July 3, 2025 • 43 mins
Mikey and Tyler start strategizing on how to build a Right to Dream club, true to the organization’s philosophy, while representing the people of Southern California.
But before they can start thinking about players and tactics, they set off on a whirlwind world tour of the Right to Dream network. They visit Ghana, Egypt, and Denmark to see what lessons they can bring home to San Diego.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:05):
It's three pm on Sunday, October twentieth, twenty twenty four
in Forum, Denmark. The floodlights glare down over Right to
Dream Park, illuminating the flurries of sleet swirling around the
ten thousand seat stadium. We're at the home of FC
Norchlan FCN for short, the pinnacle of Right to Dreams
football period, the place where it all comes together. Famed
(00:31):
for fielding the youngest men's team in Europe tonight. Like
most Knights, the squad is full of graduates from their academies.
In twenty twenty three, they finished first in the regular
season of the Danish Superlega and competed in Europe, all
while fielding a team with an average age of just
twenty two. As the players walk out onto the pitch,
(00:55):
Mikey Barras and Tyler Heaps look on from the stands,
smiling with anticipation. They're about to see the Right to
Dream method in action. Twenty five years of perfecting a
style of play while developing incredible young town the likes
of twenty year old Ghanaian midfield maestro Mario Georgenis and
(01:16):
the pair of eighteen year old Scandinavians Norwegian left winger
Sindre Ballet Egele and Danish center back Lucas Folksboy. However,
it's actually two of the Super League up veterans that
Mikey is watching closest, twenty eight year old striker and
local hero Marcus Inkbaksen and thirty one year old defensive
(01:42):
midfielder jet benz Berskov, two players who will be wearing
the kromenas Sulam San Diego in twenty twenty five. As
the team's line up for kickoff, FCN set up in
their typical four three three formation. Within minutes, players are
(02:07):
swapping positions at will, fluid stretching their opponents to create
space and expose weaknesses. The ball zips around short, sharp
intric capacities as FCNS advanced menacingly up the field, their
opponent's silkboard back off, dropping deeper and deeper. But then
(02:29):
FCN lose possession silk orf counteread snee Nigga got. Ten
seconds later norseland are picking the ball out of their
own neck one nil down. This style of plaything might
(02:52):
be harder than it looks. In February twenty twenty five,
San Diego FC became the thirtieth team to enter Major
League Soccer, now the largest professional league on the planet.
But this is more than just another football club. At
least that's the hope of the club's co owners. Under
(03:13):
the leadership of Sir Mohammed Mansour, Right to Dream is
an organization promising to rock American soccer to its foundations
with a revolutionary approach to coaching and youth development. Anchoring
the project in the local community is the Sequan Band
of the Kumiya Nation, the first ever Native American owners
in men's professional sports, and as the only MLS club
(03:37):
officially sanctioned to recruit out of Mexico. I mean, this
thing could really fly. That is, if everything goes to plan.
San Diego FC is a Right to Dream club. From
the players they signed to the football they'll play, SDFC
will be created in the organization's image. In this episode,
head coach Mikey Vadas and sporting director Tyler Heaps start
(03:59):
to figure out, now how that's going to work here
in southern California. Captured in the final months before the
twenty twenty five season kicks off, this series follows sdfc's
race to field, their first ever team. I'm Adrian, gotta say,
I'm Markis and this is behind the Flow, the origin
story of San Diego FC. In September twenty twenty four,
(04:26):
just weeks into the job, Mikey Bodas and Tyler Heaps
are already working long days. Last night, they had planned
to reward themselves by popping over the border to catch
a Sholos game in Tijuana, but in the end they
had to settle for watching it in the office. No,
we didn't end up going.
Speaker 2 (04:46):
Yeah, we watched dot TV, but we weren't able to
actually go. We got caught doing more and more meetings
and it was I So Tyler and I ended up
going having a beer at the end of a very
long day, and.
Speaker 1 (04:58):
It was good. The two men are in the trenches together,
between hiring sports staff, technical staff, medical staff, managing the
construction of their training base at Singing Hills, attending fan events,
and doing media duties. They're beginning to feel the string.
Speaker 3 (05:16):
Yes, I'm still I still have plenty of strength, so
I'm still staying afloat at the moment. But let's talk
to me again in a few weeks and then I'll
tell you what I am.
Speaker 1 (05:23):
Then at the very top of their to do list
is the small issue of recruiting on entire squad in
less than four months. Work is already well under way
identifying the type of players they're gonna need.
Speaker 3 (05:39):
It's age first and foremost. We need veteran players and
we need young players. Like you're building a team from scratch,
and so the succession plan of long term success needs
to be defined. So we're definitely looking for a balance
from an age standpoint. We're looking from a balance in
terms of the player types that we get, the ones
that players that can play both ways, that fit the culture,
that have the same values as us and all that.
Speaker 1 (06:00):
And then there's the other thing, the football. When players
finally report in January twenty twenty five, Mikey will have
a matter of weeks to mold twenty five strangers into
a cohesive unit and implement the famous right to Dream
style of play. I know what you're thinking, what exactly
(06:20):
is the right to Dream style of play? I mean,
how complex can it really be? Well, it turns out
it's all about simplicity, reducing the game to core fundamentals
and speed up decision making on the ball. According to
Fleming Patterson, the group technical director. It's not so much
a set of instructions as a way.
Speaker 4 (06:40):
Of thinking the right to team philosophy or right to
team methodology. There's a lot there in how to simplify things,
foul players so they are getting even better, and Quika
to take the right decisions. So the game in itself,
if you just go out and play eleven eleven, it's
(07:02):
it's very complex and there are so many possibilities, so
you can easily get lost in the game.
Speaker 1 (07:09):
The playbook, as Fleming calls it, is the result of
years analyzing. You wait for Champions League games, the highest
level in the sport. They crunched the data and came
up with the most efficient possible game model, a system
that not only increases the chances of winning, but specifically
helps young players to develop.
Speaker 4 (07:30):
Yeah, I would say a real right to dream player
is a player that are pretty cognitive strong. It's a
player that are a very good game reader, can anticipate
game situations because he simply has been taught this through
his upbringing in one of our academies. And then also
(07:53):
what we always emphasize is that you need to express
yourself on the pitch. So for e sac amble in
the stats of football right now is showing that the
last two three years the success rate in dribbling is
less and less, and of course we are not following
and we don't want to follow this trend. We will
(08:17):
obviously develop players that can break this trend, and that's
why also our players can be more valuable than other players.
Speaker 1 (08:28):
The result of all this research is a digital handbook
breaking the game down into eight phases of play for
attacking and for defensive. The level of detail is something else.
For example, there are twenty two different build up patterns
to use depending on the opposition. In terms of specific
formations or tactics, it's not one size of its all.
(08:49):
But if you were to ask Much Davidson, the group
head of Football, to summarize it, he'd say they like
to take the initiative and general.
Speaker 5 (08:57):
We like initiative, which means on the ball we want
to attack and score as much as possible. And we
want an initiative of the ball, which means we press
high as often as possible and we want to win
the ball back as quickly as possible. And then we
like our constructive game is what we call it, which
means we don't like duels. We try to avoid getting
into duals. That's not a benefit of a young player,
(09:21):
so we want to avoid that. We're playing fast moving,
fast pressing high up is something where the young body
can probably replicate more than an older body, So we
kind of design it in the way that we want
to give advantagies to young players. But we have a
very goal seeking approach, which means if we want zero up,
(09:43):
we want to score for two zero. That's the aim.
We don't change our mindset because we have a lead.
We keep attacking.
Speaker 1 (09:54):
It just so happens. This exciting brand of football is
particularly well suited to MLA. Yes, perhaps even better than
in Denmark, where it's been working wonders for FC norther
Inland since twenty sixteen.
Speaker 5 (10:09):
Where the Danish Super League is quite tactical league, which
means teams are often locking each other a little bit.
The game can become very tactical and sometimes slow because
nobody's really taking a risk. You're just kind of waiting
for each other making for one goal to make the difference.
Where the MS has more this is thats define more
(10:30):
intensity and more vertical runs and vertical play, which means
it's a more open it's a more open league. We
actually believe that our style of play, which is a
right Dream style of play, and also how we develop
players on our academies to play in that start of
play that can be successful in the meliss.
Speaker 1 (10:51):
Since his appointment, Mikey has been reading and rereading the
Right to Dream playbook. After all, it's his job to
roll it out in San Diego once he actually has
a team.
Speaker 2 (11:03):
I'm already starting to think about what are those positional
structures going to look like in the first phase of
the build up, to make sure that we set our
team up for success based on what our player profiles
are going to look like and how much training we
have until our first competitive game. But this is a
huge work in progress because I don't have a technical
(11:24):
staff with me, so right now it's my brain going
crazy pretty much.
Speaker 1 (11:31):
It's a lot to take in, but the top brass
are confident they've got the right guys in Tyler and
Mikey to make the model work here in the US.
Here's sdfc CEO Tom Penn.
Speaker 6 (11:42):
The big challenge in our leadership for football operations both
head coach and sporting director is We need people that
are I'll say it, right to dreamy in their approach.
It would be a shame if we were to get leadership.
It'd be stupid that wasn't aligned with the Right to
Dream way, because so much of our strategy is to
(12:03):
take advantage of the youth pipeline that's coming up from Ghana,
from Denmark, from Egypt, and then here and have all
those kids trained to play the same way trained you know,
we know who they are, and then when you mix
the best of the best, you get a synergy effect. Well,
we need decision makers.
Speaker 1 (12:25):
That value that, which is why, despite having so much
to do here in California, Mikey and Tydler are making
time to physically immerse themselves in the Right to Dream system.
Speaker 2 (12:36):
The most important thing is to put your feet on
the ground wherever that place is. Because you can read
the slide deck so you can get on zoom calls.
But when you put your feet on the ground in Ghana,
on the ground in Egypt, on the ground in Denmark,
you feel the culture right now. You're hugging people, you're
high fiving people, you're having dialogue four feet away. It's
a totally different sensation. The next thing is is, yeah,
(12:59):
you go with an open mind. I go there with
a clear and open mind to learn as much as
possible about each academy, each ProTeam. What are they doing?
What makes it so clearly you know, uniquely right to Dream?
Speaker 1 (13:30):
So before they do anything else, Mike, Tyler and their
staff are off on a whirlwind world tour of the
Right to Dream Network. First stup is West Africa and
the visit to Right to Dreams Original Academy, which, as
it happens, is about to celebrate its twenty fifth anniversary.
(13:54):
After landing in the Capitol about Crowd, they drive two
hours northeast to the small rural village of Old Crotic.
As twilight falls, they crossed the River Bolta by Faery,
Mikey and Tyler take in the sweeping tropical force surrounding
farmlands and the distant misclad mountains. By the time they
(14:17):
approach the whitewashed buildings of the academy, the last rays
of sunlight are seeping from the sky. But even at
this hour in semi darkness, they hear the unmistakable sound
of a football game, along with children laughing. For Tyler,
it's a reminder of why he was first drawn to
(14:38):
the project and what it is they're building.
Speaker 3 (14:44):
Like everybody that you meet has a massive smile on
their face. They're all passionate about football. And I think
that's the most tremendous thing about this Project's why I
join in the first place. It's about the people that
you work with, and you want to go all in
on a project, and the only way to do that
is to obviously be invested in what they stand for
and and we talk about the values and the beliefs
and what they do for these kids. And then you
come here and you see it on the ground and
(15:05):
you see their smiles and you see how much they
truly believe in it, and all the staff and the
sacrifices that they make. We need to now uphold that
in San Diego.
Speaker 1 (15:15):
Mikey and Tyler have arrived in time to celebrate a
quarter century of Right to Dreams. Incredible success.
Speaker 3 (15:23):
It's crazy that that's what tomorrow the twenty fifth anniversary,
and the fact that we get to be here during that.
But you also see how this place has been established.
I mean, it truly is a remarkable place in the world.
And you've seen the players express themselves far beyond it.
But to come here and see the current group and
see the staff members that put so much sacrifice into
this place, it's remarkable.
Speaker 1 (15:45):
Here's a quick history lesson for you. It all started
in nineteen ninety nine when ex Manchester United scout Tom
Vernon and his wife took in a small group of
kids to give them the opportunity their talents deserve. Three
ended up playing for the Ghana national team, five became
pro players in Europe, and six graduated from Division one
(16:08):
colleges in America. Not bad, right, Well. From those modest beginnings,
Right to Dream grew and grew. Over the past two decades.
They have produced over one hundred and fifty male and
female professional players, and with the addition of the academies
in Denmark and Egypt, that talent pipeline is only getting bigger.
(16:30):
In that time, their commitment to the educational side has
never wavered. Over the next few days of their visit,
Mikey and Tyler toured the campus. They see classrooms full
of engaged kids studying everything from math in languages to
social media and robotics. But, as anyone at Right to
(16:51):
Dream will tell you, the most important lesson they try
to teach his humility and character. Here's Matt Davits again.
Speaker 5 (17:01):
It's a big thing in our let's say, character built
of the person, of the of the of the child
to also learn to help others and give back. And therefore,
of course, if you have a community or a village
in for example, and our academy and Ghana, of course
our hope and what we try to work with the
(17:21):
players about is that how can I then make that
area proud and how can I give something back that
there's a saying in West Africa it takes a village
to raise a child and obviously that speaks into that
when you then have a grown up and you have
done well and you have more than others, then you
also give back to that village that help raise you.
Speaker 1 (17:46):
As Mikey attends team training, the connection between academic studies,
character development and the football is obvious to see. Right
to Dream are creating confident, in intelligent footballers who can
communicate and problem solve out on the pitch. For those
who don't turn pro, they will earn scholarships to top schools,
(18:10):
setting them up for life. Everyone's a winner attending these sessions.
It doesn't escape Mikey's attention that the technical drills, the
intensity of their work, the emphasis on passing and possession,
it's all straight from the style of playbook. As the
(18:30):
SDFC delegation wraps things up, there's plenty to think about.
The trip has been a timely reminder of what it
is they're creating and why.
Speaker 2 (18:41):
There's a certain positivity energy. And then you walk through
the village and I think you can't help but feel
humbled and feel like this is something really special, you know.
And then you get all the way to the fields
and you can hear the sound of the ball even
when there's not training. We came in in the night
and the boys were just playing two five A side
(19:04):
games right side by side, and the talent is tremendous,
you know. But more than anything, you can see that
there's a love and passion for the game that's absolutely unbelievable.
And I think, if anything, if we can bring this
kind of humbleness, positive outlook on life and also passion
for the game, I think we'll do ourselves really well
(19:27):
if we can bring those things from here.
Speaker 1 (19:34):
A week later, they are back in the SDFC offices
in Little Italy after Ghana, mike and Tyler headed out
to Egypt for a few days to get a tour
of the group's newest academy following it's opening in twenty
twenty three. It's already fully staffed, fully equipped, and fielding
teams of girls and boys playing in the recognizable Right
(19:57):
to Dream style. In fact, on the women's side, FC Mazar,
their pro team in Cairo, has already won two Cups
the Egyptian Premier League and finished third in the twenty
twenty four Women's Champions League. How's that for a fast start.
Back in San Diego, it's mid October twenty twenty four,
and Mikey and Tyler now turn their attention to the
(20:18):
next leg of their world tour, an intensive week long
stay at FC Northerland in Denmark. This is where they'll
see exactly how the Right to Dream model comes together
at competitive men's first team level. The blueprint for San Diego.
Speaker 2 (20:35):
We've gone to Ghana, We've gone to Egypt, and now
we're going to Denmark and making sure that we're integrating
across all of the academies and teams to make sure
that the style of play that that Right to Dream
spirit is clearly honored in the implementation of rolling out
the club.
Speaker 1 (20:53):
Mikey is keen to learn as much as possible while
he's there. He'll see their matchday preparations, analysis sessions and
training methods, as well as taking the chance to sit
down with Motts and Fleming and fine tune their plans
for MLS.
Speaker 2 (21:08):
I know I'm going to be really close with the
first team, being able to integrate with the staff, be
in their meetings, be on the field during their trainings,
and then yes, strategizing, also bringing to the table, you know,
my unique perspective, my unique ideas that are already clearly
aligned with Right to Dream, but maybe have a slightly
(21:30):
different twist or flavor to them, and then seeing, you know,
what are the non negotiables and what are the areas
where my unique perspective can bring added value.
Speaker 1 (21:48):
Crossing the Atlantic once again, Tyler Heaps and Mikey Bodis
are arriving Copenhagen, Denmark, before driving the twelve miles north
to Farham. As they roll past an array of Middle
Eastern supermarkets, Turkish restaurants and Polish delis, they can't help
but noticing that this small town has an especially international field.
(22:12):
It's a place that has welcomed migrants from overseas for
generations and the perfect place to headquarter an international football group.
When they arrive at FC Norseland's home ground, they walk
straight out onto the pitch at ten thousand seat Right
to Dream Park. Mikey looks up at the message emblazoned
(22:34):
in large letters across the main stand everyone has the
right to dream. He feels a rush of pride.
Speaker 2 (22:45):
Amazing. I mean, like, first of all the sign you're here,
And first of all, I think that this stadium is,
for lack of a better term, is like a very
romantic stadium because it's like quintessential European rights. It's small,
it's compact, but you can feel the history here. Then
when you stare across the field and you see this
everyone has the right to dream. I think for anybody
(23:08):
who's involved in the project or understands the purpose behind
the project, you get goosebumps.
Speaker 1 (23:21):
A few hours later, fcn kickoff against Silksbord. Mikey is
about to witness the model in action, a twenty five
year dream coming to fruition. He marvels at the intricate
quick passing and the purposeful, coordinated movements of the players.
(23:41):
Then just three minutes in FCN lose the ball and
silk Port spring their track. Two passes later and their
winger is released and bearing down on goal. Northland are
down one nothing at homes against the team more than
happy to sit back and shut up. Shot. This is
(24:03):
not going to be easy. For the next seventy plus minutes,
it's one way traffic. FCN dominate possession and create a
host of chances, but with time running out they still
trail one nothing. Then the gods of football faith step in.
FCN wins the corner. The ball is cleared by a
(24:26):
silkeboard defender, but it rebounds off a teammate and flashes
past the helpless keeper own goal. One to one. In
the dying minutes, FCN do their best to get the win,
but it's just not their day. The match ends all square.
(24:47):
Despite the results. Afterwards, Mikey is buzzy.
Speaker 2 (24:51):
What I noticed was that FCN was very courageous and
how they want to play, very courageous to play in
even when there's not a lot of space and time.
I think that there were moments where we were so
close to making the breakthrough and getting in and it
didn't quite happen, and at the same time still generated
(25:14):
some clear chances that could have turned the game and
the other way. Overall, I really enjoyed the bravery to play,
to have the ball, to try to go after the game,
to dominate with that intention, and sometimes it works better
and then some days, some days you win that game
three zero, three to one, and some days you tie
(25:36):
that game one to one. But overall it was really impressive.
Speaker 1 (25:40):
Already imagining his first training sessions in San Diego, Mikey
saw a lot to emulate, but he also identified an
aspect in the defensive phase of the playbook that's been
puzzling him. It's just one of the many things he
hopes to clarify on this trip.
Speaker 2 (25:57):
On the ball recovery side, I can see some really
clear principles in terms of compactness, in terms of having
clear triggers to press. The press I think was really
really intense multiple actions from every single player, a lot
of commitments. I think that was really key. And then
I noticed clearly this concept of in our own half
(26:18):
forcing to the closest teammate, you know, which I think
is like so one of the most unique things about
FCN and Right to Dreams style of play, but this
concept of in your own half forcing to the nearest teammate,
this is something that I've had my eyes on really
in close detail because i want to make sure that
I respect that and honor that. When we start the
(26:38):
project in San Diego.
Speaker 1 (27:01):
It's the morning after the night before and Tyler and
Mikey are sitting in on the postmatch video analysis meeting.
This is another pillar of the Right to Dream method.
Data and video analysis comes in abundance and always involves
the players as soon as possible after a match has
been played. Money post match sif.
Speaker 7 (27:29):
We think it was a game where were we didn't
reach our file from the last two games, but we
kept them on a minimum, and we we feel that
we created the chances and the optunity to make big
chances that we can't expect in a against the City Bowl.
Speaker 1 (27:52):
The coaching staff quickly dive into the detail, highlighting precise
points on style of play, just waiting.
Speaker 8 (27:59):
For the first us within the orow front, noticing the
inside passes working on different lines, quite contpet structure, yet
going on the first one. Good that we release, good
that we slide opposite lines in there line side pressure
nine to cover the.
Speaker 1 (28:14):
Six, and then rather than focus on the goal, they conceded.
The group concludes that it was their failure to score
that cost them the result a simple but fundamental principle
that they train towards every day.
Speaker 9 (28:29):
But here in this situation, in this sequence, we left
the rings several times, and then we'll be like this
slow play touch and touch and then just the past
from the side. It's really crucial moments these and then
we recognize this, this is what we train and we
should almost this blind blindly. These penance soulable and it's
(28:53):
what makes us good.
Speaker 1 (28:54):
With the time for self reflection. Drawing to a close,
thoughts turned towards the future.
Speaker 8 (29:00):
Chasing Algrave go to the final post, will go to
the gross press tomorrow and then again on Sunday. Joan
playing Anna's awake on Sunday, be collected.
Speaker 1 (29:17):
Yeah, let's go. Leaving the team meeting, Mikey is impressed
with how central these conversations are to the club's strategy.
Speaker 2 (29:28):
It's clear that the alignment and the conviction for the
style of play is clear across all the departments. Like
it's so clear because it's impossible to have that collaboration
if not everybody understands it. The second thing is is
that the hiring of the analysts is clearly with a
(29:48):
priority placed on having football expertise and coaching knowledge. So
I think that that's like that explains a lot, just
one making sure that everybody's bought in with the style
of play, and then two hiring people who understand the
game to be in the analysis department. And then ultimately
what I would say, what I saw there was a
(30:10):
learning environment. It was not just about going over what
the game was, but it's like, how can now we
take this information and improve as a group in the
long run.
Speaker 1 (30:19):
Also, Tyler's an analytics gang. He knows the value of
these sessions. In San Diego, utilizing video review will be
key to getting the new players up to speed as
fast as possible.
Speaker 3 (30:31):
Yeah, I think the whole concept of analysis is extremely
important in modern day football because when you talk about development,
you cannot train for ten hours a day, so you
have to find different ways that you can try to
educate your players, try to challenge your players, and I
think this analysis meetings are quite a good way to
do that. I think that's really important is to try
(30:52):
to find different ways to educate players, because what we
know is that not every player understands and takes an
information in the same way.
Speaker 1 (31:01):
Over the next few days they attend more meetings, but
it's on the training pitch where things really sharpen their focus.
Out here with the players, Mikey is in his element,
and he's not just standing on the sidelines taking notes.
He's out on the field with the coaches, dressed in
his e FCY and training gear and cleats. Mikey's all in.
Speaker 2 (31:24):
From a methodology perspective, first, I think the intensity of
the trainings is in a different level. It's amazing the
detail of past so and from not just the players
but also the coaches, of demanding really really strong passes,
and that speed of play is going to be really important.
You see other methodologies where maybe it's a slower training,
(31:46):
it's more just pure tactics moving around, moving players around
the field, and here it's like that part is done
in the video session, the warm up is done inside,
then they come here boom, and everything goes up in
terms of speed. And then that's why I think you
see them in the game able to find solutions in
such tight spaces under so much stress because they're doing
(32:09):
that in the training is as hard or harder sometimes.
So definitely going to incorporate that. And I think when
anybody from FCN comes to San Diego, they're going to
see that and they're going to say, oh, man, okay,
it's the same, you know what I mean. So that's
going to be identical. That's not negotiating for me.
Speaker 1 (32:27):
Aside from the technical level of the training, what stands
out is how engaged the players themselves are. The level
of understanding and ease of communication between so many young
kids from different backgrounds is incredible. Well, it turns out
that this is the real secret sauce to the Right
to Dream system. Before arriving here at FCN, many of
(32:49):
these players have spent two years living, working, and traveling
together at Right to Dreams Elite Football finishing School the
International Academy, preparing them to hit the ground running once
they turn pro.
Speaker 5 (33:02):
The real integration is what we call the International Academy,
or IA as we call it day to day, which
is an academy that we call it our fifth Academy.
We believe that by placing the players, the best players together,
you have a much higher training environment.
Speaker 1 (33:20):
The IA not only provides a bridge between academies and
the professional level, but it also gives the players crucial
time to develop a deep understanding of one another. Technical
director Fleming Patterson thinks it's the biggest advantage they have.
Speaker 4 (33:35):
Our international academy are quite unique. I'm not sure that
any other academies in the world that they have this
kind of academy where they bring together players from different
part of the world. It's very important, primarily because of
(33:57):
the integrational part that if a player from Ghana will
succeed in Europe, it's very difficult to come as an
eighteen year old for the first time. So here we
have two or minimum two years of preparation for a
West African player, like getting used to a much small,
(34:22):
small structured way of playing football, getting used to whether getting.
Speaker 1 (34:28):
Used to food, and just learning a new culture. Speaking
of learning a new culture, before Mikey heads home, he
makes a point to schedule some FaceTime with his own
players who are here training with FCN. He catches an
under nineteen session where the Remfree and alex Might are
(34:52):
both learning the ropes.
Speaker 2 (34:54):
They're in the perfect environment to then make the transition
because so many things are going to be so aligned,
you know. But Duran, for example, the quality of training
that he's getting here every day is incredible, you know,
and then he's getting games on top of it. His
progression is great. You have Alex who he's not getting
(35:14):
playing time right now, but he's learning how to train
in this methodology. He's learning about how to handle that
cognitive load with the video and with the inputs from
the coach, and so like he's gonna come in the
preseason so much more prepared to then you know, hit
the ground running there. And then of course Yea and Marcus,
(35:36):
like they're important players in the first team. You can
see it clearly.
Speaker 1 (35:39):
Mikey knows that the pair of Danes and Marcus will
be important pillars in his side from day one, both
in terms of playing ability but also leading by example
as right to dream veterans.
Speaker 2 (35:51):
First of all, I think they're top professionals. You can
see how they take care of themselves, how they are
around their teammates, how they train, how they play. Yepe
is like incredible playmaker. I know he's six, but he's
also eight and ten in the same in the same breath.
You know what I mean and finding the right spaces
on the field so smart, almost always making the exact
(36:14):
right decision that is needed for every single situation, which
I think is like one of the most impressive attributes
that a player can have when you just say, like man,
they just always are making the right decision.
Speaker 1 (36:26):
Waiting to let John the yet at Verskov's creativity will
be marcus Ingbertson, a Colt hero here at FCN and
a proven goliadoro.
Speaker 2 (36:36):
And then I think his special attributes is he's always
arriving in good spaces in the box. It's number nine
who has goal scoring in stinct, and when you watch him,
he's always arriving in a space where maybe the ball
can go and the goal will come. And when you
have a nine that has that instinct and that confidence
in themselves, you know that. Okay, now our job is
just to see how many times we can get the
(36:56):
ball to them in those spaces, because the goals will come.
When that happened.
Speaker 1 (37:05):
After an intense few days, the final stop is a
meeting with Mods and Fleming to review how the trip
has gone.
Speaker 2 (37:12):
How do you want to start good week?
Speaker 8 (37:15):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (37:15):
Amazing?
Speaker 2 (37:16):
I think so. The way that I explain. It is
like my confidence in the project is going up and
up every trip that I'm making, because naturally when you
meet the people, it's different. Right, you're in an interview process,
you're on a zoom, you're reading documents, you're researching. But
then when you start meeting people, or the time I'm
(37:39):
spending with both of you, also even spending time with Tyler,
we're speaking with players together, it's like, now the confidence
is going up because the perceived alignment that you felt
in the interview process is like it's coming to fruition
and it's like happening.
Speaker 1 (37:57):
Mikey has learned plenty, but perhaps the biggest is an
unexpected one, a renewed sense of self belief.
Speaker 2 (38:05):
So like the trip has increased my confidence not only
in the group and in the project, but also in myself,
like tremendously. So I think that that's like number one value.
The value from it.
Speaker 4 (38:20):
Has that something to do with what you have seen
or is small that you can feel the trust from everyone.
Speaker 2 (38:29):
So I think it's kind of both. You know, seeing
the training, seeing the video analysis, how we interact with players,
right the game plan, how the game plan is discussed
that's been huge for me, but also to ask the
questions of the things that I go, okay, why this,
and then like so much comfort here To be able
(38:51):
to have those conversations. It has been huge.
Speaker 1 (38:55):
As he found out there were some concepts within the
Right to Dream playbook Mikey needed to see for himself
before he could plan on implementing them at SDFC.
Speaker 2 (39:05):
I think to see the style of play more clearly
in action and like a higher level right because in
Ghana's the academy in Egypt is the academy, but then
you say okay translation to first team, because that's the
project that we're going to be on. That has been really,
really really important speaking with people about the details. With
(39:28):
Fleming about the details, I think like my for me,
like the forcing inside like it's like it became so
much more clear with the concept of forcing the closest
to your closest teammate. It's like like bulb boom okay.
Speaker 1 (39:48):
As they prepare for the long flight home, Tyler pauses
to reflect on the huge opportunity lying at his and
Mikey's feet. They are building a club from scratch with
Right to Dream DNA and distilling over two decades of
expert insight into the game.
Speaker 3 (40:05):
It's probably the greatest part about being in this industry
is that there is no blueprint of how to have
a successful team, because there are different ways that you
can play football. There's different ways that you can structure
a staff, there's different head coaches you can hire. And
I do think that this opportunity, it's so attractive because
you have the ability to do it from scratch. But
we're also not guessing. We have people that have come
from unique backgrounds, we have the right to dream football function.
(40:29):
We have our ownership group that has obviously done in
a number of different ways, and so we have kind
of our backbone, and now it's about how we continue
to build off of it. So it's not easy, that's
for sure, especially an expansion side, it's almost unheard of
now in modern day. But it also would make this
project so attractive with the support of the owners and
with the clubs like.
Speaker 1 (40:48):
FCN back in their downtown San Diego office, Mikey is
itching to get going. The trip to Denmark proved everything
he hoped for and more, and.
Speaker 2 (41:02):
The trip gave me tremendous confidence. Just spending a lot
of time with Mads and Fleming talking football, speaking football,
going over my ideas for the first team, and them
just really doing two things. One providing me tremendous support
when they were like, yes, that's perfect, go with that,
but then also challenging me in terms of, you know,
(41:24):
we really want this aspect of the playbook put in,
so for example, you know how we defend and how
we're going to defend in our own half. But I
would say the integration process has been actually really confidence
building for me. I came back from Denmark until Tyler,
I'm ready, Like now, I'm one hundred percent ready to go.
(41:45):
I don't have any reservations about how I'm going to
take my first steps.
Speaker 1 (41:52):
Mikey is now getting to work. I'm finessing the s
DFC version of the Right to Dream Playbook. The only
slight problem is with only four players on the books,
it's all entirely theoretical. Everything will hinge on who they
are actually able to sign. You're up, Tyler. Next time
(42:19):
on Behind the Flow, It's time to build a team.
With just over a month ago to the expansion Draft,
Tyler and his analytics crew have a lot of work
to do to recruit a squad capable of competing in
twenty twenty five. Behind the Flow is a message heard production.
(42:44):
I'm your host. Adrian garciamarkis the series producer is McAllister Beckson.
Mark Kendrick is the assistant producer, and Rebecca Ware is
the field producer. Jake Warren and Sandra Ferrari are the
executive producers. James Cox and Deck are the production coordinators.
The sound editor is Lizzie Andrews and music composition is
(43:06):
by Tom Biddle.
It's three pm on Sunday, October twentieth, twenty twenty four
in Forum, Denmark. The floodlights glare down over Right to
Dream Park, illuminating the flurries of sleet swirling around the
ten thousand seat stadium. We're at the home of FC
Norchlan FCN for short, the pinnacle of Right to Dreams
football period, the place where it all comes together. Famed
(00:31):
for fielding the youngest men's team in Europe tonight. Like
most Knights, the squad is full of graduates from their academies.
In twenty twenty three, they finished first in the regular
season of the Danish Superlega and competed in Europe, all
while fielding a team with an average age of just
twenty two. As the players walk out onto the pitch,
(00:55):
Mikey Barras and Tyler Heaps look on from the stands,
smiling with anticipation. They're about to see the Right to
Dream method in action. Twenty five years of perfecting a
style of play while developing incredible young town the likes
of twenty year old Ghanaian midfield maestro Mario Georgenis and
(01:16):
the pair of eighteen year old Scandinavians Norwegian left winger
Sindre Ballet Egele and Danish center back Lucas Folksboy. However,
it's actually two of the Super League up veterans that
Mikey is watching closest, twenty eight year old striker and
local hero Marcus Inkbaksen and thirty one year old defensive
(01:42):
midfielder jet benz Berskov, two players who will be wearing
the kromenas Sulam San Diego in twenty twenty five. As
the team's line up for kickoff, FCN set up in
their typical four three three formation. Within minutes, players are
(02:07):
swapping positions at will, fluid stretching their opponents to create
space and expose weaknesses. The ball zips around short, sharp
intric capacities as FCNS advanced menacingly up the field, their
opponent's silkboard back off, dropping deeper and deeper. But then
(02:29):
FCN lose possession silk orf counteread snee Nigga got. Ten
seconds later norseland are picking the ball out of their
own neck one nil down. This style of plaything might
(02:52):
be harder than it looks. In February twenty twenty five,
San Diego FC became the thirtieth team to enter Major
League Soccer, now the largest professional league on the planet.
But this is more than just another football club. At
least that's the hope of the club's co owners. Under
(03:13):
the leadership of Sir Mohammed Mansour, Right to Dream is
an organization promising to rock American soccer to its foundations
with a revolutionary approach to coaching and youth development. Anchoring
the project in the local community is the Sequan Band
of the Kumiya Nation, the first ever Native American owners
in men's professional sports, and as the only MLS club
(03:37):
officially sanctioned to recruit out of Mexico. I mean, this
thing could really fly. That is, if everything goes to plan.
San Diego FC is a Right to Dream club. From
the players they signed to the football they'll play, SDFC
will be created in the organization's image. In this episode,
head coach Mikey Vadas and sporting director Tyler Heaps start
(03:59):
to figure out, now how that's going to work here
in southern California. Captured in the final months before the
twenty twenty five season kicks off, this series follows sdfc's
race to field, their first ever team. I'm Adrian, gotta say,
I'm Markis and this is behind the Flow, the origin
story of San Diego FC. In September twenty twenty four,
(04:26):
just weeks into the job, Mikey Bodas and Tyler Heaps
are already working long days. Last night, they had planned
to reward themselves by popping over the border to catch
a Sholos game in Tijuana, but in the end they
had to settle for watching it in the office. No,
we didn't end up going.
Speaker 2 (04:46):
Yeah, we watched dot TV, but we weren't able to
actually go. We got caught doing more and more meetings
and it was I So Tyler and I ended up
going having a beer at the end of a very
long day, and.
Speaker 1 (04:58):
It was good. The two men are in the trenches together,
between hiring sports staff, technical staff, medical staff, managing the
construction of their training base at Singing Hills, attending fan events,
and doing media duties. They're beginning to feel the string.
Speaker 3 (05:16):
Yes, I'm still I still have plenty of strength, so
I'm still staying afloat at the moment. But let's talk
to me again in a few weeks and then I'll
tell you what I am.
Speaker 1 (05:23):
Then at the very top of their to do list
is the small issue of recruiting on entire squad in
less than four months. Work is already well under way
identifying the type of players they're gonna need.
Speaker 3 (05:39):
It's age first and foremost. We need veteran players and
we need young players. Like you're building a team from scratch,
and so the succession plan of long term success needs
to be defined. So we're definitely looking for a balance
from an age standpoint. We're looking from a balance in
terms of the player types that we get, the ones
that players that can play both ways, that fit the culture,
that have the same values as us and all that.
Speaker 1 (06:00):
And then there's the other thing, the football. When players
finally report in January twenty twenty five, Mikey will have
a matter of weeks to mold twenty five strangers into
a cohesive unit and implement the famous right to Dream
style of play. I know what you're thinking, what exactly
(06:20):
is the right to Dream style of play? I mean,
how complex can it really be? Well, it turns out
it's all about simplicity, reducing the game to core fundamentals
and speed up decision making on the ball. According to
Fleming Patterson, the group technical director. It's not so much
a set of instructions as a way.
Speaker 4 (06:40):
Of thinking the right to team philosophy or right to
team methodology. There's a lot there in how to simplify things,
foul players so they are getting even better, and Quika
to take the right decisions. So the game in itself,
if you just go out and play eleven eleven, it's
(07:02):
it's very complex and there are so many possibilities, so
you can easily get lost in the game.
Speaker 1 (07:09):
The playbook, as Fleming calls it, is the result of
years analyzing. You wait for Champions League games, the highest
level in the sport. They crunched the data and came
up with the most efficient possible game model, a system
that not only increases the chances of winning, but specifically
helps young players to develop.
Speaker 4 (07:30):
Yeah, I would say a real right to dream player
is a player that are pretty cognitive strong. It's a
player that are a very good game reader, can anticipate
game situations because he simply has been taught this through
his upbringing in one of our academies. And then also
(07:53):
what we always emphasize is that you need to express
yourself on the pitch. So for e sac amble in
the stats of football right now is showing that the
last two three years the success rate in dribbling is
less and less, and of course we are not following
and we don't want to follow this trend. We will
(08:17):
obviously develop players that can break this trend, and that's
why also our players can be more valuable than other players.
Speaker 1 (08:28):
The result of all this research is a digital handbook
breaking the game down into eight phases of play for
attacking and for defensive. The level of detail is something else.
For example, there are twenty two different build up patterns
to use depending on the opposition. In terms of specific
formations or tactics, it's not one size of its all.
(08:49):
But if you were to ask Much Davidson, the group
head of Football, to summarize it, he'd say they like
to take the initiative and general.
Speaker 5 (08:57):
We like initiative, which means on the ball we want
to attack and score as much as possible. And we
want an initiative of the ball, which means we press
high as often as possible and we want to win
the ball back as quickly as possible. And then we
like our constructive game is what we call it, which
means we don't like duels. We try to avoid getting
into duals. That's not a benefit of a young player,
(09:21):
so we want to avoid that. We're playing fast moving,
fast pressing high up is something where the young body
can probably replicate more than an older body, So we
kind of design it in the way that we want
to give advantagies to young players. But we have a
very goal seeking approach, which means if we want zero up,
(09:43):
we want to score for two zero. That's the aim.
We don't change our mindset because we have a lead.
We keep attacking.
Speaker 1 (09:54):
It just so happens. This exciting brand of football is
particularly well suited to MLA. Yes, perhaps even better than
in Denmark, where it's been working wonders for FC norther
Inland since twenty sixteen.
Speaker 5 (10:09):
Where the Danish Super League is quite tactical league, which
means teams are often locking each other a little bit.
The game can become very tactical and sometimes slow because
nobody's really taking a risk. You're just kind of waiting
for each other making for one goal to make the difference.
Where the MS has more this is thats define more
(10:30):
intensity and more vertical runs and vertical play, which means
it's a more open it's a more open league. We
actually believe that our style of play, which is a
right Dream style of play, and also how we develop
players on our academies to play in that start of
play that can be successful in the meliss.
Speaker 1 (10:51):
Since his appointment, Mikey has been reading and rereading the
Right to Dream playbook. After all, it's his job to
roll it out in San Diego once he actually has
a team.
Speaker 2 (11:03):
I'm already starting to think about what are those positional
structures going to look like in the first phase of
the build up, to make sure that we set our
team up for success based on what our player profiles
are going to look like and how much training we
have until our first competitive game. But this is a
huge work in progress because I don't have a technical
(11:24):
staff with me, so right now it's my brain going
crazy pretty much.
Speaker 1 (11:31):
It's a lot to take in, but the top brass
are confident they've got the right guys in Tyler and
Mikey to make the model work here in the US.
Here's sdfc CEO Tom Penn.
Speaker 6 (11:42):
The big challenge in our leadership for football operations both
head coach and sporting director is We need people that
are I'll say it, right to dreamy in their approach.
It would be a shame if we were to get leadership.
It'd be stupid that wasn't aligned with the Right to
Dream way, because so much of our strategy is to
(12:03):
take advantage of the youth pipeline that's coming up from Ghana,
from Denmark, from Egypt, and then here and have all
those kids trained to play the same way trained you know,
we know who they are, and then when you mix
the best of the best, you get a synergy effect. Well,
we need decision makers.
Speaker 1 (12:25):
That value that, which is why, despite having so much
to do here in California, Mikey and Tydler are making
time to physically immerse themselves in the Right to Dream system.
Speaker 2 (12:36):
The most important thing is to put your feet on
the ground wherever that place is. Because you can read
the slide deck so you can get on zoom calls.
But when you put your feet on the ground in Ghana,
on the ground in Egypt, on the ground in Denmark,
you feel the culture right now. You're hugging people, you're
high fiving people, you're having dialogue four feet away. It's
a totally different sensation. The next thing is is, yeah,
(12:59):
you go with an open mind. I go there with
a clear and open mind to learn as much as
possible about each academy, each ProTeam. What are they doing?
What makes it so clearly you know, uniquely right to Dream?
Speaker 1 (13:30):
So before they do anything else, Mike, Tyler and their
staff are off on a whirlwind world tour of the
Right to Dream Network. First stup is West Africa and
the visit to Right to Dreams Original Academy, which, as
it happens, is about to celebrate its twenty fifth anniversary.
(13:54):
After landing in the Capitol about Crowd, they drive two
hours northeast to the small rural village of Old Crotic.
As twilight falls, they crossed the River Bolta by Faery,
Mikey and Tyler take in the sweeping tropical force surrounding
farmlands and the distant misclad mountains. By the time they
(14:17):
approach the whitewashed buildings of the academy, the last rays
of sunlight are seeping from the sky. But even at
this hour in semi darkness, they hear the unmistakable sound
of a football game, along with children laughing. For Tyler,
it's a reminder of why he was first drawn to
(14:38):
the project and what it is they're building.
Speaker 3 (14:44):
Like everybody that you meet has a massive smile on
their face. They're all passionate about football. And I think
that's the most tremendous thing about this Project's why I
join in the first place. It's about the people that
you work with, and you want to go all in
on a project, and the only way to do that
is to obviously be invested in what they stand for
and and we talk about the values and the beliefs
and what they do for these kids. And then you
come here and you see it on the ground and
(15:05):
you see their smiles and you see how much they
truly believe in it, and all the staff and the
sacrifices that they make. We need to now uphold that
in San Diego.
Speaker 1 (15:15):
Mikey and Tyler have arrived in time to celebrate a
quarter century of Right to Dreams. Incredible success.
Speaker 3 (15:23):
It's crazy that that's what tomorrow the twenty fifth anniversary,
and the fact that we get to be here during that.
But you also see how this place has been established.
I mean, it truly is a remarkable place in the world.
And you've seen the players express themselves far beyond it.
But to come here and see the current group and
see the staff members that put so much sacrifice into
this place, it's remarkable.
Speaker 1 (15:45):
Here's a quick history lesson for you. It all started
in nineteen ninety nine when ex Manchester United scout Tom
Vernon and his wife took in a small group of
kids to give them the opportunity their talents deserve. Three
ended up playing for the Ghana national team, five became
pro players in Europe, and six graduated from Division one
(16:08):
colleges in America. Not bad, right, Well. From those modest beginnings,
Right to Dream grew and grew. Over the past two decades.
They have produced over one hundred and fifty male and
female professional players, and with the addition of the academies
in Denmark and Egypt, that talent pipeline is only getting bigger.
(16:30):
In that time, their commitment to the educational side has
never wavered. Over the next few days of their visit,
Mikey and Tyler toured the campus. They see classrooms full
of engaged kids studying everything from math in languages to
social media and robotics. But, as anyone at Right to
(16:51):
Dream will tell you, the most important lesson they try
to teach his humility and character. Here's Matt Davits again.
Speaker 5 (17:01):
It's a big thing in our let's say, character built
of the person, of the of the of the child
to also learn to help others and give back. And therefore,
of course, if you have a community or a village
in for example, and our academy and Ghana, of course
our hope and what we try to work with the
(17:21):
players about is that how can I then make that
area proud and how can I give something back that
there's a saying in West Africa it takes a village
to raise a child and obviously that speaks into that
when you then have a grown up and you have
done well and you have more than others, then you
also give back to that village that help raise you.
Speaker 1 (17:46):
As Mikey attends team training, the connection between academic studies,
character development and the football is obvious to see. Right
to Dream are creating confident, in intelligent footballers who can
communicate and problem solve out on the pitch. For those
who don't turn pro, they will earn scholarships to top schools,
(18:10):
setting them up for life. Everyone's a winner attending these sessions.
It doesn't escape Mikey's attention that the technical drills, the
intensity of their work, the emphasis on passing and possession,
it's all straight from the style of playbook. As the
(18:30):
SDFC delegation wraps things up, there's plenty to think about.
The trip has been a timely reminder of what it
is they're creating and why.
Speaker 2 (18:41):
There's a certain positivity energy. And then you walk through
the village and I think you can't help but feel
humbled and feel like this is something really special, you know.
And then you get all the way to the fields
and you can hear the sound of the ball even
when there's not training. We came in in the night
and the boys were just playing two five A side
(19:04):
games right side by side, and the talent is tremendous,
you know. But more than anything, you can see that
there's a love and passion for the game that's absolutely unbelievable.
And I think, if anything, if we can bring this
kind of humbleness, positive outlook on life and also passion
for the game, I think we'll do ourselves really well
(19:27):
if we can bring those things from here.
Speaker 1 (19:34):
A week later, they are back in the SDFC offices
in Little Italy after Ghana, mike and Tyler headed out
to Egypt for a few days to get a tour
of the group's newest academy following it's opening in twenty
twenty three. It's already fully staffed, fully equipped, and fielding
teams of girls and boys playing in the recognizable Right
(19:57):
to Dream style. In fact, on the women's side, FC Mazar,
their pro team in Cairo, has already won two Cups
the Egyptian Premier League and finished third in the twenty
twenty four Women's Champions League. How's that for a fast start.
Back in San Diego, it's mid October twenty twenty four,
and Mikey and Tyler now turn their attention to the
(20:18):
next leg of their world tour, an intensive week long
stay at FC Northerland in Denmark. This is where they'll
see exactly how the Right to Dream model comes together
at competitive men's first team level. The blueprint for San Diego.
Speaker 2 (20:35):
We've gone to Ghana, We've gone to Egypt, and now
we're going to Denmark and making sure that we're integrating
across all of the academies and teams to make sure
that the style of play that that Right to Dream
spirit is clearly honored in the implementation of rolling out
the club.
Speaker 1 (20:53):
Mikey is keen to learn as much as possible while
he's there. He'll see their matchday preparations, analysis sessions and
training methods, as well as taking the chance to sit
down with Motts and Fleming and fine tune their plans
for MLS.
Speaker 2 (21:08):
I know I'm going to be really close with the
first team, being able to integrate with the staff, be
in their meetings, be on the field during their trainings,
and then yes, strategizing, also bringing to the table, you know,
my unique perspective, my unique ideas that are already clearly
aligned with Right to Dream, but maybe have a slightly
(21:30):
different twist or flavor to them, and then seeing, you know,
what are the non negotiables and what are the areas
where my unique perspective can bring added value.
Speaker 1 (21:48):
Crossing the Atlantic once again, Tyler Heaps and Mikey Bodis
are arriving Copenhagen, Denmark, before driving the twelve miles north
to Farham. As they roll past an array of Middle
Eastern supermarkets, Turkish restaurants and Polish delis, they can't help
but noticing that this small town has an especially international field.
(22:12):
It's a place that has welcomed migrants from overseas for
generations and the perfect place to headquarter an international football group.
When they arrive at FC Norseland's home ground, they walk
straight out onto the pitch at ten thousand seat Right
to Dream Park. Mikey looks up at the message emblazoned
(22:34):
in large letters across the main stand everyone has the
right to dream. He feels a rush of pride.
Speaker 2 (22:45):
Amazing. I mean, like, first of all the sign you're here,
And first of all, I think that this stadium is,
for lack of a better term, is like a very
romantic stadium because it's like quintessential European rights. It's small,
it's compact, but you can feel the history here. Then
when you stare across the field and you see this
everyone has the right to dream. I think for anybody
(23:08):
who's involved in the project or understands the purpose behind
the project, you get goosebumps.
Speaker 1 (23:21):
A few hours later, fcn kickoff against Silksbord. Mikey is
about to witness the model in action, a twenty five
year dream coming to fruition. He marvels at the intricate
quick passing and the purposeful, coordinated movements of the players.
(23:41):
Then just three minutes in FCN lose the ball and
silk Port spring their track. Two passes later and their
winger is released and bearing down on goal. Northland are
down one nothing at homes against the team more than
happy to sit back and shut up. Shot. This is
(24:03):
not going to be easy. For the next seventy plus minutes,
it's one way traffic. FCN dominate possession and create a
host of chances, but with time running out they still
trail one nothing. Then the gods of football faith step in.
FCN wins the corner. The ball is cleared by a
(24:26):
silkeboard defender, but it rebounds off a teammate and flashes
past the helpless keeper own goal. One to one. In
the dying minutes, FCN do their best to get the win,
but it's just not their day. The match ends all square.
(24:47):
Despite the results. Afterwards, Mikey is buzzy.
Speaker 2 (24:51):
What I noticed was that FCN was very courageous and
how they want to play, very courageous to play in
even when there's not a lot of space and time.
I think that there were moments where we were so
close to making the breakthrough and getting in and it
didn't quite happen, and at the same time still generated
(25:14):
some clear chances that could have turned the game and
the other way. Overall, I really enjoyed the bravery to play,
to have the ball, to try to go after the game,
to dominate with that intention, and sometimes it works better
and then some days, some days you win that game
three zero, three to one, and some days you tie
(25:36):
that game one to one. But overall it was really impressive.
Speaker 1 (25:40):
Already imagining his first training sessions in San Diego, Mikey
saw a lot to emulate, but he also identified an
aspect in the defensive phase of the playbook that's been
puzzling him. It's just one of the many things he
hopes to clarify on this trip.
Speaker 2 (25:57):
On the ball recovery side, I can see some really
clear principles in terms of compactness, in terms of having
clear triggers to press. The press I think was really
really intense multiple actions from every single player, a lot
of commitments. I think that was really key. And then
I noticed clearly this concept of in our own half
(26:18):
forcing to the closest teammate, you know, which I think
is like so one of the most unique things about
FCN and Right to Dreams style of play, but this
concept of in your own half forcing to the nearest teammate,
this is something that I've had my eyes on really
in close detail because i want to make sure that
I respect that and honor that. When we start the
(26:38):
project in San Diego.
Speaker 1 (27:01):
It's the morning after the night before and Tyler and
Mikey are sitting in on the postmatch video analysis meeting.
This is another pillar of the Right to Dream method.
Data and video analysis comes in abundance and always involves
the players as soon as possible after a match has
been played. Money post match sif.
Speaker 7 (27:29):
We think it was a game where were we didn't
reach our file from the last two games, but we
kept them on a minimum, and we we feel that
we created the chances and the optunity to make big
chances that we can't expect in a against the City Bowl.
Speaker 1 (27:52):
The coaching staff quickly dive into the detail, highlighting precise
points on style of play, just waiting.
Speaker 8 (27:59):
For the first us within the orow front, noticing the
inside passes working on different lines, quite contpet structure, yet
going on the first one. Good that we release, good
that we slide opposite lines in there line side pressure
nine to cover the.
Speaker 1 (28:14):
Six, and then rather than focus on the goal, they conceded.
The group concludes that it was their failure to score
that cost them the result a simple but fundamental principle
that they train towards every day.
Speaker 9 (28:29):
But here in this situation, in this sequence, we left
the rings several times, and then we'll be like this
slow play touch and touch and then just the past
from the side. It's really crucial moments these and then
we recognize this, this is what we train and we
should almost this blind blindly. These penance soulable and it's
(28:53):
what makes us good.
Speaker 1 (28:54):
With the time for self reflection. Drawing to a close,
thoughts turned towards the future.
Speaker 8 (29:00):
Chasing Algrave go to the final post, will go to
the gross press tomorrow and then again on Sunday. Joan
playing Anna's awake on Sunday, be collected.
Speaker 1 (29:17):
Yeah, let's go. Leaving the team meeting, Mikey is impressed
with how central these conversations are to the club's strategy.
Speaker 2 (29:28):
It's clear that the alignment and the conviction for the
style of play is clear across all the departments. Like
it's so clear because it's impossible to have that collaboration
if not everybody understands it. The second thing is is
that the hiring of the analysts is clearly with a
(29:48):
priority placed on having football expertise and coaching knowledge. So
I think that that's like that explains a lot, just
one making sure that everybody's bought in with the style
of play, and then two hiring people who understand the
game to be in the analysis department. And then ultimately
what I would say, what I saw there was a
(30:10):
learning environment. It was not just about going over what
the game was, but it's like, how can now we
take this information and improve as a group in the
long run.
Speaker 1 (30:19):
Also, Tyler's an analytics gang. He knows the value of
these sessions. In San Diego, utilizing video review will be
key to getting the new players up to speed as
fast as possible.
Speaker 3 (30:31):
Yeah, I think the whole concept of analysis is extremely
important in modern day football because when you talk about development,
you cannot train for ten hours a day, so you
have to find different ways that you can try to
educate your players, try to challenge your players, and I
think this analysis meetings are quite a good way to
do that. I think that's really important is to try
(30:52):
to find different ways to educate players, because what we
know is that not every player understands and takes an
information in the same way.
Speaker 1 (31:01):
Over the next few days they attend more meetings, but
it's on the training pitch where things really sharpen their focus.
Out here with the players, Mikey is in his element,
and he's not just standing on the sidelines taking notes.
He's out on the field with the coaches, dressed in
his e FCY and training gear and cleats. Mikey's all in.
Speaker 2 (31:24):
From a methodology perspective, first, I think the intensity of
the trainings is in a different level. It's amazing the
detail of past so and from not just the players
but also the coaches, of demanding really really strong passes,
and that speed of play is going to be really important.
You see other methodologies where maybe it's a slower training,
(31:46):
it's more just pure tactics moving around, moving players around
the field, and here it's like that part is done
in the video session, the warm up is done inside,
then they come here boom, and everything goes up in
terms of speed. And then that's why I think you
see them in the game able to find solutions in
such tight spaces under so much stress because they're doing
(32:09):
that in the training is as hard or harder sometimes.
So definitely going to incorporate that. And I think when
anybody from FCN comes to San Diego, they're going to
see that and they're going to say, oh, man, okay,
it's the same, you know what I mean. So that's
going to be identical. That's not negotiating for me.
Speaker 1 (32:27):
Aside from the technical level of the training, what stands
out is how engaged the players themselves are. The level
of understanding and ease of communication between so many young
kids from different backgrounds is incredible. Well, it turns out
that this is the real secret sauce to the Right
to Dream system. Before arriving here at FCN, many of
(32:49):
these players have spent two years living, working, and traveling
together at Right to Dreams Elite Football finishing School the
International Academy, preparing them to hit the ground running once
they turn pro.
Speaker 5 (33:02):
The real integration is what we call the International Academy,
or IA as we call it day to day, which
is an academy that we call it our fifth Academy.
We believe that by placing the players, the best players together,
you have a much higher training environment.
Speaker 1 (33:20):
The IA not only provides a bridge between academies and
the professional level, but it also gives the players crucial
time to develop a deep understanding of one another. Technical
director Fleming Patterson thinks it's the biggest advantage they have.
Speaker 4 (33:35):
Our international academy are quite unique. I'm not sure that
any other academies in the world that they have this
kind of academy where they bring together players from different
part of the world. It's very important, primarily because of
(33:57):
the integrational part that if a player from Ghana will
succeed in Europe, it's very difficult to come as an
eighteen year old for the first time. So here we
have two or minimum two years of preparation for a
West African player, like getting used to a much small,
(34:22):
small structured way of playing football, getting used to whether getting.
Speaker 1 (34:28):
Used to food, and just learning a new culture. Speaking
of learning a new culture, before Mikey heads home, he
makes a point to schedule some FaceTime with his own
players who are here training with FCN. He catches an
under nineteen session where the Remfree and alex Might are
(34:52):
both learning the ropes.
Speaker 2 (34:54):
They're in the perfect environment to then make the transition
because so many things are going to be so aligned,
you know. But Duran, for example, the quality of training
that he's getting here every day is incredible, you know,
and then he's getting games on top of it. His
progression is great. You have Alex who he's not getting
(35:14):
playing time right now, but he's learning how to train
in this methodology. He's learning about how to handle that
cognitive load with the video and with the inputs from
the coach, and so like he's gonna come in the
preseason so much more prepared to then you know, hit
the ground running there. And then of course Yea and Marcus,
(35:36):
like they're important players in the first team. You can
see it clearly.
Speaker 1 (35:39):
Mikey knows that the pair of Danes and Marcus will
be important pillars in his side from day one, both
in terms of playing ability but also leading by example
as right to dream veterans.
Speaker 2 (35:51):
First of all, I think they're top professionals. You can
see how they take care of themselves, how they are
around their teammates, how they train, how they play. Yepe
is like incredible playmaker. I know he's six, but he's
also eight and ten in the same in the same breath.
You know what I mean and finding the right spaces
on the field so smart, almost always making the exact
(36:14):
right decision that is needed for every single situation, which
I think is like one of the most impressive attributes
that a player can have when you just say, like man,
they just always are making the right decision.
Speaker 1 (36:26):
Waiting to let John the yet at Verskov's creativity will
be marcus Ingbertson, a Colt hero here at FCN and
a proven goliadoro.
Speaker 2 (36:36):
And then I think his special attributes is he's always
arriving in good spaces in the box. It's number nine
who has goal scoring in stinct, and when you watch him,
he's always arriving in a space where maybe the ball
can go and the goal will come. And when you
have a nine that has that instinct and that confidence
in themselves, you know that. Okay, now our job is
just to see how many times we can get the
(36:56):
ball to them in those spaces, because the goals will come.
When that happened.
Speaker 1 (37:05):
After an intense few days, the final stop is a
meeting with Mods and Fleming to review how the trip
has gone.
Speaker 2 (37:12):
How do you want to start good week?
Speaker 8 (37:15):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (37:15):
Amazing?
Speaker 2 (37:16):
I think so. The way that I explain. It is
like my confidence in the project is going up and
up every trip that I'm making, because naturally when you
meet the people, it's different. Right, you're in an interview process,
you're on a zoom, you're reading documents, you're researching. But
then when you start meeting people, or the time I'm
(37:39):
spending with both of you, also even spending time with Tyler,
we're speaking with players together, it's like, now the confidence
is going up because the perceived alignment that you felt
in the interview process is like it's coming to fruition
and it's like happening.
Speaker 1 (37:57):
Mikey has learned plenty, but perhaps the biggest is an
unexpected one, a renewed sense of self belief.
Speaker 2 (38:05):
So like the trip has increased my confidence not only
in the group and in the project, but also in myself,
like tremendously. So I think that that's like number one value.
The value from it.
Speaker 4 (38:20):
Has that something to do with what you have seen
or is small that you can feel the trust from everyone.
Speaker 2 (38:29):
So I think it's kind of both. You know, seeing
the training, seeing the video analysis, how we interact with players,
right the game plan, how the game plan is discussed
that's been huge for me, but also to ask the
questions of the things that I go, okay, why this,
and then like so much comfort here To be able
(38:51):
to have those conversations. It has been huge.
Speaker 1 (38:55):
As he found out there were some concepts within the
Right to Dream playbook Mikey needed to see for himself
before he could plan on implementing them at SDFC.
Speaker 2 (39:05):
I think to see the style of play more clearly
in action and like a higher level right because in
Ghana's the academy in Egypt is the academy, but then
you say okay translation to first team, because that's the
project that we're going to be on. That has been really,
really really important speaking with people about the details. With
(39:28):
Fleming about the details, I think like my for me,
like the forcing inside like it's like it became so
much more clear with the concept of forcing the closest
to your closest teammate. It's like like bulb boom okay.
Speaker 1 (39:48):
As they prepare for the long flight home, Tyler pauses
to reflect on the huge opportunity lying at his and
Mikey's feet. They are building a club from scratch with
Right to Dream DNA and distilling over two decades of
expert insight into the game.
Speaker 3 (40:05):
It's probably the greatest part about being in this industry
is that there is no blueprint of how to have
a successful team, because there are different ways that you
can play football. There's different ways that you can structure
a staff, there's different head coaches you can hire. And
I do think that this opportunity, it's so attractive because
you have the ability to do it from scratch. But
we're also not guessing. We have people that have come
from unique backgrounds, we have the right to dream football function.
(40:29):
We have our ownership group that has obviously done in
a number of different ways, and so we have kind
of our backbone, and now it's about how we continue
to build off of it. So it's not easy, that's
for sure, especially an expansion side, it's almost unheard of
now in modern day. But it also would make this
project so attractive with the support of the owners and
with the clubs like.
Speaker 1 (40:48):
FCN back in their downtown San Diego office, Mikey is
itching to get going. The trip to Denmark proved everything
he hoped for and more, and.
Speaker 2 (41:02):
The trip gave me tremendous confidence. Just spending a lot
of time with Mads and Fleming talking football, speaking football,
going over my ideas for the first team, and them
just really doing two things. One providing me tremendous support
when they were like, yes, that's perfect, go with that,
but then also challenging me in terms of, you know,
(41:24):
we really want this aspect of the playbook put in,
so for example, you know how we defend and how
we're going to defend in our own half. But I
would say the integration process has been actually really confidence
building for me. I came back from Denmark until Tyler,
I'm ready, Like now, I'm one hundred percent ready to go.
(41:45):
I don't have any reservations about how I'm going to
take my first steps.
Speaker 1 (41:52):
Mikey is now getting to work. I'm finessing the s
DFC version of the Right to Dream Playbook. The only
slight problem is with only four players on the books,
it's all entirely theoretical. Everything will hinge on who they
are actually able to sign. You're up, Tyler. Next time
(42:19):
on Behind the Flow, It's time to build a team.
With just over a month ago to the expansion Draft,
Tyler and his analytics crew have a lot of work
to do to recruit a squad capable of competing in
twenty twenty five. Behind the Flow is a message heard production.
(42:44):
I'm your host. Adrian garciamarkis the series producer is McAllister Beckson.
Mark Kendrick is the assistant producer, and Rebecca Ware is
the field producer. Jake Warren and Sandra Ferrari are the
executive producers. James Cox and Deck are the production coordinators.
The sound editor is Lizzie Andrews and music composition is
(43:06):
by Tom Biddle.
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