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★★★★★

4.9

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44 reviews

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Some say that soccer is an American game. Okay, Tom McCabe and Kirk Rudell say that, and it might sound weird if you’re an American soccer fan, and you’ve spent your whole life defending your love for the game to people who say the US has no soccer history. But: soccer was in New Jersey before it was in Brazil. The US had a pro league before Italy or Spain. We were the first country to register for the first World Cup. In this series, the former teammates tell stories from the 150 years of American soccer history that even die-hard fans may not know. Tom is one of the pre-eminent historians of American soccer, and Kirk is a veteran Hollywood screenwriter, so it’s real history that’s fun to listen to. We want to give American fans a reason to stand a little prouder, cheer a little louder, and celebrate the generations of immigrants who brought their dreams, and the game, with them. Because it’s our game, too. AN AMERICAN GAME was just named 2nd best soccer history podcast on Feedspot: https://podcast.feedspot.com/soccer_history_podcasts/?feed_id=8690953&_src=f1_featured_email#h8690953 And we’re top 10 on Million Podcasts! https://www.millionpodcasts.com/soccer-history-podcasts/?utm_source=smtp&utm_medium=F2_email&utm_content=template_b&#fe_8690953 That’s, apparently, out of a million! So get stuck in 🤜🤛 WEB: https://www.soccertownmedia.com/ IG: @soccertown_mediaBLUESKY: @[email protected]

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Check latest episodes from AN AMERICAN GAME podcast

Shakedown, 1928: Inside the 15th Annual Meeting of the USFA

2026/10/07

Are you ready for some impressions?! Tom got his hands on a rare transcript of a meeting of the leaders of US soccer from almost 100 years ago, and like any good historian, he took out his phone and photographed all 168 pages. And then, like any good screenwriter, Kirk said, "Hey, let's try to act some of it out." The USFA conference on June 30, 1928 is a snapshot of the mostly-forgotten era when US soccer was on the rise--and on the verge of being a world power. The battles and rivalries between US Soccer and the various state delegates are also an echo of the game today. This episode is history, it's cautionary tale, and (if you're a student of regional accents) it's a performance playground for Kirk and Tom, who can make anyone from any part of the country sound vaguely like a cowboy. And if that doesn’t make you want to listen, AN AMERICAN GAME was just named 2nd best soccer history podcast on Feedspot: https://podcast.feedspot.com/soccer_history_podcasts/?feed_id=8690953&_src=f1_featured_email#h8690953 And we’re top 10 on Million Podcasts! https://www.millionpodcasts.com/soccer-history-podcasts/?utm_source=smtp&utm_medium=F2_email&utm_content=template_b&#fe_8690953 That’s, apparently, out of a million! So get stuck in 🤜🤛 Executive Producers/Hosts: Tom McCabe and Kirk Rudell Original Music: Patrick White

Football in Fall River feat. Pitbull (actually Rory Bryce of The Football Heritage)

2026/09/23

Tom and Kirk have their first guest! Or, depending on how you look at it, their guest has guests. We sat with Rory Bryce of The Football Heritage, an ambitious independent project based in Scotland which explores the roots, culture and history of the game. And we talked about Fall River, Massachusetts, one of our favorite soccertowns--a lens through which we can see not just the earliest history of US soccer but also where the game is today. It's classic AAG stuff but with a Glasgow accent thrown in. Check out (and subscribe to) Rory's work: THE FOOTBALL HERITAGE: https://www.footballheritage.co.uk/podcast Executive Producers/Hosts: Tom McCabe and Kirk Rudell Original music by Patrick White

The Pochettino Problem

2026/09/16

Honestly, Mauricio seems like a nice guy, and he's a very talented coach, but he has a lot of very confident opinions about what it takes to win for someone whose only won one thing in his career--a Coupe de France with a loaded PSG squad that was supposed to win Champions League. That didn't stop US Soccer from falling over itself to renew his deal as USMNT coach. Historically, US Soccer can't resist a coach with an accent. Now, we don't think a US national team coach has to be American-born; Emma Hayes is one of the best coaches in the world and probably the best person the USWNT could have as they prepare for next summer's World Cup. But Hayes respects US soccer culture; Pochettino thinks he's created it. Just ask him. And that makes us...skeptical of US Soccer handing him the keys for another four years--or, as Poch said right after signing his contract, until a better club offer comes along. Executive Producers/Hosts: Tom McCabe and Kirk Rudell Original Music: Patrick White

The USA in the EPL

2026/09/02

The English Premier League season has kicked off and captured the attention of soccer fans all over the world--including millions in the United States. But don't judge the full-kit kids at the mall or the hipsters watching games in the bar at 7am for any lack of patriotism. From players to coaches to owners, the links between the U.S. and U.K. professional leagues go back 130 years. In fact, the EPL is as American as Clint Dempsey, Wall Street, and the NFL. Executive Producers/Hosts: Tom McCabe and Kirk Rudell Original music by Patrick White

Crabgrass Empire: How US Youth Soccer Got This Way...and How to Fix It

2026/08/19

Welcome to Season 3 of An American Game. While enjoying their brief hiatus, Tom and Kirk heard lots of post-World Cup debate about what's wrong with American youth soccer, and they decided to kick off the new season by ending the debate. We've all got other stuff to do, right? So here it is: the Unified Theory of What's Wrong in US Youth Soccer, the Socio-Economic History That Made It This Way, and How It Can Get Better. Executive Producers/Hosts: Tom McCabe and Kirk Rudell Original music by Patrick White

Added Time: World Cup Week 6, the Final Whistle

2026/07/21

After six weeks of mostly good, some bad, and a little ugly, the World Cup ended. And so our Added Time series heads to the locker room, but not before we tie up a few narrative threads, anger a few more Argentinian fans, and weigh in on the next USMNT coach. (How do you say "Luis de la Fuente" in English? BJ Callaghan.) And don't think we forgot about Alexi...

Added Time: World Cup Week 5

2026/07/16

One step forward, one step back. That was the theme of the World Cup this week. As the tournament moved to its final rounds in the United States, it did what soccer does: reflect the larger American story. Tom and Kirk step into the narrative, from the semifinals, to whether Mauricio Pochettino should return as USMNT coach, to the power of the game to heal a community in Lewiston, Maine. Oh, and in a totally spontaneous tangent, they also explain how to fix US youth soccer. That would be a big step forward.

Added Time: World Cup Week 4

2026/07/07

Oof, this one stings. But every time Belgium closes a door, Tom and Kirk open a window. This week: we look at the 60-year history of US Soccer "shooting for the Moon" and put some respect on our soccernauts who may have fallen short, but they got us just a bit closer to…well at least getting back to a quarterfinal.

Added Time: World Cup Week 3

2026/07/02

As the United States continues to climb a World Cup mountain that was too steep for smaller soccer nations like Germany and the Netherlands, Tom and Kirk re-cap the Bosnia-Herzegovina win; tip our hats to the Iranian team; and, as we celebrate our melting pot national team on our country's 250th birthday, share other patriotic ideas like: "trans rights are human rights."

Added Time: World Cup Week 2

2026/06/25

It's only the second week of the World Cup, but we already have plenty of narrative. Kirk and Tom chop up the power of soft power, sweet vindication for US fans, and why the Pochettino "I brought futbol to the American barbarians" mythology is already way out of hand. Go, USA! Beat Türkiye!

Added Time: World Cup Week 1

2026/06/16

We warned you we'd be keeping it loose this month. Every week of the World Cup we’ll drop a short reaction episode; though, like added time, we’ll never be quite sure how long we’ll go. The Knicks triumph in the NBA Finals just a day after the US victory over Paraguay got Tom and Kirk thinking Big Thoughts about what it means to be a fan in a time when sports are more entwined with money and politics than ever. Our answer? It's pretty essential, actually.

American Ultras: A History of US National Team Fans

2026/06/10

If the history of US soccer is longer than most people realize, so is the history of US soccer fandom. From factory workers cheering from the freezing sidelines on industrial lots in the late 1800s to families in air-conditioned domed stadiums today, wherever the game has been played, fans have watched. And for over a century, US fans have watched their national teams. National team fan support is a window into any country’s soccer culture, so as the US prepares to co-host the World Cup, AN AMERICAN GAME takes a look at the history of US “ultras” through iconic songs and chants. The sounds of--believe it or not--a soccer nation.

Seattle 2.0: We've Heard Great Things

2026/05/27

In Season One, Seattle made our Starting XI of US Soccertowns (Portland, we've read your comments, and we are very sorry.) As the Emerald City prepares to host the 2026 World Cup, we're re-airing last fall’s segment on Seattle soccer history—but first we have the latest on how the city feels about FIFA, ferries...and that scheduled Iran game. Washington State Legends of Soccer: https://wasoccerlegends.org/

Jersey Odyssey: Our Visit to Soccertown, USA

2026/05/13

From: Bank of America To: Tom and Kirk Subject: Pre-World Cup screening of SOCCERTOWN, USA And so an adventure began: an invitation to meet up in New Jersey for a screening of our award-winning 2019 documentary, followed by a panel with Tab Ramos, John Harkes, and Tony Meola, whose story we told. Which led to this adventure: our first unscripted episode, where we talk about an incredible night with legends of US soccer, as well as some other highlights from our trip--like catching up with another legend of US soccer, Bob Bradley, right before we got a little buzzed on a new beer with our name on it. Oh, we also tell you what's wrong with the current US Men's National Team. And all in less than 25 minutes! Strap in, because we're going off-road. EPISODE LINKS: "SOCCERTOWN, USA" MOVIE: https://www.soccertownmedia.com/video VARITAGE BREW WORKS: https://www.varitagebeer.com/ SIHANA CAFE: https://sihanacafe.com/ KEEPERS BAR & RESTAURANT: https://www.keepers-nj.com/ SOCCER POST-KEARNY: https://soccerpostkearny.com/

Archie Stark and the Scotch Professors

2026/04/29

Tartan Army, assemble! Grab your Walker's shortbread and Laphroaig and listen to a tale of your ancestors, who traveled over the ocean to the United States and Canada... as many of you will this summer for the World Cup (if world events and FIFA prices allow.) This is a story of the Scotch Professors, who brought the pass-and-move version of football around the world and helped make it the Global Game. And it's a tribute to the United States' greatest Scotch Professor: Archie Stark, who was once called the Babe Ruth of American soccer. Ye cannae wait, can ye? MUSIC CREDIT (38:10): Song: Nomadic Sunset Composer: Alexander Nakarada Website: https://creatorchords.com/ License: Creative Commons (BY 3.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Music powered by BreakingCopyright: https://breakingcopyright.com

Podcast reviews

Read AN AMERICAN GAME podcast reviews

4.9 out of 5

44 reviews

★★★☆☆

thescoop32 2026/07/08

History good, politics terrible

The show is at its best when they discuss the origins and history of the game in the United States. But it fails when the host decide to go down divis...

★★★★★

Mr. Heuisler 2026/05/12

Brilliantly and witty

Love this podcast as a soccer fan and as an historian. The hosts really do their research and bring their own unique personalities and humor to the st...

★★★★★

13Yan13$ 2025/10/19

Great pod cast

What a great recounting of IS soccer history

★★★★★

Strikes and Balls 2025/10/09

USA…USA

And Tigers at #1 RPI… #what a country!

★★★★★

PCA1970 2025/10/08

“We are a soccer nation”

This is a must listen for any intelligent football (soccer) fan, from the compulsive to the casual. The hosts are knowledgeable and insightful. Share ...

★★★★★

Big Green Dad 2025/09/28

The best soccer history podcast out there

Period.

★★★★★

mgist123 2025/09/23

A Hidden Gem That Transcends Soccer

Even if you couldn't care less about offsides rules or MLS standings, "An American Game" deserves a spot in your podcast rotation. This isn't your typ...

★★★★★

Atlpaddy 2025/08/13

A must listen for the American soccer history fan

I can’t recommend the “American Game” podcast enough! Tom McCabe & Kirk Rudell serve up the deepest of American soccer history dives with a good sense...

★★★☆☆

Balantrodoch 2025/08/08

Just personal

Im disappointed the podcasters failed to highlight ALL the 1930 players.

★★★★★

SASH Jack 2025/08/01

What a Tale!

Thank you, Tom and Kirk, for retelling of the wonderful history of the AFA Cup! I’m saddened to hear of Phil’s passing without a resolution of display...

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