Coming to you live from Orellion Avenue Studios of Sports Radio ninety three point three KJRFM. This is Sounders Weekly with your host Jackson Felts.
Good evening, everybody, Welcome into the season ending edition here of Sounders Weekly. Jackson Felts here for the next hour talking all things Sounder soccer as the season has come to an end a one nothing loss in the Western Conference Final down in Los Angeles against the Galaxy. It was one single mistake by Alex roll Don that cost the Sounders their goal. Ricky Pooge finds to John Joviolch and Djoviovich puts it past Stephen Fry who did get
a hand to it. But it is the goal in the eighty fifth minute that ends the Sounders season, and obviously the one two zero, the nothing part of that is going to be a big discussion point as we talk about that game and that season that has concluded, and also what's ahead for the Sounders, and we are bringing in a whole room of voices to break down we're building the roundtable, the exact roundtable that we built at the end of last season here in studio tonight
is our good friend here from KJR. You've heard him many times, Andrews hurstandards. Good to have you on it back again. Thanks for bringing me back, Jackson.
I am good to know that I didn't fully get rid of all of my good connections here with Sounders weekly, so.
Not nearly and then showing us again here from El Poso and Sounder a heart, it's our friend. You can follow him on Twitter at l Rolo NW. Nico Moreno's back, Nico, thanks for coming in.
Hey, what's going on?
Mom?
And Jacks of course Anders and that lovely audience of KJR that I just love to be a part of. So man exciting times, even though there was some you know a little bit of that heart heartbreak, heartbreak, but you know, it's still exciting. I'm excited. I thought it was an exciting m Liss playoff overall. So it's excited to be on and talk about you know what's ahead.
Yeah, we're just talking. We'd planned this and we were we had scheduled this out. Wish I'm thinking, Okay, we're the four of us, I'll talk an MLS cup. Let's go four of us because on the phone in about fifteen minutes will be Ari Lillianwall. We had him planned to be here like he was last year and be eating pizza with us, but he is still hob knopping with the glitterati down in Los Angeles because he's I.
Believe media day right now.
He's gonna go and actually step aside out of the hotel and join us over the phone in about fifteen minutes, but he is at MLS Cup for mlscoccer dot com and the podcast Lobbing Scorcheres. Ari will join us from Los Angeles in about fifteen minutes, where I'll have to tell him to stop talking to Don Garber for ten minutes.
All right, gentlemen, We're gonna separate this show into three segments, as we always do, but specifically, I want to take this first for the three of us here in studio to talk about the one nothing loss to the Galaxy that ended this season. When Ari's on, I want to broaden the conversation and talk about the season overall. I want to play a clip from Craig Wible talking about if the season was a success or not it was not a success to Brian Schmidzer. You'll hear from the
GM as well. We will discuss it and talk about just overall thoughts on what was a very interesting twenty twenty four campaign. Ari will hop back off so he can go talk to Don Garber some more, and the three of us will wrap it up by talking about the offseason ahead and what the Sounders need to do, which will also feature audio from Craig Wibel, who says, I'm gonna spoil it right now. They need to pick up attackers, and we are going to be talking about
that extensively tonight. But we do start with the one nothing loss and the mistake that was and Nico. It really does break my heart the fact that it is one moment defensively on the team that was the best defensive team in Major League Soccer thirty five goals against. And it's Alex stroll Don, one of the most short up people on this entire team really, who rarely ever.
Makes a mistake.
It's his mistake and his giveaway that cost the Sounders that goal that they end up losing by.
Yeah, especially when this Sounders team was playing a near perfect game. I mean I was impressed with how well they managed the entirety of that attack. I mean they limited Gabriel Peck was a no show basically. I mean he was locked down by by knew who you got to credit him, especially because he did not practice with the team. He had an illness that it's mystery illness still, but you know, we know that he had dealt with that. The fact that you didn't have your best defensive player
in yams Andrade and Nathan came in did work. I mean it was a collective effort that minimized pain soil on the right side, control Riki Pooh, that repooch, and that even Marko Royce when he was available, he wasn't influential.
So I think that it does hurt that way.
I don't want to put it all on Alex to I think Nathan's pass was an idel advised pass under pressure. He tries to square it into JP kind of will sit a little bit and that that's when you get that chip over and the rest is history. Ricky picks it up Joevilis with the fantastic shot. I mean it's clinical, the way he puts it, way he puts it, the pase he.
Puts on it. There's nothing stuff could do and that's the game.
Look, Kevin de Bruyne and Rodrie both mispasses in games, you're not going to have a perfect passing game. So, like, I understand that that mistake gets highlighted very heavily by a lot of Sounders fans. But that's kind of what happens when you play within the margins of not being able to kind of outscore your problems. As I like to say, So, when you have a game plan based off of we're not going to make any mistakes and
we're going to play perfect defensively, that's what happens. When you don't play perfect defensively and you make one mistake, that's unfortunately, that's what's the result is.
Going to be.
I just hope that this team, when we can talk about this in the next segment, but I hope this team can get to the point where, yeah, we're still solid defensively, but we can kind of if we do make a mistake, we can make up for it in some other ways offensively. So I understand that was the game plan going in, and you're kind of gonna limit yourself on offense because you're so structured and solid defensively,
But it's still unfortunate that it came down to that. So, I mean, that's the risk I guess you could say when you kind of go into the game with that game plan.
I think that's the harsh reality of the situation, is that the Sounders aren't a team. Then listen, they did it against LAFC. They came back from one nothing down, they forced the own goal. But they are not necessarily the team that can come back on open up and just go forward and be able to throw numbers and get a goal. And Nicole, I think that's where we saw the offensive issues in this game. I think you nailed by the way the points on the defense, just
completely eliminating Peck new phenomenal. Nathan I thought really did do a job, and I thought there was a lot of crediting needing to be done to the defensive performance.
But it is offense. I think Answers is right.
The fact that you have is still Paul rothrocked out. You have to start Georgie Manongu. We can talk about, but for Jordan, for Pedro, for Albert, who of course got injured and you know, should be fine, you'd think by the start the next season. But nonetheless an injury, they're at Albert Rusnak. You know it's an offense that got shut out in this game against the defense that gave up fifty goals this season, LA Galaxy were third worse than the West fifty goals conceded and they shut
us out. That highlights a big offensive problem not only this season but specifically in this game.
Yeah, and look, it all goes back to they did not take advantage of transition moments. That's the way you were gonna be the League Galaxy, that's the way. Those are the moments, the trigger points. Whenever Yamani was gonna get too far up, any time that you were gonna see them with their lines too high, and they had the moments each is that were not able to do it.
I thought that that happens because you have players that like Georgie who had a fantastic game, and I thought that he was the most influential, But a lot of the times it was just him creating and not necessarily by design of the team. It was what he was doing on the one on one, breaking down and getting far. That first shot that Albert Rusnak takes, He in his own unorthodox way, kind of gets the ball through.
Albert finds it and McCarty makes a great safe.
So those are the things that happened when you're just not there offensively looking Jordan, he had a header in front of Gold that I thought could have been a little bit better. After that, there were movements that could have been more precise. Pederal la Vega, he had a decent game, but there were moments where he held the ball a little too long, and I do believe it's because of that lack of the sink and the synchronization
of certain movements. He had a great ball into Ovid bargains though where he first I think he dribbles through paint so gets through. Then he puts a beautiful ball into Ovid, who by the way, had a fantastic playoff run, and he takes a shot and he doesn't go your way. So you just didn't have enough of those moments, and that's why this is an indictment on that offense and the lack of goals. There wasn't a problem in the playoffs or that final. I mean it was a problem all season.
Yeah, And kind of what I've mentioned with the defense, like when you set yourself up to play a perfect game defensively, you've also set yourself up to have much less volume offensively, so the few chances you do get, you're gonna have to take most advantage of them. And the reality is even the best forwards in the world aren't gonna score every single opportunity. So I just I'm
not one to criticize tactics. I think that plan works much better in a game against LAFC where they want to play in transition and you're taking that away by sitting back a little bit more. But with a team that's so comfortable having large portions of possession on the ball, like La Galaxy, that plays right into their hands and they trust that the volume of opportunities that they get is going to out outdo the volume or lack thereof that you're gonna get on the other side.
I think that's well put and the volume eventually, you know, won out as they get that one.
But I agree with it, Georgie. I thought was your game.
I mean, Geez, for for him to be kind of the lone Summer edition and you know, for him to have an impact start in this game and show well and get behind the defense and get around the corner. So many times we got something there in Georgia Manoungo such raw talent that if they can build around that and Preki can do some work.
We got a player in Georgia Manungo, and.
You know, not having Paul Rothrock I think hurt this team and Pedro's continued integration, I think, you know, finally hopefully having a full healthy year next year. We saw what can happen with a good Pedro de la Vega. So it's funny. I hate to be so positive, positive, positive, But there are things to take from this game, definitely specific things to take from it, but overall, I think we're all in agreement that I think perfectly said, it's
an indictment of the offensive issues of this team. And as we talk about the offensive issues of this team, it's not only in this game, it's the season overall. So we will take a break. We're gonna come back and talk about the season overall. We'll bring in Ari Leanwall, who's down in Los Angeles shouting it up with Don Garber. We'll have him on and the four of us we'll talk about the twenty twenty four season for the Sounders.
We'll quickly mention that Sounders FC Soccer is presented by Provident Swedish The official healthcare partner of Sounders FC, Ari joins us. Next as we continue this Sounders FC Weekly roundtable to end twenty twenty four. More next on Sports Radio ninety three point three KJRFM.
Now back to Sounders Weekly on your home for Sounders FC Cele's Sports Radio ninety three point three kjr FM.
I would disagree with anyone weighing in to say that's been unsuccessful by any major, But I work in the world of entertainment, and entertainment evokes opinion. That's the whole point of it, and so I don't begrudge anyone for their feelings on what they're interpreting they see not to get existential, but it's like art. We can look at the same painting and interpret it differently, and so seasons are what they are. Fans get to have an opinion.
It's the voice of Craig Wibel, Sounders FC general Manager, and we bring you back into Sounders Weekly the end of the twenty twenty four season. Here in Sounders Weekly, as we reflect on the one nothing Western Conference Final loss down in Los Angeles and look ahead to the off season, we have Anders First, Nico Moreno, My name
is Jackson Felts. We're all in studio and now we're joined from the man who finally took a few minutes away from talking to Don Garber, our commissioner, to join us here on Sounders Weekly.
Ari, how is los Angeles? My friend?
Los Angeles is great, The weather is good. Don Garber is good.
So yeah, happy to be here, arilillianwallmlssoccer dot com. In the podcast Lobbing Scorches. He's joined us all season, Ari, we just finished the talking about that West final. Give us just quick thirty seconds on your perspective down from Los Angeles watching that game in person.
Yeah, I mean, I thought it was a great game. It was a competitive game, and the team can be proud of how they played. But it's undeniably a big missed opportunity. I really think that the winner of this game is your MLS Cup champion. We'll see if that comes true, but it is hard not to feel like this was a missed opportunity to host MLS Cup and add to the trophy case.
It certainly was.
Why don't we pick it back up on the conversation that the three of us had the previous segment and ended it with, which was as Nico said, the indictment of the offensive issues that we saw through twenty twenty four.
And this team obviously great defensively led the league defensively in goals allowed, but offensively it's always been tough, and I think as we reflect on the season alri, I think it has to start with, you know, how the team just didn't produce what it needed to on the offensive end, whether it not be the full integration of Pedro, whether it be this that it just it wasn't there as a full attacking product this season.
Yeah, exactly. I think one piece away is how a lot of people have described it, and I agree with that. I think the offense looked a lot better down the stretch rund of the season, in the second half of the season, but yeah, it just felt like there was not quite enough firepower to go all the way against some of the heavier weight teams in the league. I mean that being said, you have a playoff run where Seattle beat LAFC, who's considered way ahead of them offensively,
and went toe to toe with the Galaxy. But anytime you get shut out in a conference final, that is going to rightfully, people are going to look at the offense, and I think when you combine that with some of the issues that we saw in that area earlier in the season, it's leaving people with the correct assertion that there needs to be additions there in this offseason.
All right, just wanted to get your take.
Look, I don't think that Albert Rusnak was one hundred in this game, and I think you saw that. I thought that he was dealing with a little something here and there from the last Houston game on out. Do you think that with him all at one hundred per send, maybe that would have looked better? And a follow up question right away, I wanted to know how much would you be willing to pay Albert to stay and be your ten, because that's what you're gonna have to do
if you're gonna want to keep him. I mean, if I have those sort of stats, I'm asking for a race.
Yeah, absolutely, I mean I would have liked to have seen that game with a healthy Albert. I think that definitely would have helped Seattle's chances. We'll never know how it would have played out, but overall, I thought he was excellent this year. I mean, he for all the debate about him, the guy put up close to thirty goal contributions across all competitions, and I thought ran the offense quite effectively when he was playing as the number ten,
which was most of the time. But I think it's about the pieces around him and Jordan Morris that didn't produce enough this year. Like Jackson mentioned, whether it was Da la Vega's health issues and never being fit, Rabul Ruy Diez falling out of the rotation. I mean, you had a situation where the piece is around your two best offensive players. There's just spots on the roster where you weren't getting production from Leo to Da la Vega and Ruis Diaz and that will catch up to you eventually.
And I think that's what we saw. But as far as the debate as to whether to bring Albert back, I think he definitely made a strong case that he's a DP level player this season, and that's gonna be an interesting one to track, you know, I kind of go back and forth on it.
Yeah, I think the the interesting question will be the price tag guy. You think they're gonna try it very very hard to bring him back and it may end having to take a designated player level. But Anders you know, reflecting on the season, I think I think we're all in agreement that Pedro is just, you know, continues to be the exact words that Brian Schmitzer has told this time and time press conference and press conference again, an
interview and interview again. It's a work in progress for Pedro. And we never saw that loading bar hit one hundred percent. And you got guys like whole Rothbrock and you know, grow into a great role player this season, and you got the introduction of Georgie, who you know, it's just
work in progress right there as well. But you know, just if this offense was you know, a loading bar, it just kind of felt like the buffering never even got to you know, even seventy five percent because of these little things that just you know, this didn't add up, and this ed and add and roll didn't have a second half at all, you know, and Pedro and you know, Georgie and the lack of a summer signing outside of Georgie.
It's just all these little things never allowed the attack to pick up a full steam.
Yeah, And it's funny, it's funny how much context adds to the narrative, right because I feel like with Georgie Manongu, you everyone kind of sees him as a bright young prospect who comes in and maybe a couple of sub appearances here and there, has a good game, always seems to add some flair to this situation, right, But they kind of just they overlook more of his deficiencies because of how young he is and how new he is
to the system. Right well, and I price tag is also a part of that, right, he didn't cost them very much. Pedro la Vega and Georgie Manongu are one year a part in age Georgie Mungo's twenty two Pedro de la Vegas twenty three. So it's funny how much of a different conversation that is with Pedro de la Vega. Also, in the first year with this team probably had as much build up to the year in practice with the
guys as Georgie did. Because of the injury situation that the transfer coming in when it did, and he was injured coming into the season. It's just funny how like you almost view Pedro as like more of a veteran. You expect him to come in and how much you paid for him, Yes, you expect him to come in and produce right away. But there are parts to the conversation here that you know, people don't seem to kind of see with him. And I understand he was a
disappointment for me as well. I expected much more from him in his first year. I still think there's gonna be better from him coming next year, and that's gonna be the big piece on whether this offense gets better.
Well, and I want to go around the room here and kind of can talk about the piece of the puzzle on the offensive end that I think did produce, probably more than anybody expected. And Ari, I'll start with you, then we'll get Nico, then we'll get Anders, and it is Jordan Morris. Because Morris going into this season was the winger slash backup striker to roll Ruy Diaz when the year began, and he eventually then gets the starting striker spot and the offensive starts humming and Albert and
him have that connection. But Jordan, you look at the goals and what he produced at the end of the year across all competitions. He had a career year and Nico, so it's part one of how much Jordan, you exceeded your expectations.
But then part two, does what.
Jordan did this year allow you to go into next season saying, Okay, he's proved to me that he can be maybe not the full time starting forward because you obviously need a guy behind him in place, a roll probably a better role in terms of what production you want. But did Jordan do enough to make you say, all right, we can you know sharp him in as forward one at the nine? It come twenty twenty five. So a
couple of things that will go around the room already. First, I'll start with you on Jordan, then we'll go to Nico and Anders.
Yeah. I think that's another one of the great questions about the roster. You know, we kind of forget because it's been a while at this point. But when Jordan Morris was coming up earlier in his career at Stanford, he was considered a very very high level number nine prospect. That was his original position, and that's the position that he has stated that he likes to play the most. And I think he did make a great case this year that he is a high level starting number nine
in MLS. I mean, you just got to look at the numbers. After he moved up top. He had fourteen goals, five assists across all comps. He led the line to great effect and that was part of what got this offense going to the extent that it did get going this year. So I think when I look at this roster, I think there's a very compelling case to be made that Craig Wible's priority should be adding why players to
compliment Jordan Morris up top. But there's also a solid case to be made that a DP number nine would be a very good and necessary addition to this roster as well. And then at that point you can maybe play matchups or play Jordan out wide some and split time at the nine, and so that maybe opens up your options that way. But as far as if Jordan Morris is a high quality number nine in MLS, I don't know how you can look at this year and
say that he's not. I mean, he was very productive and he carried the team for a long stretch of the season.
Okay, let me start with disagreeing on the fact that Jordan won that position. Jordan was going to start being that striker to the point that the only reason why Raoul plays is because Albert Russnick suffering injury when the season began. That's why they started playing in a four to four two that never worked with Jordan and ro Radius, so that was Jordan's job. Roridis was relegated to the bench and playing with the academy kids since the preseason,
so let's start there. Secondly, when he comes to Jordan again, with that in mind, he played less games at wing than he did a striker, So the numbers of goals and assists are as clear as they get. And it depends what you think a top forward in the league is. Uh you is he a top ten, top fifteen? I don't think he's a top ten, So to me, the
real question here is is about numbers. Right, if I'm not mistaken, your secondary scorer was Rowl with a goals you have to at least get a player that's going to give you that Albert Albert had a had, so at the top the striker position, you need somebody that's gonna come in and help out with at least that many goals. But to me, the real answer is Jordan is thirty years old and he is sure he could be a striker that that is serviceable and can get
you fourteen goals. But why not use a DP spot to get yourself a twenty six twenty seven year old striker that has twenty goals in him and add to what you already have with Jordan Morris. If you want to change the formation player four four two, that's fine. If you want to put him out wide and he can do exact those exact same things and be just
as productive. I feel like you give yourself a better shot at improving what you did this season attacking where you went wrong, which was that the desert of potential goals going into the Club World Cup and next season.
So to me, yes, he.
Did a good job to say that he is a good striker in this MLS, but in this new MLS, I feel like you need more than that, and that's where you go and get a DP striker with at least twenty goals in them.
Yeah.
I kind of want to echo those thoughts a little bit, but I think the Sounders can be successful with Jordan Morris as their number nine. I also think this is not only Jordan Morris's ceiling what we saw this year, but this is the Sounders ceiling. If they continue with him as their number nine, they're going to be a pretty average to below average offensive team have to lean on really good defense, which can work in the playoffs
as we saw this year. So it's not to say that they can't, you know, have a good Cup run every once in a while, but they're never going to be that team that they can rely on their goal scoring and creating chances. And a lot of that reason, I think is because while Jordan Morris proves he can be productive in that position, especially when the Sounders the rest of the team is clicking, he can be the guy to finish it off a lot of the time, he doesn't really bring more to the table.
If that makes sense.
He's very like that.
He's very limited as a striker. He's not good in the air for how big he is. He doesn't win a lot of heads.
He's had his moments, but I feel like he's falling off in the area. Yeah, he's pretty one footed. He doesn't set up a lot for his teammates, and it's hard to argue, like Ari was mentioning, with the numbers that he's produced, and especially this year where you had to lean on him a lot of those times, but I still think you can get more from that position. So yeah, I'm very fifty to fifty on that. It's an interesting position to be in the age as a factor,
especially with his injury history. He's thirty years old as well.
But I love your take on it, the fact that you need a striker that sometimes could put the.
Team on their shoulders and that can shining big moments.
If we look in the playoffs, he got the one goal that yes, I mean it wasn't one hundred and eighth minute, but you had one hundred eight minutes to make a difference and you didn't. Yeah, and you get into overtime because of the own goal. So there is room to grow that there is room to get better.
Yeah, I think I think that's for sure there that there's room at the forward position to get better for the Sounders. The only question is what does that depth chart look like? And we'll get into it in the third segment here of this season ending edition of Sounders Weekly. We have andrews Hurst, Nico Moreno in studio, Ari Lenoil on the phone from Los Angeles. I have it two subjects left that I want to get through, and there's probably only time for one of them, so I'll quickly
say I think we can all agree. You know, breakthrough players from this season you can see and you can I think you can make a case for Paul Rothrock. Yeah, you can make a case for Christian sliding back into the middle of the field and having, you know, just a renaissance of his career, showing what a great player he can be there season.
I mean, he's your six. Going next year is pretty easy.
But I think it's very very clear the breakout player of the year is oh bet Vargas, oh be Vargas, Holy Mother of Mercy.
To the point where you worry about if he's gonna stay very long.
That's a question.
That we will address in the next segment.
But like, listen, oh bed Varius is the breakout player of the year, and in the last two games at LA and out LA Galaxy, my god, he is just incredible. But listen, we only have time for one last question for all of us here, and Ario'll start with you, then we'll get Nico and Anders. We came into the segment playing a piece of audio from Craig Wible, and that piece of audio was actually Befour before the Western Conference final, where he said he would disagree with anybody
who said it was an unsuccessful season. They made a deeper run in League's Cup, Open Cup, and obviously the MLS Cup playoffs, a deeper run in all of them, eventually losing to LA teams in all three tournaments. You get after a one to five and three start, you get there, you finish, you know, a top four in the West. He says, it's a successful season. Brian Schmitzer says, we didn't win a trophy. It's not a successful season.
I put out a poll on Saturday night after the game, and I said, very simply, was this a successful season?
Yes or no?
Almost four hundred votes in fifty point four say yes, forty nine point six say no.
So let's go around the room.
Ario, I'll start with you, was this a successful season?
And why?
I mean, I think it depends on your barometer for success. If you are like Schmez, and your barometer for your successes winning at least.
One tro give us an answer it was not.
A successful season. But like that's what I'm getting to. My barometer is not necessarily the same as Schmetzers, and I think this was a good season. I have trouble using the term successful for that reason, but I think it was a good season. The fact that you put fifty seven points up and top four in the West and made the Western Conference Final, given some of the adversity that you had with a bit of a kneecapped
roster in ways that we've talked about. I and also that win at LAFC being one of the more epic wins the team has had in a while. I'm gonna look back on this season fondly. But I do understand what Schmes is saying, like this organization has a standard where taking home trophies is the expectation, and they didn't do that this year. There's no way around that.
So one for yes, it sounds like just barely yes, Niko, I'm going to go with it.
Barely yes, okay for me.
Is no, it is a hard note.
I hold this club to the top standard they are if they want to continue to be royalty in the Western Conference. You got to have the mentality that Bryan says, Uh, it wasn't a successful year, but it was an encouraging one. You cemented the best duo of center backs, You've got a break out player in ob Margas, and you see small lapses of what Pedrick can do being fully fit and that's encouraging.
So not successful, but an encouraging year.
Okay, I'm gonna say yes, but has a qualifier attached to it if they go on to higher heights next year, and a lot of that has to.
Do with what that's cheapening. Okay, So but you know, I mean overall, yes, I.
Think that's a good point. I think that's a good point. What what happens in the future based on the foundation that they've started to lay this year kind of because they think I'm back and win MLS Cup next, You're building off what they did this year. Then I think that definitely means this year was successful.
Yes, but if they try and run it back kind of similar roster and similar vibe to what they had this year and maybe a similar result as well, I will look back. Okay, that wasn't a building block. That is just what their ambitions are at this point. So and I agree, I think the fans have that higher standard for the club. I don't know if we are Western Conference royalty anymore.
Unfortunate, and you kind of got a little bit of that relevancy back And that's why I agree with Ari. By being an LFC you kind of got some of that, and that's part of why I put on Twitter that it was an encouraging the year was particularly because of that. But look, the reality is that you were one game away from a final US Open Cup and you failed. You were one game away from being an MLST final and you failed. Yeah, Therefore, for me, it.
Can't be successful.
I think I think good points all around. Ari will let you go.
Continue to chat up with the Don Garber and the rest of the folks there in Los Angeles. Give a quick thought. MLS Cup LA Galaxy New York. You're down there for the game. How do you handicap it?
I still have the Galaxy even with the Ricky Poosh injury. I think they're a home field advantage. I mean, they didn't lose at Dignity Health Sports Park all year, and anytime you have a team coming from an East coast on that long a trip, it's gonna be challenging no matter what the personnel on the other side is. So even with the Ricky Pooje injury taken into account, I still.
Like the Galaxy here all right, Say what's up to Donnie for us? Take care, good guys, all right, ALLIALLMLS Soccer dot Com in the podcast Lobbing Scorches. Check it out wherever you get your podcasts, including the iHeartRadio app. Well, it's take one more break here in final Sounders Weekly, and we'll wrap it up with look at the off season ahead. That's next here on Sports Radio ninety three point three.
Kjo.
Now back to Sounders Weekly on your home for sunders fc CL's Sports Radio ninety three point three.
But where we struggled as goals, you know we're below middle table. Moving forward, we still have to evaluate how to score more.
How do you then go about the offseason and trying to fix the you know, the offensive issues and add more goals to this team next year.
Pick up attacking players, there's no there's no mystery in that. We got to go find a way to do it and fit it in the cap and make sure they're effective.
Craig Wible there, Sounders general manager, says we ought to pick up attacking players, and he brings us in to the final segment here of Sounders Weekly for twenty twenty four as we reflect on the season. Jackson, Feltz, anders Hurst, Nico Moreno follow everybody on Twitter at anders Hurst at l Rolo NW and I'm at Jackson on radio.
I believe Blue Sky as well. Now we're on Blue Sky. Yeah, get us on Blue Sky as well and we're off.
Let come check it out exactly as we reflect and we talked, of course about the one nothing loss that ended the Sounders season in the Western Conference Final. We talked about the season overall. Jordan obed was it a success or not? But now it's time to look ahead to the next four months and obviously twenty twenty five is a massive season. We have the Club World Cup draw tomorrow morning, so we have the Club World Cup to look forward to.
It's going to be a big season.
If the La Galaxy win MLS Cup, the Sounders are back in CONCACAF Champions Cup as well, So go Galaxy.
I want to be in CCC. I want to be in CCC.
But listen as we look ahead, there's so much to look ahead to in twenty twenty five. This club and this roster needs to be ready for the big competitions they're going to be in. So Craig Wible says we have to at at attackers.
I heard a plural there. I didn't hear a singler, I hear a plural.
And you know, Nico and Andrews you mentioned, you know, last segment, both of you guys. I think we're all in agreement that whether it's a starting forward or whether it's somebody to help Jordan out, this team needs somebody at the top. And I think that when we talk about plural, they need more help on the attacking end.
So how do you basically knowing that Ralridiez is gone, right Nico, and knowing that the future for joal Paulo is up in the air, They're going to have money, They're going to have a DP slot at least one available. Question on Albert we'll get to in a little bit, but how do you arrange the plural attackers that this team needs to add the next few months.
Yeah, Look, Raoul Riez is gone, There's no doubt about that. Put it on Twitter. He's played his last game. He leaves a legacy behind, but he's out the door. I believe he has. He's not taking any deals just yet, but he does. And I know for a fact that there's interest from Orlanda City and Atlanta United, so he'll definitely he's prioritizing MLS. We'll just say that, and how do you do it? I mean you again, I just
said it just a couple of minutes ago. You have to go out there and replace a new strike that is, in my opinion, on twenty six, twenty seven, a proven guy that's gonna come in out the door, out the bus, out the airplane or whatever he's coming from, and score goals, just like Jonathan Rodriguez died for the Portland Timbers. I mean, there's a ton of potential guys that they're at the right age and they're gonna come in and score some goals. I also think that depth on the wing is something
that you could do. I love Georgie, love Paul, love a lot of the players, but I do know that guys like Dylan Tevis are probably gone. So you know, you got to replace some of those guys because we now know the importance of dept when he comes to all of these tournaments. You're playing Club World Cup, you cannot go in there with a half squad. You gotta be ready to go with multiple options. That I Misski is another guy is probably not gonna be back, So
how do you replace them? You know, there's free agency that's gonna be coming up. There's a lot of things that are going.
To be moving pieces. I do expect Craig Wible to be all over it.
Yeah, And I just think we talked about Joan Morris last segment. Just because you maybe want more from the striker position doesn't mean you want him gone or want him replaced or anything that. I think the best way to do that you need more than eleven players to get through a season fifteen probably starting for all that like at least twenty, right, So just having like a rotation available and then that way, maybe that creates some competition and gets more out of each player. There's a
whole trickle down effect that goes into that. The biggest question for me is a Albert Rusnak, what's happening there? Because he's your engine room in terms of creating chances? But b do you I mean, and I'll ask you guys, do you think there's more of a chance creation issue with this team in terms of scoring goals or a finishing issue in this team?
And in regards to Scalhead.
So he's finishing okay, and you saw that just recently. I mean, Albert Rusnak really hits that ball right and there should have been one zero. Jordan Mori's hits that header right and maybe he's one zero. I mean there's just a lot of moments of this season where you could think, man, if we would have just had one
minute brilliance up there, and it's the difference. Look at jo Joel has had one that he really got on goal because the other one was blocked and he puts it away and jo and La Galaxy is the perfect example of depth they had. Jovile is gone, pencil was was there, then they moved Pancil out wide. I mean, you need a collective of players that are quality to get you through bad.
Time, because I would agree it is. I think it's finishing for sure.
And and that's why I wanted Joy. I saw him on Saturday and I'm like, can I have one?
Because that's in one chance and he scored.
And you see the face of the necessity. I mean the way he looked. I mean, that boy's hungry.
I want I want that type of a player to build off of Jordan and not saying you put him next to each other in a four four two, but you figure out ways to make their talents work together, and then I think, yet, you gotta build that wing depth. I mean, the reality is as Georgie grows, he's still very raw and we need production there. As you know, we see the flashes of Pedro de la Vega, and flashes are really nice, but they're not numbers.
Flashes are not numbers. I need goals and I need assists.
Well, you know what adds numbers when you're a creative player but not a finisher, a good finisher.
So I mean we asked the question on Albert Rusnak. We should address it here with the final seven minutes we have in the show. Albert Rusnak his option was picked up. He's on a designated player contract this season, coming off of the record for club assists in a single season campaign across all competitions, and I believe it
ended at nineteen and scoring double digit goals. He is going to ask for designated player money again, I don't hesitate, and I give it to him instantly, and I would just offer him the same contract he's on right now, and if he asks for a raise, you try to negotiate it whatever. But I have no problem paying Albert Rusnak. Exactly what he made this year, Nico. If he asks for a slight race or asks for the same deal, are you cool paying Albert Rusnak another two plus million.
I will take him at the money he's making.
Now.
If he goes and tries to get you that three million dollar sucks too much, that's when you're too much. Yeah, so right now, yes, I will take him. I think that he made his case and I'm happy with depression he's given. But you just got to make sure that you're not over paying for a player that, yes, he's been quality, but there's a certain limit for positions, and to me, that'd be very high.
Yeah.
It's an interesting one for me because I kind of feel the same way as I feel about Jordan Morris about Albert Usnak, is it's it's risky to think you might be able to get more from that position we saw.
I mean, unfortunately with Pedro, like you think, okay, like Niko's kind of at the end of his career, we can get more from a younger player, and you don't for this season at least if you kind of think the same thing with Albert Rusnak, like, oh, we can probably get more from that and go in a different direction and you get less. You're leaving yourself open to
more problems as a club down the road. But I still think this is the ceiling the Sounders have if you continue with him like in terms of like, and he had an amazing season, there's no doubt about it. But this is as good as it's going to get. And we just talked like for forty minutes about how the goal scoring was an issue and that doesn't just mean strikers too. I think there's a combination of both between.
You need to get goals from your wingers, you need to get goals from your ten, you need to get goals from all over the place. So I still think you can get more, but I probably give it to him because of that risk that you might not get better than him, right honest exactly.
And I think I think you go into then if he's not back, you go into next season with Pedro del Levego undoubtedly being there number ten. And I still want to see him out wide, Okay, I still want to be able to see Pedro run at defenders and play out wide and be in that position. So I think you have to bring Albert back in that context. Plus, he likes it here, he's had time here, he's been established. Let's bring him back. So if we've talked about listen,
the team obviously needs to add multiple attacking additions. They need to add it in multiple different spots. We'd love a Djoviletch type of player, and were no knock against Jordan Morris. We just need to add more on the offensive end. We love Christian as your number six going in. We love development of young players. Our defense is all back in their rock solid. It's now time to talk
about where the minuses are. Okay, because we have four minutes left here and we got to talk about how this club changes on the overall end of where players are gone. Now, you just said Nico Ralredias for sure gone. Interest from Orlando, Nicholas Ladero, that makes sense, interest from Atlanta, Garth Logaway, that makes sense. Joel Paulo, What do we know about the Juel Paulo situation.
Yeah, he's likely gone. I know that he wanted a two year deal. I know that he had been trying to make something happen with the club for several months. But there have been a lot of radio silence. Typically players take radios Hilians as disrespect and therefore I think that he is probably going to be looking elsewhere.
Okay, so you go in the next season then and you have probably Christian rolled on Obed Vargas, and then Josh attends to you behind them, and you have a bunch of handful of players like a Danny Lava behind them. Kilani Coosa Rienzi has developed. Maybe he's a depth there, but nonetheless it is probably Christian, Obed Josh As that three for that holding midfield. So then the question is Obed Vargas. We talk about numbers of Albert Rusnak and
two million, three million. The question is what is the number where if the Sounders get a call from somebody in La Lego or somebody across the seas who says we are going to give you X dollars for Obed Vargas, what is that dollar amount where if the call came tomorrow, you're saying yes and you're not waiting.
Oh that's tough. Eight and up.
Eight was my number on the postgame show on Saturday.
Yeah, I think aiden up makes sense as if I have no questions, I'll figure it out. I'll find somebody else to go get a Jackson. You to just keep me, hold me up while I find somebody else. Yeah, so I would think ad and M.
I said ten I think you a, he's worth more than that, especially how young he is and he looks like he is developing quickly, and he has the skill set that is very valued in the European market, and I think it would be extremely hard to replace him just by kind of like.
That's the bigger points.
Yeah, you're right, So I think you need to kind of hold out for that big, big, big money transfer.
Because listen, he's now a senior Mexican national team yes, and he continues to get those opportunities, then ten million may very well be on the table come next summer. But I think you hit the nail on the head. And Nico touch on that too, is that when Obed is gone, we better be ready to bring in a designated player addition for that spot because I don't I love Josh Atensio, but I don't trust him to be the full time starter next to Christian There.
Yeah no, and you can trust him, but you can want a different profile type of center midfielder that is going to break through with the ball. Do the things that OBA does, and not to extend myself, I think that that job's already happening. They're already scouting guys just in case obit goes.
What do I do? Where do I push the trigger? You got to be following it up. I mean, this guy is in.
The final minute. Here, drop some info. Let's go. Yeah.
I mean, you know, I definitely can't give you names there yet, but I will definitely in twenty twenty five. But yes, of course they're already looking because there's a possibility that one of your best, most productive, most influential guys goes, and you got to be ready to make a change.
You have to.
Yeah, there are changes that are coming in the next four months. And when we next come on Sounders Weekly, probably in February, we are going to have well we might we remember we needed an emergency podcast for Pedro dale Vega.
I do.
We might put out another one of those if they make a DP signing at A nine or wherever else, Because there will be lots to talk about here in the next four months, as undoubtedly additions will happen.
I'll tell you that.
You know, as we really look ahead of the off season, you would I have an opponent outlook, but I will tell you that all of our opponent alex this season were brought to you by Sharp Vision Modern LESCN lens, the official Lasik provider of Sounders FC. Also, I'll tell you folks that twenty twenty five season memberships are on sale. Now join the Sounders FC Lecy legacy and secure your spot with the best fans in MLS. Becoming a member is the best way to gain access to the Club
World Cup. We're working closely with FIFA to get our season members access to tickets, including three Sounders matches. Members also have access to MLS season pass ticket flexibility, our new training facility and clubhouse, plus more. Learn more at soundersfc dot com. Backslash tickets, backslash memberships that will do it for Sounders Weekly. Thank you to Ari Lillianwell who joined us over the phone. Thank you to Nico Moreno at l Rolo NW. Thank you to anders Hurst at
anders Hurst for joining us here. My name is Jackson Felts, signing off for the twenty twenty four Sounders season. Thank you all for listening. We will talk to you soon. Take good care, everybody,