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Did The Seattle Sounders RUIN Soccer for Atlanta? (Feat. Scarves and Spikes) - Ep. 118
0 Playsin 11 hours
Ahead of Seattle's Matchday 27 clash at Atlanta United, we'll break out the lineup builder and project the XI for Saturday's match at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, then talk with Sydney Hunte of Scarves and Spikes about Atlanta United's 2025 season. We'll also react to some Brian Schmetzer sound and talk injury updates to João Paulo and Paul Rothrock.
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Lobbing Scorchers is a Seattle Sounders and MLS focused show brought to you by Sounder at Heart. 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 Guest Welcome
00:00:00
Speaker
Well sir, we got a scorcher today. Gonna be a real scorcher today. Quite the scorcher today. Well it's gonna be scorcher.
00:00:21
Speaker
Excited to welcome in tonight's guest, Sidney from Scarves and Spikes and Atlanta United YouTube show and podcast that ah I listen to and and watch.
00:00:33
Speaker
So excited to have you on there. ah Sidney, real quick before where we do the intros, is it Hunt or is the E pronounced on the last name? I didn't know. A silent knee. A silent knee. All right. Sydney Hunt. Sydney Hunt from ah Scarves and Spikes.
00:00:48
Speaker
Also one of the match night writers that I work with on the MLS soccer editorial desk.
MLS and Atlanta United Preview
00:00:54
Speaker
So worked worked with you a lot, but we've never actually gotten to chop it up about... ah about MLS and Atlanta United and you know with ah Seattle and Atlanta playing this weekend what better time than the present but Sidney thank you so much for for joining us sharing your Atlanta United knowledge with our audience how are you doing this evening doing well doing well thanks for having me you mentioned the MLS soccer.com match night that's there so I've been behind the you had the virtual desk for so many of
00:01:30
Speaker
busted up recaps with late goals and stoppage time and all of that. So yeah I'm sure you remember most of those days. So yeah, good to be talking to you about LA United and we'll see what happens on Saturday when these two teams meet.
00:01:44
Speaker
Yeah, ah excited to get into that in just a minute here. Before we do that, I do like to give our guests an opportunity to plug the work that they're doing. So if you want to tell our audience about, you know, where you can find Scarves and Spikes, the type of stuff you guys do covering the club and just anything at all about where to find you and the work that you do.
00:02:04
Speaker
No, absolutely. So, um yeah, we are at scarvesandspecs.com. That's like our front porch to everything we do, written, ah podcast, audio, visual, all that good stuff. um So we're live.
00:02:17
Speaker
pretty much, and not most nights, but we we're live multiple times a week, before match days, the day after matches and all that. So go to Scars and Spikes on YouTube, subscribe there, like subscribe ah to get all the United United coverage that you can ask for.
00:02:35
Speaker
then I'm at SH Rice on, SH Rice at Bsky.SoulSky beast guy that's soon blue sky and ben Seth H dot soccer, uh, Instagram and threads.
Analyzing Atlanta United's Season
00:02:45
Speaker
And we collectively are scarves, the letter N spikes on next and scarves, the spikes.com on blue sky. So that's my plug for everything that that we do. Um, it's been a tough season for a lady United, but Yeah, we're still here. No, I mean, you guys do great work. You're one of my i'm I'm like, I'm I consider myself like honorary Atlanta United beat because, well, it started just with all the Seattle connections like Gonzo Pineda. Then, of course, you know, Ozzy Alonzo, then to ah Chris Henderson and Garth Loggerway.
00:03:15
Speaker
So I think I was always going to be interested and in how things went for Atlanta United in that era where there were all these Seattle connections. I'm not going to lie.
00:03:26
Speaker
Like, there is a little bit, an element of, like... ah when a when a team goes in with ah into a season with really high expectations and spends a ton of money and then uh doesn't live up to that there is something that's compelling about that i think for anyone from the uh from the outside so that is part of why i follow it so closely but no i mean i i listen to your guys's stuff uh i'm a five-striped final subscriber i'm basically i'm basically honorary and land yeah that's it how i That's how I think of it. Glad have you, man. Glad to have you. That's a good place to to start because what I like to do to to get the ball rolling on these interviews with our guests is kind of give my perspective on the club as a neutral outside observer. And then you can tell me if how I perceive it is accurate from the outside to how you see it on the on the day-to-day covering the team.
00:04:20
Speaker
And, you know, there are varying degrees of difficulty on this. ah Like when I was talking to Jesus Acevedo, our Houston Dynamo guest, so situations like that, I know a little bit less.
00:04:31
Speaker
This one's pretty easy for me because I do. I have followed Atlanta so closely this season, but I'll hit you with it ah anyway, and then we can go from there. ah But basically, the i my perception of Atlanta United this season, like I said, it's a club that spent $30 million dollars in attack this offseason between Emmanuel Latte Loth and Miguel Amirone.
00:04:55
Speaker
what Latte Loth broke the and MLS transfer record. Miguel Almiron was a very celebrated homecoming, obviously such a legendary player for the club, brought so much success to the club early in their MLS days.
00:05:08
Speaker
And that sort of, that combined with the fact that it kind of felt like this was the first year of really being fully removed from the Boca Negra area. And that had me, I was, I was fully bought into the hype.
00:05:22
Speaker
I called Almiro the best move any MLS club made all off season. Cause it felt so high percentage and it felt like there's no way that that can't pay off. Latte lot. Is he worth 22 million? I don't know, but he still seemed like a really good, really dynamic player who was pretty likely to thrive in MLS.
00:05:39
Speaker
Maybe I didn't give enough thought to the defensive side of it. And that Stan Gregerson can't stay on the field and stuff like that. But I was fully in on Atlanta United, like this being the resurgence year. I was pretty sure that it was going to happen. And I think it's i think it's fair to say that the season has gone off the rails.
00:05:59
Speaker
ah And I could just... It's gone off the rails. And I came a guess what I'm more interested to hear your take on is I'll give my diagnosis of what's gone wrong. And then you you can tell me what your diagnosis is. But what I see is a team that, first of all, but I think the Gregerson thing is probably more has had more of an impact than people realize or talk about. Because he has he looks like a really good player when he plays, but he hasn't played hardly at all.
00:06:31
Speaker
And that's kind of negatively impacted the backline continuity and the defense just hasn't really been able to get on the ah on the same page. And then in attack, you have a situation where it's it's just underperforming DPs.
00:06:47
Speaker
Marin Chuck has not really succeeded in MLS. The Almiron homecoming has not gone so plan. and all All of this that I just mentioned has had a ripple effect on Latte Loth, who is clearly talented and is clearly a very good player, but is just kind of struggling to live up to that price tag, in large part, I think, due to the struggles of the ah of the rest of the team.
00:07:12
Speaker
yeah Is all that accurate, or would you add or remove anything from that assessment? No, no, you you hit it right on
Coaching Impact and Team Dynamics
00:07:19
Speaker
the... the the nail right on the head and you know like like you know that's going into the season like oh my gosh new coach Ronnie Dyla, who had won MLS Cup with NYCFC, new attacker Latte Lott, Miguel Amirona's back.
00:07:33
Speaker
um You have so many pieces in place where at Letty United, many people thought would be an MLS Cup team. At the very worst, make MLS Cup. Now, we all know yeah that's not going to happen at this point, but it's just it's just frustrating to see this team not turning up year in and year out, lack of service for a Latte Lot. When he does get service, ah it's just an inability to finish like a 22 million striker should.
00:08:01
Speaker
Then you're looking at Kevin Dekay in Cincinnati, you're like wishing, gee, he might have looked good in lady and not at color. So just kind of thinking about that too. Alexey Mirarchuk, you mentioned it, just has vastly underperformed. And um yeah the discussion about him was that he was going to be the next star number 10 for Atlanta United with respect to what Miguel Amarone has done at that number 10 spot in 2017 and 2018 with Joseph Martinez at top.
00:08:31
Speaker
So far, nothing close to what Fans certainly expected what the front office as well expected out of him. You know, just he has flashes of greatness, flashes of what he can do an Atlanta United uniform, but he just has not been able to put it together consistently, which is the most frustrating part about what he has been able to not offer a really for Atlanta United. Wing play, you know, Sabalovic had a terrific season last year.
00:09:03
Speaker
think he's on zero goals this season. He's dropped off tremendously. They've tried Almiron on the wing and he hasn't had the impact that, has been expected of him over there. Of course, he played when we got Newcastle, but the question is, why is he not playing number 10? Why is he not playing at the position that he was so adept at in 2017 and 2018? So that's been the question that we've been asking ourselves.
00:09:30
Speaker
ah You mentioned the defense. Yes, Stan Gregerson is on a contract with $900,000 this year, thousand dollars this year but like you said, hasn't seen the field. So one of the things we're kicking around is, you know, is it worth a lady not just buying him out and just looking for another option at center back? They, of course, have any of me high coming in um should be available for selection on Saturday. But as far as Deion Gregerson is concerned,
00:09:55
Speaker
What do you do with him? Derek Williams, his form has dipped tremendously in 2025. You have Lisa Brom, who's on a very high contract as well.
00:10:07
Speaker
He's been okay, but not performed to the contract that Lady United have. ah paid him. His contract is up at the end of the year. Outside backs, Pedro Amador has dropped off from last year. he came on um fire last season, a big part of what they did having the end of last year. Brooks Lennon, another player whose form has dropped off.
00:10:30
Speaker
We're mentioning perhaps, perhaps French U.S. Miss national team player um a couple of years ago when he had his best season. He's been anything but that in 2025, both defensively and then the attack.
00:10:43
Speaker
um And, you know, I could sit here talk about all night about what what's gone wrong with this team. But let's just have the highlights. um Midfield's not been consistent as it needs to be.
00:10:54
Speaker
Bartosz Leach has had tremendous success over the past few weeks, but. Tristan William Baugh, not so much. He's very up and down. ah Jay Fortune has been tremendous. He's injured for the rest of the year.
00:11:06
Speaker
Latarius Kleeck just got waived. So... You're seeing little by little of groundwork being laid for 2026. I mentioned Mihai. um You have potentially center back coming in on loans from Keitafe.
00:11:19
Speaker
And then you have perhaps another midfielder coming in, Alzate from Hull City. um And that's pretty much in the works, as Tom Bogart is saying. So pretty much 2025 is in the books. There's no chance of playoffs.
00:11:35
Speaker
Now it's time to look forward to 2026 for your Atlanta United fan, I think. TR says Nico was on Fox saying that Atlanta United is interested in Pedro de la Vega, I'm assuming, which I hadn't heard that rumor. That's kind of spicy. TR's dropping bombs in chat. like edges i guess I guess Nico, my co-host for Lobbing Scorchers Kickoff, technically was the one who who did that. What's up, Mark?
00:12:02
Speaker
thanks for Thanks for popping in, man. Sydney, I got to get your take next on the Ronnie Dyla situation because, well, first of all, to me, it's like reflective of a lot of the of ah similar situations that have happened with Atlanta United, where if you just look at it on paper and the theoretical odds of it working out,
00:12:22
Speaker
it makes sense at the time in the moment. I think Ronnie Dyla is a hire that falls in that category. And a lot of the players that they've signed, I oh like i always think at the time, I'm like, oh, okay, I see why they did that. Or this guy clearly has pedigree. He seems decently likely that he'll be effective MLS player. And then for whatever reason, most times it seems it hasn't worked out. And Ronnie Dyla, again, like...
00:12:49
Speaker
when ah When he was first hired, you know, and NYCFC MLS Cup winning head coach has like a proven track record in MLS, which is something that a lot of clubs look for when they're evaluating who to hire as a coach.
00:13:03
Speaker
And I'm curious how much of what's gone on with Atlanta this season you attribute to to him because... ah From what I've heard, like internally in the front office brass, they've at least been saying that it's it's not really to do with him. He's brand new. It's not really his team.
Future Strategies and Coaching Potential
00:13:22
Speaker
But I think even with that taken into account, you could you could very credibly argue that he should have this team at higher than 0.87%. points per game even with the like I think what you were talking about with uh Almi Roan on the wing to me that's that's very clearly because they feel like they need Marin Chuck centrally right and you can't and you can't really play them uh you can't really play them together in that role without them like kind of getting in each other's way and stuff yep so like and you and you also can't
00:13:55
Speaker
realistically the best lineup would probably be almy ron at the uh at the 10 and erin chuck i like not even in the 11 right but uh like what do you like what do you could could ronnie diala have like done anything differently first of all and then second of all is he on the hot seat because i know they're saying that he's not but like also you're at below one point per game for an extended period of time in this league you're gonna be on the hot seat one way or the other so how do you how do you size up that situation Yeah. So based on what Chris Henderson said today in training, it sounds like Dyla is the head coach, at least for the first part of 2026. Yeah.
00:14:35
Speaker
yeah and This season hasn't gone according to anybody's plan. And I don't think Ronnie Dyla's hands are completely clean in that regard. i mean, you mentioned Mirachuk, know,
00:14:47
Speaker
Did he make the tough choices? And like you said, you know, just bench marriage, because unfortunately the attack hasn't been up to par with him on the pitch. I'll say maybe a couple of matches.
00:14:58
Speaker
Again, it goes back to, know, we've seen what Miguel Marrón can do at the number 10. Why is he still playing out wide? Yes, I know he played there in Newcastle, but as a manager, you have to put your players in the position to succeed, right?
00:15:11
Speaker
And earlier in the season, when he was asked about it, he he didn't know that, um, Auburn played at the 10 Atlanta United back in their glory years of 2017 and 2018.
00:15:22
Speaker
and twenty eighteen So um he got into a little bit of a contentious exchange with Henry Aguita. But but Yeah, that things like that are are the biggest thing that has soured him among the Atlanta United families. Now, any coach not named Tata Martino or, heck, even Rob Valentino is going be looked at as...
00:15:47
Speaker
you know looked at um with a sideways glance, right? I feel like Rob Valentino bought a lot of goodwill based on what Elaine United did the playoffs. That being said, I don't blame the front office for saying, hey, we want to bring in a proven head coach, someone who's won MLS Cup, someone who has had a track record of winning.
00:16:06
Speaker
So I don't blame them for bringing in Ronnie Dyla over giving Valentino, the permanent job, sort of similar to what the Sounders did with Schmetzer when Ziggy Schmetz was let go.
00:16:18
Speaker
fact, what, 2016, I believe that was? Yeah. But yeah, um I feel like some fans were thinking, hey, it's going to happen the same way in yeah Rob Valentine is going to lead this club to greater heights. Of course, they bring in Dyla.
00:16:32
Speaker
Starts out okay, but then just kind of dive bombs from there. But yeah kind of the that's a long way of saying, again, he is coming back for 2026 based on what Chris Henderson has said.
00:16:45
Speaker
But when I look at so many players out of contract, so many players... um option years for 2026. I'm expecting a fully remade roster going into the 2026 season with Dyla's fingerprints all over it. I mentioned El Zate. He played for Dyla at Standard Leach, and that deal's not final, but it sounds like, again, it's in the works.
00:17:08
Speaker
So that's a player that he's familiar with. I imagine other players that he's familiar with will be in the mix to come in perhaps in the winter transfer window. So I think the directive is if you don't perform with the players that you have that hand selected, but you have had a hand and bringing into this team, let's say the first 10 or 15 minutes matches of 2026, you're still not performing the way you're supposed to perform.
00:17:34
Speaker
I think the front office has no, we'll have no issue with letting him go and turn the page bring in another manager. That makes sense, and i think you're right. like They're going to give him this season and the beginning of next season and then assess it from there. it's ah It's a tough situation because you could argue the results merit moving on from him right now, but then that throws you into even greater flux, and you're back to square one with ah having to bring a new coach in and having to reestablish all this like continuity and them knowing the team and roster. and they imparting their own identity and tactics.
00:18:10
Speaker
And it just, it just, set it sets you back. ah But I'll, I'll, I'll give you my take on the ah Rob Valentino thing, which, I mean, you mentioned that, but so you're saying that there's ah a contingent of Atlanta United fans out there that are like, it should have been, it should have been Rob Valentino.
00:18:27
Speaker
i' mean Very vocal. I'm in that contingent. I stand with that. I'm in that contingent. And I'll tell you why. And it's because and part of what you mentioned about the the success that I saw firsthand that the Sounders had with ah brian schmetzer Brian Schmetzer in that exact situation taking over as the inter interim head coach.
00:18:47
Speaker
I mean, he ended up winning MLS Cup that year, which was pretty insane. ah Rob Valentino took down Messi in the playoffs famously. So he had little he didn't have as much success as Schmetz did.
00:18:59
Speaker
But my my my thing is that. Like you can have proven track record, you can have name value, you can have pedigree.
00:19:10
Speaker
But like when you're talking about a guy like Brian Schmetzer, you're talking about a guy who literally not one person on earth cares more specifically about the Seattle Sounders winning yeah than Brian Schmetzer.
00:19:22
Speaker
And that manifests in how he approaches the job. Like every decision he makes is like he puts so much weight on it himself because of how much he has invested in it.
00:19:34
Speaker
And I think that is a big asset. I've seen how that, how big an asset that can be for ah coach. And when I looked at Rob Valentino, I, I saw a guy that would like sweat and bled for Atlanta United. Like he cared a lot about that club.
00:19:50
Speaker
And that doesn't, that doesn't mean everything, but it does. I think it, uh, I think vibes matter in these situations. Players respond to a guy that they know is invested in their success and by proxy, the club's success.
00:20:07
Speaker
And I think you, you saw like the effect that can have in what Atlanta United did in the playoffs last year. I know like no one expected them to actually make a run even after they beat inter Miami, but that was still a ah pretty impressive accomplishment.
00:20:22
Speaker
And, I think they could have fully justified being like, let's he's he's earned a shot. Let's give him a shot and then see if they can kind of ah capture that that magic similar to to how Seattle did.
00:20:35
Speaker
And i I'll say I feel the same way about the situation that Sporting Kansas City is in right now where they just moved on from Peter Burmese. And they've got, it's like a long time assistant, the exact same way that Schmetz was, but he's like sporting Casey through and through and they're not going to give him the job they're going to. And he's got them playing a lot better by the way too, but they're not going to give him the job. They're going to look around for like a more proven, bigger name, higher pedigree, Coach, I just kind of think that in these situations that the right play might actually be giving just giving the interim guy a shot. And if it doesn't work out, it doesn't work out.
00:21:09
Speaker
But ah I think I genuinely think that there might be something to that. I don't I honestly I don't know if there actually is But ah when I look at how it's worked out with Ronnie Dilo, where he's coming in from the the outside, maybe he doesn't maybe have that like that organic investment that Rob Bell had. I don't know.
00:21:30
Speaker
Do you think there's anything to what I'm saying at all? Are you pretty on the note? No, no. It's a great point. It's a great point. and you know Going back to Schmetzer, he's been part of the Seattle soccer community for years, even before the Sounders MLS days. So I think in that regard, lining him up,
00:21:47
Speaker
against Valentino is a bit of an apples and oranges scenario. But that being said, that being said, i definitely agree with you. And that, that buy-in among the Lady United players certainly looked like it was a lot greater than even when Pineda was coaching the team.
00:22:04
Speaker
Cause I feel like with Pineda, great guy, as I'm sure you can attest, having covered him in Seattle for so many years, great guy, players coached through and through, but i think at the end of the day, he's just lost the locker room. and I think,
00:22:17
Speaker
you know To his detriment, he was maybe a little too nice, I guess, to really get this team to the high set it needs to be. So I think his position within Lennie United just became untenable last year. So Valentino, he had been in the building. He had previously been um interim head coach after Gabriel Heinze was fired.
00:22:39
Speaker
was 2021. I after mean, everything runs together back then. But um yeah, he kind of was the bridge between Heinze and when Atlanta brought in Pineda from Seattle.
00:22:53
Speaker
And he did an okay job. you know, fast forward 2024 and he did an okay job enough to get into the playoffs. I mean, there a, is there a, they are call away from missing the playoffs altogether in 2024. I mean, Duncan McGuire scores for Orlando. It's really rule. roll No goal.
00:23:16
Speaker
And Atlanta wins again to the playoffs and the rest is history. So yeah, Maybe there's a universe where that doesn't happen. They missed the playoffs and it's a whole other discussion. But I feel like if you base Valentino's success on just what he did, what Atlanta United did against Miami.
00:23:34
Speaker
It's okay, but it's that sustainable throughout 34 games of the regular season. To that point, I definitely don't blame Garth Lagraway for saying, hey, we need experience in here. We need a coach that has won MLS Cup, a coach that...
00:23:50
Speaker
has NOSA league has been around the league as a head coach for years. And Dyla was it. I mean, they approached Jim Curtin reportedly Curtin turned them down. So I feel like that was kind of course they wanted. And Dyla was available.
00:24:04
Speaker
Well, actually, no, he wasn't available. He kind of came available to them at the right time. i think the timing turned out and now he's in, but again, you know,
00:24:17
Speaker
2026, maybe 10 games in or so is going to be really the telltale sign of whether he is exactly the right coach. Because again, he'll have many of the players that he wants in there versus players i have been here under previous coaches. So that's what I'm waiting for.
00:24:34
Speaker
Yeah, i don't I don't know if, ah well, they were never going to go with Rob Valentino. And honestly, at the time, i fully, i will i was it's not i can't say i sit here and say I was beating that drum at the time. ah Like you said, the the Miami playoff win was an awesome accomplishment like individually, but it it didn't really change how the season went.
00:25:01
Speaker
overall barely squeaking into the playoffs. So I, so I get all that, but ah this, I, this is more just like, it's kind of just like a theory I'm working on that that in these situations, just, just trying the interim guy is the way to go. I swear it's sporting Kansas city. They're going to overthink it.
00:25:17
Speaker
They're like, this guy is going to have, ah have the team playing for the badge. And if they just give them a good roster, they'll probably be successful on the field again. And they'll have a guy who's like, like I said, like sweats and bleeds for the club.
00:25:31
Speaker
but ah they're going to overthink it. They're going to give it to some guy who comes in from the outside, doesn't really know or care about the club, and it's not going to go as well. So, again, I don't know. I could be totally off base, but it is something that both Atlanta United and Sporting Kansas City's seasons this year have me thinking about.
Goalkeeping and Team Rebuilding
00:25:50
Speaker
Sydney, you've got a question from a viewer question from chat for you here from Bad Sequels. He wants to know, what's the fan base's thoughts on ah Brad Guzan, goalkeeper? Do they love him? Are they tired of him Yeah, I mean, it depends on who do you ask, right? If you ask, one part of the fan base is like, he should have been gone yesterday.
00:26:09
Speaker
yes another part of the fan base, you look him as a club legend, as he should have. Yes, he should. He's been this club's longest term captain, has been the captain pretty much ever since.
00:26:20
Speaker
um Michael Parker's retired from Atlanta United. He's been around since not day one, but halfway through 2017. He's the only constant on the first team that has been there since the 2017 season.
00:26:35
Speaker
so I think overall, though, there's a sense that you know with him being out of contract, with him being 41 years old um or close to it, I think there's a prevailing notion that this is his last season with Atlanta United. Now, he could say, hey, i think I have one season in me.
00:26:55
Speaker
i think that I want to give a run with another club in MLS. Who knows? But I think there's, again, a prevailing notion that this is it for Ben Kizan.
00:27:07
Speaker
And again, he's a club legend. He's been this club for years, been with the US Miss National team, had success overseas in the Premier League as well. So his body of work and his experience speaks for himself, right?
00:27:23
Speaker
Again, he's out the contract, and I don't really see a leading United bringing him back for another year. Now, if you look at... who they have as far as backup goalkeepers, if we want to have that conversation as well.
00:27:36
Speaker
So Josh Cohen is their backup, but he is still with injuries. So right now, Gizan's backup is Jaden Hibbert, super draft pick from a couple of years ago out of UConn, Jamaican ah international.
00:27:49
Speaker
So they're at parallels there with Andre Blake, you know, Jamaican, went to UConn. So good Good track record based on that. um But Jaden Hibbert, by all accounts, yeah looks like the potential number one keeper for Atlanta United.
00:28:06
Speaker
At this point in time, he got his first MLS start against Toronto FC a few weeks ago after Gizant fractured his cheek. He did pretty good. Yeah, he did. He did did pretty good. I don't think the goals that he allowed can be attributed to him.
00:28:21
Speaker
But he commanded his area well. He looked good. He looked like he belonged. So... in the world where maybe Cohen isn't to the sign to the roster, Pippert is your number two keeper.
00:28:34
Speaker
Whether that means he is number one in 2026 remains to be seen. You know, we've seen young keepers succeed in MLS coming out of, not really the academy, coming out of the draft too.
00:28:47
Speaker
um Chris Brady, to some extent, ah Gaga Salonina, Pippert, I'll throw out even Patrick Schulte, terrific young keeper.
00:28:58
Speaker
So there's definitely... a track record of young keepers succeeding and maybe Hibbert is it. Maybe he does pan out to be one of the top young keepers in MLS.
00:29:10
Speaker
If they give him the job in 2026, my theory is they may bring in a veteran, um maybe just for a year to continue to let him percolate and grow and develop in the system while they lean a veteran.
00:29:27
Speaker
experienced but cheaper goalkeeper. um And there's some names that you can bring. I'm sure there'll be plenty of names on the free agent list that you can bring in if you want. ah So that's my theory of which way they'll go for keeper in 2026.
00:29:41
Speaker
ah But you have plenty of keepers in the Atlanta United 2 and the academy. ah One with Atlanta United 2 is Jonathan Ransom. He's being looked at as a future MLS goalkeeper.
Management Roles and Strategies
00:29:55
Speaker
So that's something maybe to take a look at in the future. But yeah just tying it back to Guzan, think his career is coming to the close, and it'll be be very surprising if he's back in 2026 with Atlanta.
00:30:08
Speaker
Sidney mentioned Chris Henderson earlier, which which is obviously a name we know very well out here in Seattle. One of the key architects of ah all the success the club has had really like I credit him with as much as anyone, ah him and Garth for getting this club to a point where they won Cockat Calf Champions League. A lot of that was, ah you know, there's a lot of credit to go around, but yeah,
00:30:34
Speaker
Those two guys, in my in my eyes, get the lion's share of it for the roster building that they did here. ah But so you were saying that Chris talked at training with today or yesterday? or Yeah, today. Today. Were you there? yeah with the I was not there. I know Henry was there.
00:30:50
Speaker
yeah on the scar did you see Did you see the interview, though, or listen to the audio? Yeah, yeah, I did. Okay, i'm I'm curious, like, what is his demeanor right now? Like, how is he sort of framing? How did he frame how this season has gone? And like, did he give any ah inklings as to his temperature check with how it's going or what he thinks needs to happen ah in the future for this team to get back to where yeah they want it to be?
00:31:19
Speaker
Yeah, he said, look, in two years, we want to compete for trophies. We want to add trophies to our case. And, you know, that's always been the rallying cry for a lady. United, at we're big club. We want to add trophies. But i think with a fresh set of eyes and Chris Anderson, who hasn't been here but six months, I think a lot of people kind of forget that.
00:31:37
Speaker
yeah He's not been here long. He wasn't here for much of the winter transfer window of 2024 slash 25. So, twenty five so His experience, you know like you said, speaks for itself, and he strikes me as person who won't tolerate losing. I mean, that's not to say that Garth Lagerwey will, but Henderson certainly won't. I mean, he's been involved with winning organizations, certainly Seattle with Lagerwey.
00:32:02
Speaker
Miami, to some extent, before yeah and right on the of this Galacticos era that Miami's in right now, he's had some part of that.
00:32:14
Speaker
He's been around winning programs his entire career pretty much. And, you know, I don't think that He is happy by any stretch of the imagination.
00:32:28
Speaker
ah But if anything, it seems like he's been a little more aggressive. I mentioned, me high is coming in at center back. El Zate, uh, perhaps an option at midfield, um, another center back, perhaps coming in on loan from La Liga dos, uh, that is being talked about as well. So the message is it's clear. I'm not happy with the defense and,
00:32:50
Speaker
That seems to be his priority in this window. Now, i think they have ah maybe, I think three roster spots open and that's not counting the two players that I just mentioned who are not signed, but have been reported and talks with Atlanta United. So,
00:33:09
Speaker
If they bring those two in, they'll have one left. And then who knows what they do with the other one. Maybe bring in a winger. It's called a winger for years on the left-hand side. Sabah's not coming in.
00:33:20
Speaker
You have Luke Brennan on the left. I'm behind him ah the depth chart. He's looked good, but you need somebody above him on the depth chart and continue let him develop. So you need a left winger.
00:33:32
Speaker
I think, you know... For what it's worth, ah Garth Lagerwey has been 100% non-grata in the LA United fan base.
00:33:42
Speaker
Oh, really? I didn't know that. yeah No, really. He has. has, amongst some fans, amongst some fans. Others are willing to give him benefit of the doubt. I think some fans have said, you know what?
00:33:53
Speaker
We're not happy with the direction of this club under ga Garth Lagerwey, which, little silly, three years in, And you know certainly our thoughts to Garth, you know obviously yeah his diagnosis that trumps every single thing, that trumps soccer. And yeah we just hope that he's able to beat this disease.
00:34:13
Speaker
um you know But you know if you look at Chris Henderson, yeah he I feel like is focused. He is willing to do what it takes to get this team better. There are still some holes that they need to fill.
00:34:26
Speaker
So I think, you know, this part of the window, this window is all about chemistry is what he said. a few weeks ago on the radio, these next two windows are all about chemistry. So this is the forerunner of things to come. I think the big, big window will be the winter. We have so many players out of contract on options for next year. You have some big decisions to make. And I think this front office, you know, won't, I would think won't be afraid to make a tough decisions to get this team better.
00:34:54
Speaker
Oh, I'm expecting a full on like yeah roster blow up and kind of just like a ah whole new team next year, which, you know, it ah there's there is it's unfortunate that it's come to that. But I think there is some excitement in that. Is there not?
00:35:12
Speaker
Yeah. And I'll say this just real quick. You I have a kind of a feeling that Garth lag away, that Garth felt it'll be a little bit easier than it's been. So to speak, I mean, I felt that he thought, you certainly mirror Chuck would be a top performer in MLS. He hasn't, um, Saba, little Junitza,
00:35:34
Speaker
um Tristan Mouyimbabe came were terrific to start their late United careers, have dipped in form. Pedro Amador had a great last season after he came in a free transfer. Has been, know, has had the same impact in 2025. So I think he came saying, you know what?
00:35:55
Speaker
I brought in these players. We're going top four. We're going to much better team. And it kind of hasn't panned out. So I don't want to use the word naivete for a person like Garth has been around MLS for years and has forgotten and more about soccer than I'll ever know my entire lifetime.
00:36:13
Speaker
But I think part of it is, you know, the question is, you know, you know his preference for prime age players. You it's a time to kind of back off of that is kind of my question and the question some have had.
00:36:28
Speaker
And, you know, if it's the star he hitches his wagon to, that's fine. If the team succeeds, that's perfectly fine. But do you need to kind of look outside of that and say, let's take a chance on maybe some younger players. Let's take a chance at players outside of that prime age group that ah we know can add a veteran presence to this team. So that's what I'm looking for over these next couple windows.
00:36:50
Speaker
Yeah, with Garth in particular, I mean, you can correct me if I'm wrong, but as I as i understand it, like his role, i like go he's CEO. like It goes so far beyond just building the roster day in, day out, which now they have Chris Henderson doing that.
00:37:07
Speaker
But like as for the idea of him like ever being on the hot seat, like some fans might have been saying, like you were saying, It's just, it's it's not even like, that's not even really his job anymore. He's like the busy guy ah even more than he's the the roster builder.
00:37:28
Speaker
um Zach has another viewer question for you in the chat. ah Is Garth building up investing in the Atlanta Academy? Yeah, the state of Atlanta United's youth development. I know a lot of homegrowns are getting an getting in games this year.
00:37:43
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. It probably more because Atlanta's playoff hopes are gone. and probably more due injury, but I think Academy is a major focus of Garth.
00:37:55
Speaker
I mean, he brought in Javi Perez, a very good evaluator and developer of talent in the youth system. So he knows a lot. ah Paris does about developing yeah young players, building up young players through um but system And he's put together yeah ah pretty sound methodology of what that would look like from academy, the youngest parts of academy, all the way up to the first team. And I feel like that's not fully implemented, but it's pretty close to being implemented. So that's Javier Perez's job. I think that's a very key hire that Atlanta United brought in to certainly help build up that academy. And I mentioned him Jonathan Ransom. He is academy player.
00:38:37
Speaker
um Getting time with Atlanta United, too. interested to see when he affects the first team. um Other players like Jay Fortune, who I just mentioned, who obviously has been here since long before Garth got here, um certainly in the academy.
00:38:54
Speaker
um Luke Brennan, who I just mentioned. Will Riley, Academy player went to Stanford, very good college program. And they came back, got in a homegrown deal with Atlanta United player with Atlanta United. it So he's another part of that.
00:39:10
Speaker
Um, Efraim Morales, who got traded to CF Montreal just the other day, another Academy product. So Academy has always been a priority for Atlanta.
00:39:20
Speaker
Sort of the ideal use case is Caleb Wiley, um who's worth yeah with Watford. I think he just resigned with Watford. um So Wiley is one.
00:39:34
Speaker
You thought you had one in Bello, but maybe he was rushed a little bit. Maybe he got himself in not a great situation with a team that ultimately was, I think, relegated.
00:39:45
Speaker
But Bello certainly was another player that came out the academy that performed tremendously. So I think academy, yes, is always a main focus. But what I want to see, Ronnie Dial has said, you know, I want to – I want young players. I want players out of the academy. I want these local players to be a part of this Atlanta United team. I think Garth Lagerwey shares that sentiment. I think Chris Henderson shares that sentiment as well.
00:40:11
Speaker
What I want to see is these younger players get more consistent minutes outside of injuries, outside of, hey, just being stuck in next in the final 15 minutes. So who's that next young player to break out for Atlanta United? Certainly Jay Forch is another player but I've mentioned numerous times.
00:40:28
Speaker
He's on an option next year. Do you sign him to an extended period of time? I think you do. Luke Brennan, do you sign him for an extended period? I think you do. um And then you just go on down the line. Don't be so quick to sell these players. Don't be so quick to get rid of them.
00:40:45
Speaker
Really invest in them. Really give them more responsibilities with the first team. I want to see more of Brennan. I want to see more of... um Chongki, who's also in the system as well, who has first and only start earlier this season. So, yeah, Academy has always been a priority for Atlanta.
00:41:05
Speaker
Getting them, getting as many players as they need to into that first team setup has kind of been a the challenge. And I think part of that was why some people were frustrated with the trading of Morales because here's a kid that came looked good in his first team time, um did an injury. He came in.
00:41:24
Speaker
but now he's traded to Montreal. So there's frustration around why didn't that you hold on to him? Why are you more concerned with signing somebody from the outside? So I do think it's priority. I think it will continue be a priority of the academy.
00:41:37
Speaker
ah that The Morales trade was the next thing I was going to ask you about on the on this topic. And then and then we can ah talk about the game a little bit, and then I'll let you go. Thanks for giving us so much of your time at this ah late hour in the state of America.
00:41:52
Speaker
ah Yeah. the What did you think of the what did you think of the Morales trade? Because when I saw that, i was kind of like what that kid was doing pretty good. Like he he got he got owned for a goal in his last game before he got traded.
00:42:08
Speaker
But like other than that, like he was holding he was i think I thought more than holding his own. And it just seems like the ah the type of player that, like you said, they should be trying to. foster and bring up and give a bigger role to and like maybe you have a future building block there that that's a homegrown that you know doesn't count against the cap and all that so where did you fall on like the whether they should be whether i don't know if i was in their position i don't know if i'd be training any homegrowns right now i would be just running them out there and seeing who could be a part of the the future
00:42:40
Speaker
Yeah, I think if you look at the center mix, I think there's always going to be an odd man out with Mihai coming in. You still had Gregerson. You still had Williams. You have Noah Cobb, who and we want to see more of in the first team, but he's kind of been stuck in Atlanta United too. um So i think more else is kind of leapfrogged on the um the um depth chart and done well.
00:43:02
Speaker
um When he left against Charlotte, the team's form just completely dipped in. It's a little bit troubling when 20, 21-year-old comes out with you knowll just but five or six M-less appearances, little bit more than that under his belt. The team kind of falls apart defensively, so little bit troubling. But yeah Morales was a tremendous player, yeah know Bolivian international, you know been playing World Cup qualifying matches with Bolivia as well, and Colmar Ball. So definitely has that experience, I think.
00:43:37
Speaker
Given that and given the time that he has played with Atlanta over this past few weeks, I think you know Montreal, as they're looking to rebuild their team and dropping no notification that's 5 in the morning, hey, we're looking to turn a new page, a new chapter for us in Montreal. so they um They brought in Morales as as sort of part of that part of that setup, part of sort the rebuild of what they want to do in the future. So,
00:44:07
Speaker
Definitely wish him well, wish him nothing but the best. um Kind of puzzling why they made the move now. vic Again, why not sign him to a longer-term deal?
00:44:18
Speaker
But from the standpoint of, you know, Mihaly coming in and perhaps another center back coming in, it becomes a little bit understandable. But again, you know, you want to see your younger players kept in, but at the same time, you want a more proven, more veteran player back there. So I guess in that school of thought, i do understand it.
00:44:40
Speaker
And the fact that you have several center backs already in the fold, especially with Mihai coming in, I definitely understand that as well. But part of me wishes he would have been kept around for a little while little bit longer.
Preview of Seattle Match-Up
00:44:54
Speaker
City looking at this game on Saturday, Seattle is heading to Atlanta. Uh, how how are you kind of looking at these, at these games right now? Like, are you concerned with results at all? Or is this more of a situation where you're looking more at individual performances and trying to get evaluations on who should be on this team next year, who could maybe be a building block for the, the future? like is that more of the lens that you're looking at a game like this through, or are you still in the mode of like, uh,
00:45:29
Speaker
a win could maybe i turn the vibes a little bit, if nothing else, even if it doesn't mean like a ah ah run back into the playoff contention. Like, are the three points still even in consideration here? Or is this just like evaluatory time?
00:45:44
Speaker
Yeah, no, I think it's kind of both. I think, yeah, you're looking for players to not just fold up and quit because, mean, you're pretty much out of the playoffs because you don't want that.
00:45:55
Speaker
you're looking for players to continue to play for the bad, play for the fans and play for really their, I guess their job next year, if you want to say that too. So yes, I think it a little bit is evaluating performances, but I think a little bit is, Hey, you know, maybe we don't make the playoffs. Maybe we don't get ourselves into the post season.
00:46:15
Speaker
Let's at least end the season on the high note and give fans something to they'll be positive about in a really negative season. um You have Leaks Cup coming up. i mean you've never won a match in Leaks Cup. Atlanta hasn't. So I have no illusions of them winning the tournament, but maybe Leaks Cup can be maybe a competition where they say, hey, you know, let's win couple of games in the group stage. Let's, you know, let's let's get out of there for the first time. And then...
00:46:45
Speaker
go into the knockout stages and, you know, whatever happens happens and maybe get a, maybe a little bit of a run. And if you crash, if you lose maybe in in the quarterfinals or whatever it'd be, the first round of the knockout stage, you know, that that's fine. At least you give it a good run. At least you give it a good showing.
00:47:05
Speaker
So again, not saying they'll win because they're not going to win, but, Maybe that's something you throw all of your eggs at, um at this case, because top three teams get a Champions League spot and, hey, stranger things have happened.
00:47:19
Speaker
But at the same time, I think, yeah, you're evaluating performances. You're seeing who wants to be here. You're seeing, again, if players just fold up the tennis, say, hey, we have nothing to play for. Let's just play out the string. Let's just go through the motions, which is, you know, what we've seen, i feel like, from some players. They just kind of go through the motions. They, know,
00:47:38
Speaker
no They're getting paid a lot of money, and they're kind of going out there, punching in and punching out. You're seeing the younger players still really rising the occasion, play with nothing to lose, play with pride, play with passion.
00:47:50
Speaker
and And I just wish more or less United players took that mindset. So to answer your question, kind of both, looking toward um players who – Yeah, we need to have some performances, but then again, just taking a look at what next year could have in store for this team.
00:48:10
Speaker
I think it's a good point about League's Cup. If I was in a situation ah where I was way below the playoff line, like Atlanta or the LA Galaxy, i would I would look at a tournament like... You see teams do this with Open Cup, like Sporting KC, I think, was it last year where they were just terrible in league play and then made it all the way into the final?
00:48:30
Speaker
I think DC United famously won Open Cup in 2013 in the year were where they were one of the worst league teams like in MLS history. So like tournament soccer can kind of be like the form of your team, how good your team is, can sometimes not ah take effect as much as it does like throughout the course of the whole league season when it's just like one set of games.
00:48:55
Speaker
ah As for this game, like, ah you know, from the from a Seattle side, like on one hand, I'm kind of licking my chops ah from the perspective of, well, like, just specifically with this matchup, Seattle's attack is on fire right now. They've scored three goals in three straight games.
00:49:13
Speaker
And they're going up against a team that has struggled a lot defensively this year. so on one hand, I'm like, all right that's, this is like a good matchup to try and keep that going. On the other hand, like a road game against a desperate opponent that, I mean, you know, like,
00:49:29
Speaker
Maybe maybe there's a couple of vets. I know the fan base thinks a couple of these vets on Atlanta have checked out, but ah guys are playing for jobs. Young players are playing for roles.
00:49:41
Speaker
So regardless of whatever quality disparity or matchup advantages there might be for Seattle. seattle ah it's never It's never easy going on the road on a road trip this long against a desperate opponent that, I mean, I fully expect Atlanta to be to be coming after Seattle. And for as much as the results haven't gone their way, there have been times where Atlanta has played well in attack, ah like kind of in flashes and spurts, but it has...
00:50:10
Speaker
It has happened and they're going to be, they're going to be desperate. Is that, is that sort of the dynamic that you're expecting in, in this game or from the average Atlanta United game where like the, the hunger of playing for jobs and livelihoods and playing for roles is kind of what like goes into the psyche of the group for a game like this.
00:50:32
Speaker
You would think so. But again, like I mentioned, you know, yeah It's clear some players have checked out and that's unfortunate. I think Seattle will kind of, you know, kind of switching gears to, yeah, certainly Atlanta though too, but Seattle, they'll be thinking about last year when Atlanta came into Lumen Field and won 2-0. So I'm sure that will be, i mean, that was a couple years ago. I'm sure they'll be in the minds of, um,
00:50:56
Speaker
of seattle fans that will in minds of some atlanta fans so i think atlanta would be looking at the guard against that knowing that hey maybe there's a little bit of revenge at play if you're a seattle sounders player i think you understand that hey we've been ah really good run of form as far as the attack is concerned we're fourth in the west though yes we're flying across the country i think they got in on
00:51:22
Speaker
I think they got it tonight. If I'm not mistaken, i could be wrong. Yeah. They flew out today. They flew out. to Okay. So you're still dealing with jet lag. You're still dealing with, you know, time change and all of that.
00:51:33
Speaker
Um, But think you know if you're Seattle, you can say, hey, 2023, Atlanta United came and yeah beat us 2-0. I mean, let's do the same thing at Mercedes-Benz Stadium and you know drive even further stake into the coffin that is the Atlanta United 2025 season.
00:51:53
Speaker
Again, though, I would like to think that Atlanta will – meet the occasion. They haven't met at so many times this season. And yeah, if you're a Lakers fan, that's unfortunate.
00:52:06
Speaker
But hopefully, know, with, in a funny way, maybe with the pressure off, so to speak, maybe knowing that the playoffs are really not a not a possibility at this point.
00:52:22
Speaker
Maybe it takes a little bit of the pressure off. You were able to play a little more free, you were able to play a little more relaxed in that case. um You have Leagues Cup coming up starting on Wednesday against Nakaha at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. So maybe think about that.
00:52:38
Speaker
know, you can look at, hey, if we win this, we go, you into Nakaha, the match against Nakaha on a pretty high pretty good high. And then maybe, who knows, bring me a couple of wins together against Nakaha.
00:52:52
Speaker
Maybe, i think it's Pumase play in Orlando. And then Atalas, who of course is coached by Gonzalo Pineda. So maybe you beat Seattle. Maybe you're able to put together a couple of good results together. And, you know,
00:53:09
Speaker
do give a pretty good account of yourself in League's Cup where you haven't been able to do that over the past few years. Zach says 92 degrees on Saturday, 80% humidity. ah That doesn't sound pleasant, but isn't the Benz enclosed?
00:53:23
Speaker
and close the Yeah, the roof will be closed, I'm sure, on Saturday. right, thank God. I don't think we have to worry about the humidity or heat. every like Every team that has extreme elements like that, I mean, 80% humidity, that sounds like my hell.
00:53:38
Speaker
um Any team that has extreme elements like that should have to have, like, I've been to a couple and MLS Cups in Toronto in December. It's like a joke. Like, you can't play soccer.
Conclusion and Promotions
00:53:48
Speaker
and that they did it twice but it's like it's especially the uh i mean both of them really is the coldest i've ever been but especially the 2016 one it was just like oh my god this is a survival test this isn't even a soccer game uh sydney that is all i had for you this evening uh thanks again so much for hopping on we went almost like an hour here so appreciate you uh
00:54:10
Speaker
going in deep in the weeds on Atlanta United, a topic, again, that I've followed very closely yeah this season. So it was interesting getting your your take on what's actually going on day-to-day and the future of the club.
00:54:25
Speaker
Before you head out, is there anything that you guys are working on or or wanted to plug? Or if you want to let our audience, we've got a little more people watching now, if you want to let our audience know where to find your stuff.
00:54:38
Speaker
Yeah, I stand corrected. By the way, I'm Carlos saying it's Nakaxa, so I stand corrected on the pronunciation. apologies to Nakaxa fans out there. But ah yeah, like I said, we're at ScarvesInspics.com. That's where you find all of our Alain United written coverage, analysis, opinion. Obviously, with the transfer where the Open will be all over that. Any rumors, any...
00:54:58
Speaker
reports of potential players coming in to the team. We'll be talking about that. Scarves and Spikes, we're live. The Wednesday nights, we're live. so Saturdays before matches, we're live.
00:55:12
Speaker
Sundays, the day after matches. Monday is our MLS show. MLS show. emla focus show So we have that going on. That, of course, is available on YouTube via replay anytime you want or on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or iHeart if you want to listen to the audio.
00:55:28
Speaker
And then again, I'll just plug my socials. I'm at shwrites on X, shwrites.bsky.social on Blue Sky. And then again, at sith.soccer on Instagram and thread. So that's where to find me. And then again, we're at scarfs, the letter spikes on X, scarfs and spikes.com in Blue Sky. And then scarfs and spikes everywhere else.
00:55:51
Speaker
Everyone in chat, go ah go toss Scarves and Spikes and Sub, them the support. Sidney, thanks again, man. We'll get you back on it at some point. If you guys ever need me for anything, just hit me up.
00:56:03
Speaker
Happy to collab more and take care. Looking forward to this game on on Saturday. You too. Thanks, Ari. Thanks for having me.