CITY SC Posse 33 | One Win From History: Open Cup Final vs Columbus

Bright: So the streak is over, but we've got we've got a big game Wednesday we're playing for a trophy. So that's kind of where we're at.

Kev: Who cares about the streak? We're playing for a trophy. That's what matters.

Bright: So I think that's ex that is exactly it. I don't think anybody will remember that we lost that game to Minnesota if come Wednesday we are holding a trophy. Right? Okay. I've already forgotten about the loss. So

Kev: I mean I I've already forgotten about the loss to Minnesota. It was it was such a different squad than you know normally we would push out there, some due to injuries, some due to the games coming up. But yeah, I'm gonna forgive the team even after being up to nothing. Yeah.

Bright: Yeah, it was frustrating, but a c a couple of things to note. Hulsa didn't play at all. Matan didn't play at all. Totland came out at halftime. Who else? Right? So

Kev: Mm-hmm. Well, you got Durkin and Wallem out from injury or or at least recovering.

Bright: Well and we still don't know what their full status is gonna be for Wednesday, so we'll get into that as we start thinking about our lineups for Wednesday's matchup. But right, to so to your point, and we're not gonna spend a whole lot of time on the Minnesota match. I do wanna talk a little bit about it and we'll get into US Open Cup. But yeah, w it was frustrating in the sense that you're up two nothing against a team that you should beat.

Kev: They don't.

Bright: yes, we we did have to make some rotation. I thought Miggy had a pretty bad game, and I didn't think Joyner had a great game either. his rating came out higher than I was expecting. but right. I mean, no Hulsa, no Matan, they've been huge for your lineup recently. Now Navajo gets the early goal. we both won some money on that, so that helped.

Kev: I it's it's to the point that I just come to expect that we're squaring within the first three minutes of the game. So if if it doesn't

Bright: Well and that's why I keep

Kev: happen, it's just kinda like what what are we doing out there? What am I what am I watching?

Bright: I keep putting money down on Navajo to score and to score

Kev: Yeah.

Bright: first, and then I hit it so quickly, I'm like, okay, well there's I just won thirty dollars. So then I go and I bet a couple of other things. So I think I ended up losing most of my bets yesterday because City lost. I kinda thought Navajo would get a second one. He didn't. so I think I ended up like up ten dollars in total, for the day. still not bad and and huge for the streak, but Yeah, it wa disappointing and I think yes it was a different team, right? Also probably just some tired legs out there. That's a lot it we p Sunday, Wednesday, Saturday, right? So that's that's three games in one week. so yeah, that that's tough. And to Miggy and into joiner, they haven't played much recently, so you can't necessarily blame them a hundred percent. I don't I don't think Perez really deserves to be on an MLS squad at the moment anyhow. and Joyner being with the top team all year long. We've seen flashes and we saw it certainly with City Two in the past, but he hasn't necessarily looked like a guy that should be getting first team minutes either. Not recently, and especially after you're bringing in the the new guys that we brought in this year, where does he really fit in? I guess you do need some of those guys during a stretch like this and when you're trying to rest

Kev: Eating up. Eating up.

Bright: our guys for the US Open Cup final.

Kev: Yeah. You know, we've seen it from Joiner before where he's had these spurts of light that where he just looks like he should be on the field all the time, at least prior to a lot of the moves that we made throughout summer. we were actually calling for him to start, I think, over Wall of during during his his rough streak, right?

Bright: At the beginning of the season, for sure. Yep.

Kev: Yeah, you know I I didn't get to watch the full game, so I can't speak to some of what happened within the second half. it was my anniversary, so we were kinda out and about for some of it.

Bright: Yeah. You know, I mean, the f the first half again started out really strong to your point, and then The second half we gave up that early goal and then they just kind of took over. They had all of the scoring chances. So they had nineteen total shots, eight on target to our twelve total shots, five on target. Possession was more or less even, and it was it was really just a tail of two halves. And then we start putting pressure on at the end of the game, and I'm like, okay, we might be able to squeak out a win here. And then I was because we had tilted the field towards the end, I was I was thinking that. that a loss was out of out of the question. But then we give up that one counterattack, we lose the game. Fine. Let's

Kev: Yeah.

Bright: let's just be done with it.

Kev: Yeah, it it's fine. It's not it's not the end of the world. off to to the next game. You know, we're at a great position up at number two. Would it be nice to be sitting at the top? Yes. More games to play to get there. let's focus on Wednesday.

Bright: Yeah, now Vancouver did win, so they're up to fifty-five points, four ahead of us now. So it's gonna be harder to close that

Kev: I like it

Bright: gap. Dallas tied, so we're even. And they tied late. I think they got a a penalty kick goal in stoppage time, so bummer. so we're even on points right now. and everybody's played

Kev: He got, yep.

Bright: played 30, so to your point, there's still a stretch of games. We've got Salt Lake on Saturday, then we Come home for two. Portland on Wednesday, Halloween matchup against San Diego, and then we end at Houston. So let's just see. We've we've locked in our our playoff spot, right? So now it's just all about ranking. And do we really care who we play? I think the only team that scares me a little bit is is Seattle right now. Like if if we're going up against Colorado, I'm think I'm okay with that. Salt Lake, I'm okay with that. Portland, I'm okay with that. Galaxy, I'm okay with that. So they're kinda all right there in that stretch. Seattle, we haven't necessarily fared well against Seattle historically. So we'll see. And I guess L L A F C still an option, but let we're not gonna I don't even want to go down that rabbit hole to your point. There's there's still plenty of soccer left to be played. Yeah, let's let's

Kev: Too early. Too much movement. Yep.

Bright: see what happens. the streak is over, so that we don't have to worry about that. But how does that change the mindset going into Wednesday's matchup, knowing that okay, we didn't have our best game. We just came off of three games in six days, seven days, whatever it is, seven days I guess, and Navajo can't play. Right? We we know this already. He's cup tied, so he's out. So how does that affect the mindset?

Kev: They're off of being up to I don't I mean I don't know if it affects it at all. Cause you know you've got you know, I think it more is dependent on what's going on with Durkin and and Wallum out on the wing. you know that you've got some goal scorers on the team. I mean, yeah, n Rafa is is king up there, right?

Bright: Right.

Kev: he's the one that's scoring early, but you got Pulsa that can go in there and score. Maton being back in to be, you know, my God. watching him, what was it, last Wednesday? Just how quick he is. Man

Bright: Mm-hmm.

Kev: man, when you see it in person sometimes. You forget

Bright: And remember

Kev: on TV. He's so quick.

Bright: He's got the history with Columbus too. It's his former squad. he won the the

Kev: Yeah.

Bright: yeah the MLS with Columbus a couple years ago. so

Kev: The the cup. Yeah.

Bright: he's it's kind of a homecoming for him in a sense. So I would

Kev: Yeah.

Bright: expect a big game out of him. I think we need a big game out of Hulsa. And certainly a betcher goal would be nice. He hasn't scored in the last couple. Now granted his minutes have been reduced. You've had n yeah, he had a

Kev: Bench. Yeah.

Bright: good a good chance yesterday that led to the Navajo goal. So i I don't wanna say h he's been disappointing or that his stock is down per se. Maybe it's leveled off a little bit, just because he hasn't been getting as many minutes and he he went on that

Kev: The the Wednesday the Wednesday chance the opportunity he had the prior week and then yeah the

Bright: Where his knee locked up, yes.

Kev: yeah, like the that I just feel like that's what happens sometimes with Butcher. He goes through these streaks where he can't put the ball in the back of the net and hopefully hopefully that's not the case.

Bright: Yeah. Well I think I think if you get a if you get a betcher goal on Wednesday and Matan's doing his thing and Holsa's doing his thing, especially with his recent run of form lately, I th I think I think you've got a really good chance here. Now, yes, to your earlier point, there's still lots of questions, right? So Bumgirdle is gonna play in the in the middle. I think that's that's done, right?

Kev: Yeah, that's never changing.

Bright: Fall didn't necessarily have the best game. and and I think it like you would think Polvera's plan. The question

Kev: Mm.

Bright: is where. So if Durkin's not available, he's still on concussion protocol. We don't know what his status is at this point of recording on a Monday, late a late morning. So so does Polvera have to move up and and take that spot with Edelman? Edelman played about forty five minutes the second half, in Minnesota. So sh he should be rested enough and and his in he's in decent form. It certainly would be nice having Dirkin back and a hundred percent ready to go, but with concussion stuff you gotta be careful.

Kev: Yeah, and I I think that's what you're doing. You're you're running something similar to what you saw the other day. Polvera moves up, fills Durkin spot, and then you've got Fall and or Osco or or McNulton or

Bright: McNaughton.

Kev: yeah, whoever you know you want to throw in there. I would have to assume is the move with Edelman.

Bright: Yeah, I I would I would think so too. you could move Matan back there and play Sangbin maybe up with Hulsa. y then you gotta get a c a little creative, right? You could also I think bring Matan back and f fill that Wallem spot, but that's I like yeah.

Kev: How much how much do you lose defensively from that though? I mean you certainly lose some size.

Bright: I like Polvera in the back. more than I like him in the center mid. I would

Kev: Yeah. Then

Bright: much prefer Durkin Edelman in the center mid and have Polvera solidifying your back. Yes, if like Matan I think serves much better in that attacking midfield role with Hulsa. We saw it I think I brought it up, right, when I put money down on him to get two assists several games ago and like he can create those opportunities. i he can focus a little bit more on the attack. So I I would agree. And so

Kev: Yeah, it's very long.

Bright: fingers crossed, Durkin is available. Wallem, I feel like he should be available. He took a good knock. He was bleeding, of course. I don't I didn't hear if he needed stitches or or anything like that. But they didn't say anything about concussion. So I don't know.

Kev: You almost think it had to have been though. So, you know, obviously after he got wrapped up, he came out, kind of did the old jog down the sideline and back. Okay, he's in. And then he he didn't really look right for the

Bright: No.

Kev: I don't know, minute thirty that you know, he remained in the game.

Bright: Yeah.

Kev: just maybe shaky legs, I don't know what it was, but If they didn't come out and say concussion, I I guess it's not. And it was just a rest a rest day for him, knowing that the cup was more important. Yeah.

Bright: Right. Yeah. I mean I mean and that's possible, certainly. you just know that he's he's out. Same with Durkin, right? They're not even dressed against Minnesota, so makes it easy. They don't have to travel with the team, so you get a little bit of extra rest. So if Wallum's not ready, what do you really do? Does Santos come in? Right? And and then and then Totland. Now Totland only played forty five.

Kev: Yeah, probably. Something takes over the right side.

Bright: Yeah, he he only played forty five in Minnesota the first half. So he again more or less should be ready to go. and then you worry about Saturday against Reale Salt Lake come Saturday, right? I think this like first off, is this the biggest match in city history, right? Yes. Yeah.

Kev: Yes, of course it is. I was gonna say this is what matters. Like we don't have we don't have any trophies as a club.

Bright: Correct. We have zero trophies as a club. Yes, we did have a lot of expectations that first season after the strong start and we had some playoff games against Kansas City that didn't go our way. But yeah, arguably this has to be it, especially with the history that this city has with this competition, with the with the cup. So Yeah, you have a chance to bring the cup

Kev: Yeah.

Bright: back to St. Louis for the first time since eighty eight. The first time in since certainly the MLS era, not just the city MLS era but the MLS era as a whole. So right, you gotta put your best eleven options on the field, as assuming that they're healthy, and then you

Kev: Hundred percent.

Bright: figure out Rayol, Salt Lake, Saturday, based on how people are feeling, based on how many minutes they played, based on the outcome of the matchup Wednesday. Does the ma now again we talked about this last time in the semifinal and thank God we didn't need it. But This goes into extra time, could go into penalty kicks. So I mean it's it's possible that you play a hundred and twenty minutes plus PKs and then you still have to come back and play Saturday in Rail Salt Lake, right? So you're traveling again.

Kev: If if I told you if I told you I don't care about the game on Saturday, we could lose that game five nothing just as long as we come away winning the cup here, would you be shocked?

Bright: I I wouldn't be shocked. I mean I yes, given that we've we've won the end of playoff. Yeah.

Kev: We're in the we're in the playoffs. We've secured our spot in the playoffs. If we drop another, you know, seat for some reason for the time being, you know, okay. Not not

Bright: Yeah. Well

Kev: amazing. It not the best thing you want, but I do feel like we are one of the better teams

Bright: Right.

Kev: in the league right now, right? So I don't really care who we're taking on in the playoffs.

Bright: Yeah, but back to back back to back losses after our streak. it's j it's not fun. But yes, I agree to your point. And we're playing not the trophy.

Kev: One, but it is if you come with the trophy.

Bright: Yes. And you're not just playing for the trophy. You're playing for a chance in the a spot

Kev: This bad no.

Bright: in the CONCACAF yeah Champions Cup

Kev: Yeah. Yeah.

Bright: next next year, right?

Kev: Next year. Yep.

Bright: So the US Open Cup winner gets one of those spots. as does the conference champion for MLS. If you remember we got it We got it our first year and then we immediately got bounced in the first round. So,

Kev: Lost.

Bright: right. That's I mean, that's that's fine. But yes, so there are there are opportunities here. You're playing not only for the the the trophy, but also for that spot next year, which certainly be interesting, especially with the change in calendar and and we'll talk about that in future podcasts. But agreed. Right. I think you gotta throw out your best eleven and then just see what happens, and then you worry about Rail Salt Lake. Now Columbus, they played last night.

Kev: No.

Bright: So they're gonna have one day

Kev: Right.

Bright: of of less rest than we've had. which of course we did that just this last week, right? So we've Sunday, Wednesday, Saturday, but now a little bit more of a rest. However, so here's here's what happened. They won yesterday. they beat Cincinnati two to nothing. But Cincinnati outplayed them. Cincinnati

Kev: Mm-hmm.

Bright: had 66% possession to their 33%. they had 24 shots, eight of which were on target. Columbus only had four shots, only two of which were on target, but they capitalized, right? So they scored two goals. On their expected goals was only point three. And Cincinnati's expected goals was two. And scored zero.

Kev: Yeah.

Bright: So you know, how does that make you feel going into the game when you start thinking about our opponent? Now Columbus currently sits eleventh with thirty five points. in the Eastern Conference and they just beat again Cincinnati and got outplayed by Cincinnati, who currently since in ninth place with thirty six points. So neither one of those teams are particularly good by MLS current standings. So if you're just looking at the standings, you're thinking that Yeah, this is a team that we should beat. Yeah, sure.

Kev: How's that make me feel? Makes me feel good. Yeah. Certainly optimistic about our chances, right? but you know, sometimes

Bright: Yeah. But

Kev: in these in these final games, everybody's geared up. You don't know how it's gonna fall sometimes. Especially at home, right? Like they're gonna be at home, we're traveling,

Bright: Well right, so yeah, we're we're playing on the road, yeah. So

Kev: them on short rest. You know, a lot of variables in play here.

Bright: A lot of variables here. A lot of variables for sure. And I think on our side, right?

Kev: Injuries on our side, right? Like we don't know who we're rolling out from a a starting eleven, so just a whole lot going on in this game.

Bright: I think our fans will travel well, so I think we'll have some good support there. It's about a six hour drive from St. Louis, so people can take the day off and and make that drive. based on what I've seen on social media, it looks like a lot of people are planning to do that. we are wearing our city red kits.

Kev: Red. Yeah.

Bright: Which is great. So I loved I love to see that. but yeah, I I think you definitely have a have an opportunity. The concern is is you don't want to give up the counterattacks. that more or less looks like that's what Columbus might have to do against a team like us that can have possession. We are gonna create some opportunities, and we don't wanna have tired legs and give up those counterattack opportunities. So So that's interesting. Now Columbus has good players, depending on who all they have in their lineup, because of course they're

Kev: Roll out there. Yeah.

Bright: still playing for their playoff lives, right? So

Kev: Uh-huh.

Bright: again, they're they're sitting at an 11th spot, so two spots out of a playoff position in the MLS, but only one point out. Right? So that was a big, a big win against against Cincinnati.

Kev: They're hanging on. Cincinnati, yeah.

Bright: So they gotta make sure that that they have rested players for the MLS. So in that sense, to your earlier point, we're in a better position where it doesn't matter as much come Saturday if we drop points. It matters a lot for them. But they've got some good

Kev: Yeah.

Bright: players. They've got Mendez, who was their big DP addition over the summer. Rodriguez, who assisted on both goals in the semifinals. Martinez, who scores goals for them. and then here, here is the question, of course, the the St. Louis connection. So their goalkeeper for the Open Cup has been Hagen. He's been their goalkeeper for the stretch of the open cup. But it was Schulte, Saint Louis boy, who played over the weekend and came up with all those big saves to keep them in the match. And and again, i Matan has the Columbus connection.

Kev: Who's he was the man of the match from what I saw?

Bright: I think so. I I didn't I didn't a hundred percent wanna say that, but I was like, How could he not be with all the the saves that he had? but yeah, of course, you know, this kid, he's twenty five, I think. Yeah, twenty-five years old, from Saint Charles, so Saint Louis, went to Francis Hall, six three. You know, he's he's a he's a good goalie. And so

Kev: Yeah. Well.

Bright: from Columbus's standpoint, we'll have to see if they stick with Hagen their

Kev: They roll out there. Yeah.

Bright: Or or do they roll out Schulte against his his Saint Louis

Kev: The hot hand and

Bright: right, right. So there's a couple of interesting storylines.

Kev: Yeah. I don't know, just a another storyline, exactly, right? Another variable in play. We'll see. We

Bright: Yep. Yep.

Kev: will see.

Bright: Alright. So they don't f a couple of things here. They don't have the betting odds out yet. I didn't check I didn't check DraftKings, but they're not out. The game is on Paramount Plus and CBS Sports Network, so fans have to be on the lookout for that. It's not as easy to watch.

Kev: I determined I ha I have that by the way. I I found my way to it.

Bright: Yes. I also have Paramount Plus, but here's my problem. I'm gonna be out of the country and

Kev: Exactly.

Bright: we are hosting a work party for the biggest conference of the year Wednesday evening. I know.

Kev: Rough stuff.

Bright: I know. Like I'm I'm like I'm hosting this thing, so I like Ugh and then Thursday morning is an early start and an all day like so I'm working Thursday seven thirty till nine thirty with essentially no

Kev: Yeah.

Bright: breaks. And that's seven thirty till nine thirty at night. So a fourteen hour day with essentially no breaks. And then pretty much the same on Wednesday. I'm working ten till eleven. So I I wanna be back in my room until at least eleven PM and then I have the early start. So I gotta figure out, am I following along on my phone? D am I trying to sneak away and watch a little bit? Do I ignore social media a hundred percent and wait till I get back in my room and watch the replay? Does Paramount Plus even have a full replay? Like can I do it without having the score spoiled? 'Cause then I'll be pissed if I get back to my room and then I somehow see the score posted somewhere.

Kev: I was about to say I I feel like I'm going to be texting throughout the game. So ignore ignore my texts.

Bright: I gotta make that decision. Maybe I'll just maybe I'll just have it on my phone and and every now and then I'll just constantly be be looking. I don't know. It's just it's tough. These mid midweek matchups, this time of year, this is my busiest time of year traveling and it's conference season

Kev: Trouble wise, business wise.

Bright: and and I'm I'm hosting the event. If I wasn't hosting the event, it maybe wouldn't be that big of a deal. So Yeah, yeah.

Kev: It'd be easier to sneak away, yeah. Mm, rough stuff. I'll be watching the game on my couch. It's gonna be wonderful.

Bright: good for you. And I definitely won't be betting because again, out of the country, so I don't have the option to to even put a bet down. But if I did

Kev: I think I'll be going a whole sup first time and a whole sup any time.

Bright: Yes.

Kev: those are gonna be my two bets. I'm calling it right now. And we are gonna get a three to one victory.

Bright: Okay, I'm gonna go with a two to nothing victory. I know. And

Kev: Ooh. Good guys, right?

Bright: good guys.

Kev: Okay.

Bright: And I'm thinking a Hulsa goal, a Betcher goal, at least one Matan assist. And

Kev: Mm. Yeah.

Bright: I think Berkey is gonna have to come up with one or two big saves to keep that clean sheet.

Kev: Big those. Yeah.

Bright: Otherwise otherwise I could see two one. Now I'm thinking I'm thinking regulation win, right? I'm not thinking any overtime or anything like that. We talked about this last time.

Kev: Agreed. Yeah.

Bright: If though it gets to that stage, do we save a

Kev: A for them.

Bright: sub yes for Lunt.

Kev: Or you might you might as the OT goes through, throw out there for PKs.

Bright: Yeah, I again I I think you have to do it.

Kev: It's not a bat. Yeah, I mean it we talked about it last game, I think, last cup game. I think it's a good route to go. Yeah. I don't think we're gonna need it though.

Bright: Yeah. Yep. Well hopefully we don't need it. we'll see.

Kev: Two goals in the first ten minutes, probably one around the seventy third minute, and yeah, we're gonna be in good shape.

Bright: Well, so that was something else about the Minnesota game. This was the first time all season that we've scored first and lost.

Kev: We've moved on. We've moved past. You didn't have to bring it up.

Bright: But now you f you feel pretty good when we scored, especially early, but scored first. You were like, Okay, we're not losing this game. Now we've lost one. So does

Kev: Yeah.

Bright: that does that doubt start to creep into your mind that, hey, a two nothing lead isn't safe, especially in a cup

Kev: You know

Bright: game on the road.

Kev: It it doesn't. It does not, in my opinion. mainly because of the moves we made before it really started going downhill, right? Like Who'd we who'd we pull out of there by the time that I mean, I don't know, came in but

Bright: Yeah. Yeah. So I

Kev: Off the bench. So you know, he he needed time to get into the game. Totland, I I love Totlin out on that side. so I think what I think he came out by the time they they scored their first. We try to

Bright: He did.

Kev: did we try to get defensive and we brought in

Bright: I mean not

Kev: Mountain at that time or something. I can't remember. don't know. We made some

Bright: Yeah, not necessarily here. I mean I I mean I do have it.

Kev: some early moves that I don't think we would need to make normally. I don't have the concern. I I think, you know, Wednesday's game, not Wednesday's game, what was that? Saturday's game was just a little little bit of an oddball for us. Can't worry about it. Yep.

Bright: Yeah, little blip on the radar, and we'll get right back right back to winning ways come Wednesday. I know the the team isn't gonna want to lose two in a row. For Hulsa, for Matan, now I know for Navajo, who isn't isn't playing, but this was their first loss in a city uniform. So

Kev: Yeah.

Bright: And again, I know Hulsa and Matan

Kev: Probably didn't like it.

Bright: didn't play. Navajo can't play on Wednesday. But again, how does that change the mindset? And it might it might change it in a good way where they they're coming out hungry. They should certainly come out hungry for a prestigious trophy, Bringing it back home to St. Louis. Surely they know the history. I think they know what it means to fans and what it means for a spot in the Champions League next year. so yep, it'll be fun. I hope I can watch it. Either way, I'll f I'll figure something out. And yeah, three one or two nothing. Either one. All right. There you ha there you have it.

Kev: Three one two nothing. Love it. Let's go get it.

Bright: Let's go get it. Talk later. Follow follow us on socials. I'll I'll post any updates or anything like that, about Dirkin

Kev: Yeah.

Bright: or Wallum or the lineups, as I can, so stay tuned. Follow me. NFNP Pod on X.