USMNT Injury Woes, Minnesota Stun Sounders, LiVARpool vs PGMOL | Unfiltered Soccer

Speaker 1 Oliver Glasner of Crystal Palace, he was quoted as saying, my only complaint is the U.S. team didn't talk to us because Chris was struggling with his calf for many weeks.

Speaker 1 Well, you knew he was struggling with his calf, Oliver. I'm going to borrow your phrase, Tim.
Do me a favor, Oliver. But don't tell me you care about the player.
Yeah. This is so obnoxious, dude.

Speaker 1 And as a national team fan, I could care less about Crystal Palace.

Speaker 1 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.

Speaker 2 LD, season two.

Speaker 1 Season two.

Speaker 2 Unfiltered soccer with Landon and Tim is upon us. Didn't think we'd get here, but we got here.

Speaker 1 I'll be honest, when we started this thing, I thought we'd get maybe two episodes. And now

Speaker 1 we're signing us back up. Let's see.

Speaker 2 There's a lot of happy people. There's a lot of sad people too, but a lot of sad people.
All good. We're back.
So this is exciting.

Speaker 1 All right. Lot, lot, lot to get into.

Speaker 1 So please, guys as always follow us on all our social media at unfiltered soccer and then subscribe to the show anywhere you get it youtube apple spotify leave us a rating it helps people find us we got a big big season and a big year coming up so we want many people as possible listening talking chatting about the show should be a lot of fun um as always you can Email Jordan at feedback at unfilteredsoccer.com.

Speaker 1 Quick thing, Tim. I was at, when I was at the U.S.
game in Austin, I was there with Jessica Wolf, who runs marketing for VW for Volkswagen.

Speaker 1 And she was telling me about this street slam coming up in LA. So I just want to kind of promote it.

Speaker 1 They've got, it's a street slam. It's in LA on the 15th of November.
There's 12 teams from across the country. They compete against each other.
You'll see VW everywhere at the tournament.

Speaker 1 They've got it on the jerseys. They got vehicles there.
We got to get one of those.

Speaker 2 Got to get a jersey. Got to get one.

Speaker 1 And got to get a bus. You got yours.
Mine's back there. Yeah, I got my bus.

Speaker 1 A lot of teams are even taking a road trip in the VW bus to the tournament. So if you're in L.A.
Saturday, check it out. It's sponsored by VW.
It'll be a lot of fun. She was telling me all about it.

Speaker 2 Well, you and I need a VW bus road trip.

Speaker 1 That would be so rad. It's happening.
Love that. Unfiltered bus.
All right, we'll do it. Okay, let's jump in.
So the squad got released for the national team.

Speaker 2 You did.

Speaker 1 MNT on USLNT.

Speaker 1 Boy, is there a lot here? And we're going to get into some of it later. But let's start with some of the notable absences.

Speaker 1 Christian, the first one. So he just just returned this weekend.
He played 20 minutes,

Speaker 1 played pretty well. Actually, I watched the highlights, and he

Speaker 1 looked normal. He looked fit.
It was good for him to get the time off. That's number one.
Malik Tillman, injured as well.

Speaker 1 He's subbed on in the last two games for Leverkusen, but I think

Speaker 1 they're going to be cautious with him, and you're going to start seeing a theme here. And I know you're going to have a lot to say about this.
Alexandejas, thigh injury.

Speaker 1 He subbed on this weekend in the second half. Johnny Cardozo's been out.
He recently returned to training. He had an ankle injury.
Timothy Wea has a thigh injury, another muscle strain there.

Speaker 1 Anthony Robinson, which we will talk about. Kim Carter Vickers, Achilles injury.
Tyler Adams, we're going to talk about this later, along with Chris Richards.

Speaker 1 And then Weston McKinney. So let's just start with the injured guys and then let's talk about Wes, Matt Turner, who was also not there and get into the guys who are fit but not there.

Speaker 2 So go ahead.

Speaker 2 where do you want me to start tee me up this list is crazy by the way

Speaker 2 um

Speaker 2 yeah it's a theme it's a theme that

Speaker 2 the injuries happen i know i'm not stupid i know that injuries happen i it seems like with this national team injuries happen a lot um

Speaker 2 Maybe it's a timing thing, maybe it's a freak timing thing, but

Speaker 2 the headline for me has always been with this crop of players,

Speaker 2 we never get our best team together, right? We don't. And when we have the opportunities, we miss them.
The gold cut was a great opportunity to do that. We missed it.

Speaker 2 November,

Speaker 2 U.S. soccer and Pachatino put their flag

Speaker 2 in the dirt and said, this is it. From here on out, my best team's coming in.

Speaker 2 And here we are. And they did, I think, for the most part.

Speaker 2 Yeah, the last one, October.

Speaker 1 October. No, November.

Speaker 2 Sorry. And sorry, October.
And then now here we are again.

Speaker 2 This is now a group of players. And by the way, much love to these players who are going into camp.
But this is like last chance saloon for the bubble players

Speaker 2 that

Speaker 2 it's going to be important to them that they make the team. And freaking hats all, pat them on the back and shake their hand.
That's awesome to make a World Cup team.

Speaker 2 But they're not going to be the players that are essentially going to be the ones on the pitch in the big moments. Yeah.
Right. For the most part.
So like,

Speaker 2 I'm flabbergasted at

Speaker 2 the amount of injuries that we have within our team on a consistent basis. You're allowed to get injured.

Speaker 2 But the other part of that is there's a mentality piece, Landon, because I firmly believe because I lived it. with myself, you lived it.
I lived it with other teammates who are full internationals.

Speaker 2 When you play at the highest level, because of return-to-play protocols, right?

Speaker 2 And for people who don't know who are listening, return to play protocols is a phrase that crept into soccer over the last two decades.

Speaker 2 And it's basically when you get injured, you go through this plan of action to get you back to 100% fitness. And 100% fitness basically means you can play in a Premier League game or a Syria A game.

Speaker 2 Like you ain't playing in those games if you're not up to speed, right? That's just how it works. And so

Speaker 2 my understanding,

Speaker 2 because I lived it, is when you are back up to speed and I can compete and I can play in a Premier League game. Yeah,

Speaker 2 I am fit. That's how it works.
Now,

Speaker 2 I might still be injured and I might still hurt, but I'm fit. Okay.

Speaker 2 So anytime I had an injury, LD, and

Speaker 2 I played for Everton or United on the Saturday, I was getting on the plane on Monday.

Speaker 2 It still hurt, my elbow, my hamstring. I still hurt, but I was going into camp because if I can play, I can play.
Yeah.

Speaker 2 You get what I'm saying? Yeah.

Speaker 1 The other thing, Tim, is generally what happens is you get on the plane, you go, and then they assess you. Sure.
Right.

Speaker 1 So then if you're not fit or you're not, or they say, okay, it got irritated in the game, you know, Christian's a good example. He plays 20 minutes.
You get on the plane. You come into camp.

Speaker 1 They evaluate you. And then you say, okay, you know what? He's.
probably should not play in this first game. We're going to give him a half in the second game.

Speaker 1 And meanwhile, and I've said this all, and again, we're beating a drum here or a dead drum, but

Speaker 1 there's value in them just being in camp together.

Speaker 1 Forget about the games, like there's just value in that. So, I don't want to lump everything in together, but this feels like a little bit of a regression

Speaker 1 because

Speaker 1 it's not like Anthony Robinson is injured.

Speaker 2 He is not playing right now. I get it.

Speaker 1 But between Zendejas, who went back in, Christian, who played, Tillman, who played, these guys were on the field, right? To your point. So it would be nice at least to see them in camp.
I get it.

Speaker 1 It's an opportunity for other guys, and we'll get to those guys, but

Speaker 1 it's just a recurring theme.

Speaker 2 And I, well, we don't mean to, we don't mean to lump them all altogether, but the fact of the matter is this happens constantly. This literally, like, I know, I'm not making this up.

Speaker 2 This isn't like an opinion. And I know some people love me for my opinion.
Most people hate me for my opinion. This isn't an opinion.
This is

Speaker 2 our best U.S. soccer players are consistently not coming into camp.
Are they coming into camp? Yes. Are they consistently coming into camp? No.
That's a fact. That's a fact.

Speaker 2 So we're not making anything up here.

Speaker 1 Anyway, and I would say, if Berhalter was the coach still,

Speaker 1 you would say, okay, it's fine. These guys have been around him for five years.
They know how he plays. They know they expect it.

Speaker 1 Again, this is a new manager who still hasn't had his full group together, and they're still learning each other. They are.

Speaker 2 Yeah, no, but here's the thing. And I said this before, and

Speaker 2 it sounds a bit flippant

Speaker 2 other than it needs to be implemented. And when it's implemented, it will become the norm.

Speaker 2 The U.S. manager from the day,

Speaker 2 every time the manager changes over, you have a meeting, right? They bring you into camp. You have a meeting.
Hi, I'm the coach and so and so. And this is how things go.
The camp and U.S.

Speaker 2 soccer need to just simply mandate. The next coach comes in and goes, guys,

Speaker 2 I need a commitment from you. Not a, hey, I really like the U.S.
National team. I wanna be here.
I need a commitment.

Speaker 2 If you can't commit to me or I see over the next 12 months that you are not committed, I've got no use for you. You might be the best player on the team, but I got no use for you.

Speaker 2 And I know it's a big stance, but I tell you what, I've mentioned this before on the podcast. Playing for your national team in a World Cup means everything to legacy, to your wallet.

Speaker 2 It means everything to a football player. If you take that off the table, I bet you'll get some commitments.

Speaker 1 So anyway. And we should clarify.
We don't, you know, I listened to Pochitino's press conference. We don't know, ultimately, everything's his decision, right?

Speaker 1 Because the players are obligated to come in if he calls them. We don't know if the players called in what case and said, please, you know, I need to rest.

Speaker 2 Well, they don't talk. They don't.

Speaker 2 That's true. That's true.
They don't talk.

Speaker 2 That's been put on record.

Speaker 1 In between camp. Yeah, that's true.

Speaker 1 That's true. Well,

Speaker 1 okay, let's get to Weston. So

Speaker 1 this was a confusing one. And I want you to talk about when you have a new manager, because I think there's this popular

Speaker 1 comment in world soccer where people say, Well, he's got a new manager, so it's best that he stays there and performs

Speaker 1 and gets in the good graces of his new manager. So, so tell people

Speaker 1 what the realities are when that happens.

Speaker 2 I didn't understand this one. I actually asked you for clarity, and then you kind of said basically that they had a new manager.
Pochatino had mentioned he wants him to stay there.

Speaker 2 That's kind of how I'm following it, right?

Speaker 1 Yeah, I believe so. Yeah.

Speaker 2 So

Speaker 2 I'm baffled. Did I already say that on the show? Then maybe I'm just baffled all day.
I'm baffled by this one because

Speaker 2 I think I'm right here. If I'm wrong, I'll hold my hand up, but I think I'm right.
If he doesn't come into this camp, which he's not, the next time he's available to come into camp is March,

Speaker 2 which is the next camp, right?

Speaker 2 And I, and I then believe it will be one calendar year where he's only been in camp with the NAFS team one time.

Speaker 1 Correct. I think that's what Andrew told us.
Yeah.

Speaker 2 Okay. Which is crazy.

Speaker 1 That is wild.

Speaker 2 That's crazy. So again, people, season two, again, we're going to keep a lot of receipts, but season two, people call us crazy, right? People, people disagree with our takes.
I hope nobody in the U.S.

Speaker 2 soccer community, fan or otherwise, can disagree with the fact that that is crazy.

Speaker 2 Probably our top three, certainly top five best players, hands down, has been with the team one time in a calendar year.

Speaker 1 That's you made a great comment, Tim, when we talked about it yesterday or over the weekend. And I hadn't thought about this because, like, I'm sympathetic to all these things.
I do. I get it.

Speaker 1 A new manager.

Speaker 1 And you, you're so

Speaker 2 you said,

Speaker 1 you said the new manager comes in. Yeah.

Speaker 1 He's got hundreds of games of Weston McKinney he can watch. He's not an 18-year-old who just came into the squad who's trying to make a name for himself.

Speaker 1 And he's got, by the way, whatever, eight, 10, 12 games this year of him.

Speaker 2 But he knows who he is. So let me, so yeah, so my comments were, because this is what you're hinting at.

Speaker 2 You are who you are. Now, this might be water under the bridge, okay? But you are who you are.
Your reputation precedes you. If a new manager, which they did, came into Everton,

Speaker 2 he wouldn't have any questions about Tim Howard. He knows exactly who I am based on my body of work.

Speaker 2 Also,

Speaker 2 Weston's going to be, all the other internationals at his club are gone. They're going to their national team.

Speaker 1 Right. They're not even there training.

Speaker 2 So he's going to be training with a skeleton squad or some reserves, some other guys. So

Speaker 2 I can assure everybody who's listening, you are not impressing a manager in a 10-day international window back at your club.

Speaker 2 And by the way, if that was the case, I'd say to my manager, you want to assess me? Well, I'm going to play two games. I'm going to play really, two really good international games.

Speaker 2 You should watch that 180 minutes because I'm going to be on the pitch. So I don't know how apparently the players and the manager don't speak with the U.S.

Speaker 2 team, but if they did have a conversation, I'm curious. Did Pots say, hey, Wesson, I'm going to leave you out? Because I've also had managers.

Speaker 1 Well, you've just said they haven't, they don't speak.

Speaker 2 Okay, but hypothetically, I've had managers.

Speaker 2 Lynn, I can't tell you the amount of times I've had a manager.

Speaker 2 And it wasn't, it wasn't terribly often, but they've said, hey, Tim, I'm thinking, like, I'll leave you out because like, you know, I said, what?

Speaker 2 No, I'm, no, I'm coming in. I'm absolutely coming in.
Like, why wouldn't I come to camp?

Speaker 2 If you weren't planning on playing me both games, maybe I'll play one game. But so, so I don't even know how that was accepted by the player.

Speaker 2 Would the player not want to say, whoa, hang on? I want to come to camp. Why wouldn't you want?

Speaker 2 So

Speaker 2 this again tells me that the national team isn't a priority. People are going to argue that with me.
People are going to argue that with me. I think the World Cup for these players is a priority.

Speaker 2 I don't think the national team is a priority.

Speaker 1 But I will say in Weston's case, and I'm, you know, I'm pulling back the curtain a little bit. I do know in speaking to people, he wanted to come into camp.

Speaker 2 He did.

Speaker 1 And he was surprised. Okay.
So that was a Pochitino decision. Fine.
And again, Pochitino has his reasons for calling or not calling someone.

Speaker 2 Okay.

Speaker 1 So in that case, you know, but was that always the case with Weston? No.

Speaker 2 There are probably camps in the past where he's like, oh, I don't want want to now he's like i want to be in every camp because he wants to make the world cup team okay so then what i would say to you is and that's the world under the bridge part your reputation precedes you right if you're the best

Speaker 2 if you're the best player if you're the best top three or top five players on any team in the world internationally

Speaker 2 there's question marks about whether you're getting called in or not i mean you and i can go out on a list of of the best players on the best top 50 teams in the world.

Speaker 2 There's no question marks about your top five players getting called into camp. So, why is there a question mark with Weston? Whether the manager or it's him?

Speaker 2 Baffling.

Speaker 1 Uh, the other in-year-old position, uh, Matt Turner not called. And I assume Tim, that's just because he's out of the playoffs, not playing.

Speaker 1 I know he went to train with Forrest, but I assume it's I assume it's for that. That's that's

Speaker 1 that's all I can deduce from that.

Speaker 2 Right.

Speaker 2 Yeah. I am.

Speaker 2 You preface this. I have a lot of problems today with with this roster.

Speaker 2 If Matt Freese is technically the number one, right?

Speaker 2 Matt Turner

Speaker 2 is in the mix for your number two, right?

Speaker 2 Yeah, theoretically. He's probably not going to play the game.

Speaker 2 So

Speaker 2 what does him not currently playing? have to do with anything.

Speaker 2 You're calling in guys who are currently playing, but they're never going to make the roster.

Speaker 2 Again, this is about building the chemistry, the camaraderie. Like in that goalkeeper group, I know that.
Like you want continuity. You want Matt Freeze.
You want Matt Turner.

Speaker 2 You want whoever else is going to be three or four. You want them in.
You don't want just random people in. We're almost six months away from the World Cup.

Speaker 2 I don't know what playing or not playing has to do with it because he's ultimately not going to play the games anyway. Matt Fries is going to play the games.

Speaker 2 So

Speaker 2 if you think that he can lose match fitness or match sharpness, it doesn't matter. You still want him in the train

Speaker 1 and to be around the team.

Speaker 2 And to be around the team, right? Okay. All right.

Speaker 1 We talked about Chris Richards. We'll get to him in a minute.
So, so, some of the guys who now have opportunity:

Speaker 1 Gio,

Speaker 1 Joe Scally,

Speaker 1 Aronson. We can set him a little bit aside because he's been into a lot of camps.
Austin Trustee, who was man of the match

Speaker 1 in their win over Rangers.

Speaker 1 Any of these guys, Tim? I mean, let's put Aronson aside. Scally, Reyna, Trusty, can these guys make the World Cup team?

Speaker 1 I think, I'll just, let me start. I think with Scally, he's an interesting one because he can also play left back.

Speaker 1 And I think with Anthony Robinson struggling, I think that has to be a thought, right? Like, who's the next guy who can play as a left back with Arfsten? Right. So he's an interesting one.

Speaker 2 Yeah. Yeah.

Speaker 1 And trusty, if they're going to play in a back three,

Speaker 1 maybe there's more competition there now, right? Yeah.

Speaker 2 I mean, look, I am interested in Joe Scally one

Speaker 2 because of that reason. Austin Trusty, Austin Trusty only, because I do think we have two center backs.
I think we're going to play in a back three. Right.
And I think we have two center backs.

Speaker 2 So I think we need to find a third one. Yeah.
You know, what that looks like.

Speaker 1 And a third, fourth, and fifth, right? For Deborah.

Speaker 2 Yeah, yeah, of course. Yeah.
And then, yeah, and Geo, look, I'm a fan of, I'm a fan of Geo because I, I have my eyes wide open about who U.S. soccer is, right?

Speaker 2 And like I said to you before, time and time again, we do not produce players like this. Whether they reach their full potential or not, we don't produce players like this.

Speaker 2 We've had, and I mentioned on this show, we've had Todd Ramos, we've had Claudio Reyna, we've had you, we've had Clint,

Speaker 2 we've had Christian, right? That's five. I might be missing one or two, but

Speaker 2 the people who are generational talents, we don't have those players. We've got robust players, we've got good center backs, we've got good goalkeepers, we've had good strikers.

Speaker 2 We don't produce that type of player. And he is one of those players.
And so I still, I still hold out hope that he can find the form with the U.S. national team and that he can find a place because

Speaker 2 you know, and I know it's tough to take the ball in big moments.

Speaker 2 When the lights are shining bright and you're the underdog and the world is watching, it's tough to take the ball in tight spots and tough moments. And I think he has the ability to do that.

Speaker 2 And I can't say that about many players.

Speaker 1 So we keep saying it's his last chance. And we've said it a million times.

Speaker 1 It just, I don't know, he's got a bit of nine lives, but

Speaker 1 for his sake, I hope hope he just goes in humble,

Speaker 1 does all the right things, works hard. If he plays a few minutes or starts a game, whatever, do everything, everything.
I hope he's learned that that's the way you get in.

Speaker 1 And, you know, we're going to find out. So

Speaker 1 curious how you guys feel about the squad for the November Friendlies. Let us know in the comments.

Speaker 1 Obviously, a lot of question marks and a lot of

Speaker 1 chatter there. Okay, let's talk about Chris Richards.
We alluded to it. So

Speaker 1 previously,

Speaker 1 AC Milan had talked about their disappointment and their frustration with the U.S. playing Christian Pulissic against Australia.
Now, Oliver Glasner of Crystal Palace,

Speaker 1 talking about his frustration, he was quoted as saying, my only complaint is the U.S. team didn't talk to us because Chris was struggling with his calf for many weeks.

Speaker 1 Well, you knew he was struggling with his calf, Oliver. We talked to them and said he should rest as they were just friendlies.
They played him twice every single minute. That's disappointing.

Speaker 1 On the other side, we've tried to manage his minutes here. You have resting him against Larnaca.
I've never even heard of them. So, yeah, of course, you rested him.
But you can't cheat your body.

Speaker 1 Chris's body told him he needs more rest. Let's see.
I haven't taken a final decision if I start him tomorrow. He says he's fine.
The medical department says he's fine.

Speaker 1 He did play the game, by the way, and he played a full 90 minutes. I'm going to borrow your phrase, Tim.
Do me a favor, Oliver.

Speaker 2 Do me a favor.

Speaker 1 This is so obnoxious. And

Speaker 1 if you play a player over and over and over and over, and then when he goes away, he says he needs rest,

Speaker 1 you can just F right off because you're not doing what this is Anthony Robinson all over again last year. They were, he played, didn't train all week, took injections, pills, whatever, played again.

Speaker 1 You don't care about them. Don't tell me you care about the player.

Speaker 1 This is so obnoxious, dude. And I'm glad Pochatino went back at him.
Yeah. It was so great.
I want to read this too. He's, this was his response.

Speaker 1 When you're a head coach in a club, you are always an egoist. You don't think about the national team, or sometimes you believe that you have the right to say things that are not right.

Speaker 1 I think we managed very well the situation with Chris Richards. We played him because he was ready to play.

Speaker 1 Love that.

Speaker 1 And by the way, and then he touched on this too. Yes, they're friendlies, but we don't have qualifying.
These games are everything for us. And I just, Oliver Glass now,

Speaker 1 as a national team fan, Tim, I could care less about Crystal Palace.

Speaker 1 Whether they finish first or 19th or they go to league two next year, I could care less. I care about Chris Richards.
Sure. Right.

Speaker 1 And if you want him rested and not playing with the national team, then you can't play him every second of every game. And don't tell me they're just friendly.
He could just, yeah.

Speaker 2 No, you're right. I liked Pochitino's response.
I didn't agree with Oliver Glasnar.

Speaker 2 Again,

Speaker 2 with this and Tyler Adams situation, we're going to try and, as you said, pull the curtain back a little bit to give our listeners, like we say club versus versus country it's a real sort of problem and debate that every player deals with but ultimately

Speaker 2 what we're trying to do is is give you insight into like this is real like where does where does the players responsibility come into this where does the clubs where does the country's and and look

Speaker 2 i get it on the surface the first thing that everybody who disagrees with us is going to say well Crystal Palace, Ace Milan, Everton, Man United, whoever, they pay your wages, which is okay.

Speaker 2 There's an argument there.

Speaker 2 But ultimately, the value of a player, which the player is an asset to the club, the value of the player goes up significantly if that player is a full international and plays in a World Cup.

Speaker 2 So that's the counter-argument. Ultimately,

Speaker 2 if this is an issue, if his calf is an issue,

Speaker 2 then he should not play two weeks for Crystal Palace.

Speaker 2 He should rest then. But Crystal Palace, rightfully so in their case, think that they're a priority.
That's why I said all along, U.S. soccer has to up the ante,

Speaker 2 right? They have to be able to say, guys,

Speaker 2 if you don't come into the national team, I can't play you. It's as simple as that.

Speaker 2 Right. And yes, it's a bit of brinksmanship, but I guarantee you players will start.
And by the way, Chris Richards, I'm not calling him into question at all.

Speaker 2 The guy's a warrior, and he's one of our best players. I'm simply saying at a certain point,

Speaker 2 it almost has to be, I couldn't dare not get on the plane and go to my national team. That has to be the feeling amongst the players, but

Speaker 2 I don't think that's the case right now. But anyway, Oliver Glassnoor.

Speaker 1 But Tim, that puts the player in a tough spot. I remember times Bruce Arena would say to me, look, maybe you shouldn't go away with the national team.

Speaker 1 You know, maybe you should get, and it's like, well, what do you want? You want me to call my coach and tell him I don't want to go in? Yeah. Right.
Like, that's a tough situation to be in.

Speaker 1 And so it's tricky to put the player. What I would, I'm just thinking this as you're saying this.
So I'm just going to, I'm just going to say this out loud as you're saying it.

Speaker 1 I think there used to be a time where you genuinely had friendlies that were not in FIFA windows. And that's when there was a negotiation.
Like, should this player really come in or not?

Speaker 1 Now FIFA has made very clear. FIFA windows.

Speaker 1 The expectation is that your players are going to be gone if you're a club team. Yes.
That's the expectation. Period.
I'm not a story.

Speaker 1 If they come in and they're not fit to play, then they can rest with the national team or they can turn around and go back. I know Serginio Dess did that at one point.

Speaker 1 He came in, they evaluated him, wasn't right, send him back. But U.S.
soccer going forward needs to

Speaker 2 mandate that.

Speaker 1 The minute a new coach comes in, you call every one of these clubs and you say, hey, just so you know, every time there's a FIFA window, if there's a guy on there and we can come back to him, I'll call him.

Speaker 2 He's coming.

Speaker 1 Period end of story. And there's too much ambiguity now.

Speaker 2 And it's like this negotiation and this talk and massaging it and it's just creating a nightmare the lack of clarity is creating a nightmare and and look the other thing is i've been i've been there too and i had obviously i had a really strong personality but and i played for managers that i respected but that was also that was also suggested to me from time to time like hey maybe you don't maybe don't go in and rest and i you know i i played with two broken fingers at one point and i said no I want to go to the NASH team and I'll inject my fingers the same way I did for Everton.

Speaker 2 And I'll come play those games and I'll come come back and I'll do the same thing. Like that, I put that on my shoulders.
Nobody was going to tell me

Speaker 2 when and where I could and couldn't play.

Speaker 1 That's when you were an established pro.

Speaker 2 These are established pros. Chris Richards plays every week in the Premier League.
Christian Blizzick plays every week for ACR. That's true.
Wesley McGee, these are established pros. They are.

Speaker 2 They're the best play. They're some of the best players on all of their individual teams and their national team.
Yeah, that's fair. They don't have to be 35 to be established.

Speaker 1 No, that's fair. Yeah.
Let's move on. All right, guys.
Reminder to subscribe and like on YouTube. Our graphics team just told us a little soccer ball appears when you like it.
That's kind of cool.

Speaker 1 My kids all love that. Do you agree with this? Chris Richards thing, do you disagree? Do you agree? Give us a like.
You get a little soccer ball. Again, my kids are going to be stoked on that.

Speaker 1 Let's talk about the Tyler Adams thing real quick. So this was weird.
So you were on the desk. I turned on the game literally at the five-minute mark.

Speaker 1 And I saw two players down.

Speaker 2 And you turned it right on at that point.

Speaker 1 And my first, like, my gut was like, oh, please don't be Tyler.

Speaker 1 And then it was Tyler. And so I went back and I watched the play.
Now,

Speaker 1 he did not, this is interesting to him. He didn't come off the field after this collision.
It was a head-to-head collision. If you haven't seen it, go watch it.
The other player, what was his name?

Speaker 1 Smith? Smith,

Speaker 1 came off the field and was substituted because he was deemed to have a concussion. Tyler did not come off the field.

Speaker 2 Yeah.

Speaker 1 Played the rest of the game.

Speaker 1 And then this morning we find find out that he's not coming into camp and he's been replaced by Timothy Tillman for camp.

Speaker 1 And

Speaker 1 this one is confusing to me. And I'm trying to assume the best, but I think I know the worst.

Speaker 1 And I think,

Speaker 1 you know, I'm not going to speculate, but I am going to speculate.

Speaker 1 I saw the play. I saw the collision.
Bournemouth hasn't said anything yet.

Speaker 1 There was no other play in the game that would have told me Tyler got injured in any way other than there was likely they evaluated him and they said, you cannot travel. You cannot get on an airplane.

Speaker 1 Am I wrong in thinking that?

Speaker 2 No. So

Speaker 2 for clarity,

Speaker 2 there was Smith and Tyler Adams. There's a coming together.
They both have eyes for the ball. It's a horrific head clash.
LD, right? So if anybody didn't see it, they both have eyes for the ball.

Speaker 2 They go up. They basically smash each other's heads and then bodies go flying.
And when I say bodies go flying, I think they landed probably 10 yards apart, maybe. It's a little bit of a guess.

Speaker 2 But Smith was out. Smith was out in the air.
He hits the ground. He hits his head.
He's locked up. He is out.

Speaker 2 Cold. Okay.
Tyler, I don't know if he goes out. I didn't see that.

Speaker 1 Didn't seem like it.

Speaker 2 But he's also, both of them are down and hurt. for a long period of time.
They both get assessed.

Speaker 2 I think actually, if I remember correctly, correctly, because it was the same team, I think the Bournemouth medical staff went to Smith, and I think the Aston Villa physio or doctor went to Tyler, only because he had a, I thought it had a villa jacket on, which happens for extra medical purposes.

Speaker 2 Smith, after, I don't know how long the stoppage was, Smith goes off. He's got blood running down his head.
He was out. He was completely knocked out.
He's concussed. Off you go, right?

Speaker 2 They use a concussion sub. I don't think, I'll have to go back and look.
I don't think Tyler left the field of play, which should be the protocol.

Speaker 2 I think you have to leave the field of play if there's a head injury to get assessed, I think at least 30 seconds or something.

Speaker 2 Now look,

Speaker 2 good friends of ours, Taylor Twellman, who leads tons of

Speaker 2 research and all the things that he's involved in with concussions and head injuries, Dr. George Champis, who is a dear friend of ours at U.S.

Speaker 2 soccer, heads up the NFL Concussion Committee and all the things around U.S. soccer and FIFA with their concussions and protocols.

Speaker 2 We've reached out to them and tried to get some, obviously, information.

Speaker 2 But I think it's a big miss that if I'm going to assume here, which I shouldn't do, and if I'm wrong and if Tyler Adams has a toe injury or a calf injury,

Speaker 2 I'll retract what I'm saying. But if what it looked like from you, you and I have...

Speaker 2 played the game for a long time and we've analyzed the game for a long time this looked like a serious head injury and if bournemouth Bournemouth are saying to us, he played 87 more minutes with a head injury, and we get to Monday, and he can't get on a plane for that reason, and he can't play for that reason, or he's possibly in concussion protocol for that reason, then I'm saying

Speaker 2 they've put the player's well-being in danger for allowing him to play on after it's an obvious, obvious collision and clash of heads. So,

Speaker 1 yeah, continue on. At a minimum, Tim, he should have come off the field and been assessed and been assessed.
At a minimum. If at that point,

Speaker 1 the assessment they messed up or something, they put him back in and they realize after the game he's, you know, he's got headaches or he can't sleep or he's throwing up or whatever the concussion symptoms are, that's fine.

Speaker 1 And again, we are making an assumption. If we're wrong, we'll say we were wrong.
We're making an assumption.

Speaker 1 And so

Speaker 1 it was bizarre to me that he didn't come off the field. And I'm just wondering how long now until they do what the NFL does, which is have independent people assessing them.

Speaker 1 Because what people don't understand behind the scenes, there is immense pressure on the medical staff to get players back into the game.

Speaker 1 So now if you're a coach, you're going, well, I already had one player subbed off for concussion. I need Tyler in the game.

Speaker 1 And you got to have someone with real stones to say he's not going back in. And my guess is they'll be like, okay, I guess we'll get.

Speaker 1 And Tyler, of course, you know, he's probably saying, I want to go back in. I want to go back in.
I want to play.

Speaker 2 And so, so let me, and, and let me, let me refer back a week, maybe two weeks. Okay.
And I don't know, we didn't talk about this, but Bergvald, the midfielder for Tottenham, right?

Speaker 2 Takes, I think he took a ball to the head. I couldn't remember what it was, but he like comes up and he's like stumbling and staggering, right? Then he goes down.
So the physios come on, right?

Speaker 2 Typical concussion reaction. He gets like, angry and he's like waving them away.
And they're going, no, no, no, hold on. Let me assess you.
This is totnum verse i can't remember who

Speaker 2 and in the premier league and i swear to you the pictures will not lie they're like doing an assessment he's like angrily waving them off they're like just chill out let's do this assessment bro they must have said follow my finger because they put his thing their finger in front of him with his eyes he went like this

Speaker 2 go look at his picture he turned with it bro he turned with it and i i immediately thought he ain't there so they so they take him off and and he's annoyed.

Speaker 2 They take him to the touchline to further assess him.

Speaker 2 He was annoyed. And you can tell he's like pushing people away.

Speaker 2 Credit to Thomas Frank, the manager at Tauton. Thomas Frank, because this kid's begging to go back on.
Thomas Frank, the player Bergval's here. Thomas Frank is here.

Speaker 2 Thomas Frank looks straight at the physio.

Speaker 2 Doesn't even look at him. And he goes, basically, can he go back on? And he said, no.
The physio. He looked at him again.
He said, he's out. He said, yes.
Didn't even look at Bergvault.

Speaker 2 Just went to a substitute, got him on and went. So he didn't even take the player into consideration.
And that's the way to do it. So the Tyler thing, watch this space.
It's Monday.

Speaker 1 Yeah, it's going to be interesting.

Speaker 2 I'm guessing, you know, this is going to get released tomorrow. Our episode is going to get released tomorrow.

Speaker 2 I would imagine we'll have some more facts as the week goes on. Yeah.

Speaker 2 And so, and so, again,

Speaker 2 I think what we need to do is for our audience is paint this picture of

Speaker 2 the national team is stupid.

Speaker 2 They're playing Chris Richards. The national team is stupid.
They're playing Christian Pulissic. Well, guess what?

Speaker 2 This club versus country debate goes both ways.

Speaker 2 Okay. And Boardmith.

Speaker 2 And Boardmith, if there's a problem and Tyler Adams is in concussion protocol,

Speaker 2 then it needs to be some answers. Agreed.

Speaker 1 All right, it's stoppage time sponsored by FanDuel. Secure your chance to score 150 bucks in bonus bets today.
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Speaker 1 This week we're focused on the international break. So let's look at the U.S.
men's national team versus Paraguay. I have, of course, the U.S.
to win.

Speaker 1 And I believe our guy Flo Balogan, who's in fantastic form, will come back in, keep his run of form going and score on Saturday.

Speaker 1 All right, reminder for you guys, and we will remind you a few more times, live stream after the game Tuesday night, after the U.S. men's national team Uruguay game next Tuesday.

Speaker 1 We will have a live stream for our reaction right after the game, right around 9.15 Eastern time or whenever the game ends. So, make sure you guys are tuning in again.

Speaker 1 Live stream after the game Tuesday night, after the U.S. men's national team plays Uruguay.
All right, Tim, let's take a break. When we come back, we will talk MLS playoffs.

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Speaker 2 Right, so we're in the thick of the MLS playoffs LD, and there were some results this weekend, which are

Speaker 2 interesting,

Speaker 2 exciting. one or two boring ones, but when you move on in the playoffs, it's not terribly boring.
So

Speaker 2 think I think we have to lead with intra-Miami, Lionel Messi, and the 4-0 drumbing of Nashville. I think that's where we start.

Speaker 1 Yeah, they were good, man. And I was nervous for Miami, Miami fans, my old teammate David Beckham, that this Suarez thing could impact them.

Speaker 1 And then Messi just said, don't worry about it. It's crazy.
Another two goals, another assist, they were absolutely scintillating.

Speaker 1 The weird thing now is, I know you've said with Miami, they put all their eggs in the championship basket, right? Yeah.

Speaker 1 But because

Speaker 2 they

Speaker 1 didn't put as much emphasis because they had a gazillion games this year on the regular season,

Speaker 1 now they've got to travel to Cincy, who beat Columbus. Brenner, who came back from Udenese this year, really late loan acquisition, scored two goals, was fantastic.
And so now

Speaker 1 this matchup, Miami at Cincinnati, is going to be phenomenal.

Speaker 2 It's in three weeks, by the way.

Speaker 2 It's three weeks, and we'll get to that.

Speaker 2 So you're saying basically because they don't get the advantage of being at home. Yeah, I mean, look,

Speaker 1 they don't care

Speaker 1 as much, but Cincy's a tough place to play, man. And when you go into the playoffs, going on the road is tough.
In a one-off game, it's really tough.

Speaker 2 The one caveat to that, and I could be wrong here, but like Messi's a traveling circus, right? So, like,

Speaker 2 I get it, but there's going to be so many amazing fans in the building. Will they all be present? Dude, there's a lot of people.
And I said this when I went to New York NYCFC.

Speaker 2 It was like a ton of kids wearing Messi jerseys who are like NYCFC fans. You know what I mean?

Speaker 1 So the counter to your caveat is I think Messi over the last year and a half, I'm not saying he's a villain, but he's done some things with the referees and other players and whatever, where,

Speaker 1 you know, there's always this the way it happens. There's novelty at first, right? Excitement, whatever.
And then you play him again and you play him again. And then you're like, whatever.

Speaker 1 He's just another opponent. As a player, you do that.
As a fan, you do that, right?

Speaker 1 And so I think the fans now are like, ah, whatever.

Speaker 2 I'm not sure. I'm not sure.

Speaker 1 I don't know, Tim. I went to the, I think it was whatever, the Nations League final or whatever last year, or not Nation, whatever it's called, last year in Nashville.

Speaker 1 And yes, of course, there were some kids there with messy jersey, whatever, but 98% of the Nashville crowd was like anti-messy. I mean, they weren't like funny.

Speaker 1 Booing in them and like, but they were, they were

Speaker 2 the risk is worth the reward, though, because if you get the rest, the rest is more important than home for you. I think, I think, for this team.

Speaker 1 We're going to find out.

Speaker 2 So, so let me ask you a question.

Speaker 2 Put your coach's hat on because you've coached. I haven't.
But

Speaker 1 is there

Speaker 2 people are going to think I'm mad. Is there

Speaker 2 a thought

Speaker 2 that that you man-mark Messi? Now, before you comment, I'm not going to let you comment yet. Let me hear me out.

Speaker 2 If Messi decides, do you remember when you used to play Super Mario Brothers and you get the star and a boom, boom, boom, and you could just run through everything?

Speaker 2 Like when Messi decides to get the star during the game, there is nothing you can do, right? There's nothing you can do. We've been on, we've played against him and you tactically do this and that.

Speaker 2 I'm saying in the NBA, right?

Speaker 2 In the NBA, when you have a guy who can go for 35 on any given night in the playoffs, NBA coaches will tell you they'll run a double team at him every play to get out of his hands.

Speaker 2 And if the other guy beats you, you go, okay, cool.

Speaker 1 Fair enough.

Speaker 2 I'm saying, people hate man-marking, and I get it.

Speaker 2 If you just man-marked him every time he stepped over midfield,

Speaker 2 are you better off than just going, you know what,

Speaker 2 we're going to slide. We're going to protect space.

Speaker 1 Because he doesn't get it. Okay, so here's the problem, though.
The problem is a lot of the goals he he scores come off quick transitions.

Speaker 1 Like the first one the other night, it's a Nashville giveaway.

Speaker 2 Yeah.

Speaker 1 And so what are you doing? So when you have, let's say you are man-marking, let's say you're Cincinnati and you have whoever man-marking. Sure.

Speaker 1 When Cincinnati has the ball,

Speaker 1 what is that player doing?

Speaker 2 No, we're playing 10 on 10, bro. We're playing 10 on 10.

Speaker 1 So you're just saying if I'm making, I don't even know who would man-mark him for Cincy, but that player is supposed to man-mark Messi even when Cincinnati has the ball.

Speaker 1 I'm just standing because that's when he's most dangerous. I mean, transition in the most dangerous thing.

Speaker 2 No, it's a good point.

Speaker 2 I'm saying we're putting a two-touch limit on that player.

Speaker 2 You can get it, but you got to give it

Speaker 2 and then get back.

Speaker 2 Okay. No, I know.
I mean, I know it's stupid, but like, what else are you going to do?

Speaker 1 No, but here's the problem is if you give Messi one chance a game, he's going to score. If you give him three chance a game, he's going to score two or three.
And so you have to limit every chance.

Speaker 2 And to your point, no, I know, to your point.

Speaker 1 yeah yeah yeah yeah you just have to limit those moments i don't hate it i have to be honest because it is a one-off game and he's the one guy who can do things that nobody else in the league can do and

Speaker 1 you have to think i don't have the we don't have the data on this and we could get it but when he does not score yeah or have an assist what is their record right because he makes he makes every play he makes every play so i don't hate it i don't hate it probably gonna happen but on the other side of the east bracket so charlotte lost at home to NYCFC.

Speaker 2 Yeah, NYCFC is cruising. Yeah, they look good.

Speaker 1 They look good, by the way.

Speaker 1 That was a bad loss for Charlotte. That was a big opportunity for them in that franchise.
So NYC now will travel to Philly.

Speaker 1 That'll be an interesting matchup. And then we move to the west.
So last night, MLS After Dark, San Diego FC pumped Portland. San Diego FC, just a much better team.
Portland have...

Speaker 1 good players but san diego much much better as a team your board dryer is just insane huh

Speaker 2 Two goals.

Speaker 1 And then what I think was the game of the weekend, Minnesota, Seattle. This is crazy.

Speaker 2 This was seriously crazy.

Speaker 1 What a game. So if you didn't watch this, I'm just going to take you through real quick.
So Seattle goes up 2-0 within the first eight minutes.

Speaker 2 Which you think the game's over?

Speaker 1 I mean, decent chance, right? Seattle is such a veteran team. They're still up 2-1 in the 40th.
Minnesota gets one back. And then Joseph Rosala gets sent off for Minnesota for a headbut.

Speaker 2 Which, by the way, I'm a firm believer when you get a a red card, you lose a game. Like you can't win a game with 10.
You shouldn't.

Speaker 1 Shouldn't.

Speaker 1 And then there was a massive chance for Rusnak to score in the 54th minute. He's got the whole goal gaping, Tim, and somehow he hits it off the post.

Speaker 1 And then you started to feel like, oh, no, it's going to be one of those.

Speaker 2 Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1 Then Minnesota down-a-man score two goals to go up.

Speaker 1 And then Jordan Morris scores a lay equalizer to send it to penalties. And then they do, and I want to hear your thoughts thoughts on this.
I don't know if we've ever taught this or talked about this.

Speaker 1 So Seattle brings in Andrew Thomas to deal with the penalties.

Speaker 1 Minnesota misses their first one. They kind of go back and forth.
And then Seattle has two separate chances to score and win it.

Speaker 1 And they miss both.

Speaker 1 Minnesota ends up winning after Seattle bangs one off the crossbar. This game was wild, but I want to get first, I want to get your thoughts on subbing a goalian for pens.

Speaker 1 I'm not sure I've ever gotten your opinion on that.

Speaker 2 I don't know if that, I don't know if it makes a big difference.

Speaker 2 I mean, I think there might be a, you know, there might be a mental side of that, like a psychological, like, ooh, they're bringing, they're bringing in the closer. This guy's really good, right?

Speaker 2 So you're trying to get it.

Speaker 1 Like, Sim, there, I, I mean, because I took whatever, 70 penalties in my life. There are goalies who are much better at pens than others.

Speaker 2 There are. There are.

Speaker 2 I'm telling you. Right.
But

Speaker 2 the fact of the matter is

Speaker 2 it's such a, it's such a low,

Speaker 2 there's not much risk in it. Either way,

Speaker 2 if you can do it, sure.

Speaker 2 I don't think it creates that big of an advantage. But

Speaker 2 I'm not opposed to it either way.

Speaker 1 I've seen teams do it. I don't know because the mental piece too, like if for some reason Nick Ramondo was

Speaker 1 not healthy enough to play for Salt Lake, but right at the end they said, you know what, we're going to put him in for pens. I'd be like, oh, crap.

Speaker 1 There is absolutely a mental piece of that.

Speaker 1 Anyway, it didn't matter because they lost, but what a game! Game of the weekend. So now I believe Minnesota goes to San Diego

Speaker 1 and LAFC will go to Vancouver. So I think there's two phenomenal games there.
LAFC, Vancouver.

Speaker 2 Minnesota's going to travel, by the way.

Speaker 1 Jeez. Yeah, that's a long travel.
LAFC to Vancouver, phenomenal game. And then Miami-Cincy, great game.
So

Speaker 1 going to be a lot, lot of fun there. The Vancouver LAFC game is the 22nd at 9.30 p.m.
Eastern. Cincy Inter, 5 p.m.
on the 23rd, followed by Philly and NYCSC.

Speaker 1 And then the last game is San Diego hosting Minnesota United on the 24th at 10 p.m.

Speaker 1 So this layoff real quick. So there's two weeks in between.
So it'll be three weekends since they play their last game. What's your take on that? I'm curious.

Speaker 1 Because I did it a couple of times, not that long, but that's very unusual.

Speaker 2 It's, you know, as MLS has changed its playoff format, you always like, you always run into the these international breaks during the playoffs. Yeah.
I think I remember one time,

Speaker 2 and I can be corrected here, but I think there was one time where there was a really long layoff between like the semis and finals, even.

Speaker 2 But nothing. I've got nothing concrete to say other than until the, until, until we change.

Speaker 1 until MLS changes to the international calendar, there is no good format that will eliminate this long layoff because you're going to run into this november international window so the reality too is when i used to go away maybe two or three of us would go away for the national team because we only had two or three internationals yeah and now every team has 10 12 15 20 internationals so you can't you just can't play these games without your best players did you ever play a game no you can't there's no suggestion of that right did you did you guys ever play a friendly match in that two-week break or was that too risky yeah we would no we would we'd either do an inner squad for like 45 or 60 or you'd get a college team out or something, but you had to play.

Speaker 1 I know it's risky, and you try to tell everyone to be careful, but you have to play. Yeah, you have to.
Yeah, fair.

Speaker 2 It's time for the unfiltered refresh, sponsored by Coors Light. Choose Chill.
Get Coors Light delivered. Go to CoorsLight.com/slash USLNT.
LD, who chose Chill this week?

Speaker 1 Well, a lot of options because Premier League, there were MLS playoffs, but also NWSL playoffs. And I turned on ABC

Speaker 1 and watched Gotham, Kansas City, because Gotham were up 1-0. And I was watching the last like 30 minutes or so.
And it looked like Tim, Gotham were on their way.

Speaker 1 And

Speaker 1 Kansas City, somehow, right at the death, gets a goal. And you just felt like Kansas City were so much better than everyone all year.

Speaker 2 You felt like, oh no, for Gotham, that's it.

Speaker 1 And for our now friend of the pod, Caitlin Carducci, we thought that was her on her way to the next round.

Speaker 1 And Gotham, to their immense credit, found a goal in extra time and won the game away at Kansas City.

Speaker 1 They absolutely chose Chill. A phenomenal, phenomenal win.

Speaker 2 It was incredible because

Speaker 2 like Kansas City, you mentioned it. They were so much better than everybody.
Like

Speaker 2 there was like such a lack of parody at the top. They were amazing.
And you just kind of come into it as the underdogs, but what you forget about Gotham is they're so well run.

Speaker 2 They're such a well-run group from top to bottom. I know Caroline Tisch personally here in New York City.

Speaker 2 The job that they're doing with that club is phenomenal. Jalen Howell, she's her.
I mean, she is her. She played with my cousin at Florida State.
She dominated the college scene.

Speaker 2 She's from Colorado, so comes from an incredible athletic background with her, with her brothers and dad. I mean, incredible, absolutely incredible.

Speaker 2 Congratulations to all of them for choosing Show.

Speaker 1 Yeah, and there is, Tim, there's a piece of it that Kansas City didn't have anything to play for for the last probably seven weeks of the season.

Speaker 1 And Gotham were fighting to get playoff positioning all the way. And so congrats to you, Gotham, for choosing Chill

Speaker 1 and for moving on.

Speaker 2 Great job.

Speaker 1 All right, let's move on to the prem, Tim.

Speaker 1 It was a really good weekend, actually.

Speaker 1 Let's start with City Liverpool.

Speaker 1 Should Arna Slot get the sack? I'm just kidding.

Speaker 1 So City,

Speaker 1 very,

Speaker 1 very dominant in their win.

Speaker 1 It looks now, do you agree with this, Liverpool aren't going to be a part of the title race? It's hard to imagine, right? It's got to be so emotional.

Speaker 2 I don't, you know,

Speaker 2 Rebecca Lowe asked us that on the desk, and I said, look,

Speaker 2 I think the gap is too big. That being said, this is, it's weird.
I don't think they're going to be in the title race. That being said,

Speaker 2 there will be games lost. Right.
So if this continues, I think it's an eight-point gap. Is that right? I can't remember.
Yeah, I think it's a good idea.

Speaker 2 And what will happen is everyone will get it if arsenal lose a game and then on that weekend um and then on that weekend liverpool win then they call it back to five you're like well it's like it's not impossible so i don't know i i guess what people are saying i guess what people are saying is liverpool have lost five of the last six in the premier league right so so the thought process is they'll probably lose more than arsenal will right so but yeah you got to think they're going to drop points too right so yeah i i don't think they're in that conversation right now um but again that can change but i would say at this point, no.

Speaker 1 Okay, I'm curious what you guys think out there. Are they out of the race or not? Are Liverpool done? Especially because Jordan's going to freak out if you say they're done.

Speaker 2 We'll ask Jordan.

Speaker 1 We'll ask Jordan what she thinks. What about the goal that was not given Van Dyke's goal? Van Dyke's goal, yeah.
Yeah, I saw you guys on the desk talk about it.

Speaker 1 Well, let me give mine first.

Speaker 1 This is hard because it's subjective. And the idea of having rules and laws and whatever is to take out subjectivity.
So it's not just a human decision.

Speaker 1 The reality is it's a human decision and you're trying to judge intent.

Speaker 1 Here's my view. And by the way, I am no Liverpool fan.

Speaker 2 Okay.

Speaker 1 So Van Dyke heads the ball. Is it Robertson who's in the way?

Speaker 2 Robertson, sir.

Speaker 1 My question is, does he interrupt the view of the goalkeeper, of Donaruma, or does he get in the way that prevents him from making the save? And the answer to both is no.

Speaker 1 He's not going to make the save whether Andy Robertson or 10 other guys are there. It did not matter.
Now, if he was going to make the save and they're in the way, then it's different.

Speaker 1 He wasn't going to make the save. So that's the way I interpret it.

Speaker 2 Yeah, no, I saw it the same way. And

Speaker 2 that's kind of how I explained it on air. It was like the rule, the rule was implemented so that

Speaker 2 if the goalkeeper's line of sight was impeded or he was physically impeded from going to dive.

Speaker 1 But that was neither of those.

Speaker 2 None of that happened. So it wasn't.
For me, yeah, the goal should have stood. Donnaruma saw the flight of the ball.
He saw it leave Van Dyke's head.

Speaker 2 He goes full stretch for it because he knows that's the only way he can try and get it. He pushes.
And when he goes to push, Robertson's not there anymore. He's ahead of him.

Speaker 2 He's a little bit to the left and he ducks. And even when he ducks, it's not as if he's trying to then read the flight off of Robertson's head.
The ball's past him.

Speaker 2 So yeah, I disagree with the call, but okay, it was a big turning point. And in the end, yeah.

Speaker 1 I just want one time, and I'll leave it at this. Just one time, I want a coach who's on the wrong side of that decision to say, Yeah, the refs got it right.

Speaker 1 Because Arna Slot said it is obvious and clear that the wrong decision has been made.

Speaker 1 Just one time, I want, I mean, just I'll give you an award, I'll something, just be like, you know what? Yeah, they're right. They, every time, it's like, oh, it was a handball.
Oh, it was a penalty.

Speaker 1 Yeah, just like, I know, I get why, but can you just at one point just feel it? I know it's such BS. All right, Spurs United.
Um, weird game, really weird game.

Speaker 1 Tottenham were awful in the the first half.

Speaker 1 United were awful in the second. In the end, you get a 2-2 bizarre game.
Spurs should have won. They get a late goal.

Speaker 2 They were up a man, right?

Speaker 1 Yeah, then they were up a man.

Speaker 1 It was strange, strange game.

Speaker 2 Probably fair result.

Speaker 2 Right? Yeah, I think it was a fair result. I mean, again, as you explained, weird game of football, kind of back-to-back and end-to-end sort of

Speaker 2 you thought, yeah, you thought United were the better team. And then Spurs,

Speaker 2 I think they got booted off or something. And then at halftime, then they come back and they play well.
And Charleston gets the goal. You think, okay, that's put them over the top.
And then

Speaker 2 inexplicably, you just can't man Mark. And

Speaker 1 I can't remember exactly who it was, but I think maybe Brendan Johnson

Speaker 2 lets delict off the back of him. And anyway, it was,

Speaker 2 I think both teams kind of like. breathed a sigh of relief.
Oh my God, we'll just get out of here and take the point.

Speaker 2 So yeah, weird, weird, weird old game.

Speaker 1 Congrats to Ruben Emerin being named Premier League Manager of the Month.

Speaker 1 That is not, has that, that's probably the first time that's happened, right?

Speaker 2 Probably. I think.

Speaker 1 I think.

Speaker 1 Sunderland home to Arsenal 2-2.

Speaker 1 Interesting game. When I turned this on, it was 1-0 Sunderland.

Speaker 2 I was like, whoa, here we go.

Speaker 1 Because this was kind of that moment where you're like, are they for real or not? I was like, oh, they're kind of for real.

Speaker 2 They're a good team. Sunderland's good team.
They're a good team. Right.
Yeah. I mean,

Speaker 2 they're at a point now, which is incredible. They're not getting relegated.
Right. Like,

Speaker 2 they have shown basically where they are, how many points they have. They're going to go from strength to strength.
Will they win every game? They won't. Will they have some dips? Yeah.

Speaker 2 But this is a good, it's a good team, good manager.

Speaker 2 They've got great pieces. They've got great pieces.
They brought Shaka back from, you know, he was at Arsenal

Speaker 2 by Labor Kusin.

Speaker 2 The guy who scored Ballard, he's been a monster on set pieces and defensively. They've got a good goalkeeper in Roofs, so he's very reliable.

Speaker 2 And then,

Speaker 2 you know, they've got strikers who can put the ball in that. So, yeah, good team.

Speaker 1 They're a good team.

Speaker 1 Two things I want to talk about. This Mickey VanDevan goal, did you see midweek? Yeah.
Holy Jesus. Like, if Messi scored a goal like that, you talked about it for a year.

Speaker 1 This guy's a center back, dude.

Speaker 2 He's a center back.

Speaker 1 I forgot who told me. It was my buddy at the club who's a Spurs fan.
He knows nothing nothing about soccer. He's like, did you see this Van Devan goal? And I'm like, nope.
And I watched it.

Speaker 2 I was like, holy shit, what a goal, dude. Yeah.

Speaker 2 The other team,

Speaker 2 the other team, because it's not messy, the other team should just say, we're sorry, guys, we're going to walk off the field.

Speaker 2 He's run killed. He's run past 11 people.

Speaker 2 Not one person laid a glow on him.

Speaker 1 I mean, it's got to be goal of the year. It's a center back.
I don't know how, you know? It's wild.

Speaker 1 Last thing is Max Dowman becoming the youngest player ever to appear in the Champions League. 15 years old, dude.
Like, I have friends with 15-year-old kids.

Speaker 2 This is crazy. You know what's wild when you like Max Dowman, you're like, oh, he's 15 years old, blah, blah, blah.
Bro, he gets on the pitch.

Speaker 2 And if you were just watching the game and you didn't know any background, you're like, yo, he's,

Speaker 2 he's nice. He's like silky.
And you're like, 15, dude, he can't even get, he's got to have security, can't even get changed in the same dressing room as the senior players. Like, it's wild.
It's wild.

Speaker 1 I do. I will do.

Speaker 1 i will say on like just the cautious side like i hope and i'm sure like judging by artetta's comments so far and just that they're careful with him in all ways i'm sure they are and just in all the ways the media and the exposure and his ego and just letting him be a kid and sure you know i'm sure he's excited but i just i want them to be careful yeah arsenal do a great arsenal do a great job with it feels fostering young talent so yeah it's i think they have declined rice too like mentoring him yeah he's like his his his older buddy kind of thing so can't go wrong with Declan.

Speaker 2 He's brilliant.

Speaker 1 Incredible. All right, let's take another break.
Come back. We will get into your questions in the ATT fan connection.
We will ask Jordan if Liverpool's title run is officially over.

Speaker 1 Right here on Unfiltered Soccer with Lannon and Tim, presented by Volkswagen. Stay right there.

Speaker 1 This episode is brought to you by Airbnb.

Speaker 1 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 2 Honestly, I've

Speaker 2 lost track at this point.

Speaker 2 You know, just this summer alone, I was all over the place.

Speaker 2 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 1 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 1 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 1 They get immersed in the chants, the songs, that incredible feeling of seeing the game up close and personal.

Speaker 2 Well, I mean, I think that's where the game has changed. These trips have become a big deal for soccer fans.

Speaker 2 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 1 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 they're away at the game?

Speaker 1 Hosting your home on Airbnb while you travel is an easy way to earn a little bit of extra cash. Maybe go towards tickets for your game that you want to go to.
We know they're not cheap.

Speaker 1 Or maybe to help your kids pursue their soccer dreams.

Speaker 2 Yeah, your home might be worth more than you think. So find out how much at airbnb.com slash host.

Speaker 2 LD, for me, the holidays are all about connection to family and to friends. We host a lot.
So we got a lot of people over the house.

Speaker 2 Oftentimes, when it starts to get chaotic and the turkey or the ham is getting burnt and the kids are running around playing with their new toys, I go out back by the fire pit and I choose chill.

Speaker 2 I crack open a Coors Light.

Speaker 1 Yeah, it's my favorite time of year. It gets cold,

Speaker 1 not quite as cold as New York, but it's cold outside. It gets dark early.
Kids are playing. We turn on the jacuzzi, relax in the hot tub with a Coors Light.

Speaker 1 Choose chill, relax, have family, friends, good food, good memories. My favorite time of year.

Speaker 2 When you embrace a chill mindset this holiday, it's a good time to choose chill and crack open a Coors Light.

Speaker 1 Choose Chill this holiday season and then reach for a Coors Light. Get Coors Light delivered straight to your door.

Speaker 1 Visit CoorsLight.com slash USLNT or you can find it pretty much anywhere that sells beer.

Speaker 2 Celebrate responsibly. Hoors Brew and Company, Golden, Colorado.
There's nothing better than feeling like someone has your back and that things are going to get done even without you having to ask.

Speaker 2 Like your crisp new jersey waiting for you in the locker room or a perfectly set up wall for a free kick.

Speaker 1 Yeah, as we on Unfiltered Soccer get ready for next summer, we know that very little in the beautiful game is guaranteed.

Speaker 1 But as we prepare to bring our Unfiltered brand of non-stop soccer coverage, it's good to know AT ⁇ T has your back with the AT ⁇ T guarantee.

Speaker 2 Staying connected matters. That's why in the rare event of a network outage, ATT will proactively credit you for a full day of service.
That's the AT ⁇ T guarantee.

Speaker 1 Learn more at ATT.com slash guarantee. AT ⁇ T, connecting changes everything.

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Speaker 2 Restrictions and exclusions apply. See ATT.com slash guarantee for full details.

Speaker 2 It's time for the fan connection presented by AT ⁇ T. Every week we invite you, the listener, to connect with us by submitting your questions.
The best way to grow the game of soccer in the U.S.

Speaker 2 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 2 Yes, it is that time, LD, the ATT fan connection where you guys get to holler at us and tell us all the things you love and hate.

Speaker 2 And Jordan also loves it because she gets tons of airtime. Jordan, welcome back to season two.
I can't believe, I can't believe they renewed your contract as well.

Speaker 3 I fought against it, frankly, but they dragged me back in.

Speaker 2 No, no, no. You're just hoping that's not the best.

Speaker 1 Jordan, the first question goes to you. Are Liverpool's title hopes done?

Speaker 2 Ooh, great question.

Speaker 1 Can you answer unemotionally?

Speaker 2 The answer to that is no.

Speaker 1 No.

Speaker 2 I'm tied up.

Speaker 3 No,

Speaker 3 here's my actual thoughts on the, if you really want to know.

Speaker 2 I do want to know.

Speaker 3 I think a year ago, when we first started this podcast,

Speaker 3 maybe four or five episodes in, Landon Donovan said on this very podcast that it was over. Liverpool had locked it up.
And I was like, nope, we don't, we can't function like that.

Speaker 3 There's too many games still to be played. It's not actually mathematically locked up.
I was trying to be reasonable about it.

Speaker 1 Was Landon Donovan right?

Speaker 3 Landon Donovan was right, yes.

Speaker 2 Oh, interesting.

Speaker 3 Um, and I do think that there are too many games left.

Speaker 3 There's too much of the season left for something potentially catastrophic to happen to arsenal i don't want i don't want that i don't wish bad things on people because that's not a good way to live your life no but i'm just saying like there's too much stuff that could potentially happen we saw what happened to manchester city last season so do i think liverpool's chances are high no i do not i do not think that they're very good but i do think there's just too much of the season and and a lot of like arsenal's playing in the champions like there's just people are playing too many games we we're seeing what's happening to the u.s men's national team players they're all made out of glass apparently.

Speaker 2 That's different. That's different.

Speaker 1 Not analogous, but okay.

Speaker 3 Well, how many players on Arsenal are playing for their national teams? So I'm just saying people have to play a lot of football. So let's not get ahead of ourselves.

Speaker 2 All right.

Speaker 3 Hey, I have a question for Tim Howard. Yeah, talk to me.

Speaker 2 Did you

Speaker 3 play in a penalty shootout? I did.

Speaker 2 Against a lady. Oh, we never talked about it.
Universe Tennessee Lady Volves soccer team.

Speaker 2 How'd that go, Tim?

Speaker 3 Well, because just for the record, again, Landon Donovan flip-flopped.

Speaker 2 He came to my side again.

Speaker 3 Yes, he did. I supported the ladies, and I would like to know which one of us was right.

Speaker 2 I got my ass whooped.

Speaker 2 The crazy thing about it is, here's the crazy thing. I went into it and I was like,

Speaker 2 whether I won or lost, I was certain I would do better than I did.

Speaker 2 Really? Yeah. I was just thinking, like,

Speaker 2 you said eight.

Speaker 2 No, I said I would save four.

Speaker 2 I said I would save four, like between miss and saves, I'd get four out of 10.

Speaker 2 And the craziest thing was

Speaker 2 I went into it saying, like, if I can, if I can read the shooters properly,

Speaker 2 I'll get there. I'll get there.
Right. I got beat for pace.
Like, I went to the right side, not the correct side,

Speaker 2 eight times. And I got beat for pace.
The ball hit my hand and went in. And I was trying my absolute hardest, which is crazy, but hats off.

Speaker 2 They are amazing. That group of women, young women are just amazing.
They're such a family. It was so much fun to be out there.
And it was actually a good time because

Speaker 2 there was all these people doing digital content. And a lot of the girls have dogs.
So the dogs are on the field. And families came out.
We made a day of it. And it was really special.

Speaker 2 My daughter banged one on me. I was like, I'll get this.
It was crazy.

Speaker 1 What did they make? Eight? Is that what I heard?

Speaker 2 I think they made. Yeah, I saved one.
They missed one. And they made eight.
Wow.

Speaker 2 Wild. But it was a ton of fun.
So we got to run it back. We got to get, I got to get you down there.

Speaker 2 yeah. I got to get you down there.
We got to get some people down. We'll go to a football game.
We'll make it a whole big thing.

Speaker 1 Great. Love it.
I think I can make eight against them.

Speaker 3 Okay. So, so far at the top of the segment, Landon has one and Jordan has one.
So, that's we've got one right, one price. Wow.
One right prediction a piece. There we go.

Speaker 2 All right. Easy for you to say.

Speaker 3 No, it wasn't. I told you, I tried not to do this, but here we are again, season two.
Let's get into some questions. Let's start

Speaker 2 with

Speaker 3 something that somebody asked this question a little while ago, but it has turned out to be a little bit of a hot-button thing, considering all the things that have, we've been talking about in the episode today.

Speaker 3 So here we go.

Speaker 3 This question is from Jason via email. It's been good to see Chris Richards become a goal scoring threat on every set piece.
He and Weston are a two are.

Speaker 3 a two-headed monster that could possibly reverse a long decline in set piece threat for the U.S. MNT.

Speaker 3 Do you think concussion risk awareness in U.S. sports sports contributed to that long decline? The U.S.
Soccer Federation limits heading practice for youth players.

Speaker 3 How often do the pros practice set pieces or crosses? And how many head reps would an attacker or defender take on those days?

Speaker 2 Wow.

Speaker 1 What a question. That's an interesting theory.

Speaker 1 I think at 13 now they can head the ball.

Speaker 2 12 and 14.

Speaker 1 I don't think that's why. But what I hadn't thought about, who was this, Chris?

Speaker 3 Jason.

Speaker 1 Jason. What I hadn't thought about, Jason, was

Speaker 1 we have declined in being good at set pieces. Because Tim, for a long time, we were really dominant.
Like Jay Demerrick, Loes, Gooch,

Speaker 1 our strikers, like our attacking players, McBride.

Speaker 2 That's a good point.

Speaker 1 We have sort of declined in that way. We used to dominate teams on set pieces.
And what do you, I don't know.

Speaker 2 What do you think that is? I don't know.

Speaker 2 Set pieces are very simple. You have to, you know,

Speaker 2 Arsenal get all this credit, and I talked about this over the weekend. Arsenal get all this credit for being like the best set piece team in the Premier League and possibly in the world.

Speaker 2 You know what it comes down to? They have two people who have an amazing ability to deliver the perfect ball almost every time, right?

Speaker 2 So I know there's runs and there's blocks and there's all these theories. They, they, literally, Declan Rice and soccer from the other side deliver an inch perfect ball every time.

Speaker 2 So it gives them a better opportunity. And by the way, you go after that, you go and attack it and you want it more.
So

Speaker 2 no,

Speaker 2 I don't think that that's been a decline. I think it's.

Speaker 1 You don't think we've declined?

Speaker 2 I don't think the reason for that is, sorry, is

Speaker 2 the lack of headers at you.

Speaker 1 Headers that at the end of the day. Yeah, because the other part of his question was how often do you practice? I mean, you practice this stuff a lot.

Speaker 1 You do practice it a lot. So yeah, I don't,

Speaker 1 it was refreshing, especially during the Gold Cup to see Chris Richards and Burhalter that gave it to him.

Speaker 2 And ultimately, in terms of reps, like once you turn 13, you're hopefully learning how to head the ball properly, right? So by the time you get to the U.S.

Speaker 2 Men's National Team, you've had over a decade.

Speaker 1 Well, the other thing they do, yeah, the other thing they do, Tim, is you do, you do head the ball before that. You just can't do it in a game.

Speaker 1 So they work on it like when you're young, on how to, I do it with my kids in the backyard. I throw it really soft and they head it with the right part of their head, you know?

Speaker 2 Yeah. Have you tried to head it with your new hair?

Speaker 1 I knew that was coming. You're such an idiot.

Speaker 2 Shut up.

Speaker 2 How does it feel?

Speaker 2 Shut up, dude. Come on.
All right. next one.

Speaker 3 Okay, speaking of Arsenal, this one is from Glenn via email. There's been much talk about set pieces from Arsenal this year.

Speaker 3 One commentator noted how Arsenal's most feared weapon is the set piece, much more than any single player. Does a threat like a set piece scare an opponent more than a world-class striker?

Speaker 3 Is it harder to game plan around set pieces versus a superstar like Holland or Sala?

Speaker 2 So my take on that is

Speaker 2 set pieces have become more and more difficult.

Speaker 2 And people have, you know, teams have set piece coaches now. And there's way more time spent on it in analytics than there ever used to be.

Speaker 2 So my thought process, and

Speaker 2 if you were ever coached by David Moyes, he would tell you, it's only one ball. So his point was like, they're scoring.
He's like, well, we have more players in the box than they do. Right?

Speaker 2 You always have more players in the box than the opponent as a defender, as a defending team. He's like, he would just tell us,

Speaker 2 go head the ball. What's the problem? Obviously,

Speaker 2 there's some nuances to that.

Speaker 2 I think the set pieces cause a major problem, probably cause more risk than like a singular striker.

Speaker 2 But what I would say about Arsenal, and I truly believe this, teams are failing themselves because here's what Arsenal do. They look at...
They played Sunderland, right, this weekend.

Speaker 2 So they'll spend all week preparing based on what Sunderland do, how they set up. There's a man in the near post space.

Speaker 2 There's a man on the post, there's a man at the six, they man work, whatever they do, right? And then a lot of times they're only, if you ever watch Arsenal, they're only picking out one player.

Speaker 2 It's Gabrielle, right? And because the service is so perfect, everyone's blocking and picking and doing all these runs to get Gabrielle free and then secondarily Saliba free, right?

Speaker 2 Where teams are failing is the week prior to playing Arsenal, you need to change your defensive setup. Right.

Speaker 2 So, so you work all week on your defensive setup and Arsenal have been studying everything you've done for the last 11 weeks.

Speaker 2 So when they get on the pitch and they put the ball down, they're going to go, oh, we're going to block that guy. Well, that guy's not there any longer.
You've set up differently.

Speaker 2 So you've got to counter their counter and teams aren't doing that.

Speaker 1 So that's really good. And I will say, just to Glenn's question, there is a very real impact when you're like, I think about Stoke back in the day.
I think about when we had Beckham.

Speaker 1 Teams do think about, oh, shoot, we better not foul or you better not kick it out for a throw in here or it's getting lumped in your box by. by Dilap at Stoke, right?

Speaker 1 So when you're really good at set pieces, I bet you teams now are like, don't give away a corner, Arsenal. Don't give away a corner.
That's right.

Speaker 1 And there is a mental piece that that does impact you for sure. That's right.

Speaker 3 Another question?

Speaker 3 How about something about

Speaker 3 MLS kind of?

Speaker 2 Sure.

Speaker 3 This one is from Dan via email. I am a long-time sporting KC fan.
I know, tough times at the moment.

Speaker 3 But I was slightly disappointed when they changed their name from KC Wizards to Sporting Kansas City. Great kid.

Speaker 3 Felt like it killed a bit of the American soccer culture once MLS teams began naming clubs after European team names, such as Real Sporting Inter.

Speaker 3 It seemed like we were becoming something other than ourselves, and it killed American soccer culture once. What do you think about this?

Speaker 2 Great question. So

Speaker 2 I am a Metro star at heart. So I appreciate this.
And Lenny, you played for the earthquakes and all that good stuff.

Speaker 2 Here's what I would say.

Speaker 2 We try to reinvent things from a marketing standpoint to make things better, right?

Speaker 2 And so I don't fault the league for that. If you look at the Kansas City Wizards and that kind of culture they created and the uniforms, that's special, right?

Speaker 2 And I'll give you a parallel. If you look at

Speaker 2 If you look, If you look at the Philadelphia Eagles or you look at the Denver Broncos, right?

Speaker 2 their retro uniforms sell better than their current uniforms because everybody wants to see it.

Speaker 2 Like the Eagles, the Eagles should play in Kelly Green. They shouldn't play in the dark green.

Speaker 2 The old Randall Cunningham jerseys are the best ones. When you look at Denver Broncos, the orange crush is who they are, that uniform.

Speaker 2 They're not Navy blue. So I do think there's a miss there where it's almost like the old is new again.

Speaker 2 And so when we try to like reinvent this new soccer culture and go to some of these European team names, I think there are, there are going to be an argument for certain clubs, Kansas City being one of them, where you're like, maybe the old was better.

Speaker 1 Yeah, I mean, I don't have too much to have. People are making decisions to try to market the club better, and they know way more than we do.
I just will say with Kansas City.

Speaker 1 So we used to play in Arrowhead and

Speaker 1 they would, at first they were called the Wizards. And then they changed, I think for briefly, they changed it to the Wiz.
The Wiz.

Speaker 1 And then they had this guy, they had this guy who would run around the stadium and he would say zards zards zards and try to get the the craps a chance sorry i can't make this up dude and we'd be in warm up and we'd be dying dude we almost couldn't warm up because oh that's amazing such a joke soccer 1.0 in this country

Speaker 2 didn't you guys have a i'm i'm digressing didn't you guys have a a drummer guy in san san jose wasn't there like an older gentleman there's all kinds of yeah there's like all kinds of stuff bang this drum is crazy yeah

Speaker 1 kansas city whiz

Speaker 2 Gozards.

Speaker 1 Gozards. I want to get a t-shirt.

Speaker 2 Yeah,

Speaker 2 that needs to be an unfiltered soccer hashtag, Gozards.

Speaker 3 Do you think it would help the team if they became the Wizards again?

Speaker 1 The Zards.

Speaker 2 I think it's a very good franchise. I played against them a lot.
I think they do well. No, I don't think it would help.

Speaker 2 I think they're doing well.

Speaker 3 Okay, reminder for everybody out there. If you would like to see your question answered here, send me an email at feedback at unfilteredsoccer.com.

Speaker 2 And demand that Jordan get your question in the show.

Speaker 3 Don't demand. I don't respond well to demand.

Speaker 2 Say a demanding please.

Speaker 3 Yes. Please, in all caps, I will accept that.

Speaker 2 That's fine. All right.
Thanks, guys. Amazing.
Thanks, Jordan.

Speaker 1 All right, Tim. Great show.
Good to be back.

Speaker 1 A reminder for everyone, live stream next Tuesday, 9.15 Eastern Time, or whenever the game is over with the national team, we will be on here live to answer questions, dissect everything that happened.

Speaker 1 Thanks again, guys. First episode of season two, amazing.
As always, subscribe on YouTube. Please, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, anywhere you get your podcast.

Speaker 1 Follow at Unfiltered Soccer for bonus content. Thank you to our presenting sponsor, Volkswagen.
We love you guys. Our fan connection sponsor, ATT, and our stoppage time sponsor, FanDuel.

Speaker 2 Yeah, thanks for coming back. Thanks for showing us the love of season two.
We're excited for it. Obviously, the World Cup is going to fall during the season.
So

Speaker 2 so much great stuff. Thanks also to our Unfiltered Refresh sponsor, Coors Light, and our additional sponsors, Cafe Bustello and Airbnb.
Have an amazing week.

Speaker 2 We'll be back next Tuesday with another edition of Unfiltered Soccer.