RFK Refugees: you Welcome in everyone RFUFG's podcast Ted here. John is not here. John ⁓ neglected to remember that this was his spring break and he had to be with his daughter while he was on spring break. But I'm here. I don't have kids. I have you all as fans. You all after just watching a fairly crushing. ⁓ For nothing lost the DC United to FC Dallas. I will be here to break it down. I just finished watching the game so the memories of the game are all fresh in my head. You know, it's it's I had to psych myself up to sit down and watch this game considering the result and everything ⁓ and I think without further ado, you know what? We're just gonna dive right into it. I'm not gonna tell you anything about my life You get to find out that next week. It doesn't work when I don't have someone to really bounce off of so let's get into it It's like DC United DC United going in with a lineup of Sean Johnson Karakawa out left Sean Neal is replacing Kai Rawls who was out not for any sort of injury for undetermined undisclosed reasons If we had Stephen golf, we'd probably find out what exactly those undisclosed reasons are. My hopeful guess is that it's a green card for Ky rolls because that frees up an international slot for this team. But we'll see Lucas Bartlett hefty out there on the right. Prani out right with Peltel and surveying in the middle of Peglo out left Hopkins sort of in the center is kind of a second forward. So initially think we've seen Prani kind of play as kind of the second forward to Baribeau. And so I saw the signs. OK, well, that's a mistake. But I watched this game. No, Hopkins was. very much in the center of the field very much playing as kind of a second forward and Ronnie was outright. Did it work? No, obviously it didn't work because these United lost four to nothing. ⁓ But but some interesting things maybe to talk about this game. ⁓ It does appear like maybe there is some ideas ⁓ from Wyler about how he kind of wants to maybe shift some things around. This is a very minor sort of switch as far as the team goes, but he stuck with it through the game. So obviously it was something he was liking otherwise. He could very easily just kind of reverted back. At the sort of the old the old way the lineup was sort of set. ⁓ But, you know, Hopkins and Bribo sort of playing as sort of the Hopkins kind of playing as the false nine Bribo is the false forward. DC had probably one of their few better chances of the game six minutes in ⁓ a sort of steal off the break. ⁓ Peglo kind of runs down the field. He has options between Barani and Bribo. Bribo certainly wants that ball a little early. He doesn't get it. The ball kind of pings around. There's kind of a cross in the center of the field, a header by Bribo, a solid save by the FC Dallas goalkeeper. But other than that, not a whole lot of not that was really kind of the only really sort of best chance, I guess you could say of the half. There wasn't too much else from this from this game. This was definitely a story of DC getting certain moments, getting opportunities. you know, having moments where maybe they could find a way to get a goal and put themselves into this match and just really couldn't do it. I think some serious, some serious questions have to be asked about Renee Weiler about, you know, he has, it could be argued that he's kind of said, well, you know, we're getting positive results and they might not all be pretty, they might be ugly. ⁓ you know, two, wins against Chicago with some fortuitous luck. They might be zero zero draws against Atlanta, but you know, we're out there, you know, getting results and we're, know, so I'm going to stick with the team that's out there and see if they can sort of put it together. But I think it is, it is high time now for this for Weiler to maybe try some things. And it'll be very curious to see what happens in this next game, because this was obvious. This was like the first performance where you can say like stuff fell flat. There's an argument to be made that there needs to be some changes. There need to be some changes amongst the lineup. Obviously, let's talk about the goal. ⁓ I don't think Peltel and maybe one of the few players that had kind of a good game out there. Again, his sort of presence in the center of the midfield was very good. This really was a game. This wasn't for goals where FC Dallas was clearly better throughout the 90 minutes and control the game and control DC. This was a case of one team being clinical in the final third. finding opportunities to get goals, whether it's from set pieces, whether it's from, you know, Bob, a long ball over the top. found ways to score goals in this game. And DC just simply could not generate those types of chances. And yeah, it was it was kind of a messy performance. So a ball over the top. I believe that was over the top to Farrington. I'm not sure who played the ball, but it was it was a really nice ball over the top. I think Sean Neal is, ⁓ you know, the lack of game time may be playing a role in this. kind of loses his attacker, ⁓ on the, on the goal. And, ⁓ ultimately, ⁓ Farrington does a nice job of sort of finishing that chance and finishing that opportunity. ⁓ so, you know, one, nothing, ⁓ one, nothing FC Dallas. thought DC then tried to say, okay, you know, we're going to fight back in this game. ⁓ very positive things to see. for the same moving forward. You know, they passed the ball, they moved the ball. ⁓ I thought you have the players in the attack that looked decent. I thought peglo showed some signs of ideas at least willing to dictate play a little bit. Pirani again, I thought was mostly invisible for the first half. He was non factor. It seemed like the every time the ball got to his feet for an opportunity. You know, the pass was either deflected, or there were other chances that just weren't there. Just in my opinion, not a not a strong performance. He was like checking back a lot into the defensive half of the field. ⁓ But other than that, just not a whole lot. A lot of crosses in this game. I would be very curious to look at like DC's pass map, but it felt a lot of times they weren't really able to find much in the middle, so they would kind of like shift it out wide and they would find your Karakawa or they would find ⁓ hefty or someone else. And then there would be a cross into the middle. Then not. a whole lot as far as chances ⁓ as far as chances being found for this team in the net. So ⁓ yeah, just a lot of crosses coming in, which is a little frustrating. I guess, you know, that's type of stuff we saw from 2025. Again, those themes are going to come up are going to come up in this in this game. ⁓ Obviously, some concerning injuries, Sean Neal is going down with a parent shoulder injury and then ⁓ clearly a hampered tie Briba, which is something you don't want to see coming off with a hamstring injury. The second goal comes from a free kick, you know, a foul by Bartlett. He kind of six his arm out, kind of tugs a little bit. The player goes down, picks up a yellow card for his troubles, kind of like, you know, seems to be kind of flabbergasted by the call. But other than that, you know, a nice free kick off the edge of the box by Delgado. I'm not sure there is much. You can really do if you're Sean Johnson. The ball kind of comes over the wall. So he's late to react to it. I think by the time maybe a younger Sean Johnson has an opportunity there. But other than that, you know, just not a lot of opportunities. But DC did, of course, find something also in the first half. Bartlett pushing up a lot in this game. And I'm not sure like what to make of it. He had a really, really nice header off the corner and forced a really, really good save. Yeah. And the 53rd minute. So I believe that was ⁓ fairly close after the second half. know, so again, there were some opportunities, maybe some chances there where DC could have put themselves ahead. ⁓ XG on foot mob has it 0.61 XG to 2.07. So again, not a great look if you're DC trying to find opportunities and five chances. I think the message of this game is, I think DC did an excellent job of in this game in certain instances of controlling a little bit of the midfield. finding opportunities to get it into the final third. I think the ultimate problem again is Ty Bribo is not a guy who's gonna create his own shot. He's gonna need service. And your three players are that are supposed to provide that service right now are Jackson Hopkins, Dwyle Peklo, and Gabe O'Browney. I like don't want to like throw Jackson Hopkins into like the fray because again, I think you got to look at the two players. There are two players on that team. Their salaries are completely different. Gabor Prani. Yes, he's using a U-22 slot, is kind of like a so his cap hit is kind of low. But still like there are some expectations of him kind of being a contributor as far as the attack. Not a whole lot from him in this game. I'd be curious to know like what they have as far as his XG. But again, Kind of another listless performance. I expected goals, 0.04. Expected assists, 0.02. I think Peglo probably a little better with 0.12. Jackson Hopkins, 0.06, so not much really from him there. But again, those three players are the ones that are supposed to be kind of providing your attack right now. And right now, I would argue over the past few games, maybe with the exception of the Philly home opener, they haven't cut it. And I think there is ample opportunity now to say let's see what else is out there. We already know we have Luis Montaño on the bench. We'll talk a little bit about him. ⁓ And obviously Aaron Herrera coming in. Maybe there's an opportunity there to slot him in as sort of a more attacking option. Yes, he plays as the defender, but he can push up and he can connect in the attack. So lots of options. And I think it might be high time if I am Renee Weiler to say, we need to start mixing it up a little bit. We need to start maybe giving some opportunities to a Kaden Clark. to a Jacob mural. Obviously, the we were waiting in the wings for him to potentially start. But I feel like that was kind of the notion of the game. It felt like the game the chance died as soon as it reached one of those three players. ⁓ Very little like sustained chances and sustained opportunities. It was either slow decisions, the past being a little off. And you know, let's give ⁓ let let's give FC Dallas credit. their defensive three and sort of their defensive setup, they sat in a shell better than DC did. And they were able to very much prevent DC from really having many opportunities inside the box. Then again, DC also needs to figure out a way to get those chances and to get those opportunities. Seth? ⁓ Over at Seth who that blue sky says given the sheer number of times Gabriel Prani spoils the attack by getting in the way of actual soccer players. Is it better to play him as a forward? I just haven't stayed in the corner wearing a funny hat. My opinion is that yeah, I think we talked about this enough. I I think this shift out to the right side was maybe Renee Weiler trying to be like maybe there's a role for you here out on the ring and maybe you need to figure out a role here because you know, we're Luis Montaño is coming. ⁓ and he's going to play your spot right now. So you need to figure out another role for you at this team. ⁓ and it's pretty clear, like it didn't work. ⁓ he was not a very effective. He was not certainly not somebody who was very, ⁓ who's very organized. ⁓ so yeah, it was, it was not that, said we had sly tackle 84 says Wheeler. got bare knuckle brawl who you got. I would not discount Weill Weiler. ⁓ Sogut is making himself well known on LinkedIn. ⁓ I think this is the phase where ⁓ I feel like the Bush meme, ⁓ the George W. Bush meme of the media person over the media leadership at DC and the whispering in the air. It's like Matt Doyle found Sogut's LinkedIn. ⁓ LinkedIn throwing it I used to say tweeting through it now it's like LinkedIn through it. That's what he's talking about all kinds of platitudes. You can go find it go search it if you want to see more about so good but apparently someone was saying that there was a very animated discussion between Renee Weiler and so got very seem very one sided conversation here. ⁓ I hope that is like Renee Weiler making it clear like this team needs still needs major changes like by no means is this done. We need to figure something out here this team. gave up. ⁓ And we'll get into that a little bit. ⁓ I want to kind of move my way through the game a little bit. Let's talk about Luis Montanu because I feel like that's everybody's discussion obviously went down with an injury. So he went out for 68 minutes, I think. And I will say when I'm sorry, 30 minutes, he's out there for 30 minutes, I will say when Aaron Herrera and Luis Montanu enter the game, I felt like there was a little bit of a low as far as like DC like not really generating too much. And then when those two entered the game, suddenly things started to go. But I actually thought Pirani played a little bit better. I thought he was a little more active. ⁓ Muntanyu had some opportunities. ⁓ I felt one of the bigger problems with the team is was that, know, when you have Lucas Bartlett kind of sitting up top getting into the attack, like I feel like then that that prevents other players. I mean, I guess, yes, you can drop back. Servania, you can drop back. ⁓ you can drop back ⁓ or Peltel back into the defensive third and try to cover there. like, like, ⁓ like Barley was staying up a lot and trying to attack and I felt like it was because, you know, if it wasn't to a type of repo, no one else was really attacking. And then once Mataño ended the game, suddenly there were a couple more options. There was another guy kind of making a run, ⁓ current trying to get back. And I thought DC looked a lot more active. They looked like they were combining a little bit. Sort of forcing some kind of quick passes and quick opportunities the first half and through kind of that first You know 15 minutes before they checked in it was still kind of very direct and very predictable too and not a whole lot Really other than kind of like the set plays were you really seeing many opportunities? So I am I am wondering like if you feel like Montagne you can go 30 40 minutes If you can get him to where he's going another 15, maybe 15 to 20, 20 more minutes. I mean, at that point, why not just start him? Why not just put him out there? Let him get an opportunity to play in a game, not just come off the bench and try to make a difference. I have to think that this is like this has to be coming soon. Like he has to get an opportunity to start. You can't, yes, the injury set him back a little bit, but you can't, you have to hope that you're able to get him up to speed quicker now. ⁓ and he can, he can get out there and play a full 90. ⁓ I think it's high pass time that I think there needs to be some sort of some sort of shake up in the attack because so far it has been shut out again for the second game. If you look like they have not scored in this season, they have not scored ⁓ more than one goal from open play. They have they have one goal against Philly. They have one goal against obviously nothing against Austin. They have one goal against the inner Miami. Are they one goal from open play and a fortuitous penalty kick against Chicago? No goals against Atlanta, no goals against Dallas. ⁓ it's high time that you shake things up in the attack and you maybe give some opportunities to some other players to see if maybe they can kind of put together some sort of run, ⁓ and really kind of, you know, shape things up because I feel like you're not getting it from Pirani. I think Peglo still seen a little more. ⁓ I want to keep Hopkins around, but also I don't think I have a really strong argument to kind of keep them on the field. ⁓ So we'll see what happens in the next game. I feel like maybe this is the moment where if you're wider, you're like, we're not going to regress. We're not going to fall back to another opportunity. ⁓ He was very, very glib ⁓ in the, in the, in the press conference, basically, you know, dispelling the, the sort of what happened with the game, ⁓ not really happy and certainly very upset. I think that his team kind of regressed sort of back. So it'll be curious to see what his mood is like Thursday. He's been very much in kind of a good mood as far as a coach now coming off a loss. I think it's going to be important for the team and for the organization to get back into the PJ cast is coach Wheeler was said pretty critical the last 15 or minutes or so said felt like there are players who've given up speculating discussion who he was talking about. I don't know. ⁓ I don't I feel like defensively the team certainly you know, whether it's Bartlett whether it's Herrera there's been some you know Christopher Inger says to her have a future with DC only cop 15 minutes a match his body language of bad as it did in late 25 he seemed to refer getting sent off the suffering anymore in the pitch I'm sure he could be a good contributor somewhere else but things let's hope with them here he's surprised we haven't seen a trade yet the club would be getting him at this point but it's that's better than what we saw ⁓ Saturday I don't know like if I necessarily agree caught the last 15 minutes of the match so you came in about minute 75. I would say from about minute 61 to minute 75. He was very lively. He was very much out there. I think the third goal everyone's had dropped. It wasn't alone. It wasn't Herrera wasn't alone. He is coming just coming off injury. I'll be curious to see how quickly you know, maybe they want to try to get him onto the field. I these been good. I think we have to get center back not a great combination. I think the third goal comes from the fact that there is not a big center back like a Sean Neal is ⁓ Bartlett is not the one marking and you're basically depending upon basically depending upon two other players who are not really tall centerbacks to kind of handle that role. So I don't know. I tend to I tend to think a lot of people talk about body language with a grain of salt. I just some moments you can talk about. I feel like Prani his body language has been pretty poor this week. I think he knows that his days are numbered. He's not having the season that he wants. And I think he's making it easier and easier every week. Defined himself off of the starting lineup. He's had a moment or an opportunity to I think stamp his ⁓ Stamp his his place and say nope. I deserve to be on this team And I think the chances of him are very very much running out. So that is certainly That is certainly something To watch ⁓ Yeah, so I mean the third goal comes off the free kick The team kind of like just folds from there. Then there's kind of like just a scramble in the box. think defensively he will not be happy with that fourth goal. Just a lot of moments or a lot of opportunities. I think it's a team that was pretty well beat in this game. ⁓ And you know, I think the story going forward is was the beginning of the season mirage. If you read ⁓ Matt Doyle's piece, he talks a lot about how like, this is kind of what happens. You get this team that maybe like punches a little bit above their weight. They get kind of figured out and you know, they're not able, they don't really have the talent to kind of compensate. ⁓ I would like to see some shaking up. I would like to see some different players out there. I think the center midfield is fine. I don't think you have a whole lot of other options there. ⁓ I would maybe be curious, ⁓ to see Markovic and center defense. ⁓ I would be curious to see where Herrera fits in. I think he'll take another week. ⁓ and then, you know, I think the ultimate question is, you know, I think maybe it's time to see Kane Clark a little bit more. Maybe it's time to get maybe it's time to shift some things around that attack and see if you can have anybody who's willing to maybe step up and sort of seize the moment. ⁓ I think you look at the players like Peglo, like Pirani. None of those players have really seized the opportunity. Even Althor and Hopkins. think Hopkins has had moments where he's looked really good. ⁓ I think he's he's taken his opportunity to move himself up to where he is. Certainly a contributor on this team like we've talked about. But he also, I'd say the last few games have not been anything stellar that you really want to write home about. So I think there's a opportunity for a Kate Clark to step in. I think there's an opportunity for a Jacob Mueller, a Jacob mural to step in. So we'll see what happens. Sam says as far as a few games in now, what do you see is the transfer priorities for the squad? I would have thought central midfield possession, but actually feels remaining both have been decent. We need more help on the wing and center back. ⁓ Curious if you see this in way not center back. I mean they've got I mean we've got Hefty can play as a center back. We've got Bartlett we have Mark Markovic who I think is from the early early tape looks really really good We've got Kai rolls who I think has had some shaky moments, but so far I've been solid I'm still on you about center midfield right now if Servenia or Peltola goes down I Who's playing there? I don't know. I really don't know who's playing there ⁓ it's like literally Markovic probably slotting in as coverage and maybe that's why he's not been playing center back, ⁓ center midfield center midfield, ⁓ number eight type chance creator. Servenius looked better, but I am still of the opinion that that's a position you can very, very seriously upgrade. ⁓ find a guy that can kind of be a more of a connector, a chant, maybe a deep line chance creator. ⁓ you need to figure out chance creation, ⁓ in the next season, whether that's from the center midfield position, ⁓ whether that's going out and getting a winger, I would maybe say maybe I'm leaning more towards the winger ⁓ option, maybe a chance creating winger, maybe a Mo Salah. I don't know. I don't know if they have the Mo Salah money or if Mo Salah is even remotely interested in DC United. But that would certainly be a move. Hey, you know, that would be somebody if I am the ownership group. And rather than going and chasing after Paul Pogba, I would have started the conversation with Mosala and seeing where that stood. I don't know. Just my thoughts or my opinions on that. Probably not going to happen though. All right, let's talk a little spirit. Full disclosure, I've not seen the full match report. ⁓ However, looking at the stats, looking at everything else, ⁓ this is the type of game ⁓ with ⁓ with a spirit that I think we all knew that they could play. First game is ⁓ from simply be one do it in the spirit have broken their winning their winless streak in a meaningful way. Do we consider it a convincing win or trouble still on the horizon? If the latter what's still the missing piece? I don't know like I don't know if it's either or at this point. ⁓ I mean that was a fairly dominant win as far as like just the opportunities and chances. ⁓ I never really bought in. And I think John as well, like we both have never really bought in that this team was like in trouble. If you look at the, if you look at the matches first match against Portland, kind of a weird match. I don't think they played really all that well. They looked a little out of sync. ⁓ there's been a lot of talk. This team has a lot of international players, so they really didn't get the preseason to kind of work on each other. ⁓ I think we saw then in the, ⁓ in the second match, ⁓ on the road against Louisville, ⁓ they went down to nothing. off just some poor decisions and some kind of poor play. But overall, like they put together the performance they put together the comeback. And then obviously the ⁓ the next game, the next game at home ⁓ against shoot, why can't I remember what the next game at home was, but the next game at home where they went up one nothing. Obviously, that was not a that was a performance where they deserved it was like a a you know, A type of performance usually see out of this team where they just like dominate on the score sheet dominate on everything else against Utah. Thank you that finally got that ⁓ you know the three goals against three three expected goals they played they deserved to win that game and if it weren't for a silly silly you know mistake defensive giveaway they would have won that game but you look at the opportunities of the chance and then they had a short turnaround against against Denver against the packed house probably didn't play their put put put together their best performance but. you they got through that and got through a draw. And then this was the game where it's like they're coming in against on the road against a Bay, SC team that's certainly sitting on the bottom of the table. And finally, it's like they had a little bit of luck kind of break their way. The own goal was very fortuitous, but they had a lot of chances after that 2.75 X she's they still didn't even like beat their beat their expected goals. Like they had their better expected goals. ⁓ Kind of a very lucky fortuitous goal. ⁓ fortuitous goal. off an own goal in the 55th minute. Then they kind of settled in the game, but they still you know, found ways to generate chances obviously gift Monday. By the way, Tamara bolt coming off the bench. ⁓ I was not as I say, Tamara bolt, I was not familiar with your game. That's a player to watch. She looked really, really good. created a lot of really interesting chances. I think her her actions in the first half, and the second half kind of led to the goal. Yeah, point four six on the expected assists. two chances created and that's coming in in the 66 minute. That's a player to watch. If I'm looking at a player that, you know, we always talk about there's certain players that kind of like burst onto the scene. know, Gift Monday was that last year. Quasi was that last year. Cantori as well. I think this just shows that like the team around them is still strong. They certainly, you know, will miss, you know, will miss Cory Bethune, but I think there is still some strong talent amongst this team. And I thought, you know, Hirschfeld had a kind of a bounce back game, which was good to see. I thought she had a couple of moments where she won the ball in the center of the field, with a little more of a presence out there from what I could see. So that was just based off highlights, but just some, some, some good performances and looking, looking at the stats. So I think this team is fine. I'm not concerned about them. I think they'll be okay. I think some people just need to get off the little, the sort of high seats. Spirit got the win. How did they get, how did they get good again? I think they just keep doing what they're doing. They're generating chances. think you have to figure out, know, I defensively, they seemed a little more solid this time around. There weren't sort of the cataclysmic type mistakes. ⁓ This team is still insanely talented. This is still like one of the top talented teams out there in the league. I think they will put it together. I think they will be fine. ⁓ I think the real question, let's see their upcoming games for this, for this upcoming. and the upcoming pictures. They got a little bit of a break, a long break, and then they got home against Casey Curran. That's a game I would pencil in as one to watch Friday night. That might be the Amazon Prime game of the week over at Ottefield. That's one to watch. ⁓ Casey Curran, of course, hiring somehow the man that just keeps getting a job, that just keeps getting a job, Chris Armis, ⁓ and they have not started off well. to a win if they can find their form and get a win in that game. think that would be a long message sent that you know, yeah, things are fine. Everybody just take a just relax. Everything's okay. You know, we're in good hands. And then of course, then you got the return home leg against the race in Louisville. Got to think you go out and put that put that game away. I'm not worried about the spirit. I don't think anybody should be really worried about the spirit. I think maybe the one thing is Cantore or sorry, not the Tory. The other Italian this team has. ⁓ Lucia picked up a head injury. And the game is something to watch about the concussion protocol. Kind of where she sits three weeks though is a long break, particularly with the international break. So she has plenty of time to get back onto the field. So ⁓ good, good result for the spirit. I think they finally got a little bit of luck, sort of went their way on that. All right. Last question of the day. ⁓ and this one I completely farmed out to John. So John has a response for you guys. It says Matthew, a girl says probably a John question. That's fine. We got John to ask you after this weekend. I don't want to discuss the team at all. Which three Coachella acts should I definitely not miss out on on the weekend? And, ⁓ we have an answer for you. It is a disclose turnstile, Joyce manner, wet leg, the rapture, and, ⁓ Royce Roy cops, Royce cop. I don't know. I probably made a fool of myself there. am not somebody who's into the music scene as much as John is. So hope you enjoyed that, Matt. That was certainly a question we farmed out to John on that. So we got your answer because you're a Patreon subscriber. And if you're a Patreon subscriber, you get a guaranteed answer on the show. The $5 tier or higher. Anyway, guys, that's going to do it. Thank you guys so, so, so much for listening. We will catch you guys next week. Vamos.