SoccerWise - Live MLS Transfer Day Special w/Wiebe & Doyle

Episode Date: August 21, 2025

You the know the vibes! It is the final live "Ice Cream Shop" or the year and while Tommy Scoops is cooking David bring in two big name short term loans in Andrew Wiebe & Matt Doyle. After Tom breaks out all the latest news the guys use their extra time to chat through the biggest moves of the window, and which clubs did the best work.4:00 Paxten Aaronson & Rapids Window16:45 Nashville Secure Jonny Perez19:30 RSL Sign Deandre Yedlin25:40 Caden Clark’s Massive Chasfer to DC29:45 Whitecaps Strong Window From Mueller to CB Adds39:20 Minnesota United Big Moves48:00 CTL Big Sales and Succession Planning51:00 TFC’s Strong Window Finishing With Jose Cifuentes1:08:25 LAFC’s Summer Transfer Winners1:12:20 Timbers Big Summer Work1:17:00 FCC Trying To Take Steps Forward

It is time for us. We are live, we are rocking, we are rolling. Do you just mute yourself, David Goss? That's a great start. We're off to the rolling star of the year. We have a transfer window. ahead finishing live here on the show we've got good friend of the show andrew webe in the building so that we can be s for as long as we want about all of the insane moves that have occurred over the last few weeks

and all the ones tom that you are currently staring at on your computer yeah it's been a busy day but a busy few days uh nothing quite like coming back from vacation and dealing with a diverted flight to the land of andrew weeby i believe that our pilot has had to call the Weeby household and ask for permission to land in Kansas City? It was denied. It was denied. But, you know, he did it anyway. I guess safety first, things of that nature.

Yeah. So, dealing with that at the airport and in Kansas City and flight delays and coming back. So it's been a whirlwind here just from the tranquility of Yellowstone and Wyoming and Grand Teton's to the absolute mad dash of a transfer window close. I feel like I'm here for one reason and one reason only, guys, and that is to strictly fill time. I've got some lists prepared. Like, I know how this goes. Just being around Tom in previous transfer deadline days.

Like, snap your fingers. If the phone rings, like, you're dead to him. It's over. You're gone. Like, you know, flush our friendship straight down the toilet. Any sort of, you know, it's like a Kevin Egan moment. Like, hey, I love you, but I'm leaving. Like, we're out of here.

We're out of here. So I'm just here to fill time. I'm appreciative of the invite. There's this thing that happens in Tom's eyes where you realize he's not paying attention anymore. It's like a hollowing out of his entire, you know, soul. It's like a Matthew McConaughey meme happening in real time as he takes a huge drag of a cigarette and gets ready to rock. It's like the matrix when they plug the thing into the back of their necks and their eyes roll back in their head. It's like, all right, shut it down, into a different world.

And in those moments, Tom has entered the matrix and he is in for the long haul. Tom, do you have the transfer window calendar like painted up on the wall? And is your full family aware of the magnitude of each of these days? No. My wife figured it out pretty quickly over the last few days. And then this morning, my first call that I took was 6 a.m. And she usually gets up before me. And she was like, who are you talking to?

Yeah, she was just like, because she's used to it being piqued, because you guys know me well enough, the how loud I am just generally. And so she enjoys a nice peaceful hour to herself with no noise and not me screaming. She was like, who are you talking to? It's like a polite way to be like, can you shut up? Can you go outside? Oh, God. Oh, God.

This is, you know, she got the, she got the picture post-marriage, which is a really smart move on your part there. She knew. I've been this loud the entire time. I'm talking about the 6 a.m. calls, yeah. This is like Christmas Day, except, you know, it's the opposite. Instead of joy, it's misery for poor Tom's wife. Does somebody have the Pablo Marr tweet up? I want to read it out. Pablo does this running bit most deadline day.

So I wake up to a tweet. This is from Pablo Mauer, our good friend. MLS Deadline Day. At Tom Boggart has been awake since 3 a.m. And it's currently pouring four cans of original formula for a loco he bought in the black market into a blender with a banana. It's a league of choice, he screams loudly. In an adjacent room, his wife begins packing her thing. Listen, I'm not saying it's not accurate. I'm not saying it is. I will say that a banana really upgrades any smoothie, including apparently a four loco version. So, yeah, props to Papa on that one. what's cooking what what's cooking right now like what do you want to get into it let's start

I just want to know what's pop it up on the notifications on the phone yeah I should keep that closer to me I hope that there's no if there's feedback in my mic gosh I think you know I think this is the show where feedback's allowed okay we do what we do let's start let's start packs and Aronson of the Colorado Rapids that deal is absolutely done completed sealed Paxson Aronson is a new Colorado Rapid for a club record fee of $7 million plus another $1.5 million in add-ons and Paxon Aronson signs a DP deal. He's in town. That deal should be getting announced today. I'm sure there'll be a press conference. So huge, huge news for the Colorado Rapids. That deal is done. I think you put in our group chat that you were like, yes, this is me and not Tom Bougar

when it happened. Because this one, I think, caught everyone off guard. We've talked about it a little bit off air just before we got on. I understand the concept. I don't love the number. And I think I don't know how much of a sticking point that is for me. And you felt a little bit better. I'm in the business of not caring at all what the number is. Like, I do not care. If it was 10, 15 million, okay, then we can sit back in debate. The flip side of that equation would be, oh, my God, the Colorado Rapids just went out and spent 10 to 15 million. I just like the intent on Colorado's side. imperfect moment for them to have their star number 10 it sounds like and tom correct me if the way i'm reading this from afar and after talking to people is wrong and say hey i'd like to go elsewhere

like that's not ideal completely correct completely and it wasn't it wasn't elsewhere it was toronto i want to go to toronto and there was no room for negotiating a new contract with colorado like that so that's they were kind of forced into that's tough because not only is it hey i want to go to toronto that just limits your market it's not like you're playing people off each other. So, you know, I think it's a good move. I think it's a good move for Paxton Aronson. You got the money for Georgie. It was a profit on your part. You've gotten money in the past very recently for big time transfers, including Moisbon Bito, which hadn't seemed like had really been reinvested just yet. And so you go out and you get a guy who's one younger. And I think has just as much of a

long-term value, both inside and outside the league if he thrives in Paxon-Earingson as George, Georgia Mihailovich does. Like, who's the same 21 that Paxton doesn't get into the World Cup team and then is worth 10 to 12 million, either inside MS or outside down the line? Like, I think it's a good bet. And I also think, look, in Paxton, you've got a guy who's been super productive at a first team level already. And if he wants to come, like, who else you spend in that DP deal on that's going to

be better? I think all things considered, I truly believe it's been a very good window for the Colorado Rapids. I think this is a home run. And we be to your point, like, listen, like, Georgia Mihailovich, I think that's an excellent signing for Toronto FC. Both things can be true. Georgie was the leader in expected assists in MLS this year before his trade to Toronto. The argument that Rapids fans, and I'm sure people in that building are making, is look at what Paxton Aronson did at age 20 in the Air Divisier.

That eclipses what Georgia Mihailovich did at age 23, 24, and those two things aren't completely one-to-one. I thought Georgie, after he got hurt, he didn't get back in the team, so maybe he would have put up the same numbers but paxton herritson a nine goal six assist was a nominee for young player of the year in that league and you say hey like he did this at a few ages younger a few years younger why can't he do what georgie was doing for us this year so i think that's like a tough argument to make just because like the eridiviz one of the weirdest leagues i think what i come back to is do you think paxton arinson arinson is ready in the next year to be a replacement for georgia mahailovich does he have to be it's i think he can i think he can i think he

can be i think that's a fair question gosh because again georgie is whatever 25 like in in his prime so many more years than em less like again i think i think by 26 paxton could be yeah absolutely so then the question becomes if it takes a little while for it to happen how long is he going to be at the club and at the number you spent what could a profit look like going forward and i don't think there's a ton of margin for profit there so the expectation on this move is that he is good for you in the building while he's there and i don't know how long that takes and if he ever reaches that peak because you basically spent the same number right in theory and and i understand your point we have like 15 million that's a game changer that's different this is their version though

they got the georgie money they had one chance to spend it this is not this is this seven million dollar signing and then the next seven million dollar signing could be on top of it right we all can guess from the outside that this is who the colorado rapids are so it's like they took they're one shot, and I don't know that this is what I would take the one shot on. I don't know, man. I disagree. I just think that this is a home run signing for this club to get a player of Paxton's caliber. It's funny.

So in reporting this, like backtracking now, when you have the final answer in hand, you start to figure out what the hints were along the way. So I was in conversations with sources. On one hand, it was with, you know, the Colorado are, you know, there's a couple guys in league they could go for a few but there's this one really big player in europe that like we have a chance to get and we'd be really excited about and we hope to explore that first and i was like okay that's just not going to happen like the way that it was presented it seemed unlikely and at the same time i'm asking sources about hey is paxton erranton staying at eintrack frankford is he going

on or whatever um hey what's going on it's just like um check back in in in a week or so there might be something big here but i don't know and then for those two things who have in parallel conversations i think it is pretty interesting and again like Paxson Aronson had, there was offers from Red Bull Salis. Red Bullsburg made a big push. Southampton, Coventry City, sources told me those were two other clubs in the championship. He's choosing to go to Colorado. Obviously, the finances aren't incentive, but there is that argument too of,

it's not like fighting for minutes is one way to develop and one way to continue your career and push yourself. Another way to do it is, yeah, he won't be fighting for minutes in Colorado, but if he does not play well, they will not win games. It is that simple. And that is a different level of responsibility, one that not a lot of players in the national team pool have. And yes, it is a lower level than, you know,

the top of the championship or pushing for potentially Premier League. And the eight Champions League games at Salzburg may or may not play. But, like, it is a different level of responsibility than just like, hey, if I'm not good today, one of the other, you know, 15 to 20 million rated players are going to pick me up. Like, not, that's no disrespect for the other rapist players, but he's here to be the guy, not just be a guy. I see Alex in the comments right now saying that he agrees with you, Dave,

that this is not what I'm spending my money on if I'm the rapids. You found the one. Hell, yeah. Also, Alex says, Webe looks hungover. Oh, boy, it's tough for me. It's tough for me in the mornings. I don't, I think that's a really convenient way of looking at, like,

what is a very good move, of being like, oh, but what's the possibility outside that could have happened? That didn't happen. That we don't know would have happened. Who is that mystery player that's like, oh, well, he's available for $8 million and they can go get him in this sort of, like, finite transfer window period? like I think that's I don't know

I think that's overly harsh and I think what you're looking at with Paxton Aronson is like outside of Georgie we know what he is he's a great player in MLS he's one of the best chance creators in MLS he didn't want to be with you he didn't want to be there so you have to go find somebody who does want to be there and clearly Paxton does because he's signing a long-term

contract with you so what it's okay if he wants money I don't care that's fine too no I don't care about the money the point being I think we have now seen for young players long-term contract means we can work together to sell you down the way. Sick. Sick. Exactly. That's dope. So you get two or three good years out of Paxton Aronson or even a year and a half and maybe he goes to the World Cup and you sell him. Like that's all fine and that continues to cement the Colorado Rapids is a team where yeah, listen, we're going to come get your guys that are maybe like

misfit toys that are USMNT players like Reggie Cannon that need a place to play. But we're also going to be rehabbers. Like if you are Paxton Aronson, aren't you looking at what happened to Georgian and saying, look at the way he leveled up in Colorado. Like, he had a great Montreal year. He failed. He failed at a similar level that Paxson just thrived at, at an older age. But they made a profit on Georgie, and I find it very hard to believe that that will be the case. Adelson, Melanda, just got sold.

I could not disagree. I completely agree. Adelson, like, we're seeing players sold out of MLS, the championship teams for $8 million out of hand that are older and with less, like, less ability to impact games at the level that people pay big money for. I don't think it's out of the question that he gets into the World Cup team potentially or he's a part of the U.S. national team

down the line as a 22, 23 year old and you're selling him to, let's say some championship club, let's say back to Germany, whatever, for a profit. And in the meantime, you got a productive number 10 DP. And you replaced the guy that didn't want to be there. To me, this has been a home run window

in a bad situation for the Rapids. Hit me because obviously everyone's electric. Oh, let's go. Let's go. Hit me with the rest of, hit me with the rest of why you like the window overall. I assume it's more than just packed. It is more than just Paxton. Look, Rob Holding, mate. Hey, mate. Beautiful, beautiful move. But listen, if you swap Awazium for Rob Holding, I'm calling that both good, but potentially much better, because I'm not a huge Shadozy Awasium guy.

Kevin Cabral has been an absolute albatross on you for how long and to finally just to just say goodbye was a positive thing man yoma is a guy that i don't think i don't know much about but listen like he just had a nine goal contribution season in less than a thousand minutes in in argentina like that that sort of thing that sort of thing has translated to this league in the past um raffa santos i think is a good pickup off the like not the junk heap but off the not in favor heap and get a guy that can get up and down and then lucas harrington And centerback is also just like, hey, we got Rob Holding. If it doesn't work, this is a high upside centerback for down the line.

And then, you know, most importantly, I think the one that nobody's thinking about and they should be thinking about. This is like the under the radar, like, changes everything for me. Adam Bodry, minutes at the Colorado Springs switchbacks. I mean, sorry, I couldn't get through that. On serious note, Lucas Harrington, that's a big player, man. I'm happy that he's here now and not going to winters. I, uh, first of all, can you guys hear me?

Yeah, yeah, you said a little louder, yeah. A little bit. The chat will let you know there now. I know. It would be helpful if you guys let me know before we got on, but that's for another day. I didn't know. I didn't know I was screaming either. There's just two alphas speak.

Yeah, there's just two alphas you're set in the tone and you've got to match it, bro. Just so everyone knows, if we be turned his camera around, it would be the bunker that he is operating in because he's off grid. he's just welcomed enough to come back on grid for this conversation about Adam Boudry and the future of the U.S. If you don't know why we're crying right now, there was a throwaway anonymous tweet about Adam Baudry needing more minutes. And I lost it in the group chat the other day. And I was just building up to the Baudry moment that whole time. The joke was for five people. Yeah, 100%.

And all five people, by the way, are on this stream right now. So there are people. Overall, Wivia, I agree with you. I think good work done in general, Tom, you're trying to ruin it, though, at the last second with a little Hoffa Navajo rumors. Yeah, that could ruin it. There's nothing. There's, dude, so this is a larger, and this shouldn't be, we're talking about the rapids, but this, this, this is, there's nothing here. Like, there was a rumor in Mexico that a deal was agreed.

There hasn't been a single conversation between Monterea and Colorado. I don't, I don't understand on a human level people telling other people that something is done when there's no conversation. I just don't get. And this is not the first time this has happened. There's this, you know, Denny Bawanga, he's linked with Club America 15 times a year. I've stopped asking. Denny Bawanga's camp doesn't even use it for leverage or anything because they're like, everybody knows this isn't true.

So we can't even try to get a new contract. Like, I don't get it. So nothing there. Okay. Well, that would be a good thing for the Colorado Rapids because he's like the best player on the team. Of course. He's awesome, by the way. Superstar number 10.

uh, Paxton Aronson. I'm, I'm, by the way, I'm psyched to watch Baxon Aronson. You sound psyched. Yeah. I do sound psyched. Uh, and I, I, I very much am. So, okay, so that was sort of giving us to set the stage. Tom, let's hit some of the, like, stuff that happened early already today, unless you've got anything already that you want to hit me with, you know, that I that I didn't write down. No, okay. Um, what do we got? So I think you were on the phone with Kurt Schmidt at 3. 47 a.m. Eastern time. What? No.

So not that one. We'll go with the latest one from the last half hour. Sources told me Nashville have signed on loan winger Jonathan Perez to a permanent deal from the LA Galaxy. I'm told 1.5 million cash trade plus a potential $300,000 in add-ons. Perez signs a new contract as a U-22 initiative player. This was, again, it's not a new addition because he was already on the team, but they clearly wanted to keep him. The original trade option in this deal was GAM because the cash flow rule didn't exist.

last summer when this was made. So they needed to find a new solution because they don't have the game to trade to pick that option. And the only like salary cap space they have is a U-22 initiative. So I thought that was like, again, nerdy stuff, but well done by Nashville to keep a player that they really, really like, and a player I really like. And he's on a U-22 initiative deal. And this was the only way in terms of salary cap allocation money and Rosser's spot to get him on the team.

Not a bad move for the galaxy, by the way, to get a bunch for a guy that lets be real. I was never going to play for them. Yeah, yeah. I mean, but this is what I think the like the underrated side of the cash for player's side changes is like the big the big ones are going to be Yovalich and Evander and you know, Lucho, but these are the ones where it's like, hey, we might not have the game, but we want to put your guy who doesn't get an opportunity for you in a place where he will. And like we've said for years on extra time and our own private chats just talking about the league that like one of the big, one of the things that's holding back the league from growing and just improving across the board are these players that have talent but aren't in the. the right spot where they're not where somebody believes in them and so if Nashville's out here saying look we want to put down 1.5 like yeah the galaxy should should gobble that up but that should be something that every young player in the league that's not getting minutes should be looking around the league

looking at other teams and saying where do I fit and talking to their agents about that sort of thing like we should see more of this and I think you look at a situation where like the galaxy are not getting that number externally like some of Johnny Perez's value is he has already worked in MLS. Like obviously it's unique for Nashville. They loaned him, so they've seen it themselves. But like, you're not selling this guy overseas for $1.5 to $2 million where it stands right now. And the galaxy, we're never going to play him enough for him to get there.

So now you bring more resources into the league. And now the Galaxy have worked their way out of the prison that was their previous salary cap. And I think I did a Galaxy podcast last week. I think they're more hopeful going forward. They are Leagues Cup semi-final hosting team. I know weevie you wants to do 45 minutes to an hour on the league's cup. So we'll get there in just a moment.

Tom, after Nashville, what else can we talk about? And when will you let me talk about DeAndre Yedlin? Clearly, you hate letting you talk about it. Right now. Right now, let's do it. Real Salt Lake, this deal is one official. Real Salt Lake has signed DeAndre Yudlin from FC Cincinnati for a very specific number of gam that's just over $300,000.

Essentially, that's just the gam to cover what since he has already spent to buy down his contract. it's essentially just getting his contract off the book and he's going to Real Salt Lake because he's getting a new long-term contract. His current deal was up at the end of the season. This deal has been agreed for a number of weeks and I think since he had a couple targets for replacements from abroad that didn't quite happen and then there was kind of a last-ditch attempt

hey maybe we can work out a new contract and he'll stay and that kind of held up this deal for about a week and it ends up where DeAndre Yevlin wanted to go to Real Salt Lake and Sinci honored their original agreement. And on Sinci's side, there has been some, there's like preliminary talks, like very, very early stuff for potential Brian Reynolds. Not going to happen.

That's way too complicated to happen on deadline day here. And Westerloo are a very difficult club to deal with. I'm expecting Sinci to go within the league to make an addition at wingback. But again, we've got, what, 12 and a half hours left in the transfer window. So we'll see. That's one of the teams I'll be watching. You already know what name I'm going to say.

Joey Zelensky? No, that's a good one, though. No, wingback legend Ryan Raposo. He's always available, and it's for no good reason. Go out and get him, bring him in, let him create 15 goals from the right wingback position. You're welcome, Chris Aubright, by the way. I would like, someone asks how much money we get on residuals for the cash for usage by MLS teams. I think the plan we set up is the office-based plan if we get the piece of the penny that's left over that no one knew about.

But either way, maybe this Yedlin move feels like an MLS fever. It does. It's my favorite. I put in a little doc that I put together here as I prepared just under the headline, MLS is hell. I know, I know. MLS is hell. Like that's like 304,700K in GAM is just a perfect number. And I know it's related to the buy down as you reported Tom on his salary cap number.

But it's just like, you know, listen, I think for RSL it's a really good move, especially as they sign him long term. To me, on their roster, right back has been a spot for a while now. That's kind of like, I mean, who is it really? Like, who is the sort of preferred number one? And I think this, you know, between Caliscon and Hidalgo and whoever they wanted to rotate through, this gives you that veteran that maybe they need as a group,

but also just a rock to build around. Like, he could play the wingback position if you go to three in the back. He can play right back solo as well, and it gives you an opportunity to let your right winger be a little bit more free. I just think it's a great move for them, and it was a good window overall, like to go out and fill that center forward stable back up and to give Diego Luna a little bit of help. I think the only thing that might have been, you know, made it better for me is if Luna signed a long-term DP deal, but he's got a U-22 deal with options through 28. So it's not like they're stressing

about that at all. I was going to say it's a good enough window of the fact that they kept him. Yeah, I agree. But yeah, I agree with you. I think also someone put in the chat, like it's a club that's looking for a little bit of leadership, and I think that's what DeAndre Yedlin did in Miami. I think he was a part of that in Cincinnati, having someone who has some familiarity but also is not a young piece. Like this team's built around a lot of really young pieces, has no history of success in Major League Soccer, most of the pieces as well. So it's a position of need and I think a personality spot that works out well for them. But I would argue if I'm FC Cincinnati, like I could fill that on-field role with probably

less resources from that spot and I think it makes sense. Brooks Lenin's name got thrown in there probably a little too expensive. It's getting thrown in by Atlanta fans who want Brooks Linens. Yeah that one doesn't sound realistic to me. There is one I'm just looking through these soccer-wise depth charts and roster profiles which I happily

pay for and everyone else should do as well. I thought this was going to be a critic. Every day. No, but listen, there's a guy out there. I know he's kind of a right winger, you know, less of a right wingback but could play there particularly the way they want to play. I'm just saying, Benji Kikonovich is available he is right there ready for the taking uh what what names would you throw out there guys

like if you were if you're albright who would you be calling about i would that's a great question uh so one of the ones that popped for me probably too expensive as well but henry yeah i was just going to say a guy who he's more of a he's more of a right center back in a which i think actually is Cincinnati has clearly proven they need nine healthy centerbacks to get through a season So I think going out and saying, we're going to, we're going to slant the field toward Orozano or whoever's playing left wingback. Like, Engle has had to play centerback, right, because they've had injury. So I think getting a guy who's flexible isn't the worst thing for them, but he is, like, he can play at the wingback position. Is Olivia Mbizzo too expensive?

Like, just thinking of profiles that could fit for them out there. Yeah, I don't know about that one. Does, um, does Maricio Cuevas do anything for you? Does dagger? I would not give up Kuevas if I was the galaxy. But Dagger Dan is an interesting one because they can play Kyle Smith there. And right now they've held on to Freeman, who clearly, clearly, clearly has won that spot. Kyle Duncan's a name that would pop for me, where if I'm the Red Bulls, I'm just,

I'm out of the business. And if Cincinnati wants to take a shot on a guy who's better going forward than he is defending, then I'd give them the opportunity. A Brandon Buy, maybe? That's a good shout. Like behind Fine Gold right now. Raised and buy goes for below market value because I don't even know he's not his player or whatever it is. That would be absolutely brutal to watch.

Like his values at its lowest that it's been since he's coming to MLS and there's no reason for that. And if I was the revs, I'd rather hang on and try and recoup some of it than to like let it rip right now. But yeah, if I'm in Cincinnati, that's a dream move and you end up in a great spot. Let's just hit some of the other ones from today. Let's talk about Caden Clark being sold. You okay, buddy? Oh my God. God, you go.

Go ahead. Can I go real quick? I thought the whole, I thought the sort of like narrative of like, and I feel for Caden Clark on this one, unfortunately, and I'm sorry to do this to D.C. fans, but Caden Clark being like, I'm looking for my next move in Europe. and then it being DC United is just that's tough that's tough and it says so much about where DC is right now which is in a very very very tough spot so exactly 12 months and 13 days ago kaden Clark was traded for 50,000 dollars in gam with an additional 100,000 in performance

based incentives which I would guess without knowing that he has not full hit. Then one year later, he is sold for 750,000 in allocation money. Since that moment, he has no goals and four assists since the sale from Minnesota to Montreal. Who was DC bidding against? Tom, are you in on the back end? Just throwing an extra 50k as the paddles go up just to see if you could get the number higher? Like, this seems like a wild financial situation. Yeah, so it ends up being 700,000 cashver. This is, it gives DC United another creative attacker, somebody that is more of a chance creator than anybody they really have in that position. Like, Peglow is more of a goal score, Parani's more of a goal score. Jared Stroud is more

of like an out-and-out type winger, so they don't really have his profile. So I like it in that sense. Yeah, it is just tough that a year ago, he's 50, obviously things are much, much different than a year ago but um like if this happened in the winter goss you'd be like a great deal right yeah i thought he played really well in the january camp i thought he played well in minnesota i was hopeful for him in minnesota i don't know that i would say great deal i think this number already is a like you have to be an established player and klan clark even if they had bought him in january thousand in a cash for like you're giving straight money gam is way more valuable yes for sure but like and he hits he hits the books at a u-22 deal like so i but also stills a u-22 spot yeah well like

there's that so does nanny paltola okay but now but now let's go and shrink the strength here like that this is part of the issue for dc united right is that like the guys on the roster when you look up and down the board you're not thinking like you're not even you're not thinking playoff team in any sense um day i i don't going from one 20 point tied for the last team in the east to another 20 point tied for last team in the east is unfortunate i do know dc's new head coach so there were a couple options or targets uh rene valer wanted kate and claude he was like i want that guy so hey that's maybe that's honestly for dc that's enough for me and for for for kate the player himself

like he he he just got kind of moved around with with munche like he was playing this year but not quite what it was like at the end of last season. There's already a new coaching, because the coaching changed this year, there's, you know, 15 new signings and new departures every window. So it's not easy. I got to take this. Oh, first livey. Also, he has a tendency to not mute himself.

He did a good job. Yeah, I think he did a good job that time. I think he. We have a fan in the chat named MLS analyst with a picture of someone sitting in an armchair that says, guys, I'm begging you to talk about a relevant team. I don't know who could be more relevant than RSL, Colorado, and DC United. I think that's fair. I think that's pretty fair. The problem is most of the good moves that have happened recently are not on a relevant team, but let me hit you with this one. The Vancouver white caps. They are in, obviously, the run

an opportunity at the top of the West, I think clear MLS Cup contenders. Thomas Mueller comes in. It's obviously the huge story. but then more recently they basically flipped the whole centerback room so vesselinovich out for the rest of the season we know that utvik who has stepped in as a starter sold back to norway and then they bring in two uh defenders from europe german centerback sebastian shanlau and belgian centerback jodrick pupe you think it's pronounced that like i think there's very little i'm gonna you know what i got to go to the key source on this one i'm going to i'm going to shoot patrick duty a text right now and just see see what's up on that listen i think you know you asked me to put

together what i think some of the best transfer windows for clubs are uh and i would i would put vancouver at the very very top like if it's if it's not them maybe it's l a fc um but what they've been able to pull off at a club up for sale and a club that historically has not been one to take big swings in the transfer window i think has been really really impressive i mean If you just start with Mueller, like this is so far outside the realm of sort of, I think anybody's collective imagination about the Vancouver White Caps, including probably the Vancouver White Caps themselves, I think this is, one, strictly based on profile, obviously a great signing.

But I think based on the way he plays and the way he will fit into that team and what they're missing, I've convinced myself it's going to be a home run. You know, maybe I'm crazy and you can talk me back, but I just think about the way this team is set up and have somebody in sort of a creative attacking role because I think that's more of what Mueller has become later in his career is he was always sort of a final pass guy but I think he will be especially that in Vancouver

it just adds that piece that they didn't have because Pedro Vite is not that piece. Ryan Gould can be certainly that piece. We know that but he's hurt and it doesn't look like we know when if he's going to come back this year. I think Thomas Mueller just sort of roaming around able to play on both flanks, able to drop underneath the striker, just gets on the ball in good positions and let your guys run off of him,

plays to the strengths of everybody that they have. To me, if you looked at like goals assist per 90 over the rest of the year, of all the new signings into MLS, it's going to be him and son. And I think he elevates them from like, hey, they're plucky. The first half of the year was really good to, hey, with these other centerbacks and Thomas Mueller, this is actually a team that could win a championship. They truly could. So I think the Vancouver white caps have really outdone themselves.

And then there's a little underrated things in here, too. I know we talked about the centerbacks, but like Nelson Pierre from Philly, nobody's talking about that. But like for Vancouver to go get a guy with a really big upside in that way, really good. And then, you know, Kinji Cabrera is a name that I didn't know. But when I, listen, I was doing my research here. It's like a good swing. It's a good swing.

He's got really nice numbers. Again, it's Peru. I don't know. But like to go to go be a. a fourth winger on your team? Why not? Why not? Yeah.

So the Mueller thing is obviously a home run. I fully agree with you. I mean, you must have been more heartbroken than anyone that a refereeing decision got in the way of what would have been the ultimate. It killed me. It killed me that I had to say that I agreed with it.

It's so close. But like, to me, Dave, those are the moments, those are like, that's a bonus moment from Thomas Mueller. Like, and he's like, everyone got to explode and celebrate. And he's, well, I'm saying in terms of, like, I think in the way that he's going to end up playing for them. Like, you know, listen, I don't, I don't think he's going to be like a huge, it's not going to be like a 25 goal score in any sense. But he's going to come up with goals. You're like, how did he do that?

He's technically on another level from everybody else. And I just envision a future where Brian White is walking on to balls across the six to tap in repeatedly, where Jaden Nelson is played in behind with the perfect pace and the perfect spin on the ball. Like Jaden Nelson rounded, I can't remember who they were playing. right now. Was it Houston? Yes, it was Griff Dorsey. But he rounded the keeper, like, roll over at full speed and then didn't complete the play. I fully agree with you. I think he fits. I think the way he plays soccer doesn't overly affect other people. Like, I think he can make life easier, but he doesn't get in the way. So I don't think that it will take too long or negatively affect them this year. The centerback stuff's not their fault. Like, if Vesselinovich is healthy,

they probably don't make these moves. It's worrying to me because what we've seen the track record of specifically, Bundesliga centerbacks coming into MLS has not been very good over the last five years. I mean, you could go longer than that. It was a different league if you go longer than that. So I don't know how relevant we consider it. But like look across, it is a struggle for players to adapt. And you're asking them to do it at full speed and everything else.

Where I do still wonder if Labord is not a better option, at least for now. but they did what they had to do, which is they filled the holes they had with a Humber captain and a captain of a Belgian First Division club at the centerback position, which is a position of need for them. And it's going to be the probably main factor besides Thomas Mueller of whether or not they're able to contend for an MLS Cup. So I fully agree with you. I think it's a really, really impressive offseason or, excuse me, window, and to do it in light

of everything else. Can I just say one thing on the Vancouver Whitecaps? We're talking about all these transfers that are being. made. I actually think their biggest move probably came in hiring Yesper Sorensen. Because if you listen to Tomas Mueller talk about this transfer, it sounds like, yes, he wanted to be in MLS, yes, he wanted to be in North America. Yes, Vancouver is a beautiful city and they have a great club and are a great team this year and he's trying to, trying to elevate them. But the whole reason for that in so many ways is Yesper to this club and to sort of let him implement his vision and have him do the job he did.

like that is a that's one of those moves where the dividends just keep getting paid down the line and i think i feel like i'm in a fever dream like looking at a depth chart with thomas muller on the vancouver white caps um i will say pedro vete leaving is a big one that's a bummer in in this window and i think he is a huge factor in the way they play uh but i do think yesper sorensen gives you a little bit of non-say vibes of like he'll find someone else who he'll show confidence in and we'll get you well here's what can i say Can I say this real quick? Can I say this real quick before we get to time? Because so he can gather.

I got nothing really. Oh, tight. Okay, cool. Like, couldn't that player be conceivably? Because Pedro Vite is less of a final third chance creation 10. He showed flashes of that early this season and more of a ball progression guy. Couldn't that conceivably be a place that Ryan Gould also helps you in the future and that Tomas Mueller could too? Like, if I'm, of those three players, if I'm choosing two of them to be like guys that

progress the ball and the way that I play, I would choose golf. Golden Mueller over I would, Vite. So, I don't know. Just think a long term. I agree. Yes, but I think your idea would be all of them together. Yeah, listen, yeah. Because Vite showed he could cover ground.

He showed that he could, I think, control the tempo of a game. And those are things that I think have elevated Vancouver from, we're dangerous in transition to we dominate games and we choose the way games are played. I think Nogando can step into some of that. I think Burrhalter can help with some of that. and I don't disagree with you, which is as Gould comes back, life gets easier for the team. It's more talent on the field and you could be more dangerous.

I do believe that we have an in-jim drop-in potentially coming here in one of our fans. Whoa, a fan call-in. That's not the gym. Let's not even sweating. I was supposed to be at the gym. I was supposed to be at the gym. I absolutely did not go. Good time for this mug.

Doyle, did you drop in with some breaking news? did I I don't know this is a transfer day I mean I have some stuff but I'm not Tom I'm not gonna say it can you can you

can you if I wanted to be you that did you hear that I could be you if I wanted to be I just don't want to be you to be clear I absolutely could not do what you do I hate talking to these people so no but you love talking to these people

yeah absolutely you guys doyle on for the second time he couldn't even get through his sentence yeah I had nowhere to go with that Tom do you want to fill us in on your phone call or you got nothing no no there's a couple things I'm tracking and there was there was nothing that that's quite ready to go there we'll see what happens do we want to do we want to talk about Minnesota that we talked about no I think it's I'm very curious to get your take on that because I mean listen the tiny the tiny deal is tough

It is a good number. But to me, he's their best forward, and it does create an issue for them for the rest of the season. Yeah, so we'll start with that. We'll start with Tanya O'Say. Deal's pretty much there. What I was told is there's a possibility that he stays and plays this weekend. He's still physically in Minnesota right now as of this morning, is what I was told.

Have you guys all gotten this text that he is at the state fair right now? Mm-mm. I am getting reports. Tons at the Minnesota State Fair. Yes, right, like, at 1245 Eastern time, he's at the Minnesota State Fair. That's where I wish I was. Can you just, can we just talk about the fact that, like, going from the State Fair in Minnesota to Villarreal, like, the cultural, the cultural gap between those two places is pretty incredible. Doyle, as the noted Spanish resident here, is that the case?

Well, I've actually never been to Minnesota, so I can't say for sure. Also, I've never been to Villarreal, so I can't say for sure on that one. either but i assume the coast of the mediterranean sea is a little bit different than um the banks of the mighty mississippi at its headwaters so it's just the type of oil they fry stuff in everything's still fried um so yeah tanyola would say that deal is in the like seven eight million region is what i'm told i don't have the final numbers i'm sure i'm sure i'll hear when it when it gets there but like this is an awesome move for taniola would say i'm excited for the player himself villarreal really want and again like I think that shows that he's going to go there to play he's not going to go there to

just oh we have an option we need another forward so I think that's good it's a good deal all around they do have your boa they do have some other attackers so they it's not like they're going to be completely barren and they're working on other deals so again like tanny's going to go dominic fits that deal is done uh austrian attacking midfield really like 29 goal contributions last year for austria austria vienna um by the way that'd be like the red bull is being called like new york city america uh just want to point point out the absurdity of that club name. No disrespect. But I think that's a big time signing. I think he's going to be really good. And I was told by an executive at a European club

that has no business in this deal. He was just like, dude, that's a good signing. And like, on top of like his quality, like his set piece delivery is elite. So if you guys think that Minnesota are good at set pieces right now, that's another boost there. So I think that's a good signing. As of this morning, Joaquin Pereira has been told they are not going to sanction a move for him to Turkey. Trabsendor bid 8 million, which is a really good valuation. It was tough to get down.

Trabs and Spore. Yeah, that. That team, too. It was a bidding war. And again, that's how it got up to 8 million. So, Joaquin Pereira, unless something crazy happens, be it either another big bid comes in.

Maybe they get a deal done late. As of right now, it's not happening. But Santiam Moreno also wasn't happening, and then he packed his bags and left. So just don't want to rule anything off. the table here. But for right now, Pereira stays. And then while I'm running through this, they are, they've signed, um, a Hartford athletic forward named, uh, Dieang. He's a really talented player in the U.S.L championship. He's been there for two seasons. He scored a bunch of goals.

His underlying numbers are really, really good. That seems like a smart signing, but that's, that's kind of a depth signing. They're still in, in the market to try to add another attacker, um, and they have offers out for two and discussions for more is what I was told. When you say attacker, you talking striker or what are you talking so there's one striker and a couple wingers uh one of those wingers is south african winger from uh orlando pirates mofokang he is he's got 10 caps with south africa there's a bid north of two million on the table from minnesota i believe the player wants it um they're working this could go down to the deadline there's been no breakthrough from what i've been told or lino pirates don't want to lose the player right now or

or they want to wait and see if a better offer comes from Europe in the next 10 days. But obviously, Minnesota can't wait any longer. So if it's going to get done, it's going to get done here in the next 12 hours. So that's one to watch. And they're hopeful, but I'm not sure if I'd call it likely at this point because it relies on Orlando Pirates sanctioning a deal. Hmm. Feels to me like center mid is where I would want. Maybe that's where maybe it's a Robin Ludd drop back in the formation a little bit because, yeah, that makes sense.

because, like, Fitz, between Fitz Pereira and South African guy, plus a lot, you're pretty set at those attacking midfield spots. So, I don't know. It seems like a good window so far for that. What's our confidence level that Minnesota is really going to turn down an $8 million offer for Watton Pereira? I mean, yeah, it seems like an negotiating ploy, right? And especially because the window in Turkey is open until September 7th.

Wow, look at the, wow. Just Turkish football expert out here. All right. Meanwhile, Tom can't pronounce team's names and he's getting his legs cut out when he drives past Turkish restaurants. But that's why I'm not ruling anything out. But like, I know for a fact,

the player was told you're not being told. Yeah. There's that. I think players are told that a lot. Yeah, I agree with Doyle, which is it feels like you're pushing a number that you can't say no to for. He's not going to be.

Pereira is really good. If we talked about this before the window, wouldn't $8 million be a too good offer to turn out? Yeah. Yeah, but it's, again, it's like the middle of the transfer window. It's not the end of the transfer window. And they just went out and got a guy who plays his spot. He's a big Wall Street markets guy. He gets it.

I'm just saying. Like, if you look at what, like, how would you negotiate if you're Minnesota United in this deal? Well, you'd go get his replacement in the door, first thing, which with this guy fits, from, you know, Austria, Vienna, it seems like he kind of plays the same role, if not necessarily in the same way. So you have your one for one, close enough anyway. And then that gives you a stronger hand at the negotiating table. I can't imagine Minnesota United given the way that they're run. And to be clear, I think they've been run really well under Khalid El-Mad. Yeah. I, like, I can't imagine them.

turning down like they'll have what two and a half timed yeah it was the reports initially probably by some guy named tom bogert were 3.3 million and he's i honestly don't remember and he's been listen Pereira's been perrera's been very good this year like when you when i've watched him just in person let alone like the games from afar the the the technical ability just jumps out but he is 26 years old and and like we're talking about a guy who's been really creative really good on the ball but like it's still only three goals so if you think you can go use that $5 million to improve yourself in other ways, I definitely could see from their perspective saying big time profit, sell it, sell a 26 year old at a high, like, all good.

I think I'd take $8 million. I think it's good and ambitious that they're not doing that and seem intent on keeping him, but like that's a really good offer. It's like if this was $5 million, it's a no-brainer, no chance. We'll talk about it in the winter. But like $8 million, like again, at least it wasn't like some. crappy lowball offer that, like, just to unsettle a player. Like, that was a real offer.

Yeah, a real offer from a team that's going to go play Champions League Soccer. Like, that's what you want to be. Selling to. Yeah, as, you know, that in a La Liga club. Like, okay, that's really good. The other point I want to make, you mentioned the forward Jen from Hartford Athletic, my beloved Hartford Athletic side. From the folks I've spoken with around USL Championship, they say he's probably

the best young player. in that league and you mentioned his underlying numbers really strong and think about this all in the context of what they did with time i was just going to agree with that yeah because he was what a mid first round draft pick and he wasn't factoring in at all they sent him on loan to i think it was san antonio in usel championship tore it up in i think that was 23 and then 24 he comes in and he wins a regular role so they understand very well that productivity as a center forward at USL level has now tended to translate pretty strongly to the MLS level, especially if you have good pieces around him. And they've monetized that in a massive way and put themselves on

the map in the global transfer market in a massive way. And now they're going to try to do it again. And I think it's awesome. Like really well done from Minnesota. Do you guys remember the super draft when Taney got drafted and someone did like a special report on how good they think he could be? Yeah, me neither. Real ones remember, though. Rind new tape at Belson Stadium. That's David Goss. Can I throw out...

As we're talking about, like, big-time identification, development, and transfers to this window. Can I throw out one that I think should be in the running for arguably best transfer the window? Adelson Mollanda. I think the Adelson Mellanda transfer by Charlotte is just really, really well. well executed in the sense that they signed this dude out of roades in league two for less than

a million dollars they're selling him for what now is like an eight X profit and not only that they were able to generate enough interest in him that they could choose a landing spot that he wanted to go to that would be a good spot for him in middlesborough shout out the champo borough till i die that they get to keep him for the rest of the season like i don't know how you could have come up with a better outcome to this transfer for charlotte than exactly what they got right here. And not just that, the Ajiman transfer in the same exact breadth. If you're talking about guys out of the Superdraft that nobody thought we're going to become this who got sold for $8 million dollars, listen, don't even, don't raise your eyebrow like that. You didn't think coming out

of New Hampshire that Ajima's going to be an $8 million player. No, I did not. And then to have Toklamati on the back end to go to our point about sort of succession planning. I mean, listen, this has been a pretty darn good window, I think, for Charlotte. So, crowd legacy is what, the third highest spending team in MLS? Fair enough. Montreal and D.C. are like, where are you getting all this money from?

Dang. The thing with Melanda is that if he can do it in Charlotte and in Atlanta and Miami, can he do it in Birmingham

and Derby County and Sunderland? I think. think so. I would say yes. Rexum, right? Rexum? That's right. Can you do it? Do we want to talk to Josh Windex?

I was about to say he has to match up against Josh Windas. Are we, is it Oss? It's not Windass? Like, is it Oz? Windass? You just spent a whole segment calling Thomas Mueller, Thomas. Yeah, so let's sit this one out. Isn't it Tom? Speaking of that, Tom, do you have a Lexington, a C's news break that you need to throw in here as well? That seems to be your favorite team.

Is it my favorite team? I have it somewhere. She just said that through the most gritted teeth of all. It's a favorite turn? Mike Michael Adi Doakun from Seattle, the reigning Matt Herman trophy winner, is joining Lexington on a permanent deal. And who else? Lateef Lesson. Boom.

Let's go. Let's get a hike. Two big science elections, and that's exciting. I'm surprised. We still have, on the table, we have a $6 million transfer. Israel International to New England, Ecuador International to Toronto, a player who was bought by $10 million from Porto, going to Montreal, L.EFC adding an Irish Youth International and our senior international. And we're here.

Yeah, we are. We're going to be doing live watchalongs, pre and post game for Lexington games going forward for Tom's favorite team. Let's talk Jose C. Plentes, though. Doyle, you came on the kickback committee on Tuesday and you had a little bit of love for Toronto. I assume it feels even better now? Yeah, it does. I actually just thought they should not make any more moves other than just like selling guys off in this window. But then they went out and they signed Cifuentes, which is like I hadn't even been on my radar, but it's kind of perfect because he's 26 years old.

He's a proven good player in this league. I know his final half season with L.A.F.C. was bad. And he's kind of bounced around since then. But I think that, you know, we saw him for two and a half. half years in MLS be really, really good. And so between him and Georgie, they now have two guys in their prime, who you know can be high-level players. And, like, that is a solid core, a solid foundation.

At the same time, they're picking up more gam, left and right. They are finally putting some of their academy products and local kids and just Canadian kids in general into positions to succeed. It feels like they have a vision for the first time in a while. And you have to have that understanding of, like, gam matters. That allows you to buy down a veteran who can give you 1,400 good minutes over the course of the season. Developing academy players and super draftics, that matters. That allows you to win games on the margins.

And we see the best teams in the league do that. The most consistent teams in the league. Seattle, Philadelphia, the Red Bull. these are all teams that win with those types of players and it just hasn't been part of Toronto's worldview for almost ever and then adding proven

guys on top of that raises the floor and once you have the floor raised to a good level then you can start taking big swings and I think there's probably going to be at least two big swings over the next two transfer windows for Toronto I assume there'll be one

this winter and then another one happening next and they're just in such good shape to do that now and three months ago they were a disaster and it's not perfect right because they don't have their first round draft pick and that's like that that's useful like they you know that would that would help them I think but they're like it just feels so much better than it did a month ago and I'm happy for Toronto fans because it's it's been pretty bad for for a while this has been an excellent window for this team and it's across multiple domains so first of all

all, I would say excellent window just by getting out of Insinia and Bernadeschi. Insinia had another 12 months. Bernadeschi had several years, and there was, I don't have this confirmed, but there was reporting that he auto-triggered like two option years. Like that was a lot of time left on that contract. And again, still another 12 months for Insinia. So stop right there and you just say, finish the rest of the year, get some young players going through, you start fresh in the winter, let Robin Frazier do his thing and everything.

I'd be like good window. great window bringing in georgia mojovitch right now on top of that because not only is it bringing in an ms proven player it's ownership saying we are still going to put money in because i was afraid that it might be you know your predecessor blew all the money and you don't get to touch any of like we need to wait to spend more money but they showed that money and now sufuences come in and i think that's an excellent signing i think he's i think he's just a really really good player you're right doyle he wasn't great in his last like six months for l a c but the three and a half I mean, the six months where we all spent asking,

will it be $15 million, $20 million? Or a free. You know he's already gone. Yeah. And then like you said, Doyle, it's a really good point. What they've done on the margins is something that they haven't done since Besbechenko left this runoff. It's like they've still done some good things since he left.

Oh, not many, but some. And most of, but like none of it was on the, on the fringes. How many Academy kids walked and succeeded elsewhere? How many, like, bad, like, little moves that just add up to, like, an albatross of a roster? Well, look what they've done this summer. It's like, they've gotten, like, one and a half or two million in Gam across a bunch of different trades. Again, I like Tyree Spicer. I think he's going to be good for Orlando.

They didn't lose him for free, right? Right. The Maddie Longstaff, I can report right now. They were not picking up his option. A player that they were letting walk in the winter, they get a really talented young forward and gam. like this is a half almost a half a million almost a half a million of

Gam between between what Montreal paid and between what they were able to sell that international which is the other key part of a lot of internationals off the books Toronto is usually on the other

had the last five years before like before Jason Hernandez they were on the other end of those trades where it's like wait a minute they gave up 400,000 gam and a player for a lesser like so these are things that are so important to roster building. And like, again, most important is your two DPs aren't in Sydney and Breda Desk anymore. But all this thing happening at once, this has been in an elite

window for a team that's not making the playoffs. And like it's a juxtaposition, but like this sets them up for 26. Yeah. I think I agree. I will like to see the next step happen. It feels like we've come down a road a couple times in the past with Toronto. And then all of a sudden, And it's like, but wait, could we sell tickets if we bought this player that we've heard of before, who is the wrong player? That is the other part about-trace the market scouting? Yeah, that's the other part about Georgia, I think, is nice, is valuing and trusting, like, what he is on the field. That's all the money you're going to get from him. Is we be breaking news now?

He's on a speaker phone call as we go along. Let's dig into some of the other teams. We mentioned Melanda. So let's talk about Charlotte for a second, because they've had a pretty hectic window. It's the two big sales. then they make a pretty large trade for trade calendar right at the end of the window they've made some other moves for some young pieces including an Australian young center forward what do you overall make of sort of like where Charlotte stands right now and the belief

in the group either whether it's for this year or if it's building for the future yeah it was important for Charlotte to keep Belonda through the end of the season like we'd be said before and again they got top value for him and he's staying and that was important and that was what they started all the negotiations with and they were able to get their valuation and him staying from Burma, that's a really great deal. Patrick Gajamong was a different situation. He was going immediately,

but they do have Toclamati. They did bring in another forward. And again, so they've raised north of $16 million or something in that ballpark. That's excellent outgoing. But the team's still strong. And again, they're not near the top, top teams in the east. I still think that there's a bit upside there. Like, again, not quite to the top,

but we'll see what happens in the play. The Red Bulls made MLS Cup last year. Nobody was thinking of that. So that's what you'll say in the locker room. I like what Toklamati has shown. And part of the, that's one reason why they didn't add a DP forward. Another reason is Pepiel is going to be a DP next year. Like that's, that's it, you know?

So they could have done that. And then it gives them a problem. Hey, we need to sell the Alabata. And everybody now and everybody knows we need to get rid of a DP. So that, like, I was worried about what this team might look like without a DP 9. And I think Toklamati has shown that he's doing enough that they're going to be fun. Does anyone have any big thoughts on Charlotte, any excitement? No, I would agree with that.

I think Toklamati goes back to succession planning. Like his underlying numbers were really, really good. And I also just think he's a different profile to Pat. Doyle, I know your column is coming out, but I completely agreed with everything you wrote in the Sunday Night Soccer preview column, which is that it just wasn't working collectively with, in particular, Zaha and Ajiman. I think Toklamati is more of a occupy right positions in the box, make good runs and like be there for service that comes rather than pat who's i think a little bit

better and sort of running in behind into the channels and taking players on one v one so like this is a great example of how you develop talent and then how you capitalize on it the challenge for charlotte to go to what tom is talking about here is you know the reason why this is so critical for them is that they've just completely swung and missed on dp forwards like they have a shocking track record in that regard and so i i would also if i'm them be very careful and considerate about what I do in terms of spending big money on a on a DP number nine because it just has not worked out for them on that front so far. And I would be a person who raises my hand and says if you can if you can sell the alabata for the amount that you got him for,

I think that you should do that because that's that's where pet BL plays and the way that Dean Smith likes to play is not with Pet BL in that three man midfield. It's more with him on the right coming inside. I just don't think there's any chance of that, right? Yeah. But, like, they paid, they paid nine? It was a lot. They could sell them to the reps, probably. Less than that. Your point stands, but it was less than eight.

I think it was between six and eight. Okay, yeah. So he hasn't looked like that type of player. They're going to have to eat that one, I think. But it's been a good, it's been a really good window. Succession planning, I think that was the term you used Weeby. Or maybe Tom, I don't know. I get you guys confused sometimes.

But it's the alpha nature. I know. Yeah, exactly. Just a couple middle America guys in East Coast elitist. You look at us and you look at us. Middle America as he looks at the Atlantic. You look at us and you think that's a man that knows his way around a chainsaw. Like, you know, I get it.

Yeah, for sure. Exactly. But I just like the idea that they didn't, they appreciated what they have in Toklamati. And like he's a guy who's never going to win a golden boot. And he's probably not going to make a ton of highlight reels because he doesn't score those types of goals. But his movement is really good. And everything he does is additive because he doesn't need the ball to impact the game. And I love that.

And then they're already succession planning now by bringing in this Australian kid who, if they do get an offer for Toklamati in the next three windows, they have the next guy up. It's smart. It's a good move. I hope it works out for them. I hope they keep living up to it because I like to see teams figure out how to develop talent because I think every MLS team needs to do that if they're going to hit their potential. Can I just throw one number out that? I do think the Drake calendar number is weird.

It seems like a lot to give up for a guy who I think is an MLS starter. I don't think he's a goalkeeper of the year candidate like he was. I think he's an MLS starter, but it doesn't seem like that's a crunch for them that you need to give up that type of number to say, okay we want to have talk about succession planning right this is obviously a replacement for colina down the road it didn't feel like they were in that type of a spot to do that um so i thought that was a little bit of a stretch miami's done well in some of these places of like they need to get rid of players you know they're going to get rid of them they arguably get more than i expect at times they will then

tank it on some centerback who will never play or shouldn't play they'll probably sign me at some point uh with the way i've been looking on Tuesday night down and coconut grow yeah yeah He just typed his shirt up a few times. Just like he's out on the field. Just like, oh, okay, we got to get this fit just right. No, I'm getting ready to pitch for the Mets coming up later this afternoon. They're going to need a little bit of reinforcement. Let's go to a nerd spot for me, and then we could go back to big names.

Love the acquisition of Joel Waterman in Chicago. Joel Waterman, Jack Elliott, centerback pairing, that's a fever dream right there. Otherwise, I have not been impressed by anything Chicago has done over the last few months. having a core or a spine that you trust i think it's a decent start let me say this there was um real offers for brian gutierrez from within the league and gutierrez decided to stay i think that's big and that wasn't totally known before they signed um andre franco like they wanted to bring in an attacking midfielder in the way but it's not like they were like oh goody's going to stay we don't need to sign a dp kind of thing so that worked out in their favor um again i don't know if

anything was 100% going to get done, but there was something that was pretty, pretty close, and Gutierrez opted to stay in Chicago, and that's a win for this team, because I think he's very good. He's gotten better as the years gone on. He had that late game winner, I believe that was last weekend, and, you know, if they lost him, then you're betting a lot on the new signing, who I don't know when he's going to be able to debut. I think it's soon. I haven't seen any updates on that. He might be ready soon with the V's and stuff, but again, you never know, and you never know how quickly he's going to get up to speed. So, do we want to play the game where we, where we guess without Tom confirming where we think in league transfers might have come from on a guy like that?

I think it's pretty obvious. Okay. Yeah. I mean, Colorado and Dallas would be the first two that I would call out. Yeah. Yeah. And you would hope somebody in DC United's front office would have been awake and maybe made an offer as well. But yeah.

They probably made it offer, but it was probably $700,000 less than everyone. else because they were saving that for the Cady Clark bidding war. Gotta keep that in the war chest. Like Caden Clark might come available. Colorado already made to cash first this year though, right? And that's the limit.

No, so Josh, Josh Attencio wasn't a cash forer. Oh, I thought he was. Technically could still do another one. Wait, isn't it inbound and outbound though? No, no, no. It's two in and two out. Oh, you have the limit of two, but in both directions.

And let's just sorry about this. Why? Why is there Why there's a limit on outbound is wild? There's a potential story that has to do with. There's another dumb rule. Why is there an age restriction on loans within the league? Why? What is the age restriction?

I'm going to go ahead. I didn't even know that there was one. I was talking to somebody and then they were like, we can't loan them. I was like, what? It was like, yeah, he's too old. What? I'm sorry, you cannot loan a player who's over 24 years old?

Within the league, correct. Or goalkeepers can be 28. or younger. That makes no sense. You got a Mike McGee this thing and start registering Julian Grasol as a goalkeeper so you can loan him out.

I'm trying to like reverse engineer the logic there. Like what is it that you're protecting on that? Is it you're trying to protect, you're basically trying to protect against people just sending money out? But if the other team's willing

to take the money on, why does it matter? Agreed. Agreed? Like, again, that's so that was, again, it's just while we were on the subject of why is there a limit? on cash versus per team per season?

Why is this here? There's a lot of it. I'm just realizing that Tom is ethering people in the chat while we're doing it. Yeah, I saw that. Just absolutely destroyed two-footed some point. We're not going to talk about Atlanta United. I'm sorry, guys. Speaking of that, let's talk about Atlanta United for a second.

I had all of us. I will talk about Atlanta United. We're all really going to enjoy Luke Brennan on Colorado next year. I can't wait to see him. Or on Montreal, one of the two One or the other. We're not going to talk about Montreal either because it's too much to deal with.

Just say real quickly on the newsy front, they are finalizing a deal to sign Yvonne, Jamie, a Spanish attacker. I may. I'm freaking loved that. Tom was so hard. That was tough. Look, that was tough. There's no losses just living here.

There's not a single person. There's only a certain demographic in New Jersey that looks to that. There's two ones. This says Jamie. versus Haimey. Like, there's very, it's a very, it's my boy, Jay's my

there's a split. There's a split. Yeah. The way Tom said that, I was like, he must have spoken in person with him. He used to come down to the shore. Like,

yeah, he could have come down to the shore for July. I got nothing here. I got nothing here. Oh my goodness. Oh my God. Um, is it 10 million dollars?

No, he was, it was a player who was previously signed for 10 million dollars, but it's a loan right now with a purchase option. Okay, cool. Big Saputo going deep into the, I mean, he was, he was great for Falmouth Cow in 2020 to 23, is what we're, what we're saying here.

And he fits alongside Maddie Longstaff, I assume. That's what the building blocks are. Big, big window for FC4 to get, uh, offloaded in a couple guys that, that weren't making match day squads. That's what MLS is here for. That's as someone put in the garbering, uh, in the chat. Uh, we each came with teams that we thought had done really well. We be set about seven. Hell yeah. We appreciate you for that. Doyle didn't know he was going to be on this show. So Doyle, I assume you're prepared, although TFC may have been yours. Is that correct?

Yeah, TFC is probably the one I've been, I want to say, most impressed with just because, like, they, again, they've been lacking vision for so long, and now they suddenly seem to have it. But none of this matters if they don't get it right in the winter. Fingers crossed. I love a, it's mine unless they do something wrong in the future. Tom, did you come with one team that you thought. did best overall in this window. Listen, man, like, it's boring, but it's L-A-F-C. I think Sun Hung-Minn, that's a potentially club-changing,

league-changing signing. I do like the Irish international young player Moran that they're signing on loan from... Is that done? Right? I don't know if it's being finalized yet. There was strong optimism if they get it done today. Looks good, but that's a good question.

Hopefully I'll have an update later. I'm going to interrupt you and ask you about this player's profile, because I don't know anything about him. All I did was a quick scan of his FB ref page. Like, is he more, like, I see that he plays some on the wing, some in central midfield as an attacker. Is he more of a winger than a 10?

Does he occasionally play the ball in behind? Because if you have Son and Denny Buonga, you probably need someone who could break lines with their passing. And while L.A.F.C. have a lot of really good midfielder including a couple added this window, as you mentioned. They don't have a guy who naturally creates chances like that. Right. He's in that mold.

I mean, I don't believe that he's like an out now at like 10 or whatever, but he is much more, say, creative than Tillman Delgado, Chonier. Like, I like those players as well, but like he is a different profile. Like, I think, so when they signed Odin Tiago home, that was the profile they were hoping they're getting. He just hasn't been able to stay healthy. so taking another shot at it with Moran and I think that'd be a good addition

and they did address centerback in the wake of Aaron Long's injury with Scottish international Ryan Porteus so but again like this hinges on Sunyung Min right like I'm talking about the margins here but like I don't want to be as boring as a one signing means that they won the window but like

it's a new league record and it's a guy who had I don't know 18 goal contributions than Premier League last year coming into one of the best teams in MLS already with one of the best players at Deni Bwanga like this this is going to matter more to 2025 than a lot of the other ones and like, again, Wessem Abu Ali

with Columbus is another one in this mold where like, yeah, they haven't done a ton this summer but like they got, they went out big for a player who I think we all really like and address their biggest need and they're a team that has a chance to win MLS Cup. So for me, it's L.A.F.C., but Columbus is just for the one point.

I thought, well, it's not just one. It's Hugo Picard as well, which I thought was under the radar signing. The one thing I think they might want to have is another centerback, but like, Wilfred does not like to have a big roster, so I would never have expected them to go make wholesale changes. Can I throw a name out there that I think is just a really good signing that probably people aren't talking about, but might be a little bit more as of late. I thought the Tyrese Spicer move, and we're talking about Toronto C, I think that was a really, really good move by Orlando.

He fits what they do perfectly in that position. He pushes Angulo who needed to be pushed. I thought the price for him was about right. we've already seen him come into that lineup and be like oh okay in a better situation a better team this guy can really contribute so i really like the tirie spicer move good for both teams i think that was a win-win i would agree yeah we have in the chat here um samuel nebore says dallas wins the best name of the transfer window with lucius don deetson oh my god yeah oh yeah uh by the way but if minnesota do get mofokane done that's in the running

too. What about, what was his name? Joe Brick Poupe? What is his name? I'm sorry. I'm so immature. Yeah. There's also no chance we got that production. Did you, did you catch the Patrick Duty reference earlier, Doyle? I did. I did catch the Patrick Duty. Joe, Joe, Drick, Pup. I don't know, man. That one is, that one is tough. That one is tough to be. I'm sorry. Just have brick. Brick to Poupe is just, I can't. I just can't. I just and I have to check out. Oh, goodness. Okay, I want to throw in.

My bed. I was going to say Portland is another one that is a special. That was what I was going to say, so I'm glad you got me off. Is this a good window? Is this a good window? Yes. I'm trying to figure it out. Yes.

What would be negative? Well, for one, one of your best players, if not your best player for the second time in a year, forced his way out of your club. That's a negative. A guy that you didn't seem to one. to lose and that you wanted to build around they've been offering them a long-term deal for a while no and then the flip side of it is is is rojas on loan and so is carbayor you're best player i'm sorry i mean top top two top three who's who's four okay name the best players of the

portland timbers just go ahead and do it de costa antony's performed better this season so there's a couple right there like i have it on uh on the record that uh david ashau is the greatest central midwilder of all time. Sources within the club say. Yeah, I can see that. I'm just saying that's not a great sign that I would think, looking in from afar. And like the Veld signing, have no idea how that's going to go, TBD.

And then the other two guys are on loan. So it's not like it's a long-term deal. I agree that Carbayo and Rojas could impact them in a really good way this year. I think the loan part actually makes it better. Fair. They're not stuck on these deals. And there's a balance of win now and still say, yourself up for the future um i don't like i'm a san die merino fan i don't totally disagree but

it's not like he walked in the door and then walked out the door right no no i get it this is a guy you're selling and and his he he's a beautiful soccer player like i love to watch that dude just with the ball at his foot he is not always a productive soccer player so i get it i just i just i'm not sure that i would be like whoa great window you know what i mean it's a it's a solid one i think I think in the context of Evander forcing his way out and Jonathan Rodriguez being injured for the year, this team has put together a group that I think will be competitive now and not lock themselves into some really bad spots going forward. Also, the track record right now on international signings for them, I mean, it has to be because they hate domestic players

and they don't have an academy. But like their track record is pretty strong. So the idea that some of these guys are going to hit and hit quickly, look at Anthony now, look at Evan or look at DeCosta, like Santi Moreno, they have done fairly well in these positions, so I would trust them as much as I would trust anyone else. And it's kept, I think, a lot of the money fluid of like, okay, you've moved players on, now you bring new pieces in, whether they move later or not. I think they're set up pretty well to be like a competitor in the West. I will not have them in my core four to win the Western Conference this year,

but compete for it and then be set up even better to be good going forward. So I would agree that, like, I mean, we'll have to see. Like, I do think that there's the upside to at least get closer to the top four and maybe the top five in the West. But, like, I think the legitimate centerback for that to happen. Maybe. Again, I don't understand the argument. You can watch as many playoff games with Zuparich as you want, but I am not going to show up. Isn't it, it's not Zuparich, though, isn't it?

It's, it's, Kamal Miller and Finn Sermon, right? It has been again now. Zuparge has come back into the team. off and on. Yeah, I don't know where you end up. If Pantamis plays like he did the first third of the season, I think it's a different story. Again, like, there are too many ifs for me to like really push them like, yeah. Well, I understand, but I haven't. I think I've given up on that.

So if Pantamis comes back into the team and performs like he did early in the season. Like, the differences is that like, again, we really like San Diego, Minnesota, Vancouver, Seattle. And again, even L.O.C., that's not, that's not the same, I don't think, as like, you know, Cincy, Miami, Columbus, Orlando, Nashville, Philly, right? Like, I just think it's more open in the West and you're telling me in mostly single elimination playoffs, except for the six-week span where we play best of three, in a mostly single-illimination playoff scenario, like, why not? Like, again, I know that's not the strongest argument, but like, it, I think that this

team has game-to-game upside. It's all I can hope for a little game-to-game upside, baby. Let's go. we've skipped over one of the ones we've skipped over a little bit here is is fc Cincinnati does anyone have any feelings on where this team's i think they've been one of the weirdest teams i've seen in mLS in a while i've been under impressed and yet they've performed um they've made some decent size moves though in what they could in this window doyle what's your reaction of like where they stand right now i'm i'm happier with the roster

overall. I need to see them play better. And, you know, they're getting results. But a lot of that is from Evander having an unsustainably great season, like Steph Curry range with this guy. It's interesting comparison to Steph Curry range because it's named Steph Curry range because he does it every year. Yeah, it's fair. It's tougher to do it more consistently in soccer. Nobody, Nobody other than Messi or Junino way back in the day was able to score from 25, 30 yards as consistently as you need to keep this going. I think they needed to add young players who can soak up minutes, and they did some of that. They also added a big target forward who can, you know, when it comes kitchen sink time in the end of games, he could knock the ball down and Danke or Dotto Valenzuela or Evander could win a second ball when the game gets ugly.

I like that as well. They've also, you know, we've seen Dato and Stephen Jimenez play some real minutes recently. And that's something that I wanted to see from Cincinnati, not just for this year, but going forward, the ability to develop kids internally. And then, look, the Yedlin thing kind of throws me for a loss. I know you talked about it before, Tom. I thought he's been really good this year, more defensively than in attack. And that's fine because they've been kind of raggedly, raggedy defensively, and they needed his, I think, recovery speed and some of his veteran know-how.

So I'm like, bullish overall, but not as, not as much as I guess I could be. It's a little weird. It's a little bit of a strange window. Yeah. I agree. I think that they took a couple rolls of the dice this window. And if any of them land, they're in a really good spot, but nothing's in.

Which role do you like the best? I would, which role do I like the best? I mean, players that I've never seen by him. I'm just performing for that. role is a theory role. So, like, in theory, which one do you think is the most impactful? I mean, like, Gidi, Echinique, Jabari, like, they... I'd say Jabari.

It seems like Jabari is one where you're bringing... It's the most senior of the players you're bringing in, and it seems like to fill a very specific role. You also now, it's filling a role in which Corey Baird, where I hope your Cory Baird stock is at an all-time high right now, because it feels like it should be. This feels like a you move. I mean, that's just that happened.

Listen, listen, if San Diego's going out and getting Corey Baird right now, If they Milano-Loski here right now, you're going to be so... It could work. It seems like everybody who rules into San Diego right now comes out of better on the other side. It feels to me, maybe I'm crazy. It feels to me like they were so tight cap-wise that everything was going to have to be a sort of like, how do we snake underneath this? Like, how do we find the nook and cranny on our roster?

How do we use our U-22s in different ways? And that's Etchenique. Which I think, by the way, is also what Yedlin is. Right. It's clearing space. And to what Doyle said, how much can you afford to spend on what they're getting? Right. He's on $950,000 right now. It's a lot to carry for someone who you're saying is solid at their position. And now can you break up some of that money into, can we get similar production from someone else and then take all these rolls out of dice and hope it works?

And if it doesn't, now we're in a, we can sit back and hope that a van, saves us in a playoff moment like that that part already existed for you know it's sick one miles robinson reigning long term for them it just isn't i mean that's a no-brainer for cincinnati i'm just out here really i'm just out here dreaming like what if there was a world where and it's not going to happen but i'm just going to this is what actually well this is what soccer wise is for sorry my bad i just slipped into old habits what if you had bariol come back on loan to play left wing back and then you played orsha on right wing back and you just freaking whip for it.

Sorry, I'm going to meet myself. I'm just going to walk away. Yeah, after, you know, after that. It's like when we asked something about Leagues Cup. Just active mute position. I mean, to answer this question, it would be awesome. If they could get Boreal back, Bariel would be like the perfect addition for this team because ball progression, ball retention, creativity.

And he does it. You know, at his best with this team, we saw him doing it in sort of a sidekick role, which is what they would need from him. And then allowing Orijano to play inverted on the right as sort of an advanced wingback. Like, then I would be like, yeah, these are the favorites. It's them in Miami. Like that would be, that's how I would feel about since I. But I don't think Bariel ever wants to play in the United States of America again.

It does not seem like he loved his time here. He will be. tell everything and moved out, like he doesn't have any possessions in Cincinnati. He will be on DC United in three and a half years after being an agent for six months going into that one. Okay. Tom, I know there was some you wanted to make sure we hit anything that you feel strongly about. Let's see. I've gotten a couple of questions in the chat. I am able to say that there was, I don't believe there's anything to Gabriolista links to Charlotte FC. I have also heard that there's been no contact from Monterey for Petarmousa at Dallas so similar to the Hapa Navajo on that one

trying to think what else have we got that oh we haven't talked about the white cops too much I do think it's we did one you were gone oh did it okay so then the center back soon so that's good that's on me um any does door turgerman to revs give anybody any juice I don't know that that's a no revs gives me any juice I think it's a good signing When the first time you told me, I was like, oh, that's a really good player. I think there's a decent amount of growth there. I think it could be one that could be around for a bit or you could potentially sell for some money. But, man, Maxi Erruti in the scouting report here.

Just, I mean, as a Dorotujman neophy, I need a little bit more from you. Yeah, a true center forward, silky on the ball, dominated at the U20 World Cup for them for the Israel national team, which ended up being the best senior or, you know, push. in a genuine FIFA tournament that the country's ever had. And one of those were I was a little surprised that the revs were even in a conversation. Obviously, Eli Feingold has worked out for them. I don't know how anything fits at that team. So I don't feel like a ton of confidence.

See, I actually think it does. I think the roster fits well. I look at that roster and like, yeah, you have the pieces to play a 352 and probably play it pretty well. I just think that if you watch them play. play, they move indecisively on and off the ball. It all ends up being Carlos Heel trying to figure everything out on his own. And, you know, Carlos Heel has opinions on that, and he shared him with our good friends at the Blazing Musket this past week.

He said, you know, something needs to change because we haven't won anything in two years. And when your best player is saying stuff like that, and you've already changed all the other players on the team you don't have to do too much to read between those lines yeah that's a very specific time line yeah yeah it's very specific one person overlap with that um i feel like i had something else uh we never we didn't dig in we did a bit but um i got asked this question this week on a different podcast i think it wasn't related to sun and maybe mueller someone asked me if it was the biggest transfer window in mLS history was this one of the podcasts you did at like 2 a.m. Eastern time.

It was a lot of fun. Messy, I think, is obviously an outlier of a human being. So whether you want to put the messy window in there or not, obviously Sun is a record transfer. Mueller coming to the league as a TAM player is a big deal. You've got some other big time transfers that have happened. Yes. Wesum Abu Ali coming out of the club world cup and what he's done.

Jackson Aronson. That's in there. Tom is so angry. that anyone's questioning it. What's the, I wonder what the, listen, I didn't, this is, you know, dumb of me to bring up a question I didn't do the actual research on. Like, what's the outgoing? How does the summer outgoing compare to seasons past?

It doesn't. It doesn't. Okay. Right. Like, again, like what Charlotte did with Aji Mang and with Malanda, again, but being deferred to the winter. Tanny, like, though, it's not nothing. This is something I think five years ago we would. George Bricking Campbell, baby.

This is five years ago, we would have been like, this is one of the, the best outbound windows, but again, like, Tyler Adams and Alfonso Davies, I think they moved in the same window. There was, you know, Brandon Aronson wasn't far off that. Like, there has been... I'm just thinking in terms of total, like, let's say the Pereira deal goes down, like, total outlay of money reintering the league in a summer. I'm not necessarily thinking profile. That's interesting. I'm just thinking total, total money. And what, what that might say about what MLS is placed within the market is, you know, because it goes both ways. Like, you're holding on to guys like Gutierrez and Luna, et cetera,

Hoffa Navarro, but like, what does it say about the volume of moves and then the total number of moves? Yeah. No, no, that's interesting. I mean, I will say, like, Atlanta United alone last summer raised $50 million in fees. Like, I think they alone might surpass this total window, give or take, right? But that's just, that's just one team. Like, I don't look at this as, this is more, and this was kind of my outlook coming into

the summer, that this was going to be more about an incoming win. window than an outgoing window. And I think, again, over the last year as well, with cashers, like, yeah, that obviously counts an outbound transfers, but, like, for this exact exercise, I'm talking about transfers abroad into other leagues, not from Colorado to Toronto, you know what I mean? Yeah. I think that my hunch, I don't have any inside info on this, but my hunch is that this is MLS seeing the way the top teams in League of Emackes have invested over the past three years since the Sounders won Conca Cup Champions League, seeing

the way that teams in the Saudi League have invested, seeing that the gap is there in the club World Cup, but maybe not insurmountable, and maybe gearing up to try

to close that gap sometime in the next two or three years. That's what I'm hoping. And part of this is, like, good players are always going to have a market, MLS, is always going to be a selling league to a degree. But, like, I think it might be entering a different phase where the last five, six years were about, like,

really participating in the global market and becoming the type of team where you could have, in Atlanta United, you know, $50 million worth of outbound sales in one summer. Like, okay, we've done that. But now if we want to grow and take a next step to be solidly a top 10 team and then top eight and maybe then top six, we need to start doing it the way that Brazil has been doing it the past four years. And so I think that maybe is informing the lower number of outbound sales as well.

I also wonder sometimes if it's just cyclical of like Dago Matacucho, whatever, right? All of them got sold. It takes 18 months to two years for the next player to come into that flow and be ready. And if this was off that cycle slash some of these teams didn't replace. And then I do think the cash for has some play here of you just have $20 to $30 to $40 million that's staying in the league in this trickle-down effect in which even if the team that acquires it inside of MLS has that money, maybe they're not going to go out and spend on a huge piece. And then it takes a little bit for that next player to come through. The League MX thing would be interesting. And League MX is hurting right now because they have zero teams in the league.

leagues cup semi five and this is what legacies are built on wavy do you want to do 45 minutes no no but we should do best we should do best thing you saw league's cup edition because there is just a it's such a healthy help like the buffet is incredible don't don't play i got one no no i'm saying i i want to cut in Andrew thomas walking over before the shootout turning to the seattle fans going it's over i got this and then saving the game winning penalty and turning around and clearly saying i told yeah that was sick the pedro guy Aesay was sick, but nothing, nothing can top the jugular vein of Javier Mascherano screaming into his cell phone in the stands.

And I got to say, listen, Pagano, the assistant coach, who goes speakerphone, he goes speakerphone on the conversation? Weeby, let me tell you something, dude. I live in Miami. That is not even a shocker. Just a lot of voice, a lot of voice texts going straight speakerphone. I can see it. I can feel it.

Well, everything's voice memo. But just standing next to someone in a crowded speaker. space-going speakerphone saying, I can't hear you is the craziest life experience you could possibly have. And it's definitely everyone at Chase Stadium or whatever the hell it's called right now. Pedro Agaise, though, for me, come on. I want to know if he was always in that position as a taker or if he saw the miss and was just like, I'm not playing these games, guys. Like, I just did that. I just saved them again. Like, change the order. Here I come. I'm going to go finish. this thing. Either way, it was an absolutely

sick moment. We'd love to have someone on the sideline ask questions. I will, in fact, be on the sideline for Miami, Orlando next week for Leagues Cup semifinals. So speak it and you shall receive a little bit late down the line. What a perfect day for me. I love

that Seattle and Orlando smoked the other two teams in MLS a week and a half ago, and now they'll both go and lose in the Leagues Cup semi-final just because MLS in this league. Galaxy are, what, one win away? One win out of two

games away from qualifying for the Concapped Champions Cup while sitting on a league worth 16 points after 26 matches. Do they have more? They would probably have close to more points if you're just talking about point collection, like traditionally in League's Cup than they do in the entire league. It's at least reasonably

close. Yeah, it's at least reasonably close. I think they're at 10, yeah. Which is amazing. Absolutely nutty. To me, it's again, like it's like league mx is handing mLS just like get out of jail free cards in the concaf champions cup i'm just waiting for any mLS teams in mass to actually take advantage of it no it's smart because you get like 500 000 for competing in that which mLS teams spend on players that league mx can just buy in a year or two who are way valued they overvalued at that point but then

they work out for league mx team so they need guys to run alongside on hell corin this is i mean this is an epically bad leagues cup for league mx all the higantes out in the group stage didn't this happen hasn't this happened every time yeah but there's only been one league mx team this was in a semi this was particularly tough this was particularly tough and then to get swept in the quarters yikes you know weby is the holder of the league's cup history so he's he's the one we go to when we want to know all the history yeah i have my i have my i have my arc over here that i keep the I keep the tablets in, so Behind your shrine

You want to talk about your shrine for a second? Only certain people get back there. Okay Anything that anyone feels strongly? I love that we did this show I brought you all on So Tom could go take phone calls He didn't have any

And we have zero news to break Is this not enough for you? Wow It's just not enough It's enough for me if it's enough for you, Tom You're always enough for me It doesn't feel like that I just enjoyed feeling like I was back in the

saddle man uh you know what i just want to share one anecdote before we walk out of here i was at the indoor soccer facility last night for cameron's practice white and i were playing on the other field up and down give and goes five year old just love and life and a guy pulled up for his men's league game and was like hey i recognize your voice i love extra time i listened to it for years when i was in california on every commute awesome show say what's up to the guys so here i am saying what's up to you guys perfect what's extra time it's a i think it's a faded into existence it's a muck company it was a lifestyle brand that tom was uh oh um i don't i don't know if we're if we're about to leave it out but if you guys don't

don't subscribe to matt doyle's up zach do it right now i'm assuming most of the people listen there's there's a there's a high uh vent middle of the vent diagram there but or anybody listening please go do that it's really really good doyle did you write up the uh dream euro mLS friendly Rosses? I did, yeah. He wrote a newsletter. That was fan fiction for himself. He wasn't, and then, like, people were like, you should just publish this on your newsday. He's like, oh, good idea. I wrote the newsletter this morning, tacticsfreezone.substack.com.

I made death charts for the European-based U.S. men's national team and the North American-based U.S. men's national team for this fictional friendly that I proposed that will end all the toxicity in the fan base, and then we could be united. as one going into the 2026 World Cup. It really is fan fiction. It really absolutely is. Speaking of something that started as fan fiction

and has now become real, I just saw coming through the timeline, Atlantic Club Boise is entering USL League 1. And if anyone remembers back in the back in the pandemic days when we all came up with our dream expansion club, Boise and its connection to, the Basque history was

yours truly. Listen, I like Treasure Valley SC, but I think, I think Atlantic Club Boise is going to do just fine. Are they going to play on blue turf? That would be done. It looks like on green turf. Yeah, it's, yeah, green, yeah. Speaking of we have our

we're going to finish our 50 states of soccer today. We have a live happy hour at 5.30 p.m. Eastern Time for this state, which is North Carolina, and we are going to have Durham Legend, Icopara, on the show. on the live stream with us to hang out and talk all about it. We did a show with Brianna Pinto.

Yesterday, she has joined as one of the members of our committee. We'll be coming on as one of our hosts recurring. Also went to the same high school as Iko Parra and has two brothers who play professional soccer. So that high school alone has produced more players than some states that we have gone through already. We do. I'm going to like break the news right here.

We are doing Idaho next week. We had already planned to. So now we can do a little bit of. of Boise talk. And I will finish with this from the depth charts. The right back depth chart in Europe is, of course, Serginio Des, Marlon Fossey, and Joe Scali. Tom, you want to give us a breakdown of all three of those players? No. Doyle just moving names to troll people when he gets the opportunity to. Well, in that subsection, again, it is a really fun concept. Interesting. My favorite part was Doyle putting little footnotes to argue against himself or

prepare for arguments of like yes i made this and this is why i know that you know maybe somebody else would have this but i had this it was just like 3d chess seeing the whole board all at once and it was it was beautiful stuff um another way the game is played you listen to ryan rousillo another point being north america listed here i don't see any cpl players represented so we'll have to have that conversation coach bobby smyrney oh hey tom learned his name at this point because I force it into. Did you see how quickly I try to spread through it and bail at the end? Did you see the guy in the group chat making that argument?

About what? About the CPL? The group chat? Damn it. I just, goodbye. I'll review myself again. I don't know what you're talking about, so I just, I don't know how to help you here. Are you talking to the third person?

I don't know to help you get over the line. This was a blast, guys. Thank you so much for joining us. It's always fun. said we had Tom with Suze on Tuesday, or Tom, wow, Doyle as well. That's not the one most people normally do. Right. Jeez, that's terrible.

I wish I hadn't seen that. All right, Tom, be proud of it. Thank you to everyone who was in the chat. It was really, really fun to be here live with all of you. Thank you for all the questions. Thank you for trolling, Tom. Thank you to the South African contingent of the chat, who spammed us about one player specifically for a really, really long.

time. Shout out to Weeby for joining us. Shout out to Doyle for just doing things on the fly. I love that. I don't have to plan. I got to go hit the gym. Yeah, it's gym time. It's not right. It's gym time right now. We will be back with our live happy hour on Thursday night, and then we'll be back next week to talk all about the close of the transfer window, the games that are happening. I have zero idea when the League's Cup semi-final is. I assume that's next week. Next Wednesday, yes. We will do a massive interview of that one as well. I'll be ready. Weeby, it's your show. You have it. You just hit me with the goodbye music. Wrap it up, B.

I love you guys. Thank you.