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Beating Timbers is mostly about improving the vibes
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The Seattle Sounders are just two points ahead of the Portland Timbers and haven’t beaten their biggest rivals at home in the regular season since 2017. Those are pretty good reasons to win. But Jeremiah and Niko argue that the reason this game is so important has less to do with statistics and more to do with vibes. The Sounders need this game just to get things moving in a positive direction again.
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Transcript
Introduction and Sponsorship
00:00:01
Speaker
Hi, I'm Will Bruin, and I was just recognized as a Seattle Sounders legend. Now I get to do voice reads for the Sounder at Heart Podcast Network. Here we go. Come on. Hey, O'Shaan.
00:00:14
Speaker
Let's go. Seattle Sounders have done it. MLS Cup winners. Here comes Ruiz Diaz through the middle to crown it for Seattle.
00:00:25
Speaker
The Sounders rule the region. of
00:00:59
Speaker
you know what was the thought process in terms of who you decided to use and who you didn't? Ever since Sander Hart wrote a commentary that we didn't take the overcome seriously.
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.
Significance of the Big Game
00:01:42
Speaker
Welcome back to another episode of Nos Adientes on the Sound at Heart Podcast Network. I am Jeremiah O'Shann. It is Friday. We are at Long Acres. And I am, of course, joined by my partner in crime, Nico Moreno. Welcome back, Nico.
00:01:55
Speaker
Hey, what's going on, Jeremiah? Sound of our heart family. What is going on? Excited to be on. It is a Friday that fell it felt like a like a big game's coming up. It did, yeah. There was a little bit of, you know, i don't know, something different, little prestige that they put us in the big room for Brian's conference.
00:02:15
Speaker
Got more than 15 minutes out of him. I mean, it was like 20, actually. 20 minutes, and he went on he talked a lot about Christian Roldan's call up to the national team and, and really filled up the notebook as far as that goes.
Preparation Against the Timbers
00:02:30
Speaker
But one of the things I thought was interesting is I, I asked him about how this week's prep differs and he did not play the whole, this is just another game kind of thing. He was like, no, we're doing extra film work. We're doing extra, we're extra sharp and training. He treated this.
00:02:47
Speaker
He, he wanted to put out the image that this is a big game, that they are preparing for it like it's a big game, and that this is not just another this is not just another match. this is a ah you know Whether it's the Timbers, whether it's their form, whether it's the end of the season, whatever it is, he wanted us to know this they're taking this week very seriously.
00:03:08
Speaker
And I think it's the perfect recipe for a good performance, Jeremiah. I think that Brian is utilizing what I would call a perfect storm of circumstances that are making this game Feel like a final.
00:03:24
Speaker
Feel like it's a huge game, a huge moment because of everything that we've been talking about lately is the the lack of results over the last couple of games. It's the fact that it is the Timbers. It's the fact that the Timbers have had your number at home for as long as they have.
00:03:40
Speaker
ah It is a need for you to best utilize your team to get them trending in the right direction before the playoffs. So... To me, I did hear a brand smetzer that is going in with everything he has on the table.
00:03:58
Speaker
This is where he needs to make sure that his team is performing. He understands where things have gone wrong, that like ah mental lapses, soft goals, those sort of things have been emphasized this week.
00:04:11
Speaker
And you'd hope that the execution is there for this team. And They get a win. I mean, to to be quite honest, I think it's going to be a difficult game because of injuries. it's going to be a difficult game because I do think that Portland makes a habit of just playing the Sounders differently.
00:04:29
Speaker
um And there are some good players in this Portland, you know, we'll talk about. But in all senses, I think that Brian is getting the team ready. So they're up from the first minute.
00:04:42
Speaker
for the From the first whistle on, I feel like this team is going to be on. And I think that's what they need to do to get a good result, if not a win, against the Timbers.
Sounders vs Timbers: Historical Context
00:04:51
Speaker
I totally agree. And I think that one of the things that, you know, we didn't specifically ask Brian this, and it was sort of in the back of my mind that last year he got really annoyed with me when I asked about their record against the Timbers at home.
00:05:06
Speaker
But, yeah. I do think that's sort of the undercurrent. ah The Sounders have not beaten the Timbers at Lumen Field in the regular season since 2017. Since May 27th of 2017, they have played each other nine times in the regular season since then.
00:05:25
Speaker
ah The Sounders have, ah like the Sounders are something, ah the last two games have been ties. You could argue that the Sounders, and this was sort of something that Christian alluded to ah when we talked to him about this, and he he took it a little bit more, like I did ask him a little bit more straightforward about not beating the Timbers for so long.
00:05:43
Speaker
But he just mentioned how there's always these mental lapses when they play the Timbers. ah Last year it was, or i don't know if it was a mental lapse, but it was Obed of Vargas getting a red card for descent, which great. Honestly, one of the worst calls I have ever seen. I mean, it was an unbelievable unbelievably harsh red card.
00:06:04
Speaker
That said, ah the year before that, the Sounders were up 2-0. They got a ah red card. That was the Leo Chu jersey removal, ah which is his first card, but then he got a second red card.
00:06:15
Speaker
They blow a 2-0 lead at home. ah Then the game before that, they lost 3-0. That was the banner unveiling game where jackson I believe was Jackson Reagan got a red card in that game Yes, it was. And so the Sounders have just had a had a hard time being composed, especially at home, against the Timbers. And it seems like whether or not they're explicitly talking about the past, there is this this trend that they want that they're very aware of, that they want to be...
00:06:44
Speaker
Play a full 90 that they want to be as concentrated as possible, that they don't want to sort of... Because they've been when they've not been good this year, it seems like it's usually a result of them just not... They're being the worst their own worst enemy.
00:06:57
Speaker
It's not that they don't have the talent. It's not that they don't... You know, we've seen this team play very well against very good opponents ah recently. ah But when they are not playing well, it is almost always...
00:07:10
Speaker
them shooting themselves in the foot, whether it's stupid red cards, whether it's penalties, whether it's, you know, whatever else. ah And I think that's what they're really trying to avoid against the Timbers. And in my opinion, i think that it has been mental and The reason why it has been mental is because the Sounders on the broader spectrum have been so much more successful than the Timbers that they always seem to have bigger things to prepare for, bigger things in their horizon.
00:07:40
Speaker
ah You know, the the the perfect one is when you're talking
Rivalry and Playoff Preparation
00:07:43
Speaker
about the red card for for Jackson Reagan, it was that there's the that was the unveiling of the icl CCL title. right And that game was terrible. I mean, he just he got out of hand. Yeah.
00:07:55
Speaker
And I do think that there has been a a sense as a group, and I know that Brian does a good job because he he does feel this rivalry deep in his heart.
00:08:08
Speaker
But as a group, it does feel like they have lessened the importance of the game because they've been honestly playing a for bigger things. right Now, I don't agree with it, and and I'm not saying that that's what every single one of these players thinks, but if I had to think about a common denominator, that would be the one.
00:08:29
Speaker
Well, and I think that you know MLS, we've said this many times, MLS is a league where the margins are really small. And the talent level is pretty even across the teams. Certainly, there's never been a point at which the Sounders are so much better than the Timbers that they can just sort of like get by on...
00:08:48
Speaker
you know, their talent alone. And, you know, it was a couple of years ago where Brian basically said, I don't know that this is is a rivalry anymore. You know, and and they've come back from that. But there was a point where he was really questioning his team's mindset going into this game. And I think they've corrected that in the in the year since, you know, they you know, in the last four meetings, they're one, one and two. So they've they've gotten two ties and they've gotten one win and gotten one loss. So it's not like the the recent results are that far off.
00:09:19
Speaker
But I do think that this, at least the message they're putting out right now is, no, we're focused on this game. This is a big one. and And there's a lot of reasons that it's a big one, and not the least of which is, even on paper, this is their last best chance to get something like something close to a full strength squad on the field together before the playoffs.
00:09:41
Speaker
Because next week, they're going to be missing a whole bunch of players. They're going to be missing Christian Oldon, we just found out. They're going to be missing Snyder Burnell. They're probably going to be missing Georgie Menungu. They're going to be missing Nuhu. They might be missing Obed. They might be missing Reed.
00:09:53
Speaker
You know, there's a lot of bodies that are going to be missing next week against RSL, a team they should still be able to beat, but it is not their best team. And then they're going go to New York City FC, which is notoriously one of the toughest places to play. They're doing cross-country trip for the last game of the season, which is...
00:10:09
Speaker
ridiculous that no one should have to be doing that, but whatever,
Key Players and Strategies
00:10:12
Speaker
that's what it is. They're going playing it on a baseball field. And so this is really their, if if they're going to kind of climb out of this postseason slump, this is where it has to start.
00:10:26
Speaker
And you you i don't know if you mentioned Snyder. I feel like that's one. Yeah, Snyder is another. He's getting into the U national team. Yeah, so i wanted to just make sure because I thought that was interesting because that center midfield position, which is the main feature of your system, is decimated. Yes. I don't even know. i mean, JP, for all that I've been able to find out, he feels ready at 80% to 90% ready and available, but he hasn't played 90% in forever.
00:10:55
Speaker
hasn't played at all in And he hasn't played it at all, right? So what happens there? How do you, you know, the sounders have been good at makeshifting, you know, players to to to add there, but because of the importance of the the two center midfielders, that's a concern, right? So you're absolutely right.
00:11:13
Speaker
That adds on to my perfect storm theory that the Sounders need to just put all their eggs in this basket, come out and play to the level and with the intensity in which they played that final here for Leagues Cup, where they were relentless, where they were a team that was connecting, that was dynamic,
00:11:34
Speaker
that seem to be as clinical as they've been, that had a ah whole volume of play, but defensively they were on 90 minutes. They barely allowed Miami to get in front of goal. There was a couple that obviously they missed, but that's what they need against this specific Timbersteen because look, Matias Rojas is a phenomenal player when it comes to mid-range shots, when it comes to set pieces.
00:11:56
Speaker
He's a very creative player. i think Anthony is by far the best player on that team. He could do absolutely everything on the ball. He's great on one-on-one. has also a great mid-range shot. He can finish.
00:12:09
Speaker
He's a guy that i think is going to overload your right side because it's going to be him and Mosquera on that side. So the defending left side for the Sounders, they're going to overload. They're going to push.
00:12:20
Speaker
They're going be very intense in their attack. So... I've said it on Monday. I say it again today. Seattle's going to have to outscore the Timbers. I would be surprised if they don't allow a goal. Now, if they don't, man, that's amazing. That's great. That's credit to the Sounders.
00:12:38
Speaker
But a lot of the responsibility, I think, for this game is going to be on the offense. It's going to be on Jordan Morris, a guy that... you know, we just talked to this week and he seems to be on.
00:12:49
Speaker
He understands the magnitude of this game. He understands that he just got a start where where he wasn't great, but I don't blame him because the whole team was disjointed in that first 45 minutes because of the two early substitutions, the injuries.
00:13:02
Speaker
So this is his game. He is the Seattle kid, right? He's the one that, as he said, has lived it in the stands, has lived it on the pitch. Now he gets to really come out here and prove it in a huge game. It, It's a must win. It's a must win. And his personal record against the Timbers is not too good. He only has one goal in 19 appearances, I believe.
00:13:25
Speaker
ah And so this would be a great chance for him to, you know, I don't, I don't read too. I mean, obviously this is, you know, a lot of different opponents in that, in those 19 games. So it's like, I don't think there's something about the Timbers that are ah making him bad, but.
00:13:39
Speaker
it It's the numbers are the numbers. And, you know, this would be a great game for him to break out. You know, he's been it does look like he's they're gearing him up to to start again this week.
00:13:49
Speaker
ah He has been pretty good, actually, when despite. despite not being on the field, he's, he's mostly gotten himself into good spots. He's actually done a pretty good job of, of finishing the chances that he has.
00:14:02
Speaker
But the last time he scored was way back in March because he's been hurt almost all the time. Right. Of course. and But you know, he, he, it's easy to forget, but he started the season off absolutely on fire.
00:14:13
Speaker
Uh, he had four goals in his first eight appearances And a bunch of those were off the bench. So, you know, in limited minutes, he's been pretty effective. And this but this is a this is going to be a huge opportunity for him, especially.
00:14:27
Speaker
Yeah, no, I think that he knows that. um I think that in this particular game, he's playing a defense that's not great. You know, that you know they are maybe not as bad as Miami has been at times.
00:14:42
Speaker
ah But, you know, against Dallas, just the the last game, I mean, that was a very gappy defense. And I feel like if there's a guy that could get behind a defense, he's a guy like ah Jordan Morris. And considering...
00:14:55
Speaker
The positions and the opportunities that he had against Austin, I see this game going a lot similar to that. I think him and Jesus Ferraro are going to be the duo watch in this game.
00:15:09
Speaker
And i don't know why I get a feeling like that's going to be the the the the the key to a successful attack for the Sounders team. I have really liked the partnership that Jesus and Jordan have had in their relatively brief time. They seem to really like playing with each other. They seem to really understand what the other one wants to do.
00:15:30
Speaker
Jordan has just spoken absolutely glowingly of playing with Jesus. Jesus has said really good things about playing with Jordan. That is a partnership that has a lot of potential, and hopefully we get to see more of it as this season progresses and you know hopefully into the playoffs.
00:15:46
Speaker
The other interesting thing, you touched on this ah earlier with the situation at center mid. Do we want to make any, like there's a few potential things that they could do They could start Snyder again, or they could move Albert back, or I suppose they could start Leyva.
00:16:03
Speaker
Which of those for you is the most intriguing? The most intriguing for me... but so I guess they can start JP too, although it does not seem particularly likely. Yeah. i I'm the type of person that i want my highest contributor, my my highest goal contributor to be closer to goal.
00:16:24
Speaker
So i i am not a huge fan of. Albert dropping a line. I understand it. And I feel like obviously he's a guy that has, you know, more recently this year has looked more dynamic. He's looked like he wants to do a lot more defending and and things that may be in the past.
00:16:45
Speaker
I haven't really thought that he does a lot of. Now, he's played the pivot before when he first got here. But he was not necessarily a a high volume defender. Correct. And that's kind of part of why, look, I understand that maybe in the distribution part and on the experience part, he's going to able to connect a lot.
00:17:00
Speaker
But he's a guy that maybe this year has up to his level of defense. So I get why he's an option and why Brian has clearly shown us that he wants to play him there. But at the same time,
00:17:13
Speaker
I would love to, at one point or another, get JP there. I don't know where he's at physically in game rhythm, game fitness, but I feel like he's the guy that I would want next to k Christian.
00:17:26
Speaker
And then obviously when Christian is gone, that's going to be where you kind of figure out what you're doing. You might be forced to play JP and Albert there because you don't really have anything else there. You could play Alex there. You could play Kalani there.
00:17:37
Speaker
But I feel like maybe the Albert-JP team duo that at one point was a thing when he first got here, maybe you want to revive that. I mean, let it to a Champions league That's right. So the the big question mark is where JP's at? but But for me, that's what I would like
Player Impact and Momentum Building
00:17:55
Speaker
to see.
00:17:55
Speaker
ah Now, I would love Danny Leyva to get the play time. I just don't know if this particular game would be the one I want to see him in. yeah And I've liked him more in a higher role.
00:18:06
Speaker
So if maybe you are obligated to play with... Albert next to Christian, I would like to see Danny Leyva at the 10, just to see how it works out. You start with Ferreira on the right side, and then if it's not working out, you remove Danny Leyva, you bring in Paul Rothrock, and you slide Ferreira at the 10.
00:18:25
Speaker
But I would like to see it at one point just fit that way. you would like You really want to see JP play some this week, though, even if it's not starting. Because he's almost certainly going to have to start against ours against RSL. There's just not other options. if you can If he's able to play, he needs to start. Because, they're just like I said, there's just not very many. but So you would like to get him some 15, 30 minutes maybe against...
00:18:50
Speaker
thirty minutes maybe against a against Portland. The other interesting one is Pedro de la Vega, who we've talked about a lot, uh, over the, you know, recent weeks, even in his, in his not playing.
00:19:04
Speaker
But this does seem like an opportunity to see what they, you know, one of the things that Brian said today is like, we want to test him out essentially and see how his knee feels. And if he can get through it, great.
00:19:15
Speaker
And, but they need to, test they need to really test it out. And so it it seems like, We'll see. you know, he all but guaranteed that Pedro is going to play against Portland.
00:19:26
Speaker
This seems like a good opportunity for that. After hearing Brian talk about Pedro today, i would think that you start him. And here's why. I remember um Siggy, you know, rest in peace, would tell me if there's a guy that I don't know where he's at physically and I'm trying to test the injury, I'd rather have him on when he starts because he has a longer time to warm up. Before the game starts, you get to activate the muscles.
00:19:54
Speaker
You get to look at where that knee or that, ah you know, ligament or whatever is that you're kind of being careful with is at right before the game. You might have to do a a scratch right before the game.
00:20:05
Speaker
And then once you get on, then you have a sub. If it's 15 minutes, 20 minutes and something happens, something goes wrong, you can replace them. To add on to that, we've kind of established that Pedro needs to start to find the game to get himself in the best positions, to be effective and successful.
00:20:23
Speaker
So everything, to me, makes me believe that Pedro will start this game. and And that's an exciting prospect. You know, he has been I think it's it's funny that we think about this. He has been so dynamic when he's been on the field.
00:20:40
Speaker
ah he He really is an X factor. And I've said this before, but when he is on the field, it gives the Sounders just another level that they can reach. And I think maybe more so than any other one player is that Pedro de la Vega. And it's not because he is every minute being relentless. It's just that his moments of brilliance have a potential to just lift the team in ways that, you know, other players just I mean, he's that talented.
00:21:06
Speaker
yeah We see him out at training this week. Another great week of training for him where he's just banging in goal after goal after goal. sending in these beautiful crosses, doing all this stuff. And it's just a good reminder of like when this guy is on, he is a really special player.
00:21:21
Speaker
It's his creativity. It is his ah incisiveness. It is ah how defined he's with the ball. It's the work rate that he brings to the table.
00:21:33
Speaker
I just think that specifically for this game, if we're talking about a team that... A lot like um the Miami team where Cello on that right back side is is more of an attacker.
00:21:47
Speaker
Mosquera is similar. He's great getting forward, but he has a hard time defending. So if I'm going to exploit a part of the field, he's going to be with Pedro, getting behind him, pushing him, pulling him, really making him almost anchor him back. So it works in so many ways.
00:22:02
Speaker
So, yeah, mean, for me, Pedro is a guy that, as you mentioned and we've talked about, he's the X factor for this team because he has just so many tools in his shed. He has so many ways to influence the game. And he's a guy that it doesn't matter what minute he's been on the field, he could pull magic.
00:22:20
Speaker
out of his head in any moment. That rabbit is there for him to just grab and take it out. It's just about when he's gonna do it. So there is no other player in this in this team that I feel comfortable saying that in any moment he's gonna be able to do that.
00:22:32
Speaker
And that's why he's so important, right? So to me, This game with, you know, we just talked about Jordan. We'll talk about Ferrer. We'll talk about Pedro. That is an offense that, man, it has a lot of potential. But they have to play 90 minutes and they have to be on.
00:22:48
Speaker
And this is the game where, you know, maybe you started. You need to trend this team in the right direction. And that's so we've talked about. it It's not about the standings. It's not even necessarily about the rivalry. It's about getting this team going. Yeah, no, I would agree with all that, that it's that it's at this point, it's more important than, OK, you haven't beaten the Timbers at home in a long time. That's an interesting stat, but it's not that important. Ultimately, what's important is getting this team rolling, getting this team ready for the playoffs.
00:23:14
Speaker
Again, you know, we've talked about this is that they're they're going to finish between five and seven almost no matter what they do. ah There's like very little movement that's left to happen within the Western Conference standings. It's not about that. It's about getting yourself playing as well as possible.
00:23:29
Speaker
And it start it has to really start tonight. Or not tonight, tomorrow. Yeah, and I guess the other one ah that we haven't touched on is Alex Roldan. Yeah. and you know He seems to be full on. He seemed to be healthy enough to be available.
00:23:44
Speaker
you know Yeah, and in fact, i think I think Brian actually said he would be available. Yeah, so so he will be available. But does he start? I think that maybe. You know, it's... ah It's hard to see ah better option, I guess, to start off the game. I mean, you could always go with Kalani, right?
00:24:02
Speaker
um But Kalani has had some so ups and downs as of lately. i was surprised that Brian talked about him plateauing a little bit, which is you know is fair. I mean, it is fair. I think that ever since the since they've come back from League's Cup, Kalani has not been able to find the same form that he found.
00:24:20
Speaker
And I think part of that is the circumstances of the games, the opponents. You know, he's not a guy that you can just roll out against every opponent and expect the same kind of performance. He is he's still at the point of his career where he is at his best when he's able to get in transition.
00:24:37
Speaker
He's at his best when he's able to use his physicality and then when the games are not quite as tactical and technical, But, you know, that's maybe a good that might actually be a good matchup for for this one, because, you know, there is potentially some gaps there.
00:24:50
Speaker
But, you know, what why don't we take a break? We'll come back and we'll talk a little bit more specifically about the Timbers and some of the challenges that you're they're going to pose. You're listening to No Sardegas. Thank you for listening to the Sounder at Heart Podcast Network, which now includes Nos Adietes, Loving Scorchers, and The Cooler Guild. Although this podcast is free, it's only made possible through our paid subscribers.
00:25:10
Speaker
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00:25:48
Speaker
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Promotions and Timbers' Analysis
00:26:02
Speaker
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Speaker
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00:27:14
Speaker
Welcome back to Nos Adietes. All right. Timbers are sitting two points behind the Sounders in the standings. They have played one more game. So theoretically, even if the Sounders lose this game, they could still pass the Timbers just by winning their game in hand.
00:27:32
Speaker
So it's not so much the standings that are important, ah but it is there's a lot else going on here. what do you What can you tell us about the Timbers? what they They are coming off a tie against Dallas. They've only won three times in the last few months.
00:27:49
Speaker
But this is a team that still poses some real danger. ah They do. I feel like they're a team that a lot like the Sounders, there are times that they could find a lot of volume offensively, like that midweek game against Vancouver where they just dominated ah the the chances in the first 45, if not 50 minutes of that game.
00:28:08
Speaker
It was interesting because in that game they play with a back line of three, which is something that I think ah Phil has been dabbling with and and kind of putting that in his bag. um When that does happen, he likes to play with Anthony as that wing back in ah in that side. And I feel like it does set them up to stop counters and stop quick transition moments um because... ah Sermon, Superrich, and Miller ah kind of do a good job at just having just three big guys there in the middle.
00:28:42
Speaker
ah they They do allow ah Miller to get forward a little bit more. And Miller's been a guy that at times has played as ah as a last back, you know, for for that team. So... um To me, the fortitude of this team is on the wide areas. They want to get the ball out quick.
00:28:56
Speaker
I feel like Matias Rojas has added a set piece threat that maybe they didn't necessarily have in the past. um But the big question mark is that the nine position.
00:29:10
Speaker
Kelsey has been as inconsistent ah he as he has been since he arrived in the league. You know, he seems to be a guy that at times could feel like he could be this phenomenal striker. But for the most part, to be quite honest, has been underwhelming.
00:29:23
Speaker
And the other guy's Felipe Mora, a guy that loves to play the Sounders. I've talked to Felipe. He loves scoring in the Sounders. So he is a guy that I would be very careful. now I think he's going to start. He'd be the guy that when you have that desire to score on a team, that's the guy you want on.
00:29:39
Speaker
um And he's a very mobile guy. He understands where to be. This is where the team misses Iamar Gomez-Andrade. and Not any shade on on Kim, not any shade on on Jackson, but when it comes to really limiting a guy like that, that's who I want on now.
00:29:55
Speaker
I know that Yammer has been on when Mora has had a couple of good games, but in that game, you know, there had there was the red card game with Jackson Reagan. So there have some circumstances, but with the level of play that Yammer has given you this year, man, that's a guy I would like to have against a guy like Mora. But to just conclude it all, I'm not painting you juggernaut on the attacking end, but I am giving you a an outlook on a team that has talented players that could expose the Sounders if they allow soft goals that we've talked about, just easy giveaways if there isn't a a communication level that you want in.
00:30:37
Speaker
And that's why, to me, you need to start Alex. I just i feel like you need your four most highest floor, most experienced guys so those sort of situations don't happen.
00:30:50
Speaker
The Timbers press is interesting as well. ah It kind of fluctuates. But when they do press high, I feel like they are um effective on that on that press. ah So, yeah, that that's kind of what this team has provided in a little bit of a nutshell.
00:31:06
Speaker
So David DaCosta is the one of the players who has been, when they're good, David DaCosta has been oftentimes the guy who's in the middle of it for him. What have you made of him? It seems like he's slowed down a little bit after a really good start.
00:31:19
Speaker
I feel like he slowed down a lot. ah Obviously, to me, he was never going to be Evander. But that's not necessarily a terrible thing. Because if what we've seen out of Evander in Cincinnati is that despite how good he is, because God, is he good, a lot of times it's all about Evander, right? Evander just kind of, the the the ball transitions through him.
00:31:40
Speaker
ah it gravitates to him. He's your goal scorer. He's your goal distributor. He's putting set pieces on. The cost that seems to be a guy that just links up back A little more facilitator.
00:31:51
Speaker
More of a facilitator. He's very creative. He's good on the ball. um he He could be goal dangerous, but not good. not Not enough for me to consider him a threat, to be quite frank. But he's a guy that might put it away because he does make good runs inside the box.
00:32:04
Speaker
But mainly, I think he's more of a distributor, more of a guy that's going to get your your wingers or your wingbacks involved and a guy that's going to really look to service in your nine.
00:32:15
Speaker
And then one of the players that's new to this team since we last saw them is a ah Norwegian player named Christopher Velde, who is, you know, he's ah he's a flurry
Timbers' Strategies and Player Changes
00:32:28
Speaker
type of player. he He likes to dribble. He likes to shoot from distance.
00:32:32
Speaker
he ah He's not necessarily a statistical darling, but he is someone that can that can create some some real high moments. He's almost, you know, he's like a Like maybe like almost like a Ryan Kent in some ways. Yeah, he's another guy that likes to get wide, likes to play on the wide areas.
00:32:48
Speaker
um Physicality is definitely there for him. But his first touch a lot of times to me just doesn't sit well for what what I want out of a player that high up the field.
00:33:01
Speaker
um I think that he finds the game well, but um I don't know if... Maybe with the system they're playing, he's been able to kind of get a little bit more influence.
00:33:12
Speaker
But he just hasn't been as impactful as you would think a guy would come in ah later in the season and and has been a starter for this squad. He has been a starter, yeah. Yeah, he's he's got two assists, basically, ah since he since he came.
00:33:26
Speaker
And then the... It's also kind of interesting that Zuperich has, has kind of come back into this team. Uh, you know, early in the year, he was relegated to essentially playing in open cup. You know, he was one of the starters against, uh, defiance in when the set, when defiance played, uh, the Timbers earlier this year, him and McGraw, uh, McGraw is a player who's oddly also kind of completely disappeared from their regular rotation.
00:33:49
Speaker
Uh, But yeah, their their defense is sort of set up similar to the Sounders in that it's technically a back four, but really Kamal Miller's been playing as a left back, but he's he's like more of a ah stay at home left back and and Mascara is, ah you know, effectively ah another winger. Yeah, don don't let the Kamal Miller banger distract you from the fact that he's not an attacking. No, that wast was when I saw that was Kamal Miller. i was like, where did that come from? a Hell of a goal. It was a hell of goal. It was one of those that never come back. Right. I mean, it was the perfect bounce, perfect connect on the ball. And he just it went right in.
00:34:24
Speaker
But yeah, I think you're absolutely right. I think that regardless of whether at times they sit more with three or they play with a four man back line, a lot of times he's going to be the guy that stays back because you do have a guy like Mosquera that you want higher up the field. Right. You need him to be a guy that's going to give you that width. And honestly, there are a lot of times where you need another player to add on to Anthony because of what we just said up about David Acosta. He doesn't necessarily have the dynamism to get to certain spots. But when Mosquera and Anthony are both up higher on the field, they do look a lot more dangerous. Yeah. So that just to give a little bit more context, that was his fourth career MLS goal and his first since 2022. Yeah.
00:35:08
Speaker
two Quite a goal to score. If people miss this, it was a ah it was ah like a big a half volley basically ah from about 30 yards out against the Whitecaps that just came absolute thunderstrike. It was kind of amazing where it where it came from.
00:35:26
Speaker
ah But then sort of since that goal. they've They've struggled a little bit. yeah In the second half against Vancouver, they were dramatically outplayed. They were very lucky to get out of Vancouver with a point.
00:35:38
Speaker
and then Dallas was the same thing. And then Dallas, they they twice had the lead, and they twice blew the lead. And they had a really hard time putting away a pretty mediocre to maybe bad Dallas team.
00:35:49
Speaker
And I think a lot of it comes because there is a a lack of um a lack of possession from their midfield. They don't really play through it. And I feel like they have a hard time managing games because of it.
00:36:05
Speaker
They've rotated that pivot consistently. Sometimes it's Ayala with Rojas. Rojas is a guy that's going to give you... Rarely any real defensive presence there. ah So but you know they've been able to, by the time, put Ryan, who despite him being 39,
00:36:24
Speaker
He is a guy that you want in in this sort of games because he if there's a timber for life, it's Chadha. Right. And he's a guy that can still run, can still carry. He's going to push. He's going to grind. He's going to really give you that defensive pressure.
00:36:39
Speaker
So that's why I think that he might be a guy that's going to be part of this team. Ortiz is a guy that also has been all around and kind of has coming off out of this team. So there are some question marks about who's going to be starting in that midfield. Interesting.
00:36:52
Speaker
Well, ah and it does seem like though the goalkeeper now, ah butte Pentemis, has essentially reestablished himself as a starter. I know they keep kind of going back and forth between Crepeau and him, but Pentemis seems to have taken the spot. Yeah, and he's he's he's good. i don't know if I can think of any game where, you know, I have put a goal on him.
00:37:14
Speaker
so maybe not... ah Yeah, no, no, no, not any. So yeah he's he's a decent um ah goalkeeper there. But I think that the struggles there have been just mainly on defense. I think Finn Sermon has been probably the most consistent. And Finn Sermon, people might remember, he made his MLS debut against the Sounders in i remember last year.
00:37:38
Speaker
and he was fantastic in that game. And he's really been he saved. i remember he saved a goal against the the. Sounders in the first game this year. ah It's been kind of like that. He's been very good for them. New Zealand international, young player.
00:37:52
Speaker
Really, I mean, honestly, ah and a very good signing for them. And aside from that, i I think that neither of the other guys that we've talked about, Superich or Kamau Miller, any of them, I think have the wheels yeah to really keep up with this attack.
00:38:06
Speaker
and And that has to be where you want to exploit this team. You've got to get Jordan behind the center backs. Yes. Because I guarantee you that Kamal Miller, sometimes he feels like he's got cement in the bottom of those shoes because he does struggle to get back. So being a guy that at times is kind of told to kind of push up a little bit more, can you expose those moments? Can you allow them to get a little bit comfortable where they're pushing in? And that's why I think an early goal for the Sounders would be important because you're kind of making Portland have to go out there and just add numbers forward.
00:38:37
Speaker
And with the issues that they have in midfield and the issues they have with – a little bit of speed in the center back areas, that is a a perfect way that the Sounders can really take advantage of being at home from the very first minute. I think that Seattle needs to be that team that puts all the pressure on Portland.
00:38:56
Speaker
And if they get a goal, man, I think that it's a given that Seattle going to have control of that game. Now, the on the opposite end, if it's an early Portland goal, It'd be a struggle. It's always. Yeah. it I mean, anytime you anytime you give up the first goal, it's always going to be a struggle.
00:39:11
Speaker
Yeah. So... um For me, Seattle in this one should be looked at as the favorite because of everything that they've been able to do in this game.
00:39:23
Speaker
But when it comes to these Derby games, you kind of just throw it all out. So that's why I tell people, they ask me, is Seattle a favorite? was like, well, sure, you could say that. But in the reality of it is that Portland always comes out and regardless of how they're doing in their season, they put it on... on on the Sounders and and and they're going to have to play a full 90, Jeremiah. They have to play a full 90. It's something that as Brian just mentioned, maybe it's a little bit of passion.
00:39:49
Speaker
And that's why I like what Paul Rothrock said this week, right? He talked about that. I felt like sometimes we've got to protect our guys a little bit more. That's what I want to see out on that field. Now I'm not saying go crazy and punch somebody or, you know, throw a ball on somebody's face and hit a red card, but let them know you're there. And you know, if there is the moment, there was a ah moment in poor against Portland where, know,
00:40:10
Speaker
ah This young kid body checks somebody on the ah right side of the Saunders defense, and Paul Rothrock runs across the field to be like, hey, man, but back
Christian Roldan's National Team Role
00:40:19
Speaker
up. And then Albert Rusnak lays some guy out in the other side of the field.
00:40:25
Speaker
That's what you need to do. You've got to be able to go tit for tat when it comes to the physicality because I guarantee you that Portland's going to want to come in here and act like this. they're going to just take it to the Sounders. Yeah, absolutely.
00:40:38
Speaker
Well, that's probably a good place to put a pin in that. One other thing I wanted to talk about, just because it's been sort of a big topic this week around here, is Christian Roldan getting back into the national team. Now, this is his second consecutive call-up.
00:40:51
Speaker
And this one seems a little bit more, you know, last one felt a little bit. First of all, he wasn't part of the initial squad. He was a late addition. He ended up playing a fair amount. I think he impressed in at least in his second appearance.
00:41:03
Speaker
And this one, though, he was part of the, you know, he's part of what seems pretty close to an a team. Like it wouldn't be like this won't be the exact roster that Pochettino brings to the World Cup.
00:41:16
Speaker
But. you know It could be 20-odd players from the from the World Cup squad. This is a huge opportunity, and I think it says a lot about the strides that Roldan has made, considering he hadn't been called in for two years to now get called into two straight camps, two straight friendlies that are the final two friendlies before we're in the World Cup year.
00:41:37
Speaker
it It feels like it's it's there for the taking, his him to claim a spot if if it's if he can get in. Absolutely. ah And I think he will get in. I think that everything that I've heard from Pochettino, everything that I heard from k Christian today, because from the outside looking in it feels like Christian can provide the exact things that Pochettino wants out of that role.
00:42:07
Speaker
And Pochettino is not asking the world out of that role. They want you to be defensively disciplined. They want you to be aggressive, but cover a lot of field, bring energy.
00:42:18
Speaker
And to be quite honest, simplify... your role as an attacker where yeah we, what we've seen out of Christian over the last two friendlies is that he's quick on the ball. He's going to turn it around and and and look for that pass first, be positive with all your, your passing.
00:42:33
Speaker
And I know that there was a lot of people criticizing. He had the one bad giveaway and then, you know, people were really going back and going minute for minute on maybe some passes that weren't exactly perfect, but Christian tends to be a guy that's pretty good with the ball, conservative with the ball.
00:42:51
Speaker
So regardless of what people may think, I thought that he was key in a lot of transition moments during the last two friendlies that he played in. And that's why I think he's going to get in because k Christian will do what the coach asked him to do.
00:43:06
Speaker
He's a system guy that he shines here for the Sounders. He has a huge responsibility. He can play at the highest level. He's never going to give up He's going to be a huge blue guy in the locker room. They're just so many things out of Christian that you want in a national team. So to me, yes, he'll get called up, obviously, to this once. I think he'll continue to play well.
00:43:27
Speaker
And I see him playing in the club, in in the in the World Cup next year. Yeah, and I think that's another thing that Pochettino really likes about him is that he wants someone that has that team that I'm going to play for the crest, that I am going to hold my teammates accountable, that I'm going to raise the level in training, that everyone respects,
00:43:48
Speaker
And I think that that they need some of those type of guys. And that's how he got into the previous World Cup team, not necessarily as a player. like oh It was almost like he was ah a coach in some ways.
00:43:59
Speaker
This time, I feel like he's raised his level. He has a much more clearly more clearly defined role. And then you pair that with all the other off-field stuff. i I like his chances a lot. i like I've liked his chances. i I've long believed that if Pochettino brought him in and got an up-close look at him, he would kind of fall in love with Christian Roldan, and that seems to be kind of what's happening.
00:44:18
Speaker
Yeah. and Christian has made a career out of that, right? I mean, you know, he's a guy that just has has that ability to do so. Just give me a shot. I mean, that's everywhere he's gone is like, just give me a shot and I'll work and i'll and i'll earn my minutes.
00:44:32
Speaker
And everywhere he goes, that's what happens. And sometimes you need that underdog mentality. And look, if there's been something and look, I'm not like way on the, I don't know, let's call it the right side where, know,
00:44:44
Speaker
ah They're saying that, you know, these Wayas and the Pulisic, they're these diva players that don't really play for the badge and that, you know, that's the problem with the U.S. national team.
00:44:56
Speaker
But I do think that there's something to that. Right. And I'm also not on the and on the other side that you just it need to have guys that are that are not talented and they only have. Right. you know, intangibles, but I think that there's a middle ground. And I do believe that you need a mix.
00:45:10
Speaker
Yeah. You need a mix. And, and, and Christian Roldan, despite not being the most talented player in the pool of players, he is a guy that has all the intangibles plus a very good, um,
00:45:23
Speaker
set of attributes that you could put in a system. And so, yeah so to me, there's, there's really a lot to what you just said. So you need someone that's going to feel the team that's going to really get out here and just put everything he has into it.
00:45:36
Speaker
ah Luna is a similar guy where he's going to be in there. He plays like an underdog. He has chip on his shoulder the size of you know the world on top of him because that's how he plays the game. And I think that Christian values similarly. But additionally, his IQ is incredibly high.
00:45:53
Speaker
He's a guy that, as we mentioned, his motor, his engine is it's huge. He's got a V12 block in his chest. That's what you want out of it, right? So he's just the the the perfect guy for what I think Pochettino wants.
00:46:07
Speaker
I would agree with all
Conclusion and Platforms
00:46:08
Speaker
that. And that's probably a good place to put a pin in today's episode of ah what we learned this week. Nico, ah people can follow you, obviously, on Blue Sky, El Rolo, NW. You are on ah Soccer Down Here. You're on Lobbing Scorchers.
00:46:25
Speaker
anywhere Anything else you got going on that you want share with the people? No, just go ahead and also check Capulso Sports if there's ever on our YouTube, if there's interviews that maybe don't make it to the Sounders. We're trying to get yeah we're trying to get some ah more coaches' corners stuff. Yeah, and we've been trying, but they have not allowed us to talk to many of the coaches lately. We've made some requests. want to talk to Tommy. ah you know Maybe we'll have to just talk to Freddie because you know I guess Tommy, at this point in time, you know he's in a difficult situation.
00:46:54
Speaker
role right now. Right. but you know, we're definitely going to get that back on, on Puzzle Sports and of course, Sounder at Heart. Yeah, absolutely. All right. Uh, with all that said, I am Jeremiah Shan signing off for Nico Moreno.
00:47:05
Speaker
This is No Saudietes, part of the Sounder at Heart podcast network, and we'll catch you next time.
00:47:38
Speaker
Let's go at Sounders. um