Coming to you live from our Relliot Avenue studios of Sports Radio ninety three point three KJRFM. This is Sounders Weekly with your host Jackson Felts.
Good evening, everybody, Welcome into Sounders Weekly. Jackson felt here with you four the next hour here late night Monday edition of Sounders Weekly. We got cracking on Tuesday, Cracking on Wednesday, NCAA tournament on Thursday, and Friday here on Sports Radio ninety three point three KJRFM. So we are doing Sounders Weekly on another Monday edition. I think we're back to Wednesdays next week, though also at eight pm.
But four the third straight week here a Monday edition of the show, talking all things Seattle, Sounders soccer, and I guess I would start by asking do we have to in all joking aside? I think that we all understand the reality of what happened this last week. It was a tough week for the Sounders. Two losses. First it was the CONCACAFFT champions Cup elimination down in Mexico City to Cruise a zool that came with a four
to one loss. And then after that it was a one to zero loss at Saint Louis, the first ever win for Saint Louis against the Sounders.
They're now four to one and zero.
But for your Sounders, they finally didn't get an own goal from Saint Louis and it is a road loss in back to back games for Seattle. We are coming off of a five to two win over LAFC the previous weekend.
But listen those two games. Yeah, just not great news.
And it extends off the field too, because we got word on what was it Friday morning, the official injury news for the Sounders, and that also not good. We already knew Pedro de la Vega was injured in the LAFC win and he will be out what is now I guess three to five weeks. I guess we'll get official word from hopefully head coach Brian Schmitzer. We'll get into his situation in a moment. But Pedro de la Vega,
he's out with a quad injury. And then came the crew this Zoo game, and that's where we picked up two more major injuries. First, while we're on the short timing thing, I guess short term is all relative, but Jordan Morris hamstring he now out as what it was last Friday, four to six weeks, so now three to five weeks hopefully for Jordan Morris, but yeah, he's gonna be out about a month as well. Same with Pedro. Both of them have the same timeline for once again,
for Pedro it's a quad. For Jordan it's a hamstring. And then we got the really, really horrible news. And this is why I said, you know, it's all timings relative. Because Paul Ariola, who of course signed with Seattle in the offseason, came over from FC Dallas, was off to I think a pretty darn good start of the season.
I had to scored a couple of goals.
He was looking good and such an important dimension to this team to be able to play three at the back because he was a solidified, experience left wing back player, and that wing back spot, when you play with three defenders and three center backs at the back, is so massively important because it gives you the flexibility and the versatility to play in both a fourth to back or
three at the back system. So he was a big piece coming in in the offseason to what the whole concept of this season could be keeping teams off balance if Seattle's going to play a back three, a back four. How many do they throw forward at the numbers offensively? Well, now Paul Ariola has torn his ACL. Paul Ariola will be out, it looks like for the year with this torn ACL. As his recovery starts. Yes, he's on a contract that will keep me here in Seattle for a while.
So we have not seen I don't think the last of Paul Oriole and Rave Green, but for this season, it appears like that may be it. And I mean we all watched it that Cruise Azul game there on Fox Sports one last Tuesday, just in absolute tears, and he put out a social media post I believe on Saturday as well, such a Mosha guy spoke with him and you guys may have heard it there on the first Sunders weekly of the year. Such a really reflective
and intelligent and cool guy to talk to. And I was so looking forward to spending a lot of postgame shows and a lot of moments talking with him out long acres about the season's games, just his life, being a new dad. And you know now that he's just on the rehab track, you know it's it's sat off the field as somebody who I was really looking forward to talk to it sat on the field, as I just mentioned, because what he was going to be able to give the team and what he had already given
the team. So Ario is done. So those three injuries are all terrible. Then on top of that, we then go in and we lose one nothing to Saint Louis, which I don't really want to get into. If you want to hear about that myself, p a feuwing Diego audio.
We did a postgame show.
I just don't feel like taking this hour and rehashing what was a frustrating game offensively.
Listen.
We talked on the postgame show about Haesus Ferreira. He was not good, I thought. We talked on the postgame show about the frustration with Paul Rothrock and how after seeing him, you know, get forward in that LAFC game and really break through. It felt like this last game at Saint Louis was reverting to the first few games of Paul Rothrock. Defensively we were good, but it's a slip that cost the team. And as Jackson Reagan falls
on the ball, his hand touches it. That's a yellow card, gets a free kick and Luvin puts it in the back of the net with a well taken kick.
That's just the end of the story.
And offensively, we weren't able to do anything and Georgie was good but wasn't good enough, and ultimately the Sounders fall won nothing. So there's the three injuries, there's the losses to cruz Azul, the loss in Saint Louis, and on top of all of that, Brian Schmitzer was out on Saturday with an illness. He was not able to make the trip to Saint Louis. Freddie Warres was the acting head coach there in Saint Louis. We hope Brian
Schmenzer is feeling better this week. Would be great to have him on the sideline for the match against Houston this coming Saturday. And if that wasn't enough, Jamar Gomez Androtti was not available for the Saint Louis match. He was out for personal reasons. So listen, major major pieces. Oh and read Baker Whiting's still out as well, So major pieces missing for the Sounders in that Saint Louis game.
We hope Yemar's back, We hope Schmeitzer's back. We hope that read Baker Whiting can kind of continue to near his progression. We hope that that three to five week timetable now for Pedro and for Jordan continue to you know, quickly, you know, get better and maybe get on the lower
end of that three to five. So it's just right now, a tough situation for Seattle as we look forward, and as we look forward, it is you listen, no midweek game this week, that's great, but it is Houston Dynamo coming up here on Saturday, and that's going to be at lumin Field. I'll quickly tell everybody some broadcast details on that because it is a little different as usual. You can watch it on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV. By the way, Neil Seka is gonna be on the
play by play call for Seattle Houston this Saturday. Nil Sika will join us coming up here on Sounders Weekly later tonight. While we're on that subject, Haesus Osceveto Junior, who joined us last year for the playoff series against Houston. He's gonna join us as we're gonna preview Sounders Dynamo. So a lot there, but coming up in just a
couple of minutes Ari Lillianwall. I told him to call in here at eight ten, So just a couple minutes away here from Ari Lillianwall hopping on as he's gonna talk to us about Seattle, Saint Louis, his two cents, as well as a lot else going on around Major League Soccer. So again getting back to it, Neil Ceka is gonna be on the call MLS Season Pass on Apple TV. That is where you can watch the match for Sounders Houston Dynamo this Saturday. Once again, it's at Lumenfield.
We have about a seven thirty kickoff for radio side. This is where things get a little bit different once again the Providence Swedish premat show. We'll start at seven o'clock as usual, but you won't be able to listen to it on this station or on nine point fifty. We're actually gonna only be streaming the match on what's called the Sounders FC Radio stream channel on iHeartRadio and the free iHeartRadio app. So what I would encourage you all to do, if you haven't done so already, download
the free iHeartRadio app. It's new and redesigned and it looks really cool. And then what you can do is just search on the iHeartRadio app or on iHeartRadio dot com sounders FC Radio. You're not looking for the normal podcast place of the postgame show. You're looking for Sounders FC Radio and it's the sounders FC Radio stream channel where you will be able to listen to Saturday's game Sounders Houston once again seven o'clock Providence, Swedish prematch show.
We'll talk about that extensively tonight with Neil Sika and with Heesus Osceveto Junior and get some two cents from Ari Lillianwall here in just a moment. As it is also the return of Nicholas Ladero. Nico has signed with Houston Dynamo. I think that was he traded the Houston. Either way, he's on the Houston Dynamo and it's the return of Nico to Luminfield this Saturday.
So that's very very cool as well.
I want to talk to the broadcasters and Jesus as well about how Nico's doing down there in Houston. I think I saw him score a goal, so we'll get some two cents on that later on in the show. A couple quick notes before we move forward. First, that Sounders FC Soccer is presented by Provident Swedish, the official healthcare partner of Sounders FC. I also want to tell everybody that michelop ultra ninety five calories and two point six grams of carbs. It's only worth it if you
enjoy it all. Right there, he is on the line right now, is our good friend. He is a writer and editor from Major League Soccer dot com. He also hosts the podcast Lobbing Scorchers. They have live shows on Mondays and Thursdays. I'm sure he was on this morning talking with Noah and the group. I believe Nico Moreno's on there as well. The Sounders loss in Saint Louis. It is our good friend Ari, Lillian wall Ari. Good to have you back on the show, My friend, how are you?
I'm doing great?
Jackson, how are you well?
I'm not draight, Ari, I'm not Drake. Coming off of this last week with the injuries and the losses, not a fun week to be a Sounder fan. But listen, I imagine I just said it that your morning show this morning with Noah and with Nico was a lot of reacting to this last seven days for the Sounders what was your two cents coming out of the Friday injury report and coming out of the Saturday loss.
Yeah, I think the vibes are they're down right now, Jackson, There's no question about it. The injury news from that CCC series is awful. Frankly feels so bad for Paul Ariola, and it's obviously sucks as well to see Pedro de la Vega and Jordan Morris both go down. Those are three of the most important players on the team, so there's no positive way to spin that. And I think in Saint Louis, you saw it team that was pegue get injured. That's what it looked like to me for
a lot of the game. I will say, going into that game, my only hope was for them to give themselves a chance at getting a point given all the circumstances that were stacked against them there. And to be fair, I think they did do that. They almost got the penalty kick at the very end where that gets waved off on I think a correct call, but a borderline call. So really, I don't think given the circumstances, it was
too awful of a performance. I think you just got to regroup, figure out how you're going to play with all these injuries, and I think there's decent there's reason to be hopeful that this team can get back on track even without the services of all these three admittedly very important players.
Well, let me just follow up on that, because I think you hit the nail on the head when you said they have to figure out how to play because without Jordan, they don't really have a player who can run in behind. I mean, Kilani did it against LAFC, I guess. And there's some speed here and there, Paul Rothrock, I suppose, but like, hey, sus Ferrera is not that type of number nine, And because of how injured they are,
they have to function offensively a much different way. I mean, you know, from your expertise, how how can they find a solution offensively? There was some Defensively they're fine, we know they're fine. But offensively, Ari, it just feels like we're looking at twenty twenty four again, where we're you know, hitting our head against the wall, saying can this team execute and find a goal?
Yeah?
To me, it looks like they haven't quite at least in this game. It looks like they hadn't quite figured out how to use Jesus Ferrari. Yet I think there have been really good moments from him this season, mostly as a facilitator, but it doesn't feel like they have figured out how to get him in the positions to unlock his goal scoring, which is obviously a huge part of his game, a huge part of why he got brought to the team, And I think it doesn't shock
me that that would be a process. You know, when you have a player coming in from another team has to integrate to an entirely new team with entirely new teammates. Sometimes that's going to take a little bit of time. But to me, in this game, it looked like some of the frustration for Hayesus Ferira boiled over a little bit.
He seemed like he was.
Very frustrated out there.
So I think I think that is.
Really going to be the key to them functioning without Jordan Morris at least, is they need to figure out how to unlock Hasius Ferira. And yeah, I mean I agree with what you were saying there. There was a couple of sequences in this thing Lewis game where it felt like they were trying to use him like Jordan Morris and spring him with through balls in a way that that's not Yeah, it's just not really his skill set.
He has another skill set that's been very, very good throughout his MLS career, So I think right now it's just about figuring out how to unlock that on this team, which I think I was hoping that it wouldn't be as much of a process as it looks like it might be, because I think he's a very adaptable and versatile player. But realistically, it looks like it's just going to take a little bit of time for them to figure that out. And really, to me, he's the whole
key to keeping this offense dynamic and productive. Stans Jordan Morris and Pedro.
De la Vega keldn the Green Moore got to figure out how to use Hey suss Ario alone was our guest Major League Soccer dot Com in the podcast Lobbing Scorchers Ari for your live show and for what's coming on Thursday as well. I heard at least this morning you had quite the guest on and a little bit of surprise that we were just texting before the interview about where your guest is currently at after his long MLS career.
Why don't you fill us in?
Yeah, on our live stream this morning, which is every Monday at eight am, Lobbing Scorchers Kickoff. If you look us up on YouTube, we were able to get MLS legend we win on the show formerly of the New England Revolution. Those who have been following MLS for a long time were remember he almost won MVP of the league in twenty fourteen.
Great player.
But as it turns out, he's actually now an assistant in the NWSL with the Seattle Rain. They hired him over the off season. Since his retirement, he's been on the NWSL coaching circuits and now he's joined the Rain staff. And it's a great interview if you guys, If everyone
wants to go look it up, I recommend it. He seems very happy to be here and a part of this Seattle soccer community, and I think that is a great that's a great get for the Rain to have a guy with his experience and the type of player he was during his career. But yeah, no, it was fun to talk to him. Everyone go look up the Lottom Scorcers YouTube.
And you'll find that interview. Please do that's awesome.
I'll be checking it out probably on my drive home tonight and just listen to that on the drive. Very interesting there. It's cool that you got Lee Winn and very cool that he is head coaching or a coach. Excuse me now, with Seattle rain, all right, Ari, let's bounce around MS. Let's call a little rapid fire here. Things are bad with Seattle, but they're also bad with LAFC. One nothing lost at home to Austin. We asked you
last week how down bad is the LA Galaxy? Now with a smile on my face, I get to ask you how down bad is LAFC.
I mean they they are struggling. I think with juggling CCC, with their league season, there might be more to it than that. I guess we're gonna have to see when their run is over. But like they're going into a series against Inner Miami now with Messi and the Barca boys, where give them the form that LAFC is in right now? It's kind of hard for me to see them beating Miami.
I don't think it's impossible they could do it, But like the fatigue that they're dealing with, the fixture congestion that they're dealing with it seems like it it might be taking its toll on them. I still tend to think that once they are not dealing with all that fixture congestion, they'll probably start looking more like LAFC again. One thing I will say is that we're getting to the point where the Olivier j Rue signing is looking like it could be a bust.
I want to call it. I said.
I said it on the post game show after the five to two win where he was absent. He I think he's a bust.
It's a.
I'm I'm hoping that that's the case. And honestly, like I've been saying, it's too early to say that, but we're talking about twenty five plus games at this point where he is not only not scoring goals, but he's not even taking shots. So that is if that really is a bust of a signing.
For them, that's not good.
That's supposed to be one of the guys on the team that scores most of the goals and he's really, like you said, like I forgot he was on the field for a lot of that game against Seattle, like I really did.
So that's that's bad for them.
It makes me smile. Ari.
Let's turn our attention to the team that is still undefeated, Vancouver. It was funny last week I asked you, you know, Vancouver Philadelphia, last two teams that you have only won their games, who's for real? And you said Philadelphia. And then Philadelphia go out and they lose three to one. I should should mention a red cards involved with that. But they do lose three to one to Nashville. But Vancouver, man,
I mean, they keep doing it. Yeah, it was against a Dallas team and they won one nothing, but it was on the road. And once again, this white Caps team is just making headlines. You know, I think it's their best start in franchise history. Now, I guess the question is do you believe now that they are for real? After last week you were on Philly's side.
I mean I kind of do think they are for real? I think that they They definitely have the best vibes in the league right now to start the season, the results that they're getting. They got a huge CONCACAF Champions Cup win over CF Money like to be fair, like
they handled their CCC series better than Seattle did. They got by their league A Mechi's opponent and their four to zero to zero in the league, So you definitely you can't take any of that away from them, even if you're someone who thinks that they're gonna even off and fall even out and fall off a little bit, which they might, this has definitely been a notably impressive start by them, and they got this last win over
FC Dallas without Ryan Gold. So I think the story with them in the last couple of years is that they're a pretty good to sometimes very good team when Ryan Goald is playing, and they can't really do anything when he's not. But right now it looks like they actually learned how to play with him without him a little bit. Pedro Vita looks like one of the best players in the league, and Brian White is looking like
as good at number nine as ever. So yeah, no, I gotta say the White CAP's vibes right now are definitely really, really good.
Well, I wanted to talk to you Ari about Miami over Atlanta on that Sunday game. I wanted to talk to you about the crazy three to three comeback between Minnesota and KC where the Loons were up three to nothing and Kansas City at home came back and scored three times to get a point.
Both of those were good games.
We only have time for one more, and I got to ask you very quickly about Houston Dynamo, Seattle's next opponent. They lost at home, won nothing this last weekend. This Houston team has a Zekiel ponse. You know, they're the guy that they signed. It at the top last year. Fourteenth in the table right now with only one point just overall, Houston coming to town. What should Seattle expect.
Well, it is the Nico Ludero revenge game, So I'm expecting Nico to play a big role in this game, and I think he's going to get a warm welcome, a warm response, as he should. I think I think he's probably the greatest player in the history of the club. He definitely has the argument of that. So it'll be it'll be weird to see Nico back, but it'll be it'll be fun in a way. But aside from that, I mean, like you said, Houston is off to a
really bad start to the season. It feels like they have not been able to figure out how to run their offense without Hector Herrera. They did this big trade for Jack McGlynn and they're It's kind of similar to the way that Seattle's trying to integrate Haysus Ferrara. They're trying to integrate Jack McGlynn as kind of the centerpiece of everything they do. He got an assist in their last game, but aside from that, they just haven't had
a lot offensively. But I mean, I will say, whenever you're in a situation playing like this, playing against a team that is not taking results in their last few games, they are gonna be desperate. They're gonna be hungry, and they're probably gonna be playing with their hair on fire to an extent. If I were them, I would not be bunkering for a draw because they just really need
a win. So Seattlehton is going to have a desperate opponent, and I don't expect it to be an easy game, even with Houston off two and not that great start.
Well, we'll see if Seattle can get Brian Schenzer and Gomez Andrade back from being out this last weekend, and we'll see if they can figure out Hayesus Ferira. I'll see you out there at Luminfield on Saturday.
Ari.
I'll be enjoying your Thursday live show. And I'll also be checking out that the Lee Win interview you did this morning, So great stuff on all fronts and we'll talk to you soon, Buddy.
That was good Jackson, appreciate it.
It's good stuff there from Ari Lillianwall, major League Soccer dot com writer and editor, also host the podcast Lobbing Scorcheres check it out wherever you get your podcasts, and his live show coming up on Thursday night. Really quickly before we break, I meant to give this here at the start of the show. It's a cool note that I wanted to make sure I hit in this first segment. And our good friend Kellen Row who does our Sounders broadcasts here on KJR. He is one of my pregame,
postgame halftime analysts. Good friend Kellen Row fresh out of his playing days with the Sounders, but he's actually going to be suiting up the boots again. Kellen Rowe has signed with Ballard FC and this is a pretty cool deal because Ballard f C is back in the US Open Cup. That match is coming up on Wednesday at Inn Bay Stadium seven thirty kickoff there against Spokane Velocity.
These two teams faced off in the first round of the Open Cup last year actually at Memorial Stadium, Spokane got like a ninety fifth minute goal, really good goal, but a ninety fifth minute goal to win one nothing. So Ballard f C going for some revenge this coming Wednesday in the first round of the twenty twenty five US Open Cup inter Bay Stadium had to go BALLARDFC dot com. I know there are not many tickets left, so make sure to buy those up now.
But Kellen Rowe has signed with Ballard f C.
And I mean that is what I texted, and I was texting with him yesterday about it, and I actually pulled this up because kell and I means cool opportunity for him obviously to go out and continue to play. And certainly you got to know that he's pumped up to hit the field again for Ballard and hit the field period.
But what I told.
Him was time to school the young whipper snappers, because if you don't know, Ballard FC and a lot of these USL two teams in the area, they're made up of young college kids. So for Callen to join them, yeah, Callen can teach him a few things for sure, and hopefully he does very well in Wednesday's US Open Cup match for Ballard out at inter Bay Stadium once again, seven thirty pm. Get your tickets, go Ballard FC dot com. All right, we'll get a break here on Sounders Weekly.
We'll come back and we'll start really in depth previewing Sounders to Houston Dynamo. We're gonna do that for like the last half hour of the show tonight. Neil seeka MLS season pass on Apple TV Broadcaster. He'll be on the call here at Luminfield for Dynamo. Nil Sika will join us next year on Sports Radio ninety three point three KJRFM.
Now back to Sounders Weekly on your home for Sounders FC. Ceedle's Sports Radio ninety three point three kjr FM.
Welcome back, Jackson Feltz gonna be with you here on Sports Radio ninety three point three KJRFM for a late night edition here on Monday for Sounders Weekly. Back to our normal Wednesday slot next week. Thanks to Ari Lillian Wall for taking some time there in the first segment to talk about everything going on in MLS and talk about our sounders right now, who are going through it with all of our injuries. A couple losses last week, but we are now looking ahead to the final half
hour of our show. We're gonna spend the entire last half hour talking about this weekend's game. Maybe fit in another question or two for the man joining us right now here. He is a broadcaster. I'll play by play voice for MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.
He will be on the call.
You'll hear him on MLS Season Pass for Sounders Houston this coming Sudaturday night. Neil Sika joins us right now here on Sounders Weekly four. I believe the first time, Neil. Welcome to the show, Axon Jackson late at night.
It's great to be with you. I'm looking forward to it. Yeah, first time, first time, but good to be a part of it.
Good to have you on, Neil. All right, let's let's first start off. I know you've had been on a lot of different calls, and I know you were doing Toronto Chicago this last week. Maybe we get a thought on there later on, But first, the view from the national perspective of Seattle is always so interesting to me because you know, for so long we are kind of,
you know, just the golden child of MLS. Every team wanted to replicate what we were doing here from off the field, on the field, fan engagement and now our Sounders after this last kind of seven days injuries, couple losses. Neil, what's the national perspective on the Sounders heading in you know on March seventeenth, right now, what is what is your perspective on this team?
I think the national perspective is wait and see in a few weeks, a few months, because let's look back, right, not to go revision is history on you. But twenty sixteen, twenty seventeen, twenty eighteen, not even the first month of the season, but think about the slow starts and then what they did in the back half. Now are they healthy at that point, yeah, probably, but they make great runs twenty twenty four last season, we listened their first
five games. You've got the scheduled congestion you're balancing that. It makes it tougher, of course with the injuries you're referring to, and huge, huge pieces of personnel. I mean, it's not bloney Sandwiches that the Sounders don't have in their lineup at this point. So guys that are really part of the nucleus of the team and aren't going to make them successful even your head coach, Brian Schmitzer, dealing with a little bit of an illness come back.
I think once though, you get hold the panic mode. I don't really think it should set in now, but take advantage of a situation maybe before you're coming up where Houston has just been abysmal to the start their season, where they've lost three home games. Is this a remedy to just feel good again, have another home victory. I didn't play that against Saint Louis. They controlled the game. It was the last piece of dynamic action in the final third. Anyone who watched the game saw that. I
still think they're tight defensively. They can rotate guys in it. Just now, can you have the robust nature without a Morris, without an Ariola, without a de la Vega? To figure it out? And I think they will. You know, it's it's been done before. You can keep the receipts from those years I mentioned and see how it plays out well.
I think those those receipts are ones that we cling to in moments like this where we are dealing with so much. But let's expand more on that Houston side. Neil Seeka is our guest here MLS Season Pass on Apple TV broadcast, or he'll be on the call for Sounders Dynamo seven thirty kickoff this coming Saturday night out at lumen Field and Neil. This is a Houston team. You mentioned at what they're going through right now. You
know so much change in the last offseason. That just from my perspective, whenever I see a team kind of starting slow after so much change, I constantly am asking the question, Oh, no, is this the game where they figure it out? So on one side, I am kind of asking myself a please, don't let this be the week where Houston finally gets all their pieces together like McGlenn and everything starts working as it should.
That's a fair question. However, looking what they lost that Jackson in the offseason, it was like a bypass the crucial points of their team and the spine of their team. Mikael gone, Steve Plark, you can kind of question that decision. Yeah, he's getting older, you probably don't want to pay him the dollars. So ty Bell starts, but he hasn't been as good. Coco Karskia does things for that team, or did things for that team that not many could do.
Across the league, he could play multiple positions. And then after Herrera, no, you're not going to give him bloated contract. He's getting up there in age. But the way he combined with our tour back and forth, the way they could control games with the ball in the midfield, that's missing.
And then you go back to the questions of the number nine and Ponce's been Yeah, he's done the work, He's chipped in a few goals, but it is the service going to be consistent enough from me and Bossi or a Kavalchek who's more of a pressing type forward. So all of these things. Then you bring in the Glenn who's a different type of player with a lot of expectations. Still really young, the back line, still trying to set up from one of the best young center
backs departing in the league. And Houston can make a saundersman's out there. But they're probably like hold our beer because of what they've gone through in the start of this season. I mean, they gave up a goal essentially right off the kickoff a minute end to Salt Lake. They've lost three home games already. The formula though for them, and you know this, going back to the playoffs the series that went both to penalties. There are red cards
in both those games. I don't have to remind everybody of that, but look at what they did in Columbus. They needed to just keep it tight and go in and probably look at playing for zero zero and if they can nick a goal, steal a goal, that's what they'll try and do. That's what I'm expecting on Saturday, kind of the same recipe Seattle, like they did in
Saint Louis. Now is the next test. Can they break down a congested back line, especially without those typical match winners in there, And that's where I think the game will be won and decided, or if Houston comes out and feels a little bit successful like they did in Columbus a couple of weeks ago.
Yeah, absolutely agree with you, because for Seattle right now, no longer having a Jordan Morris that can get in behind a defense on a break. You know, I got, I think figure out how to break down a team that's you know, very well organized, and you know, finding little pockets for Haesus Ferira and getting him to run
into certain spots we need. We need Hasus Ferra look like the Hazus Ferira of a couple of years ago in Dallas, and not from what we saw this last week against Saint Louis where he got clearly frustrated in that one nothing loss. Neil, I want to kind of bounce around while we have a couple of minutes here, because I know you're also going to be on the call for LA Galaxy Minnesota. Minnesota is a team that just you know, gave up a three see nothing lead
in Kansas City's big, big comeback this last weekend. The LA Galaxy off to a very, very troubled start, even worse than Houston, you could argue to start the season. Now, that's an interesting Galaxy versus Minnesota game. They're in Minnesota this coming weekend.
It is really interesting, and it's mainly because I'm just stunned with how that game slipped away from Minnesota giving up three goals in a thirteen minute stretch in the second half after we had them the game beat the week before where they went to San Jose, Hannada Earthquakes their first loss. Just diligent, tough defending, really hard to break down boxel and dug in the midfield. They really look like they're embracing what they're doing under Eric Ramsey,
and I still think they are. And he called it a nauseous result based off of what happened last week. But this is a wacky league. We know things happen, and they're going in against the Galaxy team. Everyone knows their key injury East and Paintsill and Pooch and still maybe haven't had that last piece of action. They've created some stuff. There's just been a little bit un luck. They did get out of Portland with a point, but is that good enough at this point? Again, I can
go back to the it's early days. Still, you know this league, if you win a couple of games in a row, you're feeling like you're on top of the world. So for the Galaxy to have Minnesota coming into their building, or Minnesota in a situation where they've played so well, and I really think they're going to be a player in the West going forward, and I should amend that Minnesota's at home, so La going on the road. This is another chance I think for Balloons to get it right.
And I like them on their home park right now with the way they've been playing and getting over the hump of what happened last week despite it ending up in a three three time neil.
Before we wrap up here, you mentioned it's a wacky league, and it is such a wacky league. I always use the line on this show, MLS gonna MLS in some of the weirdest results. You know, a few weeks into the season, has anything surprised you or I guess, what's the biggest thing that surprised you about the start of the season, Because there are a few teams that are off to some definitely eye popping starts.
I just look at Vancouver and how they've gotten off to a four and oh beginning, and everyone knows they played well against for Vanny Sartini, but the next step up and coaching and now all phases where they can be dangerous and people wondering, yeah, they're a playoff team, but are they going to fade in the postseason? They did? You know, can they sustain this? And the way they handled themselves in Champions Cup? I think it's been damn impressive.
And Greg Burholter, let's not forget about him and the success he had in Columbus. I just had the Chicago game. They've won two in a row, on the road for the first time in two years. I think they're building an identity under him. This is a team, huge market, just been miserable with two playoff appearances in the last fifteen seasons. It's fun to see some of these storylines develop. We're going to see Saint Louis go a fifth and set the record without allowing a goal. I had them
opening night against Colorado. So there is not a lot of room to breathe when you talk about the Western Conference right now and some of the teams that are emerging like Saint Louis and Vancouver we know as a playoff team and then your traditional power So it's going to be fighting tooth and nail for postseason spots and maybe early on, and like a Houston team, it's a
brutal schedule coming up. They go to Portland. I know they haven't played very well, but it could get late, really early for teams if they don't start finding results in the Galaxy. Could be in that mix too, depending on what happens in Minnesota on the weekend.
Yeah, glad you mentioned that Houston's road does not get any easier for sure. I'm also glad you mentioned Chicago fire, Greg burld Or taking over. There was such a move and they are certainly off to a good star with seven points as well. Neil sad to hear you on the call for Sounders Dynamo coming up this Saturday night. Have a great one out there, illumined field. We will talk to you and thanks again for joining our show tonight.
Jackson, Thanks for rolling out the red carpet, look forward to a future visit.
That's Neil seeka play by play voice for MLS Season Pass on Apple TV. He has a busy, busy weekend. Sounders will be facing the Houston Dynamo a luminfield once again. MLS Season Pass seven to thirty kickoff. There, you can listen to Neil's call. We'll get a break, we'll continue previewing Houston. We'll get kind of a really deeper in
depth talk about the Dynamo. So many changes and I want to really dig into a lot of Thatjesus Ossevedo Junior, he writes for the Bayou City in down there in Houston, Texas. He joined us for interviews during the playoff series last year and Hasu's Oscevedo Junior will join us again. That comes up next on Sports Radio ninety three point three KJRFM.
Now back to Sounders Weekly on your home for Sounders fc Ceedel's Sports Radio ninety three point three kjr FM.
Welcome back Sounders Weekly, Jackson Feltz. Good to have you with us here. Sports Radio ninety three point three KJRFM. Wrapping up the show tonight, we want to thank our guests so far, Ari, Lillianwall, Neil Seka, both of them talking Sounders and talking to Sounders. Houston coming up this weekend. But now it's once again time to welcome our good friend back to the show. He joined us for interviews last year during the playoff series between the Sounders and Dynamo.
It's our good friend.
He's a writer down in Houston for the Bayou Citi and he covers the Dynamo. It's heyesus osceveto Junior. Hey, Sus, welcome back to the show, my friend.
How are you, hey, Jackson, thank you for having me back. I'm doing really well and join our nice Whether we have you, I can't complain.
You know what.
We're gonna talk Houston Dynamo. We always have you on and I always feel hayesus like these interviews fall right when March Madness is starting. We've spent a bunch of time in interviews over the last eight years or so, and I'm just going to quickly mention again the Houston Cougars are once again a number one seed. They once again have my attention to pick them to the Final four.
And I feel like every time I've done it, heyesus, You've You've given me the reasons to pick Houston to the Final four, and then they end up losing before the final four, ended up getting screwed, and then the one year they do it, I don't pick them. Uh Should I pick Houston to the final four this year? Should I just leave them off so that they actually go?
First, quick cancer is dead, you should pick them for the Final four? And second, I would say I feel like MLS is scheduling in Houston versus Seattle during March Madness because they want us to speak about March manding before we get Yeah, you know, over the past four years, when you know we talked about Final four in the Houston Cougars, they've never had a good shooting team. This is the best shooting team Covin Sampson has had during his tenure, and I think that's gonna take him really,
really far. I mean, not even to mention their defense. I don't even need to tell you about their you know, defense. I think the whole universe, the whole world knows about defense.
Yeah, Seattle out here, we know about defense when it comes to our Sounders for sure. But good insight there, Jesus Sounders Houston Dynamo coming up this coming Saturday night. I will mention that Saturday's match is sponsored by Boeing, a proud part of Puget Sound community. All right, hayesus, this is a Houston Diamond team that is off to a rough, really rough. How do you describe how rough this start has been for the Houston Dynamo As somebody who covers.
Them, You know that there's so many words you could use, grow up as one of them. Disaster is one of them, Lifeless could be an another one. Joyless could be another one, you know, and and mainly because you've lost three home games. You know, out of your four games, three three losses at home. One was a blow out of it and you got a spanking by you know, into into Miami. You know, you just just losses that scratch your heads. And you know, some some fans out there are saying
that this team is tandless. So that's another word you could probably throw in there, you know, not mine, I know they're tank on the things, but from some of the fans, you know, I'll say, fans are really coming harsh after you know, pastad Asher, the Anamal front office. So desperate could be another word. I probably gave you so much that you could just pick one.
Wow, Okay, let's let's go disaster, lifeless and talentless. I mean, we talked to you last year during this playoff series. This was a series that went two games, both the penalty kicks, and we all know penalty kicks are you know, I wouldn't say a coin flip, but still like could have easily wound up where the Dynamo win both of those games in pks and yet they just go and blow out blow up.
The entire team.
I mean, what was the thinking behind the Houston Dynamo basically just taking the entire roster and ripping it to shreds over the offseason.
You know, I I don't know blowing it up is the right word, but I can see why somebody that's not here or even outside of the MLS.
So see why did they do that? Right?
But some of the things was, you know, Achi, his contract was up for an option. Dynamo chose not to continue that option. It was gonna be a pricey option for them to pick it up. They chose not to do that. Goalco's offer came in and they wanted to, you know, pay him back. He always wanted to challenge himself at bigger and better leagues. Veiga Mix came calling,
so they honored that with them. And then you know, Mikad, when somebody off five million for a player that that you groomed yourself to beat this, you know, best eleven MLS caliber defensive center back team from off five million, you're gonna make that move. The hope was that the Dynamo from office, the hope was that they would have enough of the reinforcements come in before the start of the season or as close to the start of the season.
That hasn't happened. So right now they're playing players there are not out of position, but perhaps may not be starting if there was a higher caliber player available. You know, uh, Steve, Steve Clark, you know you mentioned the two penalty shot losses. Well, he wasn't the greatest penalty stoppers, he was a good shot stopper. And I think that's also what they're amazing that defense with, you know, Steve Clark and Mikael but look call Coog. Those are all impact players that the
team had last year. Yeah, you know, like you said, took the Seattle Sounders to play to two penalty losses. I think this team could maybe start turning around and start playing like how it's.
Been used to, playing the possession.
Have you a ball during the summer. I just think that Ben Olsen, and he said this a lot during these four games, like we need to figure out who we are. You know, we've had so much to turn over.
We need to figure out what kind of team we are.
I think Ben still wants to play that possession heavy style, but he's still learning about his team and the players that he has available to him.
What kind of style do you think we see on Saturday? Is it a team who comes to Seattle looking for a point or is it seam that kind of realizes the situation they're in and kind of goes a little bit harder than a normal road team.
Might.
I'm gonna think that he's gonna use the approach he used against the Columbus Crew. You know when they went to go pick up a point at Columbus, they were a little bit more playing direct, a little bit more counter attacking, not as much possession base. So I want to be surprised if we see something similar against Seattle, just to hey, look, they need a point. And let's be honest, Houston hasn't had the best luck at Seattle.
I think I was looking at the records. I think they're all fourteen and four times.
Geez oh fourteen and four. My god, that.
Is not good, Jackson. I don't need to tell you that, right, So I think the goal is let's just get a point. At this point, they just need to get a point, and also for their sanity, right, can you imagine another loss on top of the three losses you already have at home, and you're really really putting yourself down in the bottom dwellers of the Western Conference. Granted it is
still earlying the season. We know, I mean you a lot of people know how Seattle sometimes likes it starts slow and then mid season they're like, where has this team been the whole season, you know. So we know that this is a long season. So that's why I've always said that this scene, if they turnaround, it'll be June July when they start that all start switching to. Okay, now we now we know who we are and how we want to play.
Hazius Ossivado Juniors our guest. He writes for the Bayou City and covering the Houston Dynamo down there in Texas. Do I see? I was looking at this schedule, is just kind of pulling up Google because I'm not fully in depth on the Houston Dynamo, and I saw that there's a game on Wednesday at five clock, and the Google says Houston Dynamo, we're facing El Salvador.
What's going on on Wednesday?
That is correct? Google is not wrong. That is more so a friendly know like that will see any of the starters plane more so, I don't want to say money grab Jackson, but we have a huge trumpet Tumbadorians.
Here, so I'm sure they're gonna be having a good party on Wednesday.
To be honest, I think it'll just be banned testing out some players, maybe some you know, Dino Dolos get into the action, or maybe some some bench players get some run because look, they have to travel to a Seattle for Saturday's game, so I'm sure that's like number one on their list right now.
Well, for Houston, it's El Salvador on Wednesday, it's Seattle on Saturday. You go to Portland the following Sunday. Then you gotta face LFC. Then you got to face the Galaxy, who at some point will figure it out. So you have quite the next month ahead for that Dynamo team. We'll see if it continues to be lifeless and terrible
and and talentless and all of those things. Haysus as usual, always love having you on for your blunt honesty, man, And in review, I will put Houston to the final four, So I'm sorry in advance when they.
Lose, don't you there put that on him? Fine, I won't pick him, Fine, I'll send somebody else.
All right.
Hey, sus great having you on again, buddy. Great to hear your voice. It was awesome to see last year there in the playoffs. And we'll talk to you soon, my friend. Thank you.
Jack.
Hey, sus Acevedo Junior. Great to have him here on Sounders Weekly. As that will wrap up the show. Make sure you check out the podcast in case you missed anything tonight Sounders Weekly wherever you get your podcasts for all of our coverage looking ahead to Sounders Houston. Thanks to Ari, thanks to Neil, and thanks to Haesus for joining tonight's show. So if you look up Sounders Weekly, you'll get podcasts of our postgame shows of this show
each week. But this weekend you will need to look up something else to listen to Sounders Houston because the Sounders Dynamo game it will have a seven o'clock Providence Swedish pre match show and a seven thirty kickoff, but you will be able to listen to that match only on the iHeartRadio app or iHeartRadio on the Internet. You must look up Sounders FC Radio. It's the Sounders FC Radio stream channel on the free iHeartRadio app and iHeartRadio, so make sure to look up Sounders FC Radio. That's
where you can hear Saturday's match. Of course, you can also watch at MLYS Season Pass on the Apple TV app and l Ray thirteen sixty in Spanish. And Saturday's match is sponsored by Boeing, a proud part of the Puget sound community.
That'll do it for tonight's show.
We will talk to you on Saturday night on the Sounders FC radio stream channel from Lumenfield for Sounders Dynamo. Have a very good rest of your week everybody, and Fox Sports Radio is coming up next