In this episode of Over The Line Podcast, we explore the intersection of street soccer, professional player development, and the current state of the U.S. soccer system. We start with a conversation about ViaFooty, a growing street soccer brand dedicated to bringing creativity and flair back to the game. We dive into their mission, the importance of unstructured play, and how street soccer can create more dynamic and skillful players. From there, we shift into an in-depth discussion with two professional soccer players, breaking down their personal journeys through the U.S. soccer system—from youth development to the professional ranks. They share their thoughts on the challenges of youth soccer, the pay-to-play system, the lack of creativity in American player development, and what needs to change for the U.S. to compete at the highest level.

Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro
01:22 - Talking about ViaFooty
14:45 - Creativity and flair in U.S. soccer—why it’s lacking and robotic
23:00 - Current state of soccer in the U.S.
24:30 - The importance of 1-on-1 training sessions
30:00 - The business of U.S. youth soccer vs. the European system
32:30 - Individual development in club soccer—why I do what I do
34:30 - Issues with U.S. soccer at the professional level
43:00 - Where does college soccer fit in?
45:00 - How can we fix U.S. soccer? What is our goal as a country?
48:00 - The more opportunities, the better
51:00 - Advice for a 12-year-old dreaming of becoming a professional

What do you think? Does the U.S. need more street soccer-style training to develop top-level talent? Drop your thoughts in the comments.