SoccerWise - Weekend Recap: Vancouver Falters, USWNT Shine, CWC Chaos & MLS

Episode Date: June 2, 2025

The weekend has come to a close as has another years CONCACAF hopes for the MLS family. David talks through the Caps collapse in Mexico City and what the overall run has meant. Then he hits the rest of the weekends' highlights starting with the USWNT dominant 3-0 in Minnesota and then LAFC qualify for the Club World Cup & their crosstown rivals win their first game of 2025. Soccerwise Live 2pm ET Every Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday on Youtube/Twitch/Twitter

Hey everybody, welcome back to Sack Boys here for the weekend recap show. I am in the hotel late at night after a devastating finish to the weekend for anyone who was rooting for Vancouver or an MLS team. So sorry if I sound a little bit quieter than usual. I of course am David Goss. If you didn't join us on Saturday night for our first ever live call in show, it is available to go watch on YouTube on our YouTube page if you want. If you did, thank you for being there. Anyone who called in, really, really appreciate it. Some awesome questions about DC United, Nashville, NYCFC, CONCACAF in general, as well as about this Vancouver team. So a lot of really fun conversations. I really enjoyed it. As well as our special guest, Jeff Rooter joining us

from Allianz Field to talk US women's national team. We had the voice of Sunday Night Soccer, Jake Ziven with us, as well as Eric Valentin to help talk about what was going to go into the game today for Minnesota, which went very well for Zarek. So he owes soccer wise for the good luck and some other fantastic guests as well. Ben Wright, Bobby Warshaw. It was such a good time. Kavincho, who luckily as well, we got a win for Kansas City for him. So it was a fantastic time. And we're going to work on putting it together again. But if you have any thoughts, feel free to send them to me. If you're in the discord, send it there. If not, you can, you know, skeet at me on blue sky, comment anywhere in our YouTube or in our on our Instagram page.

Let's get into the highlights of the weekend. Some of them were low light, some of them were highlights and we've got to start with this Vancouver game and man, I don't even know. This is a weekend, we'll talk about a couple games where one team just didn't show up. I think we all saw it of course in the UEFA Champions League with Inter Milan just not being anywhere near where PSG was and it felt the same and this one maybe even on a bigger magnitude because you're also playing at a home field with Cruises Zouel hosting this game, although not in their actual stadium, which Hercules Gomez talked to us about on Saturday night on our live show. But for Vancouver,

I think the positives, huge traveling support, awesome away section of Vancouver fans in Mexico City. This fan base has rallied around this team. We saw the crowds for the Inter Miami home game in the semi final, you know, for a fan base that having messy come, it was all white jerseys and the banner said you made a stream again, and a city that's either falling in love with this club or falling back in love with this club or showing their love for this club, whatever term you want to use. This has been a ridiculous start to the year Vancouver of course are still in first place in the Western Conference, still in first place in MLS on points per game with some games in hand because they missed the game against Portland this weekend.

But this was a brutal one for this team. The force change in midfield Sebastian Berhalter suspended because of yellow card accumulation, picking up two yellows across the two semifinals games. Shouldn't have been suspended for this. It shouldn't be the way the rule is set up. But it is the only other real lineup decisions I guess you could say so JC Nagando comes in for Borja Halter. Jane Nelson got the start on the wing. It's between him and Emmanuel Sabi for the most part. Daniel Rios has played there a little bit. Sam Atakube since coming back healthy has pretty much taken over. The big

game starts from Tate Johnson at left back, but he got the start as well. The Vancouver just never showed up. I talked about it a bit this week of like, if you watch the Monterey game on the road, even parts of the Pumas game, you kind of knew Vancouver was going to come in and sit in a little bit early, try and keep their lines tight, start to build confidence. Normally they break out at some point, whether it's through a combo ball over the top for white, whatever it is, then they start to move their lines up and connect their passes. But they never got to that second part. In this game, they defended deep, they were terrible in possession. Two brutal mistakes trying to build out of the back led to the first two goals. The first one I thought was a compost fault on first watch in watching back. It's not really his fault. He comes inside on the build out in his own defensive third tries

to link up. I couldn't tell. I think it's with Kubas as well. The back pass is hit a little bit too softly. I think the field ran pretty poorly for Vancouver overall this game. You saw them slip a few times. The ball died on them. I just think they weren't fully comfortable. Not the reason that this game happened because I don't think there's one specific reason it happened. First turnover, when that moment happens, Vancouver is in their build out setup. So the center backs are really wide. And the ball just perfectly gets tipped away into the path of an attacker in on goal. And it's one zero. The second one Kubas tries to play a ball in midfield again, same area in the build out trying to connect with I think it was Nagando on that one. And he just tries to play an open foot soft pass. He plays it directly into the defender in front of him. The ball bounces up and this thing is just smacked in

off the post. Nothing. Takayoka could do about it. Nothing. Vancouver could do about it at that point. Third goal comes from a quick throw in, cross played in and you just see these moments compounding. No one defending on the right side. Center backs don't get goal side of their player. No one reacts quick enough once the ball is played and Cruz's rule was perfect. Like you watch this game, you watch the fourth goal. Cruz's rule is knocking the ball around every single side of the field, everything to perfection. Balls played with the right weight, first touches clean, second ball is played cleanly. Eventually Kubas comes back, defends that one away,

it falls to Mateusz Bogusz and the LAFC, the former LAFC attacker, annihilates this thing into the back of the net, makes it 4-0. At 2-0, I had put a message in the discord saying, you know, this Vancouver team has been dangerous. I don't think they'll get shut out. They're still in this game, score the first one, make it to one, let Cruises will get nervous. They couldn't even get close to that. They did not end up having a shot on goal in this game. And they were never able to settle. And if you look at this run, I think for Vancouver, there's definitely like a team is the star situation for them, right? Everyone has elevated their game. Everyone has played well. But on top of that, think if you say who have been the stars of this run, Kubas is in there, of course. Pedro Vite is in there, Sebastian

Berhalter is in there. And then I would say editor Ocampo has been a huge part of this as well in terms of game changer, as has been Brian White. Berhalter was suspended, Kubas played the worst game he's ever played, Okompo was subbed off at halftime and Vite was subbed off about 10 minutes after that. Just kind of goes to show how bad this went for this Vancouver team and Veselinvic did the interview after the game and sort of said, yeah, they beat us in every single way. We weren't ready for this game. We thought we were ready and we weren't which is hard to imagine because of the tests they've been put under Miami away, Monterey away, Pumas away, Sapriso away. It's not like they haven't been in big games, but

CruiserZool has been sitting around waiting for this game for two weeks and that could lead to rust. In this one, I think it led to a team that had 110% to give out the gate. And I think there will be a conversation now about this Vancouver team choosing to play on Wednesday, having to play on Wednesday, whatever term you want to use. And it was their option not to reschedule the game. But you could come back and say why does MLS have a midweek game scheduled for any team going into the CONCAC champions final, which is a really good question. And I think you can look at a Vancouver team and say they've played in this competition, they're playing in Canadian Championship, which are two legative fairs. So while they've rotated

their team, still games you have to get up for. And they are on points per game, the best team in Major League Soccer right now. They've only missed that one, I think it's one game. So far, they've moved one game around. So it's not like they've had a ton of games off as well. So even if you're saying it's fine to have played on Wednesday and Sunday, which is what Zarek sort of explained to us about the workload you're putting on your body anyway. And the way Jesper Sorensen was able to rotate most of the key players only played 45 minutes, although I said Thursday, I'm just Kubas played 90, which I thought was bizarre in that game. And he ended up having the worst game that I've ever seen him play in this. So I think there's

probably something tied in all of this. And I think we're going to dissect all of this and I'm sure the club will as well. One closing point, the feeling is Vicente Sanchez is going to be let go from Cruz Azul that the next few coaches are already lined up even though he was still had a final to go and ended up winning it. This is a guy who played in MLS for three or four years in Colorado and in Houston and then ended up in Rio Grande playing in USL. So it'd be interesting if a young head coach with a little bit of MLS experience now obviously beating MLS teams, maybe he gets a look at what ends up being either the current openings in MLS or a future opening to come. On the international side, US women's national team 3-0 win against China at Allianz. It was a dominant

performance. First 10 minutes China came out pressed a little bit higher, maybe than you would have expected. Put themselves in a pretty dangerous spot. The US completely responded to that one though. Their ability to play dangerous balls out of deep midfield with Lili Johannes and Sam Coffey in those areas. And then of course, the front threes ability to terrorize any backline and the fluidity as well. You saw Alyssa Thompson coming off the left side a ton. She comes off the left side as a finisher in the box slips can't keep her feet but keeps the ball alive for Kat McCarrio on the opening goal and then comes off the left wing on a long ball into the right channel from Lily Yohannes is able to be physical with the defender keep the

play alive and create that goal as well which ends up on Sam Coffey's foot. Coffey set up the first goal with a gorgeous turn under pressure all the way on the right sideline closed down looked like it was going to the ball was either going to go negative or be turned over. And coffee is able to soul roll down the line, spin away from the defender and start to charge into the attack and create the chance and then scores the goal. I think this is what we're seeing from Coffey and Thompson with their clubs. They have been asked to elevate their games, be the center of their teams and their stars.

And I think they've done a really impressive, impressive job with that. Fallon Tullis-Joyce, another huge performance, another shutout for this team as she tries to win the head goalkeeper spot. And Lola Bonta able to make her debut off the bench, which I think was a really, really cool moment. They will play Jamaica this Tuesday night here in St. Louis. LAFC are headed to the Club World Cup to one win over Club America. It was the late window on Saturday night, this thrown together game nine and a half million dollar game. And it was awesome. High tempo, high stakes, the environment off the charts. One goal behind it looked like the Azteca. The other goal behind it the 3252 like this was fun. It's one of the reasons the club World Cups a little unfortunate. Seattle Sounders will be the only team that

plays home games at this club World Cup. When you have now LAFC shows what this atmosphere could look like. It was a dramatic game. Club America, I think was a stronger team the first 4550 minutes, they get the go ahead goal through a penalty kick. And then LAFC they're throwing everything at the wall to bring on David Martinez, they bring on Olivia Giroud, they're looking for a chance and it ended up being Igor Jesus, 89th minute equalizer off a corner kick that sends us to extra time. And who else but Denny Buonga in extra time. It's this like quick snapshot. I don't think Sharud setting it up for him. I think Sharud's taking a first touch and Buanga runs past him, sees the ball

and snaps at it. And he hits that ball, especially at home. The way the field runs at BMO, it's quick, it's well cut, it's always watered. You see the ball just fly off the grass and Buanga loves to hit like a laser laces ball on the ground that just beats goalkeepers and is able to accelerate off that half bounce. He does it once again in this one. He's so fun to watch and I'm excited for this. LFC played Chelsea on June 16 in Atlanta, then Esperance from Tunis from Tunisia in Nashville four days later and they finished with Flamengo in Orlando. Are they going to get out of this group? Probably not. Can they get results off some of these teams? I think so. But I will say for LAFC, I think what you saw in this game is they're set up pretty well for games like this. They want to

sit in, they do have danger in transition. They've got experience in lorries, they've got experience up the spine. They've got depth with Frankie Amaya now in this team as well Marlon center back depth that they can use Eddie Sakura coming off the bench in this one Olivia's your rude right now coming off the bench as a boba. He got the start in this one and the play of or does so if any MLS team is set up to do it I think this LAFC team is one of them speaking of the the Club World Cup, the other two, Seattle and Miami had big weekends. Seattle, the only other game here on this Sunday, and they wore shirts in their warm up protesting that the Club World Cup winnings being distributed via MLS because of the way the CBA was signed are restricted in how much money

the players are going to get out of this. You talk about that nine and a half million dollars in that game. And then you talk about every single game, ties, wins, there's more bonus money that's going to be given to the teams because of the way the CBA was signed years ago without knowing that a club World Cup type thing would exist, that earnings is capped very, very low. I think it's at $750,000 for all of the players combined, maybe it's a million dollars out of the what could be 10, 12, 15 million dollars for this team. So the players wore the shirts in the warm ups, they wore the shirts for the photo right before the game. The CB of the MLSPA put out a

message afterwards, you know, sort of promoting the stance and what the players were doing. And I hope that they are at some point compensated fairly for this and for the what they're going to do because I think especially with the Seattle group, they have earned this opportunity over a number of years of high level play, playing a ton of games. Look at what Vancouver just did. Look at what they went through. Seattle had to do it across two legs in a final. They've had to maintain high level performances before then and since then. They've earned every single penny that they should be getting. Unfortunate for them that then this game didn't play out how they'd like.

Minnesota did what they did. No possession, dangerous on set pieces, dangerous in transition, a ton of different finishers who can kill you. They took the lead in the 51st through Tani Oluweshe and then a second goal on a penalty kick. Seattle made it 2-1 and then they stretched lead for Minnesota at 3-1 through Oloche again, and they end up hanging on for a 3-2 win over this Seattle team. But pretty much everything else we saw on Saturday was a shock result.

I will say this one was too because Minnesota had never won a game at Lumen Field. So this was a big moment for Minnesota and once again to Zerrick Valentin, you're welcome. So you can come back on to soccerize anytime and that way we can be your lucky charm for you. This was not the only big surprise. Miami against Columbus was the biggest game of the weekend. Two of the top four teams in the East, two of the top four or five teams in the league and Miami smoked Columbus 5-1. It was the biggest game and it was a performance under Nance that we have never seen before. Mental mistakes, physical mistakes and Miami took advantage. Two goals, three assists, four messy playing Columbus off the field and Miami I think establishing that they're back two wins on the week after beating Montreal at home. What nine goals across two games

in a four day span at Chase Stadium. So I think a clear definition that Miami has ideas that they can still push for the shield. Once again, I toot my own horn on this every time I end a huge factor scored the opening goal for them in this one. Some other big results and wild ones in Orlando, Chicago a 3-1 win. Pedro Gaias just dropping the ball into his own goal for the opening goal for Zinkernagel to take the 1-0 lead and then Kipers two goals in literally two minutes, back to back minutes, goals for Hugo Kipers. He's got 10 on the season to make it 3-0 in the opening 34 minutes I think it was for this Orlando team against this Orlando team for Chicago and Orlando. Noah Raho in this one because of

the red card suspension, maybe showing a lack of concentration, maybe showing a lack of depth for a team that I thought had turned the corner. And now some big question marks from them. NYCFC came from behind on the road at Nashville. They got throttled in the first half. Matthew Cochran was incredible for Nashville set up the two goals. Surge scored both of them. One set up by Honey Mukhtar with the final touch the other one from wheel similar areas, both of them getting past surge and then laying it off for him to finish Nashville in possession looking clean, dominating this game and then Keaton Parks came on at halftime for NYCFC as he works

his way back from injury. And he changed the game, had a goal and an assist in this one, or I actually haven't checked yet if he got credited for the goal. So maybe two assists in this one. And you saw his presence ability to drive forward in possession, understanding of when and where to make runs out of midfield to be the next attacker to pick up the ball to help create space. He has shown anytime he's on the field that he's one of the best central midfielders in MLS and he did so once again. So heartbreaking result for Nashville. I think overall you continue to see there's a different team under BJ Callahan and has a ton of potential in the league. For St. Louis, the David Critchley error has begun. They got a much needed win 2-1, Loeven with a late penalty kick, taking advantage of some of the worst defending

and goalkeeping we saw on the weekend from San Jose. A heavily rotated group from Bruce Arena, Earl Edwards Jr. A huge mistake on the first goal. They were as Jauklaus headed the ball to himself and then ended up finishing it getting on the end of his own header because Earl Edward Jr. didn't come off his line in time. Then a mistake in defending on the second goal. Simon Becher breaks in on goal. Earl Edward Jr. takes him out. I don't know that there's much else you can expect from him in that moment and then Leuven puts away the penalty kick. So first win under a new coach. FC Cincinnati lost at home to DC United. Cincinnati has given up nine goals across

the three games this week. They've scored six themselves, but it hasn't been enough to get the results they want. One of a potential nine points and this one against a DC team outside the playoff spots. This story is unbelievable. Gabriele Priani scoring and celebrating and Troy Lassane's face last game saying he should be a starter gets the start, scores an almost exact same goal in the opening 10 minutes and DC goes on to win this one to one at FC Cincinnati. So big result for DC United. And the final one that shocked us all this weekend, the LA Galaxy won a soccer game. The LA Galaxy have won a soccer game for the first time in what, seven months? But the last one they won was MLS Cup this year, probably gone for being competitive,

but they've been getting better and better as the weeks have gotten along. I had said on this show a couple of times, I'm shocked that they didn't get a result against San Diego. I'm shocked that they didn't get a win against LAFC with the way they played. And you I was shocked that they didn't get a result against San Jose as well. But they end up finally getting a win this time against RSL and the LA Galaxy have now entered the conversation with every other MLS team as having a victory this year. Final note from the weekend because of injuries, three new players have been called into the US MNT, Walker Zimmerman, Nathan Harreol and Paxton Aronson have been called in to replace

Dewan Jones, Sean Zawadzki and Florian Balogun. So none of them like for like changes. When you really look at this Zimmerman and Harreot are probably both center backs for the national team. Maybe Harriot could play at fullback, but he's been really, really good at center back for the Philadelphia Union and Paxton Aronson more of a wide attacker or a number 10 if you want. But I think there's enough flexibility in this group that you can now say, oh, then we can move other pieces around to make this work if we have to. We've got a bit of a different schedule this week. I'm going to be at TSD starting on Tuesday.

And Jordan is out for her birthday, and Tom is traveling. So I'm going to try and bring you some shows when I can. I'm working on a Tuesday show closer to our normal schedule. And then I might try and grab some interviews from some other people to put together for you. But anything you want to hear, feel free to shoot me a note. I know we built a Discord channel already for TST. I think a lot of people are excited to have a nice 12 hours straight of some random soccer. There's some really fun names in there. There's some really fun matchups. And I'm looking forward to calling the games that I will be on. And there's a bunch of other soccer going on. World Cup qualifiers come back this week in CONCACAF

and in Comma Bowl Nations League stuff in Europe. NWSL is back on Friday night, a full weekend of NWSL. A slightly off weekend of MLS. I think there's about five games next weekend. And then of course the USMNT plays on Saturday against Turkey. So a ton for us to cover. And we'll be here the entire time. All right, I'll talk to you again very, very soon.