Become a Creator today!Start creating today - Share your story with the world!
Start for free
00:00:00
00:00:01
Nos Audietis: Matt Doyle leading charge for two Sounders onto USMNT image

Nos Audietis: Matt Doyle leading charge for two Sounders onto USMNT

Sounder at Heart - Subscriber Feed
Avatar
454 Plays7 days ago

Matt Doyle returns to Nos Audietis for another episode of “How the West will be won.” The first segment focuses on the Sounders. Doyle has some really positive things to say about several Sounders’ potential national team futures as he gives full-throated support for both Cristian Roldan and Jackson Ragen to get serious looks for next summer’s World Cup. He also admits that he’s come around on Obed Vargas’ potential and thinks a lucrative move to Europe is in the cards.

In the second segment, Jeremiah and Matt dig into the Vancouver Whitecaps’ recent struggles, San Diego FC’s slip up, the Timbers’ ability to stick around and other top Western Conference contenders.

You can read Matt Doyle every week at MLSsoccer.com, watch his tactical videos on Bluesky and subscribe to his “Tactics Free Zone” newsletter.

***

Nos Audietis is the flagship podcast for Sounder at Heart, which became a reader-supported website on Aug. 21. You can support us by becoming a paid subscriber, learn more here. You can also watch many of their shows on YouTube.

Aside from becoming a Sounder at Heart subscriber, you can also support the show by using this link to purchase MLS Season Pass or checking out our merch table to buy various shirt designs.

“Diversions” audio provided by Sounder at Heart subscriber Lars; find more of their music here.

Recommended
Transcript

Introduction & Sounders Pride

00:00:01
Speaker
Hi, I'm Will Bruin, and I was just recognized as a Seattle Sounders legend. Now I get to do voice reads for the Sounder at Heart podcast network. Here we go. Come on. Hey, O'Shaughnessy.
00:00:14
Speaker
Let's go. What save by Frye. The Seattle Sounders have done it. MLS Cup winning. Here comes Ruiz Dias through the middle to crowd it for Seattle.
00:00:29
Speaker
And now they truly can start the celebrations. It's the Sounders MLS Cup. Nico Lodero leaves absolutely no doubt. The Sounders rule the region.
00:00:43
Speaker
Seattle, Sounders, it's got built.
00:00:52
Speaker
This feels fucking awesome. This is a tiny dog. Nice work on your little yacht yat thing. And Portland can't say shit. know, what was the thought process in terms of who you decided to use and who you didn't?
00:01:06
Speaker
Ever since Southert Hart wrote a commentary that we didn't take over coming seriously. Go, not Seattle!

Sponsorship & Guests

00:01:18
Speaker
This episode of Nos Arietes is sponsored by Full Pull Wines, a Seattle-based wine retailer and proud sponsor of Nos Arietes since 2011. Full Pull was founded in 2009, is based in Seattle, and is owned and operated by longtime Sounder supporters.
00:01:32
Speaker
They offer the best boutique wines of the world to members of their mailing list, with special focus on their home, Pacific Northwest.
00:01:43
Speaker
Welcome back to another episode of Nos Audientes on the Sounder Heart Podcast Network. We are back with Matt Doyle, and we are going to do another episode of How the West Will Be Won. How you doing, Matt?
00:01:57
Speaker
I'm doing all right, man. I'm a recovering a little bit from from the Gold Cup, having emotions about the

Matt Doyle on U.S. National Team

00:02:04
Speaker
U.S. national team again. not something I expected to have.
00:02:08
Speaker
i it's like i It kind of came out of nowhere because i was I was ready to write the whole thing off. But then... um you know, they played with some heart. They played with, I thought they played with some real toughness and i certainly have my quibbles about some of the squad selection and, um you know, Mauricio Pochettino waiting too long to use his subs every single time. And some of the guys maybe disappeared in the fight, but like they fought and they gave they gave as as good as they got physically. And we haven't seen that since ah and about 16 months. Right. I think the last time we saw that was,
00:02:45
Speaker
the 2024, uh, Nations League final against Mexico. That was like the last time any of the A-team guys actually showed up. but Um, and I mean that both literally and metaphorically.
00:02:57
Speaker
Um, so they like, these guys kind of won me over in a real way, even though a lot of them, you know, leave something to be desired as soccer players. Um, so.
00:03:08
Speaker
You know, that's an interesting, i hadn't necessarily planned on talking about this, but this is actually a good transition into talking about some subjects that are near and dear to our hearts.

Christian Roldan's Role & Impact

00:03:18
Speaker
You know, you see how they played and you can really see how a Christian Roldan might fit in really nicely with this group. but you know, I...
00:03:26
Speaker
i think he's been, for me, one of the best number sixes in the league this year. But he's also shown himself to be like he just played in the Club World Cup at a you know he's not going to play anyone better than that when he goes through, you know, ah when he plays for the national team.
00:03:46
Speaker
Is there any reason like is it realistic to think that he might actually be able to get back into this team in time for next summer? If it's not realistic, then Pochettino is not doing his job ah because if you play as well as as Christian Roldan has played over the past year and then bring that with you to games against Botafogo and Atletico Madrid and PSG, you know, if you're out there bodying Rodrigo DePaul and best player on the field against the Copa Libertadores champions and, you Holding your own more than holding your own really against that midfield that PSG have.
00:04:21
Speaker
um Yeah, you're good enough to play in the gold cup. And I, and I hope that I hope that Pochettino is is um like the books aren't closed.
00:04:31
Speaker
Right. And I would understand a little bit if they were, because it's less than a year left now until the World Cup itself. And he's developed trust to a degree um and and ah kind of partnerships and all that. And it's not really the time to work some guys in.
00:04:50
Speaker
But at the same time, there are some glaring needs. And the guys who are supposed to be doing the job, like, look, man, Johnny Cardoza, we all know he's going to move for $30 million dollars or whatever it is to Atleti.
00:05:03
Speaker
He has not had a one good game for the U.S. national team. He's not had one. And he didn't have one in this world in this gold cup, even if he was carrying an ankle injury or whatever they he was. He played 11 minutes in the gold cup. He was terrible against Switzerland. Everybody was terrible against Switzerland, but he was terrible against Switzerland in the buildup. I thought he was better in 45 minutes against Turkey, but certainly he was nowhere near.
00:05:26
Speaker
as good in those games as his rolled on was in games that meant something. um And the stuff that rolled on does is the stuff that Tyler Adams does in terms of reading the play early and then using his extreme quickness to close down opposing buildups. And even when he's not winning the ball, he's turning opposing sequences into less valuable directions.
00:05:52
Speaker
And that gives, his team a chance to recover into their defensive shape and 99% of teams around more than 90 100% teams around the world are better defensively when they're in their defensive shape and it's like ah it's just like such a non-negotiable and he does that for the Sounders and he did that repeatedly um at this level it's not just rolled down though like look man Chris Richards played every single minute and he was awesome.
00:06:21
Speaker
And that's such a relief because we needed more than anything else. When I say we, I mean, a U S national team needed more than anything else. Someone to show that they could be the foundational piece in the middle of that back line. And Richards had never shown that even though he is clearly the most talented center back in the pool.
00:06:40
Speaker
Um, Miles Robinson barely played ah Walker Zimmerman barely played Mark McKenzie, I think played 15 minutes in the first group stage play a game.
00:06:51
Speaker
And that was at Cameron Carter Vickers. The last time we saw him play, he was absolutely terrible against Canada in the third place game in the nation's league that leaves what 37 year old Tim Ream as the only other center back that Pochettino trusts that it seems like there's an opening here for Jackson Reagan.
00:07:11
Speaker
And I don't think Jackson Reagan was as good. He wasn't as good in the club world cup as Roldan was, but he was very, very good. And when you put his progressive passing ability alongside his reading of the game alongside ah his physical presence in the box, I don't care as much about the speed.
00:07:33
Speaker
I just don't especially like he's no slower than Tim Ream at this point. so it's like, okay, there are, there are two very obvious needs um that I think can be addressed by these guys.
00:07:47
Speaker
And hopefully will be the next time there's a camp, which is, I believe in September. Well, you know, there was a great example of Jackson Reagan's speed in this game against the Columbus crew early on. I think it was like the 12th minute or so. There was a ball over the top that the Sounders sort of get beat on where ah Alex Roldan gets beat on a header.
00:08:06
Speaker
It gets flicked forward and... Jackson Reagan did the thing that, you know, Wade Weber has talked a lot about over the years. He's talked about how Jackson Reagan's not fast, but he's fast enough. And he understands the geometry of soccer and all these kinds of things.
00:08:22
Speaker
And Jackson just took this perfect angle that cut off. I believe was Diego Rossi at the back post. And he ends up making a ah perfect slide tackle and it goes out for a corner and, and the, ah the, the,
00:08:34
Speaker
what was really a dangerous situation gets ah extinguished because he understood it was a very Chad Marshall esque play where he's, you know, and Marshall was probably faster than a lot of people give him credit for, but he was, it was, the you know, yeah he doesn't have to be a burner. He just has to be able to make those types of plays. And, you know, jack I thought Jackson Reagan started the season really slowly this year. he,
00:08:58
Speaker
Looked like maybe he was carrying some of the disappointment. You know, he was vocally disappointed about not being allowed to go to the January camp this year. And it looked like that was maybe weighing him down a little.
00:09:09
Speaker
But over the last couple months, and I thought he was really good in the Club World Cup. I don't know how many, like I didn't count a lot of mistakes that he made. And considering he was playing next to John Bell for most of that for...
00:09:21
Speaker
you know, two and a half of those

Sounders' Strategy & Player Development

00:09:22
Speaker
three games. And then the other half, he was playing with Kim Kiki, who was ah essentially playing on one leg. I thought he was really, you know, I thought he did everything you could really ask for him.
00:09:32
Speaker
And he continues to be such a important part of the Sounders build out. You know, we've seen Alex Roldan playing as a, as the right center back the last two games. And I'm, you know, like the first game was by necessity, but this game, the Sounders made a ah conscious choice to put Alex out there and I pretty sure that it's almost exclusively because they really like Jackson so much better when he's on the left side and he's essentially able to be in the middle of that when they get into that three center back build out and it allows him to just spray the ball around a lot better and the Sounders are just so much better when Jackson Reagan is sort of the the the key element like the quarterback of their of their build out
00:10:14
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, to be clear, i I don't know if I expressed myself poorly there, but like I thought Jackson Reagan was really good at the Club World Cup. I'm just saying I didn't think he was as good as Christian O'Donnell was, who was like literally yeah literally the man of the match against you know the Copa Libre's Doria's champions. I was saying that Christian, if there was a CONCACAF player of the tournament, I thought Christian would have been in the and they mix for that.
00:10:39
Speaker
Yeah, that's a good shout. I didn't watch the Monterey games as closely as I guess I should have because ah I'm sure that there's somebody there. But, like, yeah, he he was excellent. and And you kind of touched on it with um with Jackson, Reagan. like his His distribution um is so important to Seattle's build-out. It tilts the field.
00:11:03
Speaker
But then Roldan does that as well. And I was watching... you know, USA, Mexico last night, seeing how much we struggled with that. i mean, particularly Tyler Adams, first of all, I thought he was poor, his recognition in terms of finding the right spots to be available for the center backs.
00:11:24
Speaker
And then his inability to play on the half turn, know, Mexico weaponized it against the U S first hour or so. um, go back, watch that game, count the turnovers from from Tyler Adams, who I love, who has been a big game player for the U.S. in the past.
00:11:42
Speaker
um And to be fair to him, he's been carrying a k knock, but ah he was not an asset in that game. He was a vulnerability that um didn't end up costing us the game, but it was it was ah it was a scab for Mexico to pick at.
00:11:59
Speaker
And you know when I think of that in conjunction with what will Tom did against those three teams? It's like, i I know which one I want to see starting but next friendly.
00:12:12
Speaker
And it's not the guy who plays in Europe. Yeah. You know, there was an interesting a so little bit that Andrew Wiebe added to the broadcast last night where he was saying how he talked to Christian Roldan and Roldan had said he does, you know, he's satisfied with where his career is and and how it's gone. Here he is.
00:12:30
Speaker
You know, he's, it looks like he's going to be a one club man, which is, you know, kind of unheard of in this day and age and in professional soccer. And so he's, you know, he's satisfied, but at the same time, you he's 30 years old. He still has aspirations of, of seeing how far he can take his career. And and it there is sort of this alternate reality of, man, maybe if he had played,
00:12:51
Speaker
in this position for a longer period of time, maybe he would already be sort of ah at a different level. And what's the irony there is that part of why he was in the, in the last world cup roster is because Berhalter really liked him as a wide player for whatever reason. And the sounders and b Brian Schmetzer also really liked him as a wide player. i mean, he was the best player. He was the best player in the 2022 kind of gap champions league. yeah Exactly. is ah Playing as a winger.
00:13:17
Speaker
I know, I know. and And that's sort of the irony of all this is that here he is, you know, he made the World Cup as a winger. ah So it's like it's hard to be too critical of it. But yet you also look at him play now and you're like, God, he had had a couple more years playing this position, maybe it would have been a little bit different. But still, he you you know, it would be interesting to see if if he can get because I would have thought in in 2022, if you had told me that he was going to be.
00:13:45
Speaker
even in contention for the next world cup, i would' have thought that was crazy. And here he is, you know, sitting here, maybe being able to sneak in there at the, at the line. If you had told me that I would have said, Oh, we've gone to a four, three, three with a pressing 10, the old the chief blessing role from LAFC. That's what I would have thought would have been his his role. I,
00:14:09
Speaker
i don't you know He played a lot. you You know this. He played a lot in central midfield for the Sounders back in the day yeah mean you know and the in the in the last few years of ah of the the previous decade.
00:14:22
Speaker
And he was good, but it was a different type of good. It was a totally different good. He always had Gustav Svensson or Ozzy Alonso next to him. He was never the six. He was always yeah the the floating eight kind of role. he was not He was not being tasked with what he is doing now where he's he's sort of shielding the back line and he's being orchestrated. His ability to get on the ball and and to to make the kind of defense-splitting passes um that that he makes now regularly.
00:14:53
Speaker
yeah also you know He does the thing that that all like super elite players do. He moves defenders around with his eyes. And you can see it now like if you watch Christian Roldan passed the ball.
00:15:06
Speaker
You could set your watch by the nearest defender taking a step in the wrong direction right before he passes the ball. It's like, this is the Sergio Busquets thing, right? And nobody used to talk about this, you know, 15, 18 years ago, but then Busquets came on the scene and everybody realized it's like, oh, he's manipulating six different defenders just by looking in a different direction from where he's about to pass the ball.
00:15:29
Speaker
I don't remember Christian Roldan having that six years ago. I don't remember him. I don't either. free don't know, but he he was clearly doing it now. Yeah. He was, he, he's always sort of been known more for his engine and his willingness to function out of ground. And yeah, right. Exactly. Not so much his,
00:15:47
Speaker
ah his out thinking the opponent and sort of the way he's been playing now. And it's been fascinating to watch. I love watching it. I think he's been really good. ah The other player who, you know, and I think he was good against the crew too. I think it's it's worth saying like he you know, they have a pretty good midfield and he, and I, and I thought at times he was, ah i mean, he's just so reliable. I think that's what it is. It almost no matter who he goes up against, you, you know what you're going to get from Christian rolled on right now. I think he's probably the sounders most reliable player.
00:16:19
Speaker
ah And then Obed Vargas is maybe not quite as reliable, but here's another player who, if he was still in the U S setup, you could see him probably pushing for getting into this team on the, on the other end of the, you know, of the, of the calendar, I guess, as it were.
00:16:35
Speaker
ah But he again, I thought he was really good against the crew. I think he had a, i think he did nothing at least to hurt his chances when he went against up against these European giants ah during the club world cup.
00:16:48
Speaker
And he's doing stuff that he's i don't know. I think his his defensive effort is what is starting to stand out for me, even though that's not always been his calling card. His it's his thing is supposed to be that he's more of a pure two way player.
00:17:03
Speaker
But you're seeing, i think, a lot more of his physicality coming out. He seems to be ah understanding his defensive responsibilities a little bit better. And I've really enjoyed watching his growth, especially over the last few months.
00:17:17
Speaker
He's a much better player now than I i thought he would be. I, I was slow on the uptake about Obed Vargas and, um, the, the defense thing, you're absolutely correct. Like he's he's a much better defender than he was at this time last year.
00:17:33
Speaker
Um, you know, his recognition, it comes earlier and his decision making is sharper, i You know, he's never going to have, i think, the ability to close down the way Roldan has. Or, you know, we mentioned Tyler Adams before. Like, that's never going to be Obed Vargas. But, like, it's become, i think, a relative strength.
00:17:52
Speaker
The big thing that's impressed me this year, though, is, like, he's the type of a midfielder... that when you've run out of ideas, he can, he, you can give it to him and he's going to sell some study. Like he's, he's an, oh shit, release valve, you know? And, and again, that was something that,
00:18:13
Speaker
we saw against teams like Botafogo at lady and, and, and PSG specifically, i think after that first 20 minutes against that lady, um, when, you know they were just under siege and like to their credit, they really hung in there and they didn't get overwhelmed by the moment.
00:18:32
Speaker
Once those first 20 minutes were survived, then he was able to get on the ball and, if not necessarily make plays happen because he's not really a playmaker, um he was able to sort of shift possession and shift tempo in a way that brought, you know, not all by himself, but like that brought Seattle into the game.
00:18:54
Speaker
i thought it was a really impressive and mature performance. And when he filed his one-time switch last year, ah was like, I don't care. ah This isn't going to matter. And now I'm like, son of a bitch.
00:19:08
Speaker
they go yeah I wish we had that guy. He was like, he's just a much, much better player. And, you know, Taylor was talking about on the broadcast, $10 million dollar bids from Tigress and some of the other, know, big Liga MX East teams. And um like, yeah, that makes sense. He's, he's an eight figure player.
00:19:29
Speaker
i just don't think it's going to be in, in Mexico. I think it's going to be yeah somewhere in your, like you could have plopped him down in that Porto team that we saw play against Miami and Palmares.
00:19:40
Speaker
He would have helped that team. Like Obed Vargas would have helped Porto. That's the type of team I think he's going to end up going to. I totally agree. He seems to also be pretty focused on wanting to get to Europe. He doesn't seem that and even though his heart, as he has said many, many times is with the Mexican national team, he does not seem to have the same desire to play every week in Mexico and Liga and Mequis.
00:20:03
Speaker
he He has made it very clear to the Sounders and to those of us that follow the team that he really sees himself going to Europe and that the best path to getting to Europe for him is to Just stay in MLS and and kind of work his way there as opposed to going to Liga Mequis, which I think in terms of its ability to move players onto Europe is at best a lateral move and then maybe even a step back because teams in Mexico are not as inclined to sell players as they are. Especially the big ones. Right. Especially the big teams and especially with Mexican players.
00:20:37
Speaker
Yeah. And so it, it makes sense. He seems, he seems aware of that. And I know that the Sounders front office is aware of that. And look, it's one of the things that that we all want to see the Sounders do is like one of the boxes that they haven't.
00:20:50
Speaker
Yes. They haven't really checked that. But I think the last big one was, I guess, probably DeAndre Yedlin. Am I forgetting someone? Probably. I mean, that one's 2013, 2014. It's been a minute. you I guess it's been a minute. it It has definitely been a minute and they, they need to start.
00:21:06
Speaker
doing that at some point, like they've done a good job of moving players on that are sort of like that second tier of prospect, you know, like the Sam Rogers types where they are, you know, facilitating their move.
00:21:20
Speaker
ah Henry Wingo was another player who they sort of like, even and even Josh attention to in the league. Like that's exactly what you should do. right but But players who are like clear starters for them, who are being sold as an upward trajectory to you know even bigger things, that's not something they've been able to do since Yedlin, really.
00:21:42
Speaker
And and that's that you're right. That's the next step, and that that makes a lot of sense. It looks like what we're but we've reported, what we've kind of piggybacked on, piggy backed on Andrew's report yesterday was that the Sounders are working on a, they've already exercised their option of 2026 for, for Vargas and that they're working on a two year extension that would make them a U22 initiative player, which at least then gives him some money in the pocket to, you know, kind of wait this out and find the

Player Contracts & New Signings

00:22:10
Speaker
the right deal. And it, and it all sort of makes sense, I think.
00:22:13
Speaker
Yeah, 100%. I think that's a a good use of the U22 initiative, though. You know, I think you guys reported that there's a ah forward who's maybe coming in as well. And yeah if you could make the the price right on that, that seems like a good use of it, too. It would, yeah. Yeah, the player you're talking about is ah Noah Ohio, who is, what a name for a Nigerian. He's to of cousin of Nathan Detroit, you know. he Right, exactly. Yeah.
00:22:40
Speaker
a nigerian he's apparently nigerian hair his parents are nigerian i think he was born in england but he has dutch citizenship and he's been playing in the youth national uh for the youth national team of both england and holland and he has played for seven different teams all over europe anyway we don't need to get we we don't need to do a whole bit on that but uh One other Sounders thing before we move on and we will deal with some other stuff in MLS.
00:23:07
Speaker
One of the things that we've been talking a lot about internally at Sounder at Heart and that you have sort of ah touched on as well is Pedro de la Vega, who is a player who seems to have stalled in his, and don't know if stalled. He's never really got started in terms of really progressing to be the player that the Sounders want him to be.
00:23:26
Speaker
And, Brian Schmetzer seems really dead set on playing him on the right. He has a lot of, you know, he came to the Sounders as both a, as a pretty flexible player. He's played in the left. He's played in the center. He's played on the right, but with the Sounders, he's played almost exclusively on the right. And it seems to somewhat take away some of his strength. This is a guy who can cut in really well off the left and shoot. That's sort of one of the things that he was known for in Argentina.
00:23:55
Speaker
And we haven't really gotten to see that ah with the Sounders. Do you have any idea what why that might be? What do you see something in his game that says, okay, this is why Schmetzer probably doesn't want him on the left. Or is it just a mystery to you as well?
00:24:08
Speaker
it's just a mystery to me as well. I, I can't understand it um it, it just seems like the obvious thing to try this guy in the spot that he, I think is pretty obviously best suited for.
00:24:23
Speaker
um and I don't, I don't get it. I don't get it. Like Paul Rothrock is really good. And Paul Rothrock might end up being the the correct fit as the long-term starter at left wing, but he's not so good that you don't look at the other options there. i agree. including Yeah. And especially the $7 million dollars DP. so it's, yeah it's, it's bizarre to me.
00:24:48
Speaker
um I hope for your guys' sake that we get to see it. And I hope for the kid's sake, um if if he does get that chance, he he finally starts living up to his price tag because he's he's very clearly working hard.
00:25:02
Speaker
like This is not a kid who is not putting in a shift. like He's out there emptying the tank every second he's on the field. And it's easy to to root for someone like that. Yeah, and and you watch him in training, and this is a he's a very I've said this so many times.
00:25:18
Speaker
You watch him in training, and he is a you can see the talent. You can see this player who is has something to offer. You understand why he's been moved why he he moved for a $6 million $7 million transfer fee. You can see why he was in the youth national team.
00:25:34
Speaker
you know you You can for Argentina He can do a lot of things with the ball at his feet he's ah He's a willing defender. he's He's willing to cover ground, do all these kind of things. And for whatever reason, he hasn't just won he really hasn't won over the Sounders brain trust. And maybe that's because he hasn't produced a ton either.
00:25:51
Speaker
But he also hasn't gotten like an extended run out. And that's sort of what a lot of us are waiting to see. Refresh my memory. his His best performances came when you guys were playing sort of as a 3-4-2-1.
00:26:05
Speaker
right the best performances haven't haven't come as as a true winger more as a kind of like a half space that's been my yeah i agree with you yes and that was and and that was sort of or in the early in the season he was getting some run in that position especially in concord cap champions league admittedly not at always against the best opponents but he was you could see the the promise you could see what he can do in those games uh but you know whatever we're We'll see whatever comes of that. But there's there's a lot of I guess what I am encouraged by is the Sounders have talented players ah on the wings right now.
00:26:40
Speaker
They just aren't getting a whole lot of production out of them. And Paul Rothrock, whether or not he's the most talented of the group, he does seem to be getting something out of it. You know, we saw him again yesterday.
00:26:51
Speaker
he had this. he had a nice goal. He could have had another one. And he was just sort of a pest. for the crew and, and sort of pushing them back and, and doing the kind of stuff that I'm sure Brian Spencer loves to see him doing.
00:27:04
Speaker
I mean, he understands the role completely. he doesn't try to do more than what he can do. Um, and he like defensively he's, he's really like he's a handful out there.
00:27:18
Speaker
um right and it makes it hard to build into the, the the central midfield. And that's like, that's the number one job defensively for, ah for wingers is like you, you have to shape the opposing build out and Rothrock does a great job of it. And um when you check that many boxes, um you tend not to lose your job, but still for the final 25 minutes of one of these games, like, please let us see what Pedro de la Vega looks like at left wing, please. Yeah. I co-signed that completely.
00:27:51
Speaker
Well, and that's a good note to take a break on. We're going to come back and we're going to talk about some of the other top teams in the Western Conference. You're listening to No Sarietes.
00:28:04
Speaker
Thank you for listening to the Sounder at Heart Podcast Network, which now includes No Sarietes, Lobbing Scorchers, and the Cooler Guild. We've been independent since August of 2023 and but need your support to make sure it continues.
00:28:17
Speaker
Although this podcast is free, it's only made possible by your continued support. Memberships start as low as $25 a year, which not only helps make podcasts like this one happen, but also gets you access to everything we produce.
00:28:30
Speaker
If you're able to support us at higher levels, starting at $75 a year, you gain access to a host of other perks, most notably entry into our members only discord where the smartest, funniest, and most engaged commenters share their thoughts and ideas to find out more, just visit center at heart.com and click the subscribe button in the top right corner.
00:28:51
Speaker
Thanks for listening. Nos Adientes, admittedly, is not exactly known for our spicy takes, but that doesn't mean we want our food to be mild. Spice up your life with Hacks and Ferments.
00:29:03
Speaker
Handcrafted in Georgetown and made with the best local ingredients from across the Pacific Northwest, they specialize in unique small batch fermented hot sauces and vinegars. Hacks and Ferments brings bold flavors and natural fermentation together for something truly special.
00:29:18
Speaker
Whether you're a heat seeker or just looking to elevate your cooking, you'll find something you love at haxanferments.com. That's
00:29:31
Speaker
And right now, if you use the code sounder at heart, that's all one word, at checkout, you will get a free hot sauce with your order. Again, go to hacksandferments.com, use the code sounder at heart at checkout for a free hot sauce with your order.
00:29:49
Speaker
Hacks and Ferments is a proud sponsor of that Sounder at Heart podcast network.
00:29:56
Speaker
Welcome back to Nos Adientes. So we have a there was a bunch of games this week ah dealing with the West as there always is. So I want to get your thoughts on some of the other top teams.
00:30:06
Speaker
You know, let's start right at the top of the standings. The Whitecaps were dealt, A kind of curious blow by the Galaxy, who I think this was a game more than anything that reminded us that the margins in MLS are really, really thin.
00:30:24
Speaker
The difference between the best team in the league and the worst team in the league is apparently a three. If you're on the road, you can lose three zero you just because you're miss I mean, again, admittedly, the Whitecaps were not at full strength.
00:30:36
Speaker
But yeah, Galaxy suddenly looked like the team we thought they were going to look like. Like, why can't they do this every week? Yeah, I mean, and well i think they have four results in their last five games now. Marco Royce has has finally showed up for the season. Yeah, Marco Royce Joseph Paintsville no longer doing a Kevin Cabral impression, remembering how to actually put the ball in the net. um ah The Galaxy played well. They're not going to win the wooden spoon.
00:31:02
Speaker
You feel comfortable with that now? I feel comfortable with that. Yeah. And look, the the Caps, we said it all year, like the first half of their season was absolutely remarkable. They only had one loss.
00:31:16
Speaker
It was ah during an an international date where they were missing, I think, eight starters. Obviously, they've been doing all this about Ryan Gould. They made it all the way to the Conquer Cap Champions League final. They emptied the tanks.
00:31:28
Speaker
They had nothing left. And oh, by the way, they um were missing seven starters this weekend, still without Ryan Gould, Seb Berhalter, and Brian White, obviously, on international duty. Andres Kubis now hurt as well. ah Sam Adekubi, a few others.
00:31:47
Speaker
And it it just kept piling up, and they looked beaten down. They looked beaten down by the amount of energy that they've had to expend. And they've now lost three of four. um Right. I don't expect them to to completely tank like I think Dallas did in 2018, a long time ago.
00:32:05
Speaker
um But like they're they're not going to be the same team over these final 13 games that they were over the first half of the season. It's just too much. It's too much for MLS teams with the rosters that we have.
00:32:17
Speaker
And not to say I saw this coming. I think a lot of people sort of predicted that once they... Like, there was going to be a release that happened after the... And by the way, they're in the middle of a run where I think five of their six games are on the road.
00:32:31
Speaker
So this is... Right. no they yeah make it So there's a lot of room to to course correct, is I guess kind of what you're saying. is Yeah. ah Like, this is... like the reality is that they're sitting on 38 points. They are 12 points clear of the playoff line. That is not like, this is a team that's probably still going to be a top four team in the West, even if they were to come back down, maybe not make a run at the supporter shield, which is what they looked like. They were trending toward heading into the champions league or, yeah, I would, I would, I would, I would bet against that at this point.
00:33:04
Speaker
Yeah, it does not feel very likely at this point. But ah at the same time, San Diego FC, who I guess actually is they're leading the Western Conference. They had ah a stinker. I think we can say they they led one zero.
00:33:19
Speaker
They led three two and then they lose four three at home against the Houston Dynamo, who. Not a necessarily a bad team this year, but certainly not a team that looked capable of going on the road and beating san Diego, ah ah you know, a Western Conference leader when they'd been trailing for most of the game.
00:33:40
Speaker
So Houston... have slowly been rounding into form. Cause remember they had kind of a teardown after last season, Coco, Kereskia gone, Ache Ache is gone, Mikael.
00:33:52
Speaker
So like they, they have had to sort of patch it together slowly. And that includes signing a new DP and, you know, getting a bunch of new defenders, developing a couple as well. Brooklyn rains now starting in central midfield.
00:34:07
Speaker
Um, And it final. And then the the final piece was getting Lawrence and Ali back. And he's just electric. the The young German winger who was, if you haven't watched it, look at the goal he scored, which is, odd I think you can put some on the defense. Like,
00:34:25
Speaker
But this is if you can in your mind, if you're a sounder, saying if you can put in your mind the play that DeAndre Yedlin made to break up the counterattack against the Philadelphia Union in the Open Cup in 2014. If that's sort of the play that made DeAndre Yedlin, the legend of DeAndre Yedlin sort of shine.
00:34:42
Speaker
Well, imagine if that was an offensive player making up the same sort of ground on a defender. He starts, I don't know, 20 yards ah behind the defender on that play.
00:34:53
Speaker
And just he wins the ball out of a nothing clearance. A clearance just gets kicked off into the. into the moon and he outraces the, the defender and scores an equalizing goal early, relatively early in the game. Finished brilliantly yes full speed.
00:35:11
Speaker
Like that was, that was absurd. So I, I actually think Houston's, been good inconsistent but good and trending in the right direction and I have all the Houston Dynamo stock for the second half of the season especially when they get Jack McGlynn back because I think you know McGlynn is is limited physically but the way they play they had play him as sort of ah an inside right number 10 like that hides him defensively So that he's able to just get on the ball and and be a playmaker and orchestrator. And um that gives them because of his ability to to hit those passes.
00:35:48
Speaker
They're not just a team that kills you in in the open field. They're a team that that knows how to turn pen ah possession into penetration. um So I'm a big fan of Houston. That said, it's still shocking to see San Diego play.
00:36:01
Speaker
who's played so well, who hadn't dropped points from a winning position all year long, blow two leads in the same game while still having, you know, most of their first choice available.
00:36:12
Speaker
It was amazing. You know, I haven't gone over and watched it a second time, so I can't tell you exactly what it was. um But it's it's a test for Mikey Varis and Mikey Varis, to his credit, has passed just about every other test he's faced so far. this I mean, there's a reason their expansion team and their number one in the West, like the coach is doing a really, really good job. And I'm pretty confident that he'll continue to to to figure stuff out for this team.
00:36:39
Speaker
Yeah, i just I was a little shocked at how poor they looked defensively at times in that game. Slow. like all And like disengaged. Yeah.
00:36:50
Speaker
Like the the the winning goal where Ethan Bartlow, noted playmaker Ethan Bartlow, is able to just sort of like stand, you know, 50 yards from goal and no pressure and just deliver like a really simple through ball that ah that it was at Ponce that finished that one.
00:37:09
Speaker
uh and it's just like what is happening here defensively it's like i don't know 100 i don't know why there was 17 minutes of stoppage time in that game i didn't watch close enough to to know that but it was late and stuff like i don't know was 105th minute or something like that 100 first minute uh i think it was 100 think it was 100 yeah 100th or 100th first minute there was an injury to the goalkeeper it took forever stopped the bleeding yeah so yeah so 17 minutes stoppage 17 minutes was appropriate. Okay. But it was, no, it was really weird how they kind just fell apart over the final 15 minutes of that game. And they've been really good at being compact and getting pressure to opposing players, not just attackers, but like players like Ethan Bartlow, not allowed to pick passes like that.
00:37:58
Speaker
In this game, they were. And ah i think they'll figure it out. I think they'll continue to be a very good team. ah And so, again, moving sort of moving down the table, Minnesota United got on the good end of a game where they had they tied their season high for possession in a win. Forty seven percent.
00:38:18
Speaker
i i You wrote about this in your in your column today and They continue to be almost like they just have this unbelievable ability to score, not just from set pieces, which they are, as you noted in your story, maybe the best set piece taking team in league history right now.
00:38:38
Speaker
But especially when it comes to long throws, they keep finding ways to score on long throws. What in the world is going on here?
00:38:49
Speaker
I mean, we've seen teams realize this more over the past half decade that like if you have a chance to just put the ball into the box from out of bounds with like you can bring your big guy. Like it's a good idea to do it. It's a free set piece.
00:39:04
Speaker
um And Michael Boxall has one of the best long throws in the league. And Eric Ramsey, remember, was a set piece coach. He was not an actual soccer coach. He was a set piece coach.
00:39:16
Speaker
um And that includes throw-ins. And he he's looked the part. And they've they found a way to um exploit defenses literally every single week.
00:39:28
Speaker
And between that and set pieces and counterattacks and then just having a good low block defense, here they are. And they're not going to... look, they're they're not going to fall out of the playoff race.
00:39:41
Speaker
Like they, they have, um they have a really good formula. My question about Minnesota is um can they actually win games that matter against good teams that are trying because the nature of their game model means that they're going to give you 65% of the ball.
00:39:59
Speaker
um A lot of it in the attacking third. And I'm sorry, like against, against you know, the best teams in the league. and We saw San Diego do it to them.
00:40:10
Speaker
Like against the best teams in the league, you're going to get cut up if you do that. And they have to solve that by the the time the playoffs were all around or it's not going to be a particularly a long stay for them. And the point I made in the column, they've dropped 11 points from leading positions.
00:40:28
Speaker
um which most you said I think you said this is the most in MLS, right? It's no, it's the most among playoff, like real playoff teams. The fire have dropped 13, but the fire are ninth place in the East. So technically they're not a playoff team. They're play in team.
00:40:41
Speaker
um But like most of normal. Yeah. yeah Most ah of the teams, you know, eighth place and above in MLS have only dropped like three or four points from, from

Minnesota United's Tactics & Viability

00:40:54
Speaker
leading positions. And look, it just happened last week for Minnesota. They gave up for ah ah late goal to the Red Bulls for a two, two draw in a game where they were, I think a far superior team, but the final 15 minutes, they just put their defense in the goalkeepers lap.
00:41:11
Speaker
And that was that. Yeah. ah It, it, it, we You and I have talked about this before. It continues to strike me as very notable that this is a team that their variance from possession-based soccer is so extreme that it's hard to contextualize almost. this is They're they' are on pace to have by far the least possession of any team in MLS history ah since we have those records.
00:41:39
Speaker
And it's and it's by like a big percentage. It's not like, oh, well, they they're getting 44 percent. No, this is a team that routinely is in the 30s for percent and for possession. And you can win games like that.
00:41:50
Speaker
But how long can you win games like that is always the question. Of course, the loons had a ah they were you were the target, I guess, of a meme that you thought was pretty funny. I thought it was a little too wordy for my for my needs. But ah the official loons account put out a a little video that was playing on the Dune theme.
00:42:13
Speaker
ah Can you even explain that to me? I didn't even quite get it. ah Well, they was it making fun of themselves. Yeah. It was making fun of me. They were taking, um you know, excerpts from my column and yeah putting it putting it over Stilgar and Chani from Doom 2, where they're arguing about the Lisan Al-Gaib.
00:42:37
Speaker
um and And the idea... being that like, okay, you know, I make my criticisms of they don't have enough possession right to actually um win something this year. They can win games where they can't win a trophy playing like this. And, you know, they...
00:42:56
Speaker
were rebutting it with like, yeah, but they're fourth in the in the Western Conference. They have an expected goals differential that's like top six in the league and in blah, blah, blah, blah. blah I thought it was, I mean, it was a very wordy meme, but it was was very also very, it was very, very funny.
00:43:13
Speaker
I thought it was it was very, very funny. I'm glad that you appreciated it. The thing I want to the point I want to make here is that Minnesota fans are upset because they think I'm picking on their team because I don't like their style of play.
00:43:32
Speaker
And it's true that I don't like their style of play, but I don't like their style of play because I believe it limits what their team is capable of in terms of winning things.
00:43:44
Speaker
So me wanting them to change their style of play... is not purely and when I say change, I don't mean completely overhaul. You can still play against the ball. You just got to do it with 45% position, not 35% position. wanting their style of play not me wanting them to change their style of play is not purely an aesthetic thing for me it's actually i think they need to change their style of play if they are going to seriously contend to win the supporter shield or the leagues cup or mls cup we'll say cry for help is what you're saying is that you're just i mean it is trying to do what's best for them
00:44:25
Speaker
ah why am yeah I am warning them. Yes. Yes. Fair. Well, speaking of of fan bases who you like to needle, ah the Timbers got a win this week against what we both agree is probably the greatest coach in MLS history, Caleb Porter, who has never mismanaged a game or a roster or anything else.
00:44:47
Speaker
I don't know. Is there much to take away from the like did the Timbers do anything to ah waylay your concerns about their style. I think I've needled them into submission.
00:44:59
Speaker
Timbers fans, the past past six weeks, man, but haven't heard peep from those people. Oh, no. Oh, I think they've seen the vision. Oh, no.
00:45:11
Speaker
They get it. I think i think they get it. They understand that I was right. No. No, they did what they they did what they should have in... ah e They did what they should have and in terms of getting all three points. And and sometimes that means your DP number 10 has got to step up and make a play. And in yeah Diego DaCosta or David DaCosta, excuse me, um did exactly that.
00:45:34
Speaker
They've also had ah tougher year in terms of health than they did last year. you know, last year they only made it to the postseason because... they got really good health from all three DPs and incredible performance from all three DPs. So, know, Cabecito, it basically hasn't played this year.
00:45:52
Speaker
um Felipe Mora in and out of the lineup a little bit. Hasn't been great. Da Costa has been, um but not as good as Evander. And then, you know, Anthony was manna from heaven for them because his production made it okay that Jonathan Rodriguez was missing all these games. Well, he's hurt now too.
00:46:13
Speaker
So they've had, it's been patchwork. It's been a struggle at times. um And I think it speaks well to, A lot of the stuff they've done that in spite of all that, they are where they are in

Timbers & Earthquakes: Performance Analysis

00:46:26
Speaker
the standings.
00:46:26
Speaker
That said, the underlying numbers are ugly. They are flashing a big warning sign. This is a team that needs to be better with the ball. They need to be able to, I think, control games a little bit um and manufacture goals and not just sort of find them from bad moments that the other team inflicts upon itself, which is what the game winner in this one was.
00:46:52
Speaker
Yeah, just to give some context, the underlying numbers are really, really bad. ah By expected points, they are fourth lowest in the league. That is lower than the Galaxy. That's lower than the then of Montreal.
00:47:09
Speaker
It's lower than St. Louis City. ah These are some of the dire teams in the standings, and the Underlying numbers say the Timbers are closer to them than they are to where they currently are in the standings.
00:47:23
Speaker
And by the way, they had one of the easiest schedules up to this point of any team in the league. So yeah, there are some warning signs. That doesn't mean that they can't get into the playoffs. This is MLS after all.
00:47:35
Speaker
But I think that you're, i I understand where you're coming from. I'll i'll just say that. ah Well, we got a few more games that we can touch on here before we we let you go.
00:47:46
Speaker
The earthquakes. got a result this week and it's not that the result this week that I want to get too focused on as much as it is their turnaround is seems like it's really real like this is a team that is among the best offensive teams in the league they had the worst defense last year they are Not great defensively, but they aren't going to be anything like the worst. like they like They were trending towards historical awfulness in terms of defense last year.
00:48:17
Speaker
And this year, they're perfectly fine defensively. Danielle seems like he's rebounded into a ah solid goalkeeper that he was prior to ah his injury. And they're Ebola Rue, the pride of Santa Teresa High School, is... ah is is out there bawling like he's like looking like ah like a real MLS player.
00:48:43
Speaker
What do you make of the earthquakes right now? Bruce Verena. um we We shouldn't be surprised. Yeah, I mean, we shouldn't be. We shouldn't. he He's done this, what, four or five times before now? Every um place he goes.
00:48:57
Speaker
He went out and he got guys that he he trusted from his New England days and got him on the cheap because um your favorite coach, Caleb Porter, said they weren't the right guys for for New England.
00:49:09
Speaker
The Rebs, by the way, one win in their past nine and under the ah the playoff line in the Eastern Conference. They're all by the way, second worst in expected points in case you're curious.
00:49:23
Speaker
You know, and and I think the only shocking thing about what's happened with the quakes is that it's come out of like a ah modern three, four, two, one, which is something that we've never seen Bruce do before.
00:49:35
Speaker
Um, you know, his, his, we've seen him use a three, five, two at times, but never, never the, the sort of, uh, half spacey type stuff that, that we're seeing from this team. And he was like,
00:49:50
Speaker
always a back four guy. I must say always like 98% of the time he was a back four guy. And I thought that's what, what it would be. and And so he's adapted. And I think, um, you know, and very much an old dog, new tricks, but the foundation of all his teams is he gets the vibes, right?
00:50:06
Speaker
He like talk to anybody who's ever played for Bruce and they'll say, he makes it so that you want to be in that locker room. And with, athletes if you can do that you're going to get buy-in and if you get buy-in you're going to get effort if you get effort um that's going win you a lot of games even if the tactics aren't perfect yeah uh and so while we're talking about underlying numbers the rapids had i believe what you said was the fourth best ah expected goal difference in a game in the a in the american soccer analysis uh database which goes back yeah that goes back to what 2014 or something like 2013 yeah and it was the biggest by far uh positive goal difference of a team that lost yeah granted they had two penalties that that impacts the the expected goal difference but
00:51:01
Speaker
They played well in this game. Admittedly, it gets ah here's another stat. This is almost feels like a typo. I'm shocked by this. Sporting Kansas City is negative 20 expected goal difference.
00:51:12
Speaker
That is an outrageous number. They are they're overshooting their expected goal difference by 15 goals right now. And they are. This is a bad team, but they should be even worse.
00:51:25
Speaker
Yeah, because when they when they when they play badly, like it just goes off the rails and they get drilled. um But they've been on the right side of some some lucky results since Karius Vagnon took over.
00:51:41
Speaker
Like this is certainly one of them. um remember they beat the galaxy one nil in a game in which they didn't generate a shot on right no shot no shots period not shots on go amazing they had no shots I had forgotten about that that's an amazing combo they have one win this year where they had the they had the the worst expected goal difference for a winning team in MLS history. And then they also became maybe the only team in world soccer to win a game in which they had zero shots.
00:52:13
Speaker
Oh yeah. They're not going to make the playoffs, but they've been entertaining as hell. Um, I don't know, man, the, the Rapids, ah they're still above the playoff line.
00:52:25
Speaker
um yeah. Zach Steffen was amazing at the start of the year. They've battled some injuries. um You know, neither Sam Vines nor Reggie Cannon are the guys they were before they went to Europe.
00:52:37
Speaker
Like those guys were supposed to be the starting fullbacks and ah neither really looks starting caliber at this point. So like the, you Colt Bassett has not been the same player this year.
00:52:49
Speaker
Like there's a lot of stuff that's gone wrong with them. So I give them credit for hanging around. Georgie Mihailovic has been awesome. um but this doesn't look like a team to me that's going anywhere.
00:53:01
Speaker
This doesn't, it I can't tell what vision they're, they're trying to execute. um And, and, I guess when, when you have that, like those types of factors, including Stefan being hurt, you could have a result like this one where you play well um and you can generate chance after chance after chance, and you still somehow lose the game.
00:53:26
Speaker
And if it all falls apart after this, i wouldn't be totally shocked because it it feels like it was being held together, ah you know, duct tape and in popsicle sticks heading into this one.
00:53:39
Speaker
Yeah, you know, early in this, I want to say in preseason, I made a mention that the Sounders were sort of like a Rapids team with a budget. Like they were sort of building this roster sort of in a similar way to the Rapids who have historically built their roster through this kind of I mean, I don't I'm not someone who like likes to misuse Moneyball, but they do they are really a Moneyball team. They are constantly out there looking for distressed assets who they can yeah sort of rehab.
00:54:05
Speaker
And we're kind of seeing the limits of that strategy right now with the Rapids. So I don't know. i don't no, I don't know if I agree with that, that we're seeing the limits of it right now. I think this might I think this is probably ah coaching issue to a degree, ok right? like like Like Chris Armis is, is not covered himself in glory at any of his stops. And that's true. If you look at it last year was probably the outlier.
00:54:29
Speaker
I look at the the talent on this roster. I really like it. I actually think this team could be a 60 point team. If they, um, had better health and, and, and better

Colorado Rapids: Strategy & Coaching

00:54:40
Speaker
cohesion.
00:54:40
Speaker
The, the, the thing that they're missing is like, they don't control the pitch with or without the ball. If you watch them play, like they're actually very easy to play against, um, specifically when you have the ball, which they shouldn't be because they have home field advantage at a mile high.
00:54:58
Speaker
And they have a lot of youngish players who love to run. Like it should be more structured than it is. So I, I, I understand the point you're making and look, I, I wouldn't expect a team that invests the way the Rapids invest to, um,
00:55:12
Speaker
you know, 75 points and a new supporter shield record, that type of thing. But like, I don't think that what's happening with this team this year is an indication that a money ball approach um in the way you described it in MLS can't work.
00:55:30
Speaker
I think it can't work. I just think that it it lowers the, your, you know, your margin for error, I guess is sort of, and so you can kind of, I do agree with that.
00:55:41
Speaker
you You have to have a coach who has really clear ideas of how you want to play and who develops young players. And that's the the really striking thing about the Rapids to me. It's like they've gotten a lot of guys out of their academy and their draft the past couple of years, and none of them have really become the types of difference makers that you think that they they couldn't should be.
00:56:04
Speaker
Well, Matt, ah you have a hard out, so going to not push the um envelope here and let you get out of here. But once again, thank you so much for doing this. I really hope people read you on not just your column on MLS soccer, which is always a must read as far as I'm concerned, but your I love your power ranking posts. I think they're a lot of fun. They're on your sub stack and they're sort of like memes and they're very meany.
00:56:30
Speaker
And I appreciate the. I appreciate all the effort that goes into the graphic, especially. So Matt, thank you for doing this. Thank you once again ah for having me. And just so it's clear, I don't make that graphic.
00:56:46
Speaker
I know. i know. i Maybe our readers don't know that, but it's, it's the Doyle's Ottoman or whatever. um Armchair analysts, Ottoman.
00:56:57
Speaker
And like, go I still don't know who that is. i so i have I have no idea who that is. and i How do you get the graphics then? He just, this person like... He posts them on on Blue Sky.
00:57:10
Speaker
Oh, and so i you just pull them off there. I take the previous week's one Blue Sky. and i and i And I put it on there just because art like this um needs an audience, Jeremiah. Yeah, it needs an audience, absolutely.
00:57:24
Speaker
Well, I appreciate your willingness to have fun with it. And... We need more of that in the in this space. So hopefully we will continue to have these little sessions.
00:57:36
Speaker
ah Matt, I hope everyone is following. Everyone's following you, I'm sure, already. so I'm not sure. but yeah Everybody loves me. Everyone loves you. you're You're the most popular guy in in the world, in the MLS soccer world.
00:57:47
Speaker
but Exactly. and Exactly. All right. Well, we're going get out here. I'm Jeremiah Shan. This is No Sadie at This, part of the Sounder Heart podcast network. ah Please become a subscriber. Please support what we're doing.
00:58:00
Speaker
But until then, even if you don't, I want to say thank you to listening. And yeah, we'll catch you next time.
00:58:33
Speaker
I expect the LAFC who is motivated ah to prove themselves at home, to prove to their fans that they' they're capable of winning in this league. And it's up to us to really ruin the party.
00:58:48
Speaker
i feel a lot better than Bob.