Come in. Do you live from our Elliot Avenue studios of Sports Radio ninety three point three KJRF. This is Saunders Weekly with your host Jackson Felds. Good evening, everybody, Welcome to Sounders Weekly. Jackson Felds here, good to be with you on this Wednesday evening. Coming off of no Sounders game this last weekend, another edition here is Sounders Weekly, where we're gonna be able to hit a few different topics today and of course look ahead to the
Sounders next match. So no match this last weekend. They did get some help the Portland Timbers beat LAFC that kept Seattle at second place in the Western Conference, which I mean, listen for all of the discourse and all of the chadow that's been going on around how the Sounders have played over these last few months. Second place in the Western Conference right now after all of it and getting healthier. So this coming Saturday, the Sounders are back in action.
They're heading to Frisco, Texas to take on FC Dallas at Toyota Stadium. That's gonna have a five o'clock Providence Swedish prematch show five thirty kickoff, and you can listen to that match over on our sister station of Sports Radio nine fifty KJR AM SO nine fifty AM this coming Saturday for Sounders in Dallas. You'd also listen on Spanish language l RAY thirteen sixty and watch the match via MLS Season Pass on the Apple TV app. So that's the Sounders next
match. We'll preview that later on tonight with Ari Louen Wall of MLS Soccer dot Com and Lobbing Scorchers. We're also going to get to around the sound with Andrew Harvey. That's coming up at the end of the show as well. But for the first you know, forty some odd minutes of this show tonight, I think I really kind of want to take a different direction because we don't have a Sounders game to recap, but we do have a very
very exciting Tacoma Defiance game to recap. So joining us in just a moment will be Wade Webber, head coach of Tacoma Defiance and our former broadcast partner here on KJR. Also coming up in the middle segment, we're going to touch on a whole different topic. I mentioned last week we had part one of the two part conversation with Jason Farrell. The former head coach of Ballard FC, now assistant coach at Seattle University. Last week you heard him talk
on a variety of topics. Today you're gonna hear Jason Farrell talk about youth soccer and the youth soccer system that exists both locally and nationally. So you're gonna hear from Jason Farrell coming up here later on tonight in our next segment. But there he is, joining us right now. Is the head coach of tacomaa Fiance, our former broadcast partner here on KGr A wonderful human being who bakes a fantastic banana bread. Wade Webber Wade, Welcome back to Saunders
Weekly. Good to talk to you again, my friend Jackson. That's great. Yeah, it is such a pleasure to be back with you. Well, it's funny. I'll quickly explain the reference there for those who don't know. Whenever Tacoma de Fiance get a shutout, you then make banana bread for the team. Is that right? That is correct? Says it's correct. And you know, the interesting thing is it's a progressive bonus system where for a shutout they get two loaves and if they get a second shutout in a
row, it's three and that third is four. And we did have a three game shutout streak this year. So my my kitchen skills were tested. It really frankly tested the equipment. I was running out of loaf fans, so I know it's all good. And you know, we didn't we didn't get one on Sunday night, but we got three points, so that's the most important thing, all right, So is there any secret to the banana bread? Is like, like what is a home home cook recipe? Like,
what's what's the secret there? Well, I don't think I'm violating any copyright laws. I used the America's Test kitchen. Uh yeah, recipe. It's it's excellent. It's really down to the fact that I don't like food waste. And in our locker room there are there's banana bread, there's bagels, there's granola bars. And when the bananas get a little brown, you know, most people don't like to eat them, but they're great for banana
bread. And I do like to bake, so you know, I just take them home and and freeze them, frankly until until the shutouts come and then I break. I didn't realize until this season that frozen bananas actually translated into it doesn't make a difference in the outcome of the loaf. Okay, as far as that goes, I hope I have to bake a lot more as we progress through the end of the season. I hope so as well.
Way Weber's our guest head coach of Dacoma to find two bakes a mean banana blow Fred my dad swears by America's Test Kitchen as well, So there's another plus in that department. But wait, let's see you reference it. We got to talk about Sunday's win because you know, no Sounders game, so God spend some time talking about that and what a win. It was a lot of different things we can talk about with this one. At three to two was the final score over Earthquakes two they're down at Starfire. There's
how many parts of this. Obviously, the win keeps you in second place in the Western Conference. You already won the Pacific Division. But in this win, let's start with Reid Baker Whiting. He scores your opening goal and he assists on the second goal, and he's a guy that we've seen a number of times at the first team level. And it seems like with more and more minutes, the kid just keeps getting better and better. Your two cents of his evolution of as a player and what he then did for you
on Sunday night, Yeah, well he was. He was really good on Sunday. You know. The thing about Reid is, uh, you know, he started he signed with Coming Defiance in twenty twenty during the pandemic, he got a promotion, he earned a first team contract in early twenty one, and from kind of that point until the end of last year, he was sort of a player without a position. Everyone noted his potential, two footed, technical, good athlete, you know, sort of high upside.
The US national teams in his age group really like him, and and so you know, it was a question of settling somewhere on the field, and at the beginning of this year, really end the last year, between the first team US and the youth national team, we settled on him being a fullback, wing back, fullback, however you want to call it, someone
that plays a little deeper in the team. He's trained very hard on some of the areas of the game that you know are not as glamorous, the one v one defending heading, tackling, all that kind of stuff, and he's played himself into a position where you know he's he's very versatile. He is a top end athlete. That's something I don't you know, like his top end speed is is proper, it's approaching ten meters a second. It's his physical profile in terms of you know where he'll be when he's fully mature.
You know, broad shoulder, tall, gets up and down the field, great motor, and he's two footed. I mean, it's it's you know, people often talk about two footed players and you know, you watch them playing, you go, yeah, right, you know they're they're they're really right footed. But okay, they can they can pass balls with their la I'm not sure so Read his right footed. Read if you looked at
his player profile on transfer market or whatever, he's right footed. He scored four goals as a pro, every one of them with his left foot. The first was a tap in, but the other three have been bangers. Anyone that was at Starfire for the Open Cup game this year against San Diego, saw Read scored just a stunner, an absolute stunner. But he's also scored two others for Defiance this season. With his left both good efforts curling. One on Sunday was a driven ball off the post, far post an
end. I just think they're it's it's hard to tell what his ceiling is because as as an athlete he is legit and then you know that so much. He's only eighteen. He's born in two thousand and five, you know, so we're really talking about a young guy that I don't think anyone internally in the Sounders organization is prepared to put any kind of ceiling on. He's just I thought last Sunday Nett was a was a really good example of all
the things he can offer. You've got a great assist on the second goal, you know, far post cross he very nearly had one moments earlier.
You know, good composure nearly had a second goal as well. So this is from a fullback wing back position, and you know, whether he offers that in the short term with the first team is not really a question that Brian probably has to answer because he's got wonderful options in that first team squad with Alex Roldan and knew Who and then up you know, getting further up the line. But I really do think he's a legitimate right or left back
option long term for our first team. Well, that's great. I mean I think that was the follow up question was was his ceiling and just the openness to be able to play both those spots will certainly only make that ceiling higher. Weight Webber's our guest head coach of Tacoma Defiance coach them to a three two win there on Sunday over Earthquakes two. You mentioned Reid's assist there that came in the second half on the second goal for you guys, that
scored by Brdelio Rodriguez. And Bradelio Rodriguez is a guy I think you're really intense. Sounder fans have probably heard the name before, but for those who haven't, you even heard the name Bradelio Rodriguez weight, I think we need to spend some time to teach everybody about who this kid is and what his abilities are, because you just look at what he's done this season overall. I mean, what is it, thirteen goals on the year, that's most
of the team tied for sixth and MLS next Pro. He's been outstanding for you this year, and I want to talk to you about his abilities, your thoughts on him. And then also you talked about read ceiling. How about his ceiling. Yeah, it's it's it's hard to again. Bradelio came to US in preseason. He was drafted by New York City FC didn't sign him. I think he went to their preseason at least for a little while.
Might have had a trial somewhere else before he came to US, and we just you know, we we we recognized what I think was obvious to even those other teams. There's you know, there are Formula one cars and there are NASCAR cars, and he's a Formula one. He's got like his transmission as so many gears. He can play with both feed he scored with both. He's scored with his head. Good size for an attacking player. Can for us. He plays more on a on a left wing, but
not really a winger. He likes to tuck inside, combines well with others. And you know, the thirteen goals for historical context, you know, I think the record for a single season was it is thirteen for the second team for to Come Defiance as two guys like Sam A. Denner and scored thirteen goals in twenty twenty one Justin Dillon in twenty nineteen, brows a chance
to to break that record over the coming two remaining league games. But I think it's it's just more the fact that his physical profile is actually improving over the course of this season. We're asking him to defend in a way that I'm not sure he's he's had too. He's he's Portuguese, came to the US to play college soccer, and sort of it wasn't wallewed in obscurity. He was Division two Player of the Year, but you know, it's Division
two and sometimes that's not given the credit that it's due. And he flew totally under the radar. So he's a little bit older as far as the profile for our first team goes. He's twenty three, you know, I say old, that's that's he's young. He's two years younger than knew who, right, So that's just the context. He's he's younger than Jackson Reagan, guys that are consistently, of course starting for the first team. But I just I just think there's something there that and it's it's mostly it's not
the goal scoring. It's the fact that between February when he joined US and now, his meters per second running is higher, his total output in terms of total distance covered is higher. He's a willing defender, he's a great teammate, he's a professional. I was in on one of Tacoma defiances off days. I went to Starfire to work with our academy. And who should be walking into Starfire on one of the off days but Bradelio to get a bag of balls because he wants to work on stuff. You know, it's
it's here and this was last week. This is uh, this is a guy that's driven, that that understands that there's no finish line. The success he's had is due to hard work. And that doesn't mean that when you have some success you stop working hard. It means you you double down on it. So he's been great. Uh, and I really do think someone the first team is looking at. It's it's simply a question of numbers and if there will be a spot for him in preseason, if he can earn
something from there. But that's uh, that's Brian Schmitzer, Craig Wible, Henry Brown or guys like that are going to be are going to be discussing because the first team have have a lot of talent in the attack and and there's no you know, there's no getting around that. Well you talk about, you know, him coming in on an off day. I tell you what, when I was twenty three years old, if my work had ever given me an off day, I'm taking that off day and I'm not looking
even close to the building. So that's impressive by the young kid. First, certainly is Way Weber's our guest head coach at Koma Defiance. Wait, we got to step back for a minute and just talk about the team overall, because you know I mentioned earlier, you know, the three points you know puts you three above Austin for second place in the Western Conference. You've
already had the Pacific Division wrapped up. I mean, this season kind of just feels like another big step in the progression of this club over the last four or five years or so, where every year it does just a little step, little step, little step, little step, And I mean, if you as a kind of an onlooker, it's just great to see that
progression. But it seems like this year really is kind of at the peak of where we've seen Tacoma Defiance S two over the last you know, I guess you could send it to a decade, you know, but really is kind of this is the peak of what this team has done in your time leading the club in all of these years. Are you feeling that as well?
That you I really feel like like you've you've hit a peak at this club right now in terms of not only where you all right now at this point in the season with a couple of games left, but also considering, you know, what this team could potentially do come playoff time in MLS next pro. Yeah, that's a good question. I think that, you know, peaks and valleys are only are only really recognizable when you look backward.
And that's not you know, we're not doing that. We're we're we're just sort of you know, looking ahead and see because you know, Mike Morris, my assistant coach, and Brandon lauran O, our head of performance. Uh, they do such a good job we can week out of making sure everything is dialed in and focused and the guys are not resting on laurels, you know, taking things for granted. We we still think the most important
thing we do every week is training. It's not the games. The games are just a just a checkpoint and and we don't allow the guys to become complacent. So it's it's truely, it's it's I think one of the things that we can look at with this season, we had a lot of roster turnover. In the beginning of the year, we didn't quite know what we had because we only had a few guys returning. And then you know, during the season, Cody Baker got a first team contract, Paul Rothrock got
a first team contract, and and weren't fully available to us anymore. And those were two guys that we had, you know, put a lot of faith in for this year. We we we had expected them to be involved more than than they have been since they've been called up. Paul of course, has scored three goals in the last two games and has been has been instrumental in in our success. But but it's yeah, we've we've had a
good We've had a good year. I think the team has a has a very when we're at our best, I think we are a really really difficult team to beat. You know, we have five losses on the season, which is second fewest in the whole in the whole competition, and so I think That's what we're about, is that we want to make sure we're we're not a pushover, we're not easy to beat. That when things aren't going
our way, we can we can struggle. We can or suffer and come out the other side, whether it's in penalties or or or even regulation with a win. We can be successful. If I were to compare this to previous years, I really thought last year's team was stronger on paper, and we had a we we we did have a really good year, but we stumbled at the end of the regular season, uh and missed out on the ability to host a conference final against Saint Louis. And you know, Colorado,
their second team are exceptional. They actually have a Marlin Vargas is there, Blake Malone, who is a former academy kid for Seattle's he's there as well. They're gonna be the number one seed and we would have to go through them if they advance to make it to a league championship. But you know, the thing this team has shown is that even on the road,
they're reproducing that kind of form. Our last game at Minnesota, our last road game, was a really really good performance and we won four two and and and I just you know, it's one of those things you you feel like there's there's enough in the team to make noise in the postseason, but it's about getting there. And you know, we can't forget our whole purpose
is to give players experiences and condition them to be pros. And to be pros for the Seattle Sounders means there's an expectation that you're in the playoffs and you've you've got to fight and compete and you never quit. And I think this team is embodying that this season absolutely well. For Tacoma and Final Road Contest. You mentioned the road success. The Final Road consists will be coming
up this Friday against Real Monarchs there at Zion's Bank Stadium there. That's going to be able to be watched on Apple TV seven pm kickoff this coming Friday night for Wade Webber squad. But Wade, we only got a couple of minutes left. I know you got to run, So before you go,
I gotta get a quick thought on the Sounders. So you know you were to formerly, of course, one of our color analysts here on KGr for Sounders matches, So for a moment, put that hat back on and you know, coming off of a two two draw against Portland about a week and a half ago and obviously looking ahead to Dallas is coming Saturday, teams sitting
still in second place in the Western Conference. Your two cents on the job that Brian Schmitzer is doing here with about six matches to go on the regular season, Well, you know it's not It's not my job to evaluate Brian.
He's a friend and and you know, for for all that he's done and all that the teams accomplished, you know, it's I think that there's, uh, there's maybe a sense in the Seattle soccer community that, oh, you know, the team's not doing as well as they should do, and you know they're in second place for all the for all the noise that comes out about maybe the team underperforming, I don't think they are. I
think they're underperforming maybe a little bit in terms of goals there. But you know that that the team, it's similar like we try and emulate what they're doing to the extent we can, and it's they're really tough to beat, you know. I I know that people want their the club, they love to win every game three, but it doesn't work like that, and they've dealt with a lot of injuries, some key ones to Christian will Dan you know, rule has been out for long periods this year, and what you
know these are these are like instrumental pieces. And you take a couple of players like that out of just about any team in the league and they would not be in second place. Right. The fact is this is a good team. And I guarantee you there is not a team in MLS that that they get drawn with. The Sounders in the playoffs are going to be excited about it. They're gonna be good. Lord, here we go, you know, because there is an attitude, competitiveness, commitment that that comes with
being in this club. It's it's it's exciting to be a part of. And I think frankly that the first team are I know that they're getting healthy. This little break that they've had between games is going to be good for them. And they're headed to Dallas later this week, and you know, I look forward to watching the game and hoping for three points and just continued march towards the playoffs. It's very clear when this Sounders team is healthy come
playoff time, they go usually to a championship. I mean anytime they are healthy. If they were healthy in twenty eighteen, if if Christian and Chad hadn't got the injuries down in Portland, fully believe that team goes to five
straight MLS Cups. And same with this season. If Christian rolled on, we get past this concussion and he's healthy and all of the you know, top level guys of ore one hundred percent healthy, I think a championship is well within the expectations just because of what this team consistently does when they're healthy. So I'm right with you here and still second place in the Western Conference at this point in the season. Cannot be mad at all about that.
Wade, couldn't agree with you more. A great stuff on Tacoma. Let's catch up. You know, I don't know when towards the end of the season. I know there's we got some breaks ahead for the Sounders as well. But best of luck this coming Friday night on the road, you secure that second spot there in the Western Conference, and good luck in the playoffs ahead. We'll be watching you. Thanks Jackson, I really appreciate talking to
you. That's great stuff there from Wade webber Head, coach of Tacoma Defiance. Really good thoughts that are read Baker Whiting, who we continue to see glimpses of with the first team, and you can just see the potentials there and it's coolly here Wade's thoughts on that as somebody who's really coached him extensively this year. Bradelio Rodriguez a bright, shining star, a great Tacoma season. And then on the Sounders right there, wonderful stuff from the head coach
of Tacoma Defiance, Wade webber Well. Sounders FC and Boeing are teaming up to support the Washington Youth Soccer Community Corner on match days this season. Join us in stadium as we welcome Washington youth soccer players and coaches to cheer in the Rave Green courtesy of Boeing. Coming up next in Sounders Weekly, you're gonna hear part two of the conversation with a former Ballard FC head coach now assistant coach with Seattle University, Jason Farrell. Last week you heard Jason talk
about Ballard in Seattle and his thoughts on the Sounders. This week, we're gonna get into an entirely different topic, youth soccer. We just talked about the kids with the coming Defiance and a lot of those kids came through youth programs here who were play on to come of this season. I want to talk to Jason, and we did last week extensively about the youth system, not only locally but nationally, the pay to plane models, so many people
have talked about it. Jason talks extensively about the issues within that model, the system and perhaps you know some thoughts on how we can move forward with it. So more with head coach Jason Farrell, former head coach now assistant coach Jason Farrell. That will come next on Sounders Weekly. We of course still have Ari Lillian Walls to take us around the league to preview Sounders versus Dallas. A lot to get to, so stay tuned right here to Sounders
Weekly on Sports Radio ninety three point three KJRFM. Now back to Sounders Weekly on your home for sunders FC, Seattle's Sports Radio ninety three p point three
kjr FM. Welcome back to Saunders Weekly. Jackson Felts here. Good to have you with us, and thanks again to Wade Webber, head coach of too coom A Defiance for joining us there in our first segment, wonderful to chat after his three to two win on Sunday night there over Earthquakes two second place there in the MLS next Pro Western Conference, just like the Seattle Sanders.
How about that? I will preview the Sounders next match against FC Dallas coming up in our next segment tonight here in Sounders Weekly with Ari Louienwall of MLS Soccer dot Com. We'll also get to around the league with Andrew Harvey Well. Sounders FC Soccer is presented by Providence Swedish, the official healthcare partner of Sounders FC. We're gonna switch gears here in Saunders Weekly right now, and last week you heard part one of our chat. Here comes part two.
Last week I had the chance to sit down with Jason Farrell, former head coach with Ballard FC. He departed during the regular season and then went to Seattle University to be an assistant coach for Nate dallakon staff. Nate who of course took over when Pete Feuing went to the admin straight aside, there was Seattle University. You heard him talk about that transition in last week's program. But here in part two, we're gonna switch gears and talk about youth
soccer. For many of you out there, you may have been you took part in youth soccer, maybe your parents of kids who are part of the youth soccer system here, whether it's you know, Crossfire. There's lots of programs locally nationally that that exist, and obviously this is a system that has
been dubbed pay to play because of the costs involved with youth soccer. And Jason is you know, we we spoke off the air about this, you know, Jason and I did, and it's something that we kind of wanted to bring on the era about the issues involved and you know, what can be done, and it's a very very meaningful topic to a lot of US soccer fans here in the community. So let's just jump right back in with former ball Or head coach and now current Seattle University assistant coach Jason Farrell.
You and I kind of first started talking, you know, about a month or so ago. You know, I was, you know, doing an interview with Greg Bell on our afternoon show on KJR, and I got on the conversation of youth soccer and the system that frustrates so many parents. You know Greg included, and I know you certainly is not only a coach in this, but also a parent, you know, see the system up close firsthand as well. Yeah, yeah, you know, And I remember listening
to you and Greg having that conversation. I believe I texted you right away, you know, saying that I had a lot of thoughts on it. I think I think that there's a lot of people doing a really good job of developing players, certainly in the Seattle area. I mean, you've got two clubs specifically Seattle United Crossfire that do an amazing job and not only on the field, but but you know, developing young, young, young kids
to be to be really good people. But the system is is definitely broke, you know, I think, And in again, I'm I don't know if we have enough time to go through everything. Would probably take a you know, ten parts podcast or something to really really really cover it all. But I do feel like the pay to play model is it's rough. And like you said, I've got a son that that is in high school.
He plays, he plays for one of the local clubs. I'm an amazing club, amazing coach, but it's uh, it's you know, it's cost prohibitive to you know, it's it's difficult for for my family and for a lot of other families, and and you know, I mean it's it's well north of and and and my son plays at a pretty high level. It's well north of you know, ten twelve, fifteen thousand dollars that that these
kids are are paying. And it's you know, you're traveling to California two or three times a year, to Texas, to Florida, to Europe once or twice a year, and these are all amazing experiences that you would never want to look your your own kid in the eye and say, hey, you can't do this, so you kind of find a way to make it happen. And I think clubs, I think it's it's definitely the system. It's not any particular club that's doing something wrong. It's just the system.
And and you've got really competitive clubs around here that feel like, well, if we're not doing X or Y or z, and somebody else is doing it, we're either going to lose our players or we're gonna lose you know, some of our competitive quality, you know, And I think you know, we're all competitive, we all want to win games. We all want more than anything else to put our our kids in good ecosystems that are that are healthy and you know that that try to teach good life lessons in and
win a few games here and there if you can. So it's really kind of a conundrum because you don't want to take your kids out of the system. But you especially you know myself, having been a club director and certainly been you know, in the soccer world for for a lot of years, it's I understand that it's broken. It's just what do we do about And
that's why think, you know, the fish stinks from the head. And so somebody somewhere or a group of people need to get together and really spend a lot of time on on figuring out a way that this can be fixed. Because it's not just the finances of it, but you've got multiple different levels that claim to be the best level, you know, and a lot of times these these teams or these clubs don't get the opportunity to play against
each other because they're in different you know, soccer world. So it's it's fractured, it's way too expensive, it's frustrating, it takes a lot of time. I mean, I personally, I believe in the multi sport athlete model. I think kids should, you know, at least up until a certain nature, should play as many sports as possible. But even when I was a club director, I you know, it was I would say that.
But then you know, if if your soccer team is training four days a week and playing two or three games a week, it's it's it's impossible to do to do to be a multi sport athlete these days. So there's a there's a lot of issues again, and I think for the most part, all these clubs are really working hard to try to do the right thing, and they're and they're creating amazing memories and experiences for our kids. I just feel like, you know, at some point, something have to give.
And you know, you saw, you know, an unfortunate kind of run with the women's World Cup team recently, you know, I mean there's some some positive and or negative signs with the men's World Cup team. So it's is it is the current system working. I mean, there's probably signs pointing to yes and no, but it's certainly pricing at the very least,
it's pricing a lot of good players out of the system. And that's I kind of think, you know, the natural question is you know the and you kind of mentioned it a few seconds ago, the element of how to
fix the system. It's going to take a lot of minds and a lot of people coming together to try to fix what is broken, because and you said it right there at the end, the element of you know, if you don't have the extra thousand dollars to send your kid to California in you know, a seven day period, then suddenly your kid misses out on the chance to you know, go highlight their skills to you know, something that could essentially change their lives and you know, ten thousand dollars to go over
to Europe and an experience that you know, could get one person, one right person at the right time, gets their eyes on the kid and suddenly, oh my gosh, then their whole course of a life changes because the right person in Europe saw that this you know, this kid had raw skill and there's gotta be ways. And again it's it's gonna take a lot of brains, you know, more than just the two of ours in order to understand and fix a system that just says, if you don't have thousands of
dollars on a whim. Your kid won't you know, have a life changing experience. And and I mean and listen, I'm not a father yet. I'm planning to be one to hear in the near future, and I want
my kid to to play soccer. But it's one of those things that you know, as as people my age who are perspective, you know, coming soon parents, you have to think about these things of saying, all right, we have to make sure we save xxxxx because as we know, if we want our kid to play soccer, then we're going to need to have a bank of you know, a ten thousand dollars ready to go in case in case they need to go have an opportunity like that. And that's tough
for every tient. Yeah, absolutely, And I think obviously we're talking about soccer, but I think you know, there are other sports that you know, are are in a similar boat, you know what. And I'm not I'm not you know, naive enough to think, you know again, haven't been around it a long time to think that, you know, every dollar I put into my my kids soccer experience at the youth level is going to translate to you know, scholarship dollars or pro contracts. It's right for me.
It's just it's more about the the experience, right. So you mentioned, you know, the opportunities, so we you know, hit My son's team was in Portugal last October. They're going to London here next next month, and they're playing some of the top academies, top clubs in the world. So do I think, you know, as a result of that, and he's going to all of a sudden, you know, get you know,
pro clubs banging down his door. Not absolutely not, but but he will have had the opportunity to to create some amazing experiences and you know, play some really really good, meaningful games. And if and if that's that's the result of you know, this investment, then great, But you know it's it's certainly a hardship. That's great stuff there. With Jason Farrell, former head coach of Ballard FC, now assistant with Seattle University, obviously there's
not a lot of answers we can provide. It's a big topic when it comes to use soccer in that system and the issues within that system, and it's something that you know, you know, I think that we talked off the air last week. It's something that we want to continue with. So that's, you know, first time we've ever talked about this topic on Sounders Weekly in the many years we've done this program, and it's something that I
intend to continue that conversation down the road with. And I'm not sure if we'll find any true answers or true solutions, but I think it's a worthy topic that we need to cover well. Satur fans. Bud Light was breude to be a delicious and easy to drink beer. Bud Light, easy to drink, easy to enjoy. Pick up bud Light your local retailer today, Please enjoy responsibly. Let's change gears here in Sounders Weekly and get back to
the first team. We're gonna preview the Sounders next match against FC Dallas, which comes up this Saturday. We'll also go around the League with Ari Lillienwall plus around the sound with Andrew Harvey. All of that comes up next on Sounders Weekly. Sports Radio at ninety three point three KJRFM. Go back to Sounders Weekly on your home for Saunders FC, Seattle's Sports Radio ninety three point
three kjr FM. Welcome back Sounders Weekly. Jackson Felt it's good to have you with us here on Sports Radio ninety three point three KJRFM all things Seattle Sounders FC Soccer. Thanks to Wade Webber and Jason Farrell for joining us in our previous two segments. But it's now time to go around the league with our good friend Ari Lillienwall of MLS Soccer dot com and the podcast Lobbing Scorchers. Good evening, Ari, how are you, my friend? I'm good,
Jackson? Good? Well are before we dive into all the MLS stuff, I know on your podcast Lobbing Scorchers, you don't only cover soccer and Sounders, I then you also cover Seahawks. So let me just quickly before we dig into all the soccer, just just amuse me and make me laugh because it was such a tough day on Sunday for football wise. What is your most scorching of takes regarding what happened with the Sea Chickens on Sunday?
Yeah? I mean that was alarmingly bad, Jackson, given the expectations that I think a lot of people had for what this team could do and build on what they did last year. I mean, god, I don't even know. I think you know, the offense taking up twelve yards in the in the second half, that's not ideal. Uh, you ideal, we want more than twelve yards. But I was honestly more concerned with what we
saw on defense. I mean, Matthew Stafford was sitting back there, he making a sandwich, doing whatever he wanted, and that's just not the type of improvement they needed to have on that side of the ball. So yeah, definitely a disconcerting day of football for the Seahawks. No, it's not what I was expecting to see. Yeah, no pass protection with the tackles out, no pass rush, and a bad day for the Seahawks. Indeed, hear more of those good takes from Ari's podcast, Lobbing and scorches.
But all right, let's go around the league here. Well, of course, preview the Sounders next match againstepse Dallas and here in just a moment. But what we saw this weekend while the Sounders weren't playing, we're good things. Portland beating LAFC kept Seattle in second place in the Western Conference, Saint Louis with only a draw. I'm wondering for both LAFC and UH and Saint Louis, there were right with the Seattle is one two three in the West.
Now that we have such a large sample size with just a few games left in the regular season, how good do you think these teams actually are? How good do you think these teams will become playoff time? Will LAFC finally get back to, you know, what we saw them in Champions League and start of the season, well Saint Louis get back to where we saw them at the start of the season. Or are these teams kind of just right there with the rest. I think the West is really weak, and
I think Seattle is benefiting from that quite a bit. Seattle has been one of the most blessed teams I've ever seen as far as results from other teams in the West allowing them to keep their standing on the table. I mean, for all the negativity surrounding Seattle over the last couple of months, which is justified, they really haven't fallen. They haven't lost their playoffs eating because
no one else is stepping up and taking it from them. And when I looking at LAFC, I see a team that's never got over their hangover really from CALF Champions League, and I don't really see what signs there are that they're going to improve all that much from where they are. And with Saint Louis, I see a team that technically has a losing record since April. So I kind of see all these teams in the same category of kind of struggling to middling, and it's just going to be about which one of them
steps up and actually gets to go and come playoff time. And I don't know who that's going to be because I don't really know. I don't know if Seattle is going to be that team here, So that's just what we're gonna have to wait to find out. Well, I would say if Christian rolled On is healthy and back from the concussion, I think that the Seattle has a very very good chance to get out of that group because when he
is healthy, it is a very very different team. Are Lillian was our guest rights for MLS Soccer dot Com host the podcast Lobbying Scogs, where you can find wherever you get your podcast, and one of those teams are in the Western Conference is FC Dallas. They were a team that of course was you know, one of those teams that looked like, you know, the darlings at the start of the season with everything going on for ever, and it looked like they could rise up and then be a contender in the Western
Conference. They've certainly dropped off a little bit. But as we take a look at our sharp vision opponent outlook, what do you see from both FC Dallas right now? What have you've seen from them so far this season that leads us into Saturday's match. Yeah, I mean, I think it's fair
to say that they've underperformed this season. Like you said, they came into the year as a trendy pick to finish up towards the top of the West table, and they've kind of been fighting down in that eight nights, like right on the playoff line area of the table for most of the season and definitely for most of this last part of the season. So it's not a team that, in theory, Seattle shouldn't be able to hang with and take
a result against. But that being said, road trips to Frisco historically don't tend to go very well for Seattle. They really really struggle there. It's a really tough place to play with the elements and the heat down there, So it kind of doesn't matter where it's FC Dallas is on the table as it pertains to how Seattle plays against them. No matter where they are,
Seattle tends to struggle on those road trips. So that's something that they're going to have to overcome, regardless of how much FC Dallas might be struggling right now. And I'm actually right as you're speaking, pulling up the weather forecast. Saturday's forecast is scattered thunderstorms and eighty one degrees with I would imagine some pretty decent humidity, yes, seventy five percent humidity. So we'll see how that changes things on Saturday. And you know, God forbid of weather delay,
but we'll see how it shakes out there on Saturday. Down there in Frisco, Texas. To night's opponent, Alec was presented by Sharp Vision, Modern Lasic and Lens, the official lasic provider of Sounders FC. All right, we'll wrap up around the league here with of course our weekly bit on Miami. This time Miami get the win, and they get it without Lionel Messi. I mean, we talked about it last week, but just to continue to hammer the point home, it just feels like this team is playing
with such confidence right now, even when Messi isn't on the field. It has clearly had effects to every other member of this squad, and it sort of feels like they're gonna pull this thing off. Yeah. I mean there are only six points off off the line yea right now, so they're in plenty good position do it. The fact that they got that win without Messi and they had a bunch of other internationals missing as well as a huge win
for them. They're gonna need to pull out a couple more results like that if they're going to do it. But I think that should give confidence that they can do it. And you know, it's funny, we've been talking so much about how tall a task it is going to be and how it's going to be right on the margins, and we didn't know if they were going to be able to do it, when when they have these players missing
and you know, now they're they're pretty much right there. And I think it's more likely than not that come playoff time they're gonna be They're going to be above that line and no one's gonna want to play them Nope, and they'll probably run all the way. They're probably the easy betting favorite to win the whole darn thing right now, just absolutely incredible. Ari great stuff is always my friend. We'll talk next week after the Dallas match and look further
ahead from there. But until then, my friend, have a good week and hopefully more Seahawks takes ahead in the future on your podcast. Yeah, hopefully they're a little more. They're more positive are Louien Wall MLS Soccer dot com and the podcast Lobbing Scorchers. Make sure to check that out well.
From around the league, we now turned to around the Sound. We had a long visit from Tacoma to Fiance head coach Wade Webber earlier in the show, but now it's time to hand things over to our Puget Sound soccer expert Andrew Harvey to cover all things around the Sound. Thecoma de Fiance took care
of San Jose Earthquakes two three two at Starfire Stadium on Sunday. The club is clinched the top spot in the Pacific Division and could secure a second place finish in the Western Conference with a road win over Real Monarchs at an Austin FC two loss this weekend. Defiance plays the Monarchs seven pm Pacific on Friday. That match will air on Apple TV. Oil Rain came up short in the semifinal of the UKG NWCL Challenge Cup last week, following one nil to
Racing Louisville FC. The Rain now turned their attention to the run in for the regular season, sitting in fourth place with four matches remaining, though it should be noted that the table is ludicrously tight this year. Oil Rains three point packs from first and only six points separate first from eighth in the standings. The Rain head down to Portland to face the Thorns on Saturday at seven
thirty pm. That match will Aaron Paramount plus. The Choma Stars had three players playing a preseason international friendly as a collection of the league's American top talent took on a squad from Mexico. Nick Brera, Mike Romos and Chris Toth all featured heavily as the US prevailed six to five and an exciting matchdown in Ontario, California. I'm Andrew Harvey and this has been around the Sound. That's Andrew Harvey, our Piget sounds soccer expert taking us around the Sound.
Good stuff there on Defiance and in case you missed our conversation with head coach Wade Webber earlier on today. Make sure you check out the podcast. Just check out Sounders Weekly wherever you get your podcasts, including the iHeartRadio app. Once again, that's Sounders Weekly and that will do it for tonight's show. If in case you missed Wade, or in case you missed Jason Farrell or are you're Andrew right there? Check out the podcast for all of that.
But we will talk to you this cunning Saturday as the Sounders are now back in action after this break. They're headed to Dallas, tex Is Frisco Texas actually Toyota Stadium to take on FC Dallas once again. Providence Swedish prematch show will be at five o'clock kickoff at five thirty over on our sister station of Sports Radio nine fifty KJR AM this coming Saturday. You know, also listen in Spanish legging John l R thirteen sixty and watch the match via MLS Season
Pass on the Apple TV app. So that's the situation for the Sounders next match as they get back to action this coming week. So we'll talk to you on Saturday over on nine fifty AM. But for right here and right now, Fox Sports radio is up next.