It’s Friday and we’re closed for FIFA Break. Thanks to those of you who participated in our Q&A.
Q: Are you surprised the Timbers beat the Caps so handily? Nick C.
A: No, not really. For one thing, Portland and Vancouver were pretty much neck-and-neck this season. The teams tied on points after all. Meanwhile, the Whitecaps were decimated by injuries:
- Pedro Morales got the start but was a shell of himself
- Nicolas Mezquida had a pretty good clip when he stayed healthy (11 wins in 18 games). He did not suit up in the playoffs
- The Caps losing Kekuta Manneh (and being forced to burn an early sub) was just the icing on the cake.
Q: Will Darlington Nagbe start for USMNT? Several but we’ll use Gustav
A: We’ll find out soon enough. All accounts I’ve heard is that he’s fitting right in and that the coaches like what they are seeing. I’m pretty excited to what Nagbe takes away from the experience.
A: Who was the worst Summer Transfer Window pickup? Tim B.
Q: Summer Transfers are a hard science to gauge and you can’t take too much meaning from them. If we were to measure Thierry Henry and David Beckham’s careers based solely on their first games that would hardly dispel the belief that MLS is a retirement league for folks who can’t hack it anymore.
Can we say that Ivanshitz has the best name and leave it at that?
Stefan Frei watches on as Dallas Jesse Gonzalez saves a penalty.
Q: So Sigi is coming back next season .. Kayla
A: Not really a question, but I think I catch your drift: The Sounders are rebuilding on the fly and have one of the league’s best architects in house in Garth Lagerwey. With Jason Kreis (the other JK) on the market, it’s natural to wonder if there have been conversations about re-pairing the two.
Despite getting the Sounders into the playoffs every season, people are wondering where the trophies are. They won the Shield last year and have a few US Open Cups, but the name of the game is MLS Cup.
Sigi definitely has earned to leave Seattle on his own term and it’s pretty rare to find a coach in any sport that enjoys the sort of success Sigi has had. Heck, the Sounders could still be in contention if the game hadn’t gone down to penalties. There isn’t much a coach can do about that.
Q: What is your favorite playoff moment? Jake
A: This one is different for all the staffers but I think we call agree that Erik Freiberg’s “I don’t speak Spanish” to the woman asking him questions in English is the stuff of legend. Then there was what we are calling, the Breath of God.
Thanks for your questions!
