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Under the Lights: Can the Seattle Sounders compete with Botafogo? (feat. Glorious Botafogo)
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It's time for the FIFA Club World Cup as the Seattle Sounders get set to take on storied Brazilian outfit Botafogo in Sunday's Group B opener at Lumen Field. Can the Rave Green procure the shock result, or will the recent off-field drama and struggles in league play carry over into the international competition?
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Lobbing Scorchers is a Seattle Sounders and MLS focused show brought to you by Sounder at Heart. Hosted by Major League Soccer's Ari Liljenwall and Producer Noah Riffe. Join us as we lob our scorching takes on the American soccer landscape, Seattle Sounders, Major League Soccer, USMNT and more.
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Transcript
Introduction and Overview
00:00:00
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.
00:00:22
Speaker
Well sir, we got a scorcher today. Gonna be a real scorcher today. Why the scorcher today? Well it's gonna be scorcher.
Club World Cup Preview
00:00:44
Speaker
Good evening, everybody. Welcome in to another episode of Lobbing Scorchers Under the Lights. Got a big show tonight. It is time. It is time for the Club World Cup.
00:01:02
Speaker
The squad is protesting. But this tournament is starting on Sunday. Versus Boda Fogo. And, uh, I think ah one of the things that's interesting and fun about a tournament like the Club World Cup is you get to see the team play teams that they wouldn't normally play.
00:01:26
Speaker
ah You don't really see these matchups in any other context. So if nothing else, there is that novelty to it. And it's an interesting opportunity to learn about a club that we would not otherwise have any reason to ah to deep dive on to learn about.
00:01:43
Speaker
ah So to do that.
Botafogo Insights with Pedro Sawadas
00:01:46
Speaker
I have found a special guest that has been gracious enough to join us here tonight. And we're going to bring him to the stage right now.
00:01:56
Speaker
His name is Pedro Sawadas. He is a YouTuber ah for the channel Glorious Boda Fogo, where they do English language coverage of Boda Fogo, an expert on Seattle's upcoming upcoming opposition.
00:02:10
Speaker
ah Pedro, excited to talk to you tonight. Thank you so much for the time. How are you doing? Man, thank you. Thank you so much for having me. This is really fun. I think um the the Club World Cup brings unique opportunities like like this one. Otherwise, we would have never been talking to each other and this would have never happened.
00:02:32
Speaker
So I am excited. I am obviously nervous um because our group is ah not exactly the easiest. It's actually, and my opinion, the group of death in the whole tournament.
00:02:46
Speaker
um So, yeah, I'm excited to to talk and and for your listeners of the channel to to learn a little bit more about Botafogo and a little bit more about the club and what they can expect on Sunday.
00:02:57
Speaker
Absolutely. i think most people in Seattle and fans of MLS agree that this is the group of death. Obviously, PSG and Atletico Madrid are the names that ah come to the forefront when you're when you're looking at it.
00:03:13
Speaker
ah But Botafogo has championship pedigree in their own right. So it's it's not like Seattle's got it gets any let off for this first game coming up on Sunday.
00:03:23
Speaker
Excited to talk to you about all that. Before we get into it, though, I do like to give our guests an opportunity at the top of the show to plug the work you do. uh what uh like the background of glorious bodafogo uh any any projects you have coming up or just what you guys do covering the team uh on the day-to-day basis yeah man so this is just me i started this in 2022 when american businessman john texture ended ended up purchasing the club and they in a new law in brazil that allowed
00:03:54
Speaker
um Brazilian teams to become, um you know, business entities in in the sense, instead of just like social clubs. And I thought that it would be a great opportunity. I mean, I've been living the United States since 2003, man. Since I was like 13 years So so for an American to buy it and for me to be here for such a long time. And I'm such a fanatic. I even in the United States, I used to try to find an online radio channels and have like four or five links open because I knew that eventually one of them was going to go down and then it'd go to the next one. So I wouldn't miss 10 seconds of the match, you know, and sometimes I would miss a final or something. I'll be gutted, but,
00:04:40
Speaker
So I just thought it it would be a great idea to to start this um from a point of view of a Brazilian that lives in in America um and try to spread the word but for anyone that that wants to listen or is willing to listen because this club's got a lot of history and it's it's one of the heavy heavyweights of Brazilian football.
00:05:00
Speaker
um So yeah, I've been doing this for a while. I got a YouTube channel, which is I try to do weekly videos. uploads there. i have an Instagram page and I have a page on X, AKA Twitter. um And that's usually where I'm mostly active because I've been there since 2010, man.
00:05:20
Speaker
It's hard for me to get used to something else.
Botafogo's Recent History and Success
00:05:22
Speaker
ah And even though it got bought out and things changed, i I stuck around and I endured the growing pains, but it is what it is.
00:05:30
Speaker
But yeah, I'm happy to be here. Happy to talking to Seattle fans because we share stuff in common. Yeah, absolutely. And we're going to get into that. But ah let's ah let's talk about this this matchup.
00:05:43
Speaker
And the the thing I like to do, Pedro, to start these off is ah like to ah give the guest the but outside neutral perspective on the on the opposing team.
00:05:55
Speaker
And then you can kind of... ah ah Tell me if my what my perception is right or wrong. And usually i feel like I have a pretty decent handle on these because I'm typically talking to other MLS media who are cover cover teams in the league that I watch all the time.
00:06:11
Speaker
And I know the whole league pretty well. But this is going to be a little different. I know pretty much nothing. We were talking off the air. i know pretty much nothing about Brazilian footy. So I have done a little bit of research, though, done a little bit of research. So I feel like I have a little bit of knowledge to give like a broad general take. So I'm going to lay this down and you can tell me if this is accurate.
00:06:32
Speaker
All right, let's do it. Botafogo, uh, as I understand it, a storied Brazilian club with a great history of, uh, success, but is coming off what has to be considered one of, if not the best years in, in that long and rich history, 2024 sounded like a, uh, truly magical time for the club and the fan base, uh,
00:06:54
Speaker
Champions of the Brazilian top flight for the first time since 1995, if I'm not mistaken. And ah more importantly, arguably, winners of the 2024 Copa Libre de Doris, which is, I believe that's how they got into the Club World Cup.
00:07:10
Speaker
ah So a really... ah A wildly successful year, but that was coming off a period of time that ah might not have been as successful. And 2024 was sort of the re-emergence into the elite of Brazilian football. Is that ah roughly an accurate portrayal of where things stand with the club?
00:07:32
Speaker
Yeah, in in terms of winning titles, ah yes, ah that's absolutely correct. it It was the best year in Botafogo's sporting history, arguably, if you want to talk about silverware, right? We won...
00:07:47
Speaker
the Brazilian tournament, the Brazilian championship, which is arguably the most competitive league in the world, because any point in time, unless something unique happens, the title is not decided until the very last fixture.
00:08:04
Speaker
um Because everybody from fifth to first is close. Everybody from 10 to fifth is super close. And then from 10 to the bottom, and there's only like three to six points separating. So it's very competitive.
00:08:17
Speaker
um And then we won the biggest tournament in South America, the Champions League of South America, which is Libertadores. um And we won that. I don't know if you know, but we won that in historic fashion to make. I don't. Oh, boy. worry Buckle up.
00:08:33
Speaker
You want me to tell it right now? Yeah, please. Okay. So first time Botafogo plays the Libertadores final. up We've been at Libertadores before and we've gotten knocked down a round of 16, round of eight.
00:08:45
Speaker
like I believe my my memory is failing me right now. But we have what is also arguably one of the toughest players roads to get there once you get to the knockout stage because we are playing palmeras which in 2023 took the title out of our hands and became ah a recent rival well always been a rival but like really became like one of the main rivals apart from the other three from rio de janeiro So we beat them, and they have a few Libertadores titles, and they won one in 2022. In 2023, it was one of our Rio cousins that won the Libertadores Fluminense, which is also in the World Cup of Clubs.
00:09:29
Speaker
And then after that, we played São Paulo, which is... One of the biggest teams in Brazil, one of the most traditional teams. They have three world titles, the most out of any Brazilian team.
00:09:40
Speaker
They have Libertadores titles, obviously, be to be able to get to the World Cup. um And we beat them. And then we beat Pena Ro, which is a very traditional Uruguayan team that has also has five Libertadores titles.
00:09:54
Speaker
So we're talking a hard, hard uphill battle in every single match. yeah So when we get to the final, we play Atlético Mineiro, which is traditional team from Brazil as well.
00:10:07
Speaker
They won the Libertadores before, so they have one title and they' they've been here to this final before. It's been a while, but they did it. um And 30 seconds into the match, Botafogo is down to 10 men.
00:10:20
Speaker
Oh, no shot. 30 seconds into the match. How do you get it? Is there just like a studs up, reckless? like How do you get a 30-second into the match? um our Our center defensive mid, Gregory, which... Oh, former Inter-Miami player. Yes, correct.
00:10:36
Speaker
Superb player. Superb. I mean, such a great player. And he he did great all year long, right? So he gets to the final... um um He tries to get the ball. He lifts his foot a little bit too high. The electrical minero player arguably comes down a little too low, in my opinion.
00:10:52
Speaker
But it studs to the face. The guy's bleeding. Red card. That's 30 seconds into the match, man. So at that point, you're probably thinking it's chalked. It's over. it It's over. It's over.
00:11:04
Speaker
Right. But then something incredible happens. Our captain and the team, they huddle in the middle of the pitch. And they he said, we're going to fight for Gregory. We're going to fight for the supporters that are here because Botafogo has now the record of the most amount of supporters that have gone from Brazil into another country in a Libertadores final, which is 40,000.
00:11:30
Speaker
So Minero is coming off a bad streak. They're kind of losing matches. They kind of punched their weight throughout the Libertadores, beat River Plate, which is another big team.
00:11:41
Speaker
And the Brasiliano, they are struggling, but they are doing it okay. Botafogo is coming off of a win against Palmeiras, which is was a grudge match from 2023. beat them at their home.
00:11:56
Speaker
which puts one hand in the title of the Brazilian championship. So now we have to switch attention to the Libertadores. 30 seconds in get the red card. And... about the 32nd minute, something like that, Botafogo opens the score.
00:12:12
Speaker
1-0. Six minutes after that, our best player at the time, Luis Enrique, gets of ahead of the left back and the goalkeeper that kind of made a ah bad play.
00:12:23
Speaker
He gets to the ball first, dribbles the goalkeeper, gets a foul penalty. Alex Stelis, former Man United Sevilla Porto player, takes the pen, scores, becomes an instant icon.
00:12:38
Speaker
Because when he scores, he starts crying. And the whole stadium erupts. It's 2-0 going into the half.
00:12:46
Speaker
We come back about... Couple minutes into the match, Minato scores 2-1, and there are men up. So then for the rest of the match, it was just attack versus defense and Botafogo trying to find an opening and trying to breathe. And they're coming up and coming up. They have Hulk.
00:13:05
Speaker
don't know you remember Hulk. yeah yeah um They have Hulk. They have other great players in the team. Very good, very solid squad. Great goalkeeper. Great defense. Great left back. But in that game, the left back had a left ankle injury and he was trying to play injured throughout the whole match. So I think that kind of might've weakened their defensive system a little bit.
00:13:24
Speaker
But anyways, it's cross after cross and they almost score the ball nearly misses the goal. It's like one of those where you're like, you you don't want to look at it. You don't want to watch because at any time they could score.
00:13:37
Speaker
And then it goes into ah injury time, right? Extra added time. There's a breakaway. And our striker about... I don't know exactly at what point in the match at the same place.
00:13:50
Speaker
He tried to do this skill move to dribble past two defenders. It almost worked, but not quite. But this time he gets all the way to the corner flag. He does a skill move, gets past the two players,
00:14:03
Speaker
He makes a pass inside the box. The Monero defender gets to it first, deflects it off the side, and he was in an offside position if that would have been a pass from another Botafogo player.
00:14:14
Speaker
But because it came off of a Flashcoma native player, he puts it in, scores, game over. game over Wow. That's a, I did not realize the backstory was ah like,
Challenges Faced by Botafogo
00:14:27
Speaker
i don't, um mean I can't imagine. they're not booze bumps trying on to I can't imagine there's much a precedent for a team winning a final when they get a red in the first minute of the game. So a hundred plus minutes playing a man down.
00:14:41
Speaker
That's yeah, that's absolutely insane. And it adds like a whole kind of it's a different level to what like I what I already knew was like a magical season for Botafogo based on the trophy case. But like ah a yeah ah win like that, that is that lives forever. Like it would like any time you win the Copa, but like to win it like that, that's ah all all of those. I told you off the air that Botafogo has an extensive list of icons and and players that are highly regarded.
00:15:09
Speaker
All of those guys, the entire squad, they automatically just go into that slot. ah How they can, you know, it's, you can't argue against that, you know? um And then coming off of that high, we just, we just finish, we do our homework and we win the Brasileirão, which is the Brazilian national championship and get this with the goal by Gregory.
00:15:32
Speaker
Oh, okay. Well, there you go. There you go. He got the redemption. He got his redemption. You know, what's funny is ah Gregory was one at one point heavily linked to Seattle Sounders to the point where, yeah to the point where it ah It felt like it was like impending, like like pending it was going to happen.
00:15:51
Speaker
But then for some reason it didn't. And he ended up going to Inter-Miami where Seattle's sporting director was had like gone to work at the time. And they ended up getting him. And that was that was where he applied his trade in MLS. But I knew he went back to Brazil in Botafogo, but I wasn't sure like how he was doing. But it sounds like he was a very then key player for Botafogo.
00:16:15
Speaker
Instant fan favorite. um So I guess the the other the next place I wanted to go off that was obviously that Copa Libre de Doris win was epic and historic. ah But i I was wondering if you could take me back just to that 2024 season in general and ah why Botafogo was able to reach kind of the next season.
00:16:35
Speaker
level from where they were at previously what went right was it just uh the team build was it ah players breaking out and coming into their own all at the same time what sort of led to uh to all the excess that this club experienced last year what went right in 2024 was everything that went wrong at the end of 2023 in 2023 was telling at one point we points place 14 points ahead and we still lost the title.
00:17:09
Speaker
oh Right? So we had a ah string of 10 matches that the confidence was lost when this is where the recent rivalry ah with Palmeiras came about.
00:17:23
Speaker
We, it was Botafogo and Palmeiras fighting for the title. And if we would have beaten Palmeiras that night, I think you would have opened 17 points ahead of Palmeiras. and it would have been a morale boost for the players, for the supporters, for everybody.
00:17:38
Speaker
And I think it would have knocked some confidence off Palmeiras because now they would be 17 points behind, right? Or 16 points behind, something like that. By halftime, Botafogo had played the best match they had played that year up until that halftime.
00:17:56
Speaker
And we were winning three to zero against what was arguably the best team in Brazil at the time. It was just a magical night.
00:18:05
Speaker
This seems like a skit from like a rom-com or some sort of like that Copa games sounded like that. But, but dude, During halftime, Botafogo had So Botafogo, apart from soccer, football, also is also heavily tied to rowing.
00:18:26
Speaker
The club started as a rowing club in the late 1800s. And then the rowing club and the football club merged in 1904. um And then it became Botafogo, right?
00:18:37
Speaker
But...
00:18:40
Speaker
the The rowing club had a guy that had just won ah big tournament. I don't know if it was like an international tournament representing the the country, but he's also an athlete of the club.
00:18:51
Speaker
And he was there. So he was shouting champion. The the the supporters were shouting champions, champion, champion, champion for him. But the Palmeiras players heard that and thought that they were chanting champion.
00:19:08
Speaker
because we were beating them 3-0. And at the time, they still had Enric playing for Palmeiras before he moved to Real Madrid. And he's a wonder boy, right? Superstar. He is he has a bright future ahead.
00:19:25
Speaker
Eric hears that and gets mad. Oh, Endrick gets mad. So during halftime, he changed his entire mindset, came back and destroyed the game. And Palmier's wins four, three.
00:19:40
Speaker
Jesus. So from that moment on, the morale, the psyche, whatever you want to call it, just dropped. Yeah. And then Botafogo played against Grêmio at Vasco Stadium, which is another team from Rio, because Botafogo Stadium was going under, it was getting ready for some sort of international show.
00:20:05
Speaker
I forget which artist. if Some artists from the United States went down to Brazil to play a show. If Botafogo would have played at home at the Newton Santos because we have a hybrid pitch, it's not natural grass, but it's like hybrid, kind of like ah what they have at Atlanta for an NFL. it's like NFL pitch.
00:20:24
Speaker
If Botafogo would have played on there, Luis Suarez, which at the time was playing for Gramu, would have not played that match because it's arguably tougher on players' knees and they don't like doing that. And he he wasn't going to play that match.
00:20:38
Speaker
But because we played at Vasco, he ended up playing and scored the goal that gave him the win. Wow. So then after that, man, just was loss, loss, tie, loss, tie. And then Botafogo would like score and be winning one zero. And then at the 95th minute, yeah the other team would tie it up.
00:20:57
Speaker
So it was like the rest of the season that happened. And a lot of some players lost confidence. Some players left. And then the coach got fired.
00:21:08
Speaker
Right. And then we had like five coaches or four coaches, right? in like six months because Luis Castro had gone to Qatar or Saudi Arabia, whatever wherever he went because Cristiano Ronaldo gave him a call and said, Hey, come coach me over here and make tons of money with oil money.
00:21:26
Speaker
Yeah. So he went, So then the guy that came, Bruno Lagi, which is the coach for Benfica right now, took over. And after Botafogo lost to Flamengo, which is a completely acceptable result in the sporting sense, right? It's never okay to lose to your rival, especially your biggest rival.
00:21:46
Speaker
But it was a one one zero loss enough No worries. We're still 14 points ahead. It's not a big deal. right It happens. You will lose to your biggest rival every now and then. It just it will happen.
00:21:58
Speaker
During that match, during his press conference, he put his job up. He said, I'm done.
00:22:05
Speaker
14 points ahead of the table. Just a one-nil loss against a rival in a hard-fought match. He gave up his position. He just straight up was... He straight up said it? Yeah, he just said, I quit.
00:22:18
Speaker
But then John Texter talked to him. and Anyways, he didn't last very much longer. We got this one guy to come in, and he didn't work. And then it was just bad choice for manager after bad choice. Because I'm not going to talk about the other guys, because...
00:22:33
Speaker
they They had no pedigree to be ahead of a club like Botafogo anyways. So that was that. But so then the last guy also did a terrible job and got fired.
00:22:46
Speaker
So then John Texture goes and tries to look for a new coach.
Key Players and Strategy for Botafogo
00:22:50
Speaker
And John Texture has this mentality of like, I want to see Botafogo play well, but not only play well, but I want to see them dominate.
00:22:58
Speaker
And I want to see them like almost like demoralize the opponent. You know, like that's the style of play that John Texter wants. So he finds this guy called Arthur Jorge, which is the Portuguese manager.
00:23:13
Speaker
Another Portuguese manager. It'll be the third in one year.
00:23:18
Speaker
So Arthur Jorge comes, he loses his first two matches in the Libertadores. The year that we won it, we lost the first two group stage matches.
00:23:29
Speaker
just to give you an idea, of perspective. But from day one, you could see what Artur Georgi wanted for the team. You had a clear vision. Like the the last four managers, the guys that were trying to figure something out, it was all a mess.
00:23:45
Speaker
There were holes in the middle of the pitch. There was no plays. There's nothing rehearsed, nothing. But Artur Georgi comes in, and you can see in two matches, even though he lost, you could see like what was about to happen.
00:23:59
Speaker
Botafogo was playing a 4-2-4 hyper offense, just like John Texter wanted, with wings with wingers that would go deep and pull the entire defense line. So then you push up, play a high press, a high line, and you just box the opponent in, and you just pass, pass, pass, pass pass until you find a gap, and then boom, score.
00:24:20
Speaker
Right. Just completely dominated. And then we started to win and win and win. And we got past to the libertadores group stage. We had a ah little. stumble in the middle of the road in the Brazilian cup where we lost to Bahia, which was purchased by Citigroup. So now they're owned by Citigroup.
00:24:38
Speaker
um We lost then, but then in the Brasileirão, we also started doing well and we were right there. And, you know, in the first few spots, um just with everybody, you know, because in the Brasileirão, you have to be there. You have to hang with the top teams.
00:24:52
Speaker
If you fall down, even though everything's so close, you would need like three or four wins in a row to kind of be back in championship spot. And everything that went wrong was starting to go right. The whole mentality changed.
00:25:05
Speaker
Like the players, like our captain of 2024 was a player that it did 2023. Supporters didn't even want to see his face anymore. Because in that Palmeiras game that I told you about, in a foul towards the end of the match, when the match was still 3-2, he fell.
00:25:22
Speaker
And he made it obvious that he was falling down just to buy time. And he did this like this little pose where he like winked at the camera and put his hand by his head. wow it's So then at the end of the match, that was like the screenshot that was being shared around the supporter fan base and around the country. right So he got roasted for like months.
00:25:43
Speaker
But then he changes too. And if he wasn't for his leadership, Botafogo would have probably not won that Libertadores final. right Because you see the behind the scenes during match days when one the club's YouTube posted, and last year we posted a lot because we won a lot.
00:26:00
Speaker
You could just see his interaction in the dressing room talking to the other players. And he's just just a leader, right just a natural born leader. um So he changed.
00:26:10
Speaker
and everybody And then in the middle the middle of the year, the the summer transfer window, that's when Jon Taxter usually... does the right moves in the beginning of the year. He signs the players to kind of help build the base and build the skeleton of the team.
00:26:27
Speaker
And then in the summer transfer window, he gets the big guns and get the big guns. He did because he brought in Eagle Jesus, which was at the time an unknown striker that is now going to not in him for us for 30 million euros. We're going to talk about him, but yeah. Yeah.
00:26:44
Speaker
When, when we bought him for, zero dollars He came as a free transfer. But his numbers in in the Middle East were incredible, right? But all the players were like, all the fans were like, who the hell is this guy?
00:26:58
Speaker
He's playing in a league, a bunch of farmers and oil workers, and but you know, that kind of talk. And then he signs probably one of the most key influential players of the 2024 second half of the season, which is Tiago Almada.
00:27:16
Speaker
yeah you You know who he is. oh yeah. And Thiago Almada, although he wasn't like the flair guy, he wasn't nutmegging five people in a row doing a rainbow flick and scoring a volley off the rainbow. like He's not that kind of guy.
00:27:35
Speaker
you know He's just high football like you He knows exactly where to go, where to pass, where to be to score. And that's how he was. And then Botafogo also had signed Luis Henrique, which turned out to be at the end of 2024 season, basically the hero of the entire year.
00:27:55
Speaker
um Obviously when you, when you, when you win the Libertadores, you score a goal, you're responsible for the penalty kick, and then you win best player of the match, best player in South America, best player of the Brazilian.
00:28:09
Speaker
It's hard to argue that he's probably number one of the season. Right. But him, Igor Jesus, along with Gregory and Marlon Freitas, which is that guy that was talking about, the captain, and Alex Tellis, which got signed on the summer transfer at the very end of the summer transfer.
00:28:26
Speaker
um That just gave a boost to the whole team. Like, you just bring in these players, and everybody all of a sudden starts playing better. And we have this ah center attacking mid called Savarino.
00:28:37
Speaker
He plays for... um Venezuelan national team. And he was also in the MLS. He was real Salt Lake. Yes. And he's also incredible. So John texture,
00:28:50
Speaker
had one bullet left and he hit the bullseye yeah when it came to to to signing players or he had six bullets left and hit all six in the bullseye you know and ah team just gelled well together the style of of offensive play that artu george had worked very well with the players so much so that louise henrique and igu jesus ended up getting called for the national team you know and botafogo and the forggu national team have a rich history You know, if there's a saying in Brazil that Brazil only has five World Cup titles because Botafogo was directly responsible for three of those because of the of the players that were involved in winning those championships.
00:29:35
Speaker
It's interesting to hear how integral a role John Texter played in all this feels like a very random guy to have ah to end up having such ah large influence on the trajectory of ah Brazilian football, but it sounds like ah that's what he what he did.
00:29:53
Speaker
And it also is interesting to hear, I knew there was like MLS connections like on Boda Fogo and that there there are players from there that have, players have gone back and forth between and MLS and Boda Fogo quite a lot. But ah it's interesting to hear how much of a role it sounds like some of these guys played.
00:30:12
Speaker
ah Jefferson Savarino in my research is a name that kind came up as a very key player and ah he was an excellent player for Real Salt Lake. Yeah, but I wasn't ah I wasn't sure like how his career had gone to the like to go to Botafogo and play like a key role on on the rise of this team.
00:30:33
Speaker
Gregory with a ah with a big role in it as well. So a lot of a lot of and MLS connections, ah not just related to the Seattle Sounders on this team. I need to look it up just to make sure, but I think Sabarino had something like 14 goals of fourteen assists and That is, like, honestly much bigger output than I remember him putting up in... It's something like that. He was... Very close to that. He was known as a very, very good player, but I don't know if he ever had a 14-goal season. He's up there with, like, Luis Enrique and Armada and Igor Jesus and Gregory as far as, like, how important, how pivotal he was to the whole 2024 season. Like...
00:31:15
Speaker
His name sometimes gets not thrown around and in the discussions, but his name should be right there with all those other guys because he was incredible in the season too.
00:31:26
Speaker
um Looks like we have a bunch of Botafogo fans in our chat, which is great. Welcome. ah Welcome, everyone. Thanks for stopping by. Looking forward to seeing our clubs ah face off.
00:31:40
Speaker
Alessandro, thanks for stopping by. Rafael, thanks for stopping by. even more of you i think probably some from the ah glorious botafogo audience so uh great to have you all here and uh again that's uh that's one of the cool things about a tournament like this is there's absolutely no other context where we would have botafogo fans in our chat but uh here we are i love it uh stefan i i recognize some of these names okay all right yeah the it's the glorious botafogo squad welcome guys there you go um
00:32:11
Speaker
right. Well, Stefan in chat also has the ah next time. I was going to hit this topic later, but he wants us to hit it hit it now. So let's hit it now. Let's do it. Jao Paulo, Seattle Sounders veteran, great player for the Seattle Sounders since his arrival, played an integral role in them winning CONCACAF Champions League, which got them to this tournament.
00:32:33
Speaker
ah Unfortunately, he tore his ACL in the CONCACAF Champions League final in 2022, had a long recovery. And I think it's fair to say that he hasn't quite ever achieved the level quite before the ACL injury, which is unfortunate because...
00:32:51
Speaker
Jao Paulo at his peak was one of the best ah two-way midfielders in MLS, a best 11 player in the league. ah His best season with the club, he had, I think, 11 assists, ah was always good for a goal every now and then too, has one of the best goals in Sounders history, I think, the famed beard quake. Have you ever seen this one where he gets the ball at midfield and charges through the entire defense basically all on his own and just one of the best solo goals you're ever going to see.
00:33:20
Speaker
But before he arrived to the Seattle Sounders, played for Modofogo for three-ish years, three, four years or something like that. 19. 17, 18, Okay, so yeah, like three years.
00:33:31
Speaker
And I guess what people would be interested to know is just what what what is JP's legacy at Botafogo? Like, what are your memories of him when he was on the team, both on the field, but just as a guy on the
Botafogo's Legacy and Talent Development
00:33:44
Speaker
team?
00:33:44
Speaker
And how is he sort of remembered among that fan base for his time with the club? So let me start with a funny story. So Jean-Paulo one time got a head injury that got a cut.
00:33:56
Speaker
So, you know, when you get a ah cut in the head, you know, you bleed and get all over the the ah shirt. So they put a little swimming, swimming cap on, right, to keep the blood from coming down.
00:34:07
Speaker
and every time something happened to juan paulo like that and he put the swimming cap on he would he was just tearing it up so so it up until like it's even 2025 every time a what the fogal player gets a head injury and he has to put the swimming cap on people are always like doing calling him back to when juan paulo was like doing that kind of stuff and still like tearing it up right um He is like highly regarded in Botafogo fan base because like I told you off the air, he came during a time where like it wasn't all glory, right?
00:34:45
Speaker
Just winning. So in Brazil, the preseason consists of um state tournaments. So let's just say Seattle would have a state tournament between all of the teams in Seattle that play either pro or semi-pro in a way.
00:35:00
Speaker
um And it's just a way to start the preseason. And earlier in the days, like I'm talking like early all the way up to like the 19 or the 2010s, let's just say that's 110 years.
00:35:15
Speaker
for that's a hundred and ten years They were pretty highly regarded, and right? It's like bragging rights because in Brazil, there's just like, just like the United States, Brazil is huge, right? Landmass is huge and it's the country of football, right? So obviously you're going to have a lot of teams.
00:35:36
Speaker
So, you know Like in Texas, for example, there's the Dynamo, there's Austin, there's Dallas. right Let's just say San Antonio also had an MLS team.
00:35:49
Speaker
right And then they obviously are the the the main their main teams in the league. um But then they would come down to Corpus and they would play the Corpus Christi Sharks for the state tournament. And then they would go to...
00:36:02
Speaker
the Rio Grande Valley and play a team there and they would go to Laredo, whatever, wherever you know, and that, that was like the state tournament. And that would be the beginning of the season. And John Paulo was in a squad that won one of those.
00:36:14
Speaker
um So he won a trophy with the club in a time where it was, things were tough. And some of our icons were, came off of some of those squads because they just endured so many years of,
00:36:30
Speaker
doo-doo. and don't know if I can curse, but so many years of doo-doo. Let's just say that. Yeah. It's the, it's the late night show. So they just ate shit for so long that it just stuck around for a long time. Like one of the goalkeepers, but the Fogo has like four very important goalkeepers in its history. And one of them came during this time, um, had proposals to go to Tottenham and the premier league. And he chose to stay this and play the Sari B with the club.
00:36:56
Speaker
but the club brought the club back to this area and then stayed a few more years after that. So total legend Jefferson. But anyways, so Juan Pablo was during that time and he has 119 matches for the club and seven goals, which you're looking at goal to match ratio. That's not very good, but he does have like 30 something assists, 30 plus. And he just respected the club. men He just, you know, he's not like one of those players that,
00:37:24
Speaker
you know, would just make up an excuse not to play. He always respected the badge and played for the badge, always honored the and the club, the the colors. There's nothing more I can say. He's just a player that Botafogo fans are very fond of, um,
00:37:43
Speaker
And ah although he's not like an icon, um he is a highly highly regarded player in our history, ah especially most recent history. and And with the younger crowd, too, like these kids that came up, you know, 10-year-olds or teenagers during that time, they're going to regard to him very highly and they're give him his praises.
00:38:06
Speaker
um So, yeah, it's just a legend in his own way. um But because, like I told you, Botafogo has a vast history of icons and and and players that played for club and country since the early nineteen hundreds you know, 1910s.
00:38:25
Speaker
Botafogo and the national team have a vast history, you know, with Carrincha and Milton Santos and Jairzinho, Gigi Zagallo. Like, you might not recognize some of these names, but in Brazil, they are like...
00:38:38
Speaker
legends you know and some of them are world global legends like gaihinxia and jaizinho you know these are our players like if you go play uh fifa or e eafc like you gotta find those players on the game you know like yeah just complete legends of the game um he's not quite there but he's probably like a couple maybe three down from there it's ah It's not a surprise, i don't think, ah to me or anyone in our audience to hear that JP is that highly regarded with the Botafogo fan base because ah he's also very highly regarded here, not just for what he contributed
00:39:17
Speaker
on the field, which I think what stands out to me when I think of JP is the unselfishness, you know, the willingness to do the dirty work, ah the willingness to be a dog on defense and really just just do kind of a little bit of everything.
00:39:31
Speaker
And then also just excellent long passing, ah really talented facilitator, just like ah the ah peak JP right up until that ACL injury. It was just a guy that we all loved watching play here because ah He does everything, and he does all of those like little things that help a team win. And as much as any player on the team during that time period where he was at his peak as a best 11 player in the league, that's I think that's how he's always been regarded. So it add it makes perfect sense. It adds up to to hear that he's thought of similarly in Brazil.
00:40:06
Speaker
Another funny side comment is every time – purchase EAFC or FIFA, I always buy João Paulo and I put him on my team. gotcha And early this year, there was like a promotion where you could build them up to like 90 plus.
00:40:22
Speaker
And you can only use like players like in the mid 70s rated or whatever. And I was looking through the list of players and I saw João Paulo. didn't think twice, man. I have a 90 rated João Paulo on my team right now. There's no way I'm not going to do that.
00:40:36
Speaker
You broke up on my end a little bit. Do you still have... Oh, I'm sorry. No, no, you're good. i think it might be I think it might be on my end. I'm getting a little like ah internet signal. So hopefully that's not... a that doesn't It looks like we're good now, though. so yeah I just said every time he's on the game, I find a way to buy him. And if there's any special cards or any way I can boost him up in ratings i can so he can be usable, because I always make up all the Fogal Squad and on the game. He's always there.
00:41:02
Speaker
That's awesome. ah Pedro, we got a a question from our audience in chat here, if you wouldn't mind fielding this one. Jake asks, is Botafogo looking to sell any talent any talent worth buying that's not for sale?
00:41:17
Speaker
Well, Jake, um a few years ago, Botafogo would die to sell just about anyone that would be worth anything, just to stay afloat.
00:41:32
Speaker
since John Texer took over, the business model has changed is buy low and sell high. So we're always looking for those players that either cost nothing. They're like at the end of a contract, like we just did with a player called Joaquin Correa from Inter Milan is an Argentina player.
00:41:48
Speaker
Um, he was at the end of his contract and bought the whole guy, him for very, very low fee. Um, But we just sold um what is arguably our best player 2024, which is Igor Jesus.
00:42:01
Speaker
He is a striker. um Very important last year in the title runs that we had. He has been the best player this year because, you know, when Almada left to Leon and Luis Enrique left to Zenit, somebody needed to step up.
00:42:18
Speaker
And Igor stepped up in a very big way. And there was a match... A week or two ago, when Carlo Ancelotti got announced as the new Brazilian manager, he was present at the stadium when Botafogo played Ceará, I believe.
00:42:35
Speaker
ah No, Botafogo played Universidade de Chile for the Libertadores. Yes, that was a match. Libertadores match. And Igor just said, you know what, guys? I got this.
00:42:46
Speaker
He was everywhere, dude. and He scored a goal. And it was only one nil, but he was everywhere. He had the performance of his career. And it it doesn't surprise me that he got sold ah right after that.
00:42:59
Speaker
um Any talent worth buying that's not for sale? Yeah, we just signed a kid from Argentina that came from Almada's old club, Veles. His name is Montoro.
00:43:10
Speaker
and He's like 17 or 18 years old. And he's regarded as they call him the next Almada. ah We just purchased him. um We also just sold our center back Jair that we just bought from Santos.
00:43:24
Speaker
And Jair is a constant name in Brazilian U-20 squad, the national team. And he's a captain at the national team level. And when our defensive, when our center back got hurt, the starter, his name is Kinsanga Bastos. And he played for Lazio and a bunch of teams in Europe.
00:43:43
Speaker
um He got hurt very seriously. Jaif took over that spot you know as a 19-year-old, and he just yeah hasn't come out since. The only reason he's not going to start anymore after the World Cup of Clubs because he got sold as well to Forrest.
00:43:58
Speaker
uh so Botafogo sold Jair and Igor Jesus to Forest and then there's Cuiabano left back that's most likely going to either Forest or Brighton um we just sold those two guys again for three to four and in Igor Jesus case 30 times what we bought him for um so Botafogo is bringing in the cash and that's how we're doing it and Right now, man, as far as my opinion, I would not sell Savarino, which is we had just talked about him.
00:44:27
Speaker
To me, he's innegotiable, although there's um there's some um noise behind the scenes that he's going to get sold. I wouldn't sell. Honestly, I wouldn't sell most of the starters um if you want to compete again, because our bench was looking very thin.
00:44:44
Speaker
We just made five signings in the summer window. Like I told you, John Texer usually makes the right signings. in the summer window. um We will see if they will, you know, if the the trend will continue. We will find out, I guess, Sunday. i don't know. I don't know if you guys are looking to find out, but I'm looking to find out.
00:45:05
Speaker
um But yeah, I think honestly, any of the starting players are non-negotiable. We got another one from Chad here from the skill analyst.
00:45:17
Speaker
He's asking, is Botafogo in a league that's promotion relegation? Does that help talent recruitment because Sounders players can get cut, but the club doesn't? Right. So that's the one model that it's been forever. The talk of MLS, right?
00:45:32
Speaker
And it's a lot of it's a, it's a talk that ah it's a subject that players get criticized when they go to the MLS. Right. Because there is no relegation. So there is no yeah downside to getting last.
00:45:45
Speaker
Right? When in Brazil, yes, in Brazil, you get relegated. In Brazil, there's four divisions. Right? So you can get relegated. And unfortunately, Botafogo has been relegated before.
00:45:56
Speaker
um It's, you know, and three, two of those, were like three of those relegations were in the new millennia after the 2000s, right? 2002, 2014, 2020.
00:46:13
Speaker
So those are the three relegations that the club has got. And it's not <unk>s not a good thing to have in your resume for a club, especially for a club with the magnitude of Botafogo, which in Brazil is regarded as one of the most traditional teams from Brazil alongside Santos from Pelé.
00:46:31
Speaker
Um, what the focus is right there. So it's not good. It doesn't look good. Right. But in, in the league, like the MLS, you know, in a way, if you're talking about a player looking at what does my future, or my career looks like not getting relegated probably looks good on their resume.
00:46:53
Speaker
Um, but yeah, it does help with recruitment because if you get knocked down to the Sari B, your, ah expenditure on the squad is not going to be as heavy as you would have if you were playing the first division.
00:47:11
Speaker
So then your team is not as good and then it hurts the eyes to watch this team play, and which all three times about the four got relegated. We came back the very next year and two of those times we won this So, and then, you know, and and and the last time that we won, I think that's when John Texture had started to to sink in his his teeth into Botafogo and definitely helped with that.
00:47:34
Speaker
um And he was also lucky enough that we won when he bought the club. um But yeah, it does change, man. Having a relegation, it changes your squad completely because there's also like, you can't spend that much because you're not making that much.
00:47:52
Speaker
It changes the whole game.
00:47:55
Speaker
We got Pedro Suarez from the English-speaking Botafogo YouTube channel called Glorious Botafogo on the show. Pedro, I did want to ask you a player-specific question here as I kind of scout up Botafogo and try to learn about the key players. You mentioned him in one of your last answers, but ah Igor Jesus, not going to lie to you, Pedro. I fear this man.
00:48:21
Speaker
i Like the highlights I'm looking up and just kind of the ah the pedigree that he's started to accrue on the kind of global transfer radar. And like you mentioned, just sold for, was it 30 million is the fee that you were saying?
00:48:37
Speaker
So, yeah, he's 20. I'm sorry, 20 or 25. And then the other guy was sold for about 15. It was like total 35 to 40 million euro deal. Yeah.
00:48:46
Speaker
you deal yeah This guy is, ah I think, one of the most exciting, like, up-and-coming young forwards that's going to be playing in the Club World Cup. ah He's that good. i was wondering if you could just give us sort of, like, when you watch him play, a scouting report on – ah what he does well why he's had the success that he's had with Botafogo because it seems like to me from what I can tell on the little that I've watched it seems like he kind of just is an all-around forward like does every everything well he's not like specialist like some number nines are like this guy does it all no he's not Igor Jesus is not like your target man like inside the box he's
00:49:30
Speaker
I mean, he kind of is too, right? because that's He's like an all-around kind of guy. So he's not like a Harry Kane, for example. like When you think of Harry Kane, you think of like, oh, he's either going to shield the ball, beat the defender one-on-one, turn around and fire a rocket, or he's going to win in the air almost every time and score a header, right?
00:49:48
Speaker
That's kind of like the usual target man. He does have some of that, but he doesn't completely excel at that, but he's very good at it. A lot of his goals this year have been headers.
00:50:01
Speaker
because he has a very good read of how the the center back and the goalkeeper are positioning themselves when the ball has come in. And a lot of times he beats them to the punch. He gets there before they get there with a header, and then he ends up scoring a free and easy header.
00:50:17
Speaker
But he also excels at playing like a false nine. So he comes out of the box a lot. So he pulls out. He helps start to play. you He'll help with a through ball. it's like for I guess the easiest way for me to – compare him to a player that you guys might know is just imagining João Paulo as a striker.
00:50:37
Speaker
Okay. He does it all kind of thing, you know? so he's the badge. He fights. He's he battles. He's in there. He's not the fastest, but he's fast. He's not the strongest, but he is strong. He's like very well-rounded.
00:50:57
Speaker
know what mean? Sorry. I like ah my Internet's like going in and out. So it's it's definitely on my end. I can. No, that's OK. Like he's he's not the fastest, but he's fast.
00:51:10
Speaker
He's not the strongest, but he's strong. He's not the most clinical, but he's very clinical. Like he's kind of, he's got it all, but he, yeah, he's definitely not like that guy that you're going to be looking at sending through balls the whole game. It's just not him.
00:51:23
Speaker
It sounds like he has a little more role as a facilitator though, than like ah maybe a more classic peer number nine. Was that, is that accurate? Yeah. He's not a classic peer number nine. No. um He's like a modern striker, you know, somebody that comes out of the box a lot and gets involved.
00:51:39
Speaker
He'll come out to midfield and he'll get involved, you know? Yeah, it's ah it's definitely not a matchup that ah I think lends itself well for for Seattle because ah the Sounders are dealing with so many injuries in central defense right now.
00:51:56
Speaker
ah There was the kind of good news today that Kim Keehee, who's been playing that possession position pretty well, he might be able to play in this game. But right now, yeah you're looking at a center back duo. That's going to have one starter. Who's just coming back from injury and ah a backup.
00:52:16
Speaker
So those two, like that, that duo going against eager Igor Jesus. I mean, that is definitely the number one matchup that if they do, if they do man marking there, they're going be in for a rough day. Yeah. He's going to be everywhere. So he's going to be pulling a center back everywhere and leaving gaps. And that's where a lot of what but the Fogle excelled, exploiting the gaps. Yeah.
00:52:37
Speaker
We will see how Seattle's defense holds up. It's going to take a ah ah heroic effort, however they line it up, whether Kim Kihee can play or not. I mean, Jackson Reagan is a very good big. He's a very big physical presence, but he is just coming back from a pretty lengthy hamstring injury. So how many minutes he can go? That's an open question.
00:52:57
Speaker
And it's just going to be i mean, this whole group stage is going to be a massive test for Seattle defensively. um Pedro, how would you say Botafogo fans are looking at and perceive the Seattle Sounders?
Expectations for Botafogo vs. Seattle Match
00:53:10
Speaker
Is this a situation where the fan base is going into this? like I mean, I see it a little bit in our chat. like Are they expecting this to be just an easy run-em-over type win, and it's like embarrassing if they don't absolutely destroy Seattle?
00:53:24
Speaker
Is there ah measure of ah respect from ah the Brazilian football fans for where MLS is now, or how would you characterize that sort of? Just attitude and perception.
00:53:35
Speaker
um I mean, id I'd be lying if I didn't say a lot about the focal fans are expecting a win. um I don't think Brazilian fans give enough respect to MLS. Although, although last year, our biggest players were players that came off the MLS.
00:53:57
Speaker
So that's what I'm learning. Gregory and Jefferson Savarino. So I'll go, I'm auto all MLS players. Is there talent here? Absolutely. There's a lot of talent here. You know, there's a player. Actually, I went to an Austin FC game and there's a player from Austin that ended up going to a team in Brazil, Fortaleza and did very well.
00:54:15
Speaker
He's an Argentinian center mid. I forget his name right now. um But he did very well at Fortaleza and he played well. so But I think if you're looking at the the team as a whole and the depth of the squad as far as talent is concerned, I think Botafogo fans definitely think that we have the upper hand.
00:54:35
Speaker
um I think Seattle fans feel that way too, for what it's worth. Yeah. But then again, man, the game's played 11 v 11. yeah You know, it's it's on the pitch. Seattle's playing at home, home field, home supporters um there.
00:54:50
Speaker
It's actually because I'm in a I'm in a group with a bunch of Botafogo supporters that live in the United States. There's a bunch of us there. There's a bunch of us here, man. There's a lot of us here. um But there's actually more of a um coming together, like coming to arms for PSG and Atletico Madrid.
00:55:10
Speaker
Obviously, we're going to play at the Rose Bowl, legendary stadium, which Brazil won a World Cup at the Rose Bowl. don't know if you know that. um So Botafogo is going to be playing there. 1994 versus Italy.
00:55:24
Speaker
Brazil won the World Cup here in the United States, Rose Bowl. um So there's ah ah much bigger... um there's more attention to those games.
00:55:36
Speaker
Um, I don't know how many about the focal supporters will be in Seattle. I know there'll be some, I just don't know how many. Um, but I do think that there is that let's just say this, but the focal fans are like, if we don't get three points versus Seattle, forget going through.
00:55:58
Speaker
Yeah, I think, I mean, I think both of these teams kind of feel like that just because of the, I mean, ah like, what's, what is the fan base feeling just about this group in general and the, ah the ah are people wilding out in chat?
00:56:15
Speaker
Man, ah yeah, I'm going to tell you exactly how about the Fogo fans are thinking, okay? a victory versus Sounders. And if you're Sounders fan, please, just this is just how we're... No, mean, that's how they absolutely how you should be looking at it. Doing the math, right?
00:56:32
Speaker
Yeah. A victory against the Sounders. Try to pull off a tie versus... Yeah....Athletico Madrid and try not to embarrass yourself versus PSG. Okay, so it's pretty much the exact same like mentality because, i thought well, I think ah a lot of Seattle fans...
00:56:50
Speaker
it's kind of differing perspectives. I think a lot of them are kind of looking at it like, uh, I kind of am in the category of I'm looking more about like performance and competing with dignity.
00:57:02
Speaker
And like you said, not embarrassing yourself more than I'm looking at like, let's go beat psg like you know there's just only so high i can oh trust me there are lots of focal fans that are saying let's go bpsg that's third or uh sounders fans too there's yeah there's sounders fans who have been uh upset that the they didn't make like a signing in the club world cup uh window the special transfer window to let with the idea of like strengthening the team in order we made five You made five. Okay, wait, tell me about this.
00:57:34
Speaker
what like ah they There was this 10-day transfer window to bolster the squad, and Botafogo signed five guys? Yeah. Wow. Yeah. So we signed a player called Arthur Cabral. He's a striker from Benfica.
00:57:49
Speaker
um prior to benfica he had exceptional numbers in europe i mean like exceptional numbers so what the fog was like well hopefully we can like rehabilitate you know bring his hunger for gold back sort of thing then we signed joaquin cogea which is a left mid center attacking mid second striker center forward kind of type of player from inter milan you know, which just got their ass kicked against PSG.
00:58:14
Speaker
um We signed him from them. That's smart. they he just He just went through it. So he know he's going to know like the... ah I don't know. I don't know what he can say or what he can do.
00:58:26
Speaker
Cause I mean, he didn't even, I don't even think he was on the bench actually. um And then we signed a goalkeeper from Ecuador. I believe his name is Christian lore. He's a U 20 player, but he plays for the national team. So he's got a lot of talent.
00:58:40
Speaker
We signed that kid from Argentina, from Veles Montoro. He's the next Almada. And we signed, man, I'm going blank right now. Maybe we signed one more, maybe we didn't.
00:58:53
Speaker
um that That is either way, that is heavy use of the ah of the window. Seattle did not use the special window, ah but the addition that they have made recently is Ryan Kent, English winger from, ah ah he was he became a star in the Scottish Premiership for Rangers.
00:59:12
Speaker
and then had a falling out with Mourinho at Fenerbahce in Turkey, and Seattle was able to get him on a free transfer. He looked absolutely incredible his first two games for the club, and other teams since have figured out, I would say, they've scattered him up, figured out how to stop him ah a little more, but he's clearly very, very talented. and like ah from From your guys' perspective, that's one player that... ah I would be looking at as could potentially actually hurt you.
00:59:41
Speaker
And then, I mean, past that, I mean, you got ah ah Albert Rusnak, who's a very good MLS. Oh, we signed a center back. A center back. We signed a center back. Oh, okay. And a defensive reinforcement. Yeah, center back. He can play center back and center defensive mid, but mostly center back.
00:59:58
Speaker
And I think he is the replacement for Jair that just got sold to Forrest. So, yeah, we signed him. But also our our starting center back is... um allegedly healed and he he traveled with the team. So we'll see.
01:00:11
Speaker
so ah So there have been – Botafogo has had center back injuries in the weeks leading up to club. Just the one. Just the one center back. He's been injured for like months, and he's just now coming back. But last year, him and the other guy, Alexander Bahabaza, they were the best center back duo in the continent.
01:00:32
Speaker
the Hands down. Hands down. them And Bastos is like – Such a machine, man. Like, he's so strong and so fast. He's from, um he's from Africa. So like, he's just a specimen, like, like athleticism off the charts kind of thing.
01:00:53
Speaker
ah So i did I did want to ask, you know, we've talked about this magical 2024, and obviously it seems like Botafogo has really kind of reestablished themselves in the elite tier of of Brazil.
Seattle Sounders' Challenges
01:01:07
Speaker
um But it seems like part of the story is that 2025 hasn't started as well. I believe Botafogo's in what what place on the table are you guys right now? Yeah.
01:01:18
Speaker
Uh, six place six. So that's where that's where Seattle is as well. Uh, is there, ah like, is there any concern about the, uh, at the slow start or do you feel like there's variables that can explain it that leave you pretty confident that this team is still as close to the level now as they were at the end of 2024?
01:01:38
Speaker
So a little update, there were some Brazilian league matches happening today. um And I think a couple of those teams won. So we got knocked down to eighth.
01:01:50
Speaker
But prior to that, ah we were in six and we are, you know, a match down from those teams. So we we have we have we don't have the same amount of matches. So in eighth place, we're in six prior to today.
01:02:06
Speaker
The beginning of the season, um the coach though he that we have and we hired to replace Arthur Joach, it took two months to find him. For the first two months of the season, we didn't have a manager.
01:02:21
Speaker
We had this this guy that was an interim manager ah from the U20 or U23 squad. And ah with without due respect, he had no business being there.
01:02:36
Speaker
And the thing that upset a lot about the Fogo supporters is that this guy that we hired, Hanata Paiva,
01:02:46
Speaker
he came up in Benfica, right? He's had 20 plus years, I think, in and Benfica ah in the in the in the club, like working through the working through the um the the youth squads and like being the guy that developed a lot of players, like a lot, there's three players in the PSG that he, that came under him, you know? So he knows a lot about football.
01:03:13
Speaker
And his style is finally starting to emerge. Like the last 10 matches, we have seen a very positive um ah turnout, I guess, you want to call it that.
01:03:27
Speaker
A very positive assimilation between player and and manager of what he expects from the players and what the players expect from him and how can we make this work. It's been doing better, right? So we are on the up and the up end of things.
01:03:42
Speaker
But he was available from the beginning of the year. He lived in Brazil. He lived in Rio de Janeiro. Why did it take two months to get this guy? Well, John Texter was trying to go for like a more mediatic name, like somebody that you would say this guy and you can associate him with a club.
01:04:02
Speaker
For example, Rafa Benitez. You hear Rafa Benitez or you think Liverpool, Real Madrid. You know, he had um he was going for Mancini. Men's City, very first team that comes to my head because he won the Premier League with Men's City and that epic final where Men's City played against Sutherland and Aguero scored at the end.
01:04:22
Speaker
And Martin and Tyler was like, like he went all all over the world. Right. So like you start to get these images in your head. All great managers. I would have loved to have both of them.
01:04:34
Speaker
But I think he was shooting a little bit too high. He was trying to get Tata Martino that was just at Inter Miami. Also didn't happen. And then he tried to to sign the manager of Club America from Mexico.
01:04:49
Speaker
And he's doing great over there. He's like a club legend now. He's like the best manager in the history of Club America now. Because he won like a bunch of titles in a row. But none of them weren't. And then you're telling me that, oh, we found this guy and we he is the one. You're telling me that after two months of looking when he's been available since January and this could have started two months earlier, we wouldn't have not been here.
01:05:17
Speaker
Yeah. Like you would have had the the the state tournament to work through the growing pains of getting a new manager. Instead, just like last year, we hired him with like the bus still moving.
01:05:29
Speaker
Like he had to hop in, you know? So with all of that said, with all of that explanation, I feel like we're coming in a little bit better than we had been.
01:05:43
Speaker
obviously not as strong as 2024, I don't think, but it's it's getting there. um There are some supporters that are still not sure ah about Renato Paiva.
01:05:53
Speaker
And I was one of those guys. And I kind of came around to an extent um these last few matches. I wasn't sold. I wasn't a believer. But I think now that he's shown that he's capable of doing some quality work,
01:06:09
Speaker
i have I have turned around. I am saying this on the record. Okay, so it sounds like a a slow start, but that has been been turning around, and the vibes are ah are better than they they would have been at this point than they might have been a few weeks ago. Absolutely.
01:06:27
Speaker
Seattle's vibes are not good right now. They're coming off... ah one of their probably their worst game of the season, which ah which came under the cloud of this protest over the over the prize money that they're currently embroiled in, which has become a really like brutal labor negotiation with the league. The players have stated that it's a distraction that they feel like they shouldn't have to be dealing with.
01:06:55
Speaker
And since the protest, they have lost both of those games including a ah game in their in their last game where they got two red cards in three minutes. So really, yeah vibes couldn't be much lower, but this game is a chance to kind of turn it around. At least I hope that's how they're looking at it. But it is kind of tough because ah the vibes are really low and you're going into the group of death.
01:07:17
Speaker
So ah the vibes could be good and you could still have a hard time in the group of death. ah But the vibes being this bad doesn't make it any easier. But ah ah definitely vibe wise, you've got to give the edge to Botafogo in this matchup ah more as a function of how badly Seattle's have tanked in the last couple weeks.
01:07:36
Speaker
But ah we'll see if they can turn it around. ah Pedro, i got ah one more in the... in chat for you and then and then maybe one more after that about this game and then I'll let you go we've been we've been ripping for over an hour here really appreciate the time goes by fast it goes by fast ah Pedro Suarez from ah glorious Boda Fogo Zach from our chat wants to know ah nope that's not the right one I think he said boo
01:08:07
Speaker
What style of football, this is what I was looking for, what style of football do Botafogo play? Hanata Paiva likes the positional type of play to where um if this one player leaves his spot, let's just say left back,
01:08:26
Speaker
is doing an overlapping run. He's expecting somebody to cover that spot. um Fluid movement where you not so much have a static spot on the field, but everybody can kind of play everywhere ah to a certain extent.
01:08:45
Speaker
So people can switch ah roles in the game. and that's why that's why I think Igu Jesus is shining because he does that very well. um But that's that's kind of it. Like last year, it was like hyper offense, 4-2-4, boxing the opponent and just be patient, you know, like a shark in the water. Just wait for your moment to strike.
01:09:07
Speaker
And in this one, it's more like like a boxing fight where you and your opponent are just like trading jabs and kind of looking for that opening to, but, you know, per se, just dominating like we were last year. It's more of our kind of like an even even buildup rather than trying to suffocate from the get-go.
01:09:26
Speaker
We... we are we talked about the fan base a little bit, but how are you personally like, ah like looking at this game in this matchup ah versus
Club World Cup Excitement and Predictions
01:09:36
Speaker
Seattle? Like, are you obviously I think Botafogo is clearly favored, but you know, when, when you're the favorite, there's always the, the chance that you could get upset, but like ah based on how Botafogo has been playing and what, what you think of the team this year, how are you feeling going into the, into the matchup?
01:09:57
Speaker
um First of all, i I'm really fascinated by the matchup. I think Botafogo and Seattle Sounders is something so out of left field, you know? like Yeah. it's It's so interesting.
01:10:10
Speaker
This is why I love this kind of stuff, this kind of competition, like Club World Cup, to me is is such a ah ah breath of fresh air in club football.
01:10:22
Speaker
I love World Cup. I love kind of like this style of of tournaments. And I know there were at the beginning, there was a lot of confusion and a lot of protests from ah a lot of European teams.
01:10:34
Speaker
um But, you know, i don't I don't feel bad for them because in Brazil, like these players are playing 70 plus matches a year.
01:10:46
Speaker
if they are going all the way to the final, like what the Fogo played like 74 matches last year. Jesus. So you're complaining about the 48 matches you're playing. Like, come on, get real.
01:10:56
Speaker
But as far as like the, the matchup, I, I'm expecting, I'm expecting about the Fogo to win. ah But I really hope that they don't underestimate um Sounders because,
01:11:09
Speaker
um Historically speaking, they have been one of the best teams in the MLS for a long time. And I just don't think you can. you can disrespect that, although there is i mean, obviously there's a ah difference, right?
01:11:25
Speaker
What we're talking about in Brazil, we have a saying that like the shirt weighs. You know, like it weighs on the player. Like not every player can wear the Botafogo jersey and perform well. um And that kind of has become the thing here when it comes to Sounders, right? You have had a lot of the legendary players, like in and MLS legendary players like Dempsey, for example.
01:11:48
Speaker
Right. um Like the the sounder shirt has some weight to it. So I hope I hope that Botafogo doesn't doesn't um underestimate that, which I don't think they will.
01:12:01
Speaker
ah Based on all the press conferences and what the players have been saying. you know Because the talk of of every prayer press conference is like, oh, are you looking forward to play PSG? right Which player are you looking forward to play against?
01:12:14
Speaker
And yeah all about the Batafogo players are like, we're not looking forward to playing anyone. We're looking forward to winning. So like we want to win the World Cup of clubs. like that's what We don't care about who's on our way. We just want to win.
01:12:27
Speaker
So that's a good attitude. ah We got another one from ah Jake for you. He asks, how lethal is Botafogo on the attack? Do they come through with a slow buildup? Is it more transitional play, build through the middle, line breaking passes?
01:12:42
Speaker
Any of those. Jake, are you in the Sounders staff? Because if you are, I'm not telling you anything.
01:12:50
Speaker
um No, I'm just kidding. ah So the Botafogo of 2024 was much more lethal. but twenty twenty four was much more lethal in the sense of like, it really comes out of nowhere, like we would score out of nowhere, like, we would just exploit the gaps.
01:13:07
Speaker
um I don't think it's also a slow build up. um It's more of like a transitional style, like a positional transitional style of play. um We use the flanks a lot.
01:13:20
Speaker
um Our coat, our manager likes to do the fullback to fullback crosses. Like the fullbacks are very present in our attacking presence. Like we ah we do defend it with four in the back, but whenever it's time to go, we're attacking with five, maybe even more.
01:13:38
Speaker
because There's always somebody at the opposite end of the cross. um And right now, our left back and our left winger, which played left back most of the season, and he just kind of found a place there. He's doing well.
01:13:54
Speaker
um They can both finish. they can score both. They can score goals. So I think going from right to left is definitely the most lethal Botafogo can be ah when it comes to like being in the offensive end and on Seattle's defensive end.
01:14:14
Speaker
But there's a lot of like kind of like tiki-taka style of buildup as well. Um, was very interesting. Like Piva has a very, very interesting method of attacking.
01:14:27
Speaker
Um, it's like a tiki-taka and then fullback to fullback cross or finding your gap through the middle. Cause we scored like that just a few matches ago. Um, actually our captain got his first goal for the club.
01:14:39
Speaker
Um, and that was like that, like a tiki-taka sort of thing. Um, our right winger tried to finish and it kind of rebounded. And he, the, he was at the top of the 18 waiting for a rebound. The rebound came, he shot, he scored.
01:14:53
Speaker
How do you feel about ah the the the games against PSG and Atletico? I was kind of you know talking about earlier how, I think like how you put it, don't embarrass yourself. That's sort of how a how I've been looking at it. But I do think like regardless of what happens, I can appreciate the novelty of just watching the team get to play a club like that. And like, you know, they played friendlies against big clubs and stuff like that. But this is like, it's like a real tournament.
01:15:20
Speaker
where the other team is like they they got to win there's a lot of prize money on the line and uh there's also obviously of the pride factor so uh like when you look at how what you want to see from botafogo against a club like that how do you sort of define success
01:15:42
Speaker
who I mean, success would be going through, would be getting second or first place. um And I think for a lot about the Fogo fans, this is kind of like recovering a moment in time where this type of thing was a common thing.
01:16:00
Speaker
Like people that grew up like our grandfathers, right. And maybe some of our parents were there younger. They remember this type of stuff where Bautafogo used to go to Europe and beat everybody's ass.
01:16:14
Speaker
Like they used to go to Europe and there's like streets in Europe named after Bautafogo players and named after the club. Like that's how, but that's how much of a presence the club used to have and and the club scenario and the club world where,
01:16:28
Speaker
We used to play. i mean, we've played PSG before. We played Benfica. We played Barcelona. we played We've played all these clubs, you know, and then after like the 80s and the 90s and definitely in the 2000s, European football just took off to whole, to another level.
01:16:44
Speaker
um and And I can see why, you know, Technology is getting better. Players are getting better. Recovery, trainings, strengthening. So these players, over time, they do get better.
01:16:56
Speaker
And Europe just had the money. And so then the players started gravitating there. So football got better. So then everybody started to go there. Um, so for Botafogo fans, especially like the older generation, seeing this type of thing is a thing that they're we're used to once a upon a time.
01:17:15
Speaker
And, and for us, the younger, like kind of like the middle of the world generation and for the younger generation, things that we used to hear about, and now we're getting to see it for ourselves. And during that time, we we would win.
01:17:30
Speaker
And I mean, we hope that we can we can do well. And I think against Atletico Madrid, just like the Sounders, you can't overlook them. they they They are there for a reason.
01:17:42
Speaker
um and And we know why PSG is there. Yep. They just won the freaking Champions League. The literal best team in the world. The literal best. It's always fun to be in a group with the literal best team in the world.
01:17:54
Speaker
But you know what, dude? I welcome that. Yeah, no, that's how I feel about it. It's like, you know what? If it's 5-0, whatever, like ah anyone who wants to clown on that, why weren't you on that field?
01:18:05
Speaker
You want to test yourself? Yeah. enter enter Enter arguably the second best team in the world. got scored on five times. You want to test yourself?
01:18:16
Speaker
Let's go. See what you got. this is This is your moment. like Because this can literally, like if you you look at it this way, and the political and ah landscape of Brazil and how things kind of come up, a lot of for a lot of these people, this is a once-in-a-lifetime chance.
01:18:33
Speaker
Yeah. For somebody that grew up, I mean, obviously, if they're playing for Botafogo now, like they're they're doing OK. Texter plate pays well. Right. They're doing OK.
01:18:45
Speaker
But maybe for like a kid that's coming up from the academy and he's getting added on to this quad because you have to add like 30 or 35 players or something like that. If you're getting added on because you may be the third or fourth substitute, if something happens and you end up on that pitch,
01:19:04
Speaker
This is your chance, right? This is your chance to change your family's life, your future generations life. If you if you go against PSG and you nutmeg Marquinhos and you fire shot upper 90, you're going to Europe.
01:19:20
Speaker
So now that's kind of like a Cinderella kind of story. And I don't really, I don't think something like that's going to happen in the World Cup of Clubs. But just to give you kind of like an idea, like there's like, for example, Fluminense is a team from Brazil also playing. I don't think their squad has the depth of our squad.
01:19:38
Speaker
So maybe one of those kids will come up and play. You know, um teams from other parts of the world that obviously not well, like Asia or or well as far as like how the team would perform in a world stage.
01:19:53
Speaker
um So for a lot of people going up against PSG is a chance of a lifetime. And I think everybody understands the assignment.
01:20:03
Speaker
ah so Salah Ali, thank you for becoming a YouTube member. Really appreciate the support. um Pedro, I mean, that's pretty much all I got for you, man. I think we covered it all. We just went like an hour and 20 minutes. Sweet.
01:20:17
Speaker
I really appreciate the... the time wish you were coming out here for the, for the game and we could, we could chop it up IRL, but I'm sure there'll be, if you're ever out in Seattle, let me know. But ah before, ah before I let you go, anything that you want to plug or promote or regarding what you're doing with your channel or ah where can people find your work if they want to subscribe and find your content?
01:20:43
Speaker
Sure, man. Um, I'm right here on YouTube as well. If you want to search for me, glorious, but the fog, right now I'm working on a video, um, It's the video I've had ah the most amount of work is basically tearing telling Botafogo's history in English.
01:20:59
Speaker
um And it's going to be a condensed version of it because there's a lot of stuff. But that's probably coming out on Saturday. um So if you want to know more about Botafogo more in depth than what an hour and a half would allow it here, um that video is coming out on Saturday, hopefully.
01:21:15
Speaker
um ah If not for for sure on Sunday, it talks about Botafogo's history and how we got here to this point. ah Playing for the club world cup. um You can find me on Instagram, although my presence there is not as, as, as strong as it is on YouTube and on X slash Twitter.
01:21:32
Speaker
um You can find me there as well. And I tried not to spread myself thin across so many different ah social medias because after that is just, just to just YouTube and X is hard enough.
01:21:44
Speaker
yeah And then trying to keep up on Instagram is already hard enough. There's too many platforms. There's too many. So I'm just focusing on those two and then Instagram as my, as my slow, but steady growth over there. But yeah, if you want to find more and it's also always good to, to at least the way I see it, it's always good to, to know what's going on, on, on all these other teams and, and, and channels and,
01:22:11
Speaker
everybody puts in just as much, if not more work than you are putting in. So it's also nice to appreciate what other people do as well. Uh, when it doesn't, when it has nothing to do with Botafogo, but I appreciate it. just talked to forest, uh, Nottingham forest creators, uh, like last week. Oh, that's sick.
01:22:28
Speaker
And we had a great time, you know on a live podcast like this too, talking about the players. And I made, um, make contacts there and we're going to do another one of these coming up and we can do another one after the World Cup of Clubs is over so we can talk about how well or how how terrible we did.
01:22:47
Speaker
um And that's that to me is fun. I like connecting with people. So if you if you want to connect too, just come on over. Absolutely, yeah. we We appreciate the time here. It was great to ah get to learn about a club that, again, like there's no reason why we would normally go and dive this. Usually, I'm doing this about the Colorado Rapids, you know? Sure. It's cool to ah cool to learn about this club that Seattle's never going to play in any other context.
01:23:15
Speaker
And you were you were the guy to give us that information. I know ah ah know our audience really appreciates that as well. So, ah yeah. Best of luck to ah you and all your endeavors on Glorious Boda Fogo.
01:23:27
Speaker
And we'll catch up again soon. Yeah, for sure. I look forward to it, man. And thank you to everybody there and the chat saying all this really nice stuff, man. I really appreciate it Sounds good. Take care, man.
01:23:41
Speaker
To guys. That was Pedro Suadis from Glorious Boda Fogo. ah Really appreciate the time from him. Got to learn a lot about Boda Fogo.
01:23:53
Speaker
And i feel like I know pretty much what to expect now. Noah is buzzing into my apartment right now to join on the show. So I'm going to go let him in, but I will be right back.
01:24:31
Speaker
All right. Noah coming upstairs right now. Oh, I think I might not have unlocked the door. One sec. Sorry, chat.
01:24:54
Speaker
um chat All right. There he is There he is. got both of us. ah We got both of us in the, uh, in the building to close out this episode of under the lights, a good hour and, uh, 20 or so minutes of a Boda Fogo preview. That's how much, that's how dedicated I am to bringing you guys the content.
01:25:13
Speaker
Um, yeah, we went, we went for a minute there. It was, uh, ah didnt like It flew by. it was fire. i was about as knowledgeable a source as I think I could have managed to line up.
01:25:25
Speaker
Was not sure if I was going to be able to, like who I was going to be able to find to do this. You know, I got like k connects all over MLS for people to do stuff like this. But why?
01:25:39
Speaker
so that we can talk. I mean, I can still hear you. But I guess I don't really. It's like I like being able to hear my own voice.
01:25:50
Speaker
yeah
01:25:53
Speaker
Oh, well, and also it like blocks out the AC. Oh, I'm having like a little bit of internet shit. So hopefully that ah doesn't chat. Do I sound all right? But chat, chat, am I good? Let me know. Audio check one, two.
01:26:06
Speaker
All right. Before we get this started, I have to promo this shirt that I'm wearing here. It's the Seattle Summer of Soccer t-shirt. Is this not the sickest thing you've ever seen in your life? It's very sick. It's sick, right? Okay. He didn't want to say that it was the sickest thing he ever saw in his life. That's fine. I mean, I, i get it, I guess, but it's top two, top two to three.
01:26:28
Speaker
Oh, yeah let's go. Let's go. So these will be for sale at our ah event on Saturday, but also you can get them online right now at booters.club. I'll drop it in chat.
01:26:44
Speaker
Um, you can, you can go there and, uh,
01:26:50
Speaker
And buy them and I will ship them to you. And, uh, merch. We're merch guys. Now we got merch. Now got merch. Is this our like, uh, first like official merch, something like that. I mean, I more made it but I think that it's technically our first merch.
01:27:08
Speaker
um It's just like we're not sharing the profit on this one, but you know what I'm saying. like First merch, definitely. Everyone come out to Fast Fashion on Saturday starting at 4.30.
01:27:21
Speaker
Club World Cup watch party. We're going to watch Messi and the Barca boys take on a Ali, a club we all know quite well. We're going to see if the old men have still got it.
01:27:32
Speaker
<unk>nna We're going find out. they're going to be They're going to be huffing and puffing out there. Joints might be a little creaky, but ah we'll see if they can get it done.
01:27:45
Speaker
ah The event, PBS, Club World Cup watch party, fast fashion brewing, Saturday, 4.30. We're going to watch the game, do a little watch along, but with the with the people.
01:27:57
Speaker
I think that's the plan, right? Yeah. So it's going to be it' going to be a feat of technology, but it's going to be fun. And ah we love getting to hang out with you guys. IRL.
01:28:07
Speaker
um If you want to see more of the details exactly, it's lobbyingscorchers.com slash RSVP. You can go on there and ah check it out. Wow.
01:28:18
Speaker
Why are there so many Timbers fans? I don't know, man. They've got nothing else to do. They live in Portland. Like, what the hell else are you supposed to do? I mean, I don't know. Like, have we've been to Portland. There's nothing to do there. Like, I don't need i like just and they're just they're probably literally shirtless right now, sweating because they're they can't afford an AC unit with their laptop on their chest. Just like doing this.
01:28:39
Speaker
One of them said he was 54, which I believe because he was making a ah a reference to an obscure old Seattle rapper that no one cares about. It's pretty tight. I don't even know like what beef is going on. I just don't understand. like what It's one-sided, I think. don't understand what precipitated it. We weren't even we weren't talking about the Timbys. I was just trying to talk about Botafogo.
01:29:00
Speaker
They're just mad they're not in the tournament, I think, is is what it happened. yeah I mean, it's fine. it's fine i mean But ah the only thing I didn't like... Hold on. The only thing I didn't like was... ah I banned some people, so don't worry. 49 views talking about Rev. 49 views is pretty good.
01:29:16
Speaker
That's not that bad. Dog, dog. 49 views talking about Rev. You subscribe to us. You have to be a subscriber to chat. You dropped us a sub, dude. yeah We're getting free Rev for this. I mean i think 49. That 49 is pretty hot. like i don't know I don't know why we're sneezing at 49.
01:29:31
Speaker
I'll take 49 all day. And I'll have you know that... Sometimes on a Lobbing Scorchers kickoff, we have like 59. Okay. So ah let's just calm down with the with the making fun of our stats. Our stats are good. It'll it'll eventually be at 1K and they'll be like, at whatever, man.
01:29:52
Speaker
They're pocket-watching. They're pocket-watching. It's cool. Whatever. There's better food in Portland and more concerts cry more. Okay, sure. You have to live in Portland, though. Like, I don't really...
01:30:05
Speaker
You're really not selling me here. I don't even know. I'm done with Timby's beefing. I'm here for it. I'm here for it, dude. We're trying to prepare for the Club World Cup. They want to drag us down into... Yeah, exactly. This is some weirdest lurking behavior ever.
01:30:20
Speaker
They want to drag us down because they have nothing better to do. they're like They're just seething at the fact that the Sounders actually have a chance... uh, to you realize play. If our, if our chats like this before the game, imagine what it's going to be like after the game. Right. Exactly. Exactly. Anyway.
01:30:39
Speaker
we I mean, we i we get out a little more time to hang out here. yeah. yeah keep keep Listen, Somos Timbers, keep chirping, brother, because the more chats you send, the longer you're in here and the more mid-rolls you're going to get served. So thank you for the free rev. I heard he's a tier three sub, too. He's not wrong about my internet. I don't know what the fuck is up with that.
01:30:57
Speaker
Why is it doing that? I don't know, dog. I don't know. But... thought i had the tech Every time I think I have the technology down, i am a boomer. like I don't even deny that. Yeah, we we always do that. I can't deny that. that was never a I can't deny that. a denial I'm turning this light on. I need i need to be lit better, Ari.
01:31:15
Speaker
I'm a pretty princess, and I need to be lit better. You're turning the big-ass light on? Yeah, bro. Okay. I'm under the big-ass light for under the light. Oh, because I have the AC going because it's hot.
01:31:29
Speaker
we can we can um
01:31:37
Speaker
chance to get oh okay i have an idea for some content here yeah sure so some content idea here i wanted you to pull up the groups um and i wanted to figure out um how i wanted to do like some predictions like do like a bracket challenge kind of vibe you know what i'm saying Uh, like is the FIFA website the, where you would do that? Wherever bro.
01:32:07
Speaker
Uh, you could also look up like FIFA World Cup groups, look at the picture and then save it and then bringing it to MS paint.
01:32:15
Speaker
I mean, we could just talk it through, right? We'll just, just do the, do this, do this one right here. Which one? Nope. Go back, back it up guys. or right there, right there, right there.
01:32:25
Speaker
Okay. Okay. Okay. to Share this. Well, yeah, but like, yeah, yeah. I don't know if I, like, i okay all right, I'm just going to share this and then we can, uh, whoops. Pink Martins. I don't even know what this guy's saying anymore. i think that's a band. Oh, I don't know what that is.
01:32:45
Speaker
It's probably shitty music anyway. Yeah. Yeah.
01:32:51
Speaker
Okay, and then I can... zoom oh Oh, wait. and go back Go back a little bit. There we go. All right, so this is what we got.
01:33:03
Speaker
So you want to just go through group by group? Yeah, so group by group, who you think is going to advance and who think not going to advance. Okay, so let's ah let's just go through these. ah Group a got Palmares, Porto, Auali, and Inder Miami.
01:33:20
Speaker
The top two advance. Noah, who you got? It's pretty easy for me. I'm going to Palmares and Porto. There is no way that elderly FC is making it through this group. I already said it on the podcast. I'm not as convinced of that.
01:33:39
Speaker
what do you think Where do you think they'll get a result? Because you've got a ah really good Brazilian team in Palmeiras. And then you have Porto, who is like... a good European team. And then all Ali who maybe, maybe, maybe is the weakest of them, but is we, we know how they play. They play fast and, uh, and, and heavy.
01:33:59
Speaker
So, um okay. I mean, I don't really know the state of things for all Ali, but if we assume they're roughly similar in quality to what they were when Seattle played them, that was a game where I felt like the teams were relatively evenly matched.
01:34:14
Speaker
Uh, I think this inner Miami side, their their ceiling of what the of the level that they can hit when they are playing well is substantially higher than I think that then that Seattle team. I still do think that even with the struggles that they've had this year.
01:34:30
Speaker
And it's really it's really just about if they can find that inner Miami type level Miami. a couple of these games which i i don't i'm i'm torn on how likely that is but i think there is i could see it this i could see this scenario like i don't think it's uh any any game where the barca boys are involved like there's a chance that they could just ball the fuck out and yeah and get you the result like it could it could definitely happen Do you think Leone is still in this image? We'll sub them out. but And the end the thing is, like ah ever since he's been on Inter-Miami, we've really seen like how Messi can X-factor any individual game, regardless of opponent. they still They still have the best player in the group, individual player.
01:35:25
Speaker
so So who do you think is making it out of Group ah Some of these, it's hard because I just don't know a lot a lot about about the teams. but ah You can't couch it. You've got to just go it. I think Inter-Miami is going to make it. I think there's going to be some messy magic bullshit.
01:35:43
Speaker
I'm hogging the damn fucking frame over here. I mean, it's...
01:35:49
Speaker
What we get went for squeezing in here. I think ah ah Porto, i think it seems like has the most pedigree out of the rest of them. So though I would say those two.
01:36:00
Speaker
You're going say Porto and Inter-Miami. I've learned about betting against Messi. Even when it seems like the club is down bad, like it's never...
01:36:13
Speaker
a phenomenal bet. That's, that's a very, um, MLS soccer.com coded answer. I respect it on to group B, the group of death, the hardest group in
Group Stage Analysis and Predictions
01:36:22
Speaker
the whole world. The, the group that no one believes that, uh, Seattle Sounders will ever make it out of. We have palace.
01:36:30
Speaker
The best club team in the entire world. We have Atletico Madrid, who is my favorite Spanish team ah and is consistently a contender in La Liga, though can never really get over the hump versus Barca and Madrid.
01:36:47
Speaker
You have Botafogo, who you just learned a lot more about, and they've got that John Texter money. They've got that young players. They are a menace in the Brazilian league.
01:36:57
Speaker
And you have the the little Seattle Sounders, the biggest club in the world. But, you know, Definitely not the biggest club in this group. I feel like this group is just like as clear cut a projection as it gets.
01:37:10
Speaker
Like, i don't see any way to pick to pick anything but PSG and Atletico going through. Even though, like, I think Botafogo... I wouldn't be like shock shocked if they pull something out against Atletico. But like ah I feel i I feel like the gap between Atletico and Botafogo is not like meaningfully different than the gap between Seattle and Atletico. It's still it's a massive gap either way.
01:37:41
Speaker
So you're going PSG and Atletico. Yeah, i mean, i like, is there another... Here's what I'm going with. You're going with some different than that? I'm going with Atletico Madrid because I think... And I think that they're going to win this group.
01:37:56
Speaker
And the reason that I think they're going to win this group is because this tournament can really set them up and can bail them out in a way that PSG doesn't need. um And so I think that they want to win this tournament.
01:38:10
Speaker
They want to win this tournament because they may they have not won La Liga. They need a trophy. They need a trophy. And I think that this is the opportunity for them to go out there and get it.
01:38:24
Speaker
Simeone is an incredible coach. yes I think that he is going to get his players up to play these games. And you you know you have Griezmann, who's on his last legs.
01:38:35
Speaker
A final legacy tour for him. You have... All of this this stuff around this club, and i just I feel in my bones that they're going win this group. And maybe this is going to surprise some people, but I think Botafogo is going to go through as well. Hell yeah.
01:38:52
Speaker
Pedro, was ah he was making that pick in the chat. but but But legitimately, I don't think PSG is going to perform as well as people expect. I think... you think Okay, but so you think that's a case of like phoning it in a little bit?
01:39:04
Speaker
Like, we just we just won... They won what they wanted to win. They've proved what they needed to prove. This tournament is... If I am a PSG player, it's not that I'm not excited to play in it. It's just that, like, where is the... Compared to a player... The motivation? Yeah, compared to a player on Botafogo, compared to a Seattle Sounders player, compared to an Atletico Madrid player, it's like, honestly...
01:39:34
Speaker
I just feel like that is that is truly where the the energy is at. And I just don't think that PSG players are going to get up for it.
01:39:45
Speaker
And so, yeah, that's that's that. i have no clue. I mean, i like the ah going I like the going outside the box for the pick. I do think it is a valid ah thing to bring up of how much How much does a club that just won like the Holy Grail of soccer trophies, how much do they are they motivated? How much do they care about this? Yeah. It's definitely... That could be a variable...
01:40:15
Speaker
that causes them to not perform as well as people would expect. I'm just not, I mean, maybe maybe I'm being a coward with these picks, but I'm just not, they're the literal best team in the world. They could probably go out there unmotivated and they're, and they're still some of the most talented players that exist on, on the planet.
01:40:32
Speaker
So I think for me, i mean you're doing the like I'm just pick the obvious. You're doing the and you're doing the the March Madness bracket where like you just pick all but the one seed. Yeah, well, the March Madness bracket, though, the one seed always makes it past the first round. That's not true. Not always.
01:40:53
Speaker
but Okay, this is the equivalent of like a one seed playing of a freaking 16 seed. So how often does that really happen, like where the 16 wins? But here's the thing. It's it's not but it's about like...
01:41:05
Speaker
if Botafogo get a win against the Sounders, if Botafogo get a win against, or a win or a draw against PSG, and then Atletico goes and beats two teams, and somehow PSG, like, just doesn't, you know, it's gonna, like, I think it's gonna come down to goal differential.
01:41:23
Speaker
and i And I'm telling you, man, like, I just, I don't know. I just don't know. That's, this is ah this is this is This is the most interesting group. This is ah like a going outside the box with the take to hedge. So if it hits, like it looks incredible.
01:41:36
Speaker
No, it's not even that. I just, this is truly what I think. Like, because I just don't see PSG getting up for this game. Like how, how in the world, who the why the fuck would they care to play Seattle Sounders?
01:41:48
Speaker
Like, it's, it's, it's just crazy. I mean, I think, uh, like I see what you're saying about like the motivation coming off of UEFA champions league. I, I don't think if that is going to mean a situation where they go into the game and they're like, we don't give a fuck and we're not going to be motivated to like try and advance. Cause we just won this.
01:42:08
Speaker
There's still a ton of money on the line for them. And, uh, there's still like the ah pride element of it as well. like i dont I don't think they're going to go out there and like start picking the ball up with their hands because they were just winning Champions They're not going to play their starters in the group stage. Yeah, but i mean we're talking about world-class depth, are we not?
01:42:32
Speaker
Yeah, but um you're playing world-class depth against Botafogo's starters who want to win this tournament. There's a hunger there. I'm not saying that their depth don't either, but I think that the hunger from Atletico and Botafogo is way closer to a winning mentality than PSG, who they could give or take this. This this is not this is not a but a allow don no But this is not an amount of money that would get that would change their team.
01:43:01
Speaker
This is an amount of money that would absolutely change Botafogo. This would also completely change Atletico Madrid and how they could be able to compete in La Liga. That is the truth.
01:43:13
Speaker
PSG, that's that's a fucking that's like not even their entire wage budget. but don't you think that ah
01:43:24
Speaker
like I don't think you want to win Champions League and then go into the Club World Cup and lay get lay an egg and get grouped. i do I just don't think that that is their mentality. I think there's like ah there's pride as competitors, but there's also... ah there's also like If PSG actually lost to the Seattle Sounders, that would be... Even with them winning UCL, that would be embarrassing. I'm not saying that that's going happen.
01:43:51
Speaker
I think that they'll beat the Sounders and then they lose to Botafogo and Atletico. And then the Sounders lose all their games. And I think that Botafogo wins against the Sounders and draws Atletico and then Atletico wins against the Sounders and draws against Botafogo. And I think, or I guess, I don't know, they have to each have to play PSG too. So maybe there's a win in there. You know, whatever.
01:44:17
Speaker
You can do the math how you want to do it, but... I guess this is a better question too. Do you think the Sounders even get a point?
01:44:25
Speaker
I mean, I think that a lot of that comes down to a this Botafogo game. But i think I think it's not as like outlandish a proposition as it might seem or people might be but might be saying. but like if for no other reason than that, like anything can happen in an individual game. like It really can.
01:44:45
Speaker
I mean, we ah we saw the Timbys, God love them, a couple weeks ago playing Tacoma Defiance. they i mean And they famously almost lost that game, you know. i like Anything can happen.
01:44:56
Speaker
Anything. We were having kind of similar conversations going into that game. That's what I, that's, uh, that's what made me think of it is we were talking about like, there is this huge gap, obviously an experience and quality and roster spend between MLS next pro and MLS.
01:45:11
Speaker
Uh, but you know, you put them at star fire, they're going putting in these teams at, uh, at Lumen field. Uh, and then you have like the, uh, the, the motivation of trying to slay a giant that has led to, results that you might not expect before, or at least, uh, performances that you might not expect. Like, uh,
01:45:34
Speaker
I think it's decently possible that they're at least going to be in a situation or a couple of situations in this group play where it's in the middle of the game and we're looking at it and we're like, this is like, this is a toss up. It's competitive. Like it's not just them getting run on and smashed to bits every single second of every single game. Like, and but by the way, let's be clear. Like if a lot of people are correct in their prognostications that's what's going to happen seattle is going to go out there and get smashed by three four goals in every single one of these games uh so if any of those teams don't pull off that outcome then and seattle actually competes i think that might be a little embarrassing i don't know because uh i'm you know i'm just going off how people are talking about it yeah i i don't think they win a game
01:46:22
Speaker
That's for sure. yeah i don't know I don't know if they get a point, but, you know, I think the reality is, too, there's not really as much home field advantage. If you PSG played us at Starfire, we would destroy them. Make them play the Club World Cup at Starfire. See what they're really made of. Yeah, see if they can really get it done.
01:46:39
Speaker
Well, it's also, like, to be to be fair, ah i This isn't a home game. Like, yes, it is, but it's just like... It's not the same as, like, a conventional Lumen Field home field advantage. Yeah. A lot of the conventional Lumen advantage on it, like, it does come from the surface, which, who knows? I haven't seen the grass yet.
01:47:03
Speaker
Who knows how it's looking. uh but you don't you're not gonna have that variable that a visiting team might struggle with a lot and then ah the crowd i mean who knows how many people are even going to be at these and i have a hard time imagining it's going to be like the same type of partisan atmosphere that a regular sounders home game is i'm sure it'll be like majority pro sounders crowd uh but i don't i don't think it's going to have the same feel as a regular sounders home game so Yeah, I mean, I agree that the home field advantage probably doesn't play in as much as it might under normal circumstances.
01:47:40
Speaker
But I also don't... i It's not nothing. Like, these clubs are all having to make huge road trips, which can have different types of effects on different teams.
01:47:53
Speaker
So, I don't know. I'm just... ah
01:47:57
Speaker
I'm trying to come up with any scenario I can. Yeah, we'll see. ah Group C, Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Junior, and Benfica.
01:48:09
Speaker
I feel like Bayern, obviously, and Boca are the are the favorites there. I mean, do you know much about how Benfica is doing? I don't really. I don't know this season, but I know that they always have good talent.
01:48:22
Speaker
um And I honestly, I don't know what's up with Boca Juniors as much. i just know that historically, they're one of the best clubs in they're Argentina. Yeah, I mean, I think they finished six less.
01:48:33
Speaker
year or something like that like they've they haven't been like so they're not like they're not world beaters right now okay i think you could have a you could have auckland is uh is that new zealand it's no it's where is that it's uh or it is new zealand yeah i'm sorry but it's the the what's it called the a league or whatever down there Or I guess they're in the Northern League, which I don't even know.
01:49:00
Speaker
I don't know how they qualified, but hell yeah. Hell yeah. Shout out to Auckland City, dude. See, this is ah we've spent so much time talking about Seattle's group. Watching Auckland play Bayern Munich, that's so sick.
01:49:10
Speaker
They were founded in 2004, too, which is like awesome. That's just that's sick. you know, they're just, they're basically, uh, they're basically an MLS team. Um, so who's advancing you, you make your final distinction here.
01:49:24
Speaker
Byron Auckland, Boca and Benfica. I mean, I have, I have no knowledge to differentiate the quality of benfit Benfica versus Boca juniors. Uh, so I'll just say Boca juniors just because, uh,
01:49:38
Speaker
I know that historically they've been a successful club, so they probably got some big-time, big-money players still. So I bet that sees them through. But, I i mean, Benfica could be hella good. I don't know.
01:49:50
Speaker
Yeah. I don't know either. but Who's your picks? Let's see. I'm going with Bayern Munich and Benfica. Why not?
01:50:03
Speaker
Yeah. Why not? Why not? Goyle says, hi guys, Botafogo fan here. Let's have a huge game. We love JP in here. Thank you for stopping by. The Botafogo fans who have ah popped in chat tonight, that's awesome. Glad you guys are here.
01:50:19
Speaker
We've got a couple of disgruntled Timbys fans, but that's fine too. It's all good. They all got banned from chat. They're a allowed to type. They just, no one can see what they're saying. So it's really good content. That's fire. Yeah.
01:50:31
Speaker
I mean, you know whatever. ah Keep chirping. Keep watching the stream. We appreciate news. Anyone here from Botafogo fandom, welcome. Thanks for stopping by. i Looking forward to the match.
01:50:42
Speaker
Group E. You know Just full screen us. Just full screen us because the group D is messed up. It's not right on the graph. Well, it's I mean, it's just LAFC instead. Yeah, just full screen us. We look cuter.
01:50:57
Speaker
We look better anyway. this Yeah, this is way better. Group D, Flamenco, Esperions de Tunis, Chelsea, and Los Angeles Football Club.
01:51:09
Speaker
Happy foot, sad foot represent read that again Flamenco, Esperions de Tunis, Chelsea, And Los Angeles. Puchibol Club.
01:51:21
Speaker
This group is so much easier than Seattle's. Like, they could make it out of this. I think LAFC has a better team, too, so that's probably helpful. Yeah. they I mean, with how Miami had looked for a couple weeks, LAFC is the best MLS team in the tournament.
01:51:40
Speaker
i don't know. I mean... It just it's just comes down to if LAFC can get the result they need against Flamenco, which, again, like most of these clubs, don't have much of a concept of how good they are, what type of form that they're in But I don't think that that's a club that it's like crazy unthinkable to think that LAFC could can compete with, it? Yeah.
01:52:04
Speaker
right, hold up. Before we do this, whatever fucking Timbers Discord chat you guys have and you're tossing it in here, I'm just going to let you know you're just going to get banned. You're wasting your time.
01:52:18
Speaker
Don't waste your time. you're being You're being annoying as fuck. We're trying to have some fun here. It's not even chill. that's not I understand I was at one point, okay?
01:52:32
Speaker
But the reality is we're trying to do a show here. We're trying to have some fun. If you want to watch, you're more than welcome. If you want to talk shit and in a way that is not disruptive to the entire environment of the show, go for it.
01:52:47
Speaker
We are very pro shit talking. We got LAFC fans in here all the time. But the reality is we we have rapport with a fair amount of Timbies. We're not even talking about the Timbers. We're talking about the tournament. i don't They're not even remotely in They're not even allowed to be in it. would have expected this like Darby week.
01:53:04
Speaker
Yeah. Where were they? Where was that Derby week? What are we talking about? So see, yeah exactly. You've got a bunch more of these fucking guys with all their fake channels coming in here. So regardless, guys.
01:53:16
Speaker
fuck off. All right. And, uh, and that's that. I just don't understand. like Like I was minding my own business, like talking to the boat of focal guy. I literally didn't even say anything. I was doing something completely unrelated to this.
01:53:29
Speaker
So it's, it's, it's great guys. It's great. Um, but let's go back to, uh, this group D who do you think is getting out of this?
01:53:42
Speaker
I kind of want to pick against Chelsea. How sick would it be if Chelsea like lived up to their their classic bit and choked? Yeah, it would be. I feel like that's good. i'm going to pick that. I'm going to pick LAFC and Flamenco.
01:53:54
Speaker
I think LA, yeah, I like that pick. I'm going to go, I'll go Chelsea and LAFC. I do think LAFC advances out of this. I'm picking Vines think probably Chelsea does makes it out, but yeah it's just, dare to dream. got it you got it You got to dare to dream, dude.
01:54:12
Speaker
You got to. ah um Let's see here.
01:54:21
Speaker
Group... God, this fucking chart is terrible. Group E. River Plate. Urawa Red Diamonds. Monterey. And Inter Milan.
01:54:32
Speaker
That's a sick group. What is Diamonds? ah Japan. Japanese team. they're like they're They're like the most hipster Japanese team right now. like They're really fucking good. They won the league.
01:54:44
Speaker
and they are just generally like a pretty talented ah Japanese team. i would I would rate the J-League is fun to watch. I've kind of gotten into it in the last few months.
01:54:56
Speaker
But honestly, it's ah it's ah it's kind of like USL. it gives it It gives like USL vibes a little bit.
01:55:09
Speaker
ah A little bit more acrobatic, a little bit more like, you know, little bit more talent. this is this is a This is a tough group. This is like yeah evenly matched, I feel like. i mean i don't think i don't think that ah Red Diamonds have a chance. No, but like I feel like Monterey and ah River Plate, that's a good matchup, isn't it? Yeah.
01:55:35
Speaker
And then, uh, I mean, obviously inter Milan's still the favorite here, despite what happened to them famously at the hands of the team that the sounders are going to be playing.
01:55:45
Speaker
Yep. So that's super sick. Uh, but I mean, i have to imagine that there's still like the heavy front runner. Um, yeah. And, uh,
01:55:56
Speaker
River Plate versus Monterey. i mean, Monterey have not been good this season. I think I'd take River Plate there. Yeah, Monterey have not really been that good this season. i It's going to be a fun watch, exactly. yeah All those games will be fun. I'm ah i'm going River Plate and Milan as well. like I think that's ah i think that's a fair...
01:56:14
Speaker
like I think that's a fair pick. You know what I mean? Like they're, they're kind of all, it is, it is like, like Jake's saying it's, it is a hard group. Like, I think this this is a, this is my favorite group.
01:56:28
Speaker
That's your favorite group. Well, watchability wise, like, or like intrigue wise as to fair enough. This is another fun group, Group F. We have Fluminense out of Brazil, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan HD, and Melodi Sundowns.
01:56:45
Speaker
That's a South African team and a Korean team. South Korean team. This is this is pretty cool. This is pretty cool. So, Fluminense, obviously a very famous British, British, British Brazilian club.
01:57:00
Speaker
um And you have... Oh! Dortmund. Everyone knows Dortmund. And Olsan HD, they're probably one of the bigger teams in Korea. They won the league last year. they were champions of the league.
01:57:15
Speaker
And the Melody Sundowns, are they won their league as well. And I think they won...
01:57:24
Speaker
ah
01:57:26
Speaker
Yeah, they won that they won the African Champions League. The CAF Champions League. i am I think based on absolutely nothing, I'm going to pick a Wilson Hyundai here.
01:57:40
Speaker
Wilson Hyundai, let's go. Shout out. I don't know. yeah I'm feeling that. And Dortmund. I like that. Okay. um I'm going to go Fluminense and Russia Dortmund.
01:57:52
Speaker
I think that that's probably what's going to come out of this bad boy. um Because I think that that's a pretty that's a pretty like easy pick. But I'm excited to see i'm excited to see the Sundowns play.
01:58:07
Speaker
I think that'll be a fun a fun team to watch. Group G. G as in, god damn. Manchester City, Widad AC, that's a, i why am I blanking on the name, a Moroccan team.
01:58:24
Speaker
They play in Casablanca. I'm pretty sure that they were in Club World Cup before as well as a host nation in the last one.
01:58:35
Speaker
And then you have Alain FC. They're a team in Abu Dhabi in the UAE. And Juventus.
01:58:46
Speaker
I mean, that's looking like a Man City Juventus situation, isn't it? I think so. I think that's probably...
01:59:01
Speaker
I don't know. I think that's probably a, I i don't know. I don't know. i don't know how else you size that up. I mean, in Man City is Man City. And Juventus is a perennially very talented team, though.
01:59:17
Speaker
Obviously, they didn't win the league this year. They they finished fourth in the Serie A. But it's pretty, it's pretty normal. But um what are you guys talking about?
01:59:27
Speaker
What is going on? I don't know, but they've got about a thousand accounts. It's pretty tight. think Cassette deck. What does he, what does he mean? I don't know any of the shit that they're saying it's, and they're like, you're a boomer. And then they're like, what, what the fuck is a cassette? Cause I thought that I thought they were doing the boomer thing because my internet was cutting out a little bit during the interview, which is true.
01:59:50
Speaker
But like, no, I don't think they, I don't think they're watching with audio on. What else are you? ah Group H. Falcom, Real Madrid, Al-Halal, Pachuca, and Red Bull Salzburg.
02:00:06
Speaker
Real Madrid, they're they're considered pretty decent, aren't they? I've heard of that team before, all right They're relatively solid side. Up-and-coming, young upstart side trying to make their name.
02:00:20
Speaker
um I mean, yeah, they i mean Real Madrid's for sure getting out of that. Pachuca or Salzburg, that could be interesting. i don't know. Do you have any like other insight than wild guessing there? I i would be another wild guess.
02:00:35
Speaker
um Hold on. Give me a second.
02:00:44
Speaker
There we go.
02:00:48
Speaker
Fire. um Sorry, what's up? What you say? I apologize. I was changing the chat. Do you have any insight other than wild guessing as to Salzburg or Pachuca?
02:01:03
Speaker
That's a wild guess for me, but I mean, if you... I mean, Al-Hilal is a competitive team from what I hear in the Saudi Pro League. Pachuca... mean, we saw Pachuca play,
02:01:18
Speaker
um but they finished eighth in the Klasuda... They're like in the regularly but not incredible. And then Salzburg is and Austrian team.
02:01:31
Speaker
they They have Red Bull talent. And yeah, like that's kind of... I feel like they're like an Austrian powerhouse. like They always win that league type situation. yeah right i mean, I don't know. and Again, kind of wild guessing. I mean, I'll take Real Madrid and Salzburg. I feel like I've heard a lot a lot of lot of good things. isn't Is that the one that... ah Which one did Jesse Marsh coach in Osborne? Yeah, i think he coached Salzburg.
02:02:01
Speaker
Pachuca-Salzburg feels like a toss-up. Yeah, exactly. I'm going to go Real Madrid and Pachuca. I like that. Just because, like, get some CONCACAF representation in there. You know what I'm saying? Sure. That's all the group. Sorry.
02:02:13
Speaker
We did not pick the Seattle Sounders to advance out of the group. Yeah, I mean, I'm not going to... ah
02:02:20
Speaker
I'm not gonna put that on record, come out chest thumping, guaranteeing that they're gonna be PSG. Yeah, it's ah that would be a tough that'd be a tough thing to to to put out there. Any Asian clubs advance? I picked... Ulsan Hyundai. I picked Ulsan Hyundai.
02:02:38
Speaker
um So that's tight. Yeah. this was ah This is a ah fun thought exercise of just picking purely based on vibes and pretty much no actual...
02:02:50
Speaker
knowledge I know like a little bit about some of these clubs, but like Pachuca Salzburg, definitely don't know the fine points of that enough to know who who has the edge in that.
02:03:02
Speaker
But it was fun. Like I haven't really ah gone club by club through the groups like that. Like this group I'm going to be watching that.
02:03:13
Speaker
I'm going to be watching that.
02:03:19
Speaker
That's what I had. That was my content idea. That your content idea. How are you feeling? games on Games on Sunday. I'm excited. i i am just... Honestly, all I'm thinking about is this event.
02:03:31
Speaker
ah It's it's been ah it's been a been fun to try and wrangle everything. And yeah, i don't know. i think I think it's going to be a fun match.
02:03:42
Speaker
They're basically giving tickets away at this point. Yeah. They're weighted it out they're like, if you waited it out, buy one ticket, we'll give you four for free. um And that's honestly hilarious.
02:03:54
Speaker
ah So that's tight. I hope that it's full-ish. You know, like, I don't know. I don't know what's gonna ah what it's going to be. But if you haven't gotten tickets yet, they are cheap. And you can go to Lobbingscourchers.com slash tickets.
02:04:09
Speaker
They are available straight from FIFA right through there. And you can you can get yourself a nice seat and you'll see us there. I'll be on the field taking pictures. So I don't know.
02:04:21
Speaker
Sick. I'm excited for the games that we're not playing in. Like I just want to watch going through the groups right there. Made me, uh, made me excited to watch some of the other games. Uh, and you know, as for this game, I'm, I'm kind of, looking I'm kind of looking forward to, uh, there just being another game, uh, to push the vibes forward.
02:04:45
Speaker
feel like it's been sort of purgatory yeah the last couple of weeks in this, uh, in this negative whole negatives and and that's might continue throughout this tournament, but at least there's going to be a game to be played, talk about, yeah analyze.
02:05:01
Speaker
We'll get three. Listen, we'll get three games and then we get to go play Austin. That's going to be... We get to play Austin on the heels of playing PSG. It's back to reality. MLS, the only league where you can go from playing PSG to Austin FC.
02:05:18
Speaker
It's honestly... and Playing at Austin is a step up. I like this Nathan comment. That's sick.
Seattle Sounders' Prospects in the Club World Cup
02:05:25
Speaker
I just hope Obed puts on a good display for the other big clubs there. We talked about that on the pod, but there's a lot riding on that.
02:05:33
Speaker
but like Just imagine the scenes if he's if he somehow like scores some kind of banger goal against PSG or if or against Atletico. We were talking about how that's like we think that's such a good fit potentially for him to go there.
02:05:48
Speaker
If he scores a banger against one of those teams, though' they're going to have him in their kit before he... walks off the field. ah he he He's, he's destined. He's destined, man. He's destined for there.
02:06:02
Speaker
ah i think, I think it does feel like that. Like with them being in the, in the club world cup group. And then you were saying he, he said that he, it's his favorite La Liga team, right? Yeah. So I think, ah I think this might be manifesting.
02:06:18
Speaker
think so. Big marketplaces for scouts. Absolutely. Absolutely. it's Yeah, it's going to be... They watch these, and then whoever scores like cool goals, they immediately spend $40 million plus dollars on.
02:06:33
Speaker
That's how it works. Maybe he goes to Botafogo.
02:06:37
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, ah they're supposedly interested in De La Vega. They can have him. They can fucking have him, dude. They can have him, dude. They can have him. $8 million? Less. I don't care. $6 million.
02:06:49
Speaker
I just want our purchase price back, you know? Six would be a little bit less, but it would be in the Oh, what did they pay for him? Seven. Oh, okay. Yeah, but it's like when you buy a car, you know, it depreciates. It's like a depreciating... Like, I feel like that's kind of where it's at because he got a couple injuries. Okay, he's like like, yes. he got he got He got in, like, a fender bender. you would like ah you would... The taillight's a little cracked, but, like, it's a good car.
02:07:12
Speaker
It's just, like, the car facts aren't perfect. You know what I'm saying? You would... you would Think so, but, ah I mean, River Plate spent $10 million dollars on Sebastian. That must have been money laundering, dude. There's no way.
02:07:26
Speaker
Alan Velasco, not good for FC Dallas. Boca Juniors spent like double what Seattle paid for De La Vega on him. That was tight. So if those guys are worth that, De La Vega ah hasn't hasn't hit hit, but he's been better than those guys. like Drew C. did have the one insane year, to be fair.
02:07:42
Speaker
But for like a year and a half at least after that, he was a not good, and B, like like disgruntled and openly talking about how he hated the team and didn't want to be there anymore. And they still got a $10 million dollars bag for him.
02:07:55
Speaker
De La Vega's got to have more... ah more actual value than that. i don't know about perceived value, but like, by the as high the end of his, ah by the end of his tenure in Austin FC, Drew Yussi was like an active detriment to their club.
02:08:12
Speaker
So, I just think, I think that the Sounders need to pass the bag. I mean, I said this on the pod, but it's like, gotta You got to know when to get out. You got to know in you're when the ship is taking on water. but If Botafogo offers a bag, I think that it's got at least be considered.
02:08:31
Speaker
yeah I don't know how much how much like actual interest that is. We're also just assuming that it's Botafogo. Could be PSG or Atletico, but... I could see Atletico maybe. they toss him they like They buy him and loan him out to some fucking shit-ass La Liga team.
02:08:48
Speaker
I could see that. Could happen. but ah if he goes like We were talking about that on the pod too. like If he goes out and balls out, whatever club that was that was hitting up Craig Wives about him,
02:09:02
Speaker
they'll probably be even more interested. Yeah. So no, this is a proving ground. It's, I think ah that more, um but i think I'm more interested in the outcome of that type of stuff than I am about like what actually happens in these games.
02:09:16
Speaker
Like, can Obed play? jack the price up. If he does, that means that he did something cool and good in the tournament, right?
02:09:27
Speaker
Yeah. So, and that's like, or he doesn't, or he just plays normally. Yeah. Well, yeah. For, for as much talk as there's been. And I get it like about how easily Seattle is going to get, uh,
02:09:39
Speaker
get rolled and they're going to lose every game by three to five goals. And it's going to be ah disgraceful there. They're already getting talked about like a disgraceful embarrassment to MLS before they've even played the game. Yeah. ah Played any of the games.
02:09:53
Speaker
It's like this preordained outcome, which, yeah, that might happen. um But, you know, you got some guy you got you still got some guys that, uh, they got They got pride. They're competitors.
02:10:06
Speaker
And they ah they have world... Like, Obed Varius has world-class talent. yeah Ryan Kent, I think, has world-class talent. De La Vega, he's got talent.
02:10:19
Speaker
they're like even even ah even rusnak like has played it in the air to visa and is a high level player there these guys are not mean mls is basically there to be say let's be real people don't want to say he's a slovakian international player he's got some pedigree okay like i think he has the point is i think he has pedigree because of what he's done in mls i'm just saying like i think the air to be saying mls are very similar competitions Yeah, but you know for the people that use the, it have to you have to play overseas as a frame of reference. yeah yeah like
02:10:50
Speaker
ah The point is, like these guys are not going to go out on the field against Botafogo on Sunday and like forget how to play the game. It's still the same game.
02:11:05
Speaker
They can do it at a very high level. Obed can do it at a very high level. lot of these guys can do it at a very high level. So we'll see what happens. I think the ah like a the really unfortunate thing is that the ah the starting striker and all the center backs are injured.
02:11:20
Speaker
ah I would feel like there's a lot more of a possibility of Seattle staying competitive here if they had the starting center backs.
02:11:30
Speaker
or And at least like Jackson Reagan not right coming off injury. The CB situation just feels pretty chalked is the thing. so They're not in a good position. They're going into it wounded.
02:11:43
Speaker
But a again, like say there's just randomly a really... Bad giveaway by an Atletico or Botafogo player.
02:11:56
Speaker
Ryan Kent gets on the ball. He's not going to run the opposite direction and kick it into his own goal because he's playing against Atletico Madrid. like He's going to do his thing. And his thing is good is good at soccer sometimes. so Every once in a while, he's good at it we' ah We'll see. I mean, gets...
02:12:14
Speaker
it could be It could be the preordained outcome. I fully acknowledge and accept. I've accepted that possibility this whole time. This could be a situation where it just looks like they're not playing the same sport as these guys.
02:12:28
Speaker
And I'm more... concerned about that possibility given like how the Vancouver game went and just how negative the vibes are in general makes it feel like more like if they were flying high going into this in super good form healthy everyone was playing well I think I might feel more like okay maybe maybe something could happen here I'm not like super optimistic about it but I also know that anything can happen Yeah. um
02:12:59
Speaker
Hunchpunch, if you scroll up, he dropped something ah something tactical in there that was interesting. Not tactical, but like, yeah. Let's go nuts for a second. Like, what would you do if we won the lottery kind of thinking?
02:13:12
Speaker
Imagine for a second just what it is or just what it would be like If beyond all reasons, Seattle won it. the So the hypothetical, if they won the tournament, just like crazy Cinderella. Hell yeah.
02:13:24
Speaker
I'd be, I'd be fucking, it would be, ah I'd be the drunkest man in the world. It would be the, um, the single greatest accomplishment any soccer club has ever. Yeah.
02:13:35
Speaker
You'd, but you'd have to put that shit up with like Lester winning the prem type stuff. Like I, I think you Invincibles, you know, that type of thing. It's just one of those things. That's like a one in a trillion outcome, but, but if it was going to happen, Ari,
02:13:55
Speaker
What do you think? what what What would happen to the club? what would it Would it truly change and revolutionize the Seattle Sounders? Because they won Champions League.
02:14:08
Speaker
And no one had ever done that before. And I don't think it changed the club. I don't think that it like... What do you mean by change the club?
02:14:19
Speaker
Like, I don't think it elevated the Seattle Sounders into this like unstoppable powerhouse or that it somehow allowed us to overcome the parody of MLS. I think it was an incredible feat that will be remembered, but I don't think that there was a long-lasting...
02:14:37
Speaker
I mean, if you're talking about on-field impact, no. But in terms of ah continental and and even global perception, i think being the first and MLS club to win Champions League did did did change the club in terms of like their standing and stuff. Yeah.
02:14:58
Speaker
independent of like the actual on-field results. But like when you become the first to do something like that, that's like one of the benefits of it is it like changes the stratosphere that you're in. Like I think you're underselling the
02:15:14
Speaker
the impact of how like historic a feat that that was. Yeah, I mean, maybe. not And then, I mean, on top of that, this is a whole different level than that.
02:15:26
Speaker
Like, yeah they had to make it through the Liga Mekki sconlet win Champions League, but if they had won Club World Cup, that would mean they, like, were taking results against clubs like PSG and Real Madrid and shit. Like, that would be, I think that would absolutely change the club in terms of their profile and how they're perceived because at that point, uh, the later you get in the tournament and they're playing these, ah increasingly high profile teams and they're taking results that would, that would be, that would be like covered globally.
02:16:02
Speaker
Fans of clubs and other, I think LA has that would be possibility to do that. Like I, I really do. I think that if anyone's going to do it, it's going to be LAFC and like, that sucks. Yeah.
02:16:13
Speaker
That sucks because they didn't even deserve to be there. I mean, but like they, I think they have the best chance to make it out of their group, but it's not like they have any meaningfully better chance at winning the tournament. I think they have a pretty, but I'm not going to say they're goingnna win a tournament, but I think that their, their path to advancement is not hard.
02:16:31
Speaker
Yeah. But like, I thought the hypothetical was like winning the whole thing. Yeah. But you've got to do part one to get to part two. And I just think that it's like, you know, but I'm saying even if they get momentum, and even if, even if they do get out of the group, they have no meaningful chance of, winning the whole thing yeah i don't know i don't know i i it's hard to dream sorry it's hard i mean i'm just it's hard to dream it would be if seattle we know what would happen with the money they would take it and fucking build a stadium and rent it so like that i don't even want them to win it because i know that's what they would do uh let's keep going through chat here
02:17:11
Speaker
Maybe off topic, have you discussed Georgie much this
Team Strategy and Player Development
02:17:14
Speaker
pod? I feel like if he shows well and could use more minutes. Tell me why Georgie and Ken on the wings is a bad option. I actually like this take because Georgie has not really... i don't think he's played enough to generate any sort of like... ah transfer buzz.
02:17:35
Speaker
I mean, maybe, maybe he is a little bit, but not like he, that's not his, like, he's not hyped on that like that right now, but it's like, it's a good point. Like a player like that, like a if Georgie subs in for whatever reason, maybe he's coming in at the end of the game. Maybe he, maybe there's a injury sub or something.
02:17:54
Speaker
And he goes and like does the Georgie thing where he, he's got the type of physical gifts that play against any competition. It's not like, uh, it's not like that kind of speed and power is like stops functioning based on the competition. It's just the like consistency and technical ability and decision-making that are, uh,
02:18:20
Speaker
like that he still needs to refine to reach his actual ceiling. But yeah, like if he, if he goes out and has a good tournament, he could start to generate more buzz like that.
02:18:33
Speaker
And ah honestly, ah I'm with the agenda that he should be playing more. Anyway, the team's struggling on offense right now. ah The last game that he got in, which was, it was one of the home games.
02:18:47
Speaker
I thought he was looking good. I like it when he's ah but he's constantly outside. He's got to learn to stay on side. I think he's an unpolished player. I don't think he should be starting. i't I mean, I don't think we should be starting, but like if he should play, I think he should get some minutes. You can give him minutes, but I think that he's he's become one-dimensional, and I think teams know how to counter him, and I just don't think that he is ready to play in MLS just yet.
02:19:13
Speaker
You don't think he's ready to play in MLS? i I think that he's one of those players that's like, you've got to
02:19:22
Speaker
It's not that he's not ready. It's just that... I've seen him play enough in MLS to to feel like i he can definitely play in MLS. I mean, he can play, but I don't think he could be successful for long runs and long periods of time because it's just... And then his positioning is really bad and he's very one-dimensional. The offside thing like is annoying. it's it's Yeah, you can't have that.
02:19:40
Speaker
Especially when they're you're the Seattle Sounders who get four or five chances a game to actually score. Yeah. So, like, i'm i'm I'm not... It's not that i'm I'm sounding very negative on Georgie. I like him as a player. I just think that he's still raw. I think he's still just, like, a very, like...
02:19:57
Speaker
talented gifted player but like not very he' he's raw he is raw he's not refined enough to like put him out there and feel confident and consistent and when your winger depth is already so incredibly strong like he's just so buried that strong though is it that strong he's who who is he okay Rothrock De La Vega um ah Ryan can't who else do we have um ah
02:20:28
Speaker
I'm blanking pull the roster up I don't know but like those are the main like those are the main guys but I don't think that he comes close to any of those guys No, but that doesn't mean there's not a minutes for him. But I think the thing that, like, yes, like everything you're saying about how he is raw and unpolished and inexperienced and offside all the time is true.
02:20:50
Speaker
He also is ah physically talented enough to to make a play at any given time in any given game. And we've seen him do that at different times. It's just about consistency. It's just Ferreira.
02:21:02
Speaker
Yes. Yeah. So ah you've also got, um I don't think it's a, it's such a murderer's row right now to, to be, to be saying that Georgie shouldn't be getting on the field at least a little bit.
02:21:15
Speaker
Like, I'm not saying no don't play him. I'm just, I was just being honest about where I think he is. RBW. Yeah. Yeah.
02:21:28
Speaker
I think RBW brings more to the table in that position than the wing. Yeah. See now, like I think he played the wing a couple of times last season and I thought he was good. Yeah, but we' we've seen individual flashes. Like the thing that Georgie Georgie has a very unique ability to just like blast through and blast by guys that like RBW. Yeah, but that simply doesn't bring to the table. does the new thing though, where he'll blast by a guy and then send it to Rosie.
02:21:57
Speaker
Like, you've got to have an idea of what you're going to do after that. After that step over, after that cross, after you blow by everyone. Yeah, and like, I'm definitely not disputing that that is not like fully there yet. But I think they're, like, I've seen plenty of individual instances where he's generated great chances just by mossing his defender. He's gotten a couple assists in MLS.
02:22:19
Speaker
he's got ah He's got an MLS goal. He can't stay on side, which is the only reason he doesn't have a couple other assists. andls calls I mean, that's that's like that's discounting the whole point of a winger, though, like you have to be positionally gifted to be an effective winger, especially in MLS like these teams understand that.
02:22:39
Speaker
And you're taking points off the board if you're offside. There was legitimately goals that he took off the board because he was just fucking parked offside for no reason. Like that's a problem.
02:22:50
Speaker
it's a like It's not... The last one I felt bad for him because it was one of those ones that's like 0.2 inches. He was offside, but it's like... And yes, you do need to have the awareness to make sure you are fully onside. Paul Rothrock doesn't put do that.
02:23:05
Speaker
Yeah, but Paul paul Rothrock also... ah doesn't have the speed and power that Georgie has. I he may not have the speed, but he has the technical ability.
02:23:17
Speaker
i not i'm um like people all the time I'm not rating Georgie over Rothrock. I think you're i think you're i'm just saying yeah i think you're i know being dismissive of like the the upshot of Georgie, of which there is clear. no dismissal of the upshot. I'm just trying to make the point that I don't think he's really ready yet.
02:23:35
Speaker
I don't think he's really ready yet to rely on. Yeah. Would I start him in the club world cup? No. Would I give him a, would I give him a five to 10 minute cameo a couple of times in this, in this group stage? Yeah. Oh, definitely.
02:23:46
Speaker
Definitely. Cause like, it's a good, like it's a, it's a test to see like what he can do and how he's developing. And I do think ah like, I do think that the, this isn't the games that you like, I mean, I just, I don't know.
02:23:59
Speaker
I don't know. I don't know. You would just not play him at all? I'm not saying don't play him at all. I'm just saying it's like, I don't... What is your Georgie take here? I don't even know what you're... My Georgie take is he's not ready for significant minutes.
02:24:12
Speaker
Like oh He's not ready for a significant role, and he he needs to figure out the technical but ability and the positioning and the passing. And then once he can do that, he's going to be a really damn good player.
02:24:22
Speaker
And I'm not saying that you shouldn't give him minutes. I'm just saying, like, that should be midweek at RSL. Give him 45 minutes. Not, you know, you know and not not making a cameo in the Club World Cup because it's not really doing anything for anyone.
02:24:38
Speaker
Yeah, well, I would... He'll get minutes, so I'm going to be wrong either way. i would have no i have i have no problem with him getting minutes because, like, as for, like, the it's not the time thing. I mean, who like, i you... were you you don't, it's not like you gain anything by like result wise by not playing him. It doesn't really like matter who you play as the subs.
02:25:01
Speaker
Maybe if it's like, it does matter if it's a, if it's like a super competitive game and you're a one zero in like the eighty first
02:25:12
Speaker
I don't know. I probably don't bring them on. But like if you're losing like three zero to PSG in the 78th minute, why not like run them out there and let them run at some PSG guys, see what happens, what's like what's to what's to what to lose there?
02:25:28
Speaker
Nothing, I guess. Listen, I want Georgie to do well, and I don't want another winger to be sacrificed at the altar of Schmetzer Ball. Put him in the window and you sell him to someone who can who can tighten his game.
02:25:40
Speaker
It's not even the and like like ah Stefan saying he beats more defenders than Messi. It's not that he's a bad player. It's just that this team he doesn't fit the schematics of this team at all. And there's really not like a...
02:25:53
Speaker
this isn't the right spot for him. I don't know. Like I want him to go and do well. It's just like, ah it just, he seems like, uh, like, um, he's way too good for next pro. He's literally the best player in next pro. He, he, you put him in next pro and he's legitimately like the, the greatest player I've ever seen in my life, but he's just not there for, for this Sounders team.
02:26:14
Speaker
And like, that sucks. It sucks, but it's just the reality. And I think that, I think, yeah I don't think he fits the squad very well. I didn't know you were so anti-Georgie. I'm not anti-Georgie. You sound pretty anti-Georgie. I'm not anti-Georgie. I want him to do well. This is an anti-Georgie take. This is an anti-Georgie take.
02:26:32
Speaker
I mean, like everything you're saying about his his rawness is sure I'm just trying to tell the truth. That's it. It's not about that I don't want him. Well, think I would argue that focusing on...
02:26:44
Speaker
like how raw he is, but not letting and lending any credence at all to like his physical gifts and how we've seen those manifest on the field at times. But you think the Sounders are going to be able to like shape that type of player?
02:27:03
Speaker
Yeah, like I mean, I don't know. That's not the style of player that they've ever been known to nurture. That's why it would be cool if they actually developed a ah ah speedy, powerful. I mean, ah minus three he balled out in the Open Cup game minus the PK. One of the most egregious PK giveaways I've ever seen in my life. I mean, but he did ah he did have, didn't he have two assists?
02:27:25
Speaker
No, that's what I'm saying. he's ah He's a god on Next Pro, dude. i'm telling you. That was against the Timbys first team. Yeah, but it was with the Next Pro team. but It's a different style of play. It's a different like style of play. I'll give you that. I'll give you that. yeah I don't think... Yeah, I'm not... way, anti-Georgie. I'm not. Everyone's coming at me. I'm just trying to like be be honest. I'm just trying to give some analysis here. It's not that I'm anti-Georgie. It's just that like I think that... I like him as a player. I think he's fun to watch. i just like It's the same thing with De La Vega, man. It's like sometimes you got to you gotta to call a spade a spade.
02:27:57
Speaker
Has he been like really bad lately? like what Yeah, he's been pretty bad the last few matches. are you Are you still seething over the offside goal against Dallas or whatever? Well, I mean, I think that that's just a... That was really tilted. A really, like... And it was, like, the third time it's happened. Yeah, that's what I'm saying. And I think that he he was absolutely put into a into a into a corner in that Dallas game. Like, they knew exactly how to to manage him.
02:28:25
Speaker
And he was getting frustrated. And, like...
02:28:31
Speaker
that's how That's how it goes. That's how it goes. It's not that I'm anti-Georgie. It's just that he needs to figure it out. Yeah, exactly. He was forcing the envelope against the loons. ah Absolutely.
02:28:42
Speaker
But it's it's it's not that he's not getting opportunity or that he's not like almost there. It's just that I think that you need a different type of player ah in that position.
02:28:54
Speaker
See, one of the things I like about him is that he brings something different than like the other wingers because i think his most impressive attribute is just like ah you know if he if he's got a one-on-one against a guy, he's got just that ah that like that speed to just get around the dude and then just his acceleration. And then blast it into the 19th row. It's giving Leo Chu.
02:29:22
Speaker
Is that not the truth? That's anti-Georgie. But is that not the truth? It's the same... anti-Georgie. But it's not. it's the say It's the same player. Leo Chu was the same player. He was the same player, and they were never able to develop him.
02:29:34
Speaker
That is true, but I don't want to put that on him necessarily. I'm not saying that they're the same. I'm just saying it's the same archetype. I'm just saying it's the same style of play. He is so... naturally talented and so naturally like balanced. And one of my favorite things about him is that he just doesn't lose the ball. He's like a, he's like a, he's like a fly trap, right?
02:29:54
Speaker
I love that. I love that. He's able to to make those runs, but it doesn't, it does it like rarely gets you to where you need to go. And then his positioning is an active detriment to your team.
02:30:05
Speaker
And I just think that's a problem. You know, you already have, you already have like, ah, it doesn't matter. Noah's anti-Georgie. I'm not going to win this. He's anti-Georgie. I just didn't know you were anti-Georgie. I'm not anti-Georgie. Run him out. You know what?
02:30:22
Speaker
Start him. Start him against PSG. Prove me wrong. Play him with Ken. um Well, I do think there's ah there is legitimately something to the notion that if you have if you have a window where it where it makes sense to to play him and he does well, he is at the point in his career and he has just like the physical talent where...
02:30:43
Speaker
like If he does develop in a way that maybe that ah you're you don't expect, he will get he'll get noticed like that. like Just because guys with his physical abilities are hard are not that easy to find. But it's it's just not...
02:31:00
Speaker
it's just not, it's not there yet, man. And I just don't know how I don't think the Sounders are going bridge to nowhere. Really exciting to be on the bridge, but it just ends in nothing. That is, uh, I just want to lend credence to the excitement of being on the bridge. Like, I think you do have to, uh, take that into account when you, uh, in the, in the evaluation, like there's a reason, uh,
02:31:22
Speaker
There's a reason for that excitement. What about Danny Leyva? You're, uh, like, get Danny Leyva some... No, I'm just saying, are we going to Danny Leyva him? Load him to the Colorado Rapids and then bring him back? Just sit him on the squad for the rest of his career and do nothing with him.
02:31:39
Speaker
And not, like, you know what i mean? Like, I don't... i don't know. That is true, though. All right, see, you're actually getting, uh... I'm not anti-Georgie then literally calls him Leo Chu. I mean, that's...
02:31:53
Speaker
I'm not anti-Leo Chu either. You were anti-Leo Chu by the end. I think everyone was anti-Leo Chu by the end. Let's be so fucking for real. I still wished him well, though.
02:32:05
Speaker
He, uh... Dude, the Brazilian teams are... Botafogo's coming for him, dude. Get ready, FC Dallas. Botafogo's coming for him. I have nothing ah um nothing against Leo Chu. Thought he, uh... His crash out was fire. That was really good content for us. That was some of the best content of last season.
02:32:23
Speaker
So, alright. That was good Georgie discourse. ah I didn't mean to offend anyone. i just That's just how I see it. it's It's been there's been some firecrackers tonight. We had the worldre under the light. idea I can actually give my true color. We had the entire Timby's army in here for some reason. Apparently everyone with colored hair and making their saying making fun of us clowning on our 49 viewers. I'm still upset about that. No, I i thought yeah I was sitting here. I was like 50, 50 people. They were nine of them. That's pretty good.
02:32:51
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. I guess I guess that was why the numbers. Yeah. Because the Timby's army was here. i mean, that's, you know. If you got us up to the 50 spot, I think 50 is good.
02:33:02
Speaker
So whatever. But we are past two and a half hours. I was thinking of wrapping her up here. But did you do you have anything? We can hit ah some other stuff as well before ah before we wrap it up. If you got anything.
02:33:16
Speaker
I don't know. what a what what What does chat have to say? i don't have shit to say. chat i got and married I got buried by you in this in this convo. I felt attacked. felt personally... i was just i was just interrogating the logic. I wasn't yeah i wasn't attacking. i was just Now you have to pick a player you don't like and talk about it.
Honest Analysis in Sports Commentary
02:33:36
Speaker
ah who um who have i been if i'm Who am I down on right now?
02:33:41
Speaker
You're never down on anyone. You're very... that You're a hopeful optimist, which I appreciate. Okay, let's... All right, let's actually... Let's talk about this. Let's talk about this because... ah People, we like we get it we get a lot.
02:33:56
Speaker
I've learned in YouTube and in podcasting that like pretty much no matter what you say, some people going like... Someone's going to disagree. Well, they're going to be like, oh, these guys are just like the positive guys that are optimistic about everything with rave green glasses.
02:34:10
Speaker
And then some people are like, I don't even own glasses. You guys are whining. you You sound so negative. Or, like, you're the positive guy. You're the negative guy. You're too negative. You're too positive.
02:34:23
Speaker
So I'll just, like, say how I think of that for the record. Like, I don't... I don't like think of how I do my analysis in terms of like being positive or being negative. The way I look at it is if the team is playing well, taking results, scoring goals, if they have a good game, I'm going to be positive about it.
02:34:46
Speaker
If they, if they white caps, if they go get two red cards in three minutes, they're generally not playing well. And things are not going well, then I will cover that negatively.
02:34:59
Speaker
It's not like that. It's about being honest. It's not about tearing down the team. Like, I think that's a very like, and I think like, ah there's, there's, if there's places to go. If you want just like constant, like,
02:35:12
Speaker
fuck this team, even though I'm a fan of And the thing is, when you when you pre-commit to like an identity like that, like, I'm the i'm the negative person, I'm like um' going to crash out and be critical and negative about everything, you look silly when things are going well, and then you still have to be negative.
02:35:34
Speaker
This season is a perfect example. Yeah. A lot of people like got their takes in when they were 1-3-3. one Week 2. Week 2 or We should ship them back to Dallas. They like threw down all their narratives at that point and committed to it. But the thing is, like things change in a given season. There's different runs of form.
02:35:58
Speaker
Sometimes the team is playing well. Sometimes the team isn't playing well. the period of time, like where they were six, two and two from April 12th until the Minnesota United game, I'm going to give them credit for, for playing well, taking results, scoring goals, doing all that good stuff.
02:36:18
Speaker
If they have a game like the white cap, white caps game, we're going to clown on him. It's not based on like, like approaching it preemptively positive or preemptively negative. I, base I base how I, uh, how I think about it on like what's happening in the game's,
02:36:34
Speaker
Whether would it whether be like the game that just happened or just their relative recent run of form. And I mean i think like our last positive was... ah it wasn't positive It wasn't positive, was it? like Because of what the vibes have been like.
02:36:50
Speaker
So anyway, that's just how I... When people call like me the positive guy you negative guy... so that's tight. Or like we definitely... ah Like, you know how, like, whenever the Sounders lose, people come into our chat and they're like, where is, like, your goat Ferreira now? I thought, like, it was such a good trade or whatever. actually like those guys, though, because they're they're funny.
02:37:13
Speaker
Yeah. I think they know the bit, though. Like, I think they know the bit. Well, think it depends who we're talking about. There's definitely...
02:37:21
Speaker
differing levels. of Listen, I'm an emotional, I'm an emotional person. and Like I, but I also think that I know the game and I think that that's kind of the lens that I take it on is I'm going to be emotional and I'm going to be honest about how I feel in those moments, but I'm also going to you know, if things change, be open to to changing my perspective and be honest about how I was feeling in that moment and why I changed my mind and how I see things. But yeah,
02:37:48
Speaker
You know, that is kind of the dynamic, right? Like, I think I'm way more of... This team is, like, in my blood. Like, I grew up here. I've been watching this team even before they were in Major League Soccer.
02:38:01
Speaker
it's It's the only sport and team that I've ever given a shit to follow for my entire life. Like, I don't give a fuck about the Seahawks. I don't give a shit about the Mariners. I cared about the Sonics, but they're gone.
02:38:13
Speaker
i you know, i like... When I went to Penn State, I watched Penn State football, so I guess that now, but like even then, like yeah, whatever. You're kind of a college football guy, aren't you? Yeah, but like I would say that I give a shit.
02:38:25
Speaker
I will watch a random um MLS game before I watch a random college football game. like that's kind of you know That's the reality, but I will say like i i am I am on that energy. like I have that fan energy, but I also...
02:38:40
Speaker
I'm also in those rooms. I'm also talking with you. like I feel like I can give that that analysis that's that's my own take and my own formulated based on my ball knowledge.
Fan Interactions and Community Engagement
02:38:51
Speaker
Oh, he's true. Guys, I'm getting a strip show over here. Woo!
02:38:57
Speaker
Super Chats and Ariel will take it all off. um Yeah, but that was a joke. YouTube, don't ban us. But... I don't know. with that i that's that's That's what i am. Maybe maybe we maybe we leave it at that.
02:39:14
Speaker
We appreciate you chat for hanging with us. And we appreciate all the Timbies fans for coming and crashing the stream. That was an interesting subplot of this stream. yeah so i like If it had happened like a couple weeks ago like during the Derby game when we were talking to Jeremy and stuff, well, i would have been like, i that that adds up. yeah like there's There's a Timbers game. like There's rivalry banter to be had.
02:39:40
Speaker
They're coming to our chat. All right. Fair enough. This was like, I was literally interviewing a Botafogo YouTuber. Yeah. And they were like they were like, I'm smelling your balls right now. what Portland smells like your balls right I didn't like say anything about Portland. i think It must've been in a discord server. didn't clown on the Timbs. didn't, I didn't do shit.
02:40:00
Speaker
i I was minding my own business. i don't know. I mean, it's fine. It's whatever. we got viewers. um'm I'm mainly just salty about the guy who made fun of our 50. I don't care. Yeah, it's fine. Fuck them.
02:40:14
Speaker
um Thanks. We'll see you all at the event. Lobbingscourgers.com slash RSVP. If you want a t-shirt, booters.club. B-O-O-T-E-R-S dot club. b o o t e r s dot club or wherever else you may find us. Saturday, 4.30, fast fashion.
02:40:30
Speaker
Be there. I actually, i'm not going to divulge who it is, but there might be ah there might be a real big-time guest. who's in town national pundit wise, who's going to be covering Club World Cup. See, I'm not going to divulge it because they're not goingnna come he might not come.
02:40:51
Speaker
yeah But he said that ah he's picking up his credential at Lumen around that time, which is 0.5 miles away.
Individual Player Performance Discussion
02:41:00
Speaker
can walk so uh might be getting a big time national pundit there but even if not it's gonna be a great time andrew coming in with the five dollar super chat to close it out thank you so much love the content what do you guys think about ryan kent's recent performance struggles we can uh we can hit this on uh uh on our way out here uh we we hit this uh we did talk about this in the podcast so i think we're gonna i'm just gonna say go watch the podcast because we literally talked about we did yeah like go uh well but i know he gave the superman so all right i'll give the abridged i'll give my abridged think he's tired i'll give my abridged take and then ah
02:41:40
Speaker
and then you should check out the podcast because we do go in depth on that um but basically my take on this is that uh it's pretty clear that other teams have scouted up how they use him and have all come up with what looks to be like a very similar game plan to try and neutralize him that has been working which is sending doubles at him and if you're not sending a double at him you have one potentially two defenders posted up like in that space.
02:42:10
Speaker
It's like, it's like zone coverage right behind where he's trying to work. So if he does beat his man, there's just always guys around there. And, uh, Seattle have not, it's a game of chess where you've got to adjust to the adjustments in
Conclusion and Thanks
02:42:25
Speaker
Seattle is. They're not, they're not, they've not done that. They've not figured out a way to, uh, to like change up the attack in a way that, uh, works against how teams are game planning for.
02:42:38
Speaker
i think he's tired. And he might be fatigued. probably ah It's probably both. It's probably both. We're probably both right. Because we're geniuses.
02:42:51
Speaker
Thanks, chat. All right. Love you guys. Good night, chat. We'll see you on Saturday, hopefully. And Godspeed. It's Club World Cup time.