Chasing the Game - Youth Soccer in America

Liron Unreich, Matt Tartaglia
  • 5.0 (31)
  • SOCCER
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

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.

  1. Not Every Soccer Path Has to Be Perfect

    6D AGO

    Not Every Soccer Path Has to Be Perfect

    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: Why all three Farr brothers ended up with different soccer outcomesWhat high school soccer still gives players in certain communitiesWhy Ryan chose Northwood instead of jumping straight into collegeThe shock of entering a more professional soccer environmentThe real value, and limits, of showcasesWhy ID camps are often misunderstoodHow families should think about scholarship money and actual college costWhat Ryan learned from his freshman year at Stony Brook (00:00) - America, Land of Soccer Opportunity (02:20) - Meet Don and Ryan Farr (03:45) - Falling in Love With the Game (06:10) - Three Brothers, Three Soccer Paths (09:20) - High School Soccer Still Matters (12:05) - Choosing Northwood Over a D1 Offer (15:10) - Finding a Position and a Purpose (18:15) - The Post-Grad Year That Changed Everything (23:55) - Inside the Northwood Environment (27:20) - D1, D3, and What Parents Actually Feel (31:20) - Showcases, Exposure, and Being Seen (35:40) - What Coaches Notice Beyond the Ball (38:55) - The Money Side of College Soccer (42:10) - Ryan’s Freshman Breakthrough (45:00) - Keeping the Pro Dream Alive (48:05) - The Truth About ID Camps (51:00) - What Parents Should Take Away Click here to view the episode transcript.

    53 min
  2. Youth Soccer Keeps Changing. Can Your Player Keep Up?

    MAY 13

    Youth Soccer Keeps Changing. Can Your Player Keep Up?

    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 blueprint For 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?

    56 min
  3. First Pro Contract at 18: Why It’s Not a Career | Chris Platts

    MAY 6

    First Pro Contract at 18: Why It’s Not a Career | Chris Platts

    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: Why “making it” needs a clearer definitionWhat parents and players may not agree onWhy the first pro contract is not the endpointWhy 18 to 23 can define a player’s careerHow academy systems can miss late developersWhy bigger clubs are not always better environmentsWhen paying to play becomes a red flagHow parents can ask better questions before big decisions (00:00) - What Does Making It Mean? (01:13) - Chris Platts’ Research Lens (04:10) - Define The Goal First (08:13) - Parents And Players Need Alignment (11:42) - The First Contract Problem (14:23) - Why Late Developers Get Missed (18:21) - The 18 To 23 Window (21:09) - Brand Attachment And Hard Choices (24:26) - What Good Environments Actually Do (27:06) - Short-Term Thinking In Academies (30:15) - Why It Is All Plan A (35:51) - Paying To Play Red Flags (38:56) - Is The Bigger Badge Better? (42:04) - Parents Need Better Information Click here to view the episode transcript.

    48 min
  4. Too Much Noise in Youth Soccer: What Actually Builds Players

    APR 29

    Too Much Noise in Youth Soccer: What Actually Builds Players

    Too Much Noise in Youth Soccer:What Actually Builds Players There 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

    43 min
  5. Youth Soccer Development: Why Clarity Matters | Christian Gonzalez

    APR 22

    Youth Soccer Development: Why Clarity Matters | Christian Gonzalez

    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: Why clarity matters in youth soccer developmentThe danger of vague coaching languageWhy general practice leads to general outcomesHow New York Soccer Club approaches standards and coach educationThe competitive level in New York and WestchesterCost, access, and the pressure families feelWhy correcting and criticizing are not the same thingHow the college pathway has changedWhat showcases and ID events can and cannot do (00:00) - Why Clarity Matters (04:44) - How NYSC Was Built (11:10) - General Coaching, General Outcomes (19:59) - The New York Standard (30:00) - Cost, Access, And Pressure (40:00) - Correct, Don’t Just Criticize (45:01) - College Pathways Have Changed (50:10) - Showcases, ID, And Reality Click here to view the episode transcript.

    54 min
  6. What Builds a Pro Player? Talia Sommer on Parents, Pressure, and Playing With Boys

    APR 15

    What Builds a Pro Player? Talia Sommer on Parents, Pressure, and Playing With Boys

    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.

    44 min
  7. Can Your Kid Really Train in Barcelona?

    APR 8

    Can Your Kid Really Train in Barcelona?

    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. (00:00) - Parents are overwhelmed. And guessing (02:00) - Andrew May’s path through top academies (04:35) - What changed in his view of development (07:25) - Why parents struggle to read the landscape (10:05) - How to judge a club beyond the badge (14:55) - The right questions to ask a club (18:45) - IDPs, growth setting, and real progress (22:10) - Pressure, private training, and parent ego (27:10) - Communication gaps between clubs and families (31:45) - Supporting players through hard moments (38:40) - What top environments actually do better (45:55) - The car ride home and parent-player trust (52:35) - You are the customer. Ask what you’re paying for (55:15) - Final takeaways for soccer parents

    57 min
  8. Youth Soccer Parents: The Right Questions to Ask

    APR 1

    Youth Soccer Parents: The Right Questions to Ask

    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

    56 min
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About

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.

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