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Fans react to Seattle Sounders EXHAUSTING LOSS at Minnesota United!
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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.
Contact: lobbingscorchers@justoncemedia.com
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Transcript
Introduction and Show Overview
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 a scorcher.
00:00:44
Speaker
Good evening, everybody.
Postgame Analysis of Seattle vs Minnesota
00:00:46
Speaker
Welcome in to tonight's postgame live for game one of the Seattle Sounders round one best of three series against Minnesota United.
00:00:55
Speaker
It is a game one L for the Seattle Sounders after a zero zero draw in regulation. ah Minnesota United takes the shootout. ah Noah, yeah how how how are you doing, man? How are you doing?
00:01:13
Speaker
they can't Keep fucking getting away with it, Ari. Your mic's not on. My mic is on? Yeah. You were cooking, but your mic is not on.
00:01:25
Speaker
um I believe you were going to cook on Ramsey Ball. So... I guess I can... Can you hear me now?
00:01:36
Speaker
Oh, wait. Check one, two. Do a little check. like Check, check, check, check, check. No, it doesn't sound like it's on. Great... ah am Am I tripping chat? Check, check, check.
00:01:49
Speaker
yeah you're I think you're good now. I think you're good now. It's not about if you can hear him. It's how it sounds. I can i can tell. It sounds weird. okay it's fine hold on yeah It sounds like you're on like a Zoom call. um It's not a bit. it's not a bit ah We're hooking Noah's mic up and then he's going to cook on Ramsey Ball.
00:02:11
Speaker
Unfortunately, a shootout defeat for the Seattle Sounders. And what I think was a very um unpleasant game to watch. I did not enjoy a second of that.
00:02:23
Speaker
I don't know about you all, but check, check, check. See, there it is. There it is. Should I, should I do that again? Yes. Take two.
00:02:35
Speaker
They can't keep getting away with it. They can't keep getting away with it. They can't keep getting away with it, Ari. i'm I'm over it. I'm done. i'm i am i am I am done with the Minnesota United haram ball. They're they're they're they're they're ruining the game.
00:02:54
Speaker
They're ruining the game. i I have never seen a game of soccer where I was so thoroughly unentertained and frustrated at the same goddamn time. And it was exactly how it played out. It was exactly how we knew it was going to happen. and every single... It's like, it's like do have you not watched this team play? And somehow, it just keeps fucking working. It just keeps happening. It just keeps... Eric Ramsey, I have a i have a message for you, Eric Ramsey.
00:03:25
Speaker
I am going to make sure... that you are sent back to England, okay? I will have you arrested and sent back to England on charges of treason, okay, for what you have done to my beautiful game in Major League Soccer.
00:03:39
Speaker
That was unentertaining football at all levels of the game, okay? The Loons weren't even trying to score. They weren't even trying to play. They were just trying to play for a draw.
00:03:51
Speaker
they were trying to They were trying to make, like, i don't get it. And then every single Loons player is melting down on the field because they don't get a call every time they dive, even though every ref understands that that is their whole game plan, that they're just going to try and troll for fouls. This team genuinely frustrates me. And what frustrates me the most out of all of this, Ari, is the fact that we have to talk about them.
00:04:15
Speaker
Because i don't I don't ever think about the loons. I don't ever think about the loons. They're unimportant. They're uninspired. they're they're they're They're literally, they're literally they they don't even matter. They don't matter, okay? They will go back to being irrelevant when Eric Ramsey goes back to the championship and gets some shitty-ass job, okay?
00:04:37
Speaker
Do you understand me? The fact that we have to talk about them is pissing me off even more because somehow, for some reason, for some reason, every Loons fan hates us. what Why do the Loons fans hate sounds? What what did we do?
00:04:51
Speaker
What did we do? We don't think about playoffs so lot you on you But we don't think about you. We don't know you bro. We don't know you, Lil Bro. And then, you know what just steamed me at the end there, Ari?
00:05:02
Speaker
I always knew. I always knew Brian wouldn't do it. I knew he wouldn't fucking do it. I knew he would not sub in Andrew Thomas for penalty shootout. Let's talk about this. Let's talk about this.
00:05:13
Speaker
So instead, we get to see Stephen Fry in his wheelchair trying to wheel over to the corner and make a
Critique of Penalty Shootouts
00:05:21
Speaker
save. And then we get Dane St. Clair going up to every single ah penalty kick taker, chirping them, moving the ball around, yelling at fucking Jackson Reagan or whatever, and then kissing the post. It's just like...
00:05:35
Speaker
I've had enough. I've had enough. I've had enough of this, Ari. This was the worst soccer match I have ever watched in my entire life. And you know what's even worse?
00:05:45
Speaker
All of this is bad. All of this is terrible. But you know what's even worse? The fact that fucking Major League Soccer thinks that it's a good idea to play three of these games? I'm going to have to watch this two more goddamn times because you know they're going to go back to Seattle somehow. We're going to get a win there. Something's going to happen. And then we're going to have to go back to fucking Minnesota and do this shit all over again. It's probably going to have to do it again.
00:06:11
Speaker
this is This is awful. This is awful. This is awful. The Danny Lava penalty, awful. Roll Dan penalties, awful. Everything, awful. This game, awful. The only person who's good, Ari, let me tell you.
00:06:24
Speaker
Danny Musavski looked pretty damn good, and I got to say. I'm surprised to hear you say that because he did miss those two chances, but they were great chances. I think well for me... He had the one saved and the other one was like barely over. Both the runs were incredible.
00:06:37
Speaker
That's going to say. Yeah, no, I mean, those are... but I think the frustrating thing about this is like, I think everything you said about how unwatchable the game was at times is true, but like the chances were there in this game. It wasn't like the, it wasn't like the first game that those two, these teams played at Allianz field where there was just there, like Seattle had some good chances in that game, but I don't think any as good as just the ones that Moose had.
00:07:02
Speaker
ah There was two cleared off the line. Yeah. So like the chances were there to win this game and it would have been such a satisfying win too, because I've been on the Ramsey ball head train for a while. I've been saying it all season, dating back to that Sounders game where I was, i remember watching that game. I hadn't watched the balloons much this year. And I was like, is this, this how they play at home?
00:07:28
Speaker
ah which, you know, it is how they play at home. It it seemed like they were not Ramsey-ing that much at the beginning, but then, you know, you can't change who you are. So they Ramsey-ed it up the rest of the game. And, you know, I disagree with the... I need genuinely need to ask you this, because...
00:07:45
Speaker
Did you have a single moment in that match where you're like, I'm i'm having fun. i'm I'm watching soccer. I'm watching soccer as an analyst. I'm watching soccer as someone who enjoys the sport. I'm watching soccer as someone who watches major league soccer more than probably anyone on the entire planet.
00:08:01
Speaker
Did you have a single second where you were like, this is good. This is actually good for the game. This is actually fun to watch. Well, no, but i I never enjoy myself during playoff
Debate on Playoff Formats and Defensive Strategies
00:08:12
Speaker
games or big games in general, to be fair.
00:08:14
Speaker
like i Like, it's because of the just nerves and adrenaline, you know? So I don't know if ah if it was more to do with that. Or, like, to me, it's like, it's what expect. Just cancel him. just you you You should you should just say how you feel about Eric Grant. I'm trying to get it out of you that you think he is a blight on this game and he is what Atlanta thinks Seattle did to soccer.
00:08:36
Speaker
He is what Atlanta think Seattle did to soccer, Ari. it's a it's like ah like It's wild because like I disagree with one thing you said ah in your opening statement, which is that it worked.
00:08:47
Speaker
Getting it to penalties after a zero zero when you're playing at home and hosting a playoff game, it didn't work. That's not the situation you should want to be in or have a game plan or tactics where that's like the likely outcome.
00:09:01
Speaker
i I can't understand that, but ah it it worked in the sense that, you know, they get the win. So...
00:09:10
Speaker
Like it's fucking gone. It's tilting. The game is, the game is gone. I, because for me, I feel like it did work for them. They always wanted to get to penalties. They always knew Dane St. Clair was going to be going to be way better at that. what Like, and then that's, yeah. but Okay. mike can i Can I just, can I, I have one, i have another soapbox.
00:09:33
Speaker
which is that, ah you know, i think I feel like we've both been understanding of the logic behind Stephen Fry remaining the starting goalkeeper for this team. You know, I think Andrew Thomas performed so well in League's Cup that a lot of people were feeling like the torch got passed.
00:09:50
Speaker
But I understand that that's a difficult torch to pass. But watching that shootout tonight, where... but not a single one got saved.
00:10:03
Speaker
Can I just, search there's no, your joke later there's no reason. There's no reason not to do the thing where you sub in the the PK specialist goalkeeper. Why not? He can't, he can't dive. He can't move. He can't get to those spaces. I'm sorry. He's never been good at that. Even when he, even when Stephen Fry was in his prime, that was never his game.
00:10:21
Speaker
That was never his game. What are we doing? what what What are we doing? What are we doing? What are we doing? And I know, I know Nico's going to ask about it. I know Nico's going ask about it, Chad. Yeah. And it's not going to get a good response. But like, dude, like I i seriously, i don't understand that.
00:10:40
Speaker
I don't understand that. Like ah Fry versus St. Clair in a shootout is a mismatch. I'm sorry. Like it just is. St. Clair is elite at that. And so is Andrew Thomas. There's no, like, you can do that. You can sub in the PK specialist teams do this.
00:10:54
Speaker
Like, I don't understand. Like, you give yourself a better chance and that's it. Like, did you think there's any chance they're winning the shootout? I didn't. Cause you have one goalkeeper who is ah essentially like a specialist in the same way that Andrew Thomas is. And you have one who's not.
00:11:07
Speaker
So like it's just a shootout for them is like that. The odds that they're going to win that are way higher than even like normal. That's what I'm saying. They played their game. They played their game and it worked because they wanted to get to PKs. They know they can't score. they know they can't score they they know They know they can't get it done. And they knew even if they couldn't get it done, they could get it over the line and penalties because the Sounders are not a penalty team. They're not.
00:11:29
Speaker
And this was this was I have to be completely honest with you, Ari. This was the most abysmal penalty performance I've ever seen. That Danny Leyva penalty, and I don't want to be mean to him because I really like Danny Leyva, and I understand that that's really painful as a player to go through. That was the worst fucking penalty I've ever seen in my life. What the fuck was that run-up?
00:11:47
Speaker
Just take the goddamn penalty kick, son. like You are good. You are great at set pieces. You can destroy that ball. What are we doing? like You can see halfway through his brain stops functioning, and it just just blasts the ball.
00:12:01
Speaker
I don't... I...
00:12:07
Speaker
I don't... this was the This is the worst playoff game I've ever watched in my entire life.
00:12:14
Speaker
I just really... I mean, I've been talking about it all week. I don't... i Or, like, this whole time that we've known that this is the matchup. Like, I really don't like watching that team play. We saw why. No, and it's... We why in that game. more times. Two more times.
00:12:26
Speaker
They... time ah I like at the beginning of the game in the in the first half, there was like a brief second where they actually they were pressing a little bit. They pressed more in this game than they usually do.
00:12:37
Speaker
But then in the second half, it was the same shit. It was just ah sitting behind the ball, letting Seattle knock it around. And, you know, i thought, that like I said, like the chances to win this game were were all there.
00:12:50
Speaker
i do have another soapbox, actually, because there was ah there is controversy over the Jackson Reagan play in the in the first half where i mean, Seattle gave away a breakaway. That is the exact type of breakaway that you cannot give up to that team.
00:13:07
Speaker
And they got very lucky that Bongi didn't score that. ah But, you know, their fans were crashing out that a penalty didn't get awarded on that, which...
00:13:19
Speaker
Like, that's not that... like It's definitely not like a clear-cut stone-cold penalty. ah but But also, that fucking play where...
00:13:33
Speaker
Jordan headed it on target and the dude blocked it with his hand and it would have been a penalty. And they maved it off that was that because they called a foul on Paul Rothrock.
00:13:46
Speaker
That was not a foul. No, it was not. That was not a foul. And not only like it were holding within not only would that have been a penalty kick, that' so is that not a red card if you swat it off the line like that?
00:13:58
Speaker
Yeah. So I don't want to hear a mumbling word. If we got any Loons fans, got any Loons fans reveling in our chat, I don't want to hear a mumbling word about the Jackson Reagan play.
00:14:11
Speaker
Because you had a freaking dog so red. that Watch it again. I challenge anyone to watch that and tell me that that's a foul on Paul Rothrock. I mean, it's definitely a penalty in a red. It's definitely. It is. it is. It's a penalty in a red.
00:14:22
Speaker
So, like, whatever. Evens out. if they If they were to actually review that, which they can't because the call was foul, it wasn't no penalty or whatever. It was just it was just a foul.
00:14:37
Speaker
There's no way you look at that and you're like, oh yeah, Paul Rothrock grazes the hand of Michael Boxall and he goes to ground. it's and like Honestly, I was fine with not getting that penalty simply because like the the ref was just not calling anything.
00:14:53
Speaker
i was like, whatever, man. like Whatever. like what who get Who cares? like Whatever. But it's... it's
00:15:01
Speaker
Lunes fans, genuinely, how the fuck do you watch this? That's what I don't get, man. like How do you watch this, man? It's disgusting. It's terrible.
00:15:13
Speaker
It's like, in you know what I heard? So I had a i have a friend who who has season tickets to Minnesota. And they sit in like a pretty nice, one of their nicer section, but they wanted $300 for that playoff game. Did you see how empty it was? There was a lot of people who didn't get playoff tickets, $300 to watch that, to watch you take your kickoff and blast it into the other team's corner.
00:15:36
Speaker
The game is gone. The game is gone. And you know what's even... I'm going to go back on it because I just... I can't get out of my head. We have to play this fucking team ah again. And even if we win, it doesn't matter how much we win by because then we got to play them a fucking game.
00:15:54
Speaker
So, ah all of that... Yeah, all of that is ah tilting. I will say I do come out of this feeling like Seattle can still win this series. In fact, I don't really think like, you know...
00:16:06
Speaker
Like, this this L, it it matters, obviously, in terms of that. But if you take care of business at home and you win at home and you have to play this again, it'll be horrible to watch and we'll all want to gouge our eyes out. But they can beat this team.
00:16:20
Speaker
They can beat this team. This team is not, like, anything special. And nothing I saw tonight showed me that they could beat this team. They almost did. What do you mean? i mean, this team, it's... They're Danny Mussovsky two inches head or lower. That's the thing. That's the thing. It's a bounce. It's luck. It's this. It's that. You have to be.
00:16:38
Speaker
That's just the way it is with the loons, but they're the same way. They get a bounce. They get some luck. You have a bad defensive play by Jackson Reagan and he doesn't get bailed out. Something doesn't happen. Right. It's, it is a, the, the way, the way that the loons have been able to structure the way that they play is it's coin flip soccer.
00:16:56
Speaker
And they are fucking lucky this year. Okay? It's coin flip soccer, and they've found a way to have a double heads coin. Okay? So if they get to if they get to call it, it's going their way. And I just... i Listen, I'm not saying that it's it's out of the picture, but today tonight, like...
00:17:14
Speaker
it didn't give me any more confidence. I don't think that, I don't think it's impossible, but it didn't give me any more confidence. I mean, you don't have Pedro de la Vega. Okay. Do I think Pedro de la Vega could have been a difference maker in this game? I think so.
00:17:25
Speaker
I think Paul Rothrock looked like tired or and like, I don't know. He looked a little off to me today. That's another thing I wanted to say. Um, I know he committed a dumb foul at the end, but I wanted the Georgie sub earlier and I want him starting the next game. agree I just, I just think that this, like he is much better suited for this specific matchup. He created the own goal in the ah game between these teams. That was in Seattle.
00:17:46
Speaker
I think like when you're playing, ah when you're playing Ramsey ball, you need a guy like that. Uh, in that situation. be yeah and I wanted, i wanted Georgie to get more run in the second half and I want him to start the next game.
00:18:00
Speaker
Can I say something controversial? I wouldn't mind starting Moose up top and Jordan on the wing. That's not controversial at all. Moose looked good. Because i think what that did was really interesting, especially with Georgie on the field.
00:18:13
Speaker
What it did was the defenders all started pulling towards Moose and Jordan on the right side. And what it did was opened up that left pocket and especially like towards the inside ah at the top of the box for Georgie. He had that one chance where they had the three defenders swarm at the end there and and it got saved.
00:18:29
Speaker
But like that was the best they looked. That was the best they looked. That was crazy. And I was like, Brian, I'm sorry. um Have you been cooking with this Jordan Morris is actually a winger the whole time? And as I've always said, everyone on this team is a goddamn winger, but...
00:18:44
Speaker
He might, i that that might play. the best those were the Those were the best chances they had all game. Honestly, man, like, that made me feel like if Moose had been playing the whole game, he would have got one. like I think so.
00:18:56
Speaker
Yeah. And it it's like, it does it pain me to say that? Like, maybe a little bit, but I don't really care as long as we can beat. It is, listen, I am so patriotic right now, Ari, okay?
00:19:08
Speaker
I feel like it's 2001 again, the way that I'm trying to take out this Minnesota United loons. It doesn't matter. not going to ask any questions. Deploy me wherever I need to go. Okay.
00:19:20
Speaker
you know what I'm saying? Because they're ruining the game. I love. And we, we, we've we've we, we have got, we've got to stop this. We have got to stop this. Eric Ramsey does need to be stopped. I agree with that. Like it's, uh,
00:19:35
Speaker
it's just like, really, man, like at home, I don't know, like at home, I and i totally i totally understand playing like that on the road. I totally understand it. To play like that at home. They played 20 minutes of soccer.
00:19:47
Speaker
They played 20 minutes of soccer and 70 minutes of
00:19:54
Speaker
It's not a sport. They they just, they they were there. they They were on the field. ah And yeah, i i'm I'm embarrassed. And it gives me so much so much frustration and anger. We have to beat them. We have to beat them.
00:20:09
Speaker
We have to. Yeah. I mean, the backs are against the wall. they just like I'm sorry. Did you think any of the fouls in the first half, especially of a playoff, like act like you've been there before Minnesota United fans act like you've been there before. Okay.
00:20:25
Speaker
Like literally a referee is going to call less fouls in a playoff game. He's going to let things go. All right. You're going to have to deal with that.
00:20:36
Speaker
Every fan was up in goddamn arms over like the lightest, the lightest, like the the Minnesota United player would like flop on the ground and they like just outside the box. And I'm like, okay, there they go. They're doing their bit.
00:20:47
Speaker
They're doing their bit. And the ref's like, no, get up. That's not a foul. And then everyone in the stadium is like freaking out seven minutes in there. They've got an FU Seattle chant. It's like, act you've been there before, man.
00:21:01
Speaker
You're not the Seattle Mariners act like you've been there. Okay. Okay.
00:21:06
Speaker
um The chant is a widespread youth chant. I've heard it at a lot of other stadiums. but Yeah. It just has some dignity.
00:21:19
Speaker
It was... Dude, I'm i'm sorry. It was a lot more are unpleasant to watch than I even... The fact that we don't even have any a video on our presser yet... I don't even want to know what's going on in that locker room right now, but I'm going to tell you that is this pressure could pop off. This could pop. Schmetz it's not going to be happy in this presser. He's not going to be happy. No, I mean, they just lost a playoff game. So no, he's not going to be, he's not going be happy. And, uh,
00:21:50
Speaker
it's, uh, you know, if it had been, if it had been more like the first game where, uh, the chances weren't like, I feel like it was more half chances. These were like real clear cut, like especially mooses, both of the moose ones, man.
00:22:05
Speaker
It's like, it just goes in, but just goes in. They're not scoring. They're not. no So that would have been all she wrote right there.
00:22:16
Speaker
What changes, I guess, would you have, I mean, you said you would sub Georgie earlier. Yeah. Um, I don't know. Give you... let's look i wanted to... Who was I going to... Who was I going to talk about? Alex Roldan had a ton of shots tonight, too, which was interesting.
00:22:33
Speaker
um Bro, I'm literally blanking on exactly what I was going to but i was going to ask you about. but um That's fine. It's cool. I didn't i didn't actually want to so talk about anything because it's fine because it's cool, actually. I'm just i'm steamed.
00:22:50
Speaker
I'm steamed, Ari. This is the most steamed I've ever been on a post-game live. like Yeah, youre go you're nice and steamed. I'm more i'm more tilted than steamed, but it's ah it's a bad L. There's no question about it.
00:23:06
Speaker
ah We are going to stream the presser, MW. We're just waiting for it to start. It's just not happening. Hanging out until then. If everyone could um do us a favor and like the video and subscribe to the channel if you haven't. I know there's some of you in in chat that are watching but haven't subscribed to the channel.
00:23:22
Speaker
Subscribe to the channel, like the video. It's true. It's true. um and let's Oh, we had a super. We had a super. That's what it was. Okay.
00:23:33
Speaker
Anti-soccer and it makes me sad. Yes. Yes. Like, I'm about growing the game. All right? In the words of Happy Foot, Sad Foot, if you're not growing the game, you're killing the game.
00:23:46
Speaker
Okay? And Eric Ramsey is killing the game in America. If Messi is pushing the league forward, Eric Ramsey is pushing the league back. And we need to stop him. Okay? We have to stop him. um Okay, what players are they going send out for the hostage video? That's a good question. Oh, let's see. Yeah, let's everyone get your guesses in Get your guesses in. I'm guessing it might be a Rothrock Christian situation or Albert. I've got one of those. It could be Albert Rothrock.
00:24:17
Speaker
I don't know. um Albert Alex something.
00:24:23
Speaker
what did you ah i mean What did you think of the performance offensively? Did you think that there was much they could have done differently as far as the chance generation and how they attacked these Ramsey ball tactics?
00:24:37
Speaker
Yeah, um...
00:24:40
Speaker
I thought that they had some good spells of possession and that, that God, that fucking buildup with, with with the Rothrock shot that ended up going over, but that like quick one. Oh my God, that was good. Yeah. Where they found him and he got say a good shot. was, yeah He got a good shot off. thats That would have been the stickiest goal of the season.
00:24:59
Speaker
That's what you have to do. But the problem was they just weren't able to build up. I thought Nuhu was holding them back a ton with that buildup. I thought um there were times when Rothrock was doing the same thing where like, I thought that left channel was kind of getting clogged a lot and they were building up a ton through there, but it just wasn't.
00:25:19
Speaker
They weren't able to get it through the loons, man. The brick wall. Tear down that wall. Tear down that wall. they i' I'm going to say this right now. It could backfire. They are not going to win and MLS Cup like this, man.
00:25:33
Speaker
No. if This is what i I posted this earlier. I said they could win this game. They could win this series. They could win MLS Cup. But at the end of the day, if that happens, soccer has lost.
00:25:47
Speaker
Major League Soccer has lost. And like, we just, you know, that's, we can't let it happen. We can't let it happen.
00:25:59
Speaker
We can't let happen. Someone asked about the, this was, this was actually quite interesting, Ari, a little Brian Schmetzer showmanship, perhaps a little Brian Schmetzer ah lie, a little white lie.
00:26:11
Speaker
Kent maybe. Oh, wait, where was it? Kent. It was a Kent question. Here we go. I thought Ryan Kent was going to play a role in this game. Yeah, Brian. Yeah, Brian. You got us tweeting fucking in infographics.
00:26:24
Speaker
He did say that, didn't he? what well It's a game that could have used him. but It should be like Ryan Kent and Georgie are the are what you need here. You need, that and ah like this, another thing I was thinking about is like, God damn it. This is where the De La Vega thing.
00:26:42
Speaker
That's where it hurts. Like you can, you can see where it hurts. Like a game like this, where you just need to, you need that like creativity and individual ability to pull stuff out against the team like this.
00:26:55
Speaker
And ah that's why, that's why I think Georgie and Ryan Kent have got to step up in this series. They need to get the run to step up. And it's just, it's tough because I do feel like De La Vega would have made a big difference here.
00:27:12
Speaker
Yeah, I agree. it just, it really is. It really is. I mean, you know, when when I think our peer reaction after De La Vega went down in the New York City FC game, it was for this.
00:27:26
Speaker
Like, it was it was knowing this. Like, this was always on my mind. i was like, oh my God, this is going to just, it's just, it's going to fucking bite us in the ass. It's going to be one of those goddamn games.
00:27:39
Speaker
It's going to be, it's going to be something where like, the fact that there's a good chance, the fact that there's a good chance that we're going to have to that again is tough to take. If you just won this game, you could have gotten this over with in Seattle. Ari, Ari, Ari, this is why I wanted to play fucking LAFC. I just wanted to do it. I just wanted to get it over with because if at least, at least we lost, if we lost, if we lost, it would, I would have a shred of dignity.
00:28:06
Speaker
I would have had a i would have had a shred of it. If we lose this series, I will have no dignity. Will I say that it's a failure of a season? Absolutely not. I would still think that it's a successful season. I still think that the League's Cup run was great.
00:28:18
Speaker
Will I be incredibly embarrassed? Yes. I will be disgusted. i will I will crash out.
00:28:31
Speaker
it's It's despicable what we're going through right now. It's despicable right now. It's despicable. I mean, you guess i'm think do you... I don't know.
00:28:42
Speaker
Go for it. I was just going to say, i've I've kind of achieved nirvana on this. Like, I know... I knew what we were getting into. I knew what we were in for. it played out pretty much how I feared it would.
00:28:58
Speaker
But you really, like...
00:29:01
Speaker
you got to get like the first goal on these guys. You got to. You got to. And then they, then that's the only, that's the only way to defeat Ramsey ball. You got a score on them first and ideally early, like in the first 30 minutes of the game. And if you can do that, then they can't do what they do as, as effectively.
00:29:23
Speaker
But as long as it's a tie game or zero, zero, they're goingnna They're going to troll you. They're going troll you. And
00:29:35
Speaker
you got to have ah you gotta to be able to deal with it in Seattle. I mean, it's just it's hard for me to analyze because I feel like they did a lot of things right and they got they got very close to getting the goal that they needed.
00:29:49
Speaker
But I don't know. It's just, it's cursed. It is cursed against this godforsaken team. That's the so third time that Minnesota United has beat Seattle this year. This is PKs, but I mean, that's a win for them.
00:30:04
Speaker
Three times in a row. I'm sorry, chat. Some people are saying that my that i that I'm over my takes. I'm scraping the bottom of the bra barrel here. I don't have anything else to talk about. We don't have Brian Schmetzer presser. We don't have player audio. He's still not out there.
00:30:18
Speaker
I mean, I don't know what to say. Like, it's... ah
00:30:23
Speaker
it's really It's really tough scenes out here, chat. I'm going to look again, make sure I don't have the wrong link, but... it was a uniquely tilting L. I will ah will grant that.
00:30:44
Speaker
No, it's it's dev it's's not. You guys want to see what's going on, chat? Here's our presser. Oh, this is a sick presser waiting for hosts to start the webinar.
00:30:55
Speaker
Should we, should we, should we do some hopium? Should we do some hopium? Or he's got hope train in chat. I think we should do some hopium. I think we should, we should, we should switch gears here. We did the crash out. Let's do the hopium.
00:31:06
Speaker
Corey says, okay, i hope train. We can win the next one at home. Then we go back to Minnesota and it's colder and it's just as hard as tonight was. But this is what Brian does. He figures it out when it seems hard. I don't think the series is chalked. Like, I really don't. i If i thought the series was chalked, I would say it.
00:31:23
Speaker
If you just take care of business against these trolls at home. Yeah. And you force the decisive game three. Yeah. This format's so stupid, dude. It's so dumb.
00:31:34
Speaker
No, but agree with you. forced the decisive game three back at Allianz Field that we're really forward With have no aggregate, nothing matters. The first two games don't matter. i refuse to believe that it'll it'll work a ah a fourth time in a row. and No way.
00:31:48
Speaker
probably Bites of the Appalachian, what do you always say? The more bites get, the easier it is to eat it all. And we're going to eat all of Minnesota United.
00:32:03
Speaker
We're going get hot dish. We're going get we're goingnna get ah what other Minnesota things are there. We're going to eat the whole loon. We're going to roast it and cook it. I agree with you. I don't think the series is over.
00:32:15
Speaker
i think you need to bounce back in Seattle. You need to demoralize this team. You need to figure out some different look, something that looks a little different. I don't know. And i yeah, i I don't really know. i i don't think it's over, but I'm also like not sure exactly why to do start Georgie start Moose start Georgie start Moose that's what i would do start Georgie start Moose and also for the love for the love of God honestly the thing I'm most tilted about is the PK thing like there's just such like a there's such i would you know I always try to defer to people who I feel like know more than me so in this case Brian Schmetzer does know a lot more than me about these things
00:33:06
Speaker
just so like Is the reason not to do it like because Fry will get like his feelings hurt if you do that? or you like well but It's not an uncommon thing to have a PK specialist that you sub in.
00:33:20
Speaker
Ari, I think he should be playing anyway, so you already know how I feel about that. You know I think he should be starting all of game. This is why just play him. don't have to place the with the acknowledgement ah With the acknowledgement that he's not the starter, that that that decision got made, you can sub him in for the shootout.
00:33:40
Speaker
i like I kind of just felt like this shootout was over like right when the final whistle sounded. And it's not's not even like a ah Fry is the worst at PKs ever take. That's a Dane St. Clair is a lead at them take.
00:33:54
Speaker
Yeah.
00:33:59
Speaker
would have given yourself the punch punchers chance in that shootout. Although a couple of the penalties that the, that the shooters hit were not super great either. So maybe it wouldn't have made a difference, but we missed the presser.
00:34:15
Speaker
We straight missed it.
00:34:18
Speaker
How did that happen? I don't know. I was on the zoom call.
00:34:25
Speaker
Maybe they didn't let you in. Damn. Yeah, no, James is right. Kind of hard to blame the keeper when the players miss three PKs. But there's, like, if you,
00:34:37
Speaker
like it like, maybe, like, we don't, like, it's butterfly effect. If he's in there, the whole shootout changes, and maybe he saves the first one, and that changes the whole, you see what i'm saying? Like, you're right. Well, that's interesting. But is there any way we can, like, does anyone have, like, the video of it that we can pull up?
00:34:53
Speaker
Yeah. because I was looking forward to that. I mean, the Sounders will post it eventually. Yeah, but they do that like eight hours later.
00:35:07
Speaker
Azurata says, love Frye, but play Thomas for pens. Should we just take calls? And you can do it. You can do it. Yeah, toss the call link in. I'm doing i'm doing shit at the same time right now anyway. so Okay. All right.
00:35:20
Speaker
right. All alright right.
00:35:24
Speaker
That's annoying, bro. What the hell? that's unfortunate. We've never had that happen. I literally, okay, look. Post-match press conference link. I clicked it.
00:35:35
Speaker
I went in there immediately. i don't think there's anything that you that you could have done. How did Jeremiah get in? Tell him to send us the... Send us the audio?
00:35:51
Speaker
it's It's whatever. we yeah Just toss the call link and chat and we We'll keep an eye on the Sounders YouTube. people Let the people give their takes.
00:36:03
Speaker
Oh, we just have Jeremiah call in and recap it. Oh, that works too. We got our first caller in. Let's bring him to the stage right now. We got our friend.
00:36:14
Speaker
Jordan. Hello, man. Penalty kick L at Minnesota United after a 0-0 draw. Okay. What'd you think? Before I start raging, I'm going to go into the calmness first.
00:36:27
Speaker
yeah So the easiest way to beat a five back, there's two ways. And I'm going to go back to last season, the U.S. Open Cup. Seattle played Sacramento. I was at that game.
00:36:39
Speaker
I told my dad, with five backs, you got to take long shots. You just got to pepper shots. Take them from outside the box. so They're gonna give you space. Like I watched Jesus Ferrer, a ball is passed from Yamar directly to a Minnesota player, and he just stands there and lets Jesus Ferrer run behind him and take the ball.
00:36:58
Speaker
So they're going to give you the space. Take long shots. Maybe you hit an arm. Maybe you get a deflection. You never know. The second is when they counter, you counter back.
00:37:09
Speaker
So I think Georgie coming on earlier or starting is a great idea. Jordan Morris speed is a great idea. Like you just gotta to be able, when they push up and their wing backs push up, their center backs are tall.
00:37:23
Speaker
They're great for set pieces. So just beat them with speed. Past that this best of three BS is absolutely horrible for the sport.
00:37:34
Speaker
They tried to Americanize it too much. Yeah. Go back to two games aggregate home and away for the entire tournament. And then a one game final, because then you get teams who actually want to play.
00:37:48
Speaker
Now that my tactics are, okay you know,
00:37:54
Speaker
I am convinced that in Guantanamo Bay right now, they're just playing that game on loop. That is punishment for criminals. i That's waterboarding. That's worse than waterboarding.
00:38:04
Speaker
jordan but rest and water I want you to know, I was having a great time. had a great workout of the gym. I'm watching the game and I'm just watching 11 people, the mascot, the kid man and the dinner lady behind the ball for Minnesota.
00:38:17
Speaker
But you know what? Minnesota, they're, the underdogs, they're the lower, oh, they're the higher seed. They're not the underdogs. Sorry, sorry, sorry. I look, sorry, they're the higher seed, but it's fine, you know, like, it's okay. They don't play that all the, oh, they do play that all the time. Sorry.
00:38:34
Speaker
sorry People paid their hard earned money to go watch.
00:38:40
Speaker
Like, i I wasn't even nervous during penalties. I was filled with so much anger and hatred. Because I know that next Monday, i got to turn on Apple TV and watch.
00:38:55
Speaker
I genuinely think I'm going to bleach my eyes instead of watching it again. i think I think if I watch paint dry, I'll have a better time. Like that is the most haram ball, haram ball I've ever seen in my life.
00:39:08
Speaker
Like, but i how how do people – they cheered. They cheered that game. They were like, I'm so happy I'm watching my team, the home team, the higher-ranked team, play at home in the playoffs and play like that.
00:39:27
Speaker
You see – It paid hundreds of dollars to watch you see You see relegation fodder teams against big teams play like that away from home. You don't see the four seed at home in the playoffs where you've already beaten this team twice.
00:39:48
Speaker
Play the absolute, we need to arrest Eric Ramsey as a criminal, not of the country, not of the state, not of yeah of the world. He needs to, we need NATO.
00:40:00
Speaker
We need the, like, we need the United Nations. ICC. I will hate Minnesota United until the day he leaves. And wherever he goes, I will hate this match.
00:40:13
Speaker
I don't hate Minnesota United. I've seen how they played before. It's whatever. the ah The sequences where seattle Seattle gets the ball and they just all immediately drop off and then it's just just knocking it around. I'm not even joking. The amount of times I watched Jesus Ferreira from the edge of the box run uncontested 20 yards backwards for a pass that is literally directly in front of the Minnesota United striker, by the way, who is now playing at left wing back.
00:40:49
Speaker
And the the minute like the ball is literally like if he just runs forward, he beats Hazus Ferrer, boom, you're on a counterattack. And he stood there. He stood there like a kid who didn't know what was going on.
00:41:03
Speaker
Like, how do you how do you genuinely cheer that? How do you how do you watch that week in, week out? Like i I have to deal with that as an Arsenal fan. People go, oh, Arsenal play for set pieces. No, that is set piece play.
00:41:19
Speaker
That is 11 man back. you you If you go any further, I'm convinced Eric Ramsey will like can you get get you in the parking lot. Eric Ramsey will find you in the parking lot.
00:41:32
Speaker
If you are above... your own third half yard, like third yard. Like if you go past a certain point when you don't have the ball, Eric Ramsey will slash your tires and get you in the If you take shot inside the box, Eric Ramsey will cut your foot off.
00:41:46
Speaker
Because it's not a corner kick. It's not a throwing. How is Michael, what is Michael Boxer going to do if he can't do throwing? Because if not, he's standing in the goal. He's standing in the goal next to Sinclair. They're playing Uno because they've got nine other people in front of him playing defense.
00:42:03
Speaker
i i'm not I'm not even upset because, like you said, Ari, Seattle can win this game. There are tactics that can beat this team. It is very easy to beat a team that doesn't want to play soccer.
00:42:14
Speaker
And they're like – I swear they're close to cracking this code. they' Again, like like though the last time Seattle played a five-in-the-back and won that I can think of is when they played Sacramento, who plays five-in-the-back week in, week out.
00:42:30
Speaker
And they won because Joss Atencio took a shot from outside the box and it took a deflection and it went in. And the second goal was because somebody played over-the-top ball to Jordan Morris on a counterattack and he's one-on-one the goalkeeper and scores.
00:42:49
Speaker
It's very easy to beat a fighter the back. The problem is you have to have them have the ball. And if they have the ball, I think they'll die.
00:43:01
Speaker
They won't ever have the ball though. That's their bid. like the fact that The fact that you pay... Why pay a striker? Why bring him on? What was the point of bringing the striker on?
00:43:14
Speaker
Did he actually shoot the ball once? Genuinely? Like, that's a genuine question. Did he even shoot the ball? I mean, is he a striker or is he a midfielder? You know? That's the real question. he's right oh to be fair to be To be fair, if he was a midfielder, he would be further up the pitch than he was. That's true. So, that's true the the fact that, ah like, we have to watch that again on Monday.
00:43:36
Speaker
i We have to watch that again on Monday. I genuinely... Would rather do anything else. But I love my team. So I will watch it. I hope they just beat the shit out of him in Seattle and then I don't even care what happens. And you know what? If i was a Minnesota United fan and I had to sit there and act like I love Eric Ramsey, Haram, if the kit man is further up the pitch than you are, I will kill you. Eric Ramsey spent more time in the attacking third than they did, yeah.
00:44:07
Speaker
Maybe that's it. You have to look where Eric Ramsey is and if you are level with him, you have to go further back. Exactly. But like, I, like the fact that I would, if I was a minute Minnesota United fan, and I have to pretend to like that.
00:44:20
Speaker
And I watched Seattle stomp cruises all seven, nothing beat LA galaxy four and then two, nothing and mid and Miami three, nothing.
00:44:31
Speaker
And I had to wake up every morning knowing that Eric Ramsey is my coach. I'd hate Seattle too. i think yeah Jordan, so Jordan, wherever Ramsey goes, I don't want to cut you off, but we do have Jeremiah in the queue. So give us your final crash outs, final crash ups.
00:44:47
Speaker
If I ever see you, Eric Ramsey, if I ever see you in the streets, it is on site, but you'll be too far behind the ball for me to get to you. So I'll get you eventually. Hell yeah, Jordan. Great call as always, man. We appreciate you, boss. We'll see all you soon. We're going to get J.O. in here first to recap the presser. So just hang tight.
00:45:09
Speaker
Welcome. Jeremiah Ocean, Sounder Heart Legend, and press conference scribe because apparently Noah doesn't know how to get into a Zoom call.
00:45:22
Speaker
Hey, what's up?
00:45:25
Speaker
ah Well, I guess first, ah if you could give us your thoughts on ah what just transpired at Allianz Field. And then if you could ah give us the update on how Schmetz was doing after the game. As Noah mentioned, we haven't seen the presser.
00:45:41
Speaker
ah Schmetz was fine. I mean, it was... it was I think Jordan was crashing out. Oh, my God. What's going on here? Hold on one second. You've you've got something going on. this is This is worse tech than we had to start the show. Did he mean Jordan McCuller was crashing out or Jordan Morris was crashing out? No. ah your last guess Your last guess was crashing out a lot harder than anyone on the Sounders was crashing out.
00:46:07
Speaker
Well, wouldn't expect them to crash out, but like you know how Schmetz gets when he's tilted. He didn't seem tilted at all. ah He seemed frustrated, you know, he seemed frustrated that they didn't win, but you know, I, I don't know how frustrated you can really be when you lose a ah penalty shootout in somewhat, you know, somewhat predictable fashion, I guess. ah You know, that's the game that Minnesota wants to play and that's the game that they played and,
00:46:33
Speaker
I don't know. i think from a analytical perspective, you look at the chances the Sounders created, they probably created, you know, four or five quality chances.
00:46:44
Speaker
You create four or five quality chances on the road. You you know, you can't really, you know, fault the setup much. um You know, the the ball to that Jordan played, the two balls that ah Jordan played to Mussofsky were both great chances. I mean, really, really, you know, that that the first one where he slides it to Mussofsky and he he tries to go near your post or tries to, I guess maybe he was trying to five hole St. Clair.
00:47:13
Speaker
You know, that was a great ah great attacking setup. yeah You know, similarly, the cross that he put on on ah Moose's head, for a point blank header. And I realize hitting a ah ah header when the ball's traveling that fast is very difficult, but you know, those are the looks that you're going to get.
00:47:32
Speaker
So I think from a perspective of what are the sounder, you know, how much second guessing are the sounders doing their, ah their game planning? I, I think they got to be happy with the chances they created.
00:47:48
Speaker
um Did anyone ask him if there was consideration to subbing on Andrew Thomas for a shootout? No, and I'm sure that's something we'll ask him on Wednesday or whenever we talk to him again, but no one asked him that.
00:48:01
Speaker
i That's something that I would not expect him to do. i know it's not unheard of in world football. Why not do it?
00:48:14
Speaker
Because you're basically telling your starting goalkeeper that you don't trust them in penalty shootouts. Well, you shouldn't. You shouldn't. i mean It doesn't have to be about that. not saying, I'm not like, I'm just saying, why don't you do it? That's the reason why. So I get i think that's i guess that that's the rationale. Fry, right? Like, Brian, but I mean, Fry should know.
00:48:34
Speaker
feel like he's ah he's a be's a big guy He knows. He can't get there. He's just a guy. He's just a guy. can't... I mean, fairness to him, you're also asking goalkeeper who is as cold as they can be to come in and just save a bunch of penalties.
00:48:56
Speaker
Or save a penalty, I suppose, is what you're really asking him to do. i've i've seen I've seen teams with PK specialists. I've i've seen them do it. There are teams who do it. There's no question about it. just hard To start Thomas instead.
00:49:12
Speaker
Yeah. i'm not even I'm not even on that, like ah butru train like, on that talking point anymore. Like, i i the decision is the decision, and I understand why Fry is still the starter.
00:49:24
Speaker
To me, when I look at it, you got Dane St. Clair, who's an elite penalty kick goalkeeper. You got Stephen Fry, who's not, and you got Andrew Thomas, who is. So, like, if you have a mechanism to tilt the scale at all... i I understand the argument for doing it.
00:49:41
Speaker
um I think we are, I think it's really easy to sit here and say, yeah, just sub out your starting goalkeeper for your backup goalkeeper.
00:49:52
Speaker
Cause I think like Noah's saying, if that's, if that's really what you believe, why don't you start them then? Right. yeah, and So, I mean, I don't know. i don't i don't know i don't know that it's a... I'm not saying that it's the right call not to move him in. I'm just saying I understand why it happened.
00:50:14
Speaker
Yeah, yeah. I get it. And, you know, hindsight's Yeah.
00:50:20
Speaker
I mean, and I don't even think you need to say hindsight 2020. A lot of people, i this was like a common talking point that I've seen brought up ever since the playoff, even before the playoff started. I get it. like People want to see this happen.
00:50:34
Speaker
I don't really begrudge anyone for wanting to do it. But the idea that it's like a simple solution to a complicated problem, i I'm always very skeptical of those types of answers.
00:50:45
Speaker
Yeah. that's yeah you know thats That's fair. you presented ah You presented it logically and rationally. I'm not logical or rational, and I disagree.
00:50:56
Speaker
Well, um so did did you get the presser pulled up, Noah? Yeah, yeah, yeah. we pa We'll pop it. You can hang out if you want, but we're going to run the presser. I thought you were going to read my full transcript.
00:51:10
Speaker
No? i mean if you know You could along No, I mean, I will say that the if you're interested, i think Jackson and Albert probably had more insightful things to say than – like, Brian was not – you can see here, Brian is not – he's not tilted.
00:51:29
Speaker
You know i mean? He's just kind of nonplussed. they only Well, we we we always play as pressers regardless – Yeah, no, no. just saying if you're – you know. credit Play the video, mute the audio, have J.O. do the voices.
00:51:44
Speaker
Credit to Seattle Sounders Football Club for this YouTube presser. Go over to their YouTube channel, hit subscribe, give them with a like so that they don't get mad at us for playing their presser. All right, here we go. and Sorry about the ah outcome here.
00:51:56
Speaker
i wanted to ask, though, you know as far as playing Dane, is it just a matter of possibly coming against a ah keeper obviously is that he's um you know in his uh prime right now a front runner for ah goalkeeper of the year and he had some really good stops on some of musaski's uh shots there so it was it just a matter of coming against a keeper that's you gonna cause you guys trouble obviously in this well obviously he had a good performance.
00:52:28
Speaker
But what I would say, Jada, is that if you look at some of the chances that we created, and we created a lot, um you know, Albert's set piece in the first half that Yimar just heads over the bar, corner i think it was the corner kick.
00:52:45
Speaker
ah You know, he didn't have to make a save. You know, Albert had another one, a corner kick. Maybe it was a free kick. I think was a free kick that Jaimard just got over the bar.
00:52:57
Speaker
You know, in the first half, corner kick, Christian heads it, and their guy is on the end line and saves it on the end line. So, you know, St. Clair didn't have to make the save.
00:53:09
Speaker
ah You know, the little combination play that Paul had in the first half, you know, he did not make saves. So it's a combination of both. I mean, the biggest save that he made, we we're just watching in there was obviously the ball that Jordan slips across the moose and it's inside the six, you know, and you know, he makes a save there. He makes the play.
00:53:30
Speaker
So credit to him. Was Leyva entering, was that a ah for in prep for the penalty kicks or possible penalty kicks? are Yeah, what was it?
00:53:42
Speaker
It was, you know, the penalty kicks are funny because it can go either way, go one or two ways. You know, and last year we were lights out in our penalty kick shooting. ah And we have practiced penalty kicks for the last two weeks. And it was really surprising to me that guys that are normally lights out, you know,
00:54:01
Speaker
you know, tonight missed. So maybe tonight just wasn't gonna be our night. Right, Jeremiah, over to you.
00:54:10
Speaker
Yeah, if you're balancing, you know, like you said, you've been on the other side of these shootouts, but if you're balancing the reality of the result with the way you played, how do you how do you go about messaging that to the to the players?
00:54:25
Speaker
Well, the messaging is, you know, we played well in many aspects of the game, but we didn't win. And so how? What?
00:54:37
Speaker
You know, I'm asking an open ended question so that they can reflect on the plane. And then, you know, acknowledging that it's frustrating to play against a team that, you know, sits back and doesn't want to take risks and George Arnaoutakis, You know we'll take 45 seconds on goal kicks that's all part of who they are mean St Claire in his interview after the game, the coach said they're good that's what they're going to do so we can't control what they George Arnaoutakis, we have to focus on what we are going to try and accomplish at home.
00:55:09
Speaker
George Arnaoutakis, George go ahead and ask your question, please. So coach, you're playing with two to center forwards. and I was curious if you thought about adding Alsazi to the mix because it seems like he's a big body, good on Heathers, that he might cause some chaos for for the defense if that's part of your plan in the future.
00:55:34
Speaker
Maybe. Could be.
00:55:40
Speaker
All right, next question, we're going to Nico answer Nico. Go ahead, please. Hey coach, this will be the first time in the best of three series that the team will be going into game two with a disadvantage.
00:55:52
Speaker
Do you see more of a cautious approach at Lumen or how do you think this will affect the team's approach going into game two? We came out here to try and win the game and regulation will do the same thing at home.
00:56:05
Speaker
All right, there are follow-ups. That's fine. Our first-time questions, go ahead hit that race hand function button for us for now. We'll go over to Jeremiah for his second. ah Yeah, Brian, I guess, what do you think you did particularly well in this game, both defensively offensively?
00:56:22
Speaker
Well, obviously, our possession was pretty good. um You know, I thought our patience at times was pretty good. There were a couple... Forrest, Times in the first half couple times the second half, we were able to do what we train you know where we got guys closer together our counter pressing was effective. James Co.
00:56:42
Speaker
You know, you know the active defending or you know yeah i'm are coming back eager to make plays, you know some of the defending will work on. James Norcal Co. But you know.
00:56:54
Speaker
They didn't may't score any set pieces. We were able to, you know, do a decent job there. They were close on a couple, but you know, i thought it was okay.
00:57:06
Speaker
All right, we'll take one more, maybe two. George, go ahead, please. So, coach, yeah the the move of Jordan Morris to to the right, you've done that a lot in previous years, I think this year not not so much, but it worked out really well. He created ah a lot of danger for Musovsky.
00:57:25
Speaker
and Is that something that you might start the next game with? A little bit more information on that. Possibly. we'll We'll review the film and try and make the best lineup choices that we can.
00:57:39
Speaker
i mean, it's ah it's a possibility.
00:57:45
Speaker
All right. Well, J.O. was correct. He didn't. He didn't say nothing. did not He didn't crash out. Well, callers. I don't know. I don't know. Let's get it going. Let's get it going. Let's get it going. Let's get driving here. We got tribe. Kenny.
00:58:02
Speaker
All right. Tribe. Welcome to the call. DJ, we saw you in here earlier. If you want to. I'm here to bring some bad news to you. ah We lost. We fucking lost. Yeah. Can you hear me? First of all.
00:58:13
Speaker
Yeah. You sound great. All right. Fucking hell. um I say we take Fry to the back of the barn.
00:58:23
Speaker
i think I think it's time. We have a fucking potato of vegetable in goal during the penalty shootout. We have one of the best penalty keepers and we didn't bring him on.
00:58:37
Speaker
but um What the fuck is Jesus Ferreira doing as a winger role when he's always just going stay inside as a cam? We should have had Rothrock on the right as always and then Manungo on the left because he did so well in the League's Cup Final.
00:58:49
Speaker
That would have done well. But Everything about this fucking game is infuriating. It's time to, it's time. Eric Ramsey. We do not condone violence on this YouTube stream. We have to say as a disclaimer, this is a bit in a video game in Minecraft. Thank you.
00:59:08
Speaker
We do not condone this. You can continue. That's a yellow card. That's a warning tribe. Absolutely. Okay. No, it's, it's time for Eric Ramsey to just, to just be fired, man. It's time.
00:59:21
Speaker
It's the most dis disrespectful thing I've ever seen to a league. it's It's embarrassing. if if If you can get away with 11 players defending at all fucking time and get fourth place in a league and and and come away with with a win against Seattle, something needs to happen.
00:59:45
Speaker
I agree ah with all of your statements. um And yeah, this was awful. I want to hear more about your Ferreira takes. Did you not think he... he You thought he thought he was like really bad? like Or you just didn't like him coming inside?
01:00:03
Speaker
No, I don't like him coming inside. we need We need more versatility out wide. So, I mean, we can get better balls in play... play a little bit more on the ground than putting crosses in because that it could have worked, but, but Musovsky can't fucking finish a goddamn chance.
01:00:23
Speaker
um I mean, both those chances were finished. I mean, the, the, the first the one that gets saved by St. Clair, i don't believe in XG, but you could tell that that was, that was a great save by him.
01:00:37
Speaker
Yeah. yeah And then the second one is a, the way, the fact that he even got to that ball to get that header. I mean, that's, I thought that was great positioning by him. And listen, you know me, the fact that I'm sitting here and defending Moose in our, in, in, in, in the God's year of 2025 in the worst playoff game I've ever watched.
01:00:58
Speaker
I still think he, he was better than Jordan Morris. He was way more effective than Jordan Morris, like at all times. Yeah. he He got the better chances than Jordan Morris, though, to be fair. I think if Morris had those two chances, he'd put it away. And if i think I think if Rui Diaz had it, then they they obviously would have have been in, which is why we need to sign a new striker, I think, again, because we're just not getting the goals the goal output from them up top anymore. we We just aren't. I mean, Musovsky got, I think,
01:01:31
Speaker
started to way overperform at the beginning of the season up until now. So I really would like to see that from him next season, unless we're going to sign someone, which case get the fuck out the team, brother.
01:01:45
Speaker
um and And I just don't know. I would really like to see Paul Rothrock on the right for next game and Manungo on the left. I think that's the best case scenario. Unless Kent, unless Kent is back,
01:01:59
Speaker
if once he Once he becomes able to start, um once he once he's good enough to start again, i think he could be over anyone, even Pedro de la Vega, in my my opinion.
01:02:12
Speaker
But um ah other than that, I just don't understand the decision-making from Brian Schmetzer, not bringing on Andrew Thomas, not bringing on Manungu a lot sooner, if not starting him.
01:02:24
Speaker
Why are we starting a center-attacking mid on on the wing when he's always going to come inside? what What are we doing, you know? So how would you run it for next game?
01:02:36
Speaker
lineup The lineup builder is yours. Brian Schmetzer hands you his pen. It can't click anymore. It's literally just like the ink that's inside of the ballpoint pen because he's destroyed it.
01:02:48
Speaker
But you have the little thing of ink. You can scribble it in. Who is your starting nine? Who are your starting wingers? And who are you playing at the 10? um I'm playing Russnock at the 10th.
01:02:59
Speaker
I'm obviously having Thomas start. I mean, if if if it comes down to penalties, which again, this team just defends. So it might do that next game. So I'm having Russ knock up top as the number 10. I'm having Andrew Thomas at the back.
01:03:18
Speaker
i I think my striker would obviously have to be Jordan Morris, the wingers. i like I like the ah formation. So I'm not going to change that. I would love Manungu on on the left next time, and I would love Paul Rothrock to be on the right. I think that's about it The rest of the team was just fine, but the the positions that he didn't do well in are are key positions for our attack.
01:03:44
Speaker
I've got one last question for you, Tribe. 100%. You would have been the Georgie evangelist, okay? Yes. I doubted you. There were times when I was the one who was like, brother, what are you talking about?
01:03:57
Speaker
What was your reaction when he came in, in the 81st minute? 81st minute. They said, let me give him nine minutes to cook.
01:04:12
Speaker
My reaction wasn't as big as you would think because when I saw that he wasn't in the starting lineup with De La Vega out, I threw a chair and almost broke it. um But um I was just...
01:04:28
Speaker
I was hoping and praying for come I was sort of relieved because I know if he gets the ball, he's to be able to do it himself, take it up the field, just like he did to to win win the po penalty for for Alex Roldan in the League's Cup Final, right?
01:04:42
Speaker
He has that ability, and he and he's a special, special boy, man. He's incredible. I was relieved, but only if we are able to find him in the right areas. But I was really pissed that took that long because, my God, we could have benefited from Georgie Manungu.
01:05:00
Speaker
Earlier sub of Georgie. I think we're both on that train. Well, Tribe, do you have any closing arguments as you approach the jury? I've been watching a lot of lawyer shows lately, so, yeah.
01:05:12
Speaker
Yeah, ah for anyone who... um follows me i am unavailable for text at this time and i'm very emotionally unavailable for the next couple of days thank you guys we love you tribe i love you too i'll see you guys if i will fuck eric ramsey fuck eric ramsey thank you for calling tribe next up we got kenny kenny you ready my my guy Let's just start. Let's just let's just start it.
01:05:40
Speaker
Let's rip. Get your Nuhu. Get the Nuhu defense. Just get it out of the way. Go. Just hit it. Hit it. No, please. What did you – let me ask what you disliked about Nuhu's game.
01:05:53
Speaker
think I didn't think it was. Okay, let me, let me. He did get beat on that dribble in the first half. um Let me be fair to Nuhu. Let me be fair to Nuhu. I don't think that it was an embarrassment for him.
01:06:05
Speaker
I just think that he tends to be a bit of a black hole. And the play where he basically should have just taken a shot, even if he would have blasted it over, it was the right thing to do. It was, he.
01:06:17
Speaker
You would have crushed him if he took that shot and you know it No, I would not have. No, I would not You would have. No, I would not have. yeah Dude, yeah I was literally yelling at the TV shoot. I was yelling at I'm not a guy who yells at the TV shoot. And I was looking at New Who, like, you gotta take that there, brother.
01:06:31
Speaker
You gotta be, you gotta be. If New Who had taken that shot and put it over the bar, the anti-New Who's would have lost their shit. Yeah, but I don't know. It's not part for the course. It's part for the course, you know. he He's not that guy, though.
01:06:44
Speaker
No, no, you're not anti-New Who guy. That's true, you're not you're not really that. You were at one point that guy, but. Look, james you James knew who with the with the high percentage 30-yard right-footed shot. Exactly. Dude, but think about it. If he scores that, XG would have been crazy. You've got to think about that.
01:07:00
Speaker
Got to rack up those X's, man. ah if you If you're able to get 10XG, you can cash that in for one free coffee at Starbucks.
01:07:10
Speaker
yeah Yeah, well, we we were racking up the XG, especially Moose. Moose had some good chances, and those are difficult finishes, but the XG on them is pretty high. um like the two strikers set. That's really what is going to be my biggest point tonight, was that I like seeing that against this kind of packed-in defense.
01:07:31
Speaker
I know we've been working on it a lot, and you know we've got three good strikers that all really... need minutes. And Moose is such a volume striker. he's I don't think he's ever been a good super sub. Maybe when he was with LAFC when they were the hottest team on the fucking continent.
01:07:47
Speaker
Right? Right? But, he you know, the only time he's been... this productive in his career, which is only this, you know, last couple months is when he's been in a team that just generates a lot of chances and he's getting lots and lots of looks.
01:08:02
Speaker
um I think it also allows Jordan to come find the game a little more. um he was making some really good runs in behind in the first half, but, um but i as couldn't get on the ball enough in the second until Moose was out there. And then he was kind of springing some stuff.
01:08:22
Speaker
Yeah, I think Jordan was technically playing like as a winger, but i didn't I didn't mind it because he was still getting in on attack. And I think that like the reality of Jordan Morris' game as of this current moment, which it's ever-evolving, is that honestly...
01:08:42
Speaker
he's just so good at getting those balls in and that service. And so playing on that wing space, but also still being able to tuck in, like you're saying, it's just deadly, man. And yet, if Moose can get the right service, he can make good runs.
01:08:57
Speaker
Like, it is like possible. Yeah, hes he's a great runner and a smart player. So is Jordan. And then we also have Jesus, who I think his best position might be as a second striker. You know, kind of in the same space, that right half space.
01:09:11
Speaker
But um that's that's when he was at his best for Dallas. And then I also wanted to bring up um Albert generated four chances tonight.
01:09:22
Speaker
um but he he had four shots that none of them got on target. There a lot of block shots. He's usually so good at creating his own shots by giving a shimmy or a feint and then um keeping it low through traffic, but um I guess he's just going to get mixed in. He's just going to hit legs sometimes, especially against the bunker defense. What what did you think of Albert's game there, Ari? I don't know.
01:09:51
Speaker
I thought the offense in general was was good enough to win this game, and I think he was a part in a lot of why they had the chances that they did have.
01:10:04
Speaker
ah It's just you how much credit can you really give to anybody in the attack when you get shut out, you know? yeah But, like, as far as... you know and his ah his job is i would a nice plan His job is to run the offense and generate chances. And I did not feel like that was the lack of that was the reason they they lost this game. Like it was, they lost this game because they didn't lose none of those chances went in.
01:10:35
Speaker
we didn't We didn't lose. It's a draw. Shootout loss. Yeah. yeah We didn't lose. oh And that's another of my big points is this game. might not matter at all when it's when it's all said and done. Like, this game might just be, like, completely thrown out. there's There's one more game that we that we should have the upper hand, hopefully.
01:10:55
Speaker
Oh, it's going to be a slog. It's going to be a slog on... well just it wing imagine yeah Well, I will say they played in Seattle once this year, and that was like a five-goal burner. so maybe i like but yeah i don't know If this was a two-game series, this nil-nil draw, you're going home so stoked.
01:11:18
Speaker
You're going home so stoked. You're like, okay, it's in our hands. We're going home. Second leg, whatever. yeah it's It's fucking best of three shit. because And it doesn't even matter. if If we score seven goals next game, that doesn't matter. You just play a winner-takes-all final.
01:11:35
Speaker
What are we doing? It's bad. It's bad. You're right. like The home-and-away aggregate scoring, that would have been like a phenomenal result-slash-performance. the The only reason it's like this, all of the all of the competitive balance talk is lip service.
01:11:51
Speaker
or rewarding the regular season. It's none of that. It's just gate fees. They just want more home games for each market. That's the only reason this is happening. but I think Apple TV, me too, had something to play with it. Yeah, they want more playoff games. They want they just want more playoff games in general.
01:12:05
Speaker
Yeah. And then I guess my last point was i yeah to go to something negative, I guess, Paul really kind of had a stinker. And he's been like that lately. He's been on and off. He'll have a good game and then a pretty poor game, it's it's felt like to me.
01:12:22
Speaker
And that's not really his thing. is' He's not really like the type to get a you know ah a five or a nine in a game. He's usually the high six or... high seven, you know, just doing a lot of good work. But in this game, I wrote down a couple of stats. He had, he was the lowest rated field player, zero for three dribbles, zero for two crosses, zero for one long balls, two of 11, 18% of duels won.
01:12:49
Speaker
ah So he's flying around getting and getting into stuff, you know, and but i i don't I don't know what to what to say. I don't think him and Nuhu are such a great fit together out there.
01:13:01
Speaker
Because Nuhu's left-footed. He's going out there. He's looking to his left for someone. And new and Paul is tucked inside, occupying the the the ah the fullback. And um I don't know if I really have a ah solution or anything. Maybe Kent.
01:13:16
Speaker
Maybe Kent with Nuhu. Because they they were looking they were cooking together. Remember? People were saying that Kent and Kent taught Nuhu how to combine. Well, remember when they played together and knew who looked like the best attacking fullback in the world? for he's good He's a good progressive passer. He's a top 75 percentile progressive passer in the league and progressive dribbler at the fullback position.
01:13:37
Speaker
He's not a black hole. Like, he's limited in the attack. He's very limited in the attack. But I just use the black can't stand the traffic cone, the black hole. it's It's a scapegoat. In the final third, he's not...
01:13:53
Speaker
He's not doing it. Like, he can play a ball in every once in a while. you'll He'll have, like, a dreamy little cross. You can tell he's worked on it. You can tell he's worked on it for a long time. And good for – and yes, and I agree. It's almost paying off. It's almost paying off.
01:14:09
Speaker
He has an assist and two goals, right? Yeah, yeah, this is one of his... He's actually having a down year statistically... It's like goals, three assists, all comps. He's having a down year statistically outside of goal contributions. This is his best year in that regard, so... Everything else is pretty down. Yeah, both red cards, and MLS.
01:14:26
Speaker
It's been a down year for Nuhu. But... Penalties sucked. We need to be better. We usually are. This game probably doesn't matter. Um, hot take, super, ah super scorchy lobby, lobby, lobby, they call me Lobbert Sanchez. i don't know.
01:14:46
Speaker
Um, we have to stop saying go Durs. That's a Mariners thing. Let the Mariners have that. They don't, I don't really want to be attached to their legacy. yeah That is a hot take.
01:15:01
Speaker
Yeah. I like having it be like gour go Durs, go Ners.
01:15:06
Speaker
don't like it anymore you say all right how does it that is that okay chat you're gonna have to you're gonna have to weigh in on that frankly go der's yes or no chat i don't like it go der's it's like her der like so just most def offensivesive thing what's been this been said in this uh stream today no anyways anyways i love y'all y'all be blessed uh we'll tap in another time Appreciate you. All right. Thank you, Kenny. Thanks for calling, man. Have a good one.
01:15:37
Speaker
Timbo, you ready? Got Timbo and then DJ after that. yeah nor Welcome. <unk> we Gentlemen, I just want to say long-time listener, first time call-in.
01:15:48
Speaker
very yeah Thanks for calling. fucking Fucking love the show. um Love the takes tonight. I do want to put this take out there in the world, though. food out there Don't hate the player, hate the format, hate the game.
01:16:03
Speaker
Fry, essentially, what gave us a shutout.
01:16:08
Speaker
True. He has done that in the past. Like, yes, PK is all that good stuff. but But I think...
01:16:20
Speaker
I guess that that's my big take on the night. is Your big take is is don't be fried. It's a format. It's this format. we We can all agree is across the league. It's fucking terrible. It's whack. And I hadn't thought about it in the way that Noah mentioned earlier of like in the old format of home away aggregate scoring.
01:16:40
Speaker
Minnesota United would not be able to Ramsey it like that to that extent because a 0-0 at home in leg one of a two-game aggregate series would be like a phenomenal result for Seattle.
01:16:54
Speaker
And that is like on the merits of it. That's how it should be, man. Like you should not get rewarded for trolling for penalties when you're hosting a playoff game. Right.
01:17:04
Speaker
Not only that, and then the rest of the format for the rest of these playoffs, do you do you think Minnesota is going to go into Vancouver or LA and win? I guess, I mean, they're... Or San Diego, for that matter. Vancouver San Diego, right? They control the pre-Ks again. I mean, that's... They can win any game on the road. That is one thing about Ramsey Ball. Like, it's a great road team strategy. Sure.
01:17:27
Speaker
But, like, for... Especially, like, you know... Are we missing the the days of Adrian Heath in Minnesota at this point? That's the other thing on this, is that we we have dominated this team historically. Yeah.
01:17:38
Speaker
I mean, I'm missing it, simply for the fact that, like... I don't want to watch this anymore. It's like, for me, two more games, guys. Two more games. Are you excited? Maybe, maybe, like maybe they get swept. clap it clap it up Clap it up for this fucking guy Get him out of our league.
01:17:55
Speaker
Him and Wilfred Nancy can go off and go to Europe and do whatever they want to do. This is Major League Soccer, okay? We like to score fucking bangers. We like to not defend.
01:18:06
Speaker
we like to We like to have really nice, really, really talented goalkeepers. ah and That's what we do, okay? Get this get this shit. The game is gone.
01:18:17
Speaker
get get Get this in the championship. I don't want to see this anymore. I don't want to see it anymore. I can't. we We have a game in Seattle, and that that and then then we go back to Minnesota, and we see where we go from there. I totally understand not wanting to spend $300 on a Monday night to seeing Oasis. like Yes, exactly.
01:18:36
Speaker
Also, could we call this gentrifier ball? He's coming into our town, into our game, and he's saying, no, I'm going to put up this giant building.
01:18:48
Speaker
I don't know. Think about it. Think about it, Chad. Think about it. um The other point i wanted to make tonight was just i know a lot of people are naysaying Moose. And honestly, he's had a hell of a season. and ought the The chances we saw tonight came out of Mazovsky.
01:19:05
Speaker
The best ones. I think that's definitely worth a second look at. Morris has been trash for glass all season. and that's I know there are some diehard Morris fans out there.
01:19:19
Speaker
You got to give him a little credit for the balls that he played into Moose because both those balls did come from Morris. I don't agree with that. I think that they're combining. That combo seemed like the best thing they had going in in attack. I couldn't help but feel like after watching those two Moose chances, like, man, if he had had even 60 minutes in this game, I bet you he gets one.
01:19:40
Speaker
like Where does Jesus sit on the night with the early sub out, though? That was the other thing that I thought was kind of Moose coming in for Jesus. That just kind of a... making your pieces fit. Yeah, maybe they had like maybe they trained it with ah Jordan and Moose. like That's what I would assume. but And it's not like... ah I didn't think Ferreira was bad in this game, but it's not like he was lighting it on fire. So I didn't i didn't mind that sub, really.
01:20:07
Speaker
but We can argue in general everybody with the mullets was not kind of rolling very hard. yeah I hadn't thought of it like that, but yeah. Yeah.
01:20:18
Speaker
Timbo, and anything else ah from this match? I don't have anything to add other than three game series. You got to let it play out. Fry saves. fucking I remember 2016. I know that seems kind of ancient history now.
01:20:34
Speaker
I know Thomas had a fucking hell of a run in League's Cup, and there' there'll be time for that in 26. That time hasn't come yet. You know, 2016 was almost 10 years ago.
01:20:45
Speaker
Oh, yeah, 16, nine years now. We'll be celebrating the first MLS title. You consider your supporters shield and all that going forward. Ten years. Wow. Ten years.
01:20:57
Speaker
ten years
01:21:00
Speaker
Fucking blur, baby. Hey, there we go. Well, Timbo. Cheers, fellas. Go-durs or no-go-durs? I'm a Rockies fan, so I have no fucking way in on it. It's been a fucking terrible year for me. Enjoy it, though. Enjoy it, Mariners. Almost... I was rooting you.
01:21:17
Speaker
really i was ru forgot it You got her and you got it worse You got it worse. It's okay. No, the Rockies the rockies did it did the rockies did it for Seattle in and that's all
01:21:29
Speaker
shout out all right timbo thank you so much good night thanks timbo all right all right we got our guy hunch and then we got dj and then we got james james hasn't called in a while hell yeah let's go james has been m.i.a hunch you ready okay unmuted welcome how you doing hunch i'm all right what am i crashing up yeah crash out or crash out I'm crashing out over all these takes. Like this is so ridiculous. What's got you going?
01:22:00
Speaker
So, okay. This is the literal definition of confirmation bias. And by that, let mean let me give you an example. You went out drinking and driving as a teenager, crashed the car, and weren't wearing a seatbelt.
01:22:15
Speaker
Like, wrecked it. You get home, and your parents are ripping you up and down because you weren't wearing a seatbelt. Not that you were drunk, not that you destroyed the car. Stephen Fry has three shutouts in the last four games.
01:22:30
Speaker
A shutout tonight. It didn't matter what he did. He's the reason they lost. Listen, listen. Let me say I am all for Andrew Thomas. And I would have zero problem if he was in there.
01:22:43
Speaker
And I wouldn't have any problem subbing him in. But the data that people are using right now, be like, see, this is why Fry sucks, does not back that up. They lost because they couldn't get three shots on target. Not because Steph had a bad PK saving, whatever. I agree with the premise of that.
01:23:00
Speaker
And I think it is, like, it should be pointed out, but, like, the defense and the goalkeeper manned a clean sheet in this game. They had four shots target. I just think in this specific situation, there's at least a good argument for that specialist sub.
01:23:13
Speaker
ah Because if you have a situation where you have a guy, you're A, going against a guy who is a elite at this specific thing, and you B, have a guy that could counter that in a way that, ah you know, I tend to think PKs are pretty much totally 50-50, but a guy like Andrew Thomas ah tilts that a little bit.
01:23:32
Speaker
And Dane St. Clair definitely tilts that a little bit. So that's why I think, like... In this situation, in ah in a tournament setting, and also going against another keeper who's a PK specialist, and but you at least got to like think about it, don't you?
01:23:47
Speaker
Like I the result, the confirmation, isn't the wrong conclusion, but the data being used to demonstrate why that's true had nothing to do with why they lost tonight.
01:23:58
Speaker
Yeah, no, I agree with that. And that's what I'm saying. And and the people are like, this is it. This is the line of the sin. What are you talking about? How about how much you get both posts and kick it right at this world league goalkeeper? like but And to be fair, like a couple of the PKs he guessed.
01:24:13
Speaker
Right. But it's like they were coming in at pace. Like it's not like an easy save. But also, I don't really understand the argument. It's one of those where I can totally agree with you, Hunter. It's like, yeah, Fry didn't lose this game for us, but there is legitimate argument to be made to say that have better chance. Yeah, I'm agreeing with that. saying that the conclusion is correct.
01:24:34
Speaker
Yeah, I'm agreeing with the conclusion is true correct, but I'm saying the data being used to put up that up as confirmation bias has nothing to do with what the result needs. It doesn't need to be a bag on fry thing. That's not where I'm coming from with it. yeah like that It's like a pro-Andy T slash acknowledgement of Dane Sinclair take.
01:24:50
Speaker
It's not anti-fry. but and The reality is a ah Andrew Thomas is... ah he's He's not just better than at penalties. He's better than most at penalties.
01:25:01
Speaker
He's very at I wouldn't say that Fry had to do much tonight either. So it's like one of those things where if you do start Andrew Thomas and he does play, it's like you're not – there's no – like it's – I don't really see what the disadvantage would be. And you kind of always are going to know that you're not going to be facing that many shots from – and Like, I just, I'm not disagreeing. I'm not disagreeing. but i'm I'm building. and more' building we we're linking We're building. We're linking and building and cooking.
01:25:29
Speaker
But by the same token, the keeper is doing more than just standing back there. I mean, he's yelling at his defense. He's he's calling out marks. He's he's setting things up. There are things that he's he's the field marshal in the back, especially for that defensive line. And he has a good rapport with them.
01:25:41
Speaker
Not defending necessarily, but I'm saying it's not just, oh, he faced four shots. What is he supposed to do? Shoot more at me? Like, come on. No, I don't. i'm im I agree, but I don't think that he's going to.
01:25:53
Speaker
What I'm trying to say is like. You can see the fans running out in the hourglass, and it's very close. Yeah, like, let's just, you know, i don't mind just kicking the, you know, just giving a little shit. it this goes back This goes back to what we said in the middle of the season for different players. Oh, you're not going to lose your job due to an injury.
01:26:11
Speaker
And when Steph had his concussion and Andrew Ice-T was in, you know, Fry got a spot back. now are you know and Now that we're a couple months past that, it's just like, well, okay, does it apply or does it not?
01:26:23
Speaker
Based on what we saw out Andrew. Andrew's the way. We know it is. It's just win. So again, I'm not at all against the conclusions here. I'm just saying right now the data doesn't back that up, especially with, again, three, four shutouts in the last four and five matches. So anyway.
01:26:39
Speaker
um Yeah, I mean, Vargas had an off night, had a number of giveaways. which the double pivot The double pivot, I thought, was not at the level that it usually Yeah, yeah. And Christian was had a bit of a that bug before he went away to camp.
01:26:55
Speaker
He had two games in a row where he was just kind of coughing it up uncharacteristically. Still a ton of touches, still good play, but we're not used to him giving it away, and and he hadn't. He's gotten rid of that, but Vargas got a touch of it seems like, in this game, which is just weird.
01:27:08
Speaker
Moose need to be on earlier, if not starting, in my opinion. There were a number of balls over the top that were for Morris in the first half that he couldn't catch. Like, they were just... We've talked about it before, Morris' strongest strength, his number one skill is his speed.
01:27:23
Speaker
And that is not going to get better as time goes on. He's not where he was 10 years ago. He's not going to be where he is now in the future. Like, it's just, it happens.
01:27:34
Speaker
So if we have him on there for the over the tops, but he can't get there, we need to rethink. And I'm not saying take him off the field. I'm saying we need to rethink how we deploy him. And he looked pretty good on the wing. You saw how well he was setting up, Boos.
01:27:46
Speaker
So that makes sense. I think they were onto something with the Jordan out wide Moose thing. It looked good. looked good. Those were good chances. I thought Georgie needed to be on 60 minimum.
01:27:58
Speaker
I don't think, I think teams can play too much into Georgie and Georgie wears himself down when he starts and he's better coming on against tired legs and forcing them to adjust.
01:28:09
Speaker
Whereas Georgie can be back and forth on both sides of the field for 40 minutes and they're just like okay, where is it now? i get it over on the is this Is the ball coming down the right? Is it coming down the left? like Who knows? Where's Georgie? Find Georgie.
01:28:21
Speaker
I did ah almost have the vein in my forehead burst when he fouled that guy like for the free kick at the very end. The text message that I sent, I said, oh my fucking God, it's the Open Cup all over again. i was sure he was going to fucking score that. And then they almost did. like It was that close. it was i would i like I'm not as crash out right now. If that had been the game winner, I would crashed out.
01:28:44
Speaker
And speaking of that, Smets just sounds calm as still water. It's like, I think he just knows he's got the better team. He just needs to execute and he's got this game in hand, we'll call it, because it's a hook game.
01:28:57
Speaker
And you cut out and thump them, which to that point, I get people don't like the format. It is the better format. And I'll tell you why.
01:29:07
Speaker
okay i've heard i've I've disagreed with a lot that you've said over the years, Hunch, but I've always respected you as an ah as an intellectual opponent. yeah but Let the man speak. I'll let you cook.
01:29:20
Speaker
Leagues gain new fans, statistically speaking, it doesn't matter the sport, especially in America, on TV during playoff times. And there have been year over year where someone has won the second match and the team who just lost is like celebrating like crazy. And new people watching are like, what's going on? Didn't they just lose?
01:29:38
Speaker
Like, oh, but they have it on aggregate. Well, what does that mean? Well, they scored fewer goals in the away, blah, blah, blah, blah. And they technically won. So they lost the game, but they still won the series and they're moving forward in playoffs. Yes.
01:29:49
Speaker
What? It doesn't make sense for them. You got to have something straightforward. Now, I don't like the two game aggregate away and home. and I'll tell you something different about that in a second. But you add in that factor where it's your newest fans who have never really watched before.
01:30:06
Speaker
They can get engaged and they can understand. Need to win, need to win. Two, obviously, they're going to sell more tickets because now you potentially have three matches and the home team is going make even more money because they're going to have two home matches their something.
01:30:18
Speaker
And the TV stuff. So I get why it happened. I don't think it's perfect. And here's my solution. Have the PKs before the game. Okay, now we're cooking.
01:30:30
Speaker
Here we go. With the with the starting 11. Okay. okay And that's the result if it ends in a tie. Oh, that's actually kind of fire. No, that's a cook. That's a cook. didn't everything else, but I think that's a cook. I had no idea where you were going go with that. Yeah.
01:30:46
Speaker
You were doing the weave. Because then know. Then you know. Then know. then yeah Dude. They would never have the courage to institute that. Pre-Ks, there we go right recognize T-shirts, put it up, let's do it.
01:31:01
Speaker
Pre-Ks. so um That's the perfect MLS. like It is. That's beautiful. no That's great. you You have strategy for the whole game then. It's like, we can't afford to end this in a tie because we're going to lose this.
01:31:14
Speaker
Like, we got to go for it. One team or the other. And that could be the home team if they don't get it done. I think i think it's fire. I think it's fire. People aren't going to like that take, but I think it's fire. Here's the other thing I'll say that was weird about the aggregate thing is generally they said that the home team, the team that was the higher seed, got the second leg, right?
01:31:32
Speaker
Like the the team who won the two-game series had the aggregate away goals. The home team, the second home team was the higher seed supposedly because they had the advantage. But their goals count for less than the second match.
01:31:46
Speaker
So if the first game in 0-0 and the second game ends the home team with the advantage loses because they can't score a way goal. So that doesn't make sense to me. In addition to all the other weirdness about the aggregate. So I'm going with the pre-Ks, pre-K, three-game series.
01:32:05
Speaker
Oh, dude, tell you want a pregame show, like before, people will be tuning in at kickoff or before kickoff. Spotlights, laser lights, fireworks. Yes. Well, and then the ah the idea of them playing the game while already knowing that if that with the result ends a certain way. It changes the strategy, and you won't have anybody sitting back.
01:32:26
Speaker
Or at least, you know, potentially you wouldn't. um But you've got to go for it. Infantino, hit our line. We have an idea for the next World Cup. Yeah, world but that's where we'll start.
01:32:38
Speaker
Anyway, yeah i didn't yeah, it was a board game to watch. ah The last thing I'll say is this. You know who we ah all sound like? two Two different fan bases. One, the first time we played in Atlanta, I think we got like a red card. we We do sound like that. yeah we do so and they were like a scal we're We're righteous and justified in sounding like that.
01:32:57
Speaker
ah to to the to the endth degree was twenty sixteen mls Cup. Zero shots. Everybody in Toronto and everyone outside Seattle is like, Seattle sucks. Look, at they're killing the game. Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. Here's the difference, though.
01:33:11
Speaker
In those games, Seattle was on the road. And in the 16 Cup specifically, they were on the road in negative goddamn 10 degree windchill weather. I was there. It was deeply unpleasant. Uh...
01:33:22
Speaker
the and And they were also, the 2016 team was injured as shit. They ah they they like limped into that stadium that day, and the whole plan was just survive this game, try and get to PKs, and win it that way. And they did.
01:33:35
Speaker
But as as the road team playing in like elements like that, it's way more defensible. As the road team go into Atlanta, Atlanta was good back then. It's defensible. If Minnesota United played like this on the road in their road games or in their playoff road games, I'd be like, yeah, that's normal. That's what teams do. They play like that at home,
01:33:52
Speaker
Yeah. they yeah I mean, it it just sucks. worse It sucks to be the other team, especially if it works. Yeah. It's also worse than the, like, if you watch the way they, bro, they're booting the ball into our, our own corner on kickoff. PSG did that to us.
01:34:07
Speaker
And that's stupid. The game is um we've seen I've seen it happen a few matches now, and I'm just like, is this the thing? like You don't have any control in your possession? bit. It's all the rage. It's it's basically, it's Labubu soccer.
01:34:21
Speaker
They're playing fucking Labubu soccer. all right It's ridiculous. yeah I wish we were going for the series closeout next Monday. Now we're going for let's not lose our lives.
01:34:33
Speaker
and have Let's earn a trip back to do this again. should we go to Minnesota for leg three? would rather die. um Is there anything about the playoffs with yellow yellow card accumulation? so yeah Is there anything about if somebody picks up yellows in the second match, they're out for the third?
01:34:50
Speaker
yeah know i don't I'm not exactly sure how that works, but I'm pretty sure i'm pretty sure if they get if you get two yellows in a series. That's half of Minnesota right now. They did get a lot of yellows.
01:35:02
Speaker
Including Dan St. Clair, who should have also gotten a yellow during the PK shootout, but no comment on that. oh no no he would have been so sick if they sent him off during the PK shootout. I did wonder about that. i was like, is it possible to still get a yellow? Because he's the only person really eligible, and they would have to slot a field player in.
01:35:18
Speaker
Yeah, when he was chirping, I was like, dude, you shouldn't, like, I know you're trying to play mind games, but you should, you're on a yellow. Yeah. Like, he was screaming in the ref's face, and I was like, dude, that's dissent. He was crashing out because he said Alex put the ball, like, not on the dot. Pass the dot. I think he was doing a mind game thing, and that shit fucking worked.
01:35:36
Speaker
Yeah, yeah, i mean, he saved the PK. That's what I'm, he's a demon, dude. He is a demon on these PKs. Well, we'll see. For the Canadians, bro. What the hell? Well, so here's the thing. So we have everything to go for. And that's the other I'll see I don't think Minnesota will play that way here on Monday.
01:35:50
Speaker
Oh, they will. I think they're just going go for it. and They have nothing to lose. They don't do you don't know how to go for it. This is how they play. That's what I'm saying, man. like this is how They can't. They don't know how. is like they're this is They're so committed to this identity that they don't I don't think they change it.
01:36:04
Speaker
I don't think
Strategies Against Defensive Play Styles
01:36:05
Speaker
they change it. Well, see, that's why if I was them, I would because no one would expect it. See, that's what I would do, but I don't think that ah Eric Ramsey has the courage. I've never seen them do it, though. Like, the whole season. i've We've both watched them.
01:36:17
Speaker
It's just they're not. i felt like they were less extreme about it in this game. I was calling them radical extremists on the pregame show. I felt like they weren't quite as extreme. that that Do you remember that first game, Hunch?
01:36:30
Speaker
Yeah. Didn't that feel like... I just remember watching that game and being like, what am I what am i watching? I felt like that... was worse I thought the first game was worse, but this might have felt worse because of the stakes. don't know.
01:36:42
Speaker
Well, so the first game, they were compact. I don't recall them much like they were in this game, having literally all 11 in their defensive third. They didn't even have their front line in the middle third.
01:36:54
Speaker
They were in the defensive third multiple times for extended periods, which is crazy. Because our center back were the attacking third. Like everybody was up. The way they play defense is is so crazy to me. like i have Just gum up the words.
01:37:08
Speaker
Yeah. Well, so here's the last thing I'll say about that. If they're doing that, guys, meaning us, you can't whip balls in the box and expect to get a header like if it's not in flow. you can't You can't have a slow buildup, and then if you're stuck on the wing...
01:37:22
Speaker
blob it in the box and hope that one of the two players on our team or one of the six on theirs, you know, isn't going to get it. And we are like, it's got to be a quick transition into the box before they've set up.
01:37:34
Speaker
But if they're back, they're parked like those, those, whi you can't, you can't like, I don't think it's possible to break that down. Like, and it's, it's the reason it's so frustrating to watch is because when they're doing that thing where they have everyone set and they're dropped that deep and Seattle's just knocking the ball around you there, you know, there's not going to be any sequence at the end of that, where Seattle gets a good chance in all likelihood, the good chances are going to come off counters and set pieces.
01:37:58
Speaker
And, uh, they are so They are very effective at like getting their game states into situations where they can they can just do that. And it's... you I don't know.
01:38:11
Speaker
don't know. Well, hopefully we'll start the next one. Hopefully, George is off the bench, like I said, because I don't ah just don't see him as a starter. Not because he isn't capable, because I find him more effective. But like I said, I'm coming on against tired legs.
01:38:24
Speaker
um And other than that, i don't know what other changes you make. Everybody else looked okay. Alex, I think, was at his first miss on a PK. But Christian, we could take off the top five for kit for kicks, I think, for a while. Maybe have somebody i was thinking the same thing when he was when he was taking that one. i think it's like in his head at this point.
01:38:40
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And that's why you got to take a penalty. Yeah, you got you got you got to give him a break so as he gets out of his head about it. yeah Yeah. Well, all right, Hunch. We got a couple more callers to ah work through here, but thank you as always. That was a fire idea. I'm going Ice tea and pre-Ks. You really, you hooked us up with... This was an all-time cook sesh from Hunch tonight.
01:39:04
Speaker
Yeah. See you guys. on Have a good one, Hunch. All right. We got DJ, then we got James, and then that'll probably be a wrap. And i mean maybe if so anyone else wants to...
01:39:16
Speaker
tap in you can but we're probably not going to stay on for all that much longer i don't need to do two and a half hours about that game uh all right let's get dj on the stage right now dj what's up how y'all doing begrudgingly we'll kiss the crest uh today was it wasn't a good game let's let's be honest um I'm going to repeat some of the things that some of the other callers ah called in about.
01:39:41
Speaker
and First and foremost, Georgie definitely should have started. um And to add on to that, we need to really get our quicker players, at least in terms of pacing and dribbles, on the field. Because it was clear, we're not going to score on a...
01:40:01
Speaker
Oh, no. Oh, frozen mid-cook. Just... frozen midcoat yes Yeah, DJ, you're freezing. You're freezing a little bit. You're freezing a little bit. I'm still here. Can you guys see me? Yeah, know we can't see you, but we can hear you.
01:40:13
Speaker
Yeah. Am I good? Yeah. Keep cooking. Okay, sorry about that. um Yeah. Okay, so again, KKR, Georgie, even RBW, I'm not even sure if he was on the bench today, but I think we just need to try different things. This progression, slow buildup does not work against Minnesota.
01:40:32
Speaker
We've seen this. um Something that Jeremy O'Shann said as well is that, you know, not having PEPA won't be as detrimental to the Sounders. Vividly or more so, I disagree. It was very clear that we needed someone with Pepples pace, right? and And dribbles in the same way Georgie was doing on, I believe he was on the left, right? We need those types of players playing against a team like Minnesota, even like Austin, right? We know that they're going to try and push at the very last minute to score.
01:41:02
Speaker
ah It was very clear they almost did that as well. So again, we need to change that up. Another thing, just stop hesitating. We actually saw this in the Cincinnati game as well.
01:41:13
Speaker
Kevin Denke, he took this like half step pause and missed a perfect chance to score. Right. And same thing. I think we saw that today as well, even though I'm really happy with some of the crosses, especially that Jordan put into Danny.
01:41:29
Speaker
Right. um outside of all of that, we don't know what it is ever s cup, we really haven't be any bangers, right? I'm not say from, you know, 30 yards out every single time we haven't really tested the keeper in the game.
01:41:46
Speaker
but we haven't really tested the keeper until it was way too late in the game So I'll stop there. I know I shot out a bunch of things, but definitely want to talk about, you know, just getting Georgie on the field, getting KKR on the field, on the field way sooner, and then what we can do to score earlier. Yeah.
01:42:08
Speaker
i ah I'm fully, I think what you change lineup wise for game two is, I mean, yeah, I know Hunch was saying that ah Georgie's better as a super sub and i agree with that, but I just think this matchup, this matchup calls for him.
01:42:25
Speaker
This matchup calls for him. ah Sands de la Vega. That's like your your next best option for that that skill set. And i to me, that's the only way I can see to to break down these trolls.
01:42:39
Speaker
Absolutely. um No, I'm not sure if you were going to say anything, but I did want to switch gears and talk about Jesus Ferreira and the game that he had. He's normally, again, just a needler finding those perfect passes. I saw a couple of those today, but I think he was kind of, i mean, and please ah please challenge me on this. I don't think he had his best game today either.
01:43:02
Speaker
I haven't. So again, I'm not sure what the lineup needs to look like, who needs to play on what side, but we need to start scoring way sooner um and testing the keeper often and early, right? They had, they were playing Haram ball, let's be honest, right?
01:43:17
Speaker
So if there's just one person, probably Georgie Manungu or Paul Rothrock on the wing and there's no one in the box, we're not gonna score, right? Someone at least has to make the run. And we saw a couple of those runs, but they were more so through passes, right?
01:43:31
Speaker
um So yeah, I'm not happy with this game, um but I'm confident we will win at home and we can probably pull pull off something amazing in game three.
01:43:43
Speaker
Hell yeah. I like the ah optimism. I am not, ah I said it already, but I'm not on the series is chalked mind frame coming off this. I think this team is, this team is beatable. They're just very hard to beat, but it can be done. And I feel like it's just so, it is very frustrating because of how close I feel like Seattle has gotten the last two times they played.
01:44:06
Speaker
It's just, they, I don't know. They might've just met their foil in Minnesota United. Just put it in the net, though. I mean, but We have many chances. Put in the net.
01:44:17
Speaker
Danny, right? You have to put that away. And I understand everything was happening at a billion miles per a second, but we need to finish. And I think that's another thing we should be practicing. I'm not at camp, right?
01:44:29
Speaker
So I'm not, I don't get to see them train. We need to finish. And I'm not sure what's happening. I listen to Lobby Scorchers every single week, right? or I'm a supporter, LS supporter.
01:44:43
Speaker
I know they're scoring, right? I know that they're scoring in training. What is happening where we can't convert in actual games? And it feels, again, like after Leeds Cup, things kind of took a turn and we just haven't been able to get back to that form.
01:44:59
Speaker
So I'm, again, not sure if it's because of injuries, if it's because, you know, and something mentally is just blocking us from getting in the second gear and that gear that I know that we all have, or more so the the Sounders I know that they have.
01:45:13
Speaker
Do you have any insight? Do you both have any insight into what what's happening? What do we need to do to break the dam? That's my last question. i think finishing, ah there's a couple of things with just the concept of, uh, of finishing it's an, it's inherently streaky, I think.
01:45:30
Speaker
And it's also high variance. Like that's why like chance generation is a much more instructive way to like evaluate an offense than goals scored sometimes, especially over small sample sizes, because, ah it's, it's all about like generating as many high quality chances as you can.
01:45:50
Speaker
and then, Whether whether they go in or not sometimes is up to chance. I think right now, ah like we talked about them XG Merchanting last year, and this team hasn't really had that problem this year. But I think that is kind of what's happening right now over these last few games.
01:46:08
Speaker
And I honestly I don't know what to attribute that to. yeah. Like, I always try to think of it of like, if you just keep, if you just keep playing well, keep playing good offense and generate like high quality chances, you will get goals out of it.
01:46:23
Speaker
But like right now, like they're XG merchanting. And I don't, I don't, I don't know how you get out of that. It might just be a thing where you just have to keep, a keep at it. And eventually the goals will start to come, but now you're in the playoffs and it's like, if they don't, then your season's over.
01:46:39
Speaker
so Okay, final things were a couple of games ago. I think I said if Jesus Rera scored like 15 goals, I would get a tattoo.
01:46:50
Speaker
I'm being the anti. If we win the MLS Cup, I'll get a tattoo on my back. Big Sounders crest either on the right or left ah shoulder. So hopefully Brian hears this or sees this.
01:47:03
Speaker
Please get it done. And yeah, go Dirters. We're going to hold you to that, DJ. We expect our tattoo bets around here. Absolutely. All right. Thanks, guys. I won't keep you on too long. Thank you.
01:47:15
Speaker
Thanks for calling me, appreciate you. All right. We got James to bring us home, and then we're going to call it a night. James gave us the thumbs up. Welcome in. good to ah Good to see you, man. It's been a while.
01:47:27
Speaker
ah Yeah. Thank you for having me. Yeah. PK Shootout L at Minnesota. What's ah what's on your mind? You know, I agree with our previous caller. We just need to do something different.
01:47:40
Speaker
This is sort of feels to me like with Minnesota getting into definition of insanity insanity territory. The horseshoe of death is not going to work. And so i think we should look back at what did work.
01:47:54
Speaker
ah You know, we scored two goals. One was a quick restart that was so quick the camera didn't touch it. So that's true. It's not hard when you're streaming on Apple TV. Get it forward flexible.
01:48:08
Speaker
i Yeah. Yeah. The production has desired it. um And then the other one was Georgie just cooking and hitting the ball in that went in for.
01:48:20
Speaker
Yeah. mcone Get Georgie in there a little bit earlier, ah make them uncomfortable. I mean, they thrive on and defending and if they're going defend deep, ah You either need lightning quick passing ah to break them out, which we just have not really had this year, or who's got the stones to make a run at them.
01:48:41
Speaker
ah You know, I wouldn't say as I think that defensively there's problems there, as we saw with the free kick that I was also sure.
01:48:53
Speaker
ah um So, but, you know, more than 10-ish mitts If we need it, ah you know, the one thing that I is, I thought that Morris got on the much better than he has i as a striker since he came back from injury.
01:49:12
Speaker
You know, he put in two good balls for Musafi and Musafi. He's not a finisher, but he's clever with his run. Well, as he gets times, his runs gets into space. Well,
01:49:26
Speaker
But he's not a good finisher. Hard to bring him on with 20 minutes because he does need a lot of chances. So start Morris on the right, Sofsky up top. Maybe that can be a good thing.
01:49:40
Speaker
I think that's what they should do. I think they should, ah it should be yeah J-Mo on the on the right and Georgie on the left. Why not? You're right, you're right. It's like the yeah the same thing like that they usually run against a normal team, like don't work against this team. So you got to like throw a curveball.
01:50:02
Speaker
I agree. And and look, I know know I'm beating a day worse. I would rather be Jesus at the 10 than Rebac. If you want to do kind of a reverse Thomas, bring Ruse Nelties, fine.
01:50:13
Speaker
But I don't think that he's got the movement that is going to break down a packed back five. I think Jesus is going to make runs into the box.
01:50:25
Speaker
And I think he's going to move the ball quicker. And I think he's going to move it vertically. And I think he works harder on defense, which is going free Obed up to make some runs and to split some lines. so I wouldn't hate it.
01:50:37
Speaker
We're pro Jesus at the 10. That's not what they're going to do. but I mean, do do we think that they're actually going to... Schmetz is already he'ss he's pretty rigid in his like tactics and lineups, I feel like, for the most part. like Him throwing a lineup curveball like that, that they haven't run a lot this season, in the playoffs with the season on the line, doesn't strike me as something that he's that likely...
01:51:03
Speaker
to do But what I would say is that if they get in a situation where it gets into this game two and it's looking the same again, like pull the trigger on the subs early.
01:51:13
Speaker
Like don't wait till 70 or 80, like get get whoever it is on like 55, 60 and try and change the game and earlier than they than they did tonight.
01:51:27
Speaker
um back a lot Play it right wing. You know, he's fast. He can make some runs in behind. um And I think that that, ah you know, that's going to give you more. He's not ever going to win the middle.
01:51:39
Speaker
So Rusnak's lack of defensive acumen, if you drop him back, line it's not go that much. So, you know, and maybe if he can play in balls from deep, we can, you know, maybe we'll get going a little bit quicker.
01:51:53
Speaker
That would be worth a shot. But, you know, I agree with you that Schmetzer's probably going to stick to his ways. And it's I don't know that this is going to work times in a row. Yeah.
01:52:05
Speaker
i I mean, if it was me, I would just play the new lineup from the beginning, but you know I'm more reactionary, I guess.
01:52:17
Speaker
Oh, we got I think, James, you might have froze. I'm taking James off for the time being. It looks like he froze. Yeah, his connection was a little spotty anyway. All right, let's...
01:52:30
Speaker
Thank you for the call, James, though. It was good to see you. Your internet was just choppy, but I got most of your takes. Yeah. All right. We got one more. Let's do one more. We'll close her out. Sorry. i'm I'm trying to email.
01:52:46
Speaker
ah your ah Let's bring Azerota to the stage to bring us home. Azerota, how's it going? PKL at Minnesota to start off the playoffs.
01:52:59
Speaker
Yeah, yeah. Didn't turn out too great. You're able to hear me, right? yeah we Yeah, you sound great. Cool. So I just wanted to say a little bit about Andrew Thomas for this particular game.
01:53:10
Speaker
First off, I want to recognize that we lost because we missed two penalty kicks at the end of the game. That is obviously why we did not win.
Penalty Shootout Tactics
01:53:20
Speaker
Don't play him fry. I don't think he played particularly terribly.
01:53:23
Speaker
The concern I have is that Minnesota was very defensive. They bunkered the whole night. They didn't have that many shots on goal. I was concerned in regulation that when they did take shots, fortunately, they were wide.
01:53:37
Speaker
They didn't get a their shots didn't land. And that's great. But Fry seemed a bit sluggish in this case. And I'm not dogging on him. I absolutely love Steph Fry. I think he's a legend.
01:53:50
Speaker
um My reason for being particularly pro Thomas for Minnesota specifically is that their whole shtick is set pieces and penalty kicks. And I think that if you're just looking at St. Clair's energy in this game versus Fry, it's like night and day.
01:54:07
Speaker
And while Fry definitely did not cost us this game, it I think that Thomas could have given us a slight edge that would have been helpful. There was at least one of those penalty kicks that Thomas, or not, sorry, that of the penalty kicks that Minnesota took that Fry missed.
01:54:24
Speaker
It's possible that Thomas would have got it. Maybe he missed it would have missed it too. Not saying, but either way, I think that Thomas's energy versus the type of team that Minnesota is, is exactly what we need to win the next few games.
01:54:38
Speaker
And so I'm really hopeful that they give Andrew a shot. It's a, it's an interesting point. Like I hadn't thought of it from the perspective of, you know, like what makes a, what makes a great PK specialist isn't just shot stopping and being really good at guessing. It's also shit houseery.
01:54:59
Speaker
Getting in your opponent's head. Absolutely. and Claire, he is he is like that. Like he he's swagging around. He's talking shit. He's like he's getting in your head.
01:55:12
Speaker
So by the time you're even taking the penalty kick, like he's already kind of he's good at that. Andrew Thomas has he's in that mold, not just on PKs, but of the swaggy goalkeeper who's going to like, you know, talk his shit and try and get in your head.
01:55:26
Speaker
And that is part of the reason that he is elite at at a penalty kicks. So it's like I kind of yeah, like the idea of countering their shithouser with your shithouser.
01:55:38
Speaker
There might be something to that outside of the the PK acumen. Yeah, no, he straight up got in Alex's head. And I mean, it's unfortunate that he blocked Alex's shot, but I'm just saying...
01:55:49
Speaker
I think between being able to psych out the other players and being more energetic in general, I think that Andrew would have given us a better edge. i just i didn't I didn't really see that from Fry in this specific game. like There were cases where Minnesota was made some pretty good hits and it was close to the edge.
01:56:07
Speaker
It fortunately went wide. i mean Otherwise, we might have lost in regulation, in my opinion. like I was kind of dreading the performance well before penalty kicks. And I don't know.
01:56:18
Speaker
I'm, I was just nervous about that. I was probably anxious about their performance on set pieces in general leading into this game. So I might've already been like looking for that kind of stuff, but that was just my kind of take. I think that Andrew is the kind of keeper we need to beat a team like Minnesota.
01:56:33
Speaker
um As someone else said earlier though, like we lost cause we didn't score. And that is ultimately at the end of the day, what matters? Like, I think that, JMO set up a couple shots to Moose, which were great in the second half. I thought that was a good synergy there.
01:56:50
Speaker
It's ah it's an unfortunate St. Clair managed to block those effectively. He's an amazing keeper. But... we have to score in regulation. ah We can't let it go to PKs. PKs is such a shit show.
01:57:01
Speaker
I'm not at all surprised that we lost in PKs, not even because of the two that we missed. That's really not excusable. um And as other people said, I think CR needs to sit out for PKs for this cup.
01:57:12
Speaker
I mean, I think that Christian is fantastic. He deserves to be MVP, but he's got two bad shots so far this year when we needed him. And that's really unfortunate. So, um I don't quite feel the same for Leyva. missed like three or four at this point.
01:57:27
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. yeah So, so yeah, I don't know. I think that like, as ah on a more positive note, I think that, I mean, we played pretty good defense. Like they were, ah Minnesota was not very effective, obviously going into the attacking third, but like when they got the ball, we managed to get it back really quickly. And so yeah I was appreciative of how they played.
01:57:47
Speaker
I thought that Vargas had a couple of misses. He got the ball taken away several times, which is unlike him. um I thought that Paul had a number of unfortunate challenges that just didn't quite work out in his favor this game.
01:58:00
Speaker
But um yeah, no, I guess the only other beef I have is with Schmetzer bringing in in Georgie at the 80th minute. Like I feel that he does this often and it really irritates me. Like it, if you are trying to change the game, if you're trying to make an advantage, don't wait till the 80th minute to bring that in. Like you should have brought Georgie in and like the 70th or 60 or the 60.
01:58:21
Speaker
Absolutely. But yeah, 25, 30 minutes, that's how long you need to actually change the game. A lot of the time, like in the 80th, it's that by the time you, if you bring them on the 80th, by the time it's the 90th, like the game's over. And that's like when they're just getting in the stride.
01:58:37
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. Right on. Yeah. Frustrating game. Really not happy. We have to go back to Minnesota for game three. um Well, yet. Looking forward to seeing them at Lumen. But yeah, no, that was, it it is what it is.
01:58:51
Speaker
um Hopefully we do better. Certainly next, next
Closing Thoughts and Audience Engagement
01:58:54
Speaker
game. And then I hope we do better in game three because tonight was not fun. But this is how it goes. Nah, man. I did. um My last thought, just based on what you were talking about, like I do have to give it to, to St. Clair, man, like on that, on that Alex PK.
01:59:08
Speaker
Yeah, like all the stuff he's doing where he's going up and he's yelling about how it's not on the right spot and he's bitching at the ref and he's shithousing. He's getting in. He's getting in his head and it and it worked. It worked. He like won the psychological battle there. Like you got to give that to him.
01:59:24
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah, that and and his blocking moves earlier in regulation. I think that hat tip to him. He had a good game. He saved them. He's a beast. sp All right, Azurada, thanks for calling in. Appreciate you. Good stuff.
01:59:36
Speaker
And we'll ah talk to you soon. Absolutely. Thanks. goodnight another Good night. Thank you. All right, folks, that's going to do it for tonight's postgame live right as we hit two hours. I think that's a good shift. from you You know, we did two hours like, you know, it's playoffs, so we're going to go hard. But after that game, I'm proud of us for making it to the ah two hour mark.
01:59:56
Speaker
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02:00:08
Speaker
And we will be back at it this week. I'll be doing... under the lights for sure. But stay tuned for the rest of our playoff coverage. And we'll also be back at it for the game two post game live, which is hopefully ah little less tilting of post game live.
02:00:27
Speaker
That's all I had. No, you got me anything? No. Thank God the game's over. So excited to do it two more times. Amen to that. All right. Appreciate you guys. Love you guys.
02:00:37
Speaker
We will catch you this week. Peace.