Diego Luna lives the dream, Crystal Palace finally lifts a trophy and its MLS Rivalry Week

Summary

Unfiltered Soccer with Landon Donovan and Tim Howard - Episode Summary

Release Date: May 20, 2025

In this episode of Unfiltered Soccer, hosts Landon Donovan and Tim Howard delve into several key topics shaping the landscape of U.S. soccer. From celebrating rising stars and historic victories to critiquing current team performances, the conversation offers a comprehensive look into the sport's present and future.

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1. MLS Rivalry Week

The episode kicks off with an enthusiastic discussion on MLS Rivalry Week, highlighting the intense matchups that energize fans and players alike.

Landon Donovan shares his nostalgic experiences:

"[...] I loved it when I was with San Jose, we played LA. I loved when I was with LA, we played San Jose. [...] It's just fun. It's just different and it just feels different." (03:18)

Tim Howard echoes this sentiment, emphasizing the passion within fan bases:

"Cascadia Cup, like Portland Timbers, Seattle Sounders get it. [...] There's an intensity there that just, they're so close and they both come from the dirt, from the mud." (05:27)

The hosts reflect on how rivalries have evolved, noting the challenges posed by frequent player movements but acknowledging that established fan bases like Seattle and Portland maintain the fiery spirit essential for these matchups.

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2. LA Galaxy's Recent Performance and Coaching Decisions

A significant portion of the conversation centers on the LA Galaxy's tumultuous season, particularly their performance in MLS Rivalry Week and the recent multi-year contract extension for coach Greg Vanney.

Landon Donovan expresses mixed feelings about the team's struggles:

"Any of our listeners, if, if, if you have the choice of coming back as anybody, come back as Landon. He's living a life that very few can." (02:06)

Tim Howard commends Vanney's strategic foresight:

"Greg Vanny is a very good coach. [...] it's bigger than this moment. So maybe that's kind of." (08:56)

Despite the Galaxy’s current difficulties, both hosts believe in the management's long-term vision, acknowledging the trust placed in Vanney by the club's leadership. Landon remains cautiously optimistic but hints at the necessity for immediate improvements:

"I think it's just hard to justify it. [...] So it just, it's hard to justify it." (08:26)

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3. Atlanta United's Underwhelming Season

Landon Donovan shifts focus to Atlanta United, expressing frustration over the team's poor performance despite high expectations and significant investments.

"They brought Almiron back. They brought Ronnie Daly in. [...] they've just been awful, awful." (10:30)

Tim Howard acknowledges the challenges faced by the club:

"Arthur Blank is a brilliant owner. [...] But I ask you, [...] your trust in who Greg Vanny is and what he's doing with that team." (12:15)

The hosts critique the team's inability to translate passionate fan support into on-field success, emphasizing that consistent underperformance is unacceptable for a club of Atlanta's stature.

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4. U.S. Men's National Team Upcoming Friendlies

The conversation shifts to the U.S. Men's National Team (USMNT), particularly the upcoming friendlies against South Korea and Japan. Both hosts commend Tom King for orchestrating these strategic matches.

Landon Donovan highlights the significance:

"These are two teams that are definitely going to be in the World Cup. They're good opponents. That will bring good level." (14:05)

Tim Howard underscores the competitive nature of these matches:

"Every game has to be viewed as highly competitive, [...] it's about ensuring players are ready for the World Cup." (15:57)

The duo emphasizes that these friendlies are critical for World Cup preparations, serving as high-stakes opportunities for players to prove their readiness on an international stage.

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5. Crystal Palace's Historic FA Cup Victory

A momentous achievement is celebrated as Crystal Palace secures their first major trophy by winning the FA Cup against Manchester City. The hosts laud the team's resilience and the emotional impact of the victory.

Landon Donovan shares his excitement:

"Rebecca Low. I saw the videos of her celebrating and crying and massive, they beat Man City 1-0. [...] it's the best day in their history." (16:04)

Tim Howard adds personal connections:

"Credit to Palace and [...] David Abrams and Noah Abrams, who are heavily connected with Crystal Palace." (17:00)

The victory is portrayed as a watershed moment for Crystal Palace, highlighting the exceptional performance under manager Oliver Glasner and the club's emergence as a formidable force in English football.

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6. Controversial Penalty Decision in the FA Cup Final

The episode also scrutinizes a puzzling decision made by Pep Guardiola during the FA Cup final, where a critical penalty was awarded to Crystal Palace, leading to their victory.

Landon Donovan critiques Guardiola's ambiguity:

"I cannot understand this for the life of me. [...] you don't go into a final with, I feel like this should happen." (17:00)

Tim Howard delves into the psychology behind the decision:

"The human element, [...] sometimes you crumble in that moment." (19:07)

The hosts debate whether Guardiola’s lack of a clear penalty taker undermined his meticulous reputation, questioning the managerial strategy and its impact on the game's outcome.

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7. Exclusive Interview with Rising Star Diego Luna

A highlight of the episode is an in-depth interview with Diego Luna, a rising star for both Real Salt Lake (RSL) and the USMNT. Diego shares his unconventional career path, choosing the USL Championship over an MLS academy to gain playing time and prove himself.

Landon Donovan praises Diego's tenacity:

"Diego, you have this dog and this nastiness about you. You've got this tenacity to want to prove yourself." (00:05)

Diego Luna explains his decision-making:

"I decided to go to USL to get the opportunity to play and showcase myself there, to make sure that I am good enough." (27:00)

Throughout the interview, Diego discusses his evolution at RSL, the influence of coaches like Pablo, his role in improving the team's defensive play, and his aspirations for the upcoming World Cup. His dedication and strategic growth highlight his potential as a key player for the future of U.S. soccer.

Key Quotes:

"I'm going to give it 100%, like, that's the bottom line, so wherever it is." (40:55)
"When you really think about it and you really lock in on it, it's, it gives you like, kills, you know, like, like goosebumps." (45:34)

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Conclusion

The episode of Unfiltered Soccer offers a rich tapestry of insights into the current state of soccer in the United States and beyond. From celebrating historic victories and rising stars to critically analyzing team performances and coaching decisions, Landon Donovan and Tim Howard provide an engaging and informative discourse for soccer enthusiasts.

Notable Highlights:

• MLS Rivalry Week intensifies fan engagement and showcases the enduring passion within established rivalries.
• LA Galaxy's challenges underline the complexities of team management and the importance of strategic leadership.
• Atlanta United's underperformance serves as a cautionary tale about maintaining high standards despite significant investments.
• USMNT's strategic friendlies are pivotal for World Cup preparations, emphasizing the importance of high-stakes matches.
• Crystal Palace's first major trophy win celebrates resilience and effective management, marking a significant milestone in English football.
• Diego Luna's interview encapsulates the spirit of determination and strategic career planning essential for ascending in professional soccer.

This episode underscores the dynamic nature of soccer, where triumphs and tribulations alike shape the sport's future. For fans and followers, Unfiltered Soccer continues to be a valuable resource for understanding the multifaceted world of soccer.

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For more engaging discussions and insights, subscribe to Unfiltered Soccer on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your preferred podcast platform. Follow @UnfilteredSoccr on X and @UnfilteredSoccer across other social media platforms for exclusive bonus content.

Transcript

[Landon Donovan]

Real Salt Lake. And U.S. men's National Team rising star, Diego Luna.

[Tim Howard]

Diego, you have this dog and this nastiness about you. You've got this tenacity to want to prove yourself.

[Diego Luna]

I'm a kid, you know, that didn't really come from much for me. It was always, you know, fighting for what I wanted, you know, needing to prove myself at any level and even on the soccer side.

[Landon Donovan]

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 the past five years.

[Tim Howard]

Yes, LD. We are back with another episode of Unfiltered Soccer. A funny old thing happened this week for our listeners, Landon and I. When we do promotional stuff and sponsored elements for Unfiltered Soccer, we will oftentimes have to travel. And so Landon so graciously comes east to New York, where I am oftentimes. And every now and again, I have to go west, so.

[Landon Donovan]

Well, every now and again, you mean once.

[Tim Howard]

So I, I, I. I trekked all the way out to San Diego, which, by the way, is God's country.

[Landon Donovan]

I've heard that country, baby.

[Tim Howard]

Amazing. And we ended up doing the. It was a very complex shoot, so we had staggered start times, and they were so staggered that I was there for three days and didn't see Landon, didn't invite me for dinner. I'll tell you a funny story, though, and you know this. My. One of my best, best friends in the world lives a couple streets down, and I was like, do I. Do I ring and run? Do I go to Landon's house, ring the bell? And I thought, security dogs. They'll all attack me.

[Landon Donovan]

No, you don't want to mess with my house, dude. It's my wife.

[Tim Howard]

You don't want to mess with my wife. Yeah, it's true. San Diego was awesome, man. It's fun.

[Landon Donovan]

Beautiful place, huh?

[Tim Howard]

Yeah.

[Landon Donovan]

What a place.

[Tim Howard]

I see why you don't leave.

[Landon Donovan]

No, you can't leave. The only reason I'm leaving is to go play golf. I'm leaving today for Jamaica boys Trip. Golf trip. Can't wait. So let's get this thing done.

[Tim Howard]

Any of our. Any of our listeners, if, if. If you have the choice of coming back as anybody, come back as Landon. He's living a life that very few can. Well done.

[Landon Donovan]

I worked hard, bud. All right, can we get this done? So let's go.

[Tim Howard]

Let's roll.

[Landon Donovan]

All right, as always, guys, follow us on social media. Unfiltered soccer. Subscribe to the show I just realized our subscribers are jumping lately. You must have said something funny. Fun, interesting. Subscribe on YouTube. Make sure you follow on Apple Podcasts, Spotify. Wherever you get your podcasts, you can leave a review rate us. We had some good comments. I was looking at the comments. I think J.R. is going to get into it. Some good stuff this week, some great stuff. And as always, email us at feedback filtered.

[Diego Luna]

Sucker.

[Landon Donovan]

All right, Timmy. Rivalry week.

[Tim Howard]

Yes.

[Landon Donovan]

I love this. I didn't realize it, actually, until I kind of like started looking through my app to see the games. Nothing like crazy from these rivalry games, but they were good. And I love this. And I love this about soccer, and I love this about sports. And these weeks are the best. I just loved it. I loved when I was with San Jose, we played la. I loved when I was with la, we played San Jose. I loved when I was with the Galaxy, we played Chivas. Had the fortune to play in the Merseyside Derby one time. It's just fun. It's just different and it just feels different.

[Tim Howard]

Yeah, I mean, I. When I got to. You know how I think I. I've often said, like, the two Darbies that I played in were the Merseyside Derby in usa Mexico, and I'm like, dude, there are some great ones in the world, and I think I was very fortunate to play in. In two of them very often. And it's like, there's nothing like it. And then when I got to be fair, when I got to Colorado, I. I remember, I. Rocky Mountain cup being a. Being a thing. And going into it, I was like, I've played in big rivalries. Like, I'm not sure about this. And then I got there and there was some real, real hate. There was some real nastiness. I remember. I remember how loving the real Salt Lake crowd was towards me. I joke when I say that, but. But I. But look, as always, I was someone who. Who was happy to. To. To take the criticism because, you know, it was coming back and I was happy to give it, too. So, yeah, some really cool rivalries, man, in mls. And I just think that's also a testament, ld to where this league has kind of gotten to.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah. My challenge now, Tim, is that I don't think players really care much about it anymore. And I'm generalizing here. If you've been with a team for a long time, you absolutely care, but there's just so much player movement now. I'm not sure, like, when the fans are so into it, and so then you feel that a Little bit. And I felt it when I, when we played at Anfield and I felt it in the locker room for you guys that this was different. But I don't know how many players actually really care anymore. I think it's just like, okay, it's a little more exciting. It's a little. But the only caveat to that is when you play with your national team against your rival. So like everybody, US, Mexico just got, they just got it. And I think they still do. Not, not counting the last U.S. mexico game, which was a total disaster in Mexico from, from our standpoint. But I don't know how much guys truly really care about it anymore unless they've been with the team for a long time.

[Tim Howard]

I think the fans, I hate to.

[Landon Donovan]

Say it, but I think it's true.

[Tim Howard]

I hear you. I mean, I think the fans care, which is something you mentioned.

[Landon Donovan]

Absolutely.

[Tim Howard]

Like I, I, when I think of mls and I think there's some good rivalries, but Cascadia cup, like, like Portland Timbers, Seattle Sounders get it. People are like, what does that mean? Seattle Sounders and Portland Timbers get it. They're fans. There's a, there's a history and there's a hate and there's a. Rob, my uncle is a, has been a longtime season ticket holder of the Seattle Sounders. And I just, I think those two fan bases, it's, it's, it's, you can feel it. There's an intensity there that just, they're so close and they, they both come from the dirt, from the mud. Right. Like they were, weren't always MLS teams. So, so that goes back so far. Which is, which is, it's fun, actually.

[Landon Donovan]

All right. Last night, my Galaxy God first. So we score early. Marco Rice scores early. Kind of lucky. Just bounces off and like, all right, here we go. I have all my like nice nasty tweets ready to go for the LAFC fans.

[Tim Howard]

Such a troll.

[Landon Donovan]

And next thing I know we're down 2:1. And then Marco Royce comes true at the end. 2:2. Game was fun. It was entertaining. You know, LAFC will feel like they gave away a couple points. Still winless for the Galaxy. And meanwhile, during all of this, after we interviewed Will K. Tim, Greg Vanny did get a multi year contract extension and according to all the reports, that will make him one of the highest paid coaches in the league. Thoughts?

[Tim Howard]

Thoughts are. Yeah, it's you, it's you. Don't make these decisions in a phone booth. Right? So we talked to Will, he was so gracious with us. In the midst of this horrific run, and yet he's still having to make very calm, calculated decisions that look beyond this run. Yeah, I mean, I do, I think the world of Greg Vanny, I think he's a very good coach. I think he's a championship winning coach. As we saw, they're having a tough time. Right. But when you run a football club, you have to look at this greater picture and your sight lines have to go from here to here. And yeah, I do, I think he gets, from me anyway, some slack. And there's kind of this perfect storm going on in LA right now. Now, now, should they be able to pull out a result somewhere? Of course, but it's not working at the current moment. I think that's down to some personnel not being there. And I think, I think because of that, you know, Will Coons and the LA Galaxy trust in who Greg Vanny is and what he's doing with that team. And so, yeah, I think it's the right decision. Now, again, part of having these woeful runs as, you know, you start to use up some of your stock. Right, right. But ultimately I think it's the, it's the right thing. And obviously congratulations to, you know, Greg Vanny and the LA Galaxy because I think it's been a good partnership.

[Landon Donovan]

I think it's the right thing. I think the timing is questionable and I don't, I guess I don't know how long you can wait. Right. I'm thinking just wait till you win one game. Just win one game. And then, you know, because it's just brutal right now. But I don't know. And there's been no signs that they are going to win a game soon. So.

[Tim Howard]

Yeah, but it's, I'm telling this to you because, you know, nobody knows it's better than you. Literally nobody knows better than you. But the Galaxy have always kind of done their business the right way. They just have. And maybe that's. Yeah, maybe. Maybe in other situations you're like, you know, our fan base isn't wired the right way or maybe they're not dialed in enough and we have to wait for this like really cool, cheesy moment where we win a game. Like, I think LA have earned the right to be like, we know what we're doing. This doesn't, this moment doesn't feel great. But by the way, it's bigger than this moment. So maybe that's kind of.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah. And that starts Tim the Very Top with Phil Anschutz, the owner, and then beneath him the man who really runs the show, phenomenal human being who does things always the right way, Dan Beckerman. And so to your point, he's just like, it's fine. Like, we're going to be fine. And so.

[Tim Howard]

And so what about this, Robert? Tell me. So you didn't get a chance to play in El Trafico, but definitely lucky for them, the way you perform in big games, for sure. But what's it been like? Obviously, LAFC came in, had some pretty good success early on, which stole a little bit of the Galaxy Thunder. So what's that been like? And they've since kind of wrestled some of that power back, but what's that been like?

[Landon Donovan]

No, I think it's real.

[Tim Howard]

Yeah.

[Landon Donovan]

I think it's. Oh, no, I mean, it is real. And I'll tell you what the defining moment for me personally was when I went back and had. When they unveiled the statue.

[Tim Howard]

Yeah.

[Landon Donovan]

Of me. They played LAFC that day.

[Diego Luna]

Wow.

[Landon Donovan]

And the corner section up where the LAFC fans were like. I don't know, they were saying some really, like, chanting some nasty things at me. And I'm like, these are probably some of the same fans used to come together, you know, but, like, they were all in. And I was like, okay, this is real. So it's real, man. It's. It's fun and it's great for the city.

[Tim Howard]

Good.

[Landon Donovan]

All right, Tim, I need a little bit of. I'm gonna go on a little bit of a rant here.

[Tim Howard]

We're here for it. Our listeners are here for it.

[Landon Donovan]

We've been giving one team in MLS a massive pass, and. And it's just finally catching up. And I'm really, like, started paying attention. And that's Atlanta. And so it wasn't a rivalry game. They. But they did lose at home to Philly.

[Tim Howard]

Okay.

[Landon Donovan]

They're second to bottom in the East. They've got 11 points from 14 games, eight straight without a win. Yeah, we all thought this was the year. They brought Almiron back. They brought Ronnie Daly in. Dalian, former MLS cup champion with nycfc, signed Emmanuel Latelath. And they've just been awful, awful. And I gotta say, if you are an Atlanta United fan, this is absolutely unacceptable. They fill out that stadium every week. Mercedes Benz Stadium is packed every week. Their passion, whatever. And at some point, you got to look at it and go, this ain't good enough. Not good enough. It's a mess. It's a total mess. You know, we've been given New England crap and D.C. united crap and, like, Atlanta needs to figure it out. This is not okay.

[Tim Howard]

Right. Yeah, no, I'm here. I'm hearing what you're saying. I mean, it's such an. Yeah, they're getting a pass because. Because when you see eight straight games without a win, we're talking about the LA Galaxy. Like, this is. This is bordering that territory. Right. And so, yeah, you know, from what I know on the inside at Atlanta United, like, you don't have enough hats to take off to give kudos to Arthur Blank. I mean, he is brilliant. He's a brilliant owner. Spends. I know from. Again, from. From people on the inside. Like. Like they have no issue going to him and asking him for something and him. Him saying, yeah, go get what we need to win. Like, winning is first and foremost for him. But I ask you, right, because we've been talking about this, you and I, they brought in. What was it? What was 22 million plus.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah. Let's say lot. They paid 22 million.

[Tim Howard]

Okay. Okay. So. So going back to our conversation, right. Are you telling me again, I'm not saying they shouldn't do their business this way. They've had. They've found success under Arthur Blank and doing it this way. Absolutely. So put a period on that. Are we not saying that for $22 million, you and I, right, could go bring in top players that are already in the league, that I couldn't go to la, or I couldn't go to Cincinnati and go, all right, top two players there, Top two players there. I'll give you five million for him. Give four million for him. I'll give you six and a half for him. Are you telling me, and maybe, maybe the parameters of how to build a roster don't allow you to do this, but are you telling me you can. No, you can now $22 million and get five, five of the league's top 20 players and bring them to your team for that same price.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah. And here's the thing, Tim. The difference between Emmanuel Atelath and The next best five strikers in the league is not 22 million versus 2 or 3 million. Right. It's like. It's just not. He's not going to score you 47 goals instead of 22. So you just. It's hard to justify it. Like, I don't want to spend too much time. I'm just putting it out there, and people need to pay attention. And it's for a club of that size and for Arthur Blank and everything he's now doing for soccer like he has done for Home Depot and the NFL needs to be better needs.

[Tim Howard]

Agreed. Agreed.

[Landon Donovan]

All right, let's move on to U.S. lNC. And U.S. mNT. We just want to touch on a couple things. U.S. soccer announced two upcoming friendlies for the national team. I love this. September 6th against South Korea.

[Tim Howard]

Yeah.

[Landon Donovan]

In New Jersey. And September 9th against Japan in Columbus. This is phenomenal work by a guy you know. Well one of the most under appreciated humans in US Soccer, Tom King, who goes and works these things out and figures out the deal. These are two teams that are definitely going to be in the World Cup. South Korea is one win away and they, I think they play Kuwait at home in their last qualifier. So they are both going to be in the World Cup. They're good opponents. That will bring good level. I'm really excited about this. I think it's a really good opportunity for the team.

[Tim Howard]

Huge shout out to Tom King. He's been there for forever, still doing great things. Dear friend of ours. Yeah, these are, these are big, man. You know, I think we've talked, I think we've talked all along about, about like the, these, these friendlies for, for the US Team are no longer friendlies. So post Gold cup and pre World cup, every game has to be viewed as life or death. I know people don't like to say that they have to be viewed as kind of the last chance. Every single game, every single game has to be looked at as a highly competitive fiction from the, from US Soccer, from the fans and to. And most importantly from the players. Like how. Like this for me, Landon, you can correct me if I'm wrong. This isn't a situation and I don't ever think you should risk injury, but this is a situation where you're like, I'm feeling. I come out of my weekend game, kind of feel a little bit of a niggle. Maybe, maybe I stay back in England and get treatment or stay back in Italy and get treatment or what? I don't think that's the case.

[Diego Luna]

No.

[Tim Howard]

I think you make sure you can be on the pitch with as many of your big time senior starting players as humanly possible and this is a great opportunity. These are going to be really good games and I think in terms of post Gold cup selection for like what, what a friendly looks like. This is. This is important.

[Landon Donovan]

I can't wait. Again, great job by Tom King and US Soccer and those are going to be two really, really good friends.

[Tim Howard]

Yep. Yep.

[Landon Donovan]

All right. Buckle your seatbelt to make it home safely. Don't risk it. Click it or Ticket paid for by Nitsa. Nitsa is always reminding us, Tim, to get strapped in every time we get in our car. And one team that we can say was definitely strapped in this weekend, Crystal Palace. Kudos to you. Applause to you. Congrats to your colleague Rebecca Low. I saw the videos of her celebrating and crying and massive, they beat Man City 1 0. Chris Richards and Matt Turner now become the second and ever American men to win the FA cup alongside some bald, tatted up guy that I talk to once a week. Yeah, yeah, yeah, you're lucky. You don't play much, but good, good on you. The club's first major trophy. You'd have to say the best day in their history. You think, right? Phenomenal. Just the scenes were incredible. I just congrats to them. It was. It was so fun to watch.

[Tim Howard]

So, yeah, credit. Credit to palace and obviously Beck's had a great time. A lot of love to David Abrams and Noah Abrams, who are heavily connected with Crystal Palace. Friends of mine, just an amazing story. Shouldn't be there. It's one of those, like, you shouldn't be here, you shouldn't win this. And they did. And Oliver Glasner, their manager, has them playing some, some really good football. You know, we tease Rebecca all the time, like, this is the kind of success under a manager who's quite good. Now all of a sudden, like, they're going to be desperate to have to keep Oliver Glassner because he'll be. He'll be wanted by a lot of big clubs.

[Landon Donovan]

That's awesome. It was so fun to watch. And there's the yin and the yang here, Tim. The other side is City and they were, I know they were aggrieved about the Dean Henderson incident with the red card. As you said earlier, it's denial of an obvious goal scoring opportunity. I think I would agree it wasn't obvious. It was a possible goal scoring opportunity. But for me, the bigger moment. And Tim, I cannot understand this for the life of me. For someone who is so meticulous, so thought out, so prepared, every detail matters to Pep Guardiola. To go into a Cup final and you're not sure who is taking your penalty kicks is absolute embarrassment. It's embarrassing. So for people who didn't see they got a penalty, Erling Holland, who always has taken their penalties recently, gives the ball off to Omar Marmouche to let him take it. And after the game, when Pep was asked about it, he said, I thought Holland would want to take it. These are things for them, that moment, for the Free kick for the penalty. It's the feeling and how they feel. I want to emphasize that they decided Omar was ready to take it. Henderson made a good save. Bullshit, dude. You don't go into a final with. I feel like this should happen. I feel you go into your pregame meeting, you say, if there's a penalty, he takes it.

[Tim Howard]

Yeah.

[Landon Donovan]

If he's not on the field, he takes it. If he's not on the field, he takes it. There's no ambiguity. There's no fighting over the ball. There's no, oh, I don't feel. Now in the moment, if Erling Holland's leg is hanging by a thread. Cause it just got snapped. And he says, I can't do it, fine, I get it. But this drives me crazy. And coaches, big coaches all over the world do it, and I cannot figure out why, so I cannot figure out why.

[Tim Howard]

I hear you. I hear you. Look, I think I'll get to the penalty incident in a second. So I think this might be the problem this season with Man City. And I don't disagree with Pep. Like, fine, I'm on your side on this. But, like, for. For a second, let's humor me. Like, Pep saying, like, it's a feel thing. I've got the best players in the world, and they feel it. Well, they probably haven't felt it all season, because this is kind of a microcosm of what's happened over the course of this season. But, Tim, you're taking.

[Diego Luna]

You're.

[Landon Donovan]

You're bringing in too much. You're bringing in too much outside, too much chance, too much. If you just make it clear for the player, this is. He does it on every corner kick. You're taking the corner. You line up here, you line up there. You line up there. It's not like. I don't get it. Don't leave it up to, like, oh, I just don't just make it clear. And then the player doesn't have to think about it. Now Marmush is like, oh, shoot, I wasn't the guy supposed to. But now I'm here, taking it, and now I'm nervous.

[Tim Howard]

And the interesting part for me is the human element, right? Like, we've both been there. The definition of courage, I've heard, is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway, right? And so there have been times where every player senses it. I feel it. You felt it, where you're just scared to death of a moment. And sometimes you crumble in that moment. Sometimes you prosper. But this is an interesting One, because Erlan Holland, for me, is superhuman. He showed to be superhuman. He showed that the only thing that matters to him in his life is scoring goals, right? We've seen that. Because he'll be on a brace, right, with 30 minutes left in the game, and Pep takes him off. We've seen this a bunch of times. And he's pissed off and he's angry. By the way, his team's up like five nil. And he scored two of those, right? So we know that scoring is important to him. So in this moment, this pivotal, critical moment, I'm thinking, this guy's superhuman. Give me the ball. Because what I do, I do best. And in that moment, he handed it off. So I can only think there had to have been doubt, because this isn't a guy. He's not an. He's not an all shucks, nice guy, by the way. He's not like, no, this is my mate. I want to endear him to the team. We just bought him from German football a couple months ago. I want him to have this limelight that never went through his mind. Never. He's a. He's a dog and he's nasty, and he wants that moment, and he passed it up. So there's something in that. For me, the. The penalty decision, I. I mean, I. Depending on. If you. If you're a Palace fan or you're a City fan, you'd tell me to go F off, because I could. I could argue both sides of this.

[Landon Donovan]

You mean the red card?

[Tim Howard]

Yeah, yeah. I mean, whether, you know, whether the Dean Henderson penalty, red card, denial of an obvious goal, Goal scoring opportunity versus not so obvious. I could argue both sides, but, I mean, ultimately, it went. It went for palace, and sometimes you need that when. When, you know, it comes to history and things being on your side. Yeah.

[Landon Donovan]

All right, let's take a break. When we come back, Tim, Very, very exciting guest we have on the show. US national team fans, you were. You will love this. Do not want to miss it. Right here on Unfiltered Soccer with Landon and Tim, presented by Volkswagen. We'll be right back.

[Tim Howard]

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

[Landon Donovan]

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.

[Tim Howard]

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.

[Landon Donovan]

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.

[Tim Howard]

Thank you to VW for being our presenting partner. Learn more about how VW are supporting U.S. [e-mail] driving without a seatbelt could cost you everything, but despite that, there are still drivers on the road who just won't buckle up. Some of those drivers will be pulled over and given expensive tickets by law enforcement.

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Some of the drivers not wearing their seatbelts will be involved in crashes. Some will survive, but some won't. Wearing your seatbelt could be the difference between making it home to your loved ones and not making it at all.

[Tim Howard]

Every day when you get in your vehicle and decide whether to buckle up, remember that it's the single most effective way to protect your life in the event of a crash.

[Landon Donovan]

Make it home safely to the people you care about. Don't risk it, click it or tick it. Paid for by NHTSA Lowe's knows that.

[Tim Howard]

No matter your paint or stain project, saving is at the top of your to do list. Save now with Buy one. Get one half off select paints, stains and primers from top brands like Valspar, hgtv, Home by Sherwin Williams and Cabot via Visa gift card rebate. Find more Memorial Day deals now at Lowe's. We help you save. Selection varies by location while supplies last. Discount taken at time of purchase. See Sales Associate for details. Offer valid 515 through 528 LD as promised. We always like to bring our audience really awesome, dynamic guests. And today is someone who is really making a name for himself, a budding US national team star. A player that I really, really like and I'm excited about. But I'm going to pass the baton to you for an intro because as much as I really, really like him and I'm excited, you love this kid. So take it away.

[Landon Donovan]

All right, Well, I had the immense pleasure and misfortune of coaching against this man with San Diego loyal when he was with El Paso Locomotive. And watching him live, you knew there was something different about him, something special. I can't. I can't in good faith say I saw him coming this fast into MLS and doing well and this fast into the national team. But I did think it was the potential was there. Without further ado, Ralph Salt Lake and U.S. men's National Team rising star Diego Luna Diego, welcome my friend.

[Diego Luna]

What's going on. Thank you for having me. How you guys doing?

[Landon Donovan]

We're good, man. How are you?

[Diego Luna]

We're doing good.

[Landon Donovan]

You're having quite a year.

[Diego Luna]

Yeah. Enjoying a little off day, but yeah, we're doing good.

[Landon Donovan]

So, Diego, we want to touch about on what's going on recently with your rise, and it's happened maybe for you, not quickly, but for a lot of fans who are just tuning in recently to the national team. I think you really announced yourself in January, and I want to take people back to where you started. So you grew up in Sunnyvale, is that right? Northern California?

[Diego Luna]

Yeah. Northern, yeah.

[Landon Donovan]

Okay. And you were part of the earthquake system, right? The youth academy system?

[Diego Luna]

Yep. Yeah, yeah.

[Landon Donovan]

And then I want to start and. Because I think this is interesting for people to hear, when we. When I was coaching in usl, a lot of times kids are talking about, I want to be in mls. I want to be in mls, I want to join an MLS team, I want to join an MLS roster. I want to be a part. And we would say to. We would say to some of these young kids, the most important thing for you at 16, 17, 18, is to be playing soccer games. Now you are developing well, but if you're on an MLS roster, you're not going to play. I want to know why you made the decision to not go into an MLS academy and to go to a USL team where you had a much better chance of playing and then eventually prove yourself and play. So why. Why did you make that decision?

[Diego Luna]

Yeah, so it was definitely a decision that, you know, my family, agents all had to. To be a part of. Right. And I think for me, it was. It was, you know, mainly my decision to. To understand that I was seeing kids getting, you know, brought into MLS teams and. And, you know, then just kind of, you know, floating around on the second teams, you know, not getting minutes and stuff like that. And. And, you know, I was seeing this happen, you know, with my own eyes. So I then thought about the opportunity to go prove myself and earn my spot and kind of rise up the ranks type of thing. And that's kind of been how my youth days were kind of performing, then taking a leap. And I think that's what really made me make my move to usl, to get the opportunity to play and showcase myself there, to make sure that I am good enough. I can showcase myself here and. And then, you know, move up the ranks from there.

[Landon Donovan]

It's really unique because nowadays, like I said, people are so obsessed with getting to the highest level as fast as Possible. And they forget about playing. And we see it with kids saying, I want to go to Europe, I want to go to Europe, I want to. And I always say, well, what does that mean? You can go to Europe and you can sit on a bench and never play soccer.

[Diego Luna]

Exactly.

[Landon Donovan]

And that doesn't help you. So I just, I want to commend you for that because I think you're a great now story for other young kids to look at and say, I don't have to be in an MLS academy. Maybe I can go somewhere else and play soccer games and get better and better. And would you say, my guess is at 16, 17, you're playing against full grown men. You're competing now to earn a starting spot versus playing against 17 and 18 year olds. Right?

[Diego Luna]

Exactly. Yeah. So that's the thing, you know, with, with, you know, of course not putting any, any hate on anything, but like, when you go to mls, next pro, you're going to be playing against, you know, academy players or, or, you know, guys that, that, you know, aren't young, young kids. But when you go in the USL championship, that's, you know, that's a division of grown men retired, you know, good pros. And, you know, if you're a young, a young player, like I was going into that environment, you're still competing against, you know, faster, stronger guys and you're proving yourself and you still have something to prove there. And once you perform there, you can showcase yourself and like I did, show everybody that you, you know, you're ready for the next level.

[Tim Howard]

I mean, America, take note, please. There was a famous coach in England, Arsene Wenger, right, And he saw this young kid, Jack Wilshire, and he said he is ready to play at Arsenal and he's going to be an Arsenal player. But you know what I'm going to do first? I'm going to send him to Bolton. Take your map out and have a look at where Bolton is. It's not a place where Jack Wilshire wants to be, but it hardened him, it toughened him up. And it's funny, Diego, I think we are similar in a way, and we'll get to the tattoos in a minute. But I played in the US isl, which nobody remembers. That's like a defunct form of the A League and usl. But you have this path and I'm thinking about, you just mentioned parents and agents. Get out of the way. Right? Because Diego, you have this dog and this nastiness about you. When I say that that's the most glowing, that's the most glowing accolade I can give any player. You've got this tenacity to want to prove yourself. And I think that it's always really important to. When you're making decisions, not everyone's built like you. Some people say, I don't know, if I go down to usl, I might not make it, but I get the impression you said, gimme, let me go down there and I'll show you what I've got. I just. That has to come from somewhere. You talk about your. Your NorCal upbringing.

[Diego Luna]

Yeah.

[Tim Howard]

Like, take us back to where. Where that attitude, where that nastiness comes from.

[Diego Luna]

Yeah. You know, I'm a kid, you know, that didn't really come from much. My family worked. Worked really hard to give me what they could and provide me with. With everything that I'm extremely grateful for. So I think for me, it was always, you know, fighting for what I wanted, you know, needing to prove myself. And at every. At any level, and even on the soccer side, I never played my age. I was always playing, you know, five years up, two years up, three years up. You know, it was never, you know, me playing against kids my age or my size. It was always bigger, faster, stronger. So for me, it was just. Always got to, like, I got to do. I got to prove myself. You know, I'm not here just because, you know, and. And, you know, taking it back. You know, my brother and my dad were my coaches. They would put me. Bring me up on the. On the. On the older teams and put me on the bench. He's like, you're not. You're not proving yourself. You're not, you know, you're not. You're not playing well. You're not doing what you need to be doing. So no matter if it was my family, they were gonna sit me on the bench and be like, you're not doing good enough. So I think it just came from the way I was raised and kind of the family that. That has given me everything and. And worked hard to put me where I'm at, and I just, you know, picked up on that. To provide to. To make sure that I'm doing the best to showcase myself to it. Yeah.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah, Tim. I mean, we have kids, right? So, like, I'm. I start to wonder how much of that is just natural versus how much do your. Does your environment or your parents or your upbringing play into that? And I'm sure it's a mix of all that. But there. Take us back, Diego, because this. I think this is the moment and this is what Tim is talking about. This is the moment that put you on the map for a lot of people. That Costa Rica game in January. Right. So you get called in a January camp with a bunch of other guys who are sort of on the fringe or not really in the national team yet.

[Tim Howard]

Yeah.

[Landon Donovan]

So walk us through the game. You get hit in the face, I think an elbow right, hit you and you're bleeding. And can you take us through that moment? Because you end up coming back on the field and a lot of people kind of turn their heads and we're like, oh, this kid, this kid, like, really wants it. Like, really, really wants it. And I think I'm setting this up, Diego, because we've. And, you know, I'm not going to ask you to touch on this, but we've been frustrated with some, some of the guys in our national team who just don't have that same level of pride and care for their national team. So walk us through that moment.

[Diego Luna]

So in that game, you know, is a big moment for me and always, you know, grateful to have the opportunity to represent, you know, the usa. So I break my nose middle of the game, I get pulled out to the side, they try to, you know, put it back in place right there on the sideline. And coach is looking at me like, like, he's like, are you ready to come off? And I'm like, no, there's no way. There's no way. Like, there's no way I'm coming off in the 15th minute because this thing, you know, I can still run. I could still see, you know, you're not stopping me right now. And I think that was just the mentality of me because, you know, you don't get these opportunities, you know, all the time. You got to take advantage of the opportunities you're given. And like I said, you got to showcase. You gotta, you gotta make a name for yourself. You gotta, you know, provide and stuff. So, you know, in those moments, it's like you go, you think in your head, it's like, this is an opportunity where you could take the easy way and, you know, hop off and, you know, broke your nose. What a story. Blah, blah, or, you know, you're gonna, you're gonna grab your chance and go for it. So I think for me it was just saying, like, there's no way I'm coming out of this game. And. And he was telling me, you know, that it's okay, you don't have to rush it. You know, it's preseason and stuff, and I was like, no, no, I'm gonna. Let me play my World Cup. Yeah, let me play. Let me play until half. And. And from there we can make a decision. And, you know, he asked the doctors if that was okay, and then, you know, they said, yeah, and, you know, I was able to go back in there and. And, you know, maybe. Maybe the best decision of my life.

[Landon Donovan]

You know, it's true.

[Diego Luna]

To go back in there and. And, you know, get an assist right after and, you know, from there, yeah, just. Just showcase myself. And that was just. It's cool to me because it made a lot of, you know, headlines and stuff, but it was cool to meet because that was just, you know, that was just me. You know, it wasn't like me trying to. To be anything. It was just exactly what my head wanted at that moment. And, you know, so that was. That was cool to see, and it made me feel good and stuff. But.

[Tim Howard]

Yeah, well, never, never change. I mean, I, I think, you know, when I get goosebumps listening to you, I. I think what we're finding out about you is like, there was never. There was never another option, right? There was. That comes. That comes from who you are, right? Like, you were. You weren't looking for the easy route. Like, this is cool and a great story. You wanted more, and so that's awesome. And look, if I had, If I had Mauricio Pochettino here right now, I'd be asking, why aren't you starting Diego Luna? I mean, you know, you're. I think you're poised and ready, and you obviously had to wait your turn. You know, I think about this, this season. You're off to a great goal scoring start for. For real. Sal, Is. Is that a concerted effort? Because I, I think, look, I, I think of Kevin De Bruyne. There were certain moments under pep where he had to score more, and then sometimes he'd take a backseat and assist and, And. And get more assists and unlock the door with his passing. Do you. Your. Your assists are down, which is totally fine. Goals are more important. But do you. Do you feel like you're making more of an effort to get into the box to get on the end of things this season?

[Diego Luna]

Yeah. And I think, you know, it isn't a secret that right now our cell, we're struggling to score goals. And, you know, I think for me to step up and, you know, that's what I want to do. I want the pressure. I want to be that guy. I want to. I want to, you know, whether that's me getting the assist, whether that's me scoring the goals, I want to be that guy. And, you know, right now I think it is. It is, you know, on me to take that, take that. The pressure of. Of scoring goals for rsl, like, that's. It's what I need to be doing. And yeah, you know, I. I think right now I'm. I'm working hard to put myself in the position to score goals. And, you know, maybe, you know, in a couple months, it won't be me. You know, maybe I'll have to be assisting more and, you know, find finding passes to. To our guys and stuff. But I think right now I'm. I'm happy to continue to contribute. And whether it's scoring goals or assisting, you know, I'm. I'm all for it.

[Landon Donovan]

Diego, I want to. I want to hear about your evolution at rsl. I think you've been incredibly fortunate to have Pablo there and incredibly fortunate now to have Mauricio there. And these are two. Two guys who grew up. Either grew up in South America or have a South American mentality, which is also a fighter. Right? And I've seen you evolve, and I've talked to Nate Miller, your assistant coach there, a lot about you. I've seen you evolve in a lot of ways. You're not now just a playmaker. You are now a goal scorer. You are, I think, your team's now, best defender from the front. You are not like you counter press well, you defend well. You have changed that part of your game. And as I'm sure you learned with the national team, if you don't do that, if you just walk around the field and think you can just attack, you got no chance. Right? So can you walk me through how Pablo and Nate have helped you in that way?

[Diego Luna]

Yeah, I think it was. It wasn't a secret. I think from the very first, you know, day I started at rsl, Pablo just made it very clear, like, you're not going to play. And it was also awesome because Pablo made it difficult for me to get the opportunity. He didn't just hand it to me. He made it difficult. He was, you're going to have to do this. You're going to have to do this, and you're going to have to do this. You're not working hard enough. You're not defending good. Your soccer IQ on the defensive side is not good enough. And you know what's better than that, right? Having a coach that's going to challenge you to become better and do all the Right. Things you need to be doing to get the opportunity to play. So I think, for me, I'm extremely grateful to, you know, for Pablo to really tell me how it was and really put it in my face that if you're not going to defend, if you're not going to, you know, help the team on the defensive side of the ball, then there's no. There's no spot for you here, you know? So, of course, from a guy that wanted to be on the field, I had to learn and I had to do that. So I put in, you know, a lot of, you know, a lot of video sessions, a lot of, you know, mentally, you know, telling myself, you got to do this, you got to do this, and kind of putting that on a loop to make it a habit, right, and make it a big part of my game. And then later on, I found out that, you know, that gives me the opportunity to score more goals. So why not do it, right? Why not defend better and to get the ball higher up the field and, you know, showcase myself, if you're not.

[Tim Howard]

Already, you're going to be everybody's favorite player because, you know, you said, what's better than a coach who gives it to you straight? The only thing that's better than that is a young player who's willing to take that information on board. And you've done that. And I know you're incredibly humble, so I'll certainly give you the praise for that. You know, one of the things that I think about, Diego, is kind of next steps. And let me preface this, and I think Landon and I are on the same page. I always find a little bit off putting when a player talks about, you know, you're under contract with Real Salt Lake, that's your team. It's always hard to talk about definitely other teams, the next step. But the fact of the matter is, that's the evolution of soccer, right? And if you go to the Gold cup and to a World cup and have another productive season and a half, the likelihood is someone's going to pay quite a lot of money to RSL and MLS for your services, and they'll be well compensated. Do you think about the next steps? Because I think you more than anybody deserve that. From where you started to going into USL and into mls, into the national team. Do you dream about what's next and what that looks like for you?

[Diego Luna]

Yeah, definitely. And, you know, like you said, first off, you don't want to say anything wrong and stuff like that. And like you said, it's just the evolution of soccer, that's how it works. That's, that's the job we're in and stuff like that. But, you know, for me, it's always been whatever club that I'm playing for at that time, you know, I'm gonna give it a hundred, 100%, you know, like, that's, that's bottom line, so, you know, wherever it is. But yeah, of course, I, I think about that and, and what could be the next move for me and when that move could be, you know, it's. It's not always, you know, my choice or stuff like that that, you know, there could be a team and ourselves, find an agreement, you know, in the summer, it could be in two years, it could be, like you said, after the World cup, you know, who knows? But for me, you know, I have dreams, I have, you know, goals in mind to, to perform. And, you know, it's, it's. It's about providing for your family. So, of course, it's like, wherever that's going to give you the best career and longevity and to be able to play and perform. And of course, you know, a place that I can perform so I can get the opportunity to represent the national team and stuff like that. So I think, I think for me, it's just about continuing to do what I, what I can do for RSL and the opportunities I get with the national team. And then, you know, from there, see. See where that takes me. And then wherever I land Next, give it 100% and then start all over.

[Tim Howard]

Of course.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah. And Diego, you've. Look, you've proven that that is the path that certainly works for you. Right. And I would encourage you to always remember that that is the path that works for you. Right. So you went very unconventionally to El Paso, but you said, I'm going to give myself the best chance to play. Now you go to Salt Lake, and I don't know, you know, what the conversations were or where the possibilities were, but Salt Lake was a great club because it was a club that would play, you know.

[Diego Luna]

Exactly.

[Landon Donovan]

Right. And so now if you're gonna. If you do end up moving six months, a year, two years, five years, do you. Then you have to, I think, remember this is a place where I am going to have a chance to play.

[Diego Luna]

Exactly.

[Landon Donovan]

Because you, You, I think getting to know you now, you would be miserable sitting on a bench somewhere.

[Diego Luna]

Yeah, right.

[Landon Donovan]

That's. That's not what you want.

[Diego Luna]

100. And I think, yeah, that, that all goes into consideration when you, when you think about clubs, right? You got the big, big clubs, the big names and stuff like that, but it's, it's not always where, where, you know, it's where you want to be, but it might not be the exact time where, where you, where you take that chance, right? You might have to, like I said, you know, work up the ranks and, and once you go to Europe, you can start somewhere, then go up and up and up. So I think for me, yeah, it's, it's been the plan for me and it's, it's not going to change now because of whether it's money or, or just a big name club. You know, I think it's, it's about where I'm going to be able to play and, and you know, without, without.

[Tim Howard]

Giving away too many secrets. Our listeners would desperately love to know what it's like on the inside of camp with Marzo Pochettino and his style and how he deals with you players on a day to day basis. What training sessions are like. How's that been?

[Diego Luna]

Yeah, for me it's been, it's been awesome. You know, I can't complain. You know, Pochettino, for me the biggest thing about him is that he made me feel comfortable off the field as a human, which allowed us to be able to feel free and no pressure when you're on the field. And I think that was the biggest thing for me. He knows how to connect with the players one on one and make jokes and laugh and stuff like that. But also when you got to flip the script and you're on the field, it's locked in. It's, it's time to grind and you got to be 100% focused. But off the field, you know, there's jokes and there's stuff so it makes you feel comfortable and allows you to, to express yourself on the field. And I think that was the biggest thing for me that, that takeaway.

[Landon Donovan]

Diego, last couple of things. Last thing for me. Can you walk us through? Because I, Tim and I know this feeling well. You are now almost a year away from potentially playing in a World cup, right. And I think at one point Tim and I were very much probably, which is, I would say somewhere on the bubble, leaning towards in based on recent performances. But you have to play well in order to, you know that, you know, there are a lot of good players that play the position you play for the national team, right?

[Tim Howard]

Yeah.

[Landon Donovan]

So can you take us in your mind right now and just help listeners understand what it's like to dream about next Summer and just walk us through what you think about and dream about.

[Diego Luna]

Yeah. And I think for me, when you, when you really think about it and you really lock in on it, it's, it gives you like, kills, you know, like, like goosebumps. It's, it's like, you know, how crazy, you know, for me, as the journey that I've had and to be, you know, one year away from potentially, you know, playing in a World cup, it's crazy to even say that sentence right.

[Landon Donovan]

You know, in a World cup at home, by the way.

[Diego Luna]

Exactly. Yeah. To even, to even put that in, in, in the air is crazy to have that. But, you know, for me it's, it's about the grind, you know, every day now and you know, from here on now, it's, it's, that's the big goal. Right? So every, every game with, with ourselves, every opportunity I get with the national team, it's, it's, you know, it's grind time. You got one big goal in, in, in a year and every little thing you do is now, you know, setting you up to either, you know, make it or to, to, to not. And that's just exactly how it is. And like you said, there's, there's a bunch of players that are extremely talented in this position that can play and that we have the opportunity to, you know, to, to represent our country. So it's not going to come easy. And I think for me that, that makes it more, you know, more of a fun thing where you got a bunch of guys fighting for this, for this one opportunity to get in there. And, you know, it's, it's, it's something very exciting, I think. Yeah.

[Landon Donovan]

All right, I know Tim's last question is about your tattoos, so go ahead. Tim.

[Tim Howard]

I appreciate you sending the table and I didn't want to, I didn't want to forget that. So you are, you are very heavily tatted. What's, what's next? Are you just constantly getting them? Where's your next. Where's your favorite artist?

[Diego Luna]

Yeah, so I think the tattoos is, it's just, you know, for me, it's just a part of me. I think, like, it's something I started when I was 15 and you know, for me it's just been, you know, non stop things that I, that things that I like, things that I think are cool, meaningful tattoos, whatever it is, you know, I put it on my body and I think it's, you know, for me it's whether you, the story I have about tattoos is like, if you get a tattoo when you're, you know, 15. At 15, you thought it was cool. You thought it was badass. So there's no. There's no regret. Like, you at that age, you were like, that's awesome, dude. Like, that was the coolest thing in the world for me. So I'm not Gonna, you know, 10 years later, I'm gonna regret it. No, no. Like, when I was 15, that was the. The dopest thing in the world for me, you know? So for me, it's just about expressing myself, things that I like. It's just my style now, I guess. Like, it's just a part of me and. And kind of who I am. You know, my parents are not big fans of it, but. But. But, you know, I think me seeing them, you know, seeing me have, you know, success on the field, it. It gives them some type of relaxation. Yeah, well, I'm sure.

[Tim Howard]

I'm sure they don't love the tattoos, but they love the person and the player you've become. So big credit to your parents as well. We'll have to. We'll have to at some point, hook up and tell me your favorite artist, and we'll get some. Some income. 46 and doesn't stop. So I feel you. And listen, it's been an absolute pleasure getting to know you and big fans of you on this show. So continued success.

[Diego Luna]

Thanks, guys.

[Landon Donovan]

And, Diego, let's. Let's make an agreement right now. If you make the World cup team, you're going to get a tat. Perfect. I don't know what it'll be you decide you think about. Maybe you already have, but let's hope we're all wishing for you to have that success. And look, man, as someone who has again watched you in person, stay humble, man. Stay humble. You are inspiring all of us. And it's sad to say, but you're in a generation now where people don't view it the same way you do.

[Tim Howard]

Yeah.

[Landon Donovan]

And just keep grinding, keep getting better defensively, running all the little things that aren't fun but that are going to make you a top player. It's been an honor to watch you play, man, and I'm wishing you the very best.

[Diego Luna]

Thank you very much. I appreciate that.

[Landon Donovan]

All right, let's take a quick break. When we're back, we will dive into all of your fan Questions in the AT&T fan connection and talk anything but soccer, right here on Unfiltered Soccer with Landon and Tim. As always, presented by Volkswagen. Stay right there.

[Tim Howard]

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.

[Landon Donovan]

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.

[Tim Howard]

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

[Landon Donovan]

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

[Tim Howard]

Learn [e-mail] guarantee terms and conditions apply.

[Landon Donovan]

AT and T Connecting changes Everything Timmy Hard to believe, but this year will be 25 years since I first wore the jersey for the US Men's National Team. Crazy. I still remember it though. Giving me goosebumps just to think about it.

[Tim Howard]

Yeah, there's nothing like it. The pride you feel, the pride your family and friends feel watching you. I remember making my debut for the national team in Birmingham, Alabama. My mom was there in stands. It was just amazing knowing that she was there watching me accomplish my dreams.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah, mine was in the Coliseum against Mexico. It was crazy. I was nervous, certainly overwhelming anxiety all leading up to it. But in moments like that, it's really, really important to stay grounded and find time for yourself to choose a chill mindset.

[Tim Howard]

Yeah, when you embrace a chill mindset, it's a good time to choose chill and crack open a Coors Light.

[Landon Donovan]

When these moments in your career are right around the corner, you got to find some quiet time to relax with the people you love who know you the best. To enjoy the moment, just drink it in. Choose Chill, Crack open a Coors Light.

[Tim Howard]

Make the most out of the times you choose to chill. Choose Coors Light. Get Coors Light delivered straight to your door. Visit coorslight.com USLNT as always, celebrate responsibly.

[Landon Donovan]

Coors Brewing Co. Golden, Colorado Beer.

[Tim Howard]

This episode is brought to you by Amazon Prime. From streaming to shopping, prime helps you get more out of your passions. So whether you're a fan of true.

[Diego Luna]

Crime or prefer a nail biting novel.

[Tim Howard]

From time to time, with services like Prime Video, Amazon Music, and fast free delivery, prime makes it easy to get more out of whatever you're into or getting into. Visit Amazon.comprime to learn more. 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 this sport we all love at, AT and T. Connecting changes everything. And on uslnt, our connections with you will help grow the game. All right. It is everyone's favorite time of the week. Time for our AT&T fan connection. It's me and Landon. But you didn't come here to hear or see me and Landon. You came here to see Jordan. Jordan, welcome. Now, hang on a second. Hello. The tattoos are out. Very, very.

[D]

I got my Tim. I got my hand tattooed a couple weekends ago.

[Tim Howard]

What does it say?

[D]

It's a. It's an auxiliary cable.

[Tim Howard]

That's amazing.

[D]

Yep.

[Tim Howard]

Amazing. And Diego Luna, you're like, diego's on. He's got his tats out. I'm getting my tats out. New York Liberty, WNBA season started. Represent defending champs.

[D]

Let's go open the season with a win. We love that.

[Tim Howard]

Look at you. All right.

[D]

And Brianna Stewart even threw out the first pitch at the Yankee game this weekend.

[Tim Howard]

Did she? Nice. New York. New York City. Stand up already.

[Diego Luna]

He hates it.

[D]

He hates it so much. All right, well, first of all, we. We're gonna start on the East Coast. Sorry, Landon, but we just have to do this quickly. Some listeners wanted you guys to know that the New England Revolution boasted a reported 31,000 fans in attendance on Saturday.

[Tim Howard]

Let's go.

[D]

Revs in their nil, nil draw against San Jose. And for reference, the temperature in Foxborough, Massachusetts, on Saturday was a high of 71 with a low of 65 just before midnight.

[Tim Howard]

So good. Good on you. Listen, it makes sense. They're in their seats. They're not in the heating zones on the concourse like they've been telling us all year. So congratulations to New England Revolution. Listen, you're not going to win this because we desperately want you to be good and well supported. So congratulations for doing your job. That's awesome. And I do mean that sincerely, because I don't really get patted on the back when I make a save. They're just like, go stand there and be a lump and make saves. That's your job. So your job as a fan is to not be in the warming zone. It's to be on in your seats. So congratulations. I did see the scenes up in New England. I'm obviously joking. It looked awesome. So well played.

[Landon Donovan]

And they enjoyed that thrilling 00 draw.

[Tim Howard]

That's a problem.

[D]

Yeah, that's a That's a whole other conversation, though.

[Landon Donovan]

Congrats, Twitter people.

[D]

Here's one from Bailey via email. I feel like we just really riled people up last week talking about World Cups of the past, so we're gonna have to dive into this one a little bit. I wanted to ask you guys about Eddie Johnson, particularly his run of form in the build up to the 2014 World Cup. Obviously, Landon's omission was shocking, but I remember being equally surprised that players like Julian Green, Aaron Johansson, or even Wando were selected over ej. I thought he was a lock after the run of form he was in during qualifiers and the Gold cup in 2013. Plus he had the World cup experience from 06. Curious what you guys might have to say on the topic.

[Landon Donovan]

I mean, the reality is, in the end, one person makes all these decisions, right? And that's what people have to remember in sports, is one person. Now, people have input and they talk about it, whatever, but one person makes it. So if one person, in this case, Jurgen, was not on the Eddie Johnson train, then that's all that matters, right? Do I think Eddie Johnson should have been there? Probably, yeah. I know Eddie cared, that's for sure. And he had obviously all the ability, so I think, yeah, I would say, yeah.

[Tim Howard]

Yeah. What can I say about that? Yeah. There's one person that makes the decisions ultimately. I mean, you hope that the weight of the backroom staff and the assistant coaches is high and that the manager listens to that, but it wasn't to be. Look, in the case of Eddie Johnson, I mean, he. He scored a lot of big goals. He definitely competed, he definitely cared. He was a guy who could stretch the field, which is what made him so good in a substitute role. I mean, as fast as lightning anyway, and a pretty composed finisher. But, like, at the end of a game, you know, 60 minutes plus, I mean, it was a joke. He could run past people. So. Yeah. But, you know, what anecdote. Amazing Eddie Johnson story in South Africa. Do you remember the meeting? So, Bob Bradley, this is completely not. Not before this World cup, but it might have been 2010. We're in a meeting room. It's hot as anything in this room. Air conditioner went out. It's a tiny room. We're around the table. Bob's got his VCR or whatever machine that was that Bob was using, the.

[Landon Donovan]

Rewind, his little machine.

[Tim Howard]

Legendary Bob. Bob Bradley. And. And I mean that sincerely, one of the best. And we're in this room, everyone's hot. Sure enough, the lights Come on. Eddie's got his shirt off. He's like slouched in the chair. He's sweating. He starts saying all sorts of, like, expletives like, like how hot it was. I mean, I don't think Bob knew what's doing it. We just started cracking up. Anyway, I digress. But Eddie Johnson, real.

[Landon Donovan]

I love Eddie, man.

[D]

Here's one from Instagram, from Marcello. Does Landon have a book in the making?

[Tim Howard]

Oh, tell us more.

[D]

Yeah, come on, Landon.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah, I did say that last week.

[D]

So what, what are the details?

[Landon Donovan]

I have a book in the making. It's. It's a crazy process. I hate it, to be honest.

[Tim Howard]

I hate it.

[Landon Donovan]

It's a crazy process. I believe there are links going up soon on my website if people want to learn more. I appreciate Marcello asking. He's right on brand. Thank you. I'll send you money later. Marcello. Yeah, there are links coming. There'll be more info to come. It's not, it's not going to be released till March of next year, so we got time. But I believe there are links, early order links on my website.

[Tim Howard]

I'm pumped to read it, man.

[Landon Donovan]

Go check it out. I don't know, you might want to mention the breaks.

[Tim Howard]

Did I get a mention? I don't know.

[Landon Donovan]

I'll search the document.

[Tim Howard]

Listen, as long as I get an autographed copy, that's fine. You know what I, you know, I recently said, and you're going through this arduous process of writing a book. And I feel like writing a book should not, should not invoke me.

[Landon Donovan]

No, it's supposed to be fun. I'm like, this is the worst.

[Tim Howard]

I remember someone asked me would I write another book? And I literally said no. But if I did, I would write it about, like something I'm passionate about and then I would have it as mine. And then if a publishing house wanted to take it after that, sure. But I'm taking no direction. I'm not like, to the highest bidder. I'm writing it because it's a passion project. And then, like, if no one picks up, who cares? But yeah, it's. I'm looking forward to yours because you have so many amazing stories and experiences. So that's cool.

[Landon Donovan]

It's a lot in there. It's not. It's not really a soccer book. So just a little forewarning. There's soccer in there, but it's about me.

[D]

I feel like all of the authors out there who do this as their full time job, I have A lot more respect for. After hearing the two of you talk about how hard you are, can you.

[Landon Donovan]

Imagine engine, I think about even, like, writers after, like, a game and trying to, like, put out an article and get every word right. And you have to do it with, like, time pressure. Oh.

[D]

And then as soon as that one's done, it's time.

[Landon Donovan]

It's on to the next one. I know.

[Tim Howard]

So. But here's the thing, J.R. hang on. Here's the thing. These writers who are amazing, right? You think of the top athlete, top anyone in their field. They're amazing. This is what they do. And they. They love it, and they're passionate about it. What it is, is they're sucking the soul out of us. Because if you think about what writing a book entails, like, the person walking down the street who's never written a book has basically not sat down. And just. Unless they've gone to massive amounts of therapy, which is also very healthy, no one is digging that deep. They're not going back.

[Diego Luna]

Right?

[Landon Donovan]

Right.

[Tim Howard]

They're just not going back. They have no reason to go back. Well, when you write a book, it's like, now, remember, that's something more about that, you know, and then. And then the editing process is like, hey, remember the thing we had, we struggled with in week one, talking about. Let's go back to that, because I need more information. You're like, holy. Anyway, can't wait for the book.

[Landon Donovan]

Anyway. It's amazing. Go buy it.

[D]

Here's one from Cam via email. I just saw that Marta has been called up to the Brazilian national team, even though she retired last year. Does that mean there's hope for a comeback from Landon or Tim?

[Landon Donovan]

Well, if you saw our shoot last week in San Diego, we had to. Tim, put the gloves on. I think I had to put the boots on. There's 0.0, hope zero. You know, I'm still sore, Tim, I swear to you.

[Tim Howard]

Oh, I believe that.

[Landon Donovan]

I swear on my family, I'm still sore. And that was four days ago. I believe that.

[Tim Howard]

Yeah, this. I love that question. It's a very sweet and endearing question. I mean, Mark, God bless Martha, by the way. She retired. She's still good enough for them to be like, hold on.

[Landon Donovan]

Come back.

[Tim Howard]

Which is great. Yeah. What? The part that didn't go in my book was my. My USL Memphis playing days. It doesn't end well. It doesn't end well. So I. I hate, hate playing soccer. I love everything about. I love supporting my daughter. I love talking about this podcast. I love Getting up at the crack of dawn every weekend to cover soccer. I hate playing the game. It hurts so bad.

[Landon Donovan]

It hurts. In the group text, just so everyone knows, they were asking us, are you guys okay doing some whatever? And Tim wrote, they said, I don't really want to put gloves on if I don't have to.

[Tim Howard]

I mean, yeah, I'm not diving.

[Landon Donovan]

No. It's just not happening.

[Tim Howard]

All right, LD it's time for the unfiltered refresh sponsored by Coors Light. Choose chill. Get Coors Light delivered. Go to coorslight.com forward/uslnt.

[Diego Luna]

All right.

[Landon Donovan]

Anything but soccer this week. Tim, there's a gentleman I know you don't follow hockey probably that closely for the Florida Panthers. Brad Marchand. This dude chooses chill all the time. He is now. I want to get this right. He is now beaten the Toronto Maple Leafs. So game seven was last night. The Florida Panthers beat the Toronto Maple Leafs. He was with the Boston Bruins before, now plays for the Panthers. That's. MARSHawn is the first player in NHL history to defeat the same opponent. Same opponent in at least five winner take all games. He has beaten the Maple Leafs, he himself with his team, five times in a row in game seven. Five times in a row. So I'm sure he's in the locker room, he's like, dudes, don't worry. It's the Maple Leafs. It's me, we're good.

[Tim Howard]

Don't worry about it. And not to.

[Diego Luna]

Yeah.

[Tim Howard]

And not to mention his last 10 games against the Maple Leafs, four goals and six assists. I mean, can you imagine in the most nerve wracking game that you could possibly play in your career. He just, like you said, he just goes, guys, relax. He's chilling. Give me a puck. Give me the puck. Get open. I got you. He's chill.

[Landon Donovan]

I feel bad for the Leafs, man. My dad's a die hard, lifelong Maple Leafs fan. And even before the game last night, he's like, they got Brad March on the Leafs. We've lost. Whatever. How many of these in a row? Six or seven in a row now in game sevens. It's not going to happen. I'm like, dad, come on, cheer up. We're going to be fine. He's like, no, that's not going to end. Sure enough, second period, the Panthers score a goal within like four minutes. It's 30 and could have been four. They had one called back and I'm just like, oh my God. Anyway, big cheers. Let's pop open a can. Timmy. Brad. Marshawn Congrats to you, man. It hurts. It hurts. But cheers to you.

[Tim Howard]

Cheers.

[Landon Donovan]

That was chill, my friend. As always, thank you guys for being with us. Thank you for joining us. As always, remember to subscribe on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, anywhere you get your podcasts. And as always, follow across all of our different social media. There's lots of bonus content on there.

[Tim Howard]

Yeah, L.D. i echo that. I mean, Diego Luna, stand up. He's fun. He's fun to listen to, to watch, to talk, to. Wish him nothing but success for Real Salt Lake, but certainly for the Gold cup and U.S. men's National Team. So I appreciate you coming on, bud. Thanks, everybody for listening. Thank you to our presenting sponsor, VW and our Fan Connection sponsor AT&T and our unfiltered refresh sponsor, Coors Light. Have a great week. Look forward to seeing everybody back next Wednesday. Not Tuesday. Wednesday. Yep. With another edition of unfiltered software. It.