Last half hour of the show, which means one thing means we go from Lima, Peru to Seattle, Washington and find out what's going on in Major League Soccer from the Pacific perspective. We bringing a buddy Nico Modano from Polso Sports and Sunder at Hart where he's lobbing water balloons on a weekly basis. How are you, my friend? Good morning? What cup of coffee do you want?
Good morning, my man, John, as the h Family did this cup number one? Actually you could hear my voice. I'm just trying to get those juices flowing. I'm gonna get dad coffee into my blood stream. But here, I am ready to go. It was a little bit of a late night going over a little bit of the Conker Calf games last night, but it's been it's been a great week. Man. It's been a lot of information going at one time, a lot of content put through.
Like you mentioned, Sandra Hartpool Sports got to finally meet and talk to mister Ryan Kant, and man, it's it's a guy that definitely radiates some confidence. So here to talk about whatever you want, John, I'm all you.
All right, So let's start with that late night and what went down in the Conka Cab Hemispheric extravaganza. I mentioned it in the open of the show that apparently somebody in social media for Messi and Friends thought it would be a great idea to hang a pink jersey from the Kobe Bryant statue in Los Angeles, like literally on the Kobe Bryant statue. You're messing with all kinds of juju when you do that, And as it turned out,
LAFC got the one Ny'll win. You do not. You don't step on Superman's cape, you don't spit in the wind, you don't pull the mask off of the Lone Ranger, and you don't hang an Enter Miami jersey on the Kobe Bryant statue.
Well I missed that. I don't know what lost mine decided to do that sort of prank. But oh mind, that is, like you mentioned, and you put very well, that's just the wrong type of energy you want to put on your team. You know, someone has beloved as Kobe Bryant, who obviously because of the circumstances of his passing. I mean, come on, let's let's really get it together. Beyond the Man, beyond the legend, the point scorer that he was just everything about the way of his passing.
Should never ever be involved in something like that. My goodness, people just have no sense.
And so of course the karma gods came and they whacked their finger at Messi and friends. One nail win them that way, and Vancouver and pumas the one one draw in the first leg of these quarters.
Well maybe that's why. Maybe that's why or Dust didn't get a red card. I mean, I don't know, but either way, I mean, you are absolutely right, man, although I missed that. Maybe that makes a little bit of sense on why Messi was so limited what he seemed so mortal in this game. He was not the magician, He was not the messy that was going to take over. He had a couple of moments, but man, helauc rightfully won that game.
All right. So let's get into the fun that you're having up there at Providence in Swedish bouncy house and daycare center, Ryan Kent in the door. It was something that you had been discussing last week. It is now officially official. Early returns, early vibes, early thoughts about him being now a part of what's going on since Seattle needed help.
Look, let's start by highlighting the fact that Ryan Kent was more open, more engaged about everything surrounding his situation than I expect it. This is a guy that has dealt with I'm sure plenty of pressure, a lot more media members that there were at Providence that specific day, Providence in Swedish, and yet he was very open about everything and answer every question and took the time to answer every question, even some questions that he didn't really understand.
And I'll get to that here in a second. But if there were a couple of things to point out, was one he mentioned and was very clear about why he wanted to come to Seattle. He said that MLS is a place that he sees growing, that he's getting better, and it felt like the right move for him. He mentioned that he declined several offers from other leagues and other teams prior to come in to MLS. That might sound like a little bit of chalk or maybe not. I don't know. I'm not sure if that's what it is,
but going and doing a little bit more research. Apparently there were some European teams that reached out to Ryan Kenton. He decided to come to MLS, so I thought that was interest. And then number three, he mentioned that this is the easiest transition he's ever had because the group has no egos. He mentioned he said, this group is so inviting. There are no egos in here. It's all about just the group. So it seems like a guy that wants to come and perform wants to obviously reignite
his career. Greg Wibo mentioned reviving the love for the game, and after you go through the things that he went through at Fernabacci, where you are blacklisted, you're put into this individual bubble and you're kept away from the group and you have to end up getting released from a club, I could understand why you have to revive that reignite that love for the game. So it's very frank, very honest.
The other thing that I want to say before I move on to what we've seen out of him in training is that he did clarify that the issues were not with Jossem Mourinho, the issues were with those running the Turkish club. He actually mentioned that Jose Morio was very good with him and he saw the opportunity to work with him as a as a great deal. So I just love what he what he said in all
general senses. The one question he didn't understand, because apparently Ted Lasso is not as popular as you may think in the UK or in England was the Roy Kent reference. Jada Evans for The Shadow Times asked him about the He's here, He's there, he's everywhere chance and he had no idea what they were talking about. So he said, that's new for me, is what he mentioned. So clearly tell Lasso it's not his show.
Okay. Do you think with him now? In how different do you envision things offensively for Seattle, for meationally approach? Is it going to be different? Is it just going to be putting Ryan Kent in plug and play? How are you envisioning this now?
I think it's going to be a plug and play simply because of the way Brian operates. I think one of my criticisms towards Brian and the Perreira situation was that that they wanted to just bring in Ferrara and plug him. He's got to play to our rhythm. He's got to do Jordan Moorish esque stuff, because that's what's been working, rather than kind of creating a game system around for Era. I think with Ryan Kent is going to be similar. He is an all out winger, That's
what he does. He's a pacy winger. You want him out wide, you want him taking on guys. He's a creative player that is going to have a hard time staying in one pocket or doing certain things. So to me, winger is the best position for him. But Brian has been very animate and he's kind of dying on the hill of I'm playing with wingbags and I'm playing with a three center back system in the back. That would
put Ryan in those inside channels behind the nine. I think he could do that function because, like I said, he's very creative. He can use some of that pace. There could be some underlaps from Paul rob Rock where that would leave Ryan Kent out wide. So could it work, Yeah, But I think it is going to be a plug and play or Ryan Kent. Now. Seeing him on the training field, the dude is different. I mean, the guy
is good. And I'm telling you that as soon as a guy that first ball hits his foot, you can tell a lot about a soccer player and the guys just quality. He scored a great goal with his left maybe I don't know, a ten yards out, twenty yards out. Then he had one with his right foot, so he's ambidestrious. He can hit it just as well with his right as he can with his left. The guy is just taking players on his first touch. He's so clean. So spot on Seattle's gonna have some competition with this guy
if he can continue to stay healthy. Apparently he passed all the fitness exams with flying colors, but now we're talking about game rhythm game fitness, which is different. How quickly can he get there? But if this guy is one hundred percent ready to go, it's gonna be some competition up there. I would say that Ferreira right now could be the guy looking outside in because of his lack of productivity and the fact that he hasn't really
cemented himself as a nine. And Bryan Smetzer kind of mentioned after the San Jose game that he kind of wanted to give Dani Musavski another go at the nine. So if you're thinking of a are more at a cam if you will, or at another attacking, creative midfielder, then he kind of he might be behind Ryan. If what we've seen in training is any indication of how he will perform on the field. So it's gonna be a lot of competition for sure.
Other big news, and we talked to Daniel Sperry from the Kansas City Star in our number one, was the dismissal of Peter Urmes finally happening in Kansas City, the lost to FC Dallas. I mean, there seem to be a lot of stops and starts in this notion for the last handful of years. You get off to a bad start, Kansas City comes storming back. You get off to a bad start, you have some injuries, you find some folks in the summer, you bring in three new pickups.
Then you come in into the playoffs, and then you make a run. You do well an Open Cup, even though it hurts you in Major League Soccer, and everybody sits there and looks as you chase after an Open Cup, an Open Cup title. This year, I know that a lot of folks were kicking dirt on them when they were down one match, three nil to LAFC and then the bish Dejoon yovol it starts three goals in twelve minutes. You come back to get a three three draw and
you're sitting there going, oh, there's something there. Then with Luco and FC Dallas, FC Dallas gets the win to one, and now Kansas City is looking Sporting Kansas City is looking for a new manager. What has been the idea out on the West coast, with you and everybody out there in the Pacific time zone about Peter romy now being sent packing mutually parting of ways from Kansas City. What's the vibe been like out west.
I think there's two schools of thought here. One is a little bit of that more purist MLS fan base that was surprised that Peter and then I'm finally getting sacked, if you will, and knowing what he meant for that franchise, you can't say Sporting Kansas City without saying Peter Bermys. He literally created built this thing from the very star, very beginning, and you probably wouldn't have them as a men's national team host Sin City if he wasn't for
Peter Burmese. That said the other and I find myself more on the thought process of it was about time and it was maybe too late, and it honestly talks about the lack of decision making and the issues that are and will remain in Sporting Kansas City, which is ownership. If you were going to make this move, why extend him just recently? Why not make that move before. The issues that we've seen this year are no different than the issue we've seen with Kansas City over the last
four years. Me and you and I have both sad on this exact same show and talked about is it time for Peter vermiss to go? And we were both surprised. I think, maybe I'm speaking for myself, I think you were surprised as well that he got extended with Sporting Kansas City. So why not make that move early enough where in the off season you could bring in a guy that could have a whole new idea finally break down that operation into a GM and a head coach. But the timing of it all just seems so lazy,
and he seems so reactive. And that's the part where I feel like Peter Vermuis gives the short of this of the stick because had that decision being made at the right time, even himself would have had more time to do other things. So I just think he speaks to Sporting Kansas City's issues that are internally still there.
But you know, honestly, I am in honestly, I am glad that Peter Remis gets to move on and now we get to think about not right now, not at this specific time, but we will just think about the Peter Vermese that was. He is a legacy, what he created, and we're no longer judging him on the poor performances that Sporting Kansas City has had as of the last four years.
In your mind, what is his legacy? Because I asked Daniel if he was underappreciated, as you know, as manager or whatever you wanted to classify him there at Sporting is he is he underappreciated? And Daniel said, yes, I think a lot of that has to do with the market that he's in. Yeah, and you know those of us, you know, you on the left coast and me on the east coast and all of the points in between.
It's like you kind of skip over the Midwest, and so Peter Vermes in conversation only comes up when you're in the extremes of Oh Sporting is doing really well. Oh they've made a great acquisition. Oh they're off to a really bad start. Instead of looking at the larger picture. What do you think his legacy either is or should be or both.
I think the legacy is what the trophy case in Sporting Kansas City says today, the players that he developed and brought in like Boussio in that specific club, and what he was able to do to elevate, as you mentioned, a small market team into one of at a particular moment in time, one of the elite teams in West the Western Conference, that you would think every single year Sporting in the City was going to be a contender
for a title. And the fact that in the US soccer scale and in the US soccer parameter, it became a hub, It became a community, a city that lived off soccer. So Peter Remis was able to gather all of the essence that was there in Sporting Kansas City and created into this monument and created into this team, this club that would have not been as successful and as important in general skills without him.
Other matchups last week Toronto and Vancouver played for ninety minutes. If you watch it, you probably can't get that back in your lifetime. Colorado shout out, Charlotte, Columbus beat DC, Messi and Friends beat Philadelphia. Chicago only scored one against CF Montreal, which I thought was you know, substandard from them. Minnesota over RSL since he beat Nashville Purple Team beat lag Paints Paintsial was on the bench, so he's getting
back to full song. San Diego and l AFC had the five goal thriller, and I think all five of those were in the first half, and Santose beat and Santase and Seattle a one to one draw. First off, Santase and Seattle a one one draw. Your takeaways from.
That one, yes, uh, the same issues remain, and I was relieved to see Brian Smetster at least make a change for the sake of the result of the match, meaning Hasus Freira was a dot at the nine in this one. The first half was hard to watch for any Sounder fan at all. I thought that San Jose created more chances they get ahead on the score. They honestly could have had ended up getting a two zero lead in this one because there was such a stagnant
offense from a Sounders team that could not hit. In transition that Ferrarasin, who occupied the same spaces that others did that you were not able to stretch out a poor quite honestly San Jose defense. But Brian makes a change, puts Mussovski up top, brings back for a little bit, and Mussovski, despite his own limitations and an ability to score because he had a couple of clear chances in
front of goal. To give him credit for the high rate of work, for the effort or the pushing the dirty work, if you will, I thought he did pretty decent. And Seattle all of a sudden in the second half became alive. They created twenty shots on twenty shots of those that think was eight on target. They were able to at least up their volume of opportunities. But it's still not good enough. And it feels like with Seattle that's been the phrase that I most commonly used is
just not good enough. So a one to one job, it's okay, eh, it's on the road, so you add what you can. But to me, the performance for Shadow was just not good enough one more time. And in terms of San Jose, I feel like this is a team that needs one more piece, one more component to be a better, more balanced team, and specifically at midfield, I like a I like what he does, but I feel like there has to be a more functional midfielder that can provide a little bit more of an eight
functionality for that San Jose team to do better. But in all sense, I think Seattle, at least with that second half, might be able to carry some of the momentum against this San Diego challenge that is going to be a lot harder than the San Jose game. But all in all, I wasn't surprised with the draw. I mentioned that here San Jose has always been difficult for Seattle, and that's exactly what you got out of those ninety minutes.
All right, So since you mentioned San Diego, does there one o our LAFC say more about them or LAFC No.
I think this is more about them. Look, they took that game to LAC and I thought that from the very beginning. They dominated tempo, the dominated possession. They're the best possession team in the league. Dryer can do so many different things for you. They're so dangerous on set pieces. Every set piece is designed, every set piece is mid it. It just seems like they work on their set pieces the restarts so well that they really put LAFC against
the ropes. Those five goals were all in the first half, but San Diego starts with all three. Then LAFC gets a little bit of a response and they're able to kind of get back into this game. But to me, san Diego dominated those ninety minutes, if not seventy five. Obviously, Igor Jesus gets a red card and that gives San Diego the opportunity to get even higher a field and endback even farther a very deep blocked LAFC team. But I just really like what I see from this team.
They know what, they know how they want to play. They have experienced midfield. I thought that Godoy the Electoria were both sensational. Travor Verskov I always chop up his name, but Verse just slamming the Danish midfielder. He's so good. He does so many things right. Simplicity in his game is the best attribute for this team, and they just seem to have it all together. Even Tu Kilosano came in lane because he finally got on the bench, and
he should have had at least two goals. So this team just has so many weapons, but their biggest edge on any team is how well they execute the game. Plan that's worked through the entirety of the week. You could just see it. What Miki Tavarus wants is when Mickey Tavarus gets consistently and that puts your floor so much higher. So this is a difficult team. Seattle's going
to have their hands for sure. But in this LAFC game San Diego, I think he says more about how good San Diego is rather than the struggles that LAFC is having.
All right, so we'll hang on to uh San Diego, Seattle. Uh. By the way, in a rainstorm, Austin beat all Caps and Portland beat Houston. Getting into this week's activity will save San Diego and Seattle will save Atlanta and Dallas. We'll go through all the others and if there's something you want to talk about, will stop Charlotte and Nashville.
Charlott's at home and to minus one o three RSL at home against lag coming off of the midweek performances, RSL's a plus one ten favored understandably so Crew and Montreal Crewe. And I've said this on the air and I will continue to reinforce this to tell you if Montreal beats Crewe at a plus five sixty nine. I will drink diet mountain dew on the air Monday Monday. If Montreal beats Crewe, I'm drinking diet mountain dew, that is,
and you'll see it. It's not just going to be in a cup where you sit there and go, is he really drinking it? No, it'll be it'll be completely and totally advertised. Cruise of minus two thirty eight Cincinnati minus one eighty two hosting the revs Red Bulls in Chicago. This one is actually interesting. Red Bulls of minus one thirty seven Chicago threw up that clunker last week. There are a plus three sixty six on the road, plus two more for the draw in that one. What's the draw plus two six'?
Four oh, MAN i would love to take that win By. Chicago but if there's anything The Red bulls does is give them some of the chance in every. Game And courtnell has been, fantastic the defense has been really. Good chicago was not at their best last, week and you could see Where Red bulls could have a floor plan
on how to work this. Game that's why to, me this is going to be a, clear not very high scoring, game maybe a one one maybe a zero, zero but to, me that's for sure going to be a. Draw, however it will be interesting How reg Deel halter kind of figures out coming from a bit of a plunker the way you put, it and then maybe trying to figure some things out in innuisance of this game against The Red.
Bulls so just so you have the. Numbers under two and a half is a minus one oh. Five under two is a plus one ninety three one and a half a plus two sixty seven for the under you're sticking. With you're sticking with the. DRAW i know you sticking with a.
Drum, yeah look too risky there for. Me, NO i like the drug just as IS.
I HEARD i heard that thought come out of your your, mouth And i'm, like, yeah he's sticking with just. Uh philly at homes favored against The Purple. Team austin at home a minus one thirty Hosting Portland houston and keep an eye On Ben olsen favored at home AGAINST lafc once. Again coming out of midweek, play they're at a plus one forty One sporting in all. Caps sporting is a plus one twenty With kerrie's a Wagnin new Coach. BUMP i GUESS i don't. Know plus one. Twenty i'm not
touching that one BECAUSE i got too many. Questions vancouver And. Colorado vancouver favored after having Played pumas last. Night they're favored at, home With colorado coming To vancouver at the plus three point Fifty New York city. Hosting minnesota, favored AND i guess they're gonna play on THAT u twelve pitch in The. BRONX i gotta, Look colorado is plus three.
FIFTY i like. That. LOOK i love What vancouver is, doing BUT i think that they were challenged to a whole new level Against. Pumas they should have won that, game by the, WAY i got to give them all of the, credit even to the very last. Minute that ball By ocampo there in the ninety fourth minute for that header should have put it away From. Vancouver unfortunately they're unable to do. It both goals came up with set. PIECES i get, that and it probably wasn't the most
brilliant soccer offensive game that you could. See but the, physicality everything about that GAME i feel like drained That vancouver. Team that depth is not their Forte, colorado in the other, hand coming from a very good two zero win Over, charlotte very Good charlotte. Team Jordan halovich starting to look like the you, know former candidate FOR mvp of THE. MLS i think that he is a guy that is really putting things. TOGETHER a Like, Novajo give Me colorado
in this. One give Me colorado in this. ONE i. Am i'm actually gonna put it. DOWN i Like colorado plus three.
FIFTY nyc favored at home Against Minnesota. United San jose at home favored AGAINST Dc united and Inner miami's a minus two thirty eight As toronto comes to visit For Sunday night soccer at a plus five sixty.
Two all, right.
Two Left San diego And. Seattle San diego at home a plus one twenty, five Hosting seattle plus two thirty three for the Draw seattle a plus two h. Nine what's say?
You that's a tough. One quite, honestly being a betting, MAN i would definitely put some money on the, draw BUT i would not be Surprised San diego wins this team this. GAME i Think San diego can really take the ball away From. SEATTLE i feel Like seattle's had a hard time when they cannot dictate. Possession you saw it At Cruise. Suel you've seen it whenever this team is unable to get that ball back And San diego's
is better at. It that four to three to three has worked so well For San, diego AND i don't know If seattle matches up, well specifically in some of those half. Spaces So i'm gonna go ahead and Take San. Diego i'm gonna take the, draw But i'm saying THAT
i wouldn't be surprised If San diego won this. GAME i wouldn't Take seattle's, win to be, Honest but the best result The seattle can come up with that on this, one to, me is a. Draw San diego's had issues at, home they finally want TO, lafc so maybe that is something to look, At BUT i just haven't seen enough From. Seattle, Obviously Ryan kentz not playing in this, one And peddre de La vega And Jordan morris both are full on practice this, week BUT i do not expect either one
of them to play this. Game so between the injuries and how Good San diego has, Been i'll probably go with the, draw.
All, Right so then that lays out the last. Matchup to talk About lucho AND Fc dallas coming To. Atlanta atlanta minus one forty three draws a plus three. HUNDRED Fc dallas is a plus three forty. Two luco has always been a constant. Pain and then you know what For, Atlanta atlanta favored big at home On saturday.
Night i'm Taking atlanta again and they did not let me, down although they just wanted me to just have an Awful. Saturday and they're just giving up, goals gifting right and. Left if a plan could just figure out their defense and figure out how not to just gift, Goals they're gonna be such a good, team, man such a good. Team love what All morone did after a phenomenal coming BALL fifa window there with parta. Way Marn chuck had
a very good. Game black a lot is. Dangerous maybe not the whole, game but you know that he's gonna have a moment every single. Game he will have a, moment and he had one. Here so give Me. ATLANTA i THINK Fc dallas has issues of their. Own there's such a slow paced, team and if something That atlanta has struggle with is a little bit of the direct play and the good. PRESSURE i don't Think dallas could do, either and Therefore i'm gonna go ahead and Take, atlanta all.
Right so hit me with the. Promo what's going on in your part of the, world all?
Right, so as, always, tomorrow what we learned this week With, jeremiah we're gonna Have we're gonna take a deep dive into what we've. Seen we've made the effort every day to come in and have our binoculars On Ryan, kent so we have a big breakdown on what we've, seen the attributes where he can, Play what does that mean for the rest of the, Lineup how quickly we can
get him. Back there is a possibility that because of the p one, VISA i was thinking about a, month But Craig wipple says that maybe he could be two to three. WEEKS i don't know how positive he's being and maybe obviously trying to get his guy, in he, said we're going to be on the phones, though trying to get that. Through so go ahead and check that out. Tomorrow we'll have any updates that we do have by the time we. Record then of course On, Monday love
It's Coaches. Kickoff, well we'll break down the entirety of the. Week we'll, focus off course on That San Diego sounders. Game depending on What dad leaves. Us might be a really good, pot might be a difficult. One but we're always gonna bring. It we're gonna be very. Serious you know, ME i JUST i tell how it. Is so go ahead and check that out On, monday and of course go To Pool sports where we Have Ryan kent's entire Interview Craig wible's entire. Interview check that out if you
want to see it worth checking. OUT i gotta say one thing About Ryan kin's comment THAT i love in HIS i can't Do english, voice So i'm not gonna try the. Accent but he SAID i love to lift bumps of, seats so he's he likes to get the crowd. Going he was talking about his ability to just take on players and just create that effect of getting people out of their. Chairs but love that statement By Ryan. Kent go check that out Of Pussel sports worth checking.
Out you know it's to lift bums out of.
Seats there you, go there you, go there you, go something like. That SO i got too Much latino, accent SO i can't do.
It it's all, good, BROTHER i love you very. Much be, safe have a great. Weekend we'll catch up with you next.
Week all, right my, friend have a good. One