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How high can the Sounders reach?
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The Sounders are in the midst of a 10-game unbeaten streak that includes an eight-game run in which they’ve scored 26 goals. To say they are playing well doesn’t really do them justice. Jeremiah and Aaron discuss if this is the best the Sounders have ever been and have the receipts to make the case.
They also take a look at the remaining schedule and try to assess how high they can reasonably finish in the Western Conference.
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Transcript
Introduction & Will Bruin's New Role
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. Come
Sounders' MLS Cup Victory Celebration
00:00:12
Speaker
on. Hey, O'Shaan.
00:00:13
Speaker
Let's go. What a sorry, Bud Fry. The Seattle Sounders have done it. MLS Cup winners. Here comes Rui Diaz through the middle to crowd it for Seattle.
00:00:28
Speaker
The Saunders rule the region! Seattle Saunders is good! This feels fucking awesome. And Portland can't say it's genius! Nice work on your little
00:00:46
Speaker
Ooch of a gooch! All creatures great and small! Villaviga!
00:00:54
Speaker
you love me
00:00:59
Speaker
you know What was the thought process in terms of who you decided to use and you didn't? Ever since I wrote a commentary that we didn't take the overcome seriously.
Sponsorship Acknowledgment: Full Pull Wines
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.
Podcast Hosts Introduction & Recent Match Discussion
00:01:43
Speaker
Welcome back to another episode of Nos Adiates, part of the Sounder at Heart podcast network, sponsored by Full Pool Wines, Hacks and Ferments, and our subscribers. We're recording on Tuesday, August 12, 2025. I am your host, Jeremiah Shan.
00:01:56
Speaker
Joining me today is my co-host, Aaron Campo, and our producer, Lick It.
Sounders' Unbeaten Streak & Victory Over Galaxy
00:02:01
Speaker
Another game, another impressive showing, despite missing some key players. The Sounders ran their are unbeaten streak to 10 games, which includes seven in league play, with a 4-0 win over the Galaxy on Sunday, and it probably wasn't even that close.
00:02:16
Speaker
Even with the news today that Albert Rusnak is probably out three to four weeks and Ryan Kent might be done for the season, i can't help but feel optimistic. How about you, Aaron?
00:02:28
Speaker
yeah I think it's impossible not to. I mean, the Sounders have been without Jordan Morris most of the season. um They've had other, you know, key injuries pretty much consistently throughout the year. Yamars missed a ton of time. Jackson Reagan missed time.
00:02:42
Speaker
I'm absolutely going to forget people if I keep naming names. So I'm just going to stop there. But I think you could go through the roster and I'm I don't know how many players if if you look at their best 11 on the first part of the season.
00:02:58
Speaker
At the beginning of the season, i want to say Jesus Ferreira, who wasn't necessarily even in their best 11. And maybe maybe maybe Pedro. I'm trying to think of Pedro.
00:03:10
Speaker
I guess he did have an injury at one point. So Ferreira might be the only... Alex. I guess Alex has been healthy all year. So, you know, you've got... Okay.
00:03:20
Speaker
i Sorry. There's a few. Obed, Christian, Alex... Ferreira, De La Vega for the most part. Those players have been pretty much healthy.
00:03:33
Speaker
Everyone else basically has been hurt. for you know and they We had this crisis where we were starting Alex Roldan at center back because there were so many injuries at center back. We have had backup.
00:03:44
Speaker
Jao Paolo goes out. ah Paul Areola, obviously, the beginning of the season. It's a rather long list. Stephen Fry currently is is still coming back from injury. It's a long list of injuries that seemingly would have sunk injuries Almost any team. And if they had sunk the Sounders, I think we would be sitting here saying, well, no MLS team can overcome this sort of injury crisis. right And yet here we are.
New Offensive Strategy & Team Effort
00:04:10
Speaker
Yeah, it's it's pretty incredible. I mean, it's, you know, I think at the beginning of the season, we felt pretty good about the depth in most places. um But the general consensus, I think, was, well, something happens to Jordan Morris, it's going to be pretty tough for the team. And it's going tough. Yeah. And it was for a little bit.
00:04:27
Speaker
But I think that they have figured out a way to be dangerous with pretty much any collection of attacking players they have on the field. I mean, we've seen... Danny Musovsky, obviously, ah he has 12 goals all comps, I believe, 10 in MLS. yes Yes. He's been great. And I don't want to take anything away from him because he's earned those goals. I don't think that they could have put Osaze de Rosario there and and had him get 10 goals.
00:04:52
Speaker
But he hasn't been the only guy stepping up. Osaze has stepped up um when he's had the opportunity. You know, Pedro de la Vega has started chipping in goals. Rusnak has had a ton of goals. He's hurt now, obviously. So that's, you know, that's a problem. But ah that's 10 goals you've gotten from from midfield. but it's just been such a team effort. Everybody has been contributing to goal scoring opportunities. I mean, so many of the goals they've scored over this run since the club world cup have been sort of end to end sequences um that have required great attacking play from pretty much everybody in the pitch. And it's, I don't recall.
00:05:28
Speaker
um i think historically 2014 Specifically, you know, that sort of summertime run that they went on where they had Oba, they had Clint, and they really started clicking.
00:05:42
Speaker
I think that's sort of been historically the hallmark for that that's the most fun the Sounders have ever been. i think this team is more fun than that, man. I really do. Because it's not... there's There's something really cool and exciting and fun about watching two dudes just go out and kind of streetball their way to a bunch of goals.
00:05:58
Speaker
That's a blast. Not trying to take anything away from that. But this Sounders team is just systemically so dangerous. They just cut teams apart so ah methodically and so clinically.
00:06:12
Speaker
And it's just so much fun to watch teams just cannot deal with them. I mean, how, how many opportunities against the galaxy did they have where the center backs are just look completely lost on every play but because there are runners coming in from everywhere.
00:06:25
Speaker
Multiple people are making intelligent runs, you know, um the, the Tijuana game, another great example of that, you know, we talked about that game last week, obviously, but, Just teams looking completely overwhelmed and not because there's this huge, massive talent gap, although the Sounders certainly have a lot of attacking talent, but because everybody knows exactly what they're supposed to be doing. They are committed to going forward, to going at goal,
00:06:51
Speaker
in a way that I just don't remember them ever being, especially in the Brian Schmetzer area era. um I've just never seen a Sounders team this attack minded and confident in attack. And it's it's pretty impressive to watch.
00:07:07
Speaker
I would agree with all that. Just to give a little bit more context to some of what you said, The Sounders, during this 10-game unbeaten streak, ah they have scored 29 goals.
Record-Setting Goal Performance
00:07:21
Speaker
26 of those goals have come in their last eight, which is which is a record a franchise record for the most goals in an eight-game stretch.
00:07:29
Speaker
I believe the previous record was like 23 or 24, something like that, that the 2014 team did. And that that run famously included... a 6-0 win over the Chicago Fire at Starfire in the Open Cup semifinals.
00:07:45
Speaker
So that kind almost like a little asterisk on that one. But I guess maybe you could say that with League's Cup. I don't know. To me, I think the doing it against League at Mechies teams is a little different. But anyway, ah there's been 11 different goal scorers.
00:08:00
Speaker
There's been 18 different field player starters. And of those 18 field players, I believe only three have not scored or assisted during this 10 game stretch, which is to say, there, you know, it's, it's re it's all defenders. It's Kim, John Bell and Reed Baker Whiting. I think are the only three players who have not scored or assisted ah starters who have scored or haven't scored or assisted.
00:08:27
Speaker
It's just up and down the lineup. They're getting production from players who I think we thought could be productive, but hadn't necessarily shown a track record of being as productive as they're being, at least right now.
00:08:40
Speaker
and And I think what's so encouraging about this is that it's not one player getting on a heater. It's a bunch of guys just feeling confident and vibing on one another and doing the stuff that you need to do.
00:08:53
Speaker
you know, another stat I recently looked up, And I think is illustrative. So, you know, they have this big scoring surge. That's great. You want to know how sustainable it is. Well, part of what I think makes it sustainable is that they've essentially doubled the number of big chances they're creating by ah according to Opta. So they' they're creating 4.7 big chances per game during this 10 game unbeaten streak before the Club World Cup. They're producing like 2.2 big chances per game.
00:09:22
Speaker
And so the fact that they're scoring you know a lot you know they're scoring a lot more is in part because they're just creating a lot more chances. It's not like they're just on a hot streak.
00:09:34
Speaker
ah They're getting own goals. that you know There's a couple penalties in there, but it's mostly goals that are coming. You look at this last game, and the first goal is an own goal, but the own goal comes on the 21st pass of the sequence.
00:09:48
Speaker
And it's just them kind of, and all 21 passes were in the Galaxy defensive end. And then they they get a goal. The second goal is a ah turnover that they convert into a chance.
00:10:01
Speaker
And then they, ah the third goal, I believe, was ah another turnover that they converted into a chance. And then the fourth goal, again, is a turnover that they convert into a chance. And these are just repeatable things that they're doing. That's what's, I think, so so much fun about this.
Pressing Strategy & Defensive Effectiveness
00:10:17
Speaker
Right. I think I'm glad you pointed out that they're they're scoring goals off of turnovers because that was a talking point earlier in the season. I think Mark Kastner... made that point on the show. i can't remember whether it was on the show or, we've talked about it for sure. Yeah. Yeah. Where basically the, the Sounders were a really effective pressing team and they were not turning that effectiveness and press into goals. Well, they've certainly started turning that effectiveness there in the press into goals now. Like they've, they have figured out how to integrate those, those two sides of their game.
00:10:49
Speaker
And, you know, I think that, I don't think that this level of goal scoring is sustainable long term. They are averaging, I think, just an MLS play, not in in the League's Cup.
00:11:03
Speaker
but So that's taking, you know, nine more goals in three games off off the table, but just an MLS play since the Club World Cup. They're averaging, I think it was 2.87 goals per game. Yeah, 2.9.
00:11:13
Speaker
Well, yeah, because they have 29 goals.
00:11:18
Speaker
So basically a pace of like, I think, 87 goals over a full season. Right. Which would be and a new record in MLS. And the current record is is held by the 98 Galaxy with 85. And I think as anybody who watched MLS in 1998 knows it, it's not the same sport as as is being played currently. So um so I don't think that that is sustainable for the long term, but nothing about the proof of concept, right, about the way that they're playing, about the way they're creating chances.
00:11:47
Speaker
Nothing about that seems unrepeatable. and And I think they have found a system. They've found a way of playing that works for them, that works for the team, no matter who's on the pitch. I had major concerns about the impact on the Sounders' style of play with Jesus Ferreira or Danny Leiva, because at the time we didn't know, um sliding in for for Albert Rusnak, because I thought...
00:12:12
Speaker
you know, Hey, I think Jesus is a good 10. I think Danny Leib is a good 10, but they play much differently than Albert. and And I still think that they do, but it's not really that big of a difference because the system just works.
00:12:27
Speaker
And, you know, if you look at their underlying numbers, they've scored 41 in MLS play this year, their XG is 39.8. So it's not like they're, they're actually underperforming their XG and um they're getting a lot of easy chances that are created by repeatable patterns of play. And that is that's the difference between a team that's putting up gaudy numbers that is just getting a bunch of fluky goals over a short period of time and a team that is actually a really potent attacking team that, OK, maybe they can't do this over the long haul, but they can certainly be a good attacking team over the long haul.
Sustainability of Scoring Surge
00:13:03
Speaker
Absolutely. it's It's and I think one of the other things I like about this is they aren't getting a ton of goals from set pieces either. And I feel like set pieces or you know, I think that was one of the things that last year maybe masked some of their offensive struggles was that they scored a bunch of set piece goals.
00:13:21
Speaker
They ended up finishing on, I think, 51 goals last year, which at the time felt like a ah significant step forward because they had really struggled. the season before, I think they're on the verge actually of, of tying the number of goals they had 2023 already this year.
00:13:36
Speaker
and And then last year, the big the really the big difference between 2023 and 2024 was just they they scored a bunch of set piece goals at the end of the season, which, you know, set piece goals count just the same.
00:13:49
Speaker
And you can and there is something repeatable about set piece goals. But I also feel like set piece goals can be a little bit more fickle in terms of your ability to convert them, because there is there, you know, it's like we have long, long.
00:14:02
Speaker
sample sizes about set pieces. And it, and it just, the reality is that teams tend to sort of finish at a certain rate within a range of a rate. And yes, you know, there are examples of teams overperforming that, but it's just not, it's just not usually the most ah sustainable way to produce a ton of offense. And the Sounders aren't getting, at least in league play,
00:14:24
Speaker
They aren't getting a ton of set these goals. Now, they have shown in League's Cup that they have that like that capability. So that's encouraging that it's in their bag. But man, ah in this game in particular, i think the it's worth talking a little bit about sort of the Danny Masofsky phenomenon because I do think he is sort of illustrative of what is going right with the Sounders right now.
00:14:48
Speaker
And this is a player who doesn't do a lot of stuff that's fancy. He just gets himself into really dangerous spots. all the time and he's and he has a nose he just sort of has a nose for gold both of his goals in this game were rebounds both of them were off of his own rebound which is just kind of a funny little or no I guess one of them was not uh sorry the the second one was off of Jesus Ferreira uh rebound but point being he's just really good at putting himself in in dangerous spots especially on rebounds I would I need to go back and look but I I feel like
00:15:23
Speaker
that's probably the fourth or fifth goal he scored this year off of a rebound. And, you know, you just don't see a ton of that and it's good, but it's great to see because it it does feel like something you can coach.
00:15:36
Speaker
Yeah, I think so. I mean, I think that, um, putting the ball on target in those situations is an important thing to be able to do. And I think, um, A lot of the time in the past, maybe we've seen Sounders forwards who are missing wide, missing high, just missing the goal. Right.
00:15:55
Speaker
So they're not giving themselves those opportunities to ah to get those rebound goals. And I think that's been something they've been a little better at this year. i don't have numbers to back that up. It just seems intuitively true.
00:16:06
Speaker
um So maybe I'm bullshit. I don't know. But um yeah, I mean, I think following up. opportunities um The Sounders are taking a lot more shots this year than I think I've ever seen them take.
00:16:20
Speaker
And they're getting runners in the area. Danny Mussofsky is getting into really good spots. um I've said ah couple of times that I think his movement, his off-ball movement is is as good as anybody on the team and and better, I think, honestly, than than anyone else on the team. And I think that a lot of that is...
00:16:38
Speaker
being able to read where is this rebound likely to fall, you know, um and putting putting himself in a position to clean up those opportunities, following up his own shots, and making keepers work for it. You know, I think that that's just a critical thing. I don't think that... I don't think finishing is real, first off, but I don't think Danny Wasovsky is some kind of elite, you know, otherworldly finisher.
00:16:59
Speaker
i think he just... puts the ball on target and, and doesn't give up on lost causes and knows where to be. And those those are the most important things I think for a goal scorer. ah And, you know, I, I just, ah he's not a guy I think you can necessarily build the team around because he's a poacher. Right.
00:17:18
Speaker
And he's he's going to score a lot of goals and and get into good spots and and put up good numbers. um But there's, you know, there's there's a dynamic to Jordan Morris's game that he doesn't have or to Raul Ruiz's game that he has doesn't have.
00:17:32
Speaker
But he's going to score goals if he gets the opportunities. And if the team is creating this many chances, ah he's he's going to get the opportunities. And that's a valuable thing to have. Like in in modern soccer, I think people tend to almost downplay s scoring goals, you know, like that's ah a common criticism. I think you hear a lot of players like this at the highest levels. It's like, well, he's great, but all he does is score goals.
00:17:56
Speaker
That is the objective of the game, right? So yeah that's ah that's a pretty important thing to do, to be able to do.
Danny Masofsky's Key Contributions
00:18:03
Speaker
Yeah, I've been joking. I've used this line a few times. i It hasn't landed yet, so I'll use it again on air.
00:18:08
Speaker
But I've been starting to call Danny Masofsky Chris Carter. And I don't know if people will get this reference or not, but back in the day, ah somebody accused... I can't remember who it was. Chris Carter was ah a very good tight end.
00:18:20
Speaker
Or not tight end. A very good wide receiver. Spent a lot of time with the Vikings, a few other teams. But at one point, someone accused him of only catching touchdowns. And that sort of became his... his calling card about how that's all like what what a what a dig all he did is catch touchdowns yeah but answers yeah i mean so it anyway it's just kind of a silly it not silly i mean he i do think from a perspective of who's the better player between him and jordan morris look i think there's a reality that jordan morris ah creates a gravity around him
00:18:55
Speaker
He can pull defenses out of position in ways that Danny Masofsky can't. But right now, you know, who cares? Like, right. As long as Danny Masofsky is scoring, as long as he's doing the stuff that we need him to be doing, that's great.
00:19:11
Speaker
And, and again, if it was just him, if he was just on a heater and that would be, that would be of some concern because you would have to be wondering how long can Danny Masofsky keep this up? Right.
00:19:23
Speaker
but that's not what's going on here. You know, Pedro de la Vega again, you know, he didn't have a golden or an assist, but he could have easily had two assists. He has the ball to Paul Rothrock at the back post for the, that ends up getting, uh, being, becoming an own goal.
00:19:38
Speaker
That's his, a great heavy cross that puts a defender in a really bad position. And then he also has the pass to Ferreira that ends up getting saved and falling to Danny Masovsky.
00:19:51
Speaker
That was ah another great play. ah But we're also I think the other thing that i I've really liked in the last four games, especially is the defense is finally starting to come around. We, had we you know, before the Club World Cup, I think there was a growing concern that for as much fun as the Sounders were.
00:20:11
Speaker
part of it part of the reason they were so fun was the defense was giving up a bunch of goals. And so we're getting all these high scoring games. But in the last four and the last four, they've only given up two goals.
00:20:23
Speaker
ah I wouldn't say that they're fluky goals, but one of them comes at the very end of regulation when they're already up 2-0. And then the other goal comes at the very end of the first half on a goloso right after the Sounders miss a penalty.
00:20:36
Speaker
So they've just been very good defensively, and they were especially good against the Galaxy. And a Galaxy team who I think it's very easy to... undersell how, you know, it's easy to overlook because they have been so bad for the most part this year.
00:20:52
Speaker
But really, for the last couple months, the Galaxy had been very respectable. They were just coming off a very impressive performance in the League's Cup. And offensively, they had been very solid.
00:21:05
Speaker
And the Sounders had no problem cutting them up. No, it wasn't. It wasn't close. I mean, it was the Sounders were under a little pressure early on, but yeah it it felt like one of those situations where the Galaxy were creating pressure without actually creating pressure, you know? um And after the first goal, it was just not a contest.
00:21:27
Speaker
um It was the most lopsided XG I've ever seen, i think, in a game. um The Sounders on FUT Mob ended up with close to three goals, ah three XG. And the Galaxy had like 0.25 or something like that. It was just not not close.
00:21:43
Speaker
um And, you know, the thing is, is that even if the Galaxy are every bit as bad as their record would indicate, which I don't think they are. I think that there's, you know, plenty of signs that they're they've improved a lot over the last month or so.
00:21:57
Speaker
um You still have to go L.A. and beat them 4-0. And that's just not something the Sounders have made a habit of doing over the years, even at their best. Like they...
00:22:08
Speaker
typically the woodshedding has taken place in Seattle, um, even a bad teams. And this, I mean, this was like a, ah cheap, like Chivas level beat down.
00:22:19
Speaker
Like the Sounders have not won a game that convincingly in Carson since Chivas USA was still team. And, uh, Yeah, I mean, it was it was extremely satisfying. there were There were some folks in the game thread saying, you know, like, yeah, this is a great win, but like it's not it's not a big deal. It's a bit this is a bad Galaxy team.
00:22:39
Speaker
If you've lived through the entire history of this, this team at the MLS level, beating the Galaxy is always a big deal, especially if you're doing it in that lopsided of a fashion in in Carson.
00:22:50
Speaker
That's just it feels nothing better. Even beating LAFC doesn't feel as good. I'm not even sure if beating the Timbers, like if we beat the Timbers 4-0 at Providence Park, that probably feels as good as this, but I'm not sure it feels that much better to me, at least personally.
Dominant Road Performance Against Galaxy
00:23:11
Speaker
Wow. Okay. Well, i I really, really hate the Galaxy a lot. so Okay. Fair enough. I'm not going to try to dispute that at all. ah So just sort of to illustrate your point, though, about, you know, I'm sure on this show we have said, look, you don't, you don't, and I think even we we probably said this after the Sporting Kansas City game where,
00:23:31
Speaker
you know, they, they kind of eked out a three, two win after blowing a ah three, zero lead or nearly blowing a three, zero lead. And I, I'm sure we said something like, you just don't take road wins for granted MLS. You just never do.
00:23:45
Speaker
And to sort of illustrate your point here, ah American soccer analysis has a stat that they call expected points. Essentially what they do is they run the simulation of the games.
00:23:59
Speaker
I think basically just on the, based on the XG and they say how many points each team should expect to get. And you know, a good result is in the twos. Like if you are over two, you have performed very well.
00:24:12
Speaker
Well, the Sounders 2.83 expected points. expected points in this game, which believe it or not is actually their season high. ah That's the, that's the best they performed.
00:24:24
Speaker
But going back into the ASA database, that's, I believe the best road performance of any team in their entire database and their database goes back to 2013, which is to say road teams don't dominate like the Sounders dominated this game.
00:24:40
Speaker
and i And I will say that there is a little bit of an anomaly in terms of the XG. ah When you score off rebounds, that tends to throw off the XG system a little bit because you end up getting quote credit for both chances.
00:24:56
Speaker
And in this game, they had a couple, but like at least one of the the rebounded shots had a, the original shot had a pretty high XG value. So it's a little inflated, but yeah. Put that aside, this was as dominant of a road performance as you're going to see in MLS. That's just...
00:25:12
Speaker
a flat out truth. ah You just don't see these kinds of performances a lot. ah You know, the press was working. The offense was working again. They made seven changes. This is a team that made seven changes from their midweek game.
00:25:27
Speaker
And they just rolled through the galaxy. Like they were nothing. And if you look at the galaxy lineup, it wasn't a bad lineup. You know, they had Gabriel pack. They had Joseph painstall. They had Marco Royce.
00:25:38
Speaker
ah They, they had quality players all over the pitch. And it didn't matter. and It just didn't matter. And just to kind of I guess we can kind of, ah I want to throw in one more little nugget from this week, which I thought was fun is Matt Doyle, who obviously we we have on the show pretty regularly.
00:25:58
Speaker
But, you know, I think this means something when he says, i think the Sounders might have the deepest team in MLS history. that I feel like that's not something he's going to say lightly.
00:26:10
Speaker
Now, in the same season, he has also said that Miami might have the but the best team in MLS history. So, you know, maybe that's, but I don't know, maybe that's where we are in MLS so is that you can have both these things can essentially be true.
00:26:25
Speaker
But he said that, and then he also ranked them number one in his power rankings this week, noting that I don't know how long this is going to last, but right now they're the best team in the league.
Can Sounders Finish First in the Western Conference?
00:26:34
Speaker
i it's I guess what I'm saying here is let's enjoy this a little bit. They're still only fourth in the table, that is but they are climbing.
00:26:41
Speaker
And this game against Minnesota is, I think, a real legitimate test. If they can get out of Minnesota, there's a chance where they if they win the Minnesota game, I believe they would move up and they would move into a tie for third.
00:26:53
Speaker
But even if they get a point out of this game, I would think that sets them up really nicely. Yeah, I think so. I mean, Minnesota is a good team. Obviously, it I think if you go into Minnesota and you win this game, you've got to feel great.
00:27:09
Speaker
You know, you've got to feel like you've got a very good team that none of this has been any kind of mirage. um Because, yeah, yeah they they would move into a tie. They'd be... um They'd move into a tie with a game in hand with a game in hand. Exactly.
00:27:23
Speaker
um They'd move to, ah you know, as as little as as few as five points back of San Diego with a game in hand. um They'd be just a point back of Vancouver, who, you know, has not um fallen off the fallen off a cliff or anything, but.
00:27:39
Speaker
looked like legitimate shield contenders earlier year in the year. So to, to catch up to them has, would be pretty impressive um with, you know, a full eight games left after this one. So ah yeah, I mean, if you, I think if you go into Minnesota and you get three points, you got to feel like we can finish first in the West. Like we could Not not ah not even we could we should like that should be the goal is finishing first in the West. That is a realistic target.
00:28:06
Speaker
um I don't think they're going to make a run at the shield, but like if they can get to 44 points with eight games left, it's at least like you can start maybe kind of sort of dreaming about it.
00:28:18
Speaker
You know, they'd be seven points back at the current pace. it's not It wouldn't be the craziest thing that's ever happened in the league. It's enough to make it interesting, right? Definitely enough to make it interesting. they I think the challenge with... I just i tend to think that the that the western the teams that are leading the West feel to me a little bit more like they're going to come back a little bit. they They're not going to continue the pace that they're on. i mean The reality is that yeah laf even if LAFC were to maintain their current pace, ah they might be able to catch some of these teams.
00:28:52
Speaker
and but like the white caps are playing still at 1.8 San Diego is playing at one point, almost 1.9 points per game. That doesn't feel quite sustainable to me.
00:29:03
Speaker
And if the Sounders can get, you know, can get to those points, I think that, you know, it's realistic. I think finish again, if they win this game against Minnesota, I think finishing first in the West becomes a very realistic aspiration. If not,
00:29:18
Speaker
you know, it's not going to be easy. The Sounders still have to probably get to 64-ish points to to really feel like they have a good chance at at winning the West.
00:29:30
Speaker
But 64 points from eight games feels vaguely doable. Yeah, for sure. it's It's within the realm of possibility. Absolutely. and And I think there's a very real chance that it doesn't take 64 points.
00:29:43
Speaker
Right. But I think that you've got to feel like if you get to 64 points, you're going to finish first. um One thing I wanted to close the loop on real quick, if I may. 2024, the Sounders had 27 open play goals.
00:29:55
Speaker
So yeah total goals minus penalties and free kicks. We want to take a stab at how many they have in 2025. Yeah. All right. So they've just 41.
00:30:05
Speaker
Right. So we were at 41. I'm not going to look. I know they I'm going to guess they probably have. So are we including our open play goal or our own goals counted? I think they only have one or I only have one in league play. Yeah. Anything that's not a penalty or a free kick.
00:30:20
Speaker
OK, this is. Yeah, I'm going to say. 32. That is exactly correct. Wow. OK, I I'm almost embarrassed that I yeah guess that.
00:30:32
Speaker
um So the MLS site has them at 43 FB ref has them at 41. So that's a little weird. that's I'm sure that's because my guess is that it's because... Those are own goals, weren't they? Those are the own goals, yeah.
00:30:46
Speaker
Yeah, that makes sense. Okay, so 32 including the own goals, 30 not including the own goals. If you take own goals out of last year, it's 25 open play goals. Right, okay. So no matter how you slice it, they are five goals. The Sounders already more open play goals than they did last year. Right, with eight games left.
00:31:04
Speaker
Also, they were a bad offensive team for the first... quarter of the season yeah I feel like that's yeah maybe creeping into third of the season yeah so they they didn't score fur they didn't have a
00:31:22
Speaker
well, they had the five goal game against LAFC early in season. But other than that, ah the Dallas, so the, the Nashville game was the first game where they, that was sort of where the offensive turnaround really started. And that was the, you know, if if we really want to chart where the the season turned, it was that road game in Dallas where they won one zero and Danny Masofsky got his first goal off of a rebound of a,
00:31:51
Speaker
of a Pedro de la Vega free kit or a ball shot off the post. But yeah, that's, yeah. So that was, and so that was two, four, six, seven. That was the eighth.
00:32:03
Speaker
That was the ninth game of the season. So yeah, the first. Yeah. ah The first third of the season, essentially. First fourth. Yeah. Yeah. in the order Just because they did like before Jordan got hurt, they had a couple of multi-goal games and yeah, and all that.
00:32:19
Speaker
So yeah, But still, I mean, yeah. Yeah, they've played. So another way of illustrating this, they've played six. They played 35 games in all comps this year.
00:32:29
Speaker
They have 65 goals across all competitions. And the only year. And so 35 is obviously one more game than you play in a regular season. And this is now we're getting into real.
00:32:40
Speaker
We're no longer comparing apples to apples. But I feel like it's illustrative. 35 feels close to 34. Only the only season they scored more goals than that. was in 2014.
00:32:52
Speaker
And, and so they're not, they're not quite at the 2014 pace. If you include own or, uh, all competition goals, I think they were over 80 that year. Yeah.
00:33:04
Speaker
But this is, this is easily to me, the most complete offensive team they've had. Right. mean, the 2014 team was the Oba induced show.
00:33:16
Speaker
team was the obbainuced show That's taking anything away from Marco Papa and Lamar Nagel, but yeah, they were solidly the supporting cast. And, you know, the Sounders have missed without Jordan Morris for most of the season.
00:33:31
Speaker
Right. And, you know, they've had all the all the other absences. And it's just it's so impressive. It it really is a i feel like we say this every year, but this might be ranch messers best work yet.
Sounders' Late-Season Performance History
00:33:42
Speaker
ah Just to completely once again, completely overhaul the identity of the team. Mid-season. Yeah. I don't... He can't keep getting away with it, man. It's just... I mean, I can only... There's a meme going around there that I saw on Blue Sky where it's someone saying it's just like clockwork where they play the first half of the season and they look mediocre at best and then they get to July and they just flip a switch and say, all right, time to...
00:34:18
Speaker
Time to play for real. And I can only imagine it must be really, really annoying for fans of other teams. Now it's annoying for Sounders fans too, I think, because it does feel like, well, we get, we're already really going to go on another second half run. ah And then, and then they do, you know, they do admittedly, and don't want to get to cart before the horse, but it is, i can see how annoying it is for everyone involved, but I i will say as bits go, it's a good one.
00:34:42
Speaker
It is. it's ah it's It's a good one. I mean, I think the reality is that it is fine to be pissed off when your team plays like crap for the first couple of months every season. right It's also fine to enjoy the rest of the season, right? Like you can you can you can walk and chew gum at the same time. I think we're we're I guess not at the same time consecutively.
00:35:01
Speaker
ah And, you know, if I have to choose, and you know, we we're a big fan of false choices on the show. So if I have to choose between ah shitty first half and a strong second half or a great first half and a shitty second half, I'm going to take the the strong second half. You know, like ah this is not a real choice that we have. No one is making us make that choice.
00:35:24
Speaker
But yeah, I'll take it, you know. This is Yeah. Yeah. I mean, if you're going to folks enjoy this, for sure. If you're going to get good, this is a good time to get good.
00:35:37
Speaker
I always say if it's. Yeah, exactly. As the summer heat, so do the Sounders. ah But all right. Well, I think what we're going to do, we're going to call this a segment. We're going to come back and we're going to do a power ranking of not where we want the Sounders to finish, but where we think plausibly.
00:35:56
Speaker
I guess maybe a better way of doing this is we're going to, we're going take stabs at how we think the Sounders are going to finish the season. We'll take a look at the schedule. We'll kind of break it down. Hopefully that's leads to a little bit of good times, ah but you're listening to no Sani at this.
00:36:15
Speaker
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00:38:01
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00:38:07
Speaker
Welcome back to Nosarriates. We are going to do something, you know, we we like to have a little bit of fun with these power
Predictions for Western Conference Finish
00:38:15
Speaker
rankings. And this week, what we're going to do is we're going to rank the most likely finishes for the Sounders, meaning where in the Western Conference table we think is most likely for them to finish. These are obviously not where we want them to finish.
00:38:32
Speaker
but where we think they will finish. And so what we did is we gamed out the results for everybody and we sort of put them in order and how we we feel like it's going to work out. And i guess we'll just start by, I think what we're going going to start by giving you our predictions and then we're going to talk through it.
00:38:51
Speaker
that That's what we decided, Aaron. Yeah.
00:38:55
Speaker
As opposed to going... I thought we decided that to talk through it and then give predictions, but either way, fine to read. Okay, no, we can do that. We can we can do that. So let's let's talk this through. So let's start.
00:39:06
Speaker
but The way the table is setting up right now, the Sounders are in fourth. They are three points behind Minnesota in third. They are four points behind Vancouver.
00:39:17
Speaker
And they are...
00:39:22
Speaker
They are... eight points behind San Diego. And so San Diego, admittedly, I'm looking at their schedule.
00:39:36
Speaker
They look like they're not necessarily impossible to catch, but there would have to really, they'd have to really fall apart essentially. Yeah. I think that the wheels would really have to come off for, for San Diego.
00:39:50
Speaker
Yeah, ah they have, you know, I have them as potentially finishing out with 65 points, which would be a pretty good run to end the season. That would be them going.
00:40:06
Speaker
Basically. Oh, that's not what don't want to do that. don't know. How did this game actually end?
00:40:14
Speaker
ah So they basically would finish the season on a. eight one and one run, which is maybe, maybe I'm giving them too much credit.
00:40:25
Speaker
That's not that. with That's not what they're remaining. They, that would be what they would finish on. They're already, they've already won, I believe two games out of that, but they, their schedule just is not very hard to end the season. Like they, they finish with the Timbers on the road.
00:40:42
Speaker
But then other than that, it's just not, there's just not a lot of tough games for them. Isn't that my, No, I think you're I think you're right. um It's i it's one of those situations where I don't really think that San Diego is necessarily as good as their record.
00:40:59
Speaker
um But I also. Like they've beat, they've they've gotten through the difficult part of their schedule already, and they've got ah ah an easier run in than maybe the Sounders would like them to if they were hoping to catch them. So um I don't think it's out of the question that they're going to fall apart.
00:41:18
Speaker
but And in this weekend, I think, is a big this game will maybe not tell us a lot because they they could probably afford to lose points this weekend. They're playing at San Jose. But that to me is sort of like a bellwether game for them, where if they if they beat San Jose, it suddenly becomes like they're virtually uncatchable as far as I'm concerned.
00:41:38
Speaker
Yeah, I think that that is think that's a fair characterization. And then Whitecaps are another team who are going to be a challenge to catch. I think they are, ah they're on 44 points already.
00:41:56
Speaker
and then they have, they, they actually don't play San Diego anymore, which is kind of, uh, too bad, i suppose, as those things go. But what do you see them? Where, where's the bellwether games for them?
00:42:11
Speaker
So I think for Vancouver, um, They've got they've got some pretty easy home games um coming up. i Houston, I mean, Houston's not terrible. st Louis isn't terrible, but those are games that I think a team that ah has, you know, designs on on a taking a run at the Western conference should be able to win at home.
00:42:34
Speaker
um And I think that people have kind of been waiting for the other shoe to drop for, for a while with Vancouver. um So I think if they can win those fairly easy home games, um it's going to be tough for the Sounders to catch them. I think that, you know, this is it like, it I don't, again, i don't think Vancouver is as good as their record, but they played really well this year.
00:42:56
Speaker
um They've got a little bit of a cushion. And I think their schedule is a little bit easier than Seattle's. They do have to play Philly at home, which is a tough game. and They've got to go across the country.
00:43:09
Speaker
But yeah, they've they've got, I think, a little easier run in. And, you know, they've got the Mueller effect, so they might be able to to ride that wave a little bit. So um they've got it. But they've got to win those easy home games.
00:43:24
Speaker
um And I think also supporting Casey on the road is going to be an important game for them because that's a game that they, you know, they should be able to win if they have designs on on making a run at first place. So, um yeah, all that said, I think the Sounders are going to catch them.
00:43:41
Speaker
But yeah. they could definitely make things a lot tougher if if they win, you know, if they win the games, they should win. The one complicating thing, the most complicating thing for the white caps to me is that they are still alive in the Canadian championship.
00:43:58
Speaker
They play forge FC actually tomorrow. And then they have a return leg against forge, which comes between the home game against Philadelphia and a road game against sporting Kansas city.
00:44:12
Speaker
And i would think the Whitecaps are like the Whitecaps have traditionally always sort of gone all in on Canadian championships. They've taken this tournament very seriously. They're the three-time defending champions.
00:44:25
Speaker
I don't see any reason that they're not going to field essentially first choice groups for those games. So that's ah maybe a complicating factor, especially since they have to go on the road.
00:44:40
Speaker
against Forge tomorrow. So that's going to be ah a decent little road trip. They have to essentially fly across the country, right? Forge is in Halifax? Hamilton. Is that right? Hamilton. yeah So yeah that's just, yeah.
00:44:51
Speaker
Hamilton Forge. Okay, there you go. I saw that their H was, is what I know about the Canadian Premier League. So yeah, I mean, I think that's the complicating factor, but they feel like getting to 63 points is sort of what I guessed. What do you, where did where would where did you have them?
00:45:07
Speaker
Yeah, that seems I mean, yeah, that seems about right. I think um I'm a lot less confident, though, that they're going to hit that mark than I am that San Diego is going to hit theirs.
00:45:20
Speaker
I would say um would agree. i would agree. i I like the Whitecaps. I've you know, I. I was ah not as skeptical of them as I think a lot of other people were, although I never thought that they were really serious shield contenders.
00:45:36
Speaker
I think they have a good team. i just think this pace is a little um a little stronger than than they actually are. So I think that there's a pretty good chance that they slip a little in terms of their there points per match pace.
00:45:49
Speaker
Yeah, and then so then we got Minnesota United, who their run-in is maybe a little... you know it could be a little bit more complicated. They are also they also have another competition...
00:46:02
Speaker
The Open Cup. I mean, the Sounders also have potentially Leagues Cup, so that's another complicating factor. But for some reason, I don't... I'm not as... I think because those games are almost all going to be at home, potentially, it makes me a little less worried about it. But anyway, we don't need to get into that.
00:46:17
Speaker
Minnesota, of course... ah Like, this game against Minnesota, to me, is a real... This is this is going to go a long way to determining whether or not the Sounders can really get into the top three.
00:46:29
Speaker
Because if they can catch Minnesota with a game in hand, it just becomes much more of a of a race. And like their run-in is not easy. There's definitely some complicating games here. who Which games catch your eye as being particularly important other than the the game against the Sounders this week?
00:46:48
Speaker
Yeah, obviously that's the big one. um The games that you know I think Minnesota needs to win – they Salt Lake is a tough place to play, but Salt Lake is not very good.
00:47:01
Speaker
Um, they've been up and down, but yeah, they've been up and down, but they've, you know, they they're not, they they're six, five and one at home this year. So they have been beatable at home. Um, so that's a team that I, you know, that's a game I think Minnesota should be looking to win if they want to keep pace.
00:47:17
Speaker
Um, obviously a win in San Diego would be huge. I don't think that that's a game they should expect to win, but, um, you know if If they could, that really changes the dynamic of things, I think. um Colorado away is another one where that game, if they win that game, that those are points that maybe they aren't necessarily expecting to pick up.
00:47:39
Speaker
And if they get a point in that game and a point at RSL and a point at San Diego, I think it becomes harder to. keep up the pace, but they're, they're, they do get to go to LA, which is, we know is a pretty easy walk in the park kind of game. And then they've got some easy games at home. They've got Kansas city, Chicago at home.
00:47:57
Speaker
yeah um So I think if they can do what's expected at home and maybe sneak some road points, they weren't expecting, that's going to make things tougher. But I think of all the teams that we're talking through talking about Minnesota is one that I'm most confident of the sounders ability to finish ahead of.
00:48:12
Speaker
um I wouldn't be shocked if they, if they, you know, if Minnesota ends the season higher on the table, but I think that the Sounders will overtake them at some point. And I would say there's a good chance they're going to be in the Open Cup final, which would give them an an additional game. they have They're hosting Austin in the in the semifinals.
00:48:30
Speaker
So that's you know that is another complicating factor. Then the real wild card for me in terms of at least the way it relates to the Sounders is LAFC, who has two games in hand on almost everybody, including the Sounders.
00:48:48
Speaker
and And three games in hand. Yeah, San Diego, Minnesota. Right. So they have a lot of games left to play. ah They don't have any other competitions, which I suppose is good.
00:49:02
Speaker
But they don't exactly have a a murderer's row of remaining games either. They're home against San Diego. That's probably a big, that'll be important They've got a road game against San Jose.
00:49:18
Speaker
What other games jump out at you as being particularly... It's funny, they ah they go back-to-back against RSL. But anyway, what what are the big games as far as you're concerned? Yeah, I mean, um their schedule is depressingly pretty pretty easy. um There's a a lot of easy home points in here. Yeah, their road games, they've got to go to New England, Dallas, ah San Jose, ah rsl austin St. Louis.
00:49:45
Speaker
Austin is their toughest road game remaining, I think, um or or Colorado one out of the two. That's man, you would like them to have some some tougher challenges to have to to live up to on the road.
00:49:59
Speaker
um Their home games, you know, they just they have a pretty easy schedule the rest of the way. I think of of all five of these teams, their schedule might be the easiest. um You mentioned the San Diego game, but that's obviously the biggest one. Like if they win that game and they perform in the other games the way you would expect them to, they might be the favorite to to finish first. Which is very painful to say. um But yeah, they've just got to perform how you would expect them to perform against these teams. And they're in really, really good shape to finish you know in the top three, I think.
00:50:34
Speaker
Well, we won't go through the Sounders whole schedule, but what I think we both feel like getting to 60 points is about.
00:50:47
Speaker
About as high as they can realistically go, right? Yeah, I think they would have to go on a pretty historical run, um which they're already kind of on. So they would just have to sustain that for the rest of the way and and really improve on the pace, right? They've they've got.
00:51:03
Speaker
And they're going to have. I look at. so go ahead They're going to have Leagues Cup, too, which is just another complicating factor. And right now, the lack of depth that isn't hurting them or not the lack of depth, but the depth being tested isn't hurting them. Right. As we get deeper into the year, maybe that's not as much the case. Maybe they need to to rotate a little more often.
00:51:22
Speaker
um When you look at the schedule, you know, the games that stand out, obviously Vancouver, Portland, York, both at home. um those Those are the biggest ones. And then the Minnesota on the road is obviously a huge game. ah Everything else is a game that you feel like you should win, save for Miami away.
00:51:39
Speaker
um That's the only game. and The Miami away game is the only like, know, things happen, but that's the one that feels like you, you just can't really assume a point in that. you You can't just assume points in that one.
00:51:52
Speaker
I have no expectation of of getting anything out of that game. I mean, Miami hasn't been great at home this year. They're six, two and three. So they've been not quite as good as the Sounders, in fact. But um still, I mean, they're, you know, it's it's definitely the toughest game they still have on the schedule.
00:52:08
Speaker
But all the rest of the games, you know, you look at them and and there's really no reason to think in a vacuum. Sounders can't win that game. Yeah. Or the sounder even to go a step further, the sound Sounders wouldn't be expected to win that game outside of Miami and and Minnesota, maybe.
00:52:27
Speaker
But you still have to do it. And like you said, stuff happens. um you know they're They're probably going to drop points against teams they should beat the rest of the way. ah If not, i mean, if they do...
00:52:41
Speaker
you know, let's say they win all the rest of their home games. um They win the road games that you think they have a good chance in. So they won against Minnesota. They went against ah hu Austin.
00:52:53
Speaker
They went against NYCFC. That puts them at. 24 points, I think. And then they, let's say they get a point at Miami, even that's 25.
00:53:07
Speaker
If they get, i mean, that would be an undefeated run, but yes, it would be an undefeated run. They they would have to go undefeated from July onward, but that puts them at 66 points, right? Um, it's not six points.
00:53:19
Speaker
That gives a pretty good shot. I'm not going to say that's the bare minimum they need to win, but it would probably be a run like that for them to actually win the West. Right. Yeah. but All right. Well, let's do this. Let's break it down as far as what we think the most likely outcomes are. And we'll start actually at number six, meaning fifth or worse. What do you think the chance? like we and So what would you start at number six? what's the What do you think the least likely outcome is?
00:53:46
Speaker
the The least likely outcome is they finish anywhere lower than fifth. I think that they would have to revert to early season, but after Jordan got hurt form for that to really be on the table for me. Because even before they went on this run, they were playing at a much better pace than I think it would take for them to drop below fifth.
00:54:07
Speaker
Would you let me just ask you this. Would you again? These are false choices. We love false choices. Would you take finishing six but winning Leagues Cup as an acceptable trade off? Or does that see that's just non unacceptable outcome is to finish lower than fifth.
00:54:24
Speaker
I think it's an unacceptable outcome. um I mean. Another false. mean, I don't know. It would really is what it would be. Another false choice, too, is what I take finishing sixth and ah finishing third in the League's Cup.
00:54:44
Speaker
Because the only thing I care about in League's Cup really is... Although you do for finishing first, you do get a slightly easier path. and You do. champions you You skip around in the Champions Cup. That's true.
00:54:56
Speaker
um And it's a round in which we always lose a guy for for several months. So, um but yeah, i I just, I don't think I would. Yeah.
00:55:07
Speaker
Personally, because I think the odds are pretty good that they're going to beat Puebla and qualify for Champions Cup. and and And I don't want the end of the season to suck. And if they finish sixth or lower, it's the rest of the way is going to be kind of crappy. Yeah.
00:55:19
Speaker
yeah All right. So what do you think is the fifth ah least likely and ah outcome? So I believe, please correct me if I'm wrong, because we went through a few permutations of this list, but I believe that the fifth least likely outcome is finishing
00:55:37
Speaker
It's that's what we decided. I think we said I think we we decided that fifth was slightly less likely happen than first. I think which and and i I think that's true.
00:55:49
Speaker
um Yeah, mean, i essentially what we're saying is we think the we think there's a good chance they're going to maintain their current position or improve.
00:56:00
Speaker
Yeah, because the the the place they are now on the table, fourth place, is ah including that really bad run of form when you know they looked like it might be another one of those years.
00:56:13
Speaker
And I just...
00:56:16
Speaker
assuming they don't get significantly more hurt than they are now, which hell is it's always a possibility. um I just don't see them reverting to that level of form. It's just hard for me to to see, given the way they've played. I don't like i said earlier, I don't think they're going to keep up this pace specifically the rest of the way, but I think that they are a very good team that's going to continue to to play very well. So I just don't see them slipping to that degree.
00:56:41
Speaker
Yeah, and and for what it's worth, the Sounders have been the second best team in the West since early April, essentially. Yeah, yeah. But I will also say, I think that this is optimistic, right?
00:56:54
Speaker
Yeah, sure. I think this is a slightly roasted state of mind. Yeah.
00:57:01
Speaker
Yeah, so I think that's that's fair. ah All right. And then number four. i Savvy listeners will probably have figured out that that would be first place. um it's It's a very difficult mountain to climb, I think.
00:57:15
Speaker
I think that from, you know, first place in terms of the outcomes, right? Six, five and four or ah worse than fifth, fifth and first.
00:57:28
Speaker
I think there's a very solid line in terms of probabilities. Like I do not think the Sounders have a good chance of finishing first. um I am not bookie, an odds maker, what have you, but I would put the odds of them finishing first at lower than 10% probably.
00:57:43
Speaker
ten percent probably Yeah, I don't. i don't If looking at the schedules, it feels like getting the first requires not just a great run for the Sounders, but it requires some teams to drop points we just don't think are likely to drop.
00:58:00
Speaker
Multiple, and multiple, a bunch of teams dropping points. That's the problem. They just just had to catch San Diego. yeah Maybe, but yeah, but no, i agree with you. ah All right. So third least likely outcome.
00:58:14
Speaker
I think that's fourth. most likely Third most likely outcome. Third most likely out outcome. and This is boy, i this is ah I should have written this down. I think that that is finishing third.
00:58:26
Speaker
Oh, I think that... Oh, okay. Sorry, fourth. Fourth. No, fourth you're right. okay Fourth. I said I should have written it down. I did write it down. that's That's where they are now. for us. um And I don't think it's and indicative of the...
00:58:42
Speaker
the performance we can expect the rest of the way. I think that's including the kind of the figuring out who they were phase of the season. um And I don't see that happening again, barring something unforeseen, which I don't want to speak into existence. um But yeah, I think that they're going to finish higher than they they are now.
00:58:59
Speaker
um I wouldn't be shocked. I think they could still play quite well the rest of the way and end up and forth. You know, if ah all it would take would be two of the teams ahead of them and LAFC playing well the rest of the way for for them to finish in fourth. So I don't think it's crazy.
00:59:16
Speaker
outcome by any stretch, but I do think they're going to move ahead before the end of the year. Yeah. And so the second ah most likely outcome you think is.
00:59:28
Speaker
I think is third. This was a tough one. um This was a this was a. Or did we say second? I thought we'd said third I thought we said second, but OK, see, it was it it was a tough. It was a tough discussion.
00:59:39
Speaker
um It was a tough discussion. Yeah. I think you're you know, I think I think you're right. Ultimately, i think it probably is second um just because I think l LAFC is going to rack up a bunch of points. I think that the odds of them finishing first are actually not terrible.
00:59:56
Speaker
um Assuming they win the two games in hand, they've got their only six points behind San Diego um and they they have a really favorable schedule. um but I think one of those two teams is going to finish first.
01:00:10
Speaker
I feel pretty confident that the Sounders can can leapfrog Minnesota and Vancouver. I don't feel confident confident that they can hold off LAFC necessarily, and I definitely don't think they can catch San Diego. So, um yeah, so there you go.
01:00:25
Speaker
Yeah, so that leaves us with where we think the Sounders are going to finish is probably third in the West, which would leave them behind two of probably... San Diego, Vancouver, and LA FC. Yeah.
01:00:38
Speaker
Which feels about right. I would be very, yeah if the Sounders finish third in the West and qualify for Champions Cup through Leagues Cup, I would consider that a very satisfactory end to this regular season.
Sounders' Style & Fan Attraction
01:00:57
Speaker
And I think it puts them in good position and it would also, and it would put them in pretty good position to get to the, ah in the playoffs, uh, that would yeah essentially keep them out of the, it would keep them off the side of the bracket of the, of whoever wins the West.
01:01:13
Speaker
They would have to potentially visit the second place team in the, ah in the semi or in the, uh,
01:01:24
Speaker
Western Conference semifinals. Unfortunately, finishing third probably means ah three game series with the Timbers. but Yeah. Yeah.
01:01:35
Speaker
which Which, you know, I don't love, but I think that how they play against the Timbers at home, if they can finally, finally, finally get that monkey out their back.
01:01:46
Speaker
Now, maybe the playoffs is where we do that now, right? Because, I mean, that's what it took against LAFC. Let's not temp that. let's Let's take care of business at home against the Timbers and then take care of business in the playoffs. So that's what we have to do.
01:02:00
Speaker
But, yeah. But I absolutely... Yeah. was gonna say the Timbers have a little bit of a tough run into the, like that there's a decent chance. They don't, they don't finish that. They have one of the toughest, I believe one of the toughest end of the season schedules. So it's possible they, um they drop below six, but um I wouldn't mind avoiding. i don't really love the idea of playing the Timbers in the playoffs. Although maybe if they, yeah they thump them at home on the season finale, I'll feel differently.
01:02:29
Speaker
Yeah, that's, you know, fair point. i ah I think with the context of the way the season has gone um in terms of stuff that that they couldn't have prevented, Paul Areola getting hurt, you know, what, like to two league games in, Jordan Morris being unavailable for almost that long, ah that all the other injuries they've had.
01:02:50
Speaker
um i just, I don't think how... and and then also... the way they've been playing, right. The, the run they made in leagues cup and in the, you know, the league phase and then the goals they've been scoring. I mean, all, all we talked about last year was like, yeah, it's great that they went on this run and have given us something to look forward to in the playoffs, but they're, you know, they still weren't scoring goals and there was still a lot of dissatisfaction and um There just isn't any of that this year. They are playing lights out. They are playing, and think, objectively fun soccer. Like last year, I was sort of a dissenting voice and saying that, like, I get that this isn't for a lot of people, but I'm enjoying this.
01:03:33
Speaker
I think everybody that likes soccer likes to watch this kind of soccer. Um, it's, it's a lot of fun. It's great to score a ton of goals and, uh, you know, hopefully the attendance is a lagging indicator for sure.
01:03:45
Speaker
um but it's, if the Sounders are going to get a buzz going without making a big major signing, this, this is a way to do it. This is a way to get, you know, get the crowds back is to to play this kind of soccer. So hopefully we see that, you know, over the last couple weeks of summer here.
01:04:01
Speaker
And, uh, yeah, if we finished third, I feel pretty good about that. Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. Well, um probably a good place to, or that is the that's that's
Listener Support & Community Involvement
01:04:14
Speaker
it. That's our show.
01:04:15
Speaker
We don't have anything else to to discuss. But ah thank you again to all of you for listening. The subscription drive has gone very well, I'll just say.
01:04:27
Speaker
We have added about, ah I think we've netted, Close to 40 new subscriptions in the month of August, which is great news.
01:04:37
Speaker
We are doing well. I'm very happy. But I also want to encourage anyone, if you're a regular listener to this show, I just really want to encourage you to become at least a $30 a year subscriber.
01:04:49
Speaker
That's the basic level here. That's what we, you know, i think that's a a very good entry point. And i want to urge everyone to to do that. You know, $30 a year to help sustain sound or heart is not asking a lot.
01:05:02
Speaker
And so I'll just throw that out there again. ah But other than that, I want to of course say thank you to full pool wines and hacks and ferments for sponsoring the show for sponsoring the sound or heart podcast network. In fact, so that's been awesome.
01:05:17
Speaker
Thank you, Aaron. Thank you. Lick it for producing the show. I am Jeremiah Shan, signing off for Nos Adietes. And remember, you'll never get alone.
01:05:55
Speaker
I expect the LAFC who is motivated ah to prove themselves at home, to prove to their fans that that they're capable of winning in this league. And it's up to us to really ruin the party.
01:06:10
Speaker
i feel a lot better than