AN AMERICAN GAME

About AN AMERICAN GAME

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 (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 (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_media BLUESKY: @soccertownmedia@bksy.social

Publisher

SOCCERTOWN MEDIA

Category

history · society & culture · sports

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

16 Jul 2025

Latest episode

21 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

8 of 31 episodes have a transcript.

1. 

   21 Oct 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Blame Harvard (feed drop from AMERICAN FUTBOL)

   Host Fernanda Echavarri explores Harvard's surprising role in the origins of American soccer in this interview episode.

2. 

   7 Oct 2026

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

   Host Tom Dunlap explores the 1928 USFA meeting, revealing a pivotal moment in American soccer's rise and enduring rivalries.

3. 

   23 Sept 2026

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

   Host Tom and Kirk interview Rory Bryce of The Football Heritage about Fall River's soccer history and its modern-day significance.

Inside a recent episode

Blame Harvard (feed drop from AMERICAN FUTBOL)

Published 21 Oct 2026 · Transcript excerpt

[…] Why did it turn out this way? Why didn't soccer become a national pastime the same way that baseball, basketball and football, even hockey did? Why isn't soccer an American sport? I started working on the show and I realized I may have it all wrong. I would say the game as we know it was born in England and Scotland. But what we like to say is that it came to the U.S. before it got to Brazil. We had a pro league before Spain and Italy. I mean, it was a game that was exported and the U.S. got it almost before anybody else. I recently spoke with two guys who dispute the idea that the U.S. is not a soccer nation. […]

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.9 / 5

44 ratings

Spotify

4.9 / 5

23 ratings

Contact AN AMERICAN GAME

Guest appearances

Does not typically book guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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