Much.
We've gone down the Kevin to burn a rabbit hole. Time to go to Seattle to catch up with ever buddy Nico Moreno, what up, dude?
What is going on?
My guy John SDH family. We are somewhat ready to go. I was having some issues with myself. I don't know why we were talking. I try to jump on. I have to reallow microphone and camera things to my because I use my phone a lot of times and it was giving me some hectic stuff. But I'm here, I am excited to go, ready to talk some mls, some numbers, some Seattle sounders.
Perhaps, well, all right, so I want I want to start it.
We started our number one while you were trying to get your first cup of coffee and get everybody out of the school.
We spent our.
Number one staring at the round of thirty two in open cup. Oh and it appears the Casey Killer group has Portland traveling to Tacoma, Sacramento traveling to San Jose, and apparently the path out of the Killer group goes through Starfire. Tacoma drew the number one and they're like, yeah, bro warhosting. So if Tacoma beats Portland in the Round of thirty two on May six or seven, they would host the winner of San Jose and Sacramento to get out of there to get into the round of eight.
That to me, that was one of the storylines for me, is that Tacoma is in the group of Chaos as the last group announced for the Round of thirty two.
Yeah, it's been interesting. It's been a ride. It almost has fell surreal. I gotta be quite honest. I've watched just enough of Tacoma Defiance somewhat know some of the players and how they got here. I was supposed to go to Starfire for that Oakland Roots game.
I didn't.
I did watch it on my phone, got delay with a couple of things. And if you've ever been a Starfire you know that it is as hard to get in as it is to get out.
So I did not make it out there.
But yeah, man, it's it's kind of crazy because there's the potential that the Tacoma Defiance team beats Portland, and I think that that would be a historic occurrence.
And look, this is a team with a lot of spirit, with a lot of passion.
I feel like if there is something that really gets this team going is being looked at as the underdog against the Roots.
I don't know if they were necessarily the underdogs, but it certainly was.
A game that they had the lead and then they can see the equalizer and you're getting into overtime.
You're thinking of, I know where this is going.
And on top of that, you get a guy like Cody Baker sent off, and even when you do get that second goal in overtime, you're kind of waiting for the other ball to drop and find the equalizer and it never happens. And I think it is parftly because this team is very well coached.
You know, they're highly motivated.
There's a lot of talented players, starting with just the Rosario who's been not just quality, but he has been a big time player for this specific team, that guy that you can count on in those big moments to get you out, to push you through.
He's done that.
I think the defensively, Hawkins and Bernie did a great job. Peter Kingston has been a huge storyline here in Washington. Uh played for Balor FC, now is with Tacoma. He had that beautiful shot a free kick that caught everybody of a surprise.
So this is a team that can do some some damage.
Man.
So I'm excited to see them host Astar Fire Portland FC.
Uh.
I mean it's gonna be gonna be interesting how I works out with the Timbers.
Yeah, and so that was, like I said, that was one of the things that that stuck with us this morning. Uh that you know, they they kind of buried the lead a little bit. It's like, Okay, so one of the more chaotic environments in all of Open Cup gets to host, and they get to possibly host to get out to the round of eight. I just wanted to I wanted to kick the door in with that this morning. Uh.
All right.
So the other topic before we get into Seattle and Western Conference in Major League Soccer is is Kevin de Bruna. And he's the big name that's coming across the bow and there are a couple teams that are interested. And I was trying to break down the financials of how it could go down. Who could be interested? Who financially, I mean, everybody could be interested. Look, you and I could start a team and we'd be interested in Kevin
de Bruna. That's a no brainer. But the thing is is that you've got to have a certain amount of AM available.
You've got to have.
You know, you've got to make sure that your roster spot is there, and you've got to make sure your international slots are all locked up. It's not just something that you can sit there and try to piece together and it's like, uh, oh, I think I'll take this piece of paper and this piece of paper and piece it together and go here.
I want Kevin to brune. It doesn't work that way.
So, I mean, there's a handful of clubs and right now I know a lot of folks are looking at NYC, which makes sense to keep him inside the city football group.
They got plenty of AM. Messi and friends have plenty of AM.
Chicago, according to Fabrizio, Romano's trying to piece together the deal of deals, but they have virtually no AM to speak of, Like on just under four hundred and fifty thousand game left. And honestly, if you want to be real base about it, where would you want to spend the March? Where would you want to spend training camp in February and March Chicago, the Bronx or Fort Lauderdale.
I mean, if I had to pick up picking for a lot of.
But I just I don't know if if he necessarily fits.
I don't know if he did say a need.
Uh, it's a very odd one to me when I when I heard Chicago, he made sense on the soccer standpoint, but then it made no sense on the economic call and the measures of how to get him in there. So it's it's it's a very puzzling situation with a very good player that could potentially come here, and I think it's going to be quality regardless of where he goes. I think he could still play the game at his age, and we both know that the quickest thing about the runner is just his ability on the.
Ball, his mind. He's quicker than everybody there.
So I do think that he specifically needs a system that allows him to play his game in that manner. And I don't like any of the teams that you just mentioned, to be honest, even New York CITYFC that I don't know that they at times look like they need the opposite. It's maybe a little bit more rhythm, some more amplitude with their wingers, maybe even a better, stronger, more potent striker. I mean, there's just so many things that New York City as she could use that.
I don't really know where he fits.
I ever heard somebody talk about why don't we bring him for Seattle another outrageous comments. So it just I think people a lot of times see a player and they immediately get attracted by the name, and they don't realize everything else that you always consistently think of, which is how do we bring him in in a salary cap structure, and of course the correct international slots and the pen slots, how do we work him in? I mean,
those are the things that really matter. But honestly, none of the things that you just mentioned feels.
To me like a fit well, and I mean legitimately, I don't. I don't think, like I said, I don't think Messi and friends have used their oopsie buy out yet. So I think the only thing that really would would pin them down for you know, the most expensive babysitter that Lionel Messi's ever had, or academy Academy instructor Kevin de Bruna. Literally, it would be just okay, how do we structure the back end of the deal. You bring him in, give him a number. It's like, okay, you'll
do this. You come in for half a year. I don't think, to be perfectly honest, I don't think Messi and friends really give an ish about fit. I think it's about going into sharper Image. You want the vibrating You want the vibrating of rocking chair, want the lava lamp. You want the radio operated helicopter. You know, you want the weird mobile that's got just the all of the
metal strings attached that do this bit. You want that when you wander into sharper Image, you just want the entire sharper Image store and you don't care what to do with it. You'll figure out where to put it in the house later on. You just want to go in. You want to buy the whole store out.
Yeah, no, I agree, And that could definitely be add they're thinking longer term. They're maybe even thinking, you know, progressively, about two three years from now, like you just said, maybe coaching wise, I mean a whole bunch of things that just give you that horhead moss steel, because that's what he's about, is about the lights, and you know the titles.
Talking about Inner Miami. So that could be it.
Honestly, I had thought that maybe San Diego would be a team that uh would would go after a guy like this with one of the open DP spots?
Uh? But uh?
But yeah, man, I just I just don't know if I can think immediately of a team that could use them immediately and have the money to bring him in and have the open slots to get him in. Like it's it seems like when I look at the teams, one has one of the things and not the other.
Right, it's like for.
Boxes to check and some have two, some have three, but none have four?
Would you, and I mean all and all I got to do when I mentioned in NYC is do you look at that you twelve pitch they play? It's like if you're if you're Kevin de Bruna and you like wide open spaces and you like to create, do you want to be playing bumper cars at Yankee Stadium with man, it's like you're going to six Flags Magic Mountain and you're playing bumper cars. No, you don't want that. You want to drive on the Audubond. Brother, that's what you're
looking for. And if I'm Kevin de Brune, I don't want to mess with that stuff.
Yeah, No, I agree.
I would not at this particular time not be interested to go and play for near your CDFC with all due respect.
Of course, Yeah, all right, Western Conference.
Uh, you know, looking at the week that was as we get ready for the weekend, that will be uh when you look at everything that went down, you know, we'll roll through the we'll roll through the scores and lay it all out for folks.
Uh. It was from just uh.
There weren't a whole lot of goals early and then it's like everybody woke up and it was the Western Conference where everything got where everything was scored. Nothing in the East, nothing in the East, Nothing in the East.
What is going on in Vancouver.
It's like they're they're like a bunch of cyborgs man putting up five on Austin. I did not have that figure, and I also didn't have Brian White in fantasy either. Otherwise I would have made a fortune.
I know me too. I looked at that and it was incredible. Look Vancouver just.
They seem to know exactly where they need to get the ball, and they have players that are willing to put it all out there to get to those spots.
And Brian White is a guy right now that you know you hear.
About strikers being streaky or you know, just having moments.
He's having a moment.
I mean everything he touched that kings Austin was going in the back of the net. He probably should have got that PK and would have got five goals instead of four. I mean, look, it's it's literally a team that has a couple of players that are willing to play every minute.
Of every game.
I honestly did not think that Petrovita was going to start this game. I did not think Coob was going to start this game. I did not think Okampa was going to start this game. They all started, they all came off sure, but I mean the game was already done and over with. I think Rios has been really good for this team. I think he fits well. Uh not only because he's doing the job about creating someone that with with his play, but he's also somebody that has a really good sense of goal, has a really
good idea where he needs to be. You have a guy like berre Halter coming in and sometimes he starts, sometimes he's off the bench.
He seems to be a guy that could be a spark plug anywhere you put him.
So they're just a very complete team right now to just understand how to play the game. And Austin just tripped and tripped and tripped and tripped all game long. Cannot do anything. And then the one thing that they did was a fantastic goal, but Dan el Pereira that he didn't even celebrate because the game was done and over with. He just went and go ahead and ran over to the locker room. I mean, Vancouver is just that good, highest XG, highest scoring team in the league.
Watch out for the White Cousman.
They look good, all right.
I'm gonna save Seattle and Dallas to the end because then that'll get us into the week that will be RSL goes to Giotis on the road and loses it in Nashville. Colorado had a three zer lead. They hung on to beat San Diego three two, LAG got a point, LAG got a point. Holy crap, La G and the Dynamo drew it. Ones L, a FC and San Jose. I think that's under Bruce Arena. I think that Bruce and Charundelo, that's going to be a rivalry that's going
to be building. And then Portland doubles up KC and carries a wagn and continues to have the same problems that Peter Urmes did. What else happened in the West that's stuck with you.
Well, Santada in their first win under road, of course, that's a big one. I think that when you look at the standings and you see a little bit of how things are playing out for oursel, that continues to plummet.
I think that San.
Diego had a really inconsistent game against Colorado. That one was a surprise for me there. That's now what broke my parlay. By the way, we'll talk about that later because I did not take them in my fully perfectly structured parlay. But you know, it just still what we have been talking about the last couple of weeks. Outside from Vancouver, there is no team that looks to be a juggernaut and and and that doesn't seem beatable. Laf C looks beautible, l a G is barely getting around.
You know, you look at a team like Austin that just got killed. I mean, it just seems that all around there's inconsistencies, and that benefits a team like Seattle that is used to starting a little bit late, that has the hierarchy to eventually figure everything out, put the puzzle together. So so far, so good. It just seems like it's Vancouver and everybody else in the West.
No doubt. All right, so what happened in the Seattle match?
Stuck with you, oh Man Masowski scoring. I mean, that's what don't really came out of this. Not the perfect game, not brilliant, Still lots of things to get better at for this Seattle Sounders team. But whenever you don't have a win on the road and you can get one, it doesn't matter how it comes, if it's pretty or not. You just get the win and you run home with it.
And that's what they essentially did. I think this that's more about FC Dallas than it does about Seattle, to be quite frank, I think FC Dallas is not a good team. They're not a bad team either. They're just mid and they have been able to get results because of their defense because they make things kind of slow and difficult. And in this one, Seattle man have a lot of opportunities and they could have probably put a couple more on this Dallas team. In terms of Seattle,
Parra had a better game, not a great game. Clearly, the importance of getting another or you know, yes, another clean sheet is important that the team that's always taken pride in that defensive ability, but I think the fact that they do that in this one helps that confidence moving forward. But it's all about what's gonna continue to happen. I asked brand s Menster this week. He sounds like Albert Rusnak, Jordan Morris and Alex Rodan, who all had
not will be available for this one. Don't know if they'll start, but though they're all good news going into the next week. But overall, I think Seattle it still doesn't quite know what the best grouping is. But getting a win while you're still trying to figure that out is all you can ask for at this time.
All Right, you know what time it is. It's time to dial it up and figure out what is on your mind. When it comes to the weekend that will be and we got some odd start times and things like that that'll have us on the hot when it
comes to filling out our fantasy team. It's a one forty five Eastern kick and it's the first match of the weekend, and that is Austin FC at home hosting LAG under normal circumstances, I'd sit there and I'd be like, Yeah, this one's gonna be this one's gonna be wild and crazy. But right now LAG's almost a plus three hundred, Austin is minus one eighteen.
But Austin ain't scoring any goals.
All this money that they've spent on dudes, and you're not getting return on your investment.
Yeah, I think that the problem with the La Gatcha right now is that Ja sheet us out. You got another defender out because of the red card. I guess if there are good news is that Marco Royce should be available. It sounds like Greg Vanni said that he's been all in and practice this week. So how does that, you know, hopefully help you out. So there is some things that make you want to go LAG. Not good
enough for me. I'm not touching this with a ten foot poll, but definitely a game that would be interesting depending on how it essentially plays out. But I'm with you, I don't trust Austin Tuscore. I don't trust him to be a consistent team. And LAG just seems to be a team that has a whole bunch of talent hasn't been able to put it together.
But Greg Vanny. I gotta give him credit. He looks so confident so on the ball.
It seems like he knows what he has and I think he'll eventually figure it out.
This one could be a momentum shifter for LAG.
I'll say that if they're able to get a good win or just a win in general, I think that that could potentially spark their season in the right direction.
All right, So are you going to just be watching when Messi and friends go to Columbus or are you going to be watching more intently than normal.
I'm gonna be watching more intently. I want you to tell me what the.
Goal composers for that specific game.
That's where I'm looking at.
Look Columbus, although they don't have the finishing product and the punch that they had with Christian Ramirez and Couchure Hernandez for obvious reasons. There's no team that gets for work pretty well. But defensively they have not been a sharp I mean, you look at that game against Saint Louis City and Luke Shulte was big because San Louis City had plenty of opportunities.
To put that game away and they were unable to do that.
I expected to be against in Miami a similar sense, where Columbus is going all out. They're working in transition, they're getting a lot of numbers forward, but at the same time they're probably going to take a lot of heat from this inn Miami team.
So what's the compost on the goals?
Three and a half is a plus one thirty. That's where it flips.
Give me four, what's four four and a half?
Well, let's say four and a half is a plus three zho two.
Wow. Yeah, it might be a little bit much. It could be a little bit too rich for my blood.
But maybe I think that this one could have a lot of goals, and I think that this one could be one of those games where it's the first half and perhaps it's already two too. So in Miami themselves, they've had some issues holding onto teams and really managing games.
So hey, I think this one could be a high scoring fiesta.
But I really don't know who would win, So I would take the goals and not pick a winner in this one.
All right, So your first half goals plus one and a half plus one twenty six two and a half and first half goals is a plus four h two, by the way.
Yeah, that's a lot.
Yeah, yeah, all right.
So the other seven thirties that we have include the two matches that we're gonna end up talking about at the end, so we'll hang on to those. We'll hang on to those other those two seven thirties, that will be the two last ones that we discussed. But the other activity going on, CF Montreal and Orlando City. Purple Team resigned Oscar Pereja for another three years. Charlotte's gonna host San Diego FC REVS and NYC Red Bulls DC United. A lot of that stuff, man, it's ninety minutes of
your life that you take it your own peril. Chicago and Cincinnati, Houston and Colorado Minnesota and FCD Saint Louis City hosting Vancouver. Vancouver is a road dog at a plus one ninety three.
Ooh wow, that's gonna be interesting matchup. Good look like I said, some Lewis look good.
I think that Pompeyu had a good game offensively and not so much defensively. I think Kloud's finally breaking his streak of like three hundred in fifty minutes without a goal.
It's big for that team. Uh, Bacher had to get game.
I think that they really have something going uh that they're in Saint Louis, aside from the terrible wordsrope choice by their their head coach, but but I really do think that they have something going on.
This would be an interesting one. But they said that as a draw.
I did that as a game where both teams are going to take a long time to really decipher themselves and by the time, by the time they're ready to go ninety minutes. So I can see this one being just a very low draw.
In this one plus two five to two on the draw.
Oh yeah, I like that all right.
RSL hosting Toronto, watching your own peril. Portland hosting l a f C. Portland is favored at the plus one.
This is a good one.
L a FC is a plus one eighty one. Your draw is a plus two four five.
This is a good one. Man at Portland. Lafc's always a great matchup. It's always high scoring, and you know, just my early recollection, I could see laf C getting a good win against a pretty good Portland team, at least offensively. That Sporty Kansas City game kind of showed you a little bit about what Portland's about. They're still having some issues at controlling the game at midfield. I think that a lot of times they're very gappy, and if there's something that LAFC can do is beach between
those those hashes, between those those gaps. So I think that LAFC Portland is going to be a good one. What's the the three and a half in different for goals? But I'm taking l a f C. And I'm taking some goals.
Attention.
Let's get the three and a half on the board here for the total. Three and a half is a plus one sixty eight.
Oh how about four and a half?
Four and a half is a plus three eighty eight.
Look, I'm gonna go crazy. I'm gonna go down. I'm gonna take that, and I'm gonna take LAFC. This one's going to be a I score. I don't know why these two games always seem to have that. I should have put that same number in this particular City Portally game and I didn't. I'm gonna go with this one. I'm not gonna miss my chance at this one.
I'm taking that all right.
In the San Jose's and minus one twelve hosting Sporting and carry Z's second match as interim head coach Okay Seattle Nashville back to seven thirty Eastern times seven to forty kick Seattle and minus one one Nashville's a plus three eighty six draws the plus two sixty six.
Is this a get right for Seattle.
I think it's a get rut draw. I like the two sixty six. I think they'll have a good game. I think it's gonna be quality. But as much as I think that Nashville plays to seattle strengths, I think that Seattle has a very good idea on how to play the mook tart types the exact same way they were able to play the general costa types, same search the type of forward strikers physical that.
The positioning that he needs on the ball.
I feel like he plays the Seattle strings, but I don't know about the Sounders attack just yet. Like I said Jordan Morris, I'm guessing he's probably gonna come off the bench. He was partially in training on Tuesday, was full on years today. I'm guessing he'll be full on today. Albert Russnack as well, that was interesting one because he had an a doctor I thought he'd be out a little bit longer, but he's back on. But I'm getting all those guys are gonna be coming off the bench.
So how does Massovski He's able to resolve some of those issues.
He gotta go.
That's, you know, essentially give you the confidence to now score a couple more. I'm just not sure. I'm really not sure. Pedro del Vega has been upstanding. I think it's gonna be him and Pereira playing under the nine in this one particularly, But I just don't know if it's enough to get over the hump.
The Nashville will be because this is a quality team.
Look, Bicky Callahan has done a very good job at structuring a good team with the ball. They want to keep a session, they know what to do it. They playhol Tra ball, they really do, so they do a good job on it. I was surprised that they were fourth in XG in MLS, but you know, you go back, you look at some of those games. They did do create a lot of opportunities. They put a lot of balls in the eighteen. So there's gonna be a fun one. But I'm gonna go with the draw.
All right, And so We're saving Atlanta and Philly for you for last. Philly plus one oh six, that Atlanta is a plus two to twenty nine draws a plus two six four.
What do you think?
I am so upset at Atlanta.
I had a perfect right, the only one, brother, I'll tell you that right now.
I had a perfect probably, bro.
Look, we called the tie, the draw between Chicago and interer Miami. We called the Cincinnati. We called seatles win. I mean, it was so perfect five games. The only one that missed was Atlanta was Atlanta, and I could not believe it that that they were able to just honestly blow that game. Look, they started so good. They they It's so hard to watch al Morone and lots of Lot create so much offense and create some manyw opportunities.
I love what Lennon was doing.
All game long with the boss he was putting in the way, he was getting forward. Martin Chuck himself was, you know, doing some creativeness and getting some shots in. But he felt like, after all, Morone's goal gets uh called off because of I suppose you know outside.
Oh yeah, don't get started on that. That's another rabbit.
It all went downhill. So can they get it together. Philadelphia doesn't look great either. I thought that they looked awful against New York City FC this past weekend.
He seems like they downgraded from Gostak to.
Indiana us Leaf and the team just doesn't have any power up top.
They kind of wake up at the end of that game. But I feel like this is.
Gonna be a draw. It's gonna be a draw. It's not gonna make anybody happy. Atlanta fans are gonna be upset. Philadelphia fans are going to be upset. I'm gonna be upset. That's why I'm not touching it because I just whenever you burn me like that, I need a week, need a week.
But I think there's going to be a draw.
You need some time. It's not you, it's me. That's basically, yeah, it's absolutely not you, it's me.
All Right, what's going on in pulsar sports and it's sounder at heart when you're lobbing water balloons at folks.
Yeah, we got a really good week of you know, uh, several good uh interviews with Christian Rodan with Bryan Smetzer. Brian talks about a variety of things that are very interesting moving forward.
Uh.
One of the big news this week is that that Jackson Reagan will be at four to six weeks. But Kim Ki, he a experience holder center back, has looked really good all week long, and so we talked to Brian about some of those options to replace Jackson Reagan. There James Bell himself, so go ahead and check that out. We also have two exclusives in Spanish, one with Jamargomez Andrade, one with Ovid vargas U. Yamar talks a little bit about his desire to be in the MLS All Star Game.
Uh.
He says he's not, you know, not a main objective, not something that he's gonna be taking out all you know, month long, but he does kind of want the chance to be there, you know, with some of the best in MLS. So that was interesting to go ahead and check that out. And of course Loving's Courts on Monday, Loving Coaches kickoff. We will not have what we learned this week with Jeremiah tomorrow because my guy is taking some time off.
He's in Mexico.
Uh, but I am not he but I'm going to have an open space at five pm Pacific today. I already have a scheduled in so if you guys want to come in, talk whatever you want. We don't touchdown to you can talk Atlanta, we talk juice boxes, whatever you want to talk about. I'm going to do an X space at five pm Pacific today.
Boy eight o'clock Eastern and five o'clock it's spaces with Nico as always my friend. Great to see. I love you very much. Be safe, have a fantastic weekend. We will catch up with you next week doing Demama.
Man, take it easy