Monday Sound Check: The Sounders are back!?!

Transcript

Speaker: Hi, I'm Will Bruin, and I was just recognized as a Seattle Sounders legend. Now I get to do voice reads for the Sounder at Heart podcast network. Here we go.

Speaker: Come on. Hey, O'Shaughness. Let's The Seattle Sounders have done it. MLS Cup winners. The Sounders rule the region.

Speaker: Ooch of a gooch! All creatures, great and small! Rothrock gonna collect it, he does about, runs into the advertising order. Low to our left, ball goes in! Oh, what a goal! Where's my copy? got bunch of them How many do you cost them? 50 bucks.

Speaker: I'll deadline you.

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.

Speaker: They offer the best boutique wines of the world to members of their mailing list, with special focus on their home, Pacific Northwest.

Speaker: Welcome back to another episode of Monday Soundcheck with Nico Race and Nico Moreno and Adam Race. Take it away, guys Thank you, J.O. Absolutely. Well, you know what? El Rolo, E.R., my boy, A.R., we are obviously just out.

Speaker: Waiting for everyone to join us here in Monday's Sound Shake. Thank you for being part of the episode to everyone out there. This is the show that is supposed to turn your Monday from bitter to sweeter. And we do that by just talking all things sound. You're talking all things MLS.

Speaker: Shout out to my guy, J.O., Jeremiah O'Shaughn, of course, running the show from the back. And look, today should be... A day of enjoyment, of excitement. I mean, if you are Sounders fan, true fan, someone who follows the team, I'm guessing you woke up today on cloud nine just with a grin that everyone's asking, why are you so happy?

Speaker: And you were able to let them know that your team had a phenomenal performance. But before we get to that performance and what the Sounders were able to do over the weekend, let me Check in on my favorite nephew, my guy Adam Ray's, man. How are you?

Speaker: On a scale from 1 to 10, how excited, how happy were you this morning walking, driving, getting to the studios? This is as happy and excited as I've been about this team in half a year. this I'm i am extremely excited. Everything is sunshine and rainbows right now. 10 of 10. 10 out of 10. All right. How excited are you guys? Because look, I got to tell you, it was a...

Speaker: Game to remember. I will say this, and we we'll go ahead and get started with what I think both Adam and my headline of the game is going to be pretty much similar. Mine is...

Speaker: Statement win by the Sounders show us that they're back, baby. They are back. It's not an opinion. I guess you could think that I'm running a little bit early on it because there's still a Dallas game.

Speaker: And if the Dallas game doesn't go, the Sounders, there might be some skeptics out there who are going to come at me, but I'm going to take an early victory dance and say, or victory lap, and say that this team is absolutely back. Look, I saw a dominant,

Speaker: statement win, for Brian Spencer's own words, on Saturday. day And it was as complete of a win as I've seen this team put together.

Speaker: It was against the second best team in the East, a very good veteran squad. And look, the Sounders dictated that game completely. I thought that they owned it from the very beginning.

Speaker: We asked this team to have the intensity, have the the front foot right of the beginning. I thought that they did that. ah They were able to minimize, contain, limit a guy like Peyton Miller. They completely ah took out the the number nine of New England for the majority of that game.

Speaker: I thought that they did not allow New England to capitalize or even get a whiff of mistakes coming out the back end because the Sounders were so good either on the buildup or they were willing to play a lot more direct and find Jordan Morris, trying to get him behind the back line.

Speaker: I thought that ah throughout this game, the The Sounders were just a better team, Adam. There was very little that I can really kind of point to where I was like, the Sounders were not dominating that aspect of the game.

Speaker: Did New England have a couple of moments? Yes. I thought that there were moments in the second half specifically where maybe the Sounders had to absorb a little bit of of of pressure and they were able to do that perfectly.

Speaker: But when it comes to everything about this game, Hassani Dodson's phenomenal game. I think that he has now earned that spot next to Chris Woldan. He had a stellar game.

Speaker: i thought that he was everywhere. I think that his defensive contributions were phenomenal. He was putting his body on the line, blocking shots, taking technical fouls like he did. That yellow he got was well earned. It was a moment where he needed it to go to ground.

Speaker: He gets the goal that gets everything going off of a moment where there's slight pressure from Sebastian Gomez in a repressed moment. And then Hassani Dotson gets behind it, picks up the ball, takes his face, picks up his head, and takes a ah very good shot from outside the box and gets this team going in the right direction.

Speaker: Three goals, clean sheet. It was almost a perfect performance by the Sounders, Adam. That's exactly what I was going to say, Nico. This was perfect from the Sounders, not only because we got the three goals and we got the clean sheet, but at every phase of the game, we were just the better team. There were periods of the game where we were on the front foot, where we were pressing, where we were moving their defense and left to right. That's exactly what you want to see from the Sounders. That's Schmetzer ball, patient,

Speaker: exactly how we've become accustomed to them doing it and there was also times where New England they were on the front foot they were pushing even in those moments I thought the Sounders were playing much better they were shutting up shop they were keeping Hill on the outside you knew that coming into this game they had to keep the number 10 for New England onto his right foot keep him on the line You could tell in moments knew who was mashed up with him.

Speaker: And he didn't even bother guarding the end line at all. He just made sure that Carl's skill wasn't able to cut to the inside on his left foot. And for the but vast majority of the game, they did exactly what they wanted to. Like you said, they kept the number nine out of the game completely. There was a couple of moments where new England are going to be unhappy that they didn't score. I see some people in the chat saying the scoreline flattered us a bit.

Speaker: I agree partially. i think we deserved all three goals. That was a three goal performance. I think that getting a clean sheet, there were moments where New England could have broken up that clean sheet. Andrew Thomas had a great game.

Speaker: There were some defensive heroics. We didn't necessarily have to get a clean sheet with that performance, but we went, we got it. And Brian Schmetzer came into this road trip saying the most important thing is that defensively we hold up because he knew that this was going to be two tough games on the road.

Speaker: You keep a clean sheet. Of course, you guarantee a point. they did so much more than that in this game. So that brings me to my headline, Nico, which is similar to yours, obviously, which is the Seattle Sounders are back.

Speaker: Watch out. You know, you talked about buy and sell on Friday. I know it might be premature for me to watch that performance and be all in on this team right now and to buy, buy, buy. But like you said,

Speaker: I'm maxing out my credit card. I'm applying for another credit card. I'm driving my FICO score into the ground. I'll never be able to get a house, a car. I don't care. i am all in right now on this team. That was as good a performance as I've seen from them all season under the circumstances. It's a good Eastern Conference. In New England, they're number two team in that Eastern Conference. They'd only lost...

Speaker: two or three games at home all season, I believe. And the Sounders came in and it's two games and they left no doubt that there was no doubt that they were the better team in this game. Perfect performance.

Speaker: ah You know, this was a game that in all honesty, not expecting us to win. I wouldn't have been surprised at all going in if we dropped all three points in that game. And for the first five minutes, I was kind of worried because I saw that high line from New England. I saw us struggle to build out of the back on a couple of occasions. But, man, once we got our footing, we just didn't step a foot wrong. New England looked so uncomfortable building out of the back for themselves. The the press from Seba Gomez, from Hassani Dotson, from Christian Roldan. Brian Schmetzer talks so often about defending starting at the very front. And this was a clinic.

Speaker: in that all 90 minutes. It was perfect. It led to that first goal. ah It ends up leading to the second goal. And then third goal comes with all that space being opened up on the two zero lead. Yeah, you could not ask for anything more from the standards. That was a perfect performance, in my opinion, the best they've had all year.

Speaker: Yeah, look, and that's, i first of all, I co-signed everything. And thanks to everybody who's watching. Sit down, relax, enjoy yourselves, and continue listening show. I know that some of you, as I've read in the comments, are here for the Yammer Gomez and Dryda giveaway. We're definitely going to be keeping up. Anyone who is commenting today will part of that raffle for that giveaway. If you do give a super chat, you're definitely going to get two entries today.

Speaker: I'm saying that right now. Shakin' is at number one. He's not. But I've decided that that's the case. If you do give us a super chat today, you get a double entry. And then next Monday, we'll go ahead and put the names on the hat or whatever Jeremiah decided we can do.

Speaker: And then we'll do the drawing live for that particular item. But to go back into the game, because of Because I i ah truly um agree with everything you just said, Adam.

Speaker: I completely disagree with the fact that the scoreline flattered this team. I think that's a wrong and completely incorrect statement. So whoever the comment was made for, I'm sorry. I love you.

Speaker: But I completely disagree. I still think this should have been a 5-0 win. Wow. a juggle-ish opportunity that he typically does not miss. It's a phenomenal moment. New puts in the great ball into Polariola. Polariola,

Speaker: fresh into the game. One touch that even possess the ball. He just knows where Joe was just making the run. Makes the perfect cutback pass. Joe should put that ball away.

Speaker: He does that probably nine times out of 10 misses that shot. And I think that there was at least one other opportunity that was missing between that game. So I disagree. I think that the Sounders were better 70 out of the 90 minutes. if If we're just going to go 90 minutes, just regular minutes.

Speaker: They were just better. i but i completely agree with the pressing, the way even Albert Rustam was being able to make him the the right runs, being able to cut the right angles, and the substitutions, man.

Speaker: The substitutions were phenomenal by Brian Spencer because the game did get a little stagnant. As I mentioned, there was a moment where the Sounders were kind of pushed back a bit. New England got a little bit of... of groove back. It kind of grew into the game.

Speaker: They were able to use reins as a guy that breaks lines with the ball, pushes a little bit deeper into our own end. And Brian Redd, the the game right.

Speaker: It was maybe a little bit to do with Jordan Morris taking a hit as well. He looked like he was limping off the field, and it is something that we're going to keep an eye on. But you do bring in Stu, and you bring in Paula Riola right off the bat to make sure that they come in and give you some fresh legs. Obviously, Yemar Gomez-Andrade, who had a phenomenal game, by the way.

Speaker: Maybe not phenomenal. He had a good game, actually, now that I think about it. When he comes to maybe he's passing, maybe he's moments on the ball. You could tell that he was still shaking up a little bit of rust, but on the physicality component, on the defending, on the aerial duels, on just pushing that back line, on allowing his team to get forward. You saw Hassani so much more comfortable. You saw...

Speaker: um Jackson Reagan being able to just get farther up the field. All of that happens because you do have the A. Bergamo Sandrade. We have talked the about it as a possibility. You saw it come to fruition in this particular game.

Speaker: So I just thought that everything about this game was great. That second goal, by the way, as you mentioned, Adam, it is a moment where it's a throwing. Jackson Reagan sticks his long leg.

Speaker: ah around the the potential ah receiver of that ball. It creates a moment where Christian Roldan switches the point of attack all the way to the other side. Great job by the Sounders throughout this whole game about being effective in transition moments. They're able to get the ball forward. They switch the ball again all the way to the other side where Joe Village puts the ball in the back of the net.

Speaker: Great just vision by Albert to find the the runner there. Forget who it is. box I want to say maybe it's Christian. And then he's the one who plays Joe Lynch, but just the entirety of the nine passes, the the way you move the ball from one side to the other.

Speaker: I just thought that the Sounders were just doing it. I mean, I think they, they look like a team that, doesn't just fit together, but they are playing off each other. And it almost felt like they were going off of just memory.

Speaker: And those are the moments when this team is at its best. So from that goal to when Jesus Correa on his first touch of the game, first possession on a transition transition moment, he's able to make a run put a beautiful pass into Polariola. Polariola, who leaves this game with an assist.

Speaker: Oh, there it is. He's the one who passes the ball. So he's the one that gets the assist and the goal in this particular game. Everyone that is supposed to be a contributor, a a heavy end, top player for you, everyone did their job, Adam. And to me, that as Brian agreed, just leads me to believe that this team is getting hot at the right moment.

Speaker: I feel like they're running in all cylinders. And yes, maybe it's a little bit early because we still got to see what happens in Dallas, but I have no problem. I have absolutely zero problem just putting my money on the line and saying that this team is looking like a team that's going to go on a huge run. Now, you know, are they going to win every game for the rest of the season? no No, no, no, no. But, but what this kind of game proves is that you can play better than another team in multiple kinds of games and multiple phases of play in a hostile environment on the road. That is the recipe to win in the playoff because, you know, you go out, you have that three game homestand against three teams that you're better than.

Speaker: You're controlling most of those matches. You're just pushing for a goal. The result comes down to whether or not you can find the finish or whether or not you make a bad mistake and give something away at the back end. That's not a test of playoff soccer in the MLM.

Speaker: This is a test of playoff soccer, a team that on paper is as good, if not better than you. And you're still just able to outthink them, to out hustle them, to outplay them. I thought the hustle, especially on the forward press all game from the Sounders, just blew New England out of the water. And then that was the key to this game in the first half, in the second half. And you talked about all those players who had great matches.

Speaker: Snyder Brunel had a big part in that second goal as well. He was part of that transition. Give to Paul Areola. Right. to Give on the far side to Jovalich. That's a bonus. You know, Snyder Brunel is someone that i't want to say we've forgotten about over the last few weeks, but he's no longer that consistent starter.

Speaker: He is still so talented. And when he has his moments, he is a spark plug for this team. Brian Schmetzer talked about it post game, how ah he brought Snyder into that game, not in his normal position because the Sonny Dodson has been playing so well, but he brings him in in place of Jordan Morris in the pocket on the right.

Speaker: And Brian says that this is just a player who has the kind of talent that demands minutes. That is the point where we've turned this around to where we're struggling to find people to fill every position.

Speaker: And now we're struggling to find positions to fill every bit of talent that we have to put out there. It's so good to see a shout out to all the super chats, Joe, Kenny, ah Derek, all of them sending super chat. So far, people are really in on this, on this science Jersey Nico.

Speaker: um And it looks like it's competitive right now for it. ah Kenny says new who team MVP 2026 season. That's not a bad shout at all. No, he was great in this game, by the way. If you were able to do something in this game was, and I said it earlier, was limiting Peyton Miller's ability to get on the run, to get into space.

Speaker: There is a little bit of a foot brace. I believe it's still in the first half between him and Nuhu. Nuhu completely needs him there. He cuts the field perfectly, does not allow him to take a touch inside, ah forces a bad shot.

Speaker: And he was there with Peyton Miller. talking, frustrating him. i mean, you could see ah Miller physically frustrated because New was all over him. And that is something that not a lot of teams have. Someone that can just put the sit-bell on, lock that player up.

Speaker: I thought that he did a phenomenal job at just being able to do that. Now, it wasn't just one player. I will say that the founders in general, as a collective, they were very good about just having multiple players kind of cutting off the players, bracing them, right? You put a brace of two, three players, and you did not allow this New England team to ever get on a real run, on a real rhythm. And even when you got pushed back and you had to just put a lot of, you know, jerseys behind the ball, you did that very well.

Speaker: um and And when you didn't, credit to Andre Thomas. There was maybe two, three really good saves that, you know, you don't make, as quickly because maybe you haven't been as involved without a rhythm.

Speaker: But when his number was called, I thought that he was great. Again, um Alex Roldan is another player that I want to shout out because by bringing Jackson and bringing Yamar, you kind of put everybody back into the position that they do best it in the way that this team performs better because of the system, right?

Speaker: We talked about Hassani and the pivots working so well. I heard in the broadcast them calling them double sixes. You know what? I don't hate it. I mean, it was that sort of ah look to the game because you have two players that are, if you look at both heatnaps or Christian Roldan and Hassani, I mean, it's incredible, right? They're they're running all over the field.

Speaker: They're both defending and contributing there. But then they also overloaded. I believe it's in the ninth minute. where there's this really nice sequence on the right side that Hassani is a part of that that that moment on that right side.

Speaker: You create an opportunity early. and And those are the things where if this system with the two center midfielders can go off each other and and you don't really know which of the players is going to be released and where the overload is going to come in,

Speaker: it's just difficult to defend. And I thought that up ah Marco was yelling from the sideline and trying to figure out how he was going to be able to ah contain this team because they had some really, really difficult times because of those post-itels, because of that push.

Speaker: And Alex Rodin has to a lot to do with it. When you release Alex Rodin on that side, he's so savvy about understanding whether he needs to underlap, but whether he needs to overlap.

Speaker: He's great connecting. He brings great services into the box. I just thought that by getting the players that you did back, it just makes everyone better. And so, Kenny, you're absolutely spot on when it comes to Nuhu.

Speaker: I thought that he was a lockdown ah defender. I thought that he was really, and he's been really good at when he's passing it. yeah I don't think that we've given enough credit to how good and how improved Nuhu has been at either switching the point of attack or ah pushing the ball through.

Speaker: We talked about that moment with Paula Riola. So it's not just defending. anymore And I'm not saying the guy is an offensive juggernaut and he's going to have a couple of goals or a couple of assists, but just his ability to just help with progressive passing has been a really good tool for this team.

Speaker: Yeah, and when you look at the stats, when it comes to minutes, number one player by a pretty large margin at this point, outfield player minutes, totolo he's behind only Andrew Thomas in total minutes. He's the only outfield player player to appear in all 28 MLS matches.

Speaker: And he goes under the radar sometimes, which is ridiculous for a player that everyone loves. Everyone loves to watch, but it does go underappreciated sometimes. And when we talk about that team MVP at the end of the season, he will certainly be in the conversation. Joe says Paul Areola played great. He absolutely did. And it's so interesting because I asked Paul post game about the differences for him between coming off the bench and starting.

Speaker: And he took it in direction of that. At times it was frustrating for him to come off the bench. He's a player who's become accustomed in his career to being a reliable starter. being in at 11 and being able to start with that mentality and that it's actually taken a little bit of an adjustment for him as the season's gone on just mentally to know that my role on this team at the moment is come off the bench, be that spark plug. And you know that you have to contribute for the team. You have to have a team first mindset, to be able to be most effective off the bench. And over the last few weeks,

Speaker: I don't know if Paul Areola in the past is someone who we're looking at like, oh, this guy's going to be a great super sub. That's not really the role you envisioned for him. You want him starting these matches, but this has become a role that he's become so good at.

Speaker: I thought it was interesting that Seb Gomez started this game. As you said on Friday, Nico, this might be one of the only games that we see Sebastian Gomez in that starting role and that it's going to transition more into Areola or Ferreira or Morris in that left wing position.

Speaker: And I agree with you. And I think Seb Gomez played well. This wasn't as flashy of a performance as he's had over the last few games. I think if anything, this has proven that he is just his role right now is he's so good off the bench. He's so good as that 60th, 70th minute guy who comes in against tired leg and just runs defenses ragged.

Speaker: I think that's how he's going to be played the rest of the season. But Paul Areola, can do that too. He did that today. He did that in a few matches previous. He's coming off the bench and getting multiple gold contributions.

Speaker: It's been so good to see and so good to get his confidence back after missing so much time and experienced player in form. He's another guy who can be an X factor right now. Um, yeah, this was a dominant performance on the road.

Speaker: The defense was excellent. I'm trying to catch up with all the super chats right now. oh my goodness. Thank you guys. we're looking at the highlights right now. I mean, just the, the, the press right there and the takeaway and the B the, the ability to run down the other way. This was such a great moment. This is the second touch of the match for Jesus Ferreira, right foot.

Speaker: Couldn't have put that in a better spot for Ariel. Of course, you know, he's not going to get a huge amount of credit for an incredible goal there, but he makes the right run. He gets in the right spot. He's you know, with someone he's played with but so long and Jesus Ferreira. And you saw that connection off the ball right there leading to the goal.

Speaker: ah You could see the big smile on the face of both of them. That that was just a ah pretty moment. it's It's just all, like I said at the top of the show, it's all sunshine and rainbows right now. i'm I'm just so happy right now. i'm going to keep going to these super chats. Thick Moss asks Nico what your ideal 11 plus first three subs are for potential MLS Cup this season. If we are in the MLS Cup final right now, who do you want starting and who do you want coming off the bench first three? Well, my 11 is out there for the world. so obviously it's Thomas, it's Alex, it's Yehmar, it's Reagan, Nuhu, Hassani, and Christian Roldan at the pivots.

Speaker: The three up top are going for right. Albert Rasnag at 10. And Jordan Morris on the left with Jovich, of course, up top. First three subs of the bench going to be Paula Riola.

Speaker: Depending on where the game is, right? There are going to be games where you might need other things. But if everything's working your way, Polariola, uh, seven Gomez, um, and then depending if you want to close it, depending on what you want to do, it's not a Bernal is a guy thing. Control pace. And you can do so many things, but so I think there are you' three, unless you want to close on a game and you've got to bring in a two Hopkins or something like that, uh, maybe to push, uh, someone out or galing with a sub or you need to lock it down. You got to go through in the back.

Speaker: I think Stu is another guy that thats go ahead and come in there. Um, That was it, right? just the Yeah, the three. and And remember, when he gets to playoff, Rob Rock's probably going to be in conversation as well. No, he's got to earn his ball back, and he's got to get it back in the rhythm for sure. I look, he's always going to be one of those guys that Bryant trusts is right off the bat, so... It's a good so good shout because if Paul Rothery is available and healthy, then he might be the first guy the bench. Over Paul and over Paul Arriola and over Esteban Gomez because he just has so much trust.

Speaker: And he's earned that equity too, by Frank. Now, to me, and... I love that you brought it up, Adam. Paul Arriola is very easy to forget the caliber of a player that he is. I mean, he is at a million plus in salary for a reason. I know that he hasn't.

Speaker: But if he is, his delivery on the ball, his IQ, his understanding, his leadership, ah the way he handles the game, his duality, because I think he's a a very underrated defender.

Speaker: oh He's not the biggest guy, but he has a great lower center of gravity. He just understands how to cut spaces. The way he presses is also very good. And at this time, this game, look, but taking that...

Speaker: you net with a goalkeeper that's right on top of you, that might seem easy just sitting on the couch eating your potato chips, but when you're in the middle of a game, high-speed game, that is the moment with you think.

Speaker: What

Speaker: are the aspects that this

Speaker: to admit. Craig Weibold talked about a lot of things when it came to this roster and the reality is that injuries were a huge factor when this team was underslucked. Now, obviously, you getting in a jovial, which also adds to this and that's also credit to Craig Weibold for making that happen. But this is we had been asking for a very long time.

Speaker: Jeremiah and I were, you know, kind of running out of voice to to scream to the top of our lungs that, you know, ah you needed a DP killer type of striker. And that's what you did when you have a guy like Jovich. Again, ah the death security goal kind of takes the

Speaker: air from the sales of a New England kid in the practice field all day long. He can do with both feet, by the way. But that sort of thing, that's not Just an instinct is a design play by a phenomenal finisher. But I want to get J.O. because I feel like we've been talking a lot, and I always got to praise J.O. for you know doing his thing behind the backboard, of course. But anything, J.O., that you want to say about this game, because you got to be excited too, man. This is your Monday as well.

Speaker: You do get to get it all out there. It's not just our fans. It's not just us, J.O. What's up, man? what what what What you got thinking? What you got cooking back? Well, just want to apologize. my My camera is not working right now, so you're just getting the disconnected voice.

Speaker: But it's, you know, I'm excited. i think that this has been great. This has been, i have been asking, you and I have been asking a lot whether or not this was a a team that was for real or if it was just a, you know, like a momentary,

Speaker: um mo like a a dead cat bounce, so to speak. And I think this game really showed that the Sounders are for real. Like they are, you know, are they are they right up there with the top three or four teams?

Speaker: that's That's, I think, getting ahead of ourselves. But are they are they, to Brian's point, someone no one wants to play in the playoffs? Absolutely. Like if they get the sixth seed and they get Dallas, you think Dallas is going to be excited to play them and in a three-game series? i don't.

Speaker: I'm not a friend of Dallas. oh No. I think it's going to be a lot of fun. um I'm excited. um I'm absolutely excited. i'm I've never been more enthusiastic about this about this team than I am right now.

Speaker: i don't know if we have a couple of Brian clips, but what I will say is this. And this might be a cliche because I feel like we say this every single year, but this is the Wild West. And I would say that there is two tiers to the teams that are gonna be going to the playoffs.

Speaker: And there might be one tier for Vancouver and St. Louis, but after that, everybody's in the same bubble. And it's anybody's game after that. I think that whether it's Houston or Dallas or the Sounders or LAFC,

Speaker: I mean, it's anybody's game. And in the Celtics getting out at the right time make me believe that, look, if it's not those two top teams up there in the West, I mean, you know, it's just anyone's game. And obviously, playoffs are off of momentum. They're off of hierarchy. We said that in...

Speaker: spanish shorttime laa ka lakamisetta the sometimes ways differently when when during the playoffs and when you're a team like the sammy that have been there done that it's a lot lighter than maybe uh john met who's been phenomenal with some lewis but you know he hasn't necessarily been there and as much as they have probably the most talented most complete teams right now the hottest team without a doubt look, he might feel a little bit different when it comes to those flags. That's why so many of the the just Shield winners and the top teams and in the Western or or Eastern Conference, they get run off the playoffs pretty quickly because it happens now.

Speaker: I think we're having some connectivity issues right now. i don't think we're getting any audio at the moment. that's what people is that Is that still the case, Jeremiah? I think... I think the audio is working for you guys. I think the audio issues aren't just on my mic.

Speaker: Okay. That's good. and let's good to say let hey Let us know if you can hear. If my it might lips are just moving and and nothing is happening, let us know. But yeah, sorry for dealing with some connectivity issues right now. but yeah I'm just trying to get through all of these these super chats right now. we've got We've got $10 from Derek.

Speaker: um Eddie Jarvis asks or talks about Schmetzer bringing in Snyder Brunel off the bench with a couple fewer defensive responsibilities in that higher pocket. As I said, coaching masterclass. absolutely agree.

Speaker: I thought that that was that was very wise, player who needs to get minutes and a player who at times I think was looking a little more uncomfortable building out of the back. um over this last run of form for him, which had been a little bit lower, I would say.

Speaker: um and he looked great. He looked great building from front to back. He was involved in that second goal. He looked like the Snyder Brunel that we were so excited about early in this season or coming into this season.

Speaker: He's a guy who absolutely deserves minutes. He's coming off some youth national team reps actually captain the team against Brazil in a 2-0 loss, but he said the team played very well in that game. he He's One of those guys that is one for the future as well as for the present, maybe a little less for the present than we thought six months ago, but he's definitely a serviceable part of this 11.

Speaker: If as that's as a sub, if that's as a starter, either of them work. You know, when Hassani Dotson is in the form that he's in right now, you don't need Snyder Brunel to be on his very best form. He can come in as it impacts, ah but it just does show the coaching savvy of Brian Schmetzer in a game like this to see the moments, you play like Snyder Brunel on the field and get him in it. And that's been great to watch.

Speaker: Yeah, and it's one of those things that I have not ah necessarily loved in the past, but I do get it now. And I think it does work because you do put Snyder Burdell, you know, playing that dual tent, right? Because that inverted on the right side.

Speaker: He comes inside pocket. Robert Westnack. Look, Snyder, if there's anything for sure about me, is that is is his progress in passing, his mid-shot. So all of it works with what once a day, right away, I didn't know it all.

Speaker: To your point, it Brian, Hassani on the yellow, Christian on the yellow, that they were to have the experience to control the game and do their job, not feel like they were going to be unable to perform and play physical.

Speaker: Look, after the first half, I believe that the Sounders had like 10 fouls. that. was like, or I knew that. little map here You saw the little scuffle, if you will, where Christian Roldan gets his first yellow, and and it's ah it's it is a yellow. ah I don't want to hear heard some commentary about it's too early for a yellow. No, that's definitely... Christian took the play around.

Speaker: And then Lugoni is trying to, like, get into somebody's face, and Yammer comes from the back and just picks him up like a little kid, moves him to the side, starts...

Speaker: Talking to him in Spanish, you know, he ah yamar grew up in the Argentinian league. He's probably probably talks more Argentinian than he does Colombian. So he gets in people's faces. Everybody stays there.

Speaker: That moment kind of cemented the team in a way that I love to see. There's been multiple times when this team has been in the slumps in other regions.

Speaker: seasons even, where i always feel, look, if if your teammate is out there and he's getting pushed around, you got to be able to back him. And Brian talked about it in the postgame conference. He was like, look, i I want everybody to keep their cool. I don't want anybody going off the charts or getting a record, but I do want everybody to back up their team.

Speaker: So to me, the the the physicality, the fouls, all of it, was part of a very good performance by this team that they knew and understood that they were going to go somebody in this field and they had to take, they had to own up to being the protagonist. I thought that they did that phenomenally.

Speaker: Yeah, there was four moments in this game that got me up out of my couch and standing. It was a Sonny's goal. I was just a Thunderbolt. Beautiful goal. a Day on school, obviously, just that's what he does. Just out of nothing. Just curls one in and around the keeper. And the other two moments were in that sequence that you're talking about.

Speaker: Christian just putting a shoulder in a Carl's Hill and sending him into the advertising boards. As Brian said, clear yellow card. You take those. That's a great moment. That's playoff intensity, playoff atmosphere. That's the player that you want to send a message to. Let him know. Not only are we not going to let you cut in on the left foot, but get in field, you're not gonna be able to even move up the field without catching some body and having to pay for it a little bit. I love that from Christian. It's exactly the player I'd want to do that as well.

Speaker: Because I know that if Christian Roldan is doing something like that, he's doing it in a very calculated way. He knows that that's sending a message. He knows that that's the moment to do that for the team.

Speaker: Love that from him. And the fourth moment was was Day on on the ensuing free kick, blocking the the cross in and kind of pumping his fists and screaming back to to Albert, who's the other man on the wall. That just got me so fired up because, you know, Day on.

Speaker: Honestly, at that point in the game, he hadn't gotten on the ball very much. He had not done all too much. And i was starting to worry, like, oh, is this going to be little bit of an off game for Dayon? Really, I was worrying that up until the goal.

Speaker: That's, like I said, the magic of Dayon Jovolic is that he can turn a bad game into a beautiful performance just like like that, just out of nothing. ah But that was meaning really his only involvement of the first half was that block. But that set the tone in such a big way.

Speaker: To know that this team can come out with a playoff intensity with six games still yet to play and have that level. If they can maintain that level, even if they can come close to that level down the stretch into the playoffs,

Speaker: Yes, absolutely. We could make a run. No one wants to play us right now. This is a team that knows how to win in these tight situations. It's a coach that knows how to win in those situations. It's a bunch of players in that locker room who have been there and done it before. The whole league should be on notice right now, not only with the technical ability that we're putting out, with the team play, with the press, but just with the fire and the mentality that we're putting out right there.

Speaker: It is elite level in the Western Conference. We are one of the best teams right now, easily. Yeah, and we do know we we're having some audio issues. There is going to be main audio that's being recorded internally for podcasts, so all of it will be there. I hope that it did not cut you off by saying that I disagree completely by anybody saying that the result was not what it was or that it was too flattering because that made me really upset. But to your point, Joe Blitch really happy.

Speaker: He touches. yeah Okay. He touches the shots on on target. One goal. That's the beauty of having true striker, right? Raul Diaz didn't need to get on the ball 30, 40 times.

Speaker: He got into it 18, 20, 30, but he was going to put a couple of the back. That is what Joe och brings you. So to, to what you're saying, the beauty of having a guy like Jovich that is so calculated, right? I mean, and you did see him get a little bit frustrated in this game.

Speaker: I thought that the referee was a little inconsistent to start off the game. I thought that the referee did better as the game went along to at least be consistent for both sides ah with the way she was calling the game.

Speaker: But you saw him a little frustrated. He was getting pulled. He was getting dragged. They were not allowing him. And obviously credit to what, they wanted to do, which was specifically that, just not allowing Jovovich to get the ball on prime scoring positions, keeping him outside of the 18, keeping him outside of the box. But Jovovich being Jovovich, I thought that he did a phenomenal job at doing that. And let's not, and this game without giving Albert Russ next on credit. I mean, he was another guy that, of the blin um you know, had to before the field assist.

Speaker: He was absolutely involved in all of these moments. I thought he said pieces were very good. they didn't quite get to the end of them, but i thought that his delivery on the ball was very good.

Speaker: But, you know, this this is another guy that on the buyer sell segment that we had on on Friday, look, he's likely going to get, you know, 20 goal contributions. He's going to end the season on a high note. This is a guy that dp spot so uh this team could be better and i feel like all of it as we said on friday he kind of released a lot of pressure and it's allowed him to just see the game differently and and and be able to play his game not force it in any sort of way obviously with a better co-stellar group around you you can do that but to to uh

Speaker: a guy like Albert Rusnak that never seems to be moved by ah criticism or, or, or a bad moment. ah He stays very sharp. He stays very up regardless of what the season has given. Yeah. And I'll say it till I'm blue in the face. The people who were hating on Albert Rusnak, uh, during the the low stretch of results, I never understood it. He was there the whole time he was putting in quality performances. Yeah. He had off days.

Speaker: I don't think he had any awful performances. And, when he's on, I mean, he is just the key to this entire offense in the middle, spreading it out, moving in transition. So calmly knowing when to put a ball over the top, but Jordan or to slide it out to the left side to a Saba Gomez or a Paul Areola, knowing when to go direct over to day on job glitch. And he's always seemingly involved in those moments that end up in goals. He's the transition piece from the wing to the center to the other way. And we saw that on a few occasions in this winning streak.

Speaker: He, I mean, he's going to go down as one of the best players in this decade for the Sounders, in my opinion. And I don't think he gets nearly enough credit. And as you said, his deliveries on set pieces, so good, ah just so hard to deal with. Like you said, they weren't always getting on top of them, but sometimes you see a ball put in off of a,

Speaker: an angled ah free kick or a corner kick and just like man that's so difficult to deal with you put in and enough of those it's going to lead to goals that's another thing if you're going to beat a really good team in the playoffs you need an x-factor like that who can put in a great set piece allow a christian ruled on a hasani dotson to get up and steal a goal and change the momentum of a game change the momentum of a three-game series change the momentum of a season perhaps that's exactly what albert rusnack brings to this team.

Speaker: um Shout out to Polo Magno, the $5, assuming a rotated 11 for the next two games, probably more rotated versus Montreal. Yes, um definitely. Yeah, I think that Brian is going to put out as similar of a lineup as he can, besides maybe the introduction of, of Ferreira into the starting 11 when it comes to that Dallas game.

Speaker: ah But no reason to change anything. It is three games in a week. I would expect some rotation against Montreal. Maybe Sider Brunel gets the start. Peter Kingston gets some more minutes. Seba Gomez, maybe not a start from him, but maybe a longer substitute appearance from him. Maybe he's Stu Hawkins getting some more minutes. That's the kind of thing I think you are going to see against Montreal. Yeah, no, i would agree. I think that Jordan Morris might be the one that gets moved because he did come off limping. He he put in a strong shift.

Speaker: And usually for a guy like him that you want to be very careful with, look, I will say that I would love to see a Paul Arriola on the left, Jesus on the right, and Albert in the middle because Paul Arriola, this is one...

Speaker: against that. I love that. Love that. I love that they're just... They're... Locked this apart and make friends and in whatever...

Speaker: because you have team laid out right on top of this group it and put it together because I'm not Dallas. The first game against New England was difficult against me. The second one, but that that was a very win against a team that is, you saw that and against Charlotte. but We'll talk about that a little bit.

Speaker: But, JL, do you have audio from Ryan that we can hear? I will ah go find it. you No, no. I'll order it. We want people yeah to want it. Yeah. Let's go with the squared.

Speaker: Paul Rothrock is even when he's healthy. You say the 11th he's put up only a last 10 minutes kind guy. We remember Paul Rothrock's breakout season and how much of a revelation he was coming off the bench and just sprinting at a team. He would not stop running. He's going to have a chip on his shoulder. I don't think we've really seen Paul Rothrock with this much of a chip on his shoulder maybe since the league's cup final. I think this is going to, this is going to rival that as far as Paul Rothrock in that full, just dog mentality, go out and earn it, go out and make a name for yourself, prove that you deserve to be out there.

Speaker: We know this is guy who is so good in those mental situations. So, I mean, obviously you're sad that he gets injured, but you might get a very mentally refreshed Paul Rothrock coming back from injury. You might get him back to that old dog mentality that established himself as the everyday starter that he was this season. yeah And he is very different in terms of profile because he's a guy that you're going to be able to put in and kind of just break down and wear down the team on that side.

Speaker: And obviously, he's whenever he's able to get into the game, he's a guy that's going give you 120, 150% of himself around this 10, 15.

Speaker: But we'll agree that he's going to have to play himself back into this rotation at some point in time. but I think we do have to take that up. I think that's a

Speaker: that's the same thing it was a sam it was a sam at a beer my lord uh what what can you how many times i've seen a coach just seen there in a post-game conference there was a road between it would be brian schmenzer go out and do that he loves to have a good time i thought hasani had an exceptional game not just because he scored the goal But his defending, his aerial duels, he's good on set pieces.

Speaker: He and Christian are kind of you know, figuring out how they want to play, you know, in combination and ah as a pair. I thought that was exceptionally strong performance by both pivots. And in both of them had yellows.

Speaker: And there was talk on the bench, Maz, about, well, let's at least take one of them off because, you know, you're you're cutting odds in half that, you know, the referee was going to call a and second yellow on one of those two.

Speaker: But we decided to say, yeah those are two experienced players. And they were able to manage the game and still be really effective. Thank you. All right, next we'll go to Jeremiah. Jeremiah, go ahead and ask your question.

Speaker: Well, Brian, congratulations on the win. I know we had talked a lot this week about it being sort of a, an opportunity for you guys to prove that this winning streak, that this unbeaten streak wasn't sort of just a ah fluke and that you were, you know, to to kind of prove something.

Speaker: ah Do you feel like you you kind of proved that the Sounders are, are contenders with this one? Well, depends on what you say about contenders.

Speaker: i mean, yeah, This was a statement win, Jeremiah. I mean, New England's a really good team. They're second in the East.

Speaker: The East is tough. Top of the East. Some good teams up there. We came into their building and it wasn't just a smash and grab.

Speaker: It wasn't a, you know, like, oh, we got fortunate and blah, blah, blah. I mean, we all played a So there you go. That's a good team. Well-coached team.

Speaker: We came in here, did what we wanted to do, had to suffer. They just suffer in some moments because they, they had some moments in the game where they were pretty good, but Andrew came up big.

Speaker: Some of the blocks, some of the, some of the defending, you know, the subs that came on were excellent. I mean, that's it. That's a team win. Yeah. for the Seattle Sounders. And there were a lot of fans, believe it or not, there were a lot of fans in the building, not just people up there, not just the traveling ECS, but there were a lot of groups of green.

Speaker: And so we were well-represented fans up there. We heard them. They were singing loud after Jesus and Paul scored the third goal. i mean, i loved it.

Speaker: It was, it was awesome.

Speaker: Hey everybody, David Goss here with SoccerWise and your Continental Tire MLS Minute as we are back from international break and we came back flying into MLS action. We will cover all of it on this week's SoccerWise. We're also going to dig into the US Women's National Team who so far have lost their first game to Spain. We will talk about all the news around the midweek games coming up in Major League Soccer. We'll still look back on the USMNT's camp with the four matches that they played and talk about so much more. So make sure to join us. Let's dig into the news from the weekend. MLS came back, as I said, on fire. Let's start with St. Louis.

Speaker: whose win streak is now tied for the longest unbeaten at 20 games in MLS history. They blitz the l LA Galaxy out the gate with Carlo Holsa getting a hat trick in 21 minutes as the team was up 5-1 by halftime. St. Louis are roaring and they've got a big game this week.

Speaker: As Wednesday, they face off against the Vancouver Whitecaps who clinched their spot as the first team in the Western Conference to clinch their spot in the playoffs. They did so. After a seventh minute red card on the road at LAFC for Tristan Blackman, LAFC under their new interim manager trailed one zero ended up drawing one one. So that now is a top of the table clash between St. Louis and Vancouver on Wednesday night in the Eastern conference. There was history as well.

Speaker: Philadelphia, 13 matches now unbeaten and it is the best points total across 13 games in MLS history and two individual set history as well. Ryan Richter 11 wins in two ties is the best 13 game span for a coach to start their career in MLS. And he has done so partially off the back of the young Kevin Sullivan, who now with 21 goal contributions on the season has the best teenage goal contribution season in MLS history. He surpassed Diego Fugundes who had 20 in 2013 and had already surpassed Alfonso Davies 19 back in 2018. But in the Eastern Conference, the Goss curse continues. I said NYCFC were inner circle MLS Cup contenders. That has fallen off and now they are outside the playoffs looking in after a major mistake from Matt Fries in a game they were leading 1-0 in Chicago and that led to a 2-1 loss. Then this week, I said the Rebs looked great.

Speaker: The Rebs got smoked by a resurgent Seattle Sounders team at home 3-0 and dropped from second to fifth. So who will I curse next? Tune into SoccerWise this week to find out. Charlotte are one of the teams that jumped the revs. They were trailing 2-0 at home to FC Dallas, who were powered by Petar Moussa, who's now 19 goals. He's the best single-season goal-scoring mark in FC Dallas history. Charlotte had three goals, though, in 20 minutes in the rain to come from behind.

Speaker: Ivan Angulo went coast-to-coast. For Orlando, Maxime Kropo made a save. Angulo started the attack in his own box, finished it off in the Columbus box on the other side for a 3-2 win. And the weekend started with a Canadian Class C come from behind victory for TFC at home over Montreal as they cling to their playoff hopes. As I said, midweek action in MLS, and there are some big ones. Chicago hosts Vancouver, but the biggest is going to be that St. Louis. Vancouver game. We will also have a special U.S. SoccerWise show on Wednesday coming off the back of the second U.S. s Women's National Team Spain game. So make sure to tune in for all of it. This has been your MLS Minute presented by Continental Tire.

Speaker: Thank you for listening to the Soundrart Podcast Network, which recently added Monday Soundcheck to our roster of shows. Soundcheck airs live on Mondays at 1pm. You can watch it on our YouTube channel or listen to it at your convenience, however you consume podcasts. It joins a roster that already includes Nos Adietes, which airs on Wednesdays and Fridays, and the Cooler Guild, who cover the Seattle rain. If you like what you hear, please consider becoming a member of Soundrart Heart.

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Speaker: We're also looking for sponsors. Send an email to partners at pnwsoccermedia.com and we'll get you all set up. Thanks for listening. There you have There you have it. It's Metzer.

Speaker: Just letting us know that Dizzy has a statement. And I think all of us, think, believe that. I know I did as soon as the game was over. But it's nice to hear Brian say it. And I think it's even better to see him do it with the nice cold one in his hand and and letting you know even asked why nobody asked me. I didn't want to put you out, coach. I didn't know if that was legal. thought I was trying to sneak one. I'm thinking, I don't want to get you fined, so I don't want to ask about it. And then, you know, he he came out and said, so apparently it is okay to do that in a press conference. And I just thought it was very Brian-like.

Speaker: and And if you want to think of it beyond it and maybe go to what he means,

Speaker: all the pressure, all of the problems, all of the injuries, everything that has kind of convoluted the season and what has made it this rollercoaster of emotions and and results and ah historic road.

Speaker: Now he gets to just sit back, have a cold one, because he feels like he's got some backup on the field, has some reinforcement. He's getting some results. And You got to give him some credit. You got to give him a lot of credit, actually. Give him a lot of credit because it is not easy to hold on to that wheel and and go through the storm that that that you were going through and keep that boat on course without just losing your mind, losing your your troops. and and And he was able to do that. So he is allowed to have a beer on a presser. If there's a guy that can do that, it is, Brian.

Speaker: Yeah, like you said, I think this sends a statement. People who are saying Schmetz are out during the losing streak, I kind of said it back then, and I'll say it again. That was never really in question. You never really were going to blame that losing streak or that winless streak on Brian.

Speaker: He was working with a real thin deck of cards at the time, and he did everything he could. And now he has the cards at his disposal that he knows he was going to have.

Speaker: And credit to Craig Weibel. We're seeing how well-constructed this roster really is when everyone's there. and And remember, guys, we don't have Pedro De La Vega. You remember when Pedro De La Vega was in form last year? He looked like one of the best players in MLS. He was he was out of this world. He hasn't been on the field at all this season.

Speaker: Paul Rothrock, who was consistent starter all of this season, had his low moments, but we know how good Paul Rothrock can be. He hasn't been involved. And still this team looks so good.

Speaker: ah I um know that Craig Weibel is so happy to see this winning streak right now. um And it's a lot of what he's been saying, kind of being proven right. A lot of what Brian has been saying, because he's been trying to stay pragmatic and positive after Even after all those losses, he was always saying, this is an injured team, but this is a very positive group. This is a very talented group. He would not stop saying that. And he wasn't just saying that. That was not just lip service. That was true.

Speaker: And we're seeing it right now because he's continuing to say it. He's just being proven that that was right the whole time. And maybe we just needed to weather the storm and have a little patience. And and we're getting the sunshine at the end of it right now. It's Yeah, I got Kenny saying he's upset. Kenny, why are you mad at me, man?

Speaker: Let me know. I don't want to be mad, Kenny. Adam, before we move on to previewing the Dallas game, who was your man of the match? You you have one player.

Speaker: That's the guy who you think should be mad at the match. Go ahead and go over. I'll give you the upper hand, and then I'll go off of you. Put me on the spot right here. It's got to Hassani, though. yeah I mean, Hassani Dotson. Back-to-back games, he misses the game with the red card suspension. Of course, this is as good as he's looked in a Sounders uniform. i don't really think it's even close. These last two games is by far the best we've seen from Hassani Dotson. He's been playing incredible.

Speaker: He was great against his old team, Minnesota. He was great in this game. And of course, he gets the goal. It's a very well-taken goal. A goal that I kind of wait for, we forget that he has that in the tool shed, but he has had some long shots scored in his career. That's something he can do. You saw the technique on that beautifully taken.

Speaker: But even the buildup to that goal, he presses in, he takes it away. He's working side by side with some good press from Seba Gomez and he picks the pocket. He gets a little bit of space, quickly turns it into a shot and it goes into the back the net. Even if that doesn't go into the back of the net, that's a great passage of play from Hassani Dotson. He's disrupting in New England's defensive third.

Speaker: You mentioned before early on, there was a passage of play down the right side with Hassani involved, a little flick back into the box. That was really well played and well taken. All day, he was just making life so difficult for the unit that's trying to move out of back for New England. that is That's everything in a bag of chips from Hassani Dotson. That was an amazing performance back-to-back from him. In my opinion, that has just about locked up his starting spot, maybe for the rest of the season with how he's been playing right now.

Speaker: could not agree more. So there you have it. ah Hassani is the sound check, Monday sound check player of the match. And I know it's ironic. guys laugh. I laugh too. Sound check is a perfect name for this show. Some sound issues. Yes, we do.

Speaker: We are getting better as the sounders are getting better. Send us super chats. Get us some equipment. That's right. We're moving things around, man. We, you know, we, we're running this thing as it goes. We're learning. We got you guys learning.

Speaker: ah As we continue to make the show better and Yes, I would agree. The tournament the match is phenomenal. Again, I'm not a stat guy. know you guys love him, so I'm going to go ahead and lay him out for you right here.

Speaker: ah He was 56 touches on the ball. He was 3328 passes, but this is what I want to go to right here. Elephant contributions, three tackles, one block, five clearances, two interceptions, three recoveries. That dude was all over the field.

Speaker: featherweight kid the fight the disruptor the physicality all over the field yes i love the fact that he technically impulsed the the start of this three game uh win because that goal goals change games it's a cliche but it's the reality that goal got you trending in the right direction he gets the goal he elaborated himself picks up his head you know puts his laces through it, gets it right where he needs to go. So there is no other player that I could think of deserving man of the match than Juan Hassani Dotson, who his season has been difficult. He's dealt with injuries and a rotating door next to Christian Rodin.

Speaker: He has never... found himself to to give up or feel like he's a guy that is just practicing just to practice. He practices like he plays, plays like he practices. He has the right mentality. He's a great locker room guy, kind of quiet, but still ah very involved with everyone. I just, I love what he's been doing.

Speaker: And to everyone who... And what are the shows? I forgot me and J.O. were talking about Hassani. People were kind of asking us, but why are you guys so high on Hassani? This makes no sense. well I really don't know. I don't see it. I hope you're seeing it now because he's it's here to stay.

Speaker: Yeah, he put up the equivalent, like in basketball, of a triple-double. That's what he did in this game. I that. He's contributing in every single way. That's what we wanted out of Sonny Dotson when he came to this team. I'd say that the performance he's put in today in his last match is beyond expectations for what we thought Sonny Dotson could be for the Seattle Sounders.

Speaker: It's just another piece coming together at the right time. Snyder Burnell is a super talented kid. And right now, Brian has the very happy problem of knowing that he can't put him in that role in that Sonny Dotson role because he's been playing so well.

Speaker: Snyder can be played further up the pitch. He's got experience as a more attacking player. We saw him do well in that Jordan Morris role today. But like you said, Nico, mean, Hassani Dodson, easy man of the match for this one. You could have said it for the last game he played as well. He is really the glue guy right now for the Sounders. Yeah, and I heard the basketball reference hilarious because I heard a comment that he was kind of the Draymond Green. i I kind of like it. He's more likable. Yeah, yeah. He's way more likable, better offensively than Draymond. But I like this shout because he just got that ruggedness to him. And he he does got that face like, I'm going kill you, but you know maybe i won't. But just he has that face. This is fat weight kid, right?

Speaker: So let's go into the Dallas game. Short turnaround, obviously. one region day, they're going to fly out to Dallas. We talked about Jordan Morris. need to talk there again. I think that he's a guy that might be replaced for this game.

Speaker: I don't know how many more changes we will have. I think that Brian understands the importance of this Dallas game. He's going to want to build on that.

Speaker: momentum He's going to want to build on a very good game. And to do that, got to try to keep the core group together. Obviously, Jovi's going to start. I don't think that Albert, I don't think he's going change.

Speaker: We'll see how Yammer came off, obviously, because of limited minutes. I would expect him to start again. But let's go into Dallas. What is Dallas? Dallas is coming off of 3-2 loss against Charlotte.

Speaker: They did not start Peter Moussa. They did not start Santi Moreno, which makes me believe that they're kind of holding off those bulls into the Sounders game. Obviously, that's a big game for them. You call it a six-point game, whatever you want.

Speaker: um Charlotte, I thought that they did this game a little bit later because they were down 2-0. But Charlotte cooked them in that second half, and they were able to really expose them on two ends. One,

Speaker: this team is not good on set pieces defending Dallas is not a good team. If any set pieces and they also struggle pretty much with, um, pace on the final third, uh, a Tokamari should have had a couple more goals. He wasn't able to do so, but I thought he put that defense into some real problems.

Speaker: You know, Dallas, they like to, uh, kind of play around with these three, four, three, at times the three, four, three with a diamond in the middle. Uh, sometimes it's a lot more solid, less movement, uh,

Speaker: Obviously, do you have a, what is he now? He's second in the Golden Boot race, Peter Moussa is. And then you got Santi Moreno, who's a guy that needs that freedom, that he's able to do a lot. He's ah a good scorer. He's very creative. I think he can pull ball where he wants to when it comes to his distribution.

Speaker: He's a very good through passer. Kiake is guy that gives him a lot of of physicality and some duality play at midfield. Valiente is a guy that that's also very good on the ball.

Speaker: I think that he knows how to press. He knows how to push the ball. And he's then he's a very good progressive dribbler as well. So this is a good team, but not one that I think matches up well against the Sounders, regardless of it being in Dallas and where I would think that the the heat and and the the climate might be a factor because, you know, if it's 90 degrees plus or whatever, you know, it could definitely affect the game.

Speaker: But I like the Sounders' chances against Dallas. Yeah, and as we're saying in the chat, on, you know, the bookmakers, the Sounders aren't favored. That makes sense because Dallas are above us in the standings and they're at home. Yeah. But,

Speaker: Like you said, Nico, think that this is an even better matchup on paper than perhaps that New England game. And we just we just ran the table in that New England game. We did everything right. Obviously, if we come out with the same intensity and the same quality that we did against New England, we're going to get a similar result.

Speaker: Is that going to happen. Probably not the same intensity I would expect just because of the quick turnaround. There's probably going to be some rotation. I think it's going to be more of a scrap in the second half, especially as maybe we lose a couple of legs, but Dallas, they're coming off of ah shorter rest as well.

Speaker: um I think this one is going to come down to if The depth is really truly there. This is a big test of depth. I think this New England game was a test of is our best 11 able to go out there and beat an elite team. We proved that was true. Now it's can our best 13, 14 go out and beat a couple of good players. It helps a lot that you're going to get Jesus Ferreira coming off the bench he's probably going to be in much closer to full fitness if not full fitness he can fill in for that Jordan Morris role on the right if needed you can really not have to change all too much about how you play it is a shame of course if Jordan misses some time because he's been in some of the best form we've seen ah from him in a while I'm interested to see how the wings shape out because I don't think Sebastian Gomez is going to get the start in this game he he wasn't

Speaker: Like I said, he played good against New England. It wasn't his best game, but I do think it proved that he's best utilized off the bench. We'll see how that works. But I mean, other than I think we're going to be able to come out with a very similar 11. You're still going to have rolled on and Dotson that will six role that you talk about. If they do what they've been doing over the last few games, it's,

Speaker: I don't give this Dallas team fits. I don't think it's a team that's necessarily set to go against two elite sixes like that and be very creative. Peter Moussa, of course, he's second in the golden boot race. He's got 19 on the season, a great striker, Logan Farrington, not to be overlooked. That's right. He's got 10 goals this season. He's been very good. That could be an X factor for Dallas in this game. I think that's the kind of player that needs to step up if they're going to win against Seattle here.

Speaker: ah But game are played great. Jackson Reagan is Jackson Reagan. Stu Hawkins is a good option off the bench. Alex rolled on knew who the whole defensive unit has been playing excellent.

Speaker: I would be surprised if Dallas scored more than one goal. I think that a Dallas player Best result right now is maybe like a 2-1 win is what they're thinking. They get it 2-1.

Speaker: I wouldn't be surprised to see something like 1-1 in this game. I also wouldn't be surprised to see the Sounders hold back-to-back shutouts with how well this defense is playing. But like I said, this is a test not only of that best 11, but of that best 13, that best 14 for the Sounders off a quick 1-2-3 in one week turnaround as far as matches go.

Speaker: Look, I've got a 3-1 win for the Sounders. I think that the Sounders are... the The better team on the ball, I feel like in transition, if they can be just as effective as they were in their last game against a better unit in New England, i think they're going to come through this team.

Speaker: No disrespect to Wubelkar, think he's a a good center back, but not the quickest guy, not the most enough. positioning, it's to be off a lot of times. and it's beside I know that there were some people that were asking if we might see Farrington and Peter Moussa both together. I don't think that's the case. I think they're going to go one or the other. This team does like to create a behind-the-scenes forward.

Speaker: There's Delgado, Santi Moreno, or Valiente, Santi Moreno, or Valiente Delgado. They like that dynamic. um I think that's They have some sort of effective overload on the left side. I think Shaq Moore is a very proven and um savvy attacker on that side. He knows how to push that that line. He's usually the farthest guy on the left side.

Speaker: And when he gets connected sometimes with...

Speaker: Delgado on that end, it can be an issue. It can be a problem. They know how to go off of each other. ah He also has a very good ability to cut inside, take those shots. I feel like that's where Andrew Thomas is at his best, though, is in those mid-range shots.

Speaker: Set pieces, obviously, with a guy like Peter Musa, maybe Logan Ferdinand in the second half or later. in the second half could be a problem for ah that the Sounders. That could be the way that this Dallas team gets into the game, but I feel like Vince, a...

Speaker: interchange of just one after the other. If it's a very open game and this Dallas team doesn't try to muddy it up, it it really use a guy like AK to just kind of slow the tempo of the game, then I think Seattle wins this game. No problem. 3-1 for me is the score line now.

Speaker: If we see a Dallas team that underpills maybe understands that they're going to be at disadvantage in that case and they're going to have to disrupt the game a little bit more, that maybe it puts a slower or a lower scoring game and a slower paced game.

Speaker: That's the outcome. But should be able to go into the game and impose their will and don't want to say easy, but with some sort of ah accessibility ah to do what they want to do.

Speaker: And I think if I had to put one smaller prediction in for this game, like you said, Dallas struggling defensively on set pieces. And we also mentioned earlier, Albert Rusnak, his delivery has been pinpointed.

Speaker: Albert Rusnak assists off a set piece. Jackson Reagan with a goal. that's That's my fun prediction of this game. Albert to Jackson for a goal in this match for the Sounders. Just throwing that one out there. If it comes off, I'm a genius. If it doesn't come off, no one will remember.

Speaker: but So, yeah. I got a Jesus goal. How about that? I like that. Jesus' goal against Dallas, number 27, new chapter begins. It's off to a good start. I think at Dallas with that number 27 is back.

Speaker: Pretty meaningful for the guy. And he is motivated, ready to go. I am curious if he's ready to start. Because again, if Jordan can't go, you know, do you start him?

Speaker: Or maybe that is going to force you to start Seba Gomez one more time. It'll be interesting. and We also saw Kalani go into the game there a little bit later, you know, maybe a guy that you could push higher up the field if you want to just pin back more a little bit more and you want somebody that's going to run right at him.

Speaker: Look, there's possibilities. I think that Brian is put himself and you know he's going to go into this game very confident and, you know, he's played this asked him multiple times and I feel like he always gives him a really good battle. Yeah. an aerial or revenge game as well.

Speaker: You know, we talked about how he has actually pinpointed this, you know, a lot of the time players are kind of curt about talking about playing against an old team. They'll say, Oh, it's just another game. It's, it's, but it seems like he wants to, he wants to go out and get something done.

Speaker: I love that for him. Would love to see him continue his good form. Give more headaches to Brian down the stretch, trying to make these decisions. Yeah, and continue to comment. If you got a score prediction, if you want to talk about how good or bad this might go for the Sounders, go ahead and do it. going to be getting all of these comments and making sure that you guys are entered into the drawing for the Guillermo Gomez Andrade jersey.

Speaker: Definitely. And we got time to look at around the league because there are some, you know, as we talk about the Sounders as one of these better teams in the West, it's important that we talk about what's going on at the top of the West. We had a couple of very big games from the big hitters in the Western Conference in MLS. The game that I highlighted last Monday as a game to watch was Vancouver against LAFC.

Speaker: And this is a fascinating result. And I want to have your take, Nico, on what you think this result means. The 1-1 draw with LAFC, despite Vancouver being down a man for 83 minutes.

Speaker: My question is, do you think this comes off as more proof that Vancouver are one of those top dogs, if not the top dog, or more proof that LAFC just aren't really all there this season?

Speaker: I think it's an indictment on LAFC not being there. I've said, look, I have no problem admitting that maybe Marco Santos was not the right guy to take this LAFC team to another level.

Speaker: And that's why, although I didn't love it, I was fine with him being let go because ultimately he was unable to unlock this team to do more. But to me, the problem was always the roster built and the players that you thought you had that were not really performing to be this entertaining team and this offensive attacking team and you saw it in this one.

Speaker: It we wasn't Mark Dos Santos the problem. This team was up a player for 80 minutes and was unable to capitalize and the Hoover looked like the better side. dominated the possession. They dominated the opportunities.

Speaker: This team, as much as they don't want to admitted in LAFC, they're kind of built for the counter. And now you're kind of forcing Boulanger to play up as a nine.

Speaker: That's not his role. He gets a goal, yes, but he's a lacrosse, very good header. But that's just not the way they they work. They want to play with Valencia and Schaffelberg as, you know, almost like these wingbacks and just getting them on the wide areas.

Speaker: Schaffelberg, good player. not saying he's not. But is he a guy that's going to put the team on his shoulders and he's going to be able to give you all of the work that you need to beat this phenomenal LAFC team? I just think that there's a lot of delusion from this LAFC squad that it was just about changing the manager. He was all of a sudden going to come all put together.

Speaker: but But it's not. I also think that the Sonny hasn't been phenomenal. He's been good. Hasn't been great. Hasn't been what you thought he was, as much as it's difficult for a lot of fans to admit. So I think that there is more to it than just the manager. So I would agree with you that Vancouver being down a man,

Speaker: They were the better squad and and it's more of an indictment of LAFC. Although I do believe that this could be a, um what do they call it? A spiritual win or, you know, kind of like a pick me up type of results for a team like Vancouver that has been in the dumps a little bit as well.

Speaker: That Jasper Shurmson seemed pretty happy with maybe not happy, but at least content to to a certain degree that they were able to at least play his sort of soccer. So, you know, You don't have big chips out those sort of ah victories, but at least it's a step forward for Vancouver. Definitely. And it it's going to matter a lot for Vancouver because the other big match in the Western Conference, St. Louis, look like just a steamroller right now.

Speaker: was 6-1. over the l LA galaxy. That's a frankly quite ridiculous result. St. Louis 20 games unbeaten in all competition ties a MLS record going back to the 2016 New York Red Bulls. I believe what a team that was um prime Bradley Wright Phillips. That is a St. Louis team after winning just one of their first 10 games.

Speaker: They're in the conversation as one of those top three, four easily best teams in MLS. And all of a sudden they're within striking distance of Vancouver for the Western conference. This is something for a while that we really didn't see coming. It felt like it was Vancouver's conference for a lot of this season.

Speaker: St. Louis facing off with Vancouver coming up. I mean, man, it's really coming down to the wire between those two. Yeah, look, I was just checking my phone to see if the email hack came in or if there was any news.

Speaker: Because there is no way that Greg Van is not getting fired up in this game. I mean, does anybody not believe that? Because, look, I've always been a Greg Van. I like him. I think he... There is a lot of positiveness to the way he coaches. I think that he has a very good curriculum.

Speaker: I think he's done some really good coaching jobs. But I think he is... two years beyond where he should have been maybe let go. And after a embarrassing, embarrassing result like this one, there's no way that he's finishing up the week as LA Galaxy's coach. And if he is, then, oh my Lord, I mean, either they have a lot of trust in him or, you know, he has, you know, some dirt on ownership. I mean, i have no idea, but there's just no way that after a game where you give a hat trick in the first 20,

Speaker: first minutes of of this game, second quickest in MLS history, right? And the first was Mukhtar. that That's the one that was like 16 minutes. And then after that, you just continue to Honestly, get get get almost moved around like a little kid trying to chase a ball all game long.

Speaker: ah There was just no response from this team. Yes, you had a really good goal by Taylor there. Phenomenal cut you know outside. Great shot. But it was all individuality. There was never a a a a group effort from this Galaxy team that I don't know what happened Justin Hack, man. And he has to go back to the coaching.

Speaker: It has to go back to the the team around you. But, you know, it just, it can't be a coincidence that Glassness, Pack, Garless.

Speaker: I mean, it doesn't matter who you put in this back line over the last two, three years. They just got awful. Not awful. and And look, I understand that they get put in islands very easily because they have no midfield.

Speaker: There's nobody making... um a recuperation runs. There's nobody doing recoveries. There's very little movement from the defense. If you look at ah even the three in the middle, Tommy Roberto, Reese, none of those guys are defensive players. It just, it's very easy to cut through this team. And when you have a a couple of fullbacks that also were not great defenders, you're putting yourself in some really particular defensive positions.

Speaker: positions where you're just going to be vulnerable. And when you play a team like St. Louis, that is so good on the offense, you've got a guy like Navajo, who he's been phenomenal. I mean, eat the 12 million might been worth it when you have a guy that's your system as well because he was doing everything. He was dropping back.

Speaker: He was linking up. He was creating moments, attacking space. He gets a brace himself. um So it's just a team in in St. Louis that takes, if you give them an inch, they take a mile and LA Galaxy just gave them all I-5. They gave them the whole highway. They just said, hey here you go. Have it.

Speaker: Do with it what you want. And St. Louis just took over. So you're saying that is also more of an indictment of the LA team than it is a show of St. Louis dominance? No, I think that this is absolute dominance by St. Louis because the A-Galaxy are bad, but they're not this bad. I mean, they just got bent down and put it into submission completely.

Speaker: um i think Holtz is a guy that his his first three goals, he could have four fives. Because when PK comes around, I thought he was going to take that four and and and maybe he gets interesting. Maybe he gets the five, six goals. I mean, he was just all over the field. I think Matan, a guy that I've liked ever since Columbus, he is another guy that just fits exactly what Johan wants out of this team.

Speaker: And he's just it just fits so well. Yeah. It's hard to look at this team and figure out how going to defend them. um I love both of their pivots. We're talking about the Sounders pivots. I think Durkin and Edelman are grinders. I think that they're also versatile in their own ah particular type of way.

Speaker: And the fluidity of that midfield is just, it's hard to defend. So to me, St. Louis is on a different level.

Speaker: they don't right And I say that beyond Vancouver. Vancouver is getting their groove back, but they have not been Vancouver of old since the break of the World Cup. They miss the hell out of Berhalter. They really do.

Speaker: But it's not just that. It's just the St. Louis team is just common. So you've got St. Louis finishing above Vancouver. You have them beating Vancouver in this upcoming game. I do. okay I do. And I think that it's going to be, ah you know, maybe if early what you might see in the Western Conference final at one point.

Speaker: But it's going to be the first game of maybe a couple. I will say that obviously Subluis has an open cup game final, if I'm not mistaken. ah That's coming. You might have to worry about that.

Speaker: But I do think that St. Louis is going to be very seriously. And I think they're just a better team. I think they're going to be able really expose some of the issues that Vancouver has currently with their setup, including they're not going to be able to push them for as high as they They're going to have to do a lot of defending.

Speaker: And they're going to able to compose with. Interesting game. As I said in Byersville, me, I think Louis is going to end up top of the West and and they're probably the best people in world. I see Derek in the comment section saying that Vancouver going slip to third or fourth. I don't agree with that. I think that this is a Western conference where it's Vancouver and St. Louis and then everybody else. I don't think many other teams are really on that level. I think there's teams that are close. I think there's teams that can certainly go out and get a result against St. Louis and Vancouver, but I don't think there's any team that can be confident about getting a result against either Vancouver or St. Louis right now. When you look below that top two Dallas, I mean, we're just talking about Dallas right now as a team that we think the Sounders can go in. Like you said, Nico, you said three, one in Dallas over them.

Speaker: I think that that's bold, but don't think that's ridiculous. San Jose, they've been up and down this season. I think that they could win or lose against any team in MLS right now. Houston, the same thing. LAFC, they've got all the same problems. And then we're down to the Sounders down in in seventh right now. And remember, a win for the Sounders would put them above LAFC into sixth place and put them, i mean,

Speaker: It's ridiculous. They're in striking distance of the top three. There's six games left and we're on this positive trajectory. If we beat Dallas, we would be in sixth place. And then within three points of Dallas, we're currently in third.

Speaker: It's ridiculous how this season has turned around for the Sounders. But yeah, Derek, I'm gonna have to disagree on Vancouver slipping to three or four. It is true that without Berhalter, they've been a different team. They've been a worse team without Sebastian Berhalter.

Speaker: but they are still at that next level, that next step above in the Western Conference, I would say, alongside St. Louis. Yeah, and what I would add is that it's not just the fact that... um

Speaker: Vancouver is a good team, but just the rest of the West is either coming at a bad time, uh, where maybe they're underperforming currently, or like the Sounders that they're overperforming, but they're just so far back that they just, they just won't get quite there. Obviously,

Speaker: I said on Friday that I think fourth is where I potentially see this team between fifth and fourth pushing up that high, which is phenomenal for for a team that was on the dumps the way they were at one point.

Speaker: But yeah, that's kind of that's kind of, look I would tell you that I thought Houston was going to finish the year a lot stronger, but that Minnesota game was just, that and they they depend a lot of um what they do on their offense and the they they don't really have a midfield that can hold possession a bit so they kind of push the ball consistently and when they get down into transition moments they just don't have a lot of ah defensive effort and they don't have that grit uh to just hold on to certain games i feel like they're also missing a little bit of that black arts that sometimes you got to have when you're up on the score lines uh they just try to open it up too much which is kind of crazy to say about a ben olsen team to be quite frankly but but that's just what it is they were the team that i like best after that but right now they're just not looking very good No, they've been on a, I mean, that's a struggling Minnesota team, but they have to go and salvage or draw against.

Speaker: Yeah. Right now, Nico, i mean, when you look at the league as a whole mean Nashville, go and do it again, that Austin game, they beat them for one. It's closer than the scoreline shows at four one. They get two goals in the last five minutes of the game, but Austin's one of those teams. They're not in the playoffs spot, but they're one of those teams that I don't think it's fun to play against. Cause they can go at you like that and and score some goals and cause an upset. they've done it on a few occasions this season.

Speaker: Nashville just take care of business. It's just what they've been doing. I believe you said on Friday, you did not think Nashville were going to get that all time record. I think they are going to go get it. No, I said, yes. Jeremiah said no. Oh, sorry to call you out, Jeremiah. I disagree. i think that Nashville are doing everything. They're going to get it.

Speaker: A shout out real quick to the Tacoma Defiance. Obviously, they did not make it through. They lost in penalty kicks, but it was a fun game to watch. I watched all the way until it was about 3-3, I believe.

Speaker: My guy, Charlie Gaffney, with a phenomenal pass there for the 2-2 first. But it was it was a good game back and forth. They weren't able to do it. They lose some PKs. They lose 3-1 on penalty kick shootout.

Speaker: But phenomenal job by... Paulo Nagamora and Joe Pablo just putting this this team together. A lot of fight, lot of talent and prospects that I see from this team, ah which again is just ah another facet of the organization that has been so good.

Speaker: I just created an academy of players and put them through a Tacoma-defying system and then getting it ready for the first 10 minutes. But it was a good game. It was good to see Tacoma just fight and be there every single way of the game. I wish they would be more in control. It felt like they were always kind of trying to get back into the game, unfortunately.

Speaker: But, you know, just compared to them, wanted to give them a shout-out. Yeah, credit to them. Shout to Charlie Gaffney, another Ballad FC legend. Jeremiah, he's got his hand raised in the back. Jeremiah's got something to say.

Speaker: i was just going to say that ah there's there's there there's in ah got a couple little things about the defiance. When it was 4-4 and they got the equalizer in the bell behind two zero and fell behind so that three one, I think. And then they tied it up late in the regulation. And then they, they fell down for three and, uh,

Speaker: in extra time and then tied it up next time on a landing zero goal to get into penalties. But they clearly ran steam in the shootout, which is, ah you know, too bad.

Speaker: But considering the way the season started for Defiance, I think a really positive seat season for them. and Some prospects coming up. Charlie Gaffney looked great. But yeah, think they got a lot to be proud of.

Speaker: They do. I wish would have finished watching it, but ah i was put with the task of going to the very phenomenal homepits with the wife. That was great. Something take, Preston. Between that and the Spirit Store, my debit card was herding.

Speaker: But yes, definitely um just credit to this company, find some love. I wish next year i am going to make it my objective to go to way more games because I should have done that this time around. Yes, JL?

Speaker: So there may be some news on that front. Well, it might be a little harder for you, but it might be a little easier for people in the Seattle area to see Defiance next year, I think.

Speaker: I'll just leave that teaser out there. We can do some research on our channel, I suppose. <unk>m excited. Yeah, we got some stats out in the...

Speaker: in the chat here, huh? We got wal Ariola highest goal plus assists minus penalty kicks per 90 this year. Let's say, you know, like we said with Paul Ariola, that is, that is what we've seen from him. I see people agreeing. It's Sonny Dotson man of the match.

Speaker: um Yeah, I believe that's, that's an easy decision right now. Matt, you guys got a lot of names to sort through for this, for this Jersey giveaway. Shout out to everyone in the chat. Shout out to everyone. I'm sorry, Jeremiah for, uh,

Speaker: making that happen that we're going to to figure out how to get everybody into this, uh, impromptu. Well, not impromptu. We kind of had some, we had some structure. Yeah. But you know, we're going to try to figure it out. Definitely get everyone, everyone with super chats, everyone that's commented. Uh, that's what we want. I want everybody out here, uh, being able to take advantage of the live show and asking questions and, uh, us being able to engage. This is part of a show that I do want to add more of, uh, and if it takes, you know, uh,

Speaker: ah assign camera we want to drive a we're to get it done. But I think that's it for us. ah Thank you again for everyone who commented, who engaged.

Speaker: ah Thank you for listening in any way you were doing it, whether it was YouTube or later on in the podcast. Thank you to absolutely everyone. Make sure that you do like, share, subscribe, help us grow, help us make this this show that I said, as I said at the beginning of the show, makes you Mondays from bitter to sweeter.

Speaker: I am Nico Moreno with the one and only Adam Reis. And J-Yo, shout out Jeremiah Oshin in the back doing his thing, making sure that this looks as good as possible for me.

Speaker: Let's go at Sounders.