American Soccer Nation
After leaving law to return to teaching at YSC Academy, Mark Franek wrote American Soccer Nation to inspire elite young soccer players
Award-winning sports journalist Matt Breen profiles YSC Academy teacher Mark Franek, whose efforts to replace negative soccer-history readings inspired him to write American Soccer Nation
Mark’s 30-minute presentation titled Yanks on a Roll was well received by about 25 members and several guests of The Philadelphia Club.
Sons of Ben (SOB) fan group calls American Soccer Nation “an enlightening walk through the beautiful game”
WHYY’s Studio 2 broadcasts live from FIFA Fan Fest at Lemon Hill, capturing Philadelphia’s World Cup excitement and the growing place of soccer in American culture
Author Mark Franek convinces host Matt Cole that soccer is on a roll—and a quest—to become the second most popular sport in North America
Philadelphia Union: YSC Academy teacher Mark C Franek authors book on the history of American Soccer
With the 2026 World Cup returning to the U.S., American Soccer Nation by Mark C. Franek—with forewords by Cavan Sullivan and Tim Howard—traces the full history of men’s soccer in America and the USMNT while arguing for the sport’s continued rise and global potential
Mark shares insights on modern youth development in the U.S. and Canada, shifting global perceptions, the evolution of MLS-haters to MLS-likers (and lovers), and the future of soccer in North America
Mark Franek, author of American Soccer Nation, sits down with Tyler and Jake, hosts of Sportonomics, to trace the remarkable and often overlooked 150-year history of soccer in the United States
Mark talks with RMagazine about what inspired him to write American Soccer Nation, where soccer first took root in America, why it took so long for the sport to grow, and Mark’s most valuable interviewees during the book-writing process
