Speaking of that four nil win, and this was something that we got into as a part of things. I do want to talk about the front office in Atlanta because I know that folks are interested in finding out details about three of the five candidates that are that are linked, and one of them we talked about before, but then there were there are others that have ties that I want to get into as well. But after the four nil win, Wilford Nanci on about a seven
minute rant and it's completely justified. I mean because you and I have talked about it in the past about how the rules of engagement when it comes to rosters and competitions and all this kind of stuff. Wilford Nanci didn't go after the result. He's like, I get it. You know what happened. Happened, we lost. I'm cool with that. You know, you have Abraham Romero come out make a hard challenge red card Zawatski is a position player. For the final fifty five five minutes or so, he got that.
But after the match he comes out and specifically starts going after the rules of roster construction in Major League Soccer. What did you think about that particular part of the discussion he was cool with the fact that he lost four n ill because what happened happened. But what did you think about what he said after the match about how Major League Soccer constructs things on a weekly basis.
I mean, it's tough. I think that he did it correctly.
He did not go full Caleb Porter, which is always appreciated.
He did it very methodically.
There are some points that I understand and I get where he's going to what he's kind of approaching to it. I don't think he was saying it in the sense of excusing, like you said, the loss of what happened.
I think he's more thinking of the development of the league and that in the few there should be things that should be considered because he was put in a situation that was difficult, not as if ultimately it wasn't their fault kind of, but in order to keep their mythology and ideology of the club on what it means to go from a second team to the first team, you got to earn it. It shouldn't just be like I'm not going to sign you just because I.
Need you for this game.
And that's why it's so important for me to be able to just have this temporary contracts because I don't want to just sign a kid that's not ready, because what type of messages of that sense. I like that, and I thought he explained it well. I don't see it as a guy that's out there crying about it like a lot of fans took it, because it didn't
sound like that. And I just think he wants what's best for Emel moving forward and what's best for these kids, using tournaments like League's Cup, like even a friendly against what was it, Austin Villa, things like that to just get you experience, get you out there, get you developed. And so in conclusion, I think that there were a lot of points that he made that are valid, But at the end of the day, decisions could have been made,
and I'm not putting it just on him. Those that are above him, that understand these rules a lot better, that should be tallying exactly what's going on, could have done a little bit better to ensure that whether it was through the Olympic national team time, that certain elements were put into fluition so it wouldn't have counted as a temporary.
Play for Columbus, and they didn't.
So there were just a lot of missteps from Columbus as organization. But in terms of what will Fred Nancy said, I think he has a lot of good points and I think they will be taking into consideration in the future.
Yeah, I think that if Major League Soccer kind of treated themselves more like the NBA, where you're you're cool with ten day contracts, fourteen day contracts, and you just kind of loosen your roster restrictions a little bit for Open Cup, for League's Cup, for these friendlies so when you're chasing after championships or what have you, so you're not pinned into what we saw with with Columbus and not having a not having a backup keeper from a
keeper that was your third keeper to begin with because your first keeper's on national team duty and your backup keepers injured, so you got to work up a three and you don't have a four. So I mean, and he brought up his four previously stop Slacus from Crew two, and he couldn't do it anymore because of the restrictions
that are there. So I think that if if common sense were to be applied, you would a lot for more floating up and down of players from your second team and things like that, because I know that I guaran damnta that Brian Schmetz would love to be able to use a guy like Paul Rothrock more in his early days than just sitting there calling him up and having him sit Yeah. I mean, that's just me off the top of my head.
No, And or you could add little you know, coveyas because I understand the players Union and what the players it's trying to do with making sure that these guys are not overused, and if you want him and you need him, then sign them to a contract that are paid the correct wage for their efforts. But maybe having you know, a little small writing about specific situations. Hey, if I got six guys called into US national in duty and my goalkeepers heard and whatever, Dan, you're allowed
an extra one. So if you want to get down to like the needy greedy and we're gonna just you know, daughterize and crosser tees and that's what we're gonna do with the current rules and regulations, then let's do that.
But there has to be some changes.
So that the soccer component doesn't hurt, the development component doesn't hurt, and everybody.
Happy, exactly, amen, brother, All right, so Garth logger Way and Carlo Spogenegger parted ways, and so now it is it is Garth's show. It is it is Garth and what he wants to do and putting a stamp on Atlanta United. You're looking now at vice president, technical director
and head coach. Those vacancies are there. Rob Valentino, obviously still with what he is doing on the field, is under consideration for the full time head coach position, for the general manager, whatever term you want to use, the soccer director of soccer operations. Names have been floated out there that have ties to Seattle. That is not a surprise. Chris Henderson obviously number one on the list. The talk that Tom Bogert had about roll Son lay Hey kicking
him out of his office. Uh oh, I like that corner office. I like those windows. I think I'll go there. And so Chris Henderson apparently, according to Tom Bogert, had to find a new office space involving his time there with MESSI and friends. I don't know if he's in the snack bar. I don't know if he's in a broom closet. I don't know if he's got a window what. But according to Bogue. According to Bogert soun Lay, he liked Chris Henderson's office, and it's like I want that office.
That would that? Would you know? That would cause a little rancor and a bit of a headache for me if I was Chris Henderson. But other names out of Seattle Asked and Current Seattle are being floated as a part of this discussion. To me, Chris Henderson seems to be the number one slam dunk idea, but other names being floated as a part of this include Mark Nichols and Craig Wibel. Yeah, when it comes to hearing those two names in addition to Chris Henderson, how would you
explain who those individuals are? Would they be in a move to a mood to make a move like that. I would think Craig is happy where he is right now. But for those that don't know Craig and Mark, explain who they are personality wise, what they've done through the Seattle framework, and what they could bring to the table.
Yeah, let me just stop by saying that that with a tumbugger report. I mean there's stuff that I I can't report on, but I will say, Dad, Chris Henderson I've heard from several sources that there have been times where he is a little bit underminded and underappreciated to a certain sense, and just simply looking at in Miami as a whole and who they are, it does seem like he tends to be the guy in the back of the room rather than in the front, when he's
probably doing a lot more than that. So I definitely think that going somewhere like Atlanta, where he'd be the phase of the game, he'd be the phase of the organization. He has his boy camera, you know, Kobe and shack up a situation again, I think that it would be perfect in terms of these two look. Mark Nichols is a very smart and well put together front office member. He is his main attribute to the Sierra sanas both with the academy.
He's being in Columbus.
For uh some time now, and uh I think that he's someone that is more of a behind the scenes guy that has a lot of understanding of development of players, understands the league exactly where teams need to inject money to be successful, not over one or two or three years, but over a decade of soccer. I think that he's shown that everywhere he's gone. He's a really good, well connected element within MLS. But I don't know how much
exposure beyond that I can say that he has. Uh, there's no there's no doubt that he's networking has gotten bigger as time has gone from the point he left Seattle to where he is now. I believe he had a short running in in in Nashville before going to Columbus, if I'm not mistaken. But all in all, I think that Nicholas is a great guy. I just don't know if he's Atlanta fit. And what I mean by that is that Atlanta comes with a lot more than just the soccer IQ.
And the ability to do the job.
There's a thick skin component, there's a necessity and an ability to handle everything that comes at a club with as much expectation. So I don't know if Nichols has that sort of experience and that sort of shield around him to really be successful in a market where he's
gonna be hammered down every day. And I feel like you need a little bit more experience, you need a little bit more of a name of Aura cut of the book Conectar was a guy that should have been fired a long time ago, and it still felt like he is going to run his race. Put the blinders on. I don't see nothing. I'm doing my own thing. He wasn't successful at it, but I feel like that's something that he had to his quality. I don't know if
Nicols has that when it comes to White Bull. I really like him, and I think that he has that thick skin. He's been hammered every single year, season, moment, month, day, hour, minute since Gard Laggerway left the ship to him. And I do think his book connected. I feel like he's a guy that perhaps with a bigger check book behind him.
I don't know.
I'm not sure where he would be at right now, you know, because there have been I've seen where his work ethic, where his planning has gone, but he hasn't executed because of the limitations here in Seattle.
So he's someone that I would.
Say it's a better possibility the Nichols. Now, would the Sounders be willing to let him go? And how would that look? And would he be willing to go down to a place where the expectation is even more and where he has He's coming to a whole new ballgame where he has no control over what's been going on.
That's another story.
But I do feel like out of the candidates that I saw, he's the most qualified because of those additional things to his soccer AQ.
We can all have networking of people.
Doing A B and C if I don't have the sort of ability on me, but there are things that you're going to have to have to be the Atlanta United face in the managerial position, and I feel like he has a lot of that.
So in order, it would be Henderson Wibel Nichols if you were to if you were to rank the Seattle Ties to filling in that GM position to you, it would be Henderson Wyble Nichols.
Correct.
But I would not be surprised, And I'm not going to say a name here because I don't have that green light, but I would not be surprised if there was a candidate that would come up of an international.
Aspect or global more of a global name.
Even if it's not more recognized here in MLS and within the United States, that would be an option there. I know that it hasn't come to fluition, but I know that they've talked to him, so we'll see where more of these candidates come up. But out of the ones that you're asking me, yes, I think Craig is the one that at least has hold the more water out of the two.
Okay, And so now that you have intrigued me, I'm going to I'm going to DM you after the show and find out who that individual is. You know what time it is. It is time to play Cliffhanger. Forget another week because all of these topics of conversation that we have leading up, It's like, man, we could go for like an hour and talk about things, but I know that I only have you for a certain amount of time. House. I don't want to get you up out of bed at seven o'clock in the morning to
break things down or keep you from ten thirty. From a seven thirty to eight thirty as we go here on Thursday, all right, Cliffhanger time. And for those that might be catching us for the first time, what this is is we go through all of the games on the weekend and we give Nico the juice boxes that are attached to them, and we ask his opinions on what he thinks. And I think it is safe to say, Nico to this point of the season. How well do you have you come out on the plus side with
everything that you've done on Cliffhanger? Do you think for the.
Most part last week I completely ignored the international window, and I do apologize for that. I should have taken that into consideration a lot more and they didn't, and that kind of bid me in the behind. But I think that for the most part, we've done very well. Specifically with the West Coast matchups totaling goals, we've come up actually pretty pretty nicely. I think that's where I've hit the most, just kind of understanding the dynamic of certain teams playing each other.
So yeah, I think we've done pretty well.
All right. So it's time for a little bit of rivalry here in Cliffhanger. And I will save Atlanta and Nashville for last, because we, you know, since that's where we're based. I'm just gonna run through games and if you're interested, just tell me to stop and then we'll talk about it. CF. Montreal and Charlotte. Charlotte on the road at Stodd Supputa is a plus one forty two. I don't like that. I'm gonna go draw at a
plus two fifty four. I know that Montreal has problems stopping goals, but stotd Suputta is an entirely different animal. I can go draw there very easily.
Yes, I think draw is a good one for that. That gave me everything tells you that it's going to be a draw. Charlotte's Forte is not Huffens, and although Montreal has a lot of issues in their own back end, I'm starting to again see things where they can manage more of ninety minute game, and so I think that a draw is a good safe bet on that one.
Juice Box bosses have thrown a blanket over DC United and NYCFC. DC United the plus one fifty NYC is a plus one fifty eight on the road at DC, so they're kind of close to the margin of air. Don't be surprised if that continues to close as we go. Hell is Real Cincinnati a plus one twenty seven at home against Crew who's a plus one eighty four, and your draw is a plus two seventy seven. It is two and three in the Eastern Conference. What say you?
Yeah?
First of all, I would like to check on the goals there, but I think that this is a big one for Columbus, and I think that they know they have an egg in their face and they really want to get rid of that after the Seattle Sanders loss.
I understand that will Fred took the high road and whatever you want, But as a competitor, as someone that has not seen the back, you know, lights of any team in MLS in a very long time, and a team that understands exactly what's at stake here on out, I think they're going to use this game against Cincinnati as a statement win and I have them winning this one, and I have them winning by a couple of goals.
Wow, three is a minus one twenty four. Three and a half is plus one twenty six. So that's where it turns.
Yeah, I see, they know there's some goals coming on that one. The three and a half, that's where it turns.
What's the four plus plus?
Okay? Well, full is a plus two to twenty one. Four and a half is a plus two seventy five.
Man, you know what, I might take that four and a half just just because I feel like this is gonna be a game that is gonna be a lot more open than people think. And again for a guy like Cucho, Hernandez that decided Columbia decided to just bring on so he could wear the kid and carry the waters and whatever they did with Kucho. I think he's gonna come in very motivated, very fit, and ready to go. Having that interaction with your national team when you'd be
wanting to get on the field as long. I think that's gonna translate into the field. I see Columbus coming in hot in this one, and I know and I know Cincinnati's gonna be able to say a little bit something back. So I think there's gonna be a really good game. I'll take four and a half and I'll take Columbus.
Oh wow, Okay, Messi and friends. Maybe with Messi at the minus one ninety two at the Erector set in South Florida's Philadelphia Totown. Philly is north of plus four thirty five. That could be. That could be a long night either way.
I wouldn't want anything to do with it, but I think in in Miami is gonna win this game.
Purple team big favorite hosting New England Caleb Porter serving a suspension. Toronto On the minus side, hosting Austin FC Fire is a plus one seventy three hosting Red bull So red Bulls are a road favorite, going to Chicago at a plus one forty nine. Houston on the minu side hosting RSL. RSL is a plus two fifty eight on the road at Houston. I find that that's an interesting one for me.
Yeah, but her Sel has been a little bit of a.
Hard team to decipher after the loss of Carlos Gomez and Chi Cho. And yeah, I don't know if I feel comfortable taking the Russell. What's the drawing down?
One draw is a plus two eight three.
Yeah, I think a drawn that one would be a safe bet. A two eighty three.
Absolutely all Caps on the plus side, barely hosting Minnesota United at plus one oh four, Rapids barely on the plus side of the plus one oh six hosting Timbers of the plus two oh six l traffico. Once again, juice box bosses have thrown a blanket over it, Lag a plus one fifty and then the uh check the absences and who's going to be back because last week no Oliveta, no Bogush and Nobu Wonga for LAFC. We
got to figure out who's back. But right now LAFC is a plus one fifty four lag is a plus one fifty.
Yeah, that's a that's a tough one, tough one.
I'm going goals on that one. I'm not touching. I'm not touching anything when it comes to the game itself. If I do, it's going to be draw two and a half a minus two fifteen. See this is they think goals are going to be here. But wow, that changed in a hurry. Three and a half is a plus one seventeen. Four is a plus one ninety two. Four and a half is a plus two sixty.
Wow, four and a half with the bus to sixty.
Four four over over over four? Maybe not?
Yeah, I think I think I'll go over four.
I think four and a half is good and quite honestly, like you said, depending on who who's back. I mean, L A C is very tempting. And I know that the Galaxy have had some to say against U l A f C. But uh man, Galaxy has so many issues back there defensively and they they even struggled in the first line of midfielders and just holding back a team of transition like L A f C. Look, you know what I'm gonna go on on on the side of LA f C. I'm gonna take l A f C in the four and a half on that one.
All right, uh Vancouver big favorite, obviously hosting San Jose. Then your match Seattle minus one sixties on Sunday and the Sporting is a plus four thirteen. No real support, no real surprise there, no.
No, no the Seattle Saunders.
I think they are also unreliable to be honest, even at home. Even if it's a team like Sporting Kansas City, I would not put my juice box necessarily there because of obviously the minuses on that one. I think the draw is somewhere where uh, Sport against City could come and benefit out of a game that maybe they can slow down make very uncomfortable. I think that there's been an improvement out of Sporting Kansas City, at least in the defensive side.
So what's the draw on that one?
Draw on that one is a plus three one eight.
Three one eight mm hmm. I like those numbers. I'm not gonna lie to you. I know that the status trending in the right direction, and I get it, and I understand that with Peppo starting to get some minutes, things can come about but I'm still not one hundred percent sold on the team. I think that for my money, I think a draw would not be bad on.
That one, okay, because then you've got a quick turn like everybody else, and then you're playing San Jose in the midweek at home. That so you got that to take care of. Last on the board for US Atlanta Nashville. Atlanta's a big favorite of the minus one fifty two. Nashville is a plus three sixty.
Yeah, I wouldn't touch Nashville with you know, my mother in last me. I think Atlanta's gonna take care of business. I think Nashville has been honestly disappointment disappointment this season. They've gone from bad to worst. They've honestly been a yawn to refer to a lot of times. And I think Atlanta's turning in the right direction. So yeah, give me Atlanta.
All right. What's going on with the soccer bar and Pulso Sports, because I know you've got to get out of here, and we got to get out of.
Here, Yes, sir soccer Bar.
In about forty minutes, we'll be hitting a little bit deeper into the Pochettino news. We're going to talk about you and spas national team. We're going to talk about the upcoming matches Seattle Sounders. A lot of what's going on for this game, specifically, Stephen Frye still a concussion protocol. I don't think he'll play against Sporting Kansas City. Lel Chew has been playing individually and he's really fallen out of favor. I've talked about this before with the coaching staff,
Brian says, tendonitis. Look, I've asked around and I haven't heard that there is any sort of situation with Leo, So I'm not sure what's going on there. But I think this all goes back to my article with Sounder hard where there is a lot of things in the locker room that you know, Brian might want to, obviously for the correct reasons, keep it all in house and everything's okay. And I don't know why Raoul is upset, And I don't know why he called certain situations on
my article. Inflammatory he didn't say that again this week, so maybe he got a chance to read it a little bit farther. But again, when I come with a story that I've worked this long, I do my job sourcing it. I'm not going to put my reputations under our reputation on the line for gossip. And when I said that I have multiple sources on those locker room issues, I don't mean one, two, three, and four. I mean beyond that. So there's definitely a lot going on in
the locker room. We'll see how that plays out. But we'll talk about that as well in Soccer Bar Post and Sports will have everything that goes.
On today in training. On Sunday, I will not be at the game, but we will have one of our reporters there.
It's my birthday on Monday, so I have the weekend off. So yeah, so I won't be at the game, but I will have to report it there. It's going to bring guys, everything that happened after the game into Sporting City Sounders game.
So you turn twenty five on Monday. I see how this plays right, But early early birthday, Early happy birthday from all of us. We love you very much and enjoy your weekend. We'll catch up with you because we will have two games to talk about when you come back on very little sleep next Thursday, as we break things down as always. Great to see my friend. Thanks for all the intel and all the insight. We'll catch up with you soon, no.
Problem, my friend.
I'll make sure to bring the twenty ounswer for our next show because it will be a long one.
You ain't kid brother, all right. Enjoy, enjoy, we'll catch up next time.
Thank you, guys,