U.S. Soccer is taking over U.S. Youth Soccer, the largest youth soccer organization in the country. The move is being framed as an effort to unify a fragmented youth soccer landscape—but what does it actually mean for the American soccer ecosystem? We examine the potential consequences of consolidating more power under U.S. Soccer, particularly given […]

When people talk about player development, the conversation usually centers around four areas: technical, tactical, physical, and psychological. But what actually develops those qualities? That question leads us to five major components of player development: the structured club training environment, the household and family, playing on your own, pickup soccer, and personal training. In Part […]

Mexico suspended promotion and relegation in 2020 under the justification of financial instability. It was supposed to be temporary. Now, Liga MX is staying closed. The consequences go far beyond which clubs play in the first division. Remove promotion and relegation and you change the incentives throughout the entire ecosystem. Second-division clubs have less reason […]