Promotion and relegation is the hottest topic in American soccer, by far. Evidenced by the fact that the mainstream media folk are now mentioning it just to stir up interest in whatever other bullshit topics they’re trying to talk about on their platforms. Ted and I spent our time discussing little bits about a number of topics. So many topics that Ted agreed to come back on the show in the future to dive much deeper into some of the things we discussed. So start here, and expect more in the future.
I mean this in the least offensive way, but here in the US it is rare you come across a coach with the proper knowledge and passion required to help a team reach the highest level. I feel privileged to have interviewed Hugo Perez. He is a coach that possesses both of those qualities. Listen to Hugo and I chat about his philosophy and other things spanning his entire playing and coaching career.
I spoke with the real Eric Wynalda – the father, the son, then the eventual player, teammate, and manager.
A rare chance to speak with a young player going through one of the most important times of his career. His journey through the sports world started much like most young American boys. He played multiple sports, quickly settling in to just soccer. But around the age of thirteen, things changed. Kyle Gruno, now at Leicester City F.C. and part of their U18 Academy – having signed at age fifteen and a half – is an American player who has spent time at multiple MLS and other development academy programs.
Sometime in late 2015 a Skype call was being recorded unbeknownst to those talking. As cool and secretive as it sounds (kind of like James Bond 007), I must admit that during the call I came clean and let the guys know they were indeed being recorded. And they were cool with it. Actually, it had been talked about before and that’s why the idea to start recording popped in my head. The call was between Gary Kleiban, Kephern Fuller, and myself. The subjects varied. As you’ll hear in this episode, even after they knew they were being recorded, they didn’t shy away from talking about things that actually matter. This conversation is real. Like, really real.
This episode is the audio from the opening presentation given at the 3four3 Summit in Las Vegas, July of 2015. The presenter? Gary Kleiban The topic? Vision
We want you to hear about the sacrifice, and joy, that comes from setting your sights on top flight European football, and in this case, what it’s like to make it there. Mark is the father of Christian Pulisic, the 17 year old American who debuted with Borussia Dortmund’s first team earlier this season. But that wasn’t the focus of this chat with Mark. The focus was more on the process of getting Christian to where he is now.
Notice who’s authoring this article? Me, and not your host, John Pranjic. Today, he finds himself in Barcelona, Spain. So I’ll let this one slide. Many practitioners have made this trip to the exterior in search of education. It is of course valuable, but not the end all be all, and you most certainly don’t get a recipe for success. There are no recipes you can copy and paste, because the recipe has such depth and idiosyncrasies that no trip or document can capture. In fact, without having proper context it’s entirely possible someone brings home with them incorrect notions of what they witnessed.
I’m back! And my trip to Barcelona was a massive success. On this episode you’ll hear me talk about waves. To me, this was the biggest take away from the classroom sessions that I attended while I was in Barcelona.
This episode of the podcast is part two of the recap of my trip to Barcelona. In part one, I discussed waves. In part two, I talk about clouds. And you would probably never guess what the hell I’m talking about. The episode starts with some details about my visit to La Masia. Man, what an experience! Later on, I talk about clouds and the importance of having one of your own.
This weeks episode is Part 3 and was intended to be the final episode of a mini-series recapping my trip to Barcelona. But I just couldn’t cram enough information, in a sensible way, into three short episodes. So, I’m saving some of it for future episodes. If you haven’t listened to the first parts of this mini-series, please do so. Part One- Making Waves In Barcelona Part Two- Consult The Cloud In todays episode I revisit the very first podcast that I ever recorded. I also tell a story about how I met Marc, an important figure when it comes to FCB Escola camps and campuses here in the United States. Both of these tie into just how small the world really is, and you never know who you’re going to meet and how those people might impact your life. Towards the end I check in with Cameron and get some of his thoughts on the trip. Next week, we return to the long format interviews that this podcast is known for.
When I asked Sean Grogan (@RiseAM_ on Twitter) to be a guest on the podcast, I didn’t know much about Detroit’s soccer scene. But what I learned, and what I hope we highlight in our talk, is that Detroit’s soccer scene is thriving. No wonder rumors of MLS moving to town are swirling. What big shot billionaire wouldn’t want a piece of this pie? Kudos to the people of Detroit for building something genuine. And kudos to those same people for staying genuine in the midst of the news that a couple of NBA owners are buying their way to the top of the food chain and leap frogging right over what an amazing group of supporters, families, coaches, players, and owners have been building for years. This is an interview with an investor of Detroit City F.C. and a story of how things got started and the state of Detroit soccer today.
Joey Cascio, head coach of the LAFC Academy, invited me down to help with a training session recently. Of course, I took advantage of this opportunity to experience the inner workings of the newest MLS academy program. The session was good. The players were motivated and talented. The setting on the campus of California State University Los Angeles (CSULA) was also quite remarkable. After training, Joey and I found some real estate to sit and chat for a while. We talked about the sessions and he deconstructed everything that happened. He painted a picture of the past, current, and future not only for himself as a coach, but for this group of young players and LAFC as a whole. Links to everything we discuss are provided below. I highly recommend following Joey’s journey on social media.
This episode is a conversation that was recorded on June 1, 2016 in Sacramento, California. The conversation takes place in a hotel lobby. It was about 4 hours prior to kickoff between Sacramento’s Republic F.C. and Kitsap Pumas from Washington. Why was I there? Well, Assistant Coach Liviu Bird was nice enough to invite me to be part of the operation for a day. So I drove about six hours north to meet him and the rest of the team in Sacramento. The plan all along was to record a podcast with Liviu. But what I ended up getting was more. Enjoy this podcast featuring Robin Waite, Liviu Bird, and myself as we discuss the past, present, and future of Kitsap Pumas.
This weeks episode is something you may have heard before. It’s also something you may have read before. You can read the original piece by clicking here. Enjoy this quick 10 minute episode.
Every now and then I like to dig through some of the older 3four3 content and find a hidden gem to turn into a podcast episode. And that’s what I did here. The article was originally released in July 2013, but the message is still relevant today and will be relevant for many years to come. It’s quick. Short and sweet. Less than seven minutes from start to finish. Enjoy!
Mauricio Ingrassia (@MIsoccer) was born in Argentina. When he moved to the United States as a young boy he had just a few English words in his vocabulary. Language barriers didn’t stop him from playing the game he had become familiar with in his hometown of Rosario. But little did he know that he would someday become one of the most recognized coaches in the Southern California soccer scene. Mauricio is currently the head coach of the women’s program at Long Beach State. In addition, he also serves as Director of Coaching for Beach Futbol Club. In this episode, we discuss his instant immersion to a foreign culture as a kid, his vision for his club and college teams, and his time spent La Masia in Barcelona.
A short episode this week. It’s a quick read of an article written by Gary Kleiban that was originally published on January 10, 2010. It ends with the question… “What do you think?” So, tell us. What do you think? Let us know in the comment section or by using the hashtag #343podcast on Twitter.