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Nos Audietis: It might be time for something a little different at striker
413 Plays10 days ago
Niko Moreno joins Jeremiah for another episode of “What we learned this week w/Niko” and there’s plenty to discuss. In addition to sharing their early impressions of Ryan Kent at training, they discuss how the Sounders might approach Saturday’s game against San Diego FC. The big question surrounds the striker position, where it looks like Danny Musovski won’t be fit enough to start.
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Nos Audietis is the flagship podcast for Sounder at Heart, which became a reader-supported website on Aug. 21. You can support us by becoming a paid subscriber, learn more here. You can also watch many of their shows on YouTube.
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Transcript
Will Bruin Joins the Pod
00:00:01
Speaker
Hi, I'm Will Bruin, and I was just recognized as a Seattle Sounders legend. Now I get to do voice reads for the Sounder at Heart podcast network. Here we go. Come on. Hey, O'Shaan.
00:00:14
Speaker
Let's go. The Seattle Sounders have done it. MLS Cup winners. Here comes Ruiz. Yes, through the middle to ground it for Seattle.
00:00:29
Speaker
And now they truly can start the celebrations. It's the Sounders MLS Cup. Nico Lodero leaves absolutely no doubt. The Sounders rule the region.
00:00:43
Speaker
Seattle Sounders is going to be able to win. He scored! Derrick scored! Finally! This feels fucking awesome.
00:00:54
Speaker
This is a tiny dog. Nice work on your little yacht yat thing. port the cast say You know, what was the thought process in terms of who you decided to use and you didn't?
00:01:06
Speaker
Ever since I heard Har wrote a commentary that we didn't take over coming seriously.
00:01:18
Speaker
This episode of Nos Arietes is sponsored by Full Pull Wines, a Seattle-based wine retailer and proud sponsor of Nos Arietes since 2011. Full Pull was founded in 2009, is based in Seattle, and is owned and operated by longtime Sounder
Relaxed Recap at Project 9
00:01:32
Speaker
supporters.
00:01:32
Speaker
They offer the best boutique wines of the world to members of their mailing list, with special focus on their home, Pacific Northwest.
00:01:43
Speaker
Welcome back to another episode of Nos Alletes. This is Friday, so of course I'm here with Nico on what we learned this week with Nico. And today ah we are recording not at Longacres, not at Lumen Field, but at Project 9 Brewing up in Maple Leaf.
00:02:00
Speaker
A friend of mine, brewery, and it was such a beautiful day. thought, let's get out into the world and do something environmental. So here we are just drinking a couple beers and discussing the week that was. Nico, welcome
Ryan Kent's Promising Form
00:02:16
Speaker
the show. Hey, thank you. This is a very Seattle-esque type of situation we got going on right Exactly, right? We got a beautiful IPA, by the way. So brewery is on point. Love the little turf they got on the side. It's a nice open area.
00:02:29
Speaker
You got the little heaters in the back just in case it gets cold. Man, I'm digging this spot, man. So if you're definitely around, what is this like? Maple Leaf. Maple Leaf area. And the next one is lake Lake City. That's because I know this sort of roams areas. Definitely check it out, man. Worth it.
00:02:47
Speaker
Big IPA I got myself. It's delicious. So and i excited to hop on. To complete the the plug, we may as well. I also ate here. People may have heard like Kenji Lopez, if you are a foodie, he is like one of the big food influencers. And he recently did a bit on the Mexican Soul truck here, which is like a Korean Mexican fusion type place. I had their tacos today. They were very good. So now all that out of the way, we can record.
00:03:17
Speaker
Let's do it. That's how we do it here. Exactly. We paint the picture. I think prior to the fact that we take the picture on what you said last week, how the sausage is made. Yeah. I like it. Exactly.
00:03:29
Speaker
So it was an interesting another interesting week in the Sounders. The big piece of news, a big piece, I guess the news was not so much that Ryan Kent was signed. We've kind of gone through that.
00:03:41
Speaker
But we got to see him training quite a bit. He trained on Tuesday. He trained Wednesday. I guess he was not outside on Thursday, but then he was back outside today. I got to tell you, i was very impressed by his sharpness, by his fitness, and you can see his quality.
00:04:00
Speaker
you can it It did not take long to see that this is, if he's healthy, this could be a really good player. Look, man. One of the easiest things to see in a player is where he's at technically in the sort of pedigree that he's that he has. I've had the moments of realization with guys like Kelvin Leardom at a certain moment, guys like Victor Rodriguez at a certain time, Brad Smith.
00:04:30
Speaker
There's just some things that a player does when it comes to the way he strikes the ball, the way he controls it. um Ryan Kent, his ambidestuous ability in the passing, the dribbling, especially the shooting, just give him an edge in training, obviously. But this is what's going to give him the edge on the field, man. And I'm just excited to see it.
00:04:55
Speaker
Day two, he had a beautiful strike, maybe 14 yards, 15 yards out with his left, put it in the back of the net. Then moments later, puts one with the right with the right foot. that sort of thing just makes me excited. yeah It is something that, although it might seem simple and people who don't really know the game, it's not easy to do, but when you have it, man, it just opens your world into what you can do in a moment's notice, whether it's in tight space, whether it's in transition. So when you get that out Ryan Kent, it just gets you excited. And If it if anything, the the players that are potentially competing with him might not be as excited, but I enjoy the competition, man, and this guy looks up to par. Yeah, so today he was doing drills where he was crossing mainly to Morris and him were working together, and he was doing crossing from both sides where he would do a little dribbling in tight spaces, and then he'd like get down to the end line or do whatever, various kinds of crosses.
00:06:02
Speaker
And again, like you said, two very two-footed player, To the point where I don't know that if you just watched him, you would say, oh, he's clearly right-footed. And he just has, it's just, there's a sharpness to his game that, you know, you watch Pedro, for instance, and he is a very talented player. There is no question. yep But there's also sort of this a looseness almost to his game, it's a like a South American sort of flair. yep And it's not these tight, crisp things.
00:06:30
Speaker
He's... And it's not to say one is better than the other, but it's a different look. And I think that's what was really impressing me about about Ryan Kent is just that how how tight and precise all of his movements are. Again, like we, you know, it's, this is looking, every time I see him, I'm starting to think this is a better and better move.
00:06:50
Speaker
Look, people' we're not over here sitting like the people that are the tacticians. And I'm not going lie to anybody that I am like this pro soccer guy that has all the certifications. But I know the
Team's Health Update
00:07:01
Speaker
game. I've played it my entire life. I am very confident in my ability to see talent. And to what you just said, I call it purposeness. Purposeness with the movement. A lot of times the South Americans, we do get a little bit flair. And there are times when we might cut the ball back when there might be no need. We might you know give you a back heel where there might be no need. He is so purposeful with every single touch that he makes him that much more effective on anything. And this is us looking at scrimmage, mini-sized games of like 6v6s. drills, but it gets me excited to see him on the field because when you're that smart with every single movement that you have,
00:07:44
Speaker
in MLS specifically that's going to translate so well. When I think that one of the things that's good about it is you know we see a lot of players who struggle with the transition into MLS because it is a more physical league because it is a faster league sometimes but the way he plays feels like it's set up very well for MLS. This is a guy who had been in Turkey which is known to be a physical league been in Scotland which is and also known as a physical league and obviously came up to the game in the lower levels of England And these are just, that's his game.
00:08:14
Speaker
I am very bullish on this guy being a starter relatively quickly and being productive relatively quickly, assuming he stays healthy.
Lineup Strategies and Dynamics
00:08:26
Speaker
But in the meantime...
00:08:30
Speaker
It's looking good right now for the Sounders health-wise. Pedro De La Vega is going to travel with the team. That was maybe not a surprise, but it's on the front end of what was expected. Jordan Morris looks like he might be ready next week. ah Those two players being on the... that neither one of those were serious, serious injuries has to be considered a good sign. And they just need to sort of manage through this this stretch right now, which i is, you know, encouraging, right? Yeah, and now to add on to that, Kim Ki-hee, Rebaker-Whiten, both ready to go. Both should be on the bench for Brian Smatzer's words. All of this finally sets up a game where the depth that we spent so much time talking about in the preseason might come to light. Now, does that reflect on a result?
00:09:21
Speaker
I'm not going to bet on that because it is a very difficult game at San Diego. It's a very good team. We'll talk about that later on. However... um It does make me start to wonder two things. One, I would like to see at some point soon, Brian Smetzer finally deciding what the best 11 looks like. And that's me definitely asking a lot because we just talked about a Ryan Kent that will not be available for a week, another two to three weeks. Yeah. Maybe. Yeah. But I want to see it more together. He's not going to be ready next week. So you're right. Two to three weeks is a good high end, like close. But I want to start seeing a little bit of continuity. It sounds like and it feels like and it looks like Brian's ready to die on the hill of this 352 or It has words.
00:10:18
Speaker
I'm wondering if we'll see a 3-2-3-1, 4-2-3-1, I'm sorry, at some point here
Facing San Diego FC
00:10:27
Speaker
soon. But regardless of, I just want to see a little bit more continuity on what he decides the best grouping is to start off games. um And the second thing for me is what are the guys that are going be coming off the bench to be that spark plug off the bench? And who are the ones that are going to come in and really change the game? Because over the last couple of games, I have seen team that maybe is not deciphered yet. And that's where you get those really slow starts, those really tough games. And I think against San Diego, whether it's a wrinkle here or a wrinkle there,
00:11:06
Speaker
I hope that he gives you a better idea of what Ryan wants and sees this team going forward. well And this is going be an interesting test this week because... Based on what Brian said, based on the way that they finished the game on Saturday against San Jose, it looked like Danny Masofsky was going to get the start, in part because he just sort of plays the role of the number nine in the way that brian that Brian wants him to be playing, that the way the team has been training up until now.
00:11:35
Speaker
He is not Jordan Morris, but he can do a lot of the things that Jordan Morris does in terms of hold-up play and things like that. And Jesus Ferreira is just not that player. Like, he is a very talented player. I've actually been really pleased with what I've seen from Ferreira when he had the ball at his feet. But he's not a classic nine. And I think the Sounders probably need to recognize that he's not going to be a classic nine. And so if they're going to play him at the nine, they need to alter the way they're playing. That said, it does not look like Danny Masovsky is going to be fit enough to start. He missed most of training this week. He was in training today, so that gives me some hope that he'll at least be available. But it does that leaves the Sounders with some probably suboptimal choices. One, they could start Ferreira again.
00:12:23
Speaker
um the second choice seems to be trying Georgie Minungu at the number nine. And he definitely presents as a number nine if you look at him. But he has, as far as I know, never really played as a number nine. And that gives this, that provides an interesting experiment that I suspect that we'll see some of, because my suspicion is Ferreira and Manungu are going to switch off a lot. in ah An experiment mean that a lot of our audience has brought up, has seen. Yes. c In theory, like you mentioned, it makes sense, right? I mean, he's quick, he's fast, he's good on the ball. However... It's not his game. It's not his game. And people, there's a very common misconception about how easy it is to play the night. And as someone that spent a lot of time talking to...
00:13:21
Speaker
um Nelson Valdez about how hard it really is and why at that specific time 2016
00:13:31
Speaker
what jordan mortis was having such a hard time playing with his back to goal and holding up the ball and doing the the runs without getting anything it in return because you're just running to run right you're just running to create you make a lot of runs that are not where you don't get the ball no one sees you're just occupying the the defenders you occupy in the space so there is a mental component to it I'm not against it because... And at his best, I will say, Raul Ruiz, when he was at his best, that was maybe his best skill. Oh, yeah Was his willingness to make runs that went unrewarded. His willingness to keep doing all the... to stay high and get 20
Forward Options Exploration
00:14:09
Speaker
touches in a game. even though I'm sure he wanted to touch the ball 40 times. But anyway, I digress. Go ahead. No, no. And he was going to make it count. And that was going to next point. So it was the perfect segue because it's about making it count. Right. And I don't know if Georgie has that finishing ability because when Ryan talks about – He does not a lot of goals. He doesn't have a lot of goals. And when Brian talks about him not being the finishing product, he talks about decision making, finishing, all those things. So we'll see how it works. But I'm all happy if that's the case. We're not saying that there's any certainty to that. But if that is the case, i'm okay with it. little creativity. Let's see how it works.
00:14:45
Speaker
um Nothing against Danny Masovsky because I saw your video and I'm glad that you're able to give him his due credit for that high motor, that effort that he put in. and I want to be clear about something. I'm not saying that Danny Masovsky is the ideal answer to number nine. I'm saying he is the answer given the limited up ah options. and And the fact that Brian, for one reason or another,
00:15:12
Speaker
um And I asked him just this week, and he didn't really give me the answer that I was looking for in terms of how... Kind of his thing this week. Yeah, kind of his thing. Just because he kind of gave me a little bit of that diplomatic answer where I don't really know if he did give me an answer or not. But I feel like there is a bit of a... Ugh.
00:15:37
Speaker
apprehension to work to Ferreira's skills is more of he wants a plug and play. He wants Ferreira to adapt his game to the game plan, not adapt his game plan to. Exactly. And he he told me, you know, it's a little bit of bone. We got to work the skill set and we have to.
00:15:58
Speaker
get him to work to our game plan so yeah he didn't really give me an answer but i feel like there is an apprehension about hey we gotta modify in some sort of way our game plan to ferrera and if you're not willing to do that then i'm okay with the danny masovsky because he is gonna just play the role play i mean i think undeniably they were much better in the second half with danny at the nine then ferrera at the nine Now, again, we don't we can get into a sort of chicken and egg discussion about whose fault that is. But either way, I don't i don't know that we're going see it. And I wouldn't even be surprised if Osase de Rosario, who is the Tacoma Defiance number nine, you know, he, he I think he, it will be interesting to see what kind of role he gets. I wouldn't be surprised if he gets a a short-term loan for this week. He's not going to start. That's interesting news, though. Yeah, he could be available. i don't know. Did you happen to watch the Tacoma Defiance game on on Wednesday? i did not. I lied to you I said that. I wanted to go down there.
00:16:58
Speaker
I always tell myself, going to go to the Tacoma Defiance game, and I don't. There's always a reason not to get to Kuala to come into finance. I have the same problem. I will just say that ah De Rosario, I think, can do the – like, if you're just literally looking for someone to do the Danny Masofsky job, i think he's okay at that. he's He is not the – I don't know. I'm not i'm not a huge, huge – I'm not going to sit here and say he's the answer because i I'm not sure that he is. But I think Masofsky is a better option than Rosario.
00:17:29
Speaker
But it's in it's an it's an intriguing option that they have. I'll tell you, the player that i I just want to mention, and I want people to keep in mind, remember this name,
Tacoma Defiance Spotlight
00:17:39
Speaker
Edson Carley. He is 17, I think 17 year old that plays for the academy right now. He's been playing up with Defiance.
00:17:47
Speaker
He has not signed yet, but he's now played, I think, three or four games for Defiance. He is a fun, fun player. Do you talk about players who are willing to do things that that are creative, that are outside the game plan, that are just exciting.
00:18:04
Speaker
Things that we have not seen a lot of, that's one thing academy players from the Sounders have not been as exciting. Just, ball you know, like, they'll do their own thing, Clinton Dempsey types.
00:18:15
Speaker
Edson Carley has that in him. You know, he was trying backheels. He was beating guys off the dribble. He did basically generate the goal that was the winning goal. It was a known goal, but it was his play that that set it up. He had another ball off the crossbar.
00:18:29
Speaker
He had this one through ball, nutmeg through ball that was – Didn't quite come off, but it was like, that's the idea of trying to do it. But anyway, i do that's a total digression. Just a name to keep in mind Edson Carley. He's a fun player. If you're watching Defiance, he's probably going to start this week. um and a player to watch. that's it That said, ah we don't need to get into that game too much other than I will note that the Defiance are playing Oakland Roots in the third round. They are hosting in the Open Cup, and that game is going to be on April 15th in case people want to go out and watch that one.
San Diego FC's Strengths
00:19:04
Speaker
But, yeah, getting back to the Sounders, they are playing San Diego FC on the weekend. What do you make of San Diego? This is a team that is maybe the biggest surprise this year. They're the biggest surprise, but they might be, and I'll say this without necessarily doing a good job at at going back and looking at the games that we played in MLS this season, but they might be the team that, maybe with the exception of Charlotte, has the most ingrained identity
00:19:37
Speaker
identity of the teams that we've played so far. And it's odd because they're a brand new team. So we shouldn't be this far ahead when it comes to this is the concept. This is how we execute This is our 4-3-3. This is the way we're going to be compact when we defend.
00:19:57
Speaker
This is when we're going to be able to expand when we get the ball. But they do it so well, by far. yeah The best possession-based team statistically, but for me, more importantly, is effectively. They are effective on the ball. When they have to be direct, they're direct. They use their width very well.
00:20:16
Speaker
um And that's without Chucky Lozano, by the way. Chucky Lozano came in in the second half in the 3-2 game against LAFC. Should have had at least two goals. Did not put him away. But for me, just the concepts of what they want to do with the ball are so clear. in midfield, they got a dog. They got a nasty veteran that knows exactly what he wants to do, how he wants to play the game, how to play.
00:20:42
Speaker
dictate tempo in Godoy. Give me Godoy every single time, regardless of his age, because he's going to set the tempo. On the other side, a more skillful, a more um aggressive guy with the ball in the La Torre, I just look at this team and you don't see any big, big names. If you don't think Chico is another big name, I do. But people who look at this team just say the way they play, how conceptually they play is the reason why they have an edge on teams. And I'll tell you right now, They took it to LAFC.
00:21:21
Speaker
They stole the protagonism out of that game, and they put him on their back the entirety of the game. Maybe not the entirety, maybe 75% to 80%. LAFC did come back. There were five goals in that first half. LAFC got a couple back in that first half. And then in the second, regardless of getting Igor and Jesus red-carded, they had a couple of chances. But San Diego just knows how to play. Last thing I'll say about San na Diego, set pieces.
00:21:49
Speaker
very dangerous. Dreyer seems to have a foot that he knows where he wants the ball, the pace he wants the ball with, and they get a lot of numbers behind, whether it's in the 18 or whether it's corner, whether it's like short corners. They just know that when it comes to restarts,
00:22:11
Speaker
throw-ins, free kicks, they're going to have a difference. They're going to make a difference. and that's where Seattle should be looking at to try to limit this San Diego team. But to me, they're just very well coached and they have a lot of talent. Yeah. And so you look at their schedule and you're kind of immediately you go, well, sure. They're three, one, and two, but who have they played?
00:22:30
Speaker
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00:22:43
Speaker
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00:23:12
Speaker
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00:23:23
Speaker
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00:24:24
Speaker
Here's what their schedule has been so far. On the road against the Galaxy in the season opener. They win that game 2-0. Then they host St. Louis City. And this was sort of a game that I think a lot of people maybe remember because it was kind of a boring game. And they tied that one.
00:24:39
Speaker
St. Louis City. But that's a good defensive team. It is. Then they go on the road. They beat Salt Lake. And then they host the Columbus crew. They tie that game. They lose at Austin, but then they come back and they beat LAFC at home. This is a tough schedule. It is. It's just not a cakewalk schedule. These are a mixture of road games and home games. These are teams that are mostly in the – that you would expect to be competing for playoff spots.
00:25:04
Speaker
you know Austin has been one of the best teams in the in the league this year. That's their only loss. They weren't really outplayed in that game either. were And it's just, this is like a good team. the the The Sounders, I think, shouldn't feel like they can't play with them, but it is not. This is a as much of a test for the Sounders as it is for for San Diego. They're road dogs, by the way, if you want if you look at it that way. There's a really good...
00:25:32
Speaker
Plus 240 on the draw. but But honestly, this team is good enough to be the...
Underdog Strategy Against San Diego
00:25:40
Speaker
Seattle's the underdog. There's no doubt about it. Going into this game. And so that's what I want to kind of clear out is that this game is is by no means easy. yeah And... regardless them being an expansion team and the result that you just mentioned, they've been the better team in every single game. And whether you put a lot of stock into it or not, I like the items. And in every game, and I've watched, I want to say every game this season for San Diego, they've always been the better team. Heavy possession team, heavy volume, it's been for chances, and they're just very effective on the ball. So Seattle has a their hands full.
00:26:19
Speaker
I thought that it was nice to hear from you this week. And he seems excited about playing against the San Diego team. And he seems excited about where the team is, where he is physically. He talked about being a little bit more aggressive. on the offensive end. He had a couple of great chances against San Jose. did. Those are maybe his three best shots I've ever seen him take. I agree with you. watching the game with my daughter because we were in Poma with my son and my son was dead sleep and I'm watching it with daughter she's like, Daddy, is that new? I've never seen him do that. I know. I literally, I kid you not, I said, neither have I, honey. I have never seen be this good on shots. don't know where that came from. Yeah. All those shots shouldn't be made, but there great reaction by the goalkeeper there.
00:27:06
Speaker
But can Seattle be more aggressive? Can they really take it to San Diego? San Diego's only won one game at home, which is that LAFC game. That was a great game. But can they surprise him? Can they beat him off of that possession? Because I haven't seen a game this season where San Diego doesn't have the ball. Yeah, they yeah they've had a lot of... So if they win that possession, maybe they put him in an uncomfortable position. I don't know.
00:27:30
Speaker
But it's going to be a game that I feel like it's a really good parameter on where Seattle stands today. Yeah, I think it is. i would not have I would have not circled at San Diego in week seven as a real test for the Sounders. But I think we're going learn a lot about this team. And they are going to be a little shorthanded. so it's maybe not a perfect test but this is again i say this i've said this before i'll say it again the way that this roster is built it should be deep enough to handle missing jordan morris for a few weeks it should be deep enough to be missing pedro de la vega for a few weeks and i i don't think it is a personnel issue i do think that the talent is here to be competing And it and it hasn't been... ah It's not like it's been a disaster. If you look at the start to last year and you look at where we are now, I think they're ahead of where they were at this point last year. There were some real struggles going on last year. There were some real mental breakdowns that were happening last year. We're not there right now. I don't think this is... like Nothing I've seen in the first six weeks disabuses me of the belief that this is still a team that is going to contend for trophies one way or another. Now...
00:28:42
Speaker
um They need to start putting some results together. Because you can't just keep dropping points every week and thinking we'll figure it out next week. And so i'm I am looking forward to this game.
00:28:56
Speaker
i kind of would have loved to have been able to go down there to San Diego. We aren't going to be doing that. But... It's expensive, I hear. It is expensive. I was looking at tickets. It was going to be like $800 round trip or something, which is crazy. But that's not... We don't need to get into that.
Roster Depth and U22 Signings
00:29:11
Speaker
ah I don't know. What do you like? you like the Sounders' chances this weekend? I do not. You do not. i I am putting my money on a draw. Okay. I feel like Seattle defensively can...
00:29:23
Speaker
mitigate the effectiveness of San Diego set pieces. I see a Yemar Gomez-Andrade that is committed and motivated to have an MVP-type season, best defender of the year season. I've talked to him a couple of times, and he really feels like This is the year where he's finally gonna break through. oh I like new and what he said this week. Jackson Reagan, obviously a guy that has minimized the mistakes that perhaps had happened just at some point this season.
00:29:58
Speaker
The pivots in this one, I'm hoping that they're at their best. So I feel like Seattle has a good chance to get a result. Yeah. I just don't know how much I trust that offense, and that's why I cannot sit here and honestly tell you, yeah, I think Saints are going to win this game because I don't know they have enough. And I'm hoping that at some point they do. And I am very confident that when I look at the talent pool of this roster that eventually they'll figure it out, I just don't think it's this weekend. But I do feel like they have a really good chance at playing a better game than they had in San Jose because to me it was way too inconsistent. So I'm hoping that over the course of 90 minutes, this team at least has a better ability to execute the game plan consistently and that they have more chances and that they create.
00:30:50
Speaker
But I just don't know if the finishing product will be there this weekend. Fair enough. ah So one more thing I wanted to get into before we call it a show is it was overlooked a little bit because of the conversation was all about Ryan Kent this week. And we but we did talk to Craig Weibel for a pretty long time. And one of one of the comments that he made and maybe he was I can't remember who he was taught, who he was answering. But he we talked to him about U-22 signing. And he, if you read between the lines, I think he was expressing confidence that they could bring in a player who can contribute right away. And that's really the bar they're setting for themselves.
00:31:35
Speaker
They aren't looking for a project. They're not looking for someone who will be good in it. Literally what he said is we're not looking for someone that's a year or two away from being MLS contributor. We think we can find someone that can basically walk in the door and raise our level now. And everything I'm hearing, it sounds like they have essentially settled on, they're going for strikers. Yes.
00:31:57
Speaker
um Anything that you're hearing in terms of when that might happen? Yeah, definitely in the summer. And he mentioned the fact that he doesn't want to get a player right now that's not ready to contribute. He doesn't want to rush the process. He was very clear about that. And as far as I know, got a couple of... of hits on some players that they might be looking at, which obviously I won't share now because I feared that someone was going to steal them. But I do feel like they're looking in the right places and they're looking for the right profile.
00:32:29
Speaker
Clearly, this team needs a true goal scorer. And it's a guy that's not going to be a false nine and it's not going to be... i dont want um I don't want to say it's a Raul Rebias-esque because I feel like they're looking at a more athletic profile, which was interesting to me. But...
00:32:48
Speaker
Without a doubt, they're looking for the next great thing. And I love that because I feel like with the Ryan-Ken move, they were ambitious in not being conservative and being, hey, this is the best situation. Let's turn it into a good one. And up our ceiling on it, rather than getting a guy that maybe is more conservative, more of a short thing. I feel like with this U22, it's similar.
00:33:14
Speaker
Let's go for a guy that's going to race the bar. Yeah. That's going to come in and be the next guy. And that's all I've been asking for. And Stryker is absolutely, without a doubt, and I said this in a lot of his coaches, It is no longer option for the Sounders to look any other position for the U22 because if anything that we've learned this season is that there is a dire need for a guy that's going to come in and perform, score, and beat that. killer in the final third. It's not a guy that's just going to, oh, I like to score. No, he's dying score. He needs to score. And that's what they're looking for. And that's what this team needs. Jordan Morris has done a great job, and I think he has plenty of years to be a productive guy, but you have to think about what is that generational change going to look like. And that's what I feel like this team is looking at with this U-22. And those are all good things because you need that. Right. You can't not go get a striker because you like who you have. Exactly. You need competition. You need to try to bring in someone that can raise the bar. And if Jordan keeps meeting that challenge, good for him. Good for the Sounders.
00:34:29
Speaker
But they need to challenge him. They can't just anoint him as the starter and hope that he continues to produce because he... is driven internally. It's like having some external pressure is good. so And you can't ride the wheels off the bus either. look I have a lot of appreciation and almost admiration for what Jordan does.
00:34:54
Speaker
But at the same time, i feel like this club and Bryant's Metro, they really over... extended his... I mean, I think we saw at the beginning of the year is they felt like they had to have him on the field. They just were just really going at it every single time, every single game. You've got to have an option. Yeah. And I said this in Lovas Quarters where, sure, Masowski could be this... patch on a flat tire going to be able to just yeah add air he's going to be a patch but he's going to lower your ceiling and this team is not about lowering your ceiling they need to update they need to amplify it and that's what this U22 essentially will do for you so it will be exciting and I will add that If they are looking for someone that's going to come in and be able to start right away, it makes sense that they would wait until the summer because the reality is that the type of player who's available right now probably isn't going to raise that bar. Unless you get lucky and you – Ryan Kent was out of contract. He's 20 years old. You don't find that profile of player.
00:36:00
Speaker
bumming around on a free, on a under 22 age. All those guys are signed and if they aren't signed, I'm not sure you want them. You gotta pay treasury. Right, exactly. So this is why you should absolutely be, I think going in the summer makes sense.
00:36:16
Speaker
That means we're gonna have to wait a little bit more. That means that that player might not help them chase a supporter shield or whatever, but that player should be able to contribute in League's Cup. They should be able to contribute in the playoffs. And that is pretty solid, I think. I mean, um I like the way that the roster is setting up right now. And it'll be interesting to see how Ferreira fits into all this ultimately. It'll be interesting to see how De La Vega fits into all this ultimately.
00:36:43
Speaker
And I like the idea of them being able to rotate their lineup freely if they need to. So yeah hopefully this is all trending in
Club World Cup Preparations
00:36:52
Speaker
the right direction. no And, you know, with Craig Weibel, me and him had a little bit of a back and forth about Ferreira and about was there any misconception on the profile of a player he was. He seems to think that Ferreira definitely is a striker because I had no fear to ask him and tell him that Brian Smutcher looks kind of like he doesn't really Ferreira up top, I kind of mentioned him maybe leaning, just pulling the plug on him being a nine.
00:37:26
Speaker
Craig believes still that that he can be that nine. I think that at some point in moving forward, there might be a way in a system when under that 4-2-3-1 and having a winger like Ryan Kent.
00:37:40
Speaker
In a healthy Pedro De La Vega. Exactly. If you have Kent and De La Vega on the wings, I think Ferreira could potentially work as a nine. Yeah. But absent those types of players... You can do it. You can it. Yeah. so So I'm hoping that that's the case and that's where they're gonna build their blocks onto...
00:37:56
Speaker
um which is exciting. And that's all that we can ask for. I think that we have been personally, let me say me. i've been I've criticized this team at times.
00:38:10
Speaker
I've criticized Ryan at times. I feel like They're in a position where they've played a little bit better than maybe the record shows. I feel like the roster better than the record shows. yeah And moving forward, after the San Diego game, when you get some guys back, um Can they have a streak against where they turn the course that's currently on around? Can they get people excited? Right before, and I don't want to leave this show without talking a little bit about Club World Cup. Yeah. because I had the opportunity to talk to a FIFA official about how excited they are about Seattle hosting and the expectation that they have that people show up, that this is a dress rehearsal for the World Cup. And to me... If you have a team that starts to do well now, that's going to help those sales. yeah There is no marketing tool that can hit the Seattle area better than the Sounders playing well. Exactly. you know that's Absolutely. the best The single best marketing tool that you can unleash is playing fun, exciting, winning soccer.
00:39:29
Speaker
And if the Sounders start doing that, I think we'll see a little bit more excitement about the Club World Cup. I don't think anyone's expecting the Sounders to... I don't know how many people are really expecting the Sunners to win a game at the Club World Cup, but they should be able to compete. Yes. Show us that you can get on the field with Botafogo. Show us that you can play at times with Atletico Madrid. ah You know, PSG?
00:39:53
Speaker
Okay, this is a high bar. We are setting a high bar. But I want them to compete. I want them to not get embarrassed. And if they can get a point or two out of this thing and be in contention for... advancement on their final game, I think that would be probably seen as a success. And honestly, it would set up a really fun stretch run for the Sounders. What I will say is this. This is the one and only time where Sounder at Heart audience, I'm talking to you. um the The players on the field might not have the only impact in the club or conference.
00:40:32
Speaker
Like I said, after talking to Brian Swanson, he's the, I think, director of public relationships for FIFA. I said, I have no doubt that the Seattle Sounders fan base is going to show up. Uh-oh. You put your marker down. I put my marker down. And I know that the tickets are...
00:40:49
Speaker
high priced and I know that it's difficult to get around. It's in the middle of a week as well. But I really hope that... So those kickoff times are not exactly helping. Those kickoff times are awful and I'll be the first one to say it and I said this to him, right?
00:41:03
Speaker
But I really hope that every single person that can and wants to be at those games does that job because as a soccer community, we do have a little bit of a responsibility to show up in this global scale and make sure that that atmosphere that I praise about all the time to anyone who will hear it outside of the States, that needs to show that needs to reflect. And I hope that that's the case. That's why I'm putting a little bit of the responsibility on every single person that loves the Sounders, that goes through every game. Maybe it's unfair because they're like, Nico, are you paying my bills? No, I'm not. But I do hope that everybody shows up because after talking to this specific person, there is an expectation for Seattle to show up. And I didn't necessarily put my hands under fire, but I did say that I was pretty sure that they were going to show up.
00:41:57
Speaker
All right. Well, I mean, i it'll be interesting to see how that plays out because I do think that my impression is that sales have not been as robust as they thought they would be. Although everything I'm hearing is that on this on the on a relative sense, Seattle is selling better than any other market.
00:42:16
Speaker
But I don't know that in general the tickets are moving quite as well as they did. This week they came out with a ah package deal where if you bought if you bought us a ticket to the opener and a ticket to either the final or the semi-final, you got access to the World Cup, to do a World Cup ticket, which I don't know. These are very expensive tickets, so I'm not really blaming anyone. Of course not. I will be interested to see what happens when they finally open up the inventory for the lower bowl and some of the better seats. i think a lot of people are probably holding out to see if they can get access to those tickets.
00:42:52
Speaker
um But I agree with you. I think the thing that's so exciting about the Club World Cup is that the Sounders get to play home games in this thing. And that is an opportunity that is really unlike anything else that we've ever experienced, we might ever experience.
00:43:08
Speaker
And it is special. So I hope at the end of the day, hopefully we get some good crowds there. Yeah, because look, ECS is going to get a chance to show that amazing, creative,
00:43:20
Speaker
just outstanding way of showing their support that they do every single time against the Timbers at 2019 MLS Cup. Every single time they'll be able to do this and there's going to be cameras of the entire planet watching over this game. And that's what I look for. Again, I understand that Unfortunately, the the tickets are not as accessible and you know easy to come about as they should be. But man, I'm excited for the world to have those lenses on on ah on on a crowd and a supporting fan base that, man, I think that it's worth watching.
00:43:57
Speaker
it's worth watching Yeah, I think that's that's probably a good note to end on, Nico. Once again, thank you for joining me. Thank you to Project Nine for hosting us today.
00:44:08
Speaker
This has been a beautiful day in Seattle. This has been what we learned this week with Nico. This Nos Adientes, part of the Sounder Heart Podcast Network. I am Jeremiah Oshan, and we'll catch you next time.
Episode Wrap-Up
00:44:46
Speaker
I expect an LAFC who is motivated ah to prove themselves at home, to prove to their fans that that they're capable of winning in this league. And it's up to us to really ruin the party.
00:44:59
Speaker
You guys like that? and a what Awkward joke, dad joke right there, huh?