Pochettino's 2030 Mandate, Arsenal's Power Shift, and the American Transfer Valuation Trap

The mentality of the hunted versus the hunter is completely different. They have been the hunters for four or five seasons on a mechalar tetra. They now have the title, they now have the bulls eye. I will stand by this till a day I die. The hardest thing to do in professional team sports is repeat as champion. It is the hot because there is a natural human tendency to just relax. It is the hardest thing to do. So we're going to find out a lot about Arsenal. Unfiltered soccer with landing in Tim, presented by Volkswagen. Volkswagen has long been a supporter of soccer in America and has proudly been a partner of US Soccer for over five years. Welcome to Unfiltered Soccer. With landing in Tim, I'm Tim Kieslanden. We are presented by Volkswagen. What's up, Eldi? And we're back. Back, back, back. Like we never left. You were at the cues. I've been doing dogies up to the power. What was the award she won for the game? Most what? No, it was in fact in the game. Game changing performance. Game altering performance. Game altering performance. Shout out Vicki Jones. Bride the way. She's got a brace. By the way, she's got a brace and a bomb. A bomb left footed. And a pen. She had a pen. And a pen, yes. So anyway, great day. Great day for the orange. Okay, welcome to the show. Welcome back to Unfiltered Soccer. As always, please follow us on social media at Unfiltered Soccer. Make sure to subscribe. I am told by our producers, we are now less than 8,000 away from 100,000 subscribers. Let's go. Let's go. 100,000 can do that. Let's go. Make sure you follow an Apple podcast, Spotify, anywhere else you listen to podcasts. You can rate us, review us all that. Jordan's inbox at feedback at Unfiltered Soccer.com has been slammed the last few weeks. And we're going to get into all of it. In a bit, we will get you ready for the start of the Premier League season, give you our thoughts. Oh boy, on Chuki Luzano's move to the galaxy. And then we're going to talk about a NMLS team on the rise, kind of under the radar, thanks in part to a big time new addition. But first, let's get into American soccer from the last few weeks while we were gone. The biggest news to me, USM and TN, USL and T. Pochettino is back with a new contract to remain as the USman's national team head coach through the 2030 World Cup. That's... Yeah, I like it. I like it. I was... Yeah, before the World Cup, I just thought he won't be the coach. I thought he's so highly son after. I thought he'd take the team for 18 months, have a good World Cup and then off your pop. But I think it's a great signing. You know, I think it starts at the top. And for JT and the crew to get it done, yeah, he got them playing at a really good level this summer that got everybody excited and sort of wet our appetite. And now you're hoping for more. Look, we've often talked about which is a mood point because I've often talked about we don't... I don't think you or I love the idea of a coach getting two cycles back to back. But the fact of the matter is he didn't get a cycle. He only got 18 months. He didn't get four years. And no qualifying. And no qualifying. So there's a nothing cycle. Yeah, so this is fresh. This is still new. They're going to go... They're going to go through it all together, right? The qualifying and this journey over the next four years. So I like it. You? I do like it. I like continuity. I like continuity with this group. Here are a few things. One thing I just can't stop thinking about. The first time he and Jesus and the staff have to go to a qualifier in Picket, El Salvador, Cuba, Grenada playing on a cricket pitch, like where it's hard, like rock solid through the middle. And maybe they won't play some of those teams. But I'm just going to laugh so hard because they're going to show up and be like, what is this? And I know in South American qualifying, and like they grew up there, there's like some gnarly places. But some of these places are kind of sonarly. It reminds me of a time, I don't remember. We were playing. It was a small island. It was a small cream island. You might have been... I don't know when it was. And we take the big charter flight and we land somewhere else. And they're like, well, popping off. We're getting on... We have to get on puddle jumpers. We're going to get on prox planes from the one island. From the big island to the small island. But the wrong way is too short for the charter. I was like, this is amazing. I don't know which game was to the first time with Jürgen. Like I was watching his faces where like driving through like Tegel's Seagalba or something in Honduras. And he's like, what the fuck? It's going on. It was the best. So that just goes to the top. But the biggest thing, here's my biggest thing. I only have one concern. This is my only concern. And I've said it. The only thing that worries me, not worries me. The only thing they need to get right. And he knows this. They have to find out a way to be a big team. And it's not just his problem because this team has not done it. But he needs to figure out stylistically, we cannot just go toe-to-toe with big teams. They have better players. It's just the reality. And we have to fight. That was a strong suit of US teams in the past. Yep. Right, I watched the 94s and the 94 World Cup. We did it. There's been some along the way. Spain, of course, in 09. They have to find a way to be a big team. So that, to me, is as big as challenge. Because qualifying, they will, they'll walk through qualifying. It'll be a little hairy times. But they'll walk through qualifying. Playing big games and beating big teams is what they need to figure out. That's the only hesitation I have. And that he's smart and the staff is smart. So I do think they will figure it out. But that is something they need to do. I have an answer. I have an answer to your question. Okay. Standards and continuity. Okay. So he got this team. This is what I'm interested in seeing. Right? And by the way, before I say what I want to say, I think our listeners think and what we're sort of told by our social staff and producers. I think our listeners are sort of split. I think fans are sort of split on this. On whether you think it was a good signing or resigning. So keep sending us that stuff and letting us know your comments or reactions because they're important. He got this team LD, right? Let's backtrack it and dissect some stuff. 18 months remaining, right? Coach gets fired. 18 months remaining before the World Cup. So he had to sort of set a standard just to get them across the finish line. This was maybe like short term. Okay? Because what we have all been clamoring for is having our best players in constantly, the way Spain does, the way Argentina does, the way England do it, right? Like every game matters. And he had to evaluate talent over the course of, I don't know, 18 months. Now that he has a team for four years, I'm sort of curious on the standard that he's going to set for these four years. And what sort of importance is he going to put on every tournament? Because I am personally putting massive amount of pressure and importance on this team to perform in World Cup qualifying, in Copa America, in, if we're invited, in Nation's League and in Gold Cup. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Like I think I've said this to you, whether I said it public or not, this team needs to when qualify, which they will, but qualify like comfortably, they need to win the Nation's League, win the Gold Cup and get to a Copa America semi-final. By the way, in years past you go, you're crazy. But no, that's crazy. South America right now standard has dropped. Definitely. We know Brazil is in the World Cup. Yeah, yeah. But, but the standard has dropped. That's the expectation. So if that doesn't happen, then we're, this world, we're all joking. This, this, this team said a standard, yes, okay, they didn't beat Belgium. They got, they got walloped. But okay, those things happen. But, but the, the idea is, how do we go like this? How do we go upwards over the next four years? And that to me is sort of what I'm looking at. And I'm not looking at the World Cup. I'm, I'm care about the World Cup right now. Right. I care about, I care about what's on tap this year, these next six months, these next 12 months. And then so on and so forth. So, yeah, I mean, there's a million ways we can go with this. I'm, you know, the, you've said this. And we need to find out, look, the Matt Freese debacle against Belgium. I, to me, I know it's a big moment, big game. It's, it's, I don't care that much. Like, of course it mattered and it hurt us. But mistakes have to happen in a really bad time. We need to find out if he is the guy. If not, who is the guy in goal? We absolutely, and you've said this most important is we need to find who the next center back is. Right. Chris Richards and who there's some other, you know, kind of, we'll find out over time. Can Anthony Robinson keep doing it, etc. But for me, those are the big question marks. And so does he start right away? And I mean, right away in this next window and try to figure that out and start playing a guy, because you've said it well. Like, if Matt frees your guy, play him every day. Every minute of every game until we get, and then you go in qualifying, you see if he cuts in qualifying, if he does, go up America, and then the world cup, right? Right. And so that's what we need to figure out. And so, do you think that, so because I don't want to talk about, talk out of both sides of our mouth, does he stick with this group and just play them through these, this next window, or there's four games, or do you start trying to identify the next group of guys who are going to play or have a chance to play? No, I think you say who are going to push the current squad. Yeah, I think you, I think like, you play, you demand excellence and continuity and standards from the current group. There's like, of this, of this group, LD, there's six players who should be playing week in, not week in, week out. They should be playing every, every international window, six players. And then from there, you have to then identify another five starters, 10 players that you just know could be the ones in years to come. Like, like, yeah, we talk about, we talk about center back, Matt frees, Matt frees will be the number one, and he'll need to continue to grow. Need to center back. Again, Nancy Robinson might not be able to play every, every international. I don't know, you know, the, the, his injury status in, and he did a great job of getting himself fit and healthy for the world cup. Just still, I think question marks on, on the wings. I think there's question marks throughout, throughout midfield. You know, look, I, I've said Chris Richards nailed on for me. I think currently Matt frees is nailed on for me. Policic, Weston, Tyler Adams, Flow, Tillman, that's Tillman. Yeah. So six or seven, but then incorporate players that are like, you got to give guys chance, one to grow who are already there, but you need to put in new faces. And I truly believe this. We need to, a guy like Kevin Sullivan is a perfect example. And I'll continue to use him because I think, by the way, I'm, I'm hanging my hat on this. I think I, I'm high on him. My point is LD. Here's what other countries do. And we, we need to be better at this in, in America. We don't get a lot of players like yourself, like Clint, like Christian, Policic, like Kevin Sullivan. Kevin Sullivan needs to play nearly every game between now and 2030. Here's why. So he can make mistakes so that he can continue to play them unless he's then going to go on to Man City, right? You might not play, they might loan him out, but they're going, they don't loan, they don't loan their players out LD. It's like, rinky dink teams. There's a pathway for Man City players, right? So he's playing Weak and Weak out in Europe. And then instead of going, oh, this kid now is playing Weak and Weak out in Europe. Now in 2029, we'll start playing him. No, no, play him now. Play him now. Let him make his mistakes. Let him, let him bleed into the team so that in 2030, at the World Cup, we have a, how old is he? 16. We have a 20, we have a 2021 year old who's like, give me the ball, give me the ball on the biggest stage because that sounds far fetched to us. No, but every other country, every other country does it. That's what I mean, I'm always doing. No, obviously he's different. But sure, sure, sure, but the point is the same. Well, the first chance they will have to potentially do that. In Orlando on the 26th of September against Peru, 29th in Missouri, St. Louis against Chile, the 3rd of October in Arizona against Mexico. That's a good one. And then the 6th of October up in St. Paul, Minnesota against Canada. So do you like this four match window? This is a new thing from FIFA. No, I hate it. You know, I hate it. That's what you asked me. I hate it because what's your problem? Well, because so what I keep saying about Puccino is like, I want to see our best players. I want to see them play all the time together. You cram four matches into what's the date? It's not freaking out. It's too late. Yeah, yeah. You cram four matches in there. We're not going to, we're not going to see, we're not going to see our best players on the pitch. All the time, he's got to chop and change and rotate based on, based on the games being too tight together. He's not going to play for it. So I'd rather see, I'd rather see two games in September. I'd rather see two games in October. And then we, and then the players can sort of get that, that rest and be drawn out. I mean, here's, okay, let me give you the counter that, because now what happens now is they come in. They're like not adjusted times messed up. They play a game, play again. Now they go back and try to adjust back to their league, whatever. I like that they just have a few weeks where they can just concentrate and focus and play these games. And why can't he play? I'm just making this up. Why can't he play one team on the 26th, a different team on the 29th, that same first team on October 3rd, and then that same second team on, on the 6th? Yeah, but we still get two real games a week apart. I'm happy with that. With here. Yeah, I think that's the smart way to do it. Like, why would you make a few changes here if you, let me bring in a group of, now, you got to be smart about who's playing what games, because like you play Mexico and Arizona with a bad team. No, no, no, that's your top team, yeah. Yeah, so yeah, I mean, so I'm no, so, all right. So we got to, you got to, you got to be Canada too though. But I'm looking at it and I'm saying we have to be Canada, right? Like, it's important for like, nations league and, and qualifying, right, we have obviously, we have to be Mexico. So like, those are two games back to back that, I had them play your first team, those two games. Yeah, I know, but then Chilean Peru or Chilean Peru or good opponents is why I just said South America sucks. Oh, that's true. Maybe, maybe, yeah, maybe that's right. Maybe I may be, I'm just curious. It'll be really interesting to see not only him, but what national team coaches around the world do. Now, there's a four match window. It's going to be interesting to see like someone will do it a certain way and everyone will follow and copy whatever it is. Last thing I'm pushing to know, um, do you worry that? Yes, yes, yeah, okay. Keep going. So you worry that every time there's an opening somewhere that's going to be like a temptation. 100% because the fact of the matter is, right? So, so let's, let's let nobody listen to this show be under any illusions. Every time a top 10 job in the world comes open and club football, he will be on the shortlist. The tires will get kicked. He's all right. It's already happened, right? When I'm on and taught, yeah, agents will have conversations and, and and based on the law of averages, you can say no enough, but then there's a yes somewhere. And now people will see people take the statement tomorrow. And then they'll go, this guy's crazy. He's just on a contract. I know he just signed a contract. And I'm not saying now, I'm saying there, there is massive temptation because the, because the people tempting pochotino are big. He's not getting calls from Mickey Mouse Club. He's getting calls from the biggest clubs in the world. Yeah. So, yeah. Yeah, no, it's, I mean, it's, it's something you have to talk. I mean, it is the reality, right? And even people who are like, no, I would never, I would have never ever left the galaxy. I would have said that in 2013, like, contract wasn't going well. And I was like, I think a riled by a conno or a sociadata, one of those teams came asking. I was like, okay, I could do that. Yeah, you know, and I would have never considered it. And so you just, you never know. Okay, so let's move on to some player movements. So the Berhalter deal got done to Middlesboro. Yeah. Max Arstin always also went to Middlesboro. It's the new American club there with Aiden Morris there too. They both started in the Care about Cup win over Rexham. Berhalter also had an assist in that game. And then last week in Berhalter played all 90. And Arstin came into the game. I think Aiden Morris was carrying an injury. So he didn't play. So great abuse for them. It looks like those guys, all three of them look like they'll be a really prominent part of Borough. And hopefully they go up. Go on, Borough. I'm excited for a special Berhalter. Me too. I think these fees, I'm looking at these fees, two million. He was at a contract, wasn't he? No, he was at a contract in six months. Two months low. Seven point five is a good fee. It's good fee for Arstin. It's amazing. It's amazing to me that like, I won't even go off on this tangent. But it's amazing to me that like, the fee in which America like, Max Arstin's a wingback. If that's just, and I'm not saying he's equivalent to a like a Spanish wingback or a Dutch wingback. But like, that fee would be triple at a minimum. Any, any wingback, I mean, he didn't play a lot in the World Cup, right? But Belgium's backup left wingback would have gone for 20 million. That's what I'm saying. Anyway, yeah, that was good. That's good. I'm excited. Good start for them. Yes, very good. Gio Rana went to Strasbourg for three and a half million. He made his debut on a friendly. He got, came in a half time ahead and assessed. So I'm like, I'm done being fooled. But I am, I do want him to do well. I'm optimistic always. But, you know, just I don't have high expectations. Well, you want to hit the ground running and, you know, to come on, to get an assist, to play well, that's important. It's hugely important. I'm excited for him. I think obviously the change of scenery, hopefully, is good. I'm excited for that one. Yeah. Xavier Gozo from Salt Lake to palace. God, that's a big jump. It sounds like it's going to happen. I don't think it's official yet, but it looks like it's going to happen. That's going to be interesting. Like, do they keep him or do they loan him out? Because that again, that is a big, big jump to go to the Premier League at that age with that little experience. But he is, I mean, he is a very, very good young player. That's going to be a fun one. Exciting. Hope that happens. Pal is great club. Me too. Notably the one that did not happen. And we talked about this, Tim Peppie, to full them fall apart. And I don't know who his agent is or what they do. But man, when that thing started to get like iffy, I was like, man, sign that contract as fast as you can because these things fall apart fast. And it looks like now he's going to stay at PSP. We'll see what happens in the future. But I said, I always felt like it was too big of a leap for him in my opinion. Yeah, but I said it didn't. I said at the time, right? And I still believe this. And I would still give this advice to any US player, not any. I probably, you know, the our top three or four players, but they're their name and merit can get them moves. But if I'm, if I'm Ricardo Peppie, and I go, I said this about Alexander Isaac at Newcastle. And I said he did it wrong because he downed tools he threw his toys out. And he basically said, I'm not, I'm not staying. And he got the move, right? And I said, like, there's a way to do it. There's a sort of a way to go in and I'm repeating myself. But to go into management, go to your owners and go, look, I'm not playing at Newcastle. I've done, okay? I'm going to train hard. I'm going to be a good teammate. I'm going to carry water if I need to. I'm going to, I'm going to be that guy. Just understand this move needs to happen. And with the Ricardo Peppie move to full him. And I said this to you, American players, listen, American players are not respected around the world. They're not. Look at the fees. We just talked about it 20 seconds ago. People don't pay big fees for our players. We're not respected. You say, no, if you're a Dutch striker and you say, it doesn't work out, they'll come back in for you. If you're an American striker and it doesn't get done, they move on. They go to somebody else. That's how it works. So in that moment, when Foam is interested, you've got to say by hooker, by hooker, get me, I'm gone. I'm going. I'm not playing for PSV again. I'm not, I'm telling you now, get me to full him. You can't, can't be a nice guy. Americans will finish last in that race if you're a nice guy. Yeah. Sadly for him, that's, yeah, an example of that. We'll see what happens. I mean, anything can happen, but it looks like that is, yeah, that's going to fall apart. So a little MLS, some news and notes. Not little, but Don Garber, officially, is a politician who was turning out. You could tell, by the way, he talks to everybody in us. Larry Berg, who was part of the LFC ownership, is now the new commissioner. We'll begin in 2027. I honestly don't know a lot about him. Curious for you guys listening. If you're him, what policy change? What is the number one thing on day one? You are doing. Let us know in the comments or you can email Jordan. I have some ideas. I think most of it's going to be around player movement, how they maybe loosen the purse strings a little bit and loosen the just all the bureaucracy and all the different mechanisms and sign players. That feels like that will be his first item on the agenda, but curious what you guys want him to do and what you think he'll do. Well, we would love, we would love for him to come on the show and tell us a bunch of those ideas and sort of what his checklist looks like because that will be really exciting. So hopefully we'll get Larry, the new commissioner on the show. Last couple of things. Chucky Luzano. Talk to me, mate. How you feel? In my backyard, from my literal backyard, San Diego, up to my former backyard in LA. The galaxy acquired him on loan through the end of the season with a permanent trade option, permanent trade option. He made his debut over the weekend against your dynamo. How about that dynamo? We're in first place, don't you? Roland. Roland. It came on in 65th minute. I am fine with the move, Tim. I hate that he comes as a designated player. And I'll tell you, I'll just tell you why. And we haven't talked to Will Coons or I haven't talked to anyone in the galaxy. But they could have used this window. And they did. They signed a Japanese forward for getting his name right now. Could have gone after a young real DP. And like really built for the next two or three years. The next Ricky Pooge or the next two ever. Instead, that gets locked up in him. And so now it really just feels kind of like a tape job, obviously. As opposed to really thinking through the future. And this is, you know this. This is the challenge when you're with a club like the galaxy's every year. You feel this insane pressure to at least make the playoffs. Yeah. And so if you're Vanian, Will Coons, you're like, well, who right now can help? We can't count on a 19 year old that we need to develop. We need someone who we've seen do it. I don't know. I'm hopeful that he will turn it around. I can't say I'm overly optimistic though. In short, for me, I'm not sure I loved the way things went down in San Diego. Visavi him. Yeah. Like how he handled. Yeah. And so I'm sort of. I very rarely ever doubt the galaxy. They do incredible business. I'm hopeful that they dug really deep. That they dug really deep and got a lot of answers. Because my worry is that you invest in him. And that happens again. But I mean, okay, so here's the thing. It's six months. So whatever. Like if it doesn't work out, like Thomas Ramirez in Minnesota, it doesn't work. I'm just saying business-wise, go get a DP. And someone who can maybe help you for six months and is going to help you in the future. Maybe they tried and they kicked the tires on all of it. And this was the only option of the best. I don't know. I can't speak to that. But it just feels like go sign him, but don't make him a DP. That I'm finally. It's just the way they do. So. All right, last thing. This week's Cowan Banjo Watch. What does that mean, Tim? Well, well, well, well, we talked about. While Gino's your seats. Timo Werner. And I said in all competitions, it was harsh. I wish I could have walked it back, but it was it was actually a knowledge. Because it yeah, I was basically saying I didn't love the signing. And I think at the time he had four goals, four assists. And I said in all competitions, I don't think he'll get 10 and 10. He's getting closer. And I said, if he does, the saying in England is for a striker who can't hit the target, the saying is he couldn't hit a cow's ass with a banjo. And that is self-explanatory, I hope. So I said, I'd get a tattoo on my back side of a cow in a banjo if he gets 10 and 10. He's at five, five goals, seven assists. I don't think he has seven assists, but we'll triple. There's some discrepancy in the assist number. But in only 13 appearances. So it's been pretty good. And they still have what is it? It turns out bad. It turns out they must have close to 15 games left. So it's getting a bit dicey. I'm now San Jose and I'm going to form. That's the plan. Don't play on me, don't play on me. Okay. Happens all the time. See what happened. The other thing, the other thing is I said the tattoo that I would get if he gets 10 and 10 all competitions. I said, our listeners need to sketch something out. That looks like a cow in a banjo and a thing. Be creative, send them into unfiltered soccer, send them to Jordan. She's the one looking at them. She's also a tattoo connoisseur. And they've been crap. They've been crap. Yeah, she said she said they were crap. She said they've been they've been kindergarten level. So do better listeners do better. Get your sketchbooks. I get your friends to sketch them. Get your tattoo artist friend. And then you send it on his behalf, send us a cow banjo or her behalf. Yeah. Okay, that's it. Here we are. It is stoppage time sponsored by Fandall. Every match brings new opportunities. And Fandall gives you plenty of ways to get in on the action. Download the Fandall Sportsbook app to get started. All right, a fun one this week. I'm going to pick four winners. MLS winners. So the first we have Columbus hosting Montreal. Talk about two teams in a bad way. Columbus are really struggling and it's quite hard to understand why. Obviously, when Wilfred Nancy left, there were going to be some growing pains, but I didn't expect this. So interesting game there. The second one, Seattle Austin, Seattle in an awful run of form. Do not look good. They've been or beat at home by Vancouver. Really struggling to do anything well right now. Austin, sort of, Ho-Hum, 14th place in the West. Not great waiting for Jim Curtin to get there also in a bad way. Sporting KZ against St. Louis. Sporting KZ have been awful all year, but St. Louis are on a bit of a tear. And they're a team that could make some waves in the West. Last one is Minnesota hosting Atlanta. Atlanta dead last in the East. They've been awful all year. Minnesota right around the playoff line. I like Columbus in the game, even though they're not playing well. Seattle, I think, find a way at home to beat Austin. Sporting KZ are at home, but I believe they lose to St. Louis. St. Louis just in too good a form right now. And then Minnesota at home should, and I think will be Atlanta. So I'm felt their suckers. MLS Parley this week. Columbus to beat Montreal. Seattle to beat Austin. St. Louis to go to Kansas City and win. And Minnesota to beat Atlanta. Don't forget to check out the full list of unfiltered suckers. MLS Parley's on our socials later this week. All right. On that note, let's take a break. When we come back, Premier League returns this week. And while that went fast, we will preview it next right here on unfiltered soccer with Lanin and Tim presented by Volkswagen. As you guys know, we are all about spreading the love of this amazing game and access to this beautiful game across the US. We want you to get involved to join to play to enjoy it. We care about you. We care about the game and we want you involved. This is also something Volkswagen cares deeply about. They have long been a supporter of soccer in America and have proudly been a partner of US soccer for over seven years. Yeah, that's right. And this summer is a massive opportunity for you all to get involved in the game. And not just by watching the matches. L.D., I think it's important that people enjoy the matches, but that they get a ball at their feet and they play participate whether that's in the street or a park. It doesn't matter. Like I think I think it's so important that they fall in love with the game. It's the beauty of what's going to happen this summer is you're going to have the opportunity to be a part of this sport in a unique way and we want you involved. So consider this your call from L.D. and I from Volkswagen to get off the sidelines and make the most of it. Get swept up, tune in, play for the very least. Always keep a ball in your trunk. Follow at VW on social to see how they are getting in the game this summer and check out the Volkswagen Tiguan. Learn more at www.com. To me, the World Cup may be over, but the way America loves soccer, that is just getting started. Every Saturday's soccer takes over the day. Maybe you're playing in the morning. Then thrown on your jersey grabbing snacks and watching a match later with friends and family. And Wal-Mart has exactly what you need to keep those traditions going. From soccer balls to kick off snacks and everything you need to bring match day together week after week. America is a soccer country and Walmart is helping us live like one every Saturday. Who knew? All right, Tim, your other job. Your day job. Oh yeah. Some would say. Oh yeah. The Prem is back. This Friday begins this weekend. Yep. Are you going over? I will be on a plane. Head it over. You are going over. Cup of tea. What games? You know what I land? It's full English breakey. So the warm scone on the plane. Bechalot knows all about the warm scones on the plane over. For sure. We are at Arsenal Friday night. Do they play? Let me see. I don't know. It's fine. I think it's Coventry. You're playing Coventry. Oh. Then I have, and then Brentford on Saturday and Newcastle Liverpool's Sunday, which would be a great cracker. A Northern Darby as you will. Depending on where Newcastles are. 100% sure how great a game will be. We'll see. Good point. Some transfers. Lots of transfers. We were just talking about the money for American players. And then you see the money that goes for these players. It's wild. I'm not going to read them all. But Guimarais went from Newcastle to Arsenal. 75 million pounds. Morgan Rogers to Chelsea for 117 million. Let's see what else here. Arauhu to Liverpool on loan. Elliot Anderson to City. Yuri Telemans to United. Tanali went from Newcastle to Spurs. Matthias Fernandez to Spurs. And Van Hecke, Paul Van Hecke to Spurs as well. They spent a lot of money. What's like the standout transfer there for you? The Morgan Rogers one is big. Yeah. I love. I love that one. I think Elliot Anderson could work up and that sort of was on the cards. Can people kind of knew that was happening, right? Like even in the last year. That's going to be huge. Particularly with the loss of Roger. Does he take his spot like for like? Maybe. I mean, it's hard to. No, it's hard to, it's hard to. I'm just saying, but that's probably what is on ask. I like Bruno Guimarais to Arsenal. I'd like to fit. Because again, Arsenal is champions. You need to trim the fat and then add, you're not adding a whole, a lot of pieces. You're only adding one or two. That's a good one for me. Yeah. Agreed. Yeah. Yeah, those are. I think so. The Elliot Anderson one's going to be interesting. Watched him in the World Cup live. He's a very good player. Watch Bruno Guimarais a few times. I think for what you said, fit. I think it's like a fantastic signing. Such a good signing by them. And I think, I mean, look, we're going to next question is, who are you worried about? I am worried about City. It's a stupid, crazy thing to say. And I know it was one game with the community shield, but it looked a little men against boys. Like Arsenal were good, man. Really good. In City, they're kind of, it's kind of the same old sort of stuff they do, but it's just getting a little tired. And Elliot Anderson will help. But I don't know. I think it feels like Arsenal have to be the favorites. Well, yeah, they are for me. Here's why I worry about City. And I've been bullish on this, and I'll say this on air this weekend. And they lost Bernardo Silva. You know what he is? He's a coach on the field. He's a leader. He's a leader. They lost Roger. No, Roger is a captain, a leader on the field coach on the coach. Right. They've lost their manager. Their coach have the field. What happens? What happens? And I've talked to some people at City over the years, going back to Vincent Company. Hepp Gordiol is standards every day. The way you walk up the stairs, the way you greet your teammates at breakfast, the way you train, everything is scrutinized. And Vincent Company said like it was so heavy. It made you perform. Now he walks out of the door. Arsenal Vanger walked out of the door. Strauss Ferguson walked out of the door. You know what the players do? They exhale. They go, now that makes Morecka's job, who is a very good manager by the way. Yeah. infinitely harder. Because they lost so much of their leadership. So I just think for that reason, do I think they're a really talented team of course I do. I do. I think Morecka is a really good manager. Yeah, I think you should still get Chelsea, but okay. And I just think it's human nature. We've seen this story unfold LD before in the Premier League. So I just sort of think that's human nature that you're going to exhale a little bit and I have to try and find a new identity. And it's hard to follow a legend. It just is. These players are so used to hearing Pepp's voice. So willing to run through a wall for him. They got to recreate that trust with someone else. And then yeah, I think Arsenal, I think Arsenal or they start out easily favorites. Yeah. The challenge, there are many challenges with City. The problem is for Morecka, you followed a guy who's been, how many years was he? 13, 15, so much so. And there's just a way of doing things every day. And now you have to balance like, what do we keep? And what do I try to do differently? What is different and what's new? And it's really hard. And the other thing is you just said it. You lost your two biggest leaders on the field. And when there's a vacuum of leadership, it doesn't always go to hell. But everybody's trying to figure out what to do next. Like, who is going to fill that role? Yes, someone gets the arm band, but who's really the leader on the team, right? And so it becomes this really tricky situation. And I always said this with like with human relationships. You and I have a relationship, right? We're out at a bar having a drink. The moment Carlos Book and Ergo walks in to have a bar. The whole dynamic changes. Not bad or good or it's just different. Everything will change. Then Steve Trenderlow walks in, who's now a coach. And so now the dynamic changes. And then your buddy that I don't know comes in and has a drink. All of the relationships and the dynamic changes. And in a soccer team or in a sports team, it's exacerbated because you also are in these high profile pressure moments, like the community shield. And everyone's like, oh, well, who do we in this moment? Normally, Rodgery would do it. But should be me, Jeremy Doku, or should it be O'Reilly, or Gavardi Ol? Nobody really knows who's supposed to step up. And so that's going to take time to figure out. And it doesn't matter who has the arm band. It's like who in those hard moments is the real leader. And we're going to find out. But I think it's going to take. So I think there's going to be some real growing pains. Yeah, and then we agree on this. And the last point about Arsenal, and I'm not giving them a free pass, it's going to be incredibly difficult on Arsenal. And here's why. For four years, and you know this, the mentality of the hunted versus the hunter is completely different. And I'm not talking about the fact that they were in first place for a long time in the league. I'm not talking about that. They have been the hunters for four or five seasons. I'm going to be killer at that. They now have the title. They now have the bullseye. Being hunted is completely different. You listen to Steph Curry talk about it with the Golden State Warriors. Trying to win. Michael Jordan talked about this with the bulls. Trying to win the first one is a different animal and beast and feeling than trying to keep hold of it. So over to Arsenal. The hardest thing I will, I will stand by this till the day I die. The hardest thing to do in professional team sports is repeat as champion. It is the hot because there is a natural human tendency to just relax. Like, we won. And even if you don't win the next year, it's fine. Like we got money in the bank. We won. Whatever it is the hardest thing to do. So we're going to find out a lot about Arsenal. But I'll get, tell you what, judging by first impressions this year, I was like, they're good. Our previous manager, David Moises up at the end of the year. Do you think he stays? What do you think happens? I don't know. I don't know. The guy first, so he's so football focused and driven. You know, there's a time, there's a time when someone has to capture that knowledge and that experience and move him upstairs to the boardroom. At whatever football club. Hopefully, it's Everton. That time should come because then then the trickle down effect into the football club is immense. But I don't know. So that you, I would like to think that that gets sorted out very quickly. That they chew that ownership and David Moises decide we're going to continue this or not. Like this is not a situation that needs to sour. This needs to be sorted out and done. Yeah. I don't know the answer to this. I know with players, there's like a timeline by which you usually start speaking. So maybe it's 18 months, 15 months, definitely within 12 months. What's the timeline that you would talk to a manager if you're the board to start to talk about renewing? In the Premier League, I think 18 months, even with managers. You do. Still standard. Yeah. So you think these conversations have already been happening? Yeah. Because these 12 months from. Yeah, I don't think that this is, I don't think that this is a, they all forgot that his contract was up. I think they, you know, I think they, they've discussed it. You know, so yeah. Okay. Okay. Just a quick tidbit on all this stuff going on with FIFA and Johnny and Fentino. So there was obviously all the talk about the high ticket prices and the commercial breaks, hydration breaks and all that. And then it felt like, it felt like people were not happy, but they could sort of deal with it. And then it felt like it went a step too far. And he was, you know, by all reports, sort of behind the scenes for a long time now, sort of scheming to sell off shares of the major tournaments. And certainly the World Cup, the major competitions. That's wild. To private equity firms. My question for you is, all of these, don't ask me a question. I don't want to answer. What's that going? All these iterations, like, you know, they're come out for him or against them, or conquer caps against them, but South America's for all this stuff. My question is, do you think, because I think there's a, an election coming up in March, maybe 27? Do you think he is FIFA president in the summer of next year, after all this? I think, when it comes to, there are, there are power in the people, right? Like, there are, we saw this in the Premier League when there was a super league, right? We saw the power of, of fans and what they could, the pressure they could put on their teams. And we see it now with, with federations, you know, with individual federations, with, with regional federations, that they, they're picking sides, right, because there's a lot of money involved, and either people want in on it, or are completely against it. And so, I think, and people are, and they're flexing their muscle, and they should be able to do that, which we're, which I sort of liked, to see countries take stance against what they deemed to not be appropriate. So, my thought is, will he get enough votes to be president? I think the answer is yes, just. Yes. I think you're right, too. And like, the old adage, like, if you come at the king, you best not miss. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And the problem is, is who is going to raise their hand and go all run against him? Because if you lose, you're done. Right, like, the FIFA's not working with you anymore, not dealing with you. You lose your, whatever power you had, you're done. That's not how politics should work. No. So, that's going to be the interesting. Like, who is going to be brave enough and have the stones to be like, I'm doing it. That someone who's real, not some random, like, who nobody, you better whip, you better whip those votes, boy. You better, you better know, you better know, it's not, and I think because of that, I think fear will take over and people go, no, I can't do it. There's no fear in politics. You're talking, you, you, I don't know what you're talking about. All right, we will see. I guess we will see. It's time for the cold moment of the week, sponsored by Kors Light, more goals, more celebrations. Go to KorsLight.com slash UFS. LD, who in European at the cold moment of the week? Well, not just the cold moment of the week, the cold moment of the last many weeks. This team, Chicago Fire, ever since Levandowski came on board, there were quite a few whispers, including from me, was at the right move. They sold their other goal score. And they've been on a tear. Kind of quietly, you know, people talking about Nashville, who are top of the East, obviously in Miami, get a lot of headlines, but they finished first in the league's cup table. So they will now play Monterey. They have won five in a row since August started and all competitions. As I said, they're up to third. Levandowski has three goals so far. Could add a few more. He's, he's on a tear man. And it's really interesting because historically, Chicago Fire big franchise in in Major League Soccer, but they've kind of gone under the radar. You're not really paying attention and the next thing, you know, top of the leagues cup, third and MLS in the eastern side and they're playing really well. Well, you know this because you've got a bunch of trophies behind you to prove it. Like an MLS, Nashville is on fire. It's great. But Chicago Fire, you got to be playing well at this point in the season. You want to be trending up. It doesn't matter how many points clear Nashville are. If you're Chicago and Greg Berhol, who's a, who's a fantastic coach, has them playing well, you're actually thinking who cares? We actually will fit. They will fancy themselves in the east as this starts to get into September and October. And, you know, with the, with the Levandowski thing, teams, again, you'd notice because you had so many good DPs in, in LA alongside you. You put that piece into the puzzle, not in preseason, but in the middle of the season, with the back end of the season. That gives the team. We've seen it. It's given Chicago an incredible lift. And Greg Berholter, he knows how to tactically get his teams to create chances in the final third. And then once you put Levandowski there, game over. Yeah, and I, I think they, I would say they're the odds on favorite now to win the Leagues Cup, too. I don't see any of these teams. Certainly know I'm a less team's beaten than maybe Club America, but I think they win the Leagues Cup, too. So Greg Berholter, Chicago Fire, cheers to you guys. All right, let's take a break. What you have been waiting for for weeks, all your questions in the AT&T fan connection with J.R. right here on Unfiltered Soccer with Lannan and Tim presented by this episode is brought to you by Airbnb. L.D., the place I stayed in, it was so cool, clean, spacious, amazing location in order for me to get to the live podcast. And I just think back about like so much of this, this tournament this summer for me, was just like being amongst the people. And the people in the street were so excited for soccer. The people, of course, at the live podcast were excited for soccer. It was, it was really special for me. It's been fun to experience and it's a fun way to experience it. One thing that made traveling for Unfiltered Soccer live shows even easier was being able to order groceries straight to the door after arriving through the new grocery delivery feature on Airbnb. Having the fridge stocked with your go-to snacks, drinks, or breakfast essentials just made everything feel more comfortable right away. It takes away the stress of logistics so you can start enjoying the trip and making memories right away. When you're traveling with friends, family, or fans and hanging out with them, where you stay really shapes the experience. Having a place where everyone can spend time together, relax between the events and feel settled into the city makes the trip feel way more personable and memorable. That'll be funny story, right? So I was at a college tailgate. This was a few years back. I was at a college tailgate. Got a TV's on. TV was plugged into the generator. Everyone's having a good time. And I ended up bringing the beer, but it was warm. That idea. Bad idea. I made some enemies, but I made some friends because we had his beer fridge, but the TV was plugged in. So I had to unplug the TV, saw, sorry, but plug in the beer fridge so I can cool the beer. Or at least chill the beer. And I was like, look, you want a football, you want beer. I know you want both, but right now you got to choose. No, it's an obvious answer. We chose beer. And like, we don't care how you cool your course down. Just make sure it's Rocky Mountain cold. TV can go, football can go. We need the beer cold. When the mountains turn blue, your beer is as cold as the Rockies. Face true mountain cold refreshment. Crack open a course light. Get course light delivered straight to your door. Visit corpslight.com slash UFS, where you can find it pretty much anywhere that sells beer. Celebrate responsibly. Course brewing company, Golden Colorado beer. Timmy, as you know, in soccer and in life, there are those moments where everything comes down to connection. It's that call to your family right after a big win. The text before kickoff when the nerves hit or watching the match from halfway across the world. Feeling like you're right there in the stadium. Those are the moments that matter most. And when the connection matters, it has to be AT&T because it's not just about having service. It's about showing up when it counts. Whether you're watching the game at home or on the move, AT&T helps keep you connected to what matters most. Yeah, because soccer isn't just about 90 minutes on the pitch, but the highs you celebrate, the losses you write out, and every message, call, and shared reaction along the way. So wherever the game takes you, make sure you've got a network you can rely on. Visit ATT.com slash Y-ATT to learn more. AT&T, connecting changes everything. It's time for the fan connection presented by AT&T. Every week, we invite you, the listener, to connect with us by submitting your questions. At AT&T, connecting changes everything. And on USL and T, our connections with you will help grow the game. LD, it's time now at AT&T fan connection. And you know, during the World Cup, who was so unhappy about the live shows? Jordan. Because she just, because there was fan questions and actual interaction, and she couldn't get on the show, and she's a diva, and she's egocentric, and she wanted to be on. So Jordan, so happy to live shows over a long moment. This is your moment. And I wouldn't have done, I wouldn't have said that, had you not won Liverpool Jersey, but you want to come and heat up, come and heat up. Welcome back to our WhatsApp. Hello, I have returned. We have to give the people what they want, you know? That's true. So here I am. You're a woman of the people. I am a woman of the people, and I am back with their questions for you. You've had like four weeks to decide what questions you are. So these are, this is a lot of pressure on you too here. I tried to go with a little bit of variety this week, cover a couple of different things. In fact, land in the first question is for you. This question is from David via email. And David said, can land and do in-depth breakdown of Middlesbrough versus Lincoln City? Ooh, ooh, an in-depth breakdown. Well, how did it, how do you feel? In-depth breakdown was, I was very torn because I want Americans to do well. But I want Lincoln City to win, and I have to say, you know, you can't help how you feel. So something happens and you just are like, you're just watching a random game and you just end up rooting for a team. You can't help how you feel. It just happened. So I felt myself rooting for Lincoln and happy when they scored. And I was watching. And then as the pressure was just mounting and mounting and mounting, I was like, this is not looking good. And I'm sad for the loss, but I was happy for the Middlesbrough. Guys, because I think two things. I think Lincoln will stay up. Let's go. That's the objective. And I do think Middlesbrough will get promoted. So I think and then it'll be fine. Then everybody wins, right? I hope so. Let's go. Lincoln City. That's the goal. Do you think that Middlesbrough could become like the new full-of-the- decision for Americans? There we are. Let's go. Love that. Let's go. They need to pop up in Times Square. They'll just have like a shop sling and merch. Middlesbrough, get yourself promoted and then get on that summer tour. That summer, right? That's what they need to do. Summer series. Summer series. Get on our podcast. Yeah, let's do that again. Probably must have come on, bro. All right, how about one for Tim? This is from Pete via email. This one made me laugh. He said, one of the coolest things about the World Cup was all the people coming to the US and experiencing real people in America, not the media's spin on how people are here. So on the flip side of that coin, I'd love to hear how the English took to a guy from Jersey all those years ago. I made a coffee mug that says, I'm not an apple. I'm from Jersey. There's a difference. Perious. If being direct worked for you in the UK. Those main cunions met their match when they met me. I'm from Jersey. Now they tore me to shreds and they chopped me down and yeah, I don't know. I survived a little fittest over there. Did you act the same when you first went out like as a normal or did you try to like be different around English people? I don't know. I think I tried desperately to hold on to like my American roots because it was like the only touch point I had to home. You know, because I was like homesick and you know, you're just I'm 22, 23 years old. You're away. You're like what? So yeah, I mean, I tried to I tried to hang out. I mean, Wes Brown used to make like he used to make fun. I mean, all the times I'd walk in with like my baggy Abercrombian Fitch. And that was there was still like wearing skinny jeans. And it was just like, I don't know. This is I'm different. But eventually I just become one. You know, I was there 13 years. So you just eventually realize that you can punch back a little bit and give him some stick and you become one of them. You know what I love about the Brits is in soccer context is they'll just give it to you. Like in America, we like fawn over athletes and so on. Online in Twitter, they'll hammer me ended up in that way. Oh, I didn't so great. So could you sign this journey in a little bit? Hey, bore off. Make it out of it. You know, like they don't care. And I love that about. It's great. Especially when I live in what when you are over as well, living like it's so there's so many teams. Like so we live in Manchester. But like Burnley players, Blackburn players, Liverpool players, Everton players and Darby. Preston City United, like leads, but I don't know leads quite, but Stoke players, they all lived in Cheshire. So like there was so many players there that and so many different nationalities. It was interesting. It's such a strange experience to you because I feel like Lenin, like what you experienced when you went to Germany, there's like a language barrier. But when you go to England, it's like being dropped on another planet where they say all the same words as you, but they don't mean the same things that the words mean in this country. So at first, you're like, this will be fine. And then you get over there and you're like, the hell are they talking about? It's so different. And they feel about us too. It's for sure. How did he do that? Okay, another one. This one is from Stephen via email. And Stephen said, how do clubs search worldwide for transfers? This is a great question. I don't think we've ever really talked about this before. I live in Cincinnati and Pavel Bucca. Is that who you say his name? He says emphasis on the A. So I tried it. Has quietly been a stalwart leader in our midfield the past couple seasons? How did our operation staff pick him out of the Chechi elite? Are most teams watching every league worldwide? How? That's got to be quite the investment. So I'll give you my point of view and then Tim, you can. And I just know this from being on the coaching side. And it's at a much, much lower level in USL at that time. You have massive databases. You have different system. You know, Y Scout or stats bomb or you have all these operating systems that you can input the type of data that you want from your perspective player. And they will spit out names, right? And profiles of the player you want. So since he might have said, we need this profile, this level of athleticism who is in these five areas most proficient in this way. And that's what we look for in the type of midfielder we want. And then it's spit out 15 names. And then you can start watching players, watching clips. Then you find out who's available, who has a five-year contract. They're not available. Then you find out who the agent is and you start dwindling down these lists. So it's a process that usually starts with data. From my experience of like this person kind of fits. Sometimes agents will bring you players and stuff too, but they're obviously biased. So you try to do your own data and research and analysis, and then you dwindle it down. And then certainly at the MLS level now, they're then flying over to Chechiha to watch this player live, probably multiple times. Getting to know the player, to see if you know, to fit, as you speak English, what's his personality, those kind of things before you're going to sign them. Yeah, I'm going to not much more to add to that. It's a balance now between between technology and relationships, right? So you're using all the technology available. As you said, then you're trying to leverage relationships with clubs and agents across the world, across the global football. Honestly, sometimes it comes down to an agent likes you more and they're going to give you first crack at a pace, which is crazy to think. Like that's actually how it works. And quite honestly, in America, our scouting system isn't nearly as robust as it is in Europe. It's not, you know, when you, if you think about your ability to scout a player in Europe or if you're in South America, like if you're, if you're a Premier League team, it's a bad example because a Premier League has so much money, but you can get into three, four, five top European countries in a matter of days. You know, you can go scout players two and three times a week in Holland and then in Italy and then in Spain and then be back in England for the next Premier League game. So moises to them all the time. So it's, it's, it's a lot harder in this country, but it's getting better. Can I ask a follow-up question? Because now I'm genuinely curious. If you are, like, let's say you're from an MLS club and you're going to go watch somebody in a league in Belgium or Iceland or whatever, you have to have some kind of relationship with the club. I would assume you don't buy a ticket as a fan and go watch. Uh, generally you're going to have a relationship or you're going to reach out. But sometimes you'd be surprised. Sometimes you don't want them to know that you're there watching. But then don't you take the chance that they don't play? Always. Yeah, that's always, yeah. And there's a situation certainly in USL. Like we went down to Panama to look at a player and some, and, they were like, well, we have a midweek game. Not sure. And we're like, no, he's going to play if we're coming down because they want to sell him too. Right. He played or like, right. You're going to make sure he plays. But also that can happen too. That doesn't happen at the highest level. But most of the time, and again, I'm speaking from a permanent standpoint, they, most clubs around Europe will honor the fact that scouts and delegates will come from other, so they have an allotment of tickets in their stadium for cars that works both play the next time they need to get scouts. So your club, your club will call the club and say, hey, we've got John Smith, so and so from our scouting department coming over. And then what about scouting during like an international window? So like do club scouts go to watch international games as well? Sure, definitely, definitely. Interesting. This one is from Brian via email. And Brian is a big fan of Vermont green in the USL. And so he said, I just wanted to get your thoughts on the club. They've built a great program and just clinched back-to-back USL D2 championships with a second undefeated season. Congratulations for Montcreen, by the way, that's amazing. How does a club like this progress when promotion appears to be purely financial? Does it really come down to building a new stadium or raising a certain amount of money in order for a team to qualify rather than what is happening on the field? USL League 2 is a really, it's its own animal because it's only over the summer and it's mostly college kids. So they're not like signed professionals. So basically it becomes a recruiting exercise. So if you're able to recruit the best players and or you have like one college team with University, but that just moves over in plays, there's so much continuity. And all these other teams have random players coming in from all over. There's no continuity. You have this three-month season. You're at a big advantage if you have the same players playing together. So I don't, I think what they're building is great. But if they want to be a serious like professional team, they need to go USL League 1. And that probably it sounds like from Paul McDonne is not what they're thinking about right now. These are the promotion relegation. Like they won't be able to get promoted as it is now. Go shout out to Montcreen because I mean the atmosphere there that they've created is. Yeah, it's really impressive. And I sort of, you and I land and go back and forth with this. Actually, I have a team for us. I told Jordan this. We're going to buy Woodstock FC up in New York. Is that the Q's? No, it's just, maybe we can recruit from there. We'll just upstate New York. We'll have tie-dye jerseys, right? We'll have kids that tie-dye. It's just sort of, what my point and that is, some teams have done so well on the marketing side. LD, like they've created a buzz in their community. I'm thinking about, Vermont Green. I'm thinking about Hearts of Pine. I'm thinking about. Moisee. Moisee, Mexico did a great job of their marketing early on. I think Oakland Roots came in as like a community club. So I really admire some of these clubs who are sort of thinking about like the emphasis on community first. Yeah, you want to play soccer and you want to have a stable business and you want to win. Of course, duh, that's simple. But the onus is sort of on community. And I think it's really impressive. I also think that earlier on in this episode, you were talking about the most difficult thing to do in sports is back-to-back championships. So Layland and what you're saying with back-to-back championships and not having team consistency, that makes what they did truly unbelievable. So it's really impressive what they do. Very much so. Okay, that's it for today. If you would like to have your question answered on Unfiltered Soccer, you can email me as well as sending your pictures of a cow and a banjo. A cow banging a banjo to a banjo banging a cow. A few of the way it doesn't work. Hitting a cow. Try to make it look like something, anything identifiable. Feedback at Unfiltered Soccer.com. That's it. Great for me. Thanks guys. Just thank you. You are. All right. Good to be back, man. Kind of getting back in the groove now. But it's primary league season starting to me. It's going to be a lot of fun. MLS getting down to the end here. Leaks cup and full force. So good time to be a soccer fan. As always, thank you all for being with us. Remember, we are less than 8,000 subscribers away from 100,000. I think like Jordan gets a bonus or something if we have that. You can subscribe there. Apple podcast Spotify. Anywhere you get your pods. Follow us on all of our social media at Unfiltered Soccer for all the bonus content. Thank you. As always, VW are presenting sponsor. Thank you as well. Our fan connection sponsor, AT&T. And of course, our stoppage time sponsor, Fandall. Unfiltered Soccer.