Hello, hello, and welcome to the total soccer show. It's a Tuesday, which means it's time to do some MLS updating. My name is Taylor Rockwell, and I am excited slash nervous for this episode because I think prior to recording, one of my co-hosts was pointing out that it's the first time we haven't had transfers. We haven't had like obvious thematic talking points. We're just going to be jumping around and talking about a bunch of goals, some questionably bad teams, some possibly good teams, one potentially amazing or horrific transfer. We're going to get through it all to do so. I'm going to be joined by Joe Lowry himself. Joe, if you're signing a player, would you go

Paul Pogba or Mario Ballotelli? Oh, I'd go Paul Pogba. I've got a soft spot for Paul Pogba. I don't have any of the Manchester United baggage that I associate with him. Instead, I just have, this guy is the only reason to watch the French national team associated with him, and I will hold on to that from now until the end of time. The only reason. So, Olivier

Giroux, not good enough for you, Antoine Graismund. It's the French national team associated with him, and I will hold on to that from now until the end of time.

The only reason. So, Olivier Giroux, not good enough for you, Antoine Graysman. It's Paul Pogba or Bust. Not even De Champ. I know you're a huge Dechamp guy. Yeah, Deschamp is the reason why I can't enjoy Greasman and Jureu as much as I would have liked to at the peak eras of the French national team. Pog Pog, but because he's deep enough down the field, can get on the ball and just ignore anything that Deschamp tells him to do and actually do fun soccer stuff that makes the team good. So I'm all about Paul Pogba. Joining us, a man who has made several facial expressions that seem to indicate he agrees with what Joe has said. It's Jeff Ruter. Hello, Jeff. Hey, yeah, it's a big case of Pog Boom or Pog bust over there is all I'm saying. It's, uh, look, it'd be fun. It would be so fun. It's one of those players where it's like Ronaldino would have just been a blast to watch in Major League Soccer against like standard defending or whatever. And no one in the world knows what you'll get from Paul Pogba when he returns to competitive soccer. But why not let him find out here? Even if it's for six months, let him rehab his career like plucky little Zlatan did in Los Angeles, right? You know, just a good, good ranks and rich a story. Any of those words applied to Zlatan aside from Zlatom? Yeah, Zlatan mostly, I think.

But the man complimented my reflexes once.

Whoa.

Go on?

It was after a game in 2018 in Minnesota.

And he had just scored to get the galaxy, I think, closer to the playoffs or something, challenged

the golden boot.

And he had his roller luggage and he set it down in the hallway with the handle facing the media, which is, yeah, by the way, if you're a player who's about to do an interview, tilt it towards you because the way your luggage will fall is where your handle is because that is where you've offset the center of balance. Anyway, it started falling while I was holding eye contact with him, and I reached out a hand, and I grabbed it and handed it back to him, and he just went, good refluxes. And just like, you don't forget that. It doesn't leave you. Oh, so good. So good. The fact that you were making eye contact with him in the first place is a step beyond where I would have been, I think, in that moment.

So props to you on multiple levels, Jeff.

Thank you.

Thank you very much. He's like a blackboard in judo, though, right, Jeff? So, like, was there any, like, was he clocking you as a potential threat once he saw the reflexes? Or do you feel like it was more amicable? I don't know if there's a single person in the world who's ever looked at me and thought I'm a threat.

So I'm going to include Laton among those ranks. Let's see if that remains the case after I ask you this question. It's a two-parter. The first part is for Jeff. Jeff, who is the coach that you have least enjoyed in Major League Soccer from a tactical standpoint? Personality aside, anything else aside. but who do you feel like maybe didn't present the most fun soccer for you to watch?

Or maybe actively didn't help their team perform better than they should have?

Alan Koch.

Okay.

Joe, would you rather have that person or DDA to Shaw manage Phoenix Rising?

I mean, Alan Koch, welcome, buddy.

Come on down. American soccer, familiarity with USL. or Didier Deschamp managed Phoenix Rising? I mean, Alan Koch, welcome, buddy.

Come on down. American soccer. Familiarity with U.S.L. Come on in, bud. We got a spot. No, we don't. Pahmoudicca is doing just fine. Yeah, I figured that would end up being your answer. But I'm glad to see we've established the baseline of Joe's feelings. 100%. Or further established that baseline. Let's talk about some games from the weekend.

...