181. San Jose Earthquakes Midfielder Niko Tsakiris

At just 19 years old, Niko Tsakiris already has a wealth of experience both for club and country. He made his first team debut with the San Jose Earthquakes as a homegrown player at just 16, and has since blossomed into a key player for the club. For the United States, Tsakiris has featured for the United States youth national team in multiple tournaments, including the 2023 U-20 World Cup, and 2024 U-20 CONCACAF Championships, where he won the Golden Ball. He stops by the Urban Pitch Podcast to discuss his international experience, making his pro debut at such a young age, and his thoughts on Bruce Arena joining the Earthquakes as head coach and sporting director. (01:18) Growing up in San Jose and rising up the ranks with his hometown club (07:21) His academy experience and the future of youth development in the U.S. (13:30) Making his first team debut (19:58) Thoughts on Bruce Arena joining the Earthquakes as head coach and sporting director (22:18) Locker room dynamic and playing with leaders like Jeremy Ebobisse (25:23) Winning the golden ball at the 2024 U-20 CONCACAF championship (28:13) The atmosphere at youth international tournaments (32:00) His education process and getting his high school diploma (37:02) Offseason goals (43:04) What's on Niko's playlist Cast Hosts: Ramsey Abushahla, Julio Monterroza, & Brigitte Flores Producer: Roy Cho Subscribe to our newsletter for more interviews and latest news on street football, freestyle, and urban culture, read more about soccer culture on our website, and follow us on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and Facebook. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.