Soccer Education for the Serious
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No gossip. This is a serious soccer podcast for serious soccer people.
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Ep 342: Pochettino to the USMNT – Things You Are Not Told
1:09:35
1:09:35
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1:09:35
Transformation in US Soccer: What’s Mauricio Pochettino’s Impact? This episode discusses a potential turning point for U.S. Soccer with the hiring of high-profile Argentinian manager Mauricio Pochettino for the U.S. Men’s National Team. Hosts explore the possible cultural impact of this hire, both on and off the field, emphasizing the need for socc…
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Ep 341: Benny Rogers – The Practitioner Behind 3four3
1:10:52
1:10:52
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1:10:52
Inside American Soccer: Coaching, Social Media, and Beyond with Benjamin Rogers In this episode host Gary has Benjamin (who played for Brian from age 10 on) share his transformation from a soccer player to a coach and his role as a social media manager for 3four3. The discussion includes the importance of understanding the sport’s political and cul…
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Ep 340: From Berhalter to the Bleachers, Everything is Connected – Is American Soccer Finally Going to Level Up?
1:12:00
1:12:00
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1:12:00
Exploring U.S. Soccer: Politics, Development, and Coaching with Kirk Kinsey Gary’s guest appearance on the Counter Press Podcast with Kirk Kinsey is featured. They delve into the U.S. Soccer Federation’s decision to terminate Gregg Berhalter and its broader repercussions on the U.S. Men’s National Team. The discussion covers intricate aspects of Am…
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Ep 339: USMNT Failure was Necessary and Inevitable – A Deeper Dive of the Ecosystem that Drives American Soccer
2:21:43
2:21:43
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2:21:43
American Soccer Under the Microscope: Governance, Culture, and Development In this episode, Kephern Fuller and I critically examine the systemic issues plaguing American soccer. We highlight how U.S. Soccer’s governance prioritizes control over sporting excellence, making coaches and players mere cogs in a power-driven machine. The discussion revea…
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Ep 338: Emergency Podcast – US Soccer Leadership Needs to Be Removed and Reformed
29:20
29:20
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29:20
This urgent podcast exposes the dire state of US soccer as the country becomes the first to host Copa America and not advance out of the group stage. The hosts lambast the current leadership, calling for immediate dismissal of the coach and a complete overhaul of the US Soccer Federation. We start to discuss the underhanded control Major League Soc…
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Ep 337: Navigating the High-Stakes World of Soccer: Insights with Kephern Fuller
2:09:04
2:09:04
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2:09:04
In this episode, host Gary Kleiban sits down with Kephern Fuller to explore the complexities of American soccer players breaking into the European scene. The discussion covers immigration challenges, the realities of competing internationally, and the difficult decisions parents must make for their kid’s soccer careers. Key topics include the devel…
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Ep 336: A Bunch of American Soccer Topics with Paul Spacey
1:21:54
1:21:54
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1:21:54
Can coaches be “honest” with players and families, and more broadly is there honesty in the American soccer ecosystem? I’m joined by Paul Spacey, who I first met over 10 years ago soon after he arrived from England. Now with over a decade of working in American soccer, he shares a good number of lessons learned. Topics in the episode include: Hones…
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Ep 335: Pro/Rel and MLS’ Assault on the US Open Cup with the OG himself, Ted Westervelt
1:08:48
1:08:48
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1:08:48
The following episode features Ted Westervelt, regarded by many, including myself, as one of the originals who have been advocating and educating about promotion and relegation, both in the United States and abroad, for well over a decade. As you’ll see in this episode, he is very well-versed in the subject. And despite some suggesting that this to…
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Ep 334: Be Smart with this Incomplete Notion of “Just Let the Kids Play”
18:13
18:13
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18:13
Before the start of our weekly business meeting, John Kokkoris and I had some soccer small talk regarding this misguided notion of “let the kids play”. It was stimulated by the following comments made by the Argentine National Team manager, Lionel Scaloni. “There’s an excess of analysis, too much. Nowadays, everyone knows how the opponent plays; th…
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Ep 333: Don Williams – Soccer Practitioner Working on Player Pathway Management you Should Follow on X
1:05:17
1:05:17
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1:05:17
Don (@Don_K_Williams) and I touch on a number of topics, including: There’s Nothing New in Soccer. Stats and Video Don’t Capture the Quality of a Player. Coaches Aren’t the Main Problem in Development. Personal Experience in Helping Latinos Have a Chance at the Professional Level. What is “Mentality”, and How Much Influence do Coaches Really Have? …
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Ep 332: The Ongoing US Open Cup Fiasco, Pro/Rel, and Are There Any Real Clubs in American Soccer?
1:20:07
1:20:07
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1:20:07
Truly knowing the landscape at all scales, helps you successfully navigate it. On Clubs A crucial concept often overlooked in discussions about soccer is the absence of what we commonly refer to as “clubs” at the MLS level. Moreover, this absence extends to the youth ranks. It might seem different from what you’d expect, especially when comparing i…
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Ep 331: A Myth You Are Believing About National Team Coaches
13:58
13:58
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13:58
Contrary to what many in the States will tell you: A National Team manager does not have to conform to the proverbial “player pool.” By selecting and elevating players that conform to it, they absolutely can impose their preferred style of play. Inspired by a post from @SerbFootyScout who wished Serbia could have had Marcelo Bielsa. Premium Educati…
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Ep 330: On Culture, Japan’s Success, America’s Failure, Neuroscience, Plus Much More with Tom Byer
2:14:23
2:14:23
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2:14:23
Today, I’ve got a multi-decade long practitioner based out of Japan, Tom Byer. He’s American, but Japan has been his home for 38 years. As I was writing this intro, which is the only thing I ever script, it occurred to me: What is a practitioner? For me, anyway, there’s that cliche of “I know one when I see one“, but I don’t really like that, and I…
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Ep 329: Seeing the American Soccer Landscape Clearly, and the Most Recent MLS/USSF Conflict of Interest
2:51:54
2:51:54
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2:51:54
Lifelong American soccer practitioner and entrepreneur, Kephern Fuller, joins me again from Holland. On September 15, news came out that an MLS owner, Arthur Blank, who operates the Atlanta franchise, was going to fund US Soccer with $50 million in order for them to build a National Training Center in Atlanta. Kephern then posted the following on X…
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Ep 328: Why is the American Soccer Mentality so Soft?
1:07:25
1:07:25
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1:07:25
Player attributes are compartmentalized in 4 general attributes: Technical Tactical Physical Psychological They’re all critical. But that 4th one, man that 4th one is quite a bit different from the others. It’s tough to put your finger on it. One thing is certain though, without having the requisite mentality, not only will the player not come remo…
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Ep 327: From Playing Pro to Coaching D1 College, MLS Academies, and Now Overseas – Paul Holocher is a Reservoir of Experience
1:03:37
1:03:37
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1:03:37
The following is a conversation with longtime friend and colleague, Paul Holocher, a former professional player with experience in MLS, pre-MLS, and in Europe when Americans overseas was barely conceivable. After his playing days, he turned to coaching, starting with youth teams, then coaching Division 1 college soccer back when that was a very big…
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Ep 326: On Messi, The Mentality of Players, Suburban Soccer Culture, Pro/Rel, and More
1:51:08
1:51:08
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1:51:08
I am joined today from Holland by a long-time soccer friend, colleague, and fellow builder who continues to push the envelope of what’s possible: Kephern Fuller. After founding a club named Joga SC on the east coast of the United States in 2010 and operating it in the DC area until 2016, he moved overseas and took his business with him. Kephern and…
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Ep 325: The 2 Most Important Influences on Player Development, Plus Why the US Women Are Not Good Enough
55:45
55:45
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55:45
Today I’m joined once again by Joey Cascio. One of the extremely rare exceptional American coaches He wanted us to discuss what are likely the 2 most critical components (of the 5) to player development: The parent, family, household influence. And The structured club team influence. This led us to chat about a variety of touch-points. From proper …
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Ep 324: Implications of the MLS Salary Cap You’ve Probably Never Considered
59:23
59:23
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59:23
I’m joined today by professional footballer and former youth player of Brian Kleiban, Taylor Davila. Taylor’s doing really well in the USL Championship as a 22-year-old central midfielder. Playing for the RGV Toros, he’s leading the league in chances created. In this episode, he chose to have a chat about the salary cap in Major League Soccer. Is i…
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Ep 323: How to Be Remarkable Within a Traditional “Rec” Program
42:40
42:40
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42:40
I am joined today by Kirk Kinsey, soccer coach, soccer parent, doing the remarkable within the confines of American soccer. Within what is deemed “rec soccer” of all places. Ok, ok. Why on earth would 3four3 be talking about AYSO? I mean doesn’t 3four3 represent the top end of the game, doesn’t it work with professional soccer players, top pro club…
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Ep 322: Be Careful Who You are Allowing to Program your Mind – On American Soccer Broadcasters
46:44
46:44
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46:44
Are American Soccer Broadcasters: Doing a good job? Raising the collective soccer iq of the audience, OR, are they doing more harm than good? As you might suspect, I had quite a few things to say about this. A critical thing to appreciate here, is that who you are listening to – who you are allowing in your brain – has a huge impact on shaping your…
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Ep 321: How Valuable is Competition Within the Youth Team Environment, and How do You Manage It?
55:47
55:47
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55:47
What does competition actually mean? And more specifically, what does it mean for coaches to create a competitive environment within their teams? There’s a lot to dissect here because it’s not just about: The level of your opponents. The level of the league. The level of your teammates. No, no, no. There’s a lot that goes into this, and a lot that …
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Ep 320: Anatomy of a *Successful Youth Coach – Mentorship and the 7v7 Format with John Kokkoris
1:01:27
1:01:27
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1:01:27
This episode dives into the following topics: Mentorship. And I must admit, things get a bit heated. But in a good way, as I was just trying to dig deeper into the topic and extract the most from our guest. Whether coaches should copy others or forge their own path. Again, there are some strong opinions here, and it gets a bit spicy. The methodolog…
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Ep 319: The Identity of the USMNT, or Lack Thereof, Jesse Marsch, and What You’re Not Considering.
58:17
58:17
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58:17
The topic today is regarding an identity for the US men’s national team. Do we have one? Do we not have one? If we do have one, what is it exactly? If we don’t have one, why not? And what should it be? And yes, the topic of Jesse Marsch also comes up. So it’s another great chat that offers insights and a perspective that really isn’t out there in t…
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Ep 318: Pay-to-Play is Not as Black and White as you Think
40:50
40:50
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40:50
Today, I have a unique guest, 22-year-old professional player Taylor Davila. He grew up in Southern California, where he played most of his youth soccer at a well-known club, Real So Cal. My brother, Brian Kleiban, had known him from a very young age and had always wanted to bring him aboard our teams. Ultimately, Taylor agreed, and Brian ended up …
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