Landon Donovan
๐ค SpeakerAppearances Over Time
Podcast Appearances
I thought Vancouver, given all the, you know, how they finished last season and the turnover, I thought, I'm not really sure about this team. Hats off to them for having a good offseason and a fine start to the regular season. Again, they do it quietly. They're up there. That's right. Up in Canada, people seem to forget about them.
By the way, the best, one of the best cities in North America, easily, easily. And so, look, they're doing the business. And as you said, four goals is, yeah, to your main point, four goals is special because, like, sometimes you don't even get four chances in a game, right? So you've got... Maybe as a team, you don't get four chances like that, right?
By the way, the best, one of the best cities in North America, easily, easily. And so, look, they're doing the business. And as you said, four goals is, yeah, to your main point, four goals is special because, like, sometimes you don't even get four chances in a game, right? So you've got... Maybe as a team, you don't get four chances like that, right?
By the way, the best, one of the best cities in North America, easily, easily. And so, look, they're doing the business. And as you said, four goals is, yeah, to your main point, four goals is special because, like, sometimes you don't even get four chances in a game, right? So you've got... Maybe as a team, you don't get four chances like that, right?
So your percentage has to be really high on that day. So hopefully, if he continues to do the business, should he have an opportunity to go to the Gold Cup? Absolutely. We are not a country, as you and I continually talk about, we are not a country who produce goal scores, natural goal scores. So if there's somebody who's firing him in, absolutely, he should be in contention for the Gold Cup squad.
So your percentage has to be really high on that day. So hopefully, if he continues to do the business, should he have an opportunity to go to the Gold Cup? Absolutely. We are not a country, as you and I continually talk about, we are not a country who produce goal scores, natural goal scores. So if there's somebody who's firing him in, absolutely, he should be in contention for the Gold Cup squad.
So your percentage has to be really high on that day. So hopefully, if he continues to do the business, should he have an opportunity to go to the Gold Cup? Absolutely. We are not a country, as you and I continually talk about, we are not a country who produce goal scores, natural goal scores. So if there's somebody who's firing him in, absolutely, he should be in contention for the Gold Cup squad.
I know you love it. I do too. And I think it's for another episode that you can't use the money that you produce. That's a problem in MLS, but we'll get there at some point or another decade, but whatever. The fact of the matter, and I actually had breakfast this weekend with a good friend of mine who's an owner of a USL team. And we were talking about this Gazdag trade.
I know you love it. I do too. And I think it's for another episode that you can't use the money that you produce. That's a problem in MLS, but we'll get there at some point or another decade, but whatever. The fact of the matter, and I actually had breakfast this weekend with a good friend of mine who's an owner of a USL team. And we were talking about this Gazdag trade.
I know you love it. I do too. And I think it's for another episode that you can't use the money that you produce. That's a problem in MLS, but we'll get there at some point or another decade, but whatever. The fact of the matter, and I actually had breakfast this weekend with a good friend of mine who's an owner of a USL team. And we were talking about this Gazdag trade.
And I just thought to myself, I don't like using the word stupid, but I use it a lot. So I think it's stupid that in this country and in our league, and yes, we did it at Houston by paying cash for Jack McGlynn. It blows my mind. The best players, I've said this all along, the best players in MLS are already there. Right? There's levels and there's thresholds, Landon, right?
And I just thought to myself, I don't like using the word stupid, but I use it a lot. So I think it's stupid that in this country and in our league, and yes, we did it at Houston by paying cash for Jack McGlynn. It blows my mind. The best players, I've said this all along, the best players in MLS are already there. Right? There's levels and there's thresholds, Landon, right?
And I just thought to myself, I don't like using the word stupid, but I use it a lot. So I think it's stupid that in this country and in our league, and yes, we did it at Houston by paying cash for Jack McGlynn. It blows my mind. The best players, I've said this all along, the best players in MLS are already there. Right? There's levels and there's thresholds, Landon, right?
So is Messi in the top? Like, who are the needle movers? Messi, Mbappe, Haaland, maybe De Bruyne. They're going to cost you a ton, right? There's a small layer. Go beneath that layer where most everybody else operates. And then there's a third layer. To buy a player from South America, Europe. And by the way, we're getting players in MLS in European leagues, like lower European leagues.
So is Messi in the top? Like, who are the needle movers? Messi, Mbappe, Haaland, maybe De Bruyne. They're going to cost you a ton, right? There's a small layer. Go beneath that layer where most everybody else operates. And then there's a third layer. To buy a player from South America, Europe. And by the way, we're getting players in MLS in European leagues, like lower European leagues.
So is Messi in the top? Like, who are the needle movers? Messi, Mbappe, Haaland, maybe De Bruyne. They're going to cost you a ton, right? There's a small layer. Go beneath that layer where most everybody else operates. And then there's a third layer. To buy a player from South America, Europe. And by the way, we're getting players in MLS in European leagues, like lower European leagues.
Like Poland and Hungary. So your scouting network has to be so vast. And we don't pay a lot in terms of how building out our scouting networks. Constantly getting it wrong. right? Like that's not me. That's not me talking. Just look at the designated players and it's, it's kind of an eye test, but if you go back to DPS across the league over the last,
Like Poland and Hungary. So your scouting network has to be so vast. And we don't pay a lot in terms of how building out our scouting networks. Constantly getting it wrong. right? Like that's not me. That's not me talking. Just look at the designated players and it's, it's kind of an eye test, but if you go back to DPS across the league over the last,
Like Poland and Hungary. So your scouting network has to be so vast. And we don't pay a lot in terms of how building out our scouting networks. Constantly getting it wrong. right? Like that's not me. That's not me talking. Just look at the designated players and it's, it's kind of an eye test, but if you go back to DPS across the league over the last,
15 years, there's a lot more flops than there are successes. Would you agree with that? Okay. So, so my point is we're willing to go, Ooh, I found this really good kid in, in, in the Romanian league. And he, you know, I know he was at, he was at Bayern Munich as a kid, but he's kind of fallen out of favor. So we pay for pay $4 million for him. And he's going to come in and do a job.