Hello, everybody, and welcome to the total soccer show.

I'm your host for today, Taylor Rockwell.

Once again, Daryl Grove is resting at home, is out of the hospital, should be back and on the show. Friday, we'll be doing some listener questions. We'll be doing Richmond Kickers Weekly. Lots of content coming out, which will feature Daryl Grove. But until then, I'm going to be talking to Pablo Marr of the Athletic. Pablo is a person we've wanted to have on the show for a good long while.

He came down to Richmond this past weekend for the Richmond Kickers Ford Madison game. We got to talk and we got to hanging out. Lots of great people were in town. And it was a good reminder that, again, we really wanted to have Pablo on because he brings a wealth of experience, a wealth of knowledge. but he's also not afraid to kind of articulate his perspective and his opinion.

And that was the thing I really wanted because I wanted to get into sort of deeper levels about how like, MOS players interact on social media and the kind

of repercussions of that. But then also looking at the situation with the Iron Front and how

Major League Soccer has dealt with that, how it might end up working out or not working out.

Pablo has some thoughts on that. But then we get into Major League Soccer in general, looking at DC United to start, but then sort of the teams that Pablo has enjoyed the most, how he thinks the season could play out.

Lots of great varying conversations in there. And also a little bit about kind of his experiences as a journalist,

like hearing from angry coaches in front office people versus hearing nice things from coaches

and front office people. He's had both of those, I would say. So I will stop with that,

other than to say that I really enjoyed this conversation. I appreciated Pablo's kind of

candid response to some difficult questions and some difficult topics. And I hope you all will as well. I should add, because we're talking about Iron Front, because we're talking about MLS players on social media, we're probably also going to be talking about some things that some people may not enjoy. And so I'm just going to kind of throw that end as a disclaimer that I think Pablo and I would both say that we're admittedly left-leaning. I genuinely don't think that has a massive impact on this

conversation because I think we tried to stick to the story itself and what has happened

and what may happen from here. But if you maybe are not going to look forward to the

perspectives of two people from that perspective, then I would just say maybe this episode

is not for you. I hope you'll still listen. But I say that to say that if this like stokes your outrage, then that is not what we were going for. And maybe that's on you. But we shall see. I'll let you be the judge of that one. If you're still listening, then thank you. And I hope you enjoy. Joining me now making his, I believe, TSS debut, it's Mr. Pablo Marr of the Athletic. Pablo, thank you very much for taking the time. Thanks, yeah, I guess I was a guest on the live show with the Cooligan, something that doesn't count, I know. It's a hybrid kind of amount, I guess. Yeah, I suppose that's a good point. That is the new tradition is as I say it's a person's first time, and then they remind me of a time they were on the show like six years ago. So, yes, I'm glad that you could do that. I'm glad we got to hang out this weekend. You came down for the Richmond Ford Madison game. Do you feel like you went full mingo this past weekend, or was it more of like a partial mingo situation for you?

Yeah, I think it was a partial mingo.

Mostly just ended up drinking beers and talking to you and some other folks.

Although I did walk away with a free jersey, which certainly, you know, yeah, sure.

I went full mingoids.

Why not?

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