Tab Ramos on soccer's nice guy problem, Klinsmann's impact & greatest ever USMNT | Kickin' It

[@amontes10]

Absolute legend!! Thanks for having a U.S. great on here. More of this, please. Loved Meola and Wynalda. Younger players should recognize and have respect for the players from the 90's. So much substance and history here. Great stuff!

[@KenDrPH]

This is where the shift in U.S. soccer presence began 🙏🏼⚽️🇺🇸

[@KenDrPH]

Ah, Brooklyn Italians…Tab, led the best NC State team ever, thanks to Geo Tarantini RIP for bringing Tab to the table 🙏🏼⚽️🇺🇸

[@michaelgoldberg518]

The US attacking midfield w Ramos & Reyna from '94-'00 was a joy to watch. Not sure it's gotten better in the 25-30 yrs since

[@Cybren2000]

His contrast of Uruguayan youth soccer culture vs U.S. is interesting and makes sense. We need to make it more like American football youth culture where in middle and high school teams you absolutely do care about winning. Maybe making things happen through the schooling system is part of the answer to rectify mentality problems.

[@rynejones8513]

i dont think the winning mentality is the important thing that needs to be fixed personally. what he said that resonated with me most was asking players if they thought they played well and then who on the team played the best. i think that personal accountability is where we lack the most. some people are quick to forget their own mistakes and then vividly remember another's. this exercise keeps all the players grounded and most importantly gives them a goal to strive for which isn't simply winning, but becoming better.

[@kb5509]

But that's completely different. You can focus on winning in American football because so much of it is reliant on athleticism. If you focus on winning in actual football, invariably it ends up relying on the athletic players and does not nothing to develop and technical skill, which is needed when everyone goes through puberty and athletic ability matters much less.

[@ydifrancia]

I love Kate's straightforward questions she asked Tab😆

[@72klh]

Powerfully evocative and frank conversation by one of the most technically gifted players in American soccer.

[@TCGTales]

From the pitch to the sidelines, Tab Ramos proves that greatness knows no boundaries-breaking barriers and inspiring the game, one goal at a time.

[@davidt3956]

An even better sign of soccer growth than the MLS is the USL. As more and more cities get soccer teams, the more people will be talking about it as Ramos wants.

[@DaddyFutbol]

I grew up with such a strong passion for football ⚽️. Every world cup go all out. And its so depressing when its hard to find a bar that has the game or people with the same passion. Its hard to love Football ⚽️ in 🇺🇸

[@Anon-wx5xd]

Only half way through but I appreciate Tab's honesty. Guy is no BS and I'm here for it.

[@JoseGonzalezchi]

Clint has been my favorite US player ever, these episodes makes me like him more. His view and insight of the game is fun to hear.

[@josesalazar1593]

Great to see the guys that paved the way for the new generations!

[@tomtynan8130]

I wish he would have talked about the early days in NJ at the Kearney Oval or the "Cage in Kearney" where he played and his days at St. Benedicts Prep.....

[@ericbillies1569]

I played against Tab (and John Harkes) at the Kearny Oval, both center mids.Ramos ran circles around me - he was clearly a special player even back then. The field at the Oval was horrible and still recall the old dilapidated building next to it with “Kearny Space & Science Center” emblazoned at the top - great days!

[@tomtynan8130]

@@ericbillies1569 Thank you for the comments. In the '94 era wasn't there a cool commercial made right at the Cage in downtown Kearney where these amazing pick-up soccer games were played inside this Chain-Link cage of sorts ?

[@ericbillies1569]

@@tomtynan8130 Not sure, I played against the Kearny Scots in the early 1980’s. I think we brawled with them during the indoor season at the Rockland Community College field house. Very chippy games every time we played them, but they were awesome.

[@StudioGREGORIO]

~~~ This was great. There SHOULD be more love for those who lead the way. No doubt that having ONLY Tim Ream as an elder is a weakness on our current team.

[@UKim-mt4el]

He has knowledge. Every sentence he speaks is pure truth.

[@ryanreilly2055]

As a NJ native who coaches at a decent level, he is absolutely right about knowing him, Tony etc vs any player on the Red Bulls

[@charlesbethishou]

Awesome show !!! A true shame only 380 likes ??? Some of our folks don’t understand the beauty of these podcast Tab Ramos USA LEGEND

[@MxMnKC]

Another must watch from Kate and The Boys! Tab is a Legned of US Soccer easily makes my Best XI of all time. Tab and Clint are the two most skilled US players all time, in my opinion

[@dirks6550]

Good interview. Really admire Ramos as a player and as a coach.

[@MrGVUnited]

I LOVE THE TALK ABOUT BEING AMERICAN!! Please, get this message to Poch. We need to focus on what being American is and how to develop that American Spirit.

[@Chicagofellow15]

US Legend 🇺🇸🫡⚽

[@Canev821]

Love tab

[@kingteros]

Tab Ramos Lets Go

[@humbertozepeda7320]

Invite Hugo Pérez a former USMNT international, he had as coach pulisic and some of the now players at the youth level his story is very unique.

[@dmoney668]

He's a real good coach real good I'm surprised no one in Europe has picked him up

[@yangguangmianbao]

This Ramos interview is to the McBride interview as Pizza is to Brussel sprouts! Great stuff!

[@DavidJacobo]

McBride is a shill to ussoccer. Great player but he’s lining his pockets now.

[@ChrisK056]

I hear the criticism of US youth development culture here, and OK - I get it. BUT - don’t we also consistently hear that US youth soccer is TOO focused on winning and NOT in developing players or encouraging creativity/taking chances. I’m not in the youth soccer trenches, so I don’t know - but these are two mutually exclusive critiques. So, we need to pick one. Is winning the most important thing to focus on at youth level, or is it developing talented players who are willing to take chances??

[@Cybren2000]

@@ChrisK056 I think he’s saying it means less. The fact that 8 year olds could be playing in a derby is something we can only understand through looking at local American football rivalries that can begin with local middle schools, maybe.

[@r2dad282]

We don't need to pick one. The culture you want is one that focuses on 1v1 skills during training, but then competitive kids come game day. We have soft cone-based training that is useless during the week, and competitive parents on game day with blasé kids who are not motivated. We have a culture problem and an early youth training problem because coaching sucks.

[@stanleed.harold5457]

A good coach teaches through competition.

[@coletripp4814]

It isn't that they are or they are not, it is how are they solving the issue.

[@DavidJacobo]

Winning is development. You win by taking chances. Playing it safe is for draws. You gotta make it mean something. Like gridiron, these highschoolers know that game is important and they want to win. That’s when the magic happens

[@stanleed.harold5457]

St. Benedict's prep NC State legend

[@UHollis]

first thought after the baby football bit at 12:19 was promotion/relegation. The challenge to grow and move up against stronger teams. Peer driven. It is missed so much in America. We have it locally in small league in south Florida, other places as well, and the kids love it. They are able to find drive in the notion of "moving up", something to play for. Anything to help a kid fell like he isn't playing to sustain his parents love and happiness.

[@kingreid6419]

Great!

[@clarissarichardson6340]

Mindset isn’t “given”, it’s a skill and learnable / developable!

[@alfredobartolomesancho3257]

Landon Donovan debió ir a Brasil 2014...si fuera por Tab Ramos hubiera ido...porque no fue con klinsman?

[@chamberlainwonder369]

He's right, I take Tyler Adams first then pullistic second.Tyler Adams has been balling from day one

[@nadaduo1765]

Metrostars legend 🔴⚫

[@danilofernandez1]

Generoso el fútbol desde que se hizo moda y países donde no se jugaba lo hacen y por supuesto que tienen el derecho de hacerlo. Un jugador medio pelo en Uruguay fue figura en Usa.

[@tarfpir]

I wish someone would just spit it out: We lack the cultural element of passion in football. It will never happen as long as American football has its place at the top.

[@ssfov]

Agree, no passion for this sport. Or the passion that is there will always be below the passion for basketball, football, and baseball.

[@mmmmpzevil]

There is passion for this sport in this country but they are not rooting for the USA, they are rooting for Mexico, for there country of there ancestors. They are rooting for a club in Mexico or Europe and not MLS.

[@davidt3956]

Need to publish faster or at least cut old news. Discussing potential USMNT coaches after one has already been selected doesn't really work.

[@robertquinn2903]

@@davidt3956 kate abdo can only do so much my guy

[@DavidJacobo]

Do you edit videos?

[@davidt3956]

@@DavidJacobo First, yes, I have. Second, what does that matter? So, unless we play soccer, we can't comment on people playing soccer? If we don't play piano, we can't comment on a concerto? Bugs Bunny has a color for you.

[@mrjimi]

@@davidt3956 if you do edit videos, then you'd appreciate the time and effort it takes to make videos like this. Why cut stuff out when a disclaimer that this was taped and edited before Pochettino's hiring would've sufficed?

[@davidt3956]

@@mrjimi Still whining? Yes, they have effort. No, they didn't do it properly. They're professionals and I expect better. Your mommy must give you a gold star for everything you do, but you need to grow up.

[@BP-ne1bl]

Why do I get the feeling that Dempsey is annoyed with charlie

[@stanleed.harold5457]

Because he's annoying

[@iana7681]

u dont know where im from dawg. haha love clint. would've like to see a dissection of where talent in the US comes from. Texas seems to be producing the most? Stanford? Seattle is probably the city with the most history other then LA. who has the best academies? how does one obtain a passport/visa and jump from u15 FC dallas to germany?

[@dangelobarksdale5807]

Can one of the crew explain something to me? Y'all love to say 2002, 2009, 2014 teams had better players man for man compared to this team. But then you say the U20s from 2016 and on are as good as the best of the world. And when it comes to the full team, "the players now, that gap isn't as big as it was before." Man for man, are the players back then better or are the players now better? Which one is it?

[@coletripp4814]

both at the same time

[@dangelobarksdale5807]

@@coletripp4814 so the current players are both inferior to US players in the past and also superior to them. Got it.

[@alexuribe8107]

@@dangelobarksdale5807 Both...and neither. Let me explain. Back then, most of those players did not come from development academies, or played abroad or anything like that. So the mentality to make the team and PLAY for the national team was very different. Some of the players that he lists (like Jermaine Jones, Tab Ramos, Ernie Stewart and Marcelo Balboa) were actually dual nationals or recent immigrants who brought with them the style of play from their countries of birth, which was very different (and is still very different) from the style of play at that time and there were few if any players who could bring that skill into the national team, which them as a collective made the team better as a WHOLE. Meanwhile today's players, while much better technically and are closer to the players across the world, have the individual skill but not the mentality to make the National Team collectively better. So while our players ARE on par or close to the international level, our TEAM is not as good as it was before. Hope this helps?

[@dangelobarksdale5807]

@@alexuribe8107 I get the mentality argument and totally agree. My problem with these comparisons especially with the Golazo crew is that they keep saying both things. The players in 2002, 2009, and 2014 man for man are better than are players AND also our players today are evenly matched with most of Europe. The thing is players in those 3 teams achieved almost nothing for their teams in Europe. I'd be good if they said the team today has no heart and lacks mentality and therefore fail constantly. But they don't stop there. They flat out said Tony Sanneh would beat out Dest and Bradley was better than McKennie. Sure they had better showings for the US but you can't tell me that either were overall better when they never even played in CL. I own a Bradley jersey btw and he was my favorite player but he couldn't stand beinig 4th string in Roma's midfield, so who is lacking in mentality?

[@nestorqa1681]

What a great episode. Tab is rea

[@btopines9922]

just do the interview... the "Kickin it" interviews are all great, but the silly slow motion "look how cool we are videos" are unnecessary.

[@stanleed.harold5457]

Ok

[@coletripp4814]

aren't we living in a time where a person can push a button and whatever is being played on a screen will be fast forward? nah, you're right we should just blame others for our own inadequacies.

[@SergioCheco25]

You can skip em…

[@salvadorgonzalez1409]

Exactly and that stupid intro theme is so annoying and cringe...

[@btopines9922]

@@coletripp4814 why thank you, Captain Obvious. Do you feel better about yourself when you needlessly insult total strangers?

[@r2dad282]

Coaches will teach what the parents demand. We have generations of parents that never played the sport. Immigrant Mexican parents on my kid's team were agnostic about playing style. So coach just let the keepers boot the ball even at U8. Had to leave to avoid the kickball (along with the Argentinian, Bolivian and guatamalan parents who wanted their kid to learn foot skills).

[@coletripp4814]

they will teach what they believe the parents demand. amazingly every sport has parents why does soccer complain the most about them?

[@caballosinnombre3981]

" I was in Nacadoches an I's like WoW!!!! "

[@jcorona5457]

In an alternate universe a team of Clint Dempsey clones won the World Cup!! Facts !!

[@drewbranch7700]

Ramos and Preki,ballers…….when I became a USMNT ardent supporter! I agree we needed foreign coaches like Klinsmann and now Pochettino because we our American coaches coddle our players ie.. Remember when LD took a year off and felt he deserved to be in the team;like seriously,do you think international coaches would allow a player to do that and put them on their roster-the delusional side of some people is beyond ridiculous.

[@theaquariancontrarian3316]

Jermaine jones was underrated

[@ssfov]

Bring Hugo Perez for an interview

[@stanleed.harold5457]

Charlie is fanboying. He ask the coaching question 50 times.

[@miguelcarrasco9042]

Soccer in this country is too expensive . Great players get left out due to lack of funds. A family of 4 has different financial hardships. Club soccer for some families is out of reach.

[@qilimercurial5116]

US team will never be the same level or stronger/better then European team..

[@tdkdgh]

hmmmm, didn't think much of the 2014 team. Tim Howard saved them. One striker.........played Michael Bradely out of position........

[@coreyjacobs6784]

Pay to play isn't mandatory in the other major sports in the us. Does playing aau help get you noticed absolutely. Stop pretending they haven't firgure it out in those other sports so soccer can as well. MLS could have been building local futsal courts across this country if they cared about development. Especially with money they require just to join their ish league.

[@mmmmpzevil]

Have some Mexican players pleaseee

[@dirks6550]

Disagree with Ramos in that I think taking the young team to the last world cup is going to ultimately help us in 2026. There needed to be a cleaning of the house.

[@EpicGammingCrew]

I greatly appreciate jurgen’s contributions and think that the 2014 squad was one of the greatest in our history. But taking Julian green over Landon Donovan is one of the most unforgivable decisions and ultimately left us in a terrible position, constantly behind the 8 ball every game. I’ve heard his explanation/reasoning, but it’s never been enough to justify it. Completely boneheaded and ego-driven imo

[@panamenopty305]

It is too nice with the exception of girl soccer. They go hard for each tackle. The game could be out of reach (7-0) and they want to continue scoring.

[@ricopo3522]

Berhalter's rap then echoed by his players going into Copa said it all about the root problem the last 5 years. Soft as wet tissue paper. Underselling, minimizing expectations- giving his players an easy way out. Dude was still talking "it's a processs" 6 years into the job, saying one of the biggest tournaments in the game wasn't the priority? Complete loser's mentality. Hopefully we can start to build a tougher, hard nosed winning mentality under Poch. Bringing him in at least makes a statement of that intent. No more excuses.

[@ksm1972fut]

I really liked Ramos and Dempsey as players but that's unfortunately where it ends. They are removed from the reality of grassroots soccer. It's clear they don't understand the development issues here in the USA. Among other things like the MLS and college soccer, lack of quality coaching/winning more important than development/poor soccer leadership/Pay-to Play ARE huge problems. It's not a mentality issue. And why can't they just admit what everyone else knows, WE JUST PLAIN ARE NOT GOOD ENOUGH. The current golden generation is not what we thought. And that's ok... it's just reality.

[@jcorona5457]

Every generation is better and could beat the current team because Turner is in goal. Turner vs Meola, Keller, Howard, Friedel… Turner loses to them all.

[@brent1133]

Agree with Tab, on the "when he walks in the room" quote. The players were not scared of Greg. Poch will command respect.

[@coletripp4814]

Did we hire a coach away from another team or an out of work coach?

[@brent1133]

@@coletripp4814 just make your point already. What is it?

[@coletripp4814]

@@brent1133 point is simple. i am sorry so tiny and simple was too complicated for your. you nor i know what is going to happen. i don't know for certain, but i don't believe the man has won anything. yet everyone keeps speaking as if he is the second coming of jesus. all i know is i never needed a "coach" nto motivate me to play, any sport. if a coach needs to motivate you past 9th grade, find a new profession to pursue.

[@brent1133]

@@coletripp4814 tried to be smart and still couldn’t make sense. lol good for you kid. No one is looking at this through PL glasses except people like you that loved mediocre Greg for whatever reason. If you can’t see the difference between Top European and champions league pedigree vs 2nd division Sweden i cannot help you. This is not the NFL.

[@jcorona5457]

This generation is more talented but had GGG as their coach… wasted and stunted USMNT.

[@clintdempseyisgoat8829]

LegenD

[@r2dad282]

Tab wants Americans to be more knowledgable about the sport and his example are MLS teams. But Garber is busy trying to tear down Open Cup for selfish personal, financial reasons--I'm never supporting him or MLS.

[@fcbarcelona0809]

I swear, I think Charlie gets royalty checks every time he says the US mens national team. We know who you’re talking about Charlie.

[@hospagalief]

The US will never be a great footballing nation, the kids don't play unless it some organized lame parent involved nonsense, there no 5 side a pitches anywhere at all, and people don't kick a ball at the park, they do anything but that, merica sucks 😂

[@mikeleon4426]

USA coaches - stop giving participation trophies. At all levels.