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Kickoff: Interview with Seattle Reign Assistant Coach & MLS Legend Lee Nguyen
324 Plays16 days ago
MLS legend and Seattle Reign assistant coach Lee Nguyen joins the show before we dive into our regular coverage of the Seattle Sounders and other takeaways from Matchday 4 in MLS.
Join Ari Liljenwall and Niko Moreno live on YouTube every Monday, at 8am Pacific to kickoff you week with the inside scoop on the Seattle Sounders and Major League Soccer.
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Lobbing Scorchers is a production of Just Once Media.
Lobbing Scorchers is a Seattle Sounders and MLS focused show brought to you by Sounder at Heart. Hosted by Major League Soccer's Ari Liljenwall and Producer Noah Riffe. Join us as we lob our scorching takes on the American soccer landscape, Seattle Sounders, Major League Soccer, USMNT and more.
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Transcript
Introduction and Banter
00:00:00
Speaker
This episode of Lobbing Scorchers was previously recorded and streamed live on youtube.com slash at Lobbing Scorchers. If you want to listen or catch these episodes live, see the video, and see all the rest of our content, go to youtube.com slash at Lobbing Scorchers or lobbingscorchers.com slash youtube.
00:00:22
Speaker
Well, sir, we got a scorcher today. Gonna be a real scorcher today. What the scorcher today? Well, it's gonna be scorcher.
Show Introduction and Special Guest Tease
00:00:43
Speaker
Welcome in to another episode Lobbing Scorchers Kickoff. I'm Ari. That's Nico. We got a great show for you today. We're going to be talking some Seattle Sounders.
00:00:54
Speaker
We're going to review some CONCACAF Champions Cup. We're going talk about Match Day 4 at St. Louis. We're going to preview this weekend's Nico Ladero revenge game at Lumen Field.
00:01:07
Speaker
um But folks... Before we get into all that, you might have seen from the title, but we've got a very special guest joining the show here this morning, and we're going to launch right into that ah off the top.
00:01:21
Speaker
But before we bring him in here, Nico, just how are you doing this morning, man? Hey, man, i'm just excited, excited about our guest, excited about all the topics that we're about to embark.
00:01:32
Speaker
Might not be the greatest feel good pod show that you might think of because we're As you look outside and there seem to be clouds and rain, that's kind of the forecast that we've felt with the Sounders lately.
00:01:47
Speaker
ah It seems like ah when it rains, it pours. But, you know, we're going to get into all that. ah But, of course, first of all, we'll start with our guest of honor here. Let's bring him on right now, folks.
00:01:58
Speaker
It is not every day that we get an MLS legend on the show, but that's exactly what we got for you this morning. Let's bring him in right now.
Interview with Lee Nguyen
00:02:09
Speaker
We've got former New England Revolution legend, MLS veteran, should have been the 2014 MLS MVP in my opinion, and current Seattle Reign assistant coach Lee Wynn joining the show.
00:02:22
Speaker
Lee, thank you so much for the time and joining us this morning. How are you doing? I'm doing great. Thanks for having me. Yeah, absolutely. ah We are very excited to talk to you about some ah some and NWSL here this morning. So let's just ah let's just jump right into it because Seattle Reign NWSL season is underway. It was a 1-1 draw versus Gotham at Lumen Field to open the season.
00:02:46
Speaker
Emery Adamas with a scrappy second-half equalizer. That goal was ah that was all heart, force of will. But, Lee, Your first season as an assistant with the rain here, first game, what did you think of the performance from the team? What are the things that you liked? What are the things that you feel like the team needs to work on as you get into your season here?
00:03:07
Speaker
Yeah, I think, you know, I was really excited to come here. This is a big soccer city. um You know, the fans were were great. and They really helped us push to get the result we needed.
00:03:20
Speaker
But this is an exciting roster, a exciting team. um And being able to be a part of this coaching staff with Laura, who's probably the most successful coach in this league. And so I'm um all excited and happy about that. but From the game, yeah, I think you can see there's this progress to be made.
00:03:41
Speaker
But you know we played against a really tough team who you know I think is show they were one of the best teams last year and the year before that. And so being able to get a result against, you can say a top four team was good for us to show the grit we had. But I think we can be a little bit better in the final third.
00:04:01
Speaker
um maybe a little bit more quality. And so hopefully, you know, i can help them with that this year. Yeah, that was my takeaway. One of my takeaways as well was that Gotham, they look like they're going to be quite a force this year.
00:04:14
Speaker
um Based on what you've seen so far, Lee, and in preseason in that first game, how would you describe the Seattle Reign identity? What is it that the coaching staff is trying to impart on the ah on the club right now?
00:04:28
Speaker
ah Stylistically, how do you want to see this team play this year? I think, you know, um we have a good balance of veterans and young players. And so um being able to, you know, with that experience, control games um from start to finish.
00:04:47
Speaker
But then you have young players who, you know, they like to go 1v1. They like to be dynamic. And so being able to push teams in the final third towards the end of the game.
00:04:58
Speaker
um But, yeah, trying to control games in possession. ah trying to play more in the opposing team's half. um Ideally, ah these are the things I think, you know, we're trying to impose against other teams.
00:05:13
Speaker
And so you saw a little bit of it against Gotham, but again, they're the same team. They want to control possession. And so it was about a bit 50, 50 battle from what I saw in that game, but hopefully we can be a little bit more i'm opposing going forward. ah Yes. i Look, I'm,
00:05:32
Speaker
Very interested in hearing a little bit more about how you got into NWSL, right? When you hear MLS legend and we you know who you are as a player, it kind of feels like, oh maybe the the simple route or the the thought might have been that you would have gone into coaching in the MLS side as someone that you know has a young daughter that was at the game that really appreciates you know ah coach like yourself to come in and try to help and grow the game from your perspective, from your position. How did you get into that? How was that decision of going, hey, this is the way I want to go.
00:06:07
Speaker
This is the route and and what I want to do with my coaching career. Yeah, no, that's good question. You know, it wasn't like I chose one path or the other.
00:06:21
Speaker
You know, it really happened during I was in Vietnam playing. um Our season got canceled because of COVID. So I came back to the States. And during that time, I, you know, wanted to see if i was going to enjoy coaching. Right. Because i was in the tail end of my career trying to transition. And so i asked my old club at in Dallas, the Dallas Texans, I asked the director there, of you know, hey,
00:06:46
Speaker
can I help coach one of your teams? And he gave me a U17, girls team. And so I was just kind of coaching them for that first couple of months. And um it was fun. You know, I really enjoyed um coaching them. They were really eager to learn, ah but you know, i was trying to, I was going through training sessions of like, you know, what I was doing at MLS, what I was doing, you know, for my pro days. And then I realized I need to bring, you know, bring it back a little bit, you know,
00:07:16
Speaker
um Realizing, you know, like how we were training, maybe the grid size were too, too small. I need to make it a little bit bigger. And so all these things I was learning just through those ah experiences, I was enjoying that process.
00:07:31
Speaker
And then um I got the call um to see if I wanted to come and help the spirit during that time that a transition in coaching, they needed an assistant coach. And I said, yeah, let me try this out. But this was more so if I want, again, just an experience. I wanted to see if I liked it.
00:07:48
Speaker
But at the end of the season, I was going to go back to playing Vietnam. And we ended up going and finishing out the year and winning the championship. And they're like, no, you got to come back.
00:08:00
Speaker
and so nines And so that was a decision I needed to make was like, do I continue playing or do I go on this coaching journey now? um And so that's kind of how it all started.
00:08:14
Speaker
I love that. See, that's exactly what I wanted to get into, man. And, you know, you can use, I can just see you light up when you talk about it. and that's exactly why that question went there. and And what's been some of the challenges that you've kind of came across when when you've had that transition of everything that you've learned throughout your career and then kind of try to mold that into either coaching style or coaching concepts and then bring that into the NWSL? Yeah, I think what was great was, you know, like,
00:08:44
Speaker
As you get older in your playing career, um you realize you know as younger players come up, you know they look up to you, they've seen you play, they start to follow you a little bit. And so you kind of you know organically mentor these players.
00:09:01
Speaker
um as you know and And I found a lot of joy in that. um And it gave me purpose, you know, as a player when I was, you know, going through that transition. um And so naturally, you know, you transition into coaching, you kind of do the same thing, right? And so now you're trying to mentor and teach these young players and through your experiences and through the things you see. And I think that's, that really gave me purpose and and joy to see and help, you know, young players grow and get them to achieve their goals.
00:09:34
Speaker
Lee, your playing career has taken you all over the world. You've played in the Netherlands. You've played in Denmark, Vietnam. You did a lengthy stints in and MLS. And then looking at your managerial career, you've already ah been a coach for the Washington Spirit, Kansas City Current, Angel City SC.
00:09:52
Speaker
Now your path has led you here to Seattle. How did this opportunity in particular come about ah for you? and What do you just think of the the city and the community and the soccer scene so far in your kind of first experience being ah part of it on a day in day out basis?
00:10:12
Speaker
Yeah, I think, you know, as I was trying to figure out my my next journey, my next chapter, You know, I wanted to be a part of a winning culture. wanted to be a part of a team that, you know, has a chance to compete for for trophies and also be with the staff that, you know, I can collaborate with and learn from.
00:10:33
Speaker
um And I think, you know, the Seattle ring checks all those boxes, um you know, and and like I said before, like, When I came here as a player, I realized how big of a sports city this is, how much they love their soccer.
00:10:48
Speaker
um Saw Sounders jerseys all through the cities. And so being part of a city that embraces soccer and loves the sport um and, you know, are you starting the home opener?
00:10:59
Speaker
Like, right, like doesn't matter rain or shine. Like the fans are coming, they come to support the team. And so that that was ah that was really cool. And I'm happy to be a part of that. Yeah, well, we're thrilled to have you a part of it as well. I just got one more on ah my end and then Nico, you can get it in one more and then we'll let you go.
00:11:17
Speaker
ah We know that you got you got soccer to coach. um I did want to ask you about. ah about your playing career. I have a lot of memories of you as a player, obviously. ah my first year covering the Sounders was actually 2014. And that was the year that you were just going like there, the whole, the whole thing that year was, uh,
00:11:40
Speaker
Who should be MVP, Robbie Keane or you? And I actually, I'm not even just saying this because you're on the show, but I was always on the side of the argument that
Lee Nguyen's Coaching Journey and Insights
00:11:50
Speaker
it should be you. Because like if you looked at it, Robbie Keane, he had like slightly better stats than you. I think he had more assists.
00:11:57
Speaker
But your goals that year, I think you had 10 game-winning goals. It was like every week. I would look up and it was like Lee Wynn did it again. Like he scored another game winning goal. I'm so curious when you're having like you didn't quite get MVP, but that was clearly an MVP caliber season.
00:12:15
Speaker
There's you got to be in some kind of crazy type of zone to be having a season like that. Like how would you describe that season for you? And just it it like that must have been a crazy feeling of like nobody can stop me. Like how what was that? What was that like that whole stretch for you?
00:12:32
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, like you said, like, you know, you find yourself in that flow um and, you know, you just find yourself being in the right place at the right time. And so, yeah, a lot of it had to do with, you know, the mindset and then just being confident that, yeah, like you're just in that flow, like continue to ride it. But, you know, I had a great team that year, um you know, and the teammates were really supportive. And, you know, it was one of those things where, know,
00:13:02
Speaker
we were in the final third, my teammates would try to find me, right? And i just needed to get open. um And you I think through that, just saying, hey, like, you know, you try to, it's so funny, but it's like, when the player's hot, feed them, right? Like in the basketball, like if the player's hot, feed them.
00:13:22
Speaker
So like, that's what like Jermaine was trying tell players, like, hey, give Lee the ball, give Lee the ball. And so, yeah, And so, yeah, it was one of those things is just like a the players had given the ball, find your best players in the final third, let them do the thing, let them be creative, let them create and then just get open for them.
00:13:41
Speaker
And so, you know, I try to do that as a player and, you know, as a coach, you try to put you know your best players in the final third and let them create, let the quality show. And at the end of that year, it just it just all clicked.
00:13:55
Speaker
So.
00:13:57
Speaker
i just i got I got one serious one, one not so much real, real you know, not not very complex, but how has been working with Laura? mean I mean, she looks like she's business all the time. And, out you know, asking her a question alone just the other day, i was like, man, no know, she's serious.
00:14:13
Speaker
how's that How's that been? How's that been working, the dynamic with her? And then the the short one i did want to ask you was, what's been your favorite thing about Seattle as a city? You've been able to, you know, be here for a little bit. You know, what you have you liked about the city?
00:14:26
Speaker
Yeah, no, Laura's amazing. She has really good banter and yeah, she looks like she's business, but you know, she's, she's real chill. And we can, we collaborate really well as a staff.
00:14:38
Speaker
um And yeah, she gives you a lot of, you know, a lot of ownership um and there's a lot of experience. And so like, we're able to, to bounce ideas off of each other. and I'm learning a lot already, but you know,
00:14:52
Speaker
She's the winningest coach in the NWSL. So like it's it's so cool to be able to work with her and and learn from her. But and all the players, they all they all love and respect her. So like it's so cool to to kind of see how she she manages all these players here.
00:15:07
Speaker
um But I think what's great about Seattle as well. um everyone tells me the summers are unmatched. So I'm i'm waiting to to to to see that bit.
00:15:20
Speaker
I can already tell when the sun comes out, it's it's a beautiful city. And so I'm i'm waiting for the warmer weathers so you can be a little bit more, do more outdoor activities. Lee, real quick, before we get you out of here, if you had to maybe name a player on the Seattle Reign that fans might not know about or doesn't get like a lot of attention, but is sort of an unsung hero, maybe a dirty work player or a player that doesn't get the credit that they might deserve, is there anyone that comes to mind on that criteria?
00:15:55
Speaker
i I mean, there's we have a lot of good young players coming up. I mean, you know, we have ah I mean, you already know Emre Adames who scored, you Ainsley is one of the i not a youngest players. She's another up and coming player that's really good.
00:16:11
Speaker
But, you know, I think um Maddie Dahlin. You'll hear her name a lot this year. ah She's a rookie. I think she can battle for rookie of the year.
00:16:24
Speaker
um But she's somebody who I think many many people might not know from the NWSL, but she had a really good career UNC. And so I'm excited to see what she she'll be able to bring to to the pros now.
00:16:39
Speaker
Lee, thank you so much for joining the show this morning. We really appreciate the time. ah Good luck with everything this year. We're going to be following the season. ah may We'll have to get you back on again sometime and ah and catch up at another juncture. But ah for now, thanks again.
00:16:55
Speaker
Good luck and appreciate you, man. No, absolutely. It was fun. Thanks for having me, guys. No problem. Good luck. Thanks.
00:17:04
Speaker
That was Lee Wynn, everybody, MLS and Seattle rain assistant. Great interview there. Got some good insight on the, on the rain and season and the NWSL. And we're going to be doing ah as much NWSL coverage as we can this year. It's good. It's kind of an exciting year for the rain. I was at their ah season launch event yesterday.
00:17:25
Speaker
before the season started and just the vibe around the team nego like it had a vibe of like a fresh start you know like sort of like a new era they had the anthem uh they were kind of doing like new branding so it's exciting i really encourage uh everybody to go out to those games because there's some real superstar players that you see in the and nwsl week in week out and it's uh it's phenomenal to watch nico before we move on to uh sounder's stuff any any final takes on uh rain nwsl or our interview with lee win hey man he was fantastic man you could just tell someone who ah really enjoys what what he does and uh every single question right he had this big aura about him and and that's the type of uh coach that you want around i love that you know he was able to
00:18:13
Speaker
Hey, but Laura is all business, but you know, so I should pretty chill. That's, you know, those, those are news to me. you know, she seems so like on the ball about it. Um, and look, quite honestly, I'd like to follow it up a little bit more. I'm not, uh, as in sync with the ring, obviously with the Sounders, we were just talking about that.
00:18:31
Speaker
We, I barely have time to watch Liga or EPL or anything. and there was one point where I did want to into, um, covering the the ring at one point, maybe like three, four years ago when we first started Pulse.
00:18:47
Speaker
ah But it was kind of difficult back then. it was good to hear at the last merger meeting that we had that they were going to be a lot more forward and and helpful with with media. So maybe I got to give it a second shot, see if we can get somebody out there to cover the team because I'm excited about it.
00:19:05
Speaker
Yeah, no, that's what I'm hoping as well. They did used to make it ah more difficult than ah ah it should have been. But ah yeah, great to have Lee Wynn on here. man He was such a ah good player. Like, I think all are met but yes like ah from 2014 to 17, he was one of the best players in the league. And but it was fun getting to ask him about that 2014 year because that really...
00:19:27
Speaker
yeah Like he said, it's like a basketball player that just is heat checking and just hits every time. And that was like the type of season that he had. So was fun to get to pick his brain on that in addition to the rain stuff.
00:19:39
Speaker
All right, Nico, let's jump into our ah Seattle
Sounders' Performance and Challenges
00:19:43
Speaker
Sounders coverage. We have not... We have not laid one of these shows down since CONCACAF Champions Cup. I'll be honest, I don't want to spend that much time on that. i feel like we're far far enough away where we can just ah pretty much move on from that. But ah they're back to league action, and it was a 1-0 loss at St. Louis City SC. And Nico, I would say the vibes right now are ah they're pretty down.
00:20:08
Speaker
the The Champions Cup game... was a letdown. And I think the injuries have got people feeling pretty down. They got me feeling pretty down. And then you, you look at that St. Louis game and it looked like a team that was injured and fatigued.
00:20:21
Speaker
I don't know about you. I'm optimistic that once they get their legs back under them a little bit, like it'll, it'll look better than it did in St. Louis. But I guess just to start, man, like how are you feeling about the team standing right now? Just after that champions cup exit and with this injury situation is not good.
00:20:38
Speaker
It's not, it's not. Yes, hard to be optimistic. I, you know, tip tip my hat to you for staying somewhat positive because, I mean, it seemed like anything that could have gone wrong went wrong and more between that the loss, the manner of the loss, just a team that looked out of swords, disjointed, unable to play their own game.
00:21:05
Speaker
the injuries, the long-term of certain injuries, like the one of Paul Arriola. And then on top of that, going into the training week, you lose your Emmergo Metandrata to a personal reason. Brian Smiths are sick.
00:21:18
Speaker
He can't make the trip. I mean, it seemed like it just kind of snowballed from Tuesday on it just snowballed. So it been it has not been great.
00:21:28
Speaker
The big clouds are looming on top of the Sounders, as I said. ah between the injury plague and and everything that really came out of that Cruz Azul game, it's been pretty down from there.
00:21:42
Speaker
Yeah. ah What did you make of it? So Noah and I, we were we we have a ah new pod coming out, but we were talking about Jesus Ferreira and just ah how that's going so far.
00:21:54
Speaker
And I think, like for me, the way I see it, I was actually ah legitimately encouraged and happy with how he was playing to start the season. It seemed like he was fitting in well just as a facilitator. The goal scoring hadn't come yet.
00:22:09
Speaker
ah But I feel like in this game, ah didn't it look like frustration sort of reached the boiling point? And he was kind of wilding out out there, wasn't he? like What did you make of that?
00:22:26
Speaker
He looked like a player out of place, ah to be honest. And and I'm not going to sugarcoat it. I said that right off the bat. He just seemed like a player that had not gotten repetitions up there.
00:22:37
Speaker
There was a feel of even when they were, whether it was in transition or whether it was in possession, he just looked out of place. um it And that's not something that you used to see from a player like Jesus Ferreira with his trajectory, with his understanding of the game.
00:22:57
Speaker
So that was concerning. The frustration was clearly there and and it's it's probably all tied in together, right? if If me as a player, I know how good I am. And I am sure he feels it. I know that I felt like that. And, you know, I'm no pro, but there were times where I was either playing off a position or of a new team and you're not getting the ball where you wanted. you were not able to influence the game in the capacity that you used to. And that becomes frustrating. Now you're playing a St. Louis team that was out physically in your team everywhere. I mean, they were coming straight at you like,
00:23:35
Speaker
beating you into submission and there was that point where i think he gets into it with um hessler i think that's who he got it into with and he like got into it with like two different guys there was a one point there was a red card check because it looked like he jabbed a guy in the stomach uh he got a yellow card for shoulder checking a guy and then crashed out on the ref because he got that yellow Uh, know, he was saying that that wasn't called earlier, but like, to me, I'm like, that's, I don't know how you're shocked that that was a yellow. ah like to like,
00:24:10
Speaker
like not Not the needing to develop chemistry and it taking time to fit in and adapt on a new team. That's not crazy to me. I think that's normal. In fact, like it would be nice for a player like that to be able to slot right in and look like the best version of themselves right away.
00:24:26
Speaker
That's not always how it works. So like i I don't mind that aspect of it, to be honest with you. If that was the only issue, I'd be like, it's fine. He yeah he doesn't look fully acclimated yet, but I'm willing to give it time to see that. But like for me, what was... ah the troubling or the concern, I guess, coming out of it was like the body language stuff, the demeanor, the, uh, like when you're, when you're getting into it with other players off the ball, but you're taking focus away from winning the game. Right.
00:24:56
Speaker
So like, that's, that's really the issue. It's not even, uh, it's not even like getting on him for his attitude as much as it is. Like when you're doing that stuff, like your focus needs to be like on the, uh,
00:25:08
Speaker
on on trying to score goals, does it not? Yeah, so so there's two sides to that coin. and And I agree with you that you are affecting the game in a negative way for the purposes of winning that particular game. And that's true.
00:25:22
Speaker
And his frustration got so much of a hold of him that i even think that when he was able to get on the ball, he either had a bad touch or he was a little bit too rushed with it.
00:25:34
Speaker
But on the other side, I will say that I would much rather have a ah player that is frustrated that he's not having a good game because he gives a shit rather than somebody that maybe came on walked the field, jogged looked around, looked disinterested, is like, okay, I'm getting subbed off. Let me just jog off, you know, get on.
00:25:59
Speaker
you know, X or Facebook or whatever you're trying to do. right And he didn't do that, right? he would You could tell he cared. And I feel like the frustration was because he couldn't influence the game. So um that gives me at least a little bit of a, hey, this guy cares.
00:26:13
Speaker
He clearly knows that he had a bad game in a position that he probably has been wanting to play for a long time because if he was If there was something that we knew is that when he first came on, the very first presser, he talked about wanting to play a pop and wanting to get behind defenders and all of these things that he hasn't been able to do.
00:26:32
Speaker
So that probably goes into more of the frustration. This is my opportunity. to be that nine, to be up there, play where I want to play, and I have an awful game. So, yes, there's, a like I said, two two sides to that coin.
00:26:46
Speaker
Definitely know what you wanted to see, but at the same time, at least he cared enough to be frustrated. It's a fine line, isn't it? Like, ah Clint Dempsey was a guy for many years who hold that line, right? And, like, with Clint, it was always a thing where I feel like playing angry is sort of, like, what made him tick. You know, i whenever I watched him play, i would he he played, like, a guy that was...
00:27:12
Speaker
you know, that grew up in Nacogdoches and, uh, was like doing ever like, and playing those games, like growing up, he never really like lost that, that dog mentality, which that is a good thing, but he crossed the line at times too. Like we saw that a lot of times. So, uh, like you just got to, uh,
00:27:32
Speaker
You got to know how to channel that and you got to be smart. I feel like there is, don't know. I felt like there was moments in that game where Ferreira was like teetering on that edge a little bit. And hopefully he continues to get acclimated. He's going to be a very key part of this team coming up for the next few weeks here.
00:27:48
Speaker
ah Nico got a question in chat for you from Reese. He says, what is Nico's opinion on our squad depth now? I still think he's solid. I mean, you saw the starting lineup ah with as many injuries as you had. That's a very competitive squad.
00:28:04
Speaker
ah You did give San Luis a fight. You were not good on offense. You didn't put them under the rest enough. You didn't test the keeper, which without Burton, you were thinking that was job number one and you weren't able to do it.
00:28:20
Speaker
But you had a decent enough squad to just hold off a 1-0 goal against ah one of the the the the better playing teams right now, and and a defense that has yet to give up a goal.
00:28:31
Speaker
ah You get beat on a, and I hate to use use the word anomaly because now it feels like we're talking about one of these a game, but, you know, Jackson slips, gets on the ball on accident.
00:28:45
Speaker
There's a free kick. Lewin puts it perfectly paced and placed to where Steph can't get there. So, In terms of depth, I still think that there they're good.
00:28:59
Speaker
I mean, it's it's not is not what you want to see out of out of a team that ah the the whole the whole way this was pitched, right? that that The whole 2025 season was about hitting the floor running, having enough depth to be in every single competition, and that your floor was as high as it's ever been,
00:29:22
Speaker
and If you don't feel like that's what's happening, then youre you have every right to feel that way because it hasn't. You just got bounced off ah CCC in the worst possible way.
00:29:36
Speaker
You've yet to really win a game um with the but the team that's fully not rotated against you in MLS, and you're frustrated. So in in terms of depth, to answer the question without all of this, because that's just the way I handle things, handle business with just this.
00:29:55
Speaker
whole, you know, rant, but I think the depth is still holding. This was your first stress test. That's the way I put it on Friday with Jeremiah.
00:30:07
Speaker
Let's see how it plays out here on out because it's not going to get any easier moving forward with the exception of maybe not playing Wednesday games and all of that. Obviously, that opens up your schedule a little bit, but the competition, you you got some really quality teams moving forward.
00:30:24
Speaker
So, First test, they did okay. Let's see how they do against Houston and moving forward after that. Yeah, I mean, I liked the starting 11 in Houston, or not in Houston, in St. Louis.
00:30:38
Speaker
ah You know, Georgie and Paul Rothrock, those are going to be guys that are tasked with carrying the load now. Rothrock has heated up, I think, after a slow start to the season coming off the injury. I thought Georgie looked great. So my opinion on the depth is that, ah look,
00:30:56
Speaker
Are they going to be playing at a shield pace? Are they going to be racking two points per game with the injuries that they have right now? Probably not, but I think a reasonable expectation is that this team, with the players that they have available right now, should be able to play at around a 1.5 points per game pace as baseline. And I know that might not sound exciting to people, and it's not exciting, but I think the reality is that, like...
00:31:21
Speaker
It's not just the injuries piled up. It's who the injuries hit. I mean, it's your best number nine, your most creative attacker, and a guy in Paul Areola who was going to play a huge role on the team this year. So with all that in mind, ah you know, I'm not expecting them to...
00:31:43
Speaker
play at the pace that I might have before the injuries. But I, especially like you said, without the fixture congestion, like I think they should be able to keep it around 1.5. Do you think that's reasonable? Man, right now it's some long, long division, man. Cause you're talking about a home game that won't be easy. And then you get a three game road trip against San Jose, uh, against a a very good San Diego team.
00:32:12
Speaker
at FC Dallas. I mean, this is this is as hard as it's going to get. So can they do it? Yes. that They definitely have the potential to do so. Can I sit here in front of you and our audience and tell you that I'm very confident that that's what's going to happen?
00:32:27
Speaker
I can't say that because ah how things have played out for this team. The potential is there, but there needs to be a huge improvement ah specifically to fit and get Jesus Ferreira ready to go.
00:32:43
Speaker
He was your big acquisition. He was the guy that was supposed to come here and put you from being a team that was an elite defense with some issues in the attacking end to being a balanced team. And we haven't seen that, unfortunately, because of how everything has played out for Ferreira. And this was my biggest frustration. You and I have talked about it and we have discussed it consistently.
00:33:08
Speaker
What was going on with Jesus, why wasn't he playing X amount of minutes? Why had he not been the first option to replace Jordan Morris? It was always moves. It was always someone else.
00:33:19
Speaker
it You have not put Ferreira necessarily in the best position to have a successful game against St. Louis, in my opinion, in my humble opinion. So how do they move forward? How do they get him right?
00:33:32
Speaker
That's going to be a huge, huge component on whether what you're saying plays off as you wanted to play because of the potential of this team, or if you just have a real, real rough road trip, because these are not easy teams.
00:33:46
Speaker
San Jose, San Jose of old, they've looked fantastic. or or at least dangerous. Obviously, they didn't get the win last, but they look dangerous enough. ah San Diego has been a solid team, very good, obviously know how to get results.
00:33:59
Speaker
And then FC Dallas, that's not going to be an easy game. So that is exactly what this team needs to see. and And this is what's really going to set that bar on where, whether you and I and every pundit that literally put the Sounders at number two this season in the Western Conference or first or whatever because of that depth.
00:34:24
Speaker
Were we right? Were we wrong? I mean, we'll still see where that goes. The Ferreira thing is such a huge part of all of it, right? Like, honestly, if they...
00:34:36
Speaker
if In a hypothetical world where they're able to get him integrated and going and plan closer to playing and producing closer to what he did at FC Dallas, I think that doesn't solve every problem, but it would sure help. a big one. um like I guess what's your take on what they need to do to make that happen? Because I think the issue right now is that ah His best fit with this team is still up in the air. They've been playing him a lot deeper than I would have thought.
00:35:08
Speaker
And it seemed like even though he was listed as the starting number nine at St. Louis, he was really, he was dropping kind of deep again. and it just, it just feels like they haven't quite figured it out yet. There was a couple sequences where they were trying to spring him through with through balls. Like he's Jordan Morris. He's not Jordan Morris.
00:35:25
Speaker
ah What, like, what do you think needs to happen going forward to get the most out of him. It's repetition there. It literally, and and I asked him this question and I've been harping on this with Brian, with, ah for I was even, ah we had a comment that criticized the, because we had that joint press conference with the rain and and and the sounders and they're like, oh well, you know, what did you just asking just sounder questions? was like, well, that's kind of my agenda.
00:35:57
Speaker
and And in that particular moment, ah press conference, you could see it in his eyes. I asked him about how difficult was it to get chemistry when he wasn't getting competitive minutes at the position and with certain players.
00:36:14
Speaker
And he said, yeah, you know, it's it's it's difficult. It's not the same to practice than it is to play a competitive game. So I think you've got to re-emphasize your confidence Game plan on Ferreira, get him confident, get him with the right chemistry and see what makes him tick up there. Cause you said it perfectly. I mean, he was not just dropping deep, even when he was in the right position, there was one, ah I don't know if it was a transition moment or not, where Rusnak is on the run. Ferreira is right in front of them. They're getting close to the 18. Ferreira makes a run.
00:36:52
Speaker
he doesn't get the ball there. He kind of comes back. Then Rustin gives him the ball. He gets intercepted by a defender and Ferrer kind hits the ground. He's like, man, he just looks frustrated because there is no fluidity to the game. There is no consistency. There is a disconnect that was obvious there.
00:37:11
Speaker
So you got to get him off. To me, I still believe he has the the talent to be a quality player, to be ah a more than quality player, to be that guy that you brought him on to be. But you really need to emphasize on who he is as a player and not just keep him in the backhand and say, hey, you're just some guy that I'm bringing in to play at Antigua. You're not just some guy that I'm just bringing in in the 64th minute because that's not the way he was presented to us.
00:37:37
Speaker
And that honestly, that's not the way that he should be treated just on his potential alone. So you've got to get him going. I don't think there's any question that he has the talent. Like ah I watched this guy on FC Dallas for many years. He's got 50 plus MLS goals for a reason. I think just the whole, ah the whole story with the team right now is they got to they got to figure out how to unlock that because the reality is,
00:38:04
Speaker
You're dealing with three major, major injuries right now. And, you know, I'm willing to accept that ah figuring out how to play without all those guys is going to be a little bit of a process. And it's early enough in the season where ah you theoretically have a little bit of time to figure that out. But like time goes fast in this league, man. Like you can't wait around forever to start racking points.
00:38:25
Speaker
And also ah just in terms of vibes, like if they if they keep stacking poor results, at the beginning of the season here like the vibes are going to deteriorate extremely fast uh especially because you know like you said i think we were all very we were rightfully high on the potential that this team with this roster like what they could do this year uh we'll see uh we'll see if they figure it out they're gonna have to in short order um gonna get let's get to a couple of questions in chat here just a reminder guys if you do make it mean no obligation no obligation but if you do make it a super chat you're guaranteed to get your question or your observation read on the show. So I'm saying, I'm just saying, you help out, you know, a lot of his coaches, you help out Ari, Nico, Noah, you know, it was, is a great way to support the show. You can also become a new YouTube member. And also if you haven't done so yet, like the video for sure.
00:39:21
Speaker
boost us in the algorithm. Uh, first one from Jerome. He says, do Sounders ever really get beat or do they beat themselves? There has been a lot too much Nico. I would argue of beating themselves so far this year, but I'm okay. I'm interested to hear your take on, on the play in this game because,
00:39:40
Speaker
That free kick gets set up because a, you could call it an individual error from Jackson Reagan in a season where he's had a few of them. I don't know about you, man. i have a hard time like blaming him super hard for, for this one.
00:39:54
Speaker
Like that it's raining. The field is wet. He wasn't the only guy who slipped. He, he loses his footing. Like it's the, if If it was an issue of decision making or like a challenge that he goes into that he shouldn't, like when he got the red card against Vancouver last year, that's one thing.
00:40:10
Speaker
In this situation, ah he slipped on a wet field at a really inopportune time. But I just don't know how much you can do about that. I don't know. How did you see that whole thing?
00:40:21
Speaker
No, no, you can't blame him on this one. The problem is, though, not not the blame, but that has been so consistent that that there is a mistake. So the the last one he had was obviously the pass into nowhere but that that leads to ah least to a goal.
00:40:35
Speaker
and And that is on him. That is more on him. In this one, it isn't. but is how, what is it that we're doing to not have this sort of moments happen so often, right? Because yeah again, it's a mistake, not his fault at all.
00:40:48
Speaker
If anybody, maybe he's the kid guys or, because it wasn't just him. There was so many people slipping on the floor, he s slipping but but buy but he seemed like it was only the Sounder players. The Dallas players were on point. So,
00:40:59
Speaker
ah Did it not get adjusted where you got the right cleats on for the specific um area that you're stepping on, right? The field, the wetness. I mean, there there's a whole bunch of things that go into choosing your cleats. So was that a thing? So it's not on him.
00:41:14
Speaker
I've also had a lot of criticism on Steph because of his position in there. I don't think there's much he could do about it. There was so much pace. Jesus Christ. So much pace. It was well-placed. Is he you know the youngest version of Stephen Fry? No, but I don't even think...
00:41:31
Speaker
that version gets there. I mean, it was just that difficult of a shot. I got to say, like, if you're blaming the goalkeeper on that one, like this is sort of just like a philosophical thing of how you view the game. Like for me, if you're blaming the goalkeeper on that one, you're pretty out to lunch.
00:41:47
Speaker
Like the the whole point of that play is like the defensive error that gives them that set piece in the first place. And if he hits one like that, he hits one like that. Like that's that you, uh, when you give up opportunities like that, you leave yourself susceptible to that happening. When you give their deep, that's to me, watching St. Louis, that's like the one way that team can score is getting an Edward low in, uh, set pieces and just hoping he rips it in like that.
00:42:14
Speaker
I think that's the frustrating thing is it's like, that seemed like their one, their one window for how they they had a couple other good chances, but honestly, I thought the defense was pretty much it. But anyway, I hadn't seen people like ah getting on Steph Fry for that goal, but I think that is. Yeah, I think it's because you left X. Yeah. i think That's why i quit X. you You're on a better platform. That might be it. ah But look, honestly, again, I've always felt like fans can absolutely
00:42:46
Speaker
Demand and have any opinion within themselves. So we can do here is just say hey look that's that's an opinion for sure, but it's really difficult. Yeah It's difficult for a keeper to get there either way. It doesn't matter what version of that is but you know, there were things in general that thought Seattle just didn't do very well and it could have been just a little bit of everything but they really got Passed through their press very easily and if not easily very firmly mean St. Louis was able to just knock the ball through their press it consistently,
00:43:22
Speaker
um This team did hold possession, but it was kind of possession with a purpose. ah they they They obviously had the the numbers and the statistics, which I don't really look too much into, but they did have more possession of the ball, but they just didn't look dangerous with it.
00:43:36
Speaker
Giorgio was trying to do a lot. He really was trying to get through, but this is a difficult team that you were facing, and he just wasn't able to get anywhere, so he wasn't going necessarily vertically. He was going more horizontally with the ball at times, trying to get something going.
00:43:49
Speaker
which I appreciated from him, but it all goes back to that inability to break down a team, and it seemed like the sequences of passes were just not there. And it was similar to ah the Cruz Azul game, where maybe they had like five, ten minutes, where you're like, oh you know, they' they're going in with the right attitude, you know, there's that ah type of tempo that I want, and then all of sudden it just like went away.
00:44:15
Speaker
T-Baby, thank you so much for the $2 super chat. Appreciate the support. says like So like Suazo's hot take about Jesus Ferreira needing more. um i I can't quite remember what Suazo's Ferreira take exactly was. I know I remember like what instance when he was on the show that you're talking about. Who's Suazo?
00:44:38
Speaker
he he's ah We were doing a call-in show with the with the fans, and he's a ah he's goaded. He's our goaded caller, I think. Oh, like it. but But, T-Baby, if you want to remind me of what the take you're referring to is, maybe I'll have more more but more of a take on his take.
00:44:54
Speaker
ah Nico, Noah needs to hear your take on Albert Rusnak in this match. People were throwing a fit about his performance. Yeah, we I mean, we talked about this on our game review, which will be coming out later.
00:45:07
Speaker
Later today, I believe. But ah what did ah what do you make of the Rusnak discourse coming out of this game? I thought thought he played okay. thought he played okay. And that's just not good enough for certain people when it comes to Albert. And look, to be fair, and I said this going into the season, Albert Rusnak was going to have a huge...
00:45:30
Speaker
microscope on top of him the entire season. Always does. A magnifying glass the size of the state of Washington because of the discourse behind this sounder team, this club, deciding that he was going to be the guy and you were going to bring him back in. And for all the reasons that we don't need to recap, that they did that for us.
00:45:52
Speaker
with that tag, there is a certain responsibility and therefore, you know, I'm okay. I thought that he played better in this one than he did at Cruz Azul. Now, Cruz Azul, everybody was kind of bad. So maybe that's part of it.
00:46:03
Speaker
But when you're MIA, And you're supposed to be the guy because you are the guy. Jesus Ferrer was brought in as the new acquisition. But out of everybody that has a responsibility in this team, when we talk about the DPs, Jordan, Pedro, Albert, who has responsibility is Albert. He needs to be the guy. So he's going to be criticized beyond anyone else on this team. So I'm okay with it. I'm okay with people wanting more from him.
00:46:33
Speaker
I don't know if I'm upset that he had a bad game, but am I happy that he didn't do more? No, I do expect more from him. He has to be that guy that if things aren't going well, hey, you know, tough break. You're the guy that people are looking at. it and And that goes across anything. Look at MLS. Look at any big player.
00:46:53
Speaker
Things don't go well. They're wondering, where's Buonga? Where is mess? actually but Where is Latela where you know, you're going to be looking for those players and he comes with the job, man. It comes with the job. So I do wish that I saw more from Albert, but it's hard to ask that when the whole system looks out of sorts and there's no cohesiveness in your play.
00:47:19
Speaker
And that's kind of what you've been seeing. Tuesday and Saturday. and that's my bigger concern. It's not necessarily Albert is that things have not looked cohesive.
00:47:31
Speaker
I think it's totally fair to to say, like, anytime ah yeah your team gets shut out and your DP attacker was on the field the whole time, it's totally fair to say, like, you wish you would have gotten more out of them in that individual game. And, like, I i don't i don't even disagree with that. I think the thing is, I never really agree with...
00:47:53
Speaker
formulating a conclusion on a player based off one game we had people in our chat after the game saying see like see he is bad but like based on one game but it's like uh i mean again i don't want to spoil the pod that we have coming out but like i could point to a lot of scenarios a lot of scenarios where he did come through just as easily so like one instance never ah one instance a point doesn't prove i don't know if that's an actual Game is circumstantial as well and that's why it's so tough for me to Get on board with that sort of thinking that okay, there's one game.
00:48:28
Speaker
This is what this player is bad No, I mean it's it's it's on a broader spectrum and that's exactly why I'm saying what I just kind of Referred to is the fact that yes, he did kind of seem missing on the biggest game of 2025 so far at Estadio Olimpico Universitario where you're kind of hoping that those top players are the ones that get this team through, and and and they didn't.
00:48:55
Speaker
So there's still a long season. He's still got plenty of times to prove otherwise. Yep. But again, to me, it goes beyond certain players.
00:49:06
Speaker
Same thing with Ferreira. It's just about what is it that's going on behind... or before the game starts, the the game planning, in the that how are we going to get these players where they need to be successful?
00:49:20
Speaker
That would have been Brian's thing, right? I need to give and need to put players in position to be successful. I don't know if that's been the case so far. A lot of people give Craig Weibel stuff and and and, you know, hey, this, that, and the other.
00:49:34
Speaker
It feels, and please correct me if I'm wrong, but it feels like this roster is better than what the record is so far in 2025. So where does that lead to? What is it that's going wrong with that?
00:49:47
Speaker
I would agree that I definitely think the roster is better than their record in league play. I would even say like that that lineup they put out in ah St. Louis, like I consider that an above average to good and MLS lineup, maybe even a very good starting 11 on the right day.
00:50:06
Speaker
i think there is a simple reality in this league that when you are in CCC, your league form is going to suffer. Like it just is. i don't think I've ever seen a team fully escape that. There is the ah year a couple years ago where LAFC looked like they were still running the league, even though they were in CCC and everyone was kind of like, oh, see, LAFC can do it. They didn't end up i and coming out of that.
00:50:32
Speaker
that well, man, like this, this tournament, that's, that's how it goes. And I think in a way, like I, it's obviously not great that they crashed out, but I think if you're going to crash out, it's better to do it at an earlier point than make a really deep run, ah withstand the physical and psychological and emotional toll that comes with that and then crash out.
00:50:52
Speaker
I would rather just get out of there early and now Seattle can kind of just lock back into the league. And I think their league form, ah we'll see if it does, but it should improve. Matt Sexton, thank you so much for the $5 super chat. Really appreciate it. He's got a question for you, Nico.
00:51:06
Speaker
Nico, have you heard anything about the potential for bringing in a new signing earlier than the summer? Anything on the potential profile of the player?
00:51:15
Speaker
That's a good question. And because you are a super chat, ah he was super chat, right? Yes. Okay. um Yes, the team is looking for ah what I think will be Ferreira's replacement. ah I think that they they'll they'll definitely bring in a player before the end of this window.
00:51:38
Speaker
It's not going to be U22, so don't don't go there. ah But I think that the plan is to eventually put Paul Areola in the end of season injury list and then bring in someone else.
00:51:56
Speaker
I have a couple of ah players that I think are both can be contributors. ah Again, none of these signings are going to blow people's minds. and yeah That's kind of where I want to make sure that I tame the expectations.
00:52:15
Speaker
ah But I think that you will get a good player that's going to come in and and and provide some Those Paula Riola expectations, which was consistency, experience, versatility.
00:52:27
Speaker
So those are the things that they're looking at. But I am almost certain that there will be a signing before the end of this transfer window.
00:52:39
Speaker
Reese, Vancouver has escaped it for now. We'll see if... ah we'll see My prediction would honestly be eventually the further they make it, like you're going to see it catch up to them a little bit.
00:52:50
Speaker
Maybe I'm wrong and the Whitecaps are just randomly the team that ah is able to... like flawlessly juggle these two competitions. i I doubt it. And Miami, yes, is doing it, but that doesn't count. like Like, yes, Miami is able to do it, but Miami, like the implication there is that the way to handle it is to sign literally Lionel Messi.
00:53:13
Speaker
Not every team is able to do that, especially well, especially because like it's not just messy. It's the fact that he brought in the Barca boys and then not attracted every top prospect in South America to their team.
00:53:26
Speaker
So like I like I really just don't even count Miami in some of these. discussions because what they were able to do is just different fundamentally than what any MLS team has ever been able to do.
00:53:37
Speaker
So it's not that I don't think, um I don't think Miami can be the measuring stick. It is fair to point out though, that Vancouver fared much better in CCC this year than Seattle. And yeah, no, they are four Oh no right now.
00:53:49
Speaker
So like take nothing away from that. I'm just ah skeptical at how long that's going to last. Um, Jake says, why even make tournaments if you're okay crashing out in round two? It's not about being okay with crashing out in round two. That's not what I'm saying. What I'm saying is that if you're going to crash out at some point, that is ah yeah like a ah better time for it to happen as it pertains to like being able to get your league form on track. you know like Like this is what I was saying real quick. This what I was saying on the last show is like LAFC, for instance, are not in good form right now.
00:54:24
Speaker
They have played one good game all season. They beat Columbus three zero in their first leg. Then they lost the second leg. They've lost three straight games across all comps. I really, some people took issue with this take on the last show.
00:54:35
Speaker
I really don't think that they're like in a, I wouldn't even I don't know if I would if I was a fan of them, I would not necessarily even want to be in CCC right now. They have to play Miami where they're going to get blown out, which I guess people are like, oh, well, you they get to play Messi. That's so cool. That's going to be ah like ah push interest in their club or whatever. But I think the reality is they're going to have to put a lot more time, energy and resources into a series that they pretty much have no chance at winning.
LAFC and CCC Discussions
00:55:03
Speaker
And it's going to continue taking a toll for them on league play.
00:55:07
Speaker
I would honestly make Nico. Tell me if you agree with this take. I would rather be in Seattle situation getting bounced out than in that situation. I would, I would maybe people think that, uh, that's crazy, but, uh, I think that that it could end up impacting them even more negatively than it already has.
00:55:27
Speaker
Man, I love you to death. I do. You're my boy. You know you're my boy, but I cannot get behind that, man. i I feel like you need to get through every single game that you can to have a chance to stay alive.
00:55:39
Speaker
You say that is impossible, Tesco, Miami? I don't think so. I think that LAFC could very well plan a good way to limit Allende and limit Messi and play against the ball as well as they do and and get a result. Maybe you push it. Maybe you get a 0-0 and then you were able to, you know, finish that game on the and on the second leg. I mean, there's just so many variables that me, in this I did have a problem with because I heard so many people
00:56:13
Speaker
And I'm going to i'm goingnna try to contrast this because I heard so many people say, hey, you know what? It's fine. I'm i'm glad that we got bounced out of CONCACAF Champions Cup because I hate the tournament and I don't really care. Let's focus on league play.
00:56:26
Speaker
Look, that's your take. That's your opinion. That's totally fine. But I did not get the memo that the Sounders were a team that wasn't in to win every tournament. I missed that memo that we're just a ah small team now.
00:56:39
Speaker
And by we, I mean Sounders fan base, because that's not what I've seen. but When saw Nicolás Odero pick up that trophy in 2022 for CCL at the time,
00:56:53
Speaker
My thought was, okay, here we go. and Seattle's on the global scale. Now they're going to continue to push forward. It wasn't, we reached our peak, so let's just go ahead and have a chill down down the slide, and then it doesn't matter what we do forward.
00:57:06
Speaker
So I don't like that sort of mentality. But I thought that the best um the best person to articulate the idea was Stefan Fry this week.
00:57:21
Speaker
than just last week after they got bounced off CCC. He said, look, that that we always want to win championships. We we wanted to win that game. But if we were going to lose, I'd rather do it now against a team that that is quality because if we were not going to be able to get through Cruz Azul, then what's the point of getting any more resources behind it? So his idea is, in look, I'm glad we played the best. I'm glad we played the best possible team in this round of the Tournament because if we were able to get through that means we were good. we We should be moving forward. Yeah, but if we're not then you know what Let's just close it out there and I feel like in that sort of analogy the Miami played against Cavalier and they had a pretty easy Round to be honest, but Columbus they know
00:58:11
Speaker
Dog. I mean, Columbus is still a good team. And LAFC get through. They had some issues in the second game, but they still got through. So I feel like they're done enough to say, hey, we can get through Miami and move forward. But I'm never going to say it's always better to get bounced out regardless of.
00:58:28
Speaker
Yeah, I don't know. I don't want to be like, I'm not saying that it's good to get bounced out. ah But I'm i I just think that you need to be ah cognizant of the reality that every series that you play in this tournament and all the energy and all the resources that you expend on this tournament, the longer you get into it.
00:58:50
Speaker
the more it takes out of you for the rest of the season. Like, I i mean, we should not forget what happened to Seattle in 2022, man. They won the tournament and that was ah phenomenal. That was the best thing an MLS club has ever done. It destroyed their league season.
00:59:05
Speaker
So when I look at LAFC from the outside, like, yeah, uh, Is it possible that they could beat Miami? Sure. And like, i'm I'm sure everyone in their organization is chomping at the bit for that opportunity, as they should be.
00:59:17
Speaker
But the I think the reality is that if they do lose that series, and if they lose it handily, which I think they're going to, we'll see what happens. I could be wrong about that. ah But in in that scenario, they have ah expended a ton more of that energy and those resources on ah on a task that ultimately turned out to be fruitless. And it could, I mean, we'll see what happens.
00:59:39
Speaker
It could be a great thing. There's no doubt about that. I mean, we've seen it with Columbus Crew. We've seen it with the Philadelphia Union. We've seen it with every team that's gotten in far, whether it's Leaks Cup or is CCC is or CCL back then. That's just,
00:59:56
Speaker
That's what it what it is. It diminishes you every single time. It's minutes, it's management, it's a whole bunch of things that at times we would all love to say, hey, you know, I have enough of a big roster to play all these tournaments at the best of my abilities.
01:00:12
Speaker
But the reality is that you're going to have to prioritize one tournament over the other because you're not going to be able to play your starting 11 every single week, every single day. ah We got T-Baby with the follow up on the super chat from earlier says. ah the So the take that this was a take he was talking about was Jesus Ferreira needing a full supporting cast instead of being just a plug and play guy.
01:00:35
Speaker
So I think that what he's getting at there is if Ferreira, you know, ah I think we were all helpful that a player of Ferreira's skill set would be like easily adaptable and be a plug-and-play, like you said.
01:00:49
Speaker
ah But do you think he's maybe actually more of a type of player that needs things built around him specifically in a particular way? And ah is Seattle set up to give him that? Does that make sense?
01:01:03
Speaker
Yeah. No, and I feel like that's the notion that we had of the player. Very talented. He's going to come in here and do a specific role, which at the time we believed to be finishing and being creative and being another a person that could associate with either Albert or Jordan.
01:01:22
Speaker
ah The only problem with that is that that necessarily hasn't been the case on how they started to use them. So I don't think anybody, and i don't if you did, but I don't think anybody that I know said Jesus Ferreira is going to come here and be the new face of the franchise or be the new, you know, biggest player in the team. He was always going to be one of the pieces with co-stellar group around him.
01:01:48
Speaker
Uh, now to his point, do they got to do more to fit his style of play? Perhaps, perhaps, absolutely. And that that that, that was my issue with not seeing Albert, Jordan, Pedro, um,
01:02:08
Speaker
and himself, Ferreira, in one grouping. Brian told us that it was three positions for four of those players. Man, that that's tough for me, right? Because...
01:02:19
Speaker
If you're burning Jesus, you should be doing everything to try to maximize all your best players, all your best potential. and although it sounds good to say, hey, you know what? I'm going to always have one guy coming off the bench, either Pedro or Jordan or Ferreira.
01:02:36
Speaker
But man, it just seems like in a salary cap based league and in in ah in a team that you've kind of said, hey, we're in to win silverware in every competition, you want to have all your best players at one time. And whether you can do that or not, that's a difficult part.
01:02:54
Speaker
But I think that's part of the reason why comment makes sense because it hasn't felt that way. It's always felt like maybe he was just another piece rather than being a more emphasized part of the puzzle.
01:03:13
Speaker
Yeah, some people might feel differently. I'm i'm not out on Ferreira yet. Speaking for myself, I'm willing to give it more time. yeah i earlier Like said earlier, a new player coming in like this, especially a guy who's going to be a key player, an adaptation period...
01:03:30
Speaker
is normal, I think, and should be expected. In fact, like like I said, man, it would be nice to be able to have done the plug and play and he just slots right in and looks like a best 11 player like he once was with FC Dallas right off rip.
01:03:44
Speaker
That's just not always how it works. So, like I mean, I'm really not... as concerned about his adaptation period as much as i just hope he doesn't keep letting his frustration get the best of him like he did in that St. Louis game. And I really feel like, uh,
01:04:02
Speaker
the kind of headspace that he looked like out there.
Ferreira's Role and Seattle's Strategy
01:04:05
Speaker
it looked like it was kind of too easy to get into his head. And it felt like it was detracting from his focus on winning the game, which that needs to be what you're locked in on at all costs when you're on that field. And it felt like, it felt like he wasn't locked.
01:04:19
Speaker
That was my issue with it. Like, I don't know, but that that could be ah projecting something from the outside. But like, if you just looked at ah what he was doing on the field, that's what it looked like to me. So that's what I think. 100%.
01:04:31
Speaker
no hundred percent and And it's all one big problem. I mean, but that's the the thing that everything that we've just talked about, it all reflected itself within that game.
01:04:44
Speaker
And the adaptation component of it, I feel like you it's been even slower in progression than it should have because of the way that he's been used. And I had asked a whole bunch of times and people were asking me on X as well. then And the big question was, was there a physical limitation to Jesus coming in? Because everybody heard about the U.S. Miss National team, the reason why he came in sooner than he should have and all of these things.
01:05:19
Speaker
But I haven't heard that from the team. I haven't heard that from Bryant. And that is something that I want to make very clear because if that's your thought of why maybe he's been slowly getting into this grouping, the team hasn't came forward and said that. Hey, you know, Brian could very easily in one of my, I don't know, 10 questions I've asked about Ferraris, say, hey, look, he's slowly getting better, but his condition is not quite there yet, or he has this nick and that's why we're not using him.
01:05:49
Speaker
But they just haven't disclosed that. So all I can think of is that He's just a player that maybe you're just not reading at the moment and you're kind of hoping that he comes in and plays certain situations.
01:06:02
Speaker
But Jordan's been the guy. Jordan's been the guy and Albert's been the guy. And, you know, those are the players that you know you're always going to have there. Pedro and Ferreira have always been kind of a ah rotational component for for Brian. And that's the big question. And I think that's the reason why.
01:06:19
Speaker
he's had such a slow adaptation ah to to the system and why he looked frustrated, why he looked lost up there. I mean, that it all concised. Jake says our offense isn't creating chances and that's a problem. 65% possession, one shot on goal is boring soccer and not atypical of the club.
01:06:38
Speaker
That's one game. Yeah, like I think the ah the offense definitely was not great in this St. Louis game. No arguments there. For me, like, Having followed a lot of these seasons at this point, I've kind of learned what games should merit what expectations.
01:06:56
Speaker
I went into this game expecting it to be kind of a tough, slog, grinded out type of game. I think there are... ah there are circumstances that are just unfortunate, but reality, which is that you've traveled like 30 K miles already this season.
01:07:13
Speaker
You just took three major injuries. ah you did this road trip on like a quick turnaround, ah Games like that in MLS, the reality is you in those circumstances, you have to grind them out sometimes like it would be ideal. It would be awesome to be able to go into a game like that under those circumstances and just play like Real Madrid and hang three to five goals on St. Louis and take an easy dub. It just doesn't.
01:07:42
Speaker
Like if you go into a game like that under those circumstances with those expectations, like you're not like it just it's not going to go like that. Now that you know that being said, all that can be accounted for and ah they should have been able to score a goal in this game and they should have been able to take a result in this game.
01:07:58
Speaker
I'm just not aggrieved with that as aggrieved about that because I feel like they ah they gave themselves a chance to take what I think would have been a good result. And I think in that situation, like giving yourself a chance to get the point ah is That's all you can ask for. And they got they got pretty close, I think. like ah I thought the last 15 minutes of the game, they were putting St. Louis under pretty consistent pressure. They were knocking it around in their end.
01:08:23
Speaker
They had a couple of good chances. And then the the play on the penalty kick that got waved off. that is that's pretty unlucky. That's a borderline play. like Obed does a good job on that play to win what was a rightful penalty, but he got called for correctly. I think he got called for the handball.
01:08:39
Speaker
So like that is unfortunate. But when I look at that game, I see a game where they they actually got decently close to gutting out what I think would... If they had taken a point in that game, I would have been happy with that result. And I don't think that that is... like ah like lowering the bar in a way that ah lowers the standards of the team or the club or anything.
01:09:00
Speaker
I just think road games in MLS like that, especially on that long of a trip with as much travel as they've already done and three major injuries. That's the situation they were in. yeah respect that's cope That's just how I, so in a in a very good St. Louis team, you weren't playing, you know, just either teams in the league. Yeah.
01:09:21
Speaker
Like, yeah. and And to your point, the The comment is about one game. I mean, i don't think chance creation has been an issue this season so far. and game to a we It wasn't against Charlotte. It wasn't against LAFC.
01:09:35
Speaker
It wasn't against in the first day it because of Sue, you created a bunch of chances. wasn't good enough because you weren't able to put the ball in the back of the net, but you created a lot of chances. I mean, in every single, in most games this season, chance creation has not been an issue.
01:09:50
Speaker
putting it away, managing the end the games, that's completely different. But I feel like that the volume of opportunities have all been there. The results just haven't followed. I think it's been ah it's fair to say it's been a mixed bag so far. like I definitely don't agree with the premise that the offense has been terrible this year. I think there's been stretches of really, really good ball. I thought the Antigua series was great.
01:10:13
Speaker
I know the Charlotte game had a bad ending and a bad result, but I was i was pretty happy with how the attack played. in that game. I was extremely happy with them dropping five goals on LAFC. I thought they looked great in that game. So, you know, I think you got to, ah you got to acknowledge both the good and the bad that we've seen so far, because yeah, like the St. Louis game wasn't great. The Cruz Azul game was obviously a huge flop, but there has been good ball too.
01:10:37
Speaker
And ah my hope is that they, i don't you know, I don't expect them necessarily to drop five every game like they did against LAFC, but I think what they got to do going forward here is try and ah look closer to the team that we saw against l LAFC than the one that we saw at St. Louis. Nico, ah we're coming up at an hour. We're at past an hour 10 here. Before we ah start wrapping it up and get out of here, ah let's just talk about this Houston game coming up real quick.
01:11:05
Speaker
It's the Nico Ladero revenge game. He's coming back to Lumen Field as a member of an opposing team. ah How are you feeling about this game in general and also about the return of Nico Ladero to Lumen Field? Is he going to start?
01:11:21
Speaker
I'm excited. I think he'll start. ah You know, he started against Aracel this weekend. I'm not done watching the entirety of the game just yet. I think I'm in the 66th minute.
01:11:32
Speaker
ah But um I think that there's going to be a lot of headlines in this one. Most players coming back to a team where they are legendary, where they have done as much as Nico has done for the team, a lot of times might be mindful of not celebrating a goal or, you know, doing that or the other.
01:11:58
Speaker
As much respect as I know that Nico Lezodero has for this fan base, because that's probably the hardest thing that i remember talking to him about leaving
01:12:11
Speaker
I do feel like he has a a chip on his shoulder. yeah I feel like he feels like he was wronged by the club, especially because of his efforts to come back this season and then passing on him.
01:12:29
Speaker
So that's the biggest thing is that it just happened. This was just a month ago that Nicolette D'Aro did everything he could to return to Seattle. And Seattle said, nah, dog, we good.
01:12:41
Speaker
We're fine. Do your thing elsewhere. And he goes to Houston. So you're going to see Ladero at his best. I expect him to start, and I expect him to be at his absolute best.
01:12:52
Speaker
And if he scores, I wouldn't take bets on whether he celebrates it or not, man, because he could very much just – go celebrate by the bench or something, you know, that's a, I know, I can bench. I mean, it's one of those games where man, it's going to be interesting.
01:13:08
Speaker
If he gets one, I hope he does celebrate. i do. Like, I think ah we don't, i don't know the fine points of what went on behind the scenes. And if the way he, that he feels wronged ah makes sense or is, is,
01:13:24
Speaker
valid but if he feels that way and he he gets one i say that's fair play like i think that yeah he uh he should handle it however he pleases for what he put in for this club uh i think he earned the right to uh to do that uh we got a another question in chat here as we wrap it up from reese ah Starting CBs with Bell playing well and the other three making mistakes. So I think he's asking who you would start at center back in this game. And like, should John Bell be a part of that, given the defensive errors that we've seen from some other players so far this season?
01:14:00
Speaker
ah No, with all the respect, J-Bell has put in solid shifts, but the starting center backs should be uh, Yamar and, uh, Jackson Reagan in, in this one. Uh, what about in a, uh, maybe like a three CB setup with new who in the Alex as the, as the wingbacks.
01:14:24
Speaker
We knew was the wingback. Well, I guess, sorry, I know people ah people would probably would take issue of that character. character Yeah, yeah that that that's a tough one. No, ah I still think that you you don't change anything. J-Bell has been good. ah I think he...
01:14:41
Speaker
is a player that can come in, put in a good shift. I think that he's, I like his conservative play specifically from the backend. um I like his recovery speed. There's a lot of good things that I like about what he does.
01:14:53
Speaker
He's very good on set pieces as well. ah Despite him not being the biggest guy, i think he reads the ball well. um But even then, I think that you stick to what has worked.
01:15:06
Speaker
I'm all about continuity. So whether it's three or two, the build is always going to be three. To me, it's got to be Jackson, j Yamar, and J-Bell.
01:15:17
Speaker
And that's another one. when Whenever you build out of the back with three and whenever um you do play a three-man lineup, Jackson's always in the middle. J-Bell Because he's a left-footed player.
01:15:30
Speaker
You'd rather than just have him there. I think that's what they've decided on. And I always think that Jackson looks best right in the middle of those three. And I'm not saying that's why the mistake happened, but he just never looks as comfortable, in my opinion, as he does in the middle of those three. So because of that, and I do want to highlight Jackson Reagan's passing ability and what he does on the build-out, regardless of the mistakes that he's had,
01:15:57
Speaker
And the anomalies, I still think that the best bet is for you to go there with him. Nico, let's call it a wrap right there. Thank you, everyone, as always, so much for tuning in to another Banger stream.
01:16:11
Speaker
ah We're having a lot of fun with these Lobbing Scorchers kickoff episodes, and we're going to keep bringing them to you all season. So keep tuning in. Shil, real quick, like the video, sub to the channel.
01:16:23
Speaker
ah
01:16:26
Speaker
uh follow us on instagram but i'm probably missing a bunch of stuff but i'll uh i'll get to it at some point uh a shout out and thank you so much to lee win for uh coming on the show this morning if you came in late and missed that interview definitely rewind this go back check out that interview it was uh great stuff from him hopefully we can get him back on the show sometime and uh yeah podcast coming out Later today, we'll be streaming on Thursday night for Under the Lights.
01:16:57
Speaker
And yeah, we're going to keep content. sure you support our sponsors. Make sure you support our sponsors. Thank you. Sponsors. Hacks and Ferments. Full Pull Wines and Podium Menswear. Thanks for the reminder on that, Nico.
01:17:09
Speaker
Code LS for Hacks and Ferments. If you use our code, you get a free hot sauce with your order. So you can't keep that. It's a really good hot sauce. I've got to get them. All right. I think that's it.
01:17:20
Speaker
Thanks again for tuning in, everybody. Catch you next time.