PODCAST · sports
Modern Soccer Coach Podcast
by Gary Curneen
Our goal is to bring in-depth content to coaches with a combination of interviews, chats, and personal thoughts on the topics that really matter in the beautiful game and elite-level sport. Enjoy and thanks for listening! - Gary
Episodes
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Coaching the Fine Details of Central Midfield | Matt Walsh (Burnley Academy)
Register for MSC Online Global Youth Conference for FREE here: https://www.modernsoccercoach.com/post/msc-global-youth-development-conference-13-international-speakers-confirmed-for-january-2-2027 In this episode of the Modern Soccer Coach Podcast, Gary is joined by Matt Walsh from Burnley FC...
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Are We Getting Youth Physical Development Wrong? | Joel Hansson
Gary is joined by Joel Hansson, Head of Physical Development for U8-U14 at Hammarby in Sweden, to rethink how we approach physical development with young players. Joel challenges the idea that youth players should simply follow scaled-down versions of adult training. The conversation between Joel...
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The Reality of Coaching High School Soccer | 4 Coaches, Real Solutions
Check out MSC High School Online Course and use code MSCHIGHSCHOOL for 20% OFF: https://www.modernsoccercoach.com/challenge-page/46214942-e036-4f32-afa6-8383d4608e2d Get involved in future MSC Panels below: https://forms.gle/EvaCiQcZetQQGr7i9 High school soccer is one of the most unique — and…
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Why Technical Development Still Matters | Tony Colbert
Tony Colbert spent 20 years working alongside Arsène Wenger at Arsenal and is now a freelance consultant (FIFA Technical Expert), helping develop players and coaches around the world. In this conversation, Tony shares his philosophy with Gary on technical development and explains why he believes...
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Brian Ashton: How Great Coaches Develop Thinking Players
In this episode of Modern Soccer Coach, Gary is joined by former England Rugby Head Coach Brian Ashton for a fascinating conversation on coaching, player development, creativity and decision-making. Brian led England to the 2007 Rugby World Cup Final and has spent decades working across elite...
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Inside Dutch Football: How the Netherlands Develops Coaches & Players | Antal Vergeer
Antal Vergeer is a Learning & Development Specialist with the KNVB (Dutch Football Association), working in coach development and education. Before returning to the Netherlands, Antal spent almost seven years working within U.S. Soccer, giving him a unique perspective on two very different...
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Is There a Right Coaching Model to Develop Players? | Jake Pickles
In this episode of Modern Soccer Coach, Gary Curneen is joined by Jake Pickles for a fascinating discussion around one of the biggest questions in coach development: is there actually a right way to coach soccer? The conversation explores the different theories, methodologies and frameworks that...
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How Elite Players See the Game Differently with Tomás Pereira
Register for our FREE Players Webinar here: https://event.webinarjam.com/vm2mo/register/2454osm0r How do elite players see the game differently — and what can coaches do to develop better decision-makers? In this episode of the Modern Soccer Coach Podcast, Gary Curneen is joined by Tomás Pereira,...
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Individual Development Without Individual Training | Joop Oosterveld
FREE MSC Players Webinar: Built to Adapt: Resilience That Survives The Season with Peter McDonnell https://event.webinarjam.com/vm2mo/register/2454osm0r In this episode of the Modern Soccer Coach Podcast, Gary is joined once again by Joop Oosterveld, who recently took on the role of Head Coach…
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How Elite Coaches Teach a Game Model - Inside Kansas Soccer with Tyler Smaha
How do elite coaches actually teach a game model? In this episode, Gary sits down with Tyler Smaha, Assistant Coach at the University of Kansas, to explore how one of the top women's soccer programs in the country develops player understanding, decision-making, and tactical clarity. Rather than...
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Inside Mjällby - Sweden's Most Innovative Academy with Herman Ottosson
Player development starts long before players step onto the pitch. In this episode, Gary Curneen sits down with Herman Ottosson, Technical Director at Mjällby AIF Academy in Sweden, to explore one of the most innovative coach development environments in European football. Rather than relying on...
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How To Build a Game Model in a New Football Culture with Andy Thomson
New MSC Training Session Resources: https://www.modernsoccercoach.com/shop What does it really take to build a game model from in a new culture? In this episode of the Modern Soccer Coach Podcast, Gary Curneen sits down with Andy Thomson, First Team Coach at Beijing Guoan, to explore how he and...
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The Player Development vs National Identity Debate in Football | Drew Taylor
What should a national team actually stand for? Following Australia's 2026 World Cup campaign, one of the biggest debates in football resurfaced: should national teams have a clear identity, and how much responsibility do federations have in shaping the next generation of players? In this episode...
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The US Is Winning... But Here's What Really Matters (World Cup Thoughts)
Check out MSC World Cup Breakdowns below: https://www.youtube.com/@ModernSoccerCoachTV What should success at the World Cup actually mean for US Soccer? Following the USA's impressive knockout victory over Bosnia, Gary Curneen steps back from the tactics to explore a bigger question: what kind of...
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Game Rhythm: The Most Overlooked Tactical Concept in Football with Bernat Mosquera
Click here for MSC New YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ModernSoccerCoachTV You can join Bernat's 7-Day Coaching Accelerator for free here: https://modern-coach-hub.teachable.com/purchase?product_id=6638723 What separates the best teams in the world from everyone else? According to coach...
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World Cup Hydration Break Debate: Are Coaches Taking Over the Game? With Ashley Gumbrell
Join us for bonus MSC World Cup content: https://www.youtube.com/@ModernSoccerCoachTV Are hydration breaks helping the game... or hurting it? At the 2026 World Cup, hydration breaks have become much more than player recovery. Coaches are using them to deliver tactical information, adjust game...
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The Tactical Themes Defining World Cup 2026 (So Far)
Join our World Cup YouTube coverage on MSC TV below: https://www.youtube.com/@ModernSoccerCoachTV What tactical themes are emerging from the opening week of World Cup 2026? In this episode of the Modern Soccer Coach Podcast, Gary Curneen shares three coaching lessons that have stood out so far…
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Why America Struggles to Develop Creative Soccer Players with Benny Feilhaber
Former US Men's National Team midfielder Benny Feilhaber joins the Modern Soccer Coach Podcast for an in-depth conversation on creativity, player development, and the future of soccer in the United States. Growing up in Brazil before moving to America, Benny offers a unique perspective on why...
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Scotland's World Cup Reality: Why Haiti Could Be Their Toughest Test - John Walker's Preview
Subscribe to MSC World Cup coverage: https://www.youtube.com/@ModernSoccerCoachTV Check out John's World Cup work here: https://patreon.com/JohnWalkerFootballAnalysis?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink Scotland are back on the World Cup...
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Stop separating technique from decision-making with Bas Van Baar (FC Twente Academy)
Check out MSC Online Courses this summer: https://www.modernsoccercoach.com/analysis Dutch football has long been admired for its ability to develop intelligent players, but Gary Curneen's recent conversation with FC Twente and Heracles Academy Head of Football Development Bas van Baar offered a...
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Why Australia Is Producing Better Players Again with Cam Jones
In this episode of the Modern Soccer Coach Podcast, Gary Curneen sits down with Cam Jones — former professional player, current Western Sydney Wanderers academy coach, and founder of Spark Football — to explore the current state of player development in Australia. From coming through the…
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10 Years at City: Pep Guardiola’s Legacy on Modern Coaches
Check out MSC Online Courses below: https://www.modernsoccercoach.com/analysis For 10 years, Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City became one of the defining teams of modern football. But beyond the trophies and performances, Pep’s greatest impact may have been on the coaches watching from the…
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Brazil Legend Silas on Maradona, Creativity & the World Cup
Follow MSC World Cup coverage here: https://www.youtube.com/@ModernSoccerCoachTV Check out Silas' book here: https://beyondsuccess.info/book Brazil legend Silas joins Gary Curneen for an incredible conversation on Brazilian creativity, Maradona, the pressure of wearing Brazil’s famous #10 shirt,...
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Game Day Coaching Behaviors with Ashley Gumbrell | Touchline Culture, Emotion & Player Development
Check Out ‘Performance Football Coaching’ at St Mary’s University below: https://www.stmarys.ac.uk/courses/postgraduate/performance-football-coaching What impact do coaching behaviors really have on players during competition? In this episode of the Modern Soccer Coach Podcast, Ashley Gumbrell...
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Inside PSV: Why Dutch Development Still Leads the World with Aloys Wijnker
What does one of Europe’s most historic development clubs actually believe about player development in 2026? In this episode of the Modern Soccer Coach Podcast, Gary Curneen travels to the Netherlands to sit down with PSV Academy Director Aloys Wijnker for an in-depth conversation on the...
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Stop Copying Pro Environments | John Murphy on Coaching Challenges, High School & Player Development
Check out MSC online courses below: https://www.modernsoccercoach.com/analysis What happens when coaches try to copy elite professional environments without understanding the players actually in front of them? John’s coached across multiple levels of the game, including more than a decade in…
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Didier Chambaron: Why Coaching Courses Aren’t Enough
Check Out ‘Performance Football Coaching’ at St Mary’s University below: https://www.stmarys.ac.uk/courses/postgraduate/performance-football-coaching Director of Coach Education at U.S. Soccer, Didier Chambaron joins Gary Curneen on Modern Soccer Coach Podcast for one of the most important...
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The Mental Side of Coaching Starts on the Grass with Dan Abrahams
Download MSC FREE Attacking Final 3rd PDF here: https://www.modernsoccercoach.com/product-page/msc-6-final-third-attacking-exercises In this episode of the Modern Soccer Coach Podcast, Gary Curneen sits down with Dan Abrahams to explore one of the most important — and often misunderstood — areas…
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Aaron Danks - From FA to Bayern Munich: Success Leaves Clues
This week on the Modern Soccer Coach Podcast, we revisit a 2019 conversation with Aaron Danks — now an assistant coach at Bayern Munich. This episode was recorded years ago, but when you listen back, what stands out is how early these ideas were being discussed. We get into specialist coaching,...
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Glenn Crooks - Inside Elite US Coaching & Culture: What Top Coaches Do Differently
This week on the Modern Soccer Coach Podcast, Gary Curneen is joined by Glenn Crooks. A former Division 1 college coach, MLS commentator for New York City FC, and host of the Coaching Academy on SiriusXM, Glenn brings a unique perspective shaped by years inside the game. His new book, Put It on...
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The Truth About High School Soccer in the U.S. with Jim Harte
Check out MSC High School Course below: https://www.modernsoccercoach.com/post/msc-launches-online-high-school-game-model-course High school soccer is often overlooked in the U.S. development landscape — but are we getting this completely wrong? In this episode of the Modern Soccer Coach Podcast,...
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Football Is Unpredictable—But Are We Preparing Players for It? | Steven Caulker
FREE sign up for Dan Abrahams Live Discussion below: https://event.webinarjam.com/vm2mo/register/gmxmqhl5 Follow Steven's work at @LeftFieldProductions In this episode of the Modern Soccer Coach Podcast, we sit down with former Premier League defender Steven Caulker to explore the reality of…
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Voice AI & Why Coaches Are Still Getting Player Evaluation Wrong with Sam Sackett (Impressive Play AI)
Visit the link below to learn more: https://impressiveplayai.com/ Contact Sam at: [email protected] One of the biggest challenges in coaching today isn’t effort — it’s clarity. Most coaches are still relying on the “eye test”… trying to watch the game, track performance, and make...
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Why Players Stop Improving | Saul Isaksson-Hurst on Individual Development
Click here to access Saul's presentation for FREE on MSC Insider: https://forms.gle/nEFQYuyxMMPXo7Vp8 This is one of the most important conversations we’ve had on the Modern Soccer Coach Podcast. Saul Isaksson-Hurst joins Gary Curneen to break down the reality of individual development in today’s...
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The New Era of Coach Development with Martyn Bowles
Check out MSC online courses here: https://www.modernsoccercoach.com/analysis In this episode, Martyn Bowles (Academy Manager at Walsall FC) sits down with Gary Curneen and breaks down what actually drives improvement inside elite environments. This isn’t about licenses or qualifications. It’s...
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Why Our Young, Elite Players Stop Improving by Joop Oosterveld
Check Out MSC High School Course Here: https://www.modernsoccercoach.com/challenge-page/46214942-e036-4f32-afa6-8383d4608e2d Check Out Zone14: https://zone14coaching.com/ This might be one of the most important conversations we’ve had on the Modern Soccer Coach Podcast. In this episode, Gary...
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Why Most Strikers Struggle… And How To Fix It with JP Owens
Free MSC Insider Trial - Sign Up Below: https://forms.gle/cxBipaaJyfMpjGnA6 Most teams say the same thing: “We just need someone to score goals.” But what if the problem isn’t the player… it’s the understanding of the position? In this episode, Gary Curneen sits down with JP Owens (Ireland U17...
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Why You Can’t Win Without Set Pieces Now with Tom Dent
In this episode of the Modern Soccer Coach Podcast, Gary Curneen is joined by Tom Dent, First Team Assistant Coach at Vålerenga, to explore one of the biggest shifts in the modern game — the rise of set pieces. Once seen as a secondary part of football, set plays are now a defining factor in...
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Inside the Bodø/Glimt Academy: Culture, Curiosity, and Player Development with Olav Øverli
In this episode, we go inside one of the most fascinating clubs in European football — Bodø/Glimt. Over the past few years, the Norwegian club has built a remarkable culture and player development environment that has helped them compete at the highest levels of the game, including the Champions...
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Matt Crocker on Why US Soccer Must Rethink Player Development
Join our NEW YouTube page here: https://www.youtube.com/@ModernSoccerCoachTV In this week’s Modern Soccer Coach podcast, I sat down with US Soccer Sporting Director Matt Crocker for an honest conversation about the future of player development in the United States. If the goal is to become a...
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The Evolution of Positional Play in Modern Football with Bernat Mosquera
Check out Zone14 and get $5 off your order at Zone14Coaching.com using the code ModernSoccer5. What is happening to positional play in the modern game? In this episode of the Modern Soccer Coach Podcast, Gary Curneen sits down again with Bernat Mosquera to explore how football is evolving beyond...
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Modern Youth Technical Leadership: Building the Environment with Dr. Kyle Ferguson
Read Dr. Kyle Ferguson's report here: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/19406940.2025.2583976#abstract Development is more than coaching sessions. It’s more than a curriculum. More than what happens for 75 minutes on a Tuesday night. And it’s definitely more than league position. In…
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Personality of the Coach Matters More Than We Admit in Youth Soccer with Haris Memisevic
Coaches: Order the new MSC Youth Coaching eBooks below: https://www.modernsoccercoach.com/shop In this episode of the Modern Soccer Coach Podcast, Gary is joined by Haris Memisevic, Technical Director and Head of Coaching at Virginia Revolution, for a deep conversation on youth session design and...
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Why Clubs Still Get Psychology Wrong with Dan Abrahams
Check out MSC Coaching eBooks: https://www.modernsoccercoach.com/shop Most clubs agree psychology matters. The challenge is turning that belief into daily practice. In this episode of the Modern Soccer Coach Podcast, Gary Curneen is joined in person by sports psychologist Dan Abrahams, alongside...
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“It’s Not About You” - The Biggest Leadership Mistake in Modern Football with Paul McVeigh
In this episode of the Modern Soccer Coach Podcast, Gary is joined by Paul McVeigh — former Premier League player, performance psychologist, CEO, keynote speaker, and author of the new book It’s Not About You. Paul brings a rare perspective, having lived inside elite football dressing rooms and…
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The “Third Way”: Blending Positional Play and Relationism with Patrice Gheisar
This episode is proudly supported by Zone14 Zone14 helps coaches turn ideas into clarity — with session design tools, game models, and shared language that support real development on the grass. https://zone14coaching.com/ Use code:ModernSoccer5 for $5 OFF In this episode, Gary is joined by…
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The Age-Group Reset: Turning US Youth Soccer’s Biggest Disruption into an Advantage with Tom Shields
Check out Zone 14 Coaching below: https://zone14coaching.com/ Use code: ModernSoccer5 for $5 OFF The US Soccer age group rule change is here — and it’s creating real uncertainty across the youth soccer landscape. In this Modern Soccer Coach podcast episode, Gary Curneen is joined by STA Technical...
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What Should The Future of Coaching Look Like? (2025 MSC Podcast Review)
Register for MSC Tactical Flexibility webinar: https://www.modernsoccercoach.com/product-page/upcoming-webinar-how-to-coach-tactical-flexibility-in-an-attacking-manner Sign-Up for MSC Insider: https://modernsoccercoach.mimentorportal.com/subscriptions In the final Modern Soccer Coach podcast of...
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Is The Art of Defending Dead? Danny Collins & Ike Opara on the Center Back Position Today
Check out Zone 14 Coaching below: https://zone14coaching.com/ Use code:ModernSoccer5 for $5 OFF Is the art of defending dead? In this episode of the Modern Soccer Coach podcast, Gary Curneen sits down with former Premier League and MLS center backs Danny Collins and Ike Opara to break down how…
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Are Attacking Throw-Ins The Most Undervalued Scoring Opportunity in the Game? With Luis Swisher (MLS)
Access full webinar here: https://www.modernsoccercoach.com/pro... Check out Duktig Brand here: https://www.duktigbrand.com/ In this episode, Gary Curneen is joined by Luis Swisher, U18/U19 coach at St. Louis City SC (MLS), to break down one of the most undervalued attacking moments in soccer:...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Our goal is to bring in-depth content to coaches with a combination of interviews, chats, and personal thoughts on the topics that really matter in the beautiful game and elite-level sport. Enjoy and thanks for listening! - Gary
HOSTED BY
Gary Curneen
CATEGORIES
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Modern Soccer Coach Podcast have?
Modern Soccer Coach Podcast currently has 392 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Modern Soccer Coach Podcast about?
Our goal is to bring in-depth content to coaches with a combination of interviews, chats, and personal thoughts on the topics that really matter in the beautiful game and elite-level sport. Enjoy and thanks for listening! - Gary
How often does Modern Soccer Coach Podcast release new episodes?
Modern Soccer Coach Podcast publishes regularly with 392 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to Modern Soccer Coach Podcast?
You can listen to Modern Soccer Coach Podcast on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Modern Soccer Coach Podcast?
Modern Soccer Coach Podcast is created and hosted by Gary Curneen.
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