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Snyder Brunell is better than Cavan Sullivan?!
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Lobbing Scorchers’, Ari Liljenwall and Noah Riffe check back in after the Seattle Sounders took a 2-1 victory over FC Dallas at Lumen Field. Jordan Morris netted his first goal of the season after returning from injury and gave a candid practice quote about how he lost some of his love of the game. Lobbing Scorchers breaks down 19-year-old Snyder Brunell’s breakout in MLS. How does Snyder Brunell compare to other MLS young stars like Cavan Sullivan, Zavier Gozo and Adri Mehmeti. Noah and Ari recap this week's Concacaf Champions Cup semi-final results seeing LAFC top Toluca and Nashville SC falling to Tigres. Discussing how they would feel if an MLS club won Concacaf Champions Cup. Ari and Noah round out the show bringing the latest news on the Save the Caps movement as Major League Soccer and the ownership class continues their attempts to move the Vancouver Whitecaps to Las Vegas.
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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.
Contact: lobbingscorchers@justoncemedia.com
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Transcript
Introduction and Podcast Overview
00:00:00
Speaker
Well sir, we got a scorcher today. Gonna be a real scorcher today. Quite the scorcher today. Well it's gonna be scorcher.
00:00:21
Speaker
Welcome to the Sounder at Heart studio in the ID. We are laying this one down on Thursday evening ahead of Match Day 11 in Major League Soccer. The Seattle Sounders are headed to Kansas City this weekend to take on Sporting Kansas City, the club of professional wrestling enthusiasts. And we've got a big show to lay down. Before that takes place, we're going to be talking some Jordan Morris. Right. We're going to be talking some Snyder Brunel. We're going to be talking some CONCACAF Champions Cup.
00:00:50
Speaker
And we got the latest on the Save the Caps movement as the oligarch class continues their campaign to move the Vancouver Whitecaps to Las Vegas. So ah a lot to get to ahead of Match Day 11 here. Noah,
Focus on Jordan Morris's Journey
00:01:02
Speaker
what's up, man? how you feeling? Good. We had a promposal.
00:01:05
Speaker
We had a burner account that was forgot to be switched to. That's right. An MLS executive forgot to switch to their burner account. That's going to be later on. I'm excited to talk about that. Jordan Morris with a quote in an honesty. you know I saw someone comment on our interview that we posted saying, this is an honesty. I'm like, man. I don't think you've ever watched a Jordan Morris interview because he was actually like getting pretty emotional and deep ah for for Jordan Morris. And I'm excited to talk about all of this. But Ari, I know we have some housekeeping off the top of the show as we always we do have some housekeeping before we get into it. Number one, lobbing scorchers dot com slash coffee. please subscribe to QED d Coffee, Lobbing Scorchers kickoff, new title sponsor. And ah we're going to have a lot more with QED Coffee. So keep your eyes out for that. But also toss them a sub and go to the- You get 25% off, by the way. 25% off your first order and 25% off the entire site with code LS74. So it's actually an insanely good deal. We don't know how long it's going to be running. So like get it in now. Strike while it's hot. Strike while it's hot. try them out. If you've never had QED before, we're both QED drinkers.
00:02:19
Speaker
Uh, and then also another exciting announcement. and I'm excited about this one. We have a new podcast joining our little Lobbing Scorchers network, which we're making into a thing. Uh, EBF girls hosted by our friends Jaya and Tula first episodes out now where they ranked the players by X dog. It was awesome and hilarious. And, uh,
00:02:39
Speaker
Yeah, we're going to be putting their shows out on all our channels and we're I'm excited for that. No one because you know, God knows could use a little more diversity around here. True. So happy to add them to the network and it's going to be great content. So excited about that as well. Yeah, they did a great job on their first episode and we're continuing to have at least we're going try and go one per month for them and they are just so stoked. They also helped us with a scoop on Snyder Brunel, which we'll talk about later.
00:03:08
Speaker
They're great. Follow them on Instagram at EBF girls. And you can also find their podcast on this Lobbing Scorchers channel. It'll also be on our Lobbing Scorchers audio feed. So we appreciate your support. We appreciate you supporting them. And welcome to the family, ja and Tula.
00:03:25
Speaker
We're so glad to have you. All right. No, it should we talk some Seattle Sounders? Does that sound good? I've been waiting all day. All right. ah You want to talk some Jordan Morris? Ever heard of him? I've heard of him ah potentially one of the best sounders of all time when it when it will all be said done. Leading goal scorer in the history of the club. ah Jordan Morris making his return from injury in the last couple of weeks. He gets his first goal of the season against FC Dallas. So he's looking good. He's looking healthy. And he talked to the media.
00:03:53
Speaker
this week for I think it was his first practice scrum since ah since the FC Dallas game. And he discussed how these injury absences, there's been so many over the last couple years, have challenged him mentally in a lot of ways, but also he gave a quote that was ah you know pretty pretty vulnerable vulnerable. He shared that this kind of year year and a half stretch where he's been injured so much, has challenged his love for the game. I'll read the quote right here. And he says exactly that. He says, per Sounder at Heart, Jeremiah O'Shann, I have lost some of my love for the game, Morris said. A lot of that came through just being in the gym so much and sitting out so much. I wanted to get that back. And I think part of that was accepting of doing whatever the team needs wherever Schmetz sees me. Just being on the field is what's going to make me happy. So what he's talking about there, Noah, is you know his getting the love for the game back, but also that he is less concerned about what position that he's playing because he's just happy to be playing at all. you know He had kind of vocally expressed his preference for playing up top and being a number nine, That's kind of how he saw himself in last season. That was something that he really felt like he wanted to to do. And now, you know, with where the roster is at, he's been playing in that wide role a little more. That's in all likelihood what he's going to have to do with how this team is set up right now. And he says he's fine with that. He just wants to be on the field. And, you know, I think you can ah you can kind of tell how he's feeling right now. In this last game against FC Dallas, we talked a lot about how Jesus Ferreira didn't celebrate his goal ah playing against his former team, which is a thing that soccer players do. Jordan Morris didn't celebrate celebrate his goal either. And I thought that was interesting. And what I read into that is
00:05:36
Speaker
I think he's just kind of so exasperated with how things have been going as far as not being able to stay on the field for the last year that I don't think he's going to celebrate a goal until there's like a trophy on the line or until we get further into the season and he's actually back in the full swing of it. His reaction to scoring that goal, I thought, was telling about where his mindset's at right now. He just wants to play. So what did you think of this quote, Noah, from Jordan Morris? When we talked with him last season on the record, ah he kind of shared a lot of the same things that even the injury before that, before this most recent injury, had really plagued him mentally more than he ever had. Like the slowing down of his life, this being out, being in the gym, like not actually just getting to play the game that he loves, being on the field is completely different. And I think this happens a lot with soccer players where...
00:06:28
Speaker
you lose the love of it when you're not doing it. Like if you're not playing, if you're not, if you're sitting on the bench, and even if you're just sitting on the bench, like the ability to be out training with your teammates and all of this stuff, like he was just sat in the gym rehabbing and then immediately you come back, you get hurt. That's devastating. So I think you're right.
00:06:50
Speaker
His reaction says a lot to me. Like he is angry Jordan right now. Like he, his mentality is, I am out there to kill every single moment because I don't know how many more moments I got left.
00:07:04
Speaker
But the thing is, it's crazy. I keep hearing people talk trash about Jordan Morris. I even hear it happen in in the press box. Like, Jordan Morris has so much left to give for this club. He's still so talented. he He, every time he's been healthy in his career, he's scored an absurd number of goals. There's a reason he is the top goal scorer in the history of the Seattle Sounders. Despite all the injuries. Despite all of the injuries. The the dude could have 30, 40 more.
00:07:34
Speaker
So all I'm going to say is I'm really excited that Jordan is back. We've, you know, I think we both are, but it is this new mentality and it seems like for him, he's just there to be on the field.
00:07:48
Speaker
He, he's, he's, he doesn't care or have any ego about it. And, you know, in some ways I think that that's great in some ways, like I still do see him as a number nine. So I'm i'm interested for you too, because I think he has been a talented winger, but I still see him as that number nine over Danny Musavski, over Osadze De Rosario.
00:08:12
Speaker
but it is kind of hard when he does play well out on that wing. Yeah, I'm kind of coming around on the whole notion of him playing out wide more again. i think that he's been looking pretty good in that role so far. Like you've been seeing a lot of this stuff, you know, that 2016 to 2019 era Jordan where he was wreaking havoc out there and, you know, getting assists from out wide and setting other people up. Those are things that he can bring to that position. So while I think that, Being up top as the number nine that might be his preference and that might be what gets the most goal production out of them But I think I just think with where the roster is right now It's probably best suited for him to play mostly in that wide role I'm sure there's gonna be situations where he'll get some run as the number nine But I like what he's been doing in that wide role and honestly didn't that kind of
00:09:05
Speaker
outside of the foot finish against FC Dallas that sort of harkened back to the Jordan Morris of earlier in his career. To me, that felt like kind of a intentional or not it felt like kind of ah a statement or like a moment of no, I still, I still got this. I still can do this. And I still have a lot to offer this team and offer this club. And now he's going go out there and try and help this team win some trophies. So, you know, knock on wood that he stays healthy. But I think regardless of his role, i think I think that he's about to prove a lot of people wrong because I understand why people have been frustrated that he's been injured so much the last couple of years. But I have not really seen his quality as a player diminished like I think some people have said it had. I think that's easy to say about a guy when they've missed as much time with injury as he has. But even if you look at last year, which was one of the most frustrating years I've ever seen for a soccer player, even last year, he still got seven goals when he did play. He looked like himself when he did play. So i'm um I have never really subscribed to the notion that he is past it or washed or has declined a lot from earlier in his career. I still think that this is a really high level goal scorer in Major League Soccer. And I think he's about to go show that. And I honestly, I also think too, having watched them play without him as much as we have the last year or so, to me, that's a reminder of how much he elevates this team when he is playing, not just with the goals, but with everything that he offers this team. So i just hope he stays healthy. And if he does,
00:10:47
Speaker
I think he's but he's about to score a bunch of goals. I also feel like I need to say this as the guy who has had a lot of commentary around Pedro de la Vega and around the injuries in general, right? Like being the guy who's like, well, we really need to, you know, I get it. I get it. A lot of people going to get in the comments and say, oh, so Jordan Morris is fine, but you'll crash out about Pedro and you want to try. I hear you.
00:11:10
Speaker
I hear you. i think kind of good I think that's a fair shout. I think that it's fair to be frustrated with Jordan's track record and injuries, but also at the same time, his contract
Spotlight on Snyder Brunel's Career
00:11:21
Speaker
is at a place where like it's just, he's here.
00:11:24
Speaker
He is here. So what you're gonna do with Jordan Morris is play him and you want him to play. Pedro de la Vega, I've even self-admitted multiple times, even after our our ah rage-baited ah early on in the season conversation, was like, the Sounders are better with him on the field.
00:11:46
Speaker
It's just, he's got to be on the field. You've seen Jordan Morris on the field more than you haven't. You've seen, you it's not really the same with Pedro. But I will say, for both of these players, struggling with that injuries aside, it's They're really good players when they're on the field.
00:12:03
Speaker
And so when you look at both situations, Jordan Morris, he's going to be on the Sounders until he's at least... He he has like four more, three more more years on his contract, something like that. couple more years at least. Like...
00:12:15
Speaker
that's That's just what's happening. That's just what's happening. Jordan Morris is a sounder and we need him to perform. And I think he knows that and he takes that seriously. And and I'm excited about that. But i think it's I think it's a fair shout and a fair complaint to see me saying that and also be like, okay, hypocrite with the Pedro thing. That's fair. That's fine. I still hold i still hold my stance that maybe you need to move off of him, but also he is insanely talented when he's on the field. So it's one of those catch 22 situations also. Let's be real.
00:12:53
Speaker
I was doing a bit, we were doing a bit of entertainment on that podcast. Yeah, mean, it's a little bit of a different situation I would grant in that with Jordan, you have a much longer track record with the club. Whereas like De La Vega just got here a couple of years ago. and the whole injury situation has sort of been a subplot his entire time on the team, save for that glorious period last year around Leagues Cup, where he was on the field and absolutely ripping it up. With Jordan, you have a guy who has been with the club for around a decade at this point, and the top scorer in the history of the club, and Most importantly, I think, and I think this is something that doesn't get talked about in these discussions, contributed to a ton of winning and a lot of trophies. People say he's not clutch in big moments. What are they talking about? don't get that. Because, like, did they not watch the playoffs? Have they never watched the playoffs? The playoff Jordan Morris. The flu game in 2016. The hat trick against FC Dallas in 2019. The most goals of most playoff goals of any MLS player, active MLS player. Jordan Morris, number one game winning goal at LAFC in the playoffs in 2024. People seem to forget about that. That doesn't impact. Yeah. Like, honestly, I would argue, would genuinely argue he's one of like the clutchest, most big moment players in MLS history.
00:14:24
Speaker
Like when you take into account the moments that he's come through in the playoffs that have subsequently led to MLS cup titles, 2016, they don't win that MLS cup without the flu game 2019. I talk about this all the time, but like without him getting that hat trick in that game, without him carrying the team to that win, they don't win MLS cup 2019. They literally just don't.
00:14:45
Speaker
So yeah, no, I think that is his his track record of clutchness is important to acknowledge because for correcting the record, but also when we're talking about this team's chances of contending and competing and winning trophies this year, that's an attribute that he has that will very much help that bid.
00:15:05
Speaker
So, uh, I think that's something to look forward to as well as he gets kind of re acclimated. And I mean, God, just seeing him score that goal against FC Dallas, that was, that was great to see. Felt like, felt like old times. And it kind of, it gave me hope that like, all right, like he, there is still juice here to make a run this season, but also like, you you know, he's probably going to be a DP on this team next year too. Some people might not like that health permitting. I'm good with that, but you know, let's see what they can do with it this year. Let's see what they can do with it this year. I think that's exactly where we're at.
00:15:37
Speaker
Jordan, score some angry goals, man. Kick the shit out of that. Kick the shit out of that ball, kid. We do we do love angry Jordan. That is fun when angry Jordan comes out when when When I saw the replay and it was the outside of the boot, i was like, oh We're back. We're so back. We're so back. Noah, you want ready to talk some Snyder Brunel? I'm always ready to talk some Snyder Brunel. Let's talk some Snyder Brunel. It was a banner week for the kids. Snyder Brunel, this kind of felt like a formative week for him. This is where he went from fun prospect up and coming to a mainstream kind of guy. I think we played a role
00:16:18
Speaker
in that. Sorry Snyder. But there was, sorry Snyder, but there was also, he was he's been getting increased attention lately, you know, in all these lists and rankings, which we're going to talk about of the best young players in the league. You know, you got your Julian Halls and you got your Aiden's, and you got your Gozo's and Snyder, all the ne all the national pundits and scouts who write about and rank this stuff, he is in that little, you you can't have one of those lists now without Snyder being on it. So that's a good sign. They're like new, new USMNT, uh, wonder wonder group.
00:16:53
Speaker
Yeah. I mean, I'm not even going to unveil the Snyder for USMNT agenda on this show, but you can trust that that is on its way. Guys. I literally just ordered my standard Brunel men's national team kit from us soccer shop. And I used code scorchers at checkout and I literally got 20% off my entire order. So I'm just, I'm just saying,
00:17:11
Speaker
Better than lot of the options we have in midfield right now that we're gonna play at the World Cup. I'm just saying. We're just saying. I just saying. I'm just saying. But he also was the subject of a story on Sounder at Heart by Jake Burgess, who was, he was doing a little more of a statistical deep dive, so don't, you know, He was doing a bit of a statistical deep dive where he was kind of comparing the best top young players in the league against each other. So, you know, you had Snyder. didn't even mention a Lobbing Scorchers favorite right now. Nico Itzikuras down in San Jose. Julian Hall, Mameti, another one from the Red Bulls, Gozo. And he was looking at Aiden? I don't think Aiden was on there. Aiden on there?
00:17:51
Speaker
Aiden's kind of ends more niche still okay. Okay, we're tapped into Aiden but he maybe doesn't have the national attention the goal he scored against Seattle I was like I'm gonna be I'm gonna think about that for my life literally week one I was like okay I'm buying Aiden Hazar Connie stock immediately and then I was like okay he I'm pretty sure he has Iranian descent was like that would be fire cuz it's between the USM and Iran was like that become that's like well anyway No, I'm filling the gaps there folks. Honestly, like has your Connie is where, when I'm trying to talk to people and sound like I know what I'm talking about, he's a name I pull up like watch out for this kid. I'm literally just lifting this take from Pablo Mastroni and basing it off one really sick goal that he scored against the Seattle Sounders. But that's called punditry, baby. Jake Bergus, he's got Snyder, check it out at Sounder at Heart. He's got the comp with Snyder against Takiras, Julian Hall, Mameti, Gozo, guys like that. And it turns out Snyder grades out quite favorably. The stat that he's looking at is possession value added, which I'm not gonna explain exactly what that means. Yeah, have no clue what that means. but I trust the nerds. Yeah, trust the nerds. The easiest way to think of it is it's sort of, it's an attempt at looking at kind of your all-encompassing value. And there was a caveat that people of Snyder's position, like a center mid like that, they might not grade out as well with this particular stat. as an attacking player like Julian Hall or Securus. I think that's how it works, but it's still notable. I think that in this analysis, Snyder graded out with all these guys. I think it's just one indicator that he is indeed worthy of that level and being in those discussions. And,
00:19:31
Speaker
That also bears out what we've been seeing all year, Noah. yeah you know We've been talking, we've been copying him and Obed Vargas. And really, I've got, for I guess, are you at the point, I'm at the point where when I think about this team's first choice, 11, Snyder being in it,
00:19:47
Speaker
isn't a, oh, let's see how this goes, or no, Snyder, you know, he's 18, but you can stay afloat with him in there. Let him start him so he can develop, even though there might be some lumps. Like for me, I'm at the point where if I'm filling out a first choice 11, if I'm on my FopMob lineup graphic,
00:20:05
Speaker
He's he is a major part of what makes it first choice and allows it to perform at its highest level. And I say that as Hassani Dotson supporter in someone who I feel like I feel like Hassani has come along in the last couple weeks, especially he looks a lot more comfortable. He looks a lot more like the player that he was at Minnesota United.
00:20:28
Speaker
But man, doesn't it just feel like Snyder's on some kind of different stuff right now? I believe in Snyder so much. I bell cow him in my kick base team. Like i truly believe in Snyder. Is he cheap in that? Not really. He's not super cheap in that. We are in a ah MLS pundits fantasy league, which I keep forgetting to set my lineup for because it is incredibly challenging, but shout out to kick base for that. ah But no, I,
00:20:53
Speaker
Snyder is written in pen for me because you could rotate Christian and I feel good with Snyder and Hassani. You could, you know, like, but Snyder Brunel needs to be on that field. I feel so confident. I feel the same amount of confidence that I feel with him there as I did with Obed. The way that he is able to dive in to these challenges, break up possession,
00:21:18
Speaker
just Just like takeaways. And this FC Dallas game in particular, I felt like he ascended to a new level. And every time he kind of touches the field, I feel like he ascends to a new level.
00:21:31
Speaker
But his passing, it's great. Is it perfect? No. But Obed at this level was the same place, right? Like... His
CONCACAF Champions Cup Insights
00:21:40
Speaker
passing was really good. His vision got better just the more that he played felt the same to me. The difference to me Snyder Brunel is gold dangerous. Snyder Brunel has two goals. He has two goals in 22 matches. He two goals in his first two MLS games. Exactly. is... getting on the stat sheet earlier and faster than Obed did. Obed eventually did develop that, but he didn't for while. Like his first year starting and playing regularly, he wasn't really a stat sheet player at all. He was still very good, plus player contributing a lot to winning, but Snyder has that facet of his game quicker than Obed did. Like, I think his recoveries are great. His interceptions, you know, all of his opportunities that he gets in the defensive third. But his ability to turn that ball up the field, wriggle through bunch of different players, and that ball, I mean, that ball that he plays on the assist that he has on that goal is perfect. If he starts hitting three balls like that, it's over with. It's over with. That's a Barcelona player. Like, I don't know, Ricky Puj, maybe we haven't talked about this, but maybe this is my new agenda that I'm coming to right here.
00:22:52
Speaker
Is Snyder Brunel better than Ricky Puj? I like this agenda. It's going to be one your more unpopular ones. Is he going to be the midfield maestro? When it's all said and done, will Snyder Brunel have a better career than Ricky Puj? I'm going to put it out there. I'm going say, you know what? I would put money on that because his vision, his passing, what he's doing at this age, is he doing it for Barcelona? No, but I mean, Ricky Puj wasn't either. He was sitting on the bench.
00:23:18
Speaker
Am I going to compare Sainz Ronell to probably one of the best tens in the entire league? Yeah, actually, you know what I'm to it. I'm going to do it, even though it's not the same position. I still think his distribution, his vision, his passing at this level, at this time, it's only going ascend.
00:23:33
Speaker
So there's no weight on his shoulders in my mind. He's a written and pen starter. Let the kid cook. Let him develop. Let him build. Henry Bronner. God damn it, son.
00:23:44
Speaker
Every time you just next one up next one up banger next one up. Oh, you need it. You need a new center back. Okay, here you go. Here's a top ah You know best 11 quality center back in Tino Lopez. Oh, you know You need you need a winger. Oh, we found Paul Rothrock sitting in Toronto like Paul Rothrock, not to go on another tangent here, Paul Rothrock came to the Tacoma Defiance and is now one of the best wingers in Major League Soccer. He is considered around the league as that guy.
00:24:19
Speaker
this This club and their talent development and talent scouting, oh my God. Oh my God. My favorite part of watching Snyder play is when he has the ball and there's a defender that's trying to take the ball from him and he just does the thing where he just whoop, whoop, whoop, who dancing and weaving just slicing right through all of them they can't get the ball off him it's just like it's incredible to watch it's it's fun to watch he's pretty he's pretty electric like honestly i I didn't really know what to expect going into the season as far as how much he would move the needle. And it's just so much more than what I expected. It's pleasantly surprised. He also, he two things. Dax McCarty rated him in his 10 best teenagers in MLS. He did. Ahead of Kevin Sullivan. Oh my God, Ari. Can I cook on this? This, okay, listen.
00:25:17
Speaker
The reason that you have Sounders players like Snyder Brunel, Obed Vargas, actually develop and go on to have good careers in European you know clubs.
00:25:34
Speaker
Obed Vargas doesn't go Atletico Madrid if the Sounders don't trust him and play him. They had been playing him since he was like 16, 17.
00:25:45
Speaker
I understand that Kevin Sullivan is supposedly this great, amazing talent. The Philadelphia union won't play him. They just, they, they have more, been
Save the Caps Movement Discussion
00:25:56
Speaker
they've been playing it more, but that's the guy who like, if he has that much standing, why is he not starting every match?
00:26:02
Speaker
They're the worst, one of the worst teams in MLS. What do you have to lose? What you have lose? agree with that. There's no reason that don't have anything to lose. They are kind of ruining Kevin Sullivan stock.
00:26:13
Speaker
and then And what's crazy too, ah sporting Kansas city had a loan offer out for cabin Sullivan. They wanted him. They wanted to play him. They wanted to bell cow him.
00:26:24
Speaker
And the Philadelphia union said, absolutely not. They're not even playing him that much. He's got six. Uh, so he has game eight played eight games played two starts, 200 minutes.
00:26:35
Speaker
There's absolutely no reason he shouldn't be starting every game. That's weird. So that's weird. They've freed him a little more, I will say, in the last literally in the last like couple weeks. yeah I feel like I've seen him play more. And he is looking a little better. But it's it is very much ah still this developmental thing. For a team that's horrible, but it's like a developmental thing where he's not starting. He's kind of mixing and matching, working in when he can, substitute appearances. Whereas Snyder is a first choice every match. yeah Go a full 90 type starter for Seattle's. And he was allowed to make mistakes. He's allowed to develop. And I understand that this is comparing a 16 year old to a 19 year old. So I'm not going to sit here and say that that's completely fair. It's a 16 year old that already got bought by Man City. Correct. Like it's a 16 year old who is considered the best American prospect since like Landon Donovan. Yeah. Like, or since Christian Pulisic, I think is a fair comparison. Right. Yeah. And his club won't play him.
00:27:35
Speaker
The Sounders do play their players and they trust their young players. Snyder Brunel could end up having a better career than Kevin Sullivan simply because he's been playing. He has been playing. And I really do rate, I really do rate Snyder Brunel higher than Kevin Sullivan. So that's my take. Different positions, different players, all of that caveated and saying, you know,
00:28:00
Speaker
I just, I think the Sounders are doing it so right and their young players develop so much better. Snyder isn't Snyder Brunel if he is on the Philadelphia Union. Snyder Brunel isn't Snyder Brunel if he's on FC Dallas. He's Snyder Brunel because he is in the Seattle organization and they actually trust him and they actually play him. Because I'm sorry, if Kevin Sullivan plays 13 minutes, has one assist, he's And then the next game you start him on the bench and only play him two minutes against a Montreal.
00:28:31
Speaker
What are we doing? but are we doing? Yeah. What are we doing over there? I'm still a Kevin Sullivan believer. I'm not selling all that stock yet, even though, ah you know, his career hasn't gotten off to the start. That was kind of expected when he came up with all this hype and got sold to man city, but he torched defense force. He torched defense force. Two goals to assist. I still think there's every chance that he is going to be a great player and perhaps even a great player on the global stage in his career. But it is tough looking at the state the Philly Union are in right now. And the fact that they like, I hadn't looked at that match log.
00:29:12
Speaker
Yeah. But the fact that they're tough, the fact that they're not, he has a plan every single game and playing him a full 90. What do you got to lose at this point? Bradley car now, like literally you guys are about to wooden spoon. You you have, the I can't relate to these coaches who, when they're put in situations like this, they still don't play their young players because I think the way they see it is like the veterans are the ones that have the best chance at saving their job. Not true. If if you play the young guys, they might actually outperform the veterans and they often do if you give them the chance. Yes, exactly. So like Real Salt Lake and the New York Red Bulls. Right. They're not doing too hot right now, but at the beginning they were. so But But that's kind of the point, yeah is even if you're not doing well, I like the fact that Michael Bradley is staying convicted, and he's you know even when there's struggles, even when there's growing pains, he is throwing Julian Hall and Mameti and all those kids out there and they're getting every single week. They are playing pretty well. They're taking results that some people don't expect. Yeah, they're getting run on sometimes. But this I'm telling you, this will pay off for the Red Bulls. It will they will be better for this down the road for that. Especially when they go to Red Bull Salzburg and $0. If you're, if you're a fan of a team like the Red Bulls that I don't, I don't think anyone thinks that they're a, especially like an MLS cup contender now this year, they're kind of in a rebuild, uh, trying to work their way back up into contention. If you were a fan of a team like that, how much would you rather watch, be watching Julian Hall and Mehmedi and all those kids every single week, even with the growing pains, as opposed to like, they could be playing Chupo Motang and these random and MLS journeyman lifers. that could get them to like 1.43 points per game or something like that. But you're not going to win anything like that. And the payoff down the road is way better if you just commit to playing these young guys. So I think Michael Bradley's got the right idea. And Pablo Mastroeni, give him credit. Like he's got the right idea too. It's not always the easiest thing. Like we, we praise Schmetz for it a lot. He's gotten a lot. He's been great in the last three, four, five years, really since the rise of Obed, Schmetz has been willing to play young players and he has a little bit of an easier situation because he has sort of a proven veteran team that he can integrate them into. So Schmetz kind has the best of both worlds. But Pablo and Michael Bradley, they're in a situation where it's like if you commit to the youth movement, you're probably gonna take some lumps. So it's like, do you stick to it or do you go back to the veteran route? They're doing it the right way. What Bradley Cardinal is doing with the Philly union, looking at the Kevin Sullivan match log. That's not the way to do it, man. He should, he should be playing every single minute of every single game. yeah Otherwise you're kind of, i think that's, it's a pretty big disservice to him in his career to not just unleash him, but you know, that's just my, yeah no. And that's, that's why, like, that is why Dax rates Snyder over cabin because the reality is,
00:32:09
Speaker
Snyder is going to keep playing. He's going to keep getting better. The only way for a player at this level to get better is play first team minutes. yeah I mean, you talk to any player jumping in from next pro to MLS, they'll say it's crazy. The pace of play, it's something you cannot replicate even in training. Like training is faster, but the gameplay, it's even faster. And Snyder Brunel is going to continue to develop. He's going to continue to play.
00:32:36
Speaker
the Sounders are going to be okay with him making some bumps, making him, making some mistakes, making some bruises because he's backed up by Jackson Reagan, a potential U S Ben's national team center back, a best 11 MLS shout.
00:32:51
Speaker
And, you know, um Alex rolled on Kalani Kosarian Z and eventually game are like, this is and in Kim King. He like, that's That's going to be the difference. So I agree with the assumption that Snyder is ranked above Kevin because he actually has opportunity.
00:33:11
Speaker
Kevin's not playing, and I don't know if he will play. Bradley Carnell, play Kevin Sullivan. Play Kevin Sullivan. What are we talking about? What are we doing? what Do you think they're skidding them before? I know what we got to go, but like we got to go. But do you think maybe they're trying to protect their investment? They're like, well, he's already signed. Like, we'll just try and keep him healthy. And once he goes to Man City, he can develop and we're getting our sell on no matter what. I don't know if it's that or if it's just like Bradley Carnell is, you know, he's feeling heat. There's a lot of pressure on him right now. Their season was not supposed to go like this. They're about to wooden spoon. I think he is probably feeling fearful that if he...
00:33:54
Speaker
relies too much on cabin or young players in general, that's probably going to increase the odds that the team doesn't do well and he gets fired. But guess what? You're probably getting fired anyway. they're Sorry. bad Like the squad is bad. Yeah. I don't really, I, you know, it's easy to say from the outside and armchair quarterback it, but if I'm in that situation, I am absolutely just throwing the young kids out there and hoping they save my job. Why not? like that's I think another manager in the league right now who deserves some criticism along this yeah these lines, too, is Tata Martino. yeah you know like he's not he's He over-utilizing unproductive, bad veterans at the expense of developing young players that could actually help the situation because like he doesn't trust him, but like sometimes you just gotta to you just got to trust. Sometimes you got to trust, and thank God that we are trusting Snyder.
00:34:46
Speaker
The one thing... Did we did we do we do we talk about the the the last thing with Snyder? The story? The prom story? Yeah, yeah i was going to i was gonna bring that up, but I forgot. He got asked to prom.
00:34:59
Speaker
Yeah, so that was by a by a fan? Yeah. Which respect to her, she had her sign. It said, hey, number 37, can I get a date to the prom? Can we kick it to prom? And then a shout out to the EBF girls because they got the video of it.
00:35:17
Speaker
And Snyder went over there and they were interacting. I, to me, I was watching that video and I was like, all right, this is a, you, you think that being a pro soccer player is all glitz and glamor and there's no pressure that comes with this. You're famous now. You're famous you're not famous now. This is the kind of, this is what comes with it. Yeah. So, If you want to see that video, it's on the at EBF girls, uh, Instagram account. You can go check it out there. It was going crazy. I think it has hit half a million
Don Garber's Twitter Controversy
00:35:46
Speaker
views. So I'm so sorry, Snyder, that we exposed you like that, but that's life. And you were getting clowned in the Instagram comments by fellow.
00:35:55
Speaker
players, which is what I kind of love to see that I kind of love to see that our our players got jokes and they are tapped in. It was fun. It was a content. It was good content. it was It was sweet. It was shout out to Snyder for being a good sport about it. And we'll see. Apparently the prom is while he is going to be playing for the youth national team, which which I think that's, is that leaked? Hashtag Lee through all of this. We know that he's called up to the youth national team. I think that he might accidentally beat that, but we'll see if he makes it to prom or maybe they can find some sort of yeah compromise. yeah But anyway, that was good stuff. All right. We're going to take our first ad break and then we will be right back with some CONCACAF Champions Cup coverage and the latest on the Save the Caps movement. Welcome back from an ad break that you definitely did not skip ah Noah.
00:36:42
Speaker
Let's talk some CONCACAF champions cup. We don't need to talk a lot of CONCACAF champions cup because the sounders aren't in it anymore. Sadly enough. Yeah, ah but we never liked that turn. It was never a good time. It's funny on the post game show when we were saying that in jest like we don't we don't care about CONCACAF Champions Cup meeting this tournament anyway and the Tigris fans that crashed our chat they thought we were actually being serious about that when you know that's the tournament that I care the most about. I was very upset about that serious. I was it was nice to have i kind of got race fans in the chat though. I think I got they oh they owned me. They did actually get to Ari so bad because he was sitting next to me and he was reading chat. And like we both were like slowly crashing out a little bit. And one of them's like, ha ha, I know this dumb ass is reading every single comment. And was. And he was. And then we'd stop the stream and he said, bro, they got me so good. I immediately was like, fuck.
00:37:35
Speaker
I got cooked on that. Like, yeah. i cooked on that. But they did. You know, it happens. we We gave them their credit at the end of the stream and we all we all adapted up handshakes. Tensions were hot with the Tigris fan base that night, but then I yeah i think by the end of it, i was like guys we rapport. Heated series, things got things got emotional, but yeah brought it back around. But now the the semifinals are going, Noah, and ah Nashville SC and LAFC are both still in it. Two former Sounders, by the way. So technically, even if either of the MLS teams win, we can claim ah the trophy. You have Aaron Long, former Sounders 2 legend, yeah and Reed Baker Whiting. Yeah, yeah. one If an MLS club does do it this year, then a ah former Sounder will be getting a ring. They'll be getting that trophy.
00:38:24
Speaker
But ah let's okay let's talk about the results, and then I want to talk about how we would feel if they do go on to win it. yeah ah You had Nashville SC, who they have been kind of the darling of the league so far. They're getting all the press there. And deservedly. like I don't want to pretend like they haven't earned it. They've been probably the hottest team in the league to start the season. They've worked great in CCC. The Christian Espinosa signing has been incredible. But they went out there and they laid a bit of an egg against ah against Tigris in like one.
00:38:53
Speaker
ah So, you know, it is CCC. I don't really read into that as far as their quality as a team, but I thought it was notable. And then and then LAFC, they went up one zero against Toluca back to back Liga and Mechies champions. ah gave up the equalizer and then Nicosi Tafari gets a goal at the very end. They're up to one on aggregate going into leg two. So Nashville SC not in good shape. LAFC in better shape, but they did ah they did concede a road goal. You never want to do that. What did you think of those results first of all?
00:39:28
Speaker
First of all, I thought Nashville looked beatable, which is like for me, I was kind of talking them up a lot. And I really do like that Nashville team.
00:39:41
Speaker
Anytime Christian Espinosa is on the end of a ball, I'm just like, man, like damn. But I will say they looked frustrated. Tigres absolutely dictated their game at home, frustrated the hell out of Nashville, but Basically down one zero down one zero after the home. They're pretty chalked. I mean, and they have Sam Sturridge out and we're not sure how long he's going to be out for. So that's kind of a big blow for them. And they looked that's that's that could be a potential hangover. I'm I'm honestly I'm on Nashville hangover watch is a good point. They win or lose because, man, they were really. They were giving it all in that game and they just could not convert. So I'm interested to see that second leg, how much absolute trolling Tigres does.
00:40:32
Speaker
So that'll be interesting to watch. I don't feel good for Nashville. But that said, let's talk about what a lot of people have been dubbing. the final of CONCACAF Champions Cup in 2026 LAFC to Luka the two best teams frankly the two best teams that are left this is like a super classic or this is like the champion of champions truly whoever goes on we I think we both think it will probably win the entire tournament LAFC, I've been a little down on them. They've looked a little bit shaky here and there in league play, but in Champions Cup, they've looked kind of like Superman. So I think their result was fine.
00:41:17
Speaker
I don't think it's what they would have loved to concede a goal, but that said, technically it's a draw. All you have to do is go to Toluca, And you can you can write it out. You can you can let it be.
00:41:31
Speaker
You can go to penalties, but you want to score. You want to score. And that is going to be a challenge. That's going to be a challenge. I don't care who you are playing into Luca. That's a great atmosphere.
00:41:45
Speaker
And they are. i mean, I don't know how you feel about them, but like to me, they look like the best team in North America right now. I think the conventional wisdom is that is what they are. So I think that was a, uh, that was a good performance from LAFC because it looks fucking great. Yeah. which Like there's, he's an assist merchant right now. And all the Korean fans are very upset about that. A lot of LAFC fans at large are upset about that too. It is. It, I, I have been laughing at the parallels between that and the Jesus Ferreira discussion. So good. You all realize that an assist ends with a goal, too, even if he didn't technically. you in in How many secondaries does he have or thirds? It doesn't matter. But the second thing I want to say, too, David Martinez, Ari.
00:42:32
Speaker
Yeah. David Martinez is probably the best young player in the league right now. I think he's definitely the most raw talented. yeah Some of the goals he's, he's interesting because some of the individual goals he scored, you're like, that's the greatest player ever That's the greatest player in the world. yeah That kid is going to be the best player in the world. And then he'll go like 78 minutes through a game and correct forget he's on the field type stuff. So there is time but when Raul Edias did that. And then you're like, yeah. And then you're like, holy shit. he might just be that kind of guy. But as far as like raw talent and ability, he is off the charts. Yeah. I mean, this game to me showed me that l LA can do it.
00:43:17
Speaker
And I think that they're they're capable of doing it. But it's it's a tall task. Like giving up that away goal, unfortunately. And also, i will say, what did you think? Jacob Schoffelberg had a goal called offsides for an impediment, which was, it was a classic CONCACAF, like, wow i mean mean you know, like review bullshit. I had this in agenda check, but we could do it. Oh, I'm sorry. We can, we can wait for agenda check. i I'll say that that was, that was a stupid call and LAFC got robbed of a goal. LAFC got robbed of a goal. And if they go on to lose the series, obviously no one's going to sympathize with them for that. But that was, I'm just, I'm getting so radicalized. I, I'm trying to tell you what we'll keep it pushing. Um, but Let's let's make some predictions here. Just just off the rip because we have nothing to lose in this tournament and then we can talk about how we each feel if an MLS team or the win it but LAFC versus to Luca. Who do you have in that second leg of that series going forward?
00:44:21
Speaker
Man, it's tough because there's the tension between what I want to happen and what i think. Well, us both. Give us both. Okay, I mean, what I want to happen, honestly, is an LAFC crash out. Not be that, just just purely for comedy.
00:44:37
Speaker
Purely for comedy. you know Not LAFC fans. They're tomatoes. They're throwing tomatoes. You've got to admit, from an outsider's perspective, even if you are an LAFC fan, the whole bit of like getting close to finals or making it two finals and then crashing out is pretty funny.
00:44:53
Speaker
from our perspective. And I do think there's an argument that it would be funnier if they make the final and then lose, but I would still enjoy it if they do crash out against Toluca.
00:45:06
Speaker
ah So that's kind of how i feel about that. ah And then what I think will happen is man. I really don't know. Honestly, what I think will happen is that there's going to be some crazy conch calf roadmatch shenanigans and Toluca is going up winning. Yeah, I think, I think it's going to be Toluca gets an early goal and they sit on that and shenanigans classic,
00:45:36
Speaker
CONCACAF football, maybe LAFC gets a goal called back. There's a penalty. I think it's, I think it could be that it could go to penalties. Like I think it's going to be a messy, messy, messy second game. They got it. They got a good result. But honestly, the they the reality is you need more than one more. You need more. more than that's why we got to get rid of the road goal which they are getting rid of the road goal but like yes they were robbed of a goal it should have been three one you're set up so much better at three one like they would have gone down to Mexico feeling so confident that said you know what I'm gonna just I'm gonna just say you feel like you're they don't they they're not gonna do it Toluca is gonna get it I gotta be it's gonna be a heartbreaker I'll go with LASC I believe in the black and gold I believe
00:46:19
Speaker
In Hun Sunman. I believe in Timothy Tillman, David Martinez, Schwan Yair, Marky. Mark, sorry. Don't call him Marky. Mark Delgado. They're getting Buonga back. They didn't have Buonga for the... yeah He was out on yellow card accumulation and they still got the two one so And Kosi Tafari, good goal. i just I think they are built so well, and Maga Mark Dos Santos is going to have those boys down there with the mission. um So you know what? I'm just going to put it out there that they will make it past Toluca. It's going to be gritty, maybe like a
00:47:00
Speaker
Maybe like a 3-2 kind of situation. Like maybe a lot of goals. Like maybe they both open up a ton. I don't know. I'm not sure what's going to happen. But there will definitely be a red card in that game. i can almost promise you that. All right. Well, I got to Luca, you got LAFC. So we'll see who comes out on top there. Noah, the notion of an MLS team winning CONCACAF Champions Cup is always a little- Before we do this, I'm sorry. Tigres, Nashville FC.
00:47:29
Speaker
Oh, I mean, I was- i mean You don't even want to- they're I mean, they're chocked. They're chocked. Yeah, I agree. Tigres is going for- To get one zeroed in the ah home, it's over. It's over. You're done. yeah You're done. And what I will say about that though is I think your shout for Nashville SC being on Hangover Watch is a good one. Like I'm getting those vibes because they've poured everything into this tournament and to come up short would be emotionally devastating. But also i think this is where, you know how we've talked about kind of like the experience of having been there, done that with a tournament like this. They really haven't. This is their first really big run where they've actually had a chance to make it deep and feel like they actually have a chance to win it. They have not been through the heartbreak of being in this situation before. And then also, like not to mention all the energy and resources expended. So we'll see how they handle it. But I think there's a pretty good chance. I feel like we've seen the movie before where a team's flying high like this, they crash out of CCC, see and then they kind of torpedoes them from from there on out. I don't know if going torpedoed, but I think a hangover could be in the cards. I think it could be in the cards. Also, the problem is, though, they play the Union, dc United, the Revs, LAFC, New York CFC, and Atlanta. like They basically play two real matches, and that's against the Revs and LAFC. So they could just limp along until Sam Sturge is back, ah which who knows when he will be back. But anyway, continue on. How are you feeling about the game? Well, so I think, you know, we're in a situation where there's two MLS clubs right on the precipice of the final. One of them is in great position to make and they're ahead two to one. So a very real possibility that could happen. And there could be another MLS winner of CONCACAF Champions Cup this year, which from a Seattle perspective, you know, I think there's reasons for mixed feelings about that. So I kind of wanted to, what's the what's the pulse check? Like, how are you feeling about the notion of either Nashville or or l LAFC winning this tournament? Are you of the mind that, ah you know, being the first is the main important thing about those bragging rights and another team finally getting it over the line and winning it doesn't really take Seattle's shine? Or do you kind of revel in being the only MLS club that has ever done it? And do you want...
00:49:47
Speaker
Like if Seattle doesn't do it then no you don't want anyone else to do it like where do you stand on that? This is a very conflicting situation for me because on one hand I revel in the fact that everyone including all of the Apple TV and MLS pundits love and have to do mental gymnastics to say, well, it didn't count really because they had an easy path and Pumas was bad and they, you know, blah, blah, blah, blah. Do you know how many times I've had to ratio some kind of MLS Apple TV talent on the Everything app because they're saying something like, well, and MLS teams don't know how to get it done in Mexico. I'm sorry the Sounders didn't lose in Mexico on their CCC run at all one time.
00:50:29
Speaker
Don't know what to tell you and they'll say, well, they just they were just a bunch of penalty merchants. Well, I'm sorry. Welcome to CONCACAF. That's what you have to do. So do I love the fact that there's a lot of League Mankeys fans who respect the Sounders? Because they're like, well, you're, okay, like, MLS teams are fraudulent, but it was really funny when the Sounders won or respect to the Sounders, they won fair and square.
00:50:53
Speaker
I definitely want that to continue and I'm greedy and I would love to win a second before someone else gets there. But I think it depends on what the team is. like i think I think there's a situation where like last year when the Whitecaps were in the final, I was like, you know what?
00:51:18
Speaker
Yeah, I'm actually cool with that. I like this team. It's a well-built team. It's a very MLS team. I think it was a good representation of the league at the time. And I was like, okay, you know what? I'm i'm i'm actually okay with that.
00:51:31
Speaker
LAFC and Nashville, hell no. I don't want either of these teams within a breathing distance. of ah The only thing that I want is LAFC to go to the final and lose in the final again. So I i think we can pop champagne. We can all agree that that's the yeah number one outcome. That's 1A outcome. Yeah, so honestly no, i don't i don't there's there's very few MLS teams that I would actually want to win.
00:51:56
Speaker
And I think it's just a case by case basis. And right now I'm like, nah I want to keep us being the only ones. That's where I'm at. That's kind of where I've come to with it. You know, I've gone back and forth. There's been something like, like you were saying last year when the white caps were doing it, I felt conflicted about it. Like, uh, I, if they had won it, I would have been okay with it. I wouldn't have been like upset yeah about it.
00:52:19
Speaker
Uh, but I think I just, I like Seattle being the only one. I like Seattle being the only one. I think that's fun. And like, it's not gonna, you know, there always will be the bragging rights of being the first to do it.
00:52:31
Speaker
Always have that. Nothing can ever take that away. And so that's one reason why another team winning it doesn't matter like that much. But you know, I just think that it's, I just think it's more fun to be the only one. And, uh,
00:52:45
Speaker
Yeah, I don't want it. I don't want anyone else to do it. I'm rooting kind of against LAFC and Nashville in this situation. ah All right, we're going to take another ad break and then we'll be right back with your Save the Caps update.
00:52:57
Speaker
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00:53:14
Speaker
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00:53:29
Speaker
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00:53:43
Speaker
They're run by Sounders fans, and they also have the most important thing I need when choosing a wine. People who know what they're doing who can tell me what to buy. It's super easy. You join their mailing list, they send out a newsletter covering what they have, and you pick the ones you want to either grab at their warehouse on first or have shipped to you.
00:53:59
Speaker
And then when you go to someone's house, you bring one of those bottles and everyone is super impressed. We're proud to be sponsored by fullpolewines.com. We get a lot of emails here at Lobbing Scorchers, mailing lists we forgot to unsubscribe from, recruiters begging us to go work for FIFA.
00:54:15
Speaker
But one of the most common is people who want to know how we maintain such an effortlessly classy yet fashion-forward wardrobe. Mostly me, I think, but Noah too, I guess. Well, the answer is our sponsor, Podium Menswear.
00:54:27
Speaker
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00:54:43
Speaker
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Speaker
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Speaker
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00:55:48
Speaker
Lobingscorchers.com slash coffee. Welcome back from another ad break that you definitely did not skip. Noah, it is unfortunately time to talk about more save the caps as the oligarch class continues their efforts to move the Vancouver whitecaps to Las Vegas, which I still don't know what we are even talking about with this. Have they been to Las Vegas? You know what they have in Las Vegas? They have one giant ball.
00:56:14
Speaker
One giant, really big ball. what's like What's up with that? It's just this whole situation is one of the all time temple massages I've ever seen. Just hear me out here for a second. You just changed your season so that you don't play in the summer?
00:56:31
Speaker
Was that just so we could move a team to Las Vegas? Because it's still gonna be like 140 degrees. It's always hot there. It's always hot. yeah ah but there have So there have been a few developments on this front since we last recorded. So Noah, I'll i'll give the context, the updates, the new information, and then we can react to it. but ah So it started with the Whitecaps and MLS. They both put out statements in the last day where they they both, in both their statements, they stated their preference to keep the team in Vancouver. They used that wording. They said, our first preference is to keep the team in Vancouver. But like if you actually look at those statements, which I'm not going to read them out, but like...
00:57:13
Speaker
there was this ominous language where they were very clearly trying to, especially the MLS statement, they were trying to, it felt to me like we're gonna put out this lip service, this olive branch to be like, well, see, we said that. We tried our best, guys. was our preference. We tried our best. But like with the language that they're using, you can tell, you can just very clearly tell that the oligarch class and the powers that be, they want this move to happen. They want to move the Vancouver Whitecaps to Vegas. And anything that they're saying to the effect of like, we want to keep them in Vancouver, like, no, you don't. Like, I wish you would just not lie about that. Just don't say anything. Just don't say anything. You want to move the Whitecaps to Vegas because you think that you stand to get money from You do think so what they're going to do. That your one all-encompassing obsession in your life is your own bottom line and making as much money for yourself as humanly possible, which that's your prerogative, but you should just say that in my opinion.
00:58:13
Speaker
Yeah, I agree. They were saying that they're going to charge a expansion fee or a relocation fee equal to whatever the last expansion fee was paid, which is... Multiple millions of dollars. So not only the sale, but then the league themselves will also rake in that revenue. So obviously they have an incentive to try and move this team. Well, yeah so they put out these statements. I read the statements and I was like, okay, I mean, that's just, that's corporate jargon lip service. That it means nothing basically. It means nothing. They may as well have not put those out. And then the other update from today, per Paul Tenorio of The Athletic, MLS has received a formal offer to buy the Vancouver Whitecaps from a prospective owner who intends to move the team to Las Vegas. So someone has put in a bid with the stated intention of if this bid is successful, I am literally, I am going to move the team to Las Vegas.
00:59:06
Speaker
The potential buyer, we have a name, we know who this guy is. The potential buyer is Grant Gustafson, the son of Kentucky billionaire Tamara Gustafson and grandson of B. Wayne Hughes, founder of Public Storage. According to multiple sources with knowledge of the discussions, Forbes estimates Tamara Gustafson's net worth at $8.5 billion. So Grant Gustafson. They're literally storage wars.
00:59:33
Speaker
Bill. Yeah. So this is what I think is interesting about Grant Gustafson. He's apparently he's 30 years old. Okay. He's young guy. younger than me. Okay. And he is the son of a Kentucky billionaire, Tamara Gustafson. And, uh, like you said, the grandson of the, the public storage, the storage unit guy. So these people have a net worth of storage unit billionaire, $8.5 billion dollars. and And if, you know, they've got a couple of units. if you If you bid, you might have an MLS team inside of one. Like you can you can do some storage. I think that's how they should decide the new owners. They should do a storage war style show where they have to like, one of the storage lockers has like the team rights in it.
01:00:17
Speaker
I mean, i that would be a better use of him than probably getting out of it now. but ah So here's my thoughts on Grant Gustafson, which I don't know anything about the guy other than what I just read. But you don't need to know anything about the guy to know that when you just look at his background, this is somebody who has literally, think about this, Noah. This guy has literally never, never worked for one thing in his entire life. Literally failed son. He's literally failed He fundamentally doesn't have the concept of what it takes or what it means to work for something or to earn something. Every single dollar that he has, every single one to the last penny has been given to him.
01:01:04
Speaker
Every opportunity in his life that he's ever had. was handed to him, it was given to him. He didn't have to work for it at all. He was born into it. He was born into it. He did nothing.
01:01:15
Speaker
He did nothing to earn what he has. So what is he doing with all these resources that he's been given through nothing, no work of his own, nothing to earn it at all? What does he do with it? He wants to spend it on buying a soccer team, taking it from the community that it's in and moving it to Las Vegas. So you have someone who's never worked for anything once for one second in their entire lives. ah You know who does work for everything they have?
01:01:44
Speaker
You know who knows what it's like to earn something? The people who love the Vancouver Whitecaps. people who go to those games. They work for the money they spend on that team and they do that because they love it. And you have a guy who has never worked for anything, who's about to steal a team from people who do work for what they have. That is fucked up. It's fucked up. And if you want another reason, Ari, to hate this family even more, Storage Wars billionaire, Mr. B. Wayne Hughes, who was is the grandfather who got the money, and then the...
01:02:18
Speaker
the mom inherited shares and then the mom inherited, gave the son money and then, you know, the classic American, the American dream, Ari, is truly to inherit billions of dollars. But ah if you if you wanted to hate this family more than just moving the Vancouver Whitecaps, Hughes was the largest donor to American Crossroads, a conservative political organization started by Karl Rove. Now, if you don't know Karl Rove is. Karl Rove name drop. We're talking about- Check it. We're talking about- George W. George W. Check it out if you don't know Karl Rove is. This is not a politics podcast, but, ah you know, go check it out. Hughes has contributed to over $1.55 million to the organization. American Crossroads, you may ask. a lot so that's a Who knows what that means? That could be anything. Maybe they just want to help get Republicans elected. That sucks, but whatever. No, Ari, have you heard of a ruling called Citizens United versus the f FEC? Famously controversial, yeah. So this allowed unlimited money in politics.
01:03:15
Speaker
That's right. Unlimited money. You can gamble all of your money on giving it to a politician and influencing them. So money in politics, influencing money in politics. It pioneered many. American Crossroads did. It pioneered many of the new methods of fundraising opened up by Citizens United. So they are literally out there.
01:03:37
Speaker
They are literally out there finding new ways to bribe politicians every single day. They are making our lives so much worse every single day. And now, what do they want to do? They said, we've we've muddied up the Americans. We've muddied up the American system. Why don't we go and fuck with the Canadians now?
01:03:58
Speaker
Canadians, money in politics, It's coming for you. Doesn't end well either. No, doesn't no. Grant Gustafson. Yeah, it's I mean, it's it's terrible. Like I I'm literally just scrolling down here trying to find some more information. But um yeah, I mean, they're anti immigration. They're, you know, ah they're they're not good.
01:04:25
Speaker
I wouldn't say they're good. um So yeah, they are um definitely a bad group of individuals. Imagine having that much money, man. Imagine having that much money and it was given to you. he's just give It was just given to you because you were born for for nothing. for For nothing. And this is what you do with it, man. that Oh my god, it's disgusting. It's sorry as hell. There was a positive update on this whole front today. We'll see what comes of it. But our friend Michael McCall, who's been on the show a few times, shout out AFTN. and But he posted on Blue Sky earlier today. He got a brief chat with Ken Sim, who is the mayor of Vancouver at FIFA Congress.
01:05:07
Speaker
ah He sat beside Don Garber and he apparently said that there was positive talks. And this is more important, revealed some groups have come forward with interest in the last 48 hours and further sites have been identified for a future Whitecaps stadium. So, you know, ah not the not the news that we all are hoping to get that this whole stupid idea is going to be over soon. But that that at least felt like, you know, maybe some potential movement yeah there or at least...
01:05:36
Speaker
some kind of positive development in a situation where it just feels like every news that comes out is just like, but it's becoming increasingly clear that they're like gonna, they're gonna see all this through, they're gonna see, they're gonna steamroll it through. It is tough though, because like, this is a hard sell, man, even for the oligarch class who they don't really, they don't care about public perception, but like,
01:05:59
Speaker
You have to think that's got to matter to some degree. And there's so much negativity surrounding this, even on our Instagram. I saw a couple of comments on our Instagram from people who live in Las Vegas. yeah And we're like, we don't want this. We don't want stolen teams here. And not just because of your stealing it from another community, but there's no authenticity to that connection. You think the Raiders have a real fan base there? No. They don't. All the people that are at those games are tourists. They're not actual Raiders fans. But by contrast, one person was saying the Knights, the NHL team, ye that was all organic. And they have an actual real fan base of people that are from Las Vegas. The Raiders, what they're trying to do with the A's and now what they're trying to do with the Whitecaps, it's plastic. It's fake. You're not going to have an authentic fan base or an authentic experience at all. None of it is is real. And the people in Las Vegas don't want that. they don't They are very clear that they don't want that. So just the oligarch class, they're out of control, man. It's disrespectful to not only the Vancouver Whitecaps, but the Vegas community to think like, oh, you're just a show pony. You're just somewhere we can move to extract as much money as possible from these you know gambling loser tourists. No, that's what they think of you. That's what they think that's you what they think of you. That's what they think of you. And so you have this community of people who, honestly, if you're in Las Vegas right now, you should be showing up to support these Vancouver Whitecaps fans by saying, we don't want this team. yeah There is literally Las Vegas Lights. Las Vegas Lights.
01:07:32
Speaker
Las Vegas Lights. Danny Musavsky played for the Las Vegas Lights. It is a team. They have soccer there, okay? I get it. Maybe they want professional soccer. But the reality is...
01:07:44
Speaker
Why don't they just elevate that team? The expansion fee would be the same amount of money. Like, what in the hell are we even talking about? This is just... Either it's two things. It is an insidious way to force the government of British Columbia to give over control of BC Place after the taxpayers have spent all of this money to MLS and their organization, or it's to say, fuck Vancouver, we don't give a shit, we're moving to a new market because we can extract $500 million dollars in a fee to put them there. And either one is evil. You don't have to do either one. There are a million other options and it makes MLS look so stupid. Don Garber is literally about to retire.
01:08:34
Speaker
Literally about to retire. You are pissing on your legacy. You are pissing on your legacy. Literally the other day, I was in the press box defending you. Before this, I said, you know, all things considered, he's made a lot of missteps.
01:08:47
Speaker
The crew situation was one that I brought up, but the league has grown. Things have gotten better. There's bad things. There's good things. But like all things considered, it's a healthy league, right? You do this as you walk out the door, you are going to be remembered as the biggest joke ever, ever.
01:09:05
Speaker
think of it Think about your legacy. Think about your legacy. Every single person involved in this, think about your legacy. I can name every single person involved in the Sonics moving.
01:09:15
Speaker
I can name every single person involved. I'm telling you right now, I would probably be arrested if I was ever in the same room as Howard Schultz. i Like, genuinely, i would need to be removed because the things that I would be saying to him,
01:09:29
Speaker
Remember when he tried to run for president and everyone was like, dude, everyone hates you so much. like It's not just like a like your normal politics hate. It's like a despise you. Everyone hates you. So I'm just saying. That's going to be great. Gustafsson.
01:09:44
Speaker
You're going to be hated. You really want that fate? Also, all the Whitecaps owners are going to be hated as well. are bunch of cowards. you are a bunch of cowards You're a bunch of cowards.
01:09:55
Speaker
Cowards owning a sports franchise is not about making money. I don't care what you have to say. It is a community good that you are lucky enough to launder your own reputation through you are lucky enough Anyway, speaking of Don Garber.
01:10:09
Speaker
Yeah, so this was the funniest development that's happened in the ah save the caps situation So that was nice to have a little bit of comedic relief today Don Garber's Twitter account apparently hack allegedly alexive hacked hacked allegedly have let's Let's interrogate this. Let's interrogate this. This a situation. MLS commissioner Don Garber said that his social media account on X was compromised on Wednesday evening and that this is the reason for an inflammatory inflammatory social media post from his X account that taunted British Columbia premier David Eby. What is a premier? Is that some Canadian? I don't know. British Columbia premier David Eby over the premier's pledge that he was quote fighting hard to prevent the Vancouver whitecaps from being relocated. So he delivered the this premier guy delivered a 45 second video from his ex account on Thursday where he said to the team's fans that the whitecaps are British Columbia. And I want you to know that we are fighting hard to save the white caps. And then Don Garber's account replied to it and said, liar, liar, pants on fire. And then Garber posted about an hour later stating, my account was compromised earlier this evening. The issue has been resolved. I appreciate Premier Eby for taking the time to meet with me today. So they are going with the, it was a hack, hack.
01:11:26
Speaker
Defense that's what they are saying. Oh, oh babe, babe, babe. I swear ah my my phone was hacked. I didn't send those text messages. I didn't send those text messages, babe. I swear those DMS. It was hacked. Well, so let's let's let's talk about this first. Like do we think that commish Donnie Garbs was the one who sent that because I don't but I also don't think he was hacked. But what do you think?
01:11:56
Speaker
I don't know Ari because there's a lot of people in a lot of high places who have burner accounts. Now I know this sounds a little bit ridiculous, but at least we have people who are honest about it in namely ah a certain basketball player who you may be familiar with. KD is famous for having multiple burner accounts.
01:12:19
Speaker
It's the truth, man. If you are a public figure and you, he doesn't, Don Garber doesn't control any of his social media accounts, but he's probably on there. He wants to see what's going on. He probably has a second account, third account that he's going on there and talking shit, chirping, replying, all of that kind of stuff. Because guess what? It feels kind of good, Ari. It feels kind of good to get in that anonymous thing, but you know what?
01:12:43
Speaker
I get that, yeah. You know what? Just as couple of months ago, an anonymous Nazi came after me on Twitter, and then he happened to have posted his own Instagram account on his account in 2010, so I posted a photo of his face um with him saying incredibly bad things.
01:13:02
Speaker
You can't hide forever. You can't hide forever. So I'm just going to say, i think Don Garber posted it. I think Don Garber or a top and MLS communications official posted that. That is my conspiracy theory because who would have access to that account? There is probably three people on the planet with access to the Don Garber Twitter account. Not some average stooge. Twitter, literally you have...
01:13:25
Speaker
have to have two-factor authentication. It's required when you're verified. There is absolutely no way he was hacked. It was someone internally, and that's they couldn't say hacked because it was compromised.
01:13:36
Speaker
Something was posted that he didn't that they didn't sign off on, but that doesn't mean that it wasn't someone high up in... and MLS the hacks thing just there's there's there's no way. That's not a thing like that There's no we're gonna go with the hack defense then I think you got to explain like you got to come out and and explain what happened to me because ah That's not you can't just say hacked and call it a day. No, no, no, no, no No, no what happened was ah so someone, and like you said, we don't know who it was, so I'm not going to speculate on that, but someone who does his tweets and controls his social media thought they were on the burner. They were not, and they sent it from his account, which is...
01:14:18
Speaker
Pretty funny. It's funny. should have kept it up, honestly. which Just keep it up Just keep it keep it up. You're taking so much. You're taking a beating in the press anyway. It's not like this does anything to make it worse than it already is. like It's already looking pretty bad. Uh, yeah, no, but just also I think I think lame ass tweet. That's a yeah that's head asked tweet to like, that's what made it more believable. i was like, that's a old head ass tweet. That's a 56 year old man with, you know, skin tight Oakley's responding to a lobbing scorcher's post. but Also, it shows to be like, what is the motivation for coming after someone who is advocating for keeping the Whitecaps in Vancouver? all he's saying. All he was saying is that we want to keep the Vancouver Whitecaps in Vancouver, and we're working to do that.
01:15:06
Speaker
And you respond to that attacking him, saying liar, liar, pants on fire. Why would you say that? I think, ah I don't know. like it's pretty It's pretty clear to me why you would say that, and it's because you want the Whitecaps to move to Vancouver. So the statement that was said about how your first preference it was to keep them in Vancouver, obviously it's not, because you are attacking the people who do want to keep it in
MLS's Stance on Canadian Teams
01:15:33
Speaker
Vancouver. Am I like missing something? No, I think you're right I think whoever unauthorizingly posted that
01:15:39
Speaker
was, is is under the belief that, m this is truly what I believe MLS believes, that The province doesn't actually care, and the province should be bending over for them and giving them whatever they want because they are lucky to have Major League Soccer in Canada. There's three teams across Canada, and the Whitecaps are very lucky for how unsuccessful they have been in their history that they have been allowed to continue to exist. And I think it's a high and mighty horse for, you know, a group of individuals where... ah
01:16:12
Speaker
I don't know. They, they just, they probably don't see or respect anything in Canada, frankly. So it's, it's such a, sh it's such a bullshit situation. i got an idea before we, before we wrap it up. Yeah. I got it. I got an idea for Grant Gustafson, which is a kick rocks. yeah How about you how getting a job to start? How about just getting a job? yeah he's now this This guy has literally never, one second, not one second in his entire life has he worked. Let's see the LinkedIn. Let's see the LinkedIn. You don't do shit. You don't have a job. You don't need to do anything. Why are you doing this? or if And if you're going to do this, just get get an actual job. Get it an actual job. I will, okay, here.
01:16:53
Speaker
It'll be fun. You don't need it, but like you might actually do something that contributes to society rather than detract from it. Grant, This is me talking to you right now. Grant. I will personally, I don't need to do this, but I will do it. I will personally pay for you to fly a Vancouver Whitecaps game.
01:17:12
Speaker
I will get you hired. i will look at your resume. We'll we'll get it there. We'll get you hired as a food service worker at BC Place. If you can survive one full shift as a food service worker at BC Place, I'll join your team.
01:17:27
Speaker
But I don't think you can do it I think you'll get fired before the end of the night. And that's just the truth. You're a billionaire fail son who's trying to destroy a community because you have no heart, no soul, no nothing.
01:17:42
Speaker
You're despicable. And this is why we hate the oligarchs and we fight against them every day. this is this is even worse than the regular oligarchs because there there are some members of the oligarch class that at at the very least they did like build themselves up from something yeah this guy didn't straps yeah there and you know that their actions after building themselves up are still horrible a lot of the time but they at least can claim to have you know built themselves up from one thing into another This guy didn't do anything. He's a fail son. Born into it. You're literally born into it.
01:18:15
Speaker
Born into it. You didn't earn anything. It's literally like Robert Kraft's son. Loser. Fucking Rez. Learn how to work. Get a job. Get a job. Get a job, Jack. That's my message to you, Grant Gustafson. And save the caps. Save the caps.
Show Wrap-Up and Future Previews
01:18:31
Speaker
We're going to call it right there for the night. Thank you all, as always, for tuning in. ah Sporting KC, Club of Professional Wrestling Enthusiasts, on Saturday. If you're looking for some more preview of that, Nico and I did it pretty in-depth on kickoff on Monday, so go check that out.
01:18:47
Speaker
And then we'll be back at it on Saturday morning, morning kickoff, which I'm excited for. I guess it'll be afternoon by then. but I'll be there for post-game, hanging out, reacting to the match, and taking calls. So see you all then.
01:19:01
Speaker
Love you all. Until next time, we out. Peace.