Special Edition: The Long Game with Leander Schaerlaeckens
Jason is taking some time off, so this week he's sharing his full conversation with Leander Schaerlaeckens — journalist, USMNT beat reporter, and author of the new book The Long Game: US Men's Soccer and Its Savage Four-Decade Journey to the Top (or Thereabouts). It's the definitive history of the program, written just in time for the World Cup. Jason calls it a must-read, and this conversation shows why.
[0:00:28] — Jason introduces the episode and Leander's new book, The Long Game. He'll be back live soon — catch him at patreon.com/thebestsoccershow for Wednesday office hours, the Bestie Slack, and bonus content.
[0:02:50] — Interview begins. Leander on the writing process: three-plus years, 150+ interviews, every US World Cup game since 1990 rewatched — and then US Soccer fired Berhalter and he had to rewrite the whole thing.
[0:07:50] — The book's structure: a chronological USMNT history woven with profiles of six current players — Tyler Adams, Weston McKennie, Christian Pulisic, Ricardo Pepi, Matt Turner, and Antonee Robinson — each chosen because their story says something bigger about American soccer.
[0:20:00] — The Dark Ages (1950–1990): the USMNT once went 11 years without winning a game and nobody noticed. A 1974 qualifier where they didn't have enough players and pulled one from the stands. A $5 per diem that players were sometimes asked to forego. It was a circus — and Leander went deep on why.
[0:31:00] — The big structural question: is a US World Cup win inevitable, or does it require investment that doesn't make financial sense? Leander's take — it's not just a matter of time. The FC Dallas academy director's point lands hard: a kid in Dallas is still 12 times less likely to end up in a professional academy than a kid in Madrid, which has the same population but a dozen pro clubs.
[0:43:00] — Closing thoughts: buy the book at your local bookstore or bookshop.org. Jason wraps with a thank-you and outro.
Join the Bestie community at patreon.com/thebestsoccershow — Wednesday office hours with Jason, a bonus podcast feed, the Bestie Slack, and World Cup content on the way. Your support keeps the show going.
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