Listen to this He's an attacking threat, Brad Evans. This is so weird. The party has started. Hey, what's up, everyone? Welcome to another edition of the Sounders FC podcast. And this one now officially is at the season's conclusion. We're giving it some time, a couple of weeks.
We now know at the time of this reporting that the Galaxy did go on to win MLS Cup. And that's who ultimately the Sounders fell to. It was down there in Carson, California. The Sounders losing 1-0 to the LA Galaxy. So we're going to talk about that game. But there's so much more as well. This will be very conversational. Obviously, the Sound is announcing some of their roster decisions and intentions for the 2025 season. We now know your exact opponents for the Club World Cup.
coming here in 2025, summertime. Sounders have a pretty good group, see some real good games. And then just, yeah, our thoughts on the 2024 season. But we really can't start anywhere other than... the game in Carson, California. Sounders losing 1-0 to the Los Angeles Galaxy. I watched this game from Washington, but with a lot of Sounders fans. I did a viewing...
Don't even know. We did it at Victory Hall. Maybe I'm getting the name wrong. You're all right. You got it right, Steve. Victory Hall. And I would say, I mean, my numbers are not great. I would guess there was... 200 it was a very good turnout there was a lot a lot of rose and champagne drinking um marcus hanneman was there bad influence um diego was there
But, you know, Taylor Graham stopped by. I saw so many old faces I've not seen in so long. Just people who've been fans from day one. I mean, I had... You know what happened? I don't know how it was for you, Brad. The more you do these events now, you start to really... feel oldish in a sense where a lady came up to me and she was like you know um you my daughter was born the week you were dropped something like that and it's just like oh well
now that kid probably is like two three years away from college so it's like um crazy but the mood was great the anticipation was great we really felt We might get some from the game. As the game unfolded, I think it kind of played out maybe how I probably would have expected as a neutral, where we didn't offer much offensively, didn't give too much up defensively, but we were more so...
I like LAFC where we kind of, you're waiting for the moment and in LAFC, Jordan provided it. It's like, we needed a moment. We needed a moment where someone did something and it just never materialized. And then their star player, Ricky Puj, on a torn ACL, apparently, gets a great assist. And then they get the gold. And that was enough. So, disappointing. End of the season. But he lost to the eventual champions.
But just your general thoughts on that game itself, Brad. It sounded, you know, you can't really complain too much, but it was there. I don't think Galaxy was spectacular. Yeah, it was there. I mean, the Sounders game plan worked out really, really well. I mean, they kept, you know, the Galaxy off the board for 85, 86 minutes. And to do that has been almost an impossible task this year for, you know, the rest of the league.
And the Sounders did that for the majority of the season against them. Right. It was a one nothing loss early on in the year, I think, down in L.A. in a fifth or six minute goal. And then, you know, you get a couple of results throughout the season against the Galaxy. So I think.
You know, the Galaxy were obviously flying high at home. And I think if this game was played in Seattle, I think the Sounders find themselves on the other side of that victory. So it just goes to show how important the regular season really is when it comes to if you want to make a run in the playoffs. Here's proof.
the pudding the galaxy did it they had home field advantage all the way through and they end up winning a championship no surprise there calling that game it it actually there wasn't too much excitement that went back it wasn't like it was back and forth keepers making saves
offensive players providing, you know, that real spark throughout the majority of this one. Steph got called on early to make that save down to his right on the Jovalich right-footed effort. But other than that, I mean, it went by really fast, though. So it had that... championship feel where yeah maybe there's not too much going on but it did feel like there was always something to talk about it felt as though
You know, the Sounders were trying to piece together this game plan, but it just didn't come off. You know, you have a guy in Georgie who gets his start in a championship game. He did pretty well. You kind of give your hats off to him in providing a little bit of spark, a little bit of danger going forward. And on the flip side, you had De La Vega, who...
early on in the first half had a decent cross that kind of just evaded a couple Sounders attacking players. But save for that, there wasn't too much going forward in terms of attack from the Sounders. And when you look at the... the flip side for the galaxy you've got um you know the two wingers who play 90 minutes plus and at any time they're going to be the ones that are going to be the game changers and
When you sprinkle in Pooj with that mix, I mean, it's a dangerous attack, and you just can't put your guard down for half a second. And so the Galaxy come out victorious. Sounders obviously disappointed on the flight home and after that game, thinking that they could have gotten more out of that one.
And I think that they felt disappointed that they were that close to hosting MLS Cup. That's the toughest part, right? You're five minutes away from potentially, I think if the Sounders would have hung on, I think they...
Pooj probably gets subbed. He's not going to go another 30 minutes. And then the Sounders can find a little bit of something. But that being said, I mean, they come home and without Pooj, they win an MLS Cup at home. So it's a good team, top to bottom. The Galaxy hats off. They did well to...
rebuild that squad you just hate to see them get their sixth right you'd love for the sounders to have gotten their third and just be within striking distance within the next five to ten years to to you know catch up to them but um it's a tough one And now the Sounders, the toughest part about that is within, you know,
Two days I was you know down at the facility on Monday and the guys are already cleaning out their lockers doing exit physicals guys are Being let know that you know, they're no longer gonna be a part of this But this happened to you records you went to roto
It's every team. It's every team. The further you go, the less time you're going to have of actual off-season where they need to give you decisions. So you've experienced that where you played in a final and within 48 hours, guys who helped you get there are being let go.
or being kept on like that's a very it's very unique in that way it's very unique and and the fact that the galaxy won on saturday and then they have to turn around now the sounders clinched the spot to play concaf champions cup Now preseason starts even earlier, right? We're talking the second weekend of January. So we're already...
You know, we are a month out, less than a month out, I think, from when the Sounders report for preseason. So those decisions have to come fast and fast, and the Sounders have to have that game plan to push forward. There's a lot of rumors going around right now. Maybe we can touch on those in a couple of weeks, but it's the toughest part about being a pro, right? And I will say that I was down in Phoenix with the MLS Players Union this past weekend. So I was there Sunday, Monday, Tuesday.
and the whole workshop is about it's a lot of retired guys mostly but there are some current players as well that are kind of on their way out And it's about, you know, working with sport recruiters. It's about panels about real estate. It's about continuing education, fast tracking your MBA. And I think as we push forward and evolve as a league, like. Yes, you have to be ready for that two days later, knowing that you might not be playing at all anymore.
And so doing the work as a player also, I think the thing that was echoed throughout this whole conference was you got to start now and figuring out what you want to do next. Because at any moment, you know, a team could come and say, hey, you know, we no longer want your services.
And some teams are starting in a month. And that narrows your search down for a potential team to even get on their roster. And it's a tough place to be in. And that quick of a turnaround is, you know, it's unlike any other sport. and now the Sounders have had to make some tough decisions, and the roster, right, with the Club World Cup coming up next year, that's going to be the biggest change and the biggest shift.
I think it's the biggest off-season in years. I really do. I really think it's a... I think this team needs some shaking up. You just need it. We've ran it back a few times and Schmetz and his staff have just done a great job. I don't think any of us in the dog days...
of the early days of the season would have foresaw a situation where we are one win away from hosting MLS Cup. That was not on my bingo card. I was not in that position. So I sent him a message just saying just how good... of a job he's done and i think the sound of his roster is good it's solid can definitely be upgraded and a lot of these players you know they were there in 2019 final
and things like that. And you look around the league, so many teams have changed. The Galaxy is a good model of it, where they've just revamped and slowly, slowly, year by year, have bought in the right pieces. Now they've got a championship team. New York is there. They're coming. I don't think Columbus is going away. Miami goes and gets smashed around.
It's like the league is not stopping. And I think if you're the Sounders, you want to stay in that upper echelon, which some way, somehow they've done. I do think this is a massive off season. We saw a glimpse of it last year. where the Daryl was let go, we have probably, I'm going to stand on the side of St. Seen, the last of Raul Ruiz Diaz in a rave green shirt, and there's going to be more.
you have to also bring in reinforcements that are going to actually make a difference. You need that. So Craig, Sean Anderson, Schmetz, you know, ownership, all got to get together. I'm sure they have already and probably are doing so right now and figure out.
What strategy is in place? Are you going for proven guys, young guys? We've kind of seen it with De La Vega where they went for the young guy, had a bunch of injuries, so hopefully he's got a fresh signing next year. It is a very young squad. You need maybe a bit more experience there in some areas. I think you need attacking reinforcements.
I think it's too much on Jordan right now with him and Albert have to do something. If him or Albert don't score, the team doesn't score. Yeah. Where does Raul rank for you in all-time Sounders? Strikers or just all time? All time. So my all time sounder.
It's Nico Lodero. That's my all-time sounder. I just think with him, there's a very clear before and after. He came in at that period when he came in. I think you guys were playing the 4-2-3-1. He kind of was on the right. He used to always tuck in. I know he used to just run around the whole pitch and just...
He was every third touch of the ball somehow. And he was just special. He brought excitement back. The team was really down before he came. He lifted that team. Clint was on his way out. So, Nico, for me, totality, is like the best player.
I've seen on the Sounders is Oba. That's the best player. I don't think anyone's ceiling could do what Oba could do. In training and games, I don't think anybody scored the goals he scored, couldn't do it by himself. He's just the best player. But Sounder is Nico Ledero. Probably Chad Marshall, second for me, in terms of the quality I saw. He changed things overnight. He just came in and was just like, oh, this guy's been in forever. I've not seen a defender of that level. Ozzy?
Ozzy second, Chadford. Let me say that. And then I'll say Steph Ryze in there and I'll say Raul's probably right there as well. Yeah. Same. I mean, if you think about just his impact and purely. Top five, yeah. A striker's rated off goals scored and it didn't get any better.
than raul when when he was in his prime here with the sounders i just i just loved the signing of going to liga mx and getting a proven goal score there and then you knew that he was he was going to be good in major league soccer he was feared by everyone everyone for for three or for three years probably right consistently wins championship
CONCACAF Champions League. They forget, because we forget the last two years. Raul, Raul, he used to work defensively, pressure people, was a team player. I mean, he was like the consummate striker for Major League Soccer. It was like him. Atlanta had Joseph Martinez. I think it was those two who really ran the league for a couple of years there. Castellanos in New York City.
Yeah, yeah. At that time. Yeah, he's slowed down. Age happens to everyone, but he's in the top five sounders all the time. He has to be. I mean, he's phenomenal. Listen, it's last year or so. Yeah, he's not been what he's been. Happens to everyone. But in his prime, I mean.
what a player like and his goal rate is ridiculous yeah yeah he was he was unreal and one that should be celebrated and hopefully he Hopefully he doesn't – I just hope that he doesn't feel hard done, and in a couple years he'll kind of reflect and understand, and he'll hopefully come back and accept a golden scarf and, you know. be a sounders legend um yeah he'll keep playing somewhere i don't know if it'll be within mls um yeah i mean you know bruce arena has has
Taking over San Jose and said, this is my team. And they've been doing very vocal about how San Jose has been for years. And that's great. I think, you know, if Bruce comes in and makes a big difference, I could see him going to a place like. Like San Jose, that's kind of in a rebuilding year. And he's a proven goal scorer in this league that if given the right tools, if he feels like he's the man he's going to produce. And they've got, I mean, attacking-wise, they were okay, right?
If he can partner with, I don't know if Obobese is going to be re-signed there, but if he can partner with someone there and get service from wide-wing play, I think he can still be. He just doesn't fit into the Sounders' plans and where the Sounders are headed. I think, like you said, the Sounders right now are looking at the next three to five years on what they can become. And it starts with this year, though, with Champions Cup.
a club world's cup what do you think on jp i mean i i would love to have a guy like him on on my roster just because of the amount of games he knows the system um But he's going to have to take a significant salary cut to be on my squad and playing time. And he's got to be okay with that. But, you know.
Rumors are rumors. I don't know what's going to happen at the end of the day. You always play hardball, but you have four weeks until preseason. You can't be a guy who's playing hardball and then all of a sudden... you know you find yourself two weeks out of the start of preseason and not feel settled and that can play a lot into you know kind of where you where you end up um and then rusnak obviously you know i want to i want to kind of
reflect on Kenny Cooper's time in Seattle because he was such a huge part in 2014 obviously led us along with a number of other players to a supporter shield and you know Kenny wanted his contract honored his option the sounder said no here's two or three years at a lesser salary and we'll guarantee some of those years and he made the decision to say no and you know the career kind of tailspin after that
Players have to think about that, that at your age, I always thought it was better to take the guaranteed money, even if it's a little bit less. I have to put my clout to the side and say, I got two kids. My family's comfortable here. It's a good team. It's a good organization. I got all the resources in the world. Do I ultimately want to play? There's another side to it too, though, Brad, and you and I were probably on this side more often than not, where you knew your options being picked up.
Right. Yeah, there's that side of it too. I'm optioned, but I played a good year. I think after my first two years, I went into options. I forget what it was, but... The guy wasn't worried that it wasn't going to get picked up until it wasn't. Man, I need to talk to you. Well, look, this goes back to what we just talked about in Arizona. It's like nothing is guaranteed even when it is guaranteed. Yeah.
It was like, I saw the writing on the ward. That 2013 team was self-destructing. I knew they were going to clean house. I'm like, I've had my injury. I'm not quite feeling the same. I'm like, I got, actually for the first time ever, called my agent. I called Rich.
I've got to go to, I've never done this. I just used to clean my locker out, go to England, enjoy a couple of beers and then come back preseason knowing I'll be back. Now this year, I'm not going to be back. Yeah. And MLS has become, MLS has become more cutthroat on the business.
side right a 30 year old when we were playing was considered still in their prime and now you're looking at rusnak as 30 years old and everyone's thinking hey he's getting towards the tail end of his career it's changed it has changed so
I mean, I think he's a fantastic player. He had a career year. And if he can produce that next year, those are DP-level numbers. Let's make no mistake about it. Now... you kind of just have to play the if and but what if scenario yeah because if it's the last year of your contract of course you want to maximize your your potential earning yeah but also do you want to play you know
The Sounders are probably going to play 40-plus games this year. Right? Yeah. And maybe Albert's thinking, hey, I'll take a little bit of a pay cut, get two years guaranteed, maybe two plus one. and be here for a long time. And I'll get, maybe I play 25, 30 games this year. And the Sounders roster is built so that he doesn't have to play, you know, 40 plus.
It's a tough one for me, for Albert. Yeah, it's true. There are both sides. You have a side for sure where he knows if he wants to be on the team he can. It's just, what does that look like? and for the team. Exactly. And yeah, yeah. And then I've never been in a position where you know your days are numbered and probably what Raul felt at one point and you're like, hey, my time is done. I was not in that position. I don't think this will happen.
I really, really, really, really, and I just think, I think the Sounders need to get a number nine. I do. And it sounds crazy off the year Jordan just had. I still think for how good he can be on the left. or you go out and get, I'm saying, a lights-out winger. One or the other has to happen. You can't get one or the other. Jordan's going to stay at nine, which is fine. He scored the goals.
Preki knows more than me in a sense. And he's like, no, he's legit. We're trying to convince him about the 26th World Cup. I'm not with Jordan every day. I don't see him. The numbers back it up. I love Jordan. I still think Jordan was an MLS best 11 winger. just a couple of years ago, whatever it was, and he was fantastic, can still do it. If Jordan insists he must play nine, give it to him. They've got to get out and get a game. That's what Galaxy did. They've got wingers. I mean...
You had the one kind of six-month period a couple of years ago where Leo True was doing that. It makes a difference. I think Georgie Stoney's time is not there yet. There'll be inconsistencies. But guys, you can really...
high level, young DP level, I guess, impact level players, what probably Pedro was supposed to be and might still become, you've got to be looking in that ballpark for the Sounders. Some of the games you've got coming up, the competition. Yeah, you can't be the Sounders and say, what Pedro might be or what Georgie might be. It's time now. It's got to be a proven, proven winger that's going to get you.
you know if he can take the load off albert maybe you see albert even progress further exactly like it was columbus that when they were trying to rebuild they went and got diego rossi when they lost Zeller Ryan. Like, Rossi had been doing it in LAFC, went overseas, and then they were looking, and they got a guy who had done it in the league. There was no guessing if he can do it.
they went and got Diego Rossi, you know, it's like, I don't know, I don't know what, I think he's, I think he's tied to Miami. Players like Gressel, those kind of guys really interest me sometimes. You've just been there and, you know, he seems to, a player of that...
Guys who've done it within MLS, they are there too. It's hard to know where. I think defensively we're okay. I think we can all agree we're probably okay. Steph maybe has one more year, I would say, at that level. I mean, it happens too. That goes quick too. I think goalkeepers... play longer and always have. So I'm not too worried about that department. I mean, Yemov looks great. Jackson's great. Maybe you get another third. I'm not sure what they do there. New who's under contract.
Well, John Bell's still here. I mean, no one got selected in the expansion draft. So they have options in the back. worry defensively at all offensively we need to yeah and offensively that's it to be to win a championship or to advance in these tournaments um it's gonna have to be vital yeah
for these guys to progress. And I'm excited for Georgie to have a full preseason to be part of the first team from the jump. And I think that those are good pieces. But like you said, it's got to be a full-on...
you know, six or seven goals a season from a winger and 10 assists. Someone that can cut in and be a threat to goal. You need it, man. It's got to be. You need it. It's got to be. It's what you need at this point. Because speaking of all of that, we're... saying there's some big games coming up i'm pulling up here because the sounders were drawn in group b of the club world cup and the group of death honestly the best one it's the best one
So, you know, we've played these caliber teams before, but not in this level of meaning, really. Like, the games mean something, right? And then they've expanded it. So, let's go to Madrid. Diego Simone's Madrid, who have been...
one of the top teams for the last 15 years or so. You know, who knows who will be on the roster at the time, but, you know, Griezmann, you think of that right away. You know, Julen Alvarez, World Cup winner. I mean, those guys coming here will be great. PSG, you know, coached by Luis Enrique, one of the great coaches.
our time. There's a team that had Mbappe name on Messi just a couple of years ago. So they attract that kind of player. They've had Zlatan. It's a very high level team. And then Brazilian team Botafogo. It's a good team in Brazil. That's the Saunders group. They did have no favors with that group. But honestly, you've got to be feeling good. We were there in 2009 in those first... If you said, look...
At some point in this club's history, you're going to play real games against the world's best on this field. You'll take it. i would have laughed at you i would have laughed at you we were playing ventura i mean that's what that was what we like come on yeah this is crazy but yeah wow i mean i'm i'm like if if i'm georgie i'm i'm licking my chops to play psg
Because I think that he can reach that level if he... And maybe he's not a starter at PSG. I'm just saying like that. If he goes into that game and provides any sort of attacking prowess... you know, shows something. Everyone in the world is watching this tournament. Every club team, every scout.
Every player is going to sit down and watch this. And if you show any sort of spark as players, if we watch games, even a preseason game, right, we go down and watch preseason games when we're not playing and you see a player and within the first five minutes, you're like. oh yeah this guy's good and now the games mean something yeah
Now the games actually hold some weight and can provide some context to not only just where MLS is at, but where individual players are at in their career. And with his ties to... You know, obviously being an international player. I got to be so excited about that. And that has got to be my drive and my motivating factor as kind of like my North Star. Yeah, I want to compete and I want to play in every game. If he's getting a good run of games and then steps into that one and is...
you know, the fifth best player on the field and actually provide something in that setting, that's massive for a player. And if I'm the Sounders, I'm licking my chops like, okay, see ya. If I'm Obed and I'm playing against Botafogo and...
That's the standard for me. And I'm thinking I want to make the jump in a year or whatever it is. You saw it with DeAndre. Yeah. Right. DeAndre played against Tottenham in a game that didn't mean anything. And all of a sudden they're having conversations up in a suite. Hey, who's this kid? Yeah. See you. Bye. You're gone. And that's kind of the type of player that DeAndre was. A young, explosive. There's a future there.
Now it means something. If I have a halfway decent game, some of these guys might be gone. And maybe that's the shift that MLS has needed is something like this. And it's just going to be a spectacle. The Sounders. or lumen field will host six games overall and this place is going to be rocking and uh i'm i'm just stoked for it and excited for the guys so piggyback on your point it takes you back to the summer of 2022 and we're having these conversations around new with the world cup coming up
we were saying you're going to get to play against Neymar and Brazil and if you show and I think at that time there was some talk that Nuhu may be trying to showcase himself and so yeah I think Georgie absolutely these guys have to be thinking about it you have the draw you've got so many months to prepare for it and these are going to be massive games going to be sellouts, hopefully. I mean, yeah, just, I mean...
I, for myself, as a Sounders fan, to be in there and watching Sounders play against Atletico Madrid is going to be crazy. That's going to be like... We've always asked, how good is our league? What's the level? What's that? Well, we're going to get a pretty good taste now in a game that means something.
You can play Barcelona and Madrid in preseason, but they're here on half vacation, half getting themselves fit, not trying to get injured. This is going to be the real, real deal. And if you progress... Who knows who you may face? I mean, because in the competition, you have Bayern Munich will be here. I'm looking at Flamengo, historical team, FC Porto's here. I mean, River Plate. Well, look, you know, I went to Morocco and it was, you know.
win or go home situation. It's a 1-0 loss, first game of the season, basically three weeks out of the start of preseason. If you face that team halfway through the year or towards the last third, I think you beat that team.
3-1, 3-2, something like that. Reminder that if the Sounders would have won that game, they would have played Real Madrid in the next game. I also think that this new format... the Sounders will be able to now, in the first game, get a taste for what they're in for and then make adjustments and get a couple results, hopefully, right?
I just think the new tournament setup is actually a proper tournament. It's not just who can get to the final fastest. And hopefully we see the best out of the Sounders. But it's all going to...
They're not going to do well with the current roster in the state that it's in. And that's the thing. That's what I'm saying. You have to... It's nothing against who's there, but you're watching where the league's going, what's coming around the corner. You have to revamp. You have to. And I'm talking like proven.
I don't know what they can do within the league. I know this is not confirmed yet, but I know MLS is talking about possibly changing some of the trade limitations within the league itself, where you can just kind of offer... almost like half trade, half transfer fee almost. And I think, I forget which MLS writer covered that. But I don't know that that's the CBA where that's at. But you've got to give more mechanisms for teams. If you're going to have these kind of competitions, help them.
We've spoken about it for years where we're struggling against Mexican teams in the Champions League. And we need to help. Our rosters were not big enough. There wasn't enough money. The league's... did help. And you've seen MLS teams now begin to compete way more in the CONCACAF Champions League. And on the global stage, they need help. And the Sounders roster as is, it's got to get better. You have to have to improve. And on the attacking side, I think, because goals output last two years.
Hasn't been where it should be. Credit to Jordan. And Albert carries a load this year. But if they're off, then what? That's my fear at this point. And you've got to be able to have three, four, five guys who can attack you and score from anywhere. And that's what the best teams in this league do. So that's the club World Cup. It's coming next summer. June 15th against Botafogo. June 19th, Atletico Madrid. And then June 23rd, PSG.
And my dad's birthday is June 22nd, and he is a huge PSG fan, so I have to make sure he wears Sounders gear. There you go. That's wow. That's brilliant. That's absolutely brilliant. Well, that's pretty much that on the Sounders. Any sort of last words on the 24 season as a whole? We look back, you know, we talk so much in football about, again, I'm not of the opinion that the successful team is a team that won it only.
You can have other teams, there are other successful teams in MLS this year. Maybe you progressed from last year, you weren't as bad as you were, things like that. I think if you're the Sounders... Because you're the Sounders, we judge, and I've always been judged, internally first, and then I went externally by trophies. Since day one, Ziggy came in and was like, we have to win something. Winning that first Open Cup up in D.C.
Sort of set the tone for what we got a taste of. Oh, yeah. Winning trophy actually feels good. Then we did it again. And then again, like back to back to back. And then has gone on to win every single trophy that's on available. Didn't win a trophy this year. Didn't win a trophy.
But got to the pretty much semifinal, so the Western Conference final. Lost to the eventual winner. Made a deep run in the Open Cup. Lost to LAFC. And... really with a team that was fighting some injuries, lack of form early in the season, and then found their way, you know, halfway through the season.
Is it still a failure? I hate that word because it seems so hot. I know the blood, sweat and tears that goes into sports. Then look at Christian Rodano and says, you failed. I can't do that. Because I feel like there's a lot of success that was this year. Ultimately, we fell short. That's fair.
But I don't view the season as a failure. Well, listen, at the end of a season, you know, you have chats with your agent. I think any player for the Sounders would feel like it's a failure. And you have to remember that agents are then, they don't just have one player.
There's only two teams that make the final, four teams that make the conference semis. And so now you're talking about hundreds of other players that have failed in their season. And so for the Sounders to look at this as a failure is... I mean, it's crazy. But also when I was down in Phoenix talking with, you know, guys that are now working for companies that are placing GMs and scouts throughout the league and working on team culture. And when they asked me that question.
All I can say is like, you know, we have higher standards. Yes, it was a good run. But I think everyone within the organization has been so used to winning that it's not a failure. but it certainly doesn't feel good. And everyone echoes that, well, you guys have higher standards than every other team, right? The standard that has been set by... the club and by its fans is higher than just reaching a conference semifinal, which is crazy. And that's just what we've built here.
And if you would have asked any other team to be in this position, one out of every five, six years, they'd look at it as a success. But we have built this and now we have to, you know, that's why Schmetz is here. Because he knows the standard and he can handle that pressure and get this team to where it needs to be. And he fits culturally within what the city means, within what the team means, and within what the standard is for this club.
And yeah, you could say, oh, let's bring in so-and-so, but they won't have a pulse and a beat on what it means to get this team to the top necessarily. And that just says a lot about the club and the way that he's been able to manage this group of players and bring them from the worst start. Let's not forget the worst start that the Sounders have ever had in MLS era to then a conference championship.
It's not how you start, it's how you finish. And there's a reason why these adages are, they last the test of time. If you read any coaching book, right? It's not how you start. It's how you finish. Defense wins championships or at least gets you really close. That's just that's why they are, you know, the sayings that they are that every coach uses. Yeah, no, I agree wholeheartedly. I think on one hand, the job Schmetz has done, not just this year, in totality. I don't know that.
since the day he was hired to, and now there's been a better coach overall in MLS, consistency-wise, trophy-wise, how many finals he's been to, four finals, two wins in MLS Cup-wise, won the Champions League, playoffs every year except one, top three in the world. It's just, it goes on and on and on, and he's lost so many players.
along the way. Not yourself, Chad Marshall, Ozzy, Clint, guys who were cornerstones of the franchise, as he's had to replace and has. And this year, he did it with, oh, bad, Paul Ruffrock. Joshua Tensio. Guys who are so young, a lot of them are inexperienced, playing so many major minutes, and we didn't see it coming out of nowhere. Jackson Reagan, who's come out of nowhere now, he's got this new contract, he's an established guy who could be an MLS best 11, you know, perennially going forward.
And credit to Schmitz and his staff for doing that. But he would be on here saying, yes, we failed. I know him already. Yeah, for sure. We failed. That's how he is. So, you know, that's how Schmitz is. sounders 2024 season it fell short
As it has before for us against the Galaxy. They're one team who we've punched each other in the mouth a few times over the years. This time they got the upper hand. But congrats to them. They won in front of their fans. They got to experience that. They did it the right way. Greg Vanney, obviously. People always forget that Greg Vanney was...
was an announcer here in 09, inaugural year. I think he was doing stuff for King 5, things like that. So Greg was always around. Really good guy, Greg. And then he went to Toronto, built a good team, and now he's doing it again. So he's obviously a very good coach. He's done that. But the Sounders offseason will be interesting. Let's see. There's lots of rumors and stuff out there. Let's see what materializes. We all agree.
in these reinforcements. And hopefully that does come our way. I want to say for me, if we have indeed, which we probably have seen the last of Raul, just no, thank you for the memories. Just the goals that come to mind. Just enough for us, the one in Austin. There was one in...
Philly this year, won against Atlanta a few years ago. I can just start reading them off. He's the best striker to have played for the Sounders, and we've had some good ones. And Raul's the top five Sounders of all time. When you're talking about using line for statues, he's in that conversation. I think so. But...
It's football. It happens. We saw it with Nico last year, Raul this year. If not JP this year, it'll be JP next year. It happens. Legends come and go. And then you have to just reinforce and keep moving on. Keely, I have no idea. Are we recording next week? We should. We should, yeah. It's preseason right around the corner, guys. There's no break. It's coming and we should. Yeah, okay. We're going to keep going. Okay, so we'll be back next week. Hopefully.
a bit more movement i think the sounders can't wait they've got to kind of move quick because yeah as brad said like it's dead these guys will be back here training for real um very very soon so we'll be back um to cover any and everything that's happened that way um we'll see if we can get some like we did last year for kind of an end of season
sit down yeah we'll reach out to schmetz and just see because he's pretty good about that we'll come on and see his thoughts um on the season obviously we had precky and andy rose in recent weeks um but let's get the big dog on and see um yeah pick his mind a little bit um but we'll be back next week as always comment, like, subscribe, wherever you get your podcasts. This has been the Sounders FC Podcast.