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Lobbing Scorchers: Season of Almost - Ep. 76 (Feat. Jeremiah Oshan)
280 Plays1 month ago
The Seattle Sounders season is over after their 1-0 loss to the LA Galaxy at Dignity Health Sports Park. We report to you live from Los Angeles with Jeremiah Oshan of Sounder at Hear. We hit our Agenda Check, break down the match and take your questions.
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Lobbing Scorchers is a Seattle Sounders and MLS focused show brought to you by Sounder at Heart. Hosted by Major League Soccer's Ari Liljenwall and Producer Noah Riffe. Join us as we lob our scorching takes on the American soccer landscape, Seattle Sounders, Major League Soccer, USMNT and more.
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Transcript
Introduction and Agenda
00:00:00
Speaker
What's going on, everybody? Welcome to episode 76 of Lobbing Scorchers. This is Ari Lillianwall. I've got producer Noah with me here in Los Angeles. I got Jeremiah O'Shan with me. Hey. Our boss. Our boss. That's right. And we are here tonight to bring you the last Seattle Sounders game coverage pod ever. lpod The last L pod of the season. The last L pod.
00:00:29
Speaker
of the 2024 season. The Seattle Sounders season is over after their 1-0 loss at the LA Galaxy at Dignity Health Sports Park. All three of us were there. We're in Los Angeles right now. It'd be funny if one of us wasn't there. We were just like, yeah, I was just in LA. Just wanted to chill. I was just coming to hang out. We were all at the game. We saw it all go down. We were going to lay down a late night. It's 12.16 AM right now in the city of Los Angeles. We're going to lay down the LP of angels. They call it City of Angels. We've got we're going to have our whole normal show with our game review with our agenda check. We're going to take your questions. We're also going to have takes from the man himself. J.O. So it's going to be a bit of a, you know, sad somber show with it being the last one, but
00:01:18
Speaker
There's a lot to talk about both I think from this game and about the season as a whole and Maybe not as much forward
Season Recap and Future Plans
00:01:26
Speaker
-looking stuff tonight. There'll be plenty of time for that But we're gonna lay it down for you one last time Before we do all that though I did have to let you all know that loving scorchers is a part of the sound at heart podcast network If you want to get the best independent Seattle soccer coverage consider supporting us by going to sound at heart comm slash LS sound at heart comm slash LS and Scroll down to subscribe and support to get 30 days completely free. Every sign up through our link, help support and grow this show. We have one new sub Ari, one new sub. We have one new sub Tom Jeremiah sent you. Sorry I said Tom Jeremiah sent you Jeremiah. Yeah, Tom Jeremiah sent you right fun win. Thank you so much for subscribing. Hell yeah, fun. Thank you. We really appreciate that and 48.
00:02:09
Speaker
You're our forty-eighth. We love and appreciate all of our subs. ah And if you haven't done so yet, please sub to the Lob and Scorchers YouTube. Lots of good stuff going on there. Noah actually ah ah made our live streaming debut <unk> debut debut after the game tonight, and it actually did not go. It didn't flop that bad. It didn't flop. There was like twenty some people in there. We had people calling in.
00:02:32
Speaker
That is something that we are going to try and ramp up going into next season for sure. We've just been building the foundation of our YouTube presence. Now we're ready to go live. That's going to be fun. I think people have been asking us about that. And I think that's going to be a whole new element to lobbing scorchers. So looking forward to that in the future.
00:02:51
Speaker
Alright guys, you ready to lay down this L-Pod? Let's do it. Let's just lay down the L-Pod. Seattle Sounders Western Conference Final at l LA Galaxy coming off like ah for one of the best Sounders wins in a while at LAFC. They were really riding high. um I think um you know We were talking about it on the last show. we We all knew that Seattle was the underdog in this game, but I think we liked their chances at ah getting the win in this game.
Lineup and Strategy Discussion
00:03:17
Speaker
And it really didn't pan out how I thought it would. But first, guys, let's do our lineup reaction, because there was some stuff going on here that was out of the norm, I would say. We've been talking a lot, Noah, about who should start between Pedro de la Vega and Georgi Minungu.
00:03:35
Speaker
And it turned out they both started in this game so that was one wrinkle and then you had the Nathan start with the Yymar injury. So I guess let's, ah from each of you first, when you saw the lineup, what were your takes? Did it change any way that you thought of this game going into it? Guess goes first always. It was what I thought it was going to be. It was pretty close to pretty close to what we predicted on Sounder at Heart. I thought there was a chance that Nathan can start, but I did, or I thought there was a chance that John Bell wouldn't start, but that was really the only question to me was who's gonna start at center back.
00:04:10
Speaker
and It made sense to have Nathan. I think the main reason for that was you can put Jackson Reagan on is more comfortable He's better on the left. It allows the offense to sort of run the way you have it planned and Nathan so Nathan was on the right and I think that Ultimately, it was I think I that was not a bad decision. I don't think No, before and before Noah gives your tag, I would say, like, to be fair, Nathan played well, I think, in both of these games. And he certainly wasn't the reason that they lost this game. I thought he did. He did well. So um that actually worked out. Yeah. And I'm sure he's kicking himself a little bit for, you know, a missed in a little bit of a soft hospital ball pass to rolled on that kind of will touch on how that kind of played into it all later. But overall, like,
00:04:58
Speaker
We were talking about it last episode. Who is this guy? Like he kind of just balled out with you made two starts this year. Yeah, literally the first last game of the season. Yeah, and just like played basically lights out in my opinion next to Jackson Reagan, which was awesome.
00:05:15
Speaker
For me Georgie and Pedro de la Vega starting was the perfect best of both worlds for us because I was saying Georgie all day Georgie start over Pedro de la Vega and so the fact that he they both did like sure sure I I suppose if there was any debate to be had. It was maybe moving either Obed or a Christian onto the right and then flashing Pedro or Georgie out on the left. I actually appreciate that b Brian kind of stuck with what got him there. I think Christian and Obed were probably the best sounders best players.
00:05:56
Speaker
Yeah, I agree. That double pivot has been great since they went back to it. So I think that is one takeaway that is relevant moving forward is that, especially with Christian, like long-term at this point in his career, I don't really think he's like a week-in, week-out starter at right mid. So moving him back, that might be the best move. I think he's going to, my suspicion is he will be the starting six next year.
00:06:19
Speaker
Which i'm I like that. I like him in that position. All right. We're going to do the goal breakdown of the of the fateful goal. But ah I guess I just wanted to talk a little bit about the game itself first, because I thought it was interesting how it played
Game Analysis and Missed Opportunities
00:06:34
Speaker
out. It really did not play out how I would have thought or predicted going into the game. I think these conference finals, or just one-off playoff games like this sometimes,
00:06:45
Speaker
you there can be teams that are very potent offensively and a one-off game like this can be cagier and more defensive and that's really how it played out. But when I saw that taking shape, my thought, especially throughout all of the first half, was this is kind of this is this type of game is playing into Seattle's hands. The Galaxy have been one of the most potent attacks in the league all year and if you get them in a sort of cagey, more defensive game like that,
00:07:16
Speaker
I think that's what you want more than getting in a shootout with them. Oh, for sure. I would totally agree with that. And the sounders were sort of talking about how, you know, you get into the 70s, 75th minute, and there was this sort of frustration that they were sensing was building up in the galaxy. And I want to say, I mean, they must have over hit, overcooked.
00:07:35
Speaker
I don't know, five or six balls to peck into that channel. Yeah. And it was, and it was largely because they felt like they had, they, the only way they were going to get them into space was to play it through or over new who, who let's remember he is coming off some sort of mystery, but apparently serious illness. And he swine flu.
00:07:56
Speaker
right yeah I mean he fully shut down garb but Gabriel. that Yeah, that's a good point because um Really it it didn't feel like the galaxy ever got rolling like they normally do in Peck in particular I didn't think re he was quiet. He was pretty quiet in the game I thought new who did a good job walking him down and Ricky pooge and paint so I think we're a little more effective but paint so certainly not to the degree that he was for a lot of this season and even Ricky pooge like he's always going to have his moments ah but it was really a moment though yeah well i mean he had a couple of dribbles that were that he where he broke pressure yeah but he was really only i want to i mean i don't know i don't remember him being dangerous more than really on the goal i thought in the first half
00:08:41
Speaker
um There were a few sequences where the galaxy were getting out and running like they like they normally would and Seattle did get a little unbalanced and there was a couple of good sequences for l LA and a couple of good chances. But the thing is, I didn't think any of the chances were ah or the better of the run of the play that they had in the first half were like was more prominent than when Seattle had the front foot and generated a couple of good chances too.
00:09:11
Speaker
So I thought it was really pretty much even right until that goal. Like I definitely don't think it was. There are some times where it's zero zero and the 85th and you're like one team is destroying the other yeah and it shouldn't be zero zero. But I did not think that that was the game state for most of this game. It did not feel like a ah goal was coming.
00:09:31
Speaker
Yeah, exactly. like The goal came out of really, I thought, sort of nothing. Like a random moment that was not part of like the the group the broader games. Right, exactly. You could tell the Galaxy were frustrated. like i have it I even have it in my game notes. so like Galaxy are very frustrated at the 50th minute mark. like when they came out of half and they had, or they had kind of like tweaked a little bit, but not, they're like, we're just going to keep grinding this down. Right. We know this is going to work eventually. It wasn't, it was like the 50th minute. That's really not their game. Their game is not grinding. No, no. Like and they, they, they had to get this when playing like outside of way outside of their like normal style. yeah yeah And I think, um,
00:10:13
Speaker
I think it's both a credit to Seattle for um for defending them into that game state, but I think it is a credit to the Galaxy 2 that they were able to get thrown into a game that's off their usual protocol. and i mean they want it so you have to give them credit for that. um Let's talk about the goal itself because it was the decisive moment in the game. The first thing I will say though is that I think any notion that this is like all Alex Roldan's fault and he ended the season and it was like the most horrific individual error
00:10:47
Speaker
Like my thing is just that in a game like this, you we talked about it on the preview show, you almost have to bake in that the galaxy are going to score at least once. The fact that your defense held them to one goal in this game is a good 85 minutes for me. Yeah, I would i don't know. would Like, I don't know the last time they were shut out, but it's been.
00:11:10
Speaker
they they were they were shut they so They went more scoreless minutes, I guarantee, in this game than if you add up all the scoreless minutes that they had. The longest stretches of score without scoring than any other game. The defense played well enough to win this game. I think the offense even played well enough to win this game. I think they were unlucky. i think i think you can you can say that but like if you don't if you don't score then i know i'm gonna get shit for it but it's like there were genuinely multiple chances that were quality worth things things went maybe not
00:11:44
Speaker
Like, if Albert hits, like, I mean, Brian was touching on this. He's like, if if Albert yeah strikes that ball correctly, it's probably 1-0 sounders. There's an O-bed chance. There's an O-bed chance that gets saved. The Albert one, I think the Albert one was the one. Yeah. That was the one. But it's like, that's always what it was going to be, I think. We said it's either going to be this, like, game of inches where you have to make you have to make the most of your one opportunity or two opportunities you're going to get, or it's going to be this goal fest.
00:12:12
Speaker
Yeah, and it was and I would have thought the ah the former option would have so suited Seattle winning the game. And I mean, I think it did. It just didn't pan out like that. Yeah. The goal itself comes on a giveaway where I think Alex was trying to back pass it, right? He's trying to back pass it, but he like kind of chipped it. He looked like he was trying to chip it to JP, right? He's trying to chip it to JP. It went over JP and right to the one guy that you really, really don't do not want to Give the ball in that spot. Ricky Poosh picks it up. He's got a few guys around him. ah But I mean, that pass he hits is pretty world class. Honestly, he puts that like at a pretty tough angle, right where Joe which is running onto it. And at that point, and he hits it really well. He hits it. Well, that's a good enough striker where you give him that chance. That's I mean, he's usually going to put that away. And um
00:13:08
Speaker
You know, like you said, that was Ricky pooshes like one one really really big play But I mean that's a game like this you also you one moment like that. That's what that's what talks. Right? So
Reflecting on the Season and Future Improvements
00:13:20
Speaker
and I mean I'm not gonna sit here and say that Steph should have saved that but he gets a hand to it It's sort of it's a very well-struck ball. He's not gonna save that very often and But I, at the same time, feel like Steph will probably feel like I could have done a little better on that. And as it was, he almost got enough of it to push it wide, but you know it in and that's how it goes. it was yeah Yeah, exactly. it was
00:13:48
Speaker
it like Like I said, it was just tough because you know if you told me that Seattle was going to lose this game, I would be like, I mean, no you know, they're the underdog. That's that makes sense. But like, they really like, oh, they they almost had that one. They almost had that one. They played it pretty much, I think, exactly how they needed to played out almost ideal, like almost exactly how you would have.
00:14:09
Speaker
That's what I said at the end of it, other than if they could have scored. But like as far as neutralizing the galaxy to the the the greatest extent that that's possible and giving themselves a chance to win the game late in the game, they did do that. But it's just it's that that one mistake, that one mistake can do you anything. I don't think it was a penalty. I'm sure it wasn't a penalty. But I would have i was a little frustrated they did not show a replay of the handball shot. No, no, no of the ball that was a free kick that of being right outside of the we all looked at each other in the box and we're like how are you going to get a foul on the line right and and I thought that was a weird call because I didn't tell you what I think I'll tell you what I think is weird about that call is we all know for an absolute fact
00:14:58
Speaker
that if Drew Fisher thinks that he's inside the box, he does not call a penalty. No. So he's like giving the foul because he knows it's outside the box. That's not how it's supposed to work. Like you're supposed to call it like the same regardless. I don't think it was a penalty, but I think it's weird that he I think it's weird. He seems to give give that foul based on where it took place yeah and not like I don't know.
00:15:22
Speaker
I was shocked that the foul was given. I was very confused. I would have been fine with them not giving it at all. i yeah say like but i mean And Albert does, that was a great look by Albert. He forces ah ah a good save from John McCarthy.
00:15:35
Speaker
Yeah, no, that I mean, that was another one of those potential swing moments. Yeah. Where if they get a goal off of that and I mean, that was a good free kick. but off the but I mean, it gets saved off the post. It gets saved. But ah there was that one. And then the one the one we were talking about where where Albert got the it was like the recycle or like Jordan got the cross from new who was a great. Yeah, that was I think that that was the best. play That was that was the best attacking sequence yeah for sure. Which, and how is your best attacking sequence coming from new? I don't know. they I've seen crazy. the houston We were, we were like joking about it and this is a side tangent, yeah but, um, he, uh, his crossing has legitimately gotten better. I'm not going to say it's good, but like he did have the assist in the, uh, in the last series. He loves scoring and assisting against Houston. Yeah. That's like his thing. Exactly. But then like ah his cross his cross on that chance that Albert had was pretty good. No, that was a good pass. It was a good cross. So I don't know. He's definitely he's not Jovan Jones out there. But it was kind of funny in the last like couple games of the season when he would hit these he got an assist. He's hitting these crosses. We're like, oh, OK. I mean, yeah, I don't really have much else to say about the goal itself other than that. I just i don't think like breaking down like whose fault it is really matters. because i just like
00:16:59
Speaker
if you get shut out ah if you score If you can score one goal yourself, the fact that you conceded one doesn't lose you the game. so yeah it's i think it's The goal that you concede is almost always going to come out of some... I mean, that's the nature of the game, right? yeah That there's some mistake that gets made somewhere on the field. And I think you probably have three or four players that can share some level of blame. and and it it doesn't I don't think it was ah an egregious mistake.
00:17:26
Speaker
But like you said, the when the margins are zero, and yeah like I think it's easier to be frustrated with the lack of offensive production than it is with this breakdown. Yeah, exactly. Well, and because like just to reinforce that, like it spoke to a theme that we saw with this team quite ah quite a lot like earlier this season. And last season, like the big storyline was this team was was playing good on defense um but not generating enough in attack and you know the XG merchant thing so ah like this game kind of felt like one of those games in a way um I don't think that I don't think that indicates that they like regress to that really because I think like I said a ah conference final will play out like that sometimes and I think that and that was that was the game plan too I think from Brian like
00:18:22
Speaker
I don't think that their game plan was to be this all attacking offense. It was not come in here expecting to open it up and just get into a shoot. No, that would be stupid. That would be stupid. You're going to lose that. You will lose that. ten times thatset Yeah. Yeah. I was going to ask you guys how you felt about like the, because the galaxy are open to counter attacks. That's like the one thing where you can carve up their defense and set pieces.
00:18:48
Speaker
that in set pieces and granted they their defense has actually been playing way better in the playoffs ah in my opinion maybe I'm wrong no I mean what playing they only get they've given up one goal it's like they give it four goals well ah what way to against Minnesota oh I forgot about Minnesota game yeah right okay but i guess it was only I guess they only won give one goal against rapid okay regardless back to the back to my point because I'm important here guys come on ah how do I feel like the counter attacking really lacked in this game. I think that there was a lot. like I felt like Pedro held the ball a lot. There wasn't as much like that like Jordan Morris over the top ball. They seem more worried about not getting stretched than they were about getting into the open field. Yes.
00:19:41
Speaker
And we saw that repeatedly, where if they knew they didn't think they had an obvious opportunity, they where they knew they didn't have numbers, they weren't messing around. They just sort of pulled it back, and they held the ball. And and you know they got they were able to wrestle. It was pointed out by staff or Christian in the post game that they did play 120 minutes. so They probably had some heavy legs. they're you know they They are running a little thin on bodies.
00:20:11
Speaker
So I don't know. I, it's hard to second guess that too much, but yeah, I agree with you. It would have been nice to see them trying to get into the open field a little bit more. Cause they didn't do it a lot. They had maybe three or four chances where they really were running at, at galaxy. And they were oftentimes content to pull it back and wait for their numbers to catch up.
00:20:33
Speaker
I felt like there was just this period of time between like between like the the like I don't know if it was like the fiftieth and sixtieth or seventieth minute where there was just this like lull this big lull the time where the galaxy were happy to concede possession because they were a little bit gassed from all their attacking yeah and and they were You know, it's a, it's a classic game state thing where you're like, okay, I know it's the 60th minute. We're going to go all out once the 70th minute hit, you know, just like that mental, I don't know. It it happens. Just game state stuff. And I felt like the sounders in a way did not capitalize on that. I think there was some good opportunities in that time, but I felt like when you notice that's happening, like you gotta, you gotta switch that and I just don't think it happened. The sounders needed someone who was willing to take some risks.
00:21:27
Speaker
Yes. To just go for it. And I think Obed tried. It's it's a tough balance, though. It is a tough balance. It's a tough balance. And ah Georgie was definitely, I think, the one. If you're going to point to anyone who's doing that. I agree that ah it did feel a little too risk averse at times. But I do think you know there's an element to which that's almost how you have to play it.
00:21:55
Speaker
as the road team just to start with, but then also specifically with this matchup against this team, like, uh, attract me is like, you have to avoid that at all costs. So Seattle did a good, a really good job.
00:22:10
Speaker
at avoiding that, but not a good enough job of being opportunistic themselves. And I think, ah look, Jeremiah, you you tweeted the quote, but I think christian Christian said something to the effect of, we did enough to not lose, but not enough to win. Yeah, I think that's that's i thought that was a really good quote. I thought that it summed it up pretty well.
00:22:32
Speaker
And you know look we're talking about a ah game they lost by thin margins and yeah that was the difference it's not to say that they was bad it's not to say that they got out coach I don't think they were got out coached I think they they made a bet that this was their best chance.
00:22:49
Speaker
and it nearly paid off. No, I think, but it didn't. I think if, uh, I think if anything Schmetz Schmetz was in his bag, yeah really this game, but like, uh, all season. Uh, and I guess that's sort of a topic, maybe more for the off season, but I really feel like he, he, he coached his ass off this year to get this team as far as he did. but Let's like,
00:23:11
Speaker
like as as good as the vibes have been like in the last half of the season into the playoffs like um this roster is kneecapped in a way like just off the top you have a situation where like you've got players like Rui Diaz and Leo Chu on on big numbers that you're getting nothing from. I mean Nathan as well. Nathan was hurt all year. De La Vega was hurt all year. Never really got going. So like we finally saw like some glimpses like in this postseason. But like overall this year that it was a busted year for him. So like when you take into account just those three things. ah If you if you told us before the season that you would have that you would get pretty much nothing from De La Vega because of injury that Rui Diaz would be out of the
00:24:00
Speaker
lineup. Yeah, like pretty much entirely for this. George human Nungu was going to start your season finale. Georgia Nungu is starting playoff games for or like starting important games for you. Like if you told us all this, we would have been like there's no way like I don't even see how they maybe they make the play. I would have blocked you on Twitter. Yeah, but they ah but they made the West final and got pretty close to winning it. Yeah, but I think the reason that this stings a lot in spite of ah In spite of all that is just that it feels like a big missed off because I really think the winner of this game is and MLS Cup champion they're like they would' have been Great to have another MLS Cup at and's I mean, the that's the thing is you basically lost like
00:24:46
Speaker
You probably lost a trophy on this. like yeah I don't think the Red Bulls are coming to Seattle and winning. Well, you know if you go back to the last time the Sounders lost a conference final, it was in 2014, long time ago, it was also against the Galaxy. It was also a game where the winner got to host MLS Cup.
00:25:05
Speaker
and you know and the galaxy did go on to win animalist cup that year and it and i wouldn't say this feels quite the same because that that year the centers won the supporters shield and i was 14 geez yeah excuse okay blow past that right are we gonna go to jail yes Um, but where, were we yeah where, where, where, where did that, oh, the twenty nine pod, 2014 galaxies. I don't even know where my point was. It didn't feel didn't feel the same, but my point was that it was, you can't help but feel like a little deflated because you had this opportunity that was just sitting there. And I think that was really what more than anything, I think that was sort of the overarching
00:25:49
Speaker
Sanguine mood was they knew they had this opportunity to do something special that you know and Steph talked a lot about this about how this is sort of a last ride, not necessarily for this group as a whole, but there are invariably are key players who are not gonna be back next year. And there is a dinette, you you you work with all these guys for a year or more, and you have this dynamic and it becomes just to feel like this special group. And I think they really had,
00:26:19
Speaker
convince themselves that it was sort of, that they'd gone through the fire, that they'd come out the other end, that they'd gone through, you know, this was not an easy- They'd been doubted. They'd been doubted. They had they'd been down and they rallied around each other. I think they, you know, I think Christian is being genuine when he says that this was the best group that he'd had. And I think part of that is because they went through so much together and that there was real strife and they found their way through it. And,
00:26:46
Speaker
I went from Raul like walking off basically, right? Like to like you and him accepting ra who got suspended for being petulant and then and then going to new who comes back completely different attitude and like genuinely improves as a player after that moment. Like that was genuinely a turn turning point moment for him.
00:27:07
Speaker
And then like Raul accepting his position as, I mean, in in a way, was i mean especially down the road. And I got to say, I, there is this image that I tried to capture. The photo is not very good. I'll probably tweet it out anyway, but it's Raul just standing there by himself, watching the players celebrate ah saw that way and and sort of, you know, the sounders teammates going over and, and congratulating ah the galaxy players and roles, just standing there sort of watching.
00:27:37
Speaker
and I do feel it felt like a very like this is this is my last this is my last this is how it ends and you know I want to say like uh there'll there'll be time for retrospectives on that but um I think you know it's pretty much a certainty at this point that that was Raoul's last game I don't see it I don't see a path there there's not really a path to him coming back and uh I think when that day comes he deserves to be recognized as a club legend and one of the I think the best number nine that's played for the club all due respect to Obafemi Martins but like you look at the Will Bruin slander but um I just think if you look at the ah
00:28:20
Speaker
the trophy haul and like the cultural impact on the team that he that he's had since he's been on the team. This the way this season went for him, which was not great, should not overshadow that. And like, if you look at Seattle's trophy case, he is a big reason it looks like
Player Contributions and Legacy
00:28:38
Speaker
it does. one and He should he should be recognized and appreciated And some of his best performances came in the Sounders biggest game. I think that's really what that's to me that the LAFC 19 Champions League, you name it, like he scored some of the biggest goals and he scored a ton of them. So shout out to Raul and he's he's he's definitely a club legend. And I think for more than the on the field stuff, though, like the just the presence he was and ah how he mentored the young players, just a great sounder. before we move on i do want to take like a half step back and just say you know ah we had talked about i don't even know how many episodes ago it was but i dubbed this like the season of almost and it really it really was it was like absolutely like i mean i i said that not knowing what the outcome of this playoff was going to be but it really was like
00:29:32
Speaker
Three steps forward, three steps back. I don't even know how to describe it. It's just we were almost there. Almost as a good way. I mean, they they were a result short of you can start small. Yeah, there were is a result short of getting the ah Cascadia Cup. Yep. They fall in the US Open Cup.
00:29:51
Speaker
semi-finals. They fall in the us so are the league's cup quarter-finals. They did a good job of putting themselves in the position to almost get there, and then they they just don't quite do it. They didn't have the thing or just like things to get them across the finish line that the teams that they were playing against it. you know i mean right Mainly attacking soccer, but But that see, that's the thing, though. like we like There's been so much talk this year about how you know behind the eight ball they are, like an attack compared to LAFC, Columbus, Inner Miami, and this Galaxy team. yeah They made it further than a lot of those teams. And they played they played this Galaxy team that's got this attack, that's you know got all these resources pumped into it, that people have been comparing. they're like you know Seattle, why don't they sign Ricky Poosh? Why don't they sign Gabrielle Peck? Why don't they sign Joey Paints? I get all that. But then you look at how these games in the playoffs actually played out on the field and Seattle beat LFC in the playoffs in their own stadium. And they took the galaxy down to the wire and the galaxy only scored one goal in the game.
00:30:59
Speaker
So it's like, uh, like, don't get me wrong. We're going to talk a lot about the things that we want to see with this roster with a specific eye towards more production offensively, because there is no question about it. Like his team did not score enough goals this year, um, did not generate enough on offense consistently enough. And you know, who knows this is.
00:31:19
Speaker
Craig Wives, he told you that, did he not? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. What was the, can you relay that? Yeah, so he had a little press scrum, I guess yesterday, geez, yesterday, time flies. Two days ago, it's... No, it was Friday. Oh, it's the Sunday. It's Sunday. Okay, so on Friday he had a little press scrum and he was really, I thought very clear eyed in his assessment of the team. Like he was not sitting here going like, I told you guys we were going to be fine.
00:31:44
Speaker
No, he was like... He said, I get it. Exactly. He's like, we didn't score enough goals this year. The margins were thin. If people were upset about it, they're justified in feeling it. I was upset too. Didn't you say that? Yeah, exactly. I don't disagree with the assessment that we need to be better offensively. And that's the thing we're going to have to do this offseason. We're going to have to go out and sign some offensive players. We heard Steph effectively say that. We heard Brian effectively say that today as well. This is a team that knows that they need these pieces.
00:32:13
Speaker
That doesn't diminish the work that they did and you can be mad that they didn't have those pieces but they do understand that they have to get better in this way well and i do think there's a lens. ah That you can look at this through <unk>re looking for optimism you know.
00:32:30
Speaker
Well, I do think it's clear that the the foundation at least defensively and with the spine is not a throw the bait This is not a start over but perhaps You don't you just don't have as much as there are Twitter users who want you really I'm there's a lot of I think that there were useful Pieces that develop us here. Jackson Reagan was a a legitimate defender of the year candidate. He's a finalist. Yep Obed Vargas established himself as a rising star in this league. Christian Roldan, I think, established himself as a starting quality number six. I don't think you need to go out and fill that role. ah Jordan, I think, again, showed that he can play, I don't know that he put to sleep the conversation about what position is best for him, but he showed that he could be productive. ah Albert Rusnak showed that he could be a productive number 10.
00:33:19
Speaker
ah Pedro de la Vega I think Fitness wise made real progress this year now, which is like that's not enough I'm not gonna sit here and say that that's enough But he it was there was progress. I think in the playoff army Well, we're we're just gonna skip over Paul Rothrock though real quick. Is that is that we need you to add Paul Roth That's another that's a huge thing that happened this year and that that he wasn't available in this game was notable. It was, it was actually, it was actually, I'm going to add something to the agenda check on that note. Um, let's get to the agenda check. Uh, got your favorite segment written down here. Yes. Um, I got four written down now. I'm just gonna, uh, I'm going to do the first one first. Cause I just thought of it off the last comment. The, uh, the Seattle would have won this game if Paul Rothrock had played agenda.
00:34:08
Speaker
I love that. They didn't have their best player. You're playing yeah the game down your best player. It's like playing with a Ricky poo. Yeah. You know what I'm saying? If you take Ricky poo off the galaxy, you think they're the same squad takes it? Well, we'll find out because he's apparently injured. Okay. But all right. Let's get to the ones that I thought of beforehand.
00:34:24
Speaker
ah All right, let's uh one last ride for the anti-roost snack brigade. No a poor one out. Yeah pour one ah um Yeah, they were having a ha out in full force after the game can't say I really get it I mean first of all he was playing injured and had to come off with injury and I think like like what his injury and he that's kind of felt like the moment where it just felt like the fuel tank was a running low. you know That was definitely one of those things where I was i was like i was definitely thinking if they managed to get this, or he like I don't know that he i won't know that he would have been ready for that. No, I don't think he would would have been. That did not seem like a monitor. Also, it would have made like like the storylines if they had won this, were like with him going out, Georgie starting the game, Yymar being out, people would have been like,
00:35:15
Speaker
The sounders have pulled off another one of the greatest wins ever, you know? So that's like that's what it would have taken, especially after Rusnak went out. We'll do Rusnak, Brigade, I love you guys. You know, we don't always agree on everything, but. We do give him attention. We do give him attention. Yeah, you have that. But we'll get into that. In all seriousness, his status over whether he comes back as a DP is going to be a storyline. I'll give my take on that right now. I don't want to spend a lot of time on it.
00:35:49
Speaker
I think we should just dedicate a whole show. My take on that is if if you can scout up and find and convince to come here and sign a player that's pretty much like exactly the profile and skill level of Ricky Poosh, then yeah, replace Roostnack with that signing.
00:36:05
Speaker
That is not as easy as some people make it out to be. That's actually very difficult. Failing that type of upgrade, I think you bring back the guy that just logged 30, almost 30 goal contributions across all comps and has established himself as one of the three, four best set piece takers in the entire league. I don't really see what's crazy about that.
00:36:26
Speaker
No. All right. Agree. um The Georgie should start agenda. I was a I was a peripheral you proliferator purveyor purveyor purveyor something either way. um This was a big night for this agenda because he started the Western Conference final.
00:36:44
Speaker
um my Okay, like I thought he had some really awesome moments, honestly. like I really thought he was gonna break down. Well, in the first half, especially, he was winning his 1v1s and created a couple good chances. And i do do I do just really like watching him play, because he wins his 1v1s. There was a lot of of Seattle Wing play over the last... year and a half or so where anytime the winger was taking on the defender they usually did not win that matchup so it's been cool to see a winger who has that in his bag ah but like I think you saw the other side of it too in this game which is uh like he's very raw and not polished yet and there I think that's exactly what Brian said in the post-game process by the way so he must listen to loving scorchers I guess yeah but uh but like
00:37:38
Speaker
I guess that's what I'm saying is, like, as fun as the storyline has been and as much as he's emerged this year and looks like he could be a good player, like, I don't know if there's work to be done. thinking There's work to be done and, like, thinking that he ah would carry you in this game. Not that that was the implication, but, like, he just... I mean, it was a gamble. he's not I mean, it what wasn't a gamble, but it was a... yeah Let's see what you can do. kid kind of Like, yeah there you don't go into this game saying, like,
00:38:08
Speaker
Georgie, take Georgie, take us to the promised land. Exactly. I think the fact that Schmetz trusted him enough to start him in this game. I thought he was the perfect like it was makeup for this defense, though, that he was playing against. I mean, and like he he had like I have a written down second minute. Obed Vargas run leads to a pass from Georgie that made a play into Albert on the break and then later a counter attack on Georgie on the wing with lots of space. And then he cut inside.
00:38:38
Speaker
He was looking like he was getting these different looks that I'm not used to seeing from sounders players and not afraid to attack So like that is the kind of in like that's the way he plays So that's exactly what I wanted to see and I really thought like if you're gonna be playing against a galaxy defense that is soft and is vulnerable to the counter-attack who Who else would you want? But like legitimately the fastest guy on the team and and a guy who's got a pretty good technical building that but I'm I'm I'm thinking of it more like when I look at the roster like going into next season and I see long term having Georgie on the roster is great ah but
00:39:17
Speaker
but I don't know just thinking about it right now like I think my number one number one well let's do a wish list episode like offseason wish list at some point love that but like like ah we get to go shopping like a big dominance physically imposing pacey winger that might that's probably number one on my wish list you just want Joey Pates Oh, I mean, I was going to say Peck, but it's the Galaxy podcast. All right. Let's do this De La Vega ah agenda. The De La Vega is a bust agenda that was also out. I think we should have Jeremiah Jeremiah. What are you? What are you? What are your De La Vega thoughts? I think it's hard to get away from the idea that this was a bust of a season that doesn't make it a bust of a sun. I mean, i there's a lot invested in this guy.
00:40:04
Speaker
I think we'll get a much better idea next year. He's clearly gained some fitness, he's stronger. I think that was maybe one thing that he came in and what I heard repeatedly was that he just was not up to the physical challenges of MLS and that I don't know and and i I think it's ah it's worth Unpacking and digging into is to like where the sounders caught off guard by that because they seemingly scouted this guy a lot Yeah, you should have known what his physical limitations were but either way I I won't be surprised if he comes in next year and he has a good year and Then if he struggles again next year, then we start talking about is this guy a bust? I don't really see the larger like there's not really a lot of value in discussing a
00:40:54
Speaker
if a guy is a bust who you signed to be a long term player after his first year. I think he had a bad season. He had a bad season and I think that you could say that this was even a wait. You could even argue that was a wasted season. Yeah, but I don't I don't I'm not at all close ready. I'm not I'm just never I'm never going to call anyone ah a bust when like injuries are that big a fact right like if yeah but he had played 2k minutes this year and still had one goal one assist and was out there every week I'd be like yeah the bus narrative has more legs than I would care to acknowledge but like he really just now in the last like month got to
00:41:33
Speaker
Something approaching full fitness. I thought like fitness wise he looked Good tonight like as good as he had but like I couldn't tell if that was ah Because of like if if how he was playing looked different or if Do you guys notice it's different when you're watching a game with an open box and you can like kind of here? What's going on? I will say This is baby out of the blue. I was very impressed with the whole Car City Health Sports Park DJ slander. I got a whole DJ slander show. I don't even know who that is. Yeah, like the the pre. Yeah, everything about the presence. It was the crowd was. It was loud. That was as loud as I have heard a stadium ever. Maybe yeah like it was stoked. That goal was actually saying like the the crowd reaction was actually like.
00:42:26
Speaker
I mean, I, even during the whole game, like it was, but I mean, I mean like specifically like just the, the feeling of like, you could feel how much it meant to every single person in that stadium. yeah scored and Like I'm not saying that Seattle doesn't have juice, but like this season, I never felt that one time. I mean, I would, I will say ah so I, I went to the game last week at LAFC.
00:42:52
Speaker
also a really great atmosphere, but this was, I honestly do think this was a better app. It was just, it was a louder, it was dignity, health support, agenda check. Yeah, yeah we might've had to do agenda tech on that. Yeah. Yeah. Well, it feels like, uh, like I heard a lot of people saying, Oh, the MLS is probably so bummed, like the gallon. This is a, this is not, maybe not a dream, but to be having an, a MLS cup final at in L.A. that's like trussing Marco Royce in Ricky pooge in Gabriela. This is an incredible team. Yeah. Sorry, guys. I mean, yeah the rebels are not a about. I mean, it's a New York. You got L.A. Market versus New York market. This is not this. I think I think I'm less to be in like in the dumps about this matchup. They are not in the dump. I think the no not I mean the Galaxy are one of the like leagues has most historically relevant dominant club and they've we've been I mean weve but been saying all season there was anyway back to the i think I think the Galaxy are going to destroy the Red Bulls. What were even you even talking about de la Vega? I'll give my take yeah yeah give me a little bit here.
00:43:59
Speaker
I am, I mean, fitness wise, I don't even think he's, I think he's made strides, but I still don't even think he's there yet because like, I saw Brian yelling at him during the match. Like when he basically kind of gave up on a play and then the galaxy got on a break, it was eventually stopped. But I mean, I could tell Brian was absolutely pissed because he just was, he just stopped. He just stopped. He didn't try and track back. That's not the type of player that, you know, Brian is, is fond of. I'm not saying that's the type of player Pedro De La Vega is and I'm not saying that he's like unfit, but
00:44:34
Speaker
I don't, I don't know. I don't want to not be hopeful, but it just like this season really just made me feel like he's got a lot to prove next year. yeah I think he's got more to prove next year than any, maybe than any sounder ever. Yeah. And that's in the, in he here. I thought you were going to say on the team currently, but I think you're right. I think you're right. I mean, I don't know. Like it's, it's like Dempsey, like I guess you could maybe like Dempsey did was not great his first year here, and I guess they probably ended up playing about the same number of minutes, but there was no doubt that Dempsey was a good player. Exactly. He was so established already as a player that you knew he was going to produce. but You just knew he was going to come through. Again, this is maybe a topic for another day, but like ah it's kind of made me think about the wisdom of
00:45:24
Speaker
Investing like like making young dps like putting so much of a centerpiece kind of pressure on a young dp yeah that's that's You're playing a dangerous game because like those bust at a higher rate and no matter how convicted you are in the signing, it can still happen. Like when Ledero came in, he was the Boca's number 10. There was less risk involved with that because there's already so much, it wasn't it wasn't hedging on upside. It was something that was already, you know. And I guess that was maybe the
00:46:01
Speaker
the challenge was that they were sort of trying to split the difference between buying someone who had done, had a decent resume, but who had this real upside, and the upside, we just, we did not see anything close to the upside. Well, it also has to do, and we talked about this extensively on, I don't even know how many shows to go, I'm gonna use that number again, but how he had the world on his shoulders in terms of pressure,
00:46:29
Speaker
move to a new country, immediately gets injured, right comes back, isn't fit, isn't playing well, is frustrated with himself, that is a spiral. That is a spiral and a spiral and a spiral. And I think i think Brian in the and the whole coaching staff and training staff did such a good job to build his confidence back up, build him back up, but it's like, that is really hard when, again, like you're saying, he has the most to prove of maybe any young player in the league, definitely on the Sounders.
00:46:57
Speaker
You know, and I go back to this a lot where I think about the way he carried himself, the way he looked in the season, the opener and then early on in that Austin game, he looked confident. He looked ready to go. He looked, he was flying all over the field, stepped up at LAFC and raised penalty he was it in passes that were just like, Oh, this guy's going to be great. And then the injuries start to happen and they happen and and they happen. And it's like, he ends up missing, you know, effectively two months. And then the road back was slow. Oh, every time he would come back, he would get hurt again. yeah right it was That's got to take a mental toll every time. We talked to him a couple weeks ago, and he sort of talked about how this is a guy who's used to playing 90 minutes, being able to play 90 minutes, and that he wasn't able to do that, was taking a toll on its own. And I really don't think until the last couple weeks ah the last couple months last month of the season, he was feeling anything like himself.
00:47:52
Speaker
Yeah, and I think so this that it makes it really hard to judge it in a a Real analytical way because this is just it He this offseason is gonna be huge for him I think if he can get his body, right if he comes into preseason next year and he's ready to go We'll have a much better idea of what he can be Pedro if you want to go and get haircuts together and pod Let's do it. You can pick my haircut That's a good offer. um All right. Let's get to ah questions. Got a few here. And then maybe a couple more takes and then wrap it up. Does that sound good? Let's do it. All right. What do we got? now
00:48:34
Speaker
Ladies, gentlemen, then these thank you all for your questions. We're going to start out here with Paulie. Paulie says Alex will get a lot of hate. And to be fair, I tweeted some of it, but it's not really sustainable to rely on making zero mistakes against top teams. Got to be able to score some goals, especially against a team like the galaxy, which allows chances.
00:48:54
Speaker
De La Vega was a total bust this season. A lot of people had that. so Maybe we had on the first part. yeah Well, OK, I mean, I do. I think the where where you hit it is not sustainable to rely on making zero mistakes against top teams. That's sort of what I was you trying to get at earlier with. ah Like i I'm really not interested in the debate over whose fault the goal was. I really think like one goal in this game is just should have been expected. I thought they were going to get it earlier.
00:49:23
Speaker
So like it I don't know For me. It's just like a ah it's a retread of the storyline that we talked about ad nauseam back when this team was struggling on offense every week, you know, so Yeah, you were gonna need to score to win this game that much should be obvious Yeah, Jeremiah thoughts i agree nothing agree i don't get much a but Agree yeah, no, I feel like I I was saying this to to Jeremiah when we were walking out of the press box. I was like, I can't even really be mad about this game. Like, like i I'm not sitting here like angrily to like there were there were games this season that genuinely made me mad. Sure. This was not one of them. yeah And I definitely don't think that the mistakes that were made that led to a to turnover and then not even just a turnover because there were turnovers that were stopped.
00:50:16
Speaker
This was just a turnover that was, you have to give credit to LA galaxy on what is a sense of it was a perfect guy. I mean, go, they played perfect. Go watch the, uh, the past that Ricky poo. It's it's beautiful. like God damn it. Like Alex podcast. and I mean, go watch the highlight. It was nice. Anyway, galaxy podcast. Wicked wise says Ellie galaxies path to the cup goes through seed 764 and seven. The first time a finalist has never faced a top three seed in the history of the league. If they win good good pool. Yeah there we go wicked wise. If they win there should be an asterisk.
00:50:52
Speaker
Or should there be an asterisk by their name in the history books? um Okay, so good poll on the stat. Great poll. There definitely is no asterisk by their playoff run. um I mean, like, I think I i would actually like that as face a top three seed. They should put that in the history books. yeah Just to be petty. It would be funny. But yeah but like, I think that undersells how well they performed all season, but then also like, you know, yeah, Seattle was a four seed, but I think they were, they were the four seed by what, like a point. So they're arguably the quality of it.
00:51:39
Speaker
If this is true, this is a remarkable that they that there's never been because there's been lots of one seeds that would have. um mean I mean, it's a great pull. Yeah, no, I mean, it was an interesting stat. I could let I know I guess because the old format you were invariably going to phase a two, three kind of vote, whatever. Yeah. Anyway, Phil asks, this playoff run has got a lot out of not much.
00:52:04
Speaker
one goal from Open Play in 180 minutes against Houston and Sounders players scoring one goal in 120 minutes against LAFC, so need to work on finding more goals. Yeah, so I included that one because that was ah I think that um encapsulated the overarching sentiment in my mentions after the game and you know we touched on it on the show already but like Yeah, like um this is going to be a fun off season because I mean I love i I'm a sicko better be I love off season roster movement and there's I mean there's going to be.
00:52:41
Speaker
stuff going on. like There's no way they can run it back. If they run it back, then yes, you can exactly exactly complain and gripe online. But like ah everyone who's complaining about ah about the offense, like you are you're you're right like not just about this game in particular, but I think everyone knows that the team didn't score enough this year. And really, it just wasn't dangerous enough.
00:53:06
Speaker
Yeah, this last one here comes from Sounder Naves. This team played at or above their level for the last four months. Showed great commitment, determination, and discipline. Coaching staff earned every dollar they make. Front office let them down.
00:53:22
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, I totally we we were talking about Schmetz is Schmetz being in his bag this year. And I really I think our coach of the year takes should have got more traction. But the national opponents would never would never know that Chris Armisto.
00:53:39
Speaker
What do you guys think of Nave's last sentiment, front office, to let them down? I think it's important to differentiate two things here. I wrote about this as well. I do think that there's one thing that Craig Wives, that's what we call him on this show. Yes, Wives. Wives. He deserves credit for.
00:54:03
Speaker
doing the panic buy. A lot of us, I will admit, I i was on the- You wrote a column about the panic buy. I wrote a column. Just buy somebody. like Just spend some money. And I was i was fully like, no, you we're at a point now where you have to buy someone. And I do think, in hindsight, that decision to not just get a guy probably paid off, even if you had had some marginal, maybe in this game you would have had a marginally better option to bring off the bench,
00:54:31
Speaker
But I think that you would have risked upsetting a very fragile ecosystem in the locker room. And in that way, it paid off. Now, he also admitted that he wasn't able to land most of his top, target yeah a few top targets that he wasn't able to land. You can blame him for shooting too high. But I think really the blame is there was no budget to go out and do anything real. And we that's just like, when you don't have much money,
00:55:01
Speaker
you sort of have to overshoot what you think you can get because that's the only way you can get a difference maker. And all, like this Dario Spicich guy was probably the the top player that they were closest to signing. And he's looking pretty good that right now and playing for Dynamo Zagreb. And, you know, that probably would have been, a that he could have been a difference maker, but I don't know. I think what I push back on is the idea that the front office was bad and all I say is I think the front office hasn't really been allowed to do much because they have not been given a whole lot of budget to do anything with right and well and I think the thing people point to is Pedro de la Vega well I would mean I was gonna say like okay well the people point out to okay well why was there no money
00:55:51
Speaker
You didn't move off Rudy Diaz soon enough. you did have much you this guy again i don't think these are new plays are true I think these are all things that are probably a little outside of Weibulls like he does not have full discretion over what to do with the well, and then the other thing is but I think that that's that encompasses the full front office of like I'm I'm generalizing for for naves here just because I'm a defender of of our king but like i Think that like ownership and everything and whatever is involved in getting Fair enough for is is front office. Sure. Okay, that's fine I just want to say I'm just saying I want to clarify The person because I think there's a perception. Oh, I think that's good to go that that why will is just sitting on his hands going like oh Yeah, we want me to do well because no one has any idea day-to-day what he's doing right there in that spot that is and he will even admit like the most
00:56:46
Speaker
the public part of his job, the part that he is going to be judged on, for better or for worse, is the roster moves, and if he's not, yeah like he understands that that's part of it. I'm just saying that if you want to have a more nuanced understanding of the situation, you gotta understand that it's like, get it there wasn't. It's what you're saying, get a job in the front office. Right, exactly. Yeah. um All right. Thank you for your questions, everyone. Yeah, thanks for the questions, as always, everyone. I think that's a, you know, it's 1 12 a.m., I think that's about a good place.
00:57:15
Speaker
ah to Yeah, I'm like wrap this up facets. Yeah, I look on video. here I know we're all going to be fading real, real quick, real quick before we before we vacate um number one on your off season wish list for like positionally and like player profile of what you want like of what you want to see Seattle sign who you want. See it's on. Let me go for guest guest of honor number one.
00:57:44
Speaker
I want to, I, I think it's, it's, I'll take any attacking player. It's kind of, I don't care if it's a nine or a winger about position. Someone good at soccer. I just want a, a player who I think is going to that can reliably upgrade this offense.
00:58:05
Speaker
and is, yeah, I mean, I just think that's, I am totally, whatever the most, whatever best value you can get for your money, do that. Like maybe it's the number nine, maybe it's a a winger, I don't care.
00:58:18
Speaker
I'm going with a and number, Ben Teke style number nine, just a big, like, get in the box, bury his chances, you know, basically Jordan Morris upgraded. And then have Jordan Morris also be able to play off of that type of player. That's what I... That's my... That would be sick.
00:58:41
Speaker
All right, let's call it right there, guys. 1.14 a.m. I got i gotta got get back and crash and we all gotta to get back to Seattle. um Thank you all so much for what a season tuning in throughout the season. What a ride it's been. ah Now comes the fun part, the postseason.
00:58:59
Speaker
Yeah. This is where we make our, our real exactly like where it sounded heart starts to cook. We're exactly going to be cooking all off season. Anytime there's a roster move or new, I just love that you're still wearing your press credential. Oh yeah. Oh, that's a good look. Yeah. I think I'm going to just going to keep it on this. Well, they have stickers. Isn't this Yeah, a few teams do that. Yeah, I don't know. I've seen it before. We better get out of here. It's 1.4 team in the morning. Thank you, everyone, for tuning in all season, making the show what it is. We love you all. Couldn't do it without you. Thanks for having me, guys. Thank you, Jayo. Thanks for having us on Sounder Park. We're working people find you. Yeah.
00:59:33
Speaker
Oh yeah, I'm at Jeremiah Chan. I also have bylines at Sounder Heart. Great website. Sounder Heart. I have a podcast too. Can I plug the podcast? Yeah, yeah, plug the podcast. Okay. No audio. No audio. Good luck spelling that. Yeah, good luck spelling that. That was a genius move on Robert. Time to rebrand. Yeah. Mopbing Scorchers 2 is available.
01:00:00
Speaker
Stay tuned for the offseason content and definitely Keep checking the YouTube. We're we're getting into this live video streaming world folks You can become a channel number watch get Noah's post game stream up to get our first one double digits It's embarrassing, but we're gonna see you guys we're gonna do um We're gonna do an MLS Cup show aren't we? Oh, hundred percent yeah, we're gonna do an MLS Cup show. We got offseason content coming But thank you for tuning in all season. We love you all. Until next time, we out. Peace.