Ooh, different backdrop today. Now, all right, we go from Limit to Seattle. Find out what's going on in Conca Calf in this gentleman's mind, find out what's going on in Major League Soccer the week that was, the week that will be. We're gonna cover it all here in the next half hour. Time to go to Seattle and find out what cup of coffee our buddy Nico Modeno is on.
What cup of coffee are you on?
Sir? Hey, what's going on? John? It is Cup number two. I am down here in the dining area because the kids are home and they are in uh spring break. So there you have it. That's why I'm down here, all.
Right, Hey, it's all it's all pretty, and it's all good. He's on Cup number two. So that's that's where we're at, all right. So we started out an hour number one talking about the craziness that was Conca Calf last night, and it was probably a bit of a late night for you having to watch Cascadia and Cascadia on display, and then before that it was lafc and Messi and friends, and I went over the numb members of both oscar
Ustari and Messi last night. The matches had different kind of crazy from different kind of different kind of perspectives. Your thoughts on what went down last night in conkor cat.
Man it was. It was very concor caf ish with two mlestings which doesn't know you will happened. I think that we mentioned last week that inter Miami was the favorite of going into this one because you were not going to get another game where Messi was mortal. And regardless of how well systematically LAFT plays, sometimes it feels like there's a need for one more X factor in that attacking end and Denny Bwanga can't do it all. Denny Wanga cannot be the only one responsible over scoring goals.
It seemed like he's the only dangerous player that consists only getting into those spaces to be dangerous. And in this one, even though LAFC started on the front foot and they put Miami on their heels and they score first, the away goal that they needed is what they gave right off the bat, and even then they're unable to kill the game. And having Macharano said it after the game, once I figured that it was the twenty fifth thirtieth
minute and LAC had not finished us off. I knew that we could get back into this game, and that's what happened. Little by little. There's that goal that gets invalidated because Messi doesn't wait for the referee to blow the whistle, but it kind of gives that hope, that feeling of we can do this to Inner Miami. And after that it was all in Miami. And credit to Haavrir Macherano again that he's a coach that I did not feel like had the career or the spectifications, if
you will, right to handle this Inn Miami. But he did a great man. I mean that three men build out that he kind of put together there At times it was Rodondo at Tommy, was Cello with Noah Allen and Faucone. It was just so fluid. It had so many components. It allowed Jordi to just be basically another winger. There was so many numbers moving forward for Inner Miami in the second half, and you give Messi too many chances and he's gonna come get you, He's gonna bite you.
Great goal for the equalizer they built off of that. Then in the second one, did Rodondo put its head on it or not, It doesn't matter you put the balls into dangerous positions and then to finish off the game, absolute hand ball. Don't know what you're thinking with your hands out there like that inside the eighteen MENSI puts it away. End of story. LAFC does try to get back into this game in the last ten minutes or so,
a little too late. There's no way that you're getting back into this one, and in the Miami goes through. Definitely the favorite in this one. And I'll spend less time on the Vancouver game, although they deserve every single credit for being relentless man because look, I thought they were the better team against Pumas, because they were playing
their game. Pumas certainly had a lot of chances. Big Memo Martinez was a handful, you know, with the aerial balls and being able to get headers every single time. But Pedro Batte what a player. I thought he was the man of the match in this one. So good on the ball, so good defensively, so balanced, And although in the eighty eighth or eighty plus minute, who must gets the two to one, Vancouver never stopped moving forward.
And Ocampo, who had the exact same cross at the end of the home game in the first leg, that is a header that doesn't go in. In this one, Ocampo same cross in the ninety third minute results in Vancouver getting that two to two equalizer puts them through. And uh man, it's just it talks about Vancouver and the belief that they have that they can be in every game because of their offense.
Well, and you mentioned Vancouver, and it's a continuation of what happened last year with Danny Sartini, where you had the belief in Vancouver and they trusted what Sartini wanted to do with the bill. Then they go their separate ways. But it looks like this season it is gone on to that next level. Any idea why it has gone to that next level under the new head coach up there?
I honestly, I hate to say it like this, but it's it. Basically, the inertia is still from certainty in my opinion, and it is the belief of certain players that have continued to grow, and it is the acquisition of a guy like Ocampo, who I think has been very important for this game and what they try to do out wide. But I do believe that when a coach has done so much like VI needed to kind of put it all together. Now the new head coach gets to take the credit because it's kind of what's
being kind of working now. Credit to him as well to continue to build off of that. And if anything is different, I do think that defensively, Vancouver does tend to keep its shape a lot more. I think that he also putting pedro Vite in a position that he likes to play unteel more natural on at times certainy would move pedro Vite as a fullback and put him out wide because there's what he doesn't like to be
necessarily there at all times. And I think those maybe are a couple of things that we can definitely go into the new head coach. But at the same time, I just think Vancouver has a certain belief, has a group that has a lot of continuity and that at this moment in time, they feel like they can be any team. And getting back into that game at Estadio
Universitario it's not easy to do again. Obviously, for those who don't know the casual soccer watchers, it was one one on the score line, but it was too too in the aggregate, and then because he scored two goal, because he scored two goals away. That's kind of what what puts this one of Vancouver getting through.
Yeah, yes for Swordensen, the new head coach for Vancouver.
And the thing is, I can guarantee you that yes for Sorenson, and the joke that I use every once in a while, yes for Sorensen to a lot of folks, probably wasn't a household name in his own household, and Sowdensen comes in, and then there were a lot of folks that were raising the people's eyebrow going why would you hire yes per Sawdensen because and they would list ABCD, E and F. And right now you've got a team top of the table in the Western Conference, made their
way to the semifinals in the CONCACAF Hemispheric Extravaganza. And so I think that folks need to be paying more attention to what Sawdensen is doing with taking over with what you said, with the foundation that Benny Sartiniz laid out and then adding his own little bits, especially defensively, and you mentioned with what he's doing with pedro Vite. Look, I don't think you can sleep on Vancouver anymore. And I think last night, once again reinforced that.
Yeah, look, they're the highest scoring team in the Western Conference. I don't know even the league, but I know for sure that the highest scoring team in the Western Conference and at this point in time. Yes, I mean Sorrysan does deserve the credit because regardless of you've got to get these guys to buy in into the new head coach, you got to get a new buy in in what
you're trying to execute. I thought that he had a really good game plan against Pumas, and he was not afraid to rub a dope a little bit and just take some of that pressure that Pumas did put him under. I thought that in set pieces, the things that were lacking in the first leg, they were not necessarily there in this one. He did a good job at at least overpopulating the places where Memo and Coco Kartida kind
of hurt him. So, man, I thought that in that regard, you do got to give him a little bit of credit. But again, I do want to say that this group this talent for I think that he would have been any different with Sertini. I don't know, Man, I feel like this group is that good right now, and they just got the different believe. But yeah, absolutely. Oh and now it was three to three and agreget. I'm sorry not to to but three to three, indig and those two goals away is what putts Vancouver through.
Last week in Major League Soccer, MESSI and friends due Toronto and everybody was like a freaking out. San Jose puts six on DC. I'm going backward from Sunday to Saturday. San Jose puts six on DC and it could have been a lot worse for DC. I'm still keeping an eye on DC, and I'm wondering who didn't make it off the tarmac onto the plane to come back from the West coast.
Yeah. Man, it looks it was a bloodbath, if you will. Right off the beginning of the game with at angle score in the game under ten minutes, it was kind of a perfect storm there for San Jose because Joseph Martinez was feeling himself and you know he gets the hat trick. I think that this team is so much better offensively when Pellegrino and Pinosa play together at the same time. Clearly a cameo return, if you will, for this team to show and display what they can do offensively.
I think Martinez that I'm gonna can play very good of each other, and if they can continue to build off of that, you can squeeze the last drops of potential that Martinez has and he can be a killer in front of goal. You just got to get him the ball there, and you got to work with him so defensively, he doesn't have to do so much. Right, you want to keep his level of energy. You got to sustain them, and I think that Bruce Arena did a great job in this one. But DC United, let's
not forget about them, complete disaster. I mean, they could not hold the ball in profession. They cannot limit It seemed like San Jose was cutting through their midfield like a knife through butter. I mean, it was so simple, it was so there was nothing that San Jose was doing that I think was very complicated to figure out the triangles and the and the way they were moving the ball. But they just had no idea. DC has no one in that midfield that can get you the
ball back. They don't have a disruptor. They're two spread out. They're just a team that has a lot of holes.
Right now, all right, what the heck happened in the three? No lost to San Diego with Seattle.
According to Brian, just three things, and I pushed back on that. I think there was more than that. We've had different discussions here with guys from the beat about how bad they lost and how good San Diego was. Clearly Brian to responsibility for the first goal, first minute corner kick. It's a quick restart on a short corner.
Nobody sees it coming. When you do see it coming, Ferrera and Christian Rodan push to Tukilsano, who is the guy that gets the ball short on the corner, and then they get completely taken out by one move, one move, two players. He gets around him like training. Cones puts the ball in and it's all over. After that, Brian did say he took accountability that the team wasn't ready to go right off the bat, that that sort of situation does fall on him. I appreciate him taking accountability
for that because I couldn't agree more. We knew going into this game, and I said here and I said it everywhere that I was on it. I'm just some dude. They watching soccer, and I knew that restarts and set pieces is what San Diego liked to do. To take advantage of games. That's where they have an agon teams. They don't explore so that they don't expect it. They just do it very well. And there was a couple
of times in this one. One was a free kick before the first half where there's a ball that comes in behind Riens cost A Rise and it almost leads to a tukulosanog. So I like that. Brian said that clearly the Georgi Manongu experiment up top does not work. I'm very concerned about this. If Brian is more willing to try Georgia up top at the nine rather than playing with his Sue Frera at the nine, that is a lot about what Brian thinks or doesn't think of
a Sue Frera up top. Brian kind of mentioned that, you know, it didn't really work, but you know, there's not really a nine. Oh but hey, suit's not really a nine. He could play up there is what he said. Don't like that quote. And I had a back and forth with Craig Wible just a week ago where I told him what the need for this team was striker Sora. You brought him in sure as a versatile player, but you know, you kind of mention that he could play the night at the leg level, and that just doesn't
seem to be the case. So in this one against San Diego that did not work, still looked a little bit lost. The pressing by Seattle was a little bit too high in my opinion. They were able to uh, San Diego was able to just play through the press, but they lost the game in transition. Transition was by far the easiest way san Diego scored. Knew who way too forward, there was a bunch of space behind him.
He seemed like san Diego knew exactly how to exploit the spaces behind you, and and it was all over after that. So I think just San Diego is that good. San Diego is a team that understands the way they want to play. I think that midfield completely tore apart Seattle's pivots a Nivo, Goudoy, de la Torre and mister Koff. I mean, they were just so good. They were just
so much better. However, and I'll try to thins here, there's a lot of that willingness, and Brian talked about it and the post game conference where he's like, look, depending in transitions a lot about effort, and there were times where men forty year old and Nivo Gudoy cannot just be the runner into the box and hit that ball as open as he was. And the guy that's closest to him is Jorgi Manongu, who's the guy that got possessed on the right flank. So a lot of
things that Satan needs to do better. Brian talked about the possibility of change information because of the lack of results, think that that might benefit the team. Although the three five two or three four two one was designed by the Sierra Saunders to create more opportunities in offense, to create havoc, to add more numbers and weed the positioning number battle in the field up top, it hasn't worked
offensively and he's made you vulnerable defensively. So I think going back to the default four two three one might simplify things and get this time in the right direction. But still not good enough. Once again, and you got outplayed off the field against San Diego f C.
And then you have to now turn around and play in the hayesus Feraira Bowl where you're traveling to FC Dallas. FC Dallas Right now, slight favor of the plus one sixty one in the composite draw is a plus two to twenty three seattles a plus one sixty nine. How do you see this one shaking out with the possibility of the formation change and trying to put people in positions where they can succeed where Seattle's concerned in a game that has the context that it does, and it's.
Gonna be difficult. I quite honestly, what's the numbers on Seattle again?
Plus one sixty nine? Slide underdog?
Wow? Look up, Seattle has one thing going for themselves this week. Jordan Morris seems to be back and ready to go. I will be asking this question later on today, but I feel like this Seattle team is too dependent on Jordan Morris for the offense to work. But he'll be back pedro De la Vega was lights out this week. So I'm gonna go ahead and say that Seattle gets the result at Dallas and sparks their season in the right way. Let him say that is again, I believe
that the Seattle Sounders will win. Oh wait, finally first time this season at Dallas in the if you want to call it the revenge game, coming back home you can. I believe in Farok's talent as a player. I think that he has the potential to be a good player for this team if you play him under Jordan Morris with feder Dela Vega next to him in that build out of having two camps behind Jordan. That's what worked in the preseason, so I think it'll work in this
one if that's what Brian decides to go with. But I think that Seattle has enough to beat a Dallas team that look to be honest surprise me against Atlanta. So maybe I'm giving the Sounders a little too much credit, But I feel like this game, in my gut feels like Sata can win it.
All right, let's run through the rest of them and Cliffhanger once again. You want to start talking about something you can, We'll say Atlanta and New England to the end, Toronto, Toronto and Minnesota United. Toronto is a home dog. Go watch something else like Atlanta and New England, which is gonna start fifteen minutes later. UH four thirty Eastern Purple team hosting Red Bulls. Purple teams of minus one twenty eight at home. Red Bulls are a plus three thirty six.
Wow, what's the draw?
Draw is plus two six eight in the composite.
Well, yeah, give me the draw, give me a look. Let me see. It has been good. I'm not gonna lie about that. But so has through your city. I mean, I'm sorry. Know your Red Bulls I'm gonna get killed out here. Know your Red Bulls have been good as.
Well, very compact, very balanced, And I think this one is gonna be one of those things where you kind of eliminate each other on the field and it ends up being a maybe not a boring game, but one with not a lot of scoring opportunities.
So I'm gonna go with the drawing this.
One, all right. So then you go past that one. Ce F Montreal finally gets a home game. They've they've said that the weather I guess is more than ten degrees fahrenheit. So they're gonna get a home game, and it's gonna be Charlotte. Charlotte, by the way, is a dog at stodd Suputa at a plus one ninety five DC at home, DC at home favored against FC Cincinnati at a plus one thirty one.
Hold on what uh huh, I'm staring at it right here? Right here in the composite.
Ncinnati has to be good by any you know, stretch today mission engine compared to what they have. But give me Cincinnati on that one without now.
Plus one eighty five for Cincinnati uh D C United at home is a plus one thirty one in the composite. So you jump jump on that now before they figure out that this is a line mistake as the kids say.
Wow.
Also, it is a plus one eighty five for FC Cincinnati NYC in Philadelphia, n y C. I think they are playing at the U twelve pitch at Yankee Stadium. I think that that Philadelphia is a plus one eighty nine on the road at NYC.
Who's a plus one twenty of them?
Well, I wouldn't want any of that, but I will say this, I was surprised at Philadelphia that golf costag. I mean, he was a player that I felt kind of was the one creative player there for that team. He did so much in the scoring name he just had a field for goal. I don't know how they're going to replace him. I looked at that roster yesterday and I hope they have a guy in mind because they're gonna need him.
Vancouver coming off of the win in the advancement in the Conky Cap Hemispheric Extravaganza at home four thirty Eastern times start sorry, four to thirty local time start seven thirty Eastern Vancouver hosting Austin FC in their favorite at a minus one oh nine after playing yesterday, turning around and they're gonna play Wednesday, Saturday, and they're favored at home at a minus one oh nine taking on Austin FC.
And what are Austin's numbers?
Plus two nine to three.
Yeah, I'm gonna take Costa on that. And again they're gonna have to wrest some players there were once again stretched out to the very last minute. That midfield Cuba's beats it. They have to be absolutely exhausted. I would hope that you rotated this one, and you got to think about the next game in KUNCUF Champions Cup as well. You don't want to get anybody hurt over it. Third, So yeah, give me often.
Yep, right there with you.
Nashville to minus one twenty hosting RSLT plus three zero four, Colorado at home a plus one thirty nine hosting San Diego, who's a plus one seventy five. San Diego at Colorado. San Diego is the dog at a plus one seventy five.
Right now, Wow, that's crazy too. Look literally, there's the opportunity for some nice part of lays this time around if you don't want to go too far into it. But man, look there's some short stuff right there for me. Like I said, Cincinnati game is good, the San Diego game seems to be another. Almost rocked Austin seems like a lock. Give me all those those games. Look, I don't want to disrespect Colorado. Fine team, they've done some things.
They did get out played by a Vancouver team that needed to think about this upcoming game that they just won. They rotated a little bit. So man, give me some Diego. They've been too good, too consistent. Even the games that they haven't won, they've been better than the other team. So yeah, give me some Diego without a doubt.
All right. So I know here's one that you're gonna be intrigued by. I know you're not gonna touch it.
LAFC at home minus one ninety six hosting San Jose. San Jose's a plus four sixty nine to win.
San Jose the four sixty nine to win. Oh Man, that seems just like a like a track for you.
Just to I said, I thought you'd be interested, but I know you're not gonna mess with it.
No, Man, did the one that you're like, Man, I'm gonna put my paycheck, don't do that. Don't do that. Don't don't do it. I do it? Does he feels good? Right? They're coming from a six scoring game, six one win LAFC between trying to fight Messi and Falk Collen and everything that happened there in the middle of that game, and probably pretty dies. The point it just don't do it, LAFC is more than like you're gonna take that game
against San Jose. I won't touch it. No either way, I'm not touching NOE.
Galaxy is a plus one ten at home against Houston, who's a plus two and a quarter sporting hosting Portland on Sunday, favorite of the plus one fourteen. Portland is a plus two to twenty Chicago and Messi and Friends. Messi and Friends. After playing at home with everything that was on the line, at least they have to wait until Sunday so that the middle game on Sunday, traveling to Chicago as a favorite at a plus one thirty four, Chicago at home is a plus one seventy one.
Woo, man, I don't know if I like that one.
What's the draw plus two seventy.
Look, I'll think they're joining this one. Well, you look at the goal composite for the Sporting Kansas City Portland game, because I don't know why I got a little bit kick on that one. But look this one in in Miami, regardless of they're probably gonna have to road take pretty consistently. Chicago is a team that has been very up and down for me, and there's times where they look like they understand exactly what Greg wants and there's times where they just feel like they can't get it done on
the field. I like that as a draw, But the Sporting Kansas City Portland game, to me, I would like Portland and the goals. Depending on what that looks like. I could see a you know, what's the three on this one?
Three is a plus one seventeen. That's where it flips. Two and a half is minus one fifty one. Three is a plus one seventeen. Three and a half is a plus one sixty. That to me sounds like you'll watch it and not take it.
Yeah, no, we can't take it. But I do like Portland Sporting canter City. They get the bump from the new head coach on the bench type of situation. In the last game Joevilish looks good and he will continue to look good. But defensively they're a little bit too open. I think Portland. Portland's attacks low key dangerous. They can really get forward on you, and they figure it out despite not having a vendor. I think mainly because of the efforts of the final end product. They get a
lot of numbers in the right places. So I like Portland in this one.
The last one on the board Sunday Night Soccer. All Caps is a plus one fifty two hosting crew at a plus one sixty six. Atlanta, New England Atlanta big favorite at home minus one ninety two. Revs are a plus four fifty one, draws a plus three forty one. The Revs have only scored three goals all year, two of them from Carlos Hill in one in one game against Red Bulls.
I don't think I would take it, just because the numbers don't are not was that Flann again.
Atlanta is plus Atlanta's a minus one ninety five.
No, no, no, no, I'm not gonna mess with it. What I will say is this, There's no way a Plant's going to drop this game. But man, it be hard to watch sometimes, I really have. My expectations were so high and I need to bring those down at some point in time. But I don't think to drop this one. I just don't want to touch it because of the numbers for sure.
All right, what's going on?
Pulsar Sports, Sound at Heart and lobbying water Balloons.
Absolutely. Man, we will actually be recording today because the Sounders will travel and they will not practice here at home tomorrow, So expect that early version, early segment of what we learned this with meet Jeremiah and I. We will be breaking down everything about the week of Ryan Kent supposed to be was supposed to be in Vancouver yesterday by the way handling his visa situation. So there is a chance, a possibility that if it all goes well, he does travel with the team or at least meets
them in Dallas if need be. And I don't know, maybe you get to see the first writing can debut. That's going to be very interesting. Because he's looked absolutely lights out. So go ahead and wait for that pot. Today with Jeremiah and I will break it all down, give you guys any updates that we'll find out today. On Monday, of course, Loven's Courches kickoffs with Ari. That's
been a big success. People seem to really like they really appreciate everybody's support on that and on Postal Sports, everything that we've heard from coaches, from players all week long, just being on poolsel Sports. Go ahead and check it.
Out as always been a friend. Great to see you on Thursdays. Go enjoy your second cup of coffee and we'll catch up with you over the weekend. Enjoy the Hey sus Ferira Paul Ariola revenge game, and we'll catch up with you next week.
All right, John Man, you thinking too many? You're the man. Man. This show gets better every time I get on here. Man, you the man.
It's because of us.