VAMOS Network

Why the Current State of Youth Soccer in the U.S. Falls SHORT | DUEL NATS

July 28, 2026·36 min
Episode Description from the Publisher

Why is the largest and most expensive youth soccer system in the world falling behind when it comes to producing elite world class players?Herculez Gomez and Sebi Salazar break down how youth soccer in America may be putting the country behind the rest of the world. Is a “pay to play” model working or is it keeping the best talent off the pitch, due to not having the financial resources to afford the game? Is coaching in the USA up to par with the top nations? And is private equity investing into youth soccer poisoning the world’s game?The Duel Nats crew answer all these questions and discuss their own experiences growing up playing youth soccer, and examine how the current systems in place may be doing irreparable harm to the USMNT’s chances for success on the global scale. Is it time to overhaul the club, academy, and school soccer model in this country to usher in a new age of competition? SUBSCRIBE TO DUEL NATS ON YOUTUBE! https://www.youtube.com/@DuelNats?sub_confirmation=1Follow DUEL NATS!Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/duelnatsTwitter: https://twitter.com/DuelNatsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@duelnatsCONTACT: vamos@meninblazers.com00:00 - Herc and Seb's Experience with Youth Soccer13:52 - Is Private Equity Ruining Youth Soccer?18:15 - How this Impacts the USMNT21:04 - Development in the World vs the USA30:59 - Potential Solutions to Fix Youth Soccer in the USASee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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