Elite National Teams Finding Their Base Camps - Ep 10. First Touch Weekly

Elite National Teams Finding Their Base Camps - Ep 10. First Touch Weekly

From Kickback '26 by Kickback Soccer Media

April 24, 2026 · 25 min · Episode 53

About this episode

The episode discusses key stories leading to the 2026 World Cup, including player injuries and the significance of team base camps.

This week on First Touch Weekly, host David Gass breaks down the biggest stories shaping the road to the 2026 World Cup—from Estêvão potentially missing the tournament to injury concerns surrounding Lamine Yamal. Gass is then joined by our soccer friend, Ryan Hunn of the Stadio podcast to discuss witnessing history as New Jersey native, Pellegrino Matarazzo led Real Sociedad to Copa del Rey glory becoming the first American head coach to win a major trophy in one of Europe’s top five leagues. The episode then explores one of the most overlooked yet critical elements of the World Cup—the team basecamp. Featuring insights from leadership at Kansas City Current, hosts of the Netherlands, and Bentley University, which will be France’s home base, offering a behind-the-scenes look at how infrastructure, environment, and location can shape tournament success. 1:00 News On Injuries To Young Stars & Coaching Hiring + Firing 4:30 Ryan Hunn Takes Us To Seville 13:25 Base Camp Exploration With KC Current & Bentley University

People in this episode

Host: David Gass

Guest: Ryan Hunn

Topics covered

  • 2026 World Cup
  • soccer coaching
  • team base camps
  • injury concerns
  • Copa del Rey
  • American coaches
  • youth soccer

Keywords

  • 2026 World Cup
  • soccer
  • base camp
  • injuries
  • Pellegrino Matarazzo
  • Copa del Rey
  • youth stars

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Real Sociedad, Kansas City Current, Bentley University

Places: Netherlands, France

More episodes of Kickback '26

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Kickback '26 podcast page.