WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.160 --> 00:00:03.759 Time to bring our buddy Niico Modeno. And you're not 2 00:00:03.839 --> 00:00:05.599 wearing a hat. What's going on? 3 00:00:05.679 --> 00:00:05.919 Man? 4 00:00:06.599 --> 00:00:10.960 No having man, no hat. Just got a haircut yesterday. 5 00:00:11.000 --> 00:00:13.679 I was trying to, you know, get the hair right. 6 00:00:13.839 --> 00:00:16.640 But man, we're just back man. And of course there's 7 00:00:16.679 --> 00:00:19.559 no other show that can do what you do, John, 8 00:00:20.039 --> 00:00:23.039 No other show can do what you do. Going from 9 00:00:23.079 --> 00:00:26.239 Lima all the way out here in the Pacific Northwest 10 00:00:27.280 --> 00:00:31.480 for some Seattle Sounders and Western Conference information, my guy. 11 00:00:31.600 --> 00:00:37.240 But happy Thursday. There's this cup number one actually of coffee, 12 00:00:37.240 --> 00:00:40.679 believe it or not. I just got a nice little 13 00:00:41.200 --> 00:00:44.320 whole shower, got ready to go, got my coffee on, 14 00:00:45.159 --> 00:00:47.920 and now I'm ready for some questions by my man John. 15 00:00:48.159 --> 00:00:50.479 All right, So, first and foremost, how was the surprise 16 00:00:50.560 --> 00:00:51.759 birthday party last week? 17 00:00:52.840 --> 00:00:55.960 It was great, man, It was all around exciting. It 18 00:00:56.000 --> 00:01:00.880 was an emotional day. I for those who don't know, 19 00:01:00.920 --> 00:01:04.519 I had my oldest when he was when I was eighteen. 20 00:01:04.560 --> 00:01:07.920 Now he's turning eighteen, so it's kind of a full 21 00:01:07.959 --> 00:01:10.920 circle thing there. My parents showed up. We had some 22 00:01:12.719 --> 00:01:17.560 pancakes and eggs and everything he likes. So it was 23 00:01:17.959 --> 00:01:20.000 it was a good time. It was a good weekend 24 00:01:20.079 --> 00:01:24.959 overall as well. He's getting kind of a whole couple 25 00:01:25.040 --> 00:01:27.079 of weeks of celebrating because we're also going to do 26 00:01:27.079 --> 00:01:30.799 a little something with him during the super Bowl halftime 27 00:01:31.159 --> 00:01:33.239 or after the halftime, I guess, because after the show, 28 00:01:33.280 --> 00:01:35.519 I guess. So we're going to do a little song 29 00:01:35.599 --> 00:01:37.640 for him as well there just so you can celebrate 30 00:01:37.640 --> 00:01:40.239 with some friends. But yeah, man, overall, it was a 31 00:01:40.239 --> 00:01:44.680 good It was a good Thursday celebration last week. 32 00:01:44.959 --> 00:01:48.560 And when when you're surprised by family, you go with 33 00:01:48.599 --> 00:01:50.560 what the family does when they surprised you first thing. 34 00:01:50.439 --> 00:01:52.480 In the morning. That is mandatory. That's how this rolls. 35 00:01:52.519 --> 00:01:53.840 So you got, we got, you got to go in 36 00:01:53.879 --> 00:01:57.319 that direction, and happy eighteenth across the board. 37 00:01:57.359 --> 00:01:59.280 From all of us here on this side of the planet. 38 00:02:00.079 --> 00:02:02.359 I want to, as always get into what's going on 39 00:02:02.519 --> 00:02:06.439 in the Pacific perspective when it comes to Major League Soccer. 40 00:02:06.480 --> 00:02:09.199 I want to start a little south of you and 41 00:02:09.759 --> 00:02:13.879 start in Los Angeles, what's going on at LAG because 42 00:02:14.439 --> 00:02:16.080 last week, and this is the first time we've had 43 00:02:16.080 --> 00:02:16.599 the chance to. 44 00:02:16.520 --> 00:02:17.120 Talk about it. 45 00:02:18.000 --> 00:02:21.479 The new rule, which was a long time common about 46 00:02:21.560 --> 00:02:26.240 being able to trade and buy inside Major League soccer. 47 00:02:26.719 --> 00:02:29.199 You're starting to see these kinds of transactions. I want 48 00:02:29.199 --> 00:02:31.199 to talk about Jack McGlenn and Houston and Philly coming 49 00:02:31.240 --> 00:02:36.319 up in a second. But the Bishop Dejon Yoviolich gets 50 00:02:36.360 --> 00:02:40.120 sold to Sporting Kansas City for four good piece of 51 00:02:40.159 --> 00:02:46.240 business by LAG. Then LAG it looks like they're going 52 00:02:46.280 --> 00:02:50.439 to be adding Christian Ramirez from Columbus. And we'll talk 53 00:02:50.479 --> 00:02:54.800 about Columbus in a second. So SA ram looks like 54 00:02:54.840 --> 00:02:59.039 he's going from Columbus for a lot less money to LAG. 55 00:02:59.400 --> 00:03:02.400 As the bish Jovolich goes to Sporting for four. 56 00:03:03.800 --> 00:03:07.240 LAG is in an interesting spot right now because, Okay, 57 00:03:07.280 --> 00:03:10.199 you got your Joviolich replacement. I don't know if c 58 00:03:10.439 --> 00:03:13.360 ram can match those numbers, although they're hoping. I guess 59 00:03:13.360 --> 00:03:16.680 he can get close. But LAG now is very very 60 00:03:16.680 --> 00:03:20.639 interesting because Ramirez supposedly coming in, you still don't have 61 00:03:20.759 --> 00:03:24.080 Ricky Poohe for a substantial amount of time. I am 62 00:03:24.159 --> 00:03:27.280 intrigued to see how LAG solves this problem. 63 00:03:28.800 --> 00:03:33.120 Yeah, I mean it was a problem mainly because of 64 00:03:33.159 --> 00:03:35.879 the salary cap, right, I mean, they wanted to do 65 00:03:36.000 --> 00:03:37.719 right by the player. The player wanted more money to 66 00:03:37.719 --> 00:03:41.800 deserve more money, and just the way the salary cap 67 00:03:42.759 --> 00:03:45.960 currently works. There was no way that the LA Galaxy 68 00:03:46.000 --> 00:03:48.719 We're going to be able to keep Jovlish. So they 69 00:03:50.080 --> 00:03:53.520 do good business in my opinion, and I think it's 70 00:03:54.400 --> 00:04:00.000 a win win because Sporting Kansas CD needed a nine 71 00:04:00.159 --> 00:04:04.280 of this caliber and I am probably higher on Joblish 72 00:04:04.360 --> 00:04:10.120 than most. I think that he will make Sportikaa City 73 00:04:10.240 --> 00:04:14.240 his team. He's finally the face of that attack, right. 74 00:04:14.319 --> 00:04:18.920 He was always the additional piece behind Hivier Hernandez, you know, 75 00:04:19.120 --> 00:04:24.120 in the mix of being around Pack and Puk and Royce, 76 00:04:24.199 --> 00:04:27.600 and you know, he was never the guy necessarily, regardless 77 00:04:27.600 --> 00:04:30.360 of how good he was, and regardless of him being 78 00:04:30.399 --> 00:04:35.800 the one that puts the final dagger into the Sounders 79 00:04:35.839 --> 00:04:39.920 and eventually puts his team out in the ML's Final 80 00:04:39.920 --> 00:04:43.639 and eventually into a championship. So I think the Jovils 81 00:04:43.720 --> 00:04:46.759 is very capable and I think many are going to 82 00:04:46.800 --> 00:04:48.680 be surprised of how good he will be with Sporting 83 00:04:48.720 --> 00:04:52.600 Kansas City. So it goes well for both. Sportikaa City 84 00:04:52.639 --> 00:04:54.639 gets a guy that they needed in a position of 85 00:04:54.680 --> 00:04:58.240 need and LA Galaxy because of the demands and because 86 00:04:58.240 --> 00:05:01.759 what they had to do get rid of somebody and 87 00:05:01.879 --> 00:05:04.839 later down the week or you know, a little bit 88 00:05:04.879 --> 00:05:07.160 over a week, we find out about the Christian Ra 89 00:05:07.199 --> 00:05:17.519 Mirror's situation. Christian Ra Mirrors he's not your every game 90 00:05:18.360 --> 00:05:22.439 franchise type of striker, but he's a double digit striker 91 00:05:22.480 --> 00:05:25.279 without a doubt. You know, he's thirty three, his experience, 92 00:05:25.439 --> 00:05:30.079 he's intelligent, he is poised in front of goal. He's 93 00:05:30.120 --> 00:05:34.680 good on er old duels. I think that lag are 94 00:05:34.759 --> 00:05:38.879 doing good business once again by bringing in a guy 95 00:05:39.519 --> 00:05:45.480 like Superman, and he's a guy that's used to not 96 00:05:45.680 --> 00:05:48.879 being the guy. He's used to being the guy that 97 00:05:48.959 --> 00:05:51.720 is also behind somebody else. So he's going to go 98 00:05:51.720 --> 00:05:55.079 in there and just try to produce. This is probably 99 00:05:55.439 --> 00:05:57.759 one of the best situations he's been in, with the 100 00:05:57.839 --> 00:06:02.920 exception of course last year, with Rossi and Kucho next 101 00:06:02.959 --> 00:06:05.319 to him. So he's gonna get a ton of service, 102 00:06:05.639 --> 00:06:07.959 he's gonna get a ton of opportunities in front of goal, 103 00:06:08.360 --> 00:06:12.040 and I think eventually and essentially he will be a 104 00:06:12.079 --> 00:06:15.160 guy that's going to produce for La Galaxy. Again. I 105 00:06:15.160 --> 00:06:18.199 don't think he's gonna be the every game guy, and 106 00:06:18.240 --> 00:06:22.519 I think they will be other players coming into the 107 00:06:22.600 --> 00:06:27.319 Galaxy team's formation that could eventually rotate that position, but 108 00:06:27.399 --> 00:06:32.319 I think Christian Ramirez going there was smart for the 109 00:06:32.480 --> 00:06:35.720 La Galaxy. Columbus is a better if I had Scratcher, 110 00:06:35.920 --> 00:06:38.279 you know, you talked about him. I'm not really sure 111 00:06:38.279 --> 00:06:40.439 what's going on down there. For the life of me. 112 00:06:41.279 --> 00:06:43.160 I can understand that you want to do right by 113 00:06:43.199 --> 00:06:46.600 players and you want to cash in and a guy 114 00:06:46.680 --> 00:06:49.079 like Kucho for sixteen mil and you know you're making 115 00:06:49.120 --> 00:06:52.560 a profit, YadA YadA, yacht. But man, you know, jaboah gone, 116 00:06:52.639 --> 00:06:56.680 him gone, Hinestrosa gone. I mean, that's a lot of 117 00:06:57.319 --> 00:07:01.879 main key players for your club that now you're going 118 00:07:01.959 --> 00:07:05.839 to have to replace. I don't think it's a full 119 00:07:05.879 --> 00:07:10.279 on rebuild down there, but it's definitely a full on remodel. 120 00:07:10.319 --> 00:07:12.680 I mean they're taking the kitchen and the two bathrooms 121 00:07:12.720 --> 00:07:15.079 downstairs and they're trying to fix that whole thing up. 122 00:07:15.160 --> 00:07:20.120 So definitely substantial. Definitely something that's gonna be not easy 123 00:07:20.160 --> 00:07:24.000 to do because you don't find Couture Hernandez signings on 124 00:07:24.160 --> 00:07:27.959 trees and you don't find guys like in Estrosa either 125 00:07:28.199 --> 00:07:31.040 in those sort of situations. So I think Columbus is 126 00:07:31.040 --> 00:07:34.680 in for a rough start. Obviously, you have a guy 127 00:07:35.240 --> 00:07:37.720 like Will fer Nancy, where you know that he's used 128 00:07:37.720 --> 00:07:42.279 to working with not the most incredible rosters, and he 129 00:07:42.360 --> 00:07:45.600 still has a soccer module. He's intelligent, he has obviously 130 00:07:45.600 --> 00:07:48.759 pieces to work with in Rossi and other guys that 131 00:07:48.800 --> 00:07:51.920 are still part of that Columbus crew team, but a 132 00:07:51.920 --> 00:07:54.800 lot of question marks all around when he comes to 133 00:07:54.800 --> 00:07:58.439 top teams in the league, specifically in the Western Conference, 134 00:07:58.480 --> 00:08:03.920 of course, But there is that sense of MLS in 135 00:08:04.000 --> 00:08:06.639 twenty twenty five. It's been crazy. He's been amazing in 136 00:08:06.639 --> 00:08:10.759 the off season, but that usually mays for some unpredictability, 137 00:08:11.000 --> 00:08:12.959 at least for the start of the season. 138 00:08:14.240 --> 00:08:16.720 And you know, I think you're right. 139 00:08:16.839 --> 00:08:19.680 I think that Columbus is turning the basement of the 140 00:08:19.720 --> 00:08:22.920 house into a mother in law suite and it's going 141 00:08:23.000 --> 00:08:26.800 to be interesting to see how they do this and 142 00:08:26.920 --> 00:08:28.800 have to do it on the fly, because if you 143 00:08:28.839 --> 00:08:30.839 were looking at deadlines, you can still do business with 144 00:08:30.920 --> 00:08:32.919 South America for the next five weeks or so, depending 145 00:08:32.960 --> 00:08:34.840 on the country and depending on the league, but you 146 00:08:34.879 --> 00:08:37.320 can't do anything in Europe except for like maybe Turkey 147 00:08:37.360 --> 00:08:39.639 and things with have a couple of deadlines that are extended. 148 00:08:40.039 --> 00:08:43.039 So Columbus is going to be in a very very 149 00:08:43.039 --> 00:08:47.559 interesting place. Philadelphia for me, is also in an interesting place, 150 00:08:47.639 --> 00:08:52.360 but probably not for the right reason. McGlenn goes to 151 00:08:52.559 --> 00:08:55.600 Houston and another one of these deals where the league 152 00:08:55.679 --> 00:08:58.639 is finally letting folks get sold inside the league for money, 153 00:08:58.679 --> 00:09:03.240 money and not garberbucks two point one initially from Houston 154 00:09:03.320 --> 00:09:08.360 former Glenn bonuses and metrics can add another one point 155 00:09:08.360 --> 00:09:09.320 four to the whole thing. 156 00:09:09.559 --> 00:09:10.600 And then you get fifty. 157 00:09:10.840 --> 00:09:13.519 Then you get fifty percent of a sell on, but 158 00:09:14.159 --> 00:09:17.159 you're not getting the full fifty percent because initially sixty 159 00:09:17.159 --> 00:09:19.279 percent went to you and forty percent went to the 160 00:09:19.320 --> 00:09:21.759 other two teams in New York City area. Because you 161 00:09:21.879 --> 00:09:25.720 violated the Dibbs zone in getting McGlenn. You went, you 162 00:09:25.759 --> 00:09:28.879 went past the uh, you went past the invisible fence 163 00:09:29.000 --> 00:09:32.480 in your yard, and you've got McGlenn. And so now 164 00:09:32.559 --> 00:09:34.600 forty percent of any sell on goes to the two 165 00:09:34.639 --> 00:09:37.000 in New York area clubs. You get fifty percent. So 166 00:09:37.080 --> 00:09:38.639 you might get a million out of five or a 167 00:09:38.639 --> 00:09:40.679 million out of ten. It's just it's a really screwy 168 00:09:40.679 --> 00:09:42.080 situation involving McGlenn. 169 00:09:42.559 --> 00:09:44.879 But Philly, Philly, Now. 170 00:09:46.960 --> 00:09:50.399 I want to know what they do with this money 171 00:09:50.559 --> 00:09:53.039 do they Are they going to just continue to be 172 00:09:53.799 --> 00:09:56.720 grinders and go, oh, we're just gonna have guys that 173 00:09:56.759 --> 00:09:58.600 are gonna be tough and we're gonna be, you know, 174 00:09:58.720 --> 00:10:01.320 grinding things out because that's Philly and that's who we are, 175 00:10:01.399 --> 00:10:03.120 and we're going to take our young talent. 176 00:10:03.440 --> 00:10:04.399 We're going to sell them on. 177 00:10:05.200 --> 00:10:08.440 And then I don't know what you're doing with that 178 00:10:08.519 --> 00:10:10.960 money that you're bringing in. I know that you're building 179 00:10:10.960 --> 00:10:13.360 infrastructure and things like that, but are you really doing 180 00:10:13.399 --> 00:10:15.519 things to benefit the product on the field. So the 181 00:10:15.639 --> 00:10:18.879 sale for me from m Glenn presents another interesting question 182 00:10:18.919 --> 00:10:21.039 out of Philly. What are you doing with it? How 183 00:10:21.039 --> 00:10:23.639 do you replace him? And what are you doing come 184 00:10:23.679 --> 00:10:24.279 twenty five. 185 00:10:25.240 --> 00:10:28.919 Yeah, that's a great question and is one is difficult 186 00:10:28.960 --> 00:10:33.840 to answer because if it was hard to predict when 187 00:10:35.080 --> 00:10:40.039 it was Curtain managing things, now it's even more unpredictable 188 00:10:40.039 --> 00:10:43.039 because you got a guy like Cornell Dad. How much 189 00:10:44.480 --> 00:10:46.480 power does who really have at this point? How much 190 00:10:46.519 --> 00:10:50.240 influence can he you know, half with the use of 191 00:10:50.320 --> 00:10:53.399 those funds. Is it going to be Philly just keeping 192 00:10:53.440 --> 00:10:58.240 them money and continue to just inject their academy system? 193 00:10:58.279 --> 00:11:02.120 And the youth program and get guys here and there 194 00:11:02.240 --> 00:11:07.240 that are serviceable and you know how much how much 195 00:11:07.440 --> 00:11:12.320 heat is they're really in that front office to get somewhere. 196 00:11:12.720 --> 00:11:17.720 Because to me, it feels like the expectations dropped with Philadelphia, right, 197 00:11:17.759 --> 00:11:20.480 I mean, they were highway curtain on the bench, but 198 00:11:20.559 --> 00:11:23.799 now with a whole new system, with guys gone, with 199 00:11:23.919 --> 00:11:26.960 McGlen gone, a guy that's as good as he had been. 200 00:11:26.960 --> 00:11:28.399 I mean, he was one of my favorite guys to 201 00:11:28.440 --> 00:11:31.679 see of the young guys now ends up going to Houston. 202 00:11:31.720 --> 00:11:37.960 So for me, Philadelphia just has a lot of room 203 00:11:38.000 --> 00:11:41.440 to say, hey, look, we're in a whole new place. 204 00:11:41.720 --> 00:11:44.759 You know, we are trying to make things happen, and 205 00:11:45.240 --> 00:11:48.440 we have a whole bunch of outbound guys. We haven't 206 00:11:48.480 --> 00:11:52.840 really brought in anybody necessarily that can replace those positions, 207 00:11:52.840 --> 00:11:55.600 and we're gonna go off of being a collective unit 208 00:11:56.039 --> 00:11:58.639 the same way Cornell did in Saint Louis. So it's 209 00:11:58.720 --> 00:12:03.799 just very hard for me to say what and where 210 00:12:03.799 --> 00:12:06.720 that money's gonna go to and how it's gonna be spent. 211 00:12:07.840 --> 00:12:12.960 But whatever happens from here until the end of the 212 00:12:13.080 --> 00:12:17.279 transfer window in the winter, right now, will tell you 213 00:12:19.240 --> 00:12:24.480 what has been said to Cornel and this team. Whether 214 00:12:24.519 --> 00:12:26.399 we're just gonna take it easy, we're gonna let you 215 00:12:27.080 --> 00:12:29.679 eas your way in, We're gonna give you three years 216 00:12:29.720 --> 00:12:33.279 to build us into something that's gonna be okay, or 217 00:12:33.320 --> 00:12:35.720 we need to win now, because that's the way I 218 00:12:35.759 --> 00:12:40.120 feel like they should approach this. This famiase doesn't deserve 219 00:12:40.320 --> 00:12:44.639 to have three years of waiting when you know they 220 00:12:44.720 --> 00:12:50.440 were Gareth bail Better away from winning the championship a 221 00:12:50.480 --> 00:12:53.879 couple of years back. So it just seems like you 222 00:12:53.919 --> 00:12:57.840 are backstepping or you're trending in the wrong direction when 223 00:12:57.879 --> 00:12:59.759 it comes to Philadelphia. 224 00:12:59.759 --> 00:13:02.720 And uh, you know it's gonna be I think it's 225 00:13:02.720 --> 00:13:05.279 gonna be something red bullsy in because that's where Carnell 226 00:13:05.320 --> 00:13:07.840 came from. It was kind of red bulls light when 227 00:13:07.840 --> 00:13:10.320 he was at All Caps. Yeah, and then they freaked 228 00:13:10.320 --> 00:13:12.240 out when they had a bad start in year two 229 00:13:12.320 --> 00:13:14.080 and it's like, oh second time through the batting order, 230 00:13:14.120 --> 00:13:16.679 Oh no, they figured out our picture and so you 231 00:13:16.679 --> 00:13:18.919 get rid of Carnell and you see what happens in 232 00:13:18.960 --> 00:13:23.240 the off season. So for Philly, I right now, like 233 00:13:23.320 --> 00:13:25.960 I said, I'm I'm intrigued to see how this works. 234 00:13:26.120 --> 00:13:28.639 It Earns Tanner believes in it. So you're bringing a 235 00:13:28.639 --> 00:13:31.159 guy like Bradley Carnell and it's just gonna be r 236 00:13:31.559 --> 00:13:33.840 and we're you know, we're gonna be We're gonna personify 237 00:13:33.840 --> 00:13:35.200 the city and all these kinds of things. 238 00:13:35.679 --> 00:13:37.639 Yeah, but you look at that roster, it's just hard 239 00:13:37.639 --> 00:13:39.519 to see. And then when he goes to Houston, Man, 240 00:13:39.960 --> 00:13:43.279 they themselves are also switching up a lot of players, 241 00:13:43.360 --> 00:13:49.279 right Cuku Caraskija now in Mexico after Herera out the door. 242 00:13:49.679 --> 00:13:52.159 Now you bring McGlenn. You've got a couple of pieces 243 00:13:52.200 --> 00:13:55.200 down there, Uh that are gonna be interesting to see. 244 00:13:55.200 --> 00:13:58.679 But man, Houston's also another team that, like I said, 245 00:13:59.120 --> 00:14:01.840 especially in the West Conference. To me, I guess because 246 00:14:01.840 --> 00:14:04.840 I'm on this side. When I look at those top 247 00:14:04.919 --> 00:14:11.159 teams rsl LA, Galaxy, LAFC, Man, there's a lot of 248 00:14:11.200 --> 00:14:14.320 turnover and there's a lot of switching and moving and going. 249 00:14:15.000 --> 00:14:19.600 You know, LAFC lost Ilia Los Marie, Joe lost Bogats. 250 00:14:19.679 --> 00:14:24.120 I mean they lost so much prime talent, so many contributors, 251 00:14:24.120 --> 00:14:28.720 so many goals, so much defensive responsibility, so much experience. 252 00:14:29.840 --> 00:14:33.759 It's anybody's game and hopefully we'll talk about the Sounders 253 00:14:33.759 --> 00:14:37.000 here because they went the other way on you. They 254 00:14:37.039 --> 00:14:40.159 maybe did a little bit less, but they kept continuity. 255 00:14:40.279 --> 00:14:42.799 They kept a lot of the guys. They they have 256 00:14:43.080 --> 00:14:49.080 a better gauge on where this team is going to 257 00:14:49.159 --> 00:14:52.679 be to start off the season then maybe any of 258 00:14:52.720 --> 00:14:54.600 the other top teams in the West. 259 00:14:54.799 --> 00:14:57.960 All right, since you open that door, let's go through 260 00:14:58.000 --> 00:14:59.639 that door. As you take a sip from your cup 261 00:14:59.679 --> 00:15:03.000 number one one out of the Rave Green mug. They 262 00:15:03.039 --> 00:15:06.480 did not take you with them to Spain, which was 263 00:15:06.480 --> 00:15:11.399 disappointing because I was looking forward to the live shots 264 00:15:11.399 --> 00:15:13.480 from Marbea with you at like three point thirty in 265 00:15:13.480 --> 00:15:15.879 the afternoon at a hotel, kind of kicking back and going, yo, 266 00:15:16.000 --> 00:15:20.039 look at me. See where I am? You mentioned continuity 267 00:15:20.480 --> 00:15:24.960 and right now, and I mean you add to continuity 268 00:15:25.159 --> 00:15:27.600 in a different way. You bring back Kim kihe who 269 00:15:27.639 --> 00:15:30.080 knows what the system is like. So you're bringing infamiliar 270 00:15:30.080 --> 00:15:34.320 faces in addition to keeping who you have. And you 271 00:15:34.399 --> 00:15:37.519 made the big deal in the off season. You made 272 00:15:37.519 --> 00:15:39.360 big deals in the off season. Who am I kidding? 273 00:15:39.960 --> 00:15:43.360 Where you ad You add to your experience in the midfield, 274 00:15:44.080 --> 00:15:48.200 You add to your scoring punch and you're adding to 275 00:15:48.440 --> 00:15:50.840 a nucleus that has been there for a while. I 276 00:15:50.879 --> 00:15:56.120 mean you have, you know, senior oster spots. It's Ariola Tensio, Bell, 277 00:15:56.200 --> 00:16:01.399 Leo Chu Ferrera, fry Yamar Gomes Anddraga, Danny Lava, Georgie 278 00:16:01.399 --> 00:16:06.480 Manongu JP, Jordan Morris, Mussofski, Reagan, both roll Dons, Rus 279 00:16:06.559 --> 00:16:09.320 Knock Knew who Obed Vargas. Who's getting interest and we 280 00:16:09.320 --> 00:16:12.000 can talk about that in a second. And then PDV 281 00:16:12.600 --> 00:16:15.360 you've got four homegrowns as part of your supplementals. 282 00:16:15.759 --> 00:16:18.759 Then you've got international roster spots attached. 283 00:16:18.480 --> 00:16:22.000 To Menongo and PDV DP right now Ariola U twenty 284 00:16:22.039 --> 00:16:26.559 two's Josh Utensio and Leo Chu So you got all 285 00:16:26.600 --> 00:16:29.440 of the Seattle influence and everybody that's been there for 286 00:16:29.480 --> 00:16:34.559 a while. You add pieces like Ariola and Hayesus Ferrera. 287 00:16:36.440 --> 00:16:38.919 You mentioned the why I think it is going to 288 00:16:38.960 --> 00:16:41.320 be the wild West this year with the changes, with 289 00:16:41.360 --> 00:16:43.399 the three teams that finished above the Seattle and the 290 00:16:43.399 --> 00:16:47.480 regular season standing, you have stability a then you add 291 00:16:47.519 --> 00:16:50.799 firepower and experience in the midfield. How is it integrating 292 00:16:50.840 --> 00:16:53.320 from what you've been able to discern so far here 293 00:16:53.360 --> 00:16:54.039 in training camp. 294 00:16:54.679 --> 00:16:58.919 He's been a smooth transition and adaptation to all new components, 295 00:16:58.960 --> 00:17:01.799 including a lot of the young that you mentioned already. 296 00:17:03.360 --> 00:17:06.160 Everything I've heard from mar Vegius Paint and which came 297 00:17:06.200 --> 00:17:10.079 to an end yesterday after a too to draw with 298 00:17:10.119 --> 00:17:13.359 hammer By in their second preseason game of the day 299 00:17:13.480 --> 00:17:18.240 because they had an early game before that. But man, 300 00:17:18.319 --> 00:17:22.720 it's been good vibes overall. It seems like Paulariola and 301 00:17:22.759 --> 00:17:27.920 Farrah have you know, being a good fit for the 302 00:17:28.519 --> 00:17:31.640 squad in general, and to me, that's that's a big deal. 303 00:17:32.240 --> 00:17:36.039 The competition level is high. When I look at the 304 00:17:36.400 --> 00:17:43.720 overall adjustments in addition of concepts for this sounder teams, 305 00:17:43.759 --> 00:17:47.839 there's one prevailing message and is we're gonna be aggressive. 306 00:17:48.279 --> 00:17:51.119 We're gonna be aggressive in our press. We're gonna play 307 00:17:51.200 --> 00:17:54.559 with a high line. In every single preseason game that 308 00:17:54.799 --> 00:17:58.279 they had in Spain, it was a three man back line. 309 00:17:58.759 --> 00:18:03.839 Sometimes it's a a three five to two, sometimes is 310 00:18:03.920 --> 00:18:07.680 a three four three. You know, there's variations of what 311 00:18:07.759 --> 00:18:12.359 they did in certain parts of certain games, but you 312 00:18:12.480 --> 00:18:15.000 think that with three men backline, they were going to 313 00:18:15.039 --> 00:18:18.279 be a little bit more direct and they weren't going 314 00:18:18.359 --> 00:18:20.200 to be as aggressive, but it's the opposite man. They've 315 00:18:20.200 --> 00:18:23.119 been a possession based team. They've been very good at 316 00:18:23.519 --> 00:18:29.160 transition moments and the aggressiveness of the press. Yesterday against Hammerby, 317 00:18:29.319 --> 00:18:32.440 they get their first goal out of a high press situation. 318 00:18:33.440 --> 00:18:37.039 The second goal, there's also some influence of it. They 319 00:18:37.079 --> 00:18:41.480 do get caught at the end of this game by 320 00:18:41.799 --> 00:18:45.640 the moments when you are committing so many numbers forward 321 00:18:45.720 --> 00:18:49.920 to press and the press doesn't get there, and a 322 00:18:50.039 --> 00:18:55.839 couple of passes you're trying to recorrect and you're trying 323 00:18:55.880 --> 00:18:58.400 to get a foot race to you know, get to 324 00:18:58.480 --> 00:19:02.519 guys that are behind a whole bunch of other players 325 00:19:02.519 --> 00:19:05.799 that you were committing forward and they get cut up. 326 00:19:06.200 --> 00:19:09.920 But overall, man, it's aggressive, and I like that. It's 327 00:19:09.960 --> 00:19:15.319 aggressive in terms of the offensive as well. We're gonna 328 00:19:15.359 --> 00:19:17.960 overload one side, we're gonna switch it. We're gonna have 329 00:19:18.039 --> 00:19:23.119 guys crashing the box. We're gonna have Ferrera and Albert 330 00:19:23.240 --> 00:19:28.400 playing as two creative midfielders behind Jordan Morris. So there's 331 00:19:28.400 --> 00:19:30.480 a lot of freedom, there's a lot of movement. We're 332 00:19:30.480 --> 00:19:32.920 gonna get a lot of width out of our wing backs. 333 00:19:33.720 --> 00:19:38.480 We're gonna trust that Christian Rodan and Ovid bargains is 334 00:19:38.519 --> 00:19:42.640 a double pivot always in are gonna handle moments of 335 00:19:43.240 --> 00:19:46.200 transition defense and that they're gonna be able to get forward. 336 00:19:46.480 --> 00:19:51.079 So overall, man, I'm excited about what this had the 337 00:19:51.079 --> 00:19:53.799 team can look like with some of these new adjustments 338 00:19:53.839 --> 00:19:57.599 and the aggressiveness of it. Can it be dangerous? Am 339 00:19:57.599 --> 00:20:01.519 I a little concerned that you having the best defense 340 00:20:01.720 --> 00:20:06.519 on the league per se got you to a Western 341 00:20:06.559 --> 00:20:10.039 Conference final last year? And now if you gamble a 342 00:20:10.039 --> 00:20:12.720 little too much with that high line pressing as high 343 00:20:12.720 --> 00:20:15.319 as you are doing it right now, can that result 344 00:20:15.359 --> 00:20:21.519 in a couple of bad goals and maybe some instability defensively? Maybe? 345 00:20:21.680 --> 00:20:24.200 But I think that the team can correct it, and 346 00:20:24.240 --> 00:20:28.960 if they can perfect it, they're going to be a 347 00:20:28.960 --> 00:20:33.000 difficult team to be. Not to mention that brand Smetzer 348 00:20:33.319 --> 00:20:37.039 is not afraid of going back to his standard save 349 00:20:37.200 --> 00:20:41.240 four two three one and working from there. So I 350 00:20:41.400 --> 00:20:43.599 just like what I've seen so far out of our 351 00:20:43.640 --> 00:20:49.920 Bedjia a couple of standouts. Pedal beggas been lights out, engage, consistent, 352 00:20:51.400 --> 00:20:57.359 understands the system. Unfortunately for him, I think this formation 353 00:20:57.480 --> 00:21:00.240 does make him the odd man out. He wasn't part 354 00:21:00.279 --> 00:21:03.839 of what I would call the starting lineup yesterday in 355 00:21:03.920 --> 00:21:06.799 that second game of the of the day in preseason 356 00:21:06.799 --> 00:21:10.720 in Marveja, but he's looked fantastic. H love what I'm 357 00:21:10.759 --> 00:21:14.119 seeing out of over the bargain so far. Hey, sus 358 00:21:14.160 --> 00:21:19.680 Ferreira man, he very versatile, very free, very open. Uh. 359 00:21:19.880 --> 00:21:22.519 Yesterday he put a couple of balls into Jordan Morris 360 00:21:23.000 --> 00:21:26.279 that there's pot on there weren't supposed to be. Jordan 361 00:21:26.400 --> 00:21:29.039 isn't able to finish in those, but I think he 362 00:21:29.160 --> 00:21:33.960 has been incredible on the defensive end. Kalina is a 363 00:21:33.960 --> 00:21:36.039 guy that does not have a contract with the Sounders, 364 00:21:36.400 --> 00:21:39.279 but as a as a wing bat, he's been very 365 00:21:39.440 --> 00:21:43.440 very good. I have asked Brian about him. He continues 366 00:21:43.480 --> 00:21:45.599 to praise this kid. I think he is a player 367 00:21:45.960 --> 00:21:49.640 that could potentially earn an early contract with the Sounders, 368 00:21:50.039 --> 00:21:54.000 especially knowing that Red Baker Whiten had a hamstring injury. 369 00:21:55.359 --> 00:21:58.200 Brian Smetser said that he felt that pop the kid 370 00:21:58.240 --> 00:22:02.279 did the player, So we'll see what happens with that hamstring. 371 00:22:02.400 --> 00:22:04.880 Something to look at. But because of that, I think 372 00:22:04.960 --> 00:22:09.200 Kalina can really get himself into a situation where he 373 00:22:09.240 --> 00:22:15.160 has a contract this season. Jordan Morris's look good as well, 374 00:22:15.279 --> 00:22:19.319 So overall, man, it's good vibes from the Sounders. There 375 00:22:19.440 --> 00:22:21.759 was one other bad news yesterday that I don't want 376 00:22:21.799 --> 00:22:26.039 to overlook here. Albert Russnik did go down in the 377 00:22:26.240 --> 00:22:29.519 twenty seventh minute. I believe of the first half of 378 00:22:29.559 --> 00:22:32.839 that game yesterday, you can hear brand Smester telling him 379 00:22:32.880 --> 00:22:35.440 to go down. I went back looked at the tape. 380 00:22:35.480 --> 00:22:37.880 He seemed like he might have pulled something. He's trying 381 00:22:37.880 --> 00:22:40.839 to play through it. He's given the sideline all kinds 382 00:22:40.839 --> 00:22:44.039 of signs and eventually he just goes down. So hopefully 383 00:22:44.119 --> 00:22:48.319 that's not incredibly long for a player that's going to 384 00:22:48.319 --> 00:22:52.480 be important for this team. But to me, man, I 385 00:22:52.559 --> 00:22:56.200 feel like there is a better There is a better 386 00:22:56.279 --> 00:23:02.599 outlook into this squad, strategy and the players that there 387 00:23:02.799 --> 00:23:09.000 was last year, And that alone is very encouraging and 388 00:23:09.279 --> 00:23:12.240 I think it's going to be I think it puts 389 00:23:12.279 --> 00:23:14.559 Seattle in a position to be one of the more 390 00:23:16.599 --> 00:23:19.880 almost written in sharpy, to be on top of the West. 391 00:23:20.519 --> 00:23:22.799 And I'll say it like that, I mean, quite honestly, 392 00:23:22.839 --> 00:23:26.160 I think that the Sounders floor is so high that 393 00:23:26.240 --> 00:23:30.000 there will be in the top six slots in the 394 00:23:30.000 --> 00:23:31.519 Western Conference very early on. 395 00:23:33.119 --> 00:23:36.000 Then, in a perfect world, all things being equal, Albert 396 00:23:36.079 --> 00:23:40.039 ruce knocks not going down taken into consideration, give me 397 00:23:40.079 --> 00:23:40.839 your starting eleven. 398 00:23:42.440 --> 00:23:48.720 Woh? I like that. My starting eleven would be in 399 00:23:48.759 --> 00:23:53.680 a four two three to one me personally, so I 400 00:23:53.920 --> 00:24:03.000 would go Steph Knew who Reagan yamar Alex Christian rodan 401 00:24:03.839 --> 00:24:08.799