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Nos Audietis: Previewing LAFC with Max Bretos
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One of our favorite announcer teams on the MLS Season Pass lineup is Max Bretos and Brian Dunseth. We’ve had Dunseth on the show a couple of times, but with the Sounders gearing up for LAFC we thought it would be good to have Bretos on for the first time ever.
Bretos is one of the longest tenured announcers in MLS, first starting out on Fox Soccer Channel before moving to ESPN and then eventually to MLS Season Pass. In addition to calling games, he also does work with LAFC. We figured he’d be a great person to provide some insight into the Sounders’ next opponent.
If you’d like to hear more from Max, check out his podcast “The Soccer OG.”
Note: This episode is being made available early to paid subscribers.
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Transcript
Sponsorship and Voice Work
00:00:02
Speaker
This episode of Nos Arietes is sponsored by Fullpool Wines, a Seattle-based wine retailer and proud sponsor of Nos Arietes since 2011. Fullpool was founded in 2009, is based in Seattle, and is owned and operated by longtime Sounders supporters. They offer the best boutique wines of the world to members of their mailing list, with special focus on their home, Pacific Northwest.
00:00:25
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.
00:00:40
Speaker
about sell dominatmin it um
00:01:18
Speaker
This is a tiny f***ing dog. Ever since Southern, I've got a commentary that we didn't take local seriously.
Introduction and Early Career Challenges
00:01:41
Speaker
Welcome back to another episode of NOS Adiates. I'm Jeremiah O'Shan. Joining me today is the incomparable Max Bretos of Apple TV fame and and and then everything else. you How are you doing, Max?
00:01:55
Speaker
Yeah. Great, Jeremiah. I'm a bad smell when it comes to soccer. I've been around forever. I know. It's just wafting around and people like... Some people, it's like a creature comfort and some people, it's like maybe nails on the chalkboard, but I'm here, baby. The thing I always remember, I always appreciated, you were one of the only people on ESPN back in the day that was giving soccer some real love. Right. Well, I was at Fox Soccer Channel.
00:02:21
Speaker
from, I mean, this was the dark ages of the coverage of the sport here. There was no, I mean, there was, I think when I started in 1996, oh boy, it was, it just keeps further and further away. There was like, you'd have a Monday night Premier League game on ESPN, and then there was some Champions League games. And then mostly you'd have like Liga and Maikis. That was the only thing you would get other than the big tournaments, the World Cup only. I mean, the Euros wasn't even televised. um None of that was.
00:02:48
Speaker
So we were on this all soccer channel, and I kind of got that and was that eventually ah allowed the move to ESPN, but my I always wanted to be in soccer, but you also wanted to always have that opportunity to work at ESPN and SportsCenter, which you did. But as that the time went in, I mean, I'm already answering a question before you even asked one, ah Jeremiah, this is. ah But as I did, I wanted obviously soccer was I mean,
00:03:11
Speaker
I was all in at that point. I was like, I want I want to be immersed in this sport. So ah full circle. Now here I am talking
MLS Coverage and Entertainment Value
00:03:18
Speaker
to you. I know it's great. It's great. I I've always appreciated that about you. I have really I've really honestly come to appreciate Intensely, the the work that you guys do on the the broadcast, you and Dunny, are oh or the probably the most entertaining group team out there. I don't know if youre that's who you're paired with this week, but yeah i do I do really enjoy you and Dunny. I've come to really appreciate it.
00:03:45
Speaker
Well, yeah and let me ask you this because the way I do it, you know, and that you we we talk about the broadcast and I feel doing MLS, which isn't the Premier League, it's not the Champions League where everyone knows who these people are and they have a 200 year history, is that I think we sometimes have to be a little more entertaining, a little few more bells and whistles to be a little more and engaged because because we don't have You know, obviously the ah star power one day we will a play. We have great players, but we don't, you know, every team is just loaded and we don't have that history. So, I mean, I was, I wonder, I'm curious, you know, how, how you would like a good, uh, when people say we can't, we can't, I guess the answer to my point was to compare it to the premier league. Uh, it's just a different, it's to me, it's gotta be a much different presentation.
00:04:37
Speaker
i think it did I think there's room for it to be a different presentation. There are times, especially early on in when you and Dunne were working together, I thought sometimes it veered a little bit into the, a little bitty, you know what I mean? A little, like there could be a little over, but I think you guys have really found a good balance. I don't know if those are notes that you ever received or not, but there is a authenticity to the banter that I appreciate. And and it seems like you guys play off one another really well.
Broadcast Banter and Rivalries
00:05:05
Speaker
That's great to hear. And Jeremy, it's his interactions with the MLS, the our MLS world, which, you know, I think you have to be honest, talking to the journalists, talking to the players, the coaches, and just trying to paint that and not be phony. And I'll be, I mean, I've been doing this forever. And there's moments where this season where I've said things like that felt a little insincere or what have you. And then, you know, we're just always learning still. And ill doing this in this format with MLS,
00:05:32
Speaker
I mean, we've done it for two years, so ah I've kind of come in with a new new perspective and still fine-tuning it. But it's ah I think being you know true to the league and the people involved as has been a good guideline ah a good guideline. Well, I'll say that I think the the moment where I was finally embraced at all was when you dubbed Dylan Tevez's hair Immaculate Lettuce.
00:05:59
Speaker
it's got Good hair. You guys get strongers in general have good hair. They do. They do. And that's sort of a thing that's gone back a ways. I think that might be on their scouting checklist is good hair. Because they they do seem to bring in a pretty steady stream of well coiffed. Yes. I mean, Rothrock's got a good ah salad. De La Vega's got a nice one too.
00:06:26
Speaker
um Jordan Mars a little bit and the roll down, but I was a little bit more kept, but still nice flow. Yeah, there's not a lot of disasters at the very least. Who is the backup keeper? Andrew Thomas? Oh yeah, he's great, great Maine. Great Maine. He has this big chiseled... I mean, I walk by him and he just... It's a big chisel jawline. It's like just an impressive human being to see up close if you get that chance in Seattle. I totally agree. Well, you aren't you aren't on the Sounders game this week, but you do do a lot of work with LAFC, which is the main reason I wanted to talk to you was you seem to know LAFC really as well as anyone.
00:07:12
Speaker
What's the sense of the sort of the the rivalry with the Sounders? or is the like I know Sounders fans now, there is like an ah honest debate within but Sounders fandom about if LAFC is now the big rival of the Sounders, even in in a different way than the Timbers, but it's it's become such a bugaboo team for the Sounders. do Does LAFC feel that at all?
00:07:37
Speaker
I think they do. I haven't heard it said publicly, but, you know, being associated with LAFC from the beginning, when they started, obviously, they had the rivalry of the galaxy, which was going to be all in from the jump, and we saw that from the first chapter. Then ah there was a season or two where the Timbers became like that second rival. They had some big games, and ah even till today, it always felt like Timbers are number two.
00:08:03
Speaker
But then, you know, is being a young club, things adjust. And I mean, even the Whitecaps, which L.A.F.C. has played 12 times the last two years. I mean, there's just... Really? Is that the actual number? That's the actual number, because they had... Oh my God.
00:08:18
Speaker
playoffs the last two years, CONCACAF Champions Cup last year. oh yeah um So that's six games right there. And then Leagues Cup, it's unbelievable. So I mean, but those two, neither of those two teams want to see each other again. So there's there's just, that that's fatigue. ah The Sounders kind of crept up on it because in those early years, from the LASC perspective, 18-19, they didn't really have any Notable matchups really ones that you remember off the top of your off your head. um But that's obviously changed in 2019 in that playoff game which put all the chips into the sounders and that was a very difficult pill to swallow.
00:08:59
Speaker
their magical season. um And I was there. and I'll always remember Bob Bradley and and Brian Schmetzer and Bob Bradley was just mulling it over. And I've spoken to Bob after that. And he says he relives that game over and over and over again. It's it's it's like a sickness. and That's my word, not his. It's just it really affects him. And I remember Brian Schmetzer coming up to him and going, hey, sorry, bud.
00:09:24
Speaker
He was like, hey, man, I'm sorry about that. She was apologizing for beating him. I'm sure that's, he was just being Brian, you know, the yeah yeah ah gentleman all the time. But that that changed it. And I should say that was the second year, but they even they didn't play that much. So every time but they'd get a chance, and now we have this run in the postseason and they've kind of been unavoidable.
00:09:44
Speaker
Yeah, this is the fourth fourth consecutive knockout tournament that they've faced each other going back to last year's playoffs. Yeah, so they they play obviously played in the playoffs last year. ah it Maybe it doesn't feel the same for the LAFC because they've moved on. Yes, that's those games, but the sounder, you know, last year's playoffs leagues cup open cup. And now this, you know, this, this it's.
00:10:06
Speaker
a very clear obstacle that the sounders have to clear for them to achieve what they aspire to, which is winning trophies.
Sounders vs LAFC: Rivalry and Performance
00:10:16
Speaker
And LAFC has been the absolute team that ah they have been running face first into each time. And It's, you know, you go back and I think it's 10 straight that since the Sounders beat LAFC within that time. I think they only even have three ties, maybe two ties. It's been an all LAFC rivalry. And I think there was a lot of sense going into the open cup where it's at Starfire. It felt like all the.
00:10:46
Speaker
the advantages were were on the sounder side, and yet it's LAFC who comes up with a penalty kick and then gets you know gets a ah ah favorable offside call, which I think was was correct, but you know an offside call there at the end. And and here we are. LAFC moves on again. They win the open cup.
00:11:04
Speaker
But it's been an interesting season for LAFC where it does seem like it's gone through some real roller coaster aspects. Is that a fair way of putting it? Yeah. And by the way, that's stunning, that history. um and that That's what makes it such a compelling matchup because I don't know.
00:11:19
Speaker
ah I'll talk about the LAFC season, but just the approach for LAFC, it's hard to be, I'm not taking a jab at them, but kind of, it's hard to beat the San Jose earthquakes five times in a season. I agree. Let alone the sounders. I agree. Who look just, you know, the the um immovable object, can't no one's getting through these guys and the way they just just bully the dynamo. And we saw the worst of Houston come to the surface because it was the Sounders. ah it was It was really impressive. And for that to be in a situation for this team, and I can't even imagine, ah and maybe it's a disadvantage that they would be so fired up saying, we can't lose to this team five times this season. And maybe that will affect them. But I think LAFC is also thinking,
00:12:09
Speaker
How can we beat this team five times? I mean, I think we spoke to Steve Trundle and he wouldn't really address that. He just, you know, got to be cliche about a game per game. And I think he'll feel confident about his team's chances because it's been a good matchup and maybe use that to his benefit. But um to to answer your question, this
00:12:28
Speaker
I see Toronto doesn't get the the the recognition that he certainly deserves because this was a a Very good season. They had that bad patch there. They're always Incorporating new players, especially these last three years when he's there that's difficult and we've seen it derail a lot of teams I mean the Sounders don't have to worry about it. They've had the same group and incredibly they've stayed injuries more I think Yeah, well, it's but I was talking about the sounders in the middle of the season, I go, they're not this, this is not sustainable. ah doesn't feel they need to get They need to spend some money and get it. But yeah I was wrong. Somehow, I think I mean, it but I think that's, you're you're right. It's an interesting not to to not to cut you off, but it is an interesting debate because it feels like I agree that they have to start spending some money and refreshing this roster. Because you just you you feel like you just can't
00:13:21
Speaker
keep rolling out the same roster game after game, and yet they went on and a nearly historic run in the second half of the season. you know if if they hadn't If they had won that game against Portland in the season finale, they would have been they would have had the second most points in a half season in MLS history.
00:13:39
Speaker
wow which is crazy, I mean, that's a a crazy start. Unbelievable, because if there's there was a point in the season, I remember I called a game and I was there and I saw Adrian Hanhauer, hey Adrian, what's going on? He was like, he's always very cordial. and He's like, I can't right now. And it was like, and I saw Brian roll in and then Craig Weibel and they were like, all their heads down. And I imagined, I don't know, cause I wasn't in the room. No, it was, it was, it was a trend. I mean, they were one five and three to start the season. It was, it was very bad. They were, they were as real conversations about whether or not Brian was going to stick around or not.
00:14:10
Speaker
There was no, and there's no way that Brian and Craig probably didn't say, Hey, we need help. We need to get this, right whatever that looks like. And then whatever happened, ah they they leaned into what they had this amazing, uh, set up Academy set up and, uh, MLS next pro team that defines them. They found what they were needing. I just, it really, the more I talk about it, Jeremiah, it's one of the great sports stories because they don't, they shouldn't be here. This, this should have been.
00:14:40
Speaker
Like, to me, the exposing the sounders for not buying and spending money. And they're getting a reprieve because they've made it work. I just don't know how they did it. I don't know how they did it. Yeah. And I don't either. And ah you you know you bring up a good point about the Academy and the Defiance. And that is one thing that I really think that you and Dunny have done a better job of than maybe anyone else I've heard calling the games is sort of highlighting the work that the Sounders have done to develop talent within their own market and that is that it's you know we hear about Philadelphia and we hear about Dallas because they're selling players on and the Sounders have not made the same kind of big sales but they've done a good as good of a job as anyone of filling out their roster with
00:15:28
Speaker
players that come through their developmental system, I think over half there half their minutes, half their goals, I think half their assists have all come from players who came through their academy. And this is you know this is not this is not l LA where we have the most talent rich area, but there's you know obviously there's good players here. But it's it has been a ah great story and i I appreciate that you guys have pointed this out on multiple occasions.
00:15:54
Speaker
I think it's important but it shouldn't be that way even these clubs worldwide that have great academies. Whether it be you know west and back in the day there's some of these french academies i wanna say is it start running they're always unearthing talent.
00:16:08
Speaker
um But they still need to find and fill the gaps somewhere else. And Seattle does that. But you know, you look, I mean, Pedro de la Vega has been the the signing in two seasons or like the last 12 months, I should say. That's been kind of it. um You know, where people are like three years, that's is their own their biggest signing.
00:16:27
Speaker
That is so, and like to your point, I mean, it's, to me, it's like a story that needs to be told. And I've told that to the Apple folks, because even in l LA where you know, there's more talent, the galaxy who've been in it a long time in LAFC have now been developing players. Neither of them have come close to what the sounders have done just in the last five or six years. Just look at that.
00:16:48
Speaker
that group of players that is right now aiding the Sounders and what they're trying to achieve. there's just You've got to give credit to the club and the coaching and everything they do because their neighbors in Portland, I know it's not as big of a city. They love soccer there. They have a history, yet they can't get two good players out of there. They can't really get Americans on the field, let alone Portlanders.
00:17:12
Speaker
Yeah. And I'm like, not again, I'm taking jabs at all these things, but Portland's gone a different route because that doesn't work for them. Where Seattle, most of those players were from Washington state. Obviously you have Obed Vargas and a couple ah others. And even the World Down Brothers are not like Academy, but to find these guys through Washington with a college here. You know, it's it's really that doesn't make any sense to me, Jeremiah. It shouldn't be feasible that this is their means to their success. But here we are.
00:17:42
Speaker
I know I was I asked Brian about this sort of yesterday and i I, you know, he acknowledging that there is a feel good element to this. And but ultimately asking if this is like how you judge the success of it and and he was pretty blunt. He's like, well, we got to start winning if we're going to have this many we need these guys to deliver championships like it's it's only as useful as we are, you know, if Jordan Morris is scoring in big games. If Jackson Reagan is coming up with big defensive plays, that's what we need. That's what's important. It's not another whether or not they came from Seattle, but know it's been a fun. It's been an interesting subplot to this season for sure. ah And it's been.
00:18:21
Speaker
And it stands in contrast to a lot of what other a lot of other teams are doing. you know But talking about LAFC's mid-season transformation, you bring in Olivier Giroud, or they bring in Olivier Giroud, they bring in Louis O'Brien, two big acquisitions. How have they fit in so far, would you say?
00:18:40
Speaker
Louis O'Brien is, I mean, every every database he he has exceeded, or data point, pardon me, ah he's on loan. I mean, they have to sign him. He's an integral part of this team now. he's I think he started every game, and that league's cup final, which was his first game, he came or his second game, he came on at the half.
00:19:01
Speaker
He was the first sub off the bench. So clearly the coaches like this guy is it. This is what we've been looking for a perfect piece to that formation. I mean, he is he plays every minute of every game. So I would be stunned. And if he's at Nottingham Forest, which means the price tag is not going to be cheap. So but they have to sign him. um He, I mean, when you look at it, i with the other pieces that have developed over the years, obviously Denny Bewonga and Matty Bogus, who's exploded this season. um That was the piece that have allowed them to reach the goals that they've hit, finishing first in the West. Olivier Giroud is the other one. Obviously we could see, you know, he hasn't scored an MLS goal. He had one in open cup and one in league's cup. And he's gripping a bit. It's it's not the perfect fit for this team because
00:19:50
Speaker
as a 36, 37-year-old, number nine ah in a team with this kind of transition. I mean, they're going to have to make it work, and I think they can. ah He turns, if he's doing some hold-up play, and then Boulanger's like, jump, sprinting out there. And that's very hard to keep up with for the Giroux profile. But he does a lot of the things that, you know, I don't, you know,
00:20:11
Speaker
those little things he does well enough. And, you know, this is a winger based team. I mean, they they had Chico Arango for a bit. But other than that, they're best attacking players or midfielders or wingers, the guys who score all the goals. So I think for Drew, it's just a thing, a sit situation. and um He didn't start but game three against the Whitecaps. I'm sure he'll start against the Sounders. I think it's a better matchup. ah And if he can get that goal, it would make all the difference, but they're happy with what he's done. Obviously,
00:20:42
Speaker
They would like more goals. He would like more goals. It's just what he's used to. He's got to, it's got to be a shock to the system. He's like, man, i and it's part, you know, he he's got to shoulder some of the blame, but it's also, um, is it's a result of how this l LAOC team is is playing.
Sounders' Talent Development
00:20:59
Speaker
But again, um, there's a, there's a belief that one moment when it hits, it'll, it'll hit, it'll hit oil.
00:21:06
Speaker
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00:21:32
Speaker
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00:21:56
Speaker
Are there any other spots on the roster where on the starting lineup where you feel like there's question marks or is it pretty set at this point? It's they have a lot of good depth. I mean, this the team's changed a lot. You know, Ilyay Sanchez and Eduardo Twesta were starters all season, but they don't start now. I would I would tend to think he might start here. There is, they kind of disguise if they're short, either when they play the three center backs, which I think Steve Trunello prefers, and then have the two wing backs, whether it's ah Palencia and Hollingshead or Hollingshead and Campos. Palencia always is in there. He's played center back too. So if they play with the three, so I mean, they they get rid of their center back depth. and They have Jesus Murillo coming back. I think that's,
00:22:44
Speaker
that makes it a complete set and they could possibly play with four if they want to have a three man midfield. It depends, you know, horses for courses. The front three, if it was bogus,
00:22:58
Speaker
ah ah giru andangga you're thrilled. You have Christian Oliveta that can also come in, so you have ah a fourth piece in case you need a little pop. And then the midfield, they have four good the depth is good. i um if there's an upgrade and There's always a place where you can upgrade. Maybe they could have a little more creativity in the midfield, which With the two that they have, Tillman and O'Brien, they're more, you know, more utilitarian industrial types and they'll they'll they'll win in the ball, they'll get it upfield. Maybe a little more passing that maybe a Carlos Vela would have done in the past. But with the way this team's built, it's it's hard to find a shortcoming. The one thing would be is they need more, it would be great if they get more goals at the nine position. But, you know, if they're getting goals from other people, you can live with that.
00:23:47
Speaker
What did you feel like the Whitecaps did well in that series? You know, it felt like they gave LAFC really all they could, I mean, LAFC lost on aggregate, I suppose. Yeah, it was, I mean, Ryan Gold is really interesting and he was healthy and he was kind of hard to track and LAFC were losing him a lot. And I thought the way they just threw numbers up, ah exposed LAFC, certainly in the midfield, because some certainly in that second leg where they won.
00:24:18
Speaker
I mean, you would see like seven on four, six on, six on four, five on three. And then it would always be an extra man for the Whitecaps and they had real issues handling that. I think a physical nature that Andres Cubas was able to provide and getting under the skin made a big difference. Vesalinovich, it was just, they were, they were tough, but I thought winning the ball and then just going and not making mistakes to get caught. They didn't give LAFC time.
00:24:47
Speaker
to go for that transition. For whatever, there was just too much pressure. And those center backs were pushed way back. And I remember, I mean, there was the and the second leg. And there was signs of it in the third leg, too, early on, where LAFC just couldn't, they could get out of their end, but they could never really get into a good attacking position. And the Whitecaps, it just felt sometimes in stretches that, you know, it felt like the Whitecaps had an extra player there. I don't know if any did it, but he did it.
00:25:16
Speaker
Have you been surprised this year at the degree to which LAFC is sort of embraced not having the ball? Yeah. It's, uh, uh, Steve Trundullo, I think really, uh, enjoys that moment, enjoys that style. And he's built a team that is.
00:25:33
Speaker
you know this is ah ah very It's weird because it's a very modern kind of new philosophy about, yeah, we're not going to touch the ball. I remember watching the World Cup and it was, you know, France and Morocco and Morocco naturally are are going to try and sit back and absorb pressure. And then France says, well, we're going to do that too. And then they're like, hmm. And then Morocco finds it. The heck with it. They went, France caught him. And I was like, man, this isn' we never used to see this from good what More talented teams, more talented teams saying we will we're not we don't need the ball, we'll wait, we will counter punch and we will hurt you. So I think they really revel in that. And I think we'll you know more teams perhaps will go that direction. But it's ah they it's a badge of honor for them how they can win with without touching the ball that much.
00:26:24
Speaker
Well, I know, especially against the Sounders, where they've really excelled is if they can get an early goal, they havet you know they once they once they have the lead, they are almost impossible to beat, it seems. Yes. That's what it came down to the Whitecaps game, too. And I think game three, of everyone said, whoever scores first is going to win it. And that's what happened, was one goal. And you know the Sounders defensive record and the LAFC's defensive record, they've both been uncompromising. It it feels like it this game,
00:26:53
Speaker
We'll feel more like the Starfire game than it did when they played in League's Cup, which was one-way traffic. it ah Maybe we have like some weird seven-goal thriller, but it just feels like it's going to be a chess match out there. We'll be very compelling in its own right. Yeah. Is there any one player that you feel like is particularly worthy of, they needs more attention in terms of on LAFC that maybe doesn't get talked about quite as much?
00:27:18
Speaker
um But yeah, I think a lot of them don't get talked about. I think they're just, they're the sum of their parts. They don't have a Kucho or a Lucio Acosta or in this. Oh, Wanga, I suppose. But Wanga, yes. I mean, he's the guy. I mean, so people, they focus on him. And I think Bogus is getting his due diligence. I say Aaron Long.
00:27:38
Speaker
i You know, i'll I'll get laughed at, but I was almost waiting for Mauricio Pochettino to announce his roster and Aaron Long was going to be on it. I just thought he fits the profile now of an older guy, still super athletic, um who are can move around that back line. I think he's been excellent, certainly in, to me, one of the three or four best center backs this season. And then Sergi Palencia is just,
00:28:04
Speaker
ah Exceptional I think he leads the league in tackles. So he does a lot of the dirty work And he's a guy who came with very little fanfare. So We crazy not to mention Lewis O'Brien because he really did change this team upon his arrival They needed that in the midfield that was you know, yes, what was missing? That's what was missing and they filmed it And ah they could do it. But it's it's it's the sounders have their hands full because they're going to have to find a weak spot there. And it's it's when they're healthy, which LFC is, ah it's going to be hard to to find to expose that.
00:28:37
Speaker
Well, I'm going to go down there on Saturday. And i'm i I went to l LAFC for the first time for the season opener this year. I i was really impressed by the whole and whole deal. I think it's ah it's a great place to watch a game. So I'm looking forward to going down there. ah But we do have we had a couple of questions from our readers or listeners. But and i just want to throw go I just want to say that the league's got to be thrilled, obviously, with this whole thing with Messi getting knocked out to have this matchup kind of rescue the day. And if if you're uninterested, ah because Messi's out, just tune into this this history. This is really good. No, I agree. And that was one of the things I thought was so far I made the pitch. I, I think that I know the league offices, I'm sure very upset about it. And and but this is
00:29:26
Speaker
The Western half of the bracket still has a lot of compelling match-ups.
MLS Playoff Dynamics
00:29:31
Speaker
I don't think the league is upset. I think the league knows what's what with MLS. It would be naive to think that Inter Miami and LAFC or Inter Miami and the Galaxy would be your final. Never in a million years they just assumed that was going to happen because it doesn't happen very rarely. It does not. Last year it kind of did. 2022 it did.
00:29:49
Speaker
more reason why it could go off the rails in 24. So I think they have the league office. People think that they they're like, oh, they're not. They know this, the playoffs are the playoffs for that reason. Absolutely. Well, okay. So we got a a few questions I wanted to ask you from from our our listeners here. ah One of our readers, Dan, is asking about your partnership with Dunny and how it feels very genuine. And he's just curious, is this are these off the cuff conversations or do you guys actually sort of trade notes about back and forth as to you know little references that you guys make? No, it's pretty much off the cuff. I mean, we talk about it, and I think that's one of the things very fortunate. I've known Brian for a long time. He worked at Fox Soccer. That's where he started his broadcasting. I think I i was with him on his first game, so I've known him. He's a good friend. ah There's a lot of trust there. i mean
00:30:42
Speaker
Most broadcast teams are like that, but I mean, no one has the tenure with us. So we can take shots at each other. we there's I mean, whatever it is, I mean, we are we're very thick skinned. I guess that's where the departure is with some broadcast teams. There's some people I wouldn't take that jab or right or take some liberties with, or I can with with Brian. And so the that makes it very easy. And anything you bring up,
00:31:06
Speaker
um will be absorbed. And if it's a bad point, you'll get called out for it. So we're we're keeping our time. I mean, over the air, we will we will undress each other. And like I'll say you said that two minutes ago, you you didn't listen, whatever it is. So are you listening to yourself? Did you not hear? I said that ah already.
00:31:27
Speaker
Get off your phone.
00:31:30
Speaker
Do you, do you, are you on your phone ever? I guess if you're doing play by play, you can't be on your phone, but Dunny's got to be on his phone. no I'm on my laptop a lot and I'm looking for stuff. Okay. Information. And then I'll get a whack on the side, which is a courtesy whack. but Whoa. And it's, I need to manage it a little better because I think Uh, good announcers also have a better whole handling of everything. And I'm like, I go to this panic, but I gotta to get, I remember I saw this before. Where was it? Type it up. So, uh, we kind of look out for each other now. So we're very fortunate to have each other. And, uh, uh, I think the world of him, I'll tell it but if he's not here or if he was here as well.
00:32:10
Speaker
Fair enough. Uh, so Aaron, my, actually my, my co host on the show. Normally he he wants to know if you say, I guess you make a lot of Eno references. Is that intentional? The emo wasn't Eno Brian, you know, maybe I don't know what the, you know, I'm not sure we do you know, perhaps I'd like, well,
00:32:31
Speaker
I was a big fan you know when Roxy music and there and when Brian Eno separated and then he had all these weird albums with sound effects, which I'd put in. My wife's like, what are you listening to? I go, Brian Eno. There was a couple songs that maybe I subconsciously mentioned some of the lyrics, but that's not out of the re realm of possibility. and I've said that on the broadcast. I love going to Seattle because Music-wise people get your references. Well, I don't listen to KEXP, but I'm on their YouTube page all the time and they have those mean concerts because that's some yeah Seattle music scene is
00:33:04
Speaker
I don't want to generalize, but music that people in Seattle like is kind of like what I like. Oh, yeah ah eat yeah yeah some electronic stuff, all of that kind of, you know, the grunge, all of that. um So I'll give you a bit. I'll let you know. You can listen to KXP in L.A. It's streamed. They have an app that you can say that on that. Yeah.
00:33:24
Speaker
I know. I'm just saying like you don't need to you don't you're probably listening to k-rock or something like that that you don't you can like listen to real unprogrammed radio. I saw I was walking around pikes place. I saw one of the DJs from the gay explain videos. And I'm like, ah, and he was like, I forgot his name. I saw you did this thing was so amazing. He's like, Oh, great. Team who did not expect that.
00:33:48
Speaker
know that's that's I love that. ah All right. So this is from a guy that goes out of the name sounders pilot and he says, if the sounders bunker and look to counter giving LAFC possession, do you see LAFC being able to break down a low block? ah And then who do you think is the bigger problem for LAFC, Georgie Minongo or ah Pedro de la Vega?
00:34:08
Speaker
That's a great question. Really ah well detailed. Yeah. mean to Maybe that Morocco France example I gave you. so We don't want we don't want the ball. Right. You take it. I would think that might not be a badge call. I mean because that might fluster a team that especially in the postseason has been very content with very little possession.
00:34:28
Speaker
ah i just that's a tough i I think Pedro de la Vega is the right answer. ah He's been frustrating, I know, for the Sounder fans, and I mean, Menungu is so pure at what he does. he's not and And same with Rothrock, you know, thats this is what we do. We're going to get vertical, we're going to work hard. up I love watching it, ah but ah I don't have a right answer for that, because I think I think I could see Minungu changing that game. If De La Vega would start, I think Minungu could be a nice change of pace. i would I would think that would be the direction they go. But to answer that question, Minungu in that role could be a difference maker.
00:35:08
Speaker
you know and What's great about Monongo and Rothrock is they are both these great stories that I would imagine any broadcaster just falls in love with. Monongo is blind in one eye and he had this kind of interesting journey to get here. Rothrock obviously was you know yeah a local kid who went to play elsewhere and sort of just found his way back.
00:35:31
Speaker
ah But anyway, everyone needed Roth. I mean menungu. I can't even fathom when you have you don't have vision in an eye You rule out sports, right? 99.9% you can't play sports you need both eyes. So I don't know. I don't know how he does it, right? But ah Roth Rock is so interesting because the last two years every MLS team has dropped big coin for big-time wingers belong a Peck ah Andres Gomez at rail, so like you're all looking for that guy. nowll See how spent zero to get close to the output, not there, but not far off. but um I mean, yeah, for on a permanent basis, his he's been very good. He's like a low earner. I mean, he's not making, he's making. making all nothing
00:36:17
Speaker
So it's, I mean, I hope that changes. It should change. But that's, that is, to go back to the story about the Sounders, that's crazy. I mean, you have to get a big time winger. Austin, the Ghanaian players name escapes me, they swap what eight, seven, $8 million mid season, because they thought that's what they would do. It's Galahad Rothrock.
00:36:39
Speaker
Well, and I'll close out with this. Do you, do you have favorite teams to call? other I'm sure you enjoy calling LAFC because it's your, it's, you know, you you know them probably the best, but is there anyone else that you really enjoy calling games for? Seattle is certainly up there. I'll put that and just getting on calls with Brian, just delight. And he's, he, keep he rips people. ah You know, it's like, sometimes we forget to add some coaches give you their lineup. Some don't, if we forget Seattle, he will literally say, Hey, do you want the lineup? I go, yeah Yeah, sure. Thanks. and I just love the proximity of the stadium. you know Obviously, ah in a perfect world, it'd be great if there was a 25,000-seater there in Seattle, downtown where people go, but this is still pretty good.
00:37:23
Speaker
ah Portland. i just Part of it is for my travel. the you know Growing up in Miami, I didn't know about Alaska Airlines, but I always get upgraded on Alaska Airlines. I'm there in the first class. I always sit on the right on a date so I can see Mount St. Helens and Mount Rainier. I get really pumped. so like go so and Then when they curl around Seattle, i mean it's just that flight in is the best. It is. The the landing, the way the planes come in, especially from the south and out in Seattle is pretty great because you're right. You get to sort of get the whole tour of the of the city up there. You're looking down like a little kid. um Cincinnati going into their stadium is is is awesome. I mostly do west conference Western Conference teams, which is I appreciate. um And you know I hope they do better. Austin,
00:38:11
Speaker
their stadium is not downtown, but their stadium is spectacular. And they've built this area like a second downtown called the Domain, where I remember when I went there first, it was empty. And now it's all building up. And that soccer stadium is kind of the centerpiece of it. So I mean, those are all, I mean, and I know Portland's pretty special too, where you could just watch. admit I like going to games in Portland too. Yeah, that's a special building when you have the wood.
00:38:36
Speaker
the old original wood on the roof. That's pretty cool. It is pretty quiet. I wouldn't ever admit that. Timber Jim and Timber Joey, you know, like all that stuff is really good. We are in debt in this league to the sounders, the timbers, lesser degree, the whitecaps and the earthquakes because of that history. It's not FC this or FC that's I. That is so important and it's authentic and.
00:39:04
Speaker
Thank you. Well, that's a great note to end on, Max. Thank you so much for doing this. One other thing I was told to, I'm told to bug you to get on blue sky, I guess. Especially after I just saw your tweet about how if you, if you leave Twitter, you can't come back. Well, it's like, I, I had like fine people and I have to read their tweet while they're leaving. I'm like, Oh, okay.
00:39:31
Speaker
Well, so enough I guess what I'm saying, if you don't want to use Twitter, don't say anything. Just leave. I get it. I get it. We all use it. It's a mess right now. There's a mess I have to I kind of have to tell people this all the time, like whether or not I personally love being on Twitter. I as a journalist, it's it's still a a very important tool for us. Yes. And I will say that we leave this, but when I go and I do a sounders game, there's like five accounts, including yours that I will click on and I will quickly educate myself. There you go. It's a great base when I'm preparing for a game. True story.
Promotion of Soccer OG Podcast
00:40:06
Speaker
Thank you. I appreciate that. And I appreciate the calls that you've been doing. Where what where can people follow you though? just you you have a but you do have You have a podcast as well.
00:40:15
Speaker
Yes, I have a podcast and I the podcast has been dark for the last few weeks, but I'm bringing it back But I also have it's called a soccer og But I also been trying to focus more on the YouTube page which is up there. So and MLS and US s soccer national team So I'll be watching the game the US games this week and I usually will do videos about that So I really enjoy that because I get to kind of be the editor at large with what we do. So absolutely Check out the soccer OGs under my name, Max Brettos, either on YouTube or check out one of the ah the podcasts as well. Thank you for allowing me to put to mention that. Yeah, no, absolutely. yeah The first thing I said. I know, right? I know. I sort of teed you up. Well, Max, thanks again for doing this. I really appreciate it. ah Best of luck and hopefully we'll we'll talk to you again ah sooner than later. I am Jeremiah Shan. This is No Study at Dis and we'll catch you next time.
00:41:43
Speaker
one