1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:02,680 Speaker 1: What I saw over and over and over in my 2 00:00:02,800 --> 00:00:06,240 Speaker 1: career is we would go into a stadium against play 3 00:00:06,280 --> 00:00:10,119 Speaker 1: against Mexico. It's called it Soldier Field in Chicago, and 4 00:00:10,160 --> 00:00:11,960 Speaker 1: by the beginning of the game, it would there'd be 5 00:00:12,160 --> 00:00:14,880 Speaker 1: you would say, like seventy five percent of fans were Mexican. 6 00:00:15,920 --> 00:00:18,439 Speaker 1: And then as we would the end of the game 7 00:00:18,480 --> 00:00:21,320 Speaker 1: we were winning to zero, you'd look around and somehow 8 00:00:21,520 --> 00:00:23,520 Speaker 1: and we figured out later what it was, but all 9 00:00:23,520 --> 00:00:25,280 Speaker 1: of a sudden, it was flipped. There were seventy five 10 00:00:25,320 --> 00:00:27,640 Speaker 1: percent American fans. And what you realize is that they 11 00:00:27,640 --> 00:00:30,920 Speaker 1: would walk in with a Mexican jersey over a USA jersey. 12 00:00:31,400 --> 00:00:34,200 Speaker 1: Once the US started winning, they'd pull off the Mexican 13 00:00:34,280 --> 00:00:45,040 Speaker 1: jersey be American fans the epitome of fairweather fans. Right there. Hi, 14 00:00:45,080 --> 00:00:48,720 Speaker 1: I'm Landon Donovan and I consistently kicked Brian's ass and golf. 15 00:00:54,800 --> 00:01:00,880 Speaker 2: Hi everybody, and welcome to a patriotic episode of Off 16 00:01:00,920 --> 00:01:04,280 Speaker 2: the Beat. This is your host, Brian Baumgartner, and that's right. 17 00:01:04,920 --> 00:01:07,759 Speaker 2: Today is the fourth of July. 18 00:01:08,360 --> 00:01:11,120 Speaker 3: You s A, you s A. 19 00:01:11,520 --> 00:01:13,679 Speaker 2: Now you know I'm a big sports guy. Have I 20 00:01:13,720 --> 00:01:15,720 Speaker 2: mentioned that I like golf or football? 21 00:01:16,080 --> 00:01:17,120 Speaker 3: Maybe once? Or twice. 22 00:01:17,480 --> 00:01:20,640 Speaker 2: But today I have not just a sports icon, but 23 00:01:20,720 --> 00:01:27,360 Speaker 2: a true American icon. That's right, the actual greatest US 24 00:01:27,400 --> 00:01:31,840 Speaker 2: soccer player of all time, Landon Donovan is with me 25 00:01:31,959 --> 00:01:36,160 Speaker 2: today and I'm not even exaggerating about that. The Major 26 00:01:36,400 --> 00:01:40,080 Speaker 2: League Soccer Organization itself has called him that, not to 27 00:01:40,120 --> 00:01:44,160 Speaker 2: mention ESPN, The Guardian, his millions of fans, and most 28 00:01:44,200 --> 00:01:49,480 Speaker 2: importantly me, He has won six MLS Cups and holds 29 00:01:49,840 --> 00:01:53,600 Speaker 2: so many records in the sport of soccer, like all 30 00:01:53,640 --> 00:01:57,360 Speaker 2: time assists, tied for all time and scoring, highest scoring 31 00:01:57,400 --> 00:02:01,200 Speaker 2: player in World Cup history for the US, and the 32 00:02:01,200 --> 00:02:03,920 Speaker 2: list goes on and on. Let me put it this way, 33 00:02:04,280 --> 00:02:08,640 Speaker 2: Landon is such an MVP they literally named the award 34 00:02:09,040 --> 00:02:12,960 Speaker 2: after him. Seriously, MLS players now don't just get the 35 00:02:13,080 --> 00:02:18,840 Speaker 2: MVP Award, they receive the Landon Donovan MVP Award, which 36 00:02:19,720 --> 00:02:23,640 Speaker 2: I mean that is insane. Lucky for me, Landon is 37 00:02:23,880 --> 00:02:27,240 Speaker 2: as awesome of a guy off the pitch as he 38 00:02:27,360 --> 00:02:29,720 Speaker 2: is on it, and so he was willing to come 39 00:02:29,800 --> 00:02:34,360 Speaker 2: chat with little old me about his career, growing the 40 00:02:34,440 --> 00:02:37,919 Speaker 2: audience for soccer in the US and his more recent 41 00:02:38,000 --> 00:02:42,000 Speaker 2: roles in broadcasting, coaching, and even owning his own team 42 00:02:42,320 --> 00:02:46,120 Speaker 2: here in San Diego. Also, lucky for me, his golf 43 00:02:46,160 --> 00:02:48,760 Speaker 2: game isn't quite as good as his soccer game, so 44 00:02:49,320 --> 00:02:51,560 Speaker 2: I can still give him a run for his money 45 00:02:51,600 --> 00:02:55,200 Speaker 2: there as long as there's no actual running. Let's get 46 00:02:55,240 --> 00:03:00,560 Speaker 2: to it here. He is the living legend Donovan. 47 00:03:04,639 --> 00:03:05,639 Speaker 3: Bubble and Squeak. 48 00:03:06,960 --> 00:03:10,240 Speaker 2: I love it, Bubble and Squeakna. 49 00:03:11,760 --> 00:03:12,720 Speaker 3: Bubble and squeak. 50 00:03:12,760 --> 00:03:17,160 Speaker 2: I cook get every mole lift over from the nine before. 51 00:03:27,120 --> 00:03:27,960 Speaker 3: What's up, buddy? 52 00:03:28,480 --> 00:03:33,239 Speaker 1: Hey man? Thanks for your patience. Oh please, oh please? 53 00:03:34,240 --> 00:03:34,920 Speaker 3: How's it going? 54 00:03:35,120 --> 00:03:35,880 Speaker 1: I appreciate it. 55 00:03:35,880 --> 00:03:39,840 Speaker 2: I'm in La man, You're in La Co Dodgers, just 56 00:03:40,000 --> 00:03:42,560 Speaker 2: like my hat says, go Dodger exactly. 57 00:03:43,480 --> 00:03:43,800 Speaker 4: Uh? 58 00:03:43,840 --> 00:03:44,840 Speaker 3: Are you working up there? 59 00:03:45,160 --> 00:03:46,080 Speaker 1: Yeah? Broadcasting? 60 00:03:46,840 --> 00:03:48,680 Speaker 3: Are you broadcasting this weekend? 61 00:03:49,160 --> 00:03:49,800 Speaker 1: All weekend? 62 00:03:50,440 --> 00:03:54,680 Speaker 3: All right? Well that is very exciting. Are you? Are 63 00:03:54,680 --> 00:03:54,960 Speaker 3: you now? 64 00:03:54,960 --> 00:03:59,080 Speaker 2: Are you live in person? Are you going from studio there? 65 00:03:59,640 --> 00:04:03,160 Speaker 1: No studio right, one of the important people. 66 00:04:03,200 --> 00:04:09,280 Speaker 2: You want to travel? Do these live shots. I'm so 67 00:04:09,720 --> 00:04:13,960 Speaker 2: excited to talk to you. Spoiler alert. Just was at 68 00:04:14,000 --> 00:04:20,479 Speaker 2: a very very prestigious dinner hosted here in our hometown 69 00:04:20,720 --> 00:04:26,080 Speaker 2: honoring Landon and his Hall of Fame induction. We'll talk 70 00:04:26,120 --> 00:04:28,760 Speaker 2: about that. But I wanted to start back with you 71 00:04:29,040 --> 00:04:32,360 Speaker 2: a little bit. I will tell you I just caught 72 00:04:32,440 --> 00:04:37,600 Speaker 2: up on the documentary Good Rivals that you were involved 73 00:04:37,640 --> 00:04:42,279 Speaker 2: with about the rivalry between Mexico and the United States. 74 00:04:42,360 --> 00:04:48,960 Speaker 2: But I understand you early on Mexico and the Mexican 75 00:04:49,000 --> 00:04:53,360 Speaker 2: players really influenced your game. Talk to me a little 76 00:04:53,400 --> 00:04:56,799 Speaker 2: bit about starting out and your interest in soccer. 77 00:04:57,320 --> 00:05:00,440 Speaker 1: Yeah, so growing up in southern California, you know, there 78 00:05:00,480 --> 00:05:06,640 Speaker 1: are many ethnicities, but lots and lots of Latinos, Mexicans, 79 00:05:06,880 --> 00:05:10,480 Speaker 1: Central Americans, et cetera. So where I grew up in Ontario, 80 00:05:11,120 --> 00:05:15,280 Speaker 1: probably eighty miles east of la it was predominantly Mexican. 81 00:05:15,440 --> 00:05:18,359 Speaker 1: My neighborhood. So when I started playing, my older brother 82 00:05:18,400 --> 00:05:20,240 Speaker 1: got me into playing when I was really young. But 83 00:05:20,279 --> 00:05:24,039 Speaker 1: when I started playing competitively or even rex soccer, ninety 84 00:05:24,040 --> 00:05:26,279 Speaker 1: percent of the kids were Mexican. And at that time, 85 00:05:27,360 --> 00:05:31,720 Speaker 1: even less people cared about soccer played soccer, so it 86 00:05:31,800 --> 00:05:34,359 Speaker 1: was all the Latin kids who played. So my influence 87 00:05:34,440 --> 00:05:38,919 Speaker 1: came heavily, heavily from Mexican players, and most of my 88 00:05:39,000 --> 00:05:41,479 Speaker 1: friends and it were Mexican because of that, because I 89 00:05:41,520 --> 00:05:42,600 Speaker 1: was around them all the time. 90 00:05:44,839 --> 00:05:48,960 Speaker 2: Why do you think that the United States has struggled. 91 00:05:49,040 --> 00:05:52,880 Speaker 2: Now it's definitely changing. Now, why do you think that 92 00:05:52,920 --> 00:05:58,080 Speaker 2: they struggled so much by finding soccer as sort of 93 00:05:58,279 --> 00:06:01,560 Speaker 2: a national sporting to do? I mean I played soccer 94 00:06:01,640 --> 00:06:04,640 Speaker 2: as a kid myself, but for a very brief period 95 00:06:04,680 --> 00:06:08,640 Speaker 2: of time, and it never felt like it sort of 96 00:06:08,800 --> 00:06:12,120 Speaker 2: established itself in the culture like it did in many 97 00:06:12,120 --> 00:06:13,600 Speaker 2: other countries, including Mexico. 98 00:06:14,800 --> 00:06:19,440 Speaker 1: I think the biggest reason, Brian is just time. Other 99 00:06:19,560 --> 00:06:22,719 Speaker 1: countries have had, at a minimum a half century of 100 00:06:22,760 --> 00:06:26,280 Speaker 1: this being the number one sport, and in a lot 101 00:06:26,320 --> 00:06:29,520 Speaker 1: of cases over a century, and this sport is still 102 00:06:29,560 --> 00:06:32,240 Speaker 1: relatively new for US. I mean, I remember growing up. 103 00:06:32,279 --> 00:06:36,279 Speaker 1: I'm forty one, so I remember growing up five, eight, ten, 104 00:06:36,400 --> 00:06:39,640 Speaker 1: twelve years old. There was no soccer on TV zero. 105 00:06:40,000 --> 00:06:43,960 Speaker 1: You could not watch soccer. And now every day you 106 00:06:44,000 --> 00:06:47,200 Speaker 1: can turn on you know, fifteen games a day at 107 00:06:47,200 --> 00:06:49,799 Speaker 1: a minimum from around the world, and people watch and care. 108 00:06:49,880 --> 00:06:53,400 Speaker 1: So it does just take time. It's like, you know, 109 00:06:53,440 --> 00:06:56,279 Speaker 1: why isn't the NFL bigger in Europe? Well, the NFL 110 00:06:56,320 --> 00:06:58,320 Speaker 1: has had a huge head start here, right, Why isn't 111 00:06:58,360 --> 00:07:01,640 Speaker 1: baseball bigger in Europe? It's had a big head start here, 112 00:07:01,680 --> 00:07:04,359 Speaker 1: so I think over time people are starting to appreciate 113 00:07:04,400 --> 00:07:07,000 Speaker 1: the game more. Obviously, we have lots of options in 114 00:07:07,000 --> 00:07:09,400 Speaker 1: this country sporting wise, and I'm glad. I'm a huge 115 00:07:09,400 --> 00:07:12,880 Speaker 1: sports fan, but for soccer, it has taken time and 116 00:07:12,920 --> 00:07:15,000 Speaker 1: it will continue to take time, but we're getting there. 117 00:07:15,760 --> 00:07:20,200 Speaker 2: You have said that your dad, who played hockey ice hockey, 118 00:07:20,440 --> 00:07:25,120 Speaker 2: influenced you as well the way that he moved specifically 119 00:07:25,520 --> 00:07:27,559 Speaker 2: yes on the ice or yeah. 120 00:07:27,600 --> 00:07:31,000 Speaker 1: So my dad grew up in Nova Scotia, Canada. Hockey 121 00:07:31,120 --> 00:07:35,760 Speaker 1: was his first love. And when he moved to La 122 00:07:36,160 --> 00:07:39,480 Speaker 1: and met my mom and had my sister and I, 123 00:07:39,560 --> 00:07:42,960 Speaker 1: we would go to hockey games and Van Eyes. He 124 00:07:43,000 --> 00:07:46,080 Speaker 1: would go to this little rink and play with all 125 00:07:46,120 --> 00:07:49,440 Speaker 1: his old, sweaty, smelly friends, and we would end up 126 00:07:50,000 --> 00:07:52,760 Speaker 1: sitting there in the stands watching. My sister would inevitably 127 00:07:52,960 --> 00:07:54,600 Speaker 1: have a book with her and just read because she 128 00:07:54,640 --> 00:07:56,800 Speaker 1: was bored out of her mind. But I would sit 129 00:07:56,920 --> 00:07:59,320 Speaker 1: and watch him. And I see this now, Brian, with 130 00:07:59,360 --> 00:08:03,400 Speaker 1: my kids we have you know, there is a genetic 131 00:08:03,600 --> 00:08:06,960 Speaker 1: component where you can you learn visually. And I would 132 00:08:07,040 --> 00:08:09,120 Speaker 1: watch him and watch him and watch him, and there 133 00:08:09,120 --> 00:08:11,280 Speaker 1: were a lot of parallels to soccer with just how 134 00:08:11,320 --> 00:08:13,200 Speaker 1: he moved and how he played and how he saw 135 00:08:13,240 --> 00:08:17,520 Speaker 1: the ice, and I tried to whether it was conscious 136 00:08:17,640 --> 00:08:20,240 Speaker 1: or not, I tried to emulate that, and it very 137 00:08:20,360 --> 00:08:23,160 Speaker 1: much looked like how I play now, how I played 138 00:08:23,200 --> 00:08:25,560 Speaker 1: soccer as a pro. And I see that with my 139 00:08:25,640 --> 00:08:27,679 Speaker 1: kids a little bit too. So there's a cool genetic 140 00:08:27,720 --> 00:08:30,440 Speaker 1: component there that's fun to watch get passed down. 141 00:08:31,400 --> 00:08:36,720 Speaker 2: Yeah, Like we all as kids participate in various activities 142 00:08:36,760 --> 00:08:41,120 Speaker 2: and you know, you have dreams of accomplishing greatness in 143 00:08:41,160 --> 00:08:45,280 Speaker 2: sports or in entertainment, music, whatever, or you want to 144 00:08:45,280 --> 00:08:46,400 Speaker 2: be a fireman. 145 00:08:47,440 --> 00:08:48,320 Speaker 3: One way or the other. 146 00:08:48,720 --> 00:08:53,920 Speaker 2: But there's there becomes a moment where it changes between 147 00:08:54,200 --> 00:08:56,800 Speaker 2: sort of a hobby that you're doing, this sort of 148 00:08:57,200 --> 00:09:02,240 Speaker 2: dream that you have to this sort of decision of 149 00:09:02,720 --> 00:09:04,920 Speaker 2: this is what I want to do, Like this is 150 00:09:05,240 --> 00:09:08,960 Speaker 2: you know for you, how early did that did that come? 151 00:09:09,760 --> 00:09:12,440 Speaker 2: And like when did you decide that you were going 152 00:09:12,480 --> 00:09:15,439 Speaker 2: to pursue this, because I know how much work that 153 00:09:15,600 --> 00:09:17,920 Speaker 2: takes that the club, soccer leagues and stuff. 154 00:09:18,600 --> 00:09:21,920 Speaker 1: Yeah, so it happens a lot earlier now because there's 155 00:09:21,960 --> 00:09:25,640 Speaker 1: more attention and you know, human nature than is to 156 00:09:25,960 --> 00:09:28,440 Speaker 1: accelerate everything and want to start sooner, and you know, 157 00:09:28,520 --> 00:09:30,320 Speaker 1: the parents of the five year old think he's going 158 00:09:30,400 --> 00:09:34,880 Speaker 1: to be the next Christiana Ronaldo. Right, So everything's accelerated now. 159 00:09:34,960 --> 00:09:38,640 Speaker 1: But for me, I was always a good player with 160 00:09:38,800 --> 00:09:42,320 Speaker 1: the ball. Technically, I was pretty far advanced compared to 161 00:09:42,360 --> 00:09:44,640 Speaker 1: most kids because I started at two years old with 162 00:09:44,720 --> 00:09:46,880 Speaker 1: my brother kicking a ball around. Now a lot of 163 00:09:46,960 --> 00:09:48,800 Speaker 1: kids do that now, but at that time that was 164 00:09:48,920 --> 00:09:52,640 Speaker 1: very unique, and so in that way I was. I was, 165 00:09:52,800 --> 00:09:55,679 Speaker 1: you know, pretty far ahead of my peers. But physically 166 00:09:55,760 --> 00:10:00,880 Speaker 1: I was really skinny. I hadn't developed. And then when 167 00:10:00,920 --> 00:10:05,640 Speaker 1: I went through puberty about fourteen, my body within like 168 00:10:05,679 --> 00:10:09,600 Speaker 1: three months completely changed. My body became like a man's body. 169 00:10:09,679 --> 00:10:12,160 Speaker 1: And then I and not only did it did I 170 00:10:12,240 --> 00:10:15,400 Speaker 1: catch up to everybody physically, but then I have very 171 00:10:15,400 --> 00:10:18,880 Speaker 1: good athletic genes too, so then I became an elite athlete. 172 00:10:19,440 --> 00:10:22,280 Speaker 1: And so that time, when that those two married and 173 00:10:22,320 --> 00:10:25,400 Speaker 1: tied together, then I became a real soccer player. And 174 00:10:25,120 --> 00:10:27,679 Speaker 1: then I started thinking, oh, wow, this is maybe something 175 00:10:27,720 --> 00:10:29,160 Speaker 1: I can really do. 176 00:10:29,200 --> 00:10:34,960 Speaker 2: You attended Redlands East Valley. Redlands East Valley what a school, 177 00:10:35,120 --> 00:10:43,560 Speaker 2: very specific in there in California, and at the age 178 00:10:43,600 --> 00:10:49,960 Speaker 2: of seventeen, one of the youngest American players ever to 179 00:10:50,080 --> 00:10:53,480 Speaker 2: sign with a European professional team. You signed with a 180 00:10:53,640 --> 00:10:58,000 Speaker 2: German club. I mean you're gonna I mean, I'm German, 181 00:10:58,040 --> 00:11:03,679 Speaker 2: I guess, but you're gonna tell me Buyer Levinkusen Leverkusen. 182 00:11:03,720 --> 00:11:05,440 Speaker 1: That guy was gonna say, you're German, aren't you. 183 00:11:06,000 --> 00:11:08,400 Speaker 3: I know, how was that? 184 00:11:09,360 --> 00:11:11,880 Speaker 2: Yeah, you're a high school kid and now you're going 185 00:11:11,920 --> 00:11:14,920 Speaker 2: to Germany. Did your parents go like what? Like, how 186 00:11:14,920 --> 00:11:15,680 Speaker 2: does this happen? 187 00:11:17,120 --> 00:11:20,560 Speaker 1: So? I was playing with the under seventeen national team, 188 00:11:20,679 --> 00:11:22,440 Speaker 1: so the full national team that you watch in the 189 00:11:22,480 --> 00:11:24,680 Speaker 1: World Cups, they're a youth version. So there's an under 190 00:11:24,679 --> 00:11:27,760 Speaker 1: twenty and an under seventeen. I remember, I'll never forget 191 00:11:27,760 --> 00:11:30,400 Speaker 1: this day. I was playing in Europe with the team 192 00:11:30,440 --> 00:11:32,439 Speaker 1: and the tournament and we had just played a game 193 00:11:32,760 --> 00:11:34,839 Speaker 1: and I was walking off the field and this would 194 00:11:34,880 --> 00:11:38,360 Speaker 1: never happen. Now, there's so many like elaborate scouting networks 195 00:11:38,360 --> 00:11:40,400 Speaker 1: and they know every player by the time they're twelve 196 00:11:40,440 --> 00:11:42,440 Speaker 1: and all this. But I was walking off the field 197 00:11:42,480 --> 00:11:45,400 Speaker 1: and this guy walked up to me and he said, hello, Landon. 198 00:11:45,840 --> 00:11:48,120 Speaker 5: I said yeah, and he said I am Michael Rishka. 199 00:11:48,520 --> 00:11:53,000 Speaker 5: From bio Levokuzen and we're interested in signing you. I 200 00:11:53,040 --> 00:11:55,520 Speaker 5: was like, what are you talking about, Bride. I didn't 201 00:11:55,520 --> 00:11:56,240 Speaker 5: know anything. 202 00:11:55,960 --> 00:11:59,920 Speaker 1: About soccer outside of my little world. I didn't watch 203 00:12:00,280 --> 00:12:02,120 Speaker 1: I didn't know anything about it. I was like, what is 204 00:12:02,160 --> 00:12:05,079 Speaker 1: going on here? So I went home told my parents 205 00:12:05,400 --> 00:12:09,320 Speaker 1: and that kind of started the process of like, oh, 206 00:12:09,400 --> 00:12:12,640 Speaker 1: maybe this is a profession. Maybe this is more than 207 00:12:12,679 --> 00:12:15,480 Speaker 1: just a hobby. Maybe it's a profession. So in the end, 208 00:12:15,600 --> 00:12:19,920 Speaker 1: there were other potential suitors. But my agent, who I 209 00:12:19,920 --> 00:12:22,680 Speaker 1: met at fifteen, who's still my agent today, said to 210 00:12:22,720 --> 00:12:25,199 Speaker 1: me early on something that stuck with me forever. He said, Lennon, 211 00:12:25,240 --> 00:12:28,160 Speaker 1: you always want to go where you're wanted. And they 212 00:12:28,160 --> 00:12:31,800 Speaker 1: were the first people to show interest and make an 213 00:12:31,800 --> 00:12:35,000 Speaker 1: effort to come after me. So it took a lot 214 00:12:35,000 --> 00:12:37,840 Speaker 1: of convincing. My mom's a teacher. My dad obviously was 215 00:12:37,880 --> 00:12:40,880 Speaker 1: more excited about it because he played semi professional hockey 216 00:12:40,880 --> 00:12:43,559 Speaker 1: and he understands the sporting landscape. But my mom was 217 00:12:43,600 --> 00:12:46,120 Speaker 1: a school teacher and all she was hoping at this 218 00:12:46,160 --> 00:12:47,960 Speaker 1: point was that I'd get a scholarship to go to 219 00:12:48,000 --> 00:12:50,120 Speaker 1: school so we didn't have to grow up very poor, 220 00:12:50,160 --> 00:12:51,640 Speaker 1: so that we didn't have to pay for it, so 221 00:12:52,400 --> 00:12:54,200 Speaker 1: it took a lot of convincing. And the only way 222 00:12:54,240 --> 00:12:55,960 Speaker 1: my mom would sign off on it is if the 223 00:12:56,040 --> 00:13:00,760 Speaker 1: contract was enough money so that if I decided to 224 00:13:00,760 --> 00:13:03,040 Speaker 1: go to college, it would cover what a scholarship was. 225 00:13:03,080 --> 00:13:05,319 Speaker 1: And at that time the agreement was fifty grand a 226 00:13:05,400 --> 00:13:08,559 Speaker 1: year for four years, so that if it all went haywire, 227 00:13:08,600 --> 00:13:10,400 Speaker 1: I would save every penny and I can still go 228 00:13:10,440 --> 00:13:12,440 Speaker 1: to school. And so she allowed me to do that. 229 00:13:13,120 --> 00:13:16,079 Speaker 1: But moving to Germany, I went by myself. I was 230 00:13:16,120 --> 00:13:20,360 Speaker 1: a very independent seventeen year old, and I was excited 231 00:13:20,400 --> 00:13:23,679 Speaker 1: about that. But that is a different world. That's not 232 00:13:23,720 --> 00:13:26,200 Speaker 1: like moving across the state. That is that is a 233 00:13:26,200 --> 00:13:27,000 Speaker 1: whole different. 234 00:13:26,760 --> 00:13:31,160 Speaker 2: World, right, And so at seventeen you're playing professional soccer. 235 00:13:31,520 --> 00:13:34,040 Speaker 2: I mean the other thing about your story that is 236 00:13:34,240 --> 00:13:38,520 Speaker 2: insane to me because there's you know, obviously clubs in 237 00:13:38,600 --> 00:13:43,000 Speaker 2: Europe and in England then independently in Germany and Italy 238 00:13:43,040 --> 00:13:45,480 Speaker 2: and everything that there can't be a draft, but just 239 00:13:45,559 --> 00:13:47,520 Speaker 2: the idea that you could be you know, that I 240 00:13:47,559 --> 00:13:50,240 Speaker 2: could get a phone call tomorrow on a will you 241 00:13:50,280 --> 00:13:51,600 Speaker 2: want to come play soccer for us. 242 00:13:51,600 --> 00:13:54,800 Speaker 3: Or whatever like that. I don't know it's crazy to me. 243 00:13:55,160 --> 00:13:56,960 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's just the way. That's the way the soccer 244 00:13:57,000 --> 00:14:00,560 Speaker 1: world works. So the system is not set up where 245 00:14:00,559 --> 00:14:02,800 Speaker 1: you go to college and then you move on. It's 246 00:14:02,880 --> 00:14:06,880 Speaker 1: just not so. What happens now is kids at you know, 247 00:14:07,000 --> 00:14:10,800 Speaker 1: fourteen fifteen in some cases sign professional contracts just based 248 00:14:10,840 --> 00:14:15,360 Speaker 1: on their talent and their ability. Now, as you can imagine, 249 00:14:15,360 --> 00:14:17,880 Speaker 1: a lot of those kids don't pan out. But that is, 250 00:14:18,360 --> 00:14:21,640 Speaker 1: you know, that's the world that that's the soccer world 251 00:14:21,640 --> 00:14:22,160 Speaker 1: that we live in. 252 00:14:23,240 --> 00:14:27,240 Speaker 2: Eighteen years of age in two thousand, you had been 253 00:14:27,320 --> 00:14:31,360 Speaker 2: participating in the under seventeen US team. You get called 254 00:14:31,440 --> 00:14:36,400 Speaker 2: up to the national team's camp and then end up 255 00:14:36,480 --> 00:14:42,120 Speaker 2: playing a pivotal role, scoring a goal, having an assist 256 00:14:42,400 --> 00:14:47,920 Speaker 2: in the US defeating Mexico there in Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. 257 00:14:48,000 --> 00:14:51,320 Speaker 2: Talk to me a little bit about first getting called 258 00:14:51,400 --> 00:14:55,240 Speaker 2: up on the national team, like is this it for you? 259 00:14:55,280 --> 00:14:59,400 Speaker 2: Like is this as big or bigger than signing this 260 00:14:59,480 --> 00:15:03,240 Speaker 2: professional contract before? Or oh, where does this rank for you? 261 00:15:03,480 --> 00:15:04,320 Speaker 3: Yeah? Way bigger. 262 00:15:04,360 --> 00:15:06,320 Speaker 1: I mean playing for your national team is the ultimate 263 00:15:06,360 --> 00:15:09,640 Speaker 1: goal for any player. So this was the value of 264 00:15:09,680 --> 00:15:13,360 Speaker 1: having a really good agent at that time. My agent 265 00:15:13,880 --> 00:15:16,960 Speaker 1: also represented the national team coach, which was maybe a 266 00:15:17,000 --> 00:15:23,560 Speaker 1: conflict of interest, but you know, but you I would 267 00:15:23,600 --> 00:15:25,520 Speaker 1: just have to earn it. No national team coach is 268 00:15:25,560 --> 00:15:27,320 Speaker 1: just going to bring in a player because he likes 269 00:15:27,360 --> 00:15:30,960 Speaker 1: the agent. So I was playing pretty well in Germany 270 00:15:31,400 --> 00:15:33,480 Speaker 1: and I had become a professional. I'd played well for 271 00:15:33,520 --> 00:15:36,680 Speaker 1: the under seventeen team, and my agent pushed hard to 272 00:15:36,720 --> 00:15:39,040 Speaker 1: convince Bruce Arena, the coach at the time, to bring 273 00:15:39,040 --> 00:15:41,000 Speaker 1: me into camp and just you know, just see me, 274 00:15:41,280 --> 00:15:44,200 Speaker 1: see me for the first time in person. So I 275 00:15:44,240 --> 00:15:47,320 Speaker 1: went into camp in LA. I was not starting the game. 276 00:15:48,400 --> 00:15:53,000 Speaker 1: We go into the Colisseum and I think, you're a 277 00:15:53,040 --> 00:15:56,200 Speaker 1: smart guy. You can guess that the Colisseum in downtown 278 00:15:56,320 --> 00:15:59,640 Speaker 1: LA was not filled with many Americans. Quite a few 279 00:15:59,680 --> 00:16:02,280 Speaker 1: Mexicans there. I think it was a sixty five thousand 280 00:16:02,440 --> 00:16:05,640 Speaker 1: was the crowd, and at least sixty four thousand were Mexican. 281 00:16:06,280 --> 00:16:09,200 Speaker 1: So we go into this game. I imagine I'm an 282 00:16:09,200 --> 00:16:11,360 Speaker 1: eighteen year old sitting on the bench. So in the 283 00:16:11,400 --> 00:16:16,760 Speaker 1: thirtieth minute, Chris Henderson, a player on our team, gets injured. 284 00:16:17,600 --> 00:16:20,480 Speaker 1: And at this time, this was my first camp with 285 00:16:20,520 --> 00:16:22,760 Speaker 1: the national team, so I wasn't expecting to play at all. 286 00:16:23,400 --> 00:16:24,640 Speaker 1: I had no ie. I mean, I was just a 287 00:16:24,760 --> 00:16:27,760 Speaker 1: naive kid. So I had my shoes weren't tied, shint 288 00:16:27,760 --> 00:16:31,440 Speaker 1: guards weren't on, and Bruce came down the bench quickly 289 00:16:31,480 --> 00:16:33,080 Speaker 1: and he said, land and get ready, you're going in. 290 00:16:33,120 --> 00:16:37,880 Speaker 1: And I was like, oh shit. So I had to 291 00:16:37,880 --> 00:16:40,440 Speaker 1: get ready quickly, warm up quickly, and it was it 292 00:16:40,480 --> 00:16:42,920 Speaker 1: was a blessing because I didn't have any time to 293 00:16:42,960 --> 00:16:44,760 Speaker 1: think about it. I didn't know the night before that 294 00:16:44,800 --> 00:16:46,560 Speaker 1: I was starting and have to think about it. I 295 00:16:46,640 --> 00:16:48,400 Speaker 1: just had to get my stuff on and go play. 296 00:16:48,960 --> 00:16:51,160 Speaker 1: And in the end it worked out well. We won 297 00:16:51,200 --> 00:16:53,680 Speaker 1: the game. I had a goal and assist and that 298 00:16:53,800 --> 00:16:57,000 Speaker 1: was really the start of my that propelled me pretty quickly. 299 00:16:56,720 --> 00:17:15,480 Speaker 6: Into the national team. 300 00:17:15,840 --> 00:17:18,000 Speaker 2: Talk to me a little bit about what you just 301 00:17:18,040 --> 00:17:21,520 Speaker 2: talked about about the fans. I mean, we are obviously 302 00:17:21,640 --> 00:17:27,719 Speaker 2: in close proximity to Mexico. But this documentary Good Rivals 303 00:17:27,760 --> 00:17:30,480 Speaker 2: Now it is if you haven't checked it out, came 304 00:17:30,520 --> 00:17:35,520 Speaker 2: out last year or earlier this year on Netflix. It 305 00:17:35,600 --> 00:17:38,880 Speaker 2: is about the rivalry between Mexico and the United States, 306 00:17:39,480 --> 00:17:46,080 Speaker 2: greatest soccer rivalry in the world, which is incredible because 307 00:17:46,119 --> 00:17:50,160 Speaker 2: of how new or young soccer is in the United 308 00:17:50,200 --> 00:17:53,400 Speaker 2: States compared to so much of the world. A lot 309 00:17:53,560 --> 00:17:57,399 Speaker 2: is made about two thousand, two thousand and two and 310 00:17:58,000 --> 00:18:02,920 Speaker 2: beginning to change the pendulum, beginning to switch from Mexico 311 00:18:03,000 --> 00:18:06,439 Speaker 2: to the US. But how difficult was it at the 312 00:18:06,520 --> 00:18:12,520 Speaker 2: time to find fans and support here that cared about 313 00:18:12,520 --> 00:18:13,520 Speaker 2: what you guys were doing. 314 00:18:13,680 --> 00:18:18,640 Speaker 1: Yeah, incredibly it was. It's it's hard to compare the 315 00:18:18,640 --> 00:18:22,119 Speaker 1: fandom of the Mexican people with the fandom of the 316 00:18:22,160 --> 00:18:25,720 Speaker 1: American people at that time. Now it's it's pretty level now, 317 00:18:26,000 --> 00:18:28,200 Speaker 1: but at that time it just it was non existent. 318 00:18:28,240 --> 00:18:30,479 Speaker 1: And so I think the analogy, I mean, obviously you're 319 00:18:30,480 --> 00:18:34,280 Speaker 1: a baseball fan, is if not all of a sudden, 320 00:18:34,320 --> 00:18:36,840 Speaker 1: but relatively quickly, in the next five years or so, 321 00:18:37,520 --> 00:18:41,919 Speaker 1: Mexican Mexican baseball was way better than Major League Baseball 322 00:18:41,960 --> 00:18:45,000 Speaker 1: and way better than our players, American players. It's our 323 00:18:45,080 --> 00:18:48,200 Speaker 1: national pastime, right, So that would flip things on its head, 324 00:18:48,200 --> 00:18:51,040 Speaker 1: and that would cause some problems. So what happened in 325 00:18:51,040 --> 00:18:54,600 Speaker 1: the early two thousands is a rivalry that was completely 326 00:18:54,640 --> 00:18:58,159 Speaker 1: one sided for a long time, with Mexico always winning 327 00:18:58,160 --> 00:19:01,720 Speaker 1: and them just dominating us, started to change and we 328 00:19:01,760 --> 00:19:03,760 Speaker 1: beat them in that game. That two thousand game. We 329 00:19:03,840 --> 00:19:06,200 Speaker 1: beat them a number of times over the next decade, 330 00:19:06,800 --> 00:19:11,240 Speaker 1: and that started to change the mentality of everybody involved. 331 00:19:11,280 --> 00:19:14,199 Speaker 1: Everybody looked at the rivalry differently. And then what's happened 332 00:19:14,200 --> 00:19:17,560 Speaker 1: in the last we'll call it seven years, is there 333 00:19:17,560 --> 00:19:20,520 Speaker 1: are a lot of great rivalries around the world. What 334 00:19:20,680 --> 00:19:24,159 Speaker 1: makes this one unique? And why good rivals? Is I 335 00:19:24,200 --> 00:19:28,600 Speaker 1: think so important that that film to watch and I'm 336 00:19:28,600 --> 00:19:30,200 Speaker 1: glad you watched it. We didn't even talk about that, 337 00:19:30,240 --> 00:19:33,080 Speaker 1: but I'm glad you watched it. Is there's also the 338 00:19:33,119 --> 00:19:36,760 Speaker 1: political component, right that's been exacerbated over the last seven years. 339 00:19:36,840 --> 00:19:39,920 Speaker 1: And there are so many Mexicans in our country, and 340 00:19:40,000 --> 00:19:43,600 Speaker 1: especially in southern California and where we live in San Diego. 341 00:19:45,440 --> 00:19:48,200 Speaker 1: There's a lot of Mexican Americans, a lot of American Mexicans, 342 00:19:48,240 --> 00:19:50,920 Speaker 1: and we coexist in a really harmonious way. But in 343 00:19:50,960 --> 00:19:52,879 Speaker 1: a lot of places in our country it doesn't happen. 344 00:19:53,119 --> 00:19:56,800 Speaker 1: And so it's this rivalry is just it's heated up 345 00:19:56,880 --> 00:20:00,000 Speaker 1: over the last seven years. And on the soccer field, 346 00:20:00,080 --> 00:20:02,000 Speaker 1: that's been a good thing because it makes it that 347 00:20:02,119 --> 00:20:03,840 Speaker 1: much more interesting for everyone involved. 348 00:20:04,359 --> 00:20:08,919 Speaker 2: Do you feel like there are fans of the American 349 00:20:09,000 --> 00:20:11,919 Speaker 2: team in Mexico or is that one sided. 350 00:20:13,080 --> 00:20:16,280 Speaker 1: That's a good question. I wouldn't say in Mexico. But 351 00:20:16,400 --> 00:20:19,000 Speaker 1: what I saw over and over and over in my 352 00:20:19,080 --> 00:20:22,560 Speaker 1: career is we would go into a stadium against play 353 00:20:22,560 --> 00:20:26,280 Speaker 1: against Mexico. It's called it Soldier Field in Chicago, right, 354 00:20:26,320 --> 00:20:27,879 Speaker 1: And by the beginning of the game, it would there 355 00:20:28,000 --> 00:20:30,560 Speaker 1: be you would say, like seventy five percent of fans 356 00:20:30,560 --> 00:20:34,440 Speaker 1: were Mexican. And then as we would the end of 357 00:20:34,480 --> 00:20:36,560 Speaker 1: the game we were winning two zero, you'd look around 358 00:20:36,600 --> 00:20:39,320 Speaker 1: and somehow and we figured out later what it was, 359 00:20:39,600 --> 00:20:41,080 Speaker 1: but all of a sudden it was flipped. There were 360 00:20:41,080 --> 00:20:43,760 Speaker 1: seventy five percent American fans. And what you realize is 361 00:20:43,840 --> 00:20:46,240 Speaker 1: they would walk in with a Mexican jersey over a 362 00:20:46,359 --> 00:20:50,000 Speaker 1: USA jersey. Once the US started winning, they'd pull off 363 00:20:50,040 --> 00:20:54,359 Speaker 1: the Mexican jersey be American fans. So's the epitome of 364 00:20:54,400 --> 00:20:55,680 Speaker 1: fairweather fans right there. 365 00:20:56,440 --> 00:20:59,000 Speaker 3: Yeah, you do something that takes balls. 366 00:20:59,359 --> 00:21:03,879 Speaker 2: But you know, you'd talk about England and Europe, obviously 367 00:21:03,920 --> 00:21:06,960 Speaker 2: Central America, where soccer is so big. You're playing in 368 00:21:07,000 --> 00:21:10,560 Speaker 2: Germany already, you get offered a contract at seventeen, but 369 00:21:10,640 --> 00:21:15,600 Speaker 2: in two thousand and one, Shortly after you begin playing 370 00:21:15,600 --> 00:21:20,320 Speaker 2: for the US national team, you return to the United States, 371 00:21:20,600 --> 00:21:25,960 Speaker 2: and essentially, with some brief exceptions, you play out your 372 00:21:26,119 --> 00:21:30,639 Speaker 2: entire career at in the MLS in the United States. 373 00:21:31,000 --> 00:21:33,439 Speaker 2: Talk to me a little bit about that decision for you. 374 00:21:33,560 --> 00:21:35,520 Speaker 2: Was that difficult for you to make? 375 00:21:36,040 --> 00:21:36,359 Speaker 3: Okay? 376 00:21:36,440 --> 00:21:40,919 Speaker 1: No, No, So what happens is in our sport, what 377 00:21:41,000 --> 00:21:44,439 Speaker 1: happens a lot is Europe is the holy Grail of 378 00:21:44,520 --> 00:21:48,919 Speaker 1: places to play. It's for the longest time, the most money, 379 00:21:48,920 --> 00:21:53,639 Speaker 1: most prestige, best competition, most eyeballs watching, et cetera. And 380 00:21:53,680 --> 00:21:58,800 Speaker 1: so for almost every player, that's where they want to play. 381 00:21:58,880 --> 00:22:02,320 Speaker 1: Whether you come from Argentina or Africa or California, everybody 382 00:22:02,359 --> 00:22:05,560 Speaker 1: wants to be in Europe, somewhere France, England and Spain whatever. 383 00:22:06,000 --> 00:22:10,600 Speaker 1: I never subscribe to that theory. I agree with all that, 384 00:22:10,680 --> 00:22:15,199 Speaker 1: but the most important thing to me was playing was 385 00:22:15,280 --> 00:22:19,280 Speaker 1: actually playing games. It'd be like, they're like Brian, for 386 00:22:19,359 --> 00:22:21,440 Speaker 1: the next decade, you're gonna you know, you're going to 387 00:22:21,520 --> 00:22:23,280 Speaker 1: go to acting class and you're going to practice, but 388 00:22:23,320 --> 00:22:25,000 Speaker 1: you're never going to be on a show. You'd say, well, 389 00:22:25,000 --> 00:22:27,040 Speaker 1: that's not right, that's not why I do it. I 390 00:22:27,080 --> 00:22:30,040 Speaker 1: don't want to do that, right, And so I always 391 00:22:30,080 --> 00:22:31,960 Speaker 1: wanted to play. And what the mistake a lot of 392 00:22:32,000 --> 00:22:34,919 Speaker 1: players make is they'll go to Europe and I'm using quotes, 393 00:22:34,960 --> 00:22:37,080 Speaker 1: they go to Europe. So you go to a team 394 00:22:37,119 --> 00:22:38,800 Speaker 1: in Europe and then you sit on the bench and 395 00:22:38,840 --> 00:22:40,360 Speaker 1: you never play a game, and then you get three 396 00:22:40,440 --> 00:22:42,160 Speaker 1: years into your career and you go, shoot, what am 397 00:22:42,160 --> 00:22:44,840 Speaker 1: I really doing here? Like the paycheck's great, but this 398 00:22:44,880 --> 00:22:47,000 Speaker 1: is my this is my life. So I always say 399 00:22:47,000 --> 00:22:50,240 Speaker 1: to people, you're not a soccer practicer. You're a soccer player, right. 400 00:22:50,280 --> 00:22:51,960 Speaker 1: Do you want to play or do you want to practice? 401 00:22:52,320 --> 00:22:55,639 Speaker 1: So my decision was I just wanted to play, and 402 00:22:55,680 --> 00:22:58,359 Speaker 1: we had this young league at home that I think 403 00:22:58,400 --> 00:23:02,679 Speaker 1: needed all of us to uplift it, and it was 404 00:23:03,040 --> 00:23:04,880 Speaker 1: it made sense for me. And then I also got 405 00:23:04,880 --> 00:23:06,639 Speaker 1: to play at home in front of my friends and 406 00:23:06,680 --> 00:23:09,119 Speaker 1: family in LA and to me that was a no brainer. 407 00:23:09,320 --> 00:23:11,200 Speaker 1: You know a lot of people disagree with that and thought, 408 00:23:11,240 --> 00:23:14,440 Speaker 1: I I left some stuff on the table and I 409 00:23:14,480 --> 00:23:16,520 Speaker 1: could have, you know, played at a higher level in 410 00:23:16,560 --> 00:23:19,440 Speaker 1: other places. But I wanted to play, and that that's 411 00:23:19,480 --> 00:23:20,040 Speaker 1: where I got. 412 00:23:20,000 --> 00:23:25,919 Speaker 2: My joint right. The MJ Michael Jordan the goat of 413 00:23:26,440 --> 00:23:33,320 Speaker 2: US soccer, six time MLS Cup winner, fourteen consecutive All Star. 414 00:23:34,240 --> 00:23:36,200 Speaker 2: I mean the list goes on and on. Two time 415 00:23:36,359 --> 00:23:41,240 Speaker 2: MLS MVP, two time MLS Cup MVP, Golden Boot, blah 416 00:23:41,320 --> 00:23:44,760 Speaker 2: blah blah blah blah. Clearly, you had opportunities to go 417 00:23:44,880 --> 00:23:47,160 Speaker 2: other places once you had established yourself. By the way, 418 00:23:47,200 --> 00:23:49,800 Speaker 2: what you say makes so much sense, like go where 419 00:23:49,840 --> 00:23:53,719 Speaker 2: you can play. Clearly you could have played anywhere at 420 00:23:53,760 --> 00:23:54,600 Speaker 2: a certain point. 421 00:23:55,160 --> 00:23:57,400 Speaker 3: But did you feel a loyalty? 422 00:23:57,600 --> 00:24:00,679 Speaker 2: Did you feel like you were starting something that was 423 00:24:00,760 --> 00:24:03,679 Speaker 2: important with the MLA. I mean not that you started it, 424 00:24:03,720 --> 00:24:06,480 Speaker 2: but you know what, being a part of growing something 425 00:24:06,520 --> 00:24:10,080 Speaker 2: that was important here because you you know, you essentially 426 00:24:10,080 --> 00:24:11,080 Speaker 2: decide never to leave. 427 00:24:11,640 --> 00:24:17,000 Speaker 1: I did. I felt like it was I don't know 428 00:24:17,040 --> 00:24:19,679 Speaker 1: if responsibility is the right word. But we grew up 429 00:24:19,720 --> 00:24:22,160 Speaker 1: in a time where we were all ambassadors for the game. 430 00:24:22,480 --> 00:24:26,160 Speaker 1: So it's not like in San Diego when Manny Machado 431 00:24:26,200 --> 00:24:28,879 Speaker 1: and Fernando Tatis show up to the baseball park play, 432 00:24:28,920 --> 00:24:31,160 Speaker 1: they go home and you know, they do their thing. 433 00:24:31,480 --> 00:24:33,720 Speaker 1: For us, it was like go to practice, go to 434 00:24:33,760 --> 00:24:37,360 Speaker 1: an appearance afterwards, go talk to the media, go meet kids, 435 00:24:37,400 --> 00:24:40,119 Speaker 1: to help sell tickets. I mean, we were constantly my 436 00:24:40,160 --> 00:24:42,720 Speaker 1: whole career trying to sell the sport, and it was 437 00:24:42,760 --> 00:24:45,119 Speaker 1: just part of it. Not complaining, it's just that's what 438 00:24:45,160 --> 00:24:47,919 Speaker 1: it was for us, and so I enjoyed that. It 439 00:24:47,960 --> 00:24:51,200 Speaker 1: was exhausting, but I enjoyed that. And when I look 440 00:24:51,240 --> 00:24:54,119 Speaker 1: at Major League Soccer today and the national team today, 441 00:24:55,240 --> 00:24:57,960 Speaker 1: knowing that I had a small part in that, you know, 442 00:24:58,080 --> 00:25:01,040 Speaker 1: makes me prideful because we worked hard to help build that. 443 00:25:02,960 --> 00:25:06,600 Speaker 2: Two thousand and two, you guys make a run at 444 00:25:06,640 --> 00:25:09,600 Speaker 2: the World Cup, and you know, for me, maybe I'm wrong, 445 00:25:09,640 --> 00:25:10,920 Speaker 2: Tell me if I'm wrong. 446 00:25:11,320 --> 00:25:15,480 Speaker 3: For me, I remember that run, and for me. 447 00:25:15,840 --> 00:25:20,840 Speaker 2: That is where we saw the first glimmours of real 448 00:25:22,119 --> 00:25:30,240 Speaker 2: sort of intense fanaticism about the US soccer team here, 449 00:25:30,320 --> 00:25:34,359 Speaker 2: And it feels like that's that's where we started from 450 00:25:34,640 --> 00:25:36,800 Speaker 2: and started growing from. Is that do you think that's 451 00:25:36,800 --> 00:25:38,400 Speaker 2: an accurate assessment? Twand and two. 452 00:25:38,480 --> 00:25:42,680 Speaker 1: I think that's that's when it I think really started 453 00:25:42,680 --> 00:25:45,240 Speaker 1: to hit mainstream. In ninety four, we hosted the World 454 00:25:45,320 --> 00:25:49,320 Speaker 1: Cup here, but yes, we weren't really ready. You know, 455 00:25:49,400 --> 00:25:51,240 Speaker 1: there was the majority of the people in the stadiums 456 00:25:51,280 --> 00:25:58,040 Speaker 1: were foreigners. You know, well, foreigners slash foreign Americans and 457 00:25:58,080 --> 00:26:00,399 Speaker 1: that was the majority of people. But oh two felt 458 00:26:00,400 --> 00:26:02,280 Speaker 1: to me, especially because we made a deep run in 459 00:26:02,280 --> 00:26:05,080 Speaker 1: the tournament, like that was the tipping point where people 460 00:26:05,119 --> 00:26:07,159 Speaker 1: were like, Oh, this is interesting, I can kind of 461 00:26:07,160 --> 00:26:07,760 Speaker 1: get into this. 462 00:26:08,720 --> 00:26:13,080 Speaker 2: Yeah, twenty twenty six, for the first time, three countries 463 00:26:13,119 --> 00:26:15,680 Speaker 2: are going to be co hosting the World Cup and 464 00:26:15,760 --> 00:26:17,960 Speaker 2: it's expanding at the same time. 465 00:26:18,600 --> 00:26:20,760 Speaker 3: Mexico, what I. 466 00:26:20,680 --> 00:26:21,760 Speaker 1: Said, what could go wrong? 467 00:26:22,760 --> 00:26:25,520 Speaker 3: Look? Look could go wrong Mexico? 468 00:26:25,880 --> 00:26:28,520 Speaker 2: Can I know, by the way, if you read what's 469 00:26:28,560 --> 00:26:31,800 Speaker 2: going on in the airline industry in the last few days, Yeah, 470 00:26:31,840 --> 00:26:32,639 Speaker 2: what could go wrong? 471 00:26:32,920 --> 00:26:34,440 Speaker 3: Flying for Mexico to Canada? 472 00:26:35,240 --> 00:26:37,919 Speaker 2: Canada for the first time, you asked for the second 473 00:26:37,920 --> 00:26:40,960 Speaker 2: time in Mexico for a record third time hosting the 474 00:26:40,960 --> 00:26:44,840 Speaker 2: World Cup all together? What do you think the opportunity 475 00:26:44,960 --> 00:26:48,879 Speaker 2: is there for soccer in this country and this beyond. 476 00:26:49,200 --> 00:26:51,639 Speaker 1: This will be the biggest sporting event in the history 477 00:26:51,640 --> 00:26:54,600 Speaker 1: of the planet, right, because the World Cup already is 478 00:26:54,640 --> 00:26:58,000 Speaker 1: the biggest. You know, maybe not in America doesn't feel 479 00:26:58,000 --> 00:27:00,440 Speaker 1: that way, but around the globe, I mean, millions of 480 00:27:00,520 --> 00:27:03,439 Speaker 1: people watch the World Cup. So this is the biggest 481 00:27:03,440 --> 00:27:09,440 Speaker 1: sporting event anyway, And then having it in North America 482 00:27:10,520 --> 00:27:15,520 Speaker 1: is going to be insane. So my challenge personally is 483 00:27:15,640 --> 00:27:17,359 Speaker 1: I don't know. I don't know what to do and 484 00:27:17,400 --> 00:27:18,919 Speaker 1: where to go. I don't know if I just be 485 00:27:18,960 --> 00:27:21,239 Speaker 1: a fan and travel every game. I don't know if 486 00:27:21,280 --> 00:27:24,200 Speaker 1: I should, you know, hope to broadcast it and work 487 00:27:24,240 --> 00:27:26,600 Speaker 1: that way. I don't know what to do because there's 488 00:27:26,960 --> 00:27:29,760 Speaker 1: the options are endless, and it's going to be a 489 00:27:29,800 --> 00:27:33,520 Speaker 1: phenomenal party, the biggest party on the planet for thirty days. 490 00:27:33,720 --> 00:27:36,040 Speaker 2: So it's going to be well, you're going to try 491 00:27:36,080 --> 00:27:36,760 Speaker 2: to make the team. 492 00:27:36,840 --> 00:27:42,080 Speaker 1: Right at forty one, I could barely walk. You see 493 00:27:42,119 --> 00:27:43,879 Speaker 1: me walk the golf course. I could barely walk. 494 00:27:46,200 --> 00:27:48,840 Speaker 2: No, I mean there's got to be I mean, you 495 00:27:48,880 --> 00:27:52,080 Speaker 2: say it's all about playing, but at this point, right this, 496 00:27:52,200 --> 00:27:53,879 Speaker 2: woant don't you just take a seat on the bench, 497 00:27:54,560 --> 00:27:56,560 Speaker 2: just be just be there for the experience. 498 00:27:56,680 --> 00:27:57,560 Speaker 1: Hey, I would love to. 499 00:27:58,640 --> 00:28:01,520 Speaker 3: You've got to have the cloud to do that, right, No. 500 00:28:01,720 --> 00:28:03,960 Speaker 1: Not quite not, it doesn't work that way. 501 00:28:04,400 --> 00:28:06,240 Speaker 3: Oh all right, well. 502 00:28:07,680 --> 00:28:12,000 Speaker 2: You you just mentioned golf. Talk to me about what golf. 503 00:28:12,080 --> 00:28:16,080 Speaker 2: By the way, he's sambager. Let's just be really clear 504 00:28:16,119 --> 00:28:18,600 Speaker 2: about something here publicly and across the world. 505 00:28:18,840 --> 00:28:19,560 Speaker 1: That's not true. 506 00:28:20,520 --> 00:28:24,639 Speaker 2: What does golf give you that you don't don't get 507 00:28:24,760 --> 00:28:26,199 Speaker 2: now that you've retired from soccer. 508 00:28:26,840 --> 00:28:30,400 Speaker 1: That's a great question. It's just the challenge of it. 509 00:28:30,400 --> 00:28:35,520 Speaker 1: It's so hard to be good at and I have 510 00:28:35,640 --> 00:28:39,600 Speaker 1: so much respect. I went to the US Open La 511 00:28:39,680 --> 00:28:44,280 Speaker 1: Country Club last week, and watching those guys live is crazy. 512 00:28:45,160 --> 00:28:47,160 Speaker 1: I have so much respect for people who do things 513 00:28:47,200 --> 00:28:50,120 Speaker 1: at a high level, at the highest level, and watching 514 00:28:50,160 --> 00:28:53,440 Speaker 1: that is so fun and it's brought me brought my 515 00:28:53,520 --> 00:28:56,840 Speaker 1: ego down, So it's good for my ego. It's brought 516 00:28:56,840 --> 00:28:59,560 Speaker 1: me a lot of joy just being around like minded people, 517 00:28:59,640 --> 00:29:02,640 Speaker 1: you know. When we play on Fridays, it's so much fun, 518 00:29:02,880 --> 00:29:04,680 Speaker 1: and it's a group of guys that are just really 519 00:29:04,720 --> 00:29:07,560 Speaker 1: good human beings. So I've gotten a lot of joy 520 00:29:07,600 --> 00:29:10,640 Speaker 1: out of it, and now I'm a lifelong fan like you. 521 00:29:11,880 --> 00:29:16,080 Speaker 2: Yeah, it's interesting when I talk to guys about golf 522 00:29:16,120 --> 00:29:20,560 Speaker 2: who excelled in other sports. I mean, to me, there 523 00:29:20,640 --> 00:29:24,720 Speaker 2: is a really distinct difference which you would think would 524 00:29:24,760 --> 00:29:28,000 Speaker 2: act against each other. I mean in soccer, and in 525 00:29:28,000 --> 00:29:33,120 Speaker 2: some ways especially soccer, right like in basketball or something 526 00:29:33,280 --> 00:29:36,360 Speaker 2: you're racing to try to score a thousand points right. 527 00:29:36,400 --> 00:29:39,960 Speaker 2: I mean, it's just your It's always about go, go 528 00:29:39,960 --> 00:29:45,720 Speaker 2: go and scoring. Football somewhat the same way because baseball 529 00:29:45,880 --> 00:29:49,800 Speaker 2: is so individualized at the plate, nobody's giving up theoretically, 530 00:29:49,960 --> 00:29:52,880 Speaker 2: like every at bat they're going to grind because it's 531 00:29:53,120 --> 00:29:56,720 Speaker 2: individual as well as the team. You know, Soccer is 532 00:29:56,720 --> 00:30:01,880 Speaker 2: interesting because it is just about beating your opponent, whatever 533 00:30:01,920 --> 00:30:04,920 Speaker 2: that takes, and the competition comes from that, like we 534 00:30:05,440 --> 00:30:09,560 Speaker 2: want to beat you and whatever that takes, to what 535 00:30:09,720 --> 00:30:13,320 Speaker 2: degree of defensive you know, play after you've scored a 536 00:30:13,360 --> 00:30:16,600 Speaker 2: couple of times or whatever. Golf is the opposite, right, 537 00:30:16,680 --> 00:30:20,840 Speaker 2: because it is only about yourself ultimately. 538 00:30:21,760 --> 00:30:22,720 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's it is. 539 00:30:22,840 --> 00:30:23,200 Speaker 3: I was. 540 00:30:23,440 --> 00:30:25,680 Speaker 1: I was talking to someone about that last week at 541 00:30:25,720 --> 00:30:28,239 Speaker 1: the at the US Open. It is so unique in 542 00:30:28,280 --> 00:30:33,080 Speaker 1: that you can play basically as well as you can 543 00:30:33,640 --> 00:30:37,880 Speaker 1: and still lose. Right in golf. In soccer, if I'm terrible, 544 00:30:38,160 --> 00:30:40,080 Speaker 1: I mean terrible on a given day, we can still 545 00:30:40,080 --> 00:30:42,800 Speaker 1: win the game, right and I and I can find 546 00:30:42,800 --> 00:30:45,400 Speaker 1: out I can find ways to help my team even 547 00:30:45,440 --> 00:30:48,520 Speaker 1: if I'm terrible on the given day. But in golf, 548 00:30:49,040 --> 00:30:51,720 Speaker 1: it's just not that, it's it's and you can also 549 00:30:52,440 --> 00:30:54,520 Speaker 1: you know, it's weird. You can be on the sixteenth 550 00:30:54,520 --> 00:30:59,080 Speaker 1: hole on the fourth day of a major tournament and 551 00:30:59,240 --> 00:31:03,560 Speaker 1: be playing for quote unquote not to win the tournament, 552 00:31:03,680 --> 00:31:07,320 Speaker 1: but still be playing for tons of money, endpoints and 553 00:31:07,360 --> 00:31:09,360 Speaker 1: prestige and the ability to stay on the tour the 554 00:31:09,360 --> 00:31:10,840 Speaker 1: next year. You know, you could have a putt on 555 00:31:10,920 --> 00:31:14,680 Speaker 1: eighteen when you're in nineteenth place. That means a lot. 556 00:31:15,120 --> 00:31:17,240 Speaker 1: And that's you know, if we're down four zero in 557 00:31:17,280 --> 00:31:19,840 Speaker 1: a soccer game, scoring for to one in the ninety 558 00:31:19,880 --> 00:31:22,760 Speaker 1: first minute doesn't matter, right, the game's over, right. But 559 00:31:22,880 --> 00:31:25,080 Speaker 1: in golf, it's just it's such a unique sport in 560 00:31:25,080 --> 00:31:25,920 Speaker 1: so many ways. 561 00:31:26,600 --> 00:31:26,880 Speaker 3: Yeah. 562 00:31:26,920 --> 00:31:29,200 Speaker 2: The thing that I always talk about is, and I 563 00:31:29,200 --> 00:31:33,160 Speaker 2: guess this is true in soccer or other things, there's 564 00:31:33,280 --> 00:31:36,680 Speaker 2: no such thing as a as a perfect round, so 565 00:31:36,760 --> 00:31:40,760 Speaker 2: there's you're always working to do something better. 566 00:31:41,440 --> 00:31:42,040 Speaker 1: Yeah, that's right. 567 00:31:42,560 --> 00:31:45,080 Speaker 2: But I think that for me, it's what makes it 568 00:31:45,160 --> 00:31:50,200 Speaker 2: so wholly unique is that that individual fight with yourself. 569 00:31:50,240 --> 00:31:52,400 Speaker 2: I mean, if you're playing match play, but most tournaments 570 00:31:52,440 --> 00:31:55,960 Speaker 2: aren't match play. I mean you're literally just trying to 571 00:31:56,160 --> 00:32:00,800 Speaker 2: play as well as you can individually, and where you 572 00:32:00,920 --> 00:32:02,560 Speaker 2: end up is where you wind up. I mean, there's 573 00:32:02,680 --> 00:32:05,760 Speaker 2: nothing you can do about what McElroy is doing, you know. 574 00:32:05,800 --> 00:32:08,520 Speaker 1: For right exactly. It doesn't matter, and that's why it's 575 00:32:08,600 --> 00:32:10,560 Speaker 1: just such an It's so weird for me because my 576 00:32:10,600 --> 00:32:14,000 Speaker 1: whole life in sports has been completely opposite. It's about 577 00:32:14,040 --> 00:32:16,640 Speaker 1: how you help everyone else to get over the finish line, 578 00:32:16,680 --> 00:32:18,880 Speaker 1: you know. But it's just it's good. 579 00:32:19,160 --> 00:32:23,320 Speaker 2: I love it. Yeah, you spoke about our Friday golf group. 580 00:32:23,960 --> 00:32:30,680 Speaker 2: Landon was well, you were inducted into the Soccer Hall 581 00:32:30,720 --> 00:32:34,480 Speaker 2: of Fame a couple of weeks slash months ago. We 582 00:32:34,560 --> 00:32:37,720 Speaker 2: had a dinner hosting and roasting you for that. Talk 583 00:32:37,760 --> 00:32:40,360 Speaker 2: to me a little bit about what that meant for you. 584 00:32:40,440 --> 00:32:44,520 Speaker 2: I mean, the freaking MVP Award is now called the 585 00:32:44,600 --> 00:32:49,600 Speaker 2: Landon Donovan MLS MVP Award. But to be recognized as 586 00:32:50,120 --> 00:32:52,280 Speaker 2: being a Hall of Famer, what did that mean to you? 587 00:32:53,040 --> 00:32:57,080 Speaker 1: Well, being a Hall of Famer is obviously it's an 588 00:32:57,080 --> 00:33:01,400 Speaker 1: incredible feeling. But talking about the Friday golf I mean, 589 00:33:01,440 --> 00:33:05,480 Speaker 1: you guys all have busy lives. You took a Wednesday 590 00:33:05,560 --> 00:33:10,640 Speaker 1: night to celebrate with me. And what I've always said 591 00:33:10,680 --> 00:33:14,240 Speaker 1: to people is sports in that way are challenging because 592 00:33:14,800 --> 00:33:18,360 Speaker 1: it's really hard to make true, meaningful friendships. You're around 593 00:33:18,400 --> 00:33:22,360 Speaker 1: guys all the time, but inevitably someone gets traded. Guys retire, 594 00:33:22,800 --> 00:33:27,000 Speaker 1: guys go to different teams, and so you don't keep 595 00:33:27,040 --> 00:33:29,640 Speaker 1: that connection for a long time. But we all live 596 00:33:29,680 --> 00:33:32,960 Speaker 1: in an amazing community in San Diego where presumably most 597 00:33:32,960 --> 00:33:34,600 Speaker 1: of us are going to be the rest of our lives. 598 00:33:35,120 --> 00:33:37,960 Speaker 1: And now we have this group of guys who genuinely 599 00:33:37,960 --> 00:33:41,200 Speaker 1: care about each other, treat each other well, celebrate each 600 00:33:41,240 --> 00:33:45,000 Speaker 1: other or positive. It's really unat I haven't had that. 601 00:33:45,080 --> 00:33:47,520 Speaker 1: I've been around guys my age my whole life, but 602 00:33:47,960 --> 00:33:50,720 Speaker 1: I haven't had that sort of community. And so it's 603 00:33:50,760 --> 00:33:52,720 Speaker 1: a really special group of guys. We're lucky to be 604 00:33:52,760 --> 00:33:53,200 Speaker 1: part of it. 605 00:33:53,720 --> 00:33:56,040 Speaker 2: Yeah, I agree, and you know, if any of them 606 00:33:56,040 --> 00:33:57,600 Speaker 2: are listening, I don't want to go too far in 607 00:33:57,680 --> 00:34:01,080 Speaker 2: this for obvious reasons, but I think what's unique about 608 00:34:01,080 --> 00:34:04,120 Speaker 2: it is, you know, one having the opportunity to get 609 00:34:04,160 --> 00:34:09,040 Speaker 2: to know you a little bit, and also professional golfers 610 00:34:09,160 --> 00:34:15,719 Speaker 2: and also guys from such a wide range of experience 611 00:34:15,880 --> 00:34:21,839 Speaker 2: and business knowledge and life experience, and that I think 612 00:34:21,920 --> 00:34:25,279 Speaker 2: is really unique and special. So I will I will 613 00:34:25,320 --> 00:34:28,879 Speaker 2: begrudgingly back you up and say we have found a 614 00:34:29,040 --> 00:34:33,040 Speaker 2: very unique little group that offers me something I've never 615 00:34:33,120 --> 00:34:36,040 Speaker 2: had as well, and also just really fun. 616 00:34:36,400 --> 00:34:36,760 Speaker 1: Yeah. 617 00:34:36,800 --> 00:34:57,759 Speaker 2: Well, I want to talk about something that I was like, 618 00:34:58,040 --> 00:35:01,120 Speaker 2: my mind was blown when I start doing this research, 619 00:35:02,120 --> 00:35:02,399 Speaker 2: and I. 620 00:35:02,360 --> 00:35:03,680 Speaker 3: Never thought about it before. 621 00:35:03,719 --> 00:35:06,800 Speaker 2: But because of all of your work with a national 622 00:35:06,840 --> 00:35:12,040 Speaker 2: team competing on an international basis and also MLS, you 623 00:35:12,239 --> 00:35:18,279 Speaker 2: had thirteen years in a row where you're playing January 624 00:35:18,280 --> 00:35:23,359 Speaker 2: through December with no off season and no breaks, and 625 00:35:23,640 --> 00:35:28,480 Speaker 2: none of the other major sports have do that in 626 00:35:28,560 --> 00:35:33,400 Speaker 2: the same way. And there's more running, I mean in 627 00:35:33,480 --> 00:35:38,880 Speaker 2: your sport. How do you keep your body healthy enough 628 00:35:39,000 --> 00:35:42,280 Speaker 2: to take on this schedule for so much time? 629 00:35:43,280 --> 00:35:47,839 Speaker 1: Well, there's clearly a genetic component right to stay out, yes, 630 00:35:47,960 --> 00:35:51,319 Speaker 1: for most of my career. But I spent you know, 631 00:35:51,520 --> 00:35:56,000 Speaker 1: I spent lots of time, energy, and money taking care 632 00:35:56,080 --> 00:35:59,600 Speaker 1: of my body. I mean, in some years, hundreds of 633 00:35:59,640 --> 00:36:01,839 Speaker 1: thousands of dollars to take care of just to take 634 00:36:01,840 --> 00:36:04,480 Speaker 1: care of my body. So I did. I did a 635 00:36:04,600 --> 00:36:09,040 Speaker 1: variety of things. I did pilates, I worked with someone 636 00:36:09,120 --> 00:36:12,120 Speaker 1: who was a structural alignment person who just got your 637 00:36:12,120 --> 00:36:17,000 Speaker 1: body structurally organized so that you could stay healthy. All 638 00:36:17,040 --> 00:36:20,120 Speaker 1: of the normal things you would do before and after training, 639 00:36:20,160 --> 00:36:24,560 Speaker 1: all the treatment, stretching, massage, just took care of my 640 00:36:24,600 --> 00:36:28,520 Speaker 1: body at a high level, always eating well, hydrating well, 641 00:36:28,560 --> 00:36:32,080 Speaker 1: and all that all allowed me to sleeping well. That 642 00:36:32,120 --> 00:36:34,920 Speaker 1: allowed me to play for a long time. Otherwise it's impossible. 643 00:36:34,920 --> 00:36:37,680 Speaker 1: I mean, you can't. We're not robots, right. At some 644 00:36:37,680 --> 00:36:42,200 Speaker 1: point your body breaks down. And so it took all 645 00:36:42,239 --> 00:36:45,279 Speaker 1: of those things to allow me to stay healthy. 646 00:36:45,320 --> 00:36:47,240 Speaker 3: Clearly that helped. 647 00:36:47,320 --> 00:36:50,960 Speaker 2: But you talked about in twenty twelve needed to take 648 00:36:51,000 --> 00:36:54,600 Speaker 2: a break because you had for thirteen years, and you 649 00:36:54,719 --> 00:36:58,880 Speaker 2: describe yourself as being mentally exhausted as well and just 650 00:36:59,320 --> 00:37:00,000 Speaker 2: needing a break. 651 00:37:00,080 --> 00:37:01,000 Speaker 3: Do you was that help? 652 00:37:01,120 --> 00:37:02,880 Speaker 2: Was that a helpful time for you or was that 653 00:37:03,000 --> 00:37:04,960 Speaker 2: just you just had to do it? 654 00:37:04,960 --> 00:37:09,000 Speaker 1: It was almost mandatory. I mean I was. I was like, 655 00:37:09,040 --> 00:37:12,040 Speaker 1: we have a lot of mental health in my family, 656 00:37:12,200 --> 00:37:15,080 Speaker 1: a lot of mental health issues, and I was getting 657 00:37:15,120 --> 00:37:19,279 Speaker 1: to a point where I was not enjoying it. I 658 00:37:19,360 --> 00:37:24,799 Speaker 1: was depressed. I was exhausted, I mean just physically emotionally exhausted, 659 00:37:25,280 --> 00:37:27,480 Speaker 1: and I needed to get away. I just needed the 660 00:37:27,520 --> 00:37:30,200 Speaker 1: opportunity to get away. And I didn't know if I 661 00:37:30,200 --> 00:37:32,479 Speaker 1: would come back in a month, three months, six months, 662 00:37:32,560 --> 00:37:35,439 Speaker 1: or just be done. But I couldn't. I couldn't keep 663 00:37:35,480 --> 00:37:38,880 Speaker 1: going or I was gonna literally just go crazy. So 664 00:37:39,120 --> 00:37:43,080 Speaker 1: I took a break. Fortunately, the Galaxy were supportive of it, 665 00:37:44,000 --> 00:37:46,480 Speaker 1: and in the end, I believe it was three or 666 00:37:46,520 --> 00:37:49,160 Speaker 1: four months where I got to just get away and 667 00:37:49,560 --> 00:37:52,760 Speaker 1: just let my mind and body recover and heal before 668 00:37:52,800 --> 00:37:54,600 Speaker 1: I went for another couple of years. 669 00:37:55,239 --> 00:38:00,719 Speaker 2: Yeah, well, I'm glad that one that they were they 670 00:38:00,719 --> 00:38:05,439 Speaker 2: were supportive. I mean, you came back and by the way, 671 00:38:05,560 --> 00:38:10,239 Speaker 2: one One won the Cup another time as well in 672 00:38:10,320 --> 00:38:13,719 Speaker 2: twenty fourteen, so I'm sure they were appreciative of that. 673 00:38:14,080 --> 00:38:19,239 Speaker 2: Your decision to finally retire in twenty eighteen was that difficult? 674 00:38:19,480 --> 00:38:20,440 Speaker 3: No, I was. 675 00:38:20,560 --> 00:38:24,439 Speaker 1: I was ready, And of course there are things you miss, right, 676 00:38:24,480 --> 00:38:27,640 Speaker 1: I mean that mostly the game days, the energy in 677 00:38:27,680 --> 00:38:32,520 Speaker 1: the building is so fun and going to compete. But 678 00:38:34,280 --> 00:38:36,040 Speaker 1: it got to a point where, you know, when I 679 00:38:36,120 --> 00:38:39,120 Speaker 1: was the first probably eight years of my career, it 680 00:38:39,200 --> 00:38:41,920 Speaker 1: wasn't if we started playing in January. It wasn't until 681 00:38:41,920 --> 00:38:45,560 Speaker 1: like September October, I was like, it's getting Cal'm getting 682 00:38:45,640 --> 00:38:47,680 Speaker 1: kind of tired. By the end of my career. It 683 00:38:47,719 --> 00:38:50,160 Speaker 1: was like in May, I was like, we still have 684 00:38:50,280 --> 00:38:52,719 Speaker 1: six months to go, you know, and so I just 685 00:38:52,800 --> 00:38:55,600 Speaker 1: knew that it was it was enough. My body had 686 00:38:55,640 --> 00:38:57,960 Speaker 1: taken enough, my mind had taken enough. Now it was 687 00:38:58,000 --> 00:38:58,640 Speaker 1: time to stop. 688 00:38:59,520 --> 00:39:02,840 Speaker 3: You've gotten to broadcasting. Is that fun for you? Is 689 00:39:02,880 --> 00:39:03,839 Speaker 3: that just another job? 690 00:39:03,920 --> 00:39:05,880 Speaker 1: No? No, No, I wouldn't. I mean I wouldn't do it. 691 00:39:05,880 --> 00:39:06,160 Speaker 3: I don't. 692 00:39:06,200 --> 00:39:08,919 Speaker 1: I don't have to do it. I take the time 693 00:39:08,960 --> 00:39:11,040 Speaker 1: to do it. So I'm I love doing it. It's 694 00:39:11,040 --> 00:39:13,799 Speaker 1: fun to stay a part of it. And I've also 695 00:39:13,840 --> 00:39:16,320 Speaker 1: I was a coach for three years here in San Diego, 696 00:39:16,440 --> 00:39:19,400 Speaker 1: so I had the ability to really see the game differently. 697 00:39:20,120 --> 00:39:25,120 Speaker 1: And most broadcasters haven't been coaches, so they don't see 698 00:39:25,120 --> 00:39:27,640 Speaker 1: the game that way. And so I feel like I'm 699 00:39:27,680 --> 00:39:30,400 Speaker 1: able to provide some insight that that's pretty unique. 700 00:39:31,640 --> 00:39:37,160 Speaker 2: Talking about San Diego's USL club, Loyal, which Landon is 701 00:39:37,320 --> 00:39:45,640 Speaker 2: also an owner of, in May, MLS, your your your mothership, 702 00:39:45,960 --> 00:39:50,320 Speaker 2: as it were, well, they grant San Diego an MLS team. 703 00:39:50,680 --> 00:39:53,840 Speaker 2: How was that for you already being here in San Diego? 704 00:39:54,200 --> 00:39:56,200 Speaker 2: Was that difficult for you or do you think that's 705 00:39:56,480 --> 00:39:57,680 Speaker 2: good for San Diego? 706 00:39:58,480 --> 00:40:01,040 Speaker 1: Well? Both, I mean it's hard for or Loyal because 707 00:40:01,040 --> 00:40:04,080 Speaker 1: we've built something that I'm really proud of and that's special. 708 00:40:04,280 --> 00:40:08,640 Speaker 1: But having MLS in San Diego is great for the city. 709 00:40:09,200 --> 00:40:12,800 Speaker 1: And I've grown to know a lot of the people 710 00:40:12,840 --> 00:40:16,560 Speaker 1: who care most about soccer in our city. Over the 711 00:40:16,600 --> 00:40:19,920 Speaker 1: last seven years that I've been in San Diego, I've met, 712 00:40:20,000 --> 00:40:23,840 Speaker 1: you know, almost every diehard soccer fan, you know, thousands 713 00:40:23,840 --> 00:40:25,000 Speaker 1: and thousands of them. 714 00:40:25,200 --> 00:40:25,520 Speaker 3: And. 715 00:40:26,880 --> 00:40:29,120 Speaker 1: They have waited so long for this. You know, I've 716 00:40:29,120 --> 00:40:31,200 Speaker 1: been waiting a long time, but they've been waiting a 717 00:40:31,320 --> 00:40:34,120 Speaker 1: really long time. And so this is a moment that's 718 00:40:34,160 --> 00:40:37,040 Speaker 1: long overdue for San Diego. And you know, when I 719 00:40:37,120 --> 00:40:40,480 Speaker 1: go to the Padres games at Peco, it is so 720 00:40:40,920 --> 00:40:43,320 Speaker 1: good for the city. It's so uplifting for the city. 721 00:40:43,360 --> 00:40:44,399 Speaker 1: And this is going to be the same. 722 00:40:45,520 --> 00:40:47,280 Speaker 2: Yeah. 723 00:40:47,360 --> 00:40:47,640 Speaker 3: Good. 724 00:40:48,239 --> 00:40:50,680 Speaker 2: So what is what is Loyal's future? What do you 725 00:40:50,760 --> 00:40:51,880 Speaker 2: see as Loyal's future? 726 00:40:53,239 --> 00:40:58,480 Speaker 1: It's not my decision, it's our our owner is Andrew Vasiliadis. Ultimately, 727 00:40:58,520 --> 00:41:04,120 Speaker 1: it's his choice how he wants to proceed. He's, you know, understandably, 728 00:41:04,160 --> 00:41:09,439 Speaker 1: it's been hard for him because he's built this amazing thing. 729 00:41:09,719 --> 00:41:14,399 Speaker 1: And I'm maybe I'm too idealistic, but I think there's 730 00:41:14,440 --> 00:41:19,040 Speaker 1: a scenario where everybody joins together in some way to 731 00:41:19,120 --> 00:41:21,120 Speaker 1: move forward together. I think that would be the best 732 00:41:21,120 --> 00:41:24,280 Speaker 1: thing to bring all the soccer fans in the city together. 733 00:41:24,760 --> 00:41:27,000 Speaker 1: But ultimately it's his choice, so that's you know, that's 734 00:41:27,040 --> 00:41:28,400 Speaker 1: only a decision he can make. 735 00:41:29,040 --> 00:41:33,880 Speaker 2: Right, Well, I wish you luck with that. I agree 736 00:41:33,880 --> 00:41:37,719 Speaker 2: with you. I think having the MLS one way or 737 00:41:37,760 --> 00:41:42,560 Speaker 2: another here in San Diego is is great. I mean, yeah, 738 00:41:43,160 --> 00:41:47,400 Speaker 2: people forget San Diego is like the eighth most populous city. 739 00:41:47,520 --> 00:41:50,320 Speaker 2: I mean, we think of ourselves as being this small 740 00:41:50,840 --> 00:41:55,400 Speaker 2: little thing next to Los Angeles. But in point of fact, 741 00:41:55,520 --> 00:41:59,480 Speaker 2: now with everybody else leaving, you know, the Padres are 742 00:41:59,480 --> 00:42:01,759 Speaker 2: sort of the only the only game in town, no 743 00:42:01,840 --> 00:42:05,239 Speaker 2: pun intended. So I think having the MLS here is 744 00:42:05,280 --> 00:42:07,000 Speaker 2: going to be really huge for the area. 745 00:42:07,239 --> 00:42:09,000 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's going to be great. 746 00:42:09,440 --> 00:42:15,280 Speaker 2: Proudest moment for you on the soccer field, on the pitch, sorry, 747 00:42:15,400 --> 00:42:16,120 Speaker 2: on the pitch. 748 00:42:16,600 --> 00:42:19,640 Speaker 1: I think playing in my first World Cup, a kid 749 00:42:19,719 --> 00:42:22,360 Speaker 1: from a small town in Ontario, grew up, you know, 750 00:42:22,400 --> 00:42:26,040 Speaker 1: in a nine hundred square foot home with nothing to 751 00:42:26,160 --> 00:42:30,759 Speaker 1: make it there was that defied all the odds and 752 00:42:30,800 --> 00:42:34,640 Speaker 1: so being there was really proud moment for me. 753 00:42:35,400 --> 00:42:38,399 Speaker 2: Yeah, even as a young kid, I mean, I'm doing 754 00:42:38,480 --> 00:42:41,280 Speaker 2: the math quickly in my head right now, I'm putting 755 00:42:41,280 --> 00:42:46,480 Speaker 2: you at eight nineteen ish years of age. Are you 756 00:42:46,680 --> 00:42:51,799 Speaker 2: able to feel the impact that you're having on a 757 00:42:51,920 --> 00:42:56,160 Speaker 2: nation when you're like, do you feel it? 758 00:42:56,600 --> 00:42:59,360 Speaker 1: No? But later in my career I was more aware 759 00:42:59,360 --> 00:43:02,080 Speaker 1: of that. But when you're eighteen, you're just playing. You know, 760 00:43:02,800 --> 00:43:04,799 Speaker 1: you're just in, You're just in every moment, You're at 761 00:43:04,840 --> 00:43:07,279 Speaker 1: the next trip, the next stadium, the next and you know, 762 00:43:07,680 --> 00:43:10,600 Speaker 1: and plus the world was different then. There wasn't the 763 00:43:10,680 --> 00:43:13,840 Speaker 1: social media component. There wasn't you know, people weren't as 764 00:43:13,880 --> 00:43:16,080 Speaker 1: aware of things like that. So you just you just 765 00:43:16,280 --> 00:43:17,560 Speaker 1: did your job and moved on. 766 00:43:17,640 --> 00:43:21,880 Speaker 2: You know, Yeah, I guess so, but I feel like 767 00:43:23,360 --> 00:43:26,239 Speaker 2: I don't know, you see, And maybe this is not 768 00:43:26,280 --> 00:43:32,640 Speaker 2: even an appropriate comparison, but I remember early on when 769 00:43:32,640 --> 00:43:37,680 Speaker 2: the NBA, when the players started going to China, and 770 00:43:37,760 --> 00:43:39,880 Speaker 2: I'm talking about this is back in like the Jordan 771 00:43:40,000 --> 00:43:43,360 Speaker 2: days or whatever, and they went to China and suddenly 772 00:43:43,400 --> 00:43:48,800 Speaker 2: it was as though they were all realizing how big 773 00:43:49,160 --> 00:43:52,719 Speaker 2: they were over there, Like it was sort of like 774 00:43:52,880 --> 00:43:55,719 Speaker 2: not a part of the consciousness, you know, coming home 775 00:43:55,800 --> 00:43:59,640 Speaker 2: and realizing now, like I mean, you had to know, like, oh, 776 00:44:00,160 --> 00:44:03,440 Speaker 2: I'm now being asked for interviews or I'm seeing myself 777 00:44:03,480 --> 00:44:06,359 Speaker 2: in the newspaper or on the you know, the lead 778 00:44:06,440 --> 00:44:11,239 Speaker 2: story on the news, both national and local. You know, like, yeah, 779 00:44:11,400 --> 00:44:14,520 Speaker 2: it was being talked about like it never had been before. 780 00:44:15,440 --> 00:44:18,040 Speaker 1: Yeah, that happens twice, that happened, I see what you're saying. 781 00:44:18,239 --> 00:44:20,479 Speaker 1: In O two when we came home from the World Cup, 782 00:44:20,640 --> 00:44:23,560 Speaker 1: that was the first time I was like, oh, people 783 00:44:23,840 --> 00:44:27,040 Speaker 1: know who I am. And then in twenty ten when 784 00:44:27,040 --> 00:44:29,120 Speaker 1: we came home from South Africa after the World Cup, 785 00:44:29,160 --> 00:44:31,160 Speaker 1: it was the same. It was like, but on a 786 00:44:31,360 --> 00:44:33,240 Speaker 1: like exponentially greater level. 787 00:44:33,840 --> 00:44:35,200 Speaker 2: So yeah, the con Celtic grow. 788 00:44:35,840 --> 00:44:37,919 Speaker 1: Yeah, you could there. It was tangible. I mean even 789 00:44:38,000 --> 00:44:40,040 Speaker 1: just like walking through the airport when you got home, 790 00:44:40,080 --> 00:44:43,720 Speaker 1: people staring and recognizing you, and then it was tangibly different. 791 00:44:44,000 --> 00:44:48,640 Speaker 2: You could feel it, right, dude, thank you so much 792 00:44:49,000 --> 00:44:53,880 Speaker 2: for coming to talk to me. I you know, truly, 793 00:44:54,800 --> 00:44:58,440 Speaker 2: in terms of American soccer, we we debated it after 794 00:44:58,520 --> 00:45:02,919 Speaker 2: your Hall of Fame induction. I think it was unanimously 795 00:45:02,960 --> 00:45:05,000 Speaker 2: decided the greatest American. 796 00:45:06,120 --> 00:45:09,080 Speaker 3: Sorry of all time. 797 00:45:09,760 --> 00:45:16,040 Speaker 2: And yeah, to have accomplished so much and to mean 798 00:45:16,200 --> 00:45:21,000 Speaker 2: so much because it's personal with the MLS, but it 799 00:45:21,520 --> 00:45:26,279 Speaker 2: is also as a country. I don't think it's overstating 800 00:45:26,320 --> 00:45:28,840 Speaker 2: at how much you have meant to the country and 801 00:45:28,880 --> 00:45:33,800 Speaker 2: the growth of this sport and in nationalism in sports. 802 00:45:33,800 --> 00:45:36,600 Speaker 2: I mean, it's the World Cup, it's the US national team, 803 00:45:37,080 --> 00:45:41,799 Speaker 2: and it's the Olympics, and other than that, nothing else 804 00:45:41,880 --> 00:45:46,400 Speaker 2: comes close. So congratulations on that. I appreciate you coming 805 00:45:46,960 --> 00:45:51,279 Speaker 2: on and congratulations again and on the Hall of Fame. 806 00:45:51,440 --> 00:45:53,799 Speaker 2: And now I just look forward to kicking your assing golf. 807 00:45:55,200 --> 00:45:56,440 Speaker 1: Thanks for having me on, Betty. 808 00:45:56,440 --> 00:46:11,680 Speaker 4: I appreciate it, all right, Thanks man, all right, Landon, 809 00:46:12,120 --> 00:46:13,560 Speaker 4: thank you so much for being here. 810 00:46:13,840 --> 00:46:16,200 Speaker 3: That was awesome. 811 00:46:16,680 --> 00:46:20,880 Speaker 2: It was so awesome in fact that I hereby award 812 00:46:20,960 --> 00:46:25,799 Speaker 2: you the Brian Bomgartner Best Podcast Interview Award. What do 813 00:46:25,840 --> 00:46:29,920 Speaker 2: you think could that be a thing, or the Brian 814 00:46:30,000 --> 00:46:36,160 Speaker 2: Bombgartner Coolest Golf Buddy Award? Maybe you could win that anyway, Listeners, 815 00:46:36,840 --> 00:46:39,879 Speaker 2: if you think of a good award for my name, 816 00:46:40,000 --> 00:46:42,360 Speaker 2: then send it over to me at Off the Beat 817 00:46:42,520 --> 00:46:46,560 Speaker 2: on Instagram or who knows, maybe you'll receive the award 818 00:46:46,640 --> 00:46:50,000 Speaker 2: for best award name named after you. This could be 819 00:46:50,040 --> 00:46:53,359 Speaker 2: a thing, but for now, in the words of a 820 00:46:53,560 --> 00:46:54,560 Speaker 2: very wise. 821 00:46:54,280 --> 00:46:58,400 Speaker 3: Pig that that's all, folks, until next time, have a 822 00:46:58,400 --> 00:47:07,160 Speaker 3: great week Off. 823 00:47:07,200 --> 00:47:11,200 Speaker 2: The Beat is hosted and executive produced by me Brian Baumgartner, 824 00:47:11,480 --> 00:47:15,480 Speaker 2: alongside our executive producer Lang Lee. Our senior producer is 825 00:47:15,560 --> 00:47:19,560 Speaker 2: Diego Tapia. Our producers are Liz Hayes, Hannah Harris, and 826 00:47:19,600 --> 00:47:24,040 Speaker 2: Emily Carr. Our talent producer is Ryan Papa Zachary, and 827 00:47:24,160 --> 00:47:28,560 Speaker 2: our intern is Thomas Olsen. Our theme song Bubble and Squeak, 828 00:47:28,880 --> 00:47:32,000 Speaker 2: performed by the one and Only Creed Brandon