Listen, how are you? Man? We got a lot to talk about. Here, got the playoffs, you got the Nico la Darrel thing. I gotta be honest, The Nico Ladaro thing kind of like surprised everybody, right, like it came out of nowhere. Is if there's some guy that is not happy with the amount of coverage he's getting. His name's not in the news as much as it used to be, and all of a sudden he just says, you know what, I'm gonna quit after this year.
It was kind of random. Man, How did you respond to that whole thing? Well, I've been responding to it for you know, some time. I mean, look, I've known Nico wasn't completely happy for a while. You know, he started with a new formation earlier this year, and you know it was a little bit of a change to what he was used to, but it was good for the team, you know. And it looks he accepted it at first, and he still accepts it now. But
he just wants now. I guess he wants to move and he wants to change, and he wants to say, you know, yeah, my time is up here in Seattle. It is, you know, it is, or maybe I should say, Softie, it was a distraction. I actually think that internally guys, Nico kind of told some guys that he wasn't happy and wasn't coming back. So actually putting it out there and just getting it over with, I don't think that's the worst thing in the world. Was
it something you knew about before we all found out about it. Well, we knew about it in the sense Dick that you know, he wasn't happy and he said some things. But you never know these days, you never know if that's a negotiating tactic, if you know the agent was, you know, saying hey, look we can we can get some attention, we can get some stuff. Maybe the sounders the conversations weren't going to the way they thought the conversation should be going. So there was always a little bit
part of me that said, maybe he'll come back. Maybe he'll maybe he's just blustery, bluffing, you know, but but he's sticking to his word as of now. Yeah, if he decided, you know what, I changed my mind. I went and saw my shrink, I went and talked to my friends and family. I changed my mind. I want to come back, but I want to be a starter. Would you go for that? I can't guarantee starting times, Softy, you can't do that. Yeah, yeah, all right, fair enough? Dallas Dallas coming up. Now,
let's talk about Dallas. Two draws, one to one draws in the regular season against them. When you go to bed at night and your head hits the pillow and you're thinking about Dallas and the matchup on Monday, what are you thinking about down there? Jordan Morris had a monster gang could have won it in the ninety second minute if he makes that pass and knew who appear. I thought we were on top of them. We controlled large parts
of the game. But they're a dangerous team. So you know, this status is, you know, funny in some ways because they're undefeated in nine matches. They're last nine. They're undefeated, but they've only got two wins and seven draws. It's kind of like us. I mean, we were undefeated last day. We got a few more wins tacked on there. But you know, they're hard to beat and they're a young team. They like to get up and down the field, so it'll be a tough match,
Softy, But you know, I'm confident in our guys. So they draw most of their games and you draw drew twice against them. And now we've got a rule that penalty kicks are going to decide draws instead of overtimes. Do you like that rule in the playoffs? Yeah, the new best of three series. Because you know, our sport, we demand a lot from our athletes. We can't go into thirty minutes of extra time and then penalty
kicks and then turn around on short rest and play again. So these games they go ninety minutes if there's if there's no winner after ninety minutes, they go straight to pens. And I'll let you know to pick. I'll let you know how I like the new rule. Obviously, it's a new change from years past when it was one and done. So let's just see. I think penalty kicks doesn't necessarily give any team a real queer advantage. I
think we get great goalkeeper from Steph. I've got some killer penalty kick takers on my team, so I'll be confident if it does go to penalties. Brian, you mentioned Stephan Fry there, and I found this out through a very angry Jackson Feltz twitter account post the other day when the MLS announced their finalists for the Goaltender of the Year, the Goalkeeper of the Year in the MLS, and Steph Frye was not on that list. How did you respond
to that? Actually, in this particular occasion, Jackson does know what he's talking about. Wow, I'd take it as a little bit of a snub. I don't know Steph's going to be diplomatic, but he's got fourteen clean sheets. You name one goalkeeper that makes the timely say, makes the big say when his team needs it the most. You you show me any clip of goalkeepers, it does as much for our success as Stephen fry and he's yet to be nominating for this award. Brian, those two games against Dallas
that you referred to, were they similar in style? I mean, were they defensive and you guys both squeaked out a goal or were they more offensive games that you know, the goalies did a nice job keeping it at one one now the one up here, The one up here was a little more defensive for them away from home. I can't remember the exact details that we were on top of them. I thought Dick for large parts of the game down there when we played him in Dallas no, they came after us.
I mean, I fully expect Nico to have his guys ready. They're not going to just sit back and play for penalties. If that's the question, I think they got too good of a team to do that. But we'll see, Well, how do you decide? Brian Schmetchel's with us so because this is going straight to penalty kicks, and I'm with you. You know, it's new. We'll see what it feels like and looks like when the whole thing is over. I mean, as long as it benefits you guys,
I'm totally here with it. By the way, But when you do go to penalty kicks, do you have an idea in your head before the game of the five guys you want to go to? Do you kind of maybe sense that during the game? You do that on the fly when the when regulation time is over. How do you figure that out? Yeah? I always I always have a list in my head. But then you know, all ask guys if they feel good, if they feel confident. You never know, some of them might have picked up a knock. You know,
we've got an awesome lineup penalty kick takers. The more interesting question, Softy is how do I get, you know, a f you guys on the field, if they're subs, like Raoul's great at you know, penalties, he's got to come on. If Nico doesn't start, you know, he's got to come on. You know. Freddie Montero doesn't miss a bears pretty good at him. I've got j T. I've got Albert Rusnak, i got Jordan Morris. I mean, I've got a bunch of guys that
can take penalties. Is this as healthy as you've been all year? And is there anybody you're worried about right now health wise? I'm not worried about anybody health wise. It was a bummer, I'd say this. It was a bummer that young reed Baker white and did get injured because he's been really on an uptick. He's a promising young talent. So that's the only injury. It is unfortunate. But the rest of the squad, they're all good.
Yeah. Does it bother you that of the three games that are scheduled in this series that the one game that's scheduled for Dallas is on a weekend and your games are on weekdays. Is that something that you kind of throw those doesn't bother me as much as it bothers our front office. I mean, we got to play after the Seahawks, and you know it's it's tough that field guys will be doing extra overtime to get transfer the field, switch the field out. But you know they always do a good job. Blumenfield
as a good crew. But yeah, I mean it was better. Look, Monday is better than playing on Halloween on Tuesday, Yeah, no doubt. Hey, by the way, how did you propose to your wife? Well, I took her out and treated her right and put a big shining rock on her finger. I mean, you know I did some good things. But no strippers, are right, that's good. No blue face, no blue no no no rap songs, no nothing. You know I love it. All right, go get him and we'll talk soon. Buddy,
appreciate this pout. Okay, take care, guys,