You might not think American soccer has contributed anything to the world of football - but this conversation will change your mind. In Episode 106 of the Because Football Podcast, we talk with seasoned sports marketer Mike Harmon, who created the logo and branding for Columbus Crew of MLS, and whose career started in the MISL (Major Indoor Soccer League) days.

In this conversation, Mike shares some great stories from the youthful days of pro soccer in the US, as well as his perspective on sports marketing, partnerships, and how to properly value fans in an era where growing disillusionment and alienation threatens the trust between clubs and their supporters.

Mike worked directly with US soccer benefactor Lamar Hunt and touts a career spanning nearly every major sports league and governing body, domestic and international, from the NFL, NBA, Premier League, and more. We talk about what actually worked in early MLS (hint: 40% soccer, 60% entertainment), why the fan has to come first in everything, and his concerns about World Cup ticketing. and why he believes this summer is different from every "soccer's moment" that came before.

He also talks about his new role as CMO of Fanchize, a fan economy platform which connects soccer fans with clubs and opens up a new frontier of rewards, incentives, and exclusive fan experiences.

If you want to understand how American soccer got here and learn from one of the people who built it, then you’ll get a lot out of this episode.

Connect with Mike here:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-harmon-75b73b2/

https://www.instagram.com/michael.harmon.9469/?hl=en#

Connect with Because Football here:

⁠https://www.youtube.com/@BecauseFootball_⁠

⁠https://www.instagram.com/becausefootball_/⁠

⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/baggaleyandrew/⁠

⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/because-football-media/⁠

Need help with your content strategy and production? We can help.

To get in contact with us, email becausefootballmedia [at] ⁠gmail.com⁠

We are obsessed with soccer stories on this podcast - but we have been neglecting the youth! This episode changes that and focuses on how we can pass on our love of the game to the next generation of soccer fans.

In Episode 105 of the Because Football Podcast, we talk with Carlos D. Mojica, who has recently published a children’s book about soccer facts called “Goal!”.

Carlos is a bilingual communications and football media operations veteran who has worked at multiple levels of the sport including MLS, CONCACAF, and Leagues Cup, so why did he turn his sights to writing a book for kids?

In this episode, Carlos shares how he initially got started in soccer communications as a Media Relations and Hispanic Community Outreach officer for AFC Cleveland of the NPSL. This led to a role in the National Premier Soccer League head office, and nearly 6 years working for the Columbus Crew.

He has also served as a press officer for the Argentina National Team, MLS All-Star, and other North American competitions. Carlos breaks down how the knowledge he gained in a professional context served him while writing his book - and how he shifted his mindset to communicate with the next generation.

If you are changing paths or eager to break into the soccer media world, you will gain verified insight and inspiration from Carlos’s story!

Buy the book here:

https://www.quarto.com/books/9781577157090/goal

Connect with Carlos here:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlos-d-mojica-978377b0/

https://www.instagram.com/cd.mojica/?hl=en

Connect with Because Football here:

⁠https://www.youtube.com/@BecauseFootball_⁠

⁠https://www.instagram.com/becausefootball_/⁠

⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/baggaleyandrew/⁠

⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/because-football-media/⁠

Need help with your content strategy and production? We can help.

To get in contact with us, email becausefootballmedia [at] ⁠gmail.com⁠

How can investing in the local community develop talent, increase trust, and build revenue for a brand new soccer club?

In Episode 104 of the Because Football Podcast, we talk with Noah Toumert, Director of Foundation for the newly announced Cleveland Pro Soccer of MLS Next Pro.

As a community organizer, nonprofit leader, and strategist, Noah is driven to building equitable access to soccer in Cleveland by a desire to see the US men’s national team lift the World Cup one day.

Noah's path to this role started with refugee youth soccer. He was working at a nonprofit in Cleveland when he met families who loved the game but had completely fallen through the cracks of the pay-to-play system. He helped turn informal pickup into organized teams, watched those kids grow into young adults, and saw firsthand what accessible youth sports can do. That experience shaped everything he's building now.

In this conversation, Noah explains why Cleveland Pro Soccer has prioritized their community foundation - launching before even announcing a team name or badge. He also calls philanthropy "the highest ROI marketing we can do."

He breaks down how a $1,500 street soccer tournament generated over a million dollars in social media impressions, why the US lacks soccer infrastructure compared to basketball courts, and what solidarity payments could change about American youth development.

He shares why hosting events and building mini pitches across Cleveland is a priority for the fledgling club, and how they seek to convince sponsors that doing good is good business.

A potent mix of social research, community engagement, sports marketing, and business strategy, this episode will help anyone trying to build community around a club, run events on a shoestring budget, or understand why American soccer development works the way it does.

Connect with Noah here:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/noah-toumert/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/cleveland-professional-soccer/

Connect with Because Football here:

⁠https://www.youtube.com/@BecauseFootball_⁠

⁠https://www.instagram.com/becausefootball_/⁠

⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/baggaleyandrew/⁠

⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/because-football-media/⁠

Need help with your content strategy and production? We can help.

To get in contact with us, email becausefootballmedia [at] ⁠gmail.com⁠