Diego Luna Goes Hard, Zack Steffen's Clean Sheet, USMNT's Centerback Pairing & An Extended Mailbag

Summary

Unfiltered Soccer with Landon Donovan and Tim Howard

Episode Title: Diego Luna Goes Hard, Zack Steffen's Clean Sheet, USMNT's Centerback Pairing & An Extended Mailbag
Release Date: January 28, 2025

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Introduction

In this episode of Unfiltered Soccer, hosts Landon Donovan and Tim Howard delve deep into the recent performances of the US Men's National Team (USMNT), highlight standout players, discuss the evolving landscape of American soccer in international leagues, and engage with listener questions in an extensive mailbag segment. Co-host and guest Mauricio Pochettino also contributes his insights, enriching the conversation with his managerial perspective.

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USMNT January Camp Success

Overview of Camp Performance

The hosts kick off the episode by celebrating the success of the USMNT's January camp, which concluded with a commanding 3-0 victory against Costa Rica. The panel praises the team's performance, emphasizing the positive energy from both players and manager Mauricio Pochettino.

• Landon Donovan remarks, “This feels like it couldn't have gone any better. Hats off to U.S. soccer, to Pochettino and all the players.” (02:05)

Diego Luna’s Heroic Effort

A standout moment discussed is Diego Luna's determination and resilience during the match. Despite sustaining an elbow to the face that broke his nose, Luna persisted in the game, showcasing his commitment by setting up Brian White's goal.

• Donovan highlights, “...he breaks his nose, blood everywhere. Literally pleads with the manager to stay in the game...” (02:35)

Pochettino’s Praise

Pochettino commends the players' dedication, particularly Luna’s, and expresses confidence in the team’s direction.

• Pochettino states, “Assist. Big balls.” (07:23)

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Zach Steffen’s Clean Sheet and Goalkeeping Excellence

Steffen’s Performance

Zach Steffen’s exceptional performance is a focal point, earning him “Man of the Match” honors. The discussion centers on his decision-making and ability to keep a clean sheet, which aligns with Pochettino’s emphasis on defensive solidity.

• Howard notes, “...he plays big. He naturally does things that keep his team in the game.” (07:53)

Pochettino’s Management of Goalkeepers

Pochettino emphasizes the importance of goalkeepers focusing on keeping the ball out of the net, rather than overextending with risky passes.

• Steffen received feedback: “Keep the ball out of the net...” (11:14)

Future Prospects

The panel discusses Steffen’s potential role in the upcoming World Cup, considering his current form and the competition with Matt Turner.

• Donovan muses, “If you’re a striker, score the goals. If you’re a goalkeeper, keep a clean sheet.” (05:40)

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US Players Shining in the UEFA Champions League

Milestone Achievements

American players have made a significant impact in the UEFA Champions League, with the US achieving 34 starts this season—matching the record from the 2021-2022 season.

• Howard expresses pride: “Equalling the most in a single season in the competition ever... I’m just proud.” (14:18)

Standout Players: CCV Carter Vickers and Austin Trusty

The chemistry between centerbacks CCV Carter Vickers and Austin Trusty for Celtic is highlighted as a key factor in their success, especially their advance to the playoff round against Young Boys.

• Donovan states, “If CCV Carter Vickers and Austin Trusty aren’t partnered together right in the center of the US Defense... I think potential Pochettino will... I want to see it there.” (16:19)

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Player Moves and Prospects

Tim Waya’s Potential Transfer

With Tim Waya’s impressive performance against AC Milan, there are rumors linking him to Everton. The discussion explores the implications of such a move and its potential impact on his international career.

• Howard mentions, “There are some thoughts that Everton might be interested...” (17:41)

Luca De La Torre’s Loan to San Diego FC

Luca De La Torre’s strategic loan move to San Diego FC is praised as a decision that benefits both his development and the USMNT’s depth.

• Howard explains, “He needs to play. He was not playing at Celta Vigo... This was necessary for him if he wanted any chance of playing in the World Cup next year.” (19:07)

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Pochettino’s All-Time Favorite USMNT Players

In response to fan queries, Pochettino shares his top three all-time favorite US Men’s National Team players:

1. Tim Howard - “...the goalkeeper must be Tim Howard.”
2. Landon Donovan
3. Clint Dempsey

• Howard adds humorously, “We suck now, but some people respect us still.” (13:14)

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Fan Mail and Extended Q&A

Mount Rushmore of US Soccer

Listener Josh asks about the "Mount Rushmore" of US soccer. Donovan and Pochettino share their selections, including:

• Donovan: Himself, Clint Dempsey, Claudio Reyna, and DeMarcus Beasley.

• Pochettino: Agrees with Donovan and adds depth to the conversation.

• Donovan states, “Claudio Reyna has to be on there.” (29:29)

US vs Mexico Rivalry

A detailed discussion unfolds around the intense rivalry between the US and Mexico, with personal anecdotes highlighting the emotional and competitive aspects of this long-standing contest.

• Donovan reflects, “There is nothing you can do in life that gives you that... Fear, anxiety, joy, pain.” (39:06)

Mental Health in Sports

Addressing a listener's concern, the hosts delve into the perception and support of mental health within the sport, acknowledging the evolving landscape and the importance of psychological support for players.

• Pochettino observes, “Sports are really hard. Professional sports are really hard... players now have staff to help them.” (43:01)
• Donovan shares personal insights, “I went through a long stretch where I didn’t believe in using a sports psychologist...” (48:16)

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Anecdotes and Lighthearted Moments

The episode also features entertaining exchanges about personal experiences, such as the hosts' first cars and memorable jersey swaps with famous players like Wayne Rooney and Clint Dempsey.

• Donovan recounts swapping jerseys with Wayne Rooney at the World Cup: “I swapped with Wayne Rooney in the World Cup which was pretty awesome.” (52:18)

Mauricio Pochettino’s First Car Story

Pochettino shares a humorous memory of his first solo drive, emphasizing the nervousness and unexpected encounters he faced.

• Pochettino: “I was like, this is not for me.” (54:56)

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Conclusion and Future Outlook

Wrapping up, the hosts reflect on the successful January camp and express excitement for upcoming competitions like the Nations League in March. They emphasize the importance of continued growth and strategic decisions leading up to the 2026 World Cup.

• Howard concludes, “This was a very successful January camp...” (21:23)

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Final Thoughts

This episode of Unfiltered Soccer provides a comprehensive look into the current state of the USMNT, highlighting both individual brilliance and team cohesion. Through insightful discussions, personal anecdotes, and engaging fan interactions, Landon Donovan, Tim Howard, and Mauricio Pochettino offer listeners an in-depth and entertaining analysis of American soccer’s trajectory toward future successes.

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Notable Quotes:

• Landon Donovan: “Keep the ball out of the net... because they can't. They couldn't save a stamp.” (11:14)
• Tim Howard: “And some people respect us still.” (13:14)
• Mauricio Pochettino: “That's a good point. It's a good.” (26:30)

Transcript

[Landon Donovan]

Keep the ball out of the net, because there's a lot of goalkeepers that I see today who are brilliant footballers, but they might as well have their gloves on the other hand, because they can't. They couldn't save a stand.

[Tim Howard]

Unfiltered Soccer with Landon and Tim presented by Volkswagen. Volkswagen has long been a supporter of soccer in America and has proudly been a partner of US Soccer for the past five years.

[Landon Donovan]

Ld Bloody heck. I have seen you so many times recently.

[Tim Howard]

You've seen this beautiful mud a lot lately.

[Landon Donovan]

I usually don't enjoy that, but we've been knocking out a bunch of episodes recently, giving the fans what they want.

[Tim Howard]

Yeah, it's been fun. We're traveling a bit for the next few weeks, so we're doing. Doing a lot here. Getting some interesting episodes out for you guys Won't be as time sensitive, but I think you guys are going to like it a lot.

[Landon Donovan]

You know what's funny, ld? I love how much we talk about the US Men's National Team because it's. It's what everybody wants to hear, you know? And so the challenge of always making sure that we're getting up to date episodes after every US Men's National Team game is fun and challenging and looking forward to this.

[Mauricio Pochettino]

And our producers hate it.

[Tim Howard]

Follow us guys on social media. Unfiltered soccer. Subscribe YouTube. Make sure you follow on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Please leave a review A Rating A Like comments, et cetera. It helps people find us. And from what I hear, what you hear, Tim, people are enjoying it.

[Landon Donovan]

Yep.

[Tim Howard]

I saw a comment someone said the other day, I can't believe Landon, who is the most boring guy ever, is actually bringing me entertainment on this podcast.

[Landon Donovan]

Wait, I think. I think I wrote that.

[Tim Howard]

You wrote that? Okay. I'm not known as the most entertaining, but I think people are enjoying what.

[Mauricio Pochettino]

We have to say.

[Tim Howard]

So.

[Landon Donovan]

But also if you. If you. If you have bad things to say, send them in. We like reading those, too.

[Tim Howard]

No problem. All right, let's get right into me, US LNT on USMNT 3 nil winners yesterday as we're recording this on Thursday against Costa Rica. Give me your overall. I guess just takeaways from the game, the camp.

[Mauricio Pochettino]

Let's.

[Tim Howard]

Let's dive into this.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah. Success. Huge success. I mean, we've been talking about January Camp. We dove in in the previous episode. What does it mean? What are the takeaways? What are the hopes? You tell me. I think this was like a 10 out of 10. January camp. Yeah, I agree. From from performances, which we'll get into, from results to the positivity that we see in the players performances, the positivity that Pochettino is showing us in the press, in the media, this feels like it couldn't have gone any better. And so, again, hats off to U.S. soccer, to Pochettino and all the players. I mean, I think about, like, Diego Luna. This is how you impress your new manager. You and I talked about, like, what are you going to do to just get into the manager's view? Like, what are you going to do? I mean, he takes an elbow to the face, breaks his nose, blood everywhere. Literally pleads with the manager to stay in the game, Medical staff clears him, and then he goes back in and sets up Brian White's goal. You know, so, like that. I mean, again, couldn't be more proud as a fan, watching the game, as an analyst, as you and I analyze the game, this is perfect. I mean, the manager couldn't talk highly enough about his players. Fantastic. Well done.

[Tim Howard]

Yeah, yeah, you nailed, like, if you just take the overview, you say this was an absolute, almost perfect camp.

[Mauricio Pochettino]

Right.

[Tim Howard]

There was a few guys he probably would have liked to seen, you know, Jesus Ferreira, Tolkien left, maybe Jaylen Neal. But other than that, everything went well. And I, you know, the Diego Luna thing's so funny. So the first thing that reminded me was Brian McBride in. In 2006 in the Italy game in Kaiser Slaughter and getting elbowed, his nose, bloodied, broken, whatever. And he's just out there like a war. And people love that. And to your point, the last thing you want to be in this camp is anonymous.

[Landon Donovan]

Yes.

[Tim Howard]

Right. So even if you're terrible and they thought you were better, at least you are something. And you're on their, you know, on their radar in some ways. But Diego Luna now did something memorable. And I just want to remind people, we played against Diego Luna a few times when we were in USL with San Diego. El Paso. El Paso, Yeah. I think El Paso.

[Mauricio Pochettino]

And this kid is. He's hard, dude.

[Tim Howard]

Like, where he grew up and where he came from, a broken nose and nothing to him. And the reason I'm bringing this up is, you know who else is from a pretty tough place Argentina is? Pochettino.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah.

[Tim Howard]

Like, when you grow up playing soccer and you're around soccer, they really respect guys who just get on with it and are tough and can handle it. And I give Diego so much credit.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah, Pause. Pause for a second, because you bring up a good point. This is not for this episode, but, God, we Need more players like that in America.

[Tim Howard]

Amen.

[Landon Donovan]

We do our players because of the youth system, which we continue to promise we'll get into. Our players are so pampered, and they are so. I, I, My daughter, God bless her, she is the most amazing little girl in the world. She knows. Get up. Don't matter. Get up. When all these other parents are going, referee, that's a purple card or a yellow card or a red card. Get up. Get up. The next time someone hits the ground, it ain't you. And, and, and she's tough as nails. And, and, and this isn't about my daughter, but it's about young athletes, soccer players, being tough as nails. You need it. And they're pampered in this country. So well done to him. It was really good to see him. And look, I think on the game, when you do the job you're asked to do, you give yourself a chance. Like, if you're a striker, score the goals.

[Mauricio Pochettino]

That's right.

[Landon Donovan]

If you're a goalkeeper, keep a clean sheet. If you're a defender, head it and kick it. Connect passes. Like, do what you're asked to do and you'll have, you'll have an opportunity. You know, I think of ajimeng, Patrick. Ajimeng. He, he's got, he's gotten. Gets put in the game, gets a goal, right? Gets put on late, gets a goal.

[Tim Howard]

And I'm like, that's two and two now.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah, two and two. So by the way, is he going to start in the World Cup? I think the odds are against him. But you know what he does? He gives himself a really good opportunity because when he has, as you know, we hate these individual meetings. No matter what they say to him, he could say, okay, I'm going to, I'm going to work on it. But by the way, when you put me in, I score, right? We see this with Ricardo Pepe, which I love. I ain't a sub. Put me in a score. So players really put themselves in a good place. And you know what it does, LD it gives them an opportunity to compete with the best, right? These aren't, this isn't, this isn't the A team. Not. Well, some players are, but this isn't the A team for the US Men. But what it does do is it gets them into an A team camp.

[Tim Howard]

That's right.

[Landon Donovan]

And now they, then it can compete and show themselves. And so, yeah, there's a few of.

[Tim Howard]

These guys, Tim, now who will get called into the next camp when it's real and Then guess what?

[Mauricio Pochettino]

You got to do it again.

[Landon Donovan]

Totally.

[Tim Howard]

And you got to do it a level up and you got to keep going. We're going to read a lot of quotes because Pochettino had a lot to say after the game to tnt after the game. So he said, regarding Diego Luna, this is great. I was very surprised because it was broke, you know, But I didn't want to say nothing with too much drama because it might scare him. I was like, nothing's scaring Diego Luna, bro. Don't trust me. He said, how do you feel? And Diego said, please, coach, let me keep playing, because at least after the half I go out. The doctor said, yeah, okay, okay, you go in and the first action.

[Mauricio Pochettino]

Assist. Big balls.

[Tim Howard]

Said Pochettino.

[Landon Donovan]

Unfiltered. Poch is unfiltered.

[Tim Howard]

He is unfiltered. And we'll have him on the pod. Yeah. So good. And then another guy, Tim, I thought who was great. Zach Stefan was great. So just talk me through. You know, he's been out of the picture for a while. So what does that mean for him?

[Landon Donovan]

Zach. Zach is. Was brilliant last night, man of the match. It's interesting because Pochettino is showing me. What I think I already knew is he's not lazy when it comes to player selection in this. In this country, we get lazy. I see it, you see it at every level. A guy has a falling out with another coach and then the next coach comes in and just kind of follows suit. I've said all along, the US has one and a half top level international goalkeepers. If Matt Turner and Zach Steffen are both playing at the highest possible level they can compete at, then we have two. That's it. We've got some good goalkeepers in the pipeline, sure, but none that can start in a World cup, plain and simple. And for me, I've always said Zach Steffen in his toolbox possesses more talent than any U.S. goalkeeper in the history of the U.S. men's National Team. Putting that all together is the challenge for any goalkeeper. And I just love ld that Pochettino gave him an opportunity. He took the opportunity. And when I start to look at things that. That potcha that Pochettino said, it speaks to. It speaks to Zach being in that window. He's going to get opportunity. Look, I do. I think Matt Turner is very good. He's not playing that. That what happens between now and the World Cup. I think he'll have to make decisions that will impact his international future. But Zach, when you talk to the goalkeeper coach at man city under pep. And I've said this before, he talks about goalkeepers playing big and playing small, right? Zach Steffen, he said plays big. He. He naturally does things that keeps his team in the game. And Pochettino said that I feel like we can trust him. He made big saves, amazing saves. And. And I think that's what Zach does. You know, I even think about the. The. The minutia of goalkeeping, right? They want to play. You saw the. The. They take the ball at the back, they play to the goalkeeper, they play through the center backs, they take risks. There were moments where I'm watching the game and, And. And teams overpass. There were. There were moments where I thought to myself, this ball's coming back to him. I see angles. He's getting closed down. He's probably going to be asked to play another pass. And he made a bold decision, and he said, I'm putting. Put my foot through it. We're going to move our lines. That might not be the perfect pass that the manager, but I'm going to play mistake free football. I thought it was a fantastic performance. When I speak to Chris Sharp at Colorado, his goalkeeper coach, he says he's in a great place. His training has been good. He speaks to him every day. This performance doesn't surprise me.

[Tim Howard]

You know, he wasn't making those good decisions under Greg. He just wasn't.

[Mauricio Pochettino]

He just. He got caught out a lot of.

[Tim Howard]

Times giving away bad passes, and, you know, he was trying to do what Greg wanted. But there is an element of, like, I'm sensing danger here. This is going up the field. And Pochettino said, after game, he said, for me and for us, I think the keeper needs to save on the goal. I think, you know, keep the ball at a goal, basically, and today was great. And then we can add different areas to work with the keeper, but the most important is the clean sheet the keeper needs to save. And he showed his quality, and I'm happy for him. Pochettino is also saying, just keep the ball out of the damn net. We'll work on the other stuff, but we obviously can score enough goals. We scored three goals. We don't need you making every little silly pass.

[Landon Donovan]

So listen, I mean, one. One caveat to end the goalkeeping part. I think I know a lot about goalkeeping, but there's a lot of people who continually beat me over the head, and they try and tell me, no, you have to be good with feet. The goalkeeper, and you just heard it from a genius. In football terms, Pochettino keep the ball, the net. Yes. Connect passes when it needs to. Keep the ball out of the net. Because there's a lot of goalkeepers that I see today who are brilliant footballers, but they might as well have their gloves on the other hand, because they can't. They couldn't save a stamp. So, yeah, end of story. Pochettino said it.

[Tim Howard]

All right. One last guy I want to give some credit to. Ameca Nelly.

[Landon Donovan]

Who?

[Tim Howard]

It's a name a lot of people never heard of because he plays in Salt Lake. Young kid, played lots and lots of minutes. Played almost every game for Salt Lake this year. Gets no attention, no credit. They clearly, like you said, Pochettino is not lazy. He's done his homework and his staff has done his homework. Their homework. Bring him into camp. I mean, you said Zach was the man of match. I thought a Mecca was the best player on the field. And just a name I want people to keep at the forefront of their mind. That is the type of kid, and I know a lot about him because of Nate Miller's at Salt Lake and with Pablo as an assistant coach. And I've heard a lot about him and followed his progress this year. That's the type of player who could find his way on. On a World cup roster if. If other people slack at all. So congrats to Mecca. Probably never imagined he'd be playing for the national team early in his life. And it's just fun to see people take advantage of their opportunities. So I don't know if we got sent this.

[Landon Donovan]

Oh, yeah.

[Tim Howard]

By someone from U. S Soccer.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah, we did.

[Tim Howard]

Mauricio Pochettino was asked to name his 3 all time favorite U. S Men's national team players.

[Landon Donovan]

And what did he say?

[Tim Howard]

What did he say, Tim? He said, well, for me, the goalkeeper. The goalkeeper must be Tim Howard.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah, Howard.

[Tim Howard]

And then he said. And I think Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey. So I just want to give a little shout out to us. We're old Tim. We suck now, but some people respect us still. And look, if that doesn't change in the next five or 10 years, U.S. soccer is not doing its job. Listen, but let's take the credit for now.

[Landon Donovan]

Thank you.

[Tim Howard]

Thank you, Pachita. I've always said he's a genius.

[Landon Donovan]

He's a genius. Thank you. But. No, but I thought the same thing. I have a feeling that after the 2026 World Cup, Poch is going to have at a minimum two favorite players to displace us. But because he's got some fantastic.

[Tim Howard]

Well, it ain't going to be a goalie. So it's me.

[Landon Donovan]

So you're out. I'm still in.

[Tim Howard]

I like this.

[Landon Donovan]

All right. I like this.

[Mauricio Pochettino]

Fair enough.

[Jordan]

All right.

[Tim Howard]

All right, let's move on to UEFA Champions League performances. Really interesting couple days in the Champions League. So Eunice Musa CCV Cam Carter Vickers Austin trustee. With them starting Americans have now made a total of 34 starts.

[Landon Donovan]

Incredible.

[Tim Howard]

In this season's UEFA Champions League, equaling the most in a single season in the competition ever, which was in 21, 22. So it's just so fun, Tim. It used to be like a huge deal when someone was playing in the Champions League and now we're littered throughout. I'm just proud.

[Landon Donovan]

I'm proud. And, and I think we have to say there's a lot of things broken on, on, on the machine that is soccer in America, but we got to give credit all the time when great things happen. You're right. I just remember thinking like when, when a guy would play in Champions League, right? And you're talking about Claudia Reyna played and, and B's was playing and it was like, it was like, oh, my God, it's amazing. It was such a novelty. It was Christmas morning, one of our guys was playing and now like sold hat for these guys. 34 appearances by American players starts. I mean, to those, to those players who are starting and, and playing in Champions League, like, hats off to you, man. What an incredible achievement. And by the way for it, to the greatest compliment we could give to American soccer is that, yeah, you want to. You're going to turn on Champions League midweek and you're going to see a us. And that's just normal. Like, holy hell. How did that happen?

[Tim Howard]

That's awesome.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah.

[Tim Howard]

So for Celtic, let's dive in a little deeper. So Cameron Carter Vickers and Austin trustee were the center back pairing and they've done very well. They beat young boys 10 and advanced to the playoff round. So it kind of begs the question, they're obviously building chemistry. They're playing together. And this is a deeper topic. Do guys playing together have an advantage when they come in a national team camp? And is that, you know, and, and I think so. I mean, like I. There were times with, I'll remember, with Brian Ching.

[Landon Donovan]

Yep.

[Tim Howard]

So when we were playing together at the Earthquakes, we played together every week. So when we went into national team camp, inevitably, if there were four strikers, five strikers, we were looking for each other, playing each other, understood each other, played off each other.

[Landon Donovan]

Well, totally.

[Tim Howard]

And next thing you Know there were games where we were starting together because Bruce was like, well, why would I not play these two?

[Mauricio Pochettino]

So do you.

[Tim Howard]

I mean look, there's an argument for them right now.

[Landon Donovan]

There's an argument, yeah. As you, as you mentioned, football is about partnerships all over the pitch. Like how do you link up with the striker, the midfield, the six and the eight, the two center backs, the wing backs pulling in. It's always about partnerships left and right side. And what I would say is yes, this helps. Carter, Vickers and trustee. I would be shocked because in today's coaching nothing gets past you. I would be shocked if in the upcoming games, I don't know when, I can't name the game that if, if CCV and Austin trustee aren't partnered together right in the center of the US Defense because I think potential Pochettino will, will go well, I see it there. I want to see here because by the way, if I see the same thing, this is good. Right. And so I.

[Tim Howard]

No brainer at that point.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah, I think, I think we will see. I'd be surprised if we didn't see that partnership.

[Tim Howard]

Yeah. Okay, well, good for them. And after scoring last weekend against AC Milan, Tim Waya got a start again for uh. No, no draw with Club Bruges. It'd be interesting to see how Champions League now develops. A few guys have real chance to play in the next round, in the playoff round and it's just going to be, it's going to be fun. Christian Pulisic played a few minutes off the bench which was good for him. So we'll keep, we'll keep an eye on that. Regarding Tim Waya, there have been some rumors and you know we don't talk too much about rumors because they are just that.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah.

[Tim Howard]

But there are some thoughts that Everton might be interested and as we know, Moisey Loves, loves an American. What do you think about that?

[Mauricio Pochettino]

Good move.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah, look, it's always interesting because I think you know, he's at a club. Juventus is one of the most historic clubs in world football. Right. Like that's not, that's not overstating it. And yet the Premier League in and of itself, the prestige and the money is so high that players.

[Tim Howard]

It's so tempting.

[Landon Donovan]

So tempting.

[Tim Howard]

I know.

[Landon Donovan]

Do I think. But you remember he also, as well as he's doing at events, he also goes to Everton and straight away he's the main man straight away. Right. And so.

[Tim Howard]

Yeah, probably so.

[Landon Donovan]

So that is tempting as well. Probably more money, probably really easy to be tempted. I sat in A. I sat in a hotel lobby, an unnamed hotel lobby with David moyes back in 2006. And he convinced me the place for me to be was Everton. And I was playing at a historic club at Manchester United, in and out. And he said, here's the keys to the car. You're going to play 40 games next year. And I went, all right, what do I sign? So if it's. If it's a rumor, it'll stay that as. As now, but I think it'll be interesting.

[Tim Howard]

Yeah, I always hesitant when things are going well.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah.

[Tim Howard]

Especially ahead of a World Cup.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah.

[Tim Howard]

You know, the grass isn't always greener. On the other end of that spectrum is when things aren't going well. We've talked about this, Tim. You've got to make a move. Yeah, right. You have to make a move and do something to change your career. One national team player who's been on the fringe, in and out, was in. Was part of the last roster was Luca De La Torre. Went from Celta Vigo to San Diego FC right here in my hometown. Really interesting 12 month loan. I think this is a fantastic move for a million different reasons. Number one, he needs to play. Number two, he wasn't playing at Celta Vega. He gets to come to his hometown. He is going to be absolutely beloved here. People are so excited that he's coming. He only made two appearances last year for Celta Vigo and this was, I think necessary for him if he wanted any chance of playing in the World cup next year.

[Landon Donovan]

Well, look there. There have. There have been outspoken critics of. Of you and I on this show. Wrongfully so, but Al Slugin critics. That, that will. That will. You know, when we talk about when you go to Europe and you're not playing and you should be one of the better players in. In the US Men's national team. A move back to the MLS makes a ton of sense for a ton of reasons. And so we will probably be seeing this over the next 18 months in the lead up to the World Cup. And look, I'm excited for him and for the US Men's national team.

[Tim Howard]

I think in the summer we'll see.

[Mauricio Pochettino]

A lot more of this. Right.

[Tim Howard]

For guys who are right on the cusp. Matt Turner's a guy to keep an eye on. There are guys who need to be playing. I just want to. We'll touch this later, but when we get into our MLS preview later, just San Diego fc really interesting. I've been following obviously closely. It's here in my hometown the beginning part of their roster build. I was like, not great. There's not a lot going on. It's interesting. I know there's something. There's a shoe to drop somewhere. But between Luca De la Torre and then they just signed this guy Anders Dreier from anderlecht as a DP, paid $5 million for him, they're starting to look quite interesting. So now with Luca De la Torre, Dreyer, Chuki Lozano, now you're, now you're looking at a front line where you.

[Mauricio Pochettino]

Go, oh, that's interesting.

[Tim Howard]

So we'll get more into that, but good week, Champions League. Good week for the US Men's national team. This was a very successful January camp, Tim.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah.

[Tim Howard]

Excited to see Nations League in March to see how the team progresses and see who's on the field. Now Po has some difficult decisions, which he wants. He wants difficult decisions, and guys are.

[Mauricio Pochettino]

Starting to make it hard on him.

[Tim Howard]

So. All right, bud, we'll take a quick break. When we come back, it's the AT&T fan connection on Unfiltered Soccer with Landon and Tim. Presented by Volkswagen.

[Mauricio Pochettino]

Foreign.

[Landon Donovan]

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

[Mauricio Pochettino]

Since 2019, Volkswagen has been on a mission to drive the future of the sport we all love. And VW is committed to making it more diverse, inclusive, and accessible for everyone.

[Landon Donovan]

They're not just talking about it, they're out there doing it. VW's partnerships, programs and soccer clinics are unlocking opportunities for the next generation of players and fans.

[Mauricio Pochettino]

As a longtime friend of Volkswagen, I've seen firsthand how VW are connecting with fans and driving the sport forward. From working with them on clinics to being part of their incredible campaigns, it's clear U.S. soccer is truly powered by the people.

[Landon Donovan]

Thank you to VW for being our presenting partner. Learn more about how VW are supporting U.S. [e-mail] There's a lot in life that feels like it should be guaranteed that just isn't your team winning the championship. The weather being good on game day, your friends remembering who has the tickets. Some days you're just a goal scoring machine.

[Mauricio Pochettino]

You.

[Tim Howard]

Yeah. And some days the ball just passes you by right here. On Unfiltered Soccer, we know that no matter how much you love the beautiful game, nothing on the field is guaranteed. Thankfully, AT&T is introducing a brand new guarantee, the AT&T guarantee.

[Landon Donovan]

The AT&T guarantee means connectivity you can depend on, deals you want and service you deserve, or they'll make it right.

[Tim Howard]

Whether you're in the stands, watching with friends or just cheering from home, you can count on the AT&T Guarantee.

[Landon Donovan]

Learn more at att.com guarantee terms and conditions apply.

[Tim Howard]

ATT Connecting changes everything.

[Junior]

This episode is brought to you by Peloton. If you're looking for flexible workouts, Peloton's got you covered. Summer runs or playoff season meditations. Whatever your vibe, Peloton has thousands of classes built to push you and has something there to adapt with you. Whether you need a challenge or rest, Peloton has everything you need whenever you need it. Find your push. Find your power. Peloton visit1peloton.com it's time for the Fan.

[Landon Donovan]

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.

[Tim Howard]

Jordan time.

[Landon Donovan]

Where you at? Get on in here.

[Mauricio Pochettino]

You got Questions for us, Junior?

[Brendan]

What's happening, J.R. well, well, last week you asked me for some spicy feedback, so I went into the YouTube comments to find some. Are you like this? Is, are you prepared?

[Landon Donovan]

Are you prepared? Are they prepared?

[Brendan]

I don't know if anyone's prepared.

[Landon Donovan]

You come at the king. Don't miss.

[Brendan]

Okay, so before we dive into our questions because we've got a really long mailbag this week, here's some feedback from YouTube. Please don't shoot the messenger.

[Mauricio Pochettino]

Oh geez.

[Brendan]

Usually tune out for the last segment, but the discussion on NIL was fantastic. Well done.

[Mauricio Pochettino]

You mean for abs?

[Brendan]

Yes.

[Mauricio Pochettino]

That's great.

[Landon Donovan]

Here's the thing, here's the thing. We're both very well rounded and huge sports fans. And it's funny because when you get, when you get certain personalities who play a sport, people think that they don't have opinions on other sports, anything else. And they do, right? Like I've got friends in the NBA and NFL and I get a lot of inside scoop on a lot of those things. So like I and I'm a fan more than anything. So like we have an opinion, we're going to give it. But always appreciate the feedback. Well, don't tune out.

[Brendan]

There's a little more. It says get rid of abs and the constant mentioning of other sports to explain things. It's not needed. Other than that the pod is great.

[Landon Donovan]

Well, there you go. There you go.

[Tim Howard]

Well, let me Let me. Whoever that came from, there's.

[Mauricio Pochettino]

There's this thing on your desk, it's called a mouse. And on that mouse, if you scroll as you're listening on YouTube or if you're listening to a podcast on your phone, if you just touch the screen on the little two bars, you can either pause it or you can double click and scroll up and you can just stop the recording right there.

[Landon Donovan]

But we don't want you, we want you to listen all the way through.

[Brendan]

Well, I have a little bit of feedback is geared toward Landon. It says it's good to see the LA Galaxy podcast seems to have moved on to other soccer teams. Still always glancing over my Chicago Fire, who beat the Galaxy this season.

[Mauricio Pochettino]

Glancing over.

[Tim Howard]

Hold on a second.

[Mauricio Pochettino]

Hold on, hold on a second, hold on a second.

[Tim Howard]

If you want me to talk about the Chicago Fire, be good. Be relevant.

[Mauricio Pochettino]

Don't even be good, just be relevant.

[Landon Donovan]

Good point. It's a good. Who, who said that?

[Tim Howard]

I mean, look, I love, I want Chicago to be good.

[Mauricio Pochettino]

Yeah, I want them to be good.

[Landon Donovan]

Who sent that in league?

[Mauricio Pochettino]

That was Greg Burhalter.

[Brendan]

Not, no, not, not everybody includes a.

[Tim Howard]

Name that old chestnut hero behind the keyboard.

[Mauricio Pochettino]

No, but listen, no, listen, they are, to be fair, they are more relevant now that Burhalter's there. Right? They are. So like you want to. Yeah, be good. Let's go.

[Brendan]

Whoever wrote this question or comment in you, you stand a fair chance to get mentioned more on the. Yeah, we'll mention, listen, your team.

[Landon Donovan]

I, I, Jordan, I live the days when, when Bob Bradley had the world beating Chicago fire in 1998. I mean they were incredible and they said, you know, Bob Bradley said an amazing standard for that city and club. So yeah, be better. And we'll, we'll, we'll, we'll get in, we'll get into it. Landon will mention the Galaxy for sure and I'll try and talk him off that, but.

[Mauricio Pochettino]

Well, there they are, the champions.

[Brendan]

Here. Here's a piece of feedback that also includes some questions. Why do you guys have an EPL segment? I'm aware of your history at Everton, especially Tim, but given your US Men's national team history, both of your involvement with US based youth soccer and your desire to grow the game here, why not have a segment on US based players in the USL or even up and coming college players?

[Landon Donovan]

I like it. I mean, I think this, this and we, and we, we love all the feedback and, and what we do on, on this podcast is we try and service what most everybody wants to hear. Now your point against up and coming up and coming USL players is, is well taken and certainly we can touch on that. But the fact of the matter is, you know, the most of my life was spent in England with Everton and Manchester United. And the fact of the matter is the, the English Premier League is the, is the most successful, most watched league in the world. So we have to touch on that. And it's exciting and they have world, the world class players and drama. So most of our fans do want to hear about that. But that's certainly a really, really well taken point.

[Brendan]

And finally, my personal favorite last piece of feedback. All caps. Nobody cares. Nobody cares.

[Mauricio Pochettino]

That's it.

[Tim Howard]

That's it.

[Brendan]

That's all it says. Nobody cares.

[Landon Donovan]

Ratings would say someone cares. But this person, let me guess, they.

[Brendan]

Care enough to write this comment.

[Mauricio Pochettino]

Yeah, I'm sure they put there. Of course they put there.

[Landon Donovan]

Every, every review is an engagement. I'll say that a couple more times, but thank you. I do, I think, I think the, I think the smoke is important. Good and bad feedback. So that's what makes us, that's what challenges us. So appreciate that.

[Brendan]

All right, let's start with what I think could be a tough question. This one's via Josh, via email. Who do you guys think the Mount Rushmore of US soccer would be?

[Landon Donovan]

Great question, Josh. Well done, boy.

[Mauricio Pochettino]

Are we talking men, women, both?

[Brendan]

He didn't specify. So I say whatever, whatever you guys want to do. Put your own parameters on there or no parameters.

[Landon Donovan]

I would say this one's pretty easy for me to get. Three. I would say men, Mount Rushmore is Landon, Clint, myself. And four is hard. Four is harder for me. I tend to lean towards Claudio Reyna. I tend to lean towards him. So that would, that would more than likely be my four Bs. DeMarcus Beasley, certainly.

[Mauricio Pochettino]

I was going to say bees. Yeah.

[Landon Donovan]

In that. Converse in that conversation. But that if you're asking me for my four, it's Landon, Clint, myself and Claudia Reyna.

[Mauricio Pochettino]

Yeah, I would agree with that. And if we're doing women, I would say Mia, Abby. Oh, geez, this gets tough now. Probably Carly Lloyd and Michelle Akers. Probably shout out to Jersey.

[Landon Donovan]

That's so hard.

[Mauricio Pochettino]

Can I just say shout out to Jersey.

[Landon Donovan]

Who did you say?

[Mauricio Pochettino]

I said Carly, Mia, Abby Wambach, Michelle Akers. Yeah, but I'm sure I'm missing.

[Landon Donovan]

I feel like, let me say this, I feel like the women is way, women are way harder. They've been so much more successful and you've had You've had our. Our US Women have constantly been in the world's greatest player conversation year on year. Right. Like, we haven't been. We haven't earned that right as the men. So, like, I think. I think of. This isn't just a goalkeeper me, but, like, Hope Solo, you know, she. What she did on the field for the national team. But, like, astounding.

[Mauricio Pochettino]

Alex Morgan.

[Landon Donovan]

Alex Morgan. Like, just. Yeah, there's many names. Like, it's really, really difficult. Michelle Akers has to be on there. Mia has to be on me and him has to be on there. Yeah, Carly. Yeah. I mean, Carly for sure.

[Brendan]

Do you think there's a world in which Christian Pulisic is one day on Russia?

[Landon Donovan]

Oh, yeah, yeah, definitely. I think if. I think if Christian Pulisic. Yeah. If he even just rides out the rest of his career.

[Mauricio Pochettino]

Just maintain doing what he's doing now.

[Landon Donovan]

He'S on Russia, but then who does he replace?

[Tim Howard]

You're looking at him, pal.

[Landon Donovan]

I'm looking directly. He's in San Diego right now.

[Mauricio Pochettino]

Right at him.

[Landon Donovan]

That little golden cat behind you, big forehead right there. It's a good, good, good, good conversation. Love that question.

[Brendan]

Here is a question that's for Landon and it is from Brendan via email.

[Mauricio Pochettino]

Ricky Pooj.

[Brendan]

No, it's not about Ricky Pooj. Brendan says, I read Grant Wall's book the Beckham Experiment, and I saw Beckham's series. The relationship between the two of you was a major part of the book, but did not get much time in the documentary. Can you describe how your relationship changed over time and what it was like having him on the team? And I just want to include one thing. He gave us some feedback on the show, too. He wants to hear more about youth soccer in the US and he wants to hear less about Manchester United. And he wrote in parentheses, sorry, Tim. So there you go, Brendan.

[Mauricio Pochettino]

That's great question. So I'll try to keep this somewhat short, but I will definitely get into this more if. If anyone wants to hear it. So when David first came to The Galaxy in 07, we were a terrible, terrible, terrible team. We're either second to last or last in the league. And so if you put yourself in his mindset, he was playing for. He had played for United, Real Madrid. He hadn't played for AC Milan yet and England. And if you think about the success of those teams and what he was used to, and then he came to an inferior league with inferior players, and we were the worst team in the league. So it's. In the beginning, he Was committed, he was dedicated, he was there, he was energetic. But he soon realized this is a bad situation, bad. And I don't blame him for this, but it frustrated me that he started distancing himself. So he would show up, you know, we were supposed to be there at 9:15, he would show up at 9:14 minute training was over, he was off the field and gone. And my, that really bothered me. But my big mistake was I didn't just pull him and tell him this is not okay and this is bothering me and you gotta be part of the solution, not just being here. I instead said it to Grant Wall, rest his soul, who was writing a book. And in my vulnerable moments, I shared more than I should have. I didn't keep it off the record. And it got put into that book. And so when the book came out, as you can imagine, it was pretty uncomfortable. So that day the book came out, Bruce, Bruce said, can you imagine how.

[Landon Donovan]

Uncomfortable, oh God, I'm uncomfortable right now. I know.

[Mauricio Pochettino]

Bruce sent us both a message and said, you know, we need to meet in my office in the morning and speak. And when we got into his office in the morning, Bruce started speaking. And I said, bruce, let me and just let me stop you. I said, david, I'm sorry. Like I should have never done that publicly. I stand by what I said, but I should have just told you and just been a man and just told you about it. And to his immense credit, he said, no problem, I get it. I know it's frustrating and like, let's move on and just make this good. And from that day, I mean, it sounds crazy, but from that day we started trending upward again. We were successful and then ultimately we won three championships in four years. That's crazy. And I realized like we were, we wanted the same thing. We wanted to win, successful, but we, we, I did it in a bad way. But ultimately it worked out where we were all just honest with each other and then we were successful.

[Landon Donovan]

Communication is key. I mean, you just hit the nail on the head so often in a team, in any business or even family. But in a team, the lack of communication, you, when it all gets said and done, you're like, wait a minute, we do want the same things. It's crazy. That's right, it's crazy. Great story.

[Brendan]

Now I have one for you, Tim. This is from Luke in your email. I try to keep it balanced, you know.

[Mauricio Pochettino]

Appreciate that.

[Brendan]

Luke wants to know, is Brandon Austin still eligible for the US he looked pretty decent starting for spurs in the Premier League earlier this month, a game you obviously watched.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah.

[Brendan]

So given the drought at goal, it seems like we ought to be considering him if he's still u. S. Eligible.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah, that's a good question about the eligibility. I'm gonna, I'm gonna lean on one of our other producers in the chat to tell me that. But the interesting part about it is I was on the, I was in studio during that game and I remember coming away from it thinking, this kid's really good. Like he has. He. Based on the background, he hadn't played a lot of football. You know, for being. I think he's 25. He hadn't played a lot of first team football, like at all. Not even at spurs, like just hadn't been on loan or like normally like a younger keeper who's maybe third or fourth will go on loan and it does look like he's eligible and they'll get games at a lower division. I think he went to Orlando at one point and played a bit, but irregardless of that steps in with like no sort of notice, plays in the Premier League. And I remember thinking, wow, he's given a really good account of himself, like his movement, his saves, his aerial ability, distribution, like all in this like 90 minute snippet. I. I mean, I'd be shocked. Even given Pochettino spurs connections, he must certainly be on the radar, but time will tell.

[Brendan]

So this one's from Anonymous via email. I know we'd love to hear from Anonymous when they write into the show. Annie, I would love to hear about the USA vs Mexico rivalry from both of your points of view. Having grown up on the border very closely in San Diego, I lived in both worlds and follow both national teams close.

[Mauricio Pochettino]

It's actually complex for me because I grew up with Mexicans. In Ontario, where I grew up, it was a lot of Pacific Islanders, Samoans, Tongans, a lot of black people and a lot of Hispanics, Latinos, Mexicans, so Hondurans, El Salvadorans, Costa Ricans. So when I started playing professionally and I was playing against Mexico, there was like there was a natural rivalry between me and all the guys I played with that would come out. And then there was the rivalry that, that started to be created by playing them winning games, losing games, saying stupid things, getting in the press there and, and how that all evolved. So for me it was way deeper than just a US Mexico thing in general. I actually lived it and grew up with it and have many Mexican friends. So it's always been this unique kind of love, hate Relationship. But the beauty is when I'm home, you know, even I was in New Orleans recently, and a lot of Hispanics, a lot of Mexicans there, and they always say the same thing. They're like, God, I hated you on the field, but I respect you so much. And it was so fun to watch those games. So it was fun to be a part of for all those years.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah. I think my. My history with the rivalry dates back to being a young kid and being a fan and watching our men's national team, 1989. I remember Paul Calgary's goal in Trinidad. Grainy TV either watched it or watched some sort of VHS replay of it. And those U.S. teams were my heroes. And they got steamrolled. Everywhere they went, they got steamrolled. And Mexico, they weren't just the best, they were. They were a dominant beast in this. In the CONCACAF region. We couldn't touch them. We couldn't touch them tactically. We couldn't touch them. Technically. They were so superior to us. Their football IQ was another world. We. We couldn't. We couldn't touch them. And then. And then late into, you know, I'm thinking of Claudia Reyna wearing a captain's armband. I'm thinking, like, Foxborough. I'm thinking of different games, but, like, we started to punch above our weight a little bit, and we started to not be dominant, but leaving a foot in the door and feeling like we could win some games. And so my. So my love for that rivalry started early on as a young soccer player and as a fan. And then when you're immersed into it, if you are me or if you're Landon, you realize playing for your national team is amazing. That first US Mexico game, you'll never forget because you remember thinking, we have to win this game. This is how we'll be measured. And I grew to hate the Mexican team and the players, and I needed to put myself in that headspace in order to compete, because that game was nasty. They would leave something on you. They would be nasty and physical. And what you realize is they felt us coming. They felt us gaining an advantage, and they didn't like that. And when you're the best, which Mexico was for a long time, you don't like that. And so they tried everything to subdue our progress, which is natural. And in. And in the time that I started my national team career and finished it, the US Became the dominant team in the region, and that balance of power shifted, and they didn't like it. And I think what I learned probably towards the back end of my career is in order in sports. In order to hate something so much, you lose sight of the fact of how much respect you have for them. And I was able to get myself to a place on the surface that I hated playing Mexico so much, and I hated the. I made myself hate them and their fans and their players. And then when I took a step back, I realized it's because I had so much respect for who they were, for the way they wore the green jersey, for the way the fans supported. Supported their team. And I love it. I'm getting goosebumps now thinking about. About playing in Columbus, playing in Azteca. I mean, there is nothing, and I'll speak for Landon on this, there's nothing you can do in life that gives you that. Gives you that feeling that. That. That fear, that anxiety, that joy, that pain. Nothing. Nothing. I mean, it was. You know, there's famous memes of me crying after. After a Mexico loss. That's how much it meant to me. They should have memes about all the times I whooped up on that butt. But it brought me incredible joy as well. So, yeah, it's a special rivalry.

[Mauricio Pochettino]

Awesome. Love that. Jordan, you stay right there. You're not leaving. We're going to take a break, and when we come back, we'll have more questions.

[Tim Howard]

More questions to answer right here on.

[Mauricio Pochettino]

Unfiltered Soccer with Landon and Tim, presented by Volkswagen.

[Jordan]

This episode is brought to you by Allstate. Some people just know they could save hundreds on car insurance by checking Allstate first. Like, you know, to check the date of the big game first before you accidentally buy tickets on your 20th wedding anniversary and have to spend the next 20 years of your marriage making up for it. Yeah, checking first is smart. So check Allstate first for a quote that could save you hundreds. You're in good hands with Allstate Savings. Vary terms apply. Allstate Fire and Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates, Northbrook, Illinois.

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[Mario]

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[Brendan]

Okay, I have a question from Jack via email. He said, I am a mental health professional, he's a social worker. And I am interested in hearing about how mental health is perceived, talked about and considered by players, staff agents, coaches, etc. On a regular basis. Like, do teams hire sports psychologists? Do players go to therapy? Do players talk about the fact that they're in therapy?

[Mauricio Pochettino]

Great question. This. I've seen this evolve and I think Tim has to a lot, a lot over time. So there was a long stretch of history, not only in sports but in American society where it was, you know, deal with it, get on with it, pull yourself up by the bootstraps and, you know, as a parent, now there's some level of that that I think is valuable. Right. In the right moments. However, sports are really hard. Professional sports are really hard. And in society today, they're infinitely harder than when we played because your. The feedback and criticism is instant and it's nasty and you see it. And so it's really hard. I mean, people, people think the equalizer in all this is, oh, well, you make them a lot of money, so you should just have to deal with it. And it's like, hold on a sec, man. Like, nobody comes to you when you mess up a report at your office and there's not 10 million people watching and hammering you because you made a mistake or you made a spelling mistake on a, on a piece of paper. You didn't, you know, account for something and something at work. So that, that argument is just right. And, and just because people make a lot of money or are famous or whatever, it doesn't allow you the opportunity to just berate people. Now it's going to happen. So what's happened over time? I saw this in nwsl. I think it's happening now. Tim's alluded to it and I think in other, in other leagues as well as there are people now on staff who are there to help. And it's become a role within a club that I think is really important. And those people are crucial because there's a fine line, very fine line between, okay, what's going on? Let me help you. Let's Talk about it. But I also want to start building resilience in you so that doesn't hit you the same way. That's their issue, not yours. And you can go out and perform. And then the other side of it is just anxiety around playing. There's a lot of players who. I didn't realize this in my career, Tim. I learned this at Everton. We had a player one time and you know who he is. And he was always at home games. He would. Right on Friday, before the Saturday game in training, he would say, oh, my hamstring's bothering me. Oh, my back's bothering me. When he knew he was gonna start because he was anxious about playing in front of the home crowd. And that to me was crazy, but that was a real thing for him. And so David Moyes was so clever. One time he started to walk out to training and he said, turn around, go back in and get treatment. You're going to start tomorrow, but you're not training today. Because he knew what he was going to do.

[Tim Howard]

But that was a real thing for.

[Mauricio Pochettino]

Him and that was. He had real anxiety about performing in front of a home team. So I think it's evolved again. There's a fine line. You don't. There is an element of professional sports where, like, you got to get on with things.

[Tim Howard]

It's hard.

[Mauricio Pochettino]

But then when you get off the field, having someone there to help you is really beneficial.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah, really thoughtful answer. I'm on. You know, I think mental health is important. I went through a long stretch where I. I didn't believe in using a sports psychologist and I never did. I respected certain sports psychologists that worked within our team and our framework. And I was a part of group meetings, but I would never go to a sports psychologist. I just went to a dark place. And I don't think that that's healthy, but it made me successful. And so there's a balance. And if I could do it all over again, my career, I would probably. I would probably do it the same way again. In order to perform at the level that I did and to hear the criticism and block it out, I had to turn into somebody different. I had to disassociate. And I. And I went to. I went to, you know, mentally a lot of dark places to get myself on the field. I don't mean dangerous. Well, I don't mean dangerous, harmful places, per se. I just had to. I lost a lot of friends. I blocked a lot of people out, lost a lot of family and. But it hardens you&LD you said it right, like it's a balance. Because a lot of that does create resilience. And I know 1000% I was more successful in my career because I had that mentality. And look, I think the mental health side of society has gotten. Has gotten better in terms of help and the ability to have the conversation openly. And that's crept into sports, which is a. Which is a wonderful thing. You know, I. This is. This isn't right or wrong. I oftentimes say, if we looked at the best team in the Premier League or best team in MLS and you had a player who in certain moments wasn't necessarily all always available mentally, in the big moments, when you know that there's going to be 50,000 people and you're going through a tough spell, that manager might say, hey, please go. You know, absolutely, go speak to the psychologist and take the time you need. But I'm not picking you. I can't pick you. And that's. That. That sucks to hear. But that's also. That's also a part of the conversation. So I think there needs to be resources at clubs and there are. That help players get through challenges. But yeah, when. When push comes to shove, it is. It is about managing and landing. You hit the nail on the head. Like, this isn't for the faint of heart. Like sports, when we sign up for it, that part of it is. They ask us to deal with it. They ask Landon to deal with it. No one ever says to the press, I want you to stop writing bad stuff about Tim Howard. They don't. They don't regulate that. Right. Because the press is freedom to do that. They say, Tim Howard, deal with it. Right. So if you're going to want to become a professional athlete, we had this question, I think, in a mailbag a few weeks ago, like, if you want to become a professional athlete at that level, it's daunting and it's scary and it's not going to change. Right. And so you have to try and look after your mental health. But that can be done in a multitude of ways.

[Brendan]

Here's a more lighthearted question. Michael, via email, wants to know, did Tim and Landon ever swap jerseys with their opponent? And if so, who would be their favorite swap they ever did?

[Mauricio Pochettino]

Many, many, many, many great ones. Yeah, I have a. I have boxes full. Honestly, my favorites are the guys I played against or played with. Sorry. Guys I played with growing up. So I have a lot of guys from my under 17 team when they became pros. So I have, you know, Bees, Nelson Aquari, DJ Kaunas. I don't know if I have a Gooch one Kyle Beckerman. I have guys that I played against and those, honestly those ones are the most meaningful because those, those are special to me.

[Landon Donovan]

Do you and I ever swap chairs?

[Mauricio Pochettino]

I don't know, I was just thinking that didn't really want yours to be.

[Landon Donovan]

I, I, yeah I've got, I've got quite a few. I think I swapped one with I, I like you was. I love, I love the tradition that, that soccer started year hundreds of years ago about swapping jerseys as a sign of respect. I swapped with Wayne Rooney in the World cup which was pretty awesome because he was an Evertonian. I played with him at Manchester United and so that was cool. You know I swapped with I think Clint Dempsey when he was at Spurs. I swapped with Carlos Bogenegar who's one of my best friends when he was at Fulham. So yeah, the American guys particularly over in the Premier League when we were playing was fun. But yeah, certainly Rooney's is up there.

[Brendan]

Okay, one last question. This is from Mario via email. What kind of car was your first car and do you have any funny memories of when you first started to drive?

[Landon Donovan]

Amazing.

[Mauricio Pochettino]

I know my first car.

[Landon Donovan]

I do too.

[Mauricio Pochettino]

I had go. I'll go. I had a, a BMW. It was used. I can't remember what mod. I'm not a car guy so like I don't, I don't know. I have some memories. I don't know if they're safe for this environment but I have some memories of that car.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah, it was fun. I, you know what my first car, you know people are like wrapped their cars now ld where like they'll get a matte finish.

[Mauricio Pochettino]

Yeah.

[Landon Donovan]

I had a 1984 Nissan Sentra and it had a matte finish but it wasn't a wrap. It was like that was the color, it was gray. My dad, my dad got it for me. I think he paid like 800 bucks for it. Seriously, 800 bucks for it? Stick shift. No one knows how to drive stick shift anymore. It was amazing. It was absolutely amazing. My only memories are like getting locked out of it because I didn't have no remote key. It was just like somehow figure out how to get a hanger in the door and unlock it. That was about it.

[Mauricio Pochettino]

That's so ghetto.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah, that's where I live.

[Tim Howard]

The first car actually that I drove.

[Mauricio Pochettino]

Drove what I didn't own it was my mom had a Mazda MPV like minivan.

[Landon Donovan]

Oh yeah.

[Mauricio Pochettino]

And so in California you can get your license, you can get Your permit at 15 and a half and then you have to drive with an adult till you're 16, and then you can drive by yourself. So I'll never forget, it was nighttime. It was my first drive. I was going to. My buddy and I were going to. I just turned 16. We were going to drive somewhere. So I turn. We're in this little, like, community. I turn right, I turn right. And as I'm going, this is my first time driving a car by myself. All of a sudden, this car goes honking.

[Landon Donovan]

Beep.

[Mauricio Pochettino]

Flashing lights coming from the side as I was going through an intersection. And I like, slammed on the brake.

[Tim Howard]

Stop and like, started crying.

[Landon Donovan]

And I'm like, what the hell going on?

[Tim Howard]

I didn't even.

[Mauricio Pochettino]

I hadn't even turned on the headlights.

[Tim Howard]

So they didn't even see me.

[Mauricio Pochettino]

I didn't even have my headlights. Gave me an occur to me and I was like, this is not for me.

[Landon Donovan]

Follow up. What's the. What's the first car you bought yourself?

[Mauricio Pochettino]

I bought a Maserati when I was in San Jose.

[Mario]

Jesus.

[Mauricio Pochettino]

What an idiot.

[Landon Donovan]

Good for some.

[Mauricio Pochettino]

What a waste of money.

[Landon Donovan]

But for some, that's.

[Mauricio Pochettino]

What about you?

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah. Eddie Bauer edition. Ford Explorer, two door. It was gorgeous. It was orange. A water car. Amazing.

[Mauricio Pochettino]

So good.

[Brendan]

All right, that's it.

[Tim Howard]

All right, junior.

[Mauricio Pochettino]

Thanks, guys. Appreciate it.

[Tim Howard]

All right, guys, thanks for being with us today. Remember, as Always, subscribe on YouTube, Apple.

[Mauricio Pochettino]

Podcasts, Spotify, wherever you get your podcasts. Follow the show across all social media platforms at Unfiltered Soccer for bonus content. That was a lot of fun, guys.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah. Thanks everyone so much. Always enjoy our time with you. Thank you so much to our presenting sponsors, VW and our Fan Connection sponsor AT&T. Have an amazing week. We'll see you all next Tuesday for another edition of unfiltered soccer.