Chasing the Game - Youth Soccer in America

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:Chasing the Game - Youth Soccer in Americachasingthegame.us(00:00) - Winning Is Allowed (01:45) - Meet Juan Santamaria (05:52) - Losing Players to MLS Academies (11:06) - What a Sporting Director Actually Does (18:09) - Can Cedar Stars Keep Top Players? (24:11) - “You Have to Be a Monster” (29:03) - The College Recruiting Reality (35:00) - MLS, Europe, and the Pro Path (39:00) - The Cost of the Pathway (46:00) - When Parents Need to Step Back (49:00) - Winning Is Part of Development (51:40) - Quick Fire: Resilience, Pathway, Complacency Click here to view the episode transcript.

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.(00:00) - Why training and games can look so different (02:24) - Christian Silva on the real development gap (05:55) - The stop moving lesson from Germany (08:30) - What technical actually means (10:30) - The skill is not the skill (12:30) - Supplemental training and game transfer (17:00) - How to judge progress in a match (20:10) - Benchmarks, foundations, and catching up (23:00) - Why training has to come alive in games (25:00) - How parents can hijack decision-making (28:20) - Pay-to-play, access, and open systems (32:30) - Too many programs, not enough clarity (35:00) - Knowing your own kid (38:00) - Tryouts, benchmarks, and control (40:30) - The reality of chasing pro soccer (42:40) - Confidence as controllables (45:20) - Why watching full games still matters (50:45) - Rapid fire: scanning, adversity, and questions (52:10) - Final takeaways for parents View full transcript

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.The conversations after practice.The hard roster decisions.The scouting meetings.The staffing behind the player.The hours spent thinking about development long after the whistle blows.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- Why coaching is much more than running a training session- How Phil’s path moved from D.C. United to Nottingham Forest- What the UK academy environment feels like from the inside- Why staffing, scouting, and support roles matter in development- The difference between coaching in the U.S. and England- How geography changes the academy experience in the UK- What American players bring, and where they can still grow- Why parent-coach relationships can shape the development experience- How families should think about college, contracts, and long-term pathways(00:00) - What Coaches Really Do (03:00) - Phil Gordon’s Coaching Path (06:00) - Work Ethic From The U.S. (09:00) - What Parents Don’t See (12:00) - Rosters, Playing Time, Hard Choices (15:00) - Parents And Coaches Together (18:00) - What Changed In England (21:00) - Staffing, Scouts, And Infrastructure (25:00) - Geography And Academy Options (29:00) - American Athleticism, European Technique (33:00) - Watching The Game Differently (36:00) - College, Contracts, And Choices (42:00) - What Has To Give (45:00) - The Dedication Behind The Job View full transcript

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:Why winning duels is not just physicalWhy tactics too early can hurt developmentWhy “soccer culture” alone solves nothingWhy American soccer is improving faster than people thinkWhy parents misunderstand data and pathwaysWhy adaptability may matter more than raw talentWhy intrinsic motivation changes everythingWhy Europe is not one simple blueprintFor parents, the real question becomes uncomfortable:(00:00) - Start (00:03) - Not About Nostalgia (01:38) - Filippo’s Football Path (05:01) - Seeing Talent in America (08:33) - Why Duels Matter (11:32) - U.S. Development Is Catching Up (13:59) - Pro Clubs and Local Academies (15:31) - Europe Is Not One Answer (19:00) - Why Parents Get Lost (21:30) - Culture Is Not Enough (24:31) - The Pro Dream and College Reality (27:28) - The Dangerous Educated Parent (32:27) - What the Numbers Miss (37:31) - Desire Has to Come From Inside (42:31) - Too Much Tactics Too Early (49:59) - Grit Is the New Talent Are we helping our kids adapt to the modern game, or preparing them for a version that no longer exists?

Too Much Noise in Youth Soccer:What Actually Builds PlayersThere has never been more around youth soccer players. More training. More clubs. More private sessions. More advice.And somehow, many players are still missing the basics.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: • Why youth soccer has too much noise • What players lose when everything is structured • Why simple training still wins • The role of repetition and failure • Why parents cannot outsource development • The 14–16 age plateau explained • What honest coaching really looks like (00:00) - Cold Open: The Work Before the Pathway (01:25) - Meet Brian Chun and Edson Elcock (05:12) - The Noise in Youth Soccer (10:26) - Why Simple Training Still Wins (11:17) - Repetition Without Purpose (13:20) - Cones vs Real Pressure (15:00) - Creativity and Free Play (20:58) - Are Kids Told the Truth? (22:30) - Parents and Sugarcoating (25:36) - Learning Failure Early (29:30) - The 14 to 16 Plateau (35:21) - Reading Players as a Coach (40:00) - Development Cannot Be Outsourced

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.(00:00) - Why Talia Sommer’s story matters (02:13) - Harlem, Tel Aviv, and falling in love with soccer (05:46) - Playing with boys, Manhattan SC, and Maccabi (08:05) - Turning pro at 14 in Israel and the road to Butler (10:14) - Parents, freedom, and the line between support and pressure (14:01) - "I need you to be my dad" (16:57) - Playing up, college, and learning from older players (19:03) - Israel vs. the U.S. vs. Europe in women’s soccer (22:54) - American players, creativity, and what can be missing (28:34) - Free play, extra training, and the 1,000 touches debate (35:45) - Choosing Butler over Atlético Madrid (39:04) - Advice for young players, and what parents should hear Click here to view the episode transcript.

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.(00:00) - Start (00:03) - Cold Open. What MLS Academies Actually Want (01:01) - Jose Campos’s Journey to Orlando City (05:04) - What Different Soccer Cultures Teach You (11:36) - Building Orlando’s Player Profile and Culture (20:08) - Performance vs Potential. Early and Late Developers (24:59) - How Orlando Recruits and Builds Its Roster (30:01) - What Live Scouting Reveals That Video Misses (34:03) - America’s Diversity, Styles, and Player Profiles (39:03) - Trial Advice for Players and Parents (43:02) - Always Chase the Next Level (46:01) - The U.S. System, Pay-to-Play, and the Business Reality

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.(00:00) - Start (00:03) - MLS, D1, and the Question Nobody Asks: USL (01:38) - Introducing Matt Poland and the FC Naples Project (04:12) - Building a Professional Club From the Ground Up (07:26) - Where USL Fits in the American Soccer Pyramid (11:05) - The Professional Locker Room: What Young Players Experience (15:18) - The Speed of the Game at the Professional Level (19:42) - Why Young Players Sometimes Regress Before They Improve (24:31) - Development vs Winning in Youth Soccer (29:58) - What Clubs Actually Look for in Young Players (35:12) - The Importance of Culture Inside a Professional Club (40:27) - Pathways to the Pro Game: More Than One Route (46:03) - Advice for Soccer Parents Navigating the System (50:41) - The Future of USL and Opportunity for Young Players Click here to view the episode transcript.

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. https://chasingthegame.us(00:00) - Cold open. The 13 year old roommate (00:45) - MLS NEXT and environment. Why families relocate (01:38) - Who is Justin. Soccer HQ, outsider dad learning the game (03:03) - The Orlando City Academy call (05:00) - The U13 jump. physicality, speed, confidence (10:00) - The family math. travel, money, emotional cost (15:00) - Apartment life. routines, pressure, staying positive (24:08) - My roommate is my 13 year old son (24:42) - The omelet moment (33:20) - How to evaluate an academy. signals that matter (44:37) - Advice to the Zillow parent. before you move (48:40) - What we learned. next steps Click here to view the episode transcript.

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. https://chasingthegame.us(00:00) - Cold Open (00:32) - Why This Club Stays Small (04:15) - One Team Per Age Group (09:42) - Spotting Motivation at Age 6 (16:08) - What Changes by U10 (23:10) - The “Special Sauce” Coaching Model (31:20) - Scholarships & Access (38:44) - The Handoff to Bigger Clubs (46:30) - Scaling vs Standards (54:05) - What Parents Get Wrong (59:10) - Final Takeaways Click here to view the episode transcript.

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. https://chasingthegame.us(00:00) - Betting on Yourself (02:10) - Growing Up Playing in Manhattan (06:25) - When Soccer Starts Feeling Serious (10:40) - The First Big Decisions (15:55) - Choosing Growth Over Comfort (21:05) - Parents as Support, Not Directors (26:20) - Pressure, Mistakes, and the Goalkeeper Mindset (31:45) - College, Contracts, and Uncertainty (37:10) - Discipline Beats Motivation (42:30) - What Being “Ready” Actually Means (47:50) - The Decisions That Stay With You (51:40) - Final Takeaways on Betting on Yourself Click here to view the episode transcript.

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.F https://chasingthegame.us(00:00) - Start (00:04) - Cold open. why this guest matters (00:36) - Peguy intro. PSG, Lyon, Marseille, France, MLS (01:40) - Interview begins (03:18) - Street football roots. how it started (09:26) - Playing anywhere. cans, rocks, tennis balls (14:52) - First big moment. scoring. belief (15:31) - When football becomes work (20:28) - Coaching as responsibility. train coaches. set standards (24:42) - Europe vs U.S. youth soccer culture (36:55) - Pay-to-play and the U.S. maze (40:23) - Parents as clients. business pressure vs development (49:58) - It’s not a game when you become a pro (01:01:45) - Host wrap. access, environment, and the hunger Click here to view the episode transcript.

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. https://chasingthegame.us(00:00) - Episode 10 recap: what we learned (double digits) (03:10) - Luis Robles: MLS NEXT is dynamic, but communication lags (06:53) - Patrick Ouckama: culture + why the US can’t be “Europe-lite.” (09:10) - Noah Gins: youth soccer is a business (pay-to-play reality) (12:38) - Are we calling too many kids “elite”? The funnel problem (16:10) - Roster math + scarcity: where the minutes go (19:33) - Patience + Morten’s staircase: where you start vs how you climb (25:30) - Touches + what “good training” even looks like (28:24) - Supplemental work: tutor analogy, FOMO, and the noise (34:35) - Burnout: it’s often pressure (not just volume) (36:44) - Parents evolve: separation, new role, and supporting the kid (47:59) - Tournaments, showcases, and the travel economy (MLS NEXT Fest, EDP) (56:46) - World Cup 2026 + MLS growth: what it could unlock next (59:14) - Season 2 teaser: mental, physical, directors, girls' game Click here to view the episode transcript.