Are we buying or selling prospective playoff teams? Plus, the Sounders are back! | MLS Update

Taylor Rockwell (0:21)

Hello, everybody, and welcome to the Total Soccer Show. My name is Taylor Rockwell, and that one went long.

It's Tuesday, which means it's time to talk some Major League Soccer. The Sounders are back, the Rebs are not unbeaten. St. Louis crushed the Galaxy, the West is alive, and so too are the Baby Bulls. We got lots to cover. With me here to do so, up first, Joe Lowry. Purple and pink lighting in the background. So fancy, so clubby to start this Tuesday morning.

Joseph Lowery (0:51)

Everybody now, come on, come on, everybody. The reason I was laughing in the intro is Jeff asked Taylor a question immediately before Taylor did his intro, and I don't think Taylor heard it, and so the question is just going to go unanswered between now and the end of time. Or maybe Taylor did hear it and tactfully chose not to answer it. Either way, we're off to a rip-roaring start.

Taylor Rockwell (1:09)

Taylor did not hear it. Can it be repeated on air?

Joseph Lowery (1:11)

No, too late. Do we have to wait for a break? No.

Taylor Rockwell (1:13)

The mystery is best.

Joseph Lowery (1:14)

Yeah. That voice you just heard is Jeff Rooter. Hello, Jeff.

Taylor Rockwell (1:17)

I'm sorry I didn't hear your question, but it's lovely to speak with you now. See, this is the thing. I'm not the MC of the show. So once you hit record, I don't ask the questions unless I'm clumsily trying to segue because I'm trying to find an exit ramp to a too long ramble about something. So this works well. That's my brand, my friend. I am very familiar with that one.

I did not hear a question, but maybe it was also slightly deliberate because I believe you two spent time together in person and I wasn't invited. I mean, sure, it was like 3,000 plus miles away, but still, still, I feel like I could have made it quickly. Wouldn't have been a big deal. That was hanging out in Arizona and watching the US together.

Joseph Lowery (1:54)

That's our bad. Yeah, Jeff did the reservation. I was supposed to send out the invite text, so that's my fault, Taylor. I had it all typed out, just forgot to hit send.

I don't think logistically it actually would have been possible for you to get there between the time we planned it and the time that we actually broke our evening fast. I hadn't fasted that day. I had already eaten. That doesn't fit, but it was great. I very much enjoyed getting to the end with Jeff.

I very much enjoyed having USMNT beat writers all descend on my location. Got to enjoy watching US Mexico, which was a very memorable experience, which we talked about on the show before. Jeff, I had a lovely time, and I do wish that we were seeing each other in person right now and not over a screen.

Taylor Rockwell (2:32)

Likewise. Yeah. Though, it is very obvious to anyone watching this on YouTube that we are not in the same space when you compare the club atmosphere to my continued existence in the void. So, we met halfway at a place with pasta, which makes complete sense when you look at our backgrounds. Yes, it does. Does CVS know that you're recording this episode from where they take their passport photos, or did you get a special dispensation? How did that work? I booked an hour and a half here. So, I see a line of really cantankerous tourists who are already lining up right outside in the deli aisle, but you know, it's the CVS deli, they can wait.

Here's that off ramp that we're going for it. Let's talk some Major League Soccer, shall we? Jeff takes a sip, Joe prepares himself to talk our favorite games of the weekend. Joe, where would you like to start?

Joseph Lowery (3:24)

Yeah, I would like to start with St. Louis 6, LA Galaxy 2 I thought that coming out of this weekend, Nashville's 4-1 win over Austin was going to be the big story in terms of a dominant victory.

Guess not, because St. Louis in the stand-alone game on Sunday night absolutely took the Galaxy behind the woodshed. I mean, they were unbelievably good, St. Louis in this game, as they have been now for 20 games in a row. They have gone unbeaten across all comps for 20 straight games, tying the all-time MLS record with the Red Bulls from 2016 They have a chance now, St. Louis, to not only hop into the lead in the Western Conference on Wednesday against a very good Vancouver Whitecaps team, though we'll talk more about them later on today as well, but they have a chance to set the stand-alone record for most unbeaten games in a row in MLS history. The Union or Red Hot, Nashville might set the points record this year, and yet I still can't shake the feeling that St. Louis are the best team in MLS right now. The way that they dispatch the Galaxy. I mean, for the Galaxy to get them out of the way, embarrassing. Like Justin Hack and Jacob Gleznes were the two worst centerbacks on the planet on Sunday night. I mean, they're not really that, but they were for that very specific 90 plus minutes. Hack's defending on the first St. Louis goal. I mean, man, I don't think he could run away fast enough from the film session that's coming his way. It was really brutal what the Galaxy did. St. Louis had made a lot of teams look brutal. St. Louis had made a lot of teams seem embarrassed. The attacking balance that they have mixed with the defensive pressing and aggression, it's special. It is really, really special what they built. The summer signing seemed to have hit. We talked a lot about Javier Navarro so far this year. He was very good in this game, scores a brace, has some key actions on the ball as well, the key goal sequences.