NCFC is going to the playoffs!

Last night. I talked Premier League with my friend Jay Kumar. That's on there too. You might get to that.

I don't know. I have become just a rabid fan of the beautiful game and right here in our backyard North Carolina. FC will Sunday afternoon will be almost dark at five o'clock when they kick off will play for the The last time we talked with John Bradford the head coach of North Carolina FC. We I guess sort of joked about this rivalry possibly going away because you're moving up to the championship in Charlotte.

I think is going to stay in League One, but I this is a great way to send it off a Dogwood Derby final to decide the title. Good luck. How you doing?

I'm doing well. Thanks for having me on Adam. I mean it is it's a perfect Did you orchestrate this?

I did not but I'm not against it. I think it's a great way to have our own fans in the in the stadium and then obviously some some folks from Charlotte making the trip up. So should be great atmosphere. I remember seeing the original time for this match being 830 and thinking well that's late on a Sunday. Did you also beg the league to say can we do this at five?

Yeah, I think both both clubs wanted this to be an earlier game. I think the fact that it's on ESPN to but it a little bit trickier, but I'm glad that the league was able to pull it off. So because it is on ESPN to they'll get to see you've got I mean you got obviously a lot of good players in the last time we talked.

I asked you what the difference was based on where you were last year to where you are this year and you talked about the players and you've got a finalist for the player of the year and Alex Anderson and Mikey Maldonado and Rafa men singer all make the basically the first 11. For the league this year. I mean they have basically anchored you all season long. I'm not sure if they'll be recognized but certainly happy for those three.

We have to spread it around. Otherwise, all the other teams have complexes inferiority complex is John Bradford. The head coach of North Carolina FC is joining us here. Now for people who are soccer fans now in American soccer fans were used to playoffs and all that but I mean, I listen a lot to to Sirius XM and it's like a running joke. What like what are playoffs because they don't have them but we see playoffs in this country and we just saw Texas win the World Series. They were not the best team over the course of the season. How much pressure is there on your team going into the playoffs? Even though you get the by going into the playoffs to try to back up what you did during the regular year. Yeah, I think that we put our pressure on ourselves, you know, we're certainly determined to get to this final and win a championship and I think again the guys that were in the club in previous seasons where it was a bit more challenging for sure mixed with the guys that you know, we have four players around the red wolves from last season.

They made it to the final that came up short. So there's been different motivation, but certainly wanted happy to be playing in the game on Sunday and definitely get a championship. Is it more leading up to the game? Because once the kickoff happened, it seemed like you guys were much better than Northern Colorado.

You've kind of put that in your back pocket. I'm not saying very early, but first half. So what was it more leading up to the game because once the game starts, it's okay. Different in a positive way since the regular season ended and everybody then can ship their focus to us making a playoff run. So starting strong is always been a focus of ours and being able to be the aggressor from the beginning. So I thought that that part of the game plan definitely showed up against Northern Colorado and this past weekend.

How much does your previous matchups with Stirling Independence carry over? I mean, I think it's certainly relevant. You know, we played them three times this year. They were one of the clubs that we finished our third game of the series with them relatively earlier in the season. So we haven't played them in a couple months, obviously, but, you know, when we're scouting opponents, we're certainly looking at their most recent games and then the most recent times that we played against them too.

So be a combination of all that. I mean, the information, right? All just the the tendencies, you know, what they like to do. How much because I'm sure you've watched them in the last couple of months.

How much have they changed since you played them last? Yeah, I mean, I think it's part of the season. Where, you know, you've got some injuries, you've got some choices to make, you know, because it's a it's a win or go home type situation. So, you know, even just watching their game last week against against Omaha and now having the opportunity to see, you know, who do they select for their PK's?

Which way did they shoot? All this information comes together for us to try to get as best prepared as possible against them. It's not like football.

If you had if you had their signals, do you think you'd be more successful? Yeah, I don't know. All season, our outlook has been to really focus on ourselves and how we best prepare for games. And again, trying to be the aggressor within the game. But, you know, having said that, of course, we're going to be prepared for them and see formation lineup changes tendencies, all the things they've done as of late. John Bradford is the head coach of North Carolina FC, five o'clock on Sunday. You can go to North Carolina, fc.com, get tickets and go should be should be great. Should be nice and nice and cool and it will be dark. Not too long after the the kickoff of the match. The if you guys win, is there any truth to the rumor that you're going to replace Eric 10 hog at Manchester United?

Unfortunately, I don't believe that's that's going to be the case. But yeah, we certainly are going to win and then and then Manchester United is onto their own issues to deal with. Oh, my gosh, it is just getting it is getting comical, but you guys have been through tough times. So ultimately, how did you kind of guide this group because you've been around for a while here.

How did you guide this group through the growing pains of coming back from from where you guys were? Yeah, I mean, I think, you know, 2021 and 2022, you know, we're trying years for sure. We had we had a much lower budget, lowest budget in the league, both seasons. And, you know, we took steps forward in 2022 and brought in some some good players and, you know, use 2021 as kind of a movement upward for that. But then in this offseason, we were very intentional about which players we wanted to try to bring in to complement the guys that were returning to make a real comprehensive group. And I feel like we've done that, you know, that the guys have worked extremely hard to come together throughout the entirety of the season. And I think they're playing the best, best stuff right now, which is great timing.

What about the support you received from the owner, Steve Malek, Kurt Johnson? Because it mean everybody gets reactionary. I mean, we're still Eric Tenhog has been, I joke, but Tenhog has only been there a year plus. And there's people who are like, and they were great last year.

And people are already done. So it's a very volatile business. What about the support you've received from up on high? Yeah, it's been fantastic. And to be honest, I think there's been an understanding of each year and what the expectations were and kind of what our mission was, you know, in 2021, we gave a ton of young players their their professional debuts. We had a ton of our guys in the Academy that were also featuring for the first team and getting minutes and opportunities. And then last year, you know, we were a little bit more specific with which of the young players that were having those opportunities. So I think with that, you know, of course, Steve, Kurt, Francie, you know, all the leadership that North Carolina FC has been fantastic in their support.

But I think going into this this season, there was a bit more expectation with the with the roster that we were putting together. And so the support has kind of been aligned with with our expectations has been Sunday five o'clock Wake Med Soccer Park, North Carolina FC versus Charlotte Independence, the the biggest stakes ever on the Dogwood Derby, the usl one championship, you go to North Carolina FC calm, and you can't miss the banner to click on it for tickets. Coach, I thank you very much for your time. Good luck. And if you do get the man you job after take me with you.

Yeah, absolutely. It's a deal. Thanks for having me on.

You got to take care of John Bradford. I'm not leaving. You're not allowed. I'm not. Well, yeah. Okay. Thank you.