3rd Degree the Podcast #259

[00:00:00] Speaker A: Boink. Good. [00:00:04] Speaker B: Yeah. Ooh. Ooh. Third degree the third degree Napa third degree the third degree nerd podcast Third Degree the Third Degree Nerd podcast Third Degree the third degree Nap podcast third. [00:00:29] Speaker A: Degree the podcast is brought to you by Soccer 90 Dot. They're your source for all FC Dallas, us national team and International Club gear. The Dallas Burn and Truban military Appreciation Hat is now available at Soccer 90. As a third degree listener, you can get 20% off anything you buy in store or online. Simply mention the code third degree in person, or stick that code in when you're checking out Soccer 90 Dot. Some exclusives to apply. Third degree. The podcast is also brought to you by the Lindstrom law firm. For trust wills, probate, and business law, call 4695-1525 that's 469-515-2559 or visit lindstromlawfirm.com for a free consultation. [00:01:10] Speaker B: Well, hello there, FC Dallas. Curious fan. Welcome to episode 259 of Third Degree, the podcast where we're going to be very serious. Get down to the business. Hi, it's me, Peter. And look. Look who's back. The man with the beard himself, Dan Crook. Welcome back, Daniel. [00:01:31] Speaker C: Hello. Yeah, I've been kind of disengaged the last couple of weeks. So did I miss anything good? [00:01:36] Speaker B: Absolutely zero. Zilch. Nothing good. [00:01:40] Speaker C: I'll see myself out. [00:01:41] Speaker B: Nothing. Nothing good. At least related to this particular podcast topic? No, not that I can think of, at least. And then, of course, your hero. My hero. Everybody's hero. Editor, founder of Thirddegree.net, and this podcast and the original soccer influencer himself, Buzz kerik. Come in, buzz. [00:01:59] Speaker A: Hi, fellas. Uh, I want to take a minute, if you don't mind, at the front of this podcast, and, um, dedicate this podcast to a friend of mine who passed away a week and a half ago. His name is Jim Feldman. I wasn't going to bring it up, um, because I didn't know how his wife would feel in terms of privacy or whatever, but SC Dallas made a big deal about it. He is the, um, longtime producer for FC Dallas and Dallas burn broadcast, going all the way back to 1996. So, 27 years producing games for this club, uh, he's done the bulk of the majority of them. Just a wonderful guy that I learned a lot on tv from, and not only just how to make television, but how to treat people. Just a fabulous, fabulous person, which is sometimes rare in television, you might be surprised to hear. But Jim Feldman was his name, and he is a great guy, and he's a friend of mine and a friend of everybody that's been on the broadcast here over the years, and it's a loss for this television community. And rest in peace, Jim Feldman. [00:02:52] Speaker B: Thanks for saying that, Buzz. I never met Jim, but, boy, I'd heard a lot about of him from you and Mark and Bob and Dunsith and other people that had gotten the treat of working with him over the years. So I thought that was very well said. [00:03:06] Speaker A: Thank you. [00:03:07] Speaker B: All right, well, let's move on to other news, which would be Dallas got a point this weekend in a what I can, because I was there for it myself. By the way, Buzz, I want to kudos to a third degree Patreon subscriber for helping me acquire a few tickets to bring a friend who asked late to go to the game. And I decided to tag along with them. And we got to sit with a good Patreon subscriber, who I will not name because I didn't ask them if I could do that publicly. So I will choose, I will. Respect to error on the side of caution there, but I was there for what was easily one of the two most boring Dallas soccer matches I have ever been, had the pleasure to witness in person. Dallas zero. Seattle, zero. Absolutely nothing happened. And here is my really weird observation, buzz, because, you know, I love. And Dan, you know how I love the weird observation. There was a moment in the game in the second half where I just stopped and took note of the crowd around me, and I don't think I have ever been at a sporting event where more people were paying attention to their phones than they were the game being played out in front of them. It was weird. If you had taken a photograph from the field of the stands, you would have thought it was halftime or there had been some sort of lengthy delay going on. Nobody was paying attention. It was that boring of a soccer game. [00:04:40] Speaker A: Yeah, this was a really boring, awful game. Not some pretty soccer. You know, you're looking at two teams who are not playing very well. Either one of them, you know, sometimes similar reasons, but sometimes different reasons, and neither one of them are performing, and they're both trying to find themselves, and they're both playing not to lose games, you know, Seattle, at least partially because they were on the road, um, they had the better chances, um, to be fair, but only by a tiny little bit, you know, that what limited chances FC Dallas had were, you know, within a fair, reasonable shout of. Of being convertible, really, the Sebastian Leggette was the best one. You know, there were a lot of bad decisions being made. But Dallas had twelve shots, which is a little low. Seattle only had eight. You know, Seattle had 60% of the ball, though, and was not able to penetrate what Dallas is doing. It's very clear to me at this point that coach Nico Staves has basically, like, withdrawn back to what he did when he first got here. You know, he was given this mandate to stop the defensive bleeding, and that's basically what he's returning to. He realized his team was given a bunch of goals. He realized his team was not playing very well. He realized he's missing a lot of people. And that really, the roster, like all in most teams, if you don't have your top six or seven guys, you're in trouble. And so basically, they're playing not to lose, and Seattle's playing not to lose, and you end up with the most boring game you've ever seen. It was really terrible. [00:06:05] Speaker B: Dan, you missed what probably was the real life version of that famous Simpsons episode that people make fun of soccer with all the time. [00:06:14] Speaker C: Well, I'm really glad that I picked a good game to be busy for. I did get to see my conference I had this week was actually at the hotel that the Seattle team was staying in. Weirdly, so I didn't get to see the game, but I got to see one of the two teams, and that was not exactly thrilling. [00:06:40] Speaker B: Well, that maybe was slightly more fun than the game was, which is. Which is a bummer because it was another sellout buzz. And I. Yeah, this is the thing about this that I just can't square in my head how they've allowed this on field product to get so boring when they've gotten over this hump. In terms of attendance, they've sold out every game this year. And there was actually a bit of a vibe before the game. The people that I went to the game with hadn't been to a game in a while, and we sat down somewhere to have dinner near this, you know, outside the stadium beforehand. And it took us a while to get a table, and there was a vibe going on, and this person noticed it. It was weird. The other observation was, is that the friend that I went with, his teenage son, attended with us, and his son plays for one of the local club teams and for his high school team, and his kid was like. His kid was like, oh, my gosh. I don't understand why this team plays the way this play. They're. They're not even trying to go forward. [00:07:41] Speaker A: Yeah, they're not. [00:07:42] Speaker B: And it's just. And I don't understand why Niko is insisting on playing this really weird, boring style. He did it last year, too. [00:07:50] Speaker A: Yeah, well, that's the plan not to lose thing. You know, the pre, the game before this one, you know, pause. Had to make seven saves in order to get a blank sheet. And this one, they actually were just able to keep Seattle to, like, two shots on goal. You know, in the pre, two previous games, they let talk. The two previous games, they were bleeding goals. So he obviously doubled down into a low block. Even at home, you know, try and kill the game and make it impossible for the other team to score. Certainly not fun to watch. But, you know, there's a difference between a team that's. That has this philosophy of, we're going to come out and we're going to play and we're going to try and outplay you. And if you get one or two, that's fine, because we're going to get more, you know, versus a team like Dallas under this coach in particular, who wants to make it where if you don't score, I can't lose. And so they're. They're making it impossible. They're trying to make an impossible team to score, and that is boring as hell, and that's why you're getting what you get. [00:08:45] Speaker B: But see, I buzz, I'm. And watching what I saw Saturday night. While I agree that they are defensive minded, they display zero aptitude towards anything approaching knowing what to do with the ball once they have it. And it's not like Seattle was afraid to let Dallas have the ball, because Dallas has one very clear maneuver, which is play the ball to a fullback and try to play up one of the sides, and they get about halfway down the other half of the field and they stop and they turn around and they come back and this goes on and on until eventually, maybe somebody tries to play the ball into the middle of the field, they immediately turn it over and the whole thing recycles and starts over again. It's. Yeah, and I don't see, to me, Buzz, that doesn't. That doesn't scream an overly defensive, park the bus team. It looks more like a team that just doesn't know what to do with the ball when they have it. [00:09:38] Speaker A: Well, that's true. And those. It's both those things. Um, you know, it's a defensive team because they're playing with basically five at the back and then the wings. Well, not wings, they're high, you know, mid central mids, but they step back and it's basically a five four one in defense. But the problem is, is that you're playing with two sixes. You don't have anybody in the middle because you're missing year. I'm Indy and you're missing Paxton, and you're miss. And legit was being played up high because Ariel was a wing back. You know, you don't have anybody that can progress the ball through the middle of the field. Omar is an okay passer out of the back, but certainly not elite. Nicosi is better, but Ibiyaga is not that great at passing out of the back. Jungkook's okay, but he's better when he's out wide than he is when he's in the middle. Bandicilli is not a combining kind of player. He's not even really a one on one player. He's a cut inside and shoot kind of player. Areola should be able to combine a little bit, but at the same time, he's having to spend a lot of time defending and coming way back into the corner and trying to build out. So, yeah, you're like, where's the play up the middle? There isn't any. So you, you can see clear this day, though, when he came in there and the minute he provided some of that kind of mentality, they were able to do go up the middle, and they got their best chances, and everybody around him gained confidence. Everybody got really better. So when you talk about this team not having any idea what to do and how to get forward, blast, that's true. There's no Paxton, there's no, er, Mindy, which the team was built around having those two guys in there. Ariel is not really doing that anymore. The jets not really doing that anymore. Jesus Ferrers missing. He can't do that really anymore. He's out. Allen Blasco is out for most of the year. So anyone that is capable of doing that can't do that. It isn't there. [00:11:09] Speaker B: All right, but I will counterpoint that with, it looks an awfully lot like last year's team just playing a slightly different formation. Like last year, they couldn't play. I mean, they were, yes, they were worse defensively, but they still couldn't get the ball forward. And so I understand that maybe he's trying to fix the defensive part of it, but, man, they've got an absolute grand canyon of, of distance to cover to come anywhere close to being a danger, dangerous team in front of goal. [00:11:38] Speaker A: No, that's true. You know, this team is under. This coach has always been a low volume shot team. They've always relied on high efficiency and high shooting percentages. And it may be that they're. They're. They're overly. Being overly cautious in terms of when to shoot the ball, but they don't really have a whole lot of creative ideas at the final third. They're very patient. They try and work you down, or they try and wait till late in the game and get you on a. Not a counter, but get you on a transition play. That's what they do. I'm not saying that it's good. I'm just saying what it is. [00:12:08] Speaker B: No, I understand. [00:12:09] Speaker A: You know, it's. It's definitely the nature of this coach and this team to play that way. And people, the national runners, you see it all the time. They talk about Dallas not really having a lot of ideas in the final third, and that's true. They don't. [00:12:18] Speaker B: No, none. Zero. Dan, we. I think if you were to ask 100 soccer fans what they would like to watch out of their soccer team is one that is at least adventurous and maybe somewhat admittedly, a little reckless in trying to be a forward minded team versus what we're getting now. You know, for example, as maddening as Manchester United is to watch right now. Good lord. They're incredibly entertaining. Bielsa's leads was masterfully fun to watch. Klopp's Liverpool is all those things. And. And I don't understand why a coach thinks that this is a good product to put on the field. [00:13:04] Speaker C: I'm disappointed. Didn't mention loot and. Yeah, no, sorry. [00:13:09] Speaker B: My apologies. [00:13:10] Speaker A: Yeah, sorry. Yeah, yeah. [00:13:11] Speaker C: I mean, actually, it's weirdly bidden, the feedback about Luton. [00:13:13] Speaker A: Right. [00:13:13] Speaker C: Oh, you're not getting the results, but the games are really fun. Yeah, yeah. I mean, that's. [00:13:18] Speaker A: That's. [00:13:19] Speaker C: That's why we watch soccer. Right. I mean, you can enjoy the art of defending all you like, but you want to see some fun attacking play and, you know, maybe the odd goal. Uh, it just feels like. Yeah, exactly what you said, uh, earlier. The team tries not to lose and it's just a case of ha ha. If you can't score, you can't beat me. And, uh, what, we're, uh, a fourth minute of stoppage time goal away from no wins this season? [00:13:47] Speaker B: Well, that and just some stellar, uh, work in goal from Martin Paws, who I'm starting to believe we don't deserve. [00:13:56] Speaker C: I figured since I haven't watched the last couple of games, I would do the. I just looked at numbers and haven't seen any games. For context and looking at the goals added on american soccer analysis looked at goalkeepers Martin Parrs goals added was three and a half, which is second in the league. The next highest was for the team was Sebastian Leggett at like 0.68. [00:14:22] Speaker B: Yeah, it's not good. It's really weird. And I realize, and I'm the first one to point out they're playing their, you know, fourth and fifth string center mids. I think I'm saying that. Or is it 3rd, third and fourth? [00:14:35] Speaker A: No, it depends on whether you, you know. Yeah. Give or take. You know, you can count some different players in those positions, but effectively it was supposed to be pacs on Yara Mindy. [00:14:45] Speaker B: Right. [00:14:45] Speaker A: Or the first two. And it's not. [00:14:47] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:14:47] Speaker A: And it's like so. And they're both holding mids that you have in there. There's no linking play at all coming out of those two guys. [00:14:52] Speaker B: No, but, but what? But my. The point I'm trying to make is that while I will, I will give everybody the benefit of the doubt that this is a team that is ravaged by injury. It doesn't look that much different from the team that frustrated the hell out of us last season. [00:15:07] Speaker A: No, no, no. It's the same team. They didn't change anything. [00:15:10] Speaker C: If you look at the style they play, who's significantly missing out, that affects the attack? [00:15:18] Speaker B: Well, all our Mendy who helped a lot at the second half of last season, you know, and I, and I will. I will say, obviously Jesus and Velasco had the ability to provide at least some element of adventure, although it didn't create a ton of opportunities. Maybe that's the slight difference between this year than last year, but it's not substantial enough to have any indication that when one or two of those guys come back, it's suddenly going to change to much better. [00:15:49] Speaker C: Trying to do the whole square pegs and round holster. Three, four, three. You've got no one that can actually play those wide roles. And in this formation, those wide roles are absolutely everything in getting forward. [00:16:00] Speaker B: Yeah, Buzz, that's my other observation, which is done, which is Dante. Well, the wide. The wide situation in general, which is what is really frustrating to watch, is Dante Seely, who, by the way, to be fair to him, appears to be making an effort to put out more effort. At least he was Saturday night for long stretches of the game. [00:16:22] Speaker A: Good. [00:16:23] Speaker B: He's the only guy that seems to have any inclination to go, try to go at a defender. He's just really bad at it. [00:16:31] Speaker A: Yeah, he's not a great one on one attacker, that's not necessarily his best game. He's, you know, he's got some vertical ability to him, you know, and he's going to want to try and get up and down, but he wants to get up and down. And then on an angle, he's not going to go down the inner cross. He's going to cut inside. That's kind of his bread and butter underneath. You know, to be fair, I think I talked to coach about Dante today and coach didn't see him when he was here before. He didn't see them academy. He's only basing his opinion of Dante off of what he's seen since Dante's come back in the last year, basically, you know, and I think he sees a player with potential that he's trying to invest playing time in. Dante has the ability, he has the rod ability to be a wingback. He, he has the potential to be a guy that can get up and down like a Kobe Jones type player. He's just not yet, you know, he just, you know, there's this, it's probably can be said that this is a weird instance of this coach being like, here's a young ish player I'm going to invest a lot of playing time in because I think he's got a potential. So it, it's unusual for this coach to do that, but I think that's what we're seeing in Dante and to a certain extent, so we see with Bernie chill, the, Bernie has had a rough start because his profile isn't, isn't, isn't the same as Dante's and doesn't quite match up like Dante does. [00:17:42] Speaker C: I think that's, that's part of the problem, though. Dante's doesn't really match up with that kind of wing back row either. [00:17:47] Speaker A: No, no. He has to learn to play the defensive side of it. You know, maybe he's, again, square peg, round hole. Right. We talked about there's not the potential of people here, the right personnel here to play this shape. I mean, you know, you know, you. [00:17:59] Speaker C: Kind of have those, like Brian Reynolds types, right, where it's like, you know, the square peg, but it's got kind of rounded corners. You can shave them off a little bit. You can round it up. This isn't that. This is, you know, a guy who is, who is a winger, who is an attacking player that you're like, okay, I want you to go out there and I want you to try and figure out what to do. And I'm not going to give you any inkling of how to do that? [00:18:24] Speaker B: It's a weird one. The other thing that I'm a bit concerned about after watching the game Saturday night is that the hunts now have spent $10 million on a guy who's completely in his head because he's so frustrated that whenever on the few opportunities he gets the ball, he's going to try to figure out a way to score and it's typically a bad choice or a bad decision or a bad shot or he hack, he actually ends up finds himself in a good opportunity and he just tries too hard. He ends up completely missing the frame. [00:18:55] Speaker A: Yeah, he reminds me actually of Jesus last year when he knew he was the only one that could score. And so he's always forcing it all the time, doing the same thing, you know, and hopefully, you know, we can hope that when, when Jesus is back and performing, he won't feel that way, you know. I mean, honestly, Musa has looked better paired with AnSa when it. Cause Anza's at least provided a little bit of something going by him and playing as a guy who playing off of a high striker, right. So like Musa immediately look more comfortable. But you're still talking about a guy like Graziani to me or like Blas Perez. These are not guys. He's not Hani Mukhtar. He's not gonna have ten assists. He's not going to drop back and create and come forward and build up and play and get his own goal. It's like you have to give him service for this guy to be able to score. And they don't have anybody right now. They can give service because they're two wing backs, are not wingbacks that can cross and their two central mids up until, er, many coming back are not guys that can play the passes to him. Like on the small movement into kind of little spaces, right. They don't have any of those outlet balls, so he's not getting the ball. There was a moment in training today, I was watching Moosa work on finishing up crosses in the box and I thought, man, that's awesome. Except that they don't have any players that can cross into the box. So it made me chuckle watching it. I just wanted to shake my. Scratch my head and be like, that's, that's a great piece of, you know. And granted, he was staying afterwards and he was doing it for himself, like with just a couple of guys just trying to work on, you know, finishing in the box and being that again, trying to be that guy, trying to do it the job. But I'm watching just, I just chuckled thinking there's no one that can hit those balls. Dude, I don't know what you're doing. [00:20:32] Speaker C: Come on now, Buzz. You're. You're having a laugh there about. He's not, he's not a ten assist. Hey, nemo type. He joint leads FC Dallas in both goals and assists, which is not impressive considering. [00:20:47] Speaker B: Yeah. The leading scorer in the league has six goals. Dallas as a team has five or six. Is it six? Yeah, yeah, yeah. [00:20:55] Speaker C: Leading, leading scores. Seven, right. [00:20:58] Speaker A: Yeah. And the best cross on the team's playing left center back and not wide. [00:21:02] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:21:02] Speaker A: As a wingback. [00:21:03] Speaker B: Since you mentioned him, Buzz, will you remind everybody that when they decided to cut Obrien. [00:21:10] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:21:11] Speaker B: And keep Anza, did they end up saving money at least on that deal? Cause they in many ways have the exact same player, just a larger version. [00:21:19] Speaker A: Of the former version. [00:21:20] Speaker B: Did they at least save some money? [00:21:22] Speaker A: No, it's the exact same player, pretty much the same price. [00:21:24] Speaker B: Okay. [00:21:25] Speaker A: I mean, I told you when they signed him, I said that O'Brien was going to be done because Obrah was going to be done because it's the same salary slot in the same style player. He's smarter than O'Brien. [00:21:33] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:21:33] Speaker A: No, you don't think he is, but he is. [00:21:35] Speaker B: I mean, I getting to watch him play for a long period of time for the first time in person. But I. I'm sure, I'm sure everybody listening that was at the game saw this exact same moment I did. It was the most are, you know. Do you know what I'm getting ready to bring up, Buzz? [00:21:53] Speaker A: Uh, no, not the top of my head. Go ahead. [00:21:55] Speaker B: The shot. Okay, so they're shooting at the hall of fame and they're going towards the hall of fame. And it's the 37th minute of the game. [00:22:04] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:22:05] Speaker B: And Ansa gets the ball. He at the top of the box, he makes a really smart move to his right. And I'm sitting low enough at the middle of the field. I'm like in the 7th or 8th row. So literally when I am watching this, I am 60 yards directly behind him when he makes this move to the right. And I think, okay, he's going to. He's. But he's pointed towards the corner flag like his body is facing the corner flag and he starts to raise his leg like he's going to shoot. I'm thinking, wait, he's pointing the wrong direction. He's. He's got to cut the ball back and beat it. Chop his defender and then repoint his body at the goal and then shoot, right? Nope. This body pointed towards the Rhine. He shot the ball and then ended up shooting it, I think, to the right of the hall of the fame. [00:23:05] Speaker A: Yes, not so good. [00:23:07] Speaker B: It was the most amateur moss Park Sunday league shot I have seen in MLS in a really long time. [00:23:14] Speaker A: I know. It is a shame because he's actually playing better than most other FC Dallas players right now, offensively speaking. Like, he's looking the last couple of weeks. He's looking really sharp in training. It's, you know, right around that six month mark, and I've heard some stories about some offseason off field, you know, personal stuff that maybe was kind of dragging him down a little bit. I mean, he actually looks brighter than anybody else, and it was like the only guy that was at a play off a high striker, and yet it is what he is. He's a journeyman, like, mid tier league striker. You know, he at least has the ability to kind of run behind the defense, which nobody else seems to have, or the. Or the willpower to do it or whatever. So, you know, at this point, he's almost locked down the starting job, which should tell you a lot about where this roster is. Yes, that's true. [00:23:56] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:23:56] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:23:57] Speaker B: That is really the most difficult and boring part or depressing part about all of this is in the last week with the rumors that came out last week about all the new roster rules and stuff. And you and I talked about this on the podcast last week. [00:24:11] Speaker A: Right, right, right. [00:24:11] Speaker B: Is that the athletics written some articles and, and a couple of people have written articles kind of just saying here's how different MLS teams are going to capitalize on these new roster rules. And it's. And you really, if you begin to dig into other teams rosters, you can very quickly begin to separate the haves and the haves not, or the wants and the want nots because Dallas is so far behind so many clubs in terms of roster quality. It's. It's pretty jarring, frankly. [00:24:43] Speaker A: Yeah, they invested a lot of money, and you guys know this. They invested a lot of money in legit and Areola, you know, and those guys have not paid off in the longer term like you would want them to for that money. There's a lot of money in Jesus, who's been hurt since on and off since the Gold cup. There's a lot of money in Paxton, who is progression installed because he's hurt all the time. You know, it's just, it is what it is. You know, everybody in this league has a roster full of filler. You know, everyone's filler is relative. What matters is the top end. And they've made a couple, they've made a couple investments that haven't paid off in the top end and they've made a couple of, you know, young, potentially exciting players that either have been hurt or haven't paid off. So it is what it is, man. It's just that this team just, the roster is not an elite Lachel on roster. It's a middle of the road roster. And if everyone's healthy and you're playing your, really your best soccer, then you can be in the playoffs and in the bottom, middle sort of mix of the playoffs. But if you don't, you're going to be in the bottom. That's where they are. [00:25:47] Speaker B: Which takes us to the curious case of Nicosi Tafari, who not only didn't start for the second straight game, he didn't play for the second straight game. This is very quickly starting to smell like the old Oscar Perea versus Walker Zimmerman fiasco of several years ago. You got any, got any thoughts on that one, Buzz? [00:26:08] Speaker A: Yeah, I talked to a coach about him today and, you know, some of it is the, was the language that you'd expect from a coach when he's talking about a guy, he's sad. It's the stuff we heard. Like, you know, he was in a bad place, wasn't playing really well, basically and effectively. What is the case is Rebecca Lions is what I said, which is he's been, he got benched. I was left with the impression from talking to coach and if I'm wrong about this, then I'll eat it. But I'm pretty sure this is what he was trying to tell me, that Nikosi basically came back from the national team a little complacent. And Nikosi is a player who responds to being challenged and coach loves that kid. He was talking about how much he saw in him when he first got here and how he helped, you know, develop Nikosi and the defender he became and then how much better he thinks he could be. And, you know, he effectively is trying to keep the kid, you know, I'm going to call him a kid because he's 27, keep him motivated and performing at the highest level and that's effective. What's happening? You know, he sat him down and then Omar Gonzalez played really well and when guys played really well, you have to reward them and let them keep their spot. As for what happens this week, I think I'll talk about that when we get down to that section. But effectively, my conversation with Niko today just reinforced everything you and I talked about last week. When we can, when we put together our thinking caps and put together pieces of information we had that that really was what was happening. You know, that he was trying to light a fire under him, basically, and keep competition happening. I mean, this is a coach that would like to have two legit starters in every spot on his roster and have to make that decision every week, like, who's going to go and constantly challenge guys and move them in and out of the starting lineup. [00:27:53] Speaker B: He barely has one legit starter for. [00:27:56] Speaker A: He doesn't. He doesn't, but he doesn't like a consistent lineup. He likes it to be challenging all the time and changing all the time. He wants chaos, this coach does. He even changes it in training on purpose to make it chaotic. You know, whether that works in this league or not, I mean, you be the judge, but isn't that weird that. [00:28:10] Speaker B: For a coach, you want so little chaos on the field? Seems to relish chaos off the field? [00:28:15] Speaker A: Yes. Yeah, kind of. In a way, that's the thing, too. Like, if you want to play a rigid system, wouldn't you have, like, a rigid group that would be, like, a very defined, clear way of playing that doesn't ever change, and yet he does. He changes the tactics up all the time and changes the personality, you know, changes what side changes, whether they're in the front line or the back line, based on who the opponent is and various things like that. So it's just, you know, you. Sometimes you just have to accept that every coach is different. It can drive you crazy trying to make a coach into something he's not, but, you know, each to their own, I guess. [00:28:48] Speaker B: All right. Well, Dan, I know you were busy and didn't see the game buzz any. I'm trying to think if there's anybody else I want to spend any time chatting about in terms of good or bad play. I mean, Frazier and Delgado are both super, not primetime ready. Delgado feels like he's got a little something potentially in there. Um, Frazier's just such a milquetoast player. Um, for me and Areola worked real hard, but didn't turn, didn't make any magic. [00:29:22] Speaker A: Right. [00:29:23] Speaker B: Um, we talked about Dante, the backline. What'd you say? [00:29:28] Speaker C: How's legit been? [00:29:29] Speaker B: Well, you know, legit's a real. I mean, I. Buzz, I don't know if you'd agree with me. Legit is a real curiosity. Me a curiosity. To me, I. I feel like there's a guy that's a really good player in there, but he isn't the type of midfielder that can take a game over and make a difference. Singularly, he needs other really good players around him to be effective. And while he may be playing well, he's not good enough to do it by himself and he doesn't have the parts around him to really maximize his value right now. [00:30:03] Speaker A: They've also moved him a little bit. They were, they were trying to use them as a debate to try and get some linking play going with next to Frazier. And by the way, you saw how Fraser improves when your arm Indy comes in there. It's funny, all of a sudden Fraser's trying these splitting passes. It's like, dude, do that when you, when you're in there with Delgado. And then they use legit more as like a ten type situation because Ansa plays a little higher, like up next to Musa. So legit kind of becomes a ten like guy. It's not really his game either. I think you're right, though, that if you surround him with good players, he's able to elevate his game and play at a higher level. You know, he just can't carry a team anymore. [00:30:41] Speaker B: No, he. And then what was the other one I was going to talk about for a second? [00:30:46] Speaker A: Well, I wanted to give Ariel a little credit because at least he provides a two way game. I know it's not outstanding either way, but Dante Seeley's one dimensional offense and even Tomasi has forgotten how to attack people, which is ridiculous because he created the most scoring opportunities with San Antonio playing outside side like that. So at least legit's giving you a two way game, you know, not legit. Sorry. Ariel gives you a two way game at wingback. You know, if. Even if it's not incredible either way, it does. [00:31:12] Speaker B: He does feel wasted playing that position. As you talked about in the preseason. Like, the idea of him playing wing back just seems like it's such a weird place to spend a lot of money on a position, but. But there. But he's the only guy they got. [00:31:26] Speaker A: Yeah, it's just weird to put $1.6 million at wingback, but, you know, this is where we are. [00:31:34] Speaker B: And then the back line, I just was frightening most of the night. I mean, Junkie was good. Yeah. I mean, for ib, he was fine, you know, again, there were enough opportunities for Seattle. I mean, if Jordan Morris was just a little bit more prepared for balls to kind of come at him quickly. He probably could have scored two or three himself. Omar had that really weird moment where he dummied the ball essentially on the penalty spot. Did you see that one? I still can't figure out what was going on there. Junka just, you know, he just looks like a guy who's just not in a position that makes him comfortable at all. [00:32:14] Speaker A: No, no, no. Well, he would be the other guy who could give you two way ability at wingback because he's a decent outside back. And you remember last year when he played wing in the back half of the year? He actually was the one who could get crosses in, you know, and came inside when he was on the opposite side and shot some. You know, he's the. That was when you and I talked about this last week. I was like, I bring Magna Cosi and put Sam at wingback because I think he would be an ideal wingback. He's not going to be a superstar wingback, but he's like Paul. He would give you the two way game that you need in order to try and play this way under coach Nico system, you know, but instead they're investing all Simon Dante, you know, I suppose the difference is, if things go really well, maybe Dante could become something special, whereas Sam's just going to be Sam, which I love, but it's not, you know, this high end superstar idea of that maybe you think you have in Dante. [00:33:03] Speaker B: I'll also, before we finish talking about the game, Seattle. Seattle is not in good shape themselves. In fact, they're almost equally as boring as Dallas. But there is a sense that there's something there. And they're a team that is struggling because of their injury situation, not because they're just not very good. And I think that's maybe the difference currently between them and Dallas. [00:33:25] Speaker A: Well, they did score five goals the game before. [00:33:27] Speaker B: Yes. So where is that? But they didn't. They. They just. I mean, they created some opportunities, didn't convert them. But I wouldn't have called if I had. If that's the only verge, if that's the only game I had seen of Seattle this year, I would go, that's not a very dangerous team. No, in that way. And now that I've officially seen them in person, not to beat this to death, those new kids are perfect. So good buzz in person. They're even better in person than they are in pictures. They're. They're the tits, as they say. All right, well, that would do it. At least they got a point. But draws, I think in some ways are worse than losses. You know why? It's because if you lose a game, maybe you were trying to score. And if you're a team that constantly is drawing, you're exactly what you. You're. You deserve that result. That stupid pool, you know? [00:34:20] Speaker A: Well, I think I'm with you most of the time. I don't think it's totally fair to say they're not trying to score. They just don't try to score in volume. They're just super, super patient and slow and methodical to get really, really good opportunities. No, but versus, like, a really exciting, like, attacking Virginia Saquois. You know, this is where you and. [00:34:40] Speaker B: I disagree on this. I'm not saying they're not trying to score. I am saying I don't think. I don't think they know how to score. [00:34:49] Speaker A: Yeah, no, that's fair. Fair. [00:34:50] Speaker B: And that's a. There are two. That's a very, very different thing. [00:34:53] Speaker A: That's fair. [00:34:54] Speaker B: Okay. [00:34:55] Speaker A: That's fair. [00:34:55] Speaker B: Because if this was a team that just sat back and booted the ball 90 yards every time they got it and turned it over and just waited, I would have gotten up and I would have left the game and I would never watch this team again. [00:35:05] Speaker A: Oh, I did. In Seattle. Sorry, not in Seattle versus St. Louis. [00:35:08] Speaker B: Right. [00:35:09] Speaker A: In St. Louis. [00:35:10] Speaker B: Yeah. You know what I'm saying? So. [00:35:12] Speaker A: All right, I'm with you. [00:35:13] Speaker B: Zero, zero. Nice crowd, bored crowd, etc. Etc. Dan, you did not miss much, sir. Hopefully you better luck tax time. All right, that will take us to the next topic, which is buzz. You have mentioned you went to training today. You got to talk to the coach. You had an update on injuries. You at least teased everybody in your podcast teaser tweet something positive. So why don't you let us have it? [00:35:39] Speaker A: Yeah. The haste. There's two positives. The number one positive is Jesus. Ferreira came back to training on Sunday, and when everyone else was doing their recovery work, Jesus was out, you know, running and doing full with everybody else. And then, you know, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday. These are the first days this year that they've had almost a completely healthy swat squad. And I say almost because there are still, of course, three players that are basically out for big, big chunks of the year. So, not counting those guys, they at least finally got Jesus back. And Marco Farfan was back. His thing was concussion protocol. By the way, your arm, Indy came into the game and played a chunk and came through that good, healthy and looking good. So, you know, if. If Jesus, this week, of course, is on a is still on a little bit of a load restriction in training. He's not, but he is 100% participating. So if he comes through the week and doesn't have a, you know, problem and there wasn't, hasn't been so far, then he should be good to be available this weekend. You know, when you're talking about a hamstring, he's talking about Jesus. You know, I'm putting lots of caveats out there, but he looked good today. I'll give you that. Okay. [00:36:45] Speaker B: It sounds like we're talking about a household appliance. It's on its last legs. The washing machine will just hold on for a couple more washes. [00:36:54] Speaker A: You got to get through the week. That's always huge. So, you know, obviously with this coaches, the way he fund works, I seriously, seriously doubt that Jesus would start. It would just be like everybody else where he comes in for like 30 minutes that first time. So, you know, our mindy should be at least half the game, if not more like a 60 minutes. So I think he will start, and then I think you get, you know, so that'll impact your philosophy, like how you can play the game on the road, try and bring Jesus on for the last, you know, 60, 65, 70 minutes and take a shot at it. With him coming in late, that's what I think will happen. Far fan, like I said, is back, but he hasn't been able to work himself into the rotation yet this season, even when he was healthy a little bit, little couple weeks ago. So on injuries early. That's it. You know, anything that's all good. [00:37:43] Speaker B: Anything else from training? Any observations or stories to tell? [00:37:49] Speaker A: Stories? Let's see if I have any sort. No, it's pretty. It's pretty straightforward. Oh, Omar has become very, very vocal. I don't know whether he decided that the defense is being played as crap, but he's. He's doing a lot of directing of traffic, and he was actually having a pretty intense discussion with another player, who I won't mention at one point when coach was trying to talk, and coach basically told everybody to shut the f up, you know, which is not usually his way to yell at everybody like that, this coach, but. So Omar, I think, is trying to galvanize the defensive group, you know, trying to be a leader. So credit to him. He's been around, seen a lot. So if he wants to give younger players some defensive instruction, I'm okay with that. And then other than that, it was just watching them work through the rotations of what they're think the coach is thinking about for this weekend, you know, trying to prep for how they're going to play against Colorado, trying to play for how they figure out how they're going to play to get on the mountain. I will admit that, like, Marco Farfan looks pretty discouraged. I will admit, you know, looking at him, trying to figure out how the world am I going to get into this lineup is not. I think he knows he's being frozen out, you know, for whatever reason. [00:39:06] Speaker B: So do we know what's going on? [00:39:08] Speaker A: He's not a center back, and he's not, apparently, what coach wants at wingback because he's all in on Dante, and he's not really a center back. So he's kind of, you know, this again, there's multiple guys on this team. They don't have the right profiles. Bernie doesn't really either. You know, it's for the places they're trying to play him. And, hey, he hasn't responded really well, although he's looking better. You know, it's just a weird bit. You know, again, it comes back to this idea, like, why are they doing this formation? They don't have the person. You didn't spend the winter getting the right pieces. But, you know, coach is very committed to whatever this idea, so I'm expecting it again. We'll see how it goes. [00:39:48] Speaker B: Okay. Well, that means a trip up to the mountains and playing against their pids, who, by the way, very quietly have started pretty solidly this season after getting pummeled in the opening game, four one to Portland. They've only lost once, and that was a one nothing loss at home to Houston. They've gotten results against Nashville, Salt Lake, Seattle, LAfc. They tied Miami, and last weekend they beat up on San Jose 30. So they're three, two and three under Chris Armis this season and not looking too shabby with all those offseasons. [00:40:28] Speaker C: And to be fair, that loss they had to Houston, they were absolutely cheated. That was the one where the player was down, bleeding from his head, and the referee was like, yeah, we'll play on. Screw it. [00:40:38] Speaker B: Oh, that's right. I forgot about that. Took up the other end and scored dirty Houston. [00:40:43] Speaker A: Yeah, for sure. [00:40:45] Speaker B: Buzz, are you still with us? [00:40:47] Speaker A: Yeah, I'm here. [00:40:47] Speaker B: Oh, okay. You sound like you were distracted by. [00:40:50] Speaker A: I was thinking about dirty Houston. [00:40:52] Speaker B: Oh, not that kind of dirty Houston. [00:40:55] Speaker A: Yeah, Houston. Houston is not Houston. Colorado is Dallas's bogey team. Boy, are they playing at mile high. Sucks. I don't think Dallas has won there since 2014 or some crap like that I haven't looked it up yet, but it's something like that. This is gonna be a rough one, man. It's gonna be tough. Colorado's pretty decent. I would expect to continuation with the three four three. I think it's gonna be moose and on set top. I don't think Jesus will start, so I imagine it'll still be because Irmani, I think will start. I think that means that leave legit is sort of that higher tennis role. And you'll get either Delgado or Fraser, probably Frazier, just because he's got a little more experience. And then Delgado does, you know, provide a little bit of grit in there when you have your R Mindy and maybe legit run around a little bit. Paul and Dante, I can't imagine changing at this point. And then it'll be Abby, Omar and Sam. Unless coach decides that Nicosi has done well enough. I think it's actually a chance that because Omar has played pretty well, I think there's a chance they might put Tafari at left center back and leave Omar on. I don't love that idea. Because you're trying, then you're, then you're perfecting your defense or building your defense around a guy. You can't have 30, play 34 games because he's 8000 years old. He's almost as old as me. [00:42:19] Speaker B: Last week he was 600 years old. [00:42:22] Speaker A: Yeah, he's getting older by the day. So, you know, the, like, if Omar has to start every game at middle center back for the whole year, you're in trouble. [00:42:31] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:42:32] Speaker A: So you're in trouble anyway. But like, you know, so I think it's a chance that Tavare might come in for Sam potentially at last center back and then pause. So, you know, it's pretty straightforward. I mean, the team almost, if you consider, if you remember that Nico is the coach, the team pretty much picks itself based on health, you know, the choices he makes and who's healthy. It's pretty obvious to me who's going to play. So, yeah, that's your eleven, I think. And then Jesus will come in at, you know, 65, 70. [00:43:02] Speaker B: Oh, you don't think you'll start? [00:43:04] Speaker A: Oh, no, no. No way. [00:43:06] Speaker B: Okay, well, maybe the, if there's a, if there's an Achilles heel, Colorado, while they have scored more than twice as many goals as Dallas has, they've given up two more goals than Dallas has. And their goal differentials only one. So maybe defensively they're a bit in rough shape. And if Dallas can somehow conjure out some creativity and get themselves in front of goal. They'll have an opportunity there. [00:43:31] Speaker A: Yeah, this is, this is the chunk. This is one of these games where coach is going to go up there, he's going to try and stifle the game, try and keep calling out from scoring, and then he'll think they're defensively fragile and Dallas can get one. He'll try and win a game. So I'm sure that'll be the philosophy. Just like it always is on the road in this league for this coach. [00:43:48] Speaker B: Okay, I was. I said this when we mentioned Martin Paws. My I. The other thing that I really love about Martin is how much he has embraced the rest of the local sports scene. Did you guys see that he was wearing a Texas Rangers championship hoodie? [00:44:05] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:44:05] Speaker B: The game wasn't that awesome. [00:44:07] Speaker A: That was fun. Yeah. [00:44:08] Speaker C: Can't wait until he has the Allen Americans gear next week. That's the next step, right? [00:44:16] Speaker B: It may be. I was thinking as I was watching pause the other day play. I feel like I need to ask a goalkeeper this question. Maybe I'll get a chance to ask Dave DER Mark Dodd this question someday. But do goalkeepers who are on bad teams find themselves in a situation where maybe in a weird, masochistic way, they're enjoying themselves because they're getting a lot of time and they get to do a lot because of shots are coming in and they're getting this. Make great saves versus playing on a really, really good, defensively stout team? Does that question make any sense whatsoever? [00:44:56] Speaker A: Yeah, no, it totally does. Yeah. [00:44:57] Speaker C: Yeah, 100%. [00:44:58] Speaker A: Yeah. It probably depends on how many we're going in, I guess. [00:45:01] Speaker B: I mean, if you're Martin right now, you got to be feeling like you're having a. I mean, your team sucks, but you are playing really, really well. [00:45:09] Speaker A: Yeah, I mean, that's so. Seven saves he had in St. Louis was just unbelievable. [00:45:14] Speaker B: Well, he had really at least one, if not two good saves in this game in Seattle. [00:45:20] Speaker A: He did. [00:45:20] Speaker B: And he's distributing the Walt ball. Well, he just looks more confident on the ball. Dan, that, that new kit he wore Saturday night was weirdly eighties cool. [00:45:33] Speaker C: It's the save by the bell ones. [00:45:35] Speaker B: It's the save by the bell. [00:45:37] Speaker A: By the way, soccer 90 got an unlimited number of those black jerseys. They sold out in like an hour. [00:45:42] Speaker B: Yeah. Yeah. [00:45:43] Speaker A: They have like jersey keeper jersey. [00:45:45] Speaker C: I found it interesting, the on EIFC 24 that I started playing it last week, and they've got the purple jersey for FC Dallas. That's not one that FC Dallas is using, but like technically it is Dan. [00:46:00] Speaker B: Wait, wait. In the game, the jersey is purple. The. [00:46:04] Speaker C: No, the goalkeeper kit. [00:46:05] Speaker B: Oh, oh, oh. I thought maybe the, the gradient effect just came across as completely purple on the home. [00:46:11] Speaker C: No, I think EA just kind of assigned random ones because they only do one. So they just threw the purple one at FC Dallas, which looks really good in it. [00:46:21] Speaker A: On the kit list that the league sends out the, like two weeks ago when Martin wore the one that's kind of a darker blue, it's labeled as purple. And then the blue one, quote, unquote, is the one that's almost sky blue that Antonio wore earlier this year. [00:46:36] Speaker B: Okay. [00:46:36] Speaker C: Because I've only seen them listed as the blue one, the actual blue one with the silver, the green with the like yellow triangle and then the black one. [00:46:48] Speaker A: I'll see if I can find you one. [00:46:50] Speaker B: Excellent. This is also the weekend we found out that the league is going to institute the new rules. And I'm interested in, you know, they've already instituted the continued clock inside the stadium. That appears to have gone over well with everybody. But the, the most noticeable thing everybody will, I assume, see at least once again is the referee announcing in stadium, in real time the details of whatever VAR decisions are made. Much like. Yeah, like a. Now, while he is adjudicating it, the VAR alarm from the kick around will go off in the stadium, driving everybody nuts until. And then. God, wouldn't that be awesome? [00:47:34] Speaker A: Bar, Nova bar. [00:47:38] Speaker B: And there'd be like red siren lights that go off around the stadium. That'd be. No, it'd be funny once. [00:47:44] Speaker A: No. [00:47:47] Speaker B: Anyway, so NFL style or whatever, I guess all the referees and all the sports do it now. Turn to the camera and announce what's going on. The two other ones are the ones that I think everybody will find most interesting and intriguing because they are time based penalties. The first one being, if you are, if you are a player being substituted off the field, you have 10 seconds to get off the field or your replacement cannot come on the field for. What is it, two more minutes? [00:48:16] Speaker A: Well, it's a minute or two. I don't remember. [00:48:18] Speaker B: Yeah, there's some delay, like how long? [00:48:20] Speaker C: But Dan, I think it was 60 seconds. [00:48:23] Speaker B: Yeah. So you're the guy replacing you. Your team plays down for a period of time. And the other one is if you go down with an injury and you require somebody to come out to attend to you, you have to go off the field and you have to stay off the field for, I think it is two minutes. Now here's the thing. How long before they this immediately turns into the goalkeeper must punt or get rid of the ball within 6 seconds law and everybody just ignores it. Never actually holds to it anymore. [00:48:58] Speaker A: Well when they announced the change, particularly the injury one. No, the sub one announced the sub one. They, they implemented that rule in MLS next pro and something like 98% of the players in the league got off at the time. So it actually became very effective about making everybody run off the field. So you know, I think it'll real quick that r1 quickly will be a. [00:49:22] Speaker B: Those are just dumb kids. [00:49:25] Speaker A: Well all you gotta do is enforce it once. [00:49:28] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:49:28] Speaker A: And by the way, here's your hot take. Dallas is gonna lose this game because someone's gonna get a minute or two minute penalty from one of these stupid rules and Colorado's gonna score cause he's gonna be up a man. That's what's gonna happen and you know it. You know that's what's gonna happen. [00:49:42] Speaker B: Yes. [00:49:44] Speaker C: So that player stays down rule. Can we just go ahead and call that the Hedera beyond clause right now? [00:49:50] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah that's pretty interesting. I mean that God that we instantly have already predicted the newest entry to the list. [00:50:00] Speaker A: Yeah, it'll totally be on the list. It'll probably be there next Monday because it's gonna happen this weekend, you know. [00:50:06] Speaker B: Yeah, buzz is marked it down now. [00:50:08] Speaker A: Yeah, I got it. I already wrote it in. [00:50:10] Speaker B: I do wonder how many people listening to this podcast are completely unaware. There is a rule on the books that a goalkeeper must get rid of the ball out of their hands with within 6 seconds. [00:50:26] Speaker A: I think most people know that. [00:50:29] Speaker B: Why? It's never. It's a rule that is never ever called. [00:50:34] Speaker A: I've seen somebody carded for it when. [00:50:39] Speaker B: People in an MLS game. [00:50:41] Speaker A: Yeah, you never seen a keeper get carded for waiting too long probably. [00:50:44] Speaker B: I've seen it for wasting time, but not for holding the ball because then it's an. [00:50:49] Speaker A: Yeah, I don't know. Same thing. [00:50:52] Speaker B: No, no, no. I think, Buzz, you and I are talking about two different things. If a goalkeeper picks the ball up, they have 6 seconds to distribute the ball. And if they're not, it's an indirect free kick from wherever it is, even if it's inside the box. [00:51:03] Speaker A: I know, but how many keepers stand there and hold the ball, right? [00:51:06] Speaker B: And I'm saying nobody ever calls it anymore. [00:51:09] Speaker A: Nobody stands there and holds the ball. They set the ball down on the ground. They all, they all do that. [00:51:15] Speaker B: I think. I think keepers get away with all for way longer. [00:51:18] Speaker C: You always see a striker counting off in the hands. [00:51:21] Speaker A: Yeah. You're forgetting the part of the rule that is if someone is putting pressure on the keeper, that doesn't count. It's if someone's there, like interrupting their ability to play. And that is a pretty broad spectrum of what that counts as. Then the 6 seconds doesn't count. [00:51:35] Speaker B: Oh, no, I'm familiar with all that. I'm just saying that I think keepers, it's like the other rule that a keeper must. Must be in the box to distribute it. But keepers are regularly two steps outside the box when they pent the ball down the field. [00:51:49] Speaker A: I wouldn't have said that was regular, but. Okay, I'll take your word for that one. [00:51:52] Speaker B: Dan, are you with me on that? [00:51:54] Speaker C: A lot of. I mean, there's definitely a lot of keepers that release it at the edge and okay, the boys outside of the box, but yeah, I mean, we're getting in the weeds about silly things at this point. Really. They should just scrap that rule. It's never been enforced other than what, one season. [00:52:11] Speaker B: Right. I. All I'm saying is, is that these time based rules, I just wonder how long they become rules that really aren't, you know, they're in the books, but nobody really follows them. [00:52:23] Speaker A: I think the sub one will be effective. I think that one will work. [00:52:26] Speaker C: I think that just kind of the sub one plays into what's already in place from Ifab. Right. Which is player has to go to the sideline closest to them and get them off as quick as possible. [00:52:36] Speaker B: I don't feel like they, I don't feel like they. They already gave up trying to stick to that rule. [00:52:42] Speaker A: Now that you. [00:52:43] Speaker C: To a degree, they definitely do it like, hey, if you're at the touchline, get the hell off. But if they're like two thirds over. Oh, all right, you'll. Yeah, to the far side. That's fine. [00:52:51] Speaker B: Okay. All right. Well, it's common sense. Law 18. Use common sense, as they always say. Yeah, we'll see how it goes. Well, that starts this weekend, so don't be startled when referees start talking to you in the stadium. I'll be interested to know inside Toyota Stadium, with arguably the worst audio system I've ever heard in my life, how easily it will be, how easy it will be to hear what the referee is saying in the stadium on that PA system. Good Lord, that thing's awful. [00:53:23] Speaker A: It's not very good. Hopefully it's good enough. We. So we heard it in the spring. [00:53:26] Speaker C: It used to be at least. [00:53:27] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:53:28] Speaker B: All right, let's see, what else do we want to talk about here, buzzard? [00:53:33] Speaker A: Well, I'd like to talk about how this team actually gets any better other than, like, getting healthy. You have to get Jesus to buy in and be, you know, present. Um, I think the last half of last year, you know, he at times has been. I don't know what, I don't, I don't know what's going on with the kid, to be honest with you, but it's like he's not the same player post Gold cup that he was pre Gold cup, and not just from injuries. I think mentally, too, he looks different. I think. So that's really important. And I don't know how, if that's possible, um, because he's really the only one who's going to be able to score or create effectively. Right. Because, you know, Anson doesn't do it, Musa doesn't do it. We've already talked about legit not doing it, so it's like you're going to have to have him do some things. Yeah, I'm Indy coming back with help, but hey, Seuss has to buy in and be engaged. And then the second thing is that, and these, these two things, I know they're actually doing the second two, and that's it. They're after players. They have to replace Paxton for the course of this season. So they're actively looking for a midfielder, central midfielder, and they finally realized that they need a center back, so they're actively out looking for, I've heard, specifically international center back. And I think it's more than likely it's a left footed kind of player. So we'll see if those two things can happen before the window closes. Before the window closes, I think, which is coming up soon, and then, or the second window, you know, so I don't think they'll move on putting the facts on the IR until they need to. But I do think that if you don't get those two pieces, you're not going to get much better. You're kind of going to look like you're going to look now because I don't, you know, our many coming back is nice, but I don't think Jesus will change things a lot unless Jesus comes back, like 2022 Jesus, you know, if you don't get that, you're not getting, you know, you're going to be scraping to get into the playoffs, and that's why the team plays like it does. [00:55:32] Speaker B: I'll let Dan go next. [00:55:34] Speaker C: Play players in the right places. [00:55:38] Speaker A: Yeah. Change tactics. I don't think that's gonna happen, though. [00:55:42] Speaker C: No, I mean, that's, that's it, right? It's players just put in places in positions to thrive, not in. You know, I think coaches often focus so much on creating adversity to create better players and, you know, sometimes that's just, just needless. [00:56:04] Speaker B: It is weird because in the Dallas sports scene, we're at a really weird time where the Rangers are obviously champions of the world, defending champs. The Mavericks are on an amazing role and a lot of people think they could go really deep in the NBA playoffs. The stars arguably are a Stanley cup, you know, contender. And when it comes to FC Dallas and the Cowboys, just the, the cloud of doom over both of their seasons. Now, the Cowboys season is way off the future, but that season already feels like it is just, it is ripe for a disastrous outcome based on the way this offseason is going for the Cowboys. And, and it feels the same way for this soccer team where they just, it, there's just, it doesn't buzz to me, feel like there is any way this thing gets demonstrably better this season and it's going to take some sort of massive shift and change in the offseason before we ever start seeing this team play better again. [00:57:09] Speaker A: Yeah. You know, it'd be interesting to see if coach sticks with this formation so, you know, if he rides that formation change until it costs him something serious, like the gig, as his dance has said what I said a couple of weeks ago, which is like, you know, I would have gone back to the four where they were comfortable, where your roster fits. But he obviously thinks this is the way forward speaker zero. [00:57:31] Speaker B: Well, I mean, they were terrible with the four, you know, I mean, they gave up a ton of goals with, with playing four in the back, which doesn't make any sense to me either, which may be part of the reason why Tafari sitting, I don't know. [00:57:43] Speaker A: Yeah. The two games they went for this season, you know, was really bad with safari in the middle of the two with ib, it didn't go well at all. So that is part of it. Yeah. [00:57:54] Speaker B: Hmm. Well, I apologize to the curious if this all sounds very bummer ish on repeat episode after episode, but it is what it is, and I'd love to find a, have a positive spin. I mean, look, the positive spin out of the Seattle game is they got a point and nobody got hurt. [00:58:13] Speaker A: Yeah. You know, it's going to be a grind. You know, you're going to, it's going to look like the back half of last year when they had a whole lot of 0011 ties, unless, unless somebody on this team figures out how to score. And I think honestly they all became the club, the organization, the coaching staff became convinced that like 2002 was the norm and that we can play this way because they played the same way and Jesus scored a lot of goals and it worked. And then last year they played the same way and has did not score a lot of goals and the defense seemed to regress and it didn't work, you know, but then they had all those injuries. So I'm sure they looked at this year's like, man, if we could just get healthy, we'll play like we did in 2022 and it'll be fine, it'll be great. And I don't know that it really is great. I think they, because of the way they play, they grind out some ties and they tend not to lose as many games because it's, they keep the scoring down, you know, they don't lose as many, which was the problem in our Lucci, that the end, they were losing too many games. You know, that's kind of what it is and it's going to be that way and it's going to be a season of that and at some point what to figure out what else we can talk about except for, man, this team can't score because it's going to be this way. Unless Jesus sort of, you know, unless they figure out a way to feed Musa in a way where he can actually get goals, it's not going to happen because he's not, he's not a guy that does it on the solo, you know, he's the guy that needs it in a team concept, you know, and Jesus, if Texas can buy into that and they can get it going, you know, if they can replace Paxton and they can get like some more linking pressure into the box, you know, and then, then maybe you got some things going, maybe you can do some things. But, you know, if, if Paul, if. Well, it won't be Paul if Dante Seeley can kind of turn into a guy who creates chaos, you know, I mean. Cause I don't think Allen's going to come back with any demonstrative, demonstrative decisiveness when you're talking about end of August off of coming off of an ACL, you know, it'll take months and months for him to really be really effective probably. You know, Giovanni could come back maybe mid season and by the end of the season give you something on the outside more effective and then maybe then Paul can go back up higher again or whatever, but you're only talking about incremental stuff. You know, in the end, it's like this investment in this roster is invested in players who have not come through for you the last two seasons and that's the bottom line. [01:00:38] Speaker B: Well, we will find out more this weekend as Dallas goes to Colorado. Anything else we want to do? Oh, yeah. I do want to say this on a positive note. The club, on their social media put out a really, really, really good recap video of the Dallas cup specific to the FC Dallas teams. And you should go hunt that down and watch it. It's really good. [01:01:04] Speaker A: It is very good. It's a great video. I loved it. But I'm a huge fan of the Dallas cup and FC Dallas being in it. [01:01:10] Speaker B: Yeah, I know that. I know that the girls side of the tournament isn't as big a deal as the boys, but I wish they had spent a little more time talking about the girls winning the sick U 17 group, but over they went to. [01:01:24] Speaker A: The of the four. [01:01:26] Speaker B: That's right. So it would be. It was great video. Go. Go. Hunt it down. [01:01:30] Speaker A: That 17 team is unbelievable. [01:01:32] Speaker B: Yes. [01:01:33] Speaker A: Oh, my gosh. That's it. Awesome. [01:01:36] Speaker B: Good stuff. [01:01:37] Speaker A: Okay, one more thing. Antonio Carrera started for North Carolina FC in the US Open cup today and they won one. Nothing in advance. [01:01:43] Speaker B: So interesting. And or all. Other than. Other than the MLS teams? All the Texas teams are out because I saw Lubbock lost to New Mexico. Is there any Texas teams left in the tournament? [01:01:56] Speaker A: I mean, other than Houston. But you said other than MLS teams know that the USL teams in Texas are. Oh, San Antonio Fc still in it? I think. [01:02:03] Speaker B: Are they? [01:02:04] Speaker A: I think so. [01:02:05] Speaker B: I don't know. [01:02:06] Speaker A: Let me look. [01:02:07] Speaker B: Clearly I have not been paying close attention. [01:02:09] Speaker A: Well, I didn't even think about the other Texas teams that are in it. [01:02:15] Speaker C: So. Still just in it? Well, for a minute until union Omaha beat him on panels. [01:02:22] Speaker A: Oh, they're going to penalties. [01:02:24] Speaker C: They're losing four three right now in penalties. Yeah. [01:02:28] Speaker B: Okay. [01:02:29] Speaker A: I figured Dallas probably going to get Tulsa since they knocked off northern Colorado, you know, sort of proximity. Yeah, I see the El Paso. So they're still in. [01:02:40] Speaker B: So is San Antonio playing in it? [01:02:42] Speaker A: I don't see them now that I said that. Unless they played. [01:02:45] Speaker B: Maybe they don't start till another round. [01:02:47] Speaker A: No, no. Maybe that's it. Maybe that's why I think that I was looking at it earlier and I swear I saw their name. So. [01:02:54] Speaker B: Cause that. Are USL one teams or championship teams in it? Yet already. [01:02:58] Speaker A: Some of them are. Some of them not. Some of them come in the next round. [01:03:01] Speaker B: Ah. So maybe San Antonio is one that comes in later. Okay. All right. Clearly my attention towards the open cup has been lax. [01:03:09] Speaker A: Well, it never even occurred to me to think about the other Texas teams in USL. Nice of you to point out. Yeah. San Antonio will come in with the MLS teams in this round. Let's see, who else, anyone else that you care about. No, not really. That's it. [01:03:26] Speaker C: Austin FC. Two out. FC Dallas not in yet. El Paso. Well, soon to be out. [01:03:31] Speaker A: Dallas is next. [01:03:33] Speaker C: Houston hasn't come in yet. LA pack out San Antonio FC. [01:03:37] Speaker B: Hey, did you guys see that note from somebody the other day? Or the suggestion that the idea of MLS next is that the league wants all of the clubs to give individual identification to their MLS next teams different from the MLS team? [01:03:56] Speaker A: Yep. They're pressing that. MLS next pro, they're pressing for that. [01:04:00] Speaker B: And then, like, had those teams play in different areas or different regions or not necessarily in the same place. So, I mean, obviously Dallas already has that with North Texas. [01:04:10] Speaker A: They said within a dark. They want it in a different market, quote unquote, but less than 100 miles away. So they want it close ish, but not in your main stadium and also not in a college stadium. So they want. They want an independent identity, you know, so, like from. For FC Dallas's case, like you could do, you know, South Dallas or Arlington or Fort Worth or Denton or something. [01:04:32] Speaker B: Kansas City's got to be pissed off. [01:04:34] Speaker A: Well, you know, they changed their team back from so park because they don't play at small park anymore, but you should have kept the name so park rangers because that was a great name. And there's been some other teams that have abandoned their individual names, but now they're being pushed back towards it. I think some of it's because of the independent teams that are coming into the league. They want to kind of muddy those waters a little bit and build these other brands and build like a. And I think it's also part of the whole open cup thing, right. They want to be. They want to treat them almost as a little more. A little more separation, in a sense, by having these different brands, these different locations. [01:05:04] Speaker C: There's also, you know, they had that notion of, oh, it needs to be. It needs to be MLS. It needs to retain all the. All the marks that we already own, but nobody wants to go watch a reserve team. [01:05:15] Speaker A: Right. [01:05:15] Speaker C: So if you have teams trying to get out of their market, out of their stadium, you know, we saw the best attendances North Texas SC had was when they were basically free games at Toyota Stadium. You know, if you're trying to push it as not quite just a reserve team, but its own thing, then, yeah, the branding really is going to help. [01:05:37] Speaker B: And it probably makes sense that the story about the stadium being built down in Mansfield is where North Texas will end up then. [01:05:46] Speaker A: Yeah, I think that's pretty clear. I mean, they've announced that North Texas would be the team that would play there. [01:05:50] Speaker B: Oh, that's right. They did do that, didn't they? Yeah. [01:05:52] Speaker A: Okay, well, and the. The operate, though, the. The company that's going to operate the venue is the same one that operates Choctaw. So there's where they play now. So there's these connective tissues there. [01:06:03] Speaker B: Okay. And has there been any more clarity on the Dallas Super League women's team? [01:06:10] Speaker A: Not specifically, but I've been in touch with them, and I'm hoping to have some more info in the next couple, couple of weeks. [01:06:17] Speaker B: No idea where they're going to play? [01:06:19] Speaker A: Not yet. When I talked to them, they said they're looking at a couple different venues still, so. [01:06:23] Speaker B: Okay. [01:06:23] Speaker A: There's not. There's no team like, is that we raise questions about, man, that it's in this fall, you know, where's the coach? [01:06:29] Speaker B: Where's the players? [01:06:30] Speaker A: Where's the brand? Where's the saving? And their owner, one of their owners reached out to me and said, we've been working on a whole bunch of stuff. I'd love to get to sit with you and talk you about it. So, hopefully over the next two weeks, sometime, I want to actually have a chat with them so I can learn some stuff. Hopefully. They've been really chop. [01:06:43] Speaker B: Dude, what are you waiting for? [01:06:45] Speaker A: Uh, not being sick, that's what I'm. [01:06:46] Speaker B: No, not you. Oh, the owner. [01:06:49] Speaker A: Yeah. I don't know. They've been working. They say it's, you know, we'll find out, so. [01:06:55] Speaker B: All right, well, all right. I got nothing else. I got a big bag of nothing. Just like my soccer team, Texoma, which. [01:07:03] Speaker A: You may not care about very much, is the new us. All one team is coming. They announced a bunch of owner partners, some businessmen in that area, and then some sort of celebrities like Gronk's family, subparently so. Yeah. Wait, so more investment in that deal? [01:07:18] Speaker B: Gronkowski? [01:07:19] Speaker A: Yep. [01:07:20] Speaker B: The tight end from New England, yet. [01:07:23] Speaker A: Know the other Gronk there? There is no other grunk. Yeah. [01:07:29] Speaker B: His family is invested in the team. [01:07:31] Speaker A: Yeah. [01:07:32] Speaker B: What's the tie? [01:07:34] Speaker A: I don't know there. [01:07:35] Speaker C: They've got family, local. [01:07:38] Speaker B: Oh, okay. [01:07:39] Speaker A: And apparently they're doing some kind of, you know, up in the Sherman sort of area along 35 there. Some kind of mixed use, you know, commercial residential hotel. Kind of like one of the people they've partnered with is a person who does, like, investing, money management kind of stuff for various, whatever. So it's a whole big, I mean, the announcements all lends a weight and credibility to this, to their ownership group, because it's people that you've actually know of that actually have developed things that had money and are invested in that area. So it's a, it's a positive on that front for that group. 30. Read. The podcast has been brought to you by Soccer 90 Dot, your source for FC Dallas USM's national team and international club gear. And now they've got the FC Dallas true brand military appreciation hat available there at soccer 90. Grab yours while supplies last. As a third degree listener, you get 20% off with the code 30 degree in store or in person and just mention it at checkout. Or put that code in online soccer 90 dot. Some exclusions may apply. This episode of Third Degree, the podcast has also been brought to you by the Lindstrom law firm. For wills, trust, probates, and business law, call 469-515-2559 that's 469-515-2559 or visit lindstromlaw firm.com for a free consultation. [01:08:53] Speaker B: Very good. Okay. Well, Dan, thanks for returning. We missed you while you were gone, sir. [01:08:58] Speaker C: Oh, no guarantees for next week. [01:09:03] Speaker B: We need you, Dan. It's better when you're here. [01:09:07] Speaker C: Need to be less busy in life. Well, be less busy, but then bills don't get paid. [01:09:13] Speaker B: Oh, okay. Well, good luck with all that buzz. I hope you feel better, buddy. Just. You're all clogged up. [01:09:22] Speaker A: I'm a mess. I better feel better because next week's gonna have to be a road pod. I gotta travel for work, so I'm leaving that morning. But, you know, hopefully I feel better by then. [01:09:31] Speaker B: We'll break out the heart flavor. [01:09:33] Speaker C: That is allergies that we bet. [01:09:34] Speaker A: Yeah. Flo days, Orlando. I'm gonna go hang out with Poppy. [01:09:38] Speaker B: Good luck. Okay. All right, guys, thanks so much and thank you, FC Dallas. Curious fan. Keep strong and we will speak to you next week on another episode, third degree, the podcast that was as positive. [01:09:50] Speaker C: As this game house. [01:09:52] Speaker B: Third degree. The third degree nepot. Third degree. The third degree nepochet. Third degree nap, I guess. Third degree. Third degree nap. I can.