YOU THE MAN. WHEN HELPING HANK INVESTIGATES. EXPECT MORE. THANK YOU. WELCOME BACK WHAT A WEEK
FOR DETROIT SOCCER FANS. DETROIT
CITY FC GOT ITS FIRST
OPPORTUNITY EVER TO PLAY AGAINST
AN MLS TEAM. AND THEY WERE
CLEARLY READY FOR THE MOMENT,
KNOCKING OFF THE COLUMBUS CREW
TO ADVANCE IN THE U. S OPEN CUP
, AND THEY DID IT IN THE RAUCOUS
CONFINES OF THEIR HOME TURF IN
HAMTRAMCK. NOW THEY’LL MOVE ON
TO TAKE ON LOUISVILLE CITY MAY
10TH ANOTHER HOME GAME FOR LE
ROUGE, AND I’M SO HAPPY TO HAVE
WITH US. OH, OWNER OF THE TEAM,
ALEX, RIGHT, AND THE MAN WHO HAD
THE MAGIC TOUCH AGAINST
COLUMBUS. MIDFIELDER MAXI
RODRIGUEZ. GUYS THANKS SO MUCH.
CONGRATULATIONS ON THE GREAT
WEEK AND MAXI, LET ME START WITH
YOU. GIVE ME IT KIND OF TAKE ME
THROUGH THOSE TWO GOALS AND WHAT
THAT FELT LIKE TO DO IT IN THAT
SITUATION. YEAH SO COMING OUT OF
HALFTIME. WE WERE DOWN 10. SO UM
, IT’S REALLY JUST ABOUT GETTING
THAT FIRST GOAL AND ONCE I GOT
IT WAS A SUPER SPECIAL MOMENT
AND I THINK THE TEAM COULD FEEL
IT FROM THERE THAT WE’RE GOING
TO GO ON AND GET A SECOND ONE
AND TO GET THE SECOND ONE MYSELF
AGAIN. IN SUCH A HIGH PRESSURE
GAME AND SUCH A MASSIVE GAME FOR
THE CLUB. THERE WAS A SUPER
SPECIAL FEELING FOR MYSELF. YEAH
REALLY STUNNING STUFF, ALEX KIND
OF TAKE ME THROUGH WHAT IT WAS
LIKE FOR YOU TO WATCH THOSE
MOMENTS AS THEY HAPPENED. I’VE
GOT THE EASY JOB, RIGHT? I JUST
HAVE THIS DON’T KNOW. SOMETIMES
IT’S HARDER TO SET UP IN THE
PRESS BOX. AND, UM, YOU JUST
WAIT FOR YOU KNOW YOU ALWAYS
FEEL GOOD WHEN WE GOT THESE GUYS
OUT THERE WHAT TREVOR JAMES HAS
BUILT MAX. HE’S A MASSIVE PART
OF THAT. HAS BEEN AN ABSOLUTE
THRILL TO WATCH. SO I JUST SIT
BACK AND THEN PRESS BOX. I KNOW
SOMETHING GREAT IS GOING TO
HAPPEN. IT’S JUST A MATTER OF
FIGURING OUT HOW IT’S GONNA
LOOK. AND ALEX. THERE’S TWO
DIFFERENT THINGS. OF COURSE,
GOING ON HERE. THERE IS WHAT’S
HAPPENING WITH THE TEAM ITSELF.
THERE’S ALSO WHAT’S HAPPENING
WITH SOCCER CULTURE IN DETROIT,
YOUR FANS, UH, THE NORTHERN
GUARD, AND IT IS SUCH AN
EXTRAORDINARY SCENE THAT HAPPENS
THERE FOR EVERY GAME. TELL ME A
LITTLE BIT ABOUT BECAUSE I CAN
REMEMBER. HEAVEN WHEN YOU GUYS
FIRST LAUNCHED AS A TEAM WE
TALKED ABOUT ON FLASHPOINT. I
CAN’T IMAGINE. OR MAYBE YOU DID
SEE THIS DAY COMING, DID YOU?
YEAH, IT’S LIKE ONE OF THOSE
OVERNIGHT SUCCESSES, 12 YEARS IN
THE MAKING, RIGHT? UM SOCCER IS
HERE TO STAY. UH, IT’S ONE OF
THE MOST POPULAR SPORTS FOR
YOUNG PEOPLE IN THIS COMMUNITY.
UM WHAT WE DID WAS FIGURE OUT A
WAY TO BRING PEOPLE’S PEOPLE’S
LOVE FOR THE GAME THAT HAS BEEN
GROWING WITH THEIR PASSIONATE
ABOUT THE CITY OF DETROIT, AND,
MORE IMPORTANTLY, CREATING THIS,
UH, THIS GAME DAY ENVIRONMENT.
UH THAT’S YOU KNOW, IT’S A
SOCCER SUPPORT CULTURE. IT’S
COMMUNITY BASED AND GRASSROOTS.
BUT I MEAN, MAX WILL BE THE
FIRST ONE TO TELL YOU, UM AT THE
END OF THE DAY. IT’S THE EDGE
THAT OUR GUYS HAVE. YOU KNOW,
THEY’RE THEY’RE PLAYING ONE OF
THE BEST TEAMS IN AMERICA ON
TUESDAY, AND THEY HAD 6000
LUNATICS BEHIND THEM, HELPING
THEM EVERY STEP OF THE WAY. IN
FACT, MAXI TALKED ABOUT THAT A
LITTLE BIT. I THINK WATCHING THE
FACES OF THE COLUMBUS PLAYERS
THERE. OBVIOUSLY THEY DID NOT
COME IN HERE EXPECTING TO GET
BEAT. BUT THE CROWDED KEYWORDS
STADIUM IS RIGHT ON TOP OF THE
ACTION. THEY THEY KIND OF LOOKED
A LITTLE BEWILDERED THERE AT
MOMENTS. YEAH IT’S A HUGE
ADVANTAGE THAT WE HAVE, UM I’VE
TALKED TO PLAYERS THAT PLAYED
AGAINST US, AND THEY TALK ABOUT
HOW DAUNTING OF A TASK IT IS TO
PLAY IN FRONT OF THOSE FANS WHO
ARE SCREAMING AT YOU FROM THE
FIRST MINUTE ALL THE WAY TO THE
END. UM AND ON THE OTHER SIDE OF
IT, IT’S A HUGE ADVANTAGE FOR
US. IF WE NEED A LIFT, THEY GIVE
US THAT LIFT AND THEY’RE
CONSTANTLY CHANTING FOR US
SCREAMING FOR US, AND IT GIVES
US THAT EXTRA ENERGY KNOWING
THAT HEY, THERE, BUYER SIDE, NO
MATTER WHAT, AND WE NEED TO PUSH
AND FIGHT FOR THEM AS WELL.
COLUMBUS DIDN’T BRING ALL OF ITS
BEST PLAYERS WITH THEM. I GUESS
THERE’S TWO WAYS TO TAKE THAT
YOU CAN SEE THIS AS WELL. WE’VE
GOT AN OPPORTUNITY HERE, BUT
IT’S ALSO A LITTLE BIT
INSULTING, ISN’T IT, MAXIE? AH!
IN A WAY, BUT I THINK AS A
PLAYER, YOU JUST GOT TO FOCUS ON
WHO WE’RE PLAYING AGAINST WHO’S
ON THE FIELD AT THE END OF DAY,
2 11 9 11. ONCE YOU CROSS THAT
LINE, IT’S ABOUT WHO WANTS IT
MORE AND THANKFULLY IT WORKED IN
OUR FAVOR. IT SURE DID. ALEX IT
WAS INTERESTING. READING THE
COLUMBUS PAPERS IS THEY’RE DOING
SOME SOUL SEARCHING, TRYING TO
FIGURE OUT WHAT THEY’RE DOING
THERE, BUT WE’RE NOT WORRIED
ABOUT WHAT GOING WHAT’S GOING ON
IN COLUMBUS? WE’RE WORRIED ABOUT
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT FOR DETROIT.
YOU’VE GOT THE DRAW. YOU KNOW
THAT YOU’VE GOT ANOTHER HOME
GAME. THIS TIME. IT’S LOUISVILLE
CITY. COMING IN. GIVE ME A
LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR
EXPECTATIONS FOR WHAT’S COMING
UP HERE IN THE NEXT TWO WEEKS.
YEAH SO TO GIVE FOLKS SOME
PERSPECTIVE, RIGHT? THIS IS A
NATIONAL TOURNAMENT. EVERY
SOCCER TEAM IN AMERICA HAS
BASICALLY ELIGIBLE TO
PARTICIPATE IN ALL OF THE
PROTEINS HAVE TO PARTICIPATE. SO
WE’RE UP NOW TO THE ROUND OF 32
. THE BULK OF THE TEAMS THAT ARE
LEFT ON THE MLS LEVEL, SO THE
HIGHEST LEVEL OF AMERICAN SOCCER
WERE ONE LEVEL BELOW THAT. BUT
AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THE FROM THE
OUTCOME ON TUESDAY IN THIS
TOURNAMENT, IT’S ONE GAME. YOU
KNOW THAT MAY THE BEST TEAM WIN
THE GAME THAT WE’VE GOT COMING
UP AGAINST LOUISVILLE CITY. UM
IS ACTUALLY A TEAM THAT’S ON OUR
LEVEL AS WELL. SO IT WILL BE
REALLY INTERESTING TO SEE WHAT
KIND OF WHAT KIND OF GUYS THEY
BRING. WHO THEY’RE STARTING, UM,
HOW THEY APPROACH THE MATCH, YOU
KNOW, AND YOU KNOW, LIKE MAXIE
SAID, YOU JUST PLAY WHOEVER IS
OUT THERE, RIGHT? THERE IS THAT
INTERESTING STRATEGY THAT GOES
ON BEHIND THE SCENES, BUT AT THE
END OF THE DAY, IT’S A TUESDAY
NIGHT. YOU’RE TRYING TO PACK THE
HOUSE AND GIVE PEOPLE ANOTHER
UNFORGETTABLE EXPERIENCE. AND
MAXIE. WHAT’S THE APPROACH?
THEN? FOR THE TEAM, DO YOU TRY
TO TELL YOURSELF? WOW THIS IS
THE BIGGEST MOMENT THAT MOST OF
US HAVE EVER HAD IN AMERICAN
SOCCER, OR DO YOU TRY TO KEEP
IT? A LOT COOLER THAN THAT AND
SOMEHOW TRY TO KEEP IT AS JUST
ANOTHER GAME. I THINK WE JUST GO
ON IT LIKE ANOTHER GAME.
OBVIOUSLY THE MOMENT IS BIG, AND
IT’S A BIG MOMENT FOR ALL OF THE
PLAYERS AND THE CLUB. BUT YOU’RE
GOING LIKE A NORMAL GAME AND
UNDERSTANDING THAT IT’S WINNER
TAKES ALL THERE’S NO TOMORROW
AFTER THE WHISTLE BLOWS, SO GIVE
EVERYTHING YOU HAVE FOR THOSE 90
MINUTES AND HOPE YOUR TEAMS ON
TOP. AND ALEX. I ASSUME YOU
EXPECT YOUR FANS WILL BE READY
FOR A MOMENT LIKE THIS, TOO.
WITHOUT A DOUBT. I MEAN, WE’RE
SO PRIVILEGED IN MANY WAYS THAT
DETROIT CITY FC THAT YOU KNOW
THIS IS A TOUGH SPORTS TOWN, BUT
IT’S A SMART SPORTS TOWN. RIGHT
FOLKS KNOW THE GAME. THEY
UNDERSTAND WHAT’S AT STAKE, YOU
KNOW, UM, AND THEY KNOW THAT
THEIR PRESENCE THERE NOT ONLY
MAKES A DIFFERENCE FOR THE GUYS
ON THE PITCH, BUT THEY MAKE A
DIFFERENCE FOR THIS BASICALLY
SMALL BUSINESS. IT’S GROWN INTO
THIS GREAT STORY, AND THEY
CONTRIBUTE AND BENEFIT. THE
ORGANIZATION IN SO MANY
DIFFERENT WAYS JUST BY BEING
THERE AND SCREAMING THEIR HEADS
OFF SUPER WELL, THE GAME IS MAY
10TH GUYS, BEST OF LUCK TO YOU,