00:00We need to talk about MLS and I think we both have a lot of grievances to air in this
00:05segment
00:05because our team's bittersweet seasons. I don't want to say that it's so bad. Both of us expect
00:11a different standard from the LA teams. You with a number of championships under your belt
00:17with a history and a legacy to defend and LAFC with a standard as a new franchise of where
00:25the teams need to invest and how they need to play. And I think they both are falling short of
00:31that
00:31promise to their fans. I think that that is true in the bigger picture. But if you zoom in and
00:38you
00:39look at the shorter term, I as a Galaxy fan am quite happy because we're bad since 2024. Really bad.
00:48Like bottom of the table, bad. Bottom of the barrel, bad. And now we're finally starting to pick things
00:53up and look like we have some life in us. We're playing creatively. So for the short term,
00:58I'm actually quite happy because for the first time in two years, we can actually...
01:02You're in playoff position.
01:05Right there.
01:07It could go the other way.
01:09Scratching it.
01:10Trafico is going to make a big, it's going to, there's a lot riding on this one for both teams
01:17in
01:17different ways. For us, it's a must win because we want to get into the playoffs. If we stay where
01:22we
01:23are now, we're going to play like that play-in game in Colorado, in altitude, and it's going
01:28to be a lot of pressure. We're probably going to fall out. It's not good. We need to win
01:32games. Right now is the time to do it.
01:35You guys are hosting too.
01:36It's in at home and we got to win both of those matches so that we're comfortably in
01:40seventh.
01:41So yeah, a lot riding on El Trafico, but I think we're in two different places. No,
01:46we're kind of rising as you guys are taking quite a dip right now. It seems like you've
01:49lost the wind in your sails, your 2025 Galaxy rep.
01:54Mira, Nick.
01:56There's a lack of identity in the team. There's a lot of new players. There's players that are
02:01just understanding what it is to play at LAFC. We have very few veterans that are setting the
02:08standard. We have very few players that are hot and really connected and really performing at their
02:15best. And we cannot depend on Buanga to just bail us out every single time. It has caused the team
02:23already one coach. The first time that LAFC fires a coach mid-season without even allowing him a full
02:29season to prove himself. But the team was just not playing with no idea, no strategy. It was just
02:37playing without the ball, waiting for an opportunity to whip a ball to Buanga or to Sonny, get a break
02:45away, and then try to win with just speed and relentless attack. The reality is that the league
02:52has learned this. They've seen it two or three, four seasons already, and nothing is new under the
02:59sun for the West at least. And little by little, we see LAFC drop in places. We're in sixth place
03:06with,
03:07like you said, a downward trajectory, a downward momentum. The team is not playing better with the
03:13interim coach. It's just a gap measure, I'm sure. The reality is that we're going to have a throwaway
03:20season. Maybe, maybe we have that, you know, very much like Seattle back in the day, stringing the last
03:28three, four games successfully, starting by beating you guys on Saturday. You know, if they accomplish
03:36that, it might be the turnaround that they need. If they lose, El Clásico, El Trafico, it's going to be
03:43tough for the team. It's going to be emotionally and, and, and the motivation is going to be tough
03:49for them. Uh, I hope they don't check out. I hope that they continue to fight because they still have
03:55possibilities, a lot of possibilities to go into the playoffs, even with that loss, but it's
03:59I'm nervous. I'm nervous, Nick. I'm nervous. You have reasons to be. Uh, I'm a little traumatized,
04:06so I'm like, not sure the galaxy can win just because of how the last few years have gone,
04:11but here's why you should be nervous. For once, for once, galaxy's good on set pieces. We haven't
04:17been great on set pieces for a very long time. Marco has been absolutely amazing, amazing for us,
04:21Mr. Royce, I'm talking about. Number two, João Claus is back with us. He's been scoring goals
04:26consistently. That's great. That is the, for me, that's the biggest threat. Yeah, exactly. Back in the
04:33back, we've had Jacob, uh, Jakob, I should say in the Norwegian way, Jakob Klesnes, who was defensive
04:39player of the year when he played on Spill. He came here and is kind of doing, uh, having a
04:44sunny
04:44effect. He's not exactly playing to the level that we thought he would for us. So in lieu of him,
04:51we're playing Garces. Garces, who has been actually very good in the back for us, aside from the fact
04:56that he has more red cards than anyone, but I wouldn't in the whole MLS. Also, one of the youngest
05:01players out there for, uh, for the backline, he's really young. And I wouldn't be surprised if the
05:06guy who's prone to getting reds is going to start in El Trafico for us. They're going to take a
05:11risk
05:11and they're going to go for it because he's been playing great. It's going to be a fiery one.
05:15And so look, you should be nervous because for the first time we have a chance to come in here
05:20with a little chip on our shoulder. It's always been, oh God, we got to defend, uh, our honor in
05:25the
05:25galaxy. Oh my God. Oh my God. Now we have a little chip on our shoulder. We feel like we're
05:28almost better
05:29than you guys for the first time in a while. No pressure making our home fans happy. We're
05:34away, I guess, but it's going to be a great match. I still don't, I'm not convinced that
05:38we're going to win. So I'm not talking trash, but you should be nervous because it hasn't
05:42been like this for a while. I am.
