2026 MLS Preview, Premier League Sad Sacks, and Pulisic Back to England?| Unfiltered Soccer

Summary

Podcast Summary: Unfiltered Soccer with Landon Donovan & Tim Howard

Episode: "2026 MLS Preview, Premier League Sad Sacks, and Pulisic Back to England?"
Date: February 17, 2026

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Main Theme

Landon Donovan and Tim Howard preview the upcoming 2026 MLS season, break down notable offseason transactions, discuss big storylines in both American and international soccer—including Christian Pulisic’s rumored return to the Premier League—and provide insights into USMNT and international World Cup qualifying changes. The hosts also share candid takes on Premier League managerial turnover and field listener questions with their signature blend of expertise and humor.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. MLS 2026 Season Preview

[03:10]-[22:59]

Major Offseason Storylines

• LA Galaxy:

  • Ricky Puig out for another year (another surgery).
  • Key signings: Jao Klauss, Eric Tommy, Matias Nascimento, Jacob Glesnes, Justin Haak.
  • Challenge for coach Greg Vanney to revise tactics and not stall waiting for Puig.
  • Landon on Vanney’s challenge:

    "...the show is gonna go on without him [Puig]. And if he comes back to the show and can dance, heck yeah. Amazing. But...this team has got to go right from the off, hit the ground running..." (04:51)

• Michael Bradley at Red Bull:

  • Enters as the “most accomplished” USMNT player-turned-coach.
  • Landon’s support: “I need Michael to do well. ...I'm gonna blame everybody else but him.” (07:27)
  • Discussion of Bradley “jumping the line” but being well prepared mentally and tactically.

• Inter Miami’s Overhaul:

  • Losses: Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets (retirements).
  • New signings: Berti Ramé, Reguilón, Facundo Mora, Dayne St. Clair (GK), Mikail (loan from Palmeiras), David Ayala.
  • Question if they can be better than last year despite losing leadership.
  • Landon on Messi’s impact:

    “Every...player is going to play out of their skin and be so scared to death to let Messi down, which is the effect that he has...” (11:17)

  • Messi’s emotional state post-World Cup could define Miami’s fate.

• Philadelphia Union:

  • Always lose stars but reload successfully ("Philadelphia—MLS's Brighton," Tim calls them).
  • Big offseason departures: Uhre, Glesnes, Ty Baribo, Kai Wagner.

• Notable New Signings:

  • Timo Werner to San Jose, James Rodriguez to Minnesota.
  • Donovan teasingly doubts Werner will thrive:

    “Timo Werner couldn’t hit a cow’s ass with a banjo.” (15:23)

  • Both agree James Rodriguez could light up the league on a short-term loan.

Quickfire MLS Takes ("Onside/Offside")

 [17:09–19:29]

• Miami will focus more on CONCACAF Champions Cup than MLS Cup — both agree: Onside.
• Sonny to win Golden Boot? Landon: “Onside”; Tim: skeptical, argues Bawanga or someone staying during World Cup break could win.
• San Diego FC sophomore slump — both disagree (offside), expect them to be as good or better.
• Atlanta United most improved? Both offside; Galaxy and Toronto seen as bigger risers.

Emerging Teams

 - Galaxy, Houston, Toronto, and Colorado pegged as clubs “on the rise”.  - Noted: Toronto could be a dark horse if rumored signings come through.

2. USMNT & World Cup Qualifying

[27:25]-[39:39]

• Tyler Adams returns to Bournemouth training post-MCL injury.   - Both hopeful he’ll return to match fitness for March camp.   - Emphasis on the mental aspect of recovering from knee injuries.

• Christian Pulisic’s Future: Premier League Rumors   - Pulisic with AC Milan; contract to 2027 but no extension offer yet.   - Rumors linking him to Liverpool, Man United, Arsenal.   - Landon:

  “He sort of reminds me of Mo Salah and Kevin De Bruyne in that…he’s matured…put AC Milan on his back…There’s actually another level for him.” (30:49)   - Debate: Should he go to a top Premier League club and challenge or to an “aspiring” club for more regular play?   - Concerns raised about Premier League’s physical demands.

• CONCACAF Qualifying Changes   - World Cup expanding to 48 teams; CONCACAF gets 6 automatic berths, 7th can qualify via intercontinental playoff.   - US/Mexico virtually guaranteed qualification—no more US-Mexico showdowns in qualifying.   - Landon’s take:

  “You could finish last and still qualify for the World Cup. It’s virtually impossible for the US and Mexico not to qualify now…” (35:16)   - Tim plays devil’s advocate about how smaller nations could use the windfall for development.

3. Premier League: “Sad Sacks” & Managerial Turnover

[39:39]-[51:21]

• Record eight managerial sackings by February, average tenure < 1 year.
• Tottenham & Nottingham Forest called out:   - Spurs sacked Thomas Frank despite key injuries; both believe top managers should be given more time.   - Forest’s fourth coach of the season—condemned for lack of coherent strategy, says “no plan”.   - Danger: “If you continually sack the manager for players underperforming, those underperforming players will continue to underperform.” (44:53)
• Strategic Clubs:   - Brighton lauded as a model—always plan manager succession.   - Debate: Are some managers merely products of their supporting infrastructure (e.g., Thomas Frank, Jesse Marsch, Grand Potter)?

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

“Timo Werner couldn’t hit a cow’s ass with a banjo.”
— Landon Donovan (15:23)

“Every really good player or pretty good player is going to play out of their skin and be so scared to death to let Lionel Messi down…”
— Landon Donovan (11:17)

“I need Michael [Bradley] to do well. ...I'm gonna blame everybody else but him.”
— Landon Donovan (07:27)

“If they don’t do well, people are gonna pray for his downfall... they’ve been doing that to Michael Bradley since he broke on the scene. ...all he’s ever done was defy the odds.”
— Landon Donovan (09:07)

“You could finish last and still qualify for the World Cup… It’s virtually impossible for the U.S. and Mexico not to qualify now.”
— Landon Donovan (35:16)

“I don’t care that there’s some guy in the stands with, with a scarf that says Thomas Frank out or board out, like he can go do one.”
— Landon Donovan (43:10)

“The only time this [managerial churn] has ever really worked… was Roman Abramovich’s Chelsea. He bought the best players in the world… and said, ‘It’s my team.’”
— Landon Donovan (47:52)

“He [Pulisic] now went off, he's matured and he's older and he's now gone and carried a league. ...I think there's actually another level for him.”
— Landon Donovan (31:44)

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Listener Q&A Highlights

[58:45–75:41]

• USLNT Acronym: Means "Unfiltered Soccer with Landon and Tim" (and a playful nod to USMNT/USWNT).
• USMNT Friendlies Outlook:
  • Both expect mixed results; focus on how much elite opponents take the games seriously.
• Best Irish Players Faced:
  • Tim: "Roy Keane, hands down."
  • Landon: "Robbie Keane. Not even close."
• Rule Change Fun:
  • Listener asks about bringing back 1863’s "fair catch" rule—a player could catch a ball in play and take a free kick from that spot (hosts find it "a tough sell" but enjoy the creativity).
• Fan challenge:
  • Listeners invited to predict what points of emphasis FIFA referees will crack down on at the 2026 World Cup.

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Notable Timestamps

• [04:51] Landon’s overview on Galaxy’s need to “move on without” Ricky Puig.
• [07:07] Discussion on Michael Bradley’s Red Bull coaching journey.
• [11:17] Debate on Messi’s influence at Inter Miami post-World Cup.
• [15:23] Landon’s scathing Timo Werner critique.
• [22:59] MLS quickfire predictions.
• [27:25] Tyler Adams return from injury.
• [30:49] Pulisic to Premier League comparison to De Bruyne and Salah.
• [35:16] Expansion of CONCACAF World Cup spots; implications.
• [43:10] Landon on fans calling for managers’ heads.
• [47:52] Why manager churn only worked at a stacked Chelsea.
• [54:08] USMNT striker pecking order post-Ajamong’s strong run at Derby County.
• [58:45–75:41] Fan Q&A: UK live shows, USMNT friendlies, Irish legends, fair catch rule nostalgia.

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Overall Tone & Takeaways

Landon and Tim deliver thoughtful, high-level tactical analysis but keep the mood light with self-deprecating humor and blunt one-liners. Their insights blend player, manager, and fan perspectives, and they never shy from honesty—whether supporting Michael Bradley, doubting Timo Werner, or critiquing the US Soccer Federation’s decisions.

For listeners: This episode is an essential catch-up on MLS and global soccer’s most pressing topics on the cusp of the historic 2026 World Cup. With its mix of inside stories, sharp opinions, and playful banter, it’s uniquely insightful—even for dedicated fans.

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For More

• Follow Unfiltered Soccer: @UnfilteredSoccr on X, @UnfilteredSoccer everywhere else.
• Send Fan Questions: [e-mail]
• Listen: New episodes on Tuesdays via YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more.

Transcript

[Landon Donovan]

I sort of feel like that with Christian Pulisic as well, because he was at Dortmund. Right. We get it. It's a big club. And he then goes to Chelsea. Unfortunately, he didn't get the rub of the green. Went through some different coaches, but he. He sort of reminds me of. Of Mo Salah and. And Kevin de Bruyne in that. He now went off. He's much. He's matured and he's older, and he's now gone and carried a league. So he's put AC Milan on his back. He's been the best player in that league. So now, I think from the. From the sort of physical football maturity side, he now comes back to the Premier League and gets slotted into a Man United, Liverpool, Arsenal. I think there's actually another level for him.

[Tim Howard]

Unfiltered Soccer with Landon and Tim, presented by Volkswagen. Volkswagen has long been a supporter of soccer in America and has proudly been a partner of U.S. soccer for over five years.

[Landon Donovan]

Welcome into Unfiltered Soccer with Landon and Tim, presented by Volkswagen ld.

[Tim Howard]

What's up, sir? What's up, buddy?

[Junior]

I had.

[Landon Donovan]

I went to Palm Springs for the first time this weekend.

[Tim Howard]

Okay.

[Landon Donovan]

Which. I know it's a bit random, but I was at the Coachella Valley Invitational with the Houston Dash, so did some meetings, saw some games. I was with the team a bit. Yeah. Cool place you've been, obviously.

[Tim Howard]

What'd you think? Yeah, I've been there a lot. I think it's a weird. It's a weird place.

[Landon Donovan]

I definitely get the. The old world vibes and how people like that. But the other part of it was like, you know, given that you and I played in this league in mls, not nwsl, but for a long time, I'm shocked that they weren't able to come up with it. Like, this tournament's great. I don't know if you've been out there, but, like, half the MLS teams, half the NWSL teams are there. There's fans, there's stands. It's like a real tournament. And I'm thinking, like, why. Why is it taking forever to get to this point? It's a good.

[Tim Howard]

So everybody. Forever was trying to do, like, some version of what MLB does. Right? So remember, it was in Bradenton. Like, there. Some teams would go and some teams would go to Spain and. And then I think Santa Barbara was trying.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah.

[Tim Howard]

And it was in Tucson for a bit. I went one time to Tucson.

[Landon Donovan]

I'm like, oh, I was in Tucson. Yeah.

[Tim Howard]

Oh, my God. We can never go back.

[Landon Donovan]

But why Is it so hard to like. I mean, this is great. It's perfect.

[Tim Howard]

And, you know, there's logistics. You need all the fields, you need the teams, you need whatever fans to go. Whatever. It's cool, though.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah, it's cool. And. And we're recording this just so everybody knows. We work hard. That's. Not to plug ourselves, but we. We work hard. It's President's Day, so there's no days off at the show.

[Tim Howard]

There's no days. Just like when we were playing.

[Landon Donovan]

Just when you're playing, you get so. So at the risk of all the comments flooding in and getting canceled, who's your favorite ever U.S. president? Do you have one?

[Tim Howard]

President?

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah. It's President's Day.

[Tim Howard]

I've only been alive for a short time.

[Landon Donovan]

Well, you don't have to be. That's not in your lifetime. You've read about them, you've learned about them.

[Tim Howard]

Maybe Abraham Lincoln.

[Landon Donovan]

Hey, Blake. It's a good one. It's a good one.

[Tim Howard]

Why do you ask? Is it because all the president stuff out there.

[Landon Donovan]

President's Day.

[Tim Howard]

Oh. Oh, I'm sorry. I'm not the greatest guy.

[Landon Donovan]

No, it's fine. But that's okay. So you're going Abe Lincoln.

[Tim Howard]

Honest Abe.

[Landon Donovan]

I've got a tattoo of jfk, smoking heater. So I just. I'm going jfk. Or him or Teddy. You're into him or Teddy? One or the other. All right. Yeah. Let's rock and roll.

[Tim Howard]

All right. Happy President's Day to. All right. Hope you're enjoying a relaxing day while Timmy and I are grinding over here. As always, follow us on social media, unfiltered soccer, Apple podcast, Spotify, anywhere you get your podcast, leave a review and as always, you can email jordan@feedbackiltered soccer.com. all right, Tim, let's start with an MLS season preview. The season starts this weekend.

[Landon Donovan]

Quick, man, quick.

[Tim Howard]

God, it goes fast, man. Times have changed. Remember, it was just months and months and months. So this weekend, Saturday, FC Cincy versus Atlanta. Be interesting to see how both of those teams come out. Atlanta, obviously, terrible season. So how do they rebound? The headliner is for sure. Lafc, Inter Miami, Saturday night. And then Sunday is la, Galaxy, nycfc. So we'll see how my former club does after having a really bad year. Let's get people caught up real quick on the most important things that happen in the off season. So let's start with my Galaxy. It was a really bizarre off season, right? Because Ricky Pooj was supposed to come back. Everyone was excited. He's Going to be back in 2026. And then we get news that had another surgery and he's going to be out again this year. So the Galaxy made some acquisitions partially because of that, but partially otherwise. They brought in Jao Clouse from St. Louis, striker Eric Tommy, a free agent who was at Kansas City, Matthias Nascimiento from On loan from Botafogo, Jacob Glesness, center back from Philly, and then Justin Hack from nyc. So they'll be different. Do you. If you're Greg Vanny, how are you approaching all of this? Right, because we talked about how influential Ricky Pooj was.

[Landon Donovan]

Well, I think it's a. I think it's a. You and I have talked about this a lot. I think it's a huge sort of moment, not just for the Galaxy, but for Greg Van, a coach who I like and respect and think he's actually. He's. He's incredible. The. The issue for Greg Vanny, which I think he will figure out, is he built this team to play a certain way. And by the way, the way they play was fantastic. Right? They lose Jovovich to Casey, Kansas City, right? Ricky Pooj goes down with an injury, and in fairness, he still tries to play his system because his system works, right? They had a terrible season, and now they sort of have to. Like we've mentioned it on the show, you sort of have to go, like, we love Ricky. We wish him the best. We're gonna try and get him back to his best, but the show is gonna go on without him. And if he comes back to the show and can dance, heck yeah. Amazing. But you cannot, if you're the LA Galaxy, sort of put a team together to go, okay, when Ricky gets back, then we're gonna go again. This team has got to go right from the off, hit the ground running no matter what, no matter whether Guy Poo is fit or not. So I do. I like. I like the acquisitions. I think they'll, you know, I think they'll compete. And I also believe in Greg Vanny as a. As a very good coach to say, okay, I'm gonna. I'm gonna revamp this team. Whether that's. And again, he has shown the ability to tactically be flexible, which I think is massively important for a manager on every level. Talk about every week in the Premier League as well. So just to be able to have a sort of a plan B or. Or, you know, a plan A minus, if you will, just to be able to tweak things, and I think he'll do that.

[Tim Howard]

It's probably going to be his most challenging coaching job because he. You get so used to playing in a certain way, and you're good at that. And so how do you adjust and change? And some managers change every week, right? Like, you know this. You come in every way, and it's a whole new game plan based on your opponent. And so. But with Vanny, it's more about their identity. But you also can't. You're in LA and you have good players. You can't just say, okay, let's just be a defensive team and pack it in. And, like, that's not going to work either. So I'm really fascinated to see not just how they finish, but how they play is going to be fascinating.

[Landon Donovan]

All right.

[Tim Howard]

Our guy, Michael Bradley. Congrats again to you. Michael entering the MLS coaching ranks with Red Bull, it seems. We were talking about this with, with everyone and with Andrew. He is the most accomplished player now to become an MLS head coach, right? Certainly. National team player.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah.

[Tim Howard]

Yeah. You know, go ahead.

[Landon Donovan]

I. I need Michael to do well. I. I don't have it in me to cane him if they don't do well, because I love. I love Michael Bradley. I love him as a friend. I'm. We're. I will. I will. I will try my best to be level. I love Michael Bradley. I'm gonna. I'm gonna blame. If. If they don't do well, I'm gonna blame everybody else but him. But no, he'll do. He'll do. He'll do fine. He'll do great. I think.

[Tim Howard]

No, he won't.

[Landon Donovan]

I think the way the Red Bull system operates, they identify coaches and talent really well and sort of blend those together. So. But again, it's hard, and he's going to have challenges, you know, but if there's anybody equipped for that, it's Michael. I. I also think to the question, you know, we. We were batting this around in, in production, weren't we? Like, is he the most accomplished U.S. men's National Team player to be a head coach? Has to be. Has to be. You know, Stevie Trendelo, you know, is in that conversation. Bur. Halter, you know, Burhalter, Vanny, these are, you know, Robin Frazier, these are guys. But then when you look at Michael and, And, and the Caps and being the captain and all, it's. He has to be. Yeah, I think he has to be, which is exciting.

[Tim Howard]

I mean, I, I love Michael and I just. I really want him to do well. And I will say this. I know you're in New York. And so you, like, you're more around it in la. Red Bull are not a team that people pay attention to. They're just not. Because they don't spend like crazy. They're very much system oriented and they're not bringing in superstars. But I will now pay attention, like very closely and I'll be curious to see how they play. How does Michael put his own spin on sort of the Red Bull way of playing? And that's going to be really fun to watch.

[Landon Donovan]

You know why? I have a lot of confidence in Michael and we obviously know him intimately. He rightfully so, in my opinion. But there will be a lot of people who disagree with me. He jumped the line. Right? He jumped the line. But I would, I would argue. Well, he's had, he's had the schooling. He retired and immediately. Which is the right thing to do if you want to be a coach. Retired and immediately went over and became assistant to Bob. And so he got his coaching badges. He's a leader. Right. And you get that opportunity. The difference is, and the reason I think Michael is equipped is because people will perceive him as having jumped the line. There's gonna be so much hate coming towards him. And as much as I wish him well and you wish him well, people are gonna pray for his downfall. But here's the difference. They've been doing that to Michael Bradley since he broke on the scene. He's not good enough. We don't like him. And guess what? All he's ever done was defy the odds. So I just think mentally he's so sharp and so prepared for all the crap that's gonna come his way, that the football side is gonna be the fun part. So.

[Tim Howard]

And Tim, he. He has the real life experience. Forget about the badges and whatever. Like that is important and that helps you learn and all that. But he's lit. He grew up with a dad who was a coach. Right. So I. The analogy, I would say is I learned more by going to the South Korea, North Korea demilitarized zone and standing there and watching and talking to people than I would have learned in any textbook that I read all year for a class. Right. Like, he's had the real stuff. And so I'm excited for him, rooting for him, and it's going to be fun to watch.

[Landon Donovan]

Totally.

[Tim Howard]

All right, let's move on to everyone's favorite team to love or hate. Inter Miami, man, they had a crazy off season. So obviously Jordy, Albin, Busgetzko, they bring in Berta Rame, the kid who was with Brandon Vasquez at Monterey, he's had kind of a weird career, but he is a really good player. Reggillon came in, defender Facundo Mora came in. Dane Sinclair, reigning goalkeeper of the year. Mikhail on loan from Palmeris and then David Ayala from Portland Timbers. So they have a lot of reinforcements. Is there any way they're better than they were last year based on that? I mean you lose Busquets and Alba, like there's so much leadership there.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah, I mean I think the like reggae on is not Jordy Alba just like. Let me, let me go on record and say that he's not, he's a good player. But I again, I just sort of think until proven otherwise, every really good player or pretty good player is going to play out of their skin and be so scared to death to let Lionel Messi down, which is the effect that he has, that it's hard to sort of bet against them. I do think they're good signings. I think arguably you could say, you know, with, with the players that left and the players that came in, they're probably a better team. I'm not exactly sure how to quantify that, but they're probably a better team. But the team in the past two years won. So, you know, I don't, I don't know. I think that a lot is going to depend, as we've talked about with Messi, makes this team go like if you just extract Messi out of the team.

[Tim Howard]

Right.

[Landon Donovan]

I think, I think they're a good team. But. And so you know this because we've talked about it, the World cup, the World cup hangover, you know, is, is it. Does he kick his last ball for Argentina in July?

[Tim Howard]

Right.

[Landon Donovan]

And is that a, a super high cuz they win or is that they bow out in the quarterfinals and is it a super low? Like what. How does he deal with that going forward? Does that rock him for the next two months? I don't know.

[Tim Howard]

Good point.

[Landon Donovan]

I don't know, you know, because, and, and look, the argument is, the argument is. Well, he's probably got knocked out of games before in tournaments, but it was never his last kick of the ball for Argentina. There was always another. Right. And so.

[Tim Howard]

Right.

[Landon Donovan]

I mean obviously there'll be a, there'll be a send off game or something, right? To celebrate who he is. But I'm saying like, yeah, yeah, but the end. So I don't know how, I don't know how emotionally that works. Yeah, we'll see.

[Tim Howard]

Well, what we do know is it's going to be entertaining because if they collapse and don't do well, everyone's going to love it. And if they keep playing at the level they have, it's just. It's fun to watch.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah.

[Tim Howard]

All right, we're going to appease Andrew here with Philadelphia Union.

[Landon Donovan]

Oh, goodness.

[Tim Howard]

The Supporter Shield winners are going to look much different. It seems like they do this every year.

[Landon Donovan]

Y. Y.

[Tim Howard]

They. They lose Ura. They lose Glas to the Galaxy. Ty Baro leaves, Kai Wagner leaves. But then they always just seem to. To refresh. And so it's going to be really interesting to see how they do. And I'm not giving Andrew any more time than that.

[Landon Donovan]

Can I, can I. Can I sort of throw something at you?

[Tim Howard]

Yeah.

[Landon Donovan]

Is you bet. Was it me or you that bet against Philadelphia last year? It was you, wasn't it?

[Tim Howard]

Me?

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah. That's okay. I wasn't trying to throw you under. Under the Supporter Shield bus. But they do seem to do this. Right. And sometimes when it comes to the Premier League and some of the discussions that I have in the Premier League, which I think we'll get to in this episode, I sort of give a couple of team. Even though I have a hard line on certain opinions, I give a couple teams a pass.

[Tim Howard]

Right.

[Landon Donovan]

Like when it comes to like recruiting, I think when you hire and fire managers, it's idiotic. Like it's a bad business plan. Right. But then when I look at sort of how Brighton operates, right. And we talked about Brighton and the pattern in which they have their next three or four managers lined up and they. And they're happy to sell Caicedo and McAllister and all these players for hundreds of millions of pounds because they have a scouting network and they bring these players. Yeah. So is it like, is Philadelphia sort of the Brighton of MLS without sort of.

[Tim Howard]

Without stating it, like because of their academy. Yeah, just keep, you know, Kevin Sullivan now will play a lot more minute. They're just, they. They keep producing and they believe in it.

[Landon Donovan]

Right.

[Tim Howard]

And they do it. Yeah. So last little piece and I think this will change when the schedule change comes. There was very few like big off season signings and I think team just players don't move in general in January. And this is why MLS is changing to the schedule, but really only Timo Werner to San Jose and then the James Rodriguez menus to Minnesota, not much else. And so it'll be interesting to see, I think, in the summer after the World cup how that all changes. But for now, it's pretty quiet on that front.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah, I'm just. These, these two names just in sort of a phone booth really interest me, like totally. Because I'm going to say something really disrespectful and, and I don't know how else to say it, but Timo Werner couldn't hit a cow's ass with a banjo. I watched him for two seasons at Tottenham literally go through one on one with the goalkeeper and the ball ends up watch. It's hard. Like it's hard to watch. Do you ever get to see a baseball player get the yips and it's hard to watch. And I'm thinking like, I don't even know if. And it almost to the point became comical and I'm like, that's not okay. When it becomes comical, you're like, this is sort of infringing on like someone's personal life kind of thing. And so even though I just said a very disrespectful statement. So does that get better in the mls? I don't know.

[Tim Howard]

I'm betting no. If I had to bet.

[Landon Donovan]

Okay. I don't know. And then James Rodriguez, from a couple people I talked to who are sort of at and around Everton, they're now other places they said to me, look, Tim, if Messi's not on the field, Rodriguez, Rodriguez will be. James Rodriguez will be the best player on every field he touches. And if he. Yeah, I mean I like, I like the fact that I think it's a six month loan. Is that right?

[Tim Howard]

LD I think so, yeah.

[Landon Donovan]

I mean that's the best business Minnesota could have ever done because he'll be super motivated. He'll want to play, want to be fit. Right.

[Tim Howard]

And so could be a win. Win for both. Yeah, yeah, I'll be, I mean, just curious, do you guys think the James and Timo signings in general, they're going to be a hit or miss. Let us know. All right, Tim, let's go quickly through this. So we're calling this onside offside. You either agree with this on side or you disagree with this offside. And just give me a one word answer. If we need to elaborate, we will.

[Landon Donovan]

Okay.

[Tim Howard]

Inner Miami will be more focused on winning this year's CONCACAF Champions cup than the MLS Cup. Onside offside on site.

[Landon Donovan]

Here's why. Quickly. They. They went MLS cup last year, two seasons ago, supporters shield. Yeah, they, they, they said they prioritize that, right?

[Tim Howard]

Yep.

[Landon Donovan]

You and I talked at nauseam and basically said they don't care about anything. Last. Last season. Right. You. And I said they do not care about anything.

[Tim Howard]

That's right.

[Landon Donovan]

But the MLS Cup. And that means Messi has to rest and they have to just barely make the playoffs. Don't matter. They're going to get to the playoffs. They're going to be full strength and botch. They're going to win. So if Jorge Mas is telling us publicly that their priority is the CONCACAF Champions cup, then I'm saying to you, he's trying to do the trifecta and win that. I would imagine there might be some sort of semblance of resting players, prioritizing that tournament, you know, not. Not taking the piss out of the league, but basically saying, like, we got a league game and yet we got a Concaf Champions cup game on the back end of that. We're going to rest, play.

[Tim Howard]

Yeah, Yeah, I think. And it doesn't matter what we think or say. Like, if the owner says it, then that's where the priority is going.

[Landon Donovan]

You agree?

[Tim Howard]

Agreed.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah.

[Tim Howard]

All right. Sonny will win this year's Golden Boot onside, offside.

[Landon Donovan]

Onside.

[Tim Howard]

Really?

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah. Well, you don't have.

[Tim Howard]

With the World cup break.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah, well, maybe. Maybe. Maybe my faith is lower in the other players in the chasing pack.

[Tim Howard]

No.

[Landon Donovan]

Why are you laughing at me? I'm saying.

[Tim Howard]

I don't know.

[Landon Donovan]

Like, okay, so basically, if I. If I think Sonny's going to be amongst the goals. Right. Then it's basically saying he goes away, and then the players in and around him take advantage of that for however many weeks.

[Tim Howard]

Yeah. I don't know how many games it is, actually.

[Landon Donovan]

I know.

[Tim Howard]

I think. I think his teammate Bonga could do it because it's going to be someone who stays behind.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah.

[Tim Howard]

Plays a few extra games.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah.

[Tim Howard]

Against some weakened competition. A little bit. That's what generally would happen in the past in mls. So, like, when we would leave, we're like, oh, shoot, there goes my chance at this or that or that. Because, you know, you're gone four or five or six games. I think MLS takes a break, though, don't they?

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah, they do. That's what I'm saying. That they don't play straight through. Imagine if Timo Werner wins a Golden Boot. I'm going on record now and saying, if he wins a Golden Boot, I might. I might leave the show. I might leave the show. I might. I think. I think the public would have every right to just say, off your pop, Tim, like, you're gone.

[Tim Howard]

That would make Jordan happy. Okay, let's move on. San Diego FC will run into a sophomore slump. I actually say offside. Disagree. And I, and I, I think they're going to be better. I don't know if they'll get better results, but I think Chuki Lozano not being there and if they can move him and bring in somebody good in that spot, I think they'll be better.

[Landon Donovan]

So you are agreeing with this? You're onside.

[Tim Howard]

No. It says they will run into a sophomore staff. And I'm saying, no, they will not.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah, I'm with you. I, I, I'm offside. I disagree. I think they'll, I think they're going to be better or just as good.

[Tim Howard]

Okay. Atlanta United will be MLS's most improved team. They can't be much worse.

[Landon Donovan]

Very much worse.

[Tim Howard]

The other options are like the Galaxy. Houston.

[Landon Donovan]

Right.

[Tim Howard]

Which, who are some of the other Colorado feeders. Colorado.

[Landon Donovan]

I think those four teams could be the most improved.

[Tim Howard]

Toronto.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah.

[Tim Howard]

Toronto's a good shout, too.

[Landon Donovan]

Here's. Can I say they will be the most improved team. I disagree. Offside. Here's why. I just don't. Having known that club through Carlos Bonegra, a friend of ours, dear friend of mine, intimately. I don't, you know, you know me. I'm not a big fan of coming home again. Right. So when Almarone comes back and Tata, you know, when Tata is there, it's like, oh, this was, he brought everything to this club.

[Tim Howard]

Right.

[Landon Donovan]

He, he, that was, that was not, that was before. That was years ago.

[Tim Howard]

Yeah.

[Landon Donovan]

And I'm just not sure that I buy into the idea of like, failed coach after fail coach. Now I got an idea. Let's bring back Tata.

[Tim Howard]

Let's go back to what worked. Yeah.

[Landon Donovan]

So that's it. I mean, not to say that he's not a good coach and Amaron isn't a top player. That is very true. They are. But yeah. So offside, you.

[Tim Howard]

I think it's got to be the Galaxy.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah.

[Tim Howard]

I think it has to be the Galaxy. I think they, they just can't be worried. I mean, it's always, it's always, the line is always based on where you're starting from. Right. I actually think Toronto is a dark horse. I think Toronto used to be, you know, like, in the early days, they were a massive club in MLS and they've just fallen off. They really have to. Where it's like, they're not interesting to me. They're not. And so, but now Robin Frazier had a year under him. They're probably getting back to the point where they're saying like we need to be a big club. This is a World cup year. It's coming to our market. We cannot let this fall apart. So they could be a sneaky one too.

[Landon Donovan]

How about this? Now that you, now that you're talking through it, I mean if they get Josh Sargent, right, If that goes through and he's a 20, he's a 20 goal goal scorer. He scores goals, by the way.

[Tim Howard]

Yeah, he'll be, he would be good in mls.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah, yeah, he scores in the championship. I mean every year he's. Yeah, I, and I, and I do, I think, I think from, from what's coming out of, from what's coming out of Colorado, there seems to be a really good vibe. I think they beat Orlando 4 1. I'm actually headed up to their game. I've got something else going on in Seattle. So I'll be at the Seattle, Colorado game. You know, I will say, I know you talked about your Galaxy. Pat Onstad has put together a sneaky good roster in Houston. So what that looks like, you know, it'll be under the, it'll be under the radar for sure. But it's definitely one that, you know, internally we're excited about. So hopefully results.

[Tim Howard]

I just want these, like the Galaxy are always going to be interesting to me and I think to most people because it's a love hate thing. Same with Inter Miami. I want the, I want Toronto's, I want Houston again because they were such a good run. I want them to be interesting and exciting again. Yeah, no offense to Colorado, but they're, you know, small market, sort of under the radar, whatever. But I just want these teams to be interesting.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah.

[Tim Howard]

So they're fun to watch.

[Landon Donovan]

They were interesting when I was there. Yeah, we beat your Galaxy, allowed a lot of goals.

[Tim Howard]

It's stoppage time. Sponsored by FanDuel. New customers can bet $5 and get 100 in bonus bets. If you win. Download the FanDuel sportsbook app to get started. All right, MLS is back and oh, what a way to be back. LAFC hosting Inter Miami. Tasty, tasty matchup. LAFC with a new coach. Inter Miami with some new players, but still a great matchup here in la. It's going to be a lot of fun. I think in the end the honors are split. I think these teams are both good, but I think a draw sounds right. Of course, Lionel Messi gets on the score sheet. Denny Bawanga also getting on the score sheet. Sunny, of course, came in at the end of last year and the South Korean was electric, but I think Denny Bawanga still underrated, as crazy as that is to say. And I think lots of goals in this game should be a lot of fun. So unfiltered soccer, same game parlay this week. A draw in the game. Over two and a half goals for sure. Denny Bawanga to score or have an assist and Lionel Messi to score or have an assist. Don't forget to check out the full list of unfiltered soccer's same game parlays on our socials later this week. All right, guys, let's take a break. When we come back, let's talk Tyler Adams, Christian Pulisic and much, much more right here on Unfiltered Soccer with Landon and Tim presented by Volkswagen Foreign. The Unfiltered Soccer Podcast is brought to you by Volkswagen. It's really easy to become a passenger in life, to sit back and watch life go by day after day.

[Landon Donovan]

Of course, it's hard to do your own thing when everyone is following everyone else. But this is a call from me and ld, from Volkswagen and from all the other drivers out there. Make the most of every day.

[Tim Howard]

Choose a different path, take control, grab the wheel and get in the driver's seat of life. Because honestly, what are you waiting for?

[Landon Donovan]

Live life in the driver's seat.

[Tim Howard]

Learn [e-mail] Soccer's not slowing down. Big fixtures, derby days, cup clashes and international action are keeping the calendar full. Club or country. The schedule is stacked and you can get in on every match with FanDuel. Right now, new customers can bet $5 and get $100 in bonus bets if you win. That's right, just place a $5 bet and if you win, you'll unlock $100 in bonus bets to use on goal score markets, match result over unders, same game parlays and so much more. As the matches stack up, there's no better time to make your move. Just download the FanDuel sportsbook app to get started. Must be 21 plus and present in select states for Kansas in affiliation with Kansas Star Casino or 18 plus and present in DC, Kentucky or Wyoming. First online real money wager only $5. First deposit required. Bonus issued as non withdrawable bonus bets which expire seven days after receipt. Restrictions apply. See [e-mail] gambling problem. Call 1-800-Gambler or visit fanduel.com rg call 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org chat in Connecticut or visit mdgamblinghelp.org in Maryland. Hope is here. Visit gamblinghelplinema.org or call 800-327-5050 for 24. 7 support in Massachusetts or call 1-877-8-Hopeny8 or text hopeny in New York. My day kicks off with a refreshing Celsius energy drink, then straight to the gym, pre K pickup back home to meal prep. Time for my fire station shift. One more Celsius. Gotta keep the lights on when the three alarm hits. I'm ready. Celsius Live fit. Go grab a cold refreshing Celsius at your local retailer or locate [e-mail].

[Landon Donovan]

All right. LD USMNT on USLNT. Here we go. Let's rock and roll. Some good news, though, on the injury front. Tyler Adams returns to Bournemouth training. That's brilliant. You know what? That's good for Bournemouth and US Men's.

[Tim Howard]

National Team and Tyler and Mr. Pochettino. Yeah. Hopefully he. The real hope is that he is plays at least a couple games and gets into that, that March camp. Right. When you've had it was MCL, right? Yeah. MCLs are hard to come back from because it's a confidence thing because every time you pass a ball, you open up your leg and you feel it. So, like, it takes time to really get comfortable and confident. But I think Tyler's going to be fine and I really, really, I'm going to that March camp. I don't know if you are, but I really want to see this full group. Pochettino has said the World cup starts for me in this March camp and so I know we say it every time, but I expect to see the real team that he's basically going to pick for the World Cup.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah. And just, just another note because you made a good point about sort of opening up your knee and that and that passing. And we both obviously been on teams when players are coming back, sort of return to protocol for knee. It's, it's, it's not the running. Like the running feels good and the pounding. It's also the block tackling. That's the block tackling where slide tackling is easy. Right. It's the ones where you go into the. When you go into the challenge and you're both arriving at the ball.

[Tim Howard]

Well, that's how he got hurt. Right.

[Landon Donovan]

That's how he got hurt.

[Tim Howard]

So you're just going to need to feel that.

[Landon Donovan]

You feel it and feel strong with it. So, yeah, once I see that, I'll be, I'll be delighted.

[Tim Howard]

Yeah, that's really good news. Let's talk about Christian Pulisic, by the way. He was. I was watching the hockey game yesterday. It was. I think it was us, Germany.

[Landon Donovan]

Oh, yeah.

[Tim Howard]

And they showed him in the stands and is it Kenny Albert, the announcer?

[Landon Donovan]

Maybe so.

[Tim Howard]

He's so good. He's hockey announcer. But he was like. And there. He had clearly had no idea who he was. He's like, there is a Christian Pulisic sitting in the house. Like, oh, this guy's not. They just told him what to read, you know. But it was great to see him, just see his face there. And now there are rumblings and I want to get your thought on this. His contract runs with Milan through the summer of next year, 2027, according to reports. There's, you know, signing him as a priority for the club. It should be, unless you're an idiot. But he has not been presented with a formal offer yet, which I think is crazy. You're a year and a few months out and he's going into a World cup. Like, you better tie this guy up. There's been some rumblings of him going to the Premier League and I'm just curious what you think of that. I know I. Yeah, I have. I have thoughts on it, but I'm sure.

[Landon Donovan]

Where is he?

[Tim Howard]

There's been rumors about Liverpool.

[Landon Donovan]

Liverpool United.

[Tim Howard]

United are interested. Arsenal are, quote, monitoring him.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah. So here's what I think when I look at. And I'm going to put him in a very sort of high class here. Okay. Kevin De Bruyne and Mo Salah, we know the finished product. So when I say those names, people are going to go, huh? Those are two of the best players in Premier League history. Right. I remember Kevin De Bruyne at Chelsea. I remember Mo Salah at Chelsea. Right. Weren't good enough, apparently. So they went abroad. I think Mo Salah went to Roma and Kevin De Bruyne went to Werder Bremen. I can't remember. It's off South Pittsburgh.

[Tim Howard]

Bremen. Yeah, one of those. Yeah.

[Landon Donovan]

And they sort of were the player that they were. They were. They gained confidence. They did all the things. They came back to the Premier League and then it was game over. History was written. I sort of feel like that with Christian Pulisic as well, because he was at Dortmund. Right. We get it. It's a big club. He was still young, though. And he then goes to Chelsea. I backed him to the hills at Chelsea. Unfortunately, he didn't get the rub of the green. Went through some different coaches and then he went off. But he sort of reminds me of Mo Salah and Kevin de Bruyne in that he now went off, he's matured and he's older and he's now gone and carried a league. He's carried one of the best teams in the league, right? So he's put AC Milan on his back. He's been the best player in that league. So now I think from the, from the sort of physical football maturity side, he now comes back to the Premier League and gets slotted into a Man United, Liverpool, Arsenal. I think, I think there's actually another level for him. So I like, I personally.

[Tim Howard]

Would it like, would it be better for him to go to like I'm saying, quote unquote, mid table but that has aspiration like a Villa or a team that can get to the get into Champions League. Would it be better so that he's playing all the time? Because when you go to these big clubs, man, like there's two or three guys at your position that are world class players.

[Landon Donovan]

Depends who you are. Landon, I mean if he, if he, if he's, if it's like I said with, about the World cup and the motivation of his, if his eyes are on the prize of saying Landon Donovan, Clint Dempsey, I want to, I want to figure out a way to put them in my wake. I want to be, I want to be set in the same breath as those guys. Then if that's his mentality, I don't know if it is, then he's going to look at this World cup differently, right? If he's saying, I kind of want to be, you know, I kind of want to play every week and be the guy and hey, he can go to a, you know, number six through eight team in the Premier League. But if he's really saying like, no, I've, I've been to the Premier League, I've tasted what it's like at the top at a big club like Chelsea, I want more of that. I need, I got something to prove here. I. Then I don't know, I don't know the mentality but I think he does. I personally would like to see him on these teams. But you also sort of look at, I hear what you're saying, but if I look at Liverpool and if I look at Arsenal juries out on Man United, these are well grooved teams, they really are. They're well run, they're well grooved, they're playing well. So if they're buying him and they're paying a decent fee for him, they have A. They have a plan for him.

[Tim Howard]

Yeah.

[Landon Donovan]

Does that make sense? It's not part of. It's not part of, like, this experiment. Maybe United a little bit, but, like, it's still Man United. And I don't think you can turn that down, personally.

[Tim Howard]

Well, you know my. You know me that how many times do I say or text the grass isn't always greener. Right.

[Landon Donovan]

And.

[Tim Howard]

And I obviously, I do believe that strongly. This is a scenario where I think if he is motivated and wants to go prove it, he is capable of it. Like going to one of these big clubs in England and. And he is capable of doing it. The one hesitation I have, actually, and this is just speaking from personal experience, the physical part of it is a real thing, man. And Christian's. And he's. He's a phenomenal athlete. He is. But some of the athletes in the Premier League are monsters. I mean, monsters. And to do it 35, 40, 45 times a year at that pace is really hard. And we see him break down a little from time. I mean, he's just coming back from a bursitis, you know, whatever. I don't know physically if he could do it every single week for two or three years like some of these guys. Because it's really hard, man.

[Landon Donovan]

What it takes. Yeah. That's what it takes. I give you that. But look, the thing is, I think he keeps himself really fit. Sometimes injuries are unlucky. Look, that happens. I get it. What I would say is credit to him and his team because he's in a really good position re sign ASA and become a club legend at arguably one of the biggest clubs in the world or go to a, you know, one of the top three biggest clubs in. In the Premier League. So good decision to have.

[Tim Howard]

And by the way, we. We talk about this and this summer, if he does what. Even if he just does what we expect him to do.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah.

[Tim Howard]

Which is maybe score a few goals, lead the US if he exceeds that, this guy's like, who would not want to sign a top American start just from a marketing, branding. Plus what he can do on the field. He's going to have all the leverage. So he does that, the world's his oyster.

[Landon Donovan]

Totally.

[Tim Howard]

Okay. So some interesting news came out from concacaf. They revealed the World cup qualifying process and what it's going to look like. I'm not going to get into all the nitty gritty details. The reality is now six teams from this region will qualify and the seventh team will go to an intercontinental playoff. So part of the not fallout, but part of the. What happens with the expansion of the World cup to 48 teams is now there are six CONCACAF teams. So if you think back in, like, the hexagonal in our days, you could finish last and still qualify for the World Cup. Right. So it's virtually impossible for the US And Mexico not to qualify now. But the other virtual impossibility, sadly, is it doesn't look like the US And Mexico will ever play again. The. In qualifying. The final round of qualifying will now be three groups with four teams each, and likely it'll be U. S. Mexico, and right now Canada. That will be top of those groups. And then everyone else will fill in, and then the top two teams will go.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah. So I'm so baffled by this. Like, how did U. S. How did U. S. Soccer Federation and the Mexican Football Federation, like, maybe they had to agree to it, but, like, both. Both federations have been built off the back of that game historically. I mean, it's crazy. I guess the friendly.

[Tim Howard]

Well, I'll tell you why, tim. Because in 2018, the US didn't qualify.

[Landon Donovan]

For the World Cup.

[Tim Howard]

And I remember talking to Rich, my agent, and I was like, what do you think the financial fallout is? And he was like, hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of millions of dollars by the US not being in the World Cup. So, yes, they want that game, but more importantly, they want them both in the World Cup.

[Landon Donovan]

Okay, so that's a simple answer. That's true. So explain this to me then. Concacaf, you said, gets six teams, and then a seventh goes to a playoff.

[Tim Howard]

Correct.

[Landon Donovan]

Okay, I'm. I'm on record as saying CONCACAF should never, never get seven teams to the World Cup. No, I'm not saying that's. I'm not.

[Tim Howard]

What if there's 100 teams in the World Cup? Okay, still no.

[Landon Donovan]

I'm. You know. You know how I feel about this.

[Tim Howard]

I love.

[Landon Donovan]

You know, I love CONCAF because that's our region.

[Tim Howard]

You just don't care about the little countries. I'm a man of the people. I care about every country.

[Landon Donovan]

I care about the beautiful game. Not the game you're gonna call in Houston that's gonna be nine nothing.

[Tim Howard]

Germany, carousel.

[Landon Donovan]

I don't care about that game. That's not important to me. So. And it shouldn't be important to anybody else.

[Tim Howard]

Okay, but let me. Let me play devil's advocate, Karisa. I don't know what you get for going to a World World cup as a federation. Tens of millions, hundred million dollars. I don't know. Whatever it Is, don't you think that gives them an opportunity now going forward to, like, really now that whether they spend it that way or not or like, what happens to that money, who knows? But doesn't that give them an opportunity to build infrastructure, like create youth systems and, and help them. Not sound like I work for FIFA, huh?

[Landon Donovan]

Not at our. Not at our. And I say our as in our. Our global, Our global showcase soccer event. No, because what I would say to you is if you want to boost small island football federations, there's a company in Switzerland that has a lot of money. They can give that money and help boost smaller countries.

[Tim Howard]

That's how to this level, they can give them a few million dollars. But I, you know, like, what you get for qualifying for a World cup changes. It's like when you talk about the FA cup and like playing in a way tie against United that funds those little clubs for six years like this will fund Curacao soccer forever, I guess. Assuming again. Assuming the money goes to the right place.

[Landon Donovan]

All right, so. So you're. You're okay with. And I'm not being facetious, I promise you're okay with Curacao making it, getting the windfall of the money, which we know is brilliant. And they get absolutely smoked for three games. I mean, on aggregate, it's. It's like 20 goals against to like two scored. You're saying happy days. I'm saying absolutely effing not. That does not excite me at all. That's what I'm thinking.

[Tim Howard]

I'm not saying that excitement. I'm trying to see the big picture.

[Landon Donovan]

You're a man of the people. You've taken over my title.

[Tim Howard]

It's clearly the, the people respect what I. I'm, I'm all for the little person. We'll see. I mean, we'll see. But the reality is is what we're talking about is us Mexico will probably not play in qualifying.

[Landon Donovan]

Crazy.

[Tim Howard]

If for some reason the US And Mexico now do not qualify for a World cup, every player should be fired, have to retire, and the coaches should never coach again. Bro, here's what this is like a cakewalk now.

[Landon Donovan]

But the statement you just said will never happen. US, the US they could send their under 23. You know, our under 23 team stinks. Like ever since beginning, we've qualified like two Olympics in the last, I don't know, 80 years. Right? They should, they should say our, our under 23s don't get enough good games. They should just send the under 23 team for the US going to happen.

[Tim Howard]

The last game or two, the last game or two of that, like round robin, they're probably already going to be.

[Landon Donovan]

Qualified and you can just play there. You're going to. I mean, this is amazing. I mean, us and Mexico will qualify forever.

[Tim Howard]

Right. Which is what everyone wants. Right, Sorry.

[Landon Donovan]

Absolutely.

[Tim Howard]

All right. What do you guys think? Are you guys sad? Happy?

[Landon Donovan]

Our fans are definitely going to be sad, yeah.

[Tim Howard]

I mean, this game. Think about what this game did for just our careers and the experience and they're so amazing. So amazing. All right, let's move on to the Premier League. Really curious to hear your thoughts on all of this. Manager changing. So just a quick note for everybody. This is from the Athletic. Connor o' Neal from the Athletics says after a pair of February firings this week, There have been four Premier League sackings already in 2026. We're in February, the most ever seen across the first two months of a calendar year. The eight sacked. Eight. Eight managers have been sacked so far in 2025, 26. And they lasted an average of 319 days. So not even a year. So Tottenham Forest, Chelsea, and who's the fourth this year?

[Landon Donovan]

Man United.

[Tim Howard]

Was that this year?

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah.

[Tim Howard]

That sounds crazy.

[Landon Donovan]

I think.

[Tim Howard]

Just give me your. Just give me your general thoughts on. On this because I find it so fascinating. You lived it so much and it just doesn't happen in MLS because there's no threat of relegation. There's no. You need to make the Champions League to get a lot of money. So there's. There's. There's just less at stake in that way.

[Landon Donovan]

I don't know. We talked. We talked at nauseam about. About Man United, right, And Amarim and how they, how they could have. Should have spoken and had better communication and all the things. I think it's crazy, man. I think it's. I. I genuinely think it's ludicrous. I think it's a horrific way to run a football club. I will give you the caveat when it's time, but when I. But like Tottenham, Tottenham's a big club, man. One of my best friends supports Tottenham. Some jabronis on this show behind the scenes are cheering. They support Tottenham as well, our producers. But it's sort of like Thomas Frank is a good manager, right? This is what I expect from the board and from ownership, okay? Because Daniel Levy, who used to be the chairman there, he'd sit up in the stands straight faced and I know people love him or hate him. He took the stick and he stood by people and when it was time for someone get sacked, he'd sack him. But you bring in Thomas Frank. Right? Okay. Results aren't great and I get that.

[Tim Howard]

Well, that's an understatement, by the way.

[Landon Donovan]

I know, I know. I get it. LD when results aren't great, you sort of are at the mercy of some, you know, some things. But he's had it. He's at arguably his best players out this season. Right.

[Tim Howard]

Also true. Yeah.

[Landon Donovan]

A lot of them. Like a lot of them.

[Tim Howard]

Yeah.

[Landon Donovan]

And should. Should the player. Should the. The squad that he has be getting better results? Yes. My issue, LD and I'll get to Forrest in a second is what you. Thomas Frank's a good manager. Give him more time. I don't care that there's some guy in the stands with, with a scarf that says Thomas Frank out or bored out, like he can go do one. Thomas, stand by your manager. Say, you know what? Thomas Frank is a good manager. Results haven't been good enough. But by the way, we spent a ton of money on this squad and half of them haven't been fit. We're going to. And just be up front and say, we're going to. We're going to analyze and dissect Thomas Frank and result. They're not going down. So we're going to analyze this. Yeah, okay. When he has everybody fully fit. But, but we expect Tottenham to finish in the top half of the. Of the table. You give a mandate.

[Tim Howard]

But don't you. Don't you think that happened? Don't you think that conversation happened?

[Landon Donovan]

No, I don't. I don't. And, and by the way, they sacked. They sacked a manager. All the good managers are going to be available in the summer. So, so what have you. Like, what have you done? Igor Tudor is going to come in and do what he's going to do. What he's going to get you. I. Three, four places. I would argue Thomas Frank will help this team finish exactly where Igor Tudor helps them finish. And if you're like, you ain't good enough, sack him at the end of the season and then get one of the man, one of the five World cup managers that are going to be in vogue. What have you done? Why have you sacked him? Give him an opportunity to continue to earn his keep and get players back. I hate it. I hate it.

[Tim Howard]

And yeah, there's also a financial piece too, like spending a lot of money by. Okay, go on to force.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah, but, but the forest bit and I blame. I put a ton of the blame on The Tottenham players. But I blame the Forest players. And here's why. This is chaotic. So Marinak is the owner at Forest has had four managers this season, okay? He's had Nuno before, Deitch, it was Ans Pasta Koglou, Deitch, and now Vetro Pereira. Four managers. That means there's no plan. There's zero plan. So. So the team that I give the. The pass to always is Brighton, right? Because they have. They scout their managers and they have their next four managers lined up, okay? So if one of their managers is so freaking good that he gets bought by a bigger club, no problem, go. We'll bring the next manager through. If something isn't working right and we have to sack a manager, no problem. We bring the next manager through. There is no Planet Forest. And here's what owners don't understand. So Marinakis rules with an iron fist. The stories are rampant. Here's what owners Marinakis does not understand. And you, you get this when you continually sack the manager for players underperforming, those underperforming players will continue to underperform. If you back your manager and go, we spent 200, 300 million on this squad. This squad is better than teetering on relegation. All of you, sort yourself out. I ain't sacking a manager. I'm not getting you out of jail free. So guess what? Vitor Pereira comes in, fill in the blank, they maybe get a new manager bounce. I've never managed a day in my life. Forrest could get a new manager bounce from me if I went in, right? Once that dissipates, what do you think is gonna happen with this team? Think they're gonna play for the manager like Marinakis has just given and has continued to give this squad that he put together an out, Just gives him an out. And so I. The only. The only time this has ever really worked on a. On a massive level, okay, has been Roman Abramovich's Chelsea. He bought the best players in the world, ld, Shevchenko, Balik Drogba, John Terry, Obi Mikel, Robin, Eden Hazard. He bought the best players in the world, ld and said, it's my team. And then when you get a tune out of them and you win the Champions League and one of my players comes in and goes, sack this guy. I'll sack him off and I'll bring somebody else in and they'll win the Premier League. When you're done with him, he had the best collection of players in the world. Guess what? Forrest is not the best collection of players in the world. Okay, so maybe you can make an argument for Todd Bowley's Chelsea. What I would say, because Todd Bowley basically said, I'm going to pick the players with. With the sporting directors under me and then the manager. Managers are going to be disposable. Right. My argument to that is, is he picking. Is he buying the best players in the world? Maybe he's buying the best young players in the world. And he's creating. And he Creating a business like nobody else has. So that's sort of the caveat. When he hires and fires. I have a little bit more. I don't like it, but I'm a little bit more like, all right, this is a. This is a business. They're going to finish in the top four. They're going to win what? They win the Club World cup and one of the Europa Cups. So I'm okay with that. I'm not okay with it at Tottenham. And I'm not. And I'm not trying to speak out of both sides of my mouth here, but I'm not okay with it at Forest. I mean, it's crazy to me. So Pereira comes in. Who's to say he's going to last a year? I don't know. No idea.

[Tim Howard]

This is really interesting. On the Forest piece, I didn't think about that from the player's perspective. Perspective. It's easy then to say, yeah, we weren't the problem manager, it was the man, it was the manager. Right. And so that. Let me just say something about the Thomas Frank thing. So. And we've talked about that. We touched on this, about the changing ecosystem of managers around the world. You have these clubs who want to bring in, like a big figure who takes care of everything. But the clubs who are consistently performing and succeeding, that are not spending the same money are the ones who have a plan.

[Landon Donovan]

Yes.

[Tim Howard]

And they cycle through managers in a. They don't fire them. It's like when the manager's time to move on, they let them move on because they have the next guy that Brad Shorts brightens. We've talked about.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah.

[Tim Howard]

The other side of that is you said Thomas Frank is a brilliant manager, and I agree. But I think Thomas Frank is a brilliant manager in that system, in the Bradford system. When you take a manager like that out of that and now you bring them to a club where it's. You don't have the infrastructure. I'm saying from a strategic standpoint, of course you have resources at Tottenham, then what happens? And we saw this a bit like this. Is a bit what happened with Jesse Marsh, too, at Leeds. Right. He goes through the Red Bull system, and everywhere he goes, he succeeds. Why? One, because he's in that system. And two, everywhere he was, they had the best players in the league. So you're going to suc. And I'm not saying Jesse Mars is a bad coach, but then you go to a club where that's not how it works, and then it's hard to be successful. And so I, I think this is going to happen more and more. I bet you we see more and more of this. These coaches are good, but they're good in that system. And then you take them out of that. And how. Who are they without that infrastructure and that help.

[Landon Donovan]

Sure. And. And look, I, I.

[Tim Howard]

Because that's a totally different job.

[Landon Donovan]

I get it. And, and grand, Grand. Potter went through it when he went.

[Tim Howard]

That's right. When he went from Chelsea. Who's the other one? To Serbia.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah, yeah.

[Tim Howard]

But, like, how many of those guys have then been successful somewhere else?

[Landon Donovan]

And I'm not. Look, I'm not. I'm not trying to give Thomas. Thomas Franken out. I'm not. I'm simply saying I do truly believe he was. He was hamstrung a little bit because he had so many players. Like, he had his best players out literally at his best play. So we don't even know. So. So Thomas Frank went to a big club with big players and he didn't manage them. He.

[Tim Howard]

He.

[Landon Donovan]

So I don't even know if he can manage at that level.

[Tim Howard]

This is my point, though, right? Like, he was in a system that worked for him. You see it in the NFL, you know, like, these guys are in a system and they go somewhere else, and all of a sudden it's like they fall apart. And I. And I don't think people put enough stock into that. I think people think, oh, he's a good manager. Well, let's see why he's a good manager. There's. Has he done it in another way at a top level in this. I mean, it's. I think it's a real thing, and I think we're going to see more and more of it because more teams now, Chelsea, are going to. We're hiring head coaches, not managers. Right. And so you need someone in the system who knows what they're doing.

[Landon Donovan]

It's just.

[Tim Howard]

It's an interesting thing to pay attention to. All right, Timmy, it's time for the unfiltered refresh. Sponsored by Coors Light. Choose chill. Get cool. Coors light delivered. Go to coorslight.com USLNT who chose chill this week. It is our man Patrick ajamong scored his 10th. Yes, you heard that right, Tim. 10th goal, double digits of the season for Darby county and their win over Swansea. He's now tied. I didn't realize this. With a number of other guys for sixth in goals in the championship, Darby also now are sixth in the league. I didn't know how this was going to go, Tim. When he first went, I was sort of unsure. But we're starting to see a parallel between good MLS strikers and it translating into the championship. And we're also hopefully going to see the same inverse with Josh Sargent hopefully going to Toronto. But Ajamong's been fantastic. I know we keep pushing for him to definitely be a part of this World cup squad. And I think if you're Pochettino now, you're looking at him going, I got to have this guy in my squad.

[Landon Donovan]

Well, look, Patrick Adjemong. I was right. That's what I get from this segment. I was right. He was in the Gold Cup. And I remember people sort of feeling like the jury was out with him. And you remember, there was something about him that I just thought he gets. Yes. Do I think he is the most clinical striker I've ever seen? No, and I mentioned that at the time, but he is someone who needs a couple of chances. But at the same time, he gets himself in dangerous positions. He harasses defenders, he bullies them, he makes them make mistakes, and he gets his goals. And so I'm just glad to see, as you said, sort of the translation to the championship, you know, 10 and 28. I'm looking at this now. I'm saying Patrick goes head down, get 15 right. And. And I think you can do it. You start getting there. And. And look, by the way, if the season ended today, he's had himself a really good first season. Okay, I'm. I'm. I'm being greedy here. Go get 15.

[Tim Howard]

Y.

[Landon Donovan]

Go get 15. Keep knocking that door down. Because fact of the matter is, ld. I mean, look, he's at. He's at Darby County. That's great. But there's more. There's levels. And he can continue to go because you know this. If you score goals, people will. People will take chances on you. They'll spend money on you. Like, this is who he wants to be.

[Tim Howard]

And if they go up, he's the type of guy they would keep, right? Like, yes, you have to go get some top strikers, but they would keep him.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah.

[Tim Howard]

All right.

[Landon Donovan]

So. So do you think he's. So if you're saying Flo Baligan is the number one striker on national, does this start to put into the.

[Tim Howard]

Depending on what Pepe does, I think he's close to 2. And I think he's, you know, with Haji Wright, probably number three. But I like.

[Landon Donovan]

I like our. I like our four strikers.

[Tim Howard]

Me, too. Congrats to you. He. The best thing I can say is he always impacts the game. He really does. So cheers to you, Patrick. Ajamong for choosing Chill. Okay, that was fun. Let's take a break. When we come back, we will get into all your questions in the AT&T fan connection with Junior right here on Unfiltered Soccer with Landon and Tim. As always, presented by Volkswagen.

[Landon Donovan]

Foreign.

[Tim Howard]

This episode is brought to you by Airbnb. Happy New Year, my friend. Time to ring in 2026, the year of soccer right here in the U.S. happy New Year.

[Landon Donovan]

LD 2026 is going to be amazing, but you and I are going to have to put in some miles this year. There's so much going on. Not just this summer, but all year.

[Tim Howard]

Yeah. I love it, though, man. Getting to travel to see soccer all over the country, all over the world. World. It's one of my favorite things to do. Sitting with people in the bar, hanging out. I meet so many incredible people. They remind me why I got into the sport in the first place. They're so passionate, welcoming. They love this game the same way I do.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah, I completely agree. Not only do I love getting to travel to meet local fans, I love meeting people who are also traveling from somewhere else to support their club or their country's national team. It's very cool watching this sort of soccer culture swap between the home and away fans at a game. They bring the spirit of the game wherever they go.

[Tim Howard]

Yes, they do. And that got me thinking. What if these soccer ambassadors could turn their homes into an opportunity while they're away? If you're traveling to support your favorite team, let your home play its own role by hosting it on Airbnb. It's an easy way to earn a little extra. Whether that means saving up for your next international match or helping your kids chase their own soccer dreams, your home.

[Landon Donovan]

Might be worth more than you think. Find out how [e-mail] host LD we got a big year coming up, man. Huge year. The obviously, the run into the Premier League title, MLS starting back up. There's a big, big summer of soccer going on, you and I are going to say that we'd be busy or we're going to be busy is probably an understatement. It's going to be chaos. We're going to be here, there and everywhere. We. I know you and I will find the time. I'm going to have to find lots of time to choose chill between crossing the country, being on all these different flights. I'll definitely, you'll catch me in the airport, pointing up to the bar, having a Coors Light. And then to be honest, in my off time, I'll be at the beach any, literally any single moment. Ld that I'm not doing something for the World cup, which is not a lot of days, but I will be at the beach and I will have a cooler full of Coors Light.

[Tim Howard]

Yeah, I mean it's, it's already started. As you know, I was in Vail this weekend in the heart of the Rockies, by the way, doing an appearance and you just. We're going to be traveling a lot. We're going to be seeing each other a lot. We're going to be meeting a lot of fans and people and we want to take advantage of it and enjoy it. But I keep reminding myself, I told my wife last night, like, we got to find ways to chill and choose chill so that I can stay energized, refreshed. It's going to be few and far between, but if we don't, we're going to have, we're going to have some problems. So thankfully we can choose chill. Grab a Coors Light, relax and make sure we're staying refreshed.

[Landon Donovan]

And when you embrace a chill mindset this year, it's a good time to choose chill and crack open a Coors Light. Choose chill from the start and reach for a Coors Light. Get Coors Light delivered straight to your door. Visit Coors Light.com UFS or you can find it pretty much anywhere that sells beer.

[Tim Howard]

Celebrate responsibly Coors Brewing company Golden, Colorado.

[Landon Donovan]

There'S nothing better than feeling like someone has your back and that things are going to get done even without you having to ask. Like your crisp new jersey waiting for you in the locker room or a perfectly set up wall for a free kick.

[Tim Howard]

Yeah. As we unfiltered soccer get ready for next summer, we know that very little in the beautiful game is guaranteed. But as we prepare to bring our unfiltered brand of non stop soccer coverage, it's good to know AT&T has your back. With the AT&T guarantee, staying connected matters.

[Landon Donovan]

That'S why, in the rare event of a network outage, AT&T will proactively credit you for a full day of Service. That's the AT&T guarantee.

[Tim Howard]

Learn more at att.com guarantee AT&T connecting changes everything.

[Landon Donovan]

Credit for fiber downtime lasting 20 minutes or more or a wireless downtime lasting 60 minutes or more caused by a single incident impacting 10 or more towers must be connected to impacted towers at onset of outage. Restrictions and exclusions apply. See att.com guarantee for full details. It's time for the Fan connection, presented by AT&T. Every week, we invite you, the listener, to connect with us by submitting your questions at. @&t. Connecting changes everything. And on USLNT, our connections with you will help grow the game. Time for the AT&T fan connection. JR talk to us. How are you?

[Junior]

Welcome in Wonderful. How are you guys?

[Tim Howard]

Happy birthday, Junior.

[Junior]

Thank you.

[Landon Donovan]

Happy birthday. How old are you, Junior? You know, tell the public. No, we're just keeping that.

[Junior]

Never ask a lady how old.

[Landon Donovan]

I just did. And, you know, it's fine. It's amazing. Happy birthday. What was the best present you got? I know you get presents all the time.

[Junior]

I. I don't. This is a really hard question. I don't want to pass.

[Landon Donovan]

All right. What was the flavor? Cake. Did you have cupcakes cake?

[Junior]

Oh, I always get Carvel ice cream cake.

[Landon Donovan]

I love that about you. It's so northeast. There's people on the podcast going, can.

[Tim Howard]

I ask our listeners to send gifts to Jordan for her birthday? And then next week you tell us which one was the best?

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Junior]

Okay.

[Landon Donovan]

Amazing. Love that Carvel ice cream cake. That's so good. Isn't it the whale.

[Junior]

Oh, Fudgy. The whale. No, we just get like a regular cake shaped one.

[Landon Donovan]

Fudgy.

[Junior]

I know the name.

[Landon Donovan]

Landon has. No idea.

[Tim Howard]

Zero.

[Junior]

I was actually saying to Landon before Tim, you. You joined before he was asking me what I did this weekend. And I actually got a tattoo on Friday and it's like an old school gramophone. And 1999 by Prince is coming out of the gramophone, but it's not playing a record. It's playing a Carvel ice cream cake, which is just.

[Landon Donovan]

Please send me a picture. That's amazing. I was going to get a Friday 13th tattoo and I just balked. I was. I just got too busy.

[Junior]

We have to get some unfiltered soccer tattoos.

[Landon Donovan]

I think I'm down. Yeah, I'll get Landon's signature. I'm a butt. Landon's signature. On my butt just because that's what we did. It's party tats.

[Junior]

Party.

[Tim Howard]

So stupid.

[Landon Donovan]

I'll do it.

[Junior]

Landon's not tattooed enough for party tattoos.

[Landon Donovan]

Timo Verner wins the Golden Boot. Okay, I'll get a landing.

[Junior]

Somebody slapping a cow with a banjo is what Tim's getting.

[Tim Howard]

There you go. Yeah, that'd be good. Still.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah, it's amazing.

[Junior]

All right, let's start with a comment. This one's from Dan via email. He says, I absolutely love the podcast and would love to know if you guys will be doing a UK tour.

[Tim Howard]

What do you think? Because.

[Landon Donovan]

Shout.

[Junior]

By the way, Dan, please write us back and let us know where in the UK you are so we can start there.

[Tim Howard]

It's very important.

[Landon Donovan]

That's a Jordan question. Would I do live podcasts in the uk?

[Tim Howard]

Yes, I would. Okay.

[Junior]

Okay, here's a question. This is a great question, and I hope that the two of you can answer this question. This one is from Jeff via email. Jeff says. Heard it a few times on the show. What's the acronym USLNT stand for?

[Tim Howard]

Oh, really?

[Landon Donovan]

They don't know that?

[Junior]

I don't. I don't know, but apparently Jeff doesn't.

[Tim Howard]

All right, Jeff. Unfiltered soccer with Landon in. In. Tim not in. And Tim, what people don't know is that the real name of the show is uslnt. And Junior set myself up for this, and Jordan Rieri. So that's the real name. We're working on our rebranding right now, but that will be going at some point.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah, it's unfiltered soccer. Landed in Tim Boom Bosch.

[Junior]

I just really like the fact that the acronym sounds like USM and T, which is we talk about all the time.

[Tim Howard]

Oh, is that why they did that?

[Landon Donovan]

You're taking the piss, are you?

[Tim Howard]

Yes, I am. Of course.

[Landon Donovan]

Oh, I'm about to say bro. I just figured that was President's Day. I mean, Jesus.

[Junior]

Landon's technically on vacation right now, so.

[Landon Donovan]

When is he not on vacation? He's at home.

[Tim Howard]

My kids have been home for a week. I am not on vacation.

[Junior]

Okay, speaking of USM and T, let's talk about a national team question. This one is from Gerson via Twitter. Slash X looks like person with a G at the beginning. So I'm sorry if you're saying your name wrong. The question is, what are your predictions for the upcoming friendly matches? My opinion is that elite teams like Portugal, Germany, and Senegal will reveal all the weaknesses of this U.S. men's National Team. The ball don't Lie and Potch can run, but he will not be able to hide. Triple G was exposed by Columbia.

[Tim Howard]

Sounds like a big fan of the national team. Who is.

[Landon Donovan]

Who is exposed?

[Tim Howard]

Triple G. Triple Greg or Halter. It's a great. It's a. It is a good question. I think. I think we're going to perform well in these games. He left out Belgium too. I think we're going to perform well. Part of it too is I don't know how much these teams put stock in these games. Like the Belgium germs, Belgians, Germans. I don't know how much they're. Portugal. I don't know. It's. It's hard to know. Like, they're probably thinking, I don't want to get hurt. I don't want to, you know, and they don't have that same mentality right now that they're all a little on edge like our national team guys, because they want to start, they want to impress Pochettino. So I don't know how much they'll put into it, but I think our guys will perform well. I don't know about results, but I think we'll perform well.

[Landon Donovan]

So. So hang on. So it's Portugal, Belgium, Belgium, Germany, Senegal. Senegal and Germany. Ld, I think you know this more than anybody because you've lived it. This is going to. The opinion and the game within a game is going to be all over the place because here's what I think is going to happen. To your point, we don't know, you know, is Portugal going to show up with everybody? If Portugal shows up with everybody and they. And they turn the screw.

[Tim Howard]

Yeah.

[Landon Donovan]

Then it's going to be a tough game. Really tough game. So do I think the us The US can perform really well against a top team with their best players versus our best players. Dare I go down this road again? I don't know.

[Tim Howard]

Right.

[Landon Donovan]

But, yeah, but I do. I think they can take the ball at times and weather the storm. Sure. Now, does Portugal or Belgium or Germany do that for 60 minutes and then they call off the dogs and then we have a bit more of the game and now the game's, you know, the score sort of evens itself out and we walk away from it going, oh, we had spells. Yeah, maybe. But I think it'll be all over. If I had to say in those four games, I think we can play well and beat Belgium. I think we can play well and beat Senegal. And then depending on who Portugal is on the day and who Germany is on the day, I think we're gonna have moments where we suffer, which is okay, by the way. That's not a problem. So that would be my take. But again, there's gonna be so many sort of narratives and subplots within these games because of what you said.

[Tim Howard]

What I love about this though, and a shout out as always to Tom King, who helps put, helps bring these things together at U.S. soccer. All of these games are basically round of 32, round of 16 quarterfinal games, right? So like if and when we get out of the group, this is exactly what we're going to see. We're going to see a Belgium or Senegal or we're going to see these teams and if you get past 32, you're going to see another one of them. And so we're going to know, we're going to find out a lot for sure.

[Junior]

Can I ask a follow up question?

[Tim Howard]

Always.

[Junior]

So I guess my thought, Landon, when you said your answer first is why are we assuming that these four countries aren't having their own roster battles where people are trying to make their way onto the World cup roster and could potentially be. Because like I hear what you're saying about like, you know, if they're not going to bring certain people with them, then maybe the game is going to be what it is. But like there may, especially for countries who have deep rosters, I feel like there's even more competition to try to actually make it onto the squad. And this is going to be those guys last opportunity to make a showing too. Right?

[Tim Howard]

Here's why we didn't go through qualifying. We, these teams have had the same, we didn't go through afcon, African nations cup that Senegal just went through. These teams have played the majority of their same players for the last few years. They didn't have a coaching change. Correct me if I'm wrong, any of these teams have a coaching change in the last few years so that that like that urgency and didn't go through like the roller coaster ride our team has gone through where we were really bad last summer. And so now like everyone's a little bit on eggshells, which I think is good. So there's all these dynamics going in, plus we're at home, plus it's a home World Cup. There's just more that goes into the psyche for our team than these teams.

[Landon Donovan]

Let me, let me also jump on the back of that. And this is. Nobody listening to this podcast will want to hear this. These teams, I mean barring like Thomas Mueller or whomever, these teams don't have Any players playing in mls, Right. So all of these teams are traveling. All of them are traveling. So if you look at Senegal as an example, well, probably not the best example, but Portugal, I mean, we do know, by the way, to Atlanta's point, we could, we could probably name what, 9, 10 of their starters because they're like household names. So are all of those players traveling across the ocean to come play here? Because I would guarantee, I don't know their schedule and someone can give it to me and I'll hold my hand up if I'm wrong. I can guarantee that on the run in to the World cup, four or five games, the US Playing the US Men is probably not their hardest game. Blasphemous, disrespectful. I'm just saying, I've lived that as a player.

[Tim Howard]

I've lived there.

[Landon Donovan]

So are we going to see Portugal's best team? Are we going to see Belgium's best team? I will see.

[Tim Howard]

And if you do see their best team, are they motivated? Like, are they really worried about dying for a result that day the way we are? No. The answer is no. So.

[Junior]

Okay. This question is from Ben via email. Greetings from Ireland.

[Tim Howard]

Greetings, Ben.

[Junior]

Other side of the pond. Questions coming in this week. Ben says, I love the podcast. It's a great insight into how rapid the sport is growing in a country where it wasn't traditionally one of the top three sports. I'm curious for you both, but especially for Tim, with his time in the Premier League, who is the best Irish player you have ever played with or against during your careers? We had a legendary keeper in Shay Given, I imagine he's someone you would have a lot of respect for being in the goalkeepers union. Who else comes to mind?

[Landon Donovan]

What's, what's, who's our Irish fan? What's his name?

[Junior]

Ben.

[Tim Howard]

Ben.

[Landon Donovan]

Ben. Ben. I am, I am not a card carrying member of the.

[Tim Howard]

Such a lie.

[Landon Donovan]

That's, that's the biggest myth in the world. Goalkeepers stick together. We can't wait for the other guy's downfall. Yeah, the answer is easy. It's like when Bill Belichick gets asked who's the best player he's ever coached? And he scoffs at it because it's Lawrence Taylor. It's, you know, for me it's Roy Keane. He's the greatest Irish player in history. I played with some good Irish players, you know, James McCarthy, Aiden McGee, who had just magical feet. But like, the best of the best is Roy Keane, hands down.

[Tim Howard]

I'm very disappointed you didn't say Seamus Coleman Shaming. I love that guy.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Tim Howard]

Seamus is certainly up there, isn't he?

[Landon Donovan]

Top two. I mean, you know, I mean, he's.

[Tim Howard]

Going to be president of the country one day.

[Landon Donovan]

He should be talking about one of the greatest human beings in the world.

[Tim Howard]

He's amazing. For me, real easy. Robbie Keane. Not even close. Yeah. Yeah, not even close.

[Landon Donovan]

Amazing. Yeah. You got some of the best of Robbie.

[Tim Howard]

Yeah.

[Junior]

Shall we do a new rule?

[Tim Howard]

Oh, yes.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah. Okay. So I always forget about the new rules.

[Tim Howard]

I don't.

[Junior]

Me neither. Because at this point, I think we're getting more of them than actual questions, so.

[Tim Howard]

Well, at some point, like, the new rules already are ridiculous. And then they've all been used, so it gets even more ridiculous, which is.

[Junior]

That is a great tee up to this week's question. Landon, this one is from Leonard via email. Instead of a new rule, how about bringing back an old rule? In 1863, the Football Association's first laws of the game allowed field players to catch the ball. You could not run with it or throw the ball, but a player could make what they called a, quote, fair catch, and then he could take a free kick from that spot. Wild. Right? What do you think about bringing that back?

[Tim Howard]

That means the ball would have to be in the. Like, you can't pick it up if it's rolling on the ground.

[Junior]

No, it has to be.

[Tim Howard]

That's why they call it a fair catch in football.

[Landon Donovan]

Huh?

[Tim Howard]

In the NFL. Well, I bet that's where that came from, because he said it would be. Was. Is he saying they used to call it a fair catch?

[Junior]

He put it in quotes, so I'm assuming.

[Tim Howard]

Or was he referencing the rule? Was he referencing the NFL?

[Junior]

I don't know.

[Tim Howard]

Maybe.

[Junior]

Leonard, email us back and let us know. We'll put it in the comments.

[Landon Donovan]

If I'm on opposite team of land and he kicks it in the air, I run and snatch out of the air. I have to put it down and I get the free kick.

[Junior]

Yeah.

[Landon Donovan]

Oh, happy days. That's. That's wild. I think there is a sport. It's Australian Rules Football is what that's called.

[Tim Howard]

Something like that. These all have. Like this. They have similar elements. Huh? All these rugby and football and like Gaelic. They all have similar elements.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah, it's. It's a strange one. That's a tough. It's a tough sell. It's a tough sell.

[Junior]

What are the. What are the ramifications of that?

[Tim Howard]

Well, there'd be less long. There'd be less Long balls.

[Landon Donovan]

Totally. Totally.

[Tim Howard]

Because you don't want to risk a long ball. Yeah. Everything would be on the ground. Maybe this is what they'll invent to reduce heading with kids.

[Landon Donovan]

Stop it. We're so American.

[Tim Howard]

Since. I don't know.

[Landon Donovan]

You know what's really funny, though? I was. I was watching the game the other day, and I was trying to explain to my friend. She'd never watched soccer before, I was trying to explain offside. And offside is so easy. And then you try and break it down. You're going, oh, it's brutal.

[Tim Howard]

Try to explain it.

[Landon Donovan]

It's okay. So you see the. The white shirt there, the sleeve? Yeah.

[Tim Howard]

And then they're like, well, what about this?

[Landon Donovan]

And you're like, yeah.

[Tim Howard]

And I'm like, I don't know how to explain that.

[Landon Donovan]

And then you start to realize, like, it's complicated.

[Tim Howard]

Very complicated.

[Junior]

Offside is one of those things that you're. You either understand it or you don't understand it. And there's no. Eventually you become part of the other side, but.

[Tim Howard]

Right.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah.

[Tim Howard]

Right.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Tim Howard]

Okay. So, sorry. Yeah. We're not. We're not doing that rule. But I like. I like the creativity.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Junior]

I will say that if you would like to send us. Not every week, but if you would like to send us future old rules for us to consider, that would be really fun.

[Tim Howard]

You could do a new rule and.

[Landon Donovan]

An old Landon, question for you. Since you're covering the World cup, have you gotten the. The FIFA mandate yet on refereeing, on what they're going to crack down on?

[Tim Howard]

No. That's always an interesting one.

[Landon Donovan]

It's a. I just. I figured you'd get it first.

[Tim Howard]

We'll talk about that, actually, as we get closer, because inevitably, what happens. And I'm going to say the same thing again in three months.

[Landon Donovan]

Totally.

[Tim Howard]

The referees go overboard the first few games with whatever it is. Do you remember in. Was it Qatar, that it was like, stoppage, stoppage.

[Junior]

20 minutes.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah.

[Tim Howard]

Like, we want to get. And it was my first game, I swear to God. At the end of a half, it was 14 minutes.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah.

[Tim Howard]

And Ian and I are like, dude, are we ever gonna go to sleep? This is crazy.

[Landon Donovan]

It's crazy.

[Tim Howard]

Yeah, that's right.

[Landon Donovan]

They do. They'll crack down on something like three rules.

[Tim Howard]

Like, you know, we should do. We should next week or something, like, predict what we think it'll be based on. Just the way soccer's going in the world.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah.

[Tim Howard]

Actually, how about fans send in what they predict will be the three points of emphasis.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah.

[Junior]

Okay. We're asking the Ultras what they think. The three things that referee.

[Tim Howard]

Three points of emphasis based on, like, what's going on in the soccer world right now, bro.

[Landon Donovan]

It's so. And the. The reason I say that is. It's so dumb. One for. For two reasons. You said it. Right? So you said it. They go so hard on it. Like, the first, if it's shirt pulling, they. They. They call everything right. And then in the Premier League this year, which is. You'll laugh at this. So there was a rule, I. I don't know if you guys remember at the beginning of the year, the goalkeeper could only hold the ball for a certain amount of seconds. And the referee was supposed to back up, like a basketball referee. And when they got to like, four, they were supposed to, like, give like, a hand signal. We ain't seen that. We ain't seen that like, six months, bro. We saw it, like the first week.

[Junior]

Right.

[Landon Donovan]

I think you got a corner you.

[Tim Howard]

Could actually predict, like, because you sit in the meetings before the World cup and the. And a head referee will come in and explain it all to you. Like, what the points of it and you can actually take advantage of it. So if they say, like, no holding in the box, the first time you're attacking on a corner, you just fall down and like, they're looking now with Var, it's a little different, but, like, you would just try to take advantage of it.

[Landon Donovan]

Totally.

[Tim Howard]

Yeah.

[Landon Donovan]

Interesting.

[Junior]

Okay, well, if you would like to send in your three guesses, you can do so to feedback@unfiltered soccer.com. also, your new old rules as well.

[Tim Howard]

That'd be cool if someone actually gets all three, like, predicts right now. What all three points.

[Landon Donovan]

You get a Landon Donovan signed jersey, don't they?

[Tim Howard]

Tattoo of a banjo. My signature.

[Landon Donovan]

You holding the banjo?

[Junior]

Amazing. All right, thanks, guys.

[Tim Howard]

Thanks, J. Happy birthday.

[Landon Donovan]

Happy birthday.

[Tim Howard]

All right. These shows seem to fly lately, man. Maybe we're getting good at this. I don't know. Thanks, guys. Have a wonderful President's Day. I didn't even know it was President's Day. I just knew my kids are home. Remember to subscribe on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, anywhere you get your pods. Follow all of our social media at Unfiltered Soccer for bonus content. Thank you as always to VW, our fan connection sponsor AT&T and our stoppage time sponsor, FanDuel.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah, thanks also to our unfiltered refresh sponsor, Coors Light, and our additional sponsor, Airbnb. Have an amazing week. We'll be back next Tuesday with another edition of Unfiltered Soccer.