October 16, 2025 • 6 mins
Ross Smith is match analyst - and a great one - for MLS Season Pass on Apple TV. He joined us to discuss FC Cincinnati's Decision Day tilt with Montreal and the upcoming MLS Cup Playoffs.
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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):
Meanwhile, we're getting set for a decision Day in Major
League Soccer. FC Cincinnati has the two seed in the
Eastern Conference on the line. They can clinch it with
a victory over Montreal home game for the Orange and
Blue earlier start for Decision Day at six o'clock on
Saturday evening the match on Apple TV's MLS Season Pass,
where Ross Smith is an MLS match analyst. Ross, It's
(00:21):
good to have you. FC Cincinnati is playing for something.
Montreal is not. That organization seems like a bit of
a train wreck right now.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
Do they pose a thread on Saturday night?
Speaker 3 (00:33):
They do? They do? You know, despite moment that they've
had an awful season, the worst in club history in MLS,
they're fighting. They're fighting and credits. They've got an Insuriram manager,
Marco Donadel, who took over, you can say about a
quarter of the way through the season. She's done a
(00:56):
good job. He's a former player with them, big name
you know in the soccer world. He's done a good
job just at stabilizing, at getting guys back to putting
in an effort which has to be said. They're gonna
give Cincinnati a good goal for it. You know, despite
(01:17):
not having much to play, they're playing for jobs. Guys
are playing for next season. There's a couple of guys
who are doing all right. They're they're gonna give c
Cincinnati a good goal for this, so they're not gonna
lay down. Isn't going to be a walkover as you
step into playoffs.
Speaker 1 (01:34):
Sc Cincinnati's home record isn't awful. Eight victories, four draw
five draws this season, Yet, Dave, I think they've played
unevenly in their own building.
Speaker 2 (01:44):
Any idea, why, Wow, it's tough.
Speaker 3 (01:48):
It's so tough. I do feel like, yes, Cincinnatia, they're
seeing that when they click, and I can't put it
down to like a home more way. I feel as
though when they click though a watch out. But if
they're not clicking, then all of a sudden you can
get them. You can get at them. And I bet
bat Newton, I'm gonna chat. I'm gonna sit down with
Pat now and tomorrow. I'm gonna chat with him. And
(02:10):
Pat is so open, which is just one of the
you know, there's many attributes that I really admire about Pat,
noon that's one of them. He'll tell us straight. But
I think that's one of them is the consistency of
the team, team style that they want to play. But
what they have at the end of the day, when
the when it's not quite happening, they've got individual brilliance.
(02:31):
And I still give credit to managers for bringing out
the individual brilliance. You know, some managers, you know, might
have a top player in their team but not be
getting the best out of them. Pat Nowonon is so
when the style is not quite happening, he still has
a couple of I call them heavy hitters. It's got
a couple of heavy hitters and the team of course
(02:52):
at vander you know that can that can deliver. I
don't know. I don't think Homer Away, I don't think
it makes much of a difference. I don't think these
guys are over odd when they know ome and feeling
the pressure. I just think it's a matter of when
it clicks and when it doesn't.
Speaker 1 (03:10):
Pat Newman was the coach of the year or two
years ago. I think this has been his best coaching job.
Would you agree?
Speaker 3 (03:18):
Yeah? Yeah, he's he ticks all the boxes, and I
think the box that he takes the best is he
tells guys straight and granted I'm not on the training
ground all the time. I actually played with Pat for
a short period of time in Colorado, and I know
Pat in terms of he'll tell you straight, and he'll
tell you straight without feeling as though you have to
(03:41):
turn your back on him and think, you know, kind
of screw you, I'm out of here. He'll tell you
you know when you're doing well, and you know when
you're not doing well. And I don't think there's as
many coaches. I don't think there's as many characters in
the game as Pat Newman that delivers it that way,
and I think it's missed. So I think that's one
(04:02):
of his skill sets. He can't hide it. He needs
to tell you, you know, which is admirable.
Speaker 1 (04:10):
Ross Smiths MLS match analyst for Apple TV MLS Season Pass.
Speaker 2 (04:14):
Regardless of whether they're the.
Speaker 1 (04:16):
Two or the three, FC Cincinnati is in the playoffs
the East. Last year it felt like the Big Three
and then the postseason began and the Eastern Conference got
turned on its head.
Speaker 2 (04:26):
What do you expect this year?
Speaker 3 (04:28):
Eastern Conferences by far the better conference, by far the
better conference. However, Vancouver coming out on the other side
with Thomas Mueller Thomas More, they haven't lost yet, and
and the Germany has come across after spending his entire
career career with Bayern Munich, he has been sensational, so
watch out for him, watch out for son On with LAFC,
(04:51):
it's the same. The effect of those two players coming
into their team is something else. But still the Eastern Conference,
you know, right the way through, the teams that are
making the playoffs are a different level. However, there's a
couple of teams that are having a dip right now,
and Orlando's one of them. So for Orlando right now,
(05:12):
it's shaken up that they could say Cincinnati, that's a
good matchup. And even though Orlando came into to your building,
to Cincinnati's building a couple of weeks ago and I
thought deserved three points, they're weekends, they've got injuries, they're
not looking like themselves, which is a horrible team to
play against. Anyways, I think if you're an FC Cincinnati fan,
(05:34):
you don't mind taking on Orlando in the first rounds
if that if that's the matchup. But whenever team comes
out of the Eastern Conference, they've done well because that
is a tough conference right now.
Speaker 1 (05:47):
Feels much more wide open. And that's Philadelphia team. It
felt like every time they needed to win in the
supporters Shield race, they did And so I want to
watch Pat noon and coach against his former organization.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
We will see.
Speaker 1 (06:01):
First things first, wrap up the two seed with a
win on Saturday night against Montreal six o'clock MLS season
past Apple TV Ross.
Speaker 2 (06:09):
Awesome to have you man, Thanks so much all greaty
Speaker 3 (06:11):
Here you thanks for having me on
Meanwhile, we're getting set for a decision Day in Major
League Soccer. FC Cincinnati has the two seed in the
Eastern Conference on the line. They can clinch it with
a victory over Montreal home game for the Orange and
Blue earlier start for Decision Day at six o'clock on
Saturday evening the match on Apple TV's MLS Season Pass,
where Ross Smith is an MLS match analyst. Ross, It's
(00:21):
good to have you. FC Cincinnati is playing for something.
Montreal is not. That organization seems like a bit of
a train wreck right now.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
Do they pose a thread on Saturday night?
Speaker 3 (00:33):
They do? They do? You know, despite moment that they've
had an awful season, the worst in club history in MLS,
they're fighting. They're fighting and credits. They've got an Insuriram manager,
Marco Donadel, who took over, you can say about a
quarter of the way through the season. She's done a
(00:56):
good job. He's a former player with them, big name
you know in the soccer world. He's done a good
job just at stabilizing, at getting guys back to putting
in an effort which has to be said. They're gonna
give Cincinnati a good goal for it. You know, despite
(01:17):
not having much to play, they're playing for jobs. Guys
are playing for next season. There's a couple of guys
who are doing all right. They're they're gonna give c
Cincinnati a good goal for this, so they're not gonna
lay down. Isn't going to be a walkover as you
step into playoffs.
Speaker 1 (01:34):
Sc Cincinnati's home record isn't awful. Eight victories, four draw
five draws this season, Yet, Dave, I think they've played
unevenly in their own building.
Speaker 2 (01:44):
Any idea, why, Wow, it's tough.
Speaker 3 (01:48):
It's so tough. I do feel like, yes, Cincinnatia, they're
seeing that when they click, and I can't put it
down to like a home more way. I feel as
though when they click though a watch out. But if
they're not clicking, then all of a sudden you can
get them. You can get at them. And I bet
bat Newton, I'm gonna chat. I'm gonna sit down with
Pat now and tomorrow. I'm gonna chat with him. And
(02:10):
Pat is so open, which is just one of the
you know, there's many attributes that I really admire about Pat,
noon that's one of them. He'll tell us straight. But
I think that's one of them is the consistency of
the team, team style that they want to play. But
what they have at the end of the day, when
the when it's not quite happening, they've got individual brilliance.
(02:31):
And I still give credit to managers for bringing out
the individual brilliance. You know, some managers, you know, might
have a top player in their team but not be
getting the best out of them. Pat Nowonon is so
when the style is not quite happening, he still has
a couple of I call them heavy hitters. It's got
a couple of heavy hitters and the team of course
(02:52):
at vander you know that can that can deliver. I
don't know. I don't think Homer Away, I don't think
it makes much of a difference. I don't think these
guys are over odd when they know ome and feeling
the pressure. I just think it's a matter of when
it clicks and when it doesn't.
Speaker 1 (03:10):
Pat Newman was the coach of the year or two
years ago. I think this has been his best coaching job.
Would you agree?
Speaker 3 (03:18):
Yeah? Yeah, he's he ticks all the boxes, and I
think the box that he takes the best is he
tells guys straight and granted I'm not on the training
ground all the time. I actually played with Pat for
a short period of time in Colorado, and I know
Pat in terms of he'll tell you straight, and he'll
tell you straight without feeling as though you have to
(03:41):
turn your back on him and think, you know, kind
of screw you, I'm out of here. He'll tell you
you know when you're doing well, and you know when
you're not doing well. And I don't think there's as
many coaches. I don't think there's as many characters in
the game as Pat Newman that delivers it that way,
and I think it's missed. So I think that's one
(04:02):
of his skill sets. He can't hide it. He needs
to tell you, you know, which is admirable.
Speaker 1 (04:10):
Ross Smiths MLS match analyst for Apple TV MLS Season Pass.
Speaker 2 (04:14):
Regardless of whether they're the.
Speaker 1 (04:16):
Two or the three, FC Cincinnati is in the playoffs
the East. Last year it felt like the Big Three
and then the postseason began and the Eastern Conference got
turned on its head.
Speaker 2 (04:26):
What do you expect this year?
Speaker 3 (04:28):
Eastern Conferences by far the better conference, by far the
better conference. However, Vancouver coming out on the other side
with Thomas Mueller Thomas More, they haven't lost yet, and
and the Germany has come across after spending his entire
career career with Bayern Munich, he has been sensational, so
watch out for him, watch out for son On with LAFC,
(04:51):
it's the same. The effect of those two players coming
into their team is something else. But still the Eastern Conference,
you know, right the way through, the teams that are
making the playoffs are a different level. However, there's a
couple of teams that are having a dip right now,
and Orlando's one of them. So for Orlando right now,
(05:12):
it's shaken up that they could say Cincinnati, that's a
good matchup. And even though Orlando came into to your building,
to Cincinnati's building a couple of weeks ago and I
thought deserved three points, they're weekends, they've got injuries, they're
not looking like themselves, which is a horrible team to
play against. Anyways, I think if you're an FC Cincinnati fan,
(05:34):
you don't mind taking on Orlando in the first rounds
if that if that's the matchup. But whenever team comes
out of the Eastern Conference, they've done well because that
is a tough conference right now.
Speaker 1 (05:47):
Feels much more wide open. And that's Philadelphia team. It
felt like every time they needed to win in the
supporters Shield race, they did And so I want to
watch Pat noon and coach against his former organization.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
We will see.
Speaker 1 (06:01):
First things first, wrap up the two seed with a
win on Saturday night against Montreal six o'clock MLS season
past Apple TV Ross.
Speaker 2 (06:09):
Awesome to have you man, Thanks so much all greaty
Speaker 3 (06:11):
Here you thanks for having me on
Mo Egger News
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