Hi, I'm Will Bruin, and I was just recognized as a Seattle Sounders legend. Now I get to do voice reads for the Sounder at Heart Podcast Network. Here we go. Come on! Hey, O'Shaan! Let's go! Here comes Ruiz Diaz through the middle to crowd it for Seattle. And now they truly can start the celebrations. It's the Sounders MLS Cup. Nico Ledero leaves absolutely no doubt. The Saunders rule the region. Seattle Saunders is going to fill it.
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Welcome back to another episode of Nos Adiates, part of the Sounder at Heart podcast network. We're recording on Thursday, but we're going to pretend it's Friday. And we're going to do what we learned this week with Nico. I'm here with Nico Moreno back at Long Acres. It's been a little...
since we've recorded here that's right back at our little comfy space designed and provided by the sounders here with the coffee maker we don't really use and but we go buy coffee we do go buy coffee because it's really good actually it's right here I really dig it, actually. As a matter of fact. Yeah, you know, a little shout out. If Gourmando wants to start regularly hooking us up.
With the employee discount instead of it being kind of haphazard. That would be cool. Hey, I really like it, man. You could even buy other things right there. I know. We may have to work out a deal. So if Gourmando is listening to this and they want to. set up a sponsorship of this podcast, we would be open to it. If you want to have that place bumping. Exactly. Exactly. Uh, I know with people come out to long acres just to get some lunch. Um, anyway, it's been an interesting week. It was.
because I thought the vibes last week were really good. They had that basketball kind of game thing that they played. And it seemed like we were, and they were coming off a pretty deep, not a great result, but a good performance against San Jose. And then...
They just laid a total egg against San Diego. I don't need to revisit the San Diego game. But this week had a different vibe to it. A much more business-like, we need to put our nose to the grindstone. And maybe that's what this team needed. Paul Rothrock mentioned, you know, maybe...
We needed to hit rock bottom, and hopefully that game against San Diego was their rock bottom. But to be sitting here 1-3-3, essentially the same place that they were at this point last year, feels weird because it doesn't feel like they've got here the same way, especially...
Up until the second leg of Cruz Azul, I actually thought this team was playing pretty well, even though the results weren't great. They were scoring. They were defending okay. But the last few weeks has been a little different where they...
They've only scored one goal in their last four games. And then they had this game against San Diego where they lost 3-0. They now go into Dallas, who has had some ups and downs, I guess on the whole, that have been pretty good. What is your sense of the vibe? Look, I've called all of their training sessions high intensity. It does feel like there is a sense of urgency, which Brian kind of talked about today. That was a correct way to put it. Not panic.
a sense of urgency. Certainly it's the feel that I get from a lot of players. I've seen, you know, Stefan Fry be so into a 6v6 game that he like kicked the... goal out of anger. I mean, there's definitely a fire within players competition-wise. I was standing next to you when there was that Costa Rienzi, Paul Rothrock little matchup. That was very interesting.
So I like where that's headed. And it gives me a sense that the team does feel like there needs to be more from the player standpoint. And that's been visible or so this week. You know, another. The first moment with Stephen Fry was they were doing this drill where they do basically a three on or two on one, one on. They do a two way, a two player break and then they go the other way. And anyway, he was yelling at Pedro de la Vega.
to go out to like challenge the ball more and he, and the plans. And then Steph comes over to Pedro and he has like a talk with them and they seem like they had a real, like a genuine moment of sort of like mutual. understanding of what he was yelling at him to do and what he wanted him to do. And they seem to walk away from it, both feeling like they got out of that exchange where they wanted. And you don't see that a lot where there's where their players are yelling at each other.
It was I thought a positive sign that they were yelling and then they but they also seem to be pushing in the same direction of like understanding that we want the same thing here. That I'm not picking on you. I'm trying to help you get better. And that seemed to be how Pedro took it.
obviously that sense of you need to get to know your teammates in a better way and the fact that Steph was able to have that conversation with him and actually even go along the lines of physically him what he was exactly uh because whether or not there is a i mean pedro has really good english but maybe there's things that get lost in translation so he physically did it and then pedro gave him the good thumbs up as in you know i get what you want so i agree and uh you know steph's been
a big leader. He is someone that in the past has been very vocal about upping his game in a certain way as a captain. So that was a good imagery to bring up of what we... kind of seen in those terms for the collective yeah and this was a week where there was not fun and games there was not it was a lot of specific kind of drilling i don't know that they played any expansive 11 be 11 this i mean i'm sure they and i guess tomorrow
Yeah, I don't think they did line up in any expansion. They had a lot of short-sighted games, a lot of tactical nuance type of things where they were trying to relate specific instructions about what they want them to do. And I think that – I don't –
to say it's gotten loose but i do think that there was maybe a they felt collectively there needed to be a correction we'll see how it works we don't we don't know but dallas is going to pose a problem and uh you know one of the other things the other big thing i wanted to before
too far into Dallas and maybe this will be a good transition, but we've been asking to talk to Jesus Ferreira for a while. He talked this week. What did you get out of him? What did you feel like he, what was the vibe you got from him specifically? Look, I think that is a level of frustration that he didn't vocalize. But if you look into the body language and the delivery of his answers, he is definitely passionate about it.
provides a broad answer to a a question that he could have easily just either dismissed or been very subtle about but you know he talked about lack of connection he talked about him at the right places at times where maybe the ball wasn't getting there. He said that he was brought in here as a versatile player that could play the 9 or the 10, and that he kind of feels like he could do both roles. So, yeah, that was my general sense.
I would agree with that. And I think you picked up on something that I found very interesting is that when a player is in a situation like he's in where he's not performing quite how he wants to be. And he was very clear that he was not happy with how he's performing. He didn't seem to be panicking, but he.
he's on he wants to score goals this is a guy whose career is built around scoring goals and he hasn't been scoring goals but in i think a lot of players in that position will sort of tighten up and not and give clipped answers and sort of but he He was giving like two and three, he was giving long answers to the point that honestly, I didn't use a lot of it because it was just a lot.
of, he was sort of all over the place in terms of like trying to explain what he saw going on. But I found that kind of comforting in that he wanted to, he wanted to explain. He felt like he had, like he, you know, he said he does.
care about the outside criticism which is fine but i think what he showed is that he cares about the person like he's aware that people are expecting more of him and he hasn't been delivering and he wants to sort of his take and like if the concern is that this is a player who doesn't who's not engaged I don't think that's what's going on here like he like I saw some I was listening to a podcast yesterday where they're talking about how he wasn't closing down hard enough and and he seemed to
wandering around out there. That's not really what I saw. I saw a player who was maybe trying a little too hard at times, who's pressing, who's just not getting the ball in dangerous spots, not necessarily because he's not in those dangerous spots, but I think what...
the ultimately was happening is that he's a new player still, even though he's not, it's not like he just showed up, but I think there's just not an understanding yet of between him and his teammates about where he, how he wants to play and what he's capable of doing.
He's going against a system that he hasn't played under. And, you know, we can talk a little bit about some of the comments about tuning formations and things like that. And I've actually done a lot of work in reaching out to some former MLS coaches. to understand a little bit of the nuances and differences between the three-man lineup, whether it's a 3-5-2 or in comparison to the 4-2-3-1. And with all of that, I think that...
And Ferreira has also been slowed down with his adaptation because this is a system that works very different. One thing that he said that I thought was interesting is that he said, in Dallas, I was the only guy doing what I do, which is just dropping back. Just getting the ball where if I had to get the ball.
having the liberty of going everywhere. But here, there's a lot of guys doing the same thing. So there's the adaptation on his personal role, adaptation on the overall formation and system. I just think that there's a lot coming to him. But I'm with you, and I agree from the very beginning.
In that San Jose game, I believe, where he was very upset and he gets into it with a couple of players. Yes, you don't want to see that, but that tells me that a guy gives a mess, right? He cares. He gives a shit. And that's what I saw yesterday. He cared enough to...
I'm going to answer this with everything that I'm thinking. Right. And I'm going to try to elaborate it in a way where whether, you know, he talks about the criticism and he said, you know, I just got to worry about my teammates. Yeah. The coaching staff and my family. That's it. But again, on the underliner, he's turning it out there for whoever wants to hear it. If you don't want to hear it, that's totally okay. Continue to criticize me, whatever.
But this is the reason behind it. And I thought that was a mature way to put it. And I'm going to stand on the hill. That's a good – actually, mature I think is a good way of describing it because he wasn't pointing fingers. He wasn't angry. He wasn't angry. He basically said –
look, I could be doing better. I could be doing some things better. My teammates could be doing some things better. But at the end of the day, I came here to be a nine or a 10 to be both. I'm not here to be a nine. I'm not here to be a 10, but I'm also not here to just. be Nico and get the ball wherever I want and roam.
I have – in a given game, I have an assignment and I have to understand that and that he's sort of struggled. I think what he alluded to is he's struggling with the idea that he doesn't have free reign. Exactly. That he needs to be doing a job and that sometimes – He needs a sipper.
role when he's at a nine and where he's in that right pocket as we talked about he's being consistently in the right pocket behind the nine where he's kind of excelled or has looked the most productive yeah but i do feel like at the end i i asked him do you feel like you can't do that role as a nine and he said no no i can do it i can do it yeah so
So I feel like he can. He's just struggling with kind of compromising when he is a 9 and when he is a 10. I will say this before we move on. I think another reason why we've seen such a, I don't want to call it structure because it's always structure. with the training, but there was a lot of emphasis on certain things because Brian was very self-critical and he took accountability for some of the issues that were seen in San Diego. The restarts, he said, you know what?
My job to get the guys going right off the bat. He talked about not being or not micromanaging players, but giving them the tools to say, hey, man, this is where you were at, right? Seattle got killed in transition. I feel like they've been working on that. to prevent those things from happening. And although I still believe that the 3-5-2 formation asks a lot of your pivots because of where your wingbacks are trying to pin back the opposition.
And it opens up so much space. And even when Ovid and Rodan are staggered, Rodan kind of gets put on an island a lot. And it's just difficult. And then you are more subjective or vulnerable to transition moments. working on all that. And I thought that it was big of Brian to just take that head on. And contrary to popular belief, I have never advocated this year for Brian Spencer to be let go. Last season, we looked at options.
about should he or should he not be re-signed or extended? And that was a different conversation. Right now, he's the man in hand on Loving's Quarters. I know I give an analogy that was based towards the fan base or anybody who's... that coaches do gain some cushion by winning trophies and by winning certain tournaments. And maybe that has lessened. But right now... I think it's patience with fans. You're talking about the patience that fans have. Sure, exactly.
Or anybody, even pundits who, you know, well, you know what? We can't look at Brian because he won this, that, and that. Right. There's no indication that there's anyone in the organization that is trying to move on from Brian. Absolutely not. And even in my own. I actually, especially this week, I grow confident that Brian can right the ship. And some of the things that he has implemented this week and the way he's handled certain situations, including the Hesos Ferreira.
Plus some of the positives from this week, which was Jordan, Pedro coming back and Ryan Kent possibly, you know, making the trip. I think that all of those things are going to give him more tools to potentially get it in the right direction. Yeah.
So one of the other things Ferreira talked about is going back to Dallas, which is funny that it's after Djokovic went back to Dallas this week, too. I'm sure this is going to get the same level of coverage from the national media. Of course. But, you know, you could see this being me.
spark for him he clearly wants to do well like he was he he he wants i mean he it's crazy he played he started playing for the fc dallas academy at 10 years old so he was there for over half of his life yeah in that organization. So I'm sure it's a big deal for him to be going back there. He wants to show them it was a mistake to move on, I'm sure. This is the closest thing that we have. And we actually do have a perfect comparison. If Jordan Morris was to leave to...
I don't know, Colorado. Yeah. And Colorado was the comeback. That would be that sort of mentality for Jordan as it is for Jesus. I'm sure. I'm sure. But Dallas, what have you made of Dallas this year? They've been sort of a Jekyll and I. team a little bit this year. If I could be frank, they're boring to watch, in my opinion. And I feel like Luciano Acosta is still Luciano Acosta, but he doesn't have the magical moments that he had in Cincinnati.
because it was such a better fit for his skill set. I feel like the movement of the ball for Dallas is so slow. And although they've had moments where they had been able to get him in the right. And I think him and Peter Moussa do create a very good duo. Everything around him just doesn't quite seem as fluid. It may be something about his adaptation to this new team.
say that there's anything interesting about this team is that they stay in every game they are in every game they are in every game and I think that's obviously something that has been designed to let's not be too overly with numbers, let's be more conservative, and let's give ourselves a chance to be in every game. I thought, I was surprised with how well they played Atlanta and how they were able to limit Sabatine and how they were able to limit Latelad. I thought that
overpopulated the midfield pretty consistently. And although they have a very average midfield compared to like what Seattle just played, you know, I look at Legette and, oh my God, Romero, I think is the other guy. And I look at what Seattle had to face with Godoy. and the Danish midfielder who continues to butchered his last name. But they were just so much better that, man, I think he could go either way. But Dallas, I think, will make that game slow and sloppy.
And we'll try to prevent Seattle from getting in a rhythm. But honestly, I'm a little bit optimistic going into this game. I mean, I think there's reason to be honest. This is a team, they're 3-2-2. They're off to a better start. Sounders I guess but admittedly two of their wins are at RSL and then at home against Sporting Kansas City which was the game that got Peter Vermees fired so it's not like they're tearing through a murderer's row of opponents but
But, you know, it's going to be an interesting – this is always – I feel like this is always an interesting game. The Sounders have not historically done great in Dallas. It feels a lot like the game where they played Dallas at a similar point in the season last year where that was a 0-0.
If you remember, both Jordan and Christian missed big chances in that game. But I don't know. I don't know what to make of this one. Have you heard anything? Leo Chu seems to be doing okay. I know he's scored a goal. I mean, people are making it sound like he's lighting it up. Right. But he has gotten, you know, consistent minutes he's playing. And for all that I've heard internally, he seems to be great. I mean, he's fitting in.
working hard, which at times seemed to be a thing here where he wasn't or not. So in that sense, he's fitting in. But again, offensively, this team is far from a juggernaut. believe that they're going to try to mirror what Seattle has been doing. So if Seattle goes there with their 3-5-2 or their 3-4-2-1, they've played with that formation before against Sporting Kansas City. And I felt like that's...
good as I've seen them, they were not as dangerous against obviously Atlanta better team. But I feel like they're going to want to match that up. And without a doubt, they're going to try to complicate it and make it really difficult for Shatter to get.
the ball moving and having effective possession. Maybe they'll let him have it, tiki-taka, and your own end, but they're going to make it really difficult for you to come in. Maybe even play him a little bit deeper, a lot deeper, compared to what they just faced in San Diego.
where the pressure was consistent. Yeah. All right. Well, let's take a break. We're going to come back. We're going to talk a little bit about more what the Sounders are going to be doing, who we think they're going to have available, and how they might be playing. You're listening to Nos Arrietes.
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At checkout, you will get a free hot sauce with your order. Again, go to hacksandferments.com, use the code sounderatheart at checkout for a free hot sauce with your order. Accent Ferments is a proud sponsor of that Sounder at Heart podcast. Welcome back to No Adientes. And we are doing, we're sitting down with Nico Moreno, as we always do at the end of the week. One of the other big things this week that was encouraging was Jordan Morris, Pedro de la Vega, fully in at training.
last week looks like they're probably going to start and I'm not saying this might sound harsh but I do think that there's the potential for this to be a net to that they're all they're not going to get Alex Jordan and Albert Rusnak who were officially ruled out today but I feel like that's still a net positive that trade not because those were bad players but because they really did seem to miss Jordan and Pedro specifically Pedro's creativity and dynamism
And Jordan's ability to just be a classic nine. Petra's been the weak MVP. I mean, that dude has looked lights out. When there were fans up here, he put on a show, baby. He did, yeah. I mean, he had, I think I counted. Three goals in mid-range, different angles. I think his touch on the ball has been very good in the 6v6 games. So good on the ball, so hard to dispossess.
so much energy when it comes to closing down on players. I just feel like he, as we've always said it, he's a talented player that has a ton of potential. He's hungry as he was at the beginning of the season. So I have no doubt in my mind that he's going to come in and just elevate this team immediately. And I'm glad that you said it. This is not an indictment against Albert Rusnak. I think that he's been good.
I think that I'm all in on the positive things he provides. But in this one, two things can be true that he ultimately, and this is one of the cool things about Albert, he doesn't. any added confidence. He doesn't need anybody to play some. He seems to be a player. A player who doesn't seem to need, like he doesn't, like confidence is not part of the equation it seems like with Auburn. It's very funny. That dude is just like, man, this is what I do. So, in this one, you
the potential of sparking Ferreira with a great game in a position where he's looked good before. With Jordan in front of him, who we could talk about this a little bit later, you know, he's been what makes this system work. and Pedro de la Vega, that because of his hunger and his skill set, he's going to give Dallas some issues. I think Pedro is very motivated. What I saw in him was a player who was frustrated to...
and was committed to not letting that derail what was, let's remember, a really good start to the season for him. I don't want to let memory hole the fact that he looked really good during the first few weeks. Absolutely. And I think that he is very motivated to pick up where he left off and to hit the ground running. I thought he was probably the Sounders' best player against San Diego, granted, after the game was maybe already washed.
I thought he looked really good. And I think getting Jordan back, you know, you had a really good question to Brian Schmetzer today where you basically said, are you – essentially, I'm rephrasing, but you essentially asked, are you frustrated at how – Yeah, it was our concern, right? Because moving forward, you're going to have to figure that out, right? Jordan can't play every single minute of every single game. You got to figure it out.
out and i use the word codependent because it does feel like his system specifically right now on offense without jordan he has no power he doesn't have that that blow that you needed to have you create as you get half chances, but without his ability to stretch out defenses and his ability to get on the ball, I think that Jordan has grown into a true nine. And now he can play with his goal, his back.
and do so many more things that now you really need him to be that guy. And when you don't have him. It is funny how that works, right? Where it was like, it was frustrating that he wasn't the player that they needed him to be in some ways. But now that he's the player they need to be.
He's almost they're almost too reliant on him to be that guy. And I guess that's maybe just how it works sometimes. But it is frustrating. And and, you know, Brian talked about how, you know, we've had this next man up mentality. And he said, you know, it is early. So I don't want to act like it's not going to happen.
But he has been, I think, frustrated at the lack – their inability to rise these last few weeks. Like the fact that they have one goal in four games. They haven't necessarily been awful in any of those games, but they –
I guess they were kind of awful in San Diego, but they they've not they just have not stepped up at all. There's not I don't think there's been anyone on the team really that has really raised their game in the absence of these other players. And I think that's what Brian was talking to about being.
that you think you've built a roster that is capable of doing it, and then when they don't do it, that's really frustrating. And I kind of feel for Brian because, look, if there was a huge criticism of him... And it was that the team wasn't fun. The team wasn't offensive. They created this new formation, this new system to completely change that mentality. Yeah. Get the team with a lot of numbers forward and create.
opportunities and that has happened and now that you don't have Jordan not only has it not worked in terms of that finishing product but now you're more subjective to counters and your defense is taking a hit and you're vulnerable to things that you weren't born So you're not getting either. Right. Yeah, that is a good point because it is worth reminding, again, this was a fun team for, you know, the first few weeks of the season.
running up and down the field. They're creating transition opportunities. And yes, they were more exposed at the back than they had been, but it was an okay trade-off. And now they're still trying to play. It's like they have the, I don't know, somehow they have the mentality or I don't know. It's hard to explain.
are still vulnerable at the back, but they're not as dangerous going forward anymore. And it's been very frustrating. But this sort of brings us into another subject that I've seen brought up a few times. And there seems to be this perception that Brian – and Brian does seem frustrated. with the roster. But I think that's led people to believe that he is not consulted on acquisitions. Best I can tell, and I've been covering this team for a long time, I don't think...
true at all. I think there is a lot of conversation between Brian and Craig and the whole front office staff about what kind of players they want. What Craig has said repeatedly is, once these players are here, it's not my job to micromanage Brian.
job to put him in the best place to use him how he wants to use him but they aren't giving him players that he doesn't want or know what to do with if jesus is not working out the way that the sounders expected i think it's a miscalculation on many levels
The talent identification. It's Brian, I think, thought he would be able to play a way that he wasn't going to be playing or he thought he was going to be able to adapt him in ways. Or sometimes players just don't work out despite the best analysis. But the idea that Brian is not involved in the talent.
he's not necessarily out there scouting, but they are absolutely bringing players to Brian and saying, is this someone that you think you can use? And he's saying yes or no. Yeah, no, he's definitely been in the loop with everything and nothing that I've heard says otherwise. I have said here in 11's quarters that there is a certain miscommunication in terms of concepts of the way the roster is built and what is built for and the way Bryan has obviously needed to change it.
like we just mentioned in the reason why he changed that formation up. But he's definitely been on the loop. And maybe the other thing that I've said is that Brian Smetzer seems to have more juice than his boss, right? Essentially, it was struck. of things. Craig is his boss, but he can't fire him. He can't fire him. And Brian has this aura of the zone. Brian carries a lot of weight within the organization.
There is a sense, I think, that Brian will be here one way or another for a long time, whether he's the coach or not. And so that carries a gravitas about him. He has a direct line. Obviously, I don't think we're breaking any news to say.
he and Adrian are very much in alignment in terms of what the way this works. I would, I would hope that Craig is involved in that. But if anything, I think that Brian has a lot, like, don't worry about Brian not having enough say in the organization, I guess is what I'm saying.
As much juice as he can handle, I think, in the organization. When Garth was here, Garth was a man that he carried his own weight. And that's in terms of just what he did. There was more different camp. When Garth was here, I think there were more disagreements. That's right. about how things were running. I mean, maybe that was good, but either way, they were...
They're much more all in alignment and on the same page about what they're trying to do. That said, the last player they signed, Ryan Kent, looks like he will be available on Saturday. We don't know for certain. He is, as of now, not, as far as we know, not on the plane to Vancouver or to Dallas. But it looks, it sounds like what the Sounders are hopeful is that he will maybe arrive in Dallas.
you know, either tonight or early tomorrow and be able to train with them in Dallas on Friday. And then, and then if he trains, he'll almost certainly play. Yeah. That is my guess is that if everything went well, and I think that him not being here. does tell me that there's potential that he's waiting on – waiting on a result, waiting on a physical stamp. I think what Brian said is he still needs to get his passport back. Correct. And then you go out of the country.
back in the closest uh embassy uh it was vancouver that's why he went over there but if i could get give and an educated guess i would say that he's available I would say if I had to bet on whether or not he's on the game day roster, I would say he is more likely than not to be on the game day roster. He'll definitely be, and if he doesn't debut this week, then he'll almost be guaranteed to debut at home.
to Asheville. Look, I'm going to provide some insight. I've talked to several guys, all kinds of positions, all kinds of ages that have trained with Ryan Kent. Everybody loves this guy in terms of what he provides them for. they say he's a chill guy cool dude but the the what he brings into the field everybody's like man that dude he knows what to do with the ball man he elevates our our status man that guy the way he did this the way he did that you know
Different players have different things. Some really hype up the situation. Some are saying just enough, but it's always that guy is going to be an asset. Yeah, I am very encouraged by what I've seen here. I actually had a chance to talk to Andy Rose. yesterday a little bit extensively. And so it turned out, you know, you had suspected that him and Andy had some connection and you were right. They did. They never actually played together at Coventry, but their time did overlap.
And he said he got to know, he got to know Ryan Kemp reasonably well. And he, more than anything, he knew a lot of his teammates. So he has a lot of mutual connections with him. So even when he was, you know, he played, Andy played in Motherwell.
while Kent was at, uh, Rangers. And so they had, or he would go and he, and so he would go, sorry, he played at Motherwell. He had, so he would go back to Motherwell and talk to coaches and stuff. And they would talk about Ryan Kent and, and they had a mutual, you know, since they knew each other.
And he's basically been following his career, and he was able to vouch for his personality. He was able to talk to a lot of mutuals. He was very confident that he would come in fit. And he has obviously seen him play up close as well. And so it sounds like Andy was pretty, pretty important in being able to get him here. And I think that should give us a little bit more confidence that the Sounders aren't, they didn't just kind of like open up who's free.
Pick out a guy and say, oh, this guy would be a great signing. I mean, I do think there was a lot more that went into this signing. And I still don't think I completely understand how a player who looks to be in the shape that he's in, who looks to have the skills that he has.
the resume that he has was just available for free for eight months. I don't think I completely understand that. I guess he had some he's definitely had some offers that he turned down. I don't know what was so great about Seattle.
I think it was MLS as a general. Yeah, maybe MLS in general. And maybe MLS team slept on that opportunity. And it's possible the Sounders just had them on their discovery list and this was when they were able to get them. But it's – I am cautiously quite – on this potential and look me and you talked about this off camera of camera off the mics uh when i look at him and i compare him to other players that have been brought from europe
that we essentially didn't really know other than when we hear about it, when we read the story, when we do our research. He is above and beyond any of them. Kelvin Leardam, Victor Rodriguez. Brad Smith, all those players that essentially you're like, okay, I get what they brought him in. Man, that's a great touch. Man, the way he's getting that ball. But Brad Smith, I remember the way he would just put in certain balls. Yeah, he had a sharpness to him. Certain sharpness.
guy is that and more because he has a flair he has an attitude he radiates confidence crazy in a crazy effect it's almost like a like a vegeta type of like this you know like buff that's not the tallest but he is he you know he did get I have said this a few times. The guy did not miss a lot of gym days while he was not playing. Oh, yeah. There are not a lot of players who have come in as, like, I mean, he's a strong guy.
He looks serious, but he will talk to you. That's what I'm saying. I don't know why Vegeta came along, but that's kind of what it feels like. I don't know if there's any Dragon Ball Z fans out there, but that's just what... You know what you're talking about. I know what you mean. I kind of saw him. But maybe somebody will.
Exactly why I feel like this guy, man, if Seattle can hit a home run on this, ultimately this front office. It changes things a lot. Honestly, this could be the front office best move by turning a bad situation.
in Paul Arriola's injury to swinging for defenses and essentially changing your season. I mean, that would be the best scenario. Yeah, I mean, that's the dream scenario. And, you know, I don't want to put too much pressure on the guy. No, no. But it is – it feels like – I will say that for a move like this to even have the potential of being excited about, to be talking about...
they may be actually improving the roster. That says something, you know, we'll see if it actually comes to fruition. But the fact that, you know, if they had gone out and signed a DeJuan Jones, just to pick a player that we know that they were, or Julian Gressel, we would have said like,
okay, that's a lateral move. Exactly. Maybe we're not worse off. Yep. But I don't think you would be as, I don't think the potential, the upside was as high. The upside. Upside is the right way to do it. I will. that with some of the things that Brian did allude to this week, which I don't think will happen against Dallas, but if there is a formation change, I feel like Ryan Kent will be better used under the fourth.
than under anything else just because of the pool of players that you have and the best way to maximize his creativity and finishing product because the dude can finish. dude no he's a he can either foot yeah put it away yeah uh so that's something i want to let you cook on a little bit before we call it a show you have talked to me quite a bit about the change between or the difference between a three back
and a four back formation. And my inclination kind of all along has been to say these are differences without much significance because the Sounders want to build out with three in the back anyway. But you've sort of been... articulate some key differences that it's not as it's not that i'm maybe oversimplifying things yeah and i've been able to talk to uh free waters outside of the mics or or on the mics about this just because different uh coaches have different
of managing those formations. But the biggest three major changes that I've been able to look at while talking to former MLS coaches that have used those formations are these. The build-up right now for the Sounders usually and mainly work with five guys and the goalkeeper. So you got your three defenders and then you got your pivots coming back. Why? Because you want to pin back the opposition.
pushing your wing backs all the way to at least midfield or higher. So that's five players that are essentially working. Unfortunately for Seattle, you got two guys that are not... great on the ball or their passing isn't that the greatest which is new and yeah mark the other two obviously Christian has had his struggles to be honest getting out of the back and distributing and then you got Obed and Jackson who's your main guy
guy that usually you want having the ball you want him putting those balls through um so that's one when you have the form information because you don't need to push your wing backs as high you essentially have six players you have all players in the
or man formation, plus your two pivots. And at times you bring in one of those wingers and maybe a pivot makes a run up top. If you feel like that could create a change where you might want to go direct, if you're getting pressed really high and you kind of get somebody off the ring. them so build up is one uh the second one is transition moments because you are as high as you are with the current formation and all of your width is essentially coming from your wing backs it's not
selective is not at times as you do with a four-man back line where your fullbacks at times will go up. They need to be almost readily getting ready to move forward and therefore position. higher and um rolled down talked a little bit about this today which is the third thing your two pivots get exposed and they are more vulnerable because their space all of a sudden gets
Right. Because on the four, two, three, one, at times you got the cams coming back down. Right. So what you're saying in the three back, it's a much more narrow build out. Exactly. Correct. Correct. So when when you are coming back in. and you get caught with, at times, Roldan today said almost five players essentially on the attack, even when, and they have done this well, Obed and Roldan are staggered the way they're supposed to.
Christian Roldan at times just has too much space to cover. And that's why it seems like teams could just play centrally at times. And all you really need is a little bit of quick passing to get around certain spaces as San Diego did. Not every time did they...
end up on an opportunity, but there were times where Franco Negri was getting what he should have gotten. They cut the Sounders up on counterattacks. I actually thought the Sounders, we don't have to get too much into this, I've already said it on other episodes, but I actually thought the Sounders did okay.
San Diego's press. I thought the Sounders actually did a pretty good job pressing San Diego, but where they really fell apart was on counterattacking opportunities where it seemed like every single time the ball turned over, San Diego had a numerical advantage going.
And a lot of that is what you're talking about, where Christian was asked to be kind of covering a lot more space than he was capable of covering. If you pause the moment when Mnungu gets... dispossessed on a yemar andrade pass on the right flank second goal there is a line of four players on top and even Obed.
is ahead of where he gets dispossessed. And all he takes is one pass, the dryer, and you're on a foot race. And this foot race is so hard to get back to that 40-year-old Anibal Godoy enters the 18th. Unmarked. Unmarked. And the only guy that's close enough is Georgie Manungu, who lost the ball and was dispossessed. So that's how far you're getting stretched out at times because of the formation. And so to not – and again, this is – I'm no –
guy. I'm not going to sit here, but I do do a lot of research. I have a lot of resources, thankfully. And the way that it was explained to me is that the 4231, which is a nuance of the 442, are just more simple formations and he lessens the spaces and therefore you don't have as much vulnerability depending on one player messing up that it kind of becomes a ripple effect.
And he breaks down a lot wider when you are pressing so many numbers on high. Well, and I think one of the things about the 4-2-3-1 is that it's a good formation to use if you feel like you have the talent advantage. And that's part of why the Sounders maybe have not been using it as much.
I feel like they have a talent advantage, but if you, but there's a possibility that a world where Ryan Kent does sort of change that balance a little bit, or the personnel that they can put out on the field changes that balance, you know, maybe. So, I don't know. It'll be interesting to see how they, they handle this.
pressing, by the way, because I know that Brian has dismissed the question, but that he he's kind of gone back and kind of gave me the right away on it with with some of the things. But they're pressing this year at times with three players. It's a lot higher. And the coach that I've actually talked to has in the past played against the Sounders. And he said, you know what, like for me, a lot of times I would mid block instead of pressing as high as people press nowadays.
The mid-block would, at times, you're allowing the players to come in, the press to come in. And for me, he used to work well against the Sounders. Well, the thing, yeah, the Sounders are pressing higher. They're pressing with more numbers. And if you're going to do that...
point of doing it is mainly to create turnovers deeper in your end and be able to get possession closer to the goal and create scoring opportunities. And the problem is that the Sounders are like against Dallas or against San Diego. The Sounders were really.
about forcing San Diego to just lump the ball forward and the Sounders were able to create turnovers at midfield. But you don't need to expose yourself. If you're just getting turnovers at midfield, you don't really need to expose yourself that high up the field because now you're just taking risk.
of doing what you could do with a mid block and i don't know i i think that that's going to be an interesting thing to see how that evolves because it is kind of like fun to watch the sounders pressing the way that they are but if they're going to do it they need to be able to turn those into there needs to be more reward there's a lot of risk
without a lot of reward right now. And that's the problem is that if you're going to take that risk, it's only worth it if you're getting the reward and they're not getting that right now. And we had that conversation because I did, and I'm looking at it a third time. I'm not, I'm down to like the 38th minute right now. I haven't even got to the goals yet.
But there were times where Seattle did gain the ball in that end, and they either had to just bring it back all the way to Jackson, or even worse, they make a wrong pass. And turn it back over again. And turn it back over again. So you regain the ball, but then you're just giving it right back. Right. Yeah. One of the few examples of the press working really well was Jesus Ferreira picked up a ball on the wing and then he fired over a pretty good cross.
to Rothrock that he took a good shot on, frankly, and Godoy got a foot to it, hit it out for a corner. That was probably the best example of the press working how you want it to work. But it didn't work like that very often. And that's why I believe that, well, I guess Dallas is not going to hear.
necessarily but that's why I believe that if there's any formation changes it won't happen in this one because by getting Jordan back the guy who kind of makes this work because a lot of those moments that you created either a transition moment or you did get a repress or just a formal press ball back, Jordan is usually making that right run. This is not to gain on Georgie. It's just that he hadn't played a position. So there were moments that he could have done better at. So with Jordan...
I think he's going to do a lot of the same things and see how it works again with Jordan. And then we'll see what happens moving forward. But I feel like with this formation going into this game, and if Jordan is fit enough to... with his own mini limitations, we'll see how it works and how they press. And if those moments that we just spoke of completely change with a guy like Jordan, that's just a lot more physical and you get to essentially that ball by Ferreira.
Maybe he gets ahead. Maybe he beats the defender to the ball and puts it away. So we'll see. Yeah, we'll see. We'll see. But all right. Well, Nico, thanks again for doing the show. You can hear him on Lobbing Scorchers. Mondays. You can hear him or you see him on Pulse Sports, of course. And anything else you want to plug right now? Yep, soccer down here. Thursdays with Nico, 7.30 to 8.10, 8.15. We had a really good show today. Talking all things.
Concaf Champions League. We talked about Vancouver beating out Pumas or eliminated them in a fantastic game, by the way. If you haven't seen it, check it out. Talked about Miami. Obviously talked about Sounders. So really good place where I talk a little bit broader about MLS. Awesome. Well, Nico, thank you for doing this. Uh, I am Jeremiah Shan. This is no study at this part of the sound or art podcast network, and we will catch you next time. I expect an LAFC who's motivated.
to prove themselves at home, to prove to their fans that they're capable of winning in this league. And it's up to us to really ruin the party. You guys like that? Awkward joke, dad joke.