Decision day coming up on Saturday in the world of Major League Soccer.

Of course, for our local club RSL, it's pretty simple.

Win and you're in our next guest.

You know him, you love him.

The head coach of RSL on a Thursday afternoon, Pablo Mas Joinny Pobs.

How are you man?

Yeah?

Ha, few Thursday spends doing well, Bud good good.

I appreciate the time today.

So before we look forward, let's look back a little bit.

You know, you go up to Seattle, tough place to play, you're without some pieces there, without some pieces.

Uh, cabral was awesome again.

You know, he continues to play really really well.

What did you like about the performance and what ultimately did you believe cost you the ability to win up there at Lumen?

Yeah, well, you know, I think we got off to a slow start.

You know, anytime someone scores a goal in the first four minutes, it's you know, it's a it resets the whole mindset and and has you kind of swimming for it.

And I think in the next you know, probably ten minutes after we can see that goal, we were we were trying to get that goal back right away and kind of lost our way defensively and allowed them allot of the ball.

I think the second part, the second part of the first half, we we got we got into the game with the ball, which is always going to be our strength, and we carry that same momentum made it changed at halftime in a couple of changes throughout the second half, and I feel like we created again a lot of really good a lot of not great chances, but good, good enough chances to get back in the game.

And the one goal we scored was off side by a hair.

So again these these these games are decided by the finest of margins, and I think, you know, looking forward to this next game, is we just can't get behind the score sheet.

You know, we just got to be you know, dialed in defensively, especially away from home, because you know, the first ten fifteen minutes they're going to use the crowd and the energy at home to kind of get things going, and we've got to be able to withstand that in a professional way to then grow into the game.

Because I think at zero zero, the way that we played from you know, the middle of the first half on through the game, I think could have found us in a very you know, in a in a positive result in Seattle, So that's a takeaway from that game.

There was a little bit of news Agata and Olatunji were fined for twerking, I believe, so, I guess the question is, do you know how to toerk?

Pablo?

Are you a twerker?

No?

I just found that out today.

To be fair, I didn't even see it right because the thing happened so fast.

But I just saw a recap of that.

I mean, it's unbelievable what we get.

You know, the guys are enjoying themselves.

They scored a goal, let them celebrate.

I mean, there's crazier things than that celebration I've seen in professional sports.

But I do not know how to work.

My body just doesn't work like that.

Yeah, I'm not a twerker either.

The reason I bring it up is like, that's so stupid.

When I saw the news, I'm like, who in the league office has time?

Like reassign somebody to a different job when they're more distracted?

Like what a waste of time and money?

Was my reaction.

Well, listen, we've been on the wrong side of so many calls this year.

I'm thinking if we invest that type of discipline and care in and and insight in the into the call that could actually affect the score line of a game and the outcome of the game.

I think that's where it should be, where those those those dollars should be allocated.

Yeah, so stupid.

I mean, let the guys have some fun, my goodness, all right?

Yeah, yeah, it's just dumb.

And look, I could do an entire show on my issues with Major League Soccer, Like, there's so many things about this league that are so maddening to me.

But let's not waste our energy there.

Uh but let me ask you this, do you bother yourself?

I'm sure you know the scenarios, but how much energy do you put into you know, what happens if we draw, what happens if we lose?

What does San Jose do?

What does Dalt like?

How much energy do you allocate to this stuff?

No?

Not in a lot Spence, And and again, I think for us, it's about, you know, going out to win the game.

And I think you know, I think you've seen this in the past.

You know there's been times where, you know, in tournaments where a draw will see you through.

So then you tell your guys to sit back and then you can see the goal and then you lose the game.

Right, So like for me and what we've been talking about this week is in every phase of the game, we want to be professional and we want to we want to play the game using all the experiences, all the wins, all the losses, all the draws from this year, all the video recaps about how to manage games the right way, you know.

And I think we are always playing to win the game, and so if we if we don't have the ball, we have to defend as a group, as a collective, whether we're up a goal, we're down a goal, it doesn't matter.

We have to defend as a collective.

We can't we're not cheating until like maybe the seventy fifth minute, where the last fifteen minutes we're going to say heck with it, we're throwing all costs.

In the win.

But up until that point, we're playing a really focused game of football to win the game.

And then I think if we don't win and we draw, then we see where all the chips lie.

But but again I think it's if it's if your situation for a draw is good in the seventy fifth minute, because all these games are playing being played at the same time in the other game might change where that draw is no longer any good.

So if you're sitting there playing this game of like, oh we're good here and okay, now we've got to step on it, then we lose sight of what we're trying to do.

So the mindset for us has been one thing.

We don't want to lose.

We don't want to draw, and we want to win.

So whether we score early and have to manage the game, or it's zero zero, or we're down to goal and we have to score, the objective is always to win the game.

Will you will you have anybody?

Because we've seen this in other sports as well, in the NBA when it's the final couple of days of the regular season and there's a weird NBA dynamic because your win, your wins and losses, your record affects your ability to get a better draft pick.

So you'll hear stories of coaches in the NBA wanting an assistant coach to keep them up to date about other games and then deciding what to do to win or lose.

Will you have anybody on the sidelines keeping you up to date about the other results that are paramount to where you guys land.

Yeah, we'll have we'll have one coach that's that will be watching the other games.

But then again, I think for me, it's always about how to communicate that effectively when you don't have timeouts yep, right, and and and the one guy that you give it to, if it's if it's if it's relayed to that guy in a really emotional way, and how is it going to be relay to the whole group, And so, like I think for us, you know, all these things are you know, they're interesting, but I think it's the one sport where communication could be misconstrued or miscommunicated, given that there's no there's there's not one voice.

It's gonna be it's gonna be the telephone game to get everyone on the field on the same page.

And so, like, I think the most important thing is to really think about how we have to navigate this game to win it, because even if it's late in the game, like I said, you know, it could be an the eighty fifth minute, we're we're through with the tie, but then someone in the other game, the other some other game scores a goal and now we're like, oh, now what, so now we have to push it, So like, instead of doing all that, let's just play to win.

And then obviously, if we get the information and it's and we're tied and we have to throw caution the win, we at least know that and can manage it from a tactical perspective to throw maybe another attacker up the field to then say we're going forward, as opposed to just telling the guys to play a certain way given the score line.

If that makes sense, it does.

Is it fair to say whatever coach you assigned to watch the other games is the one whose opinion.

You value the least?

Just kidding, I'm just kidding.

I'm just kidding that all right?

I do believe you get a Diego, Ojeda, and Gozo back from international duty?

Correct?

Do you get all three back?

Yep?

They're all back?

Okay?

And in addition to that, is everyone more or less healthy.

It's a long way to me asking you, do you have your first choice eleven at your disposal?

Yeah?

I think the only one that's out is Alex Patronis with a yellow cart suspension.

But everyone else be ready to go.

We have a full group and it's it's been strange because you know, obviously, you know, we have to make some decisions for Game B roster that hasn't been that we haven't had to make in probably many months because of injuries, suspensions and international duty.

But I think this is the first weekend where you know, we have such a large group that we're probably going to have to you know, leave a player too off the the game BAY roster.

Okay, well, again, the task is very simple.

You know, win and you're in.

And there are some other scenarios you know that we've already you know, talked about.

Tell me about Saint Louis.

I don't know much about them.

You know, they have nothing to play for.

They have been eliminated.

But of course they're all professionals.

They're playing for pride, you're playing for the potential to get a contract or whatever the motivation is.

If you're a professional athlete, you're out there doing the best you can.

What makes them dangerous?

What do they do well?

And what's the game plan to you know, try to go get the result.

Yeah, that's a great that's a great question.

You know, I think they are a team that are actually in a good run of form in the last four or five games.

And you know, at home they're they're a really tough team to play against.

They have a great crowd, and they play some energized football.

I think what's made them really good in and in the recent past has been, you know, their players making plays like Klaus.

They have another guy, Hotel, who's just banging goals from outside the box and every which foot it doesn't matter, like this guy's making a lot of big plays with goals with very little x G and and so when when you got hot strikers, it's always you know, they're always dangerous.

I think the way they play is very much direct, and so what they want is a lot of transition moments.

And so in a game that where you have nothing to lose, it's really easy to be expansive.

And you're saying, I want to trade blows like for like, so we'll we'll open up and well hopefully you guys will open up and and we'll just trade blows.

And for us, it's the opposite of that.

We want controlled game.

We want to make sure that whatever we do, we're moving as a block.

So if we're attacking, we're attacking as a group.

Of ten.

We're defending.

We're defending as a group of ten and not let the game open up, because they're really good in transition, and that's what they're trying to list from their from their opponents.

And so I think if we can, if we can, you know, and we've played these guys and we know what they're they're at set pieces, they're really good at.

We have to we have to be good and set pieces.

I think that for us is really just being patient, you know, grinding them with our possession, creating goal scoring opportunities, and then getting balls in the box.

And I think we've done a better job as the season has gone on of getting balls in the box and creating dangerous chances, and so we'll need to capitalize on that, and I think that's going to be the difference, if we can capitalize on our opportunities.

I think defensively, we've been a pretty solid team in the last four or five games, and you know, that's another area of focus that we've we've placed on this week going into this game, because if we can keep a zero, as long as the game goes zeros home teams get frustrated.

They start setting a lot of numbers forward, and you know, I think now we have a good group of guys that can actually capitalize on the counter attack as well.

So I feel really good about our preparation and getting guys back.

I think we're at full strength and now it's just about all the lessons of the entire season culminating into this one moment where we got to win.

If I asked you just not to respond to this question with finishing chances, I know that's the biggest portion of this.

But you guys have been stout defensively.

You have an elite keeper.

It just comes down to one thing, man, as you know, just figuring out a way to be more dangerous in the attack and finding the back of the net.

And it's it's urgent, it's prescient, it's the final opportunity.

How do we do it?

How we how are we more dangerous upfront to make sure that we're actually scoring goals?

Pabla, Well, again, I think it's there can't be a secret.

Now, you know there's not there's not this.

You know, there's there's not a fairy dust that against sprinkle.

I think it's again, I think it's just relying on Diego Luna on Diogo on Gozo and I'm Vick and the guys that that more likely would be coming into the game uh to make plays, and so we know where we where we want to be.

And then it becomes the obviously it comes like from the decisions in the white areas, right, the guy's crossing balls in Is it a cross to someone's feet?

Is it a cutback?

Is it you know, is it just a ball that goes to the back post?

Because you know, so all these things, like I'd love to tell you exactly, and this is sometimes what the players want is they want to know exactly how we're going to score goals.

But the game of soccer doesn't do that because players on the opposing team are constantly moving.

And so what we're trying to do is create we create exercises weekly where we're asking questions of the attacking players to make the best decision that the game gives them.

And then you're relying on the individual quality of each player to be able to execute and with very little time and a lot of pressure in those moments.

So I think it's a culmination of all that that gets us the goal.

And you know, I think that's why in pro sports or in soccer, you pay, you know, you pay twenty five million per son because he will solve those problems in real time.

You know, he just that that's what you're paying for.

And for us, you know, it's it's it's it's been a tough year.

I think guys have really improved from an attacking perspective.

You know, we're not the finished product, but I believe that we have enough firepower to find the back of the net once or you know, multiple times in this game.

Final question for today.

It looks like it will be warm but maybe a little rainy in Saint Louis.

But here's my question.

We have an interesting dynamic in our market this week.

B YU and Utah are playing football on Saturday night, and we've interviewed the coaches from both teams and it will be a very intense passionate match for you guys, just like it's going to be a very intense passionate game for BYU and Utah.

And I've asked all these coaches and players the same question about the following dynamic.

How do you prepare your group for how urgent the moment is without having them become so psychotically intense that they start making mental errors.

How do you find that that balance?

Yeah, I think that's that's that's always a true one.

You know.

I think I laid the tempo down at the beginning of the week, which was these next four or five days will dictate the way we approach the Saturday game.

So it's not necessarily focusing on that game as much as it is focusing on the discipline and the urgency during the week, you know, And it's been a fantastic week of work, and I feel like that is a great You get a great idea as to how the team's going to execute on the weekend, when when you know, sometimes they're lethargic after a three game week.

You know, sometimes it was a really emotional game and they're lethargic and they just don't in the first couple of days of training aren't great.

But what I've seen this week, especially coming off of a tough result in Seattle, has been bright, has been positive, has been uplifting, and the guys are pushing each other, and that, for me, like signifies that the urgency is there, and the discipline and the focus is there.

And once you have those three things, now it's about going to the game and just executing.

So I don't want to like to your point is if you start talking over talking the moment and making it more emotional than it should be, then you get a performance that might be too emotional and not enough thinking or not enough operating from a place of flow.

So I think it's always a tough balance to strike, but I feel like the guys have the right balance heading into tomorrow as our last training session for the week, like today was a lot of tactical stuff, and oftentimes you can get guys that are, you know, looking up at the ceiling or not engaged.

Everyone was dialed in, everyone was communicating, and so I think we have a good balance of that heading into this week.

And then it's you know, when the first whistle goes.

It's really about harnessing all the experiences of the year and operating from a place of flow, not overthinking, and more importantly, compete in the right way.

And I think if we can compete the right way, we'll find ourselves in a favorable position to get a result.

Well, as you know, this is what it's all about.

It's why you play, that's why you train, that's why you practice for the ability to be great in one moment.

So Travels say, pulling for you always, and hopefully we're preparing for a playoff game next week.

Let's go Spence, We'll get it.

Dugs, all right, Pablo Master, mighty head coach of RSEL.

Pretty simple, win and you're in.

If you draw a couple, things have to go your way.

Seven o'clock Saturday night in Saint Louis.

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