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The first Breaking the Line episode of 2025 features special guest Mike Cullina, CEO of US Club Soccer.

Cullina and the Breaking the Line crew open the episode with a topic on the forefront of everyone's minds: birth year regulations. The three provide an update to the discussion about what comes next for clubs and leagues regarding roster cutoff dates for birth year, why that decision was made, what does it mean for players and clubs and when will those changes be made.

That discussion evolves into a discussion into where US Club Soccer fits as a whole within the US soccer ecosystem, and why the American soccer ecosystem differs from other countries. The Breaking the Line team goes into how the US Soccer Federation was founded more than 100 years ago and how the organization operated in the past has led us to the decisions and conversations we're having today.

Finally, the group closes out the podcast recognizing the 20 ECNL alumni from 18 different clubs who were selected in the 2025 MLS SuperDraft on their incredible achievements. Congrats!

As always, if there you have any questions or topics of discussion for Breaking the Line, submit your questions here: ecnl.info/BTL-Questions.

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The Breaking the Line team is back with their newest episode as we head into the holiday season and features a special guest, ECNL Boys Commissioner Jason Kutney.

Kutney and the crew open the episode with the inaugural ECNL Boys East Coast Super Cup, where eight teams from four East Coast conferences battled it out in Cary, NC to lift the Super Cup trophy. The team chats about how the Super Cup was formed, what the competition was like and the importance of winning, and also give a special shoutout to the champs, Florida Premier.

The ECNL Boys East Coast Super Cup ran along side the Men's College Cup, and the Breaking the Line team continue their discussion from last week regarding the pros and cons of the amount of international players within college soccer, and college soccer's place within the US' youth soccer developmental platforms. Does NCAA Soccer see itself as part of the developmental path for players? How do you balance winning vs. developing at the collegiate level? And how does NIL deals and the transfer portal affect how programs recruit and construct rosters? The BTL team tries to tackle these questions and more.

Also looking ahead, the lads look forward to the ECNL Coaching Symposium in Las Vegas in early February, discussing which speakers will be presenting at the symposium and who they are looking forward to the most.

Finally, with the new year on the horizon, this week's Bracken Buster features New Years Resolutions and what the whole team is looking forward to in 2025.

All that and more in the newest episode of Breaking the Line!

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It’s post-Thanksgiving and the Breaking the Line team are back for a brand-new episode on all things college soccer.

The NCAA Men’s and Women’s College Cups are in full swing and we dive into examining which teams are still alive chasing a trophy. On the women’s side, more than 80 ECNL alumni are competing across four teams, while eight teams made up of more than 35 alumni are alive on the men’s side.

The College Cup sparked an interesting discussion on Breaking the Line about how many international players compete for teams in men’s soccer compared to the women’s side. It’s a back and forth about how to balance providing opportunities to different athletes, development vs. winning and the role of collegiate soccer in the career paths of both coaches and players.

This discussion led to a listener-submitted question regarding how centerbacks can stand out to D1 recruits during games. The team provides their own insights on what good centerbacks do during games and how recruiting for a defender is different than an attacker. The BTL team also discusses how scouts look for different things even between centerbacks and outside backs.

Finally, a tease for the next episode of Breaking the Line. US Club Soccer announced changes to birth year restrictions in 2026, and the crew gives their initial thoughts while looking forward to Episode 109, which will feature a much more in-depth discussion with US Club Soccer and more.

But it's not all serious soccer talk! We lighten the mood with personal stories about Thanksgiving traditions, from unique turkey alternatives to beloved side dishes like mashed potatoes and sweet potato casserole. With gratitude to our listeners and the ECNL community, we invite you to share your thoughts and questions for future episodes. Tune in for a blend of sports insights, heartfelt holiday moments, and an engaging discussion that promises to keep you entertained and informed.