Why can't US soccer compete on a global stage?

Jonathan Carone, creator of the Healthy Sports Parents podcast, joins Chris & Amy. Why can't the US compete at the highest level in soccer? He says it's a couple of things: First, soccer is the "fourth or fifth sport" for US fans and players, so it doesn't have the same 'cultural cache' as it does in other countries. Also: Capitalism. Soccer training is expensive, with many leagues operating on a pay-to-play system. Jonathan explains how other countries invest in coaching more than the US does, which utilizes volunteer parent coaches.

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Jul 9, 2026

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Jonathan Carone, creator of 'Healthy Sports Parents' podcast, joins Chris & Amy. Why can't the US compete at the highest level in soccer? He says its a couple of things, 1stm soccer is the, '4th or 5th sport,' for US fans and players, so it doesn't have the same 'cultural cache' as it does in other countries. The other thing is capitalism, soccer training is expensive, because people will 'pay to play.' He talks about how other countries invest in coaching more than the US does, which utilizes parent coaches more.