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Mailbag: Who deserved more playing time?
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With a pretty big lull in the schedule, Jeremiah and Aaron are doing their monthly mailbag. Among the questions they tackle: Who should have played more? Who should the Sounders move on from? What positions should Sounders prioritize for upgrade? How will the Sounders finally beat LAFC?
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Transcript
Introduction and Sponsorship
00:00:02
Speaker
This episode of Nos Arietes is sponsored by Fullpool Wines, a Seattle-based wine retailer and proud sponsor of Nos Arietes since 2011. Fullpool was founded in 2009, is based in Seattle, and is owned and operated by longtime Sounders supporters. They offer the best boutique wines of the world to members of their mailing list, with special focus on their home, Pacific Northwest.
Guest Appearance: Will Bruin
00:00:25
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
00:00:40
Speaker
about sound <unk> it
00:01:21
Speaker
we all got of sudden go
00:01:30
Speaker
We're seeing some of the hardwood commentary that we didn't take lo seriously.
Mailbag Episode Overview
00:01:42
Speaker
Welcome back to another episode of NOS Adiata, sponsored by Fullpool Wines and our subscribers. I am Jeremiah O'Shan. Joining me today is Aaron Campo and our engineer, Lickit. This is the Mailbag episode for November, where we're doing it on November 13th, about 10 days before the Sounders playoff
Playing Time Debate: Atencio and Leyva
00:02:03
Speaker
game against LAFC. So it's a good time to sort of ah take take a stock of everything that's going on here ah and yeah just answer some of your questions. Aaron, are you excited? Are you excited to get into these questions? Let's do it. Yeah, they've been sitting there for a while. so ah the hologies Apologies on that. We had some stuff come up. ah
00:02:25
Speaker
in the world. It's been a little hectic. It's been a little hectic. Do you want to start or do you want me to start? I can start, I think. The first one is from David H. And I will throw out the caveat. Some of these questions are from a little bit ago. So if the timing of them seems a little weird, we've kept them in if it's only a little weird, if they are totally have already been answered or anything like that, we've pulled them out. But any weirdness of the timing or the phrasing of the questions is our tardiness and not the asker. So first one is from David H. In your opinion, which player slash players on the roster deserve more playing time this season than they got?
Player Analysis: Josh Atencio's Potential
00:03:11
Speaker
That's a good question. I think the player who I would have liked to have seen more of is
00:03:17
Speaker
probably Josh Atencio is at the top of the list. And I think I feel bad for him in part because he seems to, this seems to be year the third year. Is that right? I think it's, well, maybe it's the second and second or third year where it felt like he was on the verge of being like a breakout star. ah Yeah, third year. And he just didn't really, you know, he,
00:03:44
Speaker
injuries or whatever else kept conspired to keep him from getting more playing time. I still really like him. I still am very bullish on his potential. i i I've liked him basically in every game you play. I mean, even when you've you've seen him for the most part in the last few months, he's looked good. He looks like he can do a job, ah but he just keeps getting sort of like bumped for one reason or another to the latest being Christian Roldon sort of sliding back into the defensive midfield.
00:04:10
Speaker
I guess Danny Leyva might be another one who I would put on that list. um ah Early on in this season, i was I was thinking he looks like he could be Albert's backup.
00:04:22
Speaker
And we've seen Brian use him like that a little bit. We saw him probably most effectively do that against Houston where he came in late and help, uh, generate a goal there. I don't know anyone else that you're, you think, Aaron. Yeah, I, I have spent some time trying to think I figured a 10 CO was your answer. Um, and Lava is a a great shout as well. I think the thing with Lava is that he offers something that nobody else.
00:04:51
Speaker
aside from Albert really does. And so I think he that gives him a little bit of an edge getting playing time. Whereas the tensio does a lot of things really well that other guys on the team do well. They're ahead of him in the pecking order and that works against him. Whether or not those players do those things better, I think is a fair question. um It does seem weird that the tensio is so frequently the odd man out and that almost all of his appearances seemingly are garbage time appearances.
Trade Speculation: Josh Atencio's Value
00:05:21
Speaker
um So I think he's the obvious answer.
00:05:24
Speaker
um I guess maybe you could make a case for Nathan. I don't know, but I don't know about deserve, right? I would have liked to see a little bit more of Nathan, but I think when you. Yeah, it's ah it's an interesting. Yeah, I think it's and I also don't know if there's any to any time where I'm like, oh, man, I really wish he would have gotten more minutes. Like it would have been great to see him instead of this other person. Exactly. Yeah, it's a little bit of a shame that he's probably not coming back.
00:05:55
Speaker
and And that's without really, like he only, he hardly played. Like he, yeah I mean, he really, like he barely played. Like he, he started the first game of the season. I don't know that he started in, I don't think he started another MLS game.
00:06:13
Speaker
Yeah, I just can't look that up. And he, if I recall correctly, wasn't actually very good in that game, if I remember right. He was OK. I mean, he was OK. He came out with I think I think he may have gotten hurt. Yeah. ah But yeah, he that's I mean, I would say he's maybe the biggest disappointment. And but it's and it's not necessarily disappointing because he was bad. It was just he you know, he yeah, he just couldn't get on the field. Yeah, Nathan made one start. He played 90 minutes.
00:06:41
Speaker
Yeah. In, in Lee play total. It's crazy. I mean, Yemar and Reagan are very durable. Um, so he's not going to get out, you know, there, there is not a need for a lot of rotation there. And I think.
00:06:55
Speaker
Um, for whatever reason, he just wasn't favored when the rotation was needed. And, uh, I mean,
Jordan Morris's Role and Future
00:07:01
Speaker
to some extent, I think one of the things that really hurt him was, you know, he left the team right a away to go get his green card and then he, and he also got hurt. And so when the Sounders really needed him, was in that first month or so of the season and he just, and he wasn't really available.
00:07:19
Speaker
and so that that really hurt, I think that hurt him a lot and he never really had a chance to get in. Now that I'm looking at the the minutes from everyone, Dylan Tevez is another player who I have a hard time, like unlike like ah tensio and laborva I think yeah I could probably go through the season and say like, Oh, I would have liked to have seen him more here. Would have liked to have seen him more here. lot You know, all those things. Tevez is, ah is tough because he only played 89 minutes. He did score. He had that great goal against, uh,
00:07:51
Speaker
against Montreal early in the season. And it looked like he was sort of making, he was going to get some more minutes, but he, he did not. Uh, he's played almost exclusively for Defiance this year. And he, you know, he, his last appearance of any sort came in July. He played a few times in early in the season. Like most of his minutes came early in the season.
00:08:16
Speaker
And yeah, I mean, it's, it's a tough one. It's tough too for him because he's a guy who was kind of getting to the age and stage in his career where his, his, his deal was upright. So.
00:08:28
Speaker
I think so. Yeah. I mean, he might have an option,
Expectations and Performance: Key Players
00:08:30
Speaker
but I think the sounders would have a really, if I'm the sounders, it's not, you know, like he, he played almost 400 minutes for the first team last year. And it's tough to justify bringing him back, not even for like even for him. Like if I'm him, I don't know that I want to come back. Like I would rather, I would probably rather go to a, another MLS team or even a USL championship team where I think I'm going to play. Like if you want to be a professional soccer player,
00:08:58
Speaker
You've got to be playing at 25. I mean, he's going to be 25 next year. He can't not be playing. Yeah. And I think he's still very much young enough where if he goes to a USL championship team and plays really well, he could easily still have a ah very solid MLS career. But if he is playing for defines again next year, he's probably not right. Like the, the USL championship is probably the ceiling. So, and I think he's a good enough player to have a good MLS career. So
Roster Management and Strategy
00:09:24
Speaker
I wouldn't blame them for, for wanting to leave a faith.
00:09:26
Speaker
can't guarantee him that he's in their plans. Yeah. And so, I mean, he did play a fair amount for next pro for, uh, Defiance. He had, let's see, he had, why am I? Well, he, he scored four goal. He had four goals to Defiance this year. He, I mean, and I like, I like him. I think he had 637 minutes for the Defiance this year.
00:09:48
Speaker
I think he's a decent player. I i don't, again, I don't know that i'm he's not the player. I would say like, Oh, I really wish we would have seen him more, but I feel I kind of just, it would have been interesting to see more of him, but I don't know. I guess you could say my soft skis, another one who would have been and good to see more of him, but I think he's back. So right. Yeah. There's a ton of guys that I wish we had seen more of, but in terms of guys, I think deserve to play more. I think it's really a 10 CO and Leyva. Yeah. Yeah. a That's a good way to put it.
00:10:19
Speaker
Yeah.
00:10:22
Speaker
All right. Uh, so this is from boomstick three 15. I guess I kind of stole his thunder a little bit here. If he continues not to get minutes, do you think we could see other teams and I want us to try to trade for Josh attention? Well, I figured Josh attention was going to be the answer to that first question. So I thought it was a nice way. Um, yeah, so woulds like no, no thunder ceiling. Um, yeah, I, um, it's an interesting question.
00:10:46
Speaker
If I had a guess, and this is a guess just based on my powers of observation more than anything else, I think the plan is probably to move Obed next year um to to try to sell him on. And I would imagine that Atencio
2024 Roster Priorities
00:11:00
Speaker
is the guy that they see slotting in for him. Yeah. I think if they are not able to do that, um if they're not able to move Obed and and he's going to be here for the foreseeable, I think for both parties,
00:11:15
Speaker
It's probably the best thing to try to move him. He's going to have value. He's not going to have as much value as he should because he hasn't been playing. Unfortunately, um I would hate to lose him, but he has value. And if he's not going to be playing regularly, I don't know. I think you almost have to. And I think it would be in his best interest to advocate for that. And I think it would be a real um
00:11:39
Speaker
I don't want to say disaster of roster management. If they, if they have to move him in a situation like that, but it certainly would not be one of their better moments. It would not be. Uh, and I, I'll still, you know, I say this all the time. I've said this many times, but here's a player who, if you look at his per 90 stats and you said, okay, here's a 20, he'll, he's going to turn 23 at the beginning of next year. It'll be 23 next season.
00:12:09
Speaker
And you just look at his per 90 stats. The guy ranks in the 98th percentile for tackles and interceptions. He's in the 99th percentile for blocks. He's in the 86th percentile for progressive passes received, 86th percentile for successful take-ons, 90% for progressive carries, 80th percentile for progressive passes. I mean, this is a guy who on paper you go, man, if, you know, the if the Sounders were looking to acquire, so you you'd be like, yeah, go get this guy. Yeah.
00:12:40
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, he's his per 90 stats are so good. And I i really, really hope the centers figure out how to use him more next year than they used him this year. I mean, to some degree, that's I guess it's kind of his fault because he keeps getting hurt at really inopportune times. And I will say that, um you know, he broke out in 2021.
00:13:04
Speaker
Yeah, I guess it has been, it has been three straight years where you thought that next year is is is the year he really ah solidifies himself. So he breaks out in 2021 and he ends up only playing half as many minutes the next year, which is moon mainly the fault of of injuries. And then he's, he has played progressively more minutes each year, but it just not nearly, he's never taken that leap where he's a 2000, 2,500 minute player.
00:13:30
Speaker
And yeah, I mean, I would think for sure, I guess the short answer is for sure player teams are calling about Josh. There's no question in my mind that that teams are calling about him. And at some point, I suppose the Sounders have to ask themselves what it's going to take to let him go. But I, I still think he's the the most value he offers you is on your roster. But if if you're not, if he's not going to be playing,
Playoff Impact on Roster Changes
00:13:56
Speaker
then you you need to move him on.
00:14:00
Speaker
Absolutely. Kind of a similar theme with the next one ah from Walter, Walter, Walter. Imagine you're Jordan Morris. If the Sounders get an M prime DP nine, do you ask for a trade? I know it would be unlikely for off-field reasons, but Jordan is in his prime and wants to be the nine. I think he's a high end nine in the league. It can land a starting role elsewhere. Now is the time to make a move if he's going to.
00:14:24
Speaker
It's a good question. i I do wonder, it's a fair it's ah it's ah it's a fair thing to to ask. you know i don't I don't know if he is so dead set on playing as a nine that if the center said, look, we think you are best served playing on the wing and we are bringing in this dying you know diet dynamic number nine,
00:14:50
Speaker
And this is best for everyone. i I don't know. I don't think he would ask for a trade, but I wouldn't, I wouldn't close that door. I think that's possible that he could. And then I think moving him is tough. I don't know what you, what's a reasonable ask for him. I mean, he's going to be 30 next year, right?
00:15:12
Speaker
Yeah, he's still, you know, he, yeah you know, if he, you know, especially if if he, you know, one of the things today we asked Brian Schmetzer about.
00:15:23
Speaker
the impact of homegrown players on the roster. And I thought it was a very sober answer, which was something along the lines of if they're delivering championships, then it's great. And if they are, if they're limiting, if our dependence on homegrown players is sort of lowering our ceiling, then that's a problem. ah I'm paraphrasing what he said. And but sort of one of the things he said is like, we need Jordan Morris to score in big games. We need Jackson Reagan to come through in the biggest matches. And if those are and our homegrown players are putting in those kinds of performance, it's great. If they aren't, then that's ah you know that's ah that's a problem. and And so I think we're sort of getting to that point where
00:16:07
Speaker
you know i i You and I have both talked about how it's unfair to judge a player purely on their playoff performances or whatever, but at some point, you need Jordan Morris to score in the biggest games, and if he's not scoring in the biggest games, that that does become a problem.
00:16:26
Speaker
Uh, so I don't know. yeah I mean, that, that is absolutely fair. He is second among active players with in playoff goals, but that and that's totally true. Uh, I think it's, it's worth pointing out that he hasn't scored after the conference or he hasn't scored beyond the conference semis since 2016 when he scored in the conference finals.
00:16:54
Speaker
And that's not to say
Locker Room Leadership and Dynamics
00:16:55
Speaker
that he, that I don't want, I'm not trying to diminish his achievements. He's a very good player. I just think that if he's your number nine, I think part of what you're needing to ask from is, and I'm not saying if he doesn't score against LAFC, then he, then you should get another number nine. I'm just saying that it's, it's a reasonable thing to ask for him to do. Yeah, I don't, I don't disagree with that. I mean, I think that it's the reason ah whether or not they should replace him at the nine is even a question, right? And i we don't need to retread how I feel about that. But I but i do think it's like a fair criticism um that he hasn't been able to score, you know, against Portland, for example, that he hasn't ah scored later in the playoffs in a while that he hasn't been able to score against LFC. I think
00:17:44
Speaker
My position on this stuff has always been, we're talking really small sample sizes. Yes. Oba never scored in the playoffs either. right like he He didn't score in the playoffs at all. right so He didn't. That's true. And neither did Freddie. And whenever people talk about the kind of striker they want to see the Sounders go out and get, Oba is always the guy that gets. right yeah and yeah yeah you so But i don't that's not to say I think any of that is unfair and unfair criticism, because it's not at all. And I think Schmetzer was right.
00:18:13
Speaker
even if you zoom, talking about Jordan, but also if you zoom out to just the 30,000 foot level and think generally, the goal is not to feel the team of homegrowns and to feel all warm and fuzzy about that. The goal is to win championships. And if you think that that's sort of the point, you most yeah. And it's totally true. um And I do think that there is a tendency amongst Sounders fans and and the team itself to some degree to get overly attached to players.
00:18:41
Speaker
to feel overly nostalgic about players. And I think that that's reasonable. Like fans don't have to make cold hard decisions. But I do feel like sometimes that bleeds into the club's decision making process at times. So I don't know.
Greatest Sounder Debate
00:18:57
Speaker
um I would not trade Jordan unless he specifically asked for one under any circumstances. I totally agree with that. Yes. um Just because I think even if he's playing on the wing, he's still a really good value for his contract.
00:19:10
Speaker
yeah You know, a guy that's going to contribute at that level on a TAM deal, I think is a really solid deal. But if he did ask for one, I would, I would understand it. And I think you could probably get a decent-ish return. I think he's probably worth more to the Sounders than he is to other teams just because of of who he is and and all that stuff. But, uh, yeah. And I i hope.
00:19:31
Speaker
I hope we don't see it. And if I can segue into the next question, it's from Chico Flores, and it's a follow up specifically to this question. ah Is this the right time to sell, Jordan, given that he's arguably having his best season but as a sounder playing mostly in the nine and the the tendency that the club has maybe to retain players beyond their prime? Should the front office be looking to make that move and maximize his value and allocate the funds towards acquiring a more dynamic player?
00:19:57
Speaker
That's a more interesting idea. Like if you feel like you can go into the international market because I i suspect that Jordan still would welcome the possibility of playing in Europe. I don't think he has closed that. I don't think he's waking up every morning and saying how do I get to.
00:20:17
Speaker
back to Swansea, but I do think that if if someone, if a, you know, a championship team or, you know, a higher, even higher team comes to the Sounders with a and a real offer, you know, and maybe it's a loan with a ah purchase option or or something like that, but a real offer, I think the Sounders absolutely should explore that possibility. I think it would be a lot more enticing than trading them within MLS. Yeah.
00:20:47
Speaker
And I don't know what the market for Jordan is, you know, when he went to Swansea in 2021. Yeah, in 2021. That was probably his peak value. And I my understanding was that the the purchase option was something like seven to $10 million if he had, if he had forced them to exercise it. Yeah. I don't think they could get that now. Now.
00:21:14
Speaker
the The transfer market for players of Jordan's caliber and career stage is pretty depressed these days. and yeah like a five scene more likely but I would imagine if that's a thing that he, you know, if I would imagine that he would be open to the move and it would, I would think the sounders would be, I don't think let's put it this way. I don't think the sounders would turn it down out of hand. Yeah. Yeah. Like they would present it to him and, and say like, Hey, if this is a move you want to do, we want to do right by you. and Yeah, absolutely. I think that, honestly, I think that if you if you weren't going to really get anything for him, considering his contract status and everything like that, it's probably worth considering if it's, I don't know, like one and a half, two million. I think he's worth more than that.
Playoffs Strategy Against LAFC
00:22:02
Speaker
I think he can get more than that, but if he really wants it and that's what a club is paying,
00:22:07
Speaker
I, I think that that's like the line at which you, you could reasonably say that's, that's not a reasonable offer. Um, so anything above like 2 million ish, I think would be fair. And I think there are teams out there that would pay that for him. And I think that there are teams where he, he could be a really, um, effective player in, in their systems. I think, especially in the championship, I think he'd really excel in the championship, especially if he got to play up top.
00:22:33
Speaker
Right. All right. This is from the list. He says, which current players would you trade or sell within MLS? And would you trade some defense to get better offense? I think that this team is set up where they don't have to do that. um That's not to say that I wouldn't trade defensive players. I would like to see one fullback, one of the starting fullbacks moved on. And I'd like to see meaningful competition brought in for the other one.
00:23:02
Speaker
um So I would be willing to move defensive players, but I think the idea of, okay, we have trouble scoring, so we need to trade some of what we're better at to get better in that department. I don't really think holds true because of the, if the sound, if the sounders were totally maxed out in terms of the resources that they had available in terms of cap space, DP spots, uh, you know, all that, the the money they can spend in the transfer market, then yeah, I think you have to consider.
00:23:31
Speaker
Okay, we need to have a slightly more well-balanced team so that we're not as easy to beat by the elite teams, right? But they're not in that situation. I think they can continue to be an elite defensive team while improving significantly in the attack. um Obviously, if they move Nuhu, it's going to be tough to be quite as good defensively, but I think they can still be a very, very good defensive team. so Um, I think both fullbacks should be, there are players, they should be open to listening to, to offers for, um, I think pretty much anyone that's not a, well, you know, I would even say like Yamar is somebody they would could potentially listen to, it to offers for, um, he's a great player, but he's, you know, he's not getting any younger. Um, he probably still has quite a bit of value within MLS. So for the right offer, sure. Um,
00:24:23
Speaker
I would, yeah, I mean, there are very few guys on this team I wouldn't listen to to the right offer for, frankly. um I think that, you know, they've they've got to be willing to be more adventurous. Yeah, i think some of their interleague moves. I would hope that if anything, like this is this season right now is is.
00:24:46
Speaker
You know, it can go anywhere, you know, I don't yeah like given, given the state of the bracket, it's not outside the realm of possibility that the Sounders could win at one S cup. It's also not outside of the realm of pause. It's very much within the realm of possibility that they will lose their next game. Uh, it's like anything could really happen and.
Social Media and Fan Engagement
00:25:06
Speaker
I think that this what it tells us is that the sounders need to be open to doing anything at this point. They can't dismiss moves out of hand. They can't... ah you know They can't...
00:25:26
Speaker
get married to any, they they can't fall in love with their roster as it is. They have to change this up. And I think that's one thing we learned this year is that as much as the stability I think has helped them get to where they are, I think it's also hard to deny that they had a lower, their ceiling is lowered a little bit. Yeah. I think the only player on the roster that I would consider truly untreatable is Obed. And that's just because I think it'd be crazy to trade a guy who you're probably going to get a record transfer fee for yeah club record transfer fee. So we got four questions that were not necessarily identical.
00:26:04
Speaker
but covered a lot of the same ground and are pretty related. So we're just going to kind of talk about these topics generally. And that's about, um they were they were about the roster, how we'd prioritize things, how the playoffs might impact roster decisions, stuff like that. um Those were from Andrew, the Joshua, Spaceman, Spliff, and Ken W. So thank you to y'all. So hopefully we'll cover some or most of the same ground that was in your question. But yeah, just general thoughts, Jeremiah, on how the playoffs playing out might impact things, whether or not you decide where you're going to spend a spot based on how things shake out, um the positions you'd prioritize improving, ah all that kind of good stuff. I would hope that the playoffs don't
00:26:52
Speaker
impact their thinking, frankly, like they, yeah they, if they win MLS cup, great. But that doesn't really change how I would think the sounders have an opinion, like have an opinion of this roster. And I'm sure on some level, it it will make some decisions a little easier, some of the other decisions a little harder. But I think ultimately,
00:27:19
Speaker
The Sounders have made their assessments of the players on, like, I don't think anyone's going to come out there and just totally change their perception on, you know, like I suppose, like there's a world where like, let's just say Jordan scores three goals, uh, down the the stretch here and they win MLS cup. I think that makes it probably a little easier to say, maybe we don't need to go out and get a number nine. Yeah.
Sports as a Distraction
00:27:44
Speaker
Thank you for listening to the Soundwork Heart podcast network, which now includes No Sunny Yetis, Lobbing Scorchers, and The Cooler Guild. We've been independent since August of 2023, but need your support to make sure it continues. Although this podcast is free, it's only made possible by your continued support. Memberships start as low as $25 a year, which not only helps make podcasts like this one happen, but also gives you access to everything we produce.
00:28:10
Speaker
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00:28:36
Speaker
But like i that might be like the only thing that could really, like I don't think anyone else is capable of seriously changing their the trajectory of, or you know maybe Pedro de la Vega goes off and they go, okay, maybe maybe we don't need, maybe we don't need to rush into a ah another DP signing or something. I don't know, I suppose that these are all possibilities, right? But yeah, I don't, I just,
00:29:01
Speaker
i Everything I've heard from inside the team is that there are strong opinions about needing to shake things up. And yeah I suppose it's possible that if they if they win MLS Cup that the purse strings get a little tighter because it's like, well, we don't need, we clearly we don't need this, but I don't i don't and don't think that's gonna happen.
00:29:27
Speaker
I feel like that's an easier sell if Raul's under contract for another year or right yeah whatever. right like if Or they had been planning to move on from Rusnak and make two big signings, but I don't think that that's the case. right I think they're probably not going to pay two big transfer fees. um How about where you would prioritize improving the roster next year?
00:29:54
Speaker
Uh, I think still the attack is where I want to see the most. Like I, I, I know there's been some talk about like, Oh, they should go out and get a ah ah real six. I don't, I want to see, honestly, I want to see Christian. I'm, I'm comfortable with Christian being the starting six. Maybe you, maybe you bring in a ah veteran to add a little bit there, but.
00:30:18
Speaker
I don't think there's a lot of upside in that way. If you're looking for bang for buck, if you can bring in a young attacking player, i that like that's the answer it seems like always, but it is sort of how I... and i and i really like On some level, Georgie, Paul, and Pedro are relatively young attacking pieces with upside. And if any one of them can be a, uh, you know, 10 goal, 10 assist kind of player next year. You, you maybe don't, you you talk yourself into not needing one, but I think it would be a lot easier to have another player out there who's competing for minutes as a, like you can't have enough talent attacking talent. This team still is like, this team definitely lacks high level attacking depth. Yep.
00:31:15
Speaker
great I suppose bringing another fullback would be nice, but I don't want to spend a whole bunch of money on another fullback. Yeah. Yeah. I think I'm mostly in agreement. I really do think they need to move on from one of the two full backs, just if for no other reason than to have some turnover. And I think.
00:31:40
Speaker
having, I was very firmly on though we should prioritize a six train until we saw what Christian could do with that spot. Right. That's sort of how I felt too. And he's he's been, I think, fantastic or or at least good enough that it's not a concern for me anymore. um I mean, obviously, if the guy that you feel like can be your cornerstone at that position is out there and available and and you want to make the move now, that's that's fine. But it's not something I would prioritize.
00:32:07
Speaker
It also changes if Obed gets sold in the off season as opposed to in the summer. That also changes things a lot because right now my assumption is you have at the very least you have Obed, Christian and Atencio competing for two spots. And I don't feel like you need a fourth player to throw in that mix. No, because I think like you have guys that can do a job in those spots deeper down if you have to.
00:32:35
Speaker
um I think for me, they need to sign a guy you expect to start in one of the attacking positions, whether he's a forward or a winger. um And that needs to be your probably your keystone, for lack of a better term, signing of the of the yeah yeah off season. And I think if that guy is a striker, you need to find a winger that can play striker or a striker that can play winger. That's also like a tam type player that can be. done Um, and if they're a winger, you need to, basically you need somebody who can play striker ahead of the soft ski and somebody that can play both on the wing and as a striker. Um, I think this is really what they and need to do. Uh, basically if they could just clone Jordan Morris.
00:33:24
Speaker
and then sign an elite winger. That would be, that would be great. Yeah. Uh, all right. This is from green pipes is, was it more impressive for Spencer to bench Dempsey in 2018 or to bench Rudy Diaz in 2024? Both were club legends. Both had big egos yet the act of removing them from the starting 11 led to huge turnarounds for their respective seasons. I think benching Raul and Nico last year, um, and more so nor so Nico, I guess Raul wasn't as benched.
00:33:53
Speaker
Um, he he still, he started last game of the season if I recall correctly, but I think that was the ballziest one. Um, but I think he's willing to do it. Maybe not as quick as people would like, but I think, especially with the benefit of being removed from the frustration of seeing roll on the team sheet. Um, I think he does it a lot more quickly than a lot of coaches would.
00:34:18
Speaker
And I think a lot of coaches would have trouble keeping the the locker room if they had moved on from all these guys. I think it's, he's he's, so he's clearly pretty good about knowing when the time is right and and being willing to do it. Um, Dempsey, I think had a little, I don't want to say self-awareness cause that's probably not fair to roll, but I think Dempsey handled, it seemed to me from the outside looking in that Dempsey handled it a little better. I think, especially cause he had had such a major health scare. Um,
00:34:46
Speaker
But I don't know, maybe that's just the benefit of her. I mean, I think in a way he had he he wasn't as overtly disruptive, but I think he was also a little bit more like I don't need this. I don't need this shit. You know, whereas the he affected. I mean, he retired ah effectively mid season. Like if you remember, like basically he got benched and then he he was like he pieced out. yeah not Not that long after, you know, so I think.
00:35:15
Speaker
You know, in that in that way, it was it was easier. And I think that you know it wasn't so it wasn't it didn't have the potential to be so disruptive to the locker room because I don't think Dempsey was this kind of the kind of locker room presence that Ruby Diaz or Ledera were, who were real leaders in the locker room. And, and, and players really, you know, like, I think I always got the sense that Dempsey sort of existed. You know, in sort of like a world outside of the team, almost like he was, he was friendly with guys and, and like him and Oba had a good connection, but I don't know how much he was spending time with players outside of.
00:35:58
Speaker
you know outside of the the training facility, whereas Rui Diaz and Ledera have buddies very much or like leaders on the team. and and so I think it was potentially much, much more disruptive in both those cases. and and Frankly, Schmetzer handled it well. like ah i I stand by Nico's reporting.
00:36:20
Speaker
earlier this year where he was basically saying that, yeah or he reported that the locker room didn't feel as cohesive as it had in the past. And I know Rui Diaz was clearly really upset with the situation and that he's still here, you know, like he didn't play great against Houston, but that he's still, you know, out there contributing. Like the Sounders don't advance. I don't think the Sounders advance without his contributions from that round. yeah And you You know, that's saying something that he's still, that he's you know still putting in the effort and doing all the right stuff and and seems to be a good presence at at training these days. So i am I'm much more impressed, I think, by the way that he's, it's not so much the decision to bench either of those players. It's sort of the way that he's handled the whole situation around them that I find more impressive.
00:37:08
Speaker
Yeah, I think, um, I mean, we talked about this earlier in the year when we were talking about why Raul is having such a hard time with a reduced role. And, um, you know, I think it's, it's just because it's, it's very hard, I think, to, to realize that and to come in terms with. He's an alpha.
00:37:27
Speaker
Yeah. Well, and it's like, you know, I'm not a professional athlete and getting older and the realization that you're getting older completely destroyed my life too. So it's got to be much tougher when your entire identity is tied to your abilities that just aren't going to be there forever. So, um, it's, it's a tough thing to manage. And I think, I think Spencer clearly has a talent for it.
00:37:51
Speaker
So this next question, I'm going to read the question first and then read the name of the asker, because I think it's very funny. Is Christian the sounder's goat yet? If not, where does he rank and how long until he surpasses Nico? And that is from Christian Roldanenthusiast7. Yeah, good name. Good name. I don't think Christian is the goat yet. I think that's still firmly Ledero. And I don't know that there's really anything. I mean, I suppose there's a There is a path toward Christian becoming the GOAT. like if If the Sounders win, I don't know, two more championships with Christian as a centerpiece of the team, I think you might have to have that conversation, but there might be other players that you need to have that conversation with as well. ah Christian, dont I mean, I think he is...
00:38:41
Speaker
I think he he sort of occupies a different place in Sounders lore then than Nico. like Christian has never been the best player on the team, so it's hard to say that he was their greatest ever player. he's never been this I don't think he's ever been the second or third best player on the team, but he's been a really influential player. for a i mean he's gonna end up you know he'll He likely end up playing here something like 15 years.
00:39:09
Speaker
That's a crazy. That's crazy. Yeah. Yeah. I think that that there's a the goat is ostensibly the best player to ever play for the team. Right. Right. And and I think that there's also the second category of like club legend. And I can see Christian getting to a point where he's like the legend of legends for the sound. Right. Yes. um And I think that's a that's an altogether different thing from from being the goat. I tried to think of a of an example of that.
00:39:39
Speaker
that, you know, distinction. And I guess like King Griffey Junior is the goat, the Mariner's goat, right? But Edgar Martinez is the guy. Yeah. yeah That's a good analogy. I think it's a similar sort of situation there.
00:39:57
Speaker
Yeah, I like that. All right. ah This is from Ty. He says, should Brian consider playing with five in the back against LAFC similar to 2021? Obviously, it's pretty late in the year to do something like that, but are we really going to just run it back against LAFC? Also, are we getting a third kit next year? My understanding is that we are getting a third kit next year. That's my understanding too. um There was a a quote leak unquote on a on what is that, the footy kit leaks or whatever? Footy headlines? Footy headlines, yeah, which is a website that exists entirely of screenshots of color palettes of the book. Fascinating. um So yeah, there there will be. But ah I do not think that and the three weeks before a one game playoff is the time to make a bunch of significant tactical changes.
00:40:50
Speaker
unless you were a team that just has that approach of doing that frequently, which those teams do exist, right? or They're very much like we change who we are fundamentally, depending on the opponent. The sounders are not that team. um And i don't you know I don't think that they they need to make drastic tactical changes to compete against LAFC. They need to not give up a stupid girl goal early.
00:41:16
Speaker
It's that simple. Just don't let them score in the fifth minute and you're going to be in the game, I think, right? If you fall behind early and you're you're having to play from behind, you're you're screwed against LFC, I think mentally and just from a game state perspective. Yeah. I i agree with you. I would be, I realize it's just not very satisfying to say.
00:41:41
Speaker
Yeah, you kind of need to kind of run it back. Yeah. Like you kind of like, you don't have a lot of great, like, so, okay, let's say you, you do go five in the back. So what are you going to do? You're going to run? I mean, I guess you, I guess you could go with, with new who on and, and read Baker Whiting on the left. But like what complicates that also is, you know, read is with the,
00:42:10
Speaker
you twenties right now. And so he's not going to really get back training with the Sounders until next week. Are you really going to just spend like two or three days implementing a new system with a guy that has struggled defensively at times? I think it's fair to say. Yeah. Yeah. Against the team that loves to attack down the wings. Right.
00:42:31
Speaker
Yeah. Um, I kind of think you go with your, the team that you think is your best squad and you, yeah. And if you go out like that, you go out like that. Yeah. And that, that doesn't mean you can't try to tweak the tactics and approach the game differently than you have in the past. that You know, like it it doesn't have to be the same as the the two, three Nils just because the formation is the same. Um, but I think just changing the system is, is rough.
00:43:02
Speaker
Yeah, yep, yep, yep. All right. ah This one is or am I? Oh, yeah, it's your turn. Sorry. Yeah, it's from Nate B. How much do you agree with the sentiment that the Sounders are missing a locker room leader since Nico left someone to get players back engaged with the game when they start slipping into passive defensive play or lead in a silly goal?
00:43:27
Speaker
Um, ah I honestly hadn't really considered this as a problem. Uh, so I don't, I don't agree. I guess I don't agree with that sentiment. I think they have, and this is a team. They have given up some silly goals. They've, but I think every team yeah does, and I think we're hyper aware of it because we follow this team every week, but they've given up.
00:43:56
Speaker
You know, they're averaging, ah let's see, they've given it up 36 goals now in 36 games, if you include the the playoffs. They've been really good defensively. And so I don't know, I don't think that that's what that's the I don't think what they're lacking is any sort of mental fortitude. Yeah, I agree. I, I think that this when you follow a team as closely as we all do the stuff that is frustrating, gets blown up in its importance. And that's not to say that the Sounders haven't, like, there are some trends that are real trends, right? Like they've definitely given up goals late in games where they shouldn't have and and things like that. But i I, if anything, I would say the Sounders give away fewer Philly goals, Philly goals, silly goals than the average team. And I don't really think of them as being a team that is prone to to playing defense passively.
00:44:56
Speaker
I think what gives that perception is that they have given up a lot of late goals or a lot of late equalizers. And I don't know I'm I, I and I do understand that you can chalk those up to defensive lapses. But I also think that it's fair to say every team is going to have defensive lapses that the fact that the centers have come late in games where it costs them points is really, really annoying, but yeah harder to diagnose as a like, how do you fix this type of problem? it It really is one of those things of like, is this just a fluke that they happen disproportionately late or is it
00:45:41
Speaker
something they can fix and something they can address. And I think I tend towards it just being kind of a fluke. Yeah. Yeah. All right. Uh, this is from blue Tarski 11 38, not directly sports related, but with massive flood of users to blue sky. How long are we going to have to wait to see the center's rain embrace and the new platform as a place for engagement? Um, well, I will.
00:46:05
Speaker
Two things I'll say, anecdotally, I've seen a lot of wrestling account, like wrestlers show up in the last week, which could be, I don't know, it's a sign that like notable people have taken. Yes. Yes. AEW started using their blue sky account for the first time in like two years. So it seems like people have started migrating, but I think that the thing that works against blue sky is also the thing that makes it good is that there's no There's no algorithmic goosing that gives brands the kind of engagements that something like threads or previously Twitter would. Um, it is just like, you see the posts that you want to see more or less. And, um, and so that's, it it makes it harder for brands, which frankly, at this phase in my life is something that I love. I don't, you know, I've got plenty of places that are advertising to me already. I don't need another place for it.
00:47:03
Speaker
Um, so it is a situation of like, if you are the social media department of the sounders, it's a question of whether or not the juice is worth a squeeze, I guess. Um, and at a certain point it does become that, but I don't think blue skies ever going to be like a cornerstone of their social media strategy. I think if they do end up migrating off of Twitter, which they, frankly, I think they should, um,
00:47:28
Speaker
threads, Instagram, you know, those are going to be the places where they're, I think, more likely to see the benefit. um But I do think it would be nice for them to have some kind of presence over there, even if it's not um super engaging. I don't think we're too far away from the sounders moving some of their official account, like having an official presence there, I will say anecdotally, I have been much more active on blue sky over the last couple weeks. And I have seen my you know, as a as a content producer, I am subject to the sort of the same
00:48:08
Speaker
decision-making process as the sounders, in the sense that like I have a pretty sizable audience on Twitter, and it's hard to just walk away from that. And there's a practical ah element to that too, as ah as someone who works, does a lot of work on Twitter, where I get a lot of my news. and i like that it's hard like you cannot just like I can't afford to just stop paying attention to Twitter. I could probably ah afford to stop posting on Twitter, and i and I think I'm getting closer and closer to doing that.
00:48:38
Speaker
and brand And big brands are in a different, you know, they're they they have different KPIs and they have different, you know, they they have to put in, they have to decide where their effort goes. And I i will say that I found an app recently ah that lets you post to both at the same time, or lets you post to multiple tool social media platforms at the same time. And I'll, I'll, I'll just share it. It's called buffer. I don't, I'm not plugging this, and but it's free. Like there's a free tier that lets you do simple stuff like post stuff to multiple sites at once. And so I've been using that and it seems like it's been good. So I'm going to keep doing that for now. I think we are getting close to maybe taking sounder at heart off of Twitter because sounder heart doesn't really use Twitter for much at this point, other than.
00:49:28
Speaker
other than promoting our work, and we don't get a whole lot of direct traffic from Twitter. So that might be an interesting experiment for Sounder at Heart. I would urge anyone who is listening to this to follow the Sounder at Heart Blue Sky account. And anyhow, follow me on on Blue Sky as well. The more people who follow me on Blue Sky, the easier it is to get off Twitter. If you want to see us getting off of Twitter, you know, let us know. Let us know.
00:49:58
Speaker
Yeah, Blue Sky's nice. I like it. it's ah It's social media for people that are as old as me, I think. Yeah. Our last one is from Ken W. How much should I look to the sounders for healthy distraction in these times? Hey, if you can keep yourself sane and you find it to be healthy.
00:50:17
Speaker
I think sports are a great way to sort of distract us from the real the real world. I think you have to be careful to not completely disengage from the real world. I think you have to be careful about not getting not just transferring your anxieties and frustrations from the real world onto your sports fandom because it makes sports fandom less fun. But sure, I think it can be a healthy distraction.
00:50:46
Speaker
Yeah, I think that any person that bloviates about bread and circuses when there's more important stuff going on has something equally as tedious and and unimportant as sports. um They just, you know for whatever reason, don't connect with sports. I would imagine a lot of those folks treat politics the way that we treat sports and they don't. They do. yeah it's like They're not necessarily looking at it in the the real world ramifications because it's It's impossible to be sitting in here and do that, I think. A political horse race round table show in terms of content and tone is yeah almost indistinguishable from anything you're going to see on ESPN. It's covered, politics are covered the same way. So you're totally right. That's totally salient point. Yeah. i ah If I didn't have distractions from the real world and not just now, but just always, right?
00:51:38
Speaker
like ah I'm I'm I try to be pretty plugged in, you know, to to what's going on in the world. um I've had traumatic things happen in my own life that I needed to focus a lot of attention on that were that were difficult to get through. And I would have lost my mind if I didn't have sports and music and, you know, and wrestling and just like all the stuff that I can disappear in. And so, yeah, I think you should look to him as much as is healthy.
00:52:03
Speaker
um Yeah, and and there's nothing wrong with that. um You're not letting anybody down with doing that. You're going to go crazy if you are focusing on all the things you're anxious about because there are a lot of things in the world to be anxious about and there always have been and always will be. And yeah, I think whatever you got to do, like you said, to stay sane and is what you should do.
00:52:24
Speaker
Yeah, well, that's a good place to sort of call this, I think. ah Once again, I want to thank everyone for submitting questions. As a reminder, all these questions came from our Discord. And if you are someone who wants to get involved in that, I would urge you to first become a a member at the supporter level or above, that's $75 a year.
00:52:46
Speaker
ah and then make sure you email us and ask for an invite to Discord. I get a lot of people, it's funny, a lot of people will contact me and say, I've been trying to figure out how to get onto Discord, can you help me? and And the way to do it is to email me.
00:53:03
Speaker
the email support at sounderheart.com and we will send you an invite and get you invited. That's the only way to get on, actually, is you gotta ask for a ah for an invitation because that's the that's the way it's set up. I realize that's not the most efficient way of doing things, but if you're wondering, how do I get onto Discord? That's the way to do it, is to email support at sounderheart.com.
00:53:26
Speaker
and We will get you all hooked up there. So thanks again to our listeners, our subscribers for making this work. ah With that said, I'm gonna, and thank you to Full Pull Wines for continuing their sponsorship. Great, great service that they provide. And I'm sure a lot of, I would imagine they sold a lot of wine in the last week.
00:53:49
Speaker
yeah and I bought a couple of bottles, I would say. Yeah, I bet. All right. Well, uh, all that said, uh, I'm going to sign off. I'm Jeremiah Shan signing off for Aaron Campo and Lickett. This is Nos Adiates. Nos Adiates. And remember, you'll never get alone.
00:54:43
Speaker
one