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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 parenting in youth sports 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.
Liron: Welcome to episode 10
Matt: Double Digits,
Liron: of Chasing the Game.
All those who thought we
wouldn't make it past three, we
did it, Matt, congratulations.
Matt: congratulations to you.
Liron: And, because, our memories
are short and we're aging quickly,
we've decided to, and knowing our
audience is probably the same.
We decided to do kind of like a, a
10th episode recap, finishes the year,
starts a new year, and let's just, kind
of talk about what we learned or, or
maybe unlearned in the last, nine weeks.
And we want to thank you
all for, for being with us.
it all started where I was thinking about
let's, let's get the kid to play outdoors
a little bit, kick the ball, kind of
rekindle my love for football, have some
fun, but it's gonna be simple, right?
I mean, play some random leagues,
some little park, maybe play for a
nice badge and look where we are now.
Matt: Yeah.
I mean, when we set out to do this, I
think we realized it was complicated just
from our own individual journeys, right?
With our kids, through our, through
our, our friends and, and their kids.
I don't know if it's
less complicated, right?
I think we're, I think we're
hearing from incredible people.
I think there's a lot of people in the
ecosystem trying to do the right thing.
I'm not sure we've untangled
the web much and we have a lot
more time to try to do that.
And we're, and we are trying
to, to pick it apart, right?
Like one episode at a time, picking
something specific, whatever that may be.
we've had so many great findings
or so many great discussions.
I think that have led us certainly
to think a little bit deeper.
And I think, and from the
incredible feedback that we've
received from our massive audience,
it's done, it's done the same.
Liron: think that one of the biggest
accomplishments of this podcast so far,
and it's pretty monumental, our list of
guests has been absolutely staggering.
Uh, Matt and there is more.
Why do they want to talk to us?
Well
Matt: Liron, I need to give you
a public Shout.
Out.
'cause I'm always giving you a
hard time as you're giving me.
But, you're kind of a
genius at this stuff.
I mean, you're a great storyteller.
Everybody
for one reason or another, I'm
still not sure why loves you
and wants
to talk with you and it's, therapy.
you're, the amount of time that
you've invested in this because you
care ultimately, about this game,
but about parents and families
and kids and the journey and
everybody around it is authentic.
I think that's a big part of it.
Liron: And my, endless loss for fame.
Matt: Yeah.
Liron: Yeah.
Absolute glory.
Yeah.
and looking good in my son's eyes
Matt: Well, we're just
scratching the surface of that.
Liron: Anyway, I have way more ways
I could, humiliate myself here but,
let's get started a little bit.
the way we thought we'd do this episode
is kind of aggregate some of the things
we talked about in the last few months.
Bring up some pointers, kind
of discuss them, sum them up,
maybe open up some new questions.
So I, I thought maybe we start with,
Really with the Louis Robles, um,
interview, which was big opening for us.
And what was interesting about
Robles in my point of view was
how, facile and dynamic MLS next
is, or American Youth Soccer is.
I thought it was the other way around.
we might not agree with things
or maybe there's a lot of,
there's a lot of discourse and,
and not everything is positive.
And you, we got a lot of responses for
this episode, but one thing no one can
deny is how quickly things change here.
Right.
Matt: Yeah, I think my biggest takeaway
from the conversation with Luis was, well,
I mean, there was a, a few takeaways,
but one, um, like what an incredible
career he had as a player and the
fact that he's now a dad of a player
in the system and is living it every
day, which is also impacting how he's
Seeing it.
through our eyes, right?
Not just as a former pro or not just
as the technical director of MLS,
but as a parent, but his willingness
to put himself out there and put the
league out there to make changes when
he think that changes are necessary.
I would say that's, if that's one
and one a, the second part of that.
Is what clearly is lacking,
which is communications.
Liron: Mm.
Matt: And.
from the league to then to the
academies, to the academy director,
to the coach, to the parent.
Like, uh, you know, I think Luis said
to us, I'm happy you guys are doing this
because it gives us an opportunity to
make sure our message gets out And I think
that's a role that we would love to help
facilitate wherever we can because there
are a lot of great things happening.
And change isn't just happening
because they're tired of one way.
They're doing research,
they're out in the field.
God, that was such a good dad joke.
Uh, Trying to understand
whether
Liron: so many of those in the
Matt: whether that's in Europe
or South America, um, to
understand what's best for the us.
And that's really, really important
that those messages get out so people
don't think it's just a mess, and
that they're making decisions to make
decisions as opposed to making decisions
for the betterment of the player and
for the betterment of development.
Liron: but, but if you're, if you're,
let's say like me, A parent who thinks
he knows anything about soccer and you
sit on the sideline and you talk to
other parents who think they know more
than you about soccer, and you see a
field is shortened and you see wins
don't count and it's quality of play.
there's no like a guideline or
a website you go to with an FAQ.
if you don't have somebody
explaining it to you, it feels
like a little bit like a circus.
'cause you have no idea what's going on.
Matt: For sure.
And look, I think we learned too,
I mean, Luis talked about it.
We heard it from others, whether it was
on the pod or not, that changes happen in
countries in Europe all the time, right?
Like in Spain in some
regions they play 7 v 7.
Others they play 9 v 9 for the same age
or some they go 7 v 7 straight to 11 V 11.
It seems like it's constantly changing.
We think, oh, it's Europe,
they've perfected the model.
It doesn't change.
It just continues to get better.
'cause the coaches get better and the
Players,
get better and the quality is
better and all those things.
But change is inevitable.
And I think technology is
driving a lot of that change.
And listen credit to
MLS for adopting taca.
I mean, it's not perfect.
but they're trying to use it
ultimately to benefit the player,
to benefit the coaches and the clubs
and ultimately the whole ecosystem
where you can see and get access to.
Players' information when it comes
to eventually becoming, you know,
a professional or, or playing in
college or whatever it may be.
So I think there's a lot of
credit that should go around.
For how the league and how in
some ways this country is thinking
about it and the evolution of it.
Liron: So I get that.
But on the other hand, when we spoke
to Pat, Ouckama Technical Director
for P A Classics he talked about
the time he spent in Europe and how
influential it was on him and his
immersion in culture of, of soccer.
and it makes you, look at coaching
here in the United States in general
on the youth level, shouldn't most
of these coaches go through at least
some of that kind of experience for,
for them to bring that game here.
And we should admit that it's
played differently in Europe and
maybe in a better level, even
at
the, at the grassroots, uh, level,
Matt: I mean, honestly, I can't even
pretend to have the right answer
to that or to be able to answer it.
Uh,
even after playing.
four years in college a hundred years ago,
you know, I, I,
look
at how these sessions, I look at the
session plan, I've talked to Miles
coaches and honestly, it's so far
more sophisticated
than my mind works as far as how do you
develop a 13-year-old or a 14-year-old.
I stopped trying to figure
that part of it out.
Right.
I will say the, the piece from Pat that
stuck with me the most, and I think
is gonna be the most challenging part.
Of our country reaching its potential from
a soccer perspective and, and truly being
on the world stage and competing with
the world's best is the cultural piece.
I don't know how that can ever reach
what it is in Malaga, for example, which
was the example he gave to us, right.
In Spain,
Uh.
or what that looks like in Argentina or
what that looks like in Brazil, in cities
in Brazil where football is literally life
and that's all that kids are focused on.
And it's just not the case here.
And, uh, I don't know, maybe
in, maybe in time, but there's,
there's just far more I think.
And if it's not in your blood the way
it is in those countries and in those
continents, I'm not sure we can ever
get quite there or it's ever gonna
be as meaningful here as it is there.
Liron: Maybe we don't need to.
Matt: Maybe we don't.
Liron: Exactly.
Maybe we have a version of
it that doesn't require that.
I mean, this leads us to, the next
point and again about what's unique
about US youth soccer and Noah
Gins from Albion brought it up.
He said, guys, this is a business
and it's gotta run like a business.
So forget the mom and pop, forget the
emotional side of it before those come.
You gotta run a business, a success,
otherwise the rest doesn't exist.
And I think that was for both
you and I to hear it, like
that was pretty extraordinary.
No?.
Matt: Yeah.
of course.
And listen, I mean, we all have
our issues with pay to play.
Um, I don't think there's
anybody who isn't.
I heard Fred Lipka the other day.
the MLS.
Next executive saying,
look, it's not going away.
I wish people would stop talking
about it as much as they do.
It's part of the US culture,
and he doesn't just mean soccer.
It's every sport,
right?
Yeah,
So why should soccer be different?
We're not getting support from
municipalities or anything of the sort.
Um, and these are individual business
owners running not-for-profits.
But Noah's point was, listen, um,
players, parents run their own businesses.
They're doctors, they're lawyers,
they're accountants, they're whatever,
but ultimately they're the customer.
When you're talking about a
non-professional MLS Academy,
because they're paying and you
have to be organized that way.
You have to run it when he meant
run it like a business, meaning the
communications have to be on point.
Um, you,
Liron: Yeah, he said they have an HR
Matt: they have an HR department.
Um, everything has to be in sync,
especially when he's doing it at
the scale in which he is with 15,000
plus kids who are part of Albion.
But he's not trying to do it on a
shoestring budget at this point.
He's trying to do it in a way that's
impactful, ultimately in a very
positive way for the kids and for their
families, which allows them to reach
whatever potential that they have.
And that may be playing in college, that
may be being a pro, that just may be mean.
Having an incredible experience
and understanding what it's like
to play for a team and to compete.
Liron: So maybe there's just, I
hate to say it, maybe there's just
too many kids playing soccer here,
and I know it sounds reverse.
Here's what I mean.
the e MLIS next is a franchise
system, and you can pay a certain
fee to join this franchise,
you're not developing more talent.
You're just having more kids
play in a certain system.
But the number of kids you need to come
out of that system, be it for college,
which is now shrinking because of
international play, MLS, which has a
lot of foreign players, that number of
American players needed young players
is not increasing, hence, but you're
increasing the pool of paying kids.
Maybe there's just too many kids playing
in Europe, for example, if you are
U 13, U 14, you're at the top level.
You're in an academy system.
If you're not, you're at rec.
There's no pathway in between.
Okay.
Rare.
I'm not gonna say absolute, but Right.
But here there's always an illusion
that there's a path if you have a badge.
Matt: I mean, listen, I, I've
certainly thought that before
and I've heard that the funnel
is a blessing and a curse, right?
When you look at the number of kids that
are playing, quote unquote, elite, to
me, the bigger issue is what we deem and
what we call elite and who we call elite.
I, I think the greater
challenge is that we call
way too many youth players elite.
And because of that, we're trying to
treat everyone in a very similar way.
And I think Morten
talked about this, right?
Um, that you can't treat
everyone essentially the same.
There are gonna be a few kids on
every single team who have the
potential to go to the next level,
depending on where they're playing.
How do you make sure that those kids
are getting the greatest opportunity to
compete at the highest possible level?
And that starts from the beginning, right?
That starts from the right kids being
scouted to being in the right environment,
to having the right culture, to the
coaches, being the right coaches.
And of course, you know,
we've learned this a lot too.
The parents matter in all of this, and
the parents can make or break it based
upon how they manage their kids and
what the relationship is with the club
or the coach or whatever it may be.
Liron: you're sliding in right into
kind of the, the next phase of how
we've, we've learned and progressed,
Morten, former, N Y C F C, academy
director , Has A word, calls it, rockets.
And this comparison of
our, Kids to rockets.
it's the fact that the academies
themselves cannot support
all the kids all the time.
So it's just, there's a
process of elimination.
Let's say you have three or four kids
that most resources go to, which to me, I
never even somebody quantified like that.
It was hard to hear, but it's true.
The rest of the kids are, are there too.
Uh, almost dare I say, support
the, the stars of that team.
It's not, I mean, yes, every kid has a
chance to be within that group of three
or four, but that's not always the case.
when Morten said it, it just, blew my mind
Matt: but you know what I mean?
Maybe because we're talking about
youth development and, you know,
10-year-old, 12-year-old soccer
players, whatever it may be.
But if you think of any sport any level.
professional level, it's
the same thing, right?
I mean, man U has three or four stars,
arguably they have a lot of other players
who could be stars on other teams.
Maybe not man you at the moment, but,
Liron: I knew there'd be a
Matt: it is coming.
How, how, however,
right.
I mean it really is about those
three or four stars, getting the
most outta them is surrounding them
with the right supporting talent.
I guess maybe what we've learned, or
at least has become more clear to us is
that youth academies and, youth directors
and coaches think of it the same way.
And when they're building
out a U 13 or U 14 team.
At a MLS homegrown or MLS academy level,
they're very much thinking about that.
And then they're thinking about what
does that look like a year from now?
What does that look
like two years from now?
And, um, look, it's like you're
playing roulette to a certain degree.
You can put, you can put a number
of different chips on different
numbers to try to figure out where
you win at the end of the day.
And, it's very
difficult, Especially.
as we've learned through this, you
know, the U 11 to U 15 age range
when so much growth both physically,
mentally, emotionally happens,
Liron: I was with a friend over the
weekend and I call it the 51-49 where
basically you have a 51% chance of
getting to that next level and you have
a 49% chance of not, it's so tight.
'cause you're looking at the
kids within this certain pool.
It's very hard to, this kid has one
super strength but it's very difficult
to kind of tell them apart in many ways.
And Robles said, imagine the parent who's
walking into a game or a team and they
see 23 kids on a bench, 18 on a roster.
You're saying, what am I paying for?
Wh where, where does my kid fit in?
Is my kid actually gonna get any minutes?
and you're right, you're paying for that.
It's one thing to complain, you're
not getting minutes if you are,
if you're at a free pro academy.
But it's another thing to say,
my kid is not getting minutes
and I'm paying for this thing.
Matt: you just made me think what one
of my other massive takeaways and not
surprising, but also very, very difficult,
I think to manage not just for parents
or for players, but for everybody
else, which is having patience, right?
Uh, this stuff kids develop at
different
Liron: Sorry, my English is not good.
What?
What's patience?
Matt: Yeah.
exactly.
I mean, none of us have a whole lot of it.
At least, I shouldn't say
none of us, but you and I
certainly
Liron: room
Matt: don't, don't have a whole lot of it.
Uh, but it's true.
And every single person who has come
on has said, I think, uh, back to
Morten, I mean, his analogy around
the staircase, which, you know, you
can talk more about, but just focus
on where your kid is on, the staircase
and their ability to climb stairs.
And at some point in time,
did I get that right?
Liron: That was brilliant.
Uh, you gotta admit that staircase thing.
this still sits with me.
I mean, it's not, what he says is, is
where you're, you, you start a place on
the staircase, your talent gives you a
place on the staircase, but it doesn't
guarantee you climbing the staircase.
And it's just, it was a brilliant concept.
'cause we tend to recognize short term
talent so quickly that we're not, we're
not coaches, we're not developers.
We're not looking at the potential of
development or climbing on that staircase.
And that's part of what parents
need to understand, right.
Is you're not just, it's
not just a snapshot in time.
Putting that kid in a team right now,
oh, that kid can now dribble three kids.
That kid, my kid is good to go.
He can shoot with his
left foot or whatever.
He's got a great killer shot.
No, it's what the, if you're
in for the game, what is it?
The, the long term process.
And I think that's where the staircase
analogy was very European of him.
Right.
And it's just so, so brilliant.
Matt: you know, the
the part we haven't.
touched on and we need to, we will
start bringing on some parents who
have been with their kids as they've
gone through an entire journey.
Some will have gone on, their
kids will have gone on to
become professional players.
Others have gone on to be
very solid college players.
Others maybe have kind of flamed
out or burned out in the process.
Um, I think one thing that
keeps coming up for me is what
are we all really in it for?
Right.
Are we really, are, are we in it?
Because, you know, if
we're being honest, right?
Are we in it?
Because we want these kids to develop
all these life lessons and learn to
compete, learn to win, learn to lose,
be with teammates who come from all
different types of backgrounds, all
those things, which is what we say, or
are we in it because we legitimately
think that our kids have the opportunity
to be a professional footballer.
And look, I, I don't, there's not a
blanket answer to that, but I think that
there's a whole lot of people who hold
on to the hope, the 0.05% hope their kids
will become a professional footballer.
And
Does that just mean
we're foolish?
Or does that mean that we have
dream that we're dreamers,
Right, does it mean,
we're wasting tons of
time and tons of hours?
I don't know, but.
Liron: your ability to self-reflect
and really ground this podcast and make
it emotional is really second to none.
I mean, it's really
just, this is absolutely,
Matt: said no one.
Liron: this Bergman ability that you
have, uh, to synthesize something.
It, uh, what did Morten say?
He used the word rockets, right?
It's.
You have to recognize with no
offense to both of our boys or
whatever, they're not rockets.
The rockets are your messies
or ronaldos or whatever.
They're mostly not rockets
and and it's very rare to find
that, that one in the thousands.
The rest of them kind of
have to, to grind it through.
And you're right, I, I don't know if
this, and I love that you said we, is
it we meaning dad, kid, parent kid,
or is we meaning parents internally
or is we meaning the community
or, 'cause you didn't say them.
You said the word we.
This is a, it's a giant distinction.
Matt: Well, I think it's
a collective, right?
I think that kids are easily influenced,
um, at young ages, by their coaches,
by their parents, by players, friends
around them as they get older.
I think they're influenced, but
they're influenced in different ways.
Uh, but they also start to
really form their own opinions.
Like we're going through it with,
uh, both of our boys who are
about, you know, soon to be 14.
Uh, it becomes, they, they're forming
their own opinions of where they
are on the staircase in life, you
know, and, and in soccer, and who
they trust in the ecosystem, who
they wanna put the work in, who they
don't, uh, what they see around them.
And it only becomes more difficult.
I think in some ways, unless you
have a rocket and the, even for the
quote unquote rockets, uh, you know,
there's so much that goes into it.
There's so much, obviously hard work,
but there's so much luck of being in
the right place, being in the right
system, being with the right coach.
There's so many uncontrollables
about all of this, but we can't
focus on the uncontrollables.
I think that's what's something,
just focus on the work,
focus On the passion, love the game.
And,
Liron: but this is the, this
the, the challenge, right?
And this is, Robles said it and
then Pat said it that, and it's
ironic that Robles said it.
'cause he is all about, I mean,
obviously he's building a badge in
something pretty extraordinary there.
But the idea to judge an environment,
not by the badge, but by the minutes
and the quality of play that the
kid gets, that I think is really
for the parents, it's for us.
I don't think this is something a kid
at a young age really understands.
You know, it's like, I've heard from
parents who, let's say, were offered to
go to NYCC from Red Bulls, let's say, and
the parents said, well, let me ask my son.
Like, wait a minute, your
son is nine years old.
You're gonna ask him.
Of course he's gonna
wanna stay at Red Bulls.
'cause he doesn't, kids don't like change.
They don't understand it.
You have the bigger picture.
You're the one who understands
how long it takes to drive if
you put the kid in the car.
But it's very difficult to separate.
I've told this story before,
Matt: Was that good that
you're gonna tell it
Liron: well, I actually cut it
from the episode 'cause I was
trying to keep the episode short.
So now it's the listener's chance
to listen to this great story that
unfortunately you heard three times.
Matt: It only, only gets
better each time you tell it
Liron: we made a decision to
leave Met Oval to go to Red Bulls
Matt: What's up?
What's up with the what?
What is like a special accent from
you?
Val
Liron: Met
Matt: What is that?
I've never heard that before.
Liron: see, I'm just, I'm trying to kind
of work on my acceptance into America.
We left, met oval to go to
Red Bulls sans of goalie.
Met Oval, incidentally, best goalie
coach in New York City, tri-state area.
Bar none.
I'm challenging anyone to come on
this pod and challenge me on that.
as far as prestige and just
understanding of the game, but we chose
Matt: You're talking about Sebastiano,
Liron: Yeah, with Sebastiano.
Mana, which we're gonna have on the show.
What we chose.
We meaning Liron, the
dad, we chose a badge.
We went to Red Bulls.
Red Bulls, N-Y-C-F-C.
I'm not complaining.
I'm not crying.
No small violins.
But did I take away a chance for Lavie
to train at a different level and
a focus level as a goalie, and then
do the runup again at age 15 or 16?
Matt: Well,
Liron: I don't know.
Matt: But listen.
in, in fairness to you, I think the
expectation was that there would be a
goalkeeper coach of the same quality
or, or somehow, I don't know how, but,
but maybe even a little bit better if
you're going to Red Bull or to N-Y-C-F-C.
Right?
I don't think you went there and said,
Hey, I'm just chasing a badge.
Yes.
it's Red Bull.
I'm chasing a badge.
I don't really care if
there's no goalie development.
My nine year old's gonna
figure it out in his own.
That wasn't the case.
Right?
You had certain expectations of what?
The development, what the coaching
was gonna be like, and maybe you
were let down as far as that was
concerned to a certain degree.
I don't wanna put words into your mouth.
Um,
you didn't know that going in, but
this is, part of, this is, this is like
somewhat why we're doing this too, right?
Because the instinct is always
to go, oh, red Bull's calling,
He's nine.
Like, why wouldn't I wanna be in the car
for four hours a day, four days a week?
Uh, getting out to New Jersey to
go train because it's Red Bull.
But
Liron: you just in two minutes,
uncorked my crippling depression
of the last, three years.
Thank you.
Matt: that's why we're here,
Liron: You know what?
I tell you, he is just what a guy,
he's not just, by the way, just for,
listeners, viewers, whatever, math is
not just about statistics touches boring
things, but Matt, let's talk a little
bit about boring things that you love.
TA touches technical issues.
Talk to me about that.
I mean, you're, uh, Patrick
said that there simply aren't
enough touches for kids.
Matt: Yeah.
Pat Oma.
Listen, I, I think that's an
area where I don't think we've
gone deep enough to be honest.
I'd love to get more into the weeds of
development and what that looks like.
Um, and ultimately from the perspective
of, you know, obviously having
gone coaches or academy directors
or players who have gone through
it, what their experience is like.
but I think it's really, really
important that we find a way to
help parents understand what that
looks like and what good looks like.
I mean, listen, I had
never been.
Liron: good looks like?
Matt: To one of my son's
trainings until COVID happened.
'cause the trainings were like
at four o'clock in the afternoon
and I couldn't get there.
I was then able to get there 'cause there
was a period of time where I was able to
work from home and I could at least go
swing by and pick 'em up for 30 minutes
and then get back home and jump on a Zoom.
And I would watch and I started to
think, what's, what are they doing?
What is this?
You know, is it,
Building
towards something?
Why
are these kids standing
around so much?
Um,
you know, as, as he
progressed and moved on to
another club and the trainings were
very late at night, I got to watch some
of those trainings in much more detail
and I had a better perspective on it,
but I didn't, I didn't honestly know.
I didn't even know what was going on.
And I think there's a lot of parents who.
Don't necessarily know what's going
on either because they didn't grow up
with the game playing it, you know,
they're trying to learn it now because
their kids are passionate, they're
working, and they're not able to see
what a training session looks like, and
therefore they don't know what their
kids are supposed to be, what actions are
supposed to be executing on in the games.
Right.
Um, but I think it's really important
that we, we dive deeper into some of the,
the technical elements of development
to ultimately help people who wanna
listen to this, understand it better.
Liron: Here's the scary
thing about what Pat said.
I can't believe how fortunate
we've been and hopefully everyone
appreciates what we're giving them.
He said, you can't,
in his experience, you cannot catch up.
Later on those touches.
Another thing that
just blew my mind to hear.
Matt: I think that's a part
of the fear of missing.
I think That's partly what drives families
mad with their youth players there is
this fear of missing out, and whether
that may be a fear of not getting enough
touches or being with a coach that isn't
the right coach, or being with a club that
isn't about development or not playing
on, you know, New York Select if you're
asked to do it and doing the supplemental
things, which are true differentiators.
I think that there is a massive element
that is this fear of missing out.
And honestly, I think 90% of
it is driven by social media.
Liron: Yeah, I mean we had
Brando from, youth for Youth.
He said that the coach is like
a math tutor, the trainer,
the supplemental trainer.
Think about it like a tutor.
And when you start to think about, make
the analogy of them playing soccer,
like going to school and a tutor to
help you get better at something.
it becomes kind of a vicious circle
because it's exactly what you said.
you as a parent don't even know
what it is you need to correct.
Matt: Yeah.
Liron: You don't have a metrics like
you do in school where you have, okay,
the kid got a c you gotta get to an
A. You don't really know what, part of
the game it is that you're going after,
you're judging.
He's a good coach.
He's a bad coach.
He's a good supplement.
The kid got, what do you want?
You don't know that.
I don't pretend to
Matt: No.
and I think, I mean, Brando also
made a comment about how he has
parents and he, he specifically
said you parents to, to youth girl
players, more so even than the boys.
I don't know what the ratios are, that,
you know, text him, call him, and are
very specific around what they want
their kids to work on each hour.
Right.
And maybe that's coming from.
The parent hearing something from a coach.
Maybe that's something coming from
the parent based upon what they see
in their own kid when they play.
Maybe that's something they saw on
Instagram and they're like, oh, my
kid can't do, can't turn this way, or
can't use their off foot this, or can't
juggle what, who knows what it is.
But there's so much noise.
It's like a, it's like
surround sound of noise.
Right.
And I think the parents who don't listen
to any of it or don't pay attention to
any of it are probably much more peaceful
around it and development probably
happens at a more patient rate than
Liron: Yeah, I don't like those parents.
And they'll never be
Matt: Yeah, I don't even know.
any of them, but I mean, I'm sure they
Liron: really exist.
But I mean the, the, the, the, the
supplemental stuff, and we had, we had
Billy here from Next Level, and you,
you brought up an amazing, uh, anecdote
about some of the kids being on those.
Kind of showcase teams where you want to
get more minutes, because I'm assuming
you're not getting enough minutes at
your, whatever team you're in are not even
allowed to be on those supplemental teams.
Like they would go to these games,
get more minutes and then, or
hide or run after immediately
or go, don't put me on social.
I mean, what?
Matt: Well, so I mean, to me this is
one of those only in America things.
Liron: think everything
we're saying here is only in
Matt: I don't know.
I don't know, maybe.
but it's like, wait, let
me understand something.
So we pay whatever the
amount is to play for a club.
Yes.
They're committing coaches resources
to develop.
the player that we are
paying for, however.
If the player isn't playing enough or
wants to play more but isn't afforded
the opportunity to do that, but there is
something that's available to them that
still is a pretty high quality, doesn't
interfere with their own ability to play
in matches or to be at trainings, and then
they're told they're not able to do it.
I have a really hard
time understanding that.
I mean, if it's protecting a kid
from injury, okay, I guess maybe
you can make that argument, but why
are they more prone to injury if
they're playing an extra game, if
they're not playing enough minutes?
I would think if it's the right
environment, that it's only gonna make
them better, stronger, more confident,
and better prepared for the opportunities
when they get it on their club team.
Um, or is there an underlying reason?
Is it because they don't want kids to be.
Scouted and pulled away
into another competing club.
but it just seems like it's not
fair to a player who's ultimately
wanting to just play a kid.
Full stop.
Right?
Liron: I have a friend who, whose son
was a U 13 and, he was playing at a local
team here, not gonna say the name, but
a respected team, not an academy, right.
Right below.
it was the kid's birthday and There
was a game and the parents came and
they brought the donuts and then the
grandparents of the kid came as well
to see the kid play on his birthday.
So in the beginning of the game, the
dad went to the coach, introduced him to
the grandparents, thinking, okay, well,
and he got the donuts and everything.
The kid didn't play,
didn't play one minute.
Matt: Yeah.
Liron: So the dad said,
well, okay, I am not sure.
My kid is zero to not play at all.
Two, I'm paying for this experience.
I've brought the whole family to see
the kid kick the ball three, four times.
I mean, it's the least I deserve.
I don't think the dad is wrong.
Matt: no.
Especially because that's
not, you're not talking MLS
next homegrown.
You're not talking,
No, you're talking
Maybe it's a level or two above.
Maybe it's a level above grassroots ish.
Liron: grassroots.
But,
Matt: but but still.
Listen, I've been there.
I've, my parents have come to a game.
And, I was hesitant to invite them 'cause
I didn't know if he was gonna play 50
minutes or 25 minutes or 70 minutes.
And it's frustrating, But
listen, I mean, it is what it is.
Like if you're trying to compete
at a high level, then that's fair.
it's just a crappy
Liron: you're paying for it.
That's that's
Matt: I honestly, it's not, I don't
know if it's necessarily even that.
I think at the end of the day, you
want your kid to have the chance to
shine and if it happens to be that
their grandparents are there or that
their friends are there, or whatever
the situation is, like as a parent, I
think you just feel that for your kid,
I wasn't angry by any means, like it
was the way the season was going, but I
just felt, I felt a moment of sadness.
Honestly.
Liron: Well, I mean that maybe just ties
a little bit to what you were talking
about before about the, extra minutes
or the sub 'cause now, now obviously
you're pushing for extra minutes because
your kid is not playing or whatever.
And then we, you and I brought
up the subject to, um, to
Billy and Brando who are.
Right now built Supplemental Empires
in our, local community about burnout.
Right?
And they had quite a bit of pushback
on that, where their theory was,
obviously there is physical burnout,
which is, get the kids to a lot of it.
But most of the burnout at that age comes
from pressure and the pressure to play,
or pressure to not disappoint the parents.
And in a way that kind of
creates a shutdown mechanism
for a lot of those kids.
Matt: Yeah, I think that's
a hundred percent right.
Um, and that was a really, to me, that
was a really interesting conversation.
Um, yes, you can have burnout
at 16 or 17 years old.
That has nothing to do with parents
or nothing to do with pressure.
It just may be you've been grinding
since you were six years old.
You've played soccer, you know,
four days a week, 10 and a half
months a year, or five days a
week, whatever it is, for 10 years.
And you've realized at that point that
A, I'm not gonna be a professional.
BI may not play in college.
And C
I've lost.
so many experiences and
moments with my friends
and family.
And you know what that is, we all
have burnout in different ways,
in different points of our life.
It's part of life.
I think the burnout maybe that we were
asking almost as a leading question,
but we didn't get the answer maybe,
that we were looking for is, are you
seeing it with 12 and 13-year-old kids?
And they said.
No, but where we do burnout from
as far as like the physical, the
injuries or whatever, which, look,
I don't know if that's fully true.
I think there, a lot of injuries, overuse
injuries that may not mean burnout in the
mental state when we think of it, right?
But that has a different impact.
I think the other part
is it's the pressure.
Ultimately it's the
pressure from the parents.
It's the pressure from
the coach in some cases.
I think 90% of it, when you see, when
we hear burnout, it's a kid who may be
talented or may not be talented, doesn't
love the game, or is passionate about the
game as the parent is, and ultimately that
leads to them walking away from the game.
Liron: And which leads us to, uh, really
one of our biggest points is parents.
Right?
Uh, that was, uh, a key
issue with, uh, Morten.
Morten brought that up.
It said, you know, just reminding
us that we parents are a key factor.
But he said.
Parents are gonna have to go
through a separation process.
And you said it so beautifully about
kid is young, you're with them.
Maybe you, you played soccer.
So you play with them in the backyard,
you play with them, you drive them,
you, you give them a talk about tactics.
You show 'em it on tv.
You're, you're kind of mentoring
that kid through, through your life
experience if you're a soccer parent.
But there comes a point where
that separation starts to happen.
A, the, the kid is growing up, so
they have less attention span for
things that we say, which is natural.
Two, if they grow within a more
professional environment, it doesn't
matter at what level soccer, they will
grow with older kids, older coaches,
they will feel more knowledgeable.
They're gonna require less input from us.
So now we need to change our
role from soccer mentors or
technical mentors into emotional.
Support only, and, and possibly
even, even less than that.
That is very difficult for the
kid not to see that on you.
Matt: it's very difficult And I think
it, the, the scale of the difficulty
probably depends on the role you've
had with your kid as they've grown up
for, as a youth player, starting from
whenever they were started playing.
Until that age of, you know, whether
it's 14, 15, 16, wherever it happens.
Um, and it's probably much more
difficult for, in certain situations
than it is in others based upon that.
Uh, but yeah, it's not just
soccer, right?
Like they're, they're forming their own
thoughts.
They're they're maturing
and it's about everything,
Liron: Yeah.
But I don't care about
any of those things.
I, I only care about one
thing and, and not soccer.
Matt: that's not your
Liron: And,
Matt: Yeah.
Liron: Matt, this is just opening up.
I, I don't know how to, I feel like
I'm going through it right now where I
just don't have as much of an input as
I used to, or at least the input I have
is not as receptive as it used to be.
And, Morten said, you grow with your kid.
We don't think that, but
we are growing with them.
We're changing with them, but
we need to accept that role.
We need to go from almost sideline coach
to, he called it an environmental coach,
on the side, on the outside of it.
And that that's just really difficult
Matt: Listen, I mean, I think I've, in
most ways, epically failed as far as
this is concerned, and I'm still failing.
I'm not a hundred percent sure.
Why, why it's so difficult.
But you know, when you were saying growing
in my mind, I started to think in a
lot of ways I think it's growing apart.
And I don't mean
as like a dad with a son, but I mean
as far as like what are you ultimately
passionate about or what are you
ultimately like, how committed are you?
this is
where
it's their life and they're
starting to really grasp onto
what they want in their life.
And we're not always gonna like that.
Right.
We may not like it at all.
We may love it.
Let's hope we love it.
for me, and this is, I mean,
you've got an older daughter where
you've already experienced some
of this as Miles is my oldest.
it's really, really hard.
And it's not, again, it's not just
soccer, it's all this stuff and
figuring out that right balance as
a parent and as someone who's trying
to support them and figure it out.
But it's hard to let your
kid just make mistakes.
it's really hard, right.
We've lived, a long life at this point.
you're longer than me.
Liron: Oh, it looks like
Matt: it's doesn't get
easier, Remember,
Liron: it's not where you are on the
staircase, it's how you climb it.
Matt: Yeah.
I mean, at this point what
if you can, you crawl it
Liron: I can probably do it.
I'll escalator it up.
Matt: can you, you crawl.
You've
got, like, you've got one of, you've
got, one of Those little ones.
that slides up the
side.
Yeah, Yeah.
Liron: Don't worry about me.
No, it's, it is just, I find that probably
one of the most difficult thing that has
been said for us because let's assume
the kid still wants to play soccer, so my
passion for the sport is still the same.
That hasn't changed.
Probably even grown more because I was
trying to kind of see it through him.
But here's the even uglier truth is that
put in pay to play, put in hours driven.
I just drove to Maryland and back
eight hours for the kid to play
three quarters of a game maybe.
So put our hours, put our time being
marginalized, put our money how.
Do you not feel like at least you earned
the right to continue lecturing and
teaching, but we're losing that, right.
Matt: But let me ask you.
something.
The Maryland one, you drove eight
hours, spent X amount of money.
And by the way, just eight hours, like in
the car and there, but you were gone for
two days, whatever.
It's Um,
Liron: I wasn't missed by Sarit,
Matt: but did you, well,
we knew that already
But did you
go, did Livie play because Livy
asked and wanted to play or because
you said Livy, I think you should
play.
Liron: Yeah.
Matt: Um,
Liron: I'm on the lucky side
of things where he demanded
to be on that tournament.
Hence I put in the extra work,
Matt: to me, I think that's incredible.
Liron: Mm.
Matt: I think you're doing the best
thing you can do as a parent, which
is you're supporting him because
his work ethic and his commitment
and his passion aligns to the dream.
Right.
And I know how much Livy works when
he's not in team training outside of
it, and I know how committed he is.
It would've been very different if you
said, Lavy, you need to get extra work in.
We should go to Maryland
and play in this tournament.
And Livy was like, eh, I
don't know if I want to go.
It's two days and it's not the case.
I think that happens a lot.
Liron: Right.
you're curing all my ailments.
Matt: I think it's a
differentiated point, right?
And, there's a lot of both
of those things that happen.
I think giving parenting advice here,
but I think any of us who, our kids
have a dream and the work aligns
and the commitment aligns to what
they're trying to achieve, we all do
everything we can do to make it happen.
It doesn't mean it's gonna happen, but
It's kind of our job as a parent and
we're all trying to do the best we can
Liron: Noah Gins, from Albi, he said
that with the parents being so involved
and he of course appreciates the fact
that parents have to be involved because
obviously they're funding most of
this whole business you also create an
environment because everybody's gotta
play and you're creating an environment
where everything is just perfect,
that you're reducing the variables
to create less obstacles in a way.
So it's a smoother process
for the kid because.
It's a pay to play.
There's enormous amount of kids where
we had Morten, who was a director of a
pro academy with a European thought of
only looking at the end of the staircase
saying his job is to introduce obstacles.
Matt: I think that Noah.
Actually feels the same way,
right,
I think.
But what's happened, because it's
very competitive to land really
talented kids and really talented
kids who can afford their parents
can afford to pay, is that you have
to create an incredible environment.
And that may mean that's fields,
that's coaches, that's locker rooms,
weight rooms, whatever, whatever it is,
depending on where you are in the country.
In New York, it's like, uh, you can
have turf that's just barely laid over.
Co
That's right.
That just over concrete and
lights that flicker on and off
at, uh, 8 45 and a public park.
But I think in most places, the,
conditions are probably better.
And even here in some conditions, they're
great, but I don't think anybody would
argue that having a perfect environment's
gonna create a perfect player.
Quite the opposite.
Right.
Um, I think it's more important,
as Morden said, that these kids
are presented with challenges.
The question I guess I have is, um.
How big are the challenges?
At what, what age are they?
How much can they handle?
Right?
What's the impact on them psychologically,
when it's too much, too soon?
Am I gonna get, am I rostered?
Am I gonna play?
How much am I gonna play?
Am I going up, am I going down?
I don't
know.
Are those good things for development?
Are those, are those the
obstacles we're talking about?
Or do those kill the love of the
game and a kid quits before they're
14 years old because they're
sick of all the uncertainty?
'cause they're sick of all the
grownups who are in the system
taking the love out of the game.
That's the stuff that concerns me.
Not kids having to, you know,
fight really hard and to make
decisions and make a commitment.
Liron: So to play devil's advocate on
that, you brought up on episode one
in our introduction, and you brought
it up again this one statistic of 0.0.
I'm gonna ruin it.
It's like 0.005 or 0.05, make it to
pro slash college, like a significant
continuation of this process.
So in a way, why make it difficult?
Why not just make it
summer, campy, eat oranges.
And reduce competition.
So at least the experience is not
absolutely disheartening because like
I said earlier, maybe there's just
a lot of kids playing soccer here
that in Europe, unless they're at the
top level, they'll just, or in South
America, they'll be in rec, they won't
be in this in-between E-C-N-L-M-L, MLS
NEXT, kind of, uh, what's the next cup?
they'll be rec or those who are the
rockets would be on a path to pro.
Nothing in between, but we
give a giant in between.
What do you do with that?
Matt: why do you think that is?
Liron: I dunno
Matt: Because there's so much money.
think about tournaments, travel, right?
I mean, really, what are we getting out of
playing three games or four games in three
days, flying across the country to do it?
I get it.
Look, in some parts of the country where
maybe the competition isn't as good or
geographically it's really spread out.
it probably makes more sense.
But when you look at the tri-state
area, when you look at California,
when you look at Texas, when you look
at these areas where there's 50 teams
within a drive of us that are, many of
them Where you could have a better game
than potentially if you're flying to
Arizona or Florida to play against It
just doesn't necessarily make sense.
But there's so much money involved in
the tournaments and this whole thing
around the quote unquote showcases
Seems like it's completely outta control.
I mean, I think if you're in 10th
grade, maybe if you're in ninth
grade, 10th and 11th showcases Okay.
But the rest of it, like
you're not showcasing anything,
I don't
Liron: So how, how, okay.
Great.
Matt.
Brilliant.
MLS Next fest happened.
We heard what a fantastic
tournament it's been.
I, I know it's a giant success for
MLS next and, and for good reason.
Incredible showcase for older kids
from U 16 and up on with College
Scouts, possibly pro all eyes.
But what are u thirteens and U
14 teams doing there with people
having to take five days off
school, thousands of dollars to fly?
I don't know.
We, we didn't go, but I'm asking what
Matt: Yeah,
at the MLS next homegrown level,
which is the highest level you can
play in this country, um, there is
some merit to flying somewhere and
playing teams from other regions.
Liron: About how many kids
are you talking about here?
Matt: Oh so many, so many kids.
Right?
But the U 13, U 14, I dunno.
I mean, is it, is it worth it?
I have no idea.
I don't know how you, you quantify
it, but look, I know it puts a lot of
families in really, really difficult
positions, right?
They don't feel comfortable with
their kids missing school, but then
they don't feel comfortable with
their kids missing the matches.
Um, and gonna cost them 3000 or
$5,000 or whatever it may be, which
may mean they don't get to take
vacation that they would've taken
that year, or, or even worse, right?
So I think it's really,
really challenging.
But I wasn't specifically talking
even at the MLS next level.
I was talking, you know, the EDP
levels, the levels below that,
where the travel unbelievable.
Uh, and I'm not really
sure what the goal is.
Liron: Yeah.
argue for that against that too is,
uh, on the EDP level is probably
even lower level environment per se.
Even the experience of
the tournament itself.
Remember you get the high grass, you
get the diagonal fields, like it's not
Matt: You got 10 tiers.
Yes.
You know, I.
mean, if you're not in
tiers, 1, 2, 3, maybe four.
I'm not quite sure I understand the value.
Liron: So if you're, if you're at that
level, the EDP or all that, we said
the in betweener and we talked about
specializing, you're 12, 11 years old, 13.
Is it up to the parent to say, you
know what, let's just investigate.
Let's go play basketball, let's
go do, I mean this country
has so many offerings, right?
But it's on the parent to make
those kinds of decisions or not?
Or is it, is it even important or We
just kind of, at 13, we still have a
hope that, like you said, the kid will
be pro, the kid will be in college.
We just we're all in.
Matt: You know, it's funny, from Luis to
Ben Olson to Pat Oma, I'm sure we covered
it off with a few of our other guests.
All said They played
multiple sports.
but They're also at an age, probably
most of those guys in their forties,
I would say early to late, where it
was just much more acceptable and,
and easier to do it, to a person.
They each said it was
really meaningful to them.
It impacted their success.
I think it's possible here until
you're 12, probably, maybe 13, with
a few exceptions here or there.
When I say exceptions.
I think the kids who are able to
do it are so good or so advanced at
whatever sport it is that they're not
playing full-time, that they don't
have to worry about losing their
slot, their spot not playing as much.
Right.
There's exceptions made for kids.
If you're at an, if you're at an elite
level, truly an elite level as an athlete,
and especially as you're young, if you're
younger, it's probably more to do with
your physical stature than it is your
technical or tactical understanding.
So you can get away with it at U 14, U 15
when you're playing
training
four days a week and you're playing
a match or two every weekend
and you're traveling all over.
I just don't understand how it's possible.
Yeah.
Liron: Yeah, I think you're right.
I think it's just not realistic and
it's, is just something that maybe
you're right, maybe it just shows
a different time, different age, of
also kind of American youth sports
and just what soccer has become.
instead of playing basketball, you're
doing your trainer, you're working,
you're at a tournament, you're working
on, going to a technical trainer,
you're going to work on your left
foot, your right foot, whatever it is.
it doesn't exist anymore.
And it's something that Ben Olson
brought to, he said this idea of.
Sports environment, even though
Europe had that kind of full soccer
culture, he grew up in sports culture.
And this was the great thing
about America, you brought that
up as well, where America is all
about sports culture and choices.
And it's kind of, if you don't play
this, you, always joke like some of
the kids that I've grew up with, I
think for many of those parents, if
the kid was excellent in marbles, as
he is good in soccer, or better in
marbles, they would be in marbles.
Like, it's not, there's just, you could
be in tennis, you're gonna be in tennis.
Like that's just, if you're in
Malaga, you're gonna be in soccer
or you're gonna be in school.
There is no in-between.
But we have so many choices here
Matt: Yeah.
Liron: and it's just something
that maybe will never change.
Matt: I mean, it's hard to remember
back this far, but I mean, I
played four or five sports, right.
And, and three in high school.
And if I had to play soccer 11
months, 10 months, a year and
wasn't able to do anything else,
you know what I would've done?
I would've quit playing soccer.
Liron: Yeah.
Wow.
Matt: It was a different time.
We didn't have soccer on tv.
we couldn't, I couldn't
watch European soccer.
I didn't have cable until
I was in eighth grade.
Right.
It was like small little town.
Um, but I watched basketball all
the time and I watched baseball,
or I watched football, or I
watched any sport I could find.
Soccer just wasn't available to watch.
So I didn't have anything to, to anyone
to really aspire to until I got to college
where I could start to see it on tv.
Um, but the other sports I like, I
couldn't have imagined not playing them.
So I would've, I think I would've been
totally, I would've been burnt out.
And I went through stages in college
where I was burnt out of playing
soccer still, because at that
point I was only playing soccer.
It's hard.
Liron: It's hard.
Yeah.
Matt: It's a lot.
I mean, if you really, really, really
love it and there are kids who are
that passionate that really love it,
it doesn't feel like work to them.
Right?
It's just fun.
I mean, it's work, but it's fun for the
kids that aren't quite that extra bit
of work training, it feels like work.
It's different
for each of them.
Liron: you're right Matt.
one of the things that Ben Olsen
spoke about was, and he said
it, I can't forget these words.
He said, it's coming.
The idea of the downfall that there's
gonna be a could be a physical or
a mental block, like a giant one.
And that is gonna come in.
and if you have a path of continuing paths
where our boys are now, college slash bro.
There's gonna be some major
setback that's coming.
And is this something that you ever
put in your mind or discuss with Mouse?
'cause that's something I've
never, wouldn't even know
how to approach with Lavie?
Or is it just something we just.
Matt: Well, I mean, listen, I think we
had it to a certain degree a year ago.
Uh, for sure.
And yeah, I don't know.
I mean, look, um, our boys are
playing at different levels,
different clubs, different levels,
different environments at the moment.
I think what I'm waiting for, hoping
for is that, you know, his level of
commitment kicks up another level.
Uh, and we'll see, you know,
the outcome's gonna be either.
Um, but I do know one thing for sure.
It's gonna have absolutely nothing
to do with what I tell 'em to do.
And that's been, and that's been a
lesson learned through this process.
A lesson that continues to be
Liron: Well, I still listen to you.
That's why.
That's why we got each
Matt: Yeah.
Well that's why we're here,
because you're the only 180
Liron: downloads.
So it's coming.
Matt: lying.
It's far more than that.
80. It's 8,900.
Liron: You know, I got our, uh, like
some note from Instagram about one of
the Robles videos being seen like 10,000
times or something, or 9,000 times.
That was, it was pretty extraordinary.
Look at that.
Two guys in a basement.
It's not that.
Um, all right.
So, um, I wanna kind of wrap this
up, uh, talk about where we're headed
next, but I wanna, I want to do
that by going one step backwards.
Uh, world Cup's coming 2026 and
for those who can afford it,
they're gonna enjoy some games.
But, uh, I loved Ben's description of
the beginning of the MLS where him going
to Kansas City, playing in front of 600
Matt: at Arrowhead
Liron: Arrowhead Stadium.
And it's just.
I always grew up taking for granted that
soccer is the major sport where in, where
I, when I was a kid that was like, you
know, you just, that's just what it was.
And all of a sudden you hear
him and now World Cup's coming
and just, I dunno, it's just an
amazing, amazing thing to, to hear.
I don't really have an
anecdote or a question,
Matt: Well listen, the last time
the World Cup was here, which was in
1994, MLS was born the year after.
And here we are 30 years later,
right, with a league with what?
29 teams.
I think 29 franchises.
Now the last one sold for $500 million,
I think, which was San Diego that came
into the league and bought the franchise.
Leon Oesi has now played here for,
two years, two and a half years.
Just won the MLS cup.
it could be far worse.
Right.
Like the product continues to get better.
We're at 28 or so, soccer only stadiums.
it is far from perfect.
I don't think anybody would say it is,
but it's become a competitive league.
It's become somewhat, more than somewhat.
It's become very watchable.
And I think this goes back,
Liron: reminds me of this podcast.
Matt: I think it goes, hopefully it's
not watching, hopefully we're just
Liron: Oh, there's
Matt: but you know, I'm, I'm
incredibly curious to see what the
impact is gonna be in this country.
And it's not only the
World Cup in 26, right?
You've got the Olympics coming
up, you have the Women's World Cup
coming up a few years after, So.
We've got like this 10 year span
coming outta last summer too.
with the copa.
I mean, this is never gonna
happen again in our lifetime.
So
Liron: exciting.
Matt: see what
Liron: Somebody should start a
soccer, youth soccer podcast and
kind of get on the bandwagon.
maybe they'll listen
to us and be inspired.
Matt: a sponsor.
Liron: I guess.
Well, that's your
responsibility, not mine.
So yeah, Matt, that's amazing World Cup.
Uh, really a unique time to be
around, uh, the soccer universe.
Uh, and we're not going anywhere.
We're just, I think we just,
we're just getting started, right?
Matt: we've got, uh, we have a
sports psychologist coming on
Liron: to help us,
Matt: to help us, yeah.
psychologist.
Yeah.
Um, mental performance coaches, we're
gonna bring on some players who have
gone through the development, who've
developed in this country, and, uh,
are either playing in college or
playing overseas, or playing in MLS.
Physios performance staff at world
class clubs Yeah, it's crazy.
Uh, Academy directors, I think
we've got Sean coming up,
Sean McCafferty from Red Bull.
We have a former PSG
professional footballer,
Peggy Lee and Doula.
Liron: Excited about that.
Matt: we have an incredible trainer in, in
Brian Chun, who's based here in New York.
But Brian's got like such a
interesting perspective on
development and how he does it.
Uh, and a whole
host of
Liron: Long Island.
We have the Long Island.
We have a, by the way, uh, a professional.
Soccer team is gonna
happen in Long Island.
And, uh, we have, uh,
someone very important that's
gonna discuss that as well.
Matt: Yeah.
And I will say we haven't scratched
the surface yet or tried to cover.
The girl system yet, and it's a
bit of a blind spot for both of us.
So, but
Liron: like in our way,
Matt: we will start to
cover that, um, hopefully
Liron: there's a big one.
There's a big one coming.
So, uh, a big interview coming with a
major talent, uh, that's gonna kinda, um,
help steamroll that, uh, for us as well.
And I know your daughter just
started playing soccer too,
Matt: it's just so much.
to cover.
Liron: Yeah, well, we're not, like I
said, we're not going anywhere and,
we're gonna keep, giving those freebie
episodes to, to everyone who supports us.
Matt: You're gonna run a GoFundMe.
Liron: All right.
Maybe soon.
Matt: we need production support.
If There's anybody out there
any listeners, anybody who's looking
for an internship that's looking to help
the production.
side, reach out to Liron.
Liron: Matt, I think we earned a, night
out on the town, you and I after this.
Matt: Let's do it.
Liron: Yeah.
Well, I can't wait for
season two, brother.
This has been an absolute blast.
Matt: we just finished season one.
Liron: I mean, I don't know.
Call it season one.
Matt: That's amazing.
Who knew?
Liron: Yeah, who knew, who knew?
We could finish anything.
Matt: This is awesome.
Liron: Yeah.
All right.
Well, I'll see you soon, man.
Yeah.
Matt: Yeah.
Thanks for joining
us on
Liron: Chasing the Game.
Hey, please follow, subscribe.