EPL Season Preview and Matt Freese Joins to Talk Penalty Strategy

Summary

Unfiltered Soccer with Landon Donovan and Tim Howard

Episode: EPL Season Preview and Matt Freese Joins to Talk Penalty Strategy
Release Date: August 13, 2025

In this episode of Unfiltered Soccer, Hosts Landon Donovan and Tim Howard delve deep into the upcoming Premier League (EPL) season, analyze team performances, and explore the dynamics shaping the league. The episode also features a special guest, Matt Freese, who discusses his expertise in penalty strategies following his standout performance in the Gold Cup.

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Premier League Season Preview

Recap of Last Season

Landon Donovan opens the discussion by revisiting last season's outcomes, highlighting Liverpool's dominance in winning the league title. The conversation touches upon the fluctuating performances of various teams, setting the stage for the upcoming season's expectations.

Landon Donovan:
"Liverpool destroyed the league, won the title. Liverpool, Arsenal, City, Chelsea, and fifth-place Newcastle all got into the Champions League." ([05:20])

Managerial Changes and Team Strategies

The hosts analyze recent managerial changes and their potential impact on team performances. They specifically mention Thomas Frank's appointment at Tottenham and Ruben ÅÂÂÃÂÂmram's tenure at Manchester United, discussing how these changes might influence the clubs' aspirations for the Champions League.

Landon Donovan:
"Thomas Frank knows how to manage a team flexibly, adapting tactics based on the opponent." ([07:40])

Challenges for Newly Promoted Teams

A significant portion of the discussion centers around the struggles of newly promoted teams to maintain their Premier League status. Donovan and Howard examine financial constraints, squad depth, and the competitive nature of the league as primary factors contributing to these challenges.

Tim Howard:
"Championship clubs can't compete due to inflated transfer fees, forcing them to rely on second and third-choice players." ([10:15])

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Crossroads Segment

Each host identifies a Premier League team at a critical juncture in the season, exploring the implications of their current form and future prospects.

Landon’s Crossroad: Manchester City

Landon expresses unwavering confidence in Pep Guardiola's leadership despite a dip in performance last year. He emphasizes Guardiola's ability to maintain high standards and motivate the team to rebound.

Landon Donovan:
"Manchester City is built to do hard things. I wouldn't bet against them." ([16:30])

Tim’s Crossroad: Manchester United and Tottenham

Tim highlights the precarious situation of Manchester United and Tottenham, stressing the necessity for these teams to avoid lower-table finishes and aim for top-tier placements to secure Champions League spots.

Tim Howard:
"United and Spurs are at a turning point. They must avoid bottom half finishes." ([16:30])

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Predictions

The hosts engage in a lively exchange of predictions for the EPL season, covering surprise teams, disappointments, and overall league outcomes.

Biggest Surprise Team: Tottenham

Both Landon and Tim predict Tottenham will surpass expectations under Thomas Frank's management, aiming for a place in European competitions.

Landon Donovan:
"Tottenham, under Thomas Frank, will be in the hunt for a European place." ([18:46])

Biggest Disappointment: Brentford

Anticipating Brentford's potential underperformance, Landon expresses concern over possible declines due to key player departures and managerial inexperience.

Landon Donovan:
"I think Brentford is going to fall off the cliff a little bit." ([20:02])

League Title Winner: Liverpool

Both hosts concur that Liverpool, with their strengthened squad, are frontrunners to clinch the EPL title once again.

Tim Howard:
"I think Liverpool will win the league." ([21:33])

Golden Boot Winner: Dejan Kulusevski

Predicting individual brilliance, both hosts nominate Dejan Kulusevski as the likely recipient of the Golden Boot, citing his goal-scoring prowess and form.

Landon Donovan:
"If he can get 20, 22 goals, they could win." ([22:11])

Top Four Finishers

The hosts outline their vision for the top four, listing Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester City, and Chelsea as the expected qualifiers for the Champions League.

Jordan:
"Liverpool, Arsenal, City, Chelsea." ([22:21])

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Special Guest: Matt Freese on Penalty Strategy

Introduction to Matt Freese

The episode shifts focus to Matt Freese, a Harvard grad and standout goalkeeper who played a pivotal role in the Gold Cup. His expertise in penalty strategies became a focal point of his acclaim during the tournament.

Landon Donovan:
"Matt Freese, Ivy League legend, penalty kick expert all around. Great guy. Thank you for sharing your insights." ([73:19])

Journey to the National Team

Matt shares his unconventional path to becoming a national team goalkeeper, balancing academic pursuits at Harvard with his athletic career. He emphasizes the importance of preparation and mental resilience in achieving his goals.

Matt Freese:
"I wanted to go out there and show what I can do. I wanted to be a rock and be steady because that is a very underappreciated part of goalkeeping." ([35:58])

Penalty Kick Expertise

Discussing his approach to penalty kicks, Matt highlights the strategic elements he employs to increase his chances of making decisive saves. He views penalty kicks as the essence of competition, focusing on studying opponents' tendencies and psychological warfare.

Matt Freese:
"I do my homework and I'm ready for him because I want to be ready. This increases my chances of making a save." ([37:51])

Emotional Reflections on the Gold Cup Final

Matt reflects on the emotional toll of losing in the Gold Cup final, emphasizing the bonds formed within the team and the collective disappointment. He acknowledges the bittersweet nature of competition and the personal growth stemming from such experiences.

Matt Freese:
"We were sitting there, saw them go up on the stage, and I was pissed. It was a really special group that we had in terms of the chemistry that we built." ([43:36])

Future Aspirations

Looking ahead, Matt expresses optimism about his role in the national team and his aspirations for the upcoming World Cup, underscoring his commitment to continuous improvement and team success.

Matt Freese:
"I'm ready for it. I want to show that the prep was worth it." ([34:57])

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Conclusion

Landon and Tim wrap up the episode by reiterating their excitement for the Premier League season and Matt Freese’s contributions to the national team. They encourage listeners to stay engaged with the podcast through various platforms and express their gratitude to sponsors for supporting the show.

Landon Donovan:
"Thanks to our presenting sponsor, VW, our Fan Connection sponsor AT&T, NHTSA, our Crossroads sponsor, and our unfiltered refresh sponsor, Coors Light. Have an amazing week." ([73:19])

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Stay tuned to Unfiltered Soccer every Tuesday for more in-depth discussions, expert insights, and exclusive interviews as Landon Donovan and Tim Howard navigate the vibrant world of soccer.

Transcript

[Landon Donovan]

Lan and I have fed against Mexico too many times to count. Did it live up to the hype?

[Tim Howard]

Yeah, it definitely did. I kind of love to come alive when the crowd's against me. I love to, like, ruin someone's day.

[Jordan]

Amen.

[Tim Howard]

And if there are 70,000 people there screaming against me, it makes me want to ruin their day even more.

[Jordan]

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 over five years.

[Landon Donovan]

LD God, it's been a minute. Like so many of our listeners, it was nice to have a break from you, but it's good to be back, bro. It's so, so good to be back with you. God, it's been all soccer all the time for me. I was. I was traveling, doing the Premier League summer series. We had. We had doubleheader in New York, New Jersey, doubleheader in Chicago, doubleheader in Atlanta. Had amazing access to Bournemouth, West Ham, Everton and Man United both. From an interview standpoint, watching trainings, it was great. And then I went and spent a week in Knoxville. Go Vols. They had two games. Watch my daughter play. And watch.

[Jordan]

She got to play.

[Landon Donovan]

Played 15 minutes in the first game. Yes. But it was great, man. It was. They're looking really good, looking strong this year, so I'm excited. But it's been a lot of soccer.

[Jordan]

I'm trying to remember. Yeah. What was. It's probably been three weeks. Yeah. @ least.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah.

[Jordan]

I have no idea. We went to. We went to a. Yeah, we went to a lake up north in Fresno. If you've never been to Fresno, don't go. But it's north of Fresno about an hour. We have some friends who live there, so our kids were there on the.

[Landon Donovan]

Did you drive up?

[Jordan]

Jet skis. And we flew, and then it's an.

[Landon Donovan]

Hour drive and you sent me a clip of you. What was it? What were you.

[Jordan]

Oh, boy.

[Landon Donovan]

Water skiing.

[Jordan]

Surf, probably. I was.

[Landon Donovan]

What's that called?

[Jordan]

Wakeboarding.

[Landon Donovan]

Wakeboarding, yeah.

[Jordan]

Dude, that was not.

[Landon Donovan]

You were. You were awesome until you weren't.

[Jordan]

I might have to post this clip, actually, but I was going to post the clip without the last, like, four seconds where I really ate it hard. Tim, I don't. You've probably never been on. Have you ever been on a jet sk. Or a water. Whatever it's called? Wakeboard.

[Landon Donovan]

No, not. Not like getting pulled from behind a boat.

[Jordan]

So I just want to explain. When you try to go outside of the wake, you know, it can be Successful, you know, But I'm. I used to be an athlete. I swear when I went over the wake, it went wrong and I went face first, but I forgot to let go of the handle. And so the bolt pulls you down. It pulls you down in the water. And I'm not kidding. When I hit the water, I felt like it, like hit my eyeball and I was like, I was deep in the water. I was upside down for a minute. And you have one of those moments where you're like, oh, this isn't good. And then I came back up. And then the next day, my neck was so sore, it was a full, like, whiplash deal. So you probably won't. I probably.

[Landon Donovan]

You should post it. What do the kids do now? Instagram versus reality. Just post the first part. Like you're cruising, right? You were awesome. That's Instagram. And then the reality is swipe and you, you disappear. I thought I lost my podcast co host. I could. I just thought I'm going to be doing this show by myself.

[Jordan]

All right. I don't know how to do that stuff, but I'm ask Jenna to do it and post it. I'm going to do it like that, actually. Probably be funny. All right, guys, great to have you back. If you have forgotten, please follow us on social media. Unfiltered Soccer. Subscribe to the show on YouTube. Follow on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can send questions to Jordan Feedback at Unfiltered Soccer. And you can always rate us, review us, leave messages. It helps people find the show. All right, Tim, one of our producers, Andrew, wrote in here. So we're going to get into the Premier League season Preview says Tim is one of the faces of the Premier League's coverage here in the US I never thought of you that way. Did you write that, by the way?

[Landon Donovan]

You should start thinking of me that way.

[Jordan]

Okay. All right, so take us a little behind the scenes because I know you've been. You just talked about being all over just what you guys are talking about, what you guys are preparing for this up coming season. Anything new on the coverage? Let us know what's going on.

[Landon Donovan]

It's great. I mean, the cool thing about I guess every other year essentially is the summer series. And it's kind of like a, you know, it's kind of a dry run for the season, right? We all get together, we do our. We do our production meetings. We have a pitch side desk. I got to call a game, which I don't do very often. And I enjoy that. I know I know you do. Which is so it's cool getting up in a booth, just spending time with your teammates which you don't really get a lot of because we're in and out of the studio. So this is like we're traveling together with spending a lot more time together. So it was a dry run, which it doesn't feel like a dry run because like it's a double header. You're straight into it. You're doing training sessions in media every day. But it was special man to get up close and really get up close and watch training. And you know this. The, the, the, the press is so hard on these Premier League teams that when they get over to America and we like, we don't try and stitch them up right. So they're a little bit, they're a little bit more hospitable, they're a little bit more welcoming, you know. And so you just get amazing access and NBC does a great job of that. So it was really cool to, to be right in the thick of it.

[Jordan]

So let's take people back. Just a quick recap of where things left off. If you're a die hard fan, you know this but for the casual fan. So Liverpool destroyed the league, won the title. Liverpool, Arsenal, City, Chelsea and fifth place Newcastle all got into Champions League. Tottenham finished 17th but still got into Europa League. Virtue of or sorry still got in despite finishing 17th. And by winning Europa League. Leicester, Ipswich and Southampton all dropped back down to the championship. And then Leeds who won the championship, Burnley who were second and Sunderland who won the playoff come up. So it's going to be interesting. We'll get to some predictions in a minute. All right. So I'm curious from your standpoint. So really bizarre seasons last year for Tottenham and United. Reuben Amram now second season in charge, will things change there? He's had a transfer window now and then at Tottenham new manager. Can things change there? And I guess they can't be as bad as they were last year. I don't, I think everyone agrees on that. But how high now is their ceiling? Can they get back into Champions League?

[Landon Donovan]

Oh man, it's a tough question. Ld I, I don't know if either of them getting Champions League this year the top of things. Interesting because Ange Postecoglou is, is an enigma. He's very, very polarizing. We saw that in his, in his few seasons in charge. You can't play that way and survive in the Premier League. Well, you can stay in the Premier League but you can't have Success in the Premier League, you have to learn. You have to know how to defend. And it was. They, it was chaotic and it was fun to watch as a neutral, but the fact of the matter is, once you get found out, this league's too good. It's too good. So what I, what I've always said, and this is why I like the Thomas Frank appointment to Tottenham, is they got a good squad, man. They've got a good squad, they've got a good team, they've got really good players. I'm not saying they're Premier League winners, I'm saying they've got a really solid squad. They spend well, they buy well. And Thomas Frank knows how to manage a team. In fact, he's one of the few managers that has gone on record and says, like, hey, and okay, it was Brentford, right? And it's a little bit of a smaller, smaller club, but he was basically saying, when we play big teams and I know we're outmatched, we're going to play this tactical style. And when we play teams where I think we can get ahead of the game, we're going to play a different tactical style. So his flexibility is incredible. United. I'm, I'm bullish about, you know, having been having been on the ground and watched them again, you understand this. Ld like seeing body language, seeing conversation, seeing interactions, talking to the players, right? Like, like they, they basically said, like, players will give you things without. Without necessarily giving you something, right? So. So for lack of a better term, they had a bomb squad, right? So Amram said, you guys are staying here. I don't want you at the club. Tell your agents to get you out of the club. And by the way, when we train, you're going to be over there. You're going to train with the reserves. You've seen this before, right? And some of the players that we interviewed and talked to were basically saying the vibe in the camp is better. Everybody wants to be here, right? What are they saying? They're basically saying the manager put some people over there.

[Jordan]

That's right.

[Landon Donovan]

And that's right. So. So there's a. There's a. There's a better vibe. I think. You know, Dorgu, who they brought in last year to play left wing back, kind of had half a season under his belt, so to speak. He looks good. I thought to sign Cunha is. It's going to be brilliant for them. He's a type of person. He's a maverick. He puffs his chest out, he wants to start fights and he's angry, like he's going to be. He's the type of player United needs. Brian Mbumo, he's shown he can score in the Premier League. Again, a great addition, particularly the way Abraham wants to play with like 2 tens on the nine, you know, bringing in what they feel is a proper nine. So I, I do think, look, their squad ld needed a massive overhaul and you know as well as anybody else, you cannot overhaul an entire squad in the summer.

[Jordan]

Right.

[Landon Donovan]

But vibe is better. The team looks like they're playing the way Ruben Emran wants them to play. Senior players on board, really good signing. So I think that they'll, they'll, Neither of those teams will finish.

[Jordan]

Who finishes higher, you think?

[Landon Donovan]

Think United just.

[Jordan]

Yeah, that's what my gut says to.

[Landon Donovan]

But I think they'll both be in the top half. You know, I, I would imagine for both clubs hopefully pushing for Europe. Right. And what does that look like? Premier League usually that drops down to about eight, give or take.

[Jordan]

So we'll see. You know, there's been this, this. I think it's a problem in the Premier League and teams can't stay up. Like, teams really struggle to stay up now. And leads were up, down, back up. Burnley were up, down, back up, Sunderland. It's obviously taken a while. Yeah, but do you think these teams can stay up now and, and just explain to people why now it's so difficult to.

[Landon Donovan]

Well, yeah, I mean, it's a, it's a hell of a question because if, you know, I think it speaks to the power of the Premier League, right. Like for anyone who, who was not that many people doubt how great Premier League is. But, like, it's freaking hard. It's hard, man. And I think Burnley was a great example of this. And so, you know, they shared some insight with us a few years ago and again, it wasn't like massive private knowledge, but they were basically saying when they were in the championship, they were able to pull lone players from City and these other places, right? And they got the best players and they blew the doors off the championship, right. Those lone players go back and they're now saying, and I think I'm going to mention this on the pod before they're now, they now have a checklist of like, we want a left winger and a center midfielder and 10 and a 9. All these players and everyone's going, oh, you're, you're, you're in the Premier League. Oh, you have Premier League money. Okay, so now we're going to inflate the price on our left winger here that plays in the French league. And so they're having to drop down to their second and third choice players to go buy them. Right? Because by the way, everyone's happy to loan you their player when you're in the championship. Ain't loaning you their player winning the Premier League. Right. And so, so now they, they put a Premier League squad together with essentially like second and third choice players that, that, you know, that they, when they look down their scouting list because the first ones were just too expensive and too, too inflated. And so I just think when you're building, when we see championship clubs who have come up, build teams, it. They're just not good enough to compete in the Premier League. Like, simply put, they're not. And you know, it's, it's. I don't want to say hard work because it's disrespectful, but it is like slightly hard work. When you look at, and I'm not saying these teams didn't endeavor to try and stay in the lead, but you look at like Luton and you look at Ipswich, like every weekend you're like, give me more. And then you. And you realize, like, they can't give us any more.

[Jordan]

They can't.

[Landon Donovan]

There's not good enough. And so that part's been really difficult. You hope that Burnley, again with parachute payments and so forth, have started to build in a certain direction. I'm interested, by the way, because don't know how closely you paid attention to it. They were, they were like freaking Brazil last year. I mean, they barely ever got scored on. They scored goals at an alarming clip. I mean, they were the best of the best. And so you're like, okay, is that going to translate this year under Scott Parker? And Scott Parker, we know, is a good manager, so hopefully that works.

[Jordan]

It's. It's just, it's so difficult because you think of the league now. So you have United and spurs finished, whatever, 16th and 17th, that's like, those are the teams you were competing against. If you're one of these teams coming up last year, then you got wolves who are good. Fulham are good, Brentford are good, West Ham are solid. Like, the league is just so difficult and you've got to be in it for a few years to be able to keep players there, have enough quality, and then, yeah, it's going to be interesting to see if any of those stay up.

[Landon Donovan]

I think. You know, I think to answer your question at the bottom end, and you just said this, the top end the top end used to just be the big four, then it got extended to the big six. And now really you're struggling because you've got your, you know, you got your big six, right? And then you got the Bs, you got Brentford, you got Bournemouth, you've got Brighton, right. Those, that, those teams are all punching above their weight. Got Fulham, you got wolves under their new manager, newish manager. And so all of a sudden you're like, whoa. Well, like forget the, forget the teams that used to be in there like your Evertons and your West Hams, right. Forest have a run last year. So I, I think I just named like 12 teams. So now all of a sudden exactly. What, like where?

[Jordan]

Well, there's no. Where do you get points?

[Landon Donovan]

Where do you fit? Yeah, where do you fit? So it's, it's a really interesting one. I mean I think it's back to back years. The, the, the three promoted teams went back down. So I, I, I don't know. I don't know. I, I like, I like these clubs. I often say there are Premier League clubs even if these teams aren't in the Premier League, like Sunderland, Leeds, Burnley, those are Premier League style clubs. So particularly Sunderland. Love it up there. Great stadium, great football club, great rivalry with, with Newcastle. So you hope one of these teams figures it out. But.

[Jordan]

Yeah, because it's good for the league too.

[Landon Donovan]

Totally.

[Jordan]

Yeah. Let's touch on Chelsea real quick. Do you think. So they win the Club World Cup?

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah.

[Jordan]

This summer.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah.

[Jordan]

Did you take, did you take a lot from that? Do they, does that transfer into. Are they a real title contender? Dude? I mean they looked, they looked really good. To be fair. They looked really good.

[Landon Donovan]

Sure. I mean it, it's not just the Club World cup in a, in a phone booth. It's the, it's the Europa League, the Europa Conference League title. Right? Yeah. That's a winning mentality. Say what you want about it, you've got to run, you've got to run the gauntlet. You have to win, you have to be in it at the end. Club World cup, same thing. You know, where they finished, how strong they finished last year. You know, I think Enzo, you know, Todd Boli likes to spend. That's a brilliant thing. He's figured out a way to spend in a smart way, stay away from PSR kind of regulations and that, that type of thing. And Enzo Maresca has figured out how to, how to deal with the structure that Todd Boli is creating.

[Jordan]

Right.

[Landon Donovan]

Like basically last year he said like.

[Jordan]

This is My Premier League, two teams.

[Landon Donovan]

And this is my European team. And by the way, there's a bunch of you guys that are surplus to requirements. I don't want you in the building. So like, that's a really strong model and it's a really strong manager. And so, yeah, that they've got some, they've got some world class players, man. I don't know if they'll win it. I certainly think there's going to be a moment where we question whether they can. I think they're going to be in it.

[Jordan]

Well, we did last year, remember?

[Landon Donovan]

We did last year.

[Jordan]

Time. Yeah.

[Landon Donovan]

Where you like and they're a much better team than, than they, than they are. They're, they're much better team now than they were. So like. Yeah, to answer your question, I think they're going to, I think that people are going to have a little cheeky eye on them for sure.

[Jordan]

All right, Tim, it's time now for our Crossroads, presented by Nitza NHTSA is here to remind you to drive sober or get pulled over. Which team, which club do you think is at a crossroads? And then I'll give you mine.

[Landon Donovan]

Okay, so my, my team that's at a crossroads is Manchester City. And here's why I refuse. I would be stupid if I questioned Pep Guardiola off of one year, right? His, his, his level of success and his standard that he set for his players is so high that last year, I can only explain last year as a blip, right? Like it was, it was something that was coming, right? It was just, it was this concept of like, when are, when are Man City going to fall off? Well, they don't. Then they win the trouble. Well, they'll fall off now because they have nothing to play for and then they don't. Right? And so like, well, they still qualified.

[Jordan]

For Champions League, right?

[Landon Donovan]

Right.

[Jordan]

That is their season.

[Landon Donovan]

Right? And so, and so my crossroads is based off of that one year. I'm not giving up on Pep Guardiola and I'm just saying you, you get this. But when you're at the top, sometimes you need this, sometimes you need that wake up call. Because like, what motivates you can only be self motivated so long, right? And, and I almost feel like you're right. They, maybe they needed that. Like, okay, now they got a chip on their shoulder. You know why? Because everyone doubts us. Everyone doubts us and everyone's going to be hunting us, trying to hunt us down and trying to keep us down. Maybe this. So I think they'll have A bounce back here. Does that mean they want to win the title? No, not necessarily, but I, you know, I. I wouldn't necessarily bet against them.

[Jordan]

All right, my crossroads is teams are two. United and Spurs. I th. This has to be, for both of these clubs, a turning point. Now, you cannot finish in the bottom half again. Reuben Amaram, if, if they finish 13th or 14th or. I mean, they probably still stay with them if things feel like they're trending, Right, but this is the Premier League. Like, United need to be competing for. At a minimum, Champions League. And then Tottenham, you know, they had all the excuses last year with all the injuries. Ange wasn't the right guy, blah, blah, blah. Better get it right now. You're definitely at a crossroads now, and you need to make the right decision. So I'm going to be keeping my eye on those two for sure. All right, let's make some predictions since we're always so terrible at this. All right, Biggest surprise team of the Premier League season.

[Tim Howard]

I'm.

[Landon Donovan]

I'll go first. I'm gonna say biggest surprise team. I guess I'm gonna say Tottenham because of what I mentioned previously. Like, I think the manager is second to none. I think he's brilliant. I do. Like, this isn't a rebuild. Like, they have a. They have a trophy winning squad. They won, you know, they won the Europa League, right? So, like, I think this, this. I think the squad just need a new direction, right? And they have that. Like, and this isn't, by the way, an unknown commodity. This is a guy who everybody loves, who knows how to win in the Premier League with a much smaller budget. You know, less. Less talented players. Like, this is. I. I think that will surprise everyone and be in the hunt for a European place.

[Jordan]

Mine is. I believe. I'm trying to figure out who I want to. I believe leads will stay up. And that is a surprise based on what we just talked about, because it has been so difficult. I don't have the exact stats, but it's been so difficult to stay up. So I think lead. Stay up. Okay, biggest disappointment.

[Landon Donovan]

You first. Now you go.

[Jordan]

Biggest disappointment, I think, is going to be Forest.

[Landon Donovan]

Okay.

[Jordan]

And it's just based on expectations. If they had finished 13th last year, we'd say great year. But because they finished so high, they were, for parts of the season, we were like, oh, my God, like, how high can they finish? They were in second at one point. And so how high can they finish? They are in Europa League, if I'm not mistaken, right? Either in Europa League or Conference League. So extra games. Right. Do they have a squad that's big enough to handle that? So I think. I think they absolutely finished bottom half. And, you know, I don't think. I don't think they fall into the drop zone at any point, but I think they're going to disappoint based on the expectations.

[Landon Donovan]

Yep. Yeah. My. My biggest disappointment is going to be Brentford. Here's why.

[Jordan]

Yeah.

[Landon Donovan]

Good show, Thomas. Frank was such a figurehead at that club.

[Jordan]

Yep.

[Landon Donovan]

They lost arguably their best player.

[Jordan]

Oh, yeah.

[Landon Donovan]

Their second. You know, Wisa. I'm not sure. I don't know if he's. If he's left. He wants to leave. Their. The manager that. That they. Or the head coach that they named has no Premier League experience. Yeah, I. I just. Again, I'm not talk. I don't know if I'm talking relegation or anything like that, but I just think we've been. We've been so used to being excited about Brenford. You know, them punching above their weight, knowing they're gonna. They're gonna, you know, probably crack the top 10 and it's gonna be a good story. I just think they're gonna. They're gonna fall off the cliff a little bit.

[Jordan]

Yeah, I think you're right. Who wins the league?

[Landon Donovan]

I think Liverpool. I think they've got. I think they've gotten stronger. They've gotten stronger.

[Jordan]

Sick. Yeah, they have gotten stronger.

[Landon Donovan]

That's the problem.

[Jordan]

I don't know how you bet against Liverpool Pool. Does gas make a difference for.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah. Yeah, I think he does. I think he.

[Jordan]

Does he make them a champion? Does he make Arsenal champion?

[Landon Donovan]

I think if he can get. I think if he can get 20, 22 goals, they could win. Yeah. Yeah.

[Jordan]

All right. I think Liverpool win. I hate to say it. Please delete that from the recording. Okay. Who finishes top four? We won't say Champions League, we'll just say top four.

[Landon Donovan]

Tough.

[Jordan]

It could be.

[Landon Donovan]

Could be more. No particular order. Even though I think Liverpool win the league. Liverpool. Arsenal City. Chelsea. That's my top.

[Jordan]

Liverpool. Arsenal. City. Chelsea. Okay.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah.

[Jordan]

I wrote this down before because this is crazy. You could make an argument. I don't think. I don't think realistically. No, but you can make an argument. United. Right? If they really turn things around. Spurs. Arsenal City. Liverpool. Villa. Who? We haven't talked about Newcastle. We haven't talked about Chelsea and Forest, who were right on the brink last. Now I think Forest fall off. Villa feels like they're gonna have a little bit of a dip. That's Nine teams you could make the case for. Right. That realistically. And that's not. That's without any surprise team in there.

[Landon Donovan]

Right.

[Jordan]

No. Fulham or whatever. Right. Or Forest or someone or force. Right. So Liverpool. Yes. City. Yes. Arsenal. Yes. My fourth team. Did you say Chelsea? I did, yeah. It's hard not to. Yeah. I think Chelsea. I mean, it's boring, but I think that's gotta.

[Landon Donovan]

I feel like those are the betting favorites.

[Jordan]

It's gotta be. All right. Who wins the golden boot, by the.

[Landon Donovan]

Way, if Salah wins a golden boot, I want to. I want a drugs test every. Like, every day of his vacation. I want a drug test because the man's a machine. I have a feeling this is not. Not like an amazing take. I think Holland.

[Jordan]

I was gonna say the same.

[Landon Donovan]

I think Holland, you know, he's got goals in him. Last year, like I said, it was a down year for City across the board.

[Jordan]

He was injured a bit, too.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah, yeah. I mean, if he's fit and plays, I mean, he's gonna get goals. I think Holland.

[Jordan]

Yeah, I think so, too. Just kind of boring.

[Landon Donovan]

We think. We think alike, but we'll see.

[Jordan]

All right, let's take a break. Tim, when we come back, awesome, awesome guest. Super excited about this. I know he's excited to speak to you. One of the breakout stars of this summer's Gold cup for the US Matt Fries, penalty kick legend, played all the games, became one of the stars. He will be right here with us on Unfiltered Soccer with Landon and Tim, presented by Volkswagen. Stay right there.

[Landon Donovan]

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

[Jordan]

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

[Landon Donovan]

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

[Jordan]

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

[Landon Donovan]

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

[Jordan]

Is a decision that will change your whole world.

[Landon Donovan]

Things will never be the same once you get a DUI because legal fees and time in court are just the beginning.

[Jordan]

Getting into a crash is another way your world could be irreversibly changed. After drinking and driving, your vehicle may not be the only thing that gets damaged in that crash.

[Landon Donovan]

You can face a life altering injury or even death, but you're not the only one who could face those consequences. Your decision to drink and drive could permanently change someone else's world, whether you injure them or leave their loved ones grieving.

[Jordan]

So the next time you're out drinking, call a ride, share a taxi, a sober friend, or a designated sober driver. The only decision that will change your world for the better is the decision to call for a sober ride, Drive.

[Landon Donovan]

Sober or get pulled over. Pay for Bonitza.

[Jordan]

All right, Timmy. This episode is brought to you by our friends at Virgin Atlantic.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah, we're here at the Virgin Atlantic clubhouse at jfk. Honestly, it makes you rethink what an airport lounge can be.

[Jordan]

It's beautiful. It's what Virgin does. They've been bringing joy back to flying since day one.

[Landon Donovan]

It starts with the people, the crew makes you feel seen. You're not just seat 31A and the planes. Comfy seats, mood lighting, fresh new plane smell and hours, hours of the best entertainment.

[Jordan]

Yeah, I know. You travel back and forth across the pond all the time. The food's amazing, all the little amenities. They have their mile high tea. If you want tea at 35,000ft. You can have the jam, the scones, the finger sandwiches, all the things that you loved about British times when you were playing.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah, and speaking of the food, you can pre order your meal before you fly. Not just talking about the chicken or the fish. I had the Thai curry last time and it was absolutely amazing.

[Jordan]

Yeah, everything's been thought through. It's flying the way you wish it always was.

[Landon Donovan]

So if you're headed to the UK soon, do it in style. After the pod, go to virginatlantic.com to learn more about their amazing experience. LD we always get excited for guests, but this one is special to us because he had a breakout summer at the Gold Cup. A player who surprised many and again just stood out for both US Men's national team and New York City fc. He's an Ivy League legend and Harvard grad goalkeeper Matt Freeze. Matt, welcome to the show.

[Jordan]

Welcome to the show.

[Tim Howard]

Thank you.

[Jordan]

Congrats on an amazing summer too.

[Tim Howard]

Thank you very much.

[Jordan]

We're going to get into the summer, Matt. I think we want to. I want to. First of all, most goalkeepers are just weird.

[Landon Donovan]

Here we go.

[Jordan]

And that's true. Are weird. And I would say sometimes not the brightest. You, on the other hand, graduated from Harvard. How did you make the decision to go to Harvard? What went into that? I'm guessing it was more than soccer. Right. Because you have other interests and probably there were points in your career where you're like, I should have just gotten a real job and made a lot more money. But how did you make that decision?

[Tim Howard]

Yeah, I mean, the decision, it's, it's an interesting one actually. Before we get into that. Confirmed, all goalkeepers are weird.

[Jordan]

Thank you.

[Tim Howard]

There's no questioning that. It was a bit of a weird one. You know, I, I wanted to go to Harvard, obviously. You know, you, you get in there and it's very difficult to say no. But also it was, it was somewhat of a family decision. You know, I'm, you know, you guys have kids and, you know, it was a conversation with my parents. You know, was I ready to go probably, or should I spend a year or two at school first? And if I'm going to go to school, where should it be? And, you know, I got into Harvard, and I think it's difficult to say no to that. And then, you know, after about six months, I was like, all right, guys, I gotta start my career. I'm done with this.

[Jordan]

But along the way, then you kept. Because you're a graduate, so you just kept taking classes along the way.

[Tim Howard]

Yeah, so I did two ish semesters there and then took a year off. And then, you know, I was kind of just going to revisit it after, after my playing career. And then Covid happened, so I was able to do three semesters online through that. And then I kind of had the last three semesters squeeze into two, kind of taught myself some things, did some independent projects, and then flew up for, for the exams.

[Jordan]

Cool.

[Landon Donovan]

It's pretty amazing. And your brother rode crew at Harvard as well, is that right? Did you guys overlap?

[Jordan]

No.

[Tim Howard]

He is six years older than I am. We're like twins, though. We look the exact same mannerisms. I'm just, I'm good with, you know, sporty things. He's good with athletic things. So he's good at the, the running and the crew.

[Landon Donovan]

Well, yeah, I, I think about, like, your time with NYCFC and, and, and being in the mls. Like, at what point, like, at what point did you. Did you go from saying, like, I want to make a career out of this and I want to be very good in the MLS to I want to play for my national team. And I know every kid dreams of that, but I mean, the singular switch to going like, yeah, okay, I'm trying to get my feet wet as a professional, that's one thing. But then having this desire to play for your country and feeling like that's tangible and you can touch it, like, when did that happen for, for you?

[Tim Howard]

Yeah, well, I, I think the dream, like you said, the dream of all is, was always there for playing the national, for the national team. I mean, I watched both of you, but Tim, obviously I watched, watched you growing up all the time. So the dream was always there. And then there were, There was a. The sing. The singular moment, I guess, that you're talking about was after my rookie year in Philly, I had a bunch of injuries that rookie year, which is natural. You know, you're going from a two and a half month season to a ten month season and you're getting killed every day in training. And it was kind of a, it was a point where I had to look at myself. I had a long conversation with one of my mentors. I was, you know, I kind of broke down to him, said, I want this more than anything. And it wasn't that I, it wasn't just that I wanted it. It was kind of like throughout that first year, I was like, damn, like, I can do this. Like, you know, I saw myself in training and, you know, I was with Andre, obviously, who's an incredible goalkeeper, learned a lot from him. And so I was kind of saying to myself, like, I can do this. And, and we went back and forth, my mentor and myself, and it was, it was kind of a point where I was like, all right, every second of every day I have to dedicate to the sport, keep, you know, to stay healthy and then also to keep developing on the field.

[Jordan]

Can. So a lot of people think when you, when they turn on the TV this summer, right? And there's millions of people watching the US Game every time that you just show up on the roster and you're here. Right? But your path to just getting on the roster this summer was unique and then to actually starting and playing was, Was kind of unique and kind of came out of nowhere. Right. Even for you. So can you walk people through just the whole process and then I guess how you're feeling through it, Right, because it was, I would say, unexpected for you, right?

[Tim Howard]

Yeah, I guess. Unexpected in. In terms of, you know, I wasn't expecting it, but I. I wasn't surprised by it because I think that if I was surprised by it, it means I didn't do the prep and I didn't prepare myself to take advantage of it. And so, you know, obviously I spent four years in Philly and. And pretty much didn't play, but, you know, finally got my way to New York and got to work with Rob Tim and. And obviously my, you know, my game has really just been able to kind of keep going up while working with him. And after that first year, I got. After the first full year as a starter, you know, got invited to Jan camp. So that was this past January. And I remember, you know, I was the only one in camp that didn't. I didn't play in any of the games. And, you know, I remember talking to my family and I was just like, all right, you know, once again, I don't know what's going to happen this summer, but I'm going to prepare every single day. Like, I'm going to be the guy this summer. I'd much rather over prepare than under prepare and regret it later. I'm a big believer in, you know, regret is probably the worst thing you can feel. So I wanted to put everything I had in, you know, every single day I was in. I'm a bit of a psycho, so, you know, I wake up at the crack of dawn like, two, three times a week and get in early and do an extra lift. And I remember just saying, like, this is prepping me for the summer. This is prepping me for the summer. And. And then obviously, you know, Patty got hurt, you know, right before camp started. Zach got hurt, I think, first or second day of camp. And obviously that was, you know, it's, you know, goalkeeper union. You know, I'm. I'm close with all those guys. And Zach going down was. Was really very sad, and we all felt for him. And then, you know, Maurizio told me I was going to be, you know, playing the games, and I was pretty calm, told him, all right, I'm ready for it.

[Jordan]

So hold on a sec. I want to just step back. So you said Mauricio said you're playing the games. Was that, you know, when he called you and said you're coming in? He also said you're playing the games. Like, did you know that right away? Or how did that process.

[Tim Howard]

No, no, you know, it was, I think, the. The night or two before the first game of the tournament actually started. And it was, you know, a conversation where. Where it was, you know, they kind of said, you know, we. We think you're the right choice to go for. For this tournament. You're gonna have the full, full support of everyone. And, you know, just need.

[Jordan]

Just.

[Tim Howard]

Just need to. Just need to be yourself was kind of the. The phrasing. And, you know, Matt and I are obviously very close as well, and Matt was incredible supporting me. You know, I went from making my first appearance, you know, a week before to now starting in the Gold Cup. And so, you know, the support that Matt showed was obviously very, very helpful as well.

[Jordan]

Wow.

[Landon Donovan]

So, yeah, I think about the January camp, right. And Landon can appreciate this. Landon went to the 2002 World Cup. I was an alternate. Right. And so the process. I sometimes love the way the process of the national team works. Right? Like, you go into January camp, you don't play all that. All that did for you was. Was wet your appetite and light a fire under you. Right? And so I love those moments. And then you get the call, you know, you get to be the guy going into. Into the Gold Cup. I just wonder, because we all are human. Like, as much as you dreamed about that moment, as much as you said, to hell with not playing in January, I want to be playing for my national team, What. What was that moment like when. When you're stepping across the line and you're hearing the anthem and. Is it. Is it. I'm ready for this. Is it. I'm not. I'm not worthy of this. Like, where's your mind in that moment?

[Jordan]

Yeah.

[Tim Howard]

I mean, I don't think anyone's worthy of playing for the national team. I know that sounds weird, but, like, there's very few people that, like, you know, I don't know if that. If that makes sense, but, but, but no, I wasn't questioning myself. You know, I. I wanted to go out there and show what I can do. I wanted to show that the prep was worth it. And, And. And I wanted to be a rock and be steady because I really do think that that is a very under. That's a. That's a big part of goalkeeping that maybe people don't realize is, you know, half the time you're there to be a presence and to be a rock for the team.

[Jordan]

And.

[Tim Howard]

And so that was really my mentality going. Going throughout the whole tournament.

[Jordan]

Yeah, I say that. I say that often on here when. When we were in the tunnel and I. I looked either back or forward and I saw Tim there or I saw A goalkeeper I trusted. You just feel different going into the game. You know, we can make mistakes and it's going to be okay.

[Landon Donovan]

So as we move into the, into the knockout stages, obviously what you'll be known for most, mostly this summer is your penalty save heroics. And that can't really be understated because at a bare minimum, that, that is such a, that is such an incredible weapon to have as a squad going into any major tournament to have a goalkeeper not taking away from your goalkeeping talents. But the fact that you seem to be so dialed in to penalties, and you mentioned that, that's your thing. Where does that come from? What's the preparation? Like, what is your thought process? Whether it be in training the week before, in the moment, like talk us through how you go about approaching a penalty kick, either a singular penalty kick in the game or a shootout where, you know you have to face five shooters.

[Tim Howard]

Yeah, I think the reason I like it like penalties so much is because it's kind of like the essence of competition. Right? Like it's you versus one dude who's going to win. And I love, I love competing. Competing is probably the reason I love sports and I love soccer so much. And penalty kicks is like the, the, the essence of that in, in a one moment thing. It's just you versus someone who's going to come out on top. And, and so, you know. Yeah. Before every game, whether it's a knockout, whether it's tournament, regular game, whether it's preseason, you know, I do my homework and I'm ready for him because I want to be ready. And I also, I kind of enjoy it because I, in my eyes, kind of the pressure is not on the goalkeeper. Sorry to say, this pressure is on, on the, on the taker. You know, you're scoring and it's kind of like you can't really lose as, as a goalkeeper in a, in a penalty shootout or taking pens because they're supposed to, you know, they're supposed to score. And so, you know, I just really, I enjoy them. And it's something that, in my opinion, if you do your homework the right way, you. All you do is increase your chances of making, you know, making the saves.

[Jordan]

No, it's clear you have a strategy. Right? And there's something, I'm guessing being a Harvard guy, there's a lot more there. You probably have some like, spreadsheet somewhere of every penalty taker in the world or something.

[Tim Howard]

Maybe.

[Jordan]

I wish, I wish during, I wish we were playing at the same time because I'D be so curious. Well, I'll pick your brain after, so we don't have to give anything away. But what I learned during my time taking penalties is the more you take, the harder it gets. And you would think the more you take, the easier it gets because you're used to it, whatever. But goalkeepers have so much info on you. And so I, every time I stepped up, I was also doing my research on you guys. Right. Which way do you like to go? Absolutely. How do you move your feet when you're going to dive left? How are you going to move when you're going to dive right? Throwing in. When do you go down the middle and when you go high, low. And so it would have been really fascinating. It becomes just a total mind game. And the guy who always got me, I hated him. I hated him.

[Landon Donovan]

What you going to say?

[Jordan]

It was ra.

[Tim Howard]

He gets everyone.

[Jordan]

I know, but I was like. So one time, I think we were in Salt Lake, I was like, forget it, dude. I'm just going to smash it as hard as I can to my left. I smashed it and he's right and it's high and he just stands there and just goes, boom. Palms it over the bar. And I was like, God, this guy, man, I can't. Can't figure this guy. But anyway, kudos to you, cuz you.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah, it's amazing because I, you know, when you talk about penalties and it being the ultimate essence of competition, I. This is a true story. I couldn't wait to get to penalties because I was a stress ball. So I was literally like, when you get to penalties, that means you played the 90 minutes, then you played another 30 minutes. And I'm like, I'm just so stressed out. Like, I just want the game to be over. And I know when we go to college, the game's going to be over whether we win or lose. And I was just like, like, I was so excited for that moment. But it's funny ld you say that about penalties because Leighton Baines, as, you know, a guy you played with at Everton, I was with him recently, a dear friend of mine. And they were over here and we were, we were laughing because he was on pens, right, left back, he was on pens. And I think he scored like he was like on some sort of record where he scored like 20 in a row. And like, he was so funny because he's really dry and he's like, I'm gonna miss today. I'm gonna, like, I'm bound. Because to your point, he's like, you take so many, you're bound to miss. And he hadn't missed.

[Jordan]

That's Aw.

[Landon Donovan]

And then. And then on the day he said that, he went up the middle against David Dea, and he got, like, just a little. Little bit of his boot on it, but it went in and he goes, I told you I'm going to miss suit. It was just. It's a. It's a funny, you know, kind of. It's a mental side of it.

[Jordan]

All right, so back to the summer, Matt. So goes, well, you get to the final, you play Mexico, right? And then the game doesn't go. How any of us want after the game. I'm curious, because I've been through this. Tim's been through this on both sides, where you're sitting on the field as a champion and that feeling. But also the other side, and I had that many times, too, where you're sitting on the field in a final as the loser. What's that feeling like there on the field? And then when you get into the locker room and we saw some images with Mauricio crying and, like, can just walk us through? Because that team seemed to really become a real team in a short amount of time, and you could actually really feel the hurt and the pain.

[Tim Howard]

Yeah, yeah. I mean, it was tough. There's not. There's not much to say about it, honestly. Just because, like, you're sitting there, you kind of feel numb. It's kind of like a disbelief type of thing. And especially the way the summer was going with the vibes that we had on the team, the camaraderie that we'd gotten on the team, we kind of, like, felt like. Like, it's got to be a win, right? Like, it's. It's got to end positively. And. And. And. And it obviously, you know, we fell short. That's on us. But, you know, I mean, yeah, we were sitting there, saw them go up on the stage, and I was. I was pissed, man. Like, I was. I was really mad, and, you know, I was a little bit numb inside. Just didn't really. Didn't really say much. You know, I was pretty silent. And then, you know, we get to the locker room, and it's also silent in there, and a lot of anger, but also a lot of sadness and just disappointment in ourselves. But Maurizio gets in there, and honestly, he gave a fantastic speech. It was really emotional, very raw. But it was. It was one of those speeches that, like, you kind of, like, turn around after and you're like, like, damn, we did become a team this summer.

[Jordan]

Damn right.

[Tim Howard]

You know, we. We are proud of each other. We. Not proud. Not ultimately proud because we didn't win the final, but, you know, proud of what we did kind of off the field, because there was. There were a lot of questions going into the summer. I mean, you know, I was kind of on the outside looking in at the beginning before the summer starts, and. And then, you know, we just. We just think about, like, you know, 45 days in a hotel straight together, and, you know, that, like, we weren't sick of each other, and I don't know if that ever happens. Like, we wanted to. We wanted to, like, keep hanging out after the game, and, you know, we were like, damn, like, we're gonna miss each other. It was. It was a really special group that we had in terms of the chemistry that we built. Like, we still have a group chat where I woke up to, like, 70 texts today in this group chat.

[Landon Donovan]

That's great.

[Tim Howard]

And it's. And it's. I think it's. I think it was a great step. Again, you know, I'm. It was my first real experience with that type of stuff, so I don't know what it typically is like, but it was a group that really got that. That grew together off the field, and I think that that was a very important part of the summer as well.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah. I'm curious if. Let me say this. Us, Mexico is incredible. I speak for Landon, and. And as well, it's the. It's one of the greatest rivalries that I've ever played in It. You know, it's probably one of one or one of two. And what makes it special is. Is I. I often say, like, in order. In order to have hate, you have to have respect, you know, and both sides hate each other, but we respect each other, and it's hard, and it breaks your heart, and it brings you incredible joy when you win. So I guess my overriding question is, did it live up to the hype for you in terms of being there in Houston, walking out, seeing the scenes around the stadium, being inside it, playing in that game, by the way, again, lan and I have played against Mexico too many times to count. That game's fast. That game challenges you. There's a lot of puzzles to solve. Like, did it live up to the hype?

[Tim Howard]

Yeah, it definitely did. I mean, I think being on the field for it is. Is a little bit cooler than watching from TV or watching in the stands like I did growing up. And so it definitely lived up to the hype and it was. It's weird. I love playing in front of big crowds. I know, you know, as a goalkeeper, sometimes. Sometimes it changes, you know, versus field players, maybe. But, like, as a goalkeeper, sometimes the bigger the crowd gets, the harder it is or the more nervous you are. And for me, just, I kind of love to come alive when. When the crowd's against me. I really, I love to, like, ruin someone's day. And if there are 70,000 people there screaming against me, like, it makes me want to ruin their day even more. And so. And so, yeah, I mean, I was amped up, ready to go. Like, had a good warm up. I didn't feel the nerves at all. And I was a little surprised, if that makes sense. But it was one of those things. I was just like, this is what I was. This is what I was made for, and this is what I was working for for 26 years.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah.

[Jordan]

That's awesome.

[Landon Donovan]

Amazing. We're built to do hard things, man. That's great. Our listeners are so hungry for. For US men's national team interviews, and I know they were super excited for this one. So you've delivered and then some, which you have on the field. And look, you've certainly thrown a spanner in the works in terms of, you know, who will be selected as a goalkeeper for the World cup team, and you have every opportunity to do that. So we're excited. We were cheering on this summer. We'll continue to do that from afar. But thank you very much for joining us and so much success and wishing you all the best in. In September, certainly, and through the rest of the season.

[Tim Howard]

Thank you, guys. That means a lot. And, and, and thanks for having me on. Obviously, you know, I'm a big fan of the. Big fan of the podcast. I listen to it all the time, so I appreciate it.

[Jordan]

When I talk crap and say other bad things, don't get mad at me, okay? I'm just pushing. And a shout out to.

[Tim Howard]

That's part of it.

[Jordan]

You're.

[Tim Howard]

You're. You're. You're pushing. That's. That's part of it.

[Jordan]

And a shout out to your guy, Rob Vartusian, who's done a great job with you.

[Landon Donovan]

So, yeah, he's awesome.

[Tim Howard]

Thank you.

[Landon Donovan]

Thanks, man. All right, ld, it's time for the unfiltered refresh sponsored by Coors Light. Choose chill. Get Coors Light delivered. Go to coors light.com USLNT okay. Coors Light recently partnered with Duradry to bring you Durachill, the first ever chill deodorant with cold activated packaging to let you know when it's ready to be applied.

[Jordan]

Now I actually just smelled it. Delicious.

[Landon Donovan]

Amazing.

[Jordan]

Good.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah, amazing.

[Jordan]

I wasn't expecting that, but smell good. All right, Timmy. So the guy who chose Chill in the league's cup was our guy, Max Arston. We had the chance to interview him. He was great. He scored in two of their, two of their three games. There was a tweet last week from Tom Bogert and Ben Jacobs that Columbus Crew swiftly love that rejected middle Middlesbrough's bid around $3 million. So about two and a quarter million pounds for Arsten. The Crew stance is clear. They do not want to sell this summer. One is, you think he should move into. What's your take on the two and a quarter million pound bid?

[Landon Donovan]

Well, here's the interesting part. So excited for, for Max Aron because what we want to see, right, and we're on the outside and we know a thing or two, but what, what, what people want to see, what Columbus and, and Mauricio Partetino want to see is go. You go from strength to strength, right? So you have a good summer, great. What do you do? Just kick back, hang out or do you crack on? And he's shown that like it wasn't just a one time thing, that he's ready to keep pushing. So you go back, coaches always tell us, right, go back to your club team, keep proving it. He's done that. I mean Middlesbrough man, like pay, pay us like you owe us. This is crazy. You know he's a young up and cominging US national team player, right? More than likely going to be on the, on the World cup roster. If he continues this way, the rest of the world, wake up, man. This is such a slap in the face. People who constantly complain about us banging the drum about like, woe is me with the American player. This is an example of it. If this was a young French kid, a young French left back who just cracked in the national team, 20 million who just played, it'd be 20 million. You can't get a bag, you can't get a bag of balls for $3 million.

[Jordan]

Dude, I didn't even know. I didn't even know $3 million was a bid anymore. I thought that's like in, that's like in like league one in England you pay or in the championship or the bottom. I was like, this is crazy.

[Landon Donovan]

So, so hats off to Columbus for saying, yeah, thanks like, because here's the other thing, here's the other thing. I given what you And I have spoken about. My high level just went for 8 million plus 1 million add on.

[Jordan]

Exactly.

[Landon Donovan]

So I'm looking at this if I'm in the league and I think I got money to spend. Yeah, I'm going in with a bit of 4 million bucks.

[Jordan]

Yeah, I'm going to go.

[Landon Donovan]

Well hang on. My high level just went for, for 8 to 9 million. I can get into a great, great point, great fee. 4 million for, for Max Aron and I could have him for the next five years or certainly get, get a sell on for him. It's a no brainer.

[Jordan]

This is a great shout.

[Landon Donovan]

It's crazy. Crazy.

[Jordan]

All right, well anyway, cheers to you. Max Arin continuing to go strength to strength to strength. You chose chill again and we salute you. That's all.

[Landon Donovan]

Oh, that's a good one. Nice and cold.

[Jordan]

All right, Tim. Some high profile moves in MLS recently. Sung Hyung Min signs with lafc. Man, that was wild to watch that whole process go. Actually then played this weekend, I saw, I think it was, it was either Trundalo's quote or somebody said, you know, a lot of the times these guys come in and they'll say, you know, I'll play when I'm ready. Yeah, I'll play when I'm ready. And he was like, no, I want to play. And, and I think he's been all, I think as Matt Holling said it said he's been all over LA this week, promo stuff and interviews and all that. But he anxiously waited to get his visa cleared. It got cleared and he was on the bench and also drew a penalty to help them equalize. So thoughts on this?

[Landon Donovan]

You're not going to get a bigger son fan than me. I think the guy is awesome. I mean he is, he's a 10 out of 10 for me. He's going to be one of these players and you know more than anybody in the history of MLS because your team invented the dp basically in the galaxy you've seen guys who come and don't care. You've seen guys come and give everything. So Sonny is going to be a guy who is in it, who wants to win, who cares about winning. And by the way, as an aside, his following is stupid. I mean, if you watched North London at a Tottenham game when he was there, mean, this guy is adored across the world. I think that, you know, LAFC is going to see an influx of, of that following, which is really awesome and I think it's a good signing. I think, you know, he still has, he still has legs in him. He still has the ability to carry games, to score, to get in dangerous situations. I mean, he's clinical as they come. So I think it's a really good signing. I'm excited for it.

[Jordan]

I mean, just think about Denny Bonga and him on the field together, right? Give me so much anxiety as a defender and a goalie. Wow. It's gonna be fun to watch. And to the point about the falling man, like, I got a taste of this In Korea in O2, the level of fanaticism for their players was just insane. It was so inspiring to watch. And in la, obviously a huge Korean population all throughout America. It's going to be incredible to watch him go everywhere. And you know, he's not on the Beckham Messi level globally, but in Korea he is. Oh, my God. I mean, he is a megastar. So it's going to be fun to watch.

[Landon Donovan]

Let me ask you a question, the hard question, hard question for you to, for you to answer. Do you, I, I always praise your Galaxy for what they've done for league and continue to set the standard. Do you give credit to LAFC for their ability to forget being in la, their ability to bring in high profile signings, successful high profile signings? Because they, they've seemingly done that since.

[Jordan]

Their inception, for sure. Not only that, I mean, what John Thorenson has done there is so impressive. It's, it's not just the high profile guys, it's Denny Buanga who, you know, all respect, like nobody had heard of really, Denny Buanga before, unless you're a die hard soccer fan. It's. When Rossi came in, it's getting Vela. So that was a high profile sign. But it's just some of the, some of the other guys that they've been able to sign throughout the years who have been just so good and Bob made so many great decisions too when he was there. Right. So. And then getting a journeyman like Matt Hollingshead who's been so valuable to that team. So they've just, they've done a fantastic job. They really have. And yeah, you have to give them credit.

[Landon Donovan]

I mean, I think in fairness as well, you talked about the people who are in that organization. I do give them credit as well. So you bring in like a Hugo Lis and then you bring in a Giroud and Giroud didn't work out. Right. So instead of riding it, they just went, yeah, we're cutting our losses.

[Jordan]

Losses.

[Landon Donovan]

This is it.

[Jordan]

That's right.

[Landon Donovan]

And, and, and listen, not a lot of teams can do that. So big credit to them. Anyway, it was just. That was.

[Jordan]

No, there are. You're right. There are team. I mean, look at Toronto. They waited way too long, and maybe they couldn't to get rid of Bernardes and. And, yeah. So, you know, if you. If you can, you cut your losses and you go on another guy. Tim, look, as a general rule, I'm not a fan of guys in their 30s coming into the league because of. I have. I think I have scars from seeing some guys up close in.

[Landon Donovan]

I was 30, galaxy 37. Are you. Were you opposed to my move?

[Jordan]

No. You're an American coming back home. Right. And you played in the league before. Right. So I knew you would respect.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah, yeah.

[Jordan]

What it's about. Right. But some guys haven't. I would say more recently. Most guys have. Right. And another guy, Thomas Mueller, now who went to the White Caps, he absolutely well respected that guy. I mean, I'm sure he trains hard every day. He's like. He's a consummate pro. So I actually like that for them, too. Generally, if you just set it in a vacuum, I'd say, oof, yeah, good signing. But I actually do like it.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah. The Thomas Miller thing is interesting because he's weird, and I don't mean that in a bad way. Like, the guy loves to compete. He loves to compete. Like. Like, no matter whether as he was aging with the national team or with Bayern Munich, he, like, desperately wants to be on the field and desperately wants to score. And he's got this, like, real infectious attitude. And I think it's great. And I think it's, you know, for. For also what I love about it LD is he's a. He's a winner, as you mentioned, and he's going into a team that's playing really, really well. So actually you don't have to carry the team, doesn't have to lead the team. Team's already going. Well. This is like a nice cherry on top. So maybe. Maybe it can be a difference maker.

[Jordan]

Good leader.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah.

[Jordan]

Like, he. Imagine Sebastian Berhalter. Yeah, right. Like, around him. Totally. And just learning from him will be phenomenal. He is so weird. Like, if you watched him warm up, you'd be like, no way. This guy is a world champion. Right. Like our Champions League. You'd be like, no way. And then he's so good.

[Landon Donovan]

Oh, you know what's funny? Off camera, I'm looking at a picture of myself in the Germany game in the 2014 World cup, and we lost one. Nothing and I think he was the one that scored, oddly enough. Anyway, that's an aside.

[Jordan]

Good memory.

[Landon Donovan]

Great.

[Jordan]

All right, Tim. When we come back, we will get into your Questions in the AT&T fan connection and talk anything but soccer, right here on Unfiltered Soccer with Landon and Tim, presented by Volkswagen. All right, Timmy. It's summertime. You remember these days, Kids are home. It's exhausting. You're babysitting all day. I know. You don't think it's babysitting? It is babysitting. In order to choose chill, I'm on the golf course, man. My wife knows when it's time to get away and choose chill. See you later. I'm gonna go play golf.

[Landon Donovan]

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

[Jordan]

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

[Landon Donovan]

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

[Jordan]

Tim, as you know, there's a certain energy and passion to soccer in Latin America. The footwork, the creativity, the passion from the fans. It's way more than a sport. It's a rhythm. It's a way of life. That same exact spirit shows up in Cafe Bustello. Bold, vibrant, smooth.

[Landon Donovan]

Turn up the Latin flavor Cafe Bustello has been bringing for generations. You cannot miss this iconic staple. From your bodega to your local grocery store, they are everywhere.

[Jordan]

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[Landon Donovan]

However you take your coffee, Cafe Bustelo shows up strong. It's exactly how I take mine. Strong, black, usually in the mid afternoon into the evening. It's a perfect, perfect way to kind of end my day.

[Jordan]

Yeah, same with me. Right before the kids get home. Black coffee, no cream, no sugar, gets me through the rest of the evening. Cafe Bustelo is more than coffee. It makes you feel alive. Try the new Cafe Bustelo roasts today.

[Landon Donovan]

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

[Jordan]

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

[Landon Donovan]

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

[Jordan]

A keeper you know is defending your.

[Landon Donovan]

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

[Jordan]

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

[Landon Donovan]

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

[Jordan]

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

[Landon Donovan]

AT&T connecting changes everything.

[Jordan]

Credit for Fiber downtime lasting 20 minutes or more or wireless downtime lasting 60 minutes or more caused by a single incident impacting 10 or more towers. Restrictions and exclusions apply. See att.com guarantee for full details.

[Landon Donovan]

It's time for the Fan connection, presented by AT&T. Every week, we invite you, the listener, to connect with us by submitting your questions. The best way to grow the game of soccer in the US is to keep asking questions and keep talking about the sport we all love. At, AT and T. Connecting changes everything. And on uslnt, our connections with you will help grow the game. That's right, it's AT&T fan connection time. Junior, we missed you.

[Jordan]

We missed you.

[Landon Donovan]

All the fans missed you.

[D]

I missed you.

[Landon Donovan]

All the Liverpool fans missed you. And your. Your training kit. That's amazing that you still wear that on this show. Good for you.

[D]

I. You know what? It's very goth and I'm feeling very goth lately, so I had to.

[Jordan]

Are you feeling dark because they lost a palace?

[Landon Donovan]

No.

[Jordan]

Oh, no.

[Landon Donovan]

Oh, that didn't sound convincing.

[Jordan]

It was not convincing.

[Landon Donovan]

Speaking of goth, I have one for you. Did you read that My Chemical Romance announced two Wembley dates next summer? You're welcome.

[D]

And let me tell you something, I'm very upset about it because it's in the middle of the World Cup. So guess who's not going? Because I'll be here producing this show. So if you live in England and you're going send me pictures, why don't.

[Landon Donovan]

We do a live show from the My Chemical Romance concert outside of Wembley? That's why I was near a fan.

[D]

That's why I was in New Jersey on Saturday. I was in my Chemical Romance show.

[Landon Donovan]

Did you give me a concert tea? Hold on. Did you get me a concert tea? Oh, you didn't ask.

[D]

No, but I'm going to the Toronto show so I can hook you up.

[Landon Donovan]

Please get me a question.

[Jordan]

This is a serious question. I'm not. I am not. I'm not taking the piss, I swear.

[Landon Donovan]

You don't know who it is?

[Jordan]

No, they.

[D]

You're surprised they're big enough, they can.

[Jordan]

Sell a Wembley show.

[D]

They sold two days. Sell Giant Stadium.

[Jordan]

What?

[D]

They sold out Giant Stadium.

[Jordan]

Of these guys?

[D]

Are they, like, for a long time?

[Jordan]

Dude, Are they a goth band?

[D]

They're not really gone.

[Jordan]

I mean, are they, like, a punk band?

[D]

I could. Landon, it would be my absolute honor to make you a My Chemical Romance playlist to listen to. I would love to do that.

[Jordan]

Okay.

[D]

It'll be fun.

[Landon Donovan]

Jared, what do you got for us?

[D]

I got some questions. Let's get into them. There's some fun things in here. I'm looking forward to this. Okay, here we go. First one is from Aaron. Via email, he said, I love the show, and I'm a big fan of both. Both of you, but can we please Talk more about D.C. united? As a lifelong D.C. fan, it is incredibly frustrating to see one of the more historic teams in the MLS turn into. Sorry, Aaron, I just want to let you know that Landon would like you to know. It's mls, not the mls. Turn into the laughing stock of the league. What can we, as fans do to support the team in such dark times when there doesn't seem to be an end in sight?

[Landon Donovan]

Oh, Aaron, you. You. I'm not even gonna say a word here. You just opened up a can of worms with Landon.

[Jordan]

Ld go, well, his question was him. Her.

[Landon Donovan]

Him.

[Jordan]

His question was, what can fans do? And this is a hard predicament, man, because you care about your club, you really, deeply care about your club, and you care about the players, and you want them to do well, but at the same time, the people in charge have not reciprocated that. They haven't. And I guess they'll say, well, we built you a new stadium, right? Fair. But they're just not giving this club the chance to. To compete. And my first thought. I don't know. I forget the guy's name. I think he's Swiss who just came in. The new coach was. God, I hope this guy knows what he's getting into. Right? Like, because he's probably excited and an MLS John. I'm just like, oh, man. Careful what you wish for. I don't know what fans can do, man. I. In. In other parts of the world, they'd probably boycott until there's a change. I mean, right, Tim?

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah, yeah. I mean, I think. I think mentioned is a perfect example of it that people often say, and I've. I've witnessed this firsthand and from afar, that no matter what, Manchester United fans support their team, right? And so whether there's a protest outside the stadium or a march to the stadium, or they stand up or leave at a certain minute, whatever the case is, ultimately, Man United supporters always, always, always support their team. And they've seen some crap over the last decade. So. But so. So there's this balance and this blend that I don't know necessarily how you get it right. There's this balance and blend of supporting the team, but as you said, putting enough pressure on ownership to say, like, this isn't good enough. Right? And I think you can do that in a multitude of creative ways.

[D]

So my suggestion is tifo, protest tifo. I love a good tifo, actually.

[Jordan]

Tifo say.

[D]

I don't know. I don't have to think about that, but I love a good protest tifo. And I also just want to give a shout out to Vermont Green FC for having possibly got the greatest tifo I've ever seen.

[Jordan]

The.

[D]

The Bernie.

[Jordan]

The Bernie B. Amazing.

[Landon Donovan]

Veronica do a lot of things right, by the way.

[Jordan]

By the way. I've been following them. I've been tweeting too much about it. Dude, these guys threw their championship run. Insane. Like, extra time goal, Extra time goal crowd, 5,000 people sold out. Kids on this field partying. I was like, get me to Vermont, dude. This looks amazing. Amazing.

[D]

All right, Landon, how about a question for you? This one's from Robbie via email. Can Landon walk us through? Maybe based on the. What this question is, can Landon walk us through his decision to promote Mexico in the 2018 World Cup? Please tell me he got paid for that. And that's the only reason.

[Jordan]

That's such a great question. Okay, you want the truth, Robbie? All right, two things. Three. Yes, I got paid. Two. I grew up in Southern California around Mexicans, so a lot of my close friends are Mexican. The Mexican style of play influenced me my entire life. Three, I have. I had very close connection with the people at Wells Fargo, so we had a long term relationship, did a lot of things together. I really love the people. When the concept came up, we talked about it. How do we work through it? How do we make this whatever as least controversial as possible? All of it was fantastic, except at the end of the day, they were having me hold a bunch of different Props and the people, just so people look behind the scenes. The people who are putting on the production are not the people who are making the decisions at a high level level. So they're just there trying to get as much content as they can get. So I was holding a mug. I had a half Mexico, half USA jersey. I had all these different things and the big mistake I made was I was holding a scarf that said my other team is Mexico. And that was not a smart decision. I don't shy away from that. I support, I do support Mexico when they're not playing the US Just like I support Costa Rica and Panama and Canada. I'm also Canadian, so I really support Canadian teams. I don't have any issue with that. But that going out on social media was a disaster and should never have been done. So that, that explains all of that. I don't know if that fully answers your question, but I have no problem answering that. Good question.

[Landon Donovan]

Awesome.

[D]

Tim, what's up? It's only fair for me to send a question. This question is from Jay via email.

[Landon Donovan]

Okay.

[D]

Jay says tell Tim he shouldn't hate on Landon's idea of removing players during extra time because our beloved coach Williston used to talk about that idea all the time back in the early 90s. I'm sure Tim doesn't want to hate on coach Will. And Jay says he's from NBTH 90. Class of 94.

[Landon Donovan]

94. I feel like I know who that is. I would have played high school coach Will be hilarious. North Brunswick Township High School. Shout out to coach Williston, man. Yeah, I mean, I love the guy. I'm not sure I agree with him or Landon, but it's, you know, it's a concept that. Listen, I, I. Okay, I'll take it back. I was part of a league that did a 35 yard shootout to the 5 second clock. By the way, the 5 second clock wasn't on the big screen. It got wheeled out onto the field. So who am I to say that?

[Jordan]

Who are you to judge?

[Landon Donovan]

Who am I to judge? Stupid soccer ideas.

[Jordan]

Yo, I'm coach Williston all day.

[Landon Donovan]

Let's go.

[D]

Last one. This is from Brett, the email. And I really like this question and I hope we actually get more of these. So Brett identified. He, he wrote a really nice long email and he identified himself as a brand new fan to soccer. So there's a lot of things he doesn't know. And he was like, I'm probably going to send you more questions asking you to explain basic things and you know, What Brett sent. Send them our way. We would love to. We love getting new soccer fans involved. So he asks, is the Lamar Hunt US Open cup important or a big deal? I haven't heard anyone talk about it. And by anyone, I mean local Minnesota sports news, which I am not surprised by. Or even by YouTube because my team, Minnesota United is in the Final Four. Does this actually mean anything?

[Jordan]

Such a great question, Tim.

[D]

And because he's new, he's not trying to set you up.

[Jordan]

No, no, no.

[D]

He genuinely doesn't understand.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah, I mean, I, I, there's a lot of soft. We've talked about this at nauseam. There's a lot of soccer that's in our, in our kind of headspace right now. And there's different variations of competition, leagues, cup and etc.

[Jordan]

Etc.

[Landon Donovan]

Etc. I liken the US Open cup to the FA cup and, and, and other, other leagues that have like this traditional top to bottom sort of anyone can win Cinderella type story. I still think that there is, there has to be a place for that in the, in the US landscape. I personally love it. Yes, it's lost its luster a little bit, but there are, look, there are ways to get that back and that is through money. So money with sponsorships, money in pockets. I don't know if, if we veer back towards that and put more money into the US Open cup, but it is certainly something that is special.

[Jordan]

I agree with you. The problem, Tim, with in fairness to US Soccer is it's expensive. That tournament's expensive. And so for people who don't know when you are the away team, and this is starting what we were with USL with San Diego, loyal, when you come into the tournament, you're the away team, you get a stipend of money. Okay. That stipend of money is oftentimes not even enough to get you the travel you want. Right. So like MLS teams lose massive amounts of money on the Open Cup.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah.

[Jordan]

Especially if they travel. Because the stipend, I think at one point when we were doing it was like 12 grand, okay. MLS teams, it's hundreds of thousands of dollars when they travel because they charter and the hotels and all that. Well, maybe not hundreds of thousands, but it's a lot, tens of thousands. So they lose money. So U.S. soccer doesn't have enough money to just give more money to all those. They can't, they don't have, they don't have the resources and they're not bringing in enough revenue to subsidize that. Right. So that it's it's kind of chicken. And the egg or which comes first is like, do you pour a ton of money in to try to promote it to make it bigger? But if you do, like, you're gonna lose a lot of money initially, or do you just let it be what it is? And it's. It's a challenge, man. So I care about it. I love it. I won one. It was an amazing feeling. But I can understand why U.S. soccer can't do more. I can understand why teams don't do more at times. I can also understand why fans don't put everything into it, too. You know, that's fair. It's a challenge. I don't know the answer.

[Landon Donovan]

All right, thanks, J.R. thank you.

[Jordan]

All right. Great show. Thanks to Matt Fries for showing up. That was awesome. Really enjoyed talking to him. Premier League starts this weekend. Tim should be amazing. Appreciate all you guys. Thanks for being with us today. As always, Please subscribe on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, anywhere you get your pods. Follow us on all our social media platforms for bonus content at. Unfiltered Soccer.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah. Thanks, everyone, for listening. Matt Freeze, Ivy League legend, penalty kick expert all around. Great guy. Thank you for sharing your insights. It was really rad to speak to you, man, and I know our listeners are gonna eat that up, so appreciate you. Thank you. Our presenting sponsor, VW, our Fan Connection sponsor AT&T. NHTSA, our Crossroads sponsor, and our unfiltered refresh sponsor, Coors Light. Have an amazing week. We'll be back next Wednesday. Mark that on your calendars. Not Tuesday, next Wednesday with another edition of Unfiltered Soccer.