We tried something a little different this week. Not only did we record live at Optimism Brewing in Capital Hill, we welcomed Sounder at Heart writers Susie Rantz and Mark Kastner to the show to do a bit of a roundtable discussion. The show was recorded before we knew we’d be playing the Portland Timbers in the Western Conference semifinals, so we mainly discussed the season as a whole and how we view it at this point. This week's music: "What do tigers dream of?" - Cristian Roldan, "RVIVR - "Oc...
Nov 02, 2018•43 min•Ep 288•Transcript available on Metacast It’s been a few weeks since we last recorded, and as they are wont to do as of late, the Sounders won all three of the games since then. One was the home game against the Houston Dynamo , and they followed that up with back-to-back wins on the road just four days apart in Orlando and Houston. They’ve scored nine goals in those three games, never trailed and generally look like a team ready to make a deep run in the playoffs. They head into Sunday’s regular-season finale with the Earthquakes havi...
Oct 24, 2018•2 hr 41 min•Ep 287•Transcript available on Metacast After a frustrating run of games, the Sounders got back in the win column with a convincing performance against the colorado Rapids. Granted, this was an absolutely awful Rapids team -- one that’s been outscored 19-1 during what is now a six-game losing streak -- but you can only beat the teams you play, and the Sounders were every bit as good as you could ask. This was by just about any metric, their best performance of the season and it tied a season high for goals scored without the help of a...
Oct 04, 2018•2 hr 33 min•Ep 286•Transcript available on Metacast The Seattle Sounders made a nice bit of history, but that didn’t stop this week from feeling a bit like a bummer. The loss to the Philadelphia Union took us by surprise, and not just because of how it went down. In the end, though, the Sounders are coming off a 10-game stretch in which they’ve claimed 27 of 30 possible points and a 13-game run in which they amassed 32 of 39 potential points. Consider that they started this run 11 points out of a playoff spot and tied for the second fewest points...
Sep 21, 2018•47 min•Ep 285•Transcript available on Metacast Eight sure is great, ain’t it? The Sounders became the first team in the post-shootout era to win eight straight games in a single season with their latest win coming over Sporting KC. Like so many of the previous seven wins, this wasn’t exactly a pretty win. But, in the end, the Sounders did end up with a reasonably comfortable 3-1 win. The Sounders have now collected 29 points out of their last 33 available, a rather remarkable run that probably stands up as the best in MLS history. They’ve do...
Sep 06, 2018•1 hr 7 min•Ep 284•Transcript available on Metacast Mark it seven. This was quite possibly their ugliest result of the seven-game win streak, but either way it counts as three points. More than that, it moved the Sounders into fifth place in the West, knocked the Timbers out of playoff position, ended a four-year winless run in Portland and was also the most significant test the Sounders have faced as of late. There’s obviously still plenty left to go, but it’s certainly worth asking if the Sounders should now be considered an elite team and a se...
Aug 28, 2018•1 hr 7 min•Ep 283•Transcript available on Metacast Ok, now we are cooking. Since last we met, the Sounders have added six more points and are now riding a franchise-record tying five-game winning streak and are now unbeaten in eight, a span of games in which they’ve collected 20 of 26 points. As we record this, they are three points out of the sixth playoff spot with a game in hand on RSL and just four points shy of fourth-place LA Galaxy. They got here courtesy of a rather amazing 2-1 win over Minnesota United in which they scored twice in stop...
Aug 15, 2018•1 hr 13 min•Ep 282•Transcript available on Metacast It’s the dog days of summer so you know what that means, the Sounders are on another patented late-season run. Their 3-1 win over New York City FC closed out a nine-point week and they are now riding a six-game unbeaten streak that has seen them pull within five points of the final playoff spot. A week ago, they were 11 points behind the pace. Just to make things a bit more interesting, the rumors of Paolo Hurtado potentially joining the squad are as strong as ever, meaning they could be added a...
Aug 02, 2018•55 min•Ep 281•Transcript available on Metacast Lo’ and behold the Sounders are heading into another busy week riding a four-match unbeaten run. Yes, that’s a season best and they are actually looking reasonably good doing it. The latest result was easily their most convincing, as they scored their first shutout win of the season by beating the Vancouver Whitecaps 2-0. Neither of the goals were particularly well constructed -- Nico Lodeiro scored a penalty and then got a brace off a whipped-in ball that badly fooled the Whitecaps goalkeeper -...
Jul 25, 2018•1 hr 13 min•Ep 280•Transcript available on Metacast An eight-day stretch that saw the Sounders play three times and claim four points has left them pretty much treading water in terms of playoff hopes. Was the latest result a positive sign or just another boring result? Aaron and Jeremiah discuss this while also taking plenty of your questions. This week's music: RVIVR - "Ocean Song", Perry Como - "Seattle", RVIVR - “The Tide ”, Woody Guthrie - "Roll On Columbia" Thanks to James Woollard, Sounders Public Address Announcer, for doing our sponsor r...
Jul 10, 2018•1 hr 3 min•Ep 279•Transcript available on Metacast There are 20 games remaining on the Seattle Sounders’ schedule. They probably need at least 36 points in order to have any realistic hope of making the playoffs. Virtually every home game from here on out is a must-win, meaning the margin for error is exceptionally small. All of that is a big reason why Saturday’s result was so frustrating. The Sounders created chances and at least looked like a team capable of scoring goals, but they’re going to need to start turning those chances into results ...
Jun 27, 2018•1 hr 6 min•Ep 278•Transcript available on Metacast Because Jeremiah and Aaron are apparently committed to never recording together again, this week it was Aaron’s turn to run the show. He and Likkit discuss an actual, honest-to-goodness victory as the rumored addition of Raul Ruidiaz. But don’t worry, Jeremiah made an appearance in the middle segment. He sat down with Sounders majority owner Adrian Hanauer to discuss the state of the team, its struggles and where he hopes they are going. This week's music: RVIVR - "Ocean Song", Perry Como - "Sea...
Jun 13, 2018•2 hr 31 min•Ep 277•Transcript available on Metacast The Sounders are coming off a 1-0 loss at home to Real Salt Lake, which leaves them at 2-6-2 on the season, but even more alarmingly 1-3-1 at home. That record includes a rather astounding four shutouts, more than Brian Schmetzer had experienced during his entire tenure as head coach before the start of this season. Things aren’t looking so hot, to say the least. And we figured that rather than focusing on what is wrong with the team, we also wanted to try to get a sense of how this is affecting...
Jun 01, 2018•44 min•Ep 276•Transcript available on Metacast Quite the roller-coaster week we just endured. It started with about as depressing of a tie as I can remember, was followed by about as shocking of a road win as I can remember and then ended on a reasonably predictable loss that still sucked. Jeremiah and Aaron discussed the season’s start, expressed their continued frustrations that the transfer window closed without a signing and looked for reasons to not give up all hope. You know, fun stuff. This week's music: RVIVR - "Ocean Song", Perry Co...
May 16, 2018•1 hr 10 min•Ep 275•Transcript available on Metacast The winter transfer window closes on May 1. If you’re reading this the same day it publishes, that means today. Chances are, the Sounders aren’t going to be signing anyone. We talked to Garth Lagerwey about that, as well as the Seattle Sounders’ place in Sports Illustrated’s Ambition Rankings (they’re fifth, behind Atlanta United, Toronto FC and both Los Angeles teams). That dove-tailed into a conversation about training facilities and finally into transfer targets. Give it a listen. This week's...
May 01, 2018•43 min•Ep 274•Transcript available on Metacast Finally, the Sounders turned in a performance we can find reasonably encouraging. No, the result wasn’t quite what we would have wanted, but the 2-2 tie at Sporting KC was a good result no matter the circumstances. It was an especially good result when you consider KC came into the game leading the Western Conference, while the Sounders were the only team without a point or a goal and were missing several starters. This week's music: RVIVR - "Ocean Song", Perry Como - "Seattle", RVIVR - “The Tid...
Apr 18, 2018•57 min•Ep 273•Transcript available on Metacast This starting to feel all too familiar. The Sounders are now six games into their season, including two in league play, and are 2-4-0 overall. Two of those losses came in their last two games by a combined score of 6-0, and that has made Sounders Twitter and the Sounder at Heart comment section … not a fun place to be. This week's music: "Legend Has It (Black Panther Trailer version)", Perry Como - "Seattle", RVIVR - “The Tide”, Woody Guthrie - "Roll On Columbia" Thanks to James Woollard, Sounde...
Mar 29, 2018•54 min•Ep 272•Transcript available on Metacast We’ve made it to the new season, finally. It’s been a bit of an uneven start with the Sounders going 2-2 in their four games, but still find themselves carrying a 1-0 lead into the road leg of their CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinal against Chivas. The series will conclude on Wednesday at Estadio Akron in Guadalajara. While the results haven’t all been positive, we’ve at least discovered the Sounders have a bit more depth than we had feared. Once this team gets healthy — and they better! — ...
Mar 13, 2018•1 hr 5 min•Ep 270•Transcript available on Metacast I’ll be totally honest, as of a few days ago we didn’t think we were going to try to squeeze in another episode before YachtCon Prime (by the way, it’s on Saturday and tickets are still available ). But it somehow just didn’t feel right to not record an episode before the start of the season, which … wow, it’s Thursday. That’s crazy. So that’s what we did. I won’t sit here and try to act like I know anything about the opponent. What I can tell you about Santa Tecla is that they got here by winni...
Feb 21, 2018•29 min•Ep 269•Transcript available on Metacast Remember when we said we lost the second segment? Well turns out that it wasn't lost to the ages! So as an early Xmas gift for you we present the second segment in all of it's glory. Have a wonderful holiday!
Dec 24, 2017•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast That was not how we thought it would end. The Sounders were absolutely dismantled by Toronto FC, losing 2-0. Maybe we got wrapped up in the narrative or we simply started to believe our own hype, but the Sounders were just not up for it and now we have to try to understand what happened. Jeremiah, Aaron and Richard Farley try to sort it all out. They also appear to have lost the middle segment. Hope you don’t mind. This week's music: "Star Blazers Theme", Perry Como - "Seattle", RVIVR - “The Tid...
Dec 20, 2017•1 hr 13 min•Ep 268•Transcript available on Metacast Well, it sure is nice to be here again. The Sounders are back in the MLS Cup final, looking to become the fourth team in MLS history to repeat as champions. They also have a chance to win their seventh MLS trophy, which would be the third most of all time and more than any non-Canadian team since they entered the league. As you surely know, they’ll be facing the same Toronto FC they beat last time. Yes, TFC is a better version than last year’s, but so are the Sounders. Richard Farley joins us to...
Dec 07, 2017•1 hr 6 min•Ep 267•Transcript available on Metacast It’s been a somewhat up and down season but the Seattle Sounders are on the precipice of a second consecutive MLS Cup appearance. They’ll head into Thursday’s second leg holding a 2-0 lead over the Houston Dynamo, a lead that should frankly be bigger after dominating the first leg. From a historical perspective, this is about as big as leads get. Just three times before in MLS history has a team headed into the home leg holding a two-goal lead and in all three instances the leading team went on ...
Nov 28, 2017•1 hr 27 min•Ep 266•Transcript available on Metacast The Seattle Sounders are back in the Western Conference finals. That’s two years in a row they’ve made it this far, three times in the past four -- with the lone exception seeing them knocked out in penalties -- and four times in the past six. Toronto FC is the only other team to make back to back finals and no other team can match the Sounders’ run of success in either of those other areas A club once known for its playoff struggles are now proving themselves remarkably consistent when it comes...
Nov 14, 2017•1 hr 10 min•Ep 265•Transcript available on Metacast It wasn’t always pretty and it wasn’t always good, but the Sounders secured the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference. The Sounders actually managed to make the most out of their stretch run, winning 3 of 4, including their final two by a combined score of 7-0. The only problem is that they lost Clint Dempsey to a red card, which comes on the heels of losing Gustav Svensson in the penultimate game and Osvaldo Alonso the game before that. They also played the final game without Victor Rodriguez, a...
Oct 25, 2017•1 hr 17 min•Ep 264•Transcript available on Metacast The Sounders are officially back in the playoffs, making it a perfect nine for nine. In fact, you can go back to the USL era and the Sounders have qualified for the playoffs in 11 straight seasons and have made it all but one year of the Adrian Hanauer-Brian Schmetzer era, which dates to 2002. This is no small feat on its own, but was punctuated nicely with a 4-0 win over FC Dallas. Say what you will about their recent struggles -- and they are significant -- beating anyone by that margin should...
Oct 17, 2017•1 hr 17 min•Ep 263•Transcript available on Metacast The Sounders head into the final stretch of the season in fine position. Although they are coming off a 2-0 loss on the road to the Philadelphia Union, they beat the first-place Vancouver Whitecaps 3-0 at home earlier in the week. That leaves the Sounders comfortably in fourth place and with a semi-reasonable hope of still grabbing a bye. But as long as they can win at least one of their final two homes, hosting a first-round playoff game seems like a solid bet. If there’s a dark cloud hanging o...
Oct 05, 2017•1 hr 17 min•Ep 262•Transcript available on Metacast We’re now three transfer windows into Garth Lagerwey’s tenure as head of the Seattle Sounders’ technical staff. All three have been reasonably active. About a month after the last one has closed, we’re starting to get a better picture of just how effective this one has been. Jeremiah met Lagerwey in his office at Starfire Sports Complex last Thursday. They talked about the proper way to pronounce his name (“how much does a lager weigh?”), his general philosophy on roster building, how he measure...
Sep 19, 2017•1 hr 8 min•Ep 261•Transcript available on Metacast As it turned out, Jeremiah had a chance to interview Garth Lagerwey the same day our normal show was released. We are planning to release that full interview next week. But as the interview was wrapping up, we got word that Roman Torres' red card had been rescinded. Being that we already had Lagerwey on the record, it seemed like a good chance to get his thoughts on not only the successful appeal, but his thoughts on how VAR is currently being used.
Sep 14, 2017•11 min•Transcript available on Metacast It's been far too long since the Seattle Sounders last won a match and the fanbase is growing a bit restless. But that's not the only reason. There have been growing reports of stadium staff possibly overstepping some of their directives, further enflaming passions. Of course, referee Drew Fischer didn't exactly help the situation either, handing out a highly questionable red card toward the end of Sunday's match. Jeremiah and Aaron go on a couple rants about these things but do find time to tal...
Sep 14, 2017•1 hr 10 min•Ep 260•Transcript available on Metacast 
