Foreign Exchange: Three questions with Jeremiah Oshan of Sounder at Heart
We checked in with an authority on the Sounders ahead of Sunday's match.
With Seattle Sounders FC coming to Q2 Stadium for a 6 pm match on Sunday evening, we decided to reach out to Jeremiah Oshan at the excellent Sounder at Heart, who already put up the Opposition Scouting Report feature I contributed to.
He also shared this on his Bluesky, which is a pretty damning spider chart. (I salute the snark.)
From our more neutral perspective, the Leagues Cup final was a match showcasing the Sounders doing all the things they're good at, besting a talent-laden Inter Miami team that got distressingly temperamental after the match. What's the Sounders faithful's read on the win?
I think that's probably a pretty fair read. I think more broadly the Sounders saw this as a triumph of a full system vs. one that is dependent on outside talent. The Sounders starting lineup was peppered with players who came through the academy or their MLS Next Pro team, while Miami was mostly Messi and his buddies from various other teams. Either way, it was one of the most satisfying matches I've ever witnessed in person. I'd put that right up there with MLS Cup 2019 and the 2022 CCL final.
Jesus Ferreira's finally gotten to double-digit goals this season, but he seems a bit off the pace of his best seasons. How is he fitting in at Seattle, and what do you expect from him at a stadium where he's routinely tormented Austin FC?
Ferreira is on double-digit goal contributions, but with just five goals, I think it's still not quite what we all expected. To put that in even broader terms, though, Ferreira simply isn't the player we thought we were getting ... and that's not necessarily bad. He's a much more cerebral player with much more playmaking than we thought. He's also a pretty good defender from the front. Generally, I think fans have been pretty satisifed with him, especially as other players have emerged as suitable No. 9s.
The "exchange your Messi jersey for a Paul Rothrock jersey" was one of the most brilliant and most MLS things I've seen this season? Is Rothrock the epitome of unsung heroes flourishing in Brian Schmetzer's system, or are there others we should also be keeping an eye on?
Just a quick horn-tooting, but that idea actually came out of the Sounder at Heart Discord and was turned into reality within a few hours. Pretty amazing response by the Sounders front office, if I'm being honest. But Rothrock has been very good. I think it's probably overly dismissive to suggest he's just a "try-hard" who has a believer in Schmetzer, but I don't think it's entirely a coincidence that this is all happening like it is, either. He's the type of player I think every successful team needs, though, and is an absolute joy to have around.
Verde All Day is a reader-supported online publication covering Austin FC. Additional support is provided by Austin Telco Federal Credit Union. You can comment here if you’re a subscriber, or reach out via Bluesky.
Davy Arnaud will be staying on as an Austin FC assistant coach following his stint as interim head coach. Meanwhile, two players have gone to Instagram to tell fans they're leaving the club.
Austin FC lost its season finale on Saturday, and while one player is already looking to a future with Jim Curtin, one gave a statement that had a certain air of finality to it.
Austin FC came into its final match of the 2026 season hoping for a home win. Instead, the Timbers got their winning goal, punching their playoff ticket, in the match's third minute.
Austin FC has a sixth straight Decision Day that doesn't impact its playoff chances. But its opponent from the Pacific Northwest has many scenarios to get into the postseason.
With Seattle Sounders FC coming to Q2 Stadium for a 6 pm match on Sunday evening, we decided to reach out to Jeremiah Oshan at the excellent Sounder at Heart, who already put up the Opposition Scouting Report feature I contributed to.
He also shared this on his Bluesky, which is a pretty damning spider chart. (I salute the snark.)
To the questions!
From our more neutral perspective, the Leagues Cup final was a match showcasing the Sounders doing all the things they're good at, besting a talent-laden Inter Miami team that got distressingly temperamental after the match. What's the Sounders faithful's read on the win?
I think that's probably a pretty fair read. I think more broadly the Sounders saw this as a triumph of a full system vs. one that is dependent on outside talent. The Sounders starting lineup was peppered with players who came through the academy or their MLS Next Pro team, while Miami was mostly Messi and his buddies from various other teams. Either way, it was one of the most satisfying matches I've ever witnessed in person. I'd put that right up there with MLS Cup 2019 and the 2022 CCL final.
Jesus Ferreira's finally gotten to double-digit goals this season, but he seems a bit off the pace of his best seasons. How is he fitting in at Seattle, and what do you expect from him at a stadium where he's routinely tormented Austin FC?
Ferreira is on double-digit goal contributions, but with just five goals, I think it's still not quite what we all expected. To put that in even broader terms, though, Ferreira simply isn't the player we thought we were getting ... and that's not necessarily bad. He's a much more cerebral player with much more playmaking than we thought. He's also a pretty good defender from the front. Generally, I think fans have been pretty satisifed with him, especially as other players have emerged as suitable No. 9s.
The "exchange your Messi jersey for a Paul Rothrock jersey" was one of the most brilliant and most MLS things I've seen this season? Is Rothrock the epitome of unsung heroes flourishing in Brian Schmetzer's system, or are there others we should also be keeping an eye on?
Just a quick horn-tooting, but that idea actually came out of the Sounder at Heart Discord and was turned into reality within a few hours. Pretty amazing response by the Sounders front office, if I'm being honest. But Rothrock has been very good. I think it's probably overly dismissive to suggest he's just a "try-hard" who has a believer in Schmetzer, but I don't think it's entirely a coincidence that this is all happening like it is, either. He's the type of player I think every successful team needs, though, and is an absolute joy to have around.
Verde All Day is a reader-supported online publication covering Austin FC. Additional support is provided by Austin Telco Federal Credit Union. You can comment here if you’re a subscriber, or reach out via Bluesky.
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