Miami Rock Cincinnati, Freese Ices Philly, and Slot in the Hot Seat

Speaker 1 Did you play in the Meadowlands, um, old Giant Stadium when we played Argentina? I think it was like 2009. My hundredth cap.
Okay, amazing. Watch all week.

Speaker 1 Bob Bradley, our head coach, he was brilliant. He designed this game plan.
He said, Look, we're gonna get so-and-so is going to be tight.

Speaker 1 You're gonna get covered to the left, you're gonna get covered to the right. You get right up against them.
We had that on lock, didn't we? Landon, we trained all week.

Speaker 2 Oh, training was so good.

Speaker 1 The whistle blew. And I tell this to all soccer fans, a phenomenon.
The whistle blew.

Speaker 1 Messi gets the ball probably 10 times. I'm looking around like,

Speaker 1 what happened to what we worked on? No, nobody wanted to go tight. Nobody could get near him.
I was like, this is amazing. It's incredible.

Speaker 2 Because you knew he's going to do it.

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 over five years.

Speaker 1 Oh my gosh. Welcome to Unfiltered Soccer.
I'm Tim Howard. He's Landon Donovan.
We are presented by Volkswagen.

Speaker 1 You're on a heater. Caffeine's hitting today.

Speaker 2 Let's go. I want to get into it.
I don't drink coffee often, so when I do, it hits.

Speaker 1 Why are you wearing a hat? You want to tell everybody where you're wearing a hat? Stop, stop, stop.

Speaker 2 So today is actually an exciting day. Today is, well, I'm going to start calling it Hair Day.

Speaker 1 Okay.

Speaker 2 Because every three months, I get a whole new piece. And I was in Cabo last week and it was really hot.

Speaker 2 And when it gets super, super hot and it's the end of the cycle, the thing was starting to get a little dodgy. So I uh, it's, I had to take it off.
Just hang on, just for no, I'm not taking off.

Speaker 1 Okay, that's fine. But just for our audience visual, as we're setting up our podcast, which we do, we're sitting here like this, talking to our producers in Steam's landing minus a hat.

Speaker 1 And I fell off the couch. I thought, this is amazing scenes.

Speaker 2 How I didn't. Sorry, what did you ask me?

Speaker 1 I don't know. What did I ask you?

Speaker 2 You said, I can't believe you're still married.

Speaker 1 How did I not get get a screenshot of that? I'm such an idiot. Thank God.
Okay.

Speaker 2 Anyway, moving on.

Speaker 2 All right. We're going to get into it.
There's a lot to get into. MLS Playoffs, Premier League.

Speaker 2 Welcome, as always. Follow our social media at Unfiltered Soccer.
Subscribe. Apple, Spotify, YouTube, anywhere you get your podcast.
Leave a rating or a review. It helps.

Speaker 2 And then feedback at unfilteredsoccer.com is the email address to email Jordan. Okay.
MLS

Speaker 2 conference semifinals to me.

Speaker 2 So let's start Vancouver LAFC. I was, I mean, I feel bad for you guys on the East Coast for these games because it's so late.
And it got late for me.

Speaker 2 And I was watching all the way into the first part of overtime. And I was like, I was so tired.
And I fell asleep. So I thought when I went to bed, it was 2-2.
LAFC were up a man.

Speaker 2 Son had scored this fantastic free kick right at the death.

Speaker 1 Yeah.

Speaker 2 Right at the death to tie it. It was like those moments where it's just like in a movie, you'd be like, nah, that's not real.
He's not going to. And he scored it.

Speaker 2 And I was, I, I woke up up thinking, of course, LAFC won this game because they were just, they had a man up. They were hempering Vancouver.
And then I saw in a shootout that Vancouver advanced.

Speaker 2 What a phenomenal game.

Speaker 1 Great. Phenomenal.
Great game. And

Speaker 1 last game for our boy, Stevie Trendelo.

Speaker 1 Yeah. So obviously,

Speaker 1 that's going to be a huge miss for the MLS because he's fantastic.

Speaker 1 Great guy, great coach.

Speaker 1 But yeah, I mean, look, I also think

Speaker 1 I love and I'm critical of a lot of DPs

Speaker 1 in this league for various reasons. And I think sometimes

Speaker 1 at a detriment, we bring certain DPs in, but like Sun is like, this is what the, you know, when the rule was designed? This is what it was designed for. Totally.
Right.

Speaker 1 Bring a guy in who can sell tickets, who can put butts in seats, who can compete, who wants to be there, who's motivated, who, who enjoys the league.

Speaker 1 So yeah, I was.

Speaker 2 I mean, I don't know what it is in him, but he just, and by the way, Tomas Mueller on the other side. these guys really care.

Speaker 1 Yeah. Really care.
Oh, my God.

Speaker 2 I love this.

Speaker 2 So Vancouver can advance to play either San Diego or Minnesota. That game is tonight, Monday, as we tape this.
You guys will be watching this on Tuesday. So that game will be over.

Speaker 2 Curious what you guys think

Speaker 2 in the next round, does Vancouver get over the hump, either at San Diego or hosting Minnesota? I think a lot of people are telling me they think Minnesota goes in and beats San Diego.

Speaker 2 They're like two very contrasting styles. So we'll see how that plays out.

Speaker 1 Are you glossing over

Speaker 1 our guy Hugo? No, I'm not glossing over.

Speaker 1 Go ahead and read it. No, no, no.

Speaker 1 You have a big problem. You're fired.
No, okay.

Speaker 2 So Hugo Lurie says after the match, I get it. I've been in these moments, Tim, where you're frustrated.

Speaker 2 You're upset. You lost.
You're a sore loser. Dude, I'm such a bad loser sometimes.
Like in golf, when I lose, I'm like, oh, is that really your handicap?

Speaker 1 Guys are like, shut up, you idiot.

Speaker 2 like I'm like all right I'm just mad I lost so he said after the game about the turf in Vancouver in lower divisions in France they have even better artificial pitch than here in Vancouver

Speaker 2 Tim what's your favorite phrase do me a favor

Speaker 2 do

Speaker 2 me a favor dude if you want good pitches then go back to France go play some lower

Speaker 2 pitching dude yeah go play lower division in France Shut up, dude. I hate this stuff.

Speaker 2 And I get it. Someone asked you the question: What do you think of the turf? Sure.
Just say, look, it's not ideal. Both teams had to play on it.
Whatever. Just get over it, dude.
I hate this.

Speaker 1 I really hate it. The interesting thing, I really like Hugo Luries.

Speaker 1 He seems like a great guy. Always.

Speaker 2 Dude, just not.

Speaker 1 This is not the moment. No, but you know, but what I would say is the interesting part about it, right, is just in general, just in general.

Speaker 1 It's amazing how

Speaker 1 a singular experience can taint your idea of

Speaker 1 what something looks and feels like I'll give you an example. My my second game back in MLS when I came to Colorado, one first game was 4th of July at home.
Second game was away at Vancouver, right?

Speaker 1 I hadn't played on turf in

Speaker 1 15 years, right? Played on turf,

Speaker 1 had a worldie, like I've made this unbelievable save. And I remember thinking like, great place to play.
I like this BC play. You know what I mean? So like it's experiences.
They lost. Right.

Speaker 2 If they had won that game, and like, by the way, on the Mueller header, that he, he should do better. He should push it wide of the post.

Speaker 2 He kind of leaves it there for, if he pushes that wide and they win the game, he'd say, oh, it was fine.

Speaker 1 Both teams have to deal with it. Just like, do me a favor, dude.

Speaker 2 Just enough. All right.

Speaker 2 At the end of the game, Tristan Blackman got sent off. That is going to hurt for sure.

Speaker 2 So he will not be there either in San Diego or home to Minnesota. So it's going to be interesting.
So we'll see what the matchup is. Again, curious what you guys think.

Speaker 2 Does Vancouver have enough to beat either of them? Could they beat one of them, but not the other? And we'll know that tonight, our time. And you'll have already known that by tomorrow.

Speaker 2 FC Cincinnati, enter Miami.

Speaker 1 This was

Speaker 1 even in the match.

Speaker 2 Man, I was in the midst of watching football all day. I was chilling home.
My wife took the kids out somewhere. So I was just sitting at home watching this.

Speaker 1 And

Speaker 2 it was KG for like 15 minutes since he were okay.

Speaker 2 And then this kid, Silvetti, gets the ball on the left side and hits a really good cross.

Speaker 2 We're going to get into this, Tim, deep. Like, I don't know how you leave that guy, Leonel Messi, unmarked anywhere on the field, much less in the 18.

Speaker 2 And they kind of get dragged in as he kind of drifts towards the near post and then floats away. And then a really good header, like down into the grass.
The grass is wet.

Speaker 2 It just skips past Selentano and then 1-0. And from there, dude, it looked like this game could not have been painted better for Miami.
It's like, here, you have the ball. You have the ball.

Speaker 2 Messi's just going to kind of sit and float around the middle of the field. And the minute it turns over, bang, we're going.
And if we get seven of those chances, we're going to score three of them.

Speaker 2 They scored three of them and it was 4-0.

Speaker 1 Yeah. It's

Speaker 1 look,

Speaker 1 this, this whole Messi thing is, is wild. Like to say it's a phenomenon, like we know that he's been great for how many years?

Speaker 1 Sorry, how many decades. But,

Speaker 1 you know, I have a lot of, I

Speaker 1 let me preface this by saying there's going to be a lot of comments

Speaker 1 this week that say, Tim Howard, you're full of shit. Possibly, possibly.
That's most week. Most weeks about most topics.
But

Speaker 1 I have a lot of coaching friends, LD, that I respect. And I know you do too, right?

Speaker 1 And they will talk to me, bro. Sometimes I just want to record it and play it at like 10 o'clock at night so I can just fall asleep to it.
They'll talk to me about tactics and what they think.

Speaker 1 And they're my friends. So I respectfully like, listen, and I love having soccer conversations, but I'm literally like,

Speaker 1 good for your tactics. It's amazing.
Can't win a game.

Speaker 1 or or it ain't working and again

Speaker 1 i just think and i've said this to you before you and i have had this conversation

Speaker 1 somebody

Speaker 1 man-marked messi now that's primitive we don't do that anymore in soccer it's open and fluid and it's awesome right

Speaker 1 and and actually

Speaker 1 your tactics against messi suck they all do Because this guy is the oldest guy in the league and he's running the show.

Speaker 2 And you know he's the man.

Speaker 1 Right, correct.

Speaker 2 I mean, i don't know what was the stat they told us are like 23 out of the last 26 goals he's had a contribution or of course he's the guy so here so here's a concept here's a concept and you brought this up and i'll like to touch on it

Speaker 1 it's not the old remember when we we were when we were like in high school you man mark him and the coach would say if he goes to the bathroom you go with him right like you just you grab his shirt so no this is this is when when your team when when miami have the ball you're in a shape whatever that shape looks like fine you keep two banks of four whatever you slide you cover that's normal you put this you put this the right way when the ball turns over and now your team is in possession of the ball just eliminate one of your players go lock on the messi and go right we're now going to possess the ball with 10 players because when is messy most dangerous transition when the ball turns over when you have the ball messy's at his most dangerous when you have the ball so anyway yeah and if you think yeah i mean just go watch the goals they it's they, yes, they do score goals when they are, they have the ball, they're in position,

Speaker 2 but not as many and not, not even close to as many. I don't know the exact data, but the minute the ball turns over, they are so dangerous.
They find him immediately.

Speaker 2 They don't care who's on the ball, whatever. It's like fine.
And we used to do this with Beckham, with Keene. You do it at big clubs with big players.

Speaker 2 You're just like, you find the guy, you give it to him, and you let him be the quarterback, basically.

Speaker 1 But that's the

Speaker 2 no, I mean, this is in other sports, this is if you have two great wide receivers and one of them's out injured, the number one receiver, you double team. You safety, the cornerback, that's it.

Speaker 2 And if someone else beats you, fine.

Speaker 2 And I actually watched the Chiefs Colts yesterday. The Chiefs said, look, if you're going to throw the ball around us and whatever, that's fine.

Speaker 2 But Jonathan Taylor, your MVP candidate running back, he's not going to run on us. That's it, period.
We're taking him away. They did, and they ended up winning the game.

Speaker 1 In the NBA, they double the best player. That's right.

Speaker 1 That's right. In baseball, someone else shoot it.
In baseball, when there's runners on and the big boy comes up, they walk him. They walk him.

Speaker 1 But to your point, right, we're having a soccer conversation. To your point,

Speaker 1 if you're in possession of the ball, if my team's in possession of the ball and I lock on to Messi, when the ball turns over, to your point, every single player is conditioned,

Speaker 1 give it to Messi.

Speaker 1 So now, as soon as they look up and your man is, I'm draped over your man like a blanket, you're like, all right, well, I got to play to someone else. Like every single player.

Speaker 2 Or if you do, he's there.

Speaker 2 And by the way, so if you're in New York City who beat Philly, and we're going to get into that right now, all week in training, I don't know who it is, whoever they're going to designate, whoever, defensive midfield, whoever, center back, whatever, who they're going to designate.

Speaker 2 In training, you work on having the ball, having the ball, having the ball. And where is Messi? Where is Messi? Where is Messi? And he gets the ball.
Bang. Foul and the play.
Bang. Foul and the play.

Speaker 2 There will be a few moments where he whistles free and does what he does. Of course.
But instead of 15 moments like that, make it two or three.

Speaker 1 And you got a good chance to win the game.

Speaker 1 I want to interject here. Did you play? Did you play in the Meadowlands, the old Giant Stadium, when we played Argentina? I think it was like 2009.
My 100th cap. Okay, amazing.
It was.

Speaker 1 So, and we've told this drive. I have to say it again because the whole messy thing creeps up.
So all week, Landon just said, this is how you train.

Speaker 1 All week, Bob Bradley, our head coach, he was brilliant. He designed this game plan.
He said, look, we're going to get so-and-so is going to be tight. You're going to get cover to the left.

Speaker 1 You're going to get cover to the right. You get right up against them.

Speaker 1 We had that on lock, didn't we, Landon? We trained all week.

Speaker 2 Oh, training was so good. All week.

Speaker 1 It was good. We got up against it.
I I don't know who was playing Messi in our team, but it wasn't nearly as good as Messi. So we're up against

Speaker 1 the whistle blew. And I tell this to all soccer fans, a phenomenon.
The whistle blew. Messi gets the ball probably 10 times.
I'm looking around like,

Speaker 1 what happened to what we worked on? No, nobody wanted to go tight. Nobody could get near him.
I was like, this is amazing. It's incredible.
Because you knew he's going to do it.

Speaker 2 And I get that. I'm not, again, I'm not saying you can lock, you can completely lock him down, but just play the percentages.

Speaker 2 The less times he touches the ball, the better your chances are.

Speaker 1 Okay, here's where people think I'm stupid. Could you not get like the most athletic college kid first year on your team? The most athletic guy you've ever seen.
And that's play soccer. And go, look.

Speaker 1 I'll give you a contract extension next year.

Speaker 1 All you do, they're going to boo you. They're going to curse at you.
They're going to spit at you. Just follow him around and don't get sent off.

Speaker 2 It's like in the NBA when you have a guy who just goes in and fouls guys over and over until facilitate. Like you foul him, foul him, foul him.

Speaker 2 Once you get a yellow, a couple more fouls, and then we're going to sub you out. Make sure you don't get sent off.

Speaker 1 I think we're onto something.

Speaker 2 Okay. All right.
The other side of

Speaker 2 the Eastern

Speaker 2 semifinals, Philly lost at home to NYCFC. This actually shocked me a bit.
I thought Philly were.

Speaker 2 I thought Philly were going to win the game. Matt Freeze was fantastic.
His confidence, you see it soaring to him, and he's starting to look the part.

Speaker 1 He is now.

Speaker 2 This isn't a World Cup. I get it.
But he is starting to look the part. And as I've said all along, I think Philly made a mistake by hiring Bradley Carnell.
I'm just kidding.

Speaker 2 They won the Shorter Shield. So

Speaker 2 credit to them.

Speaker 1 Massive credit.

Speaker 2 But this is a big, this is a big loss. And

Speaker 2 congrats to NYC. I mean,

Speaker 2 nobody had them pick to go to the conference final.

Speaker 1 That's for sure. No, I mean, obviously they're backing themselves, but I don't even know if

Speaker 1 they would have thought they'd get this far.

Speaker 1 You know, I think they're kind of accepting the underdog role, which, by the way, isn't kind of, isn't how NYCFC or city football group views themselves, right?

Speaker 1 But this particular team is certainly punching above their weight.

Speaker 1 Yeah,

Speaker 1 I thought it was a good game, you know, particularly with

Speaker 1 some of the injuries that they've been dealing with. um sort of figuring out how they were going to

Speaker 1 how they were going to get a win look philadelphia was phenomenal by the way phenomenal i give them so much credit.

Speaker 1 Won the supporter's shield. I thought they were brilliant on the season.

Speaker 1 You know, the thing about Matt Fries, and for me, we have to talk about it because I have said, I've said all along, as much as I like him, I could probably on the list of things that are good about Matt Freeze.

Speaker 1 It's really long for me. And then the couple of question marks, again, as I mentioned last, I think it was last

Speaker 1 episode, you know, the question marks are he doesn't have those

Speaker 1 like signature moments, right? Like he hasn't played long enough internationally to have like those signature moments. But last night for me,

Speaker 1 not that, not that that

Speaker 1 translates necessarily to a World Cup, but like that for me was,

Speaker 1 you mentioned it, he's confident. He knows he's the number one with the national team, right? So he's making saves.

Speaker 1 And I remember like, you don't have to be like me to be good, but I remember like making big saves and getting up from that save and like just like pumping my chest and celebrating.

Speaker 1 And it was kind of like, yeah, like Donna Ruma does that at Man City. Like he, he's, he's all, not, not every save is just like, like, oh, I was supposed to make a save.

Speaker 1 Hey, I made that save. That was a big save.
And he did it a bunch.

Speaker 1 He had the one that came across the goal and he slides to the near, he gets all the way across the near post and he makes like a double save off of his legs.

Speaker 1 Then there was a top-hand save that I thought was going in. It was really tight and he just flicks it.

Speaker 1 There was a bunch of saves where it really felt like, you know, it was kind of like a coming of age for him.

Speaker 1 Like, like he's made those saves before, but he's not had, he's not had that game whilst he was the U.S. number one.
And so there's all these things are trending in a really good way.

Speaker 2 And if he has another one in Miami

Speaker 1 this weekend, then

Speaker 2 you know what he does, what he looks like to me, Tim? When I went against goalkeepers who were in that type of form or whatever, you just look bigger to us. Like physically, you just look bigger.

Speaker 2 The goal looks smaller. And you're like, oh man, that's going to be hard to score today.
Yeah. You know what you guys got that about him?

Speaker 1 He has, and not many, how many MLS goalkeepers do. You know who I feel that way about?

Speaker 1 It's like Stephen Fry. Like when you go in on a one-on-one, I'm like, man, scoring.
Right? Because he just, he has small.

Speaker 1 all he has that presence. So, yeah.
Well done, New York City.

Speaker 2 You see this Andre Blake sprint back to

Speaker 2 it. It was wild.
He's crying. The ball turns over at like midfield.
NYCFC hits a long shot that I think is bending into the goal. And Andre Blake turns and goes on a full sprint.

Speaker 2 And right before it goes in, like lunges and knocks it wide for a corner.

Speaker 1 And then

Speaker 2 rolls over and grabs his hamstring right away. And I shouldn't be laughing, but like,

Speaker 2 you know, this is an interesting. And I want to talk about this seriously for a minute.
So

Speaker 2 depending on how you play as a team, I believe strongly in this. You might tell me I'm full of it.
Your goalkeeper needs to train accordingly. So I'll give you an example.

Speaker 2 With Loyal, we used our goalkeeper really, really high, like really, like almost as an extra center back in buildup.

Speaker 2 And as part of training on Thursday every week, we had him at sort of the back of the circle and turn and sprint like three or four times on a Thursday.

Speaker 2 So his body got used to because a goalkeeper, how often do you really, really sprint?

Speaker 1 Almost never, right? In your time?

Speaker 2 No. Almost never.
And so if you're not accustomed to that, and look, they couldn't have prepared for this.

Speaker 2 He was high because they were trying to tie the game or whatever, but you're not used to that. And this poor guy, man, his hamstring, you could just see it go.

Speaker 1 So, so

Speaker 1 it was cold as well. So like, I mean, he was legging it.
It's a great save.

Speaker 1 And then earlier, I was on the desk with NBC and a couple of hours earlier, we saw it with David Raya. So he was really high, the Arsenal goalkeeper.

Speaker 1 And Rosharlson for Spurs gets it on a turnover from Zuba Mendi, turns and just clips it over his head. And it happens.

Speaker 1 But the problem with being, like, this is the issue with being a really high advanced goalkeeper. It's a little bit of a piss take.
And here's why. No, here's why.
Because you can be available.

Speaker 1 Turnovers happen. We just discussed that with Messi.
You can be available for your team, right?

Speaker 1 You don't have to be stationary. You don't have to be deep.
You don't have to be high. You're like every other footballer.

Speaker 1 So if your team's in possession, you can be like advanced, but you're like, they don't need me.

Speaker 1 Now, if you're reading the game and going, oh, my left fullback's about to turn out here, I can advance and make an angle, right?

Speaker 1 You don't just go up there and stand for the sake of it because there's too many turnovers, right? And so, and so

Speaker 1 if you're that high, it's a bit of a piss take.

Speaker 2 Well, it's, it's also then you got to be really engaged every second. I'm sure there are moments where we're berating a team corner kick and you're kind of like, okay, I'm just tuned out for a second.

Speaker 2 But if you're going to play that way, you got to be really dialed.

Speaker 2 All right, curious to know your guys's thoughts. NYCFC traveling to Miami.
Miami, by the way, now stay at home the rest of the playoffs if they keep winning.

Speaker 2 So they host the semifinal, the conference final, and they would host MLS Cup should they get there. What do you guys think, NYCFC, can Matt Fries and Company go into Miami and beat Leon O'Messi?

Speaker 2 Let us know.

Speaker 1 RLD, it's time for the unfiltered refresh sponsored by Coors Light. Choose Chill.
Get Coors Light delivered. Go to CoorsLight.com/slash USLNT.
Okay, who chose Chill from this past week in MLS?

Speaker 1 I have a feeling I know who you're going to pick and I like it.

Speaker 2 Well, I think every week we could say Leonel Messi because he just does all the things every week and it just gets kind of boring. His manager, Tim, made a really,

Speaker 2 really difficult decision. So they've got a young Argentine named Silvetti.
And two weeks ago, Luis Suarez gets sent off, or he gets, I think, retroactively sent off for an incident.

Speaker 2 So he doesn't start last week. Silvetti comes in, plays well.
And so Masharano has this decision to make.

Speaker 2 Do I bring in the World Cup veteran, this big player who's played at big clubs at Liverpool, all over the world? Or do I stick with this 19-year-old who played really well and helped us win?

Speaker 2 And conventional wisdom said, of course, Masherano is going to play Luis Suarez. And guess what he did? He didn't.
He played Silvetti, had a goal, assisted on the first goal to Messi.

Speaker 2 He was fantastic. And Javier Musharano chose Chill big time by making a big decision.
Could not have been easy.

Speaker 1 Yeah. And here's the interesting part for me, LD.

Speaker 1 They're friends. Yeah.
They're former teammates. Right.
Now he's his player, of course, you know, the way that the dynamic is. But it's a really difficult conversation.
And more importantly,

Speaker 1 this is where my mind goes because it's all about winning.

Speaker 1 If you have to try try and, if you're, if you're Masharano, you have to try and keep Suarez on side. Here's why.

Speaker 1 If Miami gets to a point anytime in this playoffs and they go to a penalty shootout as an example, guess who I'm putting on? Because that guy's got ice water in his veins, right? But

Speaker 1 you only can put him on in situations if he if he hasn't down tools, if he's still bought in. So that's a, that's a big moment.
Well done to Huckleberry.

Speaker 2 I mean, look, I watched Suarez came onto the field and he was into it, right? So like credit to him for doing that. Credit to Masharano for doing that.

Speaker 2 Before we cheers you, Mashurano, I just want to remind you, I did nutmeg you in a Merseyside Derby. You will remember it.
We will find the video. But congrats to you for cheating and chill, Mr.

Speaker 2 Masharano. Okay, let's move on.
USMNT on USLNT. Just what are your final thoughts on the window? And then

Speaker 2 in particular,

Speaker 2 Pochtino had some interesting, he was pretty feisty in his press conference. We did the live show right after, so we didn't get to see it until after, but he kind of went after some reporters.

Speaker 2 He said we don't have, quote, regular players.

Speaker 2 We've we've sort of disagreed with that.

Speaker 2 How do you feel about that?

Speaker 3 I hate that. No regular players.
What means?

Speaker 3 It's USA playing. It's the national team.
Stop with that mindset.

Speaker 3 Every time that our decision is about to pick and start in 11, is the USA USA US main national team playing?

Speaker 3 And after one year, I think you need to really know me that I hate to talk in this way. It's so disrespectful.
It's so disrespectful because I think

Speaker 3 we need to give credit to all the guys that today were involved and Paraguayan Paraguay too.

Speaker 1 Yeah.

Speaker 1 I'm probably going to talk out of both sides of my mouth here for a second, which I don't like to do. But

Speaker 1 we needed that. Like we needed to have some of our fringe players play big roles and for the manager to be able to threaten and say, I am going to play these players.

Speaker 1 I'm going to reward these players for good performances, no matter who they are. Right.
We needed that. That needed to be part of the squad building and the competition within the group.

Speaker 1 I do believe. that every team, this isn't specific, and I can't say enough of how much I respect Pochatino and who he is as a person, as a manager.
But in every team, there's an A team and a B team.

Speaker 1 Maybe not a full A and B team, but there's a

Speaker 1 I don't know if you're a good enough team if you don't have eight players. If I go to every manager in the world, like if I went to Liverpool, right? Because you talked about disrespect.

Speaker 1 If I talked about Liverpool right now, you know what I could say?

Speaker 1 I know who their best eight players are. And Slott knows that.

Speaker 1 He ain't playing Endo every week because he had a good week in training. Like Haven Burke is playing.
So it isn't disrespectful.

Speaker 1 And I think every team across the world, international or club, has

Speaker 1 eight players that they're like,

Speaker 1 these are our best players. They play at the best clubs.

Speaker 1 They're the most talented at club ball. They're the highest paid.

Speaker 1 You know, they're the biggest transfer. So that's normal.
That's normal. I appreciate what Pachatino is saying.
And I could be wrong, come June or July.

Speaker 1 But at the first game of the World Cup, if everyone's fit and healthy, I know who's playing.

Speaker 1 So

Speaker 1 no matter how great

Speaker 1 certain players have played over the last 12 months, I know who's playing. I think.

Speaker 2 Yeah, I get, I'm torn on this because

Speaker 2 when you coach, there is super high value in people knowing their roles.

Speaker 2 When there's ambiguity, you see ego.

Speaker 2 Competition is good, but when there's ambiguity as to like every week, you don't know this player is going to play or that player is going to play, the players sense it, they feel it, the anxiety, and then the managing of it as a coach is very challenging because then you got to talk to that player every week.

Speaker 2 Sorry, this is, you're not in. Well, I was in last week.
Why am I not in this week? And it becomes very challenging as a coach. Now, with a national team, you're not with them all the time.

Speaker 2 So there are all sorts of circumstances that have changed. Think about this.
Their last game was November. Their next game is March.
So all sorts of things will have changed.

Speaker 2 So if if burhalter's not starting or rolled on or testman there there could be a lot of factors but this it does become challenging and and i think the more people understand the role they're more comfortable we had a few players at loyal who at first i was way too sort of

Speaker 2 there's too much ambiguity it was like well you you may be starting you may not you da da and after a while it was like look you're going to come off the bench for us And five to 10 games a year, you're going to start, but the rest, I need you to be the best 30-minute player in the league.

Speaker 2 And once they kind of make peace with that, then it's easier. So I think it's going to be a little bit challenging as they get close to the World Cup if there's, if there's not clarity in that way.

Speaker 2 But also, to his credit, the reason why that we'll say, quote, B team performed that way was because they feel like they have a chance to be the starter still. Fair.
And they do.

Speaker 1 In his eyes, they probably do. Yeah.
You don't believe that, though, right? Do you? You believe? No, I don't.

Speaker 2 No, I don't. I believe in his head, he knows who his eight, nine, 10 starters are.
Maybe there's one or two that are on the on the bubble, but yeah, I believe that.

Speaker 1 Yeah, fair. Yeah.

Speaker 2 Um, speaking of on the bubble, okay, let's do a little thing. We're going to call on the team, on the bubble, on the outs.
Okay, you go first, and then I'm going to.

Speaker 1 Oh, well, I can make him a pen and pad. Okay.
On the team.

Speaker 2 On the team.

Speaker 1 Yeah. And then we have on the

Speaker 1 bubble. Yeah.

Speaker 2 Or on the outs.

Speaker 1 Outs.

Speaker 2 And this is as of today, of course.

Speaker 2 Let's start with our man at at started again this weekend for leads, Brendan Aronson.

Speaker 1 Huh. I think he's, I want to say bubble, but I think he's in.
I got him in.

Speaker 2 You got him on the team.

Speaker 1 No, I'm going to put him on a bubble right now.

Speaker 1 You just taught me out of it. With one, with one random question, you taught me out of it.
I think he's in. But go, yeah.

Speaker 2 Okay, you. I got him on the bubble.

Speaker 1 Okay. For sure.
Okay.

Speaker 2 Matt Turner.

Speaker 1 Team.

Speaker 1 Yeah, he's on the team.

Speaker 2 This is a good one. Sebastian Berhalter.

Speaker 1 I think Sebastian, for me,

Speaker 1 has to be on the team.

Speaker 1 Really? But he's on the bubble. Yeah.
Yeah.

Speaker 1 I do.

Speaker 1 He's on a bubble. I'm putting him on the bubble, but I think he's on the team.

Speaker 2 Okay. I'm putting him on the bubble, too.
Okay. I think he's on the bubble leaning in.

Speaker 1 but he's on the bubble.

Speaker 2 Okay, last one. And at first when we talked through this, I was like, no, of course.
But the more I think about it, this guy's played in one window over the last year and got left back again.

Speaker 2 Now you can talk about why and the excuse or whatever.

Speaker 2 Weston McKinney on the team, on the bubble, on the outs.

Speaker 1 Yeah.

Speaker 1 This is a good list. Got some good producers.

Speaker 1 Shout out to them. Weston McKinney, for me, is on the team.
But can I give you a caveat? Because I've given you a caveat on everyone except Matt Turner. Sure.

Speaker 1 Weston McKinney's on the team, but there are, in almost every squad, that's a lie. In a lot of squads,

Speaker 1 there's always one that you're like, huh?

Speaker 1 You know,

Speaker 1 that gets left off for like.

Speaker 2 Oh, I'm well aware.

Speaker 1 Yeah, I know, exactly. Patients are converted.
But like, I think of like a Jack, could I be Jack Grealish this year for England? It was Zach Steffen last World Cup.

Speaker 1 You know, it was yourself. So there's always one where you're like, duh.
of course that person has to be going to the World Cup. That's Weson McKinney, of course.

Speaker 1 What?

Speaker 1 In terms of talent and experience,

Speaker 1 he's our top three best players.

Speaker 1 But there's some things that have trended and have happened,

Speaker 1 which like the last camp, which I

Speaker 1 could be wrong. But if you put a bag full of money next to me right now, I'd take it to Vegas and I'd say

Speaker 1 that that

Speaker 1 story, that's full of shit.

Speaker 1 I'm taking the other side of that story

Speaker 2 of why he didn't go. So you got him on the bubble on the the team.
I got him on the team. I have him on the team too.

Speaker 2 And I think I would have changed that to on the bubble or maybe even on the outs at different points this year. I think Pochatino has made

Speaker 2 him very uncomfortable in a good way

Speaker 2 so that there's no entitlement, no expectation that he's going to be there. And when he's there, no expectation, no entitlement that he's going to play.

Speaker 2 And I think because of that, Wes will continue to perform well at Juve.

Speaker 2 And I think when it's time, like next camp, I expect him to be there in March and the attitude will be right.

Speaker 1 So we think he'll be there in March.

Speaker 1 You'd expect, but like, I mean,

Speaker 1 March also marks a year

Speaker 1 that he will have only been in camp one time.

Speaker 2 Right.

Speaker 1 One time. Yeah.
No, I know. So we're talking, we're talking about a guy who's always

Speaker 1 on the team, who has learned lessons, who understands roles, who come March the next time the team is selected will have only been in camp one time.

Speaker 1 I said this to you, Lennon, I said this to you.

Speaker 1 Name me another Nash team around the world where a guy was fit for selection and only came in, and maybe he wasn't fit all the time, but a team's top, a top three player for a top 25 team in the world, a FIFA ranked top 25 team in the world.

Speaker 1 One of their best three players came into the team one time in a year. And the answer to that is

Speaker 1 don't even worry about the research. There's not.
So

Speaker 1 yeah, right? Right.

Speaker 2 No, I know. It's like the data tells you he's on the bubble or on the outs.
That's what the that's what the data tells. That's the reality of it.
But then you think about it.

Speaker 1 You're like, my heart tells me he's in. He has to be in.

Speaker 1 What he does for our country and this team is fantastic when he's there. I'm curious to see what our listeners think.
And definitely

Speaker 1 give us your thoughts on that.

Speaker 2 Leave comments.

Speaker 1 If we're right, we're wrong.

Speaker 2 Let us know. But it is, it's getting to the point now where it's going to be interesting.
Yeah.

Speaker 2 Last thing here. So, Christian, uh, yesterday, Milan Darby.

Speaker 2 This is,

Speaker 2 I think we take this for granted.

Speaker 2 And I'm not, I'm not saying he's messy, but I'm saying in the same way we take what Messi does for granted, we're taking Christian for granted in the prime of his career.

Speaker 2 Milan Darby scores the winner. He is never lost now, Milan Darby.

Speaker 2 Um, listen to this stat. This is wild.
In the last three years in the Serie A,

Speaker 2 48 goal contributions. That's 16 a year average.
And by the way, we're not even halfway through this year.

Speaker 2 Tied with Latara Martinez for the most in Syria in that time. You can argue he has been the best player in Syria consistently over the last three years.

Speaker 2 And we take that for granted.

Speaker 1 I just think, well, he was phenomenal yesterday. I also look at his record

Speaker 1 in the Derby. And you mentioned it, six wins, two draws, and eight Derbies, three goals.

Speaker 1 Derbies are big moments. And by the way, if you've never been to a Milan Derby, do yourself a favor and just get a ticket to Milan and go see a game.
It's amazing. One of my favorite Derbies.

Speaker 1 But those are big moments.

Speaker 1 And he stands up and is counted in big moments. And I feel like he always has been.

Speaker 1 I often reference the times where he played at Chelsea and I thought he got the raw end of the deal.

Speaker 1 Because as we know with Chelsea, they were buying young players and going through managers and rotating and doing all the things. So

Speaker 1 that wasn't a mark on Christian that it didn't work out there. He had some really good performances.
And so, look, I think he's a big, he's a big time player. Um, I think he's a big club player.

Speaker 1 I randomly heard, and I can't even quote my source because I don't remember it, that United are interested in him or that they were in for him or something. Amazing.

Speaker 1 Because again, if that's the case, and again, that could be hearsay, but if that's the case, I mean, that's someone who would fit right in there, who would do a brilliant job. So, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 2 All right, we're going to take a break. Someone's got to pay Tim all that money.
So, we're going to go pay the bills.

Speaker 2 When we come back, we're talking the English Premier League right here on Unfiltered Soccer with Lannon and Tim, presented by Volkswagen. Stick around.

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Speaker 1 All right, LG, let's let's chitty chat some Premier League. It was a

Speaker 1 very interesting weekend in the Premier League. Lots going on.
As there always is, never a dull moment. No.

Speaker 1 Liverpool have to start there. We have to start there.

Speaker 1 Not a dry eye in the house. Liverpool lost at home to Forrest 3-0.

Speaker 2 3-0, man. That's why.
They didn't just lose, bud.

Speaker 1 They got pumped. Yeah.

Speaker 2 They got pumped. My first question is, and this is for you and for our fans.

Speaker 2 You know, when you...

Speaker 2 You like if you bought a car in the last like three or five years

Speaker 2 and you're in like the snow somewhere and you get in and it's freezing cold and then you can turn on that little seat warmer thing yeah and you know it's like not burning hot yet but it just you start to feel and you're like oh that's nice and warm

Speaker 2 is arna slot

Speaker 2 feeling a little bit of that heat right now is it getting a little warm i know we just want to tide on that but like at some point if you're going to miss out on europe and you're is it starting to are they having conversations yet yeah i mean i feel like liverpool fans don't need any more reason to hate me, but no, I don't think, I'm not a big fan of

Speaker 1 managers getting sacked. Like, I want to give managers time.
I want to give them transfer windows and all that, but you know as well as I do,

Speaker 1 it is hard. It is hard when

Speaker 1 you're at the top.

Speaker 1 Other things play into it, LD.

Speaker 1 Here's what I would say.

Speaker 1 No, I don't think his seat.

Speaker 1 Your seat's always. It's warming at all? Yeah, it's always warm.
I think your seat's always warm. What I would say is, let me start here.
And again, this is going to be a bit blasphemous

Speaker 1 against the dutch because i i have a lot of i have a lot of dutch friends but dutch managers haven't had brilliant success in the premier league okay if someone wants to write in and tell me i'm wrong and and state your claim short but i'm thinking of the ones that that i've that i can remember haven't had a ton of success it just doesn't seem to translate that well on from the managerial level that's not to say that slot isn't a good manager because he is um

Speaker 1 last year

Speaker 1 he had jürgen Klopp's team, right? LD, that was his team. The only player he added was Kiesa, who barely saw the light of day.

Speaker 1 And

Speaker 1 the credit to Slot goes, he tweaked the system a little bit, right? So instead of that heavy metal, Jürgen Klopp 4-3-3, everybody's flying forward. We're only keeping Van Dyke and Panante at the back.

Speaker 1 Both of my fullbacks are flying forward to help and thwart and press.

Speaker 1 He's like, all right, let's... Let's pull back just a little bit.
Like we still want to be aggressive, but we want to possess the ball and build the game a bit more. And that won them the title.

Speaker 1 Um,

Speaker 1 I just think with you, you talk about the tragic passing of Diogo Jota, um, yeah, Alexander Arnold leaving, Louis Diaz leaving, which by the way, someone brought this to my attention this week.

Speaker 1 I think it was Robbie Earle. That doesn't get talked about enough, by the way.
Yeah, you're right.

Speaker 1 Luis Diaz leaving doesn't get talked about

Speaker 1 and how important that was. And so, okay, normal.

Speaker 1 You get rid of certain players, you sell certain players on, or they leave on a free, and then you you add.

Speaker 1 And by the way, you're um, uh, slot deserve the right after winning the title to say, Hey, now you're gonna back me, and now I'm gonna bring my own players in, right? So we did.

Speaker 1 He brought Ekatike, Viertz, Frimpong, Kirkz from Bournemouth, um, Isak.

Speaker 1 So he brought a lot of big players. I mean, he spent a lot of money, LD, and it hasn't seemed to work out for various reasons.
And

Speaker 1 uh,

Speaker 1 the test is going to be

Speaker 1 for Liverpool and for the board, if you're talking about, is this seat hot?

Speaker 1 If they get deeper into this season, I think they're in 11th place now. If they get deeper into this season and

Speaker 1 they're looking like they're going to miss out on Europe,

Speaker 1 then I think people are going to start getting uncomfortable. But even then, even then, I would say

Speaker 1 I would definitely not even have the conversation about sacking

Speaker 1 slot because

Speaker 2 i think managers need time i know you don't get it i know you don't get it but i i i i i know you don't get time but i think he he obviously needs the time he's earned it by the way he's earned it yeah it's almost to his detriment that he won last year right like if these seasons had been flipped sure now he'd be like okay now i i had my time i don't

Speaker 2 but you know the old saying is well if you if it's not broke don't fix it and the grass isn't always greener and i think what what people forgot about liverpool and this is, in my opinion, the best teams in the world in every sport, continuity is so valuable.

Speaker 2 And so now Luis Diaz leaves, Trent Alexander Arnold leaves, the passing of Jota, and then come in these guys, Vertz, Kirkesh from Pong. And it doesn't mean that it's going to work out, right?

Speaker 2 They don't just fit in naturally. And especially when you come from different leagues, like the Premier League, I can speak to it.
It is so hard to adapt to. It is so hard to adapt to.

Speaker 2 And so I think maybe

Speaker 2 he had the right to, yes. And far be it from me to

Speaker 2 speak to a manager who's won a Premier League title, but the grass isn't always greener.

Speaker 2 And I think he got a little out over his skis saying, yeah, now I can spend all this money on these guys I want. And he had a really good team.

Speaker 2 The other thing, Tim, and I think I know there's criticism

Speaker 2 of Mo Sala, right? And there's criticism of Isak. And I'll let you talk about Isak in a minute.
But Mo Sala, people forget, last year, was so motivated because he wanted that new contract.

Speaker 2 And so every week he was like, I am going to show these guys and I'm going to force them. And they had no choice but to give him a new deal.

Speaker 2 It is human nature, man, to just take your foot off a little bit. Sure.
And at that level, you take off 10% and you're not the same player.

Speaker 1 You're not the same player.

Speaker 2 And that is a big piece of this, too.

Speaker 1 Yeah. I mean,

Speaker 1 look, I think the question also gets asked about, about, you know, would, would you play, should he play Ekatike up front or Isak? And

Speaker 1 look, Ekatike earned the right early on to keep the shirt because he was scoring. He was scoring goals.
He was fitting the system. He looked great.

Speaker 1 I think he scored on international duty for France last week. But

Speaker 1 Isak, and this is what people don't understand sometimes on the outside, you pay 120 some odd million for somebody, you're playing. You're playing.
That's how this works.

Speaker 1 And so the issue for me with Isak, and by the way, I'm on record saying I think that guy is like a top three striker in the world. I do.
I think he's brilliant. And

Speaker 1 I think we've interviewed him a time or two. I can't remember where we've seen him, but the way he speaks, and I like everything about him.

Speaker 1 What I didn't like is how he handled the transfer this summer. So we manufactured the move from Newcastle to Liverpool.
It's normal. It happens.
People do that. But what he did is he downed tools LD.

Speaker 1 And I've spoken of this.

Speaker 1 He did it in the wrong way because players think they've got to throw their toys out of the crib.

Speaker 1 What he should have done, and I believe all players at our manufacturing move need to do, is you're talking to everybody, LD.

Speaker 1 You're talking to the board, you're talking to the manager, you're talking to

Speaker 1 your agent, get everybody in a room and say, I'm going to be the best teammate to my Newcastle teammates that you've ever seen this preseason. I'm going to do extra running.
I'm going to be available.

Speaker 1 I'm going to have a smile on my face. I'm going to do everything you've asked.
I'm going to be on time for every meeting. I'm going to be me.

Speaker 1 But don't mistake that for the fact that I want to stay here. I don't.
I want to get down the road to Liverpool. Okay.
So do everything in your power to make that happen.

Speaker 1 That way you take, you take the fitness side off the table. Because what has Arna Slat talked about? Yeah, that's right.

Speaker 1 Since Isak walked through the door, when's he going to play? Well, we're still getting up to full fitness. When's he going to play? Still about three weeks away.
So Isak did that to himself, right?

Speaker 1 Then you couple that with not scoring. Okay.
Sometimes you score, sometimes you don't. But but what happened was not only is he not scoring, people are questioning his fitness, the manager.

Speaker 1 Why are you questioning his fitness? Because he didn't train for half the summer because he downed tools to manufacture a move. So that's on him.

Speaker 2 And by the way, people don't appreciate how much it's a new team, new system,

Speaker 2 new manager, new players, new city. You're changing.
I mean, it's not that far, but you're changing. Everything's changing in your life.
And so you need time to get up to speed.

Speaker 2 And at Newcastle, it was a well-oiled machine. Like they knew where he was running, what he was doing, understanding your partnerships on the field.
That stuff's crucial, man. It's crucial.

Speaker 1 Okay.

Speaker 2 Newcastle City, we'll just kind of gloss over this one. Big win for Newcastle.
City,

Speaker 2 they're just not, they're not the same city. They still are in third,

Speaker 2 but

Speaker 2 it's a bad loss for City.

Speaker 1 It is.

Speaker 1 Well, listen,

Speaker 1 I want to get the fans before we move. I want to get the fans' thoughts.
Let us know if you think Slot is on the hot seat, how he should be handling the striker situation. That's a big one.

Speaker 1 That's what everyone's talking about. So let us know.

Speaker 1 I think the Manchester City,

Speaker 1 this was an interesting one for me because

Speaker 1 going to Newcastle with that team, the way Eddie Howe coaches them, like there's no shame in losing there. But

Speaker 1 Newcastle were trending this way. Right.
And City were trending that way. Like, you're like, oh, this is, I had it nailed on as a city win.

Speaker 1 But again,

Speaker 1 I think what it shows us is even though I think Newcastle are like sitting in 15th, like ultimately at the end of the day, they're going to be inside that top eight. Yeah.
Probably top six. Right.

Speaker 1 Like, so right now things aren't going well, but like it doesn't surprise you that they had a big performance against City.

Speaker 1 So City, it was, you know, they dropped points and that was a huge one because I thought they were, they were trying to claw back.

Speaker 1 They were trying to claw back a few points and momentum from Arsenal and it ended up being Arsenal's literally picture perfect weekend.

Speaker 2 Yeah, it was actually the other way. And now they're seven points back because the Gunners, north london derby beat spurs and man was this

Speaker 1 this is brutal i thought i thought it was i well we i thought it was a derby but it ended being the training session i don't think i don't think the derby happened

Speaker 2 maybe it's later in the year i mean 4-1 so it's for people who don't know so eze

Speaker 2 was about to be a spurs player And the last minute changed his mind and he signed with their rival, Arsenal.

Speaker 2 And then on Sunday, absolutely crushes them with the first North London Derby hat-trick in 47 years.

Speaker 1 I was shocked. Henry didn't have one.
Harry Kane didn't have one. Incredible.
It's crazy, huh?

Speaker 2 So, the first North London Darby hat-trick in 47 years, and they absolutely dismantled Spurs. I think Spurs had a 0.07 XG.
I mean, they looked, they just, they, they looked lost.

Speaker 2 Um, you know, if they're looking for a manager, I hear Ange is available still.

Speaker 2 Um, no, they look lost, and Thomas Frank, uh, that was that had to to be his worst, his worst day as a Spurs manager. What happened?

Speaker 1 What do you put that down to? Well, it was such a,

Speaker 1 Tottenham was so bad that at one point in the first half, I said they should get half a point if they get into the, if they get possession in Arsenal's half, but they couldn't get out.

Speaker 1 Well, so what happened was this.

Speaker 1 They ended up playing in a back three, which we know is a back five, right? Out of out of possession. And so and so

Speaker 1 they got pinned in. And that was a big credit to how Arsenal attacked them, the back five.
But

Speaker 1 Thomas Frank at his best at Brentford,

Speaker 1 there's facets to this.

Speaker 1 He was brilliant because he brought them through.

Speaker 1 He brought them out of

Speaker 1 the championship into the Premier League. And one of the things he hung his hat on was being flexible tactically.
So he would happily week to week play in a back five and a back and then a back four.

Speaker 1 And he often talked about with Brentford because they were the David versus everybody's Goliath.

Speaker 1 He would say, when we play a big six team, City, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool, Man United, whoever, we're going to play in a back five, right? Because we have the flexibility.

Speaker 1 When we play against other teams outside of that, we're going to play in a back four,

Speaker 1 which you're conceding to the fact that you're just, you're the lesser team.

Speaker 2 It's no problem.

Speaker 1 But also, he had been with his team. They're like, no problem, Gaffer.
Back five, cool. No problem, Gaffer.
Back four. They knew, right?

Speaker 1 He's implemented, and that's when he's at his best. He's implemented that with a group of players that muscle memory is a big thing.
You know, this LD.

Speaker 1 They played radically high under Ange and they sprinted back. Okay.
And it wasn't even like anything we've ever seen in the Premier League.

Speaker 1 So you're trying to unlearn some of these things and then learn two different formations. So that's three things

Speaker 1 you're trying to pick up as a player. And

Speaker 1 then the other part that is really important, and I'm interested, this is the biggest part. This is this is one or one A is

Speaker 1 Spurs as a club, as a board, as a fan base, they are the big six team that you use to change your

Speaker 1 your

Speaker 1 formation for. So

Speaker 1 you as a manager of Tottenham can't say against another big six, against a Man United or against an Arsenal, we're going to play cautious because guess what?

Speaker 1 You've got 90,000 fans that don't want to hear that.

Speaker 1 So there's a dilemma there. There's a dilemma there.

Speaker 1 And not to mention one of the most important things is he doesn't have, he doesn't have Kulasevsky. He doesn't have Solenki.
He doesn't have Madison.

Speaker 1 He has so many injuries to big, big players that like, I'm just telling everybody to pump the brakes because Thomas Manager's, Thomas Frank is a very good manager.

Speaker 2 I always wondered this with

Speaker 2 big clubs bringing in

Speaker 2 managers. Like, do you go get someone who is at Brighton or Brentford or, you know, Watford,

Speaker 2 or do you go get somebody from another country or from the top of the championship or who knows how to be a big club who has to go places and dominate?

Speaker 2 It's a really interesting question. Yeah, it is, because it's completely different for him, to your point.
Coaching Brentford versus managing Spurs, completely different.

Speaker 2 All right, it's stoppage time sponsored by FanDuel. New customers can bet $5 and get $150 in bonus bets if you win.
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Speaker 2 All right, Champions League this week, Arsenal, Bayern, Munich. These two last met in a quarterfinal round of the 2023-2024 Champions League, where FC Bayern won 3-2 on aggregate.

Speaker 2 In my opinion, these could be two of, if not the two best teams in the world right now. They're first and second in the Champions League table.
Arsenal hold a

Speaker 2 six-point lead in the Premier League. Bayern hold a six-point lead in the Bundesliga.

Speaker 2 Harry Kane with 24 goals.

Speaker 2 It's a really, really intriguing matchup. Arsenal's defense has been so good, but Bayern scored goals for fun.
So they have, I believe, 64 goals now in all competitions.

Speaker 2 David Raya, on the other hand, has 11 clean sheets. It's also worth noting Luis Diaz will be out.
That's a big, big miss as he picked up a red card in their last Champions League match versus PSG.

Speaker 2 Unfiltered Soccer's same-game parlay this week is for Arsenal versus Bayern Munich. I've got Arsenal to win.

Speaker 2 with Bukayasaka and Harry Kane to score or assist, and Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya to make make two or more saves, plus $1,100 on the four-leg same-game parlay for this week.

Speaker 2 Don't forget to check out the full same-game parlay on our socials later this week. Let's take a break.

Speaker 2 When we come back, we'll dive into your questions in the ATT fan connection right here on Unfiltered Soccer with Landon and Tim, presented by Volkswagen.

Speaker 2 This episode is brought to you by Airbnb. Tim, nothing like MLS playoff season.
My favorite time of year. End of August, September, it's cold.
You travel to the Midwest or the eastern cities.

Speaker 2 The leaves are changing. You get outside.
It's freezing for the game. I love this time of year.

Speaker 1 Yeah, totally, LD. Playoffs are what make American sports unique.
It's how you end up with an underdog team making some insane run for the championship or David and Goliath duking it out in the final.

Speaker 2 Yeah, you don't want to miss a second of the playoffs no matter where your MLS team might be playing. In the first round alone, fans from New York are heading down to Charlotte.

Speaker 2 Dallas fans making the trip up to the Pacific Northwest to play against Vancouver.

Speaker 2 Last year in the final, the Red Bulls had to come all the way down to SoCal, where my galaxy beats your Red Bulls, Tim.

Speaker 1 Soccer fans in the U.S. are dedicated to their teams, and making the journey to support those teams as they make a run for the MLS Cup, whether it's the first time or the sixth, is a top priority.

Speaker 2 Yeah, MLS fans bring the energy everywhere they go, so why not let that passion pay off? While you're on the road supporting your team, you could open your home to fellow fans on Airbnb.

Speaker 2 Hosting your home on Airbnb while you travel is an easy way to earn a little extra and keep the spirit of soccer alive even when you're away.

Speaker 1 Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much at airbnb.com/slash host.

Speaker 2 All right, Tim, it is holiday season, and boy, do I need to choose chill sometimes. Thanksgiving's an interesting one for me.
I go with the in-laws to a hotel. It's nice.

Speaker 2 Most of them I like. Some of them are a bit challenging.
Sometimes I got to walk outside, grab a Coors Light, choose chill.

Speaker 2 Christmas is fun. I enjoy it.
I love it. All the things that come with it, but the kids are home for two weeks and that is brutal sometimes.

Speaker 2 So sometimes turn on the hot tub, go out in the jacuzzi, watch a football game, grab a Coors Light and chill.

Speaker 1 Yeah, you're right. It's all, it's always about family around the holidays.
And of course, big family meals. Every time I finish eating, I'm out back.
I get around the fire.

Speaker 1 I reach in the cooler, grab a cold Coors light and choose chill because as you mentioned, it's hectic. And then at some point, point someone calls me inside to play spoons or card games.

Speaker 1 And so I'm having a Coors Light, choose and chill.

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. Coors Brewing Company, Golden, Colorado.

Speaker 1 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 1 Like your crisp new jersey waiting for you in the locker room or a perfectly set up wall for a free kick.

Speaker 2 Yeah, as we on Unfiltered Soccer get ready for next summer, we know that very little in the beautiful game is guaranteed.

Speaker 2 But as we prepare to bring our Unfiltered brand of non-stop soccer coverage, it's good to know ATT has your back with the AT ⁇ T guarantee.

Speaker 1 Staying connected matters. That's why in the rare event of a network outage, AT ⁇ T will proactively credit you for a full day of service.
That's the ATT guarantee.

Speaker 2 Learn more at ATT.com slash guarantee. ATT, connecting changes everything.

Speaker 1 Credit for fiber downtime lasting 20 minutes or more or a wireless downtime lasting 60 minutes or more caused by a single incident impacting 10 or more towers must be connected to impacted towers at onset of outage.

Speaker 1 Restrictions and exclusions apply. See ATT.com/slash guarantee for full details.

Speaker 1 It's time for the fan connection presented by ⁇ T. Every week we invite you, the listener, to connect with us by submitting your questions.
At AT ⁇ T, Connecting changes everything.

Speaker 1 And on US LNT, our connections with you will help grow the game.

Speaker 1 All right. The AT ⁇ T Fan Connection LD, everyone's favorite time of the week.
Jordan, how are you?

Speaker 2 Are you wearing a Milan shirt? At Si Milan.

Speaker 4 Yeah, this is the AC Milan 125th anniversary shirt from last week.

Speaker 1 Are you a Palistic fan?

Speaker 4 I mean, I want to see the U.S. men's national team do well, no matter where they're playing.
So he had a good weekend.

Speaker 1 He was good yesterday. Yeah.
Yeah. He had a very good

Speaker 1 last year. Nice.
Nice shirt. Thank you.
Did you also get that from, where'd you get that? Canal Street?

Speaker 4 Did I get it? I think I did.

Speaker 1 I think I maybe did. That's where everyone gets their shirts.

Speaker 4 Should we get into some questions?

Speaker 1 Because I have several. Go.
Okay.

Speaker 1 First one.

Speaker 4 This one is from Javi via email.

Speaker 4 Thank you. I just want to say thank you to everybody who puts the pronunciation of their name in their email so that I get it right.
Really appreciate appreciate that.

Speaker 1 That's nice. We don't butcher it.

Speaker 4 Okay, so Xavi's question is, now that MLS has announced that it will be changing the calendar to align with the rest of the world, in your guys' opinion, what's the next step?

Speaker 4 I think the salary cap and the idea of DP players limits the potential of the teams and the league overall. But what do you guys think?

Speaker 1 I don't love.

Speaker 1 I don't know how you put the genie back in the bottle.

Speaker 1 I don't love the DP structure. I've been open about that.
Like,

Speaker 1 I think a lot of teams, you know, when you go get soft-serve ice cream LD and you get your cup, right?

Speaker 1 And then you swirl all the ice cream and then you put all the top and then you put the cherry on top. Like that's how you make an ice cream Sunday, right?

Speaker 1 I think a lot of MLS teams get the cup and they go buy the cherry and they put the cherry in and then and then they and then they put the ice cream. You know what I'm saying?

Speaker 2 Cherry is melting.

Speaker 1 So LAFC, Vancouver, these are great.

Speaker 1 These are great examples of like build your team to be a successful team and then put the cherry on top. And so the reason I say that, LD, is so many teams do it the other way.
And don't forget, DPs,

Speaker 1 the percentage of extending a DP's contract or them staying in the league is like 10%. So that means they're playing their contract and they're leaving.

Speaker 1 So if you bring a DP and put them on a crap team, you've lost a year. Do they understand the language?

Speaker 1 Does their family get settled?

Speaker 1 You're losing a year.

Speaker 1 So now you spent a ton of money on a player and you consistently spend tons of money on a player. And the first year is like a bit of a wash.
Don't know if he's going to come in.

Speaker 1 So, anyway, so I, the DP structure, whether you can put the Ginnie back in the bottle or it needs a revamp, I don't know.

Speaker 2 But the structure, Tim, the structure wouldn't change that much. Sure, like if the structure was gone, teams would still go get, yeah, you're right, you're right, right, right.

Speaker 1 So, I think, yeah, go ahead. Maybe, but maybe then, then for me, the other, the other part of that is creating a salary cap, right? Creating a hard cap and a luxury tax.

Speaker 1 And that's worked in a lot of places. Sure, there's arguments against it, of course, but

Speaker 1 we, you and I have talked about this on the show.

Speaker 1 There has been a handbrake on MLS that they've slowly taken off. But the idea was at the beginning, it was like,

Speaker 1 let's not F this up. Let's not create another soccer league in North America and have it fold, right? So that was the parameters of which they worked on.
And they've slowly worked that back.

Speaker 1 They now have people in positions, really high, strong decision-making positions that are football people

Speaker 1 that are versed in this game, that have their PhD in football. We need to let them make those decisions.
So maybe extending the cap, making it a hard cap and creating a luxury tax,

Speaker 1 there's a conversation there.

Speaker 2 The other thing they have is 30 billionaires, right? Who, who are not going broke. They're not going to lose their money.
They can make the decision.

Speaker 2 If they want to spend 30 million to bring in Messi or Cristiano, they can do it.

Speaker 2 You don't need to

Speaker 2 hold their hand and show them what to do. So I love, I also, for the record, I don't like the idea of just opening it up, free market, spend as much as you want, because that can create issues too.

Speaker 2 But I love the idea of having a hard cap: 30, 40, 50 million. Have a minimum spend.
So the players association is call it 15 million, 20 million. But then you spend the money however you want.

Speaker 2 If you want to spend 10 million on a transfer and pay the guy 100 grand, fine. If you want to spend a million on a transfer and pay him 10 million here, you do what you want.

Speaker 2 But I think that would be a much safer and much more enjoyable and entertainment-forward

Speaker 2 process for the league to go through. Yeah, agreed.

Speaker 4 Okay, I have a question from Nick via email, but it's really two questions. And I was trying to decide between the two of them and couldn't.
So, congratulations, Nick. You won this week.

Speaker 1 Both of your questions are

Speaker 4 both about the World Cup. The first question is: the auto bid has undoubtedly changed the type of competition we have leading up to the World Cup.
What's a better format for future hosts?

Speaker 4 Guaranteed pot for and play to earn i feel this could be a detriment heading into 2026 without true competitive matches which i think you guys have talked about but i like that he was giving you a suggestion for like could we do something else for the hosts what's he saying guaranteed pot four with what and play to earn i think he means like you're guaranteed for pot four but you could play to end up so you're guaranteed to be in the tournament right but then you go through qualifying still

Speaker 4 because right now you guarantee for pot one right That's an interesting idea.

Speaker 2 So if you let's say, let's just use this. Canada, U.S., Mexico are guaranteed to be in the tournament.
But at the start of qualifying, they're in pot four. They still have to go through qualifying.

Speaker 2 So the games mean something to them. They mean something to the other teams, of course.

Speaker 2 And in the end, if U.S., Mexico, Canada finish one, two, and three, the next three still get in the World Cup and the next two still go to the playoff, but then you can earn your way into pot one.

Speaker 1 That's kind of an interesting idea.

Speaker 1 Yeah. I don't hate it.
Because, yeah, I don't hate it. All right.
Do you think it would that would that would

Speaker 4 help some of the issues that you guys have been talking about in terms of like the games not being definitely I mean, I don't know how much the players

Speaker 2 Really deep down whether they're in pot four three two or one but like you just want the game to mean something right and for the coaches they'd be like I want to be in pot one right yeah but yeah and I also think it it would

Speaker 1 it might eliminate my my big gripe last week that was like

Speaker 1 conquer you have to get eight team eight teams. Like, if we're, if we're winning the World Cup, do we want it to be about pageantry or do we want it to be the best competition ever?

Speaker 1 And if we want to be the best competition.

Speaker 1 I know you want competition. Yeah, yeah, that's fine.

Speaker 2 I want Uzbekistan coming for the first time, which is wow.

Speaker 1 Yeah, fair.

Speaker 1 Okay.

Speaker 4 The second half of his question says, assume a group of death and we draw Morocco, Norway, and Italy via playoff. How do we focus on winning and not on the draw itself?

Speaker 4 As As players, could you separate the two?

Speaker 1 Hang on. Let me just say something.
Give me those teams again.

Speaker 4 Morocco, Norway, and Italy.

Speaker 1 We finished top of that group. No chance.

Speaker 2 We finished top group. You're saying that definitively?

Speaker 2 No, you can't say there's no. I mean, I think we can.

Speaker 1 Then I'm telling you, what makes you say that? That's a hard group.

Speaker 1 I don't know.

Speaker 1 I know. I know.
It's not just Holland, by the way.

Speaker 2 Odegaard, Sorlot, like they're a good team. I know.

Speaker 1 If you're telling me that that's the group of death, in terms of algorithms and how you kind of flip it up, then I'm telling you,

Speaker 1 I think we win that group. Okay, or at least go through, but I think we win it.

Speaker 1 I think we go through, but to win.

Speaker 1 Let's just talk.

Speaker 1 But you're scoffing at my idea that we win the group.

Speaker 2 No, you said we win the group. And I was like, you can't say just we're going to win the group.

Speaker 1 But we could easily finish second.

Speaker 2 Could finish fourth, too.

Speaker 2 Okay.

Speaker 1 I know those teams, all those teams could beat us.

Speaker 4 Can I ask a follow-up question, though? I know we're getting off of Port Nick's question. I said that he won and now we're just kind of trampling all over him.

Speaker 4 But are you specifically saying that because you believe that the US, Morocco, Norway, and Italy are evenly matched?

Speaker 2 Yeah, in a best case.

Speaker 1 Yeah, I listen. I'm saying,

Speaker 1 I'm saying I believe.

Speaker 1 And I've said this all along. I don't have a ton of proof because of how things have gone.

Speaker 1 I believe our our best team, and if I truly think, if I fast forward to the World Cup opening game, that I think our best team is on the pitch, then I think we're really effing good.

Speaker 1 That's what I'm saying. I agree.
Yeah. I agree.

Speaker 2 But Norway, Norway is going to be a pot three team.

Speaker 2 They are way better than a pot. They're a pot two team.

Speaker 1 I know. They are.
They're way better. And Italy, look.
Well, we're not a pot one team. So this whole thing is fucked up.
Exactly. I get it.
Exactly.

Speaker 2 And Jordan, by the way, you know, Mrs. Rizzieri, I'm sorry about your Italians, but like when we were talking about Pulisic earlier, think about this.

Speaker 2 In the last three years, he has the most goal contributions. Italy, we talk about Mexico not being very good.
Just, they just don't have great players anymore. Italy are kind of the same.

Speaker 2 I'm like, oh, Italy should, should, should, should. And then I'm like, an American is the best player in their league.
That's the reality. An American is the best player in their league.

Speaker 2 And so I just, I don't know if that, I don't know if they're getting through the qualifying either. I don't.
But to

Speaker 1 his Nick, right?

Speaker 4 Yes.

Speaker 2 How do you focus on playing? I talked about this. I did a Fox preview show this weekend and we talked about the draw a lot.
And for the players,

Speaker 2 you're not that focused on the draw. You're really not.
The Federation is, the coaches, but I mean, it's December. You have six months.
You don't even know if you've made the team.

Speaker 2 Right now, there are probably three or four guys who go, I'm pretty sure I'm making Pochatino's roster. After that, because of how he's done things,

Speaker 2 you're just focusing on the next game you have on Saturday. It's exciting.

Speaker 2 But you're not that.

Speaker 1 You're not thinking about that. That's a good final day.
And

Speaker 1 just to kind of, for two guys who have been through it, and it's everyone's lifelong dream. And certainly for people who haven't played in a World Cup, you don't, you can't quite grasp this concept.

Speaker 1 You dream a little dream. So you think you can go to a World Cup final.
Like right now, when you go to the, when you, when you, when you land in your host city, you just, you don't know.

Speaker 1 You're so high on life and adrenaline. You just think you can do it.
Like, you're not going to wear in a group of death. So this is going to suck.
You're like, yeah. Yeah.
Yeah.

Speaker 1 We can, we can do do it like we were in a group of death in i think 2014 and like we thought we we thought we could do it you know and we did so like yeah

Speaker 1 yeah you you you allow yourself to dream and you're right it's so funny all d as as the pro the people who probably care about the draw the the the least is probably the players right yeah which is wild but yeah

Speaker 4 Okay, another World Cup question. This one is from Edgar.
I will say this email was extremely long and came with screenshots. So I've had to summarize it.

Speaker 1 Amazing, Edgar. Amazing.
Thank you.

Speaker 4 Edgar says, how do you feel about a U.S.

Speaker 4 men's national team fan like me, a Mexican immigrant to this country who was 12 years old when I fell in love with the USA during World Cup USA 94, who has followed the team since for almost every friendly cup and World Cup match and living in a World Cup city, I believe he lives in Houston.

Speaker 4 only for FIFA to make tickets astronomically expensive and pricing us out of it. Could you please give me your real unfiltered opinion on these ludicrously priced events?

Speaker 4 I will tell you, in his screenshots, Edgar explained that he went to Qatar for the last World Cup. And he did have to fly himself to Qatar and pay to stay there and everything.

Speaker 4 But the game that he went to in the round of 16 against the Netherlands, he spent $96 on his ticket. He tried to buy a ticket for the June 23rd group stage game that's happening in Houston.

Speaker 4 He selected the $60 price band, and his total came out to $410 for one ticket with a $50 fee on top of that.

Speaker 4 So this is not like, it's, you know, like $50 to $100. It's like four times what he paid.

Speaker 1 Edgar, you sandbagging son of a gun. You went to Qatar, did you? Well, you don't have to pay for flights now.

Speaker 1 Exactly. All right, Edgar.

Speaker 1 Edgar.

Speaker 2 I'm not an economics professor, but I'm going to walk through economics.

Speaker 1 No one, Sunil Gulati. Sunil Galati, there you go.
To Sunil Galati.

Speaker 2 This is as simple as

Speaker 2 what's the word? Demand and

Speaker 1 I'm clearly not a supply and demand. You're not an economics professor.
You're not an economics professor.

Speaker 2 Okay, supply and demand. My brain just went blank.

Speaker 1 So

Speaker 2 in Qatar, there were not hundreds and hundreds and hundreds or millions of people coming into Qatar to watch the World Cup.

Speaker 2 And so I'm sure initially the tickets were probably more expensive, but then you get down to the game. Half the countries have left after the first round.
So U.S.

Speaker 2 Netherlands, you can probably get a ticket for $100.

Speaker 2 Right now, FIFA is, they're floating a little trial balloon to see how many people will pay big money for these tickets, right?

Speaker 1 And

Speaker 2 interestingly, the first U.S. game is not selling well.
The second game in Seattle and the third game in LA have done really well.

Speaker 2 So what's going to happen over time, and this is just, you know, if you go to a new neighborhood and you're looking for a house and someone says, This house is on the market for 700 grand and nobody bites, next thing you know, it's going to be 650 grand and then 600 grand, and the market will dictate.

Speaker 2 It sucks. None of us like it.
FIFA have plenty of money. They don't need to do it, but they are a business.
They are a for-profit business. They're not a charity.

Speaker 2 They're not, you know, they're not here to give away tickets. I don't like it as a fan.
It's just the reality. And I think if you're patient and you're willing to maybe not go see U.S.

Speaker 2 Brazil or U.S., whoever, Morocco, if that's what it ends up being, and you're willing to watch a different game or a lower-tier game, then you can get it for better prices. But it does suck.

Speaker 2 It's the reality, but it sucks.

Speaker 1 And I would point to...

Speaker 1 I would point to what you're talking about. It happened last summer at the Club World Cup.
It's not the World Cup, so it's not exact science, but

Speaker 1 those tickets were high.

Speaker 1 They were high and they didn't sell. You know what happened before the tournament? They plummeted.
And you could get a decent little ticket. So stay tuned.

Speaker 2 It's a little thing we call demand and something.

Speaker 1 Demand and something like that.

Speaker 2 Demand and supply.

Speaker 1 But Edgar, hey, we could, hey, the good news, Edgar, is I'll be in Houston at some point during the World Cup. Houston, Dynamo, and Dash are putting on watch parties in conjunction with the city.

Speaker 1 The watch parties are going to be outrageous. They're going to be fun.
We can drink beers, toss them around, have a good time.

Speaker 2 And Edgar, I got good news.

Speaker 1 so

Speaker 1 tim just told me he's going to buy you tickets to the world cup so congratulations stay tuned shoot me an email

Speaker 1 what happened with my inbox actually my inbox is full which we know from today one of our producers tried to email me and said uh your your your cloud is full

Speaker 1 tim is so popular his cloud is full which i thought the cloud was meant not to ever get full but tim's cloud is full well it's not that i'm not popular i haven't checked i haven't checked that email in like i don't know six years sorry jordan go the good news for everybody who's listening is that my inbox is never

Speaker 4 too full.

Speaker 4 I am always moving things around so that there's more room for new questions to come in. So you can email me at unfiltered soccer, feedback at unfilteredsoccer.com.

Speaker 4 And again, thank you to everyone who's being very polite to try and get their questions onto the show. I appreciate it.

Speaker 1 You guys are great. Is that it?

Speaker 4 That's it.

Speaker 2 That's all we got this week. Thanks, JR.
And thank you all for joining us again.

Speaker 2 Remember, as always, to subscribe on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, anywhere you get your podcasts, and follow the show across all of our social media platforms at Unfiltered Soccer for bonus content.

Speaker 2 Thank you, as always, to our presenting sponsor, VW, our fan connection sponsor, AT ⁇ T, and our stoppage time sponsor, FanDuel.

Speaker 1 Thanks also to our Unfiltered Refresh sponsor, Coors Light, and our additional sponsors, Cafe Bustello and Airbnb. Have an amazing week.

Speaker 1 We'll be back next Tuesday with another edition of Unfiltered Soccer.