Full Transcript for Brian Schmetzer as Sounders’ Season Ends, Improving Attack, Ruidiaz

Galaxy, that game's over, that's done. We'll lock 38 00:01:46.840 --> 00:01:47.159 it down. 39 00:01:47.519 --> 00:01:48.400 Yeah, no question. 40 00:01:48.480 --> 00:01:51.319 And you know, their star Ricky Pousche played the final 41 00:01:51.359 --> 00:01:54.439 thirty minutes I see on a torn acl I mean, 42 00:01:54.480 --> 00:01:57.560 it didn't look like the tackle that got him injured 43 00:01:57.640 --> 00:02:00.239 was that hard. But that's that's pretty phenomenal. You can 44 00:02:00.239 --> 00:02:02.239 play thirty minutes of soccer on a torn acl. 45 00:02:02.879 --> 00:02:07.079 Yeah, he's a pretty good athlete obviously, and he's lighter. 46 00:02:07.239 --> 00:02:10.599 You know that that took into part. But you know, look, 47 00:02:10.639 --> 00:02:13.159 there was something to do about Christian and the tackle. 48 00:02:13.319 --> 00:02:16.120 I didn't see that he got injured on that tackle. 49 00:02:16.319 --> 00:02:18.719 You know, there was a play you know, four or 50 00:02:18.719 --> 00:02:21.000 five minutes after that. It might have done it, or 51 00:02:21.000 --> 00:02:23.400 it might have you know, partially done it and later 52 00:02:23.439 --> 00:02:25.599 in the game. You just never know about those things. 53 00:02:25.599 --> 00:02:28.879 It's certainly a bummer because look, the kid's exciting. I mean, 54 00:02:28.919 --> 00:02:31.080 I think I came on the show last week and said, 55 00:02:31.120 --> 00:02:34.039 you know, I as a fan, I like watching him play. 56 00:02:34.599 --> 00:02:37.319 So you know, it's sad news, but unfortunately that's part 57 00:02:37.319 --> 00:02:37.719 of sports. 58 00:02:37.719 --> 00:02:39.840 Well, it just kind of feels like the offensive questions 59 00:02:39.840 --> 00:02:41.680 that we're talking about, we've been kind of going back 60 00:02:41.680 --> 00:02:43.360 to that well for a couple of years now, that's 61 00:02:43.400 --> 00:02:45.840 been really an issue. I mean the last six games 62 00:02:45.919 --> 00:02:49.159 he scored four five total goals. I think it was 63 00:02:49.240 --> 00:02:52.000 in the final six games of the year zero two 64 00:02:52.000 --> 00:02:54.560 to one, zero one to one. So yeah, five goals 65 00:02:54.879 --> 00:02:57.400 in the last six games. I mean, is this you 66 00:02:57.400 --> 00:02:59.879 need to kind of look at the attack in the offseason, 67 00:03:00.159 --> 00:03:03.039 the philosophy, the scheme, or is it just a roster 68 00:03:03.199 --> 00:03:04.039 issue in your mind. 69 00:03:04.479 --> 00:03:07.479 We've we've looked at all of that softy. Look, I 70 00:03:07.520 --> 00:03:10.120 can sit here and complain about the roster. But Craig 71 00:03:10.159 --> 00:03:13.000 and Adrian and over the years, we've we've always had 72 00:03:13.000 --> 00:03:17.280 a good team. Uh. We've looked at our offensive schemes, 73 00:03:17.360 --> 00:03:20.280 what what are we trying to accomplish. We've looked at, 74 00:03:20.439 --> 00:03:23.719 you know,

individual players and their strengths and where they 75 00:03:23.759 --> 00:03:26.960 have areas of improvement, and we've worked on it in training. 76 00:03:27.439 --> 00:03:29.759 So I think it's the combination of a two percent 77 00:03:29.840 --> 00:03:34.000 over here and maybe a five percent here and then yeah, sure, 78 00:03:34.080 --> 00:03:36.319 I mean it's already out there. The club is looking 79 00:03:36.360 --> 00:03:37.000 to add. 80 00:03:36.800 --> 00:03:37.400 To the roster. 81 00:03:37.639 --> 00:03:41.240 Yeah, and we're going to add you know, attacking players 82 00:03:41.280 --> 00:03:41.919 to that roster. 83 00:03:42.120 --> 00:03:43.520 Yeah. And we'll get to that in a second. 84 00:03:43.520 --> 00:03:45.439 But I just want to follow up that because Jackson 85 00:03:45.479 --> 00:03:47.879 had a Twitter poll. We like to play with Twitter polls, 86 00:03:47.879 --> 00:03:49.479 you know that, and see what people think. And I 87 00:03:49.479 --> 00:03:52.800 think Jackson's five Jackson's followers are as learning about soccer 88 00:03:52.840 --> 00:03:55.840 as anybody in the city. So when his followers speak, 89 00:03:55.919 --> 00:03:59.840 I think we all should listen. Was it a successful year? 90 00:04:00.520 --> 00:04:06.639 Jackson's Twitter followers, Fifty point four percent say yes, forty 91 00:04:06.719 --> 00:04:08.919 nine point six percent say no. 92 00:04:09.680 --> 00:04:15.439 What do you think, Well, Softy, I don't think that 93 00:04:15.520 --> 00:04:20.600 the coach that the season was a success because we 94 00:04:20.680 --> 00:04:26.120 didn't win a trophy. Now, there's smaller successes within a season, 95 00:04:26.279 --> 00:04:29.360 you know, the breakout year that you know Obed Vargas 96 00:04:29.399 --> 00:04:33.360 and Paul Rothrock and Jackson. There's certainly moments in a 97 00:04:33.480 --> 00:04:36.000 year that you would say you did a good job, 98 00:04:36.079 --> 00:04:39.439 there was success. My personal feeling is, you know, you 99 00:04:39.480 --> 00:04:41.680 got to win a trophy. I mean, look, that's the 100 00:04:41.720 --> 00:04:44.879 only thing that keeps my job secure is winning. And 101 00:04:45.120 --> 00:04:47.319 if I don't have that attitude, how am I supposed 102 00:04:47.360 --> 00:04:49.879 to expect that the players don't have that attitude. So 103 00:04:50.360 --> 00:04:53.160 for me, you know, it's it's we gotta win trophies. 104 00:04:53.920 --> 00:04:56.920 Well, let's talk about twenty twenty five and beyond your team. 105 00:04:57.040 --> 00:05:00.800 MVP Albert Rusnak is out of a contracts, So what 106 00:05:00.839 --> 00:05:04.120 does the outlook look like for him coming back next year. 107 00:05:04.600 --> 00:05:07.959 Yeah, I know, they're pretty deep in the conversations with Albert. 108 00:05:08.000 --> 00:05:12.720 There's conversations going on with Joel Paulo. There's there's some things. 109 00:05:12.759 --> 00:05:15.560 Craig's working hard. Now it's his time of the year 110 00:05:15.680 --> 00:05:18.360 to really go and do what he needs to do. 111 00:05:19.560 --> 00:05:24.759 But we've given Craig feedback. You know, Albert great player, 112 00:05:25.079 --> 00:05:27.639 if you know. Look, if I'm just a soccer guy 113 00:05:27.680 --> 00:05:31.040 a coach, would we like to have Albert Backe. Yeah, 114 00:05:31.079 --> 00:05:34.240 sure from a soccer perspective, But this is also a business, 115 00:05:34.600 --> 00:05:37.079 and you know, those guys are trying to maximize their 116 00:05:37.120 --> 00:05:40.199 their contracts and we'll just see where it lands. 117 00:05:40.240 --> 00:05:43.879 How about Rod Raoul Ruez sounds like he's done with 118 00:05:43.959 --> 00:05:46.199 the team. Can we just confirm that he's no longer 119 00:05:46.240 --> 00:05:46.720 a sounder? 120 00:05:47.560 --> 00:05:51.639 Yeah, we can confirm that. Look, Raoul has been such 121 00:05:51.639 --> 00:05:55.759 a tremendous goal scorer for this club. I mean, we've 122 00:05:55.759 --> 00:05:59.920 had a lot of good forward Softy Dempsey Oba, you know, 123 00:06:00.519 --> 00:06:02.920 those guys were at the top of their game. Raoul 124 00:06:03.040 --> 00:06:05.480 is at that level as far as being a pure 125 00:06:05.680 --> 00:06:09.560 goal scorer. The amount of times that Raoul you scored 126 00:06:09.600 --> 00:06:12.959 that crucial goal in the right moment to win us 127 00:06:13.000 --> 00:06:15.560 a game or a championship, that puts him up there 128 00:06:15.600 --> 00:06:18.680 with all the great forwards that we've had in the club, 129 00:06:19.120 --> 00:06:22.079 and certainly on a league wide basis, when Nico and 130 00:06:22.240 --> 00:06:25.240 Raoul when they were in their prime, I mean, nobody 131 00:06:25.240 --> 00:06:26.720 could touch those two guys. 132 00:06:27.240 --> 00:06:29.680 Oh well, coach, you did sign a new contract a 133 00:06:29.720 --> 00:06:33.240 month or so ago. Can you give us some information 134 00:06:33.360 --> 00:06:34.560 on how long that one is. 135 00:06:37.120 --> 00:06:40.240 It's a multiple year deal, and I'm extremely happy to 136 00:06:40.240 --> 00:06:42.439 be with the club. I want to run through the 137 00:06:42.480 --> 00:06:45.360 World Cup. Let's see how it goes after that. But 138 00:06:45.519 --> 00:06:48.360 I'm really happy that I was able to extend my 139 00:06:48.519 --> 00:06:52.519 career because look, another fact, there were twelve coaches that 140 00:06:52.560 --> 00:06:54.800 were fired this year, So I feel pretty lucky. 141 00:06:55.560 --> 00:07:04.040 All right, Cough if it's longer than two years, oh, 142 00:07:04.079 --> 00:07:07.120 I love that, all right. So if the Galaxy win, 143 00:07:08.040 --> 00:07:11.199 you get a CONKA CAF champion spot for next year. 144 00:07:11.680 --> 00:07:14.199 Are you rooting for LA on Saturday? Yes or no? 145 00:07:16.399 --> 00:07:19.759 Yes? We are, as much as that pains me to say, 146 00:07:19.879

--> 00:07:22.560 because we were that close to it and we want 147 00:07:22.560 --> 00:07:24.600 to beat our you know, don't want to beat the 148 00:07:24.639 --> 00:07:27.120 team or not have the team have success it beat us. 149 00:07:27.279 --> 00:07:30.839 But look, if they win it, they deserved it, They've 150 00:07:30.839 --> 00:07:34.920 had a great year, and it does put us, you know, 151 00:07:35.000 --> 00:07:38.199 it does put us in a good spot for you know, 152 00:07:38.240 --> 00:07:41.600 another Champions League qualification, which is a tournament that we 153 00:07:41.639 --> 00:07:42.199 want to be in. 154 00:07:42.399 --> 00:07:42.639 Yeah. 155 00:07:42.680 --> 00:07:44.160 Well, I got to tell you just to follow up 156 00:07:44.160 --> 00:07:45.920 on the question about whether or not this was a success, 157 00:07:45.920 --> 00:07:48.839 and I think all of us appreciate your perspective on 158 00:07:48.879 --> 00:07:52.000 that's it speaks to the standards that you guys have 159 00:07:52.040 --> 00:07:55.560 in Seattle. There's about twenty five teams in the league 160 00:07:55.639 --> 00:07:57.680 that would take where you guys are at right now 161 00:07:57.839 --> 00:08:00.800 every single fricking year. So it just goes to show 162 00:08:00.839 --> 00:08:03.399 you the standards that you guys have sat here. The 163 00:08:03.439 --> 00:08:05.399 next question is when are you gonna drag your ass 164 00:08:05.439 --> 00:08:06.879 down here and do a show with us and go 165 00:08:06.959 --> 00:08:07.759 drink some tequila. 166 00:08:07.920 --> 00:08:11.199 Yes, well, now that I have time off, we might 167 00:08:12.120 --> 00:08:14.800 if you guys want me to back, you know, next Tuesday. May. 168 00:08:15.959 --> 00:08:18.040 I nothing going on next Tuesday, That's fine. 169 00:08:18.079 --> 00:08:20.720 We'll have Jackson's people talk to your people, will figure 170 00:08:20.759 --> 00:08:21.319 it out, all right. 171 00:08:21.399 --> 00:08:23.160 And by the way, you know why you lost the game, 172 00:08:23.199 --> 00:08:26.000 don't you? Because Jackson's ass wasn't on your plane. That's 173 00:08:26.000 --> 00:08:27.639 why I told sure. 174 00:08:27.879 --> 00:08:32.120 I thought about that exactly after the kickoff with the 175 00:08:32.240 --> 00:08:34.799 answer the rest blue the whistle. I knew that it 176 00:08:34.879 --> 00:08:37.320 was Jackson's fault, My. 177 00:08:37.639 --> 00:08:39.360 Fault, my fault. 178 00:08:39.399 --> 00:08:41.720 We saw you had some pull and you could get 179 00:08:41.799 --> 00:08:42.600 him on the plane. 180 00:08:42.639 --> 00:08:44.759 Apparently not for trying out loud. 181 00:08:45.120 --> 00:08:47.240 All right, man, we would have loved to have him 182 00:08:47.360 --> 00:08:51.080 Jackson's a great, great guy. I love having Jackson and 183 00:08:51.240 --> 00:08:54.960 he's he's a super human being and a great guy. 184 00:08:55.080 --> 00:08:57.960 Let's not go too far, Mail's let's let's

like, let's 185 00:08:57.960 --> 00:08:58.639 not get crazy. 186 00:08:58.679 --> 00:09:01.639 Talk here, all right, keep in touch. We'll get you 187 00:09:01.679 --> 00:09:02.159 down here. 188 00:09:02.240 --> 00:09:05.399 We'll talk some dogs and hawks and soccer mariners, all 189 00:09:05.440 --> 00:09:07.480 that stuff. Bring you down here and you can see 190 00:09:07.480 --> 00:09:09.399 how the sausages made behind the scenes. 191 00:09:09.399 --> 00:09:10.840 Then we'll go out and have some fun. All right, man, 192 00:09:11.519 --> 00:09:12.639 sounds good, All right. 193 00:09:12.639 --> 00:09:14.320 Congrats on a hell of a season, by the way, 194 00:09:14.320 --> 00:09:18.320 coach appreciate it. Brian Schmetzer with us, do we think 195 00:09:18.360 --> 00:09:20.960 that they had a successful season? And I appreciate his 196 00:09:21.080 --> 00:09:23.879 perspective on the trophies and all that, But that's what 197 00:09:23.919 --> 00:09:26.440 they've created for themselves, right, I mean, I don't want 198 00:09:26.440 --> 00:09:29.399 to call them the Yankees of the MLS, but whatever 199 00:09:29.440 --> 00:09:30.799 would be like right next to that. 200 00:09:31.000 --> 00:09:32.559 They've kind of created that also. 201 00:09:32.840 --> 00:09:35.240 And also when you turn your season around, and they 202 00:09:35.240 --> 00:09:37.600 were clearly better in the last three months now in 203 00:09:37.600 --> 00:09:39.320 the first five months of the season, I think that 204 00:09:39.480 --> 00:09:41.279 that factors in as well. I mean, if they would 205 00:09:41.320 --> 00:09:44.720 have started hot and then petered out at the end 206 00:09:44.759 --> 00:09:46.600 and lost in the first round, of the playoffs. Maybe 207 00:09:46.600 --> 00:09:49.480 even with the same record, then yeah, that's probably not successful. 208 00:09:49.480 --> 00:09:52.200 But they made the finals of the Western Conference. 209 00:09:52.200 --> 00:09:55.080 For God, do we believe that after the final horn 210 00:09:55.200 --> 00:09:58.000 sounded that he was thinking about Jackson Felts not being there? 211 00:09:58.080 --> 00:09:58.320 God? 212 00:09:58.440 --> 00:10:03.000 No, God, no, baby knowing him, I wouldn't be stunned. 213 00:10:03.559 --> 00:10:07.679 He should have had Jackson. God, jeez, he looks at 214 00:10:07.720 --> 00:10:10.879 freaking as all his superiors and Adrian and situde. 215 00:10:11.279 --> 00:10:13.279 Could we just get the guy on the plane next year? 216 00:10:13.279 --> 00:10:14.960 For crying out loud, it was it was a it 217 00:10:15.039 --> 00:10:17.159 was a different plane there. I don't know if there 218 00:10:17.200 --> 00:10:18.519 was room for me, a different plan. 219 00:10:18.600 --> 00:10:20.320 I think I would have I would have sat without 220 00:10:21.360 --> 00:10:22.759 fourteen I was talking about. 221 00:10:22.759 --> 00:10:24.039 I would have sat with the luggage. But I just 222 00:10:24.039 --> 00:10:26.200 don't think that for me. All Right, we're gonna break