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Should you root for the Columbus Crew? - Ep. 32
50 Plays1 year ago
Ari and Noah break down the Seattle Sounders uninspiring draw the LA Galaxy 0-0, talk Concacaf Champions Cup and if you should root for the Columbus Crew, preview the U.S. Open Cup matchup against USL side Louisville City and take a look around the league including Messi's record breaking game and the Portland Timbers incredibly bad run of form.
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Transcript
Episode Introduction
00:00:10
Speaker
What's going on, everybody? Welcome into episode 32 of Lobbing Scorchers. This is Ari Lilianwall. I'm joined virtually here by producer Noah. Noah, say what's up to the people. It's always a good day when it's not an L-pod, Ari. Some people don't want to hear it. It's true. I like that positive outlook.
Seattle Sounders vs. LA Galaxy Recap
00:00:31
Speaker
We got another doozy of a show for you today, folks. The Seattle Sounders.
00:00:35
Speaker
Drew the LA Galaxy 00 at Lumen Field last night in an absolutely riveting display of attacking soccer from both clubs. Exactly as I predicted on the preview show, I mean it was wild out there. Just great chances flying back and forth, dynamic, attacking play. There is one point though where I thought I was watching Real Madrid
00:00:56
Speaker
play against Barcelona at the apex of both of their powers. So truly incredible stuff. Can't wait to break that down. And then we're going to talk about some other stuff too.
CONCACAF Champions Cup Final Discussion
00:01:08
Speaker
The Columbus crew have made it to the CONCACAF Champions Cup final. Should you root for them? We're going to talk about that.
00:01:14
Speaker
Lionel Messi smashed a couple more MLS records and it undermined my content creating venture. I've got a funny little story For you guys about that one. So it's uh, you know, it wasn't the most exciting exciting sounders game of all time But we're still gonna have a fun show here now before we get into all that I want to do the standard housekeeping at the top of the show The first thing I wanted to do was
00:01:38
Speaker
Thank our surprisingly lengthy list of new paid subs, Noah. We've got a lot of people here. Once again, can't emphasize enough how much we appreciate everyone who's signed up for that. I'm going to just go down the list here. We've got Owen Mason. Thank you, Owen. David Rodriguez. We got Christopher Mele coming in with a $10 sub. Noah, I think you said you knew Christopher somehow.
00:02:05
Speaker
Yes. Shout out, Christopher. You're the go for the trading cargo. You're our very first $10 sub, so that's much appreciated. We've got Bill Breitenbach. We've got Mike Lentini. Sorry if I'm mispronouncing any of these names. We've got Aaron B, and we've got Derek Richards. Thank all you guys so much.
00:02:22
Speaker
Um, for subscribing. Uh, and then, uh, I think that was all the ones for the new ones, but we've also got Sounder Naves. We've got Dan Paveto. We've got my guy, Mike Standish, Ryan Shane, Eric Stanley, my nephews, CJ Miles Maranakis, Andy Hill, Ian Mitchell, and Greg Hoecker. I want to give a special shout out to Greg because he was the one who, the first one to
00:02:43
Speaker
to sub, and he kind of kick started the momentum on this. So shout out to you, Greg. But we're up to 16 active subscribers now. We really appreciate it, guys. And I was going to set a goal. We're up to 16. I'm setting a goal of 50 right now. Help us on the drive to 50 subs.
Subscriber Goals and Gratitude
00:02:58
Speaker
Oh, yes. And it really, the more we get, the more it motivates us to continue turning out this content. And the more we get, I would say we might start turning these out even more regularly.
00:03:11
Speaker
if we're incentivized as such. So thank you guys so much. It's honestly, I mean, no, we were talking about it off air a couple days ago, but it's kind of just like mind blowing how the response we've gotten both in terms of listenership and then when we plug the paid subs every time we get a couple more. So thank you so much to our listeners and
00:03:31
Speaker
and subscribers. I also want, yeah, go ahead. I was just going to say we are so, like every single time we get a sub, we are giddy. We're like children on Christmas. It's like the biggest endorsement I can get. Yeah, literally, exactly. So yeah, thank you guys for that. And I also, I wanted to plug our new YouTube page again. We're trying to grow our presence on there. And the Lobbing Scorchers YouTube is at,
00:04:00
Speaker
33 subscribers right now. That's not enough. I'm setting that goal at 100 subs. I want triple digits on that. It's frankly, you know, it's 33 subs, man. Like, that's, that's tough for me to see. I need that up above triple digits. So if you could, if you're listening to this right now, and you haven't yet subbed to the Lobbing Scorchers YouTube
00:04:21
Speaker
We gotta grow those numbers. And thank you to everyone who already has subbed to that. We honestly, I joke, but we've got a little bit of solid momentum on there right now. And we're racking views. We're getting more subs every day. So thank you to everyone who has subscribed to that as well.
Soccer Rule Clarification
00:04:41
Speaker
Before we get into this riveting Sounders game, Noah, I do have, unfortunately, something sad to report, which is that I don't know the rules of the sport that I cover. I'm going to have to, unfortunately, run a little correction from the last episode on the Stephen Fry dogso red card getting overturned. We were talking about it on the last show. And I was saying that if that play at DC United was called
00:05:11
Speaker
was called a foul, it would have to be a dog so red. And so they were essentially like, I didn't understand like how it could be a foul and a penalty, but not a red card that didn't make sense to me. But it turns out that the rule is, uh, that if you're making a play on the ball, but you end up found the guy, which is what happened.
00:05:32
Speaker
The correct call in that scenario actually should have been a foul and a penalty, but just a yellow card and not a red. I didn't know that. I thought anytime you have a dog. So scenario, it was just like an auto red. Um, so, uh, I had a few people, uh, there was a couple of people in the, uh, YouTube comments who I think pointed that out. I got a couple of tweets about that. Fair play. You know, if I ever make a mistake like that on the show, you know, it's called laughing squarchers for a reason, like,
00:05:58
Speaker
Sometimes I just get on the mic here and I pop off even when I don't know exactly what I'm talking about. So this is an example of that happening. And I'll always put my hand up and admit it if I get something wrong. So yeah, the stuff and fry play should have been a penalty, a foul penalty and a yellow, which, you know, it frankly doesn't make that sequence any less.
00:06:24
Speaker
frustrating because they would have had the penalty kick, but Seattle would have at least still had 11 guys.
00:06:30
Speaker
So definitely all around unfortunate between Stephen Fry getting sent off, retroactively overturned, and then me incorrectly relaying the rules on the show. Noah, you were trying to victory lap me both in the YouTube comments and on the group chat. I award you no points for that because you didn't know this double jeopardy rule either. If you had pointed that out in real time, I would give you that one.
00:06:57
Speaker
I don't like I feel like I don't actually feel that bad for not knowing that rule because it's a pretty it's a pretty weird play it's a bit of a like freak situation and I've literally I've never seen that I never I've never seen that exact play on a ball over the top where you have the goalkeeper who commit a penalty kick foul which to me looked like dog so
00:07:19
Speaker
Um, but like there's this weird kind of wrinkle there where if he's, if it can be reasonably perceived that he's making a play on the ball, which I think if you watch that replay, there is that reasonable perception there. Um, it's a, it's a penalty, but a yellow card and you don't get sent off. So anyway.
00:07:36
Speaker
It's a good rule regardless. Even if maybe neither of us knew how to do it or knew what it was, I think it's the right call. It's the right call. Well, yeah, but they didn't make the right call on the field. They did not make the right call. They retroactively made the right call and I have no grievances about that having actually learned the rules.
00:07:59
Speaker
of the sport that I cover. Okay. Um, there's too many rules. All right. We should have less stuff. I really, I don't, I don't feel bad. Um, let's get into this sounders game. Noah, just get it out of the way. I think I said on Twitter when I was collecting your guys's questions that I don't spend, uh, plan on spending all that much time on this game.
Seattle Sounders Lineup Review
00:08:20
Speaker
Um, but we'll, you know, we'll probably get on a big old tangent about it, but, um,
00:08:26
Speaker
I would say out of all the frustrating matches that we've watched this season, this one against the LA Galaxy at Lumen Field last night, might've been the most frustrating just in terms of how it played out for Seattle. But let's talk about the lineup reaction first. To be fair, I think this was exactly how I would run it. I was excited to see Obed Vargas playing right mid in this game, and I thought it went pretty well again after he dominated.
00:08:54
Speaker
in Philly where starting the game he started the game in mid in the deeper line midfield spot in that game but he was moved up a line in this game where he had played a little bit previously this season and I think that's an example of something you know we've been we've been asking quite a bit on this show for different wrinkles you know maybe maybe moving a guy
00:09:16
Speaker
like that you know Obed spent most of his career as a defensive midfielder and I've liked what I've seen from him playing up a line I thought that I thought that he was dominant in the Philly game I mean the title of the last episode was I think aptly Obed Vargas is the greatest player alive which you know were being slightly facetious but he had a dominant game in that so
00:09:40
Speaker
I liked the move from Schmetz to move him up a line there. You had right back Christian Roldan out of necessity with his brother Alex Roldan suspended for this game for his red card against the white caps. And then with the front four, you have Albert Resnak at the 10 flanked by Jordan Morris and Obed with Raul up top. So, you know, I had really no
00:10:02
Speaker
grievances with the lineup. I like the JP, tensio double pivot. The back line was how I would run it. So I really, me personally, I don't think there's all that different of a way. I wouldn't line that up. You know, there's the anti-rust snack brigade who probably would have put Christian at the 10 started Cody Baker, all that stuff. I mean, I don't subscribe to that. So in this scenario, I thought they lined it up correctly. Um,
00:10:26
Speaker
the galaxy were short handed for this game, which that was another thing I kind of, uh, uh, bungled on the preview show. Although one of the injuries to Ricky pooge happened after we recorded, to be fair, but day on your village.
00:10:39
Speaker
who I was talking about when we were previewing it as if we were gonna play. He's actually been hurt for, he was like hurt for a week before that. So he was never gonna play in this game. But I thought the big news was that Ricky Poosh didn't end up playing in this game because I mean, that guy, he's really like the undisputed engine for everything that the LA galaxy do. And I think you saw that in this game, like,
00:11:05
Speaker
Without him, as much love as I give to Joey Paints and as much as I enjoy watching him play and think that he's one of the best DPs in MLS right now,
00:11:13
Speaker
without Ricky pooge pulling the strings. Um, I, they didn't really have all that much in attack. And, uh, Joey paints and Gabriel peck were pretty much neutralized. And, and then without Joe village too, they didn't really, they didn't have anyone who could finish whatever chances that they did create. So the galaxy were down pretty bad, but like it honestly makes it more frustrating because they were kind of ripe for the taking.
00:11:38
Speaker
they did not really get especially close to getting their offense running like they're normally able to run it when that front four is all healthy. So really like all you need to do is score one goal and you probably win this game.
Seattle's Offensive Analysis
00:11:52
Speaker
Um, so I think that's kind of what makes it very tilting that Seattle couldn't get that done. Uh, but the defense, Seattle's defense did keep a clean sheet pretty easily. Joey paints didn't do all that much. Um, but Seattle's execution offensively, particularly in transition was just way off all game. I thought they actually did.
00:12:13
Speaker
decently good job at getting a lot of transition opportunities which when you're playing a galaxy team that is short-handed and likely okay with scraping out a 0-0 getting out in transition and trying to try to hurt them on the break is what you should be doing so they did a good job winning the ball they got it they did a good job of getting out and running
00:12:36
Speaker
but they just they possessed really well too and yeah they possessed decently well but I thought really I thought really the biggest chances that they had to to score in this game were in transition and they just they were not especially close to finishing off any of those
00:12:53
Speaker
those build ups they had some good build ups which is that's why it was so frustrating because there was a decent once again it was kind of classic sounders like there's a decent amount of good ball that was actually played but then but like i thought the uh i thought the execution and transition was like like
00:13:12
Speaker
worse than it usually is like it was they would just get to the end of it and they would either flub the chance or uh it's just it's just too conservative no like it's not aggressive enough yeah like they're not uh when they're getting into those final actions in the final third and in the in or near the penalty box
00:13:35
Speaker
There's too much like slowing it up and then Recycling possession and then digging it around and by that time LA's LA's defense is reset and you really you haven't capitalized on the opportunity that you had in transition in a way that
00:13:50
Speaker
actually got you a good look. I thought Leo Chu had the best chance of the game on one of those transition opportunities where a ball kind of snuck through the area and he had he was wide open and he skied the shot and it's just one of those moments like you know if you if you have it saved that's one thing but like
00:14:11
Speaker
can you at least get it on target my guy like i don't know yeah but the whole the whole stadium was like they they saw that play in slow motion and everyone was like getting up out of their seats around me and then he just absolutely bricks it into the stands and everyone was just laid back in their seat hands on their face like oh my god is this not the perfect personification
00:14:41
Speaker
in the last two seasons it was uh i think that was the moment i realized that they are not scoring in this game um i mean to be fair to leo chew like i didn't think anyone in the front four really covered themselves in glory in this game i thought jordan had a bit of a rough one uh as much as i don't really subscribe to the anti-rustak brigade
00:15:00
Speaker
I didn't think he had a particularly good game. I didn't think Raul had a particularly good game. So it was just another tough go on offense. And, you know, I don't really know what to say about that at this point, other than that, it's just something that we seen too much this season and it manifested itself in this game. But I think the unfortunate thing is like you're coming off a game against Philly where you actually did you scored three goals.
00:15:30
Speaker
Um, and you had a pretty good performance again, DC United, despite the red card that got rescinded and all that. So, uh, it just, they, there was an opportunity here to build on those things and establish some momentum on offense that has been so sorely lacking.
00:15:47
Speaker
this year and I mean a zero zero against a short handed galaxy team who couldn't get particularly close to scoring themselves. You know, I thought new who pretty much pocketed Joey paints again. That's, that's two games in a row against the galaxy where new who's pocketed Joey paints. And, uh, I guess it was encouraging to see the, uh, the defense play well, but like, I don't really know how much to read into that.
00:16:14
Speaker
with this galaxy team with the personnel that they put out there. It did kind of underscore to me how much the galaxy really do rely on Ricky Poosh. They really didn't seem like they had anything going without him.
00:16:30
Speaker
Which is interesting because I think, not to translate that directly to the sounders, but how much of that is kind of reflected on how the sounders have been playing without De La Vega.
00:16:47
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, we haven't seen De La Vega play enough yet to know if he has the same type of type of impact that Ricky Poosh does. But I mean, like, I knew that Ricky Poosh was one of the best players in the league. But like, I've been watching a lot of Galaxy this year.
00:17:04
Speaker
With with that front for all healthy and it's really like, you know, it's like an unstoppable freight train when when they get running and They just it was a very very stark contrast. They were not able to replicate that at all
00:17:20
Speaker
There was one kind of cool and fun thing for Seattle in this game, which was we had an MLS debut. Georgie Menungu of Tacoma Defiance, he got on the field in this game. And I can't say I've watched him play all that much. I haven't watched that much Tech D this year. But
00:17:41
Speaker
I was into it, Noah. He was out there. I liked that he seemed fearless. He didn't seem overwhelmed by the moment. There was a couple of sequences where he got off and running, and he was making stuff happen. I'm down to see more of him at this point.
00:18:01
Speaker
That's the kind of thing that he can't be worse than Jordan. Yeah. I mean, it's the kind of thing where, uh, like you might, you might as well start throwing stuff at the, at the wall and see if it sticks. So, uh, I was glad that Schmetz got him out there. I thought that, you know, it was kind of a fun little storyline, a fun respite from, uh, an entire game of watching the team struggle to generate offense. And, uh, I thought he acquitted himself well.
00:18:27
Speaker
Uh, but needless to say, uh, the squad is now two, three and five 11th in the West. Um, 13 goals on the season, which I mean, I'll just say it's not enough goals in terms of the amount of goals that half those goals came from, from Montreal, from two Montreal and two games. Yeah. They're, uh, yeah. So if you add up, uh,
00:18:53
Speaker
The Montreal game and the Philly game, that's eight of their 13 goals and they have five goals in the rest of their games. You know, I don't think it's any secret to anyone who's been watching this team or frankly, anyone who plays for or coaches this team that the offensive output has not been high enough. We've talked about it on the show at Nozium. So that's why I didn't really want to spend all that great deal amount of time in this game. I don't feel like there's all that much different to take away from it from a lot of the other games that we watched this year.
00:19:22
Speaker
So yeah, I mean, unless you have any other broader takeaways from what we saw at Loom & Field yesterday, I figured we can just jump into the open cup review and take people's questions.
00:19:33
Speaker
But yeah, I had I just had a couple of things that I thought that I personally noticed is I thought that the sounders defended really well in transition on the counter attack. I understand that Ricky Pooh wasn't there and that honestly, probably if Ricky Pooh was there, it would be a three nil game. But still, I thought that on the counter attack, which the galaxy absolutely loved to spam,
00:19:59
Speaker
They did well to defend that. I thought New Who, you know, I'm a New Who hater, apparently, you know, maybe maybe I'm just a realist here, but I thought New Who played well. He literally like Joey Panso did nothing this entire game. For two games in a row. Yeah, Ari is ignoring it because he doesn't want to admit that his goat is is falling apart. I already knew who pocketed his goat. I already acknowledged that. I already acknowledged that earlier in this show.
00:20:26
Speaker
Like I needed it to be brought up even more. No, I'm joking. But yeah, I don't know it. I think also like let's talk about Obed again. Obed absolutely had an incredible performance. And I think he was really good. Like him. It's not his fault that we're losing. He's putting in balls that should be scored every single time. And it's like no one whatever like a few of the good chances that Seattle did have in this game. Obed was central to and
00:20:56
Speaker
it's kind of a small thing but one thing that I really like about him and this is even dating back to like last year but he's like he's really good at drawing fouls so he's got like the the Nico Ledero in him where he meant like I think out of all of Nico Ledero's great qualities he's probably the best foul drawer I've like ever watched he's so good at that and Obed like
00:21:25
Speaker
learned that quality, I think from him. But so he, like you saw it on the play where he won the penalty in the Philly game and then he won another free kick from a really great spot in this game. Um, so that's more kind of like a offhand thing that I've noticed about Obed's game. But like, I really think, I really think they might be onto something with playing him higher up the field as an attacking player. Um, I feel like, I don't know, it's kind of, it's very stark to me.
00:21:54
Speaker
how much more of an impact he's been making on games while playing more aggressively and uh just with a more attacking mindset than he does like when he's when he's playing it back in the midfield which i know in the uh in the filly game he was playing he was playing in the double pivot i believe to start but like it just felt like he was playing more aggressive and i think
00:22:24
Speaker
Like he's able to manifest that a little more when he's playing, when he's playing at right mid there. So I don't know. I just think, uh, I think that's one, that's honestly one takeaway that I have from the last couple of weeks that could be get some positive momentum moving forward is just that, like, just how well it was playing right now and how they seem to have kind of a revelation with like moving where he's been playing.
00:22:57
Speaker
Thank you for listening to the Soundwork Heart Podcast Network, which now includes No Sonietes, Lobbing Scorchers, and The Cooler Guild. We've been independent since August of 2023.
00:23:07
Speaker
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00:23:30
Speaker
most notably entry into our members only discord where the smartest funniest and most engaged commenters share their thoughts and ideas to find out more just visit center at heart.com and click the subscribe button in the top right corner thanks for listening yeah i agree and the last one boost put up a stinker but it happens so
00:23:58
Speaker
Yeah. Well, and you know, what was unfortunate is that he actually got subbed in or like pretty early, you know, how are you talking about how subbing him in at like 87 doesn't really have anything. Cause he, he was, he was on with enough time to, uh, to make an impact in this game. And, uh, you know, I don't, I don't really know. Uh, I don't know who to blame for it, but, uh,
00:24:24
Speaker
I mean, the finishing in this game was just wasn't good. No, not at all. We can we can move on to greener pastures. The United States Open Cup.
US Open Cup Preview
00:24:37
Speaker
Yeah, so the Sounders start their U.S. Open Cup venture on Wednesday against U.S.L. Championship side, Louisville City FC, who I believe I mean, no, you were saying they're one of the best, best teams in the U.S.L., I believe. I mean, they're they're perennially. They're I don't know how they're doing this year. I think that's right. Like I I've watched New Mexico United in the U.S.L. I don't really follow anyone else. So I don't I don't really know how good Louisville is. Looks like they're second in the East.
00:25:06
Speaker
okay so yeah they're good again like like you said they're perennially one of the better one of the better teams in the second division and they've scored double the amount of goals as the Seattle sound yeah so I guess like the takeaway from that is
00:25:22
Speaker
Seattle is probably going to be fielding a bit of a rotated lineup in this game with the fixed urgent congestion that's going on. Remember a couple of years ago when they lost to the Sac Republic? I do. I think I was at that game. These games are not a given when you're playing them at a congested part of your schedule.
00:25:44
Speaker
And you're playing a rotated lineup and these these uh, these usl teams are hungry Like they want to win this game bad like especially anytime they go up against an mls team They're going to be going for it. So like my prediction for this game. I know like i'm coming off uh, uh prediction week where I said this would like I was hyping this galaxy game up is super exciting and I specifically said that it wouldn't be
00:26:08
Speaker
a zero zero and then it was zero zero so i don't know how much weight my predictions hold right now but my prediction for this game would be that um... it's i can almost guarantee you that it's not going to be a situation where seattle like blows out and overwhelms louisville city like seattle is going to be fielding a rotated lineup uh... so i think you're gonna have some younger guys in there and louisville city
00:26:38
Speaker
They're a really good usl team and they're gonna be they're gonna be busting their ass for this game Like this is these games are kind of like they're Super Bowl. Like yeah, really They really are a chance for them to win a lot of money like yeah And also like there's I think there's a lot of stock that they put in, you know proving themselves against a team That's a league league above them. You know, like you see that like
00:27:02
Speaker
You do see the MLS team blow out the U.S.L. team in this scenario sometimes. But just with how Seattle is playing right now, struggling to score goals anyway, and the fact that it's going to be a rotated lineup with the fixture congestion. I mean, I think this is probably going to be a really close game. And I think it's probably going to piss a lot of people off because
00:27:27
Speaker
A lot of people go into a game against a USL team and think that Seattle should automatically blow them out, like blow them off the field because they're an MLS team. And I'm, I'm cautioning you right now. Like I don't think that that's what's going to happen. I could be wrong and maybe, maybe Seattle, uh, maybe Seattle search their dominance here, but, um, having seen how these kind of go in the past,
00:27:54
Speaker
I don't know. I think it's going to be like a grinded out game decided by one goal. What do you think, Noah? I think that it's going to be way more interesting than any Sanders games that we've been watching just simply because we're actually going to see a bunch of young players on the field. Does that mean it's going to be a better end product? Probably not. I mean, I think that a lot of the
00:28:20
Speaker
I don't know, a lot of the upside of these young players is shown when they're playing with complementary players. Not to say that Obed's not talented if you put him in another squad, but he also has really talented players around him that
00:28:35
Speaker
Elevate his his level in his game. But that said I think I think it could be interesting I think this could be the best the Sanders have looked all season when you put in this, you know scrappy rotated lineup Of people who have most of them are probably having to sit on the bench and watch this team lose game after game I'd be pissed off. I'd be pissed off and I would think that this is my chance to go out and prove that I deserve a spot and
00:29:04
Speaker
I mean people after 10 minutes of Georgie playing are like to sign this guy as a contract and replace Morris immediately so I mean if I'm Georgie I'm going out there and I'm playing my ass off so I think I think the Sounders will win this one and I think it could get out of hand I'm gonna go opposite of Ari
00:29:26
Speaker
OK, I'm on the positive train today. I would be I would be down to watch that if for no other reason. Like, I think it would be cathartic to just watch them take it to a team sort of like they were to the union before they let him let him back in the game. Like that first half against the union was
00:29:42
Speaker
like I was very surprised. I couldn't kind of couldn't believe what I was watching. So if they could do that in Louisville City in this game, that would be that would be nice. I mean, one thing, one thing about these open cup games is they can often get a little hectic and crazy. So I think I'm hoping it'll be fun to watch even
00:30:02
Speaker
even if it's not like just Seattle running all over them. Um, I'm hoping it's at least like entertaining and we get some goals. I don't even really care who scores them. Uh, I just want to see, I just want to see some goals. Um, Paul Rothrock is our only hope Ari. Okay. We're bringing it back because Paul Rothrock should be starting. Put him at the, put him at the nine and he will win you the U S open cup. He'll probably like, if, if he actually gets his run in this game, he will probably score a goal or two. Like,
00:30:31
Speaker
Not it like I know I agree. It's gonna be the Obed connection to I think I think Obed to assists, you know So yeah, that game is coming up on on Wednesday Let's dive into questions Noah and then we can I had one other section and then winners and losers and then we can we can call it a wrap but go ahead and make quick hitters here from the ones that I collected last night from you the people
Albert Rusnak's Role Debate
00:30:54
Speaker
I
00:30:54
Speaker
Heck yeah, from Greg, he asks, do you think that Rusenak is a DP number 10? I don't think so. Tam at best, but not starting in the spot. The Rusenak slander has continued already. What do you think? Yeah, the Rusenak, the anti Rusenak brigade has been out in full force these last couple of weeks. I mean, I just personally don't subscribe to it that much. I think it's, you know, when the team is struggling on offense, I get why.
00:31:23
Speaker
I get why he would become a target of ire, but I've always rated Rusnak as a pretty good MLS player dating back to his days with Rialo Salt Lake. When him and Demir Krylak played together, they always made Rialo Salt Lake a really tough team. And the other thing that I think, this is what doesn't get acknowledged in this.
00:31:43
Speaker
whole debate, Noah. And this is important, and I want the anti-Rusnak brigade to listen to this. When it comes to Albert Rusnak and why he's on the team, you have to remember why he got signed to begin with, which was to make a play for Konkyhev Champions League.
00:32:01
Speaker
All right. They signed him because they thought they were in a spot where they could actually compete for it. And they thought he could help them get over the top. And that turned out to be correct. They won CCL with Albert Rusnak, not only on this team, but playing an important role in that tournament. Guys, they don't win CCL without Rusnak. Do you understand that? You have to come at this debate from acknowledging that off the top.
00:32:30
Speaker
in my opinion because that fact, and it's a fact, that validates the signing when they made it, like right there. Like if you grant that they probably don't win CCL without him, which I don't think they do, he scored, remember he scored a really big goal in the series against New York City. He was pretty selfless in how he changed positions and a lot of the criticism
00:32:58
Speaker
of Albert Resnak centers on how he hasn't really stuffed the stat sheet with Seattle as much as he did with RSO. But most of the time that he's played for this team, he was playing deeper. I feel like I'm taking crazy pills sometimes where people harp so much on his goals and assists. But he's been playing further back where you don't get those numbers. That's just not
00:33:26
Speaker
how it works. So he's only really gotten a chance to consistently play as a 10 this season. Has it worked super well so far? I mean, no. The offense isn't playing super well. But A, you can't only blame that on one guy. And B, I still don't think there's really enough of a sample of him
00:33:46
Speaker
playing that position to really to really say how effective it is or isn't like it hasn't really looked that good so far this year but like i don't know how much just to blame that on one guy like blaming it all on one guy is in my opinion a little uh in a little ridiculous and also just the anti-rust snack brigade like why like why don't you guys ever
00:34:06
Speaker
acknowledge the fact that he, uh, he was a key part of why this team won champions league. I mean, if, if you're going to, uh, if you're going to bring up the flip side of it, I think you have to acknowledge that as well. And that that's just my take on it. Um, but like, I've, I've always thought he's a pretty damn good MLS player. Like I w I was a big fan. I was a big fan of the signing because I watched him and cry like for years on RSL.
00:34:29
Speaker
And I thought they were like one of the best kind of one, two punches in the league. And I was excited to see what, uh, what rest snack could do with the sounders. And I would say, if you look at how this season has gone, um, it's underwhelmed compared to what I hoped it would be, but like, he also helped them win CCL. So I'm not really going to complain that much about it. Sorry. That was a ring, but.
00:34:51
Speaker
No, I love it. I think the biggest argument for not even haters, but just general people looking at this roster is, is Rusnak a DP or is he a Tam player? That's the I also want to know what your take is on that. And that's okay. So that's where I would acknowledge that the brigade might have a little bit of a point. Like I really, if I'm honestly assessing it, and as much as I feel
00:35:15
Speaker
compelled to defend him sometimes because I think he he he gets a little unfairly targeted like when you think of him compared to the super elite Dynamic tens that we've seen in the league the last couple years like I don't think he's been performing at that level and I think I
00:35:36
Speaker
It is, I mean, it's fair. It's fair to point out that that's, that that's an issue with this roster right now. Like I don't, I don't mean to downplay that. I just, uh, I just do think that he, he, he, he's been taking like a lot of heat and a lot of slander. And I think it's like,
00:35:54
Speaker
over the top compared to how much of the problems can actually be attributed just, just to him. Like if you're, if you ever find yourself just targeting and slandering one guy, which I think is an issue with new who too, frankly, like it just like, uh, you gotta look, you gotta look at everyone, man. Like I, like, I think when you're talking about why this team is struggling in attack,
00:36:16
Speaker
There are names that people aren't going to want to name that you probably should, man. Like I think you got to, you got to look at the whole, the whole starting front four from this last game underperformed, including Russ next. So.
00:36:29
Speaker
Yeah, I don't think Rosinox the problem, but I do think he is a Tam player. And I do think he still has a lot to bring to this team. And I don't think he's the reason we're losing games. And I don't think he's the reason he's he's he generates a lot of chances and he looks really great on the ball. And there's a lot of times where he gets you out of a jam because he's going to dribble past a defender or two defenders or turn his back, rotate the play and recycle it out and, you know, continue the attacking play.
00:36:59
Speaker
The fact that we can't put that ball on the net is not his fault. Like, are his shots that good? No, but, you know, he's a 10. He's he's not a pure goal scorer and that's fine. But regardless, down with the Rusenak slander up next to some more slander. It's tough to be so critical of a player when I know there's a lack of options. But Leo Chu is so wildly overrated. Easy money coming in with the heat here.
00:37:26
Speaker
The rate at which he loses possession is outstanding. I like he's attacking minded, but God, his decision making is awful. It doesn't pass the cost benefit analysis. So Ari is Leo chew fraudulent. That's the question. Oh my God. Well, I've been, I've been defending Leo to, uh, just because I mean, okay. Like I understand and share people's, uh,
00:37:50
Speaker
frustration with his decision-making. It's comical sometimes, honestly, like watching him try and take guys on and just not make the correct decision with the play that he's making. The only capacity in which I'll defend him is that I do feel like he's one of the only guys on this team that makes plays. At least he's trying. It's a small percentage of the time that what he's trying succeeds, but
00:38:18
Speaker
He at least, he at least is making runs. He at least gets on the stat sheet sometimes, you know? So for me personally, I put Leochu like lower down on my blameless.
00:38:33
Speaker
as well. Um, but like there, there was a couple instances in this game where like the decision making when he's taking guys on and then also just the not being able to get that wide open shot on target where it's just like, Oh yeah. Yeah.
00:38:50
Speaker
Yeah, it's a tough one. He shows flashes of brilliance and then he fizzles out. It happens. But what are you gonna do when he is your starter? That's tough. That is tough. Nate here has a scorcher for us. What can Brian do to give these older players a spark? The young and new guys are playing with desire, but it feels like the vets don't play with desire or creativity.
00:39:19
Speaker
Is this a Pedro de la Vega waiting room question mark we chatted about this a little bit earlier in the season about how Maybe there is a continued CCL hangover and you know people like Jordan and Christian they realized they have reached their ceiling So, what do you think Ari what if you take over the clipboard of Brian Schmetzer? Are you bashing in the heads of these old players with it?
00:39:49
Speaker
You know it's funny because I thought during the during the Philly game you kind of you kind of finally start started to see a team that was sort of playing like they had nothing to lose and Schmetz even said in his post-game press conference he was like you know I feel like these players feel like it's them against everybody right now and I was like okay that's cool to hear at the same time I mean
00:40:13
Speaker
they kind of put themselves against everybody by not being able to score goals and picking up a bunch of red cards. But yeah, if that's what you need to foster some motivation and some fire and get them playing with more energy, then yeah, sure, go ahead and
00:40:33
Speaker
lean on that and I thought that that was that's sort of like That's not a bad mentality to try and to try and lean on in a situation like this where you know We come on this podcast every week every time that they get shut out or get red cards We have our fun with it like the discourse on social media around the team is largely negative and
00:40:56
Speaker
When you're in a situation like that, I think it does kind of give you nothing to lose. And, uh, it makes you like, I thought in the Philly game that like, that might've been a reason why they started playing well and started scoring goals. Cause they were kind of just like, you know, fuck it. Like, um,
00:41:13
Speaker
Everyone's bagging on us. Everyone's making fun of us. We're picking up dumb red cards. We're not scoring goals. Let's just go out there and throw down as hard as we can. And sometimes when you're playing like that, it actually works. They're channeling a little bit of the underdog mentality. And I thought that everyone who was starting in that Philly game in the first half, they were playing with some of that fire and effort and energy
00:41:42
Speaker
that you're talking about. It just didn't carry over to the Galaxy game. So I don't really know how you channel that consistently. It's been nice to see it in spurts. And I don't personally think that effort is really what I would boil this team's struggles down to. I know it's easy to point to that when results aren't going your way on the field. I see a team that's definitely
00:42:12
Speaker
It's not like they're not trying or that they've quit on the coach. I definitely don't get that sense at all. Um, it's just they're not, they're not producing consistently enough right now. So I don't know. I don't know if that was a good answer, but
00:42:28
Speaker
No, I think that's solid. You can only do so much as a coach. You can only do so much as a coach to motivate players. You can only do so much as a coach to fix mental things. I think people put a lot of weight on coaching, and we've talked about it a lot.
00:42:45
Speaker
Is Brian Schmetter supposed to literally do everything? Is he supposed to magically heal every ACL that gets torn? I don't know. I don't know what Brian could do to completely fix this. Is he without blame? No, but if guys are quitting on you, it's your decision to bench them, but it's hard to get him to... I don't know.
00:43:08
Speaker
I have a hard time knowing or figuring out or blaming Brian for a ton of stuff like that. But you know what I will applaud Brian for is the next question that we're going into, which is, Georgie flashed more danger in attack than Jordan Morris has all season. Is he our best left wing playing in Tacoma? Question mark, what I will add, Ari, is this sample size versus reality?
00:43:37
Speaker
Cause he only played 10 minutes. What do you think? Yeah, I mean, he only played 10 minutes. So, uh, I don't really, I don't really know if I'm on the train of like, he should be an unquestioned first choice starter based off that 10 minute cameo. It was fun though. Like I'm down to see him play more. I really like, uh, I think you're in a situation where you may as well start giving guys, uh, cameo opportunities like that. Why not?
00:44:04
Speaker
Yeah, I like that a lot. And let's finish it off here with three games this week. A point is a point, but it gets harder the next two matches. Is it bad? Was this draw really that bad in the long term of things? Sorry. I mean, it was a pretty bad result. Yeah. Cause if you take it in the context of all the other results that they've had this season and the fact that I think the thing that bugs me about it is the galaxy, the galaxy were there for the taking. They didn't have their best player, Ricky pooge.
00:44:33
Speaker
They didn't have one of the best number nines in the league, Dayan Ovelec. All you need to do is score one goal and you win this game and you couldn't do it despite having a lot of pretty good chances. This was two points dropped much, much more than it was a point gained.
00:44:57
Speaker
Yeah, I agree and just to add our boy Mike here He had a funny little comment and says name the zebra Jordan Morris because he's lost For those of you who get the zebra reference that were loose in North Bend, but thank you all for your questions We love it when you lob your scorchers. Thank you for actually dropping some even though we didn't lose so
00:45:19
Speaker
Yeah, no, agreed. I always appreciate getting the discourse flowing in my mentions after these games. Even if we don't get to your question or you don't even have a question, you just have a take. I think it's a good way to check the pulse of the streets and how everyone is feeling about the squad, even in these difficult times.
CONCACAF Champions Cup Support Debate
00:45:40
Speaker
Okay, Noah, for the next segment, I had a question to pose for debate that I was gonna have us talk about, okay?
00:45:48
Speaker
And what I wanted to talk about is the question of should you be rooting for the Columbus Crew? The Columbus Crew are in the CONCACAP Champions Cup as it's now known final.
00:45:59
Speaker
and have an opportunity to join the Seattle Sounders as the only MLS clubs who have ever won the modern incarnation of the tournament. And so I think the question comes down to, is it better to be the exclusive holders of that accomplishment, which Seattle, as we all know, famously won in 2022? Or do you want them to win? Are you OK with them joining that rarefied air and pushing MLS forward as a whole?
00:46:28
Speaker
and all that stuff and but I think you know before we get into that I wanted to talk a little bit about the crew because I feel like I've sold them a little bit short on this show this season when I talk about the best teams in the league or at least my favorite teams to watch
00:46:42
Speaker
I've talked about Inter Miami a lot, obviously. I've talked about the Galaxy a lot. But the crew are arguably the best team in the league right now. They're reigning MLS Cup champions. They have a really good, really dominant roster with DPs that hit. Cuccio Hernandez, Diego Rossi, Darlington Nagbe.
00:47:02
Speaker
That's as good of a trio as you could hope for in MLS. Patrick Schulte is one of the best goalkeepers in the league and their running Champions Cup this year has been really impressive. But I think what truly, what truly honestly separates the crew aside from, you know, Cuccio and all the great players that they have,
00:47:23
Speaker
Wilfred Nancy is the best coach in MLS I don't think it's particularly close you know there's a couple names that you could put up there but you know I've talked a couple times on this show about how I'm kind of agnostic on the effect of coaching and I don't really
00:47:38
Speaker
I don't really think who's technically the coach always makes as much of a difference as some as people think it does compared to the roster that you have which i think is the primary thing that drives winning but like every once in a while like there are a select group of coaches that actually give you a tangible advantage in every game you go into just because of how well they're able to impart
00:48:04
Speaker
Have their players execute their tactics and how their tactics their tactical understanding of the game is kind of just like a step above Everyone else that they're going against so there's like there's a few coaches on the global stage that I think are considered that Tier of coach like, you know, Jurgen Klopp with Liverpool comes to mind. I think pep comes to mind like Alex Ferguson is a guy I think who people considered like that in his day just
00:48:32
Speaker
guys who understand the game so well that every team that they're coaching has an actual advantage over the other team because of who the coach is. That's pretty rare. And I, I, I think it's pretty clear that Wolford Nancy is in that category. I think probably more, probably more than any coach in MLS right now. And there's been a lot of speculation that he's, uh,
00:48:59
Speaker
probably not long for him a less than he might go overseas at some point. I could see it happening just because, I mean, if you look at his background before he got to the crew, he had CF Montreal punch him way above their weight.
00:49:10
Speaker
And that's why he ended up getting the Columbus job. And now he's right on the cusp of winning Champions Cup. So I'll tell you my perspective on it first, Noah. I actually, I kind of am rooting for the crew. It's sort of a win-win because if they choke and lose, then that's fine with me. And Seattle remains the only ones
00:49:34
Speaker
to win Champions League, as it was called when they won it. So like, I would be I would be totally fine if the crew lose. But for me, it comes down to a couple of things. Number one, like, just their whole their whole team, their organization, the brand of ball that they play, it's worthy of respect to me. I respect Wilford Nancy. I respect Cuccio. I respect Diego Rossi.
00:50:00
Speaker
Darlington Nagby, I know he's a former timber, but like you can't not respect that guy and what he's accomplished in the league. And, uh, Hey, don't forget about Morris.
00:50:08
Speaker
Yeah, that's a good shout. Aidan Morris is one of the best young, homegrown players in the league. Aidan Morris kind of owns Seattle, I hate to say it, like, during the competitive MLS Cup. Like, he probably put in as good a shift against Nico Ledero as any player I've ever seen. So, when it's a team,
00:50:32
Speaker
that I respect their players. I respect their coach. I respect their organization and how they do things. I don't, I don't mind seeing them succeed in this situation. And, but like, honestly, more than that, Noah, I also wouldn't mind seeing the pundits get a little bit of their comeuppance for the, uh, the big victory lap that they took about Seattle having an easy path.
00:50:55
Speaker
and it being like indisputable proof that the gap between MLS and Liga MX has not actually closed and all that. If they published a big column about that with that victory lap and then the crew actually end up winning Champions Cup, that would be a pretty funny way for that take to age. So that's another reason that I'm okay. I would be okay with the crew winning this thing. What do you think?
00:51:23
Speaker
Yeah, I I've never been offended by the columbus crew one because their original logo was kind of the most fire logo and all of mls right behind the crayon flag of the revolution I i'm not offended by the crew winning. We already won it like let's spread the wealth. Let's You know, I I honestly if i'm if i'm being honest I want to see the columbus crew in the club world cup because I kind of want to just see how hard they ball out like
00:51:51
Speaker
It's a good thing for the league, which I know that a lot of people don't give a shit about what's good for the league. But it is good for the league, and it's cool. This team is incredibly fun to watch. I love Wilfred Nancy. I would honestly pay any amount of money to have him be the coach in Seattle. And frankly, I think the biggest signing this year was not a player, but it was the fact that the Columbus crew were able to re-sign Wilfred Nancy to another year.
00:52:20
Speaker
So yeah, I'm so for it. Who cares? I think also it bodes well for the sounders. If the sounders were the ones to have broken the glass ceiling to say like, hey, this can be done. This can be done. Here is a model for how you do it. Here's a model for going into Mexico and not losing. And then you have the crew.
00:52:46
Speaker
Absolutely bawling out. It's like it doesn't boat. It doesn't change anything about the sound I don't care for the only ones No, it doesn't and it doesn't take the shine What was so cool about Seattle's is that like even if another team wins it like Seattle is still first You know and that doesn't the crew winning it doesn't change that so I feel I feel no type of way about another team joining those ranks and it's like
00:53:14
Speaker
Like, you know, Seattle people can still pull the card of like they were, they were chasing Seattle to begin with. Like Seattle, Seattle walked so Columbus could run. Um, and especially like, I don't mind, uh, I don't mind this Columbus team being potentially the one to join those ranks. Like they're, they're, uh, they're a dessert. They're deservedly in the final and, um, they kinda, they, you have to give it to him like at a certain point, like they deserve the, uh,
00:53:40
Speaker
the accolades and their status as arguably the top team in the league right now you know i still think
00:53:48
Speaker
I still think if you gave a one game final, inner Miami versus Columbus, like I'm taking inner Miami all day. I'm taking Columbus. See, that's a bad take. Like, I'm sorry. No, I'm taking Columbus. There's no way, though. There's just no way. Like, I know that it's fun to think of a team, any team in this league, beating inner Miami in a one-off. But like, I've seen enough. New York Red Bulls did it. The New York Red Bulls just lost to them six to two, brother.
00:54:15
Speaker
Yeah, but they beat them for nothing at their place. When they weren't healthy, but like, um, I mean, okay. So if you, if you do that hypothetical with, uh, inner Miami as like injured with no messy, then yeah, I'm taking the crew. But like, if you, if all things are equal and both teams are of relative health, like, uh, I'm taking Miami and wouldn't even be close. I, uh, but that's actually a good segue. Uh, I'm glad, I'm glad we talked about that. Uh,
00:54:42
Speaker
Yeah, if you okay, here's another we haven't been covering CCC enough on this show I kind of let it fall by the wayside. So yeah, it's okay You know neither is the MLS dots the soccer comm so, you know, that's how it goes Too much Lee's Cup coverage. Anyway, just being a hater here. No, I'm kidding the the one thing I was gonna say if you hate inner Miami
00:55:04
Speaker
absolutely root for the Columbus crew. If you love the Sounders, absolutely root for the Columbus crew. That's all I'm going to say. I'm done with that. Good shot. Okay. Let's get into winners and losers from the latest slate of matches in MLS match day 12, I believe.
Lionel Messi's MLS Record
00:55:20
Speaker
I have a funny story for this one. We just talked about it.
00:55:24
Speaker
Inter Miami smashed the New York Red Bulls 6-2 and Lionel Messi broke two MLS records. He had one goal, five assists. The five assists were a single game assist record for MLS. The six goal contributions were a single game record for MLS. And I just had a fun time with this game because I was covering the whole slate on the MLSSoccer.com editorial desk.
00:55:52
Speaker
And, uh, so I was watching this Miami game and, uh, when messy got to one goal, two assists, uh, we were doing a little post, like a running post during the game about it because, uh, he, I think he now had, he gave him multiple goal contributions in like six straight games. It was some kind of, it was come to some kind of historical milestone or, or I think it mainly the post was just like messy is doing it again. He's going off against the Red Bulls, whatever. Um, but like.
00:56:19
Speaker
He got three more assists between the 69th and the 81st minute while I was trying to write this post. And every time he gets another assist, it kind of changes the angle. I have to change how many assists are in the post. It changes the historical implications of it. It changes
00:56:36
Speaker
his numbers for the season and he this guy was just i was just like stop getting assists like i need you to stop right now like i'm trying to do this content and i can't do it because every time i look up you have another assist by the time it's all said and done he has five of them six goal contributions and broke two different mls records i mean that's that's that's why i just think there's uh like a game like that is just why there's there's no uh
00:57:07
Speaker
There's no team that's even close to this team right now when they're at their apex, not even, not even the crew. Like it's just, it's, it is a different level of ball than any MLS team has ever played. And, uh, like six goal contributions in one game. Like you don't, that just, you don't see that like that's as good as Kucho is as good as Diego Rossi is as good as some of the other like players are in this league, like.
00:57:33
Speaker
I don't know if we'll ever see six goal contributions in a game again, like in any league. That's just a crazy crooked number. I still like Luis Suarez had a hat trick. I don't know. It's just, uh, it's ridiculous to watch. And like, I just, I hate to spoil how this season is going to go for everyone. But like, if this, if this Miami team is healthy, they're winning MLS come and it's not even like,
00:57:59
Speaker
There's no one who can stop it. I'm sorry. I hate to be that guy. I love they did the bit as well, which is they love to concede the most embarrassing goal possible and then bang in the three most disgusting or six most disgusting goals you've ever seen. I'm glad that you brought that up because the other thing I was going to say is that we need to stop
00:58:24
Speaker
falling for that every time they concede the first goal everyone's like oh this team does this team have the defense to really to really contend in mls i mean their defense is pretty bad they keep giving up these early goals how long can they really last like guys like it does when you can score four to six goals a game without even trying it doesn't matter
00:58:45
Speaker
like you can give up two to three goals and you're probably you're still gonna win like so i just let's learn our lesson this time as soon as they gave up that goal to the red bulls i i was nipping it in the bud like in my head i was like that i mean it does like that that's meaningless like the red bulls may as well have not even scored that like it does that gives them zero advantage it gives them zero leg up it doesn't uh
00:59:09
Speaker
It doesn't mean anything. Miami's still going to win this game by multiple goals. And sure enough, they scored six. So it is funny that Messi put this up directly after Obed put up a messy messianic performance, I think. And I'm just, you know, I'm I'm just, you know, this is just me putting this out here. But I think he saw Obed's performance and he locked in and was like, you know what? I can't let this kid outshine me.
00:59:35
Speaker
No, it's it's a good point. We did talk about on the last show how how Obed's performance compared to Messi, which I think was a well thought out and well-reasoned take. Correct. And then Messi has six goal contributions in a game, the game after. So I don't think that could be a coincidence. Minnesota. Bullets and board material. Yeah, exactly. Minnesota United beat Atlanta United 2-1 on the road and
01:00:03
Speaker
They deserve to be highlighted as a winner this week, I think, because they've been one of the best teams in the league this year up there with Inner Miami on points per game, close to two points per game, which is typically the pace you need to win the shield. And they've done it without Emmanuel Reynoso, who is missing in Argentina, and Timo Pookie, who was their big DP forward last year. I don't know if he's been hurt or just not as much in the rotation right now, but he hasn't really been contributing the way that you would
01:00:29
Speaker
You would think that a DP forward didn't have to for especially for this team to succeed So I guess the reason I bring that up is because like it shows that it can be done like like They don't have their DP 10 and they're still like
01:00:46
Speaker
One of the better there they're still pulling results and they're one of they have one of the better points for games in the league so um Like I don't know what Seattle has to do to like pull a similar feat But uh, Minnesota united is kind of showing that uh, you can it's possible to overcome personnel challenges in this league we kind of talk about it in absolute sometimes where
01:01:07
Speaker
Like, Oh, okay. You're missing your, your number 10. It's, it's all over. Like not, not always. Um, Eric Ramsey, their new coach, he's doing a good job there. Uh, and then I have Nashville SC four one over CF Montreal. They got Walker Zimmerman back. They looked more like themselves defensively, which they hadn't without him. And then Sam Surridge scored a hat trick who he's kind of been an underperforming DP nine for them.
01:01:31
Speaker
And it's kind of resulted in Nashville SC not really achieving the heights that a lot of people thought they might after a strong first couple of years in MLS. So seeing Walker Zimmerman come back and seeing Sam Serge, Square Hatrick, that's big news for Nashville SC. For the losers, Atlanta United, Noah, God's a Panetta. I mean, I think he's on the hot seat.
01:01:55
Speaker
Gotta be. A lot of Atlanta United fans have been talking about this for a while and after this loss at home to Minnesota United, which was their second home loss in a row, the Gonzo Outquirer was in full force. I'm kind of partial to Gonzo Pineda. Like, I think he was a pretty sick coach for Seattle and I tend to blame Carlos Boca Negra more for what's gone on with Atlanta United than I blame the coach. Again, I typically tend to think like,
01:02:24
Speaker
with Atlanta's United roster of the last couple years. Yeah, you could fire Gonzo Pineda, that's fine, go for it. Anyone that you put in with that kind of, with how that roster has been built.
01:02:40
Speaker
They're probably going to struggle with the exact same stuff. Like, I don't know. I don't know how much of a difference it really makes, but, um, Atlanta United underachieving again, so far this year, their coach is on the hot seat. The fan base is not happy. I think that's pretty funny, but that's a good bit for
Portland Timbers Under Phil Neville
01:02:57
Speaker
them. Yeah. That's a good bit. Um, bring Gonzo home, bring him home.
01:03:00
Speaker
You bring them home, it might come to it at some point. The Portland Timbers are doing just as badly as the Seattle Sounders. I think they have the exact same record now. I know they both have 10 points. They lost 2-0 at Charlotte FC and I think it's noteworthy just because the Phil Neville era is kind of reeling.
01:03:22
Speaker
I hadn't really been paying that much attention to the Timbies this year. I just kind of assumed that they were doing okay or doing pretty good because they got off to a good start in the first couple of weeks and Phil Neville was getting positive press for the job he was doing there early. It is torpedoed on them. They have the same record as Seattle and it's kind of- They score more than Seattle though. Yeah, so that's what I was going to say. They've gotten to that record in a different way. They score a lot more goals, but they've also conceded 10 more goals than Seattle.
01:03:49
Speaker
So their defense is just really bad. But neither the Vancouver Whitecaps are the best Cascadia team and it's like not even remotely close, which I think is kind of sick, honestly. Yeah, I don't mind that. It's kind of cool. I like Scottish Betsy and Sartini and like the Whitecaps have kind of been the Cascadia punching bag over the years.
01:04:12
Speaker
So, you know, them getting their due and getting to kind of lord it over us and lord it over Portland. It's fair enough, I guess is what I'm saying. Like, they've earned it. And then one more loser and then we'll get out of here.
01:04:30
Speaker
LAFC absolutely bammed on by the San Jose Earthquakes. No, no respectable MLS club would ever lose San Jose Earthquakes. I can't fathom it. It definitely, it would just, it would never happen to a club that
01:04:46
Speaker
that had any sort of dignity or self-respect. I can't even think of the last time that a club in Major League Soccer lost to the San Jose earthquake. I mean, just incredibly embarrassing. That is the only way of the season. Any club that that happened to should be absolutely embarrassing. Relegated.
01:05:08
Speaker
And of course we say that because the San Jose earthquakes have two wins now this year, the other of which from this LAFC game was against the Seattle Sounders. I don't remember that game, Ari. I don't think that's right. I think I might be making that out. We'll have to fact check that one. Yeah.
01:05:26
Speaker
Anyway, let's call it a wrap right there for episode 32, Noah. Thank you to everyone, as always, for tuning in. As I say every week, the listenership on this show is just so far beyond
01:05:42
Speaker
what we hoped for or thought it would be when we started this thing. So we love and appreciate each and every one of you who tune in every week. We have a lot of fun doing it. We're going to keep grinding this content. Thank you so much once again to all our paid subs. You guys are the real MVPs. It's so sick that we
01:06:03
Speaker
Where you have more and more people signing up for that every week if you'd like to keep if you'd like to support the show And you haven't yet just go to podcast outlawing scorchers comm you'll see a little heart button where you can You can choose how much to support $3 $5 $10 whatever it may be it really any any amount of money at all means a lot to us and
01:06:26
Speaker
We just we really appreciate all you guys like if you're extra lazy, you can if there's a link in the podcast show description. Yeah. Support the show. Like, comment, subscribe, write us a review on Apple. Do all that stuff. Tell your family all the standards. Tell Sammy Sounder. Tell tell everyone. But thanks for tuning in to episode 32. Until next time, we out.
01:06:56
Speaker
Peace.