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Kickoff: Seattle Sounders vs. Minnesota United PLAYOFF GAMEDAY preview!
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We give one last lookahead and project the lineup as the Seattle Sounders commence their MLS Cup Playoff campaign Monday evening, taking on Minnesota United in Game 1 of their Round One Best-of-3 series.
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Lobbing Scorchers is a production of Just Once Media.
Lobbing Scorchers is a Seattle Sounders and MLS focused show brought to you by Sounder at Heart. Hosted by Major League Soccer's Ari Liljenwall and Producer Noah Riffe. Join us as we lob our scorching takes on the American soccer landscape, Seattle Sounders, Major League Soccer, USMNT and more.
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Transcript
Introduction & Channel Promotion
00:00:00
Speaker
This episode of Lobbing Scorchers was previously recorded and streamed live on YouTube.com slash at Lobbing Scorchers. If you want to listen or catch these episodes live, see the video, and see all the rest of our content, go to YouTube.com slash at Lobbing Scorchers or LobbingScorchers.com slash YouTube.
00:00:22
Speaker
Well sir, we got a scorcher today. Gonna be a real scorcher today. What the scorcher today? Well it's gonna be scorcher.
00:00:44
Speaker
Good morning, everybody. Welcome in to another episode of Lobbing Scorchers Kickoff.
Seattle Sounders vs. Minnesota Playoff Preview
00:00:50
Speaker
I'm Ari, that's Nico, and folks... It is playoff match day for the Seattle Sounders. That's right.
00:00:57
Speaker
ah Seattle's MLS Cup playoffs campaign gets started tonight at Allianz Field in Minnesota. We're going to be giving one last final preview of that, giving our final hopes, dreams, expectations for Seattle's 2025 playoffs campaign. We're going to be reacting to some of the other playoff matches that have already happened.
00:01:18
Speaker
taking place uh we're gonna be we're gonna bust out the lineup builder project seattle's lineup so we got a lot to get to nico playoff time man how are you doing how you feeling Hey, what's going on Ari, Lobby & Scorchers family, what's going on?
00:01:33
Speaker
Excited to be back, of course. It was a great weekend of soccer for sure, man. I had to obviously watch it a little bit um on on replay, of course. I was gone for the weekend there in Poland for family weekend.
00:01:46
Speaker
Had a good time. i'm a little tired because the drive was kind of crazy with all this rain and wind and storm. But we are here, man, and I did get to watch – you know, the, the games from the weekend and, uh, Hey, I gotta say, man, this, uh, it's going to be some, some good Western conference games for sure. You know, the caps look good.
00:02:09
Speaker
ah San Diego has some holes in their game. So yeah, man, I'm excited to talk about it. What was up with all that wind? yesterday but then it's crazy what's going on came out of nowhere it's i just uh not used to that i didn't like it uh yeah no i'm uh i'm excited to uh talk some playoffs with you like you said there's a lot of There's a lot to chew on, I think, coming off those games yesterday. there were you know You had Miami-Nashville on Friday, and then yesterday you had Philly-Chicago, Vancouver-Dallas, and San Diego versus the Portland-Timbees. So I guess ah we can start with those. Before we get into it this morning, if everyone could please like the video.
Social Media & Sponsorships
00:02:51
Speaker
subscribe to the channel, follow us on Instagram, follow us on TikTok, buy the Lobbing Scorchers hot sauce, lobbingscorchers.com slash sauce, support Hacks and Ferments, one of our great sponsors.
00:03:03
Speaker
And as always, if you have questions, thoughts, observations, takes, agendas, grievances, go ahead and drop them in chat. We'll get to as many as we can.
Inter-Miami vs. Nashville Match Analysis
00:03:14
Speaker
ah Nico, before we get into the Seattle matchup, why don't we just give our initial thoughts on how the playoffs have started? Because i think it's it's mostly gone as expected, but, you know, there were there was a couple things that maybe didn't go how you would have expected.
00:03:32
Speaker
Starting with Miami-Nashville, I mean, that meant that went pretty much how I expected. Yeah. But, I mean, so they beat Nashville 3-1 in game one. I don't even know. if Nashville did not – it didn't look any different than Nashville usually looks against Inter-Miami.
00:03:48
Speaker
ah Did you see anything to suggest that Nashville has a chance in this series, or did this change anything on how you think of Inter-Miami? I feel like that went pretty much how I thought it would go.
00:04:01
Speaker
Well, ah for me, just the Nashville team that –
00:04:08
Speaker
Really, you know, pick my interest and that in the first 45 minutes of decision day game against Miami, put Miami in a real bind and was up two goals against Miami.
00:04:21
Speaker
ah Just never showed up, Ari. In this one, it felt like they never came out of the locker rooms. I mean, it was all Miami for the most part. that There were moments there for Nashville.
00:04:34
Speaker
But look... maybe no maybe It might be a bad joke because it might be too soon, but you know with all this NBA ah you know ah gambling and and it's and issues with with shaving points, man, Schaffelberg on the one-on-one that he just completely misses was just... That was tough. What's going on there?
00:04:56
Speaker
And then Palacios, how do you let Messi... You're tracking him into the eighteen And for some reason, you stop to look at the the ball carrier or you want to try to intercept the the cross and you leave the the best player in probably the last decade and probably one of the best in world it game history.
00:05:21
Speaker
And you leave him unmarked for him to just to get a flying header into the to net. I mean, it was just... Very suspect. but I mean, I know that's not the case, but that's how bad that was. that the the the The thoughts, that the decisions, the ideas, and the lack of of just intensity for Nashville was awful. I mean, it looked completely different to what we've seen out of this B.J. Callahan team.
00:05:46
Speaker
And I just think they were self-inflicted wounds, Ari. i i mean, I don't want to take credit away from Inter-Miami. They were very good. They were extremely aggressive. Messi looks... like a man on a mission to prove a point.
00:05:59
Speaker
He definitely wants a title, of course, uh, and he looked great, but Nashville just made it too easy for ah Miami to be able to handle their business. And then offensively, aside from that, you know, Schaffelberg, uh,
00:06:12
Speaker
miss that, I don't know, he falls or something like that on a quick breakaway, there were very little moments where Nashville looked good in possession. and They were unable to find the pockets that Messi and Sydney Miami team would provide you with because they did they did Commit a lot of numbers forward, but national was just never able to expose Miami. So, uh, to me, it did look, it didn't look like I expected it to look.
00:06:40
Speaker
I picked Nashville in this series. I'm not going to, you know, just, just cause they had a bad, you know, result. I'm not going to just shy away from it. Uh, I still believe we'll see what happens in Miami.
00:06:53
Speaker
Um,
Chicago Fire vs. Philadelphia Game Summary
00:06:54
Speaker
I don't trust them old knees, Ari. I don't trust them old knees. Let's see if in game two they look a little bit more tore down and ah see if Nashville can wake up because that was that was a bad first game.
00:07:05
Speaker
Yeah, it's you know it was funny. At the start of the game, Nashville did have that chance that you mentioned, that breakaway for Schaffelberg. And he missed it, but I think they had they had one other like decent chance in that opening kind of 10 minutes.
00:07:20
Speaker
And I was thinking to myself, like this Miami team, they look as vulnerable as ah as ever. They just conceded two high leverage chances in the opening 10 minutes of the game. And, ah you know, i so I still fully expected them to win the game. But was thinking to myself, maybe there's an opening there. Not really. Not really.
00:07:37
Speaker
ah i think this Nashville team, they just, they can't hang with Miami. Messi has now... 1112 goals against them since he got to MLS and they gave up a flying header diving header to Messi, which ah for all the goals we've seen seen him score, you don't seem get he's not an aerial threat typically, ah but that's kind of how that this series is probably going to go for Nashville, but I thought the best game, well, ah the Timmy's game was fun. We'll get to that.
00:08:07
Speaker
But Philadelphia, Chicago, Nico. The Chicago Fire, Noah's dark horse upset pick to make it to MLS Cup. ah The eight seed wildcard team.
00:08:19
Speaker
ah They go down 2-0 to the Supporter Shield winners. And they were... Looking chalked on the scoreboard, although I think even when it was two zero ah Chicago was, they were playing Philly straight up, but they were down 2-0.
00:08:34
Speaker
And then they ah they come back, Berhalter ball, baby. They come back, they tie it 2-2. Jack Elliott gets his revenge goal, ah Philly homegrown, now playing for the Chicago Fire, and he equalizes in the whatever, 89th or stoppage time. And it was it was late in the game.
00:08:51
Speaker
And they get the leveler, they get it to PKs, and then Philly wins the shootout. But ah the Chicago Fire were scrapping. they i think they have a good chance at winning the game two in Chicago.
00:09:06
Speaker
And i don't I don't think they're out of that series, Nico. I don't. like i think that ah I think that they're going to give Philly a run for their money. They already did give Philly a run for their money Chicago. Game one. And ah ah more than that, you know, I mean, I could see Chicago if they are able to get by Philly, they could make a run.
00:09:22
Speaker
But I also think this Philly team doesn't have the kind of invincible type air that you sometimes or that you sometimes see with a supporter shield winner.
00:09:33
Speaker
Usually when you got the shield winners, you're like, all right, this team's among the absolute favorites to win MLS Cup. Doesn't it we're kind of not feel like that with Philly in the in the East, especially especially now, like, you they're getting they're getting pushed to the limit by the Chicago Fire, who are a much improved team this year, but ah there' they're not considered, they're the eighth seed. I don't know. What do you think of ah of how Philly-Chicago started out?
00:09:58
Speaker
Look, I think Chicago missed a big opportunity, to be quite honest. And look, it could go either way, right? I mean, it could, on one end, give Philadelphia confidence that They allowed Chicago to get back in this game, and they, in the last 20 minutes, allowed them to you know equalize and and really push them back, quite frankly, for the end of that game.
00:10:22
Speaker
And then they're able to rescue the win on Piquets. Of course, you know, Andrew Blake comes out big and this Philadelphia team gets the W. But then on the Chicago end, it also gives them a little bit of confidence because, look, regardless of dropping this game at home being able to, I mean, on the road, on the road, they're obviously on the road and dropping that game when, you know, they had a chance to win it.
00:10:52
Speaker
But it gives them confidence that they were able to come back into this game. And like you said, there was a lot of moments where, you know, I thought Chicago was great. And there were a couple of things that were interesting because Philippe Sinkernagel I'm terrible with this some of his European names now that ah He obviously gets Hurt or what just wasn't feeling you know he In the warm-ups he gets hurt And he is unable to play this game He's a scratch before the game He's a big player for Chicago I thought that it was odd
00:11:24
Speaker
but maybe I understand why he did it. ah Greg Berhalter decides to go back to a three-man back line. Pulsov Gutierrez, who was the best player on the field against Orlando, and he just didn't have the creativity in the midfield, and you could see that. But then ah at the same time, he was really doing a good job at limiting...
00:11:46
Speaker
what Philadelphia likes to do. I thought that they did well to handle the pressure that Cornell tends to press on teams. So there were good things about Chicago's planning into this game, but maybe it was too conservative. It was too conservative. And perhaps if you have Gutierrez and you just play your game, maybe you are able to put them a little bit under duress and maybe they pulled this game.
00:12:09
Speaker
So to your point, I do think that this is, anyone series still. And I think that Chicago is very much alive. I think they're going to play a lot more aggressive and confident at home. We'll see what happens on the injury side.
00:12:24
Speaker
ah But look, Philadelphia as well. I just i have a hard time with Philadelphia because They did not perform up to their standards. They haven't performed up to their standards against really good teams this season, despite them having a phenomenal record-breaking season and and obviously Shields supported winners.
00:12:44
Speaker
But when I look at the team, man, I just – there is always just good players on the field, right? I mean, Milan Eslowski, that second goal is phenomenal, right? Just the way that he drives into the 18, the way he cuts inside, the way he puts the top in.
00:13:01
Speaker
i love what they do defensively. ah Bueno continues to be a phenomenal player. ah So they just have so many good pieces on that team that they're still my favorite to win this series.
00:13:14
Speaker
I think they're going to get far. We'll see what happens, but I agree with you that this is anybody's series still. Bad sequels, YouTube member
Critique of MLS Playoff Format
00:13:24
Speaker
for eight months. Appreciate you, bad sequels. Thank you for the support. If you want to support the show, that's a great way to do it. Become ah YouTube member and join the ranks.
00:13:33
Speaker
ah Yeah, before we talk about the Timbys, Noah mentioned it in chat, and I did want to talk about... ah i I got a format grievance, Nico. I got a format grievance.
00:13:44
Speaker
um Bring it on. I actually think that ah the overall framework of this playoff format is fine. ah But with the exception of this whole the round one being a best of three series, I just don't think that like a best of three. The reason I think they do a best of three series is because it more kind of resembles the conventional playoff style that we're used to with other sports like football.
00:14:15
Speaker
you know, baseball and basketball, they do best of three, best of five, best of seven or whatever. And so maybe that's the reason why they feel like it's it' the right thing to do for MLS. And I can sort of see the logic there in the sense that, you know, watching the baseball playoffs this year, I was like, the cool thing about a series where it's two teams playing over and over again compared to a single elimination is that there's there can be so many momentum shifts and the storylines can change and the players who step up.
00:14:46
Speaker
There's just so many more games for stuff to happen. So there is that upshot to it. I just think when it comes to soccer, number one, like a third game is kind of just too much.
00:14:57
Speaker
I think two is about the maximum that you can play. And then once you get past that, it's just too much of the same teams playing each other. But I also like what was wrong with the ah home and away to two game series, home and away, aggregate scoring.
00:15:14
Speaker
I think that's the other problem I was thinking about that I have with this. Like the Chicago Fire, they they had a great comeback and they draw that game in Philly. If this was home and away aggregate, that would have been a phenomenal result And they they would have gotten credit for the comeback.
00:15:32
Speaker
And Philly would have gotten penalized for allowing the comeback, would have put them in a tougher spot. And it's just much more exciting. And I think it rewards the team the teams for the results in a better way.
00:15:46
Speaker
And I think that's much better than... ah than a best of three series. So i if like if the for if they had the format, the round one was home and away, aggregate scoring, and then single elimination after that, I think that would be a great format. I think that's how they should do it. But I don't like this best of three business.
00:16:03
Speaker
What do you think? I've never liked it, and I've never liked it simply because it seems just so unnatural to me as someone that was born into watching the game and so used to two-legged series and home and away.
00:16:20
Speaker
i remember... very vividly that one of the reasons why they changed it to this three game series, according to what they had told us is that it would make it more entertaining to just break it down in three games. So if game one was a three zero, like you saw against Vancouver, it wouldn't just be Vancouver ah parking the bus and saying it's over. We're not going to allow you to get back. And then he makes that game boring.
00:16:49
Speaker
And don't lose the first game three zero Yeah, well, no exactly. and that was the rationale. It just doesn't quite make you know a lot of sense necessarily because you can just play boring soccer no matter what and try to hold off for dear life and win it in PKs all three games or all two games or whatever it is.
00:17:06
Speaker
So that's just what they had told us. But I am with you. I think that, don't know, the two-game series seemed like it was – Honestly, more fair, right? I mean, look at Vancouver. Let's say that they won 3-0 and they can still just lose this series if they have two bad games.
00:17:24
Speaker
So that 3-0 just goes up into, you know, the horizon and it just dis dissolves. It never happened. I just, I don't think it's fair necessarily, but it is what we get.
00:17:36
Speaker
I think that there are enough people that have now just gave up on, bringing up this sort of grievance towards the process.
00:17:47
Speaker
But I agree. I support it. I co-sign it. I do think that for me, I wish it went back to the two game series. Yeah, I miss those days. Those were fun times. Take me back.
Portland Timbers vs. San Diego Match Insights
00:17:58
Speaker
ah Nico, I don't think there's all that much to say about the Vancouver-Dallas game. Vancouver runs on them 3-0. Thomas Miller scores a PK, shockingly. ah But Vancouver or FC Dallas looked pretty overmatched.
00:18:11
Speaker
And it would be a shock if they make that anything of a series. It's looking like the Whitecaps are going to cruise there. ah But Nico, let's talk about the ah Portland Timbs. They... yeah Their playoffs got off to a rough start, yeah but they salvaged a little bit of dignity. But they do lose 2-1 San Diego. Their backs are against the wall.
00:18:34
Speaker
And there was, i think, there was a couple interesting things about this game. I mean, number one, it started off extremely poorly. The Timbs went down 2-0 in the first half.
00:18:44
Speaker
ah But then they did pull a goal back. And they were in it. And then they got a red card in like the 60 something minute, like not that far into the second half. And they played the rest of it ah down a man.
00:18:57
Speaker
And i thought at that point they were chalked like, ah you know, you're down to one on the road at San Diego. ah You're probably going to lose anyway. And now you're down a man. you're it's probably season over or at least game over uh but it wasn't like to be fair they actually i thought they looked better down a man than they did when they had uh all 11 men out there ah but they do lose to one uh phil neville after the game ah he he said it was the referee's fault so there you have it that's why they lost but uh
00:19:30
Speaker
I don't know. what ah what did you ah What did you make of how that series started? Because I think it's the result we all expected. But i like for going down a man, the Timbys fared better than I would have thought. But it does feel like Phil Neves is coaching for his job in game two once again.
00:19:46
Speaker
So how are you ah are you feeling about San Diego-Portland?
00:19:52
Speaker
San Diego-Portland went... About as I expected that to go. And i don't necessarily say that to compliment San Diego that much. It's just that they continue to have the holes in their game that ah we have established in this game, including the reason why they are so desperately in need of Chucky Lozano.
00:20:17
Speaker
We, in this show, discussed the curious case of Chucky Lozano. And... um after the game, Mickey sounded like he's ready to have him back.
00:20:28
Speaker
And the reason of that is because San Diego created so many opportunities in front of goal that were miss that were um not taken advantage of. And those are the sort of situations that can cost you a game because look, this game is a 2-0 game and in a great defensive play by the well that continues to feed the Timbers for years and they still don't know where else to get that sort of midfield play.
00:20:59
Speaker
Diego Charab picks up a great ball defensively. ah He has the upside to pick up his head, puts it and Anthony. Anthony runs into ah the attacking third, ends up finding Velde, and Velde puts it away on a phenomenal finish. That was a great play by Diego Chara.
00:21:16
Speaker
but How is this guy still doing it? He looks like it wass like i was 2011 out there. He's like fine wine, man. He just gets better and better. But at some point, you're going to have to figure out a way out of Diego Chara.
00:21:28
Speaker
They say that every year, and then they just don't find a way out, and then it works. I've been saying that for five years. kid you not. For five years, I've been saying they're going to have to figure out how to replace him, and they just don't because he's just that good.
00:21:40
Speaker
but So it's a 2-1 game, and then all of a sudden, San Diego feels like they could lose this game, like you mentioned. So If you don't have that firepower, which they lost, by the way, with letting go of Velosky, who's over there just balling out for Philly, you need a guy like Chucky Lozano. So after the game, Mickey made it sound like they've seen what they've needed to see, kind of is what he said. I'm paraphrasing here from Chucky Lozano.
00:22:07
Speaker
So he's probably going to be back and this team is going to look better. ah But the holes on this San Diego C team continue to be just finishing, man. And they just don't, they just don't have it.
00:22:18
Speaker
You can't ask Corey bear to do it, but the green is not, you know, a phenomenal finisher. He's that's just not his game. ah There is just so many things about San Diego that are great.
00:22:29
Speaker
They create so many opportunities. They have a great volume. The pressing is phenomenal. I thought they were the better team easily over the 90 minutes, but in the playoffs, that's just not enough. If you cannot put the ball in the back of the net, you're not going to win games.
00:22:43
Speaker
You're going to allow teams to just linger and stay within. And all of a sudden is a, is a draw and you're going into PKs and PKs is anybody's game.
00:22:53
Speaker
yeah, I think San Diego is still good enough to get over the Timbers. ah The Timbers are just too inconsistent and they just don't have enough defensive 42 to hold up this San Diego team.
00:23:08
Speaker
But game two at Portland, you know I give the Timbers a little bit more of of a percentage to maybe get a result, maybe push that game to the PKs, but we're just kicking the can on the road.
00:23:23
Speaker
At the end of the day, San Diego's going to win this series. They're going to be able to get over in the next round, um and it's all about you know what happens on the other side with ah Minnesota and in Seattle that is really to be the term determined. But...
00:23:37
Speaker
ah I think that this San Diego team, once Chucky comes back, they're going to look a lot better. Dreyer needs that other... partner up top and and that that has to happen here pretty quickly.
00:23:50
Speaker
Were you surprised that they actually suspended Chucky for this game? Cause kind of was, I thought they were posturing. I didn't think that they would actually do it. And then, you know, the lineup comes out, he's not in there.
00:24:04
Speaker
ah And ah you know, i didn't see me, Mike, Mikey Varis is press conference, but you know, it sounds like they're, ready to bring him back. what do you think he What do you think he did to warrant this?
00:24:17
Speaker
And were you surprised that they actually followed through with but suspending him for a playoff game? I mean, that's that takes some ah ah takes some gumption from ah from a head coach to do that to your superstar player, no matter what he did.
00:24:32
Speaker
So I don't know. i what I didn't think they would actually do it. No, I wasn't surprised. I thought that they were going to do it. that The real question was how much longer were they going to upheld this internal disciplinary action Chucky? Send a message. choing Keep him out for the next round, too. You've got to send a message. You're going have this... Can't have this in support. Yeah, it doesn't sound like that said, right? And this was, you know, Mickey Tavares in the postgame, just on the field interview. I didn't watch the conference, but obviously Andrew Wiebe ended up asking him several questions. And one of those questions was about Chucky. And yeah, he absolutely said that they've seen enough and, you know, that he's going to, you know, be available for the next game.
00:25:14
Speaker
that You know, words more, words less. I think that's basically what what he said. So, yeah, I just think that, know, I wasn't surprised, as I mentioned on Under the Lights that we did together with Jeremiah and and Noah and yourself.
00:25:29
Speaker
ah There are coaches that are not going to allow certain behavior. And Tavares is definitely a guy that you can tell that that's the way he runs his ship.
00:25:40
Speaker
I mentioned the Wilford Nancy ah case with Cucho. It was Cucho. I mean, that that is your best player, your attacker, your $20 million dollar man, whatever you want to call it.
00:25:52
Speaker
And he sat him, right? So there are just coaches that are not going to allow that sort of behavior. And, you know, he had already been doing it. This team needed... momentum They needed wins at the end of the season, and he didn't care.
00:26:05
Speaker
They didn't play Chucky. So it was about when that was going to end. And I think, in my opinion, obviously no no insight here, but I think Mickey looked at that game, said – We're not going to survive much longer in the playoffs if we don't have all of our best attackers.
00:26:25
Speaker
Vakery, as much as he did well and he got in the right positions and he gets a good goal of ah ricochet ah off the post and he's the right place, right time. He missed two or three opportunities.
00:26:37
Speaker
um I think Barrett was... Ineffective and honestly ah Very bleak when he did get on the ball So they just need that extra player And Mickey looks like a guy that looked at the game And said we're not going to be able to continue If we don't get Chucky back in this game And now he will Yeah you know I respect it for Mikey Varis On one hand Because you San Diego FC, they're in their first year in the league. What he's trying to do is he's trying to establish standards and the culture.
00:27:10
Speaker
And i think what he what he's doing is sending a message. Like, it doesn't matter who you are. It doesn't matter how much you're paid. It doesn't matter what your status is. If you don't adhere to our standards in and culture, that i will ah i will take the action that I deem necessary.
00:27:26
Speaker
so I think ultimately if it's a, if it's ah play for kind of establishing that stuff for the future, it could end up working out for, but it is, I do look at it and I'm like, really?
00:27:37
Speaker
Okay. You actually kept them out for ah playoff game. That's I mean, we've seen Brian Schmetzer. He was kind of in similar situations to this. I think the, ah the Raul Ruiz Diaz situation last year was, ah was somewhat similar and you you had Raul and knew who both getting suspended.
00:27:55
Speaker
Remember that whole thing. So yeah, It's not like an unheard of thing, but ah for it to happen in the playoffs with the player of this stature, it's definitely it's definitely a storyline in the West.
00:28:06
Speaker
It looks like Noah's been a YouTube member for 10 months. Thanks for your supporting the show, Noah. That's big time. It says, Portland coming back in leg two is going to be hilarious. Yeah, do you... ah Like, if you're Seattle or Minnesota, are you kind of rooting for that series to go as long as possible to ideally kind of...
00:28:26
Speaker
hope that they get tired or i have to expend more energy and, and resources, even if that, that would mean rooting for the Timbys in, in game two. How do you kind of see that? Yeah, absolutely. You always want more games.
00:28:39
Speaker
ah You're rooting for a potential, ah red card to both teams, right? So if you get moment that, you know, ah players being sent off, ah you know, it it helps, right? For your purposes in the next round. In this one, when you saw a red card ah to 4e that just kind of goes back to back with bad, silly fouls and gets two yellows, gets sent off.
00:29:08
Speaker
So sure, you want that to go as long as possible. You want more of this... bad moments for for a team to get, you know, a players sent off or not. Yeah. Look, I, I, I know that people are always of the thought process that you just got to beat the best at their best, but like, I, I think that it's okay to get advantages and I don't mind getting a, a team that's tired and that it has played a long series, difficult series with,
00:29:35
Speaker
An injury or two, a like it's all about winning. It's all about getting that result, and that's what it takes. So, yeah, I'm pretty sure that the Sounders want this to go pretty long. I don't foresee it again. I think that the Timbers' chances increase um in Providence Park, but I just still think that San Diego has too many weapons, and they play through – the timbers way too easy for them to get the game. I mean, they would have to play
00:30:10
Speaker
just as perfect as they did against RSL, where everything just seemed to go their ways. And that's just not soccer. And that that just doesn't happen quite often. So I think that that was their money game. That was the one where balls are ricocheting and Felipe Morris is getting in front of him and he's, you know, getting a brace and your team's playing great and the ball's not going to the back of the net for the opponent like he did against RSL.
00:30:35
Speaker
But, you know, when it's all about, Just even ground and just the game going the way supposed to. i just think San Diego's substantially better than the Timbers.
00:30:46
Speaker
I think my, I guess, biggest takeaway from the the these first games in the playoffs is that it seems like the number one seed in both conferences is more vulnerable than you would think for a number one seed philly like we talked about uh they're getting pushed to the brink by the chicago fire and then san diego ah they're dealing with all this chuki drama and haven't been in that great of form honestly for the last couple months anyway ah Most of their their big point total this year was from their insane start.
00:31:22
Speaker
And they've been they stayed good all year. But if you look at their record over the last two months, it's no it's nothing close to what it was to start the season. So they were kind of even with Chukie.
00:31:35
Speaker
on a downward trajectory just form-wise anyway. Now they're dealing with all this. ah They almost give up the lead against Portland, even though they were up a man.
00:31:46
Speaker
So, i I mean, I could see both those teams still making a run, but I just don't think... that Like, some years, the number one seed just looks unstoppable, and neither conference looks like that.
Playoff Contenders: Miami & Vancouver
00:31:58
Speaker
I think if you're looking at ah who who did the best and is probably... going to be among the favorites in both conferences so far. Obviously it's Miami and then Vancouver, Vancouver, like it's not like they're playing world beaters in FC Dallas, but they took care of business and they, they looked like a, a Western conference,
00:32:19
Speaker
contender So that's kind of how I see things ah shaping out right now as we look at this Seattle game, which I think that's a good seway segue, Nico, to give our kind of final thoughts and takes on ah on the Seattle Sounders in this upcoming series with Minnesota United.
00:32:35
Speaker
How are you feeling about ah about this? du Did ah how any of the either of the other games in the West go change how you feel about Seattle's path or and then like, how are you also feeling just about their their chances against the loons in this series.
00:32:51
Speaker
No, I think the way the results happened and, you know, beyond the results, just the performances by each team, I think it solidified. It made me pretty confident on the way I ah presented my bracket.
00:33:04
Speaker
um I think we did that with with Jeremiah on what we learned this week. um I think I might have shared it with you guys as well, too, and under the light. So, you know, I got Vancouver winning the whole thing. i think that Vancouver...
00:33:16
Speaker
look Dallas might not be a world beater and and you know a contender, but they're a team that was kind of figuring things out. they yeah They really were. that They were putting it together. I thought that they were a team that ah was trending in the right direction. They had all of their guys for this one.
00:33:34
Speaker
ah you know Farrington, Musa, Julio, Ramiro, they had all their guys. and Vancouver wasn't just good. They were dominant.
00:33:46
Speaker
I mean, Dallas came out of the game with 0.0 XG. I don't remember if I've, I don't know if I've seen it. i don't know if, you know, a goose egg, man, just complete goose egg on XG. I mean, they were watching that game back. How does that? They got pummeled.
00:34:04
Speaker
Pummeled, pummeled, pummeled, pummeled. And beyond that, I continue to be impressed by the leadership and the commitment from Thomas Mueller with this team. I mean, he is just so vested in There's times in the game when he's coaching on and off the ball.
00:34:27
Speaker
the The team's winning 2-0. Literally. He's a player coach. He's a player Player coach, man. you know They're pushing. that They're just going ah on the on the left side. ah forget who has the ball. He's getting forward. You could tell that he needs to just bring it back, pace it drop the ball, just just keep possession.
00:34:46
Speaker
He goes in, he forces the ball, ah loses it to Dallas, and you could just hear Thomas Mule just yell at him, right? Just calm down. just Just calm down. And then the next time he gets the ball, when he's on the ball, he's like, all right, let's just just hold the ball. Let's keep it. Let's make them work for it. I mean – Man, this Thomas Mueller just gives this team a whole other edge. And as much as I know that they're going to get guys back, and I think that's one of the reasons why I have so much confidence in Vancouver, because I think that as the tournament progresses, they're going to get a lot of their big time players back from injury.
00:35:22
Speaker
I thought that Daniel Rios did a great job in this one. yeah i thought that um the Peruvian guy, what is it, Kenji Cabrera, has been a really good guy off the bench.
00:35:34
Speaker
And, you know, he gets a goal in this one. I just think that they're such a balanced team, man, that when it comes to the the results, despite... it being against Dallas, I was so impressed but but by Vancouver. And now when it comes to the Sounders, I think that um I'm just as confident as I was a week ago. Nothing nothing has changed.
00:35:56
Speaker
And that it goes for either side. I'm i'm not more confident because
00:36:02
Speaker
Brian Smithers said that Ryan Kent's going to be probably available for this game or he was going to have some sort of role in this game. It's kind of what I heard from him there on the press conference. I wasn't there on Sunday, of course, but I did listen back to his interview.
00:36:15
Speaker
So even with that, I'm not any more confident or any less confident. I'm just as confident that The Sounders are just the better team, that they're in better form, that they finish the tournament in in a better place.
00:36:27
Speaker
Not in the standings. I'm just talking about in form-wise. Then Minnesota, and that they'll be able to win tonight on the road and then hopefully close it back at home.
00:36:39
Speaker
It's not a guarantee. I'm not ah sitting here telling you that it's a no-brainer that this happens. I just feel confident in the team. Obviously, We know what Minnesota is about. They're going to make it difficult. They're going to absorb a lot of pressure. They're going to find a way to make set pieces a road, a pathway for them to get ahead on the scoreboard.
00:37:03
Speaker
And then they'll just park the bus. So, of course, you always have to be mindful of not underestimating your opponent. ah But I do feel like the Sounders have a pretty good chance tonight. I feel just as confident.
00:37:16
Speaker
Do you think Minnesota is going to change how they play at all in the playoffs?
Minnesota's Playoff Strategy Discussion
00:37:20
Speaker
No, because I zero. I just feel like I think they're going to, you know, they know who they are. They know their identity and they're very good at executing on it.
00:37:31
Speaker
I just I do think that. it's It feels like they' they'd be playing a risky game to try and make it all the way through the playoffs into MLS Cup, playing against the ball that much. I'm curious to see how they come out in this game.
00:37:47
Speaker
That's going to be one of the biggest things I'm keeping an eye on because, i mean, we all remember how it looked when Seattle played there this year. That was one of the weirdest things. games of the season, I thought, uh, but like from a Seattle perspective, but then you look at it and that's kind of just how they play all the time.
00:38:07
Speaker
But, uh, you, so you think they're that there, you think they're that committed that they're going to come out and do the exact same thing that they did in the, ah in the regular season matchup. Cause I just, I, that felt so exaggerated to me, even with, even with without like taking into account, like, uh, the playing against the ball, counterattacking set piece tactics, uh,
00:38:28
Speaker
they did They just did it to such an extreme that ah I feel like leaning into that this much in the playoffs, I don't know if that's going to work, but they also are they are very committed to it.
00:38:41
Speaker
They know how to do it, and they are very good at it. So you're probably yeah right. i just think, I don't know. I don't know. No, I think that... Eric Ramsey has done too much to get this team to understand his concepts and to be successful with them.
00:39:00
Speaker
And I think that the main reason why it hasn't been working as great is because there have been some personal changes and some injuries. But Jeboa was back last game, and he played 20-ish minutes, and he's had a whole week to prepare for this game. So my guess is that Jeboa starts that game.
00:39:18
Speaker
That gives them a much better fit to the counter-suit team that they are and having a guy that can play more direct and that could in many ways, get behind a back line of the Sounders that do gets a little bit high.
00:39:37
Speaker
um And I think that's a real question is how different the Sounders might play. Because if there's a team that has put it on record that they might change the way they play, or there might be moments of their game where they play with a two men set up up top is the Sounders.
00:39:53
Speaker
I think that
00:39:57
Speaker
Minnesota, it's very clear on the way they want to play. And if there's anybody that's going to change it up a little bit is it the Sounders. So when the Sounders do get their lines a little bit high, because they do commit a lot of ah players forward, and they're goingnna have to, if you're going to break down a team that absorbs and plays so compact the way that Minnesota does, you're going to have to commit players forward.
00:40:20
Speaker
And those are the moments where Jeboa is going to be able to be a much better fit than Laud has been as the... makeshift guy up there, right? They've played Pereira up there. I mean, you know, they've done so many different things, but with Yeboah, I think that they go back to to normal.
00:40:36
Speaker
I actually think that Rosales will go back to be playing that left wingback position. I think he just plays it better. He's been playing a little bit higher. Markinick's been the guy that ah you know has been playing there, but I just think that he's too vulnerable defensively.
00:40:54
Speaker
ah So I think that Eric Ramsey is going to have a lot of pieces back, and he's going to go back to what worked mid-year ah than what you've seen over the last month or two.
00:41:07
Speaker
Don't you think this is the this is a game where Jordan Morris being back looms kind of large? Because yeah i did I feel like his skill set in particular is kind of the perfect foil for a team that's going to play you like this. They didn't have that the last time these two teams played.
00:41:26
Speaker
And i still I still feel like they, as much as any loss that they had this year, that's one where I felt like they really... they were the better team in the game and had the better chances. And they just, you know, couldn't finish and got burned on a set piece.
00:41:41
Speaker
ah But they, ah they didn't have that much trouble generating chances against this team at Allianz. And in Jordan Morris, you have a guy who can get in behind,
00:41:52
Speaker
and make those make those runs and kind of put them under under more pressure and then especially like in transition. ah i think that is the that's the biggest key to me in this game, Nico, is a team like this that's going to put numbers behind the ball like that and let you have the ball.
00:42:11
Speaker
The, the number one best way to unbalance them is to get at the, is to run at them, get at them in, in transition and try and get out on the break. So they can't kind of set up how they, how they usually set up.
00:42:24
Speaker
And but one of the things they're really good at is preventing that. That's sort of why it's so frustrating to play them ah because they're really good at getting themselves in situations where, when you have the ball, they are set and they just let you knock it around.
00:42:39
Speaker
Definitely. They, They do not press. That is debt one thing that they don't do. So, uh, I think Jordan is a guy who, i mean, it's going to be key in this, in this series. If they're going to get goals against these guys, I really think that, uh, getting out and running and hitting Jordan over the top on those balls and behind and, uh,
00:42:58
Speaker
And those through balls, I'm i'm looking at Rusnak pinging those through balls. All that stuff is going to be, I mean, that's when Jordan's playing, that's how Seattle runs their offense anyway. But like in this specific matchup, I think it's even more important.
00:43:13
Speaker
ah and I totally agree. And before I give you my take, let's get the chat involved. If the Sounders are going to get a result tonight, if they're going to win, let's say that if the Sounders are going to win, who's your guy that you think needs to have a baller of a game?
00:43:28
Speaker
Let us know in the chat. You know, is it Ferreira? Is it Jordan? Is it Albert? Is it Steph? yeah who Who is the guy that you believe that needs to have a baller of a game for the Sounders to get a win in Minnesota? minnesota To me, it was Jordan, actually. i do totally agree with you that Jordan Morris is the guy that needs to have a big game.
00:43:55
Speaker
And you hope that it's on the sheet, right? But it doesn't have to be. I think that he has to be great in his spacing. I think that he has to be good on the link-up play.
00:44:07
Speaker
i think that he's a guy that's going to need to crash the box pretty consistently to either get two balls or open up lanes for Rothrock to get in or for Ferreira to get in or for Albert to to have room to shoot mid-range.
00:44:24
Speaker
He's going to have to keep box-o-occupied. There's going to have... to be a lot of responsibility on Jordan Morris today. And this is a big game. He's been waiting for a big game. I think that he got the goal that he needed to get that monkey of his back the way a lot of strikers need to.
00:44:43
Speaker
You hope that the water gates will just open now that he kind of broke through and got that goal. But yeah, to me, in every aspect of the game, Jordan's going to have to be a boss tonight.
00:44:55
Speaker
And, you know, I don't need to say that he's got a... ah Play like a DP or earn his paycheck like you know I've heard some comments on you know that regard I just think that he has to be a influential player at the striker position for Seattle to have a good chance to break down a very good defensive line. Boxall, Jefferson Diaz.
00:45:18
Speaker
I mean, this is a good defensive team that you're going to have to move around and you're going to have to get them to pull out a little bit. Ovid Vargas talked about, you know, ah committing numbers forward, but also, you showing that you're dangerous with mid-range shots so they can have the obligation to push out that that line, those center backs.
00:45:43
Speaker
And when those players push out, that intricate passing where if you can get Jordan Morris on a one-two with Ferreira, which they've done pretty well, you know, in Austin, they've done well ah quite often where Jordan has gotten into good positions, just haven't been able to finish.
Key Players for Seattle Sounders
00:45:59
Speaker
That's what you want to see today. You need that intricate pass and the work in order to get through that barrier, that wall that Eric Gramsci is going to put in his own third.
00:46:11
Speaker
Got a couple people saying Rusnak. We got a Jackson Reagan shout. We got a Christian Roldan shout. We got a Morrison Jesus Ferreira shout. To me, it's the yeah it's the Morris Rusnak duo. you know when that When that duo was cooking last season,
00:46:28
Speaker
It was one of the most if there was a stretch of last season where it was the most productive one to punch in the league. And they have not really gotten a chance to replicate that this year because both missed time with injury. Jordan has missed most of the season with injury.
00:46:43
Speaker
So I think having both of them ah healthy going into the playoffs. ah i get The hope is that that would give you a boost anyway, ah but then particularly in in this series, you're going to have to lean on those guys and hope that they step up and can get you a couple goals and a result in this game.
00:47:04
Speaker
And then if you take this back home up 1-0, you should like your chances. This is a big game tonight. If you win this game, your chances of going through are pretty good. And then you're on the more forgiving side of the brackets.
00:47:16
Speaker
You are like if you're I was thinking about this, Nico, if you're just able if you're just able to get through this Minnesota series, you have either a San Diego team that ah like we talked about is more diminished than your typical number one seed, not in great form anyway, and dealing with a bunch of locker room drama with their star player or a Timby's team that is not good so like you if you you have a uh a pretty good path theoretically to a western conference final where you would be taking on either lafc or vancouver and then at that point at that point you're the underdog it would be ah tough game but you're gonna have to get through them at some point anyway you just uh there's a uh
00:48:02
Speaker
There's a big opportunity here, I guess, is what I'm saying. Like the way that the bracket shaped up and ah the other teams that they would have to play, it's set up for them as well as it could have, I guess. I would certainly rather them be in this situation than on the other side of the bracket where the next round would be like the Whitecaps LAFC.
00:48:24
Speaker
so Yeah, no, and and, you know, there's some validity to that.
00:48:31
Speaker
After some long, long, long division, I have the Sounders beating San Diego there and you know then losing to Vancouver in the Western Conference final, which I think you know most fans would be very happy with. right get Getting to that Western Conference final would be great.
00:48:50
Speaker
But at the same time, look, I don't want to see the Timbers. As much as they're a bad team, as much as they're you know so inconsistent, you don't want to derby in that sort of playoff match because that's when things can go south and can be very... They'll become gods.
00:49:06
Speaker
but yeah Exactly. yeah you know You don't want that additional ah motivation for a team that you know has some some some pieces there. you know they They have some some weapons. So yeah I definitely would rather see San Diego and let it be a very...
00:49:22
Speaker
emotionless game. if yeah i guess not emotionless, but not as impacted by that rivalry. um And yeah, as much as I don't think that Seattle match matches up great against San Diego, i do think that they have the weapons to now specifically play with a more cohesive team, a more cemented squad, a team that has certainly showed us that, that report between Ferreira and Albert and Jordan and, you know, Paul, it's just gotten so much better as the season has gone on that, you know, I would not mind taking my chances against San Diego, but ah I want no part of the Portland series.
00:50:01
Speaker
ah But yeah, look, I'm totally with you. I think that the Sounders in this one, Tonight, I think Albert's a great shout. Albert is going to be, he's going to have to be influential on set pieces, which, you know, he has been. Nice little ah assist for Jordan against New York City FC.
00:50:21
Speaker
He's a guy that has a very good mid-range shot, which is not like super powerful, but he loves doing that. He's going to cut inside, and rather than going far post corner, he tricks the goalkeeper by going goalkeeper post, and man that works like a charm every single time. And he works on that. I mean, he's literally on the the the small side of games, he does it so good, so consistently. So he is a guy that I think with his through balls, with his dynamism, because you know I said this about Albert Rusnak on Friday,
00:50:57
Speaker
He has shown in so many ways that I don't know if he took it personally that ah lot of people believe that he was just in it for the paycheck or that he was, you know, ah Brian would throw shade at him a little bit about working hard and he was like, oh, ha yeah, Albert working hard or defensively or all this stuff.
00:51:19
Speaker
and And this year he has been just so much more active, so aggressive, both on and off the ball. the the He's out there getting red cards.
00:51:30
Speaker
He's out there getting red cards, exactly, that you know because of a tackle that he maybe wasn't trying a couple of years ago. So I do think that there is this inner um almost chip on his shoulder to show everybody that He is that guy. And I think that that's been beneficial for the Sounders.
00:51:50
Speaker
And that's why I like the shout tonight against Minnesota for Albert to have a big game. and And that needed to be ah a player that's key. You know, Ferrer is a guy that's very consistent. He's been very even kill in a good way, right? He's been such a high floor guy that I think you'll do his thing.
00:52:09
Speaker
But with Albert, you know, sometimes you needed him to have a big game. can have a lot more influence than you may think. So, yeah, ah Jordan, Albert, good shouts. Love the Christian Rodant shout. Love the Jackson Reagan shout as well.
00:52:22
Speaker
You're going to have to be good on set pieces, right? Yamar Gomez-Andrade is back to 100%. He's been working all a week, no problems. Him, that duo, right? that that Those two guys, Jackson Reagan and Yamar, are going to have to be important just making sure that you – brace your ball that you are good coming out of the back that there are no issues giving up the ball on vulnerable positions I mean everything ah you know I thought Jackson Reagan had a baller of a game on decision day against New York he was a big reason why you didn't allow Alonso Martinez to hurt you so I absolutely love the Jackson Reagan shout out to
00:53:02
Speaker
that's ah That's news on Yemar that some people might not know about. I kind of figured that, but I didn't know it was official. He is 100% by... ah Was that proclamation of Brian Schmetzer? And ah do you think he should be... Should he be able to go 90? Or do you think it's a situation where he goes more like 60 while they get... No, he goes 90.
00:53:21
Speaker
ah you know For all accounts, Brian made it sound like he was 100%. No issues, no problem, no limitations. So... um As far as I know, he he could have even played against New York.
00:53:35
Speaker
He could have had some minutes against New York, could have been available against New York, but in a very good... decision They kept him out ah just as they did with the pivots.
00:53:46
Speaker
And now he's 100%. He's ready to go. he You're not going to be able to get him out of that that that pitch, I'll tell you right now. ah He loves playing Minnesota, loves playing Yeboah. ah He's a guy that, you know, I've heard him a couple of times, but they've kept that day.
00:53:59
Speaker
ah He liked the tanny... um matchup as well. You know, he really found himself to just rise to the occasion against Danny, obviously no longer there. So yeah, no, I think that, uh, Yemar is not just a hundred percent, but he's motivated going into this. He ah knows and understands that he's one of the leaders in that back line. Uh, Alex Roldan as well. He, uh, is, should be available to start this game.
00:54:24
Speaker
He had obviously was on and off practice. If you missed that, he has a little bit of a hip,
00:54:32
Speaker
ah Pain, soreness Issue, you know, something that He's been dealing with for a while, that's the reason Why he came off early against Lunar City ah But he looks like he's available And ready to start um So yeah, for for all accounts Aside from Kim Ki-hee And obviously, no, think that's it.
00:54:51
Speaker
think Kim Keehee and, you know, obviously Paul and all the guys that are out-out. But it sounds like everybody else should be available, including Ryan Kent, which was the the big news.
Seattle Sounders' Lineup Speculation
00:55:00
Speaker
Good news all around, particularly on YAMAR. You know, I feel like we we take YAMAR for granted sometimes, you know, like the the universal we.
00:55:13
Speaker
Just the consistency and... You know, they've had good cover at that position this year, but I think the defense is added at its best when it's he and Jackson in there.
00:55:26
Speaker
ah Magno, thank you for the five. i He asks, assuming we go with our first choice, 11, who do you guys think the subs will be? I'm glad you asked because that gives us a brilliant segue into what we're going to do to close out the show here, which is bust out the lineup builder.
00:55:43
Speaker
I'm going to pull up right now and we're going to do a little projected starting 11 for Seattle's game one at Minnesota. um I feel like it should be relatively straightforward, but let's do it anyway.
00:55:56
Speaker
All right. Yeah, the lineup builder, which still without any sort of backing or... um what's the word I'm looking for here? There are no sponsor.
00:56:09
Speaker
There's no sponsor for it. The Lobbing Scorchers projected lineup sponsored by nobody, but it should be. quas yeah All right. So here we go. This is the, this is the default one that fought mob as. So we'll just make our alterations to this.
00:56:25
Speaker
I think back for, we are looking at new who Reagan and ah you know, uh, via breaking news from Nico. We got Yimar back in there. And then Alex rolled on, you said should be available.
00:56:38
Speaker
So we are looking at the Steph Fry knew who Jackson Reagan, Yimar, Alex rolled on, uh, defense. It's going to be the, uh, Christian Obed double pivot. I'm excited to see that back in action.
00:56:54
Speaker
Uh, Swap Obed in right there And then I think i Left wing is kind of the only Real question right ah It's going to be Paul Rothrock though Right Yes it will be 100% Paul Rothrock Look I mean you know people can Can have you know opinions about You know whether they would want A guy like new um Like Georgie Minungu there um You know you could That's probably the only other option necessarily that you would think it'd be feasible.
00:57:28
Speaker
ah But no, I think Paul Rothberg has been too good, too consistent. ah He gives you a lot of a two-way play that you're going to need against Minnesota. um So yeah, no, I think Paul Rothberg is a guy that also, this is something that i mentioned on Friday.
00:57:46
Speaker
He's a guy with a lot to prove a little bit, right? He's on the the negotiating table. He is asking for, you know, a big amount, big salary. So I think he is a guy that would love to...
00:58:01
Speaker
He's always going to want to perform. i don't want I don't want to make it sound like that's the only reason. So let me rephrase that. I think that there's just an added bonus for Paul Rutherford to be ah additionally motivated than what he usually is to just say, look, man, I just killed this game. I got a goal and an assist and pay me my money.
00:58:20
Speaker
So, yeah, I think that Paul Rutherford's I got is going to be ah very good in this game. If you had to put but a guess on it right now, do you think that ah that they pay him and he gets re re-signed, or do you think that he'll be elsewhere next year?
00:58:38
Speaker
It feels pretty doesn't it? If I have to bet right now, right now, man, I think he tests as the free agency. yeah I really do. That's kind of it. I...
00:58:50
Speaker
I would love to see him back. I would love to. And look, if you ask me, would I rather have Paul Rothrock or Ryan Kent? I'd rather have Paul Rothrock, to be honest. I really do.
00:59:03
Speaker
Maybe I'll get killed for this. The problem with that theory, though, is that I also understand that there is...
Paul Rothrock's Future with Seattle
00:59:14
Speaker
a template that then you can't skip that, that, that you cannot give a player a certain amount of money just on his first contract after he was just getting paid close to minimum salary.
00:59:28
Speaker
and And, and, and that I understand from the club and and maybe that might be something that people have an issue understanding because, if I have a player that's performing, that's giving me what I need, that's such a key player, why not pay him what he wants?
00:59:44
Speaker
It's just a lot more complicated than that. You know, that it just creates a trend that it's, it shouldn't quite be there. I would love for things to happen and that that he comes back with the team, but I really do believe that if he doesn't,
01:00:02
Speaker
settle and and bring that number down and and maybe bets on himself with the Sounders rather than bet on himself just with anyone. I think that he would eventually get that big pay that he's looking for.
01:00:16
Speaker
But yeah, for right now, I think that he tested the free agency, unfortunately. Well, and if he does that, there's going to be a market for him. And there' it's pretty likely, I think, it seems like that there would be a team that will pay him closer to what he wants ah from Seattle. And it sounds like Seattle might be a little hesitant to give him. I mean, if you just think about it, like if you're working for a company that's paying you...
01:00:41
Speaker
ah 100k a year right that's what paul made this year company paying you 100k a year and then another company is like we'll pay you close to a million dollars per year and then we'll give you nine times your salary i mean you know you currently work for is like well we're not going to give you that but we'll give you like four or five hundred k Exactly. you're go to do you're going to go You're going to go to the other company. That's just like he would be, especially when we're talking about and MLS salaries here. We're not talking about ah situations where these contracts are, as but in this case, at least is like millions and millions of dollars. like
01:01:17
Speaker
He's in a situation where he's got to think about like his life and his future. and ah like ah That much of a raise, it meaningfully affects that kind of stuff. so um i mean I don't think anyone's been saying they would hold any ill will, but i mean if he does test the market and gets a better offer and takes it, I don't i don't think anybody should or would fault him for that.
01:01:38
Speaker
No, that's a great point, Ari, because yes, I think I understand it. And you got to put yourself in his shoes, right? I'm i'm a guy that always talks about empathy and and understanding where people are coming from. And he came into the scene so late. He's he's looking for that payday, man. And and you can't fault him if that's the case. But I also can't fault the club for protecting themselves, as you just mentioned, because, you know, they have a a certain number that they're willing to give him. And look,
01:02:07
Speaker
to the debate of Ryan Kent or Paul Rothrock. I don't even want Ryan Kent at 900 or a million definitely, right? If I do keep Ryan Kent, I want him at seven.
01:02:20
Speaker
I really haven't seen enough out of Ryan Kent to keep him a $900,000 plus salary. So it's a difficult situation. It's a difficult situation because I just like so many of the things that Paul Rothrock does.
01:02:34
Speaker
But that that number is just going to be what breaks the camel's hump. ah Do you think if Rothrock does ah leave in free agency, that increases the likelihood that Ryan Kent would come back?
01:02:49
Speaker
Yeah, I think it does. I'd really do, especially because Ryan Kent...
01:02:55
Speaker
ah This is just an educated guess. I don't think he's necessarily in any position to ah any position of leverage to you know but want to go somewhere else. you know He came to MLS, played amount of games, which, by the way, I think Jeremiah said it was 20 games, which was surprising to me. yeah He didn't feel like he played 20 games um and then got hurt.
01:03:16
Speaker
So if I'm a club looking around, i don't know how much more I would give Ryan Kent. So I think his best... ah option is to is to stay with the Sounders, take a little bit of a pay cut, continue to work himself and display his talents on a more consistent basis, starting from day one of camp and and and getting himself together rather than testing the open market and try to figure out where he may or may not fit.
01:03:47
Speaker
i would be ah I would be happy to have him back, for one, you know for the right for the right number. But I know i know people are have been down on his stock a little bit because performances dipped, and then he got injured.
01:04:00
Speaker
But i really i feel like we saw just such good stuff yeah when it was looking good that if he wants to come back at the right number, i personally...
01:04:13
Speaker
Would love that. ah All right. Well, there you have it, folks. That is the Lobbying Scorchers projected starting 11 sponsored by no one. Like I said, pretty straightforward. ah But this in all likelihood is how they're going to be lining it up at Allianz Field.
01:04:28
Speaker
Nico, I did want to. I pulled up ah Minnesota's starting 11 from one of their last games. Yeah. But before that, the question was about the substitutions.
01:04:39
Speaker
Oh, my. We need to answer that for my. um Yeah, so the the the subs are going to be, you know, i think pretty self-explanatory, especially if, you know, you got a certain guys in um So obviously, JP and Danny Laver are going to have to be part of that.
01:05:00
Speaker
um Reed Baker, Whiten, John Bell, Danny Masovsky, Osase, Andrew Thomas,
01:05:14
Speaker
Schneider-Burnell.
01:05:17
Speaker
What is that? what How many guys does that bring us to? Oh, crap, yeah. I kind of started cooking there without counting. ah Okay, so Danny Leva, one. JP, two.
01:05:30
Speaker
um John Bell, three. Danny Masowski, four. Reed Baker-White, five.
01:05:40
Speaker
Did you say Georgie and Andrew Thomas? I have not. So Georgie and Andrew Thomas, that's seven.
01:05:50
Speaker
Osas, sorry, you have eight. Oh, yeah. Yep. ye ah I wrote him down. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight.
01:06:05
Speaker
And Stu Hawkins? ah it could It could be It could be Stu Hawks I gotta pull up the roster I guess How how many do we need i don't I don't know the math on this ah Yeah I'm pretty sure it is since i I thought it was eight But ah yeah no I count ten from the last game So um Yeah let's let's just go that Let's let's try to go with the exact same Number of subs that they did last time So let's go ten
01:06:36
Speaker
I got Danny Leiva, JP, Andrew Thomas, Georgie, John Bell, Moose, RBW, Osaze, Snyder B. Oh, no, it is nine. It is nine. There you go. So you can get it myself. No, it is nine players.
01:06:48
Speaker
Yeah. So how many do we have? ah One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine. There you go. There you go. That should be your nine.
01:06:59
Speaker
We filled out the entire matchday squad. that was That was a lot of math, but we got there. Yeah, we stumbled and stuff, but we got it. So to the listener that provided that question, great question. We haven't done that, so that's why you saw the... This is a good projected starting 11. All right, I'm going pull up the Minnesota lineup. This is just from one of their last games of the season. I figure we can look at this and see if it's going to look similar or if you would if you think they're going be any changes here.
01:07:31
Speaker
Obviously, they're going to have Dane St. Clair and goal one of the best goalkeepers in the league. And then they have box all one of the best CBS in the league. He's a defender of the year front runner.
01:07:43
Speaker
Will Trapp is still doing his thing. He had a really good year for them this year. And then in in this game, they had Robin Laud and Pereira up top with Bongi. It looks like they got him listed as ah as a winger with him and Rosales. I don't know how accurate this 4-4-2 is to how they actually play.
01:08:04
Speaker
ah But Nico, are is there anything that stands out to you about this or how they're going to line it up other than you were saying you're expecting it to be Yeboah instead of Perea, correct?
01:08:15
Speaker
ah Yes, 100%. so But I mean, obviously Perez in as well. I think that the change there is that ah i don't know if you have it there. do you have Rosales as a midfielder? I can't really see. Yeah. Yeah. He's in.
01:08:30
Speaker
Yeah. So I'd say Rosales goes to in that specific setup to left back and then Pereira goes there and Jaboa goes up top.
01:08:44
Speaker
and Okay. But other than that, this should be relatively how the loons line it up. I mean, they're a... ah they're a strong squad, but i feel like they haven't been, they haven't been quite the same since, uh, they sold Tawny. Do you think that's accurate? Like, I feel like most of the good form they had this year was when he was in good form and they kind of haven't replaced him.
01:09:09
Speaker
ah which, which makes sense. That's kind of the risk you run sometimes when you do these, uh, these in season transfers, even when they're pretty lucrative in this case, they, they got a bag form to sell them to Liga. Uh,
01:09:21
Speaker
But I think you did see the the short-term effects on there on their offense. And it it feels like that's still been affecting them kind of down the stretch of the season, doesn't it? It does. It does.
01:09:33
Speaker
ah They just had... They were already limited on the attack and on the attacking. And I think Tani was the better finisher.
01:09:44
Speaker
I thought that he was more explosive. Jaboa still gives you speed, but... He's just not, ah to me, he was just not as clinical in front goal. i think he gives you a lot of other options and set pieces and things of that nature. I think he has a good ah right foot, but I really do think that Tani just gave him a little bit of a, they could either go, when they go play with two,
01:10:06
Speaker
And at times they do go with two strikers. That was the perfect setup with those two. And if they didn't, they just had another guy that was going to be able to come off the bench or just kind of change up the game like a spark plug. um Obviously, i don't I don't think that that setup is correctly. I think it's more of a, ah you know, five-man back line. It's like a 5-4-1 or, you know, so so something across those lines where it's only going go to be Jaboa up top.
01:10:31
Speaker
And both Lott and Pereira are going to come from a, back line behind that. Both guys are going to be in, of course. ah but But yeah, no ah for me, the team has changed drastically because of a lot of those changes.
01:10:46
Speaker
I mentioned Rosales. He's been kind of a guy that they've used a little bit higher, a little bit back, but I think that he's best fit for this specific team playing that left wingback position.
01:10:57
Speaker
um Juan is a guy that in those overloads is so important. And i think he lost a little bit of a spark and they need him to do a lot of that with, from that side, because Pereira, he's going to play in the inside channels. He's going to be a guy that, uh,
01:11:16
Speaker
It's just going to be more inside. and And you need that width to come out of Wengwane. So um those are the things that I felt like have made this team not as elite because of what you mentioned, right? When you are so um radical in the way you play against the run of play, absorbing all this pressure, the margins are very small They're very thin.
01:11:40
Speaker
yeah So when you're missing one tool, one player, you know, one key component that just completely changes that the aspect of your game that that like completely changes what you can do, the way you can perform.
01:11:53
Speaker
and And that makes it difficult for the system. But now I think with Jaboa, you're going to see a lot more of what you saw mid season. um So, yeah. they They have a hard time scoring from open play. like they They really do. We saw it when ah when Seattle played them in Minnesota.
01:12:12
Speaker
ah But it just, I mean, it does a couple things. It accentuates the importance of set pieces, which they are hyper elite at. And that's why when we're talking about ah you know, the most important players to have good games.
01:12:27
Speaker
I think the CBs are, if it's, if, if Rusnak and Jordan are the, are the most important players that need to step up in attack, ah the CBs have got to be ready for these set pieces. ah This team's free kick delivery is second to none in MLS. They put it on a dime every single time. You got to be ready to get in the air, crush your headers. You got to win your one-on-ones like,
01:12:51
Speaker
All that stuff is goingnna be is going to be really important.
Seattle's Set Piece Defense vs. Minnesota
01:12:55
Speaker
And if you can just do that, you take away one of the biggest ways that they score.
01:13:02
Speaker
if you can just And it's obvious it's way easier said than done. like youth yeah Every team that plays them knows this, that they they go into the game and they know that they have to be ready for their set pieces. And they get a goal game off them, it seems like, at least, no matter what.
01:13:18
Speaker
Anyway, but another thing that you really have to do, and this is something that Seattle has struggled with at times this year, you've got to limit the amount of free kicks that you give away.
01:13:29
Speaker
ah Not even just the ones that are like close to the goal in that kind of messy range, you know, where he always bams. that when they get him When they get them from deep, like out wide, they can they send them in accurately and they score a lot in those situations.
01:13:45
Speaker
So I think set piece defending, honestly, might be the biggest key to this series. If you're on it with your set piece defending and you don't let them score that way, the odds that you win the series go way up because they, they have a hard time scoring if they don't have that work in, they just always have that working.
01:14:04
Speaker
But another effect of that Nico is that ah they also, they don't, they don't really blow a lot of teams out. Like, like you said, the margins with their, with their tactics and their play style are are very thin extremism is the is the best way to, or radical. Yeah.
01:14:19
Speaker
They're radical extremists in terms of their, their, soccer tactics but uh they play a lot of closed games and they're really good at taking results and winning games in uh in situations like that in closed games they're probably ah one of the best two to three teams in the league at that, if not the best team in the league, purely at, you know, the getting, getting a set piece goal and holding onto the lead.
01:14:47
Speaker
That's, that's what they do. And they've done it to great effect all year. You know, as much as I, as much as I hate on it, because I don't really like watching it. It does work, and they are good at it.
01:14:58
Speaker
So that's kind of where my mind goes. just like, man, just if if they give what if they lose this game on a set piece goal, it's going to be tilting, because you know it's coming. You know it's coming. ah They're going to come up with some weird wrinkle to it that you haven't seen before. I'm pretty sure they have an entire analytics staff that all they do is just come up with these set plays.
01:15:20
Speaker
ah So you just got to be on it with that stuff. And if you're if you're not, you'll lose the series. They they will score on you like that. will. Yeah, and I would even go, you know, any dead ball, like ah long throws is something that they do particularly well. And Brian actually went the extra mile to talk about.
01:15:40
Speaker
I don't just want to control where and you know, where we shouldn't give up free kicks, but also I want to try to keep the ball inside the lines for most of the game. You know, I want to ah be be able to just condense the field a little bit and hold possession and not allow, you know, the ball to go off. Right. So he is, Brantz Metzer is more than aware that that's where Brantz This Minnesota team is going to influence the game the most And so between corner kicks Not giving up corner kicks in some way ah not allowing dumb fouls On top of the 18 And you know You can't do that in this series You can't
01:16:23
Speaker
and You can't. You cannot just take somebody out in an unnecessary free kick. mean, there's always going to be moments where yeah those things happen. But if it if it's a 50-50 ball and it's, you know, in a position where you have some backing behind you, maybe just be more careful and and not allow that free kick to happen because that's where you're going to allow this Minnesota team to to hurt you.
01:16:47
Speaker
Yeah, and i feel like in the I feel like in that last game Allianz, Seattle, they had the right idea on how to combat this radical extremism. ah What they're going to do is they ah they're going to set up in their in their block and then...
01:17:06
Speaker
They're going to give Seattle the ball and they're going to, they're going to say, you have it, you knock it around. And I thought what Seattle was doing in that last game was like, okay, we will knock it around. We will slow this down as much as you want. We're not going to get into your little game where we get flustered by all the possession that, that you're giving us. And we start kind of trying to pull rabbits out of hats and get frustrated. We'll, we'll knock it around as long as you guys want us to have it.
01:17:33
Speaker
We'll keep it. That's fine. And, uh, we're not going to give you, that's the other thing. Like you have to, ah they, they pray on set pieces, but they also pray on counterattacks. Okay. So that what they're doing when they're yielding all that position, possession is they're trying to lull you into that ah complacency.
01:17:51
Speaker
That's what they pray on. And I thought Seattle did a great job, honestly, great job in the last game of not falling into that complacency. You could tell, you could tell that, uh,
01:18:03
Speaker
They were training they were training like very hard on that. like they were They were doing counter-extremism to the extremism. And it was kind of an interesting chess match in that way, even if it was kind of infuriating to watch.
01:18:16
Speaker
Especially because I'm like, guys you guys, you guys are at home. You're at home. And you're still playing like this. And you want to you want to look at like why their home record's not that good. this year, that's probably part of why.
01:18:29
Speaker
It's a great style for road games, honestly. If they played like that on the road and then played like a normal soccer team at home, I'd be like, that's honestly kind of genius MLS tactics, just to lean into that in your road games.
01:18:40
Speaker
But they they do it at home, and They're going to do it in this game. And that's one of the reasons I've been saying that I like this matchup because I feel like Seattle has learned how to play against this.
01:18:51
Speaker
And I've been calling it gimmicky all year. I could be wrong. They might win this series. They might win all and MLS Cup for all I know. But the thing about a gimmick is that teams eventually are going to figure it out and there's going to be blueprints to combat it.
01:19:04
Speaker
And I don't know if Seattle discovered the blueprint, but if you compare the last game that they played in Minnesota to the first one in Seattle, the first one in Seattle, but Seattle was not like ready for those tactics at all. They fell right into the trap. They ended up giving up three goals and they lost. That was the only game at home that they lost all year. And then they they, to their credit though, they didn't let that happen in the second game. They did lose it one zero, but I feel like there, I feel like there's a lot of kind of lessons that you can take from the last time that they played.
01:19:37
Speaker
And if you just play it like that again, you'll at least have a pretty good chance to ah to win this game. That's kind of how I see it.
Seattle's Tactical Preparations
01:19:43
Speaker
Yeah, I just think that, you know, Dallas at home against Minnesota had so many other components and Yammer wasn't in. And, you know, there was it was very different game.
01:19:55
Speaker
And so, to me, this is going to be a game where, as I had mentioned, just Seattle is at a whole other level. They're whole other step above that team that ah played against Minnesota.
01:20:10
Speaker
And I see Seattle so prepared for this game. Andy Rose is a guy that takes his set pieces very seriously. he was completely involved in it. ah thought that ah the intensity from the entire week ah through a guy like Precky, who, you know, he keeps his foot on the gas on these guys. And I thought that that was great.
01:20:32
Speaker
To the point of Brian Spencer talking about, if it's necessary, breaking out the 3-5-2 for this team or or or playing with a 4-4-2 setup and and having second striker up there. Moose Jordan dual strikers?
01:20:46
Speaker
Yep, that could be something that we see, ah right? And if you need to break down this team and and you need to add an additional striker there, i love the fact that they prepare for it. So I just see a a Sounders team that is ready for everything and anything, and that that that's dangerous. that That is dangerous for this team. Now, it's about executing, and that is always difficult.
01:21:10
Speaker
So we'll see. But when it comes to preparedness, I feel like Seattle has it in the bag. All right, folks, we
Episode Wrap-up & Viewer Engagement
01:21:17
Speaker
are just about out of time for this episode of Lobbing Scorchers Kickoff.
01:21:21
Speaker
Thank you all so much for tuning in. As always, if you have not done so yet, hey, everyone, everyone in chat, I know you're watching. I know you're watching. Like the video.
01:21:33
Speaker
Do it right now. I'll give you a second. Like the video. All right. I trust that everyone's liked it. ah Subscribe to the channel. Rate five stars. Follow us on TikTok and Instagram.
01:21:47
Speaker
Lobbingscorchers.com slash sauce for the Lobbingscorchers hot sauce. ah And yeah, playoff time. Can't wait. Excited for this series to get underway. Excited to see if Seattle can put together a little run here. And they are going to be able to put together a little run.
01:22:02
Speaker
It starts tonight. ah It's going to be good stuff. And we'll be we'll be back on tonight for our ah for our postgame live. So we'll see you all there. Nico, thanks for tapping in, man. Anything playoff coverage wise you got going on or anything you want to plug before we get out of here?
01:22:19
Speaker
ah Yeah, make sure you check out our episode from Thursday of Soccer Down Here. i always do the rerun on our Pulse of Sports YouTube channel. So go ahead and check that out. We had ah a lot of fun with um John breaking down the Oscar Pereja situation. And we talked about Chucky, talked about the Sounders chances. So ahead and check that out, man. Enjoy that.
01:22:43
Speaker
Hell yeah. All right. Thanks for tuning in, everybody. Appreciate and love all of you. We will, I mean, we'll see you later tonight. Have a good one and enjoy the playoffs. Go Durst!