Sounders Weekly 11-12: Season Ending Expert Roundtable (+ Extra Time!)

Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Coming to you live from Orelliot Avenue Studios of Sports
Radio ninety three point three KJRFM. This is Sounders Weekly
with your host Jackson Felds.

Speaker 2 (00:11):
Good evening, everybody, and welcome into the season finale of
Sounders Weekly. Jackson Felds Here for the next hour here
Sports Radio ninety three point three KJRFM. We'll have this
season ending edition of Rain Weekly coming up in a
one hour with Kiley Dunning.

Speaker 3 (00:28):
But for the next hour.

Speaker 2 (00:29):
It is myself and you can probably hear a little
echo right now because we have five mics on here
in the studio here at KJR ninety three point three FM,
five mics for a special season ending roundtable. First to
my left, he's been on all season. We just had
a whole bunch of taco time and I am happy

(00:49):
to pay off Ari the ten dollars that I spent
on your meal for the thousand visits you've been on
the entire year. Ari Lillianwall writer editor for mls ugger
dot com. He also hosts the podcast Lobbing Scorches. We
have him here from KGr. You all know him, you
all love him. Anders Hurst. We have Already's partner with
the Lobbing Scorches podcast, Noah Rife here as well, and

(01:13):
from Sportspolso and Sounder Hart Nico Moreno himself, all of
us here in person for a Sounders season ending roundtable.

Speaker 3 (01:24):
I don't really know.

Speaker 2 (01:25):
Where to start because for me, for the last number
of days it's been just heartbreak since you know, the
game ended in penalty kicks. If you're if you're just
joining us and you just are you know, getting caught up.
The Sounder season has ended in the first round of
the MLS Cup playoffs. It is a three to three
draw after ninety minutes. Then in penalty shootout went ten rounds.

(01:49):
You never see penalty shootouts go ten rounds. This time
it did. Minnesota's keeper goalkeeper steps up, hits his penalty kick.
Our goalkeeper steps up, does not. He goes off the bar,
and the Sounders have lost in penalty kicks there in
the first round of the playoffs. In game three. Their
season is over. We are here to talk about it, okay, Ari,

(02:10):
I'll start with you, then we'll go Anders, Noah Nico
will just go around the room. As we're all seated
right now. I think the first thing, well, and listen
this is a show that's gonna go to eight pm.
We're gonna be on here for an hour. If we
go more than an hour, we're gonna bump over to
a recording studio and finish the conversation. Put it up
on the Sounders Weekly podcast page. But we'll start right now,

(02:31):
Ari with I think just where your head is at
a few days after that game has ended, and all
of the emotions and feelings where they sit right now,
because I've been on about a kick of seven different
emotional scales over the last you know, a half week.

Speaker 3 (02:48):
Where are you at right now?

Speaker 4 (02:50):
Yeah, Jackson, you know, I think it is a two
things can be true at the same time type situation.
One thing is for sure, the way that season ended sucked.
That was a brutal way to end the twenty twenty
five season. And it's not just that they got knocked
out of the playoffs. I think it was the manner
in which it happened that made it so brutal. I mean,

(03:12):
you have a decisive game where you go up two
goals in the first ten minutes of the game, then
get the added advantage of having a red card in
the first half, and you still find a way to
lose the game in penalties, playing that long up a man,
and then what happened in the shootout itself was obviously
you know, it was dramatic, it was exciting for Neutrals,
but it was a brutal way for the season to end.

(03:34):
And also, you know, this club has a history of long, deep,
lengthy runs in the playoffs, and it feels just like
a premature ending as well. But I think when you
step back and you look at the season as a whole,
it is also true that there's a lot.

Speaker 3 (03:49):
Of good stuff to take away from this season. A
lot of great footy was played.

Speaker 4 (03:53):
We all wanted to see this offense get better this
year after last season, and they certainly did that.

Speaker 3 (03:59):
I added it up.

Speaker 4 (03:59):
This scored eighty seven goals all competitions this year, so
you can't really ask for much more production production offensively
than that. I thought the footy they were playing was
esthetically pleasing as well, so there's stuff to fine tune
in correct over the offseason. You want to see them
get better defensively. I think that was the biggest issue

(04:20):
this season all year, the blown leads and the kind
of undisciplined moments. The red cards. You want to see
that stuff get cleaned up. You want to see them
take steps with the roster to improve on all that stuff.
But as for where they're at holistically going forward, you
just won a League's Cup in one of the most
epic games in Sounders history. You took down the goat
Lionel Messi. Those are moments that are priceless. That's the

(04:41):
type of stuff that you know, that's why we do it,
and they gave.

Speaker 3 (04:43):
Us that this year. So I think both of those
things are true in this case.

Speaker 5 (04:47):
Yeah, I think you said it right there. Ari.

Speaker 6 (04:50):
It's not all losses are created equal, especially when it
ends your season, but when you give up two shorthanded
goals in a winner take all game and then losing
penalty kicks shoot out, it's gonna sting a little bit
more than just a regular loss. And to me, after
taking a couple steps back after the dramatic ending to
this season, I'm starting to think I don't know if

(05:13):
there's a sense of urgency within the club in terms
of just like, we have to figure out a way
to get another cup, another MLS Cup, because it's a
it's another year older with this roster I'm starting to
think that we're nearing the end of this opening, this
championship opening a little bit. We can kind of get
into that a little bit more throughout this episode here.

(05:36):
I'm curious what steps are gonna make to kind of
extend that window maybe a little bit. But you have
an injury to one of your best players in Pedro
de la Vega. It's you have your captain. There's a
lot of questions about his future. Stephan Frog six months. Yes,
So it just there's a lot of question marks. While
it was a successful season overall, I don't think anyone

(05:58):
would argue that there are a lot of question marks
for Seattle going into twenty twenty six.

Speaker 7 (06:03):
I mean, I am sitting here looking at our trophy
case and I'm not too pressed for another MLS Cup.
I watched us win the best Sounders game that I
have ever watched in my entire life, embarrassing Lionel Messi
to the point where him and his elderly friends crashed out,
threw punches, were spitting. I mean, this is what soccer

(06:25):
is about. It's about moments, it's about having fun, it's
about enjoying, it's about bringing home trophies. The Sounders this year.
That's what they did. They filled up their trophy case
with the trophy that they went into the season. I
don't think expecting to win. I guess they would. Brian
would say, we expect to win every trophy, but I
didn't expect them to win League's Cup. This season brought
that home super entertaining. And back to the last game specifically,

(06:49):
I think Brian did say it best when it was
a gut punch man. It was one of the most
brutal games that I have ever watched, just simply because
the narrative found it all Andrew Thomas coming in, becoming
a hero, popping his finger out, popping it back in,
making two more saves. He was destined to be the

(07:10):
hero man and it just like it didn't happen. So
on one hand, I'm zooming out much like anders and
I'm saying, this was a great season. I had so
much fun, but I wanted it so bad. I needed
it so.

Speaker 3 (07:22):
That team could have done more.

Speaker 2 (07:23):
I think Nico and I think there is I agree
with all you guys that there's the two minds about it.
Of man, that was a great season. It was so
much fun, but God, there was more meat on the
bone for this team.

Speaker 8 (07:35):
Yeah, I think that's the most difficult part. And first
of all, thank you for having all of us. The
kids are coming out of pocket getting some of the
best media here for the sounders.

Speaker 9 (07:43):
Man, I'm just at allat hear clear. No, the reality
is that, look, this was the rollercoaster of a game.

Speaker 8 (07:56):
It does put this damper and this cloud over the
top of a season that had so many good things.
And that's why what the way our started it, and
you know the way you guys have added on to that.
I like to think that I'm the voice of reason
and calmness because so many people and rightfully so right

(08:17):
I love the passionate fan that's like, this is not
good enough, we need to do better, but they just
want to blow it up, blow it up, get rid
of everybody, get rid of Jordan, and get rid of everybody.
And I think that there needs to be a voice
of clarity that says, look, yes, it was a gut
punch of a game. Call it embarrassing. If you want
a choke job, I call it disappointing. Mainly that game,

(08:39):
the way that it happened, with you know, one extra
man on the field up to goals against, you know,
scoring seven goals on the best defensive team in the league,
with the best goalkeeper in the league, and you still
can't manage to get out of that series.

Speaker 9 (08:55):
It's tough, right, It's it's difficult to hear, but we.

Speaker 8 (08:59):
Cannot forget that this team, like you guys have already said,
they didn't just get a trophy. But more importantly for me,
I think they have a core group of players. Andrew
Thomas is clearly the guy that's gonna take the torch.
He is the goalkeeper of the future. You gotta hate Sustira.
That for me was unbelievable all season long, so versatile,
so cerebral. He's a guy that you knew was gonna

(09:20):
be here for a while, and that should make fans
feel good. Jordan Morris, regardless of what you might think
of him, he is a guy that I think is
gonna be with this team. He's going to continue to perform.
Albert Russna I thought he had a good season. I
thought that he got him the scoreboard in this one.
I just think that there's a core group of players
that should make every fan here in Shadow feel like
there is a baseline and can they get better? Absolutely,

(09:43):
you're gonna go to the offseason add some talent, But
I think that this is a good group.

Speaker 2 (09:47):
You're listening to the season ending Sounders Weekly Roundtable. That's
the voice of Nico Moreno's sports Polso Sounder at Hearts
will go in opposite order. Noah Riefe, who hosts the
podcast Lobbing Scorches. Were also have Ari Llionan, who does
Loving Scorches and who does MLS Soccer dot Com writer
and editor there anders Hurst Jackson Feltz here from kjar
as we wrap up the Sounder season. It's funny, I

(10:09):
don't really have a roadmap for this hour. I didn't
plan this out. I thought, really the conversation we would
just naturally take it the directions were going.

Speaker 3 (10:19):
I was planning later in.

Speaker 2 (10:21):
The show to talk about where this team sits at
right now going into twenty twenty six, the changes that
are needed, the changes that may be needed, that they're coming.
I guess on the note, since we've all kind of
hinted it various parts of it, we can kind of
just jump in and jump back around. Maybe we eventually
continue to talk about the Minnesota game. I have no
interest in talking about it at this moment. I also

(10:43):
love no Is you as you definitely put up the
air quotes to goalkeeperigh Or Dane Saint Clair.

Speaker 7 (10:48):
Yeah, he wasn't that good. He wasn't he wasn't that good.

Speaker 3 (10:52):
Wasn't it good?

Speaker 7 (10:52):
We should also talk about the format because the Sounders
should be rightfully frustrated with the fact that this best
of three series where they get two draws and a win,
they beat the other team on gold differential, and they
don't move on. I don't know what to tell you
about that. Major League Soccer has gone full cash grab.
They've gone, They've sold out, and they've sold out the quality.

(11:15):
You really think Minnesota is going to win anything this season?
You think they're gonna go play Sandy like, I'm sorry.
I made this bet on our stream and I'll say
it here to your KJR listeners. If the Loons win
MLS Cup, I will get a Loons tattoo. It's not
happy on your ass anywhere anywhere.

Speaker 3 (11:32):
Hold him to that.

Speaker 7 (11:33):
I will, I will record, and I am so and
I'm so serious. It's it is not rewarding the better teams,
because I don't think any of us sitting here can
say that the Sounders were not a better team than
the lose anybody disagree with that? No, no, yeah, I
think we're all on the same page there.

Speaker 2 (11:46):
All right, Let's talk about, then, where the Sounders roster
is at, because it probably starts with the conversation about
Andrew Thomas. Because Andrew Thomas steps in for penalty kicks.
I told you and Jeremioshan, Nico and will kind of
go opposite direction now, Nico, Noah Andersari, I told you
no chance. Brian makes the move to go to Andrew

(12:07):
Thomas for penalties. He does it shocking, and Thomas is
amazing in penalties.

Speaker 3 (12:11):
What do you know?

Speaker 2 (12:12):
He just can't hit it. He's off the bar at
the end. Oh well, but at the end of the day,
his job to save penalties and ultimately keep Minnesota to
seven out of ten pretty damn good. Now, the question
is we can start with the goalkeeper's position. We can
talk about the rest of the team, and that includes
potential moves including obed Varius, but we'll start with goalkeeper.

Speaker 3 (12:32):
Stephen Fry is a massive question mark.

Speaker 2 (12:35):
I got emotional on the postgame show on Saturday when
I was thinking about was that really, the last time
we saw him in Rave Green was being subbed off
so that his backup can come on for PKS.

Speaker 3 (12:46):
Is that the last time?

Speaker 2 (12:47):
That's a hard thing to swallow as a fan, and
it might be the reality coming with the change in
how Andrew Thomas looks like he's ready.

Speaker 8 (12:58):
Look, I don't think that that the last time we'll
see Stephen Fryer. I think that he's going to be
the backup goalkeeper of the future for this team. He
has said it repeatedly that he's more than happy to
cheer on a guy like Andrew Thomas. If your listeners
might not know this, but Stephen Fry's literally the most
interesting man in the world. I mean the guy he

(13:19):
is just so well rounded. He is so intellectual that
you know he's made of Seattle or the island that
he lives at, Bambergs Island, his home and the community,
the art aspect of what he does individually. He wants
to be in the Pacific Northwest. He wants to be here.
He wants to continue built what has been the most

(13:42):
successful MLS team over the last decade. When he comes
to all the different trophies that he has helped gathered
over that amount of time. So because of that, I
think that we're going to continue to see Stephen Fry
be a guy that might not only be a backup,
but at some point might be a coach. He might
be the next time ducha for a we know, but
to me, there is no doubt in my mind that

(14:04):
he'll continue to be here. He's going to be a
phenomenal example and a guy this is gonna be ready
just in case he needs to be in the bench.

Speaker 3 (14:11):
And leading the back line.

Speaker 2 (14:12):
Noah, if is Andrew Thomas with Fry, it's awesome. If
if Fry, you know, can can set aside the pride
of all players, and every every athlete on planet Earth
has an element of ego, and pride is just the fact.
And if you can set that aside and say I'm
willing to be a backup, that's incredible. And Fry would
just be the most beloved player here, maybe of all time.

Speaker 3 (14:31):
If he's able to do that.

Speaker 2 (14:32):
And Andrew, your turn go and support him, and you know,
I know you can talk about that. But also as
we kind of move ahead into the midfield, it's a midfield.
We have Christian who's now locked down his spot the
question mark of Obed Vargas. You have Albert Hayesuss, Paul
Rothrock and Pedro. Seems like the three up there are
are pretty set in stone. It's just kind of the

(14:55):
question of if if Obed's here, Yeah, I on the
on the Andrew Thomas no. I I think the hard
part is going to be are we willing to allow
Andrew Thomas to take that spot?

Speaker 7 (15:06):
Right? I think we can all sit here and say, yeah,
I would put him in, but it's Stephan fri Man.
It's hard. We know that that Schmidtz is incredibly dedicated
to his veterans, for better or for worse. I think
that often that's better. But the reality is is, like
any player with his pedigree, you gotta take that position
away from him. That's hard. That's hard. He's gonna fight

(15:29):
through preseason to maintain his spot. Andrew Thomas is gonna
come in and fight through preseason. I think it's gonna
be a dog fight. I really don't know who's going
to be the starting goalkeeper for the Sounders next year.
If you're asking me who I hope it is, I
hope it's Andrew Thomas. I think we need that. I
was asking after League's Cup to put Andrew Thomas in,
allow him to have some run in this postseason and

(15:50):
all of that to lead up to the start of
next season, get in and go. But I guess we'll
just have to wait and see and that's that and
moving forward for Obed, I mean, who knows he could
he could be gone on a ten million dollar transfer fee,
or he could be here if there's not enough offers.
I don't have the best insight into that. The guy
sending to my left probably knows a lot more about that,

(16:11):
which we can get to as we continue.

Speaker 2 (16:14):
Yeah, let's let's I think we're right. Let's let me
stay out. I shouldn't direct us anyway. Let's stay on
the goalkeepers anders for you and then Ari, what do
you do if if you're the team and Stephen Fry
is or is not willing to take a backup role.

Speaker 6 (16:26):
Yeah, And I'm just going to speculate here because I
think almost everyone in this room has a little bit
more at least of a personal relationship with the players
more than I do, at least have the ability to
kind of see what the dynamic is within that team.
But just from the outside looking in, it seems like
Stephen Fry is one of those players that can realize

(16:47):
that when he is no longer the best option to
make the team win, he will set aside that you know,
need to play and.

Speaker 3 (16:55):
He and he is, to be fair, he said that
exact line in press.

Speaker 6 (16:58):
Conference, So when he realizes, and I think it's starting
to get to that point from my analysts point of view,
that Andrew Thomas is the better goalkeeper right now and
should be moving forward. So and that doesn't mean that
Stephan Fry won't have a rule. I think Nico put
it out perfectly. You could still be a cup goalkeeper.
They're still going to play in multiple competitions. It's not

(17:20):
like you're going to be right in the bench the
entire time. You're still going to play games and be
a part of this group train every day. And I
totally didn't even think about like the coaching aspect of things,
cause I think that's a perfect guy that you want
to keep inside of this group and just have to
be a sounding board with young players, whether it is

(17:41):
goalkeepers or even position players as well. So I think
it seems like a pretty simple transition to me and
from the club's perspective. That is only if Stephen Fry
is that type of player that I kind of suspect
that he is, that he can put that aside and
realize it is best for this team moving forward.

Speaker 4 (18:02):
Yeah, I think the ideal scenario is that next year
Andrew Thomas takes over as the one, and you keep
Stephan Fry around for for next year or however long
that guy wants to play for this team. Honestly, as
far as I'm concerned, he can play for however long
he wants. But I do think Andrew Thomas taking over
as the one is something that needs to happen. I mean,

(18:23):
didn't it didn't that League's Cup PK shootout that Andrew
Thomas won. Didn't That didn't that feel kind of like
a torch passing moment?

Speaker 5 (18:29):
Should? It was?

Speaker 4 (18:31):
It was a it was a kind of symbolic type performance.

Speaker 2 (18:35):
For though I think I think the torch passing moment
was what we just watched.

Speaker 8 (18:39):
I think it was too soon at the moment. I
think that you give him his new credit. You you
let him get to where he did. But to everybody's
point already, and I want to I want to finish,
but Stephen fry has already told us that there were
times this season where he didn't know if his body
could do it, that there was so much pain, he

(18:59):
was with so many things that it was he had
his doubt.

Speaker 9 (19:03):
So I do think that he's ready to passive torch.

Speaker 4 (19:06):
It's one of the tougher coaching dilemmas I've seen Schmetz
have to deal with how to handle the whole goalkeeping
situation this year. I mean, you have a player in
Stephan Frye who, as we've talked about, is a club
legend in every sense of the word MLS Cup MVP,
has been a focal point of so much, winning so
many trophies, and is also a team captain. Like you know,

(19:27):
we talk so much about the technical aspects of goalkeeping,
the shots stopping, the crazy saves that these guys make.
But I think when Stephan fry did resume his starting role,
you saw the other stuff that he brings to the
table in terms of leadership on the field, communication with
the back line, keeping everybody organized. He plays an integral
role in all of that, and that's all stuff that
Andrew Thomas is still going to have to develop. But

(19:51):
I do think that next year has to be the
year where Andrew Thomas takes over as the one. And
I'm excited for that because I think that having a
PK specialist like that who that's something that he's elite at.
I mean, Andrew Thomas has won seven of nine shootouts
in his pro career. I want to say, even after
losing the Minnesota one, which he really should not have lost,

(20:12):
he is he is very elite at them. We saw
this in Open Cup, we saw it in League's Cup.
That gives you such an advantage in in tournament soccer.
We saw how the Loons used that with Dan Saint Clair.
I think we're fair to question his goalkeeper of the
year credentials. Seattle puts seven goals by him in this series.
He is good at penalties. He's more good at the

(20:33):
dark arts of it than actually saving the shots.

Speaker 3 (20:35):
But that stuff is a skill, it.

Speaker 4 (20:36):
Is and Andrew Thomas has that. All that jawing at
your opponent, messing with the ref, there's an art for
him to that that some guys have and some guys
just don't. Andrew Thomas does. And I think in situations
where there's gonna be games in tournaments that are decided
by penalties. Having him as the one in there, as
the guy saving those penalties, I think it's gonna they
could win more trophies than they should, maybe because that

(21:00):
at some point I.

Speaker 7 (21:01):
Think they win if he comes in for that penalty
shootout the in game one. Potentially it's yeah, like, I mean,
I know, that's that's interesting, putting out whatever into the air.
It's not real, but you have to think that they
have a better chance in that match considering what happens
in Minnesota. Maybe they don't. Maybe, guys, maybe we don't
even play a game three.

Speaker 2 (21:21):
We're not sitting here right now. Yeah, Yeah, and it's
it's It's wild. That's the voice of Noah Rife before
that Ari Leonwall. Both of them do the podcast lobbying Scorges.
We have Anders Hurst and myself Jackson Feltz here from KGr.
We also have Nico Moreno from Sports Polso and Sounder
at Hard. We're doing a special season ending edition of
Sounders Weekly.

Speaker 3 (21:38):
Wrapping up the season.

Speaker 2 (21:40):
After the team lost in the first round of the
MLS Cup playoffs in Game three. In this best of
three series, it was three to three after ninety and
then seven to six after penalty kicks, Minnesotap moved through.
We will continue, I think, talking about where we sit
going into twenty twenty six. We'll get to that to
Obed Vargas, how the attack looks after putting up what
was then eighty seven ninety seventy seven while in fifty

(22:03):
games eighty seven goals and fifty games for the Sounders
this year, we'll talk about where the team sits. Maybe
eventually we get back to Minnesota, but probably not. We'll
see a lot here to get to as we continue
the season ending edition of Sounders Weekly. Here Sports Radio
ninety three point three KJRFM.

Speaker 1 (22:17):
Now back to Sounders Weekly on your home for Sounders
fc Ceevil's Sports Radio ninety three point three kjr FM.

Speaker 2 (22:26):
Welcome back, season ending edition of Sounders Weekly. We are
holding a very special roundtable here tonight. We're munching down
a bunch of taco time enjoying our beef burritos and
spicy Mexi fries.

Speaker 3 (22:39):
It is tater fries, excuse me.

Speaker 2 (22:41):
It is a wonderful night here in the studio to
just be with friends, because we all need a little
bit of time with friends and a little bit of
time here with this kind of therapy as it is
talking about the end of the Sounders season. Jackson Feldts, Ari,
Lillianwall anders Hurst, Noah Rife, Nico Moreno, the five of
us holding it down here on the roundtable talking about
the end of the Sounders season. I want to get

(23:04):
back to the Sounders midfield and I want to talk
Obed Vargas because there's a couple parts to this, and
I think the first part is the crux of the
question will he be here or not? That question is
influenced by if you are Craig Wible and if you're
Adrian Hanauer, if you're the Sounders leadership who are talking
to teams potentially in Europe about numbers and niko.

Speaker 3 (23:25):
If you have anything to share, go ahead and share it.
But obviously yes.

Speaker 2 (23:32):
But what I think that the conversation starts here is
if you get an offer from a club that says X,
do you instantly say no, other talks were taking it?

Speaker 3 (23:42):
Move forward?

Speaker 2 (23:43):
And if you don't get that number. So it's two
part question here for each of you. We'll start with Ari,
go around the table. If you don't get that number
that you say I want for Obed, do you roll
into twenty twenty six with the Christian Obed double pivot
that was so successful this year.

Speaker 3 (23:58):
Well, I would love to.

Speaker 4 (23:59):
Keep Obed on the team. He had a phenomenal year.
He's a superstar player. He showed that in the playoffs,
he showed that all season.

Speaker 3 (24:06):
I think a lot of this.

Speaker 4 (24:08):
To me, it should come down to what he wants
for his own career. He wants to go play in
he wants to go play in Europe. That's what he's
stated many times. So whether that happens before before this
next season, or if he stays one more year and
then they move him on, they're gonna have to uh
figure that out. But by all accounts, this is a
move that he wants to make. He wants to push

(24:29):
himself to that level. His aspirations with the Mexican national
team plays into that. So to me, it's it's less
about the number. They're gonna get a good number for him.
It's more about the timing of it and what he wants,
like he should if he feels like he has unfinished
business here and he wants to stay here another year
and then reassess next season, I think he should be

(24:50):
able to do that. But if he does want to
make the move this offseason, then they they should, they
should facilitate that, they should let him do it. And
Erstari's point the unfinished business.

Speaker 2 (24:59):
He's one of the players who had a chance to
win it in penalty, could shootout, he missed.

Speaker 3 (25:04):
So maybe there is that degree.

Speaker 2 (25:06):
Maybe it's he's on the Mexican national team for these
November games he wants to you know, maybe I don't
know it. That is an interesting factor of where he
sits in all.

Speaker 6 (25:14):
And I know these high level competitors are different animals
in terms of how they think about these things. But
I don't put too much stock into him. This penalty
kick from a nineteen year old, like, it's just it's
gonna happen. I realize the stakes are big, but that's
just gonna happen. These are it's it's a crapshoot with
this kind of stuff, Like so the penalty kick put aside,
it's weird. I talked to these guys before we went

(25:35):
live about you know which teams you're support in Europe.
There there can be a totally different vibe with you
know who you root for across the pond, and maybe
you root for like a smaller team. Sometimes you take
pride and when a player from your team goes to
a bigger club has success, and you can be like,
we grew him, we made him.

Speaker 3 (25:56):
What yond exactly.

Speaker 6 (25:58):
There's lots of examples of that the Sounders law as well.
So it just depends on what you want as a fan.
But if I'm talking purely from the club's perspective in
winning in twenty twenty six, the question for me is
do you trust the Sounders to use the money that
you would get from obed Vargas to make the team

(26:19):
forget better, even as good as it would be with
obed Vargas in the team right now?

Speaker 5 (26:25):
And I don't know if that answer.

Speaker 4 (26:28):
She's ready to go, dude, No, I just have I
just have two words. I just have two words to
say on that topic, Snyder for now.

Speaker 2 (26:34):
Oh yeah, okay, I'll match it with Danny the Reality
go ahead.

Speaker 8 (26:39):
Yeah, look, Noah has not got a chance to go,
but yeah, you're here, big Danny Laver.

Speaker 9 (26:48):
Let's let's go there. Okay.

Speaker 8 (26:49):
First of all, this is the complex topic because there
is a time clock when he comes to ob Vargas
right now. Why you asked, because he right now as
of today, he doesn't have a contract extension with Seattle
Seaertra needs to make sure that if they want to
pass him on in a transfer, they have to try

(27:12):
to do this mainly right now or the best possibility,
let's call it the best possibility, not a is a
do or die, but the biggest possibility for them to
transfer him without any issues is right now, because when
it comes to the summer window, he could do a
pre contract with another team, meaning that there is a
possibility that Ovid walks out as I would say the

(27:36):
best prospect out of the academy.

Speaker 9 (27:38):
Obviously Jedlin's in that conversation for zero dollars.

Speaker 8 (27:42):
So claub Brooge out of Belgium has been on him,
has scouted his games, has been completely relentless when it
comes to targeting. So the number is the question. Obviously
I'm not going to share the number, but the number
is going to be where things kind of lay at.
But what you guys said is true. Right, you have

(28:03):
to do right by the player, and the Sounders have
always been good at them. They always do right by
the players. They want to make sure that you don't
hold a player hostage. Here, you want him to continue
to develop his career, but it's also a business right.
You can't just let somebody walk for not enough money
that you're going to be able to replace them. And
now when he comes to replacing them, I think that
there are pieces here. Danny Leva is a guy that

(28:25):
has grown substantially. If you want to go look at
a really good interview and Sondra hart I did a
one on one on what we call the Coach's Corner
with Freddie Warez and he talks about the growth of
Danny Leva.

Speaker 9 (28:37):
Check that out.

Speaker 8 (28:38):
Because it'll literally make you understand why he's the next
guy that's going to take over that role. So for me,
it won't be easy, it won't be simple because clearly
the talent level of ovid bargains is generational, right, you
don't get it all the time. And the way he
works the pivot with Christian roll Dan didn't just happen.
In that same interview, Freddie says, this is a three

(29:00):
year product, three year process to get this offense to
where it's at right now. The fluidity that interchangeables, the versatility,
everything about this offense right now has been a three
year process. So you're gonna have to find match. You're
probably not gonna be at DATAI level. But I do
think that that Leva is going to be able to

(29:21):
come in perform and at one point become the guy
that helps this tandem in the midfield work.

Speaker 7 (29:29):
The Sounders are in an interesting position because for them,
they need to make this deal go through in the
summer to make any money off of their prospect. But
also Oba's possibilities kind of open up when there's no
transfer fee, and that's I mean, I think Nico would
agree with me to say that, Like it's tough as
a player because the Sounders they need they've kind of

(29:53):
been banking on this money in a way, like you
develop this player. He is one of my favorite Craig
Wible things that he's ever said was like, yeah, if
any every single player has had Obed Vargas on their
scouting report at some point, Like every single player, every
single club in the world has had Obed Vargas on
their scouting report at some point. Like he is that
generational of a talent. How do you just let that

(30:14):
walk away for free? That's gonna sting. But also Obed
has all of the leverage in this conversation, as he should.
But it's tough. It's gonna be a tough decision, and
I really, I really think that there was steps along
the way where they probably could have extended, paid him
more at certain points and gotten a little bit, a
little bit more leeway on this. But it's just that's the.

Speaker 2 (30:36):
Position we're in because now Noah, he's I mean, if
we're being real and if he was just a free
agent in Major League Soccer and says I want to
play an MLS, he could probably warrant a DP deal.
Oh for sure, that's what he might be worth on
the open market, even even if he wants to go
anywhere else in Europe. No transfer fee, Are you kidding me?
Bigger clubs are gonna want to take a chance on that.

Speaker 9 (30:55):
So just real quick.

Speaker 8 (30:56):
The last of the things I'll say about this is,
obviously he's taking a gamble because if you extend with
the Sounders today, you max out a million dollars and
you have a insurance that if something happens, if you
get injured, is something you're gonna be okay. So if
you gamble, and you gamble on yourself, which is something
that you know, like Noah said, he has some leverage

(31:18):
and quite honestly, you know how agents are. He's gonna
try to cash in on that transfer and there's more
money to be had if you don't share that transfer
fee with a club. Right so, there is some things
that are gonna want to push him that way. I
honestly feel like the best possible circumstance for everyone is
that Obed signs an extension right now for a million dollars.

(31:42):
He has no rush, continues to develop himself and then
market himself with a winning team, and then we'll see
what happens after that.

Speaker 9 (31:51):
But you could go either way because.

Speaker 6 (31:52):
The biggest question for me to the player of Obed Vargas, Again,
I don't know him personally, so I can't really like
speak to what his answer would be on this, But
is Club Bruges your end all be all? Is that
where you want to end up? Because that could be
a possibility if that's how it is. How much more
are you going to develop there versus here in Seattle
for like two or three more years, Right.

Speaker 3 (32:13):
So, and that goes to the question of Jordan Morris.

Speaker 2 (32:15):
Right if Jordan Morris had started his career with Worder Bremen,
and had you know, stayed in Germany and done the
whole Worder Bremen route, where would he be right now?

Speaker 7 (32:22):
The USMNT fans are about to be on this podcast
that was not the right We don't even need to
get into that speculation.

Speaker 6 (32:31):
But my point is is, like, so I love what
Nico said here. The best I think that I agree,
the best thing for everyone is if he signs a
maybe two three pot at most year exten extension where
he could still develop and then at age twenty two
to twenty three can go to be a could still
move to that bigger club. If he continues this trajectory
that he's on right now, he can still grow and

(32:53):
develop here, be a big part of this team right now,
get a bunch of playing time in a league that's growing,
and still like have the security, a long term security
that if something were to happen, you still have that
kind of in the bank, so to speak.

Speaker 8 (33:08):
So and bring up a great point, and and and Ari,
obviously you gotta go next to this, but he brings
up a great point because you know what, this is
actually obviously a World Cup year. You don't want to
change clubs right before that because had it just gave
him a call for the friends that are coming up
for Mexico. So you usually don't move when it comes
to the World Cup.

Speaker 5 (33:28):
Year doing something right. So it's gonna be.

Speaker 8 (33:30):
Interesting how that that plays into consideration. So that's a
that's a great point thereby Anderson.

Speaker 7 (33:35):
I also don't think, sorry, Ari, I'm gonna tell you out,
but I also and I'll toss this, I'll talk. This
is a question, Mari, actually because I'm a really great
co host. Clearly he does the talking most of the time,
so I'm getting mine in now. But you're not moving
from MLS to the premier league. That just that doesn't happen.
Club Bruge is an incredible stepping stone to be seen

(33:55):
in Europe, to be seen like, okay, yes, you can
move away from home, you can have a challenge, you
can play in you know UEFA tournaments. That's that's the
reality of it is. That is where he's going to
be seen if he wants to play in a top
tier European league. So yeah, I do think like a
move like that is great. And PSV We've talked about that.

Speaker 3 (34:13):
But back to the question, I'll just step I'll just
step in, Ari and throw it back to you. Ari,
what do you have to say? Well, I think we
I think we pretty much.

Speaker 4 (34:21):
Said it all on the O Beed front, But I
do think I do think it's actually a good segue
into there are a lot of interesting off season questions
with this roster outside of even just open oh big time.
I mean, what's gonna happen with Paul Rothrock?

Speaker 7 (34:41):
Next question?

Speaker 3 (34:42):
That is a very that's gonna be probably the Mary.

Speaker 2 (34:45):
Let me jump in and cut you off there because
we're gonna take a break and I'll I will come
back to you to start the next segment with the
Paul Rothrock question and to let you continue because there
are even more questions than just Paul Rothrock. You're listening
to a special Sounders Weekly season ending round table. Jackson Feldts, Ari, Lolinwell, Andersurs,
Noah Rife, Nico Moreno. We'll be back in a few
minutes and maybe we'll end Ari speak, maybe we'll we'll

(35:08):
see what's gonna happen next here on Sports Radio ninety
three point three KJRFM.

Speaker 1 (35:12):
fc Celes Sports Radio ninety three point three kjr FL.

Speaker 2 (35:21):
Wrapping up things here on a season ending edition of
Sounders Weekly. We have a special roundtable here talking about
the season ending in penalty kicks in Game three of
the first round at Minnesota. Maybe we'll finish this live
show here coming up in a few minutes, and then
we'll jump off the mics and go to a recording
studio and finish a conversation that'll be podcasted on the

(35:41):
Sounders Weekly podcast page. Make sure to check out the
Sounders Weekly podcast page also for the post game show
that happened after that three to three and penalty kick
shootout loss in Minnesota, myself Pete viewing Danny Jackson from
all On Stadium in frigid Minnesota. So check out that
Sounders Weekly wherever you get your podcasts, I'm here alongside
Ari Wall and Noah Rife. They host the podcast Blobbing Scorches.

(36:03):
You can get that on the iHeartRadio app and wherever
you get your podcasts. Also subscribe to Lobbing Scorches on YouTube.
You'll be notified when they go live on Monday mornings
for the kickoff show that also features Nico Moreno of
Sounder Heart and Sports Polso he's here with us as well,
also with Lobbing Scorches. Subscribe to get notified when they
go live for their Thursday Night on the Light Show.

(36:23):
Are you guys continuing that through the playoffs as well?

Speaker 5 (36:26):
Oh for sure?

Speaker 3 (36:26):
Oh yeah, okay, so that's still going.

Speaker 2 (36:27):
On also anders Hurst and myself Jackson Felts, we hear
from KJR as we continue on the roundtable, Ari, let's
actually get back to you now and we'll let you well,
I think you're on kind of the right track, and
you know the bit aside, I think there are so
many other roster questions as you're beginning to talk about,
and one of the big ones is Paul Rothrock.

Speaker 3 (36:47):
But there's even more questions than just Paul Rothrock.

Speaker 4 (36:51):
Yes, so the Paul Rothrock one is a very interesting
situation because what you have is, you guys know how
much money he made this year. I don't even think
that it was more. It was closer to like one
hundred thousand dollars probably worth six six hundred sounds about
right to me.

Speaker 3 (37:06):
Well, so this is the question.

Speaker 4 (37:07):
You have a situation where the gap between what he
actually was getting paid and how he produced on the field,
and just as part of kind of like the heart
and soul of the team. It just vastly exceeds what
he was making. He's due for a big raise, and frankly,
he played at a level where there's probably a lot
of teams in MLS that would pay him a lot

(37:28):
more to do what he does than Seattle was paying him.
So it's just a question of how much is that
worth to Seattle, And uh, you know, I think he
demonstrated a lot of worth this year, and it just
it's just going to depend if the club agrees with
the valuation that he has of himself, that his agent
has of him and is going to present for that.

(37:48):
So that's I would love to be on a fly
on the wall for those negotiations because those those can
get contentious when there's that much distance between what he was,
what he was making, and what he wants to make.
But Guys, I think the uh even more interesting than that,
or maybe uh not more interesting, but equally consequential is

(38:08):
the situation with Danny Mussovski as well.

Speaker 3 (38:11):
I think that's one that's.

Speaker 4 (38:12):
One that I see a little bit differently than I
for sure see it a little differently than Nico, But
I think I see it a little differently than uh,
than a lot of people, and I'll be interested to
see what they do there, because you want to talk
about a guy who overperformed expectations. I don't know if
I've seen a player in MLS in the last five
years that had a more out of nowhere breakout year

(38:33):
in the way that, Yeah, it's ridiculous like the guy uh,
you know, I think we've been talking about it like
it's this foregone conclusion that he's gonna get moved or
get traded, because you know, the thinking goes, when someone
is coming off their best season that's kind of unprecedented,
that's the best time to sell. That's when they're at
their peak value. Moose is definitely in that situation, and

(38:54):
I have just been wary of making it that simple
when you're talking about I mean, it's information that I
also don't know what to do with. But when you
look at Moose's his his goal production this year and
all his underlying numbers and how efficient he was, we're talking.
The list of guys that we were talking that he
was with is guys literally like Sam Surage, Alonso Martinez,

(39:18):
all at Danny Mussovsky.

Speaker 3 (39:19):
Like, that's that's what we're talking about here.

Speaker 4 (39:25):
But I think I think the way that it gets
talked about sometimes it gets colored by the fact that
we're talking about a guy that we're talking about Danny Musovsky,
you know, MLS journey Man. But you also you can't
just dismiss what he did this year and assume you're
gonna be able to easily replace that.

Speaker 3 (39:44):
I would be careful about that assumption like that.

Speaker 4 (39:47):
I feel like that is something that's getting taken as
a given that is not necessarily a given.

Speaker 3 (39:52):
If what Moose did this year was that easy.

Speaker 4 (39:54):
Then Emmanuel Latte Loth would have had more than seven
goals for Atlanta United.

Speaker 3 (39:58):
Like it may may it's plug and play.

Speaker 4 (40:00):
Maybe what Osase did shows that you can put any
old nine in there and they'll they'll do the same thing.

Speaker 3 (40:05):
I don't know about that.

Speaker 4 (40:07):
And the other thing I would say about that is
people have said that, you know, this was very clearly
an outlier year from Moose, and the odds that he's
going to replicate this type of year again are it's
like impossible for him to do it again. I don't
know if we know that, because he never got a
full compliment of minutes in MLS before they gave him
that role this year. So that's more of a function

(40:29):
to me of the fact that he never got to
He could have been this good the whole time and
have been the next Wando. We don't know, but I'm
not saying that's the case. But you can't look at
what he did this year and say that that's like
an easy decision to move off him, no matter how
much value he has.

Speaker 2 (40:41):
Really quick banders, before you jump in, I will say
that we have five minutes left in the show. We're
going to do some extra content that will go up
on the podcast page, but we'll continue this conversation here
on the air right now with this topic of Danny Muszowski,
Paul Rothrock and what to do with them.

Speaker 6 (40:55):
Let's keep it with Moose because I think there's a
lot of different angles you can take on this. For me, again,
I'm gonna keep banging the horn that I'm not someone
who's you know, going to practices every day. Can see
what they bring besides what you see on the tape
the club, yes.

Speaker 3 (41:12):
Almost, if not every single game, yever, you know.

Speaker 6 (41:15):
Yeah, So my biggest question is what does he bring
this team? And I think the biggest answer is goal scoring,
and that's something that is incredibly valuable, especially to the Sounders,
who took a big step offensively forward. We've talked about
it earlier on this episode from twenty twenty four to
twenty twenty five.

Speaker 5 (41:33):
I think he was a big part of that.

Speaker 6 (41:35):
Now, how many guys do you think you could put
into Danny Vessovsky's shoes and replicate exactly what he did
or possibly even more with what is around him at
this level? I think what the results that he had,
and again I'm not gonna discount the guy that's there
to finish it off every single time. Right, That's that's

(41:56):
a very important skill that I think is actually dying
today's soccer is the goal scoring aspect, getting into the box,
dirty goals, all the stuff we talk about all the time.
But I think the reflection of the uptick and goal
scoring for both Musovski and the Sounders has a bigger
impact or sorry, was impacted more by everything else that

(42:18):
was around him more than Mussovski himself taking this giant
step forward as a player. So that's my biggest thing
with this. Now that doesn't mean that you can put
someone else into his like a bunch of anyone into
his shoes, and you will get the same results. But
I struggle to think that his value is exactly what
he showed this year in terms of his goal output.

(42:40):
I think it's as contextualized as it's ever going to
be right now, because I think the Sounders as a
team provided much more offense, much more scoring opportunities that
he was there to pounce on and be a part of.
So that's just my take. I'm interested to know what
you guys think about this as well.

Speaker 7 (42:56):
Listen, No, hey, Danny Musovsky did great this season. Jordan
Moore's in his position, probably scores double the amount of goals,
and I truly believe that. Whoa like, I'm sorry six?

Speaker 5 (43:06):
Why not?

Speaker 7 (43:07):
Why can't Jordan score thirty?

Speaker 3 (43:08):
So it's a little MLS record?

Speaker 7 (43:10):
Why not?

Speaker 6 (43:10):
Well, it's actually interesting conversation because yeah, don't be Yeah, yeah,
we want to talk about that a little bit after.

Speaker 7 (43:17):
We'll hit that after. Yeah. So I'm I'm I'm listen.
I like Moose, I'm out on Moose. What I'm more
interested in is the Paul Rothrock and Ryan Kent. Are
we going to see them both back on the field.
I think that the Sounders are going to have to
make a decision between one or the other. And if
it's me, I'm picking Paul Rothrock and on toss with
an Eco.

Speaker 3 (43:34):
Wow.

Speaker 8 (43:35):
Yeah, Denny with Sevsky, situation is simple. You need to
get better at that position and he's the odd man out.
He's gonna be thirty. He's never had a season like
this one, whether it was an outlier or not. Jeremy
Lane was a hell of a player for one season
as well.

Speaker 7 (43:50):
Yes, most sanity.

Speaker 9 (43:54):
That's just the way I see it.

Speaker 8 (43:56):
And as someone who is consistently on the training field,
I just don't know how much more he can give you.
And look, you keep him for one more year, that's fine.
If you think he's going to be a contributor, you
pick up that option. And then if you want to
pick up that option and then sell the stock while
is high and somebody's willing to buy it, then oh good.
I just don't think that you add on to that.
You just keep it for what it is. I also

(44:17):
think that it's a good point when he comes to
Ryan Kent, I haven't seen enough. I didn't see enough
in the last Minnesota game. I think he could be
on his way. Paul's situation, it is going to be
a number thing. I would love to keep him because
he's a great guy for the system, but I just
don't know if he will be here next season.

Speaker 2 (44:33):
For me, if I'm Paul Rothrock and Wybel came to
me with a let's just say one point eight million
over three years, and there's escalators if I hit certain
numbers of goals and assists that I could escalate that
one to, like, you know, to two point two to
two point four.

Speaker 3 (44:51):
That's a deal.

Speaker 2 (44:52):
If I'm Paul Rothrock, that makes a ton of sense. Uh,
we'll just see if that happens. What those numbers are.
I don't have no idea about those negoti siations. But
at the end of the day, I think that that
number makes a lot of sense, and we'll see. Ryan Kent,
I would agree with you guys as well. I hope
he found his love for soccer back when he was here.
He clearly lost his love for soccer on Marino where

(45:13):
he was playing out in there.

Speaker 5 (45:14):
In then such cases, so.

Speaker 8 (45:17):
If he wants to come in on a on a
big discount, then sure, but yeah, he'd have to be
like five to six hundred at the most to keep it.

Speaker 7 (45:25):
I'm excited for gimme poulaiol.

Speaker 3 (45:28):
Yeah, all right, let's let's hand things off.

Speaker 2 (45:30):
Keey Dunning's gonna have Rain weekly, wrapping up the rain season.
Coming up next here on Sports Radio ninety three point
three KJRFM, We're gonna Joe jump into recording studio.

Speaker 3 (45:39):
We're probably this Normally we.

Speaker 2 (45:41):
Post Sounders weekly around what eight thirty PM when I
ate forty five when I get home, So that's gonna
be up a little bit later on tonight because we're
gonna go jump in a recording studio and pretty much
keep talking till our mouths fall off. Ari Lulian Wall
anders Hurst, Noah Rife, Nico Moreno. My name is Jackson
Feltz for live here on kg are we thank you,
thanks so much for listening. A couple final notes before

(46:02):
we end tonight's show. Senator's FC Soccer is presented by
Providence Swedish, the official healthcare partner of Sounders FC. Also
michelob Ultra is ninety five calories and two point six
grams of carbs.

Speaker 3 (46:12):
It's only worth it if you enjoy it. Check out
the podcast.

Speaker 2 (46:16):
For a continuation of this show on the Sounders Weekly
podcast page. We thank you all for an amazing Sounders season,
thanks to Kiley Dunning, thanks to Danny Jackson, Pete Fieing
everybody with our Sounders broadcast crew, Jordan Thompson, I could
go on and on with about one hundred names. They
are all spectacular humans and it's been an honor to
work with them here in twenty twenty five. Cheers to

(46:38):
twenty twenty six, and we will talk to you guys
on the podcast conversion. Here is Sounders Weekly coming up,
but for right here and right now here on KJR
it's Rain Weekly coming up next on ninety three point
three KJRFM.

Speaker 1 (46:50):
fc se Etl's Sports Radio ninety three point three kjr FM.

Speaker 3 (46:58):
Now we're off live radio. Now we're doing the podcast.

Speaker 2 (47:01):
We should swear no damn well, technically that's uh no,
we are. We are doing the Sounders season ending show
and roundtable Jackson Feldts, Ari Lillenwell and Nico Rife.

Speaker 5 (47:15):
Rife.

Speaker 2 (47:16):
We're out there, Ari, Leenwall and Noa Rife of the
podcast Lobbing Scorches. Subscribe to Lobbing Scorches on YouTube. Get
Lobbing Scorches on the iHeartRadio app, and that's where you're
listening to this right now as we are now off
live radio where we just finished the show, and here
we are in the time where we can do fun things.
We also have Nico Moreno. Shouldn't call them no Nico

(47:38):
Moreno course Polso Sounder. Hey really quick because I missed
this and this is my bad. Everybody talk about where
you can find you on social media and where you
can they can find all your content Ari and then
go around.

Speaker 4 (47:49):
Uh yeah, the big one for us is subscribe to
the Lobbing Scorchers YouTube. You can also follow us on
Instagram and TikTok. We've been a lot more active on
those this season. But subscribe to the utube and then yeah,
you can also follow me on Blue Sky. I switch
from Twitter, Ari Lilliam wall On on there, but uh no.

Speaker 3 (48:07):
Just subscribe to the Lobby Scorches YouTube.

Speaker 9 (48:08):
That's all you gotta do.

Speaker 6 (48:10):
Anderson Hurst is my name, ANDREWS Hurst on X If
I'm still on there with everything up, I don't really post,
I just yeah anyways, but Anderson Hurst Blue Sky, I
don't really have any general soccer content, so I'll just
say to subscribe to Lobby Scorches with and Sounder at

(48:30):
Heart with Nico.

Speaker 2 (48:30):
Moreno, let me also say one to three pm kJ
every single day, the InferNET Show, and.

Speaker 6 (48:36):
A lot of other stuff, because you know, the Sounders
get a ton of love here in the Seattle sports market.

Speaker 3 (48:39):
So no, go ahead.

Speaker 7 (48:42):
Yeah, you can find me on Blue Sky at I
just take dot photos. Also, I'm just a guy who
loves to talk about the Sounders on lobbing scorches. So
follow us on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Blue Sky and whatever
new prevailing and the Raid.

Speaker 3 (49:00):
Yo, we're now on the radio.

Speaker 7 (49:01):
Let's go in school radio, and you know I'll say hi, Dad,
thank you. I'm so glad you're listening. My dad used
to make me listen to kJ R coming back from
school every single day, and so now I get to
torture him back.

Speaker 3 (49:16):
Yes, Nico love it, man.

Speaker 8 (49:17):
I love KJR me too, and I literally I've told
this to Jackson many times. I used to listen to
Softy and I try to be softly. When I started
in radio in Spanish, I was like the softy right
the way he Actually I had on in Spanish and
I would take callers. I mean, he was amazing. Anyways, Yeah,

(49:38):
I told him the story too.

Speaker 9 (49:39):
I was that guy. If you're upset that I skipped
your avert, but that was me.

Speaker 2 (49:44):
Uh.

Speaker 8 (49:44):
But Nicom Morano at l Rolo and w on all socials.
You could find me on of course Monday with a
wall on uh love Schooch. Kickoff on Thursdays with John
Nelson on Soccker down Here that's from seven thirty to
fifteen twenty, divining how much how long we go there?
And then Fridays of course with Jeremiah Shannon what we

(50:06):
learned this week.

Speaker 3 (50:07):
And the Soger down here's in Atlanta. Yeah, yeah, yeah,
it's tough.

Speaker 8 (50:11):
They go national, but it's uh, it's yeah, I know,
it's there's been a couple of tough, tough years.

Speaker 9 (50:17):
Uh and you.

Speaker 7 (50:18):
Really love to hate to see it.

Speaker 2 (50:19):
Hey, uh you know, Okay, I'm gonna be the one,
uh to do this.

Speaker 3 (50:25):
I will.

Speaker 5 (50:25):
I will.

Speaker 2 (50:25):
On a very very serious note, really quick thoughts to
Garth log Away oh and his family and everything that
he's battling. He's battling cancer and we know that Atlanta
has you know, has people stepping up here and there too.
But that is the president now of Atlanta United, and
he's in he's in the fight for his life and
uh he's he's fighting hard and he's doing good from

(50:46):
when when I've talked to him, and uh yeah, we
just we send the absolute best to Garth Logway.

Speaker 3 (50:51):
It's been a very very, very tough year for Atlanta.

Speaker 2 (50:54):
United, and it's just it's compounded by his and what
he's going through.

Speaker 3 (50:59):
So the best of Garth's on Atlanta.

Speaker 9 (51:01):
One of the best guys, by the way, is so nice.
I literally would go to war for Garth.

Speaker 8 (51:07):
He said, Nico, I need you to get somebody's knees
like I'm getting somebody's knees. That's that kind of guy
he was. He is Jesus he is.

Speaker 3 (51:17):
He absolutely is the greatest. We love you, Garth. I
hope you're doing better.

Speaker 2 (51:20):
All right, Let's get back into the sounder conversation, shall we,
because I don't know how long we're gonna go. We're
just gonna talk talk, talk and have some fun here.
Let's get back. And you said you wanted to start this.
I don't know what direction you're going, but go ahead.

Speaker 6 (51:33):
Well it's we kind of just tiptoed into the Danny
Mussovski striker. I'll throw Jordan Morris into that conversation as well,
and I think Noah eloquently said as what I think
a lot of Sounders fans would feel that is, if
if Jordan Morris was healthy all year, he would provide
the same, if not better results than Danny Musoski gave you.
I'm just gonna pose that to the room. Do you

(51:53):
think that's true? Because I don't think it's a coincidence
personally that you had a lot a lot more success offensively.
And I think Jordan Morris looked more comfortable when he
was on the right hand side of the field. I
think when you look at the physical attributes, I still
think Jordan Morris is a better.

Speaker 5 (52:10):
Player, but everything is there.

Speaker 6 (52:13):
But for whatever reason, he looks more comfortable on the
wing kind of being more of a take people on,
put service into the box and be a kind of
a goal threat in that aspect versus what I think
made Danny Mussovsky so effective in this specific system is
he didn't care about any of that. He just wanted

(52:34):
to get into the box and you know, finish it.

Speaker 3 (52:36):
Off.

Speaker 6 (52:37):
So I'm just curious what you guys think. I'm gonna
pose it to the rest of the room, Like, not
even just that specific question, but do you think that
Danny Mussovsky's skill set is easily replicable in house with
Saya Jordan Morris.

Speaker 4 (52:51):
See, I'm I'm I know, I'm all alone on this,
but I don't think it's a foregone conclusion that Jordan
Morris would have had a thirty plus goal season.

Speaker 3 (52:59):
If he was playing all season play well.

Speaker 4 (53:02):
But I think that I think what is crazy about
the year that Moose had is he was producing at
the level and with the efficiency that we were used
to seeing from Jordan when he is playing every every week.
So you know, I hear what Noah and Nico are
are saying. But when when you dismissed the year that
Moose had as linsanity run insanity was like two weeks

(53:24):
in all seriousness. The thing that I think is wild
about the year that Moose just had is that there
was no point during this entire season, in any competition
against any opponent where it didn't work, where when they
put him out there he was scoring, where he was
scoring goals. He's the only one who scored in CONCACAF
Champions Cup. He was banging in goals in League's Cup,

(53:46):
as like Anderson mentioned, as soon as they put him
on the field in that series against Minnesota United, the
entire offense changed. They scored all seven of their goals.
I just I'm not as quick to fully dismiss that
and say that's easily replaceable, because I've seen a lot
of situations where teams think that something is easily replaceable
and then it turns out not to be.

Speaker 3 (54:06):
And I think the question you got to ask.

Speaker 4 (54:08):
Yourself if you're dismissing it as insanity, is would you
be saying that if his name was Sam Surriage, would
you be saying that if his name was Alonzo Martinez.

Speaker 3 (54:17):
It's the production isn't any less.

Speaker 4 (54:20):
It's not any different or less impressive because his name
is Danny Mussovski and not Sam Surge. He was scoring
goals at the same rate with the same efficiency as
those guys this year. It's as mind blowing to me
as it is anybody else.

Speaker 3 (54:32):
But that's what he just did.

Speaker 4 (54:33):
So if you think you're just going to go out
and find somebody who to upgrade on that type of production.
I don't know about that, and I think the again,
the idea that it's a total outlier, I don't know.
I just don't know if that can be known for sure,
because he never played a full compliment of.

Speaker 7 (54:49):
Minutes before this year, and then he did this, So
that's I just think you're missing the forest for the
trees here. And I think Nico said it the best.
It's like you have a thirty year old dude who
this is the first time in his career he's finally
gotten minutes. It is undeniable that the people around him
and the team around him is one of the best
attacking teams, the best attacking system in the entire league.

(55:09):
If you put Jordan Morris in his position, maybe he
doesn't score a double, I'll give you that, but he's
gonna at least have the same number as him. There's
no way you look, you put you put Osase in this.
You brought this up exactly. You put Osase in there
after Moose famously crashed out crash out red card of
the year. By the way that he in no Sase

(55:29):
did it in two games. You don't win that without Osaz.
I mean, I'm I don't understand. It's it's not to
discount the season that Moose has had. It's the reality
of looking forward. There are a lot of players that
are better than him, a lot of players that are
better at them.

Speaker 2 (55:45):
So before Nico you jump in, I didn't think I
was going to be on your side of this, but
I would throw this in there. How many times did
Moose get himself in a good and that listen, it
is a quality to get himself in a dangerous position.
He got himself in many, many dangerous positions. He did
a great job of that. But let's look at you know,
the end of game one, not twenty minutes. He has

(56:06):
two massive chances. If Jordan is on the end of
that and he gets the cross from I don't know, Rothrock, Ferreira,
Albert whoever. If he gets those crosses, does Jordan score
one or both of those two chances at the end of.

Speaker 3 (56:19):
That game one?

Speaker 2 (56:20):
I mean, like, we know he's good in his head,
we know he's good right in front of goal. I
would like to think that if Jordan got that kind
of placement right in front of goal. And my point
with that is this is that there was a lot
of opportunities this season where Danny Mazowski had a chance
on goal and he didn't get it.

Speaker 7 (56:35):
He looks terrible in the first half of the season.
Why are we not talking about that?

Speaker 3 (56:38):
He had a lot of chances.

Speaker 9 (56:39):
That's what it didn't hit.

Speaker 3 (56:41):
So I mean to say that Jordan would have gotten
the same amount of goals.

Speaker 2 (56:44):
I kind of would believe that, but it's just it's
so hard to say.

Speaker 3 (56:47):
Nico go Ahead.

Speaker 9 (56:48):
Already said that it doesn't matter.

Speaker 8 (56:50):
That is Danny Massovski the name at the end of
all the texts, But it doesn't matter because Danny Massowski
is the player who's been in the league seven years,
three different teams, and this is the.

Speaker 9 (56:58):
Very first time that he has fourteen goals.

Speaker 8 (57:01):
He's literally scored more than half of the goals that
he's had in his own career this year. So that's
the reason why it matters, because Sam Surage has certainly
not had that sort of not lucky for no goal
because he is a different talent.

Speaker 9 (57:14):
The reality is this.

Speaker 8 (57:15):
I don't want to be seemed as if I'm trying
to just knock this guy down when he's had such
a great season, But I'm being forced to just put
the reality that he's a limited soccer player, and I'm
not so worried about him just pushing the ball in
the back of the net like he just did it
against Minnesota. He was lucky enough that the defender missed

(57:36):
a clearance that you me, Ari, probably half of the
people in this office will be able to just clear.

Speaker 9 (57:46):
That ball of it.

Speaker 8 (57:47):
You know what, I guarantee you that Softy guests to
that ball. So that's the kind of luck that he's had.

Speaker 9 (57:54):
And luck is great.

Speaker 8 (57:55):
Look, luck is part of being a poacher because that's
the top of a striker that he's he's a poacher striker.
But it's hard to replicate. I'm not saying that it
will happen again. I'm gonna say that he won't happen again.
I'm not saying that. But the probabilities are very low,
and we're in a business where you have to be
able to move players when they're in this sort of

(58:16):
heat is strict, especially when the data tells.

Speaker 9 (58:18):
You that this is very only that's not what the data.

Speaker 4 (58:23):
What the data said about Moose and why the Sounders
signed him, is that the data said this guy is
an extremely efficient and underrated MLS striker. That's never that
has never gotten a.

Speaker 3 (58:36):
Full cost start up minutes before, and.

Speaker 4 (58:38):
If we give him a full compliment of minutes, he'll
probably produce as as he probably could of his entire
career if he had got if he'd been playing all
these minutes all his career and not producing, I would, uh,
I would agree with what you're saying.

Speaker 3 (58:52):
But he wasn't. The reason he wasn't scored is because
he wasn't playing, not because he.

Speaker 8 (58:56):
Played one thousand plus minutes in our cell and he
had any five goals. That that's not great, not to
mention the fact that he was here last year and.

Speaker 9 (59:04):
Couldn't buy a goal.

Speaker 8 (59:06):
I saw this guy literally literally be unable to buy
a goal, hit practice or on the field last year,
and that's just the way it was. However, however, again
I want to give him his due credit this year
for being a guy that found his groove, was able
to put it into work. He got into all the
right spaces, and I think that even in the games

(59:28):
where I thought he was modest this whole series, you know,
he created some havoc. He was able to allow Jordan
to do other things. But I also wanted this credit
Jordan who I've seen grow as a true nine in
his liku up play, playing with the goal behind his back,
being a guy that's good on pressure, way more effective
than Themnskin.

Speaker 9 (59:48):
In that area.

Speaker 8 (59:49):
Just there's just so many more things about Jordan Moores
as a nine that I feel like a lot of
people are discounting.

Speaker 2 (59:55):
Danny Maczowski twenty twenty three with Salt Lake. He played
in twenty four games, he had fourteen starts, he did
score five goals. But Nico wasn't a thousand minutes. It
was twelve hundred minutes. Yeah, so even a bigger point,
and go on to.

Speaker 6 (01:00:08):
Me, it's I don't want to get into this, like
is Danny Mussovsky the guy like rightly evaluated or not?
To me, this is a bigger conversation about what kind
of player at the nine position works for the Seattle
great point, because I think you put it really well there,
Nico that because he's a poacher with everything that's around him,

(01:00:30):
how many chances they create, that's the kind of player
you need. Now you can get that kind of production,
maybe even more production from another poacher type player. But
I don't think Jordan Morris is necessarily the poacher type
of striker. He likes to play getting in behind a
little bit more. He likes to play on the run,
likes to kind of be a part of the flow

(01:00:52):
of things. Danny Mussovski doesn't need that. He just wants
to be in the box, ready to finish off chances
that are given to him, just kind of make the
most instead of the opportunities that are given to him.
And that's why I think that this marriage works in
this last year. I don't know if that means that
you need to keep Danny mus.

Speaker 7 (01:01:12):
Time for a divorce.

Speaker 6 (01:01:13):
I don't know if that means you need to keep
Musovski here now to keep that production moving forward. But
I think it tells you that that type of player
at the nine position is something that the sounders need
to look for more of.

Speaker 5 (01:01:25):
And that's why I'm not.

Speaker 6 (01:01:27):
Saying that the same type of player that's this, but
they're the same type of player, not the same level
of player.

Speaker 5 (01:01:32):
It's very similar to what ral Ruid has in his prime.

Speaker 8 (01:01:35):
Yeah, I think and I said this, and obviously it
didn't get a chance to contextualize it because we're at
the end of the show of the live show. But
he's the odd man out just because of the contracts.

Speaker 5 (01:01:47):
Yeah, I mean.

Speaker 3 (01:01:49):
Four hundred thousand.

Speaker 8 (01:01:50):
I think for Danny well, not just that, it's just
the length of the right. Jordan Moore is going to
be here because of contract for many more so is
Osa if you want to get better at that position.
He's the odd man out now his suits. I mean,
I guess you could say he's more of a winger
these days, more of a creative player. So that's fine.
So maybe that U twenty two that you do bring
in takes that spot and it allows moves to stay.

Speaker 3 (01:02:13):
Do you know what bringing you twenty two this winter?

Speaker 8 (01:02:17):
I don't know if this winter. I would hope that
this winter. But the guy that I think that following
might only be available.

Speaker 9 (01:02:25):
In the summer.

Speaker 2 (01:02:26):
What do you think they do this winter? That is
a very Can you share anything about that?

Speaker 8 (01:02:32):
I cannot share anything because there is a bit of
a right now because of what you guys might have
heard about the Sounders looking for investors. I think that
there is going to be some fluctuation on how things work.
I think that depending on what happens, that could move
the way things would.

Speaker 9 (01:02:53):
Usually work with the Sounders.

Speaker 8 (01:02:54):
So I would like to just say that there's nothing
that I'm willing to share right now because he would
be He just will be wrong.

Speaker 3 (01:03:04):
Anybody have anything left to say on the Mazofsky Morris topic.

Speaker 4 (01:03:06):
I mean just that I'm not even I'm not even
necessarily saying that I wouldn't trade Moose. I get the
theory behind it. I think it's what they probably will do.
I'm just I'm just cautioning against the the narrative that
he's going to be so easily replaced, or that it
was insanity. I've seen a lot of situations that might
seem like that, and then be careful what you wish

(01:03:27):
for it because it can be harder to replace than
than you think. And fourteen goals for assists, I don't know,
that's not insanity.

Speaker 6 (01:03:34):
And especially the makeup of this team, I just feel
like you put it very well with Haysis Frere. He
had a great season, but it just seems like they
have a lack of players that are just pure nines
that just.

Speaker 3 (01:03:47):
And if you need a poach or just go sign
Holland that's true, there you go.

Speaker 7 (01:03:53):
But I mean you lost that one or it's all
the situation, like you know, like Chris Wood, like, I
think that's that's we've got to think about it. Right,
you bring him back? Does he do it again?

Speaker 8 (01:04:12):
And that's the thing I'm not even thinking about it
be hard to replace him?

Speaker 9 (01:04:16):
Is can he replace himself?

Speaker 4 (01:04:17):
Yeah?

Speaker 9 (01:04:17):
Exactly can again?

Speaker 5 (01:04:19):
But just I don't know.

Speaker 9 (01:04:20):
I don't think.

Speaker 4 (01:04:20):
I don't think so that's I understand why it's hard
to believe. But I think I think that is coming
from a place of like, I just refuse to believe
Danny Mussovsky is capable of this again more than it
is about as a player on the field.

Speaker 3 (01:04:36):
I mean, I saw what he did in the games.

Speaker 7 (01:04:38):
So okay, San jose hit our line.

Speaker 2 (01:04:41):
He's for sale San Diego their aging, you know, strikers
with Joe, he's a very he's a very valuable asset.

Speaker 3 (01:04:48):
That it makes a lot of sense.

Speaker 2 (01:04:49):
Tasa Martinez going back to Atlanta. Is Joseph Martinez going
to join him? Nico absolutely, Yeah, that makes the lost sense. Well,
any of you idiots please answer my question of if
you got a number of X for Obed argust, I
would say yes to it and end all other talks.

Speaker 3 (01:05:02):
Nobody answered that question.

Speaker 5 (01:05:03):
Million twelve twelve twelve, K.

Speaker 7 (01:05:06):
I don't, I don't know.

Speaker 8 (01:05:07):
I'm going to say eight is the number. Wow, I'm
going to say eight is the number. And that's because
Europe is the the ticket, right, Yeah. European teams have
the unique privilege to say, like Jackson, I'm going to
give you aid because I'm Chelsea or I'm Arsenal or
I'm Crystal Palace.

Speaker 9 (01:05:25):
I mean for adults. Wow, Okay, you don't like for seconds? Yeah,
definitely not guy myself.

Speaker 8 (01:05:34):
But I'm just saying European teams a lot of times
are going to low bow you because they do have
the ability to.

Speaker 3 (01:05:38):
Yeah, that's an interesting point there.

Speaker 8 (01:05:40):
Now, if you want to go to Mexico, it'd be different.
You get fifteen, eighteen twenty. She lets be willing to
just throw whatever you want them to get him.

Speaker 6 (01:05:49):
Mat what's the lowest number, oh, Bed would say yes
to over a contract extension over Seattle.

Speaker 8 (01:05:57):
It can be less than a million, I mean, is
the max of the U twenty two?

Speaker 9 (01:06:01):
That that's he would not take a dollar less? Should he?

Speaker 7 (01:06:05):
No? Should? I really wanted to quick creiate.

Speaker 3 (01:06:08):
I wanted to also.

Speaker 2 (01:06:09):
So this is the podcast version, so we can go
a little more off the rails here, we're on the
rails right now.

Speaker 3 (01:06:15):
I want to go a little little more off the rails.

Speaker 2 (01:06:17):
And and you'll understand what I mean by that when
I asked this question, because there's there's certain topics that
that I think are topics for air and there's certain
topics I think we can hit right now, which is
I think a good spot for this which is a
big conversation amongst Sounder fans on every social media platform. Nico,
you mentioned the news and it's no secret everybody knows

(01:06:37):
it from the press. Lee's they're looking for outside investors.
The Sounders are looking for a influx of money. And
inside of that and I think everybody's reading into that
is the element of looking into a soccer specific stadium,
and that has been no secret that they are looking
at that. We've had Hugh Weber on our President's Day
show on KGr with Softy and myself for three years now,

(01:06:58):
two years now, and he's made it clear they're interested
in a soccer specific stadium. Now, if that does happen
in Renton, near the long Acre's facility, I think the
question needs to be asked and we can kind of
go around and Nicolson will go opposite way is how
would you respond to that the Sounders investing, getting that

(01:07:19):
finance social situation figured out, and saying, all right, we're
doing it. We're building a SSS near the Long Acres
facility in Renton for our own twenty eight, twenty six,
I don't know, one thousand seat house, four sounders for
rain for our product. How would you feel about how
do you think people would feel about that? That?

Speaker 3 (01:07:39):
And we can kind of go around the room.

Speaker 8 (01:07:41):
This is a big deal, And let me just start
by saying that, I think that the way that the
press release was sent by the team, the Sportaco article,
they're just like the top of the glacier. I think
that this is a big deal. I think that we're

(01:08:03):
among a change of substantial ownership. I don't think this
is small. I really do think that if you're hoping
that somebody's gonna come in and help you build the stadium,
and that is going to be I don't know, thirty million,
forty million, I'm obviously low balling here, but you're gonna
want a lot of stake of that team. So let
me just start by saying that. Now, when it comes

(01:08:25):
to the stadium situation. I also feel like it's a
big deal and it's a huge decision, and there's a
lot of ways to look at it. To me, and
I'll try to be very concise here, the Sounders need
to be in Seattle, and it's about the experience. It's
about being part of the city, is about everything that
the people that are embedded into this team have lived

(01:08:46):
from the point that this team went into the MLS
since there was that first game. People love and they
see everything about game Day and they have it with Seattle.
But I think that if you're able to do something
that is like a Sounder's Mecca at Renton, where you

(01:09:10):
don't have any restrictions and you could have I would
think at least a thirty eight thousand to forty thousand
person stadium is maybe that's too much, but that's the
way I would like to see it. And you could
put it there and you can create a real atmosphere
where there's statues in a museum and everything that brings

(01:09:31):
you into this Sounders world, then maybe that would be
a situation that works. But what you don't want is
to do the bare minimum and take him to Renton,
because that would be a swing and a miss, and
you would almost decimate the truthful, honest, red blooded. I
am all about the Sounders typ of fan base, which

(01:09:52):
is what they're built on.

Speaker 7 (01:09:54):
It's I don't know. I have a lot of things
to say about this, but I'll start with the building
a a mecca for soccer in a suburban town. Let
me tell you who's done that. FC Dallas, Frisco, Texas.
You don't want to know what the worst stadium in
the entire league is fall Firstco Texas. There it is.
It is not enjoyable. There are more parking lots than

(01:10:17):
there are places to eat. It's ridiculous, no one, no one.
It's far away from Dallas. It's in the burbs. And yes,
Frisco is a growing city and they're able to have
their land and they're able to do whatever they want there.
And I understand that the stadium is old out there
as well, but it's ridiculous. You should be in the
city of Seattle. There is. There is not good public
transit out to Renton. That's the reality. Ari and I

(01:10:40):
we both will take the bus or the train in
to the game every single time. You know, I just
it's it is it is malpractice to move the Sounders
out of the most accessible stadium, the most successible, one
of the if not the most successful stadum in the US.
It's ridiculous. The ability to have seventy thousand, the ability

(01:11:02):
to have Pioneer Square right there, to have the International
District right there, to be to be next to the Mariners. Like,
how much fun has it been when you've been able
to go to a double header Mariners, Sounders, whatever. It's ridiculous.
It's ridiculous. I understand from a logistical point of view
that First and Goal is an evil corporation that is

(01:11:23):
literally draining the Sounders mentally and monetarily and pushing them
off when the monster trucks are coming through. I agree
with you, but I think that it's a lack of
creativity on the Sounders front office end to not think
that it is possible to build in the city of Seattle,
that it is possible to pressure the government or First

(01:11:43):
and Goal to be better stewards of the public stadium.

Speaker 3 (01:11:48):
I just a reality from that.

Speaker 7 (01:11:52):
I don't know, I listen, I'm just saying I think
it's it's a lack of creativity on their end to
be like well, we're going to take our ball and
go home to rent In.

Speaker 9 (01:11:59):
Cool.

Speaker 7 (01:11:59):
That it's great. I'm never going to go I'm not
going to rent In. That's not happening. That's just not happening.

Speaker 5 (01:12:06):
Okay, lots to discuss here.

Speaker 3 (01:12:08):
First of all, why I did this on the podcast.

Speaker 5 (01:12:11):
Yes, I have.

Speaker 6 (01:12:12):
Been a big champion for a soccer specific stadium for
a long time, and I still believe that that is
the way forward for not just the Sounders, but for
any MLS team. One of the big things that I
have been a critic of with MLS is that it

(01:12:36):
increasingly feels like, and you know, Don Garber, it's just
the way it goes. It increasingly feels like that they're
trying to be an American sports league instead of a
soccer league, right, And I think that is well represented
in the fact that Seattle is.

Speaker 3 (01:12:57):
No agree with that, Jake.

Speaker 7 (01:12:59):
I just did the most gen Z thing of all time.
I took a point five selfie ANDERWS cooking and then
threw my phone at the new button. So all right, well,
you're too.

Speaker 5 (01:13:11):
Well.

Speaker 6 (01:13:11):
The thing is, though, is that it just feels like
that's well represented in Seattle, where it's an obvious football stadium.

Speaker 5 (01:13:20):
And I agree with everything you guys have said.

Speaker 6 (01:13:23):
The first five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten years of
Seattle Sounders soccer, it was a perfect introduction into what
soccer can be in this city. I think that the
absolute ideal is to have a soccer specific stadium in
Seattle one and I don't know if that's possible. I

(01:13:47):
don't know if that's probable. I don't know any of
those things. That is the number one ask for me,
But the idea of it being it's continuing the way
it is now where you're playing on turf, you're playing
in a football stadium. Uh, I don't know that versus
a renting thing. I there are people much smarter than

(01:14:08):
me that can kind of understand what effect that would
have on the community more than myself. I know from
my personal experience, I have really wanted to see something
like and you mentioned Frisco, Texas.

Speaker 5 (01:14:23):
That's a bad example.

Speaker 6 (01:14:24):
There's also a lot of good examples of soccer specific
stadiums in MLS. Austin's a great example of one. I
think Minnesota, the one we just played in is another
great one.

Speaker 5 (01:14:32):
Gorgeous, it's awesome. So there are so.

Speaker 6 (01:14:35):
Many things that you can take from the positive side
of things that can absolutely grow a soccer community and
lean into what makes the sport the most popular sport
in the world. Don't try and be another American sports
league with playoffs and three game.

Speaker 5 (01:14:50):
Freaking playoff kidding me.

Speaker 6 (01:14:56):
So stupid, but it's just it just represents everything that
I have an issue with with MLS, and I really
hope they start to lean more into just being a
soccer league and be a part of world football.

Speaker 4 (01:15:09):
For me, I have a hard time getting to a
place in my mind picturing this team playing its home
games in Renton and seeing how it doesn't become a
very stark downgrade from the location and accessibility that they
have at Blomenfield. You know, like Noah said, like being
able to take the light rail or the bus down

(01:15:29):
to Pioneer Square. Yeah, like you you can't beat the location.
And if you move it out to Renton where I mean,
we've all been out at Long Acres, there's just not
a lot around there. There's no way, there's no bars,
there's no restaurants, there's no vibes.

Speaker 3 (01:15:49):
I will defend it for a moment. South Center is
five minutes away.

Speaker 8 (01:15:52):
Yeah, yeah, but in South Center. You you better be packing.
I'm sorry, but this is rentam to gilla let me do.

Speaker 3 (01:16:07):
You know, there's there's also Nikea and those.

Speaker 7 (01:16:11):
Let's go.

Speaker 4 (01:16:16):
There's no way that you can do this in my
mind without it being a very stark downgrade.

Speaker 3 (01:16:23):
Now, there's things you can do to address that.

Speaker 4 (01:16:25):
You can try and improve, uh the public transit to
to get out there. You can try and create a
kind of like a mecha area like which yeah, and
these are these are things that could make it more
workable than if it's just you know, just building a
stadium out there and calling it a day, like Niko said,
the bare minimum. Uh so it's just I don't know.

(01:16:47):
I have a hard time wrapping my head around that.
But I do think like you got to be cognizant
of the other side of this, which is that, uh,
sharing a venue sucks, like clearly, otherwise they wouldn't want
to do this, and like the you know, we joke
about getting displaced by the monster trucks and stuff. But
the reality is there's been multiple situations now where they've

(01:17:10):
needed the field to host a Conka CAF Champions Cup
like semi final or a really big game and they
literally can't do it because they share a venue they
were going to have to play a CCC game at
like Starfire or something or yeah earon Spokane. That was like,
I don't know if people know this, that was like
a real possibility, and I can totally honestly, I don't

(01:17:31):
think it's like corporate greed or the oligarchy for them
to be like, we don't want to deal with this,
Like we want our own place that we control where
we can just do our own thing not have to worry.

Speaker 3 (01:17:42):
So I get all.

Speaker 4 (01:17:43):
That's but like the uh, it's just tough because the
location they have right now is is second to none
in in the league, and you would you would have
to do stuff to make it more accessible and to
just you know, spruce up.

Speaker 3 (01:17:57):
The area around the stadium.

Speaker 4 (01:17:58):
Otherwise, to me, as bad as it is, sharing luhman,
it just becomes a non starter because of how much
of a downgrade we're talking about in terms of the
atmosphere and game day experience.

Speaker 5 (01:18:08):
It really is.

Speaker 2 (01:18:09):
It really is the best stadium location, and I mean
those the way Soto is located at the intersection of
two giant American freeways, like.

Speaker 3 (01:18:17):
It's it's insane.

Speaker 2 (01:18:18):
The location that Soto and for the Mariners, Seahawks, Sounders,
it's it's incredible, and I'm amazed that the Sonics didn't
get their situation there as well.

Speaker 10 (01:18:28):
Supportant yeahsh but I think we could all agree that
like the best situation, the best the best scenario is
that Balmer or someone with some deep pockets comes in
here and they have the ability.

Speaker 8 (01:18:43):
To force their way into some sort of terrain in
Seattle near the water Frames Rise, answer the Qris Hansen Land, whatever,
that you can do this amazing stadium where everybody wants it.

Speaker 3 (01:19:00):
Hey, k do you see Katie Wilson leads there's a
recount coming.

Speaker 7 (01:19:04):
But listen, listen, I'm just saying we.

Speaker 3 (01:19:09):
Hold on, hold on. I was I'm going to lead
into this.

Speaker 2 (01:19:11):
Yeah, Katie Wilson, who who got to some notoriety and
some fame and probably got a lot of votes where.

Speaker 4 (01:19:17):
Yeah, lobbing Scorcher's guest Katie Wilson. She came the show twice.

Speaker 7 (01:19:22):
Actually she was even pulling one percent.

Speaker 4 (01:19:24):
Yeah, that's she was just kind of trying to get
her name out there anywhere she could, I feel like
at that time, which is.

Speaker 3 (01:19:29):
Why it makes sense in hindsight, why would she come on.

Speaker 4 (01:19:31):
A soccer show, but then she took off and is
maybe about to be so amazing.

Speaker 6 (01:19:39):
I think Jackson was alluding to this, but I think
Nico as well. Everyone agrees that the best case scenario
is a soccer specific stadium in Seattle in Soto, yes,
but if that is not a reality, If we're talking
soccer specific stadium Mecca in Renton or sticking with what
you have in Luman, what are we thinking.

Speaker 8 (01:19:57):
I think you have to go to Renton only for
one reason. He's going to get a hell of a
low words before it gets better. And you reminded me
of this anders in an attempt or No, in a
reality where MLS wants to connect to the rest of
the soccer world, they're changing the schedule. So the format
is changing in twenty twenty seven, meaning that you're going
to play a lot more games on NFL stadium calendars.

(01:20:22):
So when he comes to Atlanta, when it comes to Seattle,
when he comes to Charlotte, you're going to have to
figure out exactly how you're going to do that, and
more than likely you're going to have to figure out
a way to move out of Mommy's basement, and that's
the way it might have to happen.

Speaker 5 (01:20:37):
Yeah.

Speaker 7 (01:20:38):
I have to say this before because I think again
this is way. Yeah, this is a lack of imagination.
If New York City FC can build a stadium in
the city of New York, you're telling me that's fine.
How long has it taken?

Speaker 9 (01:20:52):
Has it been?

Speaker 7 (01:20:53):
How long has it been that the Sounders have been
wanting a new stadium? Again, it's a lack of imagination.
It's a lack of leadership on the front to believe
that they can actually do it. Look, it's possible, So
it's there, it's possible, get it done.

Speaker 2 (01:21:04):
I just don't think that the finite. I mean to
buy Chris Hansen's land there. I just don't think the
aquarium put the stadium there.

Speaker 7 (01:21:11):
Why can't we put it on top of a skotyscraper?
What do we know.

Speaker 5 (01:21:17):
Before before we end?

Speaker 2 (01:21:19):
Before we end, do we want to riff at all
on the stupidity and the insanity of doing a three
game first round series and single elimination thereafter?

Speaker 7 (01:21:27):
Anybody, Dawn come on the show so we can uh,
so we can debate you, because what.

Speaker 3 (01:21:32):
Was wrong with home and what we what are we
doing be a soccer league?

Speaker 4 (01:21:38):
Thank you well, but a lot of people have been like,
I don't like that too because of road goals and
blah blah blah.

Speaker 3 (01:21:43):
I really think the world does it?

Speaker 4 (01:21:45):
I think yeah, And that's how I mols used to
do it and it was fine. And as you know,
you know, it's sour grapes about the Minnesota lost probably,
but like that series should have been.

Speaker 9 (01:21:55):
It's just unnatural. Yes, it's unnatural, is like what happened
in the game. I love? How about this?

Speaker 8 (01:22:01):
Why don't we start doing uh MLB playoffs with aggregates?

Speaker 9 (01:22:06):
How about that? How song with that.

Speaker 8 (01:22:10):
Home and away in the playoffs with agregate score for
MLB and tell me people would have los their minds.

Speaker 9 (01:22:16):
That's exactly what that's a that's.

Speaker 3 (01:22:18):
A good way.

Speaker 6 (01:22:19):
If you introduced this in the Champions League, like Champions League,
could you imagine how crazy people?

Speaker 7 (01:22:27):
Yes, we had a.

Speaker 4 (01:22:28):
Caller I thought we had a caller on our show
who said it the best, which is like, you know,
we were talking about how the PK shootout was exciting
for neutrals and it was.

Speaker 3 (01:22:37):
Like it was an entertaining moment. It's a manufactured moment.

Speaker 4 (01:22:40):
That game. That game shouldn't have happened. Yeah, it was
exciting to watch, but like it shouldn't have been happening.

Speaker 8 (01:22:45):
Totally, totally, and it happens because of what you said
is there's these focus groups that MLS talks to, and
those focus groups at times you're trying to get this,
you know, random fan or the medium fan, go.

Speaker 9 (01:22:59):
For your product soccer.

Speaker 8 (01:23:01):
If people don't want to watch soccer and want to
learn about soccer, If you don't want to learn about soccer,
if you're just a casual for you, then it's not
for you.

Speaker 7 (01:23:09):
It's also let's be real, let's let's let's say what
it actually was. Apple TV asked for more games, and
they gave them more games because MLS got billions of dollars.
That's what happened. That's how it goes. And just like
the stadium, how the stadium will raise the Sounders monetary
profile and the value of all those shares, which is
why the shareholders are willing to dilute their own shares

(01:23:30):
to build a stadium, because it will bring the value
of the league up. That's what we're doing. It's all
about money. The game is gone, thank.

Speaker 2 (01:23:37):
You, no, right, for everybody. Let's let's wrap it here.
Bringing it back to the twenty twenty five Sounders. I
think we all are in general agreement that the year
was a success. One League's Cup, seventy thousand people booing
and embarrassing Messy, so we.

Speaker 5 (01:23:57):
Have it was great.

Speaker 2 (01:24:00):
It's just what's funny is my wife rise it comes
to the game and and uh and afterwards, like the
first thing she says to me is is did MESSI play?

Speaker 3 (01:24:09):
And she was It was so and she wasn't even joking.

Speaker 5 (01:24:17):
I don't doubt it. I don't doubt it.

Speaker 2 (01:24:19):
What's I think she genuinely thought that he might have
come off at halftime or something.

Speaker 4 (01:24:24):
And that's the degree to which Obed Vargas and Christian
Roldand stole his soul literally.

Speaker 8 (01:24:29):
And for everybody who is a dogg in on Albert
and saying, my DP will never miss the sitter, go
look at that game and tell me the sitter that
Leon mess.

Speaker 9 (01:24:45):
I don't know.

Speaker 2 (01:24:45):
Apparently not so seasons of success, seventy thousand people beat him,
got the final trophy in the trophy cabinet, were the
only team ever to have had the whole anymo.

Speaker 5 (01:24:56):
We're done, the game.

Speaker 1 (01:24:57):
We're done.

Speaker 5 (01:24:58):
The game's beaten.

Speaker 7 (01:24:59):
We finished it.

Speaker 3 (01:25:00):
We finished the video games.

Speaker 2 (01:25:01):
Yeah, pretty darn cool, and Jordan Morris becomes the all
time leading goal scorer in Sounders UP history. Cool moments throughout,
really awesome through a game. The player guys, we beat
Portland at home.

Speaker 3 (01:25:18):
Thank you.

Speaker 2 (01:25:19):
Most cards ever in a season by far. Yeah, probably
he knew who got his act together? He came around
and he did did some solution he got he came around.

Speaker 7 (01:25:32):
Who's got his goal?

Speaker 5 (01:25:33):
Nominee dro That's.

Speaker 2 (01:25:35):
Pretty voted voted the greatest goal in Sounders FC history.

Speaker 3 (01:25:40):
By the crashed out in the locker room because of
a labor dispute. That yeah, shirts, See, this was a season.

Speaker 7 (01:25:50):
What what Jackson? It's about moments. It's beautiful.

Speaker 2 (01:25:55):
If there's a title for this podcast is it's about
moments ament we had? We had a lot of moments.
Unfortunately we didn't the moments at the very very end.
But ultimately, uh, it's a successful season. It's fun and
I think that maybe we'll do a roundtable to start
twenty twenty six, because Lord knows, this team is going
to change. There's going to be moves, there's going to
be news, it's going to be constant. I know you

(01:26:15):
guys in lobbing Scorches will be covered on it on
all basis, and Ares will probably do one off season
podcast like we always do.

Speaker 6 (01:26:21):
When we signed Robert Lewandowski, I'm we're doing around Holland.

Speaker 3 (01:26:26):
He's the poacher we need.

Speaker 9 (01:26:28):
I'm trying to get lose out here.

Speaker 5 (01:26:32):
Bringing you're actually being serious?

Speaker 9 (01:26:34):
Right?

Speaker 3 (01:26:34):
Oh?

Speaker 2 (01:26:34):
No?

Speaker 9 (01:26:34):
Hemn kidding that guy fired.

Speaker 3 (01:26:36):
He starts forn I know, but look at.

Speaker 9 (01:26:38):
His face, right, No, I would love that. I'm like,
I'm like, why are you smoking right now? I think
it's a star.

Speaker 3 (01:26:48):
I know, I know you know things. So I was like,
I was like, why are you so serious on this?

Speaker 7 (01:26:52):
That's just you know, we're about to get a graphic
on an Instagram account.

Speaker 8 (01:26:56):
Off that way, I said that my FIFA wishes FIAT.

Speaker 9 (01:27:02):
It whatever.

Speaker 3 (01:27:05):
Career where they give you three hundred million for the sounder?

Speaker 2 (01:27:08):
Yeah, exactly, Okay, anybody have anything else left to say?

Speaker 7 (01:27:12):
No?

Speaker 3 (01:27:13):
I think we hit it all. That was great, great
round table guys.

Speaker 8 (01:27:15):
I'm interested in what the ratings are on this thing.

Speaker 4 (01:27:19):
This.

Speaker 2 (01:27:24):
I haven't looked the numbers for this show in this podcast,
and I don't know how many.

Speaker 3 (01:27:27):
Years we're gonna hit double digit downloads success.

Speaker 2 (01:27:34):
My mom and my son, my wife, all the family members.
All right, well, let's wrap it up, and we thank
you all for listening. We're now ninety minutes deep here
in the Sounders Weekly Live Show, plus the now extended
edition here off the air, Ari, Lillian Wall and Noah
Rife host Lobbing Scorches. Get it wherever you get your podcast,
including the iHeart Radio app. Go subscribe to the Lobbing

(01:27:56):
Scorches YouTube. Nico moreno sports postal sounder art He joins
Lobbying Scorches. Also on Mondays for their kickoff show. Nico
does outstanding work at l Rollo and.

Speaker 3 (01:28:05):
W Hill Have.

Speaker 2 (01:28:06):
I imagine Nico, you're gonna be over the next few months.
You're gonna be tweeting some stuff and breaking some news
and doing your thing like you always do every off season.
Andrew Hurts and I here at kJ R, we thank
you so much for listening. As I mentioned there in
the live show, we thank everybody with the Sounders broadcast team.
It's been it's been a really fun year and I
think Noah you really wrapped it perfectly. It's about moments.

(01:28:28):
And we had a lot of really amazing moments this year.
And you know, this team, would they have one MLS
Cup if they got through Minnesota. Maybe maybe not.

Speaker 5 (01:28:38):
I injured.

Speaker 3 (01:28:39):
You never know on all these things.

Speaker 2 (01:28:40):
That's sports, right, and you just try to enjoy what
you can while they're there and while it's going, and
while it was going from February through here the start
of November, there was a lot of really really good
times and and this was a really really good time.

Speaker 3 (01:28:54):
I mean, I love you guys, and.

Speaker 2 (01:28:56):
You know, being this moment, I mean, this is I mean,
this is like that, and that's the like that's the thing,
like you know, a year from now whatever, or you know,
six months from now, look back at twenty twenty five,
and this will be one of the moments.

Speaker 3 (01:29:07):
And doing this with you.

Speaker 2 (01:29:08):
Guys because I love all you, and and I think
we have an absolute best media team, uh covering this
team and talking about this team of anybody. I'll put
it up against anybody in the league.

Speaker 5 (01:29:17):
Come at us, Iner Miami, come at us.

Speaker 3 (01:29:19):
So we'll just spit on you with that.

Speaker 2 (01:29:27):
We thank you all for listening to this addition, this
long edition of the season ending Sounders weekly. Everybody have
a very good offseason. Loving scorches will talk to you.
We'll talk to you here on more podcast diversions. Everybody
will do their thing, have a very very good offseason.

Speaker 3 (01:29:40):
Everybody take good care

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