USMNT Advance in Nations League, Aguirre Assaulted, Pulisic to Premier League?

Speaker 1 very rare when I'm in my house where I say, oh my god, what a goal.

Speaker 2 He finishes with his left foot and he almost kind of like skip hops to the right.

Speaker 1 Inching closer to my record really fast here.

Speaker 2 Unfiltered soccer presented by Volkswagen.

Speaker 2 Welcome into Unfiltered Soccer with Landon Donovan and Tim Howard. We are your co-hosts and we're coming to you not live, but after the U.S.
men's national team versus Jamaica's second leg.

Speaker 2 We decided we'd watch the game and give you our thoughts. And when we go back to the rest of the show later on, that was recorded this morning.
So, LD, interesting game.

Speaker 1 Interesting game, bud. It's been a long day.
Reminder for everyone, follow us on social media, Unfiltered Soccer. Subscribe.

Speaker 1 Show love on YouTube. Make sure you follow us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify.
If you like what we're doing, leave a comment, as Tim says. If you don't, leave a comment anyway.
We can handle it.

Speaker 1 We're fine. Email is feedback at unfilteredsoccer.com.
We have mailbag questions that came from you guys this week. Great questions.
Keep them coming in. So, yeah, interesting game.

Speaker 1 I'm glad, Tim, it happened the way it did. Let me explain that.
So we score early. We're all over them early.
It's 3-0 at halftime.

Speaker 1 I don't get on Twitter, but I'm sure if I did, everyone would be talking about how we're the best team in the world. We're going to win the World Cup, et cetera, et cetera.

Speaker 1 Settle down. Second half was a little sloppy.
Still a a lot of chances, but giving up to not great goals.

Speaker 1 And honestly, you know, we talked in the first episode about goalkeeping, defending, midfield, strikers, depth. Where's our squad at? And honestly, it all played out exactly the way we think of it as.

Speaker 1 Goalkeeping, still a little suspect. Defensively, not great.
Midfield was awesome. Christian was outstanding, attacking.

Speaker 1 Still TBD on a nine, even though everyone's going to go crazy and say Ricardo Peppy's now the nine. And then the depth was not great.

Speaker 1 And that's kind of just, that's kind of the way it unfolded today.

Speaker 2 Well, yes. You know,

Speaker 2 the worry for me, and I feel great about the result. The worry for me is this was a CONCACAF,

Speaker 2 two-leg, home and away, exactly the way it was supposed to look. Going down to Jamaica.
The pitch is terrible. Everyone complains about the pitch, which, by the way, is by design.

Speaker 2 If you've been in the game long enough, they know.

Speaker 1 It's actually the best I've ever seen that field. I was like, what are you talking about? It looks amazing.

Speaker 2 These teams know that we get on these pristine pitches in America and we play them off the park. So what do you do? You leave it long, you leave it nasty, you make it a dogfight.
Okay, so that's fine.

Speaker 2 Everybody is wanting to know, like, what, what is Pachatino going to change? What's his mark on the team going to look like, right? You want to have an identity of a team.

Speaker 2 And when you look at Poch at his best, it's a solid, some sort of semblance of a 4-4-2. This team kind of lends itself to having maybe three attackers up front, but he likes to play through lines.

Speaker 2 He likes to be systematic and pragmatic. And

Speaker 2 I tend to think, or I tend to like about Bochino, he relies on his best players to go win the game, right?

Speaker 2 He's not trying to overcomplicate it. And yes, Christian Pulissic,

Speaker 2 as we already know, has been in sensational form. He's done that again.

Speaker 2 Our midfield is our strength. There's no doubt about it, which again is a positive sign because so often in the past, it's always been staunch defensively and try and nick a goal from somewhere.

Speaker 2 There's some creativity and there's some real ideas in that midfield.

Speaker 1 Look up front with Pepe,

Speaker 2 he's getting the goals, which is important. And with Flo being out injured,

Speaker 2 winner stays on for me, right?

Speaker 2 Can you score consistently? If you can score consistently, then you keep the shirt. And right now, he's scoring the goals.
He keeps the number nine shirt. And for the foreseeable future,

Speaker 2 until Flo can get healthy and challenge back for that. And look, defensively, again, as an overarching thought, that was not great.

Speaker 2 I won't say poor, but if I'm Pachatino, I think he's going in there and you saw him on the bench a little bit after the second goal goes in. He's scratching his head a little bit, right? Because

Speaker 2 for all the people that think that this is going to sound dour, it's about growth and maturity, right? So like,

Speaker 2 to be winning the game so big in St. Louis is great, but you forget this isn't about winning a game in St.
Louis.

Speaker 2 This is about what that looks like when you play the biggest teams on the biggest nights.

Speaker 1 And

Speaker 2 that means, as you know, getting a lead, protecting the lead, and then at a certain point going, we're shut up, shut, we're not even giving this team a sniff.

Speaker 2 If we happen to get a fifth goal, yeah, we'll celebrate it and everybody will be happy. But right now, we're just going to chill.
And to be that open and exposed, because by the way,

Speaker 2 it wasn't just the two goals that Jamaica scored. They had other opportunities to capitalize and just didn't do it.

Speaker 2 So that needs to be looked at, but I'd rather look at that having 1-4-2 than maybe drawn 2-2, if that makes sense.

Speaker 1 Yeah. And if you look at the two legs, the first leg to me was a very mature, responsible, professional performance.
They limited really Jamaica to one or two chances.

Speaker 1 The penalty, obviously, a big play, big save by Matt Turner. Other than that, it was dominate.
defensively by having the ball.

Speaker 1 Basically, they were very mature in how we had the ball, kept the ball, but gave them nothing. Tonight was a little like little lackadaisical in the second half, feeling yourself a little too much.

Speaker 1 And look, any way you slice it, Jamaica's not a great team. They have some good players.
You play in some decent clubs around the world, but they're not a good team.

Speaker 1 And you should not be conceding twice at home to a team line. You just shouldn't.
Look, I love Tim Reem. If that's still our best option at centerback at 36,

Speaker 1 he's still a great player, a world-class player on his best days,

Speaker 1 but is he the one who's really going to be our center back in the World Cup in 26? No chance.

Speaker 1 And so if not, then, you know, I just wonder if Pochatino was like, look, this is the best we have right now, leadership-wise, too.

Speaker 1 But right now,

Speaker 1 there's still question marks defensively.

Speaker 2 Yeah, well, I think that's interesting because for me,

Speaker 2 when I think about... like a Tim Reem, and we've both been through this process.
We've been on both sides of this process. We've been the young kid and we've been the old guy.
I certainly have.

Speaker 2 And so you have to remember, Pachatino's coming in, right? Probably doesn't know all of the players with respect to him. He's also, he's looking at it, probably thinking, I need some soldiers.

Speaker 2 I need some guys I can trust, right? I need some experienced guys. And so this, Tim, so Tim Reem playing might not be a, I have a thought he might start in the World Cup.

Speaker 2 This might be a, I need some glue, I need a soldier

Speaker 2 for now.

Speaker 2 The problem with world football, which then trickles down to the U.S. team, is there becomes ideas and thoughts, right, about how the game should be played.
You could look at

Speaker 2 a false nine comes in, right? So I want to play false nine. Well, that's good, but sometimes a number nine just needs to hold the ball, right? Forget the tricks.

Speaker 2 You talk about being expansive, and I'm going to get to the fullbacks. You go, we need fullbacks who are expansive.
We take the ball wide, chuck on your touchline, get forward, cross the ball.

Speaker 2 Agreed, right? Because that's what football asks. But in the biggest moments, when you look at the biggest best teams, it's not about the spectacular cross that a fullback puts in.

Speaker 2 It's about defending defending the back post, tucking in on the shoulder of your center back, making it nasty and hard to beat, right?

Speaker 2 And I just don't know if right now our fullbacks have that in them. There's still this idea to be expanded, which again, the game's going to ask you to get forward and support the attack, no doubt.

Speaker 2 But the basic principles of defending in big moments still, for me, is a question mark.

Speaker 1 Let me just, let me jump in real quick because that's an interesting.

Speaker 1 I was just, I'm just thinking about this as you said that. So between Scally and Anthony Robinson and Serginio Dust, when he's back,

Speaker 1 we actually are probably more suited to those players being true wing backs. Yes.
Right. And actually playing with a back three that we built in a back three tonight.

Speaker 1 And it was really interesting because Anthony Robinson basically played as a six almost the whole game because we had the ball the whole game. Yeah.
And he played as a six.

Speaker 1 And I think in games like tonight, that can work.

Speaker 1 I don't think he can do that against the best teams in the world.

Speaker 1 That would be a bit too much for him.

Speaker 1 But they're probably more built to be wing backs. And I think if you played with a back three defensively, you'd be much more secure.

Speaker 1 So it'd be interesting to see if we defend going forward, maybe in a three and get another center back on the field to deal with dangerous moments.

Speaker 1 And Serginio, Anthony Robinson, Scally, probably not as much, but are probably more suited to playing as wing backs, to be honest. And I'm just thinking of that through as you said.

Speaker 2 But

Speaker 2 to that point, right? So, so

Speaker 2 you know, Man City globally is the benchmark, or you're looking at Brazil and how they constantly play. These are teams who are always on top of games.

Speaker 2 They don't, not saying they win every game, but they're always on top of games.

Speaker 1 And

Speaker 2 my big worry for the U.S., and people are going to say, this sounds pragmatic. Take it for what it is.
This is the truth until someone can prove me otherwise.

Speaker 2 That works really well. in perfect scenarios.
Yeah, yeah. You know, when the sun is shining and you're playing Jamaica or tonight it was raining, but

Speaker 2 when you get into, when you play that type of system and you get into a World Cup and you're playing England, you're playing Brazil, you're playing Ortina, you're playing one of these world powers, which you ultimately will.

Speaker 2 And I can't ever remember going to a game where we were, but we weren't the underdog, right?

Speaker 2 You're going to have to defend so many of those moments, or you're going to have to ask your wing back, who's playing in a six, to play like Jon Stones. And I don't think we have those play.

Speaker 2 We don't have the quality in depth across the board. So on certain moments, and yes, you do need wrinkles.
Tactically, you need wrinkles. You need to figure out moments where you can switch the game.

Speaker 2 I agree with that. I just, the concern, and it showed itself again, is we were a little bit too open and exposed at the back in moments where we actually didn't need to be.

Speaker 1 Yeah, you know what? And again, as you're saying that, I was thinking about, so we in our day had, I'm going to sound like an old man, but we actually

Speaker 1 did play different ways. based on who we were playing and we could adjust quite quickly.
With a national team, I think you almost have to because

Speaker 1 you don't don't have enough time to really build your true identity as to how you play. Now, you can build an identity as to your mentality, et cetera.

Speaker 1 But if we went, if we were home to El Salvador, we could have the ball and play. And then if we were playing Brazil in a World Cup, it was like, we ain't going to have the ball.

Speaker 1 So it doesn't matter if we try. We ain't going to have the ball.
So you have to learn. And maybe this is part of that process, but you're right.

Speaker 1 It does feel like in hard moments defensively for a number of years now,

Speaker 1 We just haven't been good enough.

Speaker 2 We haven't. And again, for all of our listeners, this is coming from a happy, sometimes concerned U.S.
soccer fan. Like,

Speaker 2 I'm a massive fan of this team, right? And like want them to do well. And, you know, I think when you look at

Speaker 2 you and myself, our records are solidified and our legacy has already been written. So I've got nothing left but joy and hope for this team.

Speaker 2 And so when you look at the schedule sometimes of how I always, because I played in England, I'm always, I always look out for the England national team and I'm always following them.

Speaker 2 And like every game they play is hard, right?

Speaker 2 Like every game, whether if they have an off, if they have an off month and an open window, they go to Italy and play, whether they go to Spain, like their friendlies aren't like easy, right?

Speaker 2 And so when I look at the U.S.

Speaker 2 in terms of like not having to qualify, which we will continually talk about for the next year and a half, and how that's a detriment, we believe, to the team of not being hardened and um and sharpened and then and then because of the way the international calendar is when the us tries to go get these big friendlies those friendlies are already taken right and so i you know you we we talk about the hard tough games that they're going to have to face in the world cup and it's like when are they going to get a run of back-to-back friendlies that are really difficult when are you going to get a run of back-to-back tournament games, you know, and that's a big worry for me because

Speaker 2 you then are under this illusion, like we can play good football at times and we're not under pressure.

Speaker 2 And then it's like, boom, the big moment happens, the bright lights come on, you're on the big stage. And that's obviously a concern.

Speaker 1 Yeah, that's going to be a concern for Paul Cetino too, because

Speaker 1 if you think about going forward, friendlies rarely happen anymore because of Nations League now. So now every team is playing Nations League and or qualifying except the U.S., Canada, Mexico, right?

Speaker 1 With the qualifying stuff. So in those windows, who are you going to to play? Maybe they play each other.
You just play Canada and Mexico every window for the next year and a half.

Speaker 1 But otherwise, you can't get a big team because they're playing and qualifying.

Speaker 1 So

Speaker 1 it's going to be challenging. Let's get back to, I want to get back to just the actual game and talk through the game.
So

Speaker 1 the goal, Christian's first goal, the second one, I think, was taken away,

Speaker 1 which I'm not. too mad about because he's inching closer to my record really fast here.
I'm sure Clint isn't mad either.

Speaker 1 But this first goal Tim, people have no idea. It's very rare, by the way, when I'm in my house, I was watching with my boys where I say, oh my God, what a goal.

Speaker 1 Because I've seen a million goals in my life. So I'm like, oh, yeah, okay, I can see

Speaker 1 what a goal that was.

Speaker 1 The ability to take that off the half volley, off a bounce like that, with your weaker foot on a surface that's probably wet, goalkeeper charging at you, and to smack it in the side netting.

Speaker 1 I mean, it's, I don't want to be hyperbolic, but I'm not sure sure I've seen too many goals that are much, that are more difficult to score than that. Just the pure difficulty.

Speaker 2 Well, yeah, I think, and I, I, I don't disagree with you. I think the, it speaks to the form that he's in because,

Speaker 2 you know, he finishes with his left foot and he almost kind of like skip hops to the right, really like in rhythm and motion. And it was like, I was never in doubt.

Speaker 2 Like his, his body control before the finish, during the finish, after the finish, it just speaks to, you know, he's in that zone.

Speaker 2 And when you're in the zone as an athlete, we, you know, the famous Michael Jordan said it, everything just slows down. Everything's that goalkeeper who's on rushing, yeah, whatever.

Speaker 2 It's a pink jersey. I could see it.
Boom, slot a pass. Everything slows down.
He's just in, he's in sensational form.

Speaker 1 You make a great point because when I, when I ever scored a goal where I was like, wow.

Speaker 1 But I wasn't in great form, my celebration was like, wow. And your teammates would be like, wow.
And he would, like, he knew it was going in.

Speaker 1 The moment it fell to his foot, and I was like, Jesus, man, I want a goal. It's incredible.
Pepe's got some big stones on him.

Speaker 1 When he turns inside and Christian's running to his left, it says, No, no, no, I'm going to take this. And I was like, Whoa, you better score, bro.
Because if you don't score, I am ringing your neck.

Speaker 1 Well,

Speaker 2 the funny thing is, I thought the same. I thought he took it in real time.
I was like, oh, this is a good goal. And then I see the replay.
I thought, wow, good on you.

Speaker 2 Good on you because Christian wants that ball. And actually, actually,

Speaker 2 it's the better choice

Speaker 2 is the pass. But it's really, really interesting because let's stay on Pepe for a second.
He's had a lot to say, which I'm not, I'm okay with for right now.

Speaker 2 ESPN Jeff Carlisle wrote about super sub and is he considered a super sub?

Speaker 2 And Pepe had an intro response.

Speaker 2 The way I take it, obviously people are noticing the things that I'm doing whenever I come in as a sub and it makes them say the word, but at the same time, hearing the word, it makes me want to

Speaker 2 punch something because at the same time, I just want to play more minutes. i want to get to the point where i'm a starter and i like this from him i like this from him because

Speaker 2 when i watch the goal he created the goal if you go back he chased down the he chased down the the the left center back chases down the goalkeeper the goalkeeper flubs the the uh the clearance he then after one or two passes gets it back and he's got the wherewithal to turn strike shoot score and And I think you have to have a bit of nasty.

Speaker 2 You'll always hear me say, I personally want my strikers to be nasty, arrogant, and selfish. I do.
I do.

Speaker 2 I want them to hate everybody. I want them to spit on the ground.
I want to be nasty. And that's okay because their job to me, my job isn't to score.

Speaker 2 My job is to organize a team behind them and give them all the support. And all they should be worried about is scoring.
You know,

Speaker 2 my final thought on Pepe is this, because I've given this advice to myself, to my daughter who plays, I've given it to younger teammates. Coaches at the level he's at, playing in Europe

Speaker 2 with the U.S. men's national team, coaches are scared to death to lose their jobs.
What does that mean? They're going to play the people who think that they can win them the game, right?

Speaker 2 So if you're a striker and you're scoring and you're not playing, my advice is your manager probably has an office and on that office I'm almost certainly has a door.

Speaker 2 You go knock on that door and you simply say, Gaffer, I enjoy playing for you. I know you like me because you you give me a bit of an opportunity, giving me a bit of an opportunity, right?

Speaker 2 But I'm scoring goals and I can't get in the team. What can I do to get in the team? And by the way, it's not talking in the press and it's not saying I should do that.

Speaker 2 It's just going up to your manager and going, I'm scoring goals.

Speaker 1 Yeah, what else do you want me to do?

Speaker 2 And there's something else because your job's on the line every game, and you're not picking me.

Speaker 1 And I want you to pick me.

Speaker 1 If you get what I'm saying, who are guys, curiously, who are guys you played with that had that, like strikers that had that?

Speaker 1 Well,

Speaker 1 uh because clint comes to mind right away clint clint dude clint was like he would kill he would kill you to score a ball literally he he was

Speaker 2 he was as nasty as they come he was as nasty

Speaker 2 and you know the one that comes to mind because he's in the press is rude van isteroy and you know his goal scoring record at at manchester united was amazing watch rude vanistroy every time he gets the ball you know he plays it wide you know why he plays it wide because he wants it because he wants it back and about he's not playing he's not playing anybody through the lines to score he's playing it wide and again and you train with these guys, and it's not just in the game.

Speaker 2 You train with them and they're nasty. And they want, you know, you're thinking, you're close range.
Don't hit it. Like, we're in training.

Speaker 1 No, they're really walleless.

Speaker 2 They try and take your head off. And it's like,

Speaker 2 these are the players at the top level. You have to be nasty.
And it's, and, and that's the, for me, that's the best trait. It really, truly is.

Speaker 1 Robbie Keene was like that too when it came to Gal. I mean, he, like, first of all, I just hated, hated losing, hated losing in any game.

Speaker 1 And then on the field, like, if you you didn't give him the ball, you were going to hear it.

Speaker 1 You know, like, if, unless you score, but if you, and even so, sometimes you score and you're still going to hear it. Like, if you didn't give him the ball, you're going to hear it.

Speaker 1 And he came through every time. So it was like, all right, might as well give him the ball.
Yeah. Yeah.
The peppy stuff's interesting.

Speaker 1 There's a lot of guys, Tim, who have made a lot of money in their life being great for 30 minutes off the bench. Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1 And usually it happens later in your career and you have to come to grips with it and make peace with it.

Speaker 1 If he ever gets to a,

Speaker 1 say, team that is always dominant, always had the ball, like the way tonight's game was.

Speaker 1 Sometimes you are better off coming on later in the game when teams are tired and the team's worn out. And now, tonight he did the job.
In Jamaica, he did the job. And full credit to him.

Speaker 1 Our question now is going to be: okay, can you do it in the big games against big teams, right?

Speaker 1 And let's wipe the slate clean a little bit because Pochatino's new and there's going to be all kinds of changes happening. But like you said, you know, you win the game, you stay on.

Speaker 1 Right. You win the game, you stay on.
You score, you stay on. And for right now, you got to say he's earned it and he stays on.

Speaker 2 Yeah. And look, the advice to him is simply this.
I think

Speaker 2 what people forget on the outside, I think what good goal scorers forget, you know, at times, even at that level is goal scoring is important. It's the most important.

Speaker 2 It's the hardest thing to do in football, right? But holding the ball up, which I thought he did well tonight, bringing your team into play, running the channels, chasing and tackling.

Speaker 2 Again, I thought he did that really well tonight. So this is is his opportunity.
And like I said, I'm okay with guys talking. I am.

Speaker 2 As long as you're backing it up and as long as you're saying, I want to play, I'm hungry, I'm selfish, get me on the pitch. I got no issue with it.
And tonight, from what he said

Speaker 2 about the super sub moniker to tonight and him putting the performance in, if he keeps that up, no issues at all.

Speaker 1 Yeah, fair enough. And just to tie a bow on this, what I've seen so far, my first impressions,

Speaker 1 these are the first two real games under Pochtia.

Speaker 1 The mentality in the away game and the professionalism in Jamaica, I thought was excellent. And that was Pochitino immediately putting his stamp on this team.

Speaker 1 The other thing, tonight, we saw pressing, running, chasing from the beginning. We got into this with Burhalter, we got into this

Speaker 1 just this weird place where it was like overthinking tactically how we were going to defend and

Speaker 1 sitting off a team that you're way better than.

Speaker 1 Way better than. And I kept going, what are we doing? Just go press.
They will give you the ball. And Pochettino just, you know, either that's in his DNA or he's realized that.

Speaker 1 He's like, no, we're not, we're not sitting off against Jamaica and trying to, you know, tactically defend them. It's like, no, go after them.
And we went after them.

Speaker 1 And so those two things are a sign of Pochatino immediately having his stamp on this team. And then the other thing, just tactically, they used Christian.

Speaker 1 He's used Christian now in a really interesting way, and I really like it. He's basically, when we have the ball, Christian has the freedom to float and go anywhere he wants.

Speaker 1 And tonight, I don't know if it was by design, but tonight he veered left way more often than right. But he did join on the right a few times.

Speaker 1 But between Wea, him, Weston McKinney, Anthony Robinson was on this side. Pepe would come over.
All the numbers were on the left, and they just killed Jamaica and made it really hard.

Speaker 1 And then on the goal, obviously, when it switches back, he's in a great spot to make a vertical run, which he's really good at, and then scores the goal.

Speaker 1 So I like the way Pochettino is using him so far. And you can see that freedom and the form Christian is in right now have made him almost unplayable.

Speaker 2 So and tactically, he prefers the profile drifting left, and he kind of dances on the ball and he drags people with him.

Speaker 2 Look, I think the midfield is stout enough and robust enough to kind of handle it when he drifts away from the middle. And

Speaker 2 my final takeaway, as you said, we're putting a bow on this is, and this can't be understated because it's going to sound basic. basic we

Speaker 2 we all and pachatino would prefer to dissect all of this having one 4-2 yeah having having one away from home right and i know that sounds simplistic but it's true when you're not getting results in fact let me let me speak to to where he was at chelsea he had ideas at chelsea but he wasn't getting the results yeah right and when you're not getting the results the pressure the scrutiny it comes on even when you're doing the right things and by the way by the end of his his tenure at chelsea at the end they were playing really well, right?

Speaker 2 But he didn't get enough results. And so

Speaker 2 when you look at this U.S. team, we can dissect things and we can break it down, which we are, and everybody will, the fans and the coaches and pundits alike.

Speaker 2 But it's much better to do it from this lofty perch than having lost and going, oh, boy, we got to change something. So speaking of Greg, Greg Berholter was at the game with Bruce Serena.

Speaker 2 How do you feel about this?

Speaker 1 It feels a little bit too early.

Speaker 2 I mean, Greg's my guy.

Speaker 1 It feels a little bit too early.

Speaker 1 Like you have, it's you got a girlfriend you dump her then you all have mutual friends and she shows up at your birthday party and you're like what are you doing here

Speaker 1 it was a little bit weird um it was and look bruce and greg have a great relationship greg was uh an assistant coach for bruce played for bruce um

Speaker 1 it was interesting i i don't think i would have been there but you know what give him credit i at least you know at least he's showing up and I'd be curious how everyone else felt about it.

Speaker 2 I'm not going. I'm not going.

Speaker 1 How do our fans feel?

Speaker 1 To To help with my former employer, I'm out.

Speaker 2 I want to lose every game. I've said it here.

Speaker 1 It was bizarre. I mean,

Speaker 1 he's found his footing. He'll be in Chicago and, you know, good for him.
But I guess last question for me, Tim, is the hype around Pochitino.

Speaker 1 Everybody I know who cares about soccer would come to me and say, hey, what do you think about the hiring? And I would always say the same thing. Look, we had a big name manager come in.

Speaker 1 in 2011 that we were all excited about Jürgen Klinsman. He was a total disaster.
He was just a bad coach. And,

Speaker 1 you know, so Pochatino is at a much different level. Yeah.

Speaker 1 But

Speaker 1 I'm cautiously optimistic. What I've seen so far, I like.
I like the reaction of the team.

Speaker 1 But I think it's still early for me and I don't want to get crazy hyped. So

Speaker 2 I think with, I think Pochettino is a very good coach and he's the right coach for this group.

Speaker 2 You know, when it comes to quality throughout the squad, that's where he's going to earn earn his money, right?

Speaker 2 Is trying to get the best out of, not the best players, our best players have been doing really well, by the way.

Speaker 2 You know, and credit to, by the way, we haven't said his name, credit to Tim Wea. I mean, the strike.
You know, I'm talking about a guy in form. As soon as it came off of his thigh, I thought.

Speaker 2 Night night, he's buried.

Speaker 1 It's still rising when it hits that night.

Speaker 2 It's incredible. So, you know,

Speaker 2 getting the best out of the, out of the complete squad, not just our best players, is going to be where his mark is left. So is he the right manager for the job? Yes.
Is he a really top manager? Yes.

Speaker 2 But

Speaker 2 as we go,

Speaker 2 we'll see how he can lift up the base of that squad.

Speaker 1 Yeah, okay. All right, Timmy.
Well, that puts a bow on it. Great.

Speaker 1 5-2

Speaker 1 advancement, not perfect. We, by the way, have now qualified for the gold cup.
Who we play next in the semifinals is very CONCACAF.

Speaker 1 We have no clue. A lot of it depends on the Mexico result.

Speaker 1 Canada, if they got eliminated, eliminated,

Speaker 1 it's based on seeding and rankings and all that. So we'll see who we play next, but it's certainly going to be harder than Jamaica.

Speaker 1 By the way, does that, oh, I guess maybe that doesn't mean that Canada would, or Mexico would be eliminated if they lost because Jamaica was not eliminated. So there'd be some

Speaker 1 mechanism.

Speaker 2 Can I tell you something?

Speaker 2 If you're a betting person,

Speaker 2 bet the house that Mexico somehow will be in

Speaker 2 the Gold Cup.

Speaker 2 There's not a scenario where Mexico would allow to not be in the gold cup.

Speaker 1 Let me tell you. I think there's a rule that if your coach gets hit with a beer can, you get automatically.

Speaker 2 And we want that. We want the best.

Speaker 1 No, we want Mexican, but there's literally a 0% chance that they're not in the Gold Cup. There will be a way to find it.
All right, so we're in the Gold Cup. Advance past Jamaica on to the semifinals.

Speaker 1 Reminder that on the other side of this, we recorded the second part of this earlier today, so we will look a little bit different.

Speaker 1 Still bald, but we will look a little bit different all right uh good win for the u.s and we'll see you guys on the other side

Speaker 1 the unfiltered soccer podcast is brought to you by volkswagen the presenting partner of u.s soccer as the u.s gets ready to host the world for soccer's biggest moment Volkswagen is helping people discover new turfs and new ways to play the beautiful game right here in the U.S.

Speaker 2 From deaf and power wheelchair soccer to beach and futsal, VW is actively supporting all the communities and teams within the U.S. soccer ecosystem.
They're working with talent from across the U.S.

Speaker 2 soccer extended national teams and are focused on helping to give these less widely known forms of soccer a platform moving forward.

Speaker 1 As a longtime friend of Volkswagen, I can tell you they're really making a difference, opening up new turfs and new possibilities here in the U.S.

Speaker 2 Thank you to Volkswagen and the Tiguan. for being the presenting partner and for bringing nice things to everyone.
Find out more about how VW is supporting U.S. soccer at vw.com.

Speaker 2 Just finish up talking about U.S. men's national team to continue on with that theme LD around CONCACAF.
Big story. We could probably call this segment Blood and Thunder, but we won't.

Speaker 2 In a not so funny way, Mexican manager Javier Aguirre gets hit in the head.

Speaker 2 I mean, incredible scenes, hit in the head with a beer can as they lose to Honduras, but massively splits them open, blood everywhere. Like, just go.
There's your runway.

Speaker 2 Tell me your thoughts on this.

Speaker 1 Yeah. So if you haven't seen the video, just go see the, watch the video.
There's different angles of it. But he's walking over to shake Honduran manager's hand.
And there's, you can see stuff flying.

Speaker 1 And, you know, we've seen plenty of stuff fly in those environments. But all of a sudden, you see something hit him.
He kind of, you know, he kind of

Speaker 1 moves for a second.

Speaker 1 And then as he turns towards the camera, there's blood just gushing down his face, and he clearly got hit. He said it was a beer can.

Speaker 1 Um, what's interesting, though, Tim, is he handled it really, really well. And I'm not sure

Speaker 1 how I would have handled it, but he handled it, I think, in the right way.

Speaker 1 Uh, they asked him about it, obviously, after the game, and he said they were better than us in areas, they were the better team, they deserve to win.

Speaker 1 I've got nothing left but to congratulate them and try to lift my team's spirit. The other thing, there's no point in talking about it because it's football, and I'm not one to complain.

Speaker 1 And I just just want to say from my personal experiences with Javier Guirde when he used to be the manager for the national team, Mexican national team, a long time ago, always very respectful,

Speaker 1 kind man. He's very well regarded throughout the world.
My problem actually is not with that. It's in the statement from the Mexican Federation.
Let me read that too.

Speaker 1 This just got my blood boiling. The FMF, the Mexican Federation, unequivocally condemns the acts of violence that occurred tonight at the stadium in San Pedro Sula, Honduras.

Speaker 1 Such behavior has no place in our sport. We demand that CONCACAF take immediate and decisive action to address this matter in accordance with its regulations.

Speaker 2 And tell our listeners why you have such a problem with this.

Speaker 1 Okay, let me just finish because this is, I just can't, this makes my absolute blood blood. Soccer should be a celebration, not a battleground.

Speaker 1 We urge all parts, including institutions, managers, players, fans, and the media, to work together to create a safe and respectful environment for everyone involved. Really?

Speaker 1 Really, bro? Really? How many times when you and I had dead chickens thrown at us in Ezteca and Mexico City, rocks, coins, batteries, bags of urine?

Speaker 1 How many times did they come out and say, this has no place in our sport? This should be a suck. Get out of here.
This is such a joke. So as I'm reading that, it just made my, it made my skin crawl.

Speaker 1 I'm like, this is a joke, dude.

Speaker 2 Well, I think I remember recently, like

Speaker 2 Nations League final or something, or a couple of times when we played Mexico recently, I remember on corner kicks, Christian Pulisic having to like stall to take the corner because he's getting things thrown.

Speaker 2 And I'm so like, I totally agree with that.

Speaker 2 Aguirre has handled himself. brilliantly better than I would.

Speaker 2 You know, I remember a time when Manchester United was playing Man City at Man City and Rio Ferdinand goes to celebrate a goal and someone throws like a pound coin, bro, from the stands and it hits him in and around the eye area.

Speaker 2 And I'm like, if that's a centimeter lower, like he's blind for life. Like this is the stupid, I just don't understand.

Speaker 2 Well, I know it's the mom mentality, but for all these people that think it's funny, which by the way, it's crept into college football in a big way, which is really, really, really bad.

Speaker 2 And Matthew McConaughey came out and talked about it at the University of Texas recently. Like you can't do it.
And the thing that annoys me the most is

Speaker 2 I'm somebody who's really big on like, be who you you are all the time. If you're a tough guy all the time, be a tough guy all the time.
I don't care. I could care less.

Speaker 2 If you think I'm the biggest a-hole, say it. Don't ask my autograph.
Just say, I don't like you.

Speaker 1 I'm cool with that.

Speaker 2 I'm super, super cool and respect people. But this kind of, like, these people throwing things, particularly like, they wouldn't in the grocery store pick up a can of soup and throw it at you.

Speaker 1 And by the way, if they were, if they were facing you face to face, they wouldn't do it either. It's like they're behind the guardrails and the cage in the stadium.
It's just cowardice.

Speaker 2 Right, which is cowardice. It's cowardice.

Speaker 1 And the crazy thing is i actually would rather get hit with a soup can in and in the grocery store than like having a projectile from the upper deck that's like that's just a warp speeding at my face right so like yeah it's incredible i'm curious actually if something will happen i mean if conquer calf now of all the things that have happened right over the years and you and i have been a part of so many i've got hit with things like you don't even know what it is it's like bot like parts of bodies of animals like you don't even know what the hell it is if they now all of a sudden decide that they're going to do something about this, like the irony would be just be ridiculous.

Speaker 1 And just the Mexican Federation, like, I get it. You got to put out a statement, whatever, but don't, that's pot calling the kettle black, dude.
Don't cast stones if you live in a glass house.

Speaker 2 And interestingly enough, LD, to our listeners, hit us up at Unfiltered Soccer and throw some comments in there. Actually, throw, no pun intended.

Speaker 2 But have you been next to somebody at the stadium who's thrown things? Have you thrown things yourself? Like,

Speaker 2 what are your thoughts on this? Because I think it has to get eradicated again just for simply safety reasons.

Speaker 1 And by the way, just by the result, I mean, they lost 2-0 in Honduras now. They have a big hill to climb back home.
So I wonder, you know, how does Aguirre use this as maybe motivation?

Speaker 1 Are the players pissed? You know, what happens? But that's going to be a really fascinating second leg in that series with Honduras up 2-0.

Speaker 2 Totally. And the players, as you said, how does he use it? Can they rally around their coach?

Speaker 2 Speaking of rallying around your coach or not, Harry Kane had some interesting things to say about his fellow England players withdrawing from the national team.

Speaker 2 And obviously, we know that this is the last game under caretaker Lee Carsley.

Speaker 2 Thomas Tuchel comes in for the next round of games as the New England managers. But nine players pulled out of the England squad to face Greece last Thursday and Ireland on Monday.

Speaker 2 Harry Kane, the England captain, as we know, this bothered him. He's got a very long quote about this.
And

Speaker 2 to summarize, under Southgate, the last manager, Southgate brought the joy back to playing for England and guys wanted to be around each other. They were excited about coming into camp.

Speaker 2 And then there's a little bit of this in between, right? So Lee Carsey is the caretaker. Who's going to be the next manager? Tuchel gets named.

Speaker 2 So there's kind of that gray area now where I think what Harry Kane is saying is,

Speaker 2 hang on, we're taking a few liberties here. Like it's supposed to be a joy to play for England anytime.

Speaker 2 whether I'm the manager, you're the manager, Lee Carsey, whomever. And he's saying he didn't appreciate that.
And by the way, for me, as a captain, that's your right.

Speaker 2 In fact, that's your responsibility to speak up on behalf of the country which which continues the debate and you've you've dealt with this and i've dealt with it club versus country you hear it as like a blanket statement club versus country but now is an actual time where our listeners our fans can really get stuck into like this is a real thing like like the debate that that players feel the pressure that players feel to be available for club and country is a real thing it used to be easy tim because there's i've there's a lot to unpack here you used to play six eight ten twelve national teams games a year, and you would play 28, 30, 32 club games a year.

Speaker 1 So you had, it was a lot of games in the 40s, whatever now. The problem now is there are so many games, right? And there's so many games.

Speaker 1 So if you're a player now saying, how am I going to manage through 60 games this year? These are top players, right?

Speaker 1 That play on big clubs that are in all the Champions League and all the cups and they go deep into the tournaments and all that.

Speaker 1 The challenge now is, how do you find a time to get a break, right? If at all? And just a few things. If Tuchel was the manager right now,

Speaker 1 they would not have foregone that camp. They would have all been there, right? The fact that Lee Karsley is there right now and Tuchel's not in yet played into it.

Speaker 1 The other part is, if this was a qualifier or the Euros or the World Cup, they definitely would have played.

Speaker 1 The challenge now, though, is that these clubs pay a lot of money. They pay their players a lot of money.

Speaker 1 And it is absolutely an honor, as we know, to play for the national team, but you're paying these guys hundreds of thousands of dollars a week to be available.

Speaker 1 And then when they go away, play a couple games, come back injured, you're like, hold on a sec.

Speaker 1 So that's where the business side comes in.

Speaker 2 Yeah,

Speaker 2 I mean, there's so much here. I think the fees, particularly at Premier League clubs around the world, have always been somewhat astronomical.

Speaker 2 Yes, they've gone up, but the argument was still the same when the market value was less than 100 grand a week, maybe 50 grand a week.

Speaker 2 These were still top dollars for these teams and they want their players fit. But also playing for your national team, right? Like, so there's a business side of this, which you mentioned.

Speaker 2 Playing for your national team and being a star for your national team, if you're a Newcastle player, also allows your fee to go up. So I can then sell you on to Liverpool or whomever.

Speaker 2 I'm making that up, right? So, like, so it's still important for these clubs from a business standpoint that their players are available.

Speaker 2 It's a delicate balance, it's one that's really difficult to get right. I look from my own personal experiences, LD, and we were together for gosh, a long time on the national team.

Speaker 2 I played most of my career in England and I lived in Manchester for 13 years.

Speaker 1 And

Speaker 1 I was always available.

Speaker 2 Like there was a greed to me. I wanted to be the greatest U.S.
goalkeeper in the history of U.S. soccer, right? So I knew I had to, number one, be available.
I had to be available so that I can play.

Speaker 2 And I had to play so I could be put in good performances, right? Like

Speaker 2 there's a concoction there. But there was never a time, and you know this, you play on a Saturday, you get on a transatlantic flight on the Sunday morning.

Speaker 2 There was almost never a time, maybe one time I can think of, that I didn't allow myself to get on that plane. Even if I was hurt, I said, I'm going to go get on that plane.

Speaker 2 I'm going to go to Chicago or LA, wherever our camp is. I'm going to get seen by our doctors.
And most importantly, LD, I'm going to give my body five days to recover.

Speaker 2 And even if I was, even if I was injured, I could say, take the first two days off, work with the physio, get myself back into light training.

Speaker 2 I was going to give myself every single opportunity to be fit and available for the selection on the whatever Saturday or Friday or Saturday, because it was so important to me to win as many games, win as many caps, save as many goals for the U.S.

Speaker 2 men's national team. Because for me, it was about what that looked like personally, which was on a selfish level.
But then I wanted to be a part of greatness.

Speaker 2 I wanted to be a part of World Cups and qualifying. So always, always try to make myself available.
So I appreciate what Harry King said.

Speaker 2 In fact, in fact, I texted him just the other day and I said, listen, mate, go well, good luck. But I also 100% agree with you.

Speaker 2 And he's and he sort of chuckled and was just like, I don't really know what the big deal is. Like, it's kind of what, it's kind of what we all think.

Speaker 1 So yeah, he's a little old school in that way, too. But

Speaker 1 did he need to say it publicly, you think? Could he have just, you know, called all these guys and, you know,

Speaker 2 well, look, I think, and you know this, I think, you know, Garris Elke did such a good job of being front-facing with the media, which is really difficult.

Speaker 2 And I think Harry Kane gets asked those hard questions. And I don't think he's, as an England captain, I don't think.

Speaker 1 Yeah, I guess what's he going to say when he gets asked, right?

Speaker 2 I don't think you're in a position to bat it back. You could, I don't think you're wrong in that, but I think he believed what he was saying.
And

Speaker 2 it wasn't like a stain on one particular player. It was like, look, I just don't think you should pull out of England squad.
So I tend to agree with him on that.

Speaker 1 You know, there are, I was just thinking in my head, are there players who actually put their club ahead of country? And it's happened a lot. You know, like Vela.

Speaker 1 Carlos Vela for Mexico, he just said, I'm done with the national team. And he played on his club team for a long time.
He just didn't want to deal with all the BS. And there are players who do that.

Speaker 1 And

Speaker 1 I know it's hard for anybody who's proud of their country and for us proud to play for our country.

Speaker 1 But there is a human side too where, you know, Carlos Felt, every time he came back, he was criticized. The media destroyed him.
He just was like, I'm just, I'm over it.

Speaker 2 That's a really good example. Let me give you another example because I'd be remiss if I didn't say this.

Speaker 2 Club versus country is everywhere. You and I can speak to what we know.
And what we know is the U.S. Men's National Team.
And the fact of the matter was, you know, big shout out to Manchester, UK.

Speaker 2 It rains every goddarn day.

Speaker 1 I was just going to say, you were happy to come back to Chicago. I was delighted.

Speaker 2 I was delighted to get on the plane. I know it sounds funny, right? Like, I wanted to play for my country, but I was like, you know, I got, I get a week and a half with my guys.

Speaker 2 And by the way, that's important. My guys, I wanted to see you.
I wanted to see Jay DeMarit. I wanted to see Bees.
I wanted to see all my guys.

Speaker 2 And the fact of the matter is, I've been in the dressing room with guys

Speaker 2 who didn't, they were not that bothered to play for England because, as Harry Kane said, this is important. Southgate brought the joy back.

Speaker 2 So, from 2002, when I got to England, 2016, when I left, they had a multitude of managers. And the England players talked very, very strongly and openly about at England camp.

Speaker 2 There was a Manchester United table at dinner.

Speaker 1 There was a Liverpool table at dinner.

Speaker 2 They didn't like each other.

Speaker 2 The divide between clubs was so strong that it infiltrated their national pride. You and I didn't have that.
We couldn't wait to get on.

Speaker 2 So I knew players that were like, don't feel like going in or went to the physio and said, I've got to knock hamstrings too tight, not going to England. Can you ring them? Right.

Speaker 2 Which we, we, conceptually, we didn't have that because we, we truly, I mean, you look at the picture behind me. There was love on our, on our team.
We loved each other. There wasn't this club

Speaker 2 loyalty that blocked us. So I think you experienced that as well.

Speaker 1 I'm curious now going forward, will this, will there be resentment, right, in the camp towards some of those guys? Obviously,

Speaker 1 I'm guessing Harry Kane, if he's willing to say it publicly, is willing to say it privately to them too. Totally.
And talk to them and, you know, have conversations.

Speaker 1 I do remember I could feel it a little bit. This was not a club versus country, but when I took a break from the sport in 2013, took a four or five month break.

Speaker 1 And obviously the coach at the time, Juergen Klinsman, was not happy about it and ultimately. held it against me.

Speaker 1 I could feel a little bit from the players like, hold on a sec, you know, and I don't know if you, we've never talked about it, but hold on a sec, you're not, you know, you're not committed to this because I missed a qualifier.

Speaker 1 Yeah, right. So I'm actually curious, actually, I'd just like to know this is like a therapy session.
Did you, what did you hear from the players during that time?

Speaker 1 Because I never asked you about that.

Speaker 2 Yeah, well, it's interesting because I'll answer that question. And after the 2014 World Cup, I took a year out from the mass team as well.
So I know

Speaker 2 in our comments, I'm going to get slaughtered for that because I'm going to, you know, on one, on one hand, I said I'm always available. And then now I'm setting except for that year.

Speaker 2 Listen, I listen, I got, I got divorced, life was hell, and I needed to see my kids. So that was my reasoning.
But, and I appreciate anybody who has those comments and gives me heck for it.

Speaker 2 I'm okay with it.

Speaker 2 On the outside, there was nothing. I think as players, you understand, I think as players, certainly myself and some of the other top players, you're like, damn, I kind of wish I was landing.

Speaker 2 I could use a break too, right? Like, there was, there was no, there was no hate. And also, by the way,

Speaker 2 you, myself, I could probably name

Speaker 2 on that team four other players, five other players who probably deserve the right to say, hey, I need to exhale here for a second.

Speaker 2 The problem is Jorgen Klinsman, which we can touch on in many more episodes, isn't a great coach. I've got a big problem with him as a person.
And yes, he holds grudges against players.

Speaker 2 But that's his prerogative. And thankfully, we somehow got through it.

Speaker 2 But no, from our end, from a player standpoint, there was no beef. we were just delighted to get you back healthy, fit, and ready to rock and roll.

Speaker 2 And by the way, I think we're ahead of our time because you know what people are talking about in 2024?

Speaker 1 Mental health, taking a break, having a balance.

Speaker 2 So I'm just putting it out there as we were progressive and ahead of our time.

Speaker 1 Well, another guy who at some point here is going to need a break is Christian Pulisic.

Speaker 1 He's been playing a lot of soccer and he's, you know, like us from a young age.

Speaker 1 There are some reports out of Spain, and I think verified a little bit, that I believe West Ham, Liverpool, United, Man United, all interested in him.

Speaker 1 Thoughts

Speaker 1 back to the premise, Christian.

Speaker 2 Yeah,

Speaker 2 somewhat awesome but precarious position. I mean, there's a lot of paper speak in England, if you don't know, and agents.

Speaker 2 I'm not necessarily throwing his agent on the bus, but agents have a lot of power in the media. I think for Christian, it's a tough decision

Speaker 2 because he was in England at Chelsea.

Speaker 2 I thought he did some really good things at Chelsea. They were a little bit of a mess, to be honest, at the time when he was there.
Got the short end of the stick. He left.

Speaker 2 He's then gone to, by the way, it's not like he's gone to like a kind of a wishy-washy club.

Speaker 2 He's gotten to one of the most world-renowned clubs in the world, AC Milan, doing brilliantly, a star player for them.

Speaker 2 You know, when he was at Dortmund, he was playing really well, really highly thought of. So this is going to kind of, he's much, he's much more mature now, right? You went through this.

Speaker 2 He's now, he's now a big player at a big club. Like, does he have something to prove? He's going to be be the captain of the national team going to the next World Cup or thereabouts.
So

Speaker 2 he might be sitting at home going,

Speaker 2 go back to England where I didn't have a great experience for what? Like, my bread is buttered. I feel good.

Speaker 2 Now, maybe, maybe the desire to play at a Liverpool or Manchester United, we know what that means to legacy and

Speaker 2 to your bank account. He's in such a good position.
And what I would say is, is

Speaker 2 under Ruben Amarin or Arna Slot, particularly at United or Liverpool, if they're saying, look,

Speaker 1 we've got big plans for you here. Yeah.
How do you say no to that?

Speaker 2 I think he goes. Yeah.
Yeah.

Speaker 1 My biggest thing with Christian, as with all the national team players, is whatever you're doing in the next year and a half, you have to be playing, right?

Speaker 1 The highest level possible is great, but you have to be playing. And I think it'd be amazing at some point to see him in MLS, but I understand

Speaker 1 now.

Speaker 1 Why he was excited to go there.

Speaker 1 It's clear that they had a plan for him and that he was going to get lots of playing time and he's absolutely taken advantage of it right the grass to him is very rarely greener

Speaker 1 and at milan right now he's i mean it's it's crazy to say this but he's he's verging legendary status already with that club because of what he's done this season and how he's how he's catapulted them in the league and champions league etc so i'm of the opinion that he's in a great place right now and he should stay there.

Speaker 1 It's hard to turn down Liverpool Man United. I get that, but I don't don't think he should leave.
Right.

Speaker 2 So, you and I have strong opinions on this, but I'm going to put you on the spot. You're not Landon Donovan.
You're Christian Pulissic.

Speaker 1 And Liverpool

Speaker 2 and Liverpool come in. They talk about the big plans they have for you, playing in front of Anfield.
They give you, by the way, they probably.

Speaker 1 I don't want to play for an field.

Speaker 2 Good point. They probably double your wage, but you're not you.
They double your wages. Are you going or staying?

Speaker 2 Jesus.

Speaker 1 Honestly, I'm probably probably staying. I'm probably staying.
You're probably going. I'm going to go.
Especially if they double the wages.

Speaker 2 You're all in.

Speaker 1 You don't care if it's Liverpool. I'm off me.
I'm off.

Speaker 2 Fleetwood Town, Maccles Field, Plymouth, double my wages. I'm off.

Speaker 2 Listen, listen. We have to take a break.
Coming back, we're going to talk about MLS second round matchups. One of our favorite segments, mailbag questions, where you get to hammer us or not.

Speaker 2 And then anything but soccer. There could be boxing and streaming and buffering getting talked about.

Speaker 1 We'll be back. And by the way, before we go, leave us your comments, thoughts on Christian.
Should he stay or should he should he stay or should he go now? Let us know. Come soon.
We'll be back.

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Speaker 1 All right, USLNT presented by Volkswagen. Timmy, let's talk a little bit MLS second round matchups.
We got the Hudson River Derby. Let's go.
NYCFC Red Bull. We got LAFC Seattle.

Speaker 1 I don't know what the Derby name is for that.

Speaker 1 We got the Dirty dirty south orlando atlanta and the galaxy minnesota united you know as i was thinking through this ricky pooge said it a week ago 22 days in between the galaxy's last game and their next game because of the international break um

Speaker 1 this is really hard man yeah three weeks without a game that's three full weekends meaning you Usually if you have one weekend off, it's hard. And how do you stay fit?

Speaker 1 So, you know, in the past, when you had these moments, we would try to schedule a game. I don't know if you can play a college team or something, but it's just not the same, is it?

Speaker 2 No, it's not. You know, this just happens to be part of the U.S.
landscape when it comes to scheduling. I was always an advocate for like, let's figure out a way to play a game.
Right.

Speaker 2 If we play a play a USL team or a college team, it's not the same. But my point was like,

Speaker 2 let's pull our socks up. Let's have a dressing room team talk.
Let's walk out of the dressing room onto the pitch with music. Let's have a referee.
Let's do something that feels similar.

Speaker 2 Obviously, the counter to that, and you know this, it's like, you know, imagine if you're, if you're starting left back, gets a knock, then you're kicking yourself.

Speaker 2 But I still think it's worth the risk because you still have some time to recover. Um, because you know as well as I do, that rust is a real thing.

Speaker 2 Like that, that whistle is going to blow for these guys. And it's going to feel like 22 days ago that the last whistle blew.
And it's going to take a while. And like,

Speaker 2 I would imagine in some of these games, we're going to see, you know, one or two early mistakes, which could cost you your season. So I don't love it.

Speaker 1 Yeah, agreed.

Speaker 1 Well, I'm, i'm for obvious reasons paying attention to the galaxy game and and i hope they continue this remarkable run and and remarkable return to prominence which we've all been wanting for a long time any any game you're paying attention to uh i i look i think the the dirty south derby as we've dubbed it yeah you know atlanta did the the impossible and the unthinkable knocked off inner miami and uh and messi and so i think for atlanta i'm really interested in like one there's been a 22-day layoff but but also, by the way, have they exhaled?

Speaker 2 Because I wouldn't fault them if they were like, whew, we just knocked off Messi.

Speaker 1 We did our job. That's what I'm curious about.

Speaker 1 It would have been better if they played three days later, maybe, or five days later, because it's like, let's go again. Totally.
And now they're probably like.

Speaker 1 Feeling themselves a little bit been relaxing a little.

Speaker 2 And you know, and you know, the skipper, Brad Guzan, was that like on the boat fishing, just chilling, you know, with his feet hanging out. So is he back?

Speaker 2 Obviously, I'm kidding. He was brilliant, newly MVP of that first round.
So yeah, I'm excited to see what Atlanta has in store.

Speaker 1 All right, let's jump into Mailbag. We actually have some good feedback.
I was following all the social YouTube comments all week, and there were some really, really good comments, questions.

Speaker 1 Mostly agree with us, but a lot of people don't. So let's get Jordan in here, Jordan.

Speaker 2 Where's Jordan? Let's go.

Speaker 1 Jordan, howdy. Hello.
All right. What do we got?

Speaker 3 Okay, so we have one question that kind of ties into what you guys were just talking about.

Speaker 3 A couple of different people on YouTube were asking what you prefer, the playoff format that we have in the MLS or the way that it's played in the Premier League.

Speaker 1 Meaning, okay, so a table or a playoff form. Well,

Speaker 1 I was the beneficiary of solid seasons, not the best team, and then winning six championships.

Speaker 1 I don't know if you know this, Jordan, but combined, Tim and I have won six MLS Cups. Amazing.

Speaker 1 Yeah, he worked really hard at that. Well done, Tim.

Speaker 1 So I preferred that format, but I believe the best team is the team that does it through the, so I I would say the best team this season is Inner Miami. It's my opinion.

Speaker 2 Yeah.

Speaker 2 I prefer a single league table the way they do around the world in the Premier League.

Speaker 2 That being said, and I'm, and I'm almost someone who never, ever sits on the fence. I was part of an MLS run.
We got to the Western Conference finals and like lost.

Speaker 1 So yeah, it hurt.

Speaker 2 Hell yeah, I'd rather win a championship, right? Like after going on a long playoff run.

Speaker 2 So overall, I think I prefer a single table, but the excitement of winning a championship is like second to none. So yeah.

Speaker 3 All right, let's say in the U.S. a little bit.
So Matt on YouTube asked, what are some changes that you think need to be made within the U.S.

Speaker 3 youth system that would lead to our pro leagues reaching the same level as those in Europe?

Speaker 1 I mean, this, honestly, Jordan, this is going to be a whole episode that we'll do at some point, but

Speaker 1 I'm going to give a 30-second.

Speaker 1 People ask, and I'm sure they ask you this all the time to me, when will the U.S. win a World Cup? And my response is always the same.
It's not when will we win a World Cup?

Speaker 1 It's when will we be competing every four years to win a World Cup? Meaning every World Cup, Brazil, you go, they could win it. Spain, they could win it.
Italy, they could win it.

Speaker 1 France, they could win it. Argentina, they could win it.
When are we going to become one of those teams? The only way you do that, there's only, it doesn't matter the coach, doesn't matter the

Speaker 1 facilities, the setup, none of that. None of that matters.
You have to have the players that can do it. It's simple.

Speaker 1 You have to, and we don't develop players anywhere near at the level they do in other countries. And we'll dive into that on a full episode one day, but that is the easy, the easy answer.

Speaker 2 It's a great answer, L.D.

Speaker 2 Matt, thanks for your question. Very quickly, I'm an expert at this because I went through it

Speaker 2 as a young player, and then I've just gone through it as a father.

Speaker 2 with my daughter who's 17 years old and just committed to the University of Tennessee, Govalls to play soccer. But the U.S.
youth system is completely and utterly flawed.

Speaker 2 And I don't say that to be dramatic. It's just, that's a disaster.
It's the facts. It's a disaster.

Speaker 2 And, you know, one of the great things about where I am now in my career is I have a passion to help try and change that.

Speaker 2 Not easily done, but certainly lots of conversations around having it. Look, the simple part is that I went and watched my daughter's ECNL game this weekend.
which I drove four hours for.

Speaker 2 So that's another talking point.

Speaker 2 And the best players get to 17 years old and they're still doing the same old dumb crap. Right.
Why is that? Here's why.

Speaker 2 Because when you're in Spain, when you're in Holland, when you're in England, you as a

Speaker 2 U16 coach, your job is to get that one particular kid ready for the U18s.

Speaker 1 It's not to win.

Speaker 2 It's to get Ross Barkley at Everton, who plays on the U16s, to the U-18s. When the U-18s coach gets him, it's to get Ross Barkley to the under-21s.

Speaker 2 The under-21s coach, his job is not to win the under-21.

Speaker 1 Make make him a pro.

Speaker 2 It's to get him to the first team.

Speaker 2 When you have young kids in America, right, all the directors of football who are getting paid $100,000, $200,000 at their respective clubs around the country, their job is to win.

Speaker 2 So they take a young girl like my daughter and her teammates, and they don't coach them.

Speaker 2 They don't tell them what's right and wrong, because I know parents call in and then they call the director of football and say, my daughter is being talked to the wrong way.

Speaker 2 Their job in America is to win. So you don't criticize your number one, two, and three best players.
You don't criticize them. You just make sure they're on the field doing what they do.

Speaker 1 Yeah, so they don't leave to another club. You make sure they're happy.

Speaker 2 Correct. So the system's flawed.
Great question. We'll touch more on that longer.

Speaker 1 Okay.

Speaker 3 You've kind of set me up pretty well for the next question, too.

Speaker 1 Let me start doing its nest here.

Speaker 3 So you're talking about Ross Barkley and Everton. So Tyler on YouTube wants to know, what are your thoughts on the current state of Everton?

Speaker 3 And if you were director of football, what would you think needs to be done to put Everton among the greats of English soccer again?

Speaker 1 You start, Timmy.

Speaker 2 Look, Moshiri owned the team, bought the team from Bill Kenrick, God rest his soul. And I think in eight years, had seven managers and three directors of football.
And

Speaker 2 obviously, we know what happened with the profitability and sustainability rules that were breached. So big problems.
Look, I think when you run a football team,

Speaker 2 the issue around the Premier League is, and fair play to all these owners, they think they know best, and so they run the club like they run probably their other businesses.

Speaker 2 And I think what needs to happen is the money needs to get put in, then you have to bring in some really great people at top.

Speaker 2 And I do like, you know, to answer the effort to question, I do like what Manchester United is doing. So Jim Radcliffe and Inios bought 25% of the club, right?

Speaker 2 And part of that was, hey, look, they went to the Glaziers. We need to have control of football operations.
Boom, they got it.

Speaker 2 They then put Omar Barada in under, you know, under underneath Inios, and then they brought Dan Ashworth in and so on and so forth.

Speaker 2 So they created this football hierarchy that's just in charge of making football decisions.

Speaker 2 And if I was director of football, that would mean I was part of that. I was part of that vertical hierarchy.

Speaker 2 And I think that that's the starting point.

Speaker 2 From there, you can name the right coach and style of play and all that, but you have to get the board level right.

Speaker 1 Yeah, it's leader. It's leadership, right? And there's been a severe lack of leadership.
We were talking about Christian Pulisic earlier. The grass is very rarely greener.

Speaker 1 When I was there for the brief stints with you, Tim, Everton were a top six, seven, eight, nine, 10 club. And

Speaker 1 everybody then all of a sudden thought, well, now we can make a push and be a Champions League club.

Speaker 1 And it's like, be careful what you wish for because a huge influx of money bought tons of players and it just all went pear-shaped and it all went bad.

Speaker 1 And now every year, they're now a relegation club every year, basically, right?

Speaker 1 Fighting for survival every year. So the grass is very, really greener, but there's been a severe lack of leadership that hopefully will change going forward.

Speaker 2 Landon and Jordan, let me tie a bow on that.

Speaker 2 I talked about Bill Kenright.

Speaker 2 He was dear to me in my career, in my personal life. And Landon, I know you had amazing interactions with him.
He was the chairman for most of my 10 years, Everton.

Speaker 2 And to Landon's point, When Bill Kenright was in his final days as chairman before he sold, he was taking pelters. The fans gave him grief like you wouldn't believe, right?

Speaker 2 Sell the club, all these things. And in my private conversations with Bill Kenright,

Speaker 2 he basically told me, I grew up on the terraces. My grandfather brought me to the terraces to watch Everton Football Club.

Speaker 2 He says, I'm going to sell the club, Tim, but I have to find the right buyer who's going to take care of this club.

Speaker 2 It was prophetic because he was basically saying, all the fans want, bring money in.

Speaker 2 Okay, well, We brought some money in.

Speaker 1 Look what happened.

Speaker 1 So

Speaker 2 his worry and his caution

Speaker 2 was warranted because he didn't want to sell to someone who was just going to pump money in and lead the club in the wrong direction.

Speaker 2 And in the end, certain fans got what they wanted, but didn't work out.

Speaker 3 Okay, last question is a follow-up from last week's episode. So David on YouTube was wondering, Tim, if you could tell us a little bit more about the U.S.

Speaker 3 goalkeepers that you think are being overlooked.

Speaker 1 Yeah,

Speaker 2 I think to clarify, when it comes to the U.S. goalkeeping situation,

Speaker 2 I think we have one and a half international level goalkeepers. What that means is Zach Steffen and Matt Turner are the best goalkeepers in the country.
Hands down, simply put.

Speaker 2 Which one of them is playing regularly? Which one of them is at the top of their game? That's why I say it's one and a half, right? I like Schulte. I think he's a good goalkeeper.

Speaker 2 I watched him in the Olympics. There are levels.
There are levels. And there are, you know, you can be on the first floor, you can be on the 16th floor, you can be in the penthouse, right?

Speaker 2 Just because you're a good goalkeeper doesn't mean you're a good goalkeeper at the international level, right?

Speaker 2 Land, you've played with some good goalkeepers in MLS, and I would say, those guys are lights out. I take them on my team all day.

Speaker 1 Would I want them in a World Cup qualifier? No.

Speaker 2 No. And so if I had one game right now in Azteca and we had to win, I'd play Brad Guzan.

Speaker 1 I think I was.

Speaker 2 Is he the U.S. goalkeeper for the next?

Speaker 2 No, he's not.

Speaker 1 Well, he might not even be for next week, but if we had a game tomorrow.

Speaker 2 To double down on that, when I was playing, there was a goalkeeper who we both know, Marcus Hanneman. He was a big old teddy bear, brilliant guy.

Speaker 2 He was unfazed by anything. He had a big chew in his mouth.
He loved to hunt deer and all that kind of. And he played in the Premier League.

Speaker 2 He played in the Premier League, and he was in everyone's cup of tea. But there was a lot of people who said, you know what? There's all these starlets coming behind Tim.
And

Speaker 2 if I had to win one game, and I knew the guy wouldn't be rattled, I played Marcus Hannon. So anyway, I'm going off a little bit.

Speaker 2 I think Zach Steffen and Matt Turner are the two U.S. goalkeepers who I believe have the ability to perform at the international level.

Speaker 2 And by the way, FYI, for all the people who are going to slam me, which I love,

Speaker 2 bring on your comments. Casey Keller, one of the greatest goalkeepers in U.S.
history, told me when I went over to England, we had a brilliant relationship.

Speaker 2 And he said, you cannot, Tim, judge a goalkeeper until they've played 100 senior games. Once they get 100 games under the belt, then you can say, okay, I know what this person is as a goalkeeper.

Speaker 2 And so I know we've got some kids in a pipeline and that's exciting, but not really sure.

Speaker 1 Can we dig a little deeper on Zach's stuff? And because

Speaker 1 for a while with Greg, he was the man, right? Like he was going to play every minute, every game. Then he moved.

Speaker 1 to the Premier League, got loaned out from City, and then just wasn't playing, eventually made his way back to Colorado. But do you think he has more upside than Matt?

Speaker 2 Zach has the biggest upside. Look, he got left off the World Cup roster, which is which is crazy to me.
I don't care what you say. Like, Zach Stefan is a good kid.

Speaker 2 He's not a bad apple, and he got left off the World Cup roster. If you're the U.S., bring your best players to the World Cup, i.e., Landon Donovan in 2014.

Speaker 1 I was a bad person, though.

Speaker 2 But you bring, you bring your, you bring your best players. The fact of the matter is, Zach Stefan is a physical specimen.
I was very athletic. This kid is a physical specimen.

Speaker 2 When you talk to the goalkeeper coaches at Manchester City, they have a saying, your goalkeeper either plays big or they play small.

Speaker 2 You can tweak some things in between there, but they play big or they play small. Zach Stefan, he told me, plays big.
And that's important. It's important because you can make match winning saves.

Speaker 2 And that's what you need.

Speaker 2 That's what you need in the biggest moments. And so, yes, he's been written off.
I was hoping and am hoping that under a new manager who, you know, is looking at everything with new lenses,

Speaker 2 sees that Zach has a real opportunity. And certainly, Matt, you know, Matt has been the number one.
So he has a job on his hands to continue to hold that shirt down.

Speaker 2 And it's been difficult for him at Palace.

Speaker 1 Anything else, JR?

Speaker 3 That's everything. Thanks, guys.

Speaker 1 All right. Thank you.

Speaker 2 Thanks, Jordan.

Speaker 1 All right, Timmy, did you watch the fight?

Speaker 2 I tried. I tried.

Speaker 1 I tried. Oh, yeah.

Speaker 1 All right. So this is anything but soccer.
We will not talk about soccer, but we might relate it to soccer. So the Tyson fight, yeah, you tried, and Netflix had a bunch of issues.
Same with me.

Speaker 1 Just give me your thoughts.

Speaker 2 Love Mike Tyson, bro. I was born in 1979.
Same. The heyday.
And Tyson's one of the greatest boxers of all time. Top, you know, where are you going to put it?

Speaker 2 I wouldn't. I think Jake Paul is brilliant.
I think he's a brilliant businessman. He has taken average boxing

Speaker 2 and made people buy it, you know, to the tune of 80 million people, you know, watching this thing.

Speaker 2 So I wouldn't buy a fight unless he fights Canelo, in which case I'm absolutely going to buy the fight. But yeah, I mean, Mike Tyson and everything he does, you're excited.

Speaker 2 You, you, you're hope, you know, naively, I'm hoping he catches him with a left hook, right? Because I'm like, Mike Tyson can put you out.

Speaker 2 But I mean, you saw there by round three, you know, he was gassed. And, but big credit to Mike Tyson at his age getting out there, stepping in the ring.
Like, what a legend.

Speaker 2 But it wasn't, wasn't a great fight, but a big payday.

Speaker 1 huge payday so i don't understand boxing it's like it's it's weird to me it's barbaric and weird and i i can see why people are it was exciting to watch um i just want i'm just gonna come out and say is this i don't want to say fixed but are they is there like an unwritten like i'm not gonna hit you you're not gonna hit because they didn't even fight there was no like they're just dancing around so is that like an unwritten thing do you get in the ring and you go oh this guy could really hurt me maybe i'm you know because like you watch the training videos and you're like oh okay these two are these two look good but that's what

Speaker 2 look i am a boxing fan ld and you're right that's that's the hype of it right that's the netflix show where you're seeing tyson hit the heavy bag and you're like oh my god like he could take someone's head off i think jake paul

Speaker 2 cash is king cash is king sure so when he brings somebody in who is in need of money and he says, look, my guy, I'm guaranteeing you 30 million. We're going to fix it.

Speaker 2 By the way, we're going to create the boxing rules. Like under the sanctions, we're going to make sure that the rounds are less.
And I'm going to give you $30 million.

Speaker 2 But guess what's going to happen? I'm going to win. Do we all understand each other? So is it a wink, wink, nod, nod? Yeah, absolutely.
I think so.

Speaker 2 Did you see the undercard or the co-man event?

Speaker 1 There we go. And that was Ronald.
That was a proper fight. That was a proper.
And that's why I feel like that was real. And that was really fun to watch.

Speaker 1 And I don't, you know, I think, again, it's barbaric and weird and all that, but it was fun to watch.

Speaker 2 It was awesome. And again, credit to Jake Paul.
He's, he's, he's, he's promoting women's boxing and sport and

Speaker 2 getting them paid to the tune that they should be getting paid and bringing eyes to it. And again, it's a spectacle.
And it's, and that part is awesome to watch.

Speaker 2 I don't really want to watch the main event, though.

Speaker 1 Will there be a rematch, Tyson fight?

Speaker 2 That's maybe, but you can't.

Speaker 1 There's no way. Like, who's going to watch that again?

Speaker 2 But big credit to Tyson for even getting to the ring this time.

Speaker 1 Like, I can't. Listen, listen listen bro i'm 42.

Speaker 1 with when i was coaching loyal and when i was coaching the wave i would get out and play sometimes it does there are certain things that never go away right like there's some skill and whatever that like you just have the ability because you play it at the highest level

Speaker 1 physically

Speaker 1 they were miles better than me yeah both the loyal and the wave and like it would take me months and months to even be able to play one game at that level just because you don't realize the shape they're in so mike tyson was he 58 yeah yeah 58 to go and if anyone's ever boxed for two minutes just hit a punching bag for two minutes it is exhausting yeah and to do that eight rounds in a row and the bag doesn't hit back and the bag right and you're not dancing around the whole time scared for your life so like i give him tremendous credit i just wish they would have gone for it and maybe it was never in the cards maybe it was always going to be that kind of fight but it would have been fun to watch if they actually well here's the thing here's the thing i i've i've lied to our listeners and i promised to never do that so let me

Speaker 2 i will purchase jake paul and conor mcgregor fight if it's a in the mma it's in the octagon i will absolutely watch that i'm still confused about whatever

Speaker 1 all right thank you guys we appreciate lots and lots and lots to digest from today give us all your thoughts comments feedback on the national team um how you feel about the two-legged series with jamaica and then going forward make sure subscribe on youtube apple podcast Spotify, wherever else you get your pods.

Speaker 1 Timmy, have a great week, bud. Thank you, brother.

Speaker 2 Good to see you.

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