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Seattle Sounders Lineup Puzzle Just Got Harder
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We'll kick off with a full breakdown of another 1-1 draw for the Seattle Sounders and why the result felt like two points dropped after the Sporting KC stalemate. Then, we shift into the ongoing discourse: who should lead the Sounders' attack? Was Danny Musovski’s goal against San Diego enough to earn him a run in the starting role? We also address the emerging left-back issue after Nouhou appeared to take a knock late in the match, who might need to step in, and how that change could affect the lineup. Later on, we preview a daunting midweek matchup with the high-flying, league-leading San Jose Earthquakes and outline adjustments Seattle must make to survive a side in excellent form. Finally, we scan MLS Matchday 12, highlight LAFC’s surprising collapse to Houston, and consider whether Concacaf Champions Cup fatigue is a league-wide factor.
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Partnership with QED Coffee
00:00:03
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As you know, we're huge fans of supporting local business. We've partnered with Seattle coffee roaster, QED Coffee, to bring a full spectrum of coffees to our listeners. Matt, the owner, is a diehard Sounders fan and inaugural season ticket holder who can often be overheard talking about the latest match while he works behind the bar. Thankfully, you don't have to live in Seattle to get great coffee.
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QED's high-quality coffee subscription service offers our favorite blends right to your door. at lobbing scorchers.com slash coffee. First time subscribers can get 25% off your order.
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Additionally, QED is offering Lobbing Scorcher supporters 25% off site-wide with the code LS74. What are you waiting for? Visit one of their three locations in Mount Baker, West Seattle, and Three Tree Point, or go to lobbing scorchers.com slash coffee and use code LS74 at checkout.
Live Streaming on YouTube
00:00:52
Speaker
This episode of Lobbing Scorchers was previously recorded and streamed live on YouTube.com slash at Lobbing Scorchers. If you want to listen or catch these episodes live, see the video, and see all the rest of our content, go to YouTube.com slash at Lobbing Scorchers or LobbingScorchers.com slash YouTube.
00:01:14
Speaker
Well, sir, we got a scorcher today. Gonna be a real scorcher today. why the scorcher today? Well, it's gonna be scorcher.
00:01:36
Speaker
Good morning, everybody, and welcome to another episode of Lobbing Scorchers Kickoff.
Seattle Sounders' Match Recap
00:01:41
Speaker
I'm Ari. That's Nico. We're going to be hanging out here this morning talking some Seattle Sounders in Major League Soccer, and we got a lot to get to. We're going to be reviewing this 1-1 draw, second straight 1-1 draw for the Seattle Sounders, this time against San Diego FC. We're going to be getting into the striker debate, who should be starting arguments for and against each candidate. going to be looking at this left-back situation. Looked like Nuhu took a knock at the end of the San Diego game. We're going to be talking about the update on that and who could be sliding in ah in his place on Wednesday against San Jose back at Lumen Field, which we're going to be previewing that match as well. Best team in the league coming to Seattle. And then at the end, maybe jump around the league a little bit. Talk about some LAFC downfall watch. So a lot to get to Nico. What's up, man? How you doing?
00:02:27
Speaker
Hey, what's going on, Ari? Of course, ah hello to all of family, family. It was an explosive weekend in in MLS. There was some some killer games. Maybe not so much the Sounders. I guess ah the end of the the game was was exciting, but there's plenty to talk about. There's some newsworthy stuff. I mean, we're we're not going to have much insight on...
00:02:56
Speaker
updates and things like that because we're not uh we haven't gone to the training field just yet but we could definitely talk about that starting 11 against san jose so yeah man plenty to talk about so let's get going Before we get into it, I do have to let you all know that Lobbing Scorchers kickoff is presented by QED Coffee, our new title sponsor, and our favorite Seattle-based roaster, coffee shop, and coffee subscription service. Visit them in person at one of their three Seattle locations in West Seattle, 3 Tree Point, in Burien, and Mount Baker Ridge. Tell them Lobbing Scorchers sent you. Or online, use the code LS74, lobbingscorchers.com slash coffee for 25% off everything across the site. Best way you can support the show, folks. Lobbingscors.com slash coffee. Pick up your subscription to QED Coffee or hop on the site, code LS74, grab your merch, and get a little mug just like the one I got right here. So what are you waiting for?
00:03:49
Speaker
Go sub to QED, support the show. My mug is underway, by the way. My mug is underway. I've seen the comments. i've i' It's coming. It's coming, though. so that's That's my fault. I was supposed to bring that to you at the game, but we'll get you set up with that just in short order.
Challenges in Scoring Goals
00:04:04
Speaker
But ah all right, Nico, let's ah let's start with this San Diego draw, second straight 1-1 draw, and kind of the second straight 1-1 draw that followed a similar script of a lot of shots for Seattle.
00:04:18
Speaker
The XG was cooking. There were some good chances in the game, but they only get one goal. This time, they have to come back to salvage the 1-1 draw. Like you mentioned, a lot of chances at the end, too, to win this game for Seattle, but instead, It's two straight 1-1 draws, and I think, Nico, there's a bit of a sentiment, correct sentiment, that this this attack is slumping a little bit right now. They're struggling. they're They're getting their looks, but they're not finishing them, and of course, we're going to get into the striker debate. But I guess, Nico, why don't we just start off with your takes on another 1-1 draw, what you saw in this game, and and then we'll we'll get into what's going on with the attack a little bit in the whole number nine situation.
00:05:04
Speaker
Yeah, so look, i'm a I'm not as encouraged or as positive as I was after the Sporting Kansas City game.
00:05:16
Speaker
And that might be odd because San Diego is a better team than Sporting Kansas City. But the fact that this team played so below what I expected them to play on the offensive end really...
00:05:34
Speaker
It doesn't concern me quite yet, but it's starting to make me think that Brian needs to expedite the final touches on that offense.
00:05:48
Speaker
I think that as much as Jordan Morris put in a lot of effort and he put in a big shift, when we talk about the effectiveness of his play at the nine,
00:06:05
Speaker
It wasn't great. I thought that obviously that gold that he gets, man, that would have done wonders. yeah But just the difficulties he had with the physicality of Dua and McVay. And i thought that he was going to ground a little easy at times.
00:06:28
Speaker
And those sort of situations are... what kind of people have been wanting to see from him, right? It's, it's, it's that, that, that speed, that aggressiveness, you know, he had a couple of, of chances, of opportunities in front of goal. There's one in the third minute that I think Albert Rusnak slips him through. in front of goal. He misses that one. There's another one inside the 18 ah he, Sue slips him through you
00:07:02
Speaker
Dua does a good job of getting in front of him. And, and you know, to to Jordan's credit, he moves around and ends up giving like a little back heel to create an opportunity. ah But is that decisiveness that that concerns me about it?
00:07:18
Speaker
And I think, and it's my opinion, that in order to work out the kinks of that offense, you have to stick to one and and allow it to you know You grease it up, you figure out what it is that that you need to do, but you've got to see it through.
00:07:37
Speaker
and as much as the nine debate is a huge point of of emphasis, and we hear about it after every game, and we hear about it every week, and Brian has says has said already a few times now that he needs somebody to own it, to to grab it, to make it make it theirs.
00:08:01
Speaker
we're to the point where you have to just kind of give players in a cohesive unit of, of, of this team to just work it out. So if it was my decision, you played with Jordan Morris in this one, he was okay. There were some bad moments, but you got to take that the positives out of at least those first 15 minutes You got to take the possibility, the the positivity of that goal that got taken away by ah fingernail or, you know, a toe.
00:08:41
Speaker
And you got to hope that that gets better because it is about timing. it is about understanding when to make that run. But at the very least, there is some sort of.
00:08:53
Speaker
Work frame that in my opinion Is going to give you the best output Now I know that Danny Mussofsky Brigade is going to be Upset about that and Rightfully so because Danny Mussofsky Came in he put in The work but I think Danny Can do this off the bench man look there's Career poachers that come off The bench and make it their thing where I'm going to come in. I'm going to be the guy that when the the game is stagnant and when my team cannot get a goal, they know that I can get on the field and score a a goal.
00:09:28
Speaker
And to me, it feels like it fits him a little bit better because Danny Musavsku also had a couple of opportunities in front of goal that he did not take advantage of. Right. And and they were pretty clear. Albert slipped him through as well. Yes. and and he wasn't able to finish. and And if we go back to his last start, he wasn't able to score. So with all that said, I think that there's enough talent in this roster for me to think that they
Striker Position Discussion
00:09:57
Speaker
can close this first part of the season well.
00:10:01
Speaker
But it also tells me that that striker of the future, that guy that's going to take the torch, the the player that can essentially the that top talent level isn't there for the ninth position. and and And even Jordan at his best, look great. If he can get to that form that he had a couple of years ago when he's finishing and he is working defenses and he's doing a lot of that holdup play, but also being dangerous to get behind defenses, that's awesome. But you need, in my opinion, someone else to give you –
00:10:39
Speaker
Another option. I would love to say that it's Osase, but it isn't. Osase is another guy that we were all very high on that had these opportunities. And I still think he's going to be a ah contributor for this team, but he's not the guy. So for me, that's where I'm at with this offense is I'm patient enough that I know it's coming.
00:11:01
Speaker
I'm annoyed enough that I think this attack needs some help. But overall, I just thought that the Sounders played below their level. and I'll do it real quickly. I thought Albert had a bad game. i thought, um despite him putting in a couple of of very good through balls, i I still think that his first touch wasn't there. His distribution wasn't there. Him and Jesus were occupying the same spaces. But that all goes back to
00:11:32
Speaker
consistent play with those around you so you can work that out. And look, they had it dialed last season, but this year they just need to continue to work that out. So I thought Jesus Ferreira didn't have a great game either. i thought he was okay. i thought he was engaging. I thought he created some moments, both defensively and ah offensively, but decision-making wasn't there and his sharpness wasn't there. It was one of those games where,
00:12:03
Speaker
You look at his positioning and the opportunities that he creates, but then you look at the final product and you're like, ah he's just not having a good day, right? And so
00:12:15
Speaker
to me, this San Diego game was very winnable. I thought that it was going to put you in the front seat to end this homestand pretty well. Because the ultimate problem here is that if you did all the right things on the road,
00:12:32
Speaker
and you start to drop points the way you did against San Diego, and you let it be a habit, it hinders your opportunity to not just get the shield, but to keep that momentum through the break, through that World Cup break, and into the second part of the season. So that that's kind of my very early, in a nutshell, thoughts on this game.
00:12:55
Speaker
Interesting. So you're saying that you still like gaining Mussovsky more in the Will Bruin, Chad Barrett kind of role rather than as the guy you're going to ride as the ah starter, which I think there's, uh, there could be something to that, uh,
00:13:13
Speaker
I also think that what you were saying before that as to you kind of have to pick someone and give them some extended run. That's kind of where I'm at. And I feel like that Moose is kind of front of the line for that. And it's. I don't want to make it just on who scored the most recent goal, but that's kind of what determines it. Whoever is actually putting the ball in the back of the net is going to be the one who gets the opportunities. And to me, it looked like Moose was playing like a guy who knew that. He was playing like a guy who knew that, okay, I mean, all I have to do is score a goal right here, and then I'm probably going to be starting the next game. And then if I score a goal in that game, I'm probably going to be starting the next game after that. So I got to turn up here. I got to get one. And then he did get one. Like you mentioned, though, there he had a couple of bad misses in his own right. And he made it he made up for it with the goal. So I'm not pressed at him over it. But i mean, I just think there are certain things where if they went a slightly different way, like they easily could have gone. We're probably having a different conversation. I mean, the Jordan Morris breakaway goal is one of them. I think he's arguably on side there. I think the left back was arguably keeping him on. I'm biased, but I would prefer the AR keep the flag down there. And then you look at that ah after the fact to see. And if they had done that, then that goal will probably stands. So, you know, i don't want to overreact to a situation necessarily where they're literally 0.2 inches from him getting a goal. That would have changed the entire conversation. And, you know, same thing with with Moose. I think the the one that you mentioned where Albert put him through and he had a wide open shot and he had it saved.
00:14:47
Speaker
That's another example of like, okay, even in a game where the offense wasn't playing well, that's a look that you would, if mo Moose finishes that, it's another Moose goal. It's an Albert Rusnak primary assist that would have ah counted, although it's San Diego FC, so I guess...
00:15:02
Speaker
they They'd be borderline if it counts, but it would have been an Albert Rusak primary assist. He still gets he gets a secondary assist on the on the Moose goal, which you I know your people are going to say that doesn't count because it's a secondary assist, but it was still it was a good set piece that resulted in a goal. So there was some good stuff in there.
00:15:21
Speaker
ah But like I guess it also just it reminds me too much of the XG merchanting debates of 2024. I mean, how often did we have this conversation? And we're kind of in the exact same situation where it's like, okay, I mean, the chance generation is pretty good.
00:15:34
Speaker
But if Pedro de la Vega not out there, do you really do you have enough to be rightfully expecting to have the firepower to hang with these other best teams in the West? Like they're at the very least now after these last couple games, that's an open conversation. But I'll tell you where I'm at as far as who should be the starting number nine against the Quakes on Wednesday. Like, I think it should be Moose. I think you got to try and ride that and see if you can get him performing like 2025 Moose, where he did. He had 18 goals, all comps last year. So even if you're not, high on Moose as the number nine of the future or the starting number nine for this team. I think as it stands right now, the combination of track record and most recent form, ah combined with the fact that I think Jordan Morris has been looking pretty good out wide, but it does lend some interesting lineup questions because if you bump Jordan Morris back outright and you have Moose up top, then you can't start Jesus Ferreira without taking off Paul Rothrock, which are you really going to take off Paul Rothrock, especially in this game against the Quakes where he was the one who scored the game winner against them the last time these two teams played? I have a hard time seeing that. So it's a little bit of ah of a catch-22. Like, Nico, what do you think they're going to do Wednesday?
Upcoming Matches Overview
00:16:46
Speaker
Do you think it's going to be Jordan up top with Paul Rothrock still in the starting 11? Or do you bump Jordan out wide and and start Moose without Paul Rothrock? Because I think there's a pretty solid argument that what they should try doing is you keep Paul Rothrock out there, you start Moose, and you have Jordan in the super sub role, but then you're in a situation where it's like, all right, well...
00:17:08
Speaker
the the DP nine as a super sub, that's not an ideal allocation of resources. So, I mean, what do you, who do you think starts at the, at the nine on Wednesday? I'm, I want it to be Moose, but I honestly am not really sure what direction Schmetz is going to go here.
00:17:23
Speaker
Yeah. It's a difficult one because then you have, know, The Galaxy game? ah Is that what it is on Saturday? Okay, hold on. Sorry. I'm i'm sorry I had to say. James, brother, that was ah that was a set play. that That is designed to go to Christian for him to put it back across goal. That was not a mishit corner kick. Let's get our... We got it we got to stay in in in reality on that. All right. But ah please, Nico. what what what What did James say?
00:17:51
Speaker
He was saying that the that the corner kick that Rusnak got the secondary assist on was like a biffed corner that Christian had to like heroically come in and salvage. Oh, no, that's set up. That's a set does that separate play.
00:18:02
Speaker
Yeah. And look, um real quick on that. Maybe I'm being too harsh on Albert. Maybe he had an okay game just like Jesus because look, they worked on set pieces a lot this week, maybe more than I've seen them work on set pieces. So oh that was absolutely by design. And I thought that,
00:18:24
Speaker
Albert was put in the ball where he needed to put it. His set pieces, whatever you want to want to say about him, his set pieces have been pretty nails this year. The set pieces in general on the team have been good this year, especially the last like month or so.
00:18:34
Speaker
Yeah, and he created seven chances as well. I just think that there were moments that... were decisive that he also didn't do well, but also Ferrer as well. I mean, there were moments where he got into the 18 and he like, I don't know what happened to him. I thought that he got hit, but then he didn't. He kind of just like kind of fell onto the ball. There was another one where he just kind of and like three or four times where he passed the ball into space to absolutely nobody. Yeah. But, but, but look, Albert, at the end of the day, going back to what you were saying, which is moving on to Wednesday, mean, it's difficult because,
00:19:11
Speaker
I know that b Brian was to see Paul Arriola. So I would not be surprised if Paul Roth works on the bench. He had a very difficult game as well. I mean, he was crashing, pushing, running. He you know wasn't as effective as he usually is, but I think it was a very odd game there because there was space to be had, but At the same time, because Seattle was not as sharp as they typically are, whenever Paul Rutherford would get to those spots, there wasn't enough runners going into the box or there was a bad pass taken. um
00:19:47
Speaker
But I do think that we might see Paul Arriola in this particular game. Who do I want to see at the nine? I want to see Jordan again, start, that that's me. i just You got to rotate. You got to try to figure out where he's at physically, of course.
00:20:02
Speaker
But if it was me and and and Jordan could hold on and and and and do it, and maybe that's asking too much for a player that that has been injured as much as Jordan, I would try to figure out a way to just play this lineup consistently. Or maybe you rotate on Wednesday and then you bring back Jordan against the Galaxy and then the last game of the season at LAFC, I think that's what it is. um and so there's galaxy There's Galaxy and then LAFC.
00:20:30
Speaker
Yeah, so that's what I'm saying. i mean Maybe there is a way for you to do that, but regardless of maybe this ah Wednesday game against the San Jose team that has a lot of injuries right now, although they had a really good showing against Vancouver. I mean, they kind of held on for their life, to be quite honest. Vancouver was all over it, but you know, there's no shame in just holding on for, for a draw. And so can they do that here? I mean, that that that'd be interesting. So to me, if you, if I could have in my way and,
00:21:05
Speaker
the sports science department would allow it. I would once again, start Jordan at least 45 to 60 minutes. And then I would bring somebody else in. But again, my whole idea on how to drastically figure out why this team, despite being, you know, fourth in the conference, they are one of the lowest scoring teams. I think that they're like bottom three, bottom four in scoring. And so,
00:21:34
Speaker
In order for me to drastically change that, i just want to have you guys figure out, look, that we're going to give this the starting four, this is my starting four, and you guys figure it out. And that's just the way I would do it. so If I had my choice, that's who I would go with.
00:21:50
Speaker
Zach says the game was lost by the defense. Letting the pass from Godoy to the top of the box was unforgivable. See, I disagree. Like, ah well, first of all, the game was not technically lost. Okay. It was drawn. Your chances at winning were ah we're lost. But no, like, see, I think this game, I think this result was on the ah was on the offense.
Defense and Midfield Analysis
00:22:10
Speaker
Yeah, you got you conceded another really bad goal, but you've conceded six goals all season. All right. That's pretty good work from the defense. And you're not going to keep a clean sheet every single game. You're going to get scored on sometimes this in Varkson. Okay, he's a good player. If you put him in front of goal, he's gonna score some of them. You need to be able to to concede one goal in a game, even a home game, and still be able to score multiple goals and win. So I think the defense has been playing well all season. I think they've been playing their asses off and they've conceded a couple of pretty horrendous goals of the last couple games, but it's still only two goals. Like those are, those are, these are both games. You should have been able to win despite conceding one goal. ah The sporting Kansas city one, you really should have been able to win that even with that concession. And I think this one too, you got, you got scored on first. It was early in the game. You had the a whole lot of the rest of the game to come back and tie the game and win the game credit to them for tying the game. But I think that this was a situation. I said it on the post game show. This was a situation where the offense needed to pick the defense up. The defense is not going to play like flawless mistake, free footy with zero concessions every single minute of every single game. every single week. That's just not going to happen. You need when you're in those situations where you do concede a goal, even a really bad goal like that, the offense has to has to pick up the defense there. What do you think about that, Nico?
00:23:33
Speaker
Look, I absolutely disagree that it was on the defense. Regardless of how good this Sounders defense has been going into this game, I said, look, San Diego is going to score.
00:23:46
Speaker
This is the talented offensive team. i was expecting to give up at least one. Right. my My score prediction was three one because I thought it was going to be an open game the way it kind of was at times. I thought that Seattle was going to have space to run on to, which Seattle did for the majority of the game. They were just unable to be clinical and finish those chances.
00:24:07
Speaker
But the defense defenses held on fine. And look, they had some bad moments in possession. I mean, there was at least three or four chances that... San Diego created that they didn't finish either because Andrew Thomas was on his game and and we got applaud Andrew Thomas for the performance he had. There was three or four saves that it was like, oh man, he he's just all over, right? Including that last one at the end where they almost lost this game on that. They almost lost this game on that. Dreyer made Andrew Thomas made her really make a really good save and then Ingvarkson has the rebound that he put high but not high that much. You almost lost that game. That would have been...
00:24:48
Speaker
really bad Yeah, so so i if i was to maybe harp on the defense, it would be some of those really bad moments they had in possession and building out the back. Nuhu has one where he tries to clear it and then he turns around and just gives like a yeah medicine ball back to Andrew Thomas and it turns into an opportunity. So...
00:25:09
Speaker
for what it's worth, they they held on for their life in those moments. and And if there's anything that this defense has done, led by Jackson Reagan, who had a phenomenal game, and Alex Rodan, who I've said multiple occasions, he's just very good at emergency defense. They were able to get bodies there. They were able to just make the play not not finish. But building out of the back and and handling San Diego's press. That's the only component or facet of the game from that back line that I had issues with. Kalani had a couple of bad giveaways as well. um
00:25:50
Speaker
But when it comes to just defense and holding on, that band don't break that we love so much, I thought that he did that fine. So it was on the offense. You should have created better moments.
00:26:04
Speaker
As much as I praise Jesus in this one, he had a couple of chances. There's that one ball he gets inside the 18 and he passes it back first, first touch. That that that's gotta be in. You gotta just, just have that. Just take it.
00:26:19
Speaker
You need to do that. Jordan, the one that I mentioned earlier, same thing. I mean, you you just gotta have more aggressiveness. So, If the Sounders did not win this game, it was mainly because the offense was unable to capitalize on opportunities and the volume of play that they had and harping on the vulnerabilities of this San Diego team that they were there. They were there. They were there for you to have.
00:26:47
Speaker
I think the midfield was inconsistent, irregular, because Christian had a really good game, especially finding players in in pockets in between lines. that There was a part of the second half where he put like three or four balls into on top of the 18 into perfect pockets where Ferraro couldn't quite hold on to it and he bounced out or ah ah Rothrock couldn't quite get where he needed to get to.
00:27:16
Speaker
um but defensively, man, I thought Godoy was given too much space. and And look, I don't know if Godoy listens to what we learned this week. Probably doesn't. But I was talking about Godoy at his age. And in the last game, he looked gassed, like after the 60th minute. In this one, he put on a clinic.
00:27:35
Speaker
I mean, Godoy really... drove that San Diego team. And I'm not used to saying, hey, you know, the Sounders lost the midfield because that's one of the core principles of this team. But look, they got kind of beat up there with a Valakari. I mean, the goal that, that that yes, that it's definitely on Nuhu because he doesn't shift inside. He should have had that man. But Valakari picks up the ball with...
00:28:05
Speaker
Yards and yards of space. I mean, the guy could have, you know, checked his text messages, put the phone back in his pocket, turned around and still found Everstein running into the the box. So those are the things where your midfield needs to be pressing on that guy. You cannot allow him to be in that pocket, that by himself. So it wasn't a perfect game, like I said, and there's a lot to work with. And and I'm annoyed because...
00:28:32
Speaker
What I said to you, Ari, last week was, I don't love what I saw in Sporting Kansas City. I'm not concerned unless those aspects and those mistakes continue to happen. This is game two where we're repeating yeah the same offenses.
00:28:52
Speaker
Lack of intensity at moments, turning off and not having field awareness of certain spots. And ah not being clinical in front of goal. So if we continue to repeat those things, that's where going start getting worried against San Jose.
00:29:09
Speaker
Hopefully you're able to correct that. Yeah, regarding Jesus, I think this was my least favorite Jesus game of the season ah in that there were those couple moments that you mentioned where the decision making in the final third and in transition, there was just there was a couple moments where they could have had a better chance with better decision making.
00:29:31
Speaker
ah But even in saying that, I feel like that both Jesus and Albert Rusnak have been playing pretty well the last few weeks. And even in these last two games where you've taken negative results, like ah to me, those guys is their primary, their primary job. First and foremost is chance generation, chance creation, creativity set in other guys. up that's what uh rusnak's role is and that's what jesus ferreira's role apparently on this team has become so if they're doing that i consider them doing their jobs and i don't i don't think chance generation has been the issue these last couple games i think the chances in the san diego game were not as good as the ones in the sporting kc game sporting kc game you had nine shots on target this one you only had four out of 27 you had 27 shots in back-to-back games Sporting KC game, I think there were they were a lot better opportunities. Four out of 27 on target against San Diego isn't that good. But I can point to a lot of chances that both Jesus and Albert Rusnak generated, even in this last game against San Diego. Like you even said it, Albert Rusnak had seven chances.
00:30:40
Speaker
Created. all right That's like a usually a pretty good day at the office for a number 10. And then, you know, Jesus was in the mix with some danger as well in the San Diego game. But there was there was more moments than usual where it felt like his decision making was just off. So, you know, hopefully that's something that can get corrected again. Like, I feel like there was a couple instances in this game that you you can chalk it up to bad luck, but also, I mean, it is two games in a row and it also, it is, it is eerily reminiscent of the XG Merchanting of 2024. yeah. They're going to get an opportunity to show that that's not the case and that they can finish some of these off.
00:31:20
Speaker
But ah let's ah let's shift gears to looking at this Quakes team and where they're at a little bit. Before we do that, please, everyone, like the video. I don't know how many likes we're on with this video, but I do know that it's not enough. Like the video and subscribe to the channel. We're on the road to 4K subs, so toss us a sub if you have not. already But let's ah let's look at the Quakes, Nico, because you got a team that's the best team in the league record wise points per game wise, and they have looked like the best team in the league this year.
00:31:49
Speaker
ah But you also have a team that I think everyone's kind of dragging right Nico, like everyone. Not not just Seattle, but everyone at the top of the West is struggling a little bit. Every single team we're going Ryan, I saw you commenting about LAFC. We're going to talk about LAFC because there's some implications, I think, for everyone else in the West with what's going on with them. But then other the top four right now, I feel like is pretty clear.
00:32:13
Speaker
It's San Jose, it's Vancouver, it's l LAC, and it's Seattle. You got Minnesota in the mix there somehow. you got RSL who have come back down to earth a little bit that are, I think those teams, though, we're talking about like a pretty like clear next tier below. And all four of these top four teams that I just mentioned are kind of going through it right now. And San Jose is is no exception, Nico. I didn't even realize this until I was watching the game, but ah ah both of San Jose's top chance creators,
00:32:43
Speaker
Nikos Kyrus and Timo Werner were injured for this Vancouver game. And so Bruce Arena even admitted it. I'm i'm taking this from ah Doyle's tactics free zone, but this is a quote from Bruce Arena after their game against the Whitecaps where they ended up also taking a 1-1 draw. Bruce Arena said, right now we're in a little bit of a tough space right now with a couple injuries and those types of things.
00:33:05
Speaker
We just got to hang in there. They've given a good effort. We lack some quality tonight. We have to ah look at that and maybe make a few other adjustments to try and close out the month of May. Then we'll have plenty of time to get ready when the schedule resumes in July. So basically what he's saying there is like, look, we're in surviv survival mode right now. we got secure us out. It looks like a freaking MVP candidate. We got Timo Werner out who has looked really, really good. Honestly, when he's played so far this year, like, We're just trying to, this is attrition right now. We're just trying to get to the end of the line before the world cup break here and survive. And that's exactly how this Vancouver game played out. This was very much the type of game where they were sitting back absorbing pressure the entire time. it ended up 71, 29 possession for the white caps. Okay. Uh,
00:33:50
Speaker
Vancouver 2.2 XG San Diego only at one 16 shots to seven touches in the opposition box 35 to 11. So all that is to say, like the quakes are in a situation right now where they're not really, they're not at that level that they were early in the season when they were tearing everyone apart. Like they're injured right now. They're limp into the finish line of the, before the world cup break. And they got a game where they're,
00:34:16
Speaker
They just played Vancouver and now they have Seattle on the road. It's going to be, it's going to be tough, but like, I, I think they're going to come into Lumen field sort of trying and just to survive this game. Kind of like they were in Vancouver and to their credit, like they're a good team. They actually, they, if you do that, if you go into a game like that against the team as good as the white caps and you make it out with the one, one that is, that is good. That's like a, that's a good day at the office. That's a good result. I think they're going to try and do the same thing again,
00:34:43
Speaker
But so that in a way that ah presents an opportunity for Seattle, but you got to take advantage of that. You got to get on top of them. And then you got a not XG merchant. You got to get a couple of these to get and go in the back of the net. I think if we see that we're all going to be feeling a lot better about everything, but they actually have to go out and and do that. But like you're not going to have Nico Securus in this game to deal with. You're not goingnna have Timo Werner in this game to deal with. Those are their two best, most creative, dynamic, facilitating, attacking players. So take advantage of that matchup like this. And if you win this game, Nico, I think I'm going to be, going to feel a lot better about what took place these last two games because Even without Nico Securus and Timo Werner, the Quakes are really, really good. So this definitely would count if you won. all right They're the shield leaders, so I think this would count even without their best players. And it kind of, like you said, it would go a long way in reestablishing some of the momentum you had that's been sapped by these last two draws. So this is ah this is a big game, both for the standings and the playoff positioning and all that, but really for the Western Conference hierarchy. If you sweep the Quakes this year, if you sweep this Quakes team, because you already beat them on the road, if you sweep them, that's ah I think that's ah that's a statement of intent in the Western Conference, but it's also just like ah it's necessary for the vibes. But ah what do you make of what's going on with the Quakes right now, Nico?
00:36:07
Speaker
It's impressive. It's hard to hate.
00:36:11
Speaker
The fact that they face Vancouver without... They're two best players, essentially. And we're able to get a goal in between the first five minutes where Preston Judd is just looking like a killer in front of goal. Yeah, apparently he's the reincarnation of Chris Wondolowski. I didn't know that.
00:36:31
Speaker
But apparently that's what's happening. Yeah. And look, I like Preston Judd. I just wasn't expecting him to be this. I didn't know he was like this. I didn't know he was like this. no, hell no. And so, you know, even modifying, even switching, you know, it Third minute, it's a quick pickup.
00:36:46
Speaker
They switch point of attack. Murray gets on the ball. He puts a great through ball to Preston Judd. And that's about everything they really had going on in the first half. And then they held on. So in a very Bruiserina type of way, this team is going to come in to Lumenfield and be difficult.
00:37:01
Speaker
ah They have some finishers, some gamers, ah some guys that... might not have the top talent, but they're going to be gritty and they're going to be difficult to deal with. And they have a very good defense. And Daniel, out of nowhere, he came from being a goalkeeper that you i thought they needed to quite honestly, trade and move on from last season to him just having a phenomenal season. And he was huge, huge against Vancouver, right? I mean, it takes Seba Bellhalter to break that zero, that zero one deficit because they were down. Yeah. Vancouver was down and then they finally able to get that equalizer, but it took everything for Vancouver to really break it down. So,
00:37:47
Speaker
Anytime that you have a group of players that have an identity and that they will run through a wall for their head coach and that they play with chip on their shoulder, the size of California, that's a difficult team to play. So,
00:38:03
Speaker
For a Sounders team that has struggled on offense, that's got to be what you are spending the next day, i guess, because you it was a quick turnaround. You know, you got to rest and you got to try to figure out. But offensive movements and being more aggressive and taking more chances. Look, Peter Kingston had that one shot that he kind of put over the marker. he almost made that. He almost hits that. And so people are going to just have it.
00:38:30
Speaker
If he hits that, like, I would have seen God, Nico. I would have seen God. Yeah. And you can see Ferreira just, you know, clapping. You know, it's like that's what we need. Seattle needs to just be way, way, way more aggressive against this San Jose team because they got to go against the Ted Lasso way.
00:38:47
Speaker
Don't do the extra pass, man. Just put that ball away. Just be a little selfish. Get it in there. ah You have to be able to put this San Jose team under the rest and they cannot score on you because if this team scores on you, they're going to just be able to just park the bus and the semi and everything else in front of it.
00:39:05
Speaker
Danicus says, ah my big frustration is that nobody seems to want to shoot. Everyone is looking for the extra extra pass. Whatever happened to Helle Greedy? Yeah, that's, I think, what you were getting at right there, Nico, is there was moments in the San Diego game where it was like, yeah, too tentative, too unselfish, not aggressive enough. And there was multiple guys that were guilty of it.
00:39:26
Speaker
Moose had, I think one or two where, especially the one, the one where he ends up putting it off the post, we were all just sitting there like, shoot, shoot, shoot. And he does end up putting it off the post. That was another really good chance, man. Moose had two just really good looks before the goal that, uh, that could have gone in. So, uh,
00:39:47
Speaker
Definitely frustrating, Nico. I mean, it is. Yeah, it is. it And I think that there's going to be some changes. So let's talk about it. Cause knew who came off the field with what looked like a hamstring left hamstring injury. I was hoping it was cramping. That's what I was hoping, but it looked like he, hopefully it is. And man, I just, I, I, I wasn't at at the presser or i I wasn't able to get on a call because George asks the question, but then he asks,
00:40:17
Speaker
in a very odd, weird way with a totally off question after. And so Brian doesn't really clarify whether it was cramps or or what it was. So hopefully he's okay. But if he's not, you could be almost certain that Tino Lopez would start there. And that's kind of what I wanted to at left back talk about. Yes. Because this is one of those training notes
00:40:45
Speaker
Tino Lopez has been working a lot of left back in training. And I, I didn't know why I, I had no idea why, because, you know, he's been so good at center back and all these things, but the kid got wheels and the kid could get up the field in quickness. And he came on in this game for knew who, and he played that left back position. So, you know, when you set up,
00:41:12
Speaker
the way the Sounders do that we all know that when they are in possession, they're got three in the back and it's kind of, you know, three center backs essentially. i mean, if Tino can do that for this team and be probably not as aggressive as new who is on the offensive end, but look, if he's a quality defender, he can, can provide you, uh, not a lockdown defender of the type of new, but a very good defender. And cause he is a great, very good ball skills. Uh, he's ambidestrous. He could go with his left as much as his right. Um,
00:41:48
Speaker
And so I'm excited to ah maybe see it in action. I don't know. It's looking interesting in practice. I've been, you know, head over heels over his growth in short time and what I've seen from him at the practice field. And although I do like it at center back better, I'm curious if that's what Brian does, because what's the other option? Yeah.
00:42:13
Speaker
It is Cody Baker, cody ba perhaps. It is maybe – this hasn't worked in the past, but you know can you slide Alex at the left back and you leave Kalani at right back? I mean, there's there's options. I also think that maybe Kalani might need some rest. He had ah another very long shift, although he came off early, which I thought was was good. I think he came off like in the 70th, if I'm not mistaken. But look, whatever it is, I do think that this new who situation is very likely to ah be one that Brian takes to rest new and not ah risk him because to me, looked like a, like,
00:42:57
Speaker
An injury, maybe was some cramping. It could have been, but but we'll see. we'll what We'll ask Brian as soon as we can. I would be surprised if Nuhu plays in this game, which is a ah big deal. you know i think it hasn't been talked about or acknowledged all that much this year, but Nuhu has been nails. He's been on it, and it's a big reason, I think, why this defense has been playing really well. So, and also, I mean, as Gianni points out in in chat, ah you don't have Reed Baker Whiting on the squad anymore, famously. traded him to Nashville SC. So, I don't know. I'm looking at that now. I'm like, man, it would kind of actually be nice to have the actual backup left back on the team. Maybe maybe you shouldn't have done that. You know, I was saying that. i wasn't sure about trading RBW, and now you could use them. Now you're in a situation where you're we're looking at a left back Tino looks like Nico's frozen. Okay, there you are. You got left back Tino, which left back Tino, I guess is an interesting idea, but I just, I don't love being in these situations where you got to keep like moving guys out of position. like Anytime you're playing a player out of position in an um MLS game, especially a young player like this.
00:44:08
Speaker
ah you can think it looks good in training, and then once you get out there against these guys, it can look a little dicier. So I have no doubt that Tino can do it. I just don't – I don't know. I don't love it. I don't love it. Honestly, i like, ah who would you rather see get a shot here between Tino and Cody Baker? Because I i um i think – Cody Baker man like he actually they put him out there against the quakes the last time they played the quakes and he helped them win the game and he would he was going straight up with Timo Werner remember that that was fun to watch that that was one of the most fun like defensive matchups I think I've had I've had watching this team this season when Cody Baker was going at it with Timo Werner and not only holding his own but getting the better of him on some of those sequences but ah
00:44:51
Speaker
You know, if I'm making that pick, Nico, I think I would rather see Cody Baker in there, but I don't know. you what Based on what you've you've seen more of the left-back Tino thing in training, you are would you do that over starting Cody Bakes in this matchup, or what do you think?
00:45:07
Speaker
What's going on with my internet? It's killing me. yeah um um ah I'm going to go with the player in rhythm. the The player with mo more minutes already.
00:45:19
Speaker
And a player that with my system can work as a three-man back line. So whether you go with him as a left back on on the 4-2-3-1 or you switch it up to a solid 3-4-2-1, I think that i I'm more confident that Tino Lopez, who has been there, done that. I mean,
00:45:45
Speaker
the the the The game away at San Jose will forever be remembered as the Tino Lopez game. So I would be very surprised if he's not the guy that gets the call-up.
00:45:59
Speaker
Do I like Cody Baker? Yes. i I like Cody Baker. I wish he had more minutes. I know he's been playing Defiance. He's been playing Defiance, and he had one of the best goals of the MLS Next Pro season a couple weeks ago when they played Sporting KC, too. He had a SportsCenter top 10 banger, so he's in form.
00:46:17
Speaker
Yeah, but he plays more of that right side anyways. He feels more comfortable on the right side. So i all things considered, With the evolution and the the level that Tino Lopez is showing at this particular moment, I'd rather go with him. and And this is one of those games that midweek against a team that we just said has their two top attackers off.
00:46:49
Speaker
you might feel comfortable doing that. And now there this is not a dud either. I mean, they just put it on Vancouver and and they did it without those weapons. So Seattle and Bryant's Mets need to make sure that this team is at the highest level from minute one, because that's what San Diego is going to want to do is score early and then figure the rest else out. Right. So you got to be on point. You got to be able to play it.
00:47:16
Speaker
I think Tino's the guy that that could do it for you. Gianni says, man, let's just let Lopez continue developing at CB. you don't want to have to start forcing him into new positions when he already looks like a starting CB. That's kind of how I feel ah about it in an ideal world. It's not really an ideal world right now, though. And like, honestly, these situations in MLS where you have to kind of mix and match and move guys throughout the field like this, it does it does happen. it is just like in this particular situation, it's like you did have RBW on the roster. But honestly, he's kind of, I mean, he's thriving at Nashville SC in a way where I'm like, all right, that you know, it probably was better for his career to move there for him individually individually. It would have been better for the Sounders to have the added depth and cover of him at left back. But for him, he's actually in much more of a future role for Nashville, as I understand it, or at least he was in ah in CCC for them. He was starting all those games. I was watching him. So I think it makes sense from that perspective, from a do right by your players type of perspective. the move still makes sense, but it would be nice to have him on the team right now. Nico, who do you, who do you think let's, let's put it on a record. Who do you think is going to start at the number nine in this game? Who do you who do you not, who do you want it to be? Who do you think it's going to be?
00:48:42
Speaker
That, that, that's a difficult one. um Yeah, it's tough. It's tough because I'm of two minds, ah but
00:48:51
Speaker
Considering that it's a midweek game and Jordan had some really, really tough matchups. He, he got bodied all game long. Do what got him pretty good, man. Do what got him good, man. the what that was It was hard to see the one where there's the through ball and do a bodied him off it. And then drew the foul on Jordan. And then and he just like, no, he started talking. flight stard and I had to be like, all right. I mean, that was a good play. I, that you're talking your shit. Do a you're 20 years old. Yeah. Yeah, man. Look, ah yeah, I'll say that there's a higher likelihood that Moose starts this game and maybe you give Jordan some time off the bench and if you need, you you bring him on. i don't want to see him at the wing. if if you're not going to use him at the nine, I don't want to see him in the wing either to start this game. If you're going to rest him for the Galaxy game.
00:49:44
Speaker
I would just play it like that. I think that that's the way Brian might see it. But I do want to just clarify on something real quick. Let's remember that with the Sounders system, that left back doesn't do a lot of left, like back stuff as an offensive player. The widest guy on the left is always your winger. So it looks, it looks a lot like you play with wingbacks and, and on, on that left side, your, your winger, whether,
00:50:13
Speaker
Right now with Paul Rothrock or whoever's playing on that side is the widest player to that side. And then with the pocket winger coming inside, Kalani is the one that gives you that width. So that there is very little offensive need from from that left back position. So you see it in Nuhu.
00:50:32
Speaker
I don't think that you have the necessity to have a left back that that is a left back by trade. That's why it's very easy to interchange that specific position. So just just to clarify, I think that maybe be we might look be looking into it more than that than we have to because he does a lot of times play like three in the back when when the Sounders are in possession.
00:50:53
Speaker
Yeah, you know, with it being a midweek game, you can kind of justify rotation here without it being like, oh, this guy is starting over that guy or, oh, that's the new starting number nine. I mean, you don't necessarily, that's not necessarily to be read into that because.
00:51:10
Speaker
uh you're you got a three match week so I'm look man I'm hoping I'm hoping to see Moose up there in this game to just try and get something going I think it's interesting how Brian Schmetzer has been kind of so open about how no one's winning the number nine job to the like you don't usually see him do what he did in the press conference after the San Diego game where he was like someone's base someone's got to step up and do and and win this and no one's doing it and I'm trying to find out my best 11 and who should be up there and I don't even really know I don't know like I no one's won it and you you got a situation where Moose is the most recent one to score a goal I will say like Osaze has not it's lived up to his preseason so far, but the last time he got a chance, he did score a really sick goal. That was probably one of the best goals of the season that anyone scored so far. So he still is in the mix. And if you do run something with Jordan and Moose on the field at the same time, that solves the problem as far as like, all right, well then like Osaze is the first sub in for one of those guys. And then it kind of, it solves the issue of like someone being buried on the depth chart that doesn't deserve it, I guess. Yeah.
00:52:22
Speaker
uh, make sense or where that you're going to need, you're to need all three of these guys at some point. So, uh, I'm hoping it's moose and, you know, I think it will be Moose. I think it will. I think that Schmetz is in a situation where he's got to try and establish a hot hand. And Moose, it's it's it's interesting. like If you look at it, he only has one league goal this year. So if you just look look down at the stat sheet, you're like, all right, well, it's not like he's done all that much to earn it. But like I think if you look at his the total totality of his body of work with CCC factored in, He's at three goals in 12 appearances this year, i think, which is not a great rate for a striker, but it's the best thing that they have right now.
00:53:04
Speaker
So, and like, to be fair, he has not really gotten extended run, like a striker like this. You need extended run. You need consistent minutes to find a rhythm. So I think they got to at least try and do that going into the World Cup break and see if you can get some clarity on this because ah the longer you go into the season without this issue at least closer to resolve than it is now, that's that's not good. You need to get you need to figure this out. so Yeah, look, I would disagree with you there. I think that the only guy that hasn't had an extended run at the nine is Jordan because Jordan wasn't available and neither Osase or Danny Musavsky won that job.
00:53:41
Speaker
And they both had... a lot of games to to try to figure that part out. And they they didn't win the job. And this is nothing against either one of those two guys because Danny Mosavsky, honestly, you got to respect his trade and and the the the poacher ability. and and Look, he was practicing angry. i but Jeremiah is the only one that could Say this because I talked to him prior to What we learned this week and I Didn't share it on the episode but Danny was asking was training angry I mean he was all over He was
00:54:15
Speaker
Just going at people I mean you know you could tell that he Wanted that chance to Once again get that starting spot looks He looks like he's got like Some fire in his eyes right now Yeah he so so that that's all that's always Great ah but but again The reality to me is that you you Have to be able to run ah group together and I think the that the Jordan yes he's had I don't know a couple of of opportunities on it But you gotta see it through with with the group that you want to have behind them, you got to stick to the dual tents.
00:54:47
Speaker
You got to stick with with Jordan. And then you got to figure out the kinks of it and see if that's what you need to do. And now if Jordan plays himself out of that position, and if look Albert or, or, or Jesus play themselves out of that position, then you'll figure that power later, but I'm going to die on the Hill that a team that doesn't have the top end talent that,
00:55:13
Speaker
Basically, their superpower is cohesiveness and in collective play, but don't have the top-end talent.
Player Position Strategies
00:55:23
Speaker
You need as much talent that you do have on the field. Whatever it is that you have, you need it on the field. And if you put Jordan on the wing, you would be placing one of your most creative players on the bench because it's going to be Albert or Jesus. They can both play if you got Jordan at the winger.
00:55:42
Speaker
position. so Yeah, they could. You would just layer it for what it is you'd have to bench Paul Rothrock. that Well, that's another one. I'm just saying because they've been playing with Jordan on the right, but yes, Jordan has played on the left it before, so can you put him on the left? Let him be that widest guy on the left side.
00:55:59
Speaker
Keep that those dual tents there. that That might work, and then you just bench Paul. Now, would that be fair? I don't know. That's the thing. That's the problem. Yeah.
00:56:09
Speaker
so so So these are problems that to me, in my opinion, they need to be diagnosed and fixed, troubleshoot it now, now, now, now. You got to be able to have that rotation ready to go for the second part of the season. And and that's just me. Maybe it's a timeline that is unfair, but to me, you got to fix that immediately.
00:56:32
Speaker
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Speaker
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00:57:14
Speaker
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Speaker
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Speaker
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Speaker
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Speaker
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Speaker
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00:58:38
Speaker
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00:59:18
Speaker
I think you can rationalize bringing Paul Rothrock off the bench for this Quakes game specifically just because yeah he put it in on the weekend and he's been playing a ton of minutes. So getting him a rest, I honestly think would be the prudent move in this midweek game. But if we're talking about like the the first choice 11,
00:59:37
Speaker
I don't really see how Paul Rothrock could not be in that for an attack that has not really broken out in league play so far this year. He's been the most consistent performer and the most consistent stat sheet producer, or at least goal producer.
00:59:54
Speaker
So, I mean... you You know what? I wouldn't be surprised if we see a lineup close to that away game at Vancouver in CCC, where it's Paul Arriola on the left...
01:00:08
Speaker
Albert at the 10 and Ferreira on the, on the right wing. And then, you know, they keep hitting each other, like on the far wings. And think Jesus hits Paul Arriola on a couple of really good plays and to the rotation, probably with Danny Musavsky up top, but We'll see. we got we got We've had a few people kind of campaigning for the idea of moving Rusnak back a line, ah hearkening back to 2022, 2023. I don't really like that. I think that when he first got on the team and there was that overlap with Ladero, that was a move out of necessity. And then they they ended up winning CCC off that. like He did it well enough that they won CCC with him as a pretty integral contributor back there. But I just i mean, I don't know. I just...
01:00:59
Speaker
His skill set is just much, it's it's of a more, a player in a more advanced role than that. Even if he can do it functionally and his his long range passing is really good, which lends itself to that role. But i mean, I don't know. I think you keep the pivot how it is. I still think that Snyder B has kind of been playing out of his mind all year. So yeah, no, I mean, what do you think of that idea real quick, Nico? And then we'll talk some ah l LAFC to close it out.
01:01:27
Speaker
I know Albert could play the position. i know that he looked good there at the end of the game because that's what happened. Albert got dropped into that pivot position and it looked good, but I think you're chasing the game. I think it's circumstantial. i I don't believe that that's where he is utilized the best.
01:01:47
Speaker
And I don't feel like his attributes are completely magnified by that position as much as he's really worked hard on being a better defender. I would rather see what's worked with Snyder and Christian Roldan at that position. That is more of a late tactic. um'm im I'm chasing a goal. I need a goal. So I'm going to just drop them back and I'm going to add another attacker to the final third. But I don't think it's feasible and I don't necessarily love it. But it's a good thought because it does happen. It is it is in the playbook. It's just not in the playbook as a starting option.
01:02:25
Speaker
All right, Nico, let's ah let's talk some around the league MLS headlines as we hit the stretch run of the show here this morning. As we get into that, everyone, again, please, if you have not done so yet, like the video, sub
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01:02:37
Speaker
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01:02:53
Speaker
Pick up your subscription to ah QED Coffee, support Lobbing Scorchers Kickoff, and the show as a whole. All right, Nico, let's ah let's talk about LAFC.
LAFC's Recent Struggles
01:03:02
Speaker
Let's talk about LAFC. Let's talk about LAFC.
01:03:04
Speaker
we We're in a situation where they are they're in third in the West right now on goal differential, but level on points with Seattle. Seattle has two games in hand on them. But, Nico, I think the place to start with them is ah They're not on downfall watch yet. You know, like I wrote up downfall watch for my sounder at heart column a couple of weeks ago, and I had a few teams and LAFC was not in there. Inter Miami wasn't there. LAFC was not. And I'm going to stop short of declaring them on downfall watch yet. I'm not going quite.
01:03:38
Speaker
go there. I think the most likely outcome is that they course correct and figure it out. But ah Nico, last night, Sunday night soccer presented by Continental Tire. okay It was a big primetime matchup. All eyes on them. Sun Hyung-min was out there. Denny Buonga was not.
01:03:53
Speaker
But Sun Hyung-min was out there and pretty much all their other big guns were out there. And they get 4-1'd by the Houston Dynamo, who... have not been especially good this year. They're averaging 1.6 points per game. So they've, ah they've corrected a little bit, but they've been pretty erratic. They have a negative two goal differential. They've conceded a bunch of goals. Seattle played them on the road earlier this season, and they were able to nick that one zero. So they're like an okay team, but not a team that should be for winning LAFC at home, by the way, they were at home. This was at BMO.
01:04:28
Speaker
stadium BMO field is Toronto. There is that BMO stadium. And, uh, they got four, one by the dynamo who you do have to credit the dynamo. I think they're playing better. And man, uh, I don't know how much. d fun team to watch Okay. Yeah. And, uh, Guillermo looks like one of the coolest DPs that's come into the league in the last like year or so. He's awesome. And I feel a little validated on that because they were, uh, I was trying to big brain it before the season. And I was like, Oh,
01:04:55
Speaker
Houston, that's the team that's the team that I'm watching. I looked up Guillerme. I was like, this guy seems pretty sick. And then they went out and got Bogus, and I was like, oh, okay. like that's ah That's one of those where it's a proven track record already that you already know can produce in the league. Put him and Guillerme together with some of the other pieces that they have, Jack McGlynn. I thought they were going to be cooking in an attack, and it looks like that is actually finally coming together. So that is that is all well and good. But come on, it's LAFC. Like they're supposed to be the beacon of ambition. They're the best team ever. They got some men. Like how do they get it four one by the Houston dynamo at home? And I think the answer is that they are hung over.
01:05:33
Speaker
They're hung over from CCC. You're seeing it. It's been that way for a while. And I think now and Nico, the only question is how long this hangover is going to last and can they work out of it? Cause I think the tough thing is we've seen, ah we out here in Seattle know better than anyone. What can happen with a CCC hangover. All right. Like, the Seattle in 2022, when they won CCC famously, they never came out of the hangover. like The injuries were too much. The attrition was too much.
01:06:00
Speaker
And they never they never ended up getting on back on track that whole season. That whole season, we were sitting there going, all right, I mean, it's far enough away from CCC now. You should be able to reset, recalibrate, lock back in and come out of this. And they never did. And so I think LASC is potentially dealing with that right now. And I think Nashville SC is also looking like they might be dealing with the same thing. And the reason that matters is because at least as far as LAFC goes, they're one of the top four teams in the West and one of the biggest threats to Seattle, as far as a top two seed home field advantage, staying in the mix for the supporter shield.
01:06:34
Speaker
I'm not saying that they're going to free fall on out of it, but what do you, what do you think of what's going on with them right now? And you go, cause like, it seems, it seems pretty dicey. They looked bad. Like it was bad. I watched the whole game. was bad.
01:06:46
Speaker
was bad. They look like a team that is exhausted, that if not hungover, they are hit emotionally by what happened at Toluca.
01:07:00
Speaker
But I absolutely hate the sensationalism and the necessity to create headlines where there are none and I put her on the players. when When you look at that Toluca game and what happened, Danny Buonga didn't play up to his talent. now When you are the guy that's making the money that you're making and that's supposed to be your team, you're the killer, you're the talent, and you're unable to finish in front of goal what your team needs at most,
01:07:41
Speaker
Timothy Tillman has had a couple of terrible games. I want to say three in a row that he's been pretty bad. That miss in the Toluca game was so bad. Terrible. Defensively against Toluca, it was individual mistake after individual mistake after individual mistake.
01:07:55
Speaker
So when we create this narrative and the people without rationale and knowledge of the game and what it takes to create a soccer module, start a call for Mark Dos Santos' head,
01:08:10
Speaker
I cringe and and he it makes me upset because they don't understand the game. and They don't understand what what needs to get done for you to create a process and respect that process and allow a coach to do their job.
01:08:26
Speaker
In this particular game against Houston, there were similar things, but I think that it was the players that were not up to the challenge from the very beginning in in that first half.
01:08:39
Speaker
The McGlin goal is a goal that he might hit twice out of 10 shots, 20 shots that he takes. I mean, he he just hit it right on the ball, in it right on the spot. It connects. It has the the speed, the pace, the location.
01:08:55
Speaker
Those are wonder goals. And that puts LAFC in a position where Heads go down, shoulder goes goes down, and there's no leaders in the in in the team to really get them going. Look, for everything that we've talked about, Sonny, he's got to do more.
01:09:11
Speaker
hes He's supposed to be your superstar. He's supposed to be the guy that gets it going. There were turnovers. There is a lack of finishing. There's all of these things that you also have to put on the players. Second goal, Guilherme, there's a free kick. It's a deflection into the goal.
01:09:29
Speaker
close enough to the point where you give it to the the goal scorer, but it's still a deflection in. So all of those things are very circumstantial. And yes, results have been bad because you got that four goals against San Jose that were given up. You got the four goals against Toluca. You got these four goals right here. I mean, there have been bad moments this season to the point that you got to try to figure out what it is that's going on. But firing your coach is not it. So when I see LAFC, I see a team that has a lot of talent, that hasn't quite figured out how to get that
01:10:05
Speaker
stank from losing it and being eliminated from a a regional tournament. And you got to be able to turn the page because that looked like a team that was still hurt from their pride. And there still is thinking about the sins that were committed against Toluca. You got to move on. You got to get it right. I have confidence that this team is good enough to just figure it out.
01:10:32
Speaker
But I don't want to be hyperbolic about it. I think the results are bad. I thought it was an awful game. It really was. But I don't think that they're cooked, and I don't think that their season is done, and I definitely don't think there's a free fall just yet.
01:10:46
Speaker
Can Mark Dos Santos fix it? Can he, you know, shock him out of this state? I sure hope he can. I think I pretty much agree with what you're saying about Dos Santos. I think what they're going through right now is honestly, it's more the by-product of a roster that I think when you look at it on paper, it looks really, really good. But if you, if you like kind of take a closer look at exactly how some of these resources are allocated, it's maybe not as good as we maybe thought like, uh,
01:11:24
Speaker
you know How much money do they have tied up in Jacob Schaffelberg, for instance? you know You look at that move at the time and you're like, oh, Jacob Schaffelberg, he's been a pretty good MLS player. That's a good like rotational piece that could maybe have upside for more. And you put him on LAFC, a more talented team than he's played on maybe. I don't know. I'm just going through their their logic for why they would drop Rolando. over a million dollars on Jacob Schaffelberg. But now you look at it now, like I was watching the game last night and he was, he was, he kept like getting these balls, the passes hit to him out wide that his first touch would just like lead it out of bounds or he would bungle the first touch. And you're like, all right, well maybe that amount of resources on Jacob Schaffelberg, not to like cook Jacob Schaffelberg too hard, but it's just an example of like something that I looked at at the time and thought was like a really good move where I'm looking at it now. And I'm like, man, man, like the fact that Dos Santos has to lean on him as a major contributor, that's maybe not ah becoming of a roster that we thought was as good as this LAFC one supposedly was. So I do think that like there's an extent to which they're probably dealing with this no matter who the coaches. I will say, I think, uh,
01:12:32
Speaker
I think the Dos Santos stock is a little down right now. I think there's there's ample reasons to criticize him lately, mainly on the front of squad rotation. like I don't think he managed their CCC run particularly well as far as picking and choosing his spots when to rest guys and conserving energy for the team. And that is on the coach. And then the other thing, too, is that After the, or I guess before the first CCC game, he was given his press conference and he was going on and on and on about how unfair the schedule is. It's too much on the players. He called it a scandal. It was our blazing hot coach press conference of the week presented by Hakes and Ferments.
01:13:16
Speaker
And, you know, I was watching that press conference and thinking to myself, all right, like what's the motivation for him uh to make such a big deal out of the schedule and call it a scandal that this fixture congestion he said the league doesn't want us in the final he said i want to talk to the person from the league who made the decision to have us play at san diego right we're in the middle of ccc this is uh this is the schedule is a scandal he said that like four times to me the reason you do that is you're you're laying the groundwork for excuse making like i'm sorry that's just that's what it is You're throwing that out there. So if and when you crash out of CCC, you are able to go to your next press conference and be like, well, you know, like, yeah, it was a bad result. We should have played better. But this schedule, we were never going to be able to manage this schedule, especially with the roster restrictions and all that. We're put we're put behind the eight ball and there's nothing that I could have done or that the players could have done. It's not our fault, basically. he's made it's it's excuse making that's what it is and so you know that's that's fine if he wants to do that but i guess my only thought on that nico was like uh it made me appreciate how how schmetz does things have you ever once in your life heard schmetz go up to the podium and make that big a deal about the schedule and make excuses like that no And that's one thing that I appreciate about the culture of this team the last couple years is the lack of excuse making. I talked about it last year, but there were so many instances last year where they were under it They didn't have their guys. They had Jordan Morris injured. They had De La Vega injured. They had this guy injured. They had that guy injured. They had to go on the road to this this place and that place where was going to be a really hard game. And no one complained about it. No one was whining about it. They just went out there and they got results anyway.
01:15:03
Speaker
So I think that's a better way to do it. You know, I'm biased, but like, what I don't know. What did you think of Dos Santos? Do you agree that he was, he was just laying the groundwork right there to be able to blame their CCC crash out on something else other than himself or his players?
01:15:20
Speaker
Yeah, look, I like the passion. i didn't like the execution. i didn't like what he said. It absolutely is what we call in the, Latin American world, abrir la sombrilla. You open the umbrella because you know rain is coming. You're setting up the ground, like you said, for a bad result.
01:15:41
Speaker
Obviously, Dos Santos is a rather newer coach or or young ah young in terms of being a ah head coach in in his career. And although talented and although groomed by Chirundolo.
01:15:59
Speaker
I do think that those sorts of outbursts and tactics I don't love. And there have been plenty of reasons to criticize Dos Santos. I think that's one of them. I think that the setup in Toluca could have used David Martinez. I thought that he was what was slightly... too conservative in in in that particular setup. And although it worked because the first half went his way and you eliminated Paulinho and you forced Toluca into mid-range shots and stuff, you needed to have someone out there to give you a lot more push. And Dos Santos has been given credit for unlocking
01:16:41
Speaker
Martinez, he's done wonders for David Martinez. So i thought it was odd that he didn't start him in that particular game because he's worked so well for him. um But with that said, I i do think that these are typical adaptation moments for a head coach that...
01:17:04
Speaker
has all of the qualifications and is a student of the game, but there's experience that needs to be had. You talked about Brian. Of course, Brian's never said that because Brian is one of the most experienced head coaches in the league, probably one of the best and most successful coaches ever in MLS. And so when he walks onto that podium, he knows exactly what he's going to say. He stays composed. He's not going to provide excuses. He's not going to talk about the refs. He's not going to throw the guys under the bus. He knows the no-nos when he comes to being a head coach. And now that sort of situation that Dos Santos has
01:17:45
Speaker
kind of had that outburst that happens all the time. i mean, in Latin America, it happens all the time in tournaments and things like that, but it's just not great. And and i think I thought he did himself a disservice by maybe getting so animated on the subject.
01:18:00
Speaker
Yeah, I agree. i don't know. Yeah, just to close it out here, Nico, ah these last two results have not been good. There's no question about it. The team is is limping a little
Opportunities for Seattle Sounders
01:18:11
Speaker
bit right now. But look, man, I'm just looking at the rest of the top of the West, and I'm seeing the San Jose team that's injured and tired now as well coming into Lumen Field on Wednesday and that the Sounders ah played already this year and beat on the road. So it's at at the very least a team that they know they can play with and hang with. It's not a team that looked,
01:18:31
Speaker
crazily better than Seattle when they played Seattle beat them. So there's that. Then you got a Vancouver team that Seattle played already in CCC. So we have a lot to go off of as far as how those two teams match up and Seattle was able to win that series five, one on aggregate. So again, you know, that doesn't necessarily mean that that's reflective of how much better than Vancouver Seattle is. But I think to me, it shows that they can play with and beat Vancouver. They beat them three, zero on the road. They beat them five, one in aggregate on CCC. And then you got an LAFC team that we just talked about that is like very clearly hungover.
01:19:03
Speaker
Like you don't get 4-1 by the Houston Dynamo at home as LAFC, this iteration of LAFC, unless you're hungover. So that's the competition right now. And all that's to say, that creates an opportunity. If you can start taking care of your own business, starting with this game coming up on Wednesday against the Quakes, who are the best team in the league right now, you got an opportunity to sweep the Quakes and pick up some ground in the Western Conference. And really,
01:19:29
Speaker
In terms of how these teams have actually all been playing, Seattle has been playing the best as far as like the performance metrics and all that, which that doesn't mean anything as far as the results.
01:19:42
Speaker
But I think it does mean there's more of a reason to believe that they can snap out of what they're going through more quickly than a San Jose team that's not going have Securus or Timo Werner probably until through the World Cup break break. a Vancouver team that you already beat five, one on aggregate in an LAFC team that is really hung over. And honestly, man, I don't know when they're going to be not hung over. Like they could, this could last for them. So ah I don't know any final thoughts as we ah get out of here, Nico.
01:20:10
Speaker
I think you got to seize the moment because LAFC will get better. This is typical LAFC where they wait for the summer window to make another big signing. They're missing Igor DeJesus. I do think that they'll figure it out when it comes to getting off that funk. Once Denny Buonga gets hot and Sonny decides to put this team, put the mark on this team and really be, if not a vocal leader, a leader by example and and play to its utmost potential, then this team will figure it out. So you got, Seattle needs to seize the moment right now to, as you mentioned, earn points, get as much as you can prior to this break And then obviously keep the momentum moving forward. But I totally agree with you that sweeping San Jose, taking care of LA Galaxy at home. Those are all things that are must do for this team to give themselves the best chance of maybe not just the shield and and not all think about the shield necessarily, but to give themselves a chance to continue to stay on point and, uh,
01:21:17
Speaker
I'm not saying that there's going to be a signing for the Sounders in the the summer, but if there is, then you could add to what you already have and what you're already building. Pedro de la Vega is going to be like a new signing. That's right. That's right. all so In all seriousness, I mean, you you have an opportunity to come out of this in good shape is what I'm saying. These were two bad results, admittedly, ah but you come out of it at 6-1-3, 2.1 points per game.
01:21:44
Speaker
ah you're You're right there. You just got to get back on track, take care of business. We'll see if they can do that on Wednesday against San Jose at Lumen Field. All right, we got to get out of here on that, folks. Thank you all so much, as always, for tuning in.
01:21:56
Speaker
ah We'll be back at it for postgame on Wednesday. Please like the video, subscribe to the channel, like, comment, subscribe, rate five stars, and go to lobbiescorchers.com slash coffee to subscribe to QED Coffee, our new title sponsor. But all right, I'll catch you all on Wednesday. Appreciate y'all. Love y'all.
01:22:13
Speaker
Peace.