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El Trafico Takes the Crown from the Cascadia Rivalry? - Ep. 10
42 Plays2 years ago
Ari and Noah discuss which rivalry is king in Major League Soccer, Portland Timbers vs. Seattle Sounders or LAFC vs. LA Galaxy, A preview of the upcoming Sounders match at Vancouver Whitecaps and finally some MLS trades and player movement.
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Transcript
Celebrating 10th Episode Milestone
00:00:10
Speaker
What's going on, everybody? Welcome in to episode 10 of Lobbing Scorchers. That's right. We're at Double Digits, so yet another celebratory milestone episode in Lobbing Scorchers history. This is Ari Lillianwall. I've got producer Noah here with me. Noah, say what's up to the people.
00:00:29
Speaker
We made it longer than most relationships are. Ten episodes. Ten episodes, double digits. I mean, it's a good day for us. We've gotten a ton of support from you all, the people so far, so much appreciated. We're going to keep grinding here this evening.
Historic El Trafico Match
00:00:49
Speaker
We're going to dish some takes on El Trafico, which took place on July 4th. Not just El Trafico. The biggest MLS game ever.
00:00:59
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. Broke the single game attendance record. So we're going to talk about that to start it off. I think that that was really the game of the week easily easily both in terms of the historical nature of the attendance record and then also how the game actually played out. So you know when we're in this situation where we've got a game that kind of rose above all else.
00:01:24
Speaker
We're going to focus on that, but we'll get to the Seattle Sounders. Don't worry, we're going to preview the match coming up on Saturday at the Vancouver Whitecaps and talk about that. But to start it off here, let's get into El Traffico because El Traffico was the match of the week in MLS. And as someone who would still argue that Seattle Portland is the best rivalry in MLS,
00:01:51
Speaker
I gotta give El Travico its due for the type of fixtures that that rivalry generates.
Best MLS Rivalry Debate
00:01:58
Speaker
Like we were talking about, this match broke the single match MLS attendance record. Over 82,000 people at the Rose Bowl, Noah. 82K. That's a lot of people. 82K for an MLS game. Eye popping number.
00:02:09
Speaker
We've never seen 80 K Charlotte FC had the previous record. They had 74 at their home opener last year, which was a good turn. Oh, I mean that's that you can't you can't knock that Seattle packed 69,000 for the CCL final and MLS Cup 2019. I want to say they've been up towards 70 for a couple of Portland games and and for both those championship games Atlanta United have dominated these records for a long time. They've packed 70 a lot.
00:02:39
Speaker
the Benz hold 70 and they filled it many times pretty much for a while pretty much every time you looked at the all-time records it was like Atlanta Atlanta Atlanta Atlanta but we've never seen 80 and El Travico smashed 80 so that's great to see if there are any doubters still out there about the presence of MLS in the sports landscape in this country
00:03:05
Speaker
There's no way you could watch that game both seeing the attendance and just the atmosphere they had going and not acknowledge that this league and the sport is on a positive track. That being said, I've still got Seattle Portland as the best rivalry in the league. I know I'm biased and what you consider to be the best rivalry is going to come down to your personal preference. So no one's wrong for feeling any type of way about what they prefer.
Galaxy's Victory in El Trafico
00:03:32
Speaker
But
00:03:32
Speaker
I mean, I think you're wrong, but okay. Well, okay. I'll lay down my case first and then you can let's hear a point. I think the difference is that Seattle Portland actually has history that dates back generations. They've been playing each other since the 70s over all sorts of incarnations of the club, different leagues, and the bad blood between the two has persisted through all of that. El traffico.
00:03:57
Speaker
is amazing so far. But LAFC just came into the league in 2018. It's still relatively new. It doesn't have that same history in the same way. So that's the differentiating factor, in my opinion. But I will say, if anyone wants to stump for El Trafico as the best rivalry in the league, like it sounds like you're about to,
00:04:18
Speaker
I'd have to acknowledge there's valid arguments. You could dish that take, and I would have to acknowledge, based on how good that El Travico has been this early, can dish that take and stand on it. I would respect it. I think it's a 1A, 1B situation, ultimately. And I've got Seattle, Portland as the 1A. But if anyone puts El Travico as the 1A, it's personal preference. It's personal preference. But lay down the case for a while. Travico has surpassed it. I'm interested.
00:04:47
Speaker
I don't know if it's surpassed it yet. I don't know if I'm willing to put it as the highest, but I do want to play devil's advocate here because I'm here for the content. No, play it. But as of recent, I swear every time the galaxy and LFC play, it is just a stunner. It's a showstopping event. It's been like banger goals, hard fought matches, fun matches to watch, like genuinely entertaining newsworthy headline inducing games.
00:05:16
Speaker
Seattle Portland, as of the last, what, five years?
00:05:21
Speaker
Has been dominated by one team the team that isn't even good Portland timbers like that's embarrassing now you could say the same thing about El Trafico LA galaxy over the last what five or six or seven if I was gonna say the same dynamic I was gonna point that I feel like in a sense. They've they haven't been so lopsided like Like Portland has seemed to play against us like I think you were saying they're real Madrid every time they play
00:05:53
Speaker
Yeah, those are good points. I would say Portland has dominated the Cascadia rivalry more like the last two or so years, not the last five. It's more like the last stretch of eight
00:06:10
Speaker
eight or so games it feels like portland has just they i mean they they do own the rivalry right now i've said it on the show before unfortunately but that's a fact but i mean i think what you brought up is it's a good point i mean uh... the galaxy won this game which is always funny and i i mean i was gonna point out even before you brought that up the dynamic between the galaxy and l f c the last few years is actually been pretty similar yes you know portland in that
00:06:40
Speaker
One team is actually competing for and winning trophies. The other club is treading water at best, but when they play a team that's treading water pretty much always wins Portland. That is their MLS cup. Yeah. The Portland hasn't done all that much on the field in the last few years. They've been a pretty good playoff team, but it's not like they've been ripping off trophies, but like, you know, like you said, they play like real Madrid and beat Seattle. Every time they play, they own the rivalry.
00:07:05
Speaker
I mean, come on, they won MLS is back. So they hung a banner for MLS is back. I think it's fair to say, especially after the game on Tuesday, the galaxy, they kind of own the rivalry with LAFC in the same way. LAFC has beat them in the playoffs a couple times, but like outside of those playoff matches, which I know that's important, but out all the regular season games when you're only playing for the rivalry, the galaxy. Yeah, they always they always bring it.
00:07:35
Speaker
Yeah. They always bring it. They play like real Madrid. They think about this lot on days. And when LFC first got in the league, they couldn't beat the galaxy. No, they beat them in the playoffs. And there's been individual games where LFC is one. But I'm not getting subbed in first game and just hitting that half. Yeah, that's probably the best goal in MLS history. Yeah. Like, you know, you might be able to argue for a couple that
Impact of Galaxy's Win on the Season
00:08:00
Speaker
you could put up with everything surrounding it, though, and then hitting it fire.
00:08:04
Speaker
That was I'll always remember that one. Yeah, I'll always remember that one because everyone was so fired up to Z sees latin play and MLS He subs in and he just immediately does. Yeah, I mean it's the biggest scorcher that was crazy I'm gonna do a little just recap of the game and my takes on the actual game. Yeah US men's national team legend Tyler Boyd scored a banger and Assisted on Ricky pooshes game winner, but this game was all about Ricky pooshes
00:08:31
Speaker
Ricky poos put put on I would call that game from Ricky poos the best individual effort I've seen from an MLS player this season. You know a lot of people were talking about it, but I think it's a case where the the conventional wisdom take was pretty dead-on. He dominated this game. He was cooking. He was absolutely cooking. LFC any time Ricky poos had the ball. They couldn't touch him.
00:08:58
Speaker
No, I wasn't I was I was honestly I thought it was messy. I thought they I thought I like galaxy inside messy. It looked like messy out there. Ricky poos came to MLS from Barcelona where he was a one time highly touted prospect as I understand it. I didn't know much about him before they signed him.
00:09:19
Speaker
But I do know that it was a bit of a shock that he came to MLS as young as he did. He's 22. Yeah. So he could have played a lot of places in Europe and ended up choosing the galaxy. And you saw that pedigree in this game. He really just looked a level up from everyone else on the field. He might be in terms of raw talent the most talented player in MLS just in terms of raw ability.
00:09:42
Speaker
you got some guys up there when he wants to play though who yeah that's what I'm saying like touch him he I mean it's kind of funny that he's on the galaxy because they have famously not been very good this year historically like yeah when he's on his game like you know you got hanging book tar carless gill zella rayon there's some there's some guys up there
00:10:07
Speaker
But I don't know if I've seen any of those guys just flat out take over an entire game for minute one to minute 90 like Ricky push did in this game. He was that good. The game winning goal that he scored. That's one of the goals of the season and not because it was a super sick banger or a highlight reel finish.
00:10:26
Speaker
Just go back and watch the run he makes to generate that chance. The Galaxy win the ball and he takes off on an absolute dead sprint 60 yards going full speed the entire time. He was absolutely trucking. Tyler Boyd picks his head up and picks him out and he never stopped sprinting. He sprinted all the way onto that cross and he scored it for midfield.
00:10:48
Speaker
That was an epic run. It reminded me of a similar one actually that Clint Dempsey scored against Portland. He had, he had a goal like that. I'm pretty sure it was the game at Providence where he scored. He ended up scoring the hat trick that tied it at four four. And it was the same thing. Like he just, he just took off and was busting for midfield and Oba found him.
00:11:09
Speaker
So that was what came to mind for me when I watched that replay. I was like, damn, he really, he pulled out the Clint goal. Okay.
00:11:20
Speaker
Anyway, a goal like that, that's all effort, desire, and just force of will over the other team. That's saying like, I want this more than you and I'm just going to go take it and you're not going to stop me. Great goal. So really fun game to watch. MLS attendance record broken. It was sick. Cool milestone. It was sick. Atmosphere looked electric on the broadcast.
00:11:44
Speaker
Great advertisement for the league. I would say it's pretty just is pretty cool that the league's at a point where 80 K is even possible.
LAFC's Scheduling Struggles
00:11:51
Speaker
Yeah, and the list of games that they came from a regular season matchup, regular season matchup list of games that have drawn sixty and seventy plus is growing every year. So these are numbers that should be turning heads.
00:12:07
Speaker
Honestly, I'm really glad that it was rescheduled for the fourth. I feel like it worked out a lot better for people that worked out swimmingly I forgot about that. Yeah, that this game was originally supposed to take place back in April or so It was week one I believe yeah, and it wasn't like extreme weather. Yeah, there was that there was flooding in California And it was just insane weather so they ended up scrapping it and moved it to the 4th of July which
00:12:31
Speaker
is kind of genius at the road. They, every El traffico should be played at the Rose bowl. Like that's a, like BMO stadium is, is a great venue. It's a, it's a lot smaller capacity. It's like a quarter of the size. But like you can't like,
00:12:51
Speaker
You can't match the energy of 80,000 like on the broadcast when when both teams scored it looked insane and yeah insane. It was just it was just a different level. Do you I have to ask this because I was thinking about this. Yeah.
00:13:07
Speaker
How important of a game is this for the galaxy going forward? Because in my opinion, I feel like with everything that has happened, literally the nightmarish hellscape of the last two, three seasons that they've had, what does this game in front of this many people mean to that club right now?
00:13:38
Speaker
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00:14:04
Speaker
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00:14:34
Speaker
Well, it means everything to them right now, given the season that they've had. I'll say that if they have any chance at all of turning their season around and charging back up towards the playoffs, they needed this exact win in this exact game.
00:14:56
Speaker
Some that's the beauty of a Darby matchup is that the form that you're in the type of season that you've had everything going on with the club Doesn't matter in a Darby game and you can use results like that to Galvanize your team and get on a run the Timbers have used this to great effect against Seattle. We've seen it like
00:15:19
Speaker
They they are in a bad run of form. They bam on Seattle and all of a sudden they go off on a run. They they made the playoffs off that last year. So I don't I don't know if I'm going to predict a galaxy turnaround because you can't really throw out the season that they've had to this point based off one game. But they are unbeaten in their last six for draws in that span. So it's not like they've been stacking wins and running over teams.
00:15:46
Speaker
But they are getting harder to play against. They are at least taking points. And I do think a rivalry win like this, if there's anything that can galvanize them and get them on a run, this is it. This is it beating your arch rival.
00:16:02
Speaker
who have been talked about as the crown jewel of the league when you used to be crown jewel of the league you know that's got a light of fire under them and and just you know Ricky Poosh as good as he was in this game he hasn't played like that every game this season
00:16:24
Speaker
You know, maybe it's literally only when he plays the galaxy or LAFC. I'm pretty sure Tyler Boyd's only one of his only other goals this year was also against. Yeah. Yeah. It is. I'm telling you, it's like the exact same dynamic. Yeah. It's Portland, Seattle. They just, they just bring it. They just bring it. They bring it. LAFC are hungover. They are hungover. We've been on hangover watch. I've been track. This is probably the closest I've tracked a hangover. That's not my own hangover.
00:16:54
Speaker
I've been locked in on this hangover. They've lost eight of eleven across all comps since Champions League ended. We called it on the last show. I've been calling it the last week or two on my on my KJR hits with Jackson Feltz. I've been talking about how hungover they are too. They're hungover and I'm not going to lie to you all.
00:17:14
Speaker
I feel validated. LAFC got a backloaded schedule so they didn't have to deal with fixture congestion during CCO, which that's not a knock on them. Seattle got that too. They do that for MLS teams. But they were still running the league while they were playing in CCO. And I was saying the whole time, I refuse to believe this.
00:17:33
Speaker
I refuse to believe this, they're good, but they are not above the pain of trying to balance these competitions. No MOS team is, and I was all ready to give them credit begrudgingly if they came back from CCL and were back to dominating the league like nothing happened.
00:17:50
Speaker
But it's just not possible to do when you have the fatigue and the mental and emotional drain of that tournament combined with an insanely congested schedule, which they don't even have. They have one game in hand on Seattle right now. They're tied on 32 points and they only have one game in hand. They have five at one point. So they've just been playing games like crazy.
00:18:13
Speaker
And as much fun as we had at the expense of Steve Turundolo when he's talking about how it's pretty much impossible to maintain your level with the roster restrictions in this league, he's right about that. My only thing with that is that there was so much talk about how LAFC was above that, not necessarily from Turundolo in the organization,
00:18:33
Speaker
But certainly from their fans and their Twitter warriors. So I was going to be a little salty if LAFC had managed to be unaffected by that. But it's clear at this point that they're not. And I'll be honest, I don't know when they're going to get right again. Seattle never did last year.
00:18:49
Speaker
Most MLS teams who play in CCL and go far in it don't. They just traded a poku to CF Montreal. We'll hit on that later. He was one of their most promising young players. He's a big part of why they won MLS cup and the shield last year. So that to me shows that they know there's work to be done on their roster. And it indicates to me that LAFC is maneuvering might just be starting. If anything, we might be seeing some changes around there.
00:19:18
Speaker
We'll see how it plays out, but right now They're hungover. They're going through it and They're trying to keep their heads above water in a similar way. I would say to what Seattle's been been having to do The galaxy are you know still not high on the table. They're still looking still looking pretty tough But like I said, they're unbeaten in their last six four draws in that span but I mean
00:19:46
Speaker
I have felt like all season that it's surprising how bad they've been when just when I look at their roster. It's not a great roster, but I didn't look at it preseason and think bottom of the table bad. A lot of people were picking the galaxy to be good this year. So yeah, I have no clue if they'll be able to sustain any momentum off this, but I wouldn't be shocked if
00:20:07
Speaker
They make a run back up towards the playoff line in the West. The thing is, the West is pretty bad right now. All the top teams in the West are at around like 1.5, 1.6 points per game, stuff like that. It doesn't look like you're going to have to do a heck of a lot to make the playoffs in the West this year. So I'll be interested to see if they can turn it around. It's a great dub for them. It's a great dub for them. They were celebrating.
00:20:36
Speaker
Like they just won MLS Cup after the final whistle and I don't even blame them at all. I don't I don't say that like deriding Lee with the type of season that they've had. I was celebrating like it was MLS Cup to watch LFC get banned on.
00:20:51
Speaker
When we at lobbing a scorchers are not exactly impartial when it comes to the downfall of LA we're actively rooting for it I mean it's not even because we we denied the quality and the like grandiose ness of LA FC it's that
00:21:10
Speaker
The sound, there's one CCL and then everyone clowned on them relentlessly for not making the playoffs for all this stuff. And it's like, no, see, it's not just it's not just us. Great point. Great point. It puts in perspective.
00:21:28
Speaker
what happened to Seattle last year because you're right. The national talking point was like, Oh wow. You, you won CCL and now you can't even make the playoffs. Like what's that say? And it's like, it says that CCL is a fucking drain. Yeah. That's what it says. It's the best regular season is a dream. And it was pretty frustrating trying to make that point last year because it's not like Seattle's the first team that it's happened to Toronto FC made the final and I'm pretty sure they missed the playoffs that year.
00:21:56
Speaker
There's a long history of CCL flat out ruining teams league seasons and that's the sacrifice you make and when you go all in the pressure is on you to win it because if you make the final and you lose like LAFC did famously
00:22:15
Speaker
then twice twice then you're probably going to be in for a tough go when it comes back to the league season so yeah no exactly well and that's why that's why from a Seattle perspective it's seeing what's happening LFC it's like thank you exactly yeah exactly yeah we both think
00:22:37
Speaker
but Wonga is one of the best players and I'm lost right now anyway. So it's like, it's not like we're, we're, we're like just haters. I mean, they, they, I I've, I've had nothing as much as I've clowned on him. I've had nothing but respect for what they've been able to do. I mean, you can't really look at their 2019 season where they put up a plus 48 gold differential. Yeah.
00:22:57
Speaker
and not respect that. And you can't look at what they did last year, winning the Shield and the MLS Cup double, and also winning MLS Cup the way that they did it at home with Gareth Bale, Bammin, when they were down to 10 men. I was at that game for MLS, and that was one of the craziest games that I've ever been to, for sure, in terms of just entertainment value and the spectacle of it.
00:23:27
Speaker
I mean I was down there with Will Ferrell and Owen Wilson in the tunnel after the game. I wasn't hanging out with them, but but I was down a lot at them. Yeah, I want to hype it up too much or anything, but I just you know to give an idea of the type of spectacle we're talking about with their games. I mean they got a good thing going, but
00:23:51
Speaker
I ain't gonna lie, I take a fair amount of satisfaction from watching what's happening with them right now. All right. You got anything else on El Trafico or should we get into Whitecaps?
00:24:03
Speaker
No, that was that was a fun game to watch. I'm glad that we we've got to watch an attendance record and let's break it again soon. It's perfect again.
Seattle Sounders Match Preview
00:24:12
Speaker
So well said. All right. I'm shifting gears back to the Seattle Sounders. They'll be back in action on Saturday at B.C. Place against the Vancouver Whitecaps. They just played at B.C. Place in May. Seattle lost to zero. I don't know. Usually like
00:24:31
Speaker
the second game if they're this close or at the other team's home venue so I don't really know why it got scheduled like that where they have to go to BC place twice all star game is that why it's got to be they're doing stuff at lumen for the all-star game oh that's why see this is why producer Noah's yeah comes through in the clutch he's got the facts yeah I mean I don't know the so that means that
00:24:55
Speaker
I was looking at it, but I can't remember what I found if Seattle plays Vancouver a third time this year, but I'm pretty sure that they don't. So both of them at BC place this year, pushing for that first place spot, pushing for that first place spot. Listen, LAFC, LAFC lost El traffic code. So three points here and slips them into second place. You can, I mean, Seattle's technically in second right now on the total wins tiebreaker. So they can maintain that.
00:25:25
Speaker
make a push up towards St. Louis rivalry game. So it's a big game. It's a big game. I can give you the breakdown on the Whitecaps to add. We don't have Mark here to do that. Yeah, that's a good point. Mark, we need you back. All right. I mean, I'll say this about Vancouver, which is that.
00:25:46
Speaker
When you're talking about Tim Hortons like Tim Hortons is a good establishment and you know I've been on record on this show as as saying that you know but like if you talk to people from Canada about Tim Hortons
00:26:03
Speaker
They'll tell you that it's actually overrated. And they're like, I don't know why Canada is so identified with Tim Hortons, because it's not that good. But I went to Tim Hortons my first time in Vancouver. And I made the mistake of getting a breakfast Sandow with my coffee. And it was okay. But really, it's all about the donuts. Anyway,
00:26:29
Speaker
I just have to get that one in every time a Canadian team is on the docket. The story with the Whitecaps is basically, they've been a better team than their record. If you look at their record, their fringe playoff team right now, they're right on the playoff line.
00:26:46
Speaker
They've had a couple of bad losses, and they got absolutely worked in Champions League by LFC. But if you look at their underlying numbers, their record should realistically be better than it is. They've gotten unlucky. They're one of the better chance generating teams in the league. They just don't really have the goal hall to show for it. So it's a better team than their record. You've got Ryan Gauld, Scottish Messi. Ryan Gauld is a really good player.
00:27:16
Speaker
He was a highly touted prospect in Scotland, played a lot of his career in Portugal before coming to MLS. But he's a talented guy. That's how you get the nickname Scottish Messi. I didn't give him that nickname. That's just what I heard people call him when they signed him.
00:27:34
Speaker
He's versatile. They've lined him up all over the field. I think he was playing left back or something the other day, and he still scored a goal. He's bammed on Seattle a few times. He bammed on them in that last game that I mentioned in May at BC Place. He didn't score the goal, but he hit it off the post, and it went off Steph Fry's back for an own goal. So he can wreak some havoc. Ordinarily, you'd also have to worry about Julian Gressel, but he's with the US men's national team.
00:28:04
Speaker
That's a big absence for Vancouver. Julian Gressel has been one of the keys, I would say, to why they've been so effective at generating chances. He's got that mean service from Outwide, and they've been playing him as a number eight, and that's kind of unlocked a lot of new elements to his game.
00:28:23
Speaker
Without him, I don't really know how they've played when they've had to play without him in the past. But I mean, I do know that in their last game at Sporting Kansas City, they got bammed on three zero without him. So that might be.
00:28:40
Speaker
a little something working in Seattle's favor. You know, they've had to deal with their own absences the last few weeks. But Vancouver without Julian Gressel might not have as much play in attack. That's how important he's been to the national team. Basically what I'm saying is if
00:28:58
Speaker
You can take Ryan gold out of the game. He's with the US right now. I think you have a great shot of getting at Vancouver because remember he scored easier. He's pretty dynamic. He's pretty dynamic. You're all good. But with no Gressel out there, they might, I think they're probably going to struggle to play how they normally play.
00:29:19
Speaker
Um, that being said for Seattle team, you know, I think this might turn into a hold on for dear life and pray for a drop situation. That's the reality of where this team is at right now on offense. The Houston game was a good win, but they only scored the one goal. Just just re we can re go. It was when they were up a man. I'm just at the point. I don't know about you, but with this offense, I'll believe it when I see it as far as their ability to score multiple goals in a game.
00:29:48
Speaker
when Christian rolled on is not on the field. They haven't done it. They haven't done it. He came back for the Charlotte game and they did it. But I don't know if there's been one game since he went in concussion protocol and then left for the gold Cup where they've scored twice in a game without him on the field. So I'm not saying it's for sure not happening. They just they just actually have to go out there and do it before I would predict it. Yeah, but it's going to be a low scoring game.
00:30:13
Speaker
I think so. I think so. That would be my prediction for it. I will say when Rudy as is on the field, you always have a chance at scoring at least one goal and potentially multiple. And now a super red hot number 10.
00:30:29
Speaker
That's true. Albert Rusnak coming off a game-winning goal. We'll get to watch him cook again. But the other variable for Seattle, which I think could help matters, is that Alex Roldan is back from the Gold Cup, where he was playing with El Salvador. He's been back in training this week. And if there's any reason to hope that the offense might look a little better in this game, I would say that's it right there.
00:30:53
Speaker
Cody Baker's been doing great filling in it right back. We're very pro Cody Baker on the show, but realistically he's just not yet as dynamic as Alex rolled on is going forward. Alex rolled on is one of the more effective fullbacks in the league at getting forward wreaking havoc combining with other players generating chances via crosses or just generally creating chaos.
00:31:18
Speaker
sibling connection. So the sibling connection is not going to be there for this game, but it's going to help a lot having him back. I think it won't be the same as when his brother is there and they're using their psychic sibling energy to combine with one another and generate chances on that right side.
00:31:36
Speaker
But it should help with Alex rolled on and Rudy is on the field. I think the odds of a goal in this game are not terrible. I think they can get one if the defense can hold a clean sheet again against Vancouver that doesn't have Julian Gressel their key chance generator. You might know you might not need only need one goal to win.
00:31:56
Speaker
I think it's probably likely that Vancouver gets at least one playing at home and with how strong an attack they've been at times this year, although them being short-handed could change things. But in this scenario, if you control out a 00 or a 11,
00:32:14
Speaker
That's a good result. That's fine. I mean, that's the kind of results you need to be grinding out right now while you're still short-handed with personnel. That's just how it is. So if you get a draw like that, you take that standing up, you hop back across the border, and you never think about it again. That's basically how I see the situation. An attacking breakout would be great because, I mean,
Inter Miami's Roster Controversy
00:32:42
Speaker
I've said this before but I do think that When you are trying out new tactics in a new formation like Seattle is playing right now sometimes you need a few games of reps with it before you really figure it out and Yeah, if you look at their XG the last couple games, it's been up above one which is like not It's not terrible so if
00:33:10
Speaker
If this is a game where they've been grinding it and training more, everyone's a little more comfortable with the roles that they've been playing. You get Alex Roldon back, Rui Diaz is out there. Maybe this is where the attacking breakout happens. Like I said, I'm just not gonna sit here and predict that until I see it because it's been eight, nine weeks of zero to one goals per game, except for the Charlotte game, which is the only game they had Christian Roldon.
00:33:36
Speaker
So they see more settled they seem more settled in that formation But that said there's still limitations without Christian. Well done. I agree with you low scoring Pray to God that you get a draw
00:33:51
Speaker
Yeah. Prove us wrong Seattle Sanders. I would love to be proved wrong on that. Like I'm just not going to predict something that I haven't seen. If Seattle can break out like that in this game, score multiple goals, get a win, that would be huge for the vibes. They'd be back up there fighting for the number one seed in the West. And they'll also show that they can do it without Christian. So it's an opportunity to do that.
00:34:18
Speaker
They have a chance to flip that narrative that I'm talking about, you know? If they don't like the narrative, then this is a chance to change it. Until then, I have a hard time predicting much other than another low-scoring, grind-it-out type game where you're basically just trying to get out of there with a point. I think that's about good on the Vancouver preview, unless you had anything else, Noah, that you thought was important or wanted to bring up.
00:34:47
Speaker
Alex rolled on his back and Jackson Reagan will be back from yellow card suspension. So yeah, well, congratulations to the Seattle Sounders on their new sign. Oh, oh, go ahead. Hundred fifty K. Is it Gamm? Tam Gamm. Gamm. Yeah. For. Yeah. For international roster spots. So folks, that's a news drop there. We did it. One other thing I did forget to mention is I've been seen on Twitter that Stefan Fry hasn't been at training this week. So
00:35:14
Speaker
I think that he might miss this game. It seems like he probably took a minor knock. I don't know why else he wouldn't be in training. So I've heard nothing to indicate that it's serious, but it might be a Steph Cleveland game, which honestly, I feel fine about that. I mean, I think I said it on a previous show, too. But every time Steph Cleveland has filled in for Steph Fry, he's looked like an MLS number one to me.
00:35:44
Speaker
I'm going to start the drama that it's contract related. I have zero knowledge of anything, but I just want to start drama season. He's like getting in a contract dispute and deciding to take off games. Yeah, just for fun. Okay. He's getting his back to touch stuff, you know, just something like that. We're just starting all the rumors likely anyway. Yeah. Looks like a Steph Cleveland game. Maybe he they're just holding them out of training and then he'll be good to go on game day. I don't know, but could be a Steph Cleveland game.
00:36:15
Speaker
There's a lot of roster movement going on on MLS and going on in MLS this week and That's what we were gonna talk about to close it out here a couple big trades a big loan Some drama as well some drama on the the the messy show related to the messy show in Florida
00:36:37
Speaker
What was that? We can start with that. Yeah, go ahead and set the stage. We can. Well, I don't really know what's going on. I should take on it. I don't want to, I don't want to get it completely wrong here, but, um, I said, well, yeah, Rodolfo Pizarro, who is a DP designated player.
00:36:53
Speaker
with Miami is very, very vocally upset about potentially being traded away and or cut from his DP spot. Well, because they got to move them on because they are freeing up spots for Messi and every player that Messi has ever played with. Correct. So it's not it's not like you can do that and also keep Pizarro on the books who hasn't been productive. By the way, he's been a pretty big bust of a
00:37:19
Speaker
Yeah, he's been he's their highest paid player on there. They're paying him like three. They paid him like three plus mill or whatever to buy him anyway He was just complaining about the MLS transfer rules said it's strange and Basically was pissed off and said I think it's the only league in the world that does this to
00:37:45
Speaker
basically allow any MLS team to trade players within MLS without consent of the player. He's learning about how it works over here. He's like every MLS Twitter user learning about roster rules on the fly. I mean trades you know that's pretty common in North American sports.
00:38:03
Speaker
because isn't the idea they're trading him to the galaxy? That's what's been rumored. Um, but yeah, he said, I have a contract. I don't know. I could be traded anyways. It's a bit strange. I think the MLS is the only league in the world to do this, but it's like, yeah, I mean, soccer wise, usually you have to have consent of the player to transfer them, but a trade.
00:38:25
Speaker
the same player with hypothetically the same contracts to another team is like I mean I get I get being frustrated I get where he's coming from but uh I mean it's just welcome the MLS buddy welcome to MLS and also like inner Miami
00:38:42
Speaker
What they're the wheeling and dealing that they're doing right now bringing on messy and the whole gang it's not like they're gonna Halt those plans to keep Pizarro who you know if he had if he had been a productive player Yeah, if you've been compiler, yeah, you know he
Atlanta United's Management Issues
00:38:57
Speaker
he might have
00:38:58
Speaker
More of a gripe there, but you know Pizarro was brought in the league Mexico International It was a very it was very hyped signing very signing and He's barely he's barely played for them. I like I think I think he got loaned back to legal max at one point He got loaned now. He's back so
00:39:21
Speaker
There's gonna be a lot more that with inner Miami in the coming days because you know, they're linked to Every player that Messi has ever played with and they're landing all these guys and it's anyone's guess at this point how they're gonna Make all that work with the roster rules in this league Maybe I don't know they're all tam guys
00:39:46
Speaker
quote-unquote quote-unquote tam guys and I'm under the table yeah like it did before I got no clue but I'm sorry that was the galaxy that that well inner Miami had sanctions as well yes true that's that's a big one to keep an eye on because I mean what's the list of guys at this point it's Biscuits messy and but I
00:40:09
Speaker
I saw someone else too. What's his name? Alba. Oh yeah, Jordy Alba. Jordy Alba. I blanket on his name. He's like officially, he's like officially in. Okay, word, word, word. And as the last time I saw him loose gets, he was like also pretty much official. Yeah. So I mean, we'll see if that works for them. Like the, uh, we're going to sign, uh,
00:40:32
Speaker
we're gonna sign the older guys tactic but like five of them you know one of them is messy so you kind of have to give him whatever he wants I guess but yeah I don't know I almost feel like I would I would load up on on some young gunners to surround messy with because it just feels like a lineup of all 30 plus guys like that yeah you know it's a physical league it's kind of a young man's league in a lot of ways despite the narrative so
00:41:02
Speaker
They have Jesse Lingard that's been rumored, but I don't believe that at all, honestly. I mean, I wouldn't put anything past them at this point. It's a new name every day. It's getting ridiculous. I guess he was released by Nottingham Forest. So who knows? Who knows? It's the messy show. They'll make it happen. He's supposedly debuting in a couple of weeks here. So I think the possibility is still alive that he could play in an open cup final. I don't think they would do that, but that would be funny. It would be a good bit.
00:41:31
Speaker
um Atlanta United has been doing some wheeling and dealing so I wanted to talk about that because I think there's at least one move here that's pretty telling and kind of shows it illustrates some of the issues that Atlanta United has been having okay
00:41:48
Speaker
The first thing they did was they traded Andrew Guttman to the Colorado Rapids, which that move actually made sense. Guttman was one of the players that they had that had value on the trade market that they didn't really need on their roster.
00:42:08
Speaker
They have a really talented homegrown Caleb Wiley, who they've been playing higher up the field at left wing, as I understand it, but his position of the future is considered wing back. So by trading Guptman, they get some assets, and they can also start starting Wiley there. And then they can use those assets to bolster a roster that, you know,
00:42:35
Speaker
They've been having a weird year. They've scored a lot of goals. Tiago Amada is tearing up the league, but they're also shipping like three or four goals a game. So this in theory gives Garth and company some assets that they can use to maybe address the central midfield and the defense. And they actually did sign a center, a CDM, a guy named Tristan Moiamba.
00:43:01
Speaker
I know literally nothing about him, but I'm assuming they think he might be the cure to what's been ailing them in midfield. But the third move I guess they made, if you count the Muyamba signing, this is the funny one.
00:43:21
Speaker
They had to loan Franco Abara to it turned out to be a Toronto FC on an interleague loan. And the reason that they had to do that is because they had a couple guys coming back and somehow they ended up with four U 22 signings and you can only have three.
00:43:40
Speaker
So they had they had what are you doing? They were? God is about to start trending again. Okay? What are we doing? This is this is my point though. It's not Garth Carlos Boca Negra somehow put himself in a situation where he had to loan out a u-22 player because they had too many on the books I don't even really get how that happens, but this is like classification, but the thing is they're The the one that they ended up having
00:44:09
Speaker
to loan out was the best one because no one wanted any of the other ones they couldn't move any I guarantee you I guarantee you that they would they were trying to move one of the other ones because Franco Abara has been he's been one of their like most consistent players yeah he's been one of their most consistent players he starts like every game from perusing Atlanta United Twitter as much as I have he's not really been the problem
00:44:38
Speaker
for them this year. If anything, he's been a standout performer, however much you can be one in their group of CDMs, which are weakness of the team. Like, let's be honest, that's that's probably the biggest area of the field where Atlanta United has been struggling. But you have to loan out
00:44:57
Speaker
the one guy in that position group who's been playing well you have this new signing but he's got to get fit he's got to get acclimated to the team so that position group is just still a huge question mark in the meantime and your most consistent player there you had to loan out because you had too many u-22 guys on the books this is
00:45:19
Speaker
This is a perfect illustration of why Atlanta United has been struggling. And the reason I bring it up is because you hear so much on Atlanta United Twitter about, you know, fire Gonzo Pineda, fire Gonzo Pineda. This guy doesn't know what he's doing. He doesn't have his tactic rights. I really don't think Gonzo Pineda is why they're struggling this type of stuff right here.
00:45:41
Speaker
This type of stuff right here putting too many you 22 guys on the book So you have to loan out the only one who's actually been playing good minutes for you that that's why you're struggling man Yeah, that kind of stuff is why you're struggling Their roster building is like full of questionable stuff
MLS Trades Analysis
00:45:59
Speaker
like that. This is probably the most egregious example I've seen but when
00:46:06
Speaker
You have all the kinds of issues with your roster build. It's going to translate on the onto the field no matter who your coach is. It doesn't matter. Like it could be you can fire guns open it if it makes you feel better. But you're going to be back to square one again to be back to square one. Yeah like.
00:46:25
Speaker
Carlos Boca Negra He built up a lot of equity with how good Atlanta United was to start in MLS. They took the league by storm for sure but it's just looking more and more like they won the lottery by signing Almeerone and Joseph when they did and those both hit in nuclear fashion and that those rosters
00:46:49
Speaker
We're actually very smartly built. If you'd asked me back then, I would've been like, well, Bokeh Negra is kind of a guru low key. He hit nuclear on Almirone and Joseph. And then there were guys like Jeff Lorentowitz and Michael Parkhurst. And Brad Guzzan at the time was an upper tier MLS goalkeeper. So those rosters you look at and you're like, damn, that was well constructed. That was good.
00:47:19
Speaker
Ever since then, though, I kind of look at Boca's body of work and I'm like, I really don't know why this guy has the status that he seems to. I don't know. It's just I was looking at it today. Like, bro, how did you end up before you twenty two guys? How does that even happen? I don't know.
00:47:41
Speaker
his spreadsheets were off are you know i'm i'm probably a little partial to gonzo pineda because i thought the work he did as an assistant in seattle was really great and i thought it was a great hire by atlanta united because he was he was the best assistant in the league at that time by four so you can't others are clearly missing him
00:48:00
Speaker
The Sounders, I think, you could argue that they have been missing him a lot. Brian Schmetzer gave him a lot of credit for the game planning and the opponent scouting and all that stuff that they did during that year that they won MLS Cup.
00:48:18
Speaker
I haven't followed Atlanta United closely enough to know like, if Gonzo is getting his tactics wrong, or his personnel wrong, week to week. But for me from the outside looking in, I look at stuff like we saw today with this U 22 debacle and loaning out Franco bar bar in the league, because you had too many U 22 guys on the books. And I'm just like, that's why this team is where it is kind of mired in mediocrity. I don't I don't think
00:48:46
Speaker
I don't think it's the coach. All right. That was my take on Atlanta United. Glad we got Atlanta United takes in for the week. Austin FC got Brandon Craig on loan from the Philadelphia Union. I love this move for Austin FC. They needed help at center back.
00:49:05
Speaker
And Brandon Craig is he's one of these just golden Philly home grounds. They churn them out like it's nothing. So it's a high percentage move. I don't think Philly moved him because of anything to do with his talent or ability. I think it was probably I'm just speculating, but it was probably a situation where he was blocked from getting regular minutes. And in that situation, sometimes the player is like, look, yeah,
00:49:30
Speaker
you got to send me somewhere where I'm going to get on the field and Austin FC was probably like a we'll put them on the field. Yeah, put them on the field, give us a man over. It seems like a mutually beneficial moment there. Yeah, yeah, you know
00:49:46
Speaker
Philly can recall him if he plays well. So Austin FC is getting help at a position of need with a talented player. He has a lot of upside just based on the fact that he's a Philly homegrown. It doesn't matter who you are if you're a Philly homegrown. You're probably a national team quality player. So Philly keeps churning him out to the point where they don't even need him anymore. But that's good business by Austin. I like that move.
00:50:18
Speaker
getting traded to Montreal. I mentioned it in the LFC portion of the show, but I thought that was an interesting one. I was confused a little bit. What did you think when you saw that? Tell me what you thought and then I'll tell you. Well, the first thing I did was I texted you and I said,
00:50:36
Speaker
what is what what's happening here and then we were riffing about how they're burning it down they're burning it down build begins starts now now so i mean a poku i was looking at it and he hasn't had that great of a season this year it's something like two goals to assists in eleven hundred some odd minutes
00:50:58
Speaker
but this is a this is a 22 year old player with tons of physical ability and he showed a lot of upside last year he scored seven goals had three assists for them last year and they were leaning on him quite a bit down the stretch if I recall correctly
00:51:17
Speaker
And he was playing a lot of minutes for them this year He's a big part of the team and even if even though he wasn't putting up as crazy in numbers this year he
00:51:29
Speaker
He's so physically dynamic that every time that you go up against LA FC and you're looking at who they're putting out there, you're like, Oh God, a poku, a poku is going to probably cook like he, uh, he wreaks havoc. He makes things happen. He's a creative player. He can score goals. Um, so LFC, uh,
00:51:55
Speaker
From their perspective, it seems like they're trying to accumulate assets maybe to get a Chicho Arango replacement or boost in midfield. I don't know. They have one of the best center midfield groups in the week. They're making a play for Messi. They're going to coach Messi from here in Miami. No, I mean,
00:52:17
Speaker
It might be about making, I mean I'm just speculating, but it might be about getting the Chicho replacement going. That would make sense. I think Steve Gerundolo, he seems still pretty salty about that. I don't think they wanted to move Chicho on. He was a big reason why they were so good last year, and they don't have like a peer number nine like that.
00:52:38
Speaker
this season since they moved him on. And I think, you know, there's the physical and mental toll of CCL, but I think you also saw in the CCL series that, you know, Vela and Bwonga like false nining and like kind of trying to get by without the purebred number nine.
00:53:02
Speaker
They're good at making that work, but there might be only so much of a ceiling that you can have without that type of guy who can, you know, no doubt get up top and get you 15-20 goals like Chicho could. And now Chicho's on Real Assault Lake, and I've been talking about how scary I think that makes them.
00:53:23
Speaker
They've already been on the rise. So yeah, they've been one of the hottest teams in the league the last eight or nine weeks without Chico. So that's going to be one to keep tabs on. But either way, LFC seem like they're ready to make moves and try and wheel and deal and get themselves back to where they've been and that they believe that they should be.
00:53:52
Speaker
But I was definitely still, if I had picked a guy on LAFC to get moved on, I wouldn't have picked a poku because he just seems like he has so much upside. He seems like he has so much upside. And so from the CEO of Montreal perspective, I mean, I think they paid a hefty sum. They paid a lot to get him. They've been wheeling and dealing this year. They made a trade that was widely panned.
00:54:16
Speaker
with inner Miami earlier this year where they got Bryce Duke and Ari Lassiter shout out Ari Lassiter guys named Ari so they sent a bunch of money to enter Miami for those two guys but Bryce Duke's been playing pretty well yeah he's been playing pretty well for them that trade
00:54:36
Speaker
suddenly doesn't look that bad, especially because they've been playing better ball in general. They still have a minus eight goal differential, but that's a lot to do with how poorly they started this season. They've been playing better this year and CF Montreal is back above the playoff line. So I think they're making this deal because, I mean, their sporting director even said it in the press release. He was like,
00:54:57
Speaker
I'm convinced that we're going to put this guy in our system and his skill set is going to compliment and mash with everyone and he's going to thrive. You know, obviously he has to say that, but they wouldn't have made this move and paid what they did to get him if they didn't genuinely believe that. Yeah. So.
00:55:19
Speaker
I think it's good for him. I think it's good for him to. Well, you know, like you're you think he might get more of a feature role. Yeah, I think I think he's going to build it around him. I don't know if they're going to build it around him, but I think that it gives him a shot to show more of that upside that I think we both acknowledge.
Episode Wrap-up and Listener Call-to-Action
00:55:36
Speaker
It'll be it'll be it'll be good to see.
00:55:37
Speaker
He might be more like, you know, on LFC, you've got a lot of mouths to feed. You got Carlos Vela, you got Bwanga, like they're going to be getting a lot of the opportunities, not just like minutes wise, but in games. And in Montreal, I think it's a situation where a poku, they're going to be like, OK, like you are you are one of our centerpieces. You know, they have.
00:56:00
Speaker
Romel Kyoto who's their number nine, but he's been injured for a lot of this season and that's a lot of the reason why they've struggled. So Mason Toy, you know, there's a lot of Mason Toy believers still out there. He scored a couple goals for them recently, but I don't know if he's shown anything that he can be the guy.
00:56:21
Speaker
So CF Montreal They're kind of they're an interesting team to keep an eye on now, you know for them a less sickos out there that are really into Bryce Duke Bryce Duke's kind of like He's been part of these big trades and People have always been tantalized by his upside and he's looking like a good MLS player so I definitely see why CF Montreal did it and
00:56:51
Speaker
It was a big trade. That was a big trade. I was a raised an eyebrow at that one. I did not expect L.A. to do that. I expected them to sell but not a poker. That's about it. I think a good episode. More traffic home. Vancouver Whitecaps and yeah we hit on some of those transfers.
00:57:18
Speaker
Yeah, there's going to be a lot of roster movement to come. And I'm always down to dish my takes on that. I love MLS roster movement. I love that stuff. That's the off season. That's really what gets me going. That's because we're sickos already. I mean, yeah, we are sickos. But a lot of people who listen to lobbing scorchers are probably equally sickos and love stuff like that, too. So I'm always down to dish takes on the wheeling and dealing. But for now, I think we're going to call that a wrap on episode 10.
00:57:47
Speaker
Happy to be a double digits. Whoo as always. Thank you all for the continued support Really really appreciate it like subscribe Write reviews on Apple rate us five stars send it to Steve Toronto lost Maybe don't say maybe don't tell your friends tell your parents Until next time we out peace