We Are Soccer

Brooks catches up with Zach Ramsey, a junior midfielder at the University of Washington, about his whirlwind year: playing for Solo FC in TST's 7v7 tournament, winning the 2025 National Championship trophy, and getting drafted 17th overall by the Vancouver Whitecaps in the 2026 MLS SuperDraft.

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The 2026 FIFA World Cup has come to an end, and we're breaking down everything from the biggest tournament in the world! Join We Are Soccer LIVE as we recap the World Cup Final, discuss the unforgettable halftime show, relive the biggest matches, surprise teams, standout players, best goals, biggest disappointments, and share our overall thoughts on an incredible month of soccer. 💬 We want to hear from YOU! Jump into the live chat and let us know: Who was your Player of the Tournament? What was your favorite World Cup moment? Did you enjoy the Halftime Show? Who surprised or disappointed you the most? ⚽ Join Craig and boys, and the We Are Soccer community as we celebrate one of the greatest sporting events on the planet! 👍 Like • 💬 Comment • 🔔 Subscribe for more soccer content all year long! #WorldCup #FIFAWorldCup #WorldCupFinal #Soccer #Football #Messi #Ronaldo #HalftimeShow #WeAreSoccer #LiveSoccer #USMNT #Argentina #Spain

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Brooks sits down with Maren McCrary, a Talent ID Scout for US Soccer, to dig into what talent identification actually looks like at the highest level. Maren works on the girls' side at U.S. Soccer, but her path there ran through several college programs, where she coached and scouted before making the jump. They cover a lot of ground: the different roles Maren has held on her way to this position, why the best talent evaluators are upfront about what they're actually looking for instead of playing it close to the vest, and why there's no substitute for watching soccer — a lot of it, at every level. That last point matters more than people think: spotting a late bloomer who hasn't hit their growth spurt yet, or separating a kid who's just bigger and faster right now from one with real long-term potential, is one of the hardest parts of the job.

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James DeCosemo has coached at Saginaw Valley State, Aquinas College, and Western Michigan — and now he's stepping into his first year as an NCAA Division 1 head coach at Central Michigan University Women's Soccer. James sits down with Brooks to talk about his new role at CMU, his plan for turning the program around, and the style of play he wants the team to build around. He also gets into why camaraderie among the players matters so much — and how he's working to build it from day one.

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Ian Barker has spent years training the people who train the players — and he's seen coaching education in the U.S. go through some real changes. In this episode, he sits down with Brooks to talk about what's actually shifted since he started, and what hasn't. They get into the biggest red flag Ian sees in coaching education today (spoiler: it's more common than you'd think), where the system still falls short, and what he thinks needs to happen next. If you're a coach, working toward a license, or just curious what's really being taught behind the badges, this conversation is worth your time.

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David Abidor didn't take the easy road to a pro career — he earned every minute of it. Growing up playing youth soccer in the Chicago suburbs, he made the jump to Shattuck St. Mary's in Minnesota for academy ball, then played college soccer at Dayton and Creighton before heading overseas to chase a pro career in Europe. It didn't start well. David talks openly about a rough start to his career abroad and what it took to turn things around — the mindset shifts, the grinding, the refusal to quit — before eventually finding his footing playing professionally both in Europe and back in the U.S. Now an assistant coach with the Chicago Fire Academy, David brings a perspective shaped by every level of the game, from the sidelines of Chicago rec fields to locker rooms overseas. If you've ever wondered what it actually takes to make it as a pro — and what to do when it doesn't go according to plan — this one's for you.

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Dan Raben has done pretty much every job that exists in youth soccer — coach, director of player development, director of operations, coaching educator, you name it. In this episode, he sits down with Brooks to talk about something coaches don't discuss nearly enough: taking care of yourself while you're busy taking care of everyone else's kids. They get into how to handle the tough situations that come up on the sideline and behind the scenes, why communication makes or breaks a coaching career, and how to find some actual balance in a job that tends to swallow people whole. If you coach youth soccer — or any youth sport, really — there's a lot here worth taking notes on.

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Quorum Sports agents Eddie Hudson and Kal Kieren sit down with Brooks to pull back the curtain on the world of sports representation. From building a client base from scratch to navigating the demanding day-to-day grind of the season and the slower pace of the offseason, Eddie and Kal give an honest look at what life as a sports agent is really like. They also break down what it takes to break into the industry — including just how tough the agency exam really is. Whether you're an aspiring agent or simply curious about what happens behind the scenes, this is a conversation you won't want to miss!

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The World Cup is delivering chaos we didn't see coming, and we're breaking it all down LIVE! Tonight we talk all things USMNT, react to some of the craziest games of the tournament so far, and dig into the headlines you can't make up — including England getting a pool table, a player allegedly swiping a referee's watch, and some questionable commentary from the announcers. Grab a seat, this one's wild. Drop your thoughts in the comments — what's been the craziest World Cup moment so far for you? 🏙️ Local Detroit Soccer News & Updates 🎙️ Plus all the banter, hot takes, predictions, laughs, and random soccer conversations you've come to expect from We Are Soccer. 💬 Join the conversation! 👍 Like the stream 🔔 Subscribe to We Are Soccer 💬 Jump into the live chat

#USMNT #WorldCup2026 #WeAreSoccer #USAParaguay #USAvAustralia #VAR #England #Scotland #Brazil #DetroitSoccer

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Our good friend Rich Nassif is back! Rich spent 17 years as a Division I collegiate soccer coach and was around when the idea of a two-semester college soccer schedule was first floated, so he's got a front-row perspective on how we got here. The timing couldn't be better: on June 23-24, the NCAA Division I Cabinet meets to decide the fate of men's college soccer's playing schedule. The Division I Men's Soccer Oversight Committee has already adopted legislation to split the season across fall and spring semesters starting in 2027-28, but the Cabinet still has to sign off before it becomes official. If approved, teams would play up to 18 matches in a fall window (late August through the Saturday before Thanksgiving) and up to 10 more in a spring window starting mid-February, with the College Cup moving to the spring. If it's rejected, the current compressed fall-only season stays put. Rich sits down with Brooks to discuss how college coaches really feel about the two-semester schedule, and the positives and negatives it could bring to programs across the country.

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