Transcript
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.
Speaker: Come on. Hey, O'Shaughness. Let's The Seattle Sounders have done it. MLS Cup winners. The Sounders rule the region.
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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.
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Speaker: Welcome back to another episode of Nos Adientes on the Sounder Heart Podcast Network. It is Friday. We are here in the Sounder at Heart studios. I am joined by Nico Moreno for another episode of what we learned this week.
Speaker: And it was a busy week in terms of games. We even got some news today, although we in some ways know a little bit less about what the the Sounders are really going to do. But right out of the gates, the big news Nuhu Tolo is apparently going to be available. Brian Schmetzer himself made a point of telling us that he has a broken index finger, but he should be fine.
Speaker: Yeah, to be honest, I'm a little bit um disappointed that we won't see like like a whole club-type situation with New Hookas. That would have been extremely fun to watch. you know Him looking like a defensive end with like a whole club right next to somebody. It would have been great.
Speaker: 90s Raiders-like. 80s, 70s Raiders, really. It have been great, but we don't. However, it is great great news for the team because there was some concern about who could be the like-for-like substitution for a guy like Nuhu because he's such a specialist in what he does. i continue to say, although a lot of you disagree with me, that he's been very good this season, that he has actually improved his passing decision-making, and I've really enjoyed his game. So although Paula Riola...
Speaker: can fit into that role and he can essentially do some of the things that that new who does he is definitely a better offensive option still for this system the way that the sounders built out of the back the way that they play with three in the back having a guy like new who is is very important and um Now we don't have think about that. There's no need to figure out who's the replacement, although maybe for the future is going to be important to figure that out. But for right now, for Montreal, for a team that's in dire need to just gain points after they dropped or, yeah, they dropped points against that Dallas, ah we're okay.
Speaker: Yeah, I mean, I think this is pretty close to a, this you know, it's it's funny. As the Sounders fortunes have turned, so have their injury situations. We had the Deki one. We had the Jordan Morris one.
Speaker: And now we have Nuhu, where there was some concern that they were seriously hurt and maybe they were going to miss some time. Now it's looking like in all three cases that will have come back and it's nothing too, too, too problematic.
Speaker: So that's, that's good. But they they really don't want to be messing around too much with Montreal. Montreal is a team who is suddenly a serious contender for the wooden spoon. They are still trailing Sporting Kansas City for the wooden spoon race.
Speaker: But they have bigger things in mind. At this point, their season is done. I'm sure there's some pride on the line. there's These are professionals. They want to win every game. But their focus is going to be on...
Speaker: on Wednesday when they're playing Toronto FC in the Canadian championship. That is their whole season. And so the worst thing that Sounders can do is give them any hope because this Montreal is going to come to this game.
Speaker: They're flying across the country. They are to be looking for any excuse to bail out of this game. And it's on the Sounders to give them reasons. Get that first goal early, get a second goal, and and put the game away.
Speaker: And having Nuhu in there is a good way to kind of put it all to bed. Because the last thing the Sounders wanted to do is introduce a new variable into a game where they just don't need new variables.
Speaker: i Paul Areola might be a decent left back. And there would have been a certain, I don't know, ah cosmic justice to the Sounders not having any left back plan, having a clear backup left back and then being forced to use that left back down the stretch.
Speaker: But I'm not interested in cosmic justice. I just want to see the Sounders win some games ah and having Nuhu clearly the best for everybody. That's the best case scenario. scenario Yeah.
Speaker: I think we talk a little bit about the Dallas game, but just to kind of finish. don't want to move on too much. No, and but yeah feeling like no no, no. But but but to to give you actually a lot of credit for you're kind of opening with right here is because this does have the elements of a catch game. And I know we hate the cliche and I know we talk about it all the time, but it is something where along the lines of a team that it's a very fluid concept to be generous explaining Montreal.
Speaker: Sometimes they play with a back of three. Sometimes it back of four. Sometimes it's a three, four, two, one. Sometimes it's a four, two, three, one. Sometimes it's Rios up top. ah Prince of Wales wasn't part of the lineup against Atlanta. Atlanta completely ran him over three zero.
Speaker: ah The coach looks like he's on edge, like getting ready to blow up. I mean, there's a lot of weird things with this team where, as you said, Jeremiah, if you give them any reason to be optimistic to get.
Speaker: Right. some sort of of balance to grow into a game, it could be ah a bad problem ah for the Sounders. So speaking of that same sense, I mean, if we go back to the Sounders game and how that game played out,
Speaker: it's similar to what could could happen against Montreal because you were the better team against Dallas from the very beginning. You created more opportunities. XG was completely in your favor. In that first half, you had at least five opportunities that you should have probably put away.
Speaker: Deki was visually, physically, you could see it, frustrated with his performance, with what was going on. I think that weighed on him as the game went along. He had a couple of really good opportunities. One is a Polariola, kind of a chip overpass that gets him wide open, kind of driving into the 18. He doesn't put that away. He gets a little back heel flick, not as...
Speaker: Easy to make, but he wanted that to go in. There's an opportunity inside the box. I think it's of a Seba assist that he is unable to put away. And you can kind of see that kind of weigh on him. I asked Brian about it today. And, you know, he kind of said that that's Preki. You know, he's the Serbian. He's the one that...
Speaker: doing his native language, making sure that he's good. But Brian seemed too worried. um ah Not either. But this kind of goes to what you're
Speaker: going in right again. i'm not saying that this is a game that was all be all to the point that it's just going to completely erase everything that you've done well. It's not going to kill all the momentum. But it's definitely a setback in what the team had been doing.
Speaker: Yeah, look, they they had been winning. They had been not losing. They were on a nine-game unbeaten run. They were on a four-game winning streak. And this is a loss. I mean, that's just there that that's those are the simple facts.
Speaker: But I do think that if you if we peel back a little bit, and the Sounders have earned the sort of the breathing room to do this, where they can drop a game like this, where, and honestly, thanks to the New England Revolution game, if they had drop point if they if they had drop points in New England this result would seem a lot worse but because they took care of business and they won against New England, they could afford, this was a kind of a bonus game. It would have been great to have. They would have been sitting, sit I guess they still would have been seventh in the table, but they would have been one point behind l LAFC with a game in hand. That's obviously a much better position than four points behind with a game in hand.
Speaker: They, but they do still technically control their own destiny for six because if the Sounders went out, that would include a win over LAFC. that would mean that they are they they would jump LAFC. So they still technically control their own destiny for the six the number six spot.
Speaker: So again, not a disaster. But what they're able to do is look at this game and say, look, especially in the first 35, maybe 40 minutes, that was about as good as they'd look in months. i mean, honestly, I think those first 35 minutes were maybe better than any of the New England games, any chunk of the New England game.
Speaker: Deki, I think they did a very good job. ah He did a good job of finding space. They did a good job of finding him. Those are positives. Because if you look at, he had scored four goals in his first five games.
Speaker: But a lot of those goals were golasos. They were not necessarily repeatable actions. Everything he does, I suppose, is somewhat what a repeatable action. sure But you don't build, they aren't high quality chances. He was making the most out of them.
Speaker: He got probably three or four very good chances in this game. He didn't finish him. That's a bummer. That's frustrating. But I think we can find positives in that he was able, the Sounders were looking for him.
Speaker: He was getting into those spots. and And I think he kind of go down the road. ah You know, the maybe the most frustrating miss of the night, though, was the free kick that Albert Rusnak sent into the box.
Speaker: Jackson Reagan is essentially alone in front of goal. He gets a slight touch on it. He does not get the touch they wanted. Danielle makes a save, but that was probably the Sounders highest probability chance. They score that one.
Speaker: I really do think the game changes completely. There's a good chance that they see this one out. Because as soon as Dallas was not pushing for a goal, or as soon as Dallas really did not create a lot of danger. They had that one, they had a couple of decent chances that Musa kind of made on his own. And then they look, that was a great finish.
Speaker: It was probably not something like there's nine times out of 10. He sends that into the, into the Dallas beer garden or whatever's back there. It was, i guess, don't I don't find a lot too frustrating. Like, there was a lot to fix in the game.
Speaker: Jackson Reagan was kind of sloppy with his passing. The build-out was bad. build-out in general was kind of bad. I was surprised at how much trouble FC Dallas gave the Sounders in terms of their repressed. But in terms of the Sounders' ability, once they got through that first line of confrontation, they did a really good job of of creating chances. And I think there was more I was encouraged by in that game than discouraged.
Speaker: I would agree. The thing, though, that go took this whole thing is essentially you have to be able to win these games and regressing in the area of finishing chances is never good. And it's not just Deky. So you make a good point.
Speaker: Was the Reagan chance. It was a Polariola breakaway where he rushes a pass that he's trying to find Seba and he ends up getting intercepted. He didn't have the face on it.
Speaker: It was a missed opportunity. There is a Jordan Morris opportunity that also missed a couple of actually. So the team should have done better with what they got. But to your point,
Speaker: It's not something that you think is concerning going forward, right? it It's a circumstantial game.
Speaker: That's what happens. Soccer can be circumstantial. It ends there. It was a bad night for Deky. It was a bad night for finishing. Overall, the goal, as you mentioned, b Brian talked today about doing better in in the set piece and you know where we all, where we needed to be, ah having a killer instinct to ah maybe pushing forward and not allowing, um Eki?
Speaker: Man, I was... ya Kayak. Kayak, I think was the last thing. Yeah. To make that finish. that What's funny is that if you look at the the re-service, i don't remember who does it, but the Dallas player is trying to put it back into play and he totally like shanks it with his head it just kind of falls right to Kayeke I mean that that's literally what happens it's not even like something that was designed to be there and he just puts it away it's phenomenal shot it's as you mentioned one out of ten he connects perfect has all the pace there's nothing that Thomas can do but again there's little things around it that you can do better and beyond that
Speaker: Dallas does a good job. They move into like this 5-4-1. They're a good team. They take away a lot of their spaces. They foreshadow come get them. The wingbacks are good. We talked about Shaq Moore. I love Shaq Moore. He's ah a very good balanced fullback that that can attack very well, can defend well. Valiente was dangerous. And Seattle did give them opportunities off of once again.
Speaker: giving up the ball in vulnerable role positions. There was some Jackson Reagan in there. There was some Christian Holden in there. There were some Alex Holden moments that he wishes he has back. So you got to be able to shore that up as you move forward. But again, to me, it feels like you could put them in the and say, this game was not the way we wanted to go.
Speaker: Now we go against Montreal. We fix all those things and we should be okay. Yeah, look, if they create nearly two XG, they're going to win. They're going score goal. Like, this is a team that, like, any team that creates that many chances.
Speaker: They had seven chances in this game that were either good or even great chances by XG. they had two would They had two big chances, according to Opta.
Speaker: the they They were creating chances. This is my point. And I get much more worried when teams aren't creating chances. And look, like I think you could look at the Chicago Fire game as a good example.
Speaker: There was some false dawns in that game. They got two goals. Decky looked great, but they didn't really create a lot of chances and they gave up a few chances. This is kind of the opposite.
Speaker: ah This was a game where they where they didn't give up a whole lot, where they created a bunch on their own. And if they if they do that against Montreal, I think they'll take care of business. But they do really need to take care of business. They've got five games left.
Speaker: I figure they need to win at least three of those to finish outside of the playing game. And they should they should be targeting at least sixth.
Speaker: Maybe even fifth is still very much realistic. I think this loss probably puts fourth a little too far out of reach just because there's so much. I agree. So much has to go right for them. But look, they've they've got home games against Montreal, Houston, LAFC.
Speaker: They win those games. they are They are in great shape. They don't even need to worry about the road game against Vancouver and then the road game against the other road game they have.
Speaker: uh vancouver vancouver and geez i guess we should know this stuff yeah i know this no i i think it is a vancouver and let's see god we uh i don't know why no but but it's our talk myself into trouble here no no go ahead go ahead and as you look it up san diego san diego that's and not that's the other game which is the next game after montreal Yeah, so in San Diego is a team that, and we've talked about this today at the training grounds, Jeremiah.
Speaker: but when we When I look ahead, I mean, none of these teams are Very organized defensively, which I think it's where where the Seattle Sounders get into trouble still to this day, is where they do get teams that are very solid structurally when it comes to being sitting down spaces, not playing very open. None of these teams necessarily do that.
Speaker: Montreal, San Diego either. you saw a crazy 3-3 game between Houston and San Diego over the weekend. And that's kind of what you got ahead. So as long as the Sounders can continue to build on what they have been doing right,
Speaker: little be okay what What I would say about this particular game is that it's clear that Brian, in my opinion, needs to start figuring out that ideal 11.
Speaker: yeah And he's got to be able to run it to the ground at times because you you have no more margin for error. Maybe this was the last game that you can give up. So if you're in a, it's a short week and there's a midweek game, you might have to just start some guys over and over again and, and try to build some continuity.
Speaker: In this one, I don't know why not Dodson. Snyder-Bernel did a great job, right? i mean i'm I'm not saying that he didn't. But again, to me, building that continuity is important. Jordan Morris came off with dub, so I get that one.
Speaker: I don't know what happened with Yamar. Maybe obviously his first game back, he played a lot of games. Yeah, I think they're just kind of being careful. So you want to be careful. But at some point, you're going to have to figure it out. Really get this thing going.
Speaker: in that dimension because when you have a team that builds continuity, you have a team that's ready for playoffs, and that's what you're goingnna have to do moving forward. Montreal, again, is it's ah it's a game that you can maybe look at and say, if not easy, is one that you should win. If it's not a must-win, it's a should-win. I think you've got to put this, this is a must-win game.
Speaker: Oh, with it. Must win. how They got to win this. I mean, again, this is not to make the playoffs. This is if you are serious about contending, and we've said this before, I guess, and they didn't necessarily win those games. But if you're serious about contending in the conference, you got to win home games against Montreal, who is the maybe the worst team in the league.
Speaker: ah But I'm with you. At some point, they need to figure out their best 11. Brian, you asked him about that today. And Brian basically said, look, this is a ah busy week.
Speaker: We're making, we're we're rotating. We're trying to keep guys healthy. To your point, Hassani Dotson, I think, is still, they're they're being a little careful with him, I think. I think that they, with him, they just want to make sure that he's fully back.
Speaker: I was a little surprised he didn't come in at some point in the game. Brunel, I thought it was a step forward. These last two games were step forwards for Snyder Brunel, who has been up and down this year.
Speaker: i thought he looked sharp. I thought, especially against New England, he looked really sharp. In this game, I thought this was a better game. He came very close to scoring a phenomenal goal where he takes it he takes it down. and you I just thought it was a great play.
Speaker: So I'm okay with that. I suspect Dotson will be back in this game. And then we got, who who do else do we think, who you asked specifically about Ferreira.
Speaker: sort of insinuated that he doesn't quite feel that Ferreira is healthy. which fair enough, I suppose. Yes, it was his first game back. ah Well, not second game. And, you know, he he probably should have more minutes against New England. He didn't. He got like 10 minutes in this one. He got 30.
Speaker: So maybe you're building him up. But you you have to make that choice. And I don't know. I heard some. And you guys might be able to comment if you guys want, but I heard some mixed reviews on Jesus. I thought that he was good. Obviously, he's... I've always said this.
Speaker: Jesus is not a come-off-the-bench guy. He needs to... game He needs to grow into the game. He needs to be a starter. ah He's a guy that, to to me, is key for what the Sounders want to pretend to do with Deke and his ability to just play inside. He's in their best 11. He's in their best 11. And he there was a point where he hit Deke twice inside the A.
Speaker: I forget if he shoots. And goes back to Jesus. Jesus finds him again on the 18. So just his ability to create chances to me is great. He's pressing all these things. So I don't know what you thought about him, Jesus, but I thought he was good i thought when he came on. Yeah, I mean, i I will say that one of the things that happened late in that game is, you know, I was joking around.
Speaker: i called it a two, seven, one formation because it was like, there was two center backs and there was a striker. And then there was a whole bunch of other guy. I mean, I don't know the, you had Clark on the field. You had areola on the field. You, i mean, you had all the offensive pieces and in from a pure talent perspective,
Speaker: The kitchen sink was out on the field. They were just like, whatever. We got skilled players there. Everything you had. Everything you had. I appreciated the look. It was a little chaotic. yeah I think that, you know, I could not tell you what position Jesus Ferro was playing for the last 10 minutes. He was sort of just like roaming all around.
Speaker: But given the chaos, I thought he did fine. think that that's probably not how Brian would prefer to attack games. But I don't know. I thought he was totally fine. I'm convinced that he is going to be part of the best 11 for the Sounders.
Speaker: This week, though, let's let's zero in a little bit on what we think is going to happen on Saturday. Probably Yamar gets back in, we would think. 100%. Reagan probably plays again. Yep.
Speaker: Nuhu and Alex. Nuhu and Alex, probably. And then Dawson and Roldan. Yes. And then what do we think going to happen? So you'll obviously Rusnak and Deki and then probably Morris. And then who starts, who's the other winger?
Speaker: Just to the fire in this one. Again, you got to try to figure out how to unlock him. And I would rather you play him 45 if you have to. Right.
Speaker: And pull him off at halftime rather than wait to put him in the 70th and the 60th minute because that's not his game. So if you want the best out of Jesus Pereira, you need to get him in rhythm. You got to be able to provide him confidence and you need to use them like you're a coach hoping that that player is one of you the pillars of your offense. And as much as that might not be something that I think, you know, Brian's going to do because he's not necessarily going to to someone. I feel like it's important to provide that sort of confidence. So I think starting them is key.
Speaker: Seba, we talked to him today. said all the right things, right? I mean, I'm just trying to grow. I don't care what I play, right or left, feel better on the left. But, you know, I continue to just want to earn my my minutes.
Speaker: Ooh, so get him off the bend. Be very good. Get your sure players at the right at the right moment so to me i would start jesus on the right jordan morris on the left obviously uh alba rosnak at 10 who who was very good in that game by the way yeah again yeah he was one of the players that was very consistent against dallas he created a bunch of chances and so you have to play him there and then joe village mean you are hoping that he has a revenge game because he was just
Speaker: When you have a guy of the mentality of Dejan Jovilić, he's probably going to be the hardest guy on himself. And he's probably looking back at this game and saying, I should have striked the ball better here. I should have pushed myself here. I should have made this run.
Speaker: So I expect him to have a really good rebound game against a bad Montreal team. Yeah, I totally agree with you there. ah One of the things I did love about Deki is he spent, i don't know, maybe five or ten minutes after...
Speaker: basically after training, while a lot of the starters had gone in, just doing finishing drills. Yeah. And you kind of love that about, like, the more I see I'm around Dejan Jovulic, the more I just really love his whole his whole deal. Sure. I like how he's both...
Speaker: seemingly approachable to teammates, and yet he carries himself with a gravitas of, I'm not going to get bogged down in in the silliness. There is a sense that he can just play, play, play, that he's good at conserving his energy when he needs to and pushing when he has to. i'm just i like his work ethic.
Speaker: I love his play, obviously, but I do think that there's a lot to like about this player. i really am. i look not to get too sidetracked on this, but if the one, move the, the one move they made this, the one big move they made this summer could not honestly have been any better, any better.
Speaker: Yeah. Or fit any better. just, you have to really tip your hat at the booth. Now, another thing that I learned this week is that, Paul Rothrock wants to come now. Yeah. i mean, he, he has been pretty steadily ah doing a lot more individual workouts. He starts forming up with the team today. You know, we asked Brian about it. He's still ways away along with Kim Kihi, but,
Speaker: I just see it in Paul, the way he comes into that training field. He understands that he wants to get back if hopefully before the playoffs and may be a contributor to this team. So it's good to see that.
Speaker: Um, think a guy that as always adds another piece another tool for brian have when you're in an elimination game and you really have to figure it out it'd be great to have paul areola so all in all i think that regardless of how this road trip went i think that if anything they might have dropped a point because to me they were going to win one and they were going to draw one they won one and they didn't draw the second and one And and that obviously now that puts a bigger emphasis into you being at home and you have to make that count.
Speaker: But I just think that to find their way And they're I feel like they're one step away. ah Brian said he was going to talk to me after this Montreal game, and I'll tell you about that starting XI. I really do feel like that's the case. Once all these guys are in full form, I think that you know we're going to be able to see a better version of the Sounders. No, I do think that that's the the best thing that weve we saw out of this road trip, I think, is just that you can...
Speaker: You can believe. I think that what they did is they gave belief that they can go toe to toe with the best teams or some of the best teams in the league. And, you know, who knows? How do they match up with Nashville?
Speaker: i don't know. That would be a great problem to find out. How do they match up with the union? Again, great problem to find out. But in terms of who they are actually going up right now, I just i don't think there's any reason for them to be worried.
Speaker: ah St. Louis looks super hot. Vancouver, that was a great game that they played with Vancouver. Vancouver still looks dangerous. But I'll take the Sounders' chances against those teams. ill ah Dallas is is right up there as well. And I thought that they, for the most part, outplayed them.
Speaker: So i'm I'm feeling pretty good about what we learned about the team this week. Yeah, look, honestly... They said last week there is a tier of their own between Vancouver and St. Louis.
Speaker: And I think the Sounders, by winning as many games as possible, they could avoid those two teams early. And the playoffs are about just getting in rhythm and heating up.
Speaker: If you're able to avoid that, give yourself an opportunity to maybe cash in on at least some home field advantage. And essentially you having some real momentum, Anything can happen.
Speaker: But I'm with you in the sense of when you look at the West, there isn't a team that I feel like the Sounders cannot beat. Again, St. Louis, phenomenal team, and it would be extremely difficult. not going say that it wouldn't. That would be difficult.
Speaker: if we're in San Luis, I think the Sounders would not be underdogs and against any of these teams going into the playoffs. Who, Houston? Who, Dallas? I mean, yes, like you just had a crappy game, but just I just wouldn't feel like they would be heavy underdogs against any of these other Western Conference teams. Absolutely.
Speaker: Absolutely. And so I think, like I said, this is these are all positives. I think that yeah i said earlier in the week that two points needed to be the minimum that they we should target. They got three.
Speaker: to your point, four points would have been a phenomenal window. They fell a little bit short there, but I don't think there's anything, any real reason to be discouraged. It's, it's remarkable to turn around that they've undergone in the last month, really. Like I would say even more so than the two months where this unbeaten streak started, the winning streak has really been a different team, I think, ah or was, a day you know, they're not in it anymore, but,
Speaker: It's I think I feel good.
Speaker: hey everybody. David Goss here with soccer wise and your continental tire MLS minute as we are back from international break and we came back flying into MLS action. We'll cover all of it on this week. Soccer wise. We're also going to dig into the U S women's national team who so far have lost their first game to Spain. We will talk about all the news around the midweek games coming up in Major League Soccer. We'll still look back on the USMNT's camp with the four matches that they played and talk about so much more. So make sure to join us. Let's dig into the news from the weekend. and MLS came back, as I said, on fire. Let's start with St. Louis.
Speaker: whose win streak is now tied for the longest unbeaten at 20 games in MLS history. They blitz the l LA galaxy out the gate with Carlo Holsa getting a hat trick in 21 minutes as the team was up five, one by halftime. St. Louis are roaring and they've got a big game this week as Wednesday, they face off against the Vancouver white caps who clinched their spot as the first team in the Western conference to clinch their spot in the playoffs. They did so.
Speaker: After a seventh minute red card on the road at LAFC for Tristan Blackman, LAFC under their new interim manager trailed one zero, ended up drawing one one. So that now is a top of the table clash between St. Louis and Vancouver on Wednesday night in the Eastern conference. There was history as well.
Speaker: Philadelphia, 13 matches now unbeaten and it is the best points total across 13 games in MLS history and two individual set history as well. Ryan Richter 11 wins in two ties is the best 13 game span for a coach to start their career in MLS. And he has done so partially off the back of the young Kevin Sullivan, who now with 21 goal contributions on the season has the best teenage goal contribution season in MLS history. He surpassed Diego Fugundes who had 20 in 2013 and had already surpassed Alfonso Davies 19 back in 2018. But in the Eastern Conference, the Goss curse continues. I said NYCFC were inner circle MLS Cup contenders. That has fallen off and now they are outside the playoffs looking in after a major mistake from Matt Fries in a game they were leading 1-0 in Chicago and that led to 2-1 loss. Then this week, I said the Rebs looked great.
Speaker: The Rebs got smoked by a resurgent Seattle Sounders team at home 3-0 and dropped from second to fifth. So who will I curse next? Tune into SoccerWise this week to find out. Charlotte are one of the teams that jumped the revs. They were trailing 2-0 at home to FC Dallas, who were powered by Petar Moussa, who's now 19 goals. He's the best single-season goal-scoring mark in FC Dallas history. Charlotte had three goals, though, in 20 minutes in the rain to come from behind. Ivan Angulo went coast to coast.
Speaker: For Orlando, Maxime Kropo made a save. Angulo started the attack in his own box, finished it off in the Columbus box on the other side for a 3-2 win. And the weekend started with a Canadian Class C come from behind victory for TFC at home over Montreal as they cling to their playoff hopes. As I said, midweek action in MLS, and there are some big ones. Chicago hosts Vancouver, but the biggest is going to be that St. Louis. Vancouver game. We will also have a special U.S. SoccerWise show on Wednesday coming off the back of the second U.S. Women's National Team Spain game. So make sure to tune in for all of it. This has been your MLS Minute presented by Continental Tire.
Speaker: Thank you for listening to the Sounder Heart Podcast Network, which recently added Monday Soundcheck to our roster of shows. Soundcheck airs live on Mondays at 1 p.m. You can watch it on our YouTube channel or listen to it at your convenience, however you consume podcasts. It joins a roster that already includes Nos Adietes, which airs on Wednesdays and Fridays, and the Cooler Guild, who cover the Seattle rain. If you like what you hear, please consider becoming a member of Sounder at Heart.
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Speaker: We're also looking for sponsors. Send an email to partners at PNW soccer media.com and we'll get you all set up. Thanks for listening. ah Do we want to talk a little bit about Montreal? I do want to touch on this election that's coming up because the ballot went out this week. Yeah. but Before we get to that, why don't we, do we have anything else we want to say about Montreal?
Speaker: Alexis Sanchez, uh, Footballing legend. Legend, absolutely. Not one of my favorite people in this world, but very good player. Not done much for Montreal, as you might expect. Prince Owosu did not play against Atlanta. And he wasn't injured. list. understand what was going there. not really sure what happened there. Daniel Rios, I've always liked. He's one of those...
Speaker: laborers. One of those guys that it's always going to contribute. He's been in Atlanta. He's been all around. I really like his play, but he's nobody that you would feel like he's going to be unbelievably difficult to manage. I think Cardona, Carmona, he is probably their most dangerous talented players uh wiko carmona is a guy that has a very good mid-range shot he's an excellent passer he is uh very good on the ball a i would not discount him taking a couple of chances from either set pieces or or from mid-range so you got to be able to i'd be careful with that daniel perreira is a guy that i've always liked as well the
Speaker: solid, very consistent in his game. He's a good dual holder in midfield. But the problem with this Montreal team is the collective. They are awful defending inside the box, which is good for one, Dejan Jovlic. I think that he's going to feast on that regard. They have really...
Speaker: real difficulties stopping wide play as well. ah Transition moments are not great for this team. They don't have necessarily anything that they're weighed at. So lot of grit of moments that that have led to really good results. but I think on the road in this particular game, people expect this team that is good.
Speaker: Other than the fact that the team you have nothing to lose. You are the heavy underdog. You're going to come in here. You're going to try to take a swing at this team. And whether you win or you whether to win or lose, it's really going to be turn, but it gives you less pressure.
Speaker: And that can make it a difficult game. Yeah, so they've only won two road games this year. The last time they got a result on the road was way back in August 19th.
Speaker: They beat Columbus Crew 2-1. Their other win was essentially at the beginning of the season when they beat Red Bull. ah 3-0, but they they have not been a good road team to your point.
Speaker: They will likely rotate some this week. the ascent Best I can tell, they used their ostensible starters against Atlanta. That was a home game. That was in conference. That was a game that they probably thought that they could potentially get points from. Aside from Owusu, who did not play, who did not even suit up for this game. Again, I don't know why that was. I don't either.
Speaker: Daniel Rios started at striker. So maybe a Wusu gets back into this game, but Alexis Sanchez started. ah Carmona started in this game. Pereira started in this game. Longstaff started. These the other sort of starting central midfielder.
Speaker: Jalen Neal started in this game. i mean, this was, this, this was essentially their starters for the most part. I guess Samuel Piet did not start. ah There's, there's a couple of kind of random players that, that maybe didn't start that. I suppose they could, they could put out a slightly better group when they placed the Sounders, but this is not a team that the Sounders should be worried about who they are starting in Brian Schmetzer's voice or words.
Speaker: we got to worry about ourselves. If the Sounders play their game, they should win this game 2-3-0. Easy. easier I mean, that that's just the way it is. I mean, they've given up 59 goals this season.
Speaker: um Set pieces were very easy for Atlanta. They didn't capitalize as much as $30 million dollars or $40 million dollars should get you in the offensive end. I actually thought that Miguel Alamaran got a little lucky on a couple of those goals against Montreal this week.
Speaker: But this a team that has a lot of difficulties with just some simple passing patterns centrally. So that's something that the Sounders have been really good at. I thought they were really good at it against Dallas. I thought they were very good at it against New England.
Speaker: A more structured, more physical team. What I will say is that I do want a little bit more of that
Speaker: demeanor that against New England and not so much against Dallas. Against New England, they were physical. They had... 11 in the first half or something to that degree. I want to see that from the Sounders just crash into players, be able to just get some of that that nastiness to to this team.
Speaker: I want to see that just built. Even if it's Montreal, even if it's not a team that you have any sort of relationship with because they haven't played a lot there's no rivalry or anything to that degree but just just do that you're at home respect starts at home like i always say that you gotta be able to make of of your home your stadium a fortress so be able to do that give your fans something to be excited about and built on this game moving forward so I agree with you. This is a must-win game. They have to be able to put together, and they have to be dominant in this particular game to just show that what happened against Lucian wasn't a fluke.
Speaker: It is about a team that is just getting hot at the right time. Yeah, they and they are a team that's likely going to gonna be somewhat aggressive. They have they've traditionally been a reason or this year they've been a reasonably aggressive pressing team, something the Sounders should be able to take advantage of, you would think.
Speaker: ah But they also have to be careful. ah Their offense is almost entirely Prince of Usu. Yes. He has something almost half their goals this year. It's kind of wild. like 20 goals. Yeah. And they're the only, the team only has 35 goals. So it's, it's been pursue show for them. If he is out, that's a, that's a big blow.
Speaker: But yeah, this is, we're all just putting in a lot of different ways. This is a game. The Sounders really should feel like they have to win i because it, if they don't win it, it makes everything a lot more complicated It turns those two remaining road games into that you're going to literally have to. Someone in the comment, actually, i will give credit here.
Speaker: CRS98 said that for the Sounders to feel like they can get fifth, they need to get at least three points from those two remaining road games because Houston's path is pretty simple.
Speaker: they only They do not have a lot of tough ah ah tough games. They're already on 46 points, and they're going to play Portland at home, I believe, and Minnesota.
Speaker: So that's those are pretty achievable points for a team that's been pretty good this year. And, you know, we'll we'll see. But, yeah, i look, the center's just got to take care of business. They should put out the best available lineup that they have.
Speaker: They get a week off. Should be fine. Yeah, i just Brian Savagos, he's been injured. um I don't know if he's out for the rest of the season, but he's a significant of injury that he went back out from Montreal. Very good defender. He was one of their pickups. I thought that one of the quality guys that they've had. So, yes, this is a Montreal team that should not give you any grief. You should be able to absolutely be able to dominate this game.
Speaker: Forward. Now, before we move on to the voting and kind of where the team is at, I will say this. I do hope that in this particular game, it's an entertainment for the fans. I want to be able to see the atmosphere hit another level as well. So as much as the team continues to grow, i want to see Lumen get back to being a, a,
Speaker: a place where when I'm watching the game from the press box, it feels different. And you've got to be able to build that moving forward. So whether that has to do as well with the team being able to be entertaining and get some goals and get some fans in seats as the decent goes along, I feel like that's going to be important. and This team always feeds off the fan base and and and building that back up – It's going to be just as important because I don't want to see one of these games that you and I are sitting there trying to count if it's 15,000. It's become like the the the popular thing in the press box lately.
Speaker: Yeah, so I do, you know, I don't want to challenge anybody, but I do hope that when comes to watch your team, you guys are part of the equation. If you're able to go watch them and create atmosphere, I think UCS is going be out there doing their thing, but I do hope put that outside of the scope of just the soccer things. But I've had a lot of questions from, you know, people who watch the game from other countries and they're like, Hey, what's going on?
Speaker: I kind of hope that that is something that comes kind of comes back as the season ends and and things start to become more, I mean, you see it, right? It gets colder, down on your square you know, everything, you know, you're going to feel like it's playoff, playoff time, it's playoff season. Right. And so you got to start feeling that hope that the fan base also follows.
Speaker: Absolutely. So that's maybe a decent transition into discontent that is clearly bubbling around as the the end of season vote comes up or the GM vote, which this year's vote has quite a lot of things on it. There's the GM vote.
Speaker: There is a constitution ratification. I think it's just simply changing the calendar so to reflect the 27-28 season. But then there are also or uh people up for the eternal legend sounders circle eternal legends is that right something to that no eternal sounder circle legends there you go there you go uh and we we did we kind of talked about that already But this week, since the GM vote became official, I wrote something that I thought did a pretty good job of laying out the objective case. Yeah, it was one of my one of my favorite pieces that you've written. I thought it was very good.
Speaker: Yeah, well, i appreciate that. And and i basically what I did is i i researched the record that the Sounders had under Craig Weibel, and I compared that to the four-year voting cycles for Adrian Hanauer and then the two separate Garth Logway.
Speaker: And look, the reality is that Craig's record is almost exact. It's very much in line with, you know, in some ways it was better. In some ways it was worse. But you take the big picture and it's very much in that same. It's comparable.
Speaker: ah And all and i and I bring that up because all three of those previous votes, the GM was easily approved. Landslide. Landslide election. And i understand that people are upset, and I'm not trying to diminish anyone being upset.
Speaker: There's reasons to be upset. There's reasons to be frustrated with the overall vibe around the team. But if you're looking for objective data and you want to compare apples to apples, I think it's an open and shut case. Craig Weibel does not deserve to be fired for doing essentially exactly what his predecessors did.
Speaker: Granted, there was no MLS Cup. That's a, there is, there was no champions league or valid things. He did win leagues cup, but look, I, and I, and and I, I do really understand that people feel like we should be contending for those big trophies every year.
Speaker: And that's a valid sort of feeling. But if, again, if we're going to be objective about this, I think it's open and shut, but there is a less objective, a more subjective way of looking at this.
Speaker: where I want to give some credence to fans who are upset, who don't like the the direction of the club, who want to send a message. And i and i can't tell them that what they're saying isn't totally valid.
Speaker: If you want to make essentially a protest vote, look, that's that's what this is about. This is not a... Elections are not always about objective data. And if folks want to vote that way, i don't think I'm in a position to tell them they're wrong.
Speaker: I think anybody who tells you that your vote is wrong is full of shit or he has or she has an agenda of wrong. It's that simple because, if look, if you don't want to vote for Craig Weibel because he is uub alumni or he's bald or whatever it is. and You don't like how he talks? You don't like the way he talks, whatever. i mean, go ahead and do that, right? Or you feel like this team should have ah two more and MLS Cubs than they currently have, then why?
Speaker: pre prerogative right we're never going to tell you i'm never going to tell you to not vote the way you're passionate about now our job or what i believe our job is is important is because it gives you some conscience it gives you some data it gives you some insight into what's going on i would be wrong to not sit here and tell you yes i mean look at the numbers look at the stats look at the record in that
Speaker: a um economical backin as as Garth Lagerwey did, and he didn't have the privilege of had brought in two of the greatest players in the history of the Sounders. Well, actually...
Speaker: three or four because you had Jordan there, you had Christian, you had Nico, you had Raul. And is that credit to Garland Laguerre? Absolutely. But it's a completely different era and you're kind of growing out of that. You had this generational talent.
Speaker: And when I looked at the numbers, I was sort of, I was impressed. I'm always a eyeball guy like I don't need the stats I really don't need them so I knew where I stood that Craig Weibel had done a good job with what he had regardless of having i miss here I miss there a circumstantial thing with a guy like Pedro de la Vega whatever is that you might see that that that hasn't gone your way you have won title won an
Speaker: greatest player in soccer history, arguably, in Lionel Messi here at home. I mean, there have been a lot of positives that have come around, regardless of, you're right, having some really bad moments. And you and I, Jeremiah, we have been critical of the lack of spending and the lack of not bringing certain players.
Speaker: Those things, too, what we have put out in multiple episodes and multiple podcasts, is that hasn't really come to Greg Weibel. Now, I feel like he has done a job that has unlocked the wallet of Adrian Hanauer. So why change it now? That's that's my, that's Nico Moreno's thought process. I feel like if you finally were able to get ownership, to commit, to get you a guy like Joe Vujic, that's going to be a franchise player, you went and picked up a really good you utility player like Kaden Clark that can have some potential, we'll see what happens next year. But to me,
Speaker: I'd sit here and tell you that I have any major reason to not vote for keeping Craig Weibel, although I don't have a vote. But however, if I did, i would vote to keep him in.
Speaker: Yeah. I think that's a good way of putting it because ah the i got some pushback on my article because I said the most important thing is that you vote. I'm not necessarily interested in telling you how to vote.
Speaker: But look, I'm not telling you how to vote, but I am going to give you information. Of course. And I think the best information that I can share is the objective data. It's not the, it's not the, everyone feels how they feel.
Speaker: Their feelings are valid. If they don't like, if they don't, like someone in the in the comments just said, we haven't won the Cascadia Cup during Craig Weibel's time here. That's enough for me. Or no, actually, I guess they weren't talking about Cascadia Cup.
Speaker: They were talking about, we haven't won an MLS Cup since Craig Wobble's here for me. That's the open and shut case. I'm out. Okay. Look, I'm not going to tell you you're wrong. I'm just going point to this is how I'm making my vote. I think this is this is this is important data. You can ignore it.
Speaker: If you've got a certain different criteria, if your criteria is I need ah one or two MLS Cup finals every four years, okay. Mm-hmm.
Speaker: I'm not going to, that's not how I'm voting, but that's, you're not wrong for feeling that way. I think the other thing that is worth keeping in mind, who do you expect to replace Craig Weibel if he gets fired?
Speaker: I don't know. I'm not, there might be someone out there. Maybe, maybe ah Adrian Hanauer can convince Garth Lagoe to come back. Maybe he can convince Chris Henderson come back.
Speaker: not out of the question. I don't think that's what's going happen. I think more likely it's going to be a hire from so within within or maybe another, you know, an up and coming type of person, but not someone who I i do not think that if you're most mostly concerned about the budget, the way that I'm mostly concerned about the budget, I don't know that someone else is going to have any more luck making that change than Craig Weibel has, who spent four years basically convincing Adrian Hounder to start spending some money.
Speaker: He finally got him to start spending some money. that's ah So hopefully that's going. Relationship to the point where Adrian Hanauer doesn't need a yes man. And that's the last thing you need. Going and getting a new guy that could potentially be a yes man is going to be a problem. It took Craig Robles some time to finally be able to get his way. And and so what why change that now?
Speaker: I love Galagra. Galagra is one favorite people on this freaking planet. But I just don't know if that is feasible Chris Henderson, no disrespect to him, also good guy, someone who had a really couragech close relationship with at one point in a time.
Speaker: If you can't do it with an infinite budget and a team that could put whatever player you want into your roster, I mean, is he a guy that you really want coming back? I mean, I'm not saying that it's a bad decision. just saying that there is no guarantee that what you guys want, which is this team getting better, winning MLS, MLS,
Speaker: I hate to say it, but go back look at the last NFL's champions. I mean, you had super teams winning this. There is Western Conference teams that are putting money into the rosters. It's just not easy win in this league. So I just find it very...
Speaker: laughable my way of looking at the game that we could feel like a GM has the right to come in and change or change the amount of money that goes into transfers GMs are there to manage the budget not to demand it and and so that's where we are now so I I just Again, our job, my job is to give you guys my opinion, my thoughts, my analysis with the insight that I have so you guys can make that decision.
Speaker: What I'm saying means nothing to you and awesome. boat Make your vote. That's all that really matters. Absolutely. Absolutely. I think that's that's probably a good place to end that particular part of the conversation.
Speaker: We won't find out for a few more weeks how this this vote is going, but if you are a season ticket member, You do have a vote. It's important that you find the voting link that is in your email and you but fulfill that obligation because it is an obligation. And I think the worst thing that can happen in all of this is that we take for granted that we have this opportunity to vote.
Speaker: I know there are folks out there who feel like if we don't vote to fire people, Craig Weibel, then we're not really exercising our full ability. That's a, again, a valid perspective. I don't necessarily feel that way, but I do think it's really important to participate in this whole process.
Speaker: That the annual business meeting is another big part of the of the democracy in sports, this vote on the eternal Sounders circle of legends, another big part of the vote.
Speaker: There are these little things that we get to do that are really unlike anything else in MLS. And I hope people are taking advantage of it. and And I, cause I think that's the only danger here is that we start to take this stuff for granted oh that we think it doesn't matter and that we start to and then we lose this because there is going to eventually be a year the,
Speaker: The ownership of the club is stuck by a ah ah someone in charge who is not doing a particularly good job. yeah and it it is going to be important for us to be able to flex that muscle.
Speaker: ah you know in I mean, that was the ah that was the vision that Drew Carey had, is that he was looking at the way that the Cleveland Browns the Cleveland Indians were. were run and how they just had the same people over and over again, running the the organization into the ground.
Speaker: The Sounders luckily have been a very good organization for the most part. And it's okay to demand better of them. um I don't have any issue with that. But again, I just think it's really important that people cast that vote.
Speaker: They participate in this process. By the way, you're not to get too much on a soapbox, but you if you are in Washington, your actual ballot also went into the mail this week.
Speaker: Make sure you vote in the actual election that's coming up in November. ah and this year it's more important than ever to make sure you put your ballot in a ballot box.
Speaker: Don't just put it in the mail. The mail is not the way, like even though we do vote by mail in Washington, it's a very secure way of counting the ballots, but the USPS is not necessarily, is is kind of going back and forth about how good they are about actually delivering the the filled out ballots.
Speaker: So drop that stuff in a ballot box. Make sure it gets to the, gets counted. You can track it. I know. just decided to get on a voting soapbox, but look for your actual ballot.
Speaker: and There's some really big initiatives in Washington that you need to vote yes or no on for budget cuts and tax. I mean, this is important without a doubt. Actually, there is a ballot box right next to Long Acres. There's a ballot box right across the street from us from me here, too. That's right. So there are plenty. Just go ahead and check them out and figure out where those locations are at.
Speaker: I know named Maple Valley, Maple Valley Library, there's a whole bunch of over there. So anyways, going back to at that the GM vote and everything. Your point, you're I mean, whenever you have a family that has oil the way the Sounders have. I don't mind you guys and everyone that wants this team to have continuous championships. Because when you had two MLS Cups, a Champions League Cup, I mean, of course, you you want to be able to have those moments again. But look, it's like it has been restored.
Speaker: I mean, you lose to the LA Galaxy, a team that went on to win this that that that that particular MLS Cup. Rigiput sold his soul, his career to win that cup. it's he He was never seen after that. So, you know, he had to do that for the team. I feel like against Minnesota, I mean, you had every chance to win that game.
Speaker: It was about execution. The players, just so many moments you could look at that game and be like, is that on Craig or was that on the player? So that's just the way I see it. I feel like this team has trained and had moments, had opportunities to make runs. They just haven't been.
Speaker: You had the biggest, offensive output, Sounders history in one of those seasons. So, hey, man, I just feel like if I didn't see progress in this team and I didn't see where there was a good builder roster and there was a team that was cohesive. And look, I really like the fact that Brian and Craig have such a good relationship.
Speaker: You want your coach and your GM be on the same page about a lot of things. So, hey, again, This is just us giving you guys some of the insight. um So, again, it's important to vote. Go ahead and get your vote out. Yeah. All right. Well, that's a good place, I think, to to call this.
Speaker: We're going to start trying to make buy or sell a regular feature, maybe not every week, but coming up. We may actually have a sponsor for that segment. So stay tuned if you if you really like to buy or sell.
Speaker: But with all that said, let's get out of here. I want to say thank you to our one of our actual sponsors, Full Pull Wines. want to say thank you to all of you for both listening and watching. We are still trying to iron out some of the kinks on the video side. Hopefully the audio is better. I know ah the Monday show had some issues.
Speaker: trying to avoid all that again. We rebuilt this studio essentially, but do tune in on Mondays. We go live with Adam race and Nico Moreno at 1 PM on Mondays. We will be doing that at least for the rest of the season.
Speaker: i don't know. if we've We probably won't do it in the, in the off season, but we might, I don't know. We'll see. do A couple. But we're going to keep doing these Wednesday or these Friday shows. Nos Adietes will be back. the The regular show with me and Aaron will be back next week.
Speaker: So lots of stuff to be looking forward to. Of course, be please be a subscriber to Sounder at Heart. We are a almost entirely reader and listener funded podcast. media operation. We need support from folks like you. If you like what we're doing, please become a subscriber.
Speaker: ah Please continue to listen, like, subscribe on YouTube. ah Leave us a review on your favorite podcast platform, all that good stuff. But let's get out of here. I'm Jeremiah Shan. This is Nico Moreno.
Speaker: This is Nos Adietes, part of the Sounder Heart Podcast Network, and we will catch you next time
Speaker: Let's go, and Sounders.
