Now back to Sofie and Dick. What's radio ninety three point three kJ RFN Washington Huskies, Seeattle, You're home for the Huskies, And oh my, oh my, what have we got here? Look at this? Look at you here? Remember about three two, three months ago. We're sitting here every week and Brian Schmetzer's on the show. Brian, how come you can't score? Brian? What's going on with the offense? Brian? How come you lost? Blah blah blah? And here we are a game away from
the Western Conference final. How about that? Jackson? It's amazing how things can change. Baby Well joining us right now on the radio show, the head coach of your sounders, FC Brian Schmetzer. Brian, how are you, Pelle? I'm softy after that intro? I'm fired up. I mean, let's go big game on Sunday. Big game, big, big game, big game. And I think I asked you this last week and I'll ask you again just everything that you went through, the fact that you're now
a game away from the conference final. Know man, do you take any time to kind of reflect on how you got here and the unbelievable bumpy road it took to get to this point. This stuffy. I've been doing this, you know, when I took over from Zig twenty sixteen. Halfway through twenty sixteen. That's it's been quite a while. This could be one of our best coaching jobs this year. We totally changed the way we've played in preseason. It worked great with some injuries. Christian came out, Jordan was
in the Gold Cup. We sat two designated players. I mean that's a pretty big move. But we've got everybody. We've got everybody firing, playing well, you know, thinking about another star, another championship. So this is one of our best coaching years. Nah, totally. And if you're saying that, then you know it's a great coaching job because I know how
humble you guys are. But doesn't matter, because all you have is just one match standing in the way now of you and the Western Conference Final, just one little match that you've played a thousand times before, and here you have a chance to win one and get to a chance to play for an appearance in the MLS Cup. But let me now ask you, now that we're past Dallas and onto LAFC on Sunday, how dumb does this new format
feel? In the MLS Cup playoffs, playing a three match series and then when the next round is supposedly double the importance, you go to one little match. Explain this to me how this in any world, Brian, makes sense. Well, I don't know if this is going to make sense to you, but this is what they said. They were trying to make it so that the top seeds wouldn't get upset in a one game, winner take all final, because that happened to us a couple of years ago against RSL.
You know, they were eight or nine, their eighth and we were second or whatever that was, and they played real negative and went to penalty kicks and we end up losing. So three game series, that was the That was the kind of gist of it. And then it goes to these one game series where there is overtime. It's not just like the ninety minutes and then pks. There will be ninety minutes overtime, thirty minute overtime if needed, then penalty kick. So that was what they explained to me.
Well, you know what, it makes sense. I get it that. You know, you don't want to let one team win one game, you know, just a one off and all of a sudden, one of your top season is out of the MLS Cup playoff tournament. I have no problem with that. I just think that you got to make it a three game series the entire stretch because you want to find out who the best team is, and the more matches they play, the more of data you'll have and
the more of an idea you'll have of who the better team is. But whatever, it doesn't matter because you guys are here now. LAFC. Let's talk about LAFC. Jackson's chopping at the bit to jump in here, so I'll be brief. Danny Bowonga one of the best players in the league. He's got thirty six goals across all competitions this season. Unbelievable player. Tell me about how you make sure this guy doesn't beat you by himself. On Sunday, Number one, Alex ruled in is gonna have his hands full.
Okay, number two, we are going number two, and look, I got plenty of confidence in Alex. He's shut down some players, he's had international competition with El Salvador. He's played against some top forwards, including Bowanga, earlier than the year. But it's gonna take a team effort. They've got Carlos Vela, they're kind of their center forward situation is kind of weird because they'll play Vella up there and their wingers at the guys at like running
behind. So we'll see who he lines up with. He's got some young kids, some younger young guys. It'll play as a number nine, but it'll take a team effort. Yeah, I'm all will have to watch Alex's back. Christian will have to come back and double team, which he does. You know, he helps his brother out there, so we've got some defensive schemes to counteract him. Coach Jackson here and I'm kind of kind of just you know, piggyback off of that you mentioned. Now, you know,
you're a great coaching job. I was talking to your assistant, Freddie Warrez last week and he was talking about LAFC and Buanga in that transition game. You kind of talked a little bit about their those schemes. But how different are those schemes And is the preparation for a team like LAFC compared to you know, you're running mill any other squad, you know, say Dallas
in the previous round. Do you have to prep and scheme differently for a team that plays like they do. Yeah, I would say the difference between LAFC and Dallas is maybe they had a few more horses. Uh, you know, they've got a little bit bigger payroll. I mean, Dallas has a bunch of young Ariola Ferrera. They're young, they comonga, they they got up and down the field. So that actually wasn't the worst preparation,
right, But what it is is LFC is just really really good. I mean they're the defending champs, so they got a little bit more, you know, a little bit more horsepower. Well, this is the third time you've played in this year. How much do you take from those previous two matches, even though the team looked a little different when you guys got together in the regular season. Yeah, yeah, not much. I mean the one game up here, I know, it was early in the season,
nil nil draw. It's like kissing your sister. Then we had the one nothing lost down there where we gave up a goal softie. I think it was in like twenty four seconds in the game. It's kind of a fluke.
It was a deflection got past Steph. Teams are evenly matched, they're evenly matched, so it should be a good game, Brian, considering the depth that you guys have, and now you mentioned how you can bring now Roll and Nico off the bench, two designated players if this match, if you can just close your eyes and imagine a situation where it's one one or two to two entering the seventieth minute and you have Raoul and Nico in your
chamber, how confident do you feel if this game is close or tied going into the final twenty or so minutes. I got a lot of weapons I can use some I can use some designated players, guys that have won championships for this club. I can bring them on in different circumstances, different situations. That's that's a For me personally, that's a that's a bonus. Yeah. Well, let's go back to the old reliable question that we can end
this thing with. When we're watching the match on Sunday nights, what needs to happen for all of us to feel like, Okay, maybe it's a nil nil game. The Sounders haven't scored yet, but this is happening and this means good things for the Sounders and the next maybe sixty five seventy minutes of action. Yeah, great question, because for all of your enthusiasm and all of my enthusiasm. Look, if we don't win, people will tell me I suck at what I what I would what I would tell you?
Softy is it? We're gonna come after him. Look, it's it's starting to rain. I know you guys are inside, but it's cold. Let's make sure it's rainy, windy the turf. We want to get on top of them early. We're gonna come out on the front foot. If we can pin them back and create chances, create chances, because that's what's important. And then the defenders we call it active defending. If we can shut down their transition moments, then I think we're going to have a good result.
I love it, all right, man, go get them on Sunday, ninety minutes away from the conference final. Man, get her done and we'll talk next week. All right, all right, take care, guys, see it all right, man, Brian Schmetzer with us, we're gonna break. Don't forget Sounders LAFC on Sunday six thirty over on nine point fifty a m. We're gonna break. Mike Holmgren, we'll join us his thoughts on the Hawks last week against the rams Niners on Thursday. Coming up Pond ninety three three kJ r f M