Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast Chasing the Game - Youth Soccer in America
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| Bad First Touch or Bad Read? How Kids Learn to Read the Game | 28 oct. 2026 | 00:43:53 | |
Bad First Touch or Bad Read? How Kids Learn to Read the Game Your kid looks sharp in training. Then the game starts, and you wonder if they are learning to read the game at all. Miguelangel Grande Jr., founder of Grande Sports, says the problem often starts before the first touch. Pressure changes the picture. Players have to recognize space, understand what their coach wants, and make decisions while the ball is somewhere else. Liron and Matt ask what parents can actually watch for from the sideline, when fewer minutes at a stronger club may still make sense, and what he tells families who cannot afford private training. Miguelangel also points families toward simple time with the ball and full games on TV. In this episode:
Chasing the Game: Youth Soccer in America is a weekly youth soccer development podcast for parents navigating the U.S. youth soccer pathway. Hosted by Liron Unreich and Matt Tartaglia.
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| Are We Asking Too Much of Young Goalkeepers? | 21 oct. 2026 | 00:43:20 | |
Are We Asking Too Much of Young Goalkeepers? Your young goalkeeper lets in a goal. Before you decide what went wrong, what was it reasonable to expect them to do? Sebastiano Mana, Met Oval's head of goalkeeping, wants young keepers to attempt things they haven't mastered yet. He explains why mistakes belong in training, how he reviews what a child could have done differently, and why some expectations from the sideline don't match the player's stage of development. Liron and Matt ask what this means when parents choose a team. Sebastiano's answer comes with ages: up to U15 or U16, he says, consistent goalkeeper coaching matters more than minutes, and splitting playing time is fine. From U17, when colleges start looking, the minutes matter and it may be time to move. He also talks about size in scouting and the basics he finds some experienced young keepers were never taught. Then he speaks as a dad: his smaller midfielder son playing a year down with a younger birth year, a frustrating college search, and the backup plan his family had before a late opportunity. In this episode:
SR Goalkeeping: the NYC goalkeeper training program Sebastiano runs with Alex Rando. srgoalkeeping.com Chasing the Game is a weekly show for parents trying to navigate youth soccer in America: the money, the leagues, the pressure, and what actually develops a player.
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| Soccer vs. School: Why Should Kids Have to Choose? | 14 oct. 2026 | 00:45:37 | |
Soccer vs. School: Why Should Kids Have to Choose? Soccer and school should support the same kid. Why does pursuing one sometimes make the other harder? At YSC Academy, an independent school partnered with the Philadelphia Union, Mark Franek teaches students whose school day is built around soccer. Elsewhere, parents are trying to make training, travel and a regular school schedule work together. Mark, an English teacher and author of American Soccer Nation, explains what he values about the Philadelphia Union environment. Liron and Matt press him on the families who don't have that option. Mark makes the case for in-person teaching while acknowledging the difficult choices families face. He also refuses to treat college as a failed professional dream. His perspective comes from inside this environment, as both a teacher and a soccer dad. The conversation stretches beyond school: the car ride home, what kids hear when parents dismiss MLS, and the American soccer communities Mark writes about. In this episode:
Mark's book, American Soccer Nation, is out now on Amazon and wherever books are sold: https://a.co/d/0hmHzDRX Bonus book content and advice for elite young soccer players live on Mark's book site: https://americansoccernation.com/ Chasing the Game is a weekly show for parents trying to navigate youth soccer in America: the money, the leagues, the pressure, and what actually develops a player.
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| Too Much Soccer Training, Not Enough Free Play? | 07 oct. 2026 | 00:39:40 | |
Too Much Soccer Training, Not Enough Free Play? Before you book another soccer training session, when did your kid last just play? The pitch is familiar. More sessions, a stronger team, more travel, a better chance. Families spend thousands, give up weekends, and still feel it is not enough. Ted Kroeten built that system himself, running a big club in Minnesota on assessments, progress reports and the 10,000 hours. In his words: kids hated it, parents loved it. So he co-founded Joy of the People, a play-based program in a St. Paul rec center. Ted describes 16 years of watching what kids learn through play when adults step back. His frame is overloading and underloading. Overload is the explicit work: drills, reps, structure. Underload is play, where kids build a language of movement and learn to read the player in front of them. Ted thinks even top academy players need more chances to play freely. He also says that can happen within an academy session when players let go of performance pressure and coaches help create the right environment. When Liron asks why a kid's moves disappear between training and games, Ted points to fluency: learning to read and respond to another player. Liron and Matt own up to their own overloading too, including a pickup game where three parents showed up with Veo cameras. Ted's last piece of advice sounds simple and isn't: play with your kids. In this episode:
Chasing the Game is a weekly show for parents trying to navigate youth soccer in America: the money, the leagues, the pressure, and what actually develops a player.
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| Is Moving Up in MLS NEXT Worth Risking Playing Time? | 30 sept. 2026 | 00:49:20 | |
Is Moving Up in MLS NEXT Worth Risking Playing Time? MLS NEXT Homegrown or Academy: would you move your child up if his place on the field became less certain? The offer sounds like progress. But your child already plays regularly, likes his coach, and enjoys his team. A longer drive and a higher division might bring opportunity. They also leave parents with a hard question: what are we giving up? Luis Robles, General Manager, Sporting, MLS NEXT, returns to work through that choice with Liron and Matt. He recalls a mother whose son was happy, playing, and loved his coach. For that player, in that setting, he thought the environment was right. Age and local options mattered to his answer. The conversation also gets into what happens beyond the division name: how clubs are evaluated, why travel costs matter, and what Luis saw as a dad that helped shape his thinking about U13 playing time. He also questions the pressure to fill every free afternoon with organized training. In this episode:
High school eligibility note: Luis mentions the waiver in this conversation. The published 2026-27 Homegrown rules require an approved waiver, with eligibility conditions and application windows, and describe returning to matches after the high school season ends. Playing high school without approval can prevent Homegrown participation until the following fall. Before making plans, check the current rules and confirm your child's eligibility with your club and MLS NEXT. Rules and waiver: mlssoccer.com/mlsnext/resources Chasing the Game is a weekly show for parents trying to navigate youth soccer in America: the money, the leagues, the pressure, and what actually develops a player.
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| Chris Mueller on What the Soccer Dream Demands | 23 sept. 2026 | 00:45:32 | |
Chris Mueller on What the Soccer Dream Demands Chris Mueller was never the best kid on the field. He was on the B team at his Chicago club until he was 14, he was 4 feet 11 until high school, and he did not start a game or score a goal as a freshman at Wisconsin. He left Wisconsin as the first two-time All-American in the program's history, went sixth overall in the 2018 MLS draft, and played for Orlando City, Hibernian in Scotland and the Chicago Fire, with two caps for the U.S. Men's National Team. None of it was bought. He never had a technical trainer as a kid. What changed, he says, was lining up what he said he wanted with what he actually did every day, and that is the part no parent can pay for. Mueller retired from professional soccer in September at 30. He told Liron and Matt on the record, two days before it was public, and then spent most of the conversation talking about other people's kids: how to test whether a player means what he says, what he thinks families overpay for, what college coaches check once your kid has their attention, and why taking ownership is the part that transfers whether or not the soccer works out. The honest part is that there are no guarantees. He did the work, he made it, and it still ended earlier than he expected. He still calls the ending his choice. In this episode:
Chasing the Game is a weekly show for parents trying to navigate youth soccer in America: the money, the leagues, the pressure, and what actually develops a player.
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| A Pro Soccer Offer at 15. A Family Decision. | 16 sept. 2026 | 00:46:13 | |
A Pro Soccer Offer at 15. A Family Decision. If your child received a professional soccer offer at 15, would your family say yes straight away? Jonny Shore's family took months. College was still on the table. The NYCFC midfielder tells Liron and Matt how they made that decision, what changed after he signed, and how his parents supported him when playing well did not bring the next opportunity. For parents wondering how kids become professional soccer players, this is one family's answer, with the parts that do not make the announcement: online school from 10th grade, two seasons on the second team playing against adults, a season where he played well and got "pretty much no looks" from the first team, a debut at 17 that came faster than he expected, and a back injury that took most of the next preseason. Jonny says he has no regrets, and he still tells every kid to have a plan B. He also understands why another player might choose college. Liron and Matt also ask him what coachability means and what coaches owe young players in return, and what he would tell a nine-year-old who is scared to make a mistake. For parents, this is a player's account of when support helped and when pressure got in the way: parents who let him play, friendships that made the academy years special, the moments he needed clearer feedback from coaches, and why, even in the first team, he keeps coming back to enjoying the game. In this episode:
Chasing the Game is a weekly show for parents navigating youth soccer in America: the money, the leagues, the pressure, and what actually develops a player.
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| What U.S. Soccer Says Must Change in Youth Soccer | 09 sept. 2026 | 00:48:45 | |
What U.S. Soccer Says Must Change in Youth Soccer How is U.S. Soccer trying to fix youth soccer? Its chief operating officer says the current system is "not acceptable," families are not appropriately served, and the federation owns improving and clarifying the pathway. The World Cup filled stadiums and pulled in tens of millions of viewers. Then the run ended against Belgium, and the federation started saying two things at once: the event was a success, and the development system has to change. For a parent in the car on the way to practice, the second sentence is the one that matters. Dan Helfrich, Chief Operating Officer of U.S. Soccer, describes what he wants a new system to look like: soccer in schools and parks for free, local competition that does not price families out in money or time, development centers where a kid can be seen without a tryout or a check, and a wider talent funnel that stays open past the early-teen years when kids are still growing. He agrees that most young players should be able to find good competition much closer to home, while acknowledging that lower-density communities need different answers. He says U.S. Soccer will not own and operate leagues. These are goals and early design principles, not announced policy. Dan is also a soccer parent. He asks to return in 9 to 12 months so Liron and Matt can review what has changed and what has not. Parents should hold U.S. Soccer to that check-in. In this episode:
Chasing the Game is a weekly show for parents trying to navigate youth soccer in America, the money, the leagues, the pressure, and what actually develops a player.
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| The Long Game. How Do You Keep Kids Loving Soccer? | 22 juil. 2026 | 00:23:47 | |
The Long Game. How Do You Keep Kids Loving Soccer? • Why listening should come before solving when a child wants to quit
Click here to view the episode transcript. | |||
| What Does Player Development Actually Mean? | 15 juil. 2026 | 00:30:13 | |
Parents hear the word development everywhere in youth soccer. Clubs say it. Coaches say it. Trainers say it. But if training does not transfer to the game, the word can hide more than it explains. In this Best Of Part 3 episode, Liron and Matt revisit clips from Sean McCafferty, Juan Santamaria, Nil Congost, Christian Gonzalez, Evan Rosenthal, Matt Poland, Dr. Chris Platts, and Jose Campos. The episode moves from winning and false progress to skill, recognition, specificity, sacrifice, late developers, and the coaching humility required to see the player in front of you. In this episode:
Click here to view the episode transcript. | |||
| Is Youth Club Soccer Worth the Cost? | 08 juil. 2026 | 00:27:06 | |
For parents, that question is not only about fees. It is about sacrifice, access, pressure, private training, travel, college hopes, and whether the money is actually helping the player. In this Best Of episode, Liron and Matt revisit the cost conversation through clips from Peguy Luyindula, Danny Buttita, Evan Rosenthal, Dr. Chris Platz, Justin Phelps, Tom Bowen, Ryan Farr, Phil Gordon, and Alex Rando. The episode moves past the easy complaint that youth soccer is expensive. It asks a better question: what are parents buying, what are they not buying, and does the spending match the child’s why? Chasing the Game is a weekly show for parents trying to navigate youth soccer in America: the money, the leagues, the pressure, and what actually develops a player.
Click here to view the episode transcript. | |||
| The Youth Soccer Maze: Finding the Right Path | 01 juil. 2026 | 00:24:59 | |
Summer is here, and so is our first Best Of episode. But this isn’t a greatest-hits collection. Instead of replaying our biggest social clips, we went back through 35 episodes and chose the conversations that quietly shaped how we think about youth soccer. We call this episode The Maze because that’s what the American youth soccer system often feels like. Every decision feels urgent. Every club promises opportunity. Every badge seems important. Looking back, we realized these conversations were all answering the same question: How do parents know they’re making the right decision? Featuring insights from Sean McCafferty, Andrew May, Ditmer de Jong, Filippo Giovannoli, Jose Campos, Tom Bowen, and more, this episode explores club fit, player development, rankings, self-regulation, physical maturity, and why finding the right environment matters more than chasing the biggest badge. In this episode * Why fit beats prestige
Click here to view the episode transcript. | |||
| Winning Is Part of Development with Juan Santamaria | 24 juin 2026 | 00:58:32 | |
Winning is part of development. Juan Santamaria, Sporting Director and Vice President at Cedar Stars Academy, joins Chasing the Game to talk about competition, mentality, playing time, college recruiting, MLS academies, and what parents misunderstand about the pathway. This episode gets into the uncomfortable parts of serious youth soccer: losing players to MLS academies, helping families through the college process, the cost of showcases, why players need to drive their own recruiting, and when parents have to step back. Juan also gives a clear answer on what a player needs by age 13, what parents should stop chasing, what they should ask clubs, and the warning sign that a player may be in the wrong environment. More from Chasing the Game:
Click here to view the episode transcript. | |||
| Harris Faulkner Gets a World Cup Crash Course | 17 juin 2026 | 00:37:36 | |
Harris Faulkner Gets a World Cup Crash Course Harris Faulkner knows pressure. Live television. Breaking news. Election nights. But soccer brings a different challenge: stoppage time, offside, VAR, red cards, chanting fans, and two teenage daughters watching every reaction.
Click here to view the episode transcript. | |||
| Why Your Kid Looks Better in Training Than Games | 10 juin 2026 | 00:56:01 | |
Why does a youth soccer player look technical in training, then struggle when the game starts? That question drives this conversation with Christian Silva, founder of Silva Academy and a former professional player. Christian pushes past the easy labels parents hear all the time: technical, confident, talented, improving. His point is sharper than that. A player can look great in a session, beat cones, win drills, and still not understand when or why to use the skill in a real game. Liron and Matt talk with Christian about what technical ability actually means, why the skill is not just the move, why supplemental training has to connect back to the team environment, and why parents often misread confidence. Christian also explains why yelling from the sideline can hijack a player’s decision-making, why watching full games still matters, why highlights can distort development, and why the best soccer parents may need to ask more questions before chasing another trainer, team, badge, or shortcut. This episode is for every parent who has watched their kid look great in practice and then wondered why it did not show up on game day.
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| Youth Soccer Exposure: What Parents Misunderstand | 03 juin 2026 | 00:55:50 | |
A post can open a door, but it can also distort what families think progress looks like. In this episode, Liron and Matt talk with David Rodriguez, founder of Footy Access, about one of the most loaded words in youth soccer: exposure. Parents want their kids seen. Players feel the pressure. Clubs understand the value. Platforms create visibility. But being posted is not the same thing as being developed, recruited, or ready. David explains how Footy Access thinks about coverage, why families cannot pay to have a player featured, when social media can help, and why a young player still has to hold up when the camera is off. In this episode:
Click here to view the episode transcript. | |||
| From D.C. United to Nottingham Forest: What Youth Soccer Coaches Really Do | 27 mai 2026 | 00:54:26 | |
What does a youth soccer coach do when parents are not watching? This week on Chasing the Game, Liron is joined by Patrick Ouckama and Phil Gordon, whose coaching path has taken him from D.C. United to Nottingham Forest. That journey gives Phil a rare view of two very different soccer environments: the American youth system and the English academy world. The conversation keeps returning to something most parents do not always see clearly. Coaching is not just the session. It is the planning before training. Phil talks about the dedication required to coach well, what changes when you move into a Premier League academy environment, and why staffing and structure matter so much in player development. For American soccer parents, this episode offers a useful look behind the curtain. Not because England has all the answers. Not because Nottingham Forest is a magic model. But seeing how another environment supports players and coaches can help us ask better questions about our own. In this episode, we cover: - What parents often miss about the work coaches do
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| Not Every Soccer Path Has to Be Perfect | 20 mai 2026 | 00:52:58 | |
Most soccer families are told the same thing: specialize early, chase the biggest league, get seen, and don’t fall behind. But Don Farr and his son Ryan tell a different story. Ryan played multiple sports, stayed connected to high school soccer, took a post-grad year at Northwood, and then became a standout freshman at Stony Brook. His path was not clean. It was not obvious. And that is exactly why it matters. This episode is about the decisions families make when there is no perfect answer. Academy or high school. D1 or D3. Exposure or fit. Scholarship or affordability. Dream big, but stay honest. In this episode:
Click here to view the episode transcript. | |||
| Youth Soccer Keeps Changing. Can Your Player Keep Up? | 13 mai 2026 | 00:55:52 | |
Youth soccer keeps changing. Most families are still searching for fixed answers. In this episode, Filippo Giovagnoli challenges some of the deepest assumptions parents have about development, culture, tactics, pathways, and what actually creates players. This is not a conversation about nostalgia or romantic ideas about European football. It is about adaptation. The modern game moves faster. Players have less time. Duels matter more. Decision-making matters more. Grit matters more. And the players who survive are often the ones who keep evolving. We talk about:
For parents, the real question becomes uncomfortable:
Are we helping our kids adapt to the modern game, or preparing them for a version that no longer exists? | |||
| First Pro Contract at 18: Why It’s Not a Career | Chris Platts | 06 mai 2026 | 00:47:39 | |
Your First Contract Is Not a Career A pro contract at 18 can look like the finish line. In this episode, Dr. Chris Platts explains why it is often just the start of the hardest stretch. For soccer parents, the pressure is familiar. The badge. The academy. The scholarship. The contract. Each one can start to feel like proof that the path is working. But Chris’ research with young players shows a more complicated reality. Families often make major decisions without first asking the simplest question: what are we actually trying to achieve? This conversation is about the years after the first contract, the risk of staying in the wrong environment, why late developers get missed, and how parents can become the anchor without trying to control every step. In this episode:
Click here to view the episode transcript. | |||
| Too Much Noise in Youth Soccer: What Actually Builds Players | 29 avr. 2026 | 00:42:31 | |
Too Much Noise in Youth Soccer: There has never been more around youth soccer players. More training. More clubs. More private sessions. More advice. In this episode, Brian Chun and Edson Elcock join Liron and Matt to talk about what actually builds players and what just creates noise. They break down why simple training still matters, why repetition is disappearing, and why development cannot be outsourced to a trainer, a club, or a system. This conversation challenges both parents and players to rethink what progress really looks like. In this episode:
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| Youth Soccer Development: Why Clarity Matters | Christian Gonzalez | 22 avr. 2026 | 00:54:22 | |
Youth Soccer Development: Why Clarity Matters | Christian Gonzalez What does a club really mean when it says it develops players? In this episode, Christian Gonzalez gets specific. We talk about why clarity matters in youth soccer, how vague coaching creates vague outcomes, and why real development lives in details, standards, and consistent correction. This conversation goes beyond branding and club language. Christian breaks down how New York Soccer Club thinks about coach education, parent communication, affordability, player feedback, and building a culture where development is more than a slogan. We also get into the New York and Westchester soccer landscape, MLS academies, college recruiting, the transfer portal, and what families should actually look for when judging a club. In this episode:
Click here to view the episode transcript. | |||
| What Builds a Pro Player? Talia Sommer on Parents, Pressure, and Playing With Boys | 15 avr. 2026 | 00:44:06 | |
What actually shapes a player. Talent, training, mentality, environment, or the people around them? In this episode of Chasing the Game, we talk with Gotham FC rookie Talia Sommer about the path that shaped her: growing up between New York and Tel Aviv, playing with boys, turning pro in Israel at 14, choosing Butler over Atlético Madrid, and learning how to protect her own voice as the game got more serious. This is also one of our clearest conversations yet about the line between support and pressure. Talia talks honestly about parents, expectations, identity, creativity, free play, and why some players look technically prepared yet still miss the game's real, in-the-moment feel. For families trying to understand youth soccer development, especially on the girls’ side, this episode says a lot.
Click here to view the episode transcript. | |||
| Can Your Kid Really Train in Barcelona? | 08 avr. 2026 | 00:57:02 | |
Barcelona is the dream for a lot of soccer families. But what does that environment actually demand from a player, and what are parents really chasing when they look at Spain? Liron is joined by Patrick Ouckama and Barcelona-based coach Nil Congost of EOS Football for a parent-first conversation about Catalonia’s football culture, why promotion and relegation changes the standard, why technical training alone can mislead families, and what American players actually run into when they step into a more demanding football environment. This episode is about the gap between image and reality: purpose, pressure, adaptation, decision-making, and the kind of player who can truly benefit from training in Spain.
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| Youth Soccer Parents: The Right Questions to Ask | 01 avr. 2026 | 00:56:01 | |
Parents in youth soccer are often forced to make big decisions with partial information, mixed signals, and a lot of anxiety. Andrew May, whose coaching background includes Chivas USA, LA Galaxy, Real Salt Lake, Real Monarchs, and LAFC, explains how families can better evaluate clubs, ask sharper questions, and support development without getting lost in badge-chasing, pressure, or noise. This is a practical episode about communication, trust, expectations, and how parents can make better choices for the child in front of them.
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| What MLS Academies Really Look For. Jose Campos of Orlando City | 25 mars 2026 | 01:01:30 | |
What do MLS academies actually look for in a player? In this episode of Chasing the Game: Youth Soccer in America, Liron Unreich and Matt Tartaglia sit down with Jose Campos, Academy Director at Orlando City, for one of the clearest conversations we’ve had yet about how serious academies really think. Jose explains how Orlando City defines player profile, what “fit” actually means inside a pro academy, why growth mindset and coachability matter so much, and how scouts separate current performance from long-term potential. He also gets into what parents misunderstand about trials, why college is not failure, and how players should think about challenge, development, and timing. This episode is for soccer parents, coaches, and serious players trying to better understand MLS academies, the youth development process, and what decision-makers are really evaluating behind the scenes.
Click here to view the episode transcript. | |||
| USL and the Youth Soccer Pathway: What Parents Need to Know | FC Naples | 18 mars 2026 | 00:51:04 | |
What if the youth soccer pathway is bigger than most families realize? In this episode of Chasing the Game: Youth Soccer in America, Liron Unreich and Matt Tartaglia speak with Matt Poland, Sporting Director and head coach at FC Naples, about where the USL fits into the American player-development system and why it may become a more important part of the pathway for young players. They discuss building a professional club from the ground up, the gap between academy soccer and a true first-team environment, how USL can help bridge youth development and the pro game, what clubs look for in young players, and why culture, veteran leadership, and real professional standards matter so much in player growth. This episode is for soccer parents, coaches, and players trying to better understand the full American pathway, including academy soccer, college soccer, USL, and the difficult transition into the professional game.
Click here to view the episode transcript. | |||
| Youth Soccer Pathway: MLS NEXT, College, and What Parents Get Wrong | 11 mars 2026 | 00:56:43 | |
What actually prepares a young player for the next level? In this episode of Chasing the Game: Youth Soccer in America, Liron Unreich and Matt Tartaglia speak with Tom Bowen, Academy Director at Long Island Soccer Club in MLS NEXT and assistant coach at Hofstra University, about what player development looks like from both the academy and college sides. They discuss Europe versus America, maturity, locker-room culture, college recruiting, scholarship realities, development versus winning, early and late bloomers, and how parents can better evaluate training environments. This episode is for soccer parents, coaches, and players trying to make informed decisions about MLS NEXT, club soccer, college recruiting, and long-term player development.
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| MLS NEXT Academy: How Far Should Parents Go? | Justin Phelps | 04 mars 2026 | 00:50:01 | |
How far should a family go for elite youth soccer? In this episode of Chasing the Game: Youth Soccer in America, Liron Unreich and Matt Tartaglia talk with Justin Phelps about the real cost of pursuing an MLS NEXT academy opportunity and how that decision can affect family life. They discuss relocation, long commutes, emotional strain, routines, pressure, academy environment, and the difference between a strong badge and a truly developmental setting. This episode is for soccer parents navigating MLS NEXT, ECNL, academy decisions, relocation questions, and the difficult line between supporting a child’s ambition and protecting the family around it.
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| Fixing Pay to Play in Youth Soccer | Danny Buttitta | 25 févr. 2026 | 00:43:11 | |
Can a small club create a better development environment than a large one? In this episode of Chasing the Game: Youth Soccer in America, Liron Unreich and Matt Tartaglia speak with Evan Rosenthal, president and director of Manhattan Kickers FC, about one of the most distinctive small-club models in New York City youth soccer. They discuss selective growth, one team per age group, coach continuity, motivation at young ages, scholarships, player handoff to bigger clubs, and why scaling too quickly can dilute standards. This episode is for soccer parents navigating the New York City soccer landscape and anyone trying to understand how club size, philosophy, and environment shape player development.
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| Small Roster Youth Soccer: Why Selective Clubs Develop Better Players | Manhattan Kickers FC | 18 févr. 2026 | 01:00:29 | |
Why do so many U.S. players struggle when they enter a true football culture? In this episode of Chasing the Game: Youth Soccer in America, Liron Unreich and Matt Tartaglia speak with Dutch coach and academy educator Ditmer de Jong about the invisible cultural gap between U.S. youth soccer and Dutch youth soccer. They discuss self-regulation, autonomy, question-based coaching, everyday football culture, risk-taking, and why players develop differently when coaches foster ownership rather than dependence. This episode is for soccer parents and coaches who want a clearer understanding of culture, coaching philosophy, and what American families can learn from Dutch player development.
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| Why U.S. Players Struggle in Europe | Ditmer de Jong | 11 févr. 2026 | 01:02:56 | |
What if the biggest difference between Dutch and U.S. youth soccer isn’t talent, facilities, or even training volume, but culture. In this episode of Chasing the Game. Youth Soccer in America, we talk with Ditmer (a Dutch coach and academy educator) about the invisible gap many American parents feel but can’t name. In the Netherlands, he explains, football is everywhere. It’s normal to play at school, after school, and through the local club culture. That everyday immersion shapes how players think, how they learn, and how they handle pressure. From there, we zoom in on one of the most important ideas in modern player development. Self-regulation. Ditmer breaks down what it looks like when coaches build ownership rather than dependence. Not “do this, do that,” but asking players what they want to improve. Teaching reflection. Building decision-makers. Helping kids learn how to learn. If you’re a soccer parent navigating pay-to-play, tryouts, roster churn, and the constant noise of “pathways,” this conversation offers a clearer lens. It’s not a European fantasy. It’s a practical look at why culture and coaching philosophy matter, and what American families and clubs can take from the Dutch model without pretending the systems are identical. In this episode, we cover
Chapters:
Click here to view the episode transcript. | |||
| Youth Soccer Careers: The Hard Choice Parents Don’t See Coming | Alex Rando | 04 févr. 2026 | 00:56:51 | |
What happens when the dream path finally opens, and a player is no longer sure they want it? In this episode of Chasing the Game: Youth Soccer in America, Liron Unreich and Matt Tartaglia talk with Alex Rando about big decisions, discipline, family pressure, goalkeeper mentality, and what it really means to bet on yourself in youth soccer. They explore academy soccer in New York, the pull of MLS NEXT, college soccer versus the pro route, and the emotional weight of choosing growth over comfort when the stakes suddenly become real. This episode is for soccer parents and players navigating major pathway decisions and trying to understand how ambition, identity, and long-term development collide.
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| Youth Soccer Burnout: The Hidden Cost of Elite Development | 28 janv. 2026 | 01:09:15 | |
What happens when elite youth soccer becomes a constant evaluation cycle? In this episode of Chasing the Game: Youth Soccer in America, Liron Unreich and Matt Tartaglia are joined by Dr. Jonathan Jenkins and Dr. Kimberly O’Brien, authors of Mentality Wins, to unpack the mental toll of pressure, fear of mistakes, comparison culture, and burnout in elite youth soccer. They discuss confidence, feedback, the cognitive triangle, athlete identity, and practical tools parents and coaches can use to support mental health without lowering standards. This episode is for soccer parents and coaches navigating tryouts, feedback, anxiety, burnout, and the challenge of helping young players stay healthy, resilient, and connected to the game.
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| What America Gets Wrong About Youth Soccer Development | Peguy Luyindula | 21 janv. 2026 | 01:03:11 | |
What does youth soccer in America miss when the game stops being played and starts becoming a product? In this episode of Chasing the Game: Youth Soccer in America, Liron Unreich and Matt Tartaglia speak with Peguy Luyindula, former player for Lyon, Marseille, PSG, the France national team, and the New York Red Bulls, about the difference between a football culture built on everyday play and one shaped by structure, fees, and outcomes. They discuss street football, creativity, coaching standards, pay-to-play, parents as clients, and how to support growth without draining a child’s love of the game. This episode is for soccer parents and coaches who want a deeper perspective on culture, development, access, and what American youth soccer can learn from more organic football environments.
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| Winning at 12 Doesn’t Matter: Inside the Red Bulls Academy | Sean McCafferty | 14 janv. 2026 | 01:15:27 | |
Why do professional academies sometimes care less about winning than parents expect? In this episode of Chasing the Game: Youth Soccer in America, Liron Unreich and Matt Tartaglia talk with Sean McCafferty, Academy Director of the New York Red Bulls, about how elite youth development really works inside a pro club. They discuss MLS NEXT, development versus winning, evaluation beyond talent, playing up, adversity, late bloomers, and what parents should actually prioritize when choosing a club. This episode is for soccer parents, coaches, and players seeking to understand academy soccer, long-term development, and how professional clubs approach growth, patience, and performance.
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| MLS NEXT vs ECNL vs Pay to Play: Which Path Develops Players? | 07 janv. 2026 | 01:01:56 | |
After a full run of interviews, what actually became clearer about youth soccer in America? In this season recap of Chasing the Game: Youth Soccer in America, Liron Unreich and Matt Tartaglia break down the major lessons from their first nine interviews across MLS NEXT, club soccer, player development, pay-to-play, and youth sports parenting. They revisit the biggest themes: roster math, communication, touches, pressure, pathway confusion, the misuse of the word “elite,” and what families should focus on instead of hype. This episode is for soccer parents and coaches who want a clearer summary of the show's biggest structural lessons so far and what matters most going forward.
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| How U.S. Youth Soccer Traps Families | Morten Gahn | 17 déc. 2025 | 01:11:22 | |
What if the youth soccer system is rewarding the wrong things? In this episode of Chasing the Game: Youth Soccer in America, Liron Unreich and Matt Tartaglia speak with Morten Gahn, former director of the NYCFC Soccer Academy, about why early success is often mistaken for long-term potential. They discuss winning versus development, structured plans versus feelings, the staircase analogy for player growth, challenge and adversity, and what parents should really watch for in elite environments. This episode is for soccer parents and coaches questioning how players are evaluated, how opportunity is framed, and whether current development models truly support long-term growth.
Click here to view the episode transcript. | |||
| How Youth Soccer Players Actually Improve | Brando Babini and Billy Pavlou | 10 déc. 2025 | 01:09:12 | |
How do young coaches and former players see the gaps in youth soccer differently from everyone else? In this episode of Chasing the Game: Youth Soccer in America, Liron Unreich and Matt Tartaglia talk with Brando Babini and Billy Pavlou, founders of Youth4Youth FC and Next Level USA, about supplemental training, mentorship, match minutes, and what families often misunderstand about development. They explore near-peer coaching, the role of parents, differences between clubs in New York City, college recruiting, social media, burnout, and why the next generation may reshape the U.S. youth soccer landscape. This episode is for soccer parents and players looking for clearer guidance on supplemental training, exposure, development, and the real value of the right environment.
Click here to view the episode transcript. | |||
| American Youth Soccer Is Chaos: Recruiting, Money, and Club Power | Noah Gins | 03 déc. 2025 | 01:07:22 | |
Why does youth soccer in America feel chaotic even when everyone involved cares deeply about development? In this episode of Chasing the Game: Youth Soccer in America, Liron Unreich and Matt Tartaglia speak with Noah Gins, Founder and CEO of Albion, about structure, culture, recruiting, retention, and what a functioning youth soccer system could look like in the United States. They discuss the league maze, club incentives, beautiful soccer versus winning, measurable development, college recruiting myths, and how clubs should define success in a fragmented system. This episode is for soccer parents, coaches, and club leaders who want a sharper understanding of club culture, player pathways, and the pressures shaping youth soccer in America.
Click here to view the episode transcript. | |||
| Youth Soccer Pressure: What Parents Get Wrong | Ben Olsen | 26 nov. 2025 | 00:52:26 | |
Why do so many youth soccer environments create pressure before players are ready for it? In this episode of Chasing the Game: Youth Soccer in America, Liron Unreich and Matt Tartaglia talk with Ben Olsen about the realities of pressure in youth soccer in the United States and what parents often misunderstand about development. The conversation covers pay-to-play, soccer IQ, joy versus pressure, MLS NEXT academy culture, player development, and how elite environments evaluate potential beyond early success. This episode is for soccer parents, coaches, and players navigating ECNL, USYS, MLS NEXT, high school soccer, and the college pathway, as they try to understand what truly matters for long-term growth.
Click here to view the episode transcript. | |||
| You Can’t Catch Up Later: The Truth About Youth Soccer Development | Patrick Ouckama | 19 nov. 2025 | 00:33:42 | |
What does it mean to coach the person, not just the player? In this episode of Chasing the Game: Youth Soccer in America, Liron Unreich and Matt Tartaglia speak with Patrick Ouckama, Technical Director at the New England Revolution Academy, about culture, accountability, and player development inside an MLS NEXT environment. They explore Patrick’s coaching path, what has changed in U.S. youth soccer, how academy systems shape mentality, and why development has to come before short-term winning. This episode is for parents and coaches who want a clearer view of how elite academy soccer works and how the best environments build both stronger players and stronger people.
Click here to view the episode transcript. | |||
| Coaching the Person: A Better Model for Youth Soccer Development | Patrick Ouckama | 12 nov. 2025 | 00:39:22 | |
What does it mean to coach the person, not just the player? In this episode of Chasing the Game: Youth Soccer in America, Liron Unreich and Matt Tartaglia speak with Patrick Ouckama, Technical Director at the New England Revolution Academy, about culture, accountability, and player development inside an MLS NEXT environment. They explore Patrick’s coaching path, what has changed in U.S. youth soccer, how academy systems shape mentality, and why development has to come before short-term winning. This episode is for parents and coaches who want a clearer view of how elite academy soccer works and how the best environments build both stronger players and stronger people.
Click here to view the episode transcript. | |||
| Fixing Youth Soccer Development in America | Luis Robles | 05 nov. 2025 | 00:42:18 | |
How should parents think about development inside a system as fragmented as American youth soccer? In this episode of Chasing the Game: Youth Soccer in America, Liron Unreich and Matt Tartaglia continue their conversation with Luis Robles, MLS NEXT Technical Director and former New York Red Bulls captain. This time, the focus shifts from personal journey to the system families are navigating right now. They discuss how MLS NEXT fits alongside ECNL, USL, EA, and EDP; how video and analysis are used in development; why field-size and substitution decisions matter; and how parents fit into communication, culture, and long-term player growth. This episode is for soccer parents and coaches trying to make smarter decisions about league choice, development environments, and what truly helps players progress. | |||
| Building Better Youth Soccer Players | Luis Robles | 29 oct. 2025 | 00:47:17 | |
What does better player development actually look like in American youth soccer? In this episode of Chasing the Game: Youth Soccer in America, Liron Unreich and Matt Tartaglia talk with Luis Robles, MLS NEXT Technical Director and former New York Red Bulls goalkeeper, about his path through the game and how that experience now shapes his view of youth development in the United States. The conversation covers resilience, leadership, goalkeeping, the sacrifices families make in travel soccer, and why MLS NEXT matters in the broader player-development landscape. This episode is for soccer parents, coaches, and players who want to understand how elite development is changing in the U.S. and what values still matter most underneath the structure.
Click here to view the episode transcript. | |||
| How Youth Soccer in America Actually Works: MLS NEXT, ECNL, GA, and USYS | 22 oct. 2025 | 00:48:50 | |
Why does youth soccer in America feel like a maze? In this episode of Chasing the Game: Youth Soccer in America, Liron Unreich and Matt Tartaglia set the foundation for the show by breaking down the fragmented U.S. youth soccer landscape. They compare MLS NEXT, ECNL, GA, USYS, high school soccer, and other pathways, and explain why so many families feel confused even when they are deeply invested in the game. You’ll hear how pay-to-play shapes access, how American soccer culture differs from more established football countries, and why the definition of “success” in youth soccer is often far less clear than parents expect. This episode is for soccer parents, coaches, and players who want a clearer understanding of the youth soccer system in the United States and the major decisions families face inside it.
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| Trailer: Chasing the Game – Youth Soccer in America | 07 oct. 2025 | 00:02:00 | |
Why does youth soccer in America feel so complicated for families? In this trailer for Chasing the Game: Youth Soccer in America, hosts Liron Unreich and Matt Tartaglia introduce the show and the questions driving it. From MLS NEXT and ECNL to pay-to-play, travel costs, coaching culture, and player development, this podcast is built for parents trying to understand how the U.S. youth soccer system actually works. You’ll hear how Chasing the Game approaches the topic: clear analysis, honest parent perspective, and conversations with coaches, academy directors, former pros, and people working inside the system. This show is for soccer parents, coaches, and players navigating club soccer, academy pathways, college recruiting, and the broader culture of youth soccer in the United States. | |||