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And Then There Were 8 - Ep. 19
14 Plays11 months ago
The MLS Cup Playoffs keep on pushing as Ari and Noah break down the latest Sounders win along with some around the league analysis and bracket predictions
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Transcript
Introduction and Overview
00:00:10
Speaker
What's going on, everybody? Welcome into episode 19 of Lobbing Scorchers. This is Ari Lillianwall. I got producer Noah here with me. Noah, say what's up to the people.
00:00:22
Speaker
What's up, people? We got a great show for you here this evening. We've got another dub pod for you, another playoff dub pod and playoff series dub pod. So very special occasion. First playoff series dub pod in the history of lobbing scorchers. So good to make some more history once
Seattle Sounders' Playoff Recap
00:00:44
Speaker
again.
00:00:44
Speaker
We're going to be talking about the Seattle Sounders and their 1-0 match 3 victory over FC Dallas, which advances them on to the Western Conference semifinals of the MLS Cup playoffs. A 2-1 series victory. Seattle 2-0 in match 1. FC Dallas 3-1 in match 2 in the thriving metropolis of Frisco, Texas.
00:01:11
Speaker
And then a 1-0 victory for the Seattle Sounders in match 3 to close it out and the playoff journey churns onward So we're gonna dive into that match. We're gonna be previewing The semifinals matchup with LA FC which that's a tasty one that worked out. That's that's gonna be a good game So we'll be previewing that
00:01:33
Speaker
And then we're gonna pull up the old bracket. We're gonna do some picks on what we think is gonna happen in the semi-final series in both conferences. And then I think that'll be just about a wrap. Does that sound good Noah?
00:01:47
Speaker
That sounds beautiful. All right. Yeah. Well, first, I guess, let us just vibe on this playoff series dub. You know, playoff series dubs, they don't always come around every year. They didn't come around for Seattle last season. Seattle's thankfully had a lot of them in recent years, but I think everyone is glad to be back in the dub column after missing the playoffs last year.
00:02:15
Speaker
They've given themselves a really good puncher's chance at making an MLS cup
Playoff Path and Player Highlights
00:02:21
Speaker
run here. The Sounders are the highest remaining seed in the Western Conference as the number two seed after St. Louis City SC crashed out.
00:02:32
Speaker
They're going to host, however long they stay in the playoffs on this west side of the bracket, they're going to be hosting. They're hosting LAFC on November 26th in the semifinals. And then if they are able to make it past LAFC, they'll be taking on either Houston Dynamo FC or Sporting Kansas City, the club of professional wrestling enthusiasts.
00:02:53
Speaker
So, the path to MLS Cup in the Western Conference goes through Loom & Field, and that's very significant. If they do make it to MLS Cup, they might be guaranteed to be traveling. They are guaranteed. Yeah, they are because Atlanta crashed out. So, they would have to travel if they make it, but to make it,
00:03:18
Speaker
They're hosted. So it's a good job to put yourself in that position. That's really all you can ask. I mean, I'm sure they would have liked to finish higher on the supporter shield table and they could have had a chance to host an MLS Cup.
00:03:33
Speaker
That not being the case, the path is set up quite nicely for them to at least get there. So that's all a positive. Let's talk about this game. 1-0 victory, Albert Rusnak with another goal, 36 minute game winner, Albert Rusnak.
00:03:51
Speaker
making a solid case to come back to this team and man the 10 next year. We were talking about it before the playoffs and like how likely it was that our Rusnak would be coming back and my take on it was that I kind of wanted to see what the playoffs looked like. He hadn't gotten all that much of a run at that spot. He did down the stretch and that kind of became the first choice lineup but there wasn't really that much of a sample.
00:04:18
Speaker
to judge that on. So I wanted to see a few more games. I gotta say, it's looking pretty nice. I'm coming around to the idea that he should come back and be a centerpiece of this team again next year.
00:04:36
Speaker
Especially with Nico leaving, it's going to be nice to have. Well, right, you know, but it's like the whole question is, with Nico leaving, is Rusnak the replacement? Or do you take a swing, bring somebody in from the outside? And that's sort of, I think that's the debate that the front office brass is having and is going to have during the off season. And the playoff returns so far with Albert Rusnak have been strong. I like what I'm seeing.
00:05:05
Speaker
and pre and pre-playoff as well yeah he looked good down the stretch too so that's good to see
00:05:14
Speaker
I knew that it was going to be tough sledding for FC Dallas in this game when I saw their starting lineup. They got pretty decimated down the stretch of the season and into the playoffs. They lost Allen Velasco in match one, and then they lost Jesus Ferreira before this game. I don't remember when he got injured exactly in match two in the thriving metropolis of Frisco, Texas.
00:05:43
Speaker
He exited that game and I didn't know that his status for match three was in doubt but clearly it was because the starting lineups came out and there was no Jesus Ferreira. They also lost Marco Farfan and Giovanni Jesus. So they were down four of their main guys including their two best
00:06:05
Speaker
Attacking players they were playing this match with without a striker basically they had Paul Ariola at right back who? Is not a right back So Nico Estebes he was freestyling And you know they they made a they made a pretty decent game of it all things considered respect to FC Dallas They gave Seattle
00:06:30
Speaker
pretty much all they could handle given the personnel that was at their disposal. If you look at the stats at this game, it was quite one-sided.
00:06:40
Speaker
1 0 1 0 was arguably unflattering for how the how the match actually played out I mean Seattle ends with 1.5 XG which is solid if unspectacular FC Dallas at 0 which is I mean that is You know you don't see a clean goose egg all that often They didn't have a shot until the 89th minute which was a header that was right at Stephen Fry They just had nothing in attack
00:07:08
Speaker
And you have to you have to credit Seattle's defense. We're gonna talk about that for For holding them down that much, but they also just I mean they didn't they didn't have their guys and Schmetz actually
00:07:22
Speaker
He acknowledged that after the game, he came into his press conference. Schmetz usually doesn't give an opening statement. PR always asks him, Schmetz, do you want to give an opening statement? He always says no, straight to questions. But after this game, he did give an opening statement and the crux of it was basically respect to FC Dallas. They actually, they messed with us pretty good in this series. They beat us pretty good in game two and then they,
00:07:47
Speaker
They put in an effort-filled shift in match three, even if it didn't result in any attacking fireworks. So that was just tough. I really don't like playing these games with the other team, not at full strength. It takes some of the intrigue out of it. When I saw that lineup, I was like, all right, well, they're going to have a hard time scoring in this game. And they ended up putting up the goose egg, XG. So go figure.
Match Strategies and Performances
00:08:17
Speaker
The goal came in the 36 minute Rusnak with the finish but that play was all about the dime from JP Yeah, what a pass Seattle wins the ball in the attacking end and the Brazilian just hits an inch perfect dime Those passes are so hard to wait especially on turf Not easy to thread that in there where the goalkeeper
00:08:43
Speaker
can't come out to claim it. And Russ and I can just run right on to it. And he'll you know, he doesn't over hit it doesn't go out of bounds. I mean, that's just a sick time. It was a great play by rolled on as well to just kind of wait and watch and see that, you know, Rusnak was there and then both of them just clearly having the good enough chemistry to stop weight and then kind of just let JP make a pass. Yeah, it was just it was beautiful.
00:09:10
Speaker
Good point. Yeah, it was a beautiful goal. And I thought Seattle.
00:09:15
Speaker
Overall it was a pretty strong attacking performance even though they only got the one goal Having the one goal lead late in this game Was not a pleasant viewing experience I said on the preview show that if at all possible you want to avoid avoid that exact scenario where you're coming down to the waning moments of the match and you're only up 1-0 and you haven't gotten the second goal and
00:09:41
Speaker
They were playing with fire with that, and that was what was going through my head the whole time I was watching that, was that this is the exact scenario that I was talking about trying to avoid. But they managed to see it out, and really, I never felt that it was all that much in doubt. You just never know when a fluke goal can happen, and they would have been straight to pens if that had happened. So, thankfully, they avoided that.
00:10:06
Speaker
Knew who was fine in this game anyone you got a commentary or takes on how how new did He did fine. All right, you didn't do anything stupid. He did one he did he had one Stupid play where he was making a run down the flank and he was just charging he could have laid the ball off probably arguably a couple of times and then he just
00:10:31
Speaker
took a way too heavy of a touch and then it bounced off the defender and then back into him and he just kept going ran onto it still didn't lay it off and then eventually I think he lost the ball but other than that uh other than what he does every single game that makes him ineffective as a wingback he did it one he did it one time
00:10:52
Speaker
And other than that, New Who was pretty much fine so I don't really want to hear it. I think my main reason for bringing that up is just to highlight the fact that they won this series so the New Who debate didn't end up
00:11:11
Speaker
It didn't end up affecting anything. Like they came out of it fine. He was fine in match three. That performance to me is pretty much like what the baseline of a new game pretty much is. He's not, he's not as, I mean, what's mid about helping the defense? I don't think there's anything. I'm glad we can get into this one now because it's not that he's a bad defender, which we've both talked about and agree that his one-on-one defending is elite.
00:11:41
Speaker
It's just he's a wingback. So if you're a wingback, what do you do? And you have no attacking prowess at all.
00:11:52
Speaker
What are you doing? At least learn or have the confidence in your ability to pass and make decisions. It's like you've been playing professional soccer in this specific team, in this specific position, for how many years now? Three, four? I'm not gonna say that I don't understand the frustration with his shortcomings in attack. I just think that
00:12:21
Speaker
people need to You know reassess their expectations based on what his skill set actually is Yeah, but what he does and what he does do well, and it doesn't have to be like Eight-day controversy every time he he makes mistake that you know
00:12:42
Speaker
The whole all the discourse really went out of whack with the game he had in the second game Anyway, yeah, it's just silly to like to me where if he played
00:12:57
Speaker
even half as much in the attacking side as RBW did like he would be probably like defender of the year you know what I mean like he'd be disgusting but like I see it as there he is taking the spot he's taking the starting role of a wing back and he is not a wing back
00:13:17
Speaker
And I don't know why we didn't move on him back in the day. And so I'm going to be highly critical of him, not because I don't like him as a player and not because I don't acknowledge the incredible positives that he brings to the team, which is a lot of that last ditch defending that saves our ass a lot of the time, which is I will always acknowledge. But
00:13:40
Speaker
in the system that we're playing we should have a player that fits into the system not just a player who's a wild card and kind of a shit show half the time I don't know that's my take half the time okay okay okay okay okay 60% of the time
00:13:58
Speaker
Yeah, well, I don't necessarily disagree with the notion either that this team could benefit from a player with a skill set such more akin to a Jovan Jones or a Brad Smith. But that's not the reality of the situation at the moment. And he was a key part of why this team had an elite defense this year. And if they're going to win MLS Cup this year, it's going to be on the strength of this defense, I think.
00:14:26
Speaker
I don't, especially in a game which we're going to talk about against LAFC where, you know, you're going against some bad dudes.
00:14:38
Speaker
I don't I don't I don't know about anybody else but like if you ask me like when you're when you're playing a team that has Dennis Bewonga if I'm taking you out there RBW I mean I'm taking you to try and slow down Bewonga. Oh, absolutely. That's your best shot Yeah, and I don't have I don't have any disagreement with that I just want to say like going forward into the future and the way that we should have developed this role in the past it's like
00:15:03
Speaker
Shit knew who would be a great holding, you know defender you uh, I think I think you speak for for definitely a vocal segment of of the fan base who You know, I see the points I just yeah, I just happened to disagree
00:15:19
Speaker
Yeah, and I don't want to be a hater either. I'm not a hater.
Playoff Format and Broadcast Critique
00:15:22
Speaker
I still love new So yeah, that's a wrap on the best of three series shout out rest in peace single elimination from here on out now that it's all said and done Yeah, I mean I'll stick to my original take
00:15:48
Speaker
If you're gonna do a multi-game series I'd rock the home and away two-leg series, but you know I I didn't think it was as Apocalyptically bad this three-game stuff as some people might have it's just you know it's not how I would do it, but I thought it was
00:16:07
Speaker
Pretty much fine. Glad it's over. Single elimination is, it's certainly a lot more exciting. I definitely felt, especially with this Seattle Dallas series, you know, by the third match, you're like, okay.
00:16:21
Speaker
Third game in a row, same team. I'm just about done with this squad. I imagine the players were quite sick of each other as well. So I guess we can just be thankful that that's only for the opening round and that like, what if this LFC series was three games? I would crawl in a hole and die. I wouldn't want to deal with that.
00:16:52
Speaker
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00:17:18
Speaker
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00:17:47
Speaker
I do want to know one thing about the broadcasts just because I think this was kind of funny that Apple was the one that pushed this three game series. I allegedly adding it allegedly because I don't have a source on that. I just have seen tweets about it. So allegedly and then they sent their a broadcast team to go to a messy versus New York City FC exhibition game.
00:18:14
Speaker
You didn't watch the Noted or? Oh, I did because Talus Magno is my go. I'm a huge Magno fan. But and then they sent the B crew to the actual playoff game with Seattle and you didn't even see Seattle score.
00:18:31
Speaker
They were playing a replay of like a header that was off the mark. And then they just cut back. And it's, you know, it's Rusnak celebrating in the corner. And I'm like, what the hell are we doing? Yeah, people were not happy about that, rightfully so. I mean, like it's pretty tough. You know, soccer goals don't happen all that often. So if you miss one, that's that's not it's not ideal.
00:18:57
Speaker
like folks, you've had the entire season to learn how to like pace this. That's unfortunate. It was bad. It was bad. Hopefully, hopefully they learned from that one because there was a lot of angry tweets about that and deservedly, you know, missed them. It was the only goal of the game. It's the only goal of the game. So
Upcoming Matches and Historical Context
00:19:15
Speaker
Yeah, another playoff dub in the books, you know for however tough this season was at times and It was very tough, especially on the attacking side of the ball But the fact that they got the two seed won a playoff series hosting rights through MLS Cup for however long in the playoffs I think I think you got to give him some credit they
00:19:39
Speaker
they've given themselves a chance at winning this trophy. And I just think for for what we thought where we thought this season was headed at certain points, like it's kind of I mean, it's kind of a sick bit that they've
00:19:55
Speaker
that they managed to get to this point. It's definitely not all that similar to the 2016 turnaround because they were so down and out that season. They were never that down and out this season, but it's a similar type of vibes of a regular season that kind of
00:20:15
Speaker
created low expectations I think in a way I don't think many people saw them as cup contenders and now they're cup contenders so it's just kind of it's just kind of funny how how that pinned out we were kind of joking about that earlier in the season like you know things are so tough right now they're not scoring goals that probably means that they're gonna win MLS Cup
00:20:38
Speaker
It is it is quite funny to that in a regular year where you know maybe LFC doesn't choke in CCL doesn't qualify whatever happens You know they don't drop a bunch of points st. Louis doesn't get insanely lucky you know sporting doesn't have a Meltdown in the first half of the season like Sounders could have easily been on the edge of the playoff line and still be cooking down the stretch You know I mean yeah, no good point
00:21:08
Speaker
Next up, LAFC, so let's talk about that. That's a matchup that has a lot of history in the MLS Cup playoffs. We all famously remember the 2019 season when Seattle traveled to what is now known as BMO Stadium and beat LAFC in the Western Conference Finals. And that preceded their second MLS Cup title, which they won when they beat Toronto FC.
00:21:37
Speaker
That was we just relive that game first I mean I still call that the I think it was the best win in club history that felt better than the cup Yeah, I mean it wasn't the highest stakes wasn't like the biggest win, but in terms of the performance compared to outside expectations and then the final result
00:22:03
Speaker
I still have it as top of the list. I was at that game in LA, and I think I've talked about this before, but I was pretty sure that they were going to lose. LAFC that year was insane. I mean, at the time, they were the best MLS team of all time statistically. I still think that team is the best of all time. I think, yeah, I think there's at least a very good argument that they are. Plus 48 goal differential. Disgusting. Carlos Vela, that was the year that he had 34 goals, 15 assists.
00:22:32
Speaker
MVP easily and I just you know, it's funny I have Kind of similar feelings Going into the game this time around in that just when I look at their team There's there was there was just so much firepower to the point where pretty much as much as any MLS team I've watched since messy in the bar some boys and
00:22:57
Speaker
They would get in these zones where they looked unstoppable. They looked like they were playing a different sport. Seattle had a very good team that year, obviously. They wound up winning MLS Cup. But I mean, I was very not optimistic about that matchup. I was making the trip down for the game. And I was like, they're probably just going to lose. LAFC is too good. They're going to just win MLS Cup easily.
00:23:25
Speaker
And then LAFC scored first, like 20 minutes into the game, Atta Westa, I believe, had the free kick to make it 1-0. And I remember when that happened, I was just like, Jesus Christ, OK, here we go. Let's just get this over with. And pretty much from the Atta Westa goal on was the most flawless performance
00:23:56
Speaker
I've ever seen a Sounders team put up. And I really think it's one of the best single game performances in MLS history. Just what they did for the rest of that game. Rui Diaz, I believe, scored twice. Ledero scored the one to equalize it. I remember thinking when Ledero equalized it, all right.
00:24:20
Speaker
This is a 50-50 game. If LAFC wins this, it's not going to be in some kind of blowout. Let's do it. That was just a phenomenal win. There are so many memories associated with that game, including the
00:24:37
Speaker
the scene post-game where L.A.F.C fans, as they have been known to do sometimes, were hurling beer and other assorted objects onto the field and knew who kicked one in mid-air and a photographer snapped a photo of it. The famous photo of
00:24:59
Speaker
Nuhu kicking the beer can I caught it linked by Video maestro Brian Babcock Brian Babs and Pretty much as soon as they won that game. I was like all right. They're probably I didn't really have a doubt in my mind. It was all about getting by that game. They also played the COVID year in Seattle smashed on them and
00:25:24
Speaker
I don't really, I don't think about that season all that much. Yeah. That one didn't happen. That's not a real, that was so weird. Just going to all those games and the empty ass stadiums. Uh, Rudy Diaz did score a really sick goal in that game. Yeah. I believe, uh, I remember that. So
00:25:45
Speaker
That's about all I remember from like like I don't know what happened in MLS Cup that year I don't think there was an MLS Cup that year. I think they canceled it. They didn't. Yeah, I'm pretty sure But anyway, let's talk about this matchup as far as This year because you know there are there are there's
00:26:05
Speaker
Kind of similar vibes in that you've got this LFC team that Has just a very at times overpowering attack
00:26:17
Speaker
They didn't put up as guardian numbers as that 2019 team did. In fact, they are the lower seed in the West, which is why they're traveling here for the game. So it's not like a situation where they were the shield winners and had a plus 48. Again, LAFC, they had a bit of a tougher year this year.
00:26:36
Speaker
Okay, they they like you said they choked in Champions League they were hungover for a while after that but I mean the one the thing I'll say is that Down the stretch run of the season they started to look more like mighty LFC Yeah, and they at least they didn't really do it consistently this year but you you see these games where they're hanging four and five goals on teams and They can still do that
00:27:02
Speaker
Denise belong is I mean he's the golden boot winner 20 goals seven assists this year my go and he I mean That guy is that guy's a problem like this nasty. He's nasty the thing is Like you know you've got the statistical output which is obviously quite gaudy 27 goal contributions But I don't know with belong. It's a
00:27:31
Speaker
Lot a lot of a lot of it is like psychological. You know when he when he's running at you. That's That's the scariest sight in the league, and he is a lethal finisher He's that's it's just not it's not gonna be easy to stop his goals are disgusting too. It's like he's wicked with it in in the box. Can we say can we sign him?
00:27:55
Speaker
That would have been a carry a bit of good swoop. Can we just? You know anyway that so basically it all that's who it all runs through and I would say if there is something about this LA FC team that isn't Isn't as good as the 2019 team. It's that that team was
00:28:19
Speaker
more well-rounded, I think. They could hurt you in more multiple of ways. This LAFC team, it's like, to a lesser extent, it's sort of like the Nashville SC effect of Hany Mukhtar or Bust. I'm not gonna say that LAFC is Bewonga or Bust, but if you can slow him down, it's not like they have four or five other guys
00:28:47
Speaker
Yeah, that can hurt that can hurt you like that. So it's really a lot of it is gonna be about slowing him down obviously Carlos Vela is still a factor He had he had nine and twelve this year so he can still get it done He's 34, but this team is all about Denny Spewonga and you know, they still have
00:29:11
Speaker
They still have a strong supporting cast, you know guys like Ilyay Sanchez supporting Kansas City legend Yeah, that's right. Callen Acosta Tealini's holding it down in the back They start do they start Aaron long? I don't know
00:29:29
Speaker
I don't know what's up with a low though sounders legend, but yeah, I'm s2 legend But you can all you like one thing I'll say about that is you can get after this team on defense Culeen he's he's still good, but he is not he's the best 40 year old in the league. Yeah, that's
00:29:49
Speaker
He's not a hyper elite CB anymore at this point in his career. I think his his presence is a boost for them in that, you know, he's just
00:30:01
Speaker
He's been doing it for so long. There's nothing in this game that he hasn't seen so in terms of experience and leadership And all that like I think he does provide a lot for them, and it was it was a good signing but He's not a defender. I look at and I'm like okay like It's gonna be impossible to score a goal on you know I think I think you can do any and
00:30:28
Speaker
Aaron Long like you can get after that little bit you can like you can score on them so The thing with him is that he does get away with cleaning people out just because he is 39 years old and the rest are like alright guys come on like
00:30:43
Speaker
You're gonna let this old man. Yeah, you're gonna let this old man. Take you like that like so that is pretty sick no, but I Mean it's a primetime matchup. I'm looking forward to this Like I said LAFC if they don't have the best attack in the league, you know, there's a couple teams that you could put up with them but say when they're when they're when they're in form and
00:31:06
Speaker
They have one of the most lethal attacks, if not the most lethal attack in the league. And it's a real, it's a strength on strength matchup because Seattle's strength is that they have in elite defense. So it's going to be fascinating to see the clash between those two things.
Team Analysis and Key Matchups
00:31:24
Speaker
And if there's something that I think works in Seattle's favor in this situation It's that they have that Elite defense that can theoretically match up with an attack this good and this dynamic I mean they're gonna have to to win this game and I Think they definitely can it's possible so
00:31:51
Speaker
I mean on the flip side of that, I do see a bit of a mismatch here in just the extent of LAFC's firepower compared to what Seattle has on offense.
00:32:06
Speaker
Seattle haven't really shown that ability that LAFC have to go nuclear and hang four or five goals on people That's not really how they've been getting it done this year. They've been getting it done with the grind it out You know one zero two one Two zero those those type of score lines They haven't done a heck of a lot of the we're just gonna Go off on on you and attack and score four or five goals so
00:32:36
Speaker
I mean, to me, this game is just, it's just all about, can you hold LAFC to one goal? If you can hold LAFC to one goal, I like your chances. The moment you start talking about shipping two or three to them, it gets a lot harder because I still, I just,
00:32:57
Speaker
I still think this team has shown limitations on offense as far as their upside for these big multi-goal games that you kind of need in the playoffs sometimes. So those are both sides of it. I think the fact that they have an elite defense is
00:33:16
Speaker
I mean that's crucial against an opponent like this and the question is going to be whether they can win that matchup and keep this score line to a place where you know two goals
00:33:36
Speaker
will hopefully win you this game. So, I don't know. It's gonna be fascinating to watch. I mean, if you haven't watched a lot of Denise Bewonga this year, I mean, you're gonna get the full experience. He's a menace. So, I'm really looking forward to seeing how new who game are. Jackson Reagan, Alex Roldana and company, JP.
00:34:03
Speaker
How schmetz game plans it to try to try and slow them down I do think that a home field advantage is also big here, you know, I Wouldn't have said it was impossible if they had had to travel to LA for this game just because we've seen them do that Yeah before against a better LA FC team then then this one is But Seattle at home in the playoffs
00:34:27
Speaker
Typically money in the bank, but this is gonna be this is gonna be their hardest game up until MLS Cup because if you can get by LA FC here You either have Houston Dynamo FC or sporting Kansas City the club of professional wrestling enthusiasts In the West Final at home you'd be hosting again so Those those teams are both very good and in good form but
00:34:57
Speaker
I rate LFC quite a bit higher than I rate either of them, even with the knowledge that they're both pretty good. So if they if they you just got to get by LFC, get by LFC and you give yourself a great chance to make it to another MLS Cup. So as the great head football coach of the Penn State Ninney Lions once said, all you got to do is go one and oh,
00:35:26
Speaker
Go wanna know. All you gotta do is go wanna know. Mentality. Exactly. Do you have anything else on this LAFC game? Thoughts, feelings, predictions? I mean, I'm nervous for sure. Like, I won't lie. I'm stoked though. Like, I think this is a fun matchup to get to see in the playoffs. Like, that's super sick. You know, you want the most challenge. But,
00:35:53
Speaker
Yeah, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous and like I don't know I think they can get it done But like you're saying I haven't really seen a large sample size of them BAMing Against you know really intense competition, but this back line is soft and We'll see should be a fun one. They're gonna have revenge on the mind Yeah
00:36:16
Speaker
like they like I don't think there's all that many guys on the team still that were that were on the team in 19 I mean you got you got Carlos Vela that's probably the main one but that game was so like damaging to their like whole fan base yeah
00:36:36
Speaker
I always remember I stepped outside the stadium after the game. I was walking to like an Uber or somewhere and I see this LAFC fan who's just shit-faced drunk and he's just stumbling around and his girlfriend was like running after him trying to track him down and he just goes,
00:36:59
Speaker
Man, fuck Seattle. I thought I had a great time with that just because I was pretty happy with how the game went.
00:37:13
Speaker
seeing that man drunk and sad was pretty funny. Yeah, I mean, I won't lie. That was that was peak for me just because 2019 LAFC fans wouldn't shut the fuck up about anything. They were God's gift to the earth. The MLS was, you know, that was their prized child at the time before Messi and the Barca boys came along.
00:37:36
Speaker
So, you know, I don't know. It's, it's kind of fun to see LAFC get the, uh, woody treatment, you know, get thrown on the ground and not want to be played with anymore. I mean, we had a riot of a time with it when they, when they choked in champions league, uh, it, it never really gets old just because like you said of like, uh,
00:37:55
Speaker
You know, their fans, they feel themselves a lot. And like, I don't even necessarily begrudge them that in the sense that, you know, their team has backed it up in many ways. For sure. They've had some great individual regular seasons and, you know, they won MLS Cup last year. Yeah. So I don't necessarily begrudge them the fact that they feel themselves sometimes. But what it does do is make it very, very funny and enjoyable when they choke.
00:38:24
Speaker
Correct. So hopefully, we get another round of that. And Seattle can advance on through to the Western Conference Finals. Before we get into predictions for the rest of the bracket for the semifinal series, one little bit of sounders news to hit for you, Noah.
Team News and Predictions
00:38:52
Speaker
Stefan Frye, contract extension.
00:38:54
Speaker
two-year deal i believe as reported by sounder at heart first uh so that uh that takes care of one of the questions that was on the docket for the offseason uh
00:39:09
Speaker
Stephen Fry, his future wasn't certain. His contract was up. He's 38 now. And I think with all the talk of the turnover that's come in and Ledero already saying that he's out, I think there was a perception that Stephen Fry could be on the list of
00:39:31
Speaker
Players that could be moving on after this season and also kind of the way that he was talking about it actually at one point He gave an interview where he was like, you know I don't really I don't know what the future holds and I kind of kind of felt like he was saying You know acknowledging that he might not be here So Stefan fries coming back. I mean I'm good with it like
00:39:50
Speaker
There was takes fine around earlier this season. I don't know if you remember this. Yeah, we did. We potted about it. Yeah, and I was saying that I didn't really see the supposed decline that people were talking about. And I think having made it through the full regular season now, I feel pretty much the same way. I feel like Stephen Fry was pretty much as good as ever this year.
00:40:14
Speaker
I didn't notice, to my eye, any steep drop-off or decline in production or decline in form. Goalkeepers are able to play into their late 30s and sometimes early 40s even. It is also funny that those same people who were griping about that were then griping about the fact he didn't even get nominated for goalkeeper in the year, which is awesome. That was a quick turnaround on that.
00:40:41
Speaker
Yeah, I mean to me it looks like he is capable of maintaining his customary level, which is an elite goalkeeper in MLS for one to two more years, which is the contract that they gave him. I think we're probably looking at a situation where he's playing until he's 40, which is quite old for a professional athlete.
00:41:05
Speaker
But he's I mean he's still doing it. He's still doing it. They had the Statistically tied for the best defense in the league this year and you know I think the thing you have to look at is You know is he still making those game-changing game-saving? saves and The answer to that especially down the stretch of the season was yes Yeah, he was making those saves and that's what you need in your in your number one goalkeeper
00:41:30
Speaker
So and you know he's a club legend as well MLS cup MVP he's put it in for the organization so
00:41:40
Speaker
I think a Justin Fair reward for Stephen Fry to your contract. It's the perfect length of time. It allows him and the Sounders both to kind of transition if he wants to retire with the Sounders. Hell yeah, that rocks. Clearly he can put up another season, two seasons of continued ability.
00:42:04
Speaker
I don't know kind of was the perfect I will be interested to see if they if they bring in like a successor or you know maybe they consider Steph Cleveland that but uh Steph Cleveland you know he's in the late 20s so yeah he doesn't he's not really the profile of a guy that you might necessarily be like okay this is the future for the next you know
00:42:28
Speaker
10 years or so. Yeah. So we'll see how they handle that. I think what they do at the number two spot is now an actually
00:42:39
Speaker
I'm not going to say backup, cold keeper's a significant storyline, but it's one to keep an eye on. Yeah, I'm interested to see what they do with Cleveland. If they end up trying to ship him somewhere else. He's pretty good. Every time he's played when Fry has been out, I've actually been legitimately more impressed than I thought I would be when Steph Cleveland plays. He had one really bad game this season.
00:43:05
Speaker
but other than that, he was really solid. Like when I was, when I was surprised by is like, when I think of a backup goalkeeper, you know, I'm just hoping for a baseline of competence with the knowledge that, you know, they're not the starter. So you're probably not going to get like the, the game saving spectacular saves to the degree that you're Alex rolled on. Right. Exactly. But like, you know,
00:43:29
Speaker
You know, I don't really have the expectation that they're gonna be making saves like that necessarily as much as the starter but Steph Cleveland actually like he was making some of those so yeah Yeah, that's that's that's one for the offseason. We'll see how that pans out
00:43:46
Speaker
Do you want to just jump into this bracket and then let's hop in the fuck out of here? Okay. Yeah, dude. I mean, I guess we'll let's start off with with LA and Seattle, you know, where do you see this one going? I've been going back and forth on this one quite a bit. I don't know about you. I like when I was first thinking about it, I was I was honestly like I don't really see how I can pick against
00:44:14
Speaker
LAFC just because of what I was talking about with the I when I'm looking at matchups like this I always try and look at what mismatches I see and who has the most like pronounced advantage in a particular area of the game and I do think that There there's a pretty
00:44:38
Speaker
Like if you're going off the season stats and how they performed on the stretch, there's definitely a gulf in like the type of goal production that these two teams have shown to be capable of, of putting up, you know? So my gut was saying LAFC
00:45:03
Speaker
just because of the advantage that I think they have in terms of firepower. On the flip side of that, you've got a Seattle team that has been not showing that much firepower but definitely playing improved soccer in attack. I think it's fair to say that.
00:45:26
Speaker
you do also have in elite defense. So trying to weigh all those things, I came to the conclusion that this is essentially, it's more of a 50-50 toss-up than I was initially giving it credit for when you factor in the level that Seattle's defense is playing at right now and the improvements that they have shown in attack. And in a 50-50 toss-up scenario, I just picked the home team.
00:45:54
Speaker
Yeah, and so like straight up the way I see it is with this game in Seattle I'm gonna pick Seattle if this game was in LA I would pick LA But Seattle's hosting I see it as a 50-50 toss So I'm gonna I'm gonna pick Seattle but I mean I'll give the I'll give the obvious caveat, which is that like
00:46:19
Speaker
Would not be surprised if that pic doesn't hit yeah, and there there's a lot of there's big part of me that uh That thinks la FC is probably probably gonna win
00:46:34
Speaker
Yeah, no, I agree with that. I'm not super confident, but I'm also not completely turned off by the whole idea of the sounders taking that one and running with it. I think
00:46:52
Speaker
they have some momentum coming out of that FC Dallas game like I don't know it's it is really a toss up it's a coin flip like I could see that one going to penalties pretty pretty easily yeah I was gonna say that's a pretty decently likely outcome as well yeah so I mean I think I'll pick Seattle as well because I agree I think that home field advantage just
00:47:12
Speaker
Just gives you just enough to get over the edge, but honestly I think either of these teams could win very evenly and would not be shocked if LAFC comes here and just beats the doors down I mean whoever whoever wins this is the favorite to come out of the west yeah easily so a lot there's
00:47:31
Speaker
Obviously a lot on the line regardless because with it being a playoff game, semifinals game, but whoever wins this is going to be set up nice. They're going to be hosting a Western Conference final. Yeah. Yeah, which that Western Conference final would be either against Houston or sporting Kansas City. So what are we thinking on those two?
00:47:55
Speaker
Yeah I've got support in Kansas City the club of professional wrestling enthusiasts. I just think they're probably in they're probably in the best like form of any individual team in the West right now.
00:48:11
Speaker
All of these teams are in pretty good form right now, obviously, to get to this point. But we've talked about it. Sporting Kansas City since May, they've been one of the best teams, best teams in the league. They waxed St. Louis City SC, which you can debate how impressive an accomplishment that was, given the fraudulent tendencies demonstrated by St. Louis City SC.
00:48:39
Speaker
They were lights out in that series. It's a tough one to pick because Houston also, I mean, they've been playing really well down the stretch and into the playoffs and I think they were rightfully tabbed as kind of a dark horse contender.
00:49:03
Speaker
Yeah. So it's another one that I feel like, you know, all of these at this point in the playoffs, there's there 50, 50 propositions and there's not like a super, super obvious favorite. But I just think I just think a sporting case. He's pretty hot right now. Yeah, no, I agree with that. I also have sporting with the caveat to that, like,
00:49:25
Speaker
That's impressive because Houston hasn't lost at home in 10 games. And obviously they're playing in Houston. But sporting haven't lost in five games. We just watched Houston struggle against Salt Lake and have to troll for penalties twice in a row. And I just don't know what happened to that firepower that we saw, that insane Houston attack that we saw during the regular season. Maybe they pick it up against sporting.
00:49:53
Speaker
Maybe they don't but sporting is showing clearly that they they can finish that they can create on almost every opportunity that they have And as fraudulent as st. Louis City is that was still an impressive result on the road and also an impressive result at home as well holding them to only two goals in the series is Impressive considering what they were putting up even if they were lucky. It's it's a good point
00:50:20
Speaker
Houston really didn't look that good in the Salt Lake series. No, they look terrible. They struggled. They struggled with that. They struggled with Pablo Mastrioni's expected dog, which like maybe it'll be different because it almost felt like Salt Lake was trying to troll for those penalties and trying to just like slow down the play and break up the way that Houston was trying to play. But I mean, sporting is sporting is fearless. And I think that that is something to fear.
00:50:50
Speaker
So that's that's my pick for that, which would set up what we both agree professional wrestlers versus Seattle in the Western Conference final back to a real conference, the Eastern Conference, because fraudulent Western Conference aside, you know, sincey Philly, probably the two favorites.
00:51:12
Speaker
Last year's last year's final. Yeah, I'm taking since you here pretty comfortably, which I realize isn't That hot a take given that they won the shield and are the odds-on MLS Cup favorites but
00:51:28
Speaker
The Philly Union, they're really not like the vintage Philly Union. Really, they weren't for pretty much the whole season, and they haven't looked as such in the playoffs really either. They could have lost their series to the Revs.
00:51:52
Speaker
they they just don't I don't know they just don't they don't have the same kind of full throttle type of vibe that they had in last year's playoffs when they mobbed all the way mobbed all the way to MLS Cup and almost beat LFC like people forget but the Philly Union they played that game straight up and they almost wanted they just had they
00:52:12
Speaker
They haven't looked on that level pretty much all year since he's the best team in the league for my money playing at TQL. I mean, you got to think they get that done. That's that's pretty easy pick.
00:52:25
Speaker
Yeah, I agree. I think that's the easiest pick of the week there. I think since he is just disgusting and playing at home where they are. I mean, they have to. I wouldn't put it past Jim Curtin's boys necessarily, but I'd be pretty surprised if Philly wins that game, to be honest. That's probably the game at all these that I feel most confident about.
00:52:47
Speaker
Yeah, and you know the two that they played this season Since he took one and then they drew the other so I think it's gonna be a really good matchup But playoff TQL Stadium it gets loud in there Philly fans are I'm sorry since the fans are stoked to have a real team I'm just saying they deserve it. I'm happy Yeah, like three wooden spoons in a row and then took like it's such a crazy
00:53:14
Speaker
Switch to go from three wooden spoons in a row to having a team. That's that good. I mean they're the best team in the league Yeah easily so now I agree with that since the on their way to a Eastern Conference final against one of these two Orlando or Columbus which I know we wanted this matchup to happen this this is this is gonna be a good matchup and I'm more back to having no real idea
00:53:41
Speaker
Yeah, out of this out of these two I think I'm gonna go
00:53:53
Speaker
with Orlando City SC, which might be counterintuitive. So they're the higher seed. But Columbus has been a trendier pick. Columbus are kind of a pundit darling. And I get it. I really enjoy watching the crew, too. I think they have
00:54:18
Speaker
stretches of some of the most aesthetically pleasing soccer that anyone plays in the league. But the reason I don't think the crew are going to win MLS Cup is that, and this was confirmed in the series that they just had against Atlanta United,
00:54:38
Speaker
but they have too many like atlanta united type vibes yeah where they can yeah they can they can carve you up and they can score on you but a lot of the times it's at the expense of protecting their own goal and that's that's like that's what happened in the atlanta series they got waxed in atlanta in match two of that series and then even in match three they went up like fordo
00:55:04
Speaker
It was for nothing and then they let Atlanta score a couple goals. So there's just too much like stuff like that where her three or not sorry, but three nothing and then four one was it was yeah, it was three nothing four or three one and then
00:55:20
Speaker
For one and then fought for two which they were letting Atlanta like hang around Yeah in a game where they had a three goal lead like way longer than they should have and it kind of it all plays into this Over arcing tendency that they've had throughout the year to to ship goals sometimes a lot of goals in a game shipping them at inopportune times and
00:55:44
Speaker
They're just a little bit of a Jekyll and Hyde team in that way And I just think Orlando is a much more a much more sound team in that way like Orlando is almost like a version of Columbus that just doesn't have those kind of anarchy type vibes on defense
00:56:08
Speaker
Except, you know, Orlando isn't as dynamic in attack, but Orlando, they play some good attacking ball as well. Like they really do. Oscar Pereira has done a pretty damn good job. FC Dallas legend. FC Dallas legend, Oscar Pereira.
00:56:23
Speaker
Good coach. I think great It's it's more than fair to say at this point still a little underrated even though he's gotten yeah a fair amount of credit over the years for the work that he's done with With us see Dallas and now Orlando so when they still went up see Dallas well when he was lured away by by by Orlando I was like this is this is a This is a switch for Orlando. This is gonna be a good thing good hire. Yeah
00:56:55
Speaker
They've been one of the better teams in the East this year, so I'm taking Orlando there, but I could definitely... The crew, when they're firing and they're scoring goals, they can beat anybody, so I wouldn't necessarily be surprised to see that one go the other way, but I'm feeling Orlando.
00:57:19
Speaker
Yeah, I think I think when Orlando pick is a really good pick I'm gonna have my pick at the end here. I just want to toss some stats around there Orlando haven't lost in seven matches and they've won their last six and they are unbeaten in 14 home games So feels like they should have been getting talked about a little more as like a legitimate contender. I feel like they were not Not necessarily discussed as
00:57:46
Speaker
like Columbus got discussed way more. Oh, yeah. Yeah. You know, and I think maybe that's partially due to the other Florida team, a little overshadowing in the region, perhaps, but honestly,
00:58:03
Speaker
Yeah, it's Orlando's game to lose, which I think sometimes can be a big wait. I want to pick Orlando, but I also want to be a little bit contrarian so we don't have like all the same picks here. So I'm going to go with Columbus. Columbus is a good pick. I think that they are a goal scoring machine.
00:58:24
Speaker
And if they get dug into a hole, I don't think that it's over for them. Like if, you know, if, if Orlando comes out and scores one or two, I don't think that that's insurmountable for the crew to come back from. So that is, that is my whole reason for that. But man, I mean, unbeaten in 14 home games and you're playing at a Explorer stadium, Exploria stadium.
00:58:50
Speaker
That's a tough, that's a tough one to go into. Kucho Hernandez, one of the best players in the league, Wilfred Nancy.
00:58:58
Speaker
Might be the best coach in the league. He might be. I think you were trying to talk yourself into a Wilfred Nancy coach of the year take in previous episodes. I think I was. Yeah. Yeah, because we were talking about it, I think, before the playoffs started, just how good a job he did with CF Montreal and how it's been kind of cool to see him get his hands on an expensive shiny roster with all these
00:59:26
Speaker
with all these Lamborghinis and Ferraris like Cuccio and Diego Rossi. Darlington Nagbee is still doing it for them. So good roster, good team. And I think that's probably the game I'm looking forward to the most, aside from Seattle LAFC, because that's
00:59:54
Speaker
That's a clash of two of the top teams in the East, for sure. Yeah, that's a Titan matchup. That one is going to be sick. I know that like two episodes ago we talked about how that was like, we both wanted that to happen. So that will be appointment television folks. All right, we'll see how those picks pan out. I'm pretty, I think I went perfect. I think I went perfect on that one. Yeah, I think you did. I think you did. That's, I'm low key pretty proud of that. You know, they're,
01:00:21
Speaker
There was some obvious ones, but there were a couple where I had to maybe go against the grain of what what the mainstream pundits were picking so you said sporting was gonna bam on st. Louis and I said it and their fans got upset about it and and that's what happens they did but I'm I'm here to say Vindicated vindicated
01:00:48
Speaker
All right. Well, unless you have anything else, I think we can call it a wrap right there for episode 19. Yeah, I think that's it. You know, sounders, if you want to send us some shoes, I wear a size 11 and a half. So, you know, toss those our way. Good plug. We've got a little bit of, uh, of a break between now and the, uh, in the first game. I don't know about you. I'm going out of town for Thanksgiving, starting on, uh,
01:01:09
Speaker
Sunday so We may or may not throw down another one of these before the match is played But if not, we will most certainly be reacting to whatever takes place at Lumen field on November 26th. Yeah So are you gonna be at that game?
01:01:27
Speaker
Yeah, I'm coming back. I'll be there too. There's like a time period when the schedule came out where I was like, that is so close to Thanksgiving. Seattle makes it that far. I don't know if I'm going to be able to go to that. But I wrangled my travel plan. So I'll be back for the game. I wouldn't miss it. No. And then we will certainly lay down some of this sweet, sweet audio.
01:01:53
Speaker
Once once that result is decided, yeah, if sounders make the cup we traveling we live potting from the yeah, I mean I'm going for show all right if they make I'm into I got them I got them airline miles Let's make it happen. We're gonna We're gonna call it right there. Thank you as always for tuning in like rate comment subscribe Write your iTunes reviews hit us up on Twitter
01:02:22
Speaker
Until next time we out peace