Coming to you live from Morelliot 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's here. Good to be with you on this beautiful Wednesday evening here in Seattle. A little bit cooler of a day than the last couple of days, a little bit cooler than it was in Sacramento, California last night for the Sounders win there in the quarterfinal
of the US Open Cup. We are going to re reacting to that here tonight on Sounders Weekly. Lot to get to here on tonight's show. Brian Dunseeth is a broadcaster from MLS Season Pass on Apple TV. He'll be on the call for the Sounders match. Coming up this Saturday is the back in MLS action at Austin FC, and Donny will join us here in just about
ten minutes or so to preview Sounders and Austin. We'll continue to talk about the Open Cup here in a little bit with Ari Lillionwall of MLS socker dot Com and the podcast Lobbing Scorches, and he'll take us around the League. I want to ask him if we now have a definitive new best team in Major League Soccer after a few blowouts in MLS this last weekend. And then we'll of course go around the world with our summer tournament correspondent anders Hurst.
We still have to talk a little bit about the United States men's coaching situation and as well as Copa America and the Euros as we saw results here as Argentina are through to a final, Spaniard through to a final. We'll talk about those with Anders here in a little bit, and of course we'll go around the sound have some big news coming out of the halls of Ballard FC,
so stay tuned for that later on tonight. Before we get going and before we start talking about that two to one Open Cup win last night down in Sacramento, I'll tell you that Sounders FC Soccer is presented by Providence Swedish,
the official healthcare partner of Sounders FC. So two to one over Sacramento and Seattle will be hosting the US Open Cup semi final against either LAFC or New Mexico United, which, by the way, is Ari Lullianwall's team, as he is from New Mexico. We'll get Ari's two cents on LAFC New Mexico, which kicks off about an hour from right now, kicks off just after eight pm down there in La So we'll talk to Ari about that in a little bit. The Sounders will be hosting one of those two teams in
late August. They got there because they beat Sacramento two to one last night. Now, last night's game was definitely a tale of two halves. We saw maybe the best half of the season from the Sounders, or one of the best halves of the season for sure. I know, competition level you can say, you know is a certain point. They're playing a USL team, but that's a USL team who certainly was getting up for the game. If you just looked at the atmosphere out there, it was right on the
grounds of the California State Fair, jacked up fans for that game. They had a helicopter fly down into the stadium at the start of the game. That was an intense atmosphere, and the Sounders rose to the occasion there in the first forty five minutes they started the game, well, they were great in possession. I think you saw a little bit of settling into the game. But in the sixteenth minute, Joshi Atensio picks up a clearance and uses
a deflection off of a defender's calf or knee or foot. It goes into the back of the net for a one nothing lead in the sixteenth minute. That kind of set the tone early that all right, we are here, we are the better team. And it was a game where I think we saw the Sounders. It was a little bit differenting and Kellen Row and I
talked about this on the premat show. It was a little bit different than you see other Open Cup games where sometimes you'll see the USL teams start all of their best players, start their top lineup available, and you'll see the MLS squad start some backups. That wasn't the case last night in Sacramento, because Sacramento was the team that didn't start their best players. I mean, the twenty twenty three defender of the Year Donovan he was on the bench to
start. And they're their leading goal scorer, Trevor Ammond. There's six P one FOURD who has eight goals for them, has played all seventeen games in USL. He was on the bench as well, so for Sacramento is. I was kind of scratching my head when I saw their lineup, going why aren't you starting your apparent best players in this game? And then on the flip side, Seattle wasn't starting you know, their backups like we had seen
in previous Open Cup games. They were full throttle. I mean the lineup was outstanding from Brian Schweitzer for everybody who said, you know, can we commit you know, big level, top level players to Open Cup action, you got your wish yesterday with Christian rolled On at right back, Yamar Knew who jp ru Snack, You had Morris at the top, and you had guys come off the bench in the middle of this game and in the second half that are also top level players. I mean in the sixty second minute
you had Alex Roldan come on. You also had Rollridez come on. So you had top level players throughout the match. And I think it certainly was Brian Schmeenzter saying we are going for it. We are all in to try to win this game and host a semi final, and they did it. And you know, I think one of the things in that first half was seeing what happened after the Sounders scored. It was just non stop pushing.
It was we're not happy won nothing. We're not gonna sit back and you know, you know, just be okay with defending and eventually countering for you know, a second goal. They kept possession and Sacramento and Public had had a shot go just widen than twenty third. But then in the thirty first minute, I mean, a couple of the best passes you'll see all year where Jonathan Bell, who, by the way, had a great game Jonathan
Bell did. Starting at center back next to Yamar, he sends a ball up on the left side to Read Baker Whiting and then you know, if you heard the postgame show and go listen to that in case you haven't yet, Kellen Rowe was gushing about Read Baker Whiting's pass with the outside of his right foot to Jordan Morris up that left side. It was a sense stational ball from Reed Baker Whiting and the keeper, who, to be fair Vtlo for Sacramento Public, was I believe the keeper of the year last year for
Sacramento. You know, just looking through some of the highlights a couple of days ago. He's a great keeper, but he came way off of his line there. Jordan is too fast and maybe Vtllo just isn't used to a forward who has such pace. But Jordan was able to get to the ball from Reid, get around Vtlo open net, scores to nothing. And then again I'll say the same thing I did a minute ago. It was what
the Sounders did after scoring the goal. They stayed in possession, they stayed on him and they just didn't relent, and it kind of felt like a third goal was coming. It nearly did on a free kick from Albert Rusnak headed by Gomez Andrade. So that was the first half and everything was great up to nothing. Then the second half where Sacramento got a much better hold
of this game. It really felt like they were going down a road to you know, getting a result because they had getting a you know, setting the extra time, I should say, because they get a goal in the forty ninth minute where a corner is headed in between Andrew Thomas's legs. You know, I'm gonna sound like a broken record because I know I've ragged on him before, but knew who just lost his man at the back post. And it's just frustrating because knew who's screaming, and it's like, man,
you lost your dude at the back post, knew who. You can't be screaming at other guys when you lose your man. But he did, and ultimately it's a header that kind of luckily goes between Andrew Thomas's legs and Sacramento gets their goal. It makes it two to one. But for the next forty minutes, the Sounders defended well and they made the changes I mentioned with
Brian Schmitzer. They brought on guys at the right times, and they defended in the moments they needed to. They stepped up and they shut Sacramento down in the moments. So credit to Seattle. They did everything they needed to do in those final forty minutes to keep Sacramento off the score sheet. And it did end by a final score of two to one. But you know, far more nervy than it needed to be, and Ted uncle the rectree. He had some moments that I was questioning. I think we should have
had a second yellow card in that second half. In the seventy eighth minute by Pirano. He stepped I believe on Christian Roldon's foot. That should be a second yellow. So Uncle was kind of playing the score more than I think he was, you know, playing the game from an officiating standpoint. That was really disappointing, but he made it closer than it needed to be. But at the end of the day, the Sounders defense stepped up,
and credit where credit is due. They did a great job. Good good subs by Brian Schmidzer, and Seattle moves on with a two to one win. Again. We'll all be watching LAFC versus New Mexico coming up here in a little bit to see who Seattle will host coming up in late August in the US Open Cup semi final. But as we turn our attention back from the Open Cup back to MLS action because the Sounders have a game coming up
this Saturday against Austin FC. The man who's going to be on the call alongside Max brettis for MLS Season Pass on Apple TV is our good friend, Brian Dunseeth. Donny, good to have you back here in Sounders Weekly. How are you, man, I'm doing great, man. I appreciate the time as all this. Yeah, appreciate your time. Brian. Let's start for simply your thoughts on our Sounder situation right now. Thirteen points over the last five games, four straight home wins. This one will be on the
road. But you know, it's a little bit of a different Sounders team than when we saw you last up here. Yeah, it's crazy, right, confidence, short turnaround time and you know, three games and eight days and all of a sudden things changed dramatically. Yeah, listen, you and
I have talked both privately and publicly about this. You know, when you talk about the start of the season and so many different issues that the club was facing with regards to injuries and availabilities, paperwork issues, it was going to be difficult and less an ideal. And I think when we did our predictions, I think I had Seattle maybe coming in third place at the start
of the year. So I predicted them to pick up right where they left off last season, with Pedro de la Vega settling in and obviously Nico going it down to Orlando Raoul with a full clean bill of health. You know, Jordan coming off what was an incredible start and kind of tailing off that Keaton back up at the end. I had high hopes, igh expectations,
but it was it was weird. It was odd. And even for the games that I wasn't calling, I was watching you know, Schmidt's post game and watching his his midweek press conferences after training, and it always felt like the verbalization of how close they were was also tinged with a bit of frustration with the reality of how far away they were and whether you talk about the importance of individual players, and unfortunately, I've been in this situation as a
former player where wins turns into draws and draws turned to losses. You know, I thought, I thought that Brian and his staff verbalized it pretty cleanly throughout the first phase of the season, is like, we just need moments, and you know, those moments were unfortunately right cards right, those moments were goals allowed in the laws, five minutes of matches. Those were negative
moments. They needed positive moments and and it's crazy to see, you know, how quickly when you're you're talking about moments, how they can change.
And we I think we're we're all kind of naive times and we forget that, us old heads and mls, you know, we don't acknowledge what three games in eight days really do. And you know, you go back to the momentum it started with Minnesota United, right and that heavy collision with Padelford and Alex Ruldon and k Off those two players off the field and what the first six seven seconds of the game, and then all of a sudden, you know, you've got Seattle and the run that they've been and you've got
Minnesota struggling, uh in the momentum that they had and they were I think the fourth position at the time. So yeah, it's it's great to see uh Seattle squad find its confidence because I think when it's all said and done, now you have a team that nobody wants to face, whether it's at home or on the road. And I think that's a huge compliment for the way that this roster can perform. Yeah, exactly. I mean, you
look back. I think the great way to put it is is seeing those moments go against the Sounders at so many cases, whether it was you know, back in May the one to one drag ins Vancouver where it's the late penalty for the white Caps, and then you have the Salt Lake game where you're looking at three points and that goes to one. You just know, those moments we were going against the Sounders, and those moments are finally turning around. It feels like the other way than goodness in the form of a
couple of comebacks here recently. You know, Brian, one of the things that stands out to me about the Sounders is the road form, which has also been you know, the home form wasn't that great at the start of the year, but the road form has seemingly been there for a while. From you know, winning at Philadelphia, who at the time we thought was still a good club. The win at Portland was good, the win at Saint Louis, you know, coming back to get a result at Houston.
So for Austin coming up this weekend, it's another one. We're you know, I'm strangely confident with this team going on the road, but it's an Austin team that they themselves are coming off of a nice too one win hosting New York City. Yeah, you know, it's funny. I mean, we Max and I did, to Max is what I call him lovingly, you know, to Max and I did a couple of early Austin games and they fell apart against both Minnesota and Saint Louis, and all of a sudden,
you know, everyone's out for Josh Wolf's head. You know, there wasn't a lot of additions in the off season to the team. You know, they bring in Rubio, who I thought was a very quiet, little savvy addition to the group because he's got I call it the dun Suthy. That's dark arts, you know, it's it's it's the old school, Alan Gordon, Steve Lenhardt, Alejandro Moreno. You know, anytime your touch go to ground and try to force the referee to make the decision. And now
you know, guys like a guy like Josse Zardez eating up. But you know, still a group of players that you know, we're I don't know, we're I don't know if they were underperforming or they were just being outplayed. And then all of a sudden, before you know it, if you haven't been paying attention, Austin finds themselves in a playing a playoff position, and you know those shouts for you know, the head of Josh Wolf is
a little bit you know, a little bit softened. You know, not not too long ago, there were people calling, you know, saying, well, hold on, is it too long with Schmett's is the time to look in a different direction? As their manager that could get something better out
of this group. So time is a time is a fickle little animal, right, and you got to you gotta hope that your general manager, your sporting director, your ownership group has the correct amount of faith to recognize the nuance between you know, the run of form being negative and the run of form showing something different behind the scenes, something that you need to change. So with Austin, yeah, listen there there, it's an interesting team.
I don't think there's there's anyone that would on their Bengo card that they're the best team in the West or they're one of the top five teams in the West. But they've got something and I'm not sure how to accurately describe it, but that's something is a they've got a battling mentality and and they've got
us versus And this is kind of what happens. And I know you guys have seen it before, because there's been a couple of seasons where Seattle, you know, in the past, has been bang average, and then all of a sudden they heat up July, August, September and they've got this run in the playoffs and you're like, oh man, they're they're they're the
team nobody wants to face. It's it just comes down to a mentality that you've got to figure out how to make life difficult for the opponent, how to be antagonistic, and in terms of that and antagonistic flair, whether that's with the ball or without the ball, you know, how do you find those moments? How do you find those special players? And right now, I think the one thing people got to remember, we're in the nuclear arms
race of spending with regards to Major League Soccer. And when this trans windows opens up on July eighteenth, I think we're going to see a league being in its most active in terms of going and incoming players that we've ever seen. Yeah, I'm going right now one week away from the transfer window opening up, and I think that's the question here is what happens for Seattle spending wise. You know, what kind of attacking threat can we bring in to
give the Sounders another thread up top? Even with how good Jordan Morris and Albert Rusnak are playing right now, needing that kind of person on that side of the ball. So we here in Seattle are certainly going to be watching that transfer window very closely. Brian duns Us our guest. He's going to be on the call for Sounders Austin coming up five pm pre match a five point thirty kickoff MLS Season Pass on Apple TV, and right here's Sports Radio
ninety three point three KJRFM. Listen to Brian and Brian and Max if you are watching that on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV. Brian, I know you've had been on a call for some recent rail A Salt Lake games and for them at the top of the Western Conference alongside LAFC and the LA Galaxy all on forty three points right now. I would love to get your two cents on the top of the West as opposed to kind of that big group that we just touched on with Austin and Seattle kind of you know, in
that group. But the top of the Western Conference right now, with with those three teams seems to be stacked, and I would get love to get your take on how good of a shot RSL to have to eventually top that group with a very powerhouse LAFC squad right above them. Yeah, I mean, I think let me let me try to chop this up for you.
I think if you take Lino Messi and you know Luis Warez, a Jeordi Albo Busquetz and everything that taught the Martino and company have done with regards to the nuclear arms, spending to build up Enter Miami into the animal that it is in the Eastern Conference. And credit to f C Cincinnati for being top of the table right now. I think we also late might be the story of the year so far a major league soccer. I certainly didn't predict them
to be anywhere near where they're at. I thought they would be a four or five, six, seven eight type of team like they were last year,
just because you know, it's it's hard to match that spend. And don't get me wrong, their new ownership Blitzer, Ryan Smith and company, they spent a tremendous amount of money the infrastructure of the stadium, on the field, you know, it's the infrastructure of the stadium, around sixteen seventeen million, players on the field, around twenty million since they've taken over. And I don't think they're stopping. I think when this window opens up,
they're going to continue to spend. And they have to spend because I think it's going to set them up for the future. But you know this comes down to really chi Cho Wrongo. You know, going out and spending the six million on Chicho Arongo looks like Penny's on the dollar when it's all said and done, and when you talk about what he's done, not just on the field, but I think in terms of the locker room. But I
also think, you know, there's a trickle down effect. And the trickle down effect was you know, You're you sell Jefferson Savareno down to Boto Fogo in Brazil. That opens up, I think a power vacuum of player ability on the field. And then Demir Crylock leaves and goes to Vancouver to get more opportunity to play at this stage of his career, and I think it
opens up a leadership vacuum inside that locker room. And chi Cho was given the opportunity to wear the captains band and he's he's taken it with both hands and he's I think, been a true leader both on and off the field. I might add Diego Luna to that conversation as well. So do I think they'll be able to stay? I don't because I'm trying to be pragmatic
and understanding what LAFC is doing. LAC has been incredible. You know, you go back to the last season in the MLS Cup Final, five starters from the MLS Cup Final in Columbus not on the starting game day roster for LAC. Two substitutes coming into that game not on the game day roster to start twenty twenty four. So I know on math isn't great, but my cal state fullytson passed the sail map tells me that's seven players from an MLS
Cup final not starting the twenty twenty four season. So they bring back out to West. They asked Matty Bogus to play the false nine, and they've implemented a more possession based format that's really benefited them while still giving Keith E Leavera and Jenny Belonga the ability to hit in transition. So they're ruthless, they're cunning, they're incredibly intelligent, and I don't think they're anywhere close to
finishing this roster. Well. Obviously, they knocked us out of the playoffs last year and I would very much like to not see them earlier than the Western Conference Final this year. That's just yeah, that's a tremendous team there Donnie, it was great to catch up today, man. Awesome to talk some Sounders Austin. Look forward to hearing you on the call this Saturday for the game there on MS Season Pass. Have a great call and we'll see
you in Seattle very very soon. Thank Yeah, we'll see you on Wednesday. Max and I are heading up for that game, so I can't wait. Man. I always love being a part of the Seattle broadcast. Love it. Can't wait to see you in a week from tonight, Brian. Appreciate the time and safe travels and have a good call on Saturday. Thank you man. That's great stuff there from Brian Dunseeth. Awesome to have on.
He'll be on the call not only for Sounders Austin, but as he mentioned, there'll be on the call for Sounders and Saint Louis coming up next Wednesday, which will also be right here. Both games on ninety three point three kjr FM quickly broadcast details. I mentioned it there in the middle of the interview, but we'll have a Providence Swedish premat show right here. Sports Radio ninety three point three kjr FM Providence Swedish Prematch Show at five pm kickoff
at five thirty. You can listen to Max and Brian on the call on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV. Also listen in Spanish language on l Ray thirteen sixty. And that is for this match this Saturday, Sounders at Austin. We'll tell you a break here in Sounders Weekly. We'll come back and we'll turn our attention back to the US Open Cup last night in Sacramento. Ari lulionol mlsoccer dot com will join us for his weekly visit next on Sounders
Weekly on Sports Radio ninety three point three. Cow back to Sounders Weekly on your home for Sounders fc cel's Sports Radio ninety three point three kjr FM. Welcome back Sounders Weekly, Jackson Felts. Good to have you here on Sports Radio ninety three point three KJRFM, where you can hear Sounders Austin coming up here on Saturday. Thanks again to Donny Brian Dunseth, who's going to be on the call this Saturday, for joining us there just about fifteen minutes ago.
Check out the podcast in case you missed it, but joining us now here in Sounders Weekly to take us around the league and also get his reaction to last night's US Open Cup win for the Sounders is our good friend MLS Soccer dot com and the host of the podcast Loving Scorchers. It's our friend Ari, Lillianwall Ari. How are you, my friend? I'm good, Jackson. I had fun watching that game. I had fun too. I think Ted Uncle made it a little bit more fun at the end last night.
The referee, I'll all reserve my thoughts, but I had lots of thoughts about refereeing from Ted Uncle. But listen, man, at the end of the day, we'll start there. Sounders. Moving ahead, they're going to be hosting the US Open Cup semi final coming up on August twenty seventh or twenty eighth, against either LAFC or your new Mexico United team. We'll talk about that in a minute, but that US Open Cup win over Sacramento
two to one. Just get your takeaways from what was a little bit more nervy of a win than we thought it was going to be forty five minutes in. Yeah, it definitely was not the prettiest Seattle Sounders win that I've ever seen. But these US Open Cup games are like that sometimes. I mean, anyone who thinks that these games against these second division sides are just going to be easy and that they're gonna be pushovers and let you win just
because you're an MLS squad. That's not how it works. And so credit to Zacramento Republic. They were competitive. I thought they gave Seattle a really good game, but Seattle took care of business and they were two nice goals. It was good to see Jordan Morris Keith Rowland and it was also good to see Josh Attencio get on the score sheet. I thought, overall, a pretty professional performance. And now Seattle's further in this tournament than they've made
it in quite some time. Yeah, exactly. I think what twenty sixteen, they were in the quarterfinals in twenty sixteen, ought to go back and see, but obviously twenty fourteen they want it. They're trying to be the first team in the United States history to win the US Open Cup five times there even right now at the max of four, so that would be a record. They're chasing that. And we'll see about LAFC or New Mexico.
Let me quickly ask you there. You know New Mexico United obviously, and this game kicks off right in about what thirty ish minutes, about forty minutes LAFC hosting New Mexico. I think, obviously, man for your New Mexico squad, it's quite an uphill battle and quite a task to beat and move on from LAFC. But I guess the question is do you watch them a lot closer than I think any of our listeners. Does New Mexico have a hope to get it done later tonight? I'm trying to keep my expectations in
check, Jackson. Like you said, they are about as heavy an underdog as you can get. LAFC are rolling right now. They're arguably the hottest team in MLS. The thought of Denny Bowoga going against my USL defenders is a scary one, but you know, anything can happen in a given game. You never know. They could maybe get a penalty kick victory, or maybe you get a flute goal or two, and it's a night where LFC
you just can't finish. I'm certainly hoping and praying and rooting for New Mexico to pull off the cupset, and I'll probably if that happens, that'll probably be the happiest that I've ever been at a result of any athletic competition.
But like I said, I'm trying to keep my expectations in check just because if the most likely outcome occurs, you know, I don't want it to take an emotional toll on me. Well, hey, listen, as excited as you will be for New Mexico to win, I think Sounder fans would be just excited, just as excited me to not have to see LAFC in a semi final, whether that's a Starfire or Lumen who knows, but to not have to see Hugo Laris and be Wonga and that entire unit would be
an absolute joy. But again, that match kicks off right after eight pm. We both will be watching that one very very intently. But you know, listen, that's that's coming up, you know for the Sounders in late August. We have to wait a month and a half to open Cup. Action returns as we quickly you know, hit our sharp vision opponent, out Look Austin FC, is a team coming up for the Sounders this Saturday on the road. Sounders obviously, you know, thirteen points in the last five
games, a very very good record. They've been good this year. Away from home against an Austin team that is in the playoff picture right now, coming off of a win against New York City. I feel like, you know, the conversation that we had in around the league at the start of the year was that Josh Wolf was going to be fired in Austin. But it seems like things have changed a little bit. Yeah. Yeah, it seems like they've definitely played above the expectations that a lot of people had for
them this season based on how last season went. I still don't think there are anything I consider them a relatively mid table average MLS team. You know, they still have Sebastian Drusi, who is one of the most talented players in the league. But I think the issue it's a little like Hani Muktar in Nashville. They don't really have much outside of him, and he's also missed a lot of time with injury this year. But they are coming off
a nice results. Giosse's artists got on the score sheet with the brace for them in their last game and gotten to tenth place on the all time MLS goals list, so maybe they carry over some momentum from that. And the other thing I will say about them is that Q two stadium is a very potent home field advantage. That's a very difficult place to play. Their fans get rowdy, so it should be a good environment, a great atmosphere.
But I don't think this Austin FC team is any sort of juggernaut or anything like that. Yeah, okay, So I mean for Sounders fan, expecting a result, a point on the road would be great, especially battling the fact that you had guys like Jordan Morris play ninety minutes. You Roosnak effectively playing ninety minutes, by the way, on Rusnak, I imagine that for
you and Noah. His agenda watch is absolutely on fire right now. How can you how are you even containing the agenda watch on Rusnak the way that it's going. What nine goal contributions in the last seven MLS games. I mean, he's just on fire right now. I'll make sure to tune into Lobbing Scorchers for that commentary. But Ari Luine was our guest MLS Soccer dot Com editor as well as that host of the podcast Lobbing of Scorcheres. Ari
take us around the league a little bit. My number one question here when we talk about the league is at the top. Cincinnati six to one win over Miami. And I know, no messy, no Soarez, but six to one did since he just make a statement that they're the best team in this league, think they made a statement that they are a supporter Shield front
runner and they should be considered a favorite to repeat that honor. You know, like you said, I don't know how much to read into it as it pertains to how they stack up with Inner Miami because Inner Miami has down so many guys right now, and Inner Miami had actually been keeping a float really well without those guys through this last stretch. They won four straight games all to one before that game, and then the wheels finally came off.
But I certainly think that Cincinnati looks like they just have another gear right now that they didn't even really have last year. Last year they won the Shield, but it was a lot of one zero results, a lot of two to one results, a lot of one goal games, a lot of close games that they got really good at closing out and winning. But this year there's been a lot more games like this where they put up really crooked score
lines. And Luco Acosta, I mean, he is you know, Messi aside probably one of the two to three most dynamic players in the league right now, MVP caliber player, So they're definitely looking like they're probably gonna win the Shield again, although they're it's a pretty tight race for that this year.
Yeah, I think we're gonna be coving that conversation about the Shield, I think deep into this season with just the way that things are going between Cincy and Miami, and who knows, you might see LAFC, you know, jump up into that conversation as well. But you mentioned crooked storelines and this is the last thing we'll touch on here. Orlando City five nothing over
DC, Columbus four nothing over Toronto. We mentioned Cincy over Miami, Salt Lake five to two over Atlanta, and then on Sunday you also had a couple four to one Colorado over Saint Louis and four to one Portland over Nashville. I imagine for you and Noah on the podcast, it was kind of hard to probably narrow down who your top three winners were this week. Yeah, it kind of was. That's a good point, you know, you listened to them through right there. I didn't even really realize or process that
there was that many high scoring games that were that one sided. But yeah, I mean, I think what you're seeing with that is that there's kind of a pretty big disparity right now between some of the top teams in the league and some of the teams that are struggling. You know, well, Orlando City not a super great team. I consider them again like kind of an average MLS team. But then you have a DC United team that's just
really really struggling right now. So I think sort of all of that team is to kind of manifested recently, and you're seeing that in some of those results that you mentioned. Well, it will be interesting continue to discuss.
Ari. We don't have a show next week, as the Sounders place Saint Louis on Wednesday evening, so we'll talk a couple weeks down the road and we'll continue to discuss this wild Western Conference, where you know, it looks like anybody could jump up into that fourth spot right now, and it'll be fun to down the stretch to see who ends up being that one team left out. As long as it isn't the Sounders, I'm going to be a
happy man. Ari. We'll make sure to check out the podcast for more of your agenda watch and all your good stuff there with Noah, but thank you for the time tonight. We'll talk to you in a couple weeks. That good thanks, Jacky. Good stuff there from Ari lillionall once again, mlssoccer dot com and the podcast Lobbing Scorchers. Well Sounder fans. If you're looking for an affordable way to spend your summer in Seattle, check out our
three match pack. This pack includes matches against l EFC, Sporting Kansas City and the Portland Timbers. Tickets start at thirty dollars. Get out to more Sounders FC matches at Lumenfield for some of our biggest matchups of the season. Buy your pack today at SOUNDERSFC dot com backslash tickets, Backslash match Dash pack. There you go. We'll take a break here in Sounders Weekly. We've
gone around the league. It's time to go around the world and then around the sound We'll round out Sounders Weekly next on Sports Radio ninety three point three KJRFM. Now back to Sounders Weekly on your home for Sounders FC, Seattle's Sports Radio ninety three point three kjr FL. Welcome back to Sounders Weekly. Jackson Feldtz here. Thanks for joining us this evening. Good to chat with
Brian Dunseeth a little bit earlier on and Ari Lillianwall right there. Check out the podcast in case you missed it, Sounders Weekly wherever you get your podcasts, including the iHeartRadio app. We'll take a trip around the sound in a few minutes, but before we do, it's time for around the World and we bring in our summer tournament corresponder, Anders Hearst. It seems so official.
Yeah, you are official, and thanks for doing this again. We have some breaking news here from just a few hours ago that I'm excited to discuss. I've been excited for this whole show. Greg Burhalter is out as United States men's national team head coach. He is done, and as I think a lot of us wanted and thought would happen, we knew the news was going to come out in the middle of this week, and there it
did in the middle of Wednesday that he is done. So man, Now, the question which we all were getting ready to talk about here tonight is what's next for the United States. If you're JT bats and the CEO of US Soccer, if you're every body in charge, who is the first person you are calling first name Yer can klop just so many different reasons why, but I think the main reason is because of his success at the club level, his ability to take what was a pretty dire Liverpool situation and kind of
mold it into a very very successful team year in and year out, and put kind of his own culture into everything. And I think that's exactly kind of the deep dive to get to the root of the problem that the United States men's soccer needs. So that'd be easily choice number one for me. I don't know what you're thinking about. I mean, you threw the name out. Pachetino, my former guy with with Tottenham, and obviously I love
him. He took us to a Champions League final. I think his attacking brand of soccer, the way he utilizes you know, basically fitness and pace and youthful you know, legs, I think would work really really well with the way that the US team is built. I mean, you you're the one who threw the name out to me, so it seems like you kind
of agree on those points hundred percent. I think he'd be a really good He's good with young players, which I think is most of the roster at this point and kind of developing him to get to that next level, which he did with Tottenham, took him to a Champions League finals. Some say they should have won. Well, we'll get to that later. Don't even
bring that up. But no, he plays a great brand of soccer, and I think he would really work for this specific group of players for the US men's national team, because they have a lot of pace, they have a lot of skill, and he's known for kind of getting the most out of younger players, and I think that's kind of the main thing that I think about with him. Plus he's done it at the top level. He can kind of bring some outside knowledge into the US and I think that's the
main thing that we need at this point. We've gone American manager too much recently, and I think we need to get someone who's kind of done it at a different level. Well, listen, speaking of American managers, I wanted Jesse Marsh and I feel like Jesse Marsh has done a great job with Canada. Obviously lost Argentina, we'll talk about that. We'll talk about England, Spain here in a minute, and around the world. But Jesse Marsh I feel like now he's with Canada, so that's out of the question.
I'm not sure if there's another American head coach that would completely fit. I mean will Ford Nancy, a guy who's coaching Columbus Crew and he's done an
exceptional job, won the title with them last year. But in terms of other international managers, Marcelo Guyardo is a guy that I have really come onto the scene and loved if he has a background with also Argentina and then River Plate, and then also the fact that his son is part of the youth academy with Atlanta and by the way, United States Men's Soccer now is headquartered
in Atlanta. Seems like that could match up really well. But there are a lot of really good international names anders that could fit this job really well. Yeah, and there's so many different options and styles too. I did not know that about Guyardo and his son being in the part of the Atlanta United youth system, so that makes it an even better fit for me.
I think this is someone who maybe wouldn't be as in demand as a lot of the top manager in the world, but he was touted as one of the next up and coming young managers when he was at River Plate kind of took a deviation from that one going to Saudi Arabia, but I think again, same kind of thing where he would implement a really really hard nosed style of soccer that also is good at getting skillful players to play together. And again someone who's been done it at the top level, and this would be
a relatively easy to see stepping stone for him in his career. If he was able to come here and do that, he could get to that next level a little bit later on. Probably wouldn't be a long term answer, though really quickly other names that are out there that way. If it's not either of those three guys, do you have any other options on your docket
that the United States Federation should call? Thomas Touschell just finished coaching for Bayern, was a former Chelsea coach, coach at PSG's coach at many top clubs. He's no, I would I wouldn't say he's my first choice because he's kind of a guy that is very what's the word I'm looking for, kind of strict and he's going to do it his way, doesn't really mold him his players very much, which is something I think you need at an international
level because you're not going to bring in transfers obviously. But another one that I look at as eve Renard. He was the Saudi Arabia head coach at the last World Cup. He's known for kind of taking these smaller nations and you know, making them play above their level, which is I think something that the United States needs. I will admittedly say I don't know much about his style as a coach, but it seems like he's able to mold his
style to whichever team he has in terms of squad. Plus he has experienced at the international level and a lot of success there as well. Well, that's good stuff. That's the ongoing conversation is United States tries to fill Greg Berhalder's role because he is out as head coach as we thought he would be. All right, let's shift gears and let's talk about the euro Is because Euros has a final coming up this Sunday, Spain and England. We watched
the final. England. Just keep finding away, man. It's if there was ever a year to say it's coming home. Keep finding ways to win games. I swear every time someone says it's coming home, it jinxes them, but they end up, like you said, they keep winning, so they figure it out time and time out. They play such boring soccer though, I want someone else like not that the Netherlands really deserve to win.
England was the better team. They probably have the most talented in terms of just group of players England does in all the Euros, but someone like Spain's plays such a much better, more attractive and team style. You hand cap that game Sunday. To be honest, I think it's pretty close to fifty to fifty. I think Spain is the better side in terms of just overall. They play better soccer, They probably create more chances, they have a
better coach. But like you said, England kind of playing their style of just playing defense and trying to get a wonder goal here and there seems to be working well for them. So I would not be surprised at all if England ends up pulling it off. I just I wouldn't be able to go online for the next after that. I know, love my fellow broadcasters with the sounders, you know, Danny Jackson, Steve that they would be very
very happy went through. But I mean, listen, even me as a Tottenham fan, you can say that that Harry Kane just doesn't look right. Yeah, he doesn't look normal, and it's it's frustrating because I love the guy. And of course you know when he goes to Byron, I am automatically all right, let's go Byron, you let's go. I'm gonna root for Harry Kane wherever he goes. If you can't win a trophy in Totnham, you got a root for anyone to when someone else goes. So take
him the shots one half. But then he couldn't even do that. Well yeah, just as soon as as soon as we think he's gonna have a chance of a title and a trophy with with Byron, they instantly turned the trash and he still doesn't win anything. But hey, listen, he may have the chance to win it here on Sunday against Spain. That's gonna be a great game. We only have a minute here. But Argentina, obviously you'd think the favorites here going on in a Sunday, I mean, listen,
obviously it'll be a top game. But but with Argentina and Messi back playing the way he is sco for scoring against Canada, they looked very dominant, I thought against a fairly decent Canada team as we've seen throughout the tournament, they have to be the favorites on Sunday because of how they've looked over
these last couple of weeks. I slightly disagree with you. I don't think Argentina looks like themselves, at least the team that I remember watching in the twenty twenty two World Cup, and they're gonna have trouble in the final here in their hands full. I think it's interesting. We'll obviously see on Sunday. Sunday is going to be a fantastic soccer way. I mean overall, you know here Wes, at ten am we have the Euro Final, yes,
and then with at four pm we have the COPA final. That is a day for soccer fans to feast, and Saturday is Sounders as well. So it's going to be a real, real good soccer weekend. We'll have you back next week to talk about both the finals and well the United States coaching situation. If so, what more to discuss next week? Andrews, thanks for the time again today. Thank you again, all right anders Hurst there, thanks for him our summer tournament correspondent. We'll have him back next
week. Everybody enjoy the Euro and Cope finals coming up on Sunday. We'll talk about those on next week's Around the World segment. But switching gears from around the World, it is time to go around the Sound before we end tonight. As we've gone. Let's see, so far we've gone around the league, We've gone around the world, and it's now time to finish off with around the Sound covering all things going on here in local soccer really quick.
Some really cool news here that came out yesterday morning. Ballard FC, our local USL two champions, announced a new USL W League team that's the Women's League of the USL. There will be a new semi professional women's soccer team coming to Ballard. They're gonna be playing out of inter Bay Stadium starting in May twenty twenty five. It will be built through the same ownership group as BALLADEFC. They've added also twenty five influential women in Seattle sports and business
that includes NWSL players including Lauren Barnes, Jeff Fishlock, and others. So some very very cool news there, as we now have a USL W League team coming to Town next year. In USL two, taking a look at what happened, Ballard FC dropped their game last week. So looking at the standings now of USL two, Ballard finds themselves still in the top position, I mean, tied for first place right now on twenty three points with United
PDX. Both teams have twenty three Tacoma Stars right below them at twenty right now West Seattle and fourth place with sixteen points, Midlakes right below them with thirteen points. So all of our teams, they're Ballard, Tacoma, West Seattle, Midlakes all there two through five in the standings. In terms of matches coming up, I'll just quickly say I'm excited to be out at Ballard
at Memorial Stadium coming up this Friday night as they face United PDX. So that is a very very big game for the top of the Northwest division there in USL two, taking a look at West Seattle Junction, they have a match coming up on Friday against Midlakes. Two of our Northwest clubs facing off as well on Friday night. So that's what's going on there in USL two action. Meanwhile, for Rain, Rain FC played this last Sunday at home
against Utah Royals FC that finished one one as well. A seventy fifth minute goal to equalize gave the Seattle Rain one point. In terms of where it leaves them in the standings, it's the same old, same moment as we've been saying. Still needing points to rise up that table. They're still in thirteenth place. They're in NWSL with a two nine to five record. Still about what is seven points off of a little final playoff spot in eighth place
which has eighteen points. That's BAFC. So Rain need to start racking up the wins. They need to start racking up the points to get into that playoff picture. So that's all for around the sound and that will do it here for Sounders weekly. Once again the sounders are through US Open Cup and their attention turns back to MLS action and that continues Saturday in Austin facing Austin FC. We will have a Providence, Swedish premat show of five o'clock kick
off at five thirty. We you can listen to that right here Sports Radio ninety three point three KJRFM, also on the iHeartRadio app ninety three point three. Tune us in you also listen to our guest earlier, Brian Dunseeth, as well as Max Brettes on the MLS Season Pass on Apple TV app and listen in Spanish language on l Ray thirteen sixty. That's what the Sounders have coming up this Saturday in MLS Action, where they will try to make it
another consecutive win. They have three straight wins right now, four straight home wins, although this is a road game, and thirteen points in their last five. They'll try to continue the hot run coming up this Saturday in very hot Texas. Well, we'll talk to you right here then on Saturday. Have a good rest of your week, everybody,