Pedro Dolabella Pt 2 - Marshall Soccer National Championship & Locker Room Banter - E4

Pedro Dolabella is back with the boys on the The Back Stick. With the help of Dom, Pedro and Jam reflect on their journey from being overlooked players to winning a NCAA D1 National Championship with Marshall University Men's Soccer. They discuss the importance of team culture, the impact of their coach Chris Grassie, and the deep bonds formed within their locker room. The conversation also touches on personal growth, the challenges faced, and the joy of achieving their dreams together. As they share anecdotes and insights, the camaraderie and shared experiences shine through, making it clear that their time at Marshall was more than just about soccer; it was about family, resilience, and a brotherhood that will never end. 

Chapters

00:00 Building a Championship Team at Marshall

03:30 'Father-Son' Relationship with Chris Grassie

09:28 Chris Grassie's Evolution of Marshall Soccer

11:37 Jam's First Impression of Pedro

13:23 Pedro's 2 Goals Against Jam in 2024...

14:40 The Family Atmosphere in the Locker Room

19:54 Marshall Reunion in Omaha

23:57 Extra Time:

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Transcript

Jamil Roberts (00:02)
God

Pedro Dolabella (00:00)
the boss.

Dom Okus (00:02)
So I think this is actually a good opportunity for me to take us into the next section, because I think anyone who's been watching this podcast for the last 40 minutes can see the chemistry that you both have. Obviously, we mentioned at the beginning, you won a national title. And it takes like

Jamil Roberts (00:07)
Mm-hmm.

Dom Okus (00:22)
a lot of things coming together, a good team, a good locker room, a bit of luck for you to win a national championship. So I actually want to take it back to you all's time at Marshall. I remember seeing it all over Instagram, Jam coming in really clutch of all the goals. Obviously Pedro, you contributing, you had an amazing team, and Lau, who I know is also part of that team, Colin. I actually want to take it back to 2017 to talk about Marshall.

And obviously when you went there, they weren't even a school that people were talking about in D1 Token for being real. And to take it from there to winning the championship. So I just want to talk a little bit about you both being there and kind building that school up. And Pedro, I'll kind of start with you.

Pedro Dolabella (01:06)
No, I always say like they always ask what's my biggest achievement. think like whatever like collective or individual since I came to the US and it's going to be it's going to be hard to to match winning the national championship. Not only winning the national championship, but I think the whole journey. No, like, yes, if you go into a program already like

named, know, Marshall, if you go into Marshall, now Marshall is already like a big time program. But the way like we came as like players that nobody wanted, you know, no other school wanted us. Like we were like the leftovers of the leftovers. Go to West Virginia in a program that like couldn't win five games a season, you know, and like go through the struggles and all the fights and ups and downs and see like gradually like, we're

We're doing better. We have a team that can compete all the way to like, we already know we're going to go in this game and we're going to win 6-0. know, it's like all the journey that we've been through makes it so much more special than just walking in something that's already built. it feels good to be part of one of the co-founders or whatever of the new generation of marshals. So it was a perfect ending.

every kind of way possible. feel like Jerma thinks the same.

Jamil Roberts (02:35)
Yeah, mate, I echo, think you've put it more perfectly than I ever could. It was the fact that, you know, sometimes when you do things the hard way, it just feels so much better at the end. for me, going back, you you're right, like no one wanted us. You know, we were the runt of the litter.

Clemson, Wake Forest, all those teams, they got their first choice. They didn't want Jamil Roberts. They didn't want Pedro Dola-Bella. You know, even the players, some of the players that weren't on the team in the final or in the run, but players like Paolo, Paolo Pita, players like Carlos Diaz, like Hilao, Jonas Vestmeyer, you know, the players that no one else wanted that helped build that program every step of the way in addition to

where it got to, you know, it made it all the sweeter. I think one thing that every single Marshall player from that time of 2017 to 2021, when we obviously won the title, can agree on is that none of us would have ever left our homes to go to Huntington, West Virginia if it wasn't for Chris Grassi. And, you know, sometimes he can come across like, you know, he,

he is thinks he he's the guardiola of college and everything but

Most of the time he is most of the time when he tells you to do something It works and we win and it happens so often that by the end of four years He says jump you say how high? You know and Pedro, you know Just just kind of go into that a little bit from your perspective on on our relationship and your relationship with Chris And what he did for you over the four years and and obviously what really?

Pedro Dolabella (04:08)
Yes.

100%.

Jamil Roberts (04:35)
is still going on now.

Pedro Dolabella (04:37)
Now, Chris is like a second father to us. feel like in a way, know, like especially living in your country and like being in West Virginia where like all you have is like football, you know, and like all the patience he had because we were far from being perfect and examples of the field. We were college guys, you know, we like to have fun. We liked everything and like

Jamil Roberts (05:01)
Hahaha

Yeah. Yeah.

Pedro Dolabella (05:07)
The amount of, I can imagine the amount of stuff from his superiors he had to take in order to keep us in line and keep us, you know, like being able to have fun on the field as well and lift trophies together. like, I'll forever be, when nobody wanted us, he was the one that like, I'll take you guys under my wing and let's do this together from day one.

Jamil Roberts (05:32)
Mm-hmm.

Yeah.

Pedro Dolabella (05:36)
In the end, when after you see all the other coaches that didn't want you and said you're not good enough, you say, now I have the national championship here. So what? And what now?

Jamil Roberts (05:46)
Mm-hmm. Yeah. Yeah and So exactly what now what now and for me I always I always come back to I don't know if you well You definitely remember the day that we got back to after we won the night before in Kerry and we got back to Huntington and we came on the field right and you know that all the fans were there and it was crazy it was it was one of the the

The best feelings of my life and I remember me and Pedro got off the bus first Pedro lifted up the the trophy and just the noise was crazy and We were all very hungover. Let's be honest We were all very hungover and it was like as soon as we got off that bus the hangover just went like that You know, it was But one of the things that always has always stuck out to me with Chris and I didn't really realize it until

Pedro Dolabella (06:26)
is.

Jamil Roberts (06:40)
until he said it and I sort of reflected after I left was, you he got up on stage and, you know, he like mentioned me in his sort of like speech a little bit and said like, he always believed in me as a player from the beginning. But the biggest thing that his challenge with me was shaping me into the man that I am now. And if I firmly believe that, and I touched on it earlier about how

I was the kid from England with a chip on my shoulder that maybe thought I was gonna come in and run the rooster. I wouldn't be the person I am today if it wasn't for him getting on me every day for four years and shaping me into the person I am. And that's something that I'll always be grateful for because I'm very proud of the person I am now compared to the person that walked through the door in 2017.

Dom Okus (07:32)
Amazing, amazing, And you touch on that.

Pedro Dolabella (07:33)
I'm so proud of you too, Jimbo.

Jamil Roberts (07:35)
Hahaha

Hey, babe, by the way before you move on Pedro, what do you think of this? got I bought this one when I was in Huntington the other day It's the old it's a it's like the prop. It's the proper like my What's it Matthew McConaughey one? Yeah

Pedro Dolabella (07:46)
Let's see. Let's see.

Dom Okus (07:46)
all right you

Pedro Dolabella (07:52)
My homes. I like the mullet a little bit better though, have to say it. the mullet.

Jamil Roberts (07:59)
Doh-wuh.

You like the mullet, yeah? yeah, yeah, what? See that? It's coming out the back there.

Pedro Dolabella (08:03)
Yeah, better than the head.

Dom Okus (08:07)
It's alright, you know, it's alright I definitely couldn't pull it off but it's alright man. It's alright. It's

Pedro Dolabella (08:08)
What do you think Dom? What do think? What are your thoughts?

Jamil Roberts (08:14)
I'd love to see you try

Pedro Dolabella (08:18)
Hey

Dom Okus (08:19)
But the one thing I was just getting...

The one thing I was just going to say about Grassi is obviously I actually came up against him in college as well when he was coaching at Charleston and I was playing at West Virginia Wesleyan in D2 and I think the thing that stuck out the most to me about his Charleston team is the standards. specifically what you're talking about, Jam, about shaping you into the right person and I'm sure he was very demanding of you all but I remember my sophomore year I'm out for basically the whole season, I've got an ankle injury so I'm out for the season, I'm sitting in the stands, we're away at West Virginia, I mean away at

Pedro Dolabella (08:32)
Mm-hmm.

Dom Okus (08:54)
Charleston and we lose 9-1 right now it's probably 8-1 and it's the 92nd minute and the left back has sprinted from the center circle to the corner flag to take the corner for them to score off the corner to make it 9-1 and I'm just like this is mad like man did it from whatever jog he sprinted to make sure he could take the corner to make sure they can score I was like now this team's mad

Jamil Roberts (09:14)
Yeah

Dom Okus (09:23)
So yeah. Yeah, madness. Madness, actually madness.

Pedro Dolabella (09:23)
Yeah, that's great.

Jamil Roberts (09:23)
You

The nail's already in the coffin boys, fucking hell.

Pedro Dolabella (09:30)
He's obsessed, that's what he is, he's obsessed chasing, know, like, it's a cliché to say, but he's always trying to get better. No matter what, he doesn't stick to whatever, one formation. I saw they were playing the other day, 4-2-4, four strikers, some stuff like that, that I've never seen, I'm like, okay, you know. So yeah, he's...

Jamil Roberts (09:49)
Mm-hmm.

Yeah. And I saw it. I saw that firsthand, actually. When I went back with Colin, went back to Huntington and I watched him play against Kentucky and West Virginia this season. obviously saw the same level of detail will never change from when me and Pedro's time to now. But just see the way that he's evolved his team.

and changes tactics, but the principles are always still the same. And that was one thing that I thought we had that was very rare in college. When you looked at the way that we played, you knew it was a martial team. Whereas there was, let's be honest, I'd say everyone barred Georgetown that we played in my entire four years played the exact same way. And it was pump, long, get second balls and have quick wingers and a quick striker.

Whereas when you watch the Marshall team play there was an identity it was really and and you know That was one of the things that he said bringing us in that is he wanted the ball on the floor He wanted to play possession and I think that was what attracted so many good footballers To come and play and that was why it was so fun to play in that team

Pedro Dolabella (11:10)
No, for sure. 100 % agrees with that,

Jamil Roberts (11:15)
And then obviously you've got Pedro in the middle.

doing a madness doesn't know he's playing six he's playing eight he's playing ten he's playing striker he's probably played center half at some point as well

Pedro Dolabella (11:27)
And I'm couldn't.

Jamil Roberts (11:33)
Dom, when I first saw Pedro, I swear to God, I thought, what is that?

Dom Okus (11:41)
Ha!

Pedro don't let him talk about you this way, you know, it's alright. I know you're on this platform, but fight back. It's

Jamil Roberts (11:46)
Big, six foot four, long limbs, big, like he's got, he's like.

Pedro Dolabella (11:53)
No, idiots, him and Luis, that, you know, he was another English guy that played for it, they would call me Mr. 50-50 because every touch I took sometimes it was like, I would go on a 50-50. And they would say, you're too, you're too slow. So we're jogging around the field and like, Pedro, stop sprinting. I'm like,

Dom Okus (12:06)
Touch tackle.

And that's close

Pedro Dolabella (12:25)
So that was always better anyway.

Jamil Roberts (12:29)
mate, you know what you do you know the I'm not gonna kill you off too much man. Feel free to Bring up anything you want, but I've just got one that's come to mind here as well You know the you know like the old-school like inflatable Advertisements outside the the the car dealerships that you know the arms going everywhere and this and that

Pedro Dolabella (12:31)
Uhhh yeah

I'm good.

Dom Okus (12:55)
Yeah.

Jamil Roberts (12:58)
We used to say that that was- that was Pedro running down the wing.

Dom Okus (13:02)
Ha ha ha!

Pedro Dolabella (13:06)
Hey, but you gotta start somewhere, now I'm fast, I promise you. Boom.

Dom Okus (13:07)
good.

Jamil Roberts (13:10)
There you go! Because of Josh Faga.

Pedro Dolabella (13:15)
Too many, of course. You know, starts somewhere. It's all about the journey in the end.

Jamil Roberts (13:18)
Yeah

Dom Okus (13:22)
Be sure. Be sure.

Jamil Roberts (13:24)
man.

Pedro Dolabella (13:26)
See the, Giamma, the glass court against you guys, the first one. Gustavo's still looking for me. Boom.

Jamil Roberts (13:37)
man, Goosey's gonna love that. was a good finish. I almost had you as well. Both goals that you scored against me this season, I was chasing him dumb. He's like, the ball got slipped through to him and I was high and wide and someone lost the ball, little breakdown. And I swear, I see the ball go to him twice and both times. I'm sprinting, like, because I know, I know Pedro, like, he's gonna take the touch, he's gonna shoot across the goal. Both times, same thing happened.

sprinting and it was like He actually does and I told him please don't post that

Pedro Dolabella (14:08)
We have a good picture, we have a good picture.

Dom Okus (14:11)
Hehehehehe

Pedro Dolabella (14:19)
Don't worry, it's saved. Seven keys.

Jamil Roberts (14:20)
Yeah safe for my birthday

Dom Okus (14:26)
Hehehehehe

Pedro Dolabella (14:27)
That's actually a good idea.

Jamil Roberts (14:30)
my god, yeah, I think I think Anyone anyone watching can see like you said earlier Dom that you know the chemistry between me and him We've gone through so much. It's like it's normal. I'm talking to my brother right now. There's no filter and and whatever but I Think the last thing that I'll touch on with regard to to our years at Marshall was

was especially in our last two years and you touched on it with your Omaha team as well. Just how close not just you and I, but the entire locker room. It was like I know it's cliche to turn around and say it was a family. It was it meant more this and that, but I've never experienced that since and I don't know if I will ever experience that ever again. And, know, to quote Chris, what he always said when it feels right, it's like you're on a train going downhill.

Everybody you love is on board and nobody can touch you. You're just smashing through everything in your path and It's it's true. It's it's it's an analogy that you know, we laughed about in the locker room sometimes when you actually think about it's so true and Pedro just talk a little bit about you know, the dynamic that we had in the changing room and just just how close we were and some of the characters that were in that dressing room

Pedro Dolabella (15:55)
I'll just say the ability to have like a proper conversation with everybody on the team. It's what like stands out the most. Like obviously you have the funny ones, the guys that put always the music, the guys that dancing, whatever the jokesters, but just like the ability to connect with every single person there and like everybody getting along and everybody, whatever, partying together, celebrating together for the highs and the lows. feel like that's

That's family, like you can't like describe a family more than that, you know, like, and just how it feels good to go to work every day, you know, how it feels good to be in an environment like that. You're not dreading going to training every day. You're excited to see your boys. And I mean, it's tough to compare, but like, it's a little bit what I, what I felt this year too in Omaha. It's like, you could joke with everybody. That's why like,

Jamil Roberts (16:51)
you

Pedro Dolabella (16:53)
When Misiek was not in the locker room anymore it was tough because he was like he sat right next to me He was like my locker room buddy like we talked every every day he telling me his stories about when he played against Messi and all this stuff and I Don't know I obviously some teams win without being close I would say like without being a family like when they say like when Ronaldo was and United I mean Jamil like

Jamil Roberts (17:17)
Yeah, of course.

Pedro Dolabella (17:20)
probably no more like him and like Ferdinand don't get along or some stuff some players on the locker room. But obviously when you have a family environment in the locker room it makes everything so much easier.

Jamil Roberts (17:32)
Mm-hmm. Yeah. Yeah, it's so true. dom if you ever You ever come close to to sort of feeling that with any of your former teams Whether it be when you were a kid or any of your Wesleyan teams

Dom Okus (17:47)
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Obviously, I'm now about to speak about my college achievement, which is nowhere near what you boys have been able to achieve. So I just want to preface that before anyone gets on to me in the comments. in our 27... Yeah, our 27... Our 27een team that ended up winning the conference.

Jamil Roberts (17:53)
hahahaha

My achievements are achievements mate

Pedro Dolabella (18:02)
100 %

Dom Okus (18:08)
which was a big achievement for us because we're in the same conference as the University of Charleston who have infinitely more resources than we do or a better team than us. They've got players who have grown up playing for some of the top academies in the world.

And so all of us boys that had kind of been at Wesley in two or three years. So we're all kind of upperclassmen juniors and seniors got together. We had a core group of British players as well. so like, I think we kind of shaped culturally what we wanted the team to be about, what training was about and like, you know, how we would celebrate wins, how we would play. And so, that group of ways, like one of them got married a couple of years ago. He's a coach now, Josh Spencer. He was the skipper.

a couple years ago, half the team that won that 2017 championship was at his wedding. And so, yeah, like really, really close-knit group, like my brothers, like you're talking about here, that like we still speak together, we still speak now. We've still got a group chat, got now, and what we graduated, what, five years ago now, six years ago now, and we still speak, like probably every week. yeah, just having that bond with people through sports, it's like way deeper. These people become like your family, you know? It's amazing.

Jamil Roberts (18:56)
Yeah.

Mm-hmm.

Yeah. Mm hmm. Yeah. Yeah. And I think nothing, nothing says it before we move on. I think nothing says it more than obviously what happened with us this year, Pedro. the

Pedro Dolabella (19:27)
No, I agree with that. It's like going to war together, I would say. When you go to war together with somebody, it's like...

Jamil Roberts (19:32)
Yeah, yeah, no, hundred percent and you know, it's you Listen, you can never say you would have won one way or another with with or without me Shaq, right? But you know, I'm sure if the locker room wasn't as united you wouldn't have felt that that sort of external power to really do it for him and do it for his family, so You know, it's crazy man. And you know, and then just touching on the the Marshall family again, you know

The last game that we played at your place this year, Dom, I flew across and I was actually injured for the previous three games and I came on every game and the coach was saying, I need you to play, I need you to play and I'm saying, like I was hurting big time. And Pedro the whole time, I don't know, he wasn't like this the last time that I traveled to him, but he said, he said, Jam, I need you to travel, like please just travel, please just travel. And I was like, this is...

He's told me a few more times than normal now anyway, I get there and Yeah, yeah, it was yeah, obviously so that was I've I assumed that was the reason right that we were gonna No matter what the result we were gonna settle to celebrate his birthday And then obviously on the Monday of that week Max Schneider who was the holding midfielder in our team at Marshall He signs on loan Omaha with Pedro

Pedro Dolabella (20:36)
It was my birthday too.

Jamil Roberts (21:01)
So now I'm thinking, okay. Not that that swayed my decision to get fit or not, but it certainly was like, okay, if I can play through it, then I'll travel, right? Because two of my boys are there now. Anyway, fly to Omaha, touch down, sleep the next day, I wake up to a video, Snapchat video, from Milo Yosef, and it's Milo and Paolo Peter, who had

Dom Okus (21:15)
Yeah.

Jamil Roberts (21:31)
Paolo had driven from Kansas City and Milo had driven from Tulsa because they both had the weekend off to come and watch the game just because me, Pedro and Max were gonna be on the same pitch as each other in the pros. And like, just, I don't know, for me, like that was just such a full circle moment because the amount of times that that had happened in Huntington, West Virginia. And it was like, what are the odds that five guys, you know,

Two Germans, two Brazilians and an Englishman were gonna become that close in Huntington, West Virginia to where they would go through those lengths to meet up again in Omaha, Nebraska. Like, it's just, it was unbelievable. I was the happiest guy in the world. Like, I really was. And for me, obviously the game mattered, the game was the game at that point. I was just so happy to be there and I couldn't wait to see them after.

Dom Okus (22:28)
yeah i'm listening to you tell the story and just like the smile on your face bro like it's it's different bro it's different when you get around your brothers man the way it makes you feel is yeah man it's different it's different

Jamil Roberts (22:32)
Yeah, it's real man, it's real

I don't know if Pedro set that one up.

Pedro Dolabella (22:42)
Just wanted to get through the game to hang out and stuff.

Jamil Roberts (22:46)
Yeah, I could tell because you lost one now

Pedro Dolabella (22:51)
you

Dom Okus (22:51)
Hey

Pedro Dolabella (22:58)
Yeah, I know, true. mean, was birthday gift you gave me. Maybe that motivated us to not lose at home ever again after that game.

Jamil Roberts (23:03)
Ha

Dom Okus (23:04)
Hehehe

Jamil Roberts (23:09)
That is true, that is true. Nah, nah, and obviously the last time we had karaoke and some fun, you know, we had to share some with Mario this time.

Pedro Dolabella (23:18)
Yeah, exactly. Some karaoke.

Dom Okus (23:18)
Hehehehe

Jamil Roberts (23:21)
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha

Pedro Dolabella (23:24)
To be to no pressure.

Jamil Roberts (23:26)
Yay! Slide screen. Alright, okay, let's move on. mate, I've really enjoyed that. That was two excellent segments. And I think it's about time, Pedro, we take you into our staple section of the show. So, I'm gonna pass you over to the presenter.

Dom Okus (23:26)
Hehehe

Pedro Dolabella (23:32)
Yeah.

Jamil Roberts (23:52)
of this portion of the show, Mr. Dom Okus who's gonna run you through extra time on the Back Stick Podcast.

Dom Okus (23:58)
Here we go, here we go. I've been waiting for this, man. I've been waiting for this. And I feel like every episode, we're just really starting to get a groove on this section of the podcast. like some people are calling me Steve Harvey with the skin fade. Some people call... Some people calling me like the Black Paddy McGuinness, Black Noel Edmonds. Like I'm loving it. So look, this section here, I'm gonna take you through four questions that we ask all of our guests.

Pedro Dolabella (24:10)
Hahaha

Dom Okus (24:24)
should be nice and easy for you. The first one is who's the best player you've played with?

Pedro Dolabella (24:32)
That's a hard question for sure. But with all that's happening today, I think one player really, really stands out to me. His name is Gabriel Sara. He played in Norwich last year. He was the best player in Norwich, team of the year, whatever, the championship in England. And now he's playing for Galatasaray in Turkey. This guy...

Jamil Roberts (24:49)
Mm-hmm.

Pedro Dolabella (25:02)
back in Sao Paulo when like, such a humble guy, like so humble, like coming from like, you know, like South, Southern part from Brazil. His nickname was like Ronaldinho because he had one teeth here, one teeth there. It was like crazy. So every time I still talk to him, I call him Ronaldinho. It's like a nickname stick in football. That's how it is.

Jamil Roberts (25:20)
Hahaha!

Dom Okus (25:20)
Ha ha ha!

Hahaha

Pedro Dolabella (25:31)
But man, like what a guy. was like one of those guys that like left footed midfielder, left foot 10, you know, like it's who doesn't like a left foot number 10, you know, like all the technique, all the intimacy with the ball. Yeah.

Dom Okus (25:42)
for sure.

Jamil Roberts (25:43)
Yeah, I can name another decent Brazilian left footed number 10 that you've come across as well. I love you Vitor, I love you Vitor, I love you Vitor, sorry.

Pedro Dolabella (25:52)
Victor Diaz, no doubt, very technical too. I love him too.

No, just, I mean, like following this guy, like Sarah is like, even when he went to the pros, he had a bad episode too with like the fans of Sao Paulo when he went to the first team. And they kind of like...

Jamil Roberts (26:01)
Hmm

Pedro Dolabella (26:20)
really took a hold on him mentally, like they abused him big time, like because he missed a PK on like the U-20 final and the fans went crazy and he deleted all social media, he went through a hard time. And then he came back, the coach, another coach gave him a chance and then he came on the other side, they killed it, got sold to Norwich. I mean, Gema knows like more than, more than me, whatever about like where Norwich is, is like more countryside, right?

Jamil Roberts (26:29)
Ahem.

Pedro Dolabella (26:50)
like to the CD.

Jamil Roberts (26:51)
It's actually closer to Dom's end than mine.

Dom Okus (26:54)
Yeah, yeah, so it's really south, southeast of the UK, not far from like the coast. But yeah, nothing really going on in Norwich. It's not like Brazil at all.

Jamil Roberts (26:58)
That's

Pedro Dolabella (27:07)
Yeah, no, and to be able to excel there in one of the toughest leagues in the world. And now he's in Galatasaray, balling out Europa League, watching him play with all these big-time players. It makes you so proud of the guy. Through everything the guy's been through and now playing such a top level, it's so hard to not be happy for a person like that.

Jamil Roberts (27:36)
Mm-hmm.

Pedro Dolabella (27:37)
He changed his whole life because of football. I would say, besides his quality and the person he is, he's a top, top guy. He's so humble and he deserves all the success. So Gabriel Sarra, think he's... And he was never the top player in the academy. Bench, blah, blah, blah. Took longer to develop. He's one of the ones that reached the highest level, for sure.

Jamil Roberts (27:44)
Ahem.

That's awesome. I love them stories about late bloomers and and lads that weren't really necessarily the best in the age group that Put the work in and got there. So yeah, I love that answer mate. Anyway, Dom Bring us on to the next

Pedro Dolabella (28:06)
I'll see you then.

Dom Okus (28:08)
Yeah, man.

100 % 100 % Now probably another difficult question for you but who's the best player you've played against?

Pedro Dolabella (28:29)
Best player I've against.

This is a hard one. I would say like...

Well, I have to think, but let me see. Let me say quick answer. Like one of the toughest players like that I remember, maybe not the best, maybe I'm missing, but they had the best performance against us was in the final against Indiana, the right winger, Herbert, I think the name is named.

Jamil Roberts (29:00)
let me look it up. I know the one, the rapid, rapid lad.

Pedro Dolabella (29:07)
Yeah, like this, maybe like I've had better players played against me, but like, because of the stakes of that game. And like what he meant for us, like, besides like emotionally and all this stuff, like the way like he gave us nightmares on that game and like almost took away.

Jamil Roberts (29:11)
Mm-hmm

Yeah, and he was the only one. He did everything on his own.

Dom Okus (29:32)
Okay.

Pedro Dolabella (29:32)
No, and crazy. He would get the ball on his half and he would dribble the whole team and we would have to tackle him like crazy. And like, he's the guy that almost took away our dream, I would say. So that's why it sticks the most, this guy. I think now he's in North Texas, close to you actually, right? Like in the same state at least. He won MLS Next Pro Final right now and he was a...

Dom Okus (29:39)
Wow.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Right, right, right, right. Yeah, yeah.

yeah yes in state yeah

Pedro Dolabella (30:01)
MVP I saw the other day I'm like that Good for him Yeah

Jamil Roberts (30:05)
Was he really good for him man good for him. He was like legit was a Great player. I'm still trying to find his his bloody name so we can actually shout him out for real

Dom Okus (30:17)
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. We'll get that as you'll find it out.

Pedro Dolabella (30:19)
think it's Herbert. Something Herbert.

Jamil Roberts (30:22)
Something like that little I just remember one play where he where he turned max and not many people do that not many people turn max Schneider and he left max in the dust and you know, I completely agree with Pedro like he He nearly ruined everything But luckily luckily didn't I'm gonna I'm on the on the Indiana website here

Dom Okus (30:40)
You nearly broke your hearts.

Pedro Dolabella (30:41)
Yeah.

Dom Okus (30:52)
As you're that up, we'll go to the next question and then we'll just pause and give him a shout out. So, you spoke a little bit about Pedro, about getting together with the boys, it was your birthday weekend, going out, all of that stuff. So, I know you're a man who likes to enjoy, can tell by your energy. You're going on a night out and you can pick three teammates, past or present, to go out with. Who are you bringing? Yeah, night out. Who are you picking? Who are you picking?

Pedro Dolabella (31:13)
Light out.

Jamil captain of the squad for sure

Jamil Roberts (31:21)
Herbert Endley, Endley.

Pedro Dolabella (31:26)
I don't know, you're okay.

Dom Okus (31:26)
Herbert Enley. Shout out to Herbert, man.

Jamil Roberts (31:28)
Yeah, anyway, we're not picking him for a night out.

Dom Okus (31:31)
Yes.

Pedro Dolabella (31:36)
Yeah, thank you for not ruining our dreams. I'd say that for sure.

Dom Okus (31:39)
hahahaha

Pedro Dolabella (31:41)
But okay, the night out, Fantastic Four, would say Jamil Milo and Paulo Pita for sure. I think it happened too many times, this squad, not to be mentioned.

Dom Okus (31:45)
Three. Three go.

Okay.

Pedro Dolabella (31:57)
but in college, know, like obviously back in the day it was like, it was not different, different world. But nowadays, no, this doesn't happen.

Jamil Roberts (32:01)
different world.

Yeah, I I love that squad. I love that squad and and I'm glad i'm glad you said that because one that's three episodes in a row by the way dom that i've been picked just reminding you

Dom Okus (32:17)
Here we go, here we go. Not that your friends or anything, f**king hell!

Pedro Dolabella (32:22)
No, I'm gonna pick somebody else, not the host.

Jamil Roberts (32:28)
Let's keep the streak going No, no, but Pedro just go into a little bit obviously People people on the podcast know me by now Well, let's dive a little deeper into into Milo and Paulo and and just what why they're a good time on a night out and maybe

Dom Okus (32:32)
Hahaha

Jamil Roberts (32:50)
Maybe just a little funny story, not necessarily on a night out, but just something I know a few are popping into my head about Paulo especially. just go into them a little bit.

Pedro Dolabella (33:02)
I feel like, especially when you're going a night out, you don't want anybody to be a buzz killer, you know? Like you just want a high energy. want like, if somebody has an idea, let's do it. I don't want anybody to say, no, screw that. Let's do it, whatever. Boys will be boys, you know? And I feel like with these three guys beside me, it's like the night will never end.

Jamil Roberts (33:02)
Mm-mm.

Pedro Dolabella (33:27)
Unless somebody is able to schedule a meeting after, know, to have some good times. there's too many episodes, I feel like, at the Union or even on some away trips that we did. I don't know.

Jamil Roberts (33:35)
A meeting.

Dom Okus (33:38)
You

Pedro Dolabella (33:56)
when just these faces are always involved, I would say. Like if I remember a night, I remember that they were there. So it's like, it's always good to, when we get together to, you remember when? And obviously everybody remember, because obviously we were the ones living life.

Jamil Roberts (34:06)
Yeah, yeah.

who carried out the task. I want to give a special shout out because he's someone that goes under the radar a lot in those nights and that's Colin, Colin Mossiunis. Because Colin, he wasn't always there because he was, you know, had a little bit more of a serious degree than the rest of us. But when he was, he was, was...

Dom Okus (34:20)
Hehehehehe

Pedro Dolabella (34:21)
like in the college days.

Not for sure.

Jamil Roberts (34:45)
Definitely just as much of a menace back in the days. So special shout out to Colin there

Dom Okus (34:50)
Big up Colin, man, great guy. Right, just to close us out then, our final question of Extra Time is, what is your biggest achievement on the pitch so far?

Pedro Dolabella (34:51)
No, big time. Cool. I love you too, bro.

Jamil Roberts (34:54)
hahahaha

Pedro Dolabella (35:08)
My biggest achievement on the pitch is definitely winning the national championship. It's always going to be my answer. feel like unless I win the World Cup, it's going to be it. Because yeah, people may look down. It's not professional. It's like college. And I've heard it too many times. This year, I'm hearing, it didn't count because it was in the spring. Some teams didn't play. Yada, yada, yada, yada, yada.

Jamil Roberts (35:19)
Hahaha

Mm-hmm heard that one

Why didn't you win then?

Pedro Dolabella (35:38)
But it's not for me, it's like not for them

Jamil Roberts (35:40)
If it was that easy, why didn't you just go and do it?

Dom Okus (35:43)
Facts. Facts.

Jamil Roberts (35:46)
You didn't do it, we did.

Pedro Dolabella (35:46)
I'm for simple.

Dom Okus (35:49)
Simple, simple.

Pedro Dolabella (35:51)
I feel like I'm past the time to get mad about these comments because for me it the closing of a journey that couldn't have been done better. Being like the whole journey, the whole five, four and a half years that we were at Marshall, four years or whatever. If you told me day one we would win national championship I would say...

Jamil Roberts (36:18)
Go back to the library

Pedro Dolabella (36:18)
They're like, go run, go train, go play. But then when you see things happening and how it starts developing and you start believing and like, you say, I don't believe it. And then I only believe it when I see it. When I see it, I don't believe it. It's like something like that, you know?

Jamil Roberts (36:43)
Yeah

Pedro Dolabella (36:46)
When you see the different reactions of every single person when Jameel scored the game winner, it's like, you know, everybody went through a different kind of feeling. And I feel like it was too special not to say that was my biggest achievement because it still is. And I mean, I still think about it and see pictures until today, for sure.

Dom Okus (37:11)
amazing amazing and yeah you just gotta block out all of that stupid hate man like it's an amazing achievement winning at any level of football winning something is an amazing achievement let alone winning the biggest prize there is in college soccer so yeah people are just gonna hate anyway because they weren't there so just gotta brush it off just gotta brush it off exactly exactly exactly exactly exactly but jab i'm gonna kick it back to you my bro

Pedro Dolabella (37:20)
Mm-hmm.

Makes it better, makes it better, the haters.

Jamil Roberts (37:34)
Sweet of the juice man

Yeah,

thank you Dom for taking us through extra time. Thank you Pedro for some quality answers there and I guess I think that's a good place for us to wrap up on behalf of myself and Dom if you've made it this far. Thanks ever so much for listening. Pedro, thanks ever so much for your time mate. I miss you every day and I long for the day that we play in the same uniform again.

But on behalf of me and Dom once again. Thank you for coming on Thank you for listening go ahead and smash the like button on the video and subscribe to us on YouTube as well Ring the bell so you never miss an episode Follow us on all the socials at the back stick pod and Comment in the video leave a comment in the the in the socials DM us whatever let us know who you want to hear from next But without further ado

from myself, from Dom and from Pedro, we're signing off. So thanks for listening and we'll see you next week.

Dom Okus (38:47)
Peace.

Pedro Dolabella (38:48)
Thank you, thank you, John. Thank you, Don, for having me. It was fun.

Jamil Roberts (38:51)
Ha

Dom Okus (38:52)
Of course, of of course, of