Soccer IQ Starts Off the Ball. Are You Watching the Right Thing?

Is your kid's soccer IQ growing, or are you only watching the ball? When a player looks sharp in training but disappears on Saturday, the first touch may not tell the whole story. Miguelangel Grande Jr., founder of Grande Sports, talks with Liron and Matt about pressure, space, off-ball runs, and the decisions parents rarely see. He gives a qualified answer to the playing-time versus stronger-team question and explains why his work supports the club coach instead of replacing him. What we cover: • Why match pressure can change what a player does with the ball • What to watch before calling a first touch or pass "bad" • How an off-ball run can be useful even without a pass • When stronger training with fewer minutes may be worth considering • What kids can do at home for free: time on the ball and full games on TV Follow Miguelangel Grande Jr.: YouTube:    / @footytactics   Instagram:   / grandesportstraining   Website: https://www.grandesportstraining.com Chapters: 0:00 What parents miss from the sideline 1:43 Great in training, invisible on game day 6:09 Bad first touch or bad read? 11:08 Top team or more minutes? 14:31 Why kids need to watch full matches 17:17 Watch the run, not only the ball 20:51 Should kids play every position? 23:03 Social media and the online persona 24:45 Learning to think the game 28:46 Paying for extra training 33:02 What kids can do at home for free 35:31 What it takes to make it 37:55 His own path and what he teaches 41:18 What we took away More from Chasing the Game: → Why Your Kid Looks Better in Training Than Games | Christian Silva:    • Why Your Kid Looks Better in Training Than...   → Does Your Kid Need More Soccer Training or More Free Play? | Ted Kroeten:    • Does Your Kid Need More Soccer Training or...   Chasing the Game: Youth Soccer in America is a weekly youth soccer development podcast for parents navigating the U.S. youth soccer pathway. Hosted by Liron Unreich and Matt Tartaglia. chasingthegame.us #YouthSoccer #SoccerParents #SoccerIQ