Caleb Porter's surprise departure from Portland headlines the show, with group reaction and a summary of top replacement candidates following a recap of what seems to have happened between Porter and the club. We finish our Timbers segment by discussing their moves on Contract Deadline Day.
Michael McColl of AFTN joins to update us on Whitecaps' relationship with Fresno's new USL club. Vancouver freed up a massive amount of salary cap space on Contract Deadline Day, and some of the cuts hinted at possible additions coming this offseason. Others don't have an immediate explanation, like the decision to decline Nosa Igiebor's option. We touch on all the transactions and then move on to our Seattle segment.
After seven years of futility a Cascadian club finally picked up a win in Houston last Tuesday, defying almost a decade of misfortune on the biggest stage imaginable. Sounders return home from their trip to Texas up 2-0 on aggregate in the Western Conference Championship, 2017 marking the fifth consecutive year it features a Cascadian participant, as overwhelming favorites to advance to MLS Cup. We end the episode with a recap of the first leg and preview of the second.
Playlist:
00:00 - Porter out in Portland; Mattocks' future with Timbers
22:47 - Michael McColl on Whitecaps' new USL partnership; Nosa, Laba among players waived
41:52 - Western Conference Championships 2nd leg preview
RC's preview of the first leg of the Western Conference Championships! Recorded before Whitecaps' news about Fresno and Caleb Porter's bombshell in Portland, which will be covered in Ep. 135.
The crew recaps the second leg of our all-Cascadia Western Conference Semifinal tie between Seattle and Vancouver, and lament Portland's elimination at the hands of Houston at the same stage. Sounders are still alive, but our hopes of a derby match up in the Conference Championship in 2017 is now gone. Michael McColl of AFTN and Matt Hoffman of MLSsoccer.com feature as we begin to assess Vancouver and Portland's campaigns as well as Seattle's chances against Houston.
It's the RC Spooky Special, here in time for the second leg of Seattle-Vancouver! Check out our preview of both that tie and the second leg of Houston-Portland!