And how is the team going to, uh, respond to that? How are you planning to prepare for, for LA tomorrow night, uh, without him?

I think we've played, uh, many games, uh, without Thomas, um, you know, but, uh, So we will plan like normal.

And I think it's more interesting how we're going to prepare for an L.A. team that has not played yet since they changed their coach.

So that's another thing we have to look into.

And on that, how do you do that when you don't know what a new coach is going to bring? How do you prepare for a team like that?

Yeah, that is an interesting and good question.

But obviously they have some extraordinary players that will always have the ability to affect the game.

And then we have looked into his background and what they used to do and then try to go from there but there is a lot of unknowns and then the most important thing obviously is to prepare your own team for how you would like to see it play out if you can decide so I think more than anything it's important that we are very committed to how we want to do it and also we have a very good plan for ourselves because as you also mentioned with the new coach coming in they have not played since we can't be sure what they're going to do so

Can you explain what's going on there?

Nope.

Yeah, I can.

I can.

We're going to change our schedule, right? For now, we have a schedule going with the season going from February to basically into December.

Yeah, the full schedule, but But because most other schedules around the world in this game is from July to May, they will change the schedule next season.

So it means that we have to have a very short, what they call a sprint season in the spring.

Are we entering the stretch here? What are you telling the team about this next couple of games?

But is it tough sometimes, uh, you know, coaching a club that, you know, these rumors they might leave town?

Um, you know, it's really not part of our daily thinking or daily, you know, speaking.

It's not what we, it's not a, a daily topic for us in the group with the players and with, with the coaching staff.

I know, of course, that it's something that we sometimes speak about, obviously, uh, because it will be, it's, it will be, you know, unnatural and it would be stupid of me to say that we don't.

Because of course, we are also faced by, by people who meets us from the outside and, and if you meet a guy on the street in Vancouver, they often ask, uh, you know, that question.

So it is an issue, but it's, it's not been, you know, it's not a daily topic for us, and I think we're just focused on performing.

I know that, uh, I know that it sounds a little bit boring [laughs] but, uh, you know, that's what, that's where our mentality is and w- it's nothing we've-- we are not involved in that process, and we are not involved in, in any of that, so m- it's nothing we can do about anyway, so I think the best thing we can do is to excite people as much as possible when they come see us and create the best possible connection to our fans in this city, and we are very proud of, uh, of also representing the city of Vancouver when we play- Every game.

Uh, uh, do you anticipate him, anticipate him getting into action at some point soon? And what do the Ca- uh, Whitecaps have in Valter?

We're going for the historic fifth straight Canadian championship title, and it did not work out our way, did it?

No, it didn't at all.

We made it very complicated for ourselves.

We were a little unfortunate that we conceded a penalty that was maybe harsh but then we made it very complicated by making some some big mistakes and uh and we had to chase too much and yeah it also makes you uh realize that it's not just by showing up that you win and when you win um like we've done four years in a row you take it for granted but it's uh it's not something that you can do so uh Yeah, we have to make sure we are even better next year in this competition.

Are you saying like a blow in the dressing room, like to the team itself, the players?

No, no, no. It's just that we had expected ourselves to go to the final, of course, and win the competition.

That's how it is.

You can always predict how things go out and you have to be also able to...

Ryan Gauld, what a week he had.

[laughs] Yeah.

He had a great, he had a great game here the other day, and, uh, played very well for us.

And, you know, it's, uh, it's just, uh, it's just happy ...

I'm just so happy that he's back on the pitch and doing what he used to do before he got in- his bad injury last year.

And, uh, in my time here, he's not been available so much, but now he's, uh, he's finally looking like, like he did before I came in and, uh, I'm very, very happy for him.

You've got a game coming up this weekend versus Austin, though, so how are you feeling about that?

I'm feeling good.

And this is a home game of course, which is always more exciting for us, but how did the players feel playing at home versus on the road?

Of course we have, uh, we have great fans coming in and, uh, and support us.

And that's always, uh, that's always a pleasure when you, when you have that, uh, support, uh, when you play.

And of course it's, yeah, we enjoy it.

It's, uh, it's, um, nice just, uh, being able also to stay at home and, and prepare for yourself for the, for the games on a normal fashion.

And, uh, I think that, uh, we are, we like playing at home.

Of course it's, uh, It's where we entertain our home fans and where we get that connection, right? And that's obviously what it's all about.

But what does a game like this say about the team's ability for the future if you guys win and continue winning?

How, how did you see that one play out? Bit of frustration at not being able to, to get the win in the end?

[sighs] We went for it.

Um, that was a positive thing.

I think the mentality of the team is, is amazing.

We, um, we are not perfect, and we, [chuckles] we won't be perfect.

But I think overall, uh, we came out great, got a great start.

Um, our re-pressure was excellent.

... between starters?

Mm-hmm.

Right? And, uh, because they, they play in a way where, uh, you know, they profit from each other's, uh, qualities and, and they look more for how people fit within the system than, you know, for maybe individual attribute, attributes.

So I think w- it's kind of similar.

And then when I look at them, yeah, I, I'm delighted what I see.

I think they play a, I think they play a great game and, and great brand of football because I, I like, you know, when a, when, when you can see that a, that a team really can, uh, gain extra by, by, uh, everybody understanding what they want and everybody understanding what's gonna happen in, just before things happen.

So I think, uh...

And it was not surprising to me that Spain won because it's by far the best team in Europe.

Which must feel an age ago now.

With that in mind, how much squad rotation do you see yourself doing over the next six weeks?

What's necessary.

You know, it's always been the case.

It's not that we're just rotating for the sake of rotation.

We always, uh, put up the team that we thought was, was fit and ready to go and was the right one to, to put up.

So that's, that's how we've done it all the time.

So I, I expect that a lot of players will get the opportunity to play and also that we will, we'll have to lean on maybe a few players that will not be, uh, that will have to, to play a lot of minutes and a lot of games.

Do you feel a little bit that some of the players here were overlooked in that regard and really deserved a chance to, to be at that?

How does coaching top athletes like this inform your coaching techniques?

Yeah, I think it's, being a national team coach, I try to be one, uh, as an under-21 coach.

Um, it's very much different.

So what we see now, uh, from, from the national team coaches is, uh, a lot more managing the players.

It's a lot more...

You don't have, you don't have the players on an everyday basis.

Um, it's a lot about scouting, uh, players where you think Who will be good in the way I would like to play? Uh, football is subjective.

What are some fundamentals of coaching that you would share with any type of coach, regardless of level of play? You know, whether it's community kids sports all the way up to professional.

Men hvad gjorde du, da du skulle sætte dit hold, Vancouver Whitecaps, op til at skulle spille en kamp mod Inter Miami med Lionel Messi?

Ja, det er klart, at det er jo, det er specielt.

Det er specielt, fordi om nogen har han jo præget fodbolden de sidste tyve år sammen med Cristiano Ronaldo.

Det er svært at sige Messi uden at sige alligevel Ronaldo.

Men Ronaldo, men, men det har de jo gjort.

Øh, men Messi på en anden, lidt anden måde.

Øhm, og det er jo også specielt, fordi vores spillere, skal vi også huske på, har formentlig været store, er måske og har været store fans af Messi.

Hvad betød det for, for jeres klub og for Vancouver som by, at Lionel Messi han, han landede med sit hold?

Er det os, der kan lære noget af USA og Canada?

Man kan lære lidt af hinanden.

Det skal vi altid huske.

Altså det det altså der er jo en grund til, til at tingene er, som de er.

Grunden til at man spiller uden nedrykning.

Grunden til at man har lavet det her salary cap system, det er jo, at det er en beskyttelse af ejerne.

Hvis du gerne vil have investering ind i en liga og ind i en klub, jamen hvis du på forhånd er afskåret fra overhovedet at kunne vinde noget, hvem vil så investere det? Og hvis du så på forhånd og i øvrigt kan være i tvivl, om du overhovedet er med i ligaen, hvem vil så investere det? Altså sidste år lavede San Diego en gigantisk investering eller for nogle år siden på at komme ind i ligaen.

I afspiller også den amerikanske nationalsang.

What were your thoughts on the game?

game?I think overall in the game, I think that we, um, yeah, we started the game very well and had a very good flow.

Then there was this very unfortunate incident that we hope all the best for, for the Houston player, of course.

Um, but, um, [clears throat] and then it broke our rhythm a little bit.

Um, we couldn't really pick up, we couldn't really pick up, um, the same rhythm as we started out with.

But, uh, uh, I think in general, first half was okay.

The second half, I, I was not happy with the second half.

Can you just talk about, uh, the, something that you just mentioned in the second half, some of those points that you were not happy about?

Can you just speak on him and how, and the difference he made this evening?

Yeah, he made the difference.

[clears throat] It was not, uh, it was not big chances where he, he struck the ball from, and it was, uh, it was great quality and, uh, and of course sometimes that's what you need.

Uh, you need the extra quality and, and I think, uh, he provided it in moments where you cannot expect the goal.

So it's, uh, it's definitely, uh ...

It was, it was a good game overall from him, I think, but the two goals made it special.

Th- in getting back into the game when you conceded early and then sort of just moving along and getting it on to win, came with a, with the possession that you had in trying to, uh, g- you know, just get things imposed on Dallas and, uh, can you just speak to the level of confidence there that even if you, you, you, you fall behind in a game, you, you've g- you've got a, an effort and an, and a plan to get back into the game, which is through the building of, of, of, of back getting into a game through possession?

Um, if we look at the beginning of the game where we fell behind pretty early on, [clears throat] I think, you know, you, you go into a, a game with a plan and, and there's no need to, to try to, to do a lot of changes and stuff and, and ...

With this big stretch of away games coming up, are you hoping just to rotate the squad as much as possible and get as many players minutes over these games?

I think we have...

Now we have the game in LA next time.

Uh, then we have a week until we have three games, uh, in a week where we probably use, uh, even more players.

But yeah, we...

You know, I said to the players as well, I, I feel for the guys who was not on the pitch today, who didn't make it to the pitch because it was such a great game to watch and the, and the pace of the game and, and, you know, the intensity and emotion in the game as well.

And I think, uh, it's not because of lack of quality, it's just that we have so many good players and, and some of them will not, uh, make it to the pitch.

Why Thomas in reserve? Was that just veteran, uh, load management, managing his minutes? And what did you make of, uh, Suris Baudwell?

Um, if we start with Thomas first, um, he didn't, uh...

He ended up last year, uh, not training that much in between the games.

And, uh, and you know, that's not sustainable, uh, just to, to pr- fix yourself during the week to be ready to go in games.

So I think it's important that, um, you know, we have to, we have to play a lot of games coming directly out of the, out of the preseason.

And, uh, a long trip to Costa Rica.

And, um, and I already talked to Thomas about, uh, managing a little bit, uh, how we do it in the beginning because he wants to go every time, [laughs] of course.

What, what's his timeline?

Why Thomas in reserve? Was that just veteran load management managing his minutes? And what did you make of Suri's Bodwell?

If we start with Thomas first, he ended up last year not training that much in between the games.

And that's not sustainable just to fix yourself during the week to be ready to go in games.

So I think it's important that...

We have to play a lot of games coming directly out of the pre-season and a long trip to Costa Rica.

I already talked to Thomas about managing a little bit how we do it in the beginning because he wants to go every time, of course.

He is competitive and a veteran player that lives more for the games than for the practice sessions.

What's his timeline?

Can you share a little bit more about that?

Sure.

As many of you know, Glenn and I published a book a few years ago, and the paper that we recently wrote on analogies, we think of this as the missing chapter or the chapter that didn't get done in the book.

And we use analogies all the time.

So we say, "This is kind of like that," when we're trying to explain something, right? So we think sound is like a wave, right? That's a classic way of thinking about explaining principles in physics, for example.

And we use this all the time in business as well.

So I think what most familiar to people would be we use it in startup pitches, right, all the time.

But now my question is, if we are competing neck to neck with that particular business in a particular region, and you compare yourself with that particular business, does it not come with legal connotations to it?