Coming to you live from Orelliot 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 Feltz here, good to be with you for the next hour here on ninety three point three kjr FM, Talkin' Rave Green Soccer as usual. A busy show ahead tonight, A little bit of a different thing that's gonna go over the next few shows of Sounders Weekly.
What we're gonna be doing is we're gonna be spending a lot of time over the next few weeks with the Sounders general manager Craig Wibel. Craig and I had a wonderful long sit down earlier this morning. We're gonna play part one of that coming up here in just a few minutes. So many topics to go over from Pedro de la Vega, the health of the team, where we out roster wise, looking forward. There are so many different topics over the next few weeks with Craig Wible, So we'll get to part one
in just a few minutes. We're gonna chat with Mark Rogandino coming up here in about twenty twenty five minutes or so. Mark Rogandino is a play by play voice for MLS Season Pass on Apple TV. He was on the call for Sounders San Jose about a last month. He will be on the call for Sounders white Caps coming up this Saturday at lumin Field. So we'll chat with Mark coming up in a little bit, and then we'll also of course go around the league with Ari lillianolol So. A lot coming up here on
Sounders Weekly tonight very quickly on the Vancouver front. I mentioned Mark is on the call. We are going to be having that match for you right here on Sports Radio ninety three point three KJRFM this Saturday night, our Providence, Swedish premat show will begin at seven o'clock. You can get your tickets today by visiting soundersfc dot com slash tickets. As I mentioned Mark's on the call, you can watch the match via MLS Season Pass on the Apple TV app
and of course listen in Spanish language on l Ray thirteen sixty. So there are broadcast details for Sounders White Caps this Saturday night, seven o'clock pre game seven thirty kickoff right here on ninety three point three f m all right, Well, let's spend a few minutes before we get to Craig Wibole part one of our conversation, very quickly talking about the situation the zero zero draw in
Dallas. So that's a match that I look to and say to myself, we see about four missed big chances for the Sounders, two that were excellent, you know. Right now the thirtieth minute, Jordan Morris, you know, finds his way a really nice you know, jump around, gets by I believe, Paul Ariol gets into the primusis zone, ends up finding a tough angle, but a nice shot that posts for Dallas saves a great chance there. But then the one I have the big star around here is in
the forty first minute where Jordan's working up the right side. After they flip the wings and Jordan crosses. Omar Gonzalez, a defender for Dallas, plays the ball horribly wrong in the box. Christian Roldan isn't ready for it, and it unfortunately Christian just redirects it. He can't really put a shot on frame. And that's a moment where you know, Brad Evans talked about it in the postgame show, and if you want more about the Dallas game.
I'd listened to that postgame show where Brad Evans, you know, went into detail alongside Pete Feeding about that specific moment about failing to get a goal but at the same time it's a clean sheet, but specifically with that moment, you know, talking about Christian needing to be ready for that ball in the forty first minute if it skips by Omar Gonzalez like it did, needing to open up a little bit more, needing to be a little more patient because
he has that moment of time. Ultimately, we're kind of looking back saying I think the Sounders should have gotten three points find one of those moments, especially since it's a Dallas team that was incredibly injured, they were down lots of men, they were not in a great run of form, and they were able to find a draw and I believe their second draw of the year. So for Seattle, you know, yes, in a vacuum, you get a point in Dallas, I think you're happy with that. But we
don't live in a vacuum. We live in a season where the Sounders right now haven't picked up many points at the start of the year, and this was I think a big opportunity to pick up three points in Dallas, and we weren't able to do it. So yes, I think the mood coming out of the match is disappointing, but you know, sometimes you just got to stay in that vacuum and think, you know, down the road in six months from now, we'll look back and say, hey, we got
a point in Dallas. And if Frisco Texas is never an easy place to play, we talked about it on the show last week. Frisco Texas is tough. Sounders got a point, So it does kind of weigh that glass half empty, glass half full mentality. And I even I'm today, you know, a few days later, still trying to weigh myself if I'm more glass half empty, glass half full. I guess I'm just frustrated we weren't able to capitalize on any of the chances, especially since Dallas really didn't you
much. I mentioned they were very injured, they weren't very good offensively, they certainly took their foot off the gas and looked like they were okay with a draw. I just would have love to see the Sounders keep pressing the second half, keep pushing. See if you couldn't find that winner. See if you couldn't capitalize on any of those chances. So I guess I am a little bit more glass at empty. But at the end of the day,
it's a point. It's you know, a road point. And now we come home to face the Vancouver Whitecaps in a massive match here coming up this Saturday night. A lot of preview with that match with Mark Rogan Dino and Ari Lillienwall later on tonight. Well let's get into our featured first conversation of Sounders Weekly today. So earlier this morning, I headed out to Long
Acres, the newly named Provident Swedish performance center facility. You know, it rolls off the tongue a lot easier just to say long Acres, but regardless, went out there, had a chance to sit down with Craig Wible in his office. Here was part one of my conversation with Craig Wibel. YEA. The first thing we referenced was the fact that it was almost a year ago we were sitting in his office at Starfire and now here we are in
his new office at Long Acres. Wonderful conversation. Here here's Part one with Craig Wibel. It's nice man, it's sunny. Can't complain about the weather. Oh absolutely, we can talk about the product on the field here in a little bit. Let's just start here. You know, it was one year ago, almost to the day where we sat in your office at Starfire. Yeah, and I believe you were talking one year ago about I got
to see my office at Long Acres and you're talking about that. So now that we are here a year later, sitting in your office at Long Acres, we can look out to our left and you're right and see the field. What do you think of this? This the only new thing and sitting right here right now, the building's amazing. I mean, I'm not a big office guy. I prefer this to be like a conference room where the
whole group is in here. But but it's it's pretty incredible. I mean, the whole layout and the fact that we're all in one place and I can walk out of my office and I can talk to anyone in the organization for the first time ever is pretty pretty cool. Well yeah, I mean the whole element of having everybody in the building, you know, for the
first time from the soccer side of the business, it's great. You know, we did the walk through of US media when it was you know, the grand opening, and you know from the sauna with the TV, the cold chamber, the lounge like almost right below us, with all the memorabilia.
I mean, there's a lot of cool parts to this. I'm wondering if you think back, like you know, twenty years when you played, if you could pick like one or two things that you guys are the toys in this building right now, what would you wish you had twenty years ago? Twenty years ago, Yeah, I mean I would have liked our own locker room and a parking lot, a parking space for us like that would have been I'd have taken both of those. Just to know I had a
parking space and a place to change would have been really cool. The league's changed so much, right, I'm like you look at from the time, you know, two thousand and four twenty four, right, I mean, yeah, the size of the league, the growth of league that has has anything in regards to this league surprised you where you know, twenty years ago would have said, hey MLS is now this, or it is now that, or has this now that? Would any of that surprised you twenty years
ago. I think one of the blessings I've had my entire life is I just kind of allow myself to be surprised by everything. I was surprised when I got a scholarship to play at Washington. I was surprised when the Sounders drafted me. I was surprised when the Galaxy took me. I was surprised, you know. But I'm just kind of happy this whole time to have been part of the process, somewhere in the cogs and wheels of this growth has been It's been pretty cool to be a part of it, you know.
I don't think any one person can take too much credit in this whole thing, but it's it's an amazing evolution over the last several decades. And I can't say that I could have predicted where it is. But but obviously I think you have to have grand you have to be full of grandeur to even envision it to grow and compete on a scale we're doing now well in
the evolution of the league. You know, even in like from your position in the general manager seat of the roster mechanics, where you have you have gam you have TAM, you have DP you have young dps, you have you twenty two initiative, you have Generation Adidas players, you have homegrown players. What else? You have a normal salary? Can normally you have just this discovery list with discovery players. I mean for fans, even for me
as media, it's so hard to keep track of all of this. Is hard for you to keep track of all these different mechanics that exist in this league and their special discovery. Right, So it sounds like you're on top of it. Well, I know, I'm go figure. Look, it's what's hard is you're building these and you're trying to build in a responsible way where you know, and if you're a gardner where you can harvest every year, right, and your crop is every year, and you're productive, and
you're pursuing championships. And the hardest part is when rule changes effect. I can have a six month, twelve month, eighteen month, twenty four, we can talk about these long term plans, but then you know, evolution requires change, and evolution in our world is very very good and very very necessary. But it's not only keeping up with all those mechanisms you mentioned to your point, I'm educated on all of them, But then how much is
the fan base educated on it? How much is the general soccer knowledgeable fan in America educated on it? And why does to some of these fans that don't understand all the mechanisms, why does it appear that one team isn't playing by the same rules as the other when in reality most of us are playing
by the same rules. I'll have a little bit of skepticism in there, because when I came in the league and played for the Galaxy, and I look back on that time, there's no way we were cap compliant with the roster we had. But at the same time, look, evolution requires change, it requires challenge. I think the league's done an amazing job of slow
growth. It's frustrating at times, it's hard at times. The hardest part for me is we don't always get to sit down and educate all the fans on what it actually is and how all these mechanisms actually work and how they impact each other, and so that that cause of frustration is not just you or me or the general fan. It's it's shared, you know, And it's there's no intent malicious intent by the league office or by the general managers,
or there's no malicious intent to not. But to your point, there's eight nine things and how they all overlap is pretty intricate, and so I think it's wonderful for the evolution and growth. I just think sometimes I would love to do more sessions where I get to teach everyone how these things overlap and why it looks like it looks, and where you can get in the nooks and crannies and and kind of manipulate and change and impact you know along
the way. Yeah, exactly. Because there are so many different mechanisms, how you use each one of them is interesting. We'll talk about that a little bit later when it comes to Peter Dale Vega, which we get into. But once Craiglible here Sounders general manager, President of Soccer in his office here at Long Acres, we talked about the new facility and all the toys. The one thing that I didn't see, and maybe I just missed it. Maybe you can show me where it is later is the fountain of youth.
Because roll Redaz seems to have found a fountain of youth in this movie. Is it somewhere that he found it? We just haven't seen it. Look I anytime a player performs that they deserve the credit. There's a lot of ways to support them. Like every club is supporting their players, some better than others. I think we support our players a lot better than a
lot of clubs and in many ways. But I think, look, when a player regains or finds a level that maybe that hasn't been shown in a little while, something changed in that player, whether it was mindset, whether it was physically, whether maybe he just feels better this year. You know, every once in a while, these athletes that have extended careers, you have a year where you can't really place it, but your body's just not
right, and an offseason resets that. I think with Raoul, what we're seeing, as you know, what I see from a body language standpoint is is a rejuvenated interest in the day to day. You know, there there are so many days in this profession where you show it's Groundhog's day. You know, you show up, you go to press. It's wonderful. But at the same time, like one season runs into another season into another season, and so I think there's just a rejuvenation in him of the general interest
not only in the game, but in his in his teammates. You know, you the way he's interacting right now with the guys. Is certainly it's elevated from last year. Yeah, and raleluy Diaz is having an excellent year so far. That's Craig Weibel, Sounders general Manager, President of Soccer. Part one of our conversation. We'll have part two coming up next week in
our special four part series there with Wibel. But awesome stuff there well, shifting gears here in Sounders Weekly. Before we get to Mark Rogandino and Ari Lillianwall is time for a new feature here in Sounders Weekly. It's gonna be our Western Washington Honda Dealers players to watch segment. So we're looking for whose time is it to drive the Sounders. Whose time is it to step up and have a big game? It will be for me. Joel Paulo.
Joel Paulo said earlier today at training that he is ninety percent healthy. He says he isn't ninety minutes fit yet, but at that ninety percent he's ready to start on facing a guy like Ryan Gold with Vancouver Whitecaps, who we're gonna talk about a little bit later on here in Sounders Weekly. You need a stout, defensive midfielder to be able to stand up against Ryan Gold and
a very good Vancouver Whitecaps attack. So my player to watch for this Vancouver game is Joel Paulo and each week our player to watch segment here on Sounders Weekly, sponsored by our Western Washington Honda dealers. Now is the time to drive a Honda. Don't wait. Stop by your local Western and Washington Honda
dealer today and drive good. I expect Joel Paulo to drive a good performance on Saturday against the white Caps. We'll chat about that match and much more with Mark Rogandino of MLS Season Pass on Apple TV Broadcaster there, plus Ari lillinwas a little bit later on both of them. Coming up here on Sounders Weekly 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.
Welcome back Sounders Weekly, Jackson Feltz here. Good to have you with us on this Wednesday evening. Thanks so much for staying tune tonight. We'll have part two of the conversation with Sounders general manager Craig Wible on next week's show. But joining us right now here is another one of the great MLS Season Pass on Apple TV. Broadcasters. Mark Rogandino joins us right now from MLS Season Pass on Apple TV. Mark, it's great to have you on
Sounders Weekly for the first time. Man, how are you? I am doing great, Jackson. Appreciate the invite, Appreciate a chance to talk a little Sounders and reach out and test some of the Emerald City supporters. Always had a soft spot in my heart for that part of the country, in that city, and so let's get after it. Well, I know you, jack Yeah, Jackson. By the way, you say, I'm trumping Craig Wibel, I mean, what is this wolf coming to? Yeah,
he was. I got a nice sit down with Craig for about a half hour earlier this morning, and uh we are breaking up the conversation into multiple parts. Uh so yeah, you're you're, You're, you're the you're the main act to Craig Wyble's warm up. First and only time here we go. Well, I'll tell you what, Mary, I mean, you got to do the Sounders call in San Jose. I'd be great to have you up here in Seattle, see in the booth just in a few days at
lewin Field. But uh, you know, from Afar and then from up close in San Jose, just from the national perspective on on where Seattle is
at and what Seattle is looking like this year. I mean, I think you would agree, obviously not the start that Brian Schweitzer and the Sounders and probably their fan base had envisioned, But he did have a lot of You did have a lot of obstacles, right, a lot of varioles when you talk about injuries, maybe guys popping away for international duty, and you know, obviously the big one was not having Stephan pry in there at the beginning,
a guy who's been just a mainstay back there for the Sounders for so long. So while I wasn't surprised that it was a little bit of a stumble to get things started, I'm also not surprised that now that you're starting to get everybody back in the fall, starting to play, what is your best eleven and the depth of your bench being able to be something that Schmitzer
can use, I'm not at all surprised. You know, back to back shutouts and including a really solid performance in that five nothing drubbing a couple of weeks ago. That's absolutely right. Mark Rodandino is our guest. He's play by play voice for MLS Season Pass on Apple TV, be in the house for Sounders Vancouver coming up, and Mark, I think we can alway say the Sounders defensively, that's that's something that you know, even going into the
season, and we all knew that's not gonna change. They're gonna be a great defensive squad. You know, we'll get healthy and Fry back and goal and everything will be fine. And especially Joel Pouler now getting him back in is great as well. The only question for us up here in Seattle has been, you know, can we get the offensive help? And the question
specifically revolves around the health of the team. I mean, yes, Leo Chu is healthy, Yes, Peter de la Vega is slowly making his way back and not sure if he'll even make the lineup coming up on Saturday. But you know, getting the most out of Jordan Morris, getting the most out of Rollery Diaz, and even in a game in San Jose where we were able to score multiple goals, it just feels like, you know,
the stars aren't necessarily being stars when we need them to most. Yeah, I think the biggest one is one of those names you mentioned is Jordan Morris to only have one goal on the season so far. I mean, remember at this point last year, I would I just off the top of my I'm going to say he was already at six or seven at this point last year, right, and we were all talking about is Jordan Morris going to be able to make a run at the Golden boot in Major League Soccer?
So you know, but you don't want Jordan Morris to be explosive in the beginning of the year as he was last year, and then they kind of dry up a little bit later in the year and ultimately you don't go as far an MLS Cup playoffs as you want to. So maybe this is actually a blessing in disguise. But I feel like Jordan Morris is the type of player where you pop the lid off the bottle and all of a sudden,
goals start coming in bunches. Right. He puts in a hat trick, he puts in a brace in a game, he has a goal and two assists in a game, so it's coming. It's coming in again. I think that goes back to the health of the entire collective group, right, because at the beginning of the season, you didn't have everybody, you didn't have everybody on one hundred percent healthy, and you're starting to work towards that
right now. And I think another thing is in my conversations with coach Brian Spetzer, he talks about not maybe being full throttle offense all the time, like because of the limitations of who he has available to him. A couple of weeks ago in San Jose, right, Leo two was not even on that trip, and we know that I've asked him. I said, hey,
what's the difference between why you play two and when you don't? And it's the work that he does on the defensive side of the ball or lack thereof, I should say, right, we know he is great at going forward, but can he handle the defensive responsibilities like a Christian Rodonda on the other side on a consistent basis. That's probably the reason why sometimes he's in the starting eleven sheet and sometimes he's not. Absolutely so. Marc ro Gandino
is our guest play by play voice MLS Season Pass on Apple TV. You know, watch the Sounders White Caps game coming up Saturday night. There'll be seven thirty kickoff. They're on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV. Also right here Sports Radio ninety three point three KJR FM. Mark, Let's talk about the Vancouver white Caps, because that is a team that has surprised a bunch
of people around MLS, or maybe it hasn't. I mean you talked to a lot of different people from a lot of different clubs around the country. You know, Vancouver being second place in the Western Conference right now, we're right now looking at him as this is going to be a massive test for the Seattle Sounders. How do you and how do others nationally view Vancouver so far this year? There's only a few teams, for me, Jackson in MLS that really thrive in chaos, and Vancouver is one of those teams.
They like to play. They like to play an open ended game that goes north and south where they're able to get out in transition and get gall get Brian White out and try and get them in behind your back floor. And so they don't we see them win four two games, We shoe them play three two games, three to one. They lose last week, So I'm not surprised by their success. To be honest, I gotta tell you. I mean, this is going to be the match of literally of two of
my favorite head coaches in Major League soccer. They both go about it a very different way. But when you get a chance to talk with these guys, Vanny Sartini and Brian Schmtzer, the amount of soccer knowledge that they lend to us as commentators and allow us just a little bit of a glimpse into what their daily snapshot looks like as a head coach, that makes our job
a lot better. Right when they're open and they share what's going on in their mind, why this player is getting more minutes, how they think they can attack their opponent. It's going to make our broadcast that much better and then hopefully it's a better listen for everybody out there, whether they're listening with you on radio or they're tuning in on Apple TV. So I'm just excited. And to answer your original question, this Vancouver team is very talented.
I saw them multiple times in League Cup last year. I saw them in the in the end of the season last year. They're They're a very very solid group. Super difficult to go and play up there at BC Place and get some kind of result, But the same could be true of how the Sounders have started to make lum and Field a fortress again, and I don't
expect anything different come Saturday night. I thought the comments there on Vani Sartini were interesting and maybe we can dive a little bit deeper into that because Sartini's a guy where I think from from certain fans of other teams. You get the headlines like his comments at the end of the year about the referee and that whole very terrible situation that he ended up getting suspended for. Then we see him come out and have the start to this year. It's cool to
hear how he behaves with media. I guess, you know, being in conversations there and I've never been in a you know, a conversation with Vanny Sartini. But what is his personality, like you know, in your meetings with him, when you've had production meetings and stuff. It's really big. It's really big. I mean, hey, he's allow, he's a fellow's a Paisano, so you know. But so he's a very big personality.
He loves it's his passion. That is what you see on the sideline, whether you're talking about him shouting out to his guys at the edge of his technical area, or even talking about the outbursts after the incident with lafc and the referee last year. It's just his passion for his team and his passion for his guys, you know, and and his passion for the game for that most But he is he is very transparent, you know, he is. He is very willing to share what is on his mind, how he
thinks that for this game in particular. I haven't spoken to him yet. That conversation will happen later in the week, but you know, I'm sure he will share how he thinks he can attack Seattle and the things that the Sounders do that scare him, and what his team needs to be protective of.
So you know, we'll we'll on our broadcast certainly we will be able to share those things and say, hey, you know, Vanny Sartini told us this is you got to watch out for Christian rolled on patrolling that right hand side and his ability to deliver crosses and interchange with his brother at the right backspot. I mean, you know, that's just off the top of my head, you know, something that I would be looking for for the Sounders to do one of many things I should say Jackson, but he's just
got a big personality, you know. And in contrast for Seattle fans, right, Brian is a little more. But the depth of knowledge and everything that he has done as a player as a coach, you know, I always say, I always say the prodigal son of soccer and Seattle. You know. I come from San Diego and my dad had season tickets for nine
of the ten indoor championships of the San Diego Soccers. And I watched Brian wearing the number two on his back with a heavily tape knee getting stuck in as hard as anybody in the entire misl would ever do as a kid. And I know that he has the same passion as Vannue when it comes to this game. That's amazing to the callback there from Brian playing down in San
Diego, that's incredible. Mark Rogandino once again our guest voice for MS Season Pass on Apple TV on the call for Sounders White Caps coming up this Saturday. Mark, let's finish by talking about where you were this last weekend back in San Jose talking about the Colorado Rapids and you called their three nothing win over San Jose. It's the third straight result for Colorado beating LAFC. They
got an impressive draw at Miami and then three nothing in San Jose. This is a Rapids team that, you know, we kind of saw the offseason changes and said, are the Rapins gonna be low key good this year? And maybe you can speak to more about how good the Rapids are looking in the early part of the year. You know, I think I think Chris Armis has done come in and done a really good job to get this team back on track. Part of it is, you know, Georgi Mahailovich is.
I mean, he's solid, right. We've seen what he did in Montreal, we saw what he did in Chicago, and he's a young player that loves to go forward and is not selfish in terms of looking for his own chances. He loves to get other guys in really dangerous positions. Halfio
Navajo their number nine. He came into the fold late last year. I think he only played ten games, but he does all the dirty work that you want in a number nine, in terms of string the ball when you don't have it, but also making a lot of runs off the ball when you do have it. So I think that they had a few pieces they brought in last year. They've added some pieces this year. I mean,
you had Zach Stefan there at the back. You know, they finally got their first shutout, their first shutout this last week and that three nothing win against San Jose. But you know the guy is going to make big time saves for you, and even in some of the earlier results, he made some big saves but just couldn't keep the zero on the board. So I think I think that Colorado is a team that has headed in the right direction.
Does that mean they make the top So it was in the top ten positions to get into that top nine positions to get into that MLS cut playoff picture. When all is said and done, I think it's way too early to even talk about that, just like it'd be way too early to say Seattle's not a team that's going in there. So I think I think the Colorado is obviously much improved from last year from a disastrous only five win season. And again, like many teams in MLS, it's so hard to go
to some of these cities and try and get results. Seattle is one LAFC is one. Vancouver is one, and I think you can probably include Dix Borniguz Park out there outside of Denver as one too, because he deal with a number of different factors, including that altitude. The altitude which is such
a major deal. Sounders don't have to face Colorado there in Commerce City until October fifth, and I'm counting my chickens and then very happy that we don't have to face Colorado into October because if they're getting on a roll, that October fifth match could mean a lot later on this season. But it's certainly a team in the standings Sounder fans should be watching for here over the next few months until we get to, you know, crunch time for those playoffs.
Mark, this was awesome man. I hope we can catch up in the future. See you out there at lumin Field and have a great call this Saturday night. Looking forward to it, Josh, thanks for having me on. I'll see it at Loumin on Saturday night. It's Mark Rogantino, play by play voice MLS Season Pass on Apple TV on the call for Sounders white Caps this coming weekend. Well, we'll take a break here in Sounder's Weekly we'll talk more Sounders Whitecaps and more MLS action with Ari lillianwall coming up.
Before we do, I'll tell you Sounder fans that a Flex membership is soccer on your schedule, Attend any regular season matches with who you want, in the seats you want, and save on single match pricing. It's your membership on your terms. Learn more by texting flex that's f l e x to two zero six eight three seven goal two O six eight three seven ga l Ari Lillian Wall comes up next on Sounders Weekly Sports Radio ninety three point
three KJRFM. Now back to Sounders Weekly on your home for Sounders fc CL's Sports Radio ninety three point three kjr FM. Welcome back Sounders Weekly. Good to have you with us on this Wednesday evening. Thanks all of our guests so far tonight. Check out the podcast in case you missed any of it, and also, once you're done checking out Sounders Weekly on the podcast, check out Lobbing Scores wherever you hear podcasts. The host of Lobbyings Scorchers also
writer and editor for MLS Soccer dot Com. Ari Lillianwalla joins us right now. Ari, good evening, my friend, how are you? I'm good Jackson, How are you doing. I'm good, man, I'm good. We got to talk about Sounders, you know, A little bit boring zero zero game between FC Dallas, you know, down in Frisco, Texas this last weekend. A lot of other mls to get to here in a few minutes, but as usually, let's just start off with your takeaways from the
zero zero game. Yeah, you know, ordinarily I would say draw at SD Dallas isn't that bad result. It's a place where the Sounders have struggled to get results historically, although in recent years they have managed to get a little a few more results there. But I think the unfortunate thing is you didn't really get as much of a carryover from that big win, the five goal win over CF Montreal, as you would have liked. It would have been nice to see them put a couple on the board. That said,
I did think they looked okay on offense in this game. For a Western Conference road game, they could have won that game. There is a couple of really good chances they had to win. So I think the result in itself isn't bad, but in the context of the rest of how the season has started, with the troubles that they've had scoring goals. You would have really liked to see them put a couple in the net and take three points
in this game. Yeah, I thought it was frustrating because if you mentioned the chances, I mean, forty first minute, you have Christian Roldan and if he opens up just a little bit more, maybe that's in the back of the net Jordan Morris in the thirtieth minute where pass has to come up with a huge save. It's frustrating, you know, getting the probably the three or four best chances of the game and not being able to cash them.
That winds up in the zero zero draw. But are the thing for me that stands out is the fact that it is coming, as you mentioned, off of a five nothing win over Montreal. Brian Schmitzer starts the same lineup, which I didn't have any problem with whatsoever. You got to reward the guys who went out there and started the game for that five nothing win. But it is zero zero, So I'm wondering is that more of a reason because you know, knew who came off at the start of the Montreal
game. Cody Baker comes on. Is Cody Baker like the lock or the key to the lock that is the Sounders offense, or was it just a product of you know, getting a wonder goal from Ruy Diaz in the twentieth minute of that Montreal game and then you know, as we know, goals change games and everything opened up from there that led to five nothing? Or is did Cody Baker do something and maybe we should have seen Cody Baker in
Dallas. We were debating the exact same question on Lobby Scorchers this week, and you know, I don't I don't really know if you can say that Cody there's not necessarily a causation is correlation with Cody Baker getting on in the CF Montreal game and then the offense looking that much better? But I will say I do want to see that kid get more minutes. I think he's he's played really well in his minutes in the chances that he's gotten this season.
And I do think as far as skill set, he offers a little bit more an attack that knew who does, So you might be sacrificing a little bit in defense with Cody Baker in the lineup, although I think that he's played pretty well defensively when he's been on the field too, so I think he definitely has a fair shout for some increase minutes, honestly, just to see and get some more data on the answer to that question that you're talking about, because I mean, that was the best game they've played all
seasons, the Montreal one. Yeah, and I totally agree, and I agree with your commentary there and on the podcast again Lobbings Scorcher's Ari Lillenwall is the host of that also writer and editor for MS soccer dot com. But I completely agree. We need more data on Cody Baker to tell us because if he goes out in whether it's a start against Vancouver or if it's coming
off the bench leading to another sound of his goal. I mean he had the assistant San Jose to Mazowski. We see how good he can play on the offensive and defensive end. He's a complete full back. And you know Knew who is great defensively, but I'm not sure new who is great offensively.
Cody's a much more balanced player in that regard. So we'll see what happens this Saturday night against Vancouver. Let's begin our sharp vision opponent ATLEC on the white Caps We've talked about them a lot this year, but we haven't talked about a lot of white Caps losses this year. That happens Saturday against the LA Galaxy at home at BC Place. What happened up there, Well, Joseph paint still happened. I've been stumping for this guy for MVP that
LA Galaxy's offseason signing. That game was a hard fought, competitive game LA Galaxy. We're up one zero late in the game, Vancouver tied it and then Joseph Paint Will had a goal and assist in a two minute span from the eightieth minute to the eighty second minute to kind of power LA to that victory. So I really think that game was more an illustration of just how high level the LA Galaxy are playing at right now, rather than much of
Vancouver not being as good as we as we thought they were. I still I think Vancouver has been one of the best teams in the league so far this season, and that's barn out on the table. They're still up at the top of the Western Conference. So they definitely had a tough loss to the Galaxy, but that was a matchup between two of the best teams in the West right now, And I definitely don't think that it makes this indicates
that this is going to be any easier of a matchup for Seattle. I mean, they have one of the hotter teams in the league comeing tolum Minsfield, even in spite of that result. And I think the combination of Brian White and Ryan Gold, it's not anything like Clinton Dempsey olaf A Martin's, but that duo has spent so much time together now it just kind of feels like we are reaching the crescendo of what those two can do together and play
off of each other. Because whenever I turn on the highlight reel or watch highlights on the Vancouver what Caps, like I did a couple of days ago, it just pops off the page of how much White and Gold are dominating teams here in the early six to seven games of the season. Yeah, I mean they're both pretty underrated players. Still, I think they're starting to get more attention nationally across MLS just because their production has been so high dating
back to last season. But I mean, if you look at Ryan Gall both by his statistical production and the eye test, you have a guy who's been producing at a level as a lot of the other great number tens and playmakers in the league right now, and he's very much a guy that you
can build around in the way that they have. Brian White has been an underrated MLS forwards for a lot of years, dating back to his time coming up with the New York Red Bulls, and I mean, you know, when you think of the great number nines in the league, he's still not the name that a lot of people are going to pop up with. But I mean, if you look at how often that he seems, it seems like every week he scored big goals for them, And I mean, you're
right. Their synergy and that the way that they the way that they combine, I mean, it's just a really potent one to two punch and it's going to be tough for Seattle to deal with it. Definitely will. So
hopefully we get Jual Paulo starting in that game. That's kind of the number one thing I'm looking for Saturday is getting Joel Poulo back in the starting lineup and seeing what he can do, whether it's alongside Obed or alongside Josh Atensio, probably a tencio, you know, it would be great to get JP back in there against that duo and everything else from VTA Vancouver Wycaps are a
tremendous team, second place in the Western Conference right now. And Opponent Outlook was presented by Sharp Vision Modern las can Lens, the official Lasik provider of Sounders FC. Are you talked about Pencil having a great game for the La Galaxy. Another player who had a great game this week? He's actually I believe he is the player of the week in Major League Soccer. It is, of course, and very obviously Lionel Messi goal two assists. The goal
was a wonder goal from distance. I mean, Messi is resuming doing exactly what we thought he would do. Overall though that game, I mean he was played in Kansas City in Arrowhead Stadium, seventy two thousand people. It was quite a spectacle and as we know from Lionel Messi, when the lights are brightest, he shined. What a game that not even what a play
from Messi? What a game that was back and forth three too. Yeah, I mean, I think a lot of people were down on Inner Miami after they bombed out of a CONCA CAFF champions Cup and they went behind in this game, and you know, you already saw the talk in real time about how maybe this team wasn't as good as a lot of people thought,
and you know, I never really bought into that that much. I think they bombed out of Conka CAFF Champions Cup in large part because Lionel Messi missed the first leg against CF Monterey. You know, you can't say for sure, but I think if he plays that full series, I would like their chances very much of having won that series. But I think this game you kind of saw once again what kind of ceiling this Inner Miami team has when
they have everyone healthy. You know, Sporting Kansas City was kind of taking to him in this game. They went ahead in the sixth minute. You saw kind of the defensive fragility that Inner Miami has at times. But it's I mean, when you have Messi on your team, it's kind of a cheet cokee. He can just pull a goal he scored in that game, which is just an amazing goal out from out of nowhere at any time,
even if your team isn't playing that well. And then you throw in Luis Suarez who gets the game winner in the seventieth or seventieth seventy first minute, and it's just so much firepower. And it's really with that team, it just comes down to how many minutes they're going to be able to get out of all those guys. I mean, we've talked about it a lot this
season. That's really the only question mark with them. But if they have all those guys healthy and fit and inform, it's just it's really That game really showed how hard it is to beat them, because Sport in Kansas City
played them pretty straight up and still couldn't get a result against them. Well, Miami right now leading the Shield standings with fifteen points, so they have the same goal differential as the LA Galaxy at five, but they've scored nineteen goals and yeah, Messi and Suarez and all them big reasons why just on fire right now, exactly what we expected of them. Ari with our last couple of minutes, really quickly, one to touch on the game between Portland
Timbers and LAFC. It was a two to two final. I know there was a red card for a keeper. Quite exciting over there. What do you see in LAFC Portland. Yeah, that actually wasn't a great result for either of those teams, because you have the Portland Timbers who blew a who blew with the lead in this game, and then they get their goalkeeper Maxi and Crapau gets the red card in the forty eighth minute, and LAFC scores
the equalizer again on the free kick directly after that goalkeeper red card. But they had the entire rest of the game playing up a man to try and get a win, and they couldn't do it either. So I don't think either of those teams are happy with the result that took place for them this week. It's funny and wild all Laurie lillenwall Is with us MLS Soccer dot Com, writer editor, host of the podcast Lobbing Scorchers. Last thing for
you here, Ari, let's talk Minnesota United. So Minnesota has not won a game in MLS play in more than a month. They lost again this last weekend to Houston, who, by the way, now I was third place in the Western Conference. And Emanuel Reinoso, a name that you know MLS and Sounder fans, probably no star, you know, central midfielder for Minnesota. He went down, I believe, to Argentina to get his green
card and correct me if I'm wrong on any of this. He goes down to Argentina to get his green card a couple of weeks ago, during Minnesota's off week, A couple weeks ago, and he still hasn't returned from Argentina. I'm not sure if anybody knows where he is. Certainly fans don't know where he is, and Minnesota keeps losing games or not getting results. I should say, do you have any insight into what the hell is going on
with Renoso? With Minnesota with that situation, because that is like as if a Russ Snack or a Raul or a Jordan was just to you know, leave and then not come back. What's going on with Emmanuel Renoso? Yeah, I have no idea where Manuel Renoso is Jackson, And I gotta tell you, this is one of the more bizarre recurring storylines I have ever seen in MLS. This is actually the third time I believe that something to this
effect has happened. He has gone missing in Argentina multiple times before this for various reasons that you know, I don't really know the full story behind him, so I'm not going to speculate on that, but it is very bizarre that it keeps happening, and it is one of the more talented players in the league. When he's on the field for them, I think he's probably the best assist man in the league, Like pure assist guy. There's not
many, if any better than Emmanuel Reinoso. But they can't seem to keep him located. So it's going to be interesting to see if they get him back this time. I have a feeling it's getting to the point where they may need to move on from this player if this keeps happening. And it's obviously a tough situation for them because he is the kind of the centerpiece of their whole team and they have figured out how to play better without him since
they've had to do so many long stretches without him. But like you're seeing the impact right now where it is affecting their results, and they don't know where he is, so I mean, I'm definitely gonna keep track of what's going on with that, but as far as his whereabouts right now, I couldn't tell you. And it's definitely just a very weird thing that keeps happening to them, Yeah, very weird. Indeed, maybe the fans have to start playing where's Waldo? Or you know, just send some people out there
to Argentina to locate him, track flights all that stuff. Crazy situation. I am not envious of what they're going on through over there in Minnesota right now. Even with our situation here in Seattle, I would not want to be in Minnesota's shoes, all right, man, Well, maybe we'll have more Reinoso watch next week. Hopefully we're talking about a Sounders result against second place Vancouver. Have a good weekend. I'll see you out at Luminfield sounds
good. Thanks Jackson. It's great stuff there from Ari Lillian MLS soccer dot com and Lobbing scorchers Man. Great stuff there. We'll stay with more on todate on the Reinoso situation that is wild out there in Minnesota. Well. Sounders FC Soccer is presented by Provident, Swedish official healthcare partner of Sounders FC, and that will do it for our show tonight. I want to thank
all of our guests, including Ari Lillienwall there. Check out the podcast Sounders Weekly wherever you get your podcasts, including the iHeartRadio app, and we will talk to you this Saturday. Right here Sports Radio ninety three point three KJRFM for Sounders and Vancouver white Caps, we're gonna have a provident Swedish pre mat show of seven o'clock, kickoff at seven point thirty. You can also listen to the match in Spanish language on l Ray thirteen sixty and watch the match
via MLS Season Pass on the Apple TV app. And of course get your tickets today at soundersfc dot com slash tickets. So look forward to seeing you out at Luminfield this coming Saturday night. Have a good rest of the week and Fox Sports Radio is coming up next