Pay to Play Soccer: An Alternative with Amir Lowery

Pay to Play Soccer: An Alternative with Amir Lowery

'Pay to Play' youth soccer is being blamed for the USMNT under-performing. But is there another way for kids to be given access to coaching? Amir Lowery is a coach and former MLS and USL player who is now head of the Open Goal Project at DCFC in Washington, DC - a free to play program. He joins Simon to explain the problems with pay-to-play and how the alternative he has built actually works.

After World Cup Humbling - Is American Soccer Getting it All Wrong?

Simon and André break down the USA's 4-1 collapse against Belgium in the Round of 16 — and why the manner of the exit, not the result itself, has triggered a wave of hot takes across social and sports media. They unpack the noise around player development, arguing that most of the criticism misses what's actually working and what is really in need of reform. They also tackle the Pulisic scapegoating narrative head-on, and shift to the business case: why one early exit won't slow MLS and USL's momentum, how corporate America's attitude toward soccer has visibly shifted, and what a 42-million-viewer Mexico-England audience signals about the ceiling for the sport in the US.

New MLS club investors, MCO moves and Bruno Costa interview

A significant, first of a kind, new investment in an MLS club. LAFC sell their Swiss club and a USL purchase are among the issues discussed in our new review before Bruno Costa, head of the international office for the Brazilian Football Federation (CBF) talks to us about the World Cup magic of the yellow jersey and their North American strategy.

World Cup Mania - 'Hydration Breaks', Fox and Soccer as Festival

Simon and Andre dive into the opening two weeks of the World Cup - beyond the extraordinary attendances and record-breaking ratings, the tournament has captured the imagination in lots of unexpected ways. With the extra ad revenue generated, are hydration breaks here to stay? What's behind the hate campaign against Alexi Lalas and will the people who are spending thousands of dollars on the World Cup be persuaded to follow domestic soccer once the tournament is over?

The $1.3 billion deals behind the USA team at the World Cup

While the USMNT make their bid for glory at the FIFA World Cup. the U.S. Soccer Federation is breaking revenue records with over $1.3 billion in contracted revenue. Chief Commercial Officer Dave Wright reveals the business behind the national team and why they say no to so many potential deals.