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What We Learned This Week: IV the magazine is shipping!
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Niko joins Jeremiah on magazine shipping day to talk about Osaze de Rosario breaking out this pre-season and Hassani Dotson emerging as the top option in the central midfield. They also discussed what would constitute a good season in their opinions.
Follow Niko Moreno on BlueSky and YouTube.
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Transcript
Introduction and Seattle Sounders Highlights
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'Shaan. Let's go. The Seattle Sounders have done it. MLS Cup winners. Here comes Ruiz Diaz through the middle to crown it for Seattle.
00:00:25
Speaker
The Sounders rule the region.
Podcast Sponsorship and Interruptions
00:00:58
Speaker
what was the thought process in terms of who you decided to use and who you didn't? Ever since I wrote a commentary that we didn't take the outcome seriously.
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.
00:01:41
Speaker
Welcome back to another episode of Adientes on the Sound at Heart Podcast Network. I am Jeremiah Oshan. It is Friday. We are back at Long Acres and I'm here with Nico Moreno.
00:01:53
Speaker
Beautiful day in Long Acres. Strange one today. Strange one. We got interrupted by a fire alarm, a loud fire alarm. It's loud. extremely loud just for that. No one's going to miss that. Well, I guess think that's the point. yes I know. To be fair. To be fair. Yeah. It was funny because it comes on at first and you're like oh are we supposed to go outside? And then it's like, no, there's no choice. You got to go outside. There's no sitting through this. Yeah.
00:02:19
Speaker
It is wrong that we would think that. And I know that's everybody's thing. Like, it's possibly a false alarm that you're supposed to get out. But we did that. Still got to talk to some folks. I'd say that it was a good start of the day, though. You got to show the magazine. Oh, yeah. It was a hit. I know. So this morning I get a call at 9 a.m.
Magazine Release and Training Insights
00:02:41
Speaker
from a delivery driver saying, hey, I've got a delivery here for you. ah can you receive it? And I was at home and the delivery was at our new office because I needed, it needs a shipping.
00:02:53
Speaker
yeah i cannot take this at my house. And i had no idea it was coming. So i throw myself together and I go down to the office and I get it. And yeah, sure enough, we have a thousand copies of four, our new magazine. And I was able to bring it into the training today and hand them out and gave them to a bunch of people. And they all loved it. And I'm i'm very happy with the response it's getting so far.
00:03:18
Speaker
To me, it was how um you could really tell people were almost looking at something that they have forgotten existed. I know. But it was a ah almost like, this should all come back. i mean, keep hearing from people. like i mean magazine This sort of like magazine, this sort publication should come back. And to me, that was the biggest thing, Jeremiah. I agree. i was I was very happy. That was the response had.
00:03:47
Speaker
Wanted and it was the response that I got and I'm thrilled that people seem to enjoy it. So we'll take it, you know, we'll take it. And if you still want one, there are plenty still available.
00:03:59
Speaker
ah They're $15. You can get them on sounderheart.com. You will find links all over the the website. So I would urge you just to go do that. And we're having a release party A week from today on Friday, the 20th at Project Nine Brewing in the Maple Leaf neighborhood. We'll be there from five to nine. Andrew Thomas, the cover boy, is going to come. I'm sure he'll be signing issues. We are trying to get the League's Cup trophy there as well.
00:04:28
Speaker
And should be a good time. Some photo opportunities and everything. Exactly. do not do not miss out, man. But yeah, we're back at a training. We got to
Player and Tactical Analysis
00:04:38
Speaker
see the guys. That that was interesting. I like the vibes, Jeremiah, from the team. We got to at least see how they might set up yeah for their upcoming friendly against Louisville, and two, eventually facing Colorado. But you know what what what what have you learned? what what yeah What is it about this week of training that really kind of stands out for you? I think the maybe the single biggest thing is it looks like Osase de Rosario is in is very much going to be in line for minutes this year. i would not be at all surprised if he is starting against Louisville. He started against Bromby, no, Hammerby in the previous game.
00:05:15
Speaker
i at this point, fully expect him to start against... ah Louisville City. I don't know what will happen in the week after that. Danny Masofsky is obviously dealing with some sort of injury, but what it really illustrates to me is that Brian is open to this idea of playing Jordan Morris back on the wing, which I don't mind, you know, and and I thought you were right. I listened to Lobbing Scorchers and you pointed out that you still think it's good. Four, two, three, one, not a four, four, two.
00:05:40
Speaker
Fully agree. Jordan is playing wide. He is not playing up top. Now he will do a lot of forward stuff. He's going to get in the box. He's going to do all that kind of stuff, but his starting position is going to be out wide. He's going to be a winger.
00:05:52
Speaker
Especially because, and Brian alluded to this very early on, I think the first week that we were here, that he does want to try to add one more person into the attack. yeah And that one more person is going to be Nuhu. So there's going to be times where Nuhu is pushing up um up on that far side, on that flank, and then that will get Jordan to tuck in and become another second striker, allowing you to have more numbers in the box. And look, to be honest, again today, I saw Nuhu...
00:06:21
Speaker
two or three very good services into the box. ah Maybe a half inch of a misread on, um I don't know if it was Osase or Ferreira that were coming in to head or die ball. But I just think that it works for what the the concepts of play, you know, sometimes we get really caught up on the formation. yeah But when it comes to the concepts, I think that it really works because you do want a winger that can give you that two way approach offense and defense effort and i think jordan can do that right now on that wing side and can become a guy that's going to be dangerous in front of goal and like i said in love is quarters i think that right now if we look at who's healthy jordan is the most dangerous winger in terms of goals that you have especially on that side without pedro la vega Yeah, exactly. and I think when Pedro de la Vega comes back, presumably when he gets back to full fitness, it sort of sets it up so that he is ready to sort of slide in there. now
00:07:23
Speaker
The odd man out would seem to be Paul Rothrock, who has mostly been playing with the seconds. and But Rothrock also gives you an interesting option off the bench. I think we will see lots of Paul Rothrock coming off the bench. I think a lateency like a late game change, you could very easily see moving Jordan back up top, bringing Rothrock in on the wing.
00:07:44
Speaker
That would make a lot of sense, I think. And we're going to see a lot of fluid form... ah groupings, I think. Or even though they're not even though there's not a lot of fixture congestion, I think you know Brian today mentioned he feels like he has 18 starters, which obviously that is...
00:08:00
Speaker
coach speak Right, right. but i Don't think that literally. It does illustrate that he he does believe he has depth. And you know and i think a lot of that is like, you know you have a Snyder Brunel. You have ah you know potentially a Nikolo Petkovic. You have Rothrock.
00:08:17
Speaker
trying to think who else is it. You got Jojima Nungu. You got Paul Arriola. I mean, baly there is a lot of options there. Probably as many as we've seen in a very long time. I think the last year you were talking about you couldn't remember a a season where there were more competitions for more spots. And I feel like this year might be i know even more because it's like more numbers to specific roles. ah For me, what I would take out of this week, and it's something that was, I guess, hard to finally conclude because I was i encountered tough situation uh brian's metter early in the week and he he wasn't really giving me oh maybe the answers that i was looking for but today today specifically he gave me the answer you were looking yeah but finally he uh gave me the answer i was looking for and it sounds like a sunny dawson is the guy that right now was leading the the charge to hold on to His spot to lose, I think, is a good way putting it. Exactly. His spot to lose for Ovid's role, Ovid's position. yeah um
00:09:19
Speaker
Earlier this week, he had kind of mentioned or he felt like he was talking about more of a comedy thing. He even mentioned Albert Rusnak as you know dropping back a line, an option that I i do not like in the most And we asked Albert about that today. And albert and both Albert and and Brian made it sound like, yes, that's an option, but it's probably more of an option of when we're changing things up late in the game.
00:09:42
Speaker
you know And do to Albert's credit, he seems to be rolling with it. He doesn't seem to take it as anything other than you know we got to be all be flexible.
00:09:53
Speaker
i did enjoy talking to Albert today about the way that he's perceived, not just in the national media, but sort of among people outside the organization. And that somehow he is not considered an elite player.
00:10:07
Speaker
And i I guess I understand why people feel that way. And that he's never really contended or he's never a player that you're like pounding into your best 11. But if you look at his performances over the last seven, eight years, every year he is putting up 10 goals, 10 assists.
00:10:25
Speaker
You know, two years ago he had 30 combined goals and assists. Last year he was... Almost there again. yeah i think He had 25 goals and assists. He is an elite player. Now, is he the best number 10 in the league? No, no one's going to really argue that.
00:10:40
Speaker
But he is absolutely doing the work that the Sounders need him to do. and i And I don't feel like he gets as much credit as he deserves for being an exceptionally reliable, ah performing at an elite level player.
00:10:56
Speaker
you know He doesn't score all these highlight goals, but at the end of the year, he's always got his goals and assists, and it's not a bunch of penalties, and it's not a bunch of set pieces. it's He's finding ways to contribute all the time.
00:11:06
Speaker
Absolutely. and if you look at his stats, they're not that far off of guys that you at least hear about. You know, over the last couple of years, you used to hear a lot about um ah Martino Jada with Orlando, and then you compare the stats, and they're not that far off. And then you would compare them at one point a couple of years ago with Facundo Torres, and you looked at the stats, and it wasn't that far off. So, you know, it,
00:11:29
Speaker
there is something about, and I think Brian mentioned it. He's just not a sexy player is what he said. and And that is just, there's a couple of ways of getting that sort of hype. Sometimes it has to do with your passport. And he talked about, you know, where you're from, right? If you're Brazilian, if you're so from Spain, if you're English, ah there's also your play. Are you someone that's, you know, breaking ankles and beating guys off the dribble and scoring, like you said, highlight type of goals. But at the end of the day, it's about producing. And, know, That's exactly why i absolutely hate the possibility of bringing Albert back a line even. I know that there's going to be moments where that's but ah maybe a need, and we'll see where that goes. But to me, considering that it feels as if the Sounders...
00:12:14
Speaker
mythology to building the roster is a little bit of money ball. You want to keep those goal contributions closer to goal. You want to keep them in that attacking third. And that's where he's shined. That's where I feel like also learning from, not learning, but maybe being... um ah you know, being being being close to a guy that's as good in his pressing as Ferreira, I think it could be contagious,
Osaze De Rosario's Rising Profile
00:12:37
Speaker
right? yeah And I've seen a part of Albert's game where he is making more effort. I asked him a little bit about it today. That was funny. You asked him about his FIFA, card that his reaction to his FIFA card last year, and he was like, oh, I kind of got dinged on my defense more than I deserve. ah But I thought that was a good, i I enjoy talking to Albert in part because he can just be
00:12:57
Speaker
let his guard down like that and and be kind of real. ah But yeah, he, you know, defense is not his, his strongest suit. There are times when he does not seem like a huge part. He's not running around with like a chicken with his cut out, but I thought he actually did a good job of articulating His defensive philosophy, which is it's not about running as many miles as you can. It's about cutting off angles and it's about disrupting teams in ways that don't always show up on the stat sheet. And you don't see him out of position all the time. That's that's one of the things is that he's always in a spot where he's making it difficult for the opposition. He's not just a traffic tone.
00:13:35
Speaker
no and you You just don't want people over committing. And I think that's what he's going for. And I just think he's a very high IQ type of player. And to me, I'm excited to see year two of Ferreira and him just continue to grow that. They're going to play a lot together. And I feel like they're very well.
00:13:54
Speaker
You know, i go back to last year and that was one of the big questions was can Jesus Ferreira and Albert Rusnak be on the field together? And there was sort of this open question. And early on they did. They were a little bit of an odd fit. But by the end of the season, nobody was asking that anymore. No.
00:14:09
Speaker
they They looked very good together and you could even put them with Pedro and you have three players who in some ways have overlapping skill sets, but they all did little things differently that were a little bit better and they actually worked really well. And i' I'll be interested to see how that that works with with Jordan in there instead.
00:14:27
Speaker
Exactly. so so So for me, that's one of the main things that I learned is just that it feels as if that that pivot, it's going to be Hassani and Christian, and that is going to allow what worked last season offensively and and could keeping that continuity in your attacking end.
00:14:47
Speaker
be a main point of you starting the season off with traction, right? Absolutely. That's what you're building. You're building a team that is going to focus on collective play, cohesive play. And for me, you need to start to kind of put that puzzle together. And what you just mentioned about Osase, what we just mentioned about Hassani, it feels like Brian is starting to give the final touches to that final 11.
00:15:11
Speaker
Although let's talk a little bit about Osaze because he is a player who, you know, he had a great start to the season with... Defiance last year. He had 10 goals in his first nine games.
00:15:22
Speaker
And then he gets signed to the first team and he disappears a little bit. And then he gets this big opportunity in League's Cup. And he just takes it with both hands. He has one of the best goals of the season in the semifinals against the l LA Galaxy, where he just looks like an absolute beast. And he just destroys a couple different ah Galaxy defenders. Then he scores what ends up being the game winner in the League's Cup final against Inter-Miami. And then he basically didn't play again.
00:15:49
Speaker
I mean, he didn't. he I think he made one more start the rest of the year. He mostly was coming off the bench. He he had a hard time getting on the field. Unfortunately, the last memory we have of him is in the the playoffs where he he walks up to the penalty spot looking as confident as anyone I've ever seen. And then he hits an absolutely atrocious penalty that gets saved.
00:16:09
Speaker
The Sanders then go on to lose the shootout, obviously. But this preseason, he looks like a player who with a different level of confidence. He's not just happy to be out there. He is out there bodying center backs.
00:16:24
Speaker
He's pushing guys off the ball. he He looks so good against Hammerby that he you can see not just a good number nine. He looks like he has the potential to be a Every piece of the package type of number nine. He's good in possession. He's good in the box. He gets himself into dangerous positions. Now, one of the the weak points last year for him with the Sounders or in the first team was that he he wasn't necessarily clinical in front of goal.
00:16:54
Speaker
He did miss a few good chances. But man, I really like his game. And I think there's some real upside there. And I'm going to say something that might trigger some of our audience a little bit. Okay.
00:17:07
Speaker
You could look at Osase as a signing. and and i know And I know it sounds bad. I know it sounds bad. but But Craig Weibel over here. He's actually glad he didn't make a signing because you got he already had Osase. Yeah. And I only say that because, look, one of the guys that the Sounders were actively targeting and they were looking for the U-22 spot was Emilio Aristizal. He is a striker that I think he's at on paper at 6'2". I'm pretty sure he's like 6'1". Okay. Or He's a big guy. Are you suggesting that the listed height and weight of the players is not always accurate? Let me just say that I'd be i'd be like five eight And that's pretty sad if I was talking about it. But, yes. so
00:17:52
Speaker
He isn't going to Toronto. He isn't alone. But when you look at the profile, there's there's some similarities to what Osasic could provide. I'd say Osasic is even quicker and a little bit more explosive. um You know, he's 20 years old. He scored 12 goals in 36 matches for Fortaleza last season. that that That's Emilio Isisawa. He's son of Victor Ugueris Isisawa, one of the most legendary goal scorers in Colombian history. in Colombian league play. So interesting player. But but when you look at what Osas is providing and in the the ceiling that he can maybe give you this season, you could say that he's maybe you're U22. So again, I don't want to rub people the wrong way. and i and We still want a U22. I still want a U22. I'm not saying that. You can look at it if you wish as that case. But I agree with you. You're saying you got U22 at home is what you're saying. That's right. You got u to eat 22 at home. and And that's right. there No need to go out to to eat. So at the end of the day, I agree with you. I think that he's had a fantastic fantastic preseason. I think that he looks confident. He looks dominant. You can't teach size. He is someone that you can tell is hungry to kind of put his name. You can't teach confidence either. And he does have that. He has plenty of confidence. Yeah.
00:19:06
Speaker
He is a player who obviously he has a a famous father, a very, you know, his dad is a is ah an MLS legend. And I think he's been, you know, quietly.
00:19:18
Speaker
it's it's an interesting thing because it it feels like he's not afraid of his legacy. He understands where he comes from. But until he got here, it almost felt like it was more of a strain on his career. And for some reason here, it's been more of a it's been a nice it's ah an interesting anecdote. It's not something that's weighing him down.
00:19:37
Speaker
There's no expectations that are assigned to it. And maybe he got here at the right age. You know, he got here when he was, i think, 22 years old and he was sort of in the stage of his career where it was make or break.
00:19:48
Speaker
there was no more you're you know at 22 years old you're just not you're not a prospect anymore you need to start showing something and i think he everyone says that he looks at film as seriously as anyone he seems to really understand the nuances of play and you see it in his game i mean he's always in dangerous spots he's he's not shy about looking for contact he he understands his game and i think i i'm I'm really excited. I think if there's one player whose stock rose the most during preseason, I think it's Osaze. There's no question about it. And I don't know if it's the that that new clean kids, but he looks like he put on some muscle. yeah He looks toned, defined. I mean, he he looks like he's ready to to rumble just to start off the season. so But not all has been great, Jeremiah. There have been some concerns. And I think that ah it is the health of the team.
Team Health and Injury Management
00:20:42
Speaker
Yeah. So today we found out that Christian Roldan is dealing with some sort of Achilles injury. Brian did not seem overly concerned about it, but he was not training today. i wouldn't be at so at all surprised if he doesn't play against Louisville. And then next week will be the real, you know, if he's not training next week, it starts to become a little bit more of a concern. Uh,
00:21:01
Speaker
But that's not really the biggest concern, to be honest with you. The biggest concern is the center back health where, OK, great. Jackson, Reagan and Yamar are both healthy. That is the most important thing. But there is no other natural center back, healthy center backs on the roster right now.
00:21:16
Speaker
Ryan Saylor is hurt. He has not trained at all this preseason. Kim Keehi is hurt. He has not trained at all this preseason. And Stuart Hawkins is hurt. He has he hurt himself in the last scrimmage right before they went to Europe.
00:21:28
Speaker
And we don't have a clear timeline on any of them. Although Brian did say there was a chance that they might be back for the second game of the season. They were definitely already ruled out for the Louisville game as well as the Colorado game.
00:21:42
Speaker
And then we'll sort of see. But it's almost an inevitability that they're going to have to use an emergency call up right away Tino Lopez. I'd assume that's who it's either Tino Lopez or Galantine sadness. Who's a 17 year old who is not even signed to Tacoma defiance. That would be actually pretty weird if he got a short term loan,
00:22:04
Speaker
We're not going to don't need to get into that, but he's a junior in high school, so he's got whole another year of eligibility essentially before the Sounders really have to have to make a decision there. But yeah, Tino Lopez almost certainly is going to be at least signed to a short term loan. He might be signed to a short term loan the second week as well. And that's two of your four short term call ups you can give them. I mean, it almost seems inevitable that Tino Lopez is going to end up on a first team contract.
00:22:28
Speaker
Thank you for listening to the Sounder at Heart Podcast Network, which now includes Nos Adietes, Loving Scorchers, and The Cooler Guild. Although this podcast is free, it's only made possible through our paid subscribers. Plans start as low as $30 a year and allow us to remain independent and mostly ad-free. subscribers get access to all our written and podcast content, including a full text RSS feed and a mostly ad free podcast feed that includes every show in one spot. If you really like what we're doing though, I'd encourage you to sign up at our higher tiers, which include all sorts of various perks. The most popular of those is our members only discord or the real Sounders sickos hang out. I know I've called this group the smartest, funniest and best informed Sounders fans in the world, but it's more than the rough equivalent of a Sounders Mensa meeting. Discord is where we make things happen. Like, for real. You know the promotion the Sounders ran that offered fans the opportunity to trade in their messy jersey for a Paul Rothrock one? That originated in our community. You'll not only be the first to know about stuff, but you also have a semi-direct line to the movers and shakers at the Sounders organization. If you want to be one of the totally normal people who occupy the Sounder at Heart Discord, just become a supporter of Sounder at Heart. Anyway, thanks for listening, and go Ders.
00:23:43
Speaker
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00:24:02
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00:24:30
Speaker
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00:24:46
Speaker
I agree, especially when you look at the calendar. And yes, early is going to be OK. But once you get to the round of 16, you're going to have to figure out a couple of things because we we don't even know where ryans Ryan Saylor's at or know what type of form he's going to be in or how he fits within the squad. beat I mean, seeing him out on the at least Kim Kihei, we've seen out on the field. I don't think I've seen Ryan Saylor out on the field at all.
00:25:11
Speaker
No, no. I kind of wonder what happened. All preseason. that He's not touched the grass. Not at least with not when we've been here. I have the one picture of him in training gear just watching practice. That is it. So what does that mean? Where is he at? Kim, you know, at his age, how quickly is he there? It sounds like they're being careful, though. he sounds like they're just being cautious with him. So so maybe you're good there.
00:25:35
Speaker
Stu Hawkins continues to be someone that I'm concerned that this is so so so so constant. It is. And it's, you know, I like Stu Hawkins a lot. I think he is the potential to almost be a mix between Yamar and Jackson Reagan. He's got the size. He's got potentially the size of Yamar and he has the feet, it seems, potentially of Jackson Reagan. And I i like his game a lot.
00:26:02
Speaker
And it's it's really unfortunate that right when he was getting ready to get in gets start getting first team minutes last year, he gets hurt. He goes through, he gets healthy, goes through preseason. As soon as it looks like he, I mean, right now he would be the third center back.
00:26:18
Speaker
but He would like, I mean, he was in line for getting real minutes until he got hurt. So this is, this is a concern. Now, maybe this is something that, you know, he's still young. I think he's still 19 and maybe he grows out of this and we look back at this and no one cares, but,
00:26:34
Speaker
Right now, it's a little bit of a concern. Yeah. So because everything you just said, you have to start think of a makeshift. know Brian bit my head off because of the term, but we all know what that means is, you know, is it going to be Alex once again playing center back? Is it going to be Cody Baker who was one of the few highlights of that second game in Marbella, the last pretty decent game where the team lost 3-0? So can he do that? so
00:27:05
Speaker
in this last Louisville preseason game, you're going to want to see some of that. You're going want to see who are we going to rely on. You've got to start thinking about it now. I'm sure they are, of course, because what everything that Sanders do is very methodical. yeah And do not forget that. Because Brian will not let you we're not get away with that one. So I do think that that that is ah ah concerning aspect for me. And i would be I would feel better if they can just sign Tino Lopez.
00:27:34
Speaker
I mean, they don't have a lot of roster space, which I have to assume is the only reason that they haven't done it already. ah They have 19 of 20 senior roster spots open. They usually don't actually do that. They oftentimes only have 18 players signed. So they're already one. They only have one, scene one more senior roster player than they oftentimes do. And then they have kind of two supplemental roster spots. They have the 31st roster spot, which is,
00:28:00
Speaker
not really on the first team because they're, they're meant to be loaned down. And then there's one other supplemental spot. And the other guy that they're looking at is Peter Kingston, I would assume who, I don't know. I thought it was notable. He was taking corners for the seconds today. They like Peter Kingston a lot.
00:28:16
Speaker
And so I would have to assume that that's part of what's causing their, their delay is they're not quite sure how they want to use. Essentially they, have they really only have one roster spot open.
00:28:28
Speaker
Peter Kingston has convinced me more than Nikola Petsovic, and I've said this a couple of times, his versatility, his motor, and his set-piece skill, which does bring something else to the table. He took a lot of the set-pieces in Marbella, took a lot of the set-pieces today. I think they do like his delivery on the ball, so he is an interesting guy that would be another you know roster that you are going to to figure out. So my guess is they're going to assess yeah where their center backs are at and then make that decision then, which is perfectly fine, right? They have plenty of time. It's just that you do have to start to think about where going to put certain
Roster and Development Strategy
00:29:04
Speaker
resources. Right. and the there's the other player who sort of impacts that whole thought process is Yusuke Nome, who...
00:29:10
Speaker
is a very talented player who I like a lot. He's fun to watch, but if they don't necessarily think he has a first team role, it might be, they have more depth in the attack right now than they do absolutely elsewhere. And so I think that that could end up, because what they could do theoretically is they could assign you to this 31st roster spot, essentially send him on and then kind of commit to putting him on loan for a ah time.
00:29:36
Speaker
And then, you know, that potentially would allow you to sign both Tino Lopez and Peter Kingston. I don't know how much we really want to talk about it. The defiance roster is finally starting to come together, though. They did sign an an interesting player today. He's a 19 year old ah who they they signed from ah Union, Omaha.
00:29:57
Speaker
And I'm going to don't want to butcher his name. So I'm going to he's and he has a little bit of an interesting story. so ah let's see here. His name is Mark Bronick. He is someone who was playing for the Barcelona residency Academy. So he was playing here, ah but he was in the Barcelona system.
00:30:18
Speaker
And then he moved to union Omaha, sort of in a way to position himself. And he won USL league one young player of the year last year. I think he had seven goal, six goals and 27 league appearances. He's an interesting player.
00:30:32
Speaker
i do. I will say, i do like the way that the defiance, Continue to sign players. with the idea that they have ah a real pathway, you know, that they, that's one of the, and I think this is a its a farm system. Exactly. And I think that that's, is a great example of a type of player.
00:30:50
Speaker
You probably aren't able to sign if you are just sort of filling out your defiance roster, but this is also why you sign you, Suka no may after course, after he has that season is that you're showing future players. Look, if you perform with us,
00:31:05
Speaker
you will get first-team contract, if not first-team opportunities. And the Sounders have done, I think, a better job of illustrating that than anyone else in the league. Come here, show your stuff with the Defiance, and we'll move you forward.
00:31:20
Speaker
And I like the that the New Zealand... Actually, I can't think of better... No, I mean, Osase... There's no better pathway. Kalani, Osase, even Danny Leiva won't be there a lot. I bet you half the players on the first team got their professional debut on Tacoma Defiance, which is a crazy stat. Yeah, I totally agree.
00:31:41
Speaker
So for me... ah Yes, I do think that that is, maybe the Suns don't get enough credit for that because that it takes it takes talent. It does.
00:31:53
Speaker
It takes assessment of projection and where do you want to hit your roster and the profile of players that you're getting. So talent acquisition. So to me, might not fancy and it might not be splashy, sexy, but it's definitely sustainable and effective. Right. You know, they aren't signing $3 million players to Tacoma Defiance like other teams are.
00:32:18
Speaker
That has, you know, and and I, you know, let's give Charlotte credit. They have spent a lot of money on bringing players into their second team. Nikola Petrovic one of those players, but they have also hit on a few of those guys. Sure, of course.
00:32:32
Speaker
And... That's a, you know, they, but the, the, it's not as it's a different system. they're They're running it very differently than the, than the Sounders are. And there's sort of a conveyor belt aspect to the way the Sounders are running Tacoma defiance that I think is really, it's allowing them to replenish their roster in in a way that no one else is able to do.
00:32:54
Speaker
ah the The Sounders have gotten more juice, I would argue, out of their second team and their academy than anybody else, just in terms of their ability to just keep grinding out players who will not just take up a roster spot, but will actually eat up minutes for you and not have your team drop off. And it and it also contributes to, I think, us like I don't know. There was a a comment today that Albert Rusnak made about Hassani Dotson and how he just kind of fits in
00:33:25
Speaker
And you can and I think there is an element of it this is a federal way kid who under who immediately sees his people when he comes in here. And I think that there's an there's an element to ah just being able to integrate players like that.
Sounders' Season Expectations and Strategies
00:33:39
Speaker
it's It's important. It's a talent. and And that's the reason why i feel like today, you know, we asked Brian what he thought about the Sounders being in being ranked six in the power ranking. That's something didn't really care about. But I really do think that that's that's a good place where I would put him. I have him in the West between...
00:33:58
Speaker
third and and and six as the the lowest, and don't kill me, I'm just saying. That's as low as they could be there, right? yeah But I definitely do think that they have third potential, third place potential within the West. When I when i look at the West, I've said it a thousand of times, I'm not concerned about team aside from maybe Vancouver, San Diego, and LAFC, and everybody else is a little bit wild card. And even Vancouver could be a little bit of a wild card. So I do think that the Sunners have that potential. Yeah, I don't i don't think the Sounders should be considered the favorites in the West. Oh, no.
00:34:32
Speaker
I don't. and it and And part of that is that if especially if they are competing in multiple tournaments like they are, and they you know if they if they go out early in Champions Cup, maybe you maybe that clears the path a little bit. But you know Vancouver last year made it all the way to the final, and and that didn't hurt their their playoff season.
00:34:52
Speaker
their positioning in the West at all, you know? ah And I think that's, I'm okay. You know, I actually was talking about this with someone guess, I guess, you know, I did soccer wise with Noah and Ari, and I mentioned how the Sounders are kind of hoping for this to be a bounce back season. And there was, and that started a little bit of a debate in the Sounder Heart community about, well, what are they like? What's a bounce back? What's that mean? And i and I, for me, you know, last year was not a disappointing year, but it wasn't, you know, they finished fifth in the West.
00:35:23
Speaker
They went out in the playoffs in the first round. Yes. They won leagues cup. I think that salvages the season in a lot of ways, But there's a lot of improvement that they can potentially make.
00:35:34
Speaker
At the same time, for me, what is going to be what would. Change this from a disappointing season to a successful season. is if they, it's not where they finish in the West.
00:35:47
Speaker
If they finish anywhere from first to fifth or maybe even sixth in the West, I wouldn't be that disappointed as long as they make a real run in one of the other competitions they're in. And that's, that if you're contending for silverware every year, that's, to me, that's worth the expectation. And it's not like they don't have to win. If they won the support shield, that'd be great. But that's,
00:36:09
Speaker
you know, finishing first in the West and not winning the supporter shield really is not that big of a deal to me. I get where you're going with it. And maybe bounce back is not the term I would use. Maybe that's her I would say this is a build up year. i would say this is their, this is the year where they have to legitimize where they are as an organization. They came from ah a season where you, you got a title, but if you are the Seattle Sounders that are fighting and they're contenders, you got to play like a contender. yeah And that doesn't happen.
00:36:43
Speaker
early in the year and that doesn't happen getting first or second or third in the West. It's about making, once again, a Western Conference final. yep that That is where this team needs to go. yeah Everybody needs to know that if this is the team that you have told your fans fan base that you've told yourself that everybody, when you walk into this building, you know that it is about, we are the Sounders and we have this prestige. You need to play like it in the playoffs. So I would agree with you that the objective needs to be higher. and And at the very least you need to get to a Western conference final, if not win that thing. I mean, right and then you you need to legitimize where you're at. and i And I will say that that's kind of where the rate the regular season finish matters in that, you know last year if they had finished fourth, they would have been hosting two games instead of being on the road for two games. And if they had finished third, they would have had an easier matchup. and And so in that way, the regular season matters. But what I'm saying is that it's not an end. It's a means to an end, not an end to itself.
00:37:46
Speaker
And and I and I want to see the sound, you know, the sounders need to reassert themselves in in knockout competitions, essentially, you know, winning Leagues Cup last year. Well, you know, Leagues Cup is don't know. We don't have to get into this whole debate, but I do think it's an interesting thing. Leagues Cup itself is not that big of a deal. The way the Sounders won it was very satisfying.
00:38:06
Speaker
ah to beat inner Miami, to do it in front of 70,000 fans. That changes the whole equation. If they had beaten sporting, sporting Kansas city in front of 30,000 fans, it would have felt a lot different. It would have been much less of a satisfying ah element to the season, but because they beat inner Miami, because they beat messy, because messy and his buddies totally melted down at the end,
00:38:28
Speaker
And that they got to lift this trophy in front of 70,000 fans. That changes the whole thing for me. if they can So it's not... I guess I bring this up because it's not just about competing in other competitions. It's about those moments itself and giving fans those things to remember and to think about. And the way you do that is in the playoffs. And the the way you do it is in CONCACAF Champions Cup and and doing all these other things. And that's what I'm hoping that they're able to do. You know, this game that they're going to be playing in Spokane is actually...
00:38:57
Speaker
a potential moment for doing something like that if they can put on a show in spokane that could have a long that could have a long tail to it there's a chance that they can win over a whole new kind of group of fans over there i you know so i hope that they look at these moments as opportunities and i don't know i've kind of gotten off track here a little bit i don't even know what we're talking about but Hey, you were cooking. I was cooking. Sometimes that happens. I went to ah a zone. It's okay, man. You started with steak. Now we're is surfing turf. now yeah You added some shrimp. and then you know Now we got something completely different. But it's good, man. I like it. yeah Because you're ranting. and And look, the reality is this.
00:39:40
Speaker
I think both you and i ah are optimistic yeah about how the team is going to start this season. But we do understand that building from the things that went right last season, the offensive output, the goals, the ah individual ah talent in Ferreira, in a guy like Christian, that is a big year for him, right? Yeah. This is ah a World Cup year. All of those elements, Pedro La Vega hopefully coming back and being able to pick up where he left off, where he was just so exciting, so dominant. Georgie Manungu being a guy that you want to see come and perform.
00:40:19
Speaker
Paul Rothrock on a new contract. All of those things you need to build up from that to show that your way of running the business, of running your your roster,
00:40:32
Speaker
works Because MLS is growing and is changing. And you cannot be mad at fans that want you to grow with it. That want more, right? That are saying, look, I want Hamas Rodriguez, although I think it's not great. But yeah, maybe I want Hamas on a six-month contract, although he hasn't done much over the last four years, five years at a club level. But, you know, if they want that, that's fine. Or if they want Timo Werner, then that's all right. And if they want ah ah whoever it is that has come into this league that piques your interest,
00:41:02
Speaker
You cannot be mad at fans wanting that, but you know it's all about results. It's all about saying, look, once again, we came, we conquered, and that's why we do business the
MLS Evolution and Sounders' Adaptation
00:41:12
Speaker
way we do business. Right. And we've said this before, but look, bringing in transfers is not, again, is not an end to itself. It is a means to an end. And if they are still competing for trophies without splashing money all around,
00:41:30
Speaker
That's fine. Like that, that works, but it puts a lot of pressure on you to keep contending for trophies. Correct. And, and that's the thing is that I think if we strip away the sort of shiny part of it and you say like, Oh, people just want new players. And it's like, okay, that's,
00:41:48
Speaker
There's an element who who want that. But there's also, a i think, a real concern that they can't keep overperforming, that they can't keep beating the system, you know, that eventually MLS is going to be like other leagues where the amount of money you spend is going to determine really where you a range in which you're going to you're going to finish. And the sound right now, and MLS is not that league.
00:42:14
Speaker
There's still not a lot of correlation to roster spend and performance. The Sounders are consistently performing in areas where they have spent. they They're consistently performing in areas where they they haven't spent.
00:42:30
Speaker
But there is, i think, a justifiable concern among people that says, look, the whole league is starting to spend money in ways that the Sounders aren't. I mean, the Sounders are 30th in the league in transfer spend over the last whatever two seasons. And they and that's a you know, I'm not going to sit here and say, oh, this is a disaster.
00:42:50
Speaker
But it's a concern, and I think that that's something that we we have to face, and hopefully the Sounders can keep kind of beating the system as far as that goes. But I think there is a legitimate, there's a legitimate worry that you just can't keep doing this. Because you need to do better. I mean, that's the reality.
00:43:08
Speaker
To me, this is the last year where you can do it the way you've been doing it and show that it made result. The window feels like it's closing, for sure. Because next year, you got that apertura, the short tournament, and then the window is going to flip. And then everything is probably going start changing. Everything is going to start changing. So this is the year that you're going to look, what we are doing really, really worked, but now we're going to to inject this huge part of capita and investment yeah and resources so we can...
00:43:37
Speaker
take advantage of this calendar change of everything that goes on with where the league is going. Everyone expects the roster rules to change also. Exactly. And the reason that that the Sounders have been able to be competitive under this current system is because the roster rules are set up to almost diminish the ah impact that money can have.
00:43:56
Speaker
And... everyone We don't know anything for sure, but all signs point. The reason you make this change is because you want to spend more money. That's almost the only reason that you would make this change is that you want your transfer windows to line up and that you can bring in higher quality players. You can sell players for more money. And the Sounders, I think, are positioning themselves to potentially...
00:44:19
Speaker
be able to play in that game, but they haven't been yet. And, you know, we'll, we'll, we'll see. We'll see how that goes. And that's the reality of why, the more time that goes by, the more MLS starts to give power to that, that money aspect of it. And that's the reason why since 2019, the Sounders haven't necessarily gotten a title. it almost feels like in MLS, they get a little bit farther at times because of that, that edge, that, that, that marker starting to just get wider and wider. So there is a lot to be had, we got way at a, We got way out of the subject. This is not what we learned this week. No, no, but you know what? Maybe we should have waited one more week right before the Colorado. It was more of a season preview. No, but you know what? It's cool because there's going to be more relevance immediately towards the Colorado game next week. People can ponder on all this information or least if not information, just takes. But I like it. We're firing off our takes now. That's right. We're doing it early. Was there anything else from this week that we needed to get into? I'm trying to, think we got most of what the big stuff was. No, the big stuff is that. I mean, we got to see the first sight of JP holding a clipboard. That was nice. Oh, I didn't see that. That's the guy that's nice. JP and Paul Nagamora.
Community Engagement and Episode Wrap-Up
00:45:42
Speaker
That's going to be interesting to watch in the Tacoma Defiant side. Being able to keep an eye out on Ricardo Clark starting to get with the guys a little bit more. He's been a little hands-off, which has been interesting. You noticed this. I would not have noticed this, but you noticed that Brian Schmetzer is – Physically, his physical presence is more sort of like on top of the action than he had been previously. Totally. This year, just today, he was like right behind the goal and stopping the set piece training and, you know, doing things that maybe he wasn't doing because he had a guy like Andy Rose. So, you know, it's something interesting in the dynamics of how training has been has been going for sure. Other than that, man, I think we covered everything and more than what we learned this season, for sure. We're going to have more, obviously, to talk about after Sunday's game. We'll have more to talk about on Sunday's game. And before we get out here, I do want to give another pitch. The Sounder at Heart magazine, it's called Four.
00:46:45
Speaker
We have it in our hands now. I have been able to hold it. I honestly think it feels like a high-quality product. I am proud to put this out into the field. I am really excited for people to start getting it. I believe it's going to start mailing today. So early next week, people should start receiving it, if not sooner.
00:47:04
Speaker
Of course, ah Friday is the magazine release party. We will have plenty of copies available to sell. If you said that you wanted to pick it up, we will have it there for you. I promise. We're going to have some stickers you. We'll have other stuff. Like I said, Andrew Thomas is gonna be is supposed to be there for a little while.
00:47:21
Speaker
I'm working on trying to get the Sounders to let me ah bring the Leagues Cup trophy in and so people can take some photographs with that. ah Project Nine Brewing is ready to to host us. And hopefully, if you come, please say hi. We're going to try to get a bunch of Sounder at Heart folks out there to to meet folks. I think that's all I got there, Nico. Yeah, I'd like to take the time to also pitch. We have a really good Danny Leyva exclusive. We have a whole bunch of interviews lined up right now. Hopefully people have listened to the Paul Rothrock interview that we did that Noah and I did earlier this week. The video is also up on the Lobbing Scorchers YouTube page. The Danny Leyva
00:48:01
Speaker
Interview is going to go through a similar life cycle where it will come out on the sound on the Nosadietes podcast feed. And then the the video will also be up on Lobbing Scorchers. Then we've got the Alex Roldan and Christian Roldan interview, which will again be on the Nosadietes audio feed and then the Lobbing Scorchers video feed.
00:48:21
Speaker
And then finally, we'll close out with a Brian Schmetzer interview that is... So the Q&A that is in the magazine is a ah very edited version of that interview.
00:48:33
Speaker
ah The full interview, obviously, will be up on both the Nosarietes podcast feed and the Lobbing Scorchers YouTube page. We're going to be doing a lot of sort of like double things, I think, this year. And Nico's going to be doing more interviews. I was supposed to be in on this one, but... i Went to my kids.
00:48:52
Speaker
ah Global reading challenge competition. Fatherhood first, baby. But it was a really good one. Love to talk to Danny. We we got to hear how he's living. having teasers? Anything that to tease it? You know, he's talking about ah living in Aguascalientes. He talked about ah the the culture shock after moving from a team that he's here with in Seattle. he was 13. Since he was a little kid, right? Academy, Tacoma, then first team. I mean, everything. So that was pretty cool to hear. He talks about hopefully the potential of the Club Nekoxa show filming maybe next season, not this season. So, you know, there are some some really cool stuff there. He sends a great message to the fan base because he didn't really get a chance to say goodbye. Yeah, he all of a sudden was gone.
00:49:34
Speaker
So he was very heartfelt. Like he just got going and it was a phenomenal message for for the fans that, you know, i hear about the Aspen, but Danny all the time, readers and followers are always Hey, how's daddy doing? Where's he at? So I thought it was important to give him that platform because he does feel very connected the city. He was with the Sounders for 10 years at 23 years old. That's, i mean, that's a thing that we're going start seeing more and more.
00:49:57
Speaker
is these kids who grew up, we literally grew up in the organization and then they will inevitably move away. I mean, Sebastian Gomez was talking about how the first time that he met Stuart Hawkins, I think he was nine years old and they were on like a, like a, a Sounders ODP type of situation together. And, you know, he's, you know, he's still only 19 20 or whatever, but it's,
00:50:21
Speaker
you know, these guys have been around for a long time and it's going to grow. It's going to, you know, it's going to, this is going start feeling more and more like a ah real club. Love it. No, I love it. but But yeah, that's a really good one. So that that's it for me, Jeremiah.
00:50:34
Speaker
All right, great. Well, ah make sure to follow Nico on Blue Sky, El Rolo, NW. He's on soccer down here on YouTube. Also loving Scorchers, of course. I am Jeremiah O'Shan signing off for Nos Adietes, which is part of the Sounder Heart Podcast Network. We'll catch you next time.
00:51:21
Speaker
Let's go at Sounders.