The ranks of the USL2 soccer league are growing, and now there’s a Boston rivalry to watch. Boston City FC joins the Boston Bolts in bringing high-quality soccer to the region. Boston City FC founder Renato Valentin joins Boston Bolts CEO Brian Ainscough to talk about the new rivalry and how the league is growing.

Just three years ago, Massachusetts soccer had 5,000 referees. Now, that number is below 2,000. Covid played a role, but the combination of difficult parents, shouting coaches and even arguing players has made potential refs give a second thought to whether their time is worth it. New England Soccer Journal Contributor Adam Scott, who is also the Head Boys’ Varsity Soccer Coach at Pembroke High, joins Matt to talk about this crisis, and what’s being done about it.

Vermont Green FC kicks off its inaugural season in May, shepherded by founder Matthew Wolfe and Sporting Director Adam Pfeifer. The new team is part of USL League Two, and focuses on environmental responsibility just as much as it does on soccer. Hear about their unique approach as they join us via Zoom from their club’s home offices at the University of Vermont.

Coach Brendan Hamilton of South Shore Select joins the podcast to talk about what makes his group special. Hamilton is the Director of Coaching for the Hingham, Mass.-based. group, and he talks about building positive values for his teams. Coach Hamilton, who grew up in North Attleboro, Mass., also discusses the realities of playing soccer at a high level and what it takes to be a winner.

Jason Lowe enjoys the challenge of boosting an underperforming program and makingg it shine. He has joined Boston College as the head coach of the women's program, coming to B.C. after years as a player and coach at Wake Forest. And, after some delays due to COVID, his team is ready to get out of the field and get back into national championship contention. What will that take? Listen, as he has a frank discussion with our host, Matt Langone. 

Chris Gbandi has had a fascinating career and road to becoming the head coach of UConn men’s soccer. He taught himself the game, growing up in Liberia. He moved to the U.S, and played in the pros before transitioning to becoming a coach. Now he’s back at UConn where he was a standout player, coaching the next generation. His story is inspiring and informative.

Boston Bolts ECNL Director Sam Matteson joined the podcast to discuss his work with one of the most respected clubs in New England, how the Bolts have developed over the years, and the upcoming ECNL spring season.

Connecticut College Men's Head Coach Reuben Burk joins the podcast to discuss leading the Camels to the Division 3 national championship last fall, New England recruiting battles and more.

Curt Onalfo is the technical director of the New England Revolution and has won the MLS Cup as a player and a coach. His story was almost cut short, however, by a cancer diagnosis just as his career was about to begin. Onalfo shares his thoughts on staying positive and the improvement the MLS has seen since it started.

In this first episode of our new podcast, we have a special guest. Irish-born Nick Burke is the Girls Director of Coaching for New England Futbol Club (NEFC) and brings an impressive resume to the job. Burke played professional soccer in England before moving to the states after an injury sidelined him. Now he’s sharing the unique skills he picked up along the way.