WEDNESDAY 06/17/2026: Soccer in Kansas City, from youth leagues to the World Cup

Soccer first came to Kansas City through youth leagues in the 1970s, and a co-founder of the Brookside Soccer Club tells us how it changed the city. Plus: We'll take you to last night's World Cup match between Argentina and Algeria, the first of six games in Kansas City.Youth soccer programs might seem ubiquitous in modern America, but not that long ago, there weren’t many options at all for young athletes. KCUR's Brian Ellison spoke with Bill Finn, who co-founded the Brookside Soccer Club in 1977, about that history.Contact the show at [email protected]. Follow KCUR on Instagram and Facebook for the latest news.Kansas City Today is hosted by Nomin Ujiyediin. It is produced by Byron Love and KCUR Studios, and edited by Gabe Rosenberg, Madeline Fox and Emily Younker.You can support Kansas City Today by becoming a KCUR member: kcur.org/donate.