So that means that since it is ten o'clock, we do the hot tag and we bring in Dylan Butler and we find out was so uh I heard that Newcastle might be changing their crest.
They're going they might be going away.
They're going away from what they currently have for something that is probably more marketable and easier to turn. I think when it comes to selling gear, did you see this?
I didn't know, and I don't know. They don't. They don't seem to have a problem selling gear to the hardcore fans. I guess they're trying to get new audiences, as you know, marketing execs. I guess we'll do. But yes, and so manage, by the way, tend to be uh spoiler free. Oh so, as I said, I I was on the last match night cover right, yeah, I think ended around one or so one one, and and that
match was the seven o'clock one against Chelsea, right, huge one. Right, So uh you know, hit hit the DVR the key, here's the key to this whole thing. Okay, stayed off my phone the entire time, so I slept and soil whenever I slept until watched the match. Kept Actually I didn't even have the phone like instead of like I didn't have it upright, I had it down. Oh wow, yeah, like no one is there. Could have been like uh, you know, I don't know anything. It could have been happening.
I was watching I was watching the Newcastle Chelsea match.
So oh man, a little.
More manageable Sunday.
It's eleven thirty, yeah, Arsenal, Yeah, absolutely true.
Uh when you look right now as we are at Major League Soccer and the chaos, I mean, obviously we had Tyler on to start things off here on Wednesdays as we always do and discussing it.
How was then he comes on here and drinks. Is that what happened around?
No? No, he said that.
Well, I mean he had that might be you know, happy to do that sometimes considering what's been going on here in Atlanta this year. But you know, they do watch alongs and so as a part of their you know, as a part of their external programming, and so they're doing it their watch along tonight, where if you dumped out whatever the contents of your alcohol were on the
sidewalk in Austin, it would instantly turn into smoke. So nothing like the one hundred and twelve degree temperatures that are going to be going on tonight for Atlanta and Austin. We were getting in, we were getting into the watch alongs and things. Right now it's a key time. You got three matches in a week for the first of three, it's like in two of three weeks, you've got three
matches in a week. You get to the halfway point of the season and you're kind of staring at right now stuff in the midweek, and you got some teams that are you got some teams in the West that are hurting. You got some teams in the East, including Atlanta that are hurting, and some of the standard names
in the the East and the West. But everybody's looking at Vancouver and are we are we to the point now at Vancouver where it's we're stopping waiting for the other shoe to drop and just accepting them for where they are, that they've only lost once in their first twelve and that they're that they're right now. Uh, don't wish, don't wish it because it ain't happening right now.
When it comes to down, you know, be.
Funny, right like if if Ryan Gold comes back and then instantly like they start losing and like like, oh, it's actually not having Ryan Gold was was what was helping. Yeah, I mean, listen, it's uh, it's remarkable, Like it's not. I thought a year ago they were that team maybe just below or like their best the best version of themselves was was maybe like a tier below the elite teams, but that was like where they were gonna top off at.
And again, you know, I feel like, you know, outside of maybe people in Vancouver, you know, I was, I was one of their biggest supporters around, you know, and we had this conversation back when Ryan Gold was even signed. I thought he was it was a great signing. I thought it was crazy underrated. I thought Brian White was underrated. You know. I don't know if it was a situation where they're just like out in the West coast, right they played these late night matches for us on the
East coast. But but yeah, man, like they it's it's crazy, like it's not. It defies for a league that is as illogical as MLS is, as it defies logic, Like I mean, the parts of their like it makes like it makes sense when you look at it, but it defies logic that they have made such a leap into now becoming this team that is, you know, challenging for uh points, you know, records for Conka CAF champion, like they're the best team you know on on on this side of the world, Like I don't know, it's.
Wild, Yeah, I mean, and you know, we're we're never wanted to dial up the hype machine here, but if you were to, if this pace we're to maintain, you'd be finishing with eighty one points for Vancouver. If you kept this pace up for an entire season, thirty six matches, you'd be you'd be at eighty eighty one points. So uh slightly average year in Vancouver where there are some players who I'm sure are not even household names in
their own household. And then you look at Minnesota who is currently second, and they're the model of consistency three to one and two both at the home and on the road. And Eric Ramsey basically is just like, what is that circular thing that we're supposed to play with lowest possession numbers in Major League soccer because of how he wants to do things. But you're clinical and you're
finishing and you want that regardless. But you've got great you've got great defense, Dan Saint Clair, and that you might possess the ball thirty five percent of the time if you're lucky. And everybody keeps looking at those numbers and it's like, how is that sustainable? But so far it's been sustainable for Minnesota in one of the more odd approaches that we've seen in quite some time, and trying to win matches.
Yeah, and it's not. It's not the energy drink soccer ball as Cootie style. So listen, I love it. I mean, you know it's it's and we've said this also before. I feel like it's it's part of the evolution of this league where you've got different playing styles and different ways and you know, it's it's it's not a you know, it's it's it's not a one way to play league, right, So I think I think, you know, styles make fights,
and I think that's that's what makes it great. Right, Like you you you go into it and you think about a chess match, right, a team that you know what happens when they you know, when they play Philly, right, like who's gonna nobody, Nobody wants the ball.
It's just It's like pong in the old days. Just send it, just send it, and it just goes back and forth the entire time.
It is another one too, like if you want to go, I can't. Like obviously, now Brian White isn't on the all Underrated team, but Robin Lude is another one too. Who I think you know, maybe he doesn't get enough credit for what he does.
Okay, since you've gone down this road and we're at the one third pole, who would be who else would be on your Dylan Butler all Underrated Team?
Oh jeez, I haven't even of course I bring it up, but I hadn't. I haven't really rolled.
Up all right, Well, then write it down for next week. Ye all Underrated team from Dylan Butler at the one third mark. But yeah, I mean San Diego has maintained, they have sustained, and everybody's sitting there going, okay, we thought that after the hot start and to your point about you know, to your point about Ryan Gold.
You know, Chuky Lozano.
The Chuky gets injured in the first home match and they continue to play well, and then you're thinking, okay, well maybe maybe Chukey can you kind of stay injured for a little bit, well, you know, they're sea legs unders and then they kind.
Of Dryers become the like, excuse me, before the start of the year, you'd been like, yep, clearly the best DP in San Diego is is Chooky and Dryer has been.
Yes, and so he has been a mainstay on my fantasy team. Full disclosure, there you go. So you know it's they regress to the mean a little bit. They tried to build through the spine, and now San Diego seems to have kind of come back to It's like, okay, we took that first body shot and now we're you know, we caught our breath a little bit, and now we're getting back to being adjusted in the league, in the Western Conference.
And I think that outside.
Of you know, one and two, I think that three through seven, if not eight, I think it's just gonna be one of those street fights for the rest of the year where you're gonna see somebody have a good week, whether it's Portland or Seattle or LAFC. And then they're gonna hop up, and then someone else hops up. And so I think that the West just for the casual observer.
If you take if you take Minnesota out, and if you take you take Vancouver out, then I think that it's gonna be fun to see three through nine, at least in the Western Conference.
But because of how much chaos it could be for.
Sure, you know, in Seattle, Seattle getting results with you know, without their main stars who are hurt, right, that's impressive. Apparently Roy Kent is doing it right from coming from England, Portland, you know, getting results as as as well. So yeah, I think I think, you know, that's another fun part of this league as well. It's it's uh, you know, there isn't It's maddening for a fan, no doubt, but there isn't that super consistency week to week where you know, yeah,
I mean it. It is a roller coaster a bit right among these teams, you know, with the exception, I guess, have the very good and the very and the very bad.
Yeah, so all right, so since you mentioned the very bad, it is stunning to see how Schleprock seems to have taken over in Carson, California. And it's it's like one thing or another and it's an own goal and yamane face turns into also.
A spectacular goal. Yes, and It wasn't like a deflection off of a heel off of a free kick like this was. This was like I am going to put this ball into my own net.
Yeah, and it is.
You know, you I don't know if you can sit there and go, well, you know, this might be the this might be how one player does in fact make a difference.
But you can't be it's not on one guy.
It can't be anymore well, and I know that that's the thing.
It's like you look at it and you're like, well, you thought that it was going to be, you know, no offense and not having Ricky put was gonna lend itself to the rough start while they were trying to figure out what was going on, and uh, Joseph painTill was trying to come back and get healthy. So you might have had one and a half of your killer pees.
But then painTill comes back and then it turns into what it is and it's not improving, and it just seems like, uh, this literally is like droopy Dog and Schleprock and you know, the in the black cloud and everything is hanging over Carson, California, and you know, you send the Goodyear blimp up from next door, and it could, you know, blow the fans as much as humanly possible to try to send that marine layer away.
And it ain't happening right now. It is just bad. It's a bad scene.
Yeah, I will I will agree with Greg Vanny and in in in this one point that obviously, if you take away three designated players off of any team, they're not nearly what that team should be.
M hm.
That said, and every team deals with injuries, and I'm sure there's been a few teams who have been without all three dp's over the course of the last year or two. But those teams also don't lose seven nil. Uh, you know, they don't. They don't get off to a to a winless in twelve like it's not they don't go to get to historic lows. Right, That's that is exclusively in lag thing right now.
Yeah, it is.
Oh, I don't know, I know, we run we run out of things to say, almost and it's like you're to the point where.
You're almost now they're in Philly tonight.
Yeah, and so and it's like you're you're in Philly and we ran through the schedule and it's like there was a match I think it was. I think RSL was coming late in the month, and I thought that that might be the first opportunity for a win is later this month, and your first win would come at the halfway point.
Of the season.
That that is, it's literally you're you're to the point where you're trying to find the live chicken at this point.
Yeah. And and you're in Philly tonight, and and the weather is going to be god awful the soccer might be as well. Uh, and then you go home for TRAFFICO like to fit to like and and look, you know with uh, you know, like I'm I think we've said this, like I'm I'm like, I'm a fan of those kind of a little bit under the radar rivalry games, you know, like I love I love Rocky Mountain Cup, I love the Canadian Classic. But look, traffic, Oh, is that top rivalry?
Right?
I do not rem member there being usually those teams are fairly in the same area, right in the same zip code. Yeah, I mean it's it's not even close right now, Like it's been historically bad and it doesn't it doesn't look like it's getting any better.
I mean, you've got somebody who's getting curb service from the valet, and then you've got somebody who's like parked in like the fourth sub basement trying to figure out where the car is.
I mean, it's can you get the car to start? Oh it's yeah, bird poop.
It's got flyers all over it, like that park here.
Yeah, and all the all the boot on the tire, all the tickets that.
Got from sitting there, you know.
And you can't you can't bring the record down to the sub basement to get it because the record can't navigate all that space.
You have to have the trophy in the trunk.
And yeah, it's like a crow bar.
Yeah, it's like then there's like like a seven iron that's like one of those old per Semon woods.
It's kind of hanging out of the back seat, you know. Just uh it is.
I cannot remember a team that was as successful as it was the year before, completely and totally just falling down on itself and tripping down the stairs as much as we've seen Lag do this year.
He's funny too, because like Red Bull, the previous time they made MLS Cup, they did so like I think they made the playoffs the last day of the regular seasons, like they weren't like super great during the year and then the year after they made MLS Cup they were horrible. But like they weren't very good the year before either, like they just happened to kind of trip into the playoffs and and and get on a get on a a hot streak a little bit and and fortunes went
their way. But the next year, you know, they they made, uh, they made Champions League and they dropped. They lost to W Connection from from snad W Connection. Wow. I went, I went to I went to that, I went to that away match actually nice and Marabella Trinidad nice.
That's that's strong. Uh.
By the way, says Luis Marlow has released in the last couple of minutes that Domi Torn is not going to be Chievas as new coach. Negotiations between Chievas and Domy Torent have fallen through after he left h I thought to go San Luis last couple of weeks ago. So can confirmed Torant's arrival at Chievas is completely off the table. Difficulties in reaching an agreement and so now it could be that Domiye Torent might be going to
Ariados de Monterrey. He and Gabriel Milito are the two big contenders to take over that gig.
So that why why maybe maybe maybe cash is the answer, but oh, I'm sure I would anyone want to be a head coach, uh for for Legams team.
That's that's that's the issue, because the churn rate is very high. I mean literally, you're going into that anticipating getting sacked. So you are going in there for a cash grab because there is no sense of stability in Legamakis. And so that's uh, never.
Mind buying a house. You'ren't even renting a house. Well, you're in a hotel.
Yeah, it's like I'm doing the weekly hotel thing and it's all it's all there that that ain't happening for me. So uh yeah, that's just that, uh ah, that ain't there. Uh juice boxes. Tonight, we did mention a couple of other matches. We did mention a couple of matches out of the blocks. Uh, NYC is an underdog at DC United. NYC is almost a plus two hundred in the composite going up against the DC United, who is a plus one twenty.
That seems like a rather large margin, sir.
Yeah, again, I don't.
Folks about this.
They seem to recommend make during on Major League Soccer.
No Orlando and Charlotte. Orlando is a purple team is a minus one twenty and Charlotte is a plus a three to four in the composite. I don't think we could have an MLS match day without either wil Saha or Dean Smith yelling into the breeze, and they get to do it now with the purple team as a decided underdog tonight.
What do you think.
I think that's an interesting match, you know, it's one of the especially I think for the early kickoffs. I think that's what I'm going to keep an eye out for, just out of curiosity. I mean, one, it's kind of like what are what Orlando is?
Well?
I mean, what of either team is showing up?
Right?
Like what Orlando is showing up? They were the team that couldn't get scored on for like five straight games. They didn't do a lot of scoring themselves, and then and then then you just get into this like drunk match with with New England where they both you know, it was like six goals combined. So I don't know what to expect out of that one. You know, Charlotte on the road isn't Charlotte at home clearly, but I could see why Orlando obviously would be would be a
favorite there. I mean, you know, Philly, Philly l a for obvious reasons. Is you know you you you watch that one out of curiosity.
Lag is a plus four hundred. By the way, eight touching that one for nothing?
Is that?
Is that how many goals too? That they're expected to plus four hundred?
That's I mean, Philly's a minus one fifty nine, Draws a plus three oh one, and Lag is a plus four hundred. Uh, Cincinnati's at Toronto. They're favored on the road, which I find interesting because traditionally folks going up to Bemo you always end up as a dog, even though you would be the favorite on paper. But they never played the games on paper, as we are told. Minnesota at Houston, Minnesota's favored on the road of the plus one forty eight. Nashville and Red Bulls at g Otis
at eight thirty. Nashville's a minus one twenty two, red Bulls almost a plus three hundred.
Yeah, I mean that's that's another one. I think that that's interesting, you know, with obviously read but coming off that historic win, they go to they go to Nashville. Yeah, I think that's the one to watch as well. I mean, unfortunately, the only like rivalry week match of the midweek is you know, two teams that aren't really playing too well right now, right Saint Louis and SKC.
You're not in Kansas anymore. I've seen the billboard in the scarf. I know how that works.
Yeah, so Nashville in Atlanta.
By the way, I know you I'm sure you know. I just jams down here, but I'm sure this has been part of the cars. You've got to win that game, yep, right, Like you have to win that game, yep.
Like, and we you know you're like we mentioned that you you have five matches left in May. It's a it's a three matches in seven days. Then you play like on Sunday, and then you end up with three matches in seven days to wrap up the month. And you've got to start, you know, if you're serious about making a push and not being like Zombie Sounders or something like that, independent of a Zombie Sounders like move, then this would be one of those matches to do it.
In considering that Austin doesn't score and.
Hasn't Philly's coming into town, right, So yeah.
So you've got to you've got to you've got to figure out a way to put it away so you can be ready even though you're injury depleted at the moment at the back, and then get ready for Philly coming in on the weekend. So there's all the things that are coming together. Uh So, yeah, all Caps and sporting. All Caps are favored at a minus one oh one. Austin is a plus one oh six, hosting atlandy and ied at the plus two twenty three. RSL is hosting Portland.
RSL is a plus one oh four, and Portland is a plus two thirds four draws a plus two seventy three. In the composite, I would probably end up taking the over in that one and not and not staying close to a total or you know, one way or the other. So I'm looking at goals scored in that one, not necessarily a winner in that one.
Yeah, that's a fair shout. I think that's got the that's got the possibility for uh, I don't know, three to two, maybe.
Well, a little after darkness, a little ms after darkness, a lot of there's a lot.
Of heat on the after darkness. You know when you look down at the at the games, you're about to.
Mention LAFC and Seattle.
Laf C is favorite of the plus one ten draw in Seattle, basically a plus two forty four in the composite, pretty much the same thing. Well, you think about LAFC and Seattle more goals as opposed to picking a team.
Yeah, I think that's the I think that is the match of the match night. Okay, you know, I think I think I think both teams are going well right now. You know, it's it's that whole you know, I mean Seattle Seattle kind of it's been there Boogeyman a little bit, although they they solve that, you know, the end of their they're losing streak or they're winless streak against them. But you know, both team's playing well right now. I mean obviously, look, there's a lot of eyes. Will also
be in San Jose in another one too. I don't know what the over is there, but that could that could see one of those you pick as well.
Okay, so we will skip San Diego and Colorado for the moment. So we will go to the total in that match for San Jose and Messi and Friends. Over under three and a half is a plus one thirteen.
That's low.
Over under four and a half is a plus two fifty four. So if you're looking at something three two ish, you could jump on it basically at a plus two fifty and go over four and a half at plus two fifty four.
I would say take the over.
Five and a half if you're really adventurous is a plus five sixty four. So and if you if you did, and by the way, if you did the over under at plus five and a half in the first half of El Classico this past weekend, it was a plus seventeen twenty five.
Wow. So I don't know how.
Many like It's like, oh, so you were the one that did that, So yes, plus seventeen twenty five at El Classico. Uh San Diego and Colorado. San Diego big favorite at home. That's snap Dragon at a minus one eighty nine, Colorado at a plus four twenty five, and San Jose against Messi and Friends. San Jose favored at home at a plus one thirty four. Messi and Friends are a plus one sixty nine.
Oh by the way. Props to Minnesota. You know that the I think their their owner came out or someone there came out and talking about you know, they had an opportunity to play that match somewhere else. And and you know, like some other teams have done. When MESSI comes to town, they opted na to They said, you know, we want to play it, you know, at Allions. And I think that's uh, you know, well played to them.
Like I think that should be the that should be the case for more teams, right, Like, don't take your team.
Out of out of your barn.
Out of your barn, or even at you're even out of your city. Make that match special for your season ticket holders. Make it a home field advantage. You know, you can welcome them in. You know, you could have those fans in the seats, but you know, have it at your place. That's kind of my you know, yes, my thought.
Yes. So what are you up to tonight, sir?
I am on the desk?
How early are you?
Are you the man on the desk period or are you the early or are you there?
I mean there's a team, but like I'm on yeah, seven thirty, I.
Guess okay, so you're there for the duration to the end.
Yeah, wrap up is at whatever time it is, So is.
It ten thirty twelve thirty, so it'd be like one am.
I think we're going beyond that. Yeah, I suspect there'll be some sort of coverage off of the ten thirty matches and waiting for writers to file.
And can't you tell them to just kind of like move along.
Doing doing MLS wrap up clips off of a season pass.
So yeah, Okay, Well it's a busy night. So then do you get do you get a nap in between now and then?
No, No, it's not happening. H Yeah, I think I think that's more for me tomorrow, maybe after the after school bus drop off before a big lacrosse game I got tomorrow. You know that'll be an opportunity.
I think Varsity media on the YouTube's where you get your.
Yeah, big one Shamana San Anthony's at Hofstra shaman I number three in the country, Saint Anthony's number nine in the country. These rosters combined have the the count last game forty three Division one commits between them. Between the two rosters, nice and some of the biggest names. If you're a lacrosse fan in the game, have played for these two you know, Pat and Chris Cavanaugh, Brendan O'Neill, Tommy Schreiber, Liam Entiman.
All of these guys.
If you're a lacrosse head, these names mean something to you, and they've played for both of these teams.
Strong as always. Great to see you, my friend.
I wanted to answer Bart's question.
Go so then answer Bart's question.
What makes so what makes Red Bull or even just the New York, New York area a difficult place to play for the men's national team is because it is such a melting pot and you've got whatever the whatever the team coming in. They've got a big population in New York, right, So they played Costa Rica cot you know Costa Ricans in in in the New York Tri state area came out. They wouldn't dare play Mexico there like they would like they are essentially the road team at r b AH and they will be for these
matches as well. You know when when they when what is it uh Korea? Right they're playing? Yes, forget it? Yeah, no, it's all they're going to have like the US fans like in like the upper quadrant of.
You're going to go out there at RBA and you're going to be fixing for late Yeah, and they won't know.
Tell is right.
Dads do not sleep.
No, that is absolutely true. So as always, my friend, great to see you. Don't be a stranger. You know, you got the keys to the kingdom. You can crash any time. But just to enjoy the night's action. We'll catch up with it and we'll talk two matches when you come back here next week.
Yeah, buddy,