This week’s mailbag was delivered a day early, but that’s so your questions could be answered ahead of Thursday morning’s match.
We’ve got a packed mailbag, so thank you for all the submissions! As a reminder, you can send me a question here or by tweeting at me.
MrDengeruss: How do players reset mentally after a loss to Columbus and then roll into Atlanta soon.
Good question, and I asked Andrew Gutman this on Tuesday afternoon. Basically, they’ve been working hard and believe in themselves, regardless of Saturday’s outcome. They want to execute the progress they’ve made during games, and I think a shorter gap between games allows everyone to quickly look forward.
Danielcalv: What is the deal with the 9 am start time? I mean really…?!
If you’re going to play a tournament in Orlando in the middle of the summer, you’re going to have to work around stifling heat, muggy humidity and afternoon storms.
So, MLS decided on 9 a.m., 8 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. starts. I mean, yeah, 9 a.m. is early, but for fans it’s a start time most people are accustomed to after watching European soccer on Saturday mornings.
As for coaches and players, it’s a massive adjustment for them, but it is what it is. Side note: I can’t believe Gutman said he’s never played a game so early, even as a kid? I feel like 50% of my SAY Soccer games started at 9 a.m. (Go Ken-Sil!)
Bruno: What do you think about the situation of the group? (In MLS regular season)
I like the idea. If MLS was adamant on creating the MLS is Back Tournament, then having the group stage matches count as regular season games was a good idea because:
- That’s three more games that can count toward the 2020 regular season.
- This makes the tournament more meaningful. If the games didn’t count, teams that had a slim chance at winning the competition could just use this as another preseason tournament.
Matthew: Is Locadia gonna play on Thursday?
It’s unlikely. Head coach Jaap Stam said Jürgen Locadia would be out “a couple weeks” with a thigh injury.
Lefthandedbandit12: When are we gonna see Jimmy start?
Jimmy McLaughlin is recovering from an ankle injury that happened before FCC’s group stage began in Orlando. Whenever McLaughlin plays, it’ll be his first competitive appearance since October 2018.
Pgamber16: Any news on whether FCC is considering bringing back Ledesma? We need his fight!
There wasn’t any concrete news on this, really, just some social media rumors that circulated.
FC Cincinnati have an open roster spot currently, but – speaking for myself – I can’t see them signing another winger without trading another. You already have Yuya Kubo, Adrien Regattin, Joseph-Claude Gyau, Kekuta Manneh and Jimmy McLaughlin on the roster in the same position group.
Adam: When is Gutman being signed on?
There was a lot of speculation about Jürgen Locadia’s loan, but I’m curious what happens next for Gutman. He’s on loan through 2020 from Celtic FC, and Nijkamp and the technical staff will have to decide if they want/can extend his stay, or if they go another direction.
Personally, we haven’t seen much of him, but he offers a lot down the left flank and can be an impactful player.
Lane V: What is Yo’s role in the new staffing model…anything specific he works on? How are they finding working with each other?
Yoann Damet is back in a similar gig he’s had when he was an assistant for Alan Koch and Ron Jans. Damet led a lot of Koch’s training sessions, but didn’t as much under Jans and isn’t now. Stam controls that.
As for the staff, they’ve enjoyed working together and are trying to implement a lot in a short period of time. Also, I think it shows the quality of Damet, Jack Stern, Gary Walker and Austin Berry that they’ve remained after two coaching changes.
Gabrielmonteiroguedes: What do the players know about Brazil? You guys have fans here in Brazil!
Hello! Greg Garza has family in Brazil, and he visits during the offseason and played there during the Copa Libertadores.
Stam said Ronaldo is the best player he ever played with – back in their PSV Eindhoven days.
(As for the communications staff, a couple of us were in the country for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. I was in Recife, João Pessoa and Natal during the tournament as a fan, while a coworker was with the U.S. national team in Sao Paulo.)
