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What We Learned This Week: Tigres roared at home and the Orca Boys finally flounder on the road
2 Playsin 2 hours
Tim Ostlund-Foss and Niko Moreno talk about what they learned this week with the Sounders and their disappointing first leg result against Tigres of Liga MX in the Concacaf Champions Cup. The two talk about the lineup choices made for this tie and why perhaps they might have made different decisions. They also discuss what went wrong in the match as well as what went right. Tim and Niko also preview the upcoming game a bit as well as give their outlook on the second leg at Lumen Field with reasons for optimism.
Follow Niko Moreno on BlueSky and YouTube. Follow Tim Ostlund-Foss on BlueSky.
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Transcript
Introduction and Podcast Network
00:00:01
Speaker
Hi, I'm Will Bruin, and I was just recognized as a Seattle Sounders legend. Now I get to do voice reads for the Sounder at Heart podcast network. Here we go.
00:00:11
Speaker
Come on. Hey, O'Shaughness. Let's The Seattle Sounders have done it. MLS Cup winners. The Sounders rule the region.
Seattle Sounders Highlights
00:00:43
Speaker
Ooch of a gooch! All creatures, great and small! Rothrock gonna collect it, he does about, runs into the advertising order. Low to our left, ball goes in! Oh, what a goal! Where's my copy? got bunch of them How many do you cost them? 50 bucks.
00:01:08
Speaker
I'll deadline you.
Sponsorships and Community Ties
00:01:18
Speaker
This episode of Nos Arietes is sponsored by Full Pull Wines, a Seattle-based wine retailer and proud sponsor of Nos Arietes since 2011. Full Pull was founded in 2009, is based in Seattle, and is owned and operated by longtime Sounder supporters.
00:01:32
Speaker
They offer the best boutique wines of the world to members of their mailing list, with special focus on their home, Pacific Northwest.
Hosting Change and T-Grace Game Preview
00:01:43
Speaker
Welcome back to another episode of what we learned this week. I, as you may have noticed, am not Jeremiah O'Shan. I am Tim Osland-Foss. And for this week's episode, I am joining Nico Moreno to, you know, really discuss the T-Grace game and the upcoming T-Grace game.
T-Grace Game Insights and Lineup Decisions
00:02:02
Speaker
Nico, how are you doing?
00:02:03
Speaker
Hey, what's going on, Tim? Audience, family is under our heart. i Always excited to be on and coming to you live. Well, not live because we're going to record this, but I am live right now at this particular moment in the Palouse, about five minutes away from WSU campus. And, you know, we had to make this show happen. It is something that I was very adamant about. I told Jeremiah that although he was leaving, we knew that Tim could handle, of course, the load. And me, myself, trying to not getting in trouble there with the family here at the Palouse, but there's just a lot of talk about. I want to hear from Tim. I want you to talk me off the edge of some stuff. I'm still positive about, you know, still feel a little positive about what could happen at Lumen. So we got plenty to talk about, big Tim.
00:02:50
Speaker
Yeah, we're recording virtually Central Washington and the Central District coming together. i You know, the big thing to talk about today, obviously, is the loss against T-Grace 2-0. Obviously not a good result.
00:03:06
Speaker
Certainly could have been a lot worse. At the same time, there were a couple plays that, you know, if... if the goalkeeper doesn't make the save or the Sounders player gets a little bit better touch. Maybe it's two one, but you know, they missed a penalty, had a shot go off the crossbar easily could have been three or four.
00:03:31
Speaker
Nothing. Uh, We saw some interesting changes to the starting lineup. I think that's probably that's where things started. That's where maybe the conversation should start.
00:03:44
Speaker
ah We saw no Jesus Ferreira, bit of a surprise with the Pauls on the wings and Albert Rusnak starting centrally. ah Nico, what were your thoughts initially when you saw that lineup come out?
00:04:00
Speaker
Look, it was hard to understand and and having days to process a brand smetzer whose answer was very vague telling me it was about tactics and as much as I would have loved to follow it up, i wasn't getting anything that particular day. I already know Brian. So maybe later down the line, i just want an explanation. I want you to make it make sense. Because if you're telling me tactics, then let's talk about tactics. Because if we're looking at the three guys under Jordan Morris, if you're looking for more a defensive player because you want to be more pragmatic, defensive effort, whatever it may be, then Albert Rusnak comes out of that line out out of those three, right? If you want experience, then Paul Rothrock comes out of that.
00:04:43
Speaker
a specific three, right? Because there's experience level of of games, CONCACAF, World Cup, USMNT. There's a lot of experience that Freire could bring into the table. You want to talk about the dual tents, the pocket winger.
00:04:57
Speaker
Who better than the guy that has five assists that has been running in that show? You want transition moments? Who has been better in transition moments? getting the ball from particular pressing moments and turning that into good chances and goals. So you have to make it make sense. Would you just tell me strategy?
00:05:14
Speaker
You have to go beyond that because there is – I can't fathom. I cannot put it into words any particular reason why you would go with this particular lineup. I don't even know if this lineup has played together, both Paws on the outside and Rusnak. I'm not sure you would know this more than I do because my memory goes on and off, you know, the older I get. But but the reality to me is that I understand people – have different ways of seeing the game, and that's okay. And I'm sure that Brian's master has a very good explanation for it, and that's fine. Just don't patronize
Lineup Critiques and Tactical Analysis
00:05:49
Speaker
me. Don't – do not tell me rotation.
00:05:53
Speaker
savior Save it. Save it. the Throw that a ese – con ese hueso otro perro. Send that bone to another dog because I'm not chewing on it. it's It's full of it.
00:06:04
Speaker
Ferreira has not played 90 minutes all season long. Rotation? Rotation of what? There is no rotation. This is CONCACAF elimination round, leg one, where an away goal counts as two, where an away goal puts you in the driver's seat. So when we have this narrative about Liga MX has all of this money and and the salaries and we have salary caps and and we we can't get enough DPs on the field,
00:06:34
Speaker
but we're going to rest a DP talent for the first game so the Ndanov shouldn't be there because that that's the way you wanted to play it. So I just, as you can hear by this rant, I have a really hard time understanding the decision. Not to say that Brian doesn't have one. I want to hear it. I don't even know if he'll give it because it might be too late by the time I have availability. If the Sounders go out there and win it,
00:07:02
Speaker
He's there. I'm definitely going to ask it. And even if they lose it, he might not even care to answer it. So, I just wanted to get it out there. I would love to hear your take on it because the last thing I'll say is people will sit here and tell me, well, we created chances. There were opportunities.
00:07:21
Speaker
Yes, but that doesn't mean that the quality of chances, the amount of chances and the type of finishing could have not been better when you have your most influential chances.
00:07:34
Speaker
player and contributor in that attacking end on the field. Maybe, and look, there is nothing wrong with, looking at Paul Rothrock and saying, look, man, you've earned it. You deserve it. You've put up a lot of goals. So we're going to start you this game. But in the same rationale, you can't sit for Rara because thank you. You've had five assists. You've been so good. So there's got to be a little bit of a consistent thought process that I'm just not quite getting. And,
00:08:05
Speaker
I keep saying I'm going to end it on this, but I'm going to end it on this. If there is a guy that you are certain that can come off the bench and shoot like a rocket, it's Paul Rothrock. So if if I'm looking at this game, and I'm saying, look, if if we might need a goal, there's there's got to be someone that we're going to bring off the bench.
00:08:25
Speaker
to make it happen. It's not Ferreira in the 70th. That's not his game. That's not what he does. He needs to come into a game and settle and see it and and assess it and start it, make moments happen and link up play and all of these things. But Paul Rother can.
00:08:41
Speaker
That is a guarantee right there. I mean, you have the proof the size of Washington State to just know that Paul Rother is going to come in and perform right off the bench. So,
00:08:54
Speaker
So many reasons why i did not like that decision. But, Sin, please, Tim, I want to hear your take. I think, first, the you know your point that why did you leave Jesus Ferrer on the bench and start Albert Rusnak?
00:09:17
Speaker
Tactics is not an answer. Tactics is the introduction to an answer where you explain what the tactical reason was. And I think you can look at each of the guys who started and not just in that group of three, but you can look at each guy and sort of make a case for starting that player. You know, Albert Rusnak, for whatever reason, it seems like they're trying to work him into the side and he's one of your designated players that it makes sense, but he has not been particularly effective so far this season.
00:09:59
Speaker
And, you know, similar to Ferreira, that's not necessarily a guy who is going to be super impactful as a sub,
00:10:11
Speaker
but You know, Paul Rothrock, I think you can understand the reasoning for starting him. he is your most productive player this season. Paul Areola, you can see the reasoning for starting him. He's got Liga Amikis and CCL experience.
00:10:32
Speaker
He has been impactful in this competition so far. Like, I get it. But to your point, Jesus Ferreira, is like built for this sort of scenario. And while I don't think playing him as like in the 10 spot is the best way to utilize him in this Sounders team, I think that would have made more sense. That's the group they started against Houston with was the two Pauls and Jesus.
00:11:05
Speaker
You know, I think, I think that would have been a more,
00:11:11
Speaker
effective approach for this game. um i do think, you know, when the lineup first came out, not seeing Jesus in there was a bit of a head scratcher, but I at least could see like, this is not a team that intends to like sit and hope for a zero zero. Like they want to play that didn't really happen.
00:11:37
Speaker
I don't know that the result is a product of that approach, but I think playing Jesus maybe gives you a higher likelihood of
00:11:49
Speaker
executing on the chances you get, maybe creating some more chances. i you know, he's a guy who we have seen him throughout the start of this season and in preseason taking creative free kicks. I think that's,
00:12:05
Speaker
I think he's more likely to win a free kick than Albert Rusnak. And then in the those situations, like those are the kinds of things where, you know, the way this game played out, I think I didn't come away thinking any particular players had necessarily a bad game, but no one had a good enough game to get something, even if that something is an away goal.
00:12:34
Speaker
out of it and you just really saw how thin the margins are in this sort of environment and the type of talent jesus is the way he plays the game is such that he works in those margins he makes the margins a little bit better and he takes advantage of the opportunities you get a little bit differently than anyone else Totally agree. And I mean, look, if you're a team that is struggling to score, why remove parts of the offense that have worked for the few goals that you do have?
00:13:15
Speaker
If you go back to the game at BC Place, the Areola, Ferreira, and you know even if you wanted to keep Brostak on, maybe try that lineup. That worked out. But then we're going into not having Paul Rothbard, which, again, although I know that you – I totally understand why you would start him.
00:13:34
Speaker
Particularly for this game, I'm thinking, well, if you're not starting them at least, you're going to have a guy to come off the bench. But let's say that you do want it, Paul. I think Paul and Ferreira have worked very well. You go back to the San Jose game, that was more of a smashing grab. The moments that Ferreira and Paul had were very good, right? That one you had Giorgio Minungu on the left. But, you know, you can set it up where maybe you have, as you mentioned, both Pauls and Ferreira in the middle against ah Houston. Maybe it didn't work as well as you wanted it, but you could continue to build on that and you didn't have Jordan. But let's talk about Jordan.
00:14:06
Speaker
There's a lot of criticism out for Jordan right now. There is blood out there for for Jordan and out there. I mean, the the fans are not happy with the performance, with all these things. I feel like we're being a little bit...
00:14:18
Speaker
it Maybe unfair is the wrong word because I get people wanting more out of that player, that DP, and all of these things that go into an old, tired narrative that we're not going to get into right now. But I don't know if I love the fact that Brian decided to make this his first start since coming back from injury. That's a tough place to just – Swim or drown. You know what I mean? I thought that last week, maybe you give him 45. Maybe, you know, I know that he he might have come in late against Houston, but to start him off, start him against Houston, allow him to get 45, allow him to see what you can get out of him, get all that rust off, and then maybe you play him out of Volkan. I just think it's it's hard for me to just sit here and overly criticize Jordan, although he had a couple of bad moments.
00:15:13
Speaker
Because I think that's just a lot to ask for. And maybe a lot of people are going to say, well, he's your DP. He's 30 years old. That's the reason why you do it. But I just didn't think it was the right time to necessarily start him off. That's a very tough game.
00:15:28
Speaker
And so it all goes back to maybe if you had different players around them, I would have seen Jordan get better services. And I think that the one that goes or the one that sticks in my mind the most is that I guess you call it a pressing moment where I forget ah who's the tag, the Tigres, um, defender that slips and Rustan gets on the ball. It's, uh,
00:15:54
Speaker
almost a three-on-one or a two-on-one, Jordan decides to pass it out wide to Paul Arriola, where maybe the choice there is you... He did the right thing by cutting deeper inside. Rosnag is holding to that left side. I think if he plays him across the the center back and you play Albert into the box, there's a better angle for him to shoot than maybe Arriola had.
00:16:20
Speaker
um So maybe that that that's one where decision-making and that particular moment, um it is what it is. It happens. But I know that that's one that I've seen a lot on the socials about why Jordan Morris and all of these things. ah But to me, once again, that that has a lot to do with lack of playing time and continuity for a guy that's just getting his first start since coming back from that injury.
Player Performance Evaluations
00:16:50
Speaker
Yeah, I think that play in particular. Jordan. Could have taken it himself and shot. I agree in the moment I was like, he should have. It's a pretty simple pass to play Russnak and Russnak probably has an easier look I think the decision to play Paul Areola is a perfectly reasonable one. And Areola should have done better on that opportunity. Like are fair that's a great opportunity. And to not turn it into a goal, hard to put that on Jordan for having had, you know, uh, like an, uh,
00:17:31
Speaker
a and an a minus choice and choosing the a minus choice like they're both good choices um i also think you know choosing to start jordan maybe is easier to nitpick if either of your other forwards have been doing anything um and To a certain extent, Jordan can, as you were saying, if there are different personnel, if the other guys are finding him more, maybe he's able to do more.
00:18:08
Speaker
There's not a ton you can put on Jordan for only having gotten a handful of touches in his 70 minutes. He got out on... not necessarily on the break, but in transition or behind a couple times and then just didn't have runners with him. Um, that's, you know, I don't know that either of the other guys that would play in that position are one getting those opportunities in those same spots. And
00:18:40
Speaker
You know, I think we saw in this game when Osaze came on, who I'm a big Osaze fan. When he got into those positions, worse outcomes happened than when Jordan did, where Jordan maybe has to hold it up because there's no runners with him. And then they recycle it and maintain possession. And Osaze got in those positions and then turned the ball over.
00:19:02
Speaker
um i I'm curious what you thought of some of the other lineup decisions. I liked playing Snyder alongside Christian just in terms of if you're going to try to get a result, having someone who can be a little bit more proactive in midfield and try to create opportunities. I think that made sense. um You earlier mentioned going back to the San Jose game, which was a pure smash and grab.
00:19:33
Speaker
um In hindsight, maybe starting Antino Lopez at center back and playing Alex at right back rather than Kalani would have made more sense. um Yeah, i look that that's that's the two that I was looking at, right? ah The Snyder-Burnell, I thought he made more sense. and I'm okay with Brian saying, look, I'd rather have a guy that is going to dribble through pressure and is going to maybe create or be a more impactful player in transition moments. And I'm going to allow, ah you know, my defense to absorb pressure. I'm going to allow Christian to be that guy that maybe has to, you know, wear and tear a little bit more and bend and not break.
00:20:22
Speaker
rather than maybe as initially I thought maybe Brown was going to be a little bit more pragmatic. So he was going to go with Hassani Dotson. I thought he was going to go for experience and all of these things that, that may be now looking at it. um You know, I, I, I love that he has the confidence as Snyder. thought Snyder had a good game too. but I cannot look at Snyder's game and be like, that, that was an issue because it wasn't. um So that, that choice I was okay with. And that one,
00:20:49
Speaker
You tittered with, like, you you were fine. Like, hey, well, you know what? This is what Snyder gives you. This is what Hassani gives you. And so it wasn't as as big of an issue for me. The Kalani one was a tough one for me, but I sighed the way you sighed.
00:21:06
Speaker
I really like Kalani. Actually, love Kalani. he He's such a fun player. He's such an athlete. he He's got dog in him. You know, he's got grit. But if there is a particular as facet of his game that needs to get better, is at times he gets really comfortable. And that happens to a lot of guys that have the athleticism is that they get a little too comfortable with their recovery speed. So he gets really high. And you saw how often Tigres went to that left side. I mean –
00:21:38
Speaker
Almost every single time that they were coming off on a break or they needed to play a direct ball, it was going to Kalani's side. And that that they saw something there that I think maybe with an Alex Rodin there, you were going to have ah more of a defensive presence.
00:21:55
Speaker
And then the Tino Lopez playing central as a center back, Man, I mean, if we're going to trust the kids and you're going to trust Nider, why not trust Tino? mean, Tino has proven it on the field. Going stride by stride with Jaboa on a break.
00:22:15
Speaker
Flying, saving... kicks off of the goal line at San Jose. The guy has size, and I feel like you needed a little bit of that size because if there was anything that this team was going to do was try to beat you over set pieces. They were going to put the ball into El Buffalo Aguirre, who didn't have a great game, and and I think that that size would have helped you a little bit. And I think the the moments that Tigres did have – I hate to use this word, but the Suns got a little lucky.
00:22:49
Speaker
Tigres were not at their best. Look, Anil Correa had an atrocious game. Bufalo Aguirre looked more like a llama than a buffalo. I mean, he was bad. I i didn't think he was good. I really didn't. At least not where he shines, which is in the box. He had moments at times off of the box and all these things, but he he just didn't have a good one. So my my fear is that those moments won't come back.
00:23:13
Speaker
Bruneta didn't start this game, and you saw the difference. As soon as Bruneta came into the field, Tigres completely changed. They were so much more ah purposeful. They were so much more put together. So to the Tino Lopez discord, I do think that, in my opinion, my humble opinion, it would have been nice to see a guy with a little bit of a bigger frame and...
00:23:39
Speaker
that ability to win more duels. No no no no shame to to Alex. He's been phenomenal, right? But you can still have that by putting him at the right back position, and then you don't have to necessarily deal with some of the moments that maybe Kalani will want back in that one. And I don't want to put the game on him at all either. I'm just saying that that's a place where you could have been a little bit better at, hypothetically speaking, of course, and with Tino Lopez at center back.
00:24:09
Speaker
Yeah, i can I can understand some of the reasoning behind going with that back line that they went with, that, you know, you are starting some young guys with Snyder and Kalani's not young necessarily in the same way, but he doesn't have a ton of experience, but he has more first division experience.
00:24:35
Speaker
Snyder has more first division experience. Tino Lopez, only has a handful of MLS or, ah you know, CCC appearances in that environment going to El Vulcan. I can understand making those decisions. But to your point,
00:24:58
Speaker
Alex... has done well and deserves a lot of credit for his ability to play that center back position. But the reality is he is still a right back being played as a center back and he's doing a good job, but just cause you know, you can play a corner as a linebacker that doesn't make him a linebacker. Like the guys who play those positions tend to play them for a reason. And that added frame and physicality makes a big difference, especially in games like this.
00:25:31
Speaker
And I, you know, I think looking at that first goal, it's tough to really put too much blame on Alex for the,
00:25:43
Speaker
I know I have in writing referred to it as a mistake or an error, but like the the mistake or error lies in having lost the flight of the ball as he's tracking the runner. And then it, you know, it hits off the back of his leg. Tigre reacts faster.
00:26:03
Speaker
Bang, bang. a couple really nice touches and moves from Tigres players. So it's a fantastic goal. But I think if, you know, if you've got Alex at right back and Tino at center back, Alex just isn't going to be pushed as high as Kalani was. Maybe you've got two guys tracking that initial runner rather than just Alex. And maybe that goal doesn't happen.
00:26:30
Speaker
that, you know, to your point, a few of the other opportunities that either don't turn into shots or the shots don't turn into goals, maybe those don't
Tigres Game Reflections and Improvements
00:26:41
Speaker
happen. And the game is a little bit more comfortable if you have a more physical presence like Tino in that spot. But you like, i guess the others, the flip side of that is maybe that moment is bigger than Tino is necessarily ready for and things go worse than they did. Yeah. Um,
00:27:02
Speaker
tough to tough to really litigate that one too differently. i think the, the real frustration is that, you know, over the course of this road run of games, the kinds of mistakes that the Sounders made on the two goals that did get scored and some of the opportunities that didn't are the sorts of things they've been able to either eliminate in previous games or,
00:27:32
Speaker
and maybe not coincidentally with Tino Lopez, when opportunities have come, they've been able to deal with them. That, you know, that first goal, it's a mistake or an error that then gets capitalized on the second goal. That's a set piece goal. You haven't been giving those up and it's,
00:27:57
Speaker
you go back and look, it seems like Osaze de Rosario just doesn't know what his assignment is because he and Joachim start that play together at the top of the box. And maybe Osaze is thinking it's zone rather than man what's my work Like,
00:28:17
Speaker
maybe he has some freedom to ball hunt and he misreads the trajectory of the ball and he goes to position for a closer service to sort of the elbow and the ball basically goes to the penalty spot. Joaquin makes an unobstructed run and,
00:28:37
Speaker
You know, tough for Jackson to get the own goal, but it is an own goal. Joaquim heads the ball into Jackson and then it goes on frame. It is what it is. That's an own goal, no matter what league you're looking at.
00:28:51
Speaker
um
00:28:54
Speaker
Are there any positives that you take out of this first game? Yes, I think that regardless of the missed opportunities and what would have been a a very event,
00:29:12
Speaker
important away goal. I feel like the Sounders come out of this game thinking maybe this team is not as good as we thought it was. And maybe we absolutely can't beat this team. We created a lot of chances. Now we're at home. So I think that there is a level of confidence that maybe some of us have chances that Paul Rothrock opportunity that I don't know how ah ah Guzman keeps it between his feet or I don't know how it happened there, but ah all of those moments that that were potential chances, even the half chances, I feel like they give this team a little bit of of confidence going into the next game. I think that the physicality component was there. i don't think that they got pushed around. Nothing like that. I thought that day they kept up. They were competitive. And I thought the intensity was there, which is something that I wanted to look at. thought that
00:30:08
Speaker
Paul Rothrock was good. I think that I would feel comfortable playing him again. um i think that's about it, man. I look at the at the lineup and, you know, maybe Christian.
00:30:27
Speaker
It stopped me to great Christian because he he was really good defensively. He had some moments. But there has been a very unusual situation
00:30:39
Speaker
amount of turnovers by Christian, which I'm not used to seeing. so we need to tidy that up. but um But yeah, I think that's the positives that I have.
00:30:51
Speaker
Yeah, I think on the Christian note, it was tough because I felt like coming off of the Houston game, that was one of his best games of the season so far. When I, I think there have been some frustrations with his games up to this point and often for reasons that you just pointed to that like,
00:31:11
Speaker
he is your steady hand in midfield and has had some sloppy giveaways, either bad passes or getting the ball picked off of him.
00:31:23
Speaker
Um, but I don't think he was certainly not the only experienced veteran player who had that issue in this game. I think there were a lot of guys giving the ball up a little too easily. um Yeah, i I think there's plenty of almost similar to the Club World Cup last season where.
00:31:46
Speaker
They lost the games, but they were in all of them like they looked like they belonged on the field. It didn't seem like there was a huge gulf of talent between these teams.
00:31:58
Speaker
The Sounders just didn't do enough with the opportunity that they had in the game. um i think the one one real frustration I had from the team was that for all that I i agree, I think they handled the physicality well.
00:32:14
Speaker
There was, and maybe this is particularly frustrating given how much, you know, Paul Areola and you and all of us have talked about Colmio earlier leading up to this, the Sounders just didn't see, like, they were surprised at how much the CONCACAF was CONCACAFing in this game. Like, they're I think one of the things that they'll need to address before the game this coming Wednesday is that it's pickup game rules. Like, you can't ever be...
00:32:52
Speaker
waiting for the ref to make a call because the reality is he's probably not going to like the, the exceptions are, you know, looking back to the, the CCL Christian eventually winning the penalty call. Same with Diego line as getting the penalty call in this one, like in those opportunities. Yeah. Like,
00:33:22
Speaker
act your heart out, do what you have to, to have the chance to get the call. But if it's outside of the box, anywhere in between the two 18s, if you think you got fouled, you got to keep playing until the whistle blows. Like I think there were a few times where guys either were surprised they got called for a foul or confused that they didn't get a foul called. And If you just keep going, maybe you get an opportunity to make something happen.
00:33:56
Speaker
ah But that's looking forward.
Podcast Evolution and New Ventures
00:34:00
Speaker
We're going to take a quick break and then we'll come back to talk about the upcoming game real quick.
00:34:07
Speaker
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Speaker
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Speaker
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Speaker
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00:36:05
Speaker
All right, we are
Upcoming Tigres Match Strategy
00:36:06
Speaker
back. We're going to talk about the upcoming game against T-Grace. I think one of the big... big sources of encouragement for me coming into this one is that, you know, the Tigres home record in CONCACAF is absurd. It is outrageous. Something like 25 wins and six draws against non-Liga Amicis teams and nine wins and two draws against um MLS teams. It maybe shouldn't have been so surprising that the Sounders did not get a result going in there, although it
00:36:40
Speaker
It felt like if someone was going to, the Sounders have put themselves in a position to do it. ah The reverse of that is Tigres have not been particularly good on the road.
00:36:52
Speaker
um i think in the in the league, in the Klausura so far, they're... like 11 goals for 11 goals against a like nine points from seven games.
00:37:07
Speaker
They've lost all of their last four road games in all competitions. They've lost five of their last six on the road. Now only one of those losses was...
00:37:20
Speaker
a margin that would see the Sounders advance without going to penalties. But that's that loss was to Cincinnati, a team that I think is definitely worse than the Sounders so far.
00:37:30
Speaker
would agree through this season. um How are you feeling coming into this game?
00:37:40
Speaker
I'm not feeling defeated or as if this game is impossible to win because in part what you have just mentioned. I think that there if anything out of the last game, i don't think there's anything particularly special about Tigres. You saw them just kind of go on individual play, right? Let's dump the ball to Herrera. Let's see what he does on the left side. Let's make it happen. Gorrian put some really good through balls. Can we get Angel Correa to certain areas and and get him the ball? If Aguirre is not at his best, this
00:38:20
Speaker
Offense looks shaky. So I think that there are ways that you can look at this last game and say, not only is this thing not unbeatable, but they actually have some flaws to their game, even on offense. So when I look at this game, the biggest concern is that away goal.
00:38:39
Speaker
All Tigres has to do is put one in the back of the net. And if not game over, it's pretty close to it. So how do you manage that is difficult. and
00:38:52
Speaker
That's the reason why I'm not feeling as confident. But the fact is is the Suns have been very good defensively this season. I think at home they're going to be ready to go.
00:39:07
Speaker
i'm i'm i'm wondering how the the field is going to play, to be quite honest. It might seem like a non-factor, but I feel like it's going to be – It might be a thing where, I don't know, if it might benefit Tigres more. i'm I'm not really sure. that That's something that I want to look at. But in terms of just the overall soccer components, I think that Seattle has...
00:39:30
Speaker
a chance, but they have to be at their best. They have to score early and they have to be composed the entirety of the game. You talked about the Colmillo component. If there's something that I kind of, and this is going to sound bad because I know there's people that don't really like this part of the game, but when Guignac came in and tried to shake Peter Kingston like a dog. I mean, I'm trying to hit my face in his wrist or, you know, I'm falling off like he chapped my he chopped my my arm off. You know, maybe seeing him how angry he started the game, maybe you continue to try to...
00:40:07
Speaker
poke at him, so maybe he gets a red. um So, you know, can you create some moments to give yourself advantages? And I know this sounds terrible because it's all about sportsmanship and all these things, but, man, sometimes with CONCACAF, it's all about just putting the knife between your teeth and just trying to figure out ways to change the game. So I think the Sounders have character. I think that they have experience.
00:40:29
Speaker
But I don't think their chances are high. I mean, I'm um'm i'm not saying it's impossible, but I'm also not – Confident enough to say that there's a high likelihood of it.
00:40:41
Speaker
um I would put it at maybe 50-50, and that's a lot because I really do think that this team can win this game, can control the tempo of the game, and can really exploit some of those gaps that they saw against Tigres in this first game. I want to get rid of two things because I know we don't have a lot of time. I know I don't.
00:41:04
Speaker
the whole discourse with Stephen Fry being the cause of the game and how he he should be... um Andrew Thomas in, I don't get it. I'm actually confident that Steph had a good game. That save that he had in like the, what, 12 minutes, 11 minutes, that's a big time save. actually thought that he was good. So I do feel good about Steph being on goal in this particular game from the leadership component, from what he can provide in distribution.
00:41:34
Speaker
So that makes me feel confident. I feel confident there in that area of the game. um I think Nuhu, he comes in late in that challenge, and you know we don't have to go about it but I thought he was he was okay, and I think he's going to be better at home. Whenever you let Nuhu do certain things and allow him to kind of settle into the game, I think he's going to big responsibility on that end just to keep the Stigris team at bay. um
00:42:06
Speaker
But I like it. As long as the Sounders put together a cohesive team that has played before, that has won before, and – they come up with the right mentality. I think they have a shot in this game.
00:42:18
Speaker
Yeah. I think it's definitely, i think 50, 50 is a good way to look at it in part because, There's no reason to think that this team couldn't at least get ah two nothing win.
00:42:33
Speaker
That's the result they had in their first, well, their only game at Lumen so far this season. They got a three nothing away at Vancouver. Like they're capable of doing it. A two nothing gets them to penalties.
00:42:47
Speaker
That's a coin flip anyway. If a three, nothing certainly possible. They could do it to your point. If T grace gets a goal, I, asking them to win four one is a tough ask.
00:43:03
Speaker
Uh, but yeah, I think, I think the Sounders can do it. I think having Steph in the back does provide you that veteran experience, that leadership.
00:43:15
Speaker
I, maybe that gives you the freedom to play Tino Lopez at center back and have Alex on the right. Um, I think getting all of like as much of the, not necessarily experience, but the chemistry out on that field to take advantage of you know, they're trying to fill that stadium up as much as they can. i think, you know, they're offering the two tickets and two beers for $45. That's a great deal to me. Like, you know, that's a, that's a good deal.
00:43:52
Speaker
i think, The team is going to be excited to be at home. The fans are going to be excited to have them at home for the first time in basically two months. Maybe it's not El Volcan, but that is a stadium that if you get 30 plus thousand people in there and they are in it, that's a tough place for other teams to be. That's an environment that energizes the Sounders.
00:44:18
Speaker
I think they can do it, but yeah, they gotta, they gotta get on T grace early.
Fan Support and Episode Conclusion
00:44:26
Speaker
i think bringing more of that. commo They've got guys who Paul Rothrock likes to mix it up.
00:44:32
Speaker
Christian likes to mix it up. Jordan has shown the ability given the, the right circumstances to be a fly in the other team's drink. Like,
00:44:45
Speaker
I don't know if I've ever made my spiel about the quote unquote dark arts to you, Nico, but I think a lot of the negative connotations about playing like that are racist, frankly, because it's a South American approach to the game rather than particularly an English approach to the game where people often will cheer, you know, a frankly dirty two-footed tackle, but a guy who makes, uh, you know, I, I think someone like Ozzie Alonzo gets praised and shout out to the, uh,
00:45:30
Speaker
I don't remember mental conditioning coach or mental strength coach, Steven Lenhart yeah back in his playing days, a guy who was vilified for being someone who just pissed other teams off. Like maybe he can coach guys up for that, for this one. That could, that could help make a difference. Uh,
00:45:52
Speaker
you know, I think that's, that's pretty much all I've got. Nico. Um, you have anything else? Where can, where can folks find you? Yeah. Everybody can find me at El Rolo NW, on Mondays, of course, with our little wall on loving's quarters on Thursday, soccer down here with John Nelson. And of course, every Friday in my favorite show with either Jeremiah or my man, Tim Foss, who rocks the boat. Um,
00:46:21
Speaker
Really hoping that everybody shows up for this game. This is a big game. I know it's a Wednesday, but I think it'll be worth it. It's going to have a different explosiveness to it. Team needs everyone, so go ahead and show up for this team. We are sounded here upset about the first game, but still giving this team the chance and the benefit of the doubt to go out here and be the team that came back 2-0 at Estadio Universitario.
00:46:49
Speaker
In Mexico, they can get it back. They just have to be at their very best. So go out there, go show up, support, wave the flag, scarves up, absolutely everything that you can do to get this team on on the path to a big game.
00:47:06
Speaker
Yeah, I, you know, the 8.30 p.m. on a Wednesday is tough, but yeah yes, you know, call in sick on Thursday. that's right. Whatever. ah Well, I think that's going to do it for us today. Signing off. I am Tim Ostland Foss. I have been joined by Nico Moreno.
00:47:25
Speaker
we will see you all next time.
00:47:58
Speaker
Let's go at Sounders.