Club & International Coaching with guest Bruce Arena

Speaker 1 You know, if you look at every national team in the world, the coach is usually a domestic coach.

Speaker 1 When you have coaches that don't know our culture, our environment, our plays, it's hard. I mean, I'm watching, I'm shocked if we can't beat Panama and Canada.

Speaker 1 Time is running out and they got to get going.

Speaker 2 Unfiltered Soccer with Landon and Tim, presented by Volkswagen. Volkswagen has long been a supporter of soccer in America and has proudly been a partner of U.S.
soccer for the past five years.

Speaker 3 Welcome in everybody to another edition of Unfiltered Soccer. We keep saying we have amazing guests and sometimes you are

Speaker 3 in the presence of greatness and

Speaker 3 we are honored and humbled and landed. I'm going to let you do this intro because

Speaker 3 our next guest is very special to both of us, but I know your history and so I'll let you take it away.

Speaker 2 Yeah, before we get to that, just a reminder, always follow us on social media at Unfiltered Soccer.

Speaker 2 Subscribe to the show on youtube make sure you follow apple podcasts spotify wherever you get your podcasts please leave a review and you can also email us and there's going to be lots of questions after this week feedback at unfilteredsoccer.com um yeah so this is a a man who has been much more than a coach to me um he has been a father figure a reference point for me through many, many years.

Speaker 2 He's probably absolutely hated me at times absolutely loved me at times but we've had an incredible relationship through the years we've referenced him a lot on the pod without further ado i welcome in mr bruce arena welcome bruce well thank you bruce that was very nice you to say him

Speaker 1 good to see you as well two great people not only great players but great people so It's great to see that

Speaker 1 you're still in the forefront of the game in our country. And you mean a lot to a lot of people.
Your voices are heard. And we really appreciate everything you've done for the game in our country.

Speaker 1 Thank you.

Speaker 3 And likewise, we appreciate that. Yeah, you are a living legend.
And it's just great to have you on. Great to see you back kicking ass in the MLS.
So

Speaker 3 this is going to be a fun episode.

Speaker 2 So, Bruce, let's jump in. I want to take people back just to start.
So

Speaker 2 I find in our country now, there are a lot of new soccer fans, which is great, but they have no context of the history and what this sport has been through.

Speaker 2 And for Tim and me, we reference it basically from 2000 on,

Speaker 2 but you've seen it from much earlier days on. And we were just reminiscing about the early days with DC United.
Last weekend, you guys beat DC 6-1 in what was a commemorative game for the 30th year.

Speaker 2 Can you, first of all, can you remember back that far to that first game and what it was like then and what what the league was like then in 96 well uh just think about the league in 96 you know i i was uh going back to my playing career which is uh you know

Speaker 1 nobody knows anything about which is good i was i was drafted by the cosmos and uh chose not to play for the cosmos because of the the uh

Speaker 1 how the american play was treated uh I was finishing up my last semester at Cornell, playing lacrosse at the time as well, and

Speaker 1 I was going to back up shet messing and they offered me $200 a game and I could work at the KLM counter at JFK Airport

Speaker 1 complete my degree at Cornell and then I played professional lacrosse out of soccer but that's that's where the American player was at the time and then you know Pele came then a year and a half later and I looked like an idiot

Speaker 1 and then the league folded and then there was this dead period and you know I'm coaching at the University of Virginia. And, you know, we don't have a professional league in the country.

Speaker 1 And then we get the World Cup. And then part of that deal with the World Cup was that we had to start a league in 96.
And we did. And we didn't know what the hell we were doing.

Speaker 1 And that's what I remember about 96, that opening game,

Speaker 1 how poorly we played, and the quality of the game. And we just...
were all going in different directions. And I think three weeks later, I cut maybe six players that started in that game.

Speaker 2 So,

Speaker 2 you know,

Speaker 1 everything was crazy. And then by mid-year, we got it going and the league got better.

Speaker 1 And we, oddly enough, had some very good players to start the league when you think about Valdarama and Donadoni and Echeberry and some of these great players.

Speaker 1 And, you know, we went through tough times. And I think the U.S.
national team moving forward after the 98 World Cup and having success. in 2002 it helped keep the league afloat.

Speaker 1 And then things are happening now.

Speaker 1 We're getting better.

Speaker 1 The state of MLS today is remarkable compared to 95.

Speaker 1 You know, when I look around and I see these stadiums and these training facilities and the players we're attracting now and thinking about what's going to happen after 2026,

Speaker 1 we're going to be in a position where we were all worried about, you know, can soccer be the number one sport in this country? It doesn't have to be. We're in America.

Speaker 1 It can be one of the five major sports, and it will be.

Speaker 1 So there's such a great future. And to think about the role you guys played

Speaker 1 where we are today is remarkable. So, you know, you asked me, can I remember 96? I can.

Speaker 1 And

Speaker 1 I know of 2025 now and see the battle we've had over the years and where we are now. And

Speaker 1 I really think there's a bright future for the game in this country.

Speaker 2 I was in San Jose, ironically, in 01,

Speaker 2 and I distinctly remember at towards the end of the year, I don't remember if it was Goose, Jeff Agus, or somebody.

Speaker 2 I remember them talking about hearing wind of the league was in real trouble and considering folding. And I don't know if that was sort of hyperbole or, and Jeff was on the players' union, I think.

Speaker 2 And so he had more insight into it. But was that a very real thing where the league was on the verge?

Speaker 1 My understanding, yes. And

Speaker 1 if we didn't have the World Cup we had in 2002, I think the league would have folded.

Speaker 2 Now, oh, wow.

Speaker 1 Let me be fair about this. I could be completely wrong, but I've been told that by a number of people.

Speaker 2 Wow.

Speaker 1 Because the league was in not great shape.

Speaker 2 Right.

Speaker 1 And the 2002 World Cup excited people and ownership, you know,

Speaker 1 got a little an injection of momentum from that and decided, you know, I think at that time, if I can recall correctly, Phil Anschutz owned six teams.

Speaker 2 Right. Yeah.
That's right.

Speaker 1 I think in San Jose,

Speaker 1 it was jointly owned by Kraft and Hunt and Anschutz.

Speaker 1 And these gentlemen were keeping the league alive.

Speaker 1 And if it wasn't for 2002 World Cup, I think the league may have folded. And listen, if you talk to the commissioner today, he might deny the whole thing.
Sure.

Speaker 1 What do I know, you know?

Speaker 3 Yeah, and Bruce, one of the things that Landon and I often say on this podcast, and it's not, I think some people probably take it as arrogance, but we've seen the highs and the lows between he and I.

Speaker 3 We've seen European soccer, USL, NWSL, MLS, national team. We've seen everything.

Speaker 3 I have a daughter going to college and she's gone through the youth system and she's playing at college and Landon has kids. We've seen everything.

Speaker 3 But the person, I think, in American soccer who might have seen it all is you. And I mean that sincerely.
We talk about living legend. And if you look at every pillar of the game, you've won.

Speaker 3 You've had the best teams at every pillar of the game. I remember watching your UVA teams in 1990.
I do. I remember going to games when you were on the East Coast.

Speaker 3 That was the best college team possibly ever. Your DC United teams, they were untouchable, not just the first iteration, but in the subsequent years as you started to trim the fat and add.

Speaker 3 Those are, you've won the cups, you've done it. And then in 2002,

Speaker 3 you took the U.S. in South Korea and brought us to our best ever.
finish in a World Cup. So you've seen it all.

Speaker 3 And I just think about the growth of the game and going back to you're off to a brilliant start in San Jose, even though we've evolved, even though the league nearly folded and we've talked about all these different things.

Speaker 3 I do think your teams in DC, your best teams in DC, would still have the ability to compete at the highest level of today's MLS. Do you agree or disagree with that?

Speaker 1 I do to a certain degree. I mean, Marco Etcherri and Jaime Moreno could play in the league today.
I don't question that at all. You know, maybe the

Speaker 1 lineup could go, I'd say, six, seven, seven eight players strong i think i think maybe at the bottom of the uh the first 11 uh they'd be a little weaker than they are today the american player today is so much better than it was in 96.

Speaker 1 i mean we have a bunch of good players i mean even here in san jose which is not a perfect situation yet for developing players

Speaker 1 what we have we have some very good young players i am just amazed watching these kids every day so you know the american player is better.

Speaker 1 I mean, I don't want to drop names, but I had some guys playing at DC United that probably wouldn't play for the San Jose.

Speaker 1 But our top players were terrific.

Speaker 3 And

Speaker 3 you talk about the young talent in this country, which I completely agree with.

Speaker 3 You brought that team in 2002. Landon was a part of it, and he was one of the youngsters, right? But you had a good mix of veterans, there's no doubt.

Speaker 3 But you bled through a bunch of young players, the top young players, some of them that this country's ever ever seen. Taking a step back, how important was it? You had a great run in DC.

Speaker 3 Like, I know you're a bold, confident coach, but deep down, how important was it for you to get that U.S. national team job?

Speaker 3 Was that like, was that something at the top of your wish list your entire career?

Speaker 1 Or I was on a phone call,

Speaker 1 not that I wanted to be, but I ended up on a

Speaker 1 call on a speakerphone with a U.S. player in France during the World Cup complaining.
And I'm listening, and I'm pissed off.

Speaker 1 And I'm saying that, what are we doing?

Speaker 1 And the 98 team,

Speaker 1 not being critical, they didn't advance, but they embarrassed us.

Speaker 1 And when that opportunity came about for me to become the national team coach, I said, I want to bring pride back

Speaker 1 to the national team.

Speaker 1 And we built that. And,

Speaker 1 you know, I knew Landon from, I don't know, I think I've mentioned mentioned this to Landon in 1997. I had DC United at Bradenton in preseason.
And

Speaker 1 Landon was pretty damn good. And Beasley was playing, and Landon was shooting his mouth off.
And

Speaker 1 Marco Echeveri wanted to punch him out.

Speaker 1 This kid has some balls.

Speaker 1 But I knew he was confident. And I remember watching him and DeMarcus.

Speaker 1 And then I do remember two days before we played Portugal in 2002, I told you and Demarcus you're going to start, and you guys didn't blink an eye.

Speaker 1 And I was amazed at that. Our two 20-year-olds, you guys were great.

Speaker 2 And

Speaker 1 it was exciting for me as a coach to be part of that, to have young, promising players. And then, you know, to this day, I always think about the leadership that Ernie Stewart gave us.

Speaker 1 and Kobe Jones and how it all blended in to make that whole thing work.

Speaker 2 I want to touch on all that because we've talked a lot here about the lack of, it's funny you use these words, pride,

Speaker 2 that we see now with our current national team.

Speaker 2 And it's hard to get inside their minds and know exactly, but it doesn't, when I watch games sometimes with the national team, it feels like there's a lack of pride

Speaker 2 or enough pride. And then the other one is leadership.
And when I think about 02 team, the 06 team, we didn't play well, but we didn't lack that.

Speaker 2 2010, even 2014 2014, to some extent, there was pride and there were good leaders. You've seen it all.
So is that an accurate assessment of what you see too? Or what is it?

Speaker 1 You know, if you look at every national team in the world, the coach is usually a domestic coach.

Speaker 2 Yeah.

Speaker 1 And I think when you have coaches that don't know our culture, our environment, our players, it's hard. And, you know, I'm,

Speaker 1 and listen,

Speaker 1 I'm sure our coach is a very good coach. Coaching international football is different than club football.

Speaker 1 It's a completely different job. People ask me all the time, hey, what did you like this or that? What'd you like better? I go, they're two different jobs.

Speaker 1 They're two different jobs. And people don't understand that.

Speaker 1 And I think when you're a national team coach, you need to know your environment. You need to know the animals you're coaching.

Speaker 1 And we're lacking that. And if you're an American coach in the U.S.
team,

Speaker 1 you know the culture, you know the pride and how important a national team is. I think when you bring in somebody from the outside, they don't understand it.
And especially in our country,

Speaker 1 because we're so different. So, you know, you ask me, you know, do we lack that kind of pride? I mean, I'm watching.
I'm shocked. I'm shocked that we can't beat Panama and Canada.

Speaker 1 It was shocking to me. And I don't want to be disrespectful.
I want them to do great in the World Cup. There's no question about it.
But

Speaker 1 we only have a year left now.

Speaker 1 The time is running out and they got to get going.

Speaker 3 Well, I mean, listen, I think our listeners are going to be so appreciative of your honesty because,

Speaker 3 you know, after games and after perceived failures of finishing fourth in a Nations League, Landon and I come on and we pontificate about what we think.

Speaker 3 But for our listeners to hear it from

Speaker 3 one of the greatest managers to do it,

Speaker 3 that speaks volumes. And the interesting thing is, you're right, Landon.
I wrote, as soon as you said the word pride, I wrote it down in bold letters.

Speaker 3 You know, the interesting part about you, Bruce, is

Speaker 3 you are direct and you're ruthless with your players, loving. But as a foundation, your teams have to run through a wall, care, want to wear the shirt.
And I think about a time.

Speaker 3 Two quick funny stories to set this up. We were coming back from South Korea prior to the World Cup.
So I think in December 2001, we played in South Korea. And this is my, you know, I was young.

Speaker 3 I probably wasn't going to make the World Cup team but I was young and I was hungry and I was arrogant on the plane you had this amazing thing about writing notes to players that like it's crazy now because of technology but you'd sit on every plane ride and write notes to players and walk back and hand them to them and that could be what you need to do better what I think you did well but it was great and you handed me this note and you talked about my progress and said I'm probably not gonna make the world cup and I was thinking I'm gonna make the World Cup.

Speaker 3 You were right. I didn't make the World Cup, which is amazing.

Speaker 3 And I

Speaker 1 shitty goalkeepers ahead of you.

Speaker 2 I know. Well, I know.
And the funny thing was,

Speaker 3 as a testament to you,

Speaker 3 I remember being young saying, I want to keep this note and this is going to drive me for motivation. And later that turned into like, I have a note from Bruce Serena.

Speaker 3 And I mean, no, and I mean this humbly. It's special to me.
I still have it in my office. And then I went to Manchester United and I thought I was the greatest.

Speaker 3 And you and I, I was sitting in my house and we were on the phone. And I said, I should be playing, Bruce.
I should be playing. And you said, playing over who?

Speaker 3 I said, well, playing over Brad Friedel and Casey Keller. I'm in the Premier League.
They're in the Premier League and I play for a better team. And I think you just laughed at me.

Speaker 3 I'm like, well, this kid has no idea what he's doing. But the point is, you were honest and you were, and the players, all of the players to a man respected you for that.

Speaker 3 I just wonder, we always talk about football changing, players taking the emotion out of the game, being more on social media.

Speaker 3 Have you had to find yourself adapting to the player, or are you still the same Bruce Serena? that

Speaker 3 will give it to you right between the eyes and give it to you honestly.

Speaker 1 I'm pretty close to being the same,

Speaker 1 but it is different.

Speaker 1 But I'll tell you, all the clubs I've worked for, the players have been great, great professionals.

Speaker 1 The part that's kind of interesting today is

Speaker 1 the young American player. They all think they should be playing right away.
We have 18-year-olds here that think they should be starting.

Speaker 1 And I always tell them, your time will come. You got to work at it, this and that.
And they don't want to hear it.

Speaker 1 And their agents are telling them this and that, and they want to go to Europe and blah, blah, blah. So you've got that.
The only thing I try to do, and it's it's hard, just be honest with the guys.

Speaker 1 You've got a chance of developing a good relationship with players and a good culture in your team. You know, I tell them, you know, I make mistakes just like them, you know,

Speaker 1 that's all that's all part of it every day. But

Speaker 1 I want to be honest with them. I want to be fair.
And

Speaker 1 I want to be there for them whenever they need me. And that's all I can do as a coach.

Speaker 3 It's obviously your first season there.

Speaker 3 You're probably exceeding expectations, maybe not your own, but as a group, your team is off to a flying start.

Speaker 3 Is there a sense? And obviously, you don't

Speaker 3 speak in absolutes. Is there a sense where you think this team can go in year one? I know it's always a process with a manager.

Speaker 3 You look to what you can do in years two and three and beyond, but do you get a sense of where this team is positioned this year?

Speaker 1 We finished 29 out of 29 teams last year.

Speaker 1 And we gave up the most goals in the history of the league.

Speaker 1 And I think this year we can we can uh do better than that we will improve on that we'll we'll finish 28th and i'll be the coach of the year

Speaker 1 no i think i i think we we're capable making the playoffs uh it's not going to be easy but i i think we're capable of that and uh uh we have some good players here we're gonna have to have some breaks along the way obviously but that that's my goal for the team is to make the playoffs can we finish and that means in today's era of MLS, it's can you be in the top nine teams in being in a playing game?

Speaker 1 That's a that's something we got to shoot for. I think we could do that.
You know, we have a decent roster and it'll get better. But obviously, organizationally, we have to grow.

Speaker 1 We have to develop our facilities better so we have a better everyday environment. But as a starting point, we're improved.
And the guys have a great attitude. I have a great coaching staff with

Speaker 1 Dave Sarikins here with me again for like the 40th year.

Speaker 1 Shalry Joseph, who I think is an upcoming terrific coach, is going to be a head coach in this league one day. He's terrific.
Steve Ralston, who I think, Landon, you played with Steve?

Speaker 2 Yeah, and against.

Speaker 1 And Aiden Brown, our goalkeeper coach. So it's a great staff.
They're doing a great job. And the players have been very supportive.
So we're enjoying ourselves. We really are.
And

Speaker 1 I think we have a chance to be decent.

Speaker 2 Bruce, do you have a, I think people would love to know, do you have a favorite favorite one team you coached? Oh, tough question. Either national team.

Speaker 1 That is a tough.

Speaker 1 And I must tell you, Landon,

Speaker 1 the ride back on the bus after the Germany game in the 2002 World Cup was special.

Speaker 2 You know, that even though we lost.

Speaker 1 We had a collective group of guys that knew that they gave everything they could possibly give. Did the best they could.
And

Speaker 1 we fell short, but

Speaker 1 we were so proud of ourselves. And

Speaker 1 that is clearly one of the great moments in my coaching career. And, but I look back, you know,

Speaker 1 I've been fortunate to be part of so many great teams at the collegiate level, having

Speaker 1 four consecutive national championships. It was brilliant.
The DC United run was great. Even,

Speaker 1 and obviously, the Galaxy was terrific. Even New England Revolution, we won the supporter shield.

Speaker 2 That's right.

Speaker 1 Those things were special.

Speaker 1 And

Speaker 1 I don't want to

Speaker 1 take anything away from any of those teams.

Speaker 1 They were all great and they were great experiences. You know, I'm very fortunate.
You know, you said before we got on the call, you said, holy mackerel, you're 73 years old.

Speaker 1 And I said, yeah, I'm going to be 74 this year. And I'm saying, I'm still working and enjoying myself and fortunate to be around.

Speaker 1 uh these wonderful guys every day to keep me young and it's exciting and you know i get up at uh five in the morning every day to go to work and i enjoy it and so i'm fortunate you know you you can talk about this or that and you know i've experienced this and all these other things in my career but boy i've i've i've been the lucky one i really have been so you know it's it's it's been special the germany game i wasn't on the bus but i saw the scenes i mean that answer gave me goosebumps and bruce you i mean look

Speaker 3 You are the lucky one, but all of your players who have played for you are, you know, we're fortunate. And again, as I said,

Speaker 3 to be a living legend, to be able to give you your flowers in front of our audience who absolutely adores you and the U.S. men's national team, it's really special for us.

Speaker 1 Well, thank you. And I'm hopeful that we have a lot to celebrate next summer.

Speaker 2 Amen. Before we go, I want to share a story and we'll let you go do your real job.

Speaker 2 You were just talking, it just reminded me, you were talking about the 25th player as important as the first player.

Speaker 2 In 2014, my last game, we played New England at home with the Galaxy in the MLS Cup final. And I will never forget this, and I'm getting goosebumps talking about it.

Speaker 2 I will never forget this till the day I die. The final whistle blew, and we had a player on our team who, you know, might have played 100 minutes that year, Raul Mendiola.
You remember, Bruce.

Speaker 2 And the final whistle blew. And I looked kind of around, whatever, was aware of what was going on.
And Raul Mendiola was sprinting over to me to hug me.

Speaker 2 And the guy played maybe 100 minutes all year, Tim. Maybe.

Speaker 2 And he was so invested in it the same way that me and Robbie Keene were. I mean, it was no different.
And I think that kind of tells you everything you need to know about how you build a team.

Speaker 2 And Bruce, just in the modern era, everybody's talking about game model and tactics and how you do this and how you build.

Speaker 2 And all those things have a place and they're important.

Speaker 2 But I think the message to everybody listening is that to do this over decades, you've been through all those things and had to change and adapt a little bit on the field, but the way you treat people and the way you get the most out of players is what's most important.

Speaker 2 And that's why you've been successful, in my opinion.

Speaker 1 And I think some weeks ago, if you saw the comments by

Speaker 1 Nsalati,

Speaker 1 he basically said that how you treat people is more important than your tactics.

Speaker 2 So true.

Speaker 2 Well, you've proven it. So, Bruce, thank you so much.
We hope to have you on again when you make the playoffs.

Speaker 1 I love you guys. I'm grateful for us having the opportunity to spend some time with you.

Speaker 3 Love you too, Bruce.

Speaker 2 Love you too, Bruce. Thank you, man.
Have a great season, and we'll talk soon. Thank you.
All right. Thank you, Bruce.
We will let you get back to your day job.

Speaker 2 No, you still got a lot of work to do, but you guys stay right there. We're going to take a break.

Speaker 2 When we come back, we're going to talk about all the Champions League fixtures from the week right here on Unfiltered Soccer with Lannon and Tim, presented by Volkswagen. Stay right there.

Speaker 3 The Unfiltered Soccer Podcast is brought to you by Volkswagen, the presenting partner of U.S. Soccer.

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Speaker 3 Man, Mana, that was awesome. I mean, awesome.
You know what?

Speaker 3 I said it there.

Speaker 3 you know, to his face, but we have to pull out all of this knowledge from people who have been there and done it. You know what I mean? And like, he's a, I keep saying he's a living legend.

Speaker 3 He's won it every facet, every facet. I mean,

Speaker 2 how about the Revolution supporters shield? I was like, I totally forgot about that.

Speaker 3 Forgot about that. And the Revs fans are going to

Speaker 3 hate us more. But I know, but I know that.
I mean, that's amazing. I mean, amazing.
Every level.

Speaker 3 Multiple national championships at Virginia, multiple MLS Cups, D.C., LA, Supporter Shield with the revolution best ever finish with the usmen's national team in the world cup in 2002 and and crate you've been you've been along the ride for so much of that with him he's just he's awesome i love his i love his brutal honesty when you when you just think about all that tim fans are crazy like how could you hate on that

Speaker 2 it's just ridiculous and and we're talking about lack of what we sense as is enough pride lack of leadership whatever like he oozes it he cares about the national team he always did he cares about his teams.

Speaker 2 He cares about his players. And that's why he's been successful.
And I think there's a lot to learn for all young coaches, for

Speaker 2 GMs and people hiring coaches, and they want the next new, exciting, sexy coach who plays this way and does that.

Speaker 2 It's like, hold on a sec. This is a big part, a big part of winning soccer games.
Yeah.

Speaker 3 And you know, the interesting thing is two thoughts come to mind.

Speaker 3 If you're, you said he's, you said he's 74 this year, right? He still seems to have the hunger and the desire to get on the grass every day.

Speaker 3 And I hope that he, he has incredible success in San Jose and sees out his career.

Speaker 3 But by the way, if I was in a hiring position and I ever needed to, and I ever, it was a coaching vacancy, I'd just go to the board and go, we're hiring Bruce Rena.

Speaker 3 And if they asked me any questions, why, I'd go, here's a stack of papers. Just read that.
This is why

Speaker 3 he should coach our team. You know, the other, the other part is I was distraught.
And that's an understatement

Speaker 3 when we lost out in 2017 and didn't go to the World Cup because they brought Bruce back, right? After the first two games of qualifying, fired Jürgen Klingsman, brought in Bruce.

Speaker 3 And I was just like, this is it, man. Like,

Speaker 3 this is the savior. This is, I wanted to be a, I mean, selfishly, I wanted, I wanted it for myself as well to go to a fourth World Cup.
But I was like, Bruce Arena is supposed to be this coach.

Speaker 3 He's supposed to be our coach to take us to the World Cup.

Speaker 3 And obviously, as players, we disappointed and we didn't get the job done, but it was a fun little run that hopefully was going to end in a fairy tale, but didn't. But he's a special man.

Speaker 2 He was awesome. Hopefully we get him back again.
We're wishing him the very, very best in San Jose, and I don't think we need to wish him anything. I think it's going to happen.

Speaker 2 It's just a matter of time. All right, let's move on.
We are recording this for everybody. We're recording this on Thursday, April 16th, 17th, 17th, whatever the day is.
17th.

Speaker 2 So this is not on a Monday. So we have not seen any of the Premier League action.
We haven't seen any of the MLS action.

Speaker 2 So we're going to talk about the Champions League that we just saw yesterday and Tuesday. Let's start with PSG Villa.
So pretty cool for Villa to have a quarterfinal match.

Speaker 2 The game was wild, exciting, fun. In the end, PSG advance, 5-4 on aggregate.

Speaker 2 They were the odds on favorite. They were the money favorites.
Do you still see it that way?

Speaker 1 Yeah.

Speaker 2 I mean, I don't know if I can argue with that too much.

Speaker 3 I do like Arsenal's chances in the semifinal match.

Speaker 2 We'll get to that.

Speaker 3 The one thing I was talking to our producers just before the show and saying, like, Champions League is great.

Speaker 3 Oftentimes in the early rounds, I do think there's just a lot of games and I think the big matchups are fun.

Speaker 3 But I'm not sure, Landon, honestly, I'm not sure the drama of the second half of the second leg. If you know where I'm going with this,

Speaker 3 in the knockout phases, I don't think it gets more exciting in sports because

Speaker 3 it's just like the world's greatest players basically going, who said tactics ain't no tactics we got to go chase a goal you got to defend and then hit us on the break and it's just such chaos and the one thing that stood out to me because i think you know we we've both played at such a high level but that these players rarely make mistakes i'm thinking about like

Speaker 3 i i think it was nuno mendez goal for psg not not 100 sure but anyway the ball got squared across He takes a touch to open up his left foot and smacks it, right? Like just tucks it inside the post.

Speaker 3 And when I, we did the highlights highlights for NBC yesterday in the studio, and I looked at this replay, and I'm like, the ball wasn't even sitting for him.

Speaker 3 Like it rose up, but he realized it was, it was going to be kind of like on the half and he just slapped at it. And I was like,

Speaker 3 the technique and the execution of players at this level is like mind-blowing. And to watch it like the playout over the course of the, of 90 minutes or 180 minutes, it's, it's special, man.

Speaker 3 Love knockout football.

Speaker 2 And the beauty of it is,

Speaker 2 it's the top teams, obviously, at this point from their leagues. And so there's the top players, and they're used to playing a certain way.
Yeah. And they're used to having all the ball.

Speaker 2 So when those two types of teams clash, it just becomes a free-for-all, tons of goals. You know, for people who are not the most die-hard of soccer fans who are more new to this and are listening.

Speaker 2 Can you imagine? I'm just thinking this out loud. Let's say the Lakers and Warriors were playing and they had a two-game series like this, home and away.

Speaker 2 And it wasn't who won the games, it was the total score of the games, right?

Speaker 2 And that's what you get in the second half of these second legs because it doesn't matter if you could be losing 3-0 in the game,

Speaker 2 but one goal and you advance. Right.
And so it makes it so fun and it's so exciting to watch. And

Speaker 2 there was a moment during the Arsenal, Real Madrid game, and Arsenal, big credit to them

Speaker 2 for putting on a show, really.

Speaker 2 But there was a moment in the game where Arsenal are attacking, and Madrid literally have their four defenders and a six. And everyone else is just hanging out up the field because they needed goals.

Speaker 2 They needed three or four goals. And so it was just this back and forth.
Worth the risk. And you knew there, yeah, it was worth the risk.
And you just knew there were going to be tons of goals.

Speaker 2 In the end, Arsenal got two, Real Madrid one. And

Speaker 2 I mean, I know PSG are the odds on favorite, but it'd be hard to bet against Arsenal right now. Yeah.

Speaker 1 And they have all their focus.

Speaker 2 Like these other clubs have to worry about their league and making Champions League and the title. And they're just like, don't matter.

Speaker 3 They're going to rest players.

Speaker 2 Everything. That's right.
Everything's going into this.

Speaker 3 Yeah, it's interesting. You make an interesting point.
Like, they're going to, they're going to rest player. And Mike Keller Tet has done it the last two weeks

Speaker 3 for these two legs against Real Madrid. Yeah.
He's going to rest players

Speaker 3 on the weekend.

Speaker 3 They're most likely going to finish second. Probably, if they drop down at this point, it's worth the risk.
Not drop out of the Champions League spots, but drop down a place or two.

Speaker 3 I think it's big credit to them. Because look, this is the part we're talking about with Champions League.

Speaker 3 I was having conversations yesterday in the morning before the game, and they're up three nil on aggregate right people were saying people in the know were saying look they expect real madrid to get two to four goals on the day right didn't happen but that but like that's a real comment like they're gonna get two to four goals if they get two

Speaker 3 it's now three two what does arsenal do they come out of a shell right if they get four or three then they got to chase the game so like in the end it didn't work that way so that's why i think big credit to arsenal but this is this is real like where do you go into a second leg and say, oh, we're up 3-0, but we might have to score today because they could put four on us.

Speaker 3 It's, it's, it's incredible. But yeah, I, I think Mikel Arteta has the ability to kind of bunker his team in and play on the break or get the football and play free-flowing.
So it will be a good game.

Speaker 2 And I think Arsenal will look at Villa.

Speaker 3 By the way, you have to be precise every moment of 180 minutes. Where Villa failed was the back end of that first leg, right? They'd have been a little bit more switched on.
They were in it.

Speaker 3 They proved they can be in it. So Arsenal will look at those two legs and say, Villa's a good team, but we think we're better than Villa.

Speaker 3 And Villa gave them a certain type of game, and they'll be able to as well. It'll be a good tie.

Speaker 2 Oh, wow.

Speaker 2 Speaking of Real Madrid, Tim, just in the chat here from our producers, according to Sky Sports, Carlo Anchilotti will leave Real Madrid immediately after the Copo Del Rey final against Barcelona.

Speaker 2 The report states Anchilotte will not complete the La Liga season and the El Clásico will be his last game in charge. Wow.
Wow. Okay.

Speaker 2 Maybe expect it a little bit, but I didn't think it would come that fast. Did you? Kind of.

Speaker 2 Did you?

Speaker 2 Maybe it was always in the works.

Speaker 2 If they don't advance, then...

Speaker 3 Yeah, there's been some rumblings of kind of like turmoil in the background. I know there was, you know, things just haven't been right there.
And,

Speaker 3 you know, look, the bottom line is at these big, massive clubs.

Speaker 2 Yeah, Yeah, you're right.

Speaker 3 You don't, I mean, we've seen managers win titles and get sacked. Like these, these big clubs, there's no, there's no room for error.
And so things just haven't gone according to plan.

Speaker 3 Obviously, getting knocked out against Arsenal was probably the final straw.

Speaker 3 So, yeah, you know, hopefully for them, they can produce a performance in the Copa del Rey final, which is April 26th, I believe. So, yeah, a very short stay for Angelotti.

Speaker 2 Shane Craig. What people forget too, Tim, about these things is these are human beings making these decisions and there's big egos involved.

Speaker 2 So I'm not saying that was the case here, but there have been lots of cases. I remember in the early days of MLS, Ziggy Schmidt, rest his soul, was in first place with the galaxy and got fired.

Speaker 2 And, you know, you don't know exactly what happened, but if, you know, there's just a clash in egos, it's like, all right, well, you're out. You know, I'm the boss here.
You're out. So that happens.

Speaker 2 Wow. Really interesting to see what happens now going forward.
The other side of the bracket, we'll see Barcelona, who got by Dortmund. They lost, but they got by Dortmund.

Speaker 2 And they will play now Inter,

Speaker 2 who drew at home to Bayern Munich. So

Speaker 2 Inter is an interesting team.

Speaker 2 Not a lot of, like, they're the one team in this whole thing that people don't really talk about. They're the one team.

Speaker 2 But all of a sudden, now they're in a semi-final against Barcelona, and they can absolutely win that tie.

Speaker 3 You know, the interesting thing, you remember when Inter did it with Joe Samourinho? If you don't follow Italian football, Italian football is tailor-made for knockout football. It's totally.

Speaker 3 They know how to manage moments. They know how to take the sting out of the game.
Oh, you want to sit in a deep block and have eight behind the ball? No problem.

Speaker 3 Listen, the Italians can defend with their backs against the wall for as long as humanly possible.

Speaker 3 If you put 300 minutes on the clock and said, don't concede, they'll go, okay, we'll show you how this is done.

Speaker 3 It's insane tactically, the way the Italian team set up.

Speaker 2 And with their national team, too, right? It's just

Speaker 2 they can just soak up all the pressure and deal with it. PSG will go to the Emirates on April 29th.
That is going to be absolutely cracking. That'll be so fun.

Speaker 2 The return leg will be, I believe, on the 6th. And then Barcelona hosts Inter on the 30th.
And the return leg is on the 7th.

Speaker 2 Interestingly, Inner Milan, Barca, and PSG could all still win the treble,

Speaker 2 which, you know,

Speaker 2 Barcelona is kind of

Speaker 2 in my, you know.

Speaker 2 my fandom here in the States, I haven't heard a lot about Barton. I haven't followed a lot, but all of a sudden they're up for the treble again, right? And so you have to give them a lot of credit.

Speaker 2 It looks like

Speaker 2 they're going to win the title race still. Real Madrid got a little

Speaker 2 got a little bonus with Mbappe only getting suspended one game.

Speaker 2 People, I got so many text him.

Speaker 3 Mbappe's challenge was terrible.

Speaker 2 How could he only get one game? I said, well, who are they playing this weekend? He said, I don't know who. I said, who are they playing after that? Barcelona.

Speaker 2 I said, well, that's why he got one game. They're only suspending.

Speaker 3 They're not suspending him for the for the super classic chance so could one of these players by the way from one of these teams win the ballon d'or enter barca psg i think that's possible i mean i do think they win a treble they win the champions league you're the best player on the team yeah look i think it's possible and again we were having this conversation offline like i i i love cristiano ronaldo i love messi the what we experienced in our time and and in that window of time with them owning and dominating everything was special.

Speaker 3 But the fact of the matter is, it was going to be one of them who won the Blondeor. So you're just like, now it's kind of open, which I like better because everyone has a chance.

Speaker 3 Before no one had a chance. They didn't.
They didn't. It was, it was

Speaker 2 one of those.

Speaker 3 It was Messi Rinaldo, like maybe one other token guy they threw in there. Now, no, it's true.

Speaker 2 And third place was

Speaker 3 a distant third. So I'm excited to kind of see how that pans out.

Speaker 2 All right, let's take another break.

Speaker 2 When we come back, we will dive into all your questions, a lot of MLS questions this week in the AT ⁇ T fan connection right here on Unfiltered Soccer with Landon and Tim.

Speaker 2 As always, presented by our friends at Volkswagen. Please stay right there.

Speaker 2 This episode is brought to you by Airbnb.

Speaker 2 All right, Tim, between your work, your daughter, your son, or maybe just your own enjoyment, how much traveling do you think you've done to see soccer this year?

Speaker 3 Honestly, I've lost track at this point.

Speaker 3 You know, just this summer alone, I was all over the place.

Speaker 3 But it is, it's a beautiful thing to see how many soccer fans and how soccer has been embraced no matter where we go.

Speaker 2 Yeah, I mean, I was just in Austin. I'll be traveling to New York.
Everywhere I go, I meet fans. Whether I'm going to see a game myself or just on vacation, I see people everywhere.
I hear stories.

Speaker 2 I hear stories about their pilgrimage to Everton to go watch a game, to go see the new stadium, to go see their favorite team.

Speaker 2 They get immersed in the chants, the songs, that incredible feeling of seeing the game up close and personal.

Speaker 3 Well, I mean, I think that's where the game has changed. These trips have become a big deal for soccer fans.

Speaker 3 And this summer is going to be no different as we'll see the soccer community make their way to 11 host cities here in the U.S. to support their favorite national team.

Speaker 2 It's going to be incredible. I can't wait for it.
And what if those fans could turn their homes into an opportunity while they're away at the game?

Speaker 2 Hosting your home on Airbnb while you travel is an easy way to earn a little bit of extra cash, maybe go towards tickets for your game that you want to go to.

Speaker 2 We know they're not cheap, or maybe to help your kids pursue their soccer dreams.

Speaker 3 Yeah, your home might be worth more than you think. So find out how much at airbnb.com slash host.

Speaker 3 It's time for the fan connection presented by ATT. Every week, we invite you, the listener, to connect with us by submitting your questions.
The best way to grow the game of soccer in the U.S.

Speaker 3 is to keep asking questions and keep talking about the sport we all love. At AT ⁇ T, connecting changes everything.
And on US LNT, our connections with you will help grow the game.

Speaker 3 Welcome back in to our AT ⁇ T fan connection, everyone's favorite time of the week, including our very own Jordan. Welcome in, Jordan.

Speaker 4 Thank you very much.

Speaker 2 Hello, JR.

Speaker 4 Hello. We put out a graphic on Instagram asking people for their MLS questions, and we have a bunch of them.
So

Speaker 2 dive in.

Speaker 4 Let's talk about the revs. Chris via Instagram says, will the revs write the ship? I don't think they're far off, despite the mood of the supporters towards the coach in the front office.

Speaker 2 No.

Speaker 3 Give us context on the mood there.

Speaker 4 What do I think the mood is there?

Speaker 2 To the great Bob.

Speaker 2 Not great, Bob.

Speaker 3 So are they saying that they think that it's Caleb Porter's fault or is that what's going on?

Speaker 4 I just read the questions.

Speaker 2 I don't scan these people and say, could you please help me analyze your question?

Speaker 3 I'm asking the class.

Speaker 2 I think, here's my, these things all permeate from the top.

Speaker 2 Is it permeate the right word to use there? I don't know. It all trickles down from the top.

Speaker 2 And when the ownership isn't doing a good job, and then, you know, for the long year or it's a long time, they had a terrible GM there.

Speaker 2 It's just all these things then trickle down. And, you know, is it Caleb Parter's fault? I don't know.
Is the roster good enough? Is the environment good enough?

Speaker 2 Is the training environment good enough? They're playing on turf in an empty stadium. Like, there's all these things, but it starts at the top always.

Speaker 2 So until the until the top is changed um or the top changes the way they view it then i think nothing changes sorry for consistency i'm going to correct you it is an empty stadium they are inside the concourse at the heating zones warming themselves warming themselves yeah okay just wait till the schedule change

Speaker 4 yeah could you imagine uh let's move across to the other side of the country callan via instagram said is it time for people to start taking san diego fc seriously?

Speaker 2 Yes. Yes.
Yes. Yes.

Speaker 2 Here's San Diego FC is

Speaker 2 they,

Speaker 2 this is why. And I was talking to someone recently about this.
They have a playbook from Norseland,

Speaker 2 which is their sister club. It's same people who started and owned Norseland own SDFC.
They said, here's the playbook. Here's the type of players.
Here's the profiles we want.

Speaker 2 Here's the way we're going to play.

Speaker 2 Go. And when you have clarity in that early on,

Speaker 2 the Sounders had that early on, and that's why they were successful. And a few other teams early on have had that, then it's going to start well.

Speaker 2 Does it sustain? That is the question. We're going to see how long.
And once people figure out that playbook and

Speaker 2 what they do, they will start adjusting to them. And then in the second half of the season, when you play them a second time, a third time, you'll go, oh, okay.
Or do they play three times now?

Speaker 2 A second time, you play them a second time. The Western conference teams for sure will have ways of combating that.

Speaker 2 And then we'll see if they're able to change a little bit and can they divert from that a little to be successful still.

Speaker 4 Okay, this one is from Brayden, also via Instagram. If you could force one U.S.
national team player to be traded to a specific club, who would it be and what club would it be?

Speaker 2 What a good question.

Speaker 3 Sorry, so force a trade?

Speaker 2 Like force a player to go to one club. Oh, basically.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 4 Yeah, but someone from the U.S. men's national team.

Speaker 2 There's obviously, there's an obvious one. I don't want to go there.
Well, I'm just going to say it then. Geo

Speaker 2 anywhere.

Speaker 2 He stole my

Speaker 2 honestly. Geo to somewhere where there's a manager who is going to take a vested interest in helping him become

Speaker 2 not only a better player, but like a proper professional and like really change the course of his career. That's that's what I would say.

Speaker 2 Because we've talked about it a million times, but if he's playing and playing well, the whole dynamic changes and the team's a lot, lot better.

Speaker 2 I stole yours, huh?

Speaker 3 You stole mine.

Speaker 2 What about Matt Turner?

Speaker 2 Yeah, that's a good one.

Speaker 3 I'm thinking, because we're, it's a hypothetical question, I'm thinking Tyler Adams back to New York to win them a title. That's what I'm thinking.

Speaker 2 But he's playing at a high level at Bournemouth. That wasn't the question.
Oh, all right. Oh, you just want them to win a title.
Okay, fine.

Speaker 2 All right, I'm going to say Matt Turner to New York to win them a title.

Speaker 3 Well, you get two?

Speaker 2 Do whatever I want. It's my show, bud.
Which New York team? Red Pull. They never won a title, Bright, by the way.

Speaker 3 No, that's what I was saying. I know this isn't a question, but it should be.
Are we going to talk about Houston nicking points off your galaxy or that? We're leaving that for another time.

Speaker 2 No, I mean, I don't know. Just what it is this year.
We talk about what people care about, so we'll let that go.

Speaker 4 Okay, last one from Tommy via Instagram. What is stopping MLS right now from becoming the best league in the world?

Speaker 3 Wow, that's a document, that's a docuseries.

Speaker 2 It's not

Speaker 2 um, what is stopping MLS right now? I think time.

Speaker 2 I think time. There, we'll get into this when we do more on the business side of soccer at some point, but it needs more time still.

Speaker 2 One of the biggest problems, though, in MLS is all of these

Speaker 2 rules and mechanisms for getting players, which at one point were absolutely necessary to ensure the survival of the league, are now archaic and completely holding the league back.

Speaker 2 Completely holding the league back. There's too many rules and ways.
I mean, the De Bruyne thing is a perfect example. Inner Miami has his discovery rights.

Speaker 2 What if they have no intention of signing him? Now they're just holding an amazing player who could come into the league hostage, right? And this happens all the time.

Speaker 2 We don't want to sign him, but we have his rights. So, hey, Colorado or San Jose, or you're not signing him either.
And it just kills the league.

Speaker 2 So if those all wiped away in three or five years,

Speaker 2 decent chance it's a top five league in the world, my opinion.

Speaker 3 Yeah, I agree with that.

Speaker 3 I mean,

Speaker 3 there's a laundry list of things that gets MLS to in the conversation in that conversation.

Speaker 3 Obviously, calendar change is probably happening. But yeah, to your point, Lennon,

Speaker 3 there was a lot of necessary mechanisms in place to ensure the survival of the league.

Speaker 3 That being said, you can't get into the conversation of being the best league in the world if those mechanisms are still in place, right?

Speaker 3 Yeah,

Speaker 3 when that changes, then I think absolutely, like you said, Landon, then then then at that point it wouldn't take very long

Speaker 3 um yeah you're talking under you know in and around five years to get you know the players through the door to make it what you know arguably one of the top leagues yeah that's right because players do want to be here sure sure like they want to play here um

Speaker 2 you just you have to allow them to and right now there's not enough of those top players that can get into the league because of all these these rules i mean just imagine for a second right and i know it's sort of pie in the sky but it's also not because

Speaker 3 think about how many really good players, top players

Speaker 3 in and around their prime, maybe back into their prime, went to Saudi Arabia.

Speaker 3 I'm not suggesting that it'd be completely that wide open. I'm not.

Speaker 3 I'm simply saying when you close your eyes and you allow your mind to think about like those players playing for Charlotte or Minnesota. or Houston or New York or wherever, right?

Speaker 3 Like that's exciting as heck. And then that.

Speaker 2 And yeah.

Speaker 3 And it's possible.

Speaker 2 It is possible. It is.
They're willing to spend the money. The owners are.
Totally. Yeah.

Speaker 2 Good question.

Speaker 4 Thanks, guys.

Speaker 2 All right. Thanks, JR.
Guys, another great week. Thank you all very much.
Thanks to our former coach, manager, friend, Hall of Famer legend, Bruce Arena. It was awesome having him on.

Speaker 2 We appreciate, as always, all the support. Remember to subscribe on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or anywhere you get your podcasts.

Speaker 3 And if you want lots of bonus content that we send out all week, follow all of of our social media platforms at unfiltered soccer yeah ld i can't overstate how much these days mean to us and i know they mean to you uh thank you bruce absolute legend there are a lot of other accolades but legend um is the one that i think of and uh again some really amazing moments that we shared and really appreciate today.

Speaker 3 Thanks, everybody, for listening. Thank you to our presenting sponsor, VW, our fan connection sponsor, AT ⁇ T, and our Unfiltered Refresh sponsor, Coors Light.
Have a great week.

Speaker 3 Look forward to seeing you back next Tuesday with another edition of Unfiltered Soccer.