City SC Posse - Ep24: CITY Escaped KC, But Houston Is the Real Test

Bright: Friday morning. We're recording Friday morning. Getting ready for the Houston match. Still not feeling great after that Kansas City match. it's maybe not exactly what we predicted on the last episode, although you kinda said you were like, point isn't the end of the world. And it's not,

Kev: I

Bright: but it didn't feel like a good point.

Kev: I dig I'm glad I talked you down from this is a must-win game, I think is what you said early on. I was like, back it up a little, but it's not quite a must-win. It sure felt like a loss after

Bright: Yeah.

Kev: watching that though. So one point didn't feel good. I will have to admit it. But not the worst, not the worst thing in the world. Just didn't feel good.

Bright: No, you're you're going up against the worst team in the league, and we kind of said, right, rivalry matches don't play by the rules. They're they're

Kev: Yeah.

Bright: always yeah, they feel a little different. I think the the KC team, they they were amped up. They were ready to go, they were ready to play. They wanted to end our streak, and we were not up to the task again at Sporting Park, so we're still winless there.

Kev: Yeah.

Bright: And you know, like I said, I f I felt bad for the the fans that drove the four hours to watch that match, 'cause o outside of the Leuven goal, which we kinda stole that goal, there wasn't much else. we we were giving the ball away in the midfield, lots of turnovers. KC was just sitting back waiting for us to make a mistake and then they'd pounce and every time they came down the field they felt dangerous. I was like th they don't look like a last place team to me. The only reason

Kev: Yeah, and they were putting some some pressure on our back three, you know, when we were playing the ball back there. It didn't feel good there either. I thought that, you know, there was some opportunity to cough the ball up. And yeah, it was kind of an ugly game. I I couldn't tell if we just didn't have our heart in it or if they were just you know, this was quote unquote their Super Bowl for the time being, you know, trying to knock us off of our streak and get some some rhythm going in their season. So it was it was bad, man.

Bright: Yeah, it was not fun to watch and the only reason I think that we escaped this game is because they might be worse finishers than we are, right? So th they they had a lot. They had eighteen shots

Kev: Tough to say, but yeah.

Bright: eighteen shots in total, only four on target.

Kev: Yeah.

Bright: So that that's not great. And they had several that were that were sitters, man, that were just there. And they put high,

Kev: Yeah.

Bright: they put wide, whatever the case may be. And that that's probably the only reason we snuck out of there with one point is because that's where they do lack quality. They they can't score. And I know that's an issue for us as well, but woof eighteen shots on goal, four on target. Ouch. Yeah. Now

Kev: Yep. Yeah, I mean. I don't know.

Bright: What do you Yeah, what do you say about that? Now our shots we had six and two on target. So I mean two on target? That that's that's not a lot of offense. Yeah,

Kev: Need up that, right? Yep.

Bright: we need that number up big time. And and we've been showing over the the stretch that we can be dangerous, that we can score goals. We I still don't think we convert enough. with the opportunities that we have and the chances that we're creating. But this particular game we didn't create a lot of chances. We we didn't convert and it it it was just boring and I'm you I joked about it. I was like, I'm amped up for this midweek matchup. I'll get to have

Kev: Yeah.

Bright: gotta have a beer and go down in the basement and watch the game in peace, break up the work week a little bit and then I was just sitting there like, Ugh Yeah. Yeah. Not the game I wanted to watch.

Kev: Sucks. Yeah. Yeah, I know. Because you thought you probably thought the whole time that, my God, we've got a good chance of losing this game, like I

Bright: yeah.

Kev: did. So, you know, we had texted a little bit about it. I put my money on a city win. And when we went up won

Bright: As did I.

Kev: nothing, I started, I jumped on the app. I kind of looked at the odds. I saw Ty sitting at plus 330. And I was like, you know, I'm gonna hedge this a little bit. And threw just a little bit of money on that plus 330. Cause I threw down a a more sizable bet than I normally do on the city win. I just thought we

Bright: yeah. Yeah.

Kev: were gonna, you know, 3-1 this, 4-1 this thing. I know it was away. I don't know why I was thinking that, but you know, I I felt pretty good about our chances and no, I'm I'm glad I did. I'm glad I touched it.

Bright: Well, I did what I did what I I I stuck with my normal dollar amounts. I usually bet about ten bucks a game, right? So five dollars I bet on the city win and the moneyline. So I thought we were gonna win by two goals, whether it was two nothing, three one, three one I think was actually the score I was

Kev: Three one was kind of my thought, yeah.

Bright: pr predicting. And I even played a little FIFA earlier in the day and I won three to one. And I went with as close of a lineup as I could get. They don't have all the roster updates and y they still have Toy Shirt and Cordova and I gotta move them to the bench and Hardle and get get them Outta there. But yeah, I won three to one. I'm like, that feels that feels about right. And so I I went with the money line and didn't hit that obviously. But I felt comfortable with it. I was like, Okay, I think we're gonna do this. So I threw out a five dollar bet anytime goal scorer on Bum Girdle plus twenty two hundred.

Kev: Mm-hmm.

Bright: So I was like, Hey, he can get a headbar headball goal or you know, he had a sitter the other day, I can't remember what match it was, that he hit over the crossbar. Was that San Jose or was it the week before?

Kev: It was that was yeah, Saturday's game where you know it just looked like it was such an easy goal and he just placed it a little too high, right? And it it went over the crossbar, but it

Bright: Yeah. Yeah.

Kev: was such a soft like touch that he had to take on that, I think, with that headball. but yeah, no, I put a little money on Seng Ben, anytime goal scorer. Can't say he didn't have his chance.

Bright: Yeah.

Kev: I don't know if you remember that breakaway shot that he put it, you know, just just

Bright: Yes, off the crossbar. Yes.

Kev: on the crossbar. I couldn't remember if it was less left post crossbar.

Bright: Yeah.

Kev: that would have been a game

Bright: Yeah, I know. And we've

Kev: changer.

Bright: we've struggled a little bit on the breakaways this year. We've

Kev: Yeah.

Bright: had several of them. They were more early in the season. and then we started to convert one or two of Hardle scored on a breakaway. I think Betcher eventually scored on the breakaway, but now you have Sangbin on a clear breakaway and yeah. Yeah, I'd rather see instead of a shot there, I'd rather see a move trying to get around the goalie or

Kev: And

Bright: d or do something there, but It y it is what it is. possession wise we we somehow had the possession, like okay, I guess so because KC was really playing back and waiting for us to make mistakes, but it was closer than you would think. It was fifty-five, forty-five. that's about it. We you know, we had a lot of well, we only had two yellow cards. Does that seem right? Durkin definitely.

Kev: That seems right.

Bright: no, I don't know that is right.

Kev: I think that's right.

Bright: Durkin got one for sure. Wallum got one for sure. I thought I thought Edelman got

Kev: I've got one. Yeah, I thought

Bright: one maybe though, but I guess not. Alright.

Kev: I don't think so.

Bright: but yeah, Dur so Durkin's out. So he's out against Houston, and we'll talk about the the Houston match here in a little bit. So nine corners to Kansas City, two for St. Louis. And this is a bet I almost thought about too, because they had a lot of corners early. They had what, like four or five corners to start the game in the first five, ten minutes. And so

Kev: Yep. Yep. First five. Yep.

Bright: the the line was up to over thirteen and a half. And

Kev: Yeah.

Bright: I was like, you know, like I could see going under here. And damn, I wish I would have done it. So I can't remember what the payout was or what the line was on that, but eleven total corners, but nine for Kansas City. And that's usually a good indicator of where the offense is, right? So that mean that's that.

Kev: Sure. You know, I I didn't realize Cities top, or at least they were top coming into the game on on corner kick attempts. So I thought that was kind of interesting. I didn't know that.

Bright: Yeah. Yeah, yeah. I was I s I said it. I said we get a lot of corner opportunities and so we should be going going the plus, going the over.

Kev: and then what was the stat that they called out mid game and I I texted you and yelled at you for not bringing it to the prior podcast. City hasn't lost

Bright: When we score first.

Kev: the game that we've been up on.

Bright: Or that we scored first on. Is that what it was? Yeah.

Kev: Score first on, that's what it is. Yay. Yeah, that's what it was. yeah. Where was that stat? So that's kind of an interesting stat. We'll have to think about that moving forward. See if that breaks down.

Bright: Yeah, I don't know. I can't have all the stats. Yeah, we'll have to think about that though before. Yeah, I do I do have a stat to talk about with Houston. I looked it up just for you. So don't

Kev: Yeah, I love it.

Bright: you don't have to make me feel bad. starting eleven. It was it was kinda I think we predicted it was pretty much exactly the same. Y Damay doesn't make a lot of changes. We thought maybe with the midweek matchup. And because of the way the first half was going, I was like, all right, we're gonna make changes. at halftime. Now

Kev: I have yep.

Bright: We get the goal. Luvin gets kind of lucky with the with the deflected goal on the f on the free kick. But when you get a free kick in that position, anything can happen. So

Kev: Sorry.

Bright: props to Betcher for for making that play. And then Lubin kind of powers it in in and off the off the wall and takes the deflection. It's kind of funny 'cause I think Fox Sports posted something of like, What a stunner from Lubin. And everybody got on him. They were like, that wasn't a stunner. That was

Kev: Yeah. And it didn't feel that way. It didn't feel that way.

Bright: yeah, deflected goal. But and then but when you go look at the ratings, man, who do you think was

Kev: What's a

Bright: lowest on the team?

Kev: Yeah. boy. a wallem?

Bright: Come on, come on. You know who it is. Don't even think about it. Wallem! four point five. Four five. Now we had several players in the four range.

Kev: I was I was gonna say I don't think I don't feel like his play was that much worse

Bright: Yeah.

Kev: than some of the others, so

Bright: Yeah, Totlin came in at four eight, Sangbin at four nine, Edelman at five, Durkin at five two. That's all pretty bad. McNaughton at five eight. Bumgardle for whatever reason at a five six. I actually thought he was the only reason that we stayed in it. He he would

Kev: Yeah.

Bright: block some shots and and I felt like was a pretty good presence

Kev: Yep. Early on too, yep.

Bright: in the the middle, so I'm not sure. Berkey a five one, fine. four shots on goal or whatever w I don't know. What what more More do want from him? Betcher, 5'4. Leuven was the standout. Of course, he gets the goal, and he had some nice passes into space too. And that's the quality that that Luven brings. And he kind of just flicks the ball with the outside of his

Kev: In Easter. Yep.

Bright: foot, throws it into space. Betcher's able to run onto it. So thought thought he definitely was our best player. But of course he comes out.

Kev: Bird's five yeah.

Bright: Comes out at about the 60th minute, give or take. 61st minute, it looks like here.

Kev: Yeah.

Bright: Hulsa comes in. He was a five two. Outside of that one pass, I don't know that he really did a whole lot. We haven't seen enough from him yet. Matan, he he was

Kev: No. No.

Bright: a 4-9. He also came in at so not great for Matan. and then Olt and Orozco coming in. Orasco a four-eight in the eighty-third minute. but I was surprised. I'm surprised that we didn't see more changes or some earlier changes to try and change the game. And then at the end there Kansas City was pressure and I'm like, We gotta get out of that like w we're gonna lose it.

Kev: yeah, we we we came back. We were like, Hey, let's just take the tie, let's take the draw, one point, you know, and I felt

Bright: Yeah. Yep. Yep.

Kev: like the pressure was on us just to stay alive for that last I don't know, ten minutes or so. Yeah, whatever it was.

Bright: Five minutes. Five five, ten minutes, yeah. Ab absolutely it was. And you're right. We take the point. It gets us to thirty points on the season so far. We now have a record of eight wins, six draws, six losses, twenty-eight goals for, two goals against. So we're at that plus two goal differential, which is great. so like to see that that positive goal differential. We're we're still in sixth place. But it's still close. I saw something the other day

Kev: Hells do.

Bright: Dallas, they are at thirty three points. So they're still ahead of us, as is San Jose at thirty three points. So you go into this game against Houston at home, and you'd have to see have to see we're not gonna overcome on goal differential, I don't think. but it could put us right there even on on points, depending on what they do. LAFC is only at thirty four points, so you have an opportunity to to get pretty close. To that that top four, right? So, but that's that's why I said I said this is these are important games, and and winning against San Jose, I thought really set us up to win in Kansas City and then have the two big Texas games here at home. So being at home, you have an opportunity. But of course, now Houston is number one in the conference. So they beat Vancouver. So

Kev: Yeah, yeah.

Bright: ee.

Kev: One, so Dallas did play Wednesday, last night. Last night, two nights ago.

Bright: Yeah. I think mo yeah, most teams did play Wednesday. Yeah.

Kev: Yeah, so they they did beat Salt Lake, I think it was four three, I just looked it up.

Bright: Okay.

Kev: so yeah, you know, if we could have picked up those three points, and let's say Dallas had lost, right? Like man man

Bright: Well, e even still, if we w if we would have picked up those points, we would have been what? We would've been one point behind Dallas, one point behind San Jose going into

Kev: What yeah. Yeah.

Bright: the next two games, w was certainly some opportunities. So it it's all right. Like you said, it's not the end of the world. but I'm a little bit more nervous now going into the game this weekend for a couple of reasons. One, I will be there. I offered to trade you back this game, but like you said, you're you were busy with family

Kev: I'm gonna take it.

Bright: stuff. So I was like I'll go to the game, but now I I kind of feel like this is this is like a Premier League game when you're going up Against a a Liverpool or a Man U or something like that, where I kind of feel like we're the underdogs going into this matchup. Now, Vegas has us at 44% chance win. Dynamo 29% chance win. The draw at twenty-seven percent chance. So that's St. Louis at a plus one nine, Houston at a plus two twenty-nine, draw at a plus two fifty-one, over under is at two and a half goals right now.

Kev: Yeah. I took a look at this before we jumped on in terms of the odds where they had us. I was a little surprised to see how much we were favored to win it, I guess. 'cause I don't know if I feel that way after the Kansas City game.

Bright: Well that's the thing, after Kansas City. Like I understand a home game in the MLS, y generally speaking. Yeah, I w Sure, sure. But Houston is also on a major

Kev: We're on this hot streak. I totally get it. Right? I get it. But I don't feel it.

Bright: hot streak. They have won their last five games at a minimum. I don't know beyond that, but in those five games, they have all been shutouts. So they have not given up a goal in five games, and that is a record for them. so that that's a little concerning. So that's why I was surprised that that the overunder was two and a half. So they beat Vancouver just one nothing. on on Wednesday night to take that top spot in the conference. But again, another shutout. So we we are gonna have to press. We're gonna have to attack if if we wanna score score any goals. And that's what Houston's game. I think they're happy. They're happy if they win one nothing or something like that. Their goal differential

Kev: Yeah.

Bright: is only plus five.

Kev: Yep.

Bright: So not much better than ours. So twenty-nine goals for, versus our twenty-eight goals for and twenty-four goals against versus our twenty-six. But again, over the stretch of the last five, they're not they're not giving up a lot of opportunities. So, this is a game

Kev: Okay.

Bright: where thankfully we are at home and maybe the crowd can can push us over that

Kev: picks up a bit. I

Bright: hump. Yeah.

Kev: don't know if I talked about it On the last podcast or it maybe on one of the last podcasts when you know power outages occurred. do we feel like the San Jose game could have been our team rallying together without Portal to show that we can still be offensive-minded, we can still play creatively, and had some you know, juice from that to kind of prove some doubters and then we're gonna start sliding back to what reality is without Hortle. that's what I'm that's what I'm worried about, I guess, is that we're gonna start sliding back a little

Bright: Sure. I mean that certainly could be part of it. Also, San Jose

Kev: bit and Luvin's not gonna be able to fill 100% of the gap. Hulse is going to take some time to come, you know, come together with the team, figure out the playing style of the team. We're gonna have this this lull of offense.

Bright: Yeah, I I could definitely see that. San Jose was a bit of a trick game because they've been on the downswing actually. So they've been trending

Kev: Yeah.

Bright: down and for whatever reason we we have a a amazing record against the Quakes, right? So

Kev: Is it?

Bright: over the course of our our longevity a team. We we've been really good against them for whatever reason. Now again, you go onto the r road, you win three to one, you take that. But yeah, maybe it was. Maybe that was a little bit of a we gotta go out and prove something here. We can't be relying on on Hardle to carry this offense. We do that. And now we we kinda are slipping back into things. So where where do we where do we fit in with with Houston? I don't know that you can go out there with that same lineup again after a midweek match. So three

Kev: No, you can't.

Bright: th three games in one week here and the way that we performed against Kansas City, is this the match where you see Hulsa start? Where you see Matan I think you have to see Matan start. I I don't know. Hulsa Deme has come out and said he's gonna make sure that his fitness kind of gets to where it needs to be. But you could certainly start him and let him play the first first forty five or maybe even the first

Kev: Yeah.

Bright: sixty. I think you have to start Luven. So now the thing is is that we have no Durkin. So

Kev: Yep. I was gonna say so you can't do the same lineup. So let's start there. Like that's off the table already. And so

Bright: You can't yeah, you can't do the exact same lineup, exactly.

Kev: you what are you doing? Are you shifting luven?

Bright: Back, yeah. To Dirk and Spot. Yep. Yep.

Kev: Back into Durkin spot, I would assume.

Bright: Yep. Yep.

Kev: So then, you know, you're opening that opportunity to to start holes, I guess. Hold and we're going with holes.

Bright: Hul I like Hulsa, but I don't know. To the Hulse, okay. Alright, we'll go Hulse.

Kev: Yeah, but I heard the announcer go holes. So we'll go holes. So I mean the the opportunities there. I do think that would probably be a big boost from a a crowd standpoint at home seeing his first start. but I agree like Matten's gotta be probably somebody that's in the lineup.

Bright: Yeah, I think so. And and I could see a couple of different variations of this, right? So yes, Luven drops back in the the center defensive mid position with Edelman. you you get

Kev: That just seems seems like an easy move.

Bright: you get Hulsa in a in a attacking midfield position. I think

Kev: Mm-hmm.

Bright: I still like Sangbin in that starting spot. at least at least for now. And then what I would do is I'd put everything Yeah, yeah. I

Kev: I do. Yep. I still liked everything he's done in these games. I've been a sning bin fan.

Bright: I would put Matan in Wallum's spot. That that's where I would have him start. I think he gotta get I mean, we've been saying it yes, he got an assist against San Jose, but a four five, I mean, absolutely brutal. Brutal. And and he's been

Kev: Not happening, so hold your breath on it. Don't hold your breath on it.

Bright: He's been historically the lowest rated player almost every game. So to keep

Kev: Yeah.

Bright: starting him. So yeah, I put Montan in in Wallum spot. I probably don't start McNaughton again. I I probably go maybe back to Orasco in this game. especially especially with a midweek game. You could probably still go Pulvara and Bum Gardel. And then you have Ostruk, if Ostruk needs to come in for Luvin, or if even if he has to come in for Hulsa, you c you could bring in Ostru Ostr Ostruk later in the game. after that, I don't I don't know. I guess you you could always bring in Wallem. But but that's my that's my starting eleven if I if I had to do it going up against the top team in the the conference. Holza

Kev: Yeah.

Bright: in the the center attacking with Sangbin, Betcher up top 'cause you have no other options at this point. Edelman and Leuven in the center defensive mid, Totlin and Matan on the wings, Polvera, Bumgardle, Orasco in the back, and of course Berkey.

Kev: I think that's a fair lineup to send Arthur. So that's all

Bright: I think so. I guess

Kev: right.

Bright: I guess we'll see. What about a score prediction? Are you gonna you gonna give us a score prediction here?

Kev: Hart says two to two.

Bright: Two to two. Okay. I was thinking either two nil city or two one city. Houston doesn't necessarily

Kev: Okay.

Bright: create I'll go two one. I'll go two one. That's what we mean by metal here. Yeah, two one.

Kev: I was good. So let's hope we meet in the middle here at two one city.

Bright: The overunder is at two and a half, I said, right? So that would put us at the over.

Kev: Yeah.

Bright: But yeah, I'll I'll go I'll go two one on on the city win at home, bit of an upset against against the Western Conference leaders here. Yeah,

Kev: I'd have been upset according to Vegas. That would be

Bright: I mean not not according to Vegas, but according to the the table, right? Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But it'll be fun. I

Kev: It feels like it would be an upset. Yeah. Yeah. So all right.

Bright: I'm trying to figure out what I'm gonna do. I don't know. I I kinda wanna go eat. before the game, not at the stadium. supposed to be nice. A little bit on the warmer side, but still only probably the mid eighties at game time. low eighties by the end of game time, so it won't be won't be terrible. Yeah.

Kev: Beautiful this weekend. So it's the right weekend to go down to the park if if you get the opportunity, that's for sure.

Bright: Yeah, yeah, yeah, for sure. So we'll see. Gonna bring the gonna bring the wife again. She was down, so after missing

Kev: Okay.

Bright: after missing the RSL match. Yeah. Yeah. So we gotta figure

Kev: Yep. Yep.

Bright: out the new babysitter situation. We've lost both of our babysitters to college. They both they both moved away. So yeah, we've gone from two to two to zero. So but we did get

Kev: no. That's the things, man. Yeah. rough stuff.

Bright: Yep, we did get coverage for the weekend, but we we're on the hunt for

Kev: Yeah.

Bright: a new babysitter. If anybody knows anybody, send me send me a message via the website or X.

Kev: I mean, I guess I guess we have a babysitter we could maybe hook you up, so

Bright: Yeah, there you go. There you go. All right. Well that's that. I guess we'll

Kev: All right. Yep.

Bright: be back, we'll be back next week. Hopefully talking about a city win and and keeping this streak alive. That would be what, twelve twelve unbeaten? So we definitely want to stay unbeaten.

Kev: I think so.

Bright: Twelve unbeaten would be nice. keep moving up the table. Let's do it.

Kev: Let's get it. Two to one.