NWSL High Impact Players, Tyler Adams Injury, and the 2025 Unfiltie Awards| Unfiltered Soccer

Summary

Unfiltered Soccer with Landon Donovan and Tim Howard

Episode: NWSL High Impact Players, Tyler Adams Injury, and the 2025 Unfiltie Awards

Date: December 30, 2025

---

Episode Overview

In this lively end-of-year special, Landon Donovan and Tim Howard present the second annual Unfiltie Awards—the show’s tongue-in-cheek celebration of soccer’s best, worst, and weirdest moments from 2025. The duo break down high-impact players in the NWSL, dissect USMNT injuries, and reflect on the biggest stories shaping the run-up to the 2026 World Cup. With candid opinions, playful banter, and classic “do me a favor” rants, Landon and Tim keep it unfiltered, insightful, and packed with memorable moments.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Shithousery of the Year (02:16)

• Nominees:
  • Luis Suárez’s infamous antics in 2025 (alleged biting, spitting incidents, and dangerous tackles)
  • Sunderland’s staged photo after defeating Newcastle, matching a previous Newcastle taunt
  • Arsenal rivalry moments: Gabriel taunting Haaland in a 5-1 victory
  • NWSL: England keeper Hannah Hampton throwing away Spain’s penalty cheat water bottle
• Hosts Picks:
  • Tim chooses Luis Suárez: “If you allegedly bite your own teammate and spit on an opponent, yeah, you’re a shithouse for sure.” (06:39)
  • Landon prefers Hannah Hampton: “It’s also giving you a competitive advantage…total disaster. I love it.” (06:55)
  • Winner: Hannah Hampton for gamesmanship in the penalty shootout

2. Best Performance of the Year (07:23)

• Nominees:
  • Messi: 13 goal contributions in 6 playoff games
  • Wrexham’s third straight league promotion
  • Rose Lavelle’s NWSL Championship and winner in the final
  • Chelsea’s Club World Cup triumph over PSG
  • PSG’s Rafinha & Dembele’s individual honors
  • USMNT’s emphatic 5-1 win over Uruguay
• Hosts Picks:
  • Tim: “I’m gonna say Wrexham…For them to keep doing it is lucky and special.” (09:31)
  • Landon: “Rose Lavelle…she deserves it.” (10:22)
  • Winners: Split: Wrexham and Rose Lavelle

3. Red Card/Blooper of the Year (11:05)

• Nominees:
  • Idrissa Gana Gueye sent off for striking his own teammate, Michael Keane
  • Wolves' loss after scoring 2 own goals vs Arsenal
  • Hugo Ekitike’s double yellow for shirt removal
  • Spurs’ summer transfer window losses
  • LA City Councilwoman’s gaffe about LAFC’s Son Heung-min
• Hosts' Picks:
  • Tim: Gueye vs Keane (“like two brothers fighting in the kitchen”) (16:30)
  • Landon: Hugo Ekitike (“you cannot do this”) (16:56)
  • Winners: Gueye/Keane incident and Ekitike’s red

4. Most Refreshing Quote of the Year (17:28)

• Nominees:
  • Brian Schmetzer: “Messi is arguably the best player…But we have Paul Rothrock.”
  • Pochettino: “I am not a mannequin.”
  • Chris Richards: “They’re lucky it was a friendly. I probably would have killed somebody.” (18:35)
  • Mo Salah’s benching meltdown
  • Jaden Shaw’s “Underdog's my…”
  • Thierry Henry on dull recent football: “I’ve been bored watching football for the past one or two years.” (20:16)
• Hosts’ Picks:
  • Tim: Chris Richards for stepping up as USMNT leader (20:40)
  • Landon: Split between Pochettino and Richards for changing the USMNT’s tone (21:11)
  • Winner: Chris Richards (and a nod to Pochettino)

5. Biggest Shock of the Year (22:19)

• Nominees:
  • Christian Pulisic opts out of the 2025 Gold Cup
  • LA Galaxy’s title defense collapse: winless until May 31 (17 games)
  • Curaçao qualifying for their first World Cup
  • Al Hilal's upset win over Man City at Club World Cup
  • Grimsby Town knocking out Man United, EFL Cup
• Hosts’ Picks:
  • Both select Curaçao: “Nobody had that on their bingo card.” (24:16)
  • Winner: Curaçao

6. Best USLNT (US Soccer) Moment of the Year (40:49)

• Nominees:
  • David Moyes sending a birthday message
  • Tim’s USMNT post-Nations League rant
  • Landon’s candid story about stepping away from soccer
  • Landon’s “hair” transformation
• Hosts’ Picks:
  • Both—Landon’s hair: “It’s like Time magazine moment of the year” (41:08, Tim)
  • Winner: Landon’s new hair

7. Do Me a Favor of the Year (42:56)

• Nominees:
  • Club World Cup complaints about American weather (Dortmund bench sits out a half)
  • Lamin Yamal’s father: “Biggest moral damage done to a human being” over Ballon d’Or snub
  • Oliver Glasner criticizing Pochettino over Chris Richards playing time
• Hosts’ Pick:
  • Tim: Lamin Yamal’s father’s hyperbole: “That’s just a wild statement…Do me a favor.” (45:14)
  • Winner: Lamin Yamal’s father

8. US Breakthrough Player of the Year (45:57)

• Nominees:
  • Matt Freese (goalkeeper), Alex Freeman, Max Arnold, Diego Luna
• Hosts’ Picks:
  • Tim: Matt Freese—earning USMNT No. 1 jersey “has to be the breakthrough player of the year. End of story.” (46:18)
  • Landon: Diego Luna—his “play with passion” sets standard for selection (47:19)
  • Winner: Split: Matt Freese and Diego Luna

9. Team of the Year (48:44)

• Nominees:
  • PSG (treble, Club World Cup final, 6 in FIFA 11)
  • Gotham FC (NWSL run)
  • Inter Miami (MLS dominance)
  • Chelsea (Club World Cup champs)
• Hosts’ Picks:
  • Tim: “For me, it’s Inter Miami, big credit to Sir David Beckham.” (49:22)
  • Landon: “Phenomenal to watch…what it means for Miami and [US soccer]—congrats Inter Miami.” (50:19)
  • Winner: Inter Miami

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Luis Suárez’s madness
  • “He needs a high five in the face with a chair.” — Tim Howard (03:30)
• On Sunderland’s Derby photo:
  • “Not an impromptu, everybody knows what’s going on.” — Landon Donovan (04:19)
• On Arsenal rivalry heat:
  • “There was a time for a few years…just felt mundane. Too nice.” — Tim Howard (05:23)
• On Hannah Hampton:
  • “Should have done that at some point in time.” — Tim Howard (06:21)
• On Rose Lavelle:
  • “She’s my favorite women’s player of all time.” — Landon Donovan (10:22)
• On Idrissa Gana Gueye:
  • “It’s such a dumb rule. You can’t send people off for hitting their own teammates!” — Tim Howard (11:58)
• On the LA councilwoman’s gaffe:
  • “Big fact check that was missed. Big fact check.” — Tim Howard (16:05)
• Chris Richards quote:
  • “I probably would have killed somebody.” (18:35)
• On Curaçao’s World Cup qualification:
  • “Nobody had that on their bingo card.” — Landon Donovan (25:06)
• On Landon’s hair transformation:
  • “That is my moment of the year. That made me so happy to see you.” — Tim Howard (41:02)
• On Yamal’s father’s Ballon d’Or claim:
  • “Have you studied any history? Really?” — Landon Donovan (44:24)
• On Inter Miami:
  • “Big credit to Sir David Beckham.” — Tim Howard (50:19)

---

Important Timestamps

• Shithousery of the Year: 02:16 – 07:22
• Best Performance: 07:23 – 11:04
• Red Card/Blooper: 11:05 – 17:14
• Most Refreshing Quote: 17:15 – 21:18
• Biggest Shock: 22:19 – 25:59
• Trivia Segment: 29:52 – 39:00
• Best USLNT Moment: 40:49 – 42:52
• Do Me a Favor Award: 42:56 – 46:11
• Breakthrough Player: 45:57 – 48:44
• Team of the Year: 48:44 – 51:05
• Tyler Adams Injury, NWSL contracts, and Listener Questions: 56:18 – 91:02

---

Additional Segment Highlights

Listener Q&A and Rule Change Ruminations (66:51 – end)

• Don Garber praised for candor in past episode
• Thoughtful debate: Promotion/relegation in MLS—its hurdles and possibility in the future
• On comparing era-to-era players:
  • “It’s about athleticism…But would John Stockton be SGA in this era?” — Landon Donovan (74:20)
• Genie wishes to grow American soccer:
  • Both cite ending salary caps, unifying youth structure, sustainable pro/rel system, and thoughtful timeouts or water breaks.
• On three-minute mandatory World Cup breaks:
  • “Who cares if they sell more ads? Let people make money.” — Landon Donovan (82:00)
• Tactical fouls & “sin bin” debate:
  • “I love it in theory…but the reality is, it’ll be ugly because teams will just put 10 behind the ball.” — Landon Donovan (86:31)
  • “You could be out there all day, bunker 18 yard box. You’re not going to score.” — Tim Howard (87:47)

---

Overall Tone

Unfiltered, humorous, opinionated, and self-effacing. Tim and Landon strike a balance between insightful soccer analysis and good-natured banter—peppered with nostalgia, hard truths, and affection for the sport at all levels.

---

Conclusion

The Unfilties episode delivers a fun, wide-ranging look back at 2025 through the sharp lens of two US soccer legends. With memorable personal stories, candid takes on USMNT developments, NWSL’s evolution, and the global game’s quirks, Donovan and Howard provide the ideal year-end wrap for soccer fans heading into a monumental 2026.

---

Follow @UnfilteredSoccer on socials for bonus content and send in your trivia tiebreaker for the next episode!

Transcript

[Tim Howard]

I feel like it's not even like our moment of the year. It's like Time magazine moment of the year. Like you having hair and we take.

[Landon Donovan]

It for granted now. Like, I don't even think about it anymore.

[Tim Howard]

It's amazing to me, that is my moment of the year. That made me so happy to see you. I mean, look at you. You've always been super handsome, but this is, this is another world.

[Landon Donovan]

Unfiltered Soccer with Landon and Tim presented by Volkswagen. Volkswagen has long been a supporter of soccer in America and a sport proudly been a partner of U.S. soccer for over five years.

[Tim Howard]

Welcome in to Unfiltered Soccer, presented by Volkswagen. He is Landon Donovan. I am Tim Howard. Happy holidays to everybody. I'm not going to name them all because if we do, we'll miss one and someone will complain. Happy holidays. What up, ld?

[Landon Donovan]

Miserable holidays when you have kids. Tim, you know, don't start that.

[Tim Howard]

Don't start.

[Landon Donovan]

I had to just pull my kids in and I said, guys, Mom's gone. Do not make a peep for two hours while I'm recording this. Not a pe.

[Tim Howard]

Where's mom?

[Landon Donovan]

Promise you there will be a peep. Mom went walking to work out or else she goes crazy.

[Tim Howard]

That's fair.

[Landon Donovan]

It's fair, right?

[Tim Howard]

If I was married to you, it go crazy too.

[Landon Donovan]

I would go crazy.

[Tim Howard]

I like your, I like your sweater. Retro proper soccer club. Here it is.

[Landon Donovan]

It's nice, huh? Look at that.

[Tim Howard]

It's amazing.

[Landon Donovan]

It's a great sweater.

[Tim Howard]

Good club. I, I, I didn't, I didn't partake, but I have a story. Mob deep. 30th anniversary, obviously.

[Landon Donovan]

What a shirt.

[Tim Howard]

And any what a shirt, right? Anybody who's a hip hop head. You're a hip hop head. As you know, my dear friend Craig von Schroeder went to a used be. Used to be a goalkeeper. So it's kind of a soccer story now he is a tailor to the stars. He owns a company called Commonwealth Proper. Invites me to a NAS concert. Mob deep is there. I'm like, bro, I can't go. Can you get me a concert tea? He drops this in the mail the next day. Amazing. Love you, Schroeds.

[Landon Donovan]

That's amazing. All right, let's get into it. We got a lot lot to get into. This is a fun day. Timmy, love this show. The Unfilties are as always. Follow us on social media at Unfiltered Soccer. Subscribe, Apple, Spotify, YouTube, anywhere you get your podcasts. And you can email Jordan Feedback at Unfiltered soccer. Okay, let's get right into it. We love this last year, it was so much fun. The unfilties. Here we go. All right. Probably our favorite.

[Tim Howard]

Are we straight in? Straight.

[Landon Donovan]

We're straight in. We're not messed around. Our favorite, I think category shithousery of the year. And this term just. It came about to me when I first got to Everton and people would talk about what a shithouser he what that was a house move. Da da da, da da. So it's basically guys or girls or people doing things that are just ridiculous. And we're going to start with none other than probably the ultimate shithouser of all time. Ultimate Luis Suarez doing Luis Suarez stuff. So on April 9th in the Champions cup, second leg versus LAFC. We're not exactly sure what happened, but he went to. He went to bite someone.

[Tim Howard]

Laughing.

[Landon Donovan]

I think he bit Jordy Alba instead. His own teammate. So I don't know how it gets. It's worse than that. He's such a clown. Dude.

[Tim Howard]

Oh, my God.

[Landon Donovan]

August 31st, Leagues cup final versus Seattle. After their loss, he spit on a member of the Sounders staff. And I remember when we would talk about this to him, like, maybe he's just in the mall. He's probably a nice guy off the field, like, whatever. He's not. And then November 1st game, their best of three series versus Nashville, he kicks Andy Nahar gets suspended and then actually never got his spot back after that. So, I mean, that is a. I.

[Tim Howard]

Mean, I mean, he's got like, how many guy needs a high five in the face with a chair? I'm honestly, it's incredible. Whatever.

[Landon Donovan]

Okay, so that's number one second option. This was recently. This was during the. What do you call it? Weir. Tine. Tine.

[Tim Howard]

We Tine. Weir. Darby.

[Landon Donovan]

Tyne Weir. Darby. Sunderland. Newcastle. A few years ago, Newcastle hammered Sunderland and they took a picture after in front of the goal. It was a pretty iconic picture. So what happens this time?

[Tim Howard]

And Sunderland. Sunderland turns the tables. They win and they. You know, this is the thing about social media. It's there, it's out there. People are going to remember there's a picture.

[Landon Donovan]

I'm sure they had that like on the ball to. Before the game. And they were like, if we, you.

[Tim Howard]

Know, players talk, if we win, we're doing definitely.

[Landon Donovan]

I mean, it was not like an impromptu, like, everybody knows going on.

[Tim Howard]

No. Well, the funny thing was real quick, we're in studio and we're watching the scenes and obviously we're laying out and we're Watching all the post game scenes and like Rebecca and I, and maybe it was Robbie Earl, we were like, we're like this. A bit over the top, by the way. Like, like, Jesus, they just. They won the derby. It's great. And then you. You come to find out like a couple of minutes later, like, oh, this was like, totally staged. It was great.

[Landon Donovan]

So good. Way back when. This was in February. So Arsenal beat City 5 1. And after in the previous meeting, Holland had spiked the ball off Gabrielle's. The back of his head, if you remember that.

[Tim Howard]

Yep, yep.

[Landon Donovan]

And then he told Mel Arteta to stay humble.

[Tim Howard]

Yeah.

[Landon Donovan]

Y. Post game.

[Tim Howard]

Yeah.

[Landon Donovan]

So then Arsenal beat City 51 at the Emirates. Gabrielle screams back in Holland's face. Lewis Skelly then Mock tall in celebration after he scored their third one. So I just love this. I love, like, I love the rivalries and I love that they're into it because there was a time, like, for a few years, Tim, where it just felt like kind of mundane.

[Tim Howard]

Too nice.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah, too. And it's like, yeah, get into it. It was good. Okay. And then the final candidate. God, I love this. England keeper Hannah Hampton through the Spanish keeper Katan Kohl's water bottle before the penalty shootout. She had her, like, where all their pet. Where all England's penalty takers are written on the water bottle, which a lot of goalkeepers do. Hannah Hampton grabbed it and chucked it into the stand so she wouldn't have it. I love it.

[Tim Howard]

It's incredible. You know the thing about when I heard this story, L.D. i was like. I was like, that's amazing. First of all, because keepers do that all the time, right? They. They tell everybody they write on a water bottle. And I'm like, it's the best bit of competition and gamesmanship ever. Like, go grab. What are you going to do? Get sent off for throwing a water bottle? No, like, that's the most amazing thing I've ever seen. And I was thinking, should have done that at some point in time.

[Landon Donovan]

I know. Like, why didn't someone think of this earlier?

[Tim Howard]

Well done to her fair.

[Landon Donovan]

Or they'd have it, like, in their sock for a minute and set it down by the goal post.

[Tim Howard]

Wrestle them for it. Wrestle them for it. You get a yellow card.

[Landon Donovan]

All right, you go first. Who is the sh. What is the shith Housery of the year? The first unfilty of 2025.

[Tim Howard]

I. You know, I mean, if you allegedly bite your own teammate and spit on an opponent. Yeah, you're a shithouse for sure. I Mean, it's loose. Suarez. For me, I. That's all I got. That's all I got for you.

[Landon Donovan]

For me, it's easy. The Hannah Hampton one, because it's also giving you an advantage, competitive advantage. Because now all of a sudden, like, think about Katako's like, mindset now. She's like, shoot. I have no idea where they're going. Can't look at the bench. You can't. Like, it's a. It's a total disaster. I love it. In England, by the way, went on to win the shootout 3 1.

[Tim Howard]

So I need to get footage of that. I'm sure there is.

[Landon Donovan]

Oh, so good. Hannah. Hannah Hampton. Congrats. First unfiltered of 2025.

[Tim Howard]

Congratulations.

[Landon Donovan]

Okay, let's move on. Best performance of the year. There are a lot. And by the way, guys, if we miss some, let us know. We try to rack our brains on everything, but there's been so much, so much soccer this year. Best performance of the year. First Messi, just in general, but his 13. I said 13 goal contributions in six playoff games is wild. It's more than. More than two a game, which is just like. Is just wild in playoff games that are usually so tight. All right, so Messi Rexam, three league promotions in three years. I don't think that's unprecedented necessarily, but it's pretty impressive what they've done.

[Tim Howard]

It's. It's incredible.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah, it's incredible.

[Tim Howard]

I would love to see them in Premier League. Just my own opinion.

[Landon Donovan]

Agreed. That would be fun to watch. Rose Lavelle finally winning her NWSL championship and scoring the winner in the 80th minute. Go Gotham. Cole Palmers. God, what happened to him? By the way, I just read a tweet, Tim, that said next week or in two weeks, it will have been a year since he scored. In the run of play, he's come.

[Tim Howard]

Off the boil, but he's still. Still a top player for me.

[Landon Donovan]

I know he is. So he had two goals and one assist in their three one thrashing. That was a shocking game, by the way, over PSG and the Club World Cup.

[Tim Howard]

That felt. That felt really big at the time. And it feels less big to me right now.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah, I agree because.

[Tim Howard]

I agree because I think the tournament was a success overall. But going into it, it's like, what's this going to be like? And then you had that final, and then you had Chelsea brush them aside and it was kind of like, oh, this feels massive. And then now like, well, you expected.

[Landon Donovan]

Also PSG to just destroy Them, right? And Chelsea thrash them. It was wild. Rafinha winning La Liga player of the season and equaling the Champions League goal contributions record also very good.

[Tim Howard]

Amazing.

[Landon Donovan]

Ousmane Dembele winning Ballon d'.

[Tim Howard]

Or.

[Landon Donovan]

And then recently, the US men's national team hammering Uruguay 5 1. That was a top.

[Tim Howard]

Top.

[Landon Donovan]

I mean, I can't remember a US Performance ever. Yeah, like that.

[Tim Howard]

Yeah.

[Landon Donovan]

Comprehensive.

[Tim Howard]

Yeah.

[Landon Donovan]

So. All right, go ahead. It's a tough one.

[Tim Howard]

It's a tough one. It's a really tough one. I. I'm gonna say Wrexham. Here's why. Because the. The argument against it is like, yeah, but if you pump money into any club, you can do this. And. And I would tend to agree with that. Other than I. I live that for a decade and a half in. In. In the uk and you see a lot of people pumping money into clubs, and it doesn't. Might get you a promotion. It doesn't get you three in a row. So what Ryan Reynolds and those guys have done there is like. And sort of like. Sort of like the. The luck of almost going, like, we're gonna create a documentary, and it's like. Like, oh. And then off the back of it, you get promoted. Like, that's pretty lucky and special. And for them to keep doing it, I think it'd be great. I think it'd be great. I'd love to see them sort of spend their way into the Premier League, if that's even possible.

[Landon Donovan]

So, yeah, it's definitely possible. I mean, they've shown it for me because she is. She is my favorite women's player of all time, Rose Lavelle. I. I mean, I remember back in. I don't know if it was 2015 or something, I. I remember vividly writing a tweet saying, rose Lovell is my favorite soccer player in the world. I love the way she plays. I love how competitive she is. Yeah, she's got quality, but she's, like, nasty and has bite and nasty. I'm so happy for her to win. She deserves it. And she's had a phenomenal career. So now she gets to, like, go out knowing that she was a champion. So for me, it was roast.

[Tim Howard]

Amazing. Nice. I dig it.

[Landon Donovan]

All right.

[Tim Howard]

Red card of the year.

[Landon Donovan]

Now, this doesn't have to be. This is fun. This doesn't have to be an actual red card, right?

[Tim Howard]

Correct.

[Landon Donovan]

I think if I remember last year, like, Tim Waya's actual red card against Panama in the. Was it Nations League or. Nations League that ended up getting us ousted? Doesn't have to be an actual red card, but it's the biggest fail, basically. Okay, so the f. The first one is Adrisa Gay. Oh, that was Copa America, by the way, that he got sent off.

[Tim Howard]

Okay, yeah, something.

[Landon Donovan]

Adrisa Gay. Tim got sent off not for striking an opponent, not for striking a referee or not. Not for. Yeah, I was going to say not DK Metcalf striking a fan, but striking his own teammate, Michael Keane, in the face during a disagreement. I can't even say it without laughing.

[Tim Howard]

It's such a dumb rule. You can't send people off. Written their own teammates. I want that rule changed. We can do anything because how often does it hap.

[Landon Donovan]

Maybe once every few years that this happens and you're going to send them off. It's so stupid. Yeah, I love it. Imagine being the reflection, having to send a guy off.

[Tim Howard]

Well, I blame the ref.

[Landon Donovan]

I blame the ref, too. Just tell him to get on with it, you idiots. Yeah.

[Tim Howard]

Stop it. All right.

[Landon Donovan]

Wolves recently scored three goals in a match against Arsenal. Unfortunately, two of them were on their own net, so they lost two on Wolves. By the way, I texted you guys yesterday. I said, wolves have three points. And you said, actually, they have two because this is a live table and they just started their game, said they have two points.

[Tim Howard]

It's not funny, man. I. I told you. I. I have.

[Landon Donovan]

How do you have two points?

[Tim Howard]

I have. I have a thought about this. It. Yeah. How do you have two points? Here's. Here. Here's my brief thought and we could. This is. This is a working exercise, you know, you have parachute payments. I think I talked about this on the show. Your parachute payments. Your parachute payments should be docked by a percentage if you. No, no, serious. If you like, if you don't get to. Let's say you get this full parachute payment, right? If you go down. If you. If you go down on 10 points, you get far less money than if you go down on 20 points or if you go down on 30 points. Yo. You can't go down in the Premier League on five. Five points.

[Landon Donovan]

That's wild.

[Tim Howard]

And. And still get the full payment.

[Landon Donovan]

It's wild.

[Tim Howard]

That's crazy, bro.

[Landon Donovan]

There was this tweet going around too, that was like, well, Wolves XG is similar to Aston Villas, But Villa have 38 and Wolves have two. I'm like, stop. Don't get me started on XG, okay? Hugo Ekatika gets sent off for removing his shirt after scoring. He was already on a yellow. This one just winds me up so much. By the way, it was in the third round of the Carabao cup at home.

[Tim Howard]

Yeah.

[Landon Donovan]

I will say it wasn't in a World cup final.

[Tim Howard]

Like, yeah, but he's. You're a goal score. He's a goal score. I think the only caveat I would say is I hate. I hate when players get sent off for second yellows because I'm like, if you're on a yellow card in soccer, be on your best behavior. Like, don't do anything that's even remotely near the line. The only caveat I would say is, like, and I don't score goals. Obviously, I've scored one, but I don't score goals. But the. The elation of doing that, like, it. You might forget for half a second. So that's the only. That's the only caveat I'm giving.

[Landon Donovan]

But you score goals, you have to really, like, lose your mind in the. And I don't know if it was a World cup final. It's the 93rd minute. Like, I'm like, okay, I get it. Like, you're going crazy.

[Tim Howard]

Just not having a Carabelle Cup.

[Landon Donovan]

Not against at home.

[Tim Howard]

I've won one, so maybe it's just more. We're not.

[Landon Donovan]

I just don't know. I don't know the euphoria involved. Okay, Spurs. Oh, man. Their summer transfer window debacle. They had Gibbs White. They had E. Lost both. And then, by the way, E came back and scored a hat trick against them. Whatever. A month ago. Tough. Just. That was brutal.

[Tim Howard]

We. We have. We actually have some Tottenham fans on our production staff who are listening, who right now are sending curse words messages into the chat.

[Landon Donovan]

The last one. Oh, boy. LA City Councilwoman Heather Hutt. And I think we have a video that goes with this.

[Tim Howard]

Oh, gosh. Oh, gosh.

[Landon Donovan]

She was asked about Sun LAFC Star now who's South Korean. And she said, no pressure.

[Tim Howard]

But when we. You know, I'm gonna say, right, but when. When a World cup comes, we're.

[Landon Donovan]

We're expecting a win here in Los Angeles for the usa.

[Tim Howard]

Aren't we, everybody?

[Landon Donovan]

And there you go.

[Tim Howard]

And so we are here to support.

[Jordan]

You to get that done.

[Landon Donovan]

And I'm just gonna leave it there.

[Tim Howard]

You know what? You know what? You know what? This. This. I'm not giving you my answer. This takes a cake for me. Here's the problem. As somebody, and you two, as someone who does public speaking, and. And sometimes I'm twitching all over the gaff, and I don't want to be made fun of, and maybe I Say something wrong. This is a big. This is a big fact check that. That was missed. Big fact check.

[Landon Donovan]

Well, I, I, I, I don't even know if it was a fact check. I think she just got up there and just, like, spewed it like Ugo A.

[Tim Howard]

She got excited in the moment. She's like, this guy. This guy's playing for us.

[Landon Donovan]

But I don't know. You're right. Like, we do speak in public a lot. I'm sure we make mistakes and say things, whatever, but sure. And they speak a lot counts. But this was just wild. So that's your, that's your pick.

[Tim Howard]

No, no, it's not.

[Landon Donovan]

Okay, what's your pick?

[Tim Howard]

It's a toffee's going out. Adrisa, Ghana. Gay. Just lumping on Michael Keenan. Oh, my gosh.

[Landon Donovan]

Can you imagine, by the way, Moyes on the sideline watching that? Can you imagine what he must have said after the game? I would have been so scared.

[Tim Howard]

But it's like two petulant. Like, it's like two brothers.

[Landon Donovan]

I know.

[Tim Howard]

Just go. You're in the kitchen right now. We go in the living room in the sort of house, sort of. Jesus, that's mine.

[Landon Donovan]

For me, it's like a tk. This is just. You cannot do this. You can't do. It's just so dumb. It is so dumb.

[Tim Howard]

The actual red card. You're giving it to him?

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah, it's an actual red card, but he's getting the red card. Yeah.

[Tim Howard]

Fair.

[Landon Donovan]

Sorry.

[Tim Howard]

All right.

[Landon Donovan]

And that brings us to. To the unfiltered refresh. Most refreshing quote of the year. Sponsored by Coors Light. Choose Chill. Get Coors Light delivered. Go to coorslight.com USLNT all right, Timmy, Quote of the year.

[Tim Howard]

You go first. Let's, let's, let's motor through these. So Brian Smetser, head coach of Seattle Sounders, fan of the show. We're a big fan of his. Prior to the Leagues Cup Final vs Inter Miami says I quote, messi is arguably the best player the world has ever seen. But we have Paul Rothrock.

[Landon Donovan]

Sure, sure. So good.

[Tim Howard]

Paulie Rothrock.

[Landon Donovan]

Didn't he go on to score, by the way, in that game? I think he did.

[Tim Howard]

Oh, absolutely did. I mean, he just knows.

[Landon Donovan]

He knows what a top player is. Pochettino during the summer, this was. This one made my eyebrows go up in my jaw drop. After he got into the back and forth with Christian Pulisic. And Christian's request to have played in the friendlies, but then not in the Gold Cup. He said, quote, I think when I signed my contract with the federation, it said, I am the head coach. I am not a mannequin. That was a. That was a defining moment for him.

[Tim Howard]

Yeah. Sure was. Fair enough.

[Landon Donovan]

Sure was.

[Tim Howard]

Chris Richards, following the US MNTs friendly versus Australia, things got a little spicy. Christian Pulisic was forced off with an injury after a foul.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah.

[Tim Howard]

Chris Richards said, they're lucky it was a friendly. I was ready to go. If the ref didn't give me a yellow in the corner, I probably would have killed somebody. Here's the thing. I'm going to need Chris now. Who's. Who's. Who's the boss? I need him to calm down. I need him to stay on the pitch against Australia in the World Cup. But if he needs to lay the wood to somebody in a tackle in the corner, I'm here for it.

[Landon Donovan]

No problem.

[Tim Howard]

Stay on the pitch, stand the pitch.

[Landon Donovan]

And then recently, Mo Salah, after getting benched for the third straight match. Quote, I don't know why this is happening to me. I don't get it. I think if this was somewhere else, every club would protect its player. Man, this was incendiary. How I see it now is like, you throw Mo third person. Love third person. Mo throw Mo under the bus because he is the problem in the team now. But I don't think I am the problem. I have done so much for this club. The respect I want to get. I don't have to go every day fighting for my position because I earned it. I am not bigger than anyone, but I earned my position. It's. It's football. It is what it is.

[Tim Howard]

Couldn't agree more with Mo. Here's the crazy thing. LD this has all gone quiet, but you forget he's gone African combinations like this might still be a story.

[Landon Donovan]

Yep.

[Tim Howard]

Okay. Jaden Shaw following Gotham's win over Kansas City. Jaden, I don't mind it. Underdog's my. That's what she said. And I was thinking it's really iconic because you can say all that stuff, but you got to win. And they won.

[Landon Donovan]

And they won. She needs a T shirt now.

[Tim Howard]

Yeah.

[Landon Donovan]

Oh, sh. She's going to. She's going to.

[Tim Howard]

All over the stadium.

[Landon Donovan]

What do you call copyright? That's all right. And lastly, Thierry Henry following Inter Milan's Champions League victory over Barca. I love this. He said, I've been bored watching football for the past one or two years.

[Tim Howard]

Bored.

[Landon Donovan]

So thank you, Inter, and thank you, Barca. I think it was a 4, 3 game. 7, 6 on aggregate. It was a phenomenal tie. Yeah. And I just. I would. I so agree, because I was. I've just been so sick watching, like, you have the ball, we have the ball. You have the. And it just gets boring. This was like what Champions League was when I was growing up watching. It was like back and forth, back and forth, four to two, four to three. I loved it. Totally loved it.

[Tim Howard]

All right. My. Mine's easy. Most refreshing quote of the year for me was Chris Richards. I was just. I was desperately crying out over last year for, like, a leader to step forward in the U.S. national team. More leaders, guys that could support Christian Pulistic as the. What I thought was the sole leader for a while. And. And like, I don't know, there was something about last 12 months for me. Not. Not with his club because he's been brilliant, but, like, last 12 months for me, Chris Richards has just been. Been top. Top.

[Landon Donovan]

He's the man.

[Tim Howard]

And it's his attitude, so love it. That's. That's mine.

[Landon Donovan]

You know what? I. My first. I'll be honest, my first was Schmetzer, because it was funny. My second was going to be Jaden because it just. It was so good and, like, she backed it up. But actually, just listen to hearing what you're saying. This whole national team turned around when Pochettino said, I'm not a mannequin. And then he's. He followed it up with actions. And going into a World cup year now tied with Chris Richards, what you're saying, like, that was so necessary because we forget this team was on a bad slide. Yeah, Bad slide. And everything changed. So we're gonna give it Chris Richards, the unfilty. And Mauricio Pochettino. Cheers to you. Unfiltered refresh quote of the year. Cheers to you guys. All right, Timmy. Biggest shock of the year. Yeah, there were some. There were some big ones we will start with for sure in our US Men's national team soccer circles. When we got that news that Christian Pulisic was not going to the Gold cup, opted out of the 2025 Gold Cup. And I think we all. We all were shocked by that. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Tim Howard]

That was your Galaxy title defense. They didn't win a match in league. I remember going week to week thinking, yeah, they didn't win again. They didn't win a match in the league till May 31, the 17th game of the season.

[Landon Donovan]

That is incredible, dude.

[Tim Howard]

Wow. And you're. You're. You're on the front lines there, so.

[Landon Donovan]

And you're the defending champion. It's not like even bad for five years in a row.

[Tim Howard]

And by the way, it. You can be lucky and win a game. Like that's the crazy thing about soccer.

[Landon Donovan]

Like, it's actually harder not to win is. It's crazy. Curacao or as Wayne Gretzky says, Caraco qualifies for their first ever World Cup. And I love it. Tim, I know you hate the expanded format.

[Tim Howard]

No, no.

[Landon Donovan]

I just love that these teams get an opportunity now to play in a World cup and it's not going to be long lived. They're going to be gone. Going home pretty fast. But it's pretty cool they get to play Germany now. Ecuador and Ivory Coast. I think it's gonna be amazing.

[Tim Howard]

Yeah. Al Halal upsets, man. City 4 3.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah.

[Tim Howard]

In the round of 16 in the FIFA Club World cup again at the time, like, shocking. But also the glosses kind of come off a little bit because, like, we did see some. We did see some decent results in that tournament.

[Landon Donovan]

So. Yeah, that is shocking though. I mean, City. I mean, that is shocking. It was a great game too.

[Tim Howard]

I remember it.

[Landon Donovan]

Lastly. Oh, this brings me such joy. Sorry. To your former team, fourth tier, Grimsby Town.

[Tim Howard]

If you've never been to Grimsby Town, you might never.

[Landon Donovan]

Don't go.

[Tim Howard]

You might never go. I'm just saying.

[Landon Donovan]

I remember Grimsby Town were like a bottom of league one team and Lincoln City would play them sometimes and I was like, oh, Grimsby Town. I'd look it up on the map, like, nope, never going there. They defeat Manchester united in the second round of the EFL Cup. 2. 2. They won 1211 on pens. That was during that time where we thought Amaran might get sacked out.

[Tim Howard]

Yeah.

[Landon Donovan]

Woof. That was brutal.

[Tim Howard]

Interesting.

[Landon Donovan]

All right, go ahead.

[Tim Howard]

So biggest shock of the year is going to be the biggest shock of the show for you because Curacao qualifying for the first World Cup. Here's why. Here's why. Because we. You and I have. You and I have played in concacaf and we've seen. We're one of the haves, right? So like Mexico and us and Costa Rica, we're the haves. There's a lot of have nots, you know, in. In these. In these different federations around the world. Yeah. And. And when you see these small islands, these tiny countries where, like, soccer is the only sport, football's the only sport, and what that can do to, like, commerce and. And tourism and all, like. Yeah. Like to be people fainting in their houses because they qualify for the world cup, like, it's. And then. And then they get to go on that journey. And we saw that back in 98 with the reggae boys in Jamaica. And Jamaica's now, you know, become more prominent. But, like, it's a special thing.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah, it is. And that. That is mine, too. The unfilty definitely goes to Curacao. And I was having this conversation with someone the other day and like. Or was it with you guys, maybe? And we were saying, you know, is it that surprising? Is it that? And I said, guys, if it was Honduras or Nicaragua or teams that or Guatemala that made the World cup, you'd say, okay. That's because of the expanded tournament. There's 48 teams now. But Curacao, nobody had that on their bingo card. Nobody. Nobody. And so. And by the way, Suriname still in the. Whatever. Yeah, I don't think they'll get there. But, like, that is a shocking result. It's shocking. And I. I just. I give them so much credit. I can't wait. I think I'm calling one of their games, too. It's going to be so much fun.

[Tim Howard]

We. We were giving them credit. Not only do they get to go to the World cup, they get an unfilthy. I mean, I think, what a year.

[Landon Donovan]

It's been an unbelievable year. And I'm not sure which they'll covet more. Probably.

[Tim Howard]

I don't know. I don't know. But we are sending you an unfilty. Well done.

[Landon Donovan]

Congratulations. All right, let's take a break. When we come back, the awards continue. And then we've got some USLNT trivia. I think, Jordan, they haven't told us what this is, but that'll be fun. Right here on Unfiltered Soccer with Landon and Tim, presented by Volkswagen.

[Tim Howard]

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

[Landon Donovan]

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

[Tim Howard]

And power wheelchair soccer to beach and futsal, VW is actively supporting all the communities and teams within the U.S. soccer ecosystem. They'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.

[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.

[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. [e-mail] There's a certain energy to soccer in Latin America. The footwork, the creativity, the passion from fans. It's more than a sport, it's a rhythm. That same spirit shows up in Cafe Bustello. Bold, vibrant, smooth. Turn up the Latin flavor Cafe Bustello has been bringing for generations. You can't miss this iconic staple anywhere. From the bodega to your local grocery store. They are everywhere. And now there's even more to love. They released a whole new line of roasts to match every mood. Light roast, medium, dark and dulce de leche. Each one with its own vibe. Available in pre packed bags and K cup pods. Delicious hot or iced. However you take your coffee, Cafe Bustelo shows up strong. I like mine black strong every afternoon. Cafe Bustelo is more than coffee. It makes you feel alive. Try the new Cafe Bustelo roasts today.

[Landon Donovan]

All right, the winter stretch of soccer is here upon us. With wall to wall fixtures, derby days, cup clashes and non stop action, you can get in on every match with FanDuel. Right now, new customers can bet $5 and get 250 in bonus bets if you win. That's right, make a $5 bet and if you win, you'll unlock $250 in bonus bets to use on goal scorer markets, assist markets, match result over unders, same game parlays and so much more. With the matches stacking up thick and fast, there's never been a better time to make your move. We'll talk about this more in stoppage time and get into future predictions on the English Premier League and the UEFA champions. Download the FanDuel sportsbook app now and get started. Must be 21 plus and present in select states. For Kansas, an affiliation with Kansas Star Casino or 18/ plus and present in DC, Kentucky or Wyoming. First online real money wager only. 5$. First deposit required. Bonus issued as non withdrawable bonus bets which expire seven days after receipt. Restrictions apply. See [e-mail] gambling problem. Call 1-800-Gambler or visit fanduel.com rg call 1-888-78-97777 or visit ccpg.org chat in Connecticut or visit MDG 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 NY in New York.

[Tim Howard]

Yeah, welcome in Jordan. Happy Holidays. Apparently it's trivia time, which I'm really good at.

[Jordan]

It is trivia time.

[Tim Howard]

How are your holidays?

[Jordan]

My holidays are great. I don't know if you could see over my shoulder, but I have a new scarf that got added to the collection. A friend of mine in Portland sent me a Portland cherry Bombs scarf. They're going to be joining the USLW league in 26. Yep.

[Landon Donovan]

Cherry. That's a cool name.

[Tim Howard]

Yeah.

[Landon Donovan]

I got a trivia question. Who has the most sweatshirt on this show right now? I think it's you, Jordan.

[Tim Howard]

Jordan.

[Landon Donovan]

The Liverpool sweater.

[Tim Howard]

Jordan, can you see in. In the notes? The editor is sending a note. Will you move your hair? Just a hair? Looks great.

[Landon Donovan]

Just move it a little bit.

[Tim Howard]

That. No, more down right there.

[Landon Donovan]

Perfect, perfect, perfect.

[Tim Howard]

All right, now we're ready.

[Jordan]

Okay.

[Landon Donovan]

All right, Go on.

[Jordan]

I have some 2025sh. Show trivia. So some of the stuff came directly from the podcast. Some of it is stuff we covered on the podcast. And I will just say, last year, our victor was Mr. Tim Howard. So, Landon, let's see if we can't, you know, go one for one.

[Landon Donovan]

LD.

[Tim Howard]

I'm just going to warn you. We played. We played Family Feud trivia, the board game Family Feud with Holiday, and I won.

[Landon Donovan]

So did you.

[Tim Howard]

Yeah.

[Jordan]

By himself. He didn't even need a family.

[Tim Howard]

Hand on the buzzer.

[Landon Donovan]

All right.

[Jordan]

Okay, here we go. Earlier this year, you Both listed your U.S. soccer Mount Rushmore for both men and women. Tim did the men and Landon did the women. Who did you name?

[Landon Donovan]

Okay, so Tim the men and me the women.

[Jordan]

Yes.

[Landon Donovan]

All right, go on.

[Tim Howard]

It was Landon, Clint, myself, and I bet I said Claudio.

[Jordan]

Correct. Yeah.

[Tim Howard]

Bing, bing, bing. One for me.

[Landon Donovan]

Carly, Abby.

[Jordan]

Yep.

[Landon Donovan]

And I feel bad if I didn't say rose. Did I say rose?

[Tim Howard]

No.

[Jordan]

This is Mount Rushmore. Landon, come on. And it was also in Jerusalem.

[Landon Donovan]

Soccer player ever.

[Jordan]

Okay.

[Landon Donovan]

All right. Carly, Abby.

[Jordan]

Yes.

[Landon Donovan]

Alex Morgan. I didn't say Alex. Oh, I can't even.

[Jordan]

You have to go back further.

[Landon Donovan]

Oh. Michelle Akers and Mia Ham.

[Jordan]

Correct.

[Landon Donovan]

Okay, let's go. So.

[Tim Howard]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Michelle, Mia. So Alex misses out.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah. Michelle Akers was every. You talk to everybody and they say she was by far the best.

[Tim Howard]

No, I know, I know, I know, I know.

[Landon Donovan]

No, I know.

[Jordan]

Also, Tim suggested Hope solo for. Yeah.

[Landon Donovan]

I mean, Hope would have been a goalkeeper for sure, but I think I have Alex ahead of her, too.

[Tim Howard]

Yeah.

[Jordan]

All right, this one is first person gets the point here. So we each have a point, right? Okay. So number two, who was the first guest of 2025 on Unfiltered Soccer.

[Tim Howard]

2025.

[Jordan]

Not of the show forever because we did seven episodes in 2024, but of 2025, who was the first guest?

[Landon Donovan]

I have a guess.

[Tim Howard]

I'm drawing.

[Jordan]

So. Say it.

[Landon Donovan]

Wilkins.

[Tim Howard]

That was my guess.

[Jordan]

Nope.

[Tim Howard]

No.

[Jordan]

The first guest of 2025 was Adam Crafton from the Athletic on the promotion, relegation episode.

[Landon Donovan]

Adam's on a crusade right now, by the way, with these match tickets. Like how expensive the FIFA match ticket? I mean, it's every day there's like an article in the Athletic about.

[Tim Howard]

You think they'll go down?

[Landon Donovan]

Let it go, mate. Let it go. No, I don't.

[Tim Howard]

I don't think it's.

[Landon Donovan]

I mean, if people don't buy them, they will. Like in Santa Clara, they got a bunch of bad games, so they went down.

[Tim Howard]

All right.

[Landon Donovan]

The market says. Yeah.

[Jordan]

Okay, so it's still 1. 1. Question 3. What EPL club broke their 70 year trophyless streak by beating Liverpool earlier in 2025?

[Landon Donovan]

Crystal Palace.

[Jordan]

Incorrect.

[Landon Donovan]

Shoot. Wasn't that FA cup my guess?

[Tim Howard]

70. Read the question again.

[Jordan]

What EPL club broke their seventy year trophyless streak by beating Liverpool EARLIER in 2025?

[Tim Howard]

What is wrong with me?

[Jordan]

Time's up. The answer is Newcastle United winning the EFL cup final.

[Tim Howard]

Of course.

[Jordan]

Okay. I'm willing to give bonus points if you can name the two Newcastle players who scored the two goals that won the game.

[Landon Donovan]

Jesus.

[Tim Howard]

Harvey Barnes.

[Jordan]

No.

[Tim Howard]

Anthony Gordon.

[Landon Donovan]

He sucks.

[Jordan]

That's one.

[Landon Donovan]

Yes. I got him. Who else did you say? Tim?

[Jordan]

The other guy is real tall.

[Landon Donovan]

Dan Byrne.

[Jordan]

That's right. Okay. Three, one.

[Landon Donovan]

Dan Byrne. That was my guess, too. Too. Before she said that.

[Tim Howard]

I'm just. I'm just park. I'm parking the bus now. I don't care about the win.

[Jordan]

Back in March, Landon referred to what MLS club as a nightmare, saying the team is poor. They look all out of sorts. And then when you see what's going on in the stadium, I don't know what's going on there, man.

[Tim Howard]

When was this?

[Landon Donovan]

What? Oh, revolution.

[Jordan]

Correct. Yes.

[Landon Donovan]

What do you guys call them? The cold babies.

[Jordan]

Don't tell people that.

[Tim Howard]

They're coming for you. They're coming for you.

[Jordan]

Okay. On April 6, the San Jose Earthquake played D.C. united in the 30th anniversary match of the inaugural MLS game. What was the score of the game from this year? It was a thrashing, I'll tell you that much.

[Tim Howard]

5:1.

[Landon Donovan]

I was gonna say 5:1.

[Jordan]

You're both very close. 4:1, 6:1.

[Landon Donovan]

6:1.

[Tim Howard]

Wow. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Jordan]

Okay, so we're 4, 4, 1. Come on, Tim. This is. This is where I feel like two for two.

[Landon Donovan]

How'd you get two?

[Jordan]

Well, because you said at the same time.

[Landon Donovan]

So we're giving the revolution.

[Tim Howard]

Yeah.

[Jordan]

Okay, so the next. I have four for you, but they're. I'm going to read a quote. You tell me who said it on this podcast.

[Tim Howard]

Okay.

[Jordan]

Okay.

[Landon Donovan]

Okay.

[Jordan]

First one. I'm shocked. We can't beat Panama and Canada. We only have a year left and time is running out.

[Tim Howard]

That was me for sure.

[Jordan]

Tim incorrect me.

[Landon Donovan]

What? Not me.

[Tim Howard]

What?

[Jordan]

Not you.

[Tim Howard]

You.

[Jordan]

Nope. Lots of other people have been on this podcast.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah, I'm shocked. We can't beat Canada and Panama.

[Jordan]

So it was earlier in the year.

[Tim Howard]

Oh, Bruce Arena.

[Jordan]

That's right.

[Landon Donovan]

Boom.

[Tim Howard]

Let's go.

[Jordan]

Okay. Three, four. Here we go. It's our fault.

[Landon Donovan]

Can it be one of us that answers this or no?

[Jordan]

What?

[Landon Donovan]

When you ask these questions, did one of us happen to say these or no. These are other people.

[Jordan]

I'm not going to tell you that.

[Tim Howard]

It could be us.

[Landon Donovan]

All right.

[Tim Howard]

For sure.

[Jordan]

Okay, the next one. It's our fault. When you talk about the spokesmen or women of the path to educate the youth, we have not done a great job of storytelling. This longer quote was actually really great.

[Tim Howard]

Don Garber.

[Jordan]

No, but I. It was a guess, and they were very, very thoughtful. I'll give you a hint.

[Tim Howard]

Yeah.

[Landon Donovan]

Rob Dow.

[Jordan]

No, the hint is this person does not. They're not involved in soccer. Well, I guess tangentially they are, but it's not their primary sport.

[Tim Howard]

Jason.

[Landon Donovan]

Kidding.

[Jordan]

That's right.

[Landon Donovan]

Let's go, Jay. Kid, you're good. My man. Jay, give me courtside tickets.

[Tim Howard]

But.

[Jordan]

Okay, so five, five, three.

[Landon Donovan]

Can you give me courtside tickets? Honestly.

[Jordan]

All right. The toughest thing about MLS is that the rules make it impossible to have deep rosters.

[Landon Donovan]

That was Will correct.

[Tim Howard]

By four comebacks on.

[Jordan]

Okay, last quote. Question. 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. We'd be naive to think that didn't exist. So how do you combine a little bit of the old school with the new school?

[Tim Howard]

Michael Bradley, let's go. Five, five.

[Jordan]

Okay, so we have one question left. We have one question left. Okay. This is a tiebreaker.

[Landon Donovan]

God, I believe in both of these things. The victory, I was already celebrating.

[Jordan]

I believe in both of you. Here we go. Ready?

[Tim Howard]

I got back to bus set pieces.

[Jordan]

Okay, this is your final question. In July, Landon was in Las Vegas for, I believe, his wife's birthday, and he got the chance to see Tim's favorite artist, Nas, perform live. Right. That same weekend, I was in Seattle. Why was I there?

[Landon Donovan]

My Chemical Romance. Well, Ty.

[Tim Howard]

Six.

[Landon Donovan]

Six.

[Tim Howard]

I knew he was gonna say it. So, six' six. That's how we roll.

[Landon Donovan]

To see a My Chemical Romance concert. To be more specific.

[Tim Howard]

Someone send us. Send us in a tiebreaker. Send us in a tiebreaker. Unfiltered soccer. And we'll answer it.

[Jordan]

Well, I have to come back later for the.

[Landon Donovan]

Oh, I love that idea. Someone send a great trivia question to Jordan next week. We'll answer that.

[Jordan]

We'll answer. We'll break the tie. Great.

[Tim Howard]

Break the tie.

[Jordan]

Perfect.

[Tim Howard]

Get your trophies ready.

[Jordan]

All right, I'll see you guys later in the. We got a long. A lot of. A lot of fan questions this week, so.

[Tim Howard]

See you, Jordan. Thanks. Change your sweater. Change your sweater. Thanks. Bye. Yep.

[Landon Donovan]

Bye. All right, Timmy, back to the unfiltered best Us lnt moment of the year.

[Tim Howard]

Oh, just a bit.

[Landon Donovan]

Good. Here are the candidates.

[Tim Howard]

Us lnt. Our.

[Landon Donovan]

Did I say mnt?

[Tim Howard]

No, no, no, no. I was just making sure that everyone.

[Landon Donovan]

Else thought Us lnt.

[Tim Howard]

Yes.

[Landon Donovan]

Moment of the year. David Moyes sending us a birthday message. That was awesome. Beautiful. Moise. Moise. When I. And you had hair.

[Tim Howard]

Good day.

[Landon Donovan]

Graphic for that. That was a great day. Remember when you had hair. Your rant about the national team post Nations League crash out.

[Tim Howard]

Yeah. What was I. What did I say? I don't remember what I said.

[Landon Donovan]

You know, did I.

[Tim Howard]

Did I.

[Landon Donovan]

It was pretty nice.

[Tim Howard]

Did I have an epic rant?

[Landon Donovan]

It was pretty good. Yeah.

[Tim Howard]

They have to win the Gold Cup. I don't know. After. After the. After the Gold Cup's over, there's no more competitive games prior to the World Cup. Does anybody understand that? I know there's friendlies. And by the way, the way this group is going, they're not going to all be together. They're not going to all be together. For these friendlies. There'll be certain guys pulling out. That's okay. That happens. But guess what? You've run out of time.

[Landon Donovan]

And then my story. Yeah. During the. I think that was the live show about my break from soccer. When I took my break from soccer, and I'm using that word intentionally, I didn't take a break from the national team. I didn't take a break from the Galaxy. I didn't choose club over country or country over club. I took a break from soccer. And at the time, I didn't know if I was ever going to play again. I obviously can't pick that one.

[Tim Howard]

You can.

[Landon Donovan]

All right, you go ahead.

[Tim Howard]

I mean, I feel like it's not even like our moment of the year. I don't even think it's soccer. I think it's just like, it's like Time magazine moment of the year. Like, you having hair is amazing to me. That is my moment of the year. That made me so happy to see you. I mean, look at you. You've always been super handsome, but this is. This is.

[Landon Donovan]

We take it for granted now. Like, I don't even think about it anymore. But at the time, it was. I think it was. No, it wasn't like the public unveiling of it, but it was just. I remember you guys, like, what?

[Tim Howard]

So.

[Landon Donovan]

So what's going on?

[Tim Howard]

So hang on, hang on. So I have. I have a follow up, like, so I know you. You're like, oh, I want to try. This is cool. You like it. Like, do you now? How old are you?

[Landon Donovan]

I look 31, but.

[Tim Howard]

Yeah, you look 31.

[Landon Donovan]

43.

[Tim Howard]

So you're 43. Like, so now where is your head at? Not literally. Headset's got. Are you like, I'm doing this for.

[Landon Donovan]

To be honest, I'm a hair. The coolest thing that came from this was this guy reached out because there was an athletic article that was on the front page of the New York Times about it, too. And this guy is a biotech guy, and they're developing a, like, a shot like, like Ozempic type type thing that is growing your hair back. Your natural hair. And, like, I can get into all the details, too, but it was so cool. He reached out and I was like, sign me up. Let's go. So they're going through their trials right now, but if this happens, it would totally change. So if that happens, I'll do that and just have your real. That's the goal is to have your real natural hair again.

[Tim Howard]

So there's. Is there going to be a. Is it going to be a world on this show where you, like, I'm just. I'm just rocking like a little. A little Caesar with a. With a part there.

[Landon Donovan]

And, like, if this happened, would. I mean, you wouldn't do it, right? You like your bald head?

[Tim Howard]

Bald is beautiful.

[Landon Donovan]

But so many people, Tim, like, women, too, would jump all over this. Totally. If you could just take. And, like, I think you take two shots and for two to six years, you have your natural hair growth. Can you imagine it would change the whole world. It would change the game.

[Tim Howard]

Please get this for free. Don't pay for it, because.

[Landon Donovan]

All right, that's my moment too, then. Fine.

[Tim Howard]

All right, let's go.

[Landon Donovan]

All right. Okay. This, I think, is my favorite.

[Tim Howard]

The.

[Landon Donovan]

Do me a favor. I love when you say that, because you just get so he heated. Do me a favor of the year. Okay, we can go back and forth on these. So the first one is all the complaints during the FIFA Club World cup about the weather. Oh, God. And Brute. The worst was Dortmund's bench watch the first half of their game from the locker room when it was 87, not 107. 87 degrees in Cincy. Do me a favor, dude.

[Tim Howard]

I remember when they went, what are they doing? Why are you insane?

[Landon Donovan]

And they posted a picture of it as if it was. I was like, you idiots.

[Tim Howard]

Like, sometimes. Sometimes people love taking the piss out of, like, soccer in America, and all they do is just look like Muppets. Lamin's father saying his son not winning the Ballon d' or was the biggest moral damage done to a human being. Okay.

[Landon Donovan]

All right.

[Tim Howard]

So Yamal finished second to Usman Dembele. It's also worth noting Jamal's teammate, Rafinha.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah.

[Tim Howard]

League of player of the season. And equaled the Champions League record for gold contribution of 21. He finished fifth.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah. A bigger gripe than Yamal did.

[Tim Howard]

It's a. It's a big statement. And I will say. I will say as. As the father and my daughter does not play on the world stage yet, but as. As the father of a soccer player, there's a lot of things I want to say about. About. About things in my daughter's career, but I don't. I don't. I just. I'm just. Shut up.

[Landon Donovan]

But it's one thing to say I'm disappointed. The biggest moral damage done to a human. Really? Have you studied any history?

[Tim Howard]

No. No, he has not. He has not.

[Landon Donovan]

Okay, this one, too. This wound me up. Oliver Glasner, the head manager of Crystal palace, criticizing Poutino for playing Chris Richards when Glasner plays him every week, every minute of every week, except for one Europa Conference League game they had against Larnica A. EK Larnica. That one wound me up, too, because he's, like, pissed that he's coming into. And they're just friendlies. They don't mean they're not friendlies for us.

[Tim Howard]

Sure. Of course.

[Landon Donovan]

We need these games. And Pochettino went back at him, too, and I thought it Was great.

[Tim Howard]

Yep, yep, yep.

[Landon Donovan]

All right, go ahead.

[Tim Howard]

All right.

[Landon Donovan]

What's yours?

[Tim Howard]

My do me a favor of the year award. That's a tough one. It's a tough one.

[Landon Donovan]

This is tough.

[Tim Howard]

Tough one. The players that didn't, that couldn't stand the heat. That was a, that was, I think it has to be Lamina Mall's father. That's just a, it's a wild statement. So congratulations. So he didn't get, he didn't get the Ballon d', or, but he did essentially in the same household. Do me a favor. Yeah, yeah. Well done.

[Landon Donovan]

That's good. You can put that on the mantle. Yeah, yeah, I agree. And this was a bit of the, like, this has been like a few years of the year of the father saying what they shouldn't say. You know, like there's been so many instances where you're like, can you just shut up, man? Like leave your son? Like, oh God. Okay. I agree with that. Congrats. Lamina Mall. The trophy you've been coveting the unfilty.

[Tim Howard]

Unfilty. All right.

[Landon Donovan]

U.S. breakthrough Player of the year. This is on the men's side. Matt Freeze. Alex Freeman, Max Arnold, Diego Luna. I'm actually curious what you are.

[Tim Howard]

This is an easy one for me.

[Landon Donovan]

Matt Freeze and goalkeeper.

[Tim Howard]

Well, I don't. Listen, I don't belong. I'll tell you why.

[Landon Donovan]

You're not part of the union, right?

[Tim Howard]

I, I, I don't, I'm not a car care member of the goalkeepers union. But you have, you have to say the only answer here is Alex done really well. Max Arston, I think is again a special player. He's starting to really show his form. Diego Luna, we love. The fact of the matter is it's an impo. You and I like these guys might make the World cup team and play. Alex, Max and Diego, you and I, knowing what we know about soccer, if we sat here six months ago and someone would have said to both you and I, starting goalkeeper is going to be this kid Matt Freeze from, from New York City. We'd have been like, caller, get off the line. You're stupid. How can he. I said it. How can he. The kid's going to have barely 15 caps, no international experience. Of course he won't be playing and only will he not be playing. He's going to be the number one goalkeeper. He's going to play every game in the World Cup. Like that has to be the breakthrough player of the year. End of story.

[Landon Donovan]

So if it weren't for this other person I would agree with you. You know how I feel about Diego Luna, and I love him as a player, as a person, everything he stands for. But I said earlier, when Pochettino said, I'm not a mannequin, it set, like, very firm boundaries and guidelines and expectations. And when Diego Luna broke his nose during that January friendly and refused to come off the field, Pochettino gravitated to him and said, okay, he's like me. He's one of me. And Pochettino was desperately looking for someone like that. And not only did he like that and encourage that from Diego, but he sort of anointed him as, like, a starter for a while. And that mentality then crept into every other player who was like, oh. Cause we're as players, we're always paying attention. And if the coach loves a guy who's doing a certain thing, you're like, I'm going to do more of that because I want to get on the field. And that's what Diego Luna was. He was that guy that everyone said, okay, I have to play this way. I don't have to be perfect, but I have to play with that level of passion if I'm going to make the national team. And I think that was a breakthrough moment. So for me, he's the breakthrough player of the year.

[Tim Howard]

Congratulations, Matt Diego.

[Landon Donovan]

Matt Diego will send you your trophy. Congratulations. It's a hell of an honor. All right, Team of the year. These are interesting.

[Tim Howard]

Yeah.

[Landon Donovan]

So psg, they won the treble. They got to the club World cup final. They had six players represented on FIFA's best 11. That's pretty wild. Donaruma, Mendez, Pacho, Hakimi, Vitinha and Dembele.

[Tim Howard]

Great pronunciations.

[Landon Donovan]

Thank you. Appreciate that. Gotham FC won nwsl. Beat Kansas City along the way. Beat everybody along the way on the road. Yeah, they were phenomenal. Inter Miami, of course, had an incredible year from. And they played a ton of games. And then Chelsea, who were your club World cup champions by beating PSG in the final.

[Tim Howard]

Final.

[Landon Donovan]

What do you got?

[Tim Howard]

I put zero stock. Put zero stock in the French First Division league. Zero. If you're PSG zero stock, you could win that with your youth team. Reached the club World cup final. Yeah. But got beat. I know. I'm, I'm. I'm. I'm picking the bones at this because they're a brilliant team. I think Gotham's run was pretty special. Chelsea. Yeah. But for me, it's Inter Miami. And I've said all along, like, for them to win the Supporters Shield two Seasons ago. And you and I talked on this show like, it's all the eggs in one basket right now. Do everything you can. And they. We knew they would do everything they can to basically go, don't have to be great in March. Don't actually have to be great in July.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah, but we have to be.

[Tim Howard]

And they did it. And by the way, it's hard to do. It's hard to. I know they have Messi and all that, but it's hard to do. And so big credit, big credit to Sir David Beckham. He's a legend and. Yeah, that's my team.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah, I agree. And I really wanted to say psg, because their run through the Champions League was so electric and kind of out of nowhere for being honest, but for what it means for soccer in this country, for what it means heading into the World cup, for what it means for Miami and David Beckham, who is a friend. And I just think it was phenomenal to watch. And just like when David came in 07 or 07, there are a lot of questions, Mark. Nobody question marks. Nobody knew how it was going to go, how he was going to perform, was he going to care? Whatever Messi is, same thing. And he's just shown up every week and he cares. Like, really cares. And I think that means so much. So congrats, Inter. Miami. I know MLS cup was an important trophy, but. But this will supersede it.

[Tim Howard]

Unfilty, coming your way.

[Landon Donovan]

All right, it is 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, 2026, right around the corner. So let's talk about some futures. We are halfway through the EPL season. Still a lot of teams very, very close together. Only 10 points separating the top four in the table. I do, however, think this will be Arsenal's year. I know everyone expects that they're going to crash out at some point, but I think Arsenal win it this year. I think City, Aston Villa, who are flying right now, and Liverpool will be close behind in the Champions League. Still two League phase match days to go. Arsenal still undefeated, with Bayern, PSG and City and Atalanta also close behind. This is an interesting one, probably unpopular one, but I actually think Barcelona, when they find their best form, will find a way to win the Champions League. At this point in these early phase match days, teams aren't too focused on it because they know they're going to be in that top 24. But I think Barcelona find a way to get through moving on to the Serie A. My heart is telling me I want AC Milan to do it. I want it for Christian. I think it would be an incredible story, but my head is telling me Inter Milan are the better team. I think Inter Milan have just enough to top the other teams that are close by. So I look for them to win the Serie A this year. So our unfiltered soccer futures this week are Barcelona to win the Champions League, Inter Milan to win Serie A, Arsenal to win the Premier League. Can't believe I'm saying that. With Man City, Liverpool and Aston Villa to finish in the top four. Don't forget, as always, check out the full list of unfiltered soccer futures on our socials later this week. All right, let's take a quick break. When we get back, we will take a look at some of the big stories from this previous week and we'll dive into your Questions in the AT&T fan connection right here on Unfiltered Soccer with Landon and Tim. Presented by Volkswagen. This episode is brought to you by Airbnb. Happy New Year, my friend. Time to ring in 2026, the year of soccer right here in the U.S. happy New Year.

[Tim Howard]

LD 2026 is going to be amazing, but you and I are going to have to put in some miles this year. There's so much going on. Not just this summer, but all year.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah. I love it, though, man. Getting to travel to see soccer all over the country, all over the world. It's one of my favorite things to do. Sitting with people in the bar, hanging out. I meet so many incredible people. They remind me why I got into the sport in the first place. They're so passionate, welcoming. They love this game the same way I do.

[Tim Howard]

Yeah, I completely agree. Not only do I love getting to travel to meet local fans, I love meeting people who are also traveling from somewhere else to support their club or or their country's national team. It's very cool watching this sort of soccer culture swap between the home and away fans at a game. They bring the spirit of the game wherever they go.

[Landon Donovan]

Yes, they do. And that got me thinking. What if these soccer ambassadors could turn their homes into an opportunity while they're away? If you're traveling to support your favorite team, let your home play its own role by hosting it on Airbnb. It's an easy way to earn a little extra, whether that means saving up for your next international match or helping your kids chase their Own soccer dreams.

[Tim Howard]

Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how [e-mail] host all right, Tim.

[Landon Donovan]

It is that time of year, the end of the year, New Year's Eve, and I'm boring, dude. I'm really boring. I watch the New York ball drop and New Year's and once it hits 9pm I'm out. But leading up to that, I'm not going out. I want to be safe. I don't like to be out with traffic and noise. So I'm chilling at home with a Coors Light, choosing chill with my family. We put the hot tub on and just chill.

[Tim Howard]

Love that. Yeah. New Year's Eve for me is is the perfect time for me to choose chill because I'm the same. I've done the party and now I like to be home with friends. Reaching the fridge. Get a course like crack it open. Celebrate at midnight, Watch the ball drop. I can hear the cheers from my apartment, like that's how close I am. That's cool. And that's just what we do.

[Landon Donovan]

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

[Tim Howard]

Yeah, choose chill from the start this year and then reach for a Coors Light. Get Coors Light delivered straight to your door. Visit Coors Light.com UFS or you can find it pretty much anywhere that sells beer.

[Landon Donovan]

Celebrate responsibly. Coors Brewing Co. Golden, Colorado there's nothing.

[Tim Howard]

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.

[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&T has your back. With the AT&T guarantee, staying connected matters.

[Tim Howard]

That's why in the rare event of a network outage, AT&T will proactively credit you for a full day of Service. That's the AT&T guarantee.

[Landon Donovan]

Learn more at att.com guarantee AT&T connecting changes everything.

[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 LD Some notable stories from this week in the world of football. Tyler Adams, mcl Prognosis, out for two to three months. Hate this. Saw it happened early in the Manchester United game. Didn't love it. It likely missed the U.S. men's National Team march window. Yeah. Don't love it. Yeah.

[Landon Donovan]

You know, I watched. I. I said this to you guys, I think, privately, but he's a very experienced player, but he will learn. I don't know if he's ever had a moment like that, that if you go in with your leg open like that and you go in halfway, you're putting yourself at big risk. And we've all done it. We've all made that mistake. You either you just got to pull out of that challenge, or you got to get your body and your weight behind it and, like, get through the ball. And it was brutal to watch. But honestly, when it happened. I've had that before. I don't know if you have, but it's like a. It's longer than you think. It's like a four to six week, usually if there's a minor tear. But he obviously had a pretty bad tear there.

[Tim Howard]

Yeah.

[Landon Donovan]

And I don't know if he's. I don't know if he's gonna have surgery or not or if it's just a big enough tear where it's good. But it's a hard one to come back from, Tim, because every time you go now, I think it was his left leg. Every time he goes to open up his leg and pass the ball with his left foot, you're gonna feel it and you're gonna be scared, and it's a really hard one to come back. He will be fine.

[Tim Howard]

Yeah.

[Landon Donovan]

And I want everyone to know that he will be fine. But it was just. It sucked, man.

[Tim Howard]

I said to you at the time, you're right. He's a tackler, by the way. So, like, for him to come back to full fitness, it's not like anaerobic fitness. It's.

[Landon Donovan]

Right.

[Tim Howard]

And he has to be healed. It has to be strong. And, you know, the return to play protocol for knee is you got to be able to do block tackling and then that type of stuff. So it's. He'll be okay. Yeah. But it's. It sucks that I'll miss probably Mr. March window.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah. I don't think. And then who knows what that means, right? Then he's back in. In whatever. May, one of their games. May, June, before I get. They think they go into camp in May.

[Tim Howard]

So Yeah, and by the way, he's gonna have, he's gonna have a lot on his plate because Bournemouth are not playing well, man.

[Landon Donovan]

No, they're not.

[Tim Howard]

They're going down the table instead of up. So, you know, even when he gets back, it's gonna be a, you know, for him on the club level, that's a hard slog. So.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah, and I'll take the half. Half glass, half empty. Easy for me to say, which I never do, but I think maybe the break is good. Cause remember, he played through the whole summer with the Gold cup, so I have a few months now to just relax, get his body right and then come back hopefully strong. So another one on the injury front, the Chris Richards foot injury, I. He got stepped on, right? Is that what happened? And then he had stitches and whatever, so he'll be fine. It's not, but it was nasty. You could see the blood coming through the sock. And like, I think he got, he got hit pretty hard.

[Tim Howard]

He did. But you know, anything that requires stitches is always like, yeah, it's fine, it's fine. Should be healed up. Along those lines. Eunice Moussa started his first Serie A match for Atalanta last weekend, came off the bench and played 45 minutes this past weekend. Is there still a world where he gets another look for the March friendlies?

[Landon Donovan]

I don't know how. I just don't know how. It's one thing for Christian not to go to the Gold cup, but when he followed on as a 22 year old, he played like 11 games or something all year. I just, I don't know how Pochettino can trust him.

[Tim Howard]

So, yeah, no, this is, it's a non store for me. And it's, it's sad because it is.

[Landon Donovan]

Sad because he's a really good player, man. And everybody I talk to says they really like him, he's a nice kid and he just made a bad decision.

[Tim Howard]

Problem is when you opt out, when you opt out of a Gold cup or when you opt out of playing for the, for your national team, and then you don't, you know, you don't play like, you're not, you're not, you're not really in the conversation anymore. Like for me, you got to play football, you got to do it well, you got to do it consistent. If you don't do that, you're not getting talked about in the story.

[Landon Donovan]

That's right. NWSL this was such a fascinating story. So the whole Trinity Rodman thing. So Trinity Rodman's either out, I think she was out of contract and they wanted to resign her, but the league had no mechanism to resign her and pay her enough money that Washington could still stay under the cap.

[Tim Howard]

So I got an idea. She's working create a mechanism.

[Landon Donovan]

This reminds. I can't tell you how much this reminded me of MLS early days, watching this whole thing, because Tim Leiweke had to go to Don Garber. Tim Leiwicki, who ran aeg, who ran the Galaxy, had to go to Don Garber and say, we're gonna sign David Beckham. He wants to come, but we don't have a way to pay him. So how do we make this work? And, of course, then they create the David Beckham rule, and they say, designated player means, you know, you can pay anybody whatever you want above the cap. And it's changed the league forever. And at the time, of course, there are people like, he's making 6 million and I'm making 60 grand or whatever. And I would always say, guys, big picture, think big picture.

[Tim Howard]

Yeah.

[Landon Donovan]

So this is the same thing with nwsl. And there have been some people saying, like, this is so unfair to all the players who are not making that. And I'm just like, shut up. This is so good for. Do you want Trinity Rodman in the league or not?

[Tim Howard]

Right, Right.

[Landon Donovan]

Do you want her in the league or not? You want her in the league. She's a superstar. And you want others like her in the league because guess who can pay them? Chelsea and Arsenal and Liverpool and Everton and. And PSG and Leon. They can all pay her. So you better get. You better get going.

[Tim Howard]

Yeah, Right.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah.

[Tim Howard]

Totally agree.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah. So I. It's going to be interesting. They've. I don't know if it's officially confirmed, but it sounds like they've found a mechanism. But then we haven't heard any news on the Trinity Rodman front. Let me. Can you imagine if they did all this and then they didn't sign? So. I don't think that's going to happen.

[Tim Howard]

I'm sure it'll happen.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah. Okay.

[Tim Howard]

All right. It's time for Crossroads, presented by nhtsa. NHTS is here to remind you to drive sober or get pulled over. What player or team LD is at a crossroads at the moment?

[Landon Donovan]

So I was thinking about a few national team players. One was Geoffrey. He's been playing now regularly starting for Munchingladbach isn't quite producing. You know, he's not getting in the goals or the assists. He's having some good moments and he's working his way back. But I think the guy who is a little confusing for me, Tim, is Ricardo Pepe. He's scored down five straight games for psa, which is. I mean, it's amazing for any player anywhere in the world, right?

[Tim Howard]

Yep.

[Landon Donovan]

But we're always waiting for that still with the national team. And he had glimpses of it when he first came into the national team, but every time he's come in subsequently, he's looked a little bit off the pace. And so I'm just trying to figure out, like, where does he fit in all this? Because is Ajamong ahead of him? Is Haji Wright ahead of him or is he the number two guy? I think we all agree Flo is the guy. So where, like, I'm trying to figure out where he fits in all that.

[Tim Howard]

I think he is at a crossroads, because this is probably water under the bridge because we're going back in time. But, like, this is sort of. I'm thinking about all the US strikers down the years they were always in. Does that make sense? Like, every time. I just don't remember a time when Brian McBride, during Brian McBride's career, wasn't playing for the national team. Always Josie, Josie Alor. I don't remember a time, you or Clint, where you just weren't playing for the national team. So, like. Or. Or like begging the manager, like, if I'm Ricardo Pepe, forget injuries that was happened from Ricardo Pepe, I'm begging the manager, I'd love to come in. If you're getting word that, like, oh, they might. Might not bring in, you call the manager, say, am I coming in because I want. I want to commit, like, because then you limit your opportunities, like you said. Then he comes in and if he misses one opportunity, it's like, well, is he on form? We don't know. So you have to give yourself more opportunities to be in the shop window. And that's where I think the players on this national team haven't done the best job. They should be available for every game. That way we don't have to have these conversations of, is he informed? Because he hasn't been in in four months. Does that make sense?

[Landon Donovan]

It does. And I think sadly for him now, even when he does come in, he's going to be at least behind Flow. So we saw in the last camp, he got a few minutes in the first game and then he didn't play in the second game. And so he's just not going to have opportunity the next two games. Belgium, Germany, they're going to play the starters, you would think, I mean, think you're going to play the guys that, I mean, they are three days apart, so you never know. But it's going to be interesting. Definitely at a crossroads. All right, let's take one more 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, presented by Volkswagen. Drinking and driving is a decision that will change your whole world.

[Tim Howard]

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

[Landon Donovan]

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.

[Tim Howard]

You could 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.

[Landon Donovan]

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.

[Tim Howard]

Sober or get pulled over.

[Jordan]

Pay for Bonitza this episode is brought to you by State Farm. Listening to this podcast Smart move. Being financially savvy Smart move. Another smart move having State Farm help you create a competitive price when you choose to bundle home and auto bundling. Just another way to save with a personal price plan. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. Prices are based on rating plans that vary by state. Coverage options are selected by the customer. Availability, amount of discounts and savings and eligibility vary by state.

[Landon Donovan]

There's a reason Chevy trucks are known for their dependability because they show up no matter the weather, push forward no matter the traffic, drain and deliver. That's why Chevrolet has earned more dependability awards for trucks than any other brand in 2025, according to J.D. power, because in every Chevy truck, like every Chevy driver, dependability comes standard. Visit Chevy.com to learn more. Chevrolet received the highest total number of awards among all the trucks in the J.D. power 2025 U.S. vehicle Dependability Study Awards based on 2022 models. Newer models may be shown. Visit J.D. power.com awards for more details. Chevrolet Together, Let's Drive.

[Tim Howard]

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, AT and T. Connecting changes everything and on uslnt, our connections with you will help grow the game. Welcome Back to the AT&T fan connection. Jordan, thank you for being on the.

[Landon Donovan]

Show twice and changing that jersey.

[Tim Howard]

But also thank you for changing your shirt to the Outcast Stankonia 25th anniversary.

[Jordan]

Shirt that the Mondial did for them getting into the Rock and Roll hall.

[Tim Howard]

Of Fame forever, ever.

[Landon Donovan]

That's cool. With the flag on it too.

[Jordan]

Yeah, it is very cool. And I think it's a Stankonia on the back 25. We have a lot of stuff to cover in this.

[Landon Donovan]

Let's do it.

[Jordan]

You guys ready? So started with a couple of nice comments. I thought you guys would enjoy that. We'll ease in here. The first one is from Carl via email. He said. Wow, awesome interview. This is about Don Gar. Yeah, great questions, but bravo to the commissioner for seizing the opportunity. He's always been open, but the guy's encouragement and his engagement was perfect. Thanks for all of it. Not pulling punches and asking for the sausage making details. So good job, guys.

[Tim Howard]

Yeah, Don Garver was. Was incredible. We all interview. He's, you know, we've known him for a long time and obviously the fact that he was so candid and open with us, even he was. He was chilled out, relaxed and not many. And we talked about it, right? L.D. not many people get to see that side of him. We. We thankfully have have along. Along the years, but it's pretty special to see.

[Jordan]

This one's from David via email. This one's a little spicier than the last one. Love the show. Good opening. David. You talk about relegation as an owner and how bad it is. In my opinion, relegation keeps owners honest. Think of all the Cleveland Brown fans or Commanders fans who have bought season tickets year after year watching miserable teams, then have the owner either move the team out of town or sell the team for $9 billion. Give me relegation any day.

[Landon Donovan]

That's a fair point. I mean it, it. It absolutely keeps you honest and engaged. It does, it does. I mean, Stan Kroenke, for all he's done with Arsenal and it.

[Tim Howard]

The. The.

[Landon Donovan]

The Rapids are an afterthought for him. You know, John Fisher in, in San Jose. It's an afterthought. And, and they don't have to worry about. And, and fair enough. Like they ponied up the money in the beginning. They've. They've suffered the losses and all that, but the financial losses. But it does. It keeps you honest.

[Tim Howard]

It's a fair point, but it's not a fair argument because there isn't a sustainable Second division of American football. So, yeah, look, my. My arguments. My arguments will stand until. Until. And I'm happy to be proven wrong. Like I said, I've said to you all along, like, relegation and promotion, Relegation work in. In soccer terms and football terms. They just don't. I don't know if they'll work in America for all the reasons that I said.

[Landon Donovan]

You know what's interesting, though, Tim, in. In our interview with. Talking about Garber.

[Tim Howard]

He.

[Landon Donovan]

They used to say, I remember this, when I was on the executive board for the Players association, they used to sit in the room and they would say, just so you guys know, there will never be free agency, ever. Zero chance, ever. And guess what? MLS has now a version. It's not full free agency, but a version of free agency. And so he was also much more like, well, we'll see what happens with the schedule change, with how they, you know, they did that. He said, two years ago, they would have never thought about a schedule change. So I. I don't. I don't say that. It's. I used to say, never, ever. And now I'm like, we'll see.

[Tim Howard]

Sorry, let me not mix my words. Do I believe that we will be talking about a real world where MLS is involved in a promotion, relegation system? I do believe that that's going to happen. Maybe not right now, but my point to you, which I continue to say, because the gentleman who talked about the Cleveland Browns and wasteful ownership, You've been a part of San Diego, loyal. I've been a part of Memphis. I've been in meetings as an owner with my principal owner, saying, tim, I cannot continue to lose $2 million every year. Bleeding money every year. Right? So what I'm saying to you is, what's. What Are you into MLS right now? You and I want to buy a team. You're into MLS. You're like seven. $7,750 million in. You and I are going to want to sit at the table with MLS and go, where are my guarantees? We're going to pony up $1 billion here, me and Landon, we're making a new team. We're going to be in Iowa City. Right? But if we go down, what happens to our asset? Tell me. And I'm saying, that's going to scare the. Out of people.

[Landon Donovan]

What's gonna just say Iowa City?

[Tim Howard]

Yeah, it's. It's a. It's on the. It's on the expansion list. You and I are going to be the owners. But it, but my point is the same we're going to ask. We're going to be a billion in here, guys. So if we get relegated to the next tier, right, I'll have to reshape it. It won't be usl, it'll be a new tier. What happens to my asset?

[Landon Donovan]

No, I know you'll never, nobody ever do it.

[Tim Howard]

So, so, so I don't.

[Landon Donovan]

I get it.

[Tim Howard]

All right, that's, that's, that's all I'm saying.

[Jordan]

Okay. How about some actual questions?

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah.

[Jordan]

Okay. This first one is from Paul via email. I was wondering how you think we should rate and compare older legends of the game to modern world class players. It seems like attacking players are more protected from physicality than they used to. And there are much less players who have another job on the side, meaning that they can practice more. Simply put, how would Pele, Cruyff and Yashin do in today's game? And how would Di Maria, Rooney and Varan do in the 60s, 70s or 80s? Would they all still be world class?

[Landon Donovan]

Interesting choices there. Go ahead. It's a great question.

[Tim Howard]

It's a good question.

[Landon Donovan]

I'm thinking about it as we sum up.

[Tim Howard]

I tend, I tend to think, Let me think about, let me say this to you and it's a disrespect to the, to the older generations. I use the NBA as a really good benchmark for this argument. And I'm like, no one, no one is touching like SGA, LeBron, Jordan, Joker, no one's touching those guys. So they had like, they had some ballers in the 60s. Ballers I'm looking at. And I'm thinking if you put full court pressure on some of the best guards in the 60s, I don't even know if they get the ball over half court. That's how good an athletic guys are right now. And I think the same thing with soccer like I do. Maradona is the one for me that I just think you could put him, you can put him on the pitch right now and he was just that special and that nasty. Probably Cruyff as well. But I do, I do, I think, I think time moves forward. You know this linen, like the sports science moves forward, guys just simply get bigger, stronger and nastier like they, they do physically. Analytics move forward. So yeah, I think, I think you have, you have to create it on a scale. But ultimately the newest generation is probably the best.

[Landon Donovan]

It's an athletic question, right? It's about athleticism. But the question then, Tim is devil's advocate. If Larry Bird was born in 2000 would he be Luca or Don Church or maybe Larry Bird's a bad, maybe John Stockton. Would John Stockton be sga or, you know, and everything would have gotten better. Yeah, genetics get better, right? Like there's just more elite athletes playing. So it's just an athletic question. Like, could those guys play from a mentality? And yeah, in some ways they're better than the kids now. But just athletically, I don't know how you, I don't think how you could compete.

[Tim Howard]

I think to answer the question is it's, it's impossible to do those rankings. I think you have to be what Landon just said. You have to be open minded. You can't just be like, no, LeBron's the best and then be done with it. You have to kind of say, yeah, like what if, you know, like what if Shaquille. Only a big, big men shoot right now, Imagine. And by the way, big men who can't shoot have been taught to shoot right? Because they've extended it. And I'm talking basketball here. So imagine Shaquille o', Neal, the most dominant human being on the planet, was told by his coach, I want you to extend the floor. I want you to just take threes. And oh, by the way, when lane opens up, you can go break backboards. That would have been, that would have been someone who was superhuman. So I take your point. I think you have to look at the argument and try and be open minded and balanced.

[Landon Donovan]

And last thing, when I was with San Diego, Loyal, my head coach, Nate Miller, who then went to Salt Lake as an assistant, when we would talk and I would say, what are the differences between USL players? And he said, honestly, a lot of the USL players, technically their understanding of the game is very similar. But he said, athletically, the MLS player is miles ahead. Like, they can play three games in a week, no problem, and they recover faster and they cover more distance. And he's just said, athletically, it's a whole different game.

[Tim Howard]

It's a fair point. Yeah.

[Jordan]

I also think it's an interesting comparison because I think if you pull any of those older guys out and put them into the current day, you would change the face of soccer forever. Because if Johan Cruyff wasn't Pep Guardiola's mentor, football would look insanely different as a sport now, right? So like, that's also part of it too, is you. It's not just their athleticism, but their mind for the game was important to happen at the time that it did.

[Landon Donovan]

Well, in some ways they were far Ahead like Beckenbauer and Lothar Mate. Like the way they could play. And they could play anywhere on the field. Literally anywhere on the field.

[Tim Howard]

Crystal Storchkov could definitely play in my team today.

[Landon Donovan]

Thousands were good. Yeah.

[Jordan]

Okay. Here's a question from Madison via email. She asks. My question is a complete hypothetical. If a genie granted you three wishes, what three things would you implement today to improve or grow soccer in America?

[Landon Donovan]

What a great question.

[Tim Howard]

Good question. What three things? I don't know if I have three.

[Landon Donovan]

Okay. Number one is both on the men's and women's side. I would do away with salary caps.

[Tim Howard]

Yep.

[Landon Donovan]

And just let. And I know there would be casualties from it. Some clubs would go away because of it because they'd spend into oblivion. That'd be one. Because then you can really attract the best players from around the world and you'll get them here. That's one. Two would be a coming together of all the youth entities in the country to do what's best for men's and women's soccer as a whole. That would be number two. And put like their own ego and their own fiefdoms to the side and do what's best. That's my two so far, Tim.

[Tim Howard]

Salary caps. One, for sure. I would, I would create a. I would create a sustainable promotion relegation system by unifying all of the leagues. How do you unify. How do you unify all the leagues? Maybe you buy out one of the leagues and you overpay for it. I don't know. I don't have that answer. But I would unify all the leagues to create a football league, a football tiered system.

[Jordan]

I totally love that Tim has been such an ardent arguer against promotion, relegation.

[Landon Donovan]

And one of his wishes.

[Jordan]

Yeah. And I'm not like, I'm not trying to take the piss or anything. I think it's a great, that's a great idea that you're, you're, you're solving the problem that you identify as being the biggest reason not to do it. Yeah.

[Landon Donovan]

Jr, do you have any.

[Jordan]

I mean the, the salary cap thing I think is the big one. And just like a complete overhaul of youth soccer in the U.S. i mean, how do you, how do you not start at the bottom and that. That's the bottom. Right. Like, how do you not solve for the problem of creating the next generation of great American soccer players if you're going to overhaul it from the beginning?

[Tim Howard]

I also think you. It's a really good point. I think you need to. Just going to say we're being hypothetical. I think you need to create governing bodies, right? So we have Region one, Region two. What are you guys out in Cali? Region four. But I. But I think you need to create like a really staunch governing body for all these people. Because I talked to people at U.S. soccer and I just basically said, look, you can get all the ECNL coaches together, but the guy. Guy down in Florida who runs an ECL team and a guy in California, they're going to go, yeah, whatever. I make 200k a year. Don't tell me what to do. And that's really what happens right now. So there has to be some sort of system. I agree with that. I also think from the game, I think timeouts. I know, I know that sounds so American and crazy. I just. Teams trying to. So teams try and do it right. So there's value in it. So teams will basically say, and we know there's teams in the Premier League who do this every time. In the 65th minute, someone's, oh, I got a niggle here. I need some water. The whole team goes over, right to the manager and he does a little chalk talk. So there is value in it. Because I just think, I just think it's so difficult. Like Pep Guardiola can do it. And to be a manager, you have to learn how to do it. But a, but a one minute timeout every half, I think is. I think is. Would be. Would be okay.

[Landon Donovan]

Gonna get it in the World cup. But the water breaks.

[Tim Howard]

Is that right?

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah, it's gonna be automatic. I know what Adam Crofton from the Athletic wants. He wants lower ticket prices for the World Cup.

[Jordan]

He's gonna come to us and be like, what was the thought? Landon's giving.

[Landon Donovan]

Landon's. Give it a rest, pal.

[Tim Howard]

Adam, give Landon all the heat.

[Jordan]

I write an article about me just hammering Landon. You actually mentioned something that I have a question for you about. This one is from Eddie via email. It was recently announced that There will be three minute mandatory breaks 22 minutes into each half of the 2026 World cup games. Given that these apply to air conditioned stadiums and refs already have the authority to stop the match for water breaks, it's hard to accept that this is for anything but selling lucrative ad space. How will this change the way the game is played? If a team is gunning for a goal, will they abruptly have to stop for these commercials? Will tactics have to revolve around these breaks? Do you see anything positive in this?

[Landon Donovan]

Well, I'm going to avoid that question for A sec. And just say, my bigger thing is, I wonder if this, like, remember when we went from three subs to five subs?

[Tim Howard]

Yeah.

[Landon Donovan]

I wonder if this tournament will just make it like you're saying, Tim, where automatically there's just a timeout halfway through each half. It'd be interesting.

[Tim Howard]

Yeah.

[Landon Donovan]

Is there any value in it? There is for the players. Relax. And. And by the way, who cares if they sell more ads? Like. Like, I don't care. Like, let people make money and do what they need to do and. And maybe that'll help bring tickets down. I don't know.

[Tim Howard]

Here's what I would say. Is it three JR2 three minute breaks?

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah.

[Jordan]

Yes.

[Tim Howard]

Let me say this, let me say this. That. That seems a bit long. And here's why. You know, I'm a sports fan. I. I'm always amazed when I watch a boxer go 12 rounds and I'm like, yo, he only gets a minute on the stool in between rounds. Like, give that man some more time. I'm not sure. I'm not sure when. When the ball is in play. Per 45 minutes. When the ball is in play. 20 minutes, 22 minutes. I'm not sure. You need a three minute break in there.

[Landon Donovan]

They could do a minute, but. And a half easy.

[Tim Howard]

Yeah. Get water for sure. Get water. But like, you don't need three minutes.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah, agreed.

[Tim Howard]

Well. Well, who was it? Dort. Was it Dortmund that. That went inside?

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah, Dortmund, Germany.

[Tim Howard]

Germany might need three minutes. Four, four. Five minutes they might need, but the rest of the world does it.

[Jordan]

Okay, here's a question from Katie via email. Katie asks, in the interview with Commissioner Garber, there was a lot of talk about the quote unquote, northern teams feeling negatively towards a calendar shift due to weather. I don't know if Portland is considered a northern team, but we're definitely an area where the summer weather and winter weather are pretty drastically different. As a Timbers army faithful, I love the rainy games and I think it provides a significant boost to our already impressive home fields advantage. Our boys train in the rain day in and out and so they are comfortable. And some away teams, really strong struggle in the rainy weather. Plus it's honestly a ton of fun cheering and chanting in the rain. Do Tim and Landon think that this calendar shift might provide a bit of a hometown boost to US teams above the 45th parallel?

[Landon Donovan]

Absolutely. I. If I'm. If I'm Minnesota and Toronto and Montreal and Portland, Seattle, Vancouver and whoever else, I'm like Chicago, like, great, let's use this to our Advantage. Colorado does it with the altitude and Houston does it at two o' clock games. And yeah, absolutely take advantage of it.

[Tim Howard]

Yeah. Shout out to Timbers Army. They're awesome. Awesome place to play.

[Landon Donovan]

Incredible place. Love being there.

[Tim Howard]

Yeah. I mean, I think, look, I think what Don Garber didn't say, but he didn't need to say was like that they're not under any illusions. Like, they know there's going to have to be strict rules and contingencies put in for the northern teams for inclement weather. Right. Like, and, and that will happen. Right. It's not, it's not Mickey Mouse the way that MLS runs their ship. It's gonna be, it's gonna be tight in there's. They're gonna figure it out. Right? So the first time there's a, a snowstorm in New York, they're, they're gonna, they're gonna deal with it. Yeah. I would say that when you look at. Well, I guess the NFL is the only real comparison, right? Because baseball, you have rain outs and all that, but like football, there's a mat. You know, nobody wants to go to Green Bay and play. Right. Like, that's a huge thing. Miami Dolphins, there's some crazy record where they can't, they can't win over like, yeah, I don't know, some crazy degree. So, yeah, I think that's great. I think it's great. I'm. I mean, I'm on board with that.

[Landon Donovan]

And I, I'm here for it.

[Tim Howard]

I do agree with Landon. I think every sort of, every sort of microclimate in the US has its own advantage and it's for that team to take full advantage of it from a, from a competition standpoint.

[Jordan]

Okay, you guys know that one of my favorite things is when people write in to the podcast to suggest changes to be made to the game. So I'm calling this new rule.

[Landon Donovan]

Okay? New rule.

[Jordan]

So this is the new rule part of the fan connection segment. So this one's from Ian via email. And Ian says, I hate tactical fouls. It's unfair that you can basically rugby tackle someone to stop a counterattack and all you get is a yellow, yellow card, a slap on the wrist. It's one free cheat per game. What do you think?

[Tim Howard]

Tell me, tell me. It's a simbin. I love.

[Jordan]

What do you think of adding a penalty box? Like in hockey and rugby where yellow card offenses mean your team goes down a player for 10 minutes. If there was a direct consequence like this, players would not do it as much. So you'd See, fewer bad fouls and quote, unquote, dark arts. And more attacks allowed to play out without disruption to the flow of the game, meaning more goals. IFAB floated this kind of idea with the blue card, but that never took off.

[Landon Donovan]

So, okay, I got a lot to say about this.

[Jordan]

I had a feeling.

[Landon Donovan]

So when I played indoor, it's a real thing. When you go 5v5 to 5v4, huge deal. Same with hockey.

[Tim Howard]

You've had such a strange career for being the best U.S. soccer player.

[Landon Donovan]

Don't get me started.

[Tim Howard]

You played every. Forgot you played indoor.

[Landon Donovan]

I know. So that's. I like. I love it. The pro, in theory. I love this idea. I'm thinking about the practicality, and the reality is, for two minutes or three minutes, whatever, the person's out, it will be such an ugly game because one team will just put 10 people behind the wall and just not give anything, and it'll make the game boring for those few minutes. That's what I think practically would happen. But I don't hate it. I honestly don't hate it.

[Tim Howard]

I don't. It's funny, you said it earlier. I don't hate it either. The problem is if you get a game where it becomes chippy, and then maybe it becomes less chippy if you put these rules in, but, like, ultimately, as human beings, you then might get a game where you have, like, bulk of the game just played with teams, as you said. Like, what you don't understand is in hockey, like, hockey's different, right? Like, hockey's different because the proximity and the size of the net and. And the rink in soccer, and we. And Landon knows we do this. We can train. We train attack V defense.

[Landon Donovan]

Totally.

[Tim Howard]

And you. And you're like, okay, look, you're down. You're down a man. And we've got to see the game out. Every team trains that. Dude, you could be out there all day, bunker, 18 yard box. You're not going to score. So then it's like, this is boring and, like, it's not. I just don't think you can add it to a. To the game of soccer, but I don't hate it.

[Jordan]

Do you think it would result in more yellow cards?

[Landon Donovan]

Well, Ian was saying only for tactical fouls, so if it was every yellow, that'd be interesting. Right?

[Jordan]

That's why I'm saying, like, I. I think maybe Tim, you and I were talking about this a couple weeks ago that, like, you have to be trusting of the referees to be making decisions based on the benefit of the game, right? Because they're not trying to bring the game to a grinding hal. So my question then is, if this is whether it's for every yellow or for just tactical fouls, do you think they would be giving more cards? Or, like, if what you're saying is true, does that then result in less yellow cards?

[Landon Donovan]

I think it'd be less because they know how. Like, yeah, I think it would be less because they don't want. It's a. Such a punishment.

[Tim Howard]

I don't know what. I'm gonna say something, and we're gonna. We're gonna figure it out afterwards because I haven't quite filtered it through my brain yet.

[Jordan]

Well, we are unfiltered.

[Landon Donovan]

So would you say it's unfiltered right now?

[Tim Howard]

It is. It is. Wow. Here's the thing. I'm sort of thinking about this show, and we're giving this some genuine thought here. And we're. Americans. Get a bad rap. And I just sort of wonder, like, around the world, is there any podcast or radio show where people talk about rule change in soccer? This feels very American. No disrespect to anybody. This feels very.

[Landon Donovan]

Being in Brazil right now.

[Jordan]

Well, because in the rest of the world, they're like, don't change the game. Changing.

[Tim Howard]

So why do we need to change it?

[Jordan]

Well, because I. I mean, I'm not gonna. There. There's plenty of other questions, and we will answer them on future episodes of the show. But, like, people love to write in and say some variation on what do you think we need to do to change. Change soccer in order to make Americans more excited about soccer? And the rest of the world's answer would be like, either you like it or you don't. So we're not changing the game in order to bring you in.

[Tim Howard]

What I would say is we're on the cusp of 2026, and depending on how old you are, I kind of feel like that question has been answered. Been asked since, like, what, 80, 84 maybe? Like, we've been asking that question a long time. I have a feeling we're going to be asking it in, like, 2070.

[Jordan]

But you know what? At the end of the day, the soccer viewership in this country has been on the rise that whole time, the last 40 years. So I. I don't think we need to add blue cards or penalty boxes or do any of that stuff. That's just my opinion.

[Tim Howard]

True.

[Jordan]

What do I know? All right. This was fun.

[Landon Donovan]

Thanks, J.R. this was great.

[Jordan]

Thank you, guys. Happy to see you guys in 2026.

[Tim Howard]

Oh, yes. See you next year.

[Jordan]

Yeah.

[Tim Howard]

Thanks, Joe.

[Landon Donovan]

Awesome, Timmy. Another second annual Unfilty show. That was a lot of fun. I enjoyed that. And I think we'll make this even bigger and better next year.

[Tim Howard]

Oh, we have ideas.

[Landon Donovan]

Thank you all for being with us. Thanks for an incredible 2025. 2026 is going to be phenomenal. We cannot wait. As always, guys, please remember to subscribe on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, anywhere you get your podcasts, you can follow at Unfiltered Soccer for bonus content. Thank you as always to our great friends at VW, our Fan Connection sponsor, friends at AT&T, and our Crossroads sponsor, NHTSA, and of course, our stoppage time sponsor, FanDuel.

[Tim Howard]

Yeah, thanks everybody for listening. Obviously, your questions we love, and hopefully you love the Unfilties because it feels like it's our favorite show of the year. We're also wrapping things up, which feels great. Another. Another year here. So thank you as always to our unfiltered Refresh sponsor, Coors Light. Our additional sponsors, Cafe Bustello and Airbnb, have an amazing week. We'll be back next Tuesday with the first edition of unfiltered soccer in 2020.