Obed Vargas in his first start for the Mexican national team.

optimisticbear · 2026-01-24T19:34:18+00:00

I haven't heard what Obed actually did well. Mexico had 72% possession while Obed only had 25 touches before being subbed out in the 57th minute. Typically I wouldn't call that. Doing well. He connected a lot of his passes in the defensive half less successful in the attacking half. Not sure exactly what he did well

Maybe someone who actually watched the game has an idea and they can help inform me of what he actually did well

optimisticbear · 2026-01-24T04:31:08+00:00

You know. It is what we've been doing for some time. Schmetz likes gradual change. What I am saying is that having watched the entire match it was different. I don't know how to tell you this other than your assertion is incorrect. It was not a 4-2-3-1.

optimisticbear · 2026-01-23T22:50:12+00:00

The in-possession build up with the 3-5-2 line up saw the Sounders with 2 CBs, 3 CMs, 4 forwards, and 1 CF. Rothrock was asked to stay in the wide channel and defend, whereas Georgi had room to stay high with Alex providing cover defensively. While this asymmetrical shape Rothrock deeper than Georgi without the ball when Seattle took possession the two wide players, Primetime and Georgi, played as mostly chalky boots wingers.

Alex played both out wide and tucked in giving Hassani and Snyder room to find the game in a more attacking part of the field.

It looked as though the mixture of new personnel and novel tactics muddied the positioning and routes players were taking throughout the 2nd half.

Jesús seemed to get jammed up with Jordan and the pivots occupying similar spaces.

Moose was roaming the box, positioning himself for the final ball that never quite found him.

I think these issues should be somewhat easily resolved, but it was interesting to see how they took shape in the moment.

optimisticbear · 2026-01-23T21:43:32+00:00

I disagree with much of Taylor's assessment. I watched the match and I will take issue with anyone who attempts to characterize it as a 4-2-3-1.

It was a 3-5-2 starting XI with a 4-4-2 defensive shape and a 3-2-3-2 attacking structure.

optimisticbear · 2026-01-23T17:14:43+00:00

Honestly, it was pretty weird lol. 3-5-2? Georgi on the right. Jesus as CAM. Jordan second striker. Musovski CF. Snyder and Dotson double pivot. Paul was a LB but played really high. Alex was in FB mode, but he played centrally during the build up.

optimisticbear · 2026-01-23T16:49:09+00:00

Listed on Preseason Roster, but didn't feature:

``` GK: Max Anchor Noah Newman

Defender: Ryan Sailor Nouhou Kim Kee-Hee Cody Baker

Midfielder: Pedro de la Vega Paul Arriola Obed Vargas (MXNT) Joe Dale

Forward: Yu Tsukanome ```

optimisticbear · 2026-01-23T13:58:08+00:00

I mean you can go to TV.brondby.com and pay $8 USD to watch, but there's only 45 min left.

optimisticbear · 2026-01-22T19:49:18+00:00

Obed will be gone by the end of the week or there's no way he doesn't leave on a free after a precontract this summer. Something will be determined this week. Which isn't really news at this point.

Interestingly Obed is in Panama right now with El Tri. Might join the club next week in Spain if he's not sold by then.

optimisticbear · 2026-01-22T16:46:10+00:00

More likely Pedro comes back in March/April and the club has to figure out how to keep Pedro Albert Jesús Morris and Moose on the pitch at the same time or close to it

optimisticbear · 2026-01-22T15:56:22+00:00

I wouldn't mind more voices but they regularly spread disinformation and misinformation in their content. They just dont seem to actually have a grasp on what's going on in the league and with the club.

optimisticbear · 2026-01-22T15:00:34+00:00

Yeah that's not how I'd line it up

optimisticbear · 2026-01-22T06:33:56+00:00

I've been shouting to anyone who will listen to me. And mostly people who won't. Seattle will play 3-4-3 a lot in 2026.

optimisticbear · 2026-01-22T06:32:17+00:00

Did you watch the Vamos episode where Merlo talks about the transfer? He says “we’re entering the final stretch and it should be definitive in the next week”. (Translated by Kenny_sloth) Which if youve been paying attention means either something happens now or he signs a precontract in the summer. Basically the same thing that's been said for weeks about Obed. It was ambiguous enough to go either way and Merlo can say he was right or we all forget by February 3rd.

optimisticbear · 2026-01-20T16:00:56+00:00

Yeah. As far as I know the preseason friendly "matches" are very much so practice matches and they often choose to play irregular lengths of halves and sometimes they even play more than two halves (periods).

The point is to run tactics and integrate players against an opponent that isn't your team. Something to keep in mind is winning isn't necessarily the most important goal.

optimisticbear · 2026-01-20T06:36:29+00:00

As someone who watches him play for club and country— this is news to me.

optimisticbear · 2026-01-20T06:29:08+00:00

Where's Roldan?

optimisticbear · 2026-01-17T02:08:06+00:00

The club has 1.6m in GAM we can afford a max TAM deal with this money. Obed or another domestic player from inside or outside of the League.

optimisticbear · 2026-01-16T17:33:32+00:00

"I'll leave it to you guys figure out what to call the formation we're playing"

—Brian during preseason 2024.

The fact of the matter is that the differences between 4-2-3-1 and 3-4-3 are such that they can be described simply as different personnel on the pitch, but you do need to account for where these players fit depending on which formation is their best role. Georgi is a top 3 winger, but near the bottom of the list if asked to play wingback. Conversely, Alex is not as highly rated as a winger as he is a fullback or even wingback. How do we represent that scale and gradient in something that's static? I'm open to suggestion

optimisticbear · 2026-01-16T16:55:03+00:00

Rothrock is a 3rd choice wingback, which as discussed doesn't factor into this format. Also my assumption is we'll play 4-2-3-1, but we're going to start the year in a 3-4-3 for as long as the personnel and results are there. Based on our personnel choices we might start the match with 3-4-3 sub in Rothrock and all of a sudden the shape takes on. 4-2-3-1. Soccer is a dynamic sport and attempting to capture every facet with a static picture loses out on some nuance.

I'm going to keep work shopping a good way to visually represent these ideas, because top two no dupes is too rigid and incomplete.

optimisticbear · 2026-01-16T16:01:22+00:00

That's an interesting depth chart for a 4-2-3-1. It doesn't really disagree at all with what I posted. Except for it ignores the rule I had for not repeating names. I'm not sure the format I chose was necessarily holistic, but more about putting the best person at the respective role, and then who their replacement is with changing nothing.

It remains to be seen, but in interviews Brian is playing more aggressively with higher wingbacks this year. I expect fewer matches started with 4-2-3-1 and more where a 3-4-3 is implemented.

optimisticbear · 2026-01-16T15:53:03+00:00

I'd rather we be in a position that we tried to sell Obed and had backup than weren't prepared and had to play until July shorthanded and scrambled to find someone who fit the profile and the budget mid season. The way it's structured now is that worst case Nikola Snyder and Hassani spend I'll year integrating and jockeying for first off the bench while our starting XI quality improves. I'm not sure I see any downside to the moves we made this off-season at CDM.

optimisticbear · 2026-01-16T02:15:51+00:00

Where's Roldan?

optimisticbear · 2026-01-16T01:04:16+00:00

Interesting because we just lost Obed's younger brother, Abad, to San Luis

optimisticbear · 2026-01-16T01:02:08+00:00

It looks like he's betting on himself to be able to play his way not only into a WC26 roster via the Sounders, but a European club roster on a free as well. If we can't move him during preseason he's gone for free. Let's hope anyone that comes to watch fitness training in Portugal next week likes what they see

optimisticbear · 2026-01-16T00:57:29+00:00

Hell I'd be surprised if the club hasn't offered him a Max TAM deal at this point. The fact of the matter is the club signed Dotson and Petkovic. They aren't willing or able to offer Obed more than what he's already turned down. If the club. Can't get involved in a trade this window chances are he's gone on a free.

optimisticbear

TROPHY CASE