Hi, I'm Will Bruin and I was just recognized as a Seattle Sounder's legend. Now I get to do voice reads for the Sounder at Heart Podcast Network. This episode of Nos Audietis is sponsored by Full Pull Wines, a Seattle-based wine retailer and proud sponsor of Nos Audietis since 2011. Full Pull was founded in 2009, is based in Seattle and is owned and operated by longtime
sounder supporters. They offer the best boutique wines of the world to members of their mailing list, the special focus on their home Pacific Northwest. Welcome back to another episode of Nos Audietis sponsored by Full Pull Wines and the Sounder at Heart Subscribers. We're recording on Tuesday, July 23rd, 2024. I am Jeremiah Oshan. I'm joined by my special co-host, Mark Asner, as well as our engineer, Lickit. Well, we wanted to test and we
got one. Unfortunately, it's hard to escape the reality that the Sounders failed it pretty badly, falling 3-0 to L.A.F.C. on Saturday. I think the score line was probably a little unfair as the Sounders generated several good scoring chances, had a legit penalty shot way of dock and gave up two goals they probably shouldn't have, but they were very obviously second best either way. The Sounders are now 05 and 5 against the 16s ahead of them in the West, which certainly suggest they
have a ways to go before they measure up to those teams. Still, they are in seventh as we head into the leagues cup. I still don't know if we have answers to a lot of our big questions, Mark, but how would you assess the overall picture as we sort of take a breath here and restock everything that's been going on? Yeah, I think I feel a little bit calmer about everything than I would say probably a majority of our listeners and the readers on the site, but I also, I completely
understand and even relate to a lot of the frustration I'm seeing. I think we all want like you started off with. We wanted to see this Sounders team up against the test and contextually speaking, there's not a bigger test that the Sounders can face right now in LAPC, especially in LAPC team that's coming off being embarrassed a week ago on their on their home
field against the team that beat him in the Amalusca final. So Columbus crew. So yeah, you know, I admittedly I was feeling like pretty positive heading into this match and you know, that kind of went away in the first 10 minutes with that or 50. I guess it was probably like first 15 minutes
yeah with the penalty. And I just kind of feel like that that just like sort of set the tone for the rest of the match that like there was a lot of confusion and blame to go around on a penalty and then if you look at how the Sounders played after that, there was a lot of confusion and finger pointing and sort of like yelling at each other and you just like look at it like a passing map from the 90 minutes of the game and I wish this Sounders team that didn't have any
idea of what to do. And yeah, luck luck is definitely part of it. I'm sure we'll kind of end up talking about that, but you also make your own luck and they didn't so yeah, I don't like everything I feel about the rest of the season. Nothing changes. I think that this is a team that is capable of producing special moments. I don't think they're an elite team. I don't think they're going to go on the pace from here on out. That's like supporter shield level winning talent or team
or anything. But I think that they're a team that can potentially produce really special moments. We've seen it happen so far this season. You know, they've had come back and you know, they've had solid wins and whatnot. They're in a semi-final of a competition which doesn't happen without being able to create moments. So I think ultimately we learned a lot about what they're not maybe. And then yeah, I'm just kind of like well, well, you got to kind of dust yourself off and
see where you are because a game in July. Hopefully doesn't define the season. Yeah, you'd like to think that it doesn't define the season, but it is worth digging into it. So I think it was really frustrating about this game is a I think two things can be true, right? Or maybe multiple things can be true. One that three zero score line I think is unfair. I didn't think this red as a three zero lost to me. You know, if they had gotten one of those
goals, they had a bunch of great chances at the end of the game. If one of those goes in, three one feels somehow more indicative of what we actually saw. But put that aside, I think you have to look, I think either way that they were not as good as LAFC. They certainly weren't as good as LAFC in the big moments. And that's really what has defined as you've pointed out repeatedly, the sort of what's defined this team this year is that they've been how they perform in these
big moments. But I think the bigger picture is they haven't beaten LAFC in their last eight games now. And none of those like not a lot of those eight games were the sounders dominated, but there's a pretty clear pattern at this point that LAFC just seems to know how to beat the sounders. And you know, hopefully that changes in the open cup. But then I don't even know if that's how much
that we can really take away from that, even if they do. But there's just something that LAFC is doing to the sounders and that really coincides pretty much with Steve Tarrunder, low taking over the team that the sounders have not figured out at all. Yeah, and I don't, I'm like, I'm so hesitant to say it's one thing. But really, you got to kind of, I think, I think there's a lens to look through. And it's what they've done with their roster since
all those games have happened, which is the sounder. The sounders have done practically nothing. And LAFC have been incredibly resourceful and creative with their signings. Like Carlos Vell is not on the team anymore, which is a huge deal. Obviously, Nichol Slythero is not on the team anymore with the sounders, which is also a huge deal. They don't really miss Carlos Vell at all because they have Danny Belonga on their team. And they like, there was, there was kind of
there was a crossover in their existence. And then they've just gotten like, they've gotten creative with their signings. Like the LAFC team that the sounders played on Saturday night was missing probably four or five starters. Here they're, you know, they changed up their, their formation and stuff. And like Kai Kamara comes off the bench for them. And the sounders could have conceivably gotten Kai Kamara as like a stopgap. Sure. But it doesn't matter. Like what's happening
is LAFC is just kind of like plug in gaps here. Here's they go, you know. Yeah. I was going to say, I think a stat that sort of illustrates the difference between these two teams. Pretty effectively is, you know, you go back to 2018. That's the year that LAFC came into the league. They have zero players left over from that roster build unless depending on how you count Edward at West, so who left and came back. Yeah. But they've had no players that have been with them continuously in
that time. The sounders of six players on on their team. And I think that speaks somewhat to the philosophy differences of the sounders and LAFC, whereas LAFC is more than happy to churn through players, whereas the sounders are a little bit more stable. And I'm not saying that those are
one of those is correct and one of those is wrong. But it does fairly illustrate like the sounders have been a pretty, and I think if you go back to 2022, like the beginning of this, of this this stretch of games that we're talking about with the, with where the sounders haven't beaten LAFC, I think you're going to find even starker differences. I guess I could have done the research on that.
But it's the sounders have not changed their roster almost at all. Whereas LAFC is constantly adding pieces, letting pieces go, making tough decisions, you know, and some degree they, you know, like, they let Chicho a rongo go. They sold them for a decent amount of money. But that was a, you know, maybe that was the wrong choice. Maybe that was the right choice, but it's more fits into a broader systemic way that they, they deal with their roster. And I, like, I don't, I don't think I
want to see the sounders changing over quite that much. But somewhere in the middle would be, would be nice. Yeah, like any changeover would be nice. I mean, yeah, go ahead. Yeah, I mean, it's, it's like, it's, it's definitely somewhere in between. It's definitely at the very, at the very least, LAFC is proactive about their roster and the sounders are any active. They're not even reactive. Right. Yeah, it's, yeah, they, you know, they made some moves this off season. The only real
significant one was Pedro De La Vega. He was the only play, or I guess Mesofsky also played in this game. So they had two guys that they signed this off season that at least got on the field in this game. But something else, you want, I, you mentioned that won't, it's not a make for good radio or podcasting, but I did want to bring it up because I'm looking at it right now. You mentioned the sounders passing map from this game. And I think it does illustrate sort of the
struggles that they had pretty well. It is so narrow and bunched up. It's essentially, everyone is, you know, ultimately, like basically on top of each other in the, in the center midfield. You know, the center's did a good job. I thought of pressing of, of creating a high line, of being proactive defensively. And they really dominated the pitch. Like they dominated every part of the pitch, except for the area right in front of the LAFC goal, which is sort of how you
imagine. But LAFC control, yet it seemed like LAFC wasn't in control of the game. Like they were able to get out of pressure when they really needed to. They were able to, you know, they only took six shots, but four of those shots were really dangerous shots. You know, one of them, Stefan Frye came up on a big save. But they, they just seemed to play their game, the game plan just worked out just about perfectly for them. And it all stems, I think, from that early penalty,
where the sounders get unbalanced. They, they end up creating sort of a, okay, LAFC is able to create some chaos. And then, you know, knew who gets a fair amount of blame. I think he deserves a fair amount of blame. He did flop on the ball for unknown reasons. But it's a penalty nonetheless. And that really set the, you know, I don't want to say the game was unwinnable at that point. But it certainly put the sounders behind the eight ball and allowed LAFC
to essentially dictate the terms of the game. Yeah, the, the thing that it did, the thing that the penalty did was allow LAFC exactly what they want was they didn't, they didn't want the ball. They wanted to just kind of sit in their shell. And basically, their entire thing was, we've gotten this like really, really good fast guy in Denny Belonga. And hopefully he can kind of do
something. And pretty much on all three goals, he was like deeply involved in that aspect. So even even with that shot that went, that their second goal, the, with the step-and-fry thing, he was kind of involved there. So, but LAFC was kind of, is kind of coming off a really tricky schedule, just like kind of the sounders are in a similar sense, where pretty much for they've had two games a week, pretty much since the beginning of July, just like the sounders have.
And last week, they got beat pretty handily at home against Columbus, which was like embarrassing, you know, their fans boot them off the field and stuff like that. And then, you know, I don't want, you know, I don't want to say anything about giving me in trouble, but LAFC fans are, I hear you. Yeah. And then they played, they played RSL in the middle of the week, got a one-one draw, and then they had to travel to Seattle, which we, as a kind of a sounders-bias
podcast, would like to think it's a difficult place to travel to. And they got four points out of those three games, which they probably didn't get those points in the order that they wanted them, but they got them. And that's what you do when you're a good team and you have a hard week, is you just get the points. So, um, and they all started dealing with like international absences and injuries and stuff. So they wanted to come into this game and basically be like
the kind of a classic, oh, we'll play for a draw. Right. And the sounders effectively gifted them a two-go lead before half time. Oh. And it's just like, okay, cool. Great. Now you guys go figure out what you want to do. We're just going to hang out back here. Right. And that's exactly what happened. Well, I'll say, do you, how much does this impact your confidence? Now this is a month away now. A lot can change. But does the LFC, does the open cup semi-final?
Is that, does this impact your confidence of that game? And do you feel like what garlics and what happens in that game? It will change anything in terms of how you feel about
the sounders ability to match up with LFC? Um, I don't know. I really don't know. Like, what I definitely know is I don't want the sounders to really like put way too much into the weeks cup at this point because at the at like right on the other side of the weeks cup is a game against Minnesota, which is now pro like you're now back you're in the conversation of battling Minnesota for playoff position. So even though that game's on the road and is
right before the semi-final, you have to take that really seriously. And then also LFC's pro like probably one of the teams that are going to do something in leagues cup like their group situation is very easy. And then like they hold all the cards in the situation. And the what I wanted from Saturday night's game was like I wanted to show them something like yeah like a box
or going like round by round. Yeah, we showed them nothing. We were just like instant knockout. Yeah, I mean, I think there's a like I said, I don't think there's a three zero gap between us between the sounders and LFC. But nothing that we that the sounders did in that game makes LFC second guess themselves at all. And you're right. I think like to me, the I guess maybe this this maybe transitions
into our discussion about league scuppen kind of the next month. What we want to see. But personally, I think the almost ideal situation for the sounders is they win their first their group stage games because you want to win group stage games. Maybe you win your round of 32 game. And then I'm fine. Like if you get knocked out of the round of 16, that's totally fine. Like I probably won't love it
and in real time. But it would give the sounders four chances to try out figure try to figure out their best 11, which I think is going to be a pretty important thing for them to start figuring out soon. And which by the way, the LFC gave gave us zero idea of what it is. And then, but they'd also get some time to rest and and maybe take a little bit of you know, R and R and come back rested and ready to go for what is going to be a pretty busy stretch run. They have at least
10 games, maybe 11 games to play over the last, you know, a couple months of the season. And it's going to be it's going to it's going to be a slog a little bit. And I think they need to put everything they can into open cup. Yeah, I agree. I think like, like last year is such like a like a spooky mirror of the situation. It's it's a pretty foggy mirror because it's not it's not necessarily the same. But the vibes last summer around the sounders like weren't incredible.
They're awful. Yeah, but but they like if you kind of like go and compare, they were better statistically than where they're at right now. Right. But they were in the middle of a bad slump. Yeah, yeah, where like I think this this team has come and come out of the slump. They go into league's cup last year. And what have been better to forfeit both of those games then to do what they did in both of those games, right. Which is insane to say because like
who cares about leagues cup really. But they somehow managed to go into leagues cup with like the ability to like break out of a bad slump and they made it worse. The team the team doesn't play for three weeks. And then they make it even worse with the with the performance against Atlanta. All of that to say is like I want them to at least learn from what happened last year that leagues cup can actually seemingly like your your performance in that competition can
make your vibes worse. So just don't do that. And whatever not doing that is that's the acceptable bar I have for this competition. Like especially don't do don't go too up against Monterey and then lose for two. That's that's what happened, right. Yeah, something like that. And don't get it like red cards and stuff because that's just confusing. But do like really kind of use this as like a mid season friendly tournament to make like make some really hard decisions. Like
if everybody's healthy should certain players be starting. And I think like you got you got to you got to start looking at and I know Josh Atensio's not. Visit isn't physically going to be here. But you got to figure out like is the what's the what's the what's the midfield pairing behind Russ Neck? What's the what's the position what's the position of the winger like who's playing what winger position and who's
playing fullback. You have like six positions. You've got to figure out in order to figure out your best 11. And I don't know if you I don't know if you can do that between now and that's in my final against L.A.C. It's it's going to be complicated. I just for the sake of closing the loop on this. I looked at the Sounder's position at leagues cup break last year. They had played one fewer games. But they were in fourth. But so they were on 36 points through 24 games with a plus six
goal difference. This year they're on 37 points through 25 games with a plus five goal difference. So maybe a little better, but pretty reliable. How similar. But they're in seventh, right. But they're in seventh. Yeah, they're in seventh, but they're only. Yeah, you know, they're they're pretty close to well, I guess now they are they're four points out of four. So in RSL or Carl Adderos also played an extra game. But when you know what they didn't do last
seat last summer, they didn't sign anybody. They didn't it sure would be nice if they went out and signed somebody they I will say this. The Sounder just scored five more goals at this point in the season than they had last year. So that's we'll take that. Sure. But yeah, it's it's there are big questions I think about the starting lineup. And I liked I will say this. I appreciated the thought process that went into the starting lineup against LAC.
Because I think it was designed around the idea of how do we get the most dynamic players on our team on the field together in a way that makes some sense. And I think it made sense to try to pair up Christian Roldon and Pedro De La Vega on the right. It didn't work. I'll be really honest. It was that was maybe the biggest disaster there was. I think it makes some sense to try to put new who and read Baker Whiting on the left hand side. And the rest of it, I think all sort of kind of
decides it's like it was all the rest was basically chalked for lack of a better term. But I think one of the things that was exposed in this game is Christian Roldon is a dynamic player going forward. But he can really he he is not as technically and defensively sound as Alex at right back. And that was pretty apparent I thought on the first goal where he got turned basically
twice. And you know, and as I'm looking like a bit of a mess and then he wasn't really able to get as involved as you need him to be going forward to sort of offset his defensive and deficiencies. Yeah, he did he like he got roasted as the kids say on the first goal. But that doesn't end up being a goal if like the players around step and fry, who in particular just like lets the goalkeeper use his hands to pick up the ball. Yeah. Yeah, I mean like the the initial shot
was a little like funky and weird. It was the aftermath of the shot that caused the calamity that happened. Thank you for listening to the Sounder Heart Podcast Network, which now includes no sunny at this, lobbying scorchers and the cooler yield. We've been independent since August of 2023 but need your support to make sure it continues. Although this podcast is free, it's only made possible by your continued support. Membership start as low as $25 a year, which not only helps make
podcasts like this one happen, but also gives you access to everything we produce. If you're able to support us at higher levels starting at $75 a year, you gain access to a host of other perks most notably entry into our members only discord with the smartest, funniest and most engaged commenters share their thoughts and ideas. To find out more, just visit senderatheart.com and click the subscribe button in the top right corner. Thanks for listening.
So yeah like I I suppose I should be careful with what I say, but like I like really kind of disagree with some of the thought process that went into the lineup. I could have took like I'm going to sound like a smart ask, but I could have told you L.A.F.C. was going to come in with a back five. I don't think the sounders were prepared for that quite frankly. I think they were sort of like, oh it's L.A.F.C.
they're they're going to do what they always do. They're going to play their 433. I could have told you that given the week that they were having they were going to kind of completely rip up the playbook and try. I mean I should add here they have only played a back five one other time this season. Yeah, yeah. So I don't think it's I don't think it's entirely fair to say was quite that obvious. And the other time they used it wasn't even on a short week. Okay again like I said I
already called myself out on this, but they seemed so unprepared for that. They did. Yeah they did. And even even kind of setting that aside, I don't I don't think you should you should have. I would have swapped the I would have played. I would have played musical chairs with the three positions you just talked about. I would have put I thought Pager should have played on the left and Pager De La Vega should have been the one that paired with New Who because you effectively
absolve New Who of offensive responsibility, which is a really good thing to do. And you then give paid De La Vega so much freedom to go be impactful, especially because Jordan Morris wants to pull off to the left as he always does when he plays strikers. So you kind of put a dynamic triangle on that side of the field between Russenak, Morris and De La Vega. And then you just kind of a what like I think you played rolled on at right mid and big Baker Whiting at right back. And that's a
decent thought. You have like a very structured right side there. All of that to say I of course sound like a genius because they lost three zero and the right side is what falls apart, but that's kind of like besides the entire point I'm trying to make, which is like you still don't really know
where all some of your best right should play. And that's like really frustrating to watch. And then is like should should we even be considering like Pager De La Vega's fitness at this point because it's like it looks like a problem at this point where like it or is that just kind of was that smetchers kind of covered be like it's two zero
a half time we're not winning this game. We got a Yanke of many ways. Well, I mean, I think it's they are being I think what the situation with with Pager's fitness, I think is relatively straightforward, although that doesn't mean it's not concerning. I think they are so worried about what happened during the first few months of the season where he got hurt and then got hurt and they got hurt and they got hurt that they are being they're practicing an extreme level of caution
in terms of allowing him to exert himself. And I this is what I said at half time I thought he was going to get pulled because the game was being played at a much more dynamic pace than I think they had like he had you know in a perfect world he would have played probably 60 65 minutes
but I think he had done enough exertion. He had covered it off ground that they I could just tell by watching it that they weren't going to let him come out in the second half because he probably had five or ten minutes left him and at that point it's like what's why bother risking it. And so it's a concern I think to the degree that man you would like your young designated player to be able to play 90 minutes at this point but you know you I would think you know
ideal world he'll that's where he'll be when they come out of league's cup. Yeah I think I think my point was it necessarily like so much squared on his shoulders and like his fitness which I know a lot of people want to talk about like oh he's been on this money on this guy how can we
can't play yet like given the context which this exists in like it makes sense but it's the options that you have to go to if he can't play right and that's the main thing where I'm like how have we like not done something around here like Paul Rothrock is an exciting player and it's like maybe one
of the only bright spots this season but like really or is that who we want to be relying on in these moments and Leo Choo doesn't even like play he doesn't play in this game he did literally didn't play and they and they didn't even use all their steps so it's like they did use all their subs
they don't I thought they only use four steps well keep I don't want to I don't want to trip you up I will I will fact check this but okay sorry maybe they used all their windows I'm not sure but it's it's like it's this like broader thing we're like we have we have these we end up having
these conversations about all these players the season Alex Rodon uh Jal Pallos partner and now maybe we're actually going to have a conversation about Jal Pallo as like a community I don't know we're having these conversations about Pedro de la Vegas injury Raul Ruiz Diaz, Nuhu, whatever
whatever but it's like the alternatives on this roster just aren't providing much confidence to kind of shield some of these players from the criticisms they're getting so that's the priority but what you were 100% right they not only did they uh leave a sub but they actually had a
sub window so Leo Choo's uh not not yeah being used is even more glaring I suppose than it would otherwise be uh but yeah I mean it was you know and I guess to I guess if I'm to they they looked okay I thought in the second half like overall I think the second half they were
playing at their pace I think that the game opened up a little bit especially in the first 20 minutes is the second half and it did look like there was a chance for them to get back into the game which frankly came around the same time that the Paul Rothrock penalty or non penalty happened
uh I just watched Andrew Weebies take on this on on instant replay and I think I basically agree with it which is there was contact and I actually had a chance to ask Alan Chapman that exact question I basically said there was contact why was there no penalty and he said he didn't
think there was enough contact and he embellished the foul personally what frustrates me about that situation is not that it would have changed the result although who knows what happens if they get that penalty and they convert into one with 30 minutes left or whatever but what frustrates me
more is that we have seen that called in a sounders game on VAR when that was almost the exact same play that Albert Russenak got a penalty for against Montreal which I think everyone agreed was a stone goal penalty I don't really see how a defender is allowed to kick a attacking player completely
miss the ball and then not have to face a penalty for it I don't quite get that I don't understand why that the VAR didn't check it if I'm VAR I flag it immediately I say you should this this should be reviewed for a penalty and at that point of Alan Chapman really wants to stick it
you know if he wants to stick by his that's not that's not enough contact for a penalty that's he has that option but at the very least he needs to recent that yellow card because yeah I think that's ridiculous I think he like didn't completely bifke that moment personally I think it's penalty
should be awarded but to like set the precedent in that situation at we have to prove he doesn't dive which is like an insane thing and then also prove that the defender had you know committed enough contact for a foul I think from the VAR's perspective it's like
well I he's like really staunchly dug in dug himself in all the way over here it's it's kind of one of those situations where I feel like if like after the game those two guys talk to each other it's gonna be like yeah that's probably a mistake and who knows maybe pro will actually
permit something like that but I think it's because Chapman was so convinced right away that it was embellishment that to walk all that back is is hard for them to do not actually but yeah from a practice from a from yeah yeah ego management perspective I see what you're saying
and then yeah and then that like like it would throw it would like throw Alan Chapman's brain for a loop which maybe that should happen but he thought he saw something he made a decision hopefully the VAR tried to convince him otherwise but I don't I don't know I just feel like if he
doesn't if he's not so convinced that Rothrock dove then we're having a different conversation and I also think we're having a different conversation if the founders had like a better head on their shoulders the entire game right especially around that first penalty like I think Alan Chapman
referring a context that he thinks one of the teams is like insane he he was referring that game thinking that the founders have lost their head and I have to pay attention to that yeah you know that's that's an interesting piece of context there because I think there was a the penalty
that he called which I think in real time to me who looks like a stone called penalty and so that there's arguments I mean there's always going to be arguments but I think yeah I honestly I'm not 100% sure why it was reviewed I'm I am actually genuinely curious to see
what the inside video review which is pros video which usually talks about plays that were reviewed so this play will hopefully be talked about in that video I'm still confused as to why VAR recommended a review there I don't know if it was because it was potentially a red card which I
would have frankly not liked but probably could have understood or if they were saying he didn't touch it which I think is wrong he very clearly touched it with his hand or be like the other's possibility is that maybe they thought that knew who was knocked over and so maybe that would have
absolved that you know that would have absolved a penalty I I meant originally I had a question that I was had submitted to ask about that but I thought better of it because it was ultimately immaterial I thought because I thought the ultimately the right choice was made but that's
context for the founders then try to get a like they were doing the whole like raising they were they really seemed dead set on trying to get a penalty there was a couple plays in the first half where there were close calls on handballs one of which did hit uh uh Chinoe's hand which is kind
of funny yeah I think it was fairly waved off but there was one instance where it did hit his hand but there was a couple other instances like that and then weirdly I think Chinoe winning that tackle on Morris also influences Chapman's willingness to call the the next penalty yeah because he's not
like Rothrock's not in a necessarily dangerous area it's not like he can from that position like maybe he gets a crossoff and I'm sure I'm having I'm having a really hard time remembering what's happening anywhere else so I don't even think there's a I don't even think
there's a runner to get the ball to because Morris has been just been tackled so maybe he like the only thing that Rothrock can do there is win a penalty I think he does but maybe Chapman's like like sick of these things right I do think that's harder now and a half at this point
I do actually think that is I do think there is an element of that that he was sort of like hey guys I'm not bailing you out of this one yeah and like and it's it is not helpful to talk about it in these scenarios but if it's like one one maybe he thinks differently but I definitely think like
from the context of the match the sounders were incredibly whiny up until that point maybe you maybe you are a person that think that's like coming from a place of like injustice and they deserve to be whiny and maybe you just hate all referees but I like can kind of understand I'm like not
that bog I guess I'm just like ultimately not that bother that that wasn't called a penalty I just kind of really wish the yellow card for embellishment wasn't part of the conversation because that that just feels very like come on man right yeah that definitely felt like a little insult to injury
type of situation but you know I guess that that sort of does you know the other the other thing that you you mentioned as an open question that I think was fairly that that I think is fair to wonder about especially after this game is Jalp Hallow's place in the starting lineup and when you
know up until you know what's funny is like I have been basically working on a story that was talking about how he's had this resurgence I'm glad I hadn't written it yet because I think it definitely has a different angle now but he had been so good for like the last six weeks yeah he
looked like his old self but then he was basically invisible in this game and he sort of reminded us of how he looked at the beginning of the season when he was really struggling for fitness and he was just generally not the player that he we were used to and I think that's the problem right now
is Jalp Hallow is that he is capable of of being his old self but he's not reliably capable of being his old self you never know when he's going to be that player and you kind of need to manage ideally would want to manage that situation so that you could decide like
we need you to be your old self against LAFC you don't need to be your old self in the three games before that yeah well he came up against the plans but yeah but like he was like great against Austin I thought so it's like do you really need Jalp Hallow to be great against to win 1-0 against
Austin FC probably well I do you know but this particular team does need that so it's just kind of like he's the the these are almost the same exact conversations we had about the end of Ozzy's time here where yeah very similar it you know completely different types of players they wear the same
number though where it's like similar vaguely similar roles to same position they play it differently they wear the same number yeah yeah they will go down in history as sounders legends that all that's the same yeah but it's kind of like we we had Gustav's Fenson when Ozzy's decline was
happening so it's kind of like that was managed way better there's just nothing there and midfielder like Danny Leva to well yeah I don't think they have you know I think both Josh and and oh bed are very good partners for JP they have not yet shown that they're great partners for each other
and and that's worrisome that that is worrisome that there's a problem there I suppose maybe Christian Roldon could could fit in there but he is another player who I think is you know I think you could you could argue that Leva Russ Nack Roldon Vargas and Atensio are all perfectly capable
to very good central midgilders but none of them are really sixes and they all sort of need someone else to be the six to be their best and and so I I almost wonder if the sounder's biggest priority whether it be now or in the offseason might be going out and getting a six I would love to bring JP
back as long as you could bring them back sort of as a you know a part-time player and you're not paying them to be a an automatic starter but that does lead into the next big question which is over the next month in addition to the league's cup this is the only this is the center's last
real chance to add any talent I have reported on this quite a bit but all indications that I've gotten is that they aren't going to make a big signing they might make a notable signing but they're not going to sign a DP level player they would to do that they would probably have to buy out Rolruides
there's no indication that I've gotten that they're thinking about doing that they tried to sign this guy Spicic from Croatia that fell through because he wanted too much money and they didn't have the caps the caps based to get them under the cap but that sort of left them trying to figure
out what they're going to do what do you like are you I guess what's you feel softly where do you fall I want them to sign someone because I feel like they just can't sit out a third straight summer transfer window and there is like an optical element to that and they need to find someone
that is worth signing I just I just don't I feel like they they they have to start with we need to sign someone and then the chips fall where they fall but I don't know necessarily which position they most need what where do you fall on that would you be okay with them sitting this out if they
really feel like they can't improve the top end of the roster no I wouldn't be okay with that because I think you can improve the the middle tier of the roster with the available kind of budget they have and ideally they would be doing that at some point anyways so you kind of you
you're getting a lot of answers about players who are not going to be playing on your team next year Maloru ideas maybe the yo-choo hopefully like maybe something's happening there so there's two positions where it's like the guy that we're going to be using in this role not as now don't
necessarily think about like Raul Ruidia's DP number nine it's backup striker is the role that Raul Ruidia's is playing which is a waste of resource but hey where we're at so it's like okay we've gotten an answer about Jordan Morris playing him in his best position is really good and we should
probably we're going to have Jordan Morris on the roster plan to have him in this position so we need a sort of like a dynamic option behind him so maybe go find that or you have you have kind of like beneath your starting wingers outside of rebaker-widing you have not a whole lot to work with
there so maybe you target a like a tam victor Rodriguez type player that can start in certain games or come off the bench and do there or you also can like you said target the midfield like number six isn't that expensive in this league comparative to other places in the roster so maybe you'd go
and find that like that Gustav Spencer again like maybe not literally him because he's he's probably not very good and he's not but you just like you have so many options and you're kind like you're at a point where like you're putting together a new puzzle you got to like start somewhere
you you have to and you can like you can start in a certain quadrant if you want to if those are the pieces that are in front of you and I'm a like I'm hesitant to be annoyed at this point because I don't know what the end result's going to be yeah but you look at other teams around them in
the Western conference they had a signing or multiple signings done before the window opened or at least we're ready to announce as soon as the window opened yeah and like Austin FC is perfect example they had like two guys that they debuted before the game that the sounders played
there that was like a week before the window opened right so it's like and I I don't I don't know anything about those guys they might be the worst players in MLS history I don't know but it was still kind of the like the the thought that counts I guess um so maybe maybe they're holding out for
somebody towards the end of this window but if you kind of look what's going on European teams are already starting their training camps they're starting their preseason tours their rosters are pretty are getting pretty much set you further down the list you've got you've got teams already playing
in European qualifiers like like the Europa League and in conference league and so the level of player that they can get at the budget that they're at from those types of teams it's going to be harder and harder because they're already planning for their season and it seems like it would have
been easier to do this two months ago yeah I mean I I I know that there's some issues about figuring out their budget and what they're willing to spend out of pocket and I think that's creating some of the problems but I agree with you like the fuels like they should have had
something lined up and ready to go I can't I don't know exactly why that was in the case I don't I would imagine it's not for lack of effort but yeah you're right I think that once you're you're getting to the point now where if you're signing someone from Europe you're talking about
someone who has very few options and that's not exactly the kind of player you expect to be a difference maker in MLS in 2024 I agree with you that a Victor Rodriguez hype is probably the ceiling of what they can try to do and that would be I would love I mean that's sort of what I was
hoping Dario Dario Schpickich was going to be which was sort of a you know a player who isn't maybe an automatic starter but is someone who you are going to consider starting in a big game and you know that's I don't I don't know how likely that is to happen at this point I I I'm holding
out hope I don't want to be too harsh until we see what actually happens but it is immensely immensely frustrating to be looking at a transfer window that might close without the sounders making any real move and they we know they have some salary cap flexibility I don't I don't
want to start want to call it salary cap space because I'm sure on paper they can fill up all their space but they have the ability to sign someone and it would be really frustrating for them not to do it maybe maybe I don't know I'm so I know that they're probably looking at trades within
MLS we'll see yeah I mean we've I think like a month and a half ago we had this conversation yeah maybe even the last time I was on but right it was it was it's just kind of like it's not clear what plan A is so you have no idea what the fallback plans are and I know that
they they're very protective about kind of the perception of what's going on in terms of like transfers so so they're not necessarily going to be like some other teams in MLS that put out the targets that they want through pound boker and then like ball through and their fans can
man about that but well maybe maybe that's a thing that should be revisited because like right we got it we don't know what's going on and it's the unease of like well yes I agree like we you're like they are putting out information that they are active but right it's been so long we don't
know what that means and is that just like I'm gonna kind of go out and let field here and say like here's here's my base level of acceptable move for where they're at right now and that's trading for Jeremy of OVC I think that like that's something that they could do and that's like that's my level
of acceptable for this window and I like and if you were to ask me if that's something I think the founders will do I don't think they will and that's frustrating to me yeah I mean that he see I I think you would file him under sort of distressed asset right now a player who once was pretty good
who has some upside but who has not been very who's sort of snake bit this year you know it's I think the pessimist could argue well you're just getting a you're slightly upgrading over Danny Mesovsky at this point but you know I do think it would at least so some intent
beginning better and I yeah but yeah as a baseline of acceptability I could I could talk myself into into that one it is something you can you can play three positions that you need him to play maybe not super well but he's better than Danny Mesovsky any
can he also can kind of change some dynamics of relationships with other players which I think is really important because I think you could play him with Raoul Rouhides and it be more interesting than any combination of player that Raoul Rouhides can play with currently and yeah he's on maybe
the worst team in MLS history and you used to play for Portland so I think it'd be kind of fun if he scored against them for us yeah there you go that's that's good well I think we've we've exhausted what I had to what I had to talk about I am I am sort of looking forward to leagues cup only in
a sense that it gives me a little bit of a mental break like I don't feel like I am as emotionally invested in the sounders performance in these two games of course I said that about the last leagues cup and then I ended up getting really frustrated about how that went so you know it's all relative
but Mark thank you so much for hanging out with me today at some point we're going to have Aaron back on but you know in the meantime in the meantime we'll take you and the meantime you just get exhausted by talking to me which is what you just said so I'm just teasing you I got it I got
it well thank you so much I will say we're closing in on our one year anniversary for sounder at heart and I just wanted to remind everyone that's listening to this that if you haven't checked up on your subscription status now is a good time to do that also make sure that you have a good credit
card in the in the system so that you know if you if you want to renew automatically it will actually go through and yeah we've the first year has been amazing on sounder at heart we had over 5,000 members about half of those members are paying members it's been really successful we've been
able to produce a lot of great content and I hope everyone is as thrilled about it as I am and they want to continue to support this because without your support we don't work so I just wanted to put that out there into the world and say both thank you and and and ask you humbly to re-subscribe
as well but with all that said I wanted to thank our sponsor football wines as well as our producer liquid of course Mark Casner I am Jeremiah Shan this is no Saudi at this remember you'll never get the loan We love you. Let's win another one! Yeah! Yeah! Let's win another one! Yeah!