Chasing the Game - Youth Soccer in America

Liron Unreich, Matt Tartaglia
  • 5.0 (29)
  • 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. First Pro Contract at 18: Why It’s Not a Career | Chris Platts

    3D AGO

    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
  2. 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
  3. 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
  4. 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
  5. 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
  6. 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
  7. What MLS Academies Really Look For. Jose Campos of Orlando City

    MAR 25

    What MLS Academies Really Look For. Jose Campos of Orlando City

    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. (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 (56:03) - What Players Still Need Beyond Training (01:00:00) - Host Takeaways and Final Reflections Click here to view the episode transcript.

    1h 2m
  8. USL and the Youth Soccer Pathway: What Parents Need to Know | FC Naples

    MAR 18

    USL and the Youth Soccer Pathway: What Parents Need to Know | FC Naples

    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.

    51 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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