April 30, 2025 • 45 mins
Tonight on Sounders Weekly, Jackson Felts reacts to the draw in Colorado plus Concacaf Champions Cup action with Anders Hirst, then takes a trip around MLS with Ari Liljenwall before previewing this week's match against St. Louis with Heath Pearce.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Coming to you live from our Elliot Avenue studios of
Sports Radio ninety three point three KJRFM. This is Sounders
Weekly with your host Jackson Felds.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Good even everybody, Welcome into Sounders Weekly. Jackson Feltz here
on this Wednesday evening, April thirtieth, talking about a Sounders
draw last weekend in Colorado, talking about Saint Louis coming up,
talking about CONCA CALF Champions Cup. Sounders are not in it,
but the team just to the north of US is,
(00:31):
and boy, that's an interesting club to talk about here.
As Andershurst running the show tonight, he was in Vancouver
to see the first leg of Vancouver white Caps versus
Enter Miami. As the Whitecaps are through to the CONCA
CAFF Champions Cup final. We'll talk about that here in
a few minutes. Also, later tonight we'll have Ari Lillienwall
(00:51):
Major League Soccer dot Com and the podcast Lobbing Scorches.
He will take us around the league. We'll talk about
the horrendous officiating in Sounders Rapids. We'll also talk about
the rest of MLS as the La Galaxies still have
not won a match in twenty twenty five, insane. We
will preview also Saint Louis with Heath Pierce Mless season
(01:12):
pass on Apple TV broadcaster Saint Louis match coming up
this Saturday back at Lumanfield.
Speaker 3 (01:17):
We're gonna have the game right here for you.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
Sports Radio ninety three point three KJRFM, Providence, Swedish premat
show of seven o'clock kickoff of seven point thirty right
here on ninety three point three. We'll preview that match
a little bit later on tonight, but we do start
with the Colorado draw, and I think I share a
lot of Sounders fans mindsets of it's frustrating because you
(01:40):
lead that match, you go in at halftime up one nothing,
and Danny Mazowski scores again, and Danny just keeps finding
away man like it's kind of amazing.
Speaker 3 (01:50):
You know.
Speaker 2 (01:50):
Obviously he's hold up, plays good. He's not the same
type of player as Jordan Morris by a long stretch,
but he keeps just doing his thing and poaching goals
and putting me in the back of the net, and offensively,
Pedro de Levega is looking good. Ryan Kent gets some
more minutes, but then you have the second half. Jordan
Morris goes down with a hamstring injury. We do not
(02:12):
know an update on that. We're still waiting for word
from head coach Brian Schmitzer. He was on with Softy
and myself yesterday and said, we have a second MRI
that we're sending over to Europe and we have to
get the results of that. So we don't have the
information on that yet. So we're waiting on Jordan Morris.
But either way, we're looking at a guy who's going
to be out at least a few weeks. And that,
(02:35):
you know, Anders, I think means the Danny Mazowski show
continues here for a while and he just keeps scoring.
Speaker 4 (02:40):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (02:40):
I mean, if he's scoring three straight games, there's not
gonna be much else we can ask of you at
that point. But I think one of the reasons why
he has been more successful is because even if he's
maybe not as talented of a player as Jordan Morris,
he fills that striker role which this team needs. Yeah,
and he kind of sits in the box, just gets
runs in behind, and he's there for the tap ends
when he's there, because I think all three of his
goals have been relatively simple finishes, but he's there and
(03:03):
he sits in that spot. I think with the combination
of Haysus Ferrera being a creative guy less than a
goal scorer, and then you know, you get the people
coming in from behind, whether it's Pedro de la Vega,
whether it's uh, you know, Paul Rothrock on the left.
It's a team that's kind of void of that striker presence,
and I think Dannyvessovski brings it.
Speaker 2 (03:23):
He certainly does, so, you know, and in credit to him,
he's just it's funny. He got engaged a few weeks ago,
and after getting engaged, it's three goals in three games.
And we were talking to him out it yesterday at
training was sort of just like, I do you think
that the confidence is.
Speaker 3 (03:35):
Sort of a bled over? And he was with a
kind of a smirky was just a smile. He's like, yeah,
might have a blend.
Speaker 6 (03:41):
Half.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
He's clearly kind of living his best life right now
and scoring goals and and doing good things off the
field as well. So ultimately, yes, you feel good up
one nothing at the halftime. Then Jordan Morris gets injured
in the second half. We'll see about that. But also
it's time to talk about the officiating, and and I
said it in every single of the postgame show, and
I'll just say it one time tonight. The Sounders should
(04:05):
have been playing a man up for the last forty
five minutes. And Alexis da Silva was the referee of
this match, the head referee, and boy, what a disaster
performance that was. I mean, well, let's start here by
the fact that the Sounders should have been up a
man because in the forty seventh minute they're fullback Jackson
Travis runs into Koalani Koza Rienzi and just just absolutely
(04:28):
destroys his shin most obvious yellow card. Some people might
even argue it to be a straight red maybe var
but I'm probably stretching there. Either way, it's a very
very obvious yellow, at least yellow. Jordan Travis was already
on a yellow card. So what you see in the
moment is Alexis da Silva running over to and he's
literally holding the yellow card in his pocket about to
(04:50):
show him the yellow and then in his ear, and
naturally some either either he hears it or even in
his internal monologue says, oh, this is Jack's Travis. He's
already on a yellow. This is gonna be his second
yellow and you can literally see him the process of
him saying, wait a second, Oh, I can't, I can't
give this. I'm gonna put my put it back in
(05:11):
the pocket, I'm gonna take my hand out, and I'm
just gonna give him a little.
Speaker 3 (05:15):
Talking to And it's a foul.
Speaker 2 (05:18):
Have some guts, man, That's what I would say, Like,
you know, come on, if it's aye, if it's a
second yellow card in the thirty ninth minute, if it's
a yellow card, period, in any minute, it's a yellow card,
there's a situation. Doesn't change because it just happens to
be two minutes into the second half. So do what
(05:40):
you have to do. Do your job, Alexis to Silva
and give the second yellow ware it's deserved because it
was so deserved as he just absolutely decimates Kalanikozerienzi's shin.
Ultimately he doesn't give it and Colorado stays even on men.
They get a free kick goal in the fifty fourth
minute by Mihailovich, and they later in the game score
(06:01):
nearly again. They actually do put a Navarro puts to
the ball in the back of the net, jumps over
Yamar and they Alexis to silver Russal foul In no
world is that a foul. I'm sorry, it's not. I
know it's a judgment call, but but it's for me.
I'm I am objective enough of a soccer fan to
say that's absolutely not a foul. He says it is,
(06:22):
and the goal comes off the board and it stays
one to one. So I would say this, Yes, you
are understanding Lexus to Silva that this game probably should
not be a Colorado win. So yeah, I'm gonna judgment
call rule foul right there and keep this game one one,
because I don't think Colorado should be getting a win
out of a game where they should have been playing
(06:42):
a man down. So ultimately in the game, you're saying,
does this game deserve a one to one? Yeah, it
absolutely does, so fair result. But it's the way you
went about it, Alexis. It's the way that this thing
fundamentally happened where you have to say that, oh, this
guy's gonna stay on because it's so early in the
second half, and oh, this isn't a goal because you know,
(07:02):
I can't give Colorado the lead in the game where
they shouldn't have a lead, right now, it's just it
was for my money, Andrews, it was. It was really
poor officiating on both sides.
Speaker 5 (07:13):
Yeah, I mean, is he standing right behind me, because
it sounds like you were talking directly to him.
Speaker 3 (07:16):
I'm right now, man.
Speaker 6 (07:18):
No.
Speaker 5 (07:19):
And the reality is these refs are humans, and I'm
actually a big advocate for taking as much out of
Var's hands as possible, but when you get decisions like these,
it's hard for me to defend the humans that are
deciding these games, and it shouldn't be put into their hands,
(07:39):
like if it's a if it's a call, it's a call.
That's just kind of the reality of where we are
in MLS at least, right. So unfortunately we see this
a little too often and I've almost gotten numb to
it at this point. And you have it on this
end where you have no intervention whatsoever, and you have
humans kind of determining the outcome of games. But then
(08:00):
you have on the opposite end, which I almost think
is more frustrating, when the refs can't make a call
because they expect a VAR to come in and make
a change if they make the wrong call, so then
they referee a game completely differently.
Speaker 6 (08:13):
Exactly.
Speaker 5 (08:13):
Maybe that's at play here as well. I have no idea.
I honestly, I don't know what the solution is. I
just feel like it wasn't perfect before we had var
but I think it was better than what we're getting
right now.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
Yeah, that's a tough and honestly that leads to a
bigger conversation about soccer on a global scale of you know,
you think about goal line technology and you think about
that impact on the game toe off side exactly.
Speaker 5 (08:38):
Really giving you an advantage.
Speaker 2 (08:41):
The way we look at those different graphs and the
different models on social media where they overlay certain things,
and then you know, Fox will use one graphic and
then they use a different graphic and which one is
the real graphic, which one is truly showing, you know,
if a guy's offside or not. And the whole system
seems a little bit skewed. I'm not sure what the
best system is, but all I know coming out of it,
(09:02):
And you said this, well, a call is a call,
and a card in the thirtieth minute is a card
in the forty seventh minute, and a play a foul
as a foul regardless of the setting, and for him
not to give the yellow card. The second yellow Jackson
Travis changed the entire dynamic of the game because Seattle
would have been playing a man up. Maybe Mihalovich doesn't get
(09:23):
that free kick, he doesn't get that goal in the
fifty fourth, and Sounders are walking away with three points,
which would have been nine points in their last three games. Ultimately,
it's still pretty good. We get a road result. All
of this to say, like, we got seven points in
the last three games, you got back to back wins,
you got a result on the road against a good
Colorado team. I shouldn't be too angry, but I am
(09:44):
because of the officiating. But ultimately, like this Sounder team
right now, the midfield's healthy, Albert Rusnak, you get Alex
schrol Don back as well. That competition at right wing
back is very interesting. Brian Schmitzer has a tough job
trying to figure out how to fit. You know, heyesus
Frera Pedro de la Vega and Albert Rusnak all on
the field together. Maybe he has to switch back to
(10:06):
the four two three one from the three four to three.
I'm not sure exactly how it'll function. But all that
to say that we're in a pretty good situation from
where we were four weeks ago. Now back on points.
Now in the playoff picture looking at LAFC San Diego
right above us, Sounders are kind of sitting in an
okay spot again.
Speaker 5 (10:25):
Yeah, it's funny when you do the kind of the
synopsis of the roster at this point, it seems like
the one thing that's missing and after all the offseason shuffling,
it's still a striker. It's still a goal scorer somehow,
even though Dames Hofsky has scored in three straight games.
Speaker 2 (10:38):
Yeah, I want to transition to CONCACAFF Champions Cup and
talk to Vancouver and the moment, I will just say
Osase de Rosario, striker forward out of Tacoma Defiance, incredible
season so far. I would be interested to see if
he gets a look from the Seattle Sounders because of
how well he's playing with the Fins. Okay, concor CALF
Champions Cup. The Vancouver white Caps, Yes, the team do
(11:01):
the North, which are probably the best team in Major
League Soccer right now. They are through to the conca
Calf Champions Cup final. They will either be playing Cruise
Azul or t Grace in the final because they are
now through with a five to one aggregate win over Miami.
They won two nothing at home last week you were
there to see it as and now three to one
(11:21):
tonight over Miami in Miami. They're through to the CONCA
Calf Final. I guess the question is why has Vancouver
been so successful against Messi and Miami.
Speaker 5 (11:31):
I don't think it's just Messi in Miami. I think
they're just like you said, probably the best team in
MLS Tright.
Speaker 3 (11:35):
Why are they so successful?
Speaker 5 (11:37):
It honestly reminds me of the Sounders at their best. Honestly,
when they were able to shut everyone down defensively. Kind
of frustrate now I know everyone else felt when they're
playing against us, because I went up kind of as
a Miami fan hoping that to see the Messi magic
is my first time watching him play, but I was
(11:57):
treated to a defensive masterclass from the Vancouver.
Speaker 3 (12:01):
Would they shut down Messi so well?
Speaker 5 (12:03):
I think just organization, physicality, and it's it's hard to
do that when you're playing against the best player of
all time. Even though he is a little on the
older side, he's not in his prime. But the way
that they were able to have numbers around him at
all times to where he would never have the ball
in space. He was always having to use his teammates,
(12:24):
and obviously his teammates are not messy, so that's the
best way you got to let them beat you and
MESSI will won't be the type of guy to try
and dribble through eight people and score a goal. He's
going to be make the right decision.
Speaker 3 (12:35):
And he has help on that Miami team and.
Speaker 5 (12:37):
Past to his teammates, right, But I don't think Suarez
is what he used to be. Bousquets played in that game,
but he wasn't as big of a factor. I will
say Miami dominated the first leg. They just weren't able
to score it because the Vancouver played so well defensively
and they got in the counter. Brian White's a real menace.
Got I hate watching him the last player of the month.
Speaker 3 (12:56):
God are we.
Speaker 5 (12:58):
Rooting for one of these Mexican teams to beat Vancouver?
Speaker 2 (13:01):
Personally? For me, Vancouver is our little brother and and
and Portland is just the person that we hate. And
when when the Vancouver Whitecaps are playing the Sounders, all
obviously you know feel different. But when the Vancouver white
Caps are kind of playing any other team. I don't
feel dirty rooting for him. And also, if they win
CONCACAFF Champions Cup, we still get to say the Sounders
(13:24):
are the only American team to win modern ARCACAFF Champions League, right,
So so yes, not the only MLS team, but still, like,
I don't know, I'm gonna I think I might find
myself rooting for Vancouver in the final. Absolutely, I'm probably
I'm in the I'm in the minority, I know you are,
but I absolutely will not I root against them. I
have friends up in Vancouver too, and the reporters up
(13:44):
there that.
Speaker 3 (13:45):
I love, so I can't do it.
Speaker 5 (13:47):
I'm sorry, I can't do.
Speaker 3 (13:47):
Michael McCall, I love you, buddy.
Speaker 5 (13:49):
It would it would even be hard for me to
root for Miami if they had moved on, because I
love the fact that the Sounders are still the only
MLS team to win the CONCA CALF. So I'm gone,
I'm gonna keep that badge of that that might win out.
Speaker 2 (14:01):
It'll be a tough It's gonna be a tough uh,
you know, I don't know. I'm gonna have to really
internally think about that, but I I I the Vancouver
Whitecaps team is a fun team to watch. They are
so organized and they're dynamic, and they're playing really well.
They're getting production out of a lot of different pieces.
I just I really enjoy watching good soccer, and I mean,
(14:23):
you saw it up there last week at BC places.
They're playing a really attractive form of soccer right now.
Speaker 5 (14:28):
I agree, and they it's not always like the dominating
possession tiki taka passes, but it's you're you're playing good
defense and you're getting on the counter, playing with pace,
and they have depth. They're a really good team.
Speaker 2 (14:40):
So Vancouver will be through to the final of CONCA
CAFT Champions Cup, looking to be the second MLS team
ever to win modern CONCA CALF Champions League. So last
Champions Cup either Cruise or T Grace in the final.
They play it tomorrow night one, one aggregate between those
two teams. All right, let's switch back talk some sounders.
Let's talk sounders. Look, I'm gonna continue on the officiating front,
(15:02):
and then we'll switch and transition by talking about Saint
Louis ahead. We'll get Ari Lillenwalng next and also Heath Pierce.
MLS season passed on Apple TV broadcaster. So we got
Arian Heath coming up here. It is Sounders Weekly talking
all things Sounder Soccer right here on Sports Radio ninety
three point three KJRFM.
Speaker 1 (15:20):
Now back to Sounders Weekly on your home for Saunders FC.
Seattle's Sports Radio ninety three point three kjr FM.
Speaker 2 (15:29):
Welcome back everybody, Sounders Weekly. Jackson feltz here. Good to
spend some time with you here tonight hour long, seven
to a pm every Wednesday, covering Seattle Sounders FC soccer.
Thanks to anders Hurst for lending his expertise there in
that first segment and running the show tonight talking about
the Vancouver Miami situation. He was again back there in
(15:50):
Vancouver last week for the first leg of that talk
a little white Caps there and in addition to Sounders.
As we kind of continue on here talking about Seattle's
one to one draw and talking about lots of stuff
happening in the rest of Major League Soccer, our good
friend Ari Lillian Wall will join us here in a moment.
I will tell you folks that Sounder's FC Soccer is
presented by Providence Swedish, the official healthcare partner of Sounders FC, Arilillianwall.
(16:14):
Major League Soccer dot Com his podcast Lobbing Scorchers, joins us.
Right now, Ari, how you doing, buddy.
Speaker 6 (16:21):
I'm good Jackson, How are you good?
Speaker 3 (16:23):
Good?
Speaker 1 (16:23):
Ari?
Speaker 2 (16:23):
Let's let's start with Seattle and their last game in Colorado.
We can get your two cents, but I'm just gonna
jump right into it because I was pretty furious the
last segment. I've been pretty furious for the last four
days about the officiating by Alexis da Silva, the fact
that he is going to hand out a second yellow
(16:43):
but only puts the card back in after he finds
out that it's going to be a second yellow. There
is a Colorado goal that he disallows, which, again, like
we as all Sounder fans, I think are smart enough
to say that that probably should have been a goal,
but he called a foul.
Speaker 3 (16:58):
There's a bunch of other examples, but.
Speaker 2 (17:01):
I was very frustrated by the officiating on Saturday for
both ways, and it clearly affected the game.
Speaker 3 (17:09):
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (17:09):
We can talk about the game itself and you can
get your two cents, but I'm just still very frustrated
that we have officials this bat in MLS.
Speaker 6 (17:18):
Yeah, I mean, I think in this particular case, it
ended up affecting both teams, like on those two calls
that you mentioned, So it's ultimately a wash I think
at the end of the day, and I think one
to one was a fair result for the game. But
I definitely, you know, anyone saying that Seattle got bailed
out on the disallowed goal, like it is a fact
that Colorado got equally if not more bailed out, because
(17:42):
like you said, they should absolutely have been playing the
rest of that match a man down. So but like
I said, it affected both teams.
Speaker 2 (17:51):
So yeah, I'm wondering, you know, I don't know, maybe
you know this, maybe you don't, but like the recourse
for like what happens now and what the protocol is,
because and we've seen this before where officials are just
have such a horrendous effect on the game, Like is
there protocols in place where there are no longer head
refs for x amount of time or reviews that take
(18:13):
place for a referee because we always see the disciplinary
actions come out and all that stuff, and that's nice,
but like what about disciplinary actions against referees.
Speaker 6 (18:23):
I honestly don't know. But the thing is, like a
call like the Navarro non goal is entirely subjective. You know,
it seems like pretty clear to us. But in the moment,
I don't think like a referee would be reprimanded for
making a judgment call that we might disagree with it,
but it is a judgment call at the end of
the day.
Speaker 3 (18:42):
That's fair.
Speaker 2 (18:43):
Again, I would just kind of look at the second
yellow that he doesn't give to Jackson Travis there in
the forty seventh minute and say, man, if you're not
giving a second yellow just because, oh, I don't want
to eject him from the game, Like if it's a
yellow card in the thirty ninth minute, if it's a
second yellow, it's a second yell in the forty seventh
You know that just pisses me off. Ari Lillion was
(19:05):
our guest Major League Soccer dot Com his podcast Lobbing Scorches.
They go live on Monday mornings and go live on
Thursday nights. Also check out Lobbing Scorches wherever you get
your podcasts, including the iHeartRadio app. All right, man, let's
look at Seattle's next game. Saint Louis City coming to
town in Lumenfield this coming Saturday night, and Saint Louis
(19:26):
City Boy they were second SRI away from beating LAFC
this last weekend.
Speaker 6 (19:32):
They were, and it was a bit of an out
of character performance for them because they scored multiple goals,
which I think that brings their season total up to seven.
So this is definitely a team. I mean, Seattle played
them earlier this year and lost one zero. That's what
a lot of their games look like. Best I can tell.
Their new coach is not all that interested in scoring goals,
(19:53):
so you know, you might think that makes them less
of a threat to beat you, but they are a
team that's gonna frustrate you, grind it out, and they're
really really difficult to break down, even if they only
have seven goals on the season, So it's kind of it.
It's a trickier matchup than you might think just by
looking at where they are on the table.
Speaker 2 (20:13):
So if you're Seattle and you're facing a team who's
a little bit more difficult in that regard. We've been
running this three four to three system for Brian Spencer,
and obviously we're looking again at Danny Mazowski being the
top of any formation. But there's then the added question
of do you switch formations back to the four two
three one so that you can fit in instead of
two attacking midfielders underneath Massovski, you can fit three attacking midfielders. Heyesuss,
(20:38):
Albert Rusnak who's now healthy, and Pedro dalea Vega.
Speaker 6 (20:41):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (20:42):
If you were head coaching the Seattle Sounders, do you
switch back to the four two three one this week
specifically so that you have an added attacking midfielder to
try to break down Saint Louis.
Speaker 4 (20:53):
Oh.
Speaker 6 (20:53):
I think that's a good shout. Definitely an option. I
frankly would would keep the hot hand that's been getting
you goals and results, which is how they've been running
it with Moose up top there the last couple of weeks,
and the changes at halftime, I think, you know, might
have had something to do without that game went in
the second half, so I would kind of I think
(21:15):
you have something that's been working the last few weeks.
You're two oho to one over your last three. I
might just keep running with that, to be honest.
Speaker 2 (21:21):
That's an interesting observation about how the game went there
in the second half. I mean, you make the change
for Jordan, and I know later on it was Albert
as well, but yeah, It's interesting to think about what
would have happened if Mazovski had stayed on and you
continue to reward him, and you just continue to ease
Jordan back in. Instead of forty five, you do thirty.
And obviously, you know, Morris late in that game makes
(21:43):
the run and gets injured again. I mean, gosh, it's
just so frustrating for Jordan Morris.
Speaker 6 (21:49):
Ari.
Speaker 3 (21:49):
Let's so, let's bounce around the rest of the league.
Speaker 2 (21:51):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (21:52):
You mentioned Saint Louis.
Speaker 2 (21:53):
You said you said they've scored seven goals so far
this year, seven total.
Speaker 6 (21:58):
Yeah, seven goals, and I think they've can seated like
eight or something.
Speaker 2 (22:01):
Okay, seven goals is the total for Saint Louis this year.
Seven goals was the total for Nashville on Saturday against Chicago.
Ye seven to two, Nashville beating Chicago. And I probably
can't say the words that I know, I can't say
the words that I texted you. But bj Callahan, the
(22:23):
former assistant to Greg Burholter with the United States Men's
National team, he just he took it to his former
his former Boston.
Speaker 6 (22:32):
Yeah, no, he really did. I kind of forgot about
that USMNT rematch. Your initial match connection there. But I
think it was definitely showed that the Chicago Fire are
not as far along in their rebuild under Greg Burholter
as we might have thought. After they've looked okay to
start the season and then Nashville, I mean, they've just
(22:54):
been playing some legitimately good ball. I will, like, you know,
the fact that the Sounders beat them three year and
handled them easily at home the week before. He is
looking a little better now because that's closer to how
they've been playing. I mean, they haven't been a scoring
seven goals a game, but they've been a pretty good
team offensively, and they absolutely erupted in that one. So
it makes the Sounders result look a little better, I think.
(23:15):
And really I think that was more about Chicago just
really laying an absolute tag more than it is Nashville
sc being that good. But no, they're definitely playing really
well right now.
Speaker 2 (23:26):
A lot of that's Burhalter system right where like you know,
it can go real good or it can go real bad.
And it went real I mean that game was seven
to nothing on the fifty seventh minute, where Surge scores
four goals. Player of the Week and boy Seattle just
I mean, he they held him down, but what a
game he had with four goals and seven total for Nashville. Again,
(23:47):
that's as many as Saint Louis has scored this entire season.
They're coming to town this week. All right, Let's get
back to the Western Conference. San Diego was in a
very good spot a few weeks ago after beating Seattle three,
and then they've kind of, you know what the bed
over the last couple of weeks. What's the explanation for
why San Diego suddenly sucks.
Speaker 6 (24:09):
Yeah, I'm not really sure, but they definitely have cooled
down quite a bit or come back down to earth,
which I think isn't the craziest thing I've ever heard.
Expansion sides tend to go through ebbs and flows like that.
But after the first few weeks of the season and
what they did to Seattle, we were all talking about
them like they could be an LAFC Atlanta United type
(24:32):
expansion team that really comes in takes the league best
storm and competes for trophies right away. I think with
what we've seen in the last few weeks, we need
to slow our role on that. I'm not so sure
about that at this point. They could still go on
to have a very very good season, but I don't
know if they're quite as dominant as they look to
start the season.
Speaker 2 (24:51):
Yeah, dominant, and that three nothing went over Seattle and
then three to two lost to Colorado, three nothing lost
to Charlotte, and then at home a three to one lost.
They all saw lakes this last weekend where they looked
real bad. So yeah, San Diego is very surprising, staying
out west and staying in southern California. I cannot believe
my eyes. The Los Angeles Galaxy ari have still not
(25:16):
won a game. They're three and seven. I know we've
joked on them before, but I guess that the question
now is, you know, the Los Angeles Galaxy really just
destined to be a bottom dweller this year. Is there
any hope or I mean they lost four to two
to Portland. The defense is looking trash. I mean, is
(25:37):
there any hope for the LA Galaxy?
Speaker 6 (25:41):
I mean, I think there's a hope that it will
get better than this. I mean, Ricky Pooge should theoretically
come back at some point, and it's hard to imagine
even with all the changes in the turnover they had
that a team that just won MLS Cup is gonna
suddenly be the Wooden Spoon contender that was. It's already
they're off to the worst that's never happened, right, and
he's never ever happened in the league's history that a
(26:02):
team has gone from now.
Speaker 3 (26:03):
Yeah, no, there's no way.
Speaker 6 (26:06):
So, like, I don't know if I expect them to
be this bad all year, but we're at the point now.
I mean, uh yeah, match day We're going into match
day eleven and they have yet to win a game.
So it's definitely the worst start to a season a
defending title winner has ever had.
Speaker 2 (26:22):
Yeah, both the Galaxy and Montreal both have no wins,
seven losses and three draws, So both of them are
in contention for the Wooden Spoon right now, and leslie
with him. We have a minute here, allri let's quickly
wrap up going back to the Eastern Conference. You know,
last year Philadelphia, the Union had such a tough year
and obviously the transitioning out of the Jim Curtin era
(26:44):
and everything else, and I believe you know McGlenn as well,
leaving to go to Houston, and at least I had
questions of are we witnessing kind of a new normal
for Philadelphia last year, and they've risen straight back up
nineteen points right right now, they're looking pretty darn good.
Another nice win this week, Philadelphia Union, and just if
(27:06):
we can just talk about sort of just the rise
back to where.
Speaker 3 (27:10):
They're normally at here in the MLS standings.
Speaker 6 (27:14):
Yeah, I mean, I think it reaffirms that they are
a club that has one of the most just solid
foundations and infrastructures in the league when you take into
account how they're run, how they're scouting, and then they
have pretty much second.
Speaker 3 (27:27):
To none youth development.
Speaker 6 (27:28):
They churn out first team players that get transferred to
Europe like it's nothing they did. They pretty much every
single home grown guy that they have coming up always
seems to be able to contribute to the first team.
They got Quinn Sullivan breaking out, They got Cavin Sullivan
coming up. So I think, you know, like what the
Philly Union are doing and what the white Caps are
doing right now, I think it underscores the importance of
(27:50):
things like your culture and your infrastructure and just your
all around foundation as an organization that breeds success like
more than what it United did, which is just throw
thirty million dollars at the roster seemingly without even thinking
about it, and look at them. They're off to their
worst starting club history. So like clubs like the Philly
Union and like the White Calfs, those are the clubs
(28:12):
that other clubs should be looking to emulate in terms
of how they terms how they team build, because what
they're doing is really impressive and neither neither of those
clubs spend big like Atlanta or like even like LAFC.
Speaker 2 (28:24):
If I told you, though, let's say two three months ago,
that at some point in the next few months, you're
going to say the words other clubs must emulate what
the Vancouver white Caps are doing, you probably would have
slapped me for being crazy.
Speaker 6 (28:38):
Yeah, no, I would not have necessarily called that, But
like they're I mean, they're the best team in the
league right now.
Speaker 3 (28:44):
You gotta look at.
Speaker 6 (28:45):
What they're doing and figure they did something right.
Speaker 2 (28:47):
Even dealing with Conca, CAFs still getting a three to
one win over Minnesota this week. So impressive of the
Vancouver white Caps, All right, Ari Grace seven in that
Minnesota game, we don't have time for it, and I
know we could just lament on how ridiculous is. But
there was of course something that happened where a Minnesota
player yelled something or said something I believe racial against
(29:09):
one of the Vancouver players. I don't know much about
the situation, just that both clubs had to put out statements.
MLS is investigating, but terrible situation. I mean, God, if
your player fans, I mean, you made the great comment
about San Diego fans earlier this year. Just it's very simple,
don't do the dumb racist chant or homophobic chant. And
in this if you're a player, it's simple, don't say
(29:30):
the racist thing. All right, Ari, good stuff, buddy, We
got to run. Thanks so much for the time. We'll
talk next week after the Sounders Saint Louis game.
Speaker 6 (29:38):
That was good, Thanks Jackson.
Speaker 2 (29:40):
It's good stuff there from Ari Lillianwall. Check out his
podcast Lobbying Scorches wherever you get your podcasts, including the
iHeartRadio app. Their YouTube channel, Lobbing Scorches goes live Monday
mornings Thursday nights. Subscribing get notified when they go live.
We'll switch gears here in Sounders week. Lee Before we do,
I want to tell you michelob Ultra is ninety five
calories and two point six grams of carbs. It's only
(30:01):
worth it if you enjoyed all right Shifting Gears. We're
gonna kind of give an in depth preview now of
Sounders Saint Louis Heath Pierce MLS season pass on Apple
TV Broadcaster. He will join us next to break down
Sounders Saint Louis City. That's next here on Sounders Weekly
Sports Radio ninety three point three KJRFM.
Speaker 1 (30:21):
Now back to Sounders Weekly on your home for sunders
FC Ceedl's Sports Radio ninety three point three kjr FL.
Speaker 2 (30:29):
Welcome back everybody, Sounders Weekly. Jackson Feldt's going to be
with you here on this Wednesday night thanks to our
guest so far Tonight our producer Tonight andrews Hurst for
talking some CCC and Sounders and then Ari Lillian wallat
previous segment. Check out the podcast in case you missed it,
Sounders Weekly wherever you get your podcasts, including the iHeartRadio app.
We are looking ahead here in the final segment Tonight
(30:51):
to Sounders Saint Louis City sc that comes up this
weekend at Lumenfields Saturday Night Providence, Swedish premat shows seven
o'clock here off of seven point thirty right here. Sports
Radio ninety three point three KJR FM. You also listen
in Spanish legage on l Ray thirteen sixty. You'd also
watch the match on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.
(31:13):
And the man who's gonna be calling that alongside Mark
Rogan Diino is the man who's joining us right now,
Heath Pierce, back on the radio show. Heath, welcome back
to Manda Sounders Weekly.
Speaker 3 (31:24):
How are you.
Speaker 4 (31:26):
I'm doing all right, Thanks for having me, Thanks.
Speaker 3 (31:28):
For coming back on.
Speaker 2 (31:29):
I always love having people with former Northwest connections, obviously
you being former University of Portland, and it's good to
get you back on. We spent I remember the last time,
we spent so much time talking about the great talent
to come out of a University of Portland there. So
we'll focus on a lot more soccer than stories this time, Heath,
(31:50):
and I always love kind of just starting these conversations
with the national broadcasters by getting the national perspective on
the Seattle Sounders. You know, we had such a tough
start to the year. Now, you know, seven points in
the last three games. What are you seeing? And then
kind of you know, picking up from our Sounders out
here in the Northwest.
Speaker 4 (32:10):
Well, I think for the Sounders it's about full strength squad, right.
So if you look at you know, the starting team
last weekend, plus who came off the bench, you're nearing
a pretty full strength roster, right, And I think that's
the thing that's been missing for Seattle. Obviously we see
it in spurts, We've seen it in the past that
(32:30):
Seattle is very capable of starting a little slow, rounding
in the form and being virtually unstoppable. And if you
look at these last three matches, specifically unbeaten in those
three trending in the right direction, and then from a
health standpoint, getting back to at least close to full health,
and then adding a Ryan Kenton to the lineup and
(32:50):
just adding some dynamics where you start to have some
competition for positions. You're starting to push your team forward
and really work towards being one of the top teams
in the West.
Speaker 2 (33:01):
Yeah, I think that's kind of the goal here. And obviously,
you know it's this sort of you know, a step forward,
a step back, you know, losing Jordan Morris hamstring injury,
and you know, we just don't know how long Jordan
Morris is going to be out, but but Danny Mazovsky's
sort of just kind of been a revelation over the
last few weeks. And one of the interesting things is
Heath Pierce joins us MLS season Pass on Apple TV
(33:22):
Broadcaster is how it's a guy who's who's struggled so
much in his time in Rave Green and then suddenly
he gets engaged and the confidence has spilled out over
onto the field. I mean, you were a defender, and
I think it's interesting kind of just looking at the
perspective from from that side of you know, a guy
in Danny Mazoski who's you know, always kind of just
been around in chances and is now favillia. I mean,
(33:44):
it's it's kind of hard to, I imagine, to defend
a guy like Danny who's just now playing with such
confidence and you know, being the kind of the poacher
forward who's getting behind back lines over and over.
Speaker 4 (33:58):
Oh yeah, absolutely. And you know, you go back to
maybe twenty twenty three with salt Lake and we saw
a few.
Speaker 3 (34:06):
Of those goals.
Speaker 4 (34:07):
He's not a prolific goal scorer, but he's an energy guy,
right when you have him on the field, he'll chase
the ball. So when you're a defender, you have a
guy like that who just makes you uncomfortable a lot, right,
And then when he finds that form, when he's going
to run the balls to the channel, he's going to
get in over the top, he's going to get in
the box and be busy. And then when that goal
scoring confidence kicks up, we're seeing a different side to him.
(34:28):
So now you're getting that workhorse off the ball, doing
a lot of that dirty work, and now he's getting
rewarded in the form of goals. You need that, and
when you look across Major League Soccer, you know a
lot of the teams, especially with the complexity of Seattle Club,
World Cup and just a busy schedule, like you need
to have some depth, and that could come from injury
(34:49):
or from rotation. You need to have a player like
that that's in this kind of form, because whether he
starts consistently from here on out or he's a guy
you bring off the bench from time to time, he's
going to have that belief said I want that starting position.
I'm proven that I can score, and I think that
can be electric. But more than anything. It's this energy
that I really like when you're a team that's searching
for results, going through tough times, when you have somebody
(35:11):
and you can't point to one spot on the field
where you're going to get your goals right now with
maybe Jordan Moores not being on the field, When you
have guys that are willing to do the work and
then you can get rewarded for that, I think that
really builds competence of the team.
Speaker 2 (35:23):
Yeah, you can see, you know, being able to reward
the entire starting lineup that went and beat Nashville three nothing,
and we saw what Nashville did this last week to Chicago.
But that team being three nothing, then reward them with
the start at Colorado and you know, getting the one
nothing lead to We'll see what Brian Schpenzer does with
you know, you talked about the depth and it's such
(35:43):
a deep midfield right now that we'll see kind of
if they even have to change a formation to fit
more midfielders in there. It's an interesting conversation and it
must be an interesting debate inside of the halls at
Long Acres at Sounders Facility for what to do with
all the midfield depth they have a Heath Pierces with
us MLS season pass on Apple TV. That's where you'll
(36:04):
be able to watch Sounders Saint Louis City this weekend.
He and Mark Rogandino will have the call seven thirty kickoff.
He let's talk to Saint Louis team that doesn't score
very much and they nearly got a win over l
EFC this last week. What kind of the Saint Louis
City team are we going to be seeing this weekend.
Speaker 4 (36:25):
Well, it's tough to say. I think again, they've been
inconsistent in results. They're still looking for that sort of
run of form where it's not a win here and
then you're you know, you're grinding through. I think they've
kept themselves in games as a testament to their capabilities.
With with the four draws that they've had on the season,
they still very much have a very capable lineup. Obviously,
(36:46):
in that game with with LAFC, LAFC really dominant possession,
creating the bulk of chances. But you know, at the end,
when you look at the score line of a two
to two, that's a pretty tightly contestant one. In that
crucial moment, we're seeing obviously the LFC STUF up and
crucial moments as well. But you're seeing Saint Louis being
capable of pushing teams date deep into games, but we've
(37:09):
yet to see them really break out this season in
a way that we have seen in the past.
Speaker 3 (37:14):
In terms of that breakout, Are there, are there? Is there?
Speaker 2 (37:17):
I guess hope and is there concern from Seattle's side
that that breakout could be coming from from certain players
or certain tactics. Obviously it's we've seen more of a
defensive squad exactly what you said, keeping them late in games.
But is there I thought that Saint Louis could be
nearing a breakout or did it happen last week?
Speaker 3 (37:36):
Is that the breakout l e FC game?
Speaker 4 (37:39):
I mean, I think anybody that gets a result against LAFC,
even if it's a draw, feels like, hey, we're facing
what is the league's best in a lot of categories,
and you can build and and and and grow on
that type of result. I think if you're them, you
give up that stoppage time goal and you've got to
be feel pretty hard done right in terms of not
(38:00):
leading LA. So it depends on how you frame that
I'm assuming they're like, hey, we were this close. We
did all the things we needed to do. We should
have taken all three points out of this, and we didn't.
So there's a little disappointment and that that maybe can
see seek into a locker room in terms of like, Okay,
we're doing well, we're keeping teams late, but we're not
making that final play, we're not doing that last thing
(38:20):
that gets us the result. Now, you know, we talk
about this a lot in MLS, and there's a lot
of these teams that may be struggling early on in
the season of like you don't want to face them.
This could be their breakout game, this could be the one.
And they've obviously got a lot of talent and and
and toy kerd Hartel, Klaus Hebert's and another talented one, Becker.
They've got a lot of options on the front end
(38:43):
that they can punish you with and it just hasn't
really come together. And so that does create for pretty
interesting dynamic. Right They're not they're not creating a ton
of goal scoring opportunities just yet. Their best players are
not creating a lot of I think high quality chances
right just yet. But they are proven players. It's just
kind of trying to find that and so you really
(39:05):
do have to turn on because they can they can,
they can rack it up against you if they start
to find some of that rhythm that they they've had
in the past, these tunded players.
Speaker 2 (39:13):
Yeah, and they got that rhythm obviously this last game
and just kind of the very end there. And you'd
think for for roll Off Melburg their new head coach,
I mean, he's been around and so much time, you know,
spent it in Sweden and elsewhere in Europe. I know,
aston Villa is a place that he played for a
long time. Uh, you'd think that the messaging is, look, guys,
we were so close, you know, on the road LAFC.
(39:34):
You know, in that environment, we just got to put
it together. But it's also a team in Saint Louis
that just beat the Sounders six weeks ago, won nothing
with that great free quick from from Louvin there in
the first half, and for us Sounders coming out of
that game, we were just saying, gosh, if you don't
give up that goal, that's a result on the road,
and you know, ultimately we're looking at it as a
loss for Seattle. But Uh, you know, I think the
(39:56):
big question for for Saint Louis is for all off Melburg,
you know, what, what kind of team can he craft
into this week coming off of that two to two game.
And I think you're right, you just say all those
things and get the mentality to shift. Heath Pierce joining
us MLS Season Pass on Apple TV broadcaster gonna be
calling Sounders Saint Louis City this weekend, switching gears a
(40:18):
little bit. Heath, You and Mark called the RSL San
Diego game this last week, and that was when I
caught a little bit of watching it back and it
interested me specifically from the San Diego side, because and
I talked about this a little bit with our previous
guest in our last segment, but the element of San
Diego looked so good to start the year. They beat
(40:40):
the Sounders three nothing, and then since that three nothing
went over Seattle, san Diego has kind of fallen apart
a little bit, including this last week. What's going on
in your eyes with San Diego right now?
Speaker 4 (40:54):
Well, interestingly, in this one, San Diego was really good
for the first thirty minutes. I mean, the patterns of play,
the dynamic capabilities, of this team. They do some really
interesting things right. They had both center backs hitting forty
yard balls over the top directly in the path of
strikers getting in behind, creating chances. When when that then
(41:15):
forced RSL to maybe drop off a little bit, they
were then able to pass through the middle and create
gaps in the half turn. They had a lot of
really unique sort of ways in which they can beat you. Possession,
very strong, very comfortable building out of the back, all
those things that you go from an entertainment standpoint amazing.
From an effective standpoint, getting into those dangerous areas was phenomenal,
(41:36):
just in terms of, like fifteen minutes into the game,
clear picture as to how they were going to be
able to beat you. You drop off, they'll play you
through the middle, they have that quality, you play high line,
they'll go over the top direct and those things. Like
a lot of teams or maybe have one of those dimensions,
and they had both of those. They give up a
goal late before the half, they score one back, they
go into half level, and then the second half it
(41:59):
was like seeing a completely different team. I mean, I'm
telling you that that first thirty minutes that was arguably
the best team in the league in terms of the
clear picture on how they win the ball back, how
they can play through you the different ways in which
RSL set up and tried to like maybe poke in
prod to see like where their vulnerabilities. They were able
to answer that in a very clear way. Their build ups,
(42:21):
their movements, the patterns, the timing, everything was spot on.
Second half completely different. Team looked a little more disjointed,
almost like they're going through like they're going through in
these last weeks of Okay, earlier on in the season, right,
those patterns of play, all of that clean stuff was
leading the goals, it was rewarding them in a lot
(42:42):
of ways. They were building in confidence over the ninety minutes.
But now they get kind of punched a few times
and they're still searching for a little bit of that
I think adversity that the team will build upon. Right,
So they got the confidence from success early on, Now
they're struggling with results a little bit. How are they
now going to respond and re build and get back
to the fundamentals that made them good. And I think
(43:02):
that's the difference of whether or not we're going to
see this team competing as a potential deep playoff run
in their first year, or a team where we go, Okay,
they've got a lot, they've got most of the pieces,
but there's just maybe a little piece of when you're
bringing a new team together. Now they're facing that adversity.
Can they climb a little bit higher and go a
little bit harder to be to get back to where
(43:23):
they work?
Speaker 2 (43:23):
Interesting, that's really good inside. I'm probably going to take
that answer there and then chop it up and play
it back in four weeks because exactly four weeks from
today Sounders playing and hosting San Diego FC first time,
the newest expansion club here at MLS will be facing
the here at lumen Field. That's really good inside on
(43:43):
one what San Diego is doing. It'd be very interested
to see their games coming up here before we face
them again on May twenty eighth. Awesome stuff. Heith, appreciate
your time. Look forward to hearing you with Mark on
the call on Saturday at lumen Field.
Speaker 3 (43:57):
Safe travels up here, We'll hear you soon.
Speaker 4 (44:00):
Can Can I get a quick weather check and do
I need to bring a jacket or what am I
coming up to this?
Speaker 2 (44:05):
It's a very good question because just you know yesterday
it was rainy. Monday night, it was rainy here in
Seattle right now Saturday morning. It's supposed to be a
little bit rainy Friday night. But it looks like we're
looking at cloudy skies just you know, not a big
chance of rain on Saturday evening, the very little chance
of rain on Sunday. So I think you'll probably see cloudy,
(44:27):
not too warm. I would imagine probably fifty five fifty
four degrees at kickoff, cloudy skies, so maybe bring in
just a light rain jacket, but you might not even
need it.
Speaker 3 (44:39):
I love it.
Speaker 4 (44:40):
Cloudy and cool, perfect soccer conditions.
Speaker 2 (44:42):
I'll take that exactly so well, Brian Schmetzer and Melbury,
that's for sure, all right, Thanks so much, enjoy. I
look forward to seeing you up here in Seattle.
Speaker 4 (44:51):
Sounds good. Thanks for having me.
Speaker 2 (44:52):
Heath Pierce MLAs season Pass on Apple TV. So I
guess there's your weather forecast for the game against Saint
Louis City coming up on Saturday night. One more time.
MLS Season pass on Apple TV. That's where you can
watch the game and also listen in Spanish language on
the radio station l RAY thirteen sixty.
Speaker 3 (45:09):
I would encourage all of you to set.
Speaker 2 (45:11):
This is your pre set for Saturday night, because we
will have the broadcast right here on Saturday evening ninety
three point three KJRFM Provident Swedish premat show of seven
o'clock kickoff of seven thirty for sounders and Saint Louis.
That'll do it for the show tonight. Thanks to all
of our guests. We will talk to you on Saturday
at seven pm. Have a good rest of your week
(45:32):
and Fox Sports Radio is coming up next
Coming to you live from our Elliot Avenue studios of
Sports Radio ninety three point three KJRFM. This is Sounders
Weekly with your host Jackson Felds.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Good even everybody, Welcome into Sounders Weekly. Jackson Feltz here
on this Wednesday evening, April thirtieth, talking about a Sounders
draw last weekend in Colorado, talking about Saint Louis coming up,
talking about CONCA CALF Champions Cup. Sounders are not in it,
but the team just to the north of US is,
(00:31):
and boy, that's an interesting club to talk about here.
As Andershurst running the show tonight, he was in Vancouver
to see the first leg of Vancouver white Caps versus
Enter Miami. As the Whitecaps are through to the CONCA
CAFF Champions Cup final. We'll talk about that here in
a few minutes. Also, later tonight we'll have Ari Lillienwall
(00:51):
Major League Soccer dot Com and the podcast Lobbing Scorches.
He will take us around the league. We'll talk about
the horrendous officiating in Sounders Rapids. We'll also talk about
the rest of MLS as the La Galaxies still have
not won a match in twenty twenty five, insane. We
will preview also Saint Louis with Heath Pierce Mless season
(01:12):
pass on Apple TV broadcaster Saint Louis match coming up
this Saturday back at Lumanfield.
Speaker 3 (01:17):
We're gonna have the game right here for you.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
Sports Radio ninety three point three KJRFM, Providence, Swedish premat
show of seven o'clock kickoff of seven point thirty right
here on ninety three point three. We'll preview that match
a little bit later on tonight, but we do start
with the Colorado draw, and I think I share a
lot of Sounders fans mindsets of it's frustrating because you
(01:40):
lead that match, you go in at halftime up one nothing,
and Danny Mazowski scores again, and Danny just keeps finding
away man like it's kind of amazing.
Speaker 3 (01:50):
You know.
Speaker 2 (01:50):
Obviously he's hold up, plays good. He's not the same
type of player as Jordan Morris by a long stretch,
but he keeps just doing his thing and poaching goals
and putting me in the back of the net, and offensively,
Pedro de Levega is looking good. Ryan Kent gets some
more minutes, but then you have the second half. Jordan
Morris goes down with a hamstring injury. We do not
(02:12):
know an update on that. We're still waiting for word
from head coach Brian Schmitzer. He was on with Softy
and myself yesterday and said, we have a second MRI
that we're sending over to Europe and we have to
get the results of that. So we don't have the
information on that yet. So we're waiting on Jordan Morris.
But either way, we're looking at a guy who's going
to be out at least a few weeks. And that,
(02:35):
you know, Anders, I think means the Danny Mazowski show
continues here for a while and he just keeps scoring.
Speaker 4 (02:40):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (02:40):
I mean, if he's scoring three straight games, there's not
gonna be much else we can ask of you at
that point. But I think one of the reasons why
he has been more successful is because even if he's
maybe not as talented of a player as Jordan Morris,
he fills that striker role which this team needs. Yeah,
and he kind of sits in the box, just gets
runs in behind, and he's there for the tap ends
when he's there, because I think all three of his
goals have been relatively simple finishes, but he's there and
(03:03):
he sits in that spot. I think with the combination
of Haysus Ferrera being a creative guy less than a
goal scorer, and then you know, you get the people
coming in from behind, whether it's Pedro de la Vega,
whether it's uh, you know, Paul Rothrock on the left.
It's a team that's kind of void of that striker presence,
and I think Dannyvessovski brings it.
Speaker 2 (03:23):
He certainly does, so, you know, and in credit to him,
he's just it's funny. He got engaged a few weeks ago,
and after getting engaged, it's three goals in three games.
And we were talking to him out it yesterday at
training was sort of just like, I do you think
that the confidence is.
Speaker 3 (03:35):
Sort of a bled over? And he was with a
kind of a smirky was just a smile. He's like, yeah,
might have a blend.
Speaker 6 (03:41):
Half.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
He's clearly kind of living his best life right now
and scoring goals and and doing good things off the
field as well. So ultimately, yes, you feel good up
one nothing at the halftime. Then Jordan Morris gets injured
in the second half. We'll see about that. But also
it's time to talk about the officiating, and and I
said it in every single of the postgame show, and
I'll just say it one time tonight. The Sounders should
(04:05):
have been playing a man up for the last forty
five minutes. And Alexis da Silva was the referee of
this match, the head referee, and boy, what a disaster
performance that was. I mean, well, let's start here by
the fact that the Sounders should have been up a
man because in the forty seventh minute they're fullback Jackson
Travis runs into Koalani Koza Rienzi and just just absolutely
(04:28):
destroys his shin most obvious yellow card. Some people might
even argue it to be a straight red maybe var
but I'm probably stretching there. Either way, it's a very
very obvious yellow, at least yellow. Jordan Travis was already
on a yellow card. So what you see in the
moment is Alexis da Silva running over to and he's
literally holding the yellow card in his pocket about to
(04:50):
show him the yellow and then in his ear, and
naturally some either either he hears it or even in
his internal monologue says, oh, this is Jack's Travis. He's
already on a yellow. This is gonna be his second
yellow and you can literally see him the process of
him saying, wait a second, Oh, I can't, I can't
give this. I'm gonna put my put it back in
(05:11):
the pocket, I'm gonna take my hand out, and I'm
just gonna give him a little.
Speaker 3 (05:15):
Talking to And it's a foul.
Speaker 2 (05:18):
Have some guts, man, That's what I would say, Like,
you know, come on, if it's aye, if it's a
second yellow card in the thirty ninth minute, if it's
a yellow card, period, in any minute, it's a yellow card,
there's a situation. Doesn't change because it just happens to
be two minutes into the second half. So do what
(05:40):
you have to do. Do your job, Alexis to Silva
and give the second yellow ware it's deserved because it
was so deserved as he just absolutely decimates Kalanikozerienzi's shin.
Ultimately he doesn't give it and Colorado stays even on men.
They get a free kick goal in the fifty fourth
minute by Mihailovich, and they later in the game score
(06:01):
nearly again. They actually do put a Navarro puts to
the ball in the back of the net, jumps over
Yamar and they Alexis to silver Russal foul In no
world is that a foul. I'm sorry, it's not. I
know it's a judgment call, but but it's for me.
I'm I am objective enough of a soccer fan to
say that's absolutely not a foul. He says it is,
(06:22):
and the goal comes off the board and it stays
one to one. So I would say this, Yes, you
are understanding Lexus to Silva that this game probably should
not be a Colorado win. So yeah, I'm gonna judgment
call rule foul right there and keep this game one one,
because I don't think Colorado should be getting a win
out of a game where they should have been playing
(06:42):
a man down. So ultimately in the game, you're saying,
does this game deserve a one to one? Yeah, it
absolutely does, so fair result. But it's the way you
went about it, Alexis. It's the way that this thing
fundamentally happened where you have to say that, oh, this
guy's gonna stay on because it's so early in the
second half, and oh, this isn't a goal because you know,
(07:02):
I can't give Colorado the lead in the game where
they shouldn't have a lead, right now, it's just it
was for my money, Andrews, it was. It was really
poor officiating on both sides.
Speaker 5 (07:13):
Yeah, I mean, is he standing right behind me, because
it sounds like you were talking directly to him.
Speaker 3 (07:16):
I'm right now, man.
Speaker 6 (07:18):
No.
Speaker 5 (07:19):
And the reality is these refs are humans, and I'm
actually a big advocate for taking as much out of
Var's hands as possible, but when you get decisions like these,
it's hard for me to defend the humans that are
deciding these games, and it shouldn't be put into their hands,
(07:39):
like if it's a if it's a call, it's a call.
That's just kind of the reality of where we are
in MLS at least, right. So unfortunately we see this
a little too often and I've almost gotten numb to
it at this point. And you have it on this
end where you have no intervention whatsoever, and you have
humans kind of determining the outcome of games. But then
(08:00):
you have on the opposite end, which I almost think
is more frustrating, when the refs can't make a call
because they expect a VAR to come in and make
a change if they make the wrong call, so then
they referee a game completely differently.
Speaker 6 (08:13):
Exactly.
Speaker 5 (08:13):
Maybe that's at play here as well. I have no idea.
I honestly, I don't know what the solution is. I
just feel like it wasn't perfect before we had var
but I think it was better than what we're getting
right now.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
Yeah, that's a tough and honestly that leads to a
bigger conversation about soccer on a global scale of you know,
you think about goal line technology and you think about
that impact on the game toe off side exactly.
Speaker 5 (08:38):
Really giving you an advantage.
Speaker 2 (08:41):
The way we look at those different graphs and the
different models on social media where they overlay certain things,
and then you know, Fox will use one graphic and
then they use a different graphic and which one is
the real graphic, which one is truly showing, you know,
if a guy's offside or not. And the whole system
seems a little bit skewed. I'm not sure what the
best system is, but all I know coming out of it,
(09:02):
And you said this, well, a call is a call,
and a card in the thirtieth minute is a card
in the forty seventh minute, and a play a foul
as a foul regardless of the setting, and for him
not to give the yellow card. The second yellow Jackson
Travis changed the entire dynamic of the game because Seattle
would have been playing a man up. Maybe Mihalovich doesn't get
(09:23):
that free kick, he doesn't get that goal in the
fifty fourth, and Sounders are walking away with three points,
which would have been nine points in their last three games. Ultimately,
it's still pretty good. We get a road result. All
of this to say, like, we got seven points in
the last three games, you got back to back wins,
you got a result on the road against a good
Colorado team. I shouldn't be too angry, but I am
(09:44):
because of the officiating. But ultimately, like this Sounder team
right now, the midfield's healthy, Albert Rusnak, you get Alex
schrol Don back as well. That competition at right wing
back is very interesting. Brian Schmitzer has a tough job
trying to figure out how to fit. You know, heyesus
Frera Pedro de la Vega and Albert Rusnak all on
the field together. Maybe he has to switch back to
(10:06):
the four two three one from the three four to three.
I'm not sure exactly how it'll function. But all that
to say that we're in a pretty good situation from
where we were four weeks ago. Now back on points.
Now in the playoff picture looking at LAFC San Diego
right above us, Sounders are kind of sitting in an
okay spot again.
Speaker 5 (10:25):
Yeah, it's funny when you do the kind of the
synopsis of the roster at this point, it seems like
the one thing that's missing and after all the offseason shuffling,
it's still a striker. It's still a goal scorer somehow,
even though Dames Hofsky has scored in three straight games.
Speaker 2 (10:38):
Yeah, I want to transition to CONCACAFF Champions Cup and
talk to Vancouver and the moment, I will just say
Osase de Rosario, striker forward out of Tacoma Defiance, incredible
season so far. I would be interested to see if
he gets a look from the Seattle Sounders because of
how well he's playing with the Fins. Okay, concor CALF
Champions Cup. The Vancouver white Caps, Yes, the team do
(11:01):
the North, which are probably the best team in Major
League Soccer right now. They are through to the conca
Calf Champions Cup final. They will either be playing Cruise
Azul or t Grace in the final because they are
now through with a five to one aggregate win over Miami.
They won two nothing at home last week you were
there to see it as and now three to one
(11:21):
tonight over Miami in Miami. They're through to the CONCA
Calf Final. I guess the question is why has Vancouver
been so successful against Messi and Miami.
Speaker 5 (11:31):
I don't think it's just Messi in Miami. I think
they're just like you said, probably the best team in
MLS Tright.
Speaker 3 (11:35):
Why are they so successful?
Speaker 5 (11:37):
It honestly reminds me of the Sounders at their best. Honestly,
when they were able to shut everyone down defensively. Kind
of frustrate now I know everyone else felt when they're
playing against us, because I went up kind of as
a Miami fan hoping that to see the Messi magic
is my first time watching him play, but I was
(11:57):
treated to a defensive masterclass from the Vancouver.
Speaker 3 (12:01):
Would they shut down Messi so well?
Speaker 5 (12:03):
I think just organization, physicality, and it's it's hard to
do that when you're playing against the best player of
all time. Even though he is a little on the
older side, he's not in his prime. But the way
that they were able to have numbers around him at
all times to where he would never have the ball
in space. He was always having to use his teammates,
(12:24):
and obviously his teammates are not messy, so that's the
best way you got to let them beat you and
MESSI will won't be the type of guy to try
and dribble through eight people and score a goal. He's
going to be make the right decision.
Speaker 3 (12:35):
And he has help on that Miami team and.
Speaker 5 (12:37):
Past to his teammates, right, But I don't think Suarez
is what he used to be. Bousquets played in that game,
but he wasn't as big of a factor. I will
say Miami dominated the first leg. They just weren't able
to score it because the Vancouver played so well defensively
and they got in the counter. Brian White's a real menace.
Got I hate watching him the last player of the month.
Speaker 3 (12:56):
God are we.
Speaker 5 (12:58):
Rooting for one of these Mexican teams to beat Vancouver?
Speaker 2 (13:01):
Personally? For me, Vancouver is our little brother and and
and Portland is just the person that we hate. And
when when the Vancouver Whitecaps are playing the Sounders, all
obviously you know feel different. But when the Vancouver white
Caps are kind of playing any other team. I don't
feel dirty rooting for him. And also, if they win
CONCACAFF Champions Cup, we still get to say the Sounders
(13:24):
are the only American team to win modern ARCACAFF Champions League, right,
So so yes, not the only MLS team, but still, like,
I don't know, I'm gonna I think I might find
myself rooting for Vancouver in the final. Absolutely, I'm probably
I'm in the I'm in the minority, I know you are,
but I absolutely will not I root against them. I
have friends up in Vancouver too, and the reporters up
(13:44):
there that.
Speaker 3 (13:45):
I love, so I can't do it.
Speaker 5 (13:47):
I'm sorry, I can't do.
Speaker 3 (13:47):
Michael McCall, I love you, buddy.
Speaker 5 (13:49):
It would it would even be hard for me to
root for Miami if they had moved on, because I
love the fact that the Sounders are still the only
MLS team to win the CONCA CALF. So I'm gone,
I'm gonna keep that badge of that that might win out.
Speaker 2 (14:01):
It'll be a tough It's gonna be a tough uh,
you know, I don't know. I'm gonna have to really
internally think about that, but I I I the Vancouver
Whitecaps team is a fun team to watch. They are
so organized and they're dynamic, and they're playing really well.
They're getting production out of a lot of different pieces.
I just I really enjoy watching good soccer, and I mean,
(14:23):
you saw it up there last week at BC places.
They're playing a really attractive form of soccer right now.
Speaker 5 (14:28):
I agree, and they it's not always like the dominating
possession tiki taka passes, but it's you're you're playing good
defense and you're getting on the counter, playing with pace,
and they have depth. They're a really good team.
Speaker 2 (14:40):
So Vancouver will be through to the final of CONCA
CAFT Champions Cup, looking to be the second MLS team
ever to win modern CONCA CALF Champions League. So last
Champions Cup either Cruise or T Grace in the final.
They play it tomorrow night one, one aggregate between those
two teams. All right, let's switch back talk some sounders.
Let's talk sounders. Look, I'm gonna continue on the officiating front,
(15:02):
and then we'll switch and transition by talking about Saint
Louis ahead. We'll get Ari Lillenwalng next and also Heath Pierce.
MLS season passed on Apple TV broadcaster. So we got
Arian Heath coming up here. It is Sounders Weekly talking
all things Sounder Soccer right here on Sports Radio ninety
three point three KJRFM.
Speaker 1 (15:20):
Now back to Sounders Weekly on your home for Saunders FC.
Seattle's Sports Radio ninety three point three kjr FM.
Speaker 2 (15:29):
Welcome back everybody, Sounders Weekly. Jackson feltz here. Good to
spend some time with you here tonight hour long, seven
to a pm every Wednesday, covering Seattle Sounders FC soccer.
Thanks to anders Hurst for lending his expertise there in
that first segment and running the show tonight talking about
the Vancouver Miami situation. He was again back there in
(15:50):
Vancouver last week for the first leg of that talk
a little white Caps there and in addition to Sounders.
As we kind of continue on here talking about Seattle's
one to one draw and talking about lots of stuff
happening in the rest of Major League Soccer, our good
friend Ari Lillian Wall will join us here in a moment.
I will tell you folks that Sounder's FC Soccer is
presented by Providence Swedish, the official healthcare partner of Sounders FC, Arilillianwall.
(16:14):
Major League Soccer dot Com his podcast Lobbing Scorchers, joins us.
Right now, Ari, how you doing, buddy.
Speaker 6 (16:21):
I'm good Jackson, How are you good?
Speaker 3 (16:23):
Good?
Speaker 1 (16:23):
Ari?
Speaker 2 (16:23):
Let's let's start with Seattle and their last game in Colorado.
We can get your two cents, but I'm just gonna
jump right into it because I was pretty furious the
last segment. I've been pretty furious for the last four
days about the officiating by Alexis da Silva, the fact
that he is going to hand out a second yellow
(16:43):
but only puts the card back in after he finds
out that it's going to be a second yellow. There
is a Colorado goal that he disallows, which, again, like
we as all Sounder fans, I think are smart enough
to say that that probably should have been a goal,
but he called a foul.
Speaker 3 (16:58):
There's a bunch of other examples, but.
Speaker 2 (17:01):
I was very frustrated by the officiating on Saturday for
both ways, and it clearly affected the game.
Speaker 3 (17:09):
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (17:09):
We can talk about the game itself and you can
get your two cents, but I'm just still very frustrated
that we have officials this bat in MLS.
Speaker 6 (17:18):
Yeah, I mean, I think in this particular case, it
ended up affecting both teams, like on those two calls
that you mentioned, So it's ultimately a wash I think
at the end of the day, and I think one
to one was a fair result for the game. But
I definitely, you know, anyone saying that Seattle got bailed
out on the disallowed goal, like it is a fact
that Colorado got equally if not more bailed out, because
(17:42):
like you said, they should absolutely have been playing the
rest of that match a man down. So but like
I said, it affected both teams.
Speaker 2 (17:51):
So yeah, I'm wondering, you know, I don't know, maybe
you know this, maybe you don't, but like the recourse
for like what happens now and what the protocol is,
because and we've seen this before where officials are just
have such a horrendous effect on the game, Like is
there protocols in place where there are no longer head
refs for x amount of time or reviews that take
(18:13):
place for a referee because we always see the disciplinary
actions come out and all that stuff, and that's nice,
but like what about disciplinary actions against referees.
Speaker 6 (18:23):
I honestly don't know. But the thing is, like a
call like the Navarro non goal is entirely subjective. You know,
it seems like pretty clear to us. But in the moment,
I don't think like a referee would be reprimanded for
making a judgment call that we might disagree with it,
but it is a judgment call at the end of
the day.
Speaker 3 (18:42):
That's fair.
Speaker 2 (18:43):
Again, I would just kind of look at the second
yellow that he doesn't give to Jackson Travis there in
the forty seventh minute and say, man, if you're not
giving a second yellow just because, oh, I don't want
to eject him from the game, Like if it's a
yellow card in the thirty ninth minute, if it's a
second yellow, it's a second yell in the forty seventh
You know that just pisses me off. Ari Lillion was
(19:05):
our guest Major League Soccer dot Com his podcast Lobbing Scorches.
They go live on Monday mornings and go live on
Thursday nights. Also check out Lobbing Scorches wherever you get
your podcasts, including the iHeartRadio app. All right, man, let's
look at Seattle's next game. Saint Louis City coming to
town in Lumenfield this coming Saturday night, and Saint Louis
(19:26):
City Boy they were second SRI away from beating LAFC
this last weekend.
Speaker 6 (19:32):
They were, and it was a bit of an out
of character performance for them because they scored multiple goals,
which I think that brings their season total up to seven.
So this is definitely a team. I mean, Seattle played
them earlier this year and lost one zero. That's what
a lot of their games look like. Best I can tell.
Their new coach is not all that interested in scoring goals,
(19:53):
so you know, you might think that makes them less
of a threat to beat you, but they are a
team that's gonna frustrate you, grind it out, and they're
really really difficult to break down, even if they only
have seven goals on the season, So it's kind of it.
It's a trickier matchup than you might think just by
looking at where they are on the table.
Speaker 2 (20:13):
So if you're Seattle and you're facing a team who's
a little bit more difficult in that regard. We've been
running this three four to three system for Brian Spencer,
and obviously we're looking again at Danny Mazowski being the
top of any formation. But there's then the added question
of do you switch formations back to the four two
three one so that you can fit in instead of
two attacking midfielders underneath Massovski, you can fit three attacking midfielders. Heyesuss,
(20:38):
Albert Rusnak who's now healthy, and Pedro dalea Vega.
Speaker 6 (20:41):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (20:42):
If you were head coaching the Seattle Sounders, do you
switch back to the four two three one this week
specifically so that you have an added attacking midfielder to
try to break down Saint Louis.
Speaker 4 (20:53):
Oh.
Speaker 6 (20:53):
I think that's a good shout. Definitely an option. I
frankly would would keep the hot hand that's been getting
you goals and results, which is how they've been running
it with Moose up top there the last couple of weeks,
and the changes at halftime, I think, you know, might
have had something to do without that game went in
the second half, so I would kind of I think
(21:15):
you have something that's been working the last few weeks.
You're two oho to one over your last three. I
might just keep running with that, to be honest.
Speaker 2 (21:21):
That's an interesting observation about how the game went there
in the second half. I mean, you make the change
for Jordan, and I know later on it was Albert
as well, but yeah, It's interesting to think about what
would have happened if Mazovski had stayed on and you
continue to reward him, and you just continue to ease
Jordan back in. Instead of forty five, you do thirty.
And obviously, you know, Morris late in that game makes
(21:43):
the run and gets injured again. I mean, gosh, it's
just so frustrating for Jordan Morris.
Speaker 6 (21:49):
Ari.
Speaker 3 (21:49):
Let's so, let's bounce around the rest of the league.
Speaker 2 (21:51):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (21:52):
You mentioned Saint Louis.
Speaker 2 (21:53):
You said you said they've scored seven goals so far
this year, seven total.
Speaker 6 (21:58):
Yeah, seven goals, and I think they've can seated like
eight or something.
Speaker 2 (22:01):
Okay, seven goals is the total for Saint Louis this year.
Seven goals was the total for Nashville on Saturday against Chicago.
Ye seven to two, Nashville beating Chicago. And I probably
can't say the words that I know, I can't say
the words that I texted you. But bj Callahan, the
(22:23):
former assistant to Greg Burholter with the United States Men's
National team, he just he took it to his former
his former Boston.
Speaker 6 (22:32):
Yeah, no, he really did. I kind of forgot about
that USMNT rematch. Your initial match connection there. But I
think it was definitely showed that the Chicago Fire are
not as far along in their rebuild under Greg Burholter
as we might have thought. After they've looked okay to
start the season and then Nashville, I mean, they've just
(22:54):
been playing some legitimately good ball. I will, like, you know,
the fact that the Sounders beat them three year and
handled them easily at home the week before. He is
looking a little better now because that's closer to how
they've been playing. I mean, they haven't been a scoring
seven goals a game, but they've been a pretty good
team offensively, and they absolutely erupted in that one. So
it makes the Sounders result look a little better, I think.
(23:15):
And really I think that was more about Chicago just
really laying an absolute tag more than it is Nashville
sc being that good. But no, they're definitely playing really
well right now.
Speaker 2 (23:26):
A lot of that's Burhalter system right where like you know,
it can go real good or it can go real bad.
And it went real I mean that game was seven
to nothing on the fifty seventh minute, where Surge scores
four goals. Player of the Week and boy Seattle just
I mean, he they held him down, but what a
game he had with four goals and seven total for Nashville. Again,
(23:47):
that's as many as Saint Louis has scored this entire season.
They're coming to town this week. All right, Let's get
back to the Western Conference. San Diego was in a
very good spot a few weeks ago after beating Seattle three,
and then they've kind of, you know what the bed
over the last couple of weeks. What's the explanation for
why San Diego suddenly sucks.
Speaker 6 (24:09):
Yeah, I'm not really sure, but they definitely have cooled
down quite a bit or come back down to earth,
which I think isn't the craziest thing I've ever heard.
Expansion sides tend to go through ebbs and flows like that.
But after the first few weeks of the season and
what they did to Seattle, we were all talking about
them like they could be an LAFC Atlanta United type
(24:32):
expansion team that really comes in takes the league best
storm and competes for trophies right away. I think with
what we've seen in the last few weeks, we need
to slow our role on that. I'm not so sure
about that at this point. They could still go on
to have a very very good season, but I don't
know if they're quite as dominant as they look to
start the season.
Speaker 2 (24:51):
Yeah, dominant, and that three nothing went over Seattle and
then three to two lost to Colorado, three nothing lost
to Charlotte, and then at home a three to one lost.
They all saw lakes this last weekend where they looked
real bad. So yeah, San Diego is very surprising, staying
out west and staying in southern California. I cannot believe
my eyes. The Los Angeles Galaxy ari have still not
(25:16):
won a game. They're three and seven. I know we've
joked on them before, but I guess that the question
now is, you know, the Los Angeles Galaxy really just
destined to be a bottom dweller this year. Is there
any hope or I mean they lost four to two
to Portland. The defense is looking trash. I mean, is
(25:37):
there any hope for the LA Galaxy?
Speaker 6 (25:41):
I mean, I think there's a hope that it will
get better than this. I mean, Ricky Pooge should theoretically
come back at some point, and it's hard to imagine
even with all the changes in the turnover they had
that a team that just won MLS Cup is gonna
suddenly be the Wooden Spoon contender that was. It's already
they're off to the worst that's never happened, right, and
he's never ever happened in the league's history that a
(26:02):
team has gone from now.
Speaker 3 (26:03):
Yeah, no, there's no way.
Speaker 6 (26:06):
So, like, I don't know if I expect them to
be this bad all year, but we're at the point now.
I mean, uh yeah, match day We're going into match
day eleven and they have yet to win a game.
So it's definitely the worst start to a season a
defending title winner has ever had.
Speaker 2 (26:22):
Yeah, both the Galaxy and Montreal both have no wins,
seven losses and three draws, So both of them are
in contention for the Wooden Spoon right now, and leslie
with him. We have a minute here, allri let's quickly
wrap up going back to the Eastern Conference. You know,
last year Philadelphia, the Union had such a tough year
and obviously the transitioning out of the Jim Curtin era
(26:44):
and everything else, and I believe you know McGlenn as well,
leaving to go to Houston, and at least I had
questions of are we witnessing kind of a new normal
for Philadelphia last year, and they've risen straight back up
nineteen points right right now, they're looking pretty darn good.
Another nice win this week, Philadelphia Union, and just if
(27:06):
we can just talk about sort of just the rise
back to where.
Speaker 3 (27:10):
They're normally at here in the MLS standings.
Speaker 6 (27:14):
Yeah, I mean, I think it reaffirms that they are
a club that has one of the most just solid
foundations and infrastructures in the league when you take into
account how they're run, how they're scouting, and then they
have pretty much second.
Speaker 3 (27:27):
To none youth development.
Speaker 6 (27:28):
They churn out first team players that get transferred to
Europe like it's nothing they did. They pretty much every
single home grown guy that they have coming up always
seems to be able to contribute to the first team.
They got Quinn Sullivan breaking out, They got Cavin Sullivan
coming up. So I think, you know, like what the
Philly Union are doing and what the white Caps are
doing right now, I think it underscores the importance of
(27:50):
things like your culture and your infrastructure and just your
all around foundation as an organization that breeds success like
more than what it United did, which is just throw
thirty million dollars at the roster seemingly without even thinking
about it, and look at them. They're off to their
worst starting club history. So like clubs like the Philly
Union and like the White Calfs, those are the clubs
(28:12):
that other clubs should be looking to emulate in terms
of how they terms how they team build, because what
they're doing is really impressive and neither neither of those
clubs spend big like Atlanta or like even like LAFC.
Speaker 2 (28:24):
If I told you, though, let's say two three months ago,
that at some point in the next few months, you're
going to say the words other clubs must emulate what
the Vancouver white Caps are doing, you probably would have
slapped me for being crazy.
Speaker 6 (28:38):
Yeah, no, I would not have necessarily called that, But
like they're I mean, they're the best team in the
league right now.
Speaker 3 (28:44):
You gotta look at.
Speaker 6 (28:45):
What they're doing and figure they did something right.
Speaker 2 (28:47):
Even dealing with Conca, CAFs still getting a three to
one win over Minnesota this week. So impressive of the
Vancouver white Caps, All right, Ari Grace seven in that
Minnesota game, we don't have time for it, and I
know we could just lament on how ridiculous is. But
there was of course something that happened where a Minnesota
player yelled something or said something I believe racial against
(29:09):
one of the Vancouver players. I don't know much about
the situation, just that both clubs had to put out statements.
MLS is investigating, but terrible situation. I mean, God, if
your player fans, I mean, you made the great comment
about San Diego fans earlier this year. Just it's very simple,
don't do the dumb racist chant or homophobic chant. And
in this if you're a player, it's simple, don't say
(29:30):
the racist thing. All right, Ari, good stuff, buddy, We
got to run. Thanks so much for the time. We'll
talk next week after the Sounders Saint Louis game.
Speaker 6 (29:38):
That was good, Thanks Jackson.
Speaker 2 (29:40):
It's good stuff there from Ari Lillianwall. Check out his
podcast Lobbying Scorches wherever you get your podcasts, including the
iHeartRadio app. Their YouTube channel, Lobbing Scorches goes live Monday
mornings Thursday nights. Subscribing get notified when they go live.
We'll switch gears here in Sounders week. Lee Before we do,
I want to tell you michelob Ultra is ninety five
calories and two point six grams of carbs. It's only
(30:01):
worth it if you enjoyed all right Shifting Gears. We're
gonna kind of give an in depth preview now of
Sounders Saint Louis Heath Pierce MLS season pass on Apple
TV Broadcaster. He will join us next to break down
Sounders Saint Louis City. That's next here on Sounders Weekly
Sports Radio ninety three point three KJRFM.
Speaker 1 (30:21):
Now back to Sounders Weekly on your home for sunders
FC Ceedl's Sports Radio ninety three point three kjr FL.
Speaker 2 (30:29):
Welcome back everybody, Sounders Weekly. Jackson Feldt's going to be
with you here on this Wednesday night thanks to our
guest so far Tonight our producer Tonight andrews Hurst for
talking some CCC and Sounders and then Ari Lillian wallat
previous segment. Check out the podcast in case you missed it,
Sounders Weekly wherever you get your podcasts, including the iHeartRadio app.
We are looking ahead here in the final segment Tonight
(30:51):
to Sounders Saint Louis City sc that comes up this
weekend at Lumenfields Saturday Night Providence, Swedish premat shows seven
o'clock here off of seven point thirty right here. Sports
Radio ninety three point three KJR FM. You also listen
in Spanish legage on l Ray thirteen sixty. You'd also
watch the match on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.
(31:13):
And the man who's gonna be calling that alongside Mark
Rogan Diino is the man who's joining us right now,
Heath Pierce, back on the radio show. Heath, welcome back
to Manda Sounders Weekly.
Speaker 3 (31:24):
How are you.
Speaker 4 (31:26):
I'm doing all right, Thanks for having me, Thanks.
Speaker 3 (31:28):
For coming back on.
Speaker 2 (31:29):
I always love having people with former Northwest connections, obviously
you being former University of Portland, and it's good to
get you back on. We spent I remember the last time,
we spent so much time talking about the great talent
to come out of a University of Portland there. So
we'll focus on a lot more soccer than stories this time, Heath,
(31:50):
and I always love kind of just starting these conversations
with the national broadcasters by getting the national perspective on
the Seattle Sounders. You know, we had such a tough
start to the year. Now, you know, seven points in
the last three games. What are you seeing? And then
kind of you know, picking up from our Sounders out
here in the Northwest.
Speaker 4 (32:10):
Well, I think for the Sounders it's about full strength squad, right.
So if you look at you know, the starting team
last weekend, plus who came off the bench, you're nearing
a pretty full strength roster, right, And I think that's
the thing that's been missing for Seattle. Obviously we see
it in spurts, We've seen it in the past that
(32:30):
Seattle is very capable of starting a little slow, rounding
in the form and being virtually unstoppable. And if you
look at these last three matches, specifically unbeaten in those
three trending in the right direction, and then from a
health standpoint, getting back to at least close to full health,
and then adding a Ryan Kenton to the lineup and
(32:50):
just adding some dynamics where you start to have some
competition for positions. You're starting to push your team forward
and really work towards being one of the top teams
in the West.
Speaker 2 (33:01):
Yeah, I think that's kind of the goal here. And obviously,
you know it's this sort of you know, a step forward,
a step back, you know, losing Jordan Morris hamstring injury,
and you know, we just don't know how long Jordan
Morris is going to be out, but but Danny Mazovsky's
sort of just kind of been a revelation over the
last few weeks. And one of the interesting things is
Heath Pierce joins us MLS season Pass on Apple TV
(33:22):
Broadcaster is how it's a guy who's who's struggled so
much in his time in Rave Green and then suddenly
he gets engaged and the confidence has spilled out over
onto the field. I mean, you were a defender, and
I think it's interesting kind of just looking at the
perspective from from that side of you know, a guy
in Danny Mazoski who's you know, always kind of just
been around in chances and is now favillia. I mean,
(33:44):
it's it's kind of hard to, I imagine, to defend
a guy like Danny who's just now playing with such
confidence and you know, being the kind of the poacher
forward who's getting behind back lines over and over.
Speaker 4 (33:58):
Oh yeah, absolutely. And you know, you go back to
maybe twenty twenty three with salt Lake and we saw
a few.
Speaker 3 (34:06):
Of those goals.
Speaker 4 (34:07):
He's not a prolific goal scorer, but he's an energy guy,
right when you have him on the field, he'll chase
the ball. So when you're a defender, you have a
guy like that who just makes you uncomfortable a lot, right,
And then when he finds that form, when he's going
to run the balls to the channel, he's going to
get in over the top, he's going to get in
the box and be busy. And then when that goal
scoring confidence kicks up, we're seeing a different side to him.
(34:28):
So now you're getting that workhorse off the ball, doing
a lot of that dirty work, and now he's getting
rewarded in the form of goals. You need that, and
when you look across Major League Soccer, you know a
lot of the teams, especially with the complexity of Seattle Club,
World Cup and just a busy schedule, like you need
to have some depth, and that could come from injury
(34:49):
or from rotation. You need to have a player like
that that's in this kind of form, because whether he
starts consistently from here on out or he's a guy
you bring off the bench from time to time, he's
going to have that belief said I want that starting position.
I'm proven that I can score, and I think that
can be electric. But more than anything. It's this energy
that I really like when you're a team that's searching
for results, going through tough times, when you have somebody
(35:11):
and you can't point to one spot on the field
where you're going to get your goals right now with
maybe Jordan Moores not being on the field, When you
have guys that are willing to do the work and
then you can get rewarded for that, I think that
really builds competence of the team.
Speaker 2 (35:23):
Yeah, you can see, you know, being able to reward
the entire starting lineup that went and beat Nashville three nothing,
and we saw what Nashville did this last week to Chicago.
But that team being three nothing, then reward them with
the start at Colorado and you know, getting the one
nothing lead to We'll see what Brian Schpenzer does with
you know, you talked about the depth and it's such
(35:43):
a deep midfield right now that we'll see kind of
if they even have to change a formation to fit
more midfielders in there. It's an interesting conversation and it
must be an interesting debate inside of the halls at
Long Acres at Sounders Facility for what to do with
all the midfield depth they have a Heath Pierces with
us MLS season pass on Apple TV. That's where you'll
(36:04):
be able to watch Sounders Saint Louis City this weekend.
He and Mark Rogandino will have the call seven thirty kickoff.
He let's talk to Saint Louis team that doesn't score
very much and they nearly got a win over l
EFC this last week. What kind of the Saint Louis
City team are we going to be seeing this weekend.
Speaker 4 (36:25):
Well, it's tough to say. I think again, they've been
inconsistent in results. They're still looking for that sort of
run of form where it's not a win here and
then you're you know, you're grinding through. I think they've
kept themselves in games as a testament to their capabilities.
With with the four draws that they've had on the season,
they still very much have a very capable lineup. Obviously,
(36:46):
in that game with with LAFC, LAFC really dominant possession,
creating the bulk of chances. But you know, at the end,
when you look at the score line of a two
to two, that's a pretty tightly contestant one. In that
crucial moment, we're seeing obviously the LFC STUF up and
crucial moments as well. But you're seeing Saint Louis being
capable of pushing teams date deep into games, but we've
(37:09):
yet to see them really break out this season in
a way that we have seen in the past.
Speaker 3 (37:14):
In terms of that breakout, Are there, are there? Is there?
Speaker 2 (37:17):
I guess hope and is there concern from Seattle's side
that that breakout could be coming from from certain players
or certain tactics. Obviously it's we've seen more of a
defensive squad exactly what you said, keeping them late in games.
But is there I thought that Saint Louis could be
nearing a breakout or did it happen last week?
Speaker 3 (37:36):
Is that the breakout l e FC game?
Speaker 4 (37:39):
I mean, I think anybody that gets a result against LAFC,
even if it's a draw, feels like, hey, we're facing
what is the league's best in a lot of categories,
and you can build and and and and grow on
that type of result. I think if you're them, you
give up that stoppage time goal and you've got to
be feel pretty hard done right in terms of not
(38:00):
leading LA. So it depends on how you frame that
I'm assuming they're like, hey, we were this close. We
did all the things we needed to do. We should
have taken all three points out of this, and we didn't.
So there's a little disappointment and that that maybe can
see seek into a locker room in terms of like, Okay,
we're doing well, we're keeping teams late, but we're not
making that final play, we're not doing that last thing
(38:20):
that gets us the result. Now, you know, we talk
about this a lot in MLS, and there's a lot
of these teams that may be struggling early on in
the season of like you don't want to face them.
This could be their breakout game, this could be the one.
And they've obviously got a lot of talent and and
and toy kerd Hartel, Klaus Hebert's and another talented one, Becker.
They've got a lot of options on the front end
(38:43):
that they can punish you with and it just hasn't
really come together. And so that does create for pretty
interesting dynamic. Right They're not they're not creating a ton
of goal scoring opportunities just yet. Their best players are
not creating a lot of I think high quality chances
right just yet. But they are proven players. It's just
kind of trying to find that and so you really
(39:05):
do have to turn on because they can they can,
they can rack it up against you if they start
to find some of that rhythm that they they've had
in the past, these tunded players.
Speaker 2 (39:13):
Yeah, and they got that rhythm obviously this last game
and just kind of the very end there. And you'd
think for for roll Off Melburg their new head coach,
I mean, he's been around and so much time, you know,
spent it in Sweden and elsewhere in Europe. I know,
aston Villa is a place that he played for a
long time. Uh, you'd think that the messaging is, look, guys,
we were so close, you know, on the road LAFC.
(39:34):
You know, in that environment, we just got to put
it together. But it's also a team in Saint Louis
that just beat the Sounders six weeks ago, won nothing
with that great free quick from from Louvin there in
the first half, and for us Sounders coming out of
that game, we were just saying, gosh, if you don't
give up that goal, that's a result on the road,
and you know, ultimately we're looking at it as a
loss for Seattle. But Uh, you know, I think the
(39:56):
big question for for Saint Louis is for all off Melburg,
you know, what, what kind of team can he craft
into this week coming off of that two to two game.
And I think you're right, you just say all those
things and get the mentality to shift. Heath Pierce joining
us MLS Season Pass on Apple TV broadcaster gonna be
calling Sounders Saint Louis City this weekend, switching gears a
(40:18):
little bit. Heath, You and Mark called the RSL San
Diego game this last week, and that was when I
caught a little bit of watching it back and it
interested me specifically from the San Diego side, because and
I talked about this a little bit with our previous
guest in our last segment, but the element of San
Diego looked so good to start the year. They beat
(40:40):
the Sounders three nothing, and then since that three nothing
went over Seattle, san Diego has kind of fallen apart
a little bit, including this last week. What's going on
in your eyes with San Diego right now?
Speaker 4 (40:54):
Well, interestingly, in this one, San Diego was really good
for the first thirty minutes. I mean, the patterns of play,
the dynamic capabilities, of this team. They do some really
interesting things right. They had both center backs hitting forty
yard balls over the top directly in the path of
strikers getting in behind, creating chances. When when that then
(41:15):
forced RSL to maybe drop off a little bit, they
were then able to pass through the middle and create
gaps in the half turn. They had a lot of
really unique sort of ways in which they can beat you. Possession,
very strong, very comfortable building out of the back, all
those things that you go from an entertainment standpoint amazing.
From an effective standpoint, getting into those dangerous areas was phenomenal,
(41:36):
just in terms of, like fifteen minutes into the game,
clear picture as to how they were going to be
able to beat you. You drop off, they'll play you
through the middle, they have that quality, you play high line,
they'll go over the top direct and those things. Like
a lot of teams or maybe have one of those dimensions,
and they had both of those. They give up a
goal late before the half, they score one back, they
go into half level, and then the second half it
(41:59):
was like seeing a completely different team. I mean, I'm
telling you that that first thirty minutes that was arguably
the best team in the league in terms of the
clear picture on how they win the ball back, how
they can play through you the different ways in which
RSL set up and tried to like maybe poke in
prod to see like where their vulnerabilities. They were able
to answer that in a very clear way. Their build ups,
(42:21):
their movements, the patterns, the timing, everything was spot on.
Second half completely different. Team looked a little more disjointed,
almost like they're going through like they're going through in
these last weeks of Okay, earlier on in the season, right,
those patterns of play, all of that clean stuff was
leading the goals, it was rewarding them in a lot
(42:42):
of ways. They were building in confidence over the ninety minutes.
But now they get kind of punched a few times
and they're still searching for a little bit of that
I think adversity that the team will build upon. Right,
So they got the confidence from success early on, Now
they're struggling with results a little bit. How are they
now going to respond and re build and get back
to the fundamentals that made them good. And I think
(43:02):
that's the difference of whether or not we're going to
see this team competing as a potential deep playoff run
in their first year, or a team where we go, Okay,
they've got a lot, they've got most of the pieces,
but there's just maybe a little piece of when you're
bringing a new team together. Now they're facing that adversity.
Can they climb a little bit higher and go a
little bit harder to be to get back to where
(43:23):
they work?
Speaker 2 (43:23):
Interesting, that's really good inside. I'm probably going to take
that answer there and then chop it up and play
it back in four weeks because exactly four weeks from
today Sounders playing and hosting San Diego FC first time,
the newest expansion club here at MLS will be facing
the here at lumen Field. That's really good inside on
(43:43):
one what San Diego is doing. It'd be very interested
to see their games coming up here before we face
them again on May twenty eighth. Awesome stuff. Heith, appreciate
your time. Look forward to hearing you with Mark on
the call on Saturday at lumen Field.
Speaker 3 (43:57):
Safe travels up here, We'll hear you soon.
Speaker 4 (44:00):
Can Can I get a quick weather check and do
I need to bring a jacket or what am I
coming up to this?
Speaker 2 (44:05):
It's a very good question because just you know yesterday
it was rainy. Monday night, it was rainy here in
Seattle right now Saturday morning. It's supposed to be a
little bit rainy Friday night. But it looks like we're
looking at cloudy skies just you know, not a big
chance of rain on Saturday evening, the very little chance
of rain on Sunday. So I think you'll probably see cloudy,
(44:27):
not too warm. I would imagine probably fifty five fifty
four degrees at kickoff, cloudy skies, so maybe bring in
just a light rain jacket, but you might not even
need it.
Speaker 3 (44:39):
I love it.
Speaker 4 (44:40):
Cloudy and cool, perfect soccer conditions.
Speaker 2 (44:42):
I'll take that exactly so well, Brian Schmetzer and Melbury,
that's for sure, all right, Thanks so much, enjoy. I
look forward to seeing you up here in Seattle.
Speaker 4 (44:51):
Sounds good. Thanks for having me.
Speaker 2 (44:52):
Heath Pierce MLAs season Pass on Apple TV. So I
guess there's your weather forecast for the game against Saint
Louis City coming up on Saturday night. One more time.
MLS Season pass on Apple TV. That's where you can
watch the game and also listen in Spanish language on
the radio station l RAY thirteen sixty.
Speaker 3 (45:09):
I would encourage all of you to set.
Speaker 2 (45:11):
This is your pre set for Saturday night, because we
will have the broadcast right here on Saturday evening ninety
three point three KJRFM Provident Swedish premat show of seven
o'clock kickoff of seven thirty for sounders and Saint Louis.
That'll do it for the show tonight. Thanks to all
of our guests. We will talk to you on Saturday
at seven pm. Have a good rest of your week
(45:32):
and Fox Sports Radio is coming up next
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