Nos Audietis

The Sounders made their acquisition of Jesus Ferreira official on Wednesday. To give us a better idea of what kind of player and person the Sounders are adding, we talked to FC Dallas insider Steve Davis. Not only is Davis one of the longest tenured soccer writers in North America, but he’s also the color commentator for FC Dallas and has been covering Ferreira for nearly a decade. Davis pushes back against some of the narratives surrounding Ferreira and thinks the Sounders have picked up a potential superstar.

With news that the Sounders have finalized the details of their trade with FC Dallas to acquire Jesus Ferreira dropping today, Jeremiah and Mark spun up a quick 30-minute podcast to discuss everything we know. They address the reality that this might not quite be what fans had in mind this offseason, but it undeniably makes the Sounders better on paper than they were last year. Beyond that, time will tell.Nos Audietis is the flagship podcast for Sounder at Heart, which became a reader-supported website on Aug. 21. You can support us by becoming a paid subscriber, learn more: https://www.sounderatheart.com/about/You can also support the show by checking out our line of merch including every past YachtCon design and our latest skull-and-crossbones logo.“Diversions” audio provided by Sounder at Heart subscriber Lars; find more of their music: https://despatchesfromseattle.com/

Jeremiah resumes his captaincy of the SS Sound Bites to catch you up on a busy few days to close out the year. He discusses the 2025 schedule, the league’s publishing of the General Allocation Money totals for each team, updates on various rumors, his take on the new Leagues Cup format and a brief recap of the SuperDraft.

Jeremiah and Aaron answer a lot of your questions, dealing with everything from Adrian Hanauer’s stewardship of the club to the impact of the Club World Cup on this season. Before they get to all that, though, they dig into the rumors surrounding the potential acquisition of Paul Arriola and Jesus Ferreira.Nos Audietis is the flagship podcast for Sounder at Heart, which became a reader-supported website on Aug. 21. You can support us by becoming a paid subscriber, learn more: https://www.sounderatheart.com/about/You can also support the show by checking out our line of merch including every past YachtCon design and our latest skull-and-crossbones logo.“Diversions” audio provided by Sounder at Heart subscriber Lars; find more of their music: https://despatchesfromseattle.com/

Following his end-of-season press conference, Jeremiah sat down with Sounders GM Craig Waibel to go a bit more in depth. Waibel shared his thoughts on the Sounders’ season, some of the plans for the offseason and his excitement about an international-heavy 2025.***Nos Audietis is the flagship podcast for Sounder at Heart, which became a reader-supported website on Aug. 21. You can support us by becoming a paid subscriber, learn more: https://www.sounderatheart.com/about/You can also support the show by checking out our line of merch including every past YachtCon design and our latest skull-and-crossbones logo.“Diversions” audio provided by Sounder at Heart subscriber Lars; find more of their music: https://despatchesfromseattle.com/

Jeremiah and Aaron discuss the Western Conference final in the first segment and then do a deep dive into the roster. They go through each player and discuss whether they should be a building block for the future, a short-term keep or someone it’s time to move.Get the podcast delivered to you on Spotify, iTunes or any other podcast service.Nos Audietis is the flagship podcast for Sounder at Heart, which became a reader-supported website on Aug. 21. You can support us by becoming a paid subscriber, learn more: https://www.sounderatheart.com/about/You can also support the show by checking out our line of merch including every past YachtCon design and our latest skull-and-crossbones logo.“Diversions” audio provided by Sounder at Heart subscriber Lars; find more of their music: https://despatchesfromseattle.com/

One of the breakout stars of MLS Season Pass is former MLS star Sacha Kljestan. As one of the lead studio analysts, he’s proven himself to be clever, entertaining and well researched. We are thrilled to have him join the podcast and help us preview the Western Conference final. Kljestan knows the Galaxy particularly well, both having played there and having a brother who still works in their front office. ***Nos Audietis is the flagship podcast for Sounder at Heart, which became a reader-supported website on Aug. 21. You can support us by becoming a paid subscriber, learn more: https://www.sounderatheart.com/about/You can also support the show by checking out our line of merch including every past YachtCon design and our latest skull-and-crossbones logo.“Diversions” audio provided by Sounder at Heart subscriber Lars; find more of their music: https://despatchesfromseattle.com/

Niko Moreno (@ElRoloNW) joins Jeremiah to discuss the final preparations for the Sounders’ Western Conference semifinal against LAFC. Niko is particularly interested in seeing some sort of tactical change and suggests putting Raúl Ruidíaz back at striker with Jordan Morris moving to the wing. He also floats the possibility of seeing João Paulo back into the starting lineup, which becomes even more attractive if Paul Rothrock can’t start. Jeremiah and Niko also discuss some of the big moves around the league that could have an impact on the Sounders.

One of our favorite announcer teams on the MLS Season Pass lineup is Max Bretos and Brian Dunseth. We’ve had Dunseth on the show a couple of times, but with the Sounders gearing up for LAFC we thought it would be good to have Bretos on for the first time ever.Bretos is one of the longest tenured announcers in MLS, first starting out on Fox Soccer Channel before moving to ESPN and then eventually to MLS Season Pass. In addition to calling games, he also does work with LAFC. We figured he’d be a great person to provide some insight into the Sounders’ next opponent.If you’d like to hear more from Max, check out his podcast “The Soccer OG.”

With a pretty big lull in the schedule, Jeremiah and Aaron are doing their monthly mailbag. Among the questions they tackle: Who should have played more? Who should the Sounders move on from? What positions should Sounders prioritize for upgrade? How will the Sounders finally beat LAFC?

No, it wasn’t pretty, but in times like this it’s important to celebrate good things. By beating the Houston Dynamo, the Sounders have qualified for the the Western Conference semifinals for the 14th time in 16 seasons. It’s the seventh most in MLS history, and the only teams who have done it more had 13-season head starts. Jeremiah and Aaron give them their due.

That was not exactly the performance we were hoping to get from the Sounders, but to act as though winning the game is anything short of a positive is rather silly. Jeremiah and Aaron break it all down and look ahead to what Game 2 might look like.

Andrew Pearson (aka @interpearsonal on Twitter) joins Jeremiah to give a tactical preview of the upcoming series against the Houston Dynamo. In the Dynamo, Pearson sees a very similar team to the Sounders, or at least very similar to how they Sounders played last season. 

The Seattle Sounders came into their regular-season finale against the Portland Timbers absolutely flying, having won three straight and unbeaten in six. They started strong, too, jumping out to a 1-0 lead and looking by far the better team. But as has become all too familiar against the Timbers at home, one mistake snow-balled and they had to settle for a 1-1 tie. The Sounders still head into the playoffs on a seven-game unbeaten run and by most objective standards had a very good regular season but the vibes are a bit off. Jeremiah and Aaron discuss.

Longtime friend of the show and Timbers expert Chris Rifer joins us to help preview Saturday’s Cascadia Cup clash. It’s been an up and down season for the Timbers, who are likely looking at this game as something like their MLS Cup. 

With one match left to play in the regular season, the Sounders have already improved on last year by many metrics. But the last game is a big one. Jeremiah and Aaron debate just how important it is to beat the Timbers in the season finale.

MLS Season Pass’ Taylor Twellman joined Jeremiah to talk about Jordan Morris’ future as a No. 9, the impressive work turned in by Brian Schmetzer, Yeimar’s Defensive Player of the Year candidacy and the Sounders’ chances of making a run to MLS Cup. You might be surprised to learn he’s pretty bullish almost across the board.

The win over the Whitecaps changes the math considerably for the Sounders. Jeremiah discusses that win and then brings Burgundy Wave’s Matt Pollard onto the show to preview the upcoming Rapids game.

Apparently, the Sounders are good again.Coming off that frustrating tie with the Earthquakes, the Sounders got back to their winning ways with a professional win over the houston Dynamo.There wasn’t really anything special or impressive about their 1-0 win, but it was maybe more important that way as they showed they could both beat a team they are likely to face in the playoffs and held on for a one-goal victory.They’re now officially in the playoffs, control their destiny for home-field advantage in the first round and have a lot to play for in these final three games.Mark Kastner fills in for Aaron, along with Jeremiah.

Niko Moreno joins Jeremiah to discuss the somewhat uncertain future of Seattle Sounders head coach Brian Schmetzer, who is due to be out of contract at the end of the season. Could the Sounders really turn over the reins to someone else? Who might that be? Would Schmetzer have a position elsewhere in the organization? Or is he going to be in charge of the team for the foreseeable future.Niko and Jeremiah also discuss Jordan Morris’ emergence as a bonafide No. 9 and look ahead to what will almost certainly be the defining stretch of the Sounders’ season.

Jeremiah and Aaron are back with their monthly mailbag episode. This time, they discuss Obed Vargas’ asking price, the appropriate level of roster churn, and the future of various members of the Sounders front office and coaching staffs.

Fresh off a couple of encouraging wins, the Sounders reminded us that they are far from a perfect team. This time, they dropped two points in brutal fashion when they gave up an 89th minute goal to the San Jose EarthquakesJeremiah and Aaron discuss the relative degree of concern over blowing leads late at home, while also singing the praises of Jordan Morris’ recent play.

Yep, we’re still talking about “Goalie-Gate” but we promise it wasn’t the whole show and we only wanted to get off our chest that the idea that this was a principled stand was a little rich. Otherwise, we dig into the positives that we can take away from the Sounders’ 4-0 win over the Crew and look ahead to the stretch run.

Coming off a frustrating loss to LAFC in the U.S. Open Cup semifinals, the Seattle Sounders badly needed a bounceback performance against the Portland Timbers. They did not get one. Instead, they are now looking a season where the success is almost entirely defined by how they do in the playoffs. Jeremiah and Aaron discuss what promises to be one of the most important six-month stretches in Sounders history. CreditsThanks to our sponsor Full Pull Wines.Nos Audietis is the flagship podcast for Sounder at Heart, which became a reader-supported website on Aug. 21. You can support us by becoming a paid subscriber, learn more: https://www.sounderatheart.com/about/You can also support the show by checking out our line of merch including every past YachtCon design and our latest skull-and-crossbones logo."Diversions", "Observed without knowing" audio provided by Sounder at Heart subscriber Lars; find more of their music: https://despatchesfromseattle.com/

Mark Kastner and Aaron Campeau discuss the latest in a growing string of frustrating results against LAFC, who have now knocked out the Sounders from the last three tournaments in which they've competed.  Sponsors Full Pull Wines Nos Audietis is the flagship podcast for Sounder at Heart, which became a reader-supported website on Aug. 21. You can support us by becoming a paid subscriber, learn more: https://www.sounderatheart.com/about/ You can also support the show by checking out our line of merch including every past YachtCon design and our latest skull-and-crossbones logo. "Diversions", "Observed without knowing" audio provided by Sounder at Heart subscriber Lars; find more of their music: https://despatchesfromseattle.com/  

A lot has happened over the last week and it wasn't all fun. To get to everything, we decided to do our monthly mailbag episode and sort of clear the notebook, so to speak. We talk about the loss to LAFC, the inactive summer transfer window as well as look ahead to what the Sounders need to do to remain an elite MLS team. Sponsors Full Pull Wines Nos Audietis is the flagship podcast for Sounder at Heart, which became a reader-supported website on Aug. 21. You can support us by becoming a paid subscriber, learn more: https://www.sounderatheart.com/about/ You can also support the show by checking out our line of merch including every past YachtCon design and our latest skull-and-crossbones logo. "Diversions", "Observed without knowing" audio provided by Sounder at Heart subscriber Lars; find more of their music: https://despatchesfromseattle.com/  

Are the Sounders making us fall in love with Leagues Cup? No, not quite, but they have at least made us emotionally invested in this run they're on. The win over Pumas was a ton of fun and that comes on the heels of a solid performance against the Galaxy. Jeremiah and Aaron discuss the match while also expressing their frustration with the summer transfer window and the season-ticket fiasco. Sponsors Full Pull Wines Nos Audietis is the flagship podcast for Sounder at Heart, which became a reader-supported website on Aug. 21. You can support us by becoming a paid subscriber, learn more: https://www.sounderatheart.com/about/ You can also support the show by checking out our line of merch including every past YachtCon design and our latest skull-and-crossbones logo. "Diversions", "Observed without knowing" audio provided by Sounder at Heart subscriber Lars; find more of their music: https://despatchesfromseattle.com/  

Since our last episode, the Sounders have completed both Leagues Cup group stage games - and it was a mixed bag to say the least. Despite leaving things late the Sounders looked comfortable against Minnesota United, but it was a different story against Necaxa as a promising start turned into a worst-case scenario of soft goals, little attacking threat, and potentially disastrous injuries.  Aaron and Mark discuss the ups and downs of the games against Minnesota United and Necaxa, what those performances mean in the larger context of the season, how some of the less frequently featured Sounders fared, and the outlook heading into the Round of 32 clash with the Galaxy on Thursday. They also discuss the rapidly approaching close of the transfer window, the Sounders roster spending habits, and the risk of slipping into mid-table mediocrity.  Sponsors Full Pull Wines Nos Audietis is the flagship podcast for Sounder at Heart, which became a reader-supported website on Aug. 21. You can support us by becoming a paid subscriber, learn more: https://www.sounderatheart.com/about/ You can also support the show by checking out our line of merch including every past YachtCon design and our latest skull-and-crossbones logo. "Diversions", "Observed without knowing" audio provided by Sounder at Heart subscriber Lars; find more of their music: https://despatchesfromseattle.com/  

We wanted a test and we got one. Unfortunately, it’s hard to escape the reality that hte Sounders failed it pretty badly, falling 3-0 to LAFC on Saturday. I think the scoreline was probably a little unfair as the Sounders generated several good scoring chances, had a legit penalty shout waved off and gave up two goals they shouldn’t have, but they were very obviously second best either way. The Sounders are now 0-5-5 against the six teams ahead of them in the West, which certainly suggests they have a ways to go before they measure up to those teams. Mark Kastner joins Jeremiah to discuss how the Sounders move on from the loss and head into Leagues Cup. Sponsors Full Pull Wines Nos Audietis is the flagship podcast for Sounder at Heart, which became a reader-supported website on Aug. 21. You can support us by becoming a paid subscriber, learn more: https://www.sounderatheart.com/about/ You can also support the show by checking out our line of merch including every past YachtCon design and our latest skull-and-crossbones logo. "Diversions", "Observed without knowing" audio provided by Sounder at Heart subscriber Lars; find more of their music: https://despatchesfromseattle.com/  

The Seattle Sounders have been on a really nice run but they have mostly been beating pretty bad teams. They’ll get their biggest test of the season when they face LAFC on Saturday. To help preview the game, Niko Moreno joins Jeremiah. They also discuss some of the drama going on behind-the-scenes and look ahead to Leagues Cup. Sponsors Full Pull Wines Nos Audietis is the flagship podcast for Sounder at Heart, which became a reader-supported website on Aug. 21. You can support us by becoming a paid subscriber, learn more: https://www.sounderatheart.com/about/ You can also support the show by checking out our line of merch including every past YachtCon design and our latest skull-and-crossbones logo. "Diversions" audio provided by Sounder at Heart subscriber Lars; find more of their music: https://despatchesfromseattle.com/  

The suddenly surging Seattle Sounders will host St. Louis City on Wednesday, an opponent very much going in the opposite direction. St. Louis have gone just 1-8-3 in their past 12 games, which includes a 2-1 loss at home to the Sounders in their previous meeting. Since then, St. Louis has fired their head coach and doesn’t appear to be much closer to getting out of their injury woes that have dogged them for much of this season. To help us get a better understanding of the opponent, we welcome back Matt Baker of the podcast Flyover Footy. Jeremiah also appeared on their podcast if you’re interested in listening to that. Sponsors Full Pull Wines Nos Audietis is the flagship podcast for Sounder at Heart, which became a reader-supported website on Aug. 21. You can support us by becoming a paid subscriber, learn more: https://www.sounderatheart.com/about/ You can also support the show by checking out our line of merch including every past YachtCon design and our latest skull-and-crossbones logo. "Diversions" audio provided by Sounder at Heart subscriber Lars; find more of their music: https://despatchesfromseattle.com/  

Recently, someone asked if the Sounders were a good bad team or a bad good team and after another successful week I’m leaning toward maybe just a good team. On Saturday, the Sounders scored a pretty comprehensive 2-0 win over the New England Revolution and followed that up two days later with a road win over the Sacramento Republic in the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open Cup. In a vacuum, neither win is particularly impressive. Heck, if you look at any of their recent wins, none of them are particularly impressive. But we’re now at a point where the form is almost undeniable. The Sounders have now won four straight across all competitions and are now unbeaten in six. Go a little farther back and they’re 7-1-3 in their last 11. They’ve done this while scoring multiple goals in six straight in and 8 of their last 11, too.  This is actually … fun? Jeremiah and Aaron break it down while also sharing some of their experiences after watching some recent games from the stands and how the concourse experience has gotten appreciably worse. Sponsors Full Pull Wines Nos Audietis is the flagship podcast for Sounder at Heart, which became a reader-supported website on Aug. 21. You can support us by becoming a paid subscriber, learn more: https://www.sounderatheart.com/about/ You can also support the show by checking out our line of merch including every past YachtCon design and our latest skull-and-crossbones logo. "Diversions" audio provided by Sounder at Heart subscriber Lars; find more of their music: https://despatchesfromseattle.com/  

Adam Moffat only spent part of a season with the Seattle Sounders, but the MLS veterans still remembers that 2013 season fondly even if it didn’t end quite as everyone had hoped. Now a color commentator for the Sacramento Republic, we caught up with Moffat to get some insight into Tuesday’s opponent in the U.S. Open Cup quarterfinal. Sponsors Full Pull Wines Nos Audietis is the flagship podcast for Sounder at Heart, which became a reader-supported website on Aug. 21. You can support us by becoming a paid subscriber, learn more: https://www.sounderatheart.com/about/ You can also support the show by checking out our line of merch including every past YachtCon design and our latest skull-and-crossbones logo. "Diversions" audio provided by Sounder at Heart subscriber Lars; find more of their music: https://despatchesfromseattle.com/  

The New England Revolution got off to one of the worst starts in MLS history, but have since improved dramatically with five wins in their past six matches. To help us understand what is going on with Caleb Porter’s new team, we enlisted the help of Sam Minton, who runs The Blazing Musket. Sponsors Full Pull Wines Nos Audietis is the flagship podcast for Sounder at Heart, which became a reader-supported website on Aug. 21. You can support us by becoming a paid subscriber, learn more: https://www.sounderatheart.com/about/ You can also support the show by checking out our line of merch including every past YachtCon design and our latest skull-and-crossbones logo. "Diversions" audio provided by Sounder at Heart subscriber Lars; find more of their music: https://despatchesfromseattle.com/  

In our constant effort to right-size our offerings, we’ve decided to start doing monthly mailbag episodes. This is the first of those episodes. Among the topics we tackle are expectations for the summer transfer window, explore the usefulness of G+ and try to explain why there were so few MLS-era players at the 50th Anniversary celebration. Sponsors Full Pull Wines Nos Audietis is the flagship podcast for Sounder at Heart, which became a reader-supported website on Aug. 21. You can support us by becoming a paid subscriber, learn more: https://www.sounderatheart.com/about/ You can also support the show by checking out our line of merch including every past YachtCon design and our latest skull-and-crossbones logo. "Diversions" audio provided by Sounder at Heart subscriber Lars; find more of their music: https://despatchesfromseattle.com/  

We finally having a bonafide winning streak to talk about. Fresh off their seven-point week, the Sounders followed that up with another come-from-behind win, this time beating the Chicago Fire 2-1. Like their previous two results, the Sounders needed to come from behind in this one. But after playing some of their least inspiring soccer of the season during the first 30 minutes, they recovered to have one of their best halves of the season. Both goals came from the penalty spot, but they were the product of continuous pressure with Albert Rusnák converting the game-winner in the 92nd minute. It marked the first time in Sounders history that they won consecutive games in stoppage time. They’re still barely in the playoffs in the No. 9 spot, but after going 6-2-4 in league play over the last two months, they’re just three points out of the No. 4 spot. In this week’s episode, Jeremiah and Aaron discuss the Sounders’ improved fortunes and try to determine how sustainable it is. Sponsors Full Pull Wines Nos Audietis is the flagship podcast for Sounder at Heart, which became a reader-supported website on Aug. 21. You can support us by becoming a paid subscriber, learn more: https://www.sounderatheart.com/about/ You can also support the show by checking out our line of merch including every past YachtCon design and our latest skull-and-crossbones logo. "Diversions" audio provided by Sounder at Heart subscriber Lars; find more of their music: https://despatchesfromseattle.com/  

The Chicago Fire are mired in last place of the Eastern Conference, but don’t let that fool you. Ever since Xherdan Shaqiri left for the Euros, the Fire have been playing pretty decent soccer. In five games without their “captain”, the Fire are 2-1-2, which includes a home win over the LA Galaxy and a road win over Toronto FC. To get a better idea of what kind of opponent we should expect, we talked to Alex Calabrese of Men in Red. Sponsors Full Pull Wines Nos Audietis is the flagship podcast for Sounder at Heart, which became a reader-supported website on Aug. 21. You can support us by becoming a paid subscriber, learn more: https://www.sounderatheart.com/about/ You can also support the show by checking out our line of merch including every past YachtCon design and our latest skull-and-crossbones logo. "Diversions" audio provided by Sounder at Heart subscriber Lars; find more of their music: https://despatchesfromseattle.com/  

Say what you will about the consistency the Seattle Sounders have shown over the past few months, but we can probably all agree that they’ve never been quite as entertaining as they were during the last week. The Sounders registered their first seven-point week and did it in particularly interesting style, twice coming back from two goals down to earn points. The last of those was obviously the most exciting, with Jordan Morris bagging a 90+4’ winner on Saturday. As if that wasn’t enough, though, the Sounders also have some drama to deal with after Raúl Ruidíaz and Nouhou both got themselves suspended. Jeremiah and Aaron talk about it all. Sponsors Full Pull Wines Nos Audietis is the flagship podcast for Sounder at Heart, which became a reader-supported website on Aug. 21. You can support us by becoming a paid subscriber, learn more: https://www.sounderatheart.com/about/ You can also support the show by checking out our line of merch including every past YachtCon design and our latest skull-and-crossbones logo. "Diversions" audio provided by Sounder at Heart subscriber Lars; find more of their music: https://despatchesfromseattle.com/  

When last we talked, the Sounders had just lost to Sporting KC and we were openly wondering if it was time to admit that they might just be a bad team. You’ll have to pardon the whiplash, but two games later we think that was probably an unfair conclusion and are now wondering the opposite.  No, a 2-0 win over Minnesota United and a 2-2 draw with the Houston Dynamo doesn’t suddenly make us think the Sounders are MLS Cup contenders, but it is some evidence that this team might be a bit better than they had been looking. The draw with the Dynamo was weirdly even more encouraging, not because the Sounders played better but because they looked so awful in the first half and still managed to come back. That’s what good teams do! It's probably too early to say the Sounders are a contender, but they sure do look a lot better than they did two weeks ago and we're OK calling that progress. Sponsors Full Pull Wines Nos Audietis is the flagship podcast for Sounder at Heart, which became a reader-supported website on Aug. 21. You can support us by becoming a paid subscriber, learn more: https://www.sounderatheart.com/about/ You can also support the show by checking out our line of merch including every past YachtCon design and our latest skull-and-crossbones logo. "Diversions" audio provided by Sounder at Heart subscriber Lars; find more of their music: https://despatchesfromseattle.com/  

It’s hard to accurately describe just how frustrating Saturday’s result was, but I’ll try. Facing a team that was pretty awful by both the eye and analytics test, that hadn’t won in like three months, the Sounders managed to find a way to lose despite scoring first. There were all sorts of problems in this game from subbing patterns, to a lack of discipline to a passive defense and a punchless offense. Jeremiah and Aaron do their best to look for ways forward, but are mostly frustrated with the state of things. Sponsors Full Pull Wines Nos Audietis is the flagship podcast for Sounder at Heart, which became a reader-supported website on Aug. 21. You can support us by becoming a paid subscriber, learn more: https://www.sounderatheart.com/about/ You can also support the show by checking out our line of merch including every past YachtCon design and our latest skull-and-crossbones logo. "Diversions" audio provided by Sounder at Heart subscriber Lars; find more of their music: https://despatchesfromseattle.com/  

Jimmy Mack of KC Soccer Journal and No Other Pod joins us to provide some insight into Saturday's opponent, Sporting KC. Just like the last time these two teams faced, Sporting KC comes in on a 10-game winless run. Unlike last time, the underlying numbers suggest Sporting is just as bad as their record suggests. Sponsors Full Pull Wines Nos Audietis is the flagship podcast for Sounder at Heart, which became a reader-supported website on Aug. 21. You can support us by becoming a paid subscriber, learn more: https://www.sounderatheart.com/about/ You can also support the show by checking out our line of merch including every past YachtCon design and our latest skull-and-crossbones logo. "Diversions" audio provided by Sounder at Heart subscriber Lars; find more of their music: https://despatchesfromseattle.com/  

With no game last weekend, Jeremiah and Aaron have an extended Mailbag episode this week. Among the topics they tackle are what the Sounders need to do for this season to be considered a success; how much of the malaise around the team is directly attributable to home scoring woes; and where expectations should be set for the summer transfer window. Sponsors Full Pull Wines Nos Audietis is the flagship podcast for Sounder at Heart, which became a reader-supported website on Aug. 21. You can support us by becoming a paid subscriber, learn more: https://www.sounderatheart.com/about/ You can also support the show by checking out our line of merch including every past YachtCon design and our latest skull-and-crossbones logo. "Diversions" audio provided by Sounder at Heart subscriber Lars; find more of their music: https://despatchesfromseattle.com/  

Adrian Hanauer first became formally involved in the Seattle Sounders when he became the managing partner of the USL team in 2002. One of the first big hires he made was appointing Brian Schmetzer to be the head coach. While steering the ship on the business side, he also served as the team’s general manager, a role he maintained for the first five years of the Sounders’ MLS existence. I first met Hanauer in 2010, shortly after I started writing for Sounder at Heart. At the time, I was struck by how eager he was to share his thoughts on both the business and sporting aspects of the team. He stepped down as the GM following the 2014 season and has been the majority owner since 2015. As the Sounders and his role within the team have evolved, I’ve also had fewer interactions with him. Behind the scenes, though, he remains as active as ever. Hanauer is a near daily fixture at the team’s new Longacres training facility, where his office overlooks the pitch. That’s where Hanauer and I met about 10 days ago to broadly discuss the state of the franchise. My intention was to get a sense of where he sees the Sounders within the broader MLS landscape; what kind of preparations are in order for the 2025 Club World Cup; how he perceives the Sounders’ handling of various off-field issues; and his vision for Longacres that goes beyond the training facility. You can listen to the entire interview here: Sponsors Full Pull Wines Nos Audietis is the flagship podcast for Sounder at Heart, which became a reader-supported website on Aug. 21. You can support us by becoming a paid subscriber, learn more: https://www.sounderatheart.com/about/ You can also support the show by checking out our line of merch including every past YachtCon design and our latest skull-and-crossbones logo. "Diversions" audio provided by Sounder at Heart subscriber Lars; find more of their music: https://despatchesfromseattle.com/  

For a few glorious moments, it felt like the Sounders had scored a hard-fought win over the top team in the Western Conference. The seeming clincher came deep into stoppage time when Reed Baker-Whiting intercepted a pass, drove forward, shrugged off a defender and calmly delivered a pass to Danny Musovski, who hit a sliding shot into the net. Musovski, who has had a few terrible misses in recent weeks, looked particularly relieved. Baker-Whiting, who has been working himself back from a six-month injury absence, let out a roar that had to be particularly cathartic. Except it didn’t happen. Well, at least not officially. VAR flagged Musovski’s challenge that started the sequence for review and the referee ultimately decided to wave off hte goal. Less than a minute after the ball was put back into play, RSL had the equalizer when the Sounders failed three separate opportunities to clear the danger. Instead of a potential season-defining win, the Sounders were instead stuck with more frustrating dropped points. In a season of depressing results, this feels like a low point. Jeremiah and Aaron discuss. Sponsors Full Pull Wines Nos Audietis is the flagship podcast for Sounder at Heart, which became a reader-supported website on Aug. 21. You can support us by becoming a paid subscriber, learn more: https://www.sounderatheart.com/about/ You can also support the show by checking out our line of merch including every past YachtCon design and our latest skull-and-crossbones logo. "Diversions" audio provided by Sounder at Heart subscriber Lars; find more of their music: https://despatchesfromseattle.com/  

Frequent guest Matt Montgomery of Wasatch Soccer Sentinel is back to give us an insider’s look at Real Salt Lake, the best and hottest team in the Western Conference. He explains what’s behind RSL’s surge to the top of the standings but is sure to give us a glimmer of hope about their vulnerabilities. Sponsors Full Pull Wines Nos Audietis is the flagship podcast for Sounder at Heart, which became a reader-supported website on Aug. 21. You can support us by becoming a paid subscriber, learn more: https://www.sounderatheart.com/about/ You can also support the show by checking out our line of merch including every past YachtCon design and our latest skull-and-crossbones logo. "Diversions" audio provided by Sounder at Heart subscriber Lars; find more of their music: https://despatchesfromseattle.com/  

Matt Baker of Flyover Footy joins us to preview Saturday's match against St Louis City. Sponsors Full Pull Wines Nos Audietis is the flagship podcast for Sounder at Heart, which became a reader-supported website on Aug. 21. You can support us by becoming a paid subscriber, learn more: https://www.sounderatheart.com/about/ You can also support the show by checking out our line of merch including every past YachtCon design and our latest skull-and-crossbones logo. "Diversions" audio provided by Sounder at Heart subscriber Lars; find more of their music: https://despatchesfromseattle.com/  

The Athletic’s Paul Tenorio is one of the top reporters covering MLS. Last week, he was in town to watch the Sounders-Whitecaps match while reporting out a feature that’s supposed to run around the 50th Anniversary match on June 15. We caught up to talk about his impressions of the Sounders’ place in the current MLS landscape, what he learned while he was here and discuss some what make differentiates us in a copycat league. Sponsors Full Pull Wines Nos Audietis is the flagship podcast for Sounder at Heart, which became a reader-supported website on Aug. 21. You can support us by becoming a paid subscriber, learn more: https://www.sounderatheart.com/about/ You can also support the show by checking out our line of merch including every past YachtCon design and our latest skull-and-crossbones logo. "Diversions" audio provided by Sounder at Heart subscriber Lars; find more of their music: https://despatchesfromseattle.com/  

Just as it seemed like the season might be turning around, we’re right back in purgatory. The 1-1 tie against the Vancouver Whitecaps wasn’t necessarily disastrous, but it certainly wasn’t very encouraging either. Like we’ve said so many times this year, the Sounders defended well. They even scored an early goal in this one. But they did very little to build on that lead and were ultimately undone by a very frustrating sequence of calls that ultimately led to the Whitecaps getting a 94th minute equalizer from the penalty spot. Jeremiah and Aaron discuss their frustrations over being in that position in the first place, vent a bit about the penalty decisions and try to look forward as well. Sponsors Full Pull Wines Nos Audietis is the flagship podcast for Sounder at Heart, which became a reader-supported website on Aug. 21. You can support us by becoming a paid subscriber, learn more: https://www.sounderatheart.com/about/ You can also support the show by checking out our line of merch including every past YachtCon design and our latest skull-and-crossbones logo. "Diversions" audio provided by Sounder at Heart subscriber Lars; find more of their music: https://despatchesfromseattle.com/  

The Seattle Sounders will face defending USL-Championship title holders Phoenix Rising in the U.S. Open Cup Round of 16 on Wednesday. To help us get a better understanding of the opponent, we reached out to Backheeled’s Joe Lowery, who also happens to be the color commentator on Phoenix Rising broadcasts. Sponsors Full Pull Wines Nos Audietis is the flagship podcast for Sounder at Heart, which became a reader-supported website on Aug. 21. You can support us by becoming a paid subscriber, learn more: https://www.sounderatheart.com/about/ You can also support the show by checking out our line of merch including every past YachtCon design and our latest skull-and-crossbones logo. "Diversions" audio provided by Sounder at Heart subscriber Lars; find more of their music: https://despatchesfromseattle.com/  

Look, we're not naive. We understand that one win -- no matter how good it felt -- doesn't fix every problem the Sounders have, but after failing to beat the Timbers in six straight meetings does feel awfully good and will hopefully provide some much-needed momentum. Sponsors Full Pull Wines Nos Audietis is the flagship podcast for Sounder at Heart, which became a reader-supported website on Aug. 21. You can support us by becoming a paid subscriber, learn more: https://www.sounderatheart.com/about/ You can also support the show by checking out our line of merch including every past YachtCon design and our latest skull-and-crossbones logo. "Diversions" audio provided by Sounder at Heart subscriber Lars; find more of their music: https://despatchesfromseattle.com/