Chasing the Game - Youth Soccer in America

By Liron Unreich, Matt Tartaglia

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Category: Soccer

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Episodes: 31

Description

Chasing the Game: Youth Soccer in America is a weekly podcast for soccer parents, coaches, and players who want to understand how youth soccer development really works in the United States. Hosted by two dads, filmmaker Liron Unreich and investor Matt Tartaglia, the show covers everything from grassroots soccer to elite pathways like MLS NEXT and ECNL. Combining data, real experience, and expert insights from academy directors, college coaches, and former pros, each episode explains what families truly need to know. Weekly episodes focus on the core aspects of youth soccer: player development, coaching culture, college recruiting, tryouts, travel costs, and the challenges of youth sports parenting in today’s competitive environment. For families navigating youth soccer’s complex system, Chasing the Game offers practical advice, credible voices, and relatable stories from two dads working to make sense of American player development, one episode at a time.

Episode Date
From D.C. United to Nottingham Forest: What Youth Soccer Coaches Really Do
May 27, 2026
Not Every Soccer Path Has to Be Perfect
May 20, 2026
Youth Soccer Keeps Changing. Can Your Player Keep Up?
May 13, 2026
First Pro Contract at 18: Why It’s Not a Career | Chris Platts
May 06, 2026
Too Much Noise in Youth Soccer: What Actually Builds Players
Apr 29, 2026
Youth Soccer Development: Why Clarity Matters | Christian Gonzalez
Apr 22, 2026
What Builds a Pro Player? Talia Sommer on Parents, Pressure, and Playing With Boys
Apr 15, 2026
Can Your Kid Really Train in Barcelona?
Apr 08, 2026
Youth Soccer Parents: The Right Questions to Ask
Apr 01, 2026
What MLS Academies Really Look For. Jose Campos of Orlando City
Mar 25, 2026
USL and the Youth Soccer Pathway: What Parents Need to Know | FC Naples
Mar 18, 2026
Youth Soccer Pathway: MLS NEXT, College, and What Parents Get Wrong
Mar 11, 2026
MLS NEXT Academy: How Far Should Parents Go? | Justin Phelps
Mar 04, 2026
Fixing Pay to Play in Youth Soccer | Danny Buttitta
Feb 25, 2026
Small Roster Youth Soccer: Why Selective Clubs Develop Better Players | Manhattan Kickers FC
Feb 18, 2026
Why U.S. Players Struggle in Europe | Ditmer de Jong
Feb 11, 2026
Youth Soccer Careers: The Hard Choice Parents Don’t See Coming | Alex Rando
Feb 04, 2026
Youth Soccer Burnout: The Hidden Cost of Elite Development
Jan 28, 2026
What America Gets Wrong About Youth Soccer Development | Peguy Luyindula
Jan 21, 2026
Winning at 12 Doesn’t Matter: Inside the Red Bulls Academy | Sean McCafferty
Jan 14, 2026
MLS NEXT vs ECNL vs Pay to Play: Which Path Develops Players?
Jan 07, 2026
How U.S. Youth Soccer Traps Families | Morten Gahn
Dec 17, 2025
How Youth Soccer Players Actually Improve | Brando Babini and Billy Pavlou
Dec 10, 2025
American Youth Soccer Is Chaos: Recruiting, Money, and Club Power | Noah Gins
Dec 03, 2025
Youth Soccer Pressure: What Parents Get Wrong | Ben Olsen
Nov 26, 2025
You Can’t Catch Up Later: The Truth About Youth Soccer Development | Patrick Ouckama
Nov 19, 2025
Coaching the Person: A Better Model for Youth Soccer Development | Patrick Ouckama
Nov 12, 2025
Fixing Youth Soccer Development in America | Luis Robles
Nov 05, 2025
Building Better Youth Soccer Players | Luis Robles
Oct 29, 2025
How Youth Soccer in America Actually Works: MLS NEXT, ECNL, GA, and USYS
Oct 22, 2025
Trailer: Chasing the Game – Youth Soccer in America
Oct 07, 2025