Landon Donovan and Tim Howard’s USMNT Memory Lane with Jenny Taft | Unfiltered Soccer
World Cup 2026 breakout stars
The biggest rising star on the planet that is still relatively unknown, probably in American soccer, is Lamine Yamal. He's an 18 or 19-year-old kid who could quite easily be the best player in the tournament.
USMNT goalkeeper situation
When all is said and done, if Matt Freeze is able to elevate his game, the U.S. will do very well. And if the pot is too hot for him and the lights are too bright, they won't. It's the position is too unforgiving.
Mauricio Pochettino's USMNT management
Pochettino was almost like when there's a big scrum and people are fighting, the referee just sits back and observes. For six or eight months he was just sitting back, watching, and then he was like, okay, time to act.
USMNT World Cup 2026 expectations
Everything is magnified and exponentially bigger, more important, more responsibility, but way more opportunity. So their lives will change and could change drastically forever.
World Cup format expansion
I don't love the 48-team expansion for the fact that there are going to be some teams that sort of get beat up. But the drama is created. If there's only two teams that go through or three teams that go through, between the 80th and 90th minute of the last game, there's still going to be drama.
USMNT roster selection
Alex Freeman is on this meteoric rise that happens almost every World Cup cycle where somebody comes out of nowhere and all of a sudden you're like, wow, the kid's a star. He's going off to Villarreal in Spain and he's met every challenge.
Player form
Weston McKennie is not a seven right now. He's a nine and a half out of 10 every single week. And if that carries into the World Cup, his life will change forever this summer.
World Cup 2026 player interest
I would really love to see Cristiano Ronaldo in person. This is going to be his last World Cup. Messi, can we get a Messi ticket to see Argentina just because this is the end?
USMNT career-defining moments
My transitional moment was the Belgium game in 2014. I got back to the States and it was crazy. The memes and all the things that Tim Howard could save and the Secretary of Defense. It was crazy.
MLS growth and recruitment
If the money is close and the competition is close, every player wants to play in America. They want to live here. They want to be here. This is, in my opinion, the best country on the planet.
Impact of World Cup on player fame
When I got home from South Korea in 2002, in the airport when I landed, someone was like, 'Landon, so nice to meet you.' Up until that point, nobody recognized me. That's when I realized, oh my God, this is different.