Become a Creator today!Start creating today - Share your story with the world!
Start for free
00:00:00
00:00:01
Should we be worried about Sounders’ composure?
0 Plays3 seconds ago
The Sounders blew a 3-0 lead while giving up a pair of penalties, which continues a frustrating run of results that seem like they should have been better than they were. Jeremiah and Niko discuss how big of a concern these lapses should be and express some concern over the impact tired legs could be having on all this. They also wade in on the Nouhou situation.
After the break, Jeremiah interviews Sounders A-League icon Wade Webber about his experiences with the 1995 league champions.
Follow Niko Moreno on BlueSky and YouTube.
Sponsor
🍷 Full Pull Wines: Love wine but not wine clubs? Check out the boutique wine seller who lets you browse their selections and pick whatever you want. You can join their mailing list here: https://fullpullwines.com/signup.php
***
Nos Audietis is the flagship podcast for Sounder at Heart, which became a reader-supported website on Aug. 21. You can support us by becoming a paid subscriber, learn more here. You can also watch many of their shows on YouTube.
Aside from becoming a Sounder at Heart subscriber, you can also support the show by using this link to purchase MLS Season Pass or checking out our merch table to buy various shirt designs.
“Diversions” audio provided by Sounder at Heart subscriber Lars; find more of their music here.
Recommended
Transcript
Will Bruin's New Role
00:00:01
Speaker
Hi, I'm Will Bruin, and I was just recognized as a Seattle Sounders legend. Now I get to do voice reads for the Sounder at Heart podcast network. Here we go. Come on. Hey, O'Shaughnessy.
00:00:14
Speaker
Let's go. What save by Frye.
Seattle Sounders' MLS Cup Victory
00:00:18
Speaker
The Seattle Sounders have done it. MLS Cup winning. Here comes Ruiz Dias through the middle to crowd it for Seattle.
00:00:29
Speaker
And now they truly can start the celebrations. It's the Sounders MLS Cup. Nico Lodero leaves absolutely no doubt. The Sounders rule the region.
00:00:43
Speaker
Seattle, Sounders, it's got built.
Seattle vs. Portland Rivalry
00:00:52
Speaker
This feels fucking awesome. This is a tiny dog. Nice work on your little yacht yat thing. And Portland can't say shit. know, what was the thought process in terms of who you decided to use and who you didn't?
00:01:06
Speaker
Ever since Southert Hart wrote a commentary that we didn't take over coming seriously. Go, not Seattle!
Sponsorship by Full Pull Wines
00:01:18
Speaker
This episode of Nos Arietes is sponsored by Full Pull Wines, a Seattle-based wine retailer and proud sponsor of Nos Arietes since 2011. Full Pull was founded in 2009, is based in Seattle, and is owned and operated by longtime Sounder supporters.
00:01:32
Speaker
They offer the best boutique wines of the world to members of their mailing list, with special focus on their home, Pacific Northwest.
00:01:43
Speaker
Welcome back to another episode of Nos Adiates on the Sounder Heart Podcast Network. Today is Friday. We are back at Long Acres with Nico Moreno doing what we learned this week.
00:01:54
Speaker
This is going to be a little bit of a brief segment. We have an interview with Wade Weber at the back end of the show. but We do want to make sure to get on the record and talk a little bit about this pretty massive face plant against the Rapids.
Sounders vs. Rapids: Game Breakdown
00:02:08
Speaker
Now, they, of course, got the point. They got a point.
00:02:11
Speaker
But this is a game they led three zero at home. They open the second half with a third goal after playing pretty solid in the second in the first half to go up 2-0.
00:02:22
Speaker
A little fortuitous, but the third goal really well taken. And then the game just completely falls apart almost immediately after the goal. I believe it was actually the next possession after the goal that...
00:02:34
Speaker
The Sounders get called for a penalty. And then literally the next possession after that, they get called for a second penalty. It's 3-2. Game is sort of at that point, the game plan is out the window. But still, you want to see them hold on at 3-2.
00:02:46
Speaker
What did you make of this whole performance? Yeah, well, thank you for having me on as always. Dear Mike, thank you the audience for listening. And yes, look, I thought it was a... Another inconsistent performance by the Seattle Sounders and an inconsistent way that is kind of turning into a pattern and in which, you know, there are good things about it, right? I think that Brian Smetzer has emphasized on being on the front foot and having intensity early and doing a lot of
Christian's Fatigue and Mistakes
00:03:18
Speaker
right things right off the bat. and And that has worked out well.
00:03:21
Speaker
But then beyond that point, game management has been difficulty in this one. And I know that i maybe Brian doesn't quite agree with it, but because I asked him today, what would you have done different going and looking into the tape? And he kind of mentioned just Ferreira.
00:03:38
Speaker
And although I thought Ferreira had a good game and he that he could last him out a little bit longer. I continue to believe that a lot of what went wrong in the second half was the fact that your two biggest components in Obed and Christian looked like guys that played every minute of every game, specifically Christian, who had a couple of unlikely, on uncharacteristic mistakes.
00:04:02
Speaker
Yeah, he had the he had the penalty, and then he whiffed on the on the tackle that led to the second goal. Or not the second goal, the third goal. I think those are part of exhaustion. So I thought that Brian.
00:04:13
Speaker
And he had picked up a yellow card earlier in the game that is also sort of unlike him. Like he's a pretty clean player. And I think part of why he went in soft on that tackle is because he's aware that he's on a he's on a yellow card. Now, maybe he's also on his mind. We've already been called for two penalties. We want to get called for a third.
00:04:30
Speaker
But either way, you can't just let a Darren Yappy dribble through the the box like
Second Half Struggles
00:04:35
Speaker
he did. And it was just a, you know, and I went back and watched the game. And I will say that I thought that they managed it a little better than my initial watch. Like they definitely were still pushing forward. Now, one thing they did seem to do is right after the second goal, they got beat on a press.
00:04:55
Speaker
And I believe it's Reggie Cannon ends up getting a shot off. That's a very dangerous shot. Andy Thomas and andy thomas makes a great save. But the the press really got cut up on that sequence. And that was almost right. I think it it might have been like the sequence right after this, the second goal.
00:05:12
Speaker
And the Sounders did not press as ah as forcefully from that point forward. But they did do a pretty good job, I thought, of moving the ball on their own end. They created some chances. They didn't get off a lot it. They didn't get off any shots between like the 57th minute and the 89th minute. That's a problem.
00:05:29
Speaker
But it wasn't as – they weren't stuck back in their end as much as in my mind. I think I thought that they were – like Jordan Morris had ah at a decent little look. they had you know They had a couple cutbacks that were you know dangerous cutbacks, but they were good defensive plays.
00:05:45
Speaker
But just in general, the Sounders have now led 3-0 in two consecutive games and then been forced to just hold like hold on for dear life at that point when they should be able to manage those situations. Like Albert Rusnak said this in the postgame, I don't care if we're down to six or seven guys, we got to be able to see out a three zero lead.
00:06:06
Speaker
Exactly. And I think you have to be ready for it. So if the whole point of this new way to approach games is to get a nerdy lead and have intensity, then you have to be ready for what's next, which is a team giving you everything they got, pushing numbers forward. How do we handle it? How do we protect ourselves with the ball?
00:06:25
Speaker
and And how do we respond to tired legs, and how do we respond to adjustments by opposite coach? And this is something that I've kind of focused on a lot because I thought that there was a lot of adjustments that Kansas City made in that game from the first half of second half. yeah to a four for two They to 4-4-2. They pushed and bet a lot more on that side that made a lot of problems for Seattle.
00:06:50
Speaker
and And in this one, I think that when you look at the substitution pattern, Chris Arnold is trying to regain the midfield. He brings up Tencio in the 60 seconds. And although Brian Spencer said he made five substitutions in this one, the first two was Jaymar, which was already limited minutes. It just came.
00:07:06
Speaker
The other one is Jordan Morris, who comes in, but it was ah Both were very much planned. Planned south, exactly. And then the other two ah end up being in the 79th minute.
00:07:16
Speaker
The other three. little too late, in my opinion, for Ryan Kinnip and Pedro. They're going to come in and perform and try to get back. So I thought that they needed to pressure legs on the big field. And this is the point that I want to make. I know that we're on a short time schedule today, but a we're done about.
00:07:37
Speaker
what b Brian wants to do to look at his bench and say, who can give me some Christian A's? And when I was looking at the game and I was looking at that bench, I was thinking either you're bringing Kalani to play center midfield or you're bringing in Kalani to play Alex's role and you bring in and you put in Alex a little bit higher if the plan is to leave Alex on the field because you just needed somebody else to prevent Christian Avan from being exposed to him.
00:08:04
Speaker
Yeah, and he did sort of allude to two things today that I thought were interesting. One was the way he talked about the subs in the 79th minute, he made it to me saying that he was bringing in, his plan was to bring in Reed for John Bell and Pedro for Rothrock and that he had kind of wished he had
Substitution Strategy Debate
00:08:22
Speaker
left Ferrer on. I thought that was kind of interesting because it, first of all, alluded to the possibility of bringing ah Pedro in on the left.
00:08:32
Speaker
Or maybe, i don't know, maybe he was planning on moving Jesus over to the left if he hadn't brought in Kent. But I i guess we I wish we dug in on that a little bit more because he thought Jesus is playing well and he decided to pull him off.
00:08:44
Speaker
And Kent did not, I thought Kent had one of his least effective games, actually. yeah He looked really ineffective in this game. I don't know. For 10 minutes, it's always tough to for 20 minutes, I guess, with stoppage time.
00:08:59
Speaker
It's always tough. But then the other thing that I thought was interesting was he said that he was hoping to get one or both of Christian and Obed off the field.
00:09:10
Speaker
But because of the game state, he left them on, which just feels a little off because at some point you are reinforcing this. ah You're going to need Danny Leyva at some point in this season, whether it's this week or next week or the week after. At some point, Danny Leyva is going to need to play some minutes. Preach.
00:09:30
Speaker
And he is repeatedly choosing not to give him those minutes, not to give him, ah like he did play against Kansas City, but he ended up playing as more of a 10 in that game.
00:09:41
Speaker
came off for ah for albert He came on for Albert, who who they were at that point just trying to hold the lead. And I just think it's a little bit of mismatch. I'll give Brian a lot of credit. you know I actually looked into this today.
00:09:54
Speaker
The Sounders use just about as many subs as anyone else, and they play them for longer. That's somewhat affected by injuries, but I think the the idea that he does not use his subs, I think, is sometimes overstated.
00:10:07
Speaker
But specifically the way he's using subs in the center mid, I think he is mismanaging that rotation right now. And I think it goes beyond that because I totally agree with you. That was something that I felt like needed to be done.
00:10:20
Speaker
Danny Leyva is a guy that needs some competitive minutes, needs some confidence. You even talk about confidence so many times when it comes to a guy that's just sitting on the bench. And sometimes you have to do that.
00:10:30
Speaker
I'll even give it to Ryan King. Look, Ryan King coming in. His body language overall, and I've said this consistently, he's a guy that's been structured, and it's just with himself, but it's also with everything else that's surrounding him. There is a pass that him and Reed doesn't really see eye to eye.
00:10:44
Speaker
On that left side, he's kind of waiting on Reed to make a ah move. He puts it ahead. Reed doesn't see it. He goes out of bounds. I think that, to your point, sometimes, Brian, and I'll never be a Brian, I've said this a bunch of times, but I do, because he's the coach. He's the main coach. He's one of the best in MLS.
00:11:01
Speaker
but as someone who feels confident enough that he knows the intricacies of his team but hold on um literally as long as I have, I do feel like sometimes Brian will seek out results and won't see the overall potential in the longer term.
00:11:15
Speaker
That he gets so focused on getting the result today that he loses sight of what a sacrifice today could mean for tomorrow. Exactly. Because look when I look at Pedro and I look at Brent Kent, those are guys that you need to be forcefully trying to see what was they could provide because they need that confidence because they they have a top ceiling level of talent that is unlike anything you have on the field and although paul rothro absolutely has earned every single minute it has looked so effective and so good and and i love the kid you also have to make sure that those other guys they have a little and paul to his to the same point he'll come in any time doesn't matter what and we'll be the exact same right with those other two guys you might need to work at it a little bit you might have to you know nurture it a little bit more and those are things that sometimes
00:12:03
Speaker
Brian doesn't quite do. Yeah. And I would just say that there's so much talent on the wing, so much raw. There's so, they have a lot of talent on the wings and that includes Paul Rothrock. That includes Jesus. That includes Georgie Minungu who can't get on the field at all right now.
00:12:16
Speaker
They have a lot, they have depth and they have real talent on the wings. And I think that Brian is a little too focused on who's winning the most minutes. That's who's going to get the starts. And it's,
00:12:27
Speaker
sort of And I just think he can do a little bit better job of ah spreading that around and building up everyone's confidence. And I'll say on the same level, Reid and Danny, you're not on the same level, on a rung down, I think, and Kalani to that matter.
00:12:40
Speaker
All three of those players, I think you need to just get them on the field and get them rotated. This is a this is a deep team. I'll say it's not as deep in certain areas. It's not the same level of depth across every position, but there is depth here. I think he he could use it a little bit more.
Preview: Upcoming San Jose Game
00:12:57
Speaker
And I guess that's maybe a good transition into the San Jose game where it looks like there will be some rotation, maybe not at the spots that we expect it to be, but there will be some rotation.
00:13:07
Speaker
There will be. And this goes back to what we're saying, right? I mean, easier said than done. And that I have no doubt. mean You know, he gets, you know, a week to make decisions and then we, you know, for months. right Right. But at the same time, I do feel like they're like this particular game and, and,
00:13:26
Speaker
I kind of said it for Wednesday that i thought it was going to be Pedro and Kent. It wasn't that. it was It was not. I thought the same thing. And in this one, I thought, okay, then maybe this is it. And I don't know if it will So...
00:13:37
Speaker
To that effect, look, I know that Herrera has been good, and you are building up his confidence as well. He's finally adapting, and I really like how cerebral he is and and how good he's the formation. Great run, by the way, that he made. that yeah He didn't have the finish that he would have wanted, he but he did it was a really, really good run. He runs past that center back.
00:13:57
Speaker
He... He only has one touch to control it. It's not the best touch. He ends up having to sort of like poke it with his right foot instead of really lash it with his left, which i think is probably what he would have liked to have done.
00:14:09
Speaker
He does put it on frame. The ball falls to Danny Wasofsky, who you really think needs to at least put that on frame. He did not put it anywhere close to frame. But there were moments that, and, you know, Ferreira, what he's done really over the last month or so is put himself into dangerous positions.
00:14:26
Speaker
That is something that he was not doing earlier in the season. This is a huge step forward for him to just be getting into those spots. He's starting to get goals, starting to get assists. I like a lot what he's doing, but you're right. He's not unbenchable either. Exactly. And especially in a San Jose game that,
00:14:44
Speaker
ah Look, ah this is a good team offensively, but defensively, they might be able to give you some gas. This might be a game where I got that right. He gets going and I don't it doesn't look like he's going to be starting. So those are some of the things that go into this game are interesting. Obviously, he members are going to have this huge relationship. He's going want to Brian. You're saying there's yeah Brian and Bruce have this relationship.
00:15:09
Speaker
ah you know, two of the oldest coaches, you know, he just talked about it. and So he's going to want to win this game. And therefore, I think that he's, he always needs some of those pieces that make him feel at ease.
00:15:20
Speaker
and And that's where that overall potential of the team kind of takes a hit sometimes. Yeah. ah What do you expect from san Jose? They have been, they're in a little bit of a slump right now, but this year they have been one of the, if not the highest scoring teams, one of, one of the, certainly one of the highest scoring teams.
00:15:38
Speaker
They give up a lot on the backend though. In the first meeting this year, Sanders went down one zero and then dominated the rest of the game, the last 80 minutes or so of that game and ended up having to settle for a one, one tie, but not from lack of chances.
00:15:52
Speaker
ah This game could be pretty wide open, although what's frustrating is that this had the potential to be a, look, if we can get a point from this game, we'd be reasonably satisfied.
00:16:03
Speaker
It's kind of a must win now. It is. And yeah, they are tied for third as far as I can see in goal scored. scored. or no Hold on a second. Oh, no. Yeah. they they they They're tied with Miami at 44. One of the most goals scored. of the most goals scored. And I i mean, you said it best. that' said Well, second to San Diego, 46. Oh, San Diego. Yeah.
00:16:25
Speaker
Imagine that. So this team has been very interesting to to see and watch because it doesn't look, it doesn't move. He doesn't play like a Bruce Arena team. I mean, I don't know if I'm alone in this, but, you know, the three-man back line, how far he gets his highs up, ah the ability for Christian Espinoza to have times play the wing back. At times you know, cuts inside and he's a little bit higher up the field.
00:16:53
Speaker
But, you know, Christian Arango and Martinez, two, Martinez, a very experienced guy, well beyond his years, but a guy that it still has a lot of, Hunger and still has a lot of talent.
00:17:06
Speaker
It's really great to see a Christian Arango experienced guy notice old obviously in terms of years But a guy that's been around all over the league all over the Columbia League League I met she's been in Europe. He is in MLS He's a post coror ah true goalscorer.
00:17:21
Speaker
So this is gonna be a really Big challenge for a defensive team that won't count with Jackson o Reagan but will be out because of a population of yellows. Now, it's likely going to be, in my opinion, it's going to be JBL and and yeah are yeah you're not going to put Kim doing it with two guys that you might have to. so Yeah, yeah, it was going to be J. Bell and Gamer.
00:17:42
Speaker
We'll see how that works out. And this is probably another a team that you want to be experimenting things on. i know that they've played together before. They have played. They weren't. this i feel like they've had some rough moments in part because neither one of them really likes to be the main focal point of building out.
00:18:00
Speaker
Yeah. And this And so in that way, they're going to need a little bit more help and in in the build-out than I think that they would like. Obviously, Jackson is usually the main guy back there.
00:18:13
Speaker
i still don't quite understand how he got himself a yellow. It looked like everyone was pretty confused on how he got himself a yellow. We don't need to get into that. They were refereed. It was very poorly refereed, especially in the second half. And and i I think the penalty calls were correct.
00:18:28
Speaker
for them i don't have a huge issue with the penalty calls, but there was a lot of game management stuff that I think he botched pretty badly. ah so I don't know. Hopefully they can they can turn around. We should touch on one more thing before we get out of here, and that's the whole Nuhu situation.
Nuhu's Suspension Discussion
00:18:45
Speaker
We found out officially he's been suspended for two total games, not two additional games, which I was shocked by. I thought for sure.
00:18:52
Speaker
It was going to be one mandatory and two additional. He only got one additional game. So he'll be out for this week. And from the sound of it, Brian is sort of welcoming him, welcoming him back into the team.
00:19:04
Speaker
We don't, I don't know if he'll start against Atlanta, but it sounds like he'll at least be available against Atlanta. And i i don't quite know what to make of it. I feel like those of us on the outside are more concerned about his behavior than, like, Brian seems to be concerned, but he also seems much more focused on, look, he's still our best left back. And on some level, I just don't know if that's the right message.
00:19:29
Speaker
That's what I've been saying all week long is the fact that And even to Brian himself, I told him, me is it about maturity or is this just new? This is just what get when you lose.
00:19:39
Speaker
You got to think the good with the bad, where, you know, as a player, just like many in sports, where they're they're very talented at what they do, but there's always going to be... some bad that come with it and you know you talk about all kinds of players in basketball are green Carl Walwitz and Pepe, you know, for Real Madrid, Sergio Ramos.
00:20:00
Speaker
There are those guys that are very good. They're very talented, but the there's always some extra stuff. Yeah. and And to that, look, I've heard that Sandra Hart be very, you know, critical of new. And at times, you know, it feels like it's something about just new personally, but I feel like there is a lot of fair criticism that that is being done. And I feel like,
00:20:22
Speaker
It's not about new who the person. New who the person is a great guy. He seems like a fun person. Fun dude, exactly. But there is a level of expectation when it comes to something like being able to take a middle finger in the middle of a game and...
00:20:41
Speaker
being part of the role. And look, I'm not saying that he's easy. I'm an, I'm an impulsive guy, but you know, if it's at work and it's, you know, somebody that I'm dealing with at work, I'm probably not going to let the street come out Nico. And I think that's, what's the most bizarre thing about that incident is that he wasn't even that worked up when he's talking to the ref. He, I mean, the whole flip off thing, I think that's, I read that as a totally innocent, not smart,
00:21:09
Speaker
relatively innocent. i don't think he was flipping off the roof. I think he was demonstrating what happened, but you just look at his demeanor and it's not someone who is out of his mind, frustrated. He's just like, no, they were mean to me and I did something mean to them. That's, that's the way this works. And it's like, no, that isn't how it works.
00:21:26
Speaker
And I think what concerns me about new who Take all the whether or not you think he's a great player or not. What concerns me about him is that you just don't.
00:21:37
Speaker
It feels like you can't trust him to not make mental mistakes. And that is, to me, a killer. That's where you go. Look, I don't know what it's going I don't know what's going to set him off.
00:21:48
Speaker
Maybe it's a guy giving him a little shove. Maybe it's a fan flipping him off. Maybe it's a call not going his way. you I need to be able to trust that you can manage your emotions in a way that are not going to get the team in trouble. And he keeps, and and I asked Brian this, I was like, he does keep putting the team in bad positions this way.
00:22:07
Speaker
And you seem to be sort of blowing it off. And it's, and he's like, well, it's not important for me. It's important for my team, for the teammates to trust him. i don't know. I mean, and maybe they do. I don't know. But it just seems, it just doesn't seem like it's matching up to me.
00:22:20
Speaker
And this is part of the shared culpability that I want to bring up on the table. Obviously, this is a pattern and and we know who knew who he is. We've known him since Sounders 2 with Ezra Henderson. I mean, we know who he is and kind of the a little bit ah of that extraness that comes with it.
00:22:41
Speaker
and And the Sounders, including Brad Schmetzer, similar to what he just said to us, it's kind of felt like the way they dealt with him. So can be what What have they really done change that? Well, have them mature a little bit They benched him for games when he misses a when he misses a flight or ah misses a meeting. or like he's But they've never really come down hard on him.
00:23:08
Speaker
i why i don't know. The real line is drawn, but what have you done for me? like What are you doing for the team? And I think that because his season has had struggles,
00:23:19
Speaker
and the season hasn't been as good as it's been in other times and other seasons, perhaps that's why maybe we're having some certain things.
00:23:32
Speaker
But at the end of the day, Brian Spencer and the Seattle Sounders need to have a real better talk with New to figure out what it is that that that you move on forward from this. and And if he's the guy, and another thing that i want to bring up is the fact that he's always been treated like that guy, like what which is said, right? He's the best defender we have.
00:23:52
Speaker
And you brought a whole bunch of left-backs that have not been able to take the position. Right. Because that's how good he is. You got to give him that. Brad Smith, Jovan Jones, Waylon Francis. I'm like, oh, look at your players that you've brought on that side and knew who has outperformed all of them. Dylan Remick. And that's why you... yeah Now we're pushing back. So...
00:24:12
Speaker
that's what you deal with the extra stuff. The problem now is that you're becoming real big liability. And how do you change that pattern? So it doesn't affect you. Yeah.
00:24:23
Speaker
Well, I don't, and I don't have a good answer for it. I only hope that this is the last time we have to talk about it and hopefully in the future, He's just on better behavior and he's just goes back to his defending ways.
00:24:36
Speaker
But with all that, we should probably get out of here. Unfortunately, I have other stuff to do today. We do have a second part of the show. I interviewed Wade Weber about this 1995 team that is being honored on Saturday before the
Honoring the 1995 A-League Sounders
00:24:51
Speaker
game. They're the ah first team.
00:24:53
Speaker
professional title that the Sounders ever won, 1995 A-League. And we had a good conversation. Hopefully you enjoy it. But with all that said, I am Jeremiah Shan, signing off for Nico Moreno, who you can find on Pulso Sports, Blue Sky El Rolo MW, and of course on Soccer Down Here and Lobbing Scorchers.
00:25:13
Speaker
I am Jeremiah Shan. This is Nosarietes, part of the Sounder Heart Podcast Network, and we'll catch you next time.
00:25:20
Speaker
Thank you for listening to the Sound at Heart Podcast Network, which now includes Nos Anietes, Lobbing Scorchers, and The Cooler Guild. We've been independent since August of 2023, but need your support to make sure it continues.
00:25:33
Speaker
Although this podcast is free, it's only made possible by your continued support. Memberships start as low as $25 a year, which not only helps make podcasts like this one happen, but also gets you access to everything we produce.
Supporting the Independent Network
00:25:46
Speaker
If you're able to support us at higher levels, starting at $75 a year, you gain access to a host of other perks, most notably entry into our members only discord where the smartest, funniest, and most engaged commenters share their thoughts and ideas to find out more, just visit center at heart.com and click the subscribe button in the top right corner.
00:26:07
Speaker
Thanks for listening. Nos Adientes, admittedly, is not exactly known for our spicy takes, but that doesn't mean we want our food to be mild.
Hacks and Ferments Promotion
00:26:16
Speaker
Spice up your life with Hacks and Ferments.
00:26:19
Speaker
Handcrafted in Georgetown and made it with the best local ingredients from across the Pacific Northwest, they specialize in unique small batch fermented hot sauces and vinegars. Hacks and Ferments brings bold flavors and natural fermentation together for something truly special.
00:26:34
Speaker
Whether you're a heat seeker or just looking to elevate your cooking, you'll find something you love at haxanferments.com. That's H-A-X-A-N-F-E-R-M-E-N-T-S dot com.
00:26:47
Speaker
And right now, if you use the code sounder at heart, that's all one word, at checkout, you will get a free hot sauce with your order. Again, go to hacksandferments.com, use the code sounderatheart at checkout for a free hot sauce with your order.
00:27:05
Speaker
Hacks and Ferments is a proud sponsor of the Sounder at Heart podcast network.
00:27:12
Speaker
Welcome back to another episode of Nos Adietes. I'm Jeremiah Shan, and joining me today, we're doing a retrospective on the 1995 A-League Sounders to honor this ah week of throwback is Wade Webber. Welcome back to the show. you I think you might be our most frequent guest at this point. Yeah. Well, i'm I'm honored and actually really excited to to share what's left in the memory bank about ah about about the 90s. The further away I get from it, the dimmer it You get to strike with the iron. um Yeah.
00:27:44
Speaker
Well, the iron is cooling. we' but yeah, so in case you don't know, Wade was on that 95 team. He played for 95 and 96, right? then ninety four And Oh, okay, so you were all three of those seasons. Okay, and and then you went on to have an MLS, a relatively short, but an MLS career, and then you got into teaching and then came back to the Sounders eventually. Yes, that it is a circuitous route.
00:28:10
Speaker
ah Don McLean in his song Crossroads says, all roads lead to where I stand, and and i would not have mapped out the trajectory that led me to my current role, but I walked all those steps. Yes, I did. So you've now been with the Sounders for 10 years?
00:28:28
Speaker
It'll be 10 years in in March of next year. Well, actually, February 29th. I joined on a leap year, so maybe maybe I've only been with them for two years. yeah And if you in case you hear what's going on in the background, we are recording in one of the Sounders radio booths, but we are being serenaded by a soundtrack that apparently KXP put together and is blasting over the PA while we... I love it. Yeah, it's great. It's right up my alley.
00:28:53
Speaker
Yeah, so it's a very 95-centric playlist. I assume maybe it has some pre-95 stuff in it too, but I'm going to trust that it's a lot of 95 stuff. Yeah. Which I'll use as a weird transition into talking about this 95 team, which is a team that we don't get to talk about a lot. It was in and in the A-League, which is a precursor it's not a pre it's a precursor to the USL, but it predates MLS. Yes. And I didn't really realize this, but you were telling me, you know, off air that the A-League was actually originally sort of bidding to become the first division of American soccer.
00:29:32
Speaker
And they got a head start. They had two-year head start on MLS. Yeah. Part of the conditions of the U.S. being awarded the World Cup in 1994 was that there needed to be legitimate first division in place. And at the time, they were competing...
00:29:45
Speaker
Leagues, I mean, the early 90s, late eighty s early ninety s there it was alphabet soup of Western Soccer Alliance, American Professional Soccer League. There was an American soccer league, not the original from the 30s, the resurrected one. almost exclusively East Coast teams.
00:30:05
Speaker
And I had played in a few of those iterations. You know, I was in the Western Soccer Alliance. I played in the APSL. But um that ah the awarding of the World Cup was the kind of kickstart for just ah kind of an arms race. You know, people saying we have to be in line first. so that FIFA and the US Soccer Federation can designate us as the first division in in the United States. And we had maybe seven teams that first year.
00:30:37
Speaker
Seven teams is not a national league. One of them was in Toronto and we had the Vancouver 86ers. So really, there were two Canadian teams in this so in in this league, but, ah you know, flung across the country. And yeah, for a couple of years, for about 18 months, we were vying and spending money like first division American team in the 90s, organization in the 90s should be spending. It just, it didn't work out. Major League Soccer had bigger investors.
00:31:10
Speaker
The plan was entirely different. There was a single entity that, what wound up being Major League Soccer Which was not even named yet. They didn't have a name for it, but that won out. And I think historically, it's it's good that it did, because the individual ownership model, which is really what where it happens in the USL now, It's what happened in NASL back in the day. You definitely have the haves and the have-nots.
00:31:40
Speaker
there's no There's no collective success. It is individual success and a lot of failure. And you need a lot of teams to make a league. And you and you really, you look at MLS, over the you know it's been no we're celebrating essentially the 30th season of MLS this year, right? No, that's not right. It is the 30th season. It is the 30th season. Okay. and And there's been remarkable stability. You know, there's been three teams that have been contracted in the history of the league. And we're now sitting 30 teams in this league. It's been almost all growth, especially for the last...
00:32:17
Speaker
20 years or so. Yeah. I think since and you could argue since that the Toronto RSL right entries in the mid noughties, is that what we call the first decade? I like that. I'm yeah not N-A-U-G-H-T-I-U. Yeah, no, I got it. yeah Yeah. Yeah. I think that might be what the English call it. I'm, I'm ah revealing a, an Anglophile streak. Um, but, uh, yeah, I think that was the turning point because it was, they were on, there were but only like three owners right in the first few years of the,
00:32:46
Speaker
of that, of the new millennium. And I, and that, you know, i have such a ah vivid memory of the original Sounders dying. I was 16 years old. They were my team and they were no more. And that's like the, the indoor thing died. And that for a while was kind of big. The Tacoma stars were getting big crowds. So I was used to leagues dying. And then I played in MLS and,
00:33:12
Speaker
And I'm seeing teams contracting and this and that. And I thought, wow, I have i have no umm no faith that this league can last long term. It's interesting who convinced me otherwise. And it was Garth Lagerwey. brought that to him. he was GM in Salt Lake. We were friends. I was not yet working for the Sounders.
00:33:34
Speaker
He came to visit on his way to Alaska because he'd never been to Alaska. So he he crashed on our couch for a few days. And and he just he said, no, no, no, you don't understand. The money in the ownership groups is so much different. And the model and the way that the the collective invests in the league is just so different from anything that's ever been attempted in America for soccer. And it's he said it's going to work. Trust me. and He's a smart guy.
00:34:04
Speaker
Garth's a smart guy. Yeah, I've heard a lot of Garth Lagerwey stories, and i don't think I've ever heard that one. That's a good one. Yeah. Well, going back to 95, I didn't realize this either, that the that early iteration of the Sounders, the 94, 96 Sounders, was actually a pretty well-invested outfit, and relative speaking to what correct was going on. And and it had, it and there were some, there was like an alternate, there is a legitimate alternate history where
00:34:35
Speaker
The Sounders end up getting into MLS, right? Well, not the Sounders, but a Seattle team gets into MLS. A Seattle entry into We were, in the beginning, was, you know, the A-League was trying to be the first division.
00:34:50
Speaker
But we also independently... we we The Sounders would not have been opposed to jumping from that league into this new league. But yeah, I mean, I'm not uncomfortable talking about compensation and things.
00:35:04
Speaker
You know, my first professional contract i got a thousand bucks a month. ah For six months. So, yeah, some some pro. And and then so so I started teaching because I had a family. We had a son.
00:35:20
Speaker
ah needed a proper job. And soccer, you know, I've i've used that. the Like soccer was like a mistress. But, you know, they they wouldn't commit to you, you know.
00:35:32
Speaker
So, again, may I don't know that that's the right analogy. But it was this thing that... man i i wish i could make a go of this i wish i could make this work but it just you you live in a ah nomadic existence you're playing indoor in the winter outdoor in the summer you're scraping together money you're doing camps and clinics and It it was not professional in the in the sense that that I needed it to be when I was a teacher. So I was making $3,000 a month as a high school history teacher.
00:36:05
Speaker
And my first Seattle Sounders contract was $3,000 a month. They paid insurance. The things I needed to make that work for me. So I made the jump. It it wasn't a difficult... I was 27.
00:36:19
Speaker
That's 27. Like, the I thought the ship had sailed. But I'd kept fit ah enough, apparently. um And I joined that team and in 94. And there were a lot. I mean, my salary was not.
00:36:32
Speaker
I wasn't the highest paid player on the team. Who was? So, I mean, it probably was Peter Hattrop in that first year. Because he was coming off some reasonable success. I mean, we had.
00:36:45
Speaker
Hanneman was a rookie. The Dunn brothers were rookies. Jason Farrell. These kids are all just out of college. But we also had guys who had families and they, like Billy Crook, Neil Megson, Chance Frye, they weren't going to like give up what they were doing, construction business, whatever it was, just to... And and one thing about that era that I think is it's more innocent... you didn't have youth soccer did not have the pay to play model that you have now. It was still volunteer dads, uh, moms and dads that were out, um, coaching kids and, that the pay to play where, where coaches are making youth soccer coaches in the area are making six figures.
00:37:32
Speaker
retir I just found this out kind of recently. yeah like You can make a pretty good living being a youth soccer coach. yeah And now you, you work every night and you're, you're, Your weekends are everywhere. You're driving all over the state. get your parents.
00:37:46
Speaker
Yeah. And it's so it's not quite the same. but But that didn't exist. So people had to get real jobs, you know, not not some soccer-affiliated thing. And there were a couple of guys that maybe had made a go of that. Dick McCormick, who will be here on Saturday.
00:38:02
Speaker
for the 30th anniversary thing. I loved Dick and I played with him a long time, but he did that indoor outdoor. He would play, well, he there was no outdoor for a while, so he would play indoor. And then in the summertime, he He'd do whatever he could. You know you you work camps, you you you get a day job. you like you just You're trying to make it make it as long as you can.
00:38:25
Speaker
And most guys had a time limit. You're like, you know guys, I'm 25. I can't keep doing this. i was I had sort of passed that that point. yeah I was rescued by a phone call saying the Sounders are coming back because I really didn't think I was going to...
00:38:43
Speaker
going to continue playing. you know Teaching was was fun. I was a high school teacher and and coach. But yeah, the the team in 94 and 95 were well paid. Our bonus structure, again, money and the the money in modern in 2025 terms might seem minimal, but you win a game, everyone that played gets 100 oh Uh, you win a second game in a row, you get 200 bucks.
00:39:11
Speaker
You win a third game in a row, you get 300 bucks. it It capped at 300, but we had a five and a seven game winning streak in the 94 season. So seven game winning streak, you're, you're getting a lot of extra $300 little bonuses on top of everything else. So, um,
00:39:28
Speaker
Once Major League Soccer happened in 96, if you could go, you went. So it was a real change. Yeah, they cut salaries. It suddenly became what the USL is.
00:39:41
Speaker
and was that Did that happen in 96 or that happened after the 96 season? At the end of So there was two years of it being a feeling like a big... yeah big and what were the What were the crowds like in those early... oh The 94 season, we we we only sold out Memorial once.
00:39:59
Speaker
But we sold out, you know, which at the time was 12,000. And they had the seats in the ends then? No. No okay no seats on the ends. Bench seating. yeah very uncomfortable.
00:40:10
Speaker
The locker room still smelled like... the Pelé locker rooms from 75. I mean, it's it was interesting. Pelé did play in that stadium in 1975. So 20 years later, here we are, the 95 season. and But by 95, the crowds had shrunk. were probably averaging 4,000 to 5,000 game.
00:40:31
Speaker
You know, the no one was making money. The the ownership was not, that they were paying us a lot. We were not getting big crowds. Sponsorship was, i mean, we did have the Jersey sponsor, I think in 95 was Microsoft.
00:40:45
Speaker
On the front, you know, our owner at the time, Scott Oakey, came from up from Microsoft, so he might have just been investing in his own thing, a little man's city, you know, where you yeah yeah get sponsorship on the corner flags. Yeah.
00:41:01
Speaker
But... but Yeah, crowds were were boisterous. It's interesting, I talk to people now who went to those games and, you know, ah think about that. I was in my late 20s and there were people there that were in there, dead kids,
00:41:19
Speaker
And so they're in their 30s and 40s, and that's 30 years ago now. So these are older people. And they're still coming. Right. They're here at Lumen. they' It's exciting that they're still around, but they, you know, the the memory of me is almost exclusively about my hair.
00:41:36
Speaker
Right, you know yes. Famously purple? purple i di Purple and white and red. and Oh, you had a few different ones. Oh, yeah. White was the base color that I would move from. You can easily change white. It's hard to make brown purple. Sure.
00:41:50
Speaker
But, yeah, I started at every game I was healthy. So i was a regular. I wasn't just the funny hair guy. um But I say that like I'm bitter. I'm not. Yeah.
00:42:02
Speaker
I'm glad I'm known for something. I mean, one absolutely one of the iconic images of that era is you and that in that in the shirt that is inspired this one with a matching hair color. Yeah, yeah. There's been some call in the office.
00:42:18
Speaker
Somebody reached out today and on Slack and said what about doing the hair and said, Hey, I think it's time for you to bring the hair back. I'm like, that's Jackson Reagan's responsibility. that's I've done my work in that in that field.
00:42:31
Speaker
Yeah. If Jackson wants advice on hair care products, I i can share. so you know, you look at this roster from 95, and it is a lot, you know, it's like... i wouldn I don't know how many the famous people are on it, but there's a lot. I mean, Marcus is, i would say, a legitimate, may became a legitimate star.
00:42:49
Speaker
But there's a lot of recognizable names if you are involved in the soccer scene here. I mean, almost like up and down the roster, there are guys who became coaches or started camps or, or you know,
00:43:02
Speaker
Run clubs, yeah. Run clubs. lot of names that became really bedrock elements of the Seattle soccer community that I do think differentiates it from a lot of the markets around the country. Yeah. um yeah ah Chance Frye, who was our leading scorer, I think that year. Hattrop might have.
00:43:23
Speaker
Hattrop would have had more goals and assists, more goal contributions. Peter was unbelievable that season, almost unplayable. i don't I've never had a season with a guy outside of maybe Alon Suter for Dallas in 97.
00:43:39
Speaker
where you just you give the ball to him and you just get out of the way. you know He was that unstoppable. um and And he'll tell you about it, too. I bet. beat beat I love him too to to pieces, but he does not lack for confidence, which that's the that's the reality of ah of a goal scorer, right? I've played a couple media games with him, and he still got it a little bit.
00:44:02
Speaker
you' got a little bit oh No, yeah he's Pete was amazing, but Pete heavily involved in in coaching chance ran East side for a ah ah long time East side FC, even the coaching staff.
00:44:16
Speaker
If you look at the coaching staff, it was amazing. Tony Chersky, the old Sounders goalkeeper, was our goalkeeper coach. And his son, Alex Chersky, is a ah big, big wig at Seattle United.
00:44:29
Speaker
Tommy Jenkins, the, again, Sounders legend from the 70s. Tommy was one of our assistant coaches. Frank Barton was one of our assistant coaches. we we We had this mix of...
00:44:40
Speaker
ah just these old English pros combined with a a veteran group. I think that's another thing is I mentioned some college guys like the Dunn brothers and Hanneman and Jason Farrell, but we also had Neil Megson and Bill Crook and...
00:44:57
Speaker
Dave Hoggan, Dick McCormick, a guys who'd been around the block. Me. I mean, I was 27. I was not a right out of college kid. So we were veteran enough that when we went to Montreal or went to Atlanta, New York, there weren't a lot of places. The Colorado Foxes.
00:45:17
Speaker
um You know, we'd go there and we were every bit as veteran as some of these, you know, international lineups that we were facing. I mean, so some some teams brought in their talent from out outside.
00:45:29
Speaker
We really, the base of that team was local. They were born and raised here, you know, in some cases never left. You know, they they might have gone for soccer, but they all came home.
00:45:40
Speaker
Yeah. That is another thing that's sort of, to me, always been sort of remarkable about the Seattle scene here is that you had this group of players who became pros at young ages when that was not normally, i mean, we went through a long stretch of American soccer where there were just not pros between 18 22.
00:46:00
Speaker
Yeah, they were in college. Right. Right. And so I think it's interesting. The original Sounders, you know, they get maybe the famous names, the Alan Hudson, Jeff Hurst played in 1976. Mike England was maybe our best player in terms of international profile. Yeah.
00:46:20
Speaker
But they signed Jimmy McAllister out of high school, Jeff Stock, Mark Peterson, Brian Schmetzer, Billy Crook, Tim Bartrow, Craig Nicholson. i'm I'm going deep. But they signed Tony k Crudo.
00:46:33
Speaker
All these guys never never went to college. They signed directly to a pro team at 18 years old and started training with the pros, which... You know, most of those guys had college scholarship offers and their parents.
00:46:48
Speaker
Yeah, Chance Fries won more. Chance never went to college. ah He had a scholarship offer. i is ah um He's still ah ah close friend. and And that that life of like, I'm in it. I i am doing it.
00:47:05
Speaker
And then it I think for Chance, he was 19 when the league folded. len the nature And so what am I going to do? you know he he's Any chance of playing in college is gone because you've you've been paid. He can still go to college if he wants. But again, it's like this notion that if you want to be a professional soccer player, are you taking an intro to philosophy 100 class?
00:47:30
Speaker
if If that's your ambition, you need to be on the field and you need to be in the gym and you need to be... doing the pro soccer things, you know, I took the other route. I i did go to college and I, I, I wouldn't have changed my path, but I didn't have the option either. The Sounders were already gone. The local team was gone, but that, yeah, those guys, I don't think that happened in a lot of other places.
00:47:53
Speaker
I mean, it doesn't seem like it. I don't know. I don't have, you look at the 1990, I said this off air, but the 1990 world cup team, which was the first time we got to the world cup, In my lifetime. We we went 40 years. 1950, where we shockingly beat England 1-0. And then 40 years later, 1990, we qualify on the kick Paul Calagiri goal down in Trinidad.
00:48:16
Speaker
The oldest guy on that team is 27. Not a single player on that roster played in the North American Soccer League. But every one of them were influenced by it. Their their ages range from 19 to 27. And, you know, it's that...
00:48:28
Speaker
and you know it's it's that Nothing. No Billy Crook. No Schmetzer. Because those guys we're were busy playing indoor. that They had jobs and livings to make.
00:48:41
Speaker
And U.S. soccer wasn't giving them any big money to play in this tournament. So they went with college guys. Every one of that team is like a college product. And we were lost all three games. and yeah Only won badly, though, to Czechoslovakia. We lost 5-1. Yeah.
00:48:58
Speaker
but i mean, it's – don't know. It is – it's sometimes it's hard to square the circle of how we made – some of those things that you look back in like 95, we weren't that far.
00:49:10
Speaker
Like there was some foundation here and then somehow we – it seems like we – there was some wilderness years in between – In between 95 and here? right Yeah, yeah. the Again, we i don't take for granted for a second the crowds we get in Seattle. you know and And there is concern, perhaps, that...
00:49:32
Speaker
In 2019, we were averaging whatever we were averaging, I think over 40. Yeah. And now we're but closer to 30. Right. And and so all that yes, that's not the direction you want things to be headed. We're averaging over 30,000 a game.
00:49:47
Speaker
like Yeah. yeah it's ah There are far more ah difficult challenges that are happening. but soccer clubs in america face oh for sure for sure so you know you look back on again going back to that 95 team um you know there there were ah or a handful of players that went on to have pretty impressive careers i don't think any of them more than marcus honiman yep uh what was marcus like as a as a kid on that team He, um interesting because had two keepers, Marcus and Dusty Hudak.
00:50:23
Speaker
So Dusty was UW, Marcus was SPU. They both came out the same year. and And I don't know if you could have picked who was better.
00:50:34
Speaker
And um and there was there was like ah there was one game where Allen couldn't make a decision on who was going to start. And um this is the, i'm i'm I'm speaking, this is secondhand. I was not there. Where he asked Dusty who should start. Like he he gave him some sort of you or Marcus and Dusty was like, oh, Marcus can start this one. Thinking that he's in for the next one.
00:51:06
Speaker
And Marcus played great and and it was the end of never looked back. Yeah, he played pretty much ah every game for three years. And then he went off to Colorado before he went to England. um I actually lost to Marcus in the playoffs in 97.
00:51:20
Speaker
Marcus and Chris Anderson and Sean Anderson were all on Colorado Rapids. You know, she loved that. Well, Sean, it was a three-legged semi or best of three semifinal, you know, basically getting us to MLS Cup.
00:51:34
Speaker
So was conference final. Yeah. First game in Dallas, Sean Henderson scores the only goal on a back post header. Second game in Colorado, Chris wins it on a bicycle kick. And and Marcus is in goal with both games. It was, yeah, i I had to accept that. But Marcus, as ah as a young man, has not aged.
00:51:56
Speaker
Maybe he's aged in a sense he has less hair. Yeah. um But don't we all? He is still a a free spirit, fun. He was that way then. He's still with Amanda. His kids are obviously grown now, but he he like he liked trucks.
00:52:17
Speaker
He liked... extreme sports. ah He was big and strong and tough. But in, you know, again, that playfulness, that one, will I smile when I think of Marcus, let alone see him because there's a twinkle in his eye and he's, he's mischievous or he can, yeah he can also be serious, but you have to be, if you're going to have a career as a pro, you don't get to just joke your way through the whole experience um but he did i don't think he'll be mad at me for telling this story the following year in 96 alan hinton was no longer the coach neil megson had taken over as player coach oh and which always goes well he ditched the player part about halfway through the season and and our performance has improved um i don't know if that's he was better on the sideline or if his presence on the field was a problem One of the two, but he said, out we're going to preseason.
00:53:13
Speaker
We're going to head to Green Lake. We're going around Green Lake for some fitness. So we're going to meet at Green Lake. So we all drive our cars independently up to Green Lake. And Marcus shows up with ah roller skates or...
00:53:30
Speaker
the blades you know rollerblades rollerblades very 96 very appropriate for 96 if you put your mind back to they might even have had like appropriate colors right exactly yeah was i hope he was wearing like uh like biker shorts or something but anyway he he uh we said marcus what are you doing he said well you didn't say we're gonna run around good green lake you said we're gonna keep go around green lake so We Neil let him right yeah and we we lapped him but He was on skates and we laughed was he good at at He looked he looked That was maybe a sport. He was just learning So I think he actually worked harder than we did in the skates so it worked out. Yeah it worked out
00:54:14
Speaker
I like the image of Marcus Hahnemann rollerblading around. Brilliant. Yeah, brilliant. No, he he is, he's the one of that team that, you know, we would say made it in the sense of got to Europe, had a long career World Cup.
00:54:29
Speaker
It is funny because Marcus has this amazing career that he played. I think he was on three World Cup teams, wasn't he? At least two. but At least two. But he also, i mean, he's he's one of the most successful American players. If you just look at his his resume, his but his longevity and his success in Europe measures up with...
00:54:51
Speaker
Really, anyway, I mean, it measures up with Casey. It measures up with Brad Friedel. It measures up with, I mean, and ah and it yet he doesn't seem to be talked about as much because he didn't start any World Cup games. Yeah, yeah. I think, you know, that and I played with Casey and Marcus. And the thing about Casey that, again, he from the age of, well, the I met him at when he was 18. He knew exactly what he wanted to to do. His clear vision in in his mind. And he worked every day to make himself better at that.
00:55:23
Speaker
um And was I don't know if Marcus still knows what he wants to do. you know He's flying planes. He's a commercial. i know. He's flying passenger. He's doing passenger runs to Canada. I think he just... he He doesn't have that. He had that single vision when he played, but I don't know if he was as obsessed as Casey was.
00:55:44
Speaker
Casey also went to Europe on an American passport. Right, which is he was the first player to go on an American passport, right? That's my understanding. a controversial subject because I think him and Tony Miola still argue about this, right? Well, he's, yeah. I was to it.
00:56:03
Speaker
It's okay. This beat viewing is crashing the the interview. Hello, everyone. Nice to be with you. I love the jersey. Dave Gillett, chopper. Yeah. It's fitting you have Dave Gillett's jersey. He's my favorite. Yeah. Yeah. yeah yeah He did a clinic once and he smoked a cigarette during the clinic. I'm not kidding. Bonus content here. Yeah. I got John Rowland and Pepe Fernandez.
00:56:27
Speaker
Okay. yeah Yeah. John Rowland's the leading scorer those first two years. Yes. Yeah. We're talking about the 95 Sounders in case you're you're curious. You want to add anything about that? and I had a scarf, I think, from that team. That's it.
00:56:42
Speaker
But Wade did kick the bejeebers out of me. When he was playing for Portland, always played for Seattle. Oh. Yes. His index finger was this big and it was standing over me cursing.
00:56:53
Speaker
Did you guys know each other from? No. That's when we met. That's when you met. I knew who Pete was. Okay. Yeah, but I was an angry young man. why it spinning has gay g No, this is great. This is actually, this actually it is a really good illustration of what I think makes the, is what I love about this.
00:57:17
Speaker
I do, i mean I don't know. I do really genuinely, I'm new to this. I came here in 09. The Sounders were already an MLS team, but it's fascinating to me to see sort of the the way that,
00:57:29
Speaker
the The Sounders connection to these past iterations is, it just seems unlike what we see elsewhere. and it's And I love being able to sit here in a press box and have ah a former, you know, and ah I know he wasn't, I know Pete wasn't involved in the Sounders, but he was involved in a lot of the stuff that was going on between the two Sounders teams. Yeah, Pete, Pete viewing is a, is I think a ah pivotal figure in the Seattle soccer community is his camp is legendary, but he very successful career as a head coach at Seattle university, two national titles.
00:58:01
Speaker
um You know, a lot of great players that came through that program as well. Alex rolled will be on the field this evening. Yeah, I, you know, I, I look at him, didn't play in the NASL, a little too young.
00:58:15
Speaker
why not He it just didn't get signed, you know but he was certainly in the in that mix of players, the Klein brothers, Pete, same age as Bryant, same age Schmitz. So there was their team and the Lake City Hawks, which is Bryant's team, had Fred Hamill, who signed for the Sounders as an 18-year-old as well, but then wound up going back to school. He's now a professor.
00:58:40
Speaker
i've I've got to meet him, but also didn't play for the resurrected Sounders. Pete, slightly too old. he i was his coach at that point. so But he he's one of us. we're We're all part of that. Danny Jackson was a USL-only Sounder. Had couple bad injuries. right We love him. He's one of us. you know Steve Jenkins, who I never clay played with. oh Sorry, Scott Jenkins.
00:59:05
Speaker
Stevie Jenkins was... Tom Jenkins' son passed away, sadly. Anyway, but Scott Jenkins, I think, was the all-time appearance leader until maybe Zach Scott broke it.
00:59:17
Speaker
But USO only. u ah Late in O'Brien. You know, these are guys that are legends in the community. Right. That... They might have had a USL sounder jersey on at one point, but some of them never even had that.
00:59:32
Speaker
It's just the the connection is is real. And I honestly, I mean, I hope of this doesn't sound brown noser-ish, but Adrian cultivates that.
00:59:44
Speaker
You know that Kellen Rowe and Zakawani, Evans, Lamar, I think I saw him walking by in the hallway. but They're all still around. Right. And now Lamar and Kellen, OK, they're local.
00:59:56
Speaker
But Brad Evans didn't have to retire here. And Steve certainly didn't have to retire here. Yeah. And they stayed because there's just something about – the club and its connection with the community and for crying out loud summers in seattle i mean ah you not you can do worse well before we we end this i do want to just get a broader sense i maybe should have brought this up earlier but 1995 is also sort of a seattle is having a moment the the larger picture. All of a sudden, Seattle goes from being this sleepy little town up in the corner of the country to sort of the cultural epicenter of the United... In lot of ways, I mean, it was getting a lot of worldwide attention all of a sudden. I realized that 95 is maybe on the tail end of that, but still it's...
01:00:41
Speaker
um I don't know what was What was it like in Seattle in 1995? And and was it did you get a sense of it changing? Yeah, the early 90s were that. It felt that. I mean, whether it was Microsoft or Starbucks or...
01:00:56
Speaker
Certainly the music scene and and how that, you know, was was front page news. ah Heck, the Mariners refused to lose season, you know, like all all of these things are happening in the early 90s.
01:01:11
Speaker
Being in the middle of it, you know, I went to shows in Pioneer Square. i I was not early on the Microsoft stock thing like some of my friends were.
01:01:23
Speaker
um but But that that it just it felt normal. But the vibe of the city was it was it was small town. It felt like the the.
01:01:35
Speaker
There were neighborhoods, and you you felt like when you walk Capitol Hill, it felt like Capitol Hill. when you We lived in the Rainier Valley, my wife and I, during that period.
01:01:46
Speaker
Now, I guess it might be called Seward Park-ish. Oh. But i I lived on Orca Street for you know two sit my last two seasons in Seattle.
01:01:57
Speaker
it It was... It had everything. I mean, it the ah maybe people could argue it wasn't like you didn't get fine dining except at Canlis, right? we We just sort of had mom-and-pop restaurants and and things like that. Ivers was a big, you know, it was cool to get fish and chips at Ivers, even if they, you know, they're good, but there are probably better fish and chips and in the world, right? im I don't know. I'm not a...
01:02:22
Speaker
um and aficionado. It was dirtier though. It was, I mean, from the viaduct, um, ah just a lot, the kingdom, a lot of those things were still here.
01:02:35
Speaker
And, yeah, it, It's maybe appropriate that a lot of the photos of me playing are in black and white. You know, there's not. I swear the world was color back then. But but it is fun explaining that to my kids.
01:02:49
Speaker
Yeah. That stuff. Yeah. I don't know if it just you got better. I mean, most of the photographs that were taken were for were for newspapers. So they they didn't need to be color. So, you know, that that.
01:03:02
Speaker
But it felt, it feels black and white when I think of what Seattle is now, which is a tech city, which is a modern commercial and transportation and even a tourism destination. We have cruise ships coming you coming and going. And back then we had the Princess Marguerite, little ferry that took you to Victoria.
01:03:25
Speaker
And that was a big deal to get on the Princess Marguerite in your Chevy station wagon. Yeah. Things have changed. Things have changed. Well, Wade, this has been great. I hope people enjoy this.
01:03:37
Speaker
i do am glad that this these early iterations of the Sounders or mid-generation Sounders are are getting some some shine. And i as ah I graduated high school in 1995, so this year is ah particularly relevant to me. I've kind of gotten really, don't I just had a lot of nostalgia for this for this particular thing that they're doing. but yeah well i Thank you so much for doing this. I hope the jerseys are a hit, and no, I'm not dying my hair purple. Okay. That's a good way to end it. I'm Joe Mound Chan. This is Nos Adientes, and we'll catch you next time.
01:04:35
Speaker
I expect the LAFC who is motivated ah to prove themselves at home, to prove to their fans that that they're capable of winning in this league. And it's up to us to really ruin the party.
01:04:51
Speaker
i feel a lot better than