Tim Howard Calls Jesse Marsch 'Future USMNT Manager', Landon Donovan Disagrees

Tim Howard and Landon Donovan disagree on the current state and future direction of the U.S. Men's National Team.

In the latest episode of their podcast Unfiltered Soccer with Landon Donovan & Tim Howard, the two former stars had a few notable disagreements.

The main focus of the episode was the USMNT’s most recent match and the potential changes head coach Gregg Berhalter—or, as some fans speculate, future coach Mauricio Pochettino—should consider ahead of the Gold Cup quarterfinal against Costa Rica.

A key talking point was goalkeeper Matt Freese’s error, which cost the U.S. a clean sheet. Both Howard and Donovan raised eyebrows over the play, but Donovan went a step further, suggesting veteran Matt Ryan should take over in goal moving forward.

Another major topic was the future of Jesse Marsch and his possible role with the national team. Howard believes a Canada vs. U.S. semifinal would be more than just a regional rivalry—it would be a symbolic showdown between the current USMNT coach and its likely future one.

“It would just be spectacular—imagine that: the current U.S. Men’s National Team coach, Gregg Berhalter, against the future coach, Jesse Marsch. What a matchup in the semifinal. Jesse will—I mean, if you're a soccer person, you know—he will be the coach of the U.S. Men's National Team at some point in the future,” Howard said.

Donovan, however, wasn’t convinced by the Marsch projection and pushed back on Howard’s excitement. Both former players have been calling out the national team frequently.