of the transfer fee. Ye, So that was that was

956
00:45:04,760 --> 00:45:07,960
Speaker 1: pretty good at the time. And then and then and

957
00:45:08,000 --> 00:45:10,960
Speaker 1: then once that happened, they signed me to a new

958
00:45:11,200 --> 00:45:14,520
Speaker 1: four year contract at Figueras. But after my second year,

959
00:45:14,560 --> 00:45:17,360
Speaker 1: Betty's came in and bought me and I went to Seville,

960
00:45:17,400 --> 00:45:21,000
Speaker 1: which obviously that's a huge club in Spain. But I

961
00:45:21,040 --> 00:45:23,200
Speaker 1: wanted to talk about the middle of the season transfer

962
00:45:23,239 --> 00:45:27,239
Speaker 1: because you know, I started at Betty's, played a year

963
00:45:27,239 --> 00:45:30,680
Speaker 1: and a half. Uh no played played the first two years,

964
00:45:30,680 --> 00:45:32,680
Speaker 1: and then we went to World Cup ninety four and

965
00:45:32,719 --> 00:45:35,000
Speaker 1: it woked up ninety four I had the injury, the

966
00:45:35,040 --> 00:45:38,279
Speaker 1: skull injury, so because my skull was broken, I was

967
00:45:38,320 --> 00:45:41,600
Speaker 1: out for about four and a half months and as

968
00:45:41,640 --> 00:45:43,839
Speaker 1: I recovered my team. We were in La Liga at

969
00:45:43,840 --> 00:45:46,960
Speaker 1: this point in first division, and so December of that

970
00:45:47,040 --> 00:45:48,839
Speaker 1: year I went and talked to the coach and said, coach,

971
00:45:48,880 --> 00:45:51,760
Speaker 1: I see you know you've made your roster. You know Betty's.

972
00:45:51,800 --> 00:45:53,680
Speaker 1: We were already in the top five in La Liga

973
00:45:53,719 --> 00:45:56,000
Speaker 1: at the time, so he had his roster set. So

974
00:45:56,040 --> 00:45:58,160
Speaker 1: it was a time. The reason I'm saying this is

975
00:45:58,160 --> 00:46:00,520
Speaker 1: because it was a time for me to make it decision.

976
00:46:00,840 --> 00:46:03,520
Speaker 1: Do I want to be a sub at Betty's for

977
00:46:03,560 --> 00:46:05,440
Speaker 1: the rest of the year in La Liga or do

978
00:46:05,480 --> 00:46:09,600
Speaker 1: I want to move, especially considering that MLS is a

979
00:46:09,680 --> 00:46:11,840
Speaker 1: league that's going to start and they want me to

980
00:46:11,840 --> 00:46:15,799
Speaker 1: go back home. So I received two offers, one to

981
00:46:15,960 --> 00:46:22,480
Speaker 1: go to well new Chtel in Switzerland and the other

982
00:46:22,520 --> 00:46:25,560
Speaker 1: one was to go to Tigris in Mexico. And at

983
00:46:25,560 --> 00:46:27,279
Speaker 1: the time we thought, okay, if I'm going to go

984
00:46:27,320 --> 00:46:29,719
Speaker 1: back to play an MLS, it's probably better for me

985
00:46:29,760 --> 00:46:31,440
Speaker 1: to be closer to home. So I decided to go

986
00:46:31,520 --> 00:46:33,480
Speaker 1: to Tigris the middle of the season, and by the way,

987
00:46:33,719 --> 00:46:36,640
Speaker 1: it ended up being a great move because Tigers is

988
00:46:36,680 --> 00:46:40,239
Speaker 1: a great club and I truly enjoyed playing there, but

989
00:46:40,440 --> 00:46:43,160
Speaker 1: this is one of the downsides of moving mid season.

990
00:46:43,400 --> 00:46:45,520
Speaker 1: So I went to Tigris obviously because I was coming

991
00:46:45,560 --> 00:46:48,040
Speaker 1: from Betty's. I started every game, right, I had to

992
00:46:48,040 --> 00:46:50,560
Speaker 1: earn it, but I started every game, of course. But

993
00:46:50,680 --> 00:46:53,319
Speaker 1: here's the situation. The coach that brought me in, a

994
00:46:53,320 --> 00:46:57,359
Speaker 1: Brazilian coach, got fired before we even played one game,

995
00:46:57,440 --> 00:47:01,360
Speaker 1: before I played one game year. As soon as I

996
00:47:01,360 --> 00:47:04,880
Speaker 1: got to Mexico, that coach got fired. They brought in

997
00:47:04,920 --> 00:47:07,280
Speaker 1: a new coach, and by the end of that season,

998
00:47:07,360 --> 00:47:12,359
Speaker 1: that coach also got fired, so by that summer, So

999
00:47:12,440 --> 00:47:15,600
Speaker 1: by that summer, I already had two coaches at Tigris

1000
00:47:15,840 --> 00:47:18,400
Speaker 1: and had to go into our third coach, which was

1001
00:47:18,719 --> 00:47:21,440
Speaker 1: Manuel Vusstich, who's a great coach and I played my

1002
00:47:21,520 --> 00:47:24,799
Speaker 1: whole other two years with him there. But these are

1003
00:47:24,800 --> 00:47:29,080
Speaker 1: the dangers of moving mid season that you're inevitably moving

1004
00:47:29,120 --> 00:47:32,440
Speaker 1: into a bad situation when this happens, and that situation

1005
00:47:32,560 --> 00:47:34,880
Speaker 1: could go from bad to worse. In my case, it

1006
00:47:34,920 --> 00:47:37,839
Speaker 1: went from bad to worse. But since I did well,

1007
00:47:37,880 --> 00:47:39,560
Speaker 1: I was able to stay with the club and things

1008
00:47:39,560 --> 00:47:42,960
Speaker 1: got better. But that's the danger of movement mid season.

1009
00:47:43,800 --> 00:47:46,360
Speaker 2: What were the pressures again Tea Grace. I know that

1010
00:47:46,400 --> 00:47:48,279
Speaker 2: there's a ton of pressure all the time, always, but

1011
00:47:48,600 --> 00:47:51,759
Speaker 2: in the nineties, what was it like signing for that club,

1012
00:47:51,800 --> 00:47:53,880
Speaker 2: debuting for that club, and again with all the turmoil,

1013
00:47:54,000 --> 00:47:56,760
Speaker 2: playing for three coaches nine Well, you know.

1014
00:47:56,880 --> 00:47:58,959
Speaker 1: The good party is. I was coming from a big

1015
00:47:59,000 --> 00:48:02,480
Speaker 1: club with big fan you know, Betty's is considered likely

1016
00:48:03,239 --> 00:48:05,880
Speaker 1: the fourth biggest club in Spain in terms of fans.

1017
00:48:05,960 --> 00:48:10,600
Speaker 1: Like everywhere you go, the fans travel at home, you

1018
00:48:10,680 --> 00:48:13,360
Speaker 1: come out for warm ups, even in second division, you

1019
00:48:13,440 --> 00:48:16,000
Speaker 1: come out for warm ups, the thirty five thousand people

1020
00:48:16,000 --> 00:48:20,080
Speaker 1: already in the stands. It's it's a big, big club.

1021
00:48:20,440 --> 00:48:22,640
Speaker 1: And so going to Tea Grace, which by the way,

1022
00:48:23,000 --> 00:48:25,400
Speaker 1: is similar in that respect. You know, the Tea Grace

1023
00:48:25,480 --> 00:48:28,280
Speaker 1: is always passed. The stadium is you have whatever, forty

1024
00:48:28,320 --> 00:48:30,960
Speaker 1: eight thousand, but they're there at every game, and so

1025
00:48:31,040 --> 00:48:34,080
Speaker 1: it wasn't new for me. I adapted to that quite quickly.

1026
00:48:36,040 --> 00:48:39,480
Speaker 2: That's fantastic. And again this timeline too, and you kind

1027
00:48:39,480 --> 00:48:41,720
Speaker 2: of noted a little bit about MLS and they wanted

1028
00:48:41,719 --> 00:48:43,480
Speaker 2: you to come back. You were the first player to

1029
00:48:43,480 --> 00:48:46,719
Speaker 2: sign in Major League Zaga. What was all that like?

1030
00:48:46,760 --> 00:48:49,560
Speaker 2: Those discussions and what they were, what the even they

1031
00:48:49,560 --> 00:48:52,160
Speaker 2: were offering or what they were trying to sell to

1032
00:48:52,200 --> 00:48:55,360
Speaker 2: you to become again literally the league's first ever signed.

1033
00:48:55,440 --> 00:48:57,000
Speaker 1: Yes, So what they said to me is they got

1034
00:48:57,040 --> 00:48:59,920
Speaker 1: in the middle of my transfer from Betty's to Tea

1035
00:49:00,960 --> 00:49:04,799
Speaker 1: and they sort of bought my transfer and loaned me

1036
00:49:04,880 --> 00:49:07,800
Speaker 1: to Tigris for the next year and a half until

1037
00:49:07,800 --> 00:49:11,480
Speaker 1: the league was kicking off. So I i in effect

1038
00:49:11,560 --> 00:49:14,880
Speaker 1: from Betty's. I didn't directly sign with t Gris. I

1039
00:49:14,960 --> 00:49:18,000
Speaker 1: signed with MLS, which was a league that didn't exist

1040
00:49:18,200 --> 00:49:20,919
Speaker 1: nor did it have any teams. So I was now

1041
00:49:21,040 --> 00:49:23,200
Speaker 1: owned by a league that didn't exist, and I was

1042
00:49:23,640 --> 00:49:26,759
Speaker 1: and I was loaned by by a league to Tigris

1043
00:49:27,160 --> 00:49:30,080
Speaker 1: so that then I could come back and play for

1044
00:49:30,480 --> 00:49:32,479
Speaker 1: what I was hoping would be a New York team

1045
00:49:32,560 --> 00:49:35,120
Speaker 1: or a Washington, DC team, which is what I what

1046
00:49:35,200 --> 00:49:37,839
Speaker 1: I told the league I wanted to do, which had

1047
00:49:37,880 --> 00:49:41,560
Speaker 1: no names. There was no names to the team. Yeah.

1048
00:49:41,640 --> 00:49:44,480
Speaker 2: Well, again, as as the first ever signing, I think

1049
00:49:44,480 --> 00:49:46,520
Speaker 2: that you were in a position to call your shots there,

1050
00:49:46,560 --> 00:49:48,880
Speaker 2: So I'm glad. I'm glad that that works out, But like,

1051
00:49:49,200 --> 00:49:50,759
Speaker 2: how was it how important was it for you to

1052
00:49:50,920 --> 00:49:55,319
Speaker 2: like again, we've in this segment alone, we've talked about

1053
00:49:55,360 --> 00:49:57,319
Speaker 2: as you're preparing for a Worke Cup, you're playing for

1054
00:49:57,360 --> 00:50:01,080
Speaker 2: the Brooklyn Italians, or even ten minutes ago you were like, yeah,

1055
00:50:01,120 --> 00:50:04,239
Speaker 2: well the contract was owned by US Soccer because there

1056
00:50:04,280 --> 00:50:06,080
Speaker 2: wasn't a league and I was waiting to go to

1057
00:50:06,120 --> 00:50:08,080
Speaker 2: Europe to figure out what I want to do. As

1058
00:50:08,120 --> 00:50:11,600
Speaker 2: somebody who was trailblazing and doing all that, how important

1059
00:50:11,680 --> 00:50:13,239
Speaker 2: was it for you to be like, all right, I'm

1060
00:50:13,280 --> 00:50:14,600
Speaker 2: going to come back and be the face of this

1061
00:50:14,640 --> 00:50:16,640
Speaker 2: new league to help make sure it succeeds.

1062
00:50:17,120 --> 00:50:19,839
Speaker 1: Well, you know, Tom, I have to say, and you know,

1063
00:50:20,000 --> 00:50:22,400
Speaker 1: some of the players from my generation, and particularly the

1064
00:50:22,400 --> 00:50:26,279
Speaker 1: ones that started earlier at the ninety World Cup, because

1065
00:50:26,320 --> 00:50:29,120
Speaker 1: ninety four was already a little bit different. But it's

1066
00:50:29,120 --> 00:50:33,320
Speaker 1: a generation of players who have been for a long

1067
00:50:33,400 --> 00:50:38,840
Speaker 1: time living a life of selling the game, and we

1068
00:50:38,920 --> 00:50:41,120
Speaker 1: knew how important it was for us to continue to

1069
00:50:41,160 --> 00:50:43,520
Speaker 1: grow the game. And I think that was an effort

1070
00:50:43,560 --> 00:50:46,120
Speaker 1: to be made because think about it, I was transferring

1071
00:50:46,120 --> 00:50:49,400
Speaker 1: from a big club ral Betti's to a big club Tigris,

1072
00:50:50,000 --> 00:50:52,440
Speaker 1: and yet I gave really I gave up my career

1073
00:50:52,560 --> 00:50:55,160
Speaker 1: to a league that didn't even start yet, and I

1074
00:50:55,239 --> 00:50:57,480
Speaker 1: felt like that was part of my duty as an

1075
00:50:57,480 --> 00:51:01,120
Speaker 1: American player to help grow the game. It was sort

1076
00:51:01,160 --> 00:51:03,480
Speaker 1: of given myself to a league that didn't start yet

1077
00:51:03,520 --> 00:51:06,520
Speaker 1: because I would likely convince other players to do the same.

1078
00:51:08,280 --> 00:51:12,640
Speaker 2: That's fantastic. And how much how much of the selling

1079
00:51:12,640 --> 00:51:14,359
Speaker 2: the game were you having to do in those couple

1080
00:51:14,360 --> 00:51:16,560
Speaker 2: of years and MLS by the way, like the idea

1081
00:51:16,640 --> 00:51:18,120
Speaker 2: was for it to start in ninety five and then

1082
00:51:18,200 --> 00:51:20,080
Speaker 2: it didn't, which then you stayed at Tea Grace for

1083
00:51:20,080 --> 00:51:22,880
Speaker 2: another year. That's that's a lot. That's really difficult for

1084
00:51:22,880 --> 00:51:25,280
Speaker 2: a part, particularly in your case where you're you're coming

1085
00:51:25,320 --> 00:51:28,800
Speaker 2: as one of the if not the Marquis signing and okay,

1086
00:51:28,960 --> 00:51:31,320
Speaker 2: these are all of our promises and okay, well the

1087
00:51:31,360 --> 00:51:34,360
Speaker 2: first promise of when does the league start is already

1088
00:51:34,400 --> 00:51:36,680
Speaker 2: being broken. So like what was those kind of two

1089
00:51:36,719 --> 00:51:37,080
Speaker 2: years ago?

1090
00:51:37,160 --> 00:51:39,960
Speaker 1: Well, we were we were used to disappointment. Don't forget

1091
00:51:40,040 --> 00:51:43,799
Speaker 1: you know, we we we you know, Tom, When I

1092
00:51:43,920 --> 00:51:46,960
Speaker 1: when I graduated high school, when I graduated high school

1093
00:51:46,960 --> 00:51:49,680
Speaker 1: out of Saint Benedicts, I got drafted in the NASL

1094
00:51:49,760 --> 00:51:52,080
Speaker 1: draft by the New York Cosmos. So I was like,

1095
00:51:52,120 --> 00:51:54,319
Speaker 1: oh my god, this is still going on. Yeah. So

1096
00:51:54,760 --> 00:51:58,560
Speaker 1: and the league folded six months later after I got drafted,

1097
00:51:59,440 --> 00:52:02,600
Speaker 1: So so there you go. So that's that's sort of

1098
00:52:02,640 --> 00:52:04,440
Speaker 1: what we were used to at the time.

1099
00:52:04,400 --> 00:52:06,799
Speaker 2: Speaking of high school to drap to college. Your NC

1100
00:52:06,960 --> 00:52:09,200
Speaker 2: State made it to the College Cup last week, so

1101
00:52:09,239 --> 00:52:11,120
Speaker 2: that's where you following that.

1102
00:52:11,320 --> 00:52:13,120
Speaker 1: I was following a little bit. I didn't get an

1103
00:52:13,120 --> 00:52:16,080
Speaker 1: opportunity to watch the final, but I did follow a

1104
00:52:16,080 --> 00:52:18,680
Speaker 1: little bit. I can tell you this. There was a

1105
00:52:18,719 --> 00:52:22,040
Speaker 1: point this year, which was about a month ago, when

1106
00:52:22,520 --> 00:52:25,000
Speaker 1: NC State was ranked number one in the country and

1107
00:52:25,080 --> 00:52:27,560
Speaker 1: Saint Benedict's was number one in the country high school.

1108
00:52:27,560 --> 00:52:29,960
Speaker 1: So I had both my high school and my college

1109
00:52:30,000 --> 00:52:32,319
Speaker 1: be number one for the period of one week at

1110
00:52:32,360 --> 00:52:32,919
Speaker 1: the same time.

1111
00:52:34,000 --> 00:52:36,839
Speaker 2: Yeah, and then and Benedex ended up winning the state

1112
00:52:36,920 --> 00:52:39,920
Speaker 2: title undefeated season. All that. That's some good pedigry there,

1113
00:52:40,960 --> 00:52:44,160
Speaker 2: And all you're missing is Metro source and Red Bulls here.

1114
00:52:45,400 --> 00:52:47,680
Speaker 1: And by the way, I'll say this, I'll say this

1115
00:52:47,719 --> 00:52:49,799
Speaker 1: so I don't take credit for anything. We were not

1116
00:52:50,000 --> 00:52:52,799
Speaker 1: number one in the country at either one when I

1117
00:52:52,880 --> 00:52:55,280
Speaker 1: was at either one of those. So let's just say that.

1118
00:52:59,000 --> 00:53:02,680
Speaker 2: I thoroughly encourage you guys, if you're listening to Google

1119
00:53:02,719 --> 00:53:05,879
Speaker 2: and look up tab Ramis's gold record at Benedict's and

1120
00:53:05,880 --> 00:53:09,040
Speaker 2: and NC state it is, it's video game numbers, and

1121
00:53:09,120 --> 00:53:11,840
Speaker 2: this is a it's it's it's a piece of trivia.

1122
00:53:12,040 --> 00:53:14,080
Speaker 1: Think I think I still hold that record. I don't

1123
00:53:14,080 --> 00:53:16,520
Speaker 1: think it's been broken yet. The high school record.

1124
00:53:16,560 --> 00:53:19,480
Speaker 2: It's unbelievable. Like the first time I read it, I

1125
00:53:19,520 --> 00:53:21,640
Speaker 2: was like, this is like somebody's like messing with me, right,

1126
00:53:21,680 --> 00:53:23,279
Speaker 2: I was like, how is it physically possible to score

1127
00:53:23,400 --> 00:53:26,000
Speaker 2: what forty goals the season essentially four years?

1128
00:53:26,080 --> 00:53:29,360
Speaker 1: Ridiculous, different times, different times.

1129
00:53:30,800 --> 00:53:32,480
Speaker 2: Hey man, they're still pretty good right now. And that's

1130
00:53:32,480 --> 00:53:35,799
Speaker 2: that's untouchable. I can ask about a billion follow ups,

1131
00:53:35,800 --> 00:53:37,800
Speaker 2: but I'm gonna let you go here. It's it's, it's Chris.

1132
00:53:37,840 --> 00:53:40,319
Speaker 2: Some of the listeners. Let's let everybody get back to

1133
00:53:40,360 --> 00:53:42,839
Speaker 2: their families. Or if you're avoiding your families, then go

1134
00:53:42,880 --> 00:53:47,320
Speaker 2: to it, go to the next podcast, but please listen, rate, review, Subscribe,

1135
00:53:47,400 --> 00:53:49,840
Speaker 2: Inside American Soccer, Tom Wogan and tab Ramis. This was

1136
00:53:49,960 --> 00:53:53,000
Speaker 2: a wonderful episode. Tap Happy holidays. I'll talk again for

1137
00:53:53,040 --> 00:53:53,120
Speaker 2: ever