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Diego Valeri explains how to beat Inter Miami
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Diego Valeri, as much as it pains us to say, is one of the greatest players in MLS history. Now, he's generally considered one of the most insightful commentators on MLS Season Pass. Not only has he called dozens of Inter Miami games over the years, but he also has experience playing in front of packed houses at Lumen Field.
We figured there were few people better to share some insights into Sunday's Leagues Cup final than Valeri.
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Transcript
Introduction and Guest Appearance
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'Shaan.
00:00:13
Speaker
Let's go. What a sorry, Bud Fry. The Seattle Sounders have done it. MLS Cup winners. Here comes Rui Diaz through the middle to crowd it for Seattle.
00:00:28
Speaker
The Saunders rule the region! Seattle Saunders is good! This feels fucking awesome. And Portland can't say it's genius! Nice work on your little
00:00:46
Speaker
Ooch of a gooch! All creatures great and small! Villaviga!
00:00:54
Speaker
you me
00:00:59
Speaker
you know What was the thought process in terms of who you decided it to use and you didn't? Ever since I wrote a commentary that we didn't take the overcome seriously.
Sponsors and Supporters
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.
Guest Spotlight: Diego Valeri
00:01:43
Speaker
Welcome back to another episode of Sarietes on the Sounder at Heart Podcast Network. I am Jeremiah Oshan. Joining me today for a special preview of the League's Cup, ah someone I'm very excited to have back on the show.
00:01:56
Speaker
You know this person very well. They are a former and MLS MVP. They have more than 250 appearances in MLS.
00:02:08
Speaker
appearances in mls ah He is someone who has broken the heart of the Sounders many, many times, ah but we still love him. He is also one of the ah main voices for MLS in Spanish on Apple TV.
00:02:24
Speaker
Welcome to the back to the show, Diego Valeri. It's great to have you. Hey, Jeremiah, how are you? Thank you for having me on your show. Yeah, so... And for your kind words. Oh, yeah.
00:02:35
Speaker
oh yeah No, no, my pleasure. So um well we'll we'll definitely ah talk about Miami.
Player Highlights: Pedro de la Vega
00:02:44
Speaker
But before we get into that, that i just wanted to say the last time we had you on, it was right after the signing of ah of Pedro de la Vega. You were teammates with Pedro at Lanús. You know him very well.
00:02:59
Speaker
how much How much pride and how much joy does it give you to see the way that he's playing right now? I mean, he's one of – he's suddenly emerged in the last couple months as really one of the best players ah in on the Sounders. 100%. Well, you know, I'm proud of him. I'm proud – I'm proud of the way he handled the, not the best moments, right? So the adaptation, because, you know, always there's big expectation on a new, ah you know, a new sign, a new young DP and DP, right? So,
00:03:34
Speaker
and and And a team like Seabra is always you know making when we getting into finals and and signing great players, right? and And it's not easy. you know we We got to think that they're young people.
00:03:46
Speaker
It's the first time they go out of the country and and they need you know, they need some time to know the league, to adapt, even physically, right? So i'm I'm so proud of him in the way he did it, always with a smile in the face, right?
00:04:01
Speaker
Always positive for the team, always with great relationship, right? ah Even though sometimes, you know, the the player has the ego and wants to play always and And he always was an important piece of the team, handling even some injuries. So ah I texted him yesterday and and i say that I say that to him. I'm proud of i'm proud the way you did it, right?
00:04:27
Speaker
Now he's in a different stage of his staying here in Seattle. yeah And he's scoring goals. He feels so much confident, right? and And I think that the the way he did it, it was it was ah It was a positive for the team, even though They were all waiting about, you know, increasing Pedro's level into the field, which now it's is fantastic.
00:04:54
Speaker
and and And he will be better. He will be better because he he has all what the player needs to to become and a very important piece of the team, of a winning team. So I'm so happy about him. And, and you know, and may yeah every time I text him, hey, you're making me celebrating Saunders goals. so it's So Mashiko.
00:05:21
Speaker
and Yeah, I can only imagine there's there's got to be a little bit of ah mixed emotions with that. But, um you know, one of the things that has really struck me about Pedro is how much he has embraced seemingly the entire ah the entire package.
00:05:38
Speaker
He's not just here. should to play soccer. But like one of the things that i I, that really opened my eyes to kind of what a special person he was and sort of how different he was from a lot of players who come here from overseas or from from, from other countries was, you know, I went to a ah pride event, the, the, ah the, the flag raising event at, at Lumen field was him and Andrew Thomas.
00:06:03
Speaker
And he just seems so happy to be there, to be participating in like a community event. You know, it wasn't there wasn't a lot of cameras. There wasn't a lot of people, but just his excitement for being part of something that was, you know, bigger than than him.
00:06:20
Speaker
And he seemed to really be embracing the whole idea of what it means to be a member of the not just a team, but a member of the community. Totally, totally. He's such a great person. And and even though he's not from Lanús, right? He grew up in Lanús and you you know Lanús, it's about that. It's a community, a very strong community, right? and And he grew up with that sense and he is such a great person, so mature about
00:06:52
Speaker
uh civics right about about how how to behave right and how it's good for the city uh but but at the end at the end right which that being said i know him people starts you know they begin to know him very well outside the field but at the end a player right a soccer player they the supporters the people they want to see what they do in the field right first and now he now he obviously it's adding value uh not only because what he's doing into the field i totally agree with you i knew that i knew his you know commitment with with the city and with some of the rights and with some of the things that good for the society for the city you live and and i'm i'm happy that
00:07:37
Speaker
he is so, you know, involved in that in in a community like Seattle, but still, you know, performing in the field, which is, you know, which is the end for a soccer player, the most important.
Sounders' Recent Form and Tactics
00:07:49
Speaker
Absolutely. And I think that's one of the things that's most interesting about this run of form that the Sounders are in. You know, basically since the Club World Cup, they have been probably the hottest team in all of North America.
00:08:01
Speaker
They're scoring goals. Suddenly they're scoring goals and and at alarming numbers. And Pedro has been a huge, huge part of that. You know, it's it's sort of like his rise from being a nice complementary player to a player who really can take control of games or at least can change games ah very quickly has been remarkable to see.
00:08:24
Speaker
And it's not just, you know, the his attacking ability. It's his effort on defense. It's his ability in the open field. He can change games in ways that other players on the Sounders have really not been able to since Nico Ladero was really in his best form.
00:08:43
Speaker
And I guess as it relates to this game, how important for the Sounders is a player like Pedro ah when you're playing a defense that can sometimes be, you know, a little a little open.
00:08:57
Speaker
Oh, well, it's it's it's going to be very important because Miami, it's a team that really can punish you in in the attack, right? So they, the Seattle, I mean, Seattle Sounders is a team that its functionality is really good.
00:09:14
Speaker
All of the players are very committed to help and to make the team a solid team in terms of defense, right? And that's key. So you need that, you Most likely from the wingers because Miami push, ah push outside backs always forward. Right.
00:09:33
Speaker
And to add that extra number in the attack and in in in the case, I know Pedro now is most likely playing on the left, but sometimes they switch. and you know, most most likely Jordi Alba is like a 10th in the attack. So you need an extra help because they're so much, so capable Miami's players to break pressure, right? If you just ah defend them one-by-one, they're going to punish you.
00:10:00
Speaker
They're going to beat you, right? So it's got to be a block. So in those terms, it's really important. and then And then ah because of that, right, Miami... always gives space in defense, right? In terms of defending. So you got attack them quickly.
00:10:16
Speaker
You got to ah overload them all the time and they suffer. In those terms, Pedro is is very important because he will be capable to make, you know, long distance kickings, right? he He will be capable to connect with the outside back. He will be capable to play inverted on the left and and creating chances of combinations, internal combinations, which Miami suffers a lot.
00:10:39
Speaker
So crosses, so he he will be hell be key in the game. He will be key in the game in terms of how to add a number defensively and in the middle of the field to possess and and get the ball out from Miami.
00:10:53
Speaker
And then obviously where the soccer and defines everything, which is the boxes.
00:11:02
Speaker
Thank you for listening to the Sound 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.
00:11:15
Speaker
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00:11:28
Speaker
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00:11:44
Speaker
To find out more, just visit sounderatheart.com and click the subscribe button in the top right corner. 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.
00:11:58
Speaker
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00:12:39
Speaker
Again, go to hacksandferments.com, use the code sounder at heart at checkout for a free hot sauce with your order. Hacks and Ferments is a proud sponsor of that Sounder at Heart podcast network.
Match Analysis: Sounders vs. Miami
00:12:52
Speaker
Yeah, so this is the only the second time that the Sounders have played Miami. Interestingly enough, both of them are at Lumen Field. But the previous time the Sounders played Miami, it was it could not have really been a different team. It was the early stages of 2023 before Messi came, before all of his buddies came.
00:13:12
Speaker
And this was a team that was at the time coached by Phil Neville that was really kind of struggling and was much more of sort of like a workman team because they – they had sort of left their roster kind of bare with the anticipation of bringing in Messi and, and, and I guess Busquets and Alba and, and later Suarez.
00:13:31
Speaker
i It was. and so everyone knows now that, that Barcelona, that Miami is just stacked with all these famous players. They also just, they recently added Rodrigo de Paul who faced the Sounders when he was with Atletico Madrid in the club world cup.
00:13:49
Speaker
But outside of the star players, they they have some, or the big names, I should say, they have some really effective ah younger guys and players who are not as famous.
00:14:02
Speaker
What can you tell us about some of the other ways that Miami tends to hurt teams outside of the the big name guys? Yeah, that's the reality. So they are a totally different team that the Seattle Sounders face in 2023.
00:14:18
Speaker
ah Because of the roster, not because of the big names, right? The roster is totally different. Actually, they have sold some of the young guys like redondo, like Gomez last giga Gomez last year. Right?
00:14:33
Speaker
So they are totally different team. They're more balanced right ah in terms of all of the. guys like Segovia, Agende, Tadeo Agende, the Argentinian guy, guys like Bright, Janik Bright, that it's in the in the middle of the field, getting ball backs for them to play, and actually ah helping Busquets to become a better player in this Miami, right?
00:14:57
Speaker
Because you know MLS, how games just stretch and and opens up at some point of the game, and Busquets, you know, ah to cover the ground, it's It's a different player if he has right or not on the side.
00:15:11
Speaker
Right. and and And then I think, you know, in the right back, guys like Wagan and Ian Fry that gives them compliments. Fry more, ah you know, ah more physical, right? More athletic.
00:15:28
Speaker
Wagan is more a 1v1 guy, more defensive and more static on on his position, right? So they can use that spot. and obviously Obviously, they have a different goalie, you know, a goalie that ah has a lot of experience. And then the core of the team is totally different.
00:15:48
Speaker
Plus they you know the the the the names they have, Suarez and Messi and Jordi Alba, they can change the game in in in a just a simple action, right? So if the team is not playing...
00:16:03
Speaker
is not playing great, is suffering, they can make plays. They can make those plays that are out of the the the flow of the game, right?
00:16:17
Speaker
So basically, I think, you know, Allende and Segovia are key for the team, besides the big names, right? Last game against um against Orlando, the coaching staff decided to add them in the second half, both of them, and they changed the games. Again, they created the PK.
00:16:40
Speaker
Segovia scored the third goal to finish the the the game. and Why they did that? Because I think Miami still is lack of...
00:16:53
Speaker
ah substitutions right so they still have so you know young guys like morales right uh like santi morales or uh like obando right like guys that still they need more minutes and they're not at the same and rhythm of all of the rest so they they use uh for substitutions guys like fafa picot right uh So Mascherano decided to add Segovia and Ascende in the second half because Miami suffered a lot in the last 20, 25 minutes of the second half, always physically. right So when they got a hold, a result, or even push for it, they they suffer a lot. So they use these these two guys that are key for me ah in terms of who can change the game besides the the big names.
00:17:49
Speaker
And so, you know, that that does deserve of a good that's a good transition into talking about some of these big names.
Defensive Strategies Against Miami
00:17:55
Speaker
What does, you know, obviously Messi, Suarez, DePaul to a degree are are players that are just sort of different. Like they are not...
00:18:06
Speaker
they're not easier to game plan around necessarily. But what do successful teams that are successful against Miami, what sort of commonalities, what through lines are there in the way that they handle sort of some of these big players?
00:18:24
Speaker
Well, first and foremost, if Messi is on the Messi, it's a different, it's a different approach than any other player, even Suarez or even Jordi, right?
00:18:35
Speaker
Jordi, it's really important because connects with Messi, makes Messi more effective, right? and But Messi is a totally different approach. I think if Messi is on the field, the only way to to um approach his pressure and his defending is that he he has to be always you You have to bother him, you know, and bother him in terms of putting him in the worst scenario possible, right?
00:19:09
Speaker
Because if he is capable to to attract people and and if you just overload him in terms of numbers, he opens up play for all the teammates, right?
00:19:22
Speaker
So it's as a block, as a block in defense, is how you put him in in the worst scenario possible, right? As much as you can far away from the from your box, right? If you reduce space in a low block, how you disallow him to kick, right? to to To finish the action, right? How you disallow, how you push him to the sides.
00:19:47
Speaker
ah But it's so difficult to to put pressure um on Messi, right? That's why I say it's it's a block defending, right? It's a block defender, reducing spaces, push him away as much as you can of the of your goal and pray.
00:20:03
Speaker
and then and and then And then teams that been successful against Miami is how you can keep your intensity in terms of athleticism, right? So how you can make them...
00:20:19
Speaker
ah stretch play you know like be effective in the in the quick transition right um not playing so deep right because seattle well in seattle uh field is a long field right a little bit longer maybe yeah and and it's yeah so but but the trend the quick transition the fast transition right how you you can uh attack miami in two or three passes and put an attacking guy 1v1 uh you know against uh miami defender actually last game against orlando they they they got issues with that you know they got issues pushing for the game and then they being exposed with big spaces to defend for defenders right that's the way to do it um that's that's the best and then the the you know try to
00:21:12
Speaker
be balanced in terms of how many people you push forward, how many people you've put you push forward, right? and So that's the that's the way Miami struggles, right?
00:21:23
Speaker
When they don't find spaces ah in in your defense, right? When you're you're in a good block with balanced numbers, right? and And then you you got to have your best your your best games in terms of winning duels, you know, against against their attacking.
00:21:41
Speaker
Absolutely. Well, so the this is should be, it looks like there's going to be about 65,000 people there i tomorrow. It is going to be very close to a sellout.
00:21:53
Speaker
You have played in Lumen Field when it is packed like this before. you've You've visited there. ah You've experienced this. What kind of, what does it do to the crowd or what does it do to players on the field when there's that difference between it being ah normal 30,000 or whatever, when it can still be pretty loud and pretty boisterous at Lumen Field, but what's the difference when there is, you know, those third deck, when that third deck is really full? Like how does that, that how does that potentially impact the game?
Impact of Home Crowd at Lumen Field
00:22:25
Speaker
Well, it it truly impacts the first 20, 15, 20, and the last It depends the flow of the game, but what it really impacts in the game is in those moments.
00:22:38
Speaker
yeah know The first 10, 15,
00:22:41
Speaker
that can change the game. You know, it can change the flow of the game, right? Because the the crowd is so energized and it push your team forward, right? And you got to handle that.
00:22:54
Speaker
You know, every single action, it becomes full of adrenaline, right? So that that that that really affects ah affects your heart. right so and it's difficult you know it gives energy to your team and and and the rival has to handle it obviously miami has a lot of experience right they know how to slow the tempo they know how to right so they know how to ah handle those moments but it really affects the first 10 15 and you gotta really push for a goal there
00:23:26
Speaker
still being smart, but but it's difficult because the crowd push you up, push you, you know, push you for for goals and is very excited and because all the, the whole you know, everyone is excited in a final for the first, you know, and the first whistle blows and then the first 10 minutes, 15 minutes, it's key. And then the last 10, the last 10, 15 minutes, it's it really affects the game, right? legs are not the same, right?
00:23:54
Speaker
and your Your brain is not the same and the crowd is is it's helping you. And obviously it's not the best for the rival if you're, you know, ah even though you're defending a result of of you if you are chasing the game.
00:24:12
Speaker
Absolutely. Yeah. I'm, I'm personally, I'm excited. You know, ah we haven't had a crowd like this since the 2022 champions league final. I, I wouldn't necessarily put this quite on the same level of that, but it does feel big. It feels like a really um important
Significance of Current Games
00:24:30
Speaker
game. It feels like a, ah like a a cup final should feel like, and hopefully, you know, it's going to set a league's cup record and, know,
00:24:39
Speaker
ah Hopefully this can also start sort of start to reverse the trend here in Seattle, where there was maybe the the attention on the Sounders had started to diminish. And this feels like we're going to we're going to have the spotlight back on us. And so that's that's pretty exciting.
00:24:55
Speaker
ah Just any any sort of thoughts from you before we get out of here?
00:25:01
Speaker
Sure. Well, you know, nothing is the same in soccer, right? You can't compare a final of CONCACAF, right, with with with this or a final with MLS Cup, right? So nothing is the same, but all is on all is different. and and all is very important because it's it's today and you have a final in your home, which is great, you know? i' I'm jealous.
00:25:24
Speaker
I'll be in Portland, ah you know? So you always want to have finals in your home. You always want to play finals. It's it's the way, and it's today. its stood Nothing is the same, right right? In the past, but it's today.
00:25:37
Speaker
And that's the most important in soccer. Even guys like Guardiola says is that, you know, the only important thing is is is the present it's today that's soccer about you know that's how we should leave this obviously the past is important in terms of your history your legacy etc that right so how you create a winning team but it's today and and let me tell you this i got i broadcasted the game against uh the Western Conference final last year against LA Galaxy and Seattle could, Seattle could win that game.
00:26:09
Speaker
You know, it was, it was a tight game, you know, it was a tight game. And, and now they, they're in another final, right? So they play against a great team. Crowd's going to be there. And that's, you know,
00:26:22
Speaker
it's It's fantastic. I think you should enjoy that. Absolutely.
Episode Conclusion
00:26:26
Speaker
Well, Diego, I really appreciate you doing this. ah Despite your playing career, we still think of you highly. ah i've been It's been really ah great to see you succeeding as much as you have been at at MLS.
00:26:40
Speaker
ah You are... Everyone, i will admit, I don't get to watch a lot of the Spanish language broadcasts, but everyone that does ah speaks very, very highly of the work that you do there. So I just want to say thank you for doing this.
00:26:52
Speaker
Congratulate you on on the successful next stage of your career. and And hopefully we'll we'll see you out there tomorrow. Thank you so much, Jeremiah. I really, really appreciate that. And, and you know, yeah, look looking forward to see you on Sunday.
00:27:06
Speaker
Great. Well, ah thanks to Diego Valeri for joining us. I'm Jeremiah Shan. This is No Estudietes, part of the Sounder Heart Podcast Network, and we will catch you next time.
00:27:44
Speaker
Let's go at Sounders. um