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Fans react to Seattle Sounders Leagues Cup win over Querétaro!
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We react and take calls following the Seattle Sounders' Leagues Cup 2026 Phase One matchup vs. Querétaro FC at Lumen Field.
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Lobbing Scorchers is a production of Just Once Media.
Lobbing Scorchers is a Seattle Sounders and MLS focused show. Hosted by Major League Soccer's Ari Liljenwall and Producer Noah Riffe. Join us as we lob our scorching takes on the American soccer landscape, Seattle Sounders, Major League Soccer, USMNT and more.
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Transcript
Introduction and Episode Details
00:00:00
Speaker
This episode of Lobbing Scorchers was previously recorded and streamed live on YouTube.com slash at Lobbing Scorchers. If you want to listen or catch these episodes live, see the video, and see all the rest of our content, go to YouTube.com slash at Lobbing Scorchers or LobbingScorchers.com slash YouTube.
00:00:22
Speaker
Well sir, we got a scorcher today. Gonna be real scorcher today. Why the scorcher today? Well it's gonna be a scorcher.
Seattle Sounders' Victory and Challenges
00:00:43
Speaker
What's up everybody. Welcome to your post-match live for the Seattle Sounders leagues cup phase one matchup against Karatharou FC folks. The Seattle Sounders have won a game. The losing streak is over. It's a three zero W ah and nothing bad happened at all today.
00:01:06
Speaker
We're going to be basking in the glow of an emphatic victory to snap a seven match losing streak ah ah across all competitions. Noah, we got the presser pulled up. The Seattle Sounders have a W and in all seriousness, as we all know, it did get pretty much.
00:01:22
Speaker
i don't know if I want to say entirely overshadowed. I mean, that's one of the things we'll talk about, but obviously Pedro de la Vega makes his triumphant return from injury in the 75th minute and then exits with,
00:01:35
Speaker
what appeared to be a muscle injury seven minutes he put in seven whole fire cooking minutes he looks great he looked he looked great he looked like the best player on the field for seven minutes almost scored immediately after subbing in they were getting him going in space he was ripping off on the counter like leagues cup 2025 pedro de la vega Man, and in the context of everything else that happened in the game, which was, you know, it was a win. I know we can get the caveat out of the way right off rip. I understand that it doesn't count. I understand that the opposition today was, how do we put this, not good, okay? not good. None of the goals count. The Roosnack goal doesn't count. The Roosnack, a good performance, doesn't count. None of it counts. The secondary definitely doesn't count. get that. But, you know, even with it acknowledged that none of it counts, given how things have been going in a seven-match losing streak, it was nonetheless... World victory, Ari. It was nice to see. It was nice to see them go out, outplay somebody, control the game like we talked about on our pod, and score some goals. It was nice to see Sebastian Gomez have a breakout performance. So...
00:02:46
Speaker
all of that had ah plus the day La Vega comeback. It had the vibes not salvaged or completely, you know, it's not like every problem on this team was solved, but it felt like there was at least like, you know, something positive to talk about and build on, get to talk about a win. And then to have it end like that is obviously just, I mean, it's a gut punch. You feel for Pedro, uh,
00:03:14
Speaker
Obviously him coming back and returning to form was a big part of the whole premise of how this team could maybe work its way back to relevance and be a contender for trophies this season. Now it looks like, i mean, we'll see what the prognosis is, but you have to imagine this is a multi-week setback. So You know, it it does. It does feel like a lot of the shine off the positives that we're, I still want to talk about the positives today, Noah, because I did enjoy watching the game and there was some genuinely good stuff out
Team Performance and Strategy Adjustments
00:03:43
Speaker
there.
00:03:43
Speaker
Even, you know, opponent notwithstanding, but God, man, it's just, it it's just, you you know I've Tebowed, I've Tebowed three times, Tebowed three times in the last three weeks.
00:03:55
Speaker
I Tebowed again today. God. Just like Tim Tebow, careers ended by injury on the Seattle Sounders. Man, what a what ah what a brutal end to a otherwise spirit uplifting. We do have to acknowledge, Ari.
00:04:15
Speaker
Seven games in a row, we stopped the bleeding. We cauterized the bleeding. We just did have to cut off a leg. That leg, Pedro de la Vega. That leg, you know...
00:04:28
Speaker
We can't play soccer anymore, maybe. But what we do know is that club record, seven losses in a row, it's over. It's done with. We're ready to turn the page. Does that mean that all the things are fixed? Absolutely not. I don't think that we've fixed a lot. But what I will say, Ari, we have to, we I think Chad should give us flowers.
00:04:49
Speaker
What did we say would help change this team? giving a little bit of structure at that sixth position. I said, I said, put Alex Roldan in that position. It will change the way this team plays. It did. And to your credit, it absolutely changed the way that Rusnak played. You...
00:05:09
Speaker
You literally. I took a little bit of heat for that too. People are like a few couple people really didn't like that. They took it how I was hoping people wouldn't take it, which is that I was like ah excuse making for him when in reality, I think I was trying to just point out a systemic issue that I was, ah that I was noticing.
Tactical Changes and Optimism
00:05:28
Speaker
But I do think you noticed when there was more structure and control in the midfield. I think a lot of it attributable to Alex rolled on getting put there. and you saw much more You saw a much more effective Albert Rusnak, and that is true even though they were playing a bad team. okay
00:05:42
Speaker
that Yes, and let's give our flowers to Peter Kingston, who we also said was going to be a core piece of this defense. Not of this defense, but of that double pivot. I think the best double pivot that I have seen outside of Christian Roldan and whoever's sitting next to him was literally the double pivot today of Alex Roldan And Peter Kingston.
00:06:07
Speaker
Peter Kingston was making dime dishers. He was absolutely moving it around, playing well, playing solid defensively, coming back. I mean, that was just so nice to see. It was so nice to see. It felt vindicating. But also, it just it felt good to see that there actually is an option out there that can make a change.
00:06:29
Speaker
The Seattle Sounders are getting back to their roots. We advocated for it on the pod this week. When you are the Seattle Sounders and you are in trouble, you have a tactical issue, you're up against it. What do you do? Who do you turn to? What's the solution?
00:06:42
Speaker
You put a rolled on on it. That's all you have to do, man. like The fact that they were unable to put a rolled on on it until Alex got ah got healthy, now they put one on it and the prospect's have improved a little bit. And, you know, we'll see if anything that we saw today is transferable to these games coming up or whether it really was them merchanting on a horrible opponent, like everyone's going to say. But I genuinely think that ah if they're able to give Alex the lion's share of that role, it's not going to turn them into like the greatest team ever. But i I would be surprised if it didn't at least help the situation make these decisions
00:07:24
Speaker
more competitive and the team more set up to try and compete for results than they had been before it. So, you know, that's something I know the bar's low right now. I know we're grasping at straws, but that's kind of what you have to do when you're on a seven match run of L's. So that that there's at least sometimes there's not even a straw to grasp, but I think that's a, that's a straw. Is that not a straw? That's a straw.
00:07:47
Speaker
It's a straw. You know, listen, we got
Player Contributions and Health Concerns
00:07:52
Speaker
one. And then ah the whole notion of Sebastian Gomez becoming a contributor for this team, that's been a straw that I haven't even, that's a straw that I haven't even attempted to grasp at.
00:08:04
Speaker
That straw got thrown at me. I just happened to catch it. And he, he looked really good today. Like, ah like outside of just the, the goal, which, you know, i thought that goal was nice to see because, ah you know, uh, the Sounders organizational philosophy, it's also, it's put a, rolled on on it, but it's also, how do we score Paul Rothrock at the, uh, at the back post? That is the only way this team has been able to score this year.
00:08:30
Speaker
And so what if, what if you had the winger on the other side, um, crashed the far post and Paul Rothrock to primary assists today. That was also nice to see. Cause I was thinking about this too, Noah, like he's the lead team's leading goal scorer this year, famously with, uh, with six, but part of what makes Paul Rothrock effective is his chops as a facilitator and his ability to, you know, put that, put those crosses in that service into the box. He's a guy that should be able to give you assist production as well. He's good at that.
00:09:00
Speaker
And because he's had to carry the entire goal scoring load for the team, we really haven't seen his attacking creativity from out wide as much for, I think, multiple reasons. But to see him actually unlock that part of his game again today, that was nice to see. And it was nice to see a starting number nine score goal. That was the first time all season in any competition. So that stat is now over with. So, yeah, I don't even know where I was. I'm straw grasping. I'm Sebastian Gomez.
00:09:31
Speaker
And we got to talk about Paul Rothrock more. Like, Paul Rothrock put he's my man of the match, truly. Like, I think his play today, in the face of being double teamed, in the face of getting slammed on the ground, in the face of absolutely getting beaten down. They were trying to kill him.
00:09:50
Speaker
He's played every goddamn minute of every game for the last, like, weeks and weeks and weeks. it It is... I don't know. I love him. Paul, congratulations. This was with vintage Paulie prime time. It was yeah it was vintage Paulie prime time. And it's like, again, the guy who the entire team's shoulders is on is making like $400,000. Yeah. He's making like a Amazon, like junior VP, junior executive level salary, which is crazy, which, okay.
00:10:22
Speaker
Now I got to talk about it, Ari. I got to talk about it Everyone got mad at me at the beginning of the season. Everyone had something to say about my take that we should not we should move on from Pedro because of his injury history. Everyone was chirping me in the comments online. You were chirping me. I just want to hear now. 2026, August. Six months, well, four months to five months into the season, Ari.
00:10:59
Speaker
Am I cooking? Am I cooking?
00:11:05
Speaker
I mean, you might, you might've cooked, but it's like, were they, was there ever any actual proposition that they were going to do that? And then like do what it, what it would have been required to get like a theoretical replacement, like based on what we've seen from this team,
00:11:24
Speaker
this year and really the last couple of years. ah I mean, I guess what I'm saying is it's like, whether you cooked or not, it wasn't like that was, that was not like a course of action that was ever going to actually be on the table. So, ah you know, you can, you can take, you can take your lap. I'm not begrudging you the lap you did say it, but ah really what they were always going to try and do is get him healthy and hope that that saved them. Yeah.
00:11:53
Speaker
And we'll see what, you know, maybe maybe he was just like, oh, you know, a little, I'm feeling a little something in there and i don't want to chance it. And then he's going to be fine. You know? Yeah.
Game Analysis and Coaching Reflections
00:12:02
Speaker
What, uh, I want to, you know, someone brought this up that, uh, first making 1.8 million. What was your thoughts on him? Not starting today.
00:12:09
Speaker
yeah I think it's probably leagues cup rotation. i don't think that like, well, yeah, you get Sebastian Gomez some minutes for sure. Yeah. Like, yeah, exactly. So, and then Ferreira came on and I thought it looked good too. He sprung the, ah the sequence that led to the last goal, a little winger moves there.
00:12:27
Speaker
He had that literal like um like exact... um How do you call it? like That same play that he had to Osase, that like nice through ball. It looked vintage. like He finds those passes. He's a nice pocket player. He's a nice like finding that pass player. I can't wait for him to be our number 10.
00:12:47
Speaker
i'm i'm I'm good with it. I'm good with it. We'll see if... ah you know He definite he has not been... He's not looked like himself during this losing streak, but and kind of like we talked about on the show this week, no one in the front four has with how just disjointed the entire operation has been.
00:13:06
Speaker
Yeah. So now that ah hopefully, hopefully this whole little Alex idea will offer some stability and structure to the midfield like we've been talking about and they can build on this.
00:13:19
Speaker
We'll see. You know, again again, like I already acknowledged four times, that everyone in the chat saying that it doesn't count and it's meaningless because ah the opposition was extremely subpar. they were They were extremely subpar. None of it counts. I get it. Also, I thought it was funny how much shit they talk considering the level of their team Yeah, they were chirping a lot. They loved to... what are you why are we Why are we chirping, boys? They literally, like, slammed... Okay, yeah, we have to I have to give a huge shout-out. Shout-out Max Anker, bro. Max Anker's down for this shit. He would die for this shit, bro. Max Anker, you are the man.
00:13:58
Speaker
You are the man. Protecting his number one goalkeeper because, like, his number one goalkeeper gets stepped on and pushed a little bit. Max Anker immediately up off the bench, ready to throw fucking hands. It's like, that is exactly what you need out of the guy who's probably not going to play for a while.
00:14:15
Speaker
That's the fight in the dog that we need, man. i didn't mind the sideline dispute. No, it was great. And then after, i don't know if you watched the video that we just posted, but literally it was like a da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da. Like they were in the middle of the field brawling, knew who's running around, running away from the whole thing, getting into the brawl, like so chirping. oh my God. It was giving me vintage Inter-Miami League's Cup shenanigans, which is great.
00:14:42
Speaker
Yeah. Which is great. Yeah, that was... ah At least added to the content. This game gave way more content than I was expecting. I wasn't expecting a ma max. If I told you before the game, we'd have max anchor sideline. Caleb knew.
00:14:56
Speaker
Caleb knew. Caleb gave max anchor drumsticks. He knew he was a dog. He maximum, maximum anchor. Maximum anchor. Yeah, no. Drop that goddamn anchor on the sideline. Dispute was funny. the The chirping was funny. It really like, honestly, I was ready to get on here and ah be like annoyingly positive, like positive to the point where we would get comments of like,
00:15:22
Speaker
it doesn't You guys realize that it doesn't count and everything is still terrible, but you know I was going to get on here and be like, yeah, Sebastian Gomez, which we're still doing, but it just feels like the De La Vegas situation just kind casts this like shadow.
00:15:35
Speaker
Yeah. Which... It is just sad. I was sort of considering... This guy has been talking for, I'm not lying, 20 minutes. I think he's been getting He's getting grilled right now. He's trying to campaign for his job right now. Yeah. Sorry. Sorry to that guy.
00:15:54
Speaker
Yeah, I don't know what's going on with him. don't know if you saw his fit. His fit is fire. He's got the athletic polo with the long-sleeve, tight compression shirt on here. That's a nice fit. And honestly, I kind of rock with it. I really like it. So, I don't know.
00:16:09
Speaker
um That's kind of, yeah. Yeah, no, we'll we'll throw the Schmetz presser up there as soon as it gets started. It just has not. Yeah, they do them in a traditional tournament style where they go one coach and then the next one all in the same media room. so Yeah.
00:16:24
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Thank you for the W Jewels and the 30 Jewels. Like, we love Jewels. We're big Jewel jewel guys in here.
00:16:36
Speaker
um It's called Sunscreen White boy What do you... what Are you talking about his fit?
00:16:45
Speaker
Is one of us burned? Am I crispy? I do burn, i'm but i'm not i I'm not burned right now, to my knowledge. i but I burn too, yeah. My lighting is still... Actually, what's very famous about us is that we are two mediocre white boys. That's like kind of like our part of our shtick here.
00:17:00
Speaker
I do look pink, but that's because the light above me is orange. Apparently, this coach is getting ah getting roasted. someone I think someone's listening to the presser, and he's getting he's under siege. Should we tune it in? Like...
00:17:14
Speaker
I don't really care, but. chiraia contin ma junarota image Oh, I turned the audio off. Sorry you guys. Hold on. You can do interpretation. Well, there's. grass yes women studies this is stillan you Good evening, Steven.
00:17:29
Speaker
Good to see you. Emiliano Rojas from Staff Deportivo. You were talking about the physical part of it. It was a difficult challenge. So mentally speaking, how are you dealing with the players because there were moments where.
00:17:47
Speaker
The sense of control was lost throughout the game, um and you said that these were three matches against powerful rivals, Pumas, the look in the league and all the teams you played against the league. So how can you get back up as a team that was that had of a shiny performance against Pachuca and was like lost her in this game.
00:18:16
Speaker
What's important is the next match. Like you said, this schedule is difficult. in our analysis, we need to see what players will be available for the upcoming match, given the importance that match has. And obviously, we don't like to lose.
00:18:36
Speaker
That's the first part. But mentally and game wise, I don't know if you have analyzed all games because I can tell you.
00:18:48
Speaker
All of them didn't end like that. So there are many things that can be considered takeaways. We did some good plays, but. I don't think this is too bad. I don't think that my team lost control That's football. That's soccer. So maybe this is just something. This is soccer. This is football.
00:19:16
Speaker
And that is that. So the match against Tigris ended up like that. You can go back and see it. i don't think the players lost control. After this result or the previous result, the club is up and running. Bro, how is this still going?
00:19:35
Speaker
Dude, he's just... None changes compared to the last game. You're off, bro. I'm sorry. You're cut off. We are cut off. Also, to say that the players didn't crash out after that game, but they fully were fist fighting on the field. Like, brother, what are we...
00:19:50
Speaker
what What are we talking about? any he time he had he had a cut He had a few of the buzz were the like catchphrases in there, but anytime you say that's soccer, that's and usually a negative sign.
00:20:02
Speaker
that usually mean Yeah, like holy ramble. Come on, brother. yeah you hit the, he hit the ah you know, we're on to the next match. everything The next game is the most important.
00:20:13
Speaker
We have to analyze who's going to be available. That's really important. You have to know who is going to be able to play yeah in your next game. That's just like, you got to have that. Baseline, baseline.
00:20:26
Speaker
Know who's available. I could be a coach, man. I could, I would just, I'd be so good at these pressers. Dude, I think, I think that's, that's actually really true. Like, I don't know how tactically good you would actually, I mean, i don't know. I feel like you could do it. no um I could, I could get, if I had Atlanta United's resources, I could get I could get them to the playoffs for sure.
00:20:47
Speaker
No, for sure. try That's true. I think anyone could get them to the playoffs, but what they have going on right now, like, I mean, honestly, I would, I would need, I would know they would need to give me, they would need to give me roster control. Is he still talking?
00:21:01
Speaker
Yeah. Oh, he's leaving. He's leaving. oh Noah's getting that tat. Dude, I low-key think I'm getting that teriyaki chicken tattoo. Like, I'm not even lying. What was the conditions of that again? If you who doesn't get sent off, even like it includes accumulation. He didn't get sent off.
00:21:16
Speaker
No, I know. But like the whole season, then I have to get it. Oh, okay. Okay. So. There we go. All right. All right. Here's our man. I got turn off translation.
00:21:29
Speaker
Hello, everybody.
Press Conference Insights
00:21:30
Speaker
Welcome to the 2026 League's Cup press conference for the Seattle Sounders versus Querétaro. We are joined by head coach today, Brian Schmetzer. If you need translations, I encourage you to please join the Zoom link where we will be having a live translation for the language of your choosing.
00:21:45
Speaker
We will start with questions person and then we will move to Zoom only if Thank you.
00:21:56
Speaker
ummoa com my sa comre doesn in the sal alone either innamomo on zoom cmfo we will start with questions in person and then we will move to zoom only if time allows thank you
00:22:09
Speaker
Brian, congratulations on the win. um What would you say the biggest difference from you guys was today?
00:22:17
Speaker
Scoring early. i mean, kid, second fastest debut goal, only behind Paul Areola. So we had a couple guys recently. But, you know, scoring the goal first gave us, gave the team a little bit more confidence. and we talked about a lot of things, Jeremiah, going into the game.
00:22:38
Speaker
about a belief in winning. you know, we we went through the coaching stuff, the details, you know, set pieces, front foot, you know, defend well, clean sheet, all that sort of stuff.
00:22:51
Speaker
But the focus was on them believing that they could win. And so that was the best way to start. If you want to back up a message like that is to score an early goal by a young kid who's got a ton of energy and Paul delivering two actually two really excellent balls. Second one to Musoski. So good way to start the first half and end the first half.
00:23:17
Speaker
Congratulations, Brian. I wanted to ask a little bit about Pedro, though. It seemed like the night or the day was going really well, and then um that was maybe the only blemish on the afternoon. A little bit of a dark cloud there. We'll, again, give you guys more information as we get it, but it's ah right now it's a left quad injury we don't know the severity of it uh it's not as reconstructed knee or anything like that so it's a muscular injury so we'll we'll give you guys more information about that uh in the next couple of days ryan this kind of backs up the first question match day minus one you did talk about belief scoring early and then we talked of the primary assist zone and two of the three goals came from
00:24:00
Speaker
going to primary system and getting to the middle, just like Albert Rusnako. What does it do for your offense when you can get the ball from the PAS to the top of the box?
00:24:12
Speaker
Well, it's statistically proven, and that's where most of the assists come from. But we also challenged our team to shoot more, to throw more balls in the box. You know, again, Seba Gomez hit a couple of early crosses, not early crosses, but crosses ah in the air. Paul Rothrock, header early. So we tried to get a few more balls into dangerous areas to be a little bit...
00:24:35
Speaker
you know, maybe more fortunate or more efficient or just better at scoring goals. So I think the combination of the two, you know, hopefully that can start to, you know, bear some fruit.
00:24:48
Speaker
Coach, you know, you talked about having the young guys play the double pivot. You brought Alex Rodon there for most of the game. How do you evaluate, you know, what he brought kind of a veteran presence? Well, the double pivot works. I mean, a couple of questions. I don't know if there's anybody out there that doesn't like it or thinks I'm stuck in a formation, but double pivot works when you have the right combination of players ah with the right mindset. Different games require different things. ah you know In the second half, we put Seba Gomez back there.
00:25:20
Speaker
ah It's a fluid sport. You know, if we played, you know, 3-4-3, there's still two pivots in the middle of the field. It's not 4-2-3-1. It's just testament to Alex having a lot of experience in connecting a few passes. It's all about Peter Kingston's enthusiasm for the game.
00:25:43
Speaker
And he's going to get better. you know, with these experiences, it's about Snyder Brunel, you know, you know, a lot of guys compare him to Obed. He's not Obed. He's a different player, but he's a super talented player. So when Christian comes back and Hassani comes back and we play with, you know, the right amount of intensity, ah yeah, you can control games from that position.
00:26:11
Speaker
Coach Brian, congratulations on the win. This is a win. Do you think that this win will bring the confidence to the team to start from here and on with a good momentum? Sure. It's going to help. Look, we still have a long way to go, Felipe. Again, realistically, we're, you know,
00:26:36
Speaker
going to have a tough stretch of league games when we come Vancouver, Austin and Cincinnati. So yes, we have to build some momentum. I thought you built, even with the bad results in Toluca, Steph's performance and he backs it up today, you know, gave the team belief.
00:26:53
Speaker
ah Seba scoring a goal gave the team belief. you know Look, Mark O'Neill coming on the field and winning a couple of tackles and Edson you know getting the ball on his left foot and going in. There's there's belief and you know positivity coming from different players within the team.
00:27:12
Speaker
So, yeah, I think it's going to help us. Hello, Coach. Congratulations. I want to ask you back to this double pivot because then you bring Gomez to that position. Where were you looking doing that?
00:27:27
Speaker
Well, because he's trained there. He's a talented player, good technical ability. ah So, you know, it was just we're we're we're we're trying to find some rotations where we can rest some players. And Alex had a minute restriction on him.
00:27:42
Speaker
So that's why we had to make the change. But, you know, we we brought Tino Lopez on and in there against DeLuca. You know, I can move Albert back there if I need to. So different options. But we selected Seba because he's a talented player.
00:28:01
Speaker
Brian, just for a second, um with Seba, though, or does that say anything about Jesus and his ability? um Because I think that's the second, I believe it's the second time Jesus hasn't started.
00:28:12
Speaker
That's rotation, Jada. I can't play everybody. I mean, we need we we got a game on Wednesday and then we got a three-game week. So, you know, the rotation of the squad based on you know, based on who plays, who started. Don't read too much into it. I'm very far away from a starting lineup if the players started tomorrow.
00:28:31
Speaker
And then just to um with the game, as it progressed, was there any need to kind of, ah you know, kind of help the players lock in a little bit? Because, you know, giving up late goals, things like that have also been um things that that have worked against you. Great question, Jada. Love that question. Yes, I was very happy with the clean sheet. Because even going down a man for the last seven, eight minutes, we were actually able to control the game with some possessions. You know, they weren't that long, but just enough to relieve pressure. Again, the determination, you know, they had a couple half chances there at the end of the game. So I was very pleased the way the team closed out the game.
00:29:11
Speaker
You know, a bit more about Seba there. what What have you seen from him this year that has gotten him into, you know a point now where he's getting some some regular appearances and that you had the faith in him to to start him today?
00:29:24
Speaker
Well, he's filled out physically. His athleticism is very good. ah But what I liked ah is just his technical ability under pressure.
00:29:36
Speaker
You know, it's got to be consistent technical ability under pressure, Jeremiah, before he gets to be a, you know, true impact starter in MLS. But he shows flashes of just being able to do the right thing in the right moment.
00:29:52
Speaker
And so he's earned those minutes. He's earned those appearances and he's earned trust not just from me and the coaching staff, but of his teammates.
00:30:03
Speaker
Hi, Brian. Congratulations. ah After this performance, you think you have um you have a more option for the next game? ah The game against Chivas, obviously a big game ah because there's two big clubs.
00:30:20
Speaker
I mean, Chivas is obviously a massive club in Mexico. We are a big club. ah So the lineups will depend on how we come out of this game. I'm going to have to make some changes because of the fixture congestion. But, you know, we'll see. We'll put a good team out there. Again, we want we're at home.
00:30:39
Speaker
And so we we want to make sure we entertain our fans. Hey everyone, Ari here. I'm excited to tell you about one of our sponsors, Hakes and Ferments. Hakeson is a Seattle-based hot sauce and vinegar brand, making some of the most flavorful hot sauce around. We've partnered up to craft a small batch green blended hot sauce fermented to perfection with bright flavor and medium heat.
00:30:59
Speaker
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00:31:13
Speaker
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Speaker
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Speaker
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00:32:03
Speaker
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00:32:15
Speaker
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00:32:41
Speaker
Thank you, everybody. That concludes our press conference for Queretero versus Seattle Sounders. Muchas gracias a todos.
00:32:51
Speaker
All right. That's that. Pedro Nelopega muscle injury.
Season Evaluation and Future Strategies
00:32:55
Speaker
We're back, baby. We're, but we're so back. Never been more back.
00:33:05
Speaker
You know... what what Did he say exactly what it was? I'm blanking. He said quad, i but I believe. Correct me if I'm wrong, Chet, but i think he said I think he said quad. We'll see what the exact prognosis is next week.
00:33:20
Speaker
But... ah I mean, I just, like I said earlier, you have to imagine that's a multi-week setback. So, I mean, i was, I already kind of felt this way going into the match, but now I think it's like solidified that anything they get from him this year is just like a bonus. It's icing on the proverbial cake. All right. If he, if he does come back at some point and they get him going, they get him fit and he's contributing and, uh, you know, God willing, they make the playoffs and he can make me, uh, maybe make an impact once those get started. But,
00:33:53
Speaker
Past that, I think it's just become a situation where you got to consider it ah wash for this year. Anything you get out of it is an added bonus. And then I think... We're doing this again? We're doing this bit again?
00:34:09
Speaker
do you mean? We've been doing it all season. Like, what's been different? did it last season. Yeah. We did it last season. And we did it the season before that. What was the... I can't do the, like, whatever we get is a positive when you have...
00:34:23
Speaker
When you spend $7 million. dollars I'm not saying it's a positive. I'm just saying like you can't bank on it. Oh, I mean, yeah. if you get it, then it's like great. I'm not going to be rooting against that happening, but it's just you can't like... Guys, guys, I'm not gloating over a Sounders injury. I don't want this to happen. It's just a conversation that we've had.
00:34:44
Speaker
Like, that's the truth. I want to make it clear... I want Pedro De La Vega to be the best possible player he can be. This has nothing to do with him as a person. I don't wish anything on anyone. It's like, how am I supposed to sit here and absorb this like shitty thing happening to a player who I...
00:35:06
Speaker
was very excited when he got here and want to play well. And we've seen this. It's just like the kind of situation of like, guys, this is what I was trying to tell you. And I was getting shit for it. And now like the shoes on the other foot, what's happening. So listen, you guys can be mad at me all you want. That's fine. But I just want to make it clear that like, I, I'm not here to say that I want Pedro to be injured or I want any sounders to be injured. In fact, it sucks ass. It sucks ass.
00:35:36
Speaker
I just want to make it clear. I had also, yeah, no, I, yeah, I'm, I, I also, i said a couple of weeks ago that this DP situation needs to be heavily addressed over the off season, even in a world, even in a timeline where De La Vega came back and was healthy, contributing, looked like a DP again. And he actually contributed down the stretch and in the playoffs, even if that had happened,
00:36:04
Speaker
you wouldn't be able to go into next year banking on him as a load bearing piece that can carry the load over 34 regular season games, all the tournaments that they plan. Yeah, that would, that would be a reckless bet at this point. And that would be true regardless of what happens this season. I think just, it's just that in the short term here,
00:36:28
Speaker
if we're talking about this team's chances of turning this losing streak around and cause they're still in playoff positioning and as bad as things seem right now, it's not like the craziest idea on earth that if they did get healthier and results were turning around a little bit that you never know what can happen in the playoffs.
00:36:47
Speaker
Right. So, uh, it's more like that kind of feels like it's, a far away idea now at this point. Let's what happens, but that's just... No, I agree with you. But really, as far as the long-term outlook is what I'm saying, over the offseason, what the DPs on this roster are going to look like next season, I kind of think the outcome of this season doesn't even really affect that because you have this situation where two out of your three DPs can't stay on the field and the other one, regardless of what you think about them, is 32. it really...
00:37:21
Speaker
so that it really As I talk through it right now, I don't really think like the long-term outlook of the roster is changed by this. It just sucks because yeah like any notion of them contending for anything this year was probably predicated on him getting healthy and fit and contributing. And also, he looked incredible today. like that's That's the... Yes, he did. He did look really Almost scored. He ah yeah he played seven minutes and he almost scored yeah and just looked like... He looked like ah he looks like he was having fun too.
00:37:54
Speaker
It's just just a bummer, man man. It's a bummer. Should we toss the ah the call link in there? Yeah, sorry, guys. I'm also like cooking up stuff right now as we as we do this. It's a classic ah classic lobbing scorchers bit here. But yeah, toss the toss the call link out. I'll pin it once you once you drop it in there if you want. oh do you want me to drop it in? Yeah, you can.
00:38:17
Speaker
Got to cut it, got it. Dropping the call link in chat right now.
00:38:27
Speaker
All right. Links in chat. Feel free to start tapping in, lay down some takes with us. Let us know what you think of a, of a dub for the Seattle Sounders, the losing streak coming to an end. But unfortunately another Pedro de la Vega injury. We got tribe in, in here to lead it off. We got James after that. And then Timbo after that, let's lead it off with.
00:38:46
Speaker
Our man tribe, welcome to the stage. What's going on, man? It looks like he's in the backseat of a car, so I think we're okay. It's my room. It's like background. I was like, is tribe driving in the pitch-ass dark right now? What's going on? Yeah. But ah what's up, man? 3-0 dub, so that's good. But ah Pedro de la Vega exits with another injury.
00:39:09
Speaker
That's less than ideal. How are you feeling? I mean, we were always supposed to win this game. They're one of the worst teams in Mexico and have been for a while. If we didn't win, it would solidify us as the worst team in MLS currently. As for Pedro De La Vega, I love him, but I've been thinking I like to call players like him a shut-up signing. It's a signing that a club makes to shut the fans up about not signing anyone. Because at that point, we had Leo Chu, we had Manungu, we had Morris, and up top, we still had Rui Diaz when he first signed.
00:39:42
Speaker
Did we really need another... ah ah winger. We should have signed a number nine and that was the whole situation, but no, they signed a winger. I love De La Vega, but I'm just saying he's another injury prone player that we didn't really need at that time that we just dropped 7 million on. That was a gamble.
00:39:59
Speaker
I don't like gambles with $7 million. dollars I like gambles with proven players in this league and in in in the Mexican league. I don't like this sort of gamble, especially with injury prone players. But as for this game,
00:40:13
Speaker
okay performance. We should won. was a little bit scary that that I'm not going to pronounce the other team's name, that they had the amount of chances that they did because we hers well first of all, we're home.
00:40:27
Speaker
We play like beasts when we're home, especially in League's Cup for whatever reason. ah And second, we have a very, very strong back line. But the ah attacking ah play, Albert Russnock, Paul Rothrock, my God.
00:40:41
Speaker
that that they they are setting everything up and they they're looking back and better than ever. It was, ah it was vastly improved from, ah from that perspective, the De La Vega thing, man, it is ah like, I, I understand what you're saying about not liking gambling. And I think, especially now that we've kind of are seeing what the outcome is, it it looks like a bad gamble.
00:41:05
Speaker
I also, man, like, uh, It's just tough because I feel like they had the talent correctly evaluated. And I understand that that's not like what it's about at this point. Like they were definitely gambling on a player that had already done an ACL. ah But I do it watching him today. it was, I was also like, man,
00:41:25
Speaker
like the ability is all there for what you want. He's a special player. He's a special player. And that's what you want out of those spots on your rosters, those special players and those needle movers. And like I was saying this a couple weeks ago, like the talking point of like this team never has Evander. I'm like, they kind of do. He just doesn't play. But like he technically is on the roster.
00:41:46
Speaker
it's like We need to to have ah some attacking spark other than um just Musovsky and Derisario up top.
00:41:57
Speaker
and And we can't just be signing wingers for $7 million dollars to shut up the fans once every four years. We can talk about who we are potentially going to sign, which is a striker.
00:42:08
Speaker
And do we think i want like do you think that some 22 to 26-year-old striker is going to be effective? Are we talking about the one that' that's potentially coming from Europe?
00:42:20
Speaker
The Danish guy. yeah i agree Yeah. No, I don't. It's a gamble. Most likely. It's still a gamble. I mean, no, i want someone proven either in Mexico or or in the United States that has been doing it for a good while. just I want that profile player. i I'm not complaining completely. i like that where where we might get someone, but again, i it has to be someone good. you know i want the next four to six years to
00:42:53
Speaker
to look like we have an absolute beautiful star up top, you know, like just remember when we could flex Raul Ruiz Diaz. Oh my God. Imagine, that remember how good that felt, how amazing it was, ah him with Ladero.
00:43:06
Speaker
I want that again. That's exactly what I want. You know?
00:43:11
Speaker
Take me back. Take me back. Tribe, anything else before we get ah James in here? And then we got Timbo, Mauricio. We got Gianni. We got CW. We got the whole gang. But any last takes, Tribe?
00:43:26
Speaker
Nah, just ah shout out, Kenny. Shout out, Caleb. Love those guys. ah ah Hopefully, hopefully we'll we'll start to see the regular season ah have an upward spike.
00:43:39
Speaker
If not, it's good because then we'll be able to have some major changes in the club finally. So it's a win-win situation because it can't get worse than it is right now.
00:43:50
Speaker
So with that being said, i love you guys. Let's go. Appreciate you, Tribe. Good win. We won. but We won. A win. The losing streak is over. All right, let's get James in here, see what he has to say
Player Management and Fan Engagement
00:44:05
Speaker
about all this. He can give us the final locked in I made my posts. Okay, hell yeah.
00:44:10
Speaker
James, you're on the stage. Welcome in. What's up, man? The losing streak is over, but Pedro De La Vega is injured again. What'd you see? What'd you think? Well, I wanted to comment on the...
00:44:21
Speaker
debate you guys were having earlier about Pedro de la Vega, because I think you're both right. I think that Noah was right that we should have moved on. And I think that Ari was right that that was probably not viable, just giving the predilections of the owner and the general manager. yeah They don't seem to want to, ah they they seem to be big believers in the sunk cost fallacy.
00:44:44
Speaker
This was a story Nico Moreno was talking about that I either never heard or didn't remember that we had a trade lined up with Raul Ruiz Diaz to send him to New England yeah in like summer of 2024. And we just didn't do it because it was like, well, we're not going to go out and get another designated player.
00:45:02
Speaker
um And I think that that sort of shows really the problem with Craig Weibel, which is an inability to work under the constraints that he's been given. Because if you look at Pedro de la Vega, there are options here.
00:45:15
Speaker
Um, are we going to cut him a $2 million dollars check to buy out his contract? Probably not. I don't know that a hand arrow has that much cash sitting around. Uh, but there are things that you could do.
00:45:26
Speaker
you could put them on season ending injury. Uh, that opens up a DP spot. And then if you do decide to bring in Tang Stead, then that at least you're not blowing a ton of gam on him.
00:45:38
Speaker
So that's an option. You could, essentially let him walk for free. and try to find somebody who is willing to take a risk on him because you look, maybe if he goes back to South America, he goes to a team that plays on real grass.
00:45:51
Speaker
um And I know Ari's not completely convinced by that argument, but you know, that, that could be an option and maybe it'll take up some or all of his salary.
00:46:02
Speaker
And again, you've got the same situation. You're clearing out a DP spot. And even if you just move Jesus into that spot, that's still saving you a ton of gam.
00:46:13
Speaker
I mean, Jesus eats at least a million dollars in gam every year and probably more than that. So there are options here beyond just sort of hoping that he gets fit.
00:46:24
Speaker
I really don't think it's fair to him at this point. um Like, yes, there was some flashes there. I thought he looked slow. um And I think that, you know, the situation that we're in now where we are struggling for points, we're on that playoff bubble.
00:46:41
Speaker
We're at a point where basically every game could feel like a playoff game. And you're taking a young player whose knee is is very precarious. And these are not these are not early season, midweek games away to Colorado, right?
00:46:56
Speaker
where it's kind of like, yeah, whatever, you know, these are all important games. He's going to push himself. I think that's just who he is. And he's not going to be in a position to get healthy. So season ending injury, try to find a taker.
00:47:09
Speaker
I think that's the best thing to do.
00:47:12
Speaker
Do you think they will? Because it's not, I think season ending injuries, is probably out of all those options, the one that i could see may like maybe happening depending on what the prognosis ends up being. But I'm also just like, we're at the point in the season where I don't think they can place them on it anymore because you have to, it Oh, is there like a deadline on there before the secondary transfer window?
00:47:38
Speaker
i thought it was before the close of the secondary transfer window before the opening. Because I thought it was the close as well, but I just picked it up. Yeah, that actually makes sense. And if the injured player is a designated player, yeah, you can replace them.
00:47:52
Speaker
um And yeah, I think there's probably some like...
00:47:59
Speaker
They'd probably have to negotiate with him. i mean, unfortunately, that they probably should have done that earlier in the season if that was going to be an option. But I think that goes to the point like, there have been options out there, but there's been inaction because it's you, again, to to what Tribe said, you're gambling on one outcome happening,
00:48:21
Speaker
And so what we were saying of like Vancouver, if this happened in Vancouver, then just go like sign someone. So we're kind of in this situation of like, you have options on the table.
00:48:32
Speaker
You've made your decision and your decision isn't necessarily risk-free, even though you want to present it like that.
00:48:41
Speaker
Which I think, think if they put them on season ending injury in February, i mean, i think that's probably... a way You get way more time to find a replacement. You get way more time to figure out what you want to do with him because now...
00:48:57
Speaker
What are you going to do? Like, I think, I think their idea, it seemed was going to be, let's figure out what we want to do with Pedro by letting him play out the rest of the season. We'll slow roll him. We'll get him going. And then if he balls out, we'll figure out if we want to give him a high Tam deal. We'll figure out if we want to let him walk. We'll figure out if we want to trade it. We figure, you know, we'll figure out what to do. We just need to see some more minutes from the kid. And it's like, damn.
00:49:21
Speaker
i i think I think that plan – I will say this. you know ah that is That is what their plan was, yeah clearly. And I think that made sense in ah in a world where you can expect to like have him available for more than seven minutes. And a world in which you don't have 11 injuries. Yeah. Like we don't live in that world right now, but like ah if, if there was normal, if there was even normal league average injury situation with this team right now, that might've actually worked like my, that might've been the, not only worked, but been the smartest thing to do. Cause then you could actually get more of an evaluation on, on, on what you said, like what you want to do and how you want to handle it, which now it's like, it feels like the situation just kind of chalked, but I guess we'll see.
00:50:10
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, I just, I really, to ah man, I feel so bad for the kid. You know, it's just to put him in this situation, i just don't think is fair. I also don't think it's fair that apparently a player can go down one day after the secondary window opens and you can't put him on season-ending injury. That seems flawed.
00:50:30
Speaker
um But, yeah, I mean, i um you know, you were talking about Tangstead a little bit. I mean, I'm sort of, um I never write off anybody in MLS coming to MLS.
00:50:43
Speaker
Plenty of players with no pedigree have come here and scored a lot. ah But right now we're talking about our $7 million dollars player who we are desperate to offload in any way possible. That is not a track record that ah it leads me to believe that we should give Weibel any more time on this stuff.
00:51:00
Speaker
You know, if I really think this is just a play the kids season. Maybe they surprise us. I mean, Sebastian Gomez, a very good run, very good finish. ah You know, and we'll and we'll learn where we need to be for next year.
00:51:12
Speaker
But, you know, bringing in a a panic by a striker, i don't think that's what we need. I don't think it's going fix everything, I should say. You know, we're 22nd in expected goals.
00:51:24
Speaker
So ah are we underperforming? We're underperforming our expected goals by like two goals. So if he comes in there, I mean, it it isn't. I mean, it's a creation problem.
00:51:36
Speaker
ah to me more than anything. you know, unless he's, yeah. Tank said can come in and just yeet them from, from 25 yards, like a Raul could do or, or dribble through, um dribble through a bunch of guys like Dempsey or Oba, you know, that could be a game changer, but you pay, you, you spend more money you spend more money than we have to get that. So you look like a moose. That's a little bit more dynamic, but like everyone knows my, my kind of qualms with moose.
00:52:03
Speaker
I said it in my video that I talked about this. I would still rather take moose than spend all of this money on this. Like, it It just like doesn't make sense to me. Is he going to be that like, right? Yeah. Like Moose, but a little more dynamic is probably.
00:52:18
Speaker
and on a DP. About the level that you can expect for, for what they're paying or rumored to be paying for him. So. Well, well, Moose Moose is doing actually okay in the, in the international competitions this year in MLS. He is whiffing at a Hebert level.
00:52:36
Speaker
The last I checked, it was like one goal against 3.5 XG or something, which is which is pretty much Hebert. Oh my God, that is such Hebert. Yeah, he's Hebert Maxx.
00:52:49
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, better. I wish you hadn't said that. That's it's seared in my brain. but i mean That was all predictable. like like Danny Musavsky is not a good soccer player. He's very good at at ghosting and getting open.
00:53:04
Speaker
You know? and and getting tap-ins, that's a real skill. That's a legit skill. I don't want to downplay it, but everything else he's really not very good at. And so if you're not pumping, you know, if you're not pumping in a bunch of 0.8 XG chances, he's not going to create anything for you.
00:53:24
Speaker
um but And I don't know that Tangstead really changes that equation. so Yeah, I guess we'll find out. James, any last quick takes, and then we're going get Mauricio in here. No, thank you very much for having me. I hope you have a great Sunday.
00:53:37
Speaker
Appreciate you, man. Great stuff as always. Noah's got his, ah Noah's got his Las Vegas lights moose kit.
00:53:49
Speaker
Sorry, I had to bring it out for the moose discord. No, it's a fire item. I still can't believe able to drag it. He did sign it, and he said that it was one of the sickest things that he's ever signed.
00:54:00
Speaker
So I do appreciate it. It's got to be the sickest thing he's ever he's ever signed. I mean, come on. yeah What are we talking about? Who's got the the Las Vegas Lights moose kit? Like, who's got that but me? I think I'm literally the you' the only one in the country. Let's get Mauricio in here. But real quick, everyone do us a favor and like the video if you have not yet. That's an important thing to do. Also, i know there's at least one person out there who hasn't subbed to the YouTube that's listening to this right now. And we're on the road to 4K and we made it to 3.9 today, but then we like lost one and now we're at like $38.99. So I need to, for my OCD, I need to get us to...
00:54:35
Speaker
but back over 3.9 and then at that point the road to 4k is in uh it's gonna be like double digits so that's exciting but help us on that road to 4k uh but all right let's get mauricio in here mauricio you're on the stage what's up man a uh a win for the seattle sounders the losing streak is over uh but pedro de la vega does leave with another injury how are you feeling man what'd you think Man, ive I feel like... So, first of all, I'll paint the picture. I was just having lunch with my girlfriend while we were, you know, going to watch the game. And i see that glorious number 10 flash on my screen. I'm like, oh my gosh, let's fucking go. Mike Pedro's back. I thought there was no timeline. I thought, you know, there was no whatever. And I was like, oh my gosh, okay, finally, we can see this.
00:55:23
Speaker
Comes in. Honestly plays really good. Really, really good. Creating those chances and stuff. And then I see him fall. And knife I legit wanted to cry. am i i like I did the T-bow. I T-bowed. I did it. i did it um I'm like, dude, how? You know, a guy that like... I'm the biggest Pedro fan. I love Pedro. I love Jordan. Maybe maybe my goats are are washed already. maybe Maybe they can't play anymore.
00:55:51
Speaker
But goddamn, that just broke my heart, man. But I'm glad we won 3-0, even if it was against Querétaro, which is not one of the best teams. think important for the They were like mid-orget table last year, though.
00:56:03
Speaker
They're pretty bad, but it's one of those it's one of those things where it's like you can't win because if you go out and beat the shit out of them like you're supposed to, everyone's like, well, that doesn't count because they suck and you were supposed to win. But then if you had lost that game, everyone would be like, wow, you guys really are the worst team in Seattle Sounders history for losing that So there's no way you can come out of that game like with ah a universal, like positive takeaway like that. But that's why, you know, ah I think with what we saw over the losing streak, a performance like we saw it today, it doesn't matter who the opponent is right now. It like really doesn't. Like you have to just put in a good performance like that and get a result, get a win, score some goals. And, uh,
00:56:43
Speaker
Also, ah what what were your thoughts on the lineup, Mauricio? Because i like we like seeing the Alex Rodon double pivot, but then we we advocated for changes just to like throw curveballs and change things up. And I think a Seabass start and ah a Peter Kingston, Alex Rodon double pivot, that qualifies. That was something that was interesting to watch at least.
00:57:03
Speaker
Yeah, no, definitely. I think the lineup was was really, really good. I think I like that switch up. I do like Roldan. In that double pivot, I think... I honestly think they played great. I think even if it was middle of the team, whatever, Queretaro, it being a team, but just some difference. Some difference. I think, you know...
00:57:21
Speaker
I don't know. it was just it was It was nice to see that. It was nice to see that that lineup. Musavsky starting over Osaze. I do like Osaze a lot. um I know, you know, the Musavsky... I don't know. I think I do like Osaze a little bit more than Musavsky up top, but um I think it it is good to switch it up every now and then because Osaze sometimes lacks the the finishing. i know Musavsky can always kind of finish it off, but... um Yeah, I think Sebastian Gomez, too. Great game by him. um Kind of came out of nowhere and put on a good performance. So I think it was a great lineup.
00:57:57
Speaker
Moose, I continue to think if you just combined Moose and Osaze into the same player, you would have such a sick... You would. like you You would get a good player. high not distant needs you would That's what you would have. yeah I think it's hard for me to... I like i know that...
00:58:13
Speaker
Osadze De Rosario was older and like his pedigree is not there and like he shows good moments, but it's like at this point his at his stage in development, like he should be a lot better.
00:58:25
Speaker
It's still difficult for me to want to just like throw him in the trash can. like... ah you know it's it's like I wonder how much of it is him and how much of it is like, none of the, sound whenever a Sounders number nine starts, they're unable to score unless, well, today, Danny Mussovsky, first one, finally breaking that streak. But I wonder how much of that is like, how they're getting played in, like what their strengths are, how they're being asked to play. Like, i don't know. It's an interesting situation. And,
00:58:57
Speaker
I think to speak about like the striker transfer a little bit more. i always feel like if you're going to spend money at the striker position, it's always inflated. Like attacking positions are always inflated when it comes to transfer fees. So if you're like, well, we're only going to spend...
00:59:11
Speaker
$2 to $4 million dollars on a striker, how much better are they realistically going to be than someone you can either get inside of MLS or bring up through your academy? Like, if every... Like, we talked about how good Danny Musavski looked because of all the pieces that were around him, right?
00:59:28
Speaker
We're looking at Danny Musavski now like, eh, he's nothing special. But, like, when you have all the pieces around your striker... you can figure it out. So I don't know. That's my kind of argument around the striker situation. It's unfortunate. And also I'm like, damn, I don't want to spend $2 million. Like if you're going to spend $10 million dollars on a striker, fuck hell yeah.
00:59:49
Speaker
But like, I don't know. i feel like there's this like weird in-between space of money that's like, you're trying to get value, but you're like, you're like one out of a hundred.
01:00:01
Speaker
When you spend more money, you're like one out of 10. You're one out of 10. Yeah. And I think that's the biggest thing too. I think everybody, I know the brigade and everything is always calling for a number nine and signing a number nine. Well, I think, yeah, I do agree. We do need a number nine.
01:00:15
Speaker
I don't think that's just going to solve all of our problems upright. And as soon as we sign that person and they don't perform because our middle, our mid can't take a pass or can't give a pass to him or set him up for a, for anything, they're going to be like, this was the worst signing, get rid of Craig, fire Brian. You know, they're just going to light the whole thing on fire. But I'm like,
01:00:33
Speaker
ah We need, and it sounds like I might be, you know, Craig Vrabel's favorite fan, but, and and Brian's, but like, it truly is. Injuries have been screwing us this whole fucking season. We need our players back. We need Christian, um even Jordan. I mean, he's my GOAT, but we need all these players back. Like we, we need them. It's, it's hard to say that. Like if we had everybody back and we were on this seven game losing streak, then I can see kind of the progression of saying, Hey, you know, something is really, really up. But with all these injuries for people to say, you know, hey, sign a nine and wait it's going to solve all our problems. I don't think that's there.
01:01:12
Speaker
Yeah, it's with and with the number nine in particular. It's a position that is inherently like dependent on other positions and the functionality of the whole operation, like more so than other positions And I do think it's like we've been talking about it on our show, but it's worth being mindful of the fact that like any any number nine you put in there in a dysfunctional ecosystem is probably going to return similar.
01:01:43
Speaker
Unless you got like like James was saying like a freaking like Zlatan guy or or like, you know, a Rui Diaz who was able to create goals out of nothing. But even even that, like when when this team's offense was just let Raul try and score bangers, that was not a good offense. Like he, he was at his best when everything around him was resulting in him getting looks on goal. It's pretty like, uh, you know, it's, it's not rocket science. It's yeah. But it's kind of just, yeah, I'm around him. It's yeah. I can't just be the number nine doing everything. And another, I wanted to address another thing. I think I saw the comments saying,
01:02:18
Speaker
They hated seeing New Who fight and everything, all these fights at the end. I love that, dude. I'm like, you know what? There's some fire there. There's there's a little bit of spark. Like, hey, let's fucking get pissed. you know Yeah, you just lost seven straight. You won. Of course you're to a little bit something to say.
01:02:33
Speaker
Yeah, let's talk shit. you know Let's have New Who be our camped. Let's fucking... in You know, let's let's have them fight somebody. i don't know. But it it at least shows a little bit of fire from someone, you know, like that. We talk so much after that Portland game of like, do you guys even realize like what the magnitude of what's going on right now? it Like really just does not look like it. So, you know, you don't want to go over the line with scrapping it up like that. But yeah, yeah a little chirping, a little trash talk. Not the worst thing for a team that's been as down bad as this team. But ah Mauricio, great stuff, man. You got any last takes you wanted to get out there to bring it home? And then we're going to get Gianni in here.
01:03:07
Speaker
Um, no, man. Thank you guys so much, everybody. Make sure you like subscribe. Lobbing sculptures. Let's go, baby. Shout up Appreciate you, man. you so much, man. Take care. guys Yeah. While we're on that, uh, topic.
01:03:20
Speaker
Subscribe to the new website as well. Independent entity, lobbingscorchers.com. Written content, lots of new exclusive written content coming next week. We're going to be heating up. So if you have not subscribed yet, shout out to everyone who has. I've been ah very pleased and heartened to see like how many people are subbing and giving ah paid subs very generously before we've even really gotten it like heating up and rolling yet so appreciate that but a lot more to come for ah for those who have not subscribed yet Gianni you ready got you on the stage right now what's up man the losing streak is over Gianni's loud oh how loud am I hold on I can't I can bring your just talk just talk all right yeah sorry about that no that sounds a little coming in hot
01:04:15
Speaker
Yeah, you're good. Go for it. Give us your takes. so Yeah. Lay it on us. Yeah, i mean, it's awesome that we got this win. It's about time we got how the starting striker actually score a fucking goal, um even though was just the weirdest fucking thing. that That goalkeeper is horrendous, and we kind of made him pay for it. So, you know what? That's fine.
01:04:34
Speaker
Fair play. um Paul Rothrock with that first fucking assist, though, that was just an absolutely gorgeous pass. That was a sick goal. line I mean, there was it was on his first touch, too, off his left foot. And it was it was nice to actually see someone else crashing the back post.
01:04:50
Speaker
well Yeah. You can do that. You can do that. It's the guy who crashes back post. You are allowed to crash the other one. There's one other person does that? You are allowed to crash the other one. It does not have to be Rothrock's post.
01:05:02
Speaker
Yeah. so I mean, that was really awesome. It's nice to see that there was some energy in the team. um Gomez fucking stud, dude. yeah he's been He's been good. That little dish off to Albert for the for Albert's goal was just, that's just heads up play.
01:05:21
Speaker
Knowing that Albert's there and knowing that he doesn't have that shot because of the placement of the defender. There's too many people who just like blast that into the shins of the defender. It just goes fucking everywhere. um So it was cool. ah Yeah. And then the whole Pedro of it.
01:05:39
Speaker
My brother's in Christ. Like, what the fuck are we doing here? Like, I get that this man is signed for the end of 2027. I get that we are probably not going to buy him out.
01:05:51
Speaker
But are we going to sit him on the bench again and just keep riding this thing out? Like we rode out what six months of injuries last year. We're going to ride out another what six, eight months of injuries this year.
01:06:06
Speaker
If you're going to pay a guy not to play, might as well pay him not to play for you. Yeah, I mean, they famously did that with Raul. They just sat him on the bench. So, I mean, I think you have to look at what they've done in the past to look to the future. And i don't think, like, honestly, listen, I don't actually think it makes any sense to, like, unless someone is here willing to trade for him or take him, take his salary. You can try and do that loan thing that ah San Diego just did with L.A.
01:06:39
Speaker
Yeah, like, unless you're willing to do something like that, which... I don't know that we have enough creation. No disrespect Craig Weibach. Like, I think he thinks he's already on the out. Why would he give a shit to even, like, attempt to do something that complex?
01:06:53
Speaker
Like, o it almost just makes sense to just... it Like, 2027, right? Like, 2027... It's the end of it. It's not this year. And so, what are we going to do Are we going to do this again next year?
01:07:07
Speaker
I really don't. That's the problem. I, okay. Maybe I'm hoping against hope here, or I'm being naive. How would they, how would they sell?
01:07:17
Speaker
how would they sell going into next season with this exact same DP situation when two of them have barely played in the last two years? And the other one is famously polarizing to begin with, but also he, we, we like Bruce neck and think he's been a good DP on the team. He's 32. Like you, when you have two guys,
01:07:36
Speaker
two injury prone guys that don't play and another guy who's getting up in age and you, whose future you were going to have to evaluate anyway. I find it hard to believe that they would attempt to, to sell that, but you know, the resources are such. So the resources are as such.
01:07:54
Speaker
Yeah, if you're if we're going to just going to be the broke boys, I mean, we broke boys FC. Yeah. um I mean, if the rumors are true that we're going after Tangstead and he's going to have to be a designated player, they're obviously trying to do something with one of our designated players, at least. I just think it's silly because it's not his fucking salary that's making him a designated player. his transfer fee. It's his trade transfer fee. And they want to get close to that six million. You're telling me you're going to have to make a DP because of a transfer fee, but you're also limiting yourself on a transfer fee? um
01:08:26
Speaker
Stupid, broke shit. What the fuck are you doing? it' it's the guy It's the most galaxy brain shit that I've ever heard. like It's like the Always Sunny game. It's like 4D chess, except we're trying to play with checked checkers pieces. like you though the chess can we doing yeah We're eating pieces, chess pieces.
01:08:45
Speaker
Yeah, like, instead of drying up the contracts with crayons, we're fucking shoving them in our nose. Yes. Yes. Because, like, I don't get it. I don't get it at all. If you're going to sign a designated player, you want them to be one of the best players on your team. But you see this player as someone who may not necessarily need to be in that or you're trying to get them on a TAM or you're trying to it's like there's so much bullshit maneuvering that happening.
01:09:11
Speaker
Why are you do why are even doing that? like I think part of it is with an eye towards the new ah the new CBA. But it's like you can't you can't bank on that, man. Like, I get it. But you know, Adrian is on that board. He's one of the people making the decision on that. So he may have some inside information, though I'm not sure if he's actually legally even allowed to act on that.
01:09:36
Speaker
So, he does yeah, I mean, like, it's kind of this gray area. Like, it's all about the framing. of Get it? It's all about the framing of how you provide the information because he's a frame mogul. That was the yeah that love the big guy. I'll give you that one. Thank you. but Thank you.
01:09:51
Speaker
If he has some inside information and let's not act like a let's not act like Miami is in bending the old. They're bending the rules to do shit, too. So, like, this could be the way that yeah but people want to go there. That's the difference. Yeah, people do want to go there. but And Craig admitted that it's Seattle is not a place that people want to go.
01:10:12
Speaker
i don't know. As I'm looking outside, and it's bright and sunny. and 65,000 people used to come to these games and every everyone on the USMNT was just raving about how great the city and the environment was. i'm like, yeah, why would I? Nico Lodaro came here. Louie Diaz came here. So many guys old m game people fred jonesberg came here. came here. Famously, he was a great signing. Yeah, yeah. It worked out really well for us.
01:10:40
Speaker
He liked to sit in first class while everyone was sitting coach. It's cool. yeah It's all good. I'm wearing my 09 jersey just to try and like get a little bit of that steez back but you know MLS 1.0, 2.0 was so sick when they would fly like public and they would like, yeah, you get the DPs up front. It was like really funny. Like that shit. We were talking to Will Bruin. You guys should go back if you haven't and watched our Will Bruin interview. That's some of the sickest like deep cut MLS 1.0 content you'll ever see. like Like when half the team were like bankers and bank tellers and yeah shit like that. It was the wildest time in the world. Like it's... Yeah.
01:11:18
Speaker
I mean, I'm not saying that I agree. I want to make it clear. I'm not saying i agree with Craig Weibel that people don't want to come here, but what he says publicly is that he's Seattle as a city doesn't overcome the lack of finances, the lack of salary, the lack of ability to pay what l LA, New York, Miami, Chicago, um yeah Kansas City, ah who else is spending you know ah tens of millions of dollars on salary? like That's what I'm saying. It's like Josh Sargent even in Toronto. Toronto spends big money. Seattle, as as beautiful as a city as it is, no one cares if the money's not there.
01:11:58
Speaker
And the money's not there. Self-admittedly by Mr. Craig Weibel himself. Yeah. It's just
Criticism and Improvement Suggestions
01:12:05
Speaker
brutal. like the It's the hard facts of this. but I also don't understand the point of Brian Tengstead. I was looking up some of his stats. He's That's kind of where I'm at. Not scoring that many goals. It's not like he's this prolific goal scorer. It's not like he's up and coming. Rui Diaz was a golden boot winner in Liga Amekis. This guy is like, like I think. He has to have flamed out of Benfica.
01:12:28
Speaker
Yeah. the danish league Then he got signed to a Norwegian team. I think Noah's like moose, but slightly more dynamic is probably like about pinning it. Like another, another take. i that's yeah That doesn't make you worse, but like, okay. But why are we signing another version of a player we already have? Yeah. That is not, we aren't able to really facilitate them. And when we make subs, it doesn't change the way teams have to defend us.
01:12:57
Speaker
We can't keep signing the same players. You have to have some dynamism that you're able to bring in from the bench. You have to have, like... gear changes like when we brought on pedro it was a gear change for the five seven fucking minutes that he was on the field he was moving around he was actually disrupting the shape of the defense but the defense because he would move away it would create pockets of space for other people to run into we have so many players on the field that love to just kind of sit and occupy their space and just not fucking move
01:13:31
Speaker
So what like we're going to go get another guy who likes to kind of stand around, who isn't super dynamic, who probably isn't going to be running in behind the defense. And Yash, like we've got Jordan. But I mean, like, do we actually have Jordan?
01:13:47
Speaker
Not right now. do Are we even confident that he is going to play meaningful minutes this year? no Or is he going to get hurt again? like These fucking muscle injuries are killing his... It's killing the value too to the team from him.
01:14:04
Speaker
Same as Pedro now. So it's like, we have Moose and we have D-Row. These guys play very similar styles of soccer. We need something different than that.
01:14:17
Speaker
We can't... And then when you do that and then you start playing with a pocket winger... Then you don't have anyone running up the right side either. So you only have pay ah you only have Paul running up the fucking left side.
01:14:32
Speaker
It's just absolutely fucking bewildering that it's like, okay, you we dropped Ferreira today. We actually put someone out on the wing who's going to run and look what fucking happens. Yeah, you have another back post runner. Yeah, because Ferreira is never going to do that.
01:14:47
Speaker
Yeah, it's not really his game. No, and you can actually start getting service in from there. And if you want to have a target forward, you have to have service coming in from the ones. Yeah, and that's not that's genius because, yeah, especially if you put Ferreira at the 10, Rusinak ages out of his contract. Let's say he wants to come back. I know people don't like this, but let's say he takes a senior minimum or five hundred k or something. You know, like he takes a massive pay. know what, just put, like, Tam is fucking fake money. Give him Tam money.
01:15:13
Speaker
Yes. So, you know, whatever you, you, you keep them on the roster. Jesus Ferreira moves into that number 10 position. i don't know what his escalators, who fucking, you know, whatever, like i don't want to whatever, but then you have, yeah, you, you play a double winger situation where you can get service in and we can go back to classic Brian Schmetzer, slam the ball into the box, 5 billion crosses,
01:15:35
Speaker
Just see what happens. just Yeah, because we know that D-Row can head the ball. We know that Moose can head the ball. If we have players who are capable of playing like that, why are we not facilitating that? like These are the guys. like you You want increase our XG?
01:15:51
Speaker
Fucking start playing the way they need you to play. Yeah, balls up over the top instead of more direct. I want to increase the XG so bad. Gianni, before we get CW in here, what are your takes? So we've been talking about all these injuries. and are someone No, you're good. We've had these situations where with both Jordan Morris and Pedro De La Vega repeatedly now where it's like they they rehab, you think that they should be in the clear, they ramp up and they come back and they immediately get hurt. And invariably, even more people are talking about on. on with the trainers with the medical staff there's got to be something wrong like what's the scapegoat where where do you where do you come down on all that like do you do you question the training staff do you think there's anything to this like that's deeper than just horrendous luck or what is why is it that like these guys like can ramp up and rehab and then just can't jog 10 minutes without doing it again
01:16:48
Speaker
Well, so here's the thing. Like if it's not game R2, then what could it possibly be? Because it's, I know that there's this tension between coaching staff and front office where front office always wants the players back to get back to a hundred percent before they start getting into games. Coaches always want to get players back as fast as they can so they can use their players. The problem and like the trainers just supposed to be the ones informing these guys of when they're at 100% and wait when they're kind of game fit. If we can't actually identify when that is, I don't see how it can be anyone but the training staff.
01:17:27
Speaker
Like, who else is going to tell you? Because though that's their job. Their job is to let you know, hey, this person's back from injury. Like, this person is back and ready to play. it Allegedly, Pedro was back and was good for 15 minutes. Well, apparently he actually wasn't.
01:17:46
Speaker
And so i it's fine like if it happens like once a guy gets like re-injured and you're like, oh, you know. i mean, to be fair, it does happen. but but i mean it's It's definitely like a compensation injury. like yeah yeah Yeah, it's yeah it's a not real not not enough like reps and and load. Yeah, you're right. It has to be. Yeah, so how long was he in full training for? we We don't really know that. Yeah.
01:18:10
Speaker
But there is something wrong. Like we, I don't know if they need to be doing gait analysis on the players to check to make sure that when they're running, they're not actually compensating on their other leg, anything like that. I don't know. Cause I mean, trust, I've gone through enough PT myself and I've had some of that stuff done, but I'm i'm not knowledgeable enough to say for sure it's this or for sure it's that.
01:18:36
Speaker
But I'm also wondering like, should we be MRIing these guys after right before we start putting them on the field? Should we be MRIing them again? Are we doing that? Because we should probably be checking to make sure that there aren't any other musculoskeletal injuries that like, or issues before we start putting them out there.
01:18:56
Speaker
What kind of weight training are they doing? Are their muscles strong enough? Are their tendons strong enough? Like the These are questions that should be getting answered and I'm hoping they're getting answered. But if they're not, then it's like, Hey, yeah, that's a real fucking problem because that's how you end up with the worst injury situation in the entire league and having and recurring, having some of the worst injuries situations in the entire Cause it's not like, Oh, this is, it's just this year. It's like, no, it happens almost every year. And yeah, other teams have injury problems too. Why is it always our fucking starters? Yeah.
01:19:32
Speaker
Other teams have injuries too, but when their players rehab and they come back, they it's usually like, like relatively square one. And if they get hurt again, it's like, not like this constant cycle of re aggravation. Like that's, that is something that honestly I've said a lot that like every team thinks they're the most injured, but the whole, the whole cycle of re aggravation does feel like unique to Seattle. Like I have to admit.
01:19:59
Speaker
absolutely So, and like, it this wasn't a problem before. Like, this isn't something that we've always dealt with. This is in the last, like what, five years.
01:20:10
Speaker
like I don't remember having this problem before. So I'm curious what has changed. And yeah, like i I really would love to know like what has changed and why are we having these issues? Is it a training thing? Is it a style of training that we're doing that is that has changed?
01:20:31
Speaker
um We're not training on turf anymore. We're training on grass. These guys should be getting injured less, not more. Johnny, great stuff as always, man. Thank you for tapping in. Appreciate you. And we'll, ah we'll catch you on the next one.
01:20:45
Speaker
around Take care. yeah mean All right, let's get CW in here. He was in here and then I think like tapped out back in. So he was wait. Oh, he's saying, I don't know what you're saying. I don't know what you're saying. at CW thumbs up or thumbs down.
01:20:59
Speaker
Thumbs up. All right, let's get him in here. Is that right? yeah that good a yeah so red I can't hear you. So I'm just talk. okay Gun it for Pedro.
01:21:13
Speaker
Saba, great fucking game. This was Snyder.
01:21:22
Speaker
First scoring game. a level above.
01:21:30
Speaker
I'm glad we got the win. i kept my goose jersey on. Noah, this is for you, bro.
01:21:40
Speaker
ah so like I got more. How about a Casey autograph?
01:21:48
Speaker
How about roll wool graded? How about Christian graded? This is all I wanted to show you, man. This is this is why I'm here.
01:22:01
Speaker
Nico.
01:22:06
Speaker
Oba. This card autograph went through the roof since I bought it, bro. RBW. i go. My go. I can't hear you guys. I hope you're enjoying this.
01:22:20
Speaker
Cody Baker. Bring him home. Bring him home. And this one breaks my heart. So it breaks my heart because I love this guy. He bleeds eternal blue.
01:22:33
Speaker
Autographed serial numbered Pedro. My goat. I'm broken for Pedro. ah wish I could hear you guys.
01:22:44
Speaker
Tonight was redemptive, I think.
01:22:51
Speaker
But we can do more. Max Anker, welcome to be a fucking sounder. Getting up, defending Andrew, picking that fight.
01:23:06
Speaker
I don't care if you ever play a goddamn minute. You are a sounder now. Fuck everybody. That was balls. That's what we need.
01:23:19
Speaker
Fuck yeah. I want that every game from here to the end of the season. I want somebody to nut up and do that. D-Ro defending Jesus at the end of the game. Nuhu getting pissy.
01:23:33
Speaker
Yeah, he didn't have the captain's armband. Good. Let him do that shit. We need that fight. We haven't had it for a while. I can't hear you guys, but that's my take. I appreciate you. Cut me off.
01:23:47
Speaker
Love it. CW, incredible stuff as always. Great stuff with the cards. But also I did want to note with CW rocking the the goose jersey. I'm so disappointed in myself and really us collectively when we were having the number six discussion and I was going back through the history of it. And we talked about Joe Paolo and Ozzy Alonzo Chris.
01:24:07
Speaker
and and christian It was goose erasure. And as a Swede, my fellow Swede and, and also the fact that he is one of, ah he's underratedly one of the best players like in that group and like a perfect picture, perfect example of the type of profile we were talking about that they're Mr. That they're missing with like one of the all time dirty work players in the history of the Seattle Sounders, Gustav Svensson, who once famously said, My whole job is cleaning up shit, but that's what I've been doing my entire life. So it's fine. Georgie just commented on our Instagram post.
01:24:41
Speaker
and Oh, let's go. Laughing about Nuhu trying to take the fight into the tunnel. He says, laughing emoji, laughing emoji, this guy. Georgie, what's up, Georgie? We love you. Georgie is so tapped in with Sounders shit. He's an LS head. He's an head sure.
01:24:59
Speaker
He's going to call in. We need a Georgie call in at some point. We should do a Georgie interview. We'll we'll set that up Colorado. i'm sure all right i think I think Scott, was we had like a reversal situation or was Jesus first? I don't remember.
Comparative Analysis and Fan Expectations
01:25:13
Speaker
Jesus has been in first and then it's Scott. yeah okay what's Let's get Jesus first and then we'll do Scott. It looks like Scott's driving, but ah yeah Scott, if you stop, we'll get you in.
01:25:22
Speaker
we'll we'll We'll give you a heads up when you're yeah ready to go, Scott. Hey, Jesus. Hey, what's up, man? What's up, Jesus? I finally feel good to win after that. Oh, this was also signed by Paul Rothrock.
01:25:33
Speaker
Hey. Let's go. i got it. Yeah, but like, i'm not going to lie, as a Chivas fan myself, I absolutely despise Querétaro, what they did to Atlas in that riot, if you guys don't know what happened back in 2022.
01:25:47
Speaker
It completely destroyed the league and the fans and all over Mexico was in complete crisis. But my takes on today's game was we showed some fight and I was just cussing at Querétaro players at the last blat match. I was so pissed.
01:26:02
Speaker
And I'm a big fan of Mexican football, but just just don't like what players like to do all the time. What a bunch of crash-out crybabies. We hadn't haven't really talked about it that much, but that was yeah that was near Inter-Miami League's Cup Final 2025 tier level of crash-out crybabying. What was that?
01:26:18
Speaker
Yeah, worse. I feel like this is worse than Inter-Miami. I mean, it happens in Mexico all the time, which like happens in rivalry matches, where you see Tigres-Monterrey, Chivas-Atlas, America-Crobat,
01:26:30
Speaker
Which, honestly, Chivas fan, I'm going to have to root for America today because we're gonna need they're going to need that beat. They're going to need quiet down that Providence Park later today. So everybody has to be an America fan. Today, we are all America fans. come Oh, man. Do we think the Timbys... The Timbys are... Okay. like I was just in Portland, and also I was hanging out with my friends who are from Portland, and they were visiting last night. And their fan base is flying high. They think they're good. They think they're like a contender now.
01:26:57
Speaker
ah so watching think they face comedyity in the When they face an LAFC type team Well so this is going to be this is gonna be the test they're playing Club America One of the biggest clubs in Mexico If they aren't real They should be able to seasons true but it's still like you know it's where it's the timbies like if they can win this game i would i would give that to them as like a very impressive result so let's see if they can do it but yeah i have my doubts well my other is that it sucks what pedro la vega has to go through yet again i don't know what's going on with the medical staff it reminds me of a 49er situation again because everybody in the 49er team is also injured like
01:27:38
Speaker
is our training Is our training base literally based on an electrical set or something? Oh, God. I think I might need to go out next week and film. Someone someone commented on one of our last videos. I can't remember who it was, but they were like, there actually is a substation next to Long Acres. And I was like, oh, no.
01:27:57
Speaker
No, we can't be. We cannot be, like, becoming the 49ers. Wait, also got i cant about a question. Was it was also Boeing on that site? Because... I know Bowling's piece in Seattle. Bowling was, yeah. there might be a Bowling situation too.
01:28:12
Speaker
Oh, Jesus, you're cooking. You're cooking. Yeah, might be a Bowling situation, whatever. I don't know how to say, but. Yeah, we don't know. And what ah the the also thing good thing is Daniel Mowalski finally getting a goal from open play.
01:28:26
Speaker
Finally, it's been a fat minute. yeah um And it was the first time I woke up actually excited for a Saunders game, i think since we returned from the World Cup.
01:28:40
Speaker
Yeah, i I got excited for the Timbers games, but once we started this losing streak, i was like, ah... Yeah, I woke I was like, oh, dang it. I was like interested to watch them, but in like a morbid fascination kind of way. Yeah.
01:28:53
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. And then and then we face Chivas. And I live in the Yakima Valley where it's literally just Chivas and America mixed together. I wonder how much people are going to go over there. I mean, mind you, they're out their my new tickets for that game is like almost $200. True.
01:29:11
Speaker
It's going to be out the bird. I mean, there's going to be more Chivas fans there. Let's be real. Yeah, i mean everywhere at Chivas goes, they fill it up, no matter where they go. If they go to a rival stadium, it'll be filled up. If they go to, like, don't know, if they probably go across the so the ocean, they're still going to fill it up.
01:29:26
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah, that's all I see. Like, they're the biggest traveling fan base, I think, since, I think it's them and Club America, because they filled out LAFC Stadium. And honestly, when I saw that game, i was like wow.
01:29:40
Speaker
I mean, Los Angeles this is, I mean, the second biggest population of Hispanic people. So, and also, where I live in an area where so there's a lot of Hispanics, too. Yakima Valley, shout outs to them.
01:29:51
Speaker
Shout out Yakima. Shout out. We love we love the the dry ciders. And then also pray for Spokane. yeah Off topic, pray for Spokane. We're working on putting together a bit of a fundraiser with our friends at Spokane Soccer Show as well. We'll announce that this week. we're trying to find directly some community resources for people and kids who wash all of their stuff in the fire. So we're going to be... got a hot take on you guys. would Do you guys want to go back to Spokane? Or is it what you think? No.
01:30:28
Speaker
I'm a little torn on that because we had a great time there and the novelty of it was incredible. And the fans out there were incredible. And and we met so many cool people, but it it it does strike me as the type of thing that it's like, yeah, it was cool one time, but like realistically you should not have to do that. And it's kind of speaks to a lot of the stadium issues that they have to where when I look at the fact that they had to do that, I'm like,
01:30:51
Speaker
I see where they're coming from with like wanting their own venue. Like, honestly, like, cause you, yeah. But, but like at the same time, like it it, it was awesome. Like, and the people out there like appreciated it and had a great time. So I think the idea of going out there, maybe not like,
01:31:07
Speaker
all the time regularly but every once like periodically for them to do pre-season stuff out there yeah pre-season like but on my new pre-season i think i feel like coming to the sprint season it's cold as hell over there and it snows a lot but i feel like once we get into that new season like when it starts like european style i feel like we could do it and it could hold like a fan fest like how the seahawks did yesterday Yeah. i They could do type of that, meet the players, and, you know, speeches from the coaches. But, yeah, I will also be there at that Seahawks opening game. I know it's not Sounders related, but I'll be there at that $1,146 for three tickets.
01:31:51
Speaker
I'll price. I'll price. Hey, listen, don't say that too loud because the Sounders front office just said, I'm sorry, we can charge how much? So, well, hey, dude, thank you so much for calling in. We're going to get started. Thank for having me. And I'll see you guys. When is the next game? Tuesday?
01:32:07
Speaker
oh man, I'm not sure off the top of my head, but we'll see you. I will see you. I'll see you guys that day when the game comes around. But have a good day. Thank you guys for having me. And go South.
01:32:18
Speaker
Appreciate you, Jesus. have to top out of here. I'm sorry. I'm getting. No, you're good. I'll take the last couple here. Sorry, Scott. Sorry. Sorry, Sticks. Love you guys. Okay.
01:32:28
Speaker
Bye. Later, Noah. All right. We got Scott and we got Caleb. And then I have to be out of here by four 30 at the latest. So I think these are going to be the last two. If anyone else taps in, we'll see if we can work it in, but I think these are going to last two. Let's get Scott in here. He's been waiting. He's in his car. He's not driving Scott. Welcome in. Can you hear me?
01:32:49
Speaker
I can. Can you hear me? I got you. ah The losing streak is over. 3-0 victory for the Seattle Sounders. ah But Pedro De La Vega leaves injured once again. how are you feeling about all this? What do you think?
01:33:03
Speaker
I mean, it's nice to end the winning streak but our and the losing streak, but it sure feels like every game this year, anytime we have a big win, it's combined with some kind of devastating injury. it's There hasn't been like any pure joy this season. It's been very rough.
01:33:19
Speaker
yeah i did want yeah I do want to do a little bit of work for the Sounders Alliance Council today. um i am a member of the Sounders Alliance Council, and you know we don't get a lot of power as sound as season ticket holders. The one power we get is that we get a GM vote every four years.
01:33:39
Speaker
And it's coming up this year. And every other time that the GM votes ever happen, it's been a gimme. Obviously, we wanted to keep them, and this time it's not. And um so we're going to have a vote this October and anybody who's a season ticket holder can, can vote. And we need for the vote to even count. We need 40% of season ticket holders to actually vote.
01:34:04
Speaker
And the other thing is where we we want to hold we're trying to hold some kind of debate this fall so that people can hear it. We'd love to have some of the independent media like you guys um be respond you know be be involved.
01:34:17
Speaker
um where do you got Where do you stand on this on the GM vote? Um, I'll be interested to see what happens with it because my impression of it, like you mentioned, is that the participation threshold is it's just very hard, it seems to get to reach it. And,
01:34:37
Speaker
In the past, it's also been situations where it just felt like even if there was a vocal minority that was like Garth out, there was never any like real momentum behind like a sentiment where he would lose the vote. So like you mentioned, this time it is a different situation. The team's not performing well. The GM is under fire. The owner is also ah dealing with allegations of being broke. So like I've been up until the first Portland game, i was pretty skeptical that, know,
01:35:05
Speaker
ah There would actually I felt like more of like probably a vocal minority thing than anything that actually felt like it had a chance of happening. But it seems like i don't I don't know, like you're you're more tapped in, I guess, to the to the sentiment of the people who are going to be voting than than we are over here. Like, have you gotten any sort of vibe of like the level of momentum behind ah behind how to vote?
01:35:31
Speaker
Or is it are you still feeling like participation might be tough? and think participation is going to be tough. I think it's going to be better this year than any other year. And we're going to be putting a lot of effort into letting people know. the Sounders, we help some, but don't help a ton.
01:35:47
Speaker
um So, you know, it's more of a grassroots kind of thing. How do you feel personally?
Leadership and Management Debates
01:35:52
Speaker
Do you want Weibel to survive this vote? um I'm skeptical that ah swapping the GM would change anything.
01:36:06
Speaker
And I don't think like his record is as bad as the people who really want him out think. I think his record is a little more mixed and I think he's done some good stuff. So I guess I would say I'm a little conflicted on it. But what I will say is that... ah From what I understand, it's not really even about him or his record that much, so much as it is, like you said, like using your the one lever that you have as fans and season ticket holders to send a message to more to ownership than like, you know, more than saying like Craig Weibel is the worst GM ever. It's more just like what's what we're seeing on the field. We don't think as season ticket holders is acceptable and we're going to use this lever to send a message. I think ah as the season ticket holders and the people who are paying money to go to these games and watch this team,
01:36:51
Speaker
You guys have every right to to make your voice heard in that way and use that and use that lever, regardless of what any of us think of the ah of the GM. so Because it's the only lever that you really have, right? Like you said. So like i'm if yeah if this if the sentiment like makes people feel like they want to vote a certain way, like I'm all for like the the premise of it. But as for like my own personal feelings on whether I think Craig Weibel's record merits him being ousted. I don't know. I kind of, i I, again, maybe I'm a little more deferential to his record and the constraints he's had. I don't think he's been like this incompetent disaster. i don't know if it's like,
01:37:33
Speaker
fully his fault. The situation the team is in right now, you could definitely argue it hasn't helped the situation, but I also don't know if, uh, ousting him and putting in someone else would change anything. So I know that's a really long answer, but I just am conflicted on the, on the topic, I guess.
01:37:49
Speaker
Yeah, I kind of feel the same way. I think like, I like the guy as a person. Every time I've heard him talk, he's smart. Like he he knows what he's talking about. um i I question whether he has the the thing to like pull these, these deals over the finish line. Cause I feel like there's a lot of like half deals that we've had interest in and, and stuff. And we just couldn't convince the guys to come and,
01:38:22
Speaker
I think we might have lost Scott. He's frozen. Gonna take him off, put him back on, see if that helps. Okay, Scott, we appear to have lost connectivity there wherever you're driving. Sorry about that, man. ah we're good I guess I'll just get Caleb in here because it's yeah it seems like we lost Scott.
01:38:43
Speaker
Sorry, Scott. You were cooking. Great stuff. But ah we'll catch you next time, man. We're going to get ah Caleb in here and then I think ah get up on out of here. But ah Caleb, what's up, man?
01:38:54
Speaker
You're on the stage right now. I can see you. I can hear you. a win for the Seattle Sounders finally. But ah Pedro De La Vega, unfortunate injury exit. How you feeling, man?
01:39:07
Speaker
um Well, ladies and gentlemen, if you haven't yet, like please like, share, subscribe. to the beautiful independent blobbing scorchers where they have beautiful QED coffees, um forever ah ah Forever Blue, Forever Girls a podcast too. So let's support our beautiful community and bring unity to this beautiful soccer community.
01:39:35
Speaker
So I'll start off with that. ah like Opening statement for me. I think that like I gave Sebastian Gomez drumsticks for a reason.
01:39:47
Speaker
And you're seeing a little bit of those fruits of that labor. um Max Anker, I gave drumsticks to him. You're seeing it again. Those fruits of those labor. And um to be honest, I am absolutely will admit that I will take this one on the chin.
01:40:04
Speaker
Albert got his goal. Well, I guess the brigade and I'm telling the brigade. Let's not cherry pick. let's let's let's not let's not Let's not be a no, no, no, no. Let's not be an obsessed ah right there. let's let's let's let's let's Let's be fair on this one.
01:40:23
Speaker
um It was a great win all around for good jargon. for the, I think,
Optimism and Historical Resilience
01:40:29
Speaker
just not just for the to sit not not just for the team, but just for the city. So we could just get something.
01:40:35
Speaker
Yeah. And then this gets this gets us something, I think, over the over the hump. And it gets us a little bit more leveled and grounded. Yes, the Pedro De la Vega thing, it's... it's ah
01:40:49
Speaker
i it felt like that was coming already. And I was just like, you know what? I'd rather get that out of the way now. and I really, to be honest, like I think he's really going to go demigod. I really think this whole team, as much as like, is it's it's it's crazy to for me to really think about it, but I'm really still delusional as the Sounders fan that I am because i give it to see all of you guys that's given me the belief to be this delusional, to believe that there is a possibility that we can always still get Phillip.
01:41:27
Speaker
And I'm still holding on to that with the biggest lightning bolt of like confidence. Because I really do think that it's like, yeah, if anybody's ever watched the movie Atlantis, Lost Empire, the greatest quote is, a bit of my experience, when you hit bottom, the only place to go left is up.
01:41:54
Speaker
And so I think then I think we're really about to go on a bigger up than I think the city understands. um yeah Yes, the injuries look rough. The cloud looks weary.
01:42:09
Speaker
But i really do think that we're about to get smacked in the mouth. with just punditry, with just like, you know, class and certain things. i still feel like this that's what always the Sounders, they always have that.
01:42:25
Speaker
That's always something that's was always favoring in the Sounders corner. And the result today was like, again, absolutely all around. We needed you to win.
01:42:38
Speaker
But there's still, yes, there's still problems that we're still trying to address and face, not just only just, you know, on the field, but always also like, you know, up on and off, like with the front office and things. But for now, I think that this is, ah yeah there's like, there's always more to work on.
01:42:59
Speaker
And I don't think that even any of those players right now are taking it for granted being like, OK, yeah, like, you know, we get out of jail card. Like, no, they're like, I'm being a b Brian right now. I don't think that they feel like this is a this win is just a get out of jail card. No, this is a they really they're they're that they're really ready to now be like, OK, let's not let's not show that we're just like one hit wonders.
01:43:21
Speaker
Like, you know, just just putting out little, so like, you know, little singles for people that to certainly sing and just trend. And then at the same time, it just fades out. And I think for the transfer,
01:43:34
Speaker
um so it's check for transfer rumoring, just, I'm just saying like this, like, you know, okay, as as much as the other other caller, um and, you know, let's go into the Seahawks game.
01:43:48
Speaker
I mean, i'm sarda to the whole I'm sorry to the whole Seahawk Nation as a diehard New England Patriots fan that I am. um if ah thinking you know I'm just going to say a quote from Stefan Diggs.
01:44:03
Speaker
um It says, we all we got and we all we need.
01:44:08
Speaker
i mean, you know, we really, I think that we could really I really did. Like and I, and like I said, that's still the delusional thing in me, but I'll, I'll, I'll give, I give it back to you for any questioning.
01:44:19
Speaker
I mean, uh, good stuff, man. i think, uh, you know, thinking about Philip right now, I know it feels, uh, delusional and, uh, you know, I felt delusional when I let my mind wander there as well, but it's really not like, ah As bad as this losing streak has been. And as bad as these things feel when you're in the moment in MLS, things can change on a dime in this league. Like this was the worst team in the league in 2016 and they won MLS cup that year. This looks like the worst team in the league right now. ah But you know,
01:44:51
Speaker
With theoretical, I never, I don't want to jinx anything, but with ostensibly, with an ostensibly improving bill of health, Pedro de la Vega notwithstanding, but you get, you get your Christian rolled on back. You ah get on the mend a little bit. You shore up the midfield, which of the midfield looked, uh, look better today. ah all it takes is getting hot in the playoffs to make something happen. So that, that is as delusional as it, as it feels, that is still, that's what's on the table for this team right now, regardless of how leagues cup goes. So I guess, you know, if you, uh, I'm not going to begrudge anybody look, uh, looking at this game against this opponent and, uh,
01:45:27
Speaker
telling themselves that even if it's like, we should also keep in perspective that this team did just rip off a seven game losing streak. But ah Caleb, I got to get a hunch in here and then, and then I got to run, but give us one more take and to, to bring it home.
01:45:41
Speaker
Well, I'd like to say, like I said, a hunch, please Benedict the show close us out in the best way possible.
01:45:52
Speaker
Cause I know with wise words of hunch, he will guide us. And to the sounder nation, we still keep the faith because we are still sounders and we are going to get through this.
01:46:08
Speaker
And to those sounders that keep through the ups and through the downs, you are honored. You will always be honored and you are always loved in this community. And I will soon be giving sticks out and giveaways soon, but we'll talk about that later. But.
01:46:26
Speaker
Again, enjoy the day. Enjoy the leap week. Let's go, Sanders. God bless. Appreciate you, Caleb. Catch you on the next one. All right. We're going to, we're going to let a hunch cook for a couple minutes here. CW. I have to bounce at like four 30 ish. So I'm going to call it after hunch. Sorry. ah But thank you to everyone who, who called in today. Awesome show again, another banger post game show as always. ah Let's bring the man himself. Let's get a hunch in here to close it out. Hunch you're on the stage. You're our last caller of the day. You were at the game. How was it? Yep.
01:46:59
Speaker
ah So I'll tell you this, going into the game, I was talking to folks, like, my perspective was, ah it's not being jaded. it If you're not used to CONCACAF, and you get into some of these matches, we're talking years back, and you expect to play the game that you've been playing, and you go against some of these teams and some of these officials, you're you get exceptionally angry like at things that are going down.
01:47:28
Speaker
And after multiple years of that, you're kind of like, all right, I know what I'm in for. Does it make you less angry at the time? And then eventually you're like, okay, I can only laugh at this. So I'm in that mindset of like, I don't have an expectation.
01:47:42
Speaker
And any positive to me starts with a non-loss. So if we didn't lose today, i was going take it as a positive. And then from there,
Player Performance and Tactical Effectiveness
01:47:52
Speaker
even if we did, i was telling myself, well, even then what positives can we find in what we see?
01:48:01
Speaker
And even then we may not be able to discern those positives because there may be negatives that are preventing those positives from executing because they just don't have the right support. Like we've talked about with the nine.
01:48:13
Speaker
We may see great play from the nine, but if they aren't getting the service, it may be hard to discern that. if we don't account for the fact that maybe the service isn't there to start with, meaning we may degradate the nines performance because the midfield isn't contributing or the wing or for whatever reason. So I was setting myself up like that.
01:48:32
Speaker
And obviously that went much better than could have been expected. I'll say this, we're going to find out real quick on Wednesday if this is a fluke. Like real quick, which I think that's probably the Jesus not starting conversation.
01:48:47
Speaker
Yeah. um i I did predict Alex would come off or not come off. I thought Alex would slot back to the right bump KKR up on the right wing and bring Gomez off. But after he scored, it's of like, well, you kind of got to leave him now.
01:49:02
Speaker
Like he's he's getting it done on that side. um But I also was not accounting for Alex is not not even a fit and getting him off was important in terms of his health. So I was a little surprised.
01:49:15
Speaker
I mean, he said come on for Alex, but he obviously didn't play back there in the center. And he immediately pulled up and I can't tell you who they slotted back. it was hard to tell.
01:49:28
Speaker
Seabass was slotted back.
01:49:33
Speaker
okay Hmm. Okay. That's what they've been doing when, ah like, i guess ah ah he's among the contingency plans. But ah what did you what did you think of Alex in the double pivot? Because, I mean, i we were talking about how we felt like on our last pod that, like, we felt like that that could help the situation, and I thought it did.
01:49:54
Speaker
mean, he's obviously a calming presence, but I also think that Fry's performance – So let's go back to game fry. Somebody asked, and I know I mentioned this in the last call fry in the last game looked like he was prepared for a team to play some defense in front of them and that scored on with his feet planted.
01:50:12
Speaker
And after that, he played the rest of the game realizing that no one was going to block a shot and no one was going to stop or anything in front it was going to on him. But I also see that as him establishing himself back on the field and then obviously back to his captaincy.
01:50:25
Speaker
And I think him being back in this game, we've looked and we've said for the last several months, there's there's not a leader on the field. We just haven't seen it. Like there's nobody stepping up and grabbing this game or grabbing players by scruffing it. And I think there's something to be said for having that presence on the field, him starting again here today. Not that he had to play that way, but the rest of the team sort of coalesces around someone who is a fixed point as in a leadership role.
01:50:49
Speaker
So you bring that into today and you see just an overall better performance from the team, maybe starting at the back to some degree. um So that said, it gives you stability to play with the rest of the field in terms of who's up there past the back line.
01:51:05
Speaker
i don't I don't quite understand why KKR got in the doghouse for like a few games in the early season because Dude has never really looked like he's wavered to me. He had a, I mean, I love KKR. I think he's one of the sickest players on the team. He had he had a ah the The only thing I can think of, at least in recent weeks, is among the many people who had ah rough goes in the 5-1 Portland debacle, he had a rough one.
01:51:31
Speaker
But like really, other than that, I've been like fired up on KKR this year. like He's super fun in attack and athletic and actually offers end product and is athletic and fast enough to like keep up with some of these very big, fast athletic attackers that you know you have to defend in an MLS and football. Leagues Cup and CONCACAF. So I'm all on the KKR stock. even you but he was like you know Everyone had a bad game that day. I don't see why that should be held against him.
01:51:57
Speaker
No single game can anybody ever be called out, in in my opinion. like Everybody has a bad day now and then. yeah if it if If it goes up against somebody's best day, it looks even worse. And it doesn't matter what the situation is.
01:52:09
Speaker
But KKR, like he's got the defensive mindset in that he's like he's not like, oh, crap, I need to p play defense. He already understands like how to position himself, what he wants to do with a defender that he's marking or a defender who's in possession. He understands who's going to back him up in terms of like, if I get beat going long, if I get beat with him coming in, i know what's going to happen. I also know I'm to position him to try to do that to me. And I'm going to take something away.
01:52:34
Speaker
But even more so once he's in possession, he's happy to go down the wing, not like a new, yeah but he's happy to go down and slice and dice somebody. He'll take somebody on one-on-one and he'll, he'll put something on a plate for somebody or shoot himself even better.
01:52:45
Speaker
So like he just, he's got a lot in both ends. And like I said, he's not somebody who has that offensive prowess. That's slot into the defense. He's got the defensive mindset to understand how to how to be, you know, to not be exposed as it were, but also how to like shut somebody down using, you know, defensive prowess.
01:53:04
Speaker
Um,
01:53:07
Speaker
Yeah, ah I'm glad that we got the win. I'm glad we got the shutout. um I still don't understand. i guess, I mean, he scored, but I still don't understand why Kingston's not on that right wing as opposed to in center mid.
01:53:21
Speaker
And maybe he's got the chops for it, but I thought... he he I thought he hit some in really good dimes today from that spot to where I was like, I had been saying, I said on the last, on our last show that like him as a six, especially when paired with Snyder, but like him as a six just doesn't seem like ah that's not the best use of his skillset. He seems very clearly like a wide attacker, either from from a wingback or just a pure winger role. So like him as a six, isn't the best use of his skillset, but he had a couple of three balls, including one of the ones that set up one of the goals where i was like, okay, ah Pete, Pete,
01:53:54
Speaker
was it Just like we were talking about KKR, literally just now. Kingston is somebody who's able to play and he's like, oh crap, I have to play defense. He doesn't have the defensive mindset that I think someone in that position would. It looks like You can see him
Injury Concerns and Future Prospects
01:54:10
Speaker
literally trying to play defense, which a good defender naturally plays defense in the way that they glide over, that they're positioned correctly. They can pick somebody up or they can just basically shadow somebody without, well, committing a foul, let's say, or intentionally committing a foul when they need to. Kingston just doesn't seem to have that.
01:54:30
Speaker
natural flow as a defender to me. And and that's not a criticism. a It's just not really it's not really his... Yeah, it's tools for different jobs, not his skill set. Right. So I'm a little surprised he's stuck in there.
01:54:42
Speaker
Alex... Well, somebody else quoted... It was on Blue Sky or whatever. whatever Somebody said something about like... the sounder's chance increased when the rolled in count is greater than zero.
01:54:53
Speaker
Yeah, exactly. And i said something like, put a rolled on on it, put a rolled on. That should be the this motto of the organization. Welcome to Seattle Sounders FC. Put a rolled on on it. Yeah.
01:55:04
Speaker
So I, I, I come back to something like, you know, the rolled ons are the equivalent of dark matter in terms of Sounders physics. They're, you know, the most dominant force of the universe. And if you don't account for them, you know, here we are.
01:55:17
Speaker
I, um' I'm both shocked and not shocked that he played in that position. I'm not shocked he did well. um But I'm a little surprised we didn't slide him over and bump KKR. but he Neither here nor there. Has anyone tried this for other walks of life? you know Because like you can fix every soccer problem by putting a Roldan on it. Put these guys on like medical science or something. like you could You could solve a lot of problems, apparently.
01:55:41
Speaker
So what you're saying is we need to get Billy Mays and replace Flex Seal with a Roldan. it It solves every problem for the Seattle Sounders. I see no reason why it can't work. they're They're both very multifaceted individuals, man. like you You see this screen door?
01:55:59
Speaker
We built a boat out of it. We plumped wide, rolled on across it. Look at it. It floats like a boat. Cesar rolled on. Cesar rolled on. That's who we need to put on this next. Is he from the Galaxy? think so. He's on their medical staff and they are not as injured as this team.
01:56:15
Speaker
Well, I mean, but they've had their own issues. Also pointed out, we are literally a team that is sponsored by a health slash hospital system. Who are we shocked by the fact that we represent that on the field? Now, I tried putting on chat couple of whatever facts.
01:56:31
Speaker
In the first six matches in MLS this season, we had five first half injury substitutions. That's insane. And then I was half trying to keep up with like, how many teams do we play?
01:56:46
Speaker
Like, if you think that balances out, it's like, well, over the course of the season, five or more teams will have a first, I think two. two total. Like this, I'm beyond this being a fluke and this, there needs to be a deep dive on this. What's the conspiracy hunches. Is it, is there a substation by long acres? Is there you're a, is there something nefarious going on? What's going Why? What it? What is it? that The day where they make a thing today. I'm like, okay, like, the,
01:57:13
Speaker
it It does not happen all that often that you see guys come back like this and re-aggravate after five to 10 minutes of playing like Jordan keeps doing. And like david it today that doesn't, that's a, that is something you do see happen. Sometimes you do see guys either come back too soon or, you know, there's caught there. You're compensating and it's like, Oh, I re-aggravated or I guess in De La Vegas case, it wasn't a re-aggravation. I keep saying that, but he did something else but because ah it was like a compensation injury, but like,
01:57:41
Speaker
You see that happen sometimes, but not like not like this. This doesn't no this doesn't happen. and The thing is, we need some metrics to go around this. and If it's going to come down to it, like it's not my job to report on the Sounders, but i'm I'm looking at some things that maybe can generate some stuff. Wait, hold on. James says he answered in the Super Chat. My bad, James. I didn't see that.
01:58:02
Speaker
He says, why why will science players with serious past injuries? I don't think that that that probably explains like with De La Vega... Could that be part of the explanation? In all likelihood, yes. But that can't possibly explain all of this.
01:58:19
Speaker
It can't. Taylor Vega had... If he did have an injury in the past, he had an injury. And it was a bad one. It was a bad one. He had four injuries, and they're not all the same. So, like, like if i if I'm prone to spreading my ankle, and I never sprained my ankle, but I ripped every other leg a bit in both legs over the course of three years, it's like, well, he had an ankle injury. we should have no i's like that No, that's non...
01:58:40
Speaker
Those don't compare. And I'm pretty sure it was his right knee that he messed up in New York last year. And it was his left quad that he did this time. Yeah. Yeah. Which but that that tracks as something that's like when you come back from something too soon, you like stress some ah you like stress something by trying to compensate. Yeah. Well, here's my point.
01:59:05
Speaker
What limitation did he have on working out or exercising or exerting his left quad up till now, if he's rehabilitating his right knee? And even if he was prepped to come back, because we're going to jump to this topic, I guess, if he was prepped to come back and now be on the field, what sort of levels of strenuous scrimmaging and everything else where he would have to sprint or do whatever else was required when, let's call it hot, if that's what it was, it was heat on the field and artificial turf, was he put under and how many times to not have sussed out him exerting himself to the point where he could have potentially injured himself again.
01:59:41
Speaker
And if he didn't do that, then how was he cleared? If you haven't brought him to those levels, what do you do in putting them on the field? So, ah yeah, as far as I'm concerned with him, done deal. That's it. b i've got I've got two metaphors for you.
02:00:00
Speaker
One, he's the forest near the town that if we don't burn it down in the future, there's going be a forest fire it's going to take out the town. We're biding our time. The other is he's that hot girl that, you know, if she just she just returned the text, you know, every other day, every of other week, she'll like say something nice to me. But I swear of these days,
02:00:23
Speaker
She's going to be like, let's go on a date. Let's do this. Let's let's I finally see the light. na No, no, no. You're killing yourself waiting on this. And the resources we spend trying to rehab him, trying to develop him as opposed to trying to develop other players, even to bring out some defiance, are time wasted. Like this is this needs to be a done deal because it's you're only sinking further costs, even if you maintain them until the end of 2027.
02:00:50
Speaker
it's a waste. That's, that's you're wasting only more. This is a, this is a distressed asset that needs to go at all costs because anything else spent is further cost loss. And it's actually inhibiting any resources that will be put into those places, both from a strategic standpoint from the coaching staff being able to prep around, not having that player in that spot, but also developing players to take that spot and be on the field earning minutes. It's a distraction in addition to the literal cost to go with it. So I like the guy. I got nothing against him.
02:01:24
Speaker
The experiment's done. Like done, done, as far as I'm concerned. A dark note to ah to end on, Hunch, but I got to get out of here. But if you okay if you got any any last takes to get out there to bring should have passed to Paul Rothrock to give him a goal with two assists.
02:01:42
Speaker
But if he converts that and makes a goal, how can you argue with it? yeah Yeah, it was pretty cool to see ah someone else crash in the back post, too. I mean, it's real interesting. and God, this would be another thing to look up.
02:01:56
Speaker
But look up players who come to the team that are offensive wingers and forwards and look at that have left the team and look at when they did score goals. I will bet you it's in the first 25% of their career at the Sounders.
02:02:09
Speaker
And then after a amount of time, whatever gets beaten into them and they just don't become productive. It's almost as though they have this joie de vivre to like take the energy and run and go and attack and it gets beaten out of them.
02:02:25
Speaker
So they lose their, their offensive prowess. And I'm curious to see, i mean, think what was the, well, I can't think of there's other players, but so many players that we've brought to this team that have been here one or two years who have scored goals in like their first four or five games. And then never again, it's like, what happened anyway?
02:02:43
Speaker
I'm glad to go best, Gordon. um what were Yeah, that was fun. A flash in the pan on Wednesday. Yeah. Shout out CBass. Giving us ah an exciting young guy to to talk about. I appreciated that. But ah all right, Hunch, good stuff, man. I got to run. Thank you.
02:02:59
Speaker
Thanks for tapping in and we'll catch you on the next one. All right, dude. Well, CW, I brought you on, but i do. I literally, I do have to leave. So I'm going to get out of here on that, but thanks for, uh, thanks for tapping in everybody. Another great post game. finally, Seattle Sounders win to talk about. So that was, that was fun. If nothing else, I know the, uh, Pedro situation obviously put a damper on it at the end there, but they did get a win.
02:03:28
Speaker
They scored three goals. Albert Rusnak scored a goal. Danny Musavsky scored a goal. Sebastian Gomez scored a goal. There was stuff going on. There was chirping between Seattle Sounders and opposition.
02:03:46
Speaker
But appreciate you all for the support as always. And also, please support our new independent website, Outlet.com.
02:03:59
Speaker
Going to be a lot of writing, going to be a lot of blogging, going to be a centralized home for all things Lobbing Scorchers. We're pumped up. We're excited about it. I'm excited to actually get a churning on it. That's my goal for next week is to put my head down and really turn that into what we what we're kind of envisioning from our independent project.
02:04:18
Speaker
So a lot more to come on that front, but, ah you know, we'll also keep covering Weeks Cup, keep covering this team, keep covering MLS. So the grind continues next week.
02:04:30
Speaker
But until then, I'll catch you all next time. Love you all. Appreciate you all. Peace out.