Become a Creator today!Start creating today - Share your story with the world!
Start for free
00:00:00
00:00:01
Under the Lights: Can the Seattle Sounders SHOCK Atlético Madrid? (feat. Into the Calderón)
362 Plays11 days ago
After their hard-fought 2-1 L to open Group B play vs. Botafogo, the Seattle Sounders set their sights on an even loftier foe when they take on Spanish powerhouse Atlético Madrid at Lumen Field. Can the Rave Green pull off a result that would shock the pundits globally, or will the La Liga giant be out for blood after their lopsided defeat against PSG? We're joined by Jeremy Beren of Into the Calderón and That Atleti Podcast to preview the match.
SPONSORS
Haxan Ferments - Specializing in unique, small-batch fermented hot sauces and vinegars, Haxan Ferments is handcrafted in Georgetown and made with the best local ingredients from across the Pacific Northwest. Use Code LS for a FREE Hot Sauce w/ purchase!
Sounder at Heart - Our network host and biggest supporter, Sounder at Heart covers the Seattle Sounders, Seattle Reign, and MUCH MORE! Subscribe and Support to the BEST independent Seattle Soccer coverage.
Podium Edmonds - Located at 114 4th Ave N, just off Main Street in the heart of Downtown Edmonds, come shop and explore the best menswear in the Pacific Northwest. Tell them Lobbing Scorchers sent you!
Full Pull Wines - Founded in 2009, they the best boutique wines of the world to members, with special focus on our home, the Pacific Northwest.
My Data Removal - Data brokers are selling your personal information! Fight back with My Data Removal. Hunt down and scrub your sensitive information from the internet. Use code "LS" for $10 off your annual plan.
Seattle Sounders Tickets - Get tickets to an upcoming match straight from the club and help support the show at the same time.
MLS Season Pass - MLS Season Pass is back on Apple TV with access to every single MLS match—including Leagues Cup and the entire Audi MLS Cup Playoffs—with no blackouts! Subscribe today to support the show.
MLS Store - New year, new gear! The 2025 MLS jerseys are here, and MLSStore is the ultimate destination for every fan. Every purchase helps support our show!
Follow Lobbing Scorchers:
Lobbing Scorchers is a production of Just Once Media.
Lobbing Scorchers is a Seattle Sounders and MLS focused show brought to you by Sounder at Heart. Hosted by Major League Soccer's Ari Liljenwall and Producer Noah Riffe. Join us as we lob our scorching takes on the American soccer landscape, Seattle Sounders, Major League Soccer, USMNT and more.
Recommended
Transcript
Introduction and Episode Background
00:00:00
Speaker
This episode of Lobbing Scorchers was previously recorded and streamed live on YouTube.com slash at Lobbing Scorchers. If you want to listen or catch these episodes live, see the video, and see all the rest of our content, go to YouTube.com slash at Lobbing Scorchers or LobbingScorchers.com slash YouTube.
00:00:22
Speaker
Well sir, we got a scorcher today. Gonna be a real scorcher today. Why the scorcher today? Well it's gonna be scorcher.
00:00:45
Speaker
Good evening, everybody, and welcome in to a special Tuesday evening edition of Lobbing Scorchers Under the Lights. got ah Got a big show for you tonight. We've rescheduled with it being a ah Thursday game week.
00:01:00
Speaker
ah It's time to keep the Club World Cup
Seattle Sounders in Club World Cup
00:01:03
Speaker
rolling. The Seattle Sounders opened Group B play against Botafogo, a narrow, hard-fought, unfortunate 2-1 defeat.
00:01:12
Speaker
ah But now... Now the two biggest games of this group stage are set to get underway, starting with this Thursday's matchup with La Liga giant powerhouse Atletico Madrid.
Insight from Jeremy Barron on Atletico Madrid
00:01:26
Speaker
We're going to bring on special guest Jeremy Barron from Into the Calderon and the That Athlete podcast. in a second here to help us learn about Atletico Madrid and preview that match.
00:01:37
Speaker
And then later on, depending on the vibes, might take some calls. We didn't get to do our ah call-in show after the Botafogo game like we normally would. i was working it until too late. So ah if there's ah if there's interest, might take some calls.
00:01:52
Speaker
Got a couple of other discourses discourse items to hit. But let's ah let's get into it. Let's start previewing Atletico Madrid. Obviously, Big game coming up, folks.
00:02:04
Speaker
Big game coming up. But before we do this, let's everyone, everyone in chat right now, like the video, like the video, like the video, and sub to the channel if you haven't.
00:02:17
Speaker
Follow us on ah on all socials. especially Instagram. Give us that IG follow as we build credibility on ah on that platform. But all right, without further ado, let's bring him on.
00:02:30
Speaker
Special guest, Jeremy Barron. He covers Atletico Madrid for you Into the Calderon. That's right, right? The yeah SB Nation site that covers Atletico Madrid. And he also has a podcast covering Atletico Madrid ah called ah That Atletico Podcast.
00:02:49
Speaker
Jeremy, thank you so much for taking the time to join us here tonight to preview this matchup between the Seattle Sounders and Atletico Madrid. Kind of weird still saying that. ah How are you doing?
00:02:59
Speaker
Thanks for coming on. I'm good, man. Thanks for having me. Looking forward to talking about this really unique game with you. It's not often we get to talk about our worlds get to collide like this. Exactly. You know, I had a Botafogo guest on to preview that one. And that was my main thought was just like there that, you know, there was people, fans from their their show in our chat and stuff. And it's just like there's no other scenario where we would ever have that happen.
00:03:23
Speaker
And definitely looking forward to seeing Seattle play a La Liga side in a competitive tournament. ah Before we get into it, if you could just tell our audience about the work you're doing, ah both with the Into the Calderon and that Athletic Podcast, where people can find your work and just what you do covering this club ah on a daily, weekly basis.
00:03:47
Speaker
Sure, man. So I run into the Calderon, which is on SB Nation. I've been the site manager there for coming up on 10 years now. And it's it's been it's been a blast. There's never a dull moment at Atletico, Spanish football at large.
00:04:02
Speaker
I've had the privilege and the opportunity to cover Atletico on site in Madrid on on a couple of occasions. And yeah we We've got a small team, a dedicated team, but we ah we we love talking and covering Atletico de Marreria in the English language. We're the number one site for news, analysis, and other features covering the club in English. So you can find us at intothecalderon.com, on Twitter at intothecalderon.com.
00:04:29
Speaker
ah You can find me at JB Barron. That's at J-B-B-E-R-E-N. ah We started that Atleti podcast, me and my co-host Ricky Menendez. We started that show almost two months ago.
00:04:41
Speaker
We are going to record, I think, our ninth episode ah this week, talking about this game and the unfortunate PSG loss on Sunday. ah But yeah, that's a a relatively new venture, and we're trying to we're trying to gain credibility as well, and we're trying to establish a new platform and ah community for all atletico fans whether you speak english or spanish or what have you uh so you can find you can subscribe to us on apple and spotify on youtube as well uh like our work like our videos subscribe to our our channel on youtube uh on instagram and tiktok as well at that atleti podcast so you can see clips from our show and other news items and stuff that we talk about on the program
00:05:22
Speaker
ah Now, Jeremy, we were talking off air and you told me that you are based in Fayetteville, Arkansas. yeah i'm I'm curious. I got to ask, how does a ah resident of Fayetteville, Arkansas end up as the yeah as working for the leading English language cover of Atletico Madrid?
00:05:41
Speaker
yeah Yeah, when you put it like that, it's kind of ah it's kind of a weird sentence, isn't it? um I was born in Phoenix. i lived I've lived those most of my life there. This is my third summer here in Fayetteville.
00:05:53
Speaker
And i I didn't grow up watching soccer. I adopted it ah a bit later in life when I was 17 18 years old. And I tried watching some MLS didn't really didn't really move the needle and it wasn't quite as accessible as it is now.
00:06:11
Speaker
I tried watching the Premier League and that really didn't didn't move me either. I tried adopting Spurs as my team, but it didn't really stick. And then I started branching out. I watched a little bit of German football and like, OK, Bayern are just way too dominant.
00:06:23
Speaker
I watched some La Liga and This was around Christmas 2012. And i'm I'm just scrolling ESPN FC one night and I see Atletico Madrid are second in the table, ah like ahead of Real Madrid and behind Barcelona. And it's like, huh, that's weird.
00:06:40
Speaker
I've never really heard of Atletico Madrid. I know about the two major teams in Spain, but not this one. Let me see what they're about. And... um It was really kind of love it at first sight. A few months after that, Atletico beat Real Madrid to win Spanish Cup at Real Madrid's ah stadium, the Santiago Bernabeu.
00:06:58
Speaker
A year after that, they won La Liga. And by that time, i was I was pretty much bedded in as a ah pretty diehard Atleti fan. And in the intervening years, that that love and that knowledge and and regard for the club and the fan base and how unique it all is, it's only grown forever.
00:07:16
Speaker
ah Like I said, i've I've had the chance to cover the team on site in Madrid, which was just a treat, and to run into the Calderon and bring English language at Leti Info to fans everywhere.
Atletico Madrid's Position in La Liga
00:07:27
Speaker
i mean, let's let's face it, when you talk to most fans here in the States about Spain and Spanish soccer and La Liga, the dialogue is about Real Madrid and Barcelona, and we're trying to change that.
00:07:37
Speaker
We're trying to make that big two into a big three as difficult as as it is. Yeah, that's a good segue into ah the first topic that I wanted to hit with you. But that is ah that's an interesting backstory. I can relate to the being in the situation of wanting to find a European club to follow and like be a fan of.
00:07:59
Speaker
But I've still, to this day, never really been able to do it. Part of that is because i'm I'm so plugged into MLS day in, day out. I'm on the editorial staff for the for the website, and I do...
00:08:11
Speaker
this podcast and YouTube show about the Sounders. And there's only just so much bandwidth that I, that I have to be following any other league, but also it's cause like, I can't force fandom. Like you were talking about with trying to adopt Spurs. Like I've tried like things like that before where I'm like, okay, I have like a reason, like a player I like on this team. Maybe i'll I'm going to try and use that to like ah create this fandom, but it's gotta be like organic stuff.
00:08:35
Speaker
And it sounds like you just had a, ah like you kind of knew, like there was an instant connection. And then from there, it's just natural. you You start watching the games and following the team and your rooting interest develops.
00:08:46
Speaker
i still I still have never like found a club that does that for me. And I sort of, the way I feel about it is like, I'm just going to let it happen organically. And at some point I'm sure that it will, there will be like a reason, something that locks me in. And I actually, but like, uh, uh, for now I just still, I just don't, don't really have like an EPL club, a Bundesliga club. I just don't have one. So, uh, maybe one day I'll, uh, I'll, uh, like take the same path or a similar path that you took into finding a club like that. But, uh, All right, let's ah let's talk about this Atletico Madrid team. i know I know our audience is ah dying to to hear about it and learn about it, but ah the way I like to start these off, Jeremy, is I like to give the guest my my outside perspective on the club as a neutral and see if the way that i that I see it and think about it aligns with the actuality of what's going on with the club.
00:09:40
Speaker
in the club status and and all that so i'll uh i'll hit you with just my perception of atletico and you can tell me if it's right or not and really like these these ones with when when it's an mls guest i know all the clubs pretty well at least for the most part so i have a lot more of like a basis to go from these
Diego Simeone's Impact on Atletico
00:09:58
Speaker
ones i'm freestyling like botafogo i don't know anything about brazilian footy i did like so you know some baseline research but didn't know all that much similar situation when it comes to atletico madrid but my broad My broad perception of Atletico Madrid, like you mentioned, ah when you're talking about the La Liga hierarchy, you've got Real Madrid and you've got Barcelona, and those are considered the not just the La Liga powerhouses, but the global powerhouses, clubs that are contending and winning UEFA Champions League and and all that.
00:10:30
Speaker
like They're they are two of the perennially best teams in the world. But my perception of it is that at least in the last, I don't know, 10 years, maybe longer, or maybe, it' maybe shorter. Atletico, like, I consider them, like, not in that, like, top two hierarchy, but, like, the, the clear third, and, like, pretty much, uh, near or on,
00:10:52
Speaker
that level in terms of the quality of the sides that they always put out. And then also like, you know, I was thinking about it and I was kind of ah likening it to Borussia Dortmund in my mind, like with the dynamic of Bayern always winning it, but Dortmund being this like very clear second that's like almost there, but not quite.
00:11:10
Speaker
But I feel like Atletico Madrid, that's kind of selling them short. Like they have more trophy winning pedigree ah than a Borussia Dortmund. I don't know if that's accurate. That's just my perception of it.
00:11:21
Speaker
ah but when I think of Atletico Madrid, I think of a La Liga club that ah is not quite in the discussion with those top two that everyone knows about, but is honestly like pretty much pretty much there usually. is that Would you say that that's an accurate portrayal of that hierarchy?
00:11:38
Speaker
Yeah, that's fair. That's more than fair. ah We have nicked a couple of league title wins under our our coach, Diego Simeone, both of which are remarkable, if not miraculous in their own ways.
00:11:49
Speaker
The way that Football in Spain is structured the way La Liga is structured. Those big two Barcelona and Real Madrid have inherent structural advantages that make it not just difficult, but actively hostile toward teams that are trying to compete with them.
00:12:05
Speaker
ah Madrid and Barcelona have more financial resources. than anybody else. they And as you said, they are not just the powerhouses in Spain. They are among the the global powerhouses. Every player wants to play for Barcelona. Barcelona's a beautiful city.
00:12:20
Speaker
They usually have a really good team. Real Madrid, for many, many players, is regarded as the pinnacle of the sport. I would disagree. But for many players, it is, when when you think about elite soccer and and football at the highest level, Real Madrid is maybe the first club that comes to mind.
00:12:37
Speaker
So again, it is against this backdrop in which Atletico have been competing over the past decade plus. um Atletico for much of the 90s and 2000s was a bit of an also ran.
00:12:50
Speaker
We actually suffered. This is very emblematic of Atleti. We won a League Cup double in 1996. Won La Liga, won the Copa del Rey.
00:13:00
Speaker
Four years later, the club was relegated. wow Four years later ah and did not come back up at the first time of asking. It took two years to return to the top play. We recently talked about this on on my podcast.
00:13:13
Speaker
um And after little over a decade, roughly around a decade, Atletico were kind of also runs. They won a Europa League title in 2010 that kind of set the club on its way toward a new era.
00:13:25
Speaker
And then Diego Simeone was hired two days before Christmas in 2011. And that has coincided with the single greatest period of stability and consistency and results in the club's 122 year history.
00:13:41
Speaker
We've won the league twice under Simeone. We've won... the Europa League a further two times under Simeone, the Copa del Rey, the UEFA Super Cup twice, ah reached two Champions League finals, losing both to Real Madrid in very heartbreaking fashion.
00:13:56
Speaker
But what Simeone has given Atletico is an identity, a club that for such a long time did not have an identity. The identity was you, if you're lucky, you're going to finish fourth.
00:14:07
Speaker
Otherwise, you're finishing seventh through 12th, somewhere around there. It is not just that Atletico are our regular Champions League participant. Now ah we are one of six teams in Europe to have reached the Champions League each of the past 13 seasons.
00:14:21
Speaker
That's incredible consistency yeah for a club that is not used to it, does not have the financial resources or the institutional stability that the other elite clubs like you're talking about, Madrid, Barcelona, PSG, Man City, Bayern.
00:14:34
Speaker
ah We don't have the financial resources or the institutional stability I don't want to use the word seriousness, but we aren't as strong institutionally as those other clubs are.
00:14:46
Speaker
um And yeah, we we have routinely been, we finished outside of the top three once in La Liga under Simeone, and we won the title twice. ah It's hard to ask him to do much more than that, given how difficult it is to win La Liga, how difficult it is to compete in La Liga.
00:15:02
Speaker
Yeah. Tell us more about ah Diego Simeone because oh man i've I've researched him a little bit coming in knowing absolutely nothing about him. This guy seems like a freaking awesome coach.
00:15:15
Speaker
Yeah. Like everything you're talking about ah instilling identity and like the foundation and really leading the club to to its most successful period in Atletico Madrid history. It seems like a lot of it is down to him and, like, how he has managed to impart all that.
00:15:33
Speaker
what What is it about him that makes him such a great coach? Is it, ah like... I don't like, is it his personality? Is he just a tactical genius? ah Is he, is it like the roster building that he's, he's cracked some code?
00:15:47
Speaker
ah What, what makes him the coach that he is, which is one of the best coaches in the world? Simeone is a force of nature and he, he is a world-class coach. You don't stay so long at one place at the highest levels of the game without knowing what you're doing.
00:16:03
Speaker
um Simeone is an expert man manager. His players, kind of uniformly talk about wanting to run through a wall for him. ah His players speak of him as someone who is incredibly motivational.
00:16:18
Speaker
Simeone played for Atletico in the 1990s and again in the early 2000s toward the end of his career. And he... is kind of the like that organic fandom and that that organic love that we were talking about earlier is that Simeone and Atletico they just fit it was a cultural fit and identity fit for the the player now coach and the club and Simeone is incredibly passionate and he is, he doesn't get enough credit for being as adaptable as he is, despite his reputation fairly earned as a pragmatist.
00:16:52
Speaker
He has had, he has changed our formation and our tactical strategy a number of times over the years in response to different players and different profiles that the club has bought him. I've, I've, I've just seen a comment. Isn't Simeone the highest paid coach in the world. He is, he has like a 20 million net salary thereabouts. And it's because he offers something that no other coach can offer at Letico, which is a guarantee.
00:17:16
Speaker
He guarantees reaching the champions league each season. And a lot of other coaches, who aren't as closely linked to the club and don't have as good an understanding of how the club works would struggle in this role.
00:17:29
Speaker
It's not a case of Simeone asks for players A, B, and C. ah They each cost 50 to 60 million euros and he gets all three of those players. It's not how it works at Atletico. Um, and we might end up talking about that, but it works very differently at this club.
00:17:42
Speaker
Uh, Simeone is a very patient manager. He's been a, just a perfect cultural fit. He reignited the fans passion and love for this club.
00:17:53
Speaker
He brought a style of play that is not always easy on the eye. I can admit it. It's not for everyone. Um, especially if you watch us in, in big games or latter stages of the champions league, um,
00:18:05
Speaker
um atletico do play more defensive style against bigger opponents but it is a style that the fans identify with the underdog rebel attitude that we still identify with largely um and simeone has been able to tap into that effectively for a number of years he's just an incredible coach an incredible man manager and you he's entering his 14th season here and there's no one i'd rather have leading the club You just don't see coaches in global football last that long. It's like pretty much unheard of, especially in Europe. It's like notorious for being just a ah constant conveyor belt of managers. ever Like, it you know, one ah one poor run of form, sometimes managers get sacked off of that.
00:18:48
Speaker
and MLS is a lot more for forgiving in that way, typically. But the i think the fact that he has... ah you know, been in that role for this long. That's a testament to all the things that, uh, that you're talking about. Uh, Zach and chat is wondering, do fans complain constantly about his substitution patterns? Hmm.
Critique of Simeone's Strategies
00:19:10
Speaker
Occasionally, Simeone in recent years, especially since the introduction of the five subs rule, Simeone does have a tendency to overdo it. Sometimes he will sometimes make triple substitutes at halftime, which they can be rash and they can destabilize the team a little bit. Part of that is Simeone overreacting a bit to what he has just seen. But it's also...
00:19:34
Speaker
ah sometimes a a lack of quality options in in the first team. And it's not to say Atletico are a bad team by any stretch of the imagination, but... um In recent years, there has been more ah of a demand or an expectation for Simeone to compete year in, year out and nick more titles off of Barcelona and Real Madrid. It's just not realistic. It's just not feasible.
00:19:57
Speaker
Atletico can pay its players 40% of what Real Madrid can pay its players. And a lot of times Atletico have to overpay to get players to come to the Metropolitano. But yeah, just to answer the question directly, yeah, sometimes Cholo's subs are annoying.
00:20:11
Speaker
ah The triple sub at halftime stuff really annoys me. It really irks me. um But Simeone is not infallible. He's see's human like the rest of us.
00:20:22
Speaker
He gets it right far more often than he gets it wrong, especially in terms of talent evaluation, ah developing players to perform a new role than they were than they were expected to perform when they first signed for the club.
Atletico's Club World Cup Performance
00:20:37
Speaker
ah Jeremy, let's talk about this matchup itself between Atletico and Seattle in this Club World Cup group stage match. I think pretty much the whole Sounders fan base, I think, has been on the page looking at these matchups with Atletico and PSG of like, all right, that might, I mean...
00:20:57
Speaker
that's just probably not going to go super great. ah You're talking about just two of the best clubs in the world with a vast spending advantage. Let's call it that.
00:21:09
Speaker
So at least speaking for myself, my expectations of like Seattle actually competing for a result in either of these two games was never all that, my expectations were not all that high.
00:21:22
Speaker
ah However, uh, you know, looking at Atletico's first matchup in the group stage, they were, they were first ones to play PSG in this group of death and, uh, got beat four zero.
00:21:35
Speaker
And I def, that doesn't really change my outlook that much and how I'm looking at the, uh, matchup with Seattle. I think the scales are very clearly still tit tilted in ah in one direction here, even with that result.
00:21:49
Speaker
But I am wondering if you could tell us about just what you saw in that game relative to how you thought it was going to go, because the way I was thinking of it was, all right, Botafogo and Seattle are pretty chalked in this group. Like this is, this is essentially a showcase for those two teams.
00:22:05
Speaker
And ah like, You don't really have that very high expectations for those matchups. so um But from the Atletico perspective, that's one of the only teams in the world I could name that could go into a matchup but against PSG, who are the best team in the world right now, and feel like, all right, like maybe puncher's chance. like This could be competitive. It's not necessarily going to be PSG just rolling on us. like We're one of the best teams in the world.
00:22:30
Speaker
in our own right. And like, let's see what can happen. Let's see what can make this competitive. What, ah what happened in that game? Do you think ah that made that not the case? And did that, did how that game went surprise you? Did you think it was going to be more competitive?
00:22:45
Speaker
I did think it would be more competitive. I certainly wasn't expecting to win. i wasn't even really expecting to draw, um but I was expecting Atletico to be much more competitive than they were, especially given that six months ago we beat PSG in the Champions League ah in Paris with a last-second goal from Anjo Correa, a game that Atletico did not really deserve to win, but a game in which Atletico...
00:23:09
Speaker
Fell behind, got a kind of a freak goal from Nahuel Molina, our right back who never scores. And we just kind of bided our time, kept the ball out of the net and took advantage of of a very late opportunity to win that game.
00:23:21
Speaker
ah the The teams have kind of gone in different directions since then. Atletico, since the start of March, have been really, really poor. PSG obviously are a death machine. PSG went on to win the Champions League ah in a historic route.
00:23:33
Speaker
So, yeah, i wasn't really expecting any good things. I i wasn't expecting to suffer a 4-0 beatdown. um Yeah, there was a lot of disappointment from within the Atletico fan base about this result, even if...
00:23:46
Speaker
Even if the result wasn't a shock, the performance was a bit of a surprise. Atletico had talked a lot about ah players and people from within the club had talked about ah putting on a good show at the Club World Cup, this being the last opportunity to win a trophy this season after Atleti fell short in La Liga, lost out in the Champions League in very controversial circumstances and were knocked out of the domestic cup.
00:24:09
Speaker
So this was the last chance for Atleti to win a trophy this season. And the club comes into the tournament ah With zero new signings, they didn't take advantage of the 10-day transfer window to sign new players.
00:24:20
Speaker
i Meanwhile, a team like Manchester City signs four new players. Real Madrid signed like two new players and a coach. It's obviously almost impossible to compare Atletico's situation to those two clubs, but fans were disappointed nonetheless, and I understood that.
00:24:34
Speaker
ah But Atletico were very poor on Sunday. There were mitigating circumstances. The game was played in... 85 degree weather in Pasadena looked horrible. um the pitch The pitch was horrible. The pitch was in terrible shape.
00:24:48
Speaker
ah Marco Charente are starting right back, complained after the game that he couldn't feel his toes. yeah He's like getting, he's getting like clowned on for that quote, but I'm like that. I mean, that sounds, you try doing it. yeah exactly you You try it really unpleasant what he's describing. Like it was just, it gets brutal to run around in 90 minutes for that.
00:25:07
Speaker
And it's not it's not the greatest excuse because PSG did it too, and PSG put four goals past us. um but But they were saying, they were so their players were saying similar stuff. They were like, that sucked. That was not fun.
00:25:18
Speaker
the weather The weather was bad. Logistically, I had a couple of friends who attended the game, and logistically they told me it was an absolute nightmare. So the mitigating circumstances around it, it's in Los Angeles, which is which has some political unrest and turmoil at the moment.
00:25:32
Speaker
ah So those mitigating factors don't make it the the easiest thing Not the easiest conditions in which to play, but Atletico really, really fell flat against PSG. Had only 25% possession, one shot on target, very little attacking fluidity, and very, very soft defensively, especially on the left side.
00:25:51
Speaker
Atletico's starting left back, Javi Galan, and left side and center back, Clement Langlet, have come under fierce criticism in recent months for being... Well, they they're dirt they're trying their best, but they're just not quite good enough for this level against a a team as dangerous as PSG.
00:26:07
Speaker
So, yeah, fans were disappointed in the performance, and the result was it was a heavy loss. So everyone is really focused on on getting a good result in Seattle on Thursday night and taking that into the final group match back at the Rolls Bowl and trying to reach the knockouts of this tournament.
00:26:24
Speaker
It's been very interesting to see how this tournament is being thought of and talked about in Europe versus how it's being thought of and talked about here in the States. Teams in North America and South America ah and and even further overseas and in Asia are are taking this very seriously. mean This is a mid-season tournament, practically, ah given how the football the football calendar works.
00:26:47
Speaker
For the European teams, it's been a long season already. In Atletico's case, it's been a 50-plus game season. The players have been running on fumes really since the middle of March.
Seattle Sounders vs. Atletico Madrid Preview
00:26:58
Speaker
Um, so, you know, it's not being taken quite as seriously and in Europe and we'll see if, if that, if that creates a situation that is right for upsets, maybe it happens on Thursday.
00:27:11
Speaker
Uh, Atletico do not play well away from home. Uh, that has been a theme in recent months and, you know, I don't know a whole lot. I gotta be honest. I don't know a whole lot about,
00:27:22
Speaker
about y'all about Seattle Sounders, but I know that Lumen Field has ah has a reputation for being a tough place to play from watching Sounders games on and off over the years and watching Seahawks games every NFL season. and That's not an easy place to go.
00:27:34
Speaker
So we'll see how Atletico turn up. Maybe there is a golf in quality there that is too much to overcome. But the vibe and the mood at Atletico right now, especially with so much work for the club to do in the upcoming transfer window, the vibe is not great. So you're catching Atletico at kind of a vulnerable and and fragile time. So I'll be interested to see psychologically how the team responds.
00:27:56
Speaker
I mean, how are you how are you feeling about that personally? are you are Is there any sort of like ah nerves or apprehension at all from your standpoint of like, man, the vibes are such right now that ah getting upset sometimes by an MLS club could be on the table or cause i don't know if I were, if I were in your position of like ah the advantage that your team has just on paper and with the roster spend, I would still be feeling like, all right, I mean, it's an MLS club. but
00:28:28
Speaker
We're going to just pretty much roll right over them. Are you still on that page or is what you're talking about with the vibes and state of affairs currently? so any, any doubt at all about that?
00:28:39
Speaker
I mean, I feel pretty good. i mean, that not to... This isn't disrespectful at all. No, it's not. it's You know, this is just how it is. This is how the football ecosystem is. yeah Atletico have the 12th largest payroll in the world, um and you're taking on an MLS club.
00:28:55
Speaker
This should, on paper, be an easy win. But there maybe this just speaks to... the natural skepticism I have, but there is a small seed of doubt that, you know, maybe Atlético don't start the game well, maybe you give up a goal from a set piece, and all of a sudden you're in the 65th minute and you're still trailing by a goal to nil in Seattle.
00:29:16
Speaker
That would, that would look bad. That would feel worse. So yeah, there there is a seed of doubt, but I do i do expect Atletico to bounce back. Like just logically, I would expect Atletico to bounce back after the PSG game.
00:29:29
Speaker
Although, i don't know, it we've we've seen it a little bit already this tournament. I haven't been watching every game. I haven't been paying rapt attention. But we have seen the American based sides, South America, North America, these sides look a bit fitter than some of their European counterparts.
00:29:44
Speaker
And the games are being played at at Stadia that aren't entirely fit for purpose. Lumen Field is fit for purpose. So I don't know. I think Atletico should bounce back, but there is a small seed of doubt that maybe things start a little bit slowly and maybe there is an unexpected result here.
00:30:05
Speaker
I still expect Atletico to win, but there's some doubt, little doubt. I almost feel like Atletico getting rolled by PSG makes it... probably even harder for Seattle because now you have a team that's going to be like pissed off and knowing that they, knowing that they need ah bounce back result, knowing that if they do lose or have it even be competitive against an MLS club,
00:30:29
Speaker
Like you said, that's not going to generate positive headlines if that if that happens. So, I mean, I don't know. I'm trying to ah take it for what it is, not get too wrapped up in if Seattle ends up losing by like three-plus goals.
00:30:43
Speaker
The Botafogo game was ah was decently competitive. Seattle played pretty well, especially in the second half. But this is just like an entirely different animal. So ah i'm I'm trying to be Zen.
00:30:56
Speaker
about the whole thing and just, uh, uh, hope, hope that the players show well, uh, are as competitive as they can be. Uh, and that, you know, we can have fun with it out here, regardless of what the final score line might be. Uh, Jeremy, I know you said you had a little bit of a, of a time crunch, so feel free to, jet whenever you need to.
00:31:14
Speaker
Uh, but if I could ask you, I wanted to see ask about ah like some some of the some of the star players that Seattle fan fans are going to get to watch.
Key Players Spotlight
00:31:24
Speaker
Like, Athletico obviously has some big high-profile stars. Griezmann is still on the team. I mean, I could i could go down the list. But, ah like, who who are the yeah the cogs that make this Athletic team go?
00:31:37
Speaker
And maybe maybe people that fans might not know about or just just the ones that you personally enjoy watching every week. Yeah, absolutely. Antoine Griezmann is still here. He just signed a new contract to 2027. And yeah, he hasn't scored in the last 17 games, though, which is pretty unfathomable for a player of his stature.
00:31:59
Speaker
and He's the club's all-time top scorer, but he did just turn 34, and sadly, he is starting to look at. So Griezmann's performance on Thursday will be something to watch. I'm not sure if he's going to start, but he's going to play some role in that game, I would imagine.
00:32:14
Speaker
Our star player, though, now is Julian Alvarez. yeah Signed him for Manchester City last year in a a surprise deal for initial an initial 75 million euros, the second most expensive transfer in club history.
00:32:26
Speaker
And he has very much been worth the money. 17 goals in La Liga, 29 in all competitions. ah Gradually became the team's attacking hub and its star player. He is...
00:32:39
Speaker
yeah one of the most complete players in the world. He can do everything. He can lead a line by himself. He can lead a press. He can score. He can pass. He's very unselfish, but he is a, he's also a killer when he gets into the penalty area.
00:32:51
Speaker
We're very fortunate to have him and, I hope we can build a team that properly supports him this coming season. Other than those two, who else are we looking for? Jean Oblak, our goalkeeper, our legendary goalkeeper who has been at the club now for 10 years.
00:33:09
Speaker
He just won his sixth Zamora trophy, which is a trophy handed out by the Spanish newspaper Marca each season for the goalkeeper who concedes the fewest goals per game in La Liga.
00:33:19
Speaker
Oblak has won that six times in 10 years. He is the ah the record holder now for that award. It speaks to ah how strong Atletico have been defensively over the last decade, but also how freaking good Oblak is.
00:33:32
Speaker
He had a couple of down years before this year, but he really bounced back strongly this season. ah He kept us in a lot of games that otherwise may have resulted in Atletico dropping points.
00:33:43
Speaker
ah He was a key reason we were top La Liga at winter and even as as deep into March. So still great to watch Oblak. He's still going strong at 32 years old who else can I highlight here? Uh, Rodrigo to Paul, Julio Alvarez is Argentina teammate.
00:34:00
Speaker
Uh, Really, really good midfielder. It hasn't always had the warmest relationship with the fans. There have been questions about his attitude and his form, but over the past 18 months, he's been largely brilliant.
00:34:12
Speaker
ah He's the team's creative hub. A lot of assists, lot of key passes, a lot of chances created. ah Very press resistant, very good midfielder overall.
00:34:22
Speaker
ah Pablo Barrios, I think, is my personal favorite player in the team right now. ah Barrios just turned 22. He comes from our academy. And he is the probably our next great midfielder. He's probably going to be our next captain when our current captain Koke steps away.
00:34:39
Speaker
ah Brilliant midfielder can do a little bit of everything. He was he joined the first team kind of as an interior midfielder and advanced playmaker type of midfielder, but he is transitioned into kind of a pivot role. He's kind of become our number five and he's adjusted to it beautifully. He's made some mistakes here and there like a lot of young players.
00:34:59
Speaker
but I think he's going to have a long and brilliant career. Last player I want to talk about is Giuliano Simeone. He's Diego Simeone's son. This was his first season in the first team. After a a couple of loan spells to other teams in Spain, he arrived into this team like a thunderbolt, man. He took a he took the starting right wing spot at the end of October, and he hasn't lost it since.
00:35:22
Speaker
ah Tremendous speed, athleticism, work rate, Underrated technical ability as well. I think he had six assists in La Liga this season. ah He's 22 going on 23. He's going to sign a new contract pretty soon.
00:35:35
Speaker
He's to another young player from our academy who's worth watching. And it's really cool that Diego Simeone gets to coach his son. And his son is actually a pretty good player. He's not just here to make up the numbers. um I wanted to ask you, since we're talking about yes who we who are who are the Seattle players that we should be keeping an eye on? Who could cause Atleti some problems on Thursday?
00:35:55
Speaker
ah So the whole, ah the attack is built around ah the number 10, Albert Rusnak, who's a Slovakian international, a somewhat controversial ah figure in the Sounders fan base, but I would argue unnecessarily.
00:36:11
Speaker
ah He's a very talented player, like the main assist guy, good on good on through balls, has excellent wide wide service. Set pieces have not been as good this year, ah but historically that's been a strength of his as well.
00:36:25
Speaker
So he's kind of he's like the the metronome in the middle of it all, the facilitator. ah But then ah normally Jordan Morris, U.S. International, ah is the is the number nine, but he is injured for this tournament, unfortunately. So the team's really struggling at the number nine position.
00:36:45
Speaker
The yeah ah backup journeyman, MLS journeyman, Danny Musavsky, actually got and insanely hot earlier this season and was kind of mitigating the the Jordan Morris injury.
00:36:55
Speaker
ah But he got injured himself and hasn't been as as Good sense. But I think the ah the main the main X factor is this guy, Ryan Kent, English winger, who was a standout in the Scottish Premiership for years for Rangers, who had a falling out with Mourinho at Fenerbahce and became available on a free transfer after having not played for like a year and a half. ah Falling out with Mourinho, you don't say. Yeah, exactly.
00:37:25
Speaker
ah But yeah, talk about coming in with a Thunderbolt. ah Two three games into Ryan Kent's MLS career. We were talking on our show like this guy is freaking might be the best player I've ever seen. Like he looked like he looked like, you know, I'm exaggerating a little bit but he looks he looks awesome like he was he was looking incredible it looked like they really pulled a steal uh but he has not been as effective in recent weeks i would say including in this bodafogo game and it feels like uh teams have figured him out a little bit but he is he's a very talented very dynamic player that can hurt you at any time and he's he's one where i look at it and i'm like okay
00:38:01
Speaker
if i'm talking about the guys who have a uh have an actual chance at making and making an impact against this type of competition that would be one of the main ones uh and then uh uh the the strength of the team though in my opinion is the double pivot in midfield it's uh christian roldon us international uh midfielder who is having an insane year he's playing some of the best ball of his career over these last few weeks and in the boat of fogo game i thought he was man of the match on either on either side and he's just like the do everything two-way midfielder just uh vital in both defense and attack dirty work covering ground all that stuff excellent player
00:38:44
Speaker
And then the one I did want to bring to your attention regardless was his double pivot partner, Obed Vargas, who's sort of like the the young prodigy that they've been bringing up for the last couple years, really broke out in the last year or two and has now been subject of a lot of... ah of transfer interest overseas he's going to europe the only question is where it's going to be what the fee is going to be but he's another one where i uh i feel like that's someone i trust to for seattle to throw out there in a game like this and he's gonna he's gonna be competing he's not gonna be getting run over look out of his depth like i think he his quality is of team like this i think
00:39:25
Speaker
I think that's going to be shown throughout his
Transfer Talk: Obed Vargas and Johnny Cardoso
00:39:27
Speaker
career. But with that in mind, my co-host Noah asked if they need a young CDM because what he's referring to is we we were talking it through on one of our shows recently and we were like, you know, Atletico Madrid, Obed Vargas has, he stated that that's a team that he is personally a fan of.
00:39:44
Speaker
But it also, we were just talking about it and we were like, it just seems like a great fit. Like, I love the idea of him playing in La Liga. I think like for what he does well, the style of the league and stuff, it just makes sense. Then you throw in his personal affinity for the club, the fact that he's going to be playing them in a competitive game. So they're going to get like a real look at him. ah But what is your guys' situation at that position, center defensive mid? Like, is that is is that ah the type of profile of player that you think the club might be looking for? are they so stacked, you think they might not need a player like that?
00:40:18
Speaker
Well, it's funny you mention that because we we actually really do need one. ah We kind of shoehorned Pablo Barrios into that role starting last season. He's done very well, but it's hurt the team structurally elsewhere to not have Barrios playing further forward.
00:40:31
Speaker
The last pure CDM we had was Rodri, who just won the Ballon d'Or. Not for us. We had Rodri and then we had Thomas Party and then we had nobody. Um, so we actually are in the market for a young CDM.
00:40:45
Speaker
Uh, I w I I've heard of Obed Vargas. I've watched him play a little bit. He looks like the real deal. Uh, and I don't know. We will get a good look at him on Thursday. We actually are right now negotiating for another young CDM, uh, Johnny Cardoso of the U S national Oh oh my God. d Vargas way better, way better.
00:41:06
Speaker
Well, damn, maybe we should get Vargas instead. ah But we we are in active negotiations with Real Benes for Cardoso. I think the fee is going to be somewhere between $30 and $40 million.
00:41:17
Speaker
Good young player, ah has a lot of potential, would not be a starter in this team immediately. But... probably probably worth the investment in the end. he's He's got a lot of potential.
00:41:30
Speaker
I think in Atletico do need a player of his profile, but I am very interested to watch Vargas. Yeah, no. yeah I'm very interested. Keep an eye on him because if it is a roster need, like, i don't know, i just it just, it makes sense, especially with it lining up with the the two teams playing each other in the in the Club World Cup. I'm really hoping that, you know, I'm sure yeah all their front office brass, Simioni, they're all going to be watching this game and, uh, I'm hoping that he really shows out and we can manifest this because, uh, I think it's like the perfect spot for him.
00:42:01
Speaker
And I, I just kind of, you know, it's, uh, it's going be sad to see him go, especially because I've just gotten so used to feeling so secure at that position. Week in, week out with him and Christian rolled on and they have such like good chemistry and good partnership. I could watch that double pivot for the next, you know, five years.
00:42:18
Speaker
But, uh, he said that he wants to go to Europe in that, uh, You know, a team like Atletico Madrid, it it just seems like they ah they might be interested. So we'll see what happens.
00:42:29
Speaker
ah Jeremy, I'll let you go on that. I kept you over the 20s. So no, in no worries. I was just reading the comments. yeah Your pal Noah is not a big fan of Johnny Cardo. Well, so it's kind of we we've had a like what what do I call it?
00:42:43
Speaker
strained relations at times with the the usmnt yeah fan base because the whole thing is that the usmnt fan base have been like really anti-jordan morris and christian rolled on for uh for many years in ways that you know we're obviously biased but i've always thought it's just pretty ridiculous and unfair how those two players in particular get treated by the usmnt fan base So anytime we have a chance to kind of get a little dig at one of the one of the players that the that the bot portion of the fan base are like really ah fans of, like Cardoso is one of those guys where gets talked up so much, and then you watch him play for the U.S., and you're like, is he he good? Like, I don't know. haven't watched him play, but I think that's sort of what he has. he made an error like a week or two ago that that led to –
00:43:32
Speaker
It was a terrible back pass led to a goal. That was a really bad moment for him. Yeah, that's what I'm, I don't know. I really have nothing that much against Cardoso, but I do rate Vargas way over him, but I am biased. Interesting. All right, well, I will be watching him even more closely on Thursday with that in mind.
00:43:50
Speaker
Yeah. And he, he, he was showing out verse Boda Fogo. So, and I actually asked him after the game, I was like, you know, you've stated, you've said that you're a fan of this team that you're about to play. Like, what, what you, how do you feel about the opportunity to actually get to play against them? And the first thing he said was, I mean, I can tell you one thing, I'm not going to be a fan like on that field. Like I'm going to going as hard as I can to try and win that game.
00:44:14
Speaker
Yeah. Hell yeah. i Love that for him. That's what, you know, i I don't know how much of a difference it's going to make in this situation, but yeah, I'd love to hear it from the, from a, from a 19 year old midfielder just coming up. But ah Jeremy, thank you so much for, for the time tonight, really great informative stuff on, the on the Seattle Sounders upcoming, upcoming opposition um before you go.
00:44:35
Speaker
Is there anything you're doing ah coverage wise for the club world cup or just in general with your coverage Atletico Madrid that, ah that you want to,
00:44:46
Speaker
plug for anybody or, or let people know once again, where to find your work and your coverage. Yeah, absolutely. ah You can head to our website into the Calderon.com. It's part of the SB nation network of blogs. We do player ratings, transfer rumors, ah key takeaways from every match previews of every match.
00:45:04
Speaker
It's the, think the top resource in English online for Atletico. And you can find most of my written work there. Also that at Letty podcast, we've been in club world cup mode pretty much since we started at the end of April, having known about it, let it coast participation in this tournament for a while.
00:45:19
Speaker
So we've been talking about it on and off throughout the weeks and I've had some conflicting thoughts on it, but you you can listen to my co-host Ricky Menendez and myself talk about it
Jeremy Barron's Atletico Coverage
00:45:29
Speaker
every week. We record every Thursday with episodes coming out Friday and or Saturday.
00:45:34
Speaker
ah So yeah, feel free to subscribe, give us a like, leave a comment. Also find us on Apple. Spotify, Instagram, TikTok. We're trying to be everywhere. So I really appreciate the time and really appreciate the the opportunity to talk about Atletico.
00:45:47
Speaker
Absolutely. everyone Everyone chat, subscribe, and support our new friends covering Atletico Madrid. ah Thanks again, Jeremy, and we'll catch up soon. Take care. Thanks, man. Appreciate it. You too.
00:46:00
Speaker
That was Jeremy Barron of Into the Calderon and That Athletic Podcast. New podcast, as he revealed, just they just launched in the last couple months. So definitely ah go give them go give them support.
00:46:12
Speaker
Drop them a sub. And great stuff there. Feel like we got some... ah some great insight onto sort of why at Letty have been able to break in as a global power in their own right in, ah in La Liga, which I think to me, a lot of it, it sounds like it's down to Diego Simeon.
00:46:33
Speaker
Like, I think that guy is just, I think he might just be the guru. You know, you don't hear about coaches lasting 14 years. in a league like La Liga. That's just not something that happens that much.
00:46:45
Speaker
So again, i think that's a testament to, like, the Seattle Sounders are going to be facing off, I think, against inarguably a top five coach in the world and perhaps even higher. I don't know. I've i've i've never power ranked that.
00:47:01
Speaker
yeah know, people have pep up there. But he like he he ah to me, he's, like, in the tier of guys like that. So that's kind of cool, though. We get to watch the Seattle Sounders. b bright Brian Schmetzer, this is the Schmetz matchup.
00:47:13
Speaker
See if Schmetz can match Witts with the the best coach that he's ever had to match up against. So we'll see how it goes. All right, that was the main thing that I had planned for tonight, guys. But ah I am good to hang around for a little bit longer.
00:47:29
Speaker
ah i'll ah I'll drop the call link in chat. Why not? I don't know if people are... going to have as much interest in ah in tapping in as they would in the post-game lives. That seems to be when everyone wants to lay down their takes.
00:47:44
Speaker
ah But since we we didn't do a post-Bodafogo call-in show, I'll drop the link in chat and I'll hang out for a little while longer. If anyone what does want to tap in, talk about some ah and Club World Cup ah the last Bota Fogo game, this upcoming matchup with the Athletico, feel free to hop on, lay down some takes with me.
00:48:05
Speaker
I'll be here for a little while longer on this special Tuesday evening edition of Lobbing Scorchers Under the Lights. If you have not done so yet, please like the video.
00:48:17
Speaker
Get us in that algorithm.
00:48:21
Speaker
we were We had a point yesterday Lobbing Scorchers kickoff where we had 100 plus people and like ah like watching and then 11 likes. To be fair, you all brought it back. ended up Ended up, I think, pushing a hundo on that, which that should aim for triple digit likes.
00:48:42
Speaker
on all our live shows. Uh, but, uh, thank you all for tuning in. Uh, I had, I had a little bit of discourse to, uh, to talk about, uh, while we wait for people to, to call in, it looks like we've got our first caller, some random guy. Don't know who this is.
00:48:59
Speaker
Uh, what's up? First time, long time, Ari. Um, I got the Wi-Fi thing blinking, so who knows how long this is going to last. I do too, but it's been okay.
00:49:09
Speaker
Okay, all right. Yeah, so, you know, we'll see what happens. Okay, I'm glad that's not, like, just me because that was happening when we had Glorious Botafogo, Pedro Serratis on the other night, and it kept cutting out, and I was all i was like, what is happening?
00:49:22
Speaker
So I think it's StreamYard, man. i think Yeah, dude, we just, no one wants to no one wants to stream anymore, you know? It's it's it's a disgrace, but, ah all right. Noah, Atletico Madrid coming up on Thursday. How are you feeling? anything ah Did anything change for you in how you're thinking of it with his ah Jeremy's depiction? of their Their vibes are like, it sounds like similarly negative to Seattle's vibes going into this tournament. And they just got ah rolled on by PSG, whereas Seattle actually had what could be used as a galvanizing performance.
00:49:57
Speaker
You know, I'm still expecting the L, but how are you feeling after kind of hearing about like the vibes around them right now? I mean, I think it's the same, right? Like, I think the Sounders can take a positive from the way that they played. I think that they can feel hard done that they made a mistake and it led them to not walk out of there with a draw.
00:50:15
Speaker
I think they can feel like they put in a performance that was good enough to win that game. ah Had they had a little bit more attacking talent or even just Jordan Morris, like... Being healthy, right? Like, you can take those all as positives. You can take those all as negatives.
00:50:30
Speaker
um I think the Sounders situation is, like, it's pretty clear that they all came in there. Obviously, wanting to win, or you have competitors who play this game and want to win, but it's more of a, like...
00:50:43
Speaker
Just beat the odds. Just try and beat the odds. And if you don't, no one was expecting you to. There's no pressure on
Seattle Sounders Team Strategy
00:50:49
Speaker
Seattle in this game. I'll tell you And they played like it. They played like it in that Botafogo game. And I think in that second half when they were chasing the game, that is...
00:50:57
Speaker
Genuinely, some of the best soccer I've seen them play. And when they have played incredibly well, they've pushed numbers forward and they've been relentless in attack and they've pressured and they've just like sweltered their their their opponent kind of exactly like PSG did to Athletico. Like if you watch that game back, PSG, and this is what they've been doing all season, is just unbelievable.
00:51:18
Speaker
sweltering and destroying the the opponent's will like closing them down at every moment winning balls in the midfield all of that kind of stuff being incredibly aggressive even if that you know is going to lead to ah turnover and just trusting that your players like Obed Vargas and Christian Roldan are going to get back because they are going to get back right like that's kind of what you expect so That's obviously an encouraging performance. That said, like we weve even detailed this on the podcast.
00:51:48
Speaker
This is two steps up, three steps up. This is the second, third best league in the world against, you know, a top 10 team in the world with arguably one of the best coaches in the world who just got their asses handed to them.
00:52:02
Speaker
They're going to want to get out of this group. I almost wish they hadn't. I wish they hadn't gotten rolled that bad. Like, I feel like that makes, I mean, i it doesn't really matter, I guess, but I feel like that must win game for them though.
00:52:13
Speaker
I think that's not just a must win, but like a must beat your ass. Yeah. They can't take any sort of foot off gas at all. They can't, like they literally can't. No, exactly. And then, you know, that's another problem too, of like the fact that they they want, they want to advance more than anything. Right.
00:52:31
Speaker
I think they always probably knew was a possibility that they could lose to PSG, even though they had they had beaten them ah previously. But I just, I think that they're going to come out wanting to dominate and wanting to show that they can advance and do well and and all of that kind of stuff. So i I fear, I fear for the Sounders opportunities and possibilities.
00:52:55
Speaker
um Basically just for the fact that if they so If they start scoring one or two goals, are you really going to be able to make the most of the one, two, and three ah opportunities that you might get throughout this match?
00:53:11
Speaker
You have to be clinical. and and they weren't against And they're not. They're not. I don't think they have been all season, honestly. like i think that if you loose Moose was briefly.
00:53:22
Speaker
Moose was briefly, but even if you look at the volume, it came... It came at a large volume. You have way more opportunities in Major League Soccer, especially in the second half when the game opens up, to put the ball on the net, to get a bounce that goes your way, to just get in those positions.
00:53:39
Speaker
And I don't know if Atletico is going to allow that. You know, that's... a That's a tough one. um I thought it was it was funny. i cannot imagine anything more triggering to you personally and than hearing that Atletico is about to bring in Johnny Cardoso.
00:53:59
Speaker
Probably, like, if they do that, I mean, maybe they still bring in Obed Vargas, but it's like sort of feels like like an either or situation. which I mean, listen, if they they want to waste their money on what is one of the worst, laziest players I've ever seen in my life, go for it. Like, that's cool. I'm fine with that. You know, there must be there must be something that I don't know. I honestly haven't watched him. I just know that I the stats. It's the fucking stats people.
00:54:27
Speaker
I don't think it's that. I think it's like... The is crazy, Ari. Yeah, there's some... The PR is crazy. There's some, like, genesis of supposed pedigree there. where But, like, i mean, i'm um I'm honestly... I'm with you from the standpoint of, like, every time I've watched him play for the U.S., I'm like, this is... This is the guy?
00:54:47
Speaker
I don't get it. This is the guy that we crash out over, like... Like when Christian Roldan was getting like two minutes at the World Cup, like this is the guy where we're crashing out of over.
00:54:59
Speaker
What? Christian Roldan is better than Johnny Cardoso. I can promise you that. And that's not even like being prestigious. I mean, maybe he has a maybe Johnny Cardoso has a bigger upside or whatever. He's younger. Right now.
00:55:11
Speaker
Yeah. I can tell you right now that Christian Roldan will outperform Johnny Cardoso. Johnny Cardoso would be an average CDM in MLS. I'm just being honest. I don't think he could play to the shithouse level.
00:55:23
Speaker
Maybe it's because he's at a team where he's surrounded by really talented players and, you know, it lifts him up. I don't get it, Ari. I don't get it. I mean, i i it's shocking to me.
00:55:34
Speaker
i challenge I challenge anyone to like look at his body of work with his senior caps with the U.S. and tell just tell me where like you're seeing it.
00:55:44
Speaker
like what I'm open to to new information there. Hit me with it. like I don't know. I'm... i'm ah I'm with you on the on the principle of that.
00:55:56
Speaker
and And of course, I'm a homer. i'm I'm a homer. yeah i want obed I want Obed over this guy who Johnny- We're not objective on the topic. Bro, he's from New Jersey. I'm sorry. I'm never going to support someone from New Jersey. Sorry, Hey, hey, hey. Tommy Scoops.
00:56:10
Speaker
Tommy Scoops. i just Tommy Scoops. I'm sorry. It's just like it's it's in my nature to be fearful of people from New Jersey. Have you ever seen how they drive, Ari? I've never been to New Jersey. Okay. I guess I have. Cause I've been to a Red Bull arena.
00:56:24
Speaker
Yeah. So you, well, okay. just be but i was I was taking a train to that. All I'm saying is, all I'm saying is Johnny Cardoso fraud watch. Tyler, great reminder.
00:56:36
Speaker
I had not shilled the sauce yet. I totally forgot. Idiot. um Yes, the Lobbing Scorchers hot sauce by Hacksun Ferments is out now. Noah is about to pull up the link. can hear him typing, and he's going to drop it in chat there.
00:56:50
Speaker
ah Order it up, folks. It's out. We made our own hot sauce. LobbingScorchers.com slash sauce. What started as a as a bit is now officially an actual product.
00:57:01
Speaker
I have some. I was using it this morning. um it it's good It's actually good. That's the cool thing about it is it's like a product that was well-made by people who know what they're doing. it was so So we did a tasting at our event um last Saturday and
00:57:19
Speaker
we brought like ah ah Jessica who's ah the owner of Hacks and Ferment she only brought like a certain number because she didn't know how many she would completely sold out of it basically within within like 30 minutes so she had her her partner go and get more brought more and then sold almost out of all of that so and this was people actually tasting it so it's ah it's really good How spicy is it?
00:57:47
Speaker
um I'm going to be dropping scorchers in the bowl. You'll be fine. It's like a two out of four. It's like a little bit spicier. It's got a little bit of a kick, but it's way more like vinegary and like pickley.
00:57:58
Speaker
And it's it's it's really mild. It's probably ah similar to Sriracha like hotness wise. um no like ah Yeah, I think Sriracha can get a little bit more kick because...
00:58:10
Speaker
I don't know the green because it's green. It's it's got, you know, ah tomatoes and all that stuff in it. It kind of like it's like a so it's not too much of a hot. You get a little kick, but it doesn't like linger.
00:58:21
Speaker
It doesn't linger with you too much. That's my take, at least. ah Noah, you down to do a little discoursing here. and We got a couple of love to topics in chat. too ah Let's start with Papa Squat. he Sorry, have a shitty mic right now, too. No, you sound you sound all right.
00:58:37
Speaker
Papa Squat says, is it still possible we bring in a new striker this season? I have a hard time accepting that Jordan will come back and solve our lack of finishing. I mean, they are still, as far as I know, like looking at you 22s for. Can I still box on that when you're done?
00:58:52
Speaker
Well, so, yeah, i was going to um I was going to use it as a as a segue into the that the discourse that I'm pretty sure you're talking about, which is, unfortunately, well, okay, first to answer your question, yes, it is possible that they use the U-22 spot that they're scouting for on a...
00:59:10
Speaker
on a striker. I will say that, like, I know it's not an exciting answer or proposition, but I mean, I do think that if Jordan Morris does get healthy and he can get back a fit on the field and playing like he usually does, that's going to help this team score goals. Like, I think the the reality is, like, him being injured for this tournament is just, it sucks. Like, it's Like it's never a good time, but this is like an especially unfortunate time because, ah you know, you want you want ah for him to have the opportunity to to play in this.
00:59:42
Speaker
ah But also it's like you're you're the issues in front of goal that we saw against Boda Fogo. I think he he would have helped with that. And I don't know if they would have taken a result if he played in that game.
00:59:54
Speaker
ah But I do know that ah their odds would have gotten a lot better if he had been able to play in that game. ah But unfortunately, I do have to report that we are apparently still doing the discourse over ah Seattle not using the special Club World Cup transfer window and how it constitutes ah a lack of ah ambition or resting on their laurels or whatever it is. that's ah So basically, the new talking point, Noah, is like, ah I think people wanted...
Club World Cup Transfer Window Debate
01:00:27
Speaker
People really, really wanted to be able to be like, they wanted the Sounders to crash out against Boda Fogo and put on a horrible performance so that they could, so they could clown on them for that. But, but that didn't happen. Seattle actually played decently well competitive the game. They played to their talking point though. Cause they were like, Oh, if we had a number. Well, so that's that.
01:00:45
Speaker
So the, the talking point off of that is like, if Seattle had like a better number nine or a true number nine, in the game they uh they could have won the game they could have taken the draw uh so like it's they they should have brought in a forward during that uh special transfer window and then they could have beat bodafone i think that's the talking point i don't know and i think so too correct me if i'm wrong but i think that's sort of what uh what we're getting at here So I guess I'll, ah I'll just give my take on this again, and then I'll let you a soapbox Noah.
01:01:20
Speaker
But just on the topic of this special club, world cup window and why they didn't use it, whether they should have used it or not. I think the first thing that you have to acknowledge in this situation is Ryan Kent.
01:01:33
Speaker
Okay. When Paul Areola got hurt, towards ACL, Seattle actually got ah roster flexibility to make a move that they would not otherwise have had.
01:01:45
Speaker
And if they had not used that new flexibility to add to the roster, not just not just for Club World Cup reasons, but just to like make the team better for this season, if they had not made a move,
01:01:58
Speaker
I would be, I promise you, I promise you, I would be i would be crashing out over it. I would be joining the the criticism of them not making a move to address that. be calling them a poverty club and a cell? Ari, Paul Areola got hurt. Dolo out as well, you know.
01:02:18
Speaker
Paul Areola got hurt very early in the season, and you're allowed to do the season-ending injury-like thing. Wait, Ari, wait, wait, wait. before you Before you say anything. are you telling me that the LA Galaxy could have done this with Ricky Pooge?
01:02:34
Speaker
Yeah, okay. That's a whole different can of worms. Just saying, you know, could be worse. Could be worse. They got this flexibility because of the season-ending injury thing to Paul Areola.
01:02:44
Speaker
And if they had not used that, I would be ah i would be and i would be annoyed. about that. I really would. And for me, it's not even about the club world cup in particular. It's just that like you have a key player who has a season ending injury. And in that situation, you have agency to strengthen your roster and try and mitigate that.
01:03:03
Speaker
And, but they did use it. They used it. They went out and they got Ryan Kent. To me, it doesn't make a difference because like the technicality of the timing of when they did it.
01:03:17
Speaker
I don't, I don't care. Like if it's in the special window or the, the transfer window that was open right before it, as long as they, as long as they did it, i that's what I care about. And not to mention, I think doing it earlier was actually better. Like the funny thing is that if they had ah like done the Ryan Kent move, the exact same move, but in the special window, it would be getting praised, but because it was technically timed earlier,
01:03:42
Speaker
which is actually better for him getting to play more with the team and integrate with the team. It's like that. the The fact that they signed Ryan Kent is not factoring into the evaluation here. Second of all, ah you got people saying like, well, LAFC did it.
01:03:56
Speaker
LAFC did it. So why can't, why couldn't Seattle do it? That's not a good talking point. You're, you are, and if you're, throwing that out there you are absolutely not cooking with that at all i can't have you thinking that that that this is like a dunk like a slam dunk talking point can't have anyone under that impression lafc the reason they were able to do that in unless i'm like high out of my mind noah correct me if i'm wrong they moved off under who was on one of their dp spots to free that spot to be able to go get this uh this club of america guy
01:04:28
Speaker
So it's not like they it's not like they kept the exact... Yeah, it's not like they kept the exact same roster and just used this window to make an addition that bolsters them on top of what they already had. They got rid of a player to open that spot.
01:04:41
Speaker
So like to me, if you're saying that Seattle like really should have used... This window in the same way that LAFC did. You're saying that they should have moved off one of their DPs to be able to free the spot to like do what LAFC did. And ah i think any notion that Seattle is going to make an addition to their team that meaningfully strengthens it.
01:05:05
Speaker
uh before the club world cup it would have to be a dp spot wouldn't it like otherwise you're not getting a profile player that would move the needle would it yeah so so say like that in order in order for this hypothetical that people are talking about to actually happen you would have to move off of one of pedro de la vega uh albert rusnak or jordan morris i don't I really don't think whatever you think of those three players, I know Rusnak is the one that's most debatable. like there's
01:05:39
Speaker
none None of them are in a situation where it's like, you got to pull the plug right now. I know people are going to say that they should have just done that with Rusnak. That's just not, it's like not, that's not a real thing, man. They're not going to...
01:05:52
Speaker
It's not even worth talking about because they're just not going to do it. But also the question of whether... how could you How could you think so lowly of this club? Like you should you should have some more ambition to think that we could be better.
01:06:04
Speaker
Like if you're if you're... We should just be clear about what's being argued. you're saying I think I'm pretty sure everyone's saying like, all right, well then like move off Rusnak and go like replace him in the special window. That's not as like good or practical an idea as it's being characterized.
01:06:19
Speaker
I don't think like that's just... It's not, it wouldn't happen. And I don't think it should happen. Like, I think the reality is Jordan Morris has been injured all year. So you're not getting ah like production from that DP spot.
01:06:32
Speaker
And then the discussion about De La Vega, that's a valid discussion. And I think it's an even increasingly more valid discussion after what we saw in the, ah in the Boda Fogo game, which was like,
01:06:43
Speaker
uh honestly the just the one that he scuffed on the uh in the penalty area the way the way that some of some of the people saw me i kind of became a tiktok meme as well we'll talk about it more on the podcast but I had a debacle. If you guys watched kickoff, you know, but I was sitting in the three hundreds by myself, literally row of empty seats.
01:07:03
Speaker
And the way that I just leaned my head back and went, Oh my fucking God. Yeah. Like I reverberated off the roof. Like I'm pretty sure everyone. is So, but you so even with it acknowledged that, uh,
01:07:15
Speaker
the De La Vegas situation that I mean, the rest of the season is going to be, uh, telling, but as it stands right now, uh, that situation is, uh, it's not super great, but it's still, it's not a situation where you would, uh, where you would pull the plug and move off him right now, just with the, just to use the, the club world cup window. I don't think that that's like a real thing either.
01:07:41
Speaker
So, uh, That again, like the discourse around that is good. We're going to see what happens with it for the rest of the season. It's still possible that he, ah that he fully comes good or at least comes closer to coming good.
01:07:54
Speaker
ah But like, you know, just that play versus Botafogo where he scuffed the shot, like it I always feel silly like Armchair being like, you gotta sit in here like at my desk.
01:08:09
Speaker
you have to put like yeah you have to put that on but You have to put that on target. ah But like it was that moment. it was like It was killing me a little bit. like That's the exact moment where where you need a player like that to come through.
01:08:25
Speaker
like Yeah, I mean, listen, okay, I'm going to put that in a box because I do want to talk about that. What I will say really quickly is absolutely, brother brother man, you got to at least get some laces on it. I don't care if you send it into row 70,000.
01:08:38
Speaker
thousand send it Send it to space. send it Send it to T-Mobile for all I give a shit. But you got to have some contact on that. I mean... You train every day.
01:08:49
Speaker
You've got the best the best the best cleats in the world. You've got the best training staff in the world. You've got food for free. you got here on a You got here in ah in a Range Rover. you you you you Come on.
01:09:01
Speaker
i've seen I've seen a 45-year-old Russian man chain smoke and bury goals in Sunday League, brother. You've got to get your foot on that. You know what i mean? That's... that's
01:09:14
Speaker
That's where that's at. But we'll get back to that. What I want to say about the the general – why wouldn't you sign anyone?
MLS Financial and Structural Challenges
01:09:21
Speaker
the The worst take that I – I got called out by our favorite aggregator account on on Twitter ah in a subtweet here because of my take that was, it doesn't make any sense to sign anyone right now. You signed Ryan Kent?
01:09:35
Speaker
And this wasn't even a take that I – started it was jeff reuter was the one who brought this up as well he said you guys did better business because you signed a player like ryan kent someone who was available and marketable and someone who would not have been there in this 10-day window or would have probably had bigger clubs clamoring over him you got him early You were able to integrate him, and now he's playing meaningful minutes and starting in this Club World Cup game.
01:10:02
Speaker
When you look at a player, like the Club America player that LAFC signed, who wasn't even rostered. He wasn't even rostered for the LAFC versus Chelsea game. So what are we even talking about? Well, and their plan was clearly to move off Under and go get that guy anyway. So they did it a little earlier, but that's like ah they're in a completely different situation with their roster.
01:10:21
Speaker
you have to let You have to acknowledge that. You can't just equate them when it's not the same situation. and And I can acknowledge, too, that there are open spots. You can sign a U-22. But if you go and you actually pay attention to what Craig and others are saying at these press conferences, I watch them all. I'm in the rooms. I talk to Nico. I talk to Jeremiah. I talk to you. I know what's happening.
01:10:42
Speaker
It was very clear that there was an attempt made to sign a you twenty two in this window, and they were getting price gouged. He said, he said, listen, we're in negotiations, but with young players, the biggest hangup on all of these deals is sell-on percentages.
01:10:58
Speaker
Major League Soccer is a developmental league. Whether they take someone from any league in the world... and they want to move off of them, they want to be able to recoup that investment. wait You know what? You can say Seattle Sounders are poor all day, but every club in the world wants to maintain a good chunk of a sell-on percentage.
01:11:15
Speaker
That's just the reality, especially when you're taking a gamble on young players. That's the truth. That's the truth of it. i I don't know what to tell you. Like, that's that's just the truth. And so if they're getting gouged because they know teams, essentially, they know how much money we're getting.
01:11:32
Speaker
They know how much money we're getting for a win. They know how much money is available. Yeah, they're going to nickel and dime you and they know you have 10 days. So they're going squeeze it and squeeze it and squeeze it. ah deal is hard to get done. I don't know. I know that these people, these aggregator accounts, I don't know what they do for a job.
01:11:47
Speaker
I don't know. But clearly, you know, no No hate to anyone, but it's like, ah i don't know if you've ever had to do a business deal before, because the reality is, when the window is closing, when the time is short to get something done, that's when people do out loud as shit.
01:12:04
Speaker
They're like, we have you by the balls, so we might as well squeeze, you know? Yeah, and people are like, well, what do you have to lose? You have lot to lose. You have a potential drastic misallocation of resources and using a spot on something that you should not be using it on because you're rushing into it. Because have a higher 1% chance of getting out of this group. It's one of those things where it's like, God, I'm so glad fans don't run this team. Well, and you know...
01:12:33
Speaker
its It's calling my take the dumbest possible take on it. And it's like, it's not stupid. If you literally look at LAFC, if if you were like, yes, you have to sign someone in this window.
01:12:44
Speaker
It is the definition of incompetence from the management that you didn't sign anyone that you didn't make a move in this window. All right, fine. You can have that take. But when that take comes to reality, which is you use a DP dp spot on a low knee, and then your biggest Club World Cup match of the entire group stage, he can't fucking play. He's not on the roster. He didn't even play a minute.
01:13:06
Speaker
What's the point? What's the point of signing someone for the Club World Cup if they're not going to play in your biggest match? And that's the reality of it. You sign a u twenty two you sign a player, who knows if their visa is going to be ready in that 10-day window right before you lead up to Club World Cup.
01:13:21
Speaker
Who knows what's going to happen, what what a shape they're going to come into the club in. They've got to learn the team. They've got to know the players. I know that these these people sit on their couches all day long stealing Sounder at Heart articles and not doing anything for themselves. that They've never touched a soccer ball in their life other than to sky it in a penalty shootout against ah some Sounders players that they didn't ask PR to to be on a video with.
01:13:46
Speaker
So they're not allowed to do anything with Sounders anymore. That's fine. you can You can say that all day long. But the reality is...
01:13:54
Speaker
the world is more complicated than your little brain makes it seem. And I just, I can't stand it anymore. ari I can't, you can be frustrated with the lack of spending for the sounders. I evangelize that.
01:14:05
Speaker
I agree with that. It is, it is criminal. They have, they have not spent enough money over the past few years. Jeremiah will say that you will say that I will say that everyone will say that, but to say that the world is ending because you didn't sign someone in this random 10 day window. They didn't exist until two months ago.
01:14:24
Speaker
It's a it's a what have you done for me lately? Or a goldfish brain take. Like, we just signed Ryan Kent. We just signed Ryan Kent to bolster the Club World Cup, to bolster the MLS campaign, to do all of this stuff.
01:14:38
Speaker
And we did it for free. And we didn't get gouged. And we still have the open spot. Okay? Like, you can't acknowledge that that is good business on one hand and then go and say... Everyone should be fired because they didn't sign someone in this 10-day window.
01:14:54
Speaker
um'm um um I'm done with it. I'm done with these takes. Like, it's so stupid. it's a it's It's been unfortunate to see the discourse. It's really bad. But, you know...
01:15:06
Speaker
you You just raise the price of microphones. That's all I got. You got to, ah you got to live in reality on this stuff, man. Like the, like the, the idea, like it's, it's so easy to sit there and say, Oh, well then move off for a snack. Then move off.
01:15:23
Speaker
Move off De La Vega. Like you're taking a like nuclear bomb to like your roster in the locker room, like on a whim to like try. It's just such a bad idea, man. It's so bad.
01:15:34
Speaker
but It's like shockingly. and And even if, like I said, even if, and the argument that I've seen is that they should sign a U22 player, a U22 player. We've talked about the hit rate of U22 players. You can go back and watch the video where you analyzed all of it. All right.
01:15:49
Speaker
It's not super hard, but it is not easy. It is not easy. Definitely not guaranteed. yeah you look like You look at a player like Pedro de la Vega, that is an average U22 signing.
01:16:00
Speaker
And we have both said that he is not DP quality in this moment right here. Okay? He played and was injured a ton in his first season. We didn't know that was going to happen. We thought he was going to come in and be the shit, right?
01:16:13
Speaker
You're taking a gamble on a young player. You're taking a big gamble on a young player. And so it makes no sense to overpay for a young player with no guarantees.
01:16:25
Speaker
It's just the reality. Okay. Like it's major league soccer, whether you like it or not, is a hamstrung league. You are only able to make a certain number of signings. You're only able to spend a certain number of dollars.
01:16:38
Speaker
And even if you do, go above and beyond that. Go look at Atlanta United. Go see how they're doing. If you want, I say this all the time, if you want to still watch Major League Soccer and all you care about is signing new players, go be an Atlanta United fan.
01:16:53
Speaker
Go be an Atlanta United fan and see how you like it because you'll fucking hate it. They suck. They're terrible. All right? Like, that's the reality. If you don't like the fact that it's a closed league, that's cool too.
01:17:04
Speaker
I appreciate that. You can have that as an opinion, but you've got to operate in the reality of where we are. Go watch the Prem. Like, go go go watch Botafogo.
01:17:15
Speaker
They can sign five players. They're allowed to. John Tex is splashing cash, dude. Exactly. They can go do that. I just, I just, I, I'm done with it. I'm done with the constant complaining.
01:17:27
Speaker
All right. And people will say, Noah, you're just, you're meat riding ownership and you're doing all of this. Maybe, maybe I am. Maybe they're paying me, Ari. Maybe all of these tattoos they were paid for.
01:17:38
Speaker
by uh by by the sounders front office i think that i think that whole accusation i mean i saw you going back and forth with that bot i think that whole accusation is not giving us uh credit for the uh the depth of coverage that we do like we i wish i was getting paid by the i wish we covered the whole protest and i was pretty i was pretty clear the whole time that i was i crashed out on adrian a week ago yeah like i was clear the whole time that i was on the player's side you know give me so Give me some goddamn credit.
01:18:08
Speaker
I just i don't understand it. the The absolute like rage farming and the just unhappy just... I'm cool with it. I've said this before. Be angry at the ownership for being cheap. I don't care. But operate in reality.
01:18:24
Speaker
Operate in reality when we're actually... When there are adults in the room, when there's two adults in the room analyzing the game in the way that this roster is constructed, Act like one or go sit at the kids' table.
01:18:36
Speaker
Go do your fucking Instagram coloring book-ass posts. Go do that then. I don't care. But when when two adults are talking, have some respect. That's all I'm going to say, okay? Like, that's all I'm going to say. Kenny says, Jackson Reagan said if Kim didn't allow that first goal, nobody would be talking about
Seattle Sounders vs. Botafogo Game Analysis
01:18:54
Speaker
who's foul. I didn't i didn't see that quote. maybe I don't know if that's like – an accurate depiction of what he said or meant. It was a great, it was a great, like to me, this is just my personal opinion. The way I look at at at that goal is that is, that is 100% on the foul that gives them the set piece.
01:19:14
Speaker
yeah Doyle had a column today where he, he said Seattle committed the two Cardinal sins in this game. And I entirely agree. They, they gave them free goals.
01:19:26
Speaker
They gave them free goals, and then they weren't clinical with their chances when they had... when They didn't make them pay when they had their chances. Those are the two things that you cannot do and have any hope at all of winning a game like that. And they did them both.
01:19:40
Speaker
And the the foul to concede the free kick that leads to Botafogo's first his goal, you cannot do it. You can't do it.
01:19:51
Speaker
It's just like... It's pretty binary. Like if you do that, you're going to lose. It almost, you're like your performance almost becomes irrelevant at a certain point, especially when you take into account that they committed the second Cardinal sin. So ah yeah, I mean, you just get like, you can't give them a free kick like that. They're going to, to bam on you.
01:20:11
Speaker
They are going to bam on you. These next two teams, I can tell you for sure. And the frustrating thing about it is just that like, it was, it's, it's needless.
01:20:23
Speaker
Like I said, if a team like this dices you up, they outplay you, their quality just out-quality is your quality, I can live with that. That's just the reality of the situation.
01:20:36
Speaker
But giving them giving them free goals, you can't do it. All right, we got we got a caller. There you go. I'm going to hop off. I got to go finish my work. but All right, yeah.
01:20:46
Speaker
Much love, Chad. Good soapbox. Shout out to Hunchpunch. Thanks for letting me soapbox. I'll see you all later. you, man. All right, Hunch, going to bring you to the stage right now. Hunch, thank you for calling in, as always.
01:21:00
Speaker
Atletico Madrid on Thursday coming off in a 2-1 defeat to Botafogo. How are you feeling? ah Good. Can hear me? Yeah, I've got you. Fantastic.
01:21:11
Speaker
Man, I have some stories about the game. and They are not dissimilar to what you guys experienced. um Shocks to hear that. Shocks. So level well let me just regale you with this this short little story.
01:21:24
Speaker
So I got my free tickets because I'd bought other tickets ah the for the following two games and hadn't bought Botafogo. So you know the make good by the club was to give people pairs of tickets. And I kind of waited and didn't take the first ones. And then more seats opened up. And I actually just picked my own season ticket seats.
01:21:43
Speaker
Went to go into the stadium, scant trying to scan it and it's like, access denied, or like straight up red on plate. Yeah. It's like, ah what? And they're like, eventually somebody came over was oh, you have to go to the gate. Does it say what gate? And I said, oh, it says not really, but there is a thing that says gate four. was like, OK.
01:22:01
Speaker
So we leave that. And like there's literally dozens and dozens of turnstiles just right there. Nobody's there. It's like, I'm at the point. It's a ticket. Who cares? Anyway, go try to go around to gate four.
01:22:14
Speaker
There is no gate four. Like completely gone, not even there. So we go to gate five. Try to scan Now it's just red. Now does it doesn't say anything. It will not let me in no matter what I do. And fortunately, there was a FIFA rep like right there or whatever. They had volunteers.
01:22:31
Speaker
So they take us all the way back over to ticketing or whatever. And there was a bunch of people dealing with this. They had to go and verify all my information, blah, blah, blah, blah. blah And eventually sent me a ah text message with new tickets, but they were the same tickets.
01:22:44
Speaker
And that eventually worked. And I was like, this is fantastic. It's a good thing there was only like 30,000 people because if there had been like 60, would have been a nightmare. It's ah par for the course, what you're describing, sadly. yeah like ah it's the whole The whole event was just riddled with that stuff. it was like like I think I said it on our on our last show, but it got to a point for me where it was just funny. like I didn't even care.
01:23:09
Speaker
Yeah. yeah yeah i was like how many more times i'm gonna bounce around then there was stuff with the merch they sold out like even before the game kicked off and i was like this again only 30 000 people house stuff sold out whatever it's the first match in this team and it's gone um i'm sure there's their stock playing doesn't matter anyway i thought the atmosphere at the game was good yeah The very first thing I noticed, and it was so apparent, is you could smell the grass on the field. And i was like, oh, I miss this. like We need this all the time.
01:23:36
Speaker
We really do. And man, if they can find some kind of way, I know it's up to the NFL Players Association to hopefully negotiate that. But I also know it's Lumen. They want to have bigger events like monster trucks motocross. So they're they're not on board with it. But God, if we could get that to work, it'd be fantastic.
01:23:53
Speaker
It played, it played like way better. I was expecting like, just, you know, with how these things usually go with FIFA and how like the laid down grass played like for the Copa that year, i was like, this is going to be bad. It's going to be a slip and slide.
01:24:05
Speaker
No chance that they execute this correctly or in a way where the game is going to like be playable. And to be fair, that is one thing that I thought went, uh, Went off without a hitch. All the players said that it played great. It looked like it played great. Looked great aesthetically. So yeah, the grass thing was actually, I'll, you know, be fair. like I will give them credit for that.
01:24:25
Speaker
I watched the Atlanta or in Atlanta, LAFC versus Chelsea. That's, they had people slipping and sliding. I kind of thought that's what we were going to get. And so even by comparison, even more so, just so much more credit for how well they have that field. But I think they pretty much as soon as,
01:24:42
Speaker
uh we paused for or well actually you don't even know but i imagine as soon as we went to vancouver they were already laying it down so it's had more time but it looked good all the way across that's for the game knew who did his thing right in front of me and man i i've been overall on on the wa bandwagon with him but i've also said that he's faster than he is skilled and he's more skilled than he is at making good decisions.
01:25:09
Speaker
It's always been speed is first, then skill, then decision making. And now that's that's starting to be a problem. um i I don't know what to think, man. um I think exit strategy needs to be looked at.
01:25:24
Speaker
And I um posed a question on the on Blue Sky or whatever, but I think there's need to bring in competition for that spot to get him to... RBW looked really good.
01:25:35
Speaker
So I thought so, but he also, they ate his lunch a little bit on some of those on the, on the defense. And you know, a couple people pointed out a game state might've helped that. So, but ah even with those two things taken into account, I do think that was the best I've seen him look in attack, which was encouraging to see, like that was supposed to be one of his calling cards.
01:25:55
Speaker
So to see him actually, like he absolutely mossed that one guy. That was awesome. And then just in general, I thought he looked pretty dangerous and dynamic and, Frankly, I mean, i don't know where you fall on this, but I i think you have to start him against Atletico.
01:26:12
Speaker
think so. And Nuhu's got to sit, man. Like, that is – like, that was a horrendous error. And it's the kind of thing that happens when, like, your head is is is not in the game.
01:26:26
Speaker
Well, it's it's yourself over the team. And and I guarantee you – I don't guarantee you. I would bet and hope. that the people that did the talking was not the coach when it came to dealing with new who after the fact.
01:26:39
Speaker
Yeah. And that's way it should be. Yeah. like forty years and You're spot on. Yeah. um But I think we need bring in competition. Do you think there's any chance that they could try KKR on the left? I mean, know he's competing with Alex, but if we can get the same kind of performance, I don't know if it's a left foot, right foot thing, but is there any shot that he could slide over there and maybe compete?
01:27:02
Speaker
I hadn't really given that much thought, but I kind of like that idea. um Because Alex does so well with service, especially. and Yeah, the competition is playing both. Yeah, exactly. Right.
01:27:13
Speaker
But i think I think there needs to be competition to make NuHu raise his level. And then instead of giving NuHu the minutes, I would then sell him if he shows improvement, meaning that we increase his value, show him as less of a liability, and then we just we move on if we can we can get a deal.
Anticipation for Atletico Madrid Match
01:27:30
Speaker
That said, I mean, the second half was great. um A result would have been fantastic. But I think, yeah, I mean, Atletico is going to come in hot and heavy.
01:27:42
Speaker
They have to win. Yep. It's not to be pretty. No. In all likelihood. Yeah. Rain tomorrow. Rain on Friday. no rain on Thursday. But i don't know what that does to the field. Probably not a whole lot.
01:27:55
Speaker
um Yeah. And then so that's other thing is it's like if you don't play New Who, let's say like let's say we just get just housed, which is good could happen. The third game really just becomes – for us and maybe even for PSG, almost like a scrimmage, whatever. Exhibition, yeah. yeah That looks like it's lining up for that.
01:28:15
Speaker
And at that point, I would have just told Nuhu, since you're on a red going back to the ML season, why don't you just take a few weeks and get away from the club and just you know get your mind right um and you know play other people for that third one and see what he did. I actually didn't see him come back out in the field for the second half, but it then it turns out he was there. So I'm glad that It's that I'm not trying to rain on the deuce parade, but it's just one after another and their mental, their mental mistakes. Anyway. Yeah. Yeah.
01:28:41
Speaker
Um, De La Vega. I mean, du dude was clearly nervous. He was clearly nervous. I mean, he had two setters, but you got to make that contact. and i mean, do you remember, do you call the Reagan?
01:28:54
Speaker
He came, uh, blitzed into the box and that one and just chose to let the ball go.
01:29:00
Speaker
was right towards the end of the second half. De La Vega. and No, Reagan. Oh, I think I remember the sequence where he was blitzing, but... Yeah, all the cross came in, and he just... He let it go like he was he thought someone was kind of the right side, but like he was almost on the edge of the six.
01:29:16
Speaker
like And if he had just like put a knee out or something and directed it on frame, it... those There was a number of people who were sky in the ball or just sailing it, and but I don't blame them. I'm sure their their nerves are at peak levels.
01:29:29
Speaker
and man i could I don't know would have happened if we had tied it up. I think Botafogo would have had it something to say about it. Speaking of which, the ref and the fouls and the fish gang, man, that was not great.
01:29:43
Speaker
I thought the ref was like... Okay, other than that, other than maybe like, it did get like, very, it it felt like they were committing tactical fouls that weren't getting carded sometimes.
01:29:58
Speaker
Well, so the two things that I kept noticing is they would jump for headers over our players by putting their elbow into the neck, the back of the neck of our players. And then Kent kept getting just literally physically pushed.
01:30:10
Speaker
And like the ref wouldn't even call the They fouled him so hard, like right after the game kicked off in a way that was very clearly like sending a message. Like they were told, I don't know if it was specifically Ryan Kent, but I think they were told like knock somebody on their, on their goddamn ass, like right after this kicks off to set the tone. i'm pretty sure that's what they were doing.
01:30:32
Speaker
They were being very physical with him, no question, but was like the pushes that were his in his back were not much worse than the push that knew who had and du he got the yellow for. But do you know what the... well I think by the time the game ended, they finally picked up their third yellow.
01:30:47
Speaker
But do you know what the the foul count was for each team? No, I didn't look at that. What was it? We had four. They had 19. Yeah, I mean, that about lines up. you know Four is too low for a game like this.
01:31:01
Speaker
Well, you got to answer the bell. and got it Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, 100%. That honestly is like a... ah I hope they look at that stat. I mean, because like you, were you don't want to be like the team that's persistently fouling, but if someone's playing you like that, you have to fight back.
01:31:18
Speaker
Like within the, within the rules of the game. Yeah. Persistent infringement. They should have gotten a yellow automatically at 12 or 11 or 12. That didn't happen. Yeah. They only got it for specifically though. but like One dude kicking the ball away, got him a yellow and something else. I don't remember.
01:31:33
Speaker
I, I liked physical games. But that ref did not try to establish any kind of... They were... I mentioned this on the last show, but Paul Rothrock pointed out, like, they were smart about where and when they would commit those fouls.
01:31:48
Speaker
Like, Rothrock was saying, he he was like, they were doing it, like...
01:31:53
Speaker
at positions on the field where we hadn't really got out and started running yet. So it's not like a tactical foul or like ah a yellow card foul in a way that's like super obvious, but it's like, it that is a tactical foul. that That's if you get them before they're out in transition, like it's the same outcome.
01:32:12
Speaker
But I think part of that was actually just a sound strategy on the part of Botafogo. Well, like we had two blitzes down the right side in the second half, especially, and both were hard fouls. They weren't dogsoaked. There was one more defender at least, but, and we got two free kicks from that side and they, the even the AR is like going nuts over there.
01:32:32
Speaker
Either one of those easily could have been a yellow because as you said, they're tactical fouls. Like, and they were hard fouls too. They went in. It's like, and at that point in the game, you're breaking up an attack. It's not, you're fouling to make a poly on the ball. You're fouling to commit stopping the play.
01:32:45
Speaker
And at that point, it can raise to a yellow like it really should have anyway i don't think that's why we lost the game or anything along those lines but i i just it well again 19 to 4 like at some point you got to calm it down that's a funny stat yeah and uh it may it was even worse earlier on in terms of like think we had two at one point and we'd already had two yellows which is even doesn't make any sense um corner kicks man Last year, we led the league
Set Piece Strategy Issues
01:33:16
Speaker
in corner kicks. We scored a total of one goal in the entire season in MLS.
01:33:20
Speaker
We scored a couple off of or whatever tournament we were in last year. I can't remember. This year, I don't think we have any. And then the same is true on defense. like If we're not in contact for offense, meaning that we're striving to get the ball off the corner, we sure as heck aren't defending well, too, because...
01:33:38
Speaker
The whole point is to make contact. if we just we The number of corner kicks we get where we are not the first one on the ball doesn't make a ton of sense to me, especially when you know we sky it or short it and we surprise our own players.
01:33:50
Speaker
I don't get it. Yeah, no, it hasn't been good this year. i feel like, yeah, the corner kick thing was an issue last year, ah but I thought Rusnak was pretty nails on his free kicks last year.
01:34:01
Speaker
And I will say in general, like that the the just hasn't generated enough danger from those situations this season. Well, i mean, how do you lead the league in corner kicks and have one goal? Yeah, that's kind of crazy. i mean that and I feel like that's almost like a little bit of a, like one of those variance stats that they were on like the unlucky end of the range of outcomes. Cause that's just kind of crazy.
01:34:26
Speaker
I mean, over the course of a whole season? Like, that's that's... You can't say snakebick. Sometimes teams do have, like, seasons like that with, like, stats like that. It's, it's like, ah very rarely that far skewed. So, like, I see i see your point.
01:34:43
Speaker
But, like ah like like, that is, that is all like, almost too skewed for it to be the explanation. I think your you're not wrong about that. But, like... whats there it's a high It is a high-variance, like, thing, inherently.
01:34:56
Speaker
But of all the things you can practice, it is a fixed play with a known condition. Like, you know exactly how the play is going to set up. You have the option to choose what you want to do with this.
01:35:06
Speaker
And if you're going to lead the league in it, you should find ways to be dangerous or at least get a shot from a corner. like Absolutely. I mean, if it's yielding nothing, that's like, that's a problem.
01:35:18
Speaker
And then um last I'll say, I mean, you guys were just talking about, I don't know what you covered at the beginning because I joined late, but the signing in the window. and yeah give us your take on the discourse. So i think can be taken to extreme just like, you know, in text messages and stuff like that where people will just infer the worst from people.
01:35:36
Speaker
And i I think it's similar thinking for me and it's a different topic for a different day. as to how people approach the rest neck situation and that is this the sounders have done a lot over a long period of time sometimes with very little and made more of it i think my approach at least is i mean why did fifa bother to do this to allow these mls teams to do this unless there was some good cause or good reason like like if the Why do it at all if the teams aren't set up to take advantage of it, meaning the three and MLS teams that in it? but Well, because it's about like ah like the other teams, I think. Real Madrid freaking used it to sign like seven guys or something. but there're the aren't there Those are teams that can actually do that.
01:36:18
Speaker
But they're in their summer signing window already, though, aren't they? because I mean, I don't know if that's a good example, but like it's the it wasn't geared like specifically towards MLS teams. It was every club in the tournament.
01:36:30
Speaker
Okay. um What I'll say, though, is this, and and again, I can't imagine they surprised these guys with this, meaning that the teams, they had to have some sort of like heads up and somewhere in the spring, maybe even say, hey, we're going to open this up.
01:36:43
Speaker
But I think it's not that, oh, why didn't we do this? why It's that we expect this team and this club this club to do the best they can with what they've got and to not miss an opportunity.
01:36:57
Speaker
And this seemed like an extra thing that could have been, used in a way that one was advantageous for the rest of the season. And I get how we have a summer signing window and we just got kept because of the the injury relief.
01:37:09
Speaker
But the fact that nothing happens, it's it it feels disappointing from the perspective of like, we could have done better. What that is, I don't know. You're not going to sign some crazy DP and if you weren't already lined up to do it. And it doesn't make a lot of financial financial sense or that you know if they weren't prepared to do it, that it was going to go off without a hitch. But it feels disappointing that nothing was done, even though the chances of that were pretty low anyway. It just...
01:37:32
Speaker
This team has created, not listing this team, this club has created a situation where they expect more. and And I mean, the Dempsey watch thing was a complete surprise. And so maybe people have that thing in the back of their head where it's like, you know, maybe something like that could happen. So I think it's more nuanced. I don't think it's so like, ah, screw them. They can't do anything.
01:37:53
Speaker
It's just, it seems like a ah missed opportunity. i think ah like I think you're right that there's probably some sort of that sentiment floating around. Some of the discourse I have seen is pretty clearly not in good faith like that.
01:38:07
Speaker
it's ah yeah It's about, I have a talking point about how the team is cheap and unambitious And them getting like a special window, like a mechanism that other teams don't have and not making use of it plays into the talking point that I already have.
01:38:23
Speaker
So I'm going to use it to support it, even though as Noah and I just talked about, like it it takes nothing into account of the reality of where they're at with the, with the roster and the previous moves that they already made.
01:38:37
Speaker
The capacity in which they could have used this window would have been to make the U22 signing that they have been scouting up. that's how That is how they could have used it. yeah If you want to argue that they should have used it in that in that window.
01:38:50
Speaker
i mean, I don't know. I just i yeah i would have to know like the fine points of who they've been scouting, what their evaluations are, what those players' availabilities are like. That's all stuff that we're not privy to to know whether or not it would have been a good or idea a bad idea to use it.
01:39:05
Speaker
I do know that one thing that would be stupid to do is rush into that u twenty two and sign a player that you're not sure about and you're not convicted in and that you don't know about the fit. And to rush into that and do it just so you can say that you use the window I absolutely do not want that. I would not have wanted them to do that. That would have been bad business. That would have been bad strategy and it would have made the team worse.
01:39:30
Speaker
Like, or it could vary the odds that it made the team makes the team worse would have been a lot higher than if you are like, methodical about it make sure you've got your right target and bring in the guy like that you actually want and that you think can be a player for you for the long term but to uh to use that u22 just because you can regardless of circumstance just to say you use the window that is just like uh That would be malpractice, man. You can't do that.
01:40:03
Speaker
like And it's insane to me that it's being argued for as like a good idea or something that they should have done. I like i don't know what we're talking
Club's Strategic Decisions Defense
01:40:13
Speaker
about. Whether it's substitutions or your know signings, the history of this club has never...
01:40:20
Speaker
never been accused of not overthinking it and know i mean look at the number of summer signings we had compared to beginning the year signings just for at least the sake of well we only had to pay them half their salary and so i get where you like what you were saying is like some people see you as fuel on the fire it's just one more thing to say oh they cheaped out they cheaped out um and yeah unless there was something where it was like lightning in a bottle i you know i don't think there's anything they necessarily could have done you know maybe a wish list thing but I don't know.
01:40:49
Speaker
ah It just, yeah like you said, it's a point. It's something that people can point to and say, look what they didn't do. And yeah. And I, you know, I get it, but like, uh, I just think we gotta be, we gotta be real about what's actually of course happening. yeah Yeah. I'm not advocating for I'm just saying, you know, I can see how people come to that conclusion or it's like one more thing, you know, stoking the fire for them about how something isn't happening.
01:41:10
Speaker
The other thing I'll say, going back to the game, And i thought I thought they would have pulled Kent and brought somebody on the right side and pulled Masofsky at the same time and put Jesus up top right before they would have subbed him instead of pulling Jesus. Because I thought he had some good touches and some good movement in the first half and then just kind of disappeared in the second half. But I don't know. um I'm still in his corner. i like i just i don't think we're getting... I thought he i thought he played okay. ah And i thought I thought the... I was pretty happy overall, I think, with the attacking performance in the second half.
01:41:45
Speaker
They were like... And they were generating some good chances. They were knocking the ball around ah really well. There's some one, two passing like it was just a pretty fun half of soccer to watch. I thought it was back and forth and to end two teams going at it like I from like an entertainment perspective, I thought it was a good game.
01:42:07
Speaker
I thought we could have brought in a size a little bit earlier because he just really wasn't touching the ball a whole lot in that second half. Yeah, he was nine not as influential as the moose of that five game run.
01:42:18
Speaker
run Yeah, and I mean, being able to pick up you know deflected shots, which is what he's done a good job with, and being you know Johnny on the spot when with those crosses have come through, specifically when there's been two targets and he is one of the two and ah the defense is biting on the first target and he picks up as the second, we were sort getting those crosses in to to that position to where he would be able to do exactly that. They were they were jamming the box and we could not get it in from the wings. It was going to have to be either brought in or bled in.
01:42:48
Speaker
you know sort of on a three ball but i i thought osazi would have done a little bit better and maybe we'll see uh in one of these next two games but i don't know man psg it's a complete wild card how are you feeling about the atletico game i don't know if you caught my guest earlier but he was talking about how their vibes are uh kind of in the tank right now in a similar way to seattle actually well yeah but I mean, if you just got thumped after a red card from playing PSG and it's like, well, who do we have next? And it's like, well, it's not another PSG.
01:43:20
Speaker
It's Seattle. It's like, okay. but We can take out our frustration. Yeah, exactly. That's what a little worried about, if I'm being honest. I mean, it is I don't know. it i'm not I'm past worried. I'm just like, it is what it is. Just go out.
01:43:33
Speaker
Go out, have fun, compete, do do what you can, and the result is what it is. So I was telling somebody, ah you know, I think our our max ceiling to hope for was to make it out of the group. If like, if we could said, what was the best outcome you can truly, truly hope for in this tournament, it would be to make another group as likely, you know, not possible as it is.
01:43:55
Speaker
The next would be to get a result someplace set the way. But the thing that I would take is like, if all things come together and
Atmosphere and Future Prospects
01:44:03
Speaker
PSG decides to arrest people because they've won their first two games and we get a result against them, I will take that as a talking point for years. I'll be completely fine with that.
01:44:13
Speaker
Absolutely. But yeah, I think Thursday is going to be rough. i Or, I mean, we just could come out and get punched in the mouth. Or we could surprise them because they're overextending. I mean, it really could be anything.
01:44:25
Speaker
I'm not... when when you're ah When you're this much the underdog, I really think it's like, ah it's all about just keeping it as close as you can for as long as you can. And then once you, ah like if you can keep it zero zero up into like the 60, 70th minute or even within one goal,
01:44:41
Speaker
into that sort of juncture of the game that's when like it starts creeping into the other team's head a little bit like okay we're we're actually getting like a run for our money here you know depending on game state if they're up one zero but are just absolutely pummeling stephan fry and he's jumping all over the place keeping making miracle saves then you probably don't really feel like you have much of a chance even if the score line's not that bad ah But if you can muck it up and sort of keep them at bay for as long as you can and keep it, keep it within striking distance.
01:45:14
Speaker
That's where the, the psychology of it, it plays in for both teams. The, the favorite starts to get a little worried and then the underdog starts to get that sense of belief. So I don't mean, I don't really think that that is that likely to happen, but if there is like a path to, ah making some magic happen. I think that's what leads to it. puncher's chance. I mean, if we end up shelled in and then suddenly surprise on the counter, things things can happen.
01:45:38
Speaker
Things can happen. um I hope the atmosphere is good. i hope it was even even similar to the way it was, even though it was 30,000 or whatever it was. Like, it had, the the stadium had good vibes because much like what happened and when we had the World Cup qualifier, like this is our chance to make an impression on some of these players who may never have thought about playing over in the States or even for Seattle. Like if it feels good in that stadium, like it's, it's leverage in the future. If we ever talk to any of these players,
01:46:07
Speaker
Yeah, absolutely. ah All right, Hunch. Well, I'm going to get out of here pretty soon, I think. one else No one else is in the queue. ah But did you have any any other takes you wanted to get out there? um a Real Madrid could be bad. I'm just looking. I wrote some stuff down.
01:46:22
Speaker
Man... man Again, I just hope they're entertaining. I hope they're fun. you know The longer can keep the grass field, the better. you know i don't know. The weather should be good.
01:46:34
Speaker
I'm still positive because my expectations are minimal. So it's it's more about the entertainment and the fun, i guess. Yeah, it's kind I don't know. I think there's some there's kind of fun to be had, like being in this situation of kind of knowing already what the result is going to be. And you can kind of just kick back, accept your fate, and...
01:46:56
Speaker
like surprised what see yeah and Be Yeah, if there is good performance like a good performance or a competitive performance, be pleasantly surprised. and And if not, you like already knew kind of what was coming. So that's sort that's how I'm looking at it.
01:47:09
Speaker
How soon? Well, God, this is a weird question that we've never dared to entertain. how long How long before we start playing MLS games and what what weird thing would happen if we had actually made it out of the group and we're still in this tournament?
01:47:23
Speaker
They would be like rescheduling stuff, as I understand. Oh, okay. Okay. Because i don't I don't know what the break is from PSG to when we back to regular season. Here's the path. Atletico comes in.
01:47:35
Speaker
Morale is down. Just got waxed 4-0 by PSG. The vibes are ah are not good. Big-ass road trip. ahead My guest Jeremy was just telling me they are not a team that travels particularly well anyway. So they're they come into Seattle.
01:47:50
Speaker
they're They're tired. they've They're on like 50-plus games of ah of their season with all their tournaments as well. So they, he said they've been running on fumes for a while and Seattle's just running at them and wears them down and they're the fatigue factor sets in and you keep it close.
01:48:07
Speaker
And I don't know. I'm just, I'm kind of grasping at straws here. Can you imagine then what happens? What, what, how we would have to, if if let's say above everything else, we got a result against Madrid.
01:48:19
Speaker
Then can you imagine what we would look like in terms of how we would have to play in that PSG game? That would be insane. Yeah, yeah, that would that would be it would be like, ah yeah, I don't know. I think the group you needed to beat realistically, like you needed to beat Botafogo to have a chance.
01:48:37
Speaker
so that that's like it's pretty much it's chalked. ont Yeah, yeah, a tie at the minimum. But yeah, if we had beaten them, then everything would be on the table. I know the players are ah are going to be going hard. I mentioned it earlier, but when I asked Obed after the game about like getting the chance to play against a team that he was a that he's a fan of he the first thing he said was, I'm not going to be a fan on that field.
01:49:00
Speaker
I mean, they're putting everything into it and watching actually some of these other games as disappointing. i don't know if you even saw the crowd shots from Atlanta with. Yeah, that wasn't good. that I thought the Botafogo crowd was actually pretty good. Like, yeah, like numbers wise, vibes wise, it was excellent, but numbers wise too.
01:49:16
Speaker
Every game I have seen so far, these players are going all out at each other on this. No, friendly. like There's been very little like pushing and shoving, like even helping each other up, but that has not reduced the physicality or the desire that you see them playing with. So I'm actually, across all teams, pleasantly surprised at that.
01:49:34
Speaker
Yeah. All right. Well, i'm going to start wrapping it up here in on that, but ah thanks for calling in, as always, man, and we'll we'll catch up soon. I appreciate you. Thank you. Take care.
01:49:46
Speaker
That was Hunch Punch. least we got one caller one caller tonight. If anyone else wants to last minute jump in feel free. But otherwise, I'm going to start the wrap-up process here.
01:49:58
Speaker
Eat some dinner. Maybe play some Call Duty. I don't know. I don't know. Got the whole evening in front of me. But thank you guys for tuning in to the rescheduled edition of ah Under the Lights.
Conclusion and Global Matches Coverage
01:50:16
Speaker
Thanks to Jeremy Baron for hopping on that was a really good at let it come Madrid Intel segment learned a lot.
01:50:26
Speaker
Appreciate all of our all we've had a ton of guests on this show. People are generously giving their time to lobbing scorchers so our audience can expand their breadth of knowledge about MLS, but in this case, about global football, playing some teams that Seattle just has never played and will never play again.
01:50:48
Speaker
Seattle Sounders are playing Atletico Madrid.
01:50:53
Speaker
There's at least some fun novelty to that. it's It's been funny, like, prepping for these shows where I normally am doing it about FC Dallas.
01:51:08
Speaker
Doing it for Atletico Madrid and PSG. That's what I'm doing.
01:51:14
Speaker
Rosie says, well, they just got free money and are not paying the players their fair share. True. So use that money and buy a good player. They should stop being cheap. Nico Moreno said they need to spend at least $4 million for a good U-22 striker but are not wanting to spend that much.
01:51:27
Speaker
Yeah, no argument about the like them the being cheap factor. I understand why people point that out and I don't disagree. Like that's not what my take on the, I'm like my take on the club world cup window is like specifically to that window. And like the idea of,
01:51:48
Speaker
what it symbolizes or what it means that they didn't use it. Like it's very, very obvious, like what the logic and the thought process was for how they handled that window and why they didn't use it both between the Ryan Kent acquisition And where the roster is at, which like as an MLS club getting a window like this, the where you are as it pertains to the cap and what spots on your roster are filled.
01:52:15
Speaker
That affects like what you're able to do. It just does like to use that window in a way that actually would have moved to the needle for the club World Cup.
01:52:26
Speaker
Like people are proposing, you would have to move off a DP like afc did.
01:52:32
Speaker
You have to acknowledge that. Like you can't, and i'm i'm not I'm not talking about what you said, Rosie, but like if you're going to discourse about this, like you have to take that into account.
01:52:43
Speaker
You can't just say, oh, they didn't use it.
01:52:51
Speaker
What cheap, well, what kind of crackpot organization is this? Like you have to, it's not like ah the most fun thing in the world to talk about, but like the roster rules and restrictions are just stuff that affects this stuff.
01:53:07
Speaker
Just does.
01:53:11
Speaker
If you want to get into an argument about them loosening those restrictions, hell yeah, I'm for that.
01:53:20
Speaker
I'm fully for loosening the yeah spending restrictions.
01:53:28
Speaker
But moving off one of your current DPs
01:53:36
Speaker
so you could use the Club World Cup window, it's just that's just crazy, man. I don't even know what we're talking about. I think I really feel like I'm talking about something that's just like, I don't know, sometimes I feel like I'm living on another planet. and
01:53:52
Speaker
All right. I'm going wrap it right there, folks. Thank you guys for tuning in. Thanks to Jeremy Barron. Thanks for Hunchpunch for hopping on. a This is going to serve as our as our preview content.
01:54:07
Speaker
We're going to put out the the interview on the main podcast feed and then ah follow me on Blue Sky for updates on what our post-Atletico Madrid coverage is going to look like.
01:54:22
Speaker
um I think it's going to be a situation, again, where we have to do the ah the reaction show the next day. i am covering these games like a real reporter, like I used to which means I have post-game obligations to write.
01:54:43
Speaker
So that unfortunately...
01:54:48
Speaker
diminishes my ability to lay down. Oh, OK. All right. I guess I'm not getting out of here because we got another caller. All right. I got got Tyler in the queue. Tyler, if give me that ah thumbs up.
01:55:02
Speaker
Tyler, thanks for calling in. Are you are you first time here? This is a long-time listener, first-time caller. Okay, well. Yeah. just I feel like they just need to end the stream on just a positive note. Like, i think you hit it with the nail on the head. Like, we're talking about Atletico Madrid.
01:55:22
Speaker
We're not talking about Minnesota. We're not talking about – this is not the Colorado Rapids. No, absolutely not. And like, ah you know, sort of like special window, be asked aside, like we all know that's not going to happen.
01:55:37
Speaker
um And I think that that's OK. And like everyone's going to have to live with that. I'm flying in from New York to SeaTac on Thursday morning to go check the game out.
01:55:48
Speaker
And you know what, I'm just going to have a good time. think it's it's difficult being a Sounders fan out east and oftentimes like, you know, you get like one game a year, but if you know you make the investment to sort of show up as a fan, it's like totally worth it. So for all the sadists and sickos out here, like I feel like it's okay to enjoy something every once in a while. so Yeah, no, that's awesome that you're that you're making the trip. Are you from out here originally and then moved out there? are you just What's your Sounders fandom background?
01:56:20
Speaker
Yeah, I remember USL days, like half of the lower first bowl filling up. Grew up in the east side. now live on the east coast now live on the east coast um but yeah we watch uh for all the new york fans we watch sounders games at banter the bq ecs is our supporters group uh so come through if you're in brooklyn or in queens that's so cool i'm gonna i got friends out there i'm gonna have to do a new york trip and like go check that out let's do it let's do it all right i want to leave it yeah positive note okay yeah yeah go for it all right later
01:56:57
Speaker
Oh, okay. That was it. I thought you had another, uh, uh, another take. All right. Well, uh, got you. Thanks for calling in, man. Appreciate you and, uh, have fun at the, uh, game.
01:57:08
Speaker
That was Tyler tapping in to end it on a positive note. Uh, I think that was good. I was, uh, was soapboxing a little bit at the end of there. So I appreciate that Tyler. Um, all right. So with that,
01:57:22
Speaker
I am now going to sign off. Like I said, stay tuned for for plans on our post-game coverage, on our post-game live, and like the video if you haven't yet.
01:57:35
Speaker
Okay? Okay? Like the video. All right. Catch you guys next time. Peace.