CITY SC Posse - Ep26: CITY Went All-In: Navarro Is Here, Vancouver Is Next, & Wallem Must Sit

Bright: Deadline day has come and gone. So I thought maybe we'd record Thursday or do a immediate drop. But you know, schedules they they are what they are. So we're coming into to Friday morning, which is fine because we can we can preview and we will preview the match Saturday night against Vancouver. We'll talk about last week's bummer of a draw against Dallas. but of course the the big news is the the signings. And we really had to wait until practically the end of the day, I feel like on Wednesday for for the big one. We we and then we got the

Kev: That was mean, wasn't it?

Bright: It was a little mean, right? Like I think we all thought it was a foregone conclusion. Colorado kinda teased that it was done. The news outlet said it was it was close, but until it really is finalized and until somebody announces that it's finalized, you never really know. Sometimes these things fall apart for for different reasons. And and yeah, so I I think City fans were a little on the edge of their seat. Yeah.

Kev: Could have been somebody could have been somebody jumping in and getting them, you know, like jumping in ahead of us. I don't know. Like I doubt it

Bright: Yeah, I

Kev: happens very often with the MLS, but you don't know. You know, he could

Bright: Yeah, that

Kev: say farewell to the finance all he wants, but until he's announced on the team, like I'm I'm petrified as that clock is ticking.

Bright: Sure, yeah. So Some terms that you thought were gonna get ironed out don't get ironed out. We bring

Kev: Mm-hmm.

Bright: in another forward and maybe he says, like, wait a minute, never mind. who

Kev: Yeah.

Bright: who knows? Who knows what happens, but it it looks like he was on the way out in Colorado anyway. it it looks like we really targeted this guy. So so that's exciting in the sense that it looks like he he he was targeted for the system and for demand. May. So let's do let's do a couple of quick rundowns in case you don't know who we're talking about. We're talking about Rafael Navarro, who is a a goal scorer and in the prime of his career. So I think that's the biggest thing, right? So he's 26 years old, he's Brazilian. We signed him from Colorado for a record twelve million dollar cash deal. So not only is this the the biggest deal for City and double The previous biggest deal, which was also this year, which was Hulsa at six million dollars, it's also the biggest deal between two MLS clubs. So I I

Kev: It's awesome.

Bright: do find that interesting. it's it's awesome in theory, right? It's awesome that that we're willing to get cheaper. Sure. Sure. So

Kev: Yeah, I mean, yeah. It would have been nice to get cheaper. But it's awesome. We've we finally got we finally got ownership to spend some money that we've been begging them to spend. So that is

Bright: Yes. I I think that's

Kev: what's awesome about it.

Bright: I think that's it. This is really the the first time. Yes, Hartle well he he came over on a free transfer, so yeah, we had to pay a salary. Leuven, Klaus, the all of these guys from the from the early days, they had salaries, but they didn't necessarily need big transfer fees. So this is to your point the first time that we've really gone out there. Yes, wholsa at the time certainly six million dollars, but this is this is double that now. And again, he's twenty six years old. He will occupy a D P slot. His contract is guaranteed through twenty twenty nine twenty thirty, which feels like a long time. Four years, I guess. But also we

Kev: Yeah.

Bright: have we have I think it's a club option. My notes only say an option, but I think it's a club option for twenty thirty twenty thirty one, which is pretty

Kev: Okay.

Bright: cool. so you might have this guy locked up for the next five years. Again, in the prime of his career. From

Kev: Yep. In the prime.

Bright: that'll take him from twenty six to thirty one. And thirty-one

Kev: Yeah.

Bright: in MLS to me. is nothing. Okay. Premier League, yeah, thirty-one, you're you're ready to retire.

Kev: Yeah.

Bright: But but thirty-one in in MLS, you you are still contributing. So the other thing

Kev: Yeah.

Bright: I liked about this guy, he's six one, one eighty five. So he's my profile. Right? Yeah. I'm I'm getting I'm actually getting prepared. well when I when I played, I'm really like

Kev: Yeah, one eighty five. That's that's you, right? six one two, what am I talking about? Yeah, look at look at you standing on your composed.

Bright: six foot. But when I played in the program I always said six one. Of course everybody always made their their numbers a little bit higher and in

Kev: Yeah, yeah.

Bright: the l the last year I played I weighed one seventy five and they told me I was ten pounds overweight. So so I'm like, whoa. But and I always say that like imagine me at one sixty five. I'd be I you would think I was dying or something like that at one sixty five, but but good sized yes.

Kev: Yeah. It's a marathon runner right there.

Bright: Good sized guy. He's got a good work eight work rate. He's a pressing kind of a player. He knows how to do link up play. he he's has a presence in the attack. He's obviously a goal scorer and he also creates. He's not just that guy that that scores. He he gets assists.

Kev: Yeah, she needs.

Bright: He right. So this season alone he's got ten goals and four assists for Colorado. And I think we're a better team than Colorado. I think we can create more chances than Colorado. So I think he has tremendous upside right off the bat.

Kev: It's gonna be fun, isn't it? It's gonna be fun. It's gonna take him a little time, I assume, to get into the system, but you know he's in shape already. I I don't wanna hear that explains but

Bright: So that that is gonna be one of my questions. Yeah, as we go into the Vancouver matchup. I think he plays. Now I don't know that he starts, but

Kev: I don't think he started that he stored him, but you could get him in there in like the I don't know, ninetieth minute, eightieth minute or something like that. Just give him some time.

Bright: I o depending on how the game is going, I think he could come in sooner than that. Because for a couple of reasons. One, he he was already stateside. He's

Kev: Yeah.

Bright: obviously already in in shape. He's he's ready

Kev: Exactly.

Bright: to go as far as full speed. He he played last week, which was surprising to a lot of people that that he played for Colorado when the deal was that close to being done. But it wasn't officially

Kev: Yeah. Yeah.

Bright: done and so he could have played. And that's what I I kind of wondered that about Leuven with his last game. Like maybe he could have come in and and played that. And I think we talked about that last week on the the pod. So yes, to your point Maybe he doesn't quite fit in with the system yet. That might take a little bit more time. But to bring him in in the seventy, seventy fifth minute, depending on what the score is, and and let him let him run around a little bit. Now the thing is is we're playing in Colorado, so now all of a sudden travel is a factor. Or not sorry, not Colorado, Vancouver. So we had to go

Kev: We

Bright: Yeah. Well that is coming that is coming up, but I do want to talk about that, so pause on

Kev: May not.

Bright: that. but he had to do Colorado, Saint Louis, Saint Louis, Vancouver. So so that adds adds to some extra travel fatigue, I guess, if you will.

Kev: Yeah. Mm-hmm.

Bright: But but it it's certainly possible that he gets some playtime. And then remember, Vancouver is is the crappy artificial turf, the worst in the league, according to all the players and everything. So people don't

Kev: Yeah.

Bright: love playing on the field.

Kev: Does anybody else have artificial turf gone? Do we know?

Bright: I don't know. I tha I remember that was such a big thing and and obviously we've tried to go away and and everybody's tried to go natural pitch and you still have New York on the baseball field and and things like that.

Kev: Yeah.

Bright: So so we'll see, but but it it it's a big signing nevertheless for City. Finally the true

Kev: Yeah.

Bright: number nine. And

Kev: Mm-hmm.

Bright: and he's gonna have to be our our no doubt our primary guy, right? But then that that brings us into Damian Downs.

Kev: Yep. Yep. That's what we've been asking for. I know because we've got a lot now up top. We've

Bright: Yeah.

Kev: got a lot of players up top. And I don't think I saw anybody leave in the news.

Bright: Correct. No no no major departures. I think we had one city two.

Kev: So you got downs coming in too. I'll let you talk about that, but it's gonna be interesting to see how this all shapes up on the pitch.

Bright: Yeah. Right. Another center forward. So okay, now Downs is twenty-two, so considerably younger. really coming into the prime of his career. He's played for the

Kev: Yeah.

Bright: US national team, right? Now, what I like about Downs is his size. He's six four, right? So he's taller. He can hold the ball in possession, which is good. He's got great pace, very athletic, good combination play. He can definitely get behind defenses, and he also brings that box pressure. Right? So

Kev: Mm-hmm.

Bright: now the thing is, is he comes over from Southampton on loan, that'll take us through the end

Kev: But

Bright: of the 2027 sprint season.

Kev: Yeah.

Bright: Now, we do have the option to buy.

Kev: Swap fine. Okay.

Bright: Right. So if at the end we so basically he's got the rest of this season and then the sprint season, and

Kev: And the spring.

Bright: then we can make that decision if we want to keep him on. so so he could bring in a little bit more of that rotation. He could come off the bench when you need a big player. And the bigger question I think, and also with Betcher, especially the run that Betcher's been on recently, what is what does he got? Five goals since the break?

Kev: Yeah, all know look goals too.

Bright: All all all of a sudden he's yeah, sure. And I I do want to talk about that when we get to the Dallas g review, but he's he's on a little bit of a tear. I'm starting to think, are we are we ready to play a a two forward system? Do we are we gonna play two guys up top? Or does Betcher slide back into that position that Sang Bin or last week Matan played in, which is kind of that that attacking midfield position, right? maybe a false nine kind of a position. I don't I don't know, but it you could see a world where we're playing two Two guys up top,

Kev: Two.

Bright: whether it's Betcher, Navarro, Navarro, Downs, Downs, Betcher, some kind of rotation of the three. Now, again, Navarro's our guy. We paid $12 million for him. So he he has to be

Kev: Mm-hmm. He's on there. Yeah.

Bright: the guy. And I think

Kev: Yes.

Bright: we've been saying it. he's a nuisance. He can score. He he creates chances. He just doesn't capitalize enough sometimes. And he also goes to ground too easily looking for the foul. And I think that cost us against

Kev: the term.

Bright: cost us against Dallas, where the ref would just stop blowing the whistle. He just like, I'm not gonna call these, even when they were legitimate sometimes, because Betcher's a known flopper.

Kev: Yep. Yeah. And we've talked about how he makes a lot of sense coming off the bench late in the game when you're up to be that nuisance up top, to be that guy that can draw a foul. So I I do think that makes a lot of sense. And you're right. I think that the ref was probably tired of it at the end of that game. legitimate or not, seeing him go down because it is frustrating how quickly he goes down sometimes. I think he comes in off the bench.

Bright: Yeah, when you need a nuisance player, he has f

Kev: More up.

Bright: full energy. He does seem to sometimes run out of of gas towards the end of the game.

Kev: Mm.

Bright: So yeah, w if he can come in later in the second half with his full energy, be that nuisance. And we've seen him do it before when when he was first brought in and Klaus was still our guy, where he could come in off the bench. And we've seen him we've seen him partnered up with Klaus. Now I know that was old system, other coaches, all of that, but we've we've seen him play in a a two striker formation. So we'll we'll have to consider that. But But he's got four goals in four consecutive matches, six goals on the season, five assists. So you're talking eleven contributions this season. And let me go back up to Navarro, and again, this is in Colorado, but Navarro only has 14 goal contributions this season. Right? So it's not like this huge now, he's got more goals and less assists, but it's it's not like this huge discrepancy. And of course, Betcher's been doing well lately.

Kev: Yeah, the the one thing that I would say, and we talked about it, you know, one of the last podcasts, is just the conversion rate of expectables for Butcher, you know, it was low. So I

Bright: Yeah. Yeah. For ba yeah. Yeah.

Kev: don't know what Rafa I I think he he likes Rafa, by the way is I think I saw in a conference. Yeah,

Bright: Like Nadal Yeah.

Kev: exactly. So I think Yeah, I'd like to to see what that looks like in comparison on the expectacles conversion because I assume it's miles higher for Rafa. But

Bright: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. All right. Well we'll see. We also picked up a smaller move, but Charles Emile Brunet, I guess is how you say it. Twenty-two-year-old Canadian midfielder. this was this is a loan from Nashville through the end of the season. We also have a purchase option. This didn't cost us anything. Fifty thousand dollars. It a little bit of a at a midfield depth kind of a move. I I don't necessarily

Kev: Mm-hmm.

Bright: see why we need it.

Kev: How young was he?

Bright: twenty two.

Kev: Great deal.

Bright: Yeah. I don't know. Fine. Maybe he'll I don't know if he'll do city two, if we'll if we'll do sit sit on the bench. Yeah. But I mean we ha obviously we have

Kev: He's gonna I was wondering, right, get a man or

Bright: We have Miggy, not that I think that Perez is the the savior depth piece, but he can come in and and he can play in emergency situations, I guess. And that's probably what this guy can do too. you know, we also have Ostruck and you know, he plays a a different role. But you start to wonder,

Kev: Mm-hmm.

Bright: and we saw this with Durkin's yellow card accumulation, if Edelman or Durkin have an issue, who y who you putting in that spot? So they could some blood in there right

Kev: Yeah, good to get some blood in there, right? Plus it gives you an option to look at somebody a little closer that, you know, could be something. He's 22, he's young. I don't

Bright: Yeah.

Kev: know what he's gonna be. You know, it just gives you a little bit more eyes on somebody. That's like a Patriots move. The Patriots always

Bright: Yeah.

Kev: bring in like the veteran or somebody young just to see what he looks like and and move on from him. So we'll see. We'll see what that is later.

Bright: Yeah. Yep, yep, yep. We'll see. We'll see. so let's look at the let's look at potential lineups right now, right? if we played two up top, you're looking at maybe like a three-four-one two lineup. So our standard three in the back, Bum Girdle, Polvera, and then either Roscoe or McNaughton, right? Edelman and Durkin as your core center defensive mids. Totland, I

Kev: Yeah.

Bright: think, has been fantastic. So he's

Kev: It's been good on going, yep.

Bright: gonna play on the wing. We'll talk about Wallem again, unfortunately. Wallem's got to go and now you really have that opportunity. I think I think Mottin, Matan, however you're gonna say it. Matin. Ugh,

Kev: Matt. Yeah. I I say Matt and I and I know it's wrong, but

Bright: I mean I've I've heard three or four different ways. I like Matan. I like him on that wing too.

Kev: Wing. Yeah.

Bright: And then and then now this is the decision. So you could play Holza, who at some point has to start. Jesus. let him play the the standard center attacking mid, and then you could play Betcher, Navarro, up top together.

Kev: Yep. Yeah, you could. Are you moving

Bright: Right. I guess the Yeah, absolutely.

Kev: away from the system that's been working for you though? I mean, I know you gotta mold it to the players that you have, but

Bright: Well you gotta fold it to the players that you have. Sure. So if you if you stick with that same lineup, I think you have to do the the same three, right? So Bum Gutter, Pulvaro, some

Kev: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Back backfield doesn't change minus the the rating.

Bright: Or yeah, they're they're done. Right. Durkin and Edelman, they're solidified. Totland, solidified.

Kev: Yeah.

Bright: I think you still play Matan on the other wing and then Navarro up top. So that leaves your your two attacking midfielders that are gonna sit below Navarro and Hulsa has got to be one and then and

Kev: so this gotta be one.

Bright: then Betcher.

Kev: Yeah.

Bright: I mean he we've seen him play that position before.

Kev: Yeah.

Bright: So I I don't know. At le at least in the in the short term. The I mean other options obviously are Sangbin, Ostruck. You could also have Matan in that position with Hulsa, but then you pretty much have to bring Wallem back into the lineup.

Kev: gonna be it. You just said it. That's it. He's he's the coach's son, man. Like he's playing and he's on that

Bright: Just to just to frustrate me, that's what's gonna happen, huh? They're gonna yeah.

Kev: wing. He's not out of the lineup. He's a starter. they love him. I I don't know. They they love him. So they love his energy, what he brings, the hustle, but

Bright: Yeah.

Kev: everything but results sometimes.

Bright: Well, sometimes. All right. Let me let me share my screen here and we'll look at the we'll look at the standings as we go into Vancouver.

Kev: Do you know if if we put Ma Matan out on the wing, do you think he would be on the right side or would you shift Totlin over? I I don't know where his

Bright: I think Totlin can play either side.

Kev: natural position is. And I've seen, you know, Totlin obviously on the right side before and he's done well. Curious but

Bright: Yeah. Yeah, I think that's I think that's when he came over originally, that's how he started. He started as that right wing back.

Kev: Mm-hmm.

Bright: but I think he's transitioned very well into this left, you know, hybrid. Yeah. So he

Kev: yeah. love over there. Yeah.

Bright: I think Totland is flexible. I think he can do either.

Kev: Yep. Yep.

Bright: Yeah. Unlike Santos, for example, right? Who's very limited in in one position, one foot, yeah. Le left foot. Yeah, left foot. So yeah, yeah, yeah.

Kev: At right foot of his. Yeah. He wants yeah. Yep. Yep, totally get it.

Bright: Alright, so it wasn't that long ago that we played Houston, and Houston was in first place, and now we have

Kev: Mm-hmm.

Bright: to play Vancouver, and Vancouver is in first place. And this time, of course, we're on the road, and Vancouver's a a good team. you could see they've far and away scored the most goals. Forty eight goals for and only eighteen against. So They have the most goals for and the least goals

Kev: Jesus. Yeah.

Bright: against. So the biggest goal differential. 30 plus 30 goal differential. That's gonna be that's gonna be dangerous.

Kev: Minus one game two, right? So to put up those forty eight goals with a game game behind us.

Bright: Yeah. Good game in hand. Yeah, that's a good point. And they're coming off two pretty monster wins. They beat Dallas five nothing a couple of weeks ago and then they beat Kansas City three nothing last week. Now I know it's Kansas City but

Kev: I feel like they've had a couple of five goal wins over the season. they're they're a they're

Bright: Yeah. that makes

Kev: a good club, man.

Bright: Yeah, it makes ya makes you a little nervous certainly. And with the opportunity that we missed last week, it's it's so frustrating because now we're sitting we're sitting still at sixth place, no movement, thirty four points. So you see Colorado right behind us, which is again kinda funny that we took their best player. But to be fair, Colorado made big moves too. They took the twelve million dollars that we gave and they went out and they signed some players. So I I think they're looking to make a a run at this. But we had a chance last week. We could be sitting at fourth place right now. And and and essentially we

Kev: I think that's what makes this game so tough for us against Vancouver, because if we brought home those three points, it'd be a lot easier to absorb a loss. Right? And it that's what's so devastating about

Bright: A loss. Yeah. No, I I ag I agree tremendously.

Kev: it.

Bright: We we essentially would have been in third place had we had had we had won that game. Because

Kev: Mm-hmm.

Bright: we have a game in hand on LAFC. So yes, their goal differential is better, but we would have we have a game in hand, so you assuming that

Kev: Yep.

Bright: that we win or draw that game in hand, we would have been in third place heading into this match on a thirteen un unbeaten streak. Which it's which it's still

Kev: Great. Yep.

Bright: that. It's still that w with the draw against Dallas. but right

Kev: Mm-hmm. You like it.

Bright: now a loss and a win by Dallas, San Jose, LAFC, Colorado, San Diego, they Minnesota. They all pick up wins. They probably all can't do it. I'm I'm assuming some of them are playing each other. But it it changes our position in the table a little bit. So going into this game If you could pick up a a draw, I think would be huge. we'll see. We'll see.

Kev: I don't know I don't know if you can ask for much more in Vancouver with the forum that they're at.

Bright: No, and but and now when you look at you look at the win probability

Kev: Yeah, I mean that.

Bright: fourteen percent though? Fourteen percent. That's pretty low. We just beat Houston, who was the number one team, and we're on a thirteen match unbeaten streak and you're only gonna give us how if you do the math, what is that? Thirty two percent? Thirty two percent win draw?

Kev: Where where did we beat Houston? Where did we beat Houston?

Bright: Yeah, I I I get it. Yeah. At home, MLS especially.

Kev: Cool.

Bright: That that's definitely a thing. Yeah. And the time there's

Kev: Mm-hmm. So

Bright: time change on this one, the two hour time change. So that's the only thing on a Saturday night. It'll be a nine thirty start for us.

Kev: my god. Is it a is it a clock or isn't it?

Bright: Everybody will be in bed. I'll be drinking beers in the basement, watching the game in peace. So that that is another

Kev: Yep. Yep. If we're down five nothing and I'm calling it quits, I'm going to bed.

Bright: Ha ha ha.

Kev: Can't watch that whole thing. yeah, that'll be fun. That'll be good. Good to get a nine o'clocker in again. Hopefully kids are sleeping.

Bright: Yeah, yeah. Well couple of other couple of other stats on on Vancouver versus City. So possession, they're at about fifty six percent possession on the season, which is pretty good. We're right there at that fifty percent mark, so they've got the edge there. They get seven away. I don't have I don't have that specific.

Kev: What are we in away games? Like can you can you swing it that way? I don't know how flexible it is to choose them home and us away to see what that possession looks like.

Bright: if you want to type it into Chat GPT or or Google, see if they can search it out real quick while while we go through this, go for it. shots, they get 17 shots a game, so lots of shots to R thirteen point seven. So they're they're gonna generate more chances and they get more on target. We know they convert more, just based on their their goals four on the season, so six point two shots on target a game to our four point eight. So we're gonna have to close that gap or overperform in

Kev: Well.

Bright: the top third if we're if we're gonna compete in this game. We also are gonna have to prevent them. So I mean it's a it's a a double edged sword here.

Kev: Sure. Big game from Berkey is probably gonna be needed. Big game from our back line. it's gonna be tough.

Bright: Yep. Yep. All right. I do I do have here's the here's the caveat that plays in our advantage. Vancouver played on Wednesday night. So

Kev: Okay.

Bright: they played in the Canadian Championship semi final against Montreal, to a one one draw. And the big thing was is when I was doing some research, this wasn't a a rotation game for them.

Kev: Remake. Yeah.

Bright: they played some of their big guys, Gald, White, Mueller came in at halftime. Kubas came in at halftime. so so their their guys saw six minutes. Right. So they

Kev: Mm-hmm. Make me a little bit more gassed. No.

Bright: they might so we might have a little bit or they're gonna have to rotate their squad a little bit or something. so we might we might have a little bit of an advantage there. now Vancouver probably should have won that game. They had sixty-five percent possession, eighteen shots, nine corners. So they they were playing, right? It's not like they just sat back and tried to play a defensive game and and save some energy and and hope that it worked out. They were playing for the win. They didn't get the win, but high high energy, high work weight, g work rate game, I think. So we should have more we should have

Kev: Yeah.

Bright: the the better legs going into the game.

Kev: I'm coming in and you know, after you said nine corners in that game, I'm looking for what that corner bet is, because I do think that this is pressed pretty hard on both sides.

Bright: Yeah.

Kev: should see some good offense here. Where's MLS? Thank you. Takes forever to scroll over sometimes demo.

Bright: Yeah. Yeah, that's the thing. 'Cause we'll we will generate some chances, no doubt, and and I think they will too. And right. If they had nine corners in the midweek game, woof.

Kev: Over over under is a three and a half, so and it's

Bright: Yeah.

Kev: it's heavily weighted for an expectation of four goals.

Bright: Right.

Kev: So you know that you know there's gonna be some offense in this game, which is gonna be a lot of fun. corners are sitting at only nine and a half, which feels Really good on the over, but that is

Bright: Yeah.

Kev: at minus 135. If you want to kick it up to ten and a half, I think that there's gonna be eleven. You know, plus one twenty-five.

Bright: Okay. All right. I might be willing to take that bet.

Kev: Me two. Just took it. Just took

Bright: Yeah. Yeah. All right. good.

Kev: it. Ten and a half. I'm expecting eleven quarters.

Bright: So let's let's roll into Wallum. And and we'll we'll

Kev: Yeah. Good player.

Bright: take this and transition right into our review of the Dallas matchup. But you have to bench Wallum

Kev: Not quite.

Bright: for this game. I really think you have to. he was the lowest rated field player again last week. And he had an assist. He got an assist. So I'll give him credit for that. But

Kev: He cost this evil, didn't he?

Bright: But how do you get an assist and you're the lowest rated player on the on on the f field? I'll s Berkey actually was the lowest, but

Kev: No, might be I might be thinking of two games ago. I might be thinking of two game he did he cost us a goal in this game or did he cost us a goal two games ago?

Bright: I don't know. It's always harder when you're when you're there at the game and I did watch the replay. But here, let's let's look at the let's look at the lineup and and the ratings. So you'll see that Wallum gets that assist. But four point nine and when I was watching the replay, and I was kinda only half watching it, I knew what happened, obviously. But the the announcers, Taylor Twellman, you know, he was he was getting on Wallem a little bit. Too many and a Roscoe. too many giveaways.

Kev: Yeah.

Bright: defensive liability, especially for Wallem.

Kev: Yeah.

Bright: and then you look at you look at Betcher, Edelman. Of course they're goal scorers, so that helps, but they both get good ratings. Bum Gardel's been solid. Polvera's been solid. The last couple of weeks they've had pretty good ratings. I'm a little bit surprised that Matan. he didn't necessarily create enough. Came off at halftime. Sangbin, same deal. Totland overall pretty good. And then if you scroll down, so Holsa gets the seven on the goal.

Kev: Mm-hmm.

Bright: McNaughton. ooh, I mean. I comes in the 87th minute, picks up a yellow, allows a goal. Right. Now this is something something else with the the Dallas matchup. I mean you look at this. We only used three of our players. Three subs.

Kev: For a team that was

Bright: They use all

Kev: really str struggling. I mean we we were struggling. Yeah.

Bright: Yeah. What are what are we doing, man? Well, I I don't I don't understand why we weren't bringing in other players. Our guys were gassed.

Kev: Yep.

Bright: We're trying to hold on at the end of the game. If nothing else, and I said this on social media in a couple of different threads, if nothing else, just to kill some time. The ninety

Kev: Yeah. Yeah.

Bright: second minute, like yeah, bring on two you only have certain substitution windows, I I get that, but

Kev: Twenty seconds or you know, whatever it is that it's gonna take to to pull

Bright: Sure.

Kev: in. Yeah.

Bright: Yeah. so so that was a little frustrating.

Kev: Yep. Well what what what'd they give to me? Do you see coach rating?

Bright: I don't I don't know if they give a coach rating on

Kev: The site.

Bright: On this side, yeah. No, no coach rating here. But

Kev: Mm. Okay.

Bright: yeah. Ouch, ouch, ouch. We should have should have had more substitutions. Wallum, again, credit for the assist. It was

Kev: Pass over and

Bright: Yeah, it was it was fine. He he beat his guy. Put yeah fout yeah. Yep.

Kev: He found him. He found him. He knew what he needed to do. Put it across and there he was.

Bright: But when you when you look at the overall stats you would think just look at like City's gonna win this game. We

Kev: Yeah.

Bright: we had more shots on target. We had way better possession, which we kind of predicted. We thought it might creep to that sixty number, but when we were up three to one, you the game changed a little bit, right? And Dallas took a lot of of that possession. And I really think actually the second half they they had a lot of the a lot of the possession

Kev: Second half. We came out flat and I I don't think we ever found rhythm coming back out.

Bright: We yeah. We did. We we did cut we came out flat and until we got that goal. And it was nice to see Hulsa get get his first goal with City certainly. But but yeah, pass the our pass accuracy was way better. Now it they're showing that they had fifteen fouls to our eight, but man, this this ref, there there seemed to be some pretty obvious fouls that that he didn't call and and we kind of alluded to it earlier, but when we're going to ground that much, eventually he just gets he he

Kev: Yeah.

Bright: got kinda numb to it, I think. I think he thought that we were

Kev: Mm-hmm.

Bright: we were trying to draw the whistle and and trying to waste time and

Kev: It was a l it was mixed, right? Like and they were definitely there were some calls he needed to make.

Bright: Yeah.

Kev: To your point, if he's seeing us go to the ground all the time on some soft calls just to try to draw it, you do get a little numb to it. And I think that's what

Bright: Yeah. Well and

Kev: was on.

Bright: and Betcher was he was getting into it v pretty physical with with some of their their back line. And I wanted him I I was I think the people next to me, I wasn't in our normal seats, you know. I think the people next to me were

Kev: Yeah.

Bright: probably like, Who is this guy? Like I was yelling, I'm like, like, do something. Take this guy out, man. Like they were they were standing over him, they were upset every time he fell. Like they were jostling back and forth. I'm like, at some point you need to you need to take them down. Who cares if you

Kev: Mm-hmm.

Bright: pick up a a yellow, maybe? Especially at certain point, like let them know

Kev: Yep. Again, minutes.

Bright: that you're not just gonna take it. You're not just gonna go to ground and hope for the whistle every time.

Kev: Yeah, especially when you realize you're not getting it.

Bright: Yeah. And then the one time that he does do it and he gets in behind the defense, the ref blows the whistle on Betcher and I was like, I don't think there was a foul. That wa I

Kev: Yeah.

Bright: think that should have been a breakaway and that could have been the difference maker.

Kev: Yeah, there were a couple of difference makers in the game we didn't get, so the game ball now being the big one.

Bright: Well and then of course the handball. The infamous handball. And now I didn't see this live, so I took the whole family, by the way. And

Kev: Okay.

Bright: the the tickets were a little bit cheaper for the Sunday night matchup, six o'clock game time. It was still hot outside. but I was like,

Kev: Mm and the heat too. Yeah. Twenty twenty bucks a ticket.

Bright: no, it was like thirty bucks a ticket.

Kev: Rebox. Okay.

Bright: We sat we sat like third to last row though. but center

Kev: Mm-hmm.

Bright: of the field. There were some cheaper tickets, but I I didn't want to sit there. So I was like for for three or four dollars more por per ticket I'll get I'll get more yeah.

Kev: Yeah, for the spot.

Bright: So it it was actually the first time that I've sat that high. I enjoyed it. It was good for the kids. They the kids have been to a a city game, but it was the US Open Cup earlier this season.

Kev: Yeah.

Bright: And then the aga the one against Houston that we won aga penalty kick so that was a lot of fun. And they've been to City two games before.

Kev: I remember I remember I felt so bad for you because it was such a long game, right? We wanted an extra Yeah.

Bright: On a s on a school night, I think too, right? But but this is the first time they've been to a true City game with where you're doing all the theatrics and things like that before

Kev: Yeah. Mm-hmm.

Bright: the game and much more crowded. so I think they they enjoyed that. We went to the pitch before the game for dinner. The kids got ice cream and popcorn and and all that. So it was it was a good good weekend game and we were still home I think by like eight thirty. They were they were in bed by nine, so so it worked out. But but I I was frustrated that it ended in In in a tie for them. Of course, we were all frustrated when they score on practically literally the last play of the game. But this handball, going back to the handball, I I couldn't see it. It was on the complete opposite side corner for me. And I was saying, like, good job, Wallum. Like, we are trying to kill time here. So, like, good job. That's what you should be doing. But what is what

Kev: Hold it. Yep. Hold it back there in that corner.

Bright: is the linesman, what is the ref doing here? And and

Kev: He was staring right at it. Like he was right there. I I don't know how you're not looking.

Bright: The ball was not out. He they were just frustrated at Wallum and they were like we're just we'll just take the ball with our hands and Wallem just

Kev: Yeah.

Bright: stops like wha wha what just happened here?

Kev: Sure. Sure. Again, the linesman's looking at the ball. He's gotta be looking at the ball to see if it's out of bounds, right? So it's not like he missed it. So I don't understand how that's not called.

Bright: Yeah. So it's not like existing. And right. No, it it's it's

Kev: I wouldn't answer.

Bright: unheard of. I want an answer too. How does the MLS I haven't seen them come out and say anything like this this one was missed? And again,

Kev: Why would they? They're not going to at this point. Like

Bright: the the the officiating as a whole was not great. And and I also said it live, I was like, Seven minutes? What why were there seven minutes at the end of the game

Kev: Yeah.

Bright: too? Now we did have the hydration break. But we had the hydration

Kev: Good yeah.

Bright: break in the first half and

Kev: Mm-hmm. And it was

Bright: and I think it was still only three or four minutes in the first half. So I'm like, what made it in the second half to go up to seven minutes? There was no time wasting. There was no VAR. The only break was the hydration break. So I said max five minutes, and then they come out with seven minutes. And it almost felt like they were looking

Kev: We didn't have any we d we had one goal, I think, in the No, two goals up to that point, right? Two goals scored in that half.

Bright: No, we our first goal was early in the game, Betcher.

Kev: No, not just it it in the game. In the game, it was two goals at that point, right?

Bright: A at what point?

Kev: They scored they I'm trying to remember the the time frames of the goals. So we were up three three nothing

Bright: Well here, I I've got I've got it right here.

Kev: going into the right.

Bright: Here, I wonder where right right here. So we score early. Betcher scores in the or maybe is it right here? Ugh. I don't know where it is. Hold on. Did did I

Kev: It was down. He had it down.

Bright: did it it didn't show everything

Kev: Yeah.

Bright: here. This is the minutes that they that they come in.

Kev: Okay. Then I yeah, timeline I guess. Just to the left.

Bright: No, the timeline's too complicated, though. here we go. Right here. Third minute, 43rd minute, 64th minute. They score in the 18th. That was

Kev: So we did that one.

Bright: a Wallum giveaway. It ended up actually being deflected, but Wallum didn't clear the ball. Thought he had more time or something, gave the ball away, and more. took took a shot and it did. It ended up getting deflected, which is the reason

Kev: Yeah.

Bright: why it looks so good. I was like, it's shoot the ball upper ninety, but he actually was shooting it right at Berkey and then it got the toe touch and went in. But that was a Wallem giveaway. Yeah. Then we score right before halftime, which was huge, Edelman. And then yeah, they score on the corner kick in the eighty first minute.

Kev: Yeah, that's right. Okay. So I yeah, I always think it was

Bright: And then yeah, ninety plus seven.

Kev: Or three, but okay. Yep.

Bright: I almost felt like it was contrived. They were looking for excitement on Sunday Sunday night soccer. National stage.

Kev: Yeah, I mean you might not be wrong. Like, hey, let's add seven minutes in here. There's you know, it's intense. Obviously Dallas had the momentum, you know, towards the end of that as we try to hold on. So they might have been looking for a little last minute action. It's wild because they turned around their goal quickly. I'm trying to think of why there is seven minutes on that clock and I cannot figure it

Bright: There shouldn't have been.

Kev: out.

Bright: There shouldn't have been. No question. And and this is a couple weeks in a row where we've had a pretty big discrepancy between half one and half two. And I don't

Kev: Yeah.

Bright: I don't really get it. Yeah. Ugh.

Kev: See it. Yep.

Bright: Alright. Well, it is what it is at this point. Dallas sneaks out with the draw. We're we're still even on on points with Dallas and also also San Jose.

Kev: The game Saturday. The game Saturday and

Bright: Yeah. Yep. Score let's get score predictions

Kev: let's see some players play.

Bright: and let's get out of here. We're a little bit longer than usual because we're talking transfer stuff, but

Kev: Let's see. Let's see wholesome play, you know, from the get go. That that's what we need is to use. That's the number

Bright: Yeah. I would I would love that. I wanna

Kev: one thing we need.

Bright: I want to see Hulsa in there from the get-go. I want to see Navarro get some minutes. Now Damian Wright would be different. I don't even know. He's coming over from England. I think he is here, obviously, but different different setup. But but Navarro, I think he's gotta get some minutes. and and Hulsa's gotta be in there. Wallum's gotta sit.

Kev: Yeah. Those are your three. Those are the three points looking.

Bright: Yeah. If we if we do all of those things, I think I think I'll go with the I'll go with the two two tie.

Kev: Mm-hmm. Wouldn't it be

Bright: What say you?

Kev: fun to sneak away with a wind though?

Bright: Of course it would. I think anything keeping this streak, this unbeaten streak alive is is a win. And 'cause then next week we gotta go we gotta go Portland, who's below us in the table, but also you know, Pacific Northwest. it I th it's probably in general is harder to play in Portland than Vancouver, other than the fact Vancouver is the better team right now. But

Kev: Yeah.

Bright: Yeah, then then you get a little bit of a break. Minnesota beatable team. Toronto, which we'll see, we'll see his what's his name come come home.

Kev: yeah. why

Bright: Why c I I

Kev: am I blanking on it? They picked him up earlier. big signing. Jesus. US US Men's team. What?

Bright: Yeah, St. Louis Sky. my god, I can't think of it. Yeah. It's it's gone at the moment. That's all right. We weren't prepped for that, but yeah, and New York, then you got Galaxy.

Kev: You think of his name?

Bright: So we have a good stretch after that where f so after Portland, four of our next five games are at home. So so then y you have a you have a good stretch there and and then and yes, Vancouver comes back to play at home, but then you go two Minnesota, two Salt Lake, winnable games. You got Portland again, winnable game, San Diego at home, and round out with Houston on the road, which might be tough, but but we're in a good stretch and we we did Sergeant Sergeant, thank you.

Kev: Sergeant, by the way. Sergeant. I don't know why we couldn't remember Sergeant. Twenty-two million dollars, by the way. Transfer fee. My

Bright: Yeah. Yeah.

Kev: God.

Bright: Yeah. Yeah. I know. That's why City didn't get

Kev: Yes, it is. All right.

Bright: So yeah, yeah. We'll see we'll see if Klaus plays when the when Galaxy comes back, if he's if he's healthy. and then yeah, Sergeant coming back, that'll that'll be fun too. So yep. All

Kev: Be fine. Yeah.

Bright: right. But did you give your score prediction? I don't know that you did.

Kev: All right, I'll go a I'm gonna go a three two win. I think we're gonna win this one. Yeah, we're gonna win it. I put my money

Bright: Three two win. Optimistic. Optimistic.

Kev: down on it too, not the three two, but I just put down a city win plus five

Bright: Well

Kev: hundred.

Bright: I'll say I'll say two two draw only if only if Wallem sits. And that's where we'll end it. Only if Wallem

Kev: That's fair. That's fair.

Bright: sits. And maybe that'll be the title. Only if Wallem sits.

Kev: Yep.