← Unfiltered Soccer with Landon Donovan and Tim Howard
Unfiltered Soccer with Landon Donovan and Tim Howard
Gio Reyna Stuns Vs Paraguay, Michael Bradley's USMNT Advice, & MLS Calendar Changes| Unfiltered Soccer
01:21:58
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- [00:00]
Michael Bradley
That was why our group was so special, right? Was because we had the years and the experiences and the games and the trips and the camps that just built up. And so then when all was said and done and we got our chance, like, we were ready to die for each other. And you don't just snap your fingers and get done.
- [00:19]
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 over five years.
- [00:29]
Tim Howard
Welcome into Unfiltered Soccer. He's Landon. I'm Tim. We are your host, LD My guy. Do you see my shirt, by the way? Do you see my shirt?
- [00:37]
Landon Donovan
What is that?
- [00:38]
Tim Howard
It's a Timberwolves Prince City edition.
- [00:41]
Landon Donovan
You were on the hardwood, weren't you?
- [00:43]
Tim Howard
I was in. I was in Minnesota with my best friend, his assistant GM at the Timberwolves, and we were rocking. It looks so cool. The Prince edition. They've just played Prince all night. It was wild. Well.
- [00:53]
Landon Donovan
Well, anyway, when I grew up, I want to be as rich as. You either have a lot of homes or you travel a lot and vacation a lot.
- [01:03]
Tim Howard
This is. This is. This is very rich coming from a man like yourself. Yes, I am traveling. This is. I. I'm on vacation. I took time out of my vacation to talk with you for over an hour. You're welcome.
- [01:13]
Landon Donovan
Appreciate that. All right, guys, as always, follow us on social media at Unfiltered Soccer. Email Jordan Feedback at Unfiltered Soccer. You subscribe to the show on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, anywhere you get your podcasts. All right, we had a big game last week on the weekend. National team 21 over Paraguay that is now 4 unbeaten for this team. I just want to start by saying. I'm not saying I'm the reason that Flo has scored in the last three games, but since I showed up and watched him live in Austin, he has now scored in three consecutive games.
- [01:46]
Tim Howard
Amazing.
- [01:47]
Landon Donovan
So very good for him. It's great now. And Pochettino would echo this. We've stopped talking about the fight and the hunger and the desire and all that is now standard. And now we can talk about the performances. And the performances across the board I thought were, at a minimum, good and in some cases, excellent. Let's start with the first goal. Max Arson finds himself on the right side after a corner kick. And. And you're seeing Tim over and over his value. And at some point, I mean, even when Jedi's back, he just keeps performing, right? And so at some point, And I think Pochettino has shown that he's willing to stick with the hot hand and you earn the spot again. He's just over and over delivering and he had that cross for Gio's goal and we'll get into Gio in a bit. He had another really good like cultured little right footed cross at the end of the game, like a little dink cross. And all that work with his right foot has paid off a lot of.
- [02:46]
Tim Howard
Yeah, well, you know, I tend to agree with you about the fight that the team has shown and you know, I think that we saw bits. Well, we've seen, we've seen enough of it I think recently to say that I think they've turned the corner and there is a, there is a togetherness with this group. We certainly saw it last camp and we sung the praises of Chris Richards and you know, in terms of how Colossus he was and tough and what a leader that he felt like. So yeah, this, this group certainly had that. It's good to see, you know, it's good to see from a US team because I think it's whatever anyone else says on the outside, and we're on the outside, that that shows you something. That shows you something like they care that it means more something, something. It just, it gives you an idea of like, yes, we can critique individual performances. The overall team performance is the score line. But like at a baseline, the U.S. men's National Team has to be able to roll their sleeves up and, and they showed that. Max Arson. Yeah, you know, it's fingers crossed time right now for, for Jedi Robinson because you just, you just want him to get fit or fit enough and healthy enough to where one, he's playing all the time, but two, for, for his own, for his own well being. You, you know what it's like you, you don't want him to have to be dragging through a week of training just to get on the pitch.
- [04:06]
Jordan
Right.
- [04:07]
Tim Howard
And so hopefully for him he's able to get that sorted out. You know, some fingers crossed. I, I've said all along and I don't know if the experiment, if, if the experimental process is sort of waning because there's just not a lot of time. I, I did see a world where he and Arson were on the pitch at the same time. Like there was a form, there was a back, three plus wing backs or a winger. I, I saw that. But either way it looked a hot hand. It's great, it's great competition.
- [04:32]
Landon Donovan
Well, when Arson, like with his ability to go by people on the right to that. Yeah, why not play them on the right? Right. At some point. I mean, he's, his right foot is, it's not as good as his left, but it's pretty damn close.
- [04:43]
Tim Howard
So I've actually been impressed with him because I, I, I think sometimes I remember sitting. Did you play with Louis Saha at Everton? Were you there that stint?
- [04:51]
Landon Donovan
I was.
- [04:52]
Tim Howard
So Louis Saha's brilliant French striker played at Fulham and had had a great time at, at Man United. And then he came to Everton. And I remember sitting in the, in the Man United dressing room. I'll get back to Arson in a second. And he took a chance, fell for him late on, and he smacked it with his left foot, but he dragged it. So Sir Alex Ferguson comes into the dressroom, gives him one, and Louis, why are you. The chance fell for you. Take away your right foot, why did you take away your left foot? And Louis goes, my friend, I'm both. He called my friend. I was like, this guy's crazy. Anyway, but sometimes when people are like, on both foot, I'm like, okay, okay, sure. But like. And he was, but also Max. Max is showing that, like, he's willing to go on the inside. He's willing to cross it, chop it, right foot, left foot. Like, it's, it's pretty awesome.
- [05:39]
Landon Donovan
It's impressive. And it's one thing to, like, pass a ball into the corner with your right foot, but he's hitting these, like, little chip, little deaf little crosses with her. I'm like, that's hard to do. Flo was not great in the game, but he shows up and scores the goal. And I want to get to the Pepe Chance, too, in a minute. The missed Pepe chance, But that is, that is exactly what you want from a striker. Tim, I cannot tell you how many games I was absolute dog crap in the game. And a chance fell and bang. And all of a sudden you're the hero.
- [06:07]
Tim Howard
Yeah.
- [06:07]
Landon Donovan
And that's, I mean, that's why they get paid the money, and that's why they get the criticism when they miss. But another goal for him. Really good from flow.
- [06:15]
Tim Howard
Yeah, and good.
- [06:18]
Landon Donovan
No, I was just gonna say. And then, you know, I do want to move on to the center back. Sure.
- [06:23]
Tim Howard
But about flow, let me jump in with Flo. We've been desperate. We've constantly said, like, this team needs a consistent striker. He is the best striker on the roster, hands down. And when you are that person, you need to do it. In the big games, the small Games, the friendlies, the competitive, whatever it is, like, you just need to score. And so that's what Flo's doing. He has incredible ability. Long may that continue. And what I've said. And you said, okay, was it his greatest game? It doesn't matter. At the end of the day, a striker has had a really good game if he scores a goal, end of story, right? And I've always said, like. And you know this about me, I've always said, like, I don't care what my striker does as long as he scores. Like, if my striker wants to go, I'm taking most of the plays off. I'm like, fine, we'll defend for you. We got. We got nine, ten others. We're good. But score. And so he did that, and that was. That's. That's the most important thing.
- [07:19]
Landon Donovan
Amen. All right, that leads us to the unfiltered refresh. Sponsored, as always, by Coors Light. Choose Chill. Get Coors Light delivered. Go to coorslight.com USLNT Tim, when we saw the roster come out and we saw Gio Reyna's name on it, we were certainly surprised by it, as were many people. When we saw the lineup come out and we saw Gio's name on it, we were certainly surprised. But, man, did he choose Chill. Not only with the goal, his performance was good. Someone I really trust texted me and said, if we get this Geo playing for the national team, it changes everything. And I thought he was good. Very good at times. Scored the goal, had the lead up to the second goal. Go ahead, tell me your thoughts.
- [08:09]
Tim Howard
I feel vindicated because I've never wavered on Giorno and everyone knows that. Right? But, like, side note, this is going to sound crazy. He's so much bigger than I always think of. I always think of. I always think of Joe. Maybe because I knew him as a baby or something. Like, I'm always like, he's, like, smaller.
- [08:28]
Michael Bradley
He ain't.
- [08:28]
Tim Howard
He's a big kid, man, Gio. Gio was great. I think he was. He's talented. He's talented. He possesses skills. You know, he's. Again, I talked about. He's. He's one of very few American players who's willing to take the ball under pressure in big moments and. And is comfortable with that. Right. He's got a nasty side to him. He's got an arrogant side to him. He's powerful, Powerful, I think, you know, Pac said he reads the game well, finds space in between lines. I agree. I mean, I just think that I think it's, that's not the issue. The issue is can he, can he play big minutes at his club? Can he then be called inconsistently? And you just hope that this camp, you know, I almost, almost circle it on the calendar, right. Like if, if, if he goes from strength to strength after this game and then does the business in the winter months with his club and comes in in March and da da da da, then yeah, then I'm excited for it. You know, then, then I, then I think we look at this and go, that could have been the turning point.
- [09:28]
Landon Donovan
So, and importantly, I hope and I don't know this, I will find out this week through people in and around camp that his mentality has been good. He's humble, he's come in and worked hard, done the right thing. So he plays again against Uruguay. The other thing that happens is you play well. If he plays well again, you go back to Gladbach confident. The coach noticed at some point, Tim, he's going to get a chance to start and then he's got to take that opportunity at Gladbach and hold it and never give it back.
- [09:55]
Tim Howard
Yeah. And that's what we talked about with, you know, we even talked about with some other players last week. It's like everything you do is being judged. So look, if he, if he has two knockout games, of course this camp.
- [10:07]
Landon Donovan
Yeah.
- [10:08]
Tim Howard
Then, then his club's gonna pay attention. They have to. It's normal. So that's a good thing. Yeah.
- [10:12]
Landon Donovan
Well, Geo, cheers to you for choosing Chill. Congrats on back in with the team, back in with the national team and long may it continue. So center back. So Scally started as a right center back. Very interesting. He was okay, not great. I can't imagine that's a long term solution. But it was good to build some depth and to get Scally back into the group. So now we've talked about this Ro, and you know, we will get to a point soon here where we're going to start to put together what we think the roster will be. But that's a guy who can add depth, has experience, can play a bunch of positions. So getting him back in was good. Let's talk about their, their goal, Paraguay's goal. So I'm curious on from your standpoint. So I think it's Sergino falls asleep in the back and they play a ball over the top and then Miles Robinson is, is a step late to respond and. And Paraguay crosses it into the middle and the guy bounces and the guy, the guy scores.
- [11:13]
Tim Howard
Yeah.
- [11:14]
Landon Donovan
A few things. So one, it was, it was pretty poor defending, I think from both Sergino and Miles. Just being a, you know, as a, as a defender, you're always preparing for the worst. You should be preparing for the worst case scenario. Miles should be. If this ball gets played over, I gotta be the first to, to get back into the 18 to clear this ball. And the, some of the best strikers I played with were the opposite. Think about like I didn't play with Chicharito, but like he was just Clint Dempsey. Like they were just sniffing, waiting for that moment. Taylor Twalman was like that. So kudos to Paraguay for, for making the play. But my, my big question for you is on the goal. Some people asked us, should Matt Freeze come for that ball? And my first reaction was like, no, not at all. And then I watched again and I started to think about. And I have an opinion on. But I'm not a goalkeeper, so I'm curious what you're, what your take is on that.
- [12:03]
Tim Howard
So, so just, just really quickly the start, the center backs. For me, what I, what I think is when I look at the opening game of the, of the World cup and the opening two or three games, you've got Tim Ream and you've got Chris Richards and I just don't know Landon, if we are going to get to a point where we're going, oh, that's the third center back. I think. I think it's going to be third center back by committee. I think it's going to be. Opponent. I think it's going to be form. Yeah, I just, I don't get the sense. And that's by the way, it's not like, it's not like this terrible damnation of them. I don't think anyone's particularly stood out. No one's been awful, but no one's just like stood out like the other two. So that's, that's center back. Right. So the goal, Matt Freeze. So here's, here's my professional opinion. I wouldn't have come for that ball either. But there's a really, there's a really important point here. Some goalkeepers are uber aggressive and some aren't. I was a very near post conscious goalkeeper, so I was reactionary. I gave myself a chance. I always gave myself a chance. And rather than risk something by being over aggressive, I was so good at reactions and reading shooters that I stayed close.
- [13:19]
Landon Donovan
You were quick. You were so much quicker than most goalkeepers.
- [13:23]
Tim Howard
Sure. So I stayed on my line to do that and make those saves. So when you look at this, when you look at the play, it's not as simple as going, matt Freeze should have come for it. If Matt. And I'm not really. I'm not telling you right now because I don't know the answer. I don't know if Matt Freese is an overly aggressive goalkeeper or overly conservative goalkeeper. I haven't worked that out yet. But in that play, his positioning was such. And he. If he's a conservative type goalkeeper, his positioning was such that he's never going to get to that ball. Right. Like, I would never get to that ball because I didn't take an aggressive starting position. So I would have arguments with my managers ld over the course of my career, and they say, tim, you have to come for that ball. And I'd say, sure, but I'm never going to come for that ball because my starting position isn't aggressive enough. And if you want me to reinvent this wheel that I've been working on for the last 20 years, sure. But there's going to. There's going to be problems with that. Right. So I was naturally drawn closer to my line. So anytime someone said, well, Tim, you should have come for that. I said, well, in a perfect world, if I was, if I was a more aggressive starting position goalkeeper, I could have come for it. But in that particular moment, Matt Fries starting position wasn't aggressive, and that's okay, but he's just not going to get.
- [14:30]
Landon Donovan
That ball, so that's okay. So I'm just thinking as you're talking about that there were very few times, I think Mexico in the Gold cup one time where like, I saw you guess you almost never. If a guy's six yards out and he's about that, you're like, okay, I got to guess. And there was one, I think it was Mexico Gold cup where you met. You kind of just leaned and made a save. And I was like, oh, wow, you took a chance and you had to. Because he was in. So some goalkeepers do that. They guess and. And some don't. My thought is, so when Almiron gets to the ball, if I'm a goalkeeper, I'm begging him to try to smash it near post.
- [15:06]
Tim Howard
Yeah.
- [15:06]
Landon Donovan
Because the, the percentage of scoring that versus what he did is way, way lower. Right. So I always thought with goalkeepers, like, when a guy gets his head down and he's about to cross it across the goal mouth, if I'm a goalkeeper, I'm like, okay, I can read that. And I'm Gonna just take the chance and like dive across and try. So I was always glad when a goalie didn't and when a goalie did, I was like, damn, I should have hit it near post. But it's really hard to score near post.
- [15:30]
Tim Howard
Right? Right. Really hard. Yeah. So, yeah. And. And maybe, maybe when Amaron gets his head down, do you take a few little short steps or hops possibly. I think it's. I think it's slightly nitpicking, but yeah, again, it's. I don't.
- [15:42]
Landon Donovan
To be clear, I don't think he should have. It's not his fault. The goal is his fault in any way. I'm just saying in that moment, can you do something that really, really helps your team out? Sure. Now if he smashes it near post, we're all blaming Matt Freeze. Sure.
- [15:54]
Tim Howard
So, like, to give you an example, in the perfect example is David Raya at Arsenal. If you watch any crosses in those similar positions, he's like on a six yard box, he's like, he's like, he's like, I dare you. Right? And so, and then, so that ball comes across and he like sometimes picks it up. Like, don't even die for it.
- [16:10]
Landon Donovan
Like, he just standing, standing there.
- [16:12]
Tim Howard
But again, an uber aggressive goalkeeper.
- [16:14]
Landon Donovan
So anyway, yeah, okay, last couple things. For me, the, the brawl at the end was interesting. I don't, you know, there's not a lot to say, but I'm just glad, like, Freeman didn't give in. Of course, Sebastian Berhaldo was the first one there. Good. I love it. Like, do not get sent off. Thank God there was no var. Don't get sent off, but stick up for your teammates. I thought it was great.
- [16:33]
Tim Howard
No, I think that's.
- [16:34]
Landon Donovan
I just, Yeah, I agree. Just that Pepe missed chance, so it's a big moment for him because Flo's been scoring and this was Pepe back in for a while. I just want to tell people what happened. So there's the two plays. They're not apples to apples, but Flo's goal bounces around, falls to him.
- [16:50]
Michael Bradley
He's.
- [16:50]
Landon Donovan
His feet are ready and he's set. And I think Pepe, as the ball gets played across from Raina, I don't think he's anticipating that it's going to get through. And so the ball falls to him and instead of being ready, having your feet set and smashing it with your left foot, now he has to take a touch, a reactionary touch. His touch is too tight to his body. Now he has to take another touch. And once you do that, time always favors the defense. And now they close it and he's stuck. And so it's not a, you know, make or break moment for him, but that when he's in form and he's in and he's playing all the time, that's like what Flo did. It's just their bang goal.
- [17:26]
Tim Howard
Yeah.
- [17:26]
Landon Donovan
And so it was. It was an interesting moment for him. And hopefully with more reps and more time, he gets that. Because if we get two guys scoring like that, then. Then it's great.
- [17:35]
Tim Howard
And I. And I trust that he will. I trust that he will. I think he.
- [17:37]
Landon Donovan
I did.
- [17:38]
Tim Howard
I think he's shown that he can do that. So, you know, if. If Flo and Pepe are our top two strikers going into the World Cup, I think I feel really good about that from our standpoint.
- [17:49]
Landon Donovan
All right, reminder. This comes out on Tuesday. We will also then be watching the US Game against Uruguay and we will live stream right after the game right around 9:15 Eastern Time. So you can find it on our YouTube page, our Twitter page, I refuse to say X or our Facebook homepages. So just a reminder there. All right, it's stoppage time. Sponsored by FanDuel. New customers can bet $5 and get $150 in bonus bets. If you win, download the FanDuel Sportsbook app to get started. All right, we're not out of the international window quite yet, but we're starting to think ahead to the conference semis and MLS's postseason. So Vancouver LAFC. I love, love, love this game. So much to play for in Vancouver. They've already sold, I think, 58 or 60,000 tickets to. They're going to sell out LAFC coming up there. Buanga and son, I think, are the two best teammate dynamic duo in the game right now in Major League Soccer and they are electric to watch. I think in the end, Vancouver find a way to win. I do. I do think Bonga scores. I wouldn't be surprised if sun scores as well. And I think Tomas Mueller scores. I know I'm going with the stars there, but I think they're going to score. And I think Vancouver pulls off the win. Should they win, I think San Diego probably wins the other side. It would be a great matchup. Vancouver, San Diego. I think San Diego slightly favored in that matchup because it'll be at home, but Vancouver don't sleep on them. Very, very good team. Next matchup, Cincy, Miami. Oh, this is so good. In Cincinnati, Lionel Messi and his Band traveling up to Cincy for this one. This is make or break for Miami. They put all their eggs in the playoff basket. They had a lot of games this season. They kind of pushed the league standings to the side a little bit and said we don't care if we go on the road. We're not going to try to win every game and get home field advantage. So they've got to travel to Cincy. I think they pull it off. I would be dumb not to say that Messi is going to score and I think Miami find a way to win, but it is going to be a fantastic game. I think Philly wins on the other side. So Philly, Miami, two very good teams. I think Philly overall is a better team, but Miami just has too much star power and I think Messi gets them through there too. Unfiltered Soccer's same game parlay this week is for Cincy versus Miami and Vancouver versus lafc. I've got Vancouver to win with Tomas Muller scoring on Saturday and Miami to win and Messi to score on Sunday. Plus 982 on the first four leg. Same game parlay for this week. Don't forget to check out the full same game parlay on our socials later this week.
- [20:34]
Tim Howard
LD We've got an incredible, incredible guest today. Yes, everybody, everybody in this country that listens to this show is going to be extremely excited for this guest. He's currently the head coach of Red Bull 2. You're going to talk about why that is amazing. He won the MLS cup supporter shield in 2017 with Toronto FC. He played for the famous amongst many other teams as Roma in Italy. Was named U.S. soccer Men's Player of the Year in 2015. Listen here. This man has 151 caps for the U.S. men's National Team between 2006 and 2019. Famously played in the 2010 and 2014 World Cups. He is a dear friend of ours, a friend of the show and one of the greatest, hands down greatest teammates either of us have ever had. The one and only Michael Bradley. Welcome to the show.
- [21:34]
Landon Donovan
Welcome, Mikey.
- [21:35]
Michael Bradley
Thanks for having me guys. What an introduction deserved.
- [21:40]
Landon Donovan
And he left out the current 2025 MLS Next Pro champion, Mike Bradley.
- [21:45]
Tim Howard
Bradley, well done. The success follows.
- [21:48]
Landon Donovan
Let's dig right in, Mike. So first of all, congrats. You came mid year, right in June.
- [21:54]
Michael Bradley
June.
- [21:54]
Landon Donovan
Yeah. So we all, we all knew at some point you were going to go down the coaching path just because of your lineage, the way you captained, the way you spoke. When did you really be honest Officially know that that was what you wanted to do because I think it was at like 6 years old. But I want to know from you.
- [22:20]
Michael Bradley
Yeah, I mean, subconsciously it was probably in and around that, watching your dad, that six year old age, in reality, I don't know, man, like, like all of us, I was for a long time probably in denial that, that there was ever gonna have to be life after playing. And I, I, I loved playing more than anything in the whole world. I, I loved every part of it. And so for a really long time, life after playing just, I didn't even, you didn't even want to think about it. And then obviously you get, as you're getting older then you, you, you start to think about it all a little bit more seriously start to think about what's next, you know, what, what you, how you envision your life. And for me, I love the game. I love, I love being on a team. I love coming into a training ground every day. I love the part of trying to do something special with a group of people. And yeah, then at some point there it was real obvious that I wanted to coach. And the other interesting thing for me then is as I got to the end of my career, like I felt in a lot of ways the, the impact that I had on my teammates or on young players, I, I, I could almost feel that the impact that I had in terms of trying to help them, lead them, you know, mentor them. In some ways that part was the impact there was greater than your impact on the field. And so that, that was then what really started to excite me about, you know, putting the, putting the end to the playing and moving into the coaching.
- [24:09]
Landon Donovan
And then were you getting your coaching licenses, badges, all that along the way? A lot of players do that as they're playing. Or did you wait till you were done?
- [24:16]
Michael Bradley
I waited a while. I did my last year of playing. I, I picked up an injury after in like April or May and it actually the timing worked Where I was able to do my UEFA B license in, in Wales, the, the FAW was putting on a residential B license for current and ex players. And so the timing worked perfect where I was able to go do the weak residential. Obviously then for the rest of that year there was some distant distance work and assignments and sessions and things to do, but I was able to get the, the B license done the last year I was playing. And then I began the A license when I started as an assistant coach. So that part, the timing of that all worked pretty well.
- [25:04]
Tim Howard
Yeah, well, We. Go ahead, Landon.
- [25:07]
Landon Donovan
No, I was, I'm curious because we know you as Michael the player and ultimate professional, intense, competitive, great leader. What type of coach are you? Are you that intent? You know, your dad was always very intense with us too, but had a soft side and as you got to know him better. So what kind of coach are you? How do you describe yourself as a coach? And I'm sure it's still evolving, right? You're still learning. Sure.
- [25:35]
Michael Bradley
I, I hope it, I, it. I think you, you always have to evolve, right? And so you know, the, the person or the coach that you start out, start out as that will you, you'll grow and develop and you'll also always try to give whatever team that you, you have what they need in, in any given moment. And so I, I think that part that's, that's also the beauty of coaching is how do you, how do you adapt to, to your players? How do you adapt to the team, the environment? And so I think that part, that part's important. Who am I? Yeah, as you said, you guys, you guys know me, I love the game. I'm competitive as can be. I want to create an environment every single day where everybody, a part of it feels like they are doing something worthwhile and special and that we are all in something together. The part of, and this is one of the really exciting things for me at Red Bull right now, but the part of trying to combine football and, and football ideas and, and football that is exciting and fun to watch and, and football that is, produces goals and, and good players and, and you know, football that people want to watch. How do you combine that with intensity and, and competitiveness and being really hard to play against and putting the game on your teams when you don't have the ball and pressing like I, that is. And again, we'll, I'm sure we'll get into it, but like when you think about Red Bull right now and, and the ideas that Jurgen Klopp has brought into, into the, the organization, like that part is, that part is, is really, really exciting. And so you're, every single day you're trying to, to put this blend together of, of, of football, of competitiveness, of spirit, of mentality and, and you want, you want it all. And so how, how you then go about that every day, the environment you create, the way that you challenge the players, engage the players, the way you in, in moments are, are, you know, challenging and demanding. In other moments, the way you're positive, encouraging and, and, and put your arms around them and so it's. It's not an exact science. You guys know that. Trying every single day to chip away at it.
- [28:15]
Tim Howard
Yeah. Oh, listen. And Landon, Bob does have a soft side, but I'm still shit scared of him to this day. And I'm 46 years old, so I don't.
- [28:24]
Landon Donovan
Every time he texts me, I'm like, oh, God, what's he gonna say?
- [28:27]
Tim Howard
Get nervous. You get nervous every time Bob texts. It's amazing. But, you know, Michael, it's interesting because we go all the way back. I mean, the 2006 World cup camp, pre World cup camp, when you were in the camp with Bruce arena, was the manager with things in Kerry, North Carolina or something.
- [28:42]
Michael Bradley
Yeah.
- [28:43]
Tim Howard
And I feel like you then played for your dad. You're now following in his footsteps. You can never get too far away from this. You're like a glutton for punishment. But what I always admired about you, and this isn't necessarily a question I'll get to that. Was I was a senior player, and I was obviously older, but I never felt I would protect you to the ends of the earth, but I never felt I had to protect you. You did such an incredible job of playing for your dad when you're younger, then your dad gets let go from US soccer, you not holding grudges and being able to accept a leadership role with another manager. I mean, it's really incredible how that kind of. That transition and watching you become a leader, that's the greatest compliment I can pay you. I was willing to protect any of you guys, particularly my dear friends, but I never felt that I had to. Because you were able to do that on your own. From a coaching standpoint, like, you. You. You go. You've always gone about the game the right way. Right. And we can argue what the right way is. And. But I hear from so many coaches now, they're like, tim, these kids are different. They're different, Tim. You got to coach them different. You got to be a little bit lighter. You got to take some of the emotion out of the game. So, like, I hear that from a lot of people, like big coaches. And so I'm just kind of curious. You. You. You had success a certain way, right? You were adaptable, played a lot of coaches, but you had a certain way of having success. I would imagine you want to implement so much of that at the same time. Is this new generation just different? Do they have to be coached in a different way? And I'm not saying coddled, but just coach in a different way.
- [30:14]
Michael Bradley
To Some degree. Yeah, I would. Would absolutely agree with that. But I also, like, there is, there's value in the old school 100. There's value in being real and value in high standards, and there's value in looking somebody in the eye in the right way, in the right moment and, and telling them exactly how it is. And now does that have to be balanced with, you know, making sure that they know how much you care about them, how much you want them to improve? Does that need to be balanced with, you know, positive reinforcement and encouragement? It does. But like, we've all, we've all been on, on really, really good teams. You know, we, we were a part of a really good team and a really special team altogether. And, you know, the, the, that really special team was not built on the idea that every single person, every single one of us just told the other only what they wanted to hear. You know, like there was still the part of how do you, how do you hold yourself first but others to real standards and how do you, you know, how do you have real discussion and how do you challenge guys? And like, ultimately that is, that's what being on a team is. That's what makes it special. And when you can, that takes work. It takes, it takes time so that people, you know, take that the right way. It takes time so that now there can be real value coming from that. But I think, you know, when you talk about an environment, when you talk about how to improve the work every day, like, yeah, there has to be. There has to be. It has to be based on, on honesty and truth and, and the part that now everybody is, everybody's trying to get better, you know, and again, it has to, it has to be done in a way that people feel good about, you know, people. You want everybody to walk into a training facility or walk into a stadium every single day. Feeling good is going on, feeling excited. It doesn't mean that everything's going to go your way every single day. But still, the general part of creating an environment, creating an atmosphere, that part is, that part is so important. And so, yeah, the, the new generation, sure, it's. Look, the world is different, right? I mean, players now, in a lot of cases, they were parented differently, they were taught differently, and they have been coached differently than any of us ever were. And so we'd be dumb and naive to think that didn't exist or that we can just do all of the same things. And so, yeah, how do you combine a little bit of the old school with the new school?
- [33:27]
Landon Donovan
I Hope everyone, even our national team players listen to that comment and young players listen to that full comment, because I think you're absolutely right. And the way I view it, Michael, and this. This gets frustrating. And this is not. This is just me on my soapbox for a sec is I was watching a Premier League game a few weeks ago, and I don't. I don't even remember the game. I don't remember who team was losing two nil in, like the 86 minute. And the losing team player scored and ran to the end line in front of the camera, posing, celebrating. And I'm thinking to myself, what the are you doing? You're losing 21 now in the 87. Get the ball and get back to midfield. And. And it really hit me as, like, that is a big part of this generation, right? And, you know, you don't have to comment on it, but it is. It is because of social media, because of how they are parented. It is way more individual. And our goal always was to win the game.
- [34:23]
Tim Howard
Right.
- [34:23]
Landon Donovan
I remember my first ever World cup goal. We're losing three nil to Poland, and I score, and, like, I want to celebrate in the moment, and then like. Like, the real part of me takes over and I go no back, like, we need to score. So anyway, I'll. I'll get off that, but let's talk, Mikey, a little bit about your playing career, because I. I think people want to hear a lot about this, and I do, too. My first question for you is. So you wore the captain's armband. Andrew did research. I didn't know this. Third most ever in men's national team history. Do you know who number one and two are?
- [34:56]
Michael Bradley
Carlos Boca Negra is. Is, I believe. Is he one?
- [35:01]
Landon Donovan
He's one.
- [35:02]
Michael Bradley
And I had two wrong. I think Claudio's two.
- [35:06]
Tim Howard
I had.
- [35:06]
Landon Donovan
Claudio was four. This is an interesting one.
- [35:09]
Tim Howard
Yeah.
- [35:10]
Landon Donovan
It's a goalkeeper, right, Tim?
- [35:11]
Tim Howard
Yep.
- [35:12]
Landon Donovan
Not Tim.
- [35:13]
Tim Howard
No.
- [35:13]
Landon Donovan
Definitely never give him the armband ever. So you're. You're Jersey guy, Mikey.
- [35:18]
Michael Bradley
Tony.
- [35:18]
Landon Donovan
Yeah. Isn't that wild?
- [35:20]
Tim Howard
And then you. Do you know how many times you were the armband?
- [35:23]
Michael Bradley
Me?
- [35:24]
Tim Howard
Yeah.
- [35:27]
Michael Bradley
40. Ish.
- [35:28]
Tim Howard
48.
- [35:29]
Michael Bradley
Yeah.
- [35:30]
Landon Donovan
It's really impressive.
- [35:30]
Tim Howard
Amazing. Really impressive. All right.
- [35:32]
Landon Donovan
We could do this all day. And Michael, please stay right there. We want to keep talking to you. We will continue this conversations. Lots more questions, a lot more stories here with Michael Bradley on unfiltered Soccer with Landon and Tim brought to you by Volkswagen.
- [35:54]
Tim Howard
The Unfiltered soccer podcast is brought to you by Volkswagen. The presenting partner of U.S. soccer as.
- [35:59]
Landon Donovan
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 and.
- [36:09]
Tim Howard
Power wheelchair soccer to beach and futsal, VW is actively supporting all the communities and teams within the U.S. soccer ecosystem. They're working with talent from across the U.S. soccer Extended national teams and are focused on helping to give these less widely known forms of soccer a platform moving forward.
- [36:25]
Landon Donovan
As a longtime friend of Volkswagen, I can tell you they're really making a difference, opening up new turfs and new possibilities here in the US thank you.
- [36:33]
Tim Howard
To Volkswagen and the Tiguan for being the presenting partner and for bringing nice things to everyone. Find out more about how VW is supporting U.S. soccer@VW.com whether it's club or.
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Landon Donovan
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- [39:00]
Michael Bradley
All right.
- [39:00]
Landon Donovan
I love love the Vancouver LAFC matchup. I think LAFC definitely score in the game but Vancouver find a way to win. Miami going up to Cincinnati. What a great matchup. Cincinnati is going to be rocking but I think Miami and Lionel Messi find a way to get through. Just pick your match, place a five dollar bet and if you win, you'll unlock $150 in bonus bets to use on goal score markets, match result over unders, same game parlays and so much more. Your funds are safe with FanDuel and you get paid instantly when you win. So if you've got a club or country you ride with or just want to experience betting the beautiful game, this is your moment. Just download the FanDuel sportsbook app and get started. 21+ and present in select states for Kansas in affiliation with Kansas Star Casino or 18 plus and present in DC, Kentucky or Wyoming. First online real money wager only $5. First deposit required. Bonus issued as non withdrawable bonus bets which expire seven days after receipt. Restrictions apply. See terms@sportsbook.fanduel.com gambling problem. Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit rg-help.com, call 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.orgchatinconnecticut or visit mdgamblinghelp.org in Maryland. Hope is here. Visit gamblinghelplinema.org or call 800-327-5050 for 24. 7 support in Massachusetts or call 1-877-8-HOPE NY or text hopeny in New York.
- [40:53]
Tim Howard
Welcome back to Unfiltered Soccer. We're here with Michael Bradley. Let's dive right back in. Mike.
- [40:58]
Landon Donovan
Okay, so the World Cup's coming here to our soil next year. We've talked about this a lot on the podcast. Can you even envision what it would be like to play a World cup in America and what that would be like?
- [41:11]
Michael Bradley
No, not really. Especially when you think about the way the game has grown in our country, the profile of the way the game has grown, the way the profile of our national team has grown, the profiles of the individual players, the opportunity and the potential that exists for our team, for our players next summer is it's, it's I, I Don't think any of us can even imagine it right now. You know, if. If they can, if they can play and compete in a way where, where anybody who's watching next summer is, Is just captivated and, and falls in love with. With the team and if they can win some games and go on a real run, like, I. I don't know. I don't think. I don't think we've ever seen anything like it.
- [42:06]
Landon Donovan
Yeah.
- [42:07]
Tim Howard
Where's. Where's your temperature on your. You've played in World Cups, you've captained the US National Team, you're now a coach. Where, like, what's the take? Yes, all. I agree with you on all those things. That would be amazing. But here we are, however many, eight months out. What's the temperature of this team for you? What's their. We know what their ceiling is, but what's the reality right now?
- [42:27]
Michael Bradley
The reality is it's. I mean, look, it's not been. It's been choppy, right? It's been choppy since the, since the end of the last World Cup. It has been. It's not been what any of us or probably any of of them would have wanted. Obviously. Now Pochettino comes in and he is having to quickly try to figure out who, who are the best players, who needs to be there, which of those best players play the best with each other, what's our best way of playing. There's also a part where, you know, he's trying to figure out and understand the football coach, the football culture that exists in our country inside the team. Yeah, there's a, There's There's a lot. A lot for, for him to try to, to, you know, get his arms around in a. In a really short amount of time. Obviously, as a result, then, you know, results, individual performances. Yeah, have been. Have been up and down. The only thing for me is. And I, I said this, you know, I said this when a few weeks ago, these. They were around here training before the, before the Friend League in South Korea and I, I saw. I saw Christian after training the one day I spent a little bit of time with Tyler and I. I said a version of this to, to both of them.
- [44:02]
Tim Howard
It's amazing. Did not know this, which is just.
- [44:05]
Michael Bradley
Like at the end of the day in May of 2026, Pochettino's going to choose a team. And whether it's 23 or 26 or whatever, FIFA decides in terms of the, the size of the squad, they're going to get a few weeks to prepare for A World cup. And like we did at Princeton or like it in, you know, at Stanford, wherever, you know, wherever they go, they're going to get a few weeks to prepare. And then like we know at World Cups, the world's going to stop. And in an even more dramatic way next summer because of the part of it being played in. And the whistle is going to blow. The whistle is going to blow three different times. They're going to get 90 minutes. And in reality, the only thing that they are going to be judged on, the only thing that anyone is ever going to remember is how they play in those games. Yeah, nobody's going to remember a Copa America two summers ago. Nobody's going to remember whether Christian came to this camp or played in that game or whether Tyler was here. Like, nobody's going to remember that. In the end, get yourselves ready for the idea that you guys are going to get an opportunity that, that a million people, tens of millions of people would dream of. The three of us would dream, would kill for it. Get to play a World cup at home and you get three times 90 minutes to like, just go for it, guys. Like, play, like, pour your heart and soul onto the field. Play, compete, run, score goals. Like, do everything you can so that now when we're watching and anybody who's watching that we fall in love with you guys and fall in love with the team. And if you can do that, the results will come. And in the end, like, that is all anybody will care about and will remember.
- [46:02]
Tim Howard
Great. And were they receptive to that, do you think?
- [46:06]
Michael Bradley
Yeah, and look, they're, they're, they're smart guys, right? They, they, they know how it goes. And so, yeah, look, I think they're. When push comes to shove, I truly believe that, that, that will be ready.
- [46:22]
Tim Howard
Are you.
- [46:24]
Landon Donovan
I can't imagine you're someone who would discount the value of them being together a lot over the next. So the, the challenge right now, I.
- [46:34]
Michael Bradley
Mean, quickly, I mean, that was, that was why our group was so special.
- [46:39]
Tim Howard
Right.
- [46:39]
Michael Bradley
Was because we had the, we had the years and the experiences and the games and the trips and the camps that just built up. And so then when, when was all was said and done and we got our chance. Like, we, we were like, we were ready to die for each other. And you don't just snap your fingers and get that.
- [47:00]
Landon Donovan
Yeah. So I guess the. There's part of this whole. And I'm curious your take on it now because you played. But also as a coach, if you're Pochettino and Now, you know, Tim keeps saying this and I, and I keep. In my mind, I keep thinking, no, that's not going to happen, Tim. And he's been right the whole way. This full group of players will likely never be together until that May camp. I'm talking the full group, Michael, like everybody who you want in. And there's various reasons and very. There's a lot of nuance in. And then there's also the injury piece. Right. Or these guys. And I want to pick your brain on that too. So are they able to flip a switch in May? If it's the first time those 23 have been together and the first time probably that the 11 who play in their friendly in Atlanta or whatever it is before the World cup play together. Do you believe, and I'm not leading you, I actually just, I'm curious. Do you believe they can flip the switch and do it?
- [47:58]
Michael Bradley
Do I believe they can? Yes. Is it ideal? Again, absolutely not. So there's there. I will never discount the part of the, the work and the process and the, the, the sheer part of like living hard moments together. I mean, look, we, we. When we.
- [48:22]
Landon Donovan
Yeah.
- [48:23]
Michael Bradley
When we got to the World cup in, in, in 2010. I mean, think of all the, think of all that we had been through. You know, I mean, think back a year before the Confederations Cup.
- [48:34]
Tim Howard
Yep.
- [48:35]
Michael Bradley
Where we play Italy in the first game. You know, play like, what does it end up being? 30 minutes down a guy played pretty well. But then lose to a good Italian team in the second game against Brazil. Start. Okay. And then end up playing like 60 minutes down a guy, I believe.
- [48:54]
Tim Howard
Yep.
- [48:55]
Michael Bradley
You know, so after two games, zero points, you know, at, at that time, a lot of people on the outside. Yeah. Not, not, not particularly complimentary of us or the team or the way that we were playing. And I can remember those days before the third game against Egypt and you know, some of the conversations. And now we get ourselves, you know, ready and even with a glimmer of hope, then go on the field against Egypt, play, find a way to get through, play against a really good Spain team. Like, so the experience of. Remember that hotel that we stayed in in Pretoria in South Africa? It wasn't the best.
- [49:44]
Landon Donovan
No, it wasn't the Ritz Carlton they're staying in.
- [49:46]
Michael Bradley
It sure wasn't. And I can remember like, you know, sitting at the, sitting down at the, in the meal room after, like having real conversations about, like, come on. I know it's the end of a long season, but like, this is still even going into that, the third game against Egypt, like, yeah, it may not get us what we want right now, but we've still got to be able to use this so that next summer we're, you know, and so like this, the work of building a team, the work of, of building relationships on the field, off the field. There's anybody who tries to, to, you know, minimize that or, or act like that's not important. No, I, I agree with that. So in a perfect world, this group would have been living that for the, for consistently for this last stretch. They've had moments, but it hasn't been as consistent as, as anybody would probably like. But I do, I do think ultimately the, the, the excitement and the motivation of playing the home World cup and combined then with the quality of the players that we do have, I, I'm, I'm still hopeful for sure.
- [51:00]
Tim Howard
One of the conversations, Mikey, that's in vogue right now is club versus country. And you have a unique perspective, right, because there's always a debate about club versus country, but I have one perspective on it because I have the English perspective. You have the German, the Italian, the English, Dutch. Dutch. You have a lot of different perspectives, and you live that you were a guy who never, never didn't come into camp. Sure. I'm sure your clubs didn't want you to. Right. At times. Give, give our listeners, we've, we've touched on this at nauseum. But, like, how have you experienced that and how do you see that?
- [51:34]
Michael Bradley
I mean, personally and in. Again, you guys, you guys were, you guys know me, like, I wanted to play every game. I wanted to play every game no matter which country it was in, no matter what continent it was on, no matter who it was. Like, I, I wanted to play every game in, in certain moments, probably to my detriment, because there were, there were moments where, you know, I didn't feel, I didn't feel great or I probably, you know, I was pushing to play and ended up on certain days, probably being on the field and not being at my best. And probably then that, you know, that that hurt me on some other days. And so that was just how I was, how I was built, how I was wired. Yeah, look, it's a tough one. I'm still traditional, I think, playing for. There's nothing better in the world than playing for your national team. You know, standing on the field before, before a game and hearing your national anthem, that is. There's nothing better. You know, I, I, I grew up watching the US national team play. I grew up Watching you guys play for the. For the national team, and. And it was like, if I could have. If somebody had promised me 10 minutes on the field for the national team when I was 12 years old, I would have. I would have. I'd have killed for it. And so as I got older and then I got, you know, those opportunities, I wasn't ready to. I wasn't ready to pass. But, you know, it's. Yeah, it's interesting.
- [53:25]
Landon Donovan
So we appreciate your time. This is going fast, unfortunately. We know you have a real job. I have a few just sort of lighter questions. Just curious. Some thoughts on. So, what's your favorite goal you ever scored? I know my favorite for you.
- [53:39]
Tim Howard
Well, no, my favorite is the one in Mexico. But anyway, we'll go the midfield one.
- [53:43]
Landon Donovan
Let the guys speak. Jesus.
- [53:44]
Tim Howard
Go, go, go.
- [53:45]
Michael Bradley
My favorite.
- [53:46]
Tim Howard
Yep.
- [53:47]
Michael Bradley
U.S. slovenia.
- [53:48]
Landon Donovan
Let's go.
- [53:50]
Tim Howard
Let's go.
- [53:52]
Landon Donovan
Go ahead.
- [53:52]
Michael Bradley
I can still. I can still, like, see the ball hitting the back.
- [53:57]
Landon Donovan
You know what, Michael, I want to. Let me stop you, because there was a goal Christian scored. I don't remember. I don't. It was, I don't know, a year or two ago, or someone hits a long ball over the. Like a. Clips a ball over the top of the back line and he takes it on a half volley with his left foot and puts it inside the post. And I was like, degree of difficulty. Wise people have no idea. And, you know, people don't really understand. Whatever.
- [54:21]
Tim Howard
It was an easy.
- [54:22]
Landon Donovan
I'm like, you have no clue your ability in this goal. So if you haven't watched, go watch it. YouTube it. The ball gets played to Josie. Josie jumps and knocks it down. Your timing is perfect as you're running off of Josie and the ball bounces. And like, Tim, I appreciate that. You won't appreciate this the same way as a. As a. Someone who kicks the ball, but it bounces and you hit it with your toe, but, like with topspin. Right. Am I describing that right?
- [54:50]
Michael Bradley
I mean, I almost. It was like the sole of my foot where I almost.
- [54:54]
Landon Donovan
Yeah, I mean, it's the degree of difficulty, and it's not a play that a player ever practices. You can't practice shooting the ball that way. It doesn't happen. Right. And so just your instinct to take over and it bounces and it's on a half bounce and it. The degree of difficulty is insane. And it loops over the goalkeeper into the net. And I. For me, I mean, the Mexico goal was phenomenal, but a lot of players can score that goal. It's not easy But a lot of. But the goal you scored against Slovenia.
- [55:23]
Tim Howard
I just remember you wheeling away.
- [55:25]
Landon Donovan
Yeah, I remember wheeling away with the.
- [55:27]
Tim Howard
Fist, pumping it, and then Mo Adu. Are you listening? Why are you holding on that play? I'm always teasing.
- [55:35]
Landon Donovan
Third goal, please.
- [55:36]
Tim Howard
Yeah. By the way, we're going to. On unfiltered soccer, we're going to get a still image of the photo. We're gonna put it on our social. The referee, the crazy referee, he was on the take. He was on the take. It must've been on a bung. Calls a foul on us. And literally there's like 15 people in a box just grabbing each other's shirt. Wild scenes.
- [55:54]
Landon Donovan
Oh, go ahead.
- [55:55]
Tim Howard
No, I was gonna. I was gonna chuck one in. So, again, this is all very lighthearted, and Landon and I have this debate. Cause he and I see the Algeria goal completely different. I kept us in the game. We were up against it when I got the ball. And this is all there. There's receipts. People can see this. I finally. I finally get the ball, and there's a break, and I see it. Not many people see it. And Landon at the end, taps it in, and he thinks that. That it's different. How do you remember that game? Because it was freaking wild.
- [56:26]
Michael Bradley
Algeria. Yeah, Algeria was. Algeria was. Was surreal. Like, was an early kickoff. You guys remember. Yeah, it might have been. It might have been one o' clock local time in South Africa. And so. And I. And you guys, you'll remember this. Remember, we had been on. We had been on, like, a later schedule in South Africa because we were. We were staying at that. At that lodge. Remember? Irene.
- [56:54]
Tim Howard
Irene.
- [56:55]
Michael Bradley
We were training in the afternoons. And so we were going to bed.
- [56:57]
Tim Howard
We weren't going to bed till, like, 2, 3.
- [56:59]
Michael Bradley
We were staying up late and watching games. And remember, there was, like, the. The. The spa with, like, the cold pool and, like. And we were hanging out in the training room late, which meant we were sleeping late, but, oh, my God, you know, late to breakfast. And so anyway, we get to Algeria, and that's like a one o' clock kickoff. And it was like, literally, like, I remember waking up and Kazan's, like, still snoring in the bed next to me. And, like, literally, it was like, it's time to go. Yeah, literally was like, wake up. Go eat, shower. And, like, we were. We were off. And I can remember on the way to stadium, like, this, like, having this feeling, like, essentially, like four years of. Of work is going to culminate right now. And. And it. It's almost like four years of work is either going to be deemed amazing or terrible based on 90 minutes. Yeah, and. And obviously they're in. In some of these moments, you know, I don't, I don't talk about this a ton. The, the. In some of these moments when your dad is the coach, that gets like, that gets amplified. The parts for all of us where it's just like our success and, and how we are viewed and how our team is viewed, but then it's also like, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean, and so I can remember that. And yeah, I mean, the game, like, we, we. We pushed the game from the beginning and, and you know, I can remember Hercules and Clint having good chances, and I can remember, you know, like, being on top of him, but just not being able to get the goal. And then. Yeah, I, I'll. I've seen it a million times since, and I, I'll. I, hopefully I'll get to see it a million more times.
- [58:44]
Tim Howard
But you see it my way. I, I appreciate that.
- [58:48]
Landon Donovan
Well, he doesn't see the throw, but.
- [58:50]
Michael Bradley
But you know, you know what I, you know what I, I see when I see that goal is like, our team, we. We had gotten really good at this idea of playing on the edge when we went down in games because we had had the experience of it. We. We knew how to play from behind. Okay, we weren't behind that day. It was 00. But we needed to score. And we, we had gotten really good at how to push and how to play on the edge and how, like, we, we were comfortable in a game that opened up a little bit, you know, and, and that part, that part is not every team has that. And so, you know, when, when we were still pushing at the end, which means that then there's some, Some fires that we have to put out defensively. And now we're, we're dealing with this play in the box and you get the ball, Timmy, and like, you're not thinking twice and you're already looking up and you're roll. You know, throwing it out to somebody, you know, somebody on the move, and now we're moving forward. Like, that is, like, that's a quality. That is a quality in a team to be able to play in games like that. And so that is how that all comes together, especially big moments. That is, That's. That's special.
- [60:04]
Landon Donovan
And it goes back to Michael. It goes back to us being together and having the experiences together. Right? And that's, that's the value in that, is that there wasn't Panic. We were urgent, but we weren't panicking. But we had been in those moments. And when you go through those fires, the next time it happens, you're okay. Like, we had just gone through it with Slovenia. We're down to nothing at half and we're looking around like our World Cup's about to be over, like we're going home, so we better do something about it. So we had, we had been a part of that and. Yeah, that's, it's awesome to hear you speak about that last couple, Mike.
- [60:36]
Michael Bradley
So what year?
- [60:39]
Landon Donovan
I mean, it's hard not to say 10. But what year and what team was the best national team you were a part of?
- [60:47]
Michael Bradley
Yeah, I mean, I'll say, well, you.
- [60:50]
Tim Howard
Have 09, you have, you have, you have Confederations Cup 09, you have 2010.
- [60:53]
Michael Bradley
We choose one year.
- [60:55]
Landon Donovan
You also have the 14 World cup.
- [60:57]
Tim Howard
And the 2014 World cup or the.
- [60:58]
Landon Donovan
Years leading up to that.
- [61:00]
Tim Howard
Yeah, no, no, those are the three best, for sure.
- [61:03]
Michael Bradley
Oh, I guess I thought, I thought you were going to give me the easy way out an era.
- [61:09]
Tim Howard
Nope.
- [61:12]
Michael Bradley
I'll go 2009.
- [61:14]
Landon Donovan
Yeah, I agree with that.
- [61:16]
Michael Bradley
I. The, the balance that we had found in that team in terms of you and Clint playing, you know, as, as the, you know, my dad and I joke all the time. Like, you know, at the time we, we called it 4, 4, 2. Now, like the way football has evolved, like it was 4, 2, 2, 2.
- [61:41]
Tim Howard
Right.
- [61:42]
Michael Bradley
And, and it's a, it's a catchier way to say it, but you and, you and Clint played as those, as those wide or inside tens. Josie and, and Charlie had found a really good partnership up there. Their way of, of really playing with each other, playing off of each other. The combination of their, of their football, but also their speed and their, their power. Like, they were such a handful. Yeah. So I, I think, you know, in, in, in that period in 2009, we, I mean, I actually, I was, I was helping my dad put something together. I think he actually sent it to you guys. Yeah, yeah, we, we, we got like some really good high resolution versions of those games that year. And like, we played really well against like, it, it wasn't like a game where we were just like defending on top of our box and, and we were just, you know, suffering for 90 minutes. Like, we, we played and we went after them and, and so that, that was, that was a good team.
- [62:52]
Landon Donovan
And for people who don't know. Sorry. For people who don't know, that Spanish team had gone 35 or 36 games unbeaten. We were the first team to beat him in 36 games.
- [63:01]
Tim Howard
But let me, let me, let me. For all of. And you're right, that 2009 team specifically. But as we, Landon and I can continue to discuss, which is what you guys want to hear, the U.S. men's National Team and different eras and that type of thing. What Michael is talking about, right, is a culmination and a lead up and a buildup to 2010. Let me give you this. 2007. Bob Bradley gets the head coaching job, right? We win the Gold cup in a battle. And not always the same players, but a lot of the same players. In a battle in Chicago against Mexico, we win the 2007 Gold Cup.
- [63:34]
Michael Bradley
Down 10 at halftime, I think.
- [63:35]
Tim Howard
Down 1 0.
- [63:36]
Landon Donovan
That's right.
- [63:36]
Tim Howard
We go through the gauntlet of World cup qualifying in 2008 and then 2009, right? We then, because we won the Gold cup in 2007, we go to the Confederations cup in 2009. Tough ass tournament, same players. We then go into the World Cup. So there's a four year period where there's constant battles. Every game means something. Gold Cup, World cup qualifying, Confederations Cup.
- [64:01]
Michael Bradley
And I'll add one thing because. And obviously our guys in US Soccer have no control over this now because of nations. But with the calendar and everything, think of the number, think of the number of really, really good friendly games.
- [64:13]
Tim Howard
Agreed.
- [64:14]
Michael Bradley
Away from home, on European soil.
- [64:16]
Tim Howard
Well, that's what your dad did. Your dad was basically said, we're going to pack your bags, we're going away from home as much as we can. So yeah, that was, that was a huge, huge thing.
- [64:24]
Landon Donovan
Yeah.
- [64:25]
Tim Howard
Quick, quick, quick question. And this is obviously will play well on our socials. I'm curious one, as a coach, do you, do you put the boots on and do you train with the team or do you do bits and bobs like 5v2 boxes and stuff?
- [64:39]
Michael Bradley
Yeah, for sure.
- [64:40]
Tim Howard
Yeah.
- [64:42]
Michael Bradley
People ask me all the time still like, oh, do you miss playing honest? The honest answer is no, I do not miss playing at all. I agreed. I love, I love coaching more than I love coaching right now. More than I loved playing at the end. Like, it's not even close.
- [64:59]
Tim Howard
Yeah.
- [65:00]
Michael Bradley
And it's, it's awesome because on certain days, if I wake up and I feel really good or if, if like it's that perfect training day where it's like gray and misty in the field, like I literally we, we make a session where we need a neutral player and I'm the new I Used to.
- [65:15]
Landon Donovan
Do that too at Loyal.
- [65:17]
Tim Howard
I love that. I love that. And then, and then the other, the other really hard hitting question is managers don't wear suits anymore. But you're a young manager. Are you going to be a tracksuit when you, when you get to where you want to be, you're going to be a tracksuit manager. You're going to be like a smart, casual manager.
- [65:33]
Michael Bradley
My, My wife and daughter ask me this, like every day. Amanda and Quinn, literally, like, it'll be like on the computer and like, I have no idea what she's doing. And she's like, she's got like, pictures of like, like Joby Alonzo and Nogglesman and like, and she would like, like, daddy, like, what's your coaching style gonna be?
- [65:52]
Tim Howard
Yo, me and Quinn, Me and Quinn are like this. We know.
- [65:55]
Michael Bradley
It's a good question. I think in all seriousness, it's probably. You always have to have an idea of the club that you're coaching at tradition or, or kind of any type of precedent that's been set in that way. But generally speaking, I think I'll be at least to start more the. The smart casual guy.
- [66:18]
Tim Howard
Love it.
- [66:18]
Michael Bradley
I know. Try to go from there.
- [66:20]
Tim Howard
You know what's really funny, Landon, I play for David Mullies. And he was so calculated, Mikey, that like, there would be days where he'd have his suit on, right? Three piece suit, and you're like, all right, cool. Then there were other games. We'd come out in his tracksuit and he's beat up Copa Mundials and we're like, oh, it's one of those days. Oh, okay.
- [66:37]
Landon Donovan
It's like Shrewsbury away and then we're.
- [66:40]
Tim Howard
Going to muck it up today. Yeah, totally. I love it.
- [66:43]
Landon Donovan
All right, Mike, last two questions and thanks for being gracious with your time. I've asked Tim this, but when are you going to come to the light side and get nice hairpiece like me?
- [66:53]
Tim Howard
What do you think? Can we.
- [66:54]
Landon Donovan
Can we convince you?
- [66:56]
Michael Bradley
You. You look really good, man.
- [66:58]
Landon Donovan
I appreciate that.
- [66:59]
Michael Bradley
I'm happy like this.
- [67:01]
Landon Donovan
You are. When was the moment you knew bald is beautiful, bro?
- [67:05]
Tim Howard
Yeah, tell us that story. We. We were.
- [67:08]
Landon Donovan
This was.
- [67:09]
Michael Bradley
I was like, younger than I should have been. I was probably like 21 years old and I was playing in Germany at Gladbach. And this was before, like the era of like all, where every team or every video session was with the tactical wide angle view, but right above even like, wide angle.
- [67:27]
Tim Howard
Yeah.
- [67:27]
Michael Bradley
I remember for a certain game, the coach at the time sent one of our Analysts or assistant coaches up high, and he was recording the game. And now the following week, we're watching the footage, and it had been. It was raining that day, and I had my, like, longer, moppy hair. And we're watching the. We're watching the video, and I'm like. It took me, like, 20 minutes, and I'm thinking to myself, like, who's. Who's that bald midfielder that you can see? Like, just at a certain point, I was like, oh, my. It's me. And so I. I'm not even joking. I went home, I bought clippers, and I buzzed my. With the number two. Just like. And then that number two turned into a number one. And then eventually the guard came off, and then eventually the straight razor came out, and so.
- [68:18]
Tim Howard
Ball was beautiful, bro.
- [68:19]
Landon Donovan
All right, all right, Last one for me. Over all the years you played club country, all the things, who was the one best player you played with, where you were like, this guy's just different level.
- [68:31]
Tim Howard
I know the answer.
- [68:33]
Michael Bradley
Oh, the one best.
- [68:35]
Tim Howard
If you don't say it, I'll be so angry. Not me, obviously.
- [68:37]
Michael Bradley
I mean, I'll. I'm gonna cheat. I'm gonna give you the one. The easy answer, and then I'm gonna give you the not easy answer. The easy answer is, is Toti.
- [68:51]
Tim Howard
That's the one, baby.
- [68:52]
Michael Bradley
I knew it's. But it's like his pure football ability to make passes. I mean, see, he had eyes in the back of his head. I mean, and even, you know, even as he got a little bit older, like, the things that he could do, the. The passes that he could play, the angled angles that he would see, the different, like, his right foot. I mean, he had every single, like, club in the bag. Like, and. And he knew, like, if he needed to hit a ball over the. The left back's head, he knew, like, did it need to be an inch over his head or did it need to be like. I mean, he was incredible.
- [69:36]
Tim Howard
Incredible.
- [69:38]
Michael Bradley
So he. And for what he means to Roma and that club and that city, just the aura. Yeah, he was. He was. He was incredible. The other answer, and I give this to people when they ask sometimes, Marquinhos, when he.
- [69:56]
Tim Howard
Where did you play with him?
- [69:57]
Michael Bradley
At Roma.
- [69:58]
Tim Howard
Always at Roma. Yeah, he.
- [69:59]
Michael Bradley
He showed up to Roma. He had been a young player at Corinthians, and when he turned, because he didn't have European passport, then he could only come officially to Roma when he was. When he turned 18 years old. So he showed up. He showed up in Rome, like, literally the day of his 18th birthday, and he was like 5 foot 9 or 10. He was so skinny.
- [70:23]
Tim Howard
He had braces.
- [70:24]
Michael Bradley
And you were at. You were looking at him in. In the most unassuming way going. And from the first session, you, like, nobody could go by the guy. I mean, he was. He was the lightest, easiest, most natural defender I've ever seen. I mean, his ability to defend and deal with situations and put out fires. He was. He was. He was amazing.
- [70:53]
Tim Howard
And disclaimer. The talk to you thing, I remember calling you and being like, mike, Mike, can you. Could you get me a signed Tati jersey? And you duly obliged. In the next camp, I had. I have my Roma number 10 jersey signed. Amazing. Thank you.
- [71:06]
Michael Bradley
He's a legend.
- [71:07]
Tim Howard
Yes.
- [71:07]
Landon Donovan
All right, man. Well, this was awesome. Thank you. We could do this forever. So much fun. Most of all, Michael, really happy for you. Congrats again on winning in your first season. It's not always like that, I promise, but maybe it will be for you. Yeah, I know. Best of luck in your coaching career. I cannot wait to see where this takes you because you've always had it about you, and, I mean, the sky is literally the limit for you.
- [71:30]
Michael Bradley
I appreciate that, guys. Thanks for. Thanks for having me. This was a lot of fun. Good catching up and good football discussion. And, yeah, let's. Let's do it again at some point.
- [71:40]
Tim Howard
I can't wait, man.
- [71:41]
Michael Bradley
Sounds good.
- [71:41]
Landon Donovan
All right, let's take a break. When we come back, we will get into your Questions in the AT&T fan connection right here on Unfiltered Soccer with Landon and Tim and Michael. Today presented by Volkswagen. This episode is brought to you by Airbnb. All right, Tim, between your work, your daughter, your son, or maybe just your own enjoyment, how much traveling do you think you've done to see soccer this year?
- [72:11]
Tim Howard
Year? Honestly, I've lost. I lost track at this point. You know, just this summer alone, I was all over the place. But it is. It's a beautiful thing to see how many soccer fans and how soccer has been embraced, no matter where we go.
- [72:24]
Landon Donovan
Yeah, I mean, I was just in Austin. I'll be traveling to New York. Everywhere I go, I meet fans, whether I'm going to see a game myself or just on vacation. I see people everywhere. I hear stories. I hear stories about their pilgrimage to Everton to go watch, to go see the new stadium, to go see their favorite team. They get immersed in the chants, the songs, that incredible feeling of seeing the game up close and personal.
- [72:46]
Tim Howard
Well, I mean, I think that's where that's where the game has changed. These trips have become a big deal for soccer fans, and this summer is going to be no different as we'll see the soccer community make their way to 11 host cities here in the US to support their favorite national team.
- [72:57]
Landon Donovan
It's going to be incredible. I can't wait for it. And what if those fans could turn their homes into an opportunity while they're away at the game? Hosting your home on Airbnb while you travel is an easy way to earn a little bit of extra cash. Maybe go towards tickets for your game that you want to go to. We know they're not cheap. Or maybe to help your kids pursue their soccer dreams.
- [73:16]
Tim Howard
Yeah, your home might be worth more than you think, so find out how much@airbnb.com host LD for me to Holidays are all about connection to family and to friends. We host a lot, so we got a lot of people over the house. Oftentimes, when it starts to get chaotic and the turkey or the ham's getting burnt and the kids are running around playing with their new toys, I go out back by the fire pit and I choose chill. I crack open a Coors Light.
- [73:41]
Landon Donovan
Yeah, it's my favorite time of year. It gets cold. Not as not quite as cold as New York, but it's cold outside. It gets dark early. Kids are playing. We turn on the Jacuzzi, relax in the hot tub with a Coors Light. Choose Chill, relax, have family, friends, good food, good memories. My favorite time of year when you.
- [73:59]
Tim Howard
Embrace a chill mindset. This holiday, it's a good time to choose chill and crack open a Coors Light.
- [74:03]
Landon Donovan
Choose chill this holiday season and then reach for a Coors Light. Get Coors Light delivered straight to your door. Visit Coors Light.com USLNT or you can find it pretty much anywhere that sells beer.
- [74:14]
Tim Howard
Celebrate responsibly. Kor's Brewing company Golden, Colorado there's nothing better than feeling like someone has your back and that things are going to get done even without you having to ask. Like your crisp new jersey waiting for you in the locker room or a perfectly set up wall for a free kick.
- [74:28]
Landon Donovan
Yeah, as we unfiltered soccer get ready for next summer, we know that very little in the beautiful game is guaranteed. But as we prepare to bring our unfiltered brand of non stop soccer coverage, it's good to know AT and T has your back. With the AT&T guarantee, staying connected matters.
- [74:44]
Tim Howard
That's why in the rare event of a network outage, AT and T will proactively credit you for a full day of Service. That's the AT&T guarantee.
- [74:52]
Landon Donovan
Learn more at att.com guarantee AT&T connecting changes everything.
- [74:59]
Tim Howard
Credit for fiber downtime lasting 20 minutes or more or a wireless downtime lasting 60 minutes or more caused by a single incident impacting 10 or more towers must be connected to impacted towers at onset of outage. Restrictions and exclusions apply. See att.com guarantee for full details. Time for the Fan connection presented by AT&T. Every week we invite you, the listener, to connect with us by submitting your questions at. @&t connecting changes everything. And on uslnt, our connections with you will help grow the game. Time now for the AT&T fan connection. LD we love this time of the show because we get to hang out with Jordan and give her loads of stick. Jordan, welcome in.
- [75:43]
Michael Bradley
Hello.
- [75:43]
Jordan
What's going on?
- [75:44]
Tim Howard
It's happening. So the same.
- [75:46]
Landon Donovan
Congrats to your, to your baddies.
- [75:48]
Jordan
Oh, thank you.
- [75:49]
Landon Donovan
Go Gotham.
- [75:51]
Jordan
It's District versus Empire. I'm very excited to see.
- [75:54]
Tim Howard
I feel like you have a lot of teams. I'm just going to throw that out there.
- [75:57]
Jordan
They're not. I. But they're not my teams. Like, I don't. I don't know.
- [76:02]
Tim Howard
I don't know.
- [76:02]
Jordan
Liverpool's my team. St Paul is my team.
- [76:04]
Tim Howard
But that's your team. Oh, and Gotham's your team and they're in a final. O.
- [76:08]
Jordan
No.
- [76:09]
Tim Howard
Are you. Are you a. Are you. Are you a Chiefs fan? Yeah.
- [76:12]
Landon Donovan
Chiefs and Eagles. Chiefs and Eagles.
- [76:14]
Tim Howard
Okay. Are you Oklahoma City Thunder fan? That's interesting.
- [76:17]
Jordan
I don't know. Making things up. Wait, can we talk about the jersey that I'm wearing right now? Because I got it this weekend at Classic football shirts On Canal Street, New York.
- [76:27]
Tim Howard
Yeah. Represent.
- [76:28]
Jordan
It is in fact the 22, 23 third shirt for FC Simpali. I googled it afterwards because it's inspired by a. A graffiti artist from Germany called Oz.
- [76:40]
Landon Donovan
They have a. They have a store dedicated to. To old soccer shirts.
- [76:44]
Tim Howard
Yeah. Shout out. Shout out to them. They're.
- [76:46]
Landon Donovan
That's really cool.
- [76:48]
Jordan
They did not have any Donovans in there or Tim Howard shirts cuz apparently they sell out.
- [76:53]
Michael Bradley
Let's go.
- [76:54]
Tim Howard
Those are my guys, though. I walk, I walk past the shop every now and again.
- [76:57]
Landon Donovan
They only bought one, but they sold it out, baby. All right.
- [77:00]
Tim Howard
Very cool.
- [77:01]
Jordan
Okay, so I have a question. You always do ask you a question. My question for the two of you is we. There have been a lot of talk on the Internet about something that happened last week in major League Soccer, which is that there was an announcement that they are moving to the same calendar as basically most other leagues in the world starting in 2027. Like late summer, 2027. What are your thoughts about this change in terms of like, is it good, is it bad, is it whatever? And also, what do you think this is going to mean for the league as a whole?
- [77:46]
Landon Donovan
Go ahead, Tim.
- [77:47]
Tim Howard
No, you go.
- [77:48]
Landon Donovan
All right, I'll go. As a general Overall high level, 30,000 foot view, I love it. I think it's great for the league. I understand the challenges with weather. I do. You know, just so people understand, there will be a break in the winter. I think it's mid December through February. Ish. So the harshest, harshest months will be off. There'll be a break in July. Ish. The playoffs will take place in May. Most importantly, I think for the league, it aligns them with the international transfer window, which is crucial because it's really hard for MLS to bring in and buy players in November, December because they're halfway through their season. So a lot of times this happened with son, with Thomas Mueller, you have to wait till the summer to get that player in. Imagine if Mueller was in Vancouver all year or Sonny was in LA all year. Just forget about on the field, think about off the field, the impact and the revenue and everything that comes with that. So that is crucial. My only pushback is I wish they would have had this ready to go right after the World cup because there's going to be so much momentum and MLS will still be going on after the World Cup. It's great. But like, people would be excited about the start of a new season and you roll into it. So I know there's nuance, I know there's reasons why, but that would have been, I think, ideal.
- [79:10]
Tim Howard
Yeah, I'm, I'm with you. I like it. I really like it. I think it's what, it's what MLS needs to do just to kind of get on, on a level playing field with the rest of the world. I think that, I think the transfer piece is really interesting because when we see this in Houston, you know, you, you, you're there as an ownership group and, and a staff and you're trying to like create this, you're trying to create a winning team, right? And all, and, and most of the conversation and every MLS team is having this. I just happen to be having it in Houston. It's like, let's see if we get off to a good start and if we're, if, if we're if we're really good in the summer months, then we bring in a blockbuster. And if we don't, then what do we do? Or if we're crap, we bring in someone to kind of kickstart. Puts you behind. It puts every MLS team behind in terms of like trying to get their transfer in and up and running. And by the way, they come in oftentimes, as you've mentioned, off the back of a full season. Right. So you're getting a player off the back of a full season, he maybe goes on vacation for a couple weeks, then he comes into training and it's hit or miss on whether he's ready to go after two weeks or three weeks. It's just, it causes its own problems not being aligned with the FIFA window. I like the fact that MLS postseason won't be competing with NFL or college football. I think that's a big thing. The two things that I'm really interested about short term is the shoulder season. Right. So when we switch and Jordan, you can explain this. When, when we end the old format and begin the new format, there's going to be a point in time where there's an abbreviated season. I guess it's going to be in the spring, right? Is that correct?
- [80:49]
Landon Donovan
27. Yeah, it'll be like January to February to May and they're going to play 14 games.
- [80:54]
Tim Howard
It's gonna be like a race.
- [80:54]
Landon Donovan
Yeah, right.
- [80:55]
Tim Howard
Yeah. And then, and then.
- [80:56]
Landon Donovan
Which I actually.
- [80:57]
Tim Howard
Oh, God, no, you love. Go ahead. You love.
- [80:59]
Landon Donovan
Oh, I love it, dude. The best, the best baseball season in history ever. Never ever can tell me otherwise. Was the COVID shortened one? It was like, I think it was 58 games or something. Every game basically counted for three. And so every game was like, it was like such a battle. That's why the NFL is king, right? Every game means so much. And so you're gonna have this 14 game season. You lose one, I mean, you're in big trouble. You win three in a row, you're in the playoffs.
- [81:25]
Tim Howard
We're gonna have to be great. We're gonna have the shoulder season and people are gonna go, wait, wait, let's. Let's go to this format every year, right? But no, I, I do think, and I do think the last part for, for me, Jordan, is the weather. It's gonna, I mean, it's what everyone's talking about. You got a bunch of owners who are obviously not thrilled about that, particularly the ones up north. And I do, I think it's gonna be. I think it's gonna Be an interesting sort of issue.
- [81:52]
Landon Donovan
I think it makes it fun.
- [81:53]
Tim Howard
I do, too.
- [81:54]
Landon Donovan
Some snow games, some rain.
- [81:55]
Tim Howard
Sure, sure, sure. I do, too.
- [81:56]
Landon Donovan
I think it's fun. It's better than the go. All due respect, going to Houston in August Fair. Which you may still do, but, like, it's better for me.
- [82:03]
Tim Howard
Yeah.
- [82:04]
Jordan
One of the things I thought was interesting when I was watching the press conference with Don Garber and Nelson Rodriguez, who's been kind of like leading this movement to make this change. Somebody. And I can understand why this person asked this question, but somebody asked them to speak about what it's going to be like with. In terms of player contracts, because a lot of player contracts go through December, so how are they going to kind of figure out how to navigate that? And of course, Don Garber was like, I'm not answering questions that we haven't answered with the Players association yet, which makes sense completely. But I feel like that is definitely a complicated part of this that I'm glad nobody's asked me to solve.
- [82:45]
Tim Howard
But one. But one that they haven't not thought about.
- [82:46]
Landon Donovan
Right.
- [82:47]
Tim Howard
Like, that's. That would. That would have been one of the top three things on. On the. On the agenda.
- [82:51]
Landon Donovan
So, yeah, the agents are going to have fun here.
- [82:56]
Jordan
All right, let's get to speaking of mls. Another actual fan question. This one is from Ramon via email. I did actually ask him how to pronounce his name so that I said it correctly. Thank you. He said, I have an MLS question for Landon and Tim. The fact is that I'd love to watch more MLS soccer games, but I get frustrated trying to figure out which platform I need to stream them, which games that I can watch for free, etc. I know the reason there is limited access is because of money, but MLS is missing a huge opportunity to grow the league by not showing more free games on multiple platforms, especially when Messi is in the league. If you look at teams like the Cubs and Braves who broadcast all their games on WGN or tnt, their fan bases are huge and across the entire country. Do you agree?
- [83:45]
Landon Donovan
I do, I do. I understand the reasons why the league went with Apple and put it behind a paywall or an additional paywall and tried to make money in that way. You know they have. Someone's got to pay for the messy. The messy deal, the messy contract. But I think you're losing an opportunity to just grow, to just keep growing the game. The reality is, is even the NBA, the NFL, Major League Baseball, they have significantly more fans than Major League Soccer at this Point, we're still very young in our history and they're still, they still broadcast games free over. Over linear tv. Right. Because they're still always trying to build the fan base. And I think it was a missed opportunity with Messi over the last couple years. Now, you know, part of that announcement was that Apple TV will no longer be behind. It will no longer be behind the paywall. So as long as you have Apple tv, you can watch. So I think that's a big plus for the league. They realized that they needed to do that. But I do think so. I think having it on Fox or CBS or TNT or NBC, I think would be huge for the league. I do.
- [84:50]
Tim Howard
Yeah. I don't, I don't disagree. I mean, obviously linear tv, every now and again you get that pop. You get that big game pop of like there's a certain window where, you know, you could see the biggest teams and. Yeah, but I don't disagree. They had to. You know, I think traditionally, and you talked about the league being, you know, sort of younger than a lot of the other leagues, but ultimately we're 30 years into this thing. Right. And we haven't had. Now people will argue with this, but we haven't had any real significant television deal. Right. And so it had to start somewhere. And with the Apple deal, that. That was the most significant television deal we've ever had in mls. So can it. Can. Can. Are there going to be complaints? Sure. Can you work some of the kinks out? Sure. But ultimately it's the biggest and best deal we've ever had.
- [85:38]
Landon Donovan
And also, if you think about Tim, the other leagues, NBA, mlb, NFL, they are starting now to go to streaming services for their game, you know, Apple TV or Peacock or whatever. But they're so much more established than, of course, like mls. You should see it every weekend across multiple channels. So you're just, you're still building the game, in my opinion.
- [85:59]
Jordan
I think there's a lot of leagues out there that are finding a way to bring those two things together. I mean, we in our group chat have lots of conversations about which soccer game is available where over the weekend. And so it can be that some of your games are available for free and then some of your games are still behind a paywall just to kind of. Because once you give people a taste. Right. That's how you kind of hook them.
- [86:20]
Tim Howard
That's right.
- [86:22]
Jordan
Okay, that's it for this week. Just a reminder if people would like. Oh, by the way, I just want to say I got so many emails from people that started with please in all caps, which I really appreciate. So if you would like to have your question answered on the podcast.
- [86:36]
Landon Donovan
Listeners are smart.
- [86:38]
Jordan
They do listen. I appreciate that. Just email me@feedbackfiltered soccer.com that's it.
- [86:44]
Landon Donovan
Thanks.
- [86:45]
Tim Howard
Thanks J.
- [86:46]
Landon Donovan
All right, Tim. Amazing show us Recap. Michael Bradley. God, that was fun to catch up with him. Such a great human and I think lots of exciting things, maybe sooner than we think in his future. Thank you guys for being with us. Remember to subscribe on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, anywhere you get your podcasts and as always, follow on our social media platforms at Unfiltered Soccer for bonus content. Thank you to our friends at vw, our presenting sponsor. We love you guys. Our fan connection sponsor at&t. Love you guys too. And our stoppage time sponsor, FanDuel.
- [87:22]
Tim Howard
Yeah, thanks Mikey, for coming on. Always a pleasure and fun times, man. Just reliving the glory days and chatting about what is to come. Great job from the US Men's National Team. Long may that continue and hopefully that continues to roll this week. Thank you to our unfiltered refresh sponsor, Coors Light, and our additional sponsors, Cafe Bustelo and Airbnb. Have an amazing week. We'll be back next Tuesday with another edition of Unfiltered Soccer.