May 2, 2024 • 56 mins
Tom, Edmundo and Ted in studio. Russell is out, Matt Baker, and Santiago Beltran have the week off. STLCitySC has a bye this week. President of the STL Soccer Hall of Fame Jim Leeker joins the guys in studio. Mr Soccer his own self, Bill McDermott, joins the guys on the phone to talk all things Champions League and other soccer happenings from around the world. Jim Leeker shares the details of the 2024 class that will be inducted into the STL Soccer HOF. The dinner will be held on Saturday May 18, 2024 at Union Station. Doors Open 5:30PM Dinner 7:00PM. The first hour wraps with Tom Timmerman (@tomtimm) from the St. Louis Post Dispatch stltoday.com and the STL Soccer Talk Podcast.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:13):
Galling to the Alta Sision days andnow from the Harry Kiyos Studios. Ladies
(00:40):
and gentlemen, boys and girls,and anyone else within the sound of my
voice. Welcome back to year thirteenof the longest running discussion of Jogo Benito
on Saint Louis Radio History, SteelUnited Soccer Sunday on KFN S five ninety
the Van Today's show, like everyother show, is brought to you by
our friend Mark Neiemeier at n GKLaw Firm. But he can't Saint Lewis
(01:02):
Law Firm with local roots in nationwideresults what he's suspended from listening. Still,
Yeah, that's awfully harsh. Wellyeah, I mean he can sponsor
us all he once, and trustme, you need a lawyer. This
is the guy you want to goto. But I'm not gonna listen.
Let him listen to the show anymorefor the time he's suspended. Wow,
(01:23):
Sorry, that's right. I'm veryvery thin skinned. I can tell.
I am your announcer at Mundo.Of course, today's lineup includes Bill McDermott
be joining us shortly, and weare proud, tickled and delighted to have
Jim Leeker not only join us,but join us in studio. Tickled,
tickled, just happy as can be, Happy as a clam. Tom,
(01:46):
see me a big clams. Youknow you. I was gonna say,
you're like more alert in a week. Ted, Have you noticed that?
Oh? Wait? Continue? Youready? Yeah? Here we go three.
Also, we expect, we expectto have Tom and even wait for
it, Daniel Esteve, are thebridges closed? I don't know. That
(02:07):
will be the barometer to find outabout that. So Tom, you know,
we got a big show today,and I want to introduce the host
of the show who has been jumpingall over my introduction. Here, the
sludge Fighter himself, cleaner of theenvironment, the one, the only Tom
Schwarz with his magic dinger. Updatescore update the Arsenal three Spurs super secret
(02:38):
text. I don't know if Icould even read this from danielis Steve?
Oh oh I am dead inside scoreupdate? Should I read? Well?
They're playing at Arsenal the Arsenal threethe Spurs Bill. I don't know,
(03:01):
so we may or may not.I don't know how you recover from being
dead inside, but we've got SteelyDan. Welcome in the Welcome Steely Dan
T shirt we got the you knowwhat, they got Steely Dan, So
we got it. What's the coupde gras in that? Yeah, I'm
not sure they're outrighty with here listeningfor a second. They got the Steely
(03:30):
the best thing of all. They'reoutrageous. Yeah. So do we have
Bill? Not yet? Not yet, We'll get Bill Shortley. Jim Leeker
surprise president of the Saint Louis SuckerHall of Fame. H o F we
call it Ted. I'm the president. I'm a little disappointed in his apparel.
(03:55):
Yeah, no green jacket, althoughhe is suitably retired. Do have
jackets in my car? Jackets?Whoa jacket? WHOA? Did we just
break some news here that there isnot one Jim Leaker green jacket? Oh
no, no, no. Theseare the inductees for this year. Oh
(04:15):
yeah, I oh been been tryingto get in touch with all of them.
The jackets have come in and I'vedelivered too, and two of them
needed alterations. Oh so now thatgoes. So I'm meeting with one of
them, basically the remainder of theclass uh tomorrow and uh, the only
(04:36):
one and I'll probably bail it tohim. Is Chris Klein I'll probably mail
his to him and the days he'sin Los Angeles. Huh yeah, yeah,
yeah, hopef I haven't. Ihaven't text him or I haven't talked
to him. He his father wentout to visit him, and his father
had a seizure and found out thatthere was a growth on his in his
(05:00):
brain. Yeah, and so he'sbeen going through treatments and staying out there
with Chris. So I guess Ishould have kept kept up to date with
a little bit more. But whatwhat a tragedy. You know, him
dad come out to visit you andfind out that you know that he's going
to be out there for a while. So well, let's let's change the
(05:21):
subject here. God bless them.Yeah, but Jim, if you ever
met our next guest, mister soccerhis own self, Bill McDermott, I
think I met him once or twice. I think he does our banquet positive.
Do you know? Do you knowwhat Bill really likes? He likes
(05:43):
a couple of things, as helikes to say, to say impossible names
like the rest of us just lookingfor God's sake? What does it?
You know? Bill? Bill revelsin that. And he also loves to
critique, as my wife Sally wouldsay, teams costumes. Did you know
(06:05):
that about him? No? Idid not. All I know is that
when he starts talking about the nineteenfifty World Cup team, it sends a
shiver down my back. Well,I might hear it, I might have
heard it a hundred times and itstill gives me shivers. How's that for
an introduction? Many to tell astory, ladies and gentlemen, mister Sucker
his own self, Bill McDermott,how you doing, Bill, Tom?
(06:28):
Are you Jim? And you willhear it for the one hundred and first
time? On May eighteen, Iwas hoping, Hey Bill, let's go
over there. Hey Bill, Igot to jump to this unless you have
something else extremely important to get to. I'd like for you to give me.
(06:50):
Have you been able to see thelast stages a stage of the Champions
League? Have you seen those games? By all means and awesome? You
should know why because Raal Madrid isstill in the competition. Yeah, okay,
Well, I'd like for you totalk in what however you want to
(07:12):
approach it, about what viewers whowere lucky enough to see those games over
the last two tuesdays in or notthis week, but you know previous Tuesdays
and Wednesdays what we saw in thosegames, because I was flabbergasted absolutely,
(07:32):
Tom, especially and in particular becauseof the very first game at Real Madrid
at the Bernabeo between Real Madrid andManchester City. But it goes on from
there. As you just pointed out, this is the most important competition,
second only, second only to theWorld Cup. This year. In the
(07:55):
final excuse me, in the finalfour we have two German teams team and
a French team and the Spanish team. In particular, Real Madrid leads the
overall competition with fourteen titles, fourteentitles when it used to be called the
(08:16):
European Cup and now the Champions League. And the reason that Saint Louis's the
reasons that North Americans love Real Madridso much is that because the first soccer
movie of any consequence, the firstsoccer game of any consequence we were allowed
to watch or had the opportunity towatch, was in closed circuit television down
(08:41):
at Teel the nineteen sixty European Cupbetween Real Madrid and Amtracht Frankfurt. Up
until then, Tom, the namesthe Stefano pushkis Hento Real Madrid Atracht Frankfort.
Those were all rumors. We hadnever seen any type of soccer on
a regular basis up until then.That movie that game, I should say,
(09:07):
and then the movie Goal about thenineteen sixty six World Cup were the
two pieces of film that really reallyindoctrinated us to this overall sport. You
just made me think of this.Until then. The only people who would
(09:28):
have seen those games would have beenother than Paul Duker would have been in
Europe, right, They wouldn't havebeen in the United States because they weren't.
You're watching them in a movie,for God's sake, Roll closer Cattelvision
Keel. We watched quite a fewgames World Cup games, Champions League,
(09:50):
European Cup on closed circuit Dona Kiel. That was the only opportunity we had
a chance to watch games like this. Wow, well what do we what
did we see? What? Imean, the the they were just golossos
and it's like no, no goalswere chippies or anything. I mean every
(10:11):
goal the goal Folden scored in thefirst uh City game was it was a
rocket and he's had Foden lately hasshown why he's going to be one of
the big star works, big starsfar England, and we'll see that.
I think we'll see that in theEuros this coming summer. By the way,
(10:35):
what a summer of competition, Uh, not just here in the United
States, but around the world,starting off with the Euros Copa America here
in the United States, with Messiplaying for Argentina. At least he has
been steadfast and saying that he's goingto play for Argentina, not just in
Copa America, also in the friendliesthat are coming to the United States the
(10:58):
first part of June for Argentina sothey can get ready for Copa America.
So there's going to be all kindsof chances to watch Liano Messi this year,
and not just not just an InterMiami uniform. But how about speaking
of that Saturday, June first,a day for soccer in our country,
(11:22):
as we're gonna be able to watchthe Champions League final from Wembley and also
City Saint Louis City is at InterMiami on the same day later in the
evening, So that's Saturday June first. Yeah, But overall, as you
look at this competition, tom italways all, it always delivers, never
(11:46):
fails. But this year in particular, Tuesday Brons the home venue to play
against Real Madrid and then on WednesdayDortmann's the home venue to play up Pence
Perry. Now, what's intriguing aboutPerry Sager made is that they are the
only team in the final four thathas not won a Champions League. And
(12:09):
let's face it, this is uh, this is in Babi's farewell tour.
Wouldn't it be? Wouldn't it betremendously awkward? I think awkward is a
keyword here. If he would bein the final, if Parry Siner made
a ad answer to the final toplay against for Al Madrid, whoa you
(12:30):
talk about it ironic? Hey,hey Jim, Yeah, Jim is looking
very pensively here. Yes, No, I mean these games have been have
been unbelievable. I mean from thefrom the first whistle to the the last
penalty kick. I mean they've beenunbelievable. You know, their goals being
scored. I felt bad for LucaMadridge missing his penalty kick, but you
(12:54):
know, I mean just what awhat a great player? And I think
was he thirty eight or thirty nineand Jim. The thing about Modris,
what are you watch him on aregular basis, No, he has not
been in the first eleven on aregular basis for raality drage. However,
when you watch him, if theyplay a four to three to one and
(13:16):
Cruse and Modrich are in front ofthe back four defenders, they never never
give a ball away. And Ido mean it's hard as people say,
what do you mean never? Sometimesduring the control of the game, you
watch Tony Kruz closely, and thenwhen Modrich occasionally comes into a game when
he's not starting, when he'll makea change With Cruse, he usually usually
(13:39):
changes a game because he's more ofa runner at defenders with that final through
ball. But Cruse is the he'sthe facilitator getting the ball for the back
to the forwards. And oh,playing through balls or long balls over the
top of Venetius Junior rod Rico Bellingham. Just imagine next year. It seems
(14:03):
that rod Riggo is going to probablygo if I Bope comes and Bope Bellingham
and Vanie Junior running at you forninety minutes. Oh yeah, And what
I what I really like to seeis is those balls that are going over
the top are being cut back fromthe from the from the touch line,
because that's the way that we weretaught. You know. The one touch
(14:24):
in the triangle system was in ourminds. But boy, we were we
were mindset on trying to score andither thing. You know, Jim,
when you played, was there wasthere ever such a thing? I mentioned
just a moment ago four two threeone. Was there ever such a thing
as playing with one forward? No? No, there was always at least
(14:46):
depending if you're playing the old wM or one five forwards, you know,
with the center forward, two insidesand two outsides. You know,
it never had any idea you knowthat? Or the only one one forward
just on the top. Just forthe listeners who don't know you, guys,
Jim, your playing career was whendid you play at Saint Louis University?
(15:11):
Uh, sixty seven, sixty excuseme, sixty six, sixty eight
and sixty nine soccer years? Andthen you played how long after that all
your career? Well probably another tenplayed three years with the Stars. And
even when I was with the Stars, it was still the same Saint Louis
style of play. You know,you were attacking and you were defending,
(15:35):
and attacking again. You know,the controlling of the ball was a mindset
that you just didn't think of.You know, let me interject here because
this is exactly what to our friendTykeo said a while ago. Excuse me,
is that's how the city team,our Saint Louis City SC plays.
(15:56):
I was explaining something about what uhBrad hits Brad Carnel had said at a
press conference, and ty said,Hey, Tom, that's the this is
the game we learn, this isthe this is how our my generation and
the generations before, the generation beforeare your generation taught you guys how to
(16:18):
play, right, Bill, exactly, if you could find a player like
Jim Leaker isolated with the last defender, you're going to send that ball to
him, either as Jim's just mentioned, long over the top, over the
head of the last defender who's runningtowards his own goal. Or if you
have played with a player like MikeSiri and Dan Cowns on the ground at
(16:41):
his feet so you can receive,turn and run at people. This is
k f N S five and ninetythe Fan the Steel United Soccer Show.
Bill, You listening to this song, Donovan, you remember this it's all
positively. You've got to break downyour bell bottoms. You got to get
break out your bell bottoms. Hereyou go. Bill's from the West Coast
(17:03):
waiting. Bill's wearing them right now. It's got the ball and necklace and
shirt collars come down to the table. Looked like the flying looked like the
flying man's hat and slipped down onmy shoulders. Right. I'll let talk
about that, Bill McDermott. Sothat that is that is always an interesting
(17:30):
thing to me. Here we startout, we started out talking about,
in my opinion, some of thegreatest games I've ever seen, right,
and and we we evolved through thatpoint to you guys saying, uh,
that's how we learned how to play. And part of what you learned how
to play was because you had guyswho had come like some of them had
(17:55):
come from the old country. Butthen you have to go to the movie
theater to see the big time playersplay. Kids now, kids now can
watch messy goals a million times ona regular basis, on a regular basis.
Another thing that really really helped usplaying up and say marry up narth
(18:15):
uh is the fact that Dave Berwin, our coach, would patter and our
play after going to watch teams likeWhite Star not just play, but train.
Dave was deeply engrossed in teaching uswhat Jorge Mahalovich, the White Star
mentor, was teaching his players.And another thing that Jim did tom was
(18:40):
to play not just for the Starsbut for Cudas and then to his credit,
keep the Kudas name alive by trainingand coaching Coudis players. And they
had so much to do with thetradition of what's going on in Saint Louis.
If there's one team in particular,in particular that has laid the foundation
(19:03):
for that legacy, it is aKuda soccer club. Very similar. When
we look at this competition and westink about Real Madrid all the time,
Real Madrid has a distinct advantage goinginto every game because they're playing with fourteen
players, they're playing with three ghosts. They take the field with numbers nine,
(19:25):
ten and eleven D Stefano, Pushkisand Hnto. They know and they
understand the totally realization of what RealMadrid means to this competition. Like I
said, they just allow the trophyto go out on loan on occasion,
on occasion as this year, whenthey're rebuilding, if you will, you
(19:48):
use the word rebuild, adding someyoung young players. Speaking of that,
Speaking of that, how about Barcelona. Oh my god, Lamin Yamal,
who's going to turned seventeen in July. Are the bouler The other day scores
for Real Madrid over Rale saskiadd,these are players and still in their teens
(20:11):
eighteen, nineteen, early twenties.But that is indeed, that's the nature
of the game. Bill. WhenI heard then, when I heard the
announcers refer to Yamen before, Ihad never seen his name in print,
right, I just heard him talking. I had never heard of him,
and I thought they they were sayingla Nina mile, la nina mile.
(20:36):
No, it's yummy. But becausehe is a bad boy, I mean,
at what a wonderful player on thewing. Yeah, Barcelona's outed his
abilities for years and they've got fourSpanish international teenagers Barcelona does right now on
their team. That's a Ted wewere talking about. I think we were
talking about it before. I don'tknow if we're on air, but Ted
(21:00):
was bringing up about how well theSpanish teams are doing and it's it's just
in the women's team and it's justamazing, Yeah it is. And speaking
of bars, and then you lookat Real Madrid. Their first eleven is
a tower babel. They have players. Carver Hall is one of the few
(21:22):
Spanish players to play for them ona regular basis when he's not playing Lucas
Vasquez, but they have many atleft back. How many of band go
the advantage of player with tower Belvisare always playing downhill? And how about
one of the guys that we hadan opportunity to watch young in his career
(21:45):
get one of his first caps forYuruguay Balverde, who is a fixture in
the first eleven for Real Madrid nowand with Rodrigo and telling him as denisus,
we talked about Cruse and Mogridge andRuderger. How about the that Rudiger
played against at the at the hotagainst man City. Man City has got
(22:06):
to win that game with all thatpossession, They've got to win that game.
Did you see any of the stillsDid you see any of the still
photos of Rudiger on Holland He hadhim in a death grip everywhere, Yeah,
just like I mean his body itwas full contact lap dance stuff.
It's like the story that Alexi alwaystells me. On the July fourth game
(22:32):
nineteen ninety four, but the UnitedStates is playing Brazil in the round of
sixteen at Stanford Stadium. The ballsplayed into the feet of Mario and somehow,
some way Alexi has his shirt untucked, holding his shirt and Marcello Balboa's
(22:52):
holding the top of his sharks,and somehow, some way he got a
foot extended to work a one totwo with the bet though who ends up
scoring the lone goal of the game. Somehow, some way, players like
that find a way to change thegame. But how about, by the
way, speaking of those games theChampions League, how about the classic go
(23:14):
on the twenty first of April withReal Madrid playing against Barcelona. That's the
game where let me go out,he had a superb game. And again
I repeat, he's turning seventeen onJuly thirteenth, unheard of. I hope,
I hope he makes it into hissenior year in high school to junior
year exams are tough. You know, I wonder if he's part of the
(23:37):
academy. Let's see, let's see, do I go to play the Apple
Classic or do I go to myproblem? Oh man, Well, that
was the same way with the youngkid from Saint Louis for us. You
know, he was he was goingto his high school graduation, you know,
(24:00):
and playing. Now that's our version, that's our version of Barcelona because
again the culture, right, Imean, this has been going on for
a very long time there. Yeah. And the kids kids nowadays are are
so tremendously talented and fast and fast, but their their minds are so good,
right you know. You see yousee kids that are ten eleven years
(24:23):
old and they're putting through balls inon the foot of somebody that's making a
run and you're just amazed. Well, they've been watching all those Bill McDermott
videos. Well I don't know,they haven't been watching my videos, but
they have been watching however, ChruzModridge de Bruyna videos games and they watch
it on a regular basis. AndI remember Dan, I remember Dan Flint
(24:45):
saying at his at his induction,he says, on any day you can
find soccer, not just one game, but hundreds of games. If you
feel like you all the world,ye everywhere. A lot of the young
players, Alan Wade said deconds agohe was an f A representative, came
(25:06):
to Saint Louis. This is decadesago. He said, I think I've
told you this before. An averageplayer becomes good. A good player becomes
great by imitation of role models ina small neighborhood setting and are watching them
on television. That is exactly thecase in point of what we've been talking.
And I'll remember the day that mcgwelsoleven invited me out to Saint Louis
(25:29):
University. I tell this, Itell this story to all the all the
kids that I talked to about coaching. Professor Massey came out to the Saint
Louis University's practice and he's he justtold the told the players just go ahead
and do what you want to do, and you know, just have a
good time. And and then hejoined he brought him in and I mean,
(25:52):
these are guys that are you know, Hayes and Cavanaugh, you know,
these are these are the top ofthe line players at that time.
And Professor Boz says, I seeso many good players because good players know
what to do with the ball whenthey get it. And I mean all
their just you know, expanded andthen he went on went on to say,
(26:14):
but I don't see any great players. Great players, great players know
what to do with the ball beforethey get Yeah, and I mean all
their just just like so was like, oh my goodness. Yeah, but
they haven't been having the background ofbeing plays agent and mental and actually spokesperson.
Yeah. Uh, he knew greatnessbecause he had a chance to watch
(26:37):
it on a regular basis great.I think Bobby Charlton has the best definition
I've ever heard of what a greatplayer is, and that is one who
at any time during the course ofany game can alter its outcome. That
is the definition of a great player. But getting back to what the legacy
and other things we've been talking about, I remember distinctly watching my first Saint
(27:02):
was Shoe soccer game at Fairgrounds numberone back in nineteen fifty nine, the
first time I saw these guys play, because I had heard about them all
kinds of talk about them. Youhear it through the CYC, But the
very first time that memory is implantedon you, it's like Moses gazing upon
the Promised Land. There was nothinglike it, and it grew and grew
(27:26):
ever since then. But there hadto be had to be a foundational moment.
Did Moses ever dare Bill never Moseswho won the Red Sea part had
said, what the hell is this? I just wanted to take a dip?
And finally I know you got togo. Moses who said to the
children of Israel stop calling me.Charlton Heston never got the great Bill McDermott,
(27:56):
Thank you, William Okay Steely takingus out And just a second the
Spurs have scored. It's one threeSpurs scored. There, I think about
the sixty fifth not dead yet,not dead yet? Well yet. You're
listening to Soccer Sunday and KFN Sfive ninety the fan. I'm at Mundo.
(28:17):
We're gonna step away, pay somebills, coming back with mister Leeker
himself. We will be right back, so please stay with us. I
don't want to hear the imagine yourface. They're in his place, standing
inside his brown shoes. You do. Here's nine too, fun them right
(28:42):
yourself. Oh man, they're onthe screen. The man with a dreams.
I heard it was you talking funny, you know. Shakira, Sha
Kira, Welcome back, everybody.Yes, Steel United Soccer Sunday coming to
(29:29):
you live from CAF and s fivenine of the Fan as we do every
Sunday live at this time. Andof course you can hear us whenever you
want on the podcast because we're outthere on all the platforms. You can't
get away from us. Here's yourhost, mister Tom Schwarz. Thank you,
ed Mundo. You know, Ilike watching that video as much as
I like the music I got.I got a sorry, Santi, we're
(29:52):
using your song when you we loveyou love that. Everybody everybody's out out
of not everybody's out of town.But Matt not here today, Santi's not
here. Uh, Russell's not herebecause it's bye week. There's no game.
This speen you when you're covering theteam and podcasting about the team,
you know it just I mean it'snot like you're playing, but it's a
(30:15):
grind. Oh my god. Nand Santi are are all over it.
I mean they're doing a lot.They're probably taking some time off their their
vocation and oh no, well,I don't know. I think Santy is
out of town. But Matt wasthinking he was going down to Amsterdam because
he's an Arsenal fan. Sure,so he's as happy as Daniel is dead.
(30:37):
Yes, I hear you. Yeah, all right, we got Jim
Leeker filling in. Yeah. Areyou gonna speak in Spanish? No,
no, no way, I'm looking. Didn't speak English. I saw Jim
a week aldgo Thursday up at theWestport, chile A for the Baseball Amateur
Baseball Hall of Fame. Were youthere for Lance Sherman? I was there
(31:00):
to represent the Saint Louis Soccer Hallof Fame. It's kind of it's kind
of like a given, you know, give and give situation with the two
halls of Fame. Yeah, youknow they're they're doing such a great job
with the Amateur Baseball Hall of Fame. I did not know Lance before this,
but I should have because he wasan Oakville boy. That's where all
my kids went to high school.Oakfield Boys. It was a band,
(31:22):
wasn't it. Didn't They have alot of hit. No, that's the
oak Ridge Pooh, because that's that'slike a lot like the show, you
know, crossing music into soccer.Height. Hey, quickly say something about
the Hall of Fame that you're banquet, because I got a big question to
ask you. Okay, yeah,our banquet, the fifty fourth induction banquet
(31:47):
is going to be held at UnionStation on May the eighteenth. Doors open
at five point thirty, dinner atseven, and program will start somewhere around
quarter to eight, and hopefully itwill be done in a timely manner.
Why is that, Jim, Well, we've asked them to keep their speeches.
They're accepting speeches to a two minute. How's that working out for you?
(32:12):
Well, you need one of thosebig things what do they call hook
the hooks from vaudeville, blah blahblah, or just shut the mic off,
starting Ted, break Ted in andhe'll get the music thing going and
he's a little tired of somebody.Two minutes beat Ted starts the music kind
of slow, kind of slow,you can barely hear it. Then he
puts it up and and by theend it's like it's breaking people's ears and
(32:37):
they're getting the mess. Well,it's it's it's important for that first person
to have an entire you know,banquet hall. Listen to that first person,
and it's just as important as thelast person. At the Amateur Baseball
Hall of Fame, the first twoor three were tremendous. Two minutes,
(32:58):
one and a half minutes, Imean and that like, is that like
it's part of the program. Butthey have people just like we have people
that will sit there and with astopwatch. Yeah, he went. You
know what else you need is mydaughter Sarah, who informed me before her
(33:19):
wedding, Dad, your speech isfive minutes. I said, Oh,
I got a lot to say.Yeah, you're so wonderful and blah blah
blah blah blah. But she said, Dad, people aren't here to hear
you. They're here for the wedding. Yes, And I love her so
(33:39):
much. I listened to her,and of course I made a gag out
of it. But it's that that'sthe point, you know, I mean.
And subsequently, when I go toweddings and I just hear Dad's drone
on and on about it's a mistaketo have invited me because I'm drinking during
(34:00):
that time and it sometimes I probablysay things I shouldn't. I had to
leave it. I had a goodfriend that committed that that in fresh What
he did that speak too long orsome something? No, he spoke I
was not there, but he spokeapparently way too long, Like I think
(34:21):
I wanted to go on for likea half hour. Oh yeah, I
don't know. You know, Ican remember from my days in the corporate
world, if you were up onstage giving a presentation, you had a
big digital clock right down at yourfeet, and you can see your time
counting down. So you're getting lookingat that and you're looking at your notes
and you're trying to get through stuffs. Ten more slides, here we go.
(34:43):
That's what's what's crazy is that,you know, these people maybe don't
get up in front of eight peopleand start talking and it is it.
It's a scary situation sometimes if youdon't do it well. One of the
gentlemen that night had a little bitof a longer speech, but he was
a professional weather man. Yeah,he's a weatherman at Texas, and his
(35:07):
presentation and storytelling, his gills wereso good. You were you were were
others. He's the exception to therules where others had a lot to say,
and it was all out of insidebaseball. Yeah right. And you
know at the Hall of Fame,bag at the soccer Hall of Fame,
bak, when we have guys thatget there. I remember the first game
(35:29):
that I played, and nobody wantsto hear about that first game that they
played. You know they want tohear their person right here the rest of
this. Yeah, people don't understandthat their table is only one of thirty
or or whatever. Okay, Jim, I got I've I've been thinking about
this a lot recently. Uh,press, I have not been to a
(35:52):
press conference. I don't think whereBradley Carnell does not talk about the moments
in the game. And this hascaused me to think a great deal about
the great players, not the averageplayers. Like your point before, about
the professor who came to these tothese to the Saint Louis University players who
(36:14):
were good, very good players,and probably in their own context they were
great players, but he told themhe saw a lot of good players,
but no great players. Yeah.And I'm combining it with these moments thing,
right, because it's it's really obviousto be in the NBA. Because
I've always said, white people saywhy you watch the NBA because any NBA
(36:34):
game, there are just magical momentsin the game and to see those is
great, similar with soccer. Somy question is do the great players do
they see the moment and react toit or do they create the moment?
Well, the great players can doboth. You know, they have the
(36:58):
vision that even before they get theball, where everybody is. And you
know, I'm not going to considermyself as a great player, but the
greatest player right here. I feelvery fortunate that if if when I was
played on any team, I couldclose my eyes that I knew basically where
(37:19):
everybody was on the field. Well, you know, and not only you
were a forward. I was aforward, but not only my fellow players,
but the defenders. Because if Iknew that I had to get rid
of the ball right away, Igot rid of it right away if I
had an opportunity to take one ortwo touches. Is that a skill set
you learned or you just all ofa sudden you knew you had. I
(37:43):
think all of a sudden I knewthat I had. I wasn't a soccer
player, per se. I wasa baseball player, right And the way
I was brought up was, youknow, run around first, what happens
when the ball gets hit? Tobet if I played third bag? So
projection? Oh yeah, no one, no one, all all the different
you know ramifications that go on.But you know, on the soccer field,
(38:06):
you know you have to be readyat any time. To know what
other players may or may not bedoing. And the best example of this
is Bessie. You know, he'she's he's that far ahead of the other
players that are playing in his inthe league right now. There are great
players that are playing, but butMessi is the focal point of the of
(38:30):
the season this year. You know, he's here for the entire year.
I think they're in first place rightnow. So you know it's you know,
in adding adding players beside him thatare you know, perfect, oh,
perfect players for him. You know, Messi he likes scoring goals from
(38:51):
set p from set pieces, butI think he enjoys more putting that ball
through and getting an assist. Imean that's the line breaking pass. Yeah
yeah, Well ultimately over time thatbrees him up a bit because he can
fake that pass or he can doa shoulder like he's going to turn and
(39:13):
deliver the past, but then hegoes the other way. He's a magician,
so Jim. So let's say atypical defender would focus on the guy.
I mean going into the game.The coach would say, hey,
we all know who the target is. You're going to be on, you
(39:34):
know, number nine. So that'sgot to be his major focus, right,
But you're saying that, like thegreat defender not only would have that,
but he'd be able to broaden outhis vision the close your eyes moment
and see he's still got the restof that. His number one focus is
(39:58):
on we're gonna stop leaker. ButI also know I have a pretty good
idea. The great defender has apretty good idea where everybody is and is
already anticipating what's going to happen fromthe so constantly making new adjustment. You
could see that. You could seethe good defenders reading plays, reading eyes
(40:22):
sometimes. You know. That's whythey say that in basketball, the no
look pass, you know, Jokic, Yeah, the no look pass in
soccer is the same way. Therewas a situation in a water polo game
yesterday that my grandson was playing inand a at an offensive player he was
(40:44):
he gave a no look pass onthe water polo field in the pool.
I'm going I've never seen that before, and that's what he did. It
was a no look past. Hewas going one way and he just kind
of flipped because he knew that therewas a player that was there with an
opportunity to score. It was apass, but it was two log of
(41:06):
a pass. But you know,those are the those are the moments,
you know, And and there mightbe one or two great moments mostly when
you're you're watching teams. Now therethat great moment comes on set pieces.
Yeah, either a corner kick oron a free kick. And it's amazing
(41:30):
how many goals are created by thosesituations. This morning there was yeah,
because I think I was only watchinggame a game I watched. Is this
the only game that was on?I think? So it's the second goal
i've seen from the near post,short low pass from the corner that basically,
(41:50):
it's just a kind of a numbersgame. You're overloading and then you
move the people out and there's aspace and the ball has hit so well
this what appears to be a secondaryguy gets the shot. Yeah. And
and I know, I know we'regetting ready for a break. But you
know, on corner kicks, I'mnot I'm not. I'm not a proponent
(42:13):
to the shart, to the shart, you know, carter kick, you
know, to the shark post.There's more opportunities coming from players coming into
the game or coming into the intothe play as opposed to the one or
two players that are going to tryand flick it. You know that's a
talent in itself. Yeah, soyes, sir, well, I'm going
(42:37):
to tell people who we are.Who are we? We are? St
Al United Soccer Sunday of course.Wow, mister Sludge coming to you live
from Sir Harry Sludge, the HarryKiyos Studio here at KFN S five nine
of the Fan. And and andhe adds that music means just one thing.
What the Sheikh of the chapeau,the dean? What is it?
(43:02):
You're? What is what is yourtitle? The sas soccer repertage? Mister
Tom Timmer. But I can justsee him dancing right now. He's got
bell bottoms onto this song too.Did you see he and McDermott working the
crowd in the disco when they're bellbottoms. That would be that would be
(43:24):
an interesting that would be an interestingact. Tom, Are you there?
Yes, I'm here, But Iwas having you know, I did,
I was waiting for my queue.Yeah. Well, we're always debating how
we should drop your queue and wehaven't come up with anything definite yet.
Actually, that reminds me that beforewe get started, I need to say.
(43:45):
This segment of Saint Louis United SoccerSunday is brought to you by the
letter l Okay. Now we canget on. Thanks thanks out that way,
Thanks thanks Oscar. Yeah, soTom, what what are you doing
(44:06):
in your in the bye week?Uh? You know? Actually I was
going to get in my car anddrive around so I could do this second
one from from from my car justfor old time stays. Actually, actually
I took my wife out to dinnerlast night, big devil. That was
that was, you know, andwe had a we had a wonderful time.
(44:29):
So yeah, so there's life beyondsoccer. So it's making me wonder
if I should be doing this onon Sunday morning. Wow. Oh that's
so hurtful. There was a timewith it Mundo kindness and I'm good.
Oh yeah, we pulled them back. Yeah did you either? Did you
know ed Mundo quit the show fora while. Well, I just kind
(44:51):
of went on hiatus I. Youknow, I had I had a regroup,
had too many irons. The pressure. The pressure just got to be
a you have no idea the pressure. It's like here, we seem all
happy in life, but I'm tellingyou it's cutthroat. It is cutthroat.
So hey, there was a therethere's a mention of the Saint Louis Soccer
(45:14):
Hall of Fame in the in thePost Dispatch this morning. Thank you very
much, Tom, thank you somuch. Well, I don't well,
I didn't do it. Oh itwas Tony Messenger writing about Bob Trigg.
Oh my goodness, I haven't seenit. It is was it was it
an editorial? I hope it wasn'tanything. Well, well, Bob was
(45:38):
getting addicted from his apartment because ofof an odd series of events. But
uh, the actually the Saint LouisUniversity, a legal clinic went to court
and uh and saved him. Sohe's I'm looking at it right now.
Holy cal so what a great guy. Yeah, oh my goodness. But
(46:05):
Tom, you're just well I startedout to say, Tom, you just
full of good news, but actuallyare if somebody's helping him out? Right?
Yeah? Yeah, so, uhyou know, yeah, so Bob
is just safe back in his inhis old place. But he but he
can't uh, he can can't usemarijuana anymore. What that that that is?
(46:30):
That's ridiculous. Don't toy with ourhost's emotions. Yeah, yeah,
Tom, Celia get a new contract. He did get a new contract.
He got he got he got twoyears plus an option year. So he's
going to be around for a while, or at least he's gonna get paid
for a while. Hang on,Tom, hang on around. Oh my
(46:51):
god. In the eighty sixth minuteTottenham two Arsenal three, look at anielis
Steve is his heart is not heavyany longer. Well, it's still practiced,
mister Timmerman. So Tom, havewe heard anything about Louvin? Do
we know? I'm not prying,I'm just curious because I just think he's
(47:17):
such a really important part of theteam that he was. He was a
practice jogging when I was there onFriday and I said hi, I do
and he said hi Tom, andthat was so that's what That's what I
got there. But he is,he's back on the premises and working out,
so that's a uh, that's good. But Carnell still said, you
(47:43):
know, it's still his call asto when he comes back. But I
don't know how much of it nowis his hamstring is fine and he just
needs to get you know, histraining back up because I don't know how
much work he's been doing. Buthe's he's been there. I was there
on Wednesday and Friday week and Ithink I saw him both days. So
he's there, but he's jogging lightly, but so he's not training with the
(48:06):
team, so he's not doing thehigh intensity physical stuff he needs, uh
to get back. But we'll findout on Tuesday, is to you know
where that stands. And and Samis beck also in the Sam's back in
the falls and training with the teamand we'll we'll see how that goes.
But certainly when I was out thereon Wednesday, he was, you know,
(48:30):
just he was a regular participant inpractice and so you know, he
wasn't having to do stuff to gethis fitness back up. He was back
out there with the group, andhe and A Z were staying around afterwards,
and we're working on shooting with oneof the coaching staff. So so
he's there. So I don't knowif if there's radiations on what he has
(48:54):
to do to get back into intogame preparedness, but uh, yeah,
so he's but he's he's training withthe team again. And the big thing
about coaching these these gentlemen, Uh, it's unbelievable how they have to keep
keep in mind the tactics of thegame, but the mentality of the players.
(49:15):
You know that there there's there arefeelings inside saying that I think I
should be playing and coming out andsaying I should be on the team.
But at least always said Tom,that they embraced that they want all the
roster players to believe that they shouldbe on the field. He thinks,
good for the of the competitiveness inthe group, right, yeah, that's
(49:43):
I mean, well that's what youwant. You don't want someone thinking I'm
not as good as that guy,or I'll never be as good as that
guy. That's right. So Imean, I guess if you're Messy's back
up at at Miami, then maybeyou have the right I'm every bit as
good as that guy. I mean, I guess reality and it's it's but
it's part of Carnell and the team'sphilosophy that you know, if the next
(50:08):
left back comes in, that he'sjust as good as the guy he's replacing.
And it's not that you're you know, oh well, we have to
settle for second best at this point. And Carnell's talk about that when when
he was playing in Germany and youknow, he was the backup I think
it left back, and his thingwas that, you know, I was
(50:30):
going to do everything I could,so that guy ahead of me was going
to have to be really good.So I knew that if I wasn't playing
that I was trying to, leftback was as good as he could possibly
be. So it helps out ina number of ways of being pushing uh
the uh you know, the guyto be better. Yeah, pushing the
entire team. You know. It'sjust like in baseball or football, you
(50:51):
know, is you're you're always lookingat the star players. But boy,
that's why you carry twenty players ona roster or twenty five players on a
roster. You know, somebody comingup. Yes, somebody's going to get
hurt or somebody's going to have abad game, and they're going to have
a bad game, you know.Yeah, and they've got they'll have a
(51:13):
game next Saturday with Houston, andthen a game the following Saturday, and
then they have a midweek game comingup. So they're gonna in one of
those stages where they have three gamesin eight days. So those everyone's going
to be used during that. You'renot going to try out the same eleven
guys for three games in any day, so they're going to end up.
You know, these you know,Jake Nowinsky and Akhill Watts, you know
(51:36):
are going to start getting games.Tom. Did you find yourself watching any
MS the last twoint four hours?Well, I because I took my wife
out to dinner last night. Imissed. I did not see like the
Miami New England game. I caughtthe end of Kansas City, Minnesota and
(51:57):
Atlanta Chicago, I believe, andthen and then once l a f C
went up to nothing uh in theirgame, I was like, Okay,
I don't need to stay up tillmidnight, uh to uh to watch this?
Come on Tom, Tom two,did you watch any mls? Uh?
No, I did not watch anyMLS. I've been in heavy,
(52:19):
heavy recovery mood from over exertion.It's my sledge fighter. I'll text him
about the NBA game, Tom andhe'll be like, yeah those second games.
No, No, I mean Ididn't even try to. I don't
know if the Lakers survived last night. They did, Oh, good for
them, Good for them. Sowhat's your take on it? Do you
(52:46):
think things are on the upswing atCity Park? Are you know, do
you see this this tying, uhtrauma continuing. I don't see any reason,
well other than that they wanted toI don't see any reason why it's
going to stop suddenly. I mean, I mean that's you know that they're
(53:08):
kind of it's not like they're tryingto get ties, but they just have
to be, you know, betterat things to avoid that. But you
know, the schedule that's coming upthey got, you know, it's they
got some games coming up that aregoing to be tough for them. It's
kind of a more challenging section ofthe of the schedule here. So that's
(53:29):
something you know, Uh, theymay be at a point soon there were
these next batch of games where whereties will look good to them because what
they got they got coming up Houston, okay, then Chicago, but then
l a FC Cincinnati and Seattle,which Seattle which is not playing well,
which is better than they're playing.So you know, three of those on
(53:51):
the road. You know, Chicagol a FC at home and they lost
to Chicago twice last year. Soyou know, this is a stretch of
games that gonna need you know,they're gonna need to be on top of
their game, uh, to getthat. Yeah, And if I could
add, you know, on anygiven day, you know, these teams
are focused on winning. I mean, it's not like not like Saint Louis
(54:15):
City is trying to get a time. You know, they're they're playing,
they're playing to win. And youknow, Minnesota last night played a tremendous
game, you know, to beKansas City. You know, that was
one of the games that I thatI did that I did watch and you
know, it's it's just unbelievable thatyou know, teams, teams can come
(54:36):
up and play great games, youknow, against a better team some tim
how much of that is a particularguys or maybe a couple of guys on
the a particular team it's just nottheir night. I asked Brad this in
practice, you know, guys tickedthe box all week, every every practice,
(54:59):
they ticked every box. But comeSaturday night, it just wasn't right.
And you could tell from the getgo. And that's that's what a
coach has to do. You know, coach has to evaluate those things and
then make make the decisions that arenecessary. Well, folks, that's going
to wrap. Wait a minute,I okay, go ahead, your show,
(55:22):
come on, you know what itis. I forgot Tom. I
want to thank you for coming ineven on this bye week. It's very
it's pleasing to me that someone hasthe dedication that we do. You could
go back into the ground man,well well, but you know with the
(55:42):
money that the letter L was paying, I had to go on. That's
a very that's a can afford totake your wife out to dinner and again
spender. Yeah, that's ladies andgentlemen. The thank you so much.
The Dean of Saint Louis Soccer reportsand what a what an appropriate way to
(56:07):
wrap up this first hour of thetwo hour show. So we're gonna do
that. We're gonna Tom's getting hisribbon out of tying a big bow on
it. We're gonna take a breakand we're gonna be basing bills and then
we're gonna come back. So andyou're gonna sit right where you are with
your ears on. This is StoUnited Soccer Sunday coming to you live from
k f N S final Spurs toArsenal three
Galling to the Alta Sision days andnow from the Harry Kiyos Studios. Ladies
(00:40):
and gentlemen, boys and girls,and anyone else within the sound of my
voice. Welcome back to year thirteenof the longest running discussion of Jogo Benito
on Saint Louis Radio History, SteelUnited Soccer Sunday on KFN S five ninety
the Van Today's show, like everyother show, is brought to you by
our friend Mark Neiemeier at n GKLaw Firm. But he can't Saint Lewis
(01:02):
Law Firm with local roots in nationwideresults what he's suspended from listening. Still,
Yeah, that's awfully harsh. Wellyeah, I mean he can sponsor
us all he once, and trustme, you need a lawyer. This
is the guy you want to goto. But I'm not gonna listen.
Let him listen to the show anymorefor the time he's suspended. Wow,
(01:23):
Sorry, that's right. I'm veryvery thin skinned. I can tell.
I am your announcer at Mundo.Of course, today's lineup includes Bill McDermott
be joining us shortly, and weare proud, tickled and delighted to have
Jim Leeker not only join us,but join us in studio. Tickled,
tickled, just happy as can be, Happy as a clam. Tom,
(01:46):
see me a big clams. Youknow you. I was gonna say,
you're like more alert in a week. Ted, Have you noticed that?
Oh? Wait? Continue? Youready? Yeah? Here we go three.
Also, we expect, we expectto have Tom and even wait for
it, Daniel Esteve, are thebridges closed? I don't know. That
(02:07):
will be the barometer to find outabout that. So Tom, you know,
we got a big show today,and I want to introduce the host
of the show who has been jumpingall over my introduction. Here, the
sludge Fighter himself, cleaner of theenvironment, the one, the only Tom
Schwarz with his magic dinger. Updatescore update the Arsenal three Spurs super secret
(02:38):
text. I don't know if Icould even read this from danielis Steve?
Oh oh I am dead inside scoreupdate? Should I read? Well?
They're playing at Arsenal the Arsenal threethe Spurs Bill. I don't know,
(03:01):
so we may or may not.I don't know how you recover from being
dead inside, but we've got SteelyDan. Welcome in the Welcome Steely Dan
T shirt we got the you knowwhat, they got Steely Dan, So
we got it. What's the coupde gras in that? Yeah, I'm
not sure they're outrighty with here listeningfor a second. They got the Steely
(03:30):
the best thing of all. They'reoutrageous. Yeah. So do we have
Bill? Not yet? Not yet, We'll get Bill Shortley. Jim Leeker
surprise president of the Saint Louis SuckerHall of Fame. H o F we
call it Ted. I'm the president. I'm a little disappointed in his apparel.
(03:55):
Yeah, no green jacket, althoughhe is suitably retired. Do have
jackets in my car? Jackets?Whoa jacket? WHOA? Did we just
break some news here that there isnot one Jim Leaker green jacket? Oh
no, no, no. Theseare the inductees for this year. Oh
(04:15):
yeah, I oh been been tryingto get in touch with all of them.
The jackets have come in and I'vedelivered too, and two of them
needed alterations. Oh so now thatgoes. So I'm meeting with one of
them, basically the remainder of theclass uh tomorrow and uh, the only
(04:36):
one and I'll probably bail it tohim. Is Chris Klein I'll probably mail
his to him and the days he'sin Los Angeles. Huh yeah, yeah,
yeah, hopef I haven't. Ihaven't text him or I haven't talked
to him. He his father wentout to visit him, and his father
had a seizure and found out thatthere was a growth on his in his
(05:00):
brain. Yeah, and so he'sbeen going through treatments and staying out there
with Chris. So I guess Ishould have kept kept up to date with
a little bit more. But whatwhat a tragedy. You know, him
dad come out to visit you andfind out that you know that he's going
to be out there for a while. So well, let's let's change the
(05:21):
subject here. God bless them.Yeah, but Jim, if you ever
met our next guest, mister soccerhis own self, Bill McDermott, I
think I met him once or twice. I think he does our banquet positive.
Do you know? Do you knowwhat Bill really likes? He likes
(05:43):
a couple of things, as helikes to say, to say impossible names
like the rest of us just lookingfor God's sake? What does it?
You know? Bill? Bill revelsin that. And he also loves to
critique, as my wife Sally wouldsay, teams costumes. Did you know
(06:05):
that about him? No? Idid not. All I know is that
when he starts talking about the nineteenfifty World Cup team, it sends a
shiver down my back. Well,I might hear it, I might have
heard it a hundred times and itstill gives me shivers. How's that for
an introduction? Many to tell astory, ladies and gentlemen, mister Sucker
his own self, Bill McDermott,how you doing, Bill, Tom?
(06:28):
Are you Jim? And you willhear it for the one hundred and first
time? On May eighteen, Iwas hoping, Hey Bill, let's go
over there. Hey Bill, Igot to jump to this unless you have
something else extremely important to get to. I'd like for you to give me.
(06:50):
Have you been able to see thelast stages a stage of the Champions
League? Have you seen those games? By all means and awesome? You
should know why because Raal Madrid isstill in the competition. Yeah, okay,
Well, I'd like for you totalk in what however you want to
(07:12):
approach it, about what viewers whowere lucky enough to see those games over
the last two tuesdays in or notthis week, but you know previous Tuesdays
and Wednesdays what we saw in thosegames, because I was flabbergasted absolutely,
(07:32):
Tom, especially and in particular becauseof the very first game at Real Madrid
at the Bernabeo between Real Madrid andManchester City. But it goes on from
there. As you just pointed out, this is the most important competition,
second only, second only to theWorld Cup. This year. In the
(07:55):
final excuse me, in the finalfour we have two German teams team and
a French team and the Spanish team. In particular, Real Madrid leads the
overall competition with fourteen titles, fourteentitles when it used to be called the
(08:16):
European Cup and now the Champions League. And the reason that Saint Louis's the
reasons that North Americans love Real Madridso much is that because the first soccer
movie of any consequence, the firstsoccer game of any consequence we were allowed
to watch or had the opportunity towatch, was in closed circuit television down
(08:41):
at Teel the nineteen sixty European Cupbetween Real Madrid and Amtracht Frankfurt. Up
until then, Tom, the namesthe Stefano pushkis Hento Real Madrid Atracht Frankfort.
Those were all rumors. We hadnever seen any type of soccer on
a regular basis up until then.That movie that game, I should say,
(09:07):
and then the movie Goal about thenineteen sixty six World Cup were the
two pieces of film that really reallyindoctrinated us to this overall sport. You
just made me think of this.Until then. The only people who would
(09:28):
have seen those games would have beenother than Paul Duker would have been in
Europe, right, They wouldn't havebeen in the United States because they weren't.
You're watching them in a movie,for God's sake, Roll closer Cattelvision
Keel. We watched quite a fewgames World Cup games, Champions League,
(09:50):
European Cup on closed circuit Dona Kiel. That was the only opportunity we had
a chance to watch games like this. Wow, well what do we what
did we see? What? Imean, the the they were just golossos
and it's like no, no goalswere chippies or anything. I mean every
(10:11):
goal the goal Folden scored in thefirst uh City game was it was a
rocket and he's had Foden lately hasshown why he's going to be one of
the big star works, big starsfar England, and we'll see that.
I think we'll see that in theEuros this coming summer. By the way,
(10:35):
what a summer of competition, Uh, not just here in the United
States, but around the world,starting off with the Euros Copa America here
in the United States, with Messiplaying for Argentina. At least he has
been steadfast and saying that he's goingto play for Argentina, not just in
Copa America, also in the friendliesthat are coming to the United States the
(10:58):
first part of June for Argentina sothey can get ready for Copa America.
So there's going to be all kindsof chances to watch Liano Messi this year,
and not just not just an InterMiami uniform. But how about speaking
of that Saturday, June first,a day for soccer in our country,
(11:22):
as we're gonna be able to watchthe Champions League final from Wembley and also
City Saint Louis City is at InterMiami on the same day later in the
evening, So that's Saturday June first. Yeah, But overall, as you
look at this competition, tom italways all, it always delivers, never
(11:46):
fails. But this year in particular, Tuesday Brons the home venue to play
against Real Madrid and then on WednesdayDortmann's the home venue to play up Pence
Perry. Now, what's intriguing aboutPerry Sager made is that they are the
only team in the final four thathas not won a Champions League. And
(12:09):
let's face it, this is uh, this is in Babi's farewell tour.
Wouldn't it be? Wouldn't it betremendously awkward? I think awkward is a
keyword here. If he would bein the final, if Parry Siner made
a ad answer to the final toplay against for Al Madrid, whoa you
(12:30):
talk about it ironic? Hey,hey Jim, Yeah, Jim is looking
very pensively here. Yes, No, I mean these games have been have
been unbelievable. I mean from thefrom the first whistle to the the last
penalty kick. I mean they've beenunbelievable. You know, their goals being
scored. I felt bad for LucaMadridge missing his penalty kick, but you
(12:54):
know, I mean just what awhat a great player? And I think
was he thirty eight or thirty nineand Jim. The thing about Modris,
what are you watch him on aregular basis, No, he has not
been in the first eleven on aregular basis for raality drage. However,
when you watch him, if theyplay a four to three to one and
(13:16):
Cruse and Modrich are in front ofthe back four defenders, they never never
give a ball away. And Ido mean it's hard as people say,
what do you mean never? Sometimesduring the control of the game, you
watch Tony Kruz closely, and thenwhen Modrich occasionally comes into a game when
he's not starting, when he'll makea change With Cruse, he usually usually
(13:39):
changes a game because he's more ofa runner at defenders with that final through
ball. But Cruse is the he'sthe facilitator getting the ball for the back
to the forwards. And oh,playing through balls or long balls over the
top of Venetius Junior rod Rico Bellingham. Just imagine next year. It seems
(14:03):
that rod Riggo is going to probablygo if I Bope comes and Bope Bellingham
and Vanie Junior running at you forninety minutes. Oh yeah, And what
I what I really like to seeis is those balls that are going over
the top are being cut back fromthe from the from the touch line,
because that's the way that we weretaught. You know. The one touch
(14:24):
in the triangle system was in ourminds. But boy, we were we
were mindset on trying to score andither thing. You know, Jim,
when you played, was there wasthere ever such a thing? I mentioned
just a moment ago four two threeone. Was there ever such a thing
as playing with one forward? No? No, there was always at least
(14:46):
depending if you're playing the old wM or one five forwards, you know,
with the center forward, two insidesand two outsides. You know,
it never had any idea you knowthat? Or the only one one forward
just on the top. Just forthe listeners who don't know you, guys,
Jim, your playing career was whendid you play at Saint Louis University?
(15:11):
Uh, sixty seven, sixty excuseme, sixty six, sixty eight
and sixty nine soccer years? Andthen you played how long after that all
your career? Well probably another tenplayed three years with the Stars. And
even when I was with the Stars, it was still the same Saint Louis
style of play. You know,you were attacking and you were defending,
(15:35):
and attacking again. You know,the controlling of the ball was a mindset
that you just didn't think of.You know, let me interject here because
this is exactly what to our friendTykeo said a while ago. Excuse me,
is that's how the city team,our Saint Louis City SC plays.
(15:56):
I was explaining something about what uhBrad hits Brad Carnel had said at a
press conference, and ty said,Hey, Tom, that's the this is
the game we learn, this isthe this is how our my generation and
the generations before, the generation beforeare your generation taught you guys how to
(16:18):
play, right, Bill, exactly, if you could find a player like
Jim Leaker isolated with the last defender, you're going to send that ball to
him, either as Jim's just mentioned, long over the top, over the
head of the last defender who's runningtowards his own goal. Or if you
have played with a player like MikeSiri and Dan Cowns on the ground at
(16:41):
his feet so you can receive,turn and run at people. This is
k f N S five and ninetythe Fan the Steel United Soccer Show.
Bill, You listening to this song, Donovan, you remember this it's all
positively. You've got to break downyour bell bottoms. You got to get
break out your bell bottoms. Hereyou go. Bill's from the West Coast
(17:03):
waiting. Bill's wearing them right now. It's got the ball and necklace and
shirt collars come down to the table. Looked like the flying looked like the
flying man's hat and slipped down onmy shoulders. Right. I'll let talk
about that, Bill McDermott. Sothat that is that is always an interesting
(17:30):
thing to me. Here we startout, we started out talking about,
in my opinion, some of thegreatest games I've ever seen, right,
and and we we evolved through thatpoint to you guys saying, uh,
that's how we learned how to play. And part of what you learned how
to play was because you had guyswho had come like some of them had
(17:55):
come from the old country. Butthen you have to go to the movie
theater to see the big time playersplay. Kids now, kids now can
watch messy goals a million times ona regular basis, on a regular basis.
Another thing that really really helped usplaying up and say marry up narth
(18:15):
uh is the fact that Dave Berwin, our coach, would patter and our
play after going to watch teams likeWhite Star not just play, but train.
Dave was deeply engrossed in teaching uswhat Jorge Mahalovich, the White Star
mentor, was teaching his players.And another thing that Jim did tom was
(18:40):
to play not just for the Starsbut for Cudas and then to his credit,
keep the Kudas name alive by trainingand coaching Coudis players. And they
had so much to do with thetradition of what's going on in Saint Louis.
If there's one team in particular,in particular that has laid the foundation
(19:03):
for that legacy, it is aKuda soccer club. Very similar. When
we look at this competition and westink about Real Madrid all the time,
Real Madrid has a distinct advantage goinginto every game because they're playing with fourteen
players, they're playing with three ghosts. They take the field with numbers nine,
(19:25):
ten and eleven D Stefano, Pushkisand Hnto. They know and they
understand the totally realization of what RealMadrid means to this competition. Like I
said, they just allow the trophyto go out on loan on occasion,
on occasion as this year, whenthey're rebuilding, if you will, you
(19:48):
use the word rebuild, adding someyoung young players. Speaking of that,
Speaking of that, how about Barcelona. Oh my god, Lamin Yamal,
who's going to turned seventeen in July. Are the bouler The other day scores
for Real Madrid over Rale saskiadd,these are players and still in their teens
(20:11):
eighteen, nineteen, early twenties.But that is indeed, that's the nature
of the game. Bill. WhenI heard then, when I heard the
announcers refer to Yamen before, Ihad never seen his name in print,
right, I just heard him talking. I had never heard of him,
and I thought they they were sayingla Nina mile, la nina mile.
(20:36):
No, it's yummy. But becausehe is a bad boy, I mean,
at what a wonderful player on thewing. Yeah, Barcelona's outed his
abilities for years and they've got fourSpanish international teenagers Barcelona does right now on
their team. That's a Ted wewere talking about. I think we were
talking about it before. I don'tknow if we're on air, but Ted
(21:00):
was bringing up about how well theSpanish teams are doing and it's it's just
in the women's team and it's justamazing, Yeah it is. And speaking
of bars, and then you lookat Real Madrid. Their first eleven is
a tower babel. They have players. Carver Hall is one of the few
(21:22):
Spanish players to play for them ona regular basis when he's not playing Lucas
Vasquez, but they have many atleft back. How many of band go
the advantage of player with tower Belvisare always playing downhill? And how about
one of the guys that we hadan opportunity to watch young in his career
(21:45):
get one of his first caps forYuruguay Balverde, who is a fixture in
the first eleven for Real Madrid nowand with Rodrigo and telling him as denisus,
we talked about Cruse and Mogridge andRuderger. How about the that Rudiger
played against at the at the hotagainst man City. Man City has got
(22:06):
to win that game with all thatpossession, They've got to win that game.
Did you see any of the stillsDid you see any of the still
photos of Rudiger on Holland He hadhim in a death grip everywhere, Yeah,
just like I mean his body itwas full contact lap dance stuff.
It's like the story that Alexi alwaystells me. On the July fourth game
(22:32):
nineteen ninety four, but the UnitedStates is playing Brazil in the round of
sixteen at Stanford Stadium. The ballsplayed into the feet of Mario and somehow,
some way Alexi has his shirt untucked, holding his shirt and Marcello Balboa's
(22:52):
holding the top of his sharks,and somehow, some way he got a
foot extended to work a one totwo with the bet though who ends up
scoring the lone goal of the game. Somehow, some way, players like
that find a way to change thegame. But how about, by the
way, speaking of those games theChampions League, how about the classic go
(23:14):
on the twenty first of April withReal Madrid playing against Barcelona. That's the
game where let me go out,he had a superb game. And again
I repeat, he's turning seventeen onJuly thirteenth, unheard of. I hope,
I hope he makes it into hissenior year in high school to junior
year exams are tough. You know, I wonder if he's part of the
(23:37):
academy. Let's see, let's see, do I go to play the Apple
Classic or do I go to myproblem? Oh man, Well, that
was the same way with the youngkid from Saint Louis for us. You
know, he was he was goingto his high school graduation, you know,
(24:00):
and playing. Now that's our version, that's our version of Barcelona because
again the culture, right, Imean, this has been going on for
a very long time there. Yeah. And the kids kids nowadays are are
so tremendously talented and fast and fast, but their their minds are so good,
right you know. You see yousee kids that are ten eleven years
(24:23):
old and they're putting through balls inon the foot of somebody that's making a
run and you're just amazed. Well, they've been watching all those Bill McDermott
videos. Well I don't know,they haven't been watching my videos, but
they have been watching however, ChruzModridge de Bruyna videos games and they watch
it on a regular basis. AndI remember Dan, I remember Dan Flint
(24:45):
saying at his at his induction,he says, on any day you can
find soccer, not just one game, but hundreds of games. If you
feel like you all the world,ye everywhere. A lot of the young
players, Alan Wade said deconds agohe was an f A representative, came
(25:06):
to Saint Louis. This is decadesago. He said, I think I've
told you this before. An averageplayer becomes good. A good player becomes
great by imitation of role models ina small neighborhood setting and are watching them
on television. That is exactly thecase in point of what we've been talking.
And I'll remember the day that mcgwelsoleven invited me out to Saint Louis
(25:29):
University. I tell this, Itell this story to all the all the
kids that I talked to about coaching. Professor Massey came out to the Saint
Louis University's practice and he's he justtold the told the players just go ahead
and do what you want to do, and you know, just have a
good time. And and then hejoined he brought him in and I mean,
(25:52):
these are guys that are you know, Hayes and Cavanaugh, you know,
these are these are the top ofthe line players at that time.
And Professor Boz says, I seeso many good players because good players know
what to do with the ball whenthey get it. And I mean all
their just you know, expanded andthen he went on went on to say,
(26:14):
but I don't see any great players. Great players, great players know
what to do with the ball beforethey get Yeah, and I mean all
their just just like so was like, oh my goodness. Yeah, but
they haven't been having the background ofbeing plays agent and mental and actually spokesperson.
Yeah. Uh, he knew greatnessbecause he had a chance to watch
(26:37):
it on a regular basis great.I think Bobby Charlton has the best definition
I've ever heard of what a greatplayer is, and that is one who
at any time during the course ofany game can alter its outcome. That
is the definition of a great player. But getting back to what the legacy
and other things we've been talking about, I remember distinctly watching my first Saint
(27:02):
was Shoe soccer game at Fairgrounds numberone back in nineteen fifty nine, the
first time I saw these guys play, because I had heard about them all
kinds of talk about them. Youhear it through the CYC, But the
very first time that memory is implantedon you, it's like Moses gazing upon
the Promised Land. There was nothinglike it, and it grew and grew
(27:26):
ever since then. But there hadto be had to be a foundational moment.
Did Moses ever dare Bill never Moseswho won the Red Sea part had
said, what the hell is this? I just wanted to take a dip?
And finally I know you got togo. Moses who said to the
children of Israel stop calling me.Charlton Heston never got the great Bill McDermott,
(27:56):
Thank you, William Okay Steely takingus out And just a second the
Spurs have scored. It's one threeSpurs scored. There, I think about
the sixty fifth not dead yet,not dead yet? Well yet. You're
listening to Soccer Sunday and KFN Sfive ninety the fan. I'm at Mundo.
(28:17):
We're gonna step away, pay somebills, coming back with mister Leeker
himself. We will be right back, so please stay with us. I
don't want to hear the imagine yourface. They're in his place, standing
inside his brown shoes. You do. Here's nine too, fun them right
(28:42):
yourself. Oh man, they're onthe screen. The man with a dreams.
I heard it was you talking funny, you know. Shakira, Sha
Kira, Welcome back, everybody.Yes, Steel United Soccer Sunday coming to
(29:29):
you live from CAF and s fivenine of the Fan as we do every
Sunday live at this time. Andof course you can hear us whenever you
want on the podcast because we're outthere on all the platforms. You can't
get away from us. Here's yourhost, mister Tom Schwarz. Thank you,
ed Mundo. You know, Ilike watching that video as much as
I like the music I got.I got a sorry, Santi, we're
(29:52):
using your song when you we loveyou love that. Everybody everybody's out out
of not everybody's out of town.But Matt not here today, Santi's not
here. Uh, Russell's not herebecause it's bye week. There's no game.
This speen you when you're covering theteam and podcasting about the team,
you know it just I mean it'snot like you're playing, but it's a
(30:15):
grind. Oh my god. Nand Santi are are all over it.
I mean they're doing a lot.They're probably taking some time off their their
vocation and oh no, well,I don't know. I think Santy is
out of town. But Matt wasthinking he was going down to Amsterdam because
he's an Arsenal fan. Sure,so he's as happy as Daniel is dead.
(30:37):
Yes, I hear you. Yeah, all right, we got Jim
Leeker filling in. Yeah. Areyou gonna speak in Spanish? No,
no, no way, I'm looking. Didn't speak English. I saw Jim
a week aldgo Thursday up at theWestport, chile A for the Baseball Amateur
Baseball Hall of Fame. Were youthere for Lance Sherman? I was there
(31:00):
to represent the Saint Louis Soccer Hallof Fame. It's kind of it's kind
of like a given, you know, give and give situation with the two
halls of Fame. Yeah, youknow they're they're doing such a great job
with the Amateur Baseball Hall of Fame. I did not know Lance before this,
but I should have because he wasan Oakville boy. That's where all
my kids went to high school.Oakfield Boys. It was a band,
(31:22):
wasn't it. Didn't They have alot of hit. No, that's the
oak Ridge Pooh, because that's that'slike a lot like the show, you
know, crossing music into soccer.Height. Hey, quickly say something about
the Hall of Fame that you're banquet, because I got a big question to
ask you. Okay, yeah,our banquet, the fifty fourth induction banquet
(31:47):
is going to be held at UnionStation on May the eighteenth. Doors open
at five point thirty, dinner atseven, and program will start somewhere around
quarter to eight, and hopefully itwill be done in a timely manner.
Why is that, Jim, Well, we've asked them to keep their speeches.
They're accepting speeches to a two minute. How's that working out for you?
(32:12):
Well, you need one of thosebig things what do they call hook
the hooks from vaudeville, blah blahblah, or just shut the mic off,
starting Ted, break Ted in andhe'll get the music thing going and
he's a little tired of somebody.Two minutes beat Ted starts the music kind
of slow, kind of slow,you can barely hear it. Then he
puts it up and and by theend it's like it's breaking people's ears and
(32:37):
they're getting the mess. Well,it's it's it's important for that first person
to have an entire you know,banquet hall. Listen to that first person,
and it's just as important as thelast person. At the Amateur Baseball
Hall of Fame, the first twoor three were tremendous. Two minutes,
(32:58):
one and a half minutes, Imean and that like, is that like
it's part of the program. Butthey have people just like we have people
that will sit there and with astopwatch. Yeah, he went. You
know what else you need is mydaughter Sarah, who informed me before her
(33:19):
wedding, Dad, your speech isfive minutes. I said, Oh,
I got a lot to say.Yeah, you're so wonderful and blah blah
blah blah blah. But she said, Dad, people aren't here to hear
you. They're here for the wedding. Yes, And I love her so
(33:39):
much. I listened to her,and of course I made a gag out
of it. But it's that that'sthe point, you know, I mean.
And subsequently, when I go toweddings and I just hear Dad's drone
on and on about it's a mistaketo have invited me because I'm drinking during
(34:00):
that time and it sometimes I probablysay things I shouldn't. I had to
leave it. I had a goodfriend that committed that that in fresh What
he did that speak too long orsome something? No, he spoke I
was not there, but he spokeapparently way too long, Like I think
(34:21):
I wanted to go on for likea half hour. Oh yeah, I
don't know. You know, Ican remember from my days in the corporate
world, if you were up onstage giving a presentation, you had a
big digital clock right down at yourfeet, and you can see your time
counting down. So you're getting lookingat that and you're looking at your notes
and you're trying to get through stuffs. Ten more slides, here we go.
(34:43):
That's what's what's crazy is that,you know, these people maybe don't
get up in front of eight peopleand start talking and it is it.
It's a scary situation sometimes if youdon't do it well. One of the
gentlemen that night had a little bitof a longer speech, but he was
a professional weather man. Yeah,he's a weatherman at Texas, and his
(35:07):
presentation and storytelling, his gills wereso good. You were you were were
others. He's the exception to therules where others had a lot to say,
and it was all out of insidebaseball. Yeah right. And you
know at the Hall of Fame,bag at the soccer Hall of Fame,
bak, when we have guys thatget there. I remember the first game
(35:29):
that I played, and nobody wantsto hear about that first game that they
played. You know they want tohear their person right here the rest of
this. Yeah, people don't understandthat their table is only one of thirty
or or whatever. Okay, Jim, I got I've I've been thinking about
this a lot recently. Uh,press, I have not been to a
(35:52):
press conference. I don't think whereBradley Carnell does not talk about the moments
in the game. And this hascaused me to think a great deal about
the great players, not the averageplayers. Like your point before, about
the professor who came to these tothese to the Saint Louis University players who
(36:14):
were good, very good players,and probably in their own context they were
great players, but he told themhe saw a lot of good players,
but no great players. Yeah.And I'm combining it with these moments thing,
right, because it's it's really obviousto be in the NBA. Because
I've always said, white people saywhy you watch the NBA because any NBA
(36:34):
game, there are just magical momentsin the game and to see those is
great, similar with soccer. Somy question is do the great players do
they see the moment and react toit or do they create the moment?
Well, the great players can doboth. You know, they have the
(36:58):
vision that even before they get theball, where everybody is. And you
know, I'm not going to considermyself as a great player, but the
greatest player right here. I feelvery fortunate that if if when I was
played on any team, I couldclose my eyes that I knew basically where
(37:19):
everybody was on the field. Well, you know, and not only you
were a forward. I was aforward, but not only my fellow players,
but the defenders. Because if Iknew that I had to get rid
of the ball right away, Igot rid of it right away if I
had an opportunity to take one ortwo touches. Is that a skill set
you learned or you just all ofa sudden you knew you had. I
(37:43):
think all of a sudden I knewthat I had. I wasn't a soccer
player, per se. I wasa baseball player, right And the way
I was brought up was, youknow, run around first, what happens
when the ball gets hit? Tobet if I played third bag? So
projection? Oh yeah, no one, no one, all all the different
you know ramifications that go on.But you know, on the soccer field,
(38:06):
you know you have to be readyat any time. To know what
other players may or may not bedoing. And the best example of this
is Bessie. You know, he'she's he's that far ahead of the other
players that are playing in his inthe league right now. There are great
players that are playing, but butMessi is the focal point of the of
(38:30):
the season this year. You know, he's here for the entire year.
I think they're in first place rightnow. So you know it's you know,
in adding adding players beside him thatare you know, perfect, oh,
perfect players for him. You know, Messi he likes scoring goals from
(38:51):
set p from set pieces, butI think he enjoys more putting that ball
through and getting an assist. Imean that's the line breaking pass. Yeah
yeah, Well ultimately over time thatbrees him up a bit because he can
fake that pass or he can doa shoulder like he's going to turn and
(39:13):
deliver the past, but then hegoes the other way. He's a magician,
so Jim. So let's say atypical defender would focus on the guy.
I mean going into the game.The coach would say, hey,
we all know who the target is. You're going to be on, you
(39:34):
know, number nine. So that'sgot to be his major focus, right,
But you're saying that, like thegreat defender not only would have that,
but he'd be able to broaden outhis vision the close your eyes moment
and see he's still got the restof that. His number one focus is
(39:58):
on we're gonna stop leaker. ButI also know I have a pretty good
idea. The great defender has apretty good idea where everybody is and is
already anticipating what's going to happen fromthe so constantly making new adjustment. You
could see that. You could seethe good defenders reading plays, reading eyes
(40:22):
sometimes. You know. That's whythey say that in basketball, the no
look pass, you know, Jokic, Yeah, the no look pass in
soccer is the same way. Therewas a situation in a water polo game
yesterday that my grandson was playing inand a at an offensive player he was
(40:44):
he gave a no look pass onthe water polo field in the pool.
I'm going I've never seen that before, and that's what he did. It
was a no look past. Hewas going one way and he just kind
of flipped because he knew that therewas a player that was there with an
opportunity to score. It was apass, but it was two log of
(41:06):
a pass. But you know,those are the those are the moments,
you know, And and there mightbe one or two great moments mostly when
you're you're watching teams. Now therethat great moment comes on set pieces.
Yeah, either a corner kick oron a free kick. And it's amazing
(41:30):
how many goals are created by thosesituations. This morning there was yeah,
because I think I was only watchinggame a game I watched. Is this
the only game that was on?I think? So it's the second goal
i've seen from the near post,short low pass from the corner that basically,
(41:50):
it's just a kind of a numbersgame. You're overloading and then you
move the people out and there's aspace and the ball has hit so well
this what appears to be a secondaryguy gets the shot. Yeah. And
and I know, I know we'regetting ready for a break. But you
know, on corner kicks, I'mnot I'm not. I'm not a proponent
(42:13):
to the shart, to the shart, you know, carter kick, you
know, to the shark post.There's more opportunities coming from players coming into
the game or coming into the intothe play as opposed to the one or
two players that are going to tryand flick it. You know that's a
talent in itself. Yeah, soyes, sir, well, I'm going
(42:37):
to tell people who we are.Who are we? We are? St
Al United Soccer Sunday of course.Wow, mister Sludge coming to you live
from Sir Harry Sludge, the HarryKiyos Studio here at KFN S five nine
of the Fan. And and andhe adds that music means just one thing.
What the Sheikh of the chapeau,the dean? What is it?
(43:02):
You're? What is what is yourtitle? The sas soccer repertage? Mister
Tom Timmer. But I can justsee him dancing right now. He's got
bell bottoms onto this song too.Did you see he and McDermott working the
crowd in the disco when they're bellbottoms. That would be that would be
(43:24):
an interesting that would be an interestingact. Tom, Are you there?
Yes, I'm here, But Iwas having you know, I did,
I was waiting for my queue.Yeah. Well, we're always debating how
we should drop your queue and wehaven't come up with anything definite yet.
Actually, that reminds me that beforewe get started, I need to say.
(43:45):
This segment of Saint Louis United SoccerSunday is brought to you by the
letter l Okay. Now we canget on. Thanks thanks out that way,
Thanks thanks Oscar. Yeah, soTom, what what are you doing
(44:06):
in your in the bye week?Uh? You know? Actually I was
going to get in my car anddrive around so I could do this second
one from from from my car justfor old time stays. Actually, actually
I took my wife out to dinnerlast night, big devil. That was
that was, you know, andwe had a we had a wonderful time.
(44:29):
So yeah, so there's life beyondsoccer. So it's making me wonder
if I should be doing this onon Sunday morning. Wow. Oh that's
so hurtful. There was a timewith it Mundo kindness and I'm good.
Oh yeah, we pulled them back. Yeah did you either? Did you
know ed Mundo quit the show fora while. Well, I just kind
(44:51):
of went on hiatus I. Youknow, I had I had a regroup,
had too many irons. The pressure. The pressure just got to be
a you have no idea the pressure. It's like here, we seem all
happy in life, but I'm tellingyou it's cutthroat. It is cutthroat.
So hey, there was a therethere's a mention of the Saint Louis Soccer
(45:14):
Hall of Fame in the in thePost Dispatch this morning. Thank you very
much, Tom, thank you somuch. Well, I don't well,
I didn't do it. Oh itwas Tony Messenger writing about Bob Trigg.
Oh my goodness, I haven't seenit. It is was it was it
an editorial? I hope it wasn'tanything. Well, well, Bob was
(45:38):
getting addicted from his apartment because ofof an odd series of events. But
uh, the actually the Saint LouisUniversity, a legal clinic went to court
and uh and saved him. Sohe's I'm looking at it right now.
Holy cal so what a great guy. Yeah, oh my goodness. But
(46:05):
Tom, you're just well I startedout to say, Tom, you just
full of good news, but actuallyare if somebody's helping him out? Right?
Yeah? Yeah, so, uhyou know, yeah, so Bob
is just safe back in his inhis old place. But he but he
can't uh, he can can't usemarijuana anymore. What that that that is?
(46:30):
That's ridiculous. Don't toy with ourhost's emotions. Yeah, yeah,
Tom, Celia get a new contract. He did get a new contract.
He got he got he got twoyears plus an option year. So he's
going to be around for a while, or at least he's gonna get paid
for a while. Hang on,Tom, hang on around. Oh my
(46:51):
god. In the eighty sixth minuteTottenham two Arsenal three, look at anielis
Steve is his heart is not heavyany longer. Well, it's still practiced,
mister Timmerman. So Tom, havewe heard anything about Louvin? Do
we know? I'm not prying,I'm just curious because I just think he's
(47:17):
such a really important part of theteam that he was. He was a
practice jogging when I was there onFriday and I said hi, I do
and he said hi Tom, andthat was so that's what That's what I
got there. But he is,he's back on the premises and working out,
so that's a uh, that's good. But Carnell still said, you
(47:43):
know, it's still his call asto when he comes back. But I
don't know how much of it nowis his hamstring is fine and he just
needs to get you know, histraining back up because I don't know how
much work he's been doing. Buthe's he's been there. I was there
on Wednesday and Friday week and Ithink I saw him both days. So
he's there, but he's jogging lightly, but so he's not training with the
(48:06):
team, so he's not doing thehigh intensity physical stuff he needs, uh
to get back. But we'll findout on Tuesday, is to you know
where that stands. And and Samis beck also in the Sam's back in
the falls and training with the teamand we'll we'll see how that goes.
But certainly when I was out thereon Wednesday, he was, you know,
(48:30):
just he was a regular participant inpractice and so you know, he
wasn't having to do stuff to gethis fitness back up. He was back
out there with the group, andhe and A Z were staying around afterwards,
and we're working on shooting with oneof the coaching staff. So so
he's there. So I don't knowif if there's radiations on what he has
(48:54):
to do to get back into intogame preparedness, but uh, yeah,
so he's but he's he's training withthe team again. And the big thing
about coaching these these gentlemen, Uh, it's unbelievable how they have to keep
keep in mind the tactics of thegame, but the mentality of the players.
(49:15):
You know that there there's there arefeelings inside saying that I think I
should be playing and coming out andsaying I should be on the team.
But at least always said Tom,that they embraced that they want all the
roster players to believe that they shouldbe on the field. He thinks,
good for the of the competitiveness inthe group, right, yeah, that's
(49:43):
I mean, well that's what youwant. You don't want someone thinking I'm
not as good as that guy,or I'll never be as good as that
guy. That's right. So Imean, I guess if you're Messy's back
up at at Miami, then maybeyou have the right I'm every bit as
good as that guy. I mean, I guess reality and it's it's but
it's part of Carnell and the team'sphilosophy that you know, if the next
(50:08):
left back comes in, that he'sjust as good as the guy he's replacing.
And it's not that you're you know, oh well, we have to
settle for second best at this point. And Carnell's talk about that when when
he was playing in Germany and youknow, he was the backup I think
it left back, and his thingwas that, you know, I was
(50:30):
going to do everything I could,so that guy ahead of me was going
to have to be really good.So I knew that if I wasn't playing
that I was trying to, leftback was as good as he could possibly
be. So it helps out ina number of ways of being pushing uh
the uh you know, the guyto be better. Yeah, pushing the
entire team. You know. It'sjust like in baseball or football, you
(50:51):
know, is you're you're always lookingat the star players. But boy,
that's why you carry twenty players ona roster or twenty five players on a
roster. You know, somebody comingup. Yes, somebody's going to get
hurt or somebody's going to have abad game, and they're going to have
a bad game, you know.Yeah, and they've got they'll have a
(51:13):
game next Saturday with Houston, andthen a game the following Saturday, and
then they have a midweek game comingup. So they're gonna in one of
those stages where they have three gamesin eight days. So those everyone's going
to be used during that. You'renot going to try out the same eleven
guys for three games in any day, so they're going to end up.
You know, these you know,Jake Nowinsky and Akhill Watts, you know
(51:36):
are going to start getting games.Tom. Did you find yourself watching any
MS the last twoint four hours?Well, I because I took my wife
out to dinner last night. Imissed. I did not see like the
Miami New England game. I caughtthe end of Kansas City, Minnesota and
(51:57):
Atlanta Chicago, I believe, andthen and then once l a f C
went up to nothing uh in theirgame, I was like, Okay,
I don't need to stay up tillmidnight, uh to uh to watch this?
Come on Tom, Tom two,did you watch any mls? Uh?
No, I did not watch anyMLS. I've been in heavy,
(52:19):
heavy recovery mood from over exertion.It's my sledge fighter. I'll text him
about the NBA game, Tom andhe'll be like, yeah those second games.
No, No, I mean Ididn't even try to. I don't
know if the Lakers survived last night. They did, Oh, good for
them, Good for them. Sowhat's your take on it? Do you
(52:46):
think things are on the upswing atCity Park? Are you know, do
you see this this tying, uhtrauma continuing. I don't see any reason,
well other than that they wanted toI don't see any reason why it's
going to stop suddenly. I mean, I mean that's you know that they're
(53:08):
kind of it's not like they're tryingto get ties, but they just have
to be, you know, betterat things to avoid that. But you
know, the schedule that's coming upthey got, you know, it's they
got some games coming up that aregoing to be tough for them. It's
kind of a more challenging section ofthe of the schedule here. So that's
(53:29):
something you know, Uh, theymay be at a point soon there were
these next batch of games where whereties will look good to them because what
they got they got coming up Houston, okay, then Chicago, but then
l a FC Cincinnati and Seattle,which Seattle which is not playing well,
which is better than they're playing.So you know, three of those on
(53:51):
the road. You know, Chicagol a FC at home and they lost
to Chicago twice last year. Soyou know, this is a stretch of
games that gonna need you know,they're gonna need to be on top of
their game, uh, to getthat. Yeah, And if I could
add, you know, on anygiven day, you know, these teams
are focused on winning. I mean, it's not like not like Saint Louis
(54:15):
City is trying to get a time. You know, they're they're playing,
they're playing to win. And youknow, Minnesota last night played a tremendous
game, you know, to beKansas City. You know, that was
one of the games that I thatI did that I did watch and you
know, it's it's just unbelievable thatyou know, teams, teams can come
(54:36):
up and play great games, youknow, against a better team some tim
how much of that is a particularguys or maybe a couple of guys on
the a particular team it's just nottheir night. I asked Brad this in
practice, you know, guys tickedthe box all week, every every practice,
(54:59):
they ticked every box. But comeSaturday night, it just wasn't right.
And you could tell from the getgo. And that's that's what a
coach has to do. You know, coach has to evaluate those things and
then make make the decisions that arenecessary. Well, folks, that's going
to wrap. Wait a minute,I okay, go ahead, your show,
(55:22):
come on, you know what itis. I forgot Tom. I
want to thank you for coming ineven on this bye week. It's very
it's pleasing to me that someone hasthe dedication that we do. You could
go back into the ground man,well well, but you know with the
(55:42):
money that the letter L was paying, I had to go on. That's
a very that's a can afford totake your wife out to dinner and again
spender. Yeah, that's ladies andgentlemen. The thank you so much.
The Dean of Saint Louis Soccer reportsand what a what an appropriate way to
(56:07):
wrap up this first hour of thetwo hour show. So we're gonna do
that. We're gonna Tom's getting hisribbon out of tying a big bow on
it. We're gonna take a breakand we're gonna be basing bills and then
we're gonna come back. So andyou're gonna sit right where you are with
your ears on. This is StoUnited Soccer Sunday coming to you live from
k f N S final Spurs toArsenal three
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