Chelsea are Club World Cup Champions and Messi's On a Tear in MLS

Summary

Unfiltered Soccer with Landon Donovan and Tim Howard: Chelsea are Club World Cup Champions and Messi's On a Tear in MLS

Release Date: July 15, 2025

In this engaging episode of Unfiltered Soccer, hosts Landon Donovan and Tim Howard delve into the latest triumphs in the soccer world, focusing on Chelsea's remarkable victory in the Club World Cup and Lionel Messi's sensational performance in Major League Soccer (MLS). The conversation seamlessly transitions from personal anecdotes to in-depth analysis, providing listeners with comprehensive insights into these significant events.

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Chelsea’s Triumph in the Club World Cup

The episode kicks off with an enthusiastic discussion about Chelsea’s unexpected success in the Club World Cup. Both hosts express surprise and admiration for the team’s performance against the formidable Paris Saint-Germain (PSG).

Tim Howard reflects on the shocking result:

“[06:17] I was not expecting that. And we'll get into Cole Palmer in a sec. But just. How did you digest that? I was not expecting that.”

Landon Donovan elaborates on Chelsea's strategic management under Todd Bowley:

“[06:49] Everything he's doing, people in hindsight are going, oh my God, he got it right. And so he's found a manager who knew how to balance the squads...”

They commend Bowley for his innovative approach in managing a large squad effectively, ensuring that the team remains competitive across multiple competitions. The duo highlights Bowley’s ability to balance the Premier League and Europa League squads by training them at different times, a strategy that has paid off handsomely.

Key Players: Cole Palmer and J. Pedro

A significant portion of the discussion centers around Chelsea’s young talents, particularly Cole Palmer and Javier “J. Pedro” da Silva Silva.

Tim Howard praises Palmer's composure and skill:

“[10:23] Cole Palmer is special because he's unflappable, man. The kid is just. He’s ice cold, man. He just is.”

Landon Donovan adds to the accolades, emphasizing Palmer’s strategic gameplay and creativity:

“[12:18] He was playing from the goalkeeper to the center backer to the fullback. Messi presses it looked to me semi half hearted until he felt like he could bite on the ball.”

Both hosts agree that Palmer’s ability to remain calm under pressure and make decisive plays is a game-changer for Chelsea, positioning him as a key player to watch in the upcoming seasons.

Future Implications for Chelsea and the Club World Cup

As the conversation shifts to the broader implications of Chelsea’s success, Landon and Tim speculate on the future of the Club World Cup and how the tournament might evolve.

Tim Howard discusses the potential changes in team qualification:

“[24:20] Repeat that this was a dry run. This was a chemistry test, by the way, to see if it could work on many levels.”

They contemplate whether FIFA will adjust the qualification criteria to include more top-tier teams, ensuring the tournament's prestige and competitiveness. Both hosts express optimism that the Club World Cup will continue to grow in prominence, attracting the world's best clubs in future editions.

MLS Weekend Highlights: Hell is Real Derby

Shifting focus to MLS, Donovan and Howard highlight the intense Hell is Real derby between Cincinnati and Columbus. The match, characterized by a dramatic comeback from Columbus, exemplifies the growing competitiveness and excitement within the league.

Landon Donovan recounts the thrilling comeback:

“[37:26] So, I. I agree with you regarding Columbus, but you got to give a shout out to these MLS teams who’ve created these Darbies, right?”

Tim Howard echoes the sentiment, praising the league's ability to foster passionate rivalries:

“[38:28] I love the Darbies, and it's two good teams, too, so that's what made it fun.”

The hosts commend MLS for cultivating such intense rivalries, which contribute to the league's increasing popularity and fan engagement.

Messi’s Sensational Run in MLS

A standout topic of the episode is Lionel Messi's extraordinary performance in MLS, where he has scored multiple goals in consecutive games, drawing parallels to his legendary status.

Tim Howard marvels at Messi’s consistency:

“[40:05] I do remember ld and you've seen Messi, if Messi goes up and over the wall, that ball is going up and over the wall into the corner.”

Landon Donovan shares his admiration for Messi’s ability to perform under pressure:

“[41:02] So he was leading, I hated the guy. Whatever. I was like, he is not scoring. Yeah, we got that. Of course he'd probably score.”

Both hosts acknowledge Messi's unparalleled talent and its significant impact on MLS, elevating the league's global profile and inspiring younger players.

Club World Cup’s Reception and Future Prospects

The conversation returns to the Club World Cup, where Landon and Tim assess whether the tournament was taken seriously by teams and fans alike.

Tim Howard emphasizes the tournament's growing legitimacy:

“[18:05] The players definitely took it seriously. It definitely felt. I mean, the spectacle that was the final felt huge...”

Landon Donovan concurs, highlighting the passionate fan turnout and the quality of play:

“[19:23] It was really fun. I thought the whole tournament was good. One thing I've said over and over is, you know, people ask me, I think America is the only place you can have it for it to be successful. I think that's right.”

They conclude that the tournament's success in this edition bodes well for its future, especially with comments suggesting that the U.S. is an ideal host for such a global event due to its diverse and passionate soccer community.

Player Transfers and MLS Implications

Towards the end of the discussion, the hosts touch upon recent player transfers within MLS and their implications for the national team.

Tim Howard addresses the challenges MLS faces in retaining top talent:

“[30:03] As long as they're playing. As long as they're playing significant minutes, it's the only thing that matters.”

Landon Donovan explores potential solutions to retain key players by balancing salaries and transfer opportunities:

“[32:32] But are you going to be on a home World Cup roster? Tim? This, this is actually an easy answer.”

They discuss the delicate balance MLS clubs must maintain to keep their stars while also providing opportunities for growth and increased salaries, ensuring that the national team remains competitive on the world stage.

Fan Questions and Unwritten Sports Rules

In the latter part of the episode, Landon and Tim engage with fan-submitted questions, delving into topics beyond just soccer, such as unwritten rules in various sports and their personal experiences.

Landon Donovan shares his frustrations with certain unwritten rules in baseball:

“[69:25] This is the case where. Can you not just look at the guy and say, my bad, dude. Like, I didn't mean.”

Tim Howard humorously contrasts this with the direct and protective nature of hockey’s unwritten rules:

“[74:37] The unwritten rule in hockey is if you touch my best player, I've got a goon that's 6 foot 7, 230, skates like a ballerina.”

Their lighthearted banter offers a relatable and entertaining look into the complexities and sometimes absurdities of sports etiquette across different disciplines.

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Notable Quotes:

• Tim Howard [10:23]: “Cole Palmer is special because he's unflappable, man. The kid is just. He’s ice cold, man. He just is.”

• Landon Donovan [12:18]: “He was playing from the goalkeeper to the center backer to the fullback. Messi presses it looked to me semi half hearted until he felt like he could bite on the ball.”

• Tim Howard [24:20]: “Repeat that this was a dry run. This was a chemistry test, by the way, to see if it could work on many levels.”

• Landon Donovan [37:26]: “So, I. I agree with you regarding Columbus, but you got to give a shout out to these MLS teams who’ve created these Darbies, right?”

• Tim Howard [40:05]: “I do remember ld and you've seen Messi, if Messi goes up and over the wall, that ball is going up and over the wall into the corner.”

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Conclusion

This episode of Unfiltered Soccer offers a rich and dynamic exploration of recent soccer events, blending personal stories with expert analysis. Landon Donovan and Tim Howard provide listeners with an in-depth understanding of Chelsea's strategic success, Messi's extraordinary performances, and the evolving landscape of MLS. Their candid discussions and insightful commentary make for a compelling listen, whether you're a die-hard soccer fan or someone looking to stay informed about the beautiful game's latest developments.

Transcript

[Landon Donovan]

So in 2013, we played in the Gold Cup. A bunch of teams were missing their players. This was, like their B teams. So you can just imagine. I think that's the probably the closest I ever felt to feeling what it's like to be Lionel Messi. Because every game, Tim, I said, if I just want to be the guy who tries to score two or three goals, I could probably score two or three goals in this game. 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.

[Tim Howard]

Good morning, good afternoon. It's Unfiltered Soccer with Landon Donovan and Tim Howard. Landon, this is one of my favorite intros of the entire first season. It just simply is. If you can read my shirt, it says, Nas said mistakes make masterful teachers. Anything Nas says is everything. Because here's the thing. Nas is top two, and he's not two. And if you want to argue that, put it in the comments. But you're gonna lose. He signed my hand. I went to. I went to a concert. He signed my hand. I got it.

[Landon Donovan]

I didn't know he signed your hand.

[Tim Howard]

Yeah, he actually signed backstage. Got it tattooed. I've got Illmatic tattooed on me. I say all that because this isn't about me, but this is about Nas. And I want our listeners to know I'm very rarely mystified. But you text me the other week and we're like, I'm going to see Nas. And I. I text you back after pulling myself off the floor and thinking, why is ld going to see Nas? Like, you haven't. Like, give me some background to this. Because then you sent me videos from the show. All you've done is, like, completely put Nas lyrics in our group chat. You. You're a changed man. Like, I've been. I've been on this thing since 94, when I was in high school. 30 years. Where does this come from?

[Landon Donovan]

I don't think you appreciate how good Nas is, first of all. Okay, so we went to Vegas this weekend, okay. And the idea was to go for my wife's birthday. We had some friends, and like, a week and a half ago, they were like, oh, chain smokers is playing, so we should go at Xs. And I'm like, I'm in bed by nine. Like, they don't come on till 1:30. But whatever I'm gonna make. It's my wife's birthday. She's excited. So Friday afternoon, we're walking through The Wind. And someone goes, oh, check that out. Nas is playing. And my first thought was, like, oh, Tim loves Nas. And so they said, should we go? And I said, well, if we can find tickets together, I guess. And then. I have to be honest, the only. Literally, the only reason I went is because I wanted to understand you better. Right? Because I thought it'll help. I swear. I swear on my life, because I don't. I. I know one song. I knew one song from Nas.

[Tim Howard]

Yep.

[Landon Donovan]

If I Ruled the World. That's all I know. And so I was like, all right, this will help me understand Tim better. So we get in. We're up in, like, the. The mezzanine. It's a small theater. It's like maybe a thousand people, fifteen hundred people. And he's playing with the Las Vegas Philharmonic Symphony. So it was cool, like, just to see them first, and then he comes out. And, like, when he comes out, he's got. You know, you're around people sometimes, and they just have a presence. Like, one time I walked. Muhammad Ali walked in a room, and you were just like Bill Clinton. When he walks in a room, you're like, oh, that's like. It just feels different. You can feel it. And when he came out, I was like, whoa, this is kind of interesting.

[Tim Howard]

Let's go.

[Landon Donovan]

And then he started singing, and I can't tell you, like, I have not stopped listening to his music. I love, like, 36 hours.

[Tim Howard]

I'm so pumped. And I told. I told you, I'm gonna send you. Now that you're on, now that you're on the Nas train, I'm gonna send you, like, my favorite deep cuts from, like, not just the ones that are commercial, but the deep cuts. And here's the thing. Ld, I. I have a feeling Nas listens to our podcast, but if he doesn't start tagging them, if Nas's people are out there, we gotta get him on the show to talk hip hop soccer. Here's the thing. Queensbridge was supposed to get a soccer team. Nas, listen to me. Queensbridge was supposed to get a soccer team, and it never happened. Which means the idea is there. You're an entrepreneur, you're an investor. It just came out in some business publication how great of an investor you are. You invest in New York, you've invested with some of my friends. Let's invest in soccer. Me, you, ld, you're going to need some. You're going to need some soccer muscle. Let's make this happen.

[Landon Donovan]

Let's do it. When you're around People that are. That level of talent. You can't. Hell, like, Nas is not. I did not listen to Nas. I did not listen to, like, it's hip hop, right? Yeah, I did not. That was not my thing. Ever growing. I appreciate it. But when you sit there and you just see how talented is, and you just. You can only catch some of the lyrics if you don't know. So you're like, oh, my God, did you just say that's, like, really good. And then you go back and listen and look, and the level of talent. My buddy and I were sitting next to each other. We're like, what do you think his IQ is? He's got to be, like, in the 150s once. I mean, he's brilliant. He's a total genius. It was so fun to watch. So now I get it, and I get you more now.

[Tim Howard]

Well, you can segue out of this now.

[Landon Donovan]

Okay. All right, so if you hate Nas, leave a bad review at Unfiltered Soccer. If you love them, leave a great review.

[Tim Howard]

You love.

[Landon Donovan]

All of you. All love. Send us questions about, why the hell am I listening to Nas feedback at Unfiltered Soccer. Always subscribe social media, Unfiltered Soccer, guys. And then follow the show. YouTube, Apple, Podcast, Spotify, wherever you get your podcasts. All right, Nas aside, I wonder if he was. Oh, no, he was in Vegas. He was not at the club World cup final. Everybody else.

[Tim Howard]

Pretty much everybody else was.

[Landon Donovan]

Anybody who's anybody was at the finals in New York. I was in the casino, and my buddy's like, hey, I want to bet on this game. And I'm like, I'm not touching this. You do what you want. And he's like, well, haven't PSG won, like, a gazillion in a row? And I was like, yeah. And he's like, all right. I think I should. I don't actually. I didn't even ask him if he did or not. I was. We were doing whatever. I check in at halftime, and I'm like, am I seeing this right? Is it three nothing? I thought it'd be three nothing. Psg. So this was a shocking, shocking result. Not that Chelsea won, but the result was shocking. Right? I mean, I was. I was not expecting that. And we'll get into Cole Palmer in a sec. But just. How did you digest that? I was not expecting that.

[Tim Howard]

Well, I was wrong. It was in my backyard, and I was. I was gonna go. I gotta be honest. I have been struggling to find days off, and so I just went out to the Hamptons and posted up and had a beach day. I watched the game, but I had a beach day in the morning. So I, yeah, I, I declined invitation only because I'm just desperate for some, a couple days off. I got it wrong. Everywhere I turned I was like, dude, PSG are like on the verge of world domination. But Chelsea, man, look, Chelsea won Europa Conference League, right, and finished really strong in the Premier League. And now they win the Club World Cup. And I just think like, Todd Bowley is up to something, man, like on the surface, on the surface he presents like this really classy businessman, but I think he has a laboratory where he's got like this coat on and he's just bubbling green stuff everywhere and he's doing all these potions because he's figured something out that the rest of us haven't, man. Like, like by every young player, like a squad, a squad big enough to, to. To field two Premier League teams, right? That's a mess. Everyone thought, hire and fire coaches until you find the right one. That's a mess. Everyone thought, what the hell are you giving nine year contracts when Premier League teams only give like three and four year contracts? That must be a mess. Everything he's doing, people in hindsight are going, oh my God, he got it right. And so he's found a manager who knew how to balance the squads. That manager basically came in, came in and said, like, there's a few senior players, surplus requirements, I want them out. And if you don't want, if you're not going to get them out of the club, they're going to be in the reserves. He then said, this squad is too big. We all have said that about Chelsea. He said, cool, you're going to be my Premier League squad. You're going to be my Europa League squad. End of story. You're actually going to train at different times, end of story, right? So they got that. The other thing about it is ld, he's not afraid. He's not afraid to miss Todd Bowley. He's not afraid to spend money. So he's missed. He knew he was going to miss on some. So then he goes and goes, well, I missed on a striker. I'm going to go get Jo, Pedro and Liam, Da. But I don't miss on one of those, right? And so he just, he's constantly adding to the squad and I just like, look, the other thing when you and I always talk about it is like, they win the Europa Conference League, forget what you say about it, right? That Is like the third best European competition. They still. It was still a final. They still need to win the final. And they have silverware Club World Cup a couple months later. Less than a couple months later. Yeah, it's silverware. It's a real trophy. Got to go win it. They won it, right? And so now you're starting to think, okay, hang on. P.S. p.S.G. like you. You probably are on the verge of world dominance, but look out, because when it comes to the Premier League, I think Chelsea going to have something to say about a lot of things.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah, I'm actually really curious to see now how this translates. And, you know, if you're certainly Liam de Lapp and especially Nikki Jackson now you're like, oh, my God. Because Xiao Pedro, he's been phenomenal. And it was fun to watch. I, you know, just rewatching the goals. Cole Palmer is. I heard people for a long time, Tim, and you guys, even you guys on NBC, talk about how talented he was. And I would watch games and I go, I know. But it sometimes just doesn't come off that when you see him in a moment like that, it's incredible. Dude. The second goal is so good because his ability to just calmly wait and wait and wait. And as a striker, I'll just tell people in that moment, it feels like everything is happening so fast and you have to make a decision quickly. And the best players that I ever played with against whatever would just take a second. And Jaime Moreno for DC Was a genius at this. He would get in those moments and there's people flying things around, and he would just wait and wait and wait and let people make his mind up for him and then just roll it in the corner. And that's what he did. He just waited. He let. And then everything all of a sudden open. You see it with quarterbacks in the NFL. It looks like it's so hectic, whatever. And then they slow down. Oh, there's the window.

[Tim Howard]

Bang.

[Landon Donovan]

And he's just. I mean, he looks like. He looks a different player now with Xiao Pedro with him.

[Tim Howard]

Yeah, no, it's a. It's a great description. I mean, Cole Palmer is special because he's unflappable, man. The kid is just. He's ice cold, man. He just is. He. He. Nothing phases him. And like last year, so two years ago, I think he scored like 20 plus goals or something in all competitions. And last year he went through. Speaking of cold, he went through like this cold spell where he just. He didn't register a goal or assist for A while I can't remember the exact stat. And. And people were like, he just come off the boil. Like, is he all that? And you're still thinking like, he is all that. He really, he really is like talent like that just doesn't like, drop off. He's so, so good. And the thing about Xiao Pedro, which will probably go amiss for a lot of viewers, he was at. He was at Watford, I believe, and then Brighton bought him from Watford, right, because they recognize his talent. And then he really wasn't. You know, over the time that I've watched him at Brighton, he's never really been out and out their number one striker, right. Like, he's played, but they've chopped and changed a little bit. And in the moments that he played, you're just like, this guy's a joke. Like, he's fast, he's got clever feet. He can drop into the 10 because of the way that Brighton played, right, where they played basically like 4 up, he would drop into the 10, roll. He could body people. He's strong, like, really strong. And, and like he's clever. And I'm just thinking this player is really, really special. My, My colleagues, Robbie Musto and Robbie Earl, they really like him. They would always say, like, there's another level for this guy. And we're seeing it and we're seeing it and, and just I, I think it's kind of what Cole Palmer needed because again, he's. He's j. Pedro's got a little bit. He's got a little trickster in him. He can run beyond and get vertical. He's a good finish. He's an audacious finisher, by the way. Like, give him an inch and he's going to try and like bend one around the defender or chop you like.

[Landon Donovan]

Just little chip too. Was so good. His finish was so good. Yeah, yeah. And. And on Cole Palmer's goal, I believe it was him. His. You just said his, his willingness and desire to run vertically and it's how he scored his goal, just slipping him behind. But then he does that on Cole Palmer's goal too. And it takes three or four defenders with him and then just opens everything up. So they're going to be really fun to watch. I'm. I'm very intrigued now. It'd be nice if they're, you know, in addition to Liverpool, Arsenal, if City get back and then Chelsea are back and if there was a 4 real 4 team title race, that'd be fun to watch.

[Tim Howard]

But I mean, if you think you Think about it now for Enzo Maresca, like, he's got a bunch of young, hungry players and he's going to basically challenge them and go, you want a Europa Conference league, Great finish really well in the Premier League, great club, World Cup Champions, great. Go show everybody there's more to this team. And you know, when you, when you're around a bunch of self motivated individuals, easy for the coach, man. So it's exciting. I'm, I'm, I'm happy for Chelsea. It's going to be.

[Landon Donovan]

They deserve it. I mean, they've, they've earned it. All right, so before we talk big picture of the tournament overall, we were talking about, did people take it seriously? A couple people took it seriously, Tim. Did you, did you notice that at the end of the game?

[Tim Howard]

Yeah, I did, yeah.

[Landon Donovan]

All right, go on.

[Tim Howard]

Well, Luis Enrique, the so good manager for PS psg. There was obviously a squabble. There was at the end of the game, everybody was coming together, people were pissed off, blah, blah, blah, and, and I don't know who was, who was talking and squabbling with who, but then there was like a couple Chelsea players, one of which being Ja Pedro, and a couple of, I think PSG players. And one of them those being their manager, Luis Enrique. And he's angry, which is fine, he's totally angry. But what did he. First of all, before I, before I tell you what he did, what did he say? He said something like, I, I was just trying to break up.

[Landon Donovan]

He said, he said, this is the situation we must all avoid. Well, clearly not you. That goes without saying. My intention is that I wanted to separate the footballers so the situation didn't become worse. Didn't look like he was separating anything.

[Tim Howard]

Brilliant manager. He was a brilliant player. He's lying to me because I watched the video over and over. And by the way, amazing footage. He's gone for Joe Pedro's throat twice. Missed the first time, gets him the second time. Then Joe Pedro thought he was in.

[Landon Donovan]

But he's just trying to diffuse the situation. Couldn't you tell?

[Tim Howard]

I'm all for it. Listen, I'm all for a little, a little squabble. Everything was fine, no one got hurt, but he definitely wasn't trying to break it up. But it means something. These teams, like I always tell you, they're highly motivated ld they want to win. It hurts when they don't. And so something was on the line. They were playing for it. And I'm here for it, man. I loved it.

[Landon Donovan]

And you know what you forget is it's been a really long time since PSG lost a game.

[Tim Howard]

Long time.

[Landon Donovan]

Long time.

[Tim Howard]

Winners don't like to lose.

[Landon Donovan]

No, they don't.

[Tim Howard]

LD it's time for the unfiltered refresh sponsored by Coors Light. Choose Chill. Get Coors Light delivered. Go to Coors Light.com USLNT I'd be lying to you if I said there were any other candidates for the who chose chill? But Cole Palmer, you know, his celebration, you know what way he likes to rock. His cold. He's cold. He's ice cold. You know, two goals and an assist in a big match. He's a big game player for. For being so young, in his early 20s. The kid oozes confidence. He oozes chill, man, he is just like, he's unfazed. I think it's also his upbringing. He's just. He's kind of unfazed by the limelight. He's just one of the guys.

[Landon Donovan]

Humble.

[Tim Howard]

He's humble. He doesn't love the camera. He likes. He likes the stage. He doesn't love the camera and all the things that come along with. He just wants to play his football. And I just think when you watch him in the game, he likes to drift. He's. You. You mentioned LA last week. When someone's left footed, they're ultra left footed. And that's him. I mean, he uses his right leg to stand on, but everything else is like he. His left leg, left foot is just a wand. And I know you love the way that he. He combined with J. Pedro. Well, it's really good.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah. And it was fun. Did you see, I don't know if you saw the video. He's in New York and he was on one of those little scooters, those bird scooters or whatever, and he's just got his hoodie on.

[Tim Howard]

Yeah.

[Landon Donovan]

But I think the reason people love playing in America and being in America is because, like, nobody bothered him.

[Tim Howard]

Totally. Right.

[Landon Donovan]

There's got to be some people, obviously. Clearly someone saw him and took a video with their phone. But he could just cruise around New York on a little scooter. Like, you can't do that.

[Tim Howard]

How cool is this guy? But also he doesn't care. Doesn't. That's the thing he does. He's. I think he's in Time Square, just hood up on a scooter, just cruising, unfazed.

[Landon Donovan]

No, he's the epitome of. I mean, look, you said no one else. Maybe messi. Five games with two goal. But this was in a final against the undisputed best team in the world, which Chelsea took a crack at this weekend. So, yeah, chill, chill, chill. Cole Palmer, congrats to you. He chose chill this week and we cheers you, buddy.

[Tim Howard]

Well done, Cole. So I was having, I was having lunch with my friend at FIFA on, on Saturday, the day before the game, and I was like, giddy, and I was super stoked about it and, and about the tournament. I was like, how do you guys feel? It's like, it's been great. And he kind of like ho. Hummed it and was like, oh, it could be better. And obviously over analytically he was just figuring out how to make it better. But he was like, yeah, it's been good, you know, and I look, you and I have had questions. It's been like, are, Are the teams and players going to take it seriously? Are you there going to be butts in seats? Is it going to feel big? And I think all those questions for me have been answered. The players definitely took it seriously. It definitely felt. I mean, the spectacle that was the final felt huge. Right. And there was some good football on display and loads of people watching. So ultimately, ticket prices, I think they, they admit were. Admitted were too high early on. They figured out a way to either lower those or give some of those away because ultimately it looked really good, didn't it?

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah. So the questions were, right. Were there going to be people in the stadiums? For the most part, yes. There were some games that were duds. But you expected that? For the most part, yes. Did the players and coaches care? I mean, players were like, definitely. They were after it. The coaches on the sidelines celebrating and I mean, they were really into it. The fans were really into it. So all that was good. I don't, I. I mean, obviously they want things to get better and do better. And by the way, I'm not. We're not, we're not paid by fee for anybody to say we're just we. I, I said from the beginning, I think it's going to be really good if the players take it seriously. And it was, it was really fun to watch. I thought the whole tournament was good. One thing I've said over and over is, you know, people ask me, I think America is the only place you can have it for it to be successful. I think that's right. And it's not, it's not like, you know, it's pro American thing or whatever. It's just when I was, I told you, when I was walking through the streets in LA doing Gold Cup See a River jersey, I see a Fluminense jersey, I see a Al Ali jersey, I see Chelsea jersey. I mean, there's so many people from those countries already here. And so I do. I think people are going to travel across the world in tens of thousands to watch. No, I don't. But here it was. It worked great. So I think, I think FIFA needs to really think about that.

[Tim Howard]

It was good. It was great.

[Landon Donovan]

Okay, so last thing as we head into now, teams going back into the European season, if we forecast ahead is this extra month or so of soccer, how's that going to impact teams? Because now they have, I believe there's about four weeks now till most people's next game, maybe five weeks. How do you think that, do you think that has an impact going forward? I mean, Jurgen Klopp obviously had a lot to say about that. How do you think that impacts things?

[Tim Howard]

Well, it's interesting, right? I look at one of the things I want to try and do for myself and you, but for our listeners is like, speak to somebody or try and speak to somebody at one of these teams because. And figure out what's the plan moving forward. Right, Because I'm guessing, what's today? July 14th. I mean, man United, Bournemouth, Everton and West Ham are. Are flying over here in 10 days for the Premier League summer series. So they've been, I'm guessing, if I can remember correctly from my many years ago, teams have been in preseason since July 1 ish. Right, so you're looking at, you're looking at the four semifinalists, maybe the four. Maybe the eight quarter finalists from, from the Club World Cup. Like Chelsea's going to land in London and do what? I'm guessing they have to go on holiday, right? So they're gonna, they'll give them a minimum. Where's my calendar? They're gonna give them three week. I have to get three weeks off. What's today's date again? 14th. Right. They have to get three weeks off, but their season starts on the 15th or 16th of August. So. So three weeks off then. I mean, you, you see what kind of math I'm doing for Chelsea. Three weeks off takes you to August 4th, but their first game is, I don't know, 12 days later or something. So what are they gonna do?

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah, it's. It's a tough one because normally, like, normally you have whatever, five, six weeks off, you can say for two or three weeks I'm doing nothing, sitting on the beach, drinking nothing. Then you start running a little bit, but now you're Kind of. You are. You're in that in between. So it's. I don't even know if they could really get out of shape in three and a half or four weeks, right.

[Tim Howard]

But here. Okay, here's the. And this is going to be, you know, anyone who argues against the fact that there are, you know, like, they want less games, right? Like this is going to be a big argument for them. Cole Palmer, good example, right? He's one of many. Because Chelsea have a bunch of internationals. He has. He is going to have to and want to, by the way, play every single game for England, right? Two friendlies in September, two friendlies in October, two families in November. He might get the League cup off, right? So I don't know when the league, Premier League teams come into the League cup in, in England, like September, he's going to play there. I believe they're in Champions League. He's going to play every Saturday, Wednesday, and every international between now and the World Cup. With three weeks off. Well, that, that, that's at best, by the way, if, if, if Chelsea give their players three weeks off. I mean, that's wild to me.

[Landon Donovan]

So that's the challenge, right? And it's like. Well, because there's good prize money. I was going to say it's better to lose, get knocked out in the group stages so you have more time. But there was prize money along the way, so the players were earning money a long way. But if you are one of the finalists or you're Chelsea now, I mean, it is going to be a challenge. I will be curious to see. I mean, Chelsea has a big squad, though, Tim. Right? I mean, but I mean, how do you leave Cole Palmer out?

[Tim Howard]

I get it. But the first game of the season, nobody's trying to hear. I mean, I don't care, but nobody's trying to hear. Let's do, let's. Let's have some squad rotation for our opening game of the season, right? Because you know as well as I do, at the end of the season, the margins are so fine between winning the league, getting into the Champions League. You know what I'm saying?

[Landon Donovan]

No, I know. And we would always say like a game, first game, a season counts the same as the last game.

[Tim Howard]

I know.

[Landon Donovan]

So you forget about. Oh, we can just take our time and ease in and so Chelsea will be the interesting to watch. Interesting one to watch because they went furthest. They were there the longest. It's gonna be interesting. Okay, I said last thing. But I have one other question going forward and I'd be curious to hear your friend's take on this. Do you think they'll change how teams qualify for this? Because it, it's kind of like the World Cup. The World cup is not the best. 32 used to be 32, 40, 18. It's not the best. 48 teams next summer, it's not. It's the best to qualify, given the amount of qualifying spots they have. If it was the best, there'd be more teams from Europe, maybe a few more from South America, etc. So do you think they change because this was not the world's quote, unquote, best teams? Do you think they change any of that to have, you know, there's some big teams not involved, Right. Liverpool not involved. Right. So, like there were good teams not involved, right?

[Tim Howard]

Yeah. You asked me, you asked me a question. In my answer, I'll probably ask you a few more. But live golf and the PGA would never merger. That's what the PGA said, right?

[Landon Donovan]

Until they would never. Right.

[Tim Howard]

They would never merge. Until what?

[Landon Donovan]

Until they would.

[Tim Howard]

Until they would. And why would that. What would make them merge?

[Landon Donovan]

Probably some money. Correct would be my guess. Yeah.

[Tim Howard]

So right now you're looking at. This was a dry run. This was a chem test, by the way, right, to see if it could work on many levels. Prize money, right, we see is real. The glory of it is real. And club recognition, like getting a foothold in some in America, is big to everybody. You're looking at teams around the world, right? You're looking at teams around the world. Big teams. You just said it. Big teams. Your Barcelona's, Real Madrid's, Man United's, who from Germany wasn't there, so on and so forth, right? Italian, certain Italian teams, they're going to look at this and go, we want in. You know what the organizers are going to say, no, you can't get in. Of course they're going to say, we want you in. It makes more sense, it makes more money, right? And so some of the smaller teams will be out now, you're listening to this right now, going, well, that's not fair. And how can they do that? I don't have the answer to that. And I'm saying in year, in the, in the fifth. But by the time we're looking at the club World cup in the summer for the fifth time, we will probably have all of the world's best teams in there. And then you're asking me how they'll find a way. They'll find a way.

[Landon Donovan]

Yes. Okay. Fair Enough. I agree with that. All right, let's take a break. When we come back, we will dive into the latest news around mls. It was a big MLS weekend and lots of US Men's national team transfer implications dealings going on. Right here on Unfiltered Soccer with Lannan and Tim. As always, presented by Volkswagen. Stay right there.

[Tim Howard]

The Unfiltered Soccer podcast is brought to you by Volkswagen, the presenting partner of U.S. soccer.

[Landon Donovan]

As the U.S. gets ready to host the world for soccer's biggest moment, Volkswagen is helping people discover new turfs and new ways to play the beautiful game right here in the US from deaf.

[Tim Howard]

And power wheelchair soccer to beach and futsal, VW is actively supporting all the communities and teams within the U.S. soccer ecosystem. They've signed U.S. soccer talent from across the portfolio of the federation and will be helping to give these less popular forms of soccer a platform moving forward.

[Landon Donovan]

As a longtime friend of Volkswagen, I'm excited to support them in their mission to increase visibility of all forms of soccer. I was recently on set with them shooting their new campaign to do just that.

[Tim Howard]

Keep an eye out for that launching soon alongside the all new redesigned 2025 Tiguan. It's a beautiful car. We've even had one with us at a recent live show. Make sure to check it out in person and learn [e-mail] all right, Timmy.

[Landon Donovan]

It's summertime. You remember these days, kids are home. It's exhausting. You're babysitting all day. I know you don't think it's babysitting. It is babysitting. In order to choose chill, I'm on the golf course, man. My wife knows when it's time to get away and choose chill. See you later. I'm gonna go play golf.

[Tim Howard]

I gotta be honest. I choose chill a lot in the summer. Going to concerts, family barbecues. I spend a ton of time on the beach. I reach into the cooler, get a Coors Light. For me, I choose chill very, very often.

[Landon Donovan]

Coors Light is mountain cold refreshment, crisp and refreshing. As the Colorado Rockies make the most out of the times you choose to chill, choose Coors Light.

[Tim Howard]

Get Coors Light delivered straight to your door. Visit coorslight.com USLNT Celebrate responsibly. Coors Brewing Co. Golden, Colorado Beer with.

[Landon Donovan]

A Venmo debit card. You can Venmo more than just your friends. You can use your balance in so many ways. You can Venmo everything.

[Tim Howard]

Need gas?

[Landon Donovan]

You can Venmo this. How about snacks? You can Venmo that. Your favorite Band's merch. You can Venmo this or their next show. You can Venmo that.

[Tim Howard]

Visit Venmo me debit to learn more.

[Landon Donovan]

The Venmo MasterCard is issued by the Bancorp bank and a pursuant to license.

[C]

My Mastercard International Incorporated card may be.

[Tim Howard]

Used everywhere MasterCard is accepted.

[Landon Donovan]

Venmo purchase restrictions apply.

[Tim Howard]

US LNT on USMNT. Right. Let's talk transfers. I mean really, these guys, most of these guys are on holiday somewhere. Training, going for a morning. Morning run. Like what do you. What are you really doing? Holiday. Do a couple sit ups. A morning run. There's no ball involved. Right. So these guys are on holiday. But let's talk transfers.

[Landon Donovan]

Did you say a couple sit ups?

[Tim Howard]

Yeah. Right. Go for a morning run. A couple sit ups by a couple.

[Landon Donovan]

Like three sit ups and then.

[Tim Howard]

Yeah, like a couple sets. You're either on your. You're on the beach somewhere.

[Landon Donovan]

I never once did sit ups on. On vacation.

[Tim Howard]

Did you not never. You're so. You always.

[Landon Donovan]

I never looked like you. Right. Stupid. All right. Malik to buyer lover. Kin.

[Tim Howard]

Yep. Malik. Tell me.

[Landon Donovan]

Nuts. Yeah.

[Tim Howard]

Yeah. Love. Love. I mean, I love.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah.

[Tim Howard]

You know, I talked about this before. New manager in Eric 10 Hog. He knows the Dutch game inside and out, having previously been at IAX and Link Tillman coming from psv. Like he'll have all the insights on this guy. Right. This isn't. I mean, I think you agreed with me. This isn't like a random sporting director going after a player that the coach doesn't know, which we know happens. Right.

[Landon Donovan]

Yep.

[Tim Howard]

This is. This would have been hand selected by Eric Ten Hag who's in the manager who I think is. So I think he's going to get a chance, a real chance, which is exciting.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah. I mean he will have spoken to dozens of people.

[Tim Howard]

Yeah.

[Landon Donovan]

In the Netherlands about him. Right. So I like it. I'm going to say this and this is going to hold true for every single one of these players. As long as they're playing. As long as they're playing significant minutes, it's the only thing that matters. Which leads us to. Let's go. Ajamong next. He. This is not confirmed yet, but by all accounts he's going to Darby. I have hesitations about this. I could be wrong. Certainly been wrong in the past. I. I think of it from a Charlotte FC perspective. And from his perspective, you have a national team player now. Is he going to start in the World Cup? Probably not. Is he on the roster? I don't think there's any question he's on the roster as long as he just doesn't fall apart.

[Tim Howard]

Yeah.

[Landon Donovan]

So if you're Charlotte, you have a national team player you can promote market, he's going to play all the minutes. Great. If you're ajamong, you know, you are playing basically every minute of every game for the next year. You're going to be in form, you're going to be playing scoring goals, fit. All that becomes a risk when you go to Darby. So I, I have my reservations. I'm hoping, hoping, hoping it's the best. I think it's actually the right type of league for him because he can be impactful.

[Tim Howard]

Yeah, it's 8 million. It's 8 million plus plus 2, 2 add ons to get up to 10. So let's call it 8 million. Right?

[Landon Donovan]

Right.

[Tim Howard]

Here's, here's the other, here's the issue that we're having in ultimately in mls, right? You get a bunch of American kids, you being one of them, me being one of them, people before us and after us and there's a dream of going to Europe, right? Part of that dream is glory, but part of that dream is money, right? And so we're struggling to keep our best talent. I think you, you and I talked about this last episode or the one before, I can't remember. Struggling to keep our best talent, right? Because we undervalue our players and we overvalue an $8 million transfer, right? And so we let that player go because that player also in, in undervaluing them are, is like, yeah, but I can go, I can go to Darby county and make, I'm guessing he's going to make, he's going to make salary.

[Landon Donovan]

Oh, more, 10 more, I think 100 and something grand. He's going to make seven, eight, 10 times his.

[Tim Howard]

So, so what that players, whether, whether you just said, which I don't disagree with, like is this the best situation or not? That player's going to go, yeah, I, I'm, I have a dollar and a dream. Like I, I, I believe in myself and by the way, even if I'm, if I fail miserably, I can, I can always come back or do something else. Like I, I, I'm going to earn, I'm going to earn money that I couldn't otherwise do. So we don't.

[Landon Donovan]

But are you going to be on a home World cup roster? Tim? This, this is actually an easy answer. If you're the agent, you go to Charlotte and you say, yeah, he's not making 100 grand anymore. He's making 750 grand. We're going to sign him to a three year deal. If pick the club comes in for a reasonable number. Not the typical MLS. Well, he's worth 50 million. No, he's not. Then you put that in the contract and if everyone agrees it's time to go, it's time to go. But it's not a hard. This happens all over the world. This is an easy answer.

[Tim Howard]

I'm with you. I'm with you.

[Landon Donovan]

It's not one or the other. It's not Stay and make 100 or go to Darby and make a million. He can make 750 or a million in MLM less right now. He can't. I agree with you, and I think that's the solution. Yeah, he can. They can find a way to. Of course they can.

[Tim Howard]

I, I agree with you. I'm saying, has anybody done that with him? Yeah, I'm, I don't know.

[Landon Donovan]

I don't know who represents him. But this is an easy answer. This is an easy answer. But look, look, his choice, his life, I get. The money part is very real. For people who are like, you know, you got to do da da da. It's like, this is real money. Real, real money. So we'll keep our eyes on it. Y. Damen Downs goes from Cologne to Southampton. It's a really interesting move. I don't h you. Well, do you have a, a gauge of guys who come from Germany and then move into England? Like, how is that just stylistically they're so different.

[Tim Howard]

Yeah, I like, I don't love this move. Cologne is, is, is Bundesliga or 2nd Bundesliga.

[Landon Donovan]

They're always like, bottom of the Bundesliga.

[Tim Howard]

Yo, yo. Yeah, there. Yo, yo. She's going from one yoyo club to another. I mean, Southampton used to be. They're on a new ownership and I think Croatian ownership, they used to be kind of like that solid, really well run football club. Not big. Right. They're gonna stay. They had a, you know, in my time in the Premier League, they had a long stint in, in, you know, so they're always there. Thereabouts. Recently, under the new ownership, we've seen managers come and go, we've seen odd signings. So I, I don't, I don't love it. I would imagine, again, salary wise, he'll, he'll get a bump. I think he'll play. You know, I would suspect he'll, you know, they're bringing him into play, which again, championship is really good level. So, you know, if he hits the ground running and scores some goals and keeps himself in the team. It could be a good thing.

[Landon Donovan]

I will say this, and this is a weird little nuance to this deal. If Southampton under new ownership depend, I mean, they're an anomaly because they decide to play how they're going to play all the time. Southampton fighting for promotion. I like way better than him going to a club that is fighting for survival.

[Tim Howard]

Yeah, that's a great point. That's a great point.

[Landon Donovan]

I like that way better for him. So let's hope that that is a scenario that is beneficial. And Cologne just got promoted to the Bundesliga, so it's interesting. They would let him go too. Right. Because that kind of tells you.

[Tim Howard]

Right?

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah, it's interesting that they would let him go.

[Tim Howard]

They let him go. They got more. They have more money because they're in the Bundesliga. So they're probably trying to what they feel is upgrade that position. But again, so they may. Maybe it's a situation where it makes sense for both. Both clubs and players.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah, but they don't view him clearly then as a Bundesliga player. Right. Or they got, you know, some sort of deal that made sense.

[Tim Howard]

Sure. But also, again, maybe, maybe that is. And. And we poo pooed all the time because all we talk about is Premier League and Bundesliga and Syria. Maybe, maybe that's his level. And I don't say that as like a knock. Yeah, maybe that's his level and. And if he does really, really well and can score 15 goals in the championship, there's a really good living to be had and a team and a position on the World cup team to be had too, so.

[Landon Donovan]

Well, not necessarily. Josh Sargent just did that.

[Tim Howard]

Well, yeah, maybe, but maybe that. Well, it's not because of goal scoring. Right. Because he scores goals. He scores goals where he goes.

[Landon Donovan]

Something else there.

[Tim Howard]

Yeah.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah. Okay, let's move on to mls. So it was great to get back into mls. There were a lot of interesting, very interesting matchups. I think the headliner of the weekend, if you're an Ohio native, was a great Hell is Real. So Cincy home lost four two to Columbus. Incredible. Columbus were down two goals after first five minutes on the road in that rivalry and came back to score four unanswered. So they are. They're fun to watch. I've said it a million times, Wilfred. Nancy, I think is maybe the best coach in mls. And that was a dismantling. Yeah, it's really impressive.

[Tim Howard]

The hell is real, Darby. I mean, it doesn't get better than that. Name the T Foes are amazing. You know, just. Yes, the game itself was really good. The game itself. I. I agree with you regarding Columbus, but I just. You got to give a shout out to these. These MLS teams who've created these Darbies, right? Because on the surface, they've just created like a. A statewide or rivalry or hate or regional hate, but, like, it's become so palpable and so real that when you speak to people there, like, they've been yearning for, like, two things. I think on a soccer landscape, they've been yearning for a team, and they've been yearning for someone to hate. Right. Like, you think about when you talk to soccer fans, like, for places you go, and. And it's. It's like the European calendar, like, schedule comes out, when are we playing Cincinnati? When are we playing Columbus? And I just think it's great. I do. So, I mean, obviously, the game itself was really, really good, but ultimately, I.

[Landon Donovan]

Love the Darbies, and it's two good teams, too, so that's what made it fun.

[Tim Howard]

Yeah.

[Landon Donovan]

All right. We kind of buried the lead there, but Messi now, five games in a row with multiple goals. This is crazy. I mean, Andrew was asking if I had ever been in a run of form like that. The only time I can think of, and I wasn't close to scoring two goals a game for five games. But this is the analogy I was using. So in 2013, we played in the Gold cup, and for whatever reason, we had, like, a. Let's call it an A minus, B plus team. We had some guys missing, but Mexico was missing a bunch of their guys. And everyone else. I don't know if there was qualifying or there was something else going on. A bunch of teams were missing their players. So in a normal competition, you play Honduras, El Salvador, I think we played Belize, Cuba, you're going to beat them. But this was like, their B teams. Okay? So you can just imagine. So during that time, I think that's the probably the closest I ever felt to be to feeling what it's like to be Lionel Messi. Because every game, Tim, I said, if I just want to be the guy who tries to score two or three goals, like when Kobe tried to score 81 against Toronto, I could probably score two or three goals in this game. And I would never say that in any pro game I ever played, except in that tournament. And so he's done this now five games in a row where he's basically says, if I want to score a couple goals, I can do it. And it's Just, I don't know. You said it last week. You're like, he's confusing to you because you just don't know how he keeps doing it. And I just don't know. He keeps. And by the way, they beat a really good Nashville team. Nashville hadn't lost in 15 across all competitions.

[Tim Howard]

Yeah.

[Landon Donovan]

So it was. I mean, he's just really impressive, man.

[Tim Howard]

The, the interesting thing, when I was watching that game, I was like, having score. I mean, you go, you know as well as I do, right? Like as a goalkeeper, keep a couple clean sheets. You just think you're gonna keep clean sheets. You just illustrated the story. Like when you're scoring goals in that, in that type of run, you just think you're probably going to score as opposed to, like, I don't. I feel off today. I. I'm looking at the game, scored in four, you know, two goals in four consecutive games. And I'm like, I'm not gonna bet on this, but if I did, I would bet that he scored two. You know what I mean? Like, there was just something about it, but also woeful. The other side of it was woeful, man. I played against Messi and I know it's freaking difficult. I get it, I get it. But like the first goal, free kick outside the box. You can't say not to give away a foul because it's messy and the guy was late on the tackle. Messi dangles leg and goes down and like, it's a foul. So, like, okay, but like, I can tell you from a goalkeeper standpoint that that ball was just outside the 18 yard box. Maybe a little bit further outside the 18 yard box, right? Perfect position on the right side, his right side of the goal, left foot up and over. Like this is going in, right? You put someone underneath the wall, which I don't believe in, but for Messi, put someone underneath the wall, you tell the wall to jump as high as humanly possible. Okay? And I'm going to stand on my side of the goal. If he puts it up and over, we don't live with that. We're going to blame the guy who fouled him outside the box. That's how this is going to work. But what I'm not going to do a trillion thousand percent, what I'm not going to do as a goalkeeper is try and guess and like, make an amazing save. Because by the way, ld and you've seen Messi, if Messi goes up and over the wall, that ball is going up and over the wall into the corner. You could be standing there. You're still not going to get it right, right? Like I'm not, I'm not taking a piss here. Like you know this. So keeper, just, just stay on your side. As it was, the keeper leans it, goes to the goalkeeper side, gift wraps it. Speaking of gift wrapping, the second goal, Willis takes it off his chest. He goes to play out of the back. It's it. It turns into an absolute disaster. Messi just steps in the path of the ball. He was playing from the goalkeeper to the center backer to the fullback. Messi presses it looked to me semi half hearted until he felt like he could bite on the ball. And then he just takes it in and puts it in and a couple people diving around. It looks like a cartoon. And he has two. So I, I don't know it. I said bet. Maybe I should bet. Maybe I should bet. You want to do like, you want.

[Landon Donovan]

To do goals in the next game?

[Tim Howard]

We'll do a uslnt.

[Landon Donovan]

There's no way he bet.

[Tim Howard]

There's no way I will put five bucks on it. Are we allowed to. If, if we're not allowed to bet, I promise I won't.

[Landon Donovan]

But if we asked that. I was thinking the same thing in Vegas this weekend. I was like, am I actually allowed? But I was telling my wife, I'm like, I don't play. I don't have any insight in. I'm not like I'm asking someone, are you going to win today? What's your lineup? Da da, da. So I guess we could.

[Tim Howard]

I. I actually think by, by, by rules of, of my ownership investment in Houston Dynamo. I probably.

[Landon Donovan]

Oh, by Houston, I probably.

[Tim Howard]

Definitely not betting the game. But if I was a betting man, I would put $5 on the fact that he'll score another brace. Why not?

[Landon Donovan]

I don't know.

[Tim Howard]

Or we'll revisit this next time.

[Landon Donovan]

Okay. Miami, by the way, they're fifth in the east, but three fewer games than everyone else. So it's gonna be interesting to keep watching that.

[Tim Howard]

Oh, I got another one for you. Sorry, sorry. Yeah, Points. We, we were talking, we were talking about like points per game. Miami. Miami is like the best in the league.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah.

[Tim Howard]

Like they're just. You're cruising slightly under the radar.

[Landon Donovan]

So many other games.

[Tim Howard]

I know.

[Landon Donovan]

So they're way down. They're further down the standings than you expect. They're going to make them up.

[Tim Howard]

Right. So this is my other point. Sorry. So I'm watching this game, right? And I'm thinking the goalkeeper had a nightmare which, by the way, I know what that looks like. I've had a few. But the goalkeeper has a nightmare. And I'm thinking, if I. If I'm correct, the striker, Surridge, he is in the golden boot race, correct. And Messi, like, caught him up. And I'm looking. I'm thinking, if I'm going to the dress room after the game, looking at this guy going, bro, are you for real? Like, he doesn't need any more help. I'm. I'm barely getting by here in the. In the golden boot race, and you just gift him two goals. I was thinking, would they be rowing? Because you would.

[Landon Donovan]

But anyway, you know how many games I went in, like, before the game started? And I said, I don't care what happens. He does not score today, okay? Like, if someone else is going to score, fine. He does not. And for whatever reason he was leading, I hated the guy. Whatever. I was like, he is not scoring. Yeah, we got that. Of course he'd probably score.

[Tim Howard]

But here's the thing. Here's the other thing, and I'm digressing, but you're gonna forget. Forgive me. So. So my best friend is very high up in the NBA. And. And I ask him all the time. I'm saying, like, there's five people on the court, right? This guy scores all the points. All the points. I'm saying, what if you just took him out of the game, right? You defend double team. What have took him out of the game and gave one of the other guys the ball every time. Let him beat you every time, right? I think. I think you win most of the time.

[Landon Donovan]

I think so, too.

[Tim Howard]

We have to move on. All right, Relax. I heard you, Jordan.

[Landon Donovan]

All right, last game, we'll talk about. And it's time for our control your game. Presented by NHTSA when you speed, you have less time to react. Follow the speed limit to keep other road users safe. Speeding catches up with you. Paid for by nitsa. All right. The man who is definitely in full control, Tim. Of his game. I told you not to sleep on him.

[Tim Howard]

You did. You did.

[Landon Donovan]

Anders Dryer, two goals for San Diego. They go to Chicago. They beat a good Chicago team. He now becomes the third ever MLS player to have 10 goals and 15 assists in his debut campaign. Sebastian Giovinco and Darwin Quintero did that with Minnesota United. And we're only at the All Star break. We're only. We're only halfway through the season, and he's already done it.

[Tim Howard]

All right, let me riff here. You told me about this guy, he's in your backyard. Everyone's wearing his shirt. You've seen him. I slept a little bit. Not a lot. I, I trust your judgment. What I would say is I don't buy many tickets. 1. Because I just prefer to stay home and watch it on tv. Or if I do go to games that I've got enough. I got enough juice to get a ticket. I'm gonna buy a ticket to watch this guy. It's a true story. Because you're. I, I'm blown away. You read those stats. 10 goals and 15 assists in his debut campaign. The bottom part is not even the All Star break yet. Yeah, like, like, is it, is it far fetched to say that he'll be. He'll be a 15 goal, 20 assist player?

[Landon Donovan]

Like, I think easily.

[Tim Howard]

Easily. Right.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah. And if not for the best player that's ever played the game in the history of the game, who actually has 10 goals in his last five games.

[Tim Howard]

Yeah.

[Landon Donovan]

He would be the MVP.

[Tim Howard]

He might be.

[Landon Donovan]

San Diego's top of the league.

[Tim Howard]

All right, hang on.

[Landon Donovan]

Or top of the West. What?

[Tim Howard]

Yeah, you're right.

[Landon Donovan]

He's not going to be the MVP unless he scores zero more goals. He's still going to win the mvp.

[Tim Howard]

I'm going to ask you a question. Go, keep going.

[Landon Donovan]

No, I'm good. Go ahead.

[Tim Howard]

All right, so we have. This is obviously being recorded. So they win. They win the west, right?

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah.

[Tim Howard]

San Diego wins the West. He gets. Or did I say 15? 20. He's got 25. He's gonna have to get more. He gets 17 goals, 25 assists. It's a lot, but doable. 17. Is he on penalties, by the way? Do you know that?

[Landon Donovan]

I don't know. I don't believe he is actually.

[Tim Howard]

Okay. Which makes it amazing. He's on 17 goals, 25 assists. San Diego wins the West. No chance. He wins mvp like he's got. You have to. I love Messi.

[Landon Donovan]

Zero chance.

[Tim Howard]

I know why you think so.

[Landon Donovan]

Zero chance. There's no chance. It's not happening.

[Tim Howard]

It's your trophy, right?

[Landon Donovan]

It doesn't.

[Tim Howard]

I'm asking. No, no. It's a Landon Diamond Trophy.

[Landon Donovan]

There is less percentage chance that I have a say in it than he's gonna win.

[Tim Howard]

It's zero. Okay. Okay. So since this is being recorded and I'm not taking the piss, I feel like you think I am. If, if your guy from your second team, because your first team is not doing well, if San Diego win the west, he gets 17 goals and 25 assists. Will you Call Don Garber. Not that Don has anything to do with it. I'm saying, will you call him and show me from your phone that you called him and just lobby if he.

[Landon Donovan]

Gets to that point.

[Tim Howard]

If he gets to that point.

[Landon Donovan]

Okay, I will. I will.

[Tim Howard]

Okay. Thank you. That's all.

[Landon Donovan]

Thank you. I don't think Don knows anything about that, though. He's got bigger fish to fry.

[Tim Howard]

He's got bigger fish. I know. I know.

[Landon Donovan]

All right. Well, Anders is in immense control of his game. That is very clear. So let's. Let's hope for his sake in San Diego's sake it keeps going. All right, well, Anders Dreyer is in immense control of his game. Make sure you stay in control of your game. We're going to take a break. When we come back, we will get into all your Questions in the AT&T fan connection and talk Anything but soccer. Really good. Anything but soccer. This week, right here on Unfiltered Soccer with Landon and Tim, presented by volkwalk Volkswagen.

[Tim Howard]

There's nothing better than feeling like someone has your back and that things are going to get done without you even having to ask.

[Landon Donovan]

Like fans who start to sing and chant at the exact moment their team needs to rally.

[Tim Howard]

A coach who can change strategies at halftime to help their team win.

[Landon Donovan]

A keeper you know is defending your.

[Tim Howard]

Goal or a forward who is always ready to receive the ball.

[Landon Donovan]

AT Unfiltered Soccer. Tim and I know all too well how important it is to be sure someone out there has your back. And that's precisely why AT&T has a new guarantee.

[Tim Howard]

The AT&T guarantee is all about having your back. When you're with AT&T, if there's a network interruption, they'll proactively make it right with a credit for a full day of Service, guaranteed.

[Landon Donovan]

Visit att.com guarantee to learn more. Terms and conditions apply.

[Tim Howard]

AT&T connecting changes everything.

[Landon Donovan]

Credit for Fiber downtime lasting 20 minutes or more or wireless downtime lasting 60 minutes or more caused by a single incident impacting 10 or more towers. Restrictions and exclusions apply. See att.com guarantee for full details. When you speed while driving, you have less time to react to whatever comes across your path.

[Tim Howard]

A sharp turn could take you by surprise, causing you to veer off the road.

[Landon Donovan]

Another car could turn out in front of you, leading to a fender bender.

[Tim Howard]

A truck could break, suddenly injuring you and the other driver.

[Landon Donovan]

A pedestrian could be walking their dog, and your foot on the gas might lead to a tragedy.

[Tim Howard]

You may not think any of these things can happen. To you, but you won't see them coming until they happen. When you're speeding, you don't have time to course correct and it only takes an instant for disaster to strike.

[Landon Donovan]

The speed limit isn't just there to protect you, but everyone around you too.

[Tim Howard]

So slow down, obey the law, and keep everyone on the road safe.

[Landon Donovan]

Speeding catches up with you Paid for by nhtsa. Hey, it's Ryan Reynolds here for Mint Mobile. Now I was looking for fun ways.

[Tim Howard]

To tell you that Mint's offer of.

[Landon Donovan]

Unlimited Premium Wireless for $15 a month is back.

[Tim Howard]

So I thought it would be fun if we made $15 bills, but it.

[Landon Donovan]

Turns out that's very illegal.

[Tim Howard]

So there goes my big idea for the commercial. Give it a [e-mail] Switch upfront payment.

[C]

Of $45 for three month plan equivalent.

[Tim Howard]

To $15 per month required new customer.

[C]

Offer for first three months only. Speed slow after 35 gigabytes of networks busy taxes and fees extra.

[Tim Howard]

See mint mobile.com 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. The best way to grow the game of soccer in the US is to keep asking questions and keep talking about the sport we all love. At, AT and T. Connecting changes everything. And on uslnt, our connections with you will help grow the game. Yes. Yes. It's that time. The AT&T fan connection. We get to connect with you, the fan. And. And. And we also get to hang out with Jordan a little bit. Jordan, come on in. I love your shirt, by the way. Cause we were talking about My Chemical Romance this morning, weren't we?

[C]

Yes. I. I love this. Landon went to see Nas, who's your favorite artist? Correct. And I went to see my favorite artist, my Chemical RO tour in Seattle this past weekend.

[Landon Donovan]

So. I didn't know you actually went to the.

[Tim Howard]

And you disrespected me, a man of the people that I am. You disrespect.

[C]

I did tell.

[Tim Howard]

Tell everyone what you did.

[C]

I. I didn't know that you were. That you. You listened to My Chemical Romance. I just assumed that we would. I would have to do a lot of work to. To indoctrinate you, but incredibly well rounded.

[Landon Donovan]

Are they like a. They're an emo band, Scott. Yeah. Like just.

[Tim Howard]

You're just chucking out Scar. You don't even know what any of that is.

[C]

I. I would say though, they were playing the album the Black Parade, which is the shirt I'm wearing an black Parade. Is Dead is more like arena rock. Like, it's a big, big sound.

[Landon Donovan]

What does that mean? Arena rock?

[C]

Like Queen. Oh, yeah.

[Landon Donovan]

So, like, it's a big shout.

[C]

Yeah, that the Black Parade album is actually influenced by the Wall by Pink Floyd, which is another, like, big sounding band. So, yeah, it was really fun.

[Tim Howard]

Musically inclined, what do you got for us today?

[C]

I got a lot of questions, and actually, they're a lot for you, so buckle up. Tim.

[Tim Howard]

Who, me?

[C]

Okay, let. You know what, let's just come in real hot. Here we go. This one's from Ian via email. Tim, take us back to that fateful night in Trinidad in October 2017. Was there a moment in that match when you realized we might actually lose and fail to qualify for the World cup for both Landon and Tim, what was going through your mind when it actually happened?

[Tim Howard]

Yeah, it's a good question, because I never thought I'd see the day during the game. And I think we were waiting for another result. It was. It was Panama. It was Panama somewhere, right? We were on. We're on the. After the game, we're on the field. I didn't really want to stick around, but we were waiting desperately for another result or something happened or someone got a penalty at the end anyway, some crazy CONCACAF thing. And no, to be brutally honest, it was all very surreal in the game. You're hoping. You. You're hoping to just find a goal from somewhere. You, you, you just think the, the miracles will happen. Something will happen. And it didn't. And I remember going back to. I vividly remember going back to the hotel. Nothing, like, literally nothing was said in the dressroom. Nothing was said on team bus. Go back to the hotel. Demarcus Beasley and I were roommates at the back end of my national career. He was just laying in bed. I was laying in bed. He was, you know, he was on his way. If had we won, he would have been on his, what, fourth or fifth World Cup?

[Landon Donovan]

Fifth.

[Tim Howard]

Fifth. I was going to a fourth. Like, it was. It was written in the stars. And then it. And then it wasn't. Went downstairs to a team meal. Jesus Christ. A team meal. Like, I mean, you want to talk about the walking dead? It was. There were just people. No one, like, no one was saying anything. The coaches weren't saying, like, okay, we'll do the. No one spoke. Walked out of the room, went back upstairs, laid on the bed. He was on his phone. I was on, like, said. Not like, no one said anything. I, I. You just thought I. In my brain, I Just thought something, something was going to miraculous to happen, like we were going to somehow get entry to the World cup. Like someone would figure out some way. Like, it just didn't. It didn't seem real, as stupid as it sounds. Just didn't seem real.

[Landon Donovan]

I was sitting at home watching on my couch and it was 2 0, right? They went up 2 0. Is that right?

[Tim Howard]

Yeah.

[Landon Donovan]

So it's 20 at halftime.

[Tim Howard]

Yes, I think that's correct.

[Landon Donovan]

Okay, so my buddy Devin, who listens to the pod, he. He said he sent me a text earlier in the day and said, do you want to come over and watch? I think he was thinking it was going to be a celebration. So at halftime I was like, I got to change something up. So I went over his house. As the minutes wore on in the second half, I had this feeling in my gut that I've only had one other time in my life. And I just. I was sitting there watching it happen, and it's. It's like that sick feeling in your stomach and it wouldn't go away. And then I just. I sat there and I was in disbelief. That's the best way. I mean, like you said, like, you're. You literally can't believe that just happened. I know, and we say that kind of like hyperbolically all the time, but I couldn't believe what I was watching. Yeah, it was crazy.

[Tim Howard]

I. I think I've said on this podcast before, like, you know, that was. That was epic failure. I, I certainly, I, with many of my teammates have held our hand up and I certainly do. I honestly remember ld. I had a. I had at the time a place in Florida, and I think. I can't remember who was my coach in, In Denver, but they were like, you can, you know, have a few days off. I went. I went straight to my place in Florida and I'm. I'm. I'm not a depressed person. Obviously. Mental health is real and I've never had bouts of depression. I remember being depressed and numb. Like, numb. Like, like the world was just hazy. I would go into a store and people would talk to me or I would talk to somebody. I was just in a haze. I don't. It was incredible, man. It was incredible sad. Good question.

[C]

I have literally no idea how to transition out of.

[Tim Howard]

And I'll straight out of it. Failure happens.

[C]

This one's from Steve via email. Actually, just for. For clarity, there are two questions from someone called Steve. They are not the same Steve. So I'm just saying that now. The first Steve sent An email and said, as a retired referee, with Most of my 15 year career spent as the man in the middle, I was wondering what Landon and Tim think players want from a referee. Also, why can't soccer have a clock controlled by the referee on the field? And finally, any referee stand out as doing a terrific job for you in big games.

[Landon Donovan]

The clock one. I feel like that'd be hard for a referee with all the things going on to then have to stop your clock, start it again, stop it. So I feel like that would be challenging, but you could have somebody doing it, maybe not the center ref, I don't mind that idea. And then as far as referees that have stood out, I mean, there's been a lot over the years, the way I watch a game and the way I. When I played a game, what I wanted from a referee was a few things. Consistency, number one. The worst thing is when you think you get fouled. Referee doesn't blow the whistle, the ball goes down the other way. The other team has a similar type foul happen to them and then he blows the whistle. So it's like compounding the mistake. And that would drive players absolutely crazy. The second thing I wanted from a referee was to be human. And the amount of times where I would blow up at a referee that wasn't a foul, that I did that and the ref would go, you know what? I might have missed that one, I'm sorry. And then it's diffused. What am I going to say? I'm not going to keep going out. Well, you bet. I said I'm sorry. I might have missed it. I'm sorry. I thought it was a foul, I didn't see it and that's it. So just be human in those moments because the ones who drive you crazy are the arrogant ego or like, get out of here. That was a foul. You know it was. And you're just like, get out. Just stop, dude, I'm playing the game. I got fouled. If you didn't see it, fine, but don't tell me it wasn't a foul, you know, so that, that's what I wanted.

[Tim Howard]

Well said. And look, I, I apologize to a lot of referees because I've said horrific things. I've said horrific. I had to get my. I told you I had to go to a dark place to perform and to compete. I said things to my opponent and referee and fans, I probably would take back. Some of them I would actually double down on. But the, the referees that I hate that I. And I've called other Players idiotic as well. There's certain referees are just idiotic. The ones you're talking about, Landon, are like, that should be part of your refereeing education is like, totally learning the mindset of a player. Like, most of these guys aren't. Like, most of these players aren't bad guys. They're just in the heat of the moment. They're insecure as hell. They. They're just trying to get by. They're emotional. Like, learn how to deal with that. Two referees stand out. The first one for a funny reason. And anyone who was refereed by him in the Premier League, his name is Mark Halsey. And Mark Halsey was funny as bleep. I mean, this guy. This guy, I would. I would say, like. And by the way, it wasn't just me. I mean, he was. He. He was so amazing. Ball would go out and I go, hey, Mark. Hey, Mark. And he go, oh, let me guess. You're going to think I'm a F and F and so and so. And he'd laugh and he'd run off and, like, what was I supposed to do? I was like, I just started laughing because I was. That's what I was going to call him, and he'd hurry up and get. Get on with the goal kick or something. But Howard Webb, hands down, he's the. He's the greatest referee that I've ever witnessed. You know, Howard Webb was. I think he. I think he refereed the 2000, the 2010 World cup final, Holland versus Spain. I think he was a longtime Premier League referee. He headed up to referees for. For the MLS and he does now for the Premier League. He. I think by all accounts, he was. He was some sort of a. He was some sort of police officer. He was in law enforcement. So his ability to defuse situations. Jordan, to the question, was like, not his shoulder, by the way his shoulders and bicep and chest were. It was a barrel. So, like, you walked up on him, you're like, I'm not really sure what I'm going to say to him right now, you know, and like, in any big moment, he walk away, you're done. And like, there's 20 people around him and he's talking to the count and like. Like, I'm trying to yell at him, thinking it was like a school teacher. I'm like, nothing I say to this guy is going to, like, affect him. So he was amazing. I thought he was brilliant in the way he handled. Handled players. But again, I talk about, like, referee education. He got that education in law enforcement. So he knew how to de, escalate situations. Anyway. Yeah, awesome question.

[C]

How about another question from someone called Steve, but it's different. Steve, the reason I asked this question is because I think it's a pretty basic question, Tim, for you to answer about goalkeeping, but I think it's a question that a lot of people don't understand why these decisions get made. So let me ask his questions.

[Tim Howard]

Good.

[C]

Why is it that goalkeepers almost always try to guess where the ball is going to go? Why not just stand their ground and try to react? I assume that there is some data as to which strategy is best.

[Landon Donovan]

It's a great question.

[Tim Howard]

Is this a, is this like a penalty or just.

[C]

I think he's talking about penalties, but in, yeah, it could be in general. But I like when I was reading the question, I was imagining penalties specifically.

[Tim Howard]

And okay, in penalty, in penalties it would actually, it would. If anyone remembers the old Benny Hill skits, it would be the best comedy skit ever. If you were to tell the goalkeeper, right, we're, we're in a World Cup. We're in the highest, we're talking world class players. Landon Donovan standing on the penalty spot. Tim Howard, you're in goal. If all I could do was react at the moment he hit the ball, you would see me dive after the ball hit the back of the net. Like that's how fast this goes. So it's, it's an impossibility. Some goalkeepers can like wait and react and every now and again they make a save. But like the penalty has to be a crap penalty. If Landon takes a really good penalty and it, and it curls just inside one of the posts, high or low, and I react only after I see where it's going. I'm gonna, I'm just gonna fall on the ground after the balls hit. You can't, it's impossible.

[C]

They would have to move penalties to midfield in order for you to have time to react.

[Tim Howard]

So reaction times.

[Landon Donovan]

So okay, but what about in the run of play? Because I think that's a good question.

[Tim Howard]

Yeah, in the run of play. I mean, in the run of play, I, I, I think from a goalkeeing standpoint, like again, you and me, you're closing me down. You're barreling in on like, I don't think you're guessing on like long range shots unless you get somehow deceived by the ball. But like in tight sometimes you'll see like, you know, within like 10 yards, you and me, you're barreling down on Me, you're looking at me, right? You've got time. I can try and I can try and close the angle down and give you less to look at but ultimately you got a lot of goal behind me and, and, and you're clever enough to pick out a side. So I've got to do my best to like lean one way and, and, and you know, drag a hand or leg, leave it in the road to hopefully get a piece of something because otherwise it's really, really difficult to wait and then react because it's just the, the time and the distance is so short.

[Landon Donovan]

I had a few goalkeeper coaches, I would ask this because I want to know it from the goalies perspective because I felt like that helped me and a few of them would say the same thing. They would say majority of goals get scored within like a yard of of you. That's where the ball passes your body. Majority of them. So that's whatever the data says there. So it's, it's way less or. Sorry it's more rare than people think to like bang it just inside the post. It's just not the way it goes. So he said as a goalkeeper his, the way, the way these ones would teach is that you just need to stand there and be as big as possible and not give them a goal. Right. Because it's hard like make someone scorable and if they smash it in the corner, they smash it in the corner. But there's so many, I mean the messy one you just talked about. Yeah he made it so much easier by guessing the side of the wall and then Messi from 18 yards to roll it in on a wet field. I mean that's not hard to do.

[Tim Howard]

Not hard. Well, it's interesting, that's really interesting that they, they said that to you because I agree with it. Manuel Neuer was the best in the world for forever and I think Allison at Liverpool is, is the current best in the world. And they both different techniques but they both do a really great job of actually chest forward. Not really now. Sometimes they get beat and it gets rolled down the side but often they make a ton of those saves in tight because they, they, they kind of stand and wait and Allison has a really great way of coming out and sliding again. The hard part for me and when, when I teach young goalkeepers or I asked or they asked me questions, it's like I was the same dude. Like when, when someone was coming was barreling down on me and I, and I've taken a really great position. It's like I'm now about to get absolutely wellied with a 75 mile an hour shot. And sometimes I like, I just flinch or I get out of the way. Like, it's not. It's not a perfect science because we're human, but the best, the best of brave.

[C]

Thank you for recognizing that. Allison is.

[Tim Howard]

Here we go.

[C]

Appreciate that.

[Tim Howard]

There we go.

[C]

All right, that's it. Thanks, guys.

[Landon Donovan]

Thanks, J.R. all right. That was awesome. Actually, Tim, too. Quick shout out. We have great partners. We really do here and AT and T. This Sunday, I'm going to be doing an appearance for AT&T in Austin.

[Tim Howard]

Nice.

[Landon Donovan]

Just want to say they're really good people. They just last minute they needed help and you know how it goes when you have good partners. We'll do it. So we're going to be at the All Star game next week. I will be there Sunday evening.

[Tim Howard]

Can't wait.

[Landon Donovan]

Just, yeah, pay attention and hopefully I see you guys there. It'd be really fun. All right, abs. Anything but soccer. So this is cool. I like this. All right. In the women's semifinal at Wimbledon last week, there was a moment when Amanda Anisa Mova hit a shot. It clipped the net, fell over the net. She won the. She won the point. Irina Sabalenka, who she's playing. Who's. She is fiery.

[Tim Howard]

Yeah.

[Landon Donovan]

She was upset that she didn't say sorry, that Anisa Moba didn't say sorry after it hit the net and fell over. And so it just got us all thinking on the chat, like, what are some of these unwritten rules in sports that are either good or some that are just, like, ridiculous? Right? And this one, to me, look, I played tennis for like seven years after I retired, okay? This one was always crazy to me because you hit the net and it goes over and you won the point. But then you're like, oh, my bad. I'm so sorry. I'm like, what the hell are you apologizing for? You won the point. And so it's, it's, it's just, it's just bizarre. That one's bizarre to me. And we're going to go into a few more.

[Tim Howard]

We're going a few more. But the. You mentioned this in our, in our production call about tennis, right? We both play a little tennis. It's like you didn't meet. Like, what are you apologizing for? You didn't mean you're trying. You were trying to hit a good shot. It clipped in that, like, stop saying sorry. Some of these sports, like, stop saying Sorry, there's no like. And. And by the way, she didn't get mad about it.

[Landon Donovan]

The other girl, she was pissed.

[Tim Howard]

Do me a favor.

[Landon Donovan]

She was pissed. But Tim, think about this. Imagine I'm like on a breakaway and I go to hit the shot and I just like slice it off the side, like, totally mishit it. And by the way I hit it, I scored a ton of goals like that, right? And it goes in the goal. There's zero chance I'm apologizing. I'm gonna be like, tim, my. It came off the outside of my foot. I was trying to smash it across the goal. Mouth. You would never, ever.

[Tim Howard]

You wheel away and celebrate. End of the story.

[Landon Donovan]

Of course you do. And you don't even think about it. So it's so. Okay, so let's get into a few of these other things.

[Tim Howard]

Ones.

[Landon Donovan]

And actually I want really, really want you guys to tell us some of your most annoying ones. Because this is like, yeah, this is a bar. I'm going to start with this one. This one drives me crazy. This one really gets me fired up. So in baseball, I can't figure out when a pitcher inadvertently not trying to hit the guy, throws 100 mile an hour fastball in the middle of a guy's back or hits his arm or whatever. Can you not. This is a case where. Can you not just look at the guy and say, my bad, dude. Like, I didn't mean. There's like this macho, like, oh, yeah, take it. You know, go to like, come on, dude. Like real manly. You're going to throw a. A hard ball at a guy from 60ft away.

[Tim Howard]

Yeah.

[Landon Donovan]

Like, what a man you are. And then the pitcher, Tim now never bats. So then the other team's pitcher comes out and hits your best player. But by the way, you're just sitting there like, all right, you guys go at it. I started it. But I'm never going to get hit. So it doesn't. I mean, this to me is the. The DUS thing.

[Tim Howard]

It's a tangled web. We're going to go off on one here. Look, I'm looking at like unwritten rules in baseball. We have it pulled up right. Like you one of a couple of my love. You're not supposed to talk to a pitcher who, who's got a no. A no hitter going into like a seven. I love that one. I think it's amazing. Love.

[Landon Donovan]

Isn't it worse though? Everyone knows, like, talk to him. Good job.

[Tim Howard]

I get. But you're not supposed to steal a base.

[Landon Donovan]

Maybe the Pitcher wants you to be.

[Tim Howard]

No, no, he doesn't. He's locked in.

[Landon Donovan]

Okay, okay, okay. Not supposed to steal a base. What?

[Tim Howard]

You're not supposed to steal a base when your team has a huge lead. I get that. Okay, whatever.

[Landon Donovan]

It's about stats.

[Tim Howard]

You're not supposed. You're not supposed to bunt to break up a no hitter, which I do appreciate. Like, come on, like, if you're not good enough to hit the guy, then, like, don't bunt. The thing you were touching upon, right, is I got a major problem. I'm not trying to rewrite baseball lore, but, like, I got a big problem. So you said the guy gets hit, so the next time up. Unwritten rule. I gotta hit you, bro. I'm. I'm. I'm coming for your head. Okay, here's the problem I have. You possess a lethal weapon in your. In. In a. In a baseball and your arm. And you're going to throw 103 miles an hour at my chin, right?

[Landon Donovan]

60Ft away.

[Tim Howard]

Yeah, I'm 60ft away. So I'm going to build this scenario for you just to. To. So I can. I can. I can give you my point. Once you do that, if I'm not dazed and confused and dead, I can get up and chase you down to try and fight you. I got a gorilla in catcher's gear chasing me from behind, right? By the time I get to you. Third base, second base, shortstop, first base.

[Landon Donovan]

They're there.

[Tim Howard]

Are there? My guys haven't even got over the top of the dugout yet. So I'm like one on seven. I don't even know if my math is right. I'm like one on six, one on seven, and I can't take the bat with me. What? I got a big problem with that. Major League Baseball. Like, I know everyone's saying, well, how dare you. Hang on. How dare you hit me with a 100 mph fastball in the chin? Your best friend, the catcher is breathing down my. My neck, about to stomp me, and I can't bring the bat. Like, where else does that work? I live in New York. If someone throws something at me, I'm going to pick up the first, bolt it down, and I'm going to chuck it at him.

[Landon Donovan]

I'm fine with it.

[Tim Howard]

Right?

[Landon Donovan]

I'm fine with it because the pitcher never. The pitcher never gets any repercussion or.

[Tim Howard]

You know, there was one smart guy in baseball, I can't remember what it was, and you guys can tell us, and maybe production. He got Hit by a pitch and was like, I'm going after the pitcher, but you know what I'm going to do first, I'm going to drop kick the catcher in the chest. And he did. I'm trying to think who it was. I. I want to say it was a Yankee, but it wasn't kicked the. The. The pitcher in the chest and. Or catcher in the chest and then be. Lined it for the pitcher because he's like, at least I could take one out. So anyway, it was amazing.

[Landon Donovan]

But that's so good.

[Tim Howard]

I mean, some of these are cra. Like, some of these are crazy because you move to soccer, right? It's like. And you had an interesting take on this because the, the. When. When a. When a goal. When a goal scorer scores against his former team, there's like this, you know, if you all can see me, he, like, puts his hand up and goes, oh, can't celebrate. I won't celebrate out of respect. And like, you tell me the story about, like, do you see?

[Landon Donovan]

We had a guy at Loyal score against his former team. Well, and by the way, I had no idea. I. I researched this guy for three years trying to sign him. I had no idea even played for this team. Right.

[Tim Howard]

Okay.

[Landon Donovan]

And the reason why is because he played like, three games for that team. So he scores against them and he runs the. The corner and he puts his hands. I was like, you're there for a.

[Tim Howard]

Cup of coffee, dude.

[Landon Donovan]

Like, really? I can see if you're there for 10 years and.

[Tim Howard]

Right, right.

[Landon Donovan]

But, like, it's just so funny.

[Tim Howard]

Oh, what other ones we have? I'm just trying to think. The kicking the ball. I was like, I'm not gonna get into your sport. Golf, walking across someone's putting line. One of the reasons I don't play golf is there's way too many rules.

[Landon Donovan]

There's. There's in. In golf, there's so many. The putting line is interesting because they do it for pros, right? And the pros, if you, like, if you have a heavy foot and you step and there's a little mark, the pros are so good that even from like 30ft, if it hits that a little differently, it might not go for an amateur golfer. Sometimes people go, oh, my bad. And I go, dude, I pray to God I'm good enough one day where that little footprint actually matters, like that little divot groove actually matters. It's so ridiculous.

[Tim Howard]

It's ridiculous. Again, why I don't. Why I don't play golf. What I would say is, there's an unwritten rule. And I know you being half Canadian subscribe to this. I subscribe to it. And the unwritten rule in hockey is if you touch my best player, I've got a goon that's 6 foot 7, 230, skates like a ballerina. He's coming over the top of those boards. If you touch my best skater, end of story. Like, that's my favorite.

[Landon Donovan]

I love it.

[Tim Howard]

Because you know what, you know what it eliminates? It eliminates shithousery. It eliminates it. It's like no problem. But there's going to be a problem.

[Landon Donovan]

We're going to fists.

[Tim Howard]

That's it.

[Landon Donovan]

I love it. And then all you do is you get like a five minute penalty. It's like, whatever.

[Tim Howard]

That's the, that's the other thing about it, right? Like in all these other sports, like, you can't, you can't.

[Landon Donovan]

You'd be suspended for months.

[Tim Howard]

Suspended for all these things. I'm not condoning that. We, we bring fight soccer or anything else, right? Like in football, it takes care of itself, right? You're like, this guy's going over American football. This guy's going over the middle. I'm going high on him. I'm going to get a 15, 15 yard penalty or whatever. Or maybe you get tossed. I think you get tossed for one game, right? For targeting, I can't remember, whatever. But it's one. In soccer, you blow on a guy that's like three games and it's going to a panel, you might get another one. So you missed like three, like, like a tenth of the season. Wild.

[Landon Donovan]

All right, I really. We want to know what are some other ones? Because we can talk about them on the show next week. But this, yeah, that one riled me up when she got all mad about it the other day. All right, great show. Thank you guys. It was awesome. Remember, as Always, subscribe on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, anywhere you get your podcasts. And then Unfiltered Soccer on all our social media for bonus content.

[Tim Howard]

Thank you all. Thank you all for listening, for chiming in, giving us your feedback. The good and the bad. We'd love it. Thank you to our presenting sponsor, VW, our fan connection sponsor, AT&T and our control, your game sponsor, NHTSA, and of course, our unfiltered refresh sponsor, Coors Light. Have a great week. We'll be back next week with another edition of Unfiltered Soccer.