Pepi Deal Crumbles, Spurs HELP Arsenal, and YOUR Questions Answered| Unfiltered Soccer

Summary

Unfiltered Soccer with Landon Donovan and Tim Howard

Episode: Pepi Deal Crumbles, Spurs HELP Arsenal, and YOUR Questions Answered
Date: February 3, 2026

Episode Overview

This week, Landon Donovan and Tim Howard break down the collapse of Ricardo Pepi’s transfer to Fulham, the psychology behind deadline day deals, and the tricky timing of moves before the 2026 World Cup. They spotlight USMNT players finding form, discuss how the Premier League title race is shaping up—with an eye on Spurs’ unique role in Arsenal’s fortunes—and field passionate questions from fans about career regrets, the new offside rule, and more. The conversation is candid, humorous, and typically unfiltered, giving listeners an insider’s lens on top soccer headlines and locker room realities.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Behind the Scenes: Pepi’s Failed Transfer to Fulham

• Breaking News: Pepi’s €37M deal from PSV to Fulham collapses last minute because PSV can’t find a replacement striker.
• Insider Mechanics of Transfers ([03:14]):
  • Clubs (especially outside the Premier League) need to secure replacements before sanctioning big sales.
  • Last-minute drama is common; most deals are finalized under deadline pressure.
  • Premier League clubs can often buy their way out of predicaments, but other leagues act more cautiously.
  • Landon’s analogy: "It's like when you're looking for a new home to buy and you can only afford it once you sell your own… it’s contingent." ([06:12])
• Timing Before World Cup ([06:28]):
  • Both hosts question whether making big moves six months before a World Cup is wise for American players established in their clubs.
  • Tim: "I love the move, hate the timing...get through the World Cup and then you can go." ([06:46])
  • Landon: "There are lifetime security decisions and smart football decisions." ([07:20])
  • Past examples: Some 2014 USMNT players missed life-changing moves; staying could mean missing out on generational wealth.
  • Risk vs. reward: "Had you gone to said Premier League club, your finances are sorted, you're done." –Landon ([08:24])

2. USMNT Player Updates: Form and Transfers

• Alex Freeman’s Move to Villarreal ([09:21]):
  • Success at a smaller La Liga club can put players in a 'shop window' for giants like Real Madrid or Barcelona.
  • Advice to Freeman: "Get your head down and be successful… Learn Spanish as fast as you can." – Tim ([11:17])
  • The American team benefits if Freeman settles and plays; otherwise, the move could hurt his World Cup starting prospects.
• Malik Tillman’s Red Hot Form ([11:47]):
  • Only US international with two UEFA Champions League braces—now done it twice.
  • "[Tillman] is a special player… there’s something about him." –Landon ([13:07])
• Collective Optimism for US Squad ([13:56]):
  • Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, and others are hitting form collectively at the perfect time.
  • "This team can go on a run [at the 2026 World Cup] if they click together." –Landon ([13:44])

3. Premier League Rundown and Title Race

• Tottenham "Helping" Arsenal ([26:47]):
  • Thrilling 2-2 Tottenham-Man City draw keeps the title race wide open; Arsenal benefit.
  • Tim: "Every time Arsenal slip up, everyone else slips up…it just feels like it’s Arsenal’s year." ([27:20])
  • Hostility between Spurs and Arsenal is so deep that fans have rooted for their own team to lose to spite rivals ([27:41]).
• Spurs’ Odd Consistency in Europe vs. League ([29:25]):
  • Hypotheses: Pressure of Premier League vs. freedom/psychological relief in Europe.
  • Sometimes, players perform better on continental nights because narrative-based pressure from domestic struggles is less overpowering ([30:05]).
• Other Highlights:
  • Scorpion kick: Solanke’s freakish goal wowed both hosts ([32:32]).
  • United’s resurgence: Late drama and confidence boosts under Michael Carrick ([33:21]).
  • Chelsea’s bounce-back: Now six wins in their last seven; managerial stability in question ([34:00]).
  • The hosts debate whether Man United should stick with Carrick or pursue a marquee manager ([34:39]).

4. USWNT & Crystal Dunn’s Retirement

• Unfiltered Refresh: Crystal Dunn ([20:04])
  • Celebrating Dunn’s career: NCAA title, 3 NWSL crowns, 2019 World Cup, 2024 Olympic Gold, 2015 NWSL MVP/Golden Boot.
  • Tim: "Her ability to adapt and adjust and play wherever she was needed… that’s what winners do." ([23:20])
  • Both hosts reflect on the extraordinary commitment of women playing at such a high level as parents.

5. Listener Q&A/"Fan Connection"

Career Regrets & Life Lessons ([47:29])

• Tim: Wishes he’d had a mentor in Germany to remind him to stick out tough times: "You're not going to play…keep doing well in practice and eventually you'll get your chance."
• Landon: No major regrets, but in hindsight maybe would’ve played an extra year on a veteran’s deal just for the love of the game.

World Cup Farewells ([53:59]):

• On seeing legends like Messi, Ronaldo, and potentially Neymar one last time at the 2026 World Cup.
• Tim: "To see those two [Messi and Ronaldo] perform one last time will be pretty special." ([55:22])
• Both reflect on not knowing when their final World Cup appearance would be—sometimes the game decides, not the players.

New Rules and Fandom Hot Takes:

• PK Rule: If you draw a penalty, you take it—unless seriously injured ([59:45]).
  • Tim’s anecdote: "Some players are superstitious: if I get fouled I do NOT want to take it."
  • Landon prefers designated takers for clarity and accountability.
• Corner Kick Wrestling Rule: Players ‘wrestled’ in the box must exit for the corner ([62:37]):
  • Both hosts point out flaws—defenders could manipulate to remove attackers—but like attempts to curb chaos.
• Offside Rule Debate: Atom-thin margins and VAR—how to balance fairness with entertainment ([43:32]).

Memorable Quotes:

• "Had you gone to said Premier League club, like, your finances are sorted, you're done." –Landon ([08:24])
• "I love the move, hate the timing...get through the World Cup and then you can go." –Tim ([06:46])
• "Every time Arsenal slip up, everyone else slips up…it just feels like it’s Arsenal’s year." –Tim ([27:20])
• "Her ability to adapt and adjust and play wherever she was needed. That’s what winners do." –Tim (re: Crystal Dunn) ([23:20])
• "To see those two [Messi and Ronaldo] perform one last time will be pretty special." –Tim ([55:22])

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Notable Moments & Laughter

• Warm banter about hairpieces and balding in sports at the start (00:50).
• Honest admissions about past career crossroads and the emotional weight of "what ifs."
• The hosts’ ongoing friendly skepticism about new soccer rule proposals from listeners—highlighting the unpredictability and psychology of even the simplest changes.
• Engaging back-and-forth with producer Jordan, who reads fan questions and pushes for more merch.

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Key Timestamps

• 03:14–09:16: Pepi’s collapsed transfer and player career decisions
• 09:21–13:56: USMNT form watch—Freeman, Tillman, Pulisic, McKennie
• 26:47–29:25: Spurs-Arsenal rivalry and psychology of supporting (or sabotaging) your own team
• 32:32–34:00: Scorpion goals and resurgent United/Chelsea
• 20:04–23:20: Crystal Dunn tribute
• 47:29–49:46: Career "do-overs" and advice for the next generation
• 53:59–59:17: World Cup legends’ final appearance; playing your last big tournament
• 59:45–62:59: Fan-submitted rule changes, with real-time critique and debate

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Tone and Language

Landon and Tim keep it candid, playful, and genuinely informative, blending deep soccer insight with stories from their own careers. They’re unafraid to give strong opinions but remain approachable, often poking fun at each other and their producer. Listener engagement is high, making the show feel like a lively locker-room chat crossed with a masterclass on the sport.

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Summary for First-Time Listeners

Whether you’re here for transfer drama, USMNT updates, Premier League banter, or just want to hear soccer’s American legends answer real fan questions, this episode delivers. Expect honest analysis, laughs, and the kind of transparency you only get from two stars who’ve seen it all—and are happy to tell you what they really think.

Transcript

[Landon Donovan]

There were two players, LD in the 2014 World cup squad that shall remain nameless. They were MLS players, but they were linked to European clubs. One in particular was a Premier league club. And I remember having a conversation like, do it, do it, do it, do it, do it. They never did it and never materialized. They never. They never. It never happened. And I'm saying, like, by the way, had you gone to said premier league club, like, your finances are sorted. You're done.

[Tim Howard]

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

[Landon Donovan]

Welcome in Unfiltered Soccer with Landon and Tim. I'm Tim. He's Landon, presented by Volkswagen ld. Something happened this weekend in the world of sports, and it concerned me, and I immediately thought of you. So I'm watching this boxing match, right?

[Tim Howard]

Yeah.

[Landon Donovan]

And the guy literally gets his wig knocked out. Like, he's got a hairpiece glued on, and just takes a right hand, and this thing goes wallop and flops off. So then they made me think of, like, you playing hockey, and I was concerned. I was concerned. So I want to bring this up to you to say, like, extra glue, if you're going to be playing sports.

[Tim Howard]

Let me let people peek behind the curtain. So, yeah, it is. It's. It's an adhesive, like a glue when it gets hot. So if I get really hot. So in hockey, it's a good example. I have a helmet on, and you're sweating like crazy. So there's this heat emitting.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah.

[Tim Howard]

And then when I take my helmet off, it's loose. Like, I could pull it and move it, and eventually when you cool off, it, like, glues back down.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah.

[Tim Howard]

But I was clearly hot, and it just ripped right off. And I think I saw him say something. Like, something happened and my hair fell off. Like, I put something on and my hair fell off. So I had to get a wig real quick. And I'm like, bro, you just went bald. Like, you don't have to hide it.

[Landon Donovan]

Bald is beautiful. Well, listen, here's another thing. A soccer show. But I question for you. I look at your hair, right? Like, I'm not. Disclaimer. I love, love my head of head of nothing. But if I went in to your. To see your guy, your doc, he's giving me, like, a full head of hair. Like, I don't. It's not just the top for me. Yeah.

[Tim Howard]

You need the back, too. Actually, I don't even know if they could do that.

[Landon Donovan]

Is it a helmet?

[Tim Howard]

That's actually a good question because you don't have any on the side or back or anything. Yeah, I don't think you'd have a helmet. I don't think you could do it. It'd be like a Lego piece on top. Anyway, let's get back to the important stuff. Glad my hair has not fallen off. Imagine if I was playing a game.

[Landon Donovan]

It's happening. It happened. Brutal.

[Tim Howard]

All right, welcome in. You can follow us on social media Unfiltered Soccer. Be sure to subscribe to the show on YouTube and please follow us. Apple podcast, Spotify, and you can email Jordan, as always@feedbackunfiltered soccer.com all right, Timmy, let's jump in. USMNT on USLNT just this morning, we get an alert from our people on the show. We thought Pepe Ricardo, Pepe to foam, was done last night. Turns out.

[Landon Donovan]

Nope, not.

[Tim Howard]

And the move, according to Fabricio Romano, easy for me to say, is now off. So PSV informed Fulham this morning no green light despite the agreed upon 37 million pound. No euro package because PSV can't find a replacement and the deal is not proceeding. So just can you take people behind the scenes? Because I know you dealt with this a lot and you saw it a lot.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah.

[Tim Howard]

Why does this happen? How does this happen? How do these things happen? And I have some context from lower leagues in England with Lincoln City and my affiliate there, but curious what your thoughts.

[Landon Donovan]

Well, look, this happened. This, this gets said a lot in European football, right? Like, it's a. There's some truth in it, but there's also sort of like, it's a way to like sweeten the deal, right? Because no, nobody's really going to know what, what irons you have in the fire, right? So if they're looking for a replacement for Pepe, they could, they could say to the agent or Fulham, well, we ain't got a replacement yet. And normally what happens then is the agent of Fulham goes, would like 5 million more help you find a replacement. So this stuff happens. It's always fascinating because you don't really see it. Like, you don't really often see it in the Premier League so much because the Premier League has so much money, like, literally so much money. So oftentimes, you know, you can, like, you're the biggest. You're the biggest spend. Like, if you're a Premier League club, you're essentially the biggest spender on the planet, right? So, like, when you get money through the door, let's say you go sell ESAC, you know, for 120 some odd million, whatever it was, you know, you can then go into Germany and France and Spain and. And all these other places and go buy a player. Like, you're not going to have to worry about, oh, we're not going to get our guy. So they always get their guy.

[Tim Howard]

So.

[Landon Donovan]

So. But that's the Premier League. So working the other way, psv, it might be true, these deals work sort of on a parallel plane. Right. If they've basically said to Ricardo Pepe and his agent, yes, he can go, or if clubs are sniffing around, yes, he's for sale at a certain price that we think is fair. 37 million euros they think is fair. Then obviously they're sort of simultaneously working to bring someone else in. Right. So they're going to go to their war room and their depth chart and they're going to go, all right, who's the. Who's the nine we want? You know, and there'll be five number nines across the world. Right. To be two in South America, there'll be one in Africa, there'll be three in Europe, and they'll go down our checklist. And I'm guessing they're doing that negotiations and it's not. They're not quite getting it over the.

[Tim Howard]

Hump, so it didn't pan out. And the other thing is, these things, it's inevitable. They almost always happen late, right at the end of the deadline. So you're kind of leaving it. Because that's when deals get done in any industry. Time creates pressure and then people want to get deals done. So it happens right at the end. Meanwhile, if PSV weren't able to finalize whoever they wanted.

[Landon Donovan]

Yep.

[Tim Howard]

Then you can see why it happened. Do you know the analogy I use? It's like when you're looking for a new home to buy.

[Landon Donovan]

Sure.

[Tim Howard]

And the only way you can afford it is once you sell your own home.

[Landon Donovan]

Correct.

[Tim Howard]

And so you go into escrow and you say, okay, it's contingent upon us selling our home. You don't sell your home. Well, then next thing you know. But I want to. I know.

[Landon Donovan]

It's.

[Tim Howard]

This is not only a soccer show, it's a housing show.

[Landon Donovan]

Sure.

[Tim Howard]

Because, you know, I'm. I'm. And we're going to touch on Alex Freeman now. These moves for me as a national team. For me.

[Landon Donovan]

Yep.

[Tim Howard]

I. I love the move. Hate the timing. Six months before World Cup. I hate the time.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah. January is a tough time anyway, for.

[Tim Howard]

I'm just saying, for six months before the World cup, you're Alex Freeman, you're Pepe, you're in a good place. You're playing every week, you're performing, you're doing well, get through the World cup and then you can go.

[Landon Donovan]

And.

[Tim Howard]

But. But I will say, from their standpoint, these are. You don't know if this opportunity is ever going to come again. Yeah, you have the chance to go chase your dream, make a bunch more money, play in the Premier League or La Liga, which is. Alex Freeman is reportedly set to move to Via Real now. So for them, I understand it. I'm just saying for me, as a national team fan, I don't like the timing. I don't.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah, look, I hear you. I think what. This is a more holistic conversation, and it's one that you and I have had, and we've both made decisions based on this sort of conversation. And I sort of believe there are. When you make these big, monumental decisions, there are lifetime security decisions and, like, smart football decisions. Right. Like, when you look at. I know. I know this for a fact, you look at Matt like a Matt Turner, okay? He had the opportunity to basically make sure his kids were sorted, taken care of for a long, long time based on signing an extension at a club where he basically kind of knew might not play here. I don't play here, then I probably don't get an opportunity to play for national team. But he made a decision, and again, that's not the whole decision. We can ask Matt that. But, like, he made that decision. I'm saying I'm okay with that. So, you know, like, if that. If that's what you choose, then I'm okay with it. Now, I. There's the other side of it is, no, I'm going really, you know, going really good right now playing in Orlando. If I keep this up, I'm going to play in the World Cup. And then, by the way, I can bet on myself. And if I have any sort of semblance of success in the World cup, by the way, it ain't just going to be Villa Real that's after me. I don't know. But here's the other thing. There were two players, LD in the 2014 World cup squad that shall remain nameless. They were MLS players. And I don't remember the exact sort of scenario, but they were linked to European clubs. One in particular was a Premier League club. And I remember having conversation like, do it, do it, do it, do it, do it. They never did it and never materialized they never. They never. It never happened. And I'm saying, like, by the way, had you gone to said Premier League club, like, your finances are sorted, you're done, you're done.

[Tim Howard]

So anyway, and it probably matters, the stage of your career you're in for Matt Turner, it's different. These guys are young.

[Landon Donovan]

Right, right, right, right.

[Tim Howard]

So, I don't know. I mean, it's. I understand it from their perspective. I'm just saying, for me, listen, I hope the best. I really do. If Alex. Look, I've said this about Alex Freeman. Every step of the way, when he's given a challenge, he meets it and exceeds it every step of the way. And I don't see why this would be different. And then you find out where his ceiling is. Maybe Villarreal is his ceiling. Maybe it was Orlando, maybe it's Real Madrid or the Premier League. I don't know. We're going to find out. So I. I'm curious, you guys think this move will help his chances of starting in the summer hurt his chances of starting in the summer? I think if he doesn't get on the ground quickly and play and play and play, it's going to hurt his chances, but if he does, I mean, he's. He's going to be a stud for this team.

[Landon Donovan]

I will say this. Yeah, he will be a stud. And what you said about him accepting challenges and stepping up is right. I would say this to. Directly to Alex Freeman. Get your head down and be successful. Because, by the way, the reason I say that, no disrespect to Villarreal, because, by the way, if he spends the next 10 years at Villarreal, brilliant. But in these leagues, Spain, Germany, Italy, when you're not playing for the Big Four and you're in the shop window every week and performing the Big Four is like, nah, you ain't gonna stay there very long. Come to us. Not to say that he's going to be a Real Madrid or Barcelona player, but what I am saying is it's a known fact, if you're playing on a smaller team, they're not a small team. But if you're not one of the top two or three or four teams in those leagues, you. If you're performing well, they snatch you up. It's like, ix y. It's the same. Exactly. Quickly. So, yeah, hopefully he. He performs, obviously, for the. For the. From the standpoint of the World cup, he gets settled in, in terms of off the field, which is not easy when you go abroad.

[Tim Howard]

But by all accounts, he's I mean, we've spoken to him like, phenomenal kid.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah.

[Tim Howard]

He has a parent who played professionally so that he has mentorship. And this is what it's going to look like that now it's a different sport, but this is what it's like. This is how you do it. This is how you integrate. I would say, Alex, if you're listening, learn Spanish as fast as you can. If you don't already, that will help integrate you. And then, you know, I do think actually he is going to succeed. I just don't know if it's going to be in the next three or four months.

[Landon Donovan]

And mom and dad, it's a beautiful place to live. Go settle your kid in. Go buy a house on the coast. Make sure two or three years he's all right. And then come.

[Tim Howard]

That's right. And then invite me and Timmy over to hang out. Okay. Elsewhere with the US Men's national team players, Malik Tillman is starting to get on a roll, which is good because he was quiet for a bit to me. He scored twice in the Champions League against Villarreal, actually, for Leverkusen, and then followed that up with a goal in the Bundesliga over and tracked Frankfurt. Paul Carr. He's so good on Twitter. I will never call it X. Malik Tillman is the only US international to score two goals in a UEFA Champions League game, and he's now done it twice.

[Landon Donovan]

I was shocked.

[Tim Howard]

I know. Last week against Viaral and then in 2024 against Shaktar Donet. Very good to see this guy in form. And we're starting to see a lot of our players round into form, which is perfect timing.

[Landon Donovan]

It's sort of like that. That surprised me, I guess, you know, when I think about who. Who else would have done it, you know, like bees played a bunch in the Champions League.

[Tim Howard]

But like, yeah, he did.

[Landon Donovan]

He's not a guy who's getting braces.

[Tim Howard]

You know, But Christian seems like the opposite.

[Landon Donovan]

Christian would be the one ton of Champions League league games, maybe Weston, but also like to. To like, expect Weston to be on a. A stat line that has. Says he scored two braces, you know. Yeah, Christian would be the one that I. I would be surprised at that. He didn't have it. But like.

[Tim Howard]

But it's. By the way, it's hard to score two goals in any professional game. Like, you score one goal, great game. You score two, you're like, geez, he's.

[Landon Donovan]

A special play, man. There's something about.

[Tim Howard]

He really is.

[Landon Donovan]

I really, really like. And I know I, I, you know, this is sort of like, you know, when, when, when for all the ups and the downs of this team, you're like, Weston's a really top player, he's playing well. Malik Tillman, really top player. Christian Pulisic, I know far and away the best player. Like you start going through it and you're like, if they get this, like they sort of get this click in, you know. And again, going a little bit offbeat here, but like, I do think every game is hard landing, particularly in the World Cup. I think this team is going to take that first round and go, hey, smack a few teams around. I think they're going to play really well and if they do that and all their individual players are sort of playing well and the collective is winning games, keeping clean sheets, scoring goals, I'm thinking could go on a run here.

[Tim Howard]

Yeah. And my mind immediately goes to how does Pochettino get them all on the field? Yeah, right. So like Tim Waya is playing every week. Where does he fit in? Freeman playing every week, hopefully for Vreal and playing at a high. Then you got Tillman, Weston, who we'll talk about in a sec. Christian, you're probably going to have Tyler Adams. How do you get all these guys? You're going to have flow on the field. So how do you get all these guys on the field together? What does that look like?

[Landon Donovan]

And well, well, I would suggest that's what we all been desperate for. Right? Yeah, I think it's, we unfortunately haven't had it, so it might be slightly new but you know, to, to, to sort of illustrate what happened with Arsenal this weekend. Right. Like Saka limps off in the, in the warmup with an injury like for like replacement. Madaweke comes on, man, the match performance like, like so, so my thought process is, yeah, if, if one of them misses out, sure. But you know, the World cup ld, particularly first round, you're gonna have to make changes. The games happen thick and fast. So like that you're going to have to, you're probably not going to name the same starting 11 three times. So like get in there and perform, Compete.

[Tim Howard]

That's right. Before we get to Weston and I want to hear your opinion on this. So last thing about Champions League. So Benfica, Real Madrid play last week. Benfica ends up scoring a goal in stoppage time to win 4 2. That ends up taking them into the next round where they will play Real Madrid again, the team they just beat in a two leg series. So the highlights from this game are insane and for people who didn't see it at the end of the game, they're winning three, two, and they realize they need to score one more goal to get into the playoff. Benfica against Real Madrid. And I think Real Madrid need to just keep them there to not drop into the playoff. Maybe. Anyway, Benfica's goalie score goes up and scores a phenomenal header. I'm. I know you scored a goal because I was on the field that day, but you never scored, like, in the opposing penalty area, did you?

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah, it's too far. Too far to run.

[Tim Howard]

You might have pulled a hammy, but what's it like in those. I'm sure you went up a few times right into the box, like, yeah.

[Landon Donovan]

Like, a little bit. And you feel dumb because you ain't really doing.

[Tim Howard]

I was gonna say. So what's the feeling there for, like, what are you thinking in that moment? You do feel dumb because it looks. It just looks dumb. It looks running up there.

[Landon Donovan]

I also, like, see, like, I see, like, a bunch of my best friends in blue shirts like, you're an idiot. Like, why are you here? You're not gonna help you. They're like, literally, like, Jack Jags is looking at me like, you're not gonna help us. I'm, like, dancing around thinking. I'm, like, making darting runs in your post, and then, bang, arm across the chest, and I'm like. I'm, like, on the floor. It's better to just do it from your own penalty area. You know what I mean?

[Tim Howard]

Yeah, you did it smart. Anyway, I just. I. When we see things like this, I want. If you're new to this game and you're listening, just go watch this. How could you not love this sport? I mean, it's just phenomenal. I was watching a hockey game last night. Bruins, Tampa Bay. It was one of those outdoor games.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah.

[Tim Howard]

And the goalies got into a fight. When you just see the goalies, like, really getting into it that way, it's so fun. So go watch that highlight. And then obviously, it's going to be a phenomenal matchup. Now, with everything that just happened, y. Okay, last thing here. Let's talk about Wes for a minute. West and McKen. I. It's one of those things where. When Christian was going through this patch a couple months ago, every week, you look at your phone and you go, oh, he scored again. Op assist again. Oh, he's man of the match.

[Landon Donovan]

Oh, oh, oh.

[Tim Howard]

And he's in. He's just in phenomenal form. He has four goals in his last eight Games for Uve, it feels like more than that, but he's just been involved in everything. And it's weird to say this now, but there's. There has been a time where we were kind of not sure if Wes was even going to be in the mix with the national team, but now it's. Now you're saying how. How do you leave him off the field? Right.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah. Yeah. I mean, he's. But I think even when we were having those conversations, it was like. It was like, he's the. He's the one or two most talented football players on that US Men's national roster. Like, that's. That's not in question.

[Tim Howard]

No.

[Landon Donovan]

You know, the question was. And the questions were real, by the way, whether he likes him or not. The questions were, where is he? You're the. You know, and I said, I think I made the point to you on this. On this show. Give me the. Give me the top 10 best national teams in the world and give me their top two players. They're there every single time of asking, every week. Like, imagine. Imagine going, bloody heck, Harry Kane's not been in the England squad for a year, or he's only been in once or twice. You'd be like, well, that don't make sense. So it's never. His talent has never been in question. It's whether it's. Whether he aligns with the manager and, you know, it's a maturation process. He's getting older, he's understanding things, and that's. You see it a lot. Some people fall by the wayside land, and we've seen so many players who just couldn't get their act together. But then some players do. Some players do, and that's through experience and through. I went through it. I wanted to be a tough guy all the time. I wanted to be right all the time. And then eventually I was just like, you're pretty good, actually. If you just shut the hell up and perform well, things will happen. And they did. So you go through it. Every player goes through it. Right now, he's in an incredible run. I'm hoping that he sort of has this feeling inside that. That feels good to him, you know, and he'll keep pushing because there's only another couple months, and then, bang, we're here. So, yeah, I'm excited. I'm excited. Like I said, this team. The team can do some special things because they are super talented. You know, you start to look at sort of what some of these players are doing and maybe the glossiness of the golden generation has come off. But when they play really well like this, you sort of reminded like, okay.

[Tim Howard]

Well, that's why people get excited. Yeah, Right. And that's why people say it's the most talented and this is a golden generation. And you're like, hold on a sec. They're not playing. They don't play all the time. They're not together. But when they do this, you're like, jesus Christ. He's playing at Uve, a top four team in Italy and is probably the best player in the league over the last couple months. Christian has been the best player in the league for a few years.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah.

[Tim Howard]

This is real stuff. We didn't do this in the past. All right, Tim. It is that time of the week. The unfiltered refresh sponsored by Coors Light. Choose Chill. Get Coors Light delivered. Go to Coors Light.com USLNT this was an easy one this week. Yeah. What an epic player she was and what a career she had. Crystal Dunn has announced her retirement. She signed with PSG from Gotham in January 2025. Unfortunately only made one appearance during the season. But here are her accomplishments. Is phenomenal. She was truly a winner. NCAA championship at UNC, three NWSL championships, two with North Carolina, one with Portland. She won a World cup in 2019, an Olympic gold medal in 2024. She was also named the 2015 NWSL MVP. And she won a Golden Boot that year with 15 goals. She won the Golden Boot. She was like known as kind of an outside battle, I know, but she won the golden boot that year. One of. She. She had a great, great career and great comments on Instagram. But the one that this just, this just blows my mind. When I read this. She said, I look forward to spending more time with my family and being a more present mom. And every time I hear that with these women, I, I've obviously lived with my mom, my sister, my wife. Now is. These women are playing high level soccer as a parent and as a mom, not just a parent. It's hard enough for guys I played with when they had kids. Yeah, it's phenomenal. And I, I'm just. Blows my mind every time I read it. But she had a phenomenal career. Happy for her now that she's looking forward to the next step.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah. And I got, I got a chance to get to know Crystal and her family and you know, I think just a wonderful person and a champion and that's what, that's what I think about her. She's a winner, you know. The end of a cell MVP golden boot thing is just incredible. I mean, it's. It's sort of mind blowing given, like, her career trajectory. But I often. I probably give more credit to. To people like Crystal where there's so much more ld expected from, like, so you go to unc. You know what happens when you go to unc. The legacy is long. You have to win. You have to win from the day you step on campus, right? And then you gotta do that. You gotta play your four years or whatever it is, and then you gotta go into nwsl and then you're supposed to win. All she did in NSL was win three championships, right? Then you're supposed to crack on and make it to the women's national team, by the way, they also just win. So, you know, win the World cup, win a gold medal. I just. It's impressive when I see people with this, like, grand expectation, expectations for their career sort of exceed those. And she's exceeded them. And so what. What an incredible career. I hope she rides off into the sunset and just enjoys motherhood, enjoys family. You hope that she stays around the game because she just has too much. She has too much experience to just sort of go away. But after she exhales, somebody would be very, very smart to bring her back into the fold to help run a club.

[Tim Howard]

The most impressive thing was her ability to adapt and adjust and play wherever she was needed. And that's what winners do. So cheers to you, Crystal, for choosing Chill. Congrats on retirement. All right, guys, remember to subscribe. We just had a meeting last week about all the things coming up for the World cup, and it's going be a lot. Lots of content, lots of bonus content. We're going to be there every step of the way, so make sure you're subscribed so you see all of it. Let's take a break. When we come back, we're going to talk Premier League, the title race, everything going on in the English football system right here on Unfiltered Soccer with Landon and Tim. As always, presented by Volkswagen.

[Landon Donovan]

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

[Tim Howard]

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

[Landon Donovan]

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

[Tim Howard]

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.

[Landon Donovan]

Thank you to Volkswagen and the Tiguan for being the presenting partner and for bringing nice things to everyone. Find out more about how VW is.

[Tim Howard]

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[Landon Donovan]

All right, I'll do Let's hop into some Premier League action this weekend. Some notable matches Tottenham and Man City 2 2.

[Tim Howard]

What a game.

[Landon Donovan]

What a game it was. What a game it was. The the they're calling it a Scorpion kick. It was just a wild sort of equalizer right at the death by Dominic Slanky. Man City draw again. Arsenal. I feel like Arsenal like they were they were cruising and then they hit that button and now the convertible top is down. Like they're just, they're chilling right now because obviously Villa, which may or may not get to they lost.

[Tim Howard]

So by the way, doesn't it start to feel like this is just Arsenal's year.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah.

[Tim Howard]

Like, when they slip up, everyone else slips up.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah.

[Tim Howard]

Everybody else is starting to drop points more. It just feels like it's gonna happen.

[Landon Donovan]

It's a strange Premier League year. It's just all around with results, so.

[Tim Howard]

Yeah, it is. Yeah. Yes.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah. It was a good game. Good game. I mean, what's going on at Tottenham is strange, bro.

[Tim Howard]

Can I ask you a question about Spurs?

[Landon Donovan]

Tell me.

[Tim Howard]

So do you remember a couple years ago with Ange, when it was actually I was at this game, I was in London for some reason, I was at Spurs City. And I remember everything going around the club. The spurs fans were actually rooting against their team because. What was it? Was it because they didn't want Arsenal to win?

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah, something like that. Something like that.

[Tim Howard]

And it kind of feels the same now, a little bit. It's not as, like, pronounced, but they know they're not going anywhere, so they're like, well, we don't want Arsenal to win.

[Landon Donovan]

Sure. That's the thing.

[Tim Howard]

Acceptable. Is that real? Is that, like. That seems crazy to me, but I know there's such hatred between those clubs.

[Landon Donovan]

There is, but I. Like, I. I'm. I. You know, I. I can remember, like, Liverpool going for, like, the title when I was playing, and I think, you know, they were up with City. I don't remember what. What year it was, and it was City. And I just remember thinking, like. Like, I. Yeah, you're. You're rooting so hard against sort of your rival. To your point, like, what. What is Tottenham going to do this year that they catch form? They might maybe sneak into European plays. Okay.

[Tim Howard]

But it's different when you're rooting against your own team for that to happen. I know it's one thing if you're watching from the outside and you want.

[Landon Donovan]

That, but, like, that's. That's how hated these robberies.

[Tim Howard]

I know.

[Landon Donovan]

It just makes me think, like, it's crazy.

[Tim Howard]

It's crazy to me. I don't know. That must. I wonder if that happens in sports here in America. Probably.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah.

[Tim Howard]

Right. Like, you're the Raiders at the end of the year and you don't want the Broncos to win.

[Landon Donovan]

Sure, sure.

[Tim Howard]

Playing whatever. You're playing the Charger or you're playing whatever the Patriots, and you're like, I hope we lose today. So the Patriots are the number one seed. You know, like, it's just crazy.

[Landon Donovan]

I think. I think it happens. I think it's. I think it's human psychology. No doubt.

[Tim Howard]

The other thing with spurs, why. Why do they Continue to do well. I'm curious because, like, you played Europa League a bit with Everton, too, and, like, why are they so poor in the Premier League now, but they're still doing well in the Champions League?

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah.

[Tim Howard]

It's like, what's your explanation for this? Is it just that, I mean, you can't say the Champions League's easier competition necessarily. Some games, yes, but, you know, bizarre.

[Landon Donovan]

I don't think anyone has. It's one of those sort of enigmas that, like, no one has a real good answer for. I just remember the only. Only answer I have is, like, I just remember it like, I love Everton, you know that.

[Tim Howard]

And.

[Landon Donovan]

And. And you're a piece of that. But there's some times when that just wasn't playing good. Just couldn't wait to not be at Goodison, right, Because it's so hard. It's so much pressure, right? And then. So when you travel on the road and, you know, you're. We're, you know, we were in the Europa League a lot, you know, so you're in Ukraine or you're in Portugal, and you're like, I don't know, it's just. You just, like, there's less. It's hard to say there's less pressure because there always is, but it's something very tangible about. About, you know, the Premier League and the expectations. Like. Like, if you. Like, if you're in a bad run of form, right, like, let's say. Let's say with Everton, we lost at home, right? And we. And we're. And we're in a bad run of form. Well, when we go to Brighton the following weekend, that narrative, like, follows us, right? And so it's like, it's weighing you down. If we're in a bad run of form in the Premier League and we end up going to play somewhere in Ukraine or, as I said, Portugal or somewhere in Holland in the Europa League, that narrative's not following us. It's just a whole different thing. So we actually go onto the pitch without that pressure, if that makes sense. But the second we go back to England, we're like, oh, because the stats always come up, right? I give them every weekend. They've on, you know, win list in the last six. And you're like, oh, my God, we gotta win today.

[Tim Howard]

So, Yeah, I don't know if it's apples to apples, but there was one of the years, I think it was 06 or 07, we were really bad with the Galaxy. Really bad. But they had this tournament. I don't know what the hell they called it, Super League or something. And it was a whole different tournament during the summer and we got to the final and lost. But you, you. It just felt like there was something exciting to play for. Like right now, spurs feel like whether we win or lose in the league, who cares? We're going to finish, you know, 14th up to eighth or ninth, and that's it. And so, yeah, just maybe it's a.

[Landon Donovan]

Little more exciting, you know, and it happens, like, it happens everywhere. I remember before Roberto Martinez came to Everton, he took a Wigan team that got relegated in the same season that they, I think they won the FA cup against Man City. So, like, explain that one, right? They were terrible in the, in the Premier League, right? But it's, it's, it's an interesting sort of. Again, it's that psychology aspect of the pressure and, but we see it all the time.

[Tim Howard]

Like I told you guys earlier with the Benfica goalie scoring, if you haven't seen Dominic Solinke's, I, I guess they call it a scorpion, whatever you call it, this goal is crazy because the ball is served behind him a bit and he. It's the, it's hard to describe, but he just kind of flicks the outside of his foot. And when it first happened to him, I was watching in the airport coming home and I was thinking, oh, it must have been an uncle. Like, it must have come off the defender. And I don't know if he knew a ton about it. I can't say he absolutely knew to do that where he was putting it all that, but you kind of just throw your foot at it and then you go, oh, yeah, I meant to do that.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah.

[Tim Howard]

But what a goal.

[Jordan]

Goal.

[Tim Howard]

Jesus, what a goal. What a goal. Y other thing that happened over the weekend, United in stoppage time be crazy game, bro.

[Landon Donovan]

Crazy game.

[Tim Howard]

Crazy game. And it felt, honestly, just watching it felt like old school United, like, they're up, they're doing well, they tie, they get Fergie time, or in this case, whatever time you want to call it, whoever's going to be the permanent manager. But they get the lots of stoppage time and score in the end and, and they're in the Champions League if it's. If the season stopped today.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah. And, and you know, obviously the first two under Michael Carrick were difficult. You know, Man City and Arsenal. This should have been more straightforward, but okay, games are really straightforward. But they have a run now I'm pretty certain I don't have. I don't have it Right in front of me. But they have a run now again, even following the Arsenal game where I was like, they're playing Fulham. They've got some games where you're like, they, they could, you know, not that it's not that it's. You can chalk up wins, but you could. They could go, that's three wins on the bounce. And I wouldn't be surprised they. If they rack up another three or four in this next stretch.

[Tim Howard]

So isn't confidence amazing? It's the same group of players. I mean, obviously making some changes here and there, but like, it's the same guys.

[Landon Donovan]

Same. Same squad, man.

[Tim Howard]

Same squad, same guys. It's just this. And Chelsea with Rocinor now six wins and a loss across all the competitions. And it's good for the Premier League if these two clubs are good again. And so. And, and Chelsea were good. I didn't agree with the firing, but it's just, it's good, it's good when they're all playing well and doing well. And they came back from two goals down, by the way, to beat West Ham, which was really impressive.

[Landon Donovan]

Strange that there were two goals down. Yeah. I mean, the Michael Carrie thing is just like it's box office because, you know, it's just one of these things where you can't imagine they're going to give him the job until he.

[Tim Howard]

But Tim, if this continues, is he not going to get the job?

[Landon Donovan]

Look, I.

[Tim Howard]

There's a scenario where like the fans allow them to hire someone else out because if you think about, if you're making that decision on United side, you have Carrick doing well, they're winning, winning, they're in Champions League, whatever. And now you bring someone else in. The downside is so massive, right? What if the person's terrible? You're like, well, you had the guy right there.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah, I know, but they're one of us.

[Tim Howard]

He's one of the. You know, how do you spend 12.

[Landon Donovan]

It's been 12 years of this. Things have been so knee jerky, right? Like, like, look, you can earn.

[Tim Howard]

But Amaram wasn't right and that didn't. So they're gonna say, well, that didn't work.

[Landon Donovan]

You know, I'm just, look, there's. There's a couple different scenarios for, for various reasons because, you know, again, if he, if he does really well, which he started off really well and continues and they get themselves in the Champions League, I would say yes, he, Michael Carrick himself would be able to knock on the board's door and say, guys, Come on, I deserve part of this conversation. I wouldn't take that away from him. The board has to decide. They have to see it long term. And United hasn't sort of been there for a long time in terms of that long term vision. And quite frankly, I think, and again, I've been on record saying I don't think I like Michael Carrick a ton. I don't think he necessarily deserves a job. Well, I think they should go get a big manager, right? A guy, a Southgate, a Tuchel, a Potch, someone like that. But again, the problem is, and this is where I think it helps, Michael Carrick is the reason Amarim left, we've talked about this is because he wanted to be the manager, not the head coach. He didn't want to be dictated to, he wanted to be the manager. And the guys that I just mentioned are not coming to a football club even as big as Man United and go, all right, you guys tell me what players assign. You guys tell me how to play. No, so, so, so the board will run into the same problems if they go get a bigger manager. So that might help Michael Carrick.

[Tim Howard]

I don't know, this might be an inflection point for that club, right, to say, okay, we're going to go the route now that Chelsea's gone, that Brentford, that Brighton, that these clubs, or are we going to be what we've always been, which is the manager dictates. It's going to be interesting to see. It's stoppage time. Sponsored by FanDuel. New customers can bet $5 and get $200 in bonus bets if you win. Download the FanDuel sportsbook app to get started. All right, this weekend, Premier League, Liverpool FC and Man City. Liverpool are currently in six book place trying to get into Champions League. They are 14 points off the Premier League table leader's Arsenal after a decisive win at home over Newcastle this weekend which was much needed. The defending champs needed a win after a loss to Bournemouth away and four straight draws in the Premier League prior to that. They're hosting City on Saturday at Anfield. Always a tasty matchup. City are in second place six points back now after they drew away to spurs after being up two nothing at halftime on Sunday. They have two wins, two draws and a loss to Manchester United in their last five away Premier League games. I do think City come good here. It's a tough place to play, tough place to win. Liverpool always have the quality to beat City but I think City win this game. I think it's A high scoring affair. I think they go over the two and a half goals. Erling Holland, I know it's an easy pick, but I think he's going to score or have an assist and then also just a fun one to chuck in. I think the Seahawks win the super bowl this weekend. Sam Darnold playing very well. I think New England's had a bit of an easy run to the. To the super bowl and I think the Seahawks win the Super Bowl. So our very fun unfiltered soccer's EPL parlay this week with a Super bowl pick is City to win over Liverpool over two and a half goals. Earling Holland to score or have an assist. And the special pick this week, I have the Seahawks to beat the Patriots in the Super Bowl Bowl. Don't forget to check out the full list of unfiltered soccer's parlay on our socials later this week.

[Landon Donovan]

It's time for the Fan connection presented by AT&T. Every week, we invite you, the listener, to connect with us by submitting your questions at, AT and T. Connecting changes everything. And on uslnt, our connections with you will help grow the game.

[Tim Howard]

All right, Tim, the fans have spoken.

[Landon Donovan]

Have they?

[Tim Howard]

You guys have all spoken. Yeah. And they said less of Landon and Tim.

[Landon Donovan]

Okay.

[Tim Howard]

And more of Jordan.

[Landon Donovan]

Fair.

[Tim Howard]

So we're going to listen to the fans. We are going to do a prolonged AT&T fan connection today. Jordan, come on in. We know you're back there.

[Landon Donovan]

Welcome into the show, Jordan.

[Tim Howard]

They have said you have. You have told us the emails say we want more Jordan.

[Jordan]

It's not what I said.

[Landon Donovan]

You know what, Landon? There's a. There's a song lyric, and I think this might be what. What Jordan's doing. So you know how you said the fans have spoken. We don't know that. You and I don't know that. So there's a song lyric that says when you own the information, you can bend it all you want. So she owns the information. You know what she told us, Landon? They want more.

[Tim Howard]

We don't know. And we've asked for the login to the email multiple times, which we never receive, but here we are.

[Jordan]

Okay, well, you guys don't check your email that often, so I don't know.

[Landon Donovan]

Welcome in Brooklyn.

[Tim Howard]

All right, Junior Extended.

[Jordan]

Yeah. Brooklyn fc. Their. Their men's team is starting in March. Their home opener is Brooklyn. March, Coney Island. Yeah. Maimon, how do you say that? Something like that. Yeah.

[Landon Donovan]

Brian McBride is the. Is the technical director for or. Or sporting director for both Teams.

[Jordan]

Yeah, I think.

[Tim Howard]

Is that right? Hey, by the way, I.

[Jordan]

We should go, though. I want to go.

[Tim Howard]

Yeah, you guys, I want to go. I make fun of New York a lot, but I was watching Nick's Lakers last night from the Garden. It was the first NBC Sunday night basketball. It was awesome. They had. What's his name? Tracy Morgan. Yeah, he did, like, the, like, an opening salvo like, thing. I was. Had goosebumps. I was like, this is rad.

[Landon Donovan]

It's incredible.

[Tim Howard]

It's so cool.

[Landon Donovan]

It's incredible. So Jordan. Yeah, I mean. I mean, LeBron at MSG. So Jordan, we're gonna go to Coney island, watch a game. Brooklyn fc. We went like. We want, like, field passes, though. Like, I. I want to be like. I want to be down near the field.

[Tim Howard]

Ask Brian.

[Landon Donovan]

And then. And then we go get. We go get hot dogs.

[Tim Howard]

I'm gonna be in New York a lot.

[Jordan]

You are not getting me on the Cyclone, though. That is.

[Tim Howard]

Time out. I'm gonna be in New York a lot. So can I come too? Over the last six months.

[Landon Donovan]

Wait, so social. Just jump in the chat. They want a selfie of me and Jordan on the Cyclone selfie video.

[Tim Howard]

It would be like.

[Jordan]

You ever see those videos of people, like, passing out on roller coasters? That would be.

[Tim Howard]

I don't think I would trust the Cyclone.

[Landon Donovan]

I love roller coasters. Like when I go up with my kids, but I'm white knuckled, like, you know. You know when the. You know when the. You come down the thing and it flashes and you can buy the picture after it's me like this.

[Tim Howard]

All right, J.R. what do you got?

[Jordan]

Okay, I have. As we speak, I have a couple of comments first that I would like to read from people. The first one is from Katie via email. Katie said, I'm currently watching this week's episode, which is from last week. And she said, I'm noticing the super cool hoodie Jordan's wearing. I feel like I could also rock an unfiltered soccer hoodie myself. Do me a favor. Said in my best Tim Howard voice. Can you convince the powers that be to make one that I can buy? You can call me Tyler or Parker, whatever name comes to of mine, and I will not email in a correction so long as I have my super cool unfiltered merch.

[Landon Donovan]

We have it. You. You're right. I take it back. The people have spoken. I am storming. I'm taking L with me because I'm a little afraid I'm storming into our boss's office. And I'm saying we need more merch. The people need.

[Jordan]

It's right there.

[Tim Howard]

I have a few sweaters, by the way. I don't know if the. If they're her size, but I'm happy to send one.

[Jordan]

Hey, Katie, send us your size so we can make sure that we get you something.

[Tim Howard]

Yeah, hoodies.

[Jordan]

But yeah, we need to. We need to get some. Some merch in here.

[Tim Howard]

Okay.

[Jordan]

Okay. The next one is actually from someone called Parker via email. I like triple check this before I put it in. So Parker said, I am writing in reference to the proposed offside rule in which the entire attacking player must be beyond the defender. I disagree with Mr. Donovan's assertion that this change would benefit the game. While it almost. While it would almost certainly result in more goals for top team teams, I believe it would ultimately reduce the competitiveness of the league. Weaker teams would be incentivized to sit even deeper in theory, making counterattacking goals for the underdog less likely rather than more common. The likely outcome would be fewer upsets and a widening gap between the top and bottom of the table.

[Tim Howard]

That's interesting. I actually hadn't thought about it from the defending team's perspective, how you would adapt. Right. So like when they made goal kicks that you could play a goal kick inside your own box before. You don't have to wait till it gets outside the box before you touch it. Like it changed everything in every way. And I didn't think, I was just thinking about the attacker. Like you can be way more aggressive, but I didn't think about defending. Maybe you do drop deeper here. It's an interesting point.

[Landon Donovan]

Here's the thing, and I, and I used to want to remix it as well. And I like Arson Vanger in terms of like the daylight between defender and attacker. You know, I think I'm in the minority. I just given what we. What we have ld that we have sort of one goal. Not Goal Antenna, the semi automated technology. And prior to that we had var where they could draw the lines. You can argue about lines, but at least you could sort of get like close enough. And. And then you're basically saying like any part of the body that legally can touch the ball. So not your, not your fingers, not your elbow, but like any, you know, basically cap sleeve sort of on the upper arm. Like if that's offside, we have, we have the ability to like see it pretty clearly right now. It's like, I'm okay with that. Where all sides is. I don't know.

[Tim Howard]

But yeah, I mean, look, I was an advocate, just for clarity. I'm not advocating for what exactly Arson Vanger is saying. Yeah, I'm not saying it. I'm just saying in general, it's gotten so like millimeter specific where you watching it and you're like, okay, maybe his toenail is offside, but like it's a go. Give it to the, give it to the offensive player. Right. And I don't know, you don't want to have subjectivity because that's a problem. But there's some. You watch and you know, come on, man, let the goal stand. We want goals.

[Jordan]

So also, how can the attacking player be aware of that?

[Tim Howard]

They can't. It's impossible.

[Jordan]

You know, like if you're, if you're measuring millimeters.

[Tim Howard]

Yeah, no, there's no, it's important when you're running.

[Jordan]

Know that. Yeah.

[Tim Howard]

And, and by the way, there were so many times I would make a run and someone would play a ball and I'm like, oh, I'm offside. And then I'd stop and I watch it back and I'm like, I was half a yard on site. Right, so you have no idea.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah, right.

[Tim Howard]

You have no idea.

[Jordan]

Okay.

[Tim Howard]

Interesting point though.

[Jordan]

This one's from Renee via email. In November, I bought four tickets to the US vs Australia game in Seattle due to information from your show. So thanks again. This is truly a once in a lifetime experience.

[Landon Donovan]

I thought we were getting hammered.

[Jordan]

Please let your audience know that hotels are outrageous. Most hotels are charging in the thousand dollar per night range for the games. I wonder if FIFA is getting a kickback on launching. I don't think so, Renee. I think that's just how capitalism works.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah, you're right. The, the, the. Anytime there's a big event, one, one big game or multiple games, the hotels and everything's getting jacked up. That's just how it is.

[Tim Howard]

Look, I'm not, and by the way, I'm not saying it's completely apples to apples. And Gianni Infantino likes to say this is like 100 and however many Super Bowls because they're. Every game is basically a Super bowl with how many people watch. But that game in Seattle is basically a Super Bowl. It's a USA game in a home World Cup. I can promise you any super bowl because I've been. That's what the hotel rooms are. And it sucks. I'm not saying I like it. I'm not saying I agree with it. It's just the reality when big conferences or big things happen in cities the hotels get more expensive.

[Landon Donovan]

It's just part of it, but we're glad you got tickets. It's gonna be. It's a win. You're gonna. You're going to go to. You're gonna go to Seattle and you're gonna watch a three Niller. It's gonna be a.

[Tim Howard]

And by the way, that stadium of all stadiums and those fans, like, you are gonna fall in love with this game like you never have. It's gonna be.

[Jordan]

You're gonna see a version of Chris Richards we've all been dreaming about getting to see last year. We go do a couple questions. This one is from Carlton, via Instagram. He asks, if you had one chance to do one thing over in either of your careers, what would it be?

[Landon Donovan]

That sounded like the start of 8 mile. That's where I was going. My head was nodding.

[Tim Howard]

One chance to do one thing over. I would. When I was at Leverkusen when I was young, I wish I had a mentor or somebody who said, look, you're not going to play because you're not good enough yet. You're too young. You need experience. You got to stick it out, deal with the hard times, keep doing well in practice, and eventually you will get your chance. Now, I'm glad everything worked out the way it did because that's why I'm sitting here today. But I wish I had had that kind of guidance to help me understand that, like, this is not going to be easy. These are the reasons why, and you're going to be okay.

[Landon Donovan]

Good answer, Tim.

[Tim Howard]

Regrets? Nothing.

[Landon Donovan]

Well, no, I'm sort of going there. Yeah. I don't have a lot of regrets on this. On the playing side, I think maybe I don't. I mean, I, you know, I went to. I played for two of the biggest clubs in the world, the Metro Stars and Manchester United. And then I went to, you know, and Everton was the perfect timing and like World Cups and I don't know, I maybe, you know, maybe taking the year off, but I needed it at that point. So, like, not sure I regret that.

[Tim Howard]

You've had a perfect career, pal.

[Landon Donovan]

No, not necessarily. You know what? Maybe, maybe in a perfect world I would have taken LD and you can appreciate this. My body wouldn't have let me do this. So it's sort of pie in the sky, but, like, maybe gone to. I've spent like three and a half seasons, four seasons at Denver and I, you know, once the game's gone, it's gone, right? Like, maybe go back to them and just say, look, I will take the biggest, most massive pay cut to play another year.

[Tim Howard]

Yeah, I might say that, too.

[Landon Donovan]

Like, like, I don't, I don't. At that point, I didn't need, I didn't need. Everyone needs a big contract. But, like, I would have sacrificed maybe to be on like, a, like, better minimum or whatever to play another year because once it's like, it's gone, it's gone. But again, my body wouldn't have allowed me to do that. So it's pie in the sky. Good question.

[Tim Howard]

All right, as I said, Tim, the fans have spoken. They want more junior. So, junior, you stay right there. We're going to take a break. When we come back, we will continue with your questions right here on unfortunately Filtered Soccer with Landon and Tim, presented by Volkswagen. This episode is brought to you by Airbnb.

[Landon Donovan]

You know, I travel so often to see my daughter play college soccer, and we're going to some of these towns where big sporting events, oftentimes local accommodations are sold out. And I'm a last minute traveler, so I need to be able to go on Airbnb and not have to worry about hotels. And I think for locals, you can post your home on Airbnb, make some money to then go to your favorite sporting event, and also in the process, make my life easier.

[Tim Howard]

And look, Tim, if you love sports and you love fans and you want people to experience that real environment, when you host your home, you allow them to be really close to the action in a neighborhood location, which is amazing. So you can sort of give back while hosting your home and making a few bucks on the way.

[Landon Donovan]

Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how [e-mail] host LD we got a big year coming up, man. Huge year. The obviously the run into the Premier League title, MLS starting back up is a big, big summer of soccer going on. You and I are going to say that we'd be busy or we're going to be busy is probably an understatement. It's going to be chaos. We're gonna be here, there and everywhere. We're we. I know you and I will find the time. I'm going to have to find lots of time to choose chill between crossing the country, being on all these different flights. I'll definitely. You'll catch me in the airport, pointed up to the bar, having a Coors Light. And then to be honest, in my off time, I'll be at the beach. Any, literally any single moment, LD that I'm not doing something for the world cup, which is not a lot of days, but I will be at the beach and I will have a cooler full of Coors Light.

[Tim Howard]

Yeah, I mean, it's, it's already started, as you know. I was in Vail this weekend in the heart of the Rockies, by the way, doing an appearance. And you just. We're going to be traveling a lot. We're going to be seeing each other a lot. We're going to be meeting a lot of fans and people, and we want to take advantage of it and enjoy it. But I keep reminding myself, I told my wife last night, like, we gotta find ways to chill and choose chill so that I can stay energized, refreshed. Um, it's gonna be few and far between, but if we don't, we're gonna have, we're gonna have some problems. So thankfully we can choose chill, grab a Coors Light, relax, and make sure we're staying refreshed.

[Landon Donovan]

And when you embrace a chill mindset this year, it's a good time to choose chill and crack open a Coors Light. Choose chill from the start and reach for a Coors Light. Get Coors Light delivered straight to your door. Visit coorslight.com UFS or you can find it pretty much anywhere that sells beer.

[Tim Howard]

Celebrate responsibly. Coors Brewing Co. Golden, Colorado.

[Landon Donovan]

There's nothing better than feeling like someone has your back and that things are going to get done even without you having to ask, like your crisp new Jersey waiting for you in the locker room or a perfectly set up wall.

[Tim Howard]

For a free kick. 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 nonstop soccer coverage, it's good to know AT&T has your back. With the AT&T guarantee, staying connected matters.

[Landon Donovan]

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.

[Tim Howard]

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

[Landon Donovan]

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.

[Tim Howard]

All right, we're back, Junior.

[Landon Donovan]

Give us some more.

[Tim Howard]

Continue.

[Jordan]

More questions, more questions.

[Tim Howard]

Okay, more questions.

[Jordan]

This one is from Ramon Via and he would like to say something about the World Cup. He says another reason people are so excited for the World cup this year is that it will likely be the last one for many of the superstars. Messi, CR7, Modric, heck, maybe even Neymar. Who. Who are you guys most excited to see perform maybe in their last World cup ever? And Landon and Jim, how did it feel? How did it feel playing your last World cup ever?

[Landon Donovan]

Wait, Neymar still plays football? That's not blasphemy, by the way. Who does he play for? He's. Is he.

[Tim Howard]

No, I actually had no idea.

[Landon Donovan]

Is he in Brazil, Santos or something?

[Jordan]

I don't. I'm gonna Google it while you guys.

[Landon Donovan]

Not gonna lie, bro. I play.

[Tim Howard]

He plays for Santos.

[Landon Donovan]

I play with some Brazilians and like, it. You. You can probably attest to this. Landon, they love the game. They go at it hard. They're brilliant. They're usually successful and playing for the best clubs in the world, right?

[Tim Howard]

Yeah.

[Landon Donovan]

And then they're like, yo, let me go play my guitar on the beach.

[Tim Howard]

Totally.

[Landon Donovan]

They do. It's crazy.

[Tim Howard]

Like, I know. And it's just kind of is what it is.

[Landon Donovan]

That's like the normal.

[Tim Howard]

Whatever. Or they're happy to just. Yeah. Like, take a paycheck, not play anymore.

[Landon Donovan]

Totally.

[Tim Howard]

Just sit on. Yeah, I know. I know. I played with a bunch of them.

[Jordan]

The question was, who might be playing? I mean, World cup that you're excited to see?

[Tim Howard]

Neymar, not as much, but certainly Cristiano and. And Leonel Messi, because what we forget when we're in it. And this is. I regret this about, like, Michael Jordan. Growing up, I never saw him play live because I wasn't old enough to understand right now I'd be like, I need to see him play live because it's just. It doesn't happen. And it could be. I'm imagining at some point there will be someone we say is better than. Than Messi was or. Or played the way Cristiano did for so many years, but maybe not. Not in our lifetime. And so, yeah, to see those two perform one last time will be pretty special.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah, Ronaldo for me. But also, like, not to make this about me, but it's always about me. But, like, we. You know, we got to United the same month we got to United in. In July, Manchester United in July of 2003. And, like, to see that young kid. I think he was 18.

[Tim Howard]

Was he like. Did you know right away he was really special.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Tim Howard]

Like, really special.

[Landon Donovan]

It was hard because. Because don't forget who Manchester United was at the time. They got special players. Special players, like a dime a dozen. But we did, you know, there were. We played. That was my first preseason. So we did the tour of the U.S. then we flew to Portugal, played Sporting. This kid was, you know, Nick. Aaron Neville tells a great story. He ran Gary ragged. And Gary and a few of the other senior players after the game were like. Went to Fergie, were like, boss, like, drop everything.

[Tim Howard]

Like, you have to play.

[Landon Donovan]

And. And. And they. And they, you know, bought him from Sporting. And, yeah, you know, it was his work ethic land. And I've never seen, like, I work hard, I try and be the hardest working guy in the room. Nobody ever is. But you try. Like, this guy's. He's obsessed. Like, he's obsessed. Like, I've never. I've literally never seen a human being in the sports realm work harder than this guy. It's crazy. And so, I don't know, I have a soft spot for him.

[Tim Howard]

It reminds me, because people think, like, oh, Messi's just born with this talent, or Cristiano's, but any is, he's born with, like, a special physical ability and messy with certain techno. But I. Paul Tenorio has a book coming out called the Messi Effect, and in it, there's a bunch of anecdotes about players with inner Miami who just speak about how competitive he is.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah.

[Tim Howard]

And you forget that with Messi, like, he's really. Because he's so smooth and it looks so easy. He's like, in training, he'd be like, guys, this club, World cup game against whatever, and they're like, what the hell do you care about it?

[Landon Donovan]

Right?

[Tim Howard]

But like, he really cares, or some. Whatever, Open cup game or whatever. And it's. It's just. It's what makes those guys so special, for sure.

[Landon Donovan]

I think the other part of that question that was asked was, what was our last World cup game like?

[Jordan]

Oh, yes, yes, right. You're right, Tim. Yes. Good.

[Landon Donovan]

Landon, what was yours? 2010. Ghana.

[Tim Howard]

Yeah.

[Jordan]

Yeah. But neither one of you knew it was going to be your.

[Tim Howard]

The problem was I didn't. And you didn't either, Tim, because 2018, you thought you were going to qualify, right?

[Landon Donovan]

So, like.

[Tim Howard]

Yeah, yeah, that's a great question.

[Landon Donovan]

Hello, question.

[Tim Howard]

I always say to people, most people don't retire. They just get cut or they're not good enough anymore, and we gotta know we got to retire when we. But the national team, like, no, that was. Yeah, I didn't realize it was My last World cup game, so, yeah, I would have certainly treated it differently.

[Landon Donovan]

Mine was Belgium, so I'll just go off on that. No, but you're right.

[Tim Howard]

Next question.

[Landon Donovan]

I didn't think.

[Tim Howard]

Don't listen.

[Landon Donovan]

Hopefully, we were hoping it was 2018 and then.

[Tim Howard]

Right. You didn't know. But, I mean, obviously phenomenal.

[Landon Donovan]

I just.

[Tim Howard]

It's weird when you don't know. Yeah, you're right.

[Jordan]

Yeah. But I. I almost kind of wonder if it's better in its own way to be like, I'm just playing like it's a regular game versus, like, getting caught up in the emotion of knowing, like, this could be the last.

[Landon Donovan]

I'd still rather have three, three, four more games. Yeah.

[Tim Howard]

To be honest, though, I've always been like. People are like, would you want to know when you're going to die? And whatever. I'm like, yeah, I want to know because I want to live my life that way. And some people don't. And it's an interesting philosophical question, but I would have liked to have known that that was my last run. I would have personally.

[Jordan]

Don't worry. I'll let you know when your last podcast is. We cannot end this segment without doing a couple of new rules.

[Landon Donovan]

I feel like I look forward to this now. Every week, the new rules are wild.

[Tim Howard]

All right, go on.

[Jordan]

Okay, this one is from Matt via email. I will also just say, I, like Matt, got straight to the point with his new rule, but there were some other people who had the same new rule, but they wrote me a novel. And while I appreciate them and they're fun to read, this is good for the podcast. So good job, Matt. Matt says a great rule change would be if you draw the pk, you take the PK unless you're injured, but if you're so injured, you cannot take the pk, you must leave the game. Come on, you're an athlete. Step up. Take the pk.

[Tim Howard]

Are you saying. You're saying this is a rule that football, like soccer, would have to implement, or your team and your manager implements this?

[Jordan]

He did not specify, but I think it should be. It can't be like a managerial thing. I think it should be like a.

[Tim Howard]

You're in soccer. That's just the rule.

[Jordan]

That's the rule.

[Tim Howard]

Oh, that would be interesting. So what's interesting with my kids club, they're eight years old. Any foul anywhere that's. That is drawn that they get. It's not a handball or something. They all go home, coach, coach, coach. And he's like, you drew the Foul. You take it. Whoever drew it, and it. It. It. I. I'm all about creating more clarity in those moments, because disaster. So I like it from. Actually, from a managerial standpoint. You draw the foul, you take it. There's some. Junior. There are some players who are crazy, superstitious, and they'll say. Played with many who said, like, if I get fouled, I do not want to take it. If I'm the one who gets fouled, I do not want. It's a weird. Like, I don't know what it's about, but they just didn't want to take it.

[Landon Donovan]

So, yeah, don't love it. But that's it. You know me. I like to. I like that.

[Tim Howard]

Why don't you love it?

[Landon Donovan]

Because I like the fact that there's a. There's a. There's a predetermined penalty taker on every team and then a secondary one. That's it.

[Tim Howard]

Yeah, but what about the ones that don't have a predetermined. They all fight over it.

[Landon Donovan]

Every. They all do. They. Everyone does. Except the stupid. The stupid ones.

[Jordan]

But this would. This would eliminate that.

[Tim Howard]

That's what she said. Clear it up.

[Jordan]

Like, if you got fouled, you're taking the pk. It doesn't matter. And you need to be ready to do that.

[Landon Donovan]

No, I play with some donkeys. Let me tell you, if one of those guys got. I know.

[Tim Howard]

That's what I was thinking. Imagine one of your center backs gets in the box on a corner, grabbing the ball. No chance. Sorry, Omar, you're not taking it. I can't believe you just called him catching strays. All right, junior, this one.

[Jordan]

Hold on.

[Landon Donovan]

One more.

[Tim Howard]

I told you, the fans want. And Jordan says they want more.

[Landon Donovan]

They're going to.

[Jordan]

Also because my. The email is, like, getting out of control. I need to get some of these out of there. So this one's from Otto via email. My suggested rule change is that anytime a referee feels he has to go over to talk to two players who are wrestling before a corner kick, then both the opposing players must exit the penalty area while the corner kick is.

[Tim Howard]

Love that. Love that, love that. Because it drives me crazy when the re. I'm like, don't blow the whistle. Don't just call a penalty or call a foul. They know they can't do it. Like, stop. Just stop. It's all, like, performative. I hate it. I hate that. So I love it. Good. If I have to go stop it, you're both out.

[Landon Donovan]

Bye.

[Tim Howard]

That'd be great. It's like 2v2 in the box by the time the corner gets taken.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah, but it's like, it would. But it would be like sweet. Hang on, hang on. I'm trying to work this out. I was, I was. I thought it was terrible, but I'm trying to work it out. So who get. So if I'm a defender and Landon's my attacker and I grip him up, what happens?

[Tim Howard]

I have get kicked out.

[Landon Donovan]

If.

[Jordan]

If both of the. He's saying, like, if there are two players who are wrestling, then the two opposing players both have to step out of the penalty area while the corner kick is taken.

[Tim Howard]

Oh, Tim's making a good point though, because if I'm a defender, I could just grab him and make sure the ref comes. I don't want him in there.

[Landon Donovan]

I'm taking the three best headers and I'm getting the grips with them, right? And I'm going, oh, we gotta go out of the box, guys.

[Tim Howard]

See, anytime there's a new rule people take advantage of, people take advantage.

[Landon Donovan]

Unless ld. Unless you're being shown to be passive, which again is subjective.

[Tim Howard]

It's all subjective.

[Landon Donovan]

How about.

[Tim Howard]

How about. Okay, Jordan.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah, go on.

[Tim Howard]

I say Auto. Otto, how about this? The person who is at fault initially for creating, they get kicked out. So now you're either a player up or a player down. Love that.

[Landon Donovan]

That's not bad. I like that. What about. We're gonna end the show with this? Your idea was really good. What about as the game starts to dwindle down? I don't. I haven't worked this out yet. Right. You have to eliminate. So it basically goes from like three versus three in the box. The ball has to be served in the box. And then it goes like two versus two and then one person on corners. On a corner. Like one verse.

[Tim Howard]

Like in the last 70 last 20 minutes. I don't know, 10 minutes.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah, I don't even know what to talk about anymore. Whatever. No, no, keep it as is.

[Jordan]

Okay, well, I. I try, Otto and Matt, I tried with your new rules, but Tim's not having either one of them.

[Tim Howard]

I am. I'm open. I'm very open minded. Tim's very close minded.

[Jordan]

You can send your new rules, your questions. Thank you. To the person who sent me an email asking if I was over my head cold. Yes, I'm fine now. Thank you very much. To unfiltered. No. What is it? Feedback filtered. Soccer.com.

[Landon Donovan]

Yes.

[Jordan]

Maybe I'm not over that head cold. Never mind. All right, I'm getting out of here.

[Tim Howard]

I can produce the show if you want, Jer.

[Jordan]

Oh, good, good.

[Tim Howard]

All right. Bye, Jer. Thanks for giving the fans what they need. Okay, Timmy, before we get out of here. Promo. It's a promo time this weekend. When do you head out, by the way?

[Landon Donovan]

I'm leaving today.

[Tim Howard]

Oh, you're leaving today? I'm going to Napa.

[Landon Donovan]

I'm going to Napa.

[Tim Howard]

Oh, let's go.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah, Yeah. A few bottles of red, I was happy.

[Tim Howard]

Bottle of red, bottle of white. New York.

[Landon Donovan]

Oh, sorry.

[Tim Howard]

All right. We are going to be at the super bowl this weekend. Not actually at the super bowl, but on Saturday. We are having a free live Show Saturday the 7th from 2 to 4pm Pacific Time. We have some very interesting and special guests. You'll be joining us. I think you guys are going to like them. You can find us at St. Joseph's Art Society. It's at 1401 Howard street in San Fran. Learn more write this down amp sports block party.com amp sports block party party.com so if you want to go free, hang out, we'll be there. Tim will be signing all your autographs and taking pictures, and it's going to be a lot of fun.

[Landon Donovan]

So.

[Tim Howard]

All right. Thanks, guys, for being with us. Another great show. We appreciate you guys. As always, remember to subscribe on YouTube, Apple, Podcast, Spotify, anywhere you get your pods. We have lots and lots of bonus content coming in the next five months. I told you guys. As the summer approaches, make sure you follow the show across all social media at Unfiltered Soccer. For all the bonus content, thank you to our presenting sponsor, VW, our fan connection sponsor AT&T, and our stoppage time sponsor, FanDuel.

[Landon Donovan]

Yeah, great show. Thanks, everybody. Thank you to our unfiltered refresh sponsor, Coors Light, our additional sponsor, Airbnb. Have an amazing week as always. We'll be back next Tuesday. Tuesday with another edition of Unfiltered Soccer.