Latest / The Sean O'Connell Show / Jay Nolly on RSL hosting Lionel Messi and Inter Miami tonight, How big of moment is this for sports in Utah (?), The challenges Miami pre...

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Jay Nolly on RSL hosting Lionel Messi and Inter Miami tonight, How big of moment is this for sports in Utah (?), The challenges Miami pre... · The Sean O'Connell Show

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Speaker 1: You are listening to the Sean O'Connell Show, your source
0:09
Speaker 1: for the best youth football company. Here's OC from the
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Speaker 1: Murdoch Hyundai Studio of ESPN seven Hungry Dad ninety two
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Speaker 1: to one half a hanf.
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Speaker 2: It is messy day down in Sandy, RSL hosting into Miami.
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Speaker 2: Leo MESSI expected to play tonight seven point thirty first
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Speaker 2: kick America first field is right now. It's a hot
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Speaker 2: ticket if you can get your hands on one. Hopefully
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Speaker 2: you don't have to break the bank to do so.
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Speaker 2: Maybe you can just text our next guest if you
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Speaker 2: have him in the phone, and see what he can
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Speaker 2: do for you. J Nley RSL radio color analyst kind
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Speaker 2: enough to join us here on the Sean O'Connell Show.
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Speaker 3: Jay Welcome, How are you good? John? Good to be
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Speaker 3: here too.
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Speaker 4: And I will say I'm worthless in getting tickets probably
1:02
Speaker 4: like everybody else right now.
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Speaker 2: Yeah, I was. I was making fun of our guy,
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Speaker 2: Trey Fitzgerald, because he sent me the link for like
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Speaker 2: the media you know, the Media Credential Pass and was like, hey,
1:14
Speaker 2: if you want to. I was like, I thought you
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Speaker 2: would get me free front row tickets, dude, And he
1:19
Speaker 2: said maybe any other game, but not this one.
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Speaker 3: Yeah, I was just happy they approved me as well.
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Speaker 2: Before we get into any soccer. I don't know the
1:29
Speaker 2: last time we had you on the show. It's probably
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Speaker 2: my first stint with ESPN seven hundred. But if I
1:35
Speaker 2: take you back to two thousand and four and I
1:38
Speaker 2: say you are Indiana Hoosier's football obviously soccer national power.
1:46
Speaker 2: Someday this is going to happen for your American football
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Speaker 2: team as well, what would you have told me?
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Speaker 4: I would have said that the football team was the
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Speaker 4: lowest on the totem pull of what we were focused on.
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Speaker 4: You know, it was basketball school when I was there,
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Speaker 4: Soccer swimming very strong. I was a part of two
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Speaker 4: national championships and the second place as well. I was
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Speaker 4: in four final fours as well, so really strong, and
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Speaker 4: it was just never felt the resources is.
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Speaker 3: Going that way.
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Speaker 4: But you know, the new era of nil and hitting
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Speaker 4: on the right coach changed it. Probably the most incredible
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Speaker 4: two years I've been able to watch Indiana, especially at
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Speaker 4: Clipson beating Miami in the championship.
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Speaker 2: So be honest with me. When you're a proud alum, right,
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Speaker 2: and obviously you're watching soccer and you're watching basketball because
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Speaker 2: it always was a basketball school. Are you just like,
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Speaker 2: all right, I'll surprise jump on this football bandwagon that
2:44
Speaker 2: we never thought was going to be a thing. Like
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Speaker 2: from your from your fan perspective, what is it like?
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Speaker 4: My kids think I'm the weirdest guy ever now. I mean,
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Speaker 4: I've always been a proud alum like Indiana, just because
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Speaker 4: we were really tight knit with the soccer community. I
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Speaker 4: still get text messages probably monthly. They send updates, so
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Speaker 4: you're always involved. They brought me out about a year
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Speaker 4: and a half ago for the fiftieth anniversary, showed the
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Speaker 4: new upgrades to the stadium, you know, Assembly Hall, everything
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Speaker 4: they've done there. So they do such a phenomenal job
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Speaker 4: with their alumni, and I think it's one of the
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Speaker 4: biggest alumni bases in the country. And I think now
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Speaker 4: they're starting to see the fruits of the labor of
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Speaker 4: you know, more donors investing. You know, there's some very
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Speaker 4: high end donors, obviously Mark Cuban, which now has kind
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Speaker 4: of helped support that team. But you know, the basketball
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Speaker 4: teams have had one of the best transfer portals as well,
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Speaker 4: so they're one you know, if you missed the NCAA tournament.
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Speaker 4: It's kind of like what happened. So the Big Ten
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Speaker 4: is just so strong top to bottom, really so competing
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Speaker 4: in there. I just love to see that the university
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Speaker 4: I went to is now on the same level of
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Speaker 4: like a Michigan, Ohio State when when you look across
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Speaker 4: the board in sports.
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Speaker 2: It's fascinating. It's awesome to see, and I'm sure it's
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Speaker 2: not going to slow down anytime soon, especially if Kurtz
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Speaker 2: Signetti sticks around. But let's talk about what you're here
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Speaker 2: to talk about. It is a massive night in Sandy
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Speaker 2: at America First Field. And Leo Messi for the non
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Speaker 2: hardcore soccer fans, he's a guy that still crosses over.
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Speaker 2: We know that he's an icon, we know that he's
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Speaker 2: somebody that you know. It's kind of a treat to
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Speaker 2: get to watch him and to be in the building
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Speaker 2: to do it. Certainly it's a high price point, but
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Speaker 2: a lot of people are ready to do it. What
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Speaker 2: is it actually going to look like on the field,
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Speaker 2: I mean, give me a sense of where Leo Messi
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Speaker 2: is still at in this season so far, He's not
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Speaker 2: the spring chicken that he once was. But we just
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Speaker 2: had Jason Chris On, and he feels like there's a
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Speaker 2: lot left for Leo Messi to give the game. Give
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Speaker 2: me your perspective on what kind of a soccer player
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Speaker 2: you're getting to see tonight in Sandy.
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Speaker 4: Yeah, I think you know, when little kids grasp onto
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Speaker 4: soccer and and you know they want to continue it on.
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Speaker 4: You know, what are the types of stars they look
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Speaker 4: at Messy's you know obviously up there Ronaldo, those types
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Speaker 4: of players. Messy is just different from you know what
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Speaker 4: we traditionally grow up with, you know, the tall, the strong,
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Speaker 4: you know, the physical forwards. He is just two three
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Speaker 4: steps ahead, so smart. What's interesting if you just kind of.
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Speaker 3: Watch how he plays as well too.
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Speaker 4: He starts stop, you know, kind of lingers in an area,
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Speaker 4: and then all of a sudden it's just an incredible
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Speaker 4: burst of speed and his control, his body control and
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Speaker 4: then touches. He's always thinking ahead of like, you know
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Speaker 4: the player is going to move in this area, so
5:38
Speaker 4: I know if I cut back, my forward is going
5:41
Speaker 4: to be available in this Like It's just phenomenal the
5:43
Speaker 4: way he connects people, and you see defenders kind of
5:47
Speaker 4: swarm to him and it opens up other players. But
5:49
Speaker 4: even when they just swarm to him. He wiggles his
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Speaker 4: way through and creates an incredible opportunity. He can shoot
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Speaker 4: from anywhere with his left foot, put it on his
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Speaker 4: right foot as well. It's just that guy that has
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Speaker 4: an incredible work rate when he's on the ball, but
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Speaker 4: also when he sees the space where and you just
6:10
Speaker 4: love that he gets kind of that free role where
6:12
Speaker 4: he can kind of float around and everybody's kind of aware.
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Speaker 4: But it helps shift the defenses in certain positions to
6:17
Speaker 4: help his team. But also you know, he's got an
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Speaker 4: incredible cast around him too, which helps with Inter Miami.
6:25
Speaker 4: But he's you know, he is older, but I don't
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Speaker 4: see much slowing down right now, even if you go back.
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Speaker 3: To the last game score a PK.
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Speaker 4: But also the second goal that he scored, the game
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Speaker 4: winning goal against Colorado was just phenomenal. Two guys closing
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Speaker 4: in on him, cuts back on his right foot, splits
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Speaker 4: the gap, beats the goalkeeper back posts like that is
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Speaker 4: just world class finishing. And hopefully the fans get to
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Speaker 4: see a little taste of that tonight with RSL leaving
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Speaker 4: with a win.
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Speaker 2: So how does it work if you're a goaltender against
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Speaker 2: Inter Miami with Leo Messi on the field, I know
7:02
Speaker 2: absolutely nothing about playing the position. How much of your
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Speaker 2: attention has to be like a quarter of my eye.
7:08
Speaker 2: I got to know where he's at at all times.
7:10
Speaker 2: Are you just following the ball and the formation and
7:13
Speaker 2: the past? I mean, give me a sense of trying
7:15
Speaker 2: to keep the ball out of the goal when he
7:18
Speaker 2: and those guys are on the field in front of you.
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Speaker 4: Yeah, and I think, you know, I'll give some credit
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Speaker 4: to Rafa Cabral who I absolutely think has been phenomenal
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Speaker 4: since over to RSL. You know, it's really positioning and
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Speaker 4: not not baiting yourself into trying to think what he's
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Speaker 4: going to do. You know, you've just got to keep
7:40
Speaker 4: your feet. You got to keep the correct positioning because
7:45
Speaker 4: at any moment he could pull the trigger. But also
7:47
Speaker 4: you may think he may slot at one area and
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Speaker 4: he's going to hit it back post for a player
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Speaker 4: coming in, And so if you're trying baiting one way
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Speaker 4: or leaning one way, he's going to wrong foot you.
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Speaker 4: Just like defenders as well. So it's really you know,
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Speaker 4: taking the high percentage save. You know, and if you're
8:04
Speaker 4: you're in good positioning, you've got good angles you know,
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Speaker 4: then you can you can give yourself at least a
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Speaker 4: high percentage save in this If you start guessing or
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Speaker 4: baiting to a certain area, he's going to slip one in,
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Speaker 4: and you know that's when you kind of look like
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Speaker 4: with your your your pants held down when he makes
8:20
Speaker 4: it kind of look silly.
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Speaker 3: Because he does that to everybody.
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Speaker 4: So for Rafa, it's really you know, focusing on which
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Speaker 4: way he can probably cut in, which way the defender's
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Speaker 4: kind of supporting him, and then keeping his feet and
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Speaker 4: he's phenomenal with reactions saved. So that's why I think
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Speaker 4: he's going to come up big if Messi gets free.
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Speaker 2: For everyone else, you know, you probably grew up at
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Speaker 2: some point with a Messy poster on your wall or
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Speaker 2: playing the FIFA video game and like making sure that
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Speaker 2: he's the guy who's piling up all the goals and
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Speaker 2: now you got to you gotta go slide tackle him.
8:50
Speaker 2: You got to try to keep the ball away from him.
8:52
Speaker 2: What's the right way to approach it when you're going
8:54
Speaker 2: up against someone like him in a game like this
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Speaker 2: one where your team, I mean it's early in the season,
9:01
Speaker 2: but your team's off to an excellent start.
9:04
Speaker 4: Yeah, and and the I think you said it too
9:07
Speaker 4: there for about RFL off to an excellent start, and
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Speaker 4: I think you know, it's been building. You know, the
9:12
Speaker 4: beginning of the season didn't really have everybody had some
9:14
Speaker 4: young guys lifted up, and now it's really kind of
9:16
Speaker 4: lifted all the guys that have come in, you know,
9:19
Speaker 4: the winter signings, even some of the young guys that
9:23
Speaker 4: are in you know, pretty much your two.
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Speaker 3: Of starting, we've seen that lift.
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Speaker 4: So the work great for RSL is incredible from what
9:30
Speaker 4: it was you know in prior seasons as a team,
9:33
Speaker 4: as a group, in the way that they're showing up
9:36
Speaker 4: for each other. And so that's going to be a
9:38
Speaker 4: big piece is when if he breaks free in space,
9:42
Speaker 4: you know, how do you get him to a position
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Speaker 4: where you know he's not being able to attack the goal,
9:47
Speaker 4: you know, pushing him out wide, making him playoff to
9:49
Speaker 4: other players. But you know, when you dive in, you
9:52
Speaker 4: just see how tight his touches are and how quickly
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Speaker 4: he can get around you. And that's when you're just
9:57
Speaker 4: scrambling as a defensive unit. You know, if he gets
10:01
Speaker 4: around you know, one of the pivots and spearings or
10:03
Speaker 4: Kala scan, you know, and Justin Glad has to step out.
10:06
Speaker 4: That means DeAndre Yidlin has to slide in her angle
10:09
Speaker 4: and then that's opening up the outside. So that's where
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Speaker 4: he is just so smooth. When he beats one two players,
10:14
Speaker 4: it just creates so much space for everybody. So you know,
10:18
Speaker 4: it's really kind of keeping your feet, not making him
10:21
Speaker 4: find that little hole to get in and around you
10:23
Speaker 4: and try and push him into areas where you get
10:25
Speaker 4: additional support. But you know, if you're diving in or
10:29
Speaker 4: you know, reaching on him, he's so strong on the
10:32
Speaker 4: ball and with his body. Even when it looks like
10:34
Speaker 4: he's gonna go down with a foul, he ends up
10:37
Speaker 4: just getting through and keep going. And so for RSL,
10:41
Speaker 4: it'll definitely be a tough test, especially when they break
10:44
Speaker 4: out into a counter. They do play a lot of
10:46
Speaker 4: high press, and that's gonna be hard as well. If
10:48
Speaker 4: there's turnovers in the midfield, they're immediately down your throat,
10:52
Speaker 4: and so RSL's got to be clean on the ball.
10:54
Speaker 4: When they're playing out of the back because both teams
10:56
Speaker 4: like to play out of.
10:57
Speaker 2: The back, obviously you're gonna do your best to slow
11:02
Speaker 2: him down, slow his teammates down, but it won't matter
11:05
Speaker 2: that much if you can find the back of the
11:07
Speaker 2: net yourself. And this RSL team has done a really
11:10
Speaker 2: good job of that, especially in these last three games,
11:13
Speaker 2: but so far this season again unbeaten through six five
11:17
Speaker 2: one and one one was the key for them offensively
11:20
Speaker 2: against Miami's defensive formation.
11:23
Speaker 3: Yeah, and I.
11:24
Speaker 4: Think for RSL again too, it's it's been the work rate.
11:28
Speaker 4: And you know, going with meeting with Pablo yesterday at
11:31
Speaker 4: the stadium, you know went through the Guilabogee goal and
11:37
Speaker 4: the backtracking from uh Solons and Guilbogie, you know, knowing
11:42
Speaker 4: that Diego Luna's kind of caught up, both of them
11:44
Speaker 4: dropped back into the channel to win the ball, It's
11:47
Speaker 4: a quick out to Luna switches the field, you know,
11:50
Speaker 4: and then uh Solons is running out the defender and
11:53
Speaker 4: opens up for Gilibogi. So you know, both side defending
11:56
Speaker 4: is going to be huge for RSL. Miami is acceptable
12:00
Speaker 4: to counter tacks. You know, when they start, they push
12:03
Speaker 4: a lot of people up the field. When they high press,
12:06
Speaker 4: they get their their mid part up high as well too.
12:09
Speaker 4: And when you see teams be successful as they break
12:12
Speaker 4: through that that's when the defense gets a little bit stretched,
12:15
Speaker 4: and that's why it shows. You know, they've given up
12:17
Speaker 4: sixteen goals this season in eight game, so averaging two
12:20
Speaker 4: goals a game. You know they have risk reward. They
12:24
Speaker 4: know that they can go and score, and they try
12:26
Speaker 4: and to kind of outscore you. But I think RSL
12:29
Speaker 4: is actually set up really well the way they played
12:31
Speaker 4: their formation to high press to win those balls. But
12:35
Speaker 4: also if they're backtracking, they can also spring into the
12:38
Speaker 4: counter attack pretty quickly to get in behind that midfield.
12:43
Speaker 2: Jay Nollie for another minute or two here on the
12:45
Speaker 2: Sean O'Connell show. RSL into Miami tonight at America First
12:49
Speaker 2: field starts at seven point thirty. I would imagine you
12:53
Speaker 2: want to leave early, get down there, watch the warm ups.
12:56
Speaker 2: Leo Messi expected to play. He is here in Utah.
13:00
Speaker 2: So when you get to the big picture of what
13:03
Speaker 2: this team is actually capable of in today's MLS, I
13:08
Speaker 2: know it's early in the season, but if you're projecting
13:11
Speaker 2: out in your maybe best case scenario, what do you
13:14
Speaker 2: see this group being able to accomplish.
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Speaker 4: Yeah, I think this team, you know, definitely has the
13:20
Speaker 4: capability to push into that top four when we're talking
13:24
Speaker 4: about a playoff push.
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Speaker 3: And you know, I.
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Speaker 4: Think the beginning part of the season really kind of
13:30
Speaker 4: tailored the way they're going to They shift the formation obviously,
13:34
Speaker 4: you know, from last season into preseason and here, and
13:38
Speaker 4: I think the addition to of a few players and
13:41
Speaker 4: also some you know we commonly talk about, you know,
13:44
Speaker 4: Justin Gladd is such a pivotal piece in that center
13:47
Speaker 4: back position for what they can do because attacking wise,
13:50
Speaker 4: there's a lot of times there there two v two
13:52
Speaker 4: in the back, you know, with Angle and Glad or
13:54
Speaker 4: Yedlin and Glad or Quinn and Glad you know, and
13:57
Speaker 4: that's because they have the confidence in them and you
13:59
Speaker 4: have to do that to.
14:00
Speaker 3: Be able to push forward.
14:02
Speaker 4: So I think RSL getting some of those young guys out,
14:05
Speaker 4: you know, and Salon's getting that opportunity with Victor Olatunji
14:09
Speaker 4: having an inn. You know, he's got five goals on
14:12
Speaker 4: the season, leading the team in is technically his rookie season,
14:17
Speaker 4: you know, even knowing that he was going to be
14:19
Speaker 4: a pro a couple of years ago, but had a
14:21
Speaker 4: phenomenal year in college last season, came in and has
14:24
Speaker 4: just done great with his opportunity and now it's kind
14:27
Speaker 4: of hard for victims you get on the field, but
14:29
Speaker 4: you have him and Hesther, Konnie, Dylan, Junkwall, all these
14:32
Speaker 4: types of players on the bench as well. You know
14:35
Speaker 4: it's Scenarbio is going to be on the bench too.
14:37
Speaker 4: So I think the talent is something that has really
14:40
Speaker 4: lifted up this year. They've done a phenomenal job and
14:44
Speaker 4: picking up some players. Gilbogie is incredible. I don't think
14:48
Speaker 4: we've seen the best of him yet. He's got one
14:51
Speaker 4: goal in the season, probably should have four or five
14:54
Speaker 4: from his opportunities, and that's only going to continue to happen.
14:57
Speaker 3: And then you've got diegol Luna.
14:58
Speaker 4: Who's potentially going to be you know, with the men's
15:01
Speaker 4: national team during the World Cup. So the pieces they
15:04
Speaker 4: have are elevated from last season and then this formation
15:08
Speaker 4: and then the way the team is playing. I do
15:11
Speaker 4: think that's why they've had such a good start, but
15:13
Speaker 4: also why they can really compete at a higher level
15:16
Speaker 4: against you know, even into Miami tonight. I fully expect
15:22
Speaker 4: this to be a great game back and forth. Both
15:25
Speaker 4: teams probably high pressing if you watch the San Diego game,
15:28
Speaker 4: be a little bit like that, But just the commitment
15:31
Speaker 4: from each player and supporting each other and the ways
15:33
Speaker 4: they need to go. It's just been really impressive to
15:37
Speaker 4: start the season.
15:40
Speaker 2: Who's the best player you ever stoned when you were
15:42
Speaker 2: in golf?
15:45
Speaker 3: I think so.
15:48
Speaker 4: So luckily for RFL, I know you had Jason Glad
15:51
Speaker 4: Jason christ On earlier. My second year at RSEL, we
15:55
Speaker 4: got to play Real Madrid and I got to play
15:59
Speaker 4: the second half of that and you know, David Beckham
16:02
Speaker 4: had a free kick that I saved up and over
16:04
Speaker 4: the wall, Robinho had a one on one that I saved,
16:08
Speaker 4: Venis Noora and I got got into it. So some
16:11
Speaker 4: of those you know, impactful games where you know you're
16:14
Speaker 4: with an MLS team and you get to play, you know,
16:18
Speaker 4: one of the top one of.
16:20
Speaker 3: The top teams in the world. It's just incredible.
16:23
Speaker 4: Also got to play against man City when I was
16:26
Speaker 4: with Vancouver when they came off that twenty twelve epic
16:30
Speaker 4: comeback to win in to win the Premier League at
16:35
Speaker 4: the death. I got to play against that former team
16:38
Speaker 4: and walked off the field with Joe Hart and got
16:41
Speaker 4: his jersey. So luckily I've I've been able to play with,
16:44
Speaker 4: play against some incredible guys. But you know, Beckham, just
16:49
Speaker 4: the impact that he's had in the league. I was
16:51
Speaker 4: also with DC United when he played his first game
16:54
Speaker 4: for MLS in d C, so got to see some
16:58
Speaker 4: pretty cool things. But you know, I played overseas a
17:02
Speaker 4: little bit as well two training. But you know, I
17:04
Speaker 4: think that Real Madrid was one of the most stacked
17:06
Speaker 4: teams I've ever seen.
17:07
Speaker 2: So wait, Beckham never scored on you, That's what I'm hearing.
17:11
Speaker 3: He did not, but he didn't get many opportunities.
17:13
Speaker 2: Well, no, that's in and out of a one technicality,
17:16
Speaker 2: not Jay. That's that doesn't matter. That's top line on
17:20
Speaker 2: my resume if i'm you is Beckham never scored on me.
17:24
Speaker 4: Boom, and I have a great I have a great
17:27
Speaker 4: picture from that game too, me and him walking off
17:29
Speaker 4: the field with his arm around me, but then also
17:32
Speaker 4: him just about to strike the free kick over the
17:35
Speaker 4: RSL wall and me already leaning that way to go
17:39
Speaker 4: and try and save it.
17:40
Speaker 2: That's awesome, that's really cool. Thanks for sharing, appreciate your time.
17:45
Speaker 2: Let's get get you on again soon, and especially when
17:47
Speaker 2: we get into this World Cup situation. I'd like to
17:49
Speaker 2: pick your brain on that too.
17:51
Speaker 3: Absolutely look forward to appreciate you having me
17:54
Speaker 2: J Nley, former RSL goalkeeper and color analy on the
18:00
Speaker 2: RSL radio broadcasts