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What We Learned This Week talks Frei, Leyva, Obed, and do we (still) have Rothrock?
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Niko joins Jeremiah to discuss several major roster developments including the confirmed re-signing of Sounders legend Stefan Frei on a reduced-salary contract. They talk details over the Danny Leyva transfer to Necaxa as well as what the team is prepared to do about Obed Vargas if negotiations continue to stall out. Also discussed is what Paul Rothrock choosing San Jose would mean to the team and Tacoma Defiance roster news.
Follow Niko Moreno on BlueSky and YouTube.
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Transcript
Will Bruin's New Role with Sounder at Heart
00:00:01
Speaker
Hi, I'm Will Bruin, and I was just recognized as a Seattle Sounders legend. Now I get to do voice reads for the Sounder at Heart Podcast Network. Here we go.
00:00:11
Speaker
Come
Seattle Sounders' MLS Cup Victory
00:00:12
Speaker
on. Hey, O'Shaan. Let's go. The Seattle Sounders have done it. MLS Cup winners. Here comes Ruiz Diaz through the middle to crown it for Seattle.
00:00:25
Speaker
The Sounders rule the region.
00:00:58
Speaker
what was the thought process in terms of who you decided to use and who you didn't? Ever since I wrote a commentary that we didn't take the outcome seriously.
Full Pull Wines' Continued Sponsorship
00:01:18
Speaker
This episode of Nos Arietes is sponsored by Full Pull Wines, a Seattle-based wine retailer and proud sponsor of Nos Arietes since 2011. Full Pull was founded in 2009, is based in Seattle, and is owned and operated by longtime Sounder supporters.
00:01:32
Speaker
They offer the best boutique wines of the world to members of their mailing list, with special focus on their home, Pacific Northwest.
00:01:41
Speaker
Welcome back to another episode of Adientes on the Sounder Heart Podcast Network.
Jeremiah O'Shann Hosts with Guest Nico Moreno
00:01:46
Speaker
i' am Jeremiah O'Shann. Joining me today, we have some news to talk about. We're back with Nico Moreno, good friend of the show. This is kind of a scaled back version of what we learned in this week.
00:01:58
Speaker
how you doing, Nico? How's your break been? it's been It's been all right. It's been a break. somewhat you know at least from going down to the facilities and doing our usual show but uh you know i've been trying to be on the phones and making calls trying to figure out um who might come here who might go to other teams uh was trying to extend my network knowingly that um There's a shark like Tom over there just biting at every single transfer that comes through. So I've i've reached out to some additional um sources and, you know, it's it's been all right. It's been all right. But excited to be back on as always talking to our our audience that I'm sure will be happy to hear us because this is a nice little time for them to have content. You know, you're maybe at home or or maybe you're trying to
00:02:55
Speaker
And your last couple of weeks at work and before the break or something like that. And maybe they could have something to hear. So I'm excited to be on, of course. Yeah. and And there was some, you know, there's some news kind of happening this week in it. So it felt like there was enough to justify talking about it.
Stefan Frei's Contract Renewal
00:03:12
Speaker
ah The big news today, Tom Bogert, like you alluded to, broke the news that Stephen Fry has re re-signed with the Sounders. ah There was, he didn't have any details on the deal, but we think we have,
00:03:25
Speaker
a good idea of what this looks like, Nico, what are you hearing? Yeah, look, this is something that I've been following up for the last two weeks pretty closely. I have kind of talked about it in small portions and soccer down here. I talked about about it on Monday on loving's court, that there was a possibility, everything indicated that there was going to be an agreement ah with Stefan Fry. Now that,
00:03:52
Speaker
thing that I wanted to have before I threw anything out was the the terms of that contract, and not money-wise, but more of the long term of that contract, the longevity that he was going to be here. And so that's kind of what I was waiting for. And this morning I wake up, Tom has it out there. So, you know, kudos to him for getting that.
00:04:14
Speaker
What I'm hearing, at least from one source, is that the contract is through 2027, which would make sense. It would be a two-year deal. My guess, and this is just my guess, is that he's probably getting an extra year with a little bit less money involved rather than maybe doing a one-year contract and getting more money for that one particular year. ah Usually players do like the insurance of having a ah longer team deal, even if it's just one more year, it makes a a lot, a big difference, right? So instead of being a one plus one, it sounds like it's a two year deal, whether there's an option or not, I'm not quite sure just yet, but that's kind of the information that we've been able to gather. And look, it makes sense for all involved.
00:05:03
Speaker
We have reported consistently and anyone that hears us on a week to week basis knows the reasons why Steph would want to be here. And, you know, looking at the, the way free agency has been moving, looking at what the Sounders are building for next season, having an experienced leader that can absolutely get the job done as part of this roster is a no brainer. The, the,
00:05:30
Speaker
The money, the that is something that we'll find out later on, but I'm sure knowing the way the Sounders operate, that that salary component, it's at the very least beneficial for the club in the way they're going to build a roster next season. And I think Steph is a guy that's probably looking more into...
00:05:55
Speaker
being here a long time rather than trying to just get rich or, you know, make more money. Right. Yeah. I think he's looking for a big person security. And if I like, ah look, I'm just throwing numbers out here, but knowing what I feel like I have a pretty good handle on what the,
00:06:11
Speaker
what the Sounders are looking to pay players. And so he was on 600,000 last year. My guess is that if he's a backup that they probably want to cut that in half or so. So I'm guessing they were around like, this is in my mind, maybe the way the negotiations went, this is speculative. So take it for what it's worth.
00:06:29
Speaker
My guess Sounders came in and said, we'll give you 300 one year deal, an option for next year. What do you think? And Steph said, well, I'd like to have more, I'd like to have more security. What about 400?
00:06:43
Speaker
this year and an option for next year. And they said, what about we meet in the middle 300 for both years, but we'll guarantee 27. And, and maybe that that gets the deal that I don't, you know, this is my speculation, but my guess is he's around 300. The market for a backup goalkeeper is right around 300, $350,000. Steph Cleveland, a player who I think a lot of us saw as a potential backup plan. If Fry was leaving,
00:07:10
Speaker
He just moved to Sporting Kansas City for $50,000 a gam. My guess is the Sounders would have been more than happy to pay that if that's who they thought they needed to get. And he was on 275 last year with with a you know He's obviously a lot younger than Steph, but he has a you know pretty good resume. And so, you know look, it's... you know yeah there so Sporting Kansas City is probably into him for at least $325, if not $350.
00:07:37
Speaker
i think that's probably the market for a player like Steph Frye. I think that if they, if they got that done at 300, 350, somewhere in there, I think that's a good deal. I think that's a deal that Fry can feel good about.
00:07:49
Speaker
And it's a number where, look, I think there's probably some concern among fans that, to the degree that they didn't want Steph Fry back. It wasn't that they didn't like Steph. It's that they are ready to have Andrew Thomas be the starting goalkeeper.
00:08:04
Speaker
And at that number, there's just no pressure really to play Steph unless, unless Thomas is just not locking it down. And if he's not locking it down, you want a, you want a good veteran, right?
00:08:17
Speaker
Absolutely. And a guy that once again, it's a bit of a glue to, to, to this team. And we consistently underestimate the value of a cemented group. And I think last year was the perfect example of what a group that is so tight can do. So having a leader like him doesn't just give you that safety blanket that, you In case something is to happen to Andrew Thomas, or if he's not performing, you can have a guy like Stefan Fry right there. Not to mention everything that he could continue to install into ah Andrew Thomas, because as an experienced guy and someone who is happy to...
00:09:02
Speaker
illustrate and and instruct and advise a young goalkeeper. i just think it's a win on all fronts. And i think even Andrew Thomas would say that himself. So for me, we can all probably speculate and correct me if I'm wrong,
00:09:19
Speaker
Jeremiah, but there's probably a Brian Smetzer presser early in the year where he's like, yeah, well, you know we're going to have the guys, they're going to battle it out. But I think we all know where it's going and that is going to end up being Andrew Thomas. And that's not a disrespect towards Steph, of course, is just what we've been able to see. and And the team has to look to the future and that future Andrew Thomas.
00:09:42
Speaker
Right. And I think there's going to be a desire, understandably, for for Brian to keep the heat on Andrew Thomas. He doesn't want him resting on his laurels. I would be a little surprised if he just came out and said, oh, no, Andrew Thomas is our starting goalkeeper. There's not really a discussion.
00:09:57
Speaker
i mean, maybe he might. Maybe he'll surprise us. But I i think this is to be similar to you know, uh, other situations where he says there is an open competition, but what, what qualifies as an open competition to us and what opens qualifies an open competition to, the coaches isn't always the same thing.
00:10:15
Speaker
My expectation is that Andrew Thomas will be the starting goalkeeper next year. Steph Fry will be a very good backup goalkeeper, someone who will be there to mentor, to help raise the level in training And if he needs to start a few games, he'll start a few games and I suspect he'll be just fine.
Andrew Thomas as Starting Goalkeeper
00:10:33
Speaker
And this is a I think this is a good situation for everyone. Like you said, unless for all of you out there that, that are maybe of the thought process of looking at MLS in real life as a video game or soccer manager and and you're thinking, hey, you know, Sinclair is out there as a free agent. Pedro Gales is out there as a free agent. Carlos Cornell is out there as a free agent.
00:11:04
Speaker
Not only is that not the Sounders m MO, but look, Carlos Cornell to me is the most interesting one out of the bunch because I don't think that Sinclair would ever be a possibility. He was making about $600,000 last season, and he's going to stay at that price. He's a Paraguayan national. He's a guy that's clearly younger.
00:11:21
Speaker
um and And, yeah, maybe he even goes for more because he had a phenomenal season, probably one of his better seasons over the last three or four. So he's maybe going to want to raise. Maybe he's going to want to $800,000. So the Sounders are in a very good position by having a low salary, proven, very good goalkeeper that not only that is going to fit with the group. Can you imagine Pedro Galese? with this group. I mean, I just, it it just would be weird to be odd. So with all things said, I just think that this is the perfect way, but I wanted to just mention it just in case we have those curious thinkers about some of those free agents out there in the market.
00:11:57
Speaker
Yeah, no, I don't know that any of those started. Like I did not, there was no part of me that thought the Sounders were going to bring in a free agent with the idea that they were going to start over Andrew Thomas. Andrew Thomas has earned the right to be, you know, uh,
00:12:11
Speaker
if not the unchallenged starting goalkeeper, he certainly earned the right to come in as the presumed starter. And i think if you, if you were going to go out and get a Dane St. Clair or Carlos Cornell or Pedro Gaias, the only reason you bring those players in is because you fully expect them to start.
00:12:29
Speaker
And I don't see how that would have made any real sense.
Could Paul Rothrock Leave for San Jose?
00:12:33
Speaker
In less positive news, though, or maybe i don't know that's the right way to put it, but you're hearing some news about Paul Rothrock. It sounds like this situation may be coming to a close. And it's not what I think most of us hoped it would be.
00:12:46
Speaker
Yeah, this one, you know, was another one where I've been trying to keep a a close eye on the Paul Rothrock situation because he's clearly a fan favorite, of course. And he's a shoot one of our favorites to yeah talk about. And and we have.
00:13:07
Speaker
at least me, I've grown to just not respect his demeanor, his intangibles, but he's actually product on the field. So ah with all that said, ah San Jose is the team that apparently is what I'm hearing is the front runner for his services and to sign him for the 2026 season. There have been ah several teams that have had more than just inquiries on in regards to Paul Rothrock, because there was a lot of those. There was at least eight to nine teams that had at least an inquiry on a guy like Paul Rothrock. But the the teams that could really, and they had a real chance at getting them and that showed vested interest in him were LA Galaxy, San Jose, and of course the Sounders, who to this day,
00:14:04
Speaker
have left the door open for Paul Rothrock. They want him to be part of a big season for the Sounders. and if there's a difference between the Sounders and the other two clubs, is that they're going to be playing for a lot of big trophies. And ah there is a bigger platform for you to be there and perform.
00:14:24
Speaker
Not to mention the familiarity with the crew and the group and the already built in trust from the head coach in here. There's almost guaranteed minutes for Paul Rothrock, of course, to just build on last season.
00:14:37
Speaker
Now, the other two, ah i don't think Galaxy really perfectly. Paul Rothrock, but San Jose is a very interesting one because he fits the system, whether it is as a wingback, if they continue to play with three in the back, or if they go back to a more traditional Bruce arena type of team and he could play out wide, no problem.
00:15:01
Speaker
But it's the intangibles and it's that old school mentality that old school coaches like about a player, someone that I'm not going to have to worry whether he's going to come in full on, ready to go from the very first minute to the last. He's going to give me 110 percent. He's going to fight. He's going to buy. He's going to push. He's going to give you all that poor Rothrock type of minutes. So it feels like it's a good fit, Jeremiah.
00:15:25
Speaker
Yeah, you know, it's one of those ones where that's not where I would have thought in my mind he was going, but it does make sense for all the reasons that you brought up. Not the least of which is that Christian Espinosa seems to be on the way out.
00:15:37
Speaker
And he is sort of a you know, like a poor man's Christian Espinosa in a lot. lot ways. He does, you know, Espinosa was sort of used as a wingback last year. he was a little bit more of a creator than I think Rothrock is, but Rothrock, I can absolutely see fitting the style of Bruce arena, how he wants to play. i know his family has, um at least my understanding is that his parents have actually moved to the San Jose area. So he's got family in the San Jose area. Wow. That's interesting. Yeah.
00:16:07
Speaker
Yeah. As a, as a South Bay area native, I can attest that the transition from Seattle to the barrier ah culturally is a pretty easy one. And I could see him fitting in and, and just liking it there a lot.
00:16:21
Speaker
So I, I, you know, as bummed as I am to be losing Paul. And I, I am, I really, i like Paul a lot. I like him personally. i think he was easily the most interesting interview that we would get on. a Like he was if nothing else.
00:16:39
Speaker
I appreciated the ability for him to come into the availability every week and give us something interesting, something we could use. And it was, and he rose to the occasion on big games on on games where no one really wanted to talk and we needed somebody talk.
00:16:57
Speaker
be able to, ah you know, sort of give us something to work with. He was so good about that stuff. And that's, you know, yeah, we're going to miss his production. i think his production can be replaced though. I'm not as worried about replacing his on-field parts.
00:17:11
Speaker
I'm really worried. Like the thing that I feel like we're going to miss him most is just that off-field stuff, which is you know, both, the way he interacts with us, which I, you know, obviously i just talked about, but also the way he interacts with the other players. He was sort of a ah mentor towards the Georgia Manungus and he, you know, the Kalani Costa Rienzis. He was always the guy who knew how to put his arm around someone else and, and keep them their spirits high and keep them engaged. I think that's the part that's going to be tough to miss because he really understood. You got the sense that he understood the plight of the young player,
00:17:46
Speaker
maybe better than anyone else because he had gone through a lot of these struggles and come out the other side. And it wasn't just because he was super talented. It was because he just kept his nose to the grindstone and kept a good attitude and sort of kept doing that thing. And, and ah hopefully that all gets rewarded and that gets appreciated in San Jose. I think he will surely find it.
00:18:06
Speaker
ah you' you know I'm sure he's going to find that he gets a lot less attention down there, but Hey, ah i also wish him the best of luck. Yeah, and to add on to everything that you just said, which I absolutely agree, is the interaction with the opponents. I really love the fact that he was straight up disrespectful sometimes. And sometimes you have to be that guy in order to...
00:18:33
Speaker
you know, get guys going, get the opposition, you know, off their game. And it wasn't a bit. It was just the way he approached the game, which was the best thing. Because if you're a bit, then it just doesn't have the exact same effectiveness. But he was just Paul. Paul was always playing with a chip on his shoulder, was always going to give you maximum effort. And when he came to, regardless of whether it was El Chino Huerta or regardless of who it was in MLS, he was always going to chirp.
00:19:01
Speaker
atcha He was going to protect his teammates. And that's something that I feel like will be missed when it comes to the negotiations and the salaries, those things. I understand both ends, the team protecting themselves and giving themselves a, a, a,
00:19:17
Speaker
line, baseline where they were unable to go beyond that point. And then, or Rothrock. I mean, you got to give him credit. If you can go out there and get what you want, what you deserve somewhere else, then, you know, that's as a credit to him. So for all I know, if this does come to fruition and it does get finalized,
00:19:37
Speaker
I believe that the departure will be amicable and the Sounders have always been happy for their players to go and move on and look at other opportunities. But I feel like the fan base is going to feel some sort of way by seeing him, especially in a Quakes yeah uniform. I feel like it's going to get people. That's what I've read from you guys out there. Yeah, no, I think you're right. I think there's a lot of people that are going be understandably upset. And the fact that he is going, I mean, it's not like he's going to the Timbers, but right. You know, no one likes, i don't think anyone loses that has any fond thoughts about sounds like whether or not they really see them as a rival is, you know, uh,
00:20:17
Speaker
you know, that's debatable, but I think that this is something that contributes to, to that potential, uh, because I don't think people are going to be happy to see him wearing quakes colors and I don't blame them, but you know, this, this is, this is the big, this is the big world. This is the, this is the, the big leagues here. This is what happens sometimes.
00:20:35
Speaker
Um, So one of the other moves that did get done this week, and we haven't had a chance to talk about it since it was totally finalized. We obviously did a whole podcast about Danny Leyva going to, to Nekoxa, but that's now finalized.
Danny Leyva's Move to Nekaxa
00:20:52
Speaker
He's, he's out there. You know, it's, it's totally official.
00:20:55
Speaker
ah Any, have you, I guess you were able to catch up with him a little bit though. ah Yes, I've been not just able to talk to him. He's been busy. I'm not going lie to you. thought for a second that he was ghosting because he's been so busy, but definitely got it to talk to him, his circle, everybody around him. And there is a clear sense of excitement, of almost relief.
00:21:21
Speaker
and And I think that is based on his inability to really break through as a main player for the Sounders. He he loves the co club. He loves the city. He's been extremely grateful of all the opportunities that being with the Sounders have opened up for him. But at the end of the day, it does come.
00:21:43
Speaker
as it is to everyone that it's in this profession. I, I, I love being there. I love getting paid for what I do, but I want to perform. I want to be a starting 11 caliber player. I want to be given at least the opportunity to do so. And it never felt like that was,
00:21:58
Speaker
really there for him. So going to Nekaxa club where I have said repeatedly that it's a very fluid concept right now because there is going to be a lot of turnover from a lot of teams. They actually just a couple of days ago ended up introducing Martin Varini as their new head coach. So there is a lot of fluidity there and that makes me a little nervous, but it sounds like there's a lot of confidence from Danny and his circle about him Just being able to walk in there, prove what he is able to provide as a midfielder and become a day-to-day starter. I am exactly in the same thought process, but I'm not as confident simply because you never know what coaches –
00:22:48
Speaker
necessarily want. and when he's brought in more by what I think was the club and the sporting director, that always makes me a little uneasy. i hope that his skill set is able to shine within his own. But, you know, he's 34, the head coach. I think that he's probably will be open to just kind of see what's out there for Nekaxa right now. When you get four head coaches, the especially those who are older, the main concern is that they bring their own guys that they have their own fielders in mind that they're like, okay, i' got to get this guy or so and so, but him being a younger head coach, you know, he direct, he was coach at Juarez. I think that, i think that Danny Leiva will have a fair shot at being a starter for this team.
00:23:36
Speaker
Yeah. And that's really all you can ask. I, and I think Danny is the type of player who given a fair shot, given fresh eyes, he is someone who works. No one works harder than Danny. No one. I mean, he's a smooth player. He's someone who you can watch and immediately appreciate what he does. Well, it's not like you have to see him over a long period of time because he just looks good when he's passing the ball. He's a smooth passer. He's, he's good. You know, he he understands positioning. He understands all this stuff. And it's,
00:24:06
Speaker
you know, it's kind of a bummer. He didn't get more of a run here, but I think at the same time, it's hard to argue that he was very rarely better than the other options that the Sounders had. I mean, he was basically stuck behind tensio and Vargas and Christian Roldan and Joe Paolo.
00:24:24
Speaker
And, you know, he was, those those are all very good central midfielders. So it's hard to get too worked up. ah One thing we were able to sort of, circling on is the sounder. we We didn't get an exact transfer fee, but I feel pretty comfortable with the reporting I've been able to do that. It looks like the sounders are going to probably get something like $750,000 up front, which is ah ah not a lot, but it's a decent chunk. And that has escalators that can probably get it to close to 1.1, 1.2, depending on playing time.
00:24:57
Speaker
And then in addition to that, they're obviously clearing a bunch of salary. He was probably do about $400,000 last year. So you combine those two together, the Sounders end up creating at least, you know, a million, a million, close to a million two in salary cap space that they didn't have. Now that's a significant amount of salary cap space that if you can, like you can actually go out and get a decent player,
00:25:21
Speaker
to fill to backfill that position a little bit. they don't necessari yeah That doesn't mean they they're going to get a player with the upside of of Danny Leyva in terms of the long-term upside, but they can go out and get a solid veteran to come in and take the minutes that he was maybe that he he was likely going to get this year.
00:25:38
Speaker
And it sounds like that's the... idea The team, it has clearly started their scouting or continued. Let me rephrase that. They're scouting in regards to that position. and Same as Paul Rothrup. I mean, the the team cannot wait for Paul. So they're moving as if he's not coming back next season. So they're definitely going after that side and that center midfield position. And I think you can go out there and get,
00:26:08
Speaker
someone interesting there uh i had heard that uh maybe hasani dotson was a guy that they might be looking at but he was a guy that was asking for max deal i had heard from someone oh interesting for a lot money so that that definitely not something that the sounds like willing to pay out but i think that there are some free agents out there i'm not saying they're going to go for a luca de la torre type or anything like that but there's going to be some interest in free agents that they could poke at. Maybe there's some that you could transfer for with some GAM money. I mean, you know, there are options there, but I do feel like that's the idea to replace Danny Leyva in the minutes that he provides. And not just Danny Leyva, but obviously JP, who's not going to be available. And right now you have just Snyder.
00:26:56
Speaker
Christian Roldan. Snyder, right? Yeah. Snyder and Christian Roldan. And I mean, Obed Vargas is still there, obviously, which is, which is made good transition. Yeah. Yeah. So that's actually probably a good transition. We as well talk about it now.
Obed Vargas's Contract Uncertainty
00:27:08
Speaker
Obed Vargas.
00:27:10
Speaker
It's been very difficult to nail down what is going on exactly with this. other Aside from the fact that, you know we've been able to report, you've specifically been able to report that contract talks,
00:27:22
Speaker
don't seem to be going anywhere for the Sounders. Obed's team seems to be pretty, pretty set on letting the contract expire. The Sounders had really hoped to bring him to, to resign him and sort. of And then with the idea that maybe they move them in the summer or beyond that. But,
00:27:39
Speaker
but that And so combined with the answer Craig Weibel gave you when you sort of asked about how much of a concern is it that he could potentially just walk on a free and you would lose him for nothing. And he sort of rejected the premise of the question, but he didn't.
00:27:56
Speaker
he didn't rephrase it either. You know, he didn't offer a counter framing. He didn't. And so it it sort of left us to guess what that meant. And i think both of us thought it meant that the Sounders were willing to let him come back next year and and sort of like get the most out of they most out of them that they could in 2026, maybe he delivers a CONCACAF Champions Cup title. Maybe he delivers another league's cup title. Maybe he, heck, maybe he leads the centers to an MLS Cup run. Those are all really great.
00:28:30
Speaker
You know, those are, those are, I think most people would say like, if you can trade one of those things for whatever transfer fee, a lot of people would probably take that trade off because trophies are forever, right? The transfer fee is just going to be a temporary thing.
00:28:46
Speaker
And so I think both, certainly I had talked myself into believing that was the plan. but doing a little bit more reporting on it. Cause I was getting ready to sort of write about this and i don't know about surge. That is the plan. I think the sounders actually do think that they might be able to get a transfer fee for them if they can move them this winter.
00:29:05
Speaker
And i think they know that they are going to have to take a cut rate deal. Like they're not going to get $10 million dollars for Obed this winter. There's just no, that's not how this works.
00:29:16
Speaker
But if they can get $3 million, dollars that's the most that they can convert into GAM anyway. So for them, i think from the front office perspective, they see if they can get a half to $3 million, dollars they see that as a win because there's, I don't know that they have really any assurances that if they were to get $10 million, dollars how much of that extra money would get reinvested into future transfer fees anyway. So for the front office, I think they feel like, no, it's a perfectly acceptable outcome for us to to accept a, you know, maybe a below market transfer fee if, as long as we can convert that all into GAM and use that on our roster.
00:29:58
Speaker
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Speaker
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00:32:09
Speaker
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00:32:15
Speaker
And that's the real money, right, that Craig can work with, right? Everything else might as well just be monopoly money or... I mean, in some ways, yeah. Like the Wolf of Wall Street would say, for gay c forgot I mean, you know, it doesn't really exist because, you know, we haven't been able to see what happened to the world the Club World Cup Exactly. that The that championship money from winning League's Cup. I mean, all of this...
00:32:41
Speaker
income that or capita that has came in and we don't know what's happening with this. So that's probably what their baseline is on. So I totally agree. And that's actually very interesting. Yeah.
00:32:52
Speaker
Yeah. Now, of course the trick is being able to still pull that move off, but I think it, it, I, the thing here is not that they are going make this move. It's that they think there's still a chance that they can make the move. And that's notable. They've, they've clearly been talking to a lot of teams about this and I could see a, like, let's just throw one of the teams out there that you have mentioned as possibly being interested. PSV Eindhoven is a team who would make a lot of sense for,
00:33:20
Speaker
ah Or Obed Vargas. And I could see from their perspective, look, if we can get him now for two and a half, $3 million dollars and we can put him on the field and he can contribute and he can help us win games today.
00:33:34
Speaker
That's not such a bad, like that's a pretty good use of funds as opposed to waiting for him for another year and maybe getting him on a free. And so I can see like, once you're in, once you're down into that two, $3 million dollars range, the equation changes a lot of like, how much do you feel like you need to wait? Look, if you're a team that says, look at $10 million, dollars he's not really in our price range, but Hey, we can get them on a free, maybe we'd pay a little extra signing bonus to get them in.
00:34:05
Speaker
But if we can get them now and not have to compete with everyone else, two to $3 million, dollars that's not, that's, you know, that's kind of, That's not a lot of money for a player of Obed Vargas's stature, especially when you think, look, if we can spend $3 million dollars on him now, sign him to a four-year deal, he might be a $20 million dollars player in a year.
00:34:28
Speaker
That could be a great investment for ah for one of these teams. I couldn't agree more. I could not agree more. Obviously, they... and this is just my opinion, they might feel that uneasy about the situation, as you've kind of indicated that you kind of got to take what you can get, but I'm with you. If, if it was to make it a,
00:34:53
Speaker
successful or yeah, let's call it successful ah situation would be that you signed a player for a long amount of time. You continue to bet on his talent. And then at the end of the day, you end up capitalizing on, on a larger, amount of money, not to mention that you continue to have the player to perform this season, which is a pretty big deal considering how thin you currently are at that position and how how probably little you're going to be working with in order to replace him in 2026, regardless of how high you rate Snyder, Brunel, or how well you feel about that pivot working with Christian Rodin.
00:35:37
Speaker
Clearly having a guy like Kobe would be a much better situation. Right. And right, exactly. And I should add the centers, any move the centers would make, you have to assume they would get some sell on percentage on the backend.
00:35:51
Speaker
And so that this has, it would likely have some upside potential for them as well. if if Obed does blow up, but you know, it's, it's not an ideal situation. I think we've said this to death, the move the centers needed to make,
00:36:05
Speaker
was re re-signing Obed in the summer of 2024, which not doing that was, that's where this all started to become precarious. I think it's like, once they didn't get the deal done in 2024, it became, were much more reliant on Obed's goodwill.
00:36:23
Speaker
And, you know, ah I think the Sounders can argue totally legitimately that they've put a lot of resources and faith and they've treated Obed well, but on some level, this is a, this is a business and you got to pay guys to make, like you show them how much you appreciate them by paying them.
00:36:44
Speaker
And for whatever, I don't know what they were offering. i don't know. i don't have a lot of details about what happened in the summer of 2024, but they did not but clearly they did not They were not willing to go over whatever they thought the market was. And that was a situation that probably called for overpaying. And, you know, I know that they looked at what the what the Chicago Fire did with Brian Rodriguez,
00:37:06
Speaker
where they did probably overpay him and they paid him a max U20. Yeah. The max u twenty two ah salary. And, you know, in some ways Brian Rodriguez was good, but he wasn't necessarily living up to his total salary, but he was only hitting the cap at 200 K anyway. And now they're moving them to Mexico. I think they're going to get something like $4 million dollars for that move. And, and that, you know, that, that kind of worked out for everyone. If the Sounders had done something similar, I don't think anyone would have really, know,
00:37:36
Speaker
batted an eye, but whatever. That's not what happened. And i don't know how much use there is sort of continuing to beat them up over not doing something 18 months ago. But I think it's fair to point out that that's probably where this fell apart.
00:37:50
Speaker
I totally agree. And, you know, we've talked about it. And if it is one area where we could see some improvement there from, you know, Craig or, or just negotiations in, in general is making those sorts of decisions. um But with that said, i do think that you,
00:38:12
Speaker
Obed is to be sold right now. Hopefully, I mean, my number was more of like a, like a four to 5 million. I mean, you can kind of feel like, you know, if you can get that, that'd be phenomenal. ah But it does feel a lot better than the opposite end, which be just writing it out, letting him, you know, get a pre-contract in the summer or whatever that might look like. So um it's going to be a huge domino effect. is going to create a lot of other moves to come about you,
00:38:47
Speaker
Even the Danny Leyva situation, don't know how much confidence they had in that they could either fix something with Obed or what they're looking at as potential replacements for Danny Leyva. Because there's also a salon close for Danny, obviously a percentage. I think you reported that as well. think it's 20 to 25% is what I had, depending on how much he sells for.
00:39:11
Speaker
Yeah. So of obviously the Sounders have never been a selling market team. that That's not their prerogative. I mean, that's not their priority. That's not something that they focus on, but it's nice that, you know, they have some players out there and and seeing how they perform. i mean, yeah,
00:39:29
Speaker
If you look at this Nekaxa team, this Nekaxa team is known for being a place where you go and bring in a player at a low number. And then if teams like Pumas, America, Cruzul, they like what they see, they double that number pretty quickly. Candido, which is a striker for Nekaxa that right now is being looked at by Pumas and America and Leon. ah He's a guy that came in on a low number, two cruises sold and eventually went to Necaxa.
00:39:58
Speaker
um There's a new Y midfielder that actually plays the the same position as Obed that is in the same boat that could potentially go to Club America. So if Danny plays well and performs, there's always an avenue where the Sounders can collect some money after that.
00:40:13
Speaker
Right. ah One other thing with the Obed situation that, you know, you've alluded to, you've talked to about, and I, I'm wondering, um I have a thought about this and I'm curious what you think. You know, we've talked a fair amount about the,
00:40:30
Speaker
Situation with the the World Cup and Obed, you know, there's questions about whether or not it's a good idea to switch teams in a World Cup year and that, you know, Obed is going to want to be somewhere where he's going to get playing time.
00:40:45
Speaker
And I have a little I have a thought about this and I'm curious what you think. He's been doing everything he can with the Sounders. Now that's gotten him into the Mexican national team, but he's still very much on the fringe of the senior national team. I think if the world cup roster were be named today, there's a better chance than not that he is not in the world cup roster. At least that's my perception. Yeah.
00:41:10
Speaker
And I wonder if for a player like Obed, who it might not be enough just to keep on the same trajectory, if what he needs, and if what he is thinking potentially is in order to upgrade my chances is a risk, but it's a risk I might have to take where I go to Europe. I go to a team that's playing in champions league and I,
00:41:33
Speaker
if like, maybe I don't get this playing time I need and I don't get on the world cup team and that sucks. But even if I had stayed in Seattle, there was a chance I wasn't getting to the world cup team. Whereas if I go to, let's just say a PSV and I become a starter and I'm playing well, all of a sudden it's almost impossible not to take me to the world cup.
00:41:55
Speaker
I don't know. Am I being, is that a decent, is that a, is that possibly one of the the thoughts that he might be having? Yes, I think that that's absolutely fair. That's absolutely fair. And I actually think that the only thing that this particular coach for Mexico, who is Javier Aguirre or Vasco Aguirre, he just wants his players to be playing. that that's all He literally just said that right before the the draw, the World Cup draw, and and about his final roster not being necessarily ready just yet. And he talked about two things. One is his...
00:42:35
Speaker
players having a lot of cojones and just wanting to go play for the, for the badge. And number two was just game rhythm. them like He does not want his players sitting down or not being part ah of starting rotations. That's number one. So I feel like it's very easy to at times prioritize where I'm playing and, and being in Europe and being an X team or X league. And now there are,
00:43:01
Speaker
situations where playing for like AC Milan and Real Madrid, and that has a different feel to it than Bruges or PSV, right? If you're in those teams, you do want have your players performing. So I, for all accounts and everything I've heard from Javier Aguirre, uh,
00:43:19
Speaker
During the draw and before the draw, it just sounds like he wants his players to be at maximum rhythm and capacity. And nothing, absolutely nothing can guarantee that for Ovid Vargas aside from being with the Sounders. And and that's not ah a knock on him as a player. He's a phenomenal player. a great generational talent. But when you go to another league, there's usually our learning curve. There's a cultural shock. There is a whole bunch of situations that can happen. You're going to a new group where do you fit? do you not fit? And even if it may seem like, well, you know, if this team is paying three or four million dollars for a player, they're going to play him. No, wrong.
00:44:00
Speaker
That's not exactly how it works. i look at the way it works in the Globally, you could spend $5 million dollars and you get two games, three games. And if you don't perform, you're immediately being coached out. I mean, look at Wilfred Nancy. He lost his first two games with Celtic as a coach. I get it. It's totally different. Oh, did he? I didn't even see that. but They're already asking for his head. He has next Sunday to, you know, keep his job. I mean, it's, it's cutthroat out there. So for me,
00:44:28
Speaker
his best bet to be part of this next world cup would be to remain here, whether there is on his own here or just waiting in here, or just an extension, whatever it is that you have to do to ensure your minutes.
00:44:42
Speaker
Yeah. All right. Well, that's, that's definitely ah that's, that's fair. ah So one other piece of news we wanted to get to with, um with the Sounders is that the Tacoma defiance finally announced their roster
Tacoma Defiance's Roster Announcements
00:44:56
Speaker
decisions. I wouldn't say there was a lot of surprises,
00:45:00
Speaker
in that But they the the big the big piece of news, to the degree that there was news, is they announced that they'd signed Tino Lopez to a new contract. Lopez was someone that we have both identified as potentially getting a first-team contract.
00:45:17
Speaker
The other players whose options they picked up were... ah Damian Alvarez. That was the one that was, ah I was probably say I was the most surprised by ah Charlie Gaffney, a player who ah was pretty good for them.
00:45:31
Speaker
ah Peter Kingston, another player who we think has a good chance of getting a first team contract and Danny Robles, who is more of a veteran leader, someone who they feel like is, is I think mostly around to do the,
00:45:46
Speaker
not necessarily They don't think he they see him as a first-team player. They see him more as someone who can you know help out. And then they also have Charles Dodsey, Sebastian Gomez, another player who we think has a as a future with the first team. Omar Hassan, who's a very young player winger who potentially has a future with them. And then Muhammad shower, who is a goalkeeper also very young. And then they let go, they declined the options of Ryan bear, uh, Biram DIA, Rafferty Petter, and then, Elias Kesteros, Jackson, Corey, and you Suka Nome are out of contract. Suka Nome though, i think is the the one who maybe is worth talking about a little bit more. He's someone who,
00:46:28
Speaker
I would assume the Sounders are only interested in bringing back under the auspice of a first team contract. I don't think he has, there's no reason to bring him back on a defiance deal. And if they're not going offer him a first team contract, I think they owe it to him to just let him walk.
00:46:46
Speaker
Yes. And as far as I know, he's a guy that is highly rated by the coaching staff, highly rated as a player that can come in and perform at the first team level.
00:47:01
Speaker
And considering that Danny Leyva was that third option at attacking midfielder when that was the need for it.
00:47:12
Speaker
And if the team continues to want to play with clearly two attacking midfielders, whether it's Albert and Ferreira or Ferreira and somebody else, you do need that sort of player. So he seems to fit what they want to do.
00:47:29
Speaker
And especially how they phrased it in the release, in the press release, it's kind of like, oh, he's still negotiating with the team. Right. That negotiation to me is more of a first team contract. So yeah for all accounts and and everything that you kind of hear in the hallways, as you you know, if you will, you want to think of it like that. I do believe that he player that's going to end up with the first team contract going into 2026.
00:47:53
Speaker
And honestly, I think he's a, you know, this, the thing with Suka Nomad to me is that even if you aren't 100% convinced that he's going to be a star in MLS, and that's frankly, that's not what this is about.
00:48:08
Speaker
You almost have to offer him a first team contract because what message are you sending to future players? If you say, look, this guy scored 21 goals. And we didn't think he was worthy of first team. Like what's the point? What do you, how are you attracting players to the defiance? If you're not giving them the option of, of of a first team, if there's no hope for a first team contract and look, I think he's every bit as good of an option as you know, but Delia Rodriguez, who I really, I really, really liked Rodelia Rodriguez. It hasn't worked out for him. He had a hard time staying healthy.
00:48:45
Speaker
But I actually think that there's a pretty good chance that Sukunomi could develop into maybe maybe not a star, but certainly a useful player for the first team. you know he's He is forward, but he's not a number nine. i really don't think the Sounders would... look at him as a, as an option at the number nine, but there's, like you said, there's no reason that he couldn't be a backup for Albert Rusnak and, and Jesus Ferreira. He looked good when he was out on the wing. He's really kind of more of a second forward than anything else, but he is a really creative player. He seems to just sort of understand space really well.
00:49:23
Speaker
he's really good inside the box. I like his game. I'm sort of excited to see what he looks like playing with the first team. Cause we have not seen him. and don't think at all with the first team. ah You know, he, he didn't get a lot of training reps with the first team because he's not a, he's not an Academy player. And that's usually the, the defiance players who get first team reps or are traditionally the defiance or the the guys that come through the Academy. But I, I really do hope the Sounders sign them. I like them a lot.
00:49:54
Speaker
But when he did, he did get flying reviews. And again, I consistently, whenever I see, whenever I'm there on a random Wednesday or random random Thursday and I'm watching practice early and I see some of this Tacoma Defiance or just academy kids, I usually make it a habit to approach one of the senior players and be like, hey, anybody stood out? Anybody? it was interesting today. I recall at least three times last season when, know,
00:50:22
Speaker
three different players mentioned Yuzo Ganome, either by name or by describing... who he was. And then, you know, it was, it was you. Cause not, not, not everybody necessarily. it was like, they were trying to figure out the name and stuff, but they all mentioned you took a Nome. And to me, that's, that's high reviews. um I also think that what, what I heard from players is that he was hard to dispossess on the ball. He's good on short spaces. um They like his um timing on crashing the box. So these are all things that,
00:50:59
Speaker
resound as brian's meta types right whether it's being a pocket winger right and being outside and coming inside or just playing centrally and and late in the box and all these things he just feels like he fits what brian wants so uh yeah With everything that you said, I would add on that. That's one of the clear ones to me that is interesting. The Omar Hassan one is interesting because you heard a lot about him from his youth performances with the U.S. s National team. Danny Roval is interesting because he's just been there for so long. It feels like we know him for forever. he know he's only 23. How crazy. He's been around forever.
00:51:38
Speaker
Yeah. Absolutely. one hundred percent. He's probably just one of those, you know, veterans are going to be able to push the the other guys. But Tony Lopez is the other one that obviously Kim is back.
00:51:51
Speaker
Stu's got to be the guy of the young guys getting the most minutes. And then you got Jackson and you got Gamer. But if there's a fifth guy ah that I don't think the Sounders are willingly going to go out there and spend money on,
00:52:05
Speaker
ah I think he's a guy that could potentially be getting a contract if there's a need for it. He's going to have to clearly show it with the MLS, ah with the Tacoma Defiance. And then eventually, if he does need to perform at MLS level, when he does get those chances. But those are one of the positions where I feel pretty confident on that there's not necessarily something that needs to be done unless...
00:52:31
Speaker
there's a situation like an injury or something like that that forces the team to go out there and look for a center back. Yeah. ah Yeah. It's going to be, you know, it's also going to be an interesting year for ah new signings. I mean, this, the, the,
00:52:44
Speaker
but The defiance have a lot of work to do this off season in terms of just filling out the roster, because like you said, there's a few guys that are currently on the team who I think are probably going to get first team contracts. The candidates of first team contracts are, you know, Tino Lopez, like we said, ah Sebastian Gomez,
00:53:05
Speaker
Yusuke Nome and even Peter Kingston. ah Three of those guys are among the only nine players that are currently under defiance. I would leave the defiance with just six players signed.
00:53:17
Speaker
And they, know, there are definitely some Academy kids who I would imagine that they'll fill in with, but this is going to have to be a very active year. ah in terms of bringing in players from outside the organization. And it looks like, you know, after they missed the playoffs for the first time, it looks like the organization kind of is saying we needed a refresh. They're also looking for a head coach.
00:53:37
Speaker
You know, we, we have heard that Joe Palo is someone that they have considered ah bringing in for that option. Yeah. As far as I know, they they do not have anyone lined up, though, to be the head coach. They probably have some coachings, some spots on the coaching staff to fill out.
00:53:53
Speaker
This will be, you know, low-key, kind of an interesting offseason to watch for Tacoma Defiance. I absolutely agree. i think that you're going to see quite a few spots
00:54:08
Speaker
being used by international player. I think that they saw... some really good and clear pathways to the first team by getting guys like, um, Georgie Minungu and Osasio Rosario. So I do see two pathways. One is that,
00:54:28
Speaker
I don't know how to call it that convenient relationship with the Japanese market, where I do feel like there's going to be at least one player that's going to be coming in from that area might be from the same teams that they're dealing with right now with the second team.
00:54:47
Speaker
And elsewhere, I think that they are going to be going out there looking for some of these young players to fit in. Maybe those players that are, you know, 21, 22, that ah maybe have not quite broken or or that they can do similar things that they would have started Rosario. So it is going to be an interesting one to watch the Tacoma defiance this year.
00:55:09
Speaker
Yeah. and And on that note, they, they,
00:55:14
Speaker
Kaito Yamada was ah the center back that they had on loan from Vasil Kobe. He is going back to Vasil Kobe. I don't know exactly. i would imagine the Sounders would have been more than happy to bring him back, but ah he, I believe was on like it would have required something like a $2 million dollars transfer. And that's probably, ah they probably don't see him quite ready for the first team. That's obviously too much to spend on a player that you think is going to to be at defiance for another year, but he is someone that's worth keeping an eye on.
00:55:43
Speaker
I liked him a lot when I saw him. I don't think he is physical enough yet to be playing in MLS, but he is a really good pastor. He seems to understand the game really well. And hopefully that relationship with Vizal Kobe can continue to be fruitful because I think there's a lot of potential on that. You know, this level of the developmental system is one that hasn't been as well-developed in Japan. They don't usually, the the first teams don't usually have second teams. And so they usually have to loan guys out to ah lower division teams in Japan or find European partners. And, you know, the Sounders would be, that would be a nice pipeline for the Sounders to get involved in, to be someplace where, you know, young promising players who don't quite have first team chops can
00:56:28
Speaker
ah being able to get some time with the, you know, with a second team like defiance. So, ah you know, it's, it's, like I said, it's an interesting year for defiance because they have to go through a lot of turnover. Of course, turnover is, you know, somewhat just part of the game at that level, but ah you know, oh it's, it's something to watch anything else out there. Are there any, have you heard anything about what the centers might be looking to bring in though?
00:56:55
Speaker
ah Not beyond of what I've already shared. There clearly is an interest to go out there in they're looking at a white players, both on the left side and the right side of, of the winger position.
00:57:06
Speaker
ah They're certainly looking at the center midfield position as well. There is interest for, you know, that the left back position that that could also be a fluid concept. um There is a high level of confidence that Paula Riola is going to come in and potentially be a starter.
00:57:26
Speaker
hold place until Pedro gets there. And then it'll be a good problem have on what happens at that position, whether you end up playing ah differently to accommodate some of his strengths, or if you shift them onto the other side, they'll basically cross that road or that bridge when they get there. But there is a lot of confidence I'm hearing to the effect of what Paul Arriola could do offensively. Interesting. Something that I thought was was was interesting. Absolutely, yeah. If I have to add anything else, it's that I feel like a lot of players are looking at 2026 with just differing chops. ah You see all of the...
00:58:09
Speaker
You know, IG action from Georgie Menungu and all the training he's doing and all these things. I know that Jesus Ferreira is doing a whole lot of additional training. I know Yemar Gomez-Andrade doing a whole bunch of additional training. it seems like guys are looking into 2026 as a big year for them in terms of performances and what they could provide the sounders with, which is always a good thing.
00:58:32
Speaker
Yeah. I mean, the Sounders are going to have plenty of opportunities to to showcase themselves. They obviously have CONCACAF Champions Cup.
Sounders' Champions Cup Challenges
00:58:40
Speaker
they they I guess we could talk about that. They got the draw for Champions Cup.
00:58:43
Speaker
They have a buy in the into the round of 16. They got a little bit of a rough draw from that point forward, though. They are most likely going to have to play the Vancouver Whitecaps in the round of 16 and then they would likely play hegress in the quarterfinals.
00:59:00
Speaker
That's not exactly, I mean, it's not the worst path that they could have probably so possibly gotten, but they're not going to be playing the white caps most likely at Lumen field. The Sounders have already announced that they're having to seek a secondary facility. They have not yet announced what that facility would be. i have speculated that they could be going out to Spokane to play in the stadium there.
00:59:22
Speaker
ah And I suppose it's possible that they might be able to use T-Mobile. I don't know how likely that is. I feel like if T-Mobile was the option, we would have heard a little bit more about that by now. Yeah. ah But like Starfire has not been approved by FIFA.
00:59:39
Speaker
ah The UW soccer stadium, as far as I know, is not approved by FIFA. I saw someone suggest Seattle U. Seattle U has like 400 seats. There's no way they're going to be playing a Champions Cup game there. As nice as that pitch is.
00:59:54
Speaker
But yeah, so the the centers don't have a lot of great options where to play that game. And that does make it a little bit trickier, but if they can, you know, the white caps as good as the white caps are, I feel like that's not the worst case in the world to have to potentially just go, you know, take a, that's about as short of a road trip as you can take and conquer calf.
01:00:15
Speaker
I would agree. And yeah, I don't think it was a terrible job, but it is tough to see Vancouver. We'll see where Vancouver is. You know, Andres Kubas is a guy that is getting a lot of interest right now.
01:00:26
Speaker
ah There are guys like Laporta that within MLS, there's been quite interest on him ah as a player. So what that team looks like next year could be very interesting, um but they're always tough, especially with Jasper Sorensen. You know what? At head of that team,
01:00:45
Speaker
but it all goes back to what the Sounders are going to be able to do. I'm curious on what the objectives to this team are. To me, there's no doubt that it has to be better in the defense, and be better on set pieces. Last year, they got the the whole offensive thing dialed down.
01:01:02
Speaker
Super. We love it. But now it's going to, it's going to be about fixing up the defense and and what this team could look like. out there you know that there's going to be some really good interesting positional battles because i still give georgie manugu the benefit of the doubt i think he's going to have full-on battle with paul arreola for that left side that there's interesting dynamics that are going to happen with that striker position and where jordan morris is i mean and you know it's going to be a good one i really do think that it's going to be one of the most interesting three seasons to cover. And although the Spokane thing sounds awful for everybody involved, it'd be kind of fun to take a trip to Spokane. Yeah, I would. Yeah, yeah exactly.
01:01:47
Speaker
i am like selfishly kind of kind of into that possibility. Like I wouldn't mind. I've been looking. i am embarrassed to admit that I have never been to Spokane. I've lived in Seattle for over 15 years now, and I still have never been to Spokane.
01:02:03
Speaker
This would be I'd be I would jump at the chance, frankly, ah to get out there for a Champions Cup game. And it would be an interesting way to sort of like spread the the the word of Seattle Sounders, right, to get out to the east yeah part of the eastern part of the state and and and spread the gospel, so to speak. But and he can you just got to be careful where you go, man. But I got you, man. we We'll go down there. Spokane can be can be a dangerous place. But, you know, we got we got friends. We got family down there. It would be fun, especially for the dry siders that, you know, that supporting section that right travels so many times down here. i'm I'm excited for them if if that was now this is selfishly speaking, of course, I get that, works you know, the Sounders PR is probably hating it. The Sounders themselves are probably hating the possibility, even a lot of fans. But, you know, I'm I don't know. I'm there kind of for the mayhem. mean, yeah.
01:02:55
Speaker
And what's the worst? kid I mean, what's Mark mid March in Spokane? The weather's always beautiful, right? Oh yeah, absolutely. Yeah, of course. Yes. You can know see your, your boy too. And in Pullman. Oh, absolutely. I can have them come down. yeah, that's another good one. I like it. I dig that. Yeah. Yeah.
01:03:11
Speaker
Exactly. All right. Well, let's get out of here. That's a good place to to end this. Nico, thank you for doing this. We're going to try to get back on here. Anytime there is real news to talk about, we'll, we'll do a podcast. I of course am going to keep trying to do my Monday or my show early in the week where I interview various people ah from around the soccer world ah just to kind of keep things active and, and keep doing. So we're not, we, I don't, I hope people didn't get the impression that we were like literally taking the offseason off season off.
01:03:41
Speaker
We just aren't going to be on as regular of a schedule for this show. ah But, you know, as you've seen, we're going to get on here and record anytime there's there's relevant information. So, Nico, thanks for sort for being flexible with that.
01:03:53
Speaker
I know people love listening to you. And they can, of course, follow you on Blue Sky at El Rolo and W. You're still doing Lobbing Scorchers. You're still doing soccer down here.
01:04:04
Speaker
Anywhere else people should be following you during the offseason? ah No, no. For right now, you know, we're working on a couple of things, perhaps in in Spanish for next season. But no, right now is just soccer down here. Lobbins, quarters. And of course, with Sounder, a heart with where all my money comes from, you know, this they have me on call because Jeremiah is just been loading my bank account, baby. Yeah. So it's its it's good. No, man, I absolutely love it. And that's a good point. We're away from the regular programming, but if there's stuff that, you know, needs to be talked about, we'll definitely be out there. I don't expect any. more I think that the biggest things have already kind of came to fruition. Maybe a couple of things here and there, but as long as I have the time, man, I'm here, baby.
01:04:51
Speaker
Absolutely. All right. Well, let's get out of here. i am Jeremiah Shan signing off for Nos Adietes, part of the Sounder Heart podcast network. We'll catch you next time.
01:05:28
Speaker
Let's go at Sounders.