Episode Transcript
[00:00:01] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:00:04] Speaker B: Ooh.
[00:00:05] Speaker A: Mm hmm.
[00:00:08] Speaker B: Oh.
[00:00:09] Speaker A: Third degree. The third degree nap III. The third degree nap podcast.
Third degree. The third degree nap podcast, third degree. Well, since they're not gonna tell us any details if they write pelvis injury, I'm assuming it's a sex injury.
[00:00:29] Speaker B: Dang, dude.
[00:00:31] Speaker C: I was gonna say, how else do you reinjure your pelvis other than a car crash?
[00:00:40] Speaker A: Well, hello there, FC Dallas. Curious fan. Welcome to episode 279 of Third Degree, the podcast.
There he is, the good Dan Crook. Howdy, Dan.
[00:00:53] Speaker C: Hello, hello.
[00:00:55] Speaker A: And your hero. My hero. Everybody's hero. Editor, founder of Thirddegree.net, and the original soccer info influencer himself, the good buzz kerik. Come in, Buzz.
[00:01:08] Speaker B: Hey, fellas. Feels weird doing this on a Thursday.
[00:01:10] Speaker C: We sound also just enthusiastic right now.
[00:01:15] Speaker A: You know, Buzz, you posted on the interwebs that for. I think the quote was, was it various personal issues or reasons?
[00:01:27] Speaker B: I said no, I said low key.
[00:01:29] Speaker A: Low key personal reasons, non important reasons. I would like the curious to submit their guesses as to what this low key personal reason is. I submitted mine a couple of weeks ago that Buzz has started taking up pilates and now has a class, a Pilates class on Wednesday night. But I encourage all curious to submit their. Their guesses. And the funnier the better. Dan, do you have a guess?
[00:02:00] Speaker C: No, I'll have to think about that one.
[00:02:01] Speaker A: Come on, you're british. You have that wit. You're supposed to have something right off the top of your head.
[00:02:07] Speaker C: Yeah, but our wits, mostly self depreciative.
[00:02:11] Speaker A: Just the snappy british thought would be so delightful right now about.
[00:02:17] Speaker B: I'm taking up a tea class.
[00:02:20] Speaker A: He did it for you, Dan.
[00:02:21] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:02:22] Speaker A: You let him do it for you.
[00:02:23] Speaker C: Don't put it in the bloody microwave, whatever you do.
[00:02:27] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:02:28] Speaker A: Don't put what? Don't put what in the microwave?
[00:02:30] Speaker C: Water, tea, milk, anything. Microwaves do not factor in cups of tea.
[00:02:36] Speaker A: Wait, so is that really seriously a thing? Like, if you microwave your water for tea, you're a bad tea maker.
[00:02:42] Speaker C: You're a bad person.
[00:02:44] Speaker A: Really? Why is this? How is it different than boiling the water?
[00:02:48] Speaker C: Well, Adolf Hitler used to do it. Pol pot did it.
John Wayne Gacy, probably.
[00:02:55] Speaker A: No, no, Hitler did not have a microwave.
[00:02:58] Speaker C: Maybe he did.
[00:03:00] Speaker A: Pol pot does not have a microwave.
[00:03:03] Speaker C: Nazi scientists were desperately playing around with radiation.
[00:03:10] Speaker A: Why is the blinking numbers?
[00:03:13] Speaker C: Can we make ZB a little bit more amenable?
[00:03:17] Speaker A: How do I set the clock?
[00:03:21] Speaker C: What is a VCR?
[00:03:22] Speaker A: It's this blinking twelve SDE. Uh, excellent. I don't understand.
[00:03:27] Speaker C: Uh, yeah, they're good.
[00:03:28] Speaker A: No, seriously. So it. So, like, that's a big, huge English no no. To. To microwave your water for tea. Really? Seriously?
[00:03:36] Speaker C: Yeah, because kettles exist, but you have.
[00:03:38] Speaker A: To wait for the water to boil.
[00:03:40] Speaker C: Yeah, but in the UK, it's 230 volts, so a kettle takes like, a minute and a half of oil.
[00:03:45] Speaker A: All right. Is this news to you, too, buzz? Is it is me.
[00:03:47] Speaker B: No, I. No, I knew that. Yeah.
[00:03:49] Speaker A: Really?
[00:03:50] Speaker B: Yeah. Well, I'm a lifelong tea drinker.
[00:03:51] Speaker C: Absolute.
[00:03:52] Speaker A: Here. Oh, okay. I don't.
[00:03:54] Speaker B: Yeah, I would never microwave water for tea. That's. You're awful if you do that.
[00:03:59] Speaker A: I mean, I'm not a tea drink. I mean, I drink iced tea, but I don't. My wife, you know, my wife has a kettle and she makes tea every morning, so I'll have to acquire this with her.
[00:04:09] Speaker B: There you go.
[00:04:10] Speaker A: Actually, you know what? She sometimes.
Sometimes she reheats her tea by putting it in the microwave. Does that make her a bad, awful, human Hitler type?
[00:04:22] Speaker C: Terrible.
[00:04:23] Speaker A: Is she a pole Hitler?
[00:04:24] Speaker C: No.
Somehow that's less bad because that's at least, like making a second use of something. I don't know. Okay, I don't make the rules. I only come from the place that does.
[00:04:35] Speaker B: I was not prepared for ten minutes of tea talk at the start of the.
[00:04:37] Speaker A: It's your fault. You made the joke.
[00:04:40] Speaker B: Well, yeah, it was just a joke. Wasn't the kickoff of a ten minute discussion.
[00:04:44] Speaker A: All right, I.
I'm sure the curious loved it. Cause really, do we really wanna talk about the other thing at hand? Do, like, do you really wanna start talking about the game against Vancouver?
[00:04:54] Speaker B: No, not really.
[00:04:55] Speaker A: Do you wanna talk about donuts on the road?
[00:04:58] Speaker B: No. Okay.
[00:05:00] Speaker A: Tea talk doesn't seem so bad now, does it, Mister Buzzard?
[00:05:03] Speaker B: Well, I gave you, like, 20 other options of things to talk about right in the middle of the thing once we get through.
[00:05:08] Speaker C: And t was one of them.
[00:05:09] Speaker A: And I'm not sure if that stuff's any more interesting, frankly.
[00:05:12] Speaker B: Cause it's all.
[00:05:13] Speaker A: It's all crummy right now.
[00:05:14] Speaker B: It is.
[00:05:15] Speaker A: All right, here we go. Yes. Dallas goes to Vancouver and gets the rare road point. In fact, I. Am I correct in saying this is only the fifth point they've achieved on the road this season?
[00:05:28] Speaker C: Oh, yes.
[00:05:29] Speaker A: One win and two ties.
[00:05:30] Speaker C: No, no, it's five ties.
[00:05:33] Speaker A: Oh, five ties on the road.
[00:05:36] Speaker C: Yeah. One win, five ties, eight losses.
[00:05:39] Speaker A: Okay. Um. I have not been paying attention, clearly, or I've let them just slip out of my head. But yes, they go to Vancouver, a place they typically don't play very well, um, and don't have a great track record.
And despite Vancouver missing, literally, like, half their starting lineup, can only manage a donuts zero zero and come home with just a mere point. And it was not a fun game. And the whole time I was watching this buzz, I kept thinking, man, this looks an awful lot like Nico Estevez soccer that I'm watching right now.
[00:06:12] Speaker B: It did in the sense that it was low chance creation, but, you know, it may have been for different reasons.
May it not have been by a desire to be defensive, it may have actually been despite an inability to be offensive.
Vancouver played a system that has a bunch of midfielders across the middle, and they basically sat off of Dallas a little bit and didn't really press aggressively, and it made it where it was very, very difficult for the FC Dallas back three to pass out of the back. Those that collective three players only had three progressive passes the whole game. They could not line break out of the back, they could not build out of the back. And that's effectively stymied the entire Dallas everything, because they. They also, because they didn't have Rowan, they didn't really have any players willing to play over the top either. So they didn't really have the ability to stretch the field, and they kind of just got stymied. And they just didn't create any chances at all, hardly. We had one of the lower xgs of the year, had one of the lower shot tools of the year, didn't get really make any really good chances at all. So on the other side of the.
[00:07:16] Speaker A: Coin, six shots, only two of which were on frame.
[00:07:20] Speaker B: Only one starter got a shot on target.
I can't remember who it was off time. Ariel, I think maybe, you know, it was a weird game, you know, and defensively, Vancouver had a decent amount of shots, but they were a lot of them from, you know, fairly far out. They weren't particularly good either. They had a higher volume, but they weren't really on target or dangerous. You know, Maurer had a really good game in the. In the sense that, like, he had a couple of big saves when it mattered. He only had four saves, though, you know, which is not a very high total now. They were biggest, and some of them got him, especially the one late in the game, got him under the team of the week. But, you know, it's not like how they faced. It's not like he had to make eight or nine saves like Martin paws does frequently. So, relatively speaking, Dallas played a somewhat defensive game. But again, I don't think it was necessarily like, hey, let's play a bunker Nico style. It was just that they couldn't get out. So they were all in a defensive position all the time, and it just was a really terrible game by Dallas across the board.
[00:08:19] Speaker A: Did you have a chance to watch it, Daniel?
[00:08:22] Speaker C: I got back from the cotton ball to watch the last 20 minutes, and based on that 20 minutes, I went, yeah, I'm good.
[00:08:30] Speaker A: Yeah, you didn't miss much. And I felt like, it felt very niko, as Steve is, because the team just looks so hesitant to do anything attacking. And you put it probably better than I did, buzz that it was just that they couldn't do it. But the backwards passing, the patient playing the ball back and forth amongst the center backs and just refusing to play the ball forward or try to get in behind was just, oh, it was like, I don't know.
[00:08:56] Speaker B: Yeah, well, with, with Cooper's five across and then the two strikers making it seven across, you know, they were just finding it impossible to find anybody to outlet. Areola was getting pinned against the sideline. You know, you saw legit and, and, um, yere many both trying to check back and find outlets, and they ended up trying to get over to more and more to the right side the longer it went on, which took, you know, Sam junka out of play, kind of, uh, it just was really terrible. Like, they're ordinarily low. The ability to line break up through the middle, you know, whether it be one side or the other, was just non existent. So it was very tough to watch, you know, and, and a couple of the backs had decent enough passing percentages in the sense that they didn't turn it over a bunch, but they just could not get into the offensive third. They couldn't really hardly even get an offensive half. And, and that meant that they were just. They just had nothing all night long.
[00:09:45] Speaker A: And it was the return of a start from Jesus Ferrera, who played, you know, was on, obviously, a time restriction. I assume that's why he went off exactly like, oh, yeah, certainly.
[00:09:54] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:09:55] Speaker A: Were you at all surprised he started this game being the fact that it was on turf and not because of the turf?
[00:10:00] Speaker B: It said the previous game he'd only gone 30. So I was. I was surprised they went from 30 to 60. You know, I thought maybe you might, you know, if you did start him, you'd go 45 or you might bring him in at halftime. That's kind of what I was thinking might happen. Not. Not a full 60, from a jump, from 30 to 60.
[00:10:15] Speaker A: So I got to say aggressive. Yeah. Well, you know, not just that, but, you know, I know it's his first start and everything, but, man, he just looks like a shell of himself right now, and it's hard to be judgmental on the poor guy, considering, you know, his situation and the fact that he's been injured and coming back from all that stuff. But I. I just.
I. He just does not look like the same dude at all.
[00:10:42] Speaker B: Well, in the context of this game, he. You know, he really. And the whole front three really struggled to see hardly any of the ball at all. I mean, they just didn't get the ball up front of them. You know, I think, like, Ferrer had only had 28 touches. You know, it's like, that's not very many for a, you know, a longer performance.
[00:10:59] Speaker A: And in fairness to him, he did make a couple of really good passes that Musa couldn't complete anything with. So I. Maybe I'm being a little harsh there, but I also feel like that him playing off in this position just drags. He's so often hidden out in the middle of nowhere, off near the touchline, and I don't know if that's him doing that. I don't know if he's being told to do that. It just feels like you're taking one of your best ball control guys and you're just moving him as far away from the ball as you possibly can. And I don't get it.
[00:11:30] Speaker B: Well, we've talked about this a fair bit. He's supposed to be underneath in central. Like the. The two. They're not really wingers. They're, you know, these. These tens underneath Musa. And in this game, it was Jesus, and it was, um. It should have been. I think it was in sibling. It was up there off top of my head, you know, those two guys are supposed to be.
[00:11:49] Speaker A: It was him and sibling and Mussolini, right?
[00:11:51] Speaker B: The width. The width is supposed to come from the wingbacks overlapping. So if Jesus is running out there and getting out to the touchline, that's just asus and his inability to be disciplined. His. His want to just run everywhere to try and find the ball rather than being where he's supposed to be. Because those. Those two guys with the two, uh, sixes, in this case, legit and Yermani, are supposed to basically make a box and open up the wides, the wide spaces to junka and in this game, Areola. So, you know, if he's in the wrong position, you know, probably it's out of his desire to get the damn ball, you know, because he wasn't getting it. He's probably trying to figure out how to get it. So he started going walk about trying to find it. But I, to be fair, that's not where he should be. That's not what he's supposed to be doing. So, you know, the, the problem with Jesus Ferreira is that we all know that his best position is, which is, you know, up front as probably an off striker, you know, or this false nine. And when you have Musa, you know, either you can try and figure out a two player, two striker system, which so far the two coaches they've had have not figured out how to do, or you're going to have to play him as one of these false wings, if you will, you know, underneath.
And so far, it's not ideal. It's not working great. So, I mean, you know, what you do with the Musa Ferreira combo is one of the biggest questions this team's going to have to answer past the next six games because I don't think you're going to find an answer for it in the next six games. It's not likely.
No.
[00:13:13] Speaker A: Let's see. Yeah, the front three. I mean, Musa didn't have a good game. This is one of those games where I, uh, my read is, is moose, because it's not been like this a lot, but there have been times where you just get the sense that Moosa would rather to be somewhere else than in that particular moment. Like, he just didn't, I didn't feel like we were, they were, he was giving out his best performance and I don't know if it's the turf, the travel or what, or he's just, you know, the. Along the end of a long season. I don't know.
[00:13:40] Speaker B: Well, we've talked about this since he got here. He just carries himself that way. You remember when he first arrived, you said the same thing. It's like you don't want to be here. And he even had a quote where he talked about it. He said, he just, he, he said, I'm just like that because I do want to be here. It's not, you know, it's, it's. I am, I am demonstrative in a sort of bad vibe way. I've tried to be better about it. You know, I'm paraphrasing especially what he said.
[00:14:02] Speaker A: Not everybody could be cobra.
[00:14:04] Speaker B: Yeah, well, Jesus is the same way. He and his are the same.
[00:14:07] Speaker A: That's true. That's a really, really good fact. Yeah, that's right. They do kind of.
[00:14:10] Speaker B: And I don't think you can. Based on his performances of a year, I don't think you can say the guy that want to be here, you know, in this particular game, again, he had two shots, which was more than anybody else had a, basically, except for who had more than that areola, you know, but then Arreola played wing in the second half instead of wingback. You know, that is one interesting thing that happened is that coach Laksan changed the formation to a four three three at halftime. So, you know, guys played different positions. It was a fascinating flex that they were doing, but it didn't work either. So, you know, it just was a poor performance overall. And I don't think, honestly, at this point in the season, you know, you're missing some pieces. This team obviously still stinks on the road. They stink on turf. They stink in Vancouver. Maybe it's the long flight, you know, it's just at some point you just go, you know what? Moving along, let's celebrate that. Jimmy Maurer was fantastic in what is probably his last game. And that's really the one takeaway is awesome. Jimmy, who's been a great servant for this club a long time and, you know, if that's a curtain call, so be it. What a great way to go out. If we see him again, awesome, too.
[00:15:10] Speaker A: But that save on the breakaway, I mean, I just thought, okay, that's curtains. This game's done for. And the fact he pulled that save off was a whole lot of him and a little bit of bad finishing on the strikers part. I don't remember who it was that he saved the ball on, but, yeah.
[00:15:25] Speaker B: I mean, the save with like a minute left is just ridiculous.
[00:15:28] Speaker A: Yeah. You know, that was. Yeah, all the plot awards he got over the course of the week were totally deserved. Yeah.
[00:15:34] Speaker B: I mean, team of the week on four saves. It was the quality. It was the quality of them, not the quantity. You know, it's. He earned it.
[00:15:40] Speaker A: Yeah. We also saw Mister Velasco return and I have to admit I was really surprised they threw him out there on the turf.
[00:15:47] Speaker B: I mean, for ten minutes again, like, what's he going to do? It's just he had five touches. You know, you just let him run around a bit and.
[00:15:55] Speaker A: Well, I just, you know, considering what's going on and I don't know. It was very late in the game. It did seem like a weird ten minutes to put him on to try to get something. I, like. You said he didn't touch the ball very much, but it does make me wonder, so will we end up going to the end of this season and ever have a conversation about the, the, what's the best analogy, Dan? Is it like calling him the shooting star of Bernard Kamungo?
Like we're, it's, it's flamed out and we've just completely lost everything. All the hype on this kid is been wasted over the course of this season. I feel like because he just, I don't know, it's the formation, what they're asking him to do. We just don't get anything out of him anymore.
[00:16:42] Speaker C: But have you heard he's got a really interesting story?
[00:16:46] Speaker A: No. Would you like to tell it to me?
[00:16:49] Speaker C: I wouldn't, but plenty of people, FC Dallas definitely would.
[00:16:52] Speaker A: But has he played soccer with a ball made of condoms, socks and plastic bags?
[00:16:58] Speaker B: I don't believe condoms were involved in that story. Were they? That's news to me.
[00:17:01] Speaker A: I don't remember.
[00:17:03] Speaker C: Yeah. When was he playing soccer in deep? Ellum.
[00:17:08] Speaker B: Well, in his favor. You know, he did play just 30 minutes and again only had twelve touches. He couldn't get the ball. But in those twelve touches he had two shots and one on target. Which one on target equal the best of the game. You know, he had, you know, a couple of progressive carries. He was 50% on take on. So like in 30 minutes, has he been hurt? Put in some, no, he's just, as you said, he doesn't fit this system. Like remember, this system doesn't use pure wings. This three back system using three four, three. You know, it's a, it's a false ten underneath, right. It's a false wing underneath. It's not a wing. So like, you know, they tried him at wingback. He doesn't get it. They've tried him at this false position. He doesn't really get it. You know, it's like if the problem is like if it's all about how to develop Bernie, if he's the guy, then you can't play this system. But they don't, it's not about that. They're trying to win and, you know, and Bernie becomes an afterthought. You know, it's funny that like Bernie and Allen have both had a wasted season and Alan's was because Andrew and Bernie was just, because they were so desperate they couldn't play him and he can't, they can't afford to give him the time to play into the system.
[00:18:09] Speaker A: Right.
Well, I, you know, it wasn't a fun game. It was a really not a good game for any either team, frankly, it just. There wasn't a lot going on there.
And I am interested that they've picked up Armstrong, the Southampton guys. Stuart Armstrong, the kid that was playing the scottish kidde. Or a kid. He's, like, 32.
I wonder. I'll be curious to see what he does in this league, because he was a really nice player for Southampton. Yeah.
[00:18:41] Speaker B: I mean, he was only seven minutes, but I thought, you know, just watching him move, I thought, oh, yeah. Okay, good. Good signing. Yeah. I mean, I know, 32, but.
[00:18:48] Speaker A: Well, you know what? That's actually interesting. Like, for people who are new to the league or new to the sport, there are people that you can watch and instantly tell that they are better players by just how they carry themselves. They receive the ball, how they pass the ball. And that's. And that is a great example where there's a guy you saw literally seven minutes of, and if you know just enough what to look for, you go, okay, that's a player right there.
[00:19:13] Speaker B: Who was that reading about? There's a coach. Maybe it's pooch. They were talking about. He watched a guy for five minutes and like, nope, I'm done. Wait, it's like, five minutes? Yeah.
[00:19:24] Speaker A: Did you call him Pooch?
[00:19:25] Speaker B: Yeah, pooch. Tina.
[00:19:26] Speaker A: It's poaching. It's poach.
[00:19:28] Speaker B: Yeah, it's pooch.
[00:19:28] Speaker A: It's not pooch. It's not like your belly. Like, you're bloated.
[00:19:32] Speaker B: We live in Texas. This is the deep south, bro. It's pooch.
[00:19:36] Speaker C: Sorry, did you say cooch?
[00:19:37] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:19:40] Speaker A: He called him pooch.
[00:19:42] Speaker B: Yeah, it's pooch.
[00:19:43] Speaker A: It's not pooch.
[00:19:44] Speaker B: It is pooch. It is now.
[00:19:46] Speaker A: It's like calling you booze.
[00:19:49] Speaker B: No, it wouldn't.
[00:19:50] Speaker A: Yes, that also applies.
I'm gonna start calling you booze.
[00:19:54] Speaker B: At least I know it's pronounced at Maurizio and not Mauricio.
[00:19:58] Speaker C: Okay, wait, it's not Morris?
[00:20:00] Speaker B: No, it's Morris. Pooch. Pooch. I like. I like calling him pooch.
[00:20:05] Speaker A: Okay, you get. It's your podcast. You call him whatever you want.
[00:20:08] Speaker B: It's. Well, it's kind of a nickname, because I'm not necessarily a huge fan, but I can't remember who. I don't want to say it was him. Maybe it was Beyonce. It was somebody famous. And they were like. They said, within five minutes, they can see that. If they can't see the quality they want, then they're like, I'm out. You know? And I was like, I get it. If you're coaching at a level this elite level. Like, if you're scouting for Man City, like, I should be able to tell in five minutes the dude is just wrecking whatever league he's in, or we're not interested.
[00:20:32] Speaker A: I would think that is true for anybody that has made management or scouting their career. Like, you should be able to identify a player, at least at some level, within five minutes.
[00:20:43] Speaker B: Maybe it would depend on the game. Like, if you showed up at this.
[00:20:46] Speaker A: Game, FC Dallas scouts are excluded from this.
[00:20:50] Speaker B: Well, think about this. Like, if you. If you were. If you or whoever, pick whatever EPL coach you want. If you watch this down, this game this last weekend, to scout Jesus Ferreira, he didn't even see the ball. It's like, sure. I mean, within five. You know, sometimes within five minutes, they don't get the ball enough, but.
[00:21:04] Speaker A: Right.
[00:21:05] Speaker B: You know, but I. Yeah, I would agree with you in a lot of ways. Like, sometimes I feel like that with academy games, there's some kids every once in a while that I watch it. Within five minutes, I'm like, holy smokes, this kid can move. You know, there have been guys, I've reacted to that quickly, so.
And I'm not even, like, a real scout.
[00:21:20] Speaker A: We were at a spectrum, and there was a pickup game going on, and it was a bunch of, like, 20 and 30 year old plus or older guys. And there was this one teenage girl, and she was so clearly better than everybody else out on the field, just purely from her movement, just moving into space and making space for her teammates and getting herself open for teammates. It was really funny to watch because she clearly had been coached right. And it was just a bunch of fat guys that were waiting to go drink beer, and she was so much better than the rest of them. And it fascinated me that, like, a 17 year old girl could just be fundamentally a better player than a bunch of 20 and 30 year old guys in the year 2024.
[00:22:00] Speaker B: Yeah, I mean, I know exactly what you mean. I remember, you know, I may have even told this story. I remember playing against the guy one time, and I'm not even near that level, of course. And the first time there was a transition, I turned around to go the other way, and he was 15 yards away from me, and I was like, oh, I'm screwed. Like, he just smoked me the whole game, and within 10 seconds, I knew he was going to just because of that one. That very first transition reaction, and I was so far behind the play compared to him.
[00:22:23] Speaker A: They're built differently these days, for sure.
[00:22:25] Speaker B: Well, no, this was a long, long time ago. It wasn't about me being fat. It was. This is when I was in the prime of my career, you know, which is not. Queer is the wrong word, but you know what I mean? Like, whatever level you're playing at when you run into a guy who's at a level way above you.
[00:22:39] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:22:39] Speaker B: When they do something like that happens that you instantly know you're screwed because the dude reads the game so far beyond you, you know, and that's, that's what happened in five minutes.
[00:22:49] Speaker A: I get it. It happens to me every Tuesday night at spectrum these days.
Okay, so zero, zero. Dallas ends up with the point. They're still in 10th place.
Let's take everybody's temperature. Are Dallas going to make the play?
[00:23:04] Speaker C: Dan, how long is a piece of string?
[00:23:09] Speaker A: I don't know what that means.
[00:23:10] Speaker B: I don't know what that means. Yeah.
[00:23:13] Speaker C: Exactly.
[00:23:14] Speaker A: Okay, buzz, where are you on this adventure we're on?
[00:23:18] Speaker B: Yeah, I'm now that they're not going to. I was looking today at some numbers of what people think the playoff line is going to be and a couple of people were now listing it at 46 instead of 44, which means that they would actually, you know, Dallas effectively needs four wins out of their last six games to make it okay. Probably, you know, and you can do things like, we've done this right, we went through the schedules and we know other teams have bad schedules, but at the bottom end of the day, you got it. You're probably going to have to get a certain point total based on how people have performed on the whole year. So really you have to, from a bulk perspective, they got to win four out of six and that's going to be pretty damn difficult. You know, three at home, three on the road. It's going to be good luck.
[00:23:59] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:24:00] Speaker B: Because ties won't get it done. As Dan says, you can tie your way into relegation.
[00:24:04] Speaker A: Boy, can you accept an MLS.
[00:24:07] Speaker B: Well, you know what I mean? Relatively speaking, yes.
[00:24:09] Speaker A: All right, so we're going to go to the playbook of answering a question from somebody in the discord. And this comes from the good El Chorizo, who's, I think his name is Scott.
[00:24:22] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:24:22] Speaker A: Um, but wait, el Theresa may not want to have been identified.
[00:24:27] Speaker B: Well, he, he put his name in parentheses in the question, so he must have.
[00:24:31] Speaker A: Okay, uh, mister sausages, question is, what does each out of contract on option player need to do in remaining games to get picked up? So buzz, I am going to read a name in alphabetical order and you and or Dan can give a brief explanation. Yes, or no kind of deal.
[00:24:56] Speaker B: Yep.
[00:24:56] Speaker A: All right.
[00:24:57] Speaker B: Yep.
[00:24:57] Speaker A: Man, do we even have to bother with his first name?
[00:25:00] Speaker B: Yeah, I'll go first on the first one and Dan go first on the second one.
[00:25:04] Speaker A: All right. Eugene Ansa. No.
[00:25:07] Speaker B: Yeah. Peter's a no. I'm going to say he would have to score a goal in every game remaining to get picked up.
[00:25:15] Speaker A: Has he scored a goal for this team?
[00:25:17] Speaker B: I don't remember.
[00:25:17] Speaker A: Did he score a goal last season? He might have, maybe like he tapped one.
[00:25:22] Speaker B: Yeah, he definitely has. He definitely has.
[00:25:24] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:25:25] Speaker B: Yeah, for sure.
[00:25:26] Speaker A: All right.
[00:25:26] Speaker B: I'll have to look and see what it is. But, you know, he's on 700K.
[00:25:29] Speaker A: It's a $700,000 goal. So congratulations to Eugene AnsA. He's our winner this season. Okay.
Antonio Carrera.
[00:25:37] Speaker C: Dan, obviously you keep.
[00:25:40] Speaker A: Okay, buzz.
[00:25:41] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah. The answer is like, there's, it's no question you're going to keep him. It doesn't matter what he does the rest of the season. You just keep playing him in our Texas.
[00:25:48] Speaker A: All right. Patrickson. His loan is ending at the end of this season. Buzzard.
[00:25:52] Speaker B: Oh, you know what? I actually think this is out of his hands. It's going to depend on the price of the buy.
If the price of the buy is 5 million, then he's not coming back. If the, if the price of the buy is under a million or around a million, then maybe, I think he did enough in terms of his performance and how young he is that they'll want to keep him. So it's all, and we're not, we'll probably never know the buy price until it actually happens. So it's, you know, again, that one is almost impossible to determine. And so we learn what the price was.
[00:26:24] Speaker A: Okay. Mister Herbert Endelay. Dan, what does he got to do?
[00:26:29] Speaker C: He's got to climb out of the hole that he's fallen into in the roster.
[00:26:34] Speaker A: He needs to play some soccer.
[00:26:37] Speaker B: Yeah, well, he's playing a lot in north Texas. I think in his case this 1 may also be a little out of his hands. It'll depend on how much jettisoning of, you know, Juan or Tomasi or Giovanni Jesus happens in front of him because he is a very cheap, you know, player that has played a couple of games that they must love.
[00:26:53] Speaker A: Okay, well, I think this is a silly to even be on this list. Logan Farrington. Why is Logan Farrington on a rookie deal with an option already?
[00:27:04] Speaker B: Yeah, he, he has one of these newer rookie deals that's just a rolling one year options for like four or five seasons. So you might need a new agent, but he, you know, basically Dallas will just be able to pick him up. I mean, the answer for him is he doesn't need to do anything. They're picking him up no matter what at this point.
[00:27:19] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:27:19] Speaker B: So it's an easy one. It stinks for him. It's really cheap money.
[00:27:22] Speaker A: Is Logan already the best draft rookie this team has had since Hedgese?
[00:27:28] Speaker B: Well, if you're going to go just on rookie season, I think, I think he's outdone both Tesho and hedge in terms of rookie performance.
[00:27:35] Speaker A: Yeah, I agree.
[00:27:36] Speaker B: Yeah. I mean, I don't know what you'd have to maybe like Jason Kreis in 96 technically is a rookie. Maybe that'd be about it.
[00:27:44] Speaker A: I can't think of another rookie that has come in and been as good as quickly as Logan has.
[00:27:49] Speaker B: So certainly if you mean a draft pick like out of college, I mean that's, you know, because otherwise you could say, oh, Moose is a rookie. I mean, that's not how that works.
[00:27:55] Speaker A: I'm talking about somebody from the draft.
[00:27:57] Speaker B: Yeah, I mean, Bobby Ryan or who's the other striker? Alexi Kroll maybe. But even then I think Logan out does all those guys. Abe Thompson, better than that.
[00:28:08] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:28:08] Speaker B: A little Jose Vaka maybe.
[00:28:10] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:28:11] Speaker B: Different position.
[00:28:11] Speaker A: Although wasn't a draft pick.
[00:28:13] Speaker B: Yeah, he was, he was drafted out of, he was out of the Tawichi and he was one of those weird. Back then they would sign pro players.
[00:28:21] Speaker A: That's right.
[00:28:22] Speaker B: Like two or three of them that would be in the draft, right?
[00:28:25] Speaker A: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. All right.
Liam Frazier, Dan, what's he got to do? Stick around, get a new deal, get healthy?
[00:28:38] Speaker B: I'm going to say that he's, that right now he won't be brought back because I think show was his replacement. But, you know, I think the thing that would allow him to come back would be that show would be really expensive because otherwise I think show is a better player in the same position and because you're going to get past him back to, you know, and maybe you're going to see a progression of Nolan Norris that might take some minutes there. So I, I'm, I'm really, I'm really hesitant to say that Frazier could even get himself a spot back. Even if he gets healthy, it would take something special out of him over the last, if he can make it the last couple of games to do something remarkable. I'm not optimistic.
[00:29:14] Speaker A: I'm not a big fan of either one of them. Um, the old man, Omar Gonzalez.
[00:29:21] Speaker B: I think it's my turn to go first. I would say he would have to prove he's a better center back than Marco Farfan. Because right now, they're picking Marco Farfan, who's an average at best, if not mediocre, center back.
[00:29:31] Speaker A: I'm telling you, if we get to the year 2025 and Marco Farfan is still a center back on this team, I know we're going to riot.
[00:29:39] Speaker B: Yeah. I mean, it just. You know, the fact that he is just tells you something about a Omar specifically. But also, you know, there's just not.
[00:29:48] Speaker A: Is Corta even still on this team?
[00:29:51] Speaker B: Yes.
[00:29:51] Speaker A: Is he playing for north Texas?
[00:29:53] Speaker B: He is.
[00:29:54] Speaker A: Is he any good for them?
[00:29:55] Speaker B: He's not bad. He's okay.
[00:29:57] Speaker A: Okay. Yeah, he's on the list. Later. We'll get to him in a minute. Oh, what about my very good friend and somebody I'm super familiar with, Malik? Henry Scott. You know, that's the weird thing. His brother Tarek is his brother, but does not share the same last name in Henry Scott. I don't know if you guys knew this about him.
[00:30:15] Speaker B: Yeah, no, I did not know that. In fact, uh, yeah, we knew that. Um, Daniel supposed to go first on this one. What's he got to do to get it picked up?
[00:30:23] Speaker C: Not a whole lot. Just keep progressing.
[00:30:25] Speaker B: Yeah, I agree. I think he's done enough to get us. I mean, he's a north Texas player. You know, he's there because his brother's there, and he's a long shot guy, but he's done fairly well in his first season, so sometimes places a nine.
[00:30:36] Speaker A: Sometimes he's kind of a wide attacking player. Really nice guy.
[00:30:40] Speaker B: Yep.
[00:30:40] Speaker A: Okay. Very good.
Sebastian Ibi aga.
[00:30:44] Speaker B: Is it my turn? I don't think he needs to do anything. I think that he'll pick him up. I know he's getting older, but I think they'll pick him up hoping that he's the back. He won't be starting. Yeah. That he's the backup. And if they. If they're going to be three at the back, if they have to start, the team will think if we starting him again, that's fine. They like him. I don't as the starter, but I think they'll pick up his option and.
[00:31:06] Speaker A: Oh, crap. He's on this list out of contract. Even Asir Laramundi is out of contract. There's no way he's signing a new deal to come back here, is there?
[00:31:19] Speaker C: Well, he's got to do his. Want to?
[00:31:23] Speaker B: Yeah. He's a no brainer to resign if he'll do it.
I don't have any idea what his mind.
[00:31:29] Speaker A: Yeah, but, like, here's the thing, though. Let's, let's, let's have an honest talk here for a second. I mean, he obviously is having a good, a good season, and the team tends to go as he goes, meaning whether he's playing or not. Yep. But he is 34.
[00:31:45] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:31:46] Speaker A: Is he going to, like, if you're going to sign him, you don't want to sign him for more than another one year deal or you're really just putting your, you're not doing yourself a long term favor because then you're going to end up with a 36 year old center, you know?
[00:32:00] Speaker B: Yeah. So I'd give him one with an option, for sure. You know, keep in mind that, like, he won the beep test the beginning of the season, so, like, he's the fittest guy on the team.
[00:32:09] Speaker A: But, Buzz, you and I both know, you know, once you get to 34, 35, that stuff changes very quickly. Yeah, it's, it's not like a gradual decline. It's like you just wake up one morning and suddenly you ain't winning the beep test anymore.
[00:32:24] Speaker B: Yeah, that's why I would go one plus one. And if he would take, if he would take, he might even take. He might want three years.
[00:32:30] Speaker A: No. Well, he may go. Look, he could probably go find a second level team in Spain and get a three year deal easily, or, you know, second or third tier team.
[00:32:40] Speaker B: I think about, like, if you have to try and replace him, though, this winter.
[00:32:43] Speaker A: Well, that's what I, that's when I saw his name on this list. I just kind of got bummed out because this team trying to find a holding mid, especially now that Nico Steves is gone, since he was the one that brought this dude in to begin with.
[00:32:59] Speaker B: Well, that's why the pickup Fraser's option, because they can't keep Yarmindy. That's his replacement.
[00:33:05] Speaker A: There's going to be this. Here's 2025. Your two starting holding mids are going to be show and Frazier.
[00:33:11] Speaker B: It could be. Yeah, it could be. I mean, hopefully not.
[00:33:15] Speaker A: But, you know, Sam junka, I think.
[00:33:19] Speaker B: It'S my turn to go first. And the answer is he doesn't have to do anything. They damn well better pick that dude's option up.
[00:33:24] Speaker A: Hell is Sam.
[00:33:25] Speaker B: Sammy young ish.
Off the top of my head, he's 26, 27.
[00:33:32] Speaker C: The thing is 27 27.
[00:33:35] Speaker B: The thing is, is that he's entering the prime of his career. And granted, he's not a superstar player at any position, but he is a better wing back than far fan. He's almost as good as an outside back, as far fan. And he's taller. So, like, if you emergency center back, he might actually be better in certain circumstances than far fan. But you can also play him at right back. You can play him at right wing back because he's able to switch foot play, which is actually a very modern, exciting prospect. He's played some wing. I mean, in a lot of respects, he's the new Hollingshead. So, like, in terms of also phenomenal guy, locker room liked, well liked. Works hard. Up until they added Juan, he was the guy that had ran the most on the roster and without even being a full time starter, he had outrun everybody in terms of distance on this team. So he's a perfect cheap player that you want on your roster. I think you pick him up, you.
[00:34:23] Speaker C: Forgot his most outstanding attribute. He's incredibly handsome, that he rescues cats.
[00:34:30] Speaker B: Oh, that's true. And he's one of the best crossers on the team. So I think he has to do nothing to get his option picked up.
[00:34:35] Speaker A: Okay. And he's incredibly handsome. Amet Corcha, who I just now realized his first name is Amet Dan.
[00:34:42] Speaker C: He has to release some saucy photos related to Andre Zomata.
[00:34:50] Speaker B: Yeah, I think that's probably the case. His trouble staying healthy, he's really. He can't even get a game with FC Dallas at all when they desperately need a center back, so. And there's a couple of prospects in North Texas I like better. I think. I think he's. He's going to be luck to be.
[00:35:05] Speaker A: Making buzz sandwiches at Chiba hut next.
[00:35:07] Speaker B: Year, is what I. Yeah, he might be, because I love that place. Yeah. I don't think there's anything he can do to get us, I mean, start six games and dominate, I guess would be the answer. That happened.
[00:35:18] Speaker A: Jimmy Maurer is out of contract at the end of this year. Just retire in style. Yeah. Let him become a coach.
[00:35:25] Speaker B: This is a Dan go first one.
[00:35:26] Speaker C: But I think he's kind of earned the right to do what he wants.
[00:35:30] Speaker B: Yeah, it would be up to him. It would also be up to Antonio Carrera. Like, if they eventually Carrera flames out for whatever reason and they're desperate, they might say, jimmy, one more season.
[00:35:38] Speaker A: Yeah. Okay. Um. Oh, this one's going to be a controversy in Sikhi and sibling.
[00:35:46] Speaker B: Okay. If, if peter Laksan is the head coach, then he has to do nothing because loves that guy. And I think under that coach, I think Zeke has done more than enough to get picked up because he's super cheap and he's also likable and also works hard and doesn't rock the boat. If it's a different coach, who the hell knows? Uh, because that player is not, it's not a sea guy is not a guy. That's good that people are going to go, oh, yeah, we got to keep that guy from outside the ship. Only inside the ship are they going to know his value.
[00:36:18] Speaker A: Buzz.
[00:36:19] Speaker B: Dan, you have any comments on that? Or Peter, go ahead.
[00:36:21] Speaker A: Well, go ahead, Dan.
[00:36:22] Speaker C: Sorry, I was going to say my only comment is, uh, uh, pochettino was pooch and, uh, boat was boot. You've slowly become canadian.
[00:36:31] Speaker B: What's that about?
[00:36:34] Speaker A: All right, so, buzz, if seeking sibling is out of contract and available in the open MLS market.
[00:36:42] Speaker B: Yep. Well, it's an option, but yeah, I'm just, I'm.
[00:36:46] Speaker A: No, I'm. And I'm making a hypothetical.
[00:36:48] Speaker B: Sorry, sorry, sorry. Yeah.
[00:36:49] Speaker A: What type of MLS team picks him up?
Does he end up playing at, uh, Charlotte or does he end up going to LAFC?
[00:37:01] Speaker B: Well, I don't think anyone's going to look at him and think, that's guy I need starting in my team. You don't. But you know, the rosters have 20 guys that aren't starters.
[00:37:10] Speaker A: So when you say luxe loves this guy, does he love him as a roster part or does he dude, a roster dude or does he love him because he thinks he can be a starter and a successful player for this team?
[00:37:24] Speaker B: I don't know about starter, but there was a comment, like right after, looks like he took over. There was a game where they got Seiki in there and he raved about how awesome it was and how badly and how desperately they needed Seiki to play. And so this coach values that guy as a player. You know, now his valuation could be completely different. Who's right or wrong? It's hard to say. You know, he's got his opinion and his opinion is that CK is a fantastic player. He loves him. So if that guy's the coach, I'm sure they're going to pick up CK's option. You know, if it's a different guy, the different guy may be like, I have no clue who this is. You know, don't pick him up. Granted, contracts have to be optioned fairly quickly.
[00:38:05] Speaker C: So someone were to pick him up San Diego, he would actually be a decent lower roster piece.
[00:38:13] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:38:14] Speaker B: Yeah, between ten to 20 on your roster. He's fantastic.
[00:38:17] Speaker A: All right.
Um, the great buzz bust in the history of buzz Carrick, third degree Isaiah Parker.
[00:38:26] Speaker B: Now, what I will say about Isaiah Parker is that coach Nico Estevez hated that kid. Absolutely hated him. And why there was, I don't know.
[00:38:38] Speaker A: Did you ever figure it out?
[00:38:39] Speaker B: Sometimes people just hate people, you know, I think. And it was way before, like, they weren't super happy that he wanted to do a loan and went in line of his own loan to San Antonio, but they. Nico hated him before that. Nico. It's like when Oscar had that guy in from, was it Columbia or whatever, that blew his knee out. And Oscar was like, don't even bring him back. Just send him home to rehab down there. I don't want him. Oscar hated that guy.
And this is the same way. Like, coach Nico just couldn't stand him. You know, something about his play or his mentality or the way he carried himself, I really couldn't even tell you, other than, like, he had zero chance to ever play for Nico. Steve. And then this season, you know, down, when they had a new coach down in north Texas, John gall. John Gall went to him and he said, hey, listen, I know the situation. We both understand the situation. Play this year for me to get yourself a good spot next year. Let's get some tape on you. Show out for me and you'll get a job next year. And he was doing that, and then he blew out his knee. He was having a great season for North Texas until he blew out his knee. So it's the same thing, though, is like the guy that hated him is gone. I have no idea what Peter Laksan thinks about this kid, you know what I mean? But he was a generation Adidas player. He's just now basically finishing his junior year of college. So it's way too early to give up on the kidde, you know, will somebody else want his generation of decent contract? He's got one more year on the generation due to this contract, which is a free cap player. So the answer is, what does he have to do? Is nothing. It's going to be down to whether whoever. It's just like some of these other guys is. Who's the coach? Does the coach like him at all? Does Peter look saying, like, isaiah Thomas, isaiah Parker at all? If he hates him just like Niko did, then he's screwed. Get him out of here. Free the kid up and let him move on with his life. You know what I mean?
[00:40:30] Speaker A: So at worst, he's a north Texas roster.
[00:40:34] Speaker B: Yeah. At worst. At worst. And he, and he played. He was the best left back they had this year. Tyson Rose has not showed well since he came back. Parker was having a great season by the measure of north Texas. You know, Woody have done Jack squat with SC Dallas. I have no clue.
[00:40:49] Speaker A: Was it a non contact knee injury or was it a tackle in, do you know?
[00:40:53] Speaker B: It was. No, it was kind of non contact. It just happened. He was cutting. I think they go around correctly and popped it. So, you know, again, it's out of his hands, you know.
[00:41:03] Speaker A: All right, what about who won, Dan?
[00:41:07] Speaker C: If the numbers right and he's willing. Yeah, yeah.
[00:41:10] Speaker B: It's just the money. That's it.
[00:41:11] Speaker A: But I'm assuming the reason why he's here in the first place is that Montreal knew he wanted an, you know, a metric fuck ton of money for being a right back and said, no, thank you. And, well, that, or he's pay that.
[00:41:24] Speaker B: He might have said, I don't want to live in Canada. I hate the cold. He's from Brazil. I don't know, you know what I mean? Like. Or maybe he just wants to be a place where he's valued or something. Didn't like their coach. I don't know. You never know. So they probably knew that he wasn't going to resign for whatever reason. But we don't know whether that's true here or not.
[00:41:41] Speaker A: Do we know how bad his injury is?
[00:41:43] Speaker B: Yeah, I mean, he showed up on the injured list was a pelvis injury. But the team right now, see Dallas, they don't let us know Jack squad about injuries. I mean, this whole year, right. They would say he'll be out two weeks and three months later he's still out.
[00:41:56] Speaker A: You know, and since they're not going to tell us any details, if they write pelvis injury, I'm assuming it's a sex injury.
[00:42:05] Speaker C: I was going to say, how else do you injure your pelvis other than a car crash?
[00:42:12] Speaker B: But he doesn't need anything to get picked up. He just has to take the money or nothing. That's it.
[00:42:17] Speaker A: You can edit it out, I don't care. Children are listening.
Sorry, doc.
All right, here we go. Dante Seeley.
[00:42:29] Speaker B: I mean, for me, this one's like ANSA in the sense that like, you know, somehow get in the game and score in every game the rest of the way. Cause he has been, after he won the job coming out of spring, he's basically been flat out awful the entire season. Um, so I don't. You know, the only reason the. That I can see Dallas thinking is worth picking up is some sort of residual value on the fact he was a homegrown and was once really highly thought of, because otherwise there's no reason at all to bring him back.
[00:42:58] Speaker A: That dude needs to go somewhere in Europe and go play on some, like, you know, second division norwegian team or something and just rediscover himself.
[00:43:08] Speaker B: I mean, no pressure, no nothing states. Just go. Go somewhere and find the love of the game again or something, or whatever it is. Some desire. He just doesn't have it.
[00:43:16] Speaker A: Yeah. All right.
[00:43:18] Speaker B: The mindset matters.
[00:43:19] Speaker A: All right. Our flashy dude, nikosi Tafari.
[00:43:23] Speaker B: Dan, you're up.
[00:43:24] Speaker C: Don't have to do anything.
[00:43:26] Speaker B: Yeah, it's a no brainer. Pick him up.
[00:43:28] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:43:28] Speaker B: Yep.
[00:43:29] Speaker A: And Emma Tuamasi.
[00:43:35] Speaker B: This one is also like a couple others we've mentioned. I think it's out of his hands. Um, it's going to deter. It's going to depend on whether Giovanni actually ever comes back to this club or not. Because as far as I can tell, he's not even in the country. Um, I don't want to. That's not officially reporting. It's just I can't tell where he is. Um, obviously, if they can keep Juan, then now he's like third at the depth chart. So his money is the starter money, too. So I think it's probably the answer, probably, is that they're going to have to. For. In order for EMA to get picked up, they'll have to figure out that he's going to be the starter again next year and that Juan and Giovanni will not be here. I'm not saying that they should. I'm just saying that that's the decision point that will make the difference whether he will get picked up or not. But if somebody else will pick him up, either in this league or he'll be a starter in USL championship, the guy's got, you know, half a screw left, so it's just not going to be here, I don't think.
[00:44:26] Speaker A: Okay.
All right. That's the list of players that are either out of contract, loan ending, or have an option. So, yeah, do that list. As you may. Your mileage may vary, um, RSL so that they're off this weekend. They've got this weird bye week happening now, so they don't get to play, which is probably a good thing since Paz was on his international break bawling out for Indonesia. Good lord, what a story that is turning into. He's like, up to, like one and a half million followers now, like, some significant percentage of the population of Indonesia now follow him online.
And he, from what I saw, he played really, really well for them in their two games.
[00:45:12] Speaker B: Yeah. I mean, the highlights I saw look good. Yeah.
[00:45:14] Speaker C: I mean, saved the penalty in one, didn't.
[00:45:16] Speaker A: Yeah. Were those World cup qualifiers?
[00:45:19] Speaker B: They were African cup of Nations qualifiers.
[00:45:21] Speaker A: I believe, not Africa.
[00:45:23] Speaker C: Weird. In Asian.
[00:45:24] Speaker A: Yes.
[00:45:24] Speaker B: I'm sorry. I'm sorry. They were asian. I was thinking of show shows that african qualifier, afghan qualifiers. Indonesia was in Asian World cup qualifiers.
[00:45:34] Speaker A: And didn't they tie Australia?
[00:45:37] Speaker C: Yeah. Goals.
[00:45:39] Speaker A: I mean, that's a. That's an impressive. I mean, Australia is a World cup team, so that's. That's good. So good for him.
[00:45:46] Speaker C: I mean, so here's the thing. They've really got to put those little results together because their group is Japan, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, them, Australia, China.
[00:45:57] Speaker B: I mean, he's part of an initiative they put together that was like, get us into the World cup. How do we go and get players that have these vague ancestral connections to make our team better? Like, you know. And it's working well.
[00:46:08] Speaker A: Good for him, man.
[00:46:10] Speaker C: And if you want to read about his ancestral connections, just search his name on the blog.
[00:46:15] Speaker B: Dan's got a great article about it. Yeah.
[00:46:17] Speaker A: Good on you, Dan.
All right, so there's that. And so the RSL game isn't until a week from yesterday, so it's not until Wednesday.
[00:46:28] Speaker B: And then who positive is. Is that? The guys coming back from those long flights, as you just mentioned, will be have more time to recover.
[00:46:35] Speaker A: Yeah, well, that's what. Yeah, that's kind of my point was they kind of get lucky that way and then Dallas then has to go, so they have the road game in Salt Lake.
Good lord, that's going to suck.
[00:46:50] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:46:52] Speaker A: Are there any suspensions or injuries that were think concerned about their leading into that game? Um, like Velasco? Does Velasco start finally?
[00:47:03] Speaker B: Oh, no way. Not for me. Um, you know, I mean, you saw him run around.
Do you think that. That.
[00:47:10] Speaker A: I can't tell.
[00:47:11] Speaker B: Oh, man. Oh, Don. To me, I mean, Buzz, they only.
[00:47:17] Speaker A: Got, like six games left this season. If they're going to get something out of that kid, if they did not ir him for the season, they've got to get more than 20 minutes out of him.
[00:47:25] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:47:26] Speaker A: With this much, this little left in the season, I don't know why you're yelling at me.
[00:47:29] Speaker B: I'm the one that said irm.
[00:47:31] Speaker A: All right?
[00:47:31] Speaker B: I'm just saying, like, the player that I saw running around on turf is not ready to start a game, in my opinion. He hasn't even gotten to like a 30 minutes window yet. He's only getting ten minutes.
[00:47:41] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:47:41] Speaker B: You know, you got to get him to 30 before you can start.
[00:47:43] Speaker A: That's right. And then on Saturday is the LAFC game. I'm actually going to go to that game with some friends, so I'm excited. I'm excited about that one.
[00:47:51] Speaker B: Yeah, good luck with that.
[00:47:52] Speaker A: I get to see the handsome Olivier Giroud.
[00:47:55] Speaker B: Well, if we look, if we keep our mind on RSL for now. Pauses. Back show is back to start.
Delgado is perhaps in the mix, but, you know, Ferreira's back in, moose is up top. So you know that you'll have. Whether Ruana, sorry, Juan is back or not is a question.
So either Areola is on the right with junka left, or Juan is in on the right and Ariel is left at your wing backs. The only question is, who do you play?
You know, show era Mindy is the combo in the middle. So then who's up top? You know, legit's back up top. Maybe Sigi's on the bench with Legit and Ferreira playing underneath. Musa. You know, it's pretty self explanatory at this point when you get the pieces back. As coach Luxe kind of dialed in pretty close to what his eleven was going to be. Just depending on the health of Juan now.
[00:48:45] Speaker A: Okay.
And then Fridays, by the time people are starting to listen to this or have listened to it, Trinity, Dallas. Trinity will have played a another game. They have Lexington at the Cotton bowl on Friday night, the 13th.
[00:48:59] Speaker C: Yes, they do. Lexington. Pretty down, far down in the league. They lost to Tampa Bay on Sunday, I believe.
Yeah. Coming off a one one tie against DC power, Dallas Trinity. That is bit of an interesting game. Buzz got to it as well. That was fun. We sat and complained about people recording a podcast, weirdly, in the press box.
[00:49:28] Speaker B: Yeah, starting the game.
[00:49:30] Speaker C: Four people recording a bloody podcast during a soccer game.
[00:49:34] Speaker A: Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait. I'm sorry. I got distracted. Start over. What happened?
[00:49:39] Speaker C: Oh, next to us and in the press box, there were four people loudly recording a podcast at the front row of the press.
[00:49:46] Speaker A: Who are the four people?
[00:49:48] Speaker C: I don't know. Some guy that shows up at FC Dallas games every now and again and.
[00:49:52] Speaker A: They let him do it.
[00:49:54] Speaker B: They don't really know what they're doing down there.
They arranged. They had the president of the league was there and they.
[00:50:03] Speaker A: Amanda Vanderbilt, Amanda van der Vort.
[00:50:05] Speaker B: And they offered to be interviewed if we wanted. And I did, you know, three or four little questions with her. And Shelby Sydney did also. But before we did, like, this, print writers, before we did, they offered her to the guys doing the little podcast, and they did the interview in Spanish using, like, a cell phone and a microphone, like a stick microphone. And the number one thing I picked up on was that they were asking her, they were talking to her as if she was the president of Dallas Trinity. Oh, no, they took. They took that. She's. This is the president. And they were like, okay, president of Dallas Trinity. And ran with it. And I whispered to, like, the pr guys, like, do they think she's the president of Trinity? He was like, I think so. And they didn't say anything to him. So they did a whole interview with her, and they kept asking her about how she got Dallas Trinity ready to go. And, like, all these questions about Dallas Trinity. And I just watched it meltdown.
[00:50:58] Speaker A: Goodness gracious.
[00:51:00] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:51:02] Speaker A: Okay, so they got Lexington on Friday night.
[00:51:05] Speaker B: They.
[00:51:06] Speaker C: Yeah, dude, they have some. They have FC Dallas level injuries.
They'd lost Maya Gordon during the Barcelona game. She still had her knee wrapped up and was limping around after this game.
Hayley Davidson's out of a leg injury. Rachel Pace missed the Barcelona game. She's still out. Jenna Weinbrenner had messed her foot up, missed the last game. She's still out. Enzi Broussard, one of the wingers is going to be. Is questionable, as is Yenny Julia Danielson, who is one of the pretty solid three center mids they've got going.
[00:51:43] Speaker A: My other question is, whatever happened to them hiring that scottish female manager? Like, why is it she's still not here?
[00:51:53] Speaker B: Well, she's had apparently some sort of issues getting here. Uh, I believe. Don't quote me. I understand. Related to visa stuff. Um, they were. They were the rumor around the press boxes. They were optimistic she would be here in time for this game coming up tomorrow. But I don't know if that's happened or not, you know? And basically they're. They signed her so late that she basically, like, when they were. They were already starting to practice and when they were like a week or two out of the games, and she still. She was only here, like, on a tourist visa, so she had to go back to get a work visa, basically, is my understanding.
[00:52:25] Speaker A: So she's still coming? Or is it like, is that now up in the air that maybe this may not happen?
[00:52:30] Speaker B: I mean, unless she gets banned from the country. I mean, stranger things have happened. Um, I mean, Dallas lost the scout that way. One time I see Dallas.
[00:52:35] Speaker A: All right, and so now that we've had an official league game at the Cotton Bowl, a slightly higher attendance than the Barcelona game. I think it was, what, 53 to 5800?
[00:52:46] Speaker B: 5800, I believe.
[00:52:47] Speaker A: Yeah, but the Barcelona game was like 5300, right? I think it was 52. Something like that.
[00:52:52] Speaker B: Something like that.
[00:52:52] Speaker A: All right, let's just.
We're.
I gotta say I'm a little freaked. Not a little freaked out. I'm disappointed in the number I was. And I. And I suspect the Neil family are probably a grade higher than disappointed in that number.
That's not. A 5800 is not a sustainable number.
[00:53:16] Speaker B: That's what I expected, though.
[00:53:18] Speaker A: Well, I. Okay, maybe those of. Maybe that's. We expected it, but it. That's not a sustainable number for a professional franchise in this market, is it?
[00:53:28] Speaker B: Well, probably not, but they have. They have. They have had some other teams draw 10,000 at home. So I don't know that it's not something they could get to. They just haven't figured out how to do it yet. You know? And I agree with you. I don't think 5800 is sustainable. You know, it depends on their expense load. You know, they're. I don't know what the cosmos cost them. I don't know what the.
[00:53:50] Speaker A: I don't think the cotton costs them anything, does it? I think part of the Dallas deal was just to pay for that. That's how they ended up doing that deal.
[00:53:58] Speaker C: They got at least a concession. If not.
[00:54:00] Speaker B: Yeah, the Dallas. The city was going to pay some of the operating costs, but I don't know what that means. You get it rent free, necessarily.
[00:54:06] Speaker C: You know, a quick, I guess, some context about that attendance. North Carolina courage last season, their average attendance, three five three, sorry, 5300. This year it's 5900, so. And they're one of the higher level professional women's soccer teams in the world.
[00:54:25] Speaker A: Is that an NWSL team?
[00:54:27] Speaker C: Yeah. Yeah. They're a two time champion in NWSL.
[00:54:30] Speaker A: Okay.
I don't know. I. Maybe that is. Maybe that's a number they can run with. I just. Based on talking to Tripp when he came on the show and stuff, I just. My gauge is. I think they were expecting a much bigger number.
[00:54:45] Speaker B: Oh, I think they were expecting way more than that. But they haven't tapped it for some.
[00:54:50] Speaker C: You know, I mean, the thing is, we've talked about this for years and years with FC Dallas.
The marketing hasn't been there for those larger numbers. They've got the board on 75 now, which is really cool.
But unless everything from them is stories and reels on social media, which is great if you follow their social media channels. If you don't, you are never going to see it in a month or Sundays.
[00:55:18] Speaker A: I am not a mass transit person by any means. I lived in, worked in Manhattan for several years in the nineties and I really came to loathe the train ride. But that said, there's a part of me that really wants to try out taking dart because there's a dart stop right by my house, almost walking distance it's not. But to park my car there and I think it's two train stops. And it says I can be down at the cotton ball in 33 minutes, which ironically is longer than it takes me to drive to Toyota Stadium from my house in my car.
[00:55:52] Speaker C: I think the dart stop as well, with the construction, you have to walk to the opposite side of the cotton bowl from the dark stop. But that's still closer than the parking lots that they're letting the fans park in.
[00:56:07] Speaker A: It's only like $2.50 to take the train too. I made sure.
[00:56:10] Speaker C: Well, they're about to get rid of the PM one, so you'll have to do the $6 auto pass.
[00:56:16] Speaker A: I don't know what that means, but okay.
[00:56:18] Speaker C: They're changing the Darth next year, so.
[00:56:22] Speaker A: I'll get down to one eventually and I'll probably try it that way just to experiment.
[00:56:27] Speaker C: I mean, for anyone that's taken the dart to the state fair or to the. Whatever the pavilions called now, I mean, you know, they have the little guys on the. With the golf carts ferrying people back and forth. You know, it's great. It's easiest to.
[00:56:43] Speaker B: So some quick Googling says that on average in the NWSL, the average is 10,000. And that varies from the San Diego wave, who averaged 20, down to Chicago, which averages like four. Now the thing is, is that some of these averages get skewed because they'll have a marquee game or some kind of special thing and all of a sudden there's 80,000 for one game. So it kind of tweaks it up a little bit. But within reason, that ten k figure for the average of the league across the last season, you know, across 123, is relatively reasonable for that league. So, you know, if. I know this is supposed to be division one, this Dallas training, but we all know that right now the competition is not quite the same. They have not rolled out quite like we will maybe expected them to. So you know, 5800 is probably an okay start. You know, if they can build up from there, they can probably get to a sustainable number. I mean, Chicago is sustainable at 4800, apparently. So. Again, it's all about revenue controls.
[00:57:40] Speaker A: It makes me wonder if part of the, part of the obstacle of them achieving a bigger number, ironically, is them playing in an a downtown urban stadium. Like, is that. Is that a. Is that not a. The thing everybody's been yelling about for doubt for FC Dallas, which is we want you in an, in an urban setting near a mass transit stop.
[00:58:05] Speaker C: And here's the thing. That's a really cool thing. If you play on Saturday evening, tomorrow I've got a, I'm working from home. I've got to sit in rush hour traffic for the best part of an hour to get to that game.
[00:58:23] Speaker B: And Peter, you remember that when the Dallas burn were at the cotton bowl, instead of hearing, oh, it's too far, like we hear now, it was like, oh, East Dallas is the ghetto and isn't safe.
[00:58:34] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:58:34] Speaker B: And we've been hearing that for 30 years. So I'm sure that that's a, you know, factor in how the game is.
[00:58:41] Speaker A: Is that area considered the same way in 2024 as it was in 1996? I don't know. I mean, I don't know either. I mean, it's not, it's probably.
I don't think it is, Dan. It was really bad back in the late, in the mid to late nineties.
I'm not saying it's like Richardson or Highland park or anything, but there's been a lot of growth down there and change and improvement in the fair park area since the mid to late nineties.
[00:59:10] Speaker B: Yes, that's probably fair, but I don't know that people's perceptions have necessarily changed. I think people, you know, with families and young kids that might be interested in women's soccer might be a little hesitant. Yeah, you know, it's really difficult to say. I'm not, I'm not in that segment, so it's hard for me to say, but certainly it could be a fact.
[00:59:26] Speaker A: I guess my question is if in some weird hypothetical world, they were able to work a deal to play at SMU at Gerald Ford Stadium, what kind of attendance would they get there?
[00:59:37] Speaker B: Yeah, that's an interesting question.
[00:59:39] Speaker A: You know, I mean, relatively in the urban area, but, you know, so if.
[00:59:47] Speaker C: You think about women's soccer, a lot of the fan base is going to come. Oh, let's preface it. Women's soccer is not linked to FC Dallas specifically. A lot of the support is going to come from the youth clubs. You know, Sola's obviously got four or five players listed as. As academy amateurs for the team.
That's a lot of suburban kids. That's not a lot of south Dallas kids.
[01:00:12] Speaker A: No, you're right. Yeah.
Again, like I said, I think we talked about it on this podcast. You know, there's a weird deal where you kind of wish they had worked a deal out with the hunts to play up in Frisco amazingly, you know, like, and that's. Maybe that's the other question. If they were playing in Toyota Stadium, what kind of attendance would they get?
[01:00:31] Speaker B: I bet it would be the same. Probably the same thing.
[01:00:34] Speaker A: Okay.
[01:00:34] Speaker C: Because the people that want to go are going to go.
[01:00:37] Speaker B: Yeah.
[01:00:37] Speaker C: They're going to find a way. You know, the people that complain about, oh, FC Dallas should have been in Arlington.
[01:00:43] Speaker A: Yeah.
[01:00:43] Speaker C: They don't go to north Texas FC.
[01:00:45] Speaker B: I don't think there's enough general brand awareness of joust trinity that there's. That there's a group of people out there yet that are like, you know what? Let's try that.
[01:00:52] Speaker A: Yeah. Okay.
[01:00:52] Speaker B: You know, I think right now it's only resonating with people that are actual soccer fans, specifically women's soccer fans. They're like, oh, awesome. A women's team can't wait to do that. You know, that's a small audience.
[01:01:02] Speaker C: So the two. The two go home games they've had, I've noticed there's a lot of, you know, stuff like, everyone watches women's sports t shirts, things like that. So there is definitely a lot of, you know, this is. This is women's sports. This is. This is people who are gonna support this league, support this team, support this market, the same way they will with the. With the wings. And I know other. Any other professional women's sporting organizations that come about in DFW, and that's. That's awesome. But like you say, it's. The team also has to kind of grow their supporter base.
[01:01:39] Speaker A: Yeah. Well, it'd be interesting to watch as it goes by and see if this is. If this is a number that just kind of holds steady over the course of the season, goes up, down, I don't know.
But good luck to them. Lots of fun.
All right. Anything else we want to touch on, Buzz?
[01:01:58] Speaker B: Well, just north Texas continues to roful stomp everybody.
[01:02:01] Speaker A: They continue to what?
[01:02:03] Speaker B: Ruffle stomp.
[01:02:04] Speaker A: Ruffle stomp?
[01:02:06] Speaker B: Yeah.
[01:02:07] Speaker C: Is that like the ruffle copter, the gaming thing?
[01:02:09] Speaker A: Oh, you mean waffle stomp?
[01:02:14] Speaker C: No, blue waffle stump.
[01:02:16] Speaker B: You know what? Nevermind. I'm not going to explain the indominology of the word tea.
[01:02:20] Speaker A: Well, I've heard the term waffle stomp. I've never heard Rofle Stomp with an.
[01:02:25] Speaker B: R. You ever heard rolling on the floor laughing my ass off?
[01:02:29] Speaker A: Yes, I had.
[01:02:31] Speaker B: So they roffle stomped the other team.
[01:02:33] Speaker A: Oh, okay.
[01:02:34] Speaker B: It's, they're stomping them so much, it's laughable. Okay, they roffle stomped them. Congratulations. Welcome to your twenties.
[01:02:39] Speaker C: Okay. An easy and decisive defeat.
[01:02:42] Speaker B: Yes. So anyway, they continue to rival stomp everybody, and they're really good. And they just stomped the LA Galaxy's two team. And lo and behold, hope of AU former north Texas player that we really liked and thought I thought would get signed by FC Dallas popped up on their legalities team. So that's all I really wanted to say was, other than North Texas is still really, really good, you should go watch them play because they're in first place. But also, this kid that we liked has popped up on a team and we all wish him the best.
[01:03:11] Speaker A: Okay.
[01:03:12] Speaker B: It's a good player. Good little player.
[01:03:14] Speaker A: Well, very good.
[01:03:15] Speaker B: And I'm glad I could educate you on raffle stomping, people.
[01:03:19] Speaker A: I just thought you were mispronouncing the word. I didn't know there was a different word entirely.
[01:03:23] Speaker B: Totally different word.
[01:03:24] Speaker C: Totally different word.
That is the act to dominate someone to the point of embarrassment and shame, usually in a video game derived from the popular acronym ruffle, meaning extreme. Laughter.
[01:03:37] Speaker B: Yeah.
[01:03:41] Speaker A: Okay, this is my chance to remind everybody to, if you're not already signed up, sign up for Buzz's Discord, go buy a buzz t shirt. And if you want, you can go buy a kick around t shirt on the kick around store if you want to.
[01:03:57] Speaker B: Yeah, all those things. I just want to take a second and actually really thank everybody that does support us because, well, times are tough right now. You know, tv is kind of a chaotic, dying business and, um, in a lot of ways, so I'm really appreciative of all the support that I'm getting, in fact, so it really makes a big difference.
[01:04:13] Speaker A: Okay. All right.
[01:04:15] Speaker B: And yes, go buy t shirts from both of those groups.
[01:04:18] Speaker A: Uh, I made, uh, after Jerry did the spunt, Jerry Jones said the word spunt twice in an interview. I made a spunt t shirt and posted it with the cowboy font. I sold exactly zero of them.
[01:04:36] Speaker B: Oh, I didn't even know you actually made it.
[01:04:37] Speaker A: I know I made it. I made it. I put it up in the store and it's.
[01:04:41] Speaker C: You really spun the bag with that one.
[01:04:44] Speaker B: What, did she put it on Twitter?
[01:04:46] Speaker A: I put it on Twitter and I. A couple other people, and people liked it and everything, but nobody bought one. I'm gonna buy one because one, I get a discount from the platform, and I just want to be able to walk around and see what people think about a shirt that says spunt on it.
[01:05:01] Speaker B: There's been a couple times where people have been added, like, how cool a shirt would be, and I've made it and no one has bought one. It happens sometimes.
[01:05:06] Speaker A: Yeah.
[01:05:07] Speaker B: Yeah.
[01:05:09] Speaker A: Okay, well, I got nothing else.
All right, Dan, anything? Going once, going twice.
[01:05:16] Speaker C: No, I'm all spun. Tale of ideas.
[01:05:21] Speaker A: Buzz, you go roffle stomp somebody tonight or whatever when you're playing your video game.
[01:05:26] Speaker B: Yeah, I do. Yeah, I do.
[01:05:28] Speaker A: I'm sure you're a big rofel stomper.
[01:05:31] Speaker B: I'm too old to be that.
[01:05:32] Speaker A: Okay. And thank you, FC Dallas curious fan. Enjoy your weekend off. We will speak to you next week on another episode of third degree, the podcast Rufflestomp.
[01:05:43] Speaker C: That spunk.
[01:05:44] Speaker A: Third degree, the third degree nepochet.
Third degree, the third degree nepochet.
Third degree, the third degree NEPA gas.
Third degree. Third degree NEPA gas.
