Scuffed | USMNT, World Cup, Yanks Abroad, futbol in America

#723: Mike Woitalla on a “defining moment” in American youth soccer

September 4, 2026·51 min
Episode Description from the Publisher

U.S. Youth Soccer, the organization under which 2.5 million kids play across the country, will be integrated into U.S. Soccer. Doesn't seem too meaningful on its face but it's major news across the grassroots and development landscapes. Mike Woitalla, the executive editor of Soccer America, joins Belz to walk through it. J.T. Batson called it a "defining moment," but it turns out, as with many things, the defining moments will be the quiet ones, behind the scenes, over the next several years.Woitalla's piece on the topic: https://www.socceramerica.com/can-u-s-soccer-tame-the-wild-west-of-american-youth-soccer/ Skip the ads! Subscribe to Scuffed on Patreon and get all episodes ad-free, plus bonus episodes. Patrons at $5 a month or more also get access to Clip Notes, a video of key moments on the field we discuss on the show: https://www.patreon.com/scuffedCheck out our store, where you can get Scuffed hats and sweatshirts and other stuff: scuffedpodcast.com/storeAlso, check out Boots on the Ground, our USWNT-focused spinoff podcast headed up by Tara and Vince. They are cooking over there, you can listen here: https://boots-on-the-ground.simplecast.comAnd check out our MERCH, baby. We have better stuff than you might think: https://www.scuffedpodcast.com/store Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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