August 6, 2024 • 10 mins
Brian Schmetzer, Seattle Sounders FC Head Coach, joins Dave Softy Mahler and Jackson Felts to talk about the team’s 3-1 loss to Necaxa on Sunday, advancing to Leagues Cup knockout round and facing the LA Galaxy Thursday, plus health news.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Joining us right now on the radio show coming off
a three to one loss to Nakoxa. Is the next
guest on the show. I just got to stop right,
I say that.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
Sorry. Brian Schmetzer with us on the program. Brian, how
are you man?
Speaker 3 (00:14):
I'm good, softy, real good.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (00:16):
Let's talk about what happened to Nakoxa over the weekend.
Very physical team. Jackson and I were talking off the year.
That's kind of like the Big Ten of soccer in
some ways. They're they're rough, they're tough, they're black and blue.
What'd you make of what you saw watching the film
of that game?
Speaker 3 (00:30):
Well, you know, our Achille shield this year has been
you know, gift in teams goals and you know last
year when we came second in the West, we were
very stingy defensively. But the two goals we gifted Nakoxa
in the first half, I mean, those those things shouldn't
have happened. Now. I will say that their second goal
(00:53):
to counter attack off our corner kick, I mean it
was pretty well executed, but that rarely happens. I mean,
we needed to do better there. We have coaches needed
to maybe get a little more conservative corner kick scheme
out there, because they kept a guy up at midfield
to try and just do that the transition moment. But man,
we gave him two goals and after that they parked
(01:15):
a bus. And yeah, then they were rough and tumble
and tried to kill the spear of the game and
we couldn't. We couldn't get any momentum.
Speaker 4 (01:21):
Going Coach Jackson here, And I'm wondering for you guys
in that first you know, twelve minutes or so, it
looks like Peter de l Vega scores to make it
to nothing and then that gets brought off the board
by a weird VR decision. How much did did that
goal getting taken off the board just kind of take
the entire wind out of the sales from the first
few minutes. Did you feel like that was kind of
(01:42):
the turning point for their end the entire game?
Speaker 3 (01:45):
Well, I asked them this morning in the film session
that very same question, Jackson. That's very stewed of you. Wow,
And you know they all said, nah, we could handle it. No,
we you know, oh it's okay. The rest are terrible.
You know, they had those things. But when you sort
through some of their answers. Yeah, it's kind of a
distraction because everybody wants Dale Vega to be part of
(02:07):
this squad, and he was having a great game. He
scored that goal, the goal gets taken away. Then I
think what happened like nine, ten, twelve minutes later, when
you know, when he tweaked his growing there a little bit,
you know, things just went sideways from there.
Speaker 2 (02:26):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (02:26):
Well, you literally I'm looking at your schedule, and I mean, Jackson,
you guys can confirm or just tell me if I'm
wrong on this. But you got literally three different leagues,
three different competitions that you're taking part in in the
next three weeks. You got a League's Cup game against
LA Galaxy coming up in two days, MLS against Minnesota,
and then a US Open Cup game against LAFC on
(02:48):
the twenty seventh. So how much do you have to
manage the different styles of these competitions?
Speaker 2 (02:53):
What does that matter to you at all?
Speaker 3 (02:55):
Well, it does matter soft either's tactics. I mean, we
knew coming in that, you know, the only way we
would have been bounced out of our of our League's
Cup group was if we lost by four goals. We
knew that wasn't going to happen, So you know, we
could do some things. We could rest some guys, we
could try some different lineups. I wanted to get de
la Vega a good runout out there. Open Cup. It's
(03:18):
one and done, so that one's the big one. The
semi final against LAFC at Starfire, that's going to be intense.
And then yeah, getting back to league play, we gotta
get to go right back after it because we got
Minnesota away, Portland away, and then Columbus away. So three
hard road games to start the league season again.
Speaker 4 (03:40):
Yeah, what a start a month of August is just crazy.
Sati and I were talking about that physicality and just
the way that that last you second half really went
from there in the in how they Nacoxa was playing.
When you look at these Mexican teams and obviously you
faced a bunch in Conca calf A couple of years ago,
do you have to prep for for league? Yeah, and
(04:00):
meck he's cleaning teams differently because of the different style
they play in that league. No, we look, We.
Speaker 3 (04:06):
Talked to him and we showed him film again. He
just said it, there, Jackson, we have this squad has
plenty of experience in Champions League. We should have known better.
We knew that this might happen. They might try and
you know, foul intentionally to slow our attacks down. You
know when the substitutions came. I mean they were just
(04:28):
walking the other direction before the referee corralled them in.
Their goalkeeper went down with an injury. He wasn't injured,
and we were used to all that sort of stuff.
It's just we couldn't, you know, we couldn't come back
from the from the deficit of two goals and then
they scored the goal there at the end.
Speaker 2 (04:45):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
Well, Brian spetchers with us, and let's go back to
the game against Nakaksa. Uh Pedro de la Vega thirty
third minute or so looked like a groin prob.
Speaker 2 (04:53):
What's going on with him?
Speaker 3 (04:54):
Yeah, he'd be out a couple of weeks. It's not
as bad as we suspected, you know at the MRI yesterday,
and probably a two week injury one of the smaller
muscles in his aduct He should be fine.
Speaker 4 (05:07):
And Brian rolleroid, as you mentioned last week, it was
looking like a couple of weeks. Is that still the
same timetable for him being not available, then I assume
for a Galaxy on Thursday.
Speaker 3 (05:17):
No, not for Thursday, but I'd love to have roll
back for you know, Minnesota and then the Open Cup
game against LFC that that would be ideal.
Speaker 1 (05:25):
And then how about Joe Polow at the end there
looked like he was getting checked for a concussion.
Speaker 2 (05:30):
What's what's going on there?
Speaker 3 (05:32):
I don't end the guys that get hit in the
face with a soccer ball when it's coming at him
at sixty miles an hour not pleasant, But that's the
good news, softy. The doctors decided or not decided, but
he's not in concussion protocol and that's a good thing.
Speaker 2 (05:49):
And Brian yes to go ahead, go ahead, drop it.
Speaker 4 (05:51):
So I'm wondering, then, with all of these injuries, does
it then allow you to then give opportunities so like
got Paul Rothrock for example, right, a kid who's you know,
come on off the bench so many times in ruins.
Does it give you the opportunity to reward it guys
like him and maybe a Tensio coming back for the
Olympics and fit in more of that time you have
to kind of less rewarding and more just kind of
(06:13):
put the best team because it's a knockout run game.
How do you function with the starting lineup with factoring
in a bunch of injuries.
Speaker 3 (06:20):
We are gonna look, we're gonna put out our you know,
for this game against the Galaxy, our best lineup. Walk
Rocks in that discussion, there's a little hint for you, Josh,
I'll probably use off the bench. You know, he had
a really good experience there with the Olympics. Uh So
those guys are available to play, and we'll get the
(06:40):
guys ready.
Speaker 2 (06:41):
Okay, Well, Brian Schmetcher is with us for a few
more minutes.
Speaker 1 (06:44):
You mentioned the Galaxy on Thursday, and obviously they have
an incredible attack, right, so let's talk about kind of
what's important Thursday night and slowing those guys down.
Speaker 3 (06:52):
Well, Ricky Pugue is a really talented, talented player, good
passer of the ball. But I always like to say, Softy,
you cut the head off the snake and you can
get things in your favor. So we're going to try
and shut him down. And then, of course defensively, that's
where they struggle a little bit because some of their
attacking guys the guys that like to score goals don't
(07:14):
defend as much, So we'll try and use that against
him at home.
Speaker 4 (07:17):
It's funny you use the term head off the snake.
I feel like this is a team that almost has
like three heads with you know, with Joseph paint Sill
and then you also have Gabriell pet I mean, this
is a Galaxy team that has like three guys who
have roughly ten goals in tennis sists, which is an
impressive MLS number. I'm there's a lot of heads you
got to cut off here.
Speaker 3 (07:37):
Well, look, Peck and paint Sill, a lot of their
goals come from Rooky Pughue. I mean the goal that
the Galaxy scored, the second goal where Peugh just on
a dime gets the ball in the pack at the
back post. I mean, he's the guy. He's the guy.
Speaker 1 (07:57):
Hey, before you go, I saw another coach, as uh
Mataazo has turned down the US men's national team, like
the third or fourth person to say no to that job.
What do you make of what's going on there? Where
their search for a new head coach? And have they
called you yet?
Speaker 3 (08:11):
Well, they haven't called me yet. I would take the
call for sure, but I don't know why people wouldn't
want that job. I mean, for God's sakes, it's a
national team where it's going to be the World Cup
and home country. I mean that's a pretty plus job
if you ask me.
Speaker 4 (08:28):
Yeah, yeah, I have a theory why. But some of them,
what's the I think that the expert. Listen, we had
a guy, JT. Bats and the CEO of US Soccer,
who was at your house in Long Acres a few
months ago, and I asked him about the rehiring of
Greg Burholter so many months ago or whatever last year,
and he very much alluded to coaches being, you know,
(08:51):
hearing the expectations of the US job and then saying, no,
it's not exactly for me. I think this is about
the Federation and the leadership of the FED and Matt
Crocker and the people who make the higher having wildly
excessive expectations that prospective coaches look at and say, actually,
I really am not interested in all of that.
Speaker 3 (09:12):
Well, then maybe they need an older coach who's coming
to the end of his career for one last hurrah.
Death won't matter.
Speaker 2 (09:21):
Well, I mean, but what, but what should the expectations
be to win, Sidy win.
Speaker 1 (09:27):
So Jackson's telling me that somebody thinks the expectations are
too high.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
I think.
Speaker 4 (09:31):
I think the expectations that are off the field stuff.
I think I think the I don't know what Crocker
is putting out, the guy who's setting these expectations, but
whatever is involved with that is clearly catching people off
guard because just the words from J. T. Batson, it
certainly seems like it's it's coming down from the Federation
that's turning people away.
Speaker 2 (09:51):
Gotcha.
Speaker 1 (09:51):
Well, Brian, if you're talking about an old guy in
his last leg, that doesn't sound like you.
Speaker 3 (09:58):
I'm with you, Safie. I mean, just got to come
in here with confidence. They know they're a good coach,
they can do a good job.
Speaker 2 (10:04):
They want to win.
Speaker 3 (10:04):
I mean, that's that's bottom line.
Speaker 2 (10:06):
No doubt.
Speaker 1 (10:07):
All right, man, Hey, good luck against the Galaxy and
we'll talk in a week.
Speaker 3 (10:10):
Coach.
Speaker 2 (10:10):
Appreciate this pal, all right, take care, guys. I love it.
Do we just do like a little mini talk show
there with Brian Schmetzer on the air. That was tremendous, man,
that was great getting his thoughts and all that stuff.
I mean, who knows. Maybe they'll call him, maybe they won't.
Speaker 1 (10:21):
I mean, they're they're going after some pretty big international
fish right now, there's no question about that.
Speaker 4 (10:25):
Which you're all turning down the job.
Speaker 2 (10:27):
They might have to eventually.
Speaker 1 (10:28):
Well, I mean, honestly, is that ridiculous that he could
get that call?
Speaker 2 (10:33):
No?
Speaker 4 (10:33):
No, not not ridiculous at all, based on based on
his career, what he's doing with teams. I don't I
don't know if Brian is the best guy for the job.
I think they need a really really intense tactician who
as a high level you know, a guy like from
a guy with a European But I think if you
keep getting turned down from those guys, you just got
to get the guy with the best vibes. Who could
you know, get the guys to play their best. And
(10:55):
Brian has gotten guys to play their best for years
Joining us right now on the radio show coming off
a three to one loss to Nakoxa. Is the next
guest on the show. I just got to stop right,
I say that.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
Sorry. Brian Schmetzer with us on the program. Brian, how
are you man?
Speaker 3 (00:14):
I'm good, softy, real good.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (00:16):
Let's talk about what happened to Nakoxa over the weekend.
Very physical team. Jackson and I were talking off the year.
That's kind of like the Big Ten of soccer in
some ways. They're they're rough, they're tough, they're black and blue.
What'd you make of what you saw watching the film
of that game?
Speaker 3 (00:30):
Well, you know, our Achille shield this year has been
you know, gift in teams goals and you know last
year when we came second in the West, we were
very stingy defensively. But the two goals we gifted Nakoxa
in the first half, I mean, those those things shouldn't
have happened. Now. I will say that their second goal
(00:53):
to counter attack off our corner kick, I mean it
was pretty well executed, but that rarely happens. I mean,
we needed to do better there. We have coaches needed
to maybe get a little more conservative corner kick scheme
out there, because they kept a guy up at midfield
to try and just do that the transition moment. But man,
we gave him two goals and after that they parked
(01:15):
a bus. And yeah, then they were rough and tumble
and tried to kill the spear of the game and
we couldn't. We couldn't get any momentum.
Speaker 4 (01:21):
Going Coach Jackson here, And I'm wondering for you guys
in that first you know, twelve minutes or so, it
looks like Peter de l Vega scores to make it
to nothing and then that gets brought off the board
by a weird VR decision. How much did did that
goal getting taken off the board just kind of take
the entire wind out of the sales from the first
few minutes. Did you feel like that was kind of
(01:42):
the turning point for their end the entire game?
Speaker 3 (01:45):
Well, I asked them this morning in the film session
that very same question, Jackson. That's very stewed of you. Wow,
And you know they all said, nah, we could handle it. No,
we you know, oh it's okay. The rest are terrible.
You know, they had those things. But when you sort
through some of their answers. Yeah, it's kind of a
distraction because everybody wants Dale Vega to be part of
(02:07):
this squad, and he was having a great game. He
scored that goal, the goal gets taken away. Then I
think what happened like nine, ten, twelve minutes later, when
you know, when he tweaked his growing there a little bit,
you know, things just went sideways from there.
Speaker 2 (02:26):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (02:26):
Well, you literally I'm looking at your schedule, and I mean, Jackson,
you guys can confirm or just tell me if I'm
wrong on this. But you got literally three different leagues,
three different competitions that you're taking part in in the
next three weeks. You got a League's Cup game against
LA Galaxy coming up in two days, MLS against Minnesota,
and then a US Open Cup game against LAFC on
(02:48):
the twenty seventh. So how much do you have to
manage the different styles of these competitions?
Speaker 2 (02:53):
What does that matter to you at all?
Speaker 3 (02:55):
Well, it does matter soft either's tactics. I mean, we
knew coming in that, you know, the only way we
would have been bounced out of our of our League's
Cup group was if we lost by four goals. We
knew that wasn't going to happen, So you know, we
could do some things. We could rest some guys, we
could try some different lineups. I wanted to get de
la Vega a good runout out there. Open Cup. It's
(03:18):
one and done, so that one's the big one. The
semi final against LAFC at Starfire, that's going to be intense.
And then yeah, getting back to league play, we gotta
get to go right back after it because we got
Minnesota away, Portland away, and then Columbus away. So three
hard road games to start the league season again.
Speaker 4 (03:40):
Yeah, what a start a month of August is just crazy.
Sati and I were talking about that physicality and just
the way that that last you second half really went
from there in the in how they Nacoxa was playing.
When you look at these Mexican teams and obviously you
faced a bunch in Conca calf A couple of years ago,
do you have to prep for for league? Yeah, and
(04:00):
meck he's cleaning teams differently because of the different style
they play in that league. No, we look, We.
Speaker 3 (04:06):
Talked to him and we showed him film again. He
just said it, there, Jackson, we have this squad has
plenty of experience in Champions League. We should have known better.
We knew that this might happen. They might try and
you know, foul intentionally to slow our attacks down. You
know when the substitutions came. I mean they were just
(04:28):
walking the other direction before the referee corralled them in.
Their goalkeeper went down with an injury. He wasn't injured,
and we were used to all that sort of stuff.
It's just we couldn't, you know, we couldn't come back
from the from the deficit of two goals and then
they scored the goal there at the end.
Speaker 2 (04:45):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
Well, Brian spetchers with us, and let's go back to
the game against Nakaksa. Uh Pedro de la Vega thirty
third minute or so looked like a groin prob.
Speaker 2 (04:53):
What's going on with him?
Speaker 3 (04:54):
Yeah, he'd be out a couple of weeks. It's not
as bad as we suspected, you know at the MRI yesterday,
and probably a two week injury one of the smaller
muscles in his aduct He should be fine.
Speaker 4 (05:07):
And Brian rolleroid, as you mentioned last week, it was
looking like a couple of weeks. Is that still the
same timetable for him being not available, then I assume
for a Galaxy on Thursday.
Speaker 3 (05:17):
No, not for Thursday, but I'd love to have roll
back for you know, Minnesota and then the Open Cup
game against LFC that that would be ideal.
Speaker 1 (05:25):
And then how about Joe Polow at the end there
looked like he was getting checked for a concussion.
Speaker 2 (05:30):
What's what's going on there?
Speaker 3 (05:32):
I don't end the guys that get hit in the
face with a soccer ball when it's coming at him
at sixty miles an hour not pleasant, But that's the
good news, softy. The doctors decided or not decided, but
he's not in concussion protocol and that's a good thing.
Speaker 2 (05:49):
And Brian yes to go ahead, go ahead, drop it.
Speaker 4 (05:51):
So I'm wondering, then, with all of these injuries, does
it then allow you to then give opportunities so like
got Paul Rothrock for example, right, a kid who's you know,
come on off the bench so many times in ruins.
Does it give you the opportunity to reward it guys
like him and maybe a Tensio coming back for the
Olympics and fit in more of that time you have
to kind of less rewarding and more just kind of
(06:13):
put the best team because it's a knockout run game.
How do you function with the starting lineup with factoring
in a bunch of injuries.
Speaker 3 (06:20):
We are gonna look, we're gonna put out our you know,
for this game against the Galaxy, our best lineup. Walk
Rocks in that discussion, there's a little hint for you, Josh,
I'll probably use off the bench. You know, he had
a really good experience there with the Olympics. Uh So
those guys are available to play, and we'll get the
(06:40):
guys ready.
Speaker 2 (06:41):
Okay, Well, Brian Schmetcher is with us for a few
more minutes.
Speaker 1 (06:44):
You mentioned the Galaxy on Thursday, and obviously they have
an incredible attack, right, so let's talk about kind of
what's important Thursday night and slowing those guys down.
Speaker 3 (06:52):
Well, Ricky Pugue is a really talented, talented player, good
passer of the ball. But I always like to say, Softy,
you cut the head off the snake and you can
get things in your favor. So we're going to try
and shut him down. And then, of course defensively, that's
where they struggle a little bit because some of their
attacking guys the guys that like to score goals don't
(07:14):
defend as much, So we'll try and use that against
him at home.
Speaker 4 (07:17):
It's funny you use the term head off the snake.
I feel like this is a team that almost has
like three heads with you know, with Joseph paint Sill
and then you also have Gabriell pet I mean, this
is a Galaxy team that has like three guys who
have roughly ten goals in tennis sists, which is an
impressive MLS number. I'm there's a lot of heads you
got to cut off here.
Speaker 3 (07:37):
Well, look, Peck and paint Sill, a lot of their
goals come from Rooky Pughue. I mean the goal that
the Galaxy scored, the second goal where Peugh just on
a dime gets the ball in the pack at the
back post. I mean, he's the guy. He's the guy.
Speaker 1 (07:57):
Hey, before you go, I saw another coach, as uh
Mataazo has turned down the US men's national team, like
the third or fourth person to say no to that job.
What do you make of what's going on there? Where
their search for a new head coach? And have they
called you yet?
Speaker 3 (08:11):
Well, they haven't called me yet. I would take the
call for sure, but I don't know why people wouldn't
want that job. I mean, for God's sakes, it's a
national team where it's going to be the World Cup
and home country. I mean that's a pretty plus job
if you ask me.
Speaker 4 (08:28):
Yeah, yeah, I have a theory why. But some of them,
what's the I think that the expert. Listen, we had
a guy, JT. Bats and the CEO of US Soccer,
who was at your house in Long Acres a few
months ago, and I asked him about the rehiring of
Greg Burholter so many months ago or whatever last year,
and he very much alluded to coaches being, you know,
(08:51):
hearing the expectations of the US job and then saying, no,
it's not exactly for me. I think this is about
the Federation and the leadership of the FED and Matt
Crocker and the people who make the higher having wildly
excessive expectations that prospective coaches look at and say, actually,
I really am not interested in all of that.
Speaker 3 (09:12):
Well, then maybe they need an older coach who's coming
to the end of his career for one last hurrah.
Death won't matter.
Speaker 2 (09:21):
Well, I mean, but what, but what should the expectations
be to win, Sidy win.
Speaker 1 (09:27):
So Jackson's telling me that somebody thinks the expectations are
too high.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
I think.
Speaker 4 (09:31):
I think the expectations that are off the field stuff.
I think I think the I don't know what Crocker
is putting out, the guy who's setting these expectations, but
whatever is involved with that is clearly catching people off
guard because just the words from J. T. Batson, it
certainly seems like it's it's coming down from the Federation
that's turning people away.
Speaker 2 (09:51):
Gotcha.
Speaker 1 (09:51):
Well, Brian, if you're talking about an old guy in
his last leg, that doesn't sound like you.
Speaker 3 (09:58):
I'm with you, Safie. I mean, just got to come
in here with confidence. They know they're a good coach,
they can do a good job.
Speaker 2 (10:04):
They want to win.
Speaker 3 (10:04):
I mean, that's that's bottom line.
Speaker 2 (10:06):
No doubt.
Speaker 1 (10:07):
All right, man, Hey, good luck against the Galaxy and
we'll talk in a week.
Speaker 3 (10:10):
Coach.
Speaker 2 (10:10):
Appreciate this pal, all right, take care, guys. I love it.
Do we just do like a little mini talk show
there with Brian Schmetzer on the air. That was tremendous, man,
that was great getting his thoughts and all that stuff.
I mean, who knows. Maybe they'll call him, maybe they won't.
Speaker 1 (10:21):
I mean, they're they're going after some pretty big international
fish right now, there's no question about that.
Speaker 4 (10:25):
Which you're all turning down the job.
Speaker 2 (10:27):
They might have to eventually.
Speaker 1 (10:28):
Well, I mean, honestly, is that ridiculous that he could
get that call?
Speaker 2 (10:33):
No?
Speaker 4 (10:33):
No, not not ridiculous at all, based on based on
his career, what he's doing with teams. I don't I
don't know if Brian is the best guy for the job.
I think they need a really really intense tactician who
as a high level you know, a guy like from
a guy with a European But I think if you
keep getting turned down from those guys, you just got
to get the guy with the best vibes. Who could
you know, get the guys to play their best. And
(10:55):
Brian has gotten guys to play their best for years
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