Coming to you live from our Elliot Avenue studios of Sports Radio ninety three point three KJRFM. This is Sounders Weekly with your host Jackson Felts.
Oh we are back. We are so so back. Good evening, everybody, or whenever you are listening to this, it's evening when I'm recording this. Hello from the KJR studios, Jackson Feltz. Here for a podcast edition here of Sounders Weekly. We like to do these special offseason podcasts, probably about one a season. I think we've gotten in the habit into last year. We kind of timed it up with the
signing of Pedro de la Vega. We're timing up this one because they are back for preseason training at long Acre's. The Sounders are. They are getting ready to head to mar Bea, Spain again, where they will have some time away for another preseason international camp, and then they'll be returning before starting CONCACAFF Champions Cup action on February nineteen.
I mean it's the evening of January thirteenth as I'm recording this, so we are just like a little over a month away from the Sounders playing their first competitive match. The offseason has been forty days I mean it has
been barely over a month. My wife and I went to the Bahamas for just under a couple of weeks, and I know that a lot of people ended up just getting a little bit of time away here and there, and already it kind of just feels like, all right, we get one vacation in, we get a couple of days. I mean, it's football season here at KJR. There's really,
you know, no off season. But really it's kind of just been an absolute whirlwind of the last forty days to try to get as much relaxation time in as possible, because here we go, it is back, and we are back and out at training and talking to everybody. This offseason podcast, we're gonna talk a little bit about what's been happening. I'm gonna give you my takes on a
couple moves, and you're gonna hear a bleep. I mean, I could say the word it's a podcast, but I'm not going to a bleep ton of sound from various people. You're going to hear from one of the newest sounders, Paul Ariola. He and I actually had a one on one conversation out at Long Acres earlier today. Very much a get to know you conversation off the field. On the field, you are going to hear from Brian Schmitzer, you are going to hear from Jordan Morris, you are
going to hear from Christian Roaldon. You're gonna hear from Mosvita Madeira of Cascadiasports dot Net. He and I sat down and we said, shoot, why don't we just record this and put it on the podcast? And I'm probably missing So you're gonna hear so many voices on this kind of special offseason podcast. I don't know how long this is gonna be, but that's the beauty of the podcast. Like you know, when we do a show, I think, what what is the clock? I think I'm limited to
like forty six minutes of content? Right, so forty six minutes of content on a normal show. This is probably gonna be a few minutes over forty six. Will end up seeing how long this is going to be, I don't know. Obviously you're listening to this right now and you can already look and see how long this is. I don't know, but listen, let's just start at the top, and the big headline of the offseason is heyesus Ferrara. Heesus Ferra, United States men's national team player, FC Dallas player.
He was a homegrown signed by FC Dallas in twenty sixteen. Since then, he has put up over fifty goals in over thirty assists in MLS action. He of course has many goals. What is it. It's quite a lot of goals over what twenty some odd games with the United States men's national team. His ratio of goals to start is pretty nuts in that regard, and that's because he has like three hat tricks with the US. But this is a forward who can play a variety of different ways.
I was talking to general manager Craig Wible about it and it was a meaningful part of it to get an impact piece in here who can play a variety of spots in that kind of three left wing, right wing and then forward. But where we know, hey, sus Frere is absolutely the best is specifically playing up top and finding those gaps all off of a forward. So if you imagine it, Jordan Morris is playing your forward spot. And Jordan, by the way, is now officially a full
designated player that he talks about it. I believe in the audio we're gonna play later on. But because he had a contract certain thing in there where if you hit certain performance metrics you have to or your your contract increases. So he had performance metrics in there for goal contributions. He has hit those in his recent deal, and thus Jordan Morris is now a full designated player. So that makes your three dps. Albert Rusnak who is also now back, he makes your other DP Pedro de
la Vega of course, and Jordan Morris. Those are your three designated players. So that the question became, how do you fit Hayesus Ferreira into the fold. Well, Hayesus Frera has come in as under a designated player. Now his contract, just like Jordan Morris's, can become a DP level deal if he hits certain performance metrics. We'll see if he does. But Hayesus Frera here as a TAM player now again
going back to it, how he fits in. He fits in so well underneath Jordan in finding those holes, in running off of guys, in basically being I think a second forward as it was, and being able to just make defenses miserable. He can score from anywhere on the field. He's very very good inside the eighteen yard box, and he just gives the Sounders the attacking threat that I don't think we had last year. I mean, listen, I don't want to discredit Rollery Diez. He is a club legend.
We thank him for all of his years since twenty eighteen. But let's just face facts here. Rowl really Diaz's impact last year was scoring goals from about forty five yards out Philadelphia and hitting Pananka penalty kits, which he did a few times. Right, Rowell wasn't the same player inside the eighteen yard box that he was back in twenty eighteen twenty nineteen. He just wasn't. Let's face facts here.
So with that said, the Sounders needed a guy who can get creative and play inside the eighteen and I think that's where Hayes wus Ferreira is going to be able to come in. And if you can imagine a time where the Sounders are really getting rolling, you have Pedro de le Vegas sweeping down the left or right side looking to cross the ball in. He makes a move and cuts inside and then he needs to pass
it off to somebody. Last year, he has Jordan Morris and Morris does a great job getting behind center backs. But at the point where you know, a Pedro or Albert whoever cuts inside, there's not a lot of room left for Jordan Morris to run, so there's not a lot to get it to. So you have to then, you know, find the trailing runner and make it all happen.
And that's you know, Sounders having issues offensively. However, now in this case, Pedro cuts inside, Jordan Morris has pulled a center back with him, maybe he's pulled a center back and a full back. Suddenly then you have Heesu's Ferra maybe maybe being one on one with another center back who there's no chance is going to keep up
with Haesus Ferreira. Ferrera is only on one on one, he can evade him, give Pedro or Albert the option to pass it into the box, and suddenly you have Haesus Frera on the ball on his foot in a one on one with a center back inside the eighteen. And I'm feeling good about that situation. So that's one of many, many examples of how this team is going
to have more success offensively this year. But Heyesus Frera giving the Sounders a very talented goal scorer inside of the eighteen to play is maybe it's a second forward, maybe it's off one side, maybe it's the loan forward and he has Jordan off of the left wing. Who knows. But he can give you versatility, and he can give you goal scoring experience at a very high level. And
we know he can score from anywhere. So yes, inside the eighteen, great, But Hayes suse Ferera picks up that ball thirty five yards out, do not think that he may not try it. He has a little role in him to be able to pull something crazy. He has hit many tremendous goals. Again to get hayesus Ferra a player of his caliber fifty plus goals in MLS and he's still, by the way young. I mean, this is
a guy who's only twenty. He was at twenty four years old, so he's a young guy who's signed to this deal, which yes can become a designated player deal, but he's not a full DP right now, and they're adding an impact offensive weapon. I mean, this was a hell of a job by Craig Wible, I think in company to be able to get hayesus Ferreira on this type of contract now, speaking of I think a hell of a job to get him on a low deal. Paul Ariola is another new player that they got, also
from FC Dallas. This is a twenty nine year old winger wing back. He says it in the audio. You're gonna hear his best natural position is wingback. And I told you if the Sounders switched to a two ford formation, you have Jordan next to hayeseus. Well, if they switch to a formation that requires three at the back and requires you to play two wingbacks, then that's where Paul oh can really come in handy because you are going to need to play Christian or Alex probably on the
right and Paul on the left. So and maybe Paul Rowthrock's an option for a wing back. But still Paul Arioli allows you the flexibility and the versatility to play I think different ways in regards to your formations, in regards to you know, just overall, if you go on the road and you see will shoot, this is gonna be a really tough game. We know they're good offensively, Let's play a three slash five at the back and let's try to settle in and you know, just you know,
get him on the counter when we can. Well, if you have Hayes who's from E and Jordan Morris as your forwards in a you know, a counter attacking team and you're able to go with you know, Paul Oriol on one side and Christian Alex on the other side, then suddenly this is a far more dangerous team in a midweek road match where they may say, okay, let's play five or three at the back. So I think the versatility that he adds. And then again it's it's
about what Craig Wible gave up. It's three hundred thousand gam and a first round draft pick. Listen. I've been seeing the Garth Loggerway song about how I don't really, you know, care too much about the MLS Super Draft, and I have always said that the super draft is whatever first round draft pick listen. And with that said, it's about where the Sounders draft. All Right, we're drafting in the twenties, We're we're not drafting in the first five picks. We never are. So that's why I don't
put too much stock into the super draft. So that being said, first round draft pick, Okay, okay, great, it's it's three hundred thousand gam for a guy, and Paul Riola, who can again give you that flexibility, give you, I think, experience for assists and for goals. He's also United States men's national team player, so he has the connection with Jordan Morris and Christian rolled On. I mean they developed this group the cohesiveness of guys who've had experience all
playing on the United States national team squad. It's quite cool. And you're gonna hear Jordan Morris coming up on a little bit. He had a pepinist step out there at training today. I tell you what he has. You feel that kind of joy it is to be playing alongside not only his teammates, but the new guys we brought in. These are guys that I know. These are guys that I have friendships with. He he and Paul, and Christian
and Paul, they're all good friends. So it very much reasons Outward's, you know, kind of like they're gonna be having fun playing with their brothers, having fun playing with the friends that they've made, not even when playing with the Sounders with the United States. I mean, this is a happy group. I'll tell you what. It's a happy group, but I would also say it is a determined and I think less nice group. One of the things we've heard throughout this preseason. Craig said it on a call
last week. I believe Christian rolled On said it earlier today we've heard at other places is that this team was too nice last year. I don't get that feeling like they're gonna be as nice as a team this year. I think that Paul's gonna be coming in and he is. He has a different mentality. I tell you what. He has a lot of, you know, bite to him. And that bite I talk about it with mas Vita Mauteire, who which another thing that you're gonna hear coming up.
But I think that Paul is somebody that can instill that bite in the rest of the team, and that could add a dimension for the Sounders this year where if they can have the offensive uh and if they're gonna have the offense increase, if they can continue to be the best defensive squad in Major League Soccer, or maybe not the best, but close to the best, and they can be a more angry, hard nosed team with a bite, you know, then you're looking at a Sounders
squad that can do a lot of damage. And not to mention, this is a team that was, you know, twelve minutes away from you know what would have been added time or extra time, excuse me, with a trip to MLS Cup on the line at the La Galaxy and it is, as we said it at the season ending podcast sadly one mistake that really costs the team, you know, that goal against the Galaxy and they go
and win MLS Cup. I think if the Sounders and I've said this, you know, off the air, and I don't know if I've said this on the air yet, but I think that if they don't make that mistake, if they get the Galaxy to extra time, I think we win that game because the Galaxy have to play a little bit tighter, They have to play a little bit, you know, on their heels a little bit, just trying not to give the game away in the final thirty minutes, and I get a feeling like the Sounders get them
and then we're facing the Red Bulls and MLS Cup and I think we win that game. So we are that close to having another star above our crest this last year in twenty twenty four, I don't think this team is very far off. If you can get hayesusintegrated, if Pedro de la Vega can take the next step, if we can continue to be sound defensively, and if we cannot get injured. I mean, there's so many games this year CONCA, CAF champions Cup, Club World Cup, the
MLS regular season. There's like thirty nine games automatically on
the docket right now, and that's probably gonna increase. So if they can withstand those and not suffer major injuries, then I think this team is deep enough, it's talented enough to get right back to where they were last year with a trip to MLS Cup on the line in the Western Conference Championship, and you know that is for me, the bar get to the West Final and whatever happens in the West Final, if you face a great team and they end up winning like that happened
last year, Okay, I can accept losing the West Final to a great team. And the La Galaxy were tremendous last year. They are very very good champions, and I talked them down so much and I never really believed in them. My conversation with Ariy, Lillian Wall and everybody else over the year. I never truly believed that I thought their defense was gonna be good enough to get them. It came together, they made changes and they did their things. So if you lose the West Final to a team
like the Galaxy, okay, fine, I can bear that. But get to the West Final, give yourself a chance to play an MLS Cup. That's my bar, it's always been, and I think that this team as assembled now, barring a major injury, can get right back there. But I think heyesus Paul those two editions. There's obviously the rumor about Kim key He and listen, we're talking about Kim ky he on now thirty five years old, and he's
been pretty good, you know, since leaving the Sounders. But I don't see Kim ky Hee as anything more than you know, a fourth center back or so. You obviously still have Jackson Reagan, Jeamar Gomez Andrade Jonathan Bell, you have Knew who if they play with three center backs, he can be thrown into that center back group as well.
So we're not talking about an impact player there. But still I think overall, you look at the squad and they're bringing guys up from Tacoma and they're looking for, you know, the the young players like Georgie Manongu who burst onto the scene last year, to take the next step.
Everything seems to be I think here for this team to really continue where they were at the end of last season, making a run, beating LAFC, take the next step, integrate these new few players that you need, get better offensively, and we're off and running. Everything is here for this team. It's just about staying healthy and putting it all together.
An execution for the flexible idea is that this team's gonna have to play with if we need to switch from a four to two, three one to a three, five to two in a in a given moment during a game, but also be from a Saturday to a Wednesday game. They need to execute on a week by week, game by game basis. And if we can do that, yeah, I'm feeling you guys know me. I mean, I've been doing these you know shows, going back to Radio Cascadia
Live in twenty seventeen, Sounders Weekly in twenty eighteen. Y'all know I'm already glass half full. That's That's how I'm always gonna be. But still, if I just look at this team, and it's well built. And is it the best Sounders team of all time? No, I mean, listen, I'm not gonna I know a lot's been made about the Sounder Hard article and whatnot, but in an I did like a lot of that article that you know said that it's the best Sounders team of all time
or the most talented. I don't agree with that. We'll see, but I will say that I do. I'm very bush on this team. I really like what they look like on paper, and it's just gonna come down to, I think coaching and player execution to get the right plans in place on a given game to beat a certain team. Look the LAFC game. They came into that LAFC game on the road with a plan and with an idea for how they wanted to beat LAFC, and by god, they did it. And they listen, they went down a
goal in that game. And yes, you can say, LIZI what was the own goal that got them into one to one into extra time? Sure? Sure, but still I thought they executed really well. They played a great game. Stephen Fry was out of his mind. He's back in goal this year, and I just I love the way this team looks here to start twenty twenty five, can they go get another star above the crest this year? I think they absolutely can. The other question I'm asking is what are the what does the rest of the
league look like, what are the other moves? And how are other teams going to try to stop them? Because if you can play a variety of ways, that naturally is going to make you ask the other teams, all right, what personnel do you have to combat what we have? And it's it's a chess game. I mean, I've said it, you know, in almost every game interview that we've done. It's a Bran Schmitzer chess game against the other coach. And I like the pieces that are gonna be on
the chessboard on our side for the Sounders. We're just gonna have to see if they can execute and if the game plans there to end up getting the Sounders to that next star. All right, let's dig in to a lot of audio here, and there's a lot that we're gonna go into' It's Christian Rodon, it's Jordan Morris, it's Brian Schmenzer. But let's start with Paul Ariol. He is one of the newest sounders Hasis Frera is with by the way, with the United States men's national team.
They have their own US camp in January. I believe it's in Florida. I want to say so. Heyesus will join the team for the trip to Spain. But he is not with the team yet. That's why you didn't hear any audio from Heyesus Frera. But Paul ariol is the other newest sounder, and earlier today, as I mentioned at Long Acres, listen, I told the staff, I only need three minutes with Paul, just quick, get to know
your stuff. We want eight minutes here long get to know you conversation with the newest sounder, Paul Ariola, coming over from FC Dallas. He spent time with Tijuana. With DC, He's been around, He's played at high levels. He's played in many big games. Of course the United States men's national team as well. But you know, we know he's great wing back, we know he's a great winger. He'll get into the on the field stuff. Let's talk about off the field. Let's talk about joining Seattle, the new
Digs in Long Acres. Off the field, what he likes to do who he's friends with. He talks about, you know, the friendships with Christian Rodon and Jordan Morris. He talks about having a one year old daughter. Lots of great get to know you conversations. So before we get kind of the shorter clips from Schmitzer, from Morris, from rolled on, let's start with a nice chunk conversation here get to
know Paul Ariola. I started off the conversation by asking him the digs at Longacres, how it compares to Dallas and other places, and how he likes his new home here in Seattle.
Yeah, it's been great so far. You know, obviously, the facility speaks for itself. There's you know, it's nice to be a part of a club with a with an updated facility, with something, uh that players look forward to showing up. I know it's been long overdue for the club moving into a facility like this, a club that deserves, you know, to have some of the best facilities in the US, and uh, I'm really happy to be a
part of that. Coming from DC and Dallas. Uh, they aren't necessarily known to be the best facilities, and you know, kind of have a player for environment, but definitely here. Uh, it is and and I believe that's the way for for guys to have the most success. So it's been great. Obviously a little bit cold, but uh, nothing that that I haven't dealt with before, played in the places that I played well.
Christian and Jordan have talked about your friendship with them, you know, and then the joys and having you come here for for you to speak about your friendship from from from your side with it with them. But you know outside are you guys? Do you guys do stuff at it all off the off the field talk about your your tight.
Up with them, Yeah, I think you know, like anyone working in and environment, in a work environment, right, you always want to work with your friends. And I'm sure many people can relate to thinking about working with their best friends being in the same building. You know, for us it's competing together. So just going years and years back on the national team talking about how nice it would be to all be on the same team, to be able to unite on and off the field. You know,
we're all kind of living similar stages of life. I have a one year old, Christian has a six month old, Jordan has a fifteen month old, So there's a lot of babies, and our wives are are good friends and have known each other for years as well. So for me, you know, I'd be lying if I said it wasn't an extra incentive and motive motivation. I want to come here and and uh and and you know kind of kind of have a new chapter with some of my best friends in the game. So I'm really excited about that.
You know, Jordan and his wife welcomed us the first night that we were here. They came over, they brought us some stuff, brought us dinner. So you know, I'm really close with them, and and I'm looking for to being close with a bunch of other guys on the team. I know this this team is super tight.
Uh.
There's a great culture within, and you know, I'm looking forward to fitting right in.
For the last couple of years, I've been talking to Jordan and Christian about dad life, right and then in the first year of dad life and the trials and tribulations of being dad, so great, welcome to the club now in this in these conversations, Paul, what is dad life like for you in the first year.
It's been amazing, man. You know, we're we're so blessed to to be able to go home at a decent time of the day. And I've been able to be there for almost every every you know, milestone so far, been able to go to almost all the doctor's appointments. I mean, these are like little things that I think oftentimes we can we can overlook and take for granted.
But just being a being an everyday father and being there for my child, I believe will you know, pay pay dividends in the end as I continue to grow with with my wife and and be there for her and be there for my baby as well. So it's been it's been exciting. You know, We're getting to the to the real fun stage of starting to walk and starting to point and talk and do all those things, and it's it's it's honestly amazing. I'm really blessed.
At what point you put the soccer ball in front of their feet?
We were we had it a little bit yesterday. Uh she's kind of right now, she's kind of convinced on dogs and uh throwing a throwing a basketball into like a mini basketball.
Hope.
So I'm gonna slowly get the soccer ball into her. I think we'll have we'll have some time for that. She'll be stuck with that for the rest of her life, so it'll it'll come and do time. Hopefully, you know, sometime this year, when she could start walking, I'll bring her out onto the field and let her hopefully kick a ball around.
What's her name?
Her name is seven?
Uh. What's what's life like for you off the field during the off season? What what do you like to do off the field? I mean you mentioned like yesterday, it's like the summers in sea ally looking forward to. But what is life for for Paul off the field?
Yeah, you know, I I just enjoy being home. You know, we travel so much, you know, just the nature of of the of the sport and the business. You miss a lot of things from traveling, and so for me, it's just about spending family time being there and and right now obviously you know this first year, be able to explore Seattle and explore the area.
That I'm living in.
And you know, my wife and I love to love to go out and eat good food. I love to play golf when she lets me, so I know I'll be I'll be playing with with some of the guys here. I know that that they they they have some days to go play golf. So hopefully I'll be I'll be added to the mix. But besides that, really that's it, man. Just hang out, enjoy love, hanging out with friends and and just kind of being calm and cool. What are you did you end up choosing to move here too,
living in Kirkland, kirk Jordan. Jordan didn't really give me a choice. He kind of said it was Kirkland or Kirkland, and so we went with the We went to kirk Kirkland.
There's a lot of good golf over in the Bellvue area, you know, twenty minutes away, so you're in. You're in a good golfer for sure. I love that last thing on the field again, you've talked about winger, wing back, the possibilities, but just you know, coming in here in the expectations of where you might play, how much you might play, conversations with Brian Schweitzer, just on the field. To wrap it up, but what are your thoughts there to start here already in preseason?
Yeah, I think you know, for me, it's it's going to be a challenge in itself. That will be something that I haven't had to deal with over you know, the past eight nine years of my career, which is coming into a new environment. That is, you know that already has a great core of players, a team that's been together, that's that's you know, been really close to success for many years. And you know a lot of
guys deserve to be on the field. And I, you know, I believe that the best teams now in MLS need to have depth in many positions. And you see it with l A.
You see it with l A f C.
You see it with Columbus, you see it with UH. You know, a bunch of the teams that can continually compete at a high level is h players that are able to make a difference, you know, whether it's starting or whether it's on the bench. You know, I'm always gonna believe that that I should be on the field. I believe that, you know, I'll be able to work my way into the starting lineup. But at the same time, I understand that this isn't a team that is lacking
in many positions. I have a lot of respect for all the guys who have been here. You know, like I said, the wing back position, you know, can maybe get a little bit complicated the winger position. But h for me, my job is just to compete. You know. I spoke to coach when I first got here, and he laid his expectations out for me. I laid my expectations out out of myself and and from the team, and and you know, I, you know, Jordan's mentioned it before and I mentioned it yesterday, like I'm just a
I'm a team guy. You know, I've lived many stages of of my career. As I mentioned before, you know, this move for me specifically, you know, I was able to kind of dictate where I where I ended up, and I didn't go asking for more money or try and continue to make more money. I could have went to you know, a couple of different teams and and made even more money, you know, over over two three years. Or I could have moved closer to home, which is
southern California. And I didn't really choose any of that. I chose to be here to compete, to to be a part of something that that will push me to be at my best and and I believe that I can also help the team, uh push that that final step that that you know I believe in and we all believe that that this club should be at so uh, you know, I'm gonna I'm gonna compete from the first minute. I'm gonna support my teammates. I'm going to be a locker room guy. That's just the nature of who I am.
You know, I really wear my heart on my sleeve.
I'm not.
I don't try and be anybody that I'm not. I never will be who I am. The way I speak to one person is the way I speak to all. And you know, I'm just super excited to be able to go out there, compete, put my jersey on, uh and fight for everybody in the stadium and within the organization.
Well, there's a lot of people in that stadium. We're ready to see you play and ready to see find me. You in the right colors, So cheers and hopefully when you Spain there's some good weather for your golfing.
That's right. I love that. Thank you very much, Paul.
Thank you great to get to know. Yeah, well we'll talk more times.
Good.
That's Paul Ariola, the new Sounders winger and wing back. We'll see how he fits in whether it's a four four to two or four two three one excuse me and Brian plays him on the wing or a three five two and Brian plays him as a wing back. We will see exactly how he fits in, but that is a good depth piece for as I talked about earlier, I think a very good deal from Craig Wible to bring in a twenty nine year old who has played a lot of soccer with Christian Rodan and Jordan Morris.
Speaking of Brian Schmitzer, let's hear from Brian Schmitzer. He talks here at the start, which you get a few minutes here from Brian, and he talks about here what he wants his team to take from the end of last season, because as we mentioned, it's been a forty day off day, So where does he want this team. We get in some other thoughts as well, but let's start with that from head coach Brian Schmitzer.
Well, I hope there's the sour taste in their stummach.
That's the carryover, you know.
That little wanting, that little nagging, little you know kind of man.
We were, We were that close. Uh, I hope that's a carryover. Obviously.
How Hayesus fits into the team. You know, Dale Vega, his progression. Uh, Paul, you know some of the things that we were good at last year.
Let's just see how that goes.
Uh.
But yeah, I mean I.
Think we have a good team.
I think we have a very good squad.
You know, if you start doing the math on the goal, maybe I'm getting ahead of myself.
But uh, you know, Jordan had a.
Career goals all comps. Ah Albert had a good year, you know, a career year for himself. But Hayzus can score, you know, twelve, fifteen, eighteen goals.
He scored twenty two. And Paul's gonna.
Pitch in a little bit and you can get some goals hopefully from Jackson and Yangmar.
You're gonna hopefully obit and maybe put in a pen.
You start doing that math, and then then maybe the narrative is not so much that we can't score. Maybe it's still we should score.
Maybe there's that narrative.
But you know, we can combine the good defending that we've shown over the last couple of years and put a few more points on the board.
I think that's gonna help us today.
On us I'll move for a gully for probably underwad brother sing that respect that that you know should uh, Well, when you think about when you first heard that he was possibly that you were going to ring you on, and now that you have him, when you look at that guy that's at his age and has a trajectory well at the US misstasing team at a last level, Horsite doesn't get.
You, can you?
He doesn't feedback on issue with you. Move for sure?
I think you're right. Look, and everyone is entitled to their opinion.
And certainly the sport and you know, the social media channels, everybody gets to talk about their.
Team, and I I appreciate all that and get it.
But we are adding a player who started in.
A World Cup match, okay, a kid who scored twenty two goals in a season. And you try and buy a player that scored twenty two goals in whatever league he's playing in.
I mean, that's gonna cost you some money.
So we can all wait and see and let's keep our fingers crossed. And I don't want to put a lot of expectations because it's not just Hazus. It's got to be everybody that pitches in I mean, we needed to use everybody last year because the seasons were long. We're in a lot of competitions. You know, we've got a long season to go. But getting Haesus and him being able to, you know, pitch in. Like I said, his amount of contributions, goals and assists.
That's gonna help the squad.
So I was very excited.
And look the other side of that, the flip side of that, the conversation that's going on is because people are saying, well, is Jordan Morris a DP?
Well, he actually earned that. He earned that, and Jordan got better as a year, progressed.
Remember I made that change almost halfway point of the year last year. So other than his rookie season when he played forward a little bit, he's been playing both wings, a spot at number nine. It was six months as a number nine, and he's even going to get better.
So let's just see, let's just see how it shakes out.
You talked about meeting with the coaches last week, you know, talking about the preseason. What are specifically in those boxes you want to check off this week here and then throughout Spain, what are the goals for this preseason fitness.
And assessment this week because we got to assess some of the young kids, draut choices who we like get a final roster to go to Spain, which Defiance players are gonna come with us the young guys, and then in Spain will really dig deep into the tactics and the way we want to play. The games over there are against good competitions.
We got some good games lined up. We get excited about that you're playing against teams from Europe. It just feels different.
The place we stay in Marbay is very nice, the training grounds are very nice.
So it's been a good trip for us. But we're excited.
It's you know, it's back to work a little short. I didn't know it was only forty days because we're working all the time.
But you know, we're.
Excited for well, I asked him, there, you know, in terms of what you want to do this offseason, and then how quickly he blurted out, just simply, you know, wanting to evaluate where this team's at, the young players coming in and get the fitness and stamming up of this team. They have so many games that they need to make sure that that these players can run all that time, because it is going to be a good conditioned team. I think if the Sounders team is going
to have success. I think they will be a very good conditioned team, but they need to be ready to go lad into a lot of games, especially in the early season with Conker CAF Action Club World Cup. Obviously things will settle down a little bit, you'd think then into the summer, but a lot of games here before we hit even July. So Schmitzer knows that and he's gonna get them ready. Let's switch gears and a guy that we know is always ready. Jordan Morris career year.
Last year, Jordan Morris talked about being back at Long Acres after some time away. I asked Jordan how he will combine with Hayesus and how he will combined with Paul Ariola. But it let's start with Jordan Morris talking about being back here this offseason.
By the time offseason comes to an end, I think you start to miss it for sure. It's going to get some some time off with the body rests, you know, obviously a good time with the family. But when you get back in you see everyone and get back on the field, it's exciting. There's a new energy about a new season coming up. So it's a it's a good feeling.
Figure that new energy has to deal with a couple of new players coming here.
Just your thoughts on some of the pickups this off.
Yeah, really excited obviously, Hey, Sus Paul are are great players, but they're good friends of mine as well, So I'm really excited to have them both here. You know, they're like I said, they're great people. They're going to add to the locker room in a really really good way. And then on the field, you've seen what they've they've done in MS and done with Dallas and with the national team. So they're both really good players. They're gonna gonna help us a lot on the field. So everyone's
excited to have them. But yeah, it's great bringing a couple couple more friends of the team.
You've played with Hay Sus before. How do you combine with him on the field. How can that partnership show itself with in Ray Breen?
Yeah, play with them quite a bit. You know, he's he's a player that likes to get on the ball. I would say we comp on each other well because guy like we'd like to make maybe different movements, So he comes underneath, gets on the ball and as a guy similar to Albert, they can find those fine passes him behind and for a player like me that likes to obviously getting behind and try to use my speed to open the game up, having more players like that
on the field is is is incredible. And then you see his ability in the box as well, the amount of goals that he scored and kind of that that finishing mentality. He's a really hard worker, but a guy that I'm looking forward to playing with for for all those reasons.
I said in the same question with Paul.
Yeah, Paul, he is just a you know, he's he's a he's a team guy. First. He's gonna put his put his put his body on the line for the group. I know a lot of guys said before they didn't like playing against him when he was with Dallas. You know, he got under people's skin a little bit. And to have that on on on our team now, I think is is super important. He's not like that at all off the field. He's a great guy, but on the field he'll give everything for the team. He'll play wherever,
you know, the coach puts him. I remember talking to him when he came. He's just like he's like I want to do anything to help the team just win. I just want to win trophies at this point in my career. So he's a He's a great locker room greg, a great guy to have on the field because he's going to get everything for this.
Team upgraded to designated player over the off season.
What are your thoughts on that upgrade you think do you feel like it was a long time coming, it was a big build up for it.
Yeah, you know, obviously it's exciting, exciting for for myself and my family of course, and it's a big honor, you know. I think Craig touched on it a little bit during the contract negotiations. I kind of went in and talked to him about before signing the last one that I thought, you know, I deserve to be at that level, and he didn't quite agree. So we came up with a little compromise that go out and prove it, and fortunately I was able to do that. So Yeah,
I'm excited. I don't think it changes too much. I always kind of put that pressure on myself to perform at that level. Feel like I've been performing at that level, and like I said, you know, kind of expect that from myself. So for me, it doesn't change too much. It's just a title, you know, excited to be a leader with this group and push forward to win more trophies.
And it was Jordan Morris there. Hopefully we see all that good movement there with Ferrara and with Ariol here moving forward, let's finish it off with Christian Rodan. Just a quick minute here from Christian Roldan as Christian here is talking about coming out of the offseason, this team, getting those two signings of Fara and Ariola and how they can help this team win.
Well, I think the world of MS players. I think, uh they bring a lot in the locker room, they bring experience, Uh, they bring goals, and they have a re energize uh you know, feeling about them. They they want to win, they want to win trophies and uh, they're gonna bring that competitive nature in them. From my experience, you know, his Shus has been always a little bit more quiet, reserved, Paul a little bit more personality to him.
But both are great guys and they're they're gonna show their their their talents on the field and bring that competitive juice that that we need in front of Christian.
Going back a little bit, what was your reaction to the Club World Cup draw and how much you're looking forward to that tournament later this year.
Well, first, first and foremost, you know, the fact that we get to play and it is really special. The fact that we get to play in front of our fans is even better. And then the level competition that we get to play against is spectacular. So we get to size our size ourselves up with with some of the best in the world. And and you know that's why we we try to to make some good signings.
Hopefully a couple of young guys elevate their game and and start helping us on the field, and you know, hopefully we can compete, right, that's always the goal.
Well, the Club World Cup, they're coming up, as he mentions, I mean, that's the other big news of the offseason. I mean, massive, massive opponents. It's going to be an uphill battle and to expect that the Sounders could go in and you know win one of those Bota Fogo maybe, but psg no. I mean like it's it's gonna be a very tough ask for the Sounders to to get three points in that can they get one point two points.
Maybe yes, maybe, maybe, I don't know, but listen, it's gonna be a big ass They are three tremendous clubs. I personally, I'm just pumped that we're having these really big, cool games for the Sounders and that we're kind of looking forward into what is I think a really really exciting time to be a fan, big games, to go to Club World Cup this year, you know, World Cup next year. So we have amazing soccer coming to lumen Field, and it's competitive matches. Sounders have been playing PSG in
a competitive match. Jordan Morris did a great podcast with with Noah with the Lobbing scorcheres Ari Luinwall's podcast, and I thought he had great thoughts about specifically in terms of looking ahead to the Club World Cup, and Jordan said he's looking forward to PSG. It's PSG Sounders in a competitive soccer match at Luminfield. I mean, yes, we had friendlies over the years against many good teams, and yes a couple of them did not go very well.
But still this is a competitive match. Let's see, let's stack up, let's see if the Sounders can can compete. That's what Christian was saying, let's see if we can compete and put a competitive game together. Good stuff there from Christian Roldn. Let's also hear a conversation with mas Veta out of Ita Cascadia Sports dot Net.
We have.
This is a longer conversation. This goes about ten minutes, but Maz and I kind of just spitball the whole thing. And the first question I asked Moz was looking at the roster right now, do the Sounders have enough to win the Western Conference? You know my line I said it a few minutes ago, is to just make the West Final. So I asked Moz, do the Sounders have enough right now to win the Western Conference? Here's what he had to say.
I think they are on paper right. They brought into pieces that they needed. Now we'll just have to see tactically. And then the players Jackson Mudu sports, can they execute.
I think they'll.
Brian and the rest of the coaching staff will put him in the place that they need to be.
They will have to execute well.
I think in one of the things execution wise is getting the most out of Hasis Ferira. You know, obviously his statistics last year took ahead because of the injuries, getting Paul Oriol back to the numbers he was at before, getting Pedro de la Vega in a much better, you know, statistical position than he was last year. The execution is a question because obviously there's so many on paper, You're right,
there is so much talent. But the big question is can these players all get the most out of each other so that their statistics do look like they used to?
Yeah, right, Like there's only one ball out there when there's twenty two.
Plane can get a second one? I think like that.
So for me, the most intriguing kind of continuity is going to be Christian rodin Jose and also Pedro de la Vega.
How that's going to be threesome? Yeah, threesome.
And Christian talked today and the city's.
Going to be step back a little bit just in terms of this.
So he said he's going to call the shots, communicate, and he also said offensive defense.
So that's one.
But is Pedro going to pinch in or stay wide? But I don't know how much room you have wide?
Right, because because how do you play?
Do you play with the three slash five at the back and then have two wingbacks, which obviously limits your space out wide or do you stick with the four two three one where you might have some open space for Pedro now And then that's the big question in terms of space outside No.
Absolutely, And then where does Jordan Morris fit in? Are you going to be heavy sided? Right or left? And then oh, by the way, alb Rusnik, as we know, had his best year, not only in scoring, but I thought the assist. Yeah, so then is he closer to the front or and how does he play?
Does he play.
Next to Christian or does he play in front?
You know what I'm saying, because that partnership between Obed and Christian last year we really saw a blossom into Christian becoming you know, a number six and obviously it's it's not the classic Assie Alonzo type, but it's closer than what Christian used to be. And it sort of is the question of our right.
Well, Christian and Obed.
Developed as an incredible partnership, and you want to keep that, then question mark question mark, question mark Paul, and question mark you know to Albert and Dale Vega and the other Paul, I mean freaking Rothrock have such a big year, and how do you figure out a way to get him, you know, continuing to get minutes. So it's all of
these midfield questions. I think that the defense is pretty said of you have Jackson, you have mr you have new who and we'll see if they do wingbacks in terms of Alex slash you know, whatever is on the other side. But I think the big question is how Brian fits these midfielders together.
Yeah, and you've brought a really good point about obit, just in terms of he has become an the expectation for him to be more offensive. There's you and I have did a I've watched the Sounders long enough, and we watch soccer long enough to know the expectation the next levels for him to score more goals. And he's not gonna They're not gonna put him behind. Might be next to Christian, but I think he's going to kind of play in front.
He's the one that's gonna go forward Christian two of them.
And then so then when he's up there, how is his vision developed, just in terms of because the runs is what's important, right, his vision to see who's running where, because I mean I see old big kind of mean, I mean I see Dela Vega coming in and then kind of going out a little bit. But so what the spacing Jackson is gonna be created? A big question that's how are they going to occupy that space? And then as Susan I think is he can play anywhere.
But for me, his ability is I watched the film and the fifty goals to get in between center backs right and push them. They might use him to create that s at the eighteen twenty.
Well, if he's working under Jordan, then suddenly you have him playing under Jordan. They stretch those center backs and suddenly you split that defense in two. And if you're on the wing with a Rothrock, d la Vega or Rusnak whoever running, then suddenly you have two different options to get the ball into at two different levels. Inside the eighteen.
No, absolutely, and that was a missing right, That was a missing So now if you've got a threat in the first level that you're speaking of, and then you have the second, now that's going to cause their midfielders opposition have to come back if they don't spacing, spacing, and if they don't, you're going to make them pay.
Let's talk about the mentality of this team. We just heard Christians say this team was too nice. Craig Wible said on the press conference last week, the team was too nice, and now we know, I mean, Paul Ariol was just talking and he said that he is just relentless and running and he's going to just you know, he's a little bug that's going to make teams live miserable. But you asked Brian Schmitzer, I think it is a
very good question. Can the mentalities of a Jesus Frere who is more soft spoken, but specifically a Poloriol coming in here, and can just the guys that have been here and saw what the mentality was last year, can they all change this team's mentality to be a less nice team, to be a tougher team, to get that angry Jordan energy and let that be more than just
angry Jordan time. Let this team be a tougher, more aggressive, angry team and not be as nice, because that's something that multiple people now have mentioned on the record.
And Bryan said it.
I think had some practice, you know, I mean, yeah, yeah, absolutely, I think the missing and he did coach speak a little bit that you know, you kind of read into it because he reeled off all the games, right like
gal let's see and the play. So I think what he alluded to is that finishing and that takes a special tenacity, that takes that dog And that's what I think he why they brought They brought the players in and he's hoping to have that that you've heard him before, you know, if we had to just scored that second goal and made it to zero or whatnot. That's what I think Kim and Craig when they sat down. The attribute of the players we want is to come in and have that dog mentality.
They have it.
Now, we'll see how infectious it is.
And uh and I think it.
Will because that mentality is the sort of thing where it'll come out and sure it comes out and it's scoring goal, but it'll also come out in the little tackles in the middle of the field. It'll come out in little ways here, and they'll come out in training. You'll see you'll see the you know, the less nice team elements come out in a lot of variety of ways. And you know, sometimes, I mean we we've both been
around a lot of sports teams. Sometimes you just need one guy to just light that fire in that infectious, you know, attitude that takes over a team. I mean obviously, I mean I'm gonna I'm gonna make a reference here, and I understand it's not the perfect reference, but you look at the Seahawks to them, yeah, exactly. Look at the Sea Owks teams of the early twenty tens, and sure you had a Sherman, sure you had a Cam, Sure you had you know, an Earl and these unique personalities.
But I have always said that Marshawn Lynch's mentality coming in in what was a twenty ten, right, and he was part of that kind of you know og group, right, His mentality and just how he viewed life and how
he carried himself. That was an infectious atmosphere around him that I think allowed the rest of the team to be like, yeah, we can be our so we can play like this and we can act like this, and sometimes it just take one guy to just let everybody else be themselves and let that mentality as it was, you know, the the lob you know, turn into a let the team be what it was. And obviously the
Seahawks want a championship off of it. But you know, we'll see if we'll see if the same kind of infectious apt sphare can take hold of this team.
Well, staying there, there is one player that's infectious for the Seahawks right now. And saw this change, and that's why I was kind of chuckling player with.
Yeah, I mean so so and you're starting to see that.
And I think here as well, because you know, I'm a new new fan.
I thought knew who felt.
His frustrations sometimes were like the team didn't. They weren't as aggressive because you know, you know, we sit in the press box sometimes and you know, when you're not doing your show, before you do your show, well, he would go down the wing and want to attack and he'd have to kind of stop, you know, that kind of thing, and you know, and that's a headache. But Albert Rusnik as well, I think he also evolved a little bit too, more tenacity real quickly.
On your point in terms of that tackle.
One of the weakness of the Sounders last year was when they gave up the ball and Brian, you know, they try to talk to him, was to make that tackle to stop the LA Galaxy lafc's counter attack and they want them to foul up top.
How many games did.
You see where the opposition midfield of Ford was given room to world.
I mean, that's one of the things where this team I think, and a lot of that's coaching too, you know, And I think that listen. I think as the years go by, I think we've seen Brian grow as a coach in a lot of ways. I think that Andy Rose is young in the coaching game as he continues to grow. So I think I think in terms of specifically when to foul, specifically the pressure on it, specifically the press right. As we know this team definitely, you know,
has a very definite philosophy of pressing right. So as these things come together, I think that will be one of those areas that shores up in that regard.
Will be interesting to see when they play from the back, I know, you go outside. I want to still put the wrinkle to go outside and attack a little bit from the middle.
Or then and that probably that related to that is going back to it again, how do you play? Do you play with three at the back? You play with fourth back? Because that then relates to where's new? Who is new who you know getting up the field, or is new who one of the three center backs who's just sitting back is new who will left wing back and it's actually Jackson, Josh and yamark Is Josh's transformation to center back.
Right, does that work?
I mean, there's all these I think ultimately, as we kind of wrap this up, the element that I'm really keying on is the flexibility to play a lot of different ways this team. And listen, the players are going to have to we said it start execute, right, It's going to come down to their execution. But Schmetzer's got the ability to have this team play a variety of different styles of soccer in a variety of different formations.
Yeah, to your point. Yet the players, they're going to have.
To execute in the position to differ the various positions that they put in.
And if they can do that, this.
Plant work is going to be a busy preseason getting ready for all these possibilities. Absolutely, all right, Thanks Mass, Thanks great stuff there. From mos Vita mate Aire of kascadiasports dot Net. I think we're general agreed that this team, we're kind of bullish on it here in twenty twenty five,
and it's gonna come down to execution. We're gonna be playing I think a variety of different ways, keeping teams off balance, keeping other head coaches guessing in that chess match, and if the players can execute these different styles of soccer in these different formations, then yeah, I think this team can really honestly get to an MLS Cup because I think the way that they're structured right now, and again I will say this, it's bold italics sized underline.
If they stay healthy, and that's kind of you know what we say for all teams, but truly this year, if they stay healthy, especially guys like Jordan, like Jeseuss, then I think we could be looking easily at another West Final and perhaps MLS Cup because they should be right back where they were last year. They'll have the chip on their shoulder to get where they didn't get last year. They were so close. Stephen Fry talked about
it at a press conference on the Tuesday. They were so close last year and if they can just take that next step, and I truly belie that they have what it takes. It's just about execution and health, So we'll see if they can pull it off. That's it for our special off season podcast here Centers Weekly. Not exactly sure the next time we're going to be coming
to you. I think it'll probably be in late February, ahead of the season starting, or maybe ahead of the first game after the Conca calf game, but the team is headed to Marba, Spain. They're headed off to Spain to spend a couple weeks out there getting ready. As Schmitzer talked about this week here in Long Acres, it's conditioning, it's getting the stamina up and seeing what he got. But out in Marbaa it's about how to put the
pieces together. So it'll be very interesting to see when they come back to Seattle, before they of course head south there for Conca calf action. Exactly what we are looking at here for twenty twenty five. So I look forward to talking to you guys here in just over
a month. Have a good rest of your off season for every Sounder fan out there, Enjoy the next last few weeks of the full on off season, and we will talk very soon about what I think is going to be a very very fun and very successful twenty twenty five season. Have a very good week, everybody, have a very good next month. We'll talk to you soon here on Sounders Weekly.