SoccerWise - MLS Cup Is Set + Semifinal Recap & Chicho Heading Back To Mexico

Episode Date: December 1, 2025

The big dance is finally set in MLS and it takes us back to the this years CCL semifinal between Miami & Vancouver. Tom & David rejoin post Thanksgiving to dive into all the semifinal action. They look back at Maxi vs Messi, Brian White's Offensive Explosion, and what this all means for San Diego's debut season. Then they look forward to MLS Cup where we are guaranteed a first time winner. Finally the "Ice Cream Shop" is always open for Tommy's Scoops.7:00 Miami's Triumph Over NYCFC18:30 Looking Back On NYCFC's Season22:00 MLS Cup Finalists Means To Miami30:15 Whitecaps Bounce San Diego38:50 San Diego's Historic Expansion Season48:50 Mo Salah To SD?50:47 MLS Cup Miami vs Vancouver Preview58:45 Mueller vs Messi All-time1:07:30 Chicho Arango Heading To Pumas?1:09:50 Robin Jansson Resigns In Orlando1:10:45 Paul Rothrock & Other Top Free Agents

Beanie season is upon us, David Goss and Tommy Scoops with you for one of the best shows of the year. We have an MLS Cup matchup set in stone between the Vancouver Whitecaps and Inter Miami. Coming up on Saturday, I have zero idea what time the game is. I have zero idea anything else except for the matchup and happy Thanksgiving to everyone. And we are back, Tom, and we feel good. We do feel good. I'm happy for you. I can feel the energy.

I know that you are back on Strong Island because it just exudes off of you through the screen. You put on a beanie because you can't wear those in Miami or mostly can't wear those. You can for fashion if you want to sweat through your forehead. But it makes me happy to see you in a beanie. back on Long Island like God intended. I kept opening the doors and the windows all weekend and my family was like is he hot and I'm like no it smells

good outside. Smells like leaves and fire. Yeah. It's just the dream once again. I am back on Long Island for a little while because I am hanging out ahead of our live World Cup draw show that we are going to be doing across our YouTube channels on

Friday from Midtown Manhattan Legends Bar. We will be inside football factory in the basement. A place that I have spent many a mornings and many and evenings, never in an official work capacity. So, look, Mom, I made it. I'm working. I told Joe was working all those other times. I'm going to be working once again.

It's going to be an awesome show. More details come in as we put it all together, but we've got a great rundown. And the whole point is we're going to watch the draw so you don't have to. And you can watch us talk about soccer, which is going to be the fun part of everything coming out of the 940-hour show that ends up. occurring um and everything else and then i am jetting straight back to miami so that i can be back with you tom because you're going to be in my neighborhood i was going to say i fly i get ready to fly to fort lauderdale goss is like i need to get the hell out of here this this needs to end right

now i can only do this for one day so you're going to come back the morning of mls cup while i'll have been i'll be setting up obviously i asked for permission from the don that's yeah to fly down to that area Anyone else coming into town? You check with me first. Check with the big dog first. And I made sure to do that. Yeah, I'm looking forward to it. I have not been to a game at Chase Stadium.

Oh, wow. Oh, wow. I have not. So I'm excited for that. I'm excited for this M.S. Cup matchup that we're going to talk about later in the show. Excited, excited to be in South Florida in December. I think it'll be nice.

You really have to, if you really want to get the, like, the sights and feels of the game there's a couple incredible office parks right around the stadium so you can really get the feeling of working in a rural bank maybe doing some like customer service work

there's an extreme there's an extreme park across the street you know one of the other you I think you pretend you're skydiving or you do trampolines and stuff so there's one of those as well you got it like you have to really take the culture in Tom you can't just like be

you know, popping in and popping out and an experience like that. So you really have to, so you really have to be around. I need to participate in an insurance fraud scheme to really feel like I'm in Florida.

Listen, Hia Leia is the greatest city in the world. You're going to have a chance to be around. I'm going to be in Fort Lauderdale though. So I will take, Fort Lauderdale's great, by the way. I will take what is supposed to be a 20 mile drive, probably, you know,

90, 95 minutes to check in, check in with some friends in Miami along the way. Looking forward to it. I might have to take in, uh, uh, Danae Highly, a little, uh,

the fastest game on, you want to go to great casino? I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm a Cyclones fanatic. Co-owners, Mike,

Mike Ryan and, and the Dan Levittart show. Yeah. Has a team. They have a playoff game on Friday night. Shut up. I would like to go to. Yeah.

You know what's heartbreaking is last week or two weeks ago. A friend was in town. I was like, we should go see Highalai. I look it up. They play Monday through Friday and Sunday, but they don't play on. Saturday, which was the day I looked it up to go, which makes no sense to me.

The day of the Lord in Miami is Saturday. Yeah, of course. But it's played out of a casino right next to the Miami airport, which also, if you really want to get the culture and vibe. That's a long way away from Fort Lauderdale. That's a place to be. No, Fort Lauderdale's great. I'm jealous that you're going to be there because it's an awesome area.

It feels a lot like Jersey Shore is what I tell people. So you'll be at home the entire time in every capacity. And you are coming, of course, because. It's the big one. We have Brian White stepping on the field for a chance to win a championship. It's what everyone's been clamoring for. It's what all the questions are about. It's what Apple is paying all the money for.

It's going to be the biggest moment of the year. And we are going to obviously have all your coverage coming up. So we're going to talk about the semifinals first. Then we will do a little preview of the final. And then we'll talk about some other big moves going on in Major League Soccer. A lot of roster decisions being put out over the last few days. and of course ice cream shop always open Tommy Scoops does not sleep

he does not rest I was going to throw out there first and then I completely forgot what I was going to say oh we're going to have another show on Thursday so we're not going to do the full preview here we are going to talk about the game once again on Thursday once you are able to sort of get boots on the ground get a feel for the vibe the energy

yeah yeah get a feel for it from yeah I mean I can set you up with a couple spots don't worry about it too I know a guy I know a guy I know a guy Do I get a white linen suit for this? If you want to, that's less Fort Lauderdale. Four Lauderdale's more Ed Hardy than White Linen suit. Oh, yeah, that's sick. So you're, you got to probably don't really need to change your outfits.

As long as you don't come too far south. You won't look like an idiot. I'm also sick for the like 19th time in nine days. So I apologize. I will be trying to hit the mic button or the mute button as much as I can when I'm going through all of my tissues and everything else going forward. Let's start with the games. let's start in the fort let's go down to chase stadium on saturday double header to open things up opening game um not a ton of surprises as the two teams were set up we knew that aiden o'neal would be returning for

this nycfc team most of the other pieces that they're missing had long-term injuries not expected to be back on the miami side once again wine got gets the start otherwise you look at this team This is the group that Javier Maserano is clearly going to go with. Suarez is no longer a starter, Silvetti, All of them, in good form. They're going to continue to start. And the game comes down, I would say, I thought NYCFC settled pretty well. They're able to get on the ball a little bit, not uber dangerous, but you can see the advantage of having O'Neill back into the team. You get Ken O'Toole back into his more comfortable position.

Maxi's sort of sitting underneath Fernandez, NICOW, and sort of creating a little. little bit. And then there's a foul, which leads to a fight, which leads to a goal. And it's like this chaos moment of 90 seconds that I've gone back and rewatch Tom and I still don't fully understand. Actually, the best view of it is a fan I saw on Instagram who posted a video just following Messi, following Maxi. Messi is so mad at Maxi and I do not know why. I don't have the answer to that either. I was also quite confused, Goss. But I will say shout out to the broadcast because they had when Messi was starting to percolate and get upset and chasing Maxi, they had to zoom in on him. I was like, wow, that was really well done. But thank God that they left that shot

to show a close-up of the ref also watching Messi. And I was really, really happy about that that that we cut away from that. And then didn't get a replay of it after. John Freeman is working on his mustache. He looks like if Marcus Freeman in like 15 years and I think that's about as high a compliment I can give anybody because that guy's handsome. Anyway, no I don't have I don't have an answer to that either. I was very confused and then it was just I don't know there is there anybody

better in MLS or better is probably not the right word is there anybody more likely an MLS to that when something's either dying down or dead to reignite it than Jordi Abba? Yeah. Maybe like Brian Vera maybe I'm trying to think I don't know. nobody else really comes to mind. Actually, no, Brian Vera, Brian Vera is smarter. He does it early and then walks away,

except for when he gets caught spitting. But, like, it seemed to die down. Then all of a sudden, it's like, Wygonne and Jordi Albaugh are just losing their mind. And then the goal comes right after that. And then the goal comes. So the goal comes on a long ball. And Gustavo closes, the ball pops up,

and it lands right for Iyende. And Iende doesn't need to be asked twice. bounces up half volley smashes through it and like this has been I-N-day now for the last two three months is yep he shoots everything he understands the space which is everyone's

always focused on messy when balls fall to me like I'm going to have options and he just strikes the crap out of this thing I do knock Gustavo a little he closes with no intention to win the ball he closes in like I have to but I don't really know

what's going on moment but Iyende doesn't need to be asked twice and just rips through the back of it and that then shifts things of like okay NYCFC's in this game to you can't trail Miami on the road yeah particularly with something that was so avoidable coming again off of

it was a really well smart play by Bousquet's to go kind of early on that it was a good ball a good touch by Iynda and a little bit unfortunate for Gustavo but like you said didn't maybe react in the most perfect way it was one of those where if you're in NYCFC

fantasy fantasy It's just like, oh, crap, like we concede off of a quick free kick isn't the right word, but like a surprising direct type of free kick, and then we defended it all right, but then it bounced back to Iande, and before anybody has a moment to think, he's just putting his foot through the ball, closes his eyes, just smashes it. It was a good finish, but I don't know if he was aiming for the near post. I don't know if he was aiming for the far post. I think that was just close your eyes, hit it as hard as you can because that was the right play in that moment.

And if you're an NYCFC fan in that moment, you're like, man, like, that could have went out for a throw-in. That could have been headed away by Gustavo. That could have went right at Matt Friese. He could have made a nice save. But it just went in a perfect spot. And you're thinking, like you said, Goss, they're there to try to hit in transition

to not be trailing this team. And then 10 minutes later, I end it with just a gorgeous, great finish on a header. And I think that was something I appreciated very much about his game. I think that his running all season has been very intelligent. They've been more space since Louis Suarez has been benched, and he's taken full, full advantage of it. But we're just, I was just joking about the opening goal being like, just close your eyes and just

smash it. It is as hard as you can generally towards a goal. This was a really nice time to run. Yeah. And a delightful header. Like that looked like a center forward. And what he's done so well is that he's a winger who can score goals, but not really usually those type of goals.

And NYC, I mean, Miami were up to no and flying. Yeah, it's, you know, I had in my notes here that I forgot a little. Oh, Hado was put in, had a chance to play a ball across. first time didn't before the first goal where NYCFC maybe has a chance and then yeah the goal comes where there's one place Alba can put that cross and there's one place he can score it and both of those things happen like it's a gorgeous run as you said he curves his run so he's between the two centerbacks he stays on side but the way the two centerbacks are staggered all alba puts it the only place it's going to reach him and not go over his head.

head and then on the header freeze has most of the goal covered and he flicks that on into the far post there's not a ton of power to it because he can't because he can't really get on the end of it and it all comes from a quickly taking free kick as you mentioned in the switch of the field and like you know that's where Miami are so good is there's so much confidence in their ability on the ball that if you fall asleep if you take a break if you overcompensate they're going to find space and then from there, most of the guys on this team feel like a killer. And I think at this point, it felt over to me. I actually put in the Discord.

You all see a dead body watching NYCFC. Because like you're down to zero at Miami. This is a team that's rampant. They're playing on confidence. Not only have they been better defensively, but like they will score goals. So I felt like NYCFC, who don't have Alonzo Martinez. We're going to have to open up and go after it. And this is where I think the real credit goes.

Hack scores the goal off the free. kick in the 37th minute. It's a well-plays free kick from Maxi. Hack does exactly what he has to do with it. And then for the next 30 minutes up until that next goal, it felt every bit as likely that NYCFC was going to

score again and tie. That was a portion of the performance I didn't really expect from them. It's credit to them and the run they've been on. And I think it's sort of to Pascal Jansen's postgame comments of like what happened from the 68th minute on didn't really, to them feel

like them but that stretch showed that they were capable of playing at this level totally great i think at the ensign has done an excellent job this season and five one looks like a thrashing like i don't think n yccc were that much off miami and and again they were able to run it up in transition and in opportunities at the end of the game again good finishing well done by by sylvedi and and segovia and iende get the two goals in the last 10 minutes when the game was already over in n yccc are just desperately trying to push forward. Iyende, by the way, had a hatrick. He's got seven goals and two assists in the three games in which he is played without

Suarez now over these last three games. He's been every bit as excellent as those numbers show. I think so that he has been just as good. He doesn't quite have the same exact box score numbers, but that front three has been just delightful to see the way that they are moving off of each other and the way that the spacing works and the willingness on and off the ball of those two runners and the intelligence and then making those moments matter because early in the season, it was Iende and it was Segovia.

They came up with a number of goals over the first six or eight weeks of the season. It dried up for both of those players during their, the worst part of their season was in May. They lost to Dallas, they got ran off the pitch by the Vancouver Whitecaps in the Concapt Champions Cup semi-final, both legs. And that was when we were worried, oh, like Segovia and Iende, if they don't show up if it's just on messy and Suarez's shoulders at that point this team has limitations

particularly because they hadn't figured out the defensive side of things and the transition who star is still the goalie ovulays is still playing real regular minutes. Wygonne who's only playing because Ian Frey picked up a knock before the Cincinnati game on international break or Frey would be that starting right back obviously DePaul's coming in the team in the summer

but the worst point of their season could have been papered over if Iynde and Segovia at that point were finishing and they weren't and that's where they were being eliminated and they were losing games. They have been unplayable in the playoffs because Ayende and Silvedi have been a step behind messy in terms of form and ability. Yeah. Yeah, although Sovetti keeps that gone by two yards on the free kick,

but that's not his job and that's not what he's supposed to do. Yeah, the two of them, you know, we've talked about it on the show all you. I said Ianda had to play because someone had to stretch the field. There has to be space for them to play into. In my mind, that didn't mean he was going to score seven goals. It just made his presence affected Messi and the other guys, DePaul, Sergio Buscettes, in the best way possible. The fact that he's added that is unbelievable. And Silvetti is complete.

Like, he's comfortable in possession. He likes to go out players 1v1 and is good in space. He's physical. He can finish a multitude of chances like he is an all-around player. He's young. So there's still, like, consistency to come from him. but you could see the quality that he has. And they've been looking for that guy, right?

They've brought in how many players, as he sort of went through it, how many players on loan and half chances and this guy wants to play with Messi and whatever. And this is finally the one they've landed on. And so, as we said, halftime, both teams make changes, both teams make subs. And the first big chance goes to Allende in the second half. But the big one to talk about is in the 65th minute right before the third goal for Mike. which is Julian Fernandez comes on about five minutes before. Ball comes across the box.

It's bouncing a little. He puts it back into the ground, which you love to see personally, because the chance of that going on frame is higher, and it creates chaos. And Rokos Rios Novos, another one of the players who have stepped in, goes back across goal,

reaches back with his hand, makes the save, and within two minutes, Miami's up 3-1. The save is the moment of the game. It's one that I'm sure, or Julian Fernandez would believe he should finish, but he's pretty close to doing as well as you can with it. Yeah, that ball was skipped into him.

So to your point, hitting it back into the ground was probably the right play in that instance and then taking it first time. Because if he takes the touch and it gets blocked, it's disastrous. That was a shot worthy of a goal. It was a better save. So more credit to Rios Novo for the save

than, say, maybe critiquing Julian Fernandez. putting it on frame it was not an easy pass it was the one that had to be made to get the ball to ensure that that pass was getting through to Fernandez to give him that chance

again I just think for me that that's more of a great defensive moment by Rios Novo than lamenting oh man like Cuyon Fernandez what if it was Lanzo Martinez or whatever because we could do that

that what if game with them I will say so he came on for Augustin O'Heda has not lived up to his price tag or talent but I thought he was really, really solid. The defensive responsibility

and effort he gave, so they were defending out of a 4-4-2, and he was on the side of Jordi Alba. And there were seldom moments that he got, like, Alba, off the free kick that he ended up getting the assist on.

That's not on O'Heda, because that wasn't in the run of play that they weren't in a structured set defense. I thought Or Hada did really, really good in this game for a player that I would have questioned, are we sure? He's up to that level.

of defensive responsibility, and he was. He didn't offer a ton in the attack, but I do want to say he had, I thought that was a very mature performance for him and maybe that bodes well for the future because we know he has the attacking talent. It's been his decision-making and sometimes he gets lost off the ball,

and I think it's similar for Julian Fernandez as well, particularly a decision-making side in his case. If we're looking, like, there are plenty of a ton of positive CFC, getting to the conference final, what a season, doing so, beating Philly with all the absence that they've had.

If we're looking for other positive things to look forward to, maybe you get the best out of those two players in, in 20, 26. I don't know if that's going to be the case, but I saw more from those two players in a consistent big game than I have probably in their entire NYCFC careers. Yeah, across the entire playoffs, the four games leading into this, they conceded one goal. It's a huge run for them.

It shows sort of the strength of the team where it's at. It's a reason why Matt Freeze is in the national, team conversation and is right now the front runner and he was phenomenal against Philadelphia so sort of a crowning achievement moment for him and I think for this structure and they did some of that missing a lot of pieces right on just Pereira out like the suspensions that they had in the last round Johnny Shore starting multiple games in central midfield and yet they're still able to do things defensively that are really really impressive well done too yeah Tavon Gray I thought it was

his best run, even better than the MLS Cup run where he stepped in at the right back position. I thought he looked really good. I also love the way he handled Messi in the first fight with Maxi, but he just kept standing between them, never looked at Messi, never spoke to him, just kept standing in the way. And it's like, that's the type of stuff you like to see as a player develop, understanding the moment. And then Justin Hack, of course, which we don't know if he will be coming back to this team. It's not looking good.

A huge part of the back line. Well, his price tag is going up. Yes. But their choice to pay it. It seems to be, because Justin Hacker spoke about this publicly, doing everything but naming David Lee, saying that the former sporting director told me I'm not a starting level player. So maybe with a new regime coming in, that will be improved. But the coach played him, right? Like he was told he wasn't a starting level player and he proved him wrong in the team.

So there are people in the building who do believe in him and have given him opportunities. and it feels like there's at least a chance you could resign him in that way plus he's a Brooklyn boy come on you want to stay home you want to be a part of it new stadium opening all of that but it looks less likely than more likely that he will be coming back

on the goal the third goal Rodrigo de Paul long busting run to come outside of Messi to pick up the ball then he airmails the cross all the way over the box to Jordi Alba Alba plays to Messi's feet and this is the thing about playing Messi and we talk about it time

and time again. You always know where he is yet somehow he ends up open but when he's on the ball everyone overcompensates because he's the greatest player of all time and you don't know what's going to happen and when he takes his first touch it feels like he has hack beat and so that's

part of where I will give a little credence to Gustavo and I don't even know who else is involved with this play kevin o'toole whoever else is around when messy takes his second touch there's about four defenders focused on him and no one knows where iende is the guy sitting on two goals no one knows where he is on the field messy it's an unbelievable pass into his feet the third goal yeah and then he's oh it's so vetti's goal sorry yeah yeah takes the touch and then he smashes it mm-hmm this is what excellent finish yeah but like this is the problem with playing against this team everyone is

so worried about Messi that other guys get open and other guys have time in space that shouldn't really exist. And in this setting, it wasn't necessary because Hack had the play closed. But you can feel, I felt it at home. Messy takes his first touch. Hack feels like he gets caught a little bit too far in. Messy's going to get turned to get his hips open to his right foot. And you're like, well, there's a third goal. So then everyone else panics. And they try and get closer and in doing so they leave every other mark Inter Miami makes no mistakes there and then

at that point it felt the game was dead and Inter Miami are cruising and Machirano's running on the field and hugging people and you know McKellie Giannone is obviously Bell the ball miss their MC giving things away and this is the moment Inter Miami has waited for Tom

they've been to finals they've won some stuff but this was the one that they wanted to win and this is this was the plan that they've wanted to create for their club and they now are finally there. This team has ambitions to win everything they're in. They did not

take the Shield win last year lightly. They celebrated that as they very well should. It was a points record. They celebrated the Leagues Cup that they won. The final was less than a month after Lionel Messi made his debut in Miami. That was so special. They really wanted to win the Conclave

Champions Cup. They get to the semifinal and lose this year to Vancouver. Obviously, they got the furthest of any MLS team at the Club World Cup. All of these things, they have ambitions for all of it. There is nothing that this team wants more than MLS Cup. Jorge Moss has made no bones about that. He, in the locker room after Cincinnati, was like, Dos Mas.

That's what I told, that's what I told the team. Two more wins. This is what we're looking for. This is what we want. This is what we're here for. We want to win everything all the time. But again, it's about MLS Cup is the biggest jewel that they have been searching for because it is the domestic league title.

and they believe that they should be winning this every year. That is their ambition. The way that they got there this year, Javier Maserano deserves a ton of credit. We're going to spend a ton of time talking about Lionel Messi, as we should. Jordi Alba, Sergio Buscettes, it'll be their last game this weekend.

We don't know if it's going to be Suarez's last game before, again, Alba and Buscettes are retiring. Messi has been an alien. I'm less shocked that they won 5-1 and more shocked that he had one-goal contribution in this game, which might worry Vancouver fans because I think that he's due for a handful in the final after scoring or assisting all 12 of Miami's goals

before this game. But Javier Mascherano deserves a ton of credit. This hiring was widely panned, widely shitposts. You only got this job because you're Messi's friend. You are not qualified for this. You didn't do well enough for the Argentine youth national teams. The criticism wasn't unfair, or the questions weren't unfair.

The criticism I thought went a little bit over the top. The way that this team has evolved from Tata Martino to Mascherano is stark. I'm not worried about their defense the same way that I was under Tata Martino. It does not feel like a ticking time bomb for somebody to put four goals on them because they can't defend in transition and they're incredibly naive and continue to play a number of players who probably shouldn't be on the field. The way that they've evolved just since May, what I was talking about earlier in the show in their nadir,

their worst part of the season. him. Since that moment, it helps to get Rodrigo de Paul, but he wasn't playing great when he first got here. It was a little bit awkward. They were figuring out how to fit. Since then, Oscar Astor's story has been benched for Riosenovo. Riosanovo comes up with that huge moment in this game. Weigant was benched for Ian Frey, and they immediately got better on that side of it. They were no longer defensive liability going down that right flank. Tommy Savules does not see the field anymore because he was a walking disaster. He had a mistake in him every game. He just, not only has he not gotten better

since his encouraging debut season, he's gotten worse. These were players that were playing constant roles last year and earlier this season. And Mascherano had the Juvos to bench these guys. The biggest among them was Suarez. This team has looked their very best over the last three games.

And Suarez has been good. He probably would make more sense as weird as it is, not in a team with Messi, because you're defending 9 v. 11 if you have both them on the field. And the runners around Messi is what has unlocked things. Slvetti being able, like Sovetti deserves the most credit for Sovetti succeeding, adapting and everything to this league. Mascherano continues to play.

Mastrano has brought him into this team. So what he has done to this group, particularly since May, but really since he took over from Tata Martino's into Miami, is nothing short of a really, really good job. Yeah, fully agree. it's the most cohesive it's the best soccer they've played and it feels like the buy in I mean Rodrigo de Paul making the run down the line to get that cross in Louis Suarez accepting that he's not a starter right Sergio Bousquetts

I think limiting him his game a little bit yes like it feels like he's become more contained and some of that's probably DePaul's ability to cover ground and some of that's probably his trust in Nepal where yes if Yonik Bright's doing it maybe he doesn't trust him to do it um you mentioned Navila's not playing. Noa Allen's become a full-time centerback for this team, which is right. And in a back four, right? Like, we thought that that only made sense as like the left

side of centerback and back three. So credit to Noah. Busskech drops in half the time. So he covers ground. It's also, I think we've all realized the need to fill the space Alba leaves is more important than being a natural centerback. And they give up chances. Like, that's who they are. They are not going to be the best defensive team in the league. They just need to be good enough for it to compensate for them being the best attacking team on the field most of the time. What's fascinating about them hosting this final is they've been in four finals since Messi's gotten there. Only one of them has been at home. And it was the Open Cup that they lost that he didn't play in. So it's, this is like the moment they've waited for and they've won things

and they've been in finals and they've won finals. But they haven't really had the stage that they would like to have. Now, if you ask them, I'm sure they'd like for it to be in the stadium. next year not this year but even then this was sort of the moment they've been waiting for of like well all of miami watching everyone sort of focused on them and a chance to um a chance to be put on on the big stage and they've earned it with the way they've played they've played real soccer it has not been like okay this is comical but it's overwhelming and no one can hang with it they've played as you mentioned real games they've played really really well they've adjusted to opponents like they did in the Nashville series, and they've been able to come out on top.

And so this wasn't easy for them, and they've got the opportunity at their home to win MLS Cup for the first time ever. And we are going to have a guaranteed first time winner between the two teams. So on the other side, we're going to have the Vancouver white caps. They go into San Diego, San Diego, the number one seed in the Western Conference, and Vancouver, they do what Vancouver does. they come out like a rocket ship from the opening whistle they jump all over San Diego they're up to zero in 12 minutes

I think was the second goal and there's a million different ways they score goals you press us we go over the top you sit back we play through you you give a space we attack you 1 v1 they've got the ability to play in and out of players feet

andres Kubas a man of the match performance in this one he creates the first goal he basically scores it he allows brian white to bundle it um over the line and then he's the monster in the middle the entire rest of the game he's eating up balls he's closing down angles he's talking smack like he's doing a little bit of everything and for this vancouver team you sort of had this decision you go on the roads of san diego you're going to sit in and try and make things hard for them like Minnesota did and Minnesota lasted pretty long in that game or are you going to

come out and try and go after them. And it doesn't feel like that's a question we should ask anymore, Tom, because this is where Sorensen has one way. Yeah, that wasn't, I can guarantee you, that wasn't a question on the training ground in the locker room in the planning for this game. It was, we're going to come here and we're going to be ourselves and we don't think you can handle that. And we think that you have to adapt to us. And San Diego is thinking of the same things about themselves. That's how both of these teams got here. Vancouver, like Kubas, the Kubas, Burrhalter and Vitae in the first half of the season and now Mueller in the second half of the season. That is where they win games. That is where they dominate. That is how that they get

pitch control ball possession. That is what I'm most fascinated about for the final because I think Vancouver can replicate that and will replicate that against Miami, which will give Miami a much more difficult test than they've had in the playoffs. Miami have limited all, like, their last three games in their three elimination games because I think go back and look at the numbers from game one and game two. Their defensive structure has given up less than one XG in all three games, including, I think, half a goal against Cincinnati and half a goal against NYCFC or something in that region. Vancouver will create more because they will have more ball possession, ground control,

like they get against San Diego. San Diego want to use the ball. Kubas, Berlter Mueller, is how they recover the ball and how they keep the ball, how they dominate. When Kubas goes to hunt when he's pressing,

he usually wins the ball. And that was the second goal. And then a little quick combination from your number six coming through. He's long been one of the very best events of midfielders in this league. And throughout this season, he's gotten more and more credit

because they're winning a lot more and playing in bigger games and more people are catching on to him. And this was the best game I've seen him play. And, Goss, I know that you feel the same as I do. We both had really high, a really high view of this player. And this was the best game I've seen him play. It's awesome because for a lot of what we've talked about with him,

it's like he's a great player on a bad team and no one notices him and no one gets to see him. And now you get on this stage and he plays, as you said, one of his best games and everyone gets to see it. So now this is his reputation, which is what it should be. And that opening moment is like at a player at his position, There are very few times that you get to be the star. And he does what he does best, which is he closes down. He reads the game. He presses.

He's clean in his feet. It's the quick one too. But it's just the recognition of I'm going. And once I go, I'm going. Because if I lose the ball, then we're all hunting in a pack. We're going to pin it in. Like, we're not going to get beat over the top. And so he goes.

He gets after it. And then the recognition in the last moment to lay it off for white and make it just a little bit simpler. but yeah this was this was a performance that i was happy to see because it's recognition he deserves and i think he will get now going forward as one of the best at his position one of the best all time at his position he's going to play in a world's cup next year as well i don't know how long he will play in mLS i hope it is surprise he's still there yeah and that's one of the things we've said for a while is like it's awesome that he's still there which is why it's awesome

that he got this moment as someone who persevered and sort of stuck with this club when it hasn't always been easy to now be a part of this team that is the darlings of, you know, the league and going into another final this year and a chance to do something really, really special. And he has been this player the whole time. This game was one of those moments I put on Blue Sky of like, you saw the player development process for Vancouver just at its peak. Ali Ahmed and Emmanuel Sabi were both given up on by multiple clubs for Ali Ahmed, another Canadian MLS club, which is why it hurts even more for those fans.

And with Sabi, I said it last week. Like, it was very rare for these players that he had high talent. He went to Europe. Injuries were a huge part of it. It didn't really work. So you give him a chance when he comes back at this point. It's much cheaper. It's a domestic player.

So you take the risk, whatever. They very rarely work out. Both of these players have been incredible this year. They are one of the big reasons that I think they have a chance against Inter Miami. and you saw it on the second goal Sabi dominates his matchup he's probably a little too much for Luca Bombino to deal with at this point

of his career and then it ends up being chaos in the box and I feel bad for Manu Dua who had the weirdest game I have ever seen like he had moments I texted you I called him the Lawrence Taylor he had a moment where he closed someone down

he then flicks away a pass that's like a layoff and then he goes and gets it and then he also decked Emmanuel Sommi tried to hurtle him along the sideline later in the game. And he's under pressure. And I think it was Danny Higginbotham sort of touched on a well of like Vancouver wasn't going to press the two centerbacks. They were only pressing when it got out wide, which meant the game fell on the shoulders

of McVeigh and Dua. Because if they weren't going to break lines, then nothing was really going to happen for them because Vancouver was off in the mid block in those moments. And so they had to take risks. And I thought Dewa showed his flexibility of like comfortable in possession, trying to take some risk, dangerous and set pieces going the other way. But you get two goals early and then Ali Ahmed is going to cook people in the open field if you're going to take the risk. And I said this in the Portland series that I thought Pilcher has played really well, but it's susceptible. He's not a natural fullback.

He doesn't move his hips really well. If you get him in space and you try and shift him back and forth, Ali Admit doesn't even need to hear that from me. it's two stepovers a faint to one side he gets to the other side and immediately his eyes are up and he's looking for anything to just bash ball off of like you're in the backyard playing by yourself and he slams that thing off brian white and brian white is happy to be the brick wall as a teammate and ends up getting the goal and at that point okay we can talk about the second half in the moment but like it's an unbelievable start for vancouver they don't take their foot off the gas. They know exactly where the susceptibilities are, but mainly it's like the culture of

stuff. There are moments where someone wins the ball back deep in their own corner and they play back in field to a player's feet around their own box because they want to play through and they want to connect and they want to find each other. And there's like such a culture that is created. And I think it's exemplified in Sabi and Ali Ahmed being like, I'm in a conference finals and I can take any risk I want because I know this team has my back. Brian White had two shots he had a combined XG of 1.8 Unbelievable

New Jersey baby oh god that's just incredible yeah the the wingers were awesome again it all starts from central midfield like you said got they have that belief and knowledge that

they can try shit because Kubas is right behind you to hunt and the team structure is really really good and guess what the central midfielers don't really ever lose the ball so you guys are allowed to take the chances because if you lose the ball, we're going to get it back, and you can stay high. You can pin back the Bombino and Pilcher.

So San Diego had a phenomenal season. Historic, the best expansion season, I believe in MLS because I don't count Chicago's 98 as an expansion season. The whole league was an expansion season. The high wire act of what San Diego did this year was impeccable. This, nothing but positive things to say.

The way that they were able to get, they hit on, I don't know, 90% of signings, pretty much, right? Look at this starting 11 from Saturday. Chris McVeigh is starting over Patty McNair, Northern Ireland captain centerback, somebody who they thought was going to be their defensive anchor. By the end of the season, Dua and McVeigh were the preferred tandem. Obviously, Dua was the number one overall pick as a defensive midfielder. Their season transformed to another level, I thought, in the summer when he'd be. became centerback. Guess what?

By the way, Duau is going to be transferred, whether it's this winter next summer, maybe another 12 months, if they're lucky, going to be something in the Luka Bombina,

sorry, the moist Bombito range to a Champions League level club or a big fighter. They're going to loan him to L.A.F.C. and then get $150K for him for a guy who's starting in the conference finals.

Yeah. Madoe, like the way that, it's just just incredible. Yeah. All of those things. Volikari is benching Luca Deletori who was supposed to be another not just a guy

a key cog in the way that they wanted to play the front three includes Amal Pellegrino who they're paying the veteran minimum too because San Jose didn't see a use for him Corey Baird got waived by Cincinnati they're paying the veteran minimum for me those are the three on the bench it's Chuky Lozano deletore Ingvartson who's a Tam supposed to be their starting center forward all of that is incredible all of that is worth a lot of praise Pilcher McVeigh Baird Volikari all struggled

all struggled in this game and I don't know what that tells you about the future I don't know because I'm not spinning this into a negative in any way all these are overwhelmingly positive stories but is there is there a ceiling on this

or did they just run into a buzzsaw because I think it was the latter because of how great Vancouver are particularly with those early goals it felt like a steep climb and then by half time with the stop the first half stoppage time goal to make a three nothing it was over yeah it's it's hard to say because on one hand you want to say all right they ran up against their talent wall and if you can find similar profiles of players who maybe

have a little bit higher of a ceiling that could be the difference and or depth you know even though you talk about the options they had and the way they move guys around over the last two months it's really been the same players and like is there an exhaustion level for an and just strier in his first year in MLS being a part of the Danish national team coming back to San Diego and like was he not at his best but Vancouver is the model for them how can we say there's a talent wall and there's a gap there when Vancouver steps out there with Tate Johnson and Matias Laborta and Seb Burralter and Ralph Priso at centerback and Ali Audemad de Miro Sambi and say that I think the I agree I totally think your hope would be if you're San Diego is all right

we're more cohesive year two that some of this stuff becomes even more muscle memory we've been through some of these experiences together and yeah maybe there's a right piece right time thing um i thought mike ivores has comments which you know you sort of echoed their post game we're right which is you cannot take away this season yeah i wouldn't even take away st louis's season a few years ago but that one there were holes in it and it was exemplified in the post season San Diego, outside of an absurd goal that Portland scores, would have won three straight games in the postseason coming into this. Anyway, they won two rounds.

They won the three games. And so they showed how good they are for real. And it wasn't just a flash in the pan or a regular season thing or a schedule of thing or any of that. Yep, yep, yep. There is obviously the big question mark now around Chuky Lozano. If he's not a starter, then you cannot pay him what you're paying him. if he's an issue off the field,

it'd be surprising to keep him around the team. He comes off the bench at halftime. He scores the goal. He starts pumping up the crowd. For starters, I would say you cannot question Mike Yvars for not putting him in from the start. They've done everything they've done without him. He has clearly been his own issue.

So there's no chance that you change him for this game. But I don't know what the future looks like for a guy like that and that team. So I think coaches are really smart about what they say and trying not to either be controversial or betray confidences within the locker room. I found it at least a little bit funny that it was very clear Mike Yvars told anybody

he had to do media availability with before the game. I want to be clear, this is a tactical decision with Chukuzano. It's not a disciplinary, it's a tactical decision. and like he used the phrase tactical decision so many times that it felt to me he was saying I think Cory Barrett is better than you I think like isn't that more damning than if it was a disciplinary issue right like um so I thought that was interesting and to your listen I don't think you're a problem I just think you're bad yeah but like we know obviously he got suspended I'm not treading over in any ground that we haven't spoke about but like the I haven't gotten

any specifics, but it's like anytime you have somebody is just like, no, yeah, nope, definitely an issue. Yep, he was definitely suspended like, yep, that was a long time coming. It's all the cryptic things when you try to talk to people about this and they get tight-lipped. He's clearly not been a good fit.

I think it's easy to say in the locker room if your highest-paid player is getting suspended and then not playing a part in the playoffs. He's on 7.6 million, fifth highest-paid player in MLS at the end of the season. Must be nice.

They paid something like $10 or $12 million transfer fee for them. We're one year in. It's easy for us to say, yeah, you probably got to move on. But like, if you move on, you're eating money. And I don't know what the appetite is from ownership to do that. And then also fund another DP, which they would need. And that's another way to raise the ceiling and raise the floor of this team. Or like, do you just try to run it back and hope that it gets a little bit better?

I don't know. I'm assuming the latter. But if things are broken, then they're just broken. And you've got to hope that Club America, Chivas, Monterey, or if he wants to go back to Europe, right? So that's an interesting side for me. And one more point on San Diego before we focus back on Vancouver is I know social media is a place where just shit posting is constant

and it's let's find the dumb angle, the angry angle. You know, I saw somewhere in the chat earlier about, you know, there's never been a refereeing performance that that's ever been good. obviously, and social media is there for all the jokes and stuff. Those Mikey Varus comments about we're so proud of this season. Obviously, it hurts right now. And that is how the fans and the people around the league should feel about this team.

And somebody was like, wow, I can't wait to see them come crashing back down to earth like St. Louis next year. And it's like, I don't, I think that that is such a useless conversation to make at this very moment, like again, within the 24, 48 hours after the game. because in MLS more than any other league, it is extraordinarily unlikely. Any team finishes first in their conference of 60 plus points in back-to-back seasons.

I believe Miami are the first team since Dallas in 2016-17 to go back-to-back seasons with 60 points or maybe Cincinnati did as well this year. I don't know. The point is it is very rare. And if San Diego finishes sixth next season and somebody tries to take a victory lap on that, just miss me with it because this is just a special,

special season and it doesn't matter if they finish 15th next season they won't but it doesn't matter to me if they do in regards to this season there is nothing fake about this and whether they take an air quote step back i don't really consider an issue because of how great this season was it doesn't mean anything was fluky from this year if they don't finish first in the west next season tom shadow boxing the happy foot sad foot podcast on air show because you know that that's who it was no it was it was like a Columbus crew fan and I was like bro didn't you finish on like eighth seventh like oh wow maybe maybe relax on

on making jokes about San Diego because I'm speaking of speaking of reverting to the mean Wilfred Nazi is a superpower so maybe sit a couple of these out um yeah the interesting thing with this club is they have such they have such a strong focus because they're connected to the right to dream academy on the overall network of players and on youth development

and that's impossible to do in year one so like the idea is this thing will only get more sustainable as time goes along it's not going to be year two we're like okay here's 19 academy players you know but they went out and they acquired a decent chunk of young players not just luca bombino oscar rohoven um saidi from philadelphia's academy my assumption is they will do more of that because you are trying to fill back in the top end of the academy that you don't have ready yet because you haven't produced players all the way through. And on top of that, outside of what, Willie, like not many players came through the right to dream structure for them. And I would assume now that they are more established and they know their identity, it's easier to bring new players into this, that there will be even more movement around them.

So I will, my guess would be that there's more bonuses coming on that side of things than what they've already experienced. I agree. I think that is the more pertinent, the more important, and the more salient point to look at their future because they will do that. A more headlining thing, I will say, if Mohamed Sala comes to Major League Soccer, I feel extraordinarily safe.

It's going to be to San Diego. So. Because San Diego has an Egyptian owner. It's deeper than that, but that is the starting, like I cannot imagine a scenario in which, Chicago or Miami or L.A.F.C. gets ahead either in terms of, like, if you want to see some money come out, like, again, first of all, there's going to be more on offer for Sala if he wants

to go to the Middle East. We know that. He had those offers and overtures before he renewed his contract with Liverpool. But from what I've understood, at least, and I'm not suggesting that this is definitely going to happen. I'm just saying if Sala comes to MLS, I would put a lot chips in the pile of it's going to be san diego mohammed solid of san diego what a nice pleasant headline to pull out of this show that i did not see coming when it started uh and it would be awesome watch hey chuky lonsano if he heads out there might be a spot available on the wing um all of this to say by the way san diego was unprepared for this game they were unprepared for the intensity and the level that this game was played at they did have their half chances i know mike yvarez

after the game was like we really felt it would go two three and dryer sets up chuky i think on that quick touch over after the ball a long ball over the top but sysniga picks up the red card playing with your backup goalkeeper probably not the best spot to be in i didn't think he was at fault for any of the goals same he gets caught out and weird positioning on the red card he gets called for the red card you're playing down a man against the team that is pretty lethal uh there was seven big chances for vancouver in this game they had a two 2.8XG and they put up the three full goals in the end. And they are headed to MLS Cup. So I believe it's Saturday at like 2.30 or 3 in the afternoon. Something like that. Something like that is when

the game will be played. It will be played in Miami. It is obviously a rematch of the Conccaf. I'm just going to say Champions League semifinal, in which Vancouver in two legs, home and then away, was able to knock off Inter Miami and go to the final. And that is really the only history between these two squads. They've played one other time. Yeah, this is, but do you think the CCL semi-finals is a bigger deal than that one? I agree, that's, but like, it's just the way that the COVID era

and the East West thing, like they've only played one other time. It's the furthest trip in MLS between the two. So they don't really hang out very often. I think this is set up perfectly. We'll dig into it more on Thursday, but I have said time and again, you have to go out and score goals. to beat Miami and you have to take the game to them and I don't think there's another team in the league that is more equipped to do that and has the belief they can than this Vancouver team and

it's what they did in the conference or in the Conccaf Champions League semifinal and they are probably a better team right now to go out and do it once again it is going to be the hardest game they play because Miami is a better team now than they were all those months ago we rarely get the two best teams in form, for the most part, I'd say people healthy, although we should talk about Thomas Mueller and Ryan Gould and where they stand. So this is what we ask for, Tom. And I think we're really, really lucky to get it. Completely agreed.

And going back, so that Concca Champions Cup semifinal, I thought those two games were fantastic. On this show, it's CCL. Come on. Conca champions. Yeah, you're right. You're right. I thought both, like, Vancouver's performance,

I believe that they can replicate that. There are some different pieces. If you go back to that game, Miami are much different, to your point. I think both teams are better than they were in that moment. But more so Vancouver at that time were really, really good. Miami has raised their level more just because they had further to go to. In that game, in that second leg, Ustari was in goal.

Wygonne was the starting right back. Redondo started that game. He's not in the team and Suarez. Those will be changed out again. If Ian Frey is fit to start, I'm expecting him to start. There was no Rodrigo de Paul yet, and they felt more open defensively. I do still think that this game can be controlled by the white caps. If they win the middle third, if they win that central midfield, which won't be easy.

But this is going to be easily Miami's hardest test. Nashville in that third game just got completely dominated Cincinnati completely dominated NYCFC we're playing from behind early those three games again in which the defense for Miami was very good it is going to be a vastly different challenge

against Vancouver because I think Vancouver are going to be the team putting Miami under pressure that will open up maybe more moments in transition particularly with this new look fluid attack without Suarez so maybe we're going to see more of that from Miami and maybe that'll be really, really dangerous. They had their transition moments against Sinti,

but again, I felt like the game was kind of already dead. Vancouver has to eliminate as best they can in those moments, but how they're going to win this game is less about eliminating attacking moments from Miami and more about creating them for themselves. Because as long as they're not turning the ball over in bad spots, if they're controlling the game, I think that they have every chance of winning MLS Cup. If you want to deal with Jordi Alba, the only way is to attack the space he leaves. And with the former Manuel Sabi's in and what any Aracompos capable of, there's probably no one as well situated to do it.

Tristan Blackman comes back into the team. So I assume Matthias Laborta moves back to left back. And Ralph Pryso stays at centerback. I think so. It gives Sorensen the option. he could stay with Laborda and Blackman and slide Tate Johnson out, be back out there at left back. I thought Johnson was fine against San Diego.

I don't think he was great, so I don't know that I come out of that game saying he has to be a starter. And then otherwise, the other things you need to be able to do against Miami is that sometimes go in transition without numbers, which clearly Ali Ahmed is capable of and Brian White is, and sometimes be able to win battles in the middle. And Brian White, I think you would take, over Falcone and Noah Allen in most

matchups, whether it's back to goal, holding up the ball, whether it's layoffs or it's winning battles to finish chances in the box. So there's a lot of great opportunity for this Vancouver team, but they're going to be massive underdogs. Like they're going on the road. That's the starting point.

It's the longest trip you could possibly take. It's coming after the longest season you could possibly have. They've won a Canadian championship. They've been to a Conca Champions final. All of that stuff was too lagged to get there until the final. They've then played out the full season, contending for a supporter shield, contending for the top of the Western Conference, and then the playoffs. They were able to beat Dallas in two games. That's like the only quote unquote break they've gotten themselves. But they're going to

be coming in with a lot on their legs and a lot against them. And the Inter Miami are coming in flying time. And for Inter Miami, they look at this game and it's can you get Kubas off messy, which I think is can you overload in that area every once in a while? and that either is DePaul stepping higher or Silvetti coming into the space. Maybe this is a Segovia game, probably not from the start, but maybe he comes in earlier. I think both of these coaches have two big decisions they could make early. Thomas Mueller starts. He is clearly not fully fit.

He has been the first guy out. Gould is clearly growing in minutes. I would be shocked if Esper Swanson changes the starting lineup there, but I wouldn't be surprised if you're tied at halftime and you look at things and say, I think, Gould gives us more in transition here and we can't really play to Mueller's skills and we go with him and I think on the flip side I think

this could be a game where Segovia could be really good and Mascherano looks at things at halftime and says can we get another guy centrally to take some attention away from Messi and get him off the ball in those moments a little bit. I everything you said is correct about

Mueller and he's clearly carrying a knock still he hasn't seemed to be moving the exact same way that he was a little bit earlier in the season when he arrived and when he was really, really at his peak. I don't think that he was bad against San Diego we just didn't make this similar impact

that he kind of has since he got here and that bar is really high. I really hope that he's able to play every minute of this final. It would be unfortunate. Gosh, maybe you'd be surprised if he does. Talk about Mueller? Yeah, if he plays every minute at the final.

I really, I hope that. He has come out in moments where it's not obvious to take him out. like over the you know lafc like he has come out when the game is a one goal game he has come out in moments where you would leave him in he did what he played most of the game against dallas in a month ago at this point but i don't even think he was a pk shooter so i don't know that he made it all the way to the end of that game so in general what i would say is yeah i would be shocked if he made it through 90 minutes i'd be shocked if he played 70 in the final like that looks like that's his line right now i hope not And I think part of that inverse is that Gould has more minutes in him. And so they're sort of balancing that same position between the two of them. Yeah, but I would still love to see them both. Again, this is more of a one reality, right?

I want to be clear that I'm not disagreeing with anything you say. I'm just hoping that he'll be good to dig deep or to manage whatever he's carrying and be able to be close to the version that because we all want to see the best players playing in these best games. right we don't want injuries to be something to talk about but it is a storyline to watch on muller messy versus muller they've played 10 times in their credit have been on the field against each other ten times between byron and germany for muller and then messy argentina barcelona and p sg once muller was on the field he scored twice in the infamous bairn eight two over p sg they played a world cup final against each other with germany won muller has his teams have won seven of those 10 games

against Messi. One of Messi's biggest wins was in 2015 in the Champions League. I believe that was a semi-final. Barcelona ended up winning the Champions League. So it's been super interesting to look at this and a rivalry and Mueller's made jokes about it. Like he did a really good interview with our guy, Ken LaCarr, where he talked about it. He's laughing and stuff. But, you know, after the game, he was his jovial self.

But he tried to be serious, like, you know, hey, maybe you'd like it if I say something about, like right like they'd be a better headline um but he goes the respect between messy and muller i think is really really high and muller goes quote about about facing messy quote that's the past that's history i want to keep going for sure i know about my games against messy but i've also lost against him it is not about messy versus thomas muller it's miami against the white caps so that's an interesting subplot between these two absolute superstars messy coming in in better form and better health but messy v muller round 11 um i think it is going to be super helpful for the casuals obviously the diehards are going to love every moment of that too yeah jill asked a great question

on that one and his answer with the i know apple tv wants this for me when i had the headline was awesome um i think a reason that vancouver has made it here is just the energy and lift he brought them at the right point of this season for and and the reason we've questioned some of this run for Vancouver is historically it has been impossible to start a year at a high level in Conccaf and play the biggest games of the year early and then still find the energy and the legs late in the season to then go into the second biggest games and the playoffs and all of that and I think there's been a lot of movement obviously Pedro Vita out same out of Cube's injury like there's been a lot of movement in this team but Mueller's, like the lift he's given them on top of the quality he's given them and the pressure he's absorbed, which I think has made the game easier for guys like Ahmed and Nelson and Sabi at a time when Gould clearly wasn't coming back and Brian White was going through a long injury. I think that lifted them at the right time.

And then when the momentum went back the other way, everyone was like, this is what we do. This is who we are. And that may have still happened for Vancouver, but I'm not. totally sure. And so for this to have happened with him, I think is really, really big. This is a team that has won with one hand behind their back a lot. Veslinovich, out. We've talked about it. Losing Pedro Vite massive. Sam Adacubei out. Now in every round of the playoffs, they've basically had a starting defender suspended, whether it's Lborda or Tristan Blackman. And you've said it over and over again. Ralph Prezzo starts at centerback for this team.

If I, if you had texted me three years ago and you said Ralph Pryso is facing off against Messi in a final in 2025, I would have said it's really cool that Canada invented a cup for them to play in ahead of the World Cup that they're hosting. And I hope they do well in the Tim Horton's Timbitt championship final of the three game tournament with New Zealand thrown in that they put together. You would not have thought. Obviously New Zealand. 100% obviously. You have to pick a team. You knew both teams would be. So that you're able to make it a final in the end.

Which they were at that Canadian Shield thing in June. They were. With Ukraine, right? Yeah, with Ukraine and Ivory Coast. But Canada refused to play New Zealand because they weren't going to waste their time if they're going to pay the money for the whole thing. There's so much of this that's unbelievable. And on top of all of that,

Lionel Messi is still at the peak of his powers. And he's playing an MLS Cup final. Like, we didn't know he'd play in this league. Once he got in, it felt like it was inevitable. it has taken longer than expected because this league is harder to build a good team than expected and you can't

just figure it out on the fly with talent that's aging. They have found the balance they have found the team that they should be and it is obviously a moment that many people wanted and I think on this show we probably don't talk messy as much as everyone else does but he is still

a wonder to watch. He is still the most enigmatic player. He's a little bit of a dick which I think is something we've seen over the last few rounds coming after Maxi, he came after guys in the last few rounds and we have seen teams sort of overreact to that but I think Vancouver having the experience of having been there on a big stage already takes some of that pressure away

or the fantasy of it away or the over-compensating, whatever it is and it really is going to come down to the soccer and the soccer could go either way. I completely agree and talking big moments and even saying that like San Diego kind of got blitzed off the field by Vancouver in those first 11 minutes of the Western Conference final. Axel Schuster, sporting director, CEO, like he wears a lot of hats for this team. I was with him within a day or two after the Conca Champions final where they got blitzed off

the field by Cruz Azul. And he straight up admitted. He goes like, look, we weren't ready for that moment. Like it's easier to talk about than like when you come up in that stage. like from underground and you're right in it with all the fans and all that stuff and he admitted he goes hey like we like that's a difficult thing and we weren't ready for that moment they're going to be ready for this moment because of of that moment and watching a team grow and watching a team get their battle scars in these moments is is really really cool to see and they weren't scared the

first time they went to Miami right but particularly I think after getting just killed in the Conca champion final by Cruz Azul, and particularly what the spectacle was around the game, it won't be like that in Miami because a few things rival that, few things rival that. And but Vancouver is stronger for it is my overarching point. Yeah. And Miami have been there as well, not with this full exact group, right? But they were in the Leaks Cup final in Seattle, where again, there was a lot of off-field stuff with this Miami team.

I think Seattle would slide into the category of, yeah, sometimes these guys are A-Holes to us. Yeah, I think so. And Obed Vargas and Pedro de la Vega would be on that list alongside Maxie Morales. But they were there. And then, of course, they have had some playoff games, some big playoff games,

the league's cup final a couple years ago. But it's going to be a huge moment. It's going to be really, really fun. And, you know, I was texting with some people on Saturday, someone who doesn't watch a ton of MLS, is like, why is Carl's Alcara's walking the trophy out? And it's like, because this league is desperate for attention in any way physically possible. I'm a huge Carlitos fan, the best tennis player on the planet.

And I believe he's playing at Lone Depot this week. So if you're in the area, you can go watch tennis at a baseball stadium if you want to. But I said, watch the second game because it will deliver. There is not a time that San Diego or Vancouver had been on the field this year that didn't deliver. No. Even in losing to Dallas. on Decision Day. It was an electric game. And Messi and Miami has delivered over the last two months. So we're going to get a good game in the final. And it's going to be really,

really fun to watch. And I'm excited for it. And of course, as I said, we'll be back on Thursday. We'll have some preview coverage for you there. And then we will, of course, have our recap coming out of Miami, Florida, if Tom survives it and is able to make it back home. And then we could talk at it again next week. Let's dig into a couple other topics before we get out of here, Tom. You put out a report about Chichot Arango right around the Thanksgiving holiday. A little extra turkey for you. Pumas have had a bid rejected around $3 million for San Jose Center Forward, Chichol Arango. Arango is under contract for this season, but has a club option for 27. This is coming off the back of already losing Joseph Martinez and very, very likely losing Christian

Espinosa at a free agency. So this could be a completely revamped, San Jose Earthquakes front line going into next season. There are talks over contract extension for Chicho and San Jose. I'm also told that Jolos, Club Tijuana, are interested. I think that Pumas are the more serious suitor. I think that Pumas will continue pushing to get this deal done. It just depends on if they can agree on a price point. But San Jose, if they agree a new contract, I think he'll stay, just from based on what I know.

But it's a very fluid situation. And we'll see what happens over the next days and maybe weeks. which is Giorango and maybe going to Bumas. I'm kind of the opinion, which is if they can get some money on him and they can get out of the deal, it's good for San Jose. Does that feel wrong?

Like, you have 13 goals, 7 assists this year. But I just feel like, I just feel like we have seen the best of him in MLS. And if San Jose can move on and get some money to then fill his spot, that's the best case scenario for this team. Also because if S. Manoza's leaving, you might need someone who does a little bit more and isn't just a

finisher in the box. And when he was alongside Joseph, it was a mess because they shouldn't play together. And I think part of that hurt Amal Pellegrino and all of that. But this feels kind of like a get out of jail free card for San Jose, in my opinion, if the deal is there. I'm generally of that. I don't think that this is one that if they're able to reinvest the money, then yes. I, you know, Bruce did trade for Chichol. wrong ago so he clearly sees him as a centerpiece but right sometimes a clean slate wouldn't be the worst thing in the world i think for all parties let's uh let's talk about some of the moves that have been made a big one announced um so all of the teams that have been eliminated their roster

what end of year roster decisions had to be put in and have been released yeah um for the most part most of them are fairly straightforward there are the players you expected there are players out of contract. There were some options picked up on players like a Jack Elliot that you would expect. Robin Jansen was one that wasn't. We discussed it when Orlando put it out there and they just announced that they agree to an extension with him. Yeah, I think that that is massive for all parties.

I was firmly expecting that in for no other, if for no other reason that this is a perfect marriage between that player and that club. So they declined the option and they give him a new deal that I believe is two years. It's official. It's out there. there's there's the release but i i think that that was a will decline this option and will give you more long-term security maybe a lot of i'm speculating here maybe a little less money than

the option here was but you get the security of multiple years and i think really well done by landa well done by anson to stay it was a no-brainer i think for all parties and and i'm glad that this thing didn't drag out any other major notes that fell to you i went through i think a few weeks ago some of the big names that popped out to me um paul rothrocks obviously obviously one we know we knew was going to be a free agent so it's just open shopping for him right so i say that again paul rothrock like yeah oh my god yeah yeah anyone has an option to go and get him yeah and all a ton of team should be calling um again i'll use this as an opportunity to rail against some aspects of this dba that i think are anachrystic there needs to be there should be no

qualifiers free agent that's it out of contract pay somebody whatever you want there are limits on what these players can get. And it's based on their last contract, which I think is ridiculous because Paul Rothrock, his first deal, his current deal, the one that he's coming in a free agency with, it's not like he had a ton of options to negotiate that up. So Seattle can pay him more than anybody

because they don't have a cap on a contract extension, but that needs to go. Same thing, Dane St. Clair, Minnesota can pay him more than any other team in MLS. That is stupid. Why is that the case? It's a free agent. It should just be, if you're out of contract,

you're out of contract. It's funnier when there's a player who's out of contract. but isn't eligible for MLS free agency. But they're a free agent to the rest of the world. I digress on that. So Rothrock is going to be a marquee free agent. And because that there's the cost controls, every single team should be calling about him.

Christian Menteke is in talks with DC United about a potential new deal. Maybe they're able to... If he's open to Max Tam, that's another guy. Damn near 25 teams should be going about that. Give or take there. I think he could be an asset to just about anybody. buddy so here's here's what i would do if i was san diego and i got off chuky i would sign christian

bentecke as a dp because whatever i get from him you you can't guarantee his health is going to raise my ceiling and if i take the risk and it doesn't fully work out i just went to a conference finals with cori baird and i'm all pellegrino yeah i i don't think that that one's the most perfect fit but again i think bent take he's his aerial prowess is he's better than and literally historic in MLS in terms of the Aeros one and that comes out and plays out. I think that he would be very good

or fine as well in a possession-based system, but San Diego are so far like the extreme in terms of the way they want to play. And then it extends my style because now I can have Luca Bombino

hitting early crosses into the far post. I agree. I just think that that is too much of a clash and then it's like, oh, well, we have been tacky. Like we should be playing more and more crosses. And then I don't know. Like, I think that he'd do well just about anywhere.

I think he'd do well in that scenario. But there's just more teams that I think that you would find a better middle ground. And even if they do want to play with the ball more, it's not quite to the San Diego level where it's just, you know, death by 1,000 passes or attempted death by 1,000 passes. Yeah, the Benteke one's going to be a big one to watch. The Espinosa one, as we have said, we will be watching as well. A couple of other ones of these are interesting. There's some goalkeepers out there, which hasn't been the case the last few years.

so there's pantomis sorry not pantomis there's max craye po who's available there's carlos cornell you mentioned dain st clair currently trying to work out a deal sean johnson is available as well so there's some options there are not as many

holes though at that position so i will be curious to see where they land i understand that point but all of those teams except for portland are looking for a new goalkeeper when you talk about orlando replacing pedo gayi say Toronto if they want like they really like Luca Gavron, but they could be in the mix

for another free agent goalkeeper if they don't resign Sean John. DC United eternally needs a goalkeeper. Atlanta, I hope that they play the homegrown kid whose name's escaping me, who played I thought well down the stretch of this season. I hope that he gets a chance, but Atlanta could be a

team that's looking for a goalkeeper. Again, Minnesota if they're not able to work out a deal for Dan St. Clair, LA Galaxy, sporting Kansas City. Houston Dynamo probably should. I'm told that they are going back with Jonathan Bond for the starter for next year. San Jose, if they move from Daniel, I just think I'd just rattle off the 10 teams there. So I think that the market is a little bit more robust than it looks on first glance.

Jaden Hibbert is the name of the goalkeeper. I thought he was good. In Atlanta. Josh Cohen also a guy who's available who never got a chance in Atlanta after they spent like so much time trying to get him. Might be one that a couple of teams look at as well. All right. That's all for us here. We've got plenty more shows coming up all week.

And as I said, we will have your full MLS Cup preview coming up on Thursday as well. Appreciate all of you in the chat. I appreciate you, Tom, for being here. Thank you to everyone listening via podcast. And we will talk to you all again very, very soon. Thank you.