March 13, 2024 • 43 mins
Jon Jansen and Joe Tansey break down the issues from the Philadelphia Union's 6-0 loss to Pachuca and how the club moves forward for the rest of the 2024 season.
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(00:00):
We are back the Philadelphia Union SoccerPodcast. Find us wherever you get your
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(00:21):
It's our first pod of the season. The season has already started.
We have a lot to talk aboutand not a lot of good to talk
about with the Union, and we'redoing it right now. My name is
John Jansen, one of the hostsof this fine podcast, as well as
Joe Tanzi, who also writes atthe Union Soccer Blog Union Soccer Blog dot
substack dot com. Subscribe, subscribe, subscribe, subscribe. Welcome to the
(00:46):
Union season. We'll get what you'redoing. We'll get that out of the
way now. Subscribe, subscribe,subscribe, because you guys don't want to
hear us say that in fifteen moretimes. Yeah, it's kind of dooming
gloom right now, isn't It isnothing We're we've already reached the tenth level
of doom and gloom of the Unionseason, which basically is just the onset
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of any any elimination in any competition. This we replayed about the same general
themes about the Philadelphia Union over andover again. Everybody gets upset and the
sky is falling, and look,I get it. I mean worst loss
in club history by by goals,not by emotions or magnitude, or it's
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probably like the fifth or sixth tobe honest, it was around the sixteen
game, not a final. Butman, that was tough last night,
wasn't. I mean my honest takeon the game. And look, we're
not gonna We're not gonna dig intoit. I wasn't gonna dig into it
with a big written breakdown last nightbecause there's really no need to. They
just got their asses kicked. Thatis the recap. But they gave up
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after the second goal. You couldyou could feel it through the screen.
They put a lot into that firsthalf, the penalty, which by the
way, was a penalty. Likeyou look back on it and like there
was so much contact made by KaileWagner, like it's a p K and
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you shouldn't put yourself in that situationthe first place. And we'll get to
that higher point in a minute,because that's kind of what I want to
get to with with where this teamis at the moment. But the second
goal just completely completely shot any moralethat was left. I mean, it's
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was that was it fragile morale tobegin with? I feel like it's I
don't know. It's not to saythat they haven't been confident. It's,
man, it's just an odd startto the season, a lot of traveling.
Like, here's the thing that that'shard for me to grasp here.
If it's all doom and gloom,right, and the sky's falling all that
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stuff, then why did this sameteam, undermanned by the way, hold
the same exact team to a scorelessdraw at home? Right, There's there's
still some good within the squad,Like it's Champagne problems at the moment with
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the union, right Because I'd say, and I used this line last year
too when we got into the eliminationdiscussion, maybe after League's Cup, there's
what now, twenty nine teams inMLS now twenty three twenty four of them
would kill maybe maybe twenty two becauseeverybody gets in the Champions Cup now,
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but I'd say three fourths of theleague would kill to be in the union
spot spot to be like we're lamentinganother elimination, but in our bubble that
doesn't matter because the standard has beenraised so impeccably high where round of sixteen
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don't care if it's Pachuca or Alianzaor Ali Jajense or whatever clubs are still
alive. Losing in the round ofsixteen is just not acceptable anymore. Like
it's you have to make deep cupruns in every tournament you're in because that's
the expectation. Now winning at thosepoints is obviously a problem as well,
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But yeah, it's just to behonest with you, I don't I personally
don't think the sky is falling,And I think there's plenty of reasons why
we shouldn't be concerned that this isgoing to be a complete failure of a
season. In the first place,first and foremost, literally every team makes
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the playoffs in MLS. Now,like, how many are we at nine?
I think it's ridiculous, Like,literally, all you have to do
is finish ninth place in your conferenceand you have a shot at MLS Cup.
Well, that's why this guy's notfun, because we know that you're
gonna be way about it, andthe Union better than ninth in the East.
Yeah, absolutely, absolutely, attheir best, they're better than ninth
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in the East. So you stillhave a chance to win a trophy unless
something catastrophically goes wrong. League's Cupis still a thing. Whatever, whatever
your opinion is on that. Zero, I think that's a it's a sensitive
topic right now because it's gonna ittakes away from from Open Cup. Cool
the the Lakers still celebrating their NBACup. They're in Sason Tournament. Yeah,
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he's still celebrating that. I forgotthat existed exactly is going to happen,
but it feels like more of abirth and I think NBA players and
most players are gonna feel And Ithink it was talked about last year.
Yeah, I feel man, thatwas was that worth? It was that
worth all of that extra burden andplaying time to do that. But that's
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I think the Union have been topic. But I just think this is part
of it as well. I knowyou want to get farther in concacaff and
all that, but man, thisthis team has already been through a ton
in a very short off season,gets thrown into the fire immediately, players
are getting hurt immediately. I don'tknow, it just felt like a lot
early on that the union and stilltrying to find their footing. Personally,
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I think this team is in probablythe worst shape I would agree it's been
to start a season in a coupleof years. And I guess to contextualize
that is, I think people seethe defensive mistakes because we'll start there because
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that's been the big topic at hand, because that's something new, yes,
and everybody sees the mistakes and immediatelygoes too well. Our attack regressed last
year. Now this is the yearfor our defense to regress. I think
we're forgetting Jacob Glesni's had a sportshernia. I think we're forgetting that.
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I'm not gonna sit here and sayevery one of his mistakes is because of
that, but I don't think he'sat one hundred percent. And I think
it shows Jack Elliott was hurt inpreseason, So you're basically you're basically trotting
out there with one center back that'sone hundred percent and Damian Lowe. That
matters when you play Patchuka, whenyou have so much reliance on this defense,
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and on top of that, andI no, I'm gonna get crucified
for this one. But I thinkyou and I are the president and vice
president of the Leon Flock Appreciation Well, yeah, we've established that. Think
we have We've established that very veryclearly. I am the president of all
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all chapters in the Tri State areaof the Leon Flock Appreciation Club. Just
just think of more than just thattoo. Center backs hurt Leon Flock.
Andre Blake was hurt right now,there's but Blake was fine, Blake Blade,
No, he has been hurt thisseason, you know it is.
It's just been a lot for thatdefense all season long. But I think
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the Flock absence actually is huge.It's huge. And you look at how
the this team is set up now, and it's not to say they can't
adjust and all this stuff, butmaybe it does take seven to ten games
for them to adjust and see onfilm like what they're missing in the middle
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on the left side. And ifyou're basically you're kind of sacrificing a little
bit of defensive work rate because JackMcGlynn has been so phenomenal on the offensive
side and he's working on the defensivestuff and he has he's gotten better,
no doubt about that. But thereare different types of players now, and
we've I mean, how many timeshave we done the Leon flock for Jack
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McLynn? I mean, I mean, I mean that was our topic to
Joor two years ago, where likewe just kept we just kept debating,
We just kept debating that. Ican already replay every single one of those
conversations, have all of the answersstill in my head about that. But
like that, but the difference isreal, Like the balance is a little
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off kilter. And look, Iknow people are like, are not hot
on Badoya. It was the rightmove to start him, by the way,
last night in Mexico, because thegame plan in theory is to get
into halftime either nil nil or onenil, and you're in good shape.
You bring on Caranza and you gointo a more attacking shape and Badoya at
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least brings that experience from within concacalf and you're stabilized for forty five.
You well know ninety, but youstabilize that Everything got thrown out the window
by that second goal. Kurtin mentionedthat Jose Martinez was sick and couldn't continue,
so that throws a wrench into everything. That's why Bedoya stayed on the
field, and Martinez was sacrificed athalftime for Caronza and then it all kind
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of just boils down and light up. Selection really doesn't matter because the entire
team wasn't good enough, but youryour balance is thrown off a little bit
because you're so used to Bedoya andBizo and what they bring on the right.
Now, to the credit of QuinnSullivan and Nathan Harriel, their games
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have raised, and that right sidereally hasn't lacked anything, but the left
side you lose a little defensive oomphwith no leon flock and like him or
hate him because I know people manypeople have called him useless and why I
see on the field, Well,he serves a purpose. We know what
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that purpose is. And if Jackmcglennitt is starting in that spot, whether
it be Diamond, whatever formation they'reout there, Yeah, it's part of
the nuances of how this team playstogether. And maybe you throw Haes Whu's
Bueno a few more starts, youknow, as well as mcglenn's played.
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You know, he's played pretty muchalmost every minute at this point. Maybe
Bueno is the answer because he's moredefensive minded and he still brings that offensive
punch you need. Maybe not asas cultured of a foot as McGlenn has,
but that's an answer you can dointernally. And then I mean,
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how many times have we said it? You and I we said it in
the off season. Everybody's said inthe off season the depth is a concern.
Well, now we've reached that pointwhere everything is kind of obviously spiral
downhill because of the sixteth and loss, but it's kind of feels like danger
time, right because Jim Curtin waythat the players that are underperforming are going
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to continue to underperform, I e. Daniel Gozdag, Mikael Uwa. Which,
look, I'll be the I guessI'll be the president of the Michael
Appreciation Club. Also, No,he hasn't He's not He's not the problem.
He hasn't been the problem. Gosdagis the problem. I think you're
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the president. I am. I'mnot saying he's the entire problem. But
yeah, wait, he's got toplay better. Absolutely, he has to
play better. But I think ifyou're but you're talking you, we're talking
about Gosdag, And then we're talkingabout the left side of midfield, two
very important places for connectivity within thisthis formation, right within this system.
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Well, when all of a suddenyou lose that connectivity in midfield and you're
at your best in transition, you'reat your best defending well and turning into
those transition moves and not with possession, well, then all these issues kind
of continue to spiral with together,right, And I think that's where we're
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at right now, is who isnot scoring as many goals as he did
in twenty twenty two, but he'sput himselves in the right spot. And
I personally, I can tell comparedto last year. I can tell he
feels more confident just just talking tohim and reading his body language within the
locker room and being up close attraining. There is a difference I can
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tell. And you can tell thatby what the movements he's making on the
field. And I think goals willcome. I don't think he's probably number
number five on your list of concernsright now, Yeah, because it feels
like there are plenty of opportunities thereand he's the one making himself open for
those opportunities. He's the one puttinghim in those spots. I agree.
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I don't know. I feel likeit has made impacts, and it's not
because everybody just wants the impact tobe you know, a crazy goal scorer
and just a bunch of goals.But I if I look at what Oo
was doing, and I'm seeing himstretch a defense a little bit and he's
putting himselves in the right spots,he makes a good run and it all
doesn't work around him. How canI put that on him now? I
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don't know. I see an impactlike there is an impact. It's not
directly with a bunch of goals,but I'm seeing impact, and that's what
I want to see from that kindof player. With Gozdag, I need
to see a little bit more aggressions, really rights something, aggression beyond the
ball, be making plays. Ithink that was when the Union were great
a couple of years ago, whenthey were you know, six nothing,
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seven nothing, all these crazy numbersthat they were doing that record breaking year.
A lot of that to me wasGozdag being incredibly aggressive as a playmaker.
He's not a playmaker right now.He's not making any play because he's
sometimes there, he's sometimes available insome of these attacks, but I don't
think he is making enough plays andnot being aggressive enough to make this play.
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Could I throw this out there asa potential And I don't know if
this is the thing, but doyou think the weight of potentially being or
not being in the euro squad forHungary is weighing on him? He's on
the Hungary squad, right, Imean I just got announced, right,
But I'm saying like, I mean, we're a few months away from the
Euros. This is one of thebiggest stages will ever play on. Like,
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do you think that's weighing on himat all? I don't know.
I'm not saying it is, notsaying it isn't, But do you think
that's playing a role in things?I'm sure it has to. The weight
of that certainly has to. AndI'm sure international competition in the Euros mean
a lot to him because he's nota clear cut starter on that team.
No, so like so could absolutelycould be weighing on it. I think
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also what what it is, andI think we see this in all sports
with a lot of players. He'sbeen in this system for a good bit
now, it's been a few years. He's played extremely well in it.
I think sometimes guys just hit hita wall and not to say that it
can't ever turn around and Gysdag.I imagine Goyzdag's going to play better than
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this at some point this year.Yeah, I think I at least have
enough evidence to know that he cando that. But with all players,
you're in a system for so long, sometimes it's just you get caught up
in the I don't know, themonotony of it doesn't sound right, but
you got to change something up,and it's up to the Union and to
kind of figure out what's going wrong, how to get him out of it,
how to get him more involved,how to or how to be more
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aggressive. Yeah, it's something thatthey're going to have to try to fix.
I'm not saying that it's just keepplaying and it's going to work at
some point, but it's something theyneed to fix. But when they fix
it, I think, you know, it could still work out very well.
He also has in a single ounceof competition, like if he if
he's walking in that starting eleven easily, he's one of the first names in
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the team sheet because nobody, nobodycompetes with him. They don't have anybody
on that level, So like,is it complacency? Is he just doing
the wrong things. I sound reallylike Philadelphia talk radio host right now with
the complacency good good like I feellike maybe we need to maybe we need
to like unleash like the what iftakes if sports talk radio gave a damn
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about soccer? Like, is Danielcomplacency? Like, it's not complacency in
a bad way. Again, it'sjust he's been there for a while,
he knows this offense, and there'sgot to be some some type of spark
to get him going again, doinga spark in the marriage. Is that
what we need? John Jaspar right, something like that. And again,
complacency doesn't have to be a badthing. It's just what happens when you're
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somewhere for a good bit and you'redoing the same thing and you're in the
same system and you play the samerole and you play the same role.
Absolutely, yeah, I think that'spart of it. I think I personally,
like, I'm not going to saythat the Euros are hanging over him.
I don't know if that's the thing. And the team has been really
good with that not affecting like anyinternational stuff, But I don't know.
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These guys are human. Now,I will say We've got enough tape from
this season now where if if you'reJim Curtin and the coaching staff and you
look at what Godsdyke's doing, youjust need him to go more forward.
Like it sounds like the silliest thingin the world to be like, hey,
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just just go further towards the goal. But I think that's the kind
of adjustment. It's not a hugeadjustment like change where he's playing or anything
like that, changed his time,to change how long he's on the pitch,
none of that stuff. If it'snot shortening his minutes, not anything
like. It's a small adjustment wheremaybe he is a little bit more for
It's like a baseball swing with baseballplayer, I think that's a maybe a
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good way. Should we give hima standing ovation, No, should should
well out of at least he woulddeserve a standing same with Trey Turner.
But the other guy who's playing terriblywith the Sixers doesn't deserve it. But
that no, no, we're notsaying anything positive. We're here with guys
in baseball swing. So if they'rehaving really good baseball player going for a
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really tough time, they're just somethinggoing wrong. It's just a small It's
not that you start benching them andthey don't get any at bats. It's
hey, let's change your swing up. Let's move your hands here, let's
move them a little bit longer,let's move them nuanced thing. It's a
little nuanced that that maybe he seesthe field in a different ways if he
is positioned somewhere and he starts gettinginvolved more and things start to happen more
naturally in that position. But Ithink you're right, that's it's like a
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small adjustment like that that could sparkit. It's just finding whatever that is.
Yeah, it's just basically telling him, hey, be more aggressive yep.
Or when you point to the filmof like why he's playing the balls
backward and not for well, thenit's and this is on the coaching staff,
which there's an excellent one that theyhaven't at the club to figure out,
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Okay, what what are the littlethings that you could do better and
how can they lead to shot creatinggoal creating actions because that player is still
there. And I think that's whateverybody's trying to come to grips with with
the entire squad is like these playersare still very good, Like you saw.
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I think it was last night.I forget who was it might have
been still hold on Fox saying like, don't count the Union, like they'll
still be in contention all that kindof stuff, And look, they will,
They'll still be in the mix ofthe Eastern Conference. But I think
the issue where things lie is now, well, we were just we're just
the same talking points over and overand over again, and and Jim Curtin's
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gonna go up to the podium everyweek and be like, well, we've
our record over the last five years, this is what we do at home,
YadA, YadA, YadA, andnobody wants to hear it because we've
heard it before. And like we'veheard all the things about rotation, Like
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the press conferences have gotten incredibly boringand very little information from them, because
like we're literally just asking the samething and Jim is telling you the same
exact thing. And yeah, there'stwo starting caliber right backs the midfield,
yadaya YadA, di bariba sucks,Chris Donovan's behind Marcus Anderson. Like that's
just where it is. But whenyou now have a team that gets built
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up this depth supposedly as like ayear years long project, and you failed
last year. And it's very clearthat you failed last year with the majority
of your off season signings. Thatnow has a trickle down effect because oh
yeah, some of the homegrown guysthat you maybe weren't expecting to play or
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you think are a year or twoaway, aren't ready to take the next
step. And it really is whenyou have this model of business. The
union happened by the way, Sugarman'snot selling, Like that's just the reality.
I think the only way you getremoved as sports owner is you die,
you're involved in a horrific scandal orlike or somebody with like a billion
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trillion dollars comes in and wants tobuy your team and you willingly agree to
it, right, Yes, AndI saw people like pro like sure,
if if you want to protest theownership, sure, absolutely, I will
say though things were way way moredire with this franchise when the Nixon Cabbage
coffin came out, Like I thinkwe need to pump the brakes on that
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level of part. Like if youdon't want to buy concessions and you don't
want to support the ownership group becauseit feeds them, sure that's fine,
Like it's you're right, But doI think it should go to that far
the Scavich coffin, No, becauseI don't think people, some people who
may be new to the fan baserealized just like how dire things were,
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how poor things were at this cluba decade ago, like leaps and bounds
different from that time to now now. It really isn't remotely close. Frustration
is there, for sure, butwe're frustrated about you know, completely different
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issues of of higher magnitude and performance. So yeah, look, it's it's
frustrating, but I think you haveto point the finger higher up right.
I mean, Jim Curtin has likesqueezed everything he can out of it,
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and he's very not so subtly saidthe same things if you listen closely,
right, the entire team has said, Yeah, Andre Blake not so subtly
as said, it's vocal about it. So like what I mean, it's
all about right now, what youdo with your parts right and getting through
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Well, I'll ask this because thisis a team. The core has been
around for three years, and ifyou're around for three years with something,
you do it over and over again. Sometimes teams are going to figure it
out. I do a lot ofsports across sports analogies. I don't know
why, but Patch Mahomes got figuredout. Remember he had to evolve Andy
Reid year twenty something in his career, had to evolve the Chiefs offense,
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and so to Mahomes, Yeah,like, at some point, to me,
the Union have to evolve. ButI guess my question to you,
Joe is do they have the capabilityto evolve? What would that even look
like? Well, they're trying,they're doing. They still do a lot
of the same things they've done threeyears ago and three seasons ago. But
now it feels like they're there's goingto need to be some type of evolution
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of this team. I don't knowhow far and you know how wide that
evolution needs to be, how farspread that evolution needs to be throughout the
entire team, But it does seemlike something something is going to have to
change. A lineup change, Idon't know. Again, they don't have
a lot of depth, formation change, a philosophy, whatever it is.
I don't know what that change is. And I'm just spitballing out here,
but it's a team that that doesfeel like it's going to need to evolve
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at some point. Well they wantto. It's just they've gotten right and
that might be a point, right, But the desire to evolve is there,
okay, But the personnel to helpyou evolve, That's what I was
worried about. It's all gone.The personnel that you signed to evolve is
gone after a year. It's almostlike you have already used all these guys
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in the best role as possible,and it's hard to move them around into
different they think they fit. Theyare they are so very good in their
specific roles. Yeah, I guessit feels like but also they need to
be complimented more by supporting pieces likeI think that's where it ends. I
think now Early Han looks like MarcusAnderson's a very nice piece. But is
(26:08):
he Is he a winger or ishe a goalscorer? Because that's a bit
that's a big thing to specify with. I mean, we haven't seen any
strikers. You guys know how howthat is shaken out right now, I
don't have to reiterate Itjesus Bueno,Quinn Sullivan, Alejandro Badoya, you know,
(26:30):
Leon Block when he gets back.You have that mixture in midfield but
we already know what that variation lookslike. We already know what three at
the back looks like. We alreadyknow what the difference between Bizo and Harriel,
which there there isn't much in termsof overall quality. Now there really
isn't. Nope, we know whatthat looks like, and we know one
of them, Harriel can flip overto the left pretty easily. So I
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mean, what what do you whatdo you do? Right? You can't
just go out in the market onMarch thirteenth, like you're with your pieces
that you have until the summer.You can't find another caranza March thirteenth.
No, I think in Miami isroster compliant, although contrary to every Twitter
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response in the world, they arenot, even though they probably are at
this point and everyone will tell youthey are. But again it's because everybody
hates Miami. Yeah, I mean, you kind of have to wait till
the summer at this point, andeverybody's gonna be gone the summer, ya,
Kopa, you got Euros, yougot Olympics. Like, that's why
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the next few months are so important. And I'm not gonna sit here and
say if you go out to Austinand bludgeon them that everything is gonna be
okay because you should do that.You should get a point out of Portland
and come home and beat Minnesota.And some people will say maybe internally with
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the club, hey look what wehave, like we're still pretty good.
But does it get you to thefinal of Champions Cup. Probably not.
So it's I mean, the expectationsare wildly different than they've ever been,
and when you don't live up tothem, yeah, everybody's gonna come at
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you. And how you deal withthat pressure and how you I guess evolve
from that is what we're going tosee over the next few months before everybody
goes different ways for these tournaments.Like I think that this next start the
clock now between now in June.First, go get as many points as
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you can and give yourself the bufferwhile also develop being some guys into roles
and evolve with what you have.That's really all you can do. You
got a group regroup, Yeah,and there's been some of that. It's
not like they've been trying trying.I think Quinn Sullivan's a good example of
(29:12):
somebody that has absolutely taken a leapthis year, right, But when you
have the ideally you want to haveone or two Quinn Sullivan's or Jesus Buenos
to add to your variation in offseason signings. And when you're a team
with very little budget and you're you'reactually you're just taking shots on young guys
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from the these off beaten leagues thatno one's ever heard of. Like,
that's what you're doing here. Andif it works, it works, and
you get you get applauded for it, and it's worked a ton with Art's
Tanner. But when it fails,and it's failed repeatedly, now it looks
cheap. Well, yeah, itlooks cheap, but it also exposes the
(29:59):
depth in your school and the evolutionof your squad. And I think that's
where we're at. It's kind ofa because when it works the way they
do the Moneyball thing, I mean, it looks genius when you do it
right, it was amazing, Itwas amazing two years ago. But when
it doesn't, when it doesn't happen, you're the Oakland Athletics, which you're
not this You're not You're not ateam featured in a book called Moneyball and
applauded for uh being able to fielda roster of players nobody really knew about,
(30:26):
cared about, and all of asudden, those guys are all star
players and they're getting you into onehundred win seasons. And I will say
that the opinion of the team isstill very high across the league it is.
It's still very high because that theythey swung and hit on so many
great players already. I hate touse the X teams would kill for this,
But you think the Chicago Fire andLA Galaxy a ton one wouldn't kill
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the discuss I can't. I can'tsee that the frustrations aren't valid because they
have they've reached the ceiling and thatit doesn't feel like they're going to get
through until something and like we're talkingabout and every happened, but you gotta
get some money. It looks likeyou know, you that that player needed
to arrive and it never happened,and so it just feels like, Okay,
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we're stagnant in this spot, andit just feels like the frustration comes
in. There's just no way ofgetting out of this. Yeah, no
way of getting out of it.Well, I would the one thing I
would say is, if you're gonnado that, and if you're gonna stick
to your guns, maybe instead offinding like a teenage center back or a
(31:34):
teenage player from South America and Africaand claiming what we got to the market
first, maybe that that extra couplethousand goes to a twenty year old,
twenty one year old who's who maynot be with you long term, may
(31:55):
be with you six seven years,but you can get two three quality years
out of them instead of playing thishope and weight game. Hay sus buenos
are going to happen, but they'rethe exception to the rule, and we've
seen that. I mean, howmany Rovich Basa Kanya might be down that
(32:19):
path if he doesn't play much likethat? There are clear examples of guys
that have come here and just havenot been good enough. And when you
have a few of those and theyadd up, yeah, it's a tough
one. So I would go tosome of the questions, but a lot
of the comments and questions I'm seeing, I feel like that's what the pod
(32:43):
was all about. Right, wedid touch on right, it's the run
it back attitude that people are frustratedwith. Why wasn't there something new,
Why wasn't there change? And youknow, I think the only silver lining
I can give to this is thereare really quality players on the squad.
They are going to finish what topfour, top five in the Eastern Conference.
(33:04):
Chance to finish better, But Ithink that's a realistic, YEP area
for them to be in top four, top five in the Eastern Conference.
And they're solid enough on the backline and can get enough scoring at times
that they can make a run inthe playoffs. Still, you know they
can. Still, Why can't theyget a couple of wins? I will
see those plays. The real crosswords is the potential qurans a sale.
(33:27):
Well that would be yeah, wellthat be I mean just to I mean,
we can We're gonna talk about thatfor months upon months at this point.
But what I will say with thatis, I mean, look at
look at the way the global marketis for transfers. I mean, he's
got the profile, right of aguy that can be a double digit scorer
(33:52):
in Europe. But he's not justgoing to go with the first team that
offers X million. Right. Ifthat was the case, he would have
been off to Vert Breman at theend of the August transfer window. Like,
let's be honest, like that hewould have chased that and who knows
how that would have gone. ButI think with transfers there, they're way
(34:16):
more complex than some people may think. Like there's the union perspective, there's
the European club perspective, but mostimportantly, there's the player's perspective, and
like the player's personal wants and needs, and then the clubs in Europe have
(34:36):
the money or are they willing totake chances on players that are known quantities,
Like there are so many complexities tothis web of will Julian Kuranza be
sold? I mean perfect example.So I think he's good enough to play
in the Premier League. I thinkhe's probably good enough to play on one
of the teams that comes up thatgets promoted. So we use less as
(34:59):
an examp lester doesn't have a needfor him, like they they signed young
guys last year thinking we're gonna behere in for the long haul, we're
gonna stay up. And that's thecase, Like why would you go after
Kronza when you have a Patson Dhakaor if or if your leads, Yeah,
(35:20):
maybe maybe they go after him,But he is at a higher level
of a Bamford or Joel Perrout likeI don't know, or Southampton has has
strikers and Southampton's not gonna probably notgonna spend a ton offensively if if they
have that, I'm just speculating.I don't really know. Well, like
you have to look at that,like if that's the level or if it's
(35:45):
the Bundesliga, where do where doI fit in this whole thing? Am
I gonna be your starting number nine? Because that's what he wants, Like
he's not gonna go anywhere to beback up, and quite frankly, I
think would probably be insulting if hewent to the Chainchampionship, Like I think
you can play in one of thebig five leagues, So where do you
(36:06):
fit in this whole global, complexweb? And on top of that,
will teams be tighter budgeted because ofjust the financial state of everything in here?
But I don't know. It's awhole complex web, and I hope
it's so complex that it doesn't getresolved and he stays at the Union.
Hey, look, the Union,here's your big signal of intent here.
(36:29):
If that is the case, ifthe market isn't great in the summer,
and who knows, it's transfer business. You see how these things operate.
But who knows. But if ifyou're signaling, if you're signaling intent,
I don't know. Do you offerthe big money contract to Crons and see
(36:49):
if he stays? Oh, isthat on the table? I mean,
it's got what it's got to beon the table until it's not. Right
now, I think the assumption ishe goes to Europe and we're all okay
with that, and you celebrate thatfor the player because he's worked so hard
and that the hand he was dealtin Miami was so awful. The fact
(37:10):
that he was able to resurrect himselffrom that situation and become a double digit
score and so consistent a MLS andbe ready to take that next step is
fantastic. So you celebrate the moveif it happens. But if you're the
Union and you're in Ernst Tanner,if you've been around the block for decades
at this point and you kind ofsee where the market's going to go in
(37:30):
the summer and you think the bestoption for Kronza is to stay in MLS,
throw the bag at him. That'sa throw the bag at that's a
statement of a tent too. Also, I mean, that's that's something you're
not getting a new player. Ithink this fan base wants somebody knew,
But I think that chows initiative.Even to throw money at somebody like Karanza.
(37:54):
I feel like that would help notease any all any and all worries.
It doesn't know, it doesn't,it doesn't. It shows initiative,
though, which I which I wouldappreciate. I think there'd be appreciation for
that. I look, until it'snot until it's not on the table,
I think you have to consider it. Yeah, again, not saying that's
gonna happen, but it's probably not. Probably not. But you can't have
nice things, no, I'm justkidding. And look, he's a twenty
(38:15):
three year old Largentinian striker and ifhe puts up numbers, there's gonna be
there's gonna be demand for him becauseof his profile, where he's from,
the type of player he is,Like, that's very attractive to European clubs.
But if the market ends up beingcrappy and you want to show your
(38:37):
fan base some statement of intent,maybe that's the way to do it to
start. I don't know that that'sjust me spitballing and ideas and knowing that
if we're gonna claim the market isis awful. Yeah, and teams in
the in the mid tier don't havemoney. So let's go to another question
(38:58):
because obviously that was part of ofrunning back and what's it like moving forward?
But also I get a good questionin here, and I guess we
talked about this with the evolution,but let's specifically talk formations. You know,
somebody said, is a time forthree in the back? What other
formations are options? And I guesswe talked about that a bit. With
the lack of depth and the personnelthat they have, it doesn't seem like
(39:21):
there are many options from what they'vealready tried. Well, I mean everybody
has to be healthy and right,that's a yeah, good points. I
mean, ideally you would have thrownthe three at the back out there last
night, right, I thought hewas gonna was gonna try to. But
if if you don't think Elliott's onehundred percent, if you want to save
him in case lesness isn't one hundredpercent, like not saying they're playing with
(39:44):
injuries, but Elliott's not at onehundred percent game fitness yet because he was
hurting preseason and they're working him back. He's very close, but they're working
him back there. And you're notgonna throw Nathan Harold at center back in
Mexico as well as he played.You're not gonna do that. That's kind
of coaching in all practice. Soyeah, I think there's there's ways to
(40:05):
do it, but you also can'tsacrifice your your principles like you're It's not
gonna be a drastic change. ButI think playing with two tens is wasteful
because what they try to do againstPachuca was put Sullivan and Gozdag in those
ten spots, but then drift theoutside, especially Sullivan, to prevent what
Pajuca did on the left side.And maybe that works against a less effective
(40:28):
MLS team. Maybe that works againstin Austin because they're not good. I
don't know, but so far theresults on that aren't great. So I
think there's limitations to what you cando. But what you can do with
the setups you have is is makeyourself very good at those specific things.
(40:49):
I think that's what they have tofocus on, and it sounds very cliche,
but you just gotta you gotta keepit simple. You gotta do the
little things right and build on that. And how many and how many how
many times have we heard Jim Curtinsay that while the Union in the middle
of the sum too, Like,I'm not, I'm not preaching any new
things that the Union are talking about. Yeah, they're obviously pissed off.
(41:10):
They lost six nothing like Jim wasvery despondent last night in the press conference.
You could tell you didn't want answeranswer anybody's questions. I get it.
Yeah, I think that's that's kindof where you start the fixes.
You say, Hey, we wewe just held Pachuca to a score this
draw a week Yeah, not thatfar removed Sea. Yeah that still happened.
(41:32):
And they didn't have Karansa in thatgame. Yes, now the sixth
nothing also happened. You also haveto pay attention to that. But it's
not like this team has played likethe twenty ninth best team in Major League
Soccer this year either. But youwant that that high standard to be re
established and you want that evolution there, and you want all the things that
(41:53):
we've been promised and they haven't beendelivered on yep in a year and a
half of this claimed evolution of thisstarting eleven core groups. So I liked
that. I think that's a goodstopping point here for the podcast. And
I will shout out because we didn'tget the specific questions because I think we
just answered they were all general questionsof what we're going to talk about anyway.
So shout out to hashtag save theOpen Cup, Drew. Shout out
(42:15):
to Kyle Connor, d Gus Evan, Brian Vincent, Marcus, Gracie,
and Stacy for all the questions sendingin to the PA everyone through the substack
as well. I appreciate the theresponses pretty much the same to what we've
gotten on Twitter, and I dowant to sense of appreciation out to everyone.
(42:37):
Reached a very important threshold with thesubstack over the off season. So
thank you to everyone that has subscribed, will subscribe, will refer any and
anyone to subscribe. It is greatlyappreciated. And your kind words on everything
that's that's written and said, andeven with us, uh coming back to
(43:01):
coming back. We're just podcasting again. But to see some of you guys
say that, uh, we're gladyou guys are reving up the podcast again.
We greatly appreciate that those words donot get lost on either of us.
Every time we season, we havea lot of things. We are
(43:22):
very big. We're podcasting this literallyright before producing the Villanova basketball game in
Biggieest Tournament. Like we found timethough, and we're gonna find more time.
We promise you that the good newsis Villanova probably has like three games
left in the basketball season. Ifthat so. Union Soccer Blog dot substack
dot com is where you can subscribe. You can also follow us at Union
(43:43):
Soccer Pod. You can follow JoeTansey at Jay Tansey ninety and you can
follow me John Jansen at Jay Jansenthirty four. That is it, and
thank you for tuning in to theUnion Soccer Podcast.
We are back the Philadelphia Union SoccerPodcast. Find us wherever you get your
podcasts, whether that be the Googleplay Store, Apple Store, I don't
even know where you get podcasts.I get it from Apple, wherever you
got them, Spotify, That's wherecan get the Union Soccer Pod. Also
foxphl Gambler dot com is where youcan find the Union Soccer Pod as well.
(00:21):
It's our first pod of the season. The season has already started.
We have a lot to talk aboutand not a lot of good to talk
about with the Union, and we'redoing it right now. My name is
John Jansen, one of the hostsof this fine podcast, as well as
Joe Tanzi, who also writes atthe Union Soccer Blog Union Soccer Blog dot
substack dot com. Subscribe, subscribe, subscribe, subscribe. Welcome to the
(00:46):
Union season. We'll get what you'redoing. We'll get that out of the
way now. Subscribe, subscribe,subscribe, because you guys don't want to
hear us say that in fifteen moretimes. Yeah, it's kind of dooming
gloom right now, isn't It isnothing We're we've already reached the tenth level
of doom and gloom of the Unionseason, which basically is just the onset
(01:10):
of any any elimination in any competition. This we replayed about the same general
themes about the Philadelphia Union over andover again. Everybody gets upset and the
sky is falling, and look,I get it. I mean worst loss
in club history by by goals,not by emotions or magnitude, or it's
(01:37):
probably like the fifth or sixth tobe honest, it was around the sixteen
game, not a final. Butman, that was tough last night,
wasn't. I mean my honest takeon the game. And look, we're
not gonna We're not gonna dig intoit. I wasn't gonna dig into it
with a big written breakdown last nightbecause there's really no need to. They
just got their asses kicked. Thatis the recap. But they gave up
(02:01):
after the second goal. You couldyou could feel it through the screen.
They put a lot into that firsthalf, the penalty, which by the
way, was a penalty. Likeyou look back on it and like there
was so much contact made by KaileWagner, like it's a p K and
(02:22):
you shouldn't put yourself in that situationthe first place. And we'll get to
that higher point in a minute,because that's kind of what I want to
get to with with where this teamis at the moment. But the second
goal just completely completely shot any moralethat was left. I mean, it's
(02:44):
was that was it fragile morale tobegin with? I feel like it's I
don't know. It's not to saythat they haven't been confident. It's,
man, it's just an odd startto the season, a lot of traveling.
Like, here's the thing that that'shard for me to grasp here.
If it's all doom and gloom,right, and the sky's falling all that
(03:06):
stuff, then why did this sameteam, undermanned by the way, hold
the same exact team to a scorelessdraw at home? Right, There's there's
still some good within the squad,Like it's Champagne problems at the moment with
(03:27):
the union, right Because I'd say, and I used this line last year
too when we got into the eliminationdiscussion, maybe after League's Cup, there's
what now, twenty nine teams inMLS now twenty three twenty four of them
would kill maybe maybe twenty two becauseeverybody gets in the Champions Cup now,
(03:51):
but I'd say three fourths of theleague would kill to be in the union
spot spot to be like we're lamentinganother elimination, but in our bubble that
doesn't matter because the standard has beenraised so impeccably high where round of sixteen
(04:15):
don't care if it's Pachuca or Alianzaor Ali Jajense or whatever clubs are still
alive. Losing in the round ofsixteen is just not acceptable anymore. Like
it's you have to make deep cupruns in every tournament you're in because that's
the expectation. Now winning at thosepoints is obviously a problem as well,
(04:41):
But yeah, it's just to behonest with you, I don't I personally
don't think the sky is falling,And I think there's plenty of reasons why
we shouldn't be concerned that this isgoing to be a complete failure of a
season. In the first place,first and foremost, literally every team makes
(05:03):
the playoffs in MLS. Now,like, how many are we at nine?
I think it's ridiculous, Like,literally, all you have to do
is finish ninth place in your conferenceand you have a shot at MLS Cup.
Well, that's why this guy's notfun, because we know that you're
gonna be way about it, andthe Union better than ninth in the East.
Yeah, absolutely, absolutely, attheir best, they're better than ninth
(05:27):
in the East. So you stillhave a chance to win a trophy unless
something catastrophically goes wrong. League's Cupis still a thing. Whatever, whatever
your opinion is on that. Zero, I think that's a it's a sensitive
topic right now because it's gonna ittakes away from from Open Cup. Cool
the the Lakers still celebrating their NBACup. They're in Sason Tournament. Yeah,
(05:50):
he's still celebrating that. I forgotthat existed exactly is going to happen,
but it feels like more of abirth and I think NBA players and
most players are gonna feel And Ithink it was talked about last year.
Yeah, I feel man, thatwas was that worth? It was that
worth all of that extra burden andplaying time to do that. But that's
(06:10):
I think the Union have been topic. But I just think this is part
of it as well. I knowyou want to get farther in concacaff and
all that, but man, thisthis team has already been through a ton
in a very short off season,gets thrown into the fire immediately, players
are getting hurt immediately. I don'tknow, it just felt like a lot
early on that the union and stilltrying to find their footing. Personally,
(06:35):
I think this team is in probablythe worst shape I would agree it's been
to start a season in a coupleof years. And I guess to contextualize
that is, I think people seethe defensive mistakes because we'll start there because
(06:56):
that's been the big topic at hand, because that's something new, yes,
and everybody sees the mistakes and immediatelygoes too well. Our attack regressed last
year. Now this is the yearfor our defense to regress. I think
we're forgetting Jacob Glesni's had a sportshernia. I think we're forgetting that.
(07:17):
I'm not gonna sit here and sayevery one of his mistakes is because of
that, but I don't think he'sat one hundred percent. And I think
it shows Jack Elliott was hurt inpreseason, So you're basically you're basically trotting
out there with one center back that'sone hundred percent and Damian Lowe. That
matters when you play Patchuka, whenyou have so much reliance on this defense,
(07:43):
and on top of that, andI no, I'm gonna get crucified
for this one. But I thinkyou and I are the president and vice
president of the Leon Flock Appreciation Well, yeah, we've established that. Think
we have We've established that very veryclearly. I am the president of all
(08:05):
all chapters in the Tri State areaof the Leon Flock Appreciation Club. Just
just think of more than just thattoo. Center backs hurt Leon Flock.
Andre Blake was hurt right now,there's but Blake was fine, Blake Blade,
No, he has been hurt thisseason, you know it is.
It's just been a lot for thatdefense all season long. But I think
(08:28):
the Flock absence actually is huge.It's huge. And you look at how
the this team is set up now, and it's not to say they can't
adjust and all this stuff, butmaybe it does take seven to ten games
for them to adjust and see onfilm like what they're missing in the middle
(08:48):
on the left side. And ifyou're basically you're kind of sacrificing a little
bit of defensive work rate because JackMcGlynn has been so phenomenal on the offensive
side and he's working on the defensivestuff and he has he's gotten better,
no doubt about that. But thereare different types of players now, and
we've I mean, how many timeshave we done the Leon flock for Jack
(09:09):
McLynn? I mean, I mean, I mean that was our topic to
Joor two years ago, where likewe just kept we just kept debating,
We just kept debating that. Ican already replay every single one of those
conversations, have all of the answersstill in my head about that. But
like that, but the difference isreal, Like the balance is a little
(09:33):
off kilter. And look, Iknow people are like, are not hot
on Badoya. It was the rightmove to start him, by the way,
last night in Mexico, because thegame plan in theory is to get
into halftime either nil nil or onenil, and you're in good shape.
You bring on Caranza and you gointo a more attacking shape and Badoya at
(09:58):
least brings that experience from within concacalf and you're stabilized for forty five.
You well know ninety, but youstabilize that Everything got thrown out the window
by that second goal. Kurtin mentionedthat Jose Martinez was sick and couldn't continue,
so that throws a wrench into everything. That's why Bedoya stayed on the
field, and Martinez was sacrificed athalftime for Caronza and then it all kind
(10:20):
of just boils down and light up. Selection really doesn't matter because the entire
team wasn't good enough, but youryour balance is thrown off a little bit
because you're so used to Bedoya andBizo and what they bring on the right.
Now, to the credit of QuinnSullivan and Nathan Harriel, their games
(10:41):
have raised, and that right sidereally hasn't lacked anything, but the left
side you lose a little defensive oomphwith no leon flock and like him or
hate him because I know people manypeople have called him useless and why I
see on the field, Well,he serves a purpose. We know what
(11:03):
that purpose is. And if Jackmcglennitt is starting in that spot, whether
it be Diamond, whatever formation they'reout there, Yeah, it's part of
the nuances of how this team playstogether. And maybe you throw Haes Whu's
Bueno a few more starts, youknow, as well as mcglenn's played.
(11:24):
You know, he's played pretty muchalmost every minute at this point. Maybe
Bueno is the answer because he's moredefensive minded and he still brings that offensive
punch you need. Maybe not asas cultured of a foot as McGlenn has,
but that's an answer you can dointernally. And then I mean,
(11:46):
how many times have we said it? You and I we said it in
the off season. Everybody's said inthe off season the depth is a concern.
Well, now we've reached that pointwhere everything is kind of obviously spiral
downhill because of the sixteth and loss, but it's kind of feels like danger
time, right because Jim Curtin waythat the players that are underperforming are going
(12:15):
to continue to underperform, I e. Daniel Gozdag, Mikael Uwa. Which,
look, I'll be the I guessI'll be the president of the Michael
Appreciation Club. Also, No,he hasn't He's not He's not the problem.
He hasn't been the problem. Gosdagis the problem. I think you're
(12:37):
the president. I am. I'mnot saying he's the entire problem. But
yeah, wait, he's got toplay better. Absolutely, he has to
play better. But I think ifyou're but you're talking you, we're talking
about Gosdag, And then we're talkingabout the left side of midfield, two
very important places for connectivity within thisthis formation, right within this system.
(13:00):
Well, when all of a suddenyou lose that connectivity in midfield and you're
at your best in transition, you'reat your best defending well and turning into
those transition moves and not with possession, well, then all these issues kind
of continue to spiral with together,right, And I think that's where we're
(13:20):
at right now, is who isnot scoring as many goals as he did
in twenty twenty two, but he'sput himselves in the right spot. And
I personally, I can tell comparedto last year. I can tell he
feels more confident just just talking tohim and reading his body language within the
locker room and being up close attraining. There is a difference I can
(13:45):
tell. And you can tell thatby what the movements he's making on the
field. And I think goals willcome. I don't think he's probably number
number five on your list of concernsright now, Yeah, because it feels
like there are plenty of opportunities thereand he's the one making himself open for
those opportunities. He's the one puttinghim in those spots. I agree.
(14:05):
I don't know. I feel likeit has made impacts, and it's not
because everybody just wants the impact tobe you know, a crazy goal scorer
and just a bunch of goals.But I if I look at what Oo
was doing, and I'm seeing himstretch a defense a little bit and he's
putting himselves in the right spots,he makes a good run and it all
doesn't work around him. How canI put that on him now? I
(14:26):
don't know. I see an impactlike there is an impact. It's not
directly with a bunch of goals,but I'm seeing impact, and that's what
I want to see from that kindof player. With Gozdag, I need
to see a little bit more aggressions, really rights something, aggression beyond the
ball, be making plays. Ithink that was when the Union were great
a couple of years ago, whenthey were you know, six nothing,
(14:48):
seven nothing, all these crazy numbersthat they were doing that record breaking year.
A lot of that to me wasGozdag being incredibly aggressive as a playmaker.
He's not a playmaker right now.He's not making any play because he's
sometimes there, he's sometimes available insome of these attacks, but I don't
think he is making enough plays andnot being aggressive enough to make this play.
(15:09):
Could I throw this out there asa potential And I don't know if
this is the thing, but doyou think the weight of potentially being or
not being in the euro squad forHungary is weighing on him? He's on
the Hungary squad, right, Imean I just got announced, right,
But I'm saying like, I mean, we're a few months away from the
Euros. This is one of thebiggest stages will ever play on. Like,
(15:33):
do you think that's weighing on himat all? I don't know.
I'm not saying it is, notsaying it isn't, But do you think
that's playing a role in things?I'm sure it has to. The weight
of that certainly has to. AndI'm sure international competition in the Euros mean
a lot to him because he's nota clear cut starter on that team.
No, so like so could absolutelycould be weighing on it. I think
(15:58):
also what what it is, andI think we see this in all sports
with a lot of players. He'sbeen in this system for a good bit
now, it's been a few years. He's played extremely well in it.
I think sometimes guys just hit hita wall and not to say that it
can't ever turn around and Gysdag.I imagine Goyzdag's going to play better than
(16:19):
this at some point this year.Yeah, I think I at least have
enough evidence to know that he cando that. But with all players,
you're in a system for so long, sometimes it's just you get caught up
in the I don't know, themonotony of it doesn't sound right, but
you got to change something up,and it's up to the Union and to
kind of figure out what's going wrong, how to get him out of it,
how to get him more involved,how to or how to be more
(16:41):
aggressive. Yeah, it's something thatthey're going to have to try to fix.
I'm not saying that it's just keepplaying and it's going to work at
some point, but it's something theyneed to fix. But when they fix
it, I think, you know, it could still work out very well.
He also has in a single ounceof competition, like if he if
he's walking in that starting eleven easily, he's one of the first names in
(17:06):
the team sheet because nobody, nobodycompetes with him. They don't have anybody
on that level, So like,is it complacency? Is he just doing
the wrong things. I sound reallylike Philadelphia talk radio host right now with
the complacency good good like I feellike maybe we need to maybe we need
to like unleash like the what iftakes if sports talk radio gave a damn
(17:29):
about soccer? Like, is Danielcomplacency? Like, it's not complacency in
a bad way. Again, it'sjust he's been there for a while,
he knows this offense, and there'sgot to be some some type of spark
to get him going again, doinga spark in the marriage. Is that
what we need? John Jaspar right, something like that. And again,
complacency doesn't have to be a badthing. It's just what happens when you're
(17:52):
somewhere for a good bit and you'redoing the same thing and you're in the
same system and you play the samerole and you play the same role.
Absolutely, yeah, I think that'spart of it. I think I personally,
like, I'm not going to saythat the Euros are hanging over him.
I don't know if that's the thing. And the team has been really
good with that not affecting like anyinternational stuff, But I don't know.
(18:17):
These guys are human. Now,I will say We've got enough tape from
this season now where if if you'reJim Curtin and the coaching staff and you
look at what Godsdyke's doing, youjust need him to go more forward.
Like it sounds like the silliest thingin the world to be like, hey,
(18:38):
just just go further towards the goal. But I think that's the kind
of adjustment. It's not a hugeadjustment like change where he's playing or anything
like that, changed his time,to change how long he's on the pitch,
none of that stuff. If it'snot shortening his minutes, not anything
like. It's a small adjustment wheremaybe he is a little bit more for
It's like a baseball swing with baseballplayer, I think that's a maybe a
(19:00):
good way. Should we give hima standing ovation, No, should should
well out of at least he woulddeserve a standing same with Trey Turner.
But the other guy who's playing terriblywith the Sixers doesn't deserve it. But
that no, no, we're notsaying anything positive. We're here with guys
in baseball swing. So if they'rehaving really good baseball player going for a
(19:22):
really tough time, they're just somethinggoing wrong. It's just a small It's
not that you start benching them andthey don't get any at bats. It's
hey, let's change your swing up. Let's move your hands here, let's
move them a little bit longer,let's move them nuanced thing. It's a
little nuanced that that maybe he seesthe field in a different ways if he
is positioned somewhere and he starts gettinginvolved more and things start to happen more
naturally in that position. But Ithink you're right, that's it's like a
(19:45):
small adjustment like that that could sparkit. It's just finding whatever that is.
Yeah, it's just basically telling him, hey, be more aggressive yep.
Or when you point to the filmof like why he's playing the balls
backward and not for well, thenit's and this is on the coaching staff,
which there's an excellent one that theyhaven't at the club to figure out,
(20:07):
Okay, what what are the littlethings that you could do better and
how can they lead to shot creatinggoal creating actions because that player is still
there. And I think that's whateverybody's trying to come to grips with with
the entire squad is like these playersare still very good, Like you saw.
(20:30):
I think it was last night.I forget who was it might have
been still hold on Fox saying like, don't count the Union, like they'll
still be in contention all that kindof stuff, And look, they will,
They'll still be in the mix ofthe Eastern Conference. But I think
the issue where things lie is now, well, we were just we're just
the same talking points over and overand over again, and and Jim Curtin's
(20:53):
gonna go up to the podium everyweek and be like, well, we've
our record over the last five years, this is what we do at home,
YadA, YadA, YadA, andnobody wants to hear it because we've
heard it before. And like we'veheard all the things about rotation, Like
(21:15):
the press conferences have gotten incredibly boringand very little information from them, because
like we're literally just asking the samething and Jim is telling you the same
exact thing. And yeah, there'stwo starting caliber right backs the midfield,
yadaya YadA, di bariba sucks,Chris Donovan's behind Marcus Anderson. Like that's
just where it is. But whenyou now have a team that gets built
(21:40):
up this depth supposedly as like ayear years long project, and you failed
last year. And it's very clearthat you failed last year with the majority
of your off season signings. Thatnow has a trickle down effect because oh
yeah, some of the homegrown guysthat you maybe weren't expecting to play or
(22:06):
you think are a year or twoaway, aren't ready to take the next
step. And it really is whenyou have this model of business. The
union happened by the way, Sugarman'snot selling, Like that's just the reality.
I think the only way you getremoved as sports owner is you die,
you're involved in a horrific scandal orlike or somebody with like a billion
(22:30):
trillion dollars comes in and wants tobuy your team and you willingly agree to
it, right, Yes, AndI saw people like pro like sure,
if if you want to protest theownership, sure, absolutely, I will
say though things were way way moredire with this franchise when the Nixon Cabbage
coffin came out, Like I thinkwe need to pump the brakes on that
(22:53):
level of part. Like if youdon't want to buy concessions and you don't
want to support the ownership group becauseit feeds them, sure that's fine,
Like it's you're right, But doI think it should go to that far
the Scavich coffin, No, becauseI don't think people, some people who
may be new to the fan baserealized just like how dire things were,
(23:15):
how poor things were at this cluba decade ago, like leaps and bounds
different from that time to now now. It really isn't remotely close. Frustration
is there, for sure, butwe're frustrated about you know, completely different
(23:36):
issues of of higher magnitude and performance. So yeah, look, it's it's
frustrating, but I think you haveto point the finger higher up right.
I mean, Jim Curtin has likesqueezed everything he can out of it,
(23:56):
and he's very not so subtly saidthe same things if you listen closely,
right, the entire team has said, Yeah, Andre Blake not so subtly
as said, it's vocal about it. So like what I mean, it's
all about right now, what youdo with your parts right and getting through
(24:18):
Well, I'll ask this because thisis a team. The core has been
around for three years, and ifyou're around for three years with something,
you do it over and over again. Sometimes teams are going to figure it
out. I do a lot ofsports across sports analogies. I don't know
why, but Patch Mahomes got figuredout. Remember he had to evolve Andy
Reid year twenty something in his career, had to evolve the Chiefs offense,
(24:38):
and so to Mahomes, Yeah,like, at some point, to me,
the Union have to evolve. ButI guess my question to you,
Joe is do they have the capabilityto evolve? What would that even look
like? Well, they're trying,they're doing. They still do a lot
of the same things they've done threeyears ago and three seasons ago. But
now it feels like they're there's goingto need to be some type of evolution
(25:03):
of this team. I don't knowhow far and you know how wide that
evolution needs to be, how farspread that evolution needs to be throughout the
entire team, But it does seemlike something something is going to have to
change. A lineup change, Idon't know. Again, they don't have
a lot of depth, formation change, a philosophy, whatever it is.
I don't know what that change is. And I'm just spitballing out here,
but it's a team that that doesfeel like it's going to need to evolve
(25:25):
at some point. Well they wantto. It's just they've gotten right and
that might be a point, right, But the desire to evolve is there,
okay, But the personnel to helpyou evolve, That's what I was
worried about. It's all gone.The personnel that you signed to evolve is
gone after a year. It's almostlike you have already used all these guys
(25:45):
in the best role as possible,and it's hard to move them around into
different they think they fit. Theyare they are so very good in their
specific roles. Yeah, I guessit feels like but also they need to
be complimented more by supporting pieces likeI think that's where it ends. I
think now Early Han looks like MarcusAnderson's a very nice piece. But is
(26:08):
he Is he a winger or ishe a goalscorer? Because that's a bit
that's a big thing to specify with. I mean, we haven't seen any
strikers. You guys know how howthat is shaken out right now, I
don't have to reiterate Itjesus Bueno,Quinn Sullivan, Alejandro Badoya, you know,
(26:30):
Leon Block when he gets back.You have that mixture in midfield but
we already know what that variation lookslike. We already know what three at
the back looks like. We alreadyknow what the difference between Bizo and Harriel,
which there there isn't much in termsof overall quality. Now there really
isn't. Nope, we know whatthat looks like, and we know one
of them, Harriel can flip overto the left pretty easily. So I
(26:56):
mean, what what do you whatdo you do? Right? You can't
just go out in the market onMarch thirteenth, like you're with your pieces
that you have until the summer.You can't find another caranza March thirteenth.
No, I think in Miami isroster compliant, although contrary to every Twitter
(27:18):
response in the world, they arenot, even though they probably are at
this point and everyone will tell youthey are. But again it's because everybody
hates Miami. Yeah, I mean, you kind of have to wait till
the summer at this point, andeverybody's gonna be gone the summer, ya,
Kopa, you got Euros, yougot Olympics. Like, that's why
(27:41):
the next few months are so important. And I'm not gonna sit here and
say if you go out to Austinand bludgeon them that everything is gonna be
okay because you should do that.You should get a point out of Portland
and come home and beat Minnesota.And some people will say maybe internally with
(28:06):
the club, hey look what wehave, like we're still pretty good.
But does it get you to thefinal of Champions Cup. Probably not.
So it's I mean, the expectationsare wildly different than they've ever been,
and when you don't live up tothem, yeah, everybody's gonna come at
(28:32):
you. And how you deal withthat pressure and how you I guess evolve
from that is what we're going tosee over the next few months before everybody
goes different ways for these tournaments.Like I think that this next start the
clock now between now in June.First, go get as many points as
(28:52):
you can and give yourself the bufferwhile also develop being some guys into roles
and evolve with what you have.That's really all you can do. You
got a group regroup, Yeah,and there's been some of that. It's
not like they've been trying trying.I think Quinn Sullivan's a good example of
(29:12):
somebody that has absolutely taken a leapthis year, right, But when you
have the ideally you want to haveone or two Quinn Sullivan's or Jesus Buenos
to add to your variation in offseason signings. And when you're a team
with very little budget and you're you'reactually you're just taking shots on young guys
(29:34):
from the these off beaten leagues thatno one's ever heard of. Like,
that's what you're doing here. Andif it works, it works, and
you get you get applauded for it, and it's worked a ton with Art's
Tanner. But when it fails,and it's failed repeatedly, now it looks
cheap. Well, yeah, itlooks cheap, but it also exposes the
(29:59):
depth in your school and the evolutionof your squad. And I think that's
where we're at. It's kind ofa because when it works the way they
do the Moneyball thing, I mean, it looks genius when you do it
right, it was amazing, Itwas amazing two years ago. But when
it doesn't, when it doesn't happen, you're the Oakland Athletics, which you're
not this You're not You're not ateam featured in a book called Moneyball and
applauded for uh being able to fielda roster of players nobody really knew about,
(30:26):
cared about, and all of asudden, those guys are all star
players and they're getting you into onehundred win seasons. And I will say
that the opinion of the team isstill very high across the league it is.
It's still very high because that theythey swung and hit on so many
great players already. I hate touse the X teams would kill for this,
But you think the Chicago Fire andLA Galaxy a ton one wouldn't kill
(30:48):
the discuss I can't. I can'tsee that the frustrations aren't valid because they
have they've reached the ceiling and thatit doesn't feel like they're going to get
through until something and like we're talkingabout and every happened, but you gotta
get some money. It looks likeyou know, you that that player needed
to arrive and it never happened,and so it just feels like, Okay,
(31:11):
we're stagnant in this spot, andit just feels like the frustration comes
in. There's just no way ofgetting out of this. Yeah, no
way of getting out of it.Well, I would the one thing I
would say is, if you're gonnado that, and if you're gonna stick
to your guns, maybe instead offinding like a teenage center back or a
(31:34):
teenage player from South America and Africaand claiming what we got to the market
first, maybe that that extra couplethousand goes to a twenty year old,
twenty one year old who's who maynot be with you long term, may
(31:55):
be with you six seven years,but you can get two three quality years
out of them instead of playing thishope and weight game. Hay sus buenos
are going to happen, but they'rethe exception to the rule, and we've
seen that. I mean, howmany Rovich Basa Kanya might be down that
(32:19):
path if he doesn't play much likethat? There are clear examples of guys
that have come here and just havenot been good enough. And when you
have a few of those and theyadd up, yeah, it's a tough
one. So I would go tosome of the questions, but a lot
of the comments and questions I'm seeing, I feel like that's what the pod
(32:43):
was all about. Right, wedid touch on right, it's the run
it back attitude that people are frustratedwith. Why wasn't there something new,
Why wasn't there change? And youknow, I think the only silver lining
I can give to this is thereare really quality players on the squad.
They are going to finish what topfour, top five in the Eastern Conference.
(33:04):
Chance to finish better, But Ithink that's a realistic, YEP area
for them to be in top four, top five in the Eastern Conference.
And they're solid enough on the backline and can get enough scoring at times
that they can make a run inthe playoffs. Still, you know they
can. Still, Why can't theyget a couple of wins? I will
see those plays. The real crosswords is the potential qurans a sale.
(33:27):
Well that would be yeah, wellthat be I mean just to I mean,
we can We're gonna talk about thatfor months upon months at this point.
But what I will say with thatis, I mean, look at
look at the way the global marketis for transfers. I mean, he's
got the profile, right of aguy that can be a double digit scorer
(33:52):
in Europe. But he's not justgoing to go with the first team that
offers X million. Right. Ifthat was the case, he would have
been off to Vert Breman at theend of the August transfer window. Like,
let's be honest, like that hewould have chased that and who knows
how that would have gone. ButI think with transfers there, they're way
(34:16):
more complex than some people may think. Like there's the union perspective, there's
the European club perspective, but mostimportantly, there's the player's perspective, and
like the player's personal wants and needs, and then the clubs in Europe have
(34:36):
the money or are they willing totake chances on players that are known quantities,
Like there are so many complexities tothis web of will Julian Kuranza be
sold? I mean perfect example.So I think he's good enough to play
in the Premier League. I thinkhe's probably good enough to play on one
of the teams that comes up thatgets promoted. So we use less as
(34:59):
an examp lester doesn't have a needfor him, like they they signed young
guys last year thinking we're gonna behere in for the long haul, we're
gonna stay up. And that's thecase, Like why would you go after
Kronza when you have a Patson Dhakaor if or if your leads, Yeah,
(35:20):
maybe maybe they go after him,But he is at a higher level
of a Bamford or Joel Perrout likeI don't know, or Southampton has has
strikers and Southampton's not gonna probably notgonna spend a ton offensively if if they
have that, I'm just speculating.I don't really know. Well, like
you have to look at that,like if that's the level or if it's
(35:45):
the Bundesliga, where do where doI fit in this whole thing? Am
I gonna be your starting number nine? Because that's what he wants, Like
he's not gonna go anywhere to beback up, and quite frankly, I
think would probably be insulting if hewent to the Chainchampionship, Like I think
you can play in one of thebig five leagues, So where do you
(36:06):
fit in this whole global, complexweb? And on top of that,
will teams be tighter budgeted because ofjust the financial state of everything in here?
But I don't know. It's awhole complex web, and I hope
it's so complex that it doesn't getresolved and he stays at the Union.
Hey, look, the Union,here's your big signal of intent here.
(36:29):
If that is the case, ifthe market isn't great in the summer,
and who knows, it's transfer business. You see how these things operate.
But who knows. But if ifyou're signaling, if you're signaling intent,
I don't know. Do you offerthe big money contract to Crons and see
(36:49):
if he stays? Oh, isthat on the table? I mean,
it's got what it's got to beon the table until it's not. Right
now, I think the assumption ishe goes to Europe and we're all okay
with that, and you celebrate thatfor the player because he's worked so hard
and that the hand he was dealtin Miami was so awful. The fact
(37:10):
that he was able to resurrect himselffrom that situation and become a double digit
score and so consistent a MLS andbe ready to take that next step is
fantastic. So you celebrate the moveif it happens. But if you're the
Union and you're in Ernst Tanner,if you've been around the block for decades
at this point and you kind ofsee where the market's going to go in
(37:30):
the summer and you think the bestoption for Kronza is to stay in MLS,
throw the bag at him. That'sa throw the bag at that's a
statement of a tent too. Also, I mean, that's that's something you're
not getting a new player. Ithink this fan base wants somebody knew,
But I think that chows initiative.Even to throw money at somebody like Karanza.
(37:54):
I feel like that would help notease any all any and all worries.
It doesn't know, it doesn't,it doesn't. It shows initiative,
though, which I which I wouldappreciate. I think there'd be appreciation for
that. I look, until it'snot until it's not on the table,
I think you have to consider it. Yeah, again, not saying that's
gonna happen, but it's probably not. Probably not. But you can't have
nice things, no, I'm justkidding. And look, he's a twenty
(38:15):
three year old Largentinian striker and ifhe puts up numbers, there's gonna be
there's gonna be demand for him becauseof his profile, where he's from,
the type of player he is,Like, that's very attractive to European clubs.
But if the market ends up beingcrappy and you want to show your
(38:37):
fan base some statement of intent,maybe that's the way to do it to
start. I don't know that that'sjust me spitballing and ideas and knowing that
if we're gonna claim the market isis awful. Yeah, and teams in
the in the mid tier don't havemoney. So let's go to another question
(38:58):
because obviously that was part of ofrunning back and what's it like moving forward?
But also I get a good questionin here, and I guess we
talked about this with the evolution,but let's specifically talk formations. You know,
somebody said, is a time forthree in the back? What other
formations are options? And I guesswe talked about that a bit. With
the lack of depth and the personnelthat they have, it doesn't seem like
(39:21):
there are many options from what they'vealready tried. Well, I mean everybody
has to be healthy and right,that's a yeah, good points. I
mean, ideally you would have thrownthe three at the back out there last
night, right, I thought hewas gonna was gonna try to. But
if if you don't think Elliott's onehundred percent, if you want to save
him in case lesness isn't one hundredpercent, like not saying they're playing with
(39:44):
injuries, but Elliott's not at onehundred percent game fitness yet because he was
hurting preseason and they're working him back. He's very close, but they're working
him back there. And you're notgonna throw Nathan Harold at center back in
Mexico as well as he played.You're not gonna do that. That's kind
of coaching in all practice. Soyeah, I think there's there's ways to
(40:05):
do it, but you also can'tsacrifice your your principles like you're It's not
gonna be a drastic change. ButI think playing with two tens is wasteful
because what they try to do againstPachuca was put Sullivan and Gozdag in those
ten spots, but then drift theoutside, especially Sullivan, to prevent what
Pajuca did on the left side.And maybe that works against a less effective
(40:28):
MLS team. Maybe that works againstin Austin because they're not good. I
don't know, but so far theresults on that aren't great. So I
think there's limitations to what you cando. But what you can do with
the setups you have is is makeyourself very good at those specific things.
(40:49):
I think that's what they have tofocus on, and it sounds very cliche,
but you just gotta you gotta keepit simple. You gotta do the
little things right and build on that. And how many and how many how
many times have we heard Jim Curtinsay that while the Union in the middle
of the sum too, Like,I'm not, I'm not preaching any new
things that the Union are talking about. Yeah, they're obviously pissed off.
(41:10):
They lost six nothing like Jim wasvery despondent last night in the press conference.
You could tell you didn't want answeranswer anybody's questions. I get it.
Yeah, I think that's that's kindof where you start the fixes.
You say, Hey, we wewe just held Pachuca to a score this
draw a week Yeah, not thatfar removed Sea. Yeah that still happened.
(41:32):
And they didn't have Karansa in thatgame. Yes, now the sixth
nothing also happened. You also haveto pay attention to that. But it's
not like this team has played likethe twenty ninth best team in Major League
Soccer this year either. But youwant that that high standard to be re
established and you want that evolution there, and you want all the things that
(41:53):
we've been promised and they haven't beendelivered on yep in a year and a
half of this claimed evolution of thisstarting eleven core groups. So I liked
that. I think that's a goodstopping point here for the podcast. And
I will shout out because we didn'tget the specific questions because I think we
just answered they were all general questionsof what we're going to talk about anyway.
So shout out to hashtag save theOpen Cup, Drew. Shout out
(42:15):
to Kyle Connor, d Gus Evan, Brian Vincent, Marcus, Gracie,
and Stacy for all the questions sendingin to the PA everyone through the substack
as well. I appreciate the theresponses pretty much the same to what we've
gotten on Twitter, and I dowant to sense of appreciation out to everyone.
(42:37):
Reached a very important threshold with thesubstack over the off season. So
thank you to everyone that has subscribed, will subscribe, will refer any and
anyone to subscribe. It is greatlyappreciated. And your kind words on everything
that's that's written and said, andeven with us, uh coming back to
(43:01):
coming back. We're just podcasting again. But to see some of you guys
say that, uh, we're gladyou guys are reving up the podcast again.
We greatly appreciate that those words donot get lost on either of us.
Every time we season, we havea lot of things. We are
(43:22):
very big. We're podcasting this literallyright before producing the Villanova basketball game in
Biggieest Tournament. Like we found timethough, and we're gonna find more time.
We promise you that the good newsis Villanova probably has like three games
left in the basketball season. Ifthat so. Union Soccer Blog dot substack
dot com is where you can subscribe. You can also follow us at Union
(43:43):
Soccer Pod. You can follow JoeTansey at Jay Tansey ninety and you can
follow me John Jansen at Jay Jansenthirty four. That is it, and
thank you for tuning in to theUnion Soccer Podcast.
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