SoccerWise - MLS Soccerwise | Nashville Dominates Miami & Who Can Challenge Them?

Episode Date: August 17, 2026

Nashville makes a statement against Inter Miami, while Seattle faces major questions and Vancouver continues its rise in the Western Conference. Tom Bogert, David Gass and Matt Doyle break down the biggest stories from around MLS, including the league’s top contenders, Chicago’s push to join them and the teams making moves in the West.0:00 Intro4:43 Vancouver Rising, Seattle Falling18:44 Philadelphia Improving & Neil Pierre Emerging24:52 MLS Cup Contenders & Chicago’s Case35:54 Nashville’s Statement Win Over Miami44:32 The Dayne St. Clair Conundrum49:53 Here Come the Houston Dynamo55:37 Is St. Louis for Real?1:01:54 Sporting Kansas City Is Historically Bad1:09:18 Kevin Kelsy Bid From Rangers1:13:28 MLS Midweek Games Coming Up👍 Like • Subscribe • Listen • Follow🎧 Listen & follow Soccerwise on your favorite podcast app:https://soccerwise.captivate.fm/🎥 Watch full video episodes on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@SoccerwiseHQ🌐 Visit Kickback Soccer for more podcasts, news, and coverage:https://kickbacksoccer.com📰 Subscribe to The Kickback newsletter:https://the-kickback.ghost.io📲 Follow Soccerwise on social media:Instagram: SoccerwiseHQhttps://www.instagram.com/soccerwisehq/Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/soccerwisehq.bsky.social

What is up, everybody. Welcome back to Soccer Wise for the full crew back again on a Monday morning to recap the weekend that was an action-pack weekend across Major League Soccer. Tommy Scoops, as you know, here all the time. And coming back from the Great Abroad, we have Mathieu Doyle from Bilbao. Matt, thank you for being here. Our new designated player up top, the Bryce Mendez of our show. Yeah, there's a couple of extra Xs and Zs in my name after that trip. And I got to tell you, Bilbao kind of gets overshadowed as a tourist destination compared to next door city, which is San Sebastian or Donostia, depending on what you call it. And like, I understand that. But one thing about Bilbao is that it was locked in for the League's Cup. I mean, that was the League's Cup hub of Northeastern Spain.

because it's like it's big Austin of C but also Juarez and Leon fans right correct yeah that's it that's like really kind of the heartbeat the cultural I hate you deeply Doyle did you come back fully with a suitcase full of Montchega no I came back with a suitcase full of conservis I'm a big tinned fish guy and if you go to like a a tin event tressress in the U.S., which is like the fatty tuna belly, that'll cost you about 20 bucks. And in Spain, you could get that for like six. So my wife and I literally pack an extra suitcase and go to the court deenglis, which is like- Did you bring over $8,000 worth of stuff through the border? I would say, I would say we definitely brought over more than $1,000 worth of tinfish, yeah.

Gross. I'm here for it. I'm a tin fish guy. Just so folks, no, Tom is the only Italian who lives on the Jersey shore who does not like seafood.

Like the closest... You don't need a tin fish? What? You don't need any seafood or only fried calamar. Do we, calamari. Well, don't worry, Tom. A lot of what I brought home

with chipperonis, which is calamari stuffed with other calamari. It's delicious stuff. Sounds fantastic. Tom would like for you to bread that and put it in a frown. higher that also ran french fries so it tastes like french fries and then he would be open to eating it well we're happy to have you back uh doyle tactics free zone uh new piece this weekend so make

sure you subscribe if you don't already um and doyle's going to be back cooking with us and of course over there um so make sure to follow along uh Tommy scoops of course he's got your weekend recap at the athletic Tom anything people should know uh this weekend we just did uh transfer stuff three teams to watch and latest news. I'm sure a lot of that will be peppered in here. Which is perfect because last week on soccerize, we did five teams to watch. And then a couple things happened. Yeah, true. That is true. And then we're always too ahead. If you haven't listened to that show, you can go back. But we've got a big show coming up for you.

We had a full weekend of action, especially action towards the top of both conferences, supporter shield race that we will recap. And then we have a full midweek of games. And that includes a top of the West clash between Vancouver and Houston. coming up. We've got Callie Classico with Chuki making his debut already and San Jose in a nose dive right now. So as usual, Major League Soccer likes to make sure that all the biggest games get the most attention and the most care. So they're all jammed together in a four-day span and the teams can rotate as much as possible. But we have a lot to talk about coming out of the weekend. And of course, we will open up the ice cream shop as we always do and touch on any big news, which will come left and right.

I already heard Tom's phone go off once in this show. I assume we'll have a nice little break for that. Joseph Martinez already out of Columbus. Did it happen that quickly? I love the 77 shot from Joseph Martinez. When I turned on the game this weekend, I love that. We, of course, are all over socials. If you don't follow us already, and if you're listening on Sirius Radio, welcome.

And thanks for joining us. We start every Monday with the best things we saw from the weekend. And then we dig into the biggest news. Let's start, Doyle, with you. Yeah. So one of the things that I was not following, but, or not following intentionally, but was able to keep up on when I was in Spain was transfer news out of MLS because like all of you, I have notifications for Tom Bogart turned on. And so I saw that said Burrhalter left, which fine, we've talked about on this show. And I've been curious as to how Vancouver were going to fill that hole.

And apparently it's just Ali LaRaz, who was cut by Colorado this offseason. And I know that things hadn't been great for Vancouver up until last night. I think it was six wind lifts across all competitions. But LaRaz was really good. He was doing a Burrhalter impression. He doesn't strike the ball quite as cleanly as Burrhalter does. But in terms of covering ground, in terms of making smart sort of off ball movements that unlocked Seattle's midfield and just like constant pressure because of that ended up tilting the pitch. And Vancouver looked like Vancouver again, even as they were missing a couple of key pieces.

And it just, it speaks to how good Thomas Sorensen is at talent identification and talent development in understanding guys who might not be elite players at. sort of the loud component stuff. They still have, like, roles to play and stuff that they can add that resonates with the high, like, what LaRaz does complements Andres Kubas, and that compliments Thomas Mueller. And suddenly, you, you have this collection that is, this whole that is greater than the sum of its parts. And he's done this constantly. I mean, he did it with Seb Burrhalter three years ago.

Nobody, nobody knew Seth Burrhalter was going to become what he's become. and now it just looks like taking, found money and doing it again with Alia Ra. So it's, I love stories like this. It's one of the things that I love about MLS and I hope that the league never kind of loses. And the fact that it's the best team in the Western Conference that's constantly doing this. It's great, man. It makes me legitimately happy. I'm stoked.

I was a big fan of his in Colorado. I will, if you're a Rapids fan, I wouldn't be sad right now in that. He had injuries and it felt like it was one of those where it's time. The rapids have no central midfielers who can pass the ball. I understand that, but I think we have to accept sometimes. Like sometimes it just doesn't work for someone in a place and they need a new opportunity. And like he had all those injuries and it just wasn't really clicking. The other side of things is I think his skill set fits in Vancouver better.

He wants to be on the ball. That's what he's good at. If he's not on a team that's dominating possession, is he going to be comfortable? Is he confident enough to affect the game? I would feel sadder about Ralph Pryso if I was a Rapids fan than I would about Ali LaRaz because I think it was just like it's time for a new opportunity but I was excited for him to come to Vancouver

for a lot of the reasons that we're seeing now. I thought that if there was a chance for him to resurrect his career and find a spot to play that this would be it. But it's cool that the white caps have set up a situation where the first assumption is that there's a solution in-house and all the moves they make, it's kind of like, okay, next opportunity.

comes up for the next guy inside the club. And Tom, we talked about it a little bit last week because they did sign a Serbian youth international at Central Midfield. But like the assumption was that they were just going to try and make it work with what they have in the building. Yeah. And Ali LaRaz was really good this weekend. Seattle Sounders earned a bit of a free fall.

Vancouver white caps were excellent. There was only one team. There was only real one winner in this game for a while. It took Vancouver until the 77th minute to get that breakthrough. My note for this game is, dude, of course the Vancouver. Cooper White Cops perfectly executed an indirect free kick in a box. Like, there is not a team that I have more confidence in. That would be well drilled to end up with somehow Thomas Mueller getting around the wall

and basically having a free shot to put it in the bottom corner. The white cops are so well drilled. They do everything well. Of course they do that well. Who does new who think he is calling Andrew Thomas off his line 35 yards for a ball that's within three yards of him? Who does knew who think he is? There's like nine different iterations of this.

season. This is who he is. Sam Staskel throwing his phone right now. He's new who. He does what he wants. It was a bit. It was funnier when he was one of the best last facts in the league and the best left center back when they did the back three. The bit's less fun. It's like in Stepbrothers

where the Seth Rogen scene where they go to the interview for like a blue collar job in tuxedos. And he's like, it's funny. It's ironic. It's great. And then one of them farts, he's like, yeah. You know, the tuxedos kind of seemed deft up now. That's what it's like with the new hoop. The new hoop bit great when he's one of the best left back in the league. It's not so great right now.

That was a long route to get there, Tom. We should, let's work on that story. We could tighten that one up going forward. If you don't have a stepbrothers bid. That's on you. It's not on me. I didn't need you to tell me the whole thing. Once you said it, I already knew. I didn't need you to go the full way. You're the only person listening to this. Andrew Thomas apologized to Nehu when they cut at least tight, like off the call. And I was like, I don't know if that's just like good locker room stuff or you don't know what's going on, but that's not your fault, man. You don't have to apologize. I was surprised to see that. Like, I thought that was going to be the keeper MF and the, the defender there because that was

like that was 100% on Newhoo. Schmester said it after the game. The first goal was on Newhoo because he kept it on side. Like he's playing honestly. I think he might be playing the worst ball of his career. And I know that Saunders fans are upset that he's still out there every single game. And that left side between him and Rothrock is a disaster. Like, Rothrock is a good squad player. He's someone who you want to have on the roster to soak up 1,200 minutes here and there across the 50 games that Seattle played last year. But if the ball's constantly on his foot to play the final pass to make the game deciding

like you're going to have a seven game losing streak. And it gets back to the difference between these two teams, right? Like, we talked about how Vancouver are so good at finding internal answers to big questions. And obviously, Ryan Alumi getting the goal is another example of that. Vancouver also went out over the past year and has spent more than a million dollars on four different players. Three of them are wingers, Sabali, Kaisedo, and Kajikarra, and now the Serbian Central. Like, Seattle hasn't spent more than a million dollars. on someone since what I think since Pedro de la Vega yeah and and and like who time I think

Pedro del Vega I think this is his year I think he's just going to turn a corner I listen it sucks like so he came what he played 15 minutes before he got re-injured this week and like it's so brutal I've got really feel for the guy but like this isn't this isn't new but to Doyle's point it doesn't matter you can't just you can't just hinge the whole thing on one person like you should be going out and getting multiple players. You should be building depth. You should be building optionality in some of this. They've done some of it internally inside the league.

They thought with Jesus Ferreira and Paul Ariola and guys like that. I can't remember his name, but the Serbian center mid that they brought from Charlotte, who they also thought, right? Who is really good. Yeah. They're only U-22, by the way, right now. Yeah. So they have, they have two open U-22 slots.

And if they are serious about even making the playoffs at this point, they need to go out and use one of those on a winger who can beat guys 1 v1 and who could play the final ball. Because without De La Vega and with Georgie Manuga gone, who in Manuga was great at that last year, they do not have that player who can get to the end line and unlock. And it's important. Let me give you some numbers. Since De La Vega arrived ahead of 2024, the Sounders are 56, 36, 36, and 30. across all competitions.

That is not great. That's about 1.6 points per game. That's a good team. They're at two points per game with De La Vegas starting, right? So he... Sample size of nine games? Yeah, right. Sample size of, what, about 35 games.

So about a season's worth of sample size. That's not enough. When he starts at the left wing, they were 9-1 and 2. And you can see it last night. Like that's where Rothrock works. And Rothrock cannot beat guys off the dribble. And you cannot play the final ball consistently. If they have a DP caliber player on that side, I think it fixes a ton of what's gone wrong with them.

But it's like Adrian Hanauer is not going to spend that money. And we saw the difference last night between an ownership group as messed up as Vancouver are right now that spends a little bit of money and one that doesn't. And you talk about Georgi Manungu. and so if there was no plan to replace him, why let him go? It was a really good valuation. Like, it's not as if the rapids got him for cheap, but if you're not going to replace him,

why is he being traded? And I don't know if this was ownership saying, okay, that offer came in. You have to, because for those who don't know, even when teams verbally agree a deal, you have to go bring it to your owner, and your owner has to go sign off on it. So there's a lot of times where,

particularly with $2 million, it was a cash trade, I believe, right, two million dollars. Like, you probably have to bring that offer to your owners. I don't know if that was Hanauer saying, yes, take that deal. But if you're Craig Weibel in the front office, don't even bring the deal to your owner. Like, unless you have an insurance that you're going to be able to spend that money. And I know it sounds like I'm kidding, but they're so thin.

You can't totally control injuries, but you can know who is and isn't injury prone. Maybe Manunga was asking for it again. These are all hypotheticals, but the idea that he was traded to $2 million. and he's the exact profile that they are desperately lacking right now and then didn't replace him, it's infuriating. So it was $2 million in gam across two years. I don't know what the add-ons are in there

of like what the minimum and what the maximum of it could be. You have to assume, I haven't asked for this, you have to assume that Georgian Mingoo asked for this of like, I'm a starter in this league. You know how I know I'm a starter in this league? Because the Colorado Rapids are offering $2 million in GAM. for me and he was not a given starter with the Seattle Sounders when I think that's it like like Brian Schmetzer was never going to see Georgie Minungu as a starter and I think that's a problem and I think another problem that's in this like what made

manungu special last year was one thing he would get to the end line and he pulled hit those cupbacks right he put that ball across the six for Danny Mussovsky to run onto or Obed Vargas to run onto the sounders aren't generating those plays anymore this year because they're weaker on the ball through central midfield so they're not able to get the wingers forward or wide in one v one situations as much and they're definitely not able to get the the fullbacks forward and that has made them easy pickings and they have some stuff that they've got to solve and I know there's a lot of talk about going out and bringing in a striker a striker is not going to solve this man like this is like this is not like The number nines have been bad this year.

No question about it. Danny Mussovsky was a disaster last night. But that is not the genesis of the issue. It's central midfield. They have to fix that. And then they have to get some sort of threat out wide to pull the opposing backline towards them and create those moments in behind. And Albuhranak has fallen off a cliff.

I know that it's a continuation of what you're saying, Doyle. But like, he's got one goal and one assist in an MLS play since a. He's got two goals and three assists since February. Like, I don't know how much of it is him, but he has reliably been a very good player. And he's just not performing. He's not close to a DP level right now, but like he's barely like replacement level. And I don't know if that's just a knock on effect of not controlling games in central midfield and just a symptom of the wider problems. But it's tough there too.

Before we move on, have to mention the Vancouver White Packs have clinched the 2026 Cascadia Cup. So they've now won three of the last four. They hadn't won it for seven years coming into 2023. They are now the dominant force in that region, an area that, you know, there was, what, a seven-year span in the middle where Seattle and Portland basically traded off MLS Cup appearances. They met in Western Conference finals. It felt like there was very much a hierarchy, and Vancouver has completely flipped that. And they are now playing home games at Providence Park and smashing the Portland timbers.

And they're going out and they're taking care. of business against the Seattle Sounders. I think if you told any of us this five years ago, we wouldn't have believed you. Because if you remember in COVID, we did the top fours of every club, the big moments, and we were scraping the barrel with Vancouver out the gate.

It was one Pedro Morales season. It was Kendall Waston's header to clinch a playoff spot. It was Darren Maddox. It was tough. And now it's like, who cares? Let's put Tom in Central Midfield and we'll just paint. the ball around however we want.

It is a real turnaround. They are on points per game second in Major League Soccer right now, and they are top of the Western Conference. So it has been the team to watch, and you should continue to do so. Talk about best things we saw. I wanted to talk a little bit about my guy Neil Pierre, who had another strong performance for the Philadelphia Union and an epic come from behind win at Yankee Stadium. And my favorite moment, of course, is late in the game.

He goes deep into a corner with Nico Cavallo, so not the most experienced player, but a guy who's six years older than him. He gets a little shove after the play, and he just turns and faces him down. And then he says something, and he points to the scoreboard at that point they were winning. And he's like, get out of here, walk away.

18-year-old centerback, just dominating the space. It wasn't South Dakota State high school soccer levels, but it was still big fight energy. He's been incredible. He's been a huge part of their turnaround, his ability to clean up messes and cover ground and therefore they can press even higher. His threat on set pieces is massive to everything they do, even if it doesn't fall to him. You see the extra tension he gets.

Daniel John Jock gets a goal off that early set piece, which, by the way, I thought Matt Free should have come off on. And he's still mother F to his defense screaming at them. So Andrew Thomas had full license to have done it if he wanted to. And it was a huge moment for Philadelphia. They come from behind from two zero down. they give up two goals on penalty kicks. They come all the way back. They win three, two on the road.

And they're like absolutely cruising in the Ryan Richter error. And Tom, Neil Pierre is one of us. Yeah, I love that about him. He was called for the first penalty. I thought it was pretty soft. Yeah, no, there's a penalty. I disagree, but it wasn't that egregious. But so he did have a hand in it.

But he was, I thought, generally very good. He's been generally really good since his first appearance with Ryan Richard taking over. That was July 22nd against the Red Bulls. He started four games. All four of them wins. The only game that he didn't start was the Cruz Azul loss in Leaks Cup because of the little rotation. He scores a goal against the Red Bulls when he came on

as a sub in that first game. And after that show, we were, because we had spoke about him before. And then I was like, I think he should be the starter, right? Like he's an 18 year old centerback. He only has some experience, half a season in what, the Danish top fighter second division. Like, he's not going to be perfect.

He's going to be inconsistent. in. He's probably not going to start every game for the... I feel like, Gus, you and I've been two of the highest on NeoPierre, and somehow... We had him on our 2030 World Cup depth chart two months ago, a month ago. But somehow, even when I was trying to be like reasonable, don't go over the top, he's an 18-year-old centerback, yeah, like, I think he's going to come good, but like over the next month, he won't be one of the best players in the league, and that's okay. He's been one of the best offenders in the league over the last month.

Like, it's his immediate... Because I don't even want to call it a rise, because he's just been this good since he's been in the lineup. And listen, realistically speaking, I'm sure who have a... bad patch, maybe be inconsistent. But this kid is an elite level talent, and it's really cool to watch him thriving for Philly, getting the opportunity and just everything that he's doing, even in a game where an 18-year-old centerback gives up questionable PK early in the game.

Then they give up another PK later in the game, and he doesn't fold. The team doesn't fold, and it's all just so impressive. There are two things about this. One is that if Lucas Harrington, who's about a year older than Neil Pierre, just got sold for $20 million. Jay Sugarman has dollar signs dancing in his eyes like a cartoon like Neil Pierre could go for $20 million this time next year. I don't think why is he's getting cheesecake desserts for all the kids.

We're going to full budget. Yeah. Will it be from sheets or Wawa? The other thing is was was Bradley Carnell just trying to get fired? Did he hate it in Chester? Because how do you go into this season and be like, yeah, this guy, he's not, I want to play. Jafat Sari Larson as many minutes as possible. Neil Pierre, sent him to another country.

He can't even make the roster. And then the other part of this, obviously, is Kevin Sullivan just having absolutely exploded over the past like 8, 10 games across all competitions since he started getting the ball more on the right side playing inverted. He's become one of the most effective 1V1 players in the league. And then on top of that,

Milan Alofsky actually playing as a forward. Right? Like all this stupid stuff that I cannot say enough bad things about Bradley Carnell. I can't believe that man won the Supporter Shield last year. We made so many brain dead decisions this season. And it's fun to watch the union ball out again. Even though I don't love the style of play, they produce some spectacular moments and the kids are leading them.

Philly's up to 13th in the east now, 19 points. that's five behind DC United with the final playing spot. The Red Bulls are one point ahead of that. And this is a team that now has five wins on the season. Four of them in their last four games since probably Carnot was can. There's still more to come.

The Kai Wagner move, remember when this was made and people were like, oh, he was a tan player. Then you sold him six months later. You bought him back for more that you sold him for. Now he's a DP, a DP left back. What are you doing? All of a sudden, the winning games, man.

And so it's been really fun to watch. And they weren't as good as best in the league last year, but they obviously weren't as bad as worse than the league this year. Even I didn't think it was going to be this quick as a turnaround. And Quinn Sullivan coming back, being healthy, being available. He was a huge piece of the start last year, which kind of set them on the trajectory of teams are chasing us, both in the standings and in games because they scored so many early goals.

They won a lot of the winnable games early in the season, which just set them up to sort of protect. the supporter shield before he got hurt and now he's back. And to me, he's the most creative force that they have 1v1. So he gives you this outlet and this ability that other guys don't give you, which just makes life easier for the Damiani's of the world where it's like, oh yeah, I'll score Tappans. I didn't know that that was an option.

If that's an option, then I'll be a goal scorer for this team. Alaski as well. And then as you said, Kavin's played at an all-time high level for him at a young age. So it's been pretty special to watch. Don't move us on yet. Tom, the most questionable tweet I saw this weekend from at Empire goss. Dot B-sky. dot social.

I think it's pronounced gas. Oh, is it? I have NYCFC in my inner circle of true MLS Cup contenders. That's a real ass win for Philly. Now, I agree with the second part. That was a real ass win for Philly. But even full health, I'm not sure how you get to NYCFC are in the inner circle of MLS Cup contenders.

Inner circle is three, right? It's Miami, Nashville, and Vancouver. That's it. That's where the circle stops. Okay. If your circle's that tight, I didn't know you were that tight. I didn't realize coming over. Is that a put, not a participatory,

after flying it, I didn't realize Doyle was so tight. If you're that tight, that's fair. You take a step outside of that. Give me two more. Chicago. and LAFC. Okay. I feel as fine about NYCFC in a playoff series right now as they do about Chicago.

I think that's fair. So that's where I was coming from. I need to know the hierarchy of real ass win. Where does that rank? What is the highest level of this category? Where does it? Is it somewhere near the top? Is it the top?

I think real ass is pretty, yeah. That's a full ass. So that's a lot of that's a lot of, that's a lot of it. But my namey ass. Listen, outside of the two, three guys, we're going to talk about coming up in Nashville, Miami and all this stuff. I think Fernando's Mercow is the best player in Major League Soccer.

Yeah, but he didn't even play. That would have like. I understand. But they're still. No, no. Now you're doing two different things. Now, the he just agreed with. The real ass win part, now you're questioning that.

But that doesn't question the inner circle thing. whether he plays in that game or not, NYCFC are still an inner circle team for me because he's on the team. No, because you have a big circle. Because he's on the team. I'm a loose circle guy.

Everyone knows that. I let people into my circle and then this is what happens. I get blindsided by a blind reading of a blue sky message as if we don't know who someone is. This is tough. This is a tough moment.

But yeah, I would say iron sharpens iron, bro. I see I still I would still have NYCFC well let's talk about Chicago best thing we saw this weekend Tom is there something you wanted to add Robert Levindoski walking around the Bears end zone like Brian erlocker this weekend because the Bears the Bears played a preseason game and usually when they still have the football lines on they at least make the end zone still green you can still see bears not this week this week it was just

they're both like a full block in the end zone like it had just been played they gave it like you're moving to McDonald's Park in a couple years anyway it's preseason I don't care we're not redoing the lines and there were two end zones in this game I saw a photo from pitch side and on a more serious note

it looked like the end zone where the goal is sloped a little bit like that was one of the worst pitches at least aesthetically if I can't you know physically confirm that there was a slope in the in the goal mouth. I don't know if there's quotes after the game about it, but that was some of the worst ascetics I've seen in MLS in a long time. And by the way, at that same time as you were playing a

preseason, a soccer game on a preseason field or soldier field, the Philly NCFC game was at Yankee Stadium and you could, like, if you had the double box up, there was a moment where the ball's near the goal and you could see the end zone and then the balls on the near touchline in the other game and you can see the infield diamond. It's just tough. Yeah, but that's a away looks gorgeous right now. This is our culture. This is what we do. It was a rough start to the day.

It was a rough start to the day. No, but credit to Chicago, they just blitzed. See what I did there? They blitz Portland off the field. And the game was over like in 20 minutes. Tom,

as much as I'm pumping up NYCFC, this is a really good Chicago team. Yeah, and this is a Portland team that's been on a really strong run. Marty Sifuentes took charge of his first MOS game. He should be notified what time kickoff is. I think that was one of the problems for him on his first game. He said after the game he goes, hey, credit, like they were better than us. Like they deserved to win.

And like Portland did fight back. Finn Sermon gets a goal in the 85th minute, but like Chicago, we're pretty controlling in this game. Like you said, they blitzed early. The Robin Lode goal was a beautiful long ball. I think that was it was Guitman. And Lode with a really nice first touchoff. chest that put him in a space and then a really nice finish. And we talked last show about Chicago needed DP 10. Like, Lode is still good. He's still solid. And we mentioned that. But it was

still really nice to see that moment of him getting beyond. And that's not what you think about with Robin Lode right now. You think about his quality, his creativity, his finishing touch when he's in around the box. It's not Lohendowski drop it in and Ludd making a run through the channel and outrunning defenders. So credit to them. And then DeVila gets another goal. and again, I think there's still more to come from Chicago. I still think that even if there is no new signing, though I hope and expect there to be a new signing, even within this group, there is enough quality and enough like,

oh, like, Salatros, like he's been a little bit better recently. He didn't start super fast. You have highly Salasi starting on one wing, and he looks good, and then you have Puso coming off the bench. There's no bomba there in this game until the 60th minute. So there's a lot to like within this group, and I'd still really love them to use that DP spot on a high-level signing, because as you said, as we just went through, like, our contenders, like,

there's somewhere in that, like, secondary list. And if the first list is three teams, which I agree that it is, you always have a chance here at trophies. And they're into the league's cup knockout rounds. And I don't know, like, there's a lot going well for Chicago. And I hope they take this moment this summer. I'd be shocked if they didn't go out and use that open DP slot. I agree.

I agree. But I said that 18 months ago. And I thought they were going to sign a DP 10, the first window that Greg took over. I thought so, too. but then they got Franco, right? And they really liked him. That was in the summer. Part of it, fair.

But like part of it was, so what I had heard is that like Burrhalter wanted to sort of assess what he had and then make decisions on that. That included selling Brian Gutierrez, which I still think they sold it too low a number. But then they brought in Andre Franco and they liked him. He got her. They're like, okay, let's wait and see when he comes back. He is back in training, but I don't think anybody should expect him to be anything close. to like a match winner in 2026, right? But then the other thing happening here is like,

okay, you sold Hugo Kuypers and you brought in Robert Lewandowski and he's not going to get any younger. So your window is right now. You have to make moves for that right now time frame. And on top of that, Jake Davila was awesome yesterday. It was.

He might be the worst player on the field next. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So there's all this stuff that they have to figure out. It's why I think even with that obvious need for a little bit more midfield creativity, they get so much of it from Gutman on the left and Zinkernagel on the right. It almost makes more sense to just bring in Gretzka.

Like get that guy who you know can play at a high level, can add both on and off the ball, can sort of even things out in midfield in those games. Davila just doesn't show up. And like, I think if they do that move, then they are, then it becomes a four team group at the top. They're in there, like kind of provisionally as a fourth team with Vancouver, Nashville, and Miami. I already, I already know what the answer to this is going to be.

But would you be underwhelmed or upset if it was Manu Garcia, a guy who already knows this league, who's not in a league? Yes, I would be upset. Difference maker, but you could get him in the door. Okay. I think he's very upset. Yeah. I'm upset that you even broached that as a question.

I don't think he stinks. I just don't think he's a DP 10, but like there is- Then why not keep Franco in load? Yeah. Well, the question is how much you're going to get from Franco in terms of minutes. I think that's the question.

I would rather have, I would rather have load in there coming out of midfield because Garcia doesn't move, right? He doesn't make, like that run that load makes to attack into the depth. Garcia's never going to make that run. Like, he could pass the ball. but like he like that's all he does but there's a lot of fit this was some one of the things me and time talked about last week is there's like two ways you can go with this group because

zincernago can be a chance creator for you and there are other pieces of midfield who can chance create or do you have someone like amano garcia who takes volume of touches and open up play for some of these other guys to be able to push higher and stay on the front line so if the Chicago Fire in this era of ambition and trying to be one of the truly big clubs in North America spends a DP slot on Manu Garcia. I like, I will be incredibly disappointed. I'll be,

I'll be enraged. Okay. Well, he's going to agree, so you don't have to worry. We will do our ice cream shop coming up soon. Big breaking news for Monu Garcia to talk about. You just see his name in the rundown? Is that why he connected to me?

It came from nowhere. No. No, I just, I think in watching some of the games this weekend, I think we underrate the lack of efficiency of bringing a new player into MLS and how long it takes and the comfort zone. And so is Mono Garcia being a six out of ten on the scale, but already settled and he's only on contract for one more year? I don't know if that's sprint season or the full 2027.

So it's like, probably the latter. So you go out. you get him and then in the last six months of his deal, you know, in the next summer, you let him go somewhere else for nothing. And you probably are giving up very little to get him back. Is that not more efficient in terms of win now than the ambition of, okay, Leon Geretska is going to go through his full preseason. Here's the five-week rollout for him to get comfortable to then learn how to play in this league and learn how to play in this group. That's the I would rather bet on Geretska there. I just don't think Garcia is a winning player.

man, someone just called him the new Sean Maloney. Now I need this to have been. Kennedy and Bonanike is not walking through that door right now. Okay, let's talk about the big games of the weekend. Before we move into that ice cream shop, let's start with Nashville. One of the big wins of the season, one of the big wins all time for them. We've talked about this over and over. The connections between them and Miami feel endless.

They came in the league at the same time. They've played big games against each other. I think the knocking Miami out of Concordcaf Champions League earlier this year was probably the like slaying of the dragon for Nashville of like we can do it. We can overcome them. But this was different. I saw people on social media who I don't know who were like, oh, I went to go see messy and Nashville are awesome. So now I'm a Nashville fan. Like that's the point of these opportunities.

And this wasn't, oh, we hung tight and we got the breakthrough. They dominated into Miami for. at least the first 45 minutes, if not the entire game. Doyle, it was a statement win. It stretches their lead for the Supporter Shield as well. So now they have a five-point lead over Inter Miami at the top of the Eastern Conference. And it was like everything they could have hoped for. Yeah, they were not just in terms of getting the performance from Elias Saad,

who is the fourth heat now in the attack and seemed to fit perfectly. next to Hani Mukdar and underneath, you know, Surridge who looked excellent and all that. But like, they have missed since Patrick Yazbek got hurt. They've been a less dynamic team. They haven't gotten that sort of thrust through central midfield because Matthew Corker, and he's really good. Eddie Tagseth is really good. But both those guys just hold, right?

They sit in front of the back four and neither really releases into the attack to any good effect. So instead, in this game, they just had Reed Baker Whiting. underlapping, like pinching in from left back and attacking through the Central Channel, both on and off the ball. And they completely undressed Miami tactically. And that ended up giving Sade and Mukdar in particular. And then Espinoza on the surgical,

it gave them so much time in these spots where these guys are lethal. And it was, look, it was brave. Because if you release your left back, like that, the guy who operates on that wing for Miami, where's number 10? And he scored a lot of goals in his career. And so you're risking Messi getting the ball in those spots with Maxwell Edgy kind of out on an island. And I don't think a lot of coaches have the stomach for that, but BJ Callahan did. And his team kind of took that energy and they beat Miami to death with it.

So Frank Dolan in the chat, legend, shout of Frank. Obviously, Reed Baker Whiting, aka Thais McGee those white hands out there they are something to behold but Doyle you mentioned sod the fourth weapon the fourth piece the fact that he works so hard off the ball allows some of that to now be even more open than it was because I mean there's the one play early in the game where there's just like a dead ball on the end line and he just pursues it and now it's a chance and it ends up a corner kick where it just should be into Miami lets it go out for a goal kick and they move on and this is a guy who's coming in on loan from the Bundesliga coming out of a World Cup meanwhile for the worst team at the World Cup but that's a different conversation and like he's Katari fair

don't worry MLS teams are lining up Uzbek signings now too so they've really watched the World Cup and have assessed what people enjoy watching but he like he went after this game he was so good along the left side and now doesn't this doesn't this make your your Gretzka point stupid because if Elias side can come in and instantly to climb the dies, don't we think that Lee and Goreska can do that. Maybe. Wouldn't be the first time. Wouldn't be the first time. Yeah.

Assad was fantastic, man. He's got, like the work rate, like you said, but he's got the sauce. He's got another kind of dimension to this attack. And then, like you said, the fourth heat, if they stuck you out there, if they stuck Doyle out there and me out there as the fourth attack or this team would still score a ton of goals, if it was a cone that they could just hit the ball off of her little wall, they'd still score goals. What's so scary about this team is If you add another

It's probably too early to call him a match winner But against Miami he was a match winner The first goal for Andy Nahar That was a fantastic piece of individualism He had the time to be able to make that cross Because he was dribbling really well against Miami And if you get too close to him He's going to go buy you

So he had the time to let the run from Nahar develop And put in a really good cross And an ingenious cross If he's somebody that you have to respect like that on a consistent basis. And I think he can be, but I just don't want to be premature, given this was, what, I think his second MLS appearance. I don't know, however many, this is very clearly his best moment so far in Nashville.

It hasn't been very long. He was one of the best players on the field. And it used to be a reliance on Muktar and Surridge. And then Christian Espinoza came in and he can win a game on his own. And now if Saeed does that too, this team, I would say is the best team in the league. and we're often, like, correctly hesitant to say that about anybody but Miami, even when, like, Miami loses a game like this, where Nashville was so very clearly the best, the better team on the field.

And then you feel dumb when Miami goes to beat, like, Sinci 4-1 or whatever was in playoffs last year, when they kind of stormed through everybody. It was like, oh, yeah, like, they are the best team to league. But with Nashville, the defenders can defend in space. They have a defined playstyle, and they've got what is possibly now for, winners in the attack and that is best team in the league type stuff. Oh my God. We we dunked on a couple of teams for inability to sign a human being centerback to play in Major

League Soccer and Will Ledzi. Well, Ledzi, I've been saying for what three months is my defender of the year so far. I'm not going to change that. Yeah, sometimes he dribbles himself into pressure to then get out of it. I'll take it. I don't mind. Yeah. Exactly.

Oh, Bessie's on me. Let me just hold it a little longer so that I could hold him off. And then when he flicks it for a goal kick, he turns to the crowd and pumps him up. I love it. But also his ability to win 1v1 battles in space allows more space for the wide guys to attack. And then even with the lack of thrust for goal scoring from Yazbek, who's back training, so they're hoping will be available. Palacios and Wolezzi dribbling through lines to break pressure, initial pressure,

and dribbling in the attacking third, like fairly deep, which causes you. to scramble and makes people make decisions. And now it's easier to play one-toos around them. It's a huge factor for this team. They are fun to watch. This was like out the opening west. So they were like, we're going to prove a point tonight that we are the Sporters Shield winners. This was why they rotated in Leaks Cup and I set it with the work they put in in

Cockcalf Champions League and the place that they sat here. They were the one team I was okay with shipping that competition and they made it worthwhile. where for some other teams, they just lost in Leagues Cup and then sucked again on the weekend. Like they made it worthwhile and that's fine. And now they have the inside track for the supporter shield. If they win it, I mean, I don't even know what I'm asking here, but they are the clear favorites, right?

At this point, yeah. Yeah. And, you know, I like to hear you defend the integrity of the Leagues Cup that like of all the teams that participated. Yeah, only Nashville. only Nashville could blow it off and avoid the ire of David Goss

I will say that I do think of the Lovlinz Delaney else got a contract out of his Leagues Cup play so this is how big this competition is he he looked fun that's my guy yeah I need to see more of them obviously I did not watch the Leagues Cup when I was in Spain but he

but I was lying in the open all the Lovelins highlights while you were in Bill Bowie I muted the group chat while I was in Pilk, wow. I gather. Don't think we didn't clock that. No days off.

Is that a chuggy? But the other thing I will point out, and I think this is a little controversial, but I came out of, I came out of this, just this game, just feeling this way. I think Nashville might also have an advantage over Miami in goal. And I think that's controversial. he's like, can we not play Miami every week so that I can start picking up those stats? Get me an assist.

Also, we need Rokos Rios Novos on the Little League field with Andrew Weeby learning that you're supposed to start back so you can run onto a ball instead of running under and then trying to adjust yourself backwards. That's like the whole lesson. Look, Tom wrote about it in the athletic this weekend and I agree with you. like Rios Nova has had too just like you lose the job errors in the past five games or whatever

it is since he was kind of handed the starting job. Those are also the same errors that Dane St. Clair was making the first half of the season. Like Dane St. Clair, the first half of the season, was not MLS goalkeeper of the year, Dane St. Clair. I do not think he's at all comfortable with the amount of ground he has to cover between his goal and the opposing and it would not shock me. I haven't heard anything. Don't aggregate this.

It would not shock me at all if Dayton St. Clair was on the trade block because that would be a way for Miami to open up some cap room to probably get a lot of gam in and they did just trade for an international roster slot. So it wouldn't shock me at all if there was an import coming to kind of solve the problem they have in goal. It's good, Tom, that Doyle listened to Sakharize while he was away, too. He didn't, he didn't unplug so much when we did like seven minutes on where you trade Dane St. Clair.

And that was really good, too. He just called his own shot. He's like, you know, don't aggregate me, bro. Yeah. Yeah, but don't say I said it. That was a bit. That was obviously a bit. And do not publish that I was mad because I'm not mad.

So this is. But, but, no, Doyle, the thing we came back with, though, is where would you, like, the amount he'll cost because he won't cost nothing. Right. Where would you send him in Major League soccer? I don't like say back to Minnesota. Exactly.

Because the issue that we came to is he needs to play in a team that plays deeper. He's a great shot stopper. He doesn't, he can't cover ground and he's not great on the ball. So it has to be a similar game states and there didn't feel like there are a lot of teams that play that way that are looking for a keeper.

It frustrates me because Because Doyle, so Matt Turner, after returning to New England, is once again one of the best goals he's in the league. You look at all of the shot stopping metrics, and he was historic in New England before he went to Arsenal. And then he goes to England and they say, okay, now we want you to be a sweeper keeper. We want you to be a deep lying playmaker. And then it broke him for a while. Like, with Dane St. Clair, why are you asking him to do things that he doesn't? No. Actually, Tom, I disagree with this.

So Jesse Marsh has a style of play And Dane St. Clair wanted to start at the World Cup And Dane St. Clair went to a club Which would require him to do those things To prove he could do them. And guess what? He can't. The haters were right. So he didn't start at the World Cup.

Good job by the haters. Good job by the haters, honestly on that one. So I think Tom to me that's the point, which is he took the shot as you should. And the shot is he's really good at something. He's not great at everything. And he's not the complete goalkeeper. Yeah, I think that's my frustration where teams do this.

And then, like, is it better to have Rocco Reos Novo? And to your point, like, there was a reason why St. Clarke got benched. But, okay, well, you have the reigning M.S. goalkeeper the year. Let him do the things that he's really good at. That's why you signed him. But then you potentially have to change your entire style. Although, I will tell you, I don't know what the style is right now for Interimami. It's like Casamaro cleaning up fires and then hope.

on the other side. If you have a great shot, how many times did we see Oscar Ustari or Rios Novos last year have blunders out, like because they're being asked to sweep up things behind the back line. So your style doesn't even providing value.

So then you get a goalie who doesn't fit that, but he's an incredible shot stopper. And if you're saving the goals added or whatever, goals prevented, sorry, then this team has so many model breakers in terms of expected goals with Messi and Suarez and others. If you're getting boosts like that, you don't need him to be a sweeper keeper.

You shouldn't need him to be a sweeper keeper. I just feel like that these are obvious little tweaks that they don't make. And teams like outsmart themselves or out-cute themselves or say, this is how we play and we're going to play this way because that's how we play. And then things like this, like if this was a playoff game and that that gaff happened with Riosnovo, which is maybe unfair because it's his worst or second worst moment of the season, except it's not all out of the realm of possibility.

This isn't a one-off. This will have. happen. And if that happens in a playoff series or a playoff game and that's how you go home, you look stupid. Are you ready to cue the, they're better without messy vibes? They were what, seven in a row wins and then Messi comes back from the World Cup and now they've lost the last two with him on the field. I think it's coming. It's all yours, buddy. Thank you. If you're listening to us via serious radio, thanks for joining us. We're going to go a little bit long here. So you can search

the show on the man player or anywhere you get your podcast. Let's move to the Western conference because quietly, now that Miami have lost, the best run in Major League Soccer has been the Houston Dynamo. So they knock off the LA Galaxy 1-0. They are now officially in second place in the Western Conference. They are sitting two points behind Vancouver, but Vancouver have a game in hand. And they moved on from their designated player center forward, as we talked about on the show last week, Tom. And it all seems to be fitting together pretty cleanly. Yeah, the Houston Dynamo second in the Western Conference after another win this week and they beat the LA Galaxy who got, I believe,

Ameri Garces is his third red card of the season. And you get suspended when you get these red cards. How does he played enough games to have three red cards? And another just disastrous decision. He has, he's not only not gotten better since his first half season and then he was integral to them winning him was cup. Not only has not gotten better. He's like actively gotten worse.

I don't get it. It's unfortunate. But Houston took that red card. They were already up one-nil. and they ended up seeing out the game and they beat the Galaxy, they get a win. They're four wins in a row now and those four wins aren't over like the best teams.

It's Galaxy, it's New England, it's sporting KC, and it's Austin FC. But you can only beat the teams you play and picking up the teams. I mean, there's a league's cup quarter finalist on that list. So watch out. It's a good point. And Houston are in a really good way.

The style hasn't been like, what was it, 24 when they got to the conference final. Like, was that the first season under Ben Olson? 23. It hasn't been that exact super aesthetic style, but it's been really effective. And this is a good example of a team like tweaking the way that they play to fit their talent. And I think that there's more to go.

I think it's not unfair to be a little bit dubious of the run itself. And that is not to like pour cold water on it. This will be their next two games are Vancouver and St. Louis, both on the road. Those will be very difficult games. But guess what? When you beat Kansas City, New England on the road and the Galaxy at home, if they come away with this with zero points,

it'll be obviously very disappointing, but it won't threaten their playoff chase, and it will threaten maybe their top four chase, but this team, I think that they're in a really good way. I think Duncan McGuire is going to be better than Ezeko Ponce for the attack, so that should help the attack, and so far so good in their defensive structure.

Yeah, they got a lot of stuff right this offseason that I was questioning, really skeptical about Guillermo being the big one, but the way he and Bogush work together is really, really good. Artur coming back and, man, this is a guy who I don't think he has any cartilage in his knees, but he doesn't look like it. And then they have between Halter and the kid they drafted, they have two. Augustine Reich.

Yeah, they have two really good centerbacks. Like, none of it is flashy other than when the ball is on Guillermo's foot or Jack McGlynn's foot. Like nothing about this is flashy, but it's just really solid. So they beat, they're beating the bad teams. And that's a sign that you're a pretty good team. Now over the next couple of games, they have a chance to show that they're a little bit better than that. Because as you said, Tom, the schedule's about to toughen up. I'm looking forward to seeing what they can be.

I kind of think that they're going to be a sit and absorb and try to hit on the counter team. And that might be smart. They might try to grab the game and drag it into the mud. we'll see if Vancouver and St. Louis allow them to do that. I will say I like even in that scenario, if they end up a home team in the playoffs and teams sit in, one of the issues for the team, what, two, three years ago when it was a Western conference finalist was like, how do they break teams down that are a little bit deeper?

Feels like the potential for a Duncan McGuire drops in, pulls a centerback, and a Guillermo, Bogush makes the run off the wing into a little bit of space or then dunking if it goes out wide can spin and be a near post runner for a finish fits at least and it feels like opening all those options up for jack mcglin has real potential to at least help you against teams we saw it a little bit against the galaxy in this game like duncan mcguire almost had a gorgeous assist on he he checks back back heals it with mickey yamane on his back so that bogus immediately can pick it up and be on the run attacking the goal So it feels like there's some nice potential there.

But yeah, this feels like a Houston team that's right now best of the rest in the Western Conference. So not an inner circle. No, no, no. The circle starts right above the edge of the circle. Okay. Right. The entryway as you start to dip down. So wait, you know what?

I'm going to back this up. Two things. One, we forgot to mention the fire have now won five games across all competitions for the first time in 26 years. For the first time. Yeah, they've got to apologize to Jaden Daniels. Yes. Second, Goss, I didn't prepare you for this, but name the teams in your inner circle. Do it.

I said them. We did this like 20 minutes ago. Yeah, the three you said, L-AFC and NYCFC. Chicago and NYCFC are the last two coming in on the edge. So it's Vancouver, it's Vancouver, Miami, Nashville, L-A-FC, and then NYCFCFC and Chicago are those. So Chicago are in the inner circle. And then it's Houston. They're approaching circles.

They're approaching circle status. I need to see what else happens in the transfer window. If Puso started every game, they'd beat her circle, but without Puso getting the full allotment of minutes, they're bordering on the edge of it. Although sitting Jonathan Bamba was a nice piece this weekend. So maybe that helps me feel a little bit better. But yeah, that's my circle.

Am I missing anyone that's obvious? No, I don't think so. Yeah. Maybe St. Louis. Wow. Okay, let's do that then. St. Louis, another big victory for them. they knocked off San Jose on the road 3-1

so post-hardle they get the win Simon Becher with a brace and Edelman with his first goal Doyle you think that they're for real and they can challenge at the top of the Western Conference? I think they're very much for real I don't think they have the firepower

to be an inner circle or even really outer circle contender but they're just motherfuckers to play against men like Edelman and Durkin together in the deep double pivot it. I know Betcher takes a lot of stick for his, you know, he's not a great finisher. Oh, yeah, not scoring goals. That's what he takes stick for. I was like, where is he going to go with this? Skit twice this weekend. Yeah, he's got four goals for assists on the season. So it's,

he's not Christian Coleman out there. It's fine for what the minutes he should play, the production is fine. Here's the thing. So much of what he does is what defines this team, right? It's like that point of attack defense. It's the shit housing. It's the unselfish offball run. If you look at that goal that Edelman scores, I think it was the opening goal in this game this weekend. It's better making that hard near post run to just clear out the six, the penalty spot for that pullback. Like all this stuff, okay, if you're going to go out and get a DP 9 and I'm sure they are, you better make sure that guy is doing all of that stuff as well. Because what Betcher gives them up top has been a catalyst for everything that,

everything good that has happened for St. Louis over the past four months. And it didn't fall apart when Marcel Hartel left, right? Like they went out and they played arguably their best game of the season in their first game without him. I think this was the first game without him. So like it, like there is some stuff here that isn't necessarily boxed. score stuff that's going really, really right for St. Louis. And I, like, yeah, Corey Ray has to go out and sign a DP attacker.

He has to probably go out and sign a DP number nine. He has to get the marginal stuff about that guy correct. It can't be just a fox in the box. It can't be just a guy who wants to score goals because they're defined by the fact that their center forward, in part by the fact that the center forward just does all the miserable stuff that nobody else wants to do. He does that at such a high level and it makes them so much more difficult to play against. This team, and they're doing it with, like, if we did look back at what we thought their, like,

best 11 would be in preseason when we were trying to project out this team. I don't know how many guys aren't it. Like, the Fallu Fall and Embake Fall, I don't know if they exist. I feel like I haven't watched them play once this year. I know that they've both gotten some minutes, but the back line of Polvaal. Bumgartnell and McDon. And they're playing really well. They held San Joseda.

I think it was like, I just had it up, like a 0.2 XG or something to that effect. Oh, you want a data? Gross. 0.19. They're completely dominant this weekend. The midfield, like you said, it's not flashy, but it's super industrial and it's controlling. And it's really difficult to play against with Edelman and Durkin. The wingbacks, they're showing what we thought they could be in Toitland and Volum when they

were signed 18 months ago, whatever it was. Like they showed some upside and they showed some flashes. And then now, like, if you're winning games over there and in the attack, one sad part, I think for me and fan favorite Edward Luevin, he might leave this summer. There was some talks over a new contract that didn't go anywhere. I know the teams within the league have inquired. I know that some stuff in Europe has come up. I swear to God, someone sent this to us.

I thought this was a bit. Like, oh, Hartle left. Everyone leaves. I literally thought this was real show. Oh, no, it's real. And it sucks because, like, he fits, like, Loven fits the, the Yoan de Mae style infinitely better than Bradley Cornell off Melbourne. Like, well, there was no Melbourne style, so that one was like to fit in. The black thereof, the ramble.

Go run around and try to kick people and get a couple of throw-ins. So, like, it's unfortunate, but that's just the nature of the game. And when your contract's coming up and the talks happen, and then if you don't sign a new deal or if it's very clear that one, probably isn't happening, then teams call. And then when teams call, the player gets his head turned. And I think that's where we are right now with Lovin. Who knows what happens over the next few weeks? I'm probably leaning towards a departure at this moment.

But, you know, it's very fluid and we'll see what happens. But I think that's the only sour note here because then that's another person they have to replace because he's very good. Yeah. Yeah. He's really good. Yeah. Hulsa played about 20 minutes along with Matan off the bench later on in this game.

and for St. Louis, so a reminder, they have the Open Cup semifinal. So that one's on September 16th. And there is an international break the week after that. So for most of these teams, there's about six games till that international break. And then there's two weeks off. And then we come back in October because now it's those extended windows where international teams will play like four games. So it's a pretty big break before then.

St. Louis has SKC this week. So a bad team. but a rivalry game on the road. Then they play Houston on the weekend, who we just said were the other hottest team in the Western Conference. And then they play Dallas the following weekend, who right now sit one point ahead of them, and then they travel to Vancouver.

So it's a really tough stretch coming up. It will define if they are in the circle or out of the circle, if they want to make a run at the circle. This is a good circle run right now to get there. But one of the things that's funny is the Open Cup semifinals is all teams where it's like what else do they have to play for? And I would argue at least three of the four have like remade their teams

and become super dangerous, right? Columbus, Orlando and St. Louis I'd put in there, Colorado. I did Colorado are trying to remake their team right now. Whatever. Colorado, like I'm not super high on them, but they have won three of four in league play since the world's repriming.

S.K.C. with two red cards at home. That first red card was I don't, I just the decision making, man. I it's like at some points I feel bad for Rafa Vicki like I'm sorry I forgot in the team talk to not leave your foot and try to break somebody's leg in the tackle in the first half I'll say that next game hopefully like it's crazy but we're going to be talking about St. Louis a lot over the next few weeks. Thanks that too. Let's finish up ice cream shop here because there are all these midweek games coming up. We mentioned Mono Garcia Tom you broke my heart. There's no Chicago in his future is he headed back to Greece.

He said it back to Greece. He was held out of the game this weekend. Ravovicchi did him a favor, I think. And he was told there was conversations about his future and he will be departing soon. It's a move. I forget the Greek club. It's been reported in Greek media.

Aris. There was, because he came from Greek football, like that's where he was signed for him and Shabby Soleimanov. There was a fear or at least likelihood that they were going to be. going to have to buy him out. So the fact that this is a trance, I'm sure that they have to eat money or some, but the fact that this isn't a straight-up buyout at this moment is considered a

win. And that will open another DP spot. I've kind of said it, maybe not directly enough, this summer that after they signed or as they're signing, Andre Louise, like they want to sign two DPs this summer. That's like it was Louise. They had the conversations obviously from Osala, which as we said a bunch of times was the long shot. They knew that. But that wasn't going to stop them from doing Andre Louise because they thought they were going to be able to sign or they planned to be able to sign two DPs. Jan Gobojo and Andre Louise, those were two players that they were negotiating for at the same time. I don't know if Young Gobo, if there's any activity there or not, but the whole point is

that wasn't a one or the other situation when they were doing it. So they have a lot of work to do, obviously, and Andre Louise, I don't think that's been announced or anything. But this team is going to keep trying to add to the attack, add to the team. if they're putting up $18 million for an Olympiaco's winger, some other, like they were chasing Sala, that was real, that wasn't fake money. And so Peter Malook is putting a lot of money into this team.

And there's a possibility that they come out the other side of this transfer window with upwards of $30 million worth of transfer fees and players. If, you know, if it's young, if it was Jan Gaboho and Andre Louise, that would be at least $36 million in transfer fees plus add-ons. And again, I don't know if it's going to be him or somebody in his profile, but the money's there. It's feeling a little bit like when Austin spent $30 million on Husman, Bukari, Uzuni, and Brandon Vasquez.

It's like, I applaud the ambition, but maybe a talent identification could use a little sharpening. I mean, it's U.S. Open Cup finalists and Leaks Cup quarter finalists, Merto Azuni. He's scoring goals now. I just want to check to make sure. So Mono Garcia played at Aris. That was the exact club. Did you know that Maro Garcia has a cap with the Spanish national team? There's no way.

Yeah, 2021. The entire Spanish national team tested positive for COVID. They called up the U-21s, and Mono Garcia started in a 40 victory over Lithuania in place of Sergio Bousquet. I've never heard that before. That's electric. Yeah. So Spanish International leaving Major League Soccer. Put that on the release.

Sporting can, do you guys know what the single season record is for negative? goal differential in MLS? No, what is it? Is it Cincinnati in like 20? Yeah, 19, 2019, their debut season, minus 44. Yeah, I knew it was in the party. They had like 71 goals conceded. Do you know what?

Do you know what sporting Kansas City's goal differential is right now? I just wanted to look it up. I'm going to guess minus 51. What? No, they're not there yet. You do. You played the game wrong there, Gus. Now what Doyle is going to say is going to, this is an insane number.

that now you're going to make it look small because you went away over the top. They're at minus 30, which is in 19 games. In 19 games. So they have 15 games. So it's just more chances for them to score goals and close that number. Yeah. Whittle that down. In most years, in most years, minus 30 is just about like the worst number for the entire season.

Right. There are very few teams that have been minus 34, like minus one goal per game or worse. like sporting Kansas City are approaching minus two goals per game. They are historically bad. And so far from what we've seen, the new signings have not made them better. And they've made a bunch of new signings since the start of the year, mostly in that defense.

So last year, DC United was the worst at minus 36. No one else was over at minus 30. But minus 36 was worse in Major League Soccer. The year before San Jose and New York, England were tied on minus 37. Yeah. So they are going to shatter that before we even get to that international break. And they're doing it in a season where the West is kind of down, right?

Like the West isn't as good this year as it has been the past three or four years. I saw some discourse about this online. It's a bad team. Like they didn't have a full senior roster coming into the season. do we think Raphael Vicky is the coach at the start of next season? No chance.

No chance. Yeah, I think that he for sure is by the end of the season because the club acknowledged that there wasn't a full roster in preseason. I don't know about the winter. Their last three games against at Colorado, home to Houston,

at L.A.F.C. They have conceded eight goals and scored none and at least three red cards. So Graham Zusi, head coach, sprint season? Davey Arnault could be available. Man, he's an SKC legend. Hashtag free Day on Yovledge.

Yeah. Stay strong, brother. Is there any chance that they sell him? I don't know why. I'm saying this for Deon Yovlidge. No, no, I get that. Kansas City, absolutely not. Put two hands around.

But if you're an MLS team, that needs a center forward. You have to come and ask, right? That would have been the Galaxy side. They signed for Ahashi, but they did end up having an open DP spot when Peckla. How funny would that have been? That would have been wild. He would not be going to play with his good friend Mickey Yamane, though, because Mickey Yomane has officially been sold.

I put sold in quotes here. This felt like, I don't know. Is there real money in this? I don't know. Yeah, I would assume not. He's been transferred to Japan, where he came from originally. He has started, I think, 12 games so far this season. It was obviously a huge performer for them in the MLS Cup run.

and one of it feels like a couple players who brought in at the right time for the right moment and probably made it harder to develop the players that you should have been developing. And now Maricio Cueva starts in Leagues Cup for a league MX team and Harbor Miller's playing left mid and whatever else when maybe they could have been playing. But that's just my thing. And the last one I had down here, Tom, is Kevin Kelsey bids from Rangers. This would be a sale. $10 million gets real, no, no quotes around it.

That gets real sales. Well, I didn't know that they could put that money on the piece of paper. Because if you write it down, you don't have to pay it. That's the Botafogo special. I just didn't know that I was even talking to somebody not at the rap, not at the timbers, talking to just somebody else.

And like, we were talking just about MLS news. They're like, I had no idea that they like had that like spending capability right now. So that's positive. But they don't, the timbers, why I keep seeing rapes? The timbers don't, They're not, they don't want to lose him. And Kelsey, as far as I understand, is not pushing for this one.

He will move at some point if things go well. Doesn't need to be the summer. They hope, in fact, that they hope it's not this summer after he's had a really consistent run of goals, run a form. And this is a kid who's played for, I think it's four teams in five years or something to that effect. He was, before he went to Shoktar, Donets, he played for two teams in South America. So he came through in Venezuela, and then he went to Uruguay.

Then he went to Shoktar. Then he went to Sinti. and then back to Shockstar briefly before coming to Portland. So I think he's had enough upheaval in his life. Now there's going to be a new coach, so there's always constant change anyway. But he's turned into quite a productive

and a good player in this league. And I think for somebody who's moved so much with no disrespect to Rangers, like if the idea is the Rangers isn't your destination that you're going to go somewhere else, why not to stay at Portland for another year and see if, you know, a high-level championship team or a league going, like wherever he thinks his future,

is wait here given how many times he's moved and have the chance to plan on Armadi Sufuelta and see if he continues that form. I just went through Rangers history on transfer market. You want to guess the last time they spent $10 million on a player is the heyday of probably before they went into bankruptcy because they didn't have the money to spend. That is correct. Was it Carlos Bolognaigra? No, it was not Carlos.

This book in Agra. Luis I'm going back. It was 2001. The summer of summer of 2000, they spent $18 million, $18 million euros on Torre Andre Flo from Chelsea. And he was a World Cup legend with Norway.

And man, I'm just looking through this. They have, he is the only. $10 million transfer, $10 million plus transfer in club history. And it was over a quarter century ago. So this is a real. At the time, that was $100 million signing.

That's like killing and $1 billion. That was probably like one of the five biggest transfers in world history at that point. So that tells you at least how serious Rangers are about it, assuming that this is a real offer. But I think that- Grow up. Give it, given, given how good Kelsey's been this year and his improvement curve and, like, how many tools he has, because he's big, he's strong, he's fast, he hits the shit out of the ball with that left foot of his. And now he knows where goals come from. Like, they're right to say, no, you're going to need to give us $13, $14 million to part with this guy.

Counter, Portland are bad. It's hard to score goals on bad teams. And it's a year later and he hasn't scored any more goals and the team's bad. That's the other thing that could happen. I'm just throwing that out there. You're worried that this is the peak of his value. $10 million. I mean, I tried to sell Kevin Denke last week for $15 million to haul.

I don't know. Sometimes it just feels like that would that's like selling out a loss. No, I don't think you sell Denke at a loss at this point. Okay. Whatever. This is why I don't run these teams because I would just sell everyone at a million loss and be like, oh, I got out of it. Thank God. All right, let's go sign the next player. Portland will be back on the field midweek. We've got a decent slate of games coming up for

these midweek matches. I think Portland's playing San Diego, which is a fun one because they've both been in pretty good form. Yes, they are. 10.30 p.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday night. That goes along with the Cali Classico, which we expect to see Chuky in once again. Sergio Roberto did not make his debut this weekend. And then Vanquist, Hoover, Houston, and SKC, St. Louis, all out west. So a chunk of really good games, and then the Ryan Richter, Philadelphia, Union, host Inter-M Miami to start the night. So across the board, a good slate of games for us to dig into on Thursday when we come back.

Tom? Miami, Philly, for those who don't remember, played in May. Miami-6, Philadelphia, 4. And that was when Philly couldn't score and refuse to play attacking soccer. So get ready for the breaking the algorithm, Kevin Sullivan, Lionel Messi, like one time they brush shoulders as they walk by each other. And everyone doing space jam recreations and stuff of the power. Anything for the midweek, you guys are looking for anything to note? No.

No. I don't think so. Surviving in advance and through all the games, man. Of course, of course there's a 15 game midweek slate. It is tough that like literally just rattled up. there are like six really good games this week. And it's, oh, what's the rotation going to look like? What are teams going to put together, you know?

And then for teams in Leagues Cup, the following week, they will go into the quarterfinals. So for those four teams, they have to decide they've got four games over the next 14 days, 16 days, in which one of them is a knockout competition. So a lot going on for all of those teams. A lot going on for us at Soccerwise. We've got our NWSEL show that will be coming out on Wednesday. we've got our new U.S. show that we're going to be digging into some yanks abroad and looking forward at the 2027 women's World Cup depth chart for the U.S. on Wednesday. And then we'll be back on Thursday because we have a full slate of games from Wednesday night for us to break down and for us to talk about.

So we'll be up until 1 a.m. then we'll turn it around and rip a show. And then Friday, we have our first ever open mic episode on the Soccerwise channels. It will be with Vanny Sartini. So 45 minutes or so of me chatting with Fannie talking about everything he's. He's been through and his thoughts on coaching, on development on the soccer scene in North America, the U.S. and Canada. He worked for the U.S. Soccer Federation when he first came over as a coaching teacher for the USSF, worked with MLS coaches to start, and then all the way down building development plans coming out of Italy. So it was a super fun conversation. Hopefully we'll have them on again after this, but I think people are really going to enjoy that one to set themselves up for the weekend.

We are glad to have Doyle back. It's always good to see you, Tom, sporting the stripes. I'm a little sad. It doesn't feel like it's pure horror on that one. But it's still a really strong look for you. Tom was going seven in a quarter inning, seven and third innings back in 2016. But now in retirement, he's games gone. He's got the Knicks hat as well.

He's on a pitch count, yeah. Yeah. We've just been watching highlights for the last few days. Thank you to everyone in the chat who was here live. always fun to have you and thank you to all of you for listening and we'll talk to you again very very soon