We off the new year with a variety show driven by listener questions from Instagram. Key discussions include the failure of the US to produce a world-class player despite its large population, issues with US soccer and MLS, and the importance of promotion and relegation. The episode explores how suburban soccer culture impacts player development, […]

Building a Youth Soccer Club from Scratch: Challenges and Triumphs In episode 409, we bring on Alec Lemmon, founder of Toca FC, a youth soccer club based in Kansas City. Alec shares his journey of starting the club from ground zero, the challenges faced, and the importance of values like faith, family, and football. We […]

In Episode 408, we react to the 2026 World Cup draw, highlighting the USMNT’s manageable group and debating home-field edges. Discussions turn to media missteps, like Jimmy Conrad’s flip on Pochettino, and how American soccer commentary often lacks nuance. The USL Players Union’s take on promotion/relegation gets called out for hurting player interests. Finally, insights […]

In this episode, we highlight an important interview with Mauricio Pochettino by Andres Cantor, which outlines critical insights often ignored by English-language media. We break down Pochettino’s key points on how the US can aspire to be a top-tier soccer nation, addressing issues of player entitlement, cultural differences, and systemic challenges. We also share our […]

In this episode, we dissect Mauricio Pochettino’s game-changing approach with the USMNT, from their pressing prowess in beating Paraguay and Uruguay to his bold press conference challenging media disrespect and player entitlement. We examine fan and media U-turns, the benefits of a foreign coach in reshaping US soccer culture, roster insights including surprises like Max […]

Mastering the Art of Pressing in Soccer In this packed episode we pull back the curtain on exactly how we teach teams to press with lethal organization instead of random effort. We share the cone/flag method Brian used from the youngest ages, live training footage breakdowns, pressing triggers we stole from Bielsa and Pep, how […]

In Episode 404 we went full savage on the dark arts of soccer. We explained why diving, time-wasting, shirt-pulling, ref manipulation, and mass confrontation aren’t cheating — they’re the actual game. We broke down how South American street culture creates winners while American soccer culture produces soft, naive players terrified of “unsportsmanlike” behavior. We showed […]

In this episode, we continue our conversation about coaching development in the U.S., addressing the intense pressure to win and its impact on coaching effectiveness. We emphasize the importance of winning to provide coaches with breathing room to focus on player and team development. We discuss real-life scenarios, from dealing with star players and managing […]

In this explosive episode, we kick off with Gary’s no-holds-barred rant on the USMNT’s performance against Australia, highlighting Pochettino’s culture-over-strategy mindset and why our players lack true differentiation or winning nastiness. We break down the entitlement era’s end and draw lessons from Argentine grit. Shifting to coaching development, we explore building a philosophy modeled on […]

In this episode of the 3four3 podcast, we take a hard look at the evolution of American youth soccer, reflecting on its past and critiquing its present. We discuss how the competitive, merit-based Coast Soccer League once set a high standard for youth soccer, producing top talent through a promotion-relegation system. Fast forward to today, […]