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Sounders have no reason to fear Inter Miami
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Inter Miami may be led by Leo Messi and the “Barca Boys”, but given the level of competition the Sounders have faced this year there’s no reason they should be intimidated. The Sounders have been playing as well as anyone in North America over the past couple of months and will be at home.
To discuss the game, Jeremiah and Niko are joined by Sounder at Heart’s Tim Foss for this week’s episode of What We Learned This Week.
Follow Niko Moreno on BlueSky and YouTube. Follow Tim Foss on BlueSky.
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“Diversions” audio provided by Sounder at Heart subscriber Lars; find more of their music here.
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Transcript
Introduction to Will Bruin's 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.
Seattle Sounders' Historical Success
00:00:10
Speaker
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
love 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.
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.
Meet the Podcast Team
00:01:43
Speaker
Welcome back to another episode of Nos Adiates on the Sounder at Heart Podcast Network. It is Friday. we are back here at Long Acres in Renton. I'm joined by Nico Moreno and Tim Foss, who I think is probably going to be joining us on more of these Friday What We Learned This Week episodes. So welcome, Tim.
00:02:05
Speaker
Thanks. Condolences to everybody who's going to hear me more, but I'm excited to be around. Thank you.
Sounders vs Galaxy: Masterclass Performance
00:02:11
Speaker
So ah let's start with the game that we just witnessed against the Galaxy.
00:02:18
Speaker
I don't know if it was I don't know. It was actually kind of a master class. Like I was gonna say, it wasn't quite as resounding of a win as they have had in some of these other games. But really, it ticks all the boxes. i mean, the Sounders controlled that game, even though they only had 40% possession, I never really felt like the Galaxy were on top of them. They had a couple decent chances that Andrew Thomas had to make good saves on.
00:02:45
Speaker
But once the Sounders, i mean, they jumped on the Galaxy. Those first 10 minutes were exactly how the Sounders wanted it to play out. Almost right away, they get a great chance that Osasa de Rosario can't quite finish, but then they are right back in it.
00:03:01
Speaker
Jesus Ferreira and Osaza de Rosario working together very well. And then Pedro de la Vega finishes a really a much more difficult chance than I think it maybe looked like at first.
00:03:15
Speaker
Nico, what did you make of the way the Sounders started that game? First of all, thank you for everybody for listening. It's always a pleasure to
Pedro de la Vega: Game Changer
00:03:26
Speaker
have you, Tim. Of course, in terms of the game,
00:03:30
Speaker
I was impressed with the tempo yeah that Seattle was able to not just generate, but control throughout that first 45 minutes.
00:03:42
Speaker
I thought that Pedro de la Vega was outstanding his game. The way that he used space, the way that he created with, the way that he broke lines with possession, the way that he was beating guys wanna to be one I just thought that he was the tempo setter.
00:04:05
Speaker
And that, to me, is something that I have said consistently that this team needed. that game breaker mentality. And that's what he showed you. that and This is when you need your young DP and and the guy that essentially, probably the only guy that you could look in this roster and say who can do these things to show up.
00:04:28
Speaker
So to me, that was phenomenal. Not to mention the fact that defensively, I thought that he was on point as well. His pressing, his you know the tracking back, absolutely everything that Pedro was doing was was phenomenal. I would add one more thing. And I just thought that Seattle was just very good in possession, very purposeful. They were switching possession, switching the point of attack very effectively.
00:04:53
Speaker
I just felt like you said, it was a very dominant performance consistently of a team that it's not easy for a club to beat a team back to back.
00:05:07
Speaker
um and a team that, you know, i heard and and saw lot of comments. Well, the Galen's here, and this awful team, but they were getting better. And they're a talented squad. I mean, these are these are not slobs no in that roster. Other than mcgiberry yeah Miguel Miguel Berry. And even Miguel Berry, you know, has some sort of, you know, i mean we can look at a bunch of rosters that Miguel Berry might be able to start.
00:05:32
Speaker
But all I'm saying is that You still have to give credit to this Sounders team for ultimately taking out of any effect of that offense because they did that well.
00:05:45
Speaker
I thought Guillermo Gomez-Andreta was outstanding helping out in that department. So just credit to a very complete game by the Sounders. I'm glad you mentioned Pedro's defensive contributions because I think you know, he's an attacking designated player. His offense and what he contributes in the final third is always going to be the main focus, but he was giving Gabriel Peck absolute hell all night. Yeah. Like, that Sudamerica fight happening on that wing was phenomenal to watch because he, like, um don't even know how many of the instances really are going to, like, end up on a score sheet, but there were so many times where, like, he just all of a sudden is like,
00:06:27
Speaker
shoulder to shoulder and then slips in between Peck and the ball. And all of a sudden the Sounders are going the other way. The way he was coming back to contribute, like he really was emblematic of that whole performance. I think one other thing that, you know, in in the moment, Andrew Thomas's saves looked good. And in review after the fact, they were great.
00:06:55
Speaker
I think, Osaze de Rosario's misses feel really bad in the moment, but looking back, like, Micheci, or would however you pronounce his name, made good saves on a bunch of Well, especially the second one, I thought, for sure. That was, yeah like, he I think he makes it a little easy on Micheci on the first one, the one that was, like, in the fourth or fifth minute, because, you know,
00:07:22
Speaker
But other than that, I thought Michovic made some really good saves. And ah the the play that really stands out to me that was maybe emblematic of Pedro and Osazi's day, really, was that second chance that Osazi ends up with, where they play it, where Jesus plays it forward to De La Vega. He gets it somewhere near midfield.
00:07:42
Speaker
And the way he just... Both controls the ball and pushes it forward. And the run that Osaze makes is a 50-yard run behind the play to be the first to get that that ball that's like sort of like it it looks like it's going to be either him or Pedro that gets it. But he gets it And he's clean on goal and, you know, there's a good save, but it just showed to me the way that these guys were working.
00:08:07
Speaker
And it it is, I think I mentioned this before, but it's just very funny to me that, you know, when Gabriel Peck and Pedro DiObego were signed right around the same time and not exactly the same amount of money, Peck was a more expensive player.
00:08:19
Speaker
He had more experience. But it was an easy comparison. And last year it was like, God, these players could not be farther apart. And you go now. And I mean, honestly, right now, I might rather have Pedro de la Vega. He's a more complete player.
00:08:34
Speaker
Like, like we saw how good Peck can be. And he was very, i mean, he was a borderline MVP candidate last year. But Pedro de la Vega is just so perfect for the way that Brian wants to play. He's easy always willing to press.
00:08:49
Speaker
He's, you know, and I don't know, maybe he has to have some of his pizazz, flair reigned in at times, but he has become this player that fits the way that Brian wants to play so well, and he is an X Factor.
00:09:03
Speaker
And i don't know, it's just, you know, he's, it's it was funny, you think even two or three months ago, You tell me the Sounders only have one of their designated players available. They're down to their third striker. They're going to playing Messi in a final.
00:09:16
Speaker
What do you like of their chances? And to be like, ah like the changes just fine. Yeah, look, it's impressive, right? I mean, and it's been all year long, right? and They've been able to makeshift guys into different positions for anybody, anybody who had doubts and I'm going to go ahead and say shit it, shitted on the Ferrera move.
00:09:41
Speaker
Ferrera has been so versatile and so important in that area and those aspects because he looked great. He looked great. He looked like great. He loves playing the Galaxy. Oh, yeah, that's that's a good one, too. Maybe that's what it is, but his connectivity, the way he was finding Hussase in the half spaces, I mean, just everything about his game was so great. I mean, he just he feels like all of these players are drumming at the same beat and he doesn't matter who's coming in who's coming out and we'll talk about that a little bit later but if you want to talk a little bit about auto saucer because to me at first glance i thought that he had an okay game then i watched it two other times after that and i feel a lot better about that performance and i said he probably had a good performance uh maybe there were some um
00:10:35
Speaker
Parts of his game in in his passing that I thought it could have been a little bit sharper. of course, the two misses that are brand obvious. But it also takes a different type of player to have two misses in the fashion that he did.
00:10:52
Speaker
and then have the confidence. The audacity. The audacity to flip the ball over your body, find it in space, bring it down, and yes, some very naive defending from the LA Galaxy players. very experienced defense. Two Premier League defense center backs.
00:11:09
Speaker
It wasn't like he was like busting on some um academy kids. No, 100%. But the defendant was poor. It was poor, but I'm just saying. I'm just saying you he he bullied his way through, found the ball and put it away.
00:11:23
Speaker
And just to conclude my point, I was more impressed about – I'm a guy that looks a lot on body language and and the way – celebrated that goal, it it's almost as he if he had forgotten completely that he got two other misses. Sometimes guys feel like, oh, they'll shake it off. You've seen Ferreira do it, right? Shake it off or like, oh, man, I'm so glad.
00:11:46
Speaker
But he wasn't. He goes straight into the zombie Osase. I mean, I just, I love it. I think that it talks about him he he has a striker mentality yeah and that that goldfish mentality where you just forget about it and you keep on going. And i thought that was important for me.
00:12:02
Speaker
I think going back to something that you ah noticed, Jeremiah, when he first started popping up with goals for the Sounders that like, This is not a guy who in any way at any time looks like he's just getting his first real shot with a top division team. like In every moment, he does not look like he wears the weight of misses or mistakes. like He looks like he knows that next opportunity, he's gonna be in the right position and he's gonna do the things that he needs to do to get that opportunity and he's gonna score that one.
00:12:38
Speaker
And like, I think we also just, this game really was one of the first times where I think, you know, Ryan was talking after training today about like, he's quicker than people think. He's got all of these pieces and tools and watching him in this, this one, like you were really seeing him put those things together. There were quite a few runs where,
00:13:02
Speaker
when the ball first gets played, you think, oh, there's no way the defenders got that. And then Osaze gets there and beats the man on the dribble. Like, they to your point, the...
00:13:14
Speaker
his play setting up the shot that turns into that De La Vega goal. A lot of confidence there. A lot of confidence. The reading of the way the defenders were reading him to set himself up for the shot that he hits in such a way with enough curl and pace that the keeper gets a touch to it, but the touch spills it away. And like,
00:13:39
Speaker
i I don't want to relitigate the transfer window, but the behavior in the transfer window from the Sounders yeah is predicated on an idea that you don't wanna bring guys in who are going to block the way for these players in your pipeline.
00:13:59
Speaker
And that's all well and good. But if it's just a theory or an idea, there's not any value to that. But when you are giving Osas de Rosario, Snyder Brunel, Reed Baker Whiting, Cody Baker opportunities, and then they are executing on those opportunities and doing the job and doing it well to the extent that you're playing in a final against Leo Messi and Inter Miami, like,
00:14:29
Speaker
you can understand some of the logic behind those decisions.
Osaze de Rosario's Rising Impact
00:14:33
Speaker
And, you know, I, Osasai de Rosario is at this point much better than I think anyone oh could have hoped.
00:14:41
Speaker
I've been in the last few days, I've been looking back at where he was a year ago. And I, you know, you and I wrote, um, recaps of all the Defiance players last year. And i don't I haven't actually read the De Rosario one, but I'm pretty sure it was something along the lines of showing some promise, but not quite an MLS level player.
00:15:01
Speaker
And at the this point last year, he was only periodically starting for Defiance. He hadn't scored in a while. He was looking ah maybe a little disinterested at times, frankly. And then something clicked in this offseason. I think it probably started, you know, we talked asked him today about this. But to me, it probably started to click, really. He had that hat trick for Guiana.
00:15:20
Speaker
Who cares it was against St. Kidd's and Nevis or whoever it was against. Just the fact that he saw an international, you know, he had a hatchet in an international game, follows it up with another goal.
00:15:32
Speaker
And that seems to have just kick-started this whole, and then he spends the off-season doing private trainings with Tino Lopez in Florida. And then he comes into camp this year. He's he's with the first team. And he's just been on, I i mean, it's like you you say in a way, it's like, well, he's always' been on it's this heater that's a year long. But it's not like he's in this amazing finishing form.
00:15:53
Speaker
He is... so good at getting into dangerous positions. He's finding himself with two or three chances, really good chances. Every time he gets on the field, it's unreal. You know, I asked Brian, like it's on like I told him, it's like this unprecedented level of ah like unheard of ability to get into dangerous. He's doubling the number of good chances that he's getting than anyone else in the lead right now.
00:16:19
Speaker
That's Messi. That's Luis Suarez. These are like elite, elite players at not just finishing, but at finding chances. And he's like doing it at double the rate. Now, is that sustainable? Maybe not.
00:16:30
Speaker
But to even do it for 400 minutes or 500 minutes or whatever it's it's been, it's it's pretty remarkable. And it shows me that he understands what he has to do and that he's in the more he gets himself into these positions, the more confident he is.
00:16:45
Speaker
OK, I missed one chance. I got another one coming and I'll finish that one. Yeah, and look, I agree with everything you guys are saying, but you know if anything, I am consistent with my thought process. And and that the only pushback I would have in terms of potentially if If money was not an issue and time wasn't an issue and you look at the at the world of soccer, I think that there is room for a different profile striker sure in this roster.
00:17:17
Speaker
And as much as, and you and I have had this conversation, Jeremiah, as much as we both like De Rosario,
00:17:24
Speaker
I don't know if I would bet that he's going to be the next. Yeah, I'm just saying for right now. No, for right now. No, no, and that's what I wanted to clarify. Yeah, I'm not saying he's going to be a 25-goal scorer or anything like that, but I'm just saying that the tools that he has tell me that he can be an effective player. 100%. And in some ways, like, don't get me wrong, if Danny Mososki was available for this game, I'd probably feel better.
00:17:50
Speaker
But in some ways, Danny's, um I mean, Osasi's a more complete player. He does more in possession. He does more in link up play. episode And he has a physical presence about them that does allow him to do, like Danny Osasi's not gonna score that bully goal.
00:18:07
Speaker
no I mean, frankly, i don't know anyone. Maybe Pedro might score that. There's not a lot of players in the center's roster that are capable of that. Or there's that flick that he gives to, I think, Jesus Ferreira.
00:18:18
Speaker
that That's awareness. out The way he goes and gets that ball. Danny was not doing that. and that's what I mean by profiles. And that one sets up the that's up the first goal. Yeah. I don't mean to always crap on on Danny, but he's a poacher, right? And the poachers are pretty limited right in front of goal. And now...
00:18:33
Speaker
again, he's a guy that's also overperforming his career stats, right? yeah So, you know, where does that really lie? What's the real number? ah But in terms of Osasi, I do see a lot of great things about the way he plays that target striker position. And, you know, it's great. I think it's all...
00:18:51
Speaker
um praise to the coaching staff, to the the talent scouting department, to bring in a guy from Tacoma. I just, you know, on Thursdays, I do my soccer down here, and yeah John was asking me about how good it is to have Tacoma just feeding these players. It's unreal.
00:19:10
Speaker
Because it's it's Schneider. it's yeah At some point, Danny Leyva had a whole bunch of time open. Obviously, there's Rosario. So it it does talk about that pipeline. And and what what I would think, you correct me if I'm wrong, Jeremiah, but I think it's one of the biggest...
00:19:28
Speaker
imprints or footprints that Garth Lagerwey left. yeah Because he was the one who accommodated. And said we need to invest in this. Exactly. Absolutely. And I'll just, I just want to, I'm not going to get into a whole thing on this, but i just thought it was an interesting observation. Danny Leyva, you brought up Danny Leyva.
00:19:44
Speaker
He just hit 100, 100 senior first team appearances, which is pretty cool. He's 22 years old. In 2019 was the last year that MLS gave out a rookie of the year award, which was reserved for players that came out of the draft, I believe.
00:20:00
Speaker
Andre Shinoshiki was 22 when he won Rookie of the Year in 2019. And it just illustrates how this league has shifted where, you know, that was only six years ago.
00:20:11
Speaker
And we're talking about guys with 100 appearances that are the same age as the guys were were winning Rookie of the Year back then. I mean, i another, you know, young player who just is...
Obed's Unprecedented Contribution
00:20:22
Speaker
ah phenomenal but I was posting on Blue Sky the other day because I realized that there's the possibility that Obed, depending on like, if the Sounders make any sort of playoff run, if he continues playing at the rate he's been playing, well could hit 10,000 all competitions per team minutes. He's 20. He's 20.
00:20:48
Speaker
he Only one player has ever played more and mls minutes is what i will say he's at like 7 119 mls minutes the only player to ever play more mls minutes before turning 21 was eddie gavin who had 10 000 like almost yeah which is kind of a 500 minutes and obviously a very different league very different era but like Obed is in such rarefied air. Right, that there's nobody else. that I think, you know, with Snyder's burst onto the scene, it's become, there's a new shiny kid from the Academy that write it's become easy to overlook just how remarkable Obed is and has been because he's been a mainstay for three or four years and he just turned 20. It is wild.
00:21:47
Speaker
I want to actually stay on that a little bit. You mentioned, again, Snyder Brunell. here I thought that this was... He did not do anything that was... you know he He didn't score for the first time.
00:21:58
Speaker
i don't know if was the first time. But he didn't score. But I just thought it was a really, really mature performance from him. He he came in in the 75th minute, I believe. He replaced Christian Roldan, which we can get into why he replaced Christian Roldan.
00:22:15
Speaker
But he was... He was basically tasked with being pest, with just sort of being like, go out there and be, have a solid, mature veteran type of performance. You don't need to do anything special, but he was so good at that. And then when they were went down, where I was really impressed with them is when they went down to 10 men and he was sort of that front line of defense.
00:22:41
Speaker
No fear. he was the The Sounders, the way they defended with 10 men was so good. was so good. they they were They were constantly pushing. They were not going to sit back and just let the Galaxy pump in crosses.
00:22:53
Speaker
And they almost turned the field into of this this bottleneck where they were obligated to just push out wide and and have to just cross random balls in early where, you know, not a senior dangerous cross and everybody in Thomas and whatever. So yeah, I think that was that's a great point about how they defended with 10 men.
00:23:15
Speaker
To your point of his maturity, I just remembered the moment where you know he received the ball and danner with an opportunity to go for a goal, and yeah, maybe he does make it three first-team appearances with a goal, and instead he takes it to the corner and ah fights off two goals.
00:23:38
Speaker
I would see defenders. He could have done a little better because he embellished there. Well, you know, I was going to say, I actually kind of, I appreciated that because he goes down a little easy, but I thought it was kind of a veteran move to be like, why not try it? like Because it's like, you're ah you know, you're at that point. Why not try to draw the foul? Because you can you can burn off another 30, 40 seconds. Worst case scenario, you give the ball up. In the corner. Exactly. Yeah, yeah that's fair.
00:24:02
Speaker
No, I agree. All of that, all these are things that I know Jeremiah, you follow the Academy and you follow Tacoma. I do the same, but I do it more towards the guys, right? I've talked experienced veteran players every single time after pre-seasons and that name Schneider Brunel was always one that was there and that, as I've mentioned a lot of times, my biggest praise to him is that he always seems to be in the right place at the right time. He understands the position.
00:24:34
Speaker
He rarely does something wrong. he that There is an understanding of where he needs to be, where if you want to pause video, he's not the guy that's getting scolded because he wasn't where he was supposed to be. He never seems to wrong place. He's like, how brilliantly were you to get there, right? So he is a very, I got that I'm very high on in his future process. Maybe he won't be over maybe he will, but he's a guy that definitely has a lot, a lot of potential. Well, and I think, you know, we've talked before about how he seems like one of these players who might actually be better at the first team level than he was at the second team level, in part because he's surrounded by different types of talent.
00:25:14
Speaker
But that's also partly because there is no equivalent to the situation they were in on Wednesday. There is no, like, yes, they have playoffs in in MLS Expo.
00:25:25
Speaker
They had the Open Cup game against the Timbers. Those are not the same stakes. this is These are major, major stakes. And you just don't know what a player is going to do in that situation, that situation where he's in the corner. How is he going to handle this?
00:25:39
Speaker
And and you you you just don't know. And the he the the experience the yeah maturity that he showed on that play was off the charts to me. Like it was it was so fun to see a player take that ball into the corner and try to draw a foul like that. Like that's exactly what you want to ah you want anyone to do in that situation.
00:26:01
Speaker
And I don't know, I was just very, um every week, I feel like every game, um there's something new about Brunel that sort of jumps out. And, you know, I alluded to this before, but Brian Schmetzer went on KJR yesterday, last night, and he, I don't know why he did this, but they asked him about- Because
Strategic Moves by Brian Schmetzer
00:26:21
Speaker
of the softies show. Because, yeah, he gave- He needs to give them something. He got to give them something. And so they asked him- about like who was going to be playing or whatever. And he's like, well, you know, I did pull someone out earlier than i would have normally pulled them out.
00:26:37
Speaker
And so they asked him who, and he's like, well, not tell you, but you can probably figure it out. And then I asked him again today sort of thinking like, well, he's just being coy for being, but then he said, no, he just said, no, I'm not tell you.
00:26:48
Speaker
I think at this point, I'm like a hundred, almost 99% sure it was Christian. Like there's, i I didn't want to believe it at the time. I was like, well, maybe we're talking about Paul. No, I'm pretty sure. Like, Christian, like, as much as I appreciate that I'm showing trust in – and hasn't ruled them out. You know, he was doing warm-ups today, but Christian did come off earlier, I feel like, than any of the other starters.
00:27:11
Speaker
ah But that is a little – it's a little concerning. I'm not going to lie. Like, the centers are really digging into the into the the bag here. They are already going to be missing, I think, seven notable players for this game.
00:27:26
Speaker
Also, Stuart Hawkins, who I'm not trying to diminish him, but you he probably wasn't goingnna play anyway. But ah seven players who have very likely would have had a role to play in this game otherwise. I would really like to not find out if they can mis do it without Christian Roldan. I'd rather Christian be out there.
00:27:41
Speaker
But weirdly, I'm not like a like that. like I am worried. But I kind of feel like they might be able to figure it out. i don't know.
00:27:53
Speaker
Yeah, I think they will. I would say a couple more things about the substitutions, at least. Oh, yes. It was just the fact that I thought it showed... I was concerned at the time, but I thought it showed a lot of...
00:28:04
Speaker
um trust in in his rotations for him to be 2-0 against the Galaxy. And then he takes out both Rothrock and De La Vega in the 60th, brings in Leyva, brings in Rebecca Whiten, moves Ferreira to that wide side and allows Gannon to play the 10.
00:28:23
Speaker
And it looked good. It looked good. Yeah, they didn't though they didn't they didn't really miss a step. No, not at all. Maybe not quite as dynamic, but they were still very ah they're still very good. So I got to credit, ah Brian, for for the trust, for the...
00:28:36
Speaker
kind of this ethos he's kind of created in this group of players that everybody just seems to believe and understand where they're going to be. So it's credit. I think that the only, and we could talk about this because it is what we learned this week.
00:28:51
Speaker
And what we learned this week is that probably the only bad thing that happened in that whole game was the red card to New Who. New Who. I didn't think it was as egregious some people made it sound at first. He's talking talking to Mark Kastner right now.
00:29:07
Speaker
Oh, I mean. Oh, I don't know, but whoever it is, go go ahead. I wasn't posting about it, but I,
00:29:15
Speaker
I guess that you can say like, oh, he you know he doesn't mean to, whatever. But you go back and watch that play in full speed, not at replay speed, whether it's intentional or not, reckless and endangering another player, that is definitionally the reason he has his both legs up, studs exposed, going into the player's legs are because of how recklessly he goes into that challenge.
00:29:45
Speaker
And I realized that, like, the way that Nuhu plays full out, everything out there is part of what people love about him. But that's a red card, my man.
00:29:56
Speaker
I mean, here's what I will say. I didn't think that the contact was there. I thought that, you know, he he obviously goes at the ball. I'll give you this. It's poor form. Like, he didn't need to...
00:30:08
Speaker
slide that way. Like, you slide normal. You slide it at all. no Or you don't need to slide it all. Perfect. that that is That is just a good. But I thought that Per the rule, i thought it was very, I don't it was that clear.
00:30:22
Speaker
and And the fact that that it was, the call was made that it wasn't a red. It wasn't a, I will say, it was wasn't a foul on the field. And that's what I have an issue with, that that that the VAR was so conclusive, I didn't think it was that conclusive to overturn the fact that all of a sudden it was a record. So whether it was or whether it wasn't, and you can your opinion on it, obviously, Jeremiah, but what we learned today was that the team...
00:30:47
Speaker
did try to appeal. Looked into appealing it. yeah appealy Went over all the regulations that went to it, but apparently. they didn't feel like they could win. They didn't feel like they could. Yeah. I will just say, i'll sort of split the baby on this one. And my feeling is that it is a red cardable tackle.
00:31:05
Speaker
that if they had shown a red card in real time that I would have had no real issue with it. I don't like the use of VAR on that one because I feel like the referee had a great view of it.
00:31:17
Speaker
He didn't even call it a foul. And he the contact was not so egregious as to rise to the level of a clear and obvious error to me. But I also don't have a big issue with it being a red card.
00:31:30
Speaker
Uh, it was, ah it was a dangerous tackle. He comes in late, he comes in high, he comes in hard. It hits all the, I mean, it does hit all the, like the red cardable elements of it.
00:31:43
Speaker
I just, again, sort of like the, the way that the, like the way that the, the, uh, Orlando Miami game went down. I just feel like the way VAR is used is not as consistent as it should be.
00:31:57
Speaker
I'm a VAR defender. I think I just want to, you and then, and I think to Brian, you know, Brian alluded to this or said this is, you know, Peck had a similar tackle on knew who earlier in the game that didn't, I don't think got called a foul either. nope And so it was sort of like the referee is calling the game the way he's calling it. And, and sort of like the, what I don't like sometimes is that VAR intervenes when,
00:32:23
Speaker
It's not consistent with the way the ref seems to want to call the game. But then, of course, the ref could have just said, no, I'm not going give a red card. But he did, and I can't really blame him. So I don't know. I don't really have a lot of issue. i do It is a concern. i
00:32:38
Speaker
It's very frustrating because Nuhu was having a great game. He was so And I would feel a lot better about you know his ability to help shut down a Miami attack, which maybe we can get into. We will.
00:32:49
Speaker
that is ah potent, you know, that has some very, very talented players and going to pose a real challenge. I think that
00:33:02
Speaker
They are not
Facing Inter Miami: A Formidable Challenge?
00:33:04
Speaker
unbeatable. I think it's even, I mean, the like the idea that the Sounders have played Cruz Azul, who was arguably the best team outside of Europe. they Twice they played them. They played PSG, which was arguably the best team in the world.
00:33:15
Speaker
They played Atletico Madrid, which is one of the best teams the world. They played Botafogo, who beat PSG and was the South American champions. The idea that the Sounders might be intimidated by InterMiami is so laughable that it's like there's no reason at all that they should be intimidated. They're going to be at home, they're going to be in front of 55, 60,000 fans, something like that.
00:33:33
Speaker
and And the reality is that Miami has lost like six times to MLS teams, not even to, you know, like not we're not even talking about the 4-0 loss that had to PSG.
00:33:46
Speaker
We're just talking about like normal ass MLS teams. They lost, they got dumped by Vancouver Whitecaps in CONCACAF Champions Cup. So like this is not an unbeatable opponent. There's no reason the Senators should look at them in awe. They should be excited about this opportunity. This is to me like a dream match. I mean, this is a dream A dream matchup. Like, it's not it's not about, oh, I can't wait to see Messi. It's like, I can't wait to see the Sounders go up against Messi.
00:34:14
Speaker
I think in a lot of ways, the Sounders match up against them really well. Like, I genuinely excited to watch Osace de Rosario go to work against those... Falcone? Like, I think...
00:34:27
Speaker
presumably Paul Rothrock on that right wing is gonna love the amount of space that is behind Jordi Alba. I feel good about the midfield matchups. like I think the defense could hold up even if it is, whether it's John Bell or Cody Baker or Reed Baker Whiting at left back. like It could be any one of those guys.
00:34:52
Speaker
The trouble is that you just never know when Messi is gonna do Messi thing. Segovia or whoever. Even Luis Suarez. Yeah, there are so many guys who can pop up out of nowhere.
00:35:07
Speaker
Yeah, and you know we could talk about it in Miami here in a second. I'm guessing we'll take a break and then come back. Sure, we can do that. So I'll tell you why. I think they match up well, but they don't match up as well as they do against the Galaxy, whereas going into the game, you kind of felt like, man, just perfect it' perfect for for yeah for the Sounders. I don't think this one is as perfect. ah and then We'll talk about why.
00:35:31
Speaker
But I will say that the last thing I wanted to talk about was that Reed... Baker Whiten is clearly the choice. I feel like that's obvious also. Some people have some questions, and I don't know why. He's the guy. He's the the next guy.
00:35:45
Speaker
mean, he started against Atletico Madrid. And that's exactly it. And he great against Simeone. Like, I don't say, like, what if you're if he can help if you can stand up to Gianni.
00:35:56
Speaker
Gianni? No. Gianni, yep. Yeah, Gianni Simeone. I don't see why he shouldn't stand up against these guys. And that's what I was going to say. I think that that game, he was pressed. Like Reed was honestly, it was a guy like a stress test.
00:36:12
Speaker
That was about as ah hard as he gets. He was pulling and pushing and Sigourney's got some explosiveness to his game and they were going to his side. And he is not a soft player.
00:36:24
Speaker
And he's not a soft player. So his dad wouldn't let him be. No, no. with that last name. but But yeah, what I would say is that Reed Asselt gives you a lot of attacking. Yeah, absolutely. Obviously contributions that are much better than Munu would give you. So I'm...
00:36:43
Speaker
I still wish it was new, I'm not gonna lie, because I do want that lockdown defender specifically for this game. But if you're gonna force both, Roger Goodapaw, if he plays that same side as he did against Orlando, Ian Frey, to need to defend, him and Pedro could really pin them back. And I think that enables the way in a Miami attack. So we'll talk about that here a little bit later, but I'm still,
00:37:10
Speaker
just confident that we could do the job. but Yeah. have a interest Well, I think you make a good point. Let's take a break here. We're going to come back and we'll do a whole segment on inner Miami. Uh, you listen to nos.
00:37:23
Speaker
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00:37:36
Speaker
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00:38:05
Speaker
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00:39:00
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00:39:13
Speaker
Welcome back to No Stadia Dis. So we have really, like I said, a dream matchup.
The Messi Matchup: A Unique Opportunity
00:39:21
Speaker
And I say that not because, you know, I feel like there's been some discourse over this where ah people are mad that other fans are excited to see the Sounders play Messi for some reason.
00:39:34
Speaker
and I just want to be really clear. I don't think it's about Sounders fans necessarily Other Seattle fans in general, I'm not worried about people showing up in pink. I'm not worried about people coming to pay their respects to Messi and Suarez and whatever else.
00:39:50
Speaker
I just think there is an undeniable reality that when you bring in the star power that Miami brings in, it's going to get people excited about seeing the Sounders play them. It's not about, you know, this is not like a when Barcelona comes to town and it's like, oh, I can't wait to see the visiting thing. It's like, this is the difference. This is, I want to see the Sounders play a cup final against...
00:40:14
Speaker
some of the most talented players and MLS has ever had and what an opportunity that is. And to me, this in some ways almost feels like house money. Like the Sounders getting to this point was the bigger deal to me was more nerve wracking and scarier. And like the stakes of the Galaxy game to me were bigger.
00:40:36
Speaker
This is like, cause now if the Sounders win, it's great. If they don't win, that's a disappointment, but they're still in champions cup. They've already achieved something pretty impressive. Getting to the point where you get to have this whole event is sort of the prize. you know And yes, I would like to have the leagues cup. I wrote a story recently where i detailed how the Sounders are trying to become one of their ninth major title since coming into MLS.
00:41:07
Speaker
This is their, I believe, fourteen or no 15th cup final wow since uh adrian hannah or took over in 2002 they're averaging basically 0.65 finals per year which is a pretty amazing clip um but i'm i'm like ah genuinely excited for this matchup in part because it's going to draw a big crowd it might not be you know it doesn't look like Oh, we, don't know. We'll see.
00:41:38
Speaker
I don't know if they're going be able to open up the whole stadium. ah They've been kind of dragging out, opening up the additional sections, but there's going to be at least 55, 60,000 people there. It's going to be in an amazing atmosphere.
00:41:50
Speaker
ah But let's, let's talk a little bit about Miami specifically. Aside from the obvious, which is they have a bunch of really talented players. What do they do? Well, Nico,
00:42:03
Speaker
I think that Inter-Miami does a great job at playing in reduced space with very intricate passing. the The way they move their triangles across in the attacking third is basically out of instinct because they do have those connections.
00:42:25
Speaker
If you don't realize that when Alba, Messi, and Luis Suarez connect, it feels like they're on on Bluetooth somehow, then I don't know what to tell you. But but the way those guys move is a repetitive motion. it is they understand where the space is going to be, what they're going to do. So it always feels like regardless of the game, they can get back into a game any moment in time.
00:42:52
Speaker
I said yesterday that Orlando City left the perfect blueprint for the Seattle Sounders on what not to do against Inter-Miami. And this is what maybe concerns me a little bit is that if you don't put down Miami when you have opportunities, because Orlando in the first 45, They could have had three goals and they did not. They spoiled opportunity after opportunity.
00:43:19
Speaker
And then they allow Miami to get back into that game in the second half. In those little moments where Messi, he's a guy that buys his time. right He's not running every single ball. he's He knows and he understands.
00:43:32
Speaker
when he needs to turn it on. And if you're unable to use and and finish those opportunities that you do get against this defense, I think that's what Inter-Miami does well, is that they have the confidence and they have the talent to take over a game in 15 minutes.
00:43:50
Speaker
And that is, to me, the best thing that in Miami Ducks. They really are a horror movie villain. They, like, they are... You can't assume that that team is dead until the whistle is blown. You've got to cut the head off, burn the body, and bury the parts separately. Like, they just... That's beautiful. like that.
00:44:15
Speaker
Especially, you... Like... you like Nico, you were mentioning before we started recording, I think that like there is just always the possibility that like calls are going to go against you, not because there's a grand conspiracy by MLS to make sure that Inter-Miami lift the trophy. We get the shot of Messi picking the trophy. David Beckham stands in the owner's box looking all handsome.
00:44:49
Speaker
Like... Leo Messi is the greatest and most popular player in the world. the In a big stadium, like referees are gonna make calls and you're not gonna like them.
00:45:04
Speaker
There's gonna as much stoppage time as there might be necessary to see if something can happen. Like you've gotta, you're gonna get opportunities.
00:45:16
Speaker
You need to make the most of them. Otherwise, you are gonna see Messi lift a trophy in your stadium. like There's no two ways about it. Yeah, people should get ready for that. I totally agree. that That's something that I did want to make sure that people know that there might be one or two calls that do go in Miami's ways. And look, Sergio Busquets is not just the most intelligent guy on the ball. He is looking at everything off the ball. And it might not be that he's making a huge run, but when it comes to the referee and he's chirping, he's talking. he You know, when he comes to the dark tactics,
00:45:54
Speaker
Argentines are be great at it, but when you have experienced guys like Alba and Busquets and Macerano, expect some Macerano antics all over this game.
00:46:06
Speaker
You've got to be ready for that. And sometimes that's off football, and you've got to be ready for it because although it's off the pitch, it it it it makes a difference in the pitch. So when it comes to this team that, as we just mentioned, you cannot give them a lifeline, right?
00:46:23
Speaker
Orlando City, dominating that game. There's a red card that soft or not, it was double yellow. He gets it off. And right after that, 77, 88, 93 in just a moment's notice, right?
00:46:38
Speaker
So you cannot allow those things to happen. Some of the mistakes or or some of the things that didn't go perfect against Eliazzi, you can't do that against Inter-Miami. And so it's a great point that you obviously... Spanish football is the avant-garde of dark arts football mind games.
00:46:57
Speaker
And you've got Spanish players and players who came through Barcelona and almost nobody is doing it crazier than Barcelona. So yeah, there's...
00:47:09
Speaker
gonna be a lot that is not just kicking the ball to contend with. Yeah, and I would just say also that the, like you said, the opportunities are good. We know there's gonna be chances.
00:47:22
Speaker
And I think what we, the Sounders probably can't afford to do is have a situation like they like you said, like against the Galaxy where they have two, three really golden chances that they they don't put away.
00:47:33
Speaker
But I don't know, I like the chances that they, I think they're gonna, challenges are gonna create chances. That I'm not worried about. And I think in that way, the teams that they've struggled with this year are teams that don't wanna play.
00:47:45
Speaker
Teams that just wanna sit back and ah be sort of passive defending and say, come attack us. And I don't think that's, they don't have to worry about that with Miami. ah And I think the centers have really and don't think they've faced an offense that overwhelmed them really yet. Other than maybe PSG, ah who was able to move the ball around really effectively.
00:48:09
Speaker
But even in the PSG game, I think the Sounders were able to show some of their identity, were able to have moments where there is openings. And, ah you know, they weren't they weren't clinical.
00:48:20
Speaker
ah and and so And then they they can't afford to do that against, I mean, they couldn't afford to do it obviously against PSG. They probably can't afford to do it against Miami either. Yeah, and a lot of it we've talked about already or or some of it, but the other reason why i don't think that the matchup is as easy as what they saw against the Galaxy, as I was mentioning, the Sounders, there have been times when ah good overlapping fullback can really get into trouble with Alex.
00:48:52
Speaker
He's a guy that sometimes because he wants to be the guy that's widest on that side, he gets very high. When there's a good overlap in fullback, there has been times where they get caught up, right? And and Alba is going to be looking for that. If you're too high, the line of comp confrontation that we talked about with Brian today, yes, Luis Suarez is not going to burn you speed-wise, but maybe a guy like Jordi Alba can get behind you. Maybe if you're able to get messy in space, he's still got a little bit of acceleration. So those are the moments that I think that Inter-Miami can create some some troubles. also think that Rogierga DePaul
00:49:32
Speaker
gives them a little bit more control he gives them balance that they didn't have before he's a guy that has some duality to his game ah he also kind of i don't know if this is going to be the case but i was very surprised that segovia was off the bench and i think that rodrigo gives much around of that possibility i don't know basitar was is going to start again because he just seems like he's the a younger guy but you know Whoever he brings off the bench, he could be a guy that's a spark for them. So how Macedo handles that lineup is also interesting to me um because although we've talked about Brian Spencer has gotten better his substitution patterns and things, there have been moments where coaches make adjustments throughout the game and they bring in players to expose things that they're seeing.
00:50:22
Speaker
that That's another thing that I don't think the Galaxy had that Miami Yeah, and I guess on those that token, I will say if there's a player that is maybe a wild card in this one for the Sounders,
00:50:34
Speaker
Georgie Manungu feels like he could maybe have some, you know, really create some danger if they need a goal. He's not going to start the game, but if they need, if their centers are chasing a goal later in this one, i would not be at all surprised to see Georgie Manungu get on the field. And I wouldn't be at all surprised to see him creating some chaos.
00:50:51
Speaker
And, you know, great like that's what I really like about this team right now is that they are like, there's no, there's no dead weight. there's no dead weight on this roster right now. Everyone has had a role to play. Everyone has has contributed.
00:51:06
Speaker
Everyone is ah is showing that they belong, that when they're called on, that they can perform and that they can play, they can keep the level high. that it's not like That's one of the things that Brian said today is that what's been so amazing about, or he's been most impressed by with this roster is that he can plug and play and not feel like we have to change our game plan.
Sounders Roster: Adaptability and Depth
00:51:28
Speaker
And that's what gives me confidence about Reed stepping in for New Who. That's what gives me confidence about Osasio Rosario starting for Danny Wasofsky. That's what gives me confidence about Ferreira being in place for Rusnak and just kind of go down the list.
00:51:42
Speaker
And this would be a great story. I mean, it's... in it it's it's You know, and it it does sort of like I said earlier in the show, it it does feel like the Sounders are sort of playing with house money right now because they have all like just getting to this point was such a huge achievement, I think.
00:51:59
Speaker
And I I totally agree. I think that's a big part of this game. And I saw it. I kind of felt it in Brian's demeanor today. There is no pressure on him. There is no way. It is all ah about Messi and it's all about him and the Avengers coming to town, right? I mean, that's what it is. da They're basically the ones that everyone's expecting to get a second title. They've been there, done that. right So it is house money.
00:52:24
Speaker
and and And yet, although, like I said, I think that this game is going to be... A full 90 minutes. is It's going to be... Can't help it. It can't help it. It's going to be 90 minutes later.
00:52:35
Speaker
You're going to have to be on the whole time. I really like Bright for Miami, and I think he gives them some defensive presence there at this field that maybe Seattle hasn't really had over the last couple of games.
00:52:47
Speaker
But one of the good things that Seattle can do, Ustari... He might be 40. I have no idea how he's the starting keeper for Inter-Miami. I really don't understand it. He's the starting keeper because the guys behind him aren't any better. and what Well, yeah, but this is Salantano. You know, they sent him to freaking Charlotte. But...
00:53:07
Speaker
What I'm saying here is that... Oh, Calender, I'm sorry. Calender. Celentano's the guy who just got called into the national team. sorry, Calender, Calender. ah but But he has a hard time stopping mid-range shots.
00:53:21
Speaker
Pedro is going to have a field day trying to pick where he's going to put the ball. I also think that, as you mentioned, there are go to be spaces behind the fullback. So the flanks are going to be wide open. I think this is a big Jesus Ferreira game. He's going to be a guy that's going to be able to just have a lot of.
00:53:37
Speaker
A cerebral player like that, especially, I think, is set up for this one. And I think he's going to have a lot of space to work with the ball. He's not going to be getting hit. I think that's when Ferreira a lot of times kind of loses a little bit of that. And when he has that presence on. And look, i got to tell you right now, neither of the defenders are good on markup one-on-one. So I think that Ferreira is going to have a lot of space to work with. So for me, and I don't want to get too like overly confident here, but I really do think that Seattle can win this 3-1 or you know that it's going to be an open game to me. It's no question. Multiple goals in this game. yeah yeah But I feel like Seattle has all the tools to x exploit exploit this in-amand-a-defense and
00:54:21
Speaker
They have the tools to limit the Messies, the Busquets. Look, Yammer wasn't there. 200 caps. We didn't mention that. I know. It's been weird. It doesn't seem like Brian wants to talk about I don't know. It's very weird. Yeah, it's weird. But whatever. This guy has been outstanding since he got here.
00:54:40
Speaker
Multiple times final best defender of the year. But he is playing at a fantastic rate. I think he's losing these last two games against the LA Galaxy. Yeah, Yammer's been very He's been great.
00:54:51
Speaker
These guys will be waking up in the middle of the night feeling like he's behind them because he's been a nightmare for these players. He's been so good anticipating, at tracking back, allowing Jackson Reagan to just get forward. He he gives Jackson Reagan the safety blanket to beat Jackson Reagan. So for me, Gamer is going to be very important in this game.
00:55:12
Speaker
So I will take the best of the centers against the best of it in Miami all day, every day. mind you, that the caveat of be ready for the Messi magic. But other than that- There is no, like there's on on some level, there's no, there's no correcting. There's no accounting for Messi. If Messi just goes super cyan. Yup.
00:55:34
Speaker
it's over, right? so So that's what it is. but But in terms of player to player, and the way they're set up, the way they're built, yeah. I like Seattle's chances go down. Yeah, there's there's always the possibility that Messi decides this is the World Cup final again. yeah does messy stuff, but I, yeah, I think the Sounders match up well throughout the field, i think, especially if it's Reed on the left instead of Nuhu, like the Reed-Pedro combo on one side Alex-Paul on the other, you have wings that both players are going to do the work in both directions at a high level, like,
00:56:21
Speaker
It's going to be a shootout. I don't think I've ever been as confident of a Sounders team as I am of this one in a shootout. I know. It's very weird. it is Very, very weird. It's wild to be without two of three designated players, several of your top players, and still be like, oh, yeah, if it's a shootout, I'd back the Sounders.
00:56:41
Speaker
And what's funny is ah it's not that I'm more confident. I don't know if I would be more confident with Jordan and Albert. It's just that I'm the same, almost like the same level of confidence.
00:56:52
Speaker
like I do. The centers are a better team when Albert and Jordan are on the field. But the way they're playing right now, and this has sort of been the theme for two months. It's like it doesn't matter. Like whoever is on the field is like picking up the confidence is like playing with the same sort of.
00:57:10
Speaker
No, I got this. And that's what's amazing to see. I would be more confident with Jordan on. As much Osas has said all the right things today, and he seems to really not have any pressure, that is not a young player, but an inexperienced player in a huge stage with a full stadium with all stakes.
00:57:32
Speaker
I just, I hope he plays well. I do too. I mean, I think but that's the one I'm... Jordan, I feel like, oh, shit, we're way good at this. No, you're right. i mean but But I'm a little bit apprehensive about, you know, how he handles it. I mean, this is going to be a lot of these guys have never played in front of, ah you know, well, not a lot. I guess most them played in the Club World Cup. I always say he did not.
00:57:55
Speaker
Snyder did not. But... This is, and I do think this is a team, this is a game that is uniquely set up for, like, this is what this has all been building towards in some way. it's it's It seems funny to be talking about this where we've got two months left of the season to play potentially, more than that potentially, like if they're good they'd make a run in the playoffs. But it's it's a fun, it's been a fun, this has been a fun tournament. ah And, you know, I said this on on Blue Sky, I'll just say it again.
00:58:27
Speaker
You can obviously have both, don't wanna set up a false dichotomy, but this moment is doing as much to raise the profile of the Sounders and to sort of get the energy going outside of the team the team that any, like this is the best thing you could do. This is the best way to get people excited.
00:58:50
Speaker
Sure, bring in some signings, blah, blah, blah. You could do that too. But if you want, this is how you, this is how you've branded yourself. This is what you have made your name on.
00:59:02
Speaker
This is what it's all about. And I think it's been it's fun. It's fun. I think it's incredibly fun. I think that beyond that, again, as someone who grew up playing, watching soccer in leagues that have been, you know, ah lot older for yeah like many many more years than than, hundreds of years more than then MLS,
00:59:27
Speaker
international competition elevates the level of your league no matter what. And that is something that happens constantly. So this is international competition competition for for for the for MLS playing against League MX like this outside of, yes, you got CONCACAF League and all of these things. You got CONCACAF Cubs. You got all these other things.
00:59:49
Speaker
But these types of tournaments, you're right. I feel like you've got to make the best of them. And it gives you the best chance, the best opportunity to get silverware and that's what as you said the sounders have built their brand on is we win championships and this is an opportunity where they might have a you know good opportunity to do it yep yep anything you want to close with tim not in particular i'm just you know it's gonna this game is gonna give me a real bad tummy ache but i am just unbelievably excited yeah
01:00:23
Speaker
The Galaxy game gave me a horrible stomach ache. Oh, my God. I don't think I've ever been more nervous. No, that's not true. That was as nervous as I've felt at the towards, like, the tail end of a game where you're just like, do not give up a penalty. do not like Because that was really the only thing I felt like it could go wrong. was like And that was the nerves were were roaring. Yeah, the red card was plenty of fuel to give the Galaxy. Yes.
01:00:50
Speaker
ah No, i I think I'm excited to see this team play on this stage, like have this sort of opportunity, ah you know, could all go wrong. That's always a possibility, but I'm excited to see players step up and take advantage of the opportunity. Absolutely. Well, that's a good place to end this.
01:01:16
Speaker
We'll probably, we might even have another, yet another podcast that comes out before the game. But for now, ah I'm Jeremiah. she Oh, did you want to say something, Nico? I want just want to say, I just want to close with this. And, and you know, I don't i don't do this a lot, but.
01:01:31
Speaker
and then you probably don't don't care about it, Jeremiah. Oh, I care, I'm sure. If you if it's important to you, Nico, I care. Well, I just, you know, there there there was in, i won won't be too long, but there was a comment in um,
01:01:45
Speaker
podcast about how we were frustrated about no signings that I just thought was just way wrong on to what we're doing. It was RCW dog that basically sounded as if we were not elevating or highlighting this young talent of the Sounders, their their academy, everything. And although both you and I know where we stand, I wanted to let let it be known that I As I've said, everybody's entitled to their opinion and their comments, and I love it. I love people engaging, but there is literally no outlet, no two
01:02:20
Speaker
um reporters or journalists, whatever you want to call me. Obviously, you're the journalist here. but You're journalist, don't worry. It does not matter. There's not been two guys that have been more eminent about highlighting what the Sounders have done well, what Craig Weibull has done well to together this talent.
01:02:36
Speaker
Everybody who was laughing about the Craig Weibull's cooking, you might not like the taste. Those are the guys that you should be getting mad at. Those are the people that were doubting this whole thing. We knew where we stood.
01:02:49
Speaker
as the Sounders, right? Because we're here, we see it, we provide you that context. But although we' we're frustrated to elevate that level, that's all we're saying was take it to the next level. We were in no way, shape or form ever doubting what Greg Weibel had done or that the the the pillars that have made the Sounders brand what it is, as we just mentioned right now, has been that Academy level, has been that sustainable talent. So I just want to respond to you, RC, dog, or whatever it was. i I appreciate the comment, but it was completely off what the reality is.
01:03:25
Speaker
Yeah, I'll just close by so with on that. I'll just say the Sounders can do two things. They can elevate internal players. They can ah bring up academy guys. They can go through the defiance.
01:03:41
Speaker
and they can bring in players from outside the organization. All we're saying is that there is money effectively being left on the table by not bringing in outside talent. That doesn't mean that what they have here is bad.
01:03:54
Speaker
It just means that they can be better. And we're gonna continue to hold them to account. We will continue to say you can be better. And honestly, in a honest moment, Craig Weibel will 100% agree with that.
01:04:08
Speaker
I don't think that anyone in the organization is happy to just say this is good enough. And we shouldn't either. Correct. We aren't, we don't have to be 100%. We can be happy with their successes and we can call out their failures and we can do them at the same time.
01:04:23
Speaker
If I can add just one additional thing, I think it's funny to simultaneously get this sort of criticism that,
01:04:34
Speaker
you guys are too hard are too harsh and also have people saying that we're in the pocket. cars in the pocket brah ra well that's i guess that means we're doing our job, right? But it is, you know, the role and responsibility of an independent outlet to hold the organization's feet to the fire anytime that it is appropriate and i like on the topic of no signings i think i've been a fairly vocal advocate of some of the reasons for why they would not have not that i didn't think that they should have right i think it is clear that people are misinterpreting the case that you guys have made which is that The Seattle Sounders were in a position to build from a position of strength, and they chose not to. They could have gotten stronger. Maybe that diminishes the pathway to minutes for some other players, but they had the opportunity to improve the squad right now, and they decided that right now is not the time to do that.
01:05:42
Speaker
Maybe in the long run, that turns out to be a good decision, but that is... still the case that they could have made the team better and they did not. Yep. Yep. That's a good place to end it.
01:05:56
Speaker
ah Signing off for Nico Moreno, who you can also listen to on soccer down here, on Pulsol Sports, on Lobbing Squirkers, as well as Sounder at Heart's Tim Foss, who you will be probably hearing from and reading even more of going forward.
01:06:12
Speaker
I am Jeremiah Arshan. This is No Sarriete, part of the Sounder at Heart Podcast Network, and we'll get next
01:06:44
Speaker
Let's go at Sounders. um