Josh

The original is unserious but the cover is something else

youtu.be/HWZisnZ-RGE?...

youtu.be/8iwmdq_clSQ?...

Timbers now also topping the table in Leagues Cup by picking on the riff raff. One very good half in two games but also an entire half up a man against the bottom of LigaMX and diddly to show for it. Got a feeling they are going to get found out by América.

One my deepest beliefs is that when teams decide to play nose-to-nose on a purely soccer basis vs Sounders rather than lily-livered bunker-and-counter, Seattle will win easily because they are simply better at the actual game of team soccer. Last night only confirmed that belief!

Ryan Kent deserves a special shoutout tonight. He went full Concacaf, stayed physical and made himself the target of so much of Cruz Azul’s emotional energy, keeping the pace of the game in Sounders control in the first half. A Coaches pick over the hot hand and he delivered in important ways.

By far Gene Roddenberry's most outlandish idea about the future was that workplaces would be essentially frictionless meritocracies where upper management is both totally competent and humbly willing to accept feedback. Makes warp travel seem realistic.

Sounders used to be kings of the summer signing. Now their conference rivals are having bona fide conversations with players holding worldwide reputations while Seattle has locked in no significant 2nd window signing since 2021 (and Chu as ‘significant’ might be generous). The facts hurt.

As a kid who played for the “Ballard Soccer Club” in the 80s 🤩 Perfect summer evening and quality possession soccer to win it. Soccer Heritage is a beautiful thing to behold.

Timbers nibbling at Sounders heels in the table by over performing their ASA xPoints by 11 so I had to look into it. They’ve slapped around the lower half of the table (mostly Teams with Problems™️), and until Friday had taken just 2 points from teams up the table. Looking like a Paper Tiger.

Jesús Ferreira's g+ contributions per game are improving over the course of the season becoming more consistent game-to-game.

Via @americansocceranalysis.com g+ we're starting to see Sounders' Jesús Ferreira more consistently impacting the game in his role on offense after taking a while to bed in. With Morris now out for a while these are good signs at an important inflection point in the season.

YouTube video by Seattle Sounders FC Interview: Brian Schmetzer speaks to media following training

A Sicko Salute 🫡 to @elrolonw.bsky.social & @jeremiah.sounderatheart.com for recently giving Schmetz a hard time about not giving Pedro opportunities on the left (at 6:55). Brian was non-committal and yet here we are the day after a win PDLV orchestrated from the left.
youtu.be/sXfHHRMbkCc?...

Wild this is a correct take about the longest tenured DP in MLS history

Revisiting Rothrock's 2025 contributions and his output is among the best of those occupying the cheapest roster spots in MLS. Originally planned as an Arriola understudy on Sounders' left, he has already caught up to Arriola's most recent goal contribution count in each of the past two seasons.

Like I said.

Looks like Reed might get another chance at a real run for Sounders after that Nouhou middle finger to the ref. Let’s hope he seizes the moment.

In all seriousness the question of the week is how is it that Paul Rothrock is starting over Pedro de la Vega? That half was the answer. Mobility. Positional discipline. Winning battles.

“Lack of composure” is a theme across a number of positions lately. Brian is looking to trust someone. That said, a young player is never going to find that composure riding the pine. We need to see an actual run of games from Reed and fate continues to conspire against that ever happening.

it is hard to convey in words how bad the bloodbath has been for professionals working in the "not evil" sectors

There are no distractions. It's all bad. Systematically stripping trans people of their rights, guys in balaclavas shoving any brown person with a tattoo into a ummarked vans, ending healthcare for millions. It's all in service of fascism and technofeudalism. It's all one thing. That's the point.

Sent to me from a source who took this video yesterday who says LAPD pushed an unhoused person walking in the crosswalk. The fall caused the woman’s head to crack open. LAPD dragged and left her bleeding on the sidewalk, providing no medical care. The person a group of onlookers took her to the ER.

On Instagram, a pictured ICE agent says he is "not picky" about who he deports.

This ICE agent tells an immigration attorney of her three clients: "I'm not picky so I'm giving you the options cause I have to take one. If not I'll take all."

He is quite literally saying that ICE is simply deporting people at random to meet a quota.

www.instagram.com/reel/DKzbcQe...

In what should be a special opportunity to showcase American soccer to the world, somehow the MLS apparatus decided that it was a good look to appear to be exploiting some of its most tenured and decorated players who’ve spent a decade raising the ceiling in the league.

The league viewing this as a depersonalized CBA dispute is on brand and missing the point. For this group of players this is personal because they actually climbed the mountaintop. Why is MLS resisting setting their teams up to make an historic impression to change the narrative?

Yeah the ‘good faith’ I’m thinking is more about is simple willingness to have a productive conversation. As you covered, the uncertainty about the pot size until recently made it hard to effectively litigate much of anything until that number was known. A tough situation all around.

Jeremiah’s take is comprehensive and the comments are spicy. Something relevant that isn’t getting mentioned is how this current CBA came to be under duress in the midst of the pandemic. Players worked with the league on that. Why no reciprocal good faith conversation? apnews.com/mls-proposes...

A great explainer and I would add: though the qualifying win was in 2022, 8 of the 11 who started that final leg 2 and two of the subs are still Sounders mainstays, so it is in fact $$$ these specific players earned. (Also the CCC winner pot in 2025 is now 10x what is was in 2022…)

Nashville’s Latin American supporters group halts game-day traditions amid ICE crackdown: "We feel targeted" La Brigada De Oro, the heart of Nashville SC’s supporter culture, halts festivities as Latin American communities face heightened immigration enforcement and fear for their safety

La Brigada De Oro, a vibrant Nashville SC’s supporters' group, is canceling game-day festivities today amid a wave of increased ICE activity.

"We're suffering. We're hurting a lot. We feel targeted."

A look at the ASA model outputs for the Rapids in 2025 is wild. 3 of the last 4 games with 2.3+ xPoints, where last week's effort that would have won if not for a 90+6 goal from Houston. Also two uninspired xPoints totals where they still logged 3 points? Sounders have a hill to climb Saturday.

YouTube video by Fela Kuti Fela Kuti - Expensive Shit (Edit) (Official Audio)

mood

youtu.be/9gjld6R107Y?...

xAG per 90 thru 6 games in the 2025 MLS Season. Georgi Minoungou - .71. Lionel Messi - .69

Lotsa talk about Georgi as the fill-in at 9 with Moose out for Sounders. Fine I guess. He’s been doing pretty good in his normal position tho…

I'm 18. The economy enters a once-in-a-century recession. A Republican president is responsible.

I'm 29. There is once-in-a-century pandemic that leads to a once-in-century-recession. A Republican is responsible.

I'm 35. Tarriffs trigger a once-in-a-century recession. A Republican is responsible.

Sounders scored an xPoints of 2.583 on Saturday via American Soccer Analysis but only managed a draw for 1 actual point. This is Sounders highest xPoints value awarded without actually winning the game.

Saturday Sounders logged their highest xPoints per the ASA model in a regular season game without bagging an actual 3 points going back to the start of the 2018 season. Even without first choice attackers in the lineup the disconnect between the x and the actual in this game felt notable.