Transcript
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.
Speaker: Come on. Hey, O'Shaughness. Let's The Seattle Sounders have done it. MLS Cup winners. The Sounders rule the region.
Speaker: Ooch of a gooch! All creatures, great and small! Rothrock gonna collect it, he does about, runs into the advertising order. Low to our left, ball goes in! Oh, what a goal! Where's my copy? got bunch of them How many do you cost them? 50 bucks.
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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.
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Speaker: Welcome back to another episode of Monday Soundcheck on the Sounder at Heart Podcast Network. We are here at the Sounder at Heart Studios in the International District of Seattle.
Speaker: We are here with Nico Moreno and Adam Race. Take it away, guys. Thank you, Joe, as always, for producing and opening our show. Always happy to be back talking, Sounders.
Speaker: Is this going to be part two of our show? ah what We should ask the people here because every show we have a list of things we want to go through. we understand we're having some internet issues in the first part of our show.
Speaker: If you guys really didn't catch anything we used that we said for the first 30 minutes... We can take it from the top. we could just Yeah, I think so too. So, hey, if you're live in here and you're watching, um first of all, let us know. the Let us know if this is coming through um and that you can hear us and everything like that.
Speaker: And we can, you know, we can... give you everything we had before. ah We've got a lot to talk about here. um yeah let's call it let's call it part two for now. Let's call it part two as we continue to check and we do apologize for the issues with audio. We have been trying effortlessly to give you guys better quality in terms of the streaming. We know we have absolutely the best content when it comes to the sounders. It is a delivery that hasn't quite come through.
Speaker: We appreciate your patience, your feedback, your comments, Without you, we would have not known that we were unlistenable. So, A, we were talking about a team in the Sounders. We already went over the particulars of what went wrong, the things that Brian Smetzer maybe got wrong.
Speaker: But, you know, moving forward and in a world where this team needs to win the rest of their games in but what are some of those key components that they kind of have to put together. We can talk about San Diego FC and the challenges that that's gonna, you know,
Speaker: provide this this team and and this group of players will face playing in San Diego. But for right now, let's just talk in the general sense. like what what What is it about this team that really needs to get figured out and that, you know, both you and I know that this team has the talent at the very least to make a run. But how do you get that done? Yeah, well, I'll start. And I know that you caught a good amount of what happened in part one. It wasn't perfect. but But to go back to that, because it's relevant to your question here, what needs to happen for this team to hit the ground running going into the playoffs is that we need to know
Speaker: Who's going to be out there to start matches. And I think the frustrating thing about this past weekend and this past week is that we know who's best out there. It just needs to be solidified. Brian needs to sit with something and say, this is the 11 I'm putting out.
Speaker: I think that we have seen plenty of what we need to see against new England, against Dallas and now against Montreal. unfortunate that we didn't win against Montreal. Unfortunately, we lost against Dallas. If there's any positive that you can take out of it is I really do think we know what the 11 needs to look like, or at the very least know some guys that should not be starting.
Speaker: One thing that we need to do as we hit the playoffs is that needs to be set. Caden Claw... Clark Cain's a fun player to watch. I've enjoyed him on the Sounders. I think he was a diamond in the rough pickup during the transfer window.
Speaker: He's probably our fourth string winger. He is not who should be starting on the right wing ahead of Jesus Ferreira, ahead of even a Paul Areola or a Seba Gomez or Jordan Morris on the right with Areola or Gomez on the left.
Speaker: I have no idea why Brian thought that Caden Clark was the guy to go against Montreal. I think he was experimenting too much. I think he was trying too much. I think the time to do that, it's done. It's in the past.
Speaker: The playoffs start now. You don't put out an experiment for the playoffs. You put out the best 11 you have. That will improve what we saw in the first 45 against Montreal.
Speaker: If it's the same guys out there who know how to play off each other, that first half against Montreal was disjointed. It looks like guys playing a pickup game at times around the back line. Ryan Saylor picks up the ball.
Speaker: Ryan Saylor had 80 touches. Ryan Saylor should never have 80 touches. I'm sorry. That just shows how lackadaisical, how lethargic the team was in the first 45 minutes. You mentioned how many touches Yamar had. He had 120. He did play the full 90.
Speaker: Ryan Saylor, 80 touches in only 64 minutes played. Never, never, never should be happening. The touches should be coming in the midfield. they should be coming out wide. We weren't getting into the midfield. We weren't getting it out wide in the first 45. It was such an unentertaining, boring, disappointing first 45 minutes of soccer.
Speaker: Ryan Saylor, I'm glad we have him as depth. I don't want to see Ryan sailor on the ball as nearly as much as we did in this game. i don't want to see any center back on the ball nearly as much as we saw Yamar and Ryan sailor on the ball in the first 45 minutes. That'll be solved. If we have the people out there who know how to advance it, who know how to play Schmetzer ball, who know how to play in the,
Speaker: flow that we've gotten into in the last month or two. I think that once that is set, it'll be perfect. I have a very clear idea of what needs to happen as far as the 11 goes. And, you know, we were talking about this before we switched over to part two, I believe Jordan Moore should be on the right And I think our Paul Areola should be on the left, or maybe we try Jesus out on the, on the left. But I think if Jesus Ferreira is getting in this lineup, it needs to be on the left or at the 10, at least to start matches because right now he's not as good as Jordan Morris on the right, in my opinion. And I think we can agree that he's not as good of a nine as day on Jovalich is.
Speaker: That's where I think that is. Um, Hassani Dotson, not his best match, but, I still think he showed some good link-up play, especially in the second half. You know he's always going to bring that box-to-box grit.
Speaker: And with the way he was playing before that, he's absolutely locked up that starting role. Christian Roldan, no-brainer. He's going to stay there. And Roldan did stay there in the starting 11. He stayed there the full 90 minutes.
Speaker: No surprises he's going to be out there um as long as the season goes on, as long as he's in a Sounders shirt. That's his position. Nuhu... we say it every single week, but we should be thanking new who as much as possible. He has put in more minutes than any other outfield player on this team at left back. And we don't really have another left back option. Like we can stick Paul Areola back there in a pinch, but you know, you get a little scared when new who goes down with the broken finger and you're like oh my God, what do we do? If new who can't play, where do we go? We talked about this on Friday, that it was just this big relief that knew who was going to be able to play.
Speaker: but knew who has it locked up on the left. Alex rolled on has been great on the right and Alex rolled on can cover center back. I don't prefer him covering center back, but he should be covering center back before Ryan sailor is because Kalani Kosarenzi. He didn't have a good game against Dallas.
Speaker: I'd much rather have Kalani on right back and Alex and center back than Ryan sailor at center back and Alex or Donna right back. That might be a moot point because Jackson Reagan's obviously he's going to get back from having the flu. Stu Hawkins, great depth at center back. I think he could get some starts at center back in a pinch.
Speaker: um Or if there's just a shocking show of form from Jackson Reagan or Yamar, I don't expect that to happen. Stuart Hawkins. Great to have him one for the future. He's the depth at center back. Alex is the emergency option at center back. I think we proved against Montreal that Ryan Saylor is the emergency, emergency depth at center back.
Speaker: Once that's all figured out, it'll be good day on Jovlich. He's getting on the ball. That's the great thing about what we saw against Dallas and against Montreal. The goals will come. It's been very odd seeing him not put away these opportunities. Struggling. I have trust in him to get it back.
Speaker: He is a professional. And what I love about Dan Jovolic is that since he got here, he holds himself to a very high standard. He knows that he's good. I think in the modern day of soccer, there's not enough players who are willing to go in front of the press and be like, I'm going to score a lot of goals. I'm good.
Speaker: And he doesn't do it in a showboating kind of way. He's right. He's so good. And he's so... good at working within a team. How he's worked within that team has shifted a little bit because he's been getting much more service in these last couple of games. Whereas before he was kind of creating out of nothing.
Speaker: I think you can take from these last couple of matches that even though day on has not scored, we've found the formula to get him the ball and to get him in the positions. You just got to hope that he starts putting him away. i have full faith that he's going to start putting him away. But you're right, Nico. It's some very odd to watch. I think a couple times he gets denied by great saves or great blocks, but he has to have at least a goal against Dallas. I think he has to have a goal in this Montreal game.
Speaker: I'm not worried. Are you worried at all about Dan Jovalich or do you think this is just a blip for him? No, I think that there are ruts that strikers go through, and it's about just getting that first goal and the damn wolf, you know, open up for Dajon. I have no lack of confidence in his ability to do so, but I do worry about...
Speaker: the lack of time to get this team flowing at its best because of the lack of continuity. So recapping a little bit of the major points, Adam just did a phenomenal job at breaking out some of the things that we talked about, but going a little bit off of what we have said about this team, just needing to figure out their main starting 11. do think that Joe voice will benefit out of understanding and Creating a bigger rapport with guys like, to me, Jesus Ferreira, that you and I going disagree. Jesus, to me, is a guaranteed starter in this team. He was phenomenal. And really the reason why you ended up getting an equalizer in the Montreal game. So to me, his ability to repress, depress, his defensive contributions, his ability to be a playmaker. He, to me, is the best passer in the final third because he is...
Speaker: got the willingness to thread the needle and really force the ball in situations. at the I thought that when he came on, his link of play was phenomenal. He was involved in just about every single great play or great opportunity that the team created after the 70th minute when the Sounders play like the Sounders, like we knew they were supposed to play. and for me, that part is key. He,
Speaker: found jovial is consistently inside the 18 he also helps to release a guy like jordan morris because of the the way he uses the half spaces the way uh he's so quick with his uh first touch passing he just creates so many better opportunities both in transition and in possession that to me he is fundamental for this team in the final third but Overall, it's about Bryant Smetzer no longer being able to ignore the fact that he has to find his starting 11. We were shouting out Lauren Helzberg from Q13 because of the question about the starting 11, but also one that we have not talked about, Adam, Sandra, our family, J.O. on the board.
Speaker: The team got booed at the halftime and after the game. Lauren asked Brian about it. Brian said he talked to the guys, told them that they deserve to get booed. He deserved to get booed.
Speaker: This is not where you want your team getting booed or your head coach saying that he deserved getting booed because you were developing some real momentum and all this is killing it.
Speaker: So, The margin for error is so low that the fan base is on edge, and they had every ride to show their frustration by booing the team the way they did because the start of this game was unacceptable because of the lineup choices, because of the lack of a conviction, because of the lack of ah tempo. They were never the team that created...
Speaker: the tempo. They were not the protagonists to start this game off. It was the worst team in the league and the second worst road team that really created the chances that that took over the game from you. That is unacceptable from a Sounders team that I still stand here and tell you that is back, but it's hard for you to continue to work and build off of that when you're just playing around with the lineup the way you are.
Speaker: This team Needs continuity. They need to create a report. and And that is the most important thing moving forward against San Diego.
Speaker: A very good possession team. A team that's coming of a 2-2 draw against l LA where they were down 2-0, if I'm not mistaken. That's a very good San Diego team. You're not going to be able to...
Speaker: mess around and give up the ball in vulnerable areas the way you did against Montreal, who should have had three goals if if there were a better team. You know, if Alexi Sanchez is giving you problems, Dreyer is going to tear you apart.
Speaker: Obviously, against Diego, you should have Jackson back next to Yeymar. Yeymar, who obviously was best 11 of the match day, But you don't want to use him the way you use him, to your point, about him being on the ball as much as he did. Because although he did it and he could do it, that's not his best attribute. So moving forward, this team just has to figure out who are the best 11 and go to San Diego and take it to that team.
Speaker: It's a difficult game, Adam. At San Diego, regardless of the ups and downs that that team has had over you know the last month or two, they're not as...
Speaker: dangerous as as maybe years past. I don't think they're as effective on the ball. They've had some issues defensively, particularly even with a guy like Duel in the back. It has a lot to do with the midfield, in my opinion, but not ah not an easy game. you you You missed your chance on the easy game. Now you have to go and perform and try to fight back and get back some points that you gave up at home.
Speaker: And it's interesting because when we came into this three game week, we looked at new England, Dallas and Montreal. And we thought to ourselves, Hey, if we pick up four points in this three game stretch, we'd be pretty happy. This is probably the opposite of how we expected these four points to get picked up.
Speaker: From the first two games of this week, you can bring out so many positives, even from the loss. I think we were way better than Dallas. I think we are very unlucky to lose that game one nothing. I think that is exactly how it had to go for Dallas to steal all three points at home.
Speaker: They gamed us a little bit. We got unlucky day on should have finished. They had a great goalkeeping performance. I know that fans hate for us to sit here and be like, oh, but it was a good performance, but it was, it was a good performance. I think it was a, it was more positive than the,
Speaker: even like ah a loss with, with a one, one draw. If you don't show as much as you did in that game, because Seattle controlled that game, Dallas had to scrap it out. If we can make a good team in the West, like Dallas, scrap it out at home.
Speaker: Yeah. I'm taking us in a three game series against a Dallas FC. And that's what we need to see going into the playoffs. However, That loss is only one you can push to the side. If you then go get the points that you need against Montreal, it should be a given. And like you're saying, Nico, the upcoming schedule, San Diego on the road, San Diego just played LA galaxy.
Speaker: Not a great team. They're a good team. They created two more XG than LA in this game. They are very unfortunate to have drawn that game. One, one, they were better than the l LA galaxy. That is a tough out. That's a tough game on the road against San Diego players that you know, have quality on that team, even if it's a squad that's underperformed on the season.
Speaker: And then you're playing Houston. That's a guaranteed playoff team. This is one of the better seasons Houston's had in a while. They look really good. And then probably the toughest game you're going to have all season in the West on the road and BC plays at a great Vancouver squad who we've talked about them just being at another level from the rest of the West to them in St. Louis.
Speaker: you don't, I don't back the Sounders to get three points in that game. I don't necessarily back to him to get one point in that game based on what we just saw. That's very difficult. That's one where you need to stretch to even think you're going to get anything out of it.
Speaker: And then you're home against LAFC, LAFC. I mean, this is one of the worst seasons they've ever had. They are in complete disarray, but, it's still LAFC. It's still the talent that LAFC has.
Speaker: We've always had trouble playing against LAFC, even though we're hosting that match on decision day. That's a, that's a tough game. And l LAFC, they're going to be battling for their place in the playoffs, trying to get some hosting or trying to just move up the standing. it's not like they're going playing for nothing.
Speaker: Like you said, Nico, the Sounders had their chance to just pick up three points and Like I said, I love Brian Schmetzer to death. He's a legend. I think the sky has to be absolutely falling for Brian Schmetzer to really ever truly be on the hot seat.
Speaker: But Brian threw this one away with the lineup he put out. And it's a shame because now they got to go get it on four, four tough games. Dale.
Speaker: Yeah, so I'm totally with you guys. And I think the just from a ah mathematical standpoint, the thing that's so frustrating about the drop points in this game is that if they had won this game, if they had gotten two more points, they would effectively control their own destiny as far as finishing as high as fifth.
Speaker: Whereas if they went out, they would have been almost guaranteed a finishing fifth. Now I say almost because they would have been even on points. They would have even been even on wins. They are currently even on on goal difference with Houston, but likely if they had won this game, they would have had an advantage. And so, you know, you, you just have to stay ahead of, of Houston in the, in that case, but it's just very frustrating because now, uh, you know, in fourth would have still very much been in play and going from fifth to fourth is a big deal because you go from, uh, being at a disadvantage in the first round to having home field advantage in the first round. So you would potentially have two home games, uh,
Speaker: Anyway, my my point here is that they would have, and then they also would have been in virtually in six as it was. i mean, if they can beat LAFC, that's a huge game. I don't know. I'm just very frustrated that they they blew this opportunity. And to your point, Adam, they just got a little too cute. And I think the one that frustrates me more than the decision to start sailor, which I think on some level was a bit of a forced hand.
Speaker: What really is a bummer is the Caden Clark thing. And it's not no, I like, I like Clark. I think he has some potential, but I think for right now he's most useful at the bench. And realistically, i think you have the starting spot is between Areola Ferreira and maybe Seba Gomez, maybe Seba Gomez.
Speaker: But Ferreira and Areola, to me, are the two obvious choices right now that in terms of pole position for who should be starting there. And I just don't see why neither one of them started. And Paul Areola, what's your last...
Speaker: Sub in. like the The lack of of just consistency in what Brian is doing is probably the biggest ripe I have with the legendary manager. I think that he does a lot of things well, but just maybe he's overthinking it a bit. And he thought that this was the game for Kitten. I thought he did him a great disservice because he looked pretty bad. I mean, he didn't do anything wrong, but he also was just...
Speaker: invisible And and and that's that's not what you wanted out of a game that, as I said in the first part of our of our show today, you needed to start off the bat, beat that Montreal team and keep your foot on their throat the entire time. Because if they had any sort of belief, a team that has nothing to to lose will.
Speaker: was going to be a problem. the And the worst part about that, Adam, is that a weeky Carmona and Daniel Pereira, we're not even in the game to like the 80th minute. So it it was just so frustrating to see this team struggled the way they did against Montreal. When the whole team,
Speaker: Prefaces of this game was It's a must win, it's playoff game Every single time and it did not look Like that It's not their best team And that's one spoon squad
Speaker: Not not not it at all. So um clearly those are the the frustrations. We do kind of have to ah move on to at least talking about about a couple of other games during the week. Before that, just looking at the standings. I mean, I know that ah ah we have some games left, but san Jose,
Speaker: congrats. They ah clinched to the playoffs. and And that's my game of the week, by the way. I decided to go with that Nashville 1-1 against San Jose. Probably not the most exciting game to some people, but I was so fascinated by the way that San Diego took it to Nashville. And Nashville rotated some, but It was San Jose that was the better team for the majority of that game. You got to credit, as always, Bruce Arena just getting that team to really get forward. Preston Judd has been phenomenal. Timo Werner had a very good game. And although they went down on the scoreline because Mukhtar is Mukhtar, and he creates ah a very good shot of of a secondary rebound from the goalkeeper,
Speaker: San Jose kept on. they They created a lot of opportunities and they get a very deserved goal of of a set piece to get a one-on-one draw, denying the nine Nashville of getting closer to that record and ah being able to crown themselves as shield winners. And they also um end up qualifying for the playoff for the, what, second time in like 10 years or something like that. So phenomenal performance.
Speaker: San Jose just is able to do it. So I love the game. The the way that they approached it against a very good team. Callahan was not happy. So there you have it. That's my game the week.
Speaker: Hey, everyone. David Goss here from SoccerWise, and I am coming to you ahead of a massive week as we are going to be live on the ground in Columbus for the U.S. Open Cup Final. But first, we have our MLS Minute presented by Continental, where we are so excited to to be working with some of the best local MLS coverage in the league as part of our new collective. So when you're done listening here to your show about your team, come on over and listen to myself and Tom break down everything. And you can listen to myself and Matt Doyle live from Columbus reacting to the U.S. Open Cup final. The two...
Speaker: finalists had a dramatic weekend heading into the big match st louis with a 21 game unbeaten streak loss for the first time in any competition since may 3rd on the road against minnesota they rotated their team a little bit but were up 2-0 in 10 minutes ended up losing three two to save minnesota's season on the flip side columbus also rotated they did so though in a derby match hell is real against fc cincinnati and yet they got a dramatic 2-0 win led by young tahaha brun in midfield so columbus comes into the final riding high and we'll talk about the playoff scene in a moment for anyone who doesn't know the us open cup started in 1914 at the time of covet it was the second oldest continuous running cup
Speaker: in the world behind the FA Cup. And there is nothing better than a win or go home final. And I am so excited for Wednesday night. But thanks to Columbus's win in the Hell is Real Derby, we have chaos in the Eastern Conference playoff race.
Speaker: 8 to 13 is separated by three points. Toronto FC went on the road. They got a massive victory one zero at Red Bulls to pull them into a points tie with the New York Red Bulls. They are also in a tie with FC Cincinnati. NYCFC drew at home against LAFC, so they sit one point behind in DC United and Cincy. They play a makeup game on Wednesday that could see DC United move into a four way tie on 36 points between eight and 11th place in the West, the race with Colorado and the LA galaxy.
Speaker: They did what they had to do. They held off San Diego and Portland with withdraws both to keep them at orange length. But ah RSL has stuck within one result of the final playoff spot in the way.
Speaker: Speaking of streaks, Philadelphia's win streak has come to an end, but they kept their 14 match now unbeaten streak with a 2-2 draw at home against Charlotte. And we had some insane goals this weekend. Martino Heda for Orlando City in a 4-1 win scored not only maybe the goal of the year, it might be the greatest goal in MLS history, and it may end up being the world Puskas winner for goal of the year. There also was an unbelievable winner for Diaby for Vancouver in Austin to help Vancouver stretch their lead at the top of the Western Conference. And of course, Leo Messi making history. His 15th assist of the season in their win in Atlanta. It's his third straight year in MLS with 15 or more assists, which is the most
Speaker: ever san jose clinched their spot in the playoffs in a draw with nashville who will probably clinch the shield next week now against montreal on the road chicago clinched their spot in a loss at the new england revolution where the revs were really good led by peyton miller and houston clinched their spot in a wild copa tejas draw against their rivals dallas Two penalty kicks were called in stoppage type. One for either team. They both scored.
Speaker: It led to a 2-2 draw. And then Sammy Sarver returned a beer, you could say, to the crowd that was thrown onto the field as Dallas scored the equalizer on the road. He was sent off for the red card just eight minutes after coming onto the field.
Speaker: We will have all your MLS, NWSL, U.S. s national team coverage for you on the SoccerWise channels all week This has been your MLS Minute, part of our SoccerWise media collective, sponsored by Continental Tire. We are proud to work with the best local soccer media partners across the country.
Speaker: Thank you for listening to the Soundrart Podcast Network, which recently added Monday Soundcheck to our roster of shows. Soundcheck airs live on Mondays at 1pm. You can watch it on our YouTube channel or listen to it at your convenience, however you consume podcasts. It joins a roster that already includes Nos Adietes, which airs on Wednesdays and Fridays, and the Cooler Guild, who cover the Seattle rain.
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Speaker: We're also looking for sponsors. Send an email to partners at pnwsoccermedia.com and we'll get you all set up. Thanks for listening. Yeah, Nico, and I think that game kind of encapsulates the fact that I think MLS at a competitiveness level on an excitement level is in a really great spot right now because San Jose, that's one of those teams. They've got a good fan base down there. They've got history down there. It's been a shame to watch them struggle for so long. I'm really glad to see them be a good team again.
Speaker: I think that benefits the league a lot. And yeah, I didn't have them coming in and getting this one, one draw against Nashville and clinching the playoffs. It's, it's very well done. ah Preston Judd continues just to be a great place. 16 goals this year from Preston Judd. was a really well taken header.
Speaker: He's not talked about enough. He's having an excellent season. Nashville need eight points from their final four to get the record. I still think they're gonna do it. I think Nashville will go and go and get the all time record. Obviously they're going to get the, the supporter shield. Hany Mukhtar, man, he's just so good. So fun to watch.
Speaker: And another thing, great for the league, Nashville. It's so many of these players who were built in MLS and came up through MLS. It's such a well-constructed deep squad. It's just good for the league. Love the the season Nashville has been having.
Speaker: i think they're going to get the record. I think they're going to win MLS cup. My game of the week is kind of in a similar vein to yours, but in the Western Conference, because St. Louis finally got beaten.
Speaker: Their 21-game record unbeaten streak gets snapped by Minnesota, team that hadn't won in eight games. Out of all teams. You know, it's in Minnesota, and they have a good, in theory, should have a good home field advantage. They haven't played good there this season, but they've got a great fan base and a good stadium.
Speaker: This is just a... Weird match. You know, you come out early St. Louis, they make it two zero within first 10 minutes. and you're thinking, yeah, I mean, obviously St. Louis are a better team than Minnesota.
Speaker: And then Calvin, you've beautiful assist. And then he gets the goal and then they come all the way back. And they deserved it. They had one and a half more expected goals than St. Louis. They were just better.
Speaker: Did not expect that from Minnesota. It had to end eventually for St. Louis. and obviously they still had that 21 match unbeaten run. I still do think they're on another upper echelon above the rest of the Western Conference. But this proved that hey, you can go beat this team. It's not ridiculous. Minnesota are worse than most of the teams in the Western Conference, and they're not in good form at all, and they outperformed St. Louis. So right now, it's shaping up that the Sounders may actually have to face St. Louis early on ah in the playoffs. I think we have ah we have a graphic on if the playoffs started today. So if you're a Sounders fan, you might
Speaker: I'd be feeling a little bit better seeing St. Louis drop that game and they're an excellent squad, but they're not an unbeatable squad. So yeah, Minnesota three St. Louis two.
Speaker: ah That is my game of the week. I also want to take note of Vancouver to Austin one Vancouver. They had to sneak one against Austin here again. Second time that's happened this season.
Speaker: if Seattle comes up against a Vancouver or St. Louis, they're not favored. They shouldn't be favored. But if we're on the run of form, if we have the dang 11 that we know should be out there, we can beat them. We can do it.
Speaker: um I also wanted to shout out a couple of people in the comments here. Thank you, Derek, for the five. Appreciate that. Kenny, fifth is still below average, top low in the bar. Hey, man, I mean, we're here now. you know i mean, we can't do anything about the fact that we that what happened happened. All we can do is try to be good now because Hey, we play in a league where, you know, the supporter shield, you love to win it, but the season's not over when you go on a 10 game losing streak, because you can still do something in the playoffs. As long as you get hot at the right time, you can do something and you don't remember the facts or try not to remember the fact that you went 14 games without a win. okay And it's not Lauren Varkin. I mean, it's just where we are. We were kind of trying to compare this season to what the Sounders were able to do in 2016 when he closed an arrow, where they could get there. It was a bad start of a season. We're not denying that. I've said a thousand times that making the playoffs is no...
Speaker: objective is no there's nothing to celebrate it's no parade that needs to be set out because you make the playoffs you're absolutely right that's the lowest expectation for this team is to make the playoffs we were just kind of put in the bar compared to what you had done and and the points you had missed and a historic low in terms of consecutive games without a win i mean there is no that and there's no dismissing the fact that this has been a horrendous season, but you can save it.
Speaker: I mean, so far it's been bad and you seem like you got out of it and and you you felt like the Sounders were back. Now you get a couple of bad results. Both. I could question the that the starting lineup, but regardless of, that's what happens. So, so that's where we're going. It's not that we're moving the goalpost or anything to that demeanor. We're just talking about this particular season.
Speaker: You're absolutely right. This team should not be happy about getting fifth or sixth, that alone seventh or whatever. I mean, the reality is, is that's where you are right now. What I would say though, is that I don't want face some Lewis. I mean, look, this, this team lost against Minnesota. mean,
Speaker: because they have other objectives, right? They have an Open Cup game um against Columbus that's coming up. They heavily rotated. No Edelman, no Durkin in midfield. Those are two key components there.
Speaker: Obviously they ended up ah bringing in Boettcher and joiner. So this is a team that was heavily rotated. However, credit to the loons for taking advantage of that, but I don't want to fix the St. Louis team. They really are so difficult to, to defend. They have so much talent. Um,
Speaker: That's the one team that I want to avoid even beyond Vancouver, which is crazy for me to, you know, kind of say that because I was so high on Vancouver for as long as I was, but but it was a good game by Minnesota. I was not expecting that to be the case. I do like Jaboa. I do like some other players that Minnesota had, but even with the rotated lineup, I thought that. San Luis was going to be able to take it away, but they were particularly bad on set pieces. They were uncharacteristically bad, giving up the ball in bad positions.
Speaker: I that they allow Minnesota to kind of grow into the game, which is unlike San Luis. So to your point, I mean, if you're able to get this team off of their norm,
Speaker: Who knows what could happen? But to be honest, I'm not as positive as I was after the New England game, not just because of the results, but because of the momentum. I'm a big momentum guy, and I think that you can get that back against San Diego, but you're going to have to show me something before I can...
Speaker: get on board with with the team being able to really make a run after some pretty bad performances, specifically this last one. And it's sad because I feel like we did see it. We absolutely saw a team that could make a run. i was so happy last week because...
Speaker: Look, people are going to go back at our last ah podcast last week, and it's, you know, the Sounders are back, and they're gonna laugh at that. They were back. I swear they were back, and I still i think they are. I still think they are.
Speaker: It was like a bad dream this weekend. It was like, whoa, you know, did the last two months, ah the month of winning not happen? Yeah. Was that all made up?
Speaker: It wasn't. I swear I was there. I saw it. We went eight games unbeaten. We won four in a row. We beat a contender in New England, three zero on the road in a game we dominated. We can do it.
Speaker: The talent is there. The mentality is there. It just needs to be there at the right time. um But yeah, I mean, I'm not going to backtrack on saying that we're back.
Speaker: i just frustrated that we couldn't have, as you said, Nico, maintain the momentum because the rotating you do against Dallas is so that you can go out against Montreal and put belt to ass and and just do what you're supposed to do at home.
Speaker: um So it's very frustrating. I hope Brian learned his lesson. I hope that we get everyone back against San Diego I'm not going to start thinking about going back on what I said about the Sounders being back unless the team we know that's good is out there. Yeah. And it doesn't happen. And they don't perform against a San Diego because San Diego on the road, like we said, that's a tough game, but I think we're better than them.
Speaker: But yeah, I'm still sticking with that. And that's the crazy part about this whole thing is that I feel like sometimes we're so radicalized, right? I mean, it's like, it's gotta to be one thing or the other is like, whether it's black or white, there's no gray areas. And that's where the team is right now. They were trending in the right direction. Then they were back into the gray area. Now we're trying to figure out where they're at.
Speaker: Jeremiah, you got something for me?
Speaker: Yeah. ah The thing I was curious what you guys, where you guys fall down on this is look, I think we can all agree that there was at least one too many positions that got changed in this game.
Speaker: But what I'm is if this is making you rethink like this, Hassani Dotson had been playing really well. I think he had, we all agreed. He had sort of a man of the match performance against new England. He didn't start. I don't think he actually played against Dallas, but he did not seem as sharp in this game.
Speaker: Snyder Brunel came in and was much better. I guess that's another complicating factor of this game is like, do we even know who our starting 11 is our ideal 11 is?
Speaker: Because Jesus on the left? Is he on the right? I think we all agree that he should ideally be in the, in the ideal 11, but I'm just curious to get your guys thoughts on where Hassani Dotson falls on this thing.
Speaker: I think we know what our 11 is. i think we saw the 11. I think we saw what this team can be. I do believe that Hassani Dotson still has earned that role. I think the run of matches that he had earned the role for the rest of the season.
Speaker: It's tough because Brian talked about after that new England game, uh, where he ended up putting Snyder Brunel in the pocket on the right, instead of at the six position where Hassani is that Snyder Brunel is the kind of talent that demands minutes.
Speaker: That's something to think about in June. and That's something to think about in May. i agree. this is it's It's done. Hassani is better right now. Hassani should be out there. I'm so happy we have Snyder Brunel who can come off the bench. I think he provides a spark in a game where we need to go get a goal.
Speaker: I'd rather probably have Snyder Brunel out there as a super sub, either at the sixth position for Hassani, or maybe if Jordan's having an off can go into the pocket on the right, or he can shift Jordan to the nine and take Yoval. There's options that Snyder Brunel provides.
Speaker: that I love to see. It's still Hassani for me. He had a worse game against Montreal. ah I still think he was fine. I think everyone was bad in the first 45 minutes. And like I've been saying, I don't know if you can necessarily pin that on any player in particular. I think they were just thrown out there in a position that they shouldn't have been thrown out there in.
Speaker: And the result of the fourth first 45 minute followed. I'm going to blame Asani for that. I think he played in the second half like we've been seeing him do. He connected really well with Jordan on the right. That's a big reason I think Jordan Morris should be on the right is I love the interplay between him and Asani Dotson.
Speaker: And it's strange because you always think of that Jordan Morris Christian rolled on connection on the left. You're like, you know, that's tried and true. That's proven, but it's looked really pretty. between Hassani Dotson and Jordan Morris at times. I've enjoyed watching it.
Speaker: I think we do have the 11. I think we should look at that new England game and just do that. I don't know why we can't just do that again. yeah Brian is acting as if that wasn't the perfect game. It was the perfect game.
Speaker: I think it's very simple. Hassani has the higher floor. He's the safer player. Perhaps Snyder has the higher ceiling and the biggest potential, but you don't need that right now. You need a guy that's going to play a role that's going to allow Christian Roldan to be the one that makes the the tougher runs, the more difficult decisions, that gets on the end of certain runs, that is a little bit higher up the field at times. I'd rather have a partner to Christian Roldan that's going to unlock him to do a little bit of everything,
Speaker: and keep the defense and and and the whole concept of defending with with certain players with Hassani on the field. And that moving on to the playoffs or even against a team like San Diego, that's so good in transition that has a guy like Aniba Godoy in the midfield. That's an absolute dog. You better have a dog of your own against Aniba Godoy. Cause if you're going to go and tread him lightly, he's going to cook you up and eat you for breakfast. So you got to make sure to have a guy like Hassani. So in the playoffs, I won the bite. I won that the disruptor. I won a guy like Hassani, even if the overall potential is not as high. He has it in his wheelhouse to be able to link up. to uh you know get forward he's not as good of a progressive passer as snyder burnell we know that he doesn't have the shot that's not a burnell ass we know that's not as creative but i feel like he does a lot of the right things for this team to play as a collective and right now that is your biggest asset that is your biggest superpowers being able to play as a unit and allow certain guys to do their things you got to cover up a guy like Albert Rusnak. We've talked about him being part of the starting 11. You want to have a guy, a couple of of two ah pivots that are going to be able to allow him to not be everywhere and and and get him the ball a little bit higher on the pitch. You're going to want to have that when you have a free-roaming guy like Jesus Ferrer moving all around. So although this game against Montreal was not great for a guy like Hassani, I thought that he did his job particularly well. Obviously, in the second half, he didn't have as many defensive contributions because the Sounders were on the ball the entire time. So obviously, he didn't have any recoveries. He wasn't all the way there. But at the end of the day, I do think that he is part of that number one starting 11.
Speaker: Now want to to the chat here. We've got a couple of points that don't necessarily want to like push back on, but I think it sparks conversation. ah MG 206 says Dotson has had one good game this entire season. I think he's had one great game this entire season.
Speaker: um ah He's been, i don't think he's had really any bad games. My problem with Asani Dotson before he earned the current role that he has is I just felt that he didn't,
Speaker: pop out in any games so far this season. He would come on the field and, you know, he'd just scrap and he'd do his job, but I wanted someone next to Christian who would change a game. And I don't think Asani changed a game until his recent breakout.
Speaker: But since that recent breakout, I think he's changed every game he's been in. And when you reach the playoffs, you just need to ride the hot hand. ah Snyder got cold. He looks less confident. I think he's broken out of that and he's better.
Speaker: um but there's just no reason for him to to take Hassani's role at the moment. The other thing is is W. He's been saying that it doesn't matter that it was a bad 11, that the team that was out there to start the match still should have been better than Montreal.
Speaker: Yes and no, because the talent out there, like for like, yeah, we're better than them. But... when you have guys out there in spots that they haven't been playing with people alongside them that they haven't been playing with stuff like this is going to happen where there's just no link up play. I mean, let's not pretend like Montreal dominated us in the first 45 minutes.
Speaker: It just was crappy soccer. It was a bad team against a disjointed team. was boring and Montreal got their goal off a silly giveaway. They ran the transition very well there and they get the goal. Alexis Sanchez all game. I mean, let's not forget that this is probably the best game. Alexis Sanchez has played that for Montreal. He looks, he looks great.
Speaker: And when you have a real game changer like that, a guy who, you know, can play at that level, even though, you know, in his age, he's not going to play at that level consistently. That in of itself makes this Montreal team a lot better than they have been generally.
Speaker: There's more in the first 45 than just the 11 to blame. You're absolutely right. They deserve to get booed. And this is what everyone, the players, the coaches were saying in post game is that they heard the booze and they took it and were like, yeah, like we deserve that. They deserved it at halftime.
Speaker: They deserved it at full time. I'm very glad that we have a team and a coach that can look at that and say, yeah, they deserve to boo. That was bad soccer. Andrew Thomas, Watching Andrew Thomas throughout that game, he looked angry.
Speaker: He looked so mad. He looked so frustrated. I love that we have a guy out there who's going to be that frustrated and that mad. um You know, he lets that goal in. I don't think that goal is his fault.
Speaker: He's not going to be looked at as a guy who had a great game. He got bailed out by some misses by Montreal, but he's going to hold this team accountable. I think this whole team is going to hold themselves accountable. I agree. Even with the players out there, the first 45 should have been better.
Speaker: But when we think of it as just What do we do to be as good as we can to finish out the season? The one thing that I think we can absolutely look at in this Montreal game is the 11.
Speaker: And it's not like Caden Clark's our second string guy coming in here and like, oh, our second stringer should be able to beat Montreal's first stringers. Maybe Caden Clark is our fourth stringer. Ryan Saylor is our fourth stringer. um I'd say fifth. Fifth, yeah maybe. but Yeah, because you have Stu Hawkins and Antino Lopez, I think, is above. you ki He's a mother. Kim Keehee, he's had to miss some time, but you're right. Kim Keehee is a better option back there. Alex Roldan at center back is a better option back there.
Speaker: When you got, and Jordan Morris, as of late, at least, when he plays on the left, he doesn't play like a first stringer. He's not in the game at all. Our first string left winger at this point, in my opinion, is Paul Areola.
Speaker: He doesn't come in until late on in this game. This is not just a second stringer situation we're talking about. This is it's third and fourth and fifth string guys being put out there when they shouldn't be.
Speaker: So I agree. And I don't agree. um I think what we need to think about is, is the fact that it's not 11 that should be out there again, ever. I disagree. I think that when you have a team in Montreal that is the less talented team, but they have the guys to execute their game plan at its best, and you have a team like the Sounders that has a more talented team, but has holes in certain parts of the field that is not going to allow their system to work at its best.
Speaker: it's going to be a very easy way for the lesser talented team to beat you in a game because soccer tends to be circumstantial and it's not linear and goals change games and ebbs and flows are part of it. And you, if you don't take advantage of the moments where you are available to get chances, then,
Speaker: Everything goes off the hinges. That's why you have so many options. That's the way soccer works is the beauty of the game. So when you're a team that likes to press very high, but have a guy like Kitten Clark that hasn't really been part of that. You have a guy like Albert Rosnack that's not his necessary forte. And although he's part of the starting 11, when he has a different co-stellar group around him, the system works a little bit better. When in transition transition moments... you don't have the guys to play the ball quickly. When you don't have the guys progressing the ball the way it needs to progress, then everything kind of falls apart. It's it's like a clock. If you don't have certain parts of that clock, it's not going to run. and And the Sounders play, in my opinion, maybe it's not incredibly complex, but it is a complex system. And they failed at it because, again,
Speaker: Yammer Gomes and Dardes, as good as he was in this game, shouldn't be touching the ball 120 times. And Ryan Saylor, a guy that is your fourth option, should not be playing a game that is supposed to be a must win. If Alex Rodan has been your rock, your solid number one guy next to whoever the available center back is for the entire year of the season, then that's the guy you should have gone with at that time. So it's not about what team is more talented than the other. It's about who secured their game plan better. And I think Brian drew it wrong.
Speaker: when he came to the tactics and he drew it wrong when he came to that 11 for the first 45 minutes. Yeah. And like I said, hope it's a wake up call.
Speaker: hope Ryan realizes that the time's up. I hope the players realize that the time is up. I feel bad. Keep giving them outs like this because I thought that that we wouldn't have to do that anymore. After the new England game, I thought like, okay, this is the team that's going to go and we won't have to sit here and try to defend them.
Speaker: But ah we do. And and it's not out. I mean, it's it's again, we are just providing the observations of the games, right? And as I said, we're not... It's funny because it's it it it feels like, once again, is falling, but that's not necessarily the case because there's very clear...
Speaker: things you can point to of where the game went wrong. If you we're sitting here unable to give any answers of why the team just grabbed the bed at home against the worst team in the league, then I would tell you, you're right.
Speaker: The Sounders are not bad. This is a problem, but there are clear moments in this game where it just went out of whack. So to kind of conclude the show and and start to kind of wrap it up, I would say that I do still think Jovlich needs to get back to his old form.
Speaker: He is the end of that spear for this attack. sharp then this team is dull on the attack and it does fall the responsibility does fall on him for good or for bad he said it to us at the press conference he knows he understands it i'm confident that he's going to figure it out but that's also been a problem both against dallas and against montreal jovlich was at his best putting the ball away we'd be sitting here laughing our ass off because this team would be on a you know
Speaker: what was it like set six game winning streak, but, but, but that's not the case now. That that that is what's happening. It's very clear to point that Joe village needs to do better. Simple as that. So whether he's got to get out of his own head, whether he has to be able to put it away, I think that it can happen against San Diego. I think that's very open that likes to play openly that is going to allow you a lot of chances inside the box that you're going to have some very good defending for sure with those center backs in terms of at least the,
Speaker: individual matchups now in terms of the overall defensive structure. I think that they are very gappy and they do allow a lot of goals. Just look at the last game.
Speaker: So I think that the centers are going to be able to match up better. um JL, anything before I kind of, I wanted to highlight a little attribute that was done by ECS.
Speaker: No, I don't, I don't really have much else. I do think that the, you know I understand everyone wants to have consistency with the starting lineup. I agree with you that it would be ideal if we had found that by now.
Speaker: But the players also sort of have to own that no one that we we haven't had a group that has ah been able to stay healthy, that has been able to stay on the field, that has ah that is performed on a level that you want to keep rolling them out there every week.
Speaker: I wish I had more than that, but I think that i I appreciate Brian's situation right now, I guess is what I'm trying to say. Yeah, and just to end on ah on a note that I really wanted to highlight, um although I was unable to go, i thought it was um phenomenal um and really heartwarming to see all the photos and the tribute that ECS did for Tom Birio and his passing. The march, the photos that I saw, the the time at Temple,
Speaker: um the The food, the drinks, the photos. um Obviously, I was unable to go. i didn't find out about it until the day of. And I wasn't able to get out of some family things. But I would have loved to go. But I at least wanted to highlight that there isn't many supporter groups that are that...
Speaker: tightly knit and that are willing to take time out of the Friday afternoon to go do a march and to meet and celebrate someone that was so important for this community, not just on the soccer sense, but on a human sense. I've heard from several people how good Tom was about football.
Speaker: even beyond the pitch, even beyond the Sounders stuff, how valuable he was to this community. I got to meet him a handful of times. He was always incredibly respectful, receptive. He always supported any little project that I was on and appreciated that.
Speaker: But he was just a guy that always brought some sort of light and happiness. And so I just want to credit and highlight that. ECS for the whole tribute that they did for Tom. Yeah. You said, I can't, can't say anything more than that. it was good to see.
Speaker: And with that, I think that ah we are going to go ahead and close the second part of Sounder ah Monday Soundcheck. As ironic as the Soundcheck part is, we are working on it. We think we finally figured out. I know you've heard me say that multiple times.
Speaker: ah i do apologize. We all apologize. We are trying to give you guys the absolute best feedback. stream that we can, but hopefully next Monday we better. as I mentioned, the Yammer Gomez and Gerardes signed Jersey. We're tabulating the data. We're getting everybody's name correctly. We're adding those extra um i super chats that you guys sent in.
Speaker: we've been dealing with a lot as you can kind of see. But next Monday, we're going to be able to have all those names together. We're going to put them on a hat. We're going to get them out and we're going to get the winner for that Yammer Masandrade jersey.
Speaker: Anything else, guys? Nope. That's it from us. I appreciate you guys sticking with us, being patient with us. Please like, subscribe, and trust that it's going to get better. Trust the process. It's going to get better, at roman I promise. It will get better. We promise. Nico Moreno, Adam a Race, my man, Jeremiah O'Shann.
Speaker: Y'all have a good week. good week, my lord.
Speaker: Let's go, and Sounders.
