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Lobbing Scorchers: Messi Can't Make it in MLS (feat. Jordan Morris & Happy Foot Sad Foot)
289 Plays2 months ago
After a bit of downtime during the international break, we are back at it in a big way with a jam-packed episode. A lot has happened since our last show, including the demise of Inter Miami, Lionel Messi and Tata Martino as part of a Round One that saw all three of the top three seeds in the East eliminated.
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Lobbing Scorchers is a production of Just Once Media.
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
00:00:03
Speaker
What's going on everybody? Welcome to episode 74 of Lobbing Scorchers. This is Ari Lillianwall. I got producer Noah here back with me. I'm in the flesh. I'm back. We took a... I would say we took a bit of some unofficial downtime with ah with the Sounders not playing, and MLS playoffs are an international break. um But we are back in action and we have got a... Heck of a show for you all tonight. We got a jam-packed episode. In the time since we've last recorded, a Titanic series of events has taken place, including, but not limited to, the demise of inner Miami, Lionel Messi and Tata Martino as part of a round one that saw all three of the top three seeds in the Eastern Conference eliminated.
00:00:48
Speaker
It is chaos and anarchy in the MLS Cup playoffs, especially in the Eastern Conference where the field has been blown wide open. Our brackets are in tatters. We're going to talk about.
00:01:00
Speaker
All of it, how our takes got undermined, how we see the rest of the playoffs sizing up with ah with a unexpected field. Meanwhile, while all this is going on, the Seattle Sounders are training ahead of this saturday Saturday's Western Conference Semifinals matchup at LAFC, where they will play for the 27th time across all competitions in 2024. I'm not sure if that's the exact number, but it's some somewhere around there. seven It's 37. It's in the vicinity.
00:01:28
Speaker
I was out at Long Acres today, actually. You did boots on the ground journalism. Don't ever say. I talked to Jordan Morris, did a little, about a five minute little interview with Jordan. I appreciate him giving me the time. I hadn't caught up with him in a while, so that was good.
00:01:46
Speaker
It was for a story that I'm writing with a co-buy line that I'm going to have with Charlie Baum at MLS Soccer. We're doing our preview content. However, since I did the interview, I can just play the audio for you all. You can read the piece on MLS Soccer when it goes live. I still have to write it, but you can read the piece on MLS Soccer that'll have the quotes, or you can just listen to the interview on lobbing scorchers.
00:02:09
Speaker
And we're going to be previewing the match this weekend with our friends over at Happy Foot Sad Foot. Shout out Happy Foot Sad Foot. Great LAFC podcast and YouTube channel who we collabed with before and we collabed with again. It was a good time. So it's a big show. Before we get into all that, I do have to let you all know That Lobbing Scorchers is a part of the Sounder at Heart Podcast Network. If you want to get the best independent Seattle soccer coverage, consider supporting us by going to sounderatheart.com slash LS. That's sounderatheart.com slash LS. Scroll down to subscribe and support to get 30 days completely free. Every sign up through our link helps support and grow this show. um We've got a few new subs to thank. We do. Appreciate and love you guys, as always. I'd like to thank Tony Huff,
00:02:56
Speaker
Rob Reiner, who may or may not be the famous movie director of Stand By Me. If you're the Rob Reiner, the movie director, please reach out to us. yeah We would be very interested to know that yeah you're a Lobbins Gorgers listener. Rob Reiner, thank you. ah Max Kleinman, thank you. And my mom subbed Mimi Roberts. Shout out mom. Love you mom. Love you mom.
00:03:16
Speaker
um Okay. Oh yeah. Subbed to the Laban Scorchers YouTube. We're on the road to 700 subs. We got to 650, but in our little hiatus, we stopped racking those subs at our normal clip. So with us back in content action, we need you all to sub to our YouTube. Road to 700.
00:03:34
Speaker
Alright Noah no game review this week, which I'm actually kind of excited about because um We already know what the deal with Seattle is. We're gonna talk about that later in the show, but this round one It got lit. It did a lot of unexpected stuff Happens was this the best? and MLS playoffs you've seen ever just in terms of twists and turns I mean the thing is I feel like every year there's honestly a couple of these results like the MLS playoffs the top-seated teams don't always ah Make it all the way to MLS Cup. That's how much parody there is It's pretty rare actually that you see the shield winner go to go You can have yours like Seattle had in 16 where you play really bad for a lot of the year You get hot in the playoffs you take down teams that are seated higher than you um so
00:04:25
Speaker
Even with that said though, this was crazy. Yeah, this was crazy. There was I did not expect Columbus and inner Miami to already be out of it before we even get to the semifinals. I mean, I didn't call it like our brackets did not have that. I mean, my pick is still safe to win the whole thing. But my my second my runner up Columbus is out. So I'm um um yeah, our brackets are a little chalked, but I mean mine is ultra chalked in fact a lot of my takes are chalked I had been telling everyone that inner Miami was gonna easily waltz to this and MLS Cup and they did not so my take on that obviously didn't pan out But I'm okay with it because this was really funny, and I think that's a good segue and yeah Let's talk about this inner Miami game or the series against Atlanta United, and then let's talk about
00:05:14
Speaker
just the state of their team after that defeat and their future with the news that Tata Martino is out, which that came out today. I did not see that coming at all. I did. If you told me before the playoffs that they were going to lose in the first round to Atlanta United, I would have been surprised. But I'd be like, you know, it's MLS like that's not the craziest thing I've ever heard. But if you told me Tata was not going to be their coach next year after being a coach of the year finalist and guiding them to the points record, that's Shocking, shocking. That is a shocker. So let's ah let's first talk about ah what happened to enter Miami, which is they went into the playoffs this year having just sent the MLS points record. ah They have the greatest player who has ever played the sport as the centerpiece of their team face of the club, face of the league right now. ah They have three of his buddies from Barcelona, who are three of the best players of all time at their respective positions in their own right.
00:06:11
Speaker
um And they ran over the entire league, set the points record, got to the playoffs, and lost to Atlanta United. And it was not this is not single elimination. This is a best of three series. So they played Atlanta United three times, and they lost a best of three.
00:06:32
Speaker
Dax McCarty and Brad Guzzan were too much for Lionel Messi. And I guess that's the kind of the first thing I wanted to say about this, which is that you know like we as MLS fans and sickos, we have to do a deal with a lot of talking to people who ah talk negatively about the quality of the league. You know, MLS sucks.
00:06:52
Speaker
retirement league, it's a retirement league, all these, it's a bot league. All these players just come over there at the end of their careers because it's easy, right? Go play, go play real football. Yeah. All right. That's, you know, you have an inner Miami team who I never like, I've kind of stopped caring about that narrative. I'm plenty secure in the fact that, uh, MLS is a decently high quality league with awesome players, awesome highlights every week. Um,
00:07:21
Speaker
to top flight league very talented players all up and down it i don't really there's no point in trying to argue with people who don't acknowledge it as a credible league anymore however i do think it's funny that you can have a team as loaded as inner miami come across atlanta united They couldn't do it. They couldn't do it. They couldn't do it. The number nine seed that got in on the last day of the season, whose fans don't even want them to be there, whose fans that we talked about it before the playoffs, their fans didn't even want them to be in the playoffs. They're coached right now by a guy who played for Orlando City in the U.S.L. and has been an Atlanta United assistant for the past few years. And he just takes over his coach whenever they're bad enough that they fire their current coach, which is kind of like the profit schmetzer of like. Yeah. And Garth is in the same. scene Yeah.
00:08:10
Speaker
Okay, that's okay. This is a tangent. Yeah tangent. We're inside of like three tangents Inception MLS inception take they should just hire Valentino. I agree like they should really not bring in like this like ah these managers of like the Gabrielle Heinze Frank to board like they tried that like literally like ride the vibes and go with Valentino, like he has the Schmetzer 16 thing going right now. they And I think Garth is smart enough to understand this. So they should hire ah Rob Valentino, I believe that. um But, you you know, inner Miami, like I said, them losing to Atlanta United, that would be one thing. um But then it came out today that Tata Martino, their head coach, is out for
00:08:52
Speaker
As of this recording, all I've seen is that it's for personal reasons, which could mean anything. yeah It could mean that he's anything from that he's burned out to there's something going on in his life away from the game or the messy did not want him coaching anymore. But see that I don't.
00:09:07
Speaker
I find that hard to believe. okay here are you here for Are you here for a conspiracy theory? all right Are you here for a galaxy brain internet take? all right okay This is the former Barcelona squad. We are rebuilding the best era of Barcelona football. So who better to add to the team than Chavi?
00:09:29
Speaker
He's out at Barcelona. He is out at Barcelona. He was their coach. He is now out. He has been relieved of his duties. Who better to be the next coach? Messi said, yes, sorry, Tata. You're a bum. Get out of here. I'll pay out your salary.
00:09:45
Speaker
and MLS said, whatever you want, King. He's gone. Beckham's happy to keep him happy. And Shavi, maybe the new coach, more Barcelona juice. I don't know. What do you think? I use the batteries of Messi, man. No, you're right. You're right. And I hadn't thought of that. um And I think that's actually a good shout. I don't know about the ah like paying off Tata part. that' That's the galaxy brand part of it. But as far as him being the Tata's replacement, I think you might actually be onto to something with that um with the timing of his exit from Barcelona.
00:10:22
Speaker
um I still did not, I mean, I did not think that was going to happen. Like I said, I was a coach of the year finalist this year. he He's going to win. Why probably it's he's, you know, I, it could be him. It could be Wilford Nancy. It's going to be one of the two. It shouldn't be. and But it would be pretty funny if Tata got coach of the year after it's announced yeah that he is leaving the team. yeah Um, but it kind of does. Uh, it makes you think about the exact future of inner Miami because as dominant as they looked this year, but okay well let let's take a step back. Let's talk about what happened to them in this series. How did they lose to Atlanta United? And it's really not that complicated. Their defense is so fucking bad. It's so bad. It's there. One of the easiest teams to play through in the league and my contention all year, and this is where I was wrong about what happened in this series.
00:11:13
Speaker
My contention all year has been, yeah, their defense is that bad. I understand that. I never ah argued against that. But I thought that like their offense at its highest gear, which every time the Barca boys played and they were at their full capacity, they looked unstoppable in attack to the point where it doesn't matter if they shipped two or three goals because they're going to score four or five. Yeah, they did the bit, as yeah as we called it. All year, it was the bit was they would give up the first one or two goals of a game. Everyone would go, oh, enter Miami's defenses.
00:11:43
Speaker
So bad they're not going to win or they're losing to, you know, be like Toronto FC or something there. How are they down to zero to Toronto FC? And then Messi turns it up and they score three or four goals in 10 minutes and the game's over. Yeah. And they did that countless times this year.
00:11:58
Speaker
I think what they found is that when they got in the playoffs and finally it finally caught up to them the fact that they don't defend at all. Like their backline and honestly their midfield even with Busquets was too easy to play through all year even against these inferior teams. ah Those teams would have their chances and they would score their goals on this Miami team. It caught up to them and I think what it shows is that when you front load a team like this with just like it can be, it can be as good an attack as you want. It can be literally, built literally be built around Lionel Messi himself.
00:12:36
Speaker
they have a and they They have like a FIFA squad, like an EFC like video game squad. and Exactly. But if you don't, but if you don't defend, you can always get beat by anybody. yeah And the fact that we just saw the team that set the and MLS points record lose to a nine seat Atlanta United, I think that shows that. Yeah. It's been like,
00:12:58
Speaker
To be fair too, this is the perfect opportunity for a team like Atlanta to come in and beat up on an inner Miami. They've played a lot of games, they are expecting to win, and Atlanta United kind of know what the deal is. They had beaten an inner Miami before. They knew, listen.
00:13:16
Speaker
We gotta score as much as we can and we just gotta to do the dumbest possible shit on defense and stop them. Whatever we can do. And Brad Guzan. I was i forgot to mention it, but yeah. Let's jump into Brad Guzan, 49, 85 years old.
00:13:34
Speaker
looking like the best goalkeeper of all time out there. Brad Guzzan has been playing this game, I believe he started in the ah late 1960s with his rookie year playing for professional soccer. he's guzan but He was out of his mind and honestly this whole series made me respect grad Brad Guzzan. I never had like a strong feeling on Brad Guzzan one way or the other. I have a lot of respect for Brad Guzzan after this series. up The way he went at it with Suarez was a, hilarious and great broadcast television, but also ah
00:14:12
Speaker
It was just bad ass like Suarez. i think I think everyone who follows the game knows that he is one of the craziest guys out there on the field that and like anyone who's played against him will tell you this. Yeah, he is a maniac out there. He's had multiple like instances in his career where he's bitten literally bitten the opposing competition. We all get hungry sometimes. Brad goes in like knows full well the who he was going up against and he did not back down a millimeter and not only did he not back down but he was talking shit to Suarez relentlessly they were just going at it was like watching two guys at an AARP meeting like the two old guys just like
00:14:56
Speaker
Going at it it was some local your citizen on senior citizen conflict, but it was the local school board meeting talking shit to him and then after ah After the messy goal the inner Miami guys were They shoved him into the net. They shoved him into the net. And, uh, and Brad Guzzan, he didn't, he didn't back down in that moment. Uh, Leo Campana and Suarez were talking trash to him and pushing him. He didn't give a fuck. He was just, he was John right back at Suarez, who is one of the craziest soccer players of all time when he's, when he's out on that field. So, uh, yeah, that, that was, uh, that was just great to watch in this series. Yeah. Him getting shoved into that net and then just like,
00:15:40
Speaker
pushing himself back out like immediately like using the force of the shove to like come back out and get in Suarez's face but also having the poise to not like swing at Suarez yes incredible incredible content I mean this series Whether or not that this is the best ah playoffs that MLS has ever seen, this series will go down as one of the most entertaining and just content-filled, like, stories of the playoffs. Definitely this year, if not in the entire history of the league. Yeah. Well, when I mean, just when you think about the concept of this inner Miami team getting eliminated from the playoffs by this Atlanta United team, it's, uh, it's incredible. And I'm, and I don't, uh, I don't care that it destroyed my bracket, which that brings us to, uh, that segues into our next couple topics here, which is that, uh, so FC Cincinnati also out after losing NYC FC. We both called that upset. yeah I think I you know I thought that we were pulling a fast one I thought most people would have FC Cincy It seems like a lot of people saw what we saw with this matchup Which is that we this was a lower seed that actually kind of had the upper hand FC Cincinnati I think are still an upper-tier team in the league, but um they had so many injuries this year and ah their future is a little bit in flux because I don't know if you saw this but Lucho Acosta
00:16:58
Speaker
Yeah, come to Seattle King. Yeah, sounder. He I think he might have just been emotional after a tough loss, but he said his future with the club was uncertain. Like he literally just he said that. So we'll see. And their whole team is built around him. So we'll see what happens with that. But um So with Columbus gone, that means all three of the top seeds in the East are out. I mean, what do you think of that? That's just, uh, you know, I think you're Miami Columbus since he's not as surprising, but enter Miami and Columbus both couldn't make it out of the first round. How much have we heard this year about how much?
00:17:36
Speaker
but how far ahead both of those teams are compared to where Seattle's at. They couldn't even make it out of round one. um but I'm not, I don't know what to do with that information. I'm just relaying it. Yeah. i'm not and and I'm not here to say that Seattle is in a better position than any of them while they did advance. I mean, I wouldn't say that they were in a tougher position than, than inner Miami. Like, I don't know. I think Houston is a better, I don't want to play Atlanta.
00:17:59
Speaker
I don't want to play Atlanta. I don't want to play Atlanta. I don't care who you are. I don't want to play Atlanta. They are juiced up. Team of destiny. vo yeah Like in, in Arthur, like their, their owner is in the locker room with them popping champagne. He's at all the games. He's buying tickets for their fans to fill up the stadium. Like those vibes, this is, this is a vibes based based trophy right here. 16 Seattle vibes. That's what Atlanta is. They're the Eastern conference. Yeah version and I just I would not want to touch that but like yeah I mean that's you know what I'm thinking is obviously whoever's gonna come out of the West is gonna be the strongest pick for for the odds and whatever um and you know if Seattle can get past this game it's one of those where you'd be like if we win this that's actually hilarious because that was a blessing by the soccer gods and
00:18:52
Speaker
Yeah. Um, so what I wanted to do is I can see you got it right here. Yeah. I didn't want to know one thing before we move on. oh Yeah, go for it. I had my Vancouver take. I had my Vancouver take that they would be almost hey almost Oh my God. I was, I, I, anyway, that was, I just had to note that for the record that I was close. yeah Was that, has that happened? Did that happen since the last show that, uh, Vancouver? almost Oh, Yeah, okay, so they had played and i talked I talked about it on the solo pod. LAFC did wind up winning that series, but ah Scottish Messi and company gave them everything they could handle. yeah I don't think Vancouver's not a drastically better team than Seattle is to where Vancouver should be competitive with LAFC and Seattle can't be. right So ah I think that is that is something to think about. um How do you feel about Brian White, Scottish Messi to Seattle?
00:19:44
Speaker
ah Both of them are both right. Oh, I'm not a both. Let's go. I would love that. Yeah, let's do it. That's my new take oh Brian white low-key like an upper tier number nine in the league just say um All right, so we got the bracket pulled up. You've got this is the one I remember what my picks were Yeah, so what I want to do is look at real quick We'll just go through and look at the series that we missed and then just briefly talk about What went wrong for the team that that got upset or that we that we messed up. Yeah um We should start Columbus Red Bulls because we haven't really touched on that one yet Yeah, and we did Miami already. So we can maybe touch on that quickly. But yeah, yeah, so Columbus Red Bulls
00:20:25
Speaker
To me, it seems like you know we we both obviously had the crew. You had the crew going all the way to Cup. I had them going to the Eastern Conference Finals. It seems like they ran out of gas a little bit. yeah like they had They played as many games this year as anybody. And it just seems like in that Red Bulls series, ah they didn't have the juice that they normally have. And then I think you have a Red Bulls team that's low key, kind of sneaky. yeah like For sure. um when they're When they're on, they're on.
00:20:53
Speaker
And they were all and it's the Red Bulls. They always ah every year. They're just they're a factor. So um I think you have to take that into account as well. But the crew just did not look like themselves in the series at all, especially offensively, where you're just so used to kind of Cuccio and Diego Rosi doing like whatever they want out there. And the Red Bulls shut them down and and earn that win like that.
00:21:18
Speaker
The R.I maybe if they had a backup goalkeeper, maybe they would have been seeded against a different team. maybe you close hands i had to work that in I've heard some people saying that with this loss, this is the end of an era for the Columbus crew. How do you how do you contend with with those allegations? Well, I'll be curious to see if Wilford Nancy remains the coach. I think he's honestly like ah whatever you think of his coach of the year candidacy. He's a pretty hot commodity on the global market right now. I think a lot of like French teams in particular are looking at him. So if he moves on, I'm sure they'll get a good coach, but he's arguably the best tactical coach in the league right now.
00:21:58
Speaker
So it's hard to imagine you upgrading on that. If he leaves, that's something that ah makes their situation more difficult. um But I mean, as long as they have as long as they're built around Cuccio and Rossi, I think you could probably ride Darlington Nagbee for another year or two at a high level. I think they'll still be a factor. But I mean, we'll see what happens with Wilfred Nancy. If he leaves, I don't know if it's the end of the era, but I don't know if they're going to be as good going forward as they were this year. Yeah, I'm I'm interested to see what happens in the offseason. I think this is going to be a really big offseason across the league. I think it's going to be interesting to see what teams it always is. Like we say, this is a league of parody. Like one signing, two signings can change an entire like power rankings of a conference. But I do think the Columbus crew are a little bit in freefall right now. Just just if I'm looking at it in this specific moment right here, that they were at the top.
00:22:54
Speaker
and and they slipped and i think miami slipped as well so maybe it's still like a 1a1b situation but it almost felt like for a minute that the crew were just over yeah and you know uh if they don't get back to their the heights that they've been at the last couple years going forward they've They've had a hell of a run. I'll give them that. They won two MOS cup last year and leagues cup this year. So you definitely can't take that from them. um It does kind of feel like, I'm sorry, but like their champions cup defeat.
00:23:29
Speaker
um It's just that if they had won that yeah they would be a truly iconic legendary mls club. I think right now their legacy is of an elite great team for Three or four years. Yeah, certainly not the dynasty that they could have been um, but I Agree, and we'll see what happens with that. I agree. All right. What's next? We had uh, miami atlanta will just hit quickly. I mean I think I wasn't shocked after the first Atlanta game. I kind of was like, I think this might happen. One, I wanted it for the bit, but two, like it just seemed like my, like Atlanta kind of had a plan and they executed that plan and Brad Guzzan was like playing out of his goddamn mind. That's really what happened. Yeah. like
00:24:15
Speaker
Miami's offense honestly played pretty much to the level that it normally did. They just went across a goalkeeper. That was just too good. Yeah. brad kasin Yeah. He was juiced. He was juiced. Well, we'll jump over to the Western conference here. Um, and then maybe we can amend our, our MLS who we think with is going to be, I'll let you cook on your white caps tape because you almost hit on that. So what happened there? You know, I was, it was, ah it was a hopeful pick. I think we talked about it. was a vibes thing it was It was a fully vibes based pick, but it did almost hit. And I do think the white caps are a good team when they get momentum and they had that momentum. They really did, but they just could not get it done in l LA. And if this was again, if this was a two leg series with aggregate scoring, the white caps go on and they win. It's a good point.
00:25:05
Speaker
Um, and I, you know, is that to say that the white cats are the better team? I don't think so. I think LAFC is a much better team, but it's so much more fun. Like just from a Seattle perspective, like I touched on it earlier, but from a Seattle perspective, I think there is an element of you can look at this LAFC Vancouver series and be like, all right.
00:25:26
Speaker
You know, this is one game. That was a whole series. But ah Vancouver showed that it can be done. And Seattle already knows it can be done because they did it in 2019. So ah this LFC game, Seattle is the heavy, heavy underdog, which we're going to talk about with happy foot, sad foot. But this can be done.
00:25:44
Speaker
yeah no it's it's doable i wish we were playing the whitecaps it would just would have been way more fun because i just love vanny sartini and any any content i can get from them is great but almost hitting i'll still take my dub for that for that absolute banning that they put on LAFC RSL Minnesota we predicted right l LA Galaxy Colorado basically everything in the West so maybe we should go through now look at what the bracket is make some selections and kind of Reorient our full bracket and pick a new winner okay because i think we both have I like that crashed it well I haven't crashed out but like you know ah let me pull the bracket up here too just so I can make sure We're we're correct here, but starting off. Let's go. Let's start on the east Atlanta
00:26:32
Speaker
Is playing the one and only Orlando How are we feeling with that? Oh, man I mean, my my gut says Orlando just because I think they're a much better team. But I think with what we were talking about with the team of destiny vibes, I like Atlanta. I like i just think they have they have the mojo going on right now and that matters. Yeah, I agree with you. I'm like i'm not like ah super confident in this pick by any means. like I don't think that I would be shocked if Orlando comes and plays great. Again, they've
00:27:05
Speaker
But they didn't really get it convincingly done against Charlotte. And not that Charlotte's bad, but it just wasn't a convincing win. And to me, Atlanta putting up numbers in a convincing way against the best team in the league is, yeah I mean, you gotta be right and high from that. So yeah, I agree. I am on the Atlanta train. So Atlanta goes to the conference final. Who are they gonna play? It is the New York Derby.
00:27:30
Speaker
What is it the Red River? I don't whatever Hudson River Darby. Yeah, whatever the Red River Red River Darby ah New York City FC versus Red Bulls in New York um Yeah, I don't I think who who's gonna win the Red River Darby Man, this is this is tough cuz the Red Bulls have they're gonna have a mid off. This is a good bit off. They have they have a good They have good vibes going right now, too, after knocking the crew out. yeah um But I'll go and NYC because I like their team better. I think they're more fun to watch. They're a fun, young, up-and-coming team, and I would rather watch them in the conference final. So I'll go with them. But that should be a good game. like That's a Darby game. So that could go, any time you have one of those, that could go either way. Yeah, i'm going a I hope that New York City FC wins this. But just for just for funds, just for funsies, I'm going to go with
00:28:22
Speaker
The Red Bulls riding hot off that Columbus win with essentially, I mean, their pieces are clicking, their pieces are clicking in the. And they have Forsberg back. So that's something you think about with with the Red Bulls is that, yes, they nosedived pretty heavily the second half of the regular season. But Forsberg was injured for all of that. And they're definitely over reliant on him, but they have him healthy now. And he's one of the best players still in the playoffs, just talent wise. ah But they're playing.
00:28:48
Speaker
at Yankee Stadium, I think city field, but yeah, okay, whatever. Yeah, same one same there Mets Yankees. So that's I Mean, that's always a factor. So that's gonna be an interesting but like if there's any Circumstances where that matters less I think a rivalry game against a Red Bulls team that has played you on your baseball field 47 times like yeah and NYC does have the home field advantage I think it matters less in this scenario than it would in any other matchup While I will stick with my Red Bulls i like that. I like the pick of a Red Bulls Atlanta ah ah conference final. That's why I'm rooting for it. But I like this East field. I think this is going to be fun no matter who... It's a way more fun field than the West like by by a long shot. like I think who' is who's coming out of the West is so predictable. Like it's so predictable. Other than Minnesota, yeah.
00:29:36
Speaker
I mean but like we we vibed that one we did pick that one so but okay so in our conference final we have you have Atlanta I have Atlanta and then New York City FC or Red Bulls so Atlanta New York City FC who are you taking to the MLS Cup
00:29:56
Speaker
I want to pick Atlanta so bad. I'm just going to do it. yeah Yeah. All right. Atlanta United. um i'm I'm kind of picking what I want to happen more than I think what will happen, but I'm fine with that. I have red bulls in Atlanta um I Don't know that's a tough one. <unk>ll I'll just we're just throwing yeah, I'll just I'll just go I'll just go with the red bulls at this point just cuz like why not so I have Atlanta and MLS cub you have I have red bulls. Yeah, okay. We'll take that Coming over to the Western Conference the one we are way more invested in here. I LAFC versus Seattle the matchup to end all matchups doesn't happen ever. This is the first time they're ever meeting How do you think this one goes? I'm just not gonna pick Seattle to beat LAFC until they do it. That's just how I feel about it like When you have six in a row like this Until I see a pattern break I'm not gonna like pick it to change but would be more than happy to be proven wrong. I into a deeper on our happy foot sad foot thing, but I'm just gonna pick Seattle. Why not? Yeah, why not us? I don't think we're gonna make it well We'll tell you what's gonna happen. But I just I'm and just gonna say conference finals Seattle that would just be funny It would just be a good bit. So that is what I'm picking Next up LA Galaxy Minnesota United one heavyweight one team on the come-up What's going down here?
00:31:26
Speaker
um I um I'll pick the galaxy to win because this is a galaxy podcast correct I think they're probably gonna win ah but what I will say is that I think Minnesota United has a really good chance in this game because I'm i'm gonna I'm Gonna be careful about my galaxy hype like they're still the galaxy Yeah, and I as much as I've praised them this year and as much as I think they have the most fun offense in the league to watch other than inner Miami at their apex and um Their propensity for giving up these really ill-timed Soft goals that's the kind of thing that if you do that habitually like they tend to do because they're the galaxy That'll catch up with you in the playoffs and with Minnesota playing well and Kelvin you boa Looking like a really good striker in the league. I would not I honestly would not be surprised if Minnesota pulls this upset Yeah, no, that would be an interesting one. I'm going with LA as well. I just think I think they're overmatched I think I think they what the what the galaxy did to the rapids. Yeah, like that was a
00:32:25
Speaker
That was dominating in the rapids while they were in free fall. Like are they're not that bad. They're not that bad. They're not that bad. And I don't think Minnesota is better than the rapids. Yeah, I think that they are probably a little bit better. They're a little better, but not leaps and bounds. So yeah, LA galaxy for me. Okay. So this sets up an El traffico conference final for you.
00:32:49
Speaker
Who is honking that horn and driving their way on the i5 to MLS Cup? Give me the galaxy. Give me the galaxy. I'm going to stand on business. let's go I've been ah um been saying all year that I think that honestly, people are still too low on them, even though they've like earned their status back as one of the better teams in the league.
00:33:11
Speaker
i think they get it done galaxy i have seattle in the galaxy i'm picking the galaxy man you already know who i picked to win i'm going with the boys ah ricky poze gabrielle peck joey paints the dream team our team All right, so we both have the galaxy. We have Galaxy in the final from the west. Okay, here's our MLS Cup. Atlanta United, LA Galaxy, I man, think star studded. they That would be get it done. fire, honestly. That would be fire. Maybe not for the neutrals, but for the sickos like us. All right, that was actually a fun little exercise. Are you going to pick your champion?
00:33:49
Speaker
oh Okay, I didn't yeah, you got to do it later Atlanta. I think I okay. I'll i'll take the galaxy i I think I took the galaxy to make it against inner Miami last time and I picked inner Miami to win so now I'll just say I'll take the galaxy to there you go, and I am Red Bulls Galaxy I'm sticking with the galaxy because I've been on the galaxy are gonna win MLS cup rebels would be a crazy story because they've Famously never won one. Yeah, despite winning a bunch of shields and making the playoffs for 15 straight years So yeah, it would be it'd be a funny final fumble for sure
00:34:20
Speaker
ah We'll try again in the conference final. All right. What are we going to do now? Should we do the jmo interview or the happy foot sad foot section? Let's stack jmo first and then we'll jump into the happy foot sad. All right. Right now we're going to play for you the audio.
00:34:37
Speaker
of the interview I did out at Long Acres today with Jordan Morris, where we talked about this matchup coming up with LFC, the team's mentality. And also ah one interesting quote at the end that after we play this audio, I'll give you a little take on that.
00:34:53
Speaker
Out at Long Acres with Jordan Morris, ahead of the Conference Semifinals against l LAFC Jordan. I think the first thing that people are thinking about with this matchup is just the recent history between these two teams. They've had the better of it, at least this this year. um When you're going into a matchup against a team like this that has gotten better overview of you over the last few matchups, what sort of the mentality and approach when you're going into this game?
00:35:22
Speaker
I think just having belief, obviously, you know they have gotten the better of us the last few times, and it's frustrating. We know how good of a team they are, but we know how good of a team we are as well. And I think you see that over the back half of the season, how we've played and kind of climbed the table and gotten to where we are. So I think just having confidence, belief that we can play with anyone in this league, including including this team. But again, we know how it's going to be a ah big challenge, and we know the the threat that they've posed. But I think it starts with just having that belief.
00:35:52
Speaker
So you guys were in a pretty similar situation to this in 2019. LAFC was crazy that year. They had the plus 48 gold differential. That was the year Vela had like 34 and 15. And I think that year, no one thought you guys were going to win that game. yeah And I think that's sort of a similar dynamic this year with how people are thinking of it. yeah Can you guys kind of like lean on that past experience here where You've been in this exact situation against this exact team and kind of like, I guess, lean into the underdog role a little bit. Yeah, for sure. I think you can go into that with that mentality a little bit. And I think you can take confidence in that game. Like you said, they were, you know, on top of the league that year, their first in the in the West this year. So kind of similar in in that sense. And yeah, maybe embracing that underdog role a little bit. But I remember that game, it all just started with our mentality. Again, we had the belief as a group that we could go in there when that came. so
00:36:43
Speaker
Again, starting with that, but the mentality that we came out with at the beginning of that game, the intensity that we came out with you know defensively were super hard to break down and then obviously scored some some really good goals as well when you go in and rowel. So yeah, I think we can take confidence from from that game, from that similar situation. I know we can hopefully go in and have a similar performance. um And you touched on it.
00:37:05
Speaker
earlier but ah you guys really earlier in the season it seemed like the offense was taking a while to get going the results maybe weren't going your way as much but second half of the season it's turned around quite a bit and you're now on this playoff run what do you think changed within the group or within the team to kind of go from where you were struggling earlier in the year to now where you're making a run at another cup?
00:37:28
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, I think obviously beginning of the year we were dealing with maybe a little bit, no no excuses, had some injury. Hour was hurt for a bit. Different lineups, different formations. So that's not always easy. We have confidence with everyone that we put on the field here. We have a great ah great group. But just having that kind of cohesiveness and continuity but you know between games wasn't maybe necessarily there in the beginning. We were shooting ourselves in the foot. I don't know how many red cards we got at the beginning of the year to to lose games, giving up goals at the end of games. so But yeah, I think it you know we made some some some changes. I think we're very dynamic now in how we approach games and you know the players that we we have on the field. And and I think that's been a you know obviously a a big part of our success moving forward. it But we're a really hard team to break down first and foremost. Obviously, you see with the defensive record and then you know the offense has clicked a little more in the second half of the year. So it's gonna take ah a team performance this weekend.
00:38:25
Speaker
Okay, last one for you and then I'll let you go. So I think with the hierarchy in the league right now, ah you know, Inner Miami was a huge story this year with the team that they put together. You've got Columbus up there, both l LA teams in the West. um You guys maybe aren't as talked about in that group um at this moment.
00:38:46
Speaker
Do you kind of look at this playoff run as a chance to I guess sort of make a statement in the sense of like, you know We're maybe not ah talked about with these teams anymore, but we're still here. We've won a couple MLS Cubs We have Champions League Do you kind of look at it as a chance to sort of assert yourselves back in that dominant tier? Yeah, absolutely I mean obviously Columbus Miami are incredible teams, but you see what happens anything that happens at playoffs, right? You know teams can can't lose because it's ah the parading this league is is there and so I think you know for us we can we want to get back into that kind of top class group and nonetheless we heard you know as much as you you try not to to read things we heard what people were saying in the middle of the season that maybe we weren't even going to make the playoffs that are
00:39:34
Speaker
quote unquote, run as a team was was over, whatever whatever everyone was saying. we We all heard that. We, of course, took it personally. We we know how good we are as as a group and what what a team we have here. and And we believe within the group that we can make a run. And I think we can we can prove it. There were people giving us no chance you know halfway through the year to be where we are, even where we are now, but to to make a run in MLS Cup.
00:39:54
Speaker
of course is is in our in our minds to to get back talked about as as part of part of that group. But again, that's not why we do it. We do it for for the group here and and you know the belief that we have here and we see each other every day working working so hard and all season we've had that belief that we.
00:40:10
Speaker
we can go on a run and win MLS Cup. So it would definitely be validating. We have a really tough game coming up. So that's all we're really thinking about right now. Awesome. Thank you. Appreciate it as always. Good luck. Good to see you. All right. So yeah, I think that last.
00:40:26
Speaker
quote was the money quote where you know he he he outright says that he that ah he and the other players on the team, they saw what a lot of the pundits, prognosticators like us were saying about them earlier this year. And he said that they took that personally.
00:40:44
Speaker
and that they are looking to kind of reassert themselves ah among the inner Miami's and Columbus's and the upper tier teams in the league. And I think, you know, that's a good thing for Seattle to tap into in this matchup.
00:41:00
Speaker
Lean into the underdog role and lean lean into the like, ah no one expects us to win this game type of mentality. They did that to great effect in 2019 like Jordan and I were talking about. And if they're going to win this game, I think they have to channel a similar type of sentiment.
00:41:17
Speaker
Yeah, I'm interested to see how it goes. ah i I love the i love this this version of Jordan that we're getting. you know this This mean, tough Jordan who has this chip on his shoulder, who's kind of blossomed into I mean honestly like he is a talented striker and one of the better strikers in the league and he's kind of owning that and I'm i'm excited to see this this game. I know a lot of people are dreading playing LAFC again. I don't really care how this game turns out as long as the Sounders put up a fight.
00:41:52
Speaker
I agree with that. And I think that's a good segue into our our collab with Happy Foot Sad Foot where we talk more in depth preview wise about this l LAFC vs Seattle Sounders Western Conference Semifinals matchup.
00:42:09
Speaker
And we're back. And we're back with our returning champions, our good friends, two of the only good and MLS podcasters. Please welcome Noah and Ari from Lobbing Squirters up in Seattle. How you doing?
00:42:25
Speaker
Good. Appreciate that intro. And yeah, really excited for these two teams to play each other. Uh, this is a matchup that you don't really get a lot. So it's just going to be really interesting to see two teams that just, you know, don't know each other that well face off and go at it. Yeah. We've, we've seen a lot of speculation around, you know, will they, won't they what's going to happen? You know, there's not really much precedent for these two teams playing each other this season, the last season. So, uh, you know, so almost a once in a lifetime opportunity coming up here. It is special when two teams, you know, this is like one of those dream match-ups, right? Like when a when a guy goes from WWE to AEW and you finally get to see him fight, it feels like that's that's what we're getting this weekend. This is not a Sporting Kansas City podcast. We don't have to get into wrestling. but
00:43:11
Speaker
In all seriousness, though, ah you know, I think there's probably some Seattle people that are dreading this matchup just given the recent history between these two teams, which I think we all ah we all know and recognize. But I don't know. I was thinking about it today and the way I feel about it is like The streak is never going to end if you don't play LA FC anymore. So there's really no reason to Like dread this matchup like I'm actually I'm excited for it like let's do it. Let's do it again. Why not?
00:43:44
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, I kind of want to know from your guys perspective, I think, you know, I'm not I'm not looking forward to it because I do feel like you guys have a chip on your shoulder about our team. And you've also been playing better lately from what I've seen. Tell us what we've seen. What's different about Seattle since the last time we played you at Star Fox 64 Field? Um, yeah.
00:44:07
Speaker
Well I think what you have is a team that's played a lot better during the back half of the season pretty much universally except for when they play LAFC specifically. So they definitely since the open cup games and really since these two teams faced off last time Seattle's been in pretty good form really good form honestly But what's different about them, I don't know if there's that much different, but I think the defense is playing at an extremely high level right now. You saw that in the Houston series and there's still challenges offensively, but the offense has by and large functioned much better pretty much from the summertime onward, just not against l LAFC, which is the hurdle that they're going to have to get over here.
00:44:47
Speaker
yeah i don't really think there's been much different i think that's kind of been an issue with the sounders not saying that we're not gonna you know roll in there and bam five goals on you guys but it's it's been a good attack when you see jordan morris and albert rosenach playing really well and it's been very different when you don't see them playing at all which we saw against houston and we trolled to nil nil get was it one one i don't know one one nil no who cares whatever uh and and got bailed out with some really dumb red cards so not excited not really different but also completely different just because of the vibes for la fc fans that have been like overconfident and even for these guys here on the podcast i've been reminding people that
00:45:32
Speaker
L.A.C. has never beaten Seattle playing at home in a playoff game. And I think ah what I want to ask you guys is, is it a benefit that there are so many players still on the team from when you played L.A.C. in 2019 and beat us at home? And is it going to be bad that Edward Atuesta is still on our team, but will be on the bench because clearly he was your best player in that game?
00:45:54
Speaker
I think, I think it is a benefit that, uh, that Seattle has a lot of guys who were there in 2019. I was actually, I was out at Santa Sanders training today and I was talking to Jordan Morris about exactly that. I asked him that real journalist. Yeah. Real, real wow's on the ground journalism. I asked him that exact question for your service and he said, uh, he said, yeah, like we can lead on that. We've been in this situation before. And he was sort of talking about how they don't kind of mind the underdog role.
00:46:22
Speaker
which Seattle is definitely, I don't think it it reminds me a lot of 2019 in the sense that I don't think anybody really expects Seattle to win this game. And I think they're playing with house money a little bit. And when you're in that situation, you can play a little freer. And I think that's what we were talking about. We were, I was hoping they would lean into for the open cup game because they were the underdog there too. And that didn't really power them through that time. But like,
00:46:47
Speaker
It just feels like the odds are even more stacked against them this time, even though I do think the 2019 LA FC team was better than this one. And for some reason, Seattle hates to play at home. It's like their least favorite thing in the entire world. They would rather you know travel to the Siberian Peninsula and you know kick around in a frozen pitch. so Somehow I feel like it is like you're saying they've they've never beat the Sounders at home in the playoffs I think you know there's kind of a feeling there of like they can just block everything out go do that figure it out you win you win you lose you were never meant to be there in the first place so
00:47:25
Speaker
We hate playing at your stadium too. Law on their averages. The streak statistically just can't go on forever. We're big stats guys here. Once you get to the seventh matchup in a row or whatever this is, like just eventually it's got to flip if for no other reason than that it's not going to last forever. I just want to say we're big, careful what you wish for. Things can always get worse guys. yeah so Just going to throw that out there.
00:47:51
Speaker
Oh, yeah. I got to tell myself something. Yeah, we've got like, you know, what what are we supposed to do here? You know, it's like it's like, oh, here we go again. Time to go to work at the going to lose factory. Like so I got to wake up in the morning and, you know, put your boots on and get your job. And you're losing so much experience of having watched your team lose to the same opponent six times in a row. You get to a point where it kind of stops affecting you in the same way that a normal loss. yeah Well, I mean,
00:48:20
Speaker
Maybe they understand with like finals, but maybe that's that would be it. You know, excuse me. I remember the last final of the year. Yeah. Full time, which is that's right. America's Cup. The people's trophy. You can get you can get a couple more and then you can come talk to us. How many US Open Cups equals one MLS Cup?
00:48:41
Speaker
Oh, well, I think five, I think. and i sound particular that over And I don't know if yeah, if that calculation has been made, but yeah. got to be the business somehow When I think of some of my worst memories as an LAFC fan, Seattle is involved a lot of the time. And so I think like going into this match, I have some real I mean, I'm not looking forward to either if we beat you then playing the galaxy, but also this match like I have so much fucking PTSD from that 2019 game where we were.
00:49:10
Speaker
I mean, it must be like how Miami felt where we felt invincible. And then it was just some of the ugliest soccer I've ever seen. And I left really sad. I would say very sad. The the way Seattle plays hasn't changed a whole lot unless I'm mistaken, too. And like, they're annoying. Like, do you enjoy watching the team that you root for have that style? like I'll let Ari answer that one cause I'll do the hotter take here. Um, I think the, there was definitely a point this season where the, the attacking play was so anemic that it was hard to watch because it just felt like pulling teeth the whole time. ah For me, like since, since the offense picked up a little bit.
00:49:57
Speaker
I have started to enjoy watching them again because there's a lot of very very really awesome talented players on the team that do really cool stuff out there but like it's not the same experience as watching inner Miami where they're gonna hang four or five goals on you because they have a bunch of the best players that have ever played the game but me personally i can appreciate a team that plays elite defense is very technically skilled and is opportunistic and attacking and transition which is really honestly been the sounder's identity for a long time now so i don't honestly think it's that much different except
00:50:33
Speaker
Earlier in the year, they just weren't scoring goals. Yeah. Like is it interesting to watch? Sure. Like it's not the worst thing in the world. Like I've seen, I've seen, you know, <unk>ve I've seen us lose to San Jose. Like that was the worst thing in the world, but well yeah i grew at home against the quakes this year. Yeah, so, you know, I think where my frustration comes with this, like, there's a lot of, um, and what a lot of Sounders fans feel is it's almost there. It's almost there. I, I dubbed this the season of almost where like we got so close, but just not there. You have Paul Rothrock putting in dimes and it seems like, you know,
00:51:10
Speaker
Maybe one out of five of those Jordan Morris is finishing. One out of eight of those Jordan Morris is finishing. So you're just like, God damn it. God damn it. Get your foot out there. You're like seven feet tall. Like put that ball in the back of the net. There's, you know, there's no Denny belong or you can just be like, I'm confident.
00:51:25
Speaker
that the goat is gonna go out there and just like go crazy. So it's a little frustrating, but like like Ari said, it's actually really fun to watch good defensive soccer and even more impressive like when you understand where the team's at and just how talented Brian Schmetzer is at utilizing this group of what is essentially like in my opinion, you have a really high like ceiling and then everything just kind of falls off after that.
00:51:53
Speaker
i I did not leave that open cup game confident in our ability to play well against Seattle. It felt like that game could have gone either way. It was true chaos the whole way. And so while this will be an adult size pitch, I do think it'll be a... i'm I am not going into this game overconfident the way that I think some fans of LAFC are.
00:52:16
Speaker
um and You know one thing I would one thing I would hang you know the the Seattle hat on is Brian Schmetzer is a good tactical coach I don't care what anyone says him and his team getting to play the same club and get their ass beat multiple times I think that's a good indication of like he could he can work through that so ah um I'm doing a little copium here, but we got it. I got it I got to hit that somewhere the other thing I'll say is that The way I think of it is if Seattle wins this game, it makes the whole losing streak versus LAFC worth it because ending that streak by knocking LAFC out in the playoffs in their own building again, that would, it would be like a full circle bit, you know? And I would honestly, I would appreciate like, I would look back on the losing streak versus l LAFC with fondness. If they win this game, yeah if they win this game, if they lose this game, then it's just another part of the streak. Yeah, that's totally fair. I think that's right. And, you know, is at home in the playoffs, is it fluke three times as a pattern? And then we have a streak. Yeah, exactly. And, you know, you're in the driver's seat right now. You know, ah we would argue because we're a galaxy podcast, we would argue galaxies in the driver's seat to win the win the cup this year. But, you know, with without the east is shaking out, it seems like LAFC is and in the driver's seat. The pressure's on you. Whoever wins this game.
00:53:40
Speaker
has a really good chance of coming out of the West. I mean, obviously, because they're in the West Final, but Minnesota, I don't think, is scaring that many people. And the Galaxy, for how much? We're a Galaxy Apologist podcast. They love to choke and give up really bad goals in opportune moments as well. It's like their top five favorite moments. It's like David Beckham, Robbie Keane, and then giving up really shitty goals. That's like their favorite things.
00:54:07
Speaker
Ricky pooshes in there too with his fancy jeans. He's what a well dressed man. Yeah, exactly. the So before you go, we we came up with a really dumb segment that we want to play with you guys. And Darren and I were a few beers deep at at a bar after our last game. And we came up with the softest idea of all time. And it is it's called you gotta admit.
00:54:33
Speaker
And here's how it works. We'll go back and forth. Someone from our show will say, ah you gotta admit. Then someone from your show will say, oh you gotta admit. And we'll say something that we think reflects your team or your city. And then you guys get to decide, the opposing podcast gets to decide whether or not they gotta admit that. Does that make sense? so and And we'll be honest. If we have to admit something, we will say whether or not we gotta admit it, okay?
00:55:00
Speaker
We can commit to that as well. Yeah. Great. Great. Great. So I'll go first just so we get we get the ball rolling and and we have a feel for it and then we'll go back and forth. um You got to admit, the sounders are so irrelevant that some people think Charlie XCX made up that shade of green.
00:55:20
Speaker
You kind of do have yeah do about it that yeah have to admit I didn't make the connection between those shades of green, but it's true. Sounders are Brad. Brad's not going to make that connection. Who is? Yeah. We really saw how that strategy worked out. So yes, it's a winning strategy. All right. I got one. I got one. Yeah. All right.
00:55:41
Speaker
um You got to admit that it's pretty funny that LAFC signed Olivier Giroud, the leading goal scorer in the history of the French national team, World Cup winner. And Kai Kamara is still a better option than him on the depth chart at striker.
00:55:57
Speaker
yeah got yeah ill Yeah, I think we'll admit that pretty quickly. I was just thinking about it today. like I think he doesn't start. yeah yeah like if i' If I'm Steve C and I'm making this lineup, I'm literally starting Kaikomara over Olivia J. Roo, which is funny because Kaikomara is like the definition of an MLS lifer and Olivier Giroux. You can't get over him on the depth chart. and Impossible. He literally was just in the Sierra Leone on his 40 year old legs traveling across the world and we'll be coming back back a couple of days before the game. But yeah.
00:56:32
Speaker
Let's move on. I love him.
00:56:37
Speaker
like I did ask him to come and play in Seattle after this year, and he he looked at me longingly at at ah at the shitty field and just shook his head. And I'm like, damn. I'm surprised he didn't say, comp complain as president didn't say wait, I haven't already? did i He's like, I've lost count why myself. All right, I think you guys should be do another one. Yeah, that's how it works, I think. I don't know. Yeah, yeah, yeah. All right.
00:57:02
Speaker
i The first one I had in mind was also about the color, so I gotta gotta switch one. Oh, you guys can put that stand up right here. This is how I would be at an open mic, just like... All of ours are about the shade of green? I don't know. What else I got? What else I got? You guys don't like colors? I guess so it's gonna be a long night. You guys seen that TikTok app? Charlie XCX, everybody.
00:57:26
Speaker
Uh, you got to admit Jordan Morris runs like a fat kid realizing he can actually run for the first time during a relay race at summer camp. Oh my God. This is so much more yeah ira than mine. yeah You do have to admit that. You do admit that. My dad says he, he looks like he runs with a stick up his ass. So that's always been my moving really fast, but it yeah it is pretty funny. He used to be like a lot. I think he, he went to the gym. He used to be like a more chubby kind of like,
00:57:56
Speaker
big hunk of meat kind of situation, but hes like he looks like a soccer player now. He's a lean cut now. Yeah. He had, he had the freshman 15 on from his Stanford days, but it was like 45. Uh, Oh boy. You got to do one. I already did. fuck Okay. I had one, but I don't know if it's good. It's you got to admit that LA drivers are some of the worst in the entire country, but damn, does Illya know how to sell a tire?
00:58:26
Speaker
That was a good one. That was a good one. That turned into a compliment. yeah sort of yeah I would love to admit that. I love, he's got the smart choice. And I honestly think changing lanes without your blinker, also the smart choice.
00:58:38
Speaker
I do have a sticker that says, you don't have to tell me you're from California. I can tell by the way you drive. And I stand by that. I actually proved what you just said on my way home just now on a continental tire. It was essentially flat. And I went to a gas station and filled it up as much as I could and still drove home.
00:59:00
Speaker
So I think I proved both of of those points. And you could roll that into how you've got to admit that the Sounders are kind of like a tire that you just keep filling up and it's leaking air, which you're just trying to get to the next offseason.
00:59:15
Speaker
Well, I guess you guys go again that you just did our sport All right, I'm go's gonna come up with one right on the spot right now All right. This is really good crowd work right now. You gotta admit that when Steve C talks I mean, I don't I don't even know how to describe it. You got to admit that when Steve c talks, he sounds like it's like a soccer robot. I would I would describe it like he gets asked a question and just like his vocabulary and also the way he they'll be like, Steve, what do you what do you need to do to go win the game this weekend? And he's like, well, we have to go out there.
00:59:54
Speaker
and we have to uh we have to score more goals on the other team and then we will win the game like he's just he's very yeah thatpo like ah he's like a cyborg up on the podium steve chat gpt is that what the c stands for yeah it took me a while before it's okay that one was it that was that was a banger ari i don't know Am I wrong? No, I think you're right. I think, well, I, I mean, Vince, Vince and Steve are good friends. Vince, are you, um, you agree that Steve, um, Yeah, I mean, I'll agree because he has just this utter contempt for the media. Uh, And really it's just him being like, I have to be here, but I'm not going to tell you anything. I'm not going to give you anything to actually write about. So here's a bunch of soccer terms.
01:00:40
Speaker
The voice does read as, if you want, it reads as like saying it through gritted teeth. Like, I can't believe I have to talk to you at all. Right. Yeah. And I'm speaking so solely about myself, mostly. It was a tough, tough go, me and him. Yeah. Vince, do you, do you want to? I do. I have one that I think will be controversial. Maybe you guys will. Let's hit it. Yeah. Cause I'm trying to, I'm trying to stew one up here and it's just, we're running into stage fright.
01:01:06
Speaker
you You got to admit that while many noteworthy things in Sounders history have occurred at Starfire, the field's actual historical significance is that Denny Belonga christened it with a stream of piss before the Open Cup semi-final.
01:01:20
Speaker
Yeah, that's pretty yeah, that's pretty good. That's hot. I mean, it's I gotta say actually I did. That's the one I disagree with because that's why I said I knew it was going to be controversial. The the amount of shithauser that's happened there. I think that's that's like one there's a 1A1B. I think that's 1B just because he pissed all over us in that game literally. So like that's there. 1A is Clint Dempsey absolutely bullying a referee stealing his notebook out of his hands and ripping it up like in a game where you had four players Well, three players get ejected. One go out injured. You finish the game with seven guys against Portland. And oh, if Emmy Martins goes out for like three months because of that game, like that was just like all time star fire game, no question. But the, uh, the LAFC open cup game this year with Denny Bonga pissing on the field was very good. bad officiating handball winner, like just, that's, that's a banger. I do think if you beat us, someone from your team should piss on the field. at be oh yeah right right center page Here's a last one. You got to admit in 2019 when Seattle knocked LAFC out the playoffs and ah knew who kicked the can of Dos Equis back into the stands after someone threw it at him that, that rocked.
01:02:31
Speaker
Yeah, well, or you could just say that was his best shot on target of his career. There's a clean cleanest strike he's ever hit. Yeah, exactly. There we go. Actually was. Yeah. And I will admit that honestly, like of all the things that you could do in that moment, it's pretty fucking badass. Yeah. Like the picture they got of it is my all time. Yeah. I have one more.
01:02:51
Speaker
yeah While Steve C may be one of the best coaches in the league, you've got to admit that Vanny Sartini is way better at giving head.
01:03:05
Speaker
You got it. I don't have it down. It's over. I don't. Yeah. Look, he he's the only one who's given us any evidence. No, I have some evidence with DOLO. I think that- Wait, wait, wait. Okay, that's our segment.
01:03:23
Speaker
um We do i have an embarrassing amount more that we can skip. That's fine, that's fine. I do want to end on you have now ruined all of your sponsorship opportunities, but that's what we're here for. Thank you so much. that our own Just fine.
01:03:38
Speaker
um We'll end it with one that I think you guys will very much disagree with. You gotta admit Paul Rothrock, not even that handsome. Not that handsome. Ooh, bad take. Ooh, bad take. Bad take. Ooh, bad take. Ooh, bad take. Ooh, bad take. Ooh, bad take. Ooh, bad take. Ooh, bad take. Ooh, bad take. Ooh, bad take. Ooh, bad take. Ooh, bad take. Ooh, bad take. Ooh, bad take. Ooh, bad take. Ooh, bad take. Ooh, bad take. Ooh, bad take. Ooh, bad take. Ooh, bad take. Ooh, bad take. Ooh, bad take. Ooh, bad take. Ooh, bad take. Ooh, bad take. Ooh, bad take. Ooh, bad take. Ooh, bad take. Ooh, bad take. Ooh, bad take. Ooh, bad take.
01:04:04
Speaker
Ooh
01:04:07
Speaker
I have to work or some shit. It's it's really dumb. I just that's a drag. Yeah, like you neither of you were really anticipating Seattle being this far into the playoffs. When when we know and when you know, when we eventually go face off against the team that we do the podcast about the L.A. galaxy, we will. Yeah, we will be going to that game. so We'll hit you up. We can do a lot closer to the air. We should all go together. Yeah, I'm down. I you know i know the mascot. He's a cool guy. Oh, yeah.
01:04:36
Speaker
quite We have questions ourselves great weed. Yeah. Thank you guys so much for being here. If people want to listen, how do they find you? Lobbing Scorchers on all platforms. Sounder at heart dot com slash L.S. And then subscribe and support, folks. The best Seattle soccer coverage is on there. So we want your money. So to our YouTube, we're we're trying to get to a thousand. subs But real yeah, realistically, find us on YouTube. Lobbing Scorchers. They can at least do that. That's free. Yeah. Every single person listening right now goes subscribe to Lobbing Scorchers on YouTube. We love them. Thank you so much for being here. And hopefully you won't be popping champagne next time we talk to you. We'll see. Appreciate you guys. Looking forward to the game.
01:05:17
Speaker
Thank you so much to Happy Foot Sad Foot. Always love collabing with dog those guys. They're great guys, aren't they? They're the best. We're going to keep collabing with them ah going forward, so don't even worry about that. um But fun talking about this game with them and how they're thinking of it from the LAFC perspective.
01:05:34
Speaker
um I think we're just about ready to wrap it up for episode 74 here, Noah. But I did want to ah give you an update on my U.S. men's national team punditry as they're in CONCACAF Nations League right now before we sign off the show. And this is ah this actually kind of this is the at the end of the show, but this is a seminal moment for me.
01:05:54
Speaker
ah because last night I was watching CONCACAF Nations League, you know Pocatino era, ah we're playing we're playing Jamaica. This was the tournament that ah last year that I was watching and I really loved what I saw from the team when they beat Mexico. It made you find God, famously. It made me find God, famously. um But today, I've decided... You're an atheist. I am out on my USMNT fandom and I'm converting to become a Canadian. Now I know this is gonna be controversial,
01:06:25
Speaker
People aren't gonna like the fact that they're gonna call me a traitor turncoat. I'm abandoning my country. Yeah, that's fine Do you want me to explain my ah rationale for why I'm defecting to Canada? I mean, you know other than rancid vase which I've been on let's hear it. All right It's true. I will give you credit. You've been on this train for longer than I have. I've been an outspoken US men's national team fan throughout my soccer fandom. You've been saying that the vibes were bad around this team for a while. I was in denial about that. um But it's okay I think that brings me to my first point, which is that
01:07:02
Speaker
Yeah, I just don't like the vibes of the ah of the players in our player pool. I think there's way too much acting like they've arrived when they have not won anything. And I think just first and foremost, I would like to reiterate that this stuff about the Golden Generation until they prove it, prove it otherwise by winning something like they act like they have. I'm sorry. The gold cup, ari the golden generation, the gold cup. Okay. they good far They can be until they win something of significance and do anything at a higher level than previous iterations of this team. That's propaganda. I don't want to hear the term golden generation ever again until they actually win something of substance. And that's coming from someone who bought into that propaganda. Um,
01:07:49
Speaker
so like just that just their their general vibe with that and then also What rubs me the wrong way, watching that Jamaica game last night, you know Christian Pulisic, Captain Pulisic, he does the the Trump dance celebration. Weston McKinney does it with him. And you know I really don't care, Noah, about them like doing the dance themselves. But you know we've seen this like we've seen this across other sports, too, where they do the they do the little dance. They get asked about it afterwards. And then they got nothing to say.
01:08:23
Speaker
and
01:08:25
Speaker
I can't respect that. Like if you got if you if you do something like that, you're doing it with the intent of being seen about it. You have a point that you want to make and then people ask you about it. Nick Bosa did it. Brock Bowers did it in the NFL. They asked him. They asked Nick Bosa after the game. He said he said, I don't want to talk about it, but it's an important moment. yeah What is that? That's cowardly. Brock Bowers, the Raiders PR staff, ended the interview when the reporters asked him about that which is that pisses me off because that's the implication like oh the media the media is like asking something that's out of line but it's like no you brought that on yourself whatever happened to standing on business whatever happened to that um and after the game last night they asked Pulisic about it and he said I just thought it was funny
01:09:18
Speaker
So that to me, it just shows that there's, he's not really about it. He's got nothing to say. He's got nothing to substance that he actually wants to, uh, wants to put forth about anything that he's talking about. And, uh, I just don't like that. I think that's whack. I think that's cowardly. Uh, I think it's whack that Weston McKinney also like joined in on this and just the whole culture and vibe of the team. I don't like it.
01:09:45
Speaker
I'm a Canadian fan now, so that's the last thing I wanted to say. Jesse Marsh, up the leaves. Oh yes, and Jesse Marsh, have you like seen his press conferences? Yeah, he's the best. they I really love him. They're like, are are you offended by not getting the consideration for the US job? He's like, no. He's like, no, fuck that place. And that's, you know, I could go into like my other takes on just the general incompetence and shit show-ness of the Federation itself, which also plays into it. But anyway, ah um I'm off to Canada. That's how I feel about that, man. You know, it feels, it feels like a sad day because I, now I don't have anyone to, to, to, to banter around with, to be on the side of, of our lovely, lovely stuck up sweethearts, the US men's national team. i i like I just, Canada's team is way like Alfonso Davies, way better than any player that we have. True. Um, I guess Canada, but Canada is we now.
01:10:39
Speaker
yeah Kyle Laron and Jonathan David, way better than any striker we have, so it's just a it's just better vibes and I feel good about my decision. um as like you know Here's what I'll say, you know Pocatino, I was promised a complete switch up and it doesn't feel like it.
01:10:57
Speaker
It feels like there is better tactical play for sure, but ah that's about it. And my my issues were never with, I don't give a shit if we lose. Every single person on that team is just fucking annoying. And I just i just hate that. And everyone around the team is annoying. And every fan online is fucking annoying. Remember the Tyler Adams quote of, I'm the best in the world? I'm done with that. like yeah like You you guys think way too highly of yourselves for having not done anything of significance more than you you know What the real golden generation what this is such a tangent, but you know real golden generation was
01:11:32
Speaker
Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey and a bunch of MLS lifers. That was the Golden Generation. Michael Bradley. Michael Bradley. Jordan Morris and Christian Roldon. All right. All right. I got to stop myself because I'm going to just do a whole and other podcast. We're going to call it right there for episode 74. Thank you as always everyone for for tuning in as always. Like comment subscribe. Please sub to the YouTube. Follow the Instagram and take talk. Write us a review. All that stuff helps.
01:12:01
Speaker
share with Western McKinney, share with Christian Pulisic. I'm calling you out. Yeah. Come on. I'm going to say, come say it on lobbying the scorchers until next time we out. Peace.