October 29, 2025 • 11 mins
Nick Hagglund was named 2025's MLS Comeback Player of the Year. Even cooler for him, he got to join Mo on ESPN1530.
Podcasts of The Mo Egger Radio Show are a service of Longnecks Sports Grill.
Listen to the show live weekday afternoons 3:00 - 6:00 on ESPN1530.
Listen Live: ESPN1530.com/listen
Get more: https://linktr.ee/MoEgger
Follow on X: @MoEgger
Instagram too: @MoEgger
Podcasts of The Mo Egger Radio Show are a service of Longnecks Sports Grill.
Listen to the show live weekday afternoons 3:00 - 6:00 on ESPN1530.
Listen Live: ESPN1530.com/listen
Get more: https://linktr.ee/MoEgger
Follow on X: @MoEgger
Instagram too: @MoEgger
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Your chance to win one thousand dollars. Enter this nationwide
keyword on our website. Cash. That's cash. Enter it now.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
It's closed versus pause. When the Bengals and Bears battle
in the jungle, one thing I know for sure, somebody's
getting malled. Will the Orange and Black pounce on the
wind or will the team from the Windy City blow away?
Our beloved Bengals coverage begins Sunday at nine am. Stream
for free. Are the new and improved iHeartRadio app or
(00:32):
ESPN fifteen thirty the official home of the Cincinnati Bengals.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
So there you go, Bengals Bears here on ESPN fifteen thirty.
And then Game two FC Cincinnati versus Columbus that is
going to air down the Hall on Fox Sports thirteen sixty.
Big Cincinnati sports Day and a big day for Nick Haglan. Today,
Major League Soccer announced that the Lakota westn Xavier University
(00:57):
product has been named the twenty twenty five MLS Comeback
Player of the Year. And you could certainly understand why
we have talked extensively about Knick's injury history. Just an
avatar of resilience. He has come back time and again,
And I don't know if there was anything scarier than
what he had to deal with with a fractured fractured
(01:20):
ribs collapse. Long after he suffered that injury against Atlanta
back in May, has returned to the pitch. He was
there on Monday night for Game one, the win over
the Columbus Crew, and kind enough to give us a
few minutes this afternoon. Nick, It's awesome to have you.
Thank you for the time. Congratulations, Hey, thanks for having me.
Speaker 3 (01:38):
I really appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (01:40):
You know, soccer players suffer injuries. Athletes suffer injuries, and
we read about them and you know, all right, he's
got a knee injury or an ankle injury, lower body injury.
I don't spend that many times, that much time in
the studio talking about collapse lungs. I feared for the worst,
and yet you are back. What has this year been like?
Speaker 3 (02:01):
Yeah, it's been a whirlwind of a year, to be honest.
I mean started off the season coming back from my
leg injury with the ankle ligament and the cartilage damage and.
Speaker 1 (02:09):
The broken leg.
Speaker 3 (02:11):
Didn't even know didn't even know if I was gonna
play a game this year. I was gonna that was
my goal, just play one game, be happy. Ended up
playing eighteen games, you know, and halfway between had those games,
broke my ribs, bought my lung, sat another two months
out and got to continue playing on the rest of
the season. And honestly, it's just been a huge buzzing
(02:33):
and yeah, the cherry on top is Comeback Player of
the Year.
Speaker 1 (02:37):
It's well deserved. I cannot imagine what must have been
going through your head. And you're a resilient guy, but
you had to stay in the hospital down there in Atlanta.
They're telling you about fractured ribs and a collapse long
and you've already come back from so many different things.
What were those days, those immediate days after the injury, Like.
Speaker 3 (03:00):
It was really just like, I can't believe I'm back
in a hospital again. This will be the third time
in two years I'm in a hospital getting some type
of surgery. How is this happening again? No one was
just like, I need I need to you know, that's it.
I was like, all right, here's the timeline eight weeks
(03:22):
and we'll see how it goes. We're gonna cry and
blaze your nerves so you can't feel anything. So once
you feel like you're up.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
For it, go ahead.
Speaker 3 (03:32):
And so that was it was just one day at
a time, slowly working my way back to full fitness
and preparing to get it my best.
Speaker 1 (03:40):
Go I. We talked about the injury when it happened,
and we felt awful for you on a human level,
and then I'm going, Okay, maybe the length of the
season will allow him to get back. At the very
very end, I was surprised, and look, I'm not I'm
a radio dork. I don't know anything about ribs or
lungs or anything like that, but it was it was
(04:00):
eye opening to me that you came back as quickly
as you did. Was was that the timeline that was
outlined to you when when you first offered the injury.
Speaker 3 (04:08):
Yeah, generally they were just like eight weeks. So I
came back right at the eight week mark. Your lungs
are probably like the least amount. They they heal pretty quickly,
and it's about getting lung capacity back and that comes
back in those those two months, and then it's really
how much can you withstand the pain of the ribs
(04:28):
being broken? And luckily they like cry ablaze, Like I
still can't feel my ribs right now, like there's still numb.
Speaker 1 (04:36):
Numbers can be.
Speaker 3 (04:38):
And they Basically it was just about getting fitness, and
the hard part of it is like mid season getting
fitness is very difficult. You don't have that many games.
Every point matters, so you're trying to get the most
out of it. And so where's the opportunities to get
yourself fitness because practice is just not able to do it.
It's not it's not the same as game minutes, and
so was I was lucky enough to get Leagues Cup
(05:01):
and we were kind of out of it at the
on the last game and I got to get forty
five minutes there, get to play with the second team
and get minutes there. And then slowly, you know, we
had a bunch of injuries and they were like, all right,
we're in Portland, we need a center back. You gotta play.
So I was able to get my minutes there, and yeah,
the rest of the rest of the season was how
(05:21):
it played out.
Speaker 1 (05:22):
I promise we'll talk about something besides the injury, But
what is what has taking contact been like?
Speaker 3 (05:29):
You know, I the first couple ones was it felt
like the wind got knocked out of me, and I
was just like feeling really uncomfortable. As things have changed.
You know, I protect myself a little bit more. I
go into challenges a little bit harder because sometimes I
feel like the person that goes in harder is gonna be,
you know, safer than the one that goes in softer.
(05:51):
So kind of make sure that I'm protecting myself in
those regards. And you know, I've got hit a couple
of times in a way that it felt weird, but
ultimately the metal titanium in my ribs has held up.
Speaker 1 (06:03):
And when you were when you were on your way
to coming back, you watched you watch the Columbus game
actually in the bailey. What was that like?
Speaker 3 (06:10):
I did? Honestly an awesome experience. Yeah, I went in
for five minutes, we scored two goals, being a part
of the fans. Like, the funny thing is is like
for me, I would you know, if I was not
playing soccer and I was just in sales somewhere in
downtown Cincinnati working for somebody, I would be on the
(06:30):
weekend in the bailey every weekend cheering the cheer in
f C Cincinnati on. So for me, that was kind
of just so you know, a way to support my team,
support the people that support us all year and be
a part of the energy of f C Cincinnati and
the passion of it. And it was honestly a blast.
I saw two goals. I mean, it couldn't been better.
My only regret was not staying longer.
Speaker 1 (06:51):
To be honest. By the way, if you want to
work in sales, we can we can arrange that for
you here. Just just if that's like a goal of yours.
Speaker 3 (07:00):
I'm just saying an alter you.
Speaker 1 (07:03):
All right, I just you know, I know, folks. Nick
Haglan is with us today named the twenty twenty five
MLS Comeback Player of the Year. So you've you've had
a perspective. I had Chris Albright on the show last
week and it's like, there's always moving parts. There's there's
transfer windows, there's player who's players who come from other countries,
there's deals with other MLS squads. There was more player
(07:24):
movement this year, and injury was a reason why, but
there was more player movement this year, even going back
to preseason training. Obviously with the acquisition of a vander
Than I think at any point during this club's history,
what has it been like from your perspective, from the bailey,
from the hospital room, from the sideline, and on the
field watching Pat sort of navigate all that and leading
(07:44):
you guys to a second place finish in the East.
Speaker 3 (07:47):
What ever saying, I think there's a huge kudos to
the coaching staff and the guys on the team for
all the moving parts, you know, people coming in and out.
The lineup is different, changing, you know, making sure that
the standard of play that we've had over the past
couple of years continues to stay no matter who's on
the field. I think it says a huge amount about
(08:08):
what Pat has done with the group and how we've
been able to you know, a lot of times when
teams change up, there's a dip in energy or in
the level of play. In this year, I feel like
it's just plug and shug and guys do a job,
someone gets injured, next guy up. Chris has built an
incredibly deep team and there's a lot of competition, and
the coaches have used everyone. Literally from roster spot number
(08:31):
one all the way to roster spot thirty. You've seen
everyone play a part in this and so Pat and
his staff have done an incredible job to keep us
on the right way, regardless of what the player's status
looks like or who's in on the on the lineup
on the day.
Speaker 1 (08:46):
What was your takeaway from the way you guys played
on Monday.
Speaker 3 (08:50):
We have a great game. I think we played a
complete game. I think it's kind of the over the
last month we've been building towards, you know, doing the
defensive things well and doing the attacking thing as well,
and I feel like it all came together on Monday.
I think you saw a little bit of everything, and
that's kind of what we've been trying to do. He
(09:11):
talked about being our bravest version of ourselves, and I
think we went out there and did that.
Speaker 1 (09:18):
It's an awesome honor. I know you have a match
to get ready for on Sunday. It's one step at
a time, and I understand, and I know you've been
asked this question before. Winning the MLS Cup would be
awesome for everybody involved, every fan, every player, every coach,
but for somebody who's from here and has has kind
(09:38):
of watched this get built from the ground up. Have
you even allowed yourself to think about what winning a
championship here in a few weeks might mean for you individually.
Speaker 3 (09:49):
I mean that well. The moment I was called to
say I was being traded at CE Cincinnati, That's the
something that I've always thought about, putting a star above
the fancy Cincinnati crest and saying that we brought a
championship to the city. As a Cincinnatian, it means so
much to me. I never want to get ahead of myself,
(10:09):
but you only have so many opportunities to do this,
and you know, I don't want to have any regrets at.
Speaker 1 (10:13):
The end of it. I want to see you guys
celebrate on their field on Sunday.
Speaker 3 (10:17):
I do too, I absolutely do.
Speaker 1 (10:21):
You know you had to watch it two years ago
and you couldn't play, and that was you know, it
still sticks in everybody's crawl. And so if the come
up and could be on Sunday and Columbus watching you
guys celebrate postseason advancement, I think that'd be sweet for
everybody who cares about the orangein Blues. So try to
make that happen. Okay, I will, I will, I will Awesome. Nick,
(10:41):
It's awesome to have you. I know you did this
on short notice. Congratulations You're an inspirational story. Because if
you've come off the mat so many times, we've been
watching rooting for you, and so to get you on
on a day where you've been handed this honor is
really cool. Best of luck on Sunday and beyond. Man,
thanks so much, Thank you so much, Thanks for having me.
Do you not root for that? Dude? Nick Haglan, the
(11:02):
Pride of Lakota West and Xavier University, named the MLS
twenty twenty five MLS Comeback Player of the Year. All right, uh,
Darren Horn is going to join us the men's basketball
coach at NKU next Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty. Traffic from
the UC Health Traffic Center with a stroke every second counts,
(11:25):
and so does your team home to rapid life saving
treatment and clinical trials. You see health as the clear
choice for stroke care or more at ucehealth dot com.
On northbound seventy five. Still got that accident before town
blocking off the left the lane. Traffic stop and go
from seventy four about a twenty five minute delay. Right
now in southbound seventy one in Ohio at two seventy
(11:47):
five accident off on the left shoulder. I'm at ezelic
with traffic
Your chance to win one thousand dollars. Enter this nationwide
keyword on our website. Cash. That's cash. Enter it now.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
It's closed versus pause. When the Bengals and Bears battle
in the jungle, one thing I know for sure, somebody's
getting malled. Will the Orange and Black pounce on the
wind or will the team from the Windy City blow away?
Our beloved Bengals coverage begins Sunday at nine am. Stream
for free. Are the new and improved iHeartRadio app or
(00:32):
ESPN fifteen thirty the official home of the Cincinnati Bengals.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
So there you go, Bengals Bears here on ESPN fifteen thirty.
And then Game two FC Cincinnati versus Columbus that is
going to air down the Hall on Fox Sports thirteen sixty.
Big Cincinnati sports Day and a big day for Nick Haglan. Today,
Major League Soccer announced that the Lakota westn Xavier University
(00:57):
product has been named the twenty twenty five MLS Comeback
Player of the Year. And you could certainly understand why
we have talked extensively about Knick's injury history. Just an
avatar of resilience. He has come back time and again,
And I don't know if there was anything scarier than
what he had to deal with with a fractured fractured
(01:20):
ribs collapse. Long after he suffered that injury against Atlanta
back in May, has returned to the pitch. He was
there on Monday night for Game one, the win over
the Columbus Crew, and kind enough to give us a
few minutes this afternoon. Nick, It's awesome to have you.
Thank you for the time. Congratulations, Hey, thanks for having me.
Speaker 3 (01:38):
I really appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (01:40):
You know, soccer players suffer injuries. Athletes suffer injuries, and
we read about them and you know, all right, he's
got a knee injury or an ankle injury, lower body injury.
I don't spend that many times, that much time in
the studio talking about collapse lungs. I feared for the worst,
and yet you are back. What has this year been like?
Speaker 3 (02:01):
Yeah, it's been a whirlwind of a year, to be honest.
I mean started off the season coming back from my
leg injury with the ankle ligament and the cartilage damage and.
Speaker 1 (02:09):
The broken leg.
Speaker 3 (02:11):
Didn't even know didn't even know if I was gonna
play a game this year. I was gonna that was
my goal, just play one game, be happy. Ended up
playing eighteen games, you know, and halfway between had those games,
broke my ribs, bought my lung, sat another two months
out and got to continue playing on the rest of
the season. And honestly, it's just been a huge buzzing
(02:33):
and yeah, the cherry on top is Comeback Player of
the Year.
Speaker 1 (02:37):
It's well deserved. I cannot imagine what must have been
going through your head. And you're a resilient guy, but
you had to stay in the hospital down there in Atlanta.
They're telling you about fractured ribs and a collapse long
and you've already come back from so many different things.
What were those days, those immediate days after the injury, Like.
Speaker 3 (03:00):
It was really just like, I can't believe I'm back
in a hospital again. This will be the third time
in two years I'm in a hospital getting some type
of surgery. How is this happening again? No one was
just like, I need I need to you know, that's it.
I was like, all right, here's the timeline eight weeks
(03:22):
and we'll see how it goes. We're gonna cry and
blaze your nerves so you can't feel anything. So once
you feel like you're up.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
For it, go ahead.
Speaker 3 (03:32):
And so that was it was just one day at
a time, slowly working my way back to full fitness
and preparing to get it my best.
Speaker 1 (03:40):
Go I. We talked about the injury when it happened,
and we felt awful for you on a human level,
and then I'm going, Okay, maybe the length of the
season will allow him to get back. At the very
very end, I was surprised, and look, I'm not I'm
a radio dork. I don't know anything about ribs or
lungs or anything like that, but it was it was
(04:00):
eye opening to me that you came back as quickly
as you did. Was was that the timeline that was
outlined to you when when you first offered the injury.
Speaker 3 (04:08):
Yeah, generally they were just like eight weeks. So I
came back right at the eight week mark. Your lungs
are probably like the least amount. They they heal pretty quickly,
and it's about getting lung capacity back and that comes
back in those those two months, and then it's really
how much can you withstand the pain of the ribs
(04:28):
being broken? And luckily they like cry ablaze, Like I
still can't feel my ribs right now, like there's still numb.
Speaker 1 (04:36):
Numbers can be.
Speaker 3 (04:38):
And they Basically it was just about getting fitness, and
the hard part of it is like mid season getting
fitness is very difficult. You don't have that many games.
Every point matters, so you're trying to get the most
out of it. And so where's the opportunities to get
yourself fitness because practice is just not able to do it.
It's not it's not the same as game minutes, and
so was I was lucky enough to get Leagues Cup
(05:01):
and we were kind of out of it at the
on the last game and I got to get forty
five minutes there, get to play with the second team
and get minutes there. And then slowly, you know, we
had a bunch of injuries and they were like, all right,
we're in Portland, we need a center back. You gotta play.
So I was able to get my minutes there, and yeah,
the rest of the rest of the season was how
(05:21):
it played out.
Speaker 1 (05:22):
I promise we'll talk about something besides the injury, But
what is what has taking contact been like?
Speaker 3 (05:29):
You know, I the first couple ones was it felt
like the wind got knocked out of me, and I
was just like feeling really uncomfortable. As things have changed.
You know, I protect myself a little bit more. I
go into challenges a little bit harder because sometimes I
feel like the person that goes in harder is gonna be,
you know, safer than the one that goes in softer.
(05:51):
So kind of make sure that I'm protecting myself in
those regards. And you know, I've got hit a couple
of times in a way that it felt weird, but
ultimately the metal titanium in my ribs has held up.
Speaker 1 (06:03):
And when you were when you were on your way
to coming back, you watched you watch the Columbus game
actually in the bailey. What was that like?
Speaker 3 (06:10):
I did? Honestly an awesome experience. Yeah, I went in
for five minutes, we scored two goals, being a part
of the fans. Like, the funny thing is is like
for me, I would you know, if I was not
playing soccer and I was just in sales somewhere in
downtown Cincinnati working for somebody, I would be on the
(06:30):
weekend in the bailey every weekend cheering the cheer in
f C Cincinnati on. So for me, that was kind
of just so you know, a way to support my team,
support the people that support us all year and be
a part of the energy of f C Cincinnati and
the passion of it. And it was honestly a blast.
I saw two goals. I mean, it couldn't been better.
My only regret was not staying longer.
Speaker 1 (06:51):
To be honest. By the way, if you want to
work in sales, we can we can arrange that for
you here. Just just if that's like a goal of yours.
Speaker 3 (07:00):
I'm just saying an alter you.
Speaker 1 (07:03):
All right, I just you know, I know, folks. Nick
Haglan is with us today named the twenty twenty five
MLS Comeback Player of the Year. So you've you've had
a perspective. I had Chris Albright on the show last
week and it's like, there's always moving parts. There's there's
transfer windows, there's player who's players who come from other countries,
there's deals with other MLS squads. There was more player
(07:24):
movement this year, and injury was a reason why, but
there was more player movement this year, even going back
to preseason training. Obviously with the acquisition of a vander
Than I think at any point during this club's history,
what has it been like from your perspective, from the bailey,
from the hospital room, from the sideline, and on the
field watching Pat sort of navigate all that and leading
(07:44):
you guys to a second place finish in the East.
Speaker 3 (07:47):
What ever saying, I think there's a huge kudos to
the coaching staff and the guys on the team for
all the moving parts, you know, people coming in and out.
The lineup is different, changing, you know, making sure that
the standard of play that we've had over the past
couple of years continues to stay no matter who's on
the field. I think it says a huge amount about
(08:08):
what Pat has done with the group and how we've
been able to you know, a lot of times when
teams change up, there's a dip in energy or in
the level of play. In this year, I feel like
it's just plug and shug and guys do a job,
someone gets injured, next guy up. Chris has built an
incredibly deep team and there's a lot of competition, and
the coaches have used everyone. Literally from roster spot number
(08:31):
one all the way to roster spot thirty. You've seen
everyone play a part in this and so Pat and
his staff have done an incredible job to keep us
on the right way, regardless of what the player's status
looks like or who's in on the on the lineup
on the day.
Speaker 1 (08:46):
What was your takeaway from the way you guys played
on Monday.
Speaker 3 (08:50):
We have a great game. I think we played a
complete game. I think it's kind of the over the
last month we've been building towards, you know, doing the
defensive things well and doing the attacking thing as well,
and I feel like it all came together on Monday.
I think you saw a little bit of everything, and
that's kind of what we've been trying to do. He
(09:11):
talked about being our bravest version of ourselves, and I
think we went out there and did that.
Speaker 1 (09:18):
It's an awesome honor. I know you have a match
to get ready for on Sunday. It's one step at
a time, and I understand, and I know you've been
asked this question before. Winning the MLS Cup would be
awesome for everybody involved, every fan, every player, every coach,
but for somebody who's from here and has has kind
(09:38):
of watched this get built from the ground up. Have
you even allowed yourself to think about what winning a
championship here in a few weeks might mean for you individually.
Speaker 3 (09:49):
I mean that well. The moment I was called to
say I was being traded at CE Cincinnati, That's the
something that I've always thought about, putting a star above
the fancy Cincinnati crest and saying that we brought a
championship to the city. As a Cincinnatian, it means so
much to me. I never want to get ahead of myself,
(10:09):
but you only have so many opportunities to do this,
and you know, I don't want to have any regrets at.
Speaker 1 (10:13):
The end of it. I want to see you guys
celebrate on their field on Sunday.
Speaker 3 (10:17):
I do too, I absolutely do.
Speaker 1 (10:21):
You know you had to watch it two years ago
and you couldn't play, and that was you know, it
still sticks in everybody's crawl. And so if the come
up and could be on Sunday and Columbus watching you
guys celebrate postseason advancement, I think that'd be sweet for
everybody who cares about the orangein Blues. So try to
make that happen. Okay, I will, I will, I will Awesome. Nick,
(10:41):
It's awesome to have you. I know you did this
on short notice. Congratulations You're an inspirational story. Because if
you've come off the mat so many times, we've been
watching rooting for you, and so to get you on
on a day where you've been handed this honor is
really cool. Best of luck on Sunday and beyond. Man,
thanks so much, Thank you so much, Thanks for having me.
Do you not root for that? Dude? Nick Haglan, the
(11:02):
Pride of Lakota West and Xavier University, named the MLS
twenty twenty five MLS Comeback Player of the Year. All right, uh,
Darren Horn is going to join us the men's basketball
coach at NKU next Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty. Traffic from
the UC Health Traffic Center with a stroke every second counts,
(11:25):
and so does your team home to rapid life saving
treatment and clinical trials. You see health as the clear
choice for stroke care or more at ucehealth dot com.
On northbound seventy five. Still got that accident before town
blocking off the left the lane. Traffic stop and go
from seventy four about a twenty five minute delay. Right
now in southbound seventy one in Ohio at two seventy
(11:47):
five accident off on the left shoulder. I'm at ezelic
with traffic
Mo Egger News
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