P/I/P Seattle Sounders @ Chicharito*+10 - April 1 @ 4:30pm

fuzzy
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P/I/P Seattle Sounders @ Chicharito*+10 - April 1 @ 4:30pm Mar 31, 2023 1:27:32 GMT Zafiro, Holden, and 4 more like this

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Post by fuzzy on Mar 31, 2023 1:27:32 GMT

* Chicharito not expected to make an appearance

In looking up their roster, LAG has all sorts of players who I felt myself saying "oh, that's where they went". Their backline features Martin Caceres who had a long career in Europe and over 100 caps with Uruguay along with former Sounder Kelvin Leerdam and former Toronto/Montreal/Minnesota/Chicago/LAFC man Raheem Edwards. Other notable names include long time TFC man Marky Delgado, somehow still only 20y/o Efrain Alvarez, Jurgen Klinsmann's son Jonathan, and Tyler Boyd, who was the hot thing for the USMNT for like a month in 2019 and then disappeared...into...the galaxy...

Of course their star man is Chicharito who bagged 18 goals in 32 appearances last season. This season though, he's hurt only resumed training this week and unlikely to appear meaning their likely best player is Riqui Puig. I don't know as much about this guy as I feel like I should given he actually played 40 times for Barcelona and is only 23. From what I can tell, he seems to be a really good passer of the ball, but also the numbers don't show much coming from that - whether that's his fault or an inability of his teammates to do anything, I'm really not sure.

So how does it all play out? Probably how one would expect. LAG have 3 draws and a loss in four matches. They seem to be playing good defense and are outshot their opponents in 3 of 4 matches, but no Chicharito has meant no party.

~~Jordan Morris~~ ~~Leo Chu~~ Seattle is coming off arguably their best performance of the year, or at least their best final 85 minutes; thoroughly dominating SKC. LAG seems to be a stronger side but not immensely so and we really should be winning this one. All internationals have returned at this point and are pretty close to full fitness. Alex Roldan picked up a small injury with El Salvador but reports are he's good to go. Kelyn Rowe left training early today but as of writing, no indication he won't be available. Heber is due back as well per the initial timeline, though I haven't seen a report recently so probably he's not in the 18.

Prediction: I haven't been right yet nor even all that close, but I'm gonna keep firing and say 3-1 Seattle. As mentioned, LAG is slightly better than SKC but not immensely so, so I'll predict they do slightly better than SKC did. Indications are that Schmetz wants to start the same lineup and I like the aspect of rewarding Atencio and Chu in particular. I'm less clear about the RB spot though it's going to be someone named Roldan, so either way not a big problem.

(Side note, I'll be out of town for a bit and unable to make the PIP for the next match)

rjshae
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P/I/P Seattle Sounders @ Chicharito*+10 - April 1 @ 4:30pm Mar 31, 2023 14:45:13 GMT Zafiro, Holden, and 1 more like this

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Post by rjshae on Mar 31, 2023 14:45:13 GMT

Well no doubt LAG has had a look at the films from KC, so they'll be prepared for the changed look. I agree it seems like it may be a low scoring affair, but I'd like to see Ruidiaz come on after the half and knock in a couple of scores; he's about due.

At least this one won't be behind a pay wall. Accessible MLS matches are much more rare now. Will people forget they even exist?

Last Edit: Mar 31, 2023 14:46:38 GMT by rjshae

airkeeper
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P/I/P Seattle Sounders @ Chicharito*+10 - April 1 @ 4:30pm Mar 31, 2023 15:59:58 GMT via mobile sounderfan1974 likes this

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Post by airkeeper on Mar 31, 2023 15:59:58 GMT

LAG
OUT: Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez (hamstring)
OUT: Jonathan Bond (shoulder)
QUESTIONABLE: Douglas Costa (calf)

SEA
OUT: Kelyn Rowe (left hamstring strain)
OUT: Dylan Teves (right hamstring strain)
QUESTIONABLE: Alex Roldan (left calf pain)

#SchmetzerOut

sounderfan1974
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P/I/P Seattle Sounders @ Chicharito*+10 - April 1 @ 4:30pm Mar 31, 2023 17:16:08 GMT Zafiro likes this

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Post by sounderfan1974 on Mar 31, 2023 17:16:08 GMT

Schmetzer does have a penchant for starting the same XI after a win such as they had at KC. But yes, I just don't see CRoldan starting at RB if his brother is available. He is obviously much better in his usual position.

The big question, as rjshae mentioned, is what to do at the #9 position? Will Brian give Raul a shot and put Jordan back on the left, leaving Chu out? Who knows, but I have a feeling Schmetzer will roll the dice again and go with Morris up front and Chu on the left. If they don't produce, then probably Raul will come in around the 60th minute or so with Morris going back over on the left.

Last Edit: Mar 31, 2023 20:39:29 GMT by sounderfan1974

sounderfan1974
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P/I/P Seattle Sounders @ Chicharito*+10 - April 1 @ 4:30pm Mar 31, 2023 17:24:36 GMT rjshae likes this

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Post by sounderfan1974 on Mar 31, 2023 17:24:36 GMT

Mar 31, 2023 14:45:13 GMT rjshae said:

Well no doubt LAG has had a look at the films from KC, so they'll be prepared for the changed look. I agree it seems like it may be a low scoring affair, but I'd like to see Ruidiaz come on after the half and knock in a couple of scores; he's about due.

At least this one won't be behind a pay wall. Accessible MLS matches are much more rare now. Will people forget they even exist?

Not sure what's going on with AppleTV. The SKC match was the second I watched and I was disappointed once again with the audio- it was a full 5 seconds behind the action. At first I didn't think it would matter that much, but when you can't hear the ref's whistle the moment it's blown, it makes a difference. For instance, when Jordan scored his third goal, he didn't celebrate at all- in fact, he looked dejected. Given his reaction at the moment, I wondered if he'd been called offside or somehow the goal was disallowed!

Here's another thing- AppleTV should archive the full matches so you can go back and watch them. I DVR local broadcasts and can re-watch them at my convenience. I don't know how long AppleTV keeps them, but I missed the first 35 minutes of the SKC match and wanted to go replay it. I guess I waited a bit too long, since by the time I went back, all they had available was highlights.

fuzzy
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P/I/P Seattle Sounders @ Chicharito*+10 - April 1 @ 4:30pm Mar 31, 2023 20:05:26 GMT sounderfan1974 and sylvia like this

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Post by fuzzy on Mar 31, 2023 20:05:26 GMT

Mar 31, 2023 17:16:08 GMT sounderfan1974 said:

Schmetzer does have a penchant for starting the same XI after a win such as they had at KC. But yes, I just don't see CRoldan starting at RB if his brother is available. He is obviously much better in his usual position.

The big question, as rjshae mentioned, is what to do at the #9 position? Will Brian give Raul a shot and put Jordan back on the left, leaving Chu out? Whow knows, but I have a feeling Schmetzer will roll the dice again and go with Morris up front and Chu on the left. If they don't produce, then probably Raul will come in around the 60th minute or so with Morris going back over on the left.

I agree with you that Chu has to start. In the long term sense I think it would be poor management to bench him after the game he just had.

Now that Rowe is listed as out and ARoldan is questionable, do you still think CRoldan moves? I would add that Nouhou only returned yesterday so while there's no indication of him being physically limited, he's missed the vast majority of training. My updated guess would be CRoldan starts again at RB with Nouhou at LB.

sounderfan1974
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P/I/P Seattle Sounders @ Chicharito*+10 - April 1 @ 4:30pm Mar 31, 2023 20:49:03 GMT fuzzy likes this

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Post by sounderfan1974 on Mar 31, 2023 20:49:03 GMT

Mar 31, 2023 20:05:26 GMT fuzzy said:

Mar 31, 2023 17:16:08 GMT sounderfan1974 said:

Schmetzer does have a penchant for starting the same XI after a win such as they had at KC. But yes, I just don't see CRoldan starting at RB if his brother is available. He is obviously much better in his usual position.

The big question, as rjshae mentioned, is what to do at the #9 position? Will Brian give Raul a shot and put Jordan back on the left, leaving Chu out? Whow knows, but I have a feeling Schmetzer will roll the dice again and go with Morris up front and Chu on the left. If they don't produce, then probably Raul will come in around the 60th minute or so with Morris going back over on the left.

I agree with you that Chu has to start. In the long term sense I think it would be poor management to bench him after the game he just had.

Now that Rowe is listed as out and ARoldan is questionable, do you still think CRoldan moves? I would add that Nouhou only returned yesterday so while there's no indication of him being physically limited, he's missed the vast majority of training. My updated guess would be CRoldan starts again at RB with Nouhou at LB.

Well, that's why I said I didn't see Cristian starting "if his brother is available". The category of "Questionable" is hard to quantify, so if Brian uses the "tough kid" yardstick, then Alex will probably start.

Bummer that Rowe is out as that would have given Nouhou some time to readjust physically, but yeah, Nouhou will likely be back in the XI.

airkeeper
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P/I/P Seattle Sounders @ Chicharito*+10 - April 1 @ 4:30pm Mar 31, 2023 23:50:05 GMT sounderfan1974 likes this

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Post by airkeeper on Mar 31, 2023 23:50:05 GMT

I would be feeling pretty confident about this match, buuuut........the team did not leave for LA until an hour or two ago today. Hopefully it is no big deal. *shrug*

#SchmetzerOut

rjshae
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P/I/P Seattle Sounders @ Chicharito*+10 - April 1 @ 4:30pm Apr 1, 2023 2:53:12 GMT sounderfan1974 and fuzzy like this

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Post by rjshae on Apr 1, 2023 2:53:12 GMT

Mar 31, 2023 17:16:08 GMT sounderfan1974 said:

Schmetzer does have a penchant for starting the same XI after a win such as they had at KC. But yes, I just don't see CRoldan starting at RB if his brother is available. He is obviously much better in his usual position.

The big question, as rjshae mentioned, is what to do at the #9 position? Will Brian give Raul a shot and put Jordan back on the left, leaving Chu out? Who knows, but I have a feeling Schmetzer will roll the dice again and go with Morris up front and Chu on the left. If they don't produce, then probably Raul will come in around the 60th minute or so with Morris going back over on the left.

As a change up, I'd be curious how well Morris and Ruidiaz work together up top. Ruidiaz did mention how much he appreciated working with Bruin, and having Morris at CF could help in the same way. Maybe Schmetz will try a 4-4-2 formation some time, as an experiment?

rjshae
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P/I/P Seattle Sounders @ Chicharito*+10 - April 1 @ 4:30pm Apr 1, 2023 2:55:54 GMT sounderfan1974 likes this

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Post by rjshae on Apr 1, 2023 2:55:54 GMT

Mar 31, 2023 17:24:36 GMT sounderfan1974 said:

Mar 31, 2023 14:45:13 GMT rjshae said:

Well no doubt LAG has had a look at the films from KC, so they'll be prepared for the changed look. I agree it seems like it may be a low scoring affair, but I'd like to see Ruidiaz come on after the half and knock in a couple of scores; he's about due.

At least this one won't be behind a pay wall. Accessible MLS matches are much more rare now. Will people forget they even exist?

Not sure what's going on with AppleTV. The SKC match was the second I watched and I was disappointed once again with the audio- it was a full 5 seconds behind the action. At first I didn't think it would matter that much, but when you can't hear the ref's whistle the moment it's blown, it makes a difference. For instance, when Jordan scored his third goal, he didn't celebrate at all- in fact, he looked dejected. Given his reaction at the moment, I wondered if he'd been called offside or somehow the goal was disallowed!

Here's another thing- AppleTV should archive the full matches so you can go back and watch them. I DVR local broadcasts and can re-watch them at my convenience. I don't know how long AppleTV keeps them, but I missed the first 35 minutes of the SKC match and wanted to go replay it. I guess I waited a bit too long, since by the time I went back, all they had available was highlights.

A 5 second delay? Yeesh, that's really bad. I can barely tolerate delays of less than a second in a live broadcast. Then again the radio broadcast wasn't that great either.

Fuzzy guest Guest	P/I/P Seattle Sounders @ Chicharito*+10 - April 1 @ 4:30pm Apr 2, 2023 0:18:54 GMT via mobile Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Back to Top Post by Fuzzy guest on Apr 2, 2023 0:18:54 GMT So Leo Chu is really good now. It's going to take some getting used to, but no complaints!

INVINCIBLE 2023 Fantasy Champ Senior Member Posts: 3,717	P/I/P Seattle Sounders @ Chicharito*+10 - April 1 @ 4:30pm Apr 2, 2023 0:37:31 GMT via mobile sounderfan1974 likes this Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by INVINCIBLE 2023 Fantasy Champ on Apr 2, 2023 0:37:31 GMT Klinsmann probably should have done better on that Chu goal. Not that I'm complaining, Klinsmann sucks.

rjshae
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P/I/P Seattle Sounders @ Chicharito*+10 - April 1 @ 4:30pm Apr 2, 2023 1:53:31 GMT sounderfan1974 likes this

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Post by rjshae on Apr 2, 2023 1:53:31 GMT

Phew! Frei was kept pretty busy in this one. It was closer than it needed to be, with LAG bossing the midfield in the second half. Once more Schmetz took too long to sub on fresh legs. Both Ruidiaz and Lodeiro should have scored in the second half. Oh well. Rusnak doesn't seem himself these days; I've seen him play much better.

Last Edit: Apr 2, 2023 1:55:15 GMT by rjshae

sylvia Full Member Posts: 1,193	P/I/P Seattle Sounders @ Chicharito*+10 - April 1 @ 4:30pm Apr 2, 2023 1:53:49 GMT sounderfan1974 likes this Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by sylvia on Apr 2, 2023 1:53:49 GMT THANK YOU STEFAN FREI!! (And Ruiz is too short! We need Morris in the middle!)

TSchulz Administrator Victory, or death! Posts: 8,608	P/I/P Seattle Sounders @ Chicharito*+10 - April 1 @ 4:30pm Apr 2, 2023 2:10:35 GMT via mobile airkeeper, sounderfan1974, and 1 more like this Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by TSchulz on Apr 2, 2023 2:10:35 GMT Schmetz got out coached in this one. They went to 3-5-2 at the half and it was all LA after that.