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November 12, 2025 11 mins

Seattle Sounders FC Head Coach Brian Schmetzer joins Dave Softy Mahler and Dick Fain to talk about the team’s season ending loss in Minnesota last weekend, the change at goalkeeper, various roster questions for the off-season ahead, and a 2025 reflection.

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Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is Duke of Duke Seafood, and this hour is
brought to you by Duke Seafood. Why don't you make
it a Duke's night tonight. Reserve your table today at
Dukeseafood dot com. Now back to Softy and Dick on
Sports Radio ninety three point three KJRFM.

Speaker 2 (00:15):
I do know that Brian Schmetzer got a big old
Duke's gift card in the mail a few weeks ago.
You might want to take that and head to his
local Duke Seafood restaurant and billy up to the bar
and spend the whole damn thing. It sounds like a plany.
Can we join him? Absolutely we can after what we
saw on Saturday. Man, But Brian Schmetzer joining us on
the radio show, God, I mean I could ask you

(00:37):
how you're doing, but I think I know how you're doing.
The question is are you as frustrated, are you as
pissed off, angry, sad? Whatever the emotion was on Saturday night? Brian,
are you still there one hundred percent? Or have you
maybe changed and maybe come down a little bit since then?

Speaker 3 (00:55):
Well? I was all of those things for the last
forty eight hours or the first forty eight hours, maybe
the first, you know, three days. I was so desperate
that I almost call Jackson's wife, who's a therapist, to
talk to her on the I mean, I've got an
ivy of tequila that you know. I just a constant drip.

(01:19):
I don't have anything to do anymore. So I actually
listen to your show. I mean Kevin Harlan and Gina
and the whole you know who sleeps with the Wizard,
And I mean, I'm just I'm a lot of sorts.
I love it.

Speaker 2 (01:32):
Brian, north Shore Therapy will be giving you a call.
Don't worry about it.

Speaker 4 (01:36):
There you good me, good deal.

Speaker 2 (01:40):
Brian.

Speaker 4 (01:40):
Is there is there a moment that you keep replaying
your head kind of an an if this didn't happen,
moment that you just keep replaying.

Speaker 3 (01:49):
Yeah, there's about three of them, four of them, eight
of them. I could I mean look even look when
I got the red card. I mean, Albert clean that
one off the post. He was at the penalty spot.
Maybe that was a precursor to Obed's miss, but we
had some chances in the first half to make it
three to one. Even before the red card. Jordan had

(02:11):
a good chance you know, then we had some you know,
really good moments in the second half, the score, the
third goal, and we didn't. We failed. And you know,
give Minnesota some credit, they stuck with it. You know,
they went ahead, and you know, the guys come back,
and then you know, just the just the penalty kicks.
I mean, it's just like going through my head, well,

(02:34):
should I have changed the order? You know, what could
I have done? But we had two chances to win it. Yeah,
so you know, and and the big move that we discussed,
you know, putting Andrew Thomas in, I think was the
right move. I think I think I did a lot
of things right. I think the team did a lot
of things right. But at the end of the day,
it was one of those moments in sports where it's
just not going to be your night.

Speaker 2 (02:55):
Yeah, is the tequila IV rip in as we speak?
Or did you take it out for the segment?

Speaker 3 (03:00):
I took it out for the show, okay.

Speaker 2 (03:02):
Because fecause you need it for this show. No problem
with that at all. The only guy that can't Drake
is Jackson. The rest of us are good to go.
But yeah, yeah, you put on Andrew Thomas for the
penalty kicks. Right, tell us what was behind that decision
and how did Stephan Fry take that call?

Speaker 3 (03:20):
You think, well, it's a great question because that was
you know, I was dreading that conversation because Steph is
arguably the best goalkeeper that this. I mean, you're going
to talk about Kathy Keller, Marcus Tanneman, but Steph has
won a lot of games and a lot of trophies.
And when I first you know, talked about it, thought

(03:40):
about it with the coaching staff, I said, you know what,
I'm just going to ask him because you know, I
think this is important and we're going to try and
do whatever it takes to you know, help the team win.
So had the conversation with them. Look, there was a
little bit of you know, kind of a you know,
squirmy moment there in his chair, but you know what,
he is such a team guy. Yeah, and he said,

(04:02):
you know what, yeah, Andrew is you know better better
at penalties, and so let's do this. And so it
was pre planned and there was no drama, no animosity.
It was just like Andrew knew, Steph new, the players new,
and we went around to do our business.

Speaker 2 (04:19):
So you basically let Stephan Fry kind of make that call.
And I wonder, is there any other player on your
roster or any other player that you've ever coached that
you would trust to be honest with you and actually
let that player make that decision.

Speaker 3 (04:36):
Well, I'll give you a great example in the penalty
kicks shootout, because they went down a guy for the
red card, we had to take someone off our ten
field player roster to make it even. And that's a
weird rule by MLS. And so Christian had missed the
penalty when he was in Minnesota earlier, and Christian just

(04:59):
really was and confidence. So he was the actual player
that you know I took off the roster for that
pedally kicks shootout the last game. And so I have
a lot of players that would do things that you know,
help help the team win, to sacrifice a little part
of themselves to make sure that the team wins games.

Speaker 4 (05:20):
Well, coach, where do we go from here? At keeper
Andrews signed long term. There's some questions about Fry, what's
your what's your take on that spot? Going into the offseason,
they're working on that.

Speaker 3 (05:29):
Look, there's going to be competition And I had a
conversation with Steph today. You know, I'm going to have
a conversation year ending meetings with Andrew and the rest
of the guys throughout the course of this week, and
Steph knows that it's real competition this year. Andrew certainly
has done enough. He is ready, Dick, he's ready to

(05:49):
be the starter. So we'll we'll have some more talks
and we'll we'll think about it. We'll go into preseason
and look, the goalkeeper is going to start the first
game of the year.

Speaker 2 (06:00):
Well there's a lot more obviously about that match on Saturday,
to talk about the off season, to talk about Brian
Schmetro's with us, And I'm just kind of wondering, because
I want this thing to work for you, man, I
want there to be a reason why you come on
the air with us. Are you feeling better in the
last five.

Speaker 3 (06:14):
Minutes is like therapy.

Speaker 2 (06:18):
Talking to you good? All right? Just you know again,
because we love it. I just want to make sure
it works for you. But you know, not as good
as talking to Riza. But no, it's okay. No, I
can't even get an appointment with her. I mean, she's
scared beyond to even talk to me. But the other
major off season topic is going to be a bit obviously, right,
He's made it pretty clear he's got big career goals,

(06:40):
and who doesn't. Who can blame the guy? How do
you balance wanting that kind of player on your team
versus letting him follow his heart and his dreams overseas?

Speaker 3 (06:49):
Look softy, as if the right deal comes around, the
right club, we're going to let him go. I mean
we have to the kids. You know, you don't want
to have it. And I'm not saying it a bit.
Heart wasn't in this season. It's just he's got some
ambitions and like, we're not going to give him away
for free. I mean, let's be honest about that. I mean,
he can play out his contract and that's that's fine,

(07:12):
that's something his camp can talk about. But you know,
if someone comes to Craig in this offseason and there's
been some you know, some little feelers thrown out there,
and you know, if the deal comes around, we would
move him.

Speaker 2 (07:27):
What's that deal?

Speaker 4 (07:27):
Look like, what's the number?

Speaker 3 (07:30):
Well, I mean, you know we've lost you know, some
some leverage. I mean, there was a ten million dollars
deal with Tigrisk. But now as he comes to the
end of his contract. I mean, there's there's all sorts
of nuances there that Craig has to deal with. Craig
doesn't have an easy job with this one. But he's
a talented player. I mean there's been plenty of players

(07:50):
in our league that have gone for you know, three, four, eight,
ten million dollars to other teams.

Speaker 2 (07:56):
Yeah, how about roth Rock questions about him and his view? Sure,
can we just assume that you want the guy back?

Speaker 3 (08:03):
I want the guy back. I think there's a lot
of fans out there that want him back. But he's
going to test the free agent market. You know, I
had that conversation with him today, and you know, the
club is still in contact with his camp, so it's
not like we've just radio silence. But he wants to
see if there's any takers out there. He's just playing

(08:24):
the game. You know. He wants his agents want a
little more leverage. So we'll see how that ends up.
But I know that i'd like him back, and there's,
like I said, there's plenty of fans that would have
him back in a heartbeat.

Speaker 4 (08:35):
Well, peggybacking off, what Softy just asked, you comfortable bringing
back the entire attacking unit as is or do you
feel like you need to add to the offense.

Speaker 3 (08:44):
Well, we're looking to add pieces, Dick, like, the injury
to Pedro was a blow. You know, that was a
big blow. That's going to take a little bit of time.

Speaker 4 (08:56):
You know.

Speaker 3 (08:56):
Ryan Kent is kind of undecided. You know, his was
a one year deal and there's an option, but we
got to sort through that. You know, there's there's some
holes that we want to fill. Look at Paul Lee's
if he you know, tests free agency and he leaves.
So another attacking piece is you know, in the forefront,
along with making sure we have a backup plan in

(09:18):
case o Bid leaves as well. Yeah.

Speaker 2 (09:20):
Well, Brian Schwetzer again with us, and just coming off
of heartbreaking ten penalty kicks on Saturday night, man and unbelievable.
You're kind of talking off the air that you do
this long enough, you'll see everything. And I'm assuming you
saw that for the first time in your life as
a coach on Saturday night. But looking back on this year,
I mean, I guess most people would call it a success.

(09:43):
Between beating Messi and Miami winning League's Cup, Jordan Morris
becomes the all time top scorer and team history, Club
World Cup, Pedro's goal, greatest goaling club history, finally beating Portland. Here,
do you have a moment? Do you have a game,
a match, a memory, whatever that you think will to
find this season for you men.

Speaker 3 (10:02):
Yeah, I think it has to be the League's Cup victory. Look,
that was a tremendous part of our year. You know,
the team was just in a great run of form.
Everything was coming together. You know, Pedro's goal, you know,
might be up for goal of the Year, like in
the FIFA World's you know, in the world rankings of

(10:23):
goal of the Year. That was really a good time
to be a Sounder fan, and it culminated with sixty
nine seventy thousand people watching us beat Messy. So that
had to be the highlight. But you know what, Softy,
I'm a pragmatic guy, and you look, at the end
of the year, we got to take this one on
the chin. We got to say to the fans that, look,

(10:45):
we didn't live up to our standard that last game
against Minnesota, and we're going to carry that through in
the next season, or at least I am, because I'm
still I'm still kind of passed.

Speaker 2 (10:54):
I was going to say, will to piss you off
the entire offseason? Will this motivate you?

Speaker 3 (10:58):
Yeah, it's for sure to motivate me. And the messages
that players are leaving for the offseasons been the same.
I mean, you know, we got a high standard and yes,
the you know, the league's couples of success, and we
had some good moments there. But you know, this team
we want to go deep into the playoffs. This was
this was too early of an exit, and the way

(11:19):
we exited the playoffs is what should piss them off.

Speaker 2 (11:23):
I love it. Well, listen, man, I know Saturday was tough,
but just think about it this way. Saturday was tough,
but at least you're not working for Merrett Paulson in Portland.

Speaker 3 (11:34):
All right, nice, that is a good one. I love that.

Speaker 2 (11:39):
It can always be worse, man, trust me, Brian, you're
the man, great stuff.

Speaker 3 (11:44):
Hell of a run.

Speaker 2 (11:45):
Sorry it went down the way it did Saturday. Use
it as some gas for next year. Go enjoy yourself
over the offseason and we'll talk sooner.

Speaker 4 (11:52):
Right, Man's coach?

Speaker 3 (11:53):
All right, guys, take care, all right

Speaker 2 (11:55):
Brian Schmetzer with us, we're going to break
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