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Maybe we were all wrong about Zack Steffen
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We are back with another episode of “How the West will be won” and Backheeled’s Joe Lowery is again in the co-pilot seat. He and Jeremiah go through the most interesting stories in the Western Conference, one of which is the retribution of Zack Steffen who has been playing very well for the Rapids.
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Transcript
00:00:01
Speaker
Hi, I'm Will Bruin, and I was just recognized as a Seattle Sounders legend. Now I get to do voice reads for the Sounder at Heart podcast network. Here we go. Come on. Hey, O'Shaughnessy.
00:00:14
Speaker
Let's go. What save by Frye. The Seattle Sounders have done it. MLS Cup winning. Here comes Ruiz Dias through the middle to crowd it for Seattle.
00:00:29
Speaker
And now they truly can start the celebrations. It's the Sounders MLS Cup. Nico Lodero leaves absolutely no doubt. The Sounders rule the region.
00:00:43
Speaker
Seattle, Sounders, it's got built.
00:00:52
Speaker
This feels fucking awesome. This is a tiny dog. Nice work on your little yacht yat thing. And Portland can't say shit. know, what was the thought process in terms of who you decided to use and who you didn't?
00:01:06
Speaker
Ever since Southert Hart wrote a commentary that we didn't take over coming seriously. Go, not Seattle!
00:01:18
Speaker
This episode of Nos Arietes is sponsored by Full Pull Wines, a Seattle-based wine retailer and proud sponsor of Nos Arietes since 2011. Full Pull was founded in 2009, is based in Seattle, and is owned and operated by longtime Sounder supporters.
00:01:32
Speaker
They offer the best boutique wines of the world to members of their mailing list, with special focus on their home, Pacific Northwest.
00:01:42
Speaker
Welcome back to another episode of Nos Adietes. I am Jeremiah O'Shan. And joining me this week, again, reprising his role. I'm not even going to say as Matt Doyle's backup, you're now, you're now, now you're back for a second time. You're, you're, you're the guy at this point.
00:02:00
Speaker
So Joe Lowry of Backheeled, How the West Will Be Won after week nine. Welcome back, Joe. Yeah, it's great to be back. First of all, thank you for having me. What Doyle doesn't understand is that the backup quarterback is the best job in sports, right? You cast the checks, you come up clutch you every once in a while when your name is called, and you get to hang out and have a good time and eat snacks. Like, I don't understand what the downside is to this situation. There is no downside. There is no downside. Exactly. So ah thank you, Joe, for doing this.
00:02:30
Speaker
um as As we want to do on this show, we're going to kind of go a little freestyle. We're just going to kind of go through Western Conference results, Western Conference thoughts. But I wanted to highlight you do great work at Backheeled. You have at least two must-read features every week on there that are, I hope...
00:02:53
Speaker
part of the regular routine of our listeners. And one of them is winners and losers. And one of them is the europe your your in depth power rankings. But let's I want to talk about real quickly at the top of the show, because you were so kind to the Sounders this week in winners and losers.
00:03:11
Speaker
Did it feel to you like the Sounders sort of turned a corner this week? A hundred percent in the way that they get the result against Nashville. I think that this team had turned a corner already in terms of their actual performances on the season where they've been playing a lot of good ball over the last month or so. Now, finally getting their feet back under them a little bit after CCC and and working the way back through dealing with all these different injuries.
00:03:34
Speaker
I think they've been playing some, some really good soccer, really. Even that San Diego game, I know was a tough pill to swallow, They weren't three goals worse than San Diego. And that game, they were better. They were better than San Jose and that one, one draw.
00:03:46
Speaker
They were better than Houston and that nil, nil. Right. and And they finally yeah against Dallas get back in the wind column for the first time. And in like a real game that, that went over LAFC didn't feel like a real game to me. I agree that Dallas went on the road was a real game and a super Seattle e real game at that.
00:04:01
Speaker
And then the Nashville win, They played really, really well just taking over this game against Nashville. And that's what you should do at home against Nashville. But also, and I tried to remind readers in that column because this has gone maybe a bit under the radar outside of Nashville itself. Nashville this this year as a team are a much improved outfit.
00:04:20
Speaker
They have new energy under BJ Callahan. They have a new tactical approach. They're getting production from places under Callahan that they they just weren't last season. They retooled part of the roster the offseason. This is a, I don't know if legit is probably a little bit too strong, but this is a national team that beat the Philadelphia union. And that was a better team over both Charlotte and Cincinnati already this year.
00:04:41
Speaker
And Charlotte and Cincinnati are the top two teams in the Eastern conference. So national are a good team in Seattle took them to task in that game. I thought Christian old Don and Obed Vargas were phenomenal in that midfield in, in their but best game of the season. Yeah. hundred percent agree.
00:04:54
Speaker
Obed Vargas in particular, I've been a little slower to hop on the Obed train than I think some people I'm there, man. I'm all the way there. The way that he he took Jack Mayer and and just bent him all around in that that assist that he had to Pedro De La Vega.
00:05:08
Speaker
Yeah, that was it was a great performance. One of the better individual performances I've seen from the Sounders and in a hot minute. Yeah, it was it was a very positive performance in a lot of ways that you outlined. I'll tell you a stat I just ah looked up today. Please. I was very interested. i thought it was very telling.
00:05:25
Speaker
So when Masovsky or Morris are on the field, the Sounders are outscoring opponents in league play 12-6. When they are not on the field, they're being outscored 5-0.
00:05:36
Speaker
And really, the XG numbers tell a very similar story. They're basically 1.9 to XG advantage versus like point six nine to point ah seven, two or something like that. Like, but it's like, yeah they're they're actually playing okay defense when either one of them on the field, but the, there's almost a three X difference in their XG when those guys are on the field, which is, you know, they're basically scoring at two goals, a clip to two goals, a game when, when those guys play.
00:06:07
Speaker
And what's very convenient about that is that ah they have not played together at all. They've played in the same game, but they've only replaced each other or one of them is in and one of them is out. So it's really easy to actually gather this data, but it makes something.
00:06:21
Speaker
it's like one of those fun things where the data tells the exact same story that you're like eyes are telling you. Yeah. A hundred percent. And I think the sounders have really benefited when that nine has been on the field to actually push the opposing backline back and create space underneath.
00:06:34
Speaker
I'm still waiting. I know forever grabs a a pair of assists in this game against Nashville, still sort of waiting for, for more from him. I mean, you can't, you, You ask for more than a pair of assists, but assists are kind of a made up stat anyway, right? Where I could tap a ball to you four yards to my left and you could go weave through 12 dudes. and And that would be an assist for me, right?
00:06:50
Speaker
That's all, that's all a bit hand wavy and and fake, but I'm still waiting for a bit more from, from both Ferreira and from De La Vega. Although both of those guys were, I thought good in this game, but man, if you can combine high level number nine play, and I think this team has that with and the elite double pivot play with really good defensive play,
00:07:08
Speaker
You're going to be a good team. And I've never really wavered in that belief in the Sounders this year. I feel like the the belief has been so obvious for anybody who wanted to go out there and grab it because this team has still been playing good soccer.
00:07:20
Speaker
But it's it's fun to see them actually prove the theory that I think we all had about this team coming into the year, which was that when they needed to rotate because of CCC, and maybe I thought they'd still be in CCC at this point, but inevitably when they needed to rotate in the early season,
00:07:33
Speaker
they would still be able to pick up points and they would still be able to look good doing it and missing five projected starters between Morris and Rusnak. And ah you have and no Jackson Reagan, no Rodan and Areola, all those guys to varying degrees of injuries.
00:07:46
Speaker
And you still go out there and didn't you just yeah absolutely decimate another team that has a high quality opposition. Yeah, it's it's a good weekend for the Sounders. Yeah. Yeah, and to be able to bring off or to bring on Jordan Morris, Albert Rusnak, Ryan Kent, Jao Paulo, Alex Old Don, ridiculous when you're already up 3-0 is a pretty sweet position to be in.
00:08:08
Speaker
We didn't see a ton of Ryan Kent in this game, and I don't want to get too bogged down in the Sounders because we'll have plenty of time to talk about that later. But i I liked what I saw. It was sort of what we've been seeing in training, which is he looks like he has he's got quick feet.
00:08:23
Speaker
He's got good a good touch. He sees the game in a way that I think we can all appreciate. No standout highlights, but there was one moment where he he did this... Chess trap, played it around, and then ah did a little bit of footwork and nearly slipped in Jesus Ferreira late in the game.
00:08:41
Speaker
And that to me was sort of like, okay, this is this is a potential piece that might level up the Sounders a little bit. Yeah, I don't disagree with any of that coming into the season.
00:08:52
Speaker
This was before the areola injuries, but coming into the season, i described Seattle as probably the deepest team in Major League Soccer outside of South Florida. And and I think they're like on on par with Miami in terms of depth.
00:09:03
Speaker
I just don't look at the squad and think that they are obviously deeper than that Miami team. yeah Ryan Kent is a part of that, right? When at this point, I know Craig Weibel has a mixed rep in Seattle. Like at this point, when Craig Weibel and the Sounders sign somebody, ah my default is that they're going to be probably pretty good. And of course there's tons of factors that go into a transfer. for Ian Graham, formerly at Liverpool, maybe still is.
00:09:23
Speaker
I talked about this before. There's so many things that can, can scuttle a transfer, right? But when Seattle signed players and that group of players that came off the bench in this game was a pretty good mishmash of players throughout the eras, right?
00:09:35
Speaker
yeah theyre They're probably going to be high-ish level contributors in this league. So I'm excited to see more Kent. And I'm excited to see more of Seattle because I think this year, and I'm glad we're doing this this sort of show and that you and Doyle have been doing this on the Western Conference.
00:09:47
Speaker
This year, the West feels up for grabs in a way that I didn't quite expect it to be. And for Seattle to be marching up the table, even after a slow start, there's there's room for them to continue pushing and pushing and pushing up the West.
00:10:00
Speaker
No, I totally agree. And i it's funny, I'm just looking at the tables right now, and this is we're not going to get into this, but I do think this is kind of interesting, that Charlotte and Cincinnati are at the top of the East, ah even though Miami and Columbus were the last two yeah undefeated teams going into this weekend.
00:10:18
Speaker
and don't know, it's just that the... Easton, I agree with you, though. The West does seem very wide open. And part of that, and we may as well just a good ah transition into the Whitecaps, who continue to get results, ah who continue to put up almost mind-boggling performances in CONCACAF Champions Cup,
00:10:36
Speaker
And they're like the underlying numbers say they're great. The real numbers say they are the best, maybe the best team in in MLS right now. They've got a plus 11 goal difference. They are on 20 points through nine games.
00:10:49
Speaker
ah They are through to the to the Champions Cup semifinals.
00:10:55
Speaker
they got a tie this week, which wasn't necessarily a great game, but they just seem to have, and especially against St. Louis, who you would have thought maybe this is a game they were going where they'd be able to win that one. But,
00:11:08
Speaker
i don't know What do you make of the Whitecaps right now? Is this a team that is we should be taking very seriously as a, you know, and part of why I say it seems wide open is because I'm not sure I, i totally believe that they're for real. feels weird, right? Everything says they're for real.
00:11:21
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. it It feels weird. And this, this whole season for Vancouver, we're now a quarter of the way, more than a quarter of the way through the regular season. yeah This whole thing has felt like a pinch yourself moment. And then you pinch yourself again the next weekend. and And I don't think we're the only ones feeling that. I think Vancouver fans are feeling that. And and I don't blame them. It has been year after year after year of finishing between 6th and 9th in the Western Conference. Right. You come out of last season and you're you're once again close but not quite against LAFC in the playoffs.
00:11:46
Speaker
And then your second best player in Stu Armstrong walks and he goes back to England. Right. And that's that's not supposed to work. that's not You're not supposed to have that happen and then become the best team in Major League Soccer. And then Ryan Gall gets hurt.
00:11:59
Speaker
Yeah, and then Ryan Gall gets hurt. And then you're still playing CCC games when Vancouver are never still playing in CONCACAF at this stage. it None of this has been what anybody expected. get a 93rd minute winner at...
00:12:10
Speaker
Pumas. It's ridiculous. Like they're they are single handedly reversing CCC fever and turning it into a different type of disease. And it's beautiful. Like I just didn't I didn't see this coming. But one thing that but does seem pretty clear to me and you talked about the underlying numbers, the actual numbers.
00:12:25
Speaker
Well, I've watched a lot of this. vancouver I've watched every game Vancouver's played this year. They. They're legit. Like they look to me like an incredibly dangerous team. They topped my and and Ben Wright's power rankings over a backheel last week.
00:12:38
Speaker
I haven't seen Ben's rankings yet this week. They are also on top of my rankings yet again this week, even with that draw, which was not their best game against St. Louis. St. Louis rounding back into semi fitness, which I think is is a factor there.
00:12:50
Speaker
And the caps maybe with half an eye on that game against Miami coming up this week. Big game for them. And it's certainly a bigger game than this regular season match. And they are missing Ryan Gould, right? This game, and part of the reason why I don't think this was their best game, they couldn't find a lot of really great chances inside the 18. And when you look at the 11 that Jesper Sorensen put out there, it shouldn't be a huge surprise. But it sort of feels surprising now to look at it from the other perspective because Vancouver had been so good at manufacturing chances under Sorensen so far. They have a clear way of playing Vancouver.
00:13:20
Speaker
They're a monstrous team defensively, even away from home. They didn't concede a ton of chances in this game. They were right in it And I think a draw was a fair result. They are monstrous against the ball with a structure that is always prepared in in what is is often referred to as rest defense, right? So rest defense, meaning um when when you have the ball, how are you setting up your structure so that when you lose it, you're not in in you know a tough spot right off the bat, right? How are you set up around the ball to have numbers to go win it back or at least maintain your shape to push the opposition away from dangerous areas when they come at you?
00:13:51
Speaker
And Vancouver do that as well as anybody in this league. They are an incredibly well-coached team, and they have done an incredible job through nine games so far this year. The only reason they're not still undefeated, Jeremiah, is that they were stuck playing without like six starters against the Chicago Fire during that international break that wasn't in an international break.
00:14:08
Speaker
That's the only game they've lost this year. like they They should be undefeated at this stage of the season. They look to me like the one team in the West that I am really sure of is going to be in a top-four spot come playoff time.
00:14:20
Speaker
Well, and and since we're on that subject, ah a part of the reason that I think I look at the West, I think you look at the West, is that once you get past the Whitecaps, who everything says they're for real, even if our mind is telling us, sure maybe not, maybe not, but everything everyone else, you go you can just go down the list.
00:14:39
Speaker
It's like Bizarro World table in some ways. Austin is second right now. They have scored seven goals through nine games. ah They managed to get a 1-0 win this week against a very bad Galaxy team that is just circling the drain right now.
00:14:57
Speaker
ah And they got the they they get a penalty saved. Brandon Vasquez. It is funny. It's been sort of like a monkey paw situation where when this one of the stories Sounders fans all told ourselves was, well, if you can get Jesus Ferreira for two million in gam, I would never spend 10 million on Brandon Vasquez. They'll probably be about as good as each other.
00:15:20
Speaker
And it turns out they are about as good as each other right now, but not for the reasons that any of us expected. Brandon Vasquez does get a goal in this game on sort of ah a tap in. but he first has a ah really bad penalty taken ah that gets saved.
00:15:35
Speaker
But what do what do you make of this Austin team? They are getting results, so I don't want to take it, but they have a negative one goal difference through... Through nine games and they're in second place, don't – my head is exploding.
00:15:48
Speaker
yeah Yeah, and I don't blame you for that. The way I've i've framed it for backheeled so far this year and the way that I've been thinking about it is there's good Austin FC and there's bad Austin FC, right? And in good Austin FC is the one that can play against the ball, right? Where maybe they have ah a lead early in a game and that was the theme for them a lot early in the year.
00:16:04
Speaker
And they can play against the ball and attack in transition. That's good Austin FC. And they are quite good when they can out there and do that stuff. Between Vasquez and Mirto Azuni, they've got Speed and Hader Obreon and Osman Bukhari. Owen Wolfe was a good little player.
00:16:16
Speaker
like there's There's some juice in there on the break. Bad Austin FC is when they have to have the ball and do something with it. And Nico Estevez, that's never been his m MO. Certainly wasn't with FC Dallas where they were a defensive first team.
00:16:27
Speaker
That's been the theme in Austin so far. You mentioned them not scoring goals through nine games so far this season. They're not a great attacking team. And that has come back to bite them at times so far. But still, despite those challenges, they're sitting in second and they're picking up points left and right. the i don't I don't think that when all is said and done that this Austin team will finish second in the Western Conference. I think they will be dropping points.
00:16:48
Speaker
I think they are still quite flawed in in terms of defensive personnel, even if the structure is papering over a lot of that stuff. And Brad Stuber being a a very good goalkeeper helps there as well. I don't love all of their midfield personnel.
00:17:00
Speaker
And I don't think Estevez has figured out exactly how he wants to use his attacking personnel. Mirto Azuni is over the weekend against the Galaxy. He switched from a striker spot over to play on the left wing, more of a 4-3-3 instead of a 4-4-2. That's the first time we've seen Estevez go to that 4-3-3 so far this season.
00:17:16
Speaker
ah He's still looking for answers, Nico Estevez. But I think this team's floor, between the the ah the points that they've stacked early in the season and the fact that they're good on set pieces, especially attacking set pieces, and they are a defensively compact team,
00:17:29
Speaker
Even if they steadily drop little bit by little bit from that two spot in the West, they're still going be a playoff team. And they should be. yeah right When you go out and spend as much money as they have, you you you should be. right I am not sure that they spent any of that money wisely at this point, but they have certainly gotten better in the attack this year than they were last year, even if those numbers aren't all the way there yet.
00:17:48
Speaker
Their floor is high, even if their entertainment threshold is is not. Yeah, yeah. ah So they played the galaxy, like I said, and we may as well talk. I wasn't necessarily planning on talking a lot about the galaxy because I feel like we've I've buried them a lot on this show, and I'm not here to sort of kick dirt on them.
00:18:06
Speaker
Although... They are now winless through nine games. They're on negative 10 goal difference. I guess it's not so bad. They just have no answers offensively. They they are not necessarily a disaster defensively, which maybe is what you would expect for a team. This is a team that has historically not been great defensively.
00:18:26
Speaker
But man, they cannot find goals right now. They just yeah do not have answers. And that is with Joseph Paintsville, Gabriel Peck. Marco Royce, Christian Ramirez.
00:18:37
Speaker
This is like, there's offensive talent. Diego Faguda, there's offensive talent on this team and they just are not putting up anything like, the offensive numbers we would have expected, even if they are missing Ricky Pooge, which at this point is a irrelevant fact that barely worth, you know, merits mentioning.
00:18:54
Speaker
It is. It is interesting. I think we all knew how important Ricky Pooge was. I think we all knew that he was important. I should say. I'm not sure I, at least clocked just how important he was to this team. clearly should have been MVP the last two seasons.
00:19:07
Speaker
it It really looks that way. It really, really looks that way. And I'll take the L on that one. um It is the Galaxy are in a tough spot even before you get to the on field stuff. Just the reality of where and we were talking a little bit about this before we started recording the reality of where they are right now in the table through nine games. There nine points back of the ninth spot in the Western Conference. That's the last wild card spot.
00:19:28
Speaker
That's a problem. they did't a problem They're essentially set up to have having to pull off a 2023 sporting Kansas City, ah which is when SKC picked up three points through 10 games. So the Galaxy have ah one more chance to sort of exceed that.
00:19:41
Speaker
And they ended up sneaking into the bottom of the playoff field. They were a wild card. They win the wild card game. Then they go and upset St. Louis City. And, you know, they almost progressed from there. That turned out to be an OK season for SKC when all is said and done. But it started.
00:19:53
Speaker
a lot like the Galaxy has started in 2025. there are There are so many issues. I actually, you're talking about the attack. I am worried about the attack. Don't get me wrong. I do trust Peck and Paintsillow to find some answers, even while not counting on Marco Reus to be anything because he looks washed.
00:20:09
Speaker
I think those two wingers will, once they actually learn for the first time ever, because this is happening in real time, learn how to play with each other without Ricky Pusch. they've They've not had to do that since it got to l L.A. And they've only had one 90 minute game where they both been on the field together and their team has been playing with 11 men for all 90 minutes.
00:20:25
Speaker
it Once we're nine games in through the season, plus CCC, by the way. And they still have not the four CCC games and nine regular season games. And it's only happened once. and that was in the one nil against Austin. That's that's a problem. So they need they need reps there. And it's going to come. I think they're going to get better on the attack.
00:20:41
Speaker
I'm worried defensively because Zanka has looked very poor. A 34 year old Danish center back they brought in over the offseason. Amiro Garces has taken a big step back as the Galaxy have literally on the field stepped back into their own third.
00:20:53
Speaker
because they haven't been able to control games in the same way without Ricky Puj. And Garces is a ah just a tragic box defender, even though he's a truly elite center back sweeping up in behind the line, and Sounders fans will know that well.
00:21:05
Speaker
like that Garces is great at at some things and and not good at all at other things. Eric Zavaleta got his first start in over a year for the Galaxy over the weekend. there Their center back play is not good. Their goalkeeping situation has not been good.
00:21:17
Speaker
They have issues all over the field. It just so happens that the attacking ones the ones I think are going to... like come back slightly for them. Right. Man, I, I don't know what, I don't know that we can expect anything from the galaxy at this point because of the hole that they have dug themselves in.
00:21:31
Speaker
Well, and it is interesting because this is a team who you I don't think we any of us, and I include myself in that, really appreciated how many how many things Ricky Pooge was able to paint over. and you know Edwin Cerio is a player who was limited, but he was up the limitations were fine when he was just the guy who had to defend himself.
00:21:54
Speaker
And and and sort of like be a shield to the defense. But is he didn't have to touch the ball almost at all. And now of a sudden, now that he is playing with more normal sort of midfielders, yeah he's not he you know, he doesn't make as much sense, I guess, is what I'm saying.
00:22:11
Speaker
And it's like they have a and don't think we appreciate how many players like that that the Galaxy had where if you can play a certain way, this player makes a lot of sense. But if you can't play this way, this player does not make sense and he can barely be on the field.
00:22:23
Speaker
Yes. Yeah, I think that's the case with Cerio. And I think that's the case with basically every Galaxy midfielder at the moment. I think it's the case with Garces, as we've already talked about. It's it's everywhere. And then you toss in the fact that the Galaxy went all in last summer. Right. They basically they put themselves right, right up against the cap to sign Marco Reus.
00:22:41
Speaker
Right. That's yeah we and I don't I don't necessarily blame them for that. If I'm being totally honest, yeah they go out and they take a swing. up Yeah, right. and And Royce did play a role in that, even though he was was basically never all that good for the Galaxy. He was starting playoff games last year.
00:22:55
Speaker
And it just turns out that Marco Royce in the year 2025, at least, is not that guy. Or it doesn't seem like he's that guy. He's been injured when he's been on the field. He hasn't been effective. it's It's a huge problem. And so the Galaxy had to go and and not just...
00:23:09
Speaker
be reminded of how many regular players they have. They had to to dump players that were useful and I think impactful players in that midfield, especially when you think about Martel Cato, they had to get rid of Gaston Brugman. They got rid of then of course, Dan Ovalich. I think, you know I sort of thought that Ramirez was going to be able to produce in this team because the wingers were were going to be at that level. And again, I underestimated how good Ricky Puj was.
00:23:31
Speaker
like that That hurt. And a lot of that stuff, at least some of that stuff was necessitated by them going out there and and adding Marco Reus and needing to dump from the cap. And it just, it hasn't worked. I don't think the the ideas behind it were poor, but when you miss on on your new number 10 and your actual number 10 and Ricky Pooj goes down for a year, this is what happens.
00:23:51
Speaker
Yeah, yeah. Well, I'll take a page out of Doyle's book when he said there's not really much to say about Minnesota United because they're just sort of doing the same thing every week and it works. And there's not like I think they're probably a for real team somewhere in the top in that middle third of the of the playoff positions.
00:24:10
Speaker
I don't really need to. They had to draw this week. We don't really need to spend too much time on them. ah But the Timbers are a team who, of course, near and dear to my heart. ah They played another game this week that was wide open.
00:24:23
Speaker
That was super entertaining from a a neutral perspective. They took the lead. They basically led the entire game. ah But that sort of masked a defense that was just wide open. They gave up two goals that were ah ruled out for offside.
00:24:42
Speaker
they They give up a free kick and then they give up. And and then they were just so this game was all played. This whole game seemed to be played in transition. going both ways. And then it ends up getting decided on a penalty, ah late penalty. Danny Bwonga drives into the box. He gets ah stepped on essentially by Diego Shera and Bwonga then converts the penalty.
00:25:03
Speaker
And then after the game, Phil Neville just loses his mind and is talking about how the referees ruined this game. And and he he decides to focus on, ah it's Steve Trundolo getting red carded, which the it's funny. The replays were shot from a weird angle. And so I don't think it's clear what happened.
00:25:19
Speaker
I think what happened is I think he stepped on the field while yelling at the referee. and the referee was like, well, you dummy. You shouldn't have stepped on the field. And he kicked him out. ah So I don't know if that's such a ah travesty.
00:25:30
Speaker
But he... This discussion of the of the penalty on Buonga, I look at that, and it's a stone-cold penalty to me. and And there was a lot of discussion about, like, oh, well, they waited a whole minute to stop the game. The ball was in play. Yeah. Like, they stopped play in the the game. Like, the ball was in play when they stopped it.
00:25:48
Speaker
That's not taking a long time. That is just doing the basics of what VAR is supposed to do. Yeah. I don't know. To me, that's ah a stone cold penalty. It's a it's a bad play defensively. ah Am I am I being harsh?
00:26:02
Speaker
No, I I don't think maybe ever so slightly with the term stone cold, but there is contact, even if it's slight and Bwonga's momentum is already sort of carrying him forward. which makes it just all the easier for for that foul to happen.
00:26:14
Speaker
I will say, I'll preface anything else I say about this with saying that I find few things in this sport more tedious than like detailed refereeing discussion because I really believe, and that yeah I'm going somewhere with this, I really believe that that these things all pretty much even out over time. Like you play enough games and I think they even out.
00:26:30
Speaker
If Phil Neville believes that, i'm not I'm not so convinced because his quote, I guess you can take Phil Neville out of England, but you can't take the England out of Phil Neville. He had a quote after the game. I think his exact wording was, they just want to be the kings of the castle. Shout out to the monarchy. That's that's just great stuff.
00:26:45
Speaker
I think this is Phil Neville. great reference. Oh, there's good stuff in there one way or another. I'm not, I'm not going to quibble with that. I think this is Phil Neville still frustrated from, I don't know, a month, month and a half ago, whenever this was where I'm going go. This clears out one of his guys in the box at Providence park.
00:27:00
Speaker
And this one, I don't understand. I don't agree with, I have no idea how that was not called as a penalty. And that would have, would have like changed a little bit of that game against the galaxy. I think Neville's still seething a little bit after that draw.
00:27:12
Speaker
And now a month on has another opportunity to uncork at somebody with a, with a meaningful call late in the game. It's, it's bad, but I also just don't buy that. Really. That was the, the single biggest difference making factor in this game. playing at home You said it, Jeremiah, like this game was so open and and that's, that's how the Timbers play so often is that they, they cannot control games against the ball.
00:27:35
Speaker
The other flip side. And, and this is me very much enjoying them as a neutral. and you said something similar. They can score goals, man. Like Jonathan Rodriguez is back. He played the second half of this game as as this target winger on the left side, which I think is maybe the most interesting individual player role in all of Major League Soccer. Rodriguez is built like a center forward. He played a bunch of center forward in his career. tri ajour the timber he he is He is way up in the box on that on on that assist that he has. it's It's a beautiful sequence. I i actually thought it Sergio Palencia, but it might it might have been Aaron Long.
00:28:06
Speaker
Maybe there's multiple moments. He runs over. he He wins the ball off Aaron long. And then he does. There it is. works Yeah. in the ball Yeah. yeah It's he's dominant coming off off the bench in this game. And he will be a starter once he's back to full fitness.
00:28:17
Speaker
Cindy Moreno is one of the better non DP attackers in this league. Anthony, even though i'm not a big fan of his, was actually pretty good in the first half. Felipe Mora is is constantly underrated. Now he's not always on the field, but but when he is on the field, he's very effective.
00:28:28
Speaker
Da Costa had a nice through ball that forced Lloris into this this penalty early on in the game. The Timbers have some juice. Um, oh It's just a little it's a little unfortunate for them that they look a lot like the Portland Timbers of last year in that that juice is coming for both them and the opposition.
00:28:43
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, the the Timbers are for real offensively. There is that they're a scary team to play. There's no yeah question. and And it's like it's even when they're at home, it's just it almost seems like when they're at home, it almost brings out the worst ah tendencies because they just are almost playing to the crowd where it's it's just crazy.
00:29:03
Speaker
Full, you know pedal to the metal type stuff where they're just up and down, up and down, up and down. I don't know if they're, you know, and and I guess to their credit, they I think this is six games unbeaten. So they are they're getting results. It's it's it's just they have some real issues defensively that are not showing any signs of going away anytime soon.
00:29:22
Speaker
No, and and really the personnel hasn't changed all that much. Finn Sermon was signed last summer, 21-year-old New Zealand international. I think he's ah a promising young player. it's Kamal Miller still starts this game. Juan Mascara, we know that he doesn't provide a lot of value defensively.
00:29:36
Speaker
Jimer Forrey is more of an attack first, ask questions later kind of guy. and that It's just not it's not that different. And the Timbers, I think, i don't I don't know what will or will not be done by the time this goes out.
00:29:47
Speaker
think they're still looking to to do some stuff in this window. I don't know how much juice is going to be left in them, but They are they to me, truly, they they remind me almost exactly of the Timbers of the last year. And that's so yeah that's fun and cool as a neutral.
00:29:59
Speaker
I would be a little frustrated about that if I was a Timbers fan. Yeah, they're really stretching that axiom that so many fans say, which is I'd rather tie a game. three three than win one zero yes and i always question the sanity of people who say things like that because i don't i don't really believe anyone ultimately feels that way over a so long stretch but hey uh maybe maybe it's working for for the timbers uh just kind of going down the the list here sure and highlighting the sounders opponent this week hollerado rapids are a team who at times seem like they are
00:30:34
Speaker
really putting it together and at times seem like maybe not but the one thing that they have i should we should say i should say i have been extremely critical as zach stefan over the last year or two or so i do not like i think a lot of us who look at these things have been raising the red flag this guy allows way more goals than he should be allowing but this year he's been pretty good it Better than pretty good. I think he has been fantastic for the Rapids and goal. And I am coming at this from the exact same place you are.
00:31:04
Speaker
I raised not one eyebrow, but both eyebrows and Pochettino first called him in a camp US and that's happened over and over again. And credit to everybody that's not us, I guess, because Zach has been has been really good.
00:31:16
Speaker
this season. And I didn't see it coming in order for the Rapids to, to really get better this season. I think in some ways, even for them to to kind of be back where they were for losing Moise Bambito and like not really getting a whole lot better in the attack from last year as as some other teams around them added some pieces.
00:31:32
Speaker
They needed the guys internally to take a step forward. And Stefan, goalkeepers can have this massively outsized impact on games, right? I think about the Rebs winning the shield back in 2021. Matt Turner is so important for them. Georgie Petrovich shortly after is so important for the Rebs.
00:31:47
Speaker
The Rebs don't win silverware. The Rebs aren't what they are without those two pieces. And that that goes for the Rapids right now. is Zach Steffen, who has been fantastic. Chris Armas recently, and i'm I'm a tactics nerd at heart, so yeah I hope you'll excuse me.
00:31:59
Speaker
Chris Armas recently has please shifted his structure. I know i was in the right spot. It was more of a formality than i anything else. um He shifted his structure to away from ah a 4-3-3 with Georgie on the left wing ah to a 4-3-2.
00:32:12
Speaker
And so that's looked like the back four. Sam Vines is back now. He played his second game of the season over the weekend. That's it ah big a big add for the Rapids. I think makes them better. Clearly, vin Vines will get forward on that left side.
00:32:22
Speaker
And in the structure is now changed with Kevin Cabral moving to the bench, which is massive because Kevin Cabral is not a starting player in in this league. Finally, Armus moved into the bench and added Darren Yappy onto the field. And this was in that win over San Diego, which was a pretty impressive win. All things considered for the Rapids two weekends ago.
00:32:38
Speaker
And it's a four triple two with with Navarro and Yappie up top and Georgie and Cole Bassett as the two kind of narrow attacking minded midfielders. And it's a friend turned foe, Josh Atencio in midfield next to Ali Liraz.
00:32:50
Speaker
And it's just a buzzsaw of a midfield to play through. Cole Bassett's work rates off the charts. The front two do a lot of defensive work. Georgie's kind of in and out sometimes. But Atencio and Liraz are or workers at the base of that midfield.
00:33:03
Speaker
And you have a team that is unpleasant, to say the least, to play against. They press Colorado. Excuse me. They press San Diego, even maybe at times more aggressively than the Sounders press San Diego. And the Sounders had some success turning San Diego over at times in that game.
00:33:17
Speaker
Colorado turned it into goals a couple weekends ago. They had some good pressing transition moments against Houston. They were maybe a bit unfortunate not to win that game. They conceded in the 96th minute, a tough one for them. But the Rapids are getting healthier, first of all.
00:33:30
Speaker
And I think Armas is figuring out how to really leverage the strength of this team, which is his central midfield group. It's Atencio, it's Laraz, it's Bassett, it's Mihaljevic, even Connor Ronan, who I don't think we've seen at all so far this season with injury stuff.
00:33:41
Speaker
He was on the bench over the weekend. Ted Kudipietro is getting back and is finally healthy for this team. He made his debut a couple weekends ago. There are pieces here. And Armas has found a system that gets four of the most important pieces in those midfielders on the field together.
00:33:55
Speaker
i ah like i like what the Rapids are building right now. What have you made of Josh Atencio so far this year? He has been, i think, what probably everybody would have expected him to be, which is rangy, aggressive defensively, ah times a useful ball progresser, although I think that's still the the piece of his game that is lagging behind the rest of his game.
00:34:15
Speaker
But he is super effective as the deepest player in that midfield. and And he's done it in a ah structure that's changed over the course of the season. He's played as more of a single pivot. He's played now as part of a double pivot.
00:34:26
Speaker
He has been the reliable defensive presence that I think the Rapids really wanted him to be. That's how they play. That's why they identified Atencio. think that was a really, really sharp add for them over the offseason. It's paid off so far.
00:34:39
Speaker
Yeah, and he's he's basically starting every game. yeah he's He's not necessarily a 90-minute player every week, but he is getting a ton of minutes. I mean, this is, i would think, from a developmental standpoint, ah been a good move for for everyone involved, really.
00:34:54
Speaker
Atencio has a clear path to playing time that he never had here. He is getting that playing time, which he was not consistently getting here. And the Sounders have some salary clap flexibility.
00:35:05
Speaker
They're able to, I think... you know And this is not a bad situation for him. He seems to be at with a coach who is who understands how to use him, who wants to use him. ah you know he's He's maybe not been ah star for them, but he's he's been he's been good and he seems to fit in really nicely with what they're doing.
00:35:22
Speaker
i've i've I'm happy that he is that things are seem to be working out well for him. Yeah, that that felt like it was always going to be a win-win winwin win trade, I suppose, to factor in the player as well. I think you you said it really well there. it is It's worked out for everybody. The Sounders just didn't need him, and they they would have benefited more from getting the extra cap flexibility.
00:35:41
Speaker
That's what happened. It's worked out for the Rapids. It's worked out for Atencio, who very much, I think, is benefiting from playing Chris Armas, who knows a thing or two about being sort of this aggressive midfielder. i Yeah, I think it's worked out for everybody.
00:35:52
Speaker
Yeah, and I honestly, especially if you if they were real if they were serious about moving him to center back, I don't know that he would have been playing at all right now. Yeah, I mean, minutes were going to be hard to come by.
00:36:03
Speaker
Yeah, no doubt. yeah we're going to be Exactly. ah While we're on it, though, ah while we're on this game, the the tying the late equalizer came from a new addition player.
00:36:15
Speaker
Houston added they're one of a handful of teams in the West who seem to be pretty active as this window is closing. Yeah. ah What can you tell us about this guy? You just didn't want to say the name, did you? Andrzej Linger? I've never actually heard it pronounced. So I was watching this game on mute. I didn't i don't catch the commentary. No, i i believe me, I've been there. I know how to spot it. um that's That's me on a semi-regular basis.
00:36:38
Speaker
Linger is a 26-year-old Czech Republic international, signed from Slavia Prague over in the Czech top flight. Generally one of the best teams, if not the best team over in in that league.
00:36:49
Speaker
He has had a couple of ah really nice goal scoring seasons for them over the past few years. think he had 14 back in 2021, 22, and then 11 the year after that went went to Feyenoord for a little bit in the Eredivisie, which is a bigger club, no doubt about that, and and is now finally in Houston. He'd signed three weeks before he made his debut. It was an agonizing waiting period for the Dynamo who have needed points.
00:37:11
Speaker
like They have been so injured, especially on the wing. They've been missing pieces. They they lost Mikael right before the season started moving to Palmeiras in Brazil. they They just needed bodies. like They got worse in the offseason where almost everybody else got better. and So they finally bring in Linger during the season.
00:37:27
Speaker
He comes off the bench and makes his debut for the Dynamo and it looked good. It was a tiny, tiny cameo, 15 minutes plus stoppage time. But came and played on the left wing, tucked inside the central midfield at times.
00:37:38
Speaker
And in what Pat Onsen highlighted about Linger when they signed him in in the press release was I think he called him a goal-scoring midfielder who's going to make us more dangerous in the box of his presence inside the 18th. Something to that effect. But he certainly used the term goal scoring midfielder, which I thought was curious at the time, because when I watch Houston play and when I've watched them play for the last two years under Ben Olsen, since he got there, the Dynamo have been a below average attacking team when it comes to creating chances in the final third. They're great at getting to the final third. And on set even highlighted that last summer in an interview with with Jonathan Siegel over at MLSsoccer.com.
00:38:09
Speaker
They're great at getting the final third. not so great when they get there. I thought it was odd that they would highlight somebody and go sign somebody who is more of a finisher than a creator. I still think it's odd. I think it's an incomplete as to how he's going grade out in in Houston.
00:38:22
Speaker
But he is clearly someone who can threaten inside the 18 if he has service. I just don't know until the wingers get healthy for Houston or or maybe even pass that. I don't really know where the service is coming from. So we'll see. Maybe Lingers got some more on-ball stuff to his game than Onsen wanted to highlight in that. Or maybe he's got more than than I saw in this game.
00:38:41
Speaker
Either way, the Dynamo get better with him on the field. It's just a question of how much. Yeah. ah So following the the the table, San Diego FC feels like they are coming back to earth a little bit, ah maybe hit a high watermark when they just absolutely dominated the Sounders for that stretch. It was really a like a eight minute stretch where they just.
00:39:05
Speaker
all of a sudden took over that game. But as you said earlier, and i appreciated that you acknowledging this, because I feel like there was this narrative around that game where the Sounders got played off the park and that the Sounders were, they were just playing through the Sounders press and the Sounders couldn't play through theirs. And it's like, did you watch the game or did you happen to watch the highlights? Because that's not what happened.
00:39:26
Speaker
what happened was the Sounders were actually pressing San Diego pretty well, forcing them into a lot of long balls, but they could not do anything when they turned the ball over. And San Diego then caught the Sounders in transition a couple of times, not out of pressing situations, just good old fashioned transition.
00:39:43
Speaker
they, Now in the last couple of weeks, San Diego has not been able to do what they had been doing up until like through the the Sounders game. and they've gotten they've gotten caught a little bit. They've they've given up ah six goals in the last two weeks.
00:39:58
Speaker
and And, you know, they they look they got outplayed pretty badly against Charlotte. They did. They no doubt. That's that's the case. Without a doubt. They're going out to 10 men yeah almost to the end of the first half. Andres Reyes is up to his old tricks. I included in that winners and losers column for backheeled winner colon Andres Reyes is brand where his brand is just being the most chaotic defender MLS has seen since Francisco Calvo left the league.
00:40:21
Speaker
That's just that's his thing. And and you got to love it Keep doing you, man. As far as San Diego, while we're while we're on that, I just want to stick on that a little bit. That VAR review has to be the most brutal VAR in history, because in case people don't know what happened, he Andres Reyes red carded in real time.
00:40:43
Speaker
It's a dog. So red card. And then the referee gets called to VAR it. And you're like, oh, maybe there's a lifeline here. No, there is no lifeline, sir. It is a penalty.
00:40:55
Speaker
And okay not a red card, but it's your second yellow card. You're still gone. I don't know what to tell you. and I mean, it was just the most brutal VAR sequence. i can't get more brutal than that.
00:41:07
Speaker
I don't think it can. It really it really cannot be. Oh, it's not a red card. ah but you You're still off, though. That's you got to go. The forgive me. I don't remember who the commentators were on this on this game for Apple TV. I thought they did an excellent job of pointing out the nuance there because yeah it does matter for like suspension purposes and and for, you know, card accumulation stuff.
00:41:25
Speaker
Still just utterly savage towards Andres Reyes. Got a good chuckle. Added a penalty. That was the thing that was the killer about it was that it at on top of it being a red card. And I mean, it's like you I guess there's some ah small i don't know. It's just the fact that it added.
00:41:40
Speaker
It's brutal. It really it really is brutal. And San Diego never found a way back from that. They were down to no at that point. They'd already struggled early on in that game with with direct attacking play from Charlotte. where it's Liela Bada who slips in behind off of a nice assist from Pep BL.
00:41:55
Speaker
And in San Diego, when they're on their back foot scrambling, they don't have the elite defensive talent to really manage those moments well. and I think we saw that at times against Colorado, who are a very direct team.
00:42:07
Speaker
And Charlotte are the same way. They press they they don't press as much as as Colorado do, but they are very vertical in their attack. And San Diego do not deal with that well. And it wasn't just Andres Reyes. On the first goal, it's it's Chris McVie and Patty McNair on the left side of the back line. They didn't do a great job dealing with with Charlotte's attack.
00:42:25
Speaker
And then Reyes goes down. At that point, it's 2-0 after the penalty, and it's game over, right? Down down two goals on the road with 10 men and for the second half. you You can pack it in at that point. I think what we're seeing with San Diego... is that they really do struggle with those direct moments. That I think is the big takeaway from these last two weeks.
00:42:40
Speaker
i I still think they're a really good team. I'm not really all that. i think I think they might even be more than a playoff team, though. I think they still might well be one of the best three teams in the Western Conference when all is said and done.
00:42:53
Speaker
i think that they've had two games in a row against teams that are are fairly bad matchups for them. in a way that they really hadn't been tested it' so far this season, where they hadn't played a a team that was going to press them and attack with as much aggression as Colorado, or or were going to come at them in the same way as as Charlotte did.
00:43:11
Speaker
They also hadn't played a game with Andres Reyes, and that truly changed the entire complexity of the game when that that second yellow actually ends up happening. So i'm I'm holding my scenario stock. You should enter Andres Reyes to the game. yeah Yeah, right. I mean, it it was a chaotic element that I don't think San Diego were were fully ready for. I think they're like, they're sort of like a, you know, maybe ex-girlfriend situation here of like, I can change them, right? I can, I can change. It's it's hard to change on just res. I just re and think that's what we're learning.
00:43:36
Speaker
I think Tyler Heaps really was trying and I'm not sure if it's going to work. I think San Diego are going to be okay. I think they're probably going to be better than okay. And I'm holding that stock and hopefully I'm maybe even whoever up a few more shares when other people are selling.
00:43:48
Speaker
Fair enough. Fair enough. Yeah, I think that's a it's a good time. I guess is if there's a time to buy this, this is probably it. So LAFC is i don't I really don't know what to make of them because on there are are weeks where they look like themselves and then there are weeks where they really don't.
00:44:09
Speaker
And I'm curious what you make of LAFC. They are, they tied Portland this week, three, three. Like I, like I said, they created some decent, they great created scoring chances. Yeah. Olivier Rude finally, finally gets his first MLS goal, which is a surreal thing to be saying. And of course it's a free kick.
00:44:29
Speaker
I got it. I saw, so I saw this goal happen. I saw MLS tweet about it. And the caption from MLS is a handle on, on X, I guess it is now was like Olivier's who scores his first MLS goal. And I was actually shocked that they went with that caption.
00:44:43
Speaker
i think they're just, they're assuming that people didn't realize that he signed last year. don't i don't know what it is. Cause that's like, that's a roast. You just got roasted Olivier's who buy the MLS handle. It's taken you almost a year. Now it's taken you the better part of a year to actually find a goal for your, your team. i yeah. Mind boggling. I,
00:45:01
Speaker
I don't fully know what to make of this LAFC team either. I think there are some some things that I believe about this team. I believe that they have gotten less adventurous in midfield under Steve Terrandolo as the years have gone on, as Eduardo Atuesta has left, Ilya Sanchez left over the offseason.
00:45:16
Speaker
think they have struggled to progress the ball and find touches in the box. They were, i don't have the stat in front of me. I looked it up last week. They are like bottom 10 in MLS in box touches per 90 minutes. LAFC, they do not move the ball in the box.
00:45:27
Speaker
And that was a difference in this game. This is the next thing I believe about LAFC. If, if Denny Bawanga is firing, this team is still going to be really, really, really good. And he had his best game of the season against Portland by a country mile. He was dominant on the left side in a way that he just hasn't been. He's, he's been off and it's not just him aging, right? He is still way up there on progressive carries per 90.
00:45:48
Speaker
He's still knifing forward and beating guys on the dribble. He just hasn't been goal dangerous or, or assist dangerous so far in 2025. And that changed over the weekend. If he is, if he's going to be a superstar, like I think we probably all imagine he is, LAFC are still going to be a good team.
00:46:03
Speaker
The other thing I believe about this l LAFC team is that if they can get some semblance of attacking production from any of their other attackers, right? It could be Giroux. It could be Devin Martinez, who I've got a lot of stock in.
00:46:13
Speaker
could be Chen Guizondare, who I do like a lot, even though I don't really think anybody knows exactly what his future is with LAFC. It doesn't seem like he's going to be around past the summer when his contract is up. It's weird situation there. They're waiting for Griezmann. They're not getting Griezmann. Now they've got flexibility to actually go and find the piece that they want to be that third DP.
00:46:31
Speaker
If they can get something from one of those other guys, I think this team is going to be really, really good. It's just a question of can they actually get that something? And against Portland, the answer was yes, even with the defensive errors that kind scuttled that game for them.
00:46:44
Speaker
But going forward, I still don't think we have a clear answer on who the Denny Buonga sidekick is really going to be.
00:46:52
Speaker
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Speaker
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Speaker
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Speaker
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Speaker
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00:49:36
Speaker
Okay, so i don't we don't necessarily need to dig too deep into the the rest of the the table here, but there were there are some some moves in the Western Conference that are worth noting.
00:49:47
Speaker
San Jose, all of a sudden, seems like they got really active, completely completing the overhaul that Prus Arena has put them through. uh they're picking up no buck right they're picking up the juan jones so it's like sort of still getting the band back together from yes it is that's and then they ship go ahead go go sorry i didn't mean to catch up go i was just gonna and then they also apparently they're they're loaning out oscar verhoven who's a a promising left young left back to san diego uh so this is really like
00:50:19
Speaker
all the great hit like, uh, Bruce is really playing the hits. He is. And he he played the hits in goal over the weekend, uh, for, for San Jose he started a former Bruce arena guy, Earl Edwards, Jr. In goal. And that did not didn go well. um they They shipped five goals to supporting Kansas city, sporting Kansas city of all, of all teams. Um,
00:50:39
Speaker
Yeah, juggernaut. Yeah, juggernaut. Bad result for for San Jose there. This is Bruce continuing to get his guys. Like you're saying, Jeremiah, they need they needed more juice. This team just needs more talent still.
00:50:49
Speaker
yeah They need especially more talent that can be like responsible defensively. And DeJuan Jones can be that. They're playing Christian Espinosa at right wing back right now. And that has some upside in the attack where San Jose had been...
00:51:01
Speaker
good in the attack this year. ah yeah The 19 hole between the gaping hole between Christian Espinosa and Rodriguez, their outside center back in their right wing back against sporting Kansas city was, uh, outer space esque. Like it was, it was truly wild to see how how big that gap was.
00:51:18
Speaker
DeJuan Jones will be a more responsible player. If he does end up at that right wing back spot, shout out to Tom Bogart for, for reporting these, these moves. No buck, another high profile player wasn't getting minutes in new England. Caleb Porter didn't like him.
00:51:29
Speaker
Didn't have a good loan spell over in England. Get him back to a coach who knows him, who's played him before. i don't think he's going to be an every game i star for this for the San Jose team. i'm I'm not quite as high on him as I was when he was first breaking through with New England.
00:51:43
Speaker
But mean, it's going to add something to this San Jose team and they need something in this group right now. Yeah. And then the other team who's making some big move or a big move is is RSL, who is signing a DP nine. They have really struggled to find goals this year.
00:52:00
Speaker
They have. It has been it's been brutal for RSL. This team's just gotten worse straight up since last summer. They sell Andres Gomez. know we've we've talked to this before. He goes to Liga and it just falls apart. And and you can't really blame RSL for selling Andres Gomez. He wanted to go take the next step in his career, moving players on as part of convincing the next players to come and join your team in the first place, especially when there's ah an eight-figure price tag attached to that and you can cash in.
00:52:26
Speaker
he goes and it's just ah almost a a straight arrow down for RSL. Diogo Goncalves has not been a good player for them, at least not a consistently good player. Marciuk on the right side has not been Andres Gomez in any way since they brought him in from Poland.
00:52:39
Speaker
They need more. And when you trade Chicho Rongo, you need even more than that. And so they are looking to sign a player that I'm now going to chicken out on and not attempt the first name. Okay, well, it's Robert, the first name. It's the last name that I'm scared about. Robert from Boa Vista.
00:52:52
Speaker
He was not put up crazy numbers in Portugal, but I mean, the bar is low for RSL to be a better team. Seems like that deal is going to get over the line. They need talent straight up, especially in the attack. Defensively, they had problems too, but one problem at a time for problem Lester Andy right now.
00:53:08
Speaker
Yeah, they that's a that that is a that was a head scratcher for me when I saw the sort of the numbers that he had put up. And ah I mean, i don't know. I always struggle to to translate numbers to production like in other leagues to production in MLS ah mentally. And so I think on some level, you sort of have to trust the scouting networks with yeah with teams and you have to sort of.
00:53:31
Speaker
but you know I had the same reaction when Portland signed their number 10. ah Yes, yeah, David Acosta, yeah. David Acosta, thank you. and And it was like, oh, I don't really see the what's so so attractive, but but he's been good.
00:53:45
Speaker
So ah this feels like a similar situation as ah RSL. Like, I'm i'm not, I don't know who this guy is. yeah just look at his stats. For me, it's a wait and see thing until ah and until I actually will have ah a full-on take on that, no doubt, yeah.
00:53:58
Speaker
Yeah. Well, all right. Well, that's probably a good place. We don't need to go through the the rest of these teams, I don't think, right now. I will note see St. Louis City just playing absolutely drab ah drab soccer these days. They have scored – a total of 11 goals scored in their games.
00:54:15
Speaker
ah San Jose, on the other hand, 36 goals scored in all their games. These two – like, ah I don't know. And and St. Louis all of a sudden not getting the results either, which is makes it – it's one thing if you're going to play boring soccer, but you've got to get some – got to get some results and, and they got a zero zero this week. So I guess that's and by definition, there's a result in there in there somewhere. Yeah. They've had, they've had the fewest combined goals in their games of any team and MLS so far, which yeah it's not great, but at the same time, it's not,
00:54:46
Speaker
not great. When you look at how long their injury list has been, they've missed so many guys so far this season and they're, they're kind of hanging in there just like doing enough to keep themselves in some relevant conversations.
00:54:58
Speaker
They get healthier a little bit over the weekend. We see, we see a sort of return from all of Mel Brooks and players that he's needed back in this group. But i'm I'm not trying to tell you that St. St. Louis are ah a must watch team right now. Cause they're not.
00:55:10
Speaker
No, I appreciate that. ah Well, anyway, Thank you so much for doing this. Backheeled, I hope people are ah reading it. I hope people are subscribing. I would like to give a pitch.
00:55:24
Speaker
If you are a Sounder at Heart subscriber and you want to get access to Backheeled, if you become a an advocate level supporter, that is the, ah i think it's 210 for the year, you get a free subscription to Backheeled.
00:55:41
Speaker
I have... loved being able to provide that feature. I love it helps support you guys. We, we basically just to give you a peek behind the curtain, we've tried you guys for, for the sub.
00:55:52
Speaker
ah So it's, it it's a a double whammy thing. You get to support two independent soccer media sites. I love reading back healed. I think you guys are doing a great job and it's not just and MLS. It's, it's getting into USL, which you guys have some of the best USL coverage, I think as well.
00:56:08
Speaker
It's, it's really good. So anyway, Joe, thank you for, for doing all that. And, Anything you want to plug? Anything else you want to plug? no that is first of all, that's all very kind of you. And I love doing this stuff. I love talking MLS. um Probably i like it a little bit too much for my for my ah mental sanity.
00:56:23
Speaker
But this is always fun. I love coming in and pinch hitting whenever you need me. ah the The one thing I'll plug. i mean, you've been very kind is we do have what I think is a ah really fun Obed Vargas feature coming out. It just so happens that it's a Sandra Sanders thing.
00:56:35
Speaker
um i don't I don't know exactly when, but in the in the next couple of weeks, that's going to be out. And i think it's going to be some some stuff that people haven't heard before. So I'm excited about that. writing it? We've got John Arnold cooking this one up behind the scenes. And John is fantastic, as yeah I'm sure many of these listeners will already know.
00:56:50
Speaker
Yeah, Jarnold, the CONCACAF legend tim himself. legend ah Legend. I'm excited. I am too. Now um' i am excited. I'm i'm really excited to to read this. So, all right, well, Joe, thank you so much for doing this. Again, backheeled.com is the site that you you're running.
00:57:07
Speaker
And yeah, thank you for doing this. And I'm Jeremiah Shan signing off for Nos Adietes. We'll catch you next time.
00:57:41
Speaker
I expect an LAFC who is motivated ah to prove themselves at home, to prove to their fans that they' they're capable of winning in this league. And it's up to us to really brew in the party.
00:57:54
Speaker
You guys like that? and a what Awkward joke, dad joke right there, huh?