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Best Win, Worst Loss: Seattle Sounders emerge TOOTHLESS vs. LA Galaxy
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On this episode, we break down the emotional rollercoaster that is the Seattle Sounders, from the season’s best win straight into the worst loss, the end of the home undefeated streak, and a worrying stretch of form that was only partially salvaged by the Earthquakes win. We talk Moose’s tooth, then dive into some obligatory striker discourse, including a discussion on whether Seattle’s investment in Jordan Morris was justified, and what Craig Waibel’s response might be if asked about urgency at the striker position. Then, we widen out to the Western Conference, debate which team is clearly superior to Seattle, and preview LAFC as the next opponent: what’s the vibe going into that matchup at BMO Stadium and how should Seattle approach it?
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Lobbing Scorchers is a Seattle Sounders and MLS focused show brought to you by Sounder at Heart. Hosted by Major League Soccer's Ari Liljenwall and Producer Noah Riffe. Join us as we lob our scorching takes on the American soccer landscape, Seattle Sounders, Major League Soccer, USMNT and more.
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Transcript
Partnership Announcements
00:00:00
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As you know, we're huge fans of supporting local business. We've partnered with Seattle coffee roaster, Huey D Coffee, to bring a full spectrum of coffees to our listeners. Matt, the owner, is a diehard Sounders fan and inaugural season ticket holder who can often be overheard talking about the latest match while he works behind the bar. Thankfully, you don't have to live in Seattle to get great coffee.
00:00:20
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Huey D's high quality coffee subscription service offers our favorite blends right to your door. at lobbing scorchers.com slash coffee. First time subscribers can get 25% off your order.
00:00:32
Speaker
Additionally, QED is offering Lobbing Scorcher supporters 25% off site-wide with the code LS74. What are you waiting for? Visit one of their three locations in Mount Baker, West Seattle, and Three Tree Point, or go to lobbing scorchers.com slash coffee and use code LS74 at checkout.
Live Content and Engagement
00:00:50
Speaker
This episode of Lobbing Scorchers was previously recorded and streamed live on YouTube.com slash at Lobbing Scorchers. If you want to listen or catch these episodes live, see the video, and see all the rest of our content, go to YouTube.com slash at Lobbing Scorchers or LobbingScorchers.com slash YouTube.
00:01:11
Speaker
Well sir, we got a scorcher today. Gonna be a real scorcher today. Quite the scorcher today. Well it's gonna be a scorcher.
Seattle Sounders Recent Performances
00:01:34
Speaker
Good morning, everybody, and welcome to another episode of Lobbing Scorchers Kickoff, now presented by QED Coffee. I'm Ari, that's Nico. We're going to be hanging out here this morning talking some Seattle Sounders and Major League Soccer. Nico, we got a lot to get to.
00:01:48
Speaker
We have a situation where in the same week, the Seattle Sounders just had arguably their best win of the season over the San Jose Earthquakes, the league-leading, Western Conference-leading San Jose Earthquakes. And then immediately followed that up with what I think was inarguably their worst loss of the season at home.
00:02:10
Speaker
Shut out to nil by the not very good l LA galaxy. What do we make of all that? We're going to talk about exactly that. Dive on in Moose lost a tooth. Maybe we'll get a moose tooth update. We'll do some obligatory striker discourse. And we're also going to be previewing this LAFC game and talking about some of the other results in the Western Conference. All three of the other Western Conference frontrunners also took L's over this match day. So we'll talk about that. Nico, thanks for tapping in, man. What's up?
00:02:38
Speaker
How you feeling here this morning? What's going on, Ari? Loving Scorchers family. Happy to be on as always. And yes, we have plenty to talk about, but I'm feeling good. You know, it's... ah it was There was ups and downs this week for the Sounders at the very least. I think that we are going to definitely get into that. But ah beyond just the the soccer aspect, you know, it was a nice it was nice to see as many fans as I did for the Galaxy game. It seemed like people really got out there. It felt pretty lively. It's been a little bit since I've been able to kind of walk through game.
00:03:18
Speaker
some of the fan areas and people seem to be really lively for that l LA galaxy game. So yeah, man, feeling good, ready to ah get onto a lot of this discourse. Cause After the game, people weren't as happy, of course, and there was a lot of heavy takes. So, yeah, man, let's do it. Hoping the chat is active today. You guys got questions, comments, you know, put them out there. Like the video, share, make sure that we we get this a a good, engaging show today.
00:03:49
Speaker
Yeah, let's get the discourse flowing,
New Sponsorship and Offers
00:03:51
Speaker
Nico. But before we dive into it, I do have to let you all know that Lobbing Scorchers is now presented by QED Coffee, our new title sponsor, our favorite Seattle-based roaster, coffee shop, and coffee subscription service. Visit them in person at one of their three Seattle locations in West Seattle, Three Tree Point and Burien, and Mount Baker Ridge.
00:04:08
Speaker
Or online, use the code LS74 for 25% off anything site-wide. So ah what are you waiting for? Support the show, support Lobby Scorchers kickoff, get your subscription to QED Coffee. But ah all right, Nico, let's dive into it because we do have a lot to get to here this morning.
Inconsistencies and Tactical Analysis
00:04:25
Speaker
Amen. the first thing i want to do is uh let's talk about this uh la galaxy l a little more i want to get your take on it we haven't really caught up on it and uh like i said you know just to set the stage you were you were coming off a really good win over the quakes at home where you scored three goals 60 ferrer uh jesus ferrer had a 60 yard pick six The vibes were good again after a couple of other matches where you drop points against really not good teams. But I think that's kind of a good place to start is that the, the loss to the galaxy is one thing, but I think it's fair to say Nico that the overall form over these last three, four weeks has not been very good. You have, know,
00:05:08
Speaker
situations against Sporting KC and San Diego where you're playing a Sporting KC team that is arguably the worst team in the league. You drop points there after scoring two minutes into the game. And then a San Diego team that's kind of mid this year too. And you drop points at home in that game as well. So the vibes were salvaged, I think, a fair amount by that Quakes win. But if you really look at it,
00:05:34
Speaker
ah the The Galaxy L was sort of a continuation of a downturn in form after what was a really good start to the season. But Nico, what are your thoughts on this Galaxy L specifically? What did you see in this game where that led to the home undefeated streak coming to an unceremonious end at Lumen Field?
00:05:54
Speaker
Yes, look, there's a lot of components, and I'll try to be concise about it. But the reality is that from the very beginning, the team looked very disjointed. I thought that there was a lack of intensity, lack of cohesiveness in the field. Bryant Smetzer, you know, he took accountability for perhaps in in his immediate assessment of the game, making too many
00:06:25
Speaker
substitutions or rotations at at one particular time. He talked about end credit. And I think that it's very important to credit LA Galaxy for one, taking advantage of some of the deficiencies they saw, some of the little bit of experience from a guy like Peter Kingston um that, you know, we'll talk about him here in a second. i thought that they were good at,
00:06:54
Speaker
overpopulating the midfield, not allowing the Sounders to get in transition, doing a good job at hitting the Sounders in transition. Once the goal came and and they they were able to get it, and they took advantage again of the team shifting off and Tino Lopez being way too high up as he was trying to press Marcos Royce, who was working as a false nine, dragging some of those center backs.
00:07:23
Speaker
Jackson Reagan obviously doesn't – I think he's too far off. A guy like Gabriel Peck, he should have been a lot tighter. So the goal happens. And after that, the LA Galaxy are able to just control the game, play in a deeper block. They they were able to sustain it, and that's credit to to that team. But overall, I just think that – This was somewhat necessary, Ari, and I know that's not what people want to hear, but I don't mind the gamble, and and I plan to ask Brian about it on Wednesday because there is some sort of risk-reward that you're hoping to get out of this game because rotation was important.
Player Development and Strategy
00:08:10
Speaker
ah You wanted to make sure the guys were – healthy and and ready to go for the LAFC game. You had some unexpected injuries like the hamstring injury to Alex Roldan. Apparently Christian Roldan has some tightness as well. And that's why they end up resting them for this game. Additionally to all of those movements.
00:08:35
Speaker
So when we talk about a team that's deep and we rightfully praise the Sounders for having the courage to play these young kids and to use all the resources by bringing kids up from the academy and Tacoma Defiance.
00:08:53
Speaker
At some point, you got figure out what this rotational players can do in high state games. You challenge them a lot more because look, I love, I have loved Tina Lopez every single time he's been on the field this season. This was a a big challenge for him, right? Because regardless of where you may see the LA galaxy in the standings, there's still a team that has some very talented attackers, right? I mean, that's,
00:09:22
Speaker
that's Marcus Royce. I mean, that's not just anybody, right? That's still Gabriel Peck's one of the most electric and difficult guys to handle defensively. You had Paints on the other side. So this is a a very talented attacking team and same goes for Peter Kingston. I've liked Peter Kingston. Every time he's come on, I've talked about him being a gamer and feeling like he just leaves it all on the field. He doesn't want to,
00:09:48
Speaker
ah not take advantage of every single second he's on the field and he's he's performed. But this was a different challenge. I mean, from the very first time that Painesville went right at Peter Kingston, you knew that he was going to have some difficulties. Now, I thought he started strong, and i i thought that he was good on the ball specifically. You know, he sets up a phenomenal pass for a very first Danny Musavsky chance with an over-the-top ball over the defense that Musavsky is unable to put away. i thought that he had some really good moments on the ball also. And I also thought that he was courageous defensively, but that is a challenge. So overall, the team just didn't look connected.
00:10:31
Speaker
And this was a LA Galaxy team that was coming off a bad loss against Portland, Kansas City. They needed to get this sort of result. So they were extremely motivated. And I thought Greg Vanney did a good job at Adjusting and shifting to some of those things that I think he saw immediately.
00:10:54
Speaker
The starting 11 lineup showed up in his bench. And and you could see that from from the very beginning. So over ah to conclude the week, I will say this.
00:11:08
Speaker
My biggest concern is that the bad habits and the mistakes continue to happen. And the lack of Finishing and the team being too passive on the final third and forgiven in the final third continues to allow teams to stay in the game.
00:11:32
Speaker
And bad moments, like the one you had on that first goal. And even more importantly, and look, I know that not a lot of people are thinking about that second goal because of how late in the game it was and you're chasing the game and you're adding numbers forward. But I have a huge problem with yet again, a bad turnover and a cheap goal because Arthur Jackson Reagan was too nonchalant with that pass that creates the turnover.
00:12:04
Speaker
I don't expect him to make that sort of pass. And he kind of just outside of the foot, just to absolutely no one. It's not to Jordan. It's not to anybody's right to the LA player, Galaxy player that ends up putting that immediate ball into Gabriel Peck. And then Gabriel Peck is just off to the races and you're not going to catch him.
00:12:26
Speaker
Hassani Dodson, could he have done a little more Yes, I think that me personally, an experienced player should take that technical foul.
00:12:37
Speaker
you you came You have that that ability to maybe bring him down or or force him out. And now I don't know if he had a yellow. I don't think he did. No, no, he didn't. So just take that yellow and stop that transition moment because you knew where it was going to end. So the the the biggest problem that I have again is,
00:12:59
Speaker
bad habits and mistakes continue to happen to this team. I don't want to feed to the narrative of they they played to the level of bad teams and they played down to some some of these clubs that are not playing great.
00:13:19
Speaker
But it is something that mentally they have to do better at and and just be able to go into these games. And I mentioned that Last show and the show before that, when you are the superior team, you have to be able to kill these games early. You have to be able to control the tempo. You got to be able to control possession. And I don't think Seattle did any of that in this game. And those were mistakes that you saw even in the San Jose win.
00:13:46
Speaker
where you start off giving up a cheap goal, a bad turnover in your own final third. You allow the team to get ahead early. And so all those things is kind of the correlation of what Bryant Smetzer and the Sounders have a huge challenge to try to get rid of those things because, you know, sometimes bad habits are hard to kill and and and that's what they need to do.
00:14:14
Speaker
Derek Richards has been a member for 17 months. Thank you, Derek. He says it's a good, it's good. a break is coming up because this poor form can't continue after LAFC and the team can reset. Yeah, that is a similar feeling I got watching this game, which, ah you know, we talked about it on the post game show, but it looks like a team that needs the world cup break.
00:14:33
Speaker
right now and i think with that in mind as far as the lineup goes you know I don't mind the idea of squad rotation in a three match week when you've been playing a lot of games there are heavy legs the team is tired so I don't mind a bit of a novelty lineup. I do think there are a couple of things to question in hindsight.
00:14:54
Speaker
You mentioned Pete Kingston, King Pete drawing the start at right back with Alex Roldan dealing with hamstring tightness. And look, I think it's great that King Pete has earned this level of trust from Brian Schmetzer. And I think he's honestly showed a lot of more kind of exciting and dynamic skillset stuff.
00:15:12
Speaker
in these last couple games, especially as he's gotten more comfortable than I would have expected from Peter Kingston, especially before the start of the season. So that's all well and good. I do think this was clearly a pretty tough situation to throw him into. You watch how that game panned out, and it's like his fourth MLS game, and he's out there isolated three or four times against Joey Paints.
00:15:34
Speaker
That is that is pretty tough. There were a couple times where he was isolated out there where I was like, guys, we got to be sending him some some help out there like Pete Kingston has been grinding MLS Next Pro for the last year and a half like I don't care who you are.
00:15:48
Speaker
After coming out of that, going up against Ghanaian international winger, Joseph Paintsill, 1v1, it's a different ballgame. And I feel like clearly, you know, it was it was fun to watch in a couple of those moments. It kind of reminded me of the Cody Baker going ah up against Timo Werner thing. Earlier this season where you're getting to watch one of the one of the homegrown guys go up against like, ah you know, I don't know if Joey Paints is the status of Timo Werner, but like I said, he's a Ghanaian international winger. He's a 10 and 10 guy in MLS like that's a serious matchup. And yeah.
00:16:25
Speaker
Joey paints was given Pete hell out there on a couple of these sequences. And I think that's good character building for Pete, but I think looking back on it, that's maybe one where ah i would have liked to seen Kalani get the start there based on how it panned out. And that's nothing really like against Pete or to say that he had like ah a bad game. I just think that, I just think that specifically, is a pretty tough matchup. Real quick, Nico, I have one more take on this game, but do you,
Striker Performance and Future
00:16:55
Speaker
do you have any thoughts just on the lineup or if there's anything they could have done differently for this game?
00:16:59
Speaker
Yeah, look, I thought that again, I didn't mind Peter Kingston getting that start. You, you, We're hoping to get more out of him. and And it was about assessing the player. Clearly it didn't work. and and And maybe it was too big of a moment for him. The biggest issue is that you were getting a with. And in this particular system, that right back has the responsibility of being a guy that
00:17:30
Speaker
gets ahead with ease, that gives that width, that creates overloads on that side, that whether it's with an an overlap or an underlap, you're adding another player there. He had difficulties because he knew what he had in front of him in Paintsville. And now Paintsville might not have ah Timo Werner's credentials and and trajectory, but as just the speed monster, it's even more difficult for you as a young player to give yourself that opportunity to get forward when at any moment he's going to play behind you and you know that you're not going to see anything but the headlights, I mean, the the rear lights of of that specific ah player. So i I didn't mind it. What I think
00:18:18
Speaker
maybe created even a bigger disconnect was Danny Mussovsky's injury when he did.
00:18:30
Speaker
You could tell by hearing Brian that he completely
00:18:35
Speaker
um changed everything that he wanted to do with his substitutions, with the game. And that's something you have to be ready for and I personally thought that since you prepared the whole week, well, not the whole week, that's too much. If you were prepared the whole day before, because you had a midweek game, to play Jordan out wide and yeah exactly kind of not move too many pieces at one time, maybe just Dero coming in for Danny Mussofsky would have created less movements because there was a couple of, i don't know, if was like 10 minutes where
00:19:13
Speaker
Jordan and Jesus didn't really know how to set up. And and I felt like Jesus was kind of at the nine for a bit. And then and now that that that could happen, but I i just saw confusion.
00:19:26
Speaker
So I thought that very bringing Dero, let him cook at the nine. Maybe you get him a lot of minutes at that position. And then whenever you feel like you were going to be able to bring in Albert, because there there was a set schedule on where you were going to bring him on, then maybe you could modify and you could you know take for an offer. You could move whoever it is that you want to move and still be able to do what you had planned. Paula Riola had a
00:19:58
Speaker
good game. i mean, I thought that he didn't do anything wrong. I don't think he was explosive or amazing or brilliant, but he
Jordan Morris: Role and Value
00:20:07
Speaker
had some good moments. He has a good header that ah the goalkeeper does a good job of stopping in a very good Jesus Ferreira find into the 18. So maybe you could have waited to get Paula Riola off or or something like that, just to keep it more to what you had planned because there was a lot of disconnect there. um
00:20:30
Speaker
Hassani Dotson is another player that I thought that I was expecting a little bit more of both on both sides of the ball. I still like him. I still feel like he's solid. But from that, giving up that second goal, that whether or not he's unconsequential at that point of the game you still want to not give up that goal and i didn't think he got on areas of of danger in prime positions enough both pivots at the snyder had moments again but wasn't as influential i as i want at least one of those two pivots to be
00:21:10
Speaker
So it just looked a little bleak. It didn't look as dangerous. And I mean, they asked Brian directly that they just weren't able to create opportunities at the pace and volume that they had been able to to create. And when you add the lack of goals, it's difficult.
00:21:27
Speaker
Finally, what I would say is Jordan had another irregular game. Brian mentioned that he thought he was fine, but he could have done better with some moments. I would agree. i thought that he did a good job early. he slips Mussovsky through for a very good opportunity in front of goal. um But there was a couple of moments on the ball where he picks it up and I don't know. he gets He's not in control of the ball immediately, and and he's undecisive. There's that through ball that he gets, and instead of just keep going with the play or maybe taking a shot, he passes it back to Ferreira, and Ferreira is – he passes it behind Ferreira. Ferreira is expecting the ball in front of him. He passes his behind in him. So those sort of moments is what I want Jordan Morris to be
00:22:22
Speaker
a lot better at. And I know he's better than that. And and so I'm i'm um um really curious on how Brian will continue to be patient with him and and and get him confident again. But I thought that was also something that i I wanted to point out is that he, Jordan Morris had a very irregular game.
00:22:44
Speaker
Yeah, I think what you mentioned with maybe having D-Row be that early sub instead of Rusnak, that's maybe the the one thing that, the other thing, that could have been that could have been done differently to sort of offset what happened after Moose got his tooth knocked out. Because i think what happened is exactly like you said, you know, they had been drilling one game plan and formation ah for this game. And then when you have Moose,
00:23:13
Speaker
get his tooth knocked out and have to come out of the game. And then Rusnak is the sub that sort of blows up the game plan that you had been working on. So maybe Osase in that situation would have been more like for like in that situation. And then that wouldn't have happened. So, you know, it's all hindsight is 2020, but that was, that was the other thing other than maybe starting KKR at right back.
00:23:39
Speaker
I think D-Row coming on after Moose came out would have been another thing that I would point to and be like, man, maybe maybe if you had done that, the outcome could have been different, or at least the game state would have been different. But wanted to, Nico, kind of hit on this from Bad Sequels, and you you mentioned it too. ah He says, I feel like the trend is showing up. We do play down to bad teams. When's the last time we beat up an underperforming team? Even the Timbers were able to do it. And the the way I wanted to kind of tackle this one is I wanted to take a look just real quick. I don't want to bore anybody, but I'm goingnna bust out the performance numbers for for this game just because after the Sporting Kansas City game, when I was coping about drawing against Sporting Kansas City, I busted out the performance numbers because I thought they suited the narrative that I wanted to perpetuate. So now where I have in the interest of fairness and accountability, I'm going to bust them out again when when they don't. Support the narrative that I would like to perpetuate but also because I think it is these are it's a good opportunity to kind of show you guys how I try and look at in analyze these games. So ah let me pull them up right here.
00:24:48
Speaker
ah But like yeah, let's just let's just take a look at these Nico. Let's just take ah a quick gander and ah you you have a game where ah in this scenario Seattle ended up with a 55 45 possession advantage, which that was pretty surprising to me Nico. I feel like it did not feel like that at all. I feel I felt like they were struggling a lot in possession and I felt like there was a lot of sequences where the galaxy were controlling the game and knocking it around and Seattle couldn't get him ah get it off him type stuff. So that was kind of surprising to see. But I think the the first thing that I thought when I was looking at these was, you know, you see the shot total and the shots on target total, 15 shots, five on target.
00:25:28
Speaker
When you look at that at first glance, it's not, it's not like horrible, but, But my first thought when I see that is like, that's ah this is a case where that's a little misleading. And the way I judge whether that's misleading or not is, what was the I think about what was the dynamic of the game and the game state like? Was it one of those games where you really feel like Seattle was putting the team under consistent ah ah pressure and like the goalkeeper is he swatting away all these shots and does it look like he's under siege. I really I don't feel like this game really looked like that. And to me that's a tell that yeah, you might have had 15 shots and five on target. but they were not really that dangerous of opportunities. I don't think Marcinkowski had to do all that much in this game. The only times I can think of where he had to do that much was the one moose chance early before he got the tooth knocked out and then the areola header that you mentioned. So I think it's a case where the shot totals and the shots on target don't really tell the story of how dangerous Seattle was. And then, so with that in mind, when I see that, I'm expecting a not very good expected goals
00:26:32
Speaker
Total, because i don't think that the eye test matched up with that those those shots numbers. And then sure enough, if you go down ah the XG in this game, as per this metric, comes out to one point four for Seattle, one seven for the Galaxy. And one point four is not a very good number for a home game at all. So that to me shows that this was a, the sporting KC game and the San Diego game. I do think you could look at those and be like, all right, like you were pummeling them. The opposing goalkeeper was standing on his head. You had the Steph Cleveland legacy game. I don't know how much you can do about the Steph Cleveland legacy game. San Diego game, I think was pretty similar. This game does not fall into that bucket. In my opinion, this was a game where the performance was pretty pretty much reflective of the result. I think two zero was fair. It was deserved. Schmetz even said so after the game. So that's basically my opinion on that doesn't change at all.
00:27:29
Speaker
After looking at these stats, uh, like, like it might've after, uh, the sporting KC game or the San Diego game. But anyway, that's my take on the performance numbers from this game. Nico, you, do you have anything on, uh, on that?
00:27:43
Speaker
No, I think that they do provide a ah bigger picture on how they really did struggle in this game to get a lot of their principles to to a certain sense. ah And both you and i yeah were surprised about that possession percentage going through Seattle because it it just didn't feel like that. The eye
Western Conference Standings
00:28:07
Speaker
test just just wasn't there. And I think a lot of it has to do ah with how...
00:28:15
Speaker
unimpactful and in the lack of dangerousness that maybe you saw from certain players. Like when you look at ah Snyder stats per se, he only created, i believe one chance ah overall. He had like 46 touches, 12 balls into the final third. I think, I mean, he, he just was not quite as dangerous. He typically is. uh,
00:28:42
Speaker
I talked to about Hassani. I just don't know if he did enough to maybe compliment that. And now he's he's playing as a role more as a six, right? So I don't expect him to get all that much forward. But when you saw the Galaxy kind of drop into a deeper block, I wanted to see a little bit more from from him specifically. um So overall, going to the comment, I'm not...
00:29:10
Speaker
I'm not dismissing that the Sounders are playing down to the opposition because the reality is that they have, as at least in the results. Yeah. Because both the San Diego game and the Sporting Galaxy City game, those are two matches that you had.
00:29:29
Speaker
You're starting 11. You went in there with all of the intent to get those points, and you weren't able to do it. that You failed in the objective of getting those points. This LA Galaxy game is a little different simply because of the rotation, some of the things that you wanted to see, and that was,
00:29:46
Speaker
risk reward that I was mentioning early on about trying to figure out where some of these guys are prior to a much more difficult game against LAFC on the road, right before the break, where maybe you're looking at it,
00:30:06
Speaker
prior to this game and you're saying, look, with with with some rotation, we're going to be able to get a result against the Galaxy and then we're going to have a completely rested team to really make sure that we handle that LAFC game. that That's a big game. You're talking about standings. You're talking about simply the the idea of we just beat LAFC. I feel like that's a big one.
00:30:34
Speaker
so So maybe that's the way you planned it out. So the the Galaxy game, I understand that they weren't outplayed completely, but they were unable to ah assert themselves as the better team because they were supposed to be the better team at home. And that is a problem. So I'm not dismissing the idea. I just think that
00:31:01
Speaker
I won a little bit more of those. I would have to see more of those moments consistently to say that that's what happens all the time because they have taken care of business against other teams that were not as good. Go back to that San Luis game where, yes, they have some struggles, but they're able to get that win. And so this particular game, I just wouldn't add it to that database because there were some – forced changes and there was some lack of cohesiveness by design, whether that was a good idea or a bad idea.
00:31:39
Speaker
Brian happens to think that maybe it wasn't a great idea. So we'll we'll leave it there. but But moving forward, it is something that I'm going to be paying attention to is when they face those teams and the way they play against them.
00:31:55
Speaker
James, thank you for the super chat. He says, Roosnack 0.08XG 0.11. Expected assist. Zero chances created. Boom. He says this one is ah on Albert Roosnack, which is not super shocking. I mean, could pull the ah pull the ones from the ah Quakes game. Maybe those look a little bit better. i don't know. Yeah. Alright, Nico, let's do some ah obligatory number nine striker discourse. ah Before we jump into that, everyone please like the video, like, comment, subscribe, rate five stars, sub to the channel, and get your subscription to ah QED Coffee. But alright, Nico, you know, there's been a lot of number nine discourse over the last few weeks, obviously, so why not ah dive into some more?
00:32:44
Speaker
But I think there was ah there was a couple of people took issue with our last pod where I was kind of going through the salary guide and comparing Seattle's number nines to other number nines throughout the league, which was, you know, like it was kind of an exercise that I was doing jest. I think it's a good bit to compare the Osaze, Jordan Morris, Danny Musavsky,
00:33:08
Speaker
platoon to the uh to the dp number nines throughout the league see what the difference in production is uh is actually like but i think i even acknowledge on the show like if you look at the number nine goal production this season across all competitions it's at six which is not like a great number that's not where you want it to be and that actually i think fuels the sentiment that this club needs to go out and sign a number nine So I guess, Nico, there's a couple of things I want to talk about here. Has how these last few weeks have gone changed the way you think about the sense of urgency on specifically a number nine being a big must have priority? Is that something that they ah that they need to prioritize? ah and I guess.
00:33:54
Speaker
Why don't you give your take on that? And then I want to plant my flag on this take and officially, you know, put my stance in stone. But but what do you think about where things stand with this, Nico?
00:34:09
Speaker
I just think that it is clear that if through the amount of games that the Sounders have had both on in MLS and CCC,
00:34:22
Speaker
If the three guys that you have for that spot have yet to put their marker, have yet to own that position,
00:34:32
Speaker
you need to be worried. And that doesn't mean that at one point later than the season, someone might not get some traction and and and become that nine that you're kind of looking for. But if none of these guys...
00:34:50
Speaker
are taking advantage of the situation is because maybe they're just not the ones that are going to take over that position. So I've been saying for a very long time that this team, because of the the lack of investment and the one position that you haven't been able to produce out of the academy,
00:35:14
Speaker
it's important to go and get it outside of what you have here. Now, I'm not saying you need to go get it out broad. I think you could get it within MLS. you know In the press box, we were talking about Daryl Dike, and maybe that would be ah some sort of like economical a possibility if if and only the if...
00:35:40
Speaker
Daryl Dike would be willing to take a huge pay cut to come back and try to do something. but But that's how... It's just an example. I'm not saying he's the guy that I'm hoping to get. I'm just saying that that's how bad the inability of one of these players to take over the position is that we're talking about taking a gamble or or a coin toss on a guy like Daryl Dike. So...
00:36:07
Speaker
To answer your question, yes, I think that it should be emphasized. I think that it should be important. The problem, though, is that Craig Weibel has told us once, twice, three, four, five times that he's not going to go get a guy that's not better than what he has here.
00:36:23
Speaker
And U22s tend to be a project for the future and and and don't immediately hit the floor running.
00:36:34
Speaker
But I would rather you... at least try it and at least bring somebody that's a different profile that it's maybe not completely proven, but that has showed glimpses that you could have here. If you want to go within MLS and deal somebody to get you a goal scorer that's proven, I don't know what Christian Ramirez.
00:37:00
Speaker
I don't care. I think that that you do need to have someone else be here. And ah ah this is not... a knock Masovsky or a knock on Diro, who I really like.
00:37:16
Speaker
But the proof is in the putting and the proof is in the games that you've had. And nobody has been able to do enough to earn that job. And if they haven't earned it and they haven't seized the moment, then you got to look outside. So so to me, yes, you you do got to invest. You do got to bring someone else for that position.
00:37:37
Speaker
James and Reese are accusing me of ah glossing over Roosnack stats that that James said in the super chat. So i'll i'll I'll address it more if you guys want, which is that single game XG stats like that, i don't think that proves anything. Like I could go find another single game where those numbers are really good and it wouldn't like...
00:37:59
Speaker
Proven agenda one way or or the other like I don't think that's a I don't think that's how that those metrics are supposed to be used that's supposed to be like a body of work thing to actually be informative so I mean it might be it might be fun to toss out a single game stat like that, but I don't think that proves anything. But ah either way, I'll give my take on where things stand with the
Preview: Upcoming Game Against LAFC
00:38:24
Speaker
number nine, which is that I actually do think that there is a sense of urgency with figuring out the future of this possession ah position, but just maybe not for the same reasons that other people are saying. I think for me, the main reason there's a sense of urgency with that is more purely because Jordan is 31 Moose
00:38:45
Speaker
So you do have to start thinking about whether or not those two guys. ah i think a lot of what you need to evaluate for the rest of this season after the World Cup ah break is one, whether you actually think that Danny Musavski and Jordan Morris can still be load bearing pieces in 2027. They need to show that for the rest of the season and you need to get an evaluation on that. and then number two you need to figure out what exactly the vision is for osaze de rosario is this a guy that you're seeing as someone who could potentially be a weekend week out starter a line leader for this team sort of of a building block centerpiece or are you developing more into a rotational super sub role which i think there is theoretically value and utility for him in that type of role but if that is the vision and that is the role for him and you decide that jordan morris and Danny Musavski are probably not going to be able to be load bearing pieces in 2027. Then you absolutely have to start planning for that. You have to start scouting it up and you have to go get somebody and you have to have ah plan for the future at that position. The premise that I don't necessarily agree with is that the number nine urgency situation is like predicated on the idea that
00:39:58
Speaker
Uh, that's what they, that's what they need to go do to take the team over the top for 2026. And that's where, that's where I'm not really sure that that would have the impact or effect that people are saying. Like I, but I think people are correct that if, especially if you look at these last few games, there has been something missing in the attack. There's been that lethality. There's been that finishing, That quality in the final third, a little creativity and flair missing from the attack. like All those things to me, that just sounds like Pedro de la Vega. And like, I think that if you if you get him back and you get him healthy and fit, that genuinely can have the sort of ceiling elevating effect that people are talking about when they're talking about the number nine discussion. But like the way I wanted to frame this, Nico, was, ah you know, a little a little by yourself based on what I think Craig Weibel would say if you asked him about this, because, you know, we see a little bit of this sometimes like you guys need to hold Craig Weibel's feet to the fire a little more. And I, you know, I think, Nico, you do a great job of that. I think everyone on the beat.
00:41:02
Speaker
does a pretty good job of that. Shout out Jada Evans when she has to ask Schmetz and Craig Weibes the tough questions she does, just like you do. I think J.O. does a better job of that too than people give him credit for. But the thing is, like I think if when when you guys ask Craig Weibel this question, which I'm sure you will next time he's available, I think he has actually a pretty easy answer to it that makes it not as much of this like big gotcha as everyone seems to think. It might be. And I'll just tell you what I think Craig Weibel would say to that question, Nico. And then you can tell me if you buy or sell. But if I was Craig Weibel and ah one of you asked me, Craig, are you feeling a heightened sense of urgency to go find a number nine based on how this season has gone?
00:41:46
Speaker
I imagine he would say something to the effect of, and I would say something to the effect of if I was in his position. ah Look, Am I feeling urgency to go out and get a number nine like a position group where we had a striker have an 18 goal season last year, where we have a guy who Jordan Morris, he's had a tough go with the injuries, but he's about as consistent as it gets in major league soccer throughout his career for 10 to 15 goals. when he is healthy and we feel like he is going to be able to fill a big role and be productive like he always is in the second half of the season here. And then we also got Osaze, who we really like what he's been doing. Maybe it was a little slow to start to the season for him, but he's got a really nice goal against St. Louis a couple weeks ago. We had the game winner in this big win we had against the Quakes. So we really like what he's doing as well. So when you put all that together and then you look at the production that we got from the position, even just last year, Moose had 18 goals. Jordan, even with the injuries, he had seven goals across all competitions. Osaze had five and was a big reason we won Leagues Cup. That's 30 goals from that position last year right there. So, yeah, it's not really what it needs to be for this year, but I think there's a lot of reason to believe, you know, yeah you go on and on. But I think that's essentially
00:43:03
Speaker
what he would say. which Are you buying or selling that ah that idea, Nico? I think he would simplify it a little bit more by just saying...
00:43:16
Speaker
There's always room to get better. And we would definitely be out there and look and see if we could find the right guy that is better than the guys we have here. And that's the challenge because we do have a group of guys that when Jordan Morris is fit, he could perform, that we have. We we continue to believe in Osaseta Rosario being a guy that can find his way to being in a big part for this for this team. So in in that sense, I agree with you.
00:43:47
Speaker
But I don't know if he is going to be as complimentary about what happened last season. I think he's going to focus on on on what what's going on this year. And that's why he, in my opinion, might be more assertive in saying, look, that's the the job. We're going to go look, and if we can find someone that that fits the bill of what we're looking for, then we're going to bring him. so Because I do think that there is pressure on on him in this summer window. The team has a considerable considerable amount of of gam. They have a war chest. They got to use it. So I don't think that he would cut the his own legs from under him by just
00:44:37
Speaker
saying we're not going to go out there and look for someone. Now, the the question here, Ari, audience, is what would you rather have? Would you rather go get the you twenty two that could essentially be the forefront of the future, the guy that's going to eventually take the torch, but maybe cannot impact the team immediately? do you go get a vet?
00:45:04
Speaker
that obviously not a DP, you'd have to figure out who that guy is and bring him in to have immediate impact now, win now mentality. let let Let's get a championship this year. And I feel like that's the bigger question on on that nine, because i I do believe that they are going to go and get somebody.
00:45:28
Speaker
The U22 is certainly going to be used, but perhaps... If there's a best player available mentality for that U22, then it could be anything.
00:45:39
Speaker
And that's the reality of it. Because I do think that there is still other concerns about certain positions on the field. What's going to happen with Albert Rustic at the end of this year when that contract is up?
00:45:53
Speaker
You know, what what what happens... with Pedro de la Vega once he comes back and and and how much more can you wait for him to continue to be a guy that you can rely on year after year. So I think that that you twenty two has a lot more implications.
00:46:13
Speaker
but But personally, I would like to see them get a you twenty two nine and and hope that he's a guy that can come in, contribute, and then be the guy for the future. But then that leaves us in that gray area of what if he you do go get the U22 and he doesn't perform and you're stuck with the same three guys where maybe you just you had't do You might as well just not done anything. I mean, you know, it's so it's it's it's harder than it looks, but i all I want to see is intent. And I guess that's where I want to just conclude on. I want to see intent that what's what you have right now is not working. And as much as you trust Jordan Morris to get it together and and and and get maybe double-digit goals by the end of the season and and everything kind of works out,
00:47:07
Speaker
It's not good enough. What you have right now is not good enough in terms of the age of the players, the production of the players, the profile of the players. And maybe it's okay for a team that has a ceiling that that's limited and and for you to be, and nobody wants to hear this, a top five team in the Western Conference.
00:47:30
Speaker
in contrast of a team that's going out there to be a contender and and win the playoffs and and get to a Western Conference final at the very least.
00:47:42
Speaker
Nico, I think a part of part of this discussion that's at least come to the forefront since we put out our our last pod is just in general how we feel about the the resources that the team has committed to Jordan Morris over the years. This team has committed – A lot to him. You know, he's a homegrown player. He joined the team in 2016. And now he's, think, the second highest paid player on the team. So I think, and especially when you consider the injuries, think part of the response that we got was, think people feel like that we give Jordan Morris a bit of a pass on the show and not really unique I think I'm referring to more Noah and myself there I think people feel like that we give Jordan Morris a bit of a pass because of the homegrown storyline and he obviously has had a ton of injury issues and it's not it's not it's not good roster management to necessarily have 2.6 million dollars or 2.3 million dollars tied up in a guy who's had as many injuries as Jordan Morris had So do we give him a pass on our show? I think maybe little bit. And maybe I would be a bad GM because I'm overly sentimental in situations like this. But for me, Nico, I think that the time and resources that they've committed to Jordan Morris over the years I think ultimately that's proven to be a good right decision. I think the production has been there when he's been healthy.
00:49:15
Speaker
I think that he's contributed to a ton of winning that people maybe don't necessarily give him as much credit for. He's a, you know, two-time MLS cup champion. He's been a big part of teams that have won CONCACAF champions cup and leagues cup. I know he was injured for leagues cup, but like, It's still, he was a major contributor, load bearing piece for that team.
00:49:37
Speaker
So ah I guess before we move on, Nico, just in general, do you think that the commitment that this team has made to Jordan Morris was well-founded? Was that a good idea? And have they gotten ah ROI even with the injuries on that?
00:49:51
Speaker
I think it's paid off. And Maybe I'm going to get killed in the comments, but I said this on Friday. For the amount of money that you added onto Jordan's contract that he earned with those escalators, I have a hard time believing that you can you could have gone out on the market and gotten a player that has been as productive as productive as he has.
00:50:19
Speaker
And I go back to that last... Was it the Western Conference final that we lost? it was the semis that that we lost to the LA Galaxy, right? He he he was part of of that last run, of that last push. And I think that he he's had good seasons with a lot of goals. And if if you look at the body of work over the last couple of seasons, and even this year, when he's been on the field, it's a positive one. And we cannot be naive and think that with the salary that
00:50:54
Speaker
you're paying Jordan at this time, you would be able to get somebody that's ultimately going to make the team better. And that would have been the game changer. And you would have two MLS titles already because I don't see it in, in I don't see it feasible that the Sounders would have gone out there and spent $10 million dollars on a, on, on a different DP.
00:51:18
Speaker
I don't. and And that's the amount of money that you need to go out there and get somebody that's going to be an immediate game changer and that's going to take the league by storm because that's what people want, right? So that wasn't going to happen. Let's call it five, six million. And maybe you get a player like Joe Vlis, who you would love to have. that That's a player that maybe if you got him on the right terms, that would change completely the dynamic of the team and you would love to have him, but you have been unable to do it. So,
00:51:49
Speaker
when it comes to those speculations of what we could have done or not, to me, it has already paid off with Jordan because you're not paying him a ton of money. Like the DP status is there, but it's not like you're paying him $3 million dollars a year, what you were paying Raul. Like that's not what's happening here. So I feel like that's where there's a lot of,
00:52:14
Speaker
discrepancy and an unfair slander when he comes to Jordan Morris, because he had a contract, he earned those escalators, and here and and he earned a DP title. But he is not one of the highest DPs, and he's not doing all of this. And again, the the finances of the team do not make me feel confident to say that if Jordan was in a DP, you would have gotten a much, much better DP in that position. So...
00:52:42
Speaker
That's kind of where where where I want to leave it. I will say one last thing too. And I'm glad I remembered. For all of you guys out there that want to see more of Jordan and the wing, I'm starting to think that
00:53:01
Speaker
Jordan's got to be a nine. And and you heard Brian say, i think that nine is the position of his future in in the last press conference. And if you think about where he's at in his age and the injuries that he's had and the the level of sacrifice that you have to put in in this system as a winger,
00:53:23
Speaker
you want to keep Jordan in a position where he can almost – by his energy and be explosive at certain moments. And I think you only get that at the nine. If you're playing on the right side and you got to be that pocket winger, there's a lot of commitment of you coming back and ah ah helping the link play, dropping back a little bit lower the way you see Ferreira do. If you put him on the left side, is he going to do a Paul Rothrock type of Duty, i don't see it. Not at this age of his career. He would love to do it. And I think that if you asked him, he said, I can do it. But I think that you would put him in a position to fail or get injured. or Because at at his age, to me, he's more fit to be a nine where he kind of savor some of those runs and that explosiveness. And and and he will find the goal. So i just
00:54:17
Speaker
When I heard Brian talk about, i slotted Jordan up there because I feel like that's the position of his future. It kind of clicked that he is going to try to do as much as he can to put him up there and not so much out in the wings where you already have a lot of talent or or resources with Paula Riola and Paul Rothrock and Pedro coming back and Jesus Ferreira playing that pocket winger and Albert Rostock being a guy that's going to have to be involved. so That's kind of what I wanted to put out there because I feel like people maybe are expecting him or think that he could be a better winger, but I just don't see it that way. I think that he's best fit at this time in his career to just be a nine and he takes a lot of the decisiveness, which I feel like he struggles with a lot as well.
00:55:06
Speaker
There's a lot of shifting and and situational moments that you have to control when you're at the wing. And at this point of his career, I just want him to be focused on being aggressive, scoring some goals, and being up there and being a a difference maker. And I think that's the way that you're going to be able to unlock Jordan Morris at some point.
00:55:25
Speaker
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Speaker
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00:55:57
Speaker
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00:56:13
Speaker
Well, the answer is our sponsor, Podium Menswear. Podium is based in Edmonds and they carry really quality stuff like Filson and Red Wings. They cover all the basics and also have some stuff that's not as easy to get here.
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Speaker
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Speaker
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Speaker
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Speaker
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00:57:33
Speaker
I want you to think about what's actually happening here for a second. The World Cup in Seattle with Christian Roldan. Yes, the same Christian Roldan once referred to by Mauricio Pochettino himself as the perfect player. Christian Roldan is an example of if you want to build your perfect player. Well, now you can get the perfect kit for the perfect player. The official U.S. soccer store has jerseys, scarves, and all the gear. It's a full circle moment for Seattle soccer fans, and you need to be dressed properly for the return of our GOAT. Go to lobingscorchers.com slash USA and use code SCORCHERS for 10% off most items. Yeah, I think the biggest thing that I'm going to be keeping an eye on after we get back from the World Cup break here is just I think the rest of this season is a lot about getting clarity on ah exactly this discussion. You need to be able to meet make these evaluations. You need to decide whether Jordan Morris and Moose have shown that they can you know be dependent upon and relied upon. not just for the rest of this season, but for next season as well. You need more clarity on Osaze's role. Like I said, is he a starter? Is he more of a role player? I think you've seen some encouraging signs with him in the last couple of weeks. He has a couple of goals and, you know, I loved his goal in the Quakes game, especially. i thought that was, a big time moment in a big time game against one of the better teams in the league. You know, I know that the quakes were not fielding their strongest first choice 11, but you know, I felt like a lot of their defense in midfield, their starting defense in midfield were out there in that game. It was their attack where they,
00:59:14
Speaker
rotated more but that was a great moment from osaze so we'll see if he can build on that and i think ultimately we're gonna we're gonna find out and i think de la vega is a huge piece of this as well if you get him back healthy and i know people kind of probably scoff at that notion at this point but if you do i think he showed last year that he actually genuinely is the ceiling razor that he was billed as which is great, but you need to be able to keep him on the field for him to deliver on that. And we'll see if he can do that. We're going to find out when we get back from the World Cup break. So it's going to be exciting stuff. Nico, to as we hit the – oh, yeah, go for it.
00:59:52
Speaker
Well, I want to bring up one more subject that has been in the discourse that maybe we should touch on real quick. But but just to keep up with a a promise that I – made maybe not a promise, it's kind of a strong word, but Emilio Aristizaval was one of the U22s that the Sounders were looking at that I thought would be interesting to to bring in for this Sounders team. He has been with Toronto, and in 12 matches, he's had three goals. So, you know, how much more...
01:00:32
Speaker
how much higher up in the standings, how much more of a difference maker would that U22 have been comparison to... That's literally exactly Moose's output this year. To a T. the goal So that's yeah that's what I wanted to say. You have that in Moose. You have, i think, two for Osase.
01:00:51
Speaker
Two for Osase, one for Jordan, three for... So you're not that far off. so in in in I wanted to make that contrast because sometimes it's...
01:01:02
Speaker
even even me as as an analyst or as a commentator, when when I look at things, you know, we emphasize on on on bringing certain guys and sometimes it's less impactful than you think it might be. So I think that in the summer, it is important to go out there and get the right guy, but going to have to spend and going to have to spend a decent amount of money in order to bring in a guy that's going to come and produce in MLS. That is not the MLS of old where you can just come in and get whoever you want because this is a very competitive league. So I just wanted to put that out there because I did want to say that I'm i'm with getting ah striker, but it's not as easy as it may seem. the On the discourse component, and and we don't have to get too far into it, a lot of people have been –
01:01:55
Speaker
upset and And you know what? I'll add something to it.
01:02:03
Speaker
Kim Kihee and Stu are both fit and and back completely for in in trainings and they've been available. And people have been wondering why it is that neither one of those guys are getting more playtime.
01:02:19
Speaker
I've said in several forums and social media platforms that Tino Lopez has earned the minutes that he he has. And he has looked good.
01:02:31
Speaker
I do think that Kim and Stu are going to get minutes here soon. um But Kim Kihee was visibly upset after the game in the locker room. I think I was the only one that caught it.
01:02:45
Speaker
Say more. um And I mean, he he was just upset. Like he was, you know, you could tell that he was just, just said he was kind of being rough on his things. And immediately I started thinking, I get, and I understand why Brian brought in Christian Roldan to play center back while you're chasing a game and you're hoping to get somebody that maybe can add on as an attacker and could be more positive on the ball. And, know,
01:03:16
Speaker
He's done it before. You've kind of been playing Christian Rodin center back a lot more than I ever thought i would see it But at King Kihi, I could absolutely understand why i'd be upset.
01:03:31
Speaker
It's like, well, hold up. I'm the center back. i'm im um I'm back. I'm fully. i'm I'm on the bench. Let me get some minutes. So it is something that it's interesting. And and I get what people are wondering when we're going to see Kim Kihee, when we're going to see more of Stu Hawkins. But I do believe that Stu Hawkins, and and this is not to him, the player, but just the circumstances that he's been given,
01:03:53
Speaker
the the The injuries have hindered his ability to gain minutes, to develop, and that have put him right now really deep in the pecking order. Even behind Keehee,
01:04:07
Speaker
You know, i don't want to say Ryan Saylor because that'd be messed up, but, you know, he's he's down there, you know, and so he's going to have to earn it in in practice and he's going to have to earn it moving forward. But I think that we will see it. And Stu is a guy that we all wanted to see, that we all saw as a big big prospect. But it'd be unfair for me to sit here and say that is an outrage that he has not got any more minutes because when it was your time, you were just unable to do so. And Tino came on.
01:04:37
Speaker
And he put on a show. So you you have to also be able to credit Tino for his play in the moments that he's had this season. I still want to see Stu Hawks play. I still have my stock. He scored a he took really sick golazo for Tacoma Defiance over the weekend. So he's back.
01:04:57
Speaker
He's fit. Let's see if he can contribute again. This is a guy that was at one point, the most highly touted homegrown defender that they had coming up. Like you said, been slowed by injuries, but he's back fit. Now he scored Galazos.
01:05:10
Speaker
Let's get him out there. He's not too skinny anymore. Nico, as we hit the home stretch of the show here, let's talk some ah Western Conference and LAFC because I think there is some interesting stuff going on in the West right now. As bad of an L that Seattle took over the weekend, every other Western Conference frontrunner also took a bad L. Vancouver lost, San Jose lost, and LAFC, who Seattle's about to play, lost again. And I don't bring that up to ah cope or rationalize with the ah but the fact that Seattle took an L to the Galaxy. It is good. It is good, honestly, that they didn't lose any ground in the in the shield race, I guess. But it's honestly to me, it's actually even more frustrating that you take this Alec, LA Galaxy L when everyone else lost because these teams these last two weeks, they're gifting you opportunities to make up total round and make a run for the supporter shield. And you're not capitalizing on it. So I think that it not only does not justify the Galaxy L, it makes it even worse, but it does mean that you didn't lose any ground. And I think it also shows that this this is what I wanted to pose to you, Nico. I'm going to give you... this question and then I'll give you my answer, but make the case, make the argument for a team in the West. That's like clearly demonstrably superior to Seattle right now, because I think that even, even last year, if you went across the league, if you asked me, okay, who's a tier above Seattle, I'd be able to answer that pretty easily. I think LAFC, you could say that about them last year. I think inner Miami was on a pretty different level for most of last year than Seattle. Yeah. This year, I'm not so sure there's as clear an answer, but let's keep it to the West, Nico. If you had to pick one of these teams, the way I see it, the candidates are Vancouver, San Jose, LAFC, and Real Salt Lake. What would the case be for the one that is just like, you look at it and you're like, that team is better than Seattle. They're behind that team. They're chasing that team. like They really got to get on there get on their stuff to catch those guys. Who would you say that is right now?
01:07:15
Speaker
I mean, the the the easy answer is Vancouver. I mean, they have the the ceiling, they have the star power, they have the identity, they have the capability to play both, you know, deeper in transition and also dominate in possession. They're excellent in set pieces. They have a ah breakout star like Berhalter running the reins. They have a killer instinct striker in Brian White. They are very good out in wide areas and defensively they're solid. ah So that's the easy answer for me. Now, do I think that Seattle couldn't beat them on a, on a playoff series? No. I think that the collectiveness of play that the Sounders have could create
01:08:10
Speaker
give them ah a chance without a doubt. But I do think that Vancouver is a better roster and and they have a a system that fits those players. And they've kind of proven it, even though they've had some difficult games, including that one, one drug in San Jose. um But, but I do think that that's the, the one team that I would go to with that. I will have the easiest arguments to,
01:08:37
Speaker
your exercise. See, I, I see it a little bit differently. I don't disagree with anything that you just said about Vancouver, but the thing about Vancouver in the quakes is Seattle has actually played both of those teams twice this year, four games against those teams combined And they won all four. they just they play They just played this Vancouver team in CCC. So we actually got like a data point on how that matchup would go from very recently. And Seattle beat them 5-1 on aggregate. So am I supposed to sit here and be like, that team's like way better than Seattle. Their roster is way better. They're way ahead of them. Well, when they just played a CCC series and Seattle beat them 5-1 on aggregate, i I'm sorry. I don't really feel that way. And that's not to take anything away from the Caps. I think they're very much.
01:09:24
Speaker
one of the best teams in the league. They have an argument as being the best team in the league and their record and their points per game and everything reflect that. But I don't think that you can say that a team that Seattle just beat that comfortably is demonstrably ahead of them. My answer, honestly, i think my answer would be Real Salt Lake if I had to make the case for- That was my second choice.
01:09:47
Speaker
I think that when you look at their ceiling and their upside, their record and their points per game aren't where Vancouver and San Jose are now. But I mean, they they're stacked. They're loaded. They got Gozo. They got Hezerkani, Gilavogi. I'm not sure if he's been as good lately as he was when he first got here, but he's very clearly a very talented, high-level, needle-moving player.
01:10:09
Speaker
And also when Seattle played real salt lake, they lost to real salt lake. That was a good game. It was a competitive game. Seattle almost tied it, but they did take the L at America first field. I think when you look at RSL, ah they look like they're kind of home field merchanting a little bit in the sense that they're seven and one at home. And then I think they're one, three and one on the road. So I think they're a young team. They're still kind of learning how to win. And that's why they're maybe not as high up on the table as Vancouver and San Jose. But if I were to gauge the biggest threat to Seattle right now between those three teams in the West, I think I would pick RSL. That's the team that actually beat Seattle when they played. But all that's to say uh,
01:10:54
Speaker
The West is wide open the way I see it. I don't see any of these teams as a team that Seattle are chasing to some crazy extent, either, you know, on field results or quality of the the roster, frankly. So it's kind of anyone's game in the Western Conference right now is my point. And that's true even with this kind of bad run of form that Seattle has had. They're still at two points per game, and they're still right in the mix with all these teams. So if you can get back on the right track starting with this l LAFC game, which let's talk about that to close it out, you could you could still finish top two in the West this year very feasibly. And when I look at the competition for those spots, I'm not seeing anybody that's got me –
01:11:36
Speaker
feeling like, a man, like Seattle really can't catch those guys. We we have a lot of evidence of them playing the top two teams in the West and they literally won all four games. So that's the way I see that. My rebuttal to that is that you can't look at specific games and ask What the better team is because soccer is not linear and soccer circumstantial in one specific game doesn't say that one thing is better than the other when it comes to the the overall body of work. Right. So LFC lost to. ah
01:12:08
Speaker
St. Louis just recently. They lost to Houston. Neither one of those teams is better than LAFC. So i when you talk about what's the better team, you got to look at what whos who's been more consistent over the season. Vancouver has clearly been more consistent, more elite, more dangerous than the Sounders have. I buy the RSL
01:12:32
Speaker
shout because... There's such a dangerous offensive team with so many young players Started players.
01:12:43
Speaker
I think Goss was phenomenal, but even they haven't been as consistent as Vancouver because they're defensively. They have a lot of deficiencies. Goss is a phenomenal attacker, but he has issues getting back on defense. and And that's something that he's going to have to grow into his game. I think that RSL in general, which is kind of hard to say. i mean, it's it's interesting to say about a Pablo team because he does such a job at being a very conservative player.
01:13:08
Speaker
type of manager that he handles his teams, making sure that they don't concede a lot of goals. But with the firepower that he has, he's just kind of changed things a little bit more and takes a lot more risks. And that's what they've had some very adverse games like that 3-1 against Dallas. That was a very bad game for RSL. So those are the the things where if I'm looking at who's the better team, I'm looking at at the roster. I'm looking at the manager. I'm looking at the consistency over the entirety of the ah the season. And that's where I think that Seattle falls short because not just the underlying numbers, but just the the the bad performances throughout the season, including some of these difficult games to frustrating games for the Sounders going back and starting at Sporting Kansas City.
01:13:59
Speaker
Yeah, I think those are all fair points. ah But to me, you know, it's not it's not a single game sample size. um We're talking about four game four games against these top two teams. So I think that is actually a meaningful sample. It's four games is not a lot, but it's something. So if we're if we're going off that, I think that the West is very much. There's not like a clear, clear front runner right now. But let's ah let's talk about LAFC, Nico, because that's who Seattle is playing this weekend. And i think that it's it's an interesting time for them because their form right now is even worse than Seattle's, I think, pretty clearly. they yeah They have now lost one, two, three, four games in a row. They're winless in five. They haven't won a game since they beat Toluca in the first leg of the CCC semis.
01:14:53
Speaker
Ever since then, they they drew a San Diego team, which we know is not they're not like the best team of all time. They drew San Diego in San Diego, which isn't a horrible result. But then they got four out into Luca. They got four one at home by the Dynamo.
01:15:09
Speaker
ah They got 2-1 by St. Louis City SC. And then last night, they just they lost 3-2 to Nashville in Nashville. I was watching that game and I felt like LAFC looked a lot better against Nashville than they have over the last few games. Those St. Louis games and those Houston games, I was like, whoa.
01:15:27
Speaker
Like this team is not looking good at all. What is going on? I thought they looked a little better ah in Nashville, but they still lost the game. They still lost four in a row. ah So, you know, in theory you have Seattle playing a wounded opponent, but you know, I'm not reading really all that much into that. Nico, honestly, man, like,
01:15:47
Speaker
I feel like we've seen enough in the last few weeks that Seattle playing a wounded opponent really doesn't matter. And I don't think it really matters that much in general in MLS, to be fair. You can think you have the the advantage, the form advantage, the quality advantage, whatever the case may be. And then when the ball is kicked off, you're usually fighting for your life, especially in a major league soccer road game. And i will say too, Nico, i also, i don't feel very very good about this game just because Seattle's been struggling lately, and I feel like these regular season games in afc at just feel like they don't go very well for whatever reason. If it's the playoffs, it's apparently a different story. Seattle can go there in the playoffs and beat them no problem, evidently, but in the regular season, they...
01:16:33
Speaker
pretty much they don't win there and they get into these games where it's like, you know, the, the 2017 MLS cup sounders that like can't keep the ball type stuff and get kind of run on. That seems to be what happens at l LAFC during the regular season. And i think,
01:16:53
Speaker
that even with the form that l LAFC has been in, i don't know. I just have this feeling that that's kind of probably how it's going to go. I'm unfortunate. I'm going to be fully out of town for this game. So I won't be on the post game or anything. A seldom seen missed game for me, but I'll tell you, I'll tell you that I just, I feel uneasy about this one, Nico. How are you sizing up this LAFC team in this, uh, this matchup that Seattle's got coming up?
01:17:17
Speaker
I mean, you, uh, Illustrated pretty well the difficulties that LAFC has had. My biggest concern is can Mark Dos Santos get this team back on his side? Because although I didn't do a good job at listening to the Denny Buonga interview in its totality, and maybe I was a little bit Harsh there with a comment that I made in regards to lack of accountability from him, because he's kind of pointing at me and son are not playing where we should be playing and we can't do what we did last year and this, that, and the other where,
01:17:56
Speaker
I don't like the statement, especially from a ah player like Danny Buanga that is getting paid $5 million to do what he does. He has been in so many games this season, including that Toluca game where he's had opportunities to make a difference in front of goal to beat Danny Buanga. And he has missed. He has failed. Same things go for Sonny. As much as I like the player and I think that he has a huge trajectory, you're the second player.
01:18:23
Speaker
highest paid player in the league. You are supposed to be the guy that puts this team on his back. And I don't think that he's done it. He looks frustrated. it You could say whatever you want about certain tactics, but this team doesn't play much different than what they did with Chirundala, where these two guys were doing magic together. So there is a level of What are you guys doing wrong? And why are you guys not finishing? Why are you guys not playing to your top form? And not so much the tactics. So,
01:18:55
Speaker
If I'm Dos Santos, I'm trying to figure out how to get those superstars back on my side and trying to figure out how to unite the team because it does seem like there's fissures in that foundation. So you have to fix that because, look, I really like Marto Santos, and I think that a lot of this has to do with CCC exhaustion, with a a team that has suffered a lot of injuries, with some very bad individual play from guys like Tillman.
01:19:25
Speaker
Look, at that i don't I don't want to just call out Sonny because he hasn't been scoring or producing. But again, if you have that title and you're supposed to be the man, I'm expecting a lot more from you. Defensively, they started off so good. They they they went, what, clean sheet, like, i don't know, eight games, nine games. And then all of a sudden, they're just so open, so gappy. As much as I like Tafari, he he has just moments in it and where I don't know if,
01:19:57
Speaker
is his understanding of the game or if his read of play or his lack of anticipation. But he gets caught up in so many moments. That 4-0 to Luka game, he has some awful, awful to far-right problems. So I do think that a lot of these issues are individual. If you look at this Nashville game, there were a ton of opportunities.
01:20:16
Speaker
Hollingstead has a... wide open chance there at the end to to make a difference, to tie the game. He's unable to do it. Sonny has a breakaway to start off the game that he is unable to put away. So as much as I understand that a lot of the responsibility is always going to fall on the coach, when I look at this team, I see a team that has players underperforming and that maybe that is to the coach where he needs to figure out what it is that needs to click for this team to play at their utmost of their potential.
01:20:48
Speaker
Hopefully that's not Seattle because I do feel like this is a wounded team, but that's a wounded lion. is is that That is a lion. and And if they can leak their wounds and and put it up put up a good performance, then Seattle being some issues. Now, how do they match up with Seattle? I think they match up pretty decently. i think the four three three Seattle can hold up and Seattle doesn't, Seattle's been really good aside from maybe this last LA Galaxy game, defending in transition, emergency defense, at the diminishing the
01:21:20
Speaker
attack on, on white areas. I think they've done a really good job. New was having a stellar season. New is having a, might be his best season that I've seen him play just both sides of the ball, but defensively, particularly he's been very, very good with, like I said, a couple of exceptions, but I do think that Seattle matches up well. Now, can they play to their utmost potential? Can Jesus Ferreira be the Jesus Ferreira that we had against ah San Jose? Yeah.
01:21:47
Speaker
can Jordan Morris or Dero or somebody put the ball away, please, then then you'll have a chance against a LAFC. But this is a difficult game. It's on the road against a team that is in dire need.
01:22:03
Speaker
This these gave me so much more to the LAFC staff and players than it does for Seattle. and And that makes me a little bit nervous because they're going to be motivated to get out of this funk beyond the reasonable doubt. And Seattle's in the horizon.
01:22:21
Speaker
I'm starting to question my Dos Santos stock a little bit. was totally with you and Noah and I had the same discussion where we felt, just feel like an internal hire, if you feel like you have guy that can give you continuity and already has the respect of the players, that's a higher percentage move theoretically than going on a big search globally and trying to find somebody who you have less an idea of if it's going to work. So I don't mind the process there. And I actually liked the process and we supported the higher.
01:22:53
Speaker
I don't know. I feel like he mismanaged CCC a little bit. He didn't, you have to, he knows rotating all enough that he knows MLS well enough that you have you have to rotate. If you actually want to make a run at CCC, you have to rotate. And sometimes that comes at the expense of your league form. And it seemed like he was kind of just unwilling to do that.
01:23:14
Speaker
And then also the one that the one that we were talking about the other day, i have no idea how David Martinez is like not starting a a semifinal. That to me is a classic example of a coach like fair overthinking it, being like, oh, no, actually, if in my galaxy brain, if I bring David Martinez off the bench here, it's actually better because this, this, it's like, no, just start, start one of your players that's the most likely to pull a goal out of nowhere against ah a team like Toluca. David Martinez is one of the,
01:23:44
Speaker
main guys i could think of on that team who could potentially give you that moment that could deliver you that result in a game like that so to not start him i'm just like bro that is that that is way too galaxy brain for me uh no pun intended but uh all right nico i gotta run so we're gonna get out of here on that but yeah for sure but let's not forget too that andy rose is in this staff as well it's gonna be interesting what kind of insight he has on seattle Yeah, absolutely.
01:24:11
Speaker
Shout out Andy Rose. Great guy. Great see you put for Seattle. But thank you all for tuning in. Appreciate you guys. We'll be back at it this week. I'm going to be gone for the game this weekend, unfortunately, but Noah has graciously agreed to hold down the post game show. So don't worry about that.
01:24:26
Speaker
But ah until next time, appreciate y'all. Love y'all. Like the video. Peace.