'Greatest Liverpool FC attacker of Premier League era' - Apple TV commentator Keith Costigan on Mo Salah and Liverpool, the Olivier Giroud experiment at LAFC and more

GOAL: The Seattle Sounders recently acquired U.S. internationals Jesus Ferreira and Paul Arriola from FC Dallas. Will they be enough to lift their attack in 2025, ahead of competing in the FIFA Club World Cup, CONCACAF Champions Cup and the domestic campaign?

COSTIGAN: Yeah, I like them. I talked to [Brian] Schmetzer a couple of weeks ago in Miami, and I was like, great moves. And Schmetzer’s always like, ‘you know, let's see….You know, we're happy with what we're doing,’ but he’s also kind of keeping his cards close to his chest...Jesus Ferreira is a known quantity in the league. He's a top striker for me. So that's a no-brainer… if you have the opportunity to add him, you do it.

And Paul Arriola is someone that I think kind of lost his way a little bit at Dallas. But he can be a direct attacking threat. Can play a couple of different roles. And I think for me, I don't think the Sounders could have done any better business that you can look at and say they are going to be better. You could maybe sign a foreign player, and in the end, he ends up being outstanding. But that doesn't always work out. So I like the moves.

I think going into Club World Cup for Ferreira in particular, he's looking at that maybe as a shop window as well because I think he still has desires to maybe go to Europe and to have a motivated player like that playing for the Sounders, it's a good situation. So I think Smith, [Seattle’s GM] Craig Waibel has done a really good job this offseason.

GOAL: The Sounders Club World Cup group has been dubbed the Group of Death with the likes of Botafogo, Atletico Madrid and Juventus all competing against them. Have they bolstered their roster enough this offseason for such a competition?

COSTIGAN: It's funny, I'm working on a paper, I'm doing a sports MBA right now, and the paper is on the finances of football. And one of the things in the finances of football is the more you spend, the more likely you are to be successful. Now, obviously you look at the Manchester United’s of this world, and it doesn't always work out. You could talk about spending more, but you look at the clubs they're going to be playing against, they have much bigger budgets. They have deeper squads. The one saving grace for the Sounders is you're at home, you're on your territory. So that gives you an opportunity, but I think it's going to be really, really difficult.

I don't necessarily know if you go out and spend 25 million on one player makes you better. You want the collective to work as a group. Sometimes you do that and one player is on so much more money than everybody else, it fractures the squad, etc. So, you know, I think Seattle would be competitive, and if they get out of the group, it will be a shock. Like, I'm not saying I will be shocked, I want them to get out, but if you get out of that group, when you consider the money the other teams have spent, in world football terms, it’s a shock.

So I'm rooting for them, but you just look at the money of the other teams, the players that they find, you're like, oh, man, this is going to be tough, but it's why we watch the game. It's why we watch the game. And I'm excited to, you know, hopefully, be there for those games as well. And once that whistle blows, anything is possible, particularly when you play in front of your own fans. So it'll be fun.

GOAL: Seattle's one X-factor heading into 2025 is a healthy Pedro De La Vega, who returned from injury later in the season in 2024, but only managed to appear in 16 league matches. What are the expectations for him in particular, considering the club spent $7.5M for him, and is banking on his prospects?

COSTIGAN: That's a good question. It's just that they played a game in Marbella [Spain], a preseason friendly. They won 2-0. De la Vega scored and assisted. When I saw that… I'm like, OK, yep, at the end of last season, I saw glimpses. Oh, and there you go. There was a moment against LAFC in the playoffs where he made that run and set up a chance. And I went: I see it.

Now, we didn't see it enough last year, but he was a young player who came in injured, and when you're playing catch-up like that, it's very, very difficult to find your feet. I expect them to be better. I expect them to be more creative. I expect them to get more goals. And he needs this preseason, so when I saw that performance in Marbella, it made me really happy. but it's also a case of staying fit, being available, getting to know your teammates, and getting to know what your role is...But I don't think there's any doubt, if he stays fit, we're going to see a better Pedro de la Vega...I hope he's right up there with the very best, but, you know, at the very least, I expect him to be a double-figure assist guy this year and chip in with some goals as w ell.

GOAL: Another American on the move this offseason in addition to Ferreira was striker Brandon Vazquez, who left Liga MX side Monterrey to return to MLS, signing with Austin FC. Was this a good move for both him and Los Verde, or does it seem like an odd fit from afar?

COSTIGAN: I don't know. Brandon had some goals down there, but when Monterrey signed him, German Berterame was like the centerpiece of their attack, and it was like the way they play didn't really lend itself to two strikers. So I think again, just like Jesus [Ferreira], Brandon is a known quantity in the league, like he scores goals, you know what you're going to get from him...

I think he brings quality there. I think he brings a presence he can get on the end of the crosses. But I've watched Austin over the last few years, and the No. 9 role wasn't the issue. I know Gyasi Zardes, and I'm a little bit biased, because I have a friendship with Gyasi as well, but other forwards went in and played. Nobody really scored goals in Austin because they didn't generate that many chances. They were quite defensive. Driussi’s drop-off last year was vast, and he's not going to be there this year. So it signals to me they're going to go a different way. They're going to go a different route. They have a new coach coming in Nico Estevez and he didn't have the greatest of times at his previous club FC Dallas.

It's an interesting watch, but it's one of those clubs where I think the jury's really out, like, in terms of where they're going to be at...When someone brings up Austin, they go, yeah, they're making moves. But I still have no idea what to expect. Like, if they were down near the bottom of the West again, I would not be surprised.

GOAL: Mauricio Pochettino came out and adamantly said, no matter where you play, as long as you're playing, I will look at you. Do you think a move back to MLS instead of going abroad perhaps hurts Vasquez's chances in the national team picture, or is he still right in there with this group?

COSTIGAN: I've worked as a scout for U.S. Soccer and one of the most difficult things you have to do, when you're looking at a player, is take away the context of the level that they're playing at. It's not easy to watch someone and say it will translate, but I think that the very best can pick that out. They can say, this fits what I want to do. His ability fits what I want to do and my goal for the team. So I like hearing that [from Pochettino]...

I think there are just a few soldiers left that are online that I don't even think have been to Europe in their life and they go “Europe is amazing. You gotta, go, you can’t stay in MLS” – Look at some of the setups in Europe. It isn't that great! The idea that you're going to be a big part of the team, that you're going to have the opportunity to flourish and play is big, but…

For example, I don't know if Zack Steffen became a better goalkeeper at Man City. I don't know anybody that can tell me that. I remember people telling me Zack Steffen is going to hear from Pep [Guardiola] in practice that he's going to do this and that I'm like… Pep isn’t coming over telling Zack to like, change anything in practice. But I think you know, if a player is in an environment that fosters growth, it allows him to continue to evolve as a player, you have an opportunity to be involved. So Brandon should have no qualms about that. He has to deliver. But I like what Poch said. And I think any rational-minded football person would say the same thing as well.

GOAL: Another player, like Vazquez, who had left MLS for Liga MX was winger Cade Cowell. Since he signed for Chivas, he hasn't quite found consistency for the club, but still shows glimpses of the pace, size and scoring ability we saw in San Jose. What next for him? Where does he fit in the picture in Liga MX, but also internationally with the USMNT?

COSTIGAN: Cade is an interesting one. I cover Liga MX a little bit, and the keyboard warriors came after me when he played for the U.S. in one game, and I said, I didn't know when Cade was here, what he actually did to earn a U.S. Men's National Team call up initially. I was like, we're picking a player based on potential, when it's the national team, I think you have to have a bit of a track record, because it's the culmination of everything. Since, I've seen him develop, like last time he played, last time he played for the national team, I said, this is a player that's evolving. I saw him last year with Chivas and I said he's getting better. So he's taking steps...Does that future hold in Liga MX, going to Europe, [or] coming back to MLS? He has to continue to play...He's very Pacey, but sometimes he's one direction for me like he can change direction when the defender forces in one way, but I've seen real improvements in that. So I look at Cade, and I'm like, I wasn't being critical. I was saying, you need to do more. He's starting to do more. I'm excited about where he's going to go, but that must continue – his growth. So I like where he's at now, the most important thing is just to play and continue to become a better player, which he has been doing.

GOAL: The LA Galaxy's 2024 campaign was brilliant, but how does Greg Vanney keep this squad together ahead of a potential MLS Cup repeat?

COSTIGAN: It's tough. Like, I don't think, you know all the greats will tell you the best time to evolve is when you're when you're at your very best. If you wait, you play catch up. So I think we've seen them start to make moves...

[Then you have the front tree]in [Gabriel] Pec, wow --what a season. You have a game changer in Dejan Joveljic, you have a No. 9 who will get 15 to 20 goals and in [Joseph] Paintsil, you'll have the same, so you add up the numbers of that front three again, they'll be there or thereabouts, which is what they were this year in the West. Right? They were right up there with number one. I know they lost on the final day of the regular season. I could see LA Galaxy being a third or fourth seed going into playoffs but with Ricky Puig finally back and ready in the mix. They're a man for everyone.

By the way, Riqui Puig, for me… I know Messi is the greatest. I know I love watching him, but watching Riqui Puig is different, teams hate him and the opposition hates him. He loves contact. He loves winding people up. He's box office for me in MLS. So when he comes back in, if they're there or thereabouts, they're going to be a threat again. And by the way, it's the Galaxy – they make moves. This isn't a club that stands still so...I think it'll be a different Galaxy. But I still think they're a real contender to win it all based on that front three again.

GOAL: In 2024, LAFC finished top of the West -- they were great in moments, but I don't think anybody ever watched them and said that's the best team in the Western Conference throughout the regular season. What made them dip last year?

COSTIGAN: There was a run last year, where they were incredible. They played a 4-3-3, dynamic in midfield, just scoring goals, not conceding goals. [Hugo] Lloris had the longest run of not conceding in LAFC history. And then they got hammered by Columbus Crew 5-1 at home. I did the game and I felt they made a switch to a back-five, based on ‘this will give us an opportunity to beat Columbus.’ And I was like, fair enough, but you're fine in a back-four beating everybody else. That's the way I looked at it, when they played a back five against the Sounders in the playoffs, I was like… the Sounders have one up front, I know LAFC still dominated the game, but I thought they were a little bit too defensive for the personnel they had for me.

I always feel like, if you're a championship-level team, over a long period, you have to be the protagonist. You have to want the ball, and at times, I thought LAFC wanted the opposition to have the ball, and that for me, is what made them a more difficult watch than we're used to seeing.

GOAL: Olivier Giroud was brought into the club in the summer as a blockbuster signing, but in 10 regular season matches, he didn't score once, and then was blanked in four-straight in the postseason, too. Is it too early to call the Giroud experiment a failure, or perhaps a poor signing? Or should MLS be patient?

COSTIGAN: Giroud is an interesting one because there was a definite drop-off in terms of how the front group worked. [This offseason] LA brought in Yaw Yeboah, a left wingback from Columbus. He's a little bit more dynamic. Are you going to play with two up front now? Is it going to be like a 3-5-2, with Mark Delgado in the midfield? Is it Bouanga off Giroud in the front three? Bogusz, he’s reportedly gone now, headed to Cruz Azul. So, like, how does that work?

But one thing I’ll say with Giroud is they didn't get many crosses into him. Just like I said about [Brandon] Vazquez, you don't get crosses into Giroud and you're not playing to his strengths like he's not going to run in behind. He's not Denis Bouanga, he's not Cristian Olivera. So, if you want to get the best out of him, get crosses in the box, link off, and have runners going off of him behind – then he'll be successful.

He wasn't great towards the end of last season, but he's quality. He hasn't lost half a yard of pace because he never had it. So he's the player he always was. At 31, or 38, it doesn't matter. So I'm giving it the first few months of the new season to see how they're going to balance that front group before I immediately write them off. But certainly the evidence at the end of last season, was not the most encouraging for LAFC.

GOAL: What is it like being a Liverpool fan, seeing Arne Slot come in with no Premier League experience, relatively no transfer business, and a squad that hasn't really bought into him yet and just dominate, week after week?

COSTIGAN: I was at Jurgen Klopp’s final game, and I'm like, devastated, and I remember talking to one of my friends about Liverpool and I'm like, this is going to be tough. This could be a tough year, a transition year...And then we went on this run, and I was like, in the back of my head, you might have a chance… In the back of my head, I'm like, don't be telling people that, because you're just going to look stupid. And then that week when we beat Man City and Real Madrid, and how we did it, the way we controlled the games. I know they're both in a bad moment, but all of a sudden, I'm like, OK, this could be real.

Now I went back over Christmas and watched them live, and it was just so good. And I look at players like [Ryan] Gravenberch, who's even better under Slot, in terms of what he does. I spoke with someone within the club, and they said, look, everything you see about Arne Slot in public is better in private. He's open. He listens to people. You know, Klopp handed him a great situation, but that's not always easy to just take over. But he's come in and he's tweaked little things, but he still got that Klopp DNA in there as well. So look, I'm excited right now. It's a great time. I am a very happy Liverpool fan right now.

GOAL: One particular storyline around Liverpool is Mo Salah at the moment. His contract runs out at the end of the season, and he's arguably been the best player for the club over the last decade, and this year in the Premier League as well. Is he staying? Leaving?

COSTIGAN: I think he says, but I think it'll be on Liverpool's terms, Liverpool has a structure and I understand, like, [Ibrahima] Konate came out this week and said he hasn't signed a new contract yet. The minute you go above your structure, it changes everything. So Liverpool want to stay true to that in terms of older players. Mo Salah has drawn this out in the press, publicly, because he wants to stay. Mo Salah doesn't want to go to Saudi Arabia to play. He wants to be in the Premier League. He wants to break records, and he wants to be in the Champions League, and he can still do that. So if he wants to do that, Liverpool will offer him a deal that allows him to do that. Is he going to get the money that he would get in Saudi Arabia? No, ultimately, I think Mo Salah stays, I think that gets done.

GOAL: Where does Salah sit on the list of Premier League greats, and what is his legacy at the club?

COSTIGAN: I think the best player ever to watch in the Premier League was Thierry Henry. And I'm a Liverpool fan, I can say that...He always killed Jamie Carragher, and it’s funny to see them now work together [at CBS] because Henry always killed him.

But I think in terms of, Liverpool, Salah will go down as the greatest Premier League attacker Liverpool have had. And that's a big statement. Luis Suarez, had the greatest season I've ever seen when he almost single-handedly got us to the Premier League title. We had Aly Cissokho and Jon Flanagan as our fullbacks, and we almost won the Premier League. Think about that.

So, Suarez had the best-ever season. [Steven] Gerrard, our best-ever Premier League player. Best attacker, hands down [is] Salah... No doubt that the greatest Liverpool attacker in the Premier League era.

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