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What We Learned This Week about Danny Leyva’s potential move from the Sounders to Necaxa
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Niko and Jeremiah discussed the likelihood of the very unexpected transfer rumor that surfaced about a potential Danny Leyva move to Necaxa of Liga MX. They talk about what the fee range might be in and what that cap space to do for the Sounders 2026 roster, including what the Leyva news might mean for Obed Vargas’ status. On the topic of other contracts the guys shared updates on Stefan Frei and Paul Rothrock seemingly being courted by Nashville SC. Frustrations about Craig Waibel’s public communication style and the search for Tacoma Defiance’s next head coach round out the show.
Follow Niko Moreno on BlueSky and YouTube.
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Transcript
Introduction and Sounders' MLS Cup Celebration
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.
00:00:11
Speaker
Come on. Hey, O'Shaan. Let's go. The 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.
00:00:58
Speaker
what was the thought process in terms of who you decided to use and who you didn't? Ever since I wrote a commentary that we didn't take the outcome seriously.
Sponsorship and Leyva's Transfer News
00:01:18
Speaker
This episode of Nos Arietes is sponsored by Full Pull Wines, a Seattle-based wine retailer and proud sponsor of Nos Arietes since 2011. Full Pull was founded in 2009, is based in Seattle, and is owned and operated by longtime Sounder supporters.
00:01:32
Speaker
They offer the best boutique wines of the world to members of their mailing list, with special focus on their home, Pacific Northwest.
00:01:41
Speaker
Welcome back to another episode of Nos Arietes on the Sounder at Heart Podcast Network. i know I told you that this was, we probably had done our last What We Learned this week, but that does not mean...
00:01:54
Speaker
that we are done with Nico Moreno. Today, there was some breaking news. ah Danny Leyva looks like he is going to get transferred to Nekoxa of Liga Amekis. It is, i don't, we don't know a lot of details other than what's out there.
00:02:09
Speaker
we have both independently confirmed that this looks like it's likely to happen, but Nico, welcome back to the show and it's fun to have something, you know, we've been talking about trying to record, but we didn't have anything really to talk about. But now we have something to talk about.
00:02:26
Speaker
That's right. And it came from left field, to be quite
Leyva's Impact and Future with Sounders
00:02:30
Speaker
honest. I yeah have to say that I did not see this move coming. um i either slept through it or did not quite um have it in my bingo cards. I mean, quite honestly, I had been looking...
00:02:47
Speaker
Absolutely everywhere else and not the Danny Leyva side. So we'll we'll get to talk about it. But yeah, today we do get to record with some newsy type of good, solid information, which is always nice for audience. But yeah, just happy to hop back on the mics there, Jeremiah.
00:03:06
Speaker
Yeah. ah You know, it's funny. You mentioned not really seeing this coming and I was right there with you. I did not see this coming. In fact, I thought Danny Leyva, I had big expectations, big hopes for Danny Leyva with the Sounders in 2026. And part of my thinking was the window on Danny moving to Mexico or somewhere else had sort of closed to me. It seemed like he had, you know, the Sounders had done the loan to Colorado,
00:03:35
Speaker
Clearly other teams had, you know, knew that Danny was available. He was still here. And then he had a pretty productive season last year. You know, he made the most out of his appearances. I don't remember him having an out and out bad performance in any game that he played in. Whenever he started, the Sounders looked really good. You know, he played a variety of, yeah he played both as a 10 and sort of as a six, eight hybrid. And it looked like the Sounders were sort of finally understanding what they had in Danny Leyva.
00:04:05
Speaker
When i think even as recently as last year, there really was not a strong sense of what his best position was. You know, it wasn't until late last year or late in 2024 that they even, that they even voyid with the idea of playing him as a 10.
00:04:20
Speaker
But this year, we saw him play a little bit more as a 10, but we still saw him sitting a line back. And, you know, he was Jao Paulo's most common partner. I really liked what I saw of him.
Rationale for Leyva's Move to Nekoxa
00:04:32
Speaker
And I i saw a possibility that, especially if Obed Vardigas got moved this winter, that Danny Leyva was the, to me, the favorite to be the starter next to Christian Obed, Christian Roldan. And I was kind of falling in love with that possibility.
00:04:49
Speaker
Both you and I, Jeremiah, and I think, well, it's important to note that ah this report has come through and about from a reliable source. CL Merlo tends to be well informed.
00:05:07
Speaker
Of course, you have now confirmed that information. ah You have added a couple of things that I feel like you should definitely provide that additional information. But in general senses, I agree with you.
00:05:22
Speaker
I was almost certain that once Obed Vargas would eventually part ways with the Sounders and move on to his next chapter, in his career that Danny Leyva was the most proven, was the most experienced, was the one that was familiar with the system. This Sounders team has without a doubt thrived
Sounders' Midfield Strategy Post-Leyva
00:05:50
Speaker
on being a cohesive unit and a collective play that services of of specific players doing specific roles.
00:06:00
Speaker
And to me, Danny Leyva had improved in several phases of his game, including his ability on the ball, his dynamism, ah the amount of ground he covered,
00:06:14
Speaker
he's always been a a phenomenal passer, probably the best passer on the team had continued to be a player that could be influential from set pieces. So aside this growth where, although, and as we've mentioned in other shows, he was gonna not necessarily play that position to the level of Obed Vargas. He was certainly going to be interesting to put his own signature on the way that pivot with Christian O'Donnell would work. And now we are,
00:06:45
Speaker
blindsided, or at least I was, with this information that he is leaving. And I mean blindsided because i understand that there is a guy like Snyder Brunel that is ready to go, that Brian Smith has been very high on, that he even compared to Albert Resnack in the end-of-season presser because of his ability to come in late into the box and and then put himself in good scoring positions. But he continues to be a guy that it's a little green, ah right? A little wet around the years. I feel that that's a correct um
00:07:21
Speaker
saying there. yeah And so because of that, I'm a little surprised. I think that there's options around this move. Maybe it's a domino that is gonna fall and others might follow, but but let's just keep it there so you could add on information and we'll continue to talk about this Danny Leyva situation.
Implications of Leyva's Departure
00:07:42
Speaker
Yeah. So ah another reason I was sort of blindsided by this aside from sort of just the general expectation that Danny sort of had a real future with the Sounders was that is that I I've been talking to, you know, sounders people for the last few days and not a keep, not a hint that something like this was in the offing. So I don't know if that's because it was a sort of like a sudden development or if people were just being coy or maybe, maybe they didn't know. I don't know. But, uh,
00:08:16
Speaker
Either way, i I had not really gotten any indication, and it wasn't just because we were sort of sleeping on, oh well, nothing's happening. ah You know, we've been making our phone calls and doing all that kind of stuff. Yes, we were out there, man.
00:08:30
Speaker
Yeah, and it and it just, again, it just sort of seemed like the window on Danny moving abroad had had sort of closed. But you pull that aside from it, and it does make some sense. You know, ah let's talk about this. but We'll get into the whole Sounders angle on this. but from a denny uh, Leiva perspective. I think it does make some sense. One is let's keep in mind that he's a dual citizen. So he has a Mexican passport. He'd counts as a, as a domestic player for Liga and make, he seems that's obviously a big deal.
00:09:00
Speaker
his, his dad, I believe is, is, is Mexican. Uh, his, his, he's still has family there. i don't think Oh, and I guess the Cox is sort of a, is relatively close to Mexico city.
00:09:12
Speaker
And I think his family is from Mexico city. I'm getting a little over my skis here, but ah I, so I think that that makes some sense. The Cox is also notably ah the team that evil and Goria has been, ah has been running and is partly owned by Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds of welcome to Wrexham fame.
00:09:32
Speaker
They did a when they, when they bought into the Cox, a part of the deal was that they, we're going to do a documentary series on Nekoxa that is, that ran this, you know last summer and into September. i believe it was following the, the previous Klausura. I'm not exactly sure which season they got footage from,
00:09:53
Speaker
But they they had a rough go of it this last tournament. They finished 13th in the Apertura. They had been coming off a fifth-place finish in the Clasora. So they've been they're sort of ah you know an up-and-down team. They've not had a lot of high highs, but they are consistently a you know they're an interesting team. There's some interesting energy around them. And I could definitely see why they would be interested in a you know an English-speaking Mexican and ah you know a bilingual Mexican-American like Danny Leyva, whose game I think a lot of people had thought would translate well to Mexico. So from that perspective, does make it does make a lot of sense, right?
00:10:32
Speaker
Yeah, I absolutely agree. The way his skill set fits into Nekoxa, fits into what I believe they they want to play in,
00:10:49
Speaker
doesn't just fit well for what Danny Leyva provides, but I do feel like it ultimately makes them that much more effective in Liga MX because the game down there is not as direct and quick as it is in MLS. And if there was ever any doubts or ah things about Danny Leyva that I felt like people...
00:11:19
Speaker
wanted to see more of was that athleticism, the dynamism and a playing for the Cox and the way they ah play. And what I'm hearing is that they're going to play with two pivots next season. It does fit in well with what Danny does. I think that he's a guy that's going to be able to provide a lot of services to a guy like Camino that You know, consistently wants to get behind the back line. So I do understand why he'd be attractive to Nick Cox. And I do think that and this is hard to say because both you and I were very high on Danny Leyva going into 2026.
00:11:58
Speaker
I don't know if this move and the willingness for the Sounders to let him go is attached to a phenomenal offer because I don't see that being the case. I don't from what I'm hearing, that's not necessarily the case. Yeah.
00:12:18
Speaker
But it might be more of a, we're going allow him to go somewhere where he's going to get a lot of minutes. And maybe we can start with a guy like Snyder Burnell that does feel more like a Bryant-Smetzer guy.
00:12:30
Speaker
And maybe there's a possibility to bring in an experienced midfielder to see what he can provide.
Financial Aspects of Leyva's Transfer
00:12:38
Speaker
Yeah, so i I asked someone about the fee here, and they didn't give me a number.
00:12:43
Speaker
And I sort of phrased it in a vague way. I just wanted to sort of get a sense of, like, what kind of money are we talking about here? and they told me, well, it's enough to make it worth our while, and you know combined with getting his salary off the books. And to me, what that says is they probably weren't blown away by the offer.
00:13:02
Speaker
But, you know, if it's, I would say this, is that if it's a million dollar transfer, that has to be considered a good, a really positive move. I suspect it's probably less than that, maybe in the 500 to 750 range. We'll see. You know, I would love to be wrong and for it to be a bigger number.
00:13:20
Speaker
But either way, the Sounders are probably opening up you know, somewhere in the million to a million and a half in cap space because they, you know, Danny was making three 50 last year. I suspect he had a raise built into his contract.
00:13:35
Speaker
Maybe that brings them up closer to 400. And if the Sounders are able to clear a million dollars off their salary cap, you know, they were only, they had 1.6 million in cap space as it was. So, you know, presumably they feel like they can replace Leyva, uh,
00:13:53
Speaker
for less than they are, you know, they can potentially upgrade Leyva for ideally less than the space that he's opening up, you know, cause that would potentially go, give him an opportunity to go out and sign someone at a max, a max salary player. So it's something in the eight 30 range. That's, you know, that's the number that we thought that Paul Rothrock was going to be going after. you know, it but potentially brings a Hassani Dotson type of player into their price range. That would be an interesting ah way to replace Danny Leva is to go out and get another, you know, local kid who has a pretty good and MLS resume, even if he's been dealing with some injuries recently.
00:14:33
Speaker
So it'll be very interesting to see what they do. I don't know though, what this really says about the Sounders bigger plan. ah It does. One thing it does indicate to me, and I don't know, maybe you feel differently, but one thing it does indicate to me is that the Sounders are going into this off season with the expectation that Obed Vargas will still be on their roster. And if you look at it, you know, if that's the, that's the perspective they're coming at this from,
00:15:01
Speaker
you can see why Trey letting Danny Leva go now makes a lot more sense because if you're, if you're planning on moving Obed Vargas, Danny Leva moves in, that's a great replacement, right?
00:15:13
Speaker
But if Obed Vargas is here, look, you're going to be playing. oh There's, there's, i know there's, there are people and, and I understand the, the inclination to say like, look, if Obed won't accept a transfer and he's going to sort of force us to play out his contract, we shouldn't play him.
00:15:30
Speaker
Well, that's just sort of cutting off your nose to spite your face. Obed Vargas is a very good player who can help you win games. If the Sounders feel like, I mean, if Obed Vargas is on this team, I fully expect him to play significant minutes. And if Obed Vargas is your starter,
00:15:44
Speaker
Danny Leyva probably does not have a whole lot of minutes and it probably made sense to let him go when they, you know, when they got the offer to let him go. Yes. And that actually brings up a good point that I'm sure we'll hit later in this show.
00:16:03
Speaker
But if we take anything from Craig Weibel's response to my questions on Ovid Vargas and how defensive he got in the the the fact that he told me that he sees things very differently than I do because I've been indicating that it would malpractice to allow a guy like Ovid Vargas to walk away on a free. Maybe in his thought process is, look,
00:16:30
Speaker
If we were able to get three years, including another year Ovid Vargas helping out this team to win championships for $140,000 year, rather than, ah you know, had we extended his contract and reconstructed it two years ago, right now we'll be paying him, you know, over a million five, let's altogether. then another year, maybe that is what he meant by that. So in all regards, yeah, maybe, you know, he could have said, you know, he could have said that, but yes, I agree with you. That's, that's the possible. I think that's sort of the way he would defend it is like, look, we got a championship caliber player for an extended period of time.
00:17:15
Speaker
I'm not really worried. It's not my problem. If he ends up walking, that's someone else's problem, which I think is a, not the right answer, but I guess it's me neither, but but, but that's the way I would look at
Sounders' Communication and Strategy
00:17:26
Speaker
it. Right. So right. By,
00:17:28
Speaker
with With putting that on the table, it would be clear that Owen Vargas, if anything, is playing every minute of every game of every single match to make sure that you squeeze every single drop of juice out of that lemon right before you give it up. So, yes, I do agree. i think that there is a lot of...
00:17:49
Speaker
that that was assessed into this situation. ah But it's still to be seen on what could happen. I still feel like by what you open up in the salary cap,
00:18:05
Speaker
and adding what you could get out of the transferee. And if you can turn that into some GAM, ah maybe you are able to go out there and get yourself a proven midfielder that can allow Snyder Burnell to continue to develop without the need to necessarily be tested by trial by fire and immediately just jumped in right next to Christian Roldan. So there are options that could also...
00:18:33
Speaker
come out of this move. Yeah. I, I, I think you and I are on the same page as far as the Obed Vargas thing. That's not to say that there's not upside to keeping Obed Vargas for the year.
00:18:47
Speaker
i just think it's, I think we both, I think everyone understands that there is to you know, if the Sounders go into this season with the likelihood that Obed Vargas is just going to walk away for free, that is a bad outcome. Like I understand it's, it's, you know, there's other ways to look at this, but that is that part of it is bad.
00:19:10
Speaker
Now ah we don't need to do a whole podcast about this, but I think that if, Craig is asking us to sort of see his side of it. First of all, he has to make a much more compelling case than i see it differently than you guys.
00:19:23
Speaker
And that's on him. You know, it's his job to make that case. If he wants to make that case, make the case, pitch us on it. But, you know, I do think that that sort of, you know, I realized we we already did a podcast talking about that interview, but this is,
00:19:39
Speaker
I do think it's it's worth getting into some of the messaging that came out of that. And I don't know if they had any suspicion that Danny Leyva was going to be moved, but they, you I, I, in general, I just thought that they were really unnecessarily, you holding their cards close to the chest. If they knew that some outgoing moves were going to be going on, it would have been really easy at that point. I think to say, look, we know we're going to have to make some moves outgoing in order to bring players in,
00:20:12
Speaker
But our intention is to make some, to be active this off season. And instead they sort of gave us this whole thing about being very happy with how the season went, which is fine.
00:20:23
Speaker
They have a right to, I think they they are justified in saying that they were happy with what they did last year. but I do think that they just sort of sent the wrong message in general. And Craig Weibel in particular sent the wrong message when he just sort of said, look, we had a good season. i don't really want to hear about next season until next season. It's like, well, that's not, that's not how this works.
00:20:45
Speaker
Yes. And look, i already kind of went on a rant this morning on this subject, but I'm going to try to, um in a way, ah Compromortalize it, ah maybe try to elaborate into just one single spiel.
00:21:10
Speaker
I think that both you and I have been very good about highlighting the positives and the...
00:21:23
Speaker
Correct decisions that Craig Weibel has made with the roster. I think that we understand how difficult his job is because he doesn't have the blank checks that Arthur Blank is providing or the Moss brothers or just other, you know, clubs that have a lot more capital.
00:21:43
Speaker
However, if there is something that, you know, I feel like if there's an area of being a GM and a CSO that, in my opinion, Craig has digressed a bit on, is simply providing a positive...
00:22:05
Speaker
outlook about his vision and where the team is going. And if we look back at that, two less opportunities that Craig Weibel had in front of the mics.
00:22:18
Speaker
We can go back to the Reed Baker Whiting, ah little mini press conference as well, where he didn't, he also didn't sort of give like, and I'm not trying to cut you off here, but I think it's not that he's not out there giving a positive vision. understand. Like that would be, it's that he's not really articulating any vision. He's just sort of talking about the results and i want to be judged on results. And that's, that's fine.
00:22:44
Speaker
But I also need you to understand that this is you're in a job, a public facing job. And part of your job is to help us understand and make the case of why, you know, of things beyond just like it. This is yeah we're going nowhere. if If all we're saying is judge me on the results and that's all I want to talk about.
00:23:04
Speaker
this like what this is we're in the wrong business. like That's not what this business is about. It's not just results. It's about it's about narratives and it's about telling stories and it's about you know filling content and getting people excited.
00:23:16
Speaker
and exactly Exactly. Getting people interested, even if they're not excited, giving them something to talk about. And that's what I mean about Illustrating your vision positively because it is your job as the face of the front office that's consistently in front of the mics to get people excited and taking away from the narrative that the team is complacent and the team doesn't want to do more. And ah the team ah isn't willing to go out there and and spend.
00:23:50
Speaker
I understand and we both do the the limitations that he has. But if he, going back to this specific end of season presser, if he phrases a couple of those questions that we asked in a different way,
00:24:07
Speaker
it doesn't seem to feed into what people already think, whether they're misconceptions or not, or whether fans rightfully, because they do have that prerogative to be passionate about the team and say, look, I want more. And I want to be ah in the MLS finals every year, whatever it is that people have you as a GM, you,
00:24:31
Speaker
have to provide a sense of we're going to continue to get better. But when the the way that Craig Weibel answered your question about the U22, I felt like it was poor wording, saying, well, good thing that we didn't go out there and get a U22 because we got to see Osas de Rosario. You didn't have to phrase it that way.
00:24:54
Speaker
Because you cannot tell me that there isn't U22 in the planet that would be a Silvetti for this team that could have been here to put you in the next level offensively or whatever you wanted to put them. So don't phrase it that way.
00:25:09
Speaker
Go ahead and puff out your chest and say, look, I i made the right choice, but bringing up Aga La Cosace, give him his due credit, give him all the flowers you can, but don't phrase the question that way because you sound...
00:25:22
Speaker
And that e as if it was your choice that you had the money, you had the roster spot, but it was your decision that, oh, you know what? This guy might might be better, right? Because it just provides a negative output on, i don't know, your scouting, the the way you were approaching the the summer window.
00:25:38
Speaker
And the one that rubbed me the wrong way, even more than Oberbargis dynamic and the back and forth that him and I have had was the question about the change of calendar.
00:25:51
Speaker
When I ask a general manager about the change of a calendar, this is a question that's been asked all around MLS. And GMs have been very good about talking about the positives of aligning with the top leagues in the world. And even if you're not in the market for those top guys, get people excited about the fact that as a GM, Craig Weibo has been ineffective and, uh,
00:26:18
Speaker
Maybe ineffective is not the word, but maybe it is, but just inactive and hasn't taken advantage of the summer window. So use that to say, hey, look, but maybe now this is going to help that out. I'm going to be able to get more offers out. Just put it in a way that gets people excited. But when you dismiss the question, and I don't know if he was trying to be Joe Cool and – question my knowledge of when the start of the calendar was going to happen. And you say, well, there's 12 months out and I'm not really worried about it. You don't sound like a qualified GM. I'm sorry to say that. But look, I learned from the best of the best in my world, which is Garth Lagraway.
Sounders' Roster and Off-Season Strategy
00:27:05
Speaker
And he would tell me every time, Nico, a GM has to see what's happening with the roster and the team three years ahead. You got to be thinking three years ahead. So I know for a fact that he has to be thinking about it, but he decided to answer it that way. And that's all that people heard was my GM is not even thinking about the change of a calendar that's 12 months out. So when is he going to think about it? The day before, the week before, six months before?
00:27:33
Speaker
So that provides a negative outlook onto what you do as a GM. So that's my problem. I'm going to go ahead and take a breather and allow you to add on to the subject.
00:27:47
Speaker
Thank you for listening to the Sounder at Heart Podcast Network, which now includes Nos Arrietas, Lobbing Scorchers, and The Cooler Guild. Although this podcast is free, it's only made possible through our paid subscribers. Plans start as low as $30 a year and allow us to remain independent and mostly ad-free. subscribers get access to all our written and podcast content, including a full text RSS feed and a mostly ad free podcast feed that includes every show in one spot. If you really like what we're doing, though, I'd encourage you to sign up at our higher tiers, which include all sorts of various perks. The most popular of those is our members only discord or the real Sounders sickos hang out. I know I've called this group the smartest, funniest and best informed Sounders fans in the world, but it's more than the rough equivalent of a Sounders Mensa meeting. Discord is where we make things happen. Like, for real. You know the promotion the Sounders ran that offered fans the opportunity to trade in their messy jersey for a Paul Rothrock one? That originated in our community. You'll not only be the first to know about stuff, but you also have a semi-direct line to the movers and shakers at the Sounders organization. If you want to be one of the totally normal people who occupy the Sounder at Heart Discord, just become a supporter of Sounder at Heart. Anyway, thanks for listening, and go Ders.
00:29:02
Speaker
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Speaker
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00:30:04
Speaker
So, I mean, i'll I'll say this. I think... On one hand, I guess i I can appreciate where he's coming from, which is these are tomorrow problems and I'll worry about tomorrow problems tomorrow. I guess that's or ah at least i'll I'll get into it with you guys later. That's fine. But again, i just think he missed an opportunity to articulate a different vision.
00:30:26
Speaker
and You know, you can look at the roster and I think you can pretty easily see that as much as this year, there were a lot of, there weren't a lot of big options that needed to be exercised. It was a pretty straightforward year. I think this is maybe the most straightforward year the Sounders have had in terms of options to exercise and and and pending free agents. And so, you know, most of it, I think we saw where it was going to go.
00:30:53
Speaker
But next year, there's a whole lot of guys who have contract options coming year. You're going to get really interesting. And I think it was sort of, it was an opportunity for him to say, yeah, you know, we set, we kind of feel like we're well positioned or maybe they don't, i don't know. Maybe that's the problem, but ah you know, you you can go through this and there are a lot, of you know, a lot of players who are, are going to be coming up. You know, Yamar is got a, his contract is up after next year.
00:31:23
Speaker
Albert Rusnak has an option that comes up next year. Jesus has an option. hey sue ah Yeah, you're right. Jesus has an option. Oh, no. Jesus is signed through 27. Oh, is it 27? Okay.
00:31:35
Speaker
Yeah. Nuhu is out of contract at the end of next year. Alex Roldan has an option for next year. Danny Masofsky out of contract next year. ah Danny Leyva would have been out of, or would have had an option due. Kim Keehee is going to be out of contract next year.
00:31:50
Speaker
Obed Vargas is going to be out of contract next year. Cody Baker isn't, will have an option due. Stuart Hawkins will have an option due. Kalani, Osaw is that, you know, you go down the roster, a lot of big players have options coming due or going to be out of contract next year. And, you know, honestly, it would have been an opportunity for him to say like, look, you know, we, we feel like we have a lot of, ah we have a lot of work to do to get ready for this. And we're already looking ahead to it. And I'm sure they are already looking ahead to it. Like the idea that the Sounders aren't forward looking and that they are sort of flying by the seat of their pants when it comes to cap management is crazy and it's not true. So just be, straight with us. You know, we want to tell your story.
00:32:31
Speaker
We want to be like, we want to be out there spreading the gospel of Craig Weibel, frankly. And instead it's become this, it's really kind of a strange thing because I feel like it's become sort of this antagonistic relationship and it doesn't really have to be. i don't really feel like any of us are taking big shots at him.
00:32:52
Speaker
ah You know, if anything, I think most of the outlets that cover the Sounders have been pretty ah positive I mean, the Sounders are coming off. Or at least us. At least us. Right. Exactly. i The people that matter. Right. Right. I mean, for real. ah There are, you know, because I will say that it's very often that I go into the Spanish media side, whether it's El Rey or whether it's to Unanimo or other places where I do Spanish, um you know, coverage. And there's usually a negative aspect of. The Sounders have become infamous for being this shop at Goodwill sort of club and that they no longer have ambition. And I'm out there, you know, shielding hand because I understand, i have the insight to to say, look, this is where the team is at. These are the good things about it. Look at the last couple of seasons. Look at this season specifically when he was able to achieve. But when you as the GM with your own words kind of,
00:33:57
Speaker
Take it all the way but by providing and feeding the the the the fuel of those that don't believe that you're qualified for the job. Then it's difficult. It's difficult to do because I do.
00:34:08
Speaker
and i And I mean this sincerely. I do think that Craig Weibel means well. And I think that he has done well with what he has. It hasn't been perfect. There has been things that haven't worked out. But if you look at what Pedro was able to show you last season, if you look at what Albert has been able to do and perform, if you look at what Jesus was able to do in the contract that you got him on and you look into the future and say, man, this guy could potentially be... a real big pillar for this team on the offensive end for years to come. And even the Jordan Morris situation where there have been injuries that honestly are beyond control. I mean, that shoulder injury that he had is not a reoccurring thing. it was, uh,
00:34:56
Speaker
ah soccer collision that happens. to Exactly. was just something that you could not have put into paper. And even then, I think Jordan Morris is a guy that I continue to be high on. So Craig Weibull as a whole, with what he has, I think he's built a good roster, but it is those moments where he's he could provide a little bit more in order to say this team is going places and, and don't say things like, look, if you could promise me an MLS cup, I go out there and, and, and spend money on guys because it doesn't sound well. When it doesn't who no when when that's the message that you're sending, you know what I mean?
00:35:38
Speaker
Right. Exactly. Yeah. ah You know, I don't know. it' will It'll be very interesting that, you know, that all said, it is going to be interesting to see how this, or if the Danny Leyva transfer ends up sort of changing the perspective on what the Sounders can do this off season. You know, they, it was looking like they were basically going to be in a situation where they were giving out raises and then filling out the roster, but not necessarily making any splashy signings. And this opens up the possibility at least that they could maybe make a little bit, you know, make a player, make a signing on a player who at least is going to challenge for a starting spot.
00:36:16
Speaker
Whereas, you know, as recently as this morning, i was not really thinking that that was in the card, that the chances of them going out and signing someone who was going to challenge for a starting spot just wasn't very high. And I say that,
00:36:30
Speaker
honestly believing that the roster as is is pretty strong. Like I, I don't necessarily think they have glaring holes that need to be fixed. Like, could they get a, you know, a winger who is a little bit closer to fully ready? Absolutely. Like Pedro de la Vega is going be out for some period of time.
00:36:49
Speaker
Georgie Manungu has question marks. Paul Areola has question marks. Jesus Ferreira, I think is in for a better year, but he also, you know, he, he didn't put up big goal and assist numbers last year. So there's question marks around him.
00:37:02
Speaker
Could they go out and get someone who maybe is a little bit more of a sure thing? You know, I think that this is, this opens up that possibility. ah Yes, absolutely.
00:37:15
Speaker
I continue to look at this roster and although both you and I know that there's going to be guys like Yutsu Konome that are going to be added, right potentially a Peter Kingston, potentially a Tino Lopez.
00:37:34
Speaker
There is room to go out there. And I think that's where... but going over the roster a couple more times, going back and looking at some ah games and digesting all the information.
00:37:51
Speaker
that conclusion that I've made, and there's been different to what we said right after that presser, that end of season presser is that maybe there is a need for this team to go out there and add a winger.
00:38:06
Speaker
i think that the, the U22 spot should still, should still And I don't think I said this last in our last show. I think they the U22 should still be a a future striker for this team that is going to eventually take the torch and be that next guy up as much as I like Osase. And he has been good.
00:38:34
Speaker
and I think you agree with this. We cannot look at him as a prospect and as a super high ceiling guy. i think that there is a a world where he is double digit scorer and yeah he improves upon this year. But is he the guy that I would think this is going to be my franchise attacker?
00:38:55
Speaker
And not like every team needs it. so So let me make sure that I put that out there. Not every team needs a top nine. I feel like this system does well and would benefit out of having a guy like, ah what is it, mean Milan...
00:39:13
Speaker
Kovosky. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. the guy The guy that they were looking at and and and he said Las Palmas that Craig kind of talked about um during the presser. He said, hey, you know, we had this guy that was that's doing pretty well. You know, a guy like that would be amazing to just have on to continue to build, to continue to look at the
Youth Integration and Future Prospects
00:39:35
Speaker
future. so So there are spots where I feel like this roster could improve, but the core group and what you were able to get out of 2025 and see those guys that are going to be consistent contributors and and starters, right? the Andrew Thomas, clearly your starter. Kalani Kosorianzi is a guy that is going to be getting a lot of minutes. Now you know exactly where you're going to get out of Rodan the Sixth. which is something that I feel is a huge thing for this team that now they can say he's going to be your six. This is what he's going to do for the team. So there are a lot of spots that now you already know you've been, you you have enough database to say, this is the core group. And now we're going to be able to add on in different spots.
00:40:22
Speaker
Right. And, you know, just to kind of close the the loop on Oselza de Rosario, nice player, absolutely a player who I am excited about. There is a reality that he's 24 years old and, you know, he's got 120 professional appearances. He's scoring about every third game, which is not to say... That's not awful.
00:40:42
Speaker
That's not an awful rate, but it's also not necessarily this is going to be a star in the future kind of rate either. And so I think we have to be realistic about what we can realistically expect Osase De Rosario to blossom into. And I think, you know, he's someone who is potentially a very able Danny Mussofsky replacement.
00:41:04
Speaker
I'm not quite ready to say that he is even going to reach Jordan Morris. And and Jordan Morris has had a very good MLS. He's got over, you know, he's, he's pushing a hundred goals in his, in his career. So it's not like he's, he's some slouch, but,
00:41:18
Speaker
ah you know, I just think we have to be like Oh, Sazade Rosario is not the ceiling. The sounder should be shooting for, I guess is the point I'm making. He is a really great sort of foundational player.
00:41:31
Speaker
you can, you can, if you can, guarantee that you can bring in an Osaze De Rosario player every year, you're doing really well. But you also need to have guys who overshoot that, who are, you know, stars in the making, you know, and Obed Vargas obviously plays a different position, but this is a guy who you could see developing into a best 11 type of talent. Jackson Reagan, another player, you can see developing into a, you know, a best 11 type of talent. Christian Roldan developed into a best 11 type of talent. And I think you need to keep
00:42:03
Speaker
pumping the pipeline with players you think can get to that level. And, you know, and that's what the U22 is for. It's for shooting your shot, you know, is for going for big, going swinging big. And sometimes it misses, but that's the point of the, of the mechanism, right. Is to, is not to get out, ro not to find roster filling type of talents is to find guys who might flame out, but,
00:42:27
Speaker
also might be really good. And the Sounders seem to sort of be punting on the desire to find that type of player. And it's, and that's unfortunate. Right. And look, that's not to say that, and we have done this pretty consistently, we understand and we know that this Sounders team has this phenomenal academy and this ability through Tacoma Defiance to get guys and and perhaps find some really good u twenty two players But
00:43:01
Speaker
adding a little bit of of capita and going out there and looking for that high ceiling potential that's going to take your team to the next level is always great. And and you don't have to be radical with your takes and and say, you have to go out there and just spend away. That's the way to win and and and shit on what the Sounders have done. ah And then you also don't have to be complacent. So the people who say, hey, you know, you guys are complacent with What the team is providing? No, that's not the case. We're just highlighting that that has been a phenomenal baseline that has been reliable and sustainable and has this team not just be a playoff contender every year and be in the playoffs, but be a true contender, just like the word this season. But if you add and you look for those gems out there, it it just makes it that much more fun.
00:43:53
Speaker
possible that you're not going to just be a contender, but then going to find yourself in a MLS final or a Western conference final. Right. And I think that's sort of one of the, ah one of the things that,
00:44:07
Speaker
I think we are, I'm calm. I know I've said this many times, but the reality is that two things can be
Financial Strategy in MLS
00:44:14
Speaker
true. The Sounders can both be, I think people way overstate the need to spend big, big dollars to be competitive in MLS. There are...
00:44:23
Speaker
there is a litany of research that shows that spending and success in MLS have virtually no correlation, but it's also true that there is a baseline that you're going to have to hit and you have to spend something and you have to be able to bring in new players from time to time. And that's the thing that I think you know, I worry about is I don't like to get wrapped up in the hyperbole of, you know, the sounders aren't spending enough to be competitive. Clearly they are currently spending enough to be competitive. They are competitive at their current spending level. That's just facts, right?
00:44:59
Speaker
But what they But that doesn't mean that that we don't think that they can raise their ceiling by being smart about you know finding better ways to... you know Finding ah places where they can exploit more opportunities. And that doesn't mean they have to go out and sign $5 million dollars DPs just because that would make some people happy.
00:45:18
Speaker
ah They're getting great production, frankly, out of the the way they're using their DPs now. And i don't think the DP... approach is necessarily wrong. But again, there are other parts of this roster that they can spend on and it would be good to see them being a little bit more aggressive in an offseason like this one.
00:45:37
Speaker
Yeah, and look look at the Whitecaps. And I know that we all focus on the fact that they brought Thomas Mueller. and And, you know, of course, he has, without a doubt, been a key amplifier of everything. And he's been so good in so many ways. But this Whitecaps team was good at the beginning of the year. And at the beginning of the year, their two DPs were Andres Kubas, who's phenomenal, but is still not a guy you're paying a crap ton of money for.
00:46:04
Speaker
And Pedro, um I mean, um Ryan Gold, who, you know, had been um hurt a lot of the time. And that the you the two U22 initiative guys were Pedro Vite, who they were able to let go to Pumas and sell him, and ah Elder Ocampo. So those are not necessarily huge signings. This is not a team that was throwing all the money out the team.
00:46:31
Speaker
you know, back end of the roster, but they put together a very solid team, a very cohesive unit with a very good coach and look where they are in, in, in not just the final, but there were in a CONCACAF cup final, I believe. Yes. yeah And, and, and they have been a phenomenal team all season long.
00:46:52
Speaker
Yeah, absolutely. So and now they find themselves in an MLS Cup. So a lot of times I do feel like you're right. There is this huge misconception that if you spend a crap ton of money, it's going to guarantee you wins. And Atlanta will tell you that's not true. Miami over the time of their tenure in um MLS will tell you that's not true. I mean, we can go on and on about teams that have spent a whole lot of money and haven't been able to come out with a lot of titles. Yeah.
00:47:18
Speaker
Absolutely. Well, I think this is probably a good place to to wrap it up. Any other anything else you're hearing about the any any more updates? I know you went on a ah a little bit of a Paul Rothrock thing recently. ah Anything that's worth really getting into? or like Do we any sense of what's going on with Stephen Fry?
00:47:38
Speaker
ah Yes, I'm hearing that ah when it comes to Steph Fry, the negotiations are our positive. Conversations seem to be tilting to him staying. Now, I say that with what I was told to be, you know, cautiously optimistic with. I'm not hearing what the...
00:48:01
Speaker
Hold up is or why there hasn't been a decision made. ah part of me, and this is just my educated guess, is probably along the lines of whether or not Steph wants to continue.
00:48:16
Speaker
ah that That's my guess. That might be what's holding up, ah whether or not he's going come back to to the team and sign. The Port Rother one has been interesting. This morning during in kickoff, Ari said something about the possibilities of Nashville FC.
00:48:34
Speaker
I mean, SC. And yes, I had heard that their team that...
00:48:41
Speaker
would not just be interested, but where he would fit in well. I haven't necessarily reported that there's any negotiations or anything like that, but that that could definitely be a landing spot for him. i still think, and I'll reiterate what I said this morning on Paul Rothrock, I think that the writing's on the wall.
00:48:58
Speaker
I think that the negotiations have gone beyond the point of him staying with the Sounders to where, as it happens to many players, that you end up playing elsewhere, even if it is for the same amount of money that you would have been playing at your current team, meaning the Sounders.
00:49:19
Speaker
And so I just think that he'll go out there and get maybe a bump in his pay or maybe similar what was going to get in Seattle, but it's more of a principal decision that will at some point end up having Paul Rothrock elsewhere next season.
00:49:37
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. That's a, that's a bit of a bummer. ah Hopefully, you know, we'll, we'll see how we'll continue to watch this one and, and kind of, going to save my my, obituary for that when we actually know what's going on, but that would be, I'd be disappointed, but I also, I mean, I understand why these things are happening, but I think like a lot of people, it's going to be, it'll be a blow to, to lose Paul Rothrock. can best when it comes to ah the other bit of news. I don't know if we ever got to this or not, but yeah,
00:50:08
Speaker
Joe Paulo.
Jao Paulo's Potential Coaching Path
00:50:09
Speaker
ah It's, I guess we, I, I had, we have a couple bits of information that were linked, but I'll, I'll just share this one. It looks like Mike Morris is going to be going to new England revolution where he's going to draw, draw, join, uh,
00:50:26
Speaker
Marco Mitrovic is staff. you That's who you was and an assistant with for the U twenties. And, uh, Mike Morris had been a favorite to be the Tacoma defiance head coach. And so now that's, that search is pretty much wide open. Uh, and I'll guess I'll transition that to you. Cause you have a ah sort of secondary part of this, I believe. Uh, yes. Uh,
00:50:50
Speaker
If you go back and listen to the end of season presser, and i'm talking to the audience, of course, there is a point where I believe it's Brian who says that, you know, we're hoping that at some point Joe Pablo comes back in some capacity as part of the club.
00:51:09
Speaker
um I believe that there is an opportunity where Joe Pablo could be offered a position as a coach within the Tacoma Defiance. I think that, and I have said this before on the record, there was a moment and a time six months ago where Joe Pablo, you know, was seriously considering becoming in a coach. He has the IQ for it.
00:51:41
Speaker
He has the personality for it. He's a guy that demands respect as soon as he steps into that coaching room or or that field. So as someone who knows his best attributes, I think that it would be a phenomenal move for him. We've seen him have so many difficulties physically trying to keep himself to the best of his form. And if anything, Giaopalo is a guy that he's not going to enter the field if he's not going to give you 110%.
00:52:16
Speaker
And when you're at his age with the amount of injuries that he's had, that could have a serious effect on your body. And so if the next step in his career is coaching, I feel like being in a club and organization like the Sounders that would provide you an immediate opportunity to handle Tacoma defiance team. And, you know, who knows at some point, maybe that becomes a pathway into you becoming a a staff and a coaching staff member of the first team, then that's something that you should definitely consider. And I don't think that there's anything
00:52:56
Speaker
on Joe Pablo's camp just yet. I think that he's without a doubt trying to figure out what his next move is and weigh his options and figure out what his next move is. But I do think that him being part of the coaches having to come with the fines would provide a great situation for him. Very likely to the move that Andy Rose made in Vancouver, where he could have probably played a couple more years, but he decided to get in early and and start coaching. And now I would say that Andy Rose is maybe a year or two from having his own team. ah He's probably a guy taking interviews regularly.
00:53:38
Speaker
this off season for other jobs. So I do think that there's an importance into taking those opportunities while they're there. Cause they're not ah always there and understanding how much effort that Gio Pablo has put into his career, seeing him move on to being a coach be phenomenal.
00:54:00
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. I mean, he definitely seems like he had the mind to be a coach, whether or not he wants to do it this year or, you know, down the road remains to be seen, but I have no doubt that he'll be successful once he ever does it. And, you know, you don't have to look that far to find examples you players who transition into coaching take over at the mlx next the MLS next pro level and then quickly move into MLS. You know, Michael Bradley, a very similar type of player Jao Paulo.
00:54:33
Speaker
He, you know, he coached Red Bull two for one year, I believe. And he is close to being hired I think by the Red Bulls, uh, be their, their next head coach. and that's, I mean, that's a ah very quick transition. I mean, he, I assume he was doing some other work before he took over the rebel to a project, but i mean, it doesn't, it's, it can be a pretty fast path. And, you know, even like a, not to get too crazy, but like you look at Zinedon Zidane and here here's a guy who ah went from coaching Real Madrid B to coaching the first team and winning champions league in, you know, the span of like two years. So, yeah yeah you know, these things, it can happen fast. It can happen really fast.
00:55:20
Speaker
Yeah. Good too. So it felt like he was so quickly from coaching at the club level and eventually coaching with Italy. I mean, there's a ton of, you know, um,
00:55:32
Speaker
ah scenarios out there like Savi and, you know, other players that they're at a different level, of course. But but the coaching is very...
00:55:43
Speaker
um meticulous and you have to be prepared for changing the way you look at the game. But when you have been there and you are one of those midfielders specifically that sees the game differently, like Gonzalo Pineda, of course, ah it is a DC transition. And, uh,
00:56:04
Speaker
I think that Joe Pablo is a guy that his English has improved a whole lot. He is a student of the game. so yeah, man, I feel like he'd be a great fit for this organization as ah as a coach in the Tacoma Defiance side, if that's what he decides to do.
00:56:21
Speaker
Right. Yeah. Well, let's, let's hope, let's hope. Well, Nico, thanks for, for hopping on and, and given, uh, giving us some time on this. I
Nekoxa's Coaching Situation and Leyva's Role
00:56:29
Speaker
think this is a really good example of what we hope to do this off season.
00:56:34
Speaker
I'm also going to be doing some interviews with sort of, uh, random, uh, different, Folks next week, I'm talking to someone about the, the world cup draw specifically getting into the way it looks for Seattle and for the U S national team. So, so look for that, but Nico, I'm sure we will continue to talk this off season. Anytime there is news, I am happy to jump on with you and ah bang out an episode, but thanks for doing this, Nico.
00:57:01
Speaker
no No, no, no problem. i want to add one last piece um because I know that people might wonder. Yes, Nekaxa is a team that it might be coming in ah in in a very particular time that they're going to be signing Danny Leyva because their coach, Fernando Gago, who honestly has been a disaster as a coach. was sacked just like three or four weeks ago. They have just recently decided that they are going, I believe, with Uruguayan coach Martin Varini. And that might be interesting on how a new player that maybe the front office got would fit into his plans. But we hope nothing but the best for Dani Leiva. But that is something that I feel like I wanted to clarify because I could see it in the comments where... how do they get a player when the coach just not even necessarily fully signed just yet? And they just let go Fernando Gago. So just in case you were wondering, I, I, that is a situation and there are times specifically in league MX where sacking a coach is just like taking off a shoe. Sometimes it is the the sporting directors that, that handle the roster built in and they'll bring in a coach to fit that group of players.
00:58:18
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. No, that's a, that's always a good reminder that the ah the way league MEC uses runs and the way and MLS run, especially when it comes to coaching could hardly be different, more different. ah But in any case, Nico, thanks for that. And thanks for doing this. You're listening to a, we're going to, I'm going to get out of here. I'm Jeremiah Shan.
00:58:38
Speaker
You are been listening to no study at this part of the sound or heart podcast network, and will catch you next time.
00:59:15
Speaker
Let's go at Sounders.