Hello,

Hello, everybody, and welcome to the Total Soccer show.

My name is Taylor Rockwell, and on today's episode, we're talking Americans in Action.

There's MLS News, American transfers, and USMNT-centric performances to discuss.

To do so, I'm joined by two gentlemen, gentlemen, up first.

We'll have to see how this episode ends up, but right now I'm inclined to say he'll finish his performance better than Ricardo Peppie's finishing this past weekend. It's Joe Lowry. Joe, are you ready to live up to that billing? I'm so ready. Man, between you and Ryan leading in weekend review and now Americans in action, the bar that you guys are setting in these intros is so low, I can't help but exceed it. Taylor, you've set me up to succeed really well today. I mean, I wasn't sure if you would take it personally. I know that we will have a conversation about Luca De La Torre later on that I contemplated teasing in the introduction, but I was worried that it would come to blows immediately, and I didn't want that. But, Joe, are you prepared for some verbal fisticuffs if and when the situation arises? Taylor,

I'm always prepared for verbal fisticuffs. Yeah, that wasn't hard for me to say at all. I only stumbled like eight times. Joe, I appreciate the dedication to yes and. Over in Scotland, it's a man who is

hardworking as hardworking as D.K. was, but without the chorus of booze from the opposition fans, especially since Ryan Bailey is not here today to boo him, it's Graham, Ruthfin. Hi, Graham. Hello, I mean, it's still early in the day. There could be some booze left in my day. Who knows? I was not... I'm hoping there is it. I mean, I would hope so, too, because that felt, that felt harsh on D.K.

I think it's because he went down or maybe got into it once or twice. But I was not expecting all the QPR fans to boo every single one of his touches. I like that West Brom slash Barnsley responded by not giving him that many touches, so he didn't get booed that often. Yeah. I think it traced back to a moment where he sort of pushed a QPR player into advertising hoarding, which, yeah, that'll do it. That'll get you booed. I guess that'll do it. I suppose. All right, fine. Graham coming with the logic, the well-reasoned logic that I don't appreciate on a Tuesday morning.

Now afternoon here on the East Coast, we are going to talk about Daryl D.K. and Ricardo Pepey later on of the show. Up first, though, Joe, we've got some MLS news to start off, and it sounds like we should just go ahead and give the Seattle Sounders MLS Cup now. Is that fair to say? Based on the squad, they're building. They're inching closer and closer to that.

They signed officially, Albert Rusnak, in Free Agency as a designated player. This went down last week after a reporting saga that we'd even mention, I believe, last Tuesday. So this had been in the works for a while, it seems, but the deal is done. They've got him in Seattle coming over from RSL and free agency.

This year's free agency has been better than any other year in Major League Soccer history,

partially because at least the regulations for who can be a free agent have been relaxed.

So more players like Rusnak are now eligible for free agency.

And we're seeing the move.

And we're seeing the move to contenders. That's where Rusnack moved. Sean Davis moved to Nashville. I would argue was going to be a contender in the Western Conference as well. But not many teams in the league have a roster stronger than Seattle right now. There are three designated players, Raul Ruiz. Niko Ladero, who is on the wrong side of 30 and is injured a lot. So Rusnak is a key signing for them.

But Rusnak, as I said, will be that third D.P. They're getting Jordan Morris back. He should be healthy and pretty much fully fit by the time the season starts in late February. Zhao Paolo now is a Tam player, I believe.

He's not a designated player at this point.

Christian Raldon.

I mean, the list goes on.

And Newhoo, New Who's shining right now in Afcon.

The a Tam player, I believe, he's not a designated player at this point. Christian Raldon, I mean, the list goes on, and NUHoo, New Who's shining right now in Afcon.

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