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Obed Vargas is the Best Young Player in MLS - Ep. 125
1.2k Plays3 days ago
Ari is back in the city of Seattle, and we are back with a jam-packed episode with thoughts on the Seattle Sounders’ big win over the Portland Timbers, as well as this week’s news that Obed Vargas is your No. 1 player on MLSsoccer.com’s 22 Under 22 rankings. We’ll also hit a final update on the Great Goalkeeper Controversy of 2025, Cristian Roldan’s bid to make the USMNT World Cup squad, and the retirement of an MLS great in Columbus Crew midfielder Darlington Nagbe.
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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 Episode Overview
00:00:00
Speaker
Well sir, we got a scorcher today. Gonna be a real scorcher today. Quite the scorcher today. Well it's gonna be scorcher.
00:00:23
Speaker
What's going on, everybody? Welcome to another episode of Lobbing Scorchers. That's right. I'm back in the city of Seattle, and we are back with a jam-packed episode.
00:00:33
Speaker
The Seattle Sounders, since I last recorded one of these, have got a win. over the Portland Timbers. ah Obed Vargas is your newly announced number one ranked player on MLSsoccer.com's 22 under 22 rankings.
00:00:49
Speaker
We're going to talk about that. They also have got a matchup with Real Salt Lake coming right up at Lumen Field this weekend. ah So we're going to talk about all that and more, maybe hit a couple of the other headlines from around MLS.
Podcast Updates and Sponsorship
00:01:02
Speaker
Noah, it's good to be back.
00:01:04
Speaker
How are you doing? Dude, i I started podcasting again in your absence. um That was probably one of my favorite comments to read was, wow, Noah's podcasting again. This is great. So, you know, I feel exactly like you.
00:01:20
Speaker
i am i am so happy to be back on the grind of content. We're in kind of a lull of a week, but it doesn't matter because, frankly, there's always shit to talk about. The content keeps rolling. And thank you, by the way, for holding it down in my absence. For those of you who don't know, I was out of town for a wedding. and That's why I was not at the Sounders-Timbers game. That's why I was not doing kickoff on Monday.
00:01:45
Speaker
ah But you you were you got J.O. in there to pinch hit. You did kickoff with Nico, which I didn't even. I thought there was to be no kickoff. So you were killing it. I appreciate that, but i'm I'm ready to get back on the grind. and it's ah You're right. It's a little bit of a lull this week, but the I think the topics that we do have to discuss are pretty ah pretty
Sounders vs. Timbers Analysis
00:02:05
Speaker
good topics. so I'm excited to get into it, and let's do that right now. But before we do all that, I do have to let you all know that Lobbing Scorchers is a part of the Sounder at Heart podcast network.
00:02:14
Speaker
If you want to get the best independent Seattle soccer coverage, consider supporting us by going to sounderatheart.com. No, what's that link? sounderatheart.com. All you have to do is scroll down to subscribe and support to get 30 days completely free. Every sign up through our link helps support and grow this show.
00:02:29
Speaker
ah Do we have any subs? Okay, yeah, let's just keep it pushing. We did it why we du We hit triple digits a couple weeks ago. So that's that's really, I mean,
00:02:41
Speaker
We're working towards quad digits, but that might take a while. So for now, that's fine. The grind continues. Shout out to our sponsors, Hacks on Ferments, Podium Menswear, Full Pull Wines, and My Data Removal.
00:02:52
Speaker
If you have not done so yet, please sub to our YouTube. ah Follow us on all social media, including Instagram and TikTok. and Give us a rating on the podcast apps. We're slacking on podcast ratings.
00:03:07
Speaker
five star rate five stars write reviews tell all your friends to subscribe and uh tell them how bad the podcast was without ari you know be like thank god they brought him back you know but make sure to rate it five stars yes yeah um all right no let's get into it let's lay down this pod uh because i got a i got a lot to say it's been a while i think this is the longest i've gone without contenting in like two years so Yeah. The first thing I did want to talk about was ah give my thoughts and perspective on this Timbers game. I mean, I know you covered it extensively, but ah but I didn't.
00:03:42
Speaker
So I want to do ah wanted to talk about it just a little bit because I think there, I mean, it was obviously a huge result, a huge win, and i think there's some other stuff to chew on coming off this one. But ah the first thing I wanted to ah to do, Noah, was kind of just give my perspective on this game because it was an interesting one for me. I, uh, I was trying to think how many Sounders games have I missed. Uh, and I believe it's three since 2014 with this being, uh, with this being one of them, I missed, uh, I missed a couple for similar reasons as this, but it just doesn't happen very often. And, uh,
00:04:18
Speaker
missing a Sounders Timbers game is not something that would happen under normal circumstances. And the the way it timed up was that, you know, I was at this wedding reception right while the game was going.
00:04:30
Speaker
So I kind of figured I wasn't going to get to watch it at all. You know, I was hanging out at the reception. had, looked at my phone, checked the score, saw De La Vega got a goal, but then wasn't really paying attention. ah But it was funny because i was able to catch the last like 15 minutes with the time zone difference.
00:04:47
Speaker
I was a didn't go that late, so I was able to go home a little early and catch the last 15 minutes i was watching. ah from the 75th to like the 88th on my phone on the drive home. So I really saw like the last couple of minutes of the game on TV.
Sounders' Red Card Issues
00:05:02
Speaker
And I sat down and I'm looking at it. Seattle's still up 1-0. And I was like, oh, all right. I mean, this looks like it's going pretty well. They're about to ah see out this win, get a much, much needed win over the Portland Timbies. This is great to see. and And look, no one's gotten a red card.
00:05:19
Speaker
They still have all 11 men on the field. I mean, they're actually, i thought to myself, I was like, they're actually about to make it to the end of this game with no one getting a red card, all 11 men.
00:05:30
Speaker
And then of course, of course, in, ah second It was destined, Ari. It was destined. You know you see Albert Rusnak. I'm sitting there. I see Rusnak go in for that tackle. I knew as soon as as soon as he made that tackle and the commentators were like, oh, wait a minute. We might bring this one back. and as I was sitting there watching with my friend who doesn't know anything about the Sounders. and i I was just like, all right, here we go.
00:05:55
Speaker
Here we go. Send him off. Send him off. Just send him off. See if I give a shit. Send him off. Oh, he's suspended for the next game. Oh, suspend him. Suspend him. Like, it was the most appropriate way that the 2025 Seattle Sounders could have ended that game.
00:06:13
Speaker
It's just ah like it's been a running bit all season at this point. I think, what is that, their ninth or... 10th, I think is their ninth red card of the season, which is a lot. So it was good to see the crash out red, red card boys back at it.
00:06:28
Speaker
But they were able to see out the win. So that was, ah I think it was just a sorely needed victory for a lot of the reasons that we've talked about with this rivalry over the years. We're going to talk about the whole Timbers owning the rivalry storyline and, uh,
00:06:48
Speaker
if that's dead or not and the agenda check but for me no i think equally encouraging to that was you know the results have not been going that good since league's cup so it was important for them to get a positive result like this get a win just from that respect irrespective of the portland timbies and i i also think that type of game is the exact type of game that you need to be able to win in the and the playoffs.
00:07:13
Speaker
You're going to be playing these tight competitive games. Every playoff game is going to have that kind of Darby-like feel and that intensity, right? So for them to be able to kind of get a test run of that, snap out of the recent funk,
00:07:25
Speaker
beat the Timbs and really just kind of get back in a good frame of mind as they prepare for the playoffs here. I think that was all good, important stuff. And obviously the goal that they scored in the game was, was fantastic.
00:07:40
Speaker
ah Seattle's gotten really good at it ah scoring that exact type of goal, that cutback goal. And then De La Vega with a great finish. It was great to see him playing soccer again. Great for him to score that goal.
00:07:52
Speaker
And an all around badly needed, very important win. I think that's all I had on that game. ah Noah, what I don't know if I've caught up with you. I mean, I've listened to the pods and stuff, but ah how are you feeling kind of in the aftermath of ah of a Derby win?
00:08:07
Speaker
Well, it felt good. I mean, theres there's no doubt to beat the Timbers at home for the first time in eight years. Yeah, he's impressive. It's great. I don't think this was a lights out performance or something that I'm going to.
00:08:21
Speaker
I said this on kickoff. I was like, this is one of those games where I'm going forget about it next season. Like, it's just not going to stick in my head. But they got it done. It was professional. And to see De La Vega go and play 60 and to see Jordan Morris out there, um Danny Musavsky looking kind of not the best, that was a whole ah whole thing. We talked about that on kickoff.
00:08:43
Speaker
I guess if you really want to know and and hear all of my takes, you can definitely go listen to kickoff. So that's my promo. But I think my my key takeaway is just that this was a much-needed win. to go and set yourself up to be successful in these next few weeks in the playoffs.
00:08:59
Speaker
This ah RSL game, we'll talk about it more, but it feels like a reset in a way. This match, it it was a win. It was a grind it out, plague play the right way type of win and make your opportunities count. So i it's exactly how I want to see this team playing in the playoffs, especially because they're most likely going to have be playing away from home the entire time.
Playoff Seeding and Rivalries
00:09:23
Speaker
Yeah, where are you at as far as, I mean, the playoff seating looks about set unless something crazy happens. If the Sounders lose both and Austin win both, then they'll slide.
00:09:36
Speaker
But otherwise, if the Sounders get a single point, they're going to stay in fifth. And i don't I frankly don't know how much it matters where they finish between fifth and seventh. um Like vibes is why that matters. you know If you lose these last two games and then you slide, you're not going to be going into the playoffs in good form.
00:09:57
Speaker
So that's I think that is why these last two games matter. But for me at this point, I kind of just feel like regardless of where they finish, whoever they have to play, ah if it's a better or worse opponent, you're going to have to go through the good teams no matter what at some point anyway. So with home field advantage looking not fully chalked, but pretty close to chalked.
00:10:19
Speaker
I think these last two games of the season are much more about ah just making sure you play well. The performances are good. Everybody's locked in Everyone's ready to go much more than where they actually finish. I mean, we'll see what the matchups look like based on where they could finish and all that.
00:10:37
Speaker
But, I really think it's just it's just about it's just about playing well at this point, putting in good performances, and obviously you want to take positive results, but the way I see it, ah you're you're playing for form at this point as much as you are points.
00:10:54
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, listen, I'm going to be honest with you. I'm just rooting for LAFC at this point. They need to just just win out. Minnesota need to lose. LAFC went out. I do not want to see that team at all in the first round of the playoffs. so i I don't want to see them at all in the first round of the playoffs either, but if it does happen, it happens. like that's You're going to have to beat that team to make it to MLS Cup in all in all likelihood.
00:11:16
Speaker
I would rather them have to have them play someone else and then maybe get upset. That would be sick. But I mean, they have to be the odds on favorites in the, in the West.
00:11:28
Speaker
Anyone who's watching anyone who's been watching that's it's gotta to be, I would pick them over Miami right now. They're the only team in the entire close. Yeah. They're the only team in the entire league right now that I'm genuinely scared that the Sounders can't beat.
00:11:42
Speaker
Yeah, but I always go back to, i thought that in 2019, that LAFC team in 2019 was honestly just as good, if not better than this team, even with the demonic duo of Denny Buonga and Sun Hyung-min.
00:11:58
Speaker
Like but I thought that 2019 game was pretty chalked and then they went and won that game. So I've learned not to put anything past a ah b Brian Schmetzer coach team in the playoffs.
00:12:10
Speaker
That being said, that team does look pretty scary lately there. We're recording this on on Wednesday afternoon, about to be evening. They're playing Toronto FC in a couple hours.
00:12:20
Speaker
They're down, I think, both those those guys. So we'll see how they yeah manage that. But it's also Toronto. It is Toronto. So it's probably not going to matter in in that respect.
00:12:32
Speaker
but they are going to have those two guys in the playoffs. And that's going to be a tough team to beat. There's no question about it. I do wonder, you know, there's this stat, Son and Buonga have scored 17 consecutive goals for them and no one else has scored. that I mean, that is a crazy stat in terms of the volume of goal scoring that they're responsible for right now.
00:12:57
Speaker
There also is a way, a lens to look at it. That is perhaps cope. But if all of your offensive output is coming from one source, or in this case, two sources, which is it's essentially the two of them together is essentially one force.
00:13:11
Speaker
Right. But like if you're one dimensional and you can only have one or two guys score goals, when you get to the playoffs, that becomes harder, you know? So I don't know. I'm just kind of trying to come up with a,
00:13:24
Speaker
potential downfalls for them because I think they're, I mean, they're easily the favorite in the West. They're probably, they're arguably the favorite in the league right now. I mean, you got Philly just won the shield. They're going to be up there. Everyone's talking about how superior the East is, but I think LAFC has an argument to be the favorite out of anybody with how they've played since a son got there.
00:13:44
Speaker
So. But yeah, I mean, that's, you know, I don't know. I think if to circle it all the way back to our beautiful win against the Portland Timbers, it's like if you can grind out a win like that and you can make mistakes but still turn it into a win, like, i don't know. That's kind of what you got to do.
00:14:05
Speaker
That's what you got to do. Or a million goals. It's what you got to do in the, in the playoffs. So, yeah, I mean, let's, ah let's get into our agenda check and we can we can talk about it a little more, but it was that stat you mentioned of how many, how many years it had it been since eight years, eight years since they beat the Timbs at home.
00:14:28
Speaker
That is crazy. It is great fantastic that that is over and done with. And really, just how one-sided this rivalry had kind of been until the last couple years that needed to, ah that needed to end. we We've talked about the Brian Schmetzer presser he gave, like, was it a year or two ago where he was talking about how it didn't feel like a rivalry because of how one-sided it was. And also just how like the players and the staff, he said he didn't feel the the rivalry, the the weight of the rivalry.
00:14:58
Speaker
I think we can, we can put that to rest, which we're, which we're going to do. in in our agenda check. But any anything else on any of these topics before we hop into that? um I guess just Albert Rusnak, brother, you can't you can't do that. Please don't do that the playoffs. like I get it.
00:15:18
Speaker
I get it. It happens. He's trying to make a play, but you know when you go to ground, you know what's going to happen. It genuinely sets up such a frustrating and tough matchup this weekend to not have him and allows for less flexibility with a lot of different players on the field.
00:15:36
Speaker
who are going to be missing. So, I mean, that's not what I want to see out of the leader of my team and the highest paid player, but everyone makes mistakes. It's in the DNA of the Seattle Sounders to get a red card apparently this season. So ah that's kind of the only downside of this Timbers win, honestly, genuinely. Sometimes you make that mistake nine times in a season.
00:15:57
Speaker
which Sometimes, yeah. i mean it's Sometimes you throw a ball at a fan's head and sometimes you take a dude out take a dude's ankle out. you know like we we you know We joke, but as soon as I ah saw him go into that tackle, was's just like, my God.
00:16:15
Speaker
It never fails. It never fails. It was too much to ask. If I were a betting man, i would just pick like over one red card every game. Yeah. Or 0.5 or what however they do. I don't sports gamble. I don't i don't encourage it, whatever.
00:16:31
Speaker
But that's like free money. And the thing is, like, they've they've managed to kind of minimize the damage that ah these red cards have had on them results-wise this year.
00:16:42
Speaker
ah But in all seriousness, like, if you can't keep 11 men on the field in the playoffs, you're not going to make it that far. You've got to be able to make it they um they got They got, this was one where they got pretty close. It was the second half stoppage time.
00:16:55
Speaker
They were probably two, three minutes away from from pulling it off the rare feat of finishing the match with 11 men. Couldn't quite do it. And like you mentioned, it's, you know, there's the yeah obvious, you never want to finish the match down a man, but now he is suspended for for this game, which...
00:17:14
Speaker
ah You know, luckily they have played without him a lot this year. They do know how to do it. But you also, you right before the playoffs, you want your
Player Spotlight: Obed Vargas
00:17:24
Speaker
guys out there. You want everyone ah getting that cohesion and that chemistry top-notch. So this kind of prevents them from doing that. But for me, it's also it's also just the principle of it. Like, if you can't make it more than...
00:17:39
Speaker
two or three games at a time without getting a red card, which they haven't been able to do in like six months. It just, it's going to put a damper on your post-season aspirations as it were. Retweet.
00:17:53
Speaker
ah All right. Let's, ah let's get into our agenda check, but should we hit like an early ad break? but I think we should just rip an early ad break. Get it out of the way. We're going to take an early ad break and then get into our agenda check. We'll be right back.
00:18:07
Speaker
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00:21:07
Speaker
Welcome back from and ah another ad break, which you definitely did not skip. Never skip. Ari literally, he said he was at a wedding. He said he was at a wedding. He actually skipped one of the ads while he was listening to our podcast. And so we sent him to a re-education camp. Exactly.
00:21:22
Speaker
You yeah don't want that fit. All right, Noah, I have got a bunch of topics. written down here for us to to get to get into for this agenda check.
00:21:34
Speaker
And we are going to start with the Obed Vargas' price has gone up agenda with the MLSsoccer.com's 22 under 22 rankings coming out. Brought to you by Body Armor.
00:21:48
Speaker
On Wednesday presented by, or actually not. anymore not sponsored by body armor anymore oh not sponsored by body armor but uh obed vargas number one on uh on the 22 under 22 rankings for anyone who doesn't know that is uh mlssoccer.com's annual list of the 22 best players uh best young players in mls used to be 24 under 24 a couple years ago they changed it to 22 under 22 and i've you know i voted a lot of people voted this is a big big pundit day they uh they all vote for these and obed vargas finishes at number one which is not uh not easy to do i think only one seattle sounder has ever finished number one before or uh it was deandre montero and deandre yedlin wow i forgot about fred he must that must have been like the first year that they ever did it
00:22:38
Speaker
uh, Freddie Montero and Deandre Edlin both finished number one, but it's Yedlin that was like 2014 or whatever. So it's been, it's been a minute. And i think it's a, uh, it's a reminder, you know, we watch Obed play every week. We know how good he is, but nationally that doesn't always land, right? Like sometimes, uh, we can see the potential of a player or the level player is playing at, but they might not get the national recognition.
00:23:06
Speaker
This is as a nationally recognized as you can get for him to finish in the top spot. And the transfer, that transfer fee. I mean, um once you finish number one on 22 under 22, think that adds like what, 10, $15 million dollars to it.
00:23:22
Speaker
So that, I mean, that puts them up at like a, 50 million or hang up the phone territory. But I guess, ah Noah, what i guess what was your reaction when you saw Obed actually got number one? Were you surprised?
00:23:34
Speaker
Or did you think, that to me, this kind of felt inevitable. Even as I was filling out my ballot, I was like, I think he's actually going to get number one here. When I saw Tommy Scoops and Matt Doyle leak their ballots online, and I saw that here's what it was going to be. Obed Vargas number one. I was like, yeah, that, that seems about right. I mean, it makes sense. He is a, he is a key piece to the Seattle Sounders team.
00:24:01
Speaker
They just won a major trophy. It's all about hype. It's all about recognition. I mean, last year we talked about how Kavon Sullivan was on the list and I was like, dude, this is like ridiculous that he's even on this list.
00:24:13
Speaker
He's been too high, whatever he's done. Nothing. And yeah, and And you told me, you said, listen, it's not always about it pedigree or whatever. It's about like the narrative around the person and all of these kind of things. Well, upside. Yeah, upside. It's always like when I'm filling out this ballot, I'm always kind of weighing proven production versus theoretical projected upside. I think both things both of those ah criteria come into play. The guys who finish being at the top have the combination of...
00:24:44
Speaker
of both of those things. But it is interesting because you get you get both sides of it. Obed Vargas has well over 100 MLS matches and a couple trophies at this point. A guy like Kevin Sullivan signed to Manchester City when he was 15 years And had played nine minutes last year.
00:25:02
Speaker
Yeah, but ah like the the way he works his way into the discussion is through what he is projected to be in the future more than what he's done. If you look at the list, this full list, a lot of it is guys that have played extensively in and MLS. But what I was going to say is I think if you look at how the rankings shaped out, the five guys right behind Obed are all guys that I think had an argument to be number one.
00:25:27
Speaker
ah You got Alex Freeman, Toklamati, Owen Wolf, Davin Martinez, and Quinn Sullivan. If any of those five guys had finished at number one, I would have said Obed should be finishing higher than them, but I could at least see their argument. But like when you compare them to a guy like Alex Freeman or Toklamati, those guys are still relatively new.
00:25:47
Speaker
Alex Freeman, ah He burst onto the scene this year. This is his first like real year of, I mean, it's his first year, i think playing in a top flight, like first division.
00:25:58
Speaker
And he's been one of the best players in the league at that position. But a a guy like Obed just has so many more minutes, so many more games than him. That's in all likelihood, I think would probably one out with Obed.
00:26:09
Speaker
Although it was insanely close. Alex Freeman almost got this, uh, number one spot. It was like by ah couple of votes, honestly, that Obed beat him. ah But ah ah again, also that's a lot about ah projection. Alex Freeman's expected to go to Europe.
00:26:23
Speaker
He's breaking in with the USMNT, all this stuff. So he was, he was right there. ah And then Toklamati plays on the East coast. Well, yeah, I mean, that's, so that's, and that's um guaranteed a hundred more votes.
00:26:38
Speaker
Hey, uh, three Western Conference guys in the in the top five, which is kind of surprising. It is. But Toklamati, honestly, kind of made, it I think, a good run at the top spot, replacing Patrick Ajimang and then becoming way better than Patrick Ajimang. That was a huge development for for Charlotte. He looks like one of the better number nines in the league, and he's sort of the blueprint that I look at when I'm thinking of like how do I want the Sounders if they do do sign a number nine, U22 number nine?
00:27:09
Speaker
That's the exact guy. like They need Toklamati, but just like a different version of that. They were hoping, I think, that Noah Ohio was that, but we all famously know that that that did not. He didn't want to win a trophy.
00:27:22
Speaker
He didn't want to win a trophy. The point is... Freeman and Toklamati, they haven't played as much MLS ball as Obed Vargas. Owen Wolfe has played a lot of and MLS ball, but to me, i see him as kind of like a, just like an Obed Vargas skill set, but a tier below it.
00:27:41
Speaker
he's I mean, he's very good, still improving, but I don't think there's any way he could have finished over Obed with this. And then David Martinez and Quinn Sullivan. David Martinez is a guy that ah it's all exciting. High-skilling low floor.
00:27:55
Speaker
Yeah, like he, you know, he's he might be the most like raw talented player on the whole list, but he hasn't put it together consistently enough in MLS. And then Quinn Sullivan, who unfortunately just tore his ACL, ah but he's not. ah I don't know.
00:28:13
Speaker
That's where it starts to get to like guys that I'm just like, you're you're good, but you're not you're not Obed Vargas. You're not Obed Vargas. Yeah, I think for me, that was kind of what I saw out of all of this was there's no way that he doesn't win it for one reason and one reason alone. It's like he here is a key piece of one of the best clubs in MLS right now.
00:28:36
Speaker
He does his position better than just about anyone with any kind of tenure in the entire league. He is being courted not only to go to the World Cup, with Mexico, but also he's being courted to go to Europe.
00:28:50
Speaker
I mean, he there's interest. ah Nico Moreno reported this on Nos Adietes, that PSV Eindhoven and Club Bruges both are interested in his services. That's not saying that they've made offers or anything. That's just saying that they have their eyes on him.
00:29:09
Speaker
I mean, the he he is he is the perfect archetype for an award like this where he's playing now. He's playing a shitload of minutes. He still has upside.
00:29:21
Speaker
We saw from last year to this year how much he's improved. I didn't even think that was possible for him to to gain the level that he's gained. He showed out really well earlier.
00:29:32
Speaker
Well, he didn't show out amazing in Club World Cup, but I thought he played decently. He played really, really well in League's Cup, helping lift that trophy. It kind of was a perfect storm. And frankly, like he is a poster child for the league as well. like The amount of promo that he has gotten, not only from our wonderful MLSsoccer.com, but from everyone else, like from national publications, international publications.
00:29:57
Speaker
He's kind of becoming a star in Mexico. All of this stuff. it's like he he is the perfect winner of this award because he embodies all of those things. Like you were saying, it's about the double pivot.
00:30:09
Speaker
It's about the upside. It's about the hype, but it's also about the current production. He's the Obed Vargas and Christian rolled on of the year 22 under 22. under twenty two What do you think of this report from Nico about PSV and Club Bruges showing interest?
00:30:26
Speaker
ah This is, I think, I mean, we've we had the reports of the Liga Mequis interest, right? Tigres, I think, was, they made they made an offer and, There was some talk about that, but Obed has been pretty clear that he wants to go to Europe.
00:30:40
Speaker
This is the first European clubs, ah to my memory, that he's been reportedly linked to or it's been reported that they're monitoring him. And I feel like like a club like PSV, i could see that.
00:30:54
Speaker
I could see that. That's a good combination. I think there was a rumor in 20... This is so off the top of my head, but I'm looking on TransferMarkt, and they have... The Wolverhampton Wanderers were rumored to be interested in him in 2013. I would assume that was different, though. 2013? Was even... I'm sorry, not 2013. 2023. Sorry. Missed 10 on that. don't think was in 2013.
MLS Talent and Player Growth
00:31:20
Speaker
I have like a vague memory of that, but that was, that was before he like really emerged into what he is now. I think the interesting thing about having PSV and club brews reported I think those, those are the first, this first time I look at it and I'm like, okay, that's the type of club that we're talking about because we've also talked about how like a big six club,
00:31:44
Speaker
club or like a like Man City clubs like that, you know, it would be sick to have them recognize his ability and, you know, pay a big transfer fee for him. He's probably not going to play that much for a club like that.
00:31:54
Speaker
So you really want to find like the balance of a club that is big name recognition and pedigree. and You get to play in the Champions League or conference, you know, whatever. You get to play in Europe. Not not ah not a place that he would go and just ride the bench. Like, to me, PSV in particular kind of strikes that balance. of like That is a very reputable club in the Eredivisie.
00:32:19
Speaker
And it's also a place where if he goes there, I think he it would be with the idea that he's part of their their plans, like he's going to play. I think that would be that would be sick. Club Bruges, I think I'm a little less...
00:32:31
Speaker
ah Jazz Don because I feel like the Belgium League, I don't know, like is it that different than and MLS? Probably not. ah So that one... Eredivisie is very similar to MLS. like I think the level in the Eredivisie is very similar to MLS, but the difference is you have...
00:32:50
Speaker
the Europe like vision on you. You, you can qualify for UEFA tournaments. You can play in a different place for the first time in your life. You can kind of do all the European things, but I feel like that's such a safe bet to be like, yes, I can climb up maybe a half step and still be at a quality level where I could get a lot of starts and be meaningful to this team. Like I genuinely see that because I don't think the air to V say is like leaps and bounds better than major league soccer.
00:33:20
Speaker
No, it's it's not leaps and bounds. it's it's a it's I think it's a a little higher level. And it's also, ah like you mentioned, it's it's like the optics of it, I guess. it's That would be a good club to go to in that respect. Yeah, the opportunity.
00:33:38
Speaker
And ah i would be i would be excited if he went there. i would I would watch some PSV games for sure. I'd become a fan. We could do Obed Vargas watch-alongs.
00:33:49
Speaker
Yeah, I think a club, ah you know, it doesn't necessarily have to be that club, but a club like that feels about right for where I would want him to go just from the perspective of what's going to be the best for his development and what's going to give him the best opportunity to actually get minutes right away. I think a club like that, they wouldn't bring him into bench ride like that's he's going to require the transfer fee is going to be too high for a club like that to do that.
00:34:16
Speaker
you know And when once you start talking about those bigger clubs at the top of the EPL or La Liga and stuff like that, they can splash huge transfer fees for guys that aren't going to get off the bench.
00:34:27
Speaker
So that's really the main thing I think that you just want to avoid is a situation where he goes for big money, never plays, and it stunts his development. so So we'll see if there's more clubs that come out.
00:34:39
Speaker
in the coming days and weeks and uh i'm sure as we uh approach the off-season transfer season season all that stuff is going to heat up more but for now uh obviously just a big accomplishment for him to get voted number one on ah on this list like i like i said it's not necessarily easy it's really not easy to finish number one i mean i think jesus ferreira once upon a time finished number one on this list during the, uh, FC Dallas days.
00:35:07
Speaker
He did. Yeah. Really, uh, really like, the guys who have finished number one on this list over the years, it's, uh, it's, it's an impressive list. Ricardo Pepe, who plays for PSV, former number one. So there you go.
00:35:22
Speaker
They could maybe. Yeah, maybe ESV is just a 22 under 22 presented by body armor merchant. Maybe that's just their scouting department. Well, and I think didn't Pepe go there and kind of like not play a lot. Isn't that what happened?
00:35:35
Speaker
He played in their last match and then got injured. I'm pretty sure he's been playing more, I believe. But he's not he's not on that club anymore, is he? I thought he's... okay. oh ok i thought he yeah Oh, all right. He went to a different club to ah to start. All right. So Pepe... Yeah, yeah like um he's been back and forth. he's been He's been doing really well in that league, as I understand it. So it would be...
00:35:59
Speaker
ah we were saying like the Bundesliga or La Liga could be good fit stylistically for Obed. I feel like the Eredivisie, it maybe doesn't fit him quite as well in the sense that ah the Eredivisie is known for being very like...
00:36:15
Speaker
up and down high octane, high intensity, high scoring. Obed's more of like a technical and cerebral player that I think could do really well in leagues where the the style of play is more geared towards those attributes.
00:36:29
Speaker
ah But that being said, like he's also so versatile and so adaptable. Uh, And also with that style of play in the air to be say players with his type of skillset actually, I think become even more valuable because he yeah he has those skills that can kind of, uh, uh, that two way skillset where he can, uh, go against these attacking teams and help you defensively as well. So, uh, it would be, it would be cool to see.
00:36:54
Speaker
It'd be cool see. We'll see what happens. Yeah. yeah Did you have any takes on RBW? yeah. and then Yeah, I put this in the doc. So RBW actually finished one spot short.
00:37:09
Speaker
He finished in 23rd in the voting for 22 under 22. All right, let's talk about that. Is that is that an egregious snub? No, I don't think it's an egregious snub, but i I think that that's a good sign for RBW. I think this season has been ah a chance for him to show what he can do and how he can play, and I think we've seen a lot of bright spots.
00:37:29
Speaker
This is a pro-RBW podcast. Everyone knows that. We're here for we're here to push agendas. That's one of my agendas, man, is like i think Reid is someone who they need to continue to develop and play and give minutes and it's clear that like the pundits and people like that see him and value him at a level where he's almost there he's almost breaking into some one of the best young players in the league he did beat out kvon sullivan uh in the voting which i do think is interesting like
00:38:00
Speaker
I don't know. There's a lot of hype around that kid. He has gotten better. Kavon has gotten better. I've seen some of his training clips. I think we've sent his training and sent me one of those the other day It was nasty.
00:38:10
Speaker
Like, you know, I think that that's a good sign. That's just a good sign for Reid. That's a good sign for the Sounders that they can continue to develop these young players. And, you know, I think maybe next year we might even ah might even see another defensive midfielder.
00:38:27
Speaker
But, you know. Who's to say? I think you're right that even though RBW did just miss out, the fact that he was back in the mix to almost make it is a positive sign because he would be a lot higher on lists like this.
00:38:46
Speaker
and more recognized in the pundit class if he hadn't had so many injuries in his career that it kind of stalled his ah his ability to get the requisite minutes to be in these discussions.
00:38:59
Speaker
But I think now you're seeing that he's been able to get steady run this year. He's sort of starting to regain that pedigree, which RBW at a time was, he was the one who was getting, there was reports of like Manchester United scouts being at Sounders games when he was like 16. He was Kavon before Kavon.
00:39:16
Speaker
kind Yeah, yeah not ah maybe not quite that hype, but like ah he he was on that type of path, and I think injuries is kind of the only thing that set that back.
00:39:27
Speaker
And then this year, you had him finally getting regular run again, and there was a there was remember there was all the discourse over in the in the Club World Cup when he had a couple of not-that-great defensive sequences against Atletico Madrid where people were kind of trying to... undermine the prospect pedigree there but i think what we've seen in the last month or two mean doesn't it seem like he's uh uh his defensive game has improved even in the last like couple months like it used to be a situation where when he was out there i would be uh i i would i would be more worried about it than i would be if new who was in there as just purely from the defensive
00:40:08
Speaker
aspect of things.
Impact of Sounders' Win Against Portland
00:40:10
Speaker
ah But these last few games that, ah that we've seen from RBW, I feel like, all right, he's finally, he's, he's gotten a lot better at recognizing like his positioning when he should, when he should push forward, when he needs to stay more disciplined.
00:40:24
Speaker
And I think that was kind of the last thing that he needed to sort of take the leap that we all want to see from him. So now it's just about putting that together and doing that stuff consistently going forward, which I'm excited to see if, ah if he can do.
00:40:38
Speaker
Yeah, no, I agree. And he's getting minutes in the U-20 World Cup. So he's playing that. He's doing the right things. I think... i don't I don't think that it really matters quite too much what the pundits think about you because you're always going to be up or down if you get injured.
00:40:55
Speaker
Do we not remember Obed Vargas being out with a nasty back injury? you know And that kind of dropped his stock quite a bit and people were questioning what he would become and if he was actually going to be able to come back from this and play at 100%. And it's hard to get injured when you're young. It's hard to stunt your growth at a certain point, but...
00:41:16
Speaker
I don't know. i kind of I trust that the Sounders know how to deal with that. I trust that Reid is dealing with that well. And he's fighting for minutes with Nuhu.
00:41:27
Speaker
And I think that that's that's a good thing to have that battle and to to bring that into next season, to bring that into the playoffs, to play against Athletico, to play against in these big tournaments and in big moments. he's clearly rated by the club as well. Like I'm excited to see his growth and and hopefully he can maybe take over that spot at some point.
00:41:50
Speaker
All right, let's get our our next agenda in here. We're going to talk about the ah Portland Timbers owning the Seattle-Portland rivalry agenda, which has been a thing for, I mean, i don't know if it dates all the way back to 2017, but really,
00:42:09
Speaker
the last uh five or six years man like uh the press conference that i was talking about earlier that was a couple years ago and that was sort of like a boiling point i i think for brian schmetzer of a trend that uh you know we always joke about how the portland timbies play like real madrid for the seattle games and then don't really care about the rest of their season and that was like the frustrating thing about it was that Seattle was a better team than Portland for pretty much all of that time period.
00:42:42
Speaker
And yet when two teams, 2020 Ari, Right. Well, yeah, that you had the MLS is back tournament. Shout out to the banner. so But it it just it didn't seem like the the quality the quality of the teams in any given year or the current form or anything like that. It didn't matter.
00:42:59
Speaker
Portland was was consistently getting the better of these Derby matches. Noah, I think with this win combined with didn't yeah Seattle won in Portland last year. Drew the game this year.
00:43:15
Speaker
Yeah, drew the game this year, which that was sort of, that was annoying. That kind of did that kind of did fall into the the narrative, I think, even though that was at Providence Park. So that's still a good result. But with how it had been gone over the last few years, it just still felt like, ah it still felt like that Portland had to handle on the rivalry.
00:43:36
Speaker
I think with this win and then combined with the ah the results of the last couple games, which includes a win and a draw, Can we finally just ah call that storyline to rest?
00:43:47
Speaker
I think so. And especially, it's not just the result in this game, but it's how the game went, right? Like, these it was such an issue of intensity in these matches, of Portland coming out with all the energy and Seattle not being able to match it, in some cases, until they were already behind or that the result the score scoreline got to a place where it made it really difficult to come back from.
00:44:10
Speaker
I didn't see this game live, but that didn't seem like an issue in this game. It felt like Seattle was was up for it. They get the first goal, which is something they have not been able to do a lot against Portland.
00:44:23
Speaker
So I guess... ah i don't I don't think it's become a thing where it's swung like back to Seattle owns the rivalry now. But at the very least, I don't think it's you can say Portland owns the rivalry. It's but it's met back kind of on level ground. Do you think that's a fair take?
00:44:41
Speaker
Or is that Cope? You know, Schmetz kind of talks about it at his postgame presser. he he has said this before, and he's like, Yeah, the the rivalry's tight in MLS, but it's not tight at all if you look at the grand scheme of things and our whole history and the whole history of the rivalry.
00:45:00
Speaker
Yeah, it's been tight in the last few years, but frankly... look at the Look at the whole history of what these two clubs are, of the games that they've played against each other, and you'll see there's one pretty clear winner.
00:45:13
Speaker
Obviously, that's not exactly what he said. You can go back and watch presser, but like that's how I took it was, yeah, okay, sure, Portland can get the better of us in certain games, but when it comes down to it, they're nobody.
00:45:25
Speaker
And i I believe that. Like, yeah, you know what? They they had a really good run. Phil Neville literally kept himself employed just by beating the sounders yeah at lumenfield like that was his entire operation you know and so i think for me this win absolutely sets it back on the track of like in the modern era the sounders are here to play in this rivalry and take it seriously and like we're not just gonna get blown out every time but
00:45:58
Speaker
i I don't know if I ever really believed that the Timbers owned the Seattle-Portland rivalry. I think in the recent years, for sure. But this is a good, like, set the record straight of who we mean is a good team.
00:46:10
Speaker
I think in the last at least, like, three or four years, going into this year, like, I think they, I think they did own the rivalry. I think they did. And I think Schmetz knew that they did because that's why he reacted that way. Like in that, in that press conference, it was really ah for all the success that Schmetz has had one of one of the, I mean, probably the winningest coach in MLS history at this point, when you look at the trophy case, I think the the Portland thing was ah kind of one thing that he had trouble
00:46:43
Speaker
getting over and i mean, it's going to bother him more than anybody. So I think that you could kind of see at the presser how cathartic it was for, for him in particular, but I think probably the, ah it became a mental thing. I feel like at a, at a certain point, like I said, it's not like the, it's not like these were years where the Timbs were especially good. In fact, they were,
00:47:06
Speaker
pretty mid for that's why that's why it was so frustrating and because it's like you know if they were one of the best teams in the league the entire time then you could understand it a little more but you would go into these games and it was it was always like man you feel like seattle should have the upper hand whether it's recent form or just general roster quality of the club and then it just didn't matter so uh i don't know i'm not uh i'm not gonna call it dead dead but it's pretty much that storyline is pretty much dead well i mean it got to the point where i was saying and you were saying and i think we both were agreeing that like ah the lafc rivalry felt way more contentious and like winnable and like an actual dog fight than playing portland and that was partially because they were just whooping our ass every time they came and played in seattle so
00:47:57
Speaker
I still, you know, I'm going to say ah I'm going to say I still hold that LAFC rivalry right now. Like, it's a 1A-1B situation, obviously, but like, just I just...
00:48:11
Speaker
That's your your plan for ah it's almost apples, apples and oranges, because like the LAFC rivalry, the reason that it took hold so much was because ah the stakes of the matches were related to like, you know, playoff games, trophies, who's actually going to take home silverware.
00:48:30
Speaker
Whereas the Portland Derbies, it's like, the Darby component of it was, was the stakes ah of it. It's like, it's the bragging rights. It's the regional supremacy. you Like who's who's the best in Cascadia, stuff like that.
00:48:43
Speaker
ah There was no, they they played in the playoffs in 2018, which the Timbs won that one that kind of honestly tied into this whole, ah whole storyline that we're talking about, but there were there was nothing with the Portland games that, uh,
00:48:59
Speaker
kind of rivaled l LAFC in terms of what was on the line in some of the playoff matchups and having like actual silverware on the line. So it's, it's just a it's a Derby that's actually for trophies at a Derby that is for, you know, regional bragging rights, which that's important.
00:49:16
Speaker
I think the Cascadia component of it, it matters a lot and the fans care about it and the players care about it. But the there's certainly been a lot more stakes riding on the LAFC rivalry matches in recent years, which i which I think is probably why we've talked about how that rivalry kind of usurped Portland.
00:49:36
Speaker
But it can't I don't think you can ever really overtake the the history that exists in with Sounders Timbers ah for any club like Portland's always going to be in my mind like the the top rival but it at least was it became an interesting discussion with how things have been going.
00:49:55
Speaker
Well, and it's, you know, i think it's hard too because for me, I don't even want to give Timbers fans or the Timbers in general any kind of credit, any kind of pedigree, any kind of anything.
00:50:07
Speaker
Because it's like they're obsessed with us. For what? Like, I don't think about you. I get reminded that you exist When you crash out or do something stupid and or we have to play you.
00:50:19
Speaker
And then at the end of the day, it's like, okay, sick, man. Like you, you beat us in a regular season match at home. Are you making the playoffs? Oh, you're not. Okay. That's cool.
00:50:30
Speaker
Like, whatever. I can shake that off. Cause like my vision, my mind, my feelings, it goes towards winning and winning trophies. And it's like the timbers the Timbers have stopped us from doing that a handful of times.
00:50:42
Speaker
You know, LAFC for me, They're always a boogeyman to do that. They're always someone who we're getting compared to. Who's the juggernaut in the West? Who's the team that is the giant, the, you know, the, the, the, just like that, that standard club in the Western conference. And it's like, it's usually between one of the two LA teams and the Sounders.
00:51:07
Speaker
And like, that's, but No one's talking about the Timbers, man. No one's talking about the Timbers. And also their fans love to come and crash out in our comments just randomly. Like, we'll be playing Minnesota. And they're like, um, er um, um, actually, um, got the fish. Also, like, that is that not the lamest, like, shit talk ever?
00:51:26
Speaker
Got the fish? Like, that's what you do when you eat fish. Like, I don't understand it. Like, your mascot's a tree. what What are we doing? You've got a dude with a chainsaw who might be like, is he on a, he's, he's probably on a list, bro.
00:51:42
Speaker
I've seen that guy. We, where was he on January 6th? That's my question. Where was Timber Joey on January 6th? Okay. That's, that's all trying to get to the bottom of. I feel like the, the Timbs were already down kind of bad, bad this year going into this Seattle matchup. Like they started off really hot, but realistically this year, ah it's, it's been kind of mid year, so we'll see what happens with them. And, uh,
00:52:09
Speaker
And our boy Phil Neves, it almost feels like Phil Neves needs a good, doesn't it feel like he needs a good showing in the playoffs this year and they need to make a little, a little run. Otherwise they might be ah looking for a new coach again. That's, I don't know. It's probably going to depend on how bad a theoretical crash out,
00:52:30
Speaker
might be for them. But it just feels like, especially i was watching his, ah his presser. Like it's, it's a, he's given the pressers of a man who thinks that he might be on shaky ground. He and Ronnie Dyla, it's like similar yeah right now. And the Timbers actually are going to at least make the playoffs. But Phil Neves even said that if they slip, he said, if they, ah if they get a wild card, if they have to do the play in game or whatever, that that's a failure.
00:52:56
Speaker
Yeah. Which I don't know if i would have said that because that realistically, like, what if that happens? That could happen. So they're four point. They're they're one point. They're only one point clear with FC Dallas as a game in hand.
00:53:09
Speaker
And they're on 41 points. And as and the Timbers on 44, like brother, I wouldn't have said that. I wouldn't have said that. I wouldn't said that. Also, can we talk about what he was wearing?
00:53:21
Speaker
During that match, this bright-ass white like hoodie with just the most massive Timbers logo on it. was like, brother, have some class.
00:53:32
Speaker
Put on an outfit. like he It looked like he he was like literally in Portland, Oregon drinking a really shit IPA on his couch with his polyamorous roommates. I was like, brother, you like look like you want to win this game.
00:53:46
Speaker
Look like dressed to impress. It was bad. It was bad, Ari. I didn't understand his outfit. Clearly, that's what I was more worried about than the actual ah tactics that he was employing. but well We shall see what the ah future holds for Phil Neves. But ah that's enough about the ah but the Portland Timbs. We'll talk about them again if if a playoff matchup with the Seattle Sounders comes to
Goalkeeper Debate: Frei vs. Thomas
00:54:08
Speaker
fruition. But, I mean, i feel like... ah that was worth addressing because that is ah pretty much for as long as we've had this show, we go into the Timbers games under this kind of cloud of, it puts so much more pressure on the games because you're trying to snap out of this kind of loop that you've been in.
00:54:25
Speaker
And that's why getting that win was so important in addition to all the other reasons.
00:54:33
Speaker
One last agenda here before we hit another ad break. We've got a ah goalkeeper goalkeeper controversy update. It has been a storyline in recent weeks with Stephen Fry coming back, Andrew Thomas playing as well as he did in League's Cup.
00:54:49
Speaker
And looking like the goalkeeper of the future, what do you do? Do you name a new starter? Can you give Stephen Fry's starting job? away like when it was through injury not performance uh should should and andrew thomas be the guy for the rest of this year ah no it seems pretty decided at this point that uh stephen fry is going to be the number one for the rest of the year i don't think schmetzer like officially came out and said that but i mean he's been he's been starting every game and it doesn't seem like there's uh
00:55:21
Speaker
Doesn't seem like that's going to change. So how do you feel about that? do you, ah are you good with Steph Fry retaining the starting job for the rest of this season and into the playoffs? Are you still on the Andrew Thomas should have been that guy for the rest of the season train?
00:55:36
Speaker
I'll hold my ground. I'll hold my ground. Listen, um, um I think that what I said before is like, I'm happy with either of these two options in goal, but if it were up to me, i would want to be getting the younger guy more minutes and really like letting him get that feeling of playing in the playoffs, playing in these final games, and then launching him into next season. Because let's say he does start.
00:56:03
Speaker
Next season. We're going to be playing Champions League matches immediately. I want a goalkeeper who's confident and ready and coming out and knowing that he's the starter and feeling that. I don't want someone who's on shaky ground who doesn't know what's going to happen in the lead up to next season who doesn't know what's going happen to this season.
00:56:21
Speaker
I want someone who is confident going to wherever they have to play and will be that guy. so Okay, Stephen Fry is the starting goalkeeper this season, but what what what is it going to be next season? that's now that's Now we've just we kicked the can down the road. Do you know what I'm saying?
00:56:42
Speaker
ah the that That's kind of how it feels to me. Am I fine with it? Yeah, whatever. like I don't think Stephen Fry is a bad goalkeeper. I thought he played great in that Timbers game. He made some incredible saves ah to to keep it even.
00:56:56
Speaker
Absolutely. That's what he has. And we've both said that and both given him his flowers. We both like Stefan Fry. ah We both also like Andrew Thomas. We both like what he has to offer that it's different.
00:57:07
Speaker
um But I don't know. That's where I land. It's like, I just, you know, i get nervous, Ari. I get nervous. I saw the Raul decline in real time and I saw this other stuff. It just, it just makes me nervous.
00:57:22
Speaker
That's all. Yeah, it's a I think it's a unique situation because of who Stephen Fry is and his status within the club and all that he's done for the club.
00:57:36
Speaker
ah I think there's ah there's a fine line. like if If you really feel like the the other option is the... is the best option for the team, then i think you owe it to start whoever you think is going to give you the best chance to win. But in a situation where it's a toss-up, which is what I think this is, i don't... I just...
00:57:59
Speaker
I know people some people might not like it, but i don't think you i don't think you can bench a guy who has delivered so many trophies, so many clutch moments, so many incredible saves, ah been a captain and a leader for the team. been one of i mean i think Schmetz called him one of the best acquisitions, if not the best acquisition that they've done.
00:58:22
Speaker
that they made in their MLS era, given what he's done for the club and what he's meant for the club. If there is an actual obvious, like documentable decline that you can see with a player, then I think that that changes things.
00:58:36
Speaker
I have not seen this decline with Stefan Fry that some people have talked about. I've looked for it because a lot of people have mentioned it as far as like ah maybe I guess his athleticism or mobility and stuff.
00:58:51
Speaker
I don't know. I feel like ah ah feel like for most of this year, he's looked pretty much like he always has to me. So failing that kind of really obvious decline, and if it's if it's basically a tie, then I kind of i understand why Schmetz would... ah would go with Stefan Fry. And I think it's, it's fine to have him be the number one through the rest of this year and into the playoffs. And even, you know, watching back that Timbers game, he made a couple, he made one save in particular that onto Costa. That was, that was a classic vintage Stefan Fry
00:59:27
Speaker
save So I think it's fine. I will say ah for a situation like the playoffs where you have ah penalty kicks as a thing, I definitely i i definitely trust Andrew Thomas way more at ah for penalty kicks.
00:59:44
Speaker
But for me, like if they, if they want to ride this year out with, with fry, I have no issue. Like the logic behind that makes sense. I do think next season, next season has to be the, the pass of the torch.
00:59:58
Speaker
I know Steph said he wants to play next year and, uh, You know, if he if he wants to keep playing, he should keep playing. But I think you do have to start the Andrew Thomas era next like beginning of next season at the at the latest, don't you?
01:00:17
Speaker
I just think it was a missed opportunity to not pass the torch after he absolutely went clutch mode, won goalkeeper of the tournament, and gets to continue on that momentum. It's silly to me.
01:00:29
Speaker
I think that's just what i what it is to me. i I respect and understand the situation that Brian is in because that's hard. Fry's a captain. Fry has been around a long time. he's Yeah, like you really like if you were the coach, would you really have...
01:00:45
Speaker
but you really ah and If I was the coach, we would not have won Leagues Cup, Ari. but In this hypothetical, you you are the coach that has won Leagues Cup. under the exact You're in the exact circumstances that Brian Schmetzer is in. i have i guess what i'm trying to i'm trying to I'm trying to put myself Schmetzer's shoes. like honestly like Honestly, think to myself, what would I do if i was the if i was the coach in that situation?
01:01:14
Speaker
It's easy to sit here and say, oh I would put Andrew Thomas in there. But if I was actually in that situation, I can definitely see how... uh a coach especially coach like schmetz where uh like loyalty i think is such a big thing for him and it was not like a performance-based situation it was an injury situation i can see uh how he got to the point where he was like all right i'm just gonna stick with uh with stephan fry but i do think there is i mean it wasn't an injury decision he said he was gonna give the tournament to andrew at the beginning of the season well yeah but i'm talking about what comes after that but like Yeah. i Is that not like the perfect thing?
01:01:52
Speaker
I think there's ah actually, there's a lot to what you're saying as far as the ah the logical opportunity of Andrew Thomas having this heroic Leagues Cup tournament, winning a penalty shootout, looking for all the world like the like he's ready to be that guy there was even There was moments in, i think I think we talked about it after the PK shootout against Pueblo, where we were were saying, like doesn't didn't that feel kind of like symbolic of the of the torch getting passed? It definitely did feel like that in the moment.
01:02:23
Speaker
And I think looking back on it like in the years to come, we probably will still think of it. that way. But I think you're right. Like it would have made, ah equally as much sense to to take that opportunity and just kind of ride the vibes, but that's tough though. It's tough.
01:02:38
Speaker
It's tough, but that's what you do as a coach. We would not have Paul Rothrock, As the level of Paul Rothrock, if Brian Schmetzer didn't make a difficult decision decision to bench someone who was paid infinitely more money and had infinitely more pedigree and infinitely more status with the Sounders supporters and in the Sounders locker room as Raul Ruiz Diaz.
01:02:58
Speaker
He did that so much so that Raul crashed out at practice. I mean, it's I don't think that he's not a bold coach. I don't think that he's not someone who can make that decision.
01:03:09
Speaker
But I think that if I was in that position, i I think I would have done that. I think I would have said, listen, it's time, brother. Not everyone can play till they're 40. If you want to go play till you're 40, we will absolutely get you on a team that will let you play till you're 40. Or we'll let you get minutes next season. or we'll fit like You'll figure it out. But it's it's one of those things where...
01:03:28
Speaker
They have made Andrew Thomas sit for a long-ass time. He's been on this team for a long time. They extended his contract. They did all of this stuff. And for me, it's just like, wow.
01:03:40
Speaker
You know what's going to happen. How is that not the perfect transition moment? You know it's going to happen. You can hold on to a relationship as long as you want, but sometimes the best thing is to give it some space.
01:03:55
Speaker
You know what I'm saying? And that's just like that's just what I feel like. is is is there's It's doing the same thing that they did with Raul. It's the same thing they did with...
01:04:06
Speaker
yeah I don't know. It's just it's giving me flashbacks. I think the Raul situation is different for a couple of reasons. Like, number one, ah there was a well, first of all, he's a field player. Like, I think it's a little different, like with a field player where you can yeah you can like give substitute minutes. You can have them still have a you're not going to like sub a goalkeeper out.
01:04:29
Speaker
mid game and all that stuff. You can't give Stephen Fry like Open Cup or Leagues Cup or anything like that do the same thing. Well, more importantly, there was such like an actual precipitous visible obvious decline in Raul's play and production that there hasn't been with Stephen Fry.
01:04:47
Speaker
Like, that's what I think that's the complicated. He's been more up and down this season than I think you give it credit for. I don't think he's been awful. You know, i'm ah I'm in agreeance with you that he's a quality player. And I think that, like I said, I'm happy with either of these two choices in my net right now.
01:05:00
Speaker
But like, he has been up and down this season. There have been times this season where we have both said like, ooh, I don't think I've seen that from Stephen Fry before.
01:05:10
Speaker
Yeah, but like, i don't, I just don't know how much of that is like, there's going to be a couple moments like that for any goalkeeper over the course of a long season. So like the question I ask myself is less about like, was there, was there saves here and there that he should have made, but, but didn't.
01:05:28
Speaker
And it's more like when I look at his overall level of play, is it pretty much what it's always been? I i mean, maybe you're right. Like you could be right that ah he's there has been more of a decline than than I've seen. A lot of people seem to think so.
01:05:43
Speaker
I just I haven't been i i like I said, I've ah been watching it closely pretty much all season because of of how much this has gotten talked about. And I don't really see that decline as much as some people do. And then, in fact, like.
01:05:58
Speaker
in this Portland game, I'm watching it, and a couple of the saves he's made, I'm like, get a great that's why i that's why I trust him. That's why I trust him more than anybody like in a big game or a playoff game. He's who I would want there based on ah based on track record. But i don't it's just let us ah let us know what you guys think of the this ongoing ah debate in the in the comments section. I don't know.
01:06:22
Speaker
i think it's pretty much decided after this, but it still is a... ah It's definitely, I think, the the hardest like positional coaching dilemma I've seen Schmetz have to contend with.
01:06:34
Speaker
And i no matter what decision he made, there was going to be room to second guess and question it. So in that in that type of situation... I asked myself, like can I at least see the logic of how you got to the outcome and the decision that you made?
01:06:48
Speaker
And I can understand how he got to this one. Like I said, man, I'm happy with either of these two in the net, which I guess that's a good problem to have at the end the day. It's a good problem
Christian Roldan and the USMNT
01:06:59
Speaker
to have. All right, we're going to take one more break, and then we're going to be back with a couple more agendas and then talk a little bit about this RSL game coming up this weekend. We'll be right back.
01:07:10
Speaker
Welcome back from another ad break in which you definitely did not skip any of the ads. Noah Christian rolled Ever Good player.
01:07:21
Speaker
Good player. ah Jeremiah Ocean on Sounder at Heart wrote about his his latest call-in to the USMNT. And i was go check it out on Sounder at Heart. But basically kind of lays down how Christian worked his way back into the mix and sizes up his chances of making ah the 2026 World Cup squad, which that is what i wanted to talk about. Because I think...
01:07:49
Speaker
ah When he when he got called in initially for the friendlies a few weeks ago, i wasn't really sure what to make of it. Like, was it just a a courtesy thing or like a curiosity thing?
01:08:00
Speaker
Or was he getting a serious look to actually be a part of the 2026 World Cup plans? And after reading Jeremiah's thing and just sort of the vibe, I think, of the whole situation,
01:08:11
Speaker
It seems like he's going to have a legitimate shot to make the 2026 squad, which the bots aren't going to be happy about that, but that is a, that has been earned on his, his play. So the Christian rolled on world cup roster campaign agenda, whatever you want to call it, it's here.
01:08:28
Speaker
And, uh, I guess, Noah, how are you feeling just about the just about the fact that ah not only is he getting called in again, but it seems like he has put himself in position where he could actually be part of Pochettino's plans genuinely here.
01:08:45
Speaker
This is the least surprising thing of all time, Ari. If you actually know ball, if you have actually been paying attention to any kind of soccer that any player has played and the type of people who Pochettino wants in his locker room,
01:09:00
Speaker
Christian Roldan is the archetype. ok He's the type of player that will do what the coach says. He's the type of player who everyone in the locker room loves.
01:09:10
Speaker
He's the type of player who brings experience, who brings leadership, who can generally bring the vibe up. That's what you need. That's what you need. You need a guy who's going to go to battle, who's going to go to war for you.
01:09:23
Speaker
These teams, they don't play together for a long time. He has chemistry. He has chemistry with these guys. You talk to the God King, Christian Pulisic, right?
01:09:34
Speaker
You ask him who one of his favorite players on the entire team play with. Guess who it is? Christian Roldan, okay? Not only that, he elevated his play so much in this season. and His defensive midfield change, his cementing of that position.
01:09:51
Speaker
He has been one of the best players in MLS for sure, if not in the world. and i'm And I'm happy to say that, all right? People don't want to hear it. People don't want to believe it.
01:10:02
Speaker
But he is at the point where he's playing against PSG, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo. Against Atletico Madrid, he was the best player on that field.
01:10:13
Speaker
100%. In a tournament game with stakes. all right Did they win that game? No. That's... Sure. Count that against him. But the reality is, he's a very talented player with a lot of pedigree and with a lot of respect from a coaching staff who need players who are just going to rally around the idea of getting a call-up, being excited. We've talked about how rotten...
01:10:36
Speaker
the vibes are around the wonder kids around the golden generation, all of this kind of stuff. He's the antidote. He is the antidote. He plays for his badge. I said this on kickoff to Nico. He hasn't changed his profile picture.
01:10:50
Speaker
since Since the last World Cup. Guess what? He has been in a USMNT jersey on his profile picture on Twitter and Instagram for years and years and years and years. It's been in his bio. and what And what that means to me is that this is a guy who absolutely respects every single opportunity he gets to play with this team.
01:11:10
Speaker
And that's who you need right now. That is who you need right now. Yeah. ah You know, it's funny. I still remember when he made the ah last World Cup squad and Berhalter had a quote about how he used the word vibes, like when he was describing why Christian rolled on, God called in or made the ah World Cup squad.
01:11:34
Speaker
And, you know, he was mocked relentlessly by the bots for, for that quote. ah But I mean, first of all, this is like you said, this has been fully earned based on his play. And I think as far as his skillset on the field, this team could really use that.
01:11:52
Speaker
ah But like, if you If you don't think that vibes matter on a roster like this or on a team like this, team sports in general, but particularly international footy, if you don't think vibes matter and that's the real consideration, like you really, really don't know ball.
01:12:07
Speaker
like really Like that is actually like a huge thing. Like but think about international football where it's the best of the best, the highest level players in the world.
01:12:17
Speaker
Everyone, especially like the better teams you play, everyone is going to be elitely talented. Who has the edge is stuff like team chemistry, like camaraderie. How well do you play together?
01:12:32
Speaker
Who has the best locker room? Like who has the best dynamics? Like all that stuff matters. Christian Roldan is second to none for for all of those intangibles. So like, you know, you can dismiss that if you want, but any smart coach who knows what they're doing at all.
01:12:48
Speaker
is going to be considering stuff like that. Like you said, he brings all that. um Anyone in the pool, just in terms of leadership and the respect that he gets from his teammates, I think it was it was a great shout that Christian Pulisic has said multiple times that Christian Roldan is one of his favorite teammates that ah that he's ever had. And and so like when the when the starting guys on the team recognize that, it should not it should at least not be hard to understand like where where his stock comes from in this situation. so
01:13:25
Speaker
Hopefully, hopefully he makes, I actually think like, if I had to guess right now, I think he's going go and going to make it and he should make it. And hopefully he actually plays like, that was the other funny thing about the crash outs over him making the last world cup squad was that we, what did he play like five minutes at the yeah the world cup, which is what like roster spots, 22 through 26.
01:13:45
Speaker
twenty six They're not, they're not going to play anyone that they would have called in instead of him for that world cup literally would not have would not have played.
01:13:56
Speaker
They wouldn't played to make a difference. Like, so, I mean, that's a whole different discussion, but. Well, yeah and you know, honestly, here's, here's also where I land on it. It's like, you want someone who's been there before you want something. You don't want Tanner Tessman who has no fucking clue what it's like to play in a major tournament and win anything.
01:14:16
Speaker
Like you want a guy who has been there and done that has felt the pressure at every single level I don't know. i i am all for upside. Upside is incredible. We just basically did a whole show on players with upside.
01:14:31
Speaker
But the reality is, in those roster spots, like you're saying, these like basically supplemental roster spots, who you're maybe going to get five to ten minutes a match if you're lucky,
01:14:42
Speaker
You need a guy who can bring it in training, who can bring your players together, who can help be a mentor and someone who is like, I've been here before. I've done this before. let me help let me help you you know he's that guy and he's willing to do that. And people like him.
01:14:59
Speaker
So I, I really like Thank God that our national team is not run by ah people with X, the everything app accounts. Yeah, no, I, uh, we've talked about it before, but, I actually, i like how Pochettino has been doing it.
01:15:14
Speaker
Like, He's doing it ah on ah on a merit-based system, and you can you can just tell that ah the decisions he's making, whether you agree with them or not, whether they end up being right or wrong, he is he is making them based on what he objectively thinks is going to to lead to the best decisions.
01:15:34
Speaker
outcome for for the team, like how they play and the results that they could get. I don't know if he's if it's going result in a good team or a team that performs well at the World Cup, but i i i feel like as at least as far as just player call-ups and how he evaluates the pool, the thought process, it it seems sound to me.
01:15:53
Speaker
And the read the way that you know it's sound is by how negative a reaction that it gets every time his rosters are announced. That's how you know that he's actually, he's at least calling guys in for what he thinks are the right reasons.
01:16:09
Speaker
So that's something. Listen, does it really matter? Is it really the end of the world? Do they, did I'm sorry. Do people really think that the U.S. has a chance to win the World Cup?
01:16:20
Speaker
Like, are we, are we being serious? Like, well, I don't, I don't think it's, I don't think it's about winning. I think it's about, uh, I think those people would say that it's about putting on a good showing that helps advance the game in the country. And if you get grouped or you look terrible, then, uh, then it undermines that.
01:16:42
Speaker
But I mean, At the end of the day, like the player pool is what it is. I think that's sort of what I've come to realize in the last few years. like the goal You can call it a golden generation. You can have these guys that are at these big clubs.
01:16:57
Speaker
But realistically, just with what the talent level is at, the ceiling of how far they can actually go in ah in the World Cup is... inherently limited so but it's also if you want to go far in the world cup you need players like christian rolled on like i'm saying who you can watch him elevate his game to basically any level where he's playing like i understand that you know if you're name chasing and league chasing you're probably like oh that's you're just you're lying that's bullshit go watch the club world cup games i say it all you say it more than i say it watch the film
01:17:30
Speaker
Watch the film. He's a guy who can elevate his level no matter where he's playing. And they're like, oh, he's, you know, in these friendlies, he gave up one pass that almost led to a goal. It's like, brother, what are we talking about?
01:17:43
Speaker
What are we
Retirements and MLS Midfield Legends
01:17:44
Speaker
talking about? Rest assured that ah the discourse is still going to be bad. All right. Just a couple other things to hit here, Noah, and then we can call it a wrap for this episode. I did want to, well, there's been a few retirements announced in the last couple of days.
01:18:01
Speaker
ah The Barca boys duo of Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets. are both The Sounders literally ended their career, by the way. The Sounders Seattle. Obed Vargas ended Sergio Busquets' career.
01:18:15
Speaker
ah Hopefully, he now will have more time to pursue his true passion, which is punching 20-year-old kids in the face and starting massive brawls. Florida's great place to do that. Yeah. So the Barca, they're going down to Barca boys.
01:18:30
Speaker
So Inter-Miami is going to have to ah reckon with that eventually, I guess. I think it might be an addition by some subtraction situation when you think about, uh,
01:18:43
Speaker
Those guys are still very talented, but to me, this season, Busquets did not look like Busquets at all. He looked slow. He looked tired.
01:18:54
Speaker
He was not bringing anything at all defensively. I think the footy might have left him. And then Jordy Alba, you know, he could still can still whip in a cross, but he his whole thing is like he's a generational attacking fullback, but it's not like he was ever all that great a defender.
01:19:12
Speaker
And at this point in his career, he's not really a defender at all. And honestly, like, as as much pedigree as those two guys have, I think it really, part of the reason that ah their team has not hit the level that most people would have thought is just is because those two guys are...
01:19:30
Speaker
are old and don't play defense. So, uh, that, I think they actually will probably improve their team in a way, giving bigger roles to guys like Yannick bright and Noah Allen over Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, which sounds funny to say, but I think that that is actually the case.
01:19:49
Speaker
Uh, but I did want to talk a little bit about, uh, another retirement that got announced, which is Darlington Nagby, the Columbus crew. He announced he's retiring at the end of the year, which is a big story, uh, because,
01:20:00
Speaker
He is definitely one of the best midfielders in and MLS history, which is what I guess I wanted to talk about. ah Is he the best midfielder in MLS history?
01:20:11
Speaker
And I guess just what it could mean for the crew and not having Darlington Nagby in the league anymore. I feel like Darlington Nagby has been an MLS staple for as long as I've been super... plugged into the league uh he was just coming up with uh the the timbers and establishing himself as a star player when i got first got super into the league and then i mean it's funny like i've always had the controversial take that he that he's just like a tad overrated not like criminally overrated not uh not like infuriatingly overrated
01:20:46
Speaker
but ah people talk about Darlington Nagby like he was peak Sergio Busquets. And I always thought it was a little like, okay, he's good, but is he that good?
01:20:58
Speaker
But then, i mean, if you look at the resume, I mean, he won MLS Cups, with ah Portland, Atlanta, and Columbus. So I think he's one of the only guys in league history, if not the only guy to win an MLS Cup with three different clubs or or something like that.
01:21:17
Speaker
So you can't you kind of can't knock the you can't knock the amount of winning that he's done and the overall legacy. And then, you know, he was a he is still for the rest of this season. and ah fantastic player. I mean, as far as like controlling the tempo of a game, being that midfield metronome type player and facilitator and connector, and then also work rate player, defensive presence and all that.
01:21:42
Speaker
He's definitely ah one of the most well-rounded players to ever play that position in the league. And, ah you know, a guy like, ah Obed is kind of he reminds me of Nagby a little bit in a way like there's similar overlaps and skill set there.
01:21:59
Speaker
And if Obed can like become that type of player, that would be a that would be a great outcome, I think. So just on I just want to say respect to Darlington Nagby. It was a hell of a career. And he's definitely like one of the all time legends at that position in in Major League Soccer.
01:22:15
Speaker
Yeah, man, flowers to him. i kind of agree with, I tend to agree with, like, i now I feel like an asshole, like I'm spitting on someone's grave or something. ah Because, like, you know, that dude has been doing it more than anyone. And he's got the rings to show it. And, you know, good for him.
01:22:32
Speaker
Do I think that he's the best to ever do it and as a midfielder? and i'm a no Like, no. like no Like, I do think he's a tad over. Like, you can't convince me that he's better than Osvaldo Alonso.
01:22:45
Speaker
You can't convince me that he's better than called Carlos Valderrama. You can't convince me that he's better than Precky. I don't know. Like, you know, that that's there's there's other names like ah um Beckerman, Kyle Beckerman.
01:23:02
Speaker
That's it. Yeah. I think right
Preview: Sounders vs. Real Salt Lake
01:23:04
Speaker
it would be, an it it would be interesting to do a whole segment a day row where we like, uh, uh, are you saying Dwayne D row? Yeah. I mean, it's I think it's tough comparing different positions. like I think Beckerman and Ozzy are two good comps. like Those are more similar types of positions and skill sets.
01:23:25
Speaker
But it's at least ah it's at least a good debate. I'm a lot... I mean, we're obviously biased towards Ozzy Alonso, but I'm more partial to the type of six who...
01:23:37
Speaker
gets into crunching tackles and is just like a relentless defender. And Magby had a little bit of that, but no one had that quite like Ozzie had that. So, I mean, it is a man like he was. Yeah, I loved watching Kyle Beckerman.
01:23:52
Speaker
that's ah That's a good shout. and That's a good shout. maybe Top D-mids in MLS history. Drop those in the in the comments as well. All right. Last thing, Noah. Real Salt Lake coming to Lumen Field this weekend.
01:24:06
Speaker
I figured we should hit on that a little bit. I don't have all that much to say about it other than... Real Salt Lake, not that good, but Seattle does have a ton of absences for this match.
01:24:22
Speaker
An additional one with Albert Rusnak getting a red card famously at the end of the Timbers game. ah but So you've got a matchup with a not good team, but that's going to be ostensibly, as far as I know, pretty close to full strength.
01:24:36
Speaker
Seattle's not going anywhere remotely approaching full strength. Seattle doesn't even have Snyder B. right now. They don't even have Snyder B, Ari. They don't even have Snyder B. When you don't even have a Snyder B, like who were the who's even going to play in the in the double play? I think they have 13 first-team players total.
01:24:52
Speaker
That's fire. Available for selection. there And there was also a lot of defiance. kids There's gonna be an extreme hardship call-up type situation. So I guess Columbus crew, learn the game, i guess in that sense, what are, what do you want to see from the team in this game? Because like I met, I, like I said, I'm at the point where the actual points on the table actually aren't even that much of a concern for me at this point. They're pretty locked into fifth.
01:25:19
Speaker
Obviously you don't want to slide, but ah Like if Seattle played really well, plays really well in this game with this shorthanded mix and match lineup that they're going to have, but they end up drawing or say even if it's an L where when it would say it's one of those L's where they play pretty well, but like the brakes go against them and they take an L that's all that will be whatever.
01:25:44
Speaker
But for me, I guess I just want to see. I want to see as good a performance as they're able to put forth, given the lineup constraints of which there are going to be many, but they should, they should have enough to be able to take a result at home against an ah RSL side. That is, I mean, they're not good. What are, where are they in the West right now? I'm going to pull it up, but it's not, they're not particularly high.
01:26:07
Speaker
It's been a tough year for Pablo Mastroni and the gang. They are in... Oh, they're in playoff position right now. I thought they were below the playoff line. They are fighting for a wildcard spot. So this game actually matters a lot for them. They're going to be... They'll also be shorthanded, though.
01:26:23
Speaker
So what's going on with them? They'll miss Luna, I'm pretty sure. They're missing a bunch of other players. That's like their one really good player. so Yeah, and the their other like midfielder guy who's pretty good, who's their DP or whatever.
01:26:38
Speaker
Can't remember. yeah Whatever. okay Not a real team. they're down They're down Diego Luna and one of their One of their what are their other guys. I have to imagine, though. God, MLS is so funny, man.
01:26:49
Speaker
Real Salt Lake has lost 16 games this year, and they have a minus 10 goal differential, and they're about to make the playoffs. God, I love so much. The ah the eight nine ah situation, that's basically like missing the playoffs as far as... Yeah, like you should they should um they should cut it off at like 6 or 7, Ari.
01:27:08
Speaker
Yeah, yeah. I mean, the you know i actually thought the I think wasn't last year, the first year they did the playing game the way they do it now, or maybe it was the last couple years. I don't know, but I thought it was it's pretty fun. Like it's you get to watch these teams, these kind of bad teams duel for for your entertainment.
01:27:24
Speaker
It's like a nice little starting the playoffs ritual. But I mean, either way, this is a team that's at 1.25 points per game. They'd never really took off at all this year. Kind of feels like they're they're just not doing all that well in general.
01:27:39
Speaker
So all that being said, all that's to say, like they it's an opportunity for some guys who don't normally get minutes to prove themselves and hopefully just kind of get a get a good vibes result as you look ahead to decision day. I mean, how how are you feeling about this?
01:27:57
Speaker
Well, you asked me what I want to see, Ari, and I want to see a replay of Austin FC versus Seattle Sounders where we saw 12-and-a-half-year-old Obed Vargas, 8-and-a-half-year-old Reed Baker Whiting,
01:28:13
Speaker
Danny Leyva, all of those guys rolled out there, the youngest squad to ever play, the youngest average age or whatever to ever play an MLS game. I want to see more Defiance players on that field than I see starters.
01:28:25
Speaker
I want to see Georgie Monongu starting that game. I want to see chaotic lineup. he not going to gone still? Oh, yeah, he'll be gone, too. i forgot like Everyone's gone. Yeah. yeah i want to see ah i want to see Danny Leyva at the 10. I want to see... I don't know, man. like I want to see some chaos.
01:28:44
Speaker
I want to see these kids roll it out. Because they've got quality. I think, why the hell not? Let them run it. This game is the perfect opportunity. It's a reset. You could get people rest minutes. you know Maybe if it's not going so well, you you pull people in at half or whatever, but...
01:29:06
Speaker
I mean, if like if like if Kim Keehe is not available, you basically are going to have like Jackson Reagan and John Bell as your only two center backs.
01:29:16
Speaker
ah You have no defensive midfielders. Alex Roldan will probably start there. Who's going to be the double pivot? like It's probably going to be Danny Leyva and Alex Roldan.
01:29:29
Speaker
Is JP, what's going Is he ready to... I mean, maybe JP, but dude has jello knees. I mean... it just Also, just has not really been playing much. No. he should like he You cannot expect him to go 90 minutes. You can't expect him to go 60.
01:29:43
Speaker
You can't expect him to go 45 minutes. Yeah, it's that's just fitness I'm actually I'm actively excited to to see yeah to see this lineup. I'll have to dig into it more on under the lights tomorrow when I've ah when I've got all the absences written out in front of me. But it's going to be this is going to be like the novelty lineup.
01:30:03
Speaker
of the season, which is, ah you know, it always makes getting a result harder, but I think there is good information to be taken from situations like this sometimes, you know, especially now you're winding down to the end of the season and ah we'll see what happens in the playoffs, but maybe you guys can make cases for getting some minutes in the playoffs or just kind of showing that they should be more in the, in the first team plans.
01:30:28
Speaker
There's going to be, I imagine at least a few of these extreme hardship call-ups. maybe we get it Maybe we get a U sighting. i Maybe we get a ah pe pet Kingston.
01:30:40
Speaker
there's It's going to be fun. It's also hard because there's weird rules. The sickos are going to enjoy a game like this. we can't like we don't know for sure too because there's weird rules like because you was on alone you can't like there's some like he may not be able to be called up i don't know if we've ever sorted that out but like it it is like a weird it's a whole thing man like it's it's crazy but yeah It's going to be fun. It's
Conclusion and Sign-off
01:31:03
Speaker
going to be fun. All right, Noah, unless you've got anything else, I was thinking we could call it right there.
01:31:07
Speaker
Let's get out of here. Let's get out of here. Thank you all so much, as always, for for tuning in. It's great to be back. I'm excited to be back locked in on the con. It was nice to have a little little break.
01:31:20
Speaker
But I'm ready to lock back in for this game, Decision Day. And then it's playoff time, baby. So the the train keeps rolling. Like, comment, subscribe, rate five stars.
01:31:32
Speaker
Please sub to the YouTube if you haven't. Follow us on Instagram. Follow us on TikTok. Anything else to plug? I'm going to be hitting under the lights 7.30 p.m. right here tomorrow.
01:31:46
Speaker
Don't miss out. and Post-match live. Post-match live on Saturday. All right. We're going to call it right there. We'll catch you next time. Until then, we out.
01:31:57
Speaker
Peace.