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Sounders just can’t catch a break
2.6k Plays1 day ago
The Seattle Sounders did a lot of things right against the Vancouver Whitecaps. They also did some stuff wrong … and picked up a couple of injuries.
With Aaron out of town, Tim Foss is filling in. He and Jeremiah discuss the latest Sounders disappointment and look ahead to the final three games of the season.
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Transcript
Introduction and Host Background
00:00:01
Speaker
Hi, I'm Will Bruin, and I was just recognized as a Seattle Sounders legend. Now I get to do voice reads for the Sounder at Heart Podcast Network. Here
Sounders' Achievements and Sponsorships
00:00:11
Speaker
we go. Come on. Hey, O'Shaan.
00:00:14
Speaker
Let's go. Seattle Sounders have done it. MLS Cup winners. Here comes Ruiz Diaz through the middle to crown it for Seattle.
00:00:25
Speaker
The Sounders rule the region. of
00:00:59
Speaker
you know what was the thought process in terms of who you decided to use and who you didn't? Ever since Sander Hart wrote a commentary that we didn't take the overcome seriously.
00:01:18
Speaker
This episode of Nos Arietes is sponsored by Full Pull Wines, a Seattle-based wine retailer and proud sponsor of Nos Arietes since 2011. Full Pull was founded in 2009, is based in Seattle, and is owned and operated by longtime Sounder supporters.
00:01:32
Speaker
They offer the best boutique wines of the world to members of their mailing list, with special focus on their home, Pacific Northwest.
00:01:41
Speaker
Welcome to another episode of Nos Adiates, part of the Sounder at Heart podcast network, sponsored by Full Pool Wines, Hacks and Ferments, and our subscribers. That's you. We're recording on Tuesday, September 30th.
00:01:53
Speaker
I am your host, Jeremiah
Recent Game Results and Playoff Implications
00:01:54
Speaker
s Shan. Today, I'm joined by Sounder at Heart's Tim Foss, who's filling in for Aaron while he's on vacation, and Lickit is, of course, producing Lickit. Well, Tim, it was another frustrating result for the Sounders. A 2-2 draw against the Vancouver Whitecaps. It's now four straight since the League's Cup, four straight since they've won.
00:02:14
Speaker
i think they showed signs of life a little bit better, but yeah, just sort of another frustrating result in this one.
00:02:24
Speaker
A particularly frustrating result because it felt, for so much of that game, like, or... So much for a good chunk of the second half. It felt like they were going to, you know, break this streak, find their stride a little bit. And instead, another pretty frustrating, like relatively soft goal to give up from a set piece. And, you know, you settle for one point against...
00:02:59
Speaker
a rival and one of the top teams in the West and the, the rest of the season looks that much tougher and hopes of making noise in the playoffs a little bit dimmer, particularly with the injuries that they suffered.
00:03:17
Speaker
Yeah. So there's a, there's a lot there.
Upcoming Matches and Strategic Outlook
00:03:21
Speaker
admittedly ah what you know, one of the, we'll may as well focus on this. One of the big things is that the result itself was disappointing.
00:03:30
Speaker
It, to the degree that there was really any hope of finishing fourth or better, it's effectively extinguished. So there's not really a viable path to getting home field in the first round.
00:03:41
Speaker
I don't know how much that was really changed by this result, but what's weird is they're, they're kind of locked into spots five, six or seven. And, And I guess it sort of depends on how how the rest of the playoffs shake out. But right now, that would be a first-round match with LAFs, or I guess with Minnesota United.
00:04:03
Speaker
I would take that. You know, all things being equal, a best-of-three against Minnesota United. Granted, yes, they they've beaten the Sounders twice. I wouldn't say either one of those was particularly convincing.
00:04:15
Speaker
And I still like that the Sounders... how they they match up with Minnesota potentially. ah But if they drop down to six, you know, that that potentially means that they have to face LAFC, which I think is probably the toughest draw.
00:04:30
Speaker
And then you also are, the the farther you drop down, the more you're you're diminishing your chances of hosting in case of of upsets in other parts of the game.
00:04:43
Speaker
the the bracket, but really these last three games aren't so much about playoff seating as they are just about getting right, like getting, showing themselves that they can win. And really the, it sets up a huge, like this game against the Timbers,
00:05:00
Speaker
Feels like a massive emotional game for the Sounders. If for no other reason that they still haven't beaten the Timbers at home since 20 fucking 17. What the hell? It's a really long time to go not beating your biggest rival at home.
00:05:17
Speaker
Yes. It's like a surreal. It's like the most surreal stat. As Brian Spencer has only beat. Go ahead. just as if a Timbers match needed more emotional energy added to it and more riding on the stakes of that game.
00:05:38
Speaker
Yeah. And it's, you know, and in a way, I guess maybe this is, it's better this, that there's not like a lot on the line, although I guess there's playoff seating. it The Timbers would jump the Sounders, although the Sounders would still technically control their own destiny, I believe in uh,
00:05:55
Speaker
in the playoffs, if the centers finished tied with them, I think they would potentially still have the the tiebreaker and they have one more game they have a game in hand. In any case, it doesn't put that aside.
00:06:07
Speaker
The sounders just need to beat the Timbers for just to, you know, it's funny because if they win this game, all of a sudden the vibes feel okay. You know, like it's almost like you're playing with house money at that point because they will be almost assured of finishing fifth.
00:06:24
Speaker
which is really as high as they can finish. And it would just get ah the biggest monkey off their back if they can beat the Timbers at home. And this is a team the Sounders should beat. They should.
00:06:36
Speaker
Like, you can't tell me. realize that only two points separate them right now, but the Sounders feel like a much better team than Timbers, even if they are missing Alex Rodon and Yamar. Right. Even on current form, I think that if you look at the two teams, the Sounders are clearly the better team.
00:06:55
Speaker
They're at home where they've, you know, last couple outing. Yeah. The last couple outings aside, they've still been a very good home team. It would be a nearly perfect get right game because it will be a very much a playoff atmosphere. that game is going to or should feel like a playoff game as much as any not actual playoff game can feel like one. And if you get over the timbers at home, you get that added boost of you broke this.
00:07:32
Speaker
eight year streak of losing to them at, or at least not being able to beat them at home. You get that when you feel energized for those last two regular season games, you're the vibes definitely shift a lot based on one performance.
00:07:51
Speaker
Conversely, if they managed to blow this game, The vibes are almost going to be like irreparably bad, seemingly like there's there's nothing they can do in the last two games of the season that can override the negative emotions, I think, that will be coming out of this game.
00:08:09
Speaker
And then it's it's really comes down to the playoffs, ah which is you you know is is always
Player Performance and Team Morale
00:08:15
Speaker
a crapshoot. ah you don't want your entire but You don't want the success or failure of your season writing entirely on how you do in the playoffs.
00:08:22
Speaker
And I guess that's maybe unfair. We don't need to get into the whole, is this season a success thing? But the regular season at least would feel like a pretty big failure if you know if they lose this game to the Timbers almost no matter where they finish.
00:08:37
Speaker
Yeah, and I i think... looking ahead to the playoffs a little bit, if, you know, particularly if you end up facing Minnesota, the struggles recently have largely been set pieces, transition play. That's for all that I generally like the Sounders against Minnesota in this particular phase for the Sounders. That's a i looming threat.
00:09:15
Speaker
Although you again, if you can get over that hump, you feel pretty good about what comes next. But you have to get over that hump first.
00:09:26
Speaker
Right, right. Well, let's let's not get too far ahead of ourselves. Let's talk about this Whitecaps game. It started pretty slow. Neither team really had great chances in the first half. I think maybe one of the better chances was a Albert Rusnak cross that found both Jordan Morris and Paul Rothrock making effectively the exact same run.
00:09:50
Speaker
Rothrock is the is the further forward of the two and he he ends up heading it essentially right at Takeoka. I think Morris maybe had a better angle on that shot, but.
00:10:03
Speaker
Either way, it gets saved. Not going to beat anyone up for taking a header in front of goal. And and it really neither team really controlled much of the game.
00:10:15
Speaker
But there was this sort of Paul like or I shouldn't say that the Whitecaps controlled most of the game. They didn't generate a ton of danger out of controlling the game, I should say. And the Sounders were really, they did seem to be thrown off by the injuries to Alex Roldan and Yamar, both of which came inside the first 15 minutes.
00:10:34
Speaker
And Kalani Kosarienzi definitely struggled, I think, to get into the game. Kim Kihi was not as sharp as we're used to seeing him, which as I suppose is understandable when he you know he didn't get a proper warmup and everything.
00:10:47
Speaker
But that first half was really disjointed and and not a lot to like, ah especially from the Sounders. Yeah, I think you put it well in the postgame pontifications that both teams just seemed very much slowed down by the sequential breaks in play from those two injuries. And the Sounders were really trying to find their footing. And I think. That combined with generally the way the Whitecaps set up to play like.
00:11:25
Speaker
made for a very uninteresting and unexciting, guess, first half where neither team really had much forward thrust. It was trying to establish themselves in midfield, more or less, and not really doing a great job of it from either side.
00:11:48
Speaker
i think for the for the Sounders, think you know We were talking about it in the press box, but none of the forwards for Seattle really were able to have much of an impact. Jordan only played that first half. I know Schmetzer talked about the two injuries really changed the...
00:12:10
Speaker
way they were able to utilize subs that they wanted to have Jordan out there longer, but needing to use the halftime sub window so as to maintain sub windows for the second half.
00:12:23
Speaker
Jordan comes out early, but you know when your best look of a half is from a cross that maybe someone gets a good head on, which is not really setting setting yourself up to do a whole ton.
00:12:40
Speaker
Right. I think maybe the stat that that best illustrates Jordan Morris' first half was he had more successful duels than he had successful passes. this I think you pointed this out to me in the press box, but he was only two for eight passing.
00:12:56
Speaker
But he was, know, he wasn't inactive. He was six for eight in duels. yeah He was sort of doing the work. He he just wasn't really, the Sounders were not getting him the ball in dangerous areas. He wasn't really, you know, he just wasn't really ineffective. And I don't necessarily put that on him.
00:13:13
Speaker
But either way, he just was not as involved offensively as anyone would have liked. ah But at the same time, you know, Danny Masovsky, wasn't super active either.
00:13:25
Speaker
he only, i mean, he, he had 14 passes, uh, but he, he did not. He, uh, he also had eight duels. So both of them were, were both ah pretty comparable in that way. But yeah, he, neither one of them got a shot off. I don't think, uh, just not a great game, but the second half did start much more interestingly.
00:13:45
Speaker
and it wasn't necessarily a good thing for the Sounders because, well, I'll, I'll prevent this as a little bit of, of, uh, of foreshadowing early on in the game. The best thing that Jordan Morris may have done is that he drew a early foul on Mateus Laborda, who you could have argued should have been sent off in the second minute with a ah dog. So foul, well, basically he just grabs onto Jordan Morris to not let him get in behind.
00:14:16
Speaker
Now I think if anything saved him, it was that the past was maybe a little strong. And so maybe the referee was like, Morris wasn't going to get there anyway, but he gives him a yellow card like really early in the match. I think in the second minute of the match.
00:14:28
Speaker
ah But then right at beginning of the second half, Laborda pull does a similar play on new who after he gets beat and he does not get a yellow card for it though. He just gets a foul, but that really should. I mean, to me, it looks like a stone cold yellow.
00:14:46
Speaker
This is like the third or fourth time. This has happened to the sounders where they seemingly get a second yellow on a player. and on a very similar play, like ah you know a professional foul.
00:14:57
Speaker
And referees just do not want to give this foul to the Sounders, although the Sounders have been, I think, at least two different ah players have been sent off for the Sounders for a second ah second yellow.
00:15:08
Speaker
ah i don't i Very frustrating. And, of course, it it ultimately comes back to value. and and we'll We'll sort of get into that later. But what is going on here, Tim? Why why can't the Sounders get get these second yellows?
00:15:22
Speaker
I truly don't know. i it feels sometimes like.
00:15:32
Speaker
You know, in some scenarios. The home crowd creates. A real or perceived advantage in terms of the way referees call games. Yeah.
00:15:48
Speaker
And for the Sounders, it almost is like referees come and are like, I'm not going to be influenced by the home crowd. I'm not giving anything to the home team.
00:16:03
Speaker
but like. Maybe that's just the way that it feels and maybe that's a real thing. I don't think there's conscious bias happening there, but it is very strange that I didn't feel like the first yellow for Laborda was.
00:16:20
Speaker
That close to a dog, so just because I think there they were sort of at the midfield line and the back line was all sort of in a line, so. Maybe the number of defenders sort of in proximity to still try to, you know, I don't think any of them are catching Jordan if he gets out into a sprint in the open field. But that combination of things, I think the yellow made sense, but not giving the second yellow was wild.
00:16:49
Speaker
Yeah. ah The second yellow there, I just on real, like I don't mean in in real time, I don't remember if I clocked that as quite so egregious. But on the replay, when I rewatched it yesterday, I was sort of taken aback at how obvious of a yellow that was.
00:17:04
Speaker
You know, the announcers both called it out immediately saying, like, this has to be a yellow. What's going on here? ah But then really soon after that. The Whitecaps get the breakthrough.
00:17:14
Speaker
it comes on a play where in real time to me, it looked like Snyder Burnell got fouled, but he on replay, he was not. ah This was a a clean tackle. And although you do see it given sometimes, but I think the referee rightly ah let that one play out.
00:17:31
Speaker
And and what ends up happening is Thomas Mueller plays in Brian White, who had just come in at halftime. for what amounts to a pretty easy finish and a one touch finish in front of goal.
00:17:42
Speaker
I don't think there's really anything Stephen Fry could have done better on that. Maybe he comes out a little earlier, cuts down the angle, but there was, he was really a no man. So there was no, it was a disaster ah sort of play waiting to happen once, once Mueller got onto it.
00:17:57
Speaker
ah But the, the Whitecaps led one zero. And at that point felt like they had, they had sort of the momentum.
00:18:05
Speaker
Yeah, that that goal went in and it felt like. They I mean, it is the kind of goal the Sounders have given up a bunch recently, and maybe it's just, you know, they give up one in each of the last few games or whatever, but one of the double pivot gets caught.
00:18:27
Speaker
Yes. On the ball, not like. Whether it's, you know, stepping on it because they're trying to draw the press to open up space because they're struggling to find space to be able to play through the middle or it just is a lack of focus or whatever the case may be. We've seen it with Christian. We've seen it with Obed. We've seen it with Snyder now Like they all have gotten caught at least once and it turns into a dangerous transition opportunity and
00:19:01
Speaker
This again, you know, the fullback is pushed up to get into attack because the Sounders are in possession. the remaining back line sort of spread thin a little bit and the turnover happens and they're just scrambling and don't have the numbers or don't take good angles to close the passing lane or get to the eventual shooter. And it's a goal.
00:19:31
Speaker
Right. but i Go ahead. ah Just it really did feel like the the momentum was going to swing heavily to Vancouver in that moment. And I, you know, fortunately, it only took about a minute or two before the Sounders had an answer. And it felt like it was really going to swing for Seattle. Yeah.
00:19:59
Speaker
Yeah. So on the next kickoff, this very next kickoff, Sounders win a corner and on the the corner, ah Albert Rusnak puts in a ball that that Jackson Reagan gets to first.
00:20:11
Speaker
Not necessarily a great angle, but he he angled he he gets it well, puts it just inside the post, and the Sounders are rolling. And then literally, as soon as they regain possession the next time, they score the go-ahead goal on really a nice play between you know Paul Rothrock plays in Jesus Ferreira puts a cross across the box. It gets deflected, but ah it falls to Albert Rusnak, who really, I think it it's in real time, it looked like an easy finish. Like he just puts it away at the at the goal line.
00:20:44
Speaker
But in reality, he had both Takeoka and I think Laborda essentially right in front of him. He had didn't really have a if he just kicks it, it gets blocked. But he he roofed that shot and the Sounders are all of a sudden flying up to one.
00:21:00
Speaker
And Lumenfield was loud. It was kind of, it was going off. It felt like all of a sudden the Sounders had the momentum that they had been looking for. And it was ah really ah a nice sequence of play. I thought a really good answer by the Sounders.
00:21:15
Speaker
Yeah, I, I think, Rusnak really, not only for the finish, but the the hustle he puts in on that late run to the back post, because in the moment, the reason that Takeoka and driver defender it is are there to close the angle that Rusnak very nearly gets beat to that ball to even have the chance because of the way the deflection took any pace off it.
00:21:47
Speaker
And instead, he is the first one there and he smashes it into the only space available to him. Just a like testament thing.
00:21:58
Speaker
The game as a whole, but that play in particular to what you get from having your highest paid player available and run the field for the whole game.
00:22:09
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. Albert Rustig, you know, that's it should be said he is having, you know, he hasn't been as healthy this year as I think everyone would have liked. He's missed a ah few games, but he's putting together another really good campaign.
00:22:24
Speaker
You know, he is sitting on, i believe, 13 or 11, 13 goals and nine assists across all competitions. Yeah. You know, it's a and you combine that with his total from last year. And the only player in Sounders history who has more goals and assists over a two year period than Rustak, who has, i believe, 49 goals and assists over the last two seasons is Obafemi Martins in 2014 and 2015. mean, that's pretty rarefied error for a player who.
00:22:58
Speaker
weirdly does not get as much respect as I feel like he deserves. Even to like this week, there was someone in the, in the center at heart discord talking about how if in their ideal lineup, he's not sure if Rusnak is in it, which I just think is absolutely crazy. He is been, I think they're,
00:23:16
Speaker
easily their best and most consistent offensive player, really doing everything you could ask. And then later in the game, he continued to show like his flexibility. He was able to drop back into sort of a empty bucket midfield when the Sounders went to a 4-4-2, which we we can talk about later.
00:23:33
Speaker
But I just have been very impressed by Albert Rusnak. I feel like this was, you know, he's earning, he, hes he, he re-signed this last off season for a a DP contract and he's really not other, you know, as long as he can stay healthy, I think he, this is going to end up being a ah great bit of business for the Sounders.
00:23:52
Speaker
Yeah. That availability is obviously the caveat and he's been very a bit available for Seattle prior to this season, but to suggest that,
00:24:04
Speaker
You know, for so long, people were questioning whether he deserves to be a designated player in Seattle. i To have someone genuinely think that he shouldn't be in the starting lineup seems insane. Like, he is very clearly the best player on the team right now.
00:24:23
Speaker
Like, yeah, they I don't think there's any real conversation to be had there. No, i don't I don't either. And I guess maybe I'm giving too much oxygen to the idea that he shouldn't be starting on this team. I just was sort of like shocked that it was even a thing anyone would really suggest because it just seems to defy a certain logic.
00:24:45
Speaker
ah But then, so the Sounders... Didn't exactly seize control of the match at that point. It was still, you know, a pretty open match. And Vancouver does get the equalizer in these. I believe it was like the 67th minute ah on on frankly a nice corner kick.
00:25:05
Speaker
That was i kind of a frustrating sequence right before it, though, because the Sounders probably could have cleared that danger a little bit more efficiently than they did. ah ah But anyway, Sebastian Berhalter puts in a nice corner.
00:25:18
Speaker
And of course, it's Matthias Laborde, the player who should have been sent off, who grabs the that who scores the header, a really nice header, it should be said. But frustrating that he was on the field to to hit it.
00:25:28
Speaker
a sos always the way it goes, right? the The guy who shouldn't be on the field is, of course, the one who makes the difference-making play in the end. yeah I wouldn't be surprised if he also was the person who Manungu's shot hit on the goal line in stoppage time.
00:25:48
Speaker
Like, just because it feels like that is just what happens. Yeah. Right, exactly. Yeah, so it ends up being, you know, so we end up going towards towards the end, and the Sounders do switch into a 4-4-2. I think the maybe the surprising part of this was that instead of bringing in Pedro de la Vega for probably Rothrock, I would assume, is who he would have come in for, ah the Sounders elect to bring in Osaze de Rosario to play as a second striker, i guess,
00:26:21
Speaker
and play Who's he in? Must have been in place of, I guess, Snyder Brunel is who they, I assume, who they took off for him. and And so they, and I kind of understand the broad strokes of of that decision. And I think it's that Brian really just wants to see this team playing in a 4-4-2 because I think he wants, I think he's envisioning a matchup with someone like Minnesota United.
00:26:47
Speaker
who they have tried sort of playing straight up with the 4-2-3-1. They've tried playing three in the back. And I wonder if maybe they want to have this 4-4-2 in the bag, especially with the way that Danny Masofsky and Jordan Morris, with the idea that I assume trying to get Danny Masofsky on the field of Jordan Morris.
00:27:06
Speaker
Of course, Morris is not available at this point. And just for me, i like, I really, I do get the Manungu. I think the Manungu move looked like it was playing well every single time he, every single time Manungu gets isolated on the wing, no matter who he's going against, I feel really good about it.
00:27:24
Speaker
But in this one, he, he again was sort of, you know, he looked like he was capable of, of making magic happen. I just don't, quite get the Osar de Rosario thing.
00:27:35
Speaker
Not because de Rosario doesn't deserve some minutes, but I just, is it worth forcing him on the field over Pedro de la Vega? I don't, I don't think so. I guess the only, only space in which I can make the, make the argument that,
00:27:55
Speaker
De Rosario in that scenario over De La Vega makes sense is that you add another very legitimate threat from set pieces or crosses into the box.
00:28:08
Speaker
But still, i you know, the, the way that De La Vega has been handled since becoming available with the knee tendinitis stuff, just,
00:28:21
Speaker
is a ah cause for contemplation for me because yeah I understand wanting to be careful with him and not wanting to overdo it given the knee tendinitis.
00:28:35
Speaker
But the longer you go not playing him, even if there are good reasons to not that you don't like the game state or whatever, is...
00:28:47
Speaker
is I understand the reasoning behind that, but also if you were in a game state that requires you to kind of pull a goal out of nothing, we've seen that De La Vega is probably the most likely player to pull a goal out of nothing.
00:29:02
Speaker
Like, Manungo can create moments and occasionally that leads to something, but De La Vega has a better track record of... pulling rabbit out of the hat in those compact
Tactical Concerns and Player Fitness
00:29:17
Speaker
moments. And I think especially in a game where you're trying to find a way to control the game a little bit more, think De La Vega offers you quite a bit more in that setting than either Menungu or Rosario. Yeah. risario
00:29:35
Speaker
I worry that the the longer reintegrating him into the games gets kicked down the road, the less runway he has to be able to build up match fitness to actually be able to, you know, play meaningful minutes, let alone start a game once you're in the playoffs.
00:29:58
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah, i I would agree with you there. I i feel like Pedro de la Vega is their factor. I've been sort of consistent on saying this is that if there's one player who can lift the Sounders sort of above where you might otherwise expect them, I i do really believe it's Pedro de la Vega.
00:30:17
Speaker
And we saw that in League's Cup. You know, we've we've seen that in spurts where he is just capable of making special plays and he forces teams to react and play differently than and really anyone else on the team.
00:30:29
Speaker
And it's it's just kind of weird to me that he hasn't been able to get into a game despite being available, at least the last two. last two And I'm with you. I think the biggest concern isn't so much whether or not he played in this game. It's just more the idea that he needs minutes in order to feel like they get like...
00:30:49
Speaker
Ideally, he's starting for you in the playoffs. But if you're going to get him up to being a starter, you've got to play him some games. like he's cant I don't want him to be starting for the first time in the playoffs or in for the first time in couple months in the playoffs.
00:31:03
Speaker
And so the Sounders have three more games. I assume he's not going to start against Portland. i you know We asked Brian about it today, and he said that Pedro is going to play against Portland. And Pedro looks amazing.
00:31:16
Speaker
really, really good in training. Like the last few training sessions that I've been to and they've been playing short set of games. He is the standout player. I mean, he is just bagging goals left and right and he's doing it from all sorts of angles.
00:31:29
Speaker
He is just, he's a really good player around the box and I'll tell you, if I just one player who's going to give you a little bit better of a chance, it does feel like it's De La Vega.
00:31:40
Speaker
And it so I don't know. I just hope that this is not a sign that he's lost the trust of Brian Schmetter, because that would be a real shame.
00:31:50
Speaker
I have to imagine that more than having lost the coach's trust because You know, you look back to the League's Cup final and he doesn't have a goal or an assist, but he is a huge part of why Messi has so little influence that there is so little threat from the right side of the field. He was a nightmare for Miami on both sides of the ball and was.
00:32:19
Speaker
In an absolute dogfight all game and came out the better in almost every instance,
00:32:29
Speaker
i I think if they have become gun shy about using him because of the injuries. ah just I don't know.
00:32:40
Speaker
Like. yeah There's no way for him to prove the negative rate of like, I'm not going to get hurt again because you can't guarantee that. And also like.
00:32:54
Speaker
How do you prove that other than by what he's already doing? yeah exactly. So that is, i would say if there's one concern I have right now, it's maybe...
00:33:07
Speaker
Pedro De La Vega just getting reintegrated into the team and feeling like really part of what's going on here. Because again, i just i just feel like if the Sounders are going to make a ah play a run in the playoffs, it it's hard to imagine it being done without De La Vega being a significant part of that.
00:33:24
Speaker
Of course, they've also got these defensive issues, which are becoming more and like harder and harder to ignore. you know i feel like it was probably a couple months ago we first were saying like, eh,
00:33:36
Speaker
yeah, the defense isn't great, but this is the same defense that really was the league's best the last two years. Eventually, they're going to round into form. And then they had this great leagues cup run where they only give up two goals and you go, okay, the defense is back, but they've now given up ah nine goal nine no yeah Nine goals in four games since League's Cup.
00:34:01
Speaker
They've given up at least two in all four of those games. And I don't know if it's... it's There's not one thing that I think you can point to beyond sort of like generally set pieces they've been they've struggled on. And then they've given up a bunch of goals on turnovers in bad parts of the field, which I don't know if is entirely fair to put on the defense, but it does speak to like broader defensive issues.
00:34:28
Speaker
i I am worried that this defense is just not good. Like this is sort of who the sounders are defensively at this point, which is they're going to have to win. They're going to have score multiple goals every game to have a chance of winning.
00:34:40
Speaker
The good news is that they are clearly capable of scoring multiple goals. They've done it a lot. ah They did it again in this game. Uh, the danger is that you're putting a lot of pressure on being extremely clinical when, you know, being clinical is not necessarily their, ah their forte.
00:35:02
Speaker
Right. i I, have to wonder how much of the defensive struggle really you know Schmetzer talks a lot about the whole team plays defense. It's not just that back four or back five or back six, however you look at it, but the whole team has to play defense and particularly the way games have been going where think there is this
00:35:36
Speaker
often need to find additional goals. And so the team is pressing even more. The, the, The defensive strength when this team this season has played well is a product of pressing and repressing and winning second balls.
00:35:58
Speaker
And the more miles that stack up on the legs of the midfield in particular, the less they're able to cover as much ground, win, get into every single duel,
00:36:15
Speaker
The guys behind and around them have to push more to try to cover that ground as they struggle to cover it. They get opened up more and the space for other teams to play through are more present.
00:36:30
Speaker
I they like at this point, there's not anything to really do about. Getting those guys rest because you can't dictate how Obed Vargas is going to get played at the U-20 World Cup and.
00:36:46
Speaker
What are you going not play Christian? Like. i don't know that you really can justify that at this point in the season, unfortunately, and.
00:36:57
Speaker
They just have to
00:37:00
Speaker
Find a way to be more disciplined and. Hope that it goes better, like. Right. Yeah, that does seem to be sort of like where they are at this point is that it's like they just are, they kind of are what they they are.
00:37:18
Speaker
ah You know, i will know you know i think you you did pick up on ah on a good point, though, is that, you know, so much of their defensive success this year has been on sort of this this repressing. And it oftentimes shows up in stats like average line of confrontation because all of a sudden you're you're making these defensive players higher, you know, in the opposing third.
00:37:41
Speaker
And ah especially where we're seeing that difference especially is at home where they were among the most aggressive pressing teams at home in the entire league ah before the League's Cup or before the League's Cup final.
00:37:57
Speaker
And since then, they have dropped into a much more ah conservative approach. You know, both this game and the Galaxy game, they had an average line of confrontation of about 36 yards from goal, which is right or just like pretty league average. But before that, they had been like 45 yards from goal, which is, you know, you're almost at midfield at that point. That's that's one of the highest.
00:38:23
Speaker
So I do wonder if there is something... ah tactically that they have started doing differently. And, and I do think that when this team it's ah to me, undeniable when that this team ah at its best is flying all over the field and repressing and winning a lot of balls in the defensive, even if those chances aren't turning directly into goals, that's a big part of what they do well.
00:38:48
Speaker
And I don't, I don't know what the reason for that is. I suppose part of it could be that they are working players back in. And so maybe there's just, you know, some time and, you know, we're talking about a relatively small sample size.
00:39:00
Speaker
So you'd like to think this is not some big ah change in film philosophy, but it is, you know, I would i would say if you're looking for one big difference defensively, it is, it's just sort of their ability to win the ball in the other team's half.
00:39:19
Speaker
Yeah. And, ah you know, I think some of that is also a product like, again, similar. Source, I think, but some difficulty really keeping the ball and playing through the middle of the field where.
00:39:38
Speaker
That's where a lot of those turnovers are happening or, you know, getting pressed on the wings and turning it over and
00:39:48
Speaker
because they are often in these positions where they're trying to find the goals and the... Pressing structure they're taking invites the other team in more, which I think could be that theoretically that should open up additional space for you to play into and through.
00:40:13
Speaker
but when you go to capitalize that and the execution isn't clean, it turns into a turnover and one, the other team is closer to your goal But two, you have less ability to respond to that.
00:40:28
Speaker
um And I yeah, it's it's a tough balance they have to try to strike. Yeah, I can say they should just do better. Right.
00:40:41
Speaker
Yeah, I would agree with you there.
Community Engagement and Sponsorships
00:40:43
Speaker
ah All right. Well, that that's probably a good place to to take a break here. We're going to come back and talk a little bit more. We got an update on Alex Roldan and Yamar.
00:40:52
Speaker
And ah we'll go into how the centers are going to handle that and what to expect. You're listening to Nos Arietes. Thank you for listening to the Sounder Heart Podcast Network, which now includes Nos Adietes, Loving Scorchers, and The Cooler Guild. Although this podcast is free, it's only made possible through our paid subscribers.
00:41:12
Speaker
Plans start as low as $30 a year and allow us to remain independent and mostly ad-free. subscribers get access to all our written and podcast content, including a full text RSS feed and a mostly ad free podcast feed that includes every show in one spot. If you really like what we're doing though, I'd encourage you to sign up at our higher tiers, which include all sorts of various perks. The most popular of those is our members only discord or the real Sounders sickos hang out. I know I've called this group, the smartest, funniest and best informed Sounders fans in the world, but it's more than the rough equivalent of a Sounders Mensa meeting.
00:41:46
Speaker
Discord is where we make things happen. Like, for real. You know the promotion the Sounders ran that offered fans the opportunity to trade in their messy jersey for a Paul Rothrock one? That originated in our community. You'll not only be the first to know about stuff, but you also have a semi-direct line to the movers and shakers at the Sounders organization. If you want to be one of the totally normal people who occupy the Sounder at Heart Discord, just become a supporter of Sounder at Heart. Anyway, thanks for listening, and go Durs.
00:42:15
Speaker
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Speaker
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00:42:47
Speaker
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Speaker
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00:43:11
Speaker
Hacks and Ferments is a proud sponsor of the Sounder at Heart podcast network.
00:43:17
Speaker
Welcome back to Nos Arietes. So the big thing to come out of this game, aside from the result, were the two injuries to Yamar and Alex Rodon. And I'll admit, i I assumed that both of them were probably going to be out for the rest of the regular season.
00:43:33
Speaker
And you just sort of hope and cross your fingers that they'll be back in time for the playoffs. I do think, as you know, talk about their defensive issues. These are maybe their two best defensive players. They're two most consistent defensive players.
00:43:45
Speaker
And losing them both was going to be ah problem. Losing one of them it's going to be ah would be a problem. But then today we got some relatively positive news. Alex Rodon, it turns out, does not have a adductor injury, which is what we had first heard. it it Apparently was more just that he turned his hip awkwardly.
00:44:05
Speaker
And he was out. He wasn't doing training, but he was outside doing work. And b Brian Schmetzer actually said that there's a ah chance that he will be ready for Portland, but it sounds like they're not really worried about him being available beyond that.
00:44:18
Speaker
Yamar wasn't quite as good news, but it wasn't the disaster that it, you know, it potentially could have been. He's going to be out for probably four weeks, which would put him in line to return basically right when the playoffs start.
00:44:31
Speaker
So ah given that, How are you feeling about those two situations? I guess, Tim. Obviously glad that Alex isn't going to be out for a long period of time. Just, I think he is such an underrated piece of how the Sounders play when they are at their best, both performance,
00:44:56
Speaker
ability to deliver the ball from out wide. His defense is better than I think he often gets credit for. And he is an integral part of their possession game, like his distribution, his ability to tuck into midfield and serve as ah you know, an added node in that double pivot allows them to use the ball more effectively.
00:45:28
Speaker
um Losing JMR is rough. I think he has not had his best season, but I think the drop from JMR to whether it's Kim Kihee or John Bell starts and Jackson Reagan shifts over to the right, like I think either of those just...
00:45:54
Speaker
are a pretty sizable hit to how the Sounders play. ah You know, maybe Kim Ki-hee plays more like Kim Ki-hee at his best, but that's kind of hoping for something that we haven't necessarily seen a ton to happen that...
00:46:20
Speaker
is is not the kind of thing you want to have to gamble on as you're heading to the playoffs. Yeah, I would agree with that. No, I will say with Kim. the The caveat, he the Sounders are 6-1-2 in his start. So they've gotten good results. I don't think they've necessarily looked as good when he's out.
00:46:38
Speaker
And I think Yamar, he might be a better replacement for Jackson in that he's a you know he's a pretty good passer. But he's just not, he's simply not as mobile as Yamar is. And, you know, on the the header that...
00:46:53
Speaker
Vancouver get to, to get the equalizer on this. I can't help, but feel like yay bar is maybe a little bit better at defending that then, know, granted, even though yes, Danny Masofsky and Jackson Reagan were the two players who were sort of marking him up there.
00:47:07
Speaker
I don't know. I feel a little bit better if, if the AMR is in on set pieces, ah but the sort of the the bigger question mark, I think is how Kalani Kosarienzi manages, especially like, let's just talk about this week.
00:47:22
Speaker
I'm going to assume he's the starter now at his best. Kalani has been nothing short of a revelation. He's got three goals and two assists in about 1200 MLS minutes.
00:47:33
Speaker
He has, you know, he is dynamic a dynamic player. He gets up but down the line really well. And when he sort of can get into the game, he's really effective.
Looking Ahead to Key Matches
00:47:43
Speaker
And I do think that Portland is probably a good matchup for him because they are not going to play sort of like they're not going to press him and sort of out tactic him.
00:47:54
Speaker
And I do think the teams that he struggles with are like the more technical teams, the teams like the the Whitecaps who have, frankly, a really good ah defensive structure. and and ah And they have a real good system for attacking.
00:48:08
Speaker
ah Whereas the the Timbers are a little bit more of a sort of like get the talented guys on the ball type of offense, at least to my ah to my eye. ah But Kalani is you know, this was not his best game.
00:48:22
Speaker
He has not necessarily been at his best since, you know, League's Cup. We haven't really seen a great game from him since League's Cup. But, you know, at his best, he... He I think arguably is, you know, his best games have arguably been better than Alex's best games, at least offensively. I don't know. Maybe that's overstating it. Alex has been really good this year.
00:48:43
Speaker
I think Alex has had a couple, you know, he had the. to assist in a goal performance, I think i think Alex's best games are more well-rounded and have higher highs.
00:48:59
Speaker
But considering.
00:49:03
Speaker
Costa Rienzi's age and experience. I think when he shines, he shines particularly brightly. i i think this Timbers matchup is one where it's pretty tailored for his game in particular. Yeah, I think his last words and all, but I agree.
00:49:23
Speaker
Sure. I, you know, ah knock on wood, but I think the, you know, the, left side center back and fullback airing from Portland seems like a pairing that would have trouble dealing with Costa Rienzi making overlapping runs. Um, I, I think he could do a good job just being a, like a harrying presence on that right side in defense.
00:49:59
Speaker
Um,
00:50:02
Speaker
i I am not too concerned about that. I also think for all that Kim, instead of Jamar, sort of exacerbates some of the team's biggest defensive frailties.
00:50:17
Speaker
Just he isn't as athletic or fast. I don't know that that's necessarily as much of a concern against the Timbers as some other teams. Not that...
00:50:29
Speaker
He isn't going to need to be athletic or fast, but I just don't think that's quite as much the way that the Timbers play and there aren't as direct of threats as there would be with some other team. So I think, you know, it's a it's a good opportunity for both players, I think. um But we'll we'll just have to see how it plays out.
00:50:56
Speaker
Yeah, ah as far as the matchup goes, Kamal Miller apparently has been getting most of the starts at left back for ah for Portland. And that does seem, like you said, that seems to be a good matchup ah potentially for Kalani because he he shouldn't have to worry about defending too much.
00:51:15
Speaker
you know he Miller essentially plays as a, for the most part, he plays as a third player. as as a third center back and Muscara does almost, you know, almost plays as a wing back really in in that formation.
00:51:28
Speaker
So, you know, I, I suspect that that's like you said, that's, that's probably a that's probably a good matchup. ah And i I, don't know. I, I do like their chances there. I guess that's, I'm not freaking out about Alex. If there was one game that Alex is going to miss, this is probably as good as, as any of them.
00:51:50
Speaker
You know, and we'll see about Kim. I think, you know, if if he can get them through, you know, if he can just get them through, the Sounders can get six points from these last two or last three games, I feel like I'm going to feel pretty good about their playoff hopes. And especially if one of those, of course, one of those wins needs to be Portland.
00:52:10
Speaker
ah You know, I feel like we've been saying this for almost a decade, but they kind figure out how beat Portland at home. This is ridiculous. It is worryingly close to a decade,
00:52:22
Speaker
but
00:52:25
Speaker
First time always has to happen eventually. It does, right? It's the gambler's fallacy, but you know the Sounders are really due to win a home game against the Timbers, ah which I feel like so little I've said that a lot of times.
00:52:39
Speaker
ah But every time it's true. it's It's true every single time. ah Could we get national media to talk as much as possible about the fact that the Timbers haven't lost at Lumen in...
00:52:54
Speaker
eight years just because that seems like the kind of thing that we could trick them into jinxing so that the timbers do lose I think that's a great idea it so it's a fantastic idea Tim we've got to get the friends of the pod working Exactly. We're going to to start put the word out, get soccer wise, get a total soccer show, get, let's see what who else get out there. could I'm sure we can come up with a few more and that just, I feel like we can get Doyle to Doyle to hammer that on blue sky, get Charles Boehm. There we go. There we go. Exactly.
00:53:31
Speaker
Get this out there. Tell your buddies that the Timbers have never lost at Lumen field. Cause it's a, we need that out in the world.
Conclusion and Listener Engagement
00:53:38
Speaker
All right. Well, Tim, thank you for filling in for Aaron. I really appreciate it.
00:53:41
Speaker
Of course, thank you to Lickit for producing the show. Thank you to our sponsors, Hacks and Ferments and Full Pull Wines ah for keeping this thing going. And of course, thank you to our ah very, very loyal listeners.
00:53:56
Speaker
ah Hopefully, if you are a subscriber to Sounder at Heart, hopefully you've heard about this, these stickers that we made. We made one for Schmetzer High Life.
00:54:07
Speaker
And ah We've got Paul Rothrock in the shape of ah the Washington state flag. So hopefully if you are a subscriber youve and you want one of those, you've figured out how to order it.
00:54:18
Speaker
ah With all that said, I am Jeremiah O'Shan signing off for Nos Adietes, which is part of the Sounder Heart Podcast Network. Remember, you'll never get alone.
00:54:55
Speaker
Let's go at Sounders. um