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How the Sounders are breaking mathematical formulas in their current run of form and a Sporting KC preview
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Aaron joins Jeremiah to talk about the Sounders and why the underlying numbers are likely underrating the team. In the second segment the two preview the Sporting KC match and spoiler alert - they’re not great!
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Transcript
Introduction of Will Bruin as New Sounder at Heart Voice
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
Seattle Sounders Celebrated as MLS Cup Winners
00:00:12
Speaker
on. Hey, O'Shaughness. Let's The Seattle Sounders have done it. MLS Cup winners. The Sounders rule the region.
00:00:43
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 Where's my copy? got bunch of them How many do you cost them? 50 bucks.
00:01:08
Speaker
I'll deadline you.
Sponsorship by Full Pull Wines
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.
Season Start Discussion with Jeremiah Shan, Aaron Campo, and Lickett
00:01:43
Speaker
Welcome back to another episode of Nos Adientes, part of the Sounder Heart Podcast Network, sponsored by Full Pool Wines and our subscribers. We're recording on Monday, April 27, 2026. I'm your host, Jeremiah Shan. Today, I'm joined by my co-host, Aaron Campo, and our engineer, Lickett.
Sounders Tie Record for Best Season Start
00:01:59
Speaker
The Sounders have officially tied their record for best ever start to the season, beating FC Dallas 2-1 on Saturday to improve to 6-1-1 on the season. Their 19 points is the same number they had through 8 games in 2012, and one more than they had during 2021 when they actually started with 13 straight unbeaten.
00:02:18
Speaker
Like St. Louis, though, this wasn't necessarily a dominant performance, but it was plenty effective.
Squad Depth Praised by Aaron Campo
00:02:24
Speaker
Aaron, what do you make of this this start, ah this game, all of it?
00:02:30
Speaker
I was, I think, pretty enthusiastic about things last week, and I'm even more so this week. The Sounders beat a pretty good Dallas team, I thought, pretty comfortably without Christian, who is a guy who it used to be, if he's not in the lineup, well, we're we're going to get fewer points than we probably would have otherwise, right?
00:02:47
Speaker
And i didn't think it was particularly close game. And in addition to Christian, they were missing Albarusnak. Uh, and you know, I thought the attack looked, looked dangerous, looked good, looked consistently pretty effective.
00:02:57
Speaker
Uh, I thought that, you know, Dallas had, had the one really good goal off the set piece, but, uh, that was pretty much it for them. That that that was about all they created. Um, I thought that, you know, the the Sounders just it's it's a professional performance. It's not they didn't blow anybody's doors off. They didn't blow anybody out of the water, but they controlled the game for the vast majority of it.
00:03:20
Speaker
When they went up to nail that really felt like that was it. And even after Dallas got the goal back, it just never really felt close. And, you know, that's that's the kind of win where when you're not at full strength.
00:03:31
Speaker
ah that that teams that aren't elite have trouble closing out. And the Sounders didn't really seem to have a lot of trouble closing it out. And that's just kind of been a consistent thing this year. They get a lead. They don't let go of it. um they They are very professional in how they you know how they close out games.
00:03:47
Speaker
And i just I think you've got to feel great about it.
Resilience and Adaptability in Gameplay
00:03:50
Speaker
it's It's one of the best starts, I think, that we've seen. as you as you pointed out, but even in 2012, I don't think they ever looked this consistently good. They weren't winning a bunch of games on the road.
00:04:02
Speaker
ah This has been unique, I think, in that sense, that you know they got to this point with a really road-heavy schedule. And yeah, I feel really great about it. i mean, there's still plenty of season left, plenty of time for them to...
00:04:17
Speaker
to slide and, and, you know, their form to, turn South. But I just am not super worried about that right now, based on what we've seen, because it's been consistently all season next fan up. We're going to figure out a way to win. We're going to figure out a way to, to be effective. We're going to adapt to to who we have on the pitch and and we're going to get points. And I just don't see any reason to think that they're not going to be able to continue doing that.
Defensive Organization and Tactics
00:04:40
Speaker
Yeah, and they missed a penalty in this one on top of that. They could have made things a little... They did, a really bad penalty too, have to say. Yeah. Yeah, Jesus admitted that he he was more frustrated with his decision-making process because it sounds like he had intended to go left, which I guess is the way he normally goes, and he sort of overthought it, did not make good contact, hit it to the right, and it was really a pretty easy save.
00:05:06
Speaker
ah Certainly the fact that he guessed right is, you know, a big part of it, but he sort of telegraphed It was not a good penalty. And they, you know, there's certainly, you don't have to go that far back. I mean, last year, the Sounders seemed to find ways to blow games exactly like this. You know, I think of the LA galaxy game at home where they were up to zero, they seemingly were coasting and then they ended up settling for a two, two draw.
00:05:33
Speaker
And one thing that they've done this year is they've gotten early goals for the most part. And just like you said, they just sort of put games away. They don't have, you know, the underlying numbers, I think, are maybe influenced a lot by that, that they are just not playing from behind. They're not even playing from an even game state that much this year.
00:05:54
Speaker
And so it just doesn't lend itself to a lot of progressive attacking play when you are not having to stretch yourself and you're not having to expose yourself. And so the underlying numbers, whether it's G plus or XG or whatever,
00:06:09
Speaker
They just don't look that robust in part because they're not having to just sort of fire off shots or push the ball or do whatever because they're in advantageous positions. Basically every game, I know you look at their schedule, they've got two losses across all competitions.
00:06:24
Speaker
The ah RSL game, they gave up a relatively early goal, but even the, you know, even the Tigris game, they, they didn't give up that first goal until the end of the first half. I, or even no, or a second half, right?
00:06:36
Speaker
And then, ah and basically every other game they have scored, they've scored relatively early and been able to to just kind of put the game away. Like I said, it's, it's been very impressive. This has been a very professional sort of performance. There's not been a lot of nerves in terms of, uh, them having to chase games.
00:06:59
Speaker
Yeah. And that's, that's a huge thing. Um, Parker Smith was a great blue sky follow, uh, had a, had a little couple of posts today about game state and the amount of time teams spend in, and in a winning game state.
00:07:12
Speaker
And the Sounders have been right up there. They've spent, ah 10% of all available minutes losing this year. And that's that's pretty impressive, right? bank ah Chicago and l LAFC are the only two teams ahead of them.
00:07:25
Speaker
And that's, like you said, it's much more comfortable when you don't have to chase games. It's much more comfortable when you have a lead that you can sit on, especially when you you have the defensive organization that this team has. You get the midfield performances that this team has gotten this year.
00:07:40
Speaker
Uh, it's, it is going to lend itself, frankly, to some games that are not super exciting down the stretch, but when you're winning, it's always going to be a little more fun when you're just kind of closing out games, uh, by keeping the ball and, and, uh, you know, being, being professional. And, uh, I think everybody wants to see the Sounders put up a ton of goals, but I think in a game like this, where they were missing Christian Roldan, and where Dallas had shown the ability to, you know, to, uh,
00:08:10
Speaker
seize the moment and and get a goal that just kind of seeing things out was, was the right call.
Dotson's Outstanding Performance
00:08:16
Speaker
Yeah, and they had, you know, they created some decent chances in this one that they didn't convert. You know, there was the Kalani Kosarienzi one off the rebound from close range where their goalkeeper made a pretty good save.
00:08:28
Speaker
Then they had Danny Masofsky got himself into a decent position for a close range header. You know, he didn't really, it it didn't take it a miraculous save or anything, but it was a good scoring chance. There was the penalty.
00:08:39
Speaker
ah You know, they they had some other opportunities to to add a goal. So it wasn't like they weren't doing anything. It just, like I said, they didn't have to. And, you know, I think a lot of credit should go to the midfield of Hassani Dotson and Snyder Brunel. You know, neither one of these guys were, well, guess I shouldn't say that. They could both potentially be starters, but neither one of them are are both seemingly paired more naturally with Christian Roldan.
00:09:08
Speaker
And... they they didn't seem to miss him at all. I thought this was Hassani Dotson's best game of his season of the season. You know, it was his first league start in a while.
00:09:18
Speaker
Or is that right? Did he start last game too? No, he didn't because Christian did. But You know, he was he was good. I thought, you know, he has the the play that sort of unlocks the second goal where he, you know, first of all, he plays a back header to Jackson Reagan to sort of keep possession. And then it's his pass that opens it up for Snyder Burnell, who, of course, plays in Jordan Morris.
00:09:42
Speaker
And I think there's been a lot of criticism, mostly fair, I think, of Dotson that he just hasn't looked entirely comfortable. But in this game, he I thought he looked really. He like really good. I thought.
00:09:55
Speaker
yeah he he looked great uh he did start against st louis city okay but he played 53 minutes in that one uh yeah i thought he looked great i thought this was easily his best game i think really since coming back from injury he's looked pretty solid um yeah this this was easily far and away his best game and uh and that's that's good to see right they they committed a decent amount of money to to hasani um he is uh you know You need good performances from somebody that's on that kind of cap number, and and it was good to see see that. And I think especially in a in a season where Snyder Brunel has really broken out, where um Christian has continued to look like one of the best midfielders in mls
00:10:39
Speaker
It's going to be tough when you're not getting the minutes maybe you expected to get if you're
Competitive Pressure from Teammates
00:10:43
Speaker
Hassani Donson. I think he figured he was going to be a starter on this team, and and that hasn't really been the case. So when he gets the opportunity... Mainly because of injury, I would argue. For sure. But I do think Sander Brunel has probably won that job. I i would agree, too. i would i would agree i agree. And so I think that's got to be a lot of pressure you know when when you have ah when you do get those starts. right you You want to have a good showing, and I thought he did. He picked up an assist. He looked really confident, um really calm.
00:11:09
Speaker
I thought defensively was really good. And that's been my biggest issue with him is is so far this season, he's had some shaky moments defensively and and I didn't really see too much of that in this game. So that's great. Cause there are going be plenty of minutes for him this year.
00:11:21
Speaker
And you want to be able to to trust everybody that's, you know, that's going to be getting those minutes. And and I think that performances like this one go a long way to, you erasing the the slower start and I think it's so tough for any player coming into a new team especially coming into a team with such high expectations and especially coming into a team where uh there is so much competition, right? For for those minutes. and there's such a high standard set internally by, by the coaching staff and the players.
00:11:50
Speaker
And also that's a really tough position to play if you're not super familiar with your
Vulnerability to Conceding from Corners
00:11:54
Speaker
teammates. And I think that that's kind of gets overlooked sometimes. So I don't think him having kind of a slow start is super unexpected, but it's certainly a good sign that he's picked it up his last few games.
00:12:06
Speaker
The one issue defensively seems to be with the Sounders is corner kicks. They gave up the one goal they gave up. This one was on a corner kick. That's the third corner kick goal they've allowed this year. Three of their eight goals, in fact, across all competitions have been off corners.
00:12:23
Speaker
I'm inclined to give them a little bit of a pass on this one, though. Yeah. uh, Dotson is marking Norris and he, he's all over him. It's a, it's a really good header. There's not like much you can really do there other than maybe have someone positioned at the back post, I suppose is maybe the way you would defend that. But it's, it it's one of those things where it it definitely feeds the narrative of their struggling on corner kicks, uh,
00:12:52
Speaker
But I don't know if it's entirely fair to chalk this one up the way that the ones against Tigris were. Yeah, I would agree with that. I thought that Nolan Norris was...
00:13:03
Speaker
ah I mean, even in a losing effort, arguably the best player on the pitch, certainly the best player for Dallas. I thought for dallas for sure he was incredible. I thought I was super impressed by it by him.
00:13:14
Speaker
And yeah, I mean, he just, he just flat out bullied Hassani and that's, he's a big kid. I don't think there's any shame in that, but if you find him and and he's, he's got a mismatch like that and, and, you know, whoever's taking the corner finds him,
00:13:29
Speaker
If he puts it on frame, it's going to be tough to to stop him from scoring. And and yeah, I'm with you. I don't there wasn't a missed assignment. There wasn't um somebody left unmarked. It was just Nolan Norris being a big dude and getting his head to it.
00:13:45
Speaker
and you You know, you've kind of got to keep tip your cap to him. Yeah, i would I would tend to agree with you on that one. I also thought this was a good performance for Jesus Ferreira. He has been looking better at the last couple games. He had taken five shots after, which was more in his previous two games. He had taken and combined five shots, which was two more than he had all season up to that point.
00:14:08
Speaker
And he gets his first goal. It's not necessarily a great goal, but it's the kind of goal he needed to just get. Like he it's he he gets played in by Jordan Morris.
00:14:18
Speaker
He takes it and it deflects off a defender. Nothing to complain about there. Obviously, I'd like him to do a little bit better with the penalty. But aside from that, he was dealing. You know, again, he he just is doing this on a consistent basis where he is finding his teammates and he is passing very well. His confidence seems to be growing, which does seem to kind of go counter to the penalty that he took.
00:14:46
Speaker
but I'm liking Jesus for right now.
Ferreira's Improvement and Role Effectiveness
00:14:48
Speaker
i don't necessarily, I've heard it suggested that maybe the sounders are more dynamic when he's playing at the 10. I don't know that the evidence fully so supports that, but I do like him. I like him on the field and i was very happy to see him get a goal on this one.
00:15:03
Speaker
Yeah, i think that this was arguably his best performance as a sounder. I thought he was, ah if Nolan Norris wasn't the the best player on the pitch, I think Jesus Ferrer probably was. Could be. he ah he He was very good, effective in in every phase, I think. He was still running extremely hard, pressing really high in the 90th minute, which I was...
00:15:25
Speaker
really encouraged by it because that's kind of been the question this this season with him is he's not playing 90 minutes. And is there a reason why? Is is he not fit enough? is is he Is he dealing with some kind of injury? And I think seeing the effort he was putting in late in this game.
00:15:41
Speaker
makes me think that that's probably not the case anymore if it ever was. So that was encouraging. And I think that, you know, I said a few weeks ago that as happy as I had been with his performances, i really wanted to see him be more goal dangerous. And he's been significantly more goal dangerous over the last few weeks. He he got the goal in this one, but he's just been getting into better spots and in the box and getting into better scoring positions. And if you you know If you do that consistently, you're going to score goals. And i think that that's the thing that takes him from being a good player to the kind of player I think the Sounders need him to be.
00:16:18
Speaker
And yeah, I mean, if he keeps playing like this, it is going to make an interesting situation for for Brian Schmetzer to have to to work through because he he has been more effective, I think, than Albert Rosnack as a 10 this year.
00:16:32
Speaker
The sample size of Albert Rusnak being a better 10 is much larger, right? So you can't just yeah totally, especially since Albert has been dealing with with injuries this year. um But it's hard to mess with what's what's working, especially when it's working as well as Jesus playing at the 10 has been working of late.
00:16:51
Speaker
At the same time, let's not forget Albert Rosnack was coming off two games where he had two goals. For sure. Or two goals and three assists. So it's not like he's you know he was starting to heat up too. ah So i I'm not quite ready to to throw Albert Rosnack out with the bathwater, so to speak. But you know one of the things I do think that is worth wondering about, if not who should be playing the 10, is who should be the starting center back next to Jackson Reagan?
Debating the Starting Lineup Next to Jackson Reagan
00:17:16
Speaker
Because, you know, Yamar has been out now for quite some time. And Alex Roldan looks so comfortable back there. And Kalani Kosarienzi looks so good at right back. I don't think I still think Yamar is probably the better option, but it's really becoming an open question as to who should be starting next to Jackson Reagan.
00:17:40
Speaker
I guess i think I'm less and not because he hasn't been very good. I think he has been very good, but I think I'm less enthusiastic about the proposition of of Alex moving to center back. Um,
00:17:52
Speaker
I think that he's one of the best right backs in the league and yeah don't think he's one of the best center backs in the league. I think he's very good. He's been great. Um, that's fair. i I do think that at a certain point we're going to see teams try to target him in other ways. Um, and so it'll be interesting to see how he, how he does there, how he adjusts to that.
00:18:12
Speaker
Um, having Reagan being the other center back means that the size youre you're giving up there compared to, to Yamar is not as big of a deal, but it is a factor. um but I just, I think he's such a good right back and, and Kalani is, is great. I love Kalani. He's, he's a really good player with ah a great future, but I think Alex is a better right back. And so, I'm, I'm less sold on it being a long-term thing, but for the time being, i think, I think Tina Lopez has been great. I've, I've loved watching him.
00:18:42
Speaker
um I think I'd rather see Alex there until Yamar is back healthy. And who knows when that's going to be like it. It could very well be a moot point that Yamar never gets the chance to want his job back because he's out for i own't so long.
00:18:54
Speaker
Well, yeah, I mean, I do. I don't think his career is over or anything. Right. But i would I would expect him in back within a few weeks. I think it'd be nice. It would be nice.
00:19:05
Speaker
And hopefully he's back for to stay. But that the fact that Sounders have been playing as well as they have been. while really playing with one or two natural center backs on the roster, healthy center backs on the roster is pretty remarkable. Yeah, they did. i was I was a little surprised that they didn't have Kim Ki-Hee on the roster in this one.
00:19:26
Speaker
They didn't have, they they loaned Stu Hawkins to Tacoma Defiance. He played 45 minutes, by the way. Ryan Saylor's still not ready to come back. So once again, the Sounders are going pretty shallow at center back and it doesn't seem to be costing them at all. Like they, so they, they actually seem to be just finding more players that can, that can put in a solid shift. And that is just a, it's just, I continue to be blown away at how easy they're making it look yeah like center back is not an easy position and they now have,
00:20:03
Speaker
you know, seven guys or whatever that can play the position very ably. Yeah, it's it's pretty incredible. and And I don't mean to take anything away from the organization at large, from the rest of the coaching and staff, from, you know, the coaching staff of the Defiance Academy coaches.
00:20:22
Speaker
They're all doing an incredible
Brian Schmetzer's Player Development
00:20:23
Speaker
job. But this season so far is making me want to figure out some way to give Brian Schmetzer some kind of eternal life bill, because i just, I don't think that it's an accident that this keeps happening.
00:20:38
Speaker
That, that guys that, you know, Alex was almost out of soccer, right? And, and Brian finds a way to turn him into one of the best right backs in MLS.
00:20:49
Speaker
um Peter Kingston was almost out of soccer and he's a contributor on one of the best teams in the league right now. Like this, it keeps happening. And I don't think, I don't think it's any accident. And I do think that it is Paul Rothrock, right?
00:21:04
Speaker
um Jackson Reagan. I mean, he, Jackson Reagan wasn't almost out of soccer, but he was a guy that the fire were happy to let go for almost nothing. Osase De Rosario was someone who yeah was freely available to be signed by Tacoma Defiance. Yeah.
00:21:17
Speaker
You can kind of go down the list here and find a lot of players who seemingly did not have a lot of options and the Sounders have helped make them into very competent players.
00:21:28
Speaker
Yeah. In some ways, elite, almost elite level players. And it it does like, it I don't know. it It's funny because I, I really would like to see them signs. Like this is going to be the drum that we're beating probably forever.
00:21:43
Speaker
i want to see him sign somebody, but I also get why they look at the roster and go, okay. Yeah. But where? I mean, i you can argue that they can upgrade at the number nine. I think you can certainly make that argument.
00:21:57
Speaker
But Jordan Morris, you know, Jordan Morris, look, if he's playing like he did against fc Dallas. Right. is that the like Is that is in is replacing him i' going to be a high priority? I don't think so.
00:22:11
Speaker
No. Yeah. And yes, you could potentially move him to the wing, but then you're displacing Paul Rothbroker. His is for error. Right. Right. um or Malboro Snack, potentially, I guess, or designer whoever, right? like it Right.
00:22:26
Speaker
And that's not to say that I don't think the Sounders should try to improve, because even if the guy that's getting displaced by the new signing hasn't done anything to deserve losing his minutes, the point of all of this is to win trophies.
00:22:43
Speaker
And if you can improve your team and and have a better chance at winning a trophy, you should do it. But it does make finding that guy harder because it has to be somebody that's a clear upgrade and you don't have like a place to focus that energy, right? Like it's not like you can sit here and say left wing is our weakest spot. We got to go get a left winger.
00:23:07
Speaker
um Because I just don't, I don't know where the weakness is, right? Like I can't look at this team on any given day and say, that's the position. Very frustrating. Yeah, it is. It is. It would be,
00:23:20
Speaker
I think a more interesting discussion if we could say, here are some guys we should go sign because they, they would help make the team better, but I'm not going to do that for all 11
Nuhu's Defensive Stability
00:23:28
Speaker
positions. You know what i mean? Um, I mean, I think that another, on the same token, like knew who was the captain in this game. Yeah. and you know, I think we've been open with criticism of new who, um,
00:23:42
Speaker
I don't know that I have anything negative to say about Nuhu like ah he's been like He's made some mistakes, but he's been overall a very good defender this year. yeah And it's just another example of a player who who Brian seems to have coaxed the best out of.
00:23:59
Speaker
and And I would say he's really dialed in on how to use most effectively this year, tactically. Right. Like he is not being asked to do the things that he is not as much as he loves to do them is not as good at doing as nearly as much. i don't think.
00:24:15
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. ah Well, anything else from this game from the Dallas game that stood out to you? It was just sort of a Like it it honestly struck me as the kind of win where you.
00:24:28
Speaker
Take it. You don't, there's not a lot to take away. i mean, Dallas did rotate heavily. They, I don't, I think they may have rotated almost their whole raw, their whole lineup yeah from the midweek. They didn't have Petr Musa. They didn't have Logan Farrington. So they were missing some stuff. I still thought they looked good. We spent all of last, last week's segment. I see Dallas talking about. Yeah, exactly. ah But they, you know, they played midweek and I guess they picked up injuries and that's how that goes.
00:24:58
Speaker
ah This I guess we can come back. We can talk a little bit about Sporting Kansas City, but talk about a mess. Yeah, that that is a mess. ah yeah And this this by all rights, the Sounders should equal, should keep pace with 2012 in terms of points because they they won their ninth game in 2012. So they'll have to win that one if this is something that you care about. But ah you know I guess one thing that's worth talking about is the Sounders, like I said, are tied for their best ever start.
00:25:29
Speaker
They are on something like 2.3 points per game for the season right now. uh it they are uh 2.38 yeah points per game yeah so that is that would be a record-breaking pace if they were to maintain it for the whole year of course they're still fourth fourth overall and in their pace other year but they're fourth in the west well they're third in the west points per game pace Oh, pace. Right. OK, right, right, right. OK. Well, yeah, fourth fourth overall and pace and fifth overall. And so I guess the question and I and I and I get that, like we said earlier in the show, their underlying numbers don't jump off the page.
00:26:08
Speaker
I think I would hesitate to say that they've been lucky because I don't look at any of these games and say, oh, and we're lucky. san jose San Jose was maybe a little lucky, but even then they, they had a goal wiped off that they would have, they could have won that game to zero and they had a goal wiped off the board for a offside that may or may not have actually impacted the play.
00:26:30
Speaker
And. You know, they're the only team to have beaten both Vancouver and San Jose. i think there's a lot of reasons to think that they are better than their underlying numbers, even if they're not quite as good as their top line numbers.
00:26:45
Speaker
but, ah but it's at the same time, it's just hard to get to like, I get why the sounders aren't getting more hype from the sort of national press because there's just undeniably better stories right now than them. San Jose, Vancouver to name two, but Nashville is still alive and champions cup. Yeah. Uh,
00:27:03
Speaker
There's a lot of really interesting teams right now Looks good. Chicago looks good. Yeah. So there's not. So i I guess what I'm saying is i don't I don't really mind going under the radar right now. I think that maybe is working to the center's favor.
00:27:18
Speaker
Yeah, it's it's totally fine with me. um I and and frankly, like, as you said, like the earthquakes are a more interesting story. Like no question. This is a team that wasn't very good last year that lost two of their best players who looks to be legitimately one of the best teams in MLS history.
00:27:40
Speaker
Yeah. And it's through 10 games now, right? Like it's not, they're off to the fastest start in MLS history. Yeah. They have the most points through, through 10 games as anyone in in MLS history. Yeah. It's crazy. the The white caps are trying to save soccer in Vancouver. um Yeah. Yeah.
00:27:56
Speaker
And yeah, like, and the Sounders have been good, but in a way that's like not super exciting. um I think that, and and I think this this is a point I wanted to make about the underlying numbers as well. I think the more home games they play and the more of that schedule discrepancy normalizes, the underlying numbers are going to start to come up a little bit and maybe they start to be a little more interesting, but they've gotten a lot of these points grinding out wins on the road and that's just not that interesting. So.
00:28:23
Speaker
ah But yeah, i'm I'm fine with, you know, nobody talking about us. ah we'll We'll do plenty of that. we're We're used to talking about ourselves quite a bit, so... you know yeah problems exactly exactly well uh the sounders do have uh you know they they dropped in the uh strength of schedule uh rankings a little bit they are now sixth toughest schedule up to this point uh but then upcoming they're like basically mid table so
00:28:56
Speaker
you know, ah they, they could be better days. could Like the the toughest part of their schedule seems to be behind them, which is kind of crazy. Yeah. But why don't we take a break and we'll come back. We'll talk a little bit about sporting Kansas city.
Announcement of New '4' Print Magazine
00:29:09
Speaker
You're listening to nos adiates on the center our podcast network.
00:29:15
Speaker
Sounder at Heart has been around in one form or another since 2009. In 2026, though, we make a pretty significant evolution when
Sponsorship by Hacks and Ferments
00:29:22
Speaker
we go analog. Yes, that's right. In the year of our Lord, 2026, we are publishing a real life magazine. We're calling this thing 4, as in Sounder at Heart 4.0. But we're stylizing it as i IV because we absolutely love Roman numeral. And if you want to refer to it as IV, that's cool too. The first issue has a comic book style cover that was hand drawn by local artist Kevin Newberg. Features by Tim Foss, Susie Rance, and Charlie Bohm. A statistical deep dive by Kat Bush. A Q&A with Brian Schmetzer. A column by G. Willow Wilson. And photographs by Noah Reif, Max Aquino, Mike Russell, and Jane Gershowitz. I could not possibly be more proud of the work everyone put into making this, and I think you're going absolutely love it. If you'd like to get your hands on one of these limited edition copies, we're currently selling them for $15 on our website. Get yours now. Nos Adietes admittedly is not exactly known for our spicy takes, but that doesn't mean we want our food to be mild.
00:30:17
Speaker
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Speaker
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00:30:42
Speaker
That's H-A-X-A-N-F-E-R-M-E-N-T-S dot com. And right now, if you use the code sounder at heart, that's all one word, at checkout, you will get a free hot sauce with your order.
00:30:58
Speaker
Again, go to hacksandferments.com, use the code sounder at heart at checkout for a free hot sauce with your order. Hacks and Ferments is a proud sponsor of that Sounder at Heart podcast network.
Seattle's World Cup Role and Exclusive Content
00:31:12
Speaker
Welcome back to Nos Adietes on the Sounder at Heart Podcast Network. So before we get into Sporting Kansas City, I just wanted to remind everyone that we are currently taking pre-orders on the latest issue of four, the Sounder Heart magazine.
00:31:27
Speaker
This issue is going to be focused on the World Cup and specifically Seattle's role in the World Cup. We've got a story, ah the kind of ah the main story is probably a look back at the nineteen the failed 1994 World cup bid. We've got a story from Garth Logoway is actually writing an essay for us. Leander Schallerkens, I think is how you say his name, is also has a a guest column for us. We have a bit about the Rave Foundation's ah efforts to build 52 fields. And we have profiles on all seven teams that are supposed to be playing here. a lot of good stuff. I think if you like the first issue, you will be very happy with the a second issue.
00:32:06
Speaker
This will most likely be the last issue that we do this year though. will It's been a lot of work and I think we'll probably just come back to do one at the beginning of next year. But if you want to get in on the pre-order, the pre-order is $10 and just go to Center at heart. You'll find links on center at heart to to purchase it. Uh,
00:32:24
Speaker
And then the pre-order is going until May 1st. And then after that, we're going to have to finalize our order. And then we'll be charging $15 for each copy after that. So hopefully you want to support print media. You want to support Sounder at Heart.
00:32:38
Speaker
It's been a lot of fun putting this together. Look, it's already laying it out and it looks great. There's ah some wonderful cover art that I think people will like as well. So with all that said, Aaron, Sporting Kansas City is the Sounders are heading to play Sporting Kansas City on the road.
Sporting Kansas City's Struggles
00:32:57
Speaker
This is a team that is in a very, very bad way right now. Yeah. ah One of the worst stimulus teams in history so far, it looks like.
00:33:08
Speaker
Yeah. um Yeah. i One win away ah at the Galaxy, as I think you said. Yeah. And nothing else to endorse the season at all. um Really bad. Lost their last. Let's see. So in the month April. They've at home, if you can believe it, than they have been on the road. Yeah.
00:33:30
Speaker
ah In the month of April, ah they have lost in MLS play. They've lost four games by a combined score of.
00:33:41
Speaker
14 to two. Now they did, to be fair, they did also play a USL team, Colorado Springs in the open cup. And they lost that one, in three nil. So no, I don't know the last time that a I'm curious in the last time a MLS team lost to a USL championship team in the round of 32 three goals.
00:34:05
Speaker
by three goals Yeah, it it it's probably been a while, I would guess. ah So, yeah, pretty, pretty bad. um They also the last game in March, they lost for one. So in their last in all competitions, their last two, three, four, six games, they have been outscored twenty one to three, I think.
00:34:27
Speaker
Oof. That's pretty bad. All in the heels of the the Galaxy win. Right. Right. And only two of those games have been at home, to be fair. but fair enough they lost those two by a combined score of seven to two. So ah yeah, really, really historically bad team.
00:34:45
Speaker
um we You know, I think last week we were talking about how there are a lot of very good teams in MLS this year and a lot of very bad teams that maybe the era of parody is over. Maybe this was just a conversation we had in the discord. I don't know.
00:34:59
Speaker
But I think that that's true, right? If you look at the table right now, there's some historically good teams. You know, as we said, the Sounders are are off to one of the best starts in in club history and they're fifth overall in the table. And then there are a lot of teams with really bad records.
00:35:14
Speaker
And Sporting KC is the worst of those. ah They just they're they're awful. And ah I'm sure some people will say that we're jinxing it by talking about them this way. But we're just reporting the news here. You know, like they just reporting the news. They've been real dog shit. And ah yeah, I don't I don't see any reason to think that the Sounders should not expect to get everything from this game.
00:35:38
Speaker
Yeah, so Sporting Kansas City is last in the league in expected goals. They are... ah Let's see. I think they are last in the league in... Yes, they have allowed the most expected goals.
00:35:55
Speaker
They have given up the second most goals. So they are they're thank thank you to Orlando for keeping them from being at the bottom of that particular part of the table.
00:36:09
Speaker
And they have scored the fewest goals. It is, there is nothing really to hang your hat on if you are sporting Kansas City right now. And this is a team, you know, there was just a story, I think it ran in the Athletic, I want to say.
00:36:28
Speaker
And they talked about how, you know, Peter Vermees did a lot right during his time there, but he was sort of holding it together with toothpaste and bubble gum.
Challenges Faced by New GM David Lee
00:36:41
Speaker
because they did not have a a scouting staff to speak of. They didn't have it. in And I guess they didn't really have an analytic staff anymore to so to speak of. And so when David Lee, their new GM came in this off season, he was looking at a pretty bare cupboard and, you know, he didn't exactly.
00:37:03
Speaker
cover himself in glory by filling stock in the roster. And, and Raphael Vicky has not exactly covered himself in glory in this coaching, but they, they were sort of working from a deficit to begin with. And it seems to have only gotten worse. Now I suppose the, the best case you could say is that they've avoided ah locking themselves into a bunch of new bad contracts, but But in the meantime, the Sounders get to play this road game while they have while they're in just utterly shambolic shape. Now, it should be said, I'm sure a lot of people are going to point out, well, the Sounders also were the first team to lose to Sporting Kansas City in whatever year that was, 2023, I want to say, when Kansas City got off to that awful
Expectations to Win Against Sporting Kansas City
00:37:52
Speaker
start. But that was a team where the underlying numbers were
00:37:56
Speaker
a little better than they, than their results had been. And they also had been missing a bunch of key components who all happened to be coming back when they played the Sounders. So look, this is MLS. Anything can happen, but this is absolutely a game that the Sounders should win.
00:38:14
Speaker
Yeah. I think it's, I think it's completely reasonable to go into this game expecting to win. And ah especially with the way the Sounders have played on the road this year. And,
00:38:24
Speaker
this is, it's crazy to think about the fact that sporting Casey used to be one of the best teams in the league consistently year and year out. that They used to be sort of the, maybe not a model ago.
00:38:36
Speaker
Yeah. Not that long ago. And and maybe they were never a model franchise. You know, they, they don't have the, they certainly have like to present themselves that way though. They sure do. Um, but you know, they were, I mean, they were a thorn in the sounder side for a long time. They ended the open cup winning streak. Yeah. Um,
00:38:52
Speaker
They, you know, they were in the mix every year and they're just, you know, I was, I was a person who was confused as to how Peter Vermees kept his job all those years because they, they really fell off of that.
00:39:08
Speaker
And it's become pretty apparent that whatever was preventing them from succeeding, ah you know, maybe Peter Vermees was not super high up on the list.
00:39:20
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, I think Vrumy's time had probably come to an end and maybe he was sort of a crutch that they could no longer afford to have. Yeah. But I also think you have to give him a lot of credit. I mean, this is why he, you know, you can always argue like the reason that he was doing stuff was...
00:39:42
Speaker
You know, that he didn't leave the situation very good, but you also, at the same time, I think you have to recognize that he probably wasn't doing that all entirely by choice. Like he probably wasn't just keep, you know, he probably wasn't not hiring people because he had the budget and he just wanted to keep it for himself. I suspect he was getting squeezed and it's a new era in Sporting kas at sporting Kansas City. They have a new owner and, you know, there're they're going through some growing pains right now. That's for sure. Right.
00:40:08
Speaker
Yeah, they are. I mean, it's you know, you can't really tank at MLS. That's not really an effective strategy, but no, I can certainly see the appeal of saying like, we're just going to kind of tear everything down and and rebuild from the ground up.
00:40:22
Speaker
And maybe that makes sense to do. I don't know when you're when the cover to strip his bears is theirs was, but it cannot be fun to watch for for their fans. No, i I cannot imagine it being a lot of fun. And i feel really bad for Dejan Javelic, have to say.
00:40:39
Speaker
Yeah. Just going from the galaxy to this dumpster fire is is a real bummer. Yeah, I mean, I guess and that's the that's sort of the player that gives them a puncher's chance, right? is yeah if he can If he can get hot, if he can get onto a couple chances, that certainly bodes well for them.
00:40:59
Speaker
You know, he had... a he had a he had a goal in the game against the galaxy, which is, they actually led that game to zero before. So they, they actually were, ah you know, even they were, they're actually kind of storming to victory in that one.
00:41:16
Speaker
ah But Joe Vlitch has, has had a, know, he's got four goals this year being asked to do a lot. Yeah. Being asked to do an awful lot. And that's,
00:41:28
Speaker
That's going to be tough. No one seems to be giving them much service, that's for sure. no. um And, you know, let's hope that it stays that way for at least one more week. Let's hope.
00:41:39
Speaker
Let's hope because it would definitely be. Look, I mean, there's no way around it. If the centers drop points in this game, it's bad. You know, like they the if they want to keep pace, if they have any designs on winning the supporter shield, this is a game that they need to get maximum points from.
00:41:56
Speaker
yeah Yeah, it would be embarrassing to not win this game. um ah And that's that feels crazy to say about an away game, an MLS, but ah you've got you've got to beat this team. These guys suck really bad.
00:42:12
Speaker
And it would be nice to see a pretty lopsided win, I think. um I feel like Sounders fans... And maybe this isn't fair.
00:42:23
Speaker
Maybe everybody does this, but I feel like Sounders fans more than most fan bases like to nitpick wins. ah It would be nice to get a ah win that nobody really feels the need to to nitpick in this one. sure i Pretty good to put up three or four.
00:42:37
Speaker
it would be It would be nice to do that. Then the Sounders obviously will come home ah after that and they have three more home games before they go on the road for the final game before the break. But there's...
00:42:50
Speaker
The Sounders have a good chance to head into the World Cup break in good, really good shape. But they absolutely, for that to happen, they got to get this win. They got to get this one.
00:43:00
Speaker
Yeah, they got to. They got to. And, you know, it's frustrating. Like, i hadn't really thought about this, but I really, like, if they keep up this this form, I don't want to go. i don't want to take a long break.
00:43:13
Speaker
i Well, unfortunately, we don't have
Aiming to Maintain Momentum Before World Cup Break
00:43:15
Speaker
much of a choice there. No, we don't. But it it is kind of funny that the year that, you know, they build all this positive momentum out of the gate is a year that they're going to have to take six weeks off or whatever it is.
00:43:26
Speaker
It it is definitely kind of funny. but All right. Well, I think we should probably call it a show. Don't think we have much else to discuss from this game or supporting Kansas City. Again, if you want to get the new issue of four, you can preorder that on Sounder at Heart.
00:43:41
Speaker
They are $10. And I think you're you're going to like that if you if you do it. But with that said, I am Jeremiah Shan signing off. Or I want to say thank you to our sponsor, of Full Pool Wines. Thank you to our listeners. I guess we owe you guys a mailbox, ah a mailbag pretty soon here, don't we? um Yeah.
00:44:03
Speaker
But we'll probably do that soon. Now that I've said it, I guess we have to ah With all that said, I am Jeremiah Shan signing off for Aaron Campo and Lickit. This is Nos Adiates, part of the Sound of Heart Podcast Network. And remember, you'll never get lonely.
00:44:48
Speaker
Let's go and Sounders.