Episode Transcript
[00:00:01] Speaker A: Yeah.
Third degree the third degree Ned podcast.
Third degree the third degree Nap podcast.
Third degree the third degree N podcast.
Third degree the third degree nap podcast.
[00:00:26] Speaker B: All right, DFW soccer. Curious Dennis McGowan here with a very special bonus episode of third curry, the podcast this week out here at Dallas Soccer park with our very good new friend.
How are you, sir? How's it going? Doing good, doing good. Welcome to town.
Off to a great start. Preseason, how you feeling?
[00:00:46] Speaker C: Yeah, it's, it's been good. You know, obviously you always wish preseason was a little longer, but you know, we had a, a good four to five weeks of camp and you know, trying to instill the identity and how we want to play. And I feel like the girls have done really well, bought in to try to understand what we're trying to do. And this weekend we get a chance to showcase that.
[00:01:09] Speaker B: So, local kid Richardson, Plano East High School, Dallas Texans at 10.
What are your earliest memories of playing soccer in Dallas?
[00:01:19] Speaker C: Yeah, let's say playing out club soccer out of Richland College, Dallas Cup.
Obviously I played high school for Plano East.
Just that whole experience of club soccer and high school soccer.
Yeah, growing up in the Dallas area and competing with just obviously teammates, but then rivalries when we play school soccer. So it was all a great experience and I've enjoyed it and it always brings me back when I'm home to go to Indiana.
[00:01:49] Speaker B: Turned pro after a year off to Europe psv. What's that move like as a kid doing Happy Dallas?
[00:01:55] Speaker C: Yeah, it was a dream come true. You know, obviously when I was growing up, the goal and dream was always to play professional and went to IU, did the U20 World cup and I think that's when it kind of becoming a little bit more of a reality.
And I saw some of my teammates going off and signing pro contracts and that's when I was like, wow, like this could be a possibility.
And then after my first season, I had opportunities to play professionally in states but also abroad. And I think it was always, you know, you get a chance at that time to go and play in Europe, especially for one of the powerhouse clubs like Migsby.
It was a no brainer for me
[00:02:38] Speaker B: after that, a couple stops. And then you ended up in Vietnam as a Vietnamese heritage and Vietnamese American. How does that feel going over there?
[00:02:47] Speaker C: Yeah, it was a proud moment, I think also from my family. My parents were very happy that I was able to see the home country and I didn't realize the support they had for me over there as well. And so being able to return home there and see the welcome that I had and play in front of the fans there, it was a great experience and one I'll look back fondly on.
[00:03:10] Speaker B: Any particular moment that stands out, I would say my.
[00:03:13] Speaker C: My homecoming, signing my first pro contract there in Vietnam, the welcoming I had there, the press conference, and then also the first game we had at the home stadium, how many fans came out and all the media, that was a surreal moment for me.
[00:03:30] Speaker B: 2012, you're back in the States with New England.
Landon, MLS coming back to the States, does that feel like a win or a loss for you?
[00:03:39] Speaker C: It was a win, but it was a challenging journey because I had to reprove myself again.
And I think at that time, I spoke with my agent, Spencer, at the time, and I told him I wanted to try to get back on the national team radar.
So our thought process was, hey, we had to go back and kind of put ourselves in a position to kind of be seen. And so MLS was a opportunity for that, but again, it was going back to try to prove myself, and that's kind of what New England allowed.
[00:04:17] Speaker B: 2014, you're third in MVP voting. MLS cup final.
What was that season like?
[00:04:23] Speaker C: Yeah, no, it was. It was a great year.
Probably one of my favorite seasons as a professional.
And it was a year that everything started clicking just for myself, but also for my team.
And I just felt like, you know, we really just built this chemistry in the last year or two. And yeah, everything I started touching was goal assists, and it was. It was a great, great year to
[00:04:52] Speaker B: retire, move immediately into coaching. What's the thought process behind that decision?
[00:04:57] Speaker C: I wouldn't say it was immediate process.
I was in Vietnam playing at the time, and Covid hit our season, got suspended. And so I came back, really for a short period of time just to hang with family.
And the process was always to return to playing once the season opened up again. But during that time, I got a call from Chris, and he just became the interim coach at the Spirit, and he asked if I could help him out to the end of the season. And so obviously I had time on my hand, and I always kind of thought transitioning into coaching would be the step, but I never knew. So I decided to try it out, help him out.
And we ended up going, going on a run and winning the championship. And then that's when it became a possibility because they invited me back full time.
And that's kind of how the journey started.
[00:05:57] Speaker B: You're at four clubs in five years in nwsl. Spirit Current, Angel City and Seattle. What did that stretch teach you?
[00:06:04] Speaker C: It was a great learning experience.
I got to learn from a lot of great coaches, got to know the league really well.
And so being able to really soak it all in and learn different philosophies, different styles of play, and different management styles as well, it really gave me the experience. I felt like I was ready for now, for. For this moment.
[00:06:28] Speaker B: Coaching the women's game is a little bit different from men's game. You came up in.
What's different for you?
[00:06:34] Speaker C: I think players, you know, growing up, it's the same thing, really. But I think understanding the players, being able to relate with them and then can you simplify for them in a way for them to understand? And whether men or women, there's no difference in that. How you approach it, yes, can be different, maybe, but for me, it's still the game of soccer, still four moments. And so trying to teach them and have that instill the style of play and how I want to play, it's been great to be able to teach the women because they're very much a sponge. They want to learn. And so it's. It's been very proud moment to be able to. To do that.
[00:07:19] Speaker B: Tell me more about that style of play.
[00:07:20] Speaker C: Yeah, I mean, hopefully you'll see it this weekend.
You know, we want to be an attacking style of team, playing on the front foot majority of the possession, controlling the game in the attacking half, trying to counter press as well. But we want to really break down teams, put them in a low block, and then see if we can just continue to suffocate them with attacks and
[00:07:48] Speaker B: debates coming through the nwsl. At what point do you feel that you are ready to take over as a head coacher, manager?
[00:07:55] Speaker C: Yeah, I don't think you're. You ever feel like you're ready.
You try to get as much experience as you can, and hopefully when the call comes up, you felt like you put yourself in a good spot. And so I think no matter what, even as a soccer player growing up, like, you're never ready until you get that experience.
So I felt like I've learned a lot from a lot of coaches, and I felt like I have a clear identity of how I want to play.
And so now it's making sure I can give those examples and implement those to the players and then see that put into action.
[00:08:29] Speaker B: When this job here at Dallas Trinity comes open, who calls you? How do you get informed? Are you trying out or are you just getting a call and saying hey, want to coach this club?
[00:08:40] Speaker C: Yeah, I think, you know, Brian called me originally when they were taking over this team, and I think more so it was, hey, what would you be open to or interested in taking this job? And obviously we, we talked a little bit about it, what it all entailed. And I think what was great was it was a chance for me to instill my own playing style, and we very much aligned in how we wanted to play and how we wanted to build the culture of this team.
And so for me, I was excited in this project, and it was something I believed in, and that's why I wanted to come here.
[00:09:21] Speaker B: It's a young league, it's a small league. What kind of opportunity and growth do
[00:09:25] Speaker C: you see for the future of this league? Yeah, I think every, every league starts at this level.
MLS was like this when I was coming through, you know, 20 years ago.
You see the NWSL the same way, you know, four or five years ago. And so I think this is great, what they're trying to build here. It's another pathway for, for women to be able to, to reach their goals.
And I just think it's, it's. It's great to, to be able to have another place for you to develop professionally.
[00:09:54] Speaker B: We know you're stepping in under brand new ownership, Brian taking over sporting director, new faces all around the club, new pretty much everything. It's pretty much a. Almost a full restart. How much of this is just soccer for you and how much is culture building and how much is. Is this is the business end of this for you?
[00:10:11] Speaker C: Yeah, it's, it's. It's all intertwined. You know, obviously, I'll let Brian do the business off, but. And for me, the focus is trying to get, you know, the product on the field to be where we want it to be.
And for me, that's making sure you have the right players, creating the right culture in the right environment so that the players have a place to be able to express themselves.
So, yeah, for me, that, that all plays a part.
[00:10:39] Speaker B: What was that culture like?
[00:10:40] Speaker C: So far? It's been great. The girls here are amazing. Everyone's bought in.
And for me, the first day was making sure that you come in with a great attitude, you want to work, and everything will be earned, and they've been great. And so I'm excited to see you.
You know, how we showcase our stuff this weekend.
[00:11:02] Speaker B: Looking at this roster that you weren't fully involved in putting together, you brought in some pieces, and a lot of
[00:11:09] Speaker C: it was built here.
[00:11:10] Speaker B: When you got here.
Is there anything you learned about this roster that you didn't know looking at it ahead of time?
[00:11:16] Speaker C: No. I think it's part of the process, you know, trying to implement your identity, trying to build your roster that you want. Those things take time. And so you. You come into a team, whether it's a blank slate or the team's already in place, these things take time. And so what we're trying to build isn't going to happen overnight, but we all moving in the right direction and we all have the same vision, so definitely positive in where we're going.
[00:11:44] Speaker B: Opener is this Saturday, August 15th, at against Tampa Bay sun at the Cotton Bowl.
What does success look like for you this season?
[00:11:51] Speaker C: Yeah, obviously I want to put ourselves in a position where we can compete at the end of the season for a trophy. That would be a great step, but more so than that, I wanted to make sure we're doing it with our style of play, so establishing our identity early on and making sure that, you know, win, lose a draw, we're not going to abandon our style of play and then hopefully continue to build on that. And by the end of the season, when you see Dallas Trinity play, you'll understand how we play and our fans hopefully will be proud and our players are going to really enjoy the way we play, and hopefully that puts us in position to win titles.
[00:12:31] Speaker B: Dallas kid living at Dallas cup here at Dallas Soccer park and at the Cotton Hole. What is that like, coming back full circle, being able to coach squad here at the Cotton Hole?
[00:12:42] Speaker C: Yeah, it's exactly what you said.
I think what's amazing is, you know, you grew up, this is your hometown, and I'm proud to be from Texas, and I've always dreamt of playing professionally in front of my friends and family here, and now getting the chance to. To kind of coach here and have everyone from here come and support. Yeah, it is. It's full circle.
[00:13:09] Speaker B: Looking around the league.
Every team is pretty much loaded up in the off season here a little bit.
Any particular moves that pique your interest? Anybody in particular that you're going to be watching out for as the season rolls off?
[00:13:20] Speaker C: I think the main thing for me is we're focused on what we're trying to do. And I think I like the group that we have here. We're building and they're continuing to understand how I want to play, and slowly we're going to get there. And so I'm really excited to see this group and how we continue to progress.
[00:13:39] Speaker B: What do you want this job to mean for soccer in the Metroplex for the next kid who's where you were at 10 years old?
[00:13:46] Speaker C: Yeah, I want to be able to give them hope, be able to or, you know, have a place to where they can go and see their idols play.
And, you know, for me, when I was growing up, we had the burn and being able to, to go out and watch the game, see training, and had that dream of one day wanting to be there.
I want to create that year for the girls and, you know, if we can inspire even one, one athlete, we've done something.
[00:14:19] Speaker B: What's the one thing you'd want soccer fans to know about this team heading into the opener? What should they be looking for?
[00:14:24] Speaker C: I think I want them to be able to see and know that when Trinity plays, they get excited to watch it and they know they're going to see good football and, you know, they're. They're going to be proud to support us.
[00:14:39] Speaker B: Matt and Sam Talk about 100 year asset often regarding this club and the men's side being in the ground floor of something that they are looking to build for 100 years. What does that mean to you? What does that feel like? It's the pressure.
[00:14:53] Speaker C: Yeah. I mean, it's tough to say and look that far.
You just hope you know what you do and you build here lays the foundation for the next generation. And all you can do is, you know, hopefully make a positive impact on people's lives and those things get passed down to generation generations. And for me, that's. That's all we can hope for.
[00:15:17] Speaker B: Well, this has been a special episode of Third Degree, the podcast with background noise. We'll see what we can get out here. But Lee, Win, thank you very much for taking the time and we're looking forward to seeing you out there on Saturday.
[00:15:27] Speaker C: No, it's a pleasure. Thanks, Dennis.
[00:15:29] Speaker B: Thank you.
[00:15:29] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:15:29] Speaker A: Third Degree, the Third Degree podcast.
Third Degree, the Third Degree podcast.
Third Degree, the Third Degree Ne por de poc.
[00:15:54] Speaker C: Sam.
