MLS Week 7 Review - Playing the Long Game

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us and streaming it live to YouTube today.

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I don't think.

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Maybe, I don't know, maybe we are.

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It says live on it.

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I'm curious.

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Sometimes I think we're broadcasting to YouTube ORG and we're not,

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and sometimes we are, and I don't know. So I'm, I got to see. You got to look at my own,

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look at my own channel.

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Right now, we are not live on YouTube ORG.

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Wait, we are. All right.

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I always have so much fun playing around with the music. I got to tell you. Every time. Makes me very happy. Hey, this is a Tuesday. If you're watching this live, if you're listening to this, forget that.It doesn't matter what day this was recorded on. Certainly not. I would never date our content like that, despite the fact that I've done it many times so hey anyways welcome back to the mLS now podcast i'm your host also you can find me on social media at mr danger russe PERSON you can find the podcast on social media at mLS now podcast and most importantly you can find us also on the website at mLS now podcast.com ORG speaking of which our wonderful amazing fantastic fabulousuh i certainly other adjectives exist but it's like nine o'clock which are wonderful, amazing, fantastic, fabulous. Certainly other adjectives exist, but it's like 9 o'clock on a Tuesday. So I don't yet know them or remember them or I forgot them. But our wonderful, fantastic, joyous, reliable, and all that website admin, Bryce PERSON, is on the podcast with us. Bryce PERSON, you can find him on social media.

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What, B Leslie 19, I think? Yep. Thanks. There you go.

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Thanks for that.

Speaker 2112.24s - 129.72s

Russell PERSON. Yes, feels good. I finally have cleared my team policy suspension. So now I'm luckily enough to be back on here tonight. As you see someone isn't on here, I don't think you've ever seen me and Gavin in the same room in 2024. There's a reason of that.Yeah, that's absolutely correct.

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You know, I've never actually seen you and Gavin in the same room in general. So, I mean, if you're a listener, take from that what you will because just saying.

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I have a cryptic start for you tonight.

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So drink, drink of a choice tonight.

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It's backwards for you, but it's a crab

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mania. IPA,

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New England IPA, and there's two reasons why I'm drinking it. Can you name me the two reasons? Well, let's see here.

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First of all, you must have known that I had some amazing New England clam chowder while I was on vacation. So you're having a crab IPA to celebrate the fact that I am back from vacation and that I had amazing New England LOC clam chowder while I was on vacation. So you're having a crab IPA to celebrate the fact that I am back from vacation and that I had amazing New England LOC clam chowder.So is that reason?

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Three reasons. Yep. You got one of them. Three.

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Yep. The second one,

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I don't, couldn't tell it's a craps season in New England LOC. First win of the year. First MLS one of the year. Number three, it's an IPA, not a porter, because New England fans don't like Porter PERSON with me. So, good and a bad for that,but it's a good tasting brew for this episode. Feels good to be back. I love that.

Speaker 1198.16s - 206.22s

That's a phenomenal choice there. You know, I'm blown away. I've got coffee, so. I feel that.

Speaker 2206.24s - 211.88s

I'm working from home tomorrow, so I can have a couple beers. You work from home every day, so, you know how it was.

Speaker 1213.48s - 245.36s

It's funny. I'm actually not working from home tomorrow, so. I will be on site in the office tomorrow. And a very short layover from returning from vacation. I knew myself well enough that I would not want to havea meeting in the office the day I come back. But the second day, maybe I'm having some regrets about that now. I'll never admit it. Point being, though, I've got coffee. You've got a New England LOC crabIPA. Side note, I don't like IPAs

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I see you just got to find a good place to start and the flavor kind of keeps with you so I'm a I'm like a

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stout guy I'm being honest

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give me something dark so you are a quarter fan

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uh I mean I'm

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a fan unfortunately right I'm a fan, unfortunately, right?

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I'm a fan of Porter PERSON the drink, but not Porter the coach.

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Fair. I don't know if anyone's a fan of Porter PERSON, the coach. I don't know if even Porter PERSON's a fan of himself. He must be.

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I'm sure Portland and Columbus appreciated him for a season or two.

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Yeah, they appreciated him when they were winning.

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But New England LOC fans, unfortunately, have not seen that start.

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But they did last weekend.

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Yeah.

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Yeah, we will get into that and more on this episode.

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But first, hey, Bryce, I want to talk to you about something that happened today, actually.

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So I'm glad that we are recording this later. There was a super secret, you know, official boys club meeting. The ownership of the MLS teams had an owner's meeting today. Interesting guest cameo appearance. Gianni Infantino PERSON was also at that meeting. Now, I think to me, the hilarious and kind of sad, immediate assumption that I had was what anti-player anti-socker policy did these owners and Infantino PERSON come up with together while they were all in the same room with each other?

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Isn't this the first time that he's been with like an MLS ORG owners before? Like this is this is a pretty big thing, right? Yeah.

Speaker 1353.06s - 364.24s

This is an unusual, unprecedented thing. So you are correct. I don't, and not only that, I think it's the first time any FIFA ORG president has ever met directly with ownership groups.

Speaker 2364.24s - 367.86s

Yeah, and there's nothing about what they've talked about, right? So it's our job to conspirer,

Speaker 1368.12s - 399.56s

conspirize this thing. Yeah. There were some people tweeting throughout the day from various news outlets. I didn't really follow it. So yes, I agree. I'm, I'm planning fully to just put the tinfoil hat on, which is why I'd like to ask you, what are, what are some terrible ideas do you think that they've conceived? My tinfoil hat on, which is why I'd like to ask you, what are, what are some terrible ideas, do you think that they've conceived? My tinfoil hat is they tried to propose to Infantino PERSON the idea of why every single league globally should do a salary cap for players.

Speaker 2399.56s - 437.32s

Yeah, you know, that'd be, that'd be a really good one. Another one maybe could be kind of how, of how pro rel actually shouldn't happen. You should just keep everyone where they're at. That would be a really good start. I think maybe they just really want to learn about the super draft. Maybe that's just a big thing nowadays.And the draft concepting, it doesn't have to be just with the clubs and the leagues. Maybe they can start taking that up with the tournaments. You know, you can just start having the teams in the pots. You just start drafting each other instead of it being rigged within itself within FIFA ORG anyways. Maybe, Bryce PERSON.

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You know, our lovely pseudo tournament, it's kind of a fake tournament. Yet it's a real tournament and teams take it more seriously than historic tournaments that we have in this nation. Maybe they're trying to convince Infantino to send a different league every year to the league's cup in summer.

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That could be a, that's actually a realistic option right there, I think, maybe.

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Yeah, you know what? I think you're right. Out of everything we've said, that may be the one with the highest chance of happening, which says something because I think there's right. Out of everything we've said, that may be the one with the highest chance of happening, which says something because I think there's a less than 1% chance of that ever actually happening.

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Maybe we're trying to get to NFL to get 32 teams,

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but we want to get a couple, you know,

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we're going to get a couple of FIFA ORG's best teams to come play their B team instead. Right.

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Or what it is, Bryce PERSON. I think obviously they're trying to bring Infantino PERSON in on, you know, ownership group. They want him to start a franchise over in like Switzerland GPE or, you know, Italy GPE or somewhere like that. And we'll have, you know, like the Rome GPE or we'll have, you know,like, I don't know, the London, the London fall.

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Don't forget about United FC ORG after that, too. Yeah. London, the London fall. Don't forget about United FC after that, too.

Speaker 1507.04s - 514.26s

Yeah, London, the London Fog United SC, because it's an American brand, so they can't use FC.

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Yeah, it's got to be SC ORG. So realistically, though, what are some ideas you think that could be talking about? Do you think it could be to do with, like, the World Cup coming in two years or is that like something a little too simple?

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To me, I would say the simplest solution is probably your most likely, even if it's not 100%, right? Like maybe it's a 30 to 40% chance that they're talking about World Cup where maybe Infantino PERSON's coming in and saying, hey, listen, we need to have these talks about what are we going to do logistics-wise with these matches. We have concerns, you know, SoFi Stadium FAC. Obviously, that pulled out, I think, from the World Cup EVENT because they didn't want to modify their field. And, you know, they were like naming rights issues with that as well. And so Infantinos ORG may be showing up saying, hey, listen, I know you guys own soccer teams and some of you own these stadiums or own the teams that lease these stadiums.And we need to have a chat about the expectations of what the World Cup EVENT's going to look like from a soccer playing surface perspective. Who knows?

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I think you're right, though.

Speaker 2581.34s - 583.3s

That's probably the simplest and most likely explanation.

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The only thing is like why just MLS ORG to the point, I guess maybe you're talking about so far,

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but you think that there would be more of announcement of, you know, getting the, like, Liga Mekke's ORG teams and into it as well. So maybe he's making two trips, but, uh, maybe.

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Maybe, yeah.

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Well, the Liga Emacki's ORG sides, I mean, they're playing all in, all those in soccer stadiums.

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That's a fair point.

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Like, they're playing in Monterey, and I think they're playing at the Azteca in Mexico City GPE.

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And one other place that I, it escapes me right now where the third Mexico GPE location is. I think it's somewhere on the western side of Mexico GPE, but.

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Yeah. So, yeah, I'm curiously if like things start to leak out a little bit more. Nothing stays a secret. So if it's, if it's known he's here, it's definitely going to be figured out soon. But that's my guess right now,something with the World Cup EVENT. Let's see if it develops into something more. I really can't see MLS and FIFA ORG doing it. And maybe it could be a club world cup like type thing being hosted in the U.S. And they want to maybe expand more teams. It could be a lot of things.

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But we can sit here the whole time coming up with a bunch of solutions and fun ones and

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realistic ones.

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But for now I'll go with the World Cup EVENT since the timeline is creeping in a little bit

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day by day.

Speaker 1665.76s - 730.5s

I think that's the one that I would lean to as well, just for the just for the sake of argument and rounding out our options. I think maybe a runner-up could be perhaps. So let me think here. I wouldn't be surprised if maybe something about like academies. Maybe he's popping his head in to talk about like the development and the future of soccer. And he maybe wants to understand more about what they're doing with MLS Next Pro ORG and what they expect from these teams.And maybe the really get an understanding of if the U.S. GPE is ever going to be a talent development powerhouse, which they say they want to be. How are they going to do that through MLS Next Pro ORG? And are there any logistical or maybe legal challenges to starting yet another league? Not that I can think of there being any. I mean, you know, the EPL ORG has their own independent league as well for all their academy teams. But neither here nor there.It's just a potential follow-up, right? It impacts the game long-term, which should be what Infantino PERSON's focusing on.

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Now, maybe he wanted to find out how the allocation order didn't work out here in the MLS ORG. That's my last take, last thought on it. Yeah.

Speaker 1741.7s - 748.7s

I really, I think what he's doing is he's actually showing up to put in a late claim on Messi PERSON for the discovery, right?

Speaker 2748.7s - 760.12s

Yeah, he's trying to figure out, like, he thought for some reason that, you know, FC Porto, like, had their name in the cap before Miami GPE. So he's a little confused how that worked out. Yeah.

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They need some, they need some game from them.

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So maybe that's how they, maybe that's how they funded his flight here.

Speaker 1767.08s - 783.24s

They use, they use GAM at the airport. Maybe they'll, uh, maybe we'll send like $100,000 in GAM. I know normally 50,000 seems to be the going rate for discovery rights, but hey, it's messy. It's got to be a big, big discovery rights here.

Speaker 2783.54s - 792.9s

I mean, to find someone like that, it's pretty impressive. So you definitely have to compensate them from that. I don't know. I don't think they would have found Messi PERSON without that system. Yeah, certainly not.

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I mean, it's generational talent. Truly, it's unbelievable to see what Messies really developed into since coming to the U.S. I mean, shocking, really. I mean, kudos to Miami GPE for theami for what do we make it 10 minutes

Speaker 2808.88s - 814.08s

finally saying messy PERSON's name we we did it we said we said his name in vain yeah we said it

Speaker 1814.08s - 855.56s

yeah it was 15 actually according to the timer so we really did quite well 15 whole minutes before we talked about messy PERSON i think that's a new record for the pod. I think as well, it's a new record for us continuing to talk about anything other than the matches that we're actually supposed to be talking about. Bryce, you and I are two very busy individuals. I was on vacation. You have a passion project.You have an opportunity. You have a very fun thing you're doing with some collegiate sports. So I think this episode is going to look a little different than normal. We are lacking Gavin, who sources confirm as I'm looking at my phone. I'm,you know, hold on right now. I'm receiving reports from the field.

Speaker 0855.64s - 865.94s

Yes, yes, Gavin does in fact hate us. He's not on the podcast because he doesn't like us anymore. So anyways, Bryce PERSON,congratulations on your promotion to new Gavin.

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Thank you.

Speaker 2866.38s - 882.36s

Yeah. Yeah, it's been a position I've been waiting for for this quite some time. You know, we keep pushing off talking about MLS ORG soccer, so I might as well just do it in my acceptance speech so far. So I, the only thing I won't accept is the Lions ORG blog account. I'll have to twist that into some Atlanta United ORG account.

Speaker 1884s - 899.78s

Yeah, well, you know, some would say that Atlanta United are the lions of Georgia. Yeah, we're a lot of things in Georgia. You know, look, they always say, you know, a lion never changes its stripes. So it's beautiful. Yeah.

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All right.

Speaker 1900.84s - 902.94s

And, you know, lions, well known for having five.

Speaker 2902.94s - 904.98s

So how are we breaking this down tonight, Russell PERSON?

Speaker 1906.8s - 1067.56s

I want to talk, very high level, just about some matches first. And then, you know, maybe we're just going to talk about where the teams actually sit right now. Overall, some problems, some questions that we have on these teams, just kind of a high level. Sort of the good, the bad, the ugly, right, as to what's going on here. And we're going to start with NYCFC versus Atlanta ORG. It's a one-one draw, NYCFC, Coach Joe PERSON sent in a wonderful correspondence corner.And I think it's actually an excellent starting point to set the tone on this. I just need to actually find it in my list of correspondent corners. Yes, here it is. Coach Joe says, he writes into us, New York City FC ORG. Not many teams in MLS get two home openers, but here we are with our first match of 24 at City Field for NYCFC ORG, adjacent to the site of our future permanent residentsin the world's borough. The pigeons put in yet another underwhelming performance in front of one of the smallest crowds City Field has seen for an NYCFC ORG match. NYCFC ORG went up 1-0 on a savvy PKby now veteran designated player, Sandy Rodriguez PERSON. However, of course, a Cushing PERSON-led squad succumbed to a counterattack led by geriatric Brad Gazan PERSON.Par for the course for the city boys. Cushing's seat incrementally warmer after match day seven. And I think, you know, this hits on all the talking points that I would actually talk about for both clubs. NYCFC, look, they are a huge brand in the sense of they're inside of New York City GPE. There's unlimited potential in this location and yet uninspired with their coaching right now. I mean, look, the best time to get rid of Cushing PERSON was after they brought him on full time.The second best time is right now the second and they're not going to do either of those things. They're putting in this huge stadium, right? It's going to change, hopefully, the perception and the atmosphere around the team, and yet, what are you doing to build hype for it? Are you just saying, hey, by 2026 or 2027,whenever it officially gets finished being constructed and opens, we're going to have built this big loyal following. We're going to have, you know, people just absolutely hyped and built up and invested. And they've been waiting all these, like, years. They've been going to these matches and it's a big reward for them. But what are you doing to get to that is my question.I mean, how is any of what they're doing right now, good for their brand and good for the...

Speaker 21067.56s - 1127.04s

I tell you, when they announced NYCFC ORG was going to join the league, I thought it was very clear that they were just going to steal that market up there in the Northeast LOC completely. Like, obviously the Red Bulls not located in the city.Like, that was going to be New York's GPE team. And unfortunately, there's pretty much everything wrong could have happened from the start they really had big names dave via perlo you could talk about retirement league where they were at in their careers or not but still big names to kind of initiate the brand like itself you haveguys that can say they wore those jerseys in their career and then he went through some really good phases of of good teams, MLS Cup EVENT. Morales PERSON was great there for a long time at the camp. Castiano PERSON's doing great overseas. And now they've just kind of hit a really big, really big stopping point. And there's not really any explanation for it.What is there? We're stadium coming in 2027, I believe, or it's got to buy the...

Speaker 11127.04s - 1130.06s

Somewhere in there. Yeah, it's like 26 or 27.

Speaker 21130.2s - 1175.64s

It's just you're missing a big window here. And as much as we joke about cushing out, like it's crazy that they're at this point. Their player mold is still interesting how they bring these players in of like pretty solid potential but very much unknowns and they just feel like kind of like the city football group tryout point but that's not what a New York GPE city base team should be in any league so it's a shame where they're at right now that they should be competing for the names that are going to Miami GPE orLA GPE like that's they're kind of like the other spot where the names like messy or like Drew are going to come to and like Grisemond PERSON like there's a there's are the

Speaker 11175.64s - 1194.92s

cities they want to come right those are the those are the markets where MLS ORG would love to see them as well but here's my thing if NYCFC ORG was not under the city football group umbrella, would any players be going there seeing what's going on? Like, legitimately,

Speaker 21194.92s - 1198.12s

how many people would see Nick Cushing PERSON and would say,

Speaker 11198.22s - 1200.76s

oh, yeah, I want to go play for this guy. Yeah,

Speaker 21200.92s - 1262.16s

no shot. Like, it's within it, yeah, within itself, it's, it's not an attractive place to play football right now right now like how are you going to convince someone to play on that on either yankee stateand mercedy field like it's like obviously with emilus now i i hear it from joe more often and i see it a little bit more than alina fans but i think this past weekend was a reminder how how it is for NYCFC. It's like, all right, we checked off the annual baseball field pitch to play on until potentially a playoff series. So it's like, all right, get that out of the way in April. You don't worry about it again. But those players have to go through a full season of that. Like how they talkabout not wanting to play on turf in Atlanta ORG. Who wants to go play on a baseball field? Like that's just it's and who wants to go watch it? Joe PERSON embraces it. But I know Joe PERSON's going to embrace it when they finally get a soccer specific stadium in the city. Even more. I don't know.I don't care how much he defends it. He's just pushing it off until until that cool hurry finally comes the light.

Speaker 11263.78s - 1268.18s

Yeah. And you know what? When they do get it, I'll make a trip out there 100%.

Speaker 21268.18s - 1268.38s

Easily.

Speaker 11268.38s - 1269.46s

It's like a,

Speaker 21269.46s - 1270.6s

how far of a drive is it for you?

Speaker 11270.64s - 1278.94s

It's only like a five hour drive for me. Yeah, it's probably closer to like a eight to ten hour drive. But, you know, Midwest.

Speaker 01279.18s - 1281.22s

That's not bad. That's standard for us. Yeah.

Speaker 11281.98s - 1293.92s

Yeah. I mean, you drive on a Friday. They got that 7.30 p.m. Saturday match. And then you leave Sunday morning and you're back home and you go to work the next day. Honestly, perfect.Yeah. MLS ORG is nailed it.

Speaker 21294.12s - 1347.58s

Quick tangent real quick. You think the 7.30 time is going to stick? You think I want to watch more matches. That's another thing is, of course, I watched Atlanta ORG. United play at 730. So that's another reason why I can't talk about a lot of these games because I have to do my catch-up time during the week to do it. So I'm not going to watch extra time when my team's on.So it's, I would love the NFL window is perfect. Like that Sunday, I think would be a great opportunity for soccer. You get like the one, four, and eight, at least like three matches there. I know they're trying to do that a little bit more, at least early on, but even Saturday, like maybe try to get like a 430 window,a 730 window, and a 9.30 one. Just split it up at maybe they're just trying to get consistency to start to get their local fans out, but then try to get national fans more into it. I'm going to be honest.

Speaker 11347.7s - 1425.54s

I was in, you know, the West Coast this past weekend when these matches were kicking off. So for me, I got to watch FC Cincinnati at 4.30 p.m. local time. And it was so weird because, like, if you're planning to say go out to dinner, you're going to like go do literally something, anything, right? If you were to say a Seattle fan, when I was out at dinner, I saw Seattle fans downtown at 5.30, 5 o'clock. And that match kicks off for them at 7.30, which means all these people who are downtown, unless they're going to like a soccer specific bar or something, they're probably not watching any of those 730 Eastern kickoffs. Realistically, they're probably not watching any of the 730 central kickoffs and they're probably not watching any of the 730 mountain time kickoffs.And they're probably not watching any of the other 730 kickoffs if it's a home match because they're going to be at their pregame. They're going to be at their tailgate doing something so I like it makes even less sense to me because as a 730 Eastern normal attending time right like I can get out of the match and I can get home in time to catch 1030 kickoffs so I can at least get two live windows as an east coast person but if you're a well west coast person no way.

Speaker 21425.68s - 1425.86s

Yeah.

Speaker 01426.18s - 1427.02s

Not if your team's home.

Speaker 11427.32s - 1428.42s

And I mean, that's crazy.

Speaker 21428.7s - 1466.36s

I guess when you break it down like that too, if like some East Coast games start at 4.30, then yeah, like West Coast LOC definitely isn't watching that. At the fan base it's at right now, like football-wise, going out there, visiting my brother in Oregon, like the 1 p.m. games kick off at 10 a.m. there. And it's like, yeah, you finish the primetime games by eight, but you spend 10 to 8 instead of like 1 to 11 for football Sundays,like into it there. So at least like you have like a full half of your Sunday to get things done. But like the 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. window, like that really like takes up your entire day to a

Speaker 01466.36s - 1472.14s

to a extent. So soccer isn't like that, of course, but yeah, the coast to coast timing

Speaker 21472.14s - 1475.58s

windows is, is definitely, I think, noteworthy when it comes to it.

Speaker 11477.44s - 1517.36s

Yeah, I just, I really don't, I don't understand who the schedule is for now, having been in the other extreme, right? I mean, look, there's a ton of people on the West Coast LOC. There's, what, like 60, 70, 80 million people living on the West Coast LOC, probably more that I'm blocking out of in my mind. So if you're going to say to those 80 million people, like, sorry, hope you only want to watch, like, if your team's at home, hope you only want to watch like if your team's at home hope you only want to watch your team or hey i know you had dinner plans at like 530 so that youcould watch your team at 730 hope you didn't want to watch anything else going on like why make it

Speaker 21517.36s - 1638.44s

harder to watch your product yeah so yeah that's just a little tangent i actually had in my notes i want to talk about anyways but you kind of opened up a good window for it. But onto the match on the Atlanta ORG side of things, the Guzan PERSON assist was super funny because on a baseball pitch, that's probably the only way he gets an assist like that. So I think that just brings up a perfect run into that.But, I mean, we finally got a point on the road. It doesn't come without comfort, though. Jamal Tari, who has really turned into a really solid backup striker for Atlanta ORG, scored three goals in his past two games with Yakumakis Hurt PERSON. Unfortunately, he left the game with injury, and it was announced that he's going to be out the next two to four weeks.And with our DP centerback, Stown Gregerson PERSON, who's out right now, our other starting centerback, Derek Williams, is now out multiple weeks. And Zandes Silva PERSON as well is out. So the injury port is really piling up right now that like really top of the table. I think there's about half of the teams 14 to 29 are at at least 10 points and at most 14. So it's really tight early. And this Atlanta ORG team through these injuries, they need to stay afloat until they get healthy.They have Philly Sunday. That's not easy. It's home luckily where we've been very successful. But Almada really needs to step up, especially now with Sylva and Yakumakis PERSON and Teddy Yad PERSON. He's been extremely overwhelming this season.And we've talked about it in the off season. His head's in Europe LOC. But right now, it's obviously not in Atlanta ORG. So he needs to figure it out. If he even wants a move in the future or it's going to get, I'm scared it's going to get ugly for Atlanta ORG and him if he doesn't start to turn it on because we've seen this road before. We've seen players get frustrated. We've seen Joseph Martinez PERSON get frustrated. We've seen Barcoget frustrated. I really don't want to go down this road again with our top players and getting frustrated with our front office. We've seen Gonzales, Perez, Nagby PERSON, yeah. It's just, I don't keep the players happy. If he wanted to go, I don't know if the market was calling. It didn't seem like it was, but right now his head's not in Atlanta ORG.

Speaker 11640.28s - 1670.88s

Yeah, I think amazing, like, relevant point to that is the big narrative right now for Atlanta is, you know, they make it hard for Almada PERSON to leave, right? Eventually, you have to play ball. Otherwise, what upcoming star is going to come to play for your team if this narrative is formed where you're saying, oh, come play for us. But if you want to leave, you're stuck here forever. Like, no one's going to sign there.

Speaker 21671s - 1671.44s

Yeah.

Speaker 11671.66s - 1671.96s

So.

Speaker 21676.04s - 1678.18s

And I mean, that was like, yeah, it's a difficult point.

Speaker 11683.48s - 1684s

And I think the fan base is divided on it as they should be because obviously you want to play good.

Speaker 21684s - 1685.52s

But when you

Speaker 11685.52s - 1690.36s

see clubs like Cincinnati and LA GPE in the past like taking care of their players and then

Speaker 21690.36s - 1695.92s

figuring out after it seems like the product doesn't drop so if you take care of your players

Speaker 11695.92s - 1702.14s

these agents more than likely have the same type of players you want or relationships with other

Speaker 21702.14s - 1756.72s

agents that are similar and it seems like you want to keep that well going. I'm not saying Almada PERSON had great offers. I don't think you can take $10 million for him. Like some of it was offered. But if it's in the realm of, I think they said 30 plus. If it's 20 plus with some add-ons, I feel like you've got to do them right if he wantsthe move. So this window, I think, is going to be big. But I really think for him personally, he needs to figure out his own play, too, because the Olympics EVENT are coming up, and he needs to have a strong couple months beforehand for Atlanta to get some momentum heading into that,because that's when his name on the Argentina GPE, on the Argentina GPE jersey is going to be back in the light. So this window is going to be his way to move. If not, I'm nervous about what's to follow. Yeah, it's going to be fascinating.

Speaker 11757.04s - 1849.84s

Honestly, there's going to be some really interesting summer moves. Almada is just like one on a increasingly long list of players that I'm quite interested to see as to what's going on with them. Which, on that note, Cucho PERSON. I knew you were going there. Yeah. Another player who I would be very interested to see if he sticks around past summer, especially given the recent drama unfolding, quote-unquote, team policy.You know, I believe finally the drama's coming to a close, but I mean, how, what does the relationship look like behind closed doors? Does the player and the coach have a way forward? Is there a reconciliation there? Are they just biding their time saying, you know what, let's just get through these next couple months and we'll move you on.It doesn't matter as long as we get like a reasonable price for you, as long as we recoup our cost. We don't know. I mean, there's no transparency in MLS ORG. We're about as transparent as a block of mud. But, you know, but anyways, point being,Cucho PERSON is on that list. There's questions there. Honestly, Wilfred Nancy PERSON, I think, just in general, I don't know how long he's going to be with Columbus ORG either. I think there are some pretty good teams in Europe that have to be looking at this guy and saying,if we have a coaching vacancy, maybe we approach him. So, yeah, not to say that Nazi's going to leave right now, but if anyone from MLS ORG was, he'd be my pick.

Speaker 21850.08s - 1942.7s

Yeah, there's definitely something going on between Nancy and Cucho PERSON, or just the team in general. The frustration that he showed on the field in this past game, definitely you could tell us something's been building up in those two weeks. He's been out. And I always compare not in the sense of the type of player they are, but the type of situationthey are at the age they came to MLS ORG. Cucho and Joseph coming from Torino and Watford ORG, the age they came and how they became into big stars. Joseph PERSON wasn't really a player that was looking abroad afterwards. Cucho PERSON definitely, I feel like, would take the right opportunity for the right price. I feel like he's not saying MLS ORG is my home.But another similarity, Nancy, for the time being, and Tata PERSON, I feel like both of those managers can really handle personalities. Like Joseph PERSON and Tata, Joseph went out with every manager, but the only one that really came out on top was Tata PERSON. Everyone else, DeBer, Heinze PERSON, to a sense, Pineda there at the end.It feels like Joseph PERSON always came out on top. But Tata PERSON was someone that could always get him through that, you know, really could punish him in a way to get that respect back and he came back out on the field. And maybe this is a window that Nancy and Cucho PERSON are doing that. Maybe it's just got to be a weird, you know, setback.But you're right. Maybe both of their minds are thinking about what their next steps are too. And if they want to get there for the right opportunity, they got to keep relying on each other because the team finds success when they're on the right page together. Yeah.

Speaker 11942.86s - 1967.84s

Well, you know, this specific match, the team found success to a certain extent without Cucho PERSON on the field. He gets sent off with a red card. And then Aiden Morris PERSON finds that equalizing goal. DC United had been leading one zero.Yeah, I mean, Aiden Morris PERSON is a guy that won't be, yeah, he's not going to be an MLS ORG forever. Yeah. I don't know for how long he will be, but he's got a bright future as well.

Speaker 21967.84s - 2001.26s

I just hope for players like him that he gets the right move. Sometimes you get nervous when they go to those like bottom half tier Syria GPE teams, for example. Like Tanner Testman, Aidan Morris is way better than what Testament is when he left FC Dallas ORG, but I don't even know where Testament PERSON is right now. Maybe he's still over in Italy GPE, but he's like it's, I hope he's not one of those players.He's at a really good spot. I hope he finds a really good home if he does choose to leave. And right now he just stands out so well. What a strike that was. Yeah.

Speaker 12001.56s - 2023.5s

I was reminded today that Brenner, who went to Udnese in Syria, right now they are sitting in 15th in Syria, and they are barely, barely ahead of the relegation zone. There are two points clear of relegation. It's less, it's a one-match buffer.

Speaker 22024.5s - 2028.6s

It's the same with, well, not to a player that Brenner is, but George Bello PERSON as well.

Speaker 12028.64s - 2033.34s

When he left Atlanta, he really wanted that European move. And he went to Armenia Benfield ORG.

Speaker 22033.34s - 2073.86s

And they got relegated. And then he stayed with them in the second division. And they got relegated into the third division the next year. So now he's kind of stuck in the middle of nowhere in, in Europe LOC. And he's a player that i feel like we'll definitely come back to to mLS at one point but when he was with atlanta GPE everyone was talking about him being maybe like the the next incoming like left back that the u.s men's team needs a natural left back behind anthony robinson that we haven't had and now where is bellow PERSON nowadays now it'skaleb wiley that everyone likes to talk about so it, you got to make the right move when it comes to Europe LOC. It's not just the entity takes you to the next level. Yeah.

Speaker 12074.7s - 2077.84s

Well, hey, moving over to DC United ORG a little bit,

Speaker 22077.98s - 2081.12s

Troy Lassain PERSON continues to honestly impress me.

Speaker 12081.66s - 2099.46s

I mean, Columbus ORG are a really good team. Again, playoff favorites, I would say. DC United, I didn't have much in the way of expectations for them at the start of this year. Christian Ben Tecki's been a consistent goal score under Lassane PERSON. I mean, even better than he was under Rooney PERSON, I would say.

Speaker 02101.28s - 2108.62s

Now, granted, Rooney PERSON was, and I think still is not a good coach but i mean it's a very different

Speaker 12108.62s - 2115.24s

look for dc united on largely some pretty similar players to last season so yeah he feather in

Speaker 22115.24s - 2122.24s

leszain's cap i mean dc united is grinding uh for and i'm happy for lusine PERSON because the situation

Speaker 12122.24s - 2128.86s

he left they're doing really really well as well but i'm really happy for him right now because this is no offense to Aaron Herrera PERSON and Jared

Speaker 22128.86s - 2188.72s

Stroud. Like they were great players for St. Louis and Herrera for Montreal and Amrials Salt Lake ORG. But those were the biggest offseason moves the club made. And so do you think a 12 place club what those two players bring in? Like you probably think, okay, around 10 or 11th. And obviously it's still very, very early in the season. Things could change. But to grind a road result to the MLS Cup chance last year, it's very impressive.And they've been fighting all year. I know Kucho PERSON had a red card, but they're finding results right now. I think they've always called the Saints ORG teams like bully ball. And maybe that's what they have to do. He have been techie, five goals, and he has the highest expected goals in the league right now with 6.4 or 5.So he's being put in the right positions to score. And if he can keep it up, Herrera three assists, Stroud PERSON has a goal. So the two contributors have done well as well. So we'll see if they can continue what they're doing. But definitely like that road result for them this week. Yeah.

Speaker 12188.9s - 2196.48s

If the season ended today, DC United ORG would make the play-in of the playoffs, and they would be the hosting team between the eight, nine seed.

Speaker 22196.88s - 2202.98s

And before the year, would you say, like, is that their ceiling? Or do you even think that they're just a playoff miss in general?

Speaker 12203.84s - 2218.18s

I would not have put them in the playoffs prior to the season. I would have put them probably down where Nashville GPE and NYCFC ORG are, if I'm being honest. So they're vastly overperforming my earlyseason expectations. Yeah, likewise.

Speaker 22218.38s - 2221.9s

I definitely did not have them in a single digit seed heading into this year.

Speaker 12223.32s - 2224.98s

Yeah. So good on them.

Speaker 22225s - 2225.38s

Let's move on. Let's talk a little bit about Cincinnati versus New York Red Bulls. Cincinnati single digit seed heading into this year. Yeah. So good on them.

Speaker 12226.1s - 2278.16s

Let's move on. Let's talk a little bit about Cincinnati versus New York Red Bulls ORG. Cincinnati losing one, two, losing at home at that. This is first time in a while that they've lost at home. First lost the season for them. Two New York Red Bulls ORG who, this is weird is weird right New York Red Bulls were like an unwatchable team last year like you unwatchable in the sense of you didn't want to watch themand I would argue you still maybe don't want to watch them but honestly they are a lot more skillful this year as well last year it was they were just a physical team. They were scrappy. They committed a lot of fouls and they never got called on them and you're just like, this sucks. I hate this.They still do some of that, but now they actually have quality players to back that up with.

Speaker 22278.54s - 2352.12s

Yeah, Lesane PERSON I was going to say like when he was coaching them, Lewis Morgan was out with an injury all last year. Vienzier PERSON, like, had the off-the-field stuff. Forsberg PERSON wasn't there. So that's your three top offensive players already in the mix.And you see Morgan six goals, Vanzir, six assists. Forsberg PERSON looking well. And Frankie Maya, you know Frankie Maya from Cincinnati GPE. He looks really, really strong in the middle of the field for them this year from when I've been able to catch Red Bulls. So very impressed by them so far.Like it's one of those things where there's some teams that are overperforming, and I'm still not sold yet. A road win over Cincy, I should be hyping them up, but like we'll see as the season goes. It's a grind. When you bring Leagues Cup into things, we'll see how teams adjust to that first half second half of the year but pretty impressed by red bulls ORG to start for sure and the cincy side of things when the cori baird's PERSON signing occurred in the off season i really wasn't a big fan of that fit and i think i made it known to the emos ORG now communitynow it really seems like cincey PERSON might be trying new outlets to where that second striker is or new formations to figure out what fits the team best. How do you feel about Sinci's attacking third right now?

Speaker 12353.04s - 2393.36s

Uh, fool. Dyer. Dyer situation for Cincinnati GPE fans. I think you can make the argument that, oh, they've got five new starters. Okay. Well, here's the thing. None of these guys other than Robinson PERSON are really performing all that well. I mean, they put in Kubo as a second striker. Kubo has not seen that position since he first signed with Cincinnati GPE.He has been a midfielder. He's been a left back. He's been a right back. He's been everything other than the position that he was initially being brought in as is that attacking type player to play as like a winger, second striker.

Speaker 22393.48s - 2397.62s

I was going to say, he played left back and right back like earlier this year, right?

Speaker 12397.62s - 2459.66s

And now they're already trying to back out at second striker. Well, I mean, and very obviously it worked because he scored. He was the lone goal scorer for Cincinnati GPE Cincinnati I celebrated that one immensely before then immediately walking out of the hotel room to go get dinner on the East Coast so you know for me that was a great way to start the match and then I didn't have to watch the first and second goals live for Red Bulls I don't know what's going on with Cincinnati, though. I mean, the midfield is not strong for them. The attacking trio is not strong for them. Their defense has been keeping them in a lot of gamesthat they really had no right to be in. And I don't know. I think this is regression to the main for them. As they are performing right now, I would say sitting in fifth place at the moment seems about right. They can't score goals. I mean, that's you, you need to be able, like, they have seven goals scored this season.

Speaker 22460.8s - 2483.5s

Yeah, I was going to say it's like top, bottom five or six in the league. Yeah, they have, they're tied with Atlanta for the least amount of goals against this year, but they're only at a plus two goal differential right now. So that's not ideal. And I mean, what, Acosta has two, Bupenza has two, I believe, right? And then the other three come from like Kubo and a couple, the bear get one earlier in the year.

Speaker 12484.34s - 2493.56s

I don't think Bear's gotten an MLS ORG one yet. I think he almost had one and they took it away or maybe he has one, but I think Baird PERSON scored in, in Concaf.

Speaker 22494.56s - 2555.24s

Yeah, I just didn't like the fit when it came to what they had last year with Vasquez PERSON. And I'm always hesitant on players that are up and down in careers. And then they turn it on and when it's their contract year. Like that always scares me always. Maybe it's because Derek Etyn is a great movement of that theory with Atlanta where he had a career year for the Red Bulls and then came to Atlanta on a long term contract. And now he's the sixth-choice winger on the team.Like, that's – hopefully he doesn't get to that point for Barrett. I'm not, like, shining that to happen. I hope he works out, but I just didn't like that fit. But I do think Cincinnati still has time if it's not going to be this one down in the summer to figure that out. And they still have only lost – that's their only loss this season. So, like, if they can just keep it to that point, if they still have only lost, that's their only loss this season. So,like, if they can, if they can just keep it to that point, if they lower to the mean and they end up being a top four to five team in the conference, like, it's not. It's still making the playoffs.

Speaker 12555.86s - 2560.1s

Still making the playoffs on a good chance to host the first round. So, like, that's, that's,

Speaker 22560.1s - 2565.16s

that's not a bad place to be if you're going to revert to the mean in a way.

Speaker 12565.32s - 2565.56s

Yeah.

Speaker 22572.36s - 2572.92s

I'm not yet ready to hit the panic button for Cincinnati GPE, but I am getting increasingly worried.

Speaker 12583.24s - 2600.62s

So I need to start seeing some sort of gel for that team because right now it doesn't seem like they could string more than two or three passes together at any given time. There's a lot of individual sort of attempts at brilliance going on. There's very speculative passing. And that tells me that people on this team either don't trust their teammates or they don't understand how their teammates play yet. And neither one of those is good for different reasons.

Speaker 22601.42s - 2603.32s

Well, you're at Montreal this weekend.

Speaker 12603.32s - 2611.28s

So that is a pretty solid place to have. If you have to have a road game, that's a good place to have it to try to figure it out.

Speaker 22611.52s - 2612.98s

So a new week ahead for them for sure.

Speaker 12613.96s - 2680.1s

Hey, I don't, I don't want to, you know, talk too much about, uh, about teams that I don't mind facing in Canada, but, you know, we do have two Canadian NORP teams as our next topic here. We got Vancouver against Toronto ORG. Vancouver huge 4-0 win. Obviously, Sartini PERSON is back. He's the man.It's instant impact. I think this is two Sartini PERSON performances and two wins since he has returned from his long-term suspension. Toronto ORG, again, we had some concerns on some previous recordings of what do Toronto look like when Encinia ORG is out.What do Toronto ORG look like later on down the stretch? And they're starting to look different now. So they start off very, very strong. They've fallen back a little bit. So now I don't know if that is a herdman issue. I don't know if this is a player availability issue.There's a lot of moving pieces here of what could be your explanation, if you will.

Speaker 22680.82s - 2737.42s

If Toronto finishes around the reins are at right now, the seven seed to not, if they make the playoffs, I feel like that's a pretty solid year for Hurdman PERSON. I'm curious to see Herman when he starts to put his own team together in year two. Maybe it starts this summer, but I really don't know how to feel about them right now, as you guys have talked about in the past. And on the Vancouver ORG side of thing, Sartini PERSON ball, I like what I'm seeing for sure. A big proponent of that.And what I like about Sartini PERSON is after the game, he said, he noted that they've had one of the easiest schedules than MLS that evolved the team so far. So a harder schedule ahead for them. I believe next week they play against,let me just come for, they play home against the galaxy. So that's a big test to your home there. The way the galaxy have been playing. So if they can get three points there, Sartini Ball can continue on this pod for sure weeks to weeks.

Speaker 12738.24s - 2801.74s

I think Sartini Ball PERSON is going to continue on this pod regardless of the outcome against Galaxy ORG. But I will say extremely encouraging to have four different goal scorers for Vancouver in this one. I think one of the big questions I had going into this season, can Gald and Brian White lead this team to victory? Because it's felt like consistently in the past, if you're not getting stellar production from one, if notboth of them, Vancouver ORG are not winning. This is one where you had Gald PERSON scored, white scored. You had Fopopi-Coh PERSON, who is seemingly finding a new streak of scoring. Now he keeps scoring on tons of different teams. You had Vesilinovich PERSON scoring on this one.Again, it's just different names on the score sheet. It tells me there's opportunities there. It tells me that players are buying into the system. They understand the identity being asked of them. It's just it's a really good sign. Vancouver sit on top of the West right now. Not just like top four.They sit in first place in the West LOC. That's phenomenal. I'm extremely happy for this Vancouver ORG side.

Speaker 22802.06s - 2829.8s

Yeah. And before this 4-0 win, Gold and White have actually been pretty quiet this season so far. So just to see where they're at right now without those two being the key contributors, that's important. Like I said, they're home against the galaxy.Then after they're at Seattle GPE, Seattle hasn't been what they are, but they did have a 5-0-1 recently. So maybe they're going to see a good Seattle GPE team. Then after that, they're at the Red Bulls. So, like, the month of April is really important for them to continue their stride to see if they can remain at the top of the West LOC.Yeah.

Speaker 12830.22s - 2846.64s

At Red Bulls will be a test for sure. Galaxy ORG at home will be a test as well. I'm going to tell you right now, I can't predict what's going on with that one. Vancouver has been so inconsistent at BC Place this season. I think I'll lean Galaxy ORG just because of that alone.

Speaker 22847s - 2860.68s

I will too just because I can't see the Galaxy losing two in a row, even though they're both row games. I think at worst outcome it's going to be a draw. I just, but I would lean Galaxy ORG if I had to pick a winner so far. Yep.

Speaker 12861.38s - 2945.52s

All right. Let's move on to talking a little bit about New England and Charlotte ORG. Caleb Porter, first win as a New England coach in MLS. It's a 1-0 win over Charlotte. I was just talking on the last episode about how Dean Smith, the quality of his coaching, was going to, like, overwhelm teams and going to get Charlotte a lot of nice results on the backs of largely the same players and not having these huge identities and then they lose to New England LOC who I would call potentially up to this point the worst team in the east and from a standings point that bears out considering even with this win they are still last in the east out considering even with this win, they are still last in the East LOC.Rough, rough game, personally, for Charlotte ORG. I don't know if I put much stock in this, though, if I'm being honest. I mean, Charlotte have performed pretty impressively leading up to this season, so leading up to this point in the season, and New England have performed pretty poorly leading up to the season. So, I mean, like, is this just like the one-off weird results that happen in mLS where a favorite team loses to a team they would normally not lose to maybe is it Caleb porter is finallygetting by in from the players maybe i don't know i i hope not. Probably not, but maybe.

Speaker 22950.68s - 2950.84s

I think Charlotte, I think Dean Smith PERSON is a very good coach,

Speaker 12954.7s - 2955.32s

but I really think that Charlotte needs a creator, number 10,

Speaker 22956.4s - 2960.64s

really, really bad. Like, you see the best teams in the league, Acosta, Almada PERSON,

Speaker 12962.24s - 2964.22s

Zelleriazalaya, until then, Pooge PERSON,

Speaker 02964.22s - 2966.18s

but now you have Diego Rossuelghi Roses PERSON there.

Speaker 22966.38s - 2968.34s

Like, you need a number 10.

Speaker 12968.56s - 2970.98s

I mean, Brian White, Brian Dillon PERSON.

Speaker 02970.98s - 2971.76s

Yeah, Lionel Messi PERSON.

Speaker 12972.06s - 2975.96s

Like it's, they need another 10th.

Speaker 22975.96s - 2976.8s

We said it again.

Speaker 12977.04s - 2979.06s

We said he who shall not be named Bryce PERSON.

Speaker 22979.18s - 2979.98s

Yep, we did.

Speaker 12980.1s - 2980.86s

Hey, look at that.

Speaker 22980.9s - 2983.28s

We did another 36 minutes, not mentioning his name.

Speaker 12984.42s - 2985.94s

Yeah, before we got to his game.

Speaker 22986.04s - 3027.44s

But yeah, like the, and like Bwanga PERSON, like the scheme of things, like they don't have a natural creator right now. And like they have like that weird like Copetti PERSON. Like I don't like highly regarded sign and coming in. I really don't, I really can't figure out what his best part of his game is though. Is it is it scoring? Is it being like that secondary guy?Like it, like it they need they need a creator and i think that's at the forefront of their summer window for sure to see if they can elevate to being a playoff team maybe even fighting for to get out of that first round uh to get into that top seven for a buy so that they need a creator bad. I don't know what the future looks like for New England LOC personally.

Speaker 13028.38s - 3072.14s

Because I don't know what they can do to improve in the sense of like you have Carl PERSON's heel, former MVP, very creative player. We've seen a long track record of success for him year over year. Like I think really this might just come down to a coaching issue. I don't think either of us were big fans of the Porter PERSON hire. I don't think the fans have been very receptive to Porter PERSON.Either, certainly the opening stretch of matches will not have helped with that. Personally, I just, I don't, I don't understand this one. I don't know what they thought they were doing, like what sort of 4D chess, New England LOC, thought they were playing on this one.

Speaker 23072.14s - 3087.74s

Quick question for you, because it was brought up an extra time today. Do you think that having goalkeepers at the level of Matt Turner and Petrovich PERSON, like, hid like a lot of issues within New England LOC, or do you think it doesn't really extend that far?

Speaker 13088.24s - 3090.64s

I don't think it extends that far, personally.

Speaker 23090.78s - 3101.6s

I mean, it helps, right? Like, I think the close matches, right? When they set these point records for the single season, like, those types of performances

Speaker 13101.6s - 3129.64s

are from having really good goalkeepers that let you win matches that you might otherwise draw or draw matches that you might otherwise lose. But I don't think it's such an outsized impact that it makes a team go from being like, say, mid table to supporter shield winner. Like it helps, right? It pushes you a little bit. It gives you some variance. But it's not the thing that like puts them over the top. Should winner. Like, it helps, right? It pushes you a little bit. It gives you some variance.But it's not the thing that, like, puts them over the top.

Speaker 23130.68s - 3170.92s

Now, I'm in agreement with you. I was just curious to see your point on that. Like you said, I think it pushes you for maybe seventh to fifth, kind of like they were last year or like eighth to fifth. But I don't think it changes you from 15th in the east to top six. So, yeah, coaching issue for sure. And it's just a locker room that struggled with, like, buy-in since everything that happened last year.So I really don't think getting a coach that was around the league for as long as he was with two different clubs beforehand was the best pull just to change the vibes in the locker room. Yeah.

Speaker 13171.32s - 3171.56s

I,

Speaker 23172.2s - 3173.6s

to your point,

Speaker 13173.68s - 3200.5s

though, I don't know if there's any coach that you'd hire in for where the locker room is right now. That would be a big win as far as hiring goes, right? I mean, I think there's a clearly broken trust between the locker room and the front office right now. I think there's a broken trust between the front office and the fans as well, for that matter,and a lot of broken trust all around. But whoever they hired may not have been faring any better.

Speaker 23202.02s - 3222.36s

So I feel like the only best way to do it is when you do get the next coach after you also just have to sweep the roster. You just have to start everything over. You can't kind of keep the same guys that were there last year and put the new coach in. I think you just got to entirely get a new squad in there from head coach to your signings.

Speaker 13223.36s - 3225.64s

That's easier said than done, Bryce PERSON.

Speaker 23225.64s - 3243.22s

Oh, for sure. Seeing how difficult it was to, and it still is to move players that you want to move out, it's a tough market. It's not, they don't have the transfer portalwhere they can just drop in and move on. They're going to, they're going to keep their side of the contract players. So, no.

Speaker 13244.22s - 3345.66s

Yeah. Well, hey, let's talk about el tracico the uh maybe a highlight match of the weekend lafc two one win over galaxy i actually picked galaxy to win this one on some of the bets that i did this weekend a horrible weekend for by the way. I lost every single one of them. And I don't feel good about that. But this was just, this was such a weird weekend for almost every single result. So I'm, I'm not going to read into it too much. This happens in MLS sometimes. But LAFC, 2-1 win over Galaxy ORG. For me, this has been, this has maybe been a regression to the mean type thingfor LAFC. I had a lot of questions going into the season. They let a lot of players go. They had a lot of identity that they did not have returned. And yet, now you look at the standings. They're right next to Galaxy ORG. I mean, they are in fifth place of the standings, they're right next to Galaxy. I mean, they are in fifth place of the standings. They're two points behind Galaxy ORG.I mean, it's a one-match difference. It's a one-match difference between them in Vancouver ORG as well. Like, O'N ORG sends them potentially top of the table if other results go well for them. So they were a good team last year. They had struggles at the start, and now they're returning back to being a good team. So maybe I was too nervous about what they were losing.I don't think I have anything negative to say about Galaxy ORG, though. LAFC ORG played really well. They're a good side. They're better than we all expected. Galaxy ORG is still a good side. Losing this does not make them bad.

Speaker 23346.56s - 3451.58s

It's funny because in terms of L-Tracico, this is one of the most I was looking forward to since the past couple years. Like both teams, the Galaxy ORG looked to be very enough relevant again. LAFC, not the start that L-AFC ORG is used to, but still a very solid team. And this one didn't turn into the seven goal El Trachico ORG games you're used to.But, like, in terms of that, it was still a pretty solid match to appreciate. LAFC ORG, yeah, like, in terms of their team as a whole, I really don't know where I stand on them right now. In terms of their team as a whole, I really don't know where I stand on them right now. It's one of those teams that, if you think back to their MLS Cup run, they had Gareth Bale and Chalini PERSON coming off the bench. Like, they had a solid starting 11. You can't pull that off every year, of course. But a matter of fact, they're just trying to replace that. And a lot of their youngsignings they had really didn't turn out the way that they were hoping in this next wave. So I really think the top end isn't really there with Buwanga ORG right now, but the depth isn't also there. So obviously, there's the rumored signing coming in in the summer, but I really think they need to try to build that back end of that roster a little bit more. In terms of Galaxy ORG, I agree with you completely. Not worried about them at all.Gabriel Peck and Painstall have been magnificent additions to Pueig and Jovalich PERSON. It's been a really, really fun, like, quartet attack to follow, and Delgado as well with four assists. So I'm not worried about them either. The Galaxy, I think, are going to finish as a top four team in the West this year. I agree.

Speaker 13452.08s - 3455.66s

Honestly, I could see LAAFC finishing in a top four spot,

Speaker 23456.14s - 3459.16s

but in my mind would probably be that fourth slot.

Speaker 13460.38s - 3463s

So who do you have as the other two right now?

Speaker 23463.78s - 3467.74s

Vancouver and Galaxy, I think, finish top three.

Speaker 13469.18s - 3514.6s

And I have to say, like, I'm kind of waffling. Like, I don't know what's going to go on down the stretch, right? Like, Salt Lake, we thought was going to be for real last year. And then they faded post-Leaks Cup EVENT. Minnesota GPE has this reynoso situation going on again that we'll talk about in a later part of the show. But they found success without Raynoso last year.He came back and they started losing and slipping. And, you know, they got rid of Adrian Heath in the offseason or towards the end of the season. It's like they have a new coach. They're doing pretty well. They're in fourth right now. But it's, again, it's early.So I don't know. It's hard for me to figure out who's going to be that fourth one.

Speaker 23514.98s - 3516.98s

But for me right now, R.S.L.

Speaker 13517.12s - 3519.48s

Houston are kind of the ones I'm pinpointing on.

Speaker 23519.56s - 3578.32s

I'm not worried about Houston ORG. RSL ORG obviously is there right now. And Arango PERSON is having an MVP-type year to start. Like, he's been such a joy to have back in MLS ORG. But I also wouldn't count out. I know they're 12th right now, but I can't count out Seattle GPE.They've only played six games. They just won five-nothing. Maybe they need to save some of those for the games incoming. But I'm not going to count them out to have a better last three quarters of the year compared to how their first quarter went. So yeah, I'm curious. I think I agree. Galaxy ORG, Vancouver, more than likely, yes, L-AFC. The West, it's just crazy. The East LOC, we would have a wholedifferent conversation about this. Like, I could see, I could see eight teams finishing in the top four potentially. Maybe not eight, probably six. But it's just such a more strong conference from five to nine versus the West LOC.

Speaker 13579.36s - 3616.18s

Yeah. Hey, parody league, right? Maybe it's not parity between East and West LOC, but within it, parody league. Yeah, for sure. All right, well, I don't know if I have anything else to say, El Trafico ORG-wise, shall we move on to our next match, which is... That was not a pen.DeWanga PERSON went down, super easy. That's all I have to say. Look, there's penalty discussion on social media has been insane across not just MLS ORG, but even like some European NORP competition. So weird week for PK is just all around. Yeah.

Speaker 23616.32s - 3643.8s

Like I had to talk with Joe about like the NYCFC ORG one going down. Like both that one and the Bwanga PERSON had VAR and enough to say hey you actually you you got to take a look at this better at slow mo and both situations the rough stuck with it and like respect to them like it's it's tough like yeah I'm easy to counter it but like it's tough

Speaker 13643.8s - 3650.72s

I'm okay with a referee sticking with their call when it is a highly judgmental call

Speaker 23650.72s - 3652.34s

reliant on looking at slow-mo.

Speaker 13652.84s - 3683.18s

Because to me, if you have to look at slow-mo and you have to send them to the monitor and you had to have another person really like take a look to inspect it, I'm not sure if that falls under a quote, clear and obvious quote. Because at that point, it's like you had to get all this extra technology to be able to even see what went on. And like in the heat of the moment in the match, that's like realistically probably fine. Maybe not factually fine.But for the threshold of clear and obvious, it's probably fine.

Speaker 23683.92s - 3704.38s

Yeah, that's fair. And I agree with you. But it's probably fine. Yeah, that's fair. And I agree with you, but it's funny to see when the fan base is team that's affected negatively on that, then they're like, why have the technology in the first place? But it's also the same fan base is complaining that there's 15 minutes of extra time or VAR is taken away from the game. So you can't have it both ways.No, absolutely not.

Speaker 13704.7s - 3706.08s

I agree. But it won't stop us you can't have it both ways so no absolutely not i agree but it won't

Speaker 23706.08s - 3713.68s

stop us for demanding to have it both ways i want my cake and i want to eat it too so for sure all right

Speaker 13713.68s - 3721.36s

hey we're going to talk about the hottest topic right now gary smith out question mark

Speaker 23721.36s - 3724.06s

without question mark.

Speaker 13724.54s - 3725.18s

Nashville GPE,

Speaker 23727.92s - 3728.32s

it's a one two loss to Philly GPE.

Speaker 13729.76s - 3731.6s

They were leading and then

Speaker 23731.6s - 3733s

threw it away.

Speaker 13735.14s - 3748.62s

Again, Philly come back when still undefeated. I think they're actually the only undefeated team in the East LOC. Yep, only undefeated team in the Eastas we sit here recording us. It's not looking good for Nashville GPE.

Speaker 23751.66s - 3756.96s

Nashville GPE went to the local sporting goods store. They grabbed the Gary Ball PRODUCT.

Speaker 03758.04s - 3763.06s

They're staying away from the Sartini Ball PRODUCT because you can't get through international customs like that.

Speaker 13763.16s - 3764.66s

But they got Gary Ball.

Speaker 03765.88s - 3772.54s

They didn't see it. There's a big expiration date on it that expiration date is not in 2024 because it was in

Speaker 23772.54s - 3779.62s

twenty twenty three gary ball it's time to take him out nashville has to move on for sure yeah i

Speaker 13779.62s - 3816.74s

i don't see how you can continue to go from what was, I think, an energetic, passionate place where, like, Nashville was must watch soccer for a hot minute there. Now, granted, it was must watch because Honey Mukhtar was on, like, insane MVP form for, like, two years straight. But now that Honey Mukhtar is not on insane MVP form for like a third or fourth year. They're not. They're not a team that I look at and say, ooh, I've got to worry about them.Like, they're just not. Yeah.

Speaker 23817.74s - 3846.54s

It's crazy to think how they, how far they made it in League's Cup last year and then just plummeted completely. Like, it's not fun to watch. Like you said, it's the atmosphere, watching games, like home games for Nashville GPE. Like, it was must watch. If you could, as us 7.30 Eastern Time folks could.But it's not fun. And it's time to move on. And we're preaching to the choir when it comes to Nashville GPE fans listening to us talk about it. Yeah.

Speaker 13847.12s - 3885.28s

Yeah, I would imagine most of them are probably sitting there being like, yes, Gary PERSON out, please. So not just some, not all. I won't say that we speak for everyone. But I does feel like that's the sentiment on social media as well. So, hey, Philly GPE side, though. Yeah.Undefeated team. It's big. it's huge even last last last one left right yeah i mean last only one left in the east and there's none left in the west so yes you're right they're the last undefeated team and the entire league which just it blows me away how consistently good philly have been.

Speaker 23888.16s - 3888.28s

They've been kind of quiet to have this so far too.

Speaker 13889.7s - 3893.58s

Like Karanza's healthy again. Like I said, Atlanta hosts them next Sunday at 2.30.

Speaker 23893.8s - 3927.82s

Like I finally can watch like MLS 360 and enjoy Saturday. But Philly Sunday, I don't know how much I'm going to enjoy it, even though it's a home game. We have four starters out and it looked like our third choice striker is Derek ETN PERSON, which is insane. So I'm not ready to watch it. Karanza PERSON looks incredible back from injury. And Philly GPE looks to be their well-oiled machine.They keep those guys. They bring more up through the academy when they sell the next one to a big five club. And yeah,

Speaker 13927.92s - 3929.18s

they're signing with,

Speaker 23929.28s - 3930.2s

you know,

Speaker 13930.24s - 3936.84s

Manchester City is like a 14 year old on like a pre-con. Yeah. Insane. I love their academy.

Speaker 23937.24s - 3982.5s

Their academy complex is great. It's right next to the stadium. It's, it's funny because it's in a terrible part near the city. But like for some reason, right that stadium and that academy complex right by the Delaware River LOC there and the bridge is beautiful. So I enjoy seeing games there.I just, I need to go when Atlanta isn't on the road because Philly GPE fans are crazy. Like, I can't wait to just go enjoy the game and hide in the crowd. But that really fun team, Andre Blake, when he plays Atlanta ORG, basically any team in the East turns out to be the best goal keep, one of the best goalkeepers in the league in this past five, ten years. So you're looking good and I, they've been kind of quiet doing so.

Speaker 13982.96s - 4026.26s

Yeah, I agree with you. If you had told me me they were in second place prior to me looking at the standings I'd be like second place I'd be like you know they were doing well this season I didn't know they were in second place though like it's been very under the radar which kind of weird but I'm being honest because I feel like there was a lot more in the way of talking points and hubbub and hype and all that in prior years.So very odd. Maybe it's because there's more focus on like Cincinnati, Columbus ORG, and, you know, the sort of weird going on right now between those two teams. So it could be that Philly GPE just doesn't get into the news cycle because of other stories.

Speaker 24027.24s - 4091.82s

Yeah, and I think they started their Concaf run in a really bad light. So, yeah, I think they kind of fell under the radar in the league. You have He or Shanapi named injured and then the East and the Almada off season and the Red Bulls surprising people in the other direction so you just kind of in New England LOC going in the other direction as you know that core that core top six in the league last year I guess Nashville GPE is another team that kind of like fell out of that favor but Philly Columbus Sinc, and Atlanta ORG were all a part of that core.And you see them still in that mix in the early beginnings. So like the Red Bull or the surprise team, Miami GPE, everyone expected them to be there. Orlando and New England and Nashville GPE, everyone wants to talk about, like falling down. So that's, there's no reason to talk about Philly GPE, I guess. But maybe we should start talking about them because they're very well in the shield race early on being undefeated with a game in hand from the rest of the league pretty much. Yeah.

Speaker 14092.12s - 4120.54s

I truly like a testament to Jim Curtin PERSON. I don't know if Jim Curtin is at a point that he'll get called to Europe LOC though, personally. I just, no. I don't think there's enough hubbub about him which is it's weird because i'm pretty sure he's not that much older than wilfrid nancy PERSON if older at all i like i think they're pretty close in age so very weird i think i think i think he enjoys it like

Speaker 24120.54s - 4124.56s

there's no reason for him to stop what he's doing with what he has there right now that's true

Speaker 14124.56s - 4189.4s

yeah i mean when you get that level of success and that level of trust i you'd have to get a Like, there's no reason for him to stop what he's doing with what he has there right now. That's true. Yeah. I mean, when you get that level of success and that level of trust, you'd have to get a really good opportunity to give that up. So, hey, speaking of a good opportunity, Bryce, I want to talk about this good opportunity that I wasted this weekend. I have bet on Chicago to win because of my unwavering faith in Chicago every single week prior to this one. And this is the week that Chicago gets that win tofinally like prove me wrong that I have no idea what I'm doing in my life. Granted this is their second one of the season, but it's like I just kept believing that they were going to win and they justkept getting draws or losses. And it's like the one time I'm like, I'm not touching that because I that they were going to win and they just kept getting draws or losses. And it's like the one time I'm like, I'm not touching that because I think Houston ORG's going to win. Chicago ORG go and get a win. So, uh, betting curse, obviously. That said, I actually want to like just ask you, like, Chicago ORG question mark. Like, I don't even, I don't even know how to phrase. ask you Chicago?Question mark? Like, I don't even know

Speaker 04189.4s - 4201.66s

how to phrase it. They're such a weird team. You know, they got Kellan Acosta PERSON, who was arguably second or third biggestfree agent of the season. They got Andrew Gutman, who immediately, you know, injured first match of the season,

Speaker 14201.66s - 4228.68s

but valuable ad, nonetheless. They had Shakiri, they've had a few other, you know, player ads as well. They're like good attacking players. They've had likeGutiuras, added Hugo Kuyper's PERSON. All of these things tell me they should be a good team on paper and they're sitting in like what the 10th 10th yeah

Speaker 04228.68s - 4237s

i just i don't know it's i don't know what's going on with them the thing is i feel like

Speaker 14237s - 4242.42s

shikiri is very inconsistent like in this two to one win he accounted for both goals with a

Speaker 24242.42s - 4308.74s

golden assist but are we going to see it next game? Did we see it the game before? Like, that's why you can't. Like, Shakiri is basically the definition of the Chicago ORG team. Like, I really don't know to expect Brian Gutierrez PERSON came in off the bench. Great goal.But, yeah, like Chris Brady PERSON is also a great young goalkeeper, but I really don't know what to expect from them either. Like, it's a team that you feel like on paper could be top seven, like in that six or seven spot, maybe in the east. But the way that the teams like Orlando, New England LOC, fell so fast, that really opens up that window for them becoming that team. But right now, they just, I feel like they don't, they really can't do it. Like they had that Atlanta ORG game on the road that was just way out of their favor early.But this one, they went against a darn good team in the West LOC. So I don't know. Who do they play next week? Let me see. This is going to be a big test for them. They play Chicago. They play at the Red Bulls.So like if you want to...

Speaker 14308.74s - 4309.92s

That's a tough match.

Speaker 24311.24s - 4314.12s

I'm not betting on Chicago to beat the Red Bulls this weekend.

Speaker 14314.92s - 4316.46s

Which means, of course, they will win.

Speaker 24316.8s - 4319.68s

Maybe that's what the Red Bulls need to win is you're not betting on them.

Speaker 14320.08s - 4321.24s

So, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 24321.5s - 4327.48s

Like, if Shakiri comes out with another goal and assist and they win, that's what they need.

Speaker 14327.54s - 4329.34s

They need him to step up completely.

Speaker 24329.76s - 4329.92s

Yeah.

Speaker 14330.22s - 4333.58s

I mean, it's a sport of relatively low margins.

Speaker 24333.58s - 4339.94s

If you score two goals, even if you're not winning all the time, you're probably not losing all that often either.

Speaker 14340.44s - 4404.24s

So, yeah, anyways, our wonderful Chicago correspondent, Tim wrote in a little bit about the Chicago Fire ORG win as well. Tim says, Fire get their second win thanks to a Shaq penalty off what Matt Doyle called the most brain dead foul I have seen in MLS this season, as well as a perfectly weighted pass from Shaq to Brian Gutiores PERSON. It is sent over Steve Clark's PERSON head for a stunner of a goal. But careless backpass from Herbers, ruined the party, gifted the Dynamo ORG goal. And now they're facing league leading New York Red Bulls ORG.And the question becomes, can the fire have one, parentheses, one, the number one, one game where no individual mistakes cost them and where big names give big performances. And I emphatically say, no, Tim PERSON, no, they cannot. I don't believe that that is the Chicago ORG team that we've seen this season.And I have no reason to believe that that's going to be the case going forward. Quick.

Speaker 24404.64s - 4416.24s

It's funny because your comment from that just has me on a totally unrelated thing which we're really good at but the u.s woman's national team be canada and penalties

Speaker 04416.24s - 4422.24s

and the she believes cup final today excellent that that happened during the start of our recording

Speaker 24422.24s - 4437.58s

but the reason why that reminded me is because Tim PERSON covers the women's game as well very well. So, yeah, we'll see if he has more wins to cover as the season goes on. But I think he will.

Speaker 14437.82s - 4439.1s

I don't think it's going to be this weekend.

Speaker 24441.18s - 4446.48s

So what do you think? Do you think Chicago ORG's going to make the playoffs as of right now?

Speaker 14447.08s - 4453.78s

On paper, they should make the playoffs. I have no idea if they are going to be consistent enough to make the playoffs.

Speaker 24455.08s - 4459.94s

Because like it's so early, but like right now Charlotte and them are tied for ninth.

Speaker 14460.24s - 4558.28s

But Charlotte ORG has a better goal differential. So I would. They have that nine spot. But it doesn't mean anything right now. I would leave Charlotte if I had to pick between those two teams. And I solely say that because I think Dean Smith is a better coach than Frank Klobos PERSON.Yeah, I agree. And I think across 34 game season, it's going to matter. It's going to make a difference. It's kind of weird for Houston ORG this year because they had such a unexpectedly good season last year. And now we get to this season. And like you look at them and they're firmly middle table, which is still like, still respectable,right? Sixth place. They're on 10 points. They have a game in hand over quite a number of teams ahead of them. Not the worst thing in the world. However, maybe I would have expected more from them, right? Like, this is a year extra under Olson PERSON. I would expect them to take a step forward. Yes, they lost Corey Bairdon PERSON,and maybe that doesn't seem like it's that much of a loss now in hindsight, because maybe he just had a career year last year, but they've retained Coco. I think Herrera PERSON is still injured, I want to say. I'm not sure that he's right back into the field yet, but the point being, I would have expected at least positive momentum from Houston ORG, and it doesn't feel like expected at least positive momentum from Houston. And it doesn't feel like they've got positive momentum.I'm not sure if they necessarily have negative momentum. I'm not sure if I would have expected them to be in sixth at this point in the season.

Speaker 24560.12s - 4614.82s

Yeah, I mean, just to confirm you're right, Hector has not played an MLS game this season for them, and they just haven't found it up top yet so far. Like, they had Bossie PERSON as their starting striker, and that's not where they really found success with Bossie last year. They had him successful on that left flank, kind of filling in with Baird PERSON there.But, I mean, Coco's looked great this year. I definitely don't want to give him his flowers still, and Latif blessings there for H looked great this year. I definitely don't want to, I definitely want to give him his flowers still. And Latif blessings there for Houston this year. And he's definitely a percentage of what he was at when he was with L.A. ORG, but they need Hector back and they need to figure out their nine position for sure. They need to figure out who's going to get them their goals.Because right now they got seven. They're not having a goal score like the same we're having the talks with barrett is right now of how they need to figure out their attacking third the team that

Speaker 04614.82s - 4619.12s

parrot left also needs to figure it out yeah maybe they can just trade them back maybe that'll solve

Speaker 24619.12s - 4625.46s

all they can get some Cincinnati GPE will get good gam They can sign somebody new from out of the league.

Speaker 14625.74s - 4658.24s

I don't know, man. The insane thing here is that Cincinnati and Houston are in this weird spot where Cincinnati, fifth place, Houston, sixth place. Cincinnati, seven goals forced, five allowed. Houston, seven goals forced, sixth allowed. Both have three wins. Both have, well, forced, six allowed. Both have three wins. Both have, well, no, sorry, not both.One has one loss, one has two losses. Cincinnati has two more draws than Houston ORG. They've played one more game than Houston ORG, though.

Speaker 24659.46s - 4670.16s

So do you think both teams are just receiving early, reverting to the mean, having a second tournament to play in type issues to start i don't know

Speaker 14670.16s - 4689.96s

i'm being quite honest because neither one of them are in conca calf now and both them actually i think started quite well initially like they were doing better at the start of the season when they had both tournaments to play in and now they're kind of sliding a little bit. So yeah, weird things going on on Houston ORG. I don't have an answer for it right now.

Speaker 24691.08s - 4730.8s

We're at such an exploratory phase of the season so far. We're talking about what we've seen, but we can't really come up with good predictions yet with trends. Like I really can't figure out Houston ORG. I can't figure out Cincinnati GPE. I can't figure out Cincinnati. I can't figure out Orlando GPE,New England LOC to an extent. Like, it's a month in. Like, we'll see a month from now. I think we can really get a good idea of how we're going to see the tables start to unfold. Like in tiers,not position, but tears I think you're going to see. These are the teams fighting for whom field advantage. These are the teams that are fighting to make the playoffs. These are the teams that are fighting.

Speaker 04730.96s - 4732.12s

Fighting not to finish last.

Speaker 24732.76s - 4743.5s

Like it's, so we can't really see that right now. It's so tight. Like we said, the top half of the league is 10 to 14 points. So. Yeah.

Speaker 14744s - 4744.82s

So we'll see.

Speaker 24744.98s - 4745.04s

We'll see.

Speaker 14745.28s - 4836.98s

We'll see. I'd give it, I don't know, three, four, five more matches for every single team before we'd start to draw any real significant conclusions, except for Nashville that Gary PERSON needs to go. All right. Hey, we're going to move on.We're going to talk about a true, actual, proper fun match, right? We talked about how El Classico, sorry, El Traffico ORG, my apologies, this is, you know, it's not as good as El Classico ORG. We talked about how El Traffico, it wasn't a seven-go banger of a match. Well, Austin versus San Jose was a seven-goal banger of a match.Four-three win for Austin. The latest late winner, I recall seeing so far, with like the 90 plus 11 goal for Austin. Here's my big thing, though. Neither of these clubs excite me from this result. I don't look at San Jose GPE and be like, oh, it's all falling apart for them because they were already the worst team in the West LOC going into this.And I don't look at Austin winning because, like, good job you beat San Jose GPE, who is the worst team in the West LOC, but also you've looked super inconsistent throughout most of the season doing it. So, like, you've turned a little bit, but what the rest of the season says is just, you know,I think this is a blip. Although, granted, a four-goal win is blip or not, it's exciting.

Speaker 24838.64s - 4917.18s

Yeah, I mean, Jerusalem with two second half goals, that's exciting within itself. You know, he had a down 2023. If Austin's going to get back to any form that they had in 22, it's exciting within itself. You know, he had a down 2023. If Austin's going to get back to any form that they had in 22, it's going to have to come from him leading the way. So that's something you get excited about.This game was goals, come and get your goals. But yeah, like you said, neither one of these teams like really, San Jose is already in a massive bunker to start the year. Like, that's not a place you want to be. I can't see them coming out of it. Like, there's nothing from this that does. I don't care if they scored three road goals.Austin, the only thing that excites me from them and Jerusalem GPE, and Drew's scoring two goals is their goal celebration with the full green field. It's like just the green lights isn't. It gives me chills. Like, that's my takeaway from it is seeing the celebration therein the 100th and first minute or whatever it came in stoppage time of that um yeah but neither team in my opinion austin ORG will fight for the playoffs but if they made it their run will be cut very short like Like there's, we're going to have conversations we did last offseason. It's only going to be heightened about Josh Wolf coaching. Like,it is what it is.

Speaker 14917.34s - 4939.68s

I don't know what's going on San Jose GPE-wise. I mean, they've allowed 17 goals in seven matches, which is insane. I don't, like, I'm not sure if you've thought 17 goals in seven matches, which is insane. I don't like, I'm not sure if you've thought to do the math on that, but they're allowing more than two goals per match right now as an average.Like, I think that's all.

Speaker 24939.72s - 4942.28s

I think that's all you need to know about their season so far.

Speaker 14942.28s - 5001.24s

Yeah, they have, bear with me here, Bryce PERSON. They have a single solitary win. They have zero draws. They have six losses. They've played seven matches, six losses. I mean, we talk about how Gary PERSON needs to go.I mean, does, you know, did Lucci Gonzalez PERSON need to go for San Jose GPE? Like, what do we change here? Like, is this a player issue?Is this, it's just a down year? Is everyone having, like, an underperformance at the same time type of thing?I don't know if it's that people have figured out San Jose GPE, although granted San Jose seems to love to play the most difficultstyle of soccer possible. And so when they score goals, they tend to be bangers, but it's a when they score goals. And then the qualifier is, you know, how many matches have gone by since they last one with any of

Speaker 25001.24s - 5045.7s

those goals? Yeah, I feel like San Jose GPE, it comes from something from front offices, decision in players. Espinosa, four assists, five points so far in seven games, he's doing his part, but there's not anything connecting on the back half the field for them. And there's just not really anything exciting to, from their player acquisition standpoint.Like there's like Obis PERSON, Obis PERSON, I can't say it. Besides him and Espinoza, what's there to be excited about this team? I don't know.

Speaker 15045.78s - 5049.82s

How many losses can they rack up? Can they set a record for most losses in a season?

Speaker 25051.26s - 5064.7s

I mean, definitely clear favorites for Wooden Spoon ORG at this point. Because you see all the other teams around them at five points and below. Seattle, Orlando, New England LOC. I don't know, Dallas ORG.

Speaker 15064.9s - 5066.94s

I can see Dallas ORG being in the conversation.

Speaker 25068.5s - 5073.1s

Yeah, Dallas ORG for sure. Montreal is probably my third one in that mix.

Speaker 15073.1s - 5151.04s

Yeah, here's my other thing. It's not like they've had the toughest schedule in the league. They've played Dallas, who are barely ahead of them. They've played L.A. Galaxy ORG, that's a good team. They've played Vancouver ORG, also a good team. They played sporting Kansas City. They're kind of like this weird inconsistent team.They beat Seattle GPE, who are seemingly in a free fall. And then they lost to Houston while Houston were, I think, without Coco PERSON from like either coming back late from international duty or like being rested from it. But again, lost to Houston ORG who's kind of mid table in a weird spot right now. And then lost to Austin who, again, they're in this weird kind of like will they won't they moment. So I, you know, it's not the juggernaut.It's not like a gauntlet, right? It's not like they're playing L-AFC and then Los Angeles Galaxy ORG and then Cincinnati and then Philadelphia and then, I don't know, Picker Poison, Miami GPE or something. Like, it's not the world's hardest stretch of matches. So.

Speaker 25152s - 5155.5s

Yeah. So I, it's going to be a long season.

Speaker 15155.66s - 5157.1s

It's going to be a very long season.

Speaker 25157.1s - 5161.56s

I will continue to bet against them every single week. Because honestly, that just feels like good business at this point.

Speaker 15162.42s - 5223.02s

Speaking of good business, I want to talk about the good business that our correspondent Tim PERSON should be opening up. He should be opening up a pun business. He said the Rayneau show goes on in Minnesota GPE. Rayneau PERSON so not showing up as always, which it shouldn't feel like I should be saying as always, but it keeps happening. We keep getting like last season this happened as well.I want to say that if unless my memory is failing me, I want to say there was like rumblings of some issues in the season before that as well. And it's like here's Rayno PERSON, so not showing up. Is he holding out? Is he, you know, is he in legal battles? Like, what's the rumor mill going to come up with this time? I don't know.Minnesota needs to figure out what's going on with Raynoso PERSON. And if that means mutually parting ways with him, if that means selling him, I figure it out.

Speaker 25224.96s - 5248.64s

Yeah, this individual doesn't deserve all the attention he's getting around the league talking-wise, because it's just, it's a shame. The tech player came in. I enjoyed him in Argentina before coming here, and I like what Eric Ramsey PERSON's doing, and I think I like it even more once this individual is off the team. Because I don't know what the hell is going on in Minnesota GPE right now.

Speaker 15248.68s - 5284s

Something in the water. I don't even think Minnesota GPE knows what's going on right now. No, that's the thing. Like, MLS ORG is terrible about transparency. Like, it's not unique to any one team. But again, like horrific amounts of transparency mean that nobody has any idea what's going on with Rayno PERSON.So there's no closure. There's no estimated timeline. Like it's just you see this guy who we had issues with in the past is now having issues again. And it's like, here we go again. Just figure it out someone. So yeah, obviously it's not the coach.

Speaker 05284.78s - 5285.72s

Adrian Heath PERSON has gone.

Speaker 15285.96s - 5299.62s

It's a new coach now. So this seems to me like it, I think we always knew it was probably a player issue, but like if you, if you didn't know before, they should tell you now,it's a player issue. Yeah,

Speaker 25299.78s - 5314.9s

just wanted to shout out Wickerman PERSON for joining us on the YouTube live. Thanks for joining in and commenting so far tonight and on the salt lake city side of things chichot rango PERSON talked about it isn't it fun

Speaker 15314.9s - 5325s

to see him back in the league full time it depends am i playing against chichot orango PERSON that specific week yes Yes, yeah.

Speaker 25325.24s - 5326.82s

I like seeing Chichot Arango PERSON in the league.

Speaker 05327.12s - 5329.1s

I like seeing, if I'm being quite honest,

Speaker 25329.18s - 5330.94s

I would like to see more Chichot-O-Rongo PERSON,

Speaker 05331.18s - 5333.96s

Diego Luna PERSON combination in the league

Speaker 25333.96s - 5348.18s

because Diego Luna PERSON is quite exciting for Salt Lake and Chichot-O-Rongo PERSON is the finisher that they've desperately needed for several seasons now. So, yeah, it's good for them.

Speaker 15348.34s - 5360.3s

I'm not sure if it's sustainable, though. We talked to our correspondent, you know, Mike Miller is our RSL ORG correspondent. And we had just a brief chat with him offline of like, what's going on with RSL ORG?

Speaker 05360.64s - 5367.42s

You know, is it Pablo PERSON in, Pablo out is, are they the real deal? Are they frauds? What's going on here?

Speaker 15367.96s - 5403.76s

And I think the consensus that we've come to is that, you know, sustained success is not going to happen under Pablo PERSON. You will get good occasional runs, but there are just underlying issues. There's not this sort of good usage of subs. There are tactics that tend to kind of get stale, doesn't use players in the positions in which they would normally succeed. Can lightning be caught in a bottle?Yes. And you do it every single match week, not a chance. Yeah.

Speaker 25404.36s - 5406.16s

I think you cover everything about them. Yeah. So, you covered everything.

Speaker 15406.56s - 5470.68s

About them. So, you know, hey, speaking of catching lightning in a bottle, Wickerman is a well-known and established Sheffield Wednesday ORG supporter. Sheffield Wednesday, I think, have been catching a little bit of lightning in a bottle here down the stretch of the season and the English NORP championship. So hopefully they can hold on to that as well. I want to say they're either on the border of relegation or just climbing out of it.I'm going to fact-check myself on that right now, actually, just to see. But they've had a decent run of form. I mean, it's a draw to Norwich ORG recently, which is, I'm going to say right now, Norwich ORG are in phenomenal form. So good on them for that draw. They are...Uh... Uh... Yeah, they are just on that corner. That cusp of relegation. So we'll see. Anyways, hello, Wickerman PERSON.Thank you for joining us. Always good to have you in. Bryce PERSON, shall we continue on?

Speaker 25472.6s - 5476.08s

Sure. Do we want to speed runs some of these other

Speaker 15476.08s - 5489.28s

some of these other draws? Speed run, St. Louis, Dallas, zero zero draw. Bryce, this was the one that I wanted to spend an hour talking about. I really don't have much talking about.

Speaker 25489.42s - 5499.26s

I think we covered the team Dallas ORG in general. Could see that maybe falling behind a bit, but St. Louis GPE, you think this season is also a reversion to the mean?

Speaker 15499.26s - 5546.3s

I think this is a shift in St. Louis's GPE long-term outlook, by I'm being honest. I mean, they're sitting at, let me pull up the standings here. They're sitting in 11th, but they've only lost one match. They're getting tons of draws, loads of them, five draws. So they're like, you know, America's soccer capital of getting a draw in regular season and play this year. And, I mean, it's not a loss.So clearly something's there that is letting them fight back in these matches and stay in it. But they need to figure out, in my opinion, the last like 20 to 30 minutes of the matches. Because that seems to be where the struggle is for most of these matches.

Speaker 05546.66s - 5550.74s

How do you see it out? How do you maintain any sort of competitive edge?

Speaker 15551.44s - 5560s

And I think they'll get it figured out at some point in the season. So I don't know. I think they'll make playoffs personally. I just don't know where.

Speaker 25562.64s - 5585.64s

I'm excited because after the Atlanta Philly game Sunday, we have St. Louis hosting Austin, which is, that's a fun match for me because I really don't know how to feel about either one of these teams. I don't get to watch the Western Conference as much as the Eastern. So, like, I'll be tuning into this one live. So that's pretty excited to see how that one turns out. St. Louis, feel like they need to get three points at home against Austin.

Speaker 15585.64s - 5597.34s

Yeah, and I think they will. I think their style especially is going to give Austin some trouble because they've been a little more, they've shifted a little bit more, it seems, to this kind of like midfield focus

Speaker 05597.34s - 5605.78s

instead of this really deep press and the opponent's, you know, final third there and building up and trying to create those high turnovers, which really runs down players.

Speaker 15606.62s - 5615.56s

And Austin, who thrive on possession, or at least historically have, I think we'll have issues playing through the midfield that St. Louis GPE will put out. Yeah.

Speaker 25615.9s - 5620.98s

I think it's quite interesting because in talks of just like their last week's results,

Speaker 15621.48s - 5625.9s

St. Louis played in a really tight zero zero0 game, but Austin played in a wide-open

Speaker 25625.9s - 5633.36s

seven-gold game that they barely won on the cusp of final time. So yeah, I do think, I guess

Speaker 15633.36s - 5637.34s

I would rather take the team that played a more stout defense. I couldn't find the back

Speaker 25637.34s - 5642.82s

of the net at home versus a team that played a wide-open game. So I'm curious to see how that

Speaker 15642.82s - 5645.2s

goes, though. It will be fascinating.

Speaker 25645.98s - 5646.1s

All right, let's go.

Speaker 15648.08s - 5692.98s

We have two more matches, Bryce PERSON. Seattle 5, Montreal ORG, zero. I don't read too much into this for Seattle GPE. That might be a hot take. I don't, look,five goal, five zero wins especially, but five goal matches for a team don't happen that often for a reason. You had a absolute worldy, Rui Diaz PERSON was don't happen that often for a reason. You had a absolute worldy for Rui Diaz was one of those. I think a PK for another one. And then tons of other players getting onto the score sheet.I just, like, are there encouraging signs there? Yes. Do I think they are repeatable and are going to happen every single week? I'm not so convinced. I think they should have used three of those in games in the past or saved

Speaker 25692.98s - 5712.88s

them for the incoming weeks. So yeah, I really don't know how I feel about them. But I can tell you, though, on the Montreal side of things, is good luck, brother. Like it's, uh, there is, there's no hope, in my opinion for Montreal this season. They're the worst team in the east, even if they're above some of the other ones so far, in my opinion.

Speaker 15712.88s - 5717.42s

I don't know if I'm ready to say that the worst team in the east because New England LOC exists in the east.

Speaker 25718.98s - 5746.2s

New England LOC is probably my only question. But like below them, Orlando and NYCFC I think in Nashville GPE type of them at seven points I think they'll be above but also Montreal ORG has kind of hit me in the past they always find a way to finish in that like nine through 11 spot even if the roster shouldn't be that way so maybe maybe I'm not giving them enough credit but it's just from a roster standpoint I'm not impressed at all.

Speaker 15746.2s - 5783.32s

Yeah, I would put them in that spot that you're talking about. Maybe 9 to 12. Like they have a different coach who, again, promising signs and I like teams taking chances on young promising coaches. So the opportunity is there. There is going to be a willingness to experiment.I don't know if the spending is there. And I certainly don't think they're going to have the outlay or the player transfers to catapult them into the top half of the table. But I think they will at least be respectable over the course of the season. I think that's fair.

Speaker 25783.5s - 5789.58s

Like their hire is more exciting than what they're brought in and portal.

Speaker 05789.82s - 5789.88s

Like,

Speaker 15789.92s - 5790.92s

I would give me,

Speaker 25791.06s - 5804.06s

give me someone who is an up-and-coming guy that hasn't had the opportunity yet, versus someone who we've seen. So you've talked me into moving them up a spot. I have them at 13th right now for my east finish.

Speaker 15805.34s - 5845.9s

All right. Well, hey, look. We'll get there. We'll get there. My range is wider, so that way I can look as though I know more about what I'm talking about, even though I have no confidence in that 9 to 12th, you know, slot. So, all right.Last one. Another goal fest, SKC versus Portland ORG. Our wonderful correspondent Travis covering SKC ORG also wrote in on this one. I've got to find what he wrote in on because we have the group chat going. And I'll tell you right now, everyone in here except us is apparently watching the women's game. So insane levels of...

Speaker 25845.9s - 5870.24s

As you find it, I can update that Columbus and Tigrace are tied at one. So it seems like what? They finished one to one last week, too. So that might be a penalty. They're in the 91st minute, two to two on aggregate right now in Mexico GPE. So we could be seeing some extra time and some penalty kicks coming up for that.

Speaker 15870.24s - 5871.22s

People love free soccer.

Speaker 25871.38s - 5871.86s

Very short.

Speaker 15871.98s - 5930.76s

Tell you that. All right. Hey, so I found what Travis PERSON wrote in at halftime. I thought to myself, maybe I've been too critical in my previous correspondence corners, pointing out the team's flaws, and then the second half happened.Willie Agatha PERSON should never take a penalty again. We need subs earlier, and too many players on this team are slow. That aligns with my notes where my top-level note on this match was SKC have thrown away a three-goal lead from the first half. To Portland ORG, who's being coached by Neville PERSON, who I have said multiple times I did not like as a coaching hire.Well, here we are. Portland ORG continue to have these like late moment rallies and matches, which is very, very frustrating for purposes of trying to drive a narrative.So curse you, Neville PERSON, for making my life harder. Darn.

Speaker 25934s - 6033.06s

No, yeah. I think everyone in the group have the same feelings from New England LOC as they did Portland into this one. I feel like you could have went a little more inspiring as the season, as the offseason started. I think that was one of the first coaching hires that happened too. Like, I feel like their search ended very fast compared to the rest of the league. But, yeah, Portland ORG, I feel like Portland's always been the team I've rooted for.I've just always had good players there. Diego Valeria PERSON is a player that I really liked. Actually, when Atlanta played them in the MLS Cup EVENT, I was actually in Portland visiting my brother at the time when the game was in Atlanta ORG. So it was fun to meet a bunch of Timbers fans wearing Atlanta ORG gear. They're all really cool in that moment.But I can't say the same with them. I'm not really excited about them right now, and it's mainly because of the coach. I think they got that wrong. And until they, until he proves me wrong, like I don't know ball, like I feel like a lot of times, it feels like I don't, even though I watch it a good amount. I'm not really excited about Portland ORG. From the Kansas side of things, a lot of off-the-field stuff, but they only have one loss.They've, same thing, knotted through four draws. They don't have a road loss this year. They're one, oh, and two on the road so far. So they've gotten two draws and a win so far in the road. So if they can continue that stretch, then they can find themselves higher up on the Western table than Travis or other Kansas City fans expect.

Speaker 16033.06s - 6037.52s

I have no idea what Kansas City is going to look like down the stretch.

Speaker 06037.76s - 6043.06s

And again, I think it stems from the fact that they really do have a lot of players

Speaker 16043.06s - 6093.8s

that worry me from an availability standpoint. I was, I think I've been pretty vocal saying that there have been teams such as Seattle that needed to start their rebuild, maybe a year or two, earlier. I think Kansas City might be a team that really should be looking at that rebuild. And if they haven't started replacing some of the players who are a little on the older side and maybe still have too much of a role for where they are in their careers then you know we'll see if they prove me wrong but I don't know I this would be an unfortunate thing to happen if the age and, you know,the miles on the legs started to finally catch up to them. So we'll see. We'll see. We'll see. Yeah.

Speaker 26093.98s - 6102.66s

Besides that, besides that, I think this was what the Sunday match. And unfortunately, I didn't get to follow this one too much. So Travis PERSON's words are better than.

Speaker 16103.08s - 6120.52s

Travis's words are better than both of ours because he is a passionate SKC ORG fan and we are both... I won't say disinterested observers, but we are SKC and Portland ORG skeptics alike. Yeah, I did think we kind of...

Speaker 26120.52s - 6137.08s

We said his name, but I don't know if we talked about the game in general, Miami to Colorado GPE, too. Messy came off the bench and scored, but Miami highly rotated because they have their Concaf match this week as well.

Speaker 16137.08s - 6137.24s

Yeah.

Speaker 26137.54s - 6173.56s

So they're getting healthier and they're still in the top four of the east. So I was wrong. I earlier in the year, I was a little hesitant of how Miami GPE was going to do. But I do think they're going to finish top four.I think early in the year I said, don't be surprised if they're five or six. That could happen. But it seems like they're getting healthy. They're going to finish this tournament up soon.We'll see. You never know. Yeah. Maybe I They're going to finish this tournament up soon. We'll see. You never know. Yeah. Maybe I'm just going to say I'm wrong, so I can come back and say I'm right. It's easier to get it down with now.

Speaker 16173.56s - 6188.1s

Who knows? I mean, for all we know, Miami could go to Monterey and like win 10-0 or something and overcome this deficit that they had at home. It could happen, right? It's unlikely, but. I mean, they had at home. It could happen, right? It's unlikely, but... I mean, they...

Speaker 26188.1s - 6192.38s

They definitely prepared for it, like, playing against Colorado GPE,

Speaker 16193.98s - 6198.34s

messy didn't start, coming back from injury, but they kept a lot of their guys out in this one,

Speaker 26198.44s - 6199.96s

so they're going to try.

Speaker 16200.12s - 6216.38s

They're going to try to pull something else. I mean, Messi PERSON still got a goal in this as well, right? So, again, it's been like 50 minutes. Now we finally have to do it. We do have to finally talk about messy, which is, it's going to be interesting.

Speaker 06216.68s - 6221.2s

Did you see, sorry, tangent here, did you see that Kansas City is already hyping up

Speaker 16221.2s - 6240.14s

the Messy Mania for their match this weekend? It's like Tuesday. And, you know, they're posting about like the goat being like cited in you know kansas city GPE and they were like oh and it's like a picture of an actual goat that was like on the news or something and they're like we didn't know that messy PERSON was already here and it's like guys like come on i i get it i get i get i get

Speaker 26240.14s - 6248.18s

i get messies coming up to town like like i mean they setting themselves up really bad, knowing he's coming off an injury,

Speaker 16248.18s - 6252.34s

and he didn't start last weekend, and they have a midweek Concaf game.

Speaker 26252.64s - 6264.82s

Like, I feel like I wouldn't, with the way fans have been mad when Messi PERSON isn't out there starting and playing a lot of minutes. Maybe I wouldn't be doing that for the backlash you could maybe get.

Speaker 16264.82s - 6306s

How crazy it would be, Bryce PERSON, if Miami GPE shows up, they walk into Arrowhead and Messi PERSON is being rested for this huge sold-out matchat Arrowhead FAC. It's going to be like super highly attended, extra expensive. Like, I know we're supposed to be talking about Miami GPE, Colorado GPE,but like just the whole messy thing continues to be just a very weird state that the league is in. Normally, players being out for a team, like a star player missing from the other team would be cause for celebration for all these fans. Like, if I was playing against Columbus and it's like, oh, Cucho PERSON's suspended, I'd be like,

Speaker 06306.42s - 6307.14s

yes,

Speaker 16307.16s - 6349.3s

like let's go get a win because they're missing Cuchos PERSON. They're missing a star player. If Lucho Acosta PERSON is suspended for Cincinnati because he got five yellow cards for disagreeing with the ref too violently, because that's the only way he seems to get yellows at this point. Like if I was a team playing,like if I was Atlanta and I saw that Cincinnati GPE was coming with no lucho I'd be like yes like that you know that should be three points like you go out and you win that match or at minimum you don't lose that match because like that's a key player like hony muktar being out for Nashville GPE I'm not afraid of Nashville anymore in saying that you know messy being out means that fans are mad and don't want to go to the match and it's like I want my money back

Speaker 26349.3s - 6351.32s

and it's like what like

Speaker 16351.32s - 6355.72s

yeah and it's

Speaker 26355.72s - 6420.46s

I'm I me and my friends almost spent a lot of money to go see them in D.C. And he didn't play. So that brings back me. Same thing with LeBron James PERSON. It's like when he comes to D.C. It's like they play. So that brings back me. Same thing with LeBron James. It's like when he comes to D.C. GPE,it's like they're playing one of the worst teams in the NBA ORG. Is LeBron PERSON going to play or so you're going to sit out? Like it's, I guess when it comes to me with that history, I always question, is it worth spending these tickets or not? And I think a lot of the other part of the country is starting to realize that when when Messi comes to town as well this year.It's a question you have to ask. But in terms of Colorado, they're a ninth currently. Two wins, two losses, three draws. They're very split. They've gotten a win, a loss, a draw at home, a win, a loss, and two draws on the road. Is this what you expected from Colorado GPE? We talked about Columbus, Saracucho, but Colorado.Like, before the, like, this was already better than last year, by far. But they had a lot of

Speaker 16420.46s - 6423.78s

offseason hype, right? Like, I think they had a little bit more than this.

Speaker 26423.78s - 6428.74s

I think a big part of that offseason hype was Georgie Mahalovich PERSON, though.

Speaker 16430.74s - 6435.62s

Prior to Mahalovich, when Armis PERSON was announced as the coach, I think a lot of us were not

Speaker 26435.62s - 6436.56s

fans of that as well.

Speaker 16437.1s - 6489.32s

So maybe it's easy to forget why we weren't big fans of that Armis PERSON hire when Mahalovich PERSON got announced. Under Armis, sitting in ninth place, two, two, and three in terms of win-loss draw. Maybe that's actually pretty fair, considering who the coach is and teams are supposed to be bigger than just one player, unless your name's Lionel Messi PERSON. But, yeah, like, I would have expected better. I don't know how much better I would have expected.If I'm being honest, like, I wouldn't expect them to be in first right now. I don't know if I would even expect him to be top three. But, yeah, I guess I would expect him to be like between five and seven from just the offseason in terms of player moves. So maybe sitting in ninth with Armis PERSON, who we weren't a fan of is about reasonable.

Speaker 26490.82s - 6495.68s

Well, luckily, next week, they play at San Jose GPE.

Speaker 16495.68s - 6496.6s

Oh, nice. Instantly. That's three points.

Speaker 26498.18s - 6500.82s

The week after they play home again.

Speaker 16501.12s - 6504.08s

Oh, nice. Three points. That's six, six for six right there.

Speaker 26505.86s - 6514.06s

So if you're giving me six points, they're about where me and you, I think, are leaning to where we were saying we expect Colorado GPE in the standings.

Speaker 16514.6s - 6521.9s

So as the theme is with all of these teams, I think we need to dive into the schedule a little bit more.

Speaker 26522.5s - 6524.2s

Some teams have had easy schedule.

Speaker 06524.36s - 6526.46s

Some teams have an easier April ahead of them.

Speaker 16526.46s - 6527.04s

That's very true.

Speaker 26527.7s - 6534.42s

So I think we can get back here. Maybe Gavin will allow me to be in the same room as him.

Speaker 16535.32s - 6539.02s

And we can dive back into this. If you're even two different people, it's impossible to say.

Speaker 26541.36s - 6555.08s

Yeah, it's a fair point. But, yeah, I think that'll be a better standpoint through this month to see where these teams kind of sit in the standings. And I think you're going to start seeing these tiers line up a little bit more.

Speaker 16555.42s - 6556.06s

Completely agree.

Speaker 26556.32s - 6557.36s

Couldn't have said it better myself.

Speaker 16558.16s - 6595.66s

Bryce PERSON, I would love to include you in the normal sort of thing that we do or we end out the show talking about sports betting, of course. However, I don't want to steal what's going on between Gavin and I. And more importantly, Bryce, I've had a horrific week of betting. So I'm going to see if maybe I can have a better week by not talking about it on the episode for once. And we'll review next week to see what happens there. But other than that,it's also been like an hour and 51 minutes we've been recording. So I think we could just about call it to wrap up, right? Yeah,

Speaker 26595.78s - 6604.74s

you'd be thinking about bets because I haven't looked either. So yeah, I think we're good to wrap it up. I think if you made it this far, you've proven you're a sick out.

Speaker 16604.82s - 6626.66s

You can go buy your patch off, you know, Amazon ORG get like a drop shipped thing from like a company overseas that's listing their products and, you know, have it two-day shipped to you. And you can sew it on or you can, you know, heat press it onto your hats or onto your jacket or something. You know, you earned it if you listened to this whole episode.

Speaker 26632.8s - 6637.12s

Yeah, I think this just shows that got to get back in here more often because if I, if I don't get back here till July, this one might be a three hour one.

Speaker 16637.44s - 6651.18s

Very true. Well, hey, as always, you can find Bryce on social media at B. Leslie ORG 19. You can find me on social media at Mr. Danger Russ. You can find the podcast on social media at B. Leslie ORG 19. You can find me on social media at Mr. Danger Russ. You can find the podcast on social media at MLS Now ORG podcast. Listeners, Bryce PERSON, till next time.