As an argentinian i have to tell you that practice sessions and matches are not that technical and professional at that age because we think that is better for them to enjoy the game instead of taking it too seriously.

Born in the United States but my dad was from Argentina and I was partially raised there. You started the video with a great observation that futbol is everywhere. I played in Argentina and would not have gone to a club or even a try out if I did not think I was good enough playing in the local park or street. Kids in Argentina teach each other, there is a peer pressure to learn or practice and attempt tricks or what they call gambeta. Parents might not send their child to a club if they dont think the child is good enough. Like an uncoordinated tall skinny kid might be placed in basketball or voleyball instead. Sports in general are popular in Argentina, none like futbold, but sports like rugby, basketball and tennis are very popular and its full of kids that were seen as not good enough to play soccer. A kid would be embarrassed to play soccer if he could not properly shoot the ball or field passes.

Another very very very big difference is the killing of creativity in many US high level soccer teams. I come from an all Argentinian family but was born and lived my whole life here in the Us. I’ve played primarily in the ECNL system here, but I have traveled often and played with Velez. The biggest difference to me is how the game is played. The US is too focused on long balls and running for running’s sake going off your point of a limited tactical understanding. Many coaches I’ve had have discouraged dribbling and playing the game with fun and creativity, instead opting for robotic and dull passes backwards and long balls forward to the attackers. The beauty of Argentinian football to me is that this is not discouraged. In the US coaches scream at you to take max 2 touches and play quickly. However, forcing a player to only take 2 touches is not how u teach to play quickly. The beauty of Argentinian football is that players still do play quickly and selflessly but are not discouraged from dribbling. Through playing so much, players in Argentina have learned when to take 2 or less touches and when to hold the ball, turn a man and play. There is a wrong emphasis in the US with what they consider “playing quickly” which is basically limiting technical players to 2 touches even when it doesn’t make sense to only 2 touches. At a young age, all this does is take away the flair and creativity from young developing players.

I'll add something to the culture. We all play at all ages. I'm 42. I am not really a good player. I was never good a player. But I still play at least twice a week. In fact I just came back home from a game on a 9-a-side pitch where the youngest was 17 and the oldest was 65.-

Nah that first point is CRUCIAL. I started coaching high school boys this year, and easily 90% of my team never watch soccer or touch a ball outside of practices and games. And yet they (and their parents) are wanting me to get them to a level where they can get a full ride to some D1 school or something. Crazy.

You can't become good at anything if you don't have fun with it first. That's why kids can still learn even with substandard facilities; the fun compensates for any problems you may have. A too structured learning process is counterproductive, and parents overinvolvement on children's fun only reflects parents' emotional deficits. Let them have fun because they're learning; it's a participatory process in which parents can only provide support in the development of a passion. This is what's missing in most of the educational systems in the world.

I think you got it right. I have played in Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Australia. South Americans have the Space-Speed concept developed through unlimited time of watching the game. They consider futbol as a "religion" and Pele, Messi and Maradona are literally idolised. You have mentioned that the game is more physical, I totally agree with that. Argentinians are definitely more "forward" at the moment to stop an opponent, worth watching some games between Argentina and Brazil from the 90's... Last point worth mentioning, for many unprivileged kids in South America, football is a way to get out of poverty.

Born in Argentina, my family moved to the States when I was 10. You hit the nail on the head when it comes to "soccer" culture in Argentina. As a kid, I remember countless hours in pick-up games en el "campito". These games would include kids of all ages and skill levels. They would last for hours. You could go home, get some rest come back hours later and there'd still be games going on. No drills, no coaches just the raw fun of playing, with the freedom to create, make mistakes, and learn as you are often going up against older better players. I never got into soccer here. Instead, my brother and I ended up playing hockey(above amateur ranks). We fell in love with the sport, the physicality/skill/grace. But what struck me was the prohibitive cost of even getting into the sport. The costs associated with ice time and the lack of any grassroots culture or accessibility to pick-up games almost ensured no poor kid could play. Maybe it is different in Canada or up north with their pond hockey culture, but in the southwest ice is hard to come by. As my brother and I rose through the ranks into serious traveling teams etc, the fun/joy of playing and the freedom to create was taken away, and with it the ability for unique skills to develop. I don't know if that's the same with youth soccer, but when you take the fun and the creativity out of any sport you'll end up with a bunch of very well-trained bots. To a certain degree, it's what I see hampering the dev of youth soccer in the states. Soccer in the States needs more "rucker parks"

Rory: I am Argentine, 68 years old, I really like soccer and I want to transmit to you things that I learned from people who are very studious about Argentine Soccer. The basic rule to understand Argentine soccer is in the culture of the people: soccer is played in a similar way to how they live. First: people are passionate about what they work, do or think politically. Second: When a child is born it is a family matter of which club the child is going to be a fan of (traditionally the same team as the father) and the baby is given a soccer club shirt. Third: the idiosyncrasy of soccer as a game for children is to ridicule their brand with soccer skill, this means passing it with skill, not with speed, but with talent with the ball at their feet. Fourth: demonstrating talent with the ball at your feet is showing hierarchy to vilify your rival. Finally, 40 years ago I read a note from a US researcher regarding Argentine soccer....she mentioned some things that I narrated in this note, but she said that a Pele, a Maradona...can only emerge in countries where soccer is passion and this only happens in Argentina and Brazil. The children who play ball in Argentina play with passion and soccer is everything for them. They dream of being Maradona, not like that in other countries, it is just a recreational activity. In the stands, the fans cheer because they are not overflowing with passion for their team. In general, in the stands of soccer fields in Argentina, although they have seats, the fans watch the game standing without sitting because their passion does not allow them to sit. For them it is not a spectacle, they feel part of the football game and that they participate by encouraging their team without stopping....this encouragement brings down the players and does not allow them to play relaxed...but they do it with passion, like the people in the stands. ​ Envi

Imagine if all of the passion we have for baseball, basketball, and American football were all combined into one sport.

Hello coach, I am from Argentina. The physical, technical and quick decision making has to do with the "POTRERO" where children of very different ages gather to play, there we learn to play because the situations vary all the time, also the surfaces where we play give us another contact with the ball .

All good points; none as relevant as kids playing with and against older kids, in rough fields (even on asphalt, when grassy areas are not available), and yes, ALL THE TIME. In Argentina, every family gathering, every birthday or anniversary party, is an opportunity to improvise a game. You don't need fancy football shoes, shin-guards, or perfect nets: you can play shoeless or in flip flops, the goal would be made with a bunch of piled sweatshirts on each side, and the game ends when you absolutely can't see the ball because the night has fallen.

I was born and grew up in Uruguay. We used to play every day in school recess, after school with friends on the street or any patch of grass we had (front yard, backyard, etc.) When we had practice, parents weren't there neither. They only went to see the official games in the weekends. Now I live in Hawaii and see that kids only play group sports only if it is organized by somebody, not freely among friends. I see parents taking their kids to practice and watching them sitting on their little foldable chairs. For me it is very weird. I guess that is part of the different culture. All those observations are correct. Nice video!

The best way for your US viewers to understand youth futbol here in Argentina is to compare it with mid-1900's baseball in the US, where most kids in farms or small cities would spend several hours a day either studying or working (in farming for example) but every minute they could spare, they would get their gloves and baseballs and just start thrwoing the ball or even playing if they had a friend close by. What would happen is that word would get out (or just by pure luck) and a recruiter would spot a kid that was good and take him to the club to try him. Basically, it is that. The only difference is that we haven't lost that. Kids here do dream about playing in the big clubs and that is actually still possible for many of the good ones. What happens once they get to train with the club for a few months or even a year is another story. They do get it rough. Even if they are the next Messi.

Futbol is so much a part of our culture that we may play with whatever we find. As a kid I would spend my summer hollidays in the argentine city of San Juan. There I would play with other kids in the neighbourhood. But we played on the sidewalk, without shoes, using an empty plastic bottle as the ball and the goals were marked with our shoes. No bath would later remove the dirt from my feet.

Soy Argentino y vivo en USA, creo que hay dos grandes diferencias que cambian todo, el primero y el mas importante es la cultura futbolistica que existe en Argentina éso solo se logra con decadas y decadas de pasión y es algo que salvo Brasil ningún otro pais lo tiene y la segunda diferencia es que la unica manera de llegar a jugar en primera en USA es que te vaya bien en el colegio y entrar por universidades y de esa manera se pierden muchos talentos que quedan en el camino como pasa con el basketball hay muchos cracks jugando en las calles que no llegaron a la NBA por lo ya mencionado. Es mi humilde opinion, muy buen video.!

Que grande! Con la camiseta de Belgrano de Cordoba, club de donde surgió el gran Cuti Romero. I'm from Argentina and I can attest it's a country where soccer is deeply ingrained in the culture. Growing up, playing soccer was a significant part of my everyday life. I vividly remember the countless hours spent playing with friends, a time filled with joy and camaraderie. It was on those makeshift fields that I first learned to play at the age of six or seven, often practicing alone at home to refine my technique. Soccer wasn't just a sport for me; it was a passion so intense that I always had my ball with me, even during family vacations. Then when I started playing at a club, what they taught and gave me was structure, organization, and tactical knowledge.

"This is not just a game, it's a part of who they are" imposible describirlo mejor ⚽❤

In Argentina and South America in general, futbol is a passion. That kind of passion for the sport will never exist in the USA no matter how much money you throw at it. Passion for anything leads to excellence.

This is great, and these conversations need to happen so much more. Pay to play is killing youth soccer in places like USA and Australia, as well as unclear pathway for kids. Interesting what you said about the parents at games, that is insightful. Also, what you said about facilities is so true. I watched video yesterday on a coach in Croatia. At one of their academies, they have 1 pitch to work on from ages 9 through to 19. First team has a grass oval as well. But most of the training sessions the kids are using half a pitch. This is from a country that has 4 million people and made the world cup final in 2018. Amazing the difference culture makes.

Hola, Hello. My kids just finished their "youth soccer" career in the US where they moved from Venezuela 10 years ago. My experience matches what you have summarized in this video. I would add one particular aspect I noticed: in their former Venezuelan team (which was linked to an AC Milan youth franchise) they were encouraged to play long practices with minimum attention to tactics or field positioning: on the contrary, ball control and dribbling was encouraged so the player learns to play in traffic (there was also a neural-developmental rationale behind it: younger brains are easier to be wired when it comes to motor skills). Then, when they moved to the next age group, they would be introduced to field positioning, tactics, etc. In the US the practices were very well structured and very tactical, but you can tell that in general, the kids were lacking in ball control. Yes, they were excellent athletes (my experience in the Midwest, the matches get as physical as a hockey game) but they couldn't make the ball obey them. This was compounded by the fact that in the US, in general, the kids touch the ball in practice and then during the matches only. In some other countries, the kids play formally or informally every day, multiple times, so by certain age, the number of hours spend with the ball can easily double their American counterparts.

Soccer in Argentina is very easy to play. It is not necessary to have facilities at all. You just need to improvise a playing field in a square, garden of a house or any space where the ball can run. Only one ball is required. If it doesn't exist for money or whatever, you improvise with what you have on hand. At my primary school we were not allowed to carry a ball. It only existed in gym classes. That's why, during recess, we played with plastic soda lids, Coca Cola cans, or anything that pretended to be a ball.

Free flowing sessions foster fun and creativity. It makes you love to play the game.

I am english. I'm 57 now but when I was a kid, I played every second possible. During breaks at school and after school. And also for the school. As an adult I still play every week with friends and I follow premier league football and world competitions such as the world cup euros etc. I now live in Uruguay, Argentina's neighbour and I play in a group whose members range from 18 to 60. I am the second oldest in the group. We all play with a lot of energy and enthusiasm. In terms of technical ability there is a lot of great ball control but (and I think I speak for Argentina too) there is less ability to play as a team. My friends are not great at tactical play or passing. They love to dribble and take long range shots even when there are better options open and I think this plagues the mode of play generally in this region, an emphasis on technical ability but less on team build up. This is why I think the success of teams in this part of the world comes in waves becuase they need an entire squad of talented players, not just good team work. Europe can tend to suffer from the opposite problem. I work in a Uruguayan school with a tiny playground and every moment of every break the area is full of boys playing football. I should add that as a school kid I played basketball and was considered a good player, the best in my school and we had a great team. As an adult I worked in an American school where I was invited to play basketball and I was basically rubbish. And this is because basketball is the USA's street game while for soccer nations it is football.

Tengo 51, soy de Rosaro y sigo jugando. Después de la escuela primaria a la mañana TODAS las santas tardes nos juntabamos con los chicos a jugar al fútbol en el parque independencia.Si existe el paraiso debe ser una repetición infinita de esas tardes de alegría y fútbol.

In Brazil (I belieave in Argentina too) we use Futsal to make kids understand space and the importace of movement... I think that experience realy helps when you start to play in a bigger pitch!

I used to live in La Plata, every sunday i went to see the games of kids in the 15/16 years old range of the bigs clubs, Estudiantes, Newells, Argentinos Jr, River, Boca etc, you have to see that kind of games next visit, is amazing

I used to take pictures for the youth academy of a team currently in Argentina's first division, and you're absolutely right about parent intensity. What's interesting is that we're probably the most intense crowds when it comes to professional matches, but getting worked up about kids' football is crass. They're supposed to be learning, they'll have enough pressure soon enough if they keep going through the ranks. Even the youth coaches will state that they don't really care about winning cups. Of course they'll be delighted if it comes to that, but the first priority is producing players for the professional team (or for sale). Nobody REALLY cares about a youth championship anyway, and it's not worth sacrificing the physical or mental health of promising young players. Also, the thing about futbol being omnipresent? 100% correct. It sucks for those of us without any talent or interest for it, but it's definitely a thing.

Es increíble pero cierto, cuando decías eso de "en cualquier casa hay una pelotas dando vueltas o simplemente en el suelo". Uno estando acá ni lo percibe, es una obligación tácita la cual se acepta y es lo que nos diferencia. Como sudamericanos, todos somos apasionados por este hermoso deporte pero siento que argentina sobre pasa ese umbral (puede que hable desde la nostalgia y el nacionalismo). Haciendo memoria, recuerdo ir al colegio a las 7:30 am, jugar con una pelotita de tenis o una bolita de cinta en el patio con mí hermano, jugar en los recreos y en gimnasia, en cumpleaños, vacaciones, plazas, días de lluvia, sol, en la calle usando piedras de arco. Pero lo mejor es que uno nunca deja de jugar, ahora de adulto tengo 4 grupos de fútbol, los amigos del barrio, los que nos conocemos de jardin, el fútbol mixto, los del laburo y seguro te invitan a un f5 si falta uno, es un círculo vicioso al que cuesta negarse.

Im guatemalean this country is poor and forgotten by god but we do love and enjoy futbol I played it since very little even i´m not good at it :D

Great observations coach. I was born in Argentina and have an American dad. I played in both places. Another aspect that might have been harder to observe over the course of a month is player selection. Compared to the US, athleticism is not emphasized, as the differences tend to diminish over time. Argentina has no U-17 titles but the most U-20 titles.

Hi coach, I agree with your points. I don't know too much about US youth soccer, however everything you point out about Argentinian youth soccer is spot on. One thing I want to point out because you were in Cordoba, Six-a-side youth soccer, called baby futbol. In Buenos Aires there are more than 200 clubs, spanning multiples ages, where almost all the professional players started they career. Riquelme, Sorin, Cambiasso, Gago, Paredes, Redondo all played in Parque, a famous baby futbol club.

The way most kids learn how to play is just by going to a park and playing against other older kids. Since older kids will just happen to better, kids look at them and try to imitate their movement, tricks and a specific type of "street touch", a touch which is very foundamental to South American players. In addition, a lot of kids/young teens play futsal where they learn a different type of ball control, flair, reaction time, intuition and pace. Since space is much more reduced and the surface is different, they start picking up different techniques to control which translate into a real pitch. Having a smaller playing area, helps their reaction to be quicker because pressure is continuos, you hear callouts from other players, etc. These essential skills develop into something more structured and technical once they are part of an academy. I think its done inversely in the US, where kids just run around a cone, do some dribbling drills and shoot at an open net but they don't really get to pick up on foundations which are later needed once a kid gets to his teens. I understand that in the US people do it for some sort incentive, everybodys gotta eat, but i think there should more freedom for kids to play and learn.

Thank you so much for this! Great video. Speaks volumes about how our adult driven, pay to play system is out of whack.

I have lived in Peru and I have traveled the world to Futbol countries like Germany, Italy, France, and England. I actually agree with your assessment of how things are done in the two countries. This is why I take my son to the park and we have free play and pickup games often against older players. My son is still only 6 years old but has been playing U9 Academy and is currently playing against U10 teams in indoor. Free play against other ages is important as they develop better decision making skills and learn to improvise in tough situations.

Hi Rory, just discovered your channel through this video, it's very interesting. I'm from Argentina, and I want to add something to your final note on the facilities. Much of it depends on the club's economy, which in turn depends on the general economy, which hasn't been good for some time. This means that even within first division clubs there may be disparity in infrastructure, with the biggest having the best training grounds (for youth and senior teams) and the smaller clubs not always being able to upgrade them regularly. Also, clubs here are civil associations, not for profit entities, and they host many sports and social activities bringing local communities together, so even if football is the main activity for the club (both in member interest and in income) they will often have more infrastructure to maintain than just the football pitches. Anyway, I enjoyed seeing a different take on how youth football works here and how it compares to the US, so keep up the good work!

El fútbol en nuestro pais se da de manera natural donde los niños JUEGAN con sus amigos de bariio dasafiandose con otros del barrio y asi sucesivamente nace la competencia natural y si le sumas que juegan en la calle o plaza o descanpado. Eso hace que seamos unicos junto con Brasil en ser distintos a todo el mundo

ya 1 año de la gloria eterna, aguante messi y argentina!!!

Great video! I spent a few years living in Argentina and can attest to soccer being a way of life there. There are dirt lots with makeshift goals in every neighborhood and kids just playing constantly. Also another difference is that kids in the US can get college scholarships for soccer whereas that is not part of the pathway there which might explai why parents are more willing to spend on youth soccer with hopes of it paying off someday.

Well I'm from Cordoba but I've lived in Australia for 50 years. I'm also a fan of Belgrano having lived south of the stadium, when I lived there as a young boy. Thanks for the video.

This is a very interesting video, I have 2010 son that plays MLS Next and have seen some players from other ages get picked by MLS first teams and thats very hopeful for us because it takes a big sacrifice for the parents to travel and economically wise but at the end is all for the love of our children and soccer, my son was recently invited to a U.S. soccer boys talent ID . We feel very proud of him ❤⚽️

Argentinian here. My younger son (8) moves around the house with a small ball on his feet. All the time. Sometimes, when he crosses some other member of the family, a small football exchange occurs. It's amazing to see how fast he has enhanced his ball management and protection (using his body). Now, when he is in a game, those things happens naturally, and he can concentrate on other - more tactical - things

I am the Rec Director of a Club in Florida. We have just under 1000 players ages 4 thru 19. Our Rec side costs right at $200 for the entire year! Our comp. side costs maybe double that provided they get zero sponsorships. My own personal U13 team secured enough sponsorships in which we ended up paying $0. I only say that because I've always heard it's free in the "rest of the world". Then when I got asking direct questions to some coaches from Man. United they informed me that "free" really meant a couple of hundred dollars for uniforms and ref fees. So it is possible to have a successful club in USA for what the rest of the world is calling "free". We do this because all of our Board of Directors and Coaches are all 100% volunteers! We do fall under the FYSA and USYS btw.

You have summarized what soccer is in my country, good video and that it is a way of life, probably the first toy we have in our life is a soccer ball

Coach, try to get your team to take part of a tournament in South America, there, if the kids have potential they will get offered a spot in one of the local teams..we had a team from Canada attend the Punta Cup a few years back and a few kids were identified, they got a spot in the academy team of Nacional of Uruguay, some stayed and made it to first division, got sold to other teams, played in Mexico 1st division, made it to MLS, and actually a couple made it to Canada’s National team…all of them said that without the South American Futbol experience they would not have made it…we have to export our youth players to gain the necessary exposure and experience in order to make us competitive at the world stage.

Great stuff. I love watching the different cultures and approaches. As with everything else, the more we learn from others, the better

growing up in argentina i remember playing football every day for hours with my neighbors at parks and sidewalks, using shoes or jackets to mark the goals. the youngest in the group was 5, i was 7 and the oldest was 15. we also went to the public football field three blocks away and played mixed age matches with the kids there. every match felt like a copa libertadores final. i was nowhere as good to play at club level and was chubby so they sent me as a goalie (lol) and i had to endure full power shots from 15 year olds all the time. i was still bad but playing with older people made me improve a lot and get accustomed to physical play. later in life, when i was like 14 me and my friends played with a group of adults whose ages went from 20 to 70 and it was so much fun. i don't know if it's a common thing in other countries, but here you can find a bunch of kids playing at any park and ask them to play, even if you don't know them. i made a couple of friends/playmates by doing that.

Im Argentinian but i live in England (for the last 20 years or so , my kid was born here too). I agree that for us football is a constant thing (even tho it wasn't my main sport) i was juggling the ball all day as a kid , playing outside,inside, at school everywhere . I played basketball at a good level and we would warm up by sometimes playing football. In England i see this quite a lot as well , for example I've literally just dropped my kid to nursery , it's misty and cold outside , but kids were playing football on the parks (at 08am before school) , so kids are quite invested here and it is a cultural thing . But at home (argentina) it's at a different level it's not even a thing you think about anymore , you just do it.

Great insight into another culture through the youth soccer lens.

Fantastic information for families learning the U.S. soccer landscape and want to give their kids’ passion as many opportunities as possible.

Thanks for sharing your experience. I think i disagree on the parity of technical skills. From the US youth games I've watched, teams are unable to string together more than 2 passes before losing possesion, often times due of poor technical skills. Agree 100% that many other countries have youth who are far more clued into movement and speed of play. I have distinct memories watching a youth game in spain and being blown away by their passing. I hate stopping by a US youth practice and seeing all the kids standing around for 10-15minutes only to do some stupid structed drill that doesn't generate many touches or active movement. One solution ive envisioned is organized pickup play twice a week to fill in the days kids arent with their formal clubs - lots of gameplay, different teammates, different skill levels, good cheap fun and socialization to carry over into their formal clubs/leagues

Great video..as an argentinian that played there I 100% agreed with you...I would add another difference, those youth academies have at least 3 teams for each age group with at least 25 players and they are moving players from the "1st" to the "3er" team constantly according to their performance every week, this way you put all players at same level of competition. In the other hand, here in USA it is very hard to find academies that do that..."getting married" with players that do no perform like use to do years ago, making harder for the rest of the players.

Goto an indoor place in US. There’s 2 games. On the small field is mostly immigrant types who pass, move and try all sorts of crazy stuff. On the larger field is upper middle class types who physical and fit, run set plays coached by a former baseball player. Coaches controlling the game seems unique to American sports. It seems you noticed that with the Argentine parents.

At an early age in Argentina, children are more privileged to have fun playing soccer than to demand tactics and strategy from them.

Hey! An Argentine here, I liked your analysis of the style of play and tactical qualities because it has been said for a long time that the virtue of the Argentine football player is his technique. That's why I very much agree with you, the technique of the Argentine football player is no longer world-class (mainly due to the lack of physical qualities, which limits technical expression). However, we still maintain such a strong connection with football that it explains a lot of the high level of footballers we have. I have no doubt that we are the country where culturally we breathe football the most (even more than Brazil or England).

From a small Cordoba town here. I played football here at even lower division club until 21, I can attest that is really tough. We developed a certain physical condition and when you are a defender you can see that even smaller guys know how to use the body to move bigger guys. Nowadays there's better training and better assessments on nutritional issues we didn't have 15 years ago

Nice insight! A cultural thing of ours Is that we are taught from childhood to control our 'passion' and when release it. That Is why we can use a high passionate amount of energy and not be especially agresive.

This was super interesting, I'd like to hear more. I've always wondered what other countries do as far as youth development goes.

Good review on youth Argie Futbol. If I may, clubs are associations in our country. They have a social role trying to keep kids out of the streets. And it’s a way out economically for the few families that make it.

I found this video very insightful, especially as a parent facing challenges with my child's involvement in competitive soccer in the United States. My 9-year-old son excels in soccer, but I am overwhelmed by the club politics and the behavior of other parents. I'm uncertain about the best way to ensure he's in a nurturing environment for the long term. Is it common to interview other clubs or to inquire with our current club about their plans for improvements next year? The prospect of enduring another year of this situation is daunting, and I'm concerned about being committed to a club for an entire year

Hey from Argentina here. One of the last topic you touched, the tactical awareness one, is indeed from our culture. Playing football is more than a sport here and in similar football-crazed countries, it's a way to meet people, share something and even get something if you were born and raised in a poor neighbor, as someone else already said in the comments regarding "villas". Add to that the understanding of football roles is ingrained to everyone from a very young age and you have another huge factor why here we can move up a step and focus on either other aspects of the game or refine what a child already know from their background. Great video and cheers coach! PS. Something that surprises me a lot is the ban on headers. While I do understand the health side, it sounds like bonkers not to teach them aerial plays until they're on the early teens (I guess?) when that's such an important part of the game, especially for set pieces. If there's some video I could sate my curiosity with in this aspect, I'm all ears.

loco, que buena presentcion!!!Mi hijo de 14 esta como loco metido en "fulvo", y esta dando rapidos pasos de progreso. En el interin, yo no cuajava con el ambiente. me gusta verlo pasarla bien, reise, y es sierto lo que desis, fuera de la cacha hay un tanto de presion competitiva desde los padres. Thanks Cocach! what a way to explain it. Well done. thanks from Ohio.

Peruvian here living in the US for a long time, I played soccer in the streets where there are no rules (or sometimes in very heated local leagues), your game speaks for you and your willingness to stand your ground. Going to a soccer plex or to an academy was a luxury completely inimaginable back in my day (heck, there were none, but nowadays there are soccer camps managed by former soccer players in the old country. I still play at my age and playing better than ever, is like my skills get more honed as I get older. Although the US has made a lot of progress from the early MLS days (back in 1996 where the level was very amateur to say the least), I still see the lack of that little "something" in some players, it is hard to define but I would say is the instincts and awareness that only pure street soccer gives you. Granted, here in the US we have a great athletic base and that helps tremendously but because the great majority are the product of soccer camps, soccerplexes, youth coaches which is well structured, the street factor (or potrero as is known in Argentina) is not quite there yet, and that makes a difference when playing against South Americans or some Europeans. Nevertheless, I am confident the USMNT system will eventually develop more world class players in the near future.

Good to have an outside perspective to our youth system. In my opinion , is the best we have in the country

Argentina youth players have the attitude of an Alpha Male, if you not have that you never be great, thats why you notice the expression and aggression of his bodies and the knowledge of the field and position all this combined with passion, fun and repect for his team mates, create uniques and sensationals football players.

Howdy, coach, an Argie here of Irish descent living in Cordoba city and a Belgrano team fan ! So it was nice to watch you wearing our beloved Light Blue jersey ! Mighty interesting vid. Best wishes and stay well.

I’m from Argentina and moved young to the US. I don’t have experience in academies, but couldn’t agree more on everything else. One of my culture shocks was that I couldn’t get any of my teammates from my soccer team to play pickup matches either after school or on weekends. It was insane to me that they only played on a structured setting. Also, our version of a birthday party for my entire childhood was a Saturday with choripanes (or patties if you’re in Buenos Aires) and playing soccer from noon to dusk. The coaches also focused much more on technical things rather than tactical understanding. Eg when my dad tried explaining “triangles” to my 10-year old team no one understood. That’s basic knowledge even to 8-year olds in Argentina. This is 100% due to watching vs not watching pro football. Eg after a tournament the USNT was playing and the organizers set up a tent with TVs. My only teammates who stayed to watch were a Brit and a Colombian. None of the Americans stayed to watch their own national team with their own football teammates. In Arg everything stops. School, offices, etc. It was also much rougher in Argentina bc in these pickup games you’ll play with friends/family/neighbors and they don’t go easy on you just bc you’re younger or smaller. Meanwhile, in the structured settings in the US, referees stop everything and even wrongly many times. I remember many times just shielding the ball and having fouls called on my bc another kid slammed into me and bounced back lol

Hi, Belgrano is a somewhat poor club from first division, but managed to make players like "cuti"romero, a world champion. in the richest clubs the level of infrastructure is higher. and the parents, well, lets say u had a GOOD experience lol, we are passionate and sometimes violent with futbol i liked your video, nice work

You nail it. I'm an Argentinian living in The US since 2001. I played soccer all my life, but when I went to visit my family after long years, it was a shock to experience that physicality again, and most important, space and movement. Looking back at my own playing, I lacked good intruction about space and movement, many times kids are on their own, but breath soccer and that overcomes a lot problems for many.

You should come to Germany once. 😊 when I was young - now I’m in the mid 50s - I used to play soccer as well all day long. As often as possible. Club membership is less than 100€ per year, so basically you only need your own shoes and training sportswear. In Germany parents voluntarily support the club and of course us youth coaches we do that as well for free.

Glad you had a nice experience here, happy to have you, Coach. I think that you will find very interesting any interview you can find on Pablo Aimar, former Argentina star player and now part of the National Team coach staff (like a Coach Beard to Coach Lasso 😅). He also coaches the U20 Team, and he’s very clear and great to listen to. Hope this helps.

The last point kills me! Here in Victoria BC, Canadá- clubs spend 600k dollars on a turf field; but don’t invest in full time staff to create and execute proper soccer programs.

Ohhh que capo con la camiseta de Belgranooo, de ahí viene el gran Cuti Romero! Thanks for this video, yeah we really breath futbol here, euros play for the glory, we play for the love and passion of this beautiful sport

If you wanna see madness at the sides, next time try to check the "papi fútbol" scene in Buenos Aires. Small neighborhood clubs playing something similar to Futsal, where most of our stars emerged from. Parents go crazy there. Nice video.

One thing I would add about the facilities is that the state of the pitch plays a huge role on how the players get used to carry the ball. As many pitches are in bad state, with holes, uneven surfaces and big patches of dirt instead of grass, they have to learn to dribble in a way that the ball doesn't go too far away from the feet because it increases the chances of loosing it. In my opinion this is very beneficial as kids from early age have to adapt to this circumstances, and when they grow up and get to play in better pitches, they will dribble better as they learned how to do it in a much more difficult ground.

As a child growing up in Haiti. I was a big fan of the Argentina NT. I always liked the aggression in their game. This was something very special and unique to Argentina. I always wondered how they could just run non-stop like that to get the ball compared to other teams. Uruguay is the only team that even come close. Can you please shed some light to that? Can you tell us why? Btw, you look like Scaloni.

Awesome video! Im from buenos aires. We also had many games based on football. Like the "25" or "football tenis". When i was a kid this were the games that we played on the street or elsewhere, and that helps a lot in the control of the Ball.

Hi coach! Great video! I'm from Argentina but have been living in Ireland for 8 years now. I was working as a coach until recently and fully agree with you on the physical and tactical aspects. I feel like the players here in Ireland (and I guess the same in the US) are a bit naive comparing to Argentineans, my guess is that is purely because of the play time. Only 2/3 hours a week training sessions compared to growing up playing the whole day, sometimes with older siblings or cousins who would beat you or try to take advantage. Again, great video and now subcribed 😃

Es tan díficil de explicar. Muchas veces no tenemos nada mas que esto, el Futbol. No se como llegué acá. No sé tampoco porque estoy llorando. Acá el fútbol es todo. Un sentimiento.

a fellow cordobés here and also a belgrano fan hahaha i happen to stumble at this video and i think it's very intresting to hear the opinion of a foreigner about our football thank you

US citizen here with 2 adolescent boys that grew up in Argentina and Uruguay. Great video and insights. Some of your observations were spot on, and some were I think skewed by the age of your kids and where they went to the soccer camp. 1) as the kids get older and games get more competitive, parents are absolutely more vocal with their sideline comments and criticism of the refs. The games you saw were also camp vs camp and not part of a regular season, therefore less competitive. 2) Many clubs are still pay to play at younger ages (< U15), but the payments are very affordable and more just to subsidize the costs. This often happens for private (non-league) teams that also help with player development. As an example, we pay perhaps $50-75/month for one player. These payments, obviously, go away if the player is good enough and joins the youth club of a major team. But it’s important to note that it’s not uncommon for major league players to get their start in these smaller, private league youth teams. 3) Soccer is absolutely part of life here. But I don’t think viewers who have not lived in S. America will understand how much so. Birthday gifts are soccer balls and equipment. Soccer is played indoors, outdoors, in every bit of free time, at birthday parties. 2-3, sometimes more games per week. Kids knowing when major league games in their country (as well as the UK, Spain, Italy, etc) are scheduled and making time to watch them. On rainy days and in between real play, playing FIFA with a gaming console and/or games with fantasy leagues. Imagine your child only not thinking about soccer when they are sleeping. 4) because of the points made above, even if some kids might not love soccer, or be that good at it, it’s a social tool to integrate with other kids. So those that don’t play will support their friends. Those that don’t play well will still practice and get good enough to contribute and play with their friends in formal youth league games. Our group of fathers also is very supportive and also will try to play at least one father-son game per year, every year. (Though at U14 now, we only managed a tie this year on a full 11 player field.)

I have lived in argentina for 6 years, my niece went to junior soccer for a time and they teach a lot how to move without a ball, rotation where to touch to open teammates. But aren't aggressive about it Also they make a soccer pitches in every space possible and play in it even if its a super casual thing.

Small clubs can also make money for player developement rights (derechos de formación) in some cases. If a player is transfered, former clubs can have benefits

I’m a teacher in Las Vegas and volunteer to coach elementary soccer (it’s not high level for perspective). What I have noticed is that the Mexican/Latino kids (we’re in the Southwest) are soccer-mad. Can’t get them off the field they love it so much. I think it’s starts at home with dad, then environment (friends) and then what they see on TV. What i like about them is that they prefer to go to a field and play rather than video games!

I'm an Argentinean, I found this video while trying to get good practices for training a youth soccer team, and I have to say that it's pretty spot on. Here, like in other places of Latin America, soccer is a big cultural thing, specially for kids. Now, having said that, I think that kids nowadays play a lot of computer/electronic games more than soccer, even those who may play in a club. I come from a generation that didn't have that, and we would spend most of our free time with friends and neighbors playing some game with the ball that improved soccer skills. Probably, in the same way that happened in the US with basketball. I think I heard Pablo Aimar talk about this recently in an interview, that the previous generations of players learned to play "free" in the streets/potreros, and they would spend a lot more of their free time playing and polishing skills, than just the training sessions on a soccer club. I would agree, and that's why I think that the next and current generations of players, are not going to be as good as before. Soccer was declining in Argentina before we were world champions in my opinion. I know that this sounds kind of stupid to say, as we won the World Cup, but I think this is a global trend, not just in Argentina. Brazil squad for example, didn't look as strong as before.

Well...those differences make Argentina a powerhouse in football. All of the at least one time world champions countries have the same structures in one way or another. Thats why USA must develop a lot, not only in their youths but also change their mindset to became a serious promise in the near future.

You nailed it..nowadays i am in Canada but i grow up in Africa and i was playing a sport other than soccer in matter of fact i ended up playing in tier 2 men’s league when i was in high school. And I decided to stop because of the university. The irony is if you asked my dad what was your son favourite sport he will tell you most probably soccer compare this to me now spending my evenings driving around the city taking my two kids to practices games etc and watching the things you perfectly described.

Yes we live this sport all of our lifes here in Argentina. But our players usually dont learn how to play in Clubs or Academys. All over the country we have some plain terrain (called "potrero"... A term similar to a grass covered terrain in which horses are kept) And we play on that "potrero" since we are able to walk, everyday, almost all of the day during at least the first 10/15 years of our lifes. Then when we got like... 6 years, our parents usually also takes us to academy/clubs. But our classic south american style and skills are develop in those "potreros" during our childhood. In this "potreros" we play with almost no rules, i mean, no referee so faults and other game interruptions must be really explicit. Time is not taked in account and the game ends when we got tired or when our parents call us for dinner, when this happens, we call the "Gol gana" rule (first score wins) no matter the actual score of the match hehe. Futbol is not just a sport for us. Is a way of living. Im 40 yo, played it since i had 3y, as soon as i was able to walk. Im still playing it on saturdays and tuesdays even at my 40s. My father played it until his 60s and had to quit it because of his many knee lessons... If not, he could play it until his last day (Some of his friends, actually died playing from heart attack). I cant imagine how my life will be the day that i cant play it anymore. That would be the most painful sensation. We then try to replace it with lesser impact sport such as ride a bike, but its never the same. Nothing can fill that void. Thats how we feel Futbol (or soccer as you call it)

Thanks, excelent video. I am from Argentina. Football is part of the culture like you said. I am 30 years old, and most people in that age or even 40 years old play regulary with friends once at week in a small field 5 vs 5. So your son or the kids watch how important it sport is because adult play it a lot. And that also true in video games. most people have a play station just for play football in it.

What’s up coach! Played on both sides of the spectrum here. Very unbiased video, appreciate you for that.

Great review. I'm from Argentina and moved to LA 8 years ago. Of course, soccer is a lifestyle in Argentina. As a kid/young adult, I used to play literally every day on any little piece of grass we had. I never went to any club or anything; it was just my group of friends getting together on the street and inviting “the owner of the ball” to come. Lol! That’s what coaches in Arg don’t want to lose by giving too much technicalities to the kids. In the US, It’s hard to get that level of passion when the sport is not as well known as basketball or football. So I think the organization and a good team structure (i.e. budget, fields, coaches, etc) to support the kids that like to play is an asset in this country. I enjoyed your review! Thanks! I hope you enjoyed some good Fernet in Cordoba!

greetings from Argentina, u understood the point of argentinian soccer, the cultural fact make us players that can adapt to every single difficult that the pitch or any other aspect in the match appeard, the passion that we transmited when we are playing or watching soccer is captured in why we use a lot our body and how much physically we are

I agree that watching soccer is very important along with playing it. Interesting observation regarding the not much technical level difference between Argentinian, and American youths.

Football is part of our culture here since the late 19th century, and we've been a powerhouse since then. The British brought football here, but shortly after we started giving the game our own "spin" if you like, and that's why Argentine football is vastly different from British football. We play an elegant football, less structured, less formal, less "robotized". Although we have some academies here, they are by no means as prominent as in other countries, because kids here learn more about football playing in the streets or in "plazas" (playgrounds repurposed as makeshift football pitches) that they could EVER learn at academies, which in general tend to face kids in the same age range, which does not help with their development. Here in Argentina, you can see kids from 7-8 years old, playing against older kids and even teenagers. Yes, they get their butts kicked most of the times, but the experience they gain from that you can't buy it or learn it in ANY academy. And on top of that, kids here learn from a very young age how to play rough, how to be cheeky, because they have to when they face older kids or teens, so that develops their minds faster regarding football. It's not a proven recipe by no means, but it has worked wonders for us, not only at club level, but as you already know, at national teams level. Cheers from Buenos Aires!

Me gusta mucho lo que estás haciendo y realmente siento ese hermoso sentimiento que te hace amar este deporte y sentirlo como una experiencia espiritual. Si quieres saber qué es lo que comparten todas las grandes leyendas del fútbol argentino se resume solo por haber sido bendecido por jugar en un terreno baldío sin ninguna clase de césped sin líneas sin reglas sin camiseta del mismo color sin horario de terminar ni intermedio hasta que la noche caiga y así cuenta la leyenda que así se forjaron sus dones algo que todavía el dinero no puede comprar. Soy de Argentina y me gusta buscar videos de Potreros de diferentes partes del mundo porque ahí yo creo que esta la verdadera magia cuando desde niño corriendo detrás de una pelota y que en ese momento nada más importe y ese es el secreto que cuando sea mayor no lo olvide nunca para tratar de ser el mejor

Letting young players just play a 6v6 for one hour is how you get talented creative players, if you coach them military style is how you get the europeam robots that their only 1v1 skill is speed

Great video man, i admire how you critized the youth football system at your own country, i'm so sorry it's like that, it should be promoted a lot more, you guys have a lot of potential and i've seen it. Cheers from Argentina.

I would like to add that I hate the pay to play system in the US and find we miss out on good talent because of it. I also hate the header rule as it doesn't really acually protect kids from getting hit in the head with the ball and the science doesn't back the claim that it causes concussion. The only reason the rule exists is because some Karen decide to sue the US Soccer Federation about 7 years ago with no real basis for it.

Aimar said it well, when you are a kid you need to be unorganized so that way you develop the basics of football by yourself. After that you organize them to create professionalism in the player

I guess that the parents there behave better because they actually understand the game.