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Nos Audietis, Episode 301: Last week kinda sucked
42 Plays6 years ago
We come to you feeling not quite as good as the last time we were gathered. The Sounders are coming off a very disappointing loss which came at the end of a very tumultuous week in which the Sounders felt compelled to apologize to supporters and Roman Torres was given a 10-game ban for testing positive for PEDs.
The game was frustrating on many levels, not the least of which was falling behind 2-0 at home to a team that wasn’t much healthier than the Sounders were and in the midst of some pretty bad overall play.
The one positive was a genuinely outstanding performance from Jordan Morris, who scored his third career brace and was a bit unlucky not to have his first career hat trick.
By the time you listen to this, hopefully, the Sounders will have made at least one new signing although we don’t yet have confirmation of that.
This week's music: Perry Como - "Seattle", "RVIVR - "Ocean Song", Woody Guthrie - "Roll On Columbia", "Your Journey Begins" - OurMusicBox (Jay Man) (CC BY 4.0)
Thanks to James Woollard, Sounders Public Address Announcer, for doing our sponsor reads. You can follow him on Twitter at @BritVoxUS - if you’re looking for a British Voice to advertise your business or non-profit, please reach out to him.
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Transcript
Introduction and Sponsorship
00:00:00
Speaker
This episode of No Sadietes is sponsored by Full Pool Wines, a Seattle-based wine seller who recently released their first book, 36 Bottles of Wine. The ethos of the book, a highly curated look at wine categories that provide exceptional value right now, should be familiar to full pool readers. But there's loads of fresh content, and since it's not trying to sell any wine through the book, there's a bit more of a sass factor.
00:00:21
Speaker
And there's food, lots of it. Fulpel's unique writing style is applied to recipes like leftover Thanksgiving turkey, schmaltz-a-ball soup, and pregnancy nachos. This book can be purchased through Sasquatch Books.
Guests Introduction: Christian Roldan & Jordan Morris
00:00:32
Speaker
Hey, this is Christian Roldan. And Jordan Morris from the Seattle Sounders Football Club. And you're listening to... There's no study at this. Fuck! Hey, Ocean! Let's go! Morris runs right by him and sticks in and slots in him for a bowl. Fantastic for Jordan Morris.
00:00:55
Speaker
Here's Morris! Morris! I'm back in the net! What do the tigers dream of? They take a little tigers. The bluest skies you've ever seen are in Seattle. And the hills, the greenest green in Seattle.
00:01:24
Speaker
Like a beautiful child growing up
Episode Details and Hosts
00:01:29
Speaker
Welcome to another edition of NOS Adietes, sponsored by Fullpool Wines. This is episode 301, and we're recording on Wednesday, August 7th, 2019. I am your host, Jeremiah O'Shan. As usual, I'm joined by my co-host, Aaron Campo, and our engineer, Lickit. We come to you feeling not quite as good as the last time we gathered.
Sounders' Apology and Roman Torres' Ban
00:01:45
Speaker
The sounders are coming off a very disappointing loss, which came at the end of a very tumultuous week, in which the sounders felt compelled to apologize to supporters, and Roman Torres was given a 10-game ban for testing positive for PDDs.
00:01:56
Speaker
The game was frustrating on many levels, not the least of which was falling behind 2-0 at home to a team that wasn't much healthier than the Sounders, and in the midst of some pretty bad overall play.
Game Analysis: Jordan Morris' Performance
00:02:05
Speaker
The one positive was a genuinely outstanding performance from Jordan Morris, who scored his third career brace and was a bit unlucky not to have his first career hat-trick. By the time you listen to this, hopefully, the Sounders will have made at least one new signing, although we don't have confirmation of that at this time, and possibly even more than that.
00:02:22
Speaker
This all happens against the backdrop of being tied on points for second in the west, although technically fourth by tiebreaker.
Sounders' League Position and Potential
00:02:29
Speaker
So all in all, not all is not even close to lost. Still, it leaves us in a bit of an odd place. That a fair way of putting it, Aaron?
00:02:39
Speaker
I think so. I mean, I think that it's pretty clear that the Sounders are, at least until they show otherwise, that they show that they can actually get more than half their team on the field at once. That they're, you know, a middle of the pack sort of team, that they're
00:02:55
Speaker
they can certainly win the MLS Cup. I mean, we've we've seen worse teams when the MLS Cup, but they don't feel like an elite team this year. And that's kind of a bummer considering the way the season started. But, you know, there's time for that to turn around. But it's not it's not great right now. I think that's fair. I mean, I think I would say they don't they are definitely not playing like an elite team right now. And they haven't been playing like an elite team right now for several months.
00:03:23
Speaker
But I still think that the roster, if they could actually get healthy does seem like a potentially elite team to me. Like I don't, I don't look at anyone else's roster and think that they have clearly more assembled talent than the Sounders do, but they do have to get those players on the field together. And that has not happened in a very long time.
Injury Struggles and Impact
00:03:44
Speaker
And every time we say they look about as healthy as they've looked in a long time, some other injury comes up. And it's fair to wonder if this team can get healthy because they haven't been healthy for four or five months now. Yeah. I mean, I think that's where I'm at is that.
00:04:01
Speaker
I mean, we've talked a lot about Victor Rodriguez and his injury struggles, but I think at this point, it's fair to say that it's a problem. I don't think you can blame anybody for it necessarily, but it's a problem. And I don't trust in his ability to get and stay healthy. I don't know that I trust in the sounder's ability to get and keep him healthy.
00:04:24
Speaker
And without him, I mean, this is a much worse team. Gustav Jensen has been out for a while. Brad Smith is probably going to be, I mean, it's just, it sucks. And this feels worse than a lot of the injury struggles that they've had in the past because it just feels a little more hopeless. And I don't know if that's
00:04:45
Speaker
just having it kind of beat into you for as long as sounders fans have had that happen or what, but it just feels more dystopian somehow to me. Yeah, it dystopian feels, you know, maybe a little over the top, but I don't I see where you're coming from. And I and I'll put this question to you. Are the sound like given what we know as of the recording of this and who knows what the what comes in the
00:05:13
Speaker
in the next few hours, but knowing what we know now, do you think the sounders have any, like assuming everyone else is healthy except for Victor Rodriguez, do you feel like, how confident do you feel like they can compete for MLS Cup?
Sounders vs. LAFC: Competitive Edge
00:05:29
Speaker
Uh, I mean, I think that they can compete with any team in the league.
00:05:35
Speaker
but LAFC. And I think that they're close enough to LAFC that it wouldn't be, I guess, a shock if they beat them. But I mean, I think LAFC would be solid favorites, especially because they'd be playing at home. But if the sounders can finish in second and have home games, at least in the first round of the playoffs and maybe get lucky and LAFC gets knocked out,
00:06:03
Speaker
Yeah, I think they could win an MLS Cup, but they're not the dominant force that it looked like they might be earlier in the season when it looked like they could keep pace with LAFC. I mean, if the Sounders were to win the MLS Cup this season, it would clearly be a case. And it usually is this way, to be totally fair, of the team that isn't the best team won in the MLS Cup. And that's, you know,
00:06:29
Speaker
I mean, the last time the Sounders won the MLS Cup, the last time, the only time, they clearly weren't the best team in the league. So it's not like that's the worst thing in the world, but they're not anything close to favorites. No, I don't think there's any stretch that you can call them favorites. But if they have a healthy victory, how much does that change the equation for you? Personally, if they put together the team they have now,
00:06:55
Speaker
With Victor Rodriguez, I don't think I'm 50 plus one confident that they would win at LAFC, but I'd be, I'd be confident that they could compete with him.
00:07:07
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, I think, I think that I would still expect LAFC to win. I think LAFC would still be the better team, but it's a lot closer. And I think, I mean, just so much of that is just having one more attacking threat to worry about. I mean, to be clear, if everybody else is healthy, teams have to contend with Nico Lidero, Jordan Morris and Raul Rudeos. And that's, that's a lot to handle already.
00:07:31
Speaker
uh you add victor to that mix you know that's that's a scary prompt for for sure um the problem is the defense and and this defense keeping lafc under wraps seems pretty unlikely to me
Defense Analysis: Challenges and Mistakes
00:07:47
Speaker
Yeah, I'd say that that might be a bigger concern. And, you know, let's talk about what we saw from the defense this week against Sporting Kansas City. They gave up three goals. And even though one of them was a penalty, I think we can say they were broken down on all three goals. Like there was clear problems on all three goals. The first one I'm inclined to put that a little bit on Danny Leyva. I think he gets caught in no man's land. He doesn't pick up the runner and that ends up giving
00:08:17
Speaker
Uter is an easy path to goal. Score is a great goal, though. I mean, he hits it from a tight angle. Credit to him. The next one, I think, is you've got to put that on Nuhu. He gets caught too far. He gets caught too tight to Gertrude Fernandez. He gets around him. He comes in with a late tackle, completely unnecessary.
00:08:41
Speaker
penalty so far. And then the last one, I think you got to put that one to me, like, Kim Ki-hee deserves, could have broken up the play. The one that frustrates me is Javier Arriaga getting caught, just completely like hung out. He's trying to cut out the pass. I appreciate what he's trying to do there. I think that the kind of active defending that Brian Spencer talks about all the time is
00:09:07
Speaker
is important and I appreciate that he's trying to get into passing lanes but he's also playing a little bit on the tightrope kind of like how new who is and and he's probably mostly to blame on that one obviously on all these goals there's many players that you can blame for not breaking the play up earlier but
00:09:28
Speaker
those are all problems. And I don't know that, you know, Ariaga and Kim, though, to me is the one that has to be figured out. The sounders have not been real good when Ariaga has been playing. I don't think that's all his fault. I think he's mostly had to play when the sounders are highly short handed. And so that's kind of he's been exposed in ways that he shouldn't necessarily he won't always be exposed in. But I do think that the
00:09:55
Speaker
the way that Kim and Ariaga play, I think has a ton of potential upside, but it also has like, it's going to have some growing pains and that's what they're going through right now. Yeah, I think so. And I mean, I think that they're learning each other.
00:10:11
Speaker
neither one of them is Chad Marshall. That certainly doesn't help. But I think we also have to, especially in this game, consider the role that the midfield played. And it wasn't a good one. I think that the defensive midfield just wasn't there. It just didn't exist in this game.
00:10:30
Speaker
I think that there's still plenty of criticism to lay on the defenders themselves, but they were often in situations where they're just getting overrun on counteracts. And I think we kind of got used to Chad Marshall and frankly, Roman Torres, who I think had been really good since Chad retired, we're just kind of used to them cleaning up those messes. And that's a tough thing to expect. And I think Kim and Ariyagar are kind of
00:10:58
Speaker
a little bit like for like and they're going to have to figure out. It's kind of like a double pivot situation, right? Where like you can't have both midfielders going forward at the same time. I think they're going to have to kind of figure that out and learn how to back each other up a little bit because they both are very aggressive defenders. But anybody is going to struggle when they're under that much pressure on the counter attack. And so I think that that's got to get sorted out as well. But I mean, the Sounders are at the very least apparently making a signing that will help address that.
00:11:28
Speaker
So that's a positive thing. Yeah. I wonder, you know, you look at that game and I hadn't really put this together this way in my column, but now that I say it out loud, I wonder if there's something to this. You mentioned the double pivot kind of situation between Ariaga and Kim.
00:11:46
Speaker
Very similar situation in the midfield where you don't really have a classic number six between Leyva and Roldan. And I'm wondering if those four players all, like neither one of them necessarily complimenting each other and both of them kind of wanting to occupy, like play the same style. I wonder how much of that, that it was not just the center backs and it wasn't just the midfielders, but all four of them. And the center, those are your four central defenders.
00:12:15
Speaker
Like, that's that must have contributed to this right it feels it feels like it had to have. Yeah, I mean I think there's been a lot of research done on on player turnover year to year and I think that.
00:12:26
Speaker
there's a strong correlation between a lack of turnover and consistency of results. And I think that that's got to apply to game to game, maybe to an even greater extent.
Jordan Morris' Growth and Potential
00:12:35
Speaker
I mean, familiarity is really important when it comes to things like defensive organization and understanding. And I think it's probably arguably more important even than it is in the attacking phase. And so
00:12:48
Speaker
Um, yeah, I think that definitely had to play a role, a pretty major role, especially because of the kinds of chances that sporting Casey had where positioning and, and being able to sort of think in concert with the other guys, you know, on the same defensive line when those things are so important. Um, yeah, I think that has to play a role. So one of the other, I, I will say I really was impressed by Jordan Morris's performance and I don't want to
00:13:16
Speaker
let that get buried because I think that that potentially has some really potentially important ramifications for the sounders down the stretch. You know, Jordan Morris came to the season, I think, very much. Let's see what we get out of him.
00:13:35
Speaker
The last two weeks, he has looked like a player who wants the ball at important times. He's ready to make plays and he's looking confident. You know, he, he had nine shots in these last two games. I don't know how closely any of you guys are reading my columns, but I talked about early in the season, how he just wasn't, he's playing, even when he's playing for it, he's not shooting. Well, nine shots is the most shots he's ever had in any two games, five shots that he had in this game, tightest career high.
00:14:05
Speaker
He just looks confident. And the goal, the first goal he scored was a great goal. And I think as an isolated goal, that was the better of the two goals. It's left-footed. He's fighting off a defender. He scores it from a tight angle. It was a great goal. Wonderful pass from Nico Ledero. Lots of stuff to love about that one. But the one that I was more encouraged by.
00:14:24
Speaker
was the second goal. And it wasn't necessarily because he was working a nice little exchange with an wall of wanna who by the way, had his best performance in months. So that was that was good to see. But it was the confidence he set himself with one touch. And then he shoots it from 1920 yards out, before
00:14:47
Speaker
Tim Malia can get set before he can close down the angle. I think a couple of months ago, maybe even a couple of weeks ago, he tries to round Malia on a play like that. And that's a much riskier play because you're touching the ball more often. You're creating more variables. In your mind, you maybe think it's a less risky shot. But in reality, doing exactly what he did is what we want to see Morris do is taking the shot as soon as it is
00:15:13
Speaker
as soon as it presents himself. And it was great to see that confidence. He, you know, he almost had a goal late in the game to tie it. That would have been wonderful. Malia makes a good play to close down the angle, hard to blame him. But that was just, if the Sounders could get him going, if they can get Rui Diaz going, if Lidero can stay at a high level, if they can get Victor Rodriguez back,
00:15:37
Speaker
which clearly is a major, major question mark, but you know maybe if you push Christian Roldan up to outside mid and this Emmanuel Tuchini slides in to the defensive midfield, maybe that's not such a bad solution. Like you can see this coming together in a way that makes sense. Yeah, I mean you absolutely can and I think that
00:16:04
Speaker
Morris has definitely struggled at times this season, but I think the highs have been much higher than they have been at any point in his career. For sure, at any point in 2017, no question about it. Yeah, definitely, definitely more than at any point in 2017. He just, when he is confident, he looks like a totally different player and it seems like
00:16:28
Speaker
He's Confident more often than he than he has been in the past. He's still gonna struggle at times He's still gonna have poor games, but I think that's true of anyone But I mean when you look at the production that he's had In the number of minutes he's had when you consider how much time he's missed I mean, I think it's been about what you would expect if you
00:16:51
Speaker
you know, we're high on him coming into the season, right? I mean, I think he's right now exceeding expectations. Yeah, he's at, let's see, he's at... He's at 0.48 goals per 90, which is significantly higher than he's ever had in his career. He's at 0.61 goals and assists per 90, which is easily a career high right now. And a lot of that, a lot of, I think, we have to keep in mind that a lot of that is complained as a winger, where he's going to necessarily be less goal dangerous.
00:17:20
Speaker
Um, but I think too, that when you look at what he's added to his game as a winger, um, he's somehow become one of the best player or best crossers on the team. Like I don't, yeah, that is not something that I completely on unforeseen development. Right. And, and so.
00:17:39
Speaker
I think it was super encouraging to see him have a game this good as a lone striker, because we haven't seen that before. When we were getting frustrated with him earlier in the season, it was because he just was not doing what needed to happen in that role. But the last couple times he's been asked to play that role, I think he's done it really well. And so that's encouraging. And when Raul goes back, I think he's been great as a winger this season.
00:18:08
Speaker
I don't know. I'm really, I'm really, I think he's finally kind of turning that corner. Um, and, and I think that when he was struggling, it was very easy to forget that he missed the entire entirety of last season with an ACL injury. Um, so yeah, I don't know. I'm super excited about him. I think that, uh, if he can play at this level, the rest of the season that makes the concerns that I think everybody has about potentially.
00:18:35
Speaker
not adding a major attacking piece in this window. Yeah. And speaking of which, we should probably at some point call out how like, what's frustrating I think about all this is that when we signed Jovan Jones in May, I think part of the thinking was, here's the stop gap in case we don't have another player come in.
Jovan Jones' Role and Performance
00:18:58
Speaker
This is a, we're bringing in an attacking piece.
00:19:01
Speaker
And I don't know what's going on with Jobin Jones. He has not had more than one or two moments where he's looked dangerous or he's looked effective. He, he's been a non-factor in virtually every game he's played. You know, and you know, you go back to the Montreal game. I don't know if anyone wants to relive this with me, but he had a breakaway where he was in, he was in on goal and somehow I don't think he even got a shot off.
00:19:30
Speaker
Because, yeah, he pulled up and for some reason didn't take it to goal. And that ended up being like the most exciting moment that it's season so far. I mean, it's great. I guess he had a, I take it back. He came pretty close to hitting a pretty great shot against Kansas City, went a little wide.
00:19:50
Speaker
But he's just like so he's had a couple of moments I guess but he said nothing like a complete game and it's just very frustrating to see this player who I Didn't have super high expectations, but I thought he'd be effective, you know, especially in a limited role especially looking at it as depth and Man, he just looks completely
00:20:10
Speaker
Like, I mean, he looks about as good as he looked as a wager in 2017. I've never thought he was good in that role. I don't understand why the Sounders saw him in that role because they also saw him play in 2017. Yeah, they did have that nice run. I mean, I think they maybe got wowed by the by the run they went on when he was playing. But they didn't go on that run because he was
00:20:38
Speaker
No, I agree. But they didn't have a really good record when he was doing it. Jovan as a midfielder is the answer to everybody that asked why Yedlin was a right back and not a winger. Like when that was a big discussion point. Brad Smith is continued. Brad Smith, right. A more direct reference, yeah.
00:21:03
Speaker
Yeah, it's I mean, because I think he is still probably a pretty good left back, at least, you know, as an attacking player. Yeah, I agree. And it was interesting. He was on Steve Zakawani's podcast. By the way, Jovan Jones, not a great interview. I don't, I don't envy Steve Zakawani at all in that. But he did say one thing that was interesting. He said he still sees himself as a left back.
00:21:29
Speaker
I wonder if you, if the, if you told the sounders that, cause they've definitely had some opportunities to play my left back and don't seem very interested in playing them there. Yeah. I, I feel like Schmetzer has a weird blind spot for playing left backs as midfielders and thinking that that's like some kind of. Fullbacks in general as midfielders. Yeah. Like he, it feels like he thinks that's like some kind of a cheat code. It's weird.
00:21:55
Speaker
It's a weird, every coach, no matter how great they are, has blind spots. And that, that definitely feels like his to me. Um, it's, it's very, very weird. Um, and it, and I think like, I've seen some people suggest that they don't, they feel like he just seems like he's kind of going through the motions and like, he's, he's not super excited to be here. But that's kind of how we go. That's his defect. That's like his right. Remember the penalty he hit against Toronto FC. That's how he looked to.
00:22:21
Speaker
Right. I think that's just, yeah. But I mean, he, like there was one recovery run he made against Sporting KC where he was like a full sprint for like 80 yards. Like I, so I don't think it's a lack of effort. I don't think it's a, no, I agree. I just don't think he's a good midfielder, man. I it's especially the kind of midfielder that the Sounders need right now. Definitely not the kind of player that Sounders need right now. That's I think very, very fair. Uh, whether or not he can.
00:22:51
Speaker
improve his quality, I think is, you know, we can hold out hope for that one. But yeah, it's not looking good right now for the Jovan Jones signing. We'll see how that plays out. I hope to be, I very much hope that that ends up looking better, you know, if we look back on this in a few weeks or months.
00:23:15
Speaker
But I feel like we should at least approach the subject.
Iron Front Flag Controversy
00:23:20
Speaker
I don't think I want to spend a lot of time on it. I think our listeners are pretty aware of our politics. We try not to get too deep into that onto the show. But I did want to say that I was, if you read my op-ed on Sound at Heart, I tried to make myself as clear as possible.
00:23:46
Speaker
Disappointed but maybe could understand the situation the senators were in as far as banning the iron front flag. That's an MLS policy. It's spelled out very clearly. I don't know that I have hold out much hope for them to actually challenge that policy. But I was disappointed nonetheless that they kind of did it in the way that they did it.
00:24:10
Speaker
And I was especially disappointed to see the language they used in trying to kind of put the iron front into context. And I was equally heartened to hear them issue such a forceful and seemingly understanding apology for doing that. And I think a lot of players or a lot of people involved in the team came away from that whole week
00:24:36
Speaker
seemingly honest in their belief that they felt like they had a good exchange with fans and with supporters, and that, you know, they were able to reaffirm some of their beliefs as an organization. But then I was also really kind of disheartened to see the way that this all played out.
00:24:53
Speaker
in the immediate lead up to the game, not the least of which was a bunch of, I guess we could call them provocateurs, protesters, whatever you want to say. Nazis. I don't know if I would call them Nazis, but they were definitely people that had bad intentions at heart.
00:25:15
Speaker
And, and I'll let you say that I'm not going to, I'm not going to fight you on it. I'm just not saying, I don't know if I would necessarily use that particular language. They were definitely people that were up to no good. We're doing nothing but looking for trouble. And that was just very frustrating to see. And I can't help but feel like it was a situation that didn't have to happen.
00:25:34
Speaker
No, it definitely didn't have to happen. The whole thing didn't have to happen. No, none of it had to happen. From beginning to end. I'm sure that there are people that would say that, well, ECS started it by flying the flag. I think that there are a lot of people that don't understand why ECS is flying the flag, and I think some of them, they just honestly don't understand, and it's something that there can be a dialogue about.
00:26:04
Speaker
I think some people don't care to understand. I would say that, at least in terms of the people I've come across, the latter outnumbers the former by probably five to one. But to a wit, the standard argument seems to be like, do you really think that flying that flag is going to change anybody's mind or scare? It's not like there's a bunch of fascists at the games anyway.
00:26:31
Speaker
Which is not the point, right? The point is A, to let, you know, those elements that are present in the fanbase, and they do exist, NYCFC certainly has a pretty huge problem with them. There are definitely elements of those kind of people who have, I don't know if
00:26:54
Speaker
attempted to infiltrate ECS is the right way of putting it, but definitely have wanted to be a part of ECS. And we're told then, no, that wasn't going to be happening. And it's also sending us a symbol to the people who feel threatened by people with those leanings, that they're welcome and that they'll be protected. And that's a really powerful thing. And you can try to stick your head in your sand about what's going on in this country in the present day and in the world in general. It's not limited to here, unfortunately.
00:27:25
Speaker
You can try to stick your head in the sand as much as you want about that and pretend like it's not happening more. I mean, it's something that's never gone away, but it's definitely bubbled up to the surface in a way that it hasn't in my lifetime in the past few years. And that's something that people need to hear, people that are vulnerable, people that are the target of people like that. And I think that for a lot of people that aren't in those demographic groups that have a level of privilege and comfort
00:27:55
Speaker
where they're not the direct target of that kind of abuse and violence, frankly, it's easy to lose sight of that. How important it is to know that there are people that have your back and that are looking out for you and that will make a safe place for you.
00:28:16
Speaker
And it's why I've never thought that the argument that, well, it's not a political thing, right? I've never thought that was a winning argument because it clearly is. It's clearly political in nature, just as much as pride is political in nature, just as much as the national anthem is political in nature.
00:28:31
Speaker
Um, just as much as, you know, armed services, appreciation night is, is political in nature. So, you know, we just have to accept that politics are, are a part of everything and they, and they relate to everything and, and that any community that exists. That's as large as this, you know, the sounder's hand base is going to have bad actors in it. Um, and, and that sending a message to those people that they're not welcome is, is a worthwhile thing to do.
00:29:02
Speaker
Yeah, and I think if you're of this mind, I think people would call this virtue signaling and they would mean it in a derogatory way. But I think there's actually value in displaying your values and in broadcasting to the world. And if ECS wants to raise their hand up and
00:29:28
Speaker
Not just say we're anti-fascist and anti-racist in so many words, but actually use a symbol that throughout the last 80 years, 90 years, has stood for exactly that. And for people that know what it is, it's a very powerful symbol.
00:29:44
Speaker
And you can argue that it's been co-opted and that it has a different meaning to different people and all these kinds of things, but lots of things had different meanings to different people. And I think if these are values that we really believe in as a community and as a group, then it's important to take the time to educate people who don't know what is. I had people tell me they had literally never heard, they'd never seen this flag before this last week.
00:30:12
Speaker
And I'm sure that's, that's common. Like I can assure you it's been around in, within the sounders fan base since at least 2008 or 2009, 2010 grill FC has been putting this at various times has put this on their scarf. And so it's not, it shouldn't.
00:30:28
Speaker
It's not like a new thing that Sanders fans have just said to adopt. Although ECS, as far as I know, has never really made a point of displaying it. But I think there's at least an opportunity to explain what's going on here. And I do think that there's some value in broadcasting to the world. And I think, unfortunately, MLS decided to make a point out of this.
00:30:53
Speaker
And I'm sure we could come up with reasons why they wanted to make a point out of it. But MLS didn't have to throw down the gauntlet on this. They could have let the timbers do this. They could have let the sounders do this. And that could have been a situation that those communities handled on their own. And they weren't willing to do that. And that's unfortunate. And instead, they've created a situation that I am honestly a little worried will become more hostile.
00:31:21
Speaker
And as this becomes, it became kind of, I don't know if it was a national story at this point, but it came a bigger story than it needed to be. And that's too bad. And my hope is that the sounders stand by their stance up to now as far as letting fans wear shirts and other things into the stadium.
00:31:41
Speaker
And that we don't get into a situation where we're trying to enforce all these sorts of things. And so we'll see. But it was an interesting week nonetheless, and I felt like it at least needed to be broached on the show. I think so. And just one last thing. I think the important point here for me
00:31:59
Speaker
that has to be acknowledged is that this is, I think it is pretty clear that this is MLS cracking down on it. And MLS has not done a single thing about actual avowed affiliated Nazis being present in NYCFC supporter section.
00:32:18
Speaker
despite people telling them about it, showing proof, telling them that they felt unsafe because of their presence. And MLS has gone out of their way to not get involved and to basically say, hey, what people do in their own time is none of our business. So for them to take that stance against people who will freely admit to being white supremacists, Nazis, whatever you want to call it,
00:32:46
Speaker
And then take a totally hands off stance, ignore people saying, Hey, these people make me feeling safe and crack down on this. They, they, you can't tell me that they're not aware of what kind of message that's sending and they, they just don't seem to care. And it's, it's immensely frustrating. Yeah. It was kind of interesting to see that contrasted against the whole Alejandro Badoya thing. And that they, I guarantee that MLS wanted to.
00:33:16
Speaker
do something about that. And they felt like that would have just been a bridge too far. And I think that that's, that's, MLS's position is we're going to do whatever makes us the most money, which, you know, I mean, it's not like MLS is unique in that regard, but don't pretend like you have these corporate values that are super important to uphold and that
00:33:42
Speaker
You know, you're not allowing Alejandro Bedoya to get away unpunished because you believe in his message when it's because you know the backlash would have been right to your bottom. Right. Right. Right. Right. Exactly. All right. Well, that's a good place to call this the segment. We're going to come back. We're going to answer a lot of your questions. You listen to news.
00:34:05
Speaker
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00:34:24
Speaker
Two, you request bottles that sound appealing. And three, your wine arrives at their soda warehouse and is ready for pickup or shipping. Their soda tasting room is also open to the public. If you're interested in joining their mailing list or learning more about them, visit fullpaulwines.com. Welcome back to NOS Arietes. We have lots of questions or we have some questions.
00:34:50
Speaker
Mostly soccer related, so that's cool. Lick it, go ahead and fire away. I think they all are kind of soccer related. It's good. Oh, hey, that's good. Ready? Yeah, of course. Let's go. Drone637 asks, what can be done about the first 45 minutes of every match being horrible?
Sounders' First Half Struggles
00:35:12
Speaker
Man, I wrote about this in my column this week and it was, and it was a little shocking to realize that the centers had not scored in the first half of a game since May 15th. That's like 11 games ago. And that's a lot. That's MLS regular season games in case someone wants to check me and point out that, I don't know. I think they may have scored in the first half against, no, they didn't. They didn't score in the open cup either.
00:35:39
Speaker
But anyway, yeah, it's been a long time and they've only, they've been outscored 13 to four in the first half since game seven. So it's been, it's not been great in the first half. And I wish I had an answer for you. The sounders are saying all the right things. They recognize the problem. And, you know, they're basically saying we got to come in with the attitude that we're going to score first. I mean, it's really frustrating because the first seven games of the season, they were lighting teams up in the first half.
00:36:09
Speaker
I think the weird thing too I felt like in this game was that the first 10 minutes or so were actually pretty good. Same thing with the Portland game. I thought they were great in the first 15-20 minutes of the Portland game. Right. It's just like they come out, play really well, don't score despite having chances, get frustrated and give up a goal and then it's all over from there.
00:36:32
Speaker
I think the thing that kind of frustrates me is that the adjustments they're making at halftime tend to be good. I mean, in the second half against Boarding KC, I think the Sounders tried to play a lot more direct and it was really effective. You know, they do, I think we're pressing a lot more and they were trying to get in behind a lot more than they tend to do. And it worked really well.
00:36:55
Speaker
um but it seems like the plan coming into the game is not always great which i guess kind of contradicts what we just said about you know how they come out playing really well and and sort of fade yeah i don't i don't know if it's this but i i think that's what's so frustrating about it is that there's not this easy to identify problem where it's like well clearly they're not prepared at the beginning of games and i don't
00:37:18
Speaker
I don't know that that's true. Like, in the Portland game, in particular, they came very close to blowing that game open in the first five or 10 minutes. Right. You know, with a little better luck, they they are up early in that game. And who knows what happens. And that's not I don't think it's I don't think it's luck necessarily, but something does seem to switch off in that, you know, from minute 20 on. I don't have a good explanation for it.
00:37:46
Speaker
Yeah, it's, they've got to get it figured out though. I mean, you can't, you can't, like, I know that one of the things that everybody loves about this team that Schmetzer talks about all the time is how tough they are and how they find a way to get results. But this team is too good to be finding a way to get results. They're just, they need to dominate teams and they they're capable of doing it. They've done it this year. Uh, we haven't seen that in a really long time. Yeah.
00:38:15
Speaker
Okay. Emjaman asks, it seems like the Sounders fall apart without Raul and Ornico. Are other teams as reliant on one or two players or am I or reacting?
Importance of Key Players and Injuries
00:38:28
Speaker
I don't think that it's accurate to say that they fall apart without Raul or Nico. They're certainly not as good, but I mean, against Sporting KC, the attack was emphatically not the problem. They could have very easily had three or four goals in that game.
00:38:45
Speaker
The problem in that game was the defense just got shredded on the counter over and over again. And then Sporting KC converted the chances that they created. But I mean, against Houston, the defense played well and then they scored a goal and came out with a win against Portland.
00:39:05
Speaker
things. I mean, they had Raoul and they didn't win that game either. So I don't think that they fall apart without one or two guys. But I do think that when they lose Raoul for a few games, when they lose Jordan Morris for a few games, Christian Oldan, Chad Marshall has to retire. They lose Roman Torres to suspension. They lose Brad Smith to injury.
00:39:28
Speaker
You know, these things pile up and there aren't any teams that can endure that kind of attrition and be the same without them. I definitely think teams are just as reliant on their DPs. I mean, the Sounders are clearly not as good without Raul and Nico. I think the Timbers are going to be not as good without Fernandez. I think that LA is going to be not as good without Vela or Rossi.
00:39:51
Speaker
I mean, I don't think that the Sounders are unique in how much they rely on their their key players, but I think they are unique in how much attrition that they suffer to to their key players. And I don't know what the answer is or if there even is an answer for that. But I think that that's the problem, not that they overly rely on their best players. Yeah, I haven't looked at the data, but anecdotally, it feels like
00:40:19
Speaker
you know, if Valeri's out, Portland struggles. You know, Portland had like never won a game without Diego Shara up until recently. And you can go down the list and look how bad Galaxy are when Zlatan isn't out. Someday we may find out what LAFC looks like when Carlos Villa isn't playing.
00:40:44
Speaker
But I think it's pretty common for the level to drop when key players aren't in there. And so I'm not so worried about their reliance on Niko and Raul. If for no other reason than they've actually been pretty competitive, I think, when those guys aren't in. And in some ways, I think we've talked about this before, but in some ways it's very frustrating that the sounders have gone six, seven and four or whatever in their last 17.
00:41:12
Speaker
And in other ways, it's it's like, OK, well, this is like that coincides very closely with when they've started losing all these players and.
00:41:22
Speaker
In some ways it's comforting that they've managed to keep their head above water, despite all these absences. And it gives you some hope that if they can actually get everyone on the field together, that there will still be a good team. It's just that I think most people and myself included are just mainly concerned that they are never going to get this full squad together.
00:41:44
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, I think that I think that's it. Like, if there's a criticism, it's in the way the roster is built, where there are people, you know, you're going to miss for big chunks of the season. Yeah, I mean, I don't know that I want to make that criticism, but I think if there is one, that's the one that that's the more reasonable approach. Yeah. And and Garth has sort of have said basically point blank that
00:42:10
Speaker
He has this attitude that you're getting better players by taking internationals and that you're getting players that are more capable of adapting to new leagues and on and on. And so he likes actually that these guys are internationals, but it's also hard to deny that all these internationals, especially in a year like this where you have multiple summer tournaments and the games have to be played through there, that creates some problems. So, you know, we'll see.
00:42:40
Speaker
I don't have a good answer for that one, but I don't think that the sounders are overly reliant on their, on their DPs. Agreed. Uh, let's see. Jeffrey M. Williams asks, the team seems to be struggling to find their identity. How much of that is due to a loss of leaders like Ozzy and Chad in the locker room and on the field, who would you like to see step into more of a leadership role?
00:43:06
Speaker
That's a good question. I mean, I think Christian Roldan probably needs to step up as a leader. He's someone that I think the Sounders have looked to for, you know, a year or two as someone. And I think he is stepping into that role, but I think he's got to just kind of take that role and and own it. Stephen Fry, clearly one of the leaders. But you're right. And I don't know that that Chad Marshall was a lock. I don't know. I just don't know. Maybe he was more of a locker room leader than
00:43:35
Speaker
than I ever had the impression by. Everyone liked him and he was, I think he led by example a lot. Ozzy was maybe a little bit more of a fiery leader in that sense, but I think Nico is still a leader.
00:43:50
Speaker
In that way, I think, so I don't, I don't think that they're lacking leaders I, I just think they're lacking bodies I hate to kind of fall into that every time but it does kind of feel that way. I mean, I'm with you like I would like there to be a better explanation because it feels like being a broken record but I mean Occam's Razor, you lose good players are going to be worse team right so.
00:44:14
Speaker
I mean, I will say that I don't think that it helps to not have somebody like Ozzy at times, especially I think against a team like Sporting Kansas City, who can just go out there and be kind of a dick in a way that maybe the Sounders don't have right now.
00:44:29
Speaker
Because I think if sporting Kansas City is not allowed to get away with the kind of physical play that they got away with in that game, that the Sounders probably at least get a point and probably win. And maybe having a presence like Ozzy helps there, but I mean, this is a veteran team. This is not a young team.
00:44:51
Speaker
There are some young players, obviously, and those young players make mental mistakes at times. I think we're about to have a question along those lines coming up here soon, in fact, but I don't think that that's any worse than it ever has been. I just think that, you know, they're missing guys. Speaking of young players,
00:45:16
Speaker
a
00:45:27
Speaker
I don't think it's just you, but I don't necessarily agree with that. I think that he's shown a lot of improvement in terms of decision making in the final third, for example. I think that the speed of decision making is a lot quicker in the attack. I think that he's less prone to making positional mistakes defensively, which is really the only hole that he had in his game defensively, is sometimes he would pick the wrong angle and things like that.
00:45:54
Speaker
So I think he's clearly improved in all aspects. But obviously, I mean, I think this is about, you know, the pretty rough five to 10 minutes he had against Sporting Hands the City.
Nuhu's Defensive Role and Errors
00:46:06
Speaker
And I think we have to acknowledge that outside of that he was
00:46:09
Speaker
extremely good against sporting Kansas City. Now obviously those 10 minutes were really bad but yeah and I just think I think that New Who gets a lot more stick for making dumb young player mistakes than a lot of other young dumb player you know young players get from making dumb young player mistakes.
00:46:31
Speaker
I know that there are rumors that maybe his attitude is not great, that maybe there's some entitlement issues there or what have you. He doesn't do well with not getting as much playing time as he thinks he deserves. I can't really speak to that. I know those rumors are out there, but I don't think that it's a new who problem.
00:46:56
Speaker
to get frustrated with constantly getting fouled and retaliate. I don't think it's a new who problem to realize you you've gotten beat and try to overcompensate and make a dumb tackle in the area. Like I think that those are just things that young players do. I think frankly, it's things that veterans players do as well. I just think it's magnified a new whose case and that some of the explanations for that might be fair. Others I don't think are especially fair.
00:47:22
Speaker
Yeah, I think the frustration I had is I still want, and I guess I feel, in some ways I feel bad for him because what we saw on Sunday was a particularly egregious situation where
00:47:39
Speaker
The referee warns Gershow about how many fouls he's already committed. And he tells him the next one, he then commits another foul. He doesn't get carted. And then on the neck, literally on the next time down the field, and he fouls Nuhu and he's been fouling Nuhu. And the next time down the field, Nuhu gets too close, too tight to his man. I think in his head, he's thinking I can run with this guy no matter what. Gershow is actually quite fast.
00:48:09
Speaker
and in a dead sprint like that.
00:48:12
Speaker
And you got to make up space. You're not going to be able to close it down. He over, you know, he overdid it. Like that's frustrating. It is frustrating. And I, and I think that Brad Smith gets a lot of leeway from fans, especially, and, and frankly, probably from the coaching staff too, because his, his ability going forward is such an obvious plus and it's so easy to see and it's so easy to identify that his deficiencies on defense are more easily overlooked. Whereas.
00:48:42
Speaker
New Who's ability to defend, especially in one-on-one situations, like he has been, I would say, the sounder's best defender off the bench. Like, if you need to lock down a result, New Who for me is maybe the most reliable player that they have. And that's not nothing, you know? And I mean, I think in a lot of ways, if they have a really attack-minded right back in,
00:49:03
Speaker
then playing new who is actually makes a lot of sense because you don't you probably won't need him to be as much of a Offensive force as long as you can get some with from the right side and especially if you're playing more of like a true winger on the left side and
00:49:19
Speaker
but they weren't set up that way in, in this game. And he didn't really, other than the shot that he had very early on, I barely remember him doing anything remotely positive on the offensive end. And that's not to say that he's like, that's not necessarily his fault. Like that's just not his game necessarily, but it was a, it was a frustrating performance. I don't think though, that his mental game has
00:49:42
Speaker
failed to progress. In a lot of ways, I think his game has progressed immensely. And we have to keep in mind, I think he's still what, just 22 years old? Yeah, he's 22. Yeah. So if he was an American player, there's a good chance he'd just barely be coming out of college. So, you know, I think he's way farther ahead than virtually any American coming out of college would be. So in that sense, you know, I think he deserves a little bit of a pass. But, you know, I'm, I'm still, I still think he's a very good player. I just,
00:50:11
Speaker
You know, I get frustrated too, though. I was very frustrated with the penalty in particular. Because there was no danger. I think that's what the worst part about it was. If he just goes in there, there's not, like Gershow's not gonna score from there. He's not, there was no one coming in for a cross, but anyway. Right. I think that part of it too is that when Nu-Hoo makes mistakes, they are very obvious. Right. Like he gets his money's worth for his mistakes. Yeah. And they tend to be pretty bad mistakes.
00:50:39
Speaker
And that's kind of his game, too, though. It's because he's plays a kind of like a high wire type of game. Right. Yeah. Yeah. And I mean, I would love to see him refine that to some extent, but I also don't want him to fundamentally change the the kind of player he is. But yeah, I mean, it's totally reasonable to get frustrated with the mistakes he makes. I just think that. You've got to also be reasonable in how you're assessing those mistakes.
00:51:11
Speaker
Speaking of, no, just kidding. Next question, RB Pitch asks if Roman tested positive in April, why did it take until August to suspend him?
Roman Torres' Suspension and its Implications
00:51:22
Speaker
I thought MLS only procrastinated like that for Dempsey suspensions.
00:51:27
Speaker
Well, I actually asked this very question and I, cause when I first heard him say that he first tested positive in April, I thought that sounded crazy and I couldn't imagine that being true. And I don't know that he actually tested positive in April, but it was months ago regardless. And I guess this is, goes back to the idea that MLS's case is pretty buttoned up. Like they know exactly what he took. They know.
00:51:57
Speaker
There's not really any question as to whether it was a banned substance. There's no question, you know, maybe he got, you know, roofied for lack of a better term, but that doesn't seem to be the case. It just seems to be the case that he took a supplement. Maybe he didn't know it was a banned supplement, but he took a supplement and he got pop for it. And this is not getting overturned. And that's why there's not been any, you know, none of these previous three had ever been to have ever been overturned.
00:52:24
Speaker
Um, but I was a little surprised and I don't have a good explanation for why. Like I, I don't know if, I don't know what happened in the meantime of those last three, four months. I don't understand how that works. I don't have a good answer for it, but that does, it does appear to be the case that he was effectively allowed to remain on the roster. Uh, and then they basically told him on the morning that we found out about it.
00:52:50
Speaker
in the press and then he was basically allowed to train that day because the league hadn't formally announced it and that's kind of the way the the cba works so he's but he's in he's in a hell of a lot of uh trouble at this point he's 30 what 34 he's gonna be 34 35 years old when he
00:53:11
Speaker
next year he's gonna almost certainly miss the rest of the season because I can't imagine how he could possibly be like he's gonna come but he's he'll be eligible to play in the second to last game but he won't have been allowed to train with the sounders at all at that point yeah I can't imagine him I mean I don't know it sounds like Schmetzer is planning on him you know being available for the playoffs potentially but which is great um but it's hard for me to see him being back next year um
00:53:40
Speaker
I mean, unless he's coming back on for pennies on the dollar, uh, I just don't know why anyone it's possibly maybe, I mean, it's entirely possible that his market value has taken a serious dip, but I just can't imagine the sounders would be willing to pay him. Like they were already probably on the fence about whether to bring him back. And now it's.
00:53:59
Speaker
Like, of course, they're not going to pay him what he thinks he's worth, at least. And I mean, I'm definitely in the minority on this, and that's fine. But I feel bad for the guy. I totally believe his story. I saw a lot of skepticism about that. But I mean, I worked for a few years in the supplements industry. Nobody knows what's in that shit, man. Don't take him, especially don't take him if you're a professional athlete.
00:54:26
Speaker
unless you're trainers you know that works for the team is giving them to you because they can't suspend the whole team right so yeah I have no trouble believing that what he says happened is what happened I don't think he intended to break the rules it was still an extremely stupid decision to take the supplement because this is what happens when you do that so I'm not letting him off the hook
00:54:54
Speaker
but I do feel bad for him. I really do. I mean, it's a shitty situation. As a human being, I feel bad for him too. I mean, I find his story perfectly plausible. I just think it's insanely stupid to take supplements that aren't being given. It's just really, really dumb to not... Why would you take that chance? Exactly. It's impressively sloppy. I will say that...
00:55:23
Speaker
I, I just, it's dumb. It's like, I, I'm, I feel bad for him, but it's dumb. And, and it's, and I don't know. I just, it's very frustrating. Yeah. I think it's, I think though, just we have to acknowledge that both things are possible. Like you can think it's really stupid and that he deserves to be suspended and then feel bad for him and feel bad for him. Yeah. Yeah. Totally.
00:55:47
Speaker
OK, next question. T underscore Rob Thomas asks, is Svensson still injured?
Midfield Decisions and Adjustments
00:55:52
Speaker
Coach said with Roldan and Leyva, you don't have a true number six. Would we be better off with Dilemma as the starter head of Leyva down the stretch since every home match is a must win? What's our best midfield without Svensson? So I think that the decision to start Leyva in a game that you think you have a good shot of dominating is the right call because
00:56:17
Speaker
I think he's the more attacking option than Dilem. Jordy is a good defensive midfielder, and I love having him around, and there are definitely games where I think it makes sense to start him over Leyva, but he's not an attacking player. That's just not part of his game. He doesn't really move the attack forward in the way that I think you'd like to see in a game that you feel like you can dominate, but Sporting KC is kind of a different case because of the way they play.
00:56:46
Speaker
Lava struggled. I think this is definitely the first game he's had where you can say he had a really bad game. I thought he just had a really bad game. I think the central midfield got overrun on the counter, and that was pretty much the prime explanation for the result. So I think that there are games where it makes sense to start, Jordy, but
00:57:11
Speaker
But I think if you're playing a team that doesn't play the style that SKC plays, that you're playing at home that you think you can handle and that you can sort of assert your will on, that Leyva is the better call. But I'm hoping that they don't have to make that decision and Svensson can get back to the team pretty quickly. And if not Svensson, my suspicion is this Emmanuel Tuchini. As of right now when we're recording this, nothing's been announced.
00:57:40
Speaker
I've been given zero indication that something happened to this deal that's keeping it from being signed. My suspicion is it's already signed and the sounders are just
00:57:49
Speaker
kind of taking their sweet time to put the news out there, which is a very different tactic than a lot of teams are taking today. Minnesota announced a DP signing during their game right after they allowed a goal. I don't know if that was on purpose, but definitely a different strategy than what the Sounders aren't playing as far as the announcement goes, but I don't
00:58:14
Speaker
I agree. I thought that the thinking was sound. And I don't know that the roles were defined enough. And I was actually surprised in the second half, it wasn't like one guy was suddenly the eight and one guy was suddenly the six. They just did a better job of one really dropping deep.
00:58:38
Speaker
and they weren't necessarily lined up next to each other. But both Roldan and Leyva were less active in the second half, which I thought was maybe a little counterintuitive to what you might think. But Leyva was not as active defensively as I think he probably needed to be. And Roldan was fine in that role, but this was probably Leyva's least effective matchup. And I don't think that's being unfair at all.
00:59:09
Speaker
Okay. Rho says asks, how the F are the galaxy affording and pay bond?
LA Galaxy's Controversial Player Deals
00:59:15
Speaker
Pavone. I don't know. This is a player who transfer market rates is being worth $17 million. It seems to be that most people think that he's worth closer to $20 million. And somehow the sound, the galaxy are getting him on a, on a free loan.
00:59:37
Speaker
This is a player who presumably could be sold for well over $10 million. And Boca Juniors is apparently just letting the galaxy use him for a while, paying a salary of about a million dollars. And so he's safely in the Tam kit. I got nothing. I got nothing. I mean, the How is pretty obvious, I think.
01:00:02
Speaker
structuring this is a loan for a year and a half because it's a loan through 2020. And then they have the quote option unquote to buy him at the end of that loan. Right. And I'm sure it's a handshake agreement that they're going to exercise that option. It's probably not even a handshake. I mean, it's probably written into the contract.
01:00:18
Speaker
Right. And I'm sure that they are giving Boca Juniors more money than Boca Juniors could get elsewhere for him. I'm sure Pavone is getting paid more in a back loaded sense. Because I mean, there's no way he's going to move to a different country for the same amount of money he's making now. Especially if he thought he was going to potentially get him moved to Europe. Right, right. So
01:00:43
Speaker
It was apparently what was being talked about. I've never seen this guy play, so I can't really like...
01:00:49
Speaker
comment on how good of a player he is. There's definitely a few people who I guess after the World Cup, they've been, he's been pretty disappointing, but. Sure. But I mean, he's like, he's probably like a PD Martinez quality player. You know, I mean, PD Martinez is not set the world on fire in Atlanta, but I mean, you know, what his pedigree is, right? Like, you know, what is expected from him and his career.
01:01:18
Speaker
What is this? Oh, what's that? I don't know what just happened. Anyway, anyway, I mean, so that was a Christian Pavone highlight reel. It was. Sorry. Oh, perfect. Yeah, I mean, he's he there's no way he should be a tan player, just like his left hand shouldn't have been a tan player.
01:01:42
Speaker
Um, the galaxy are getting away with it because they have enough plausible deniability and MLS is letting them get away with it. Um, correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure that this is kind of what the Sounders tried to do with Palo Guerrero last season. And they were told that they could do it in that deal fell apart. I know. How dare you, sir? How dare you? I know, right? No, there's no way that MLS would show favoritism in that regard. Um,
01:02:05
Speaker
So yeah, I mean, the scale of this that is so appalling. Yeah. And this is a player who's clearly a high level DP level signing in terms of the amount of money that he's worth and they're getting them for it. I mean, it's, it's very, it's similar to the slots on Abrahamovich situation where here's, oh yeah, I'm playing for a million and a half dollar contract. Oh, he got a seven and a half million dollar contract is a second year.
01:02:30
Speaker
Shocking. It's obvious to everyone what they're doing. And to me, just don't even just, just let them get away with it. Don't even build in the plausible deniability of with the loan. I mean, it's an insult to everybody's intelligence. Um, don't, and don't, you know, if you want to have these crazy Byzantine roster rules, fine, but don't selectively enforce them. Right. Like either take the reins off or leave them on, but leave them on everybody.
01:02:59
Speaker
Right. And if like if the galaxy want to spend 20 million dollars on this guy on like fine. Right. And but like let's make that that's how like let's just be transparent about that's what teams are allowed to do. Like transfer fees don't count against the cap anymore. OK. Right. Like I don't know if I agree with that or not. But like that's the rule. Fine. That makes that make that the rule.
01:03:23
Speaker
And then also you kind of have to assume that the league somehow helped them figure out how to do this, right? How to word it or whatever. Cause they have to pass these by the league, right? So it's like, they're completely playing dumb here when we know what they're doing.
01:03:38
Speaker
Yeah, that's frustrating. Everybody knows, everybody knows. And I really resent the idea that, and I've seen it packaged this way a few times, that the galaxy are just, they're ambitious and by God, they're going to push the league forward. The galaxy don't know what the fuck they're doing. And they're just throwing money at every problem that they have and signing all these flashy, if they were that ambitious, they'd sign a defender that was worth a shit.
01:04:02
Speaker
Like it's, it has nothing to do with ambition. It has to do with them being useless at building a roster and just trying to throw as much money as it is possible and knowing that they can get away with it. Sucks. Yeah. That said, if this is what leads the league to having more transparency and looser rules, I guess in a roundabout way, I'm okay with it.
01:04:33
Speaker
I guess. It's not the way I want to get there. I don't want the galaxy getting credit for it. I think that's the fresh thing about it. Fair, fair, fair. OK. JMaxwell0202 asks, who else are we signing? God. People seem to really think it's going to be Oba Martin's. There's no way. They're better. I would actually, I think, be pissed off at that.
01:05:02
Speaker
He hasn't played for how long now? 18 months, yeah. And he put the team in a horrible spot.
Obafemi Martins' Return Speculation
01:05:12
Speaker
It would be hard for me to root for him again. I love Oba, and I'll always love Oba, and I don't necessarily blame him for getting paid and doing what he had to do to do that. But the way he did it was shitty. I do. I guess if there's a silver lining to all of this,
01:05:29
Speaker
It's that, I guess it's good that players like him keep wanting to come back to Seattle and that they spend time, they're choosing to spend time. I assume he was there at the game on Sunday, not because he was about to get signed, but because he just is back in Seattle, visiting friends or whatever. And that seems to be like, I don't know, I guess that's good, right? The sounders keep signing, former players suggest that they-
01:05:58
Speaker
good relationships with their with their former players. So that's I think that's a positive. But I'm with you. I am not looking forward to a reprisal of Ophelia Martins, not just because I don't know what he's got in his legs, but because I'm not at all convinced that
01:06:16
Speaker
a 35-year-old Obafemi Martins is going to quietly take a backup role on the Sounders. And like, because presumably he'd be coming here on, let's just assume it's a cut rate deal and he's playing and so he's going to try to prove himself for one big contract. Um,
01:06:38
Speaker
Well, the only way that's gonna happen is if he plays, and the only way he's gonna play is if something happens to Rui Diaz, and I just don't necessarily, it's hard for me to foresee. And even then, like, let's just say they sign him. Like, when's he even gonna be ready to play? Right, he hasn't played in a year and a half. He hasn't played in a year and a half? He might be ready for the playoffs. Right, he hasn't, for sure we know he hasn't been training with the Sounders. Like, I don't expect him to just come off the street and be able to,
01:07:05
Speaker
start games for the sounders. It's like best case scenario, he's probably not going to be available for another month. And by then you'd like to think Rukey Diaz is banging goals away at that point. It just seems like the worst kind of pandering to me. We're spending a lot of time on what we assume is not a real thing. So maybe we should just, we don't know who they were going to sign. Yeah. At least what do you guess on a position?
01:07:35
Speaker
If they sign, I would think it's gotta be like an outside mid.
Trade Losses and DP Strategy
01:07:39
Speaker
Right. I kind of keep thinking that the most likely player is somebody that's like Harry ship, but not like Harry ship. Like they can play the same positions has like killer level. Yeah. Well, killing was just, this is what's the kind of, so kill and roll. I don't know if you knew this or not, but he went to the art. You got traded to RSL, but it's like, there's been two trades today that like,
01:08:06
Speaker
I just think are hilarious because the teams that traded them took such a huge loss in a relatively small amount of time. Christian Ramirez got traded to Houston for $325,000 in combined allocation money, $75,000 of which is dependent on him hitting like performance escalators. And they just like a year ago paid $800,000 for him. Yeah.
01:08:37
Speaker
And then killing row, I think was sold for three 50 in the off season. And he got sold for 75,000 and an international roster spot, which I don't, I don't know what international spots have been going for like 50,000. Yeah. So yeah, it's like a hundred. So it's like less than half, both of them sold less than half. And in Kellen Rose case, like, I don't think it's a huge shock that they had to take a big loss like that. And I think it's a little more comfortable with.
01:09:06
Speaker
Christian, that's a lot, man. That's a big loss to take. And I guess, you know, hard to criticize LAFC for bad business. I guess this is maybe the first time they've... Well, it's not the first signing that they didn't have work out, but it's... It illustrates, though, I think, the amount of... How hard it is. Well, how hard it is, but also the amount of room there is for error with new expansion teams.
01:09:30
Speaker
Right and why I think expecting teams like oh, I don't know the Sounders to to be able to like keep up in every regard with teams like LA FC and Atlanta's is asking a little bit much Because yeah, they can't do this forever. Like they can't there's there's a limit to how long they've got that much leeway and it's not that far off. I Thought I was muted. Sorry
01:10:00
Speaker
My dog's name. We picked up on that actually. My dog was yelping. Anyways, Twimberly23 asks, do you foresee a likely scenario where the sounders change their DP strategy to have three full fledged DPs again, instead of one of the slots used for the highest paid tan player? Well, I've thought all along that the strategy was to
01:10:26
Speaker
basically keep that spot open for a player they were ready to invest in. And so my, and I don't know that like they haven't done it. So maybe I'm the sucker for believing they're going to, but I tended to believe that they were waiting for the right player to put into that spot because they didn't want to make a, they didn't want to overly commit to a player who was like a temporary fix. And I think there's some like logic in that. Um, you know, I understand why people are frustrated that that has led to them having
01:10:56
Speaker
plausibly buy downable. Yeah, I players. But like.
01:11:05
Speaker
It's also the approach that virtually everyone else takes. Like most teams don't have three DPs that are beyond the threshold of being able to be bought down or that are super expensive player. Like even people have been pointing out the timbers have three players like that. Well, Sebastian Blanco's salary is actually less than $1.5 million, just like the $4 million transfer fee they paid to get them that's pushing them over. And it's not over by that much.
01:11:31
Speaker
So I don't know. I mean, so who does have three? Atlanta. I hate saying this, real DPs, because I think it's a BS way to frame it, but. Yeah. Atlanta, LAFC, I think, does now with Brian Rodriguez guy. Yeah. The Galaxy, obviously, because they've got like 15 actual DPs. Right. Oh! And I think that's just the three of them.
01:11:57
Speaker
Yeah. And so the galaxy, one of their DPs is injured and out all year. And his is on a 1.8. He's making, Elsendrini is on 1.8. So it's not like- They signed him before Tam was a thing, right? Right, right. Like they almost certainly would have made him a Tam player somehow, like given him an extra year. Magically. Yeah. And yeah, I mean, LAFC, theirs is a recent development because I think that
01:12:23
Speaker
Or to only a DP because of a transfer fee. Well, presumably, Rodriguez is only a DP because of the transfer fee, too. And the same thing with Atlanta. Barco is only a DP because of his transfer fee. And those transfer fees are big. Yeah. But again, let's be honest about why they're paying those big transfer fees. It's not because the players are right now of that quality. It's because they have sell-on value. Right.
01:12:54
Speaker
So there's one, I mean, yeah, I just, I really struggle. Like this is, I think that the narrative, sorry, I'm not trying to pick on you, Tom Burley, 23, I promise, but this narrative does really frustrate me. That's right, this is from a question. Yeah, I mean, because it's just, it's not reflective of like the actual reality on the ground. Like I like the sounder's DP strategy a hell of a lot more than the Galaxy's.
01:13:22
Speaker
like sorry I just think that like they have Zlatan great I mean I wouldn't want Zlatan on my team but he's obviously an outstanding player but I mean I don't think I'd trade like I don't think I'd trade Nico Ledero for Jonathan Dos Santos I don't
01:13:43
Speaker
I certainly wouldn't trade anybody for Alice in Drini. Pavone is great. I mean, I would obviously trade Victor for, for Pavone, but yeah, I just, I don't know. I, it is what, I think that there's such a thing as showing ambition for the sake of showing ambition. And I think that's what a lot of people are asking for. And I don't know, I don't even think it's ambition. I think it's just spending money.
01:14:09
Speaker
People just want a huge transfer fee. Yeah. I mean, I, I think I've said it before. I would rather buy a bunch of guys that are in their mid twenties, who you intend to keep and get the full value out of that money that you're spending on them. Then buy guys who, like it's exciting to buy 20 year olds who have sell on value, but it's only exciting from like a business perspective. And I'm not that interested in.
01:14:34
Speaker
Because if they sell, until the rules change, even if Atlanta turns around and sells Barco for $50 million, which they won't do, but like $25 million of that, or not even $25 million, like $48
01:14:51
Speaker
49 million of that has to just go back into the team. That's a lot of money, but it can't be spent directly on the roster. You can spend it on other transfer fees, I suppose.
01:15:07
Speaker
LA is in a situation where one of their DPs, the galaxy, is hurt and has been hurt all year. So if the Sounders had gone into the season with three quote-unquote real DPs and Raul Rodriguez, you know, breaks his leg in the second game of the season, they can't do anything. They can sign a TAM replacement in the
01:15:29
Speaker
in the secondary window. Which is the same situation they're in. Right. Right. I mean, it's just I understand why they want that flexibility. I totally get it. I think it's a reasonable approach. That's not to say that having three
01:15:45
Speaker
quote unquote, real DPs is not a reasonable approach. I mean, it's fine. Well, I think I guess what I'm saying is if they I want that third GP to be the right player and it's frustrated. I'm frustrated, too. I would love for that play. I fully thought they were going to sign that player this window. That was my expectation. And I'm like disappointed that that's doesn't appear to be the case. Of course, like this is going to like watch they do it. But it's so it's frustrating that that's probably not going to happen.
01:16:13
Speaker
And I don't blame anyone for being frustrated by that. I just, I'm also taking an attitude of, I get it. I just, I don't like it, but I get it. Like I understand it. I don't, and I don't think it's this, like, are they, like they have a budget, they're staying within the budget. They know they have to be smart with how they spend the money.
01:16:31
Speaker
Yeah. And I mean, I think the Sounders are more conservative than other teams. And I think that's a fair criticism. I think, oh, they're cheap. They don't want to invest. They don't care as much about the team as they used to. We can't keep up with the rest of the league. Those are all the arguments that really frustrate me.
01:16:55
Speaker
I think you can make a case that maybe they're too conservative sometimes. Um, but I don't think it's for any of those reasons. I think they're just a risk averse club. And I think a lot of that, it just has to do with the personalities involved. Fair enough. Okay. Two more questions. First one, Elaine in valor asks, how happy are we that Minnesota beat Portland in the open cup semi
Open Cup Finals and Haircut Discussions
01:17:21
Speaker
-finals? How happy are we for Ozzy? How many funnels will this be for him?
01:17:25
Speaker
This is six for him right. Seven. Yeah, cuz five Charleston. Five with the Sounders and one with Minnesota. Yeah, seven that's got to be pretty good if that's not a record. Yeah, I hadn't considered I hadn't actually thought about Aussie being in the final at all.
01:17:45
Speaker
but good for him. I definitely was rooting for Minnesota in this one. I'll be rooting for him in the final too. Minnesota is a really fun team to watch. They've, I think they've done, like that's a club that does have a lot of limitations in terms of what they can do. And I think they've done about as good as you can expect the season. They've been, they've been a lot of fun to watch. So yeah, definitely happy that they beat Portland. I don't want Portland in the final, especially against Atlanta.
01:18:14
Speaker
Yeah, that would've been something. Something. OK, last question. Slaughterbeckc asks, so Nico's bald and Raul is now blonde. Who's next on the funky hair of the day train? Well, Saad Abdul-Salam shaved his head, too, but he's grown it back. He's got some fuzz on there now, so it doesn't look quite so awkward. It looked less weird than Nico's, too. Nico looks weird with a shaved head.
01:18:44
Speaker
Now, here's what that was about. Guess we'll never know. I mean, it was looking kind of weird with like the roots and the blonde and... You think you just needed a fresh start? And maybe you got really hot playing in the All-Star game. I don't know. Maybe. I didn't watch the All-Star game, so I have no idea if you'd done it before or after, but... Maybe you lost a bet at the All-Star game. Could've looked as possible.
01:19:09
Speaker
Next player, I guess we should give a player who would even be a candidate. Most of the players are pretty short haired right now. I'm running through the list in my head. Brad Smith probably needs to do something with his hair. He could probably use for a clean shave. But it wouldn't be crazy. No, it wouldn't be crazy. If Chris and Roldan did something to his hair, it'd be kind of crazy, I think. Maybe. How about a Mohawk for Jordan Morris?
01:19:39
Speaker
He always has good haircuts. Shake up his clean cut look. Yeah, I don't think that's likely. But I like the idea of it. I do too. He does have good haircuts though. Even though his haircuts are pretty safe and clean cut, they're technically very good. Yeah, I would totally wear his haircut. Yeah.
01:19:59
Speaker
Rolled on, I can't see, I can't see it. Like it's hard for me to picture him with anything other than the Harry has and has always had. I will say Jonathan Campbell's beard game is getting pretty, pretty good. No. Johnny football. Maybe you've heard of him.
01:20:17
Speaker
Stephen Fry seemed like an actual candidate for like kind of a weird haircut. Yeah, I feel like he did something weird with his hair at one point. You know, he's got a lot of tattoos. He has an artsy girlfriend, or I guess they're married now, I think. I don't know. Like he seems like a bohemian dude, you know, he could maybe do something weird. I don't know. He used to have kind of a mohawk. Will Bruin isn't doing much, so he could do something.
01:20:45
Speaker
Yeah. Will. Will. You're listening, right? He only listens to his own podcast. Do you think he listened? I don't know that he listened to his own podcast. No, I mean, I don't listen to this. Right. Like let's be real here. What are the chances that he listened to it? Do you think? They're not great. Did Caitlin listen to it? Maybe Caitlin listened to it. Oh, we're on a first name basis now. What are we supposed to say? Wife? I just liked a humanizer.
Show Close with Personal Touch
01:21:11
Speaker
Okay. Their dog, Molly.
01:21:15
Speaker
Yeah. So that's it. That's it. All right. Well, that was fun. Yeah.
01:21:28
Speaker
yeah right let's talk about the show now no uh all right well that was yeah that was the show hopefully you enjoyed us being back it'd been a little while uh but i'm germao shan signing off on behalf of erin campo and lick it mrs nozadietes remember you will never be alone
01:21:52
Speaker
Vanading northwest to the ocean so blue It's Roll On, Columbia Roll On Roll On, Columbia Roll On Roll On, Columbia Roll On Your power is turning our darkness to dawn Roll On, Columbia Roll On
01:22:22
Speaker
We love you. Let's win another one!