Spotlight
Urban Spotlight: Claudinho Might Be the Best Pound-for-Pound Street Baller in L.A.
Have you ever seen one of those guys who looks normal and unassuming, someone you quickly dismiss as not very athletic, and yet once he steps on the pitch, the guy just tears...
Spotlight
Edward van Gils’ Favorite Book is Absolutely Genius
During his recent visit to L.A., street football legend and pioneer Edward van Gils dropped in to our indoor facility, UrbanFutsal LA, to wreck some players and give us an exclusive...
Spotlight
Street Baller Alfredo Sainz on Going Pro, Bolivian Futsal, and Playing with Swag
Urban Pitch sat down with L.A. street baller Alfredo Sainz, whose career has spanned futsal, street soccer, and professional play in Bolivia. He’s been featured in trick-heavy spots like the Nike FootballX Skills video, played for the Red Bull Street Team ...
Spotlight
Urban Spotlight: Pro Freestyler Enry Maffioletti Lets His Crazy Skills Do the Talking
There must be something about freestyle football that either attracts mellow personalities or forces a person to chill out. It makes sense considering the hours of dedicated practice and honing...
Spotlight
Urban Spotlight: Why Séan Garnier Is an All-Around Maestro
Most people have heard of Séan Garnier. Even if you're not a hardcore soccer or freestyle fan, you've probably seen him in this commercial disguised as an old man or battling Neymar for...
Spotlight
UK’s 16-Year-Old Liv Cooke is Next Freestyle Star to Watch
Attention is growing for up-and-coming sensation Liv Cooke, the UK's first—and so far only—professional female football freestyler. Cooke grew up in northwest England and fell in love with football...
Spotlight
FC Kansas City Midfielder Lo’eau Labonta Shares Her Urban Picks
Lo'eau Labonta is beginning to hit her stride as she enters her third season in the NWSL. With preseason just a few weeks away, the Stanford grad sat down for a...
Spotlight
From LA to Macedonia, Travis Bowen Embraces the Enduring Journey of Being a Pro Footballer
With professional experience both in the United States and overseas, Travis Bowen has been able to incorporate the best from both games into his own. Before his departure back...
Spotlight
Accomplished Soccer Pro Yael Averbuch Looks to Get Even Better at 30
Earlier this week I had the pleasure of sitting down with Yael Averbuch, a highly decorated midfielder for National Women's Soccer League team FC Kansas City and a newly minted...
Freestyle
Urban Street Team Grows Freestyle Network Throughout Southeast Asia
Freestyle football is laying deep roots in Singapore, thanks largely to the pioneering freestylers of Urban Street Team (UST). Created in 2009 by Terence Ong, Terry Lee, and Mohammad...
Spotlight
Strength, Health, and Gratitude: How Soccer Ignited Julia Glanz’s Relentless Pursuit of Fitness Excellence
Strength and conditioning coach Julia Glanz has made a seamless transition from her soccer career at the University of Arizona to her professional career as a fitness expert. Through...
Spotlight
Urban Picks: Pro Goalkeeper and Model Ryann Torrero Shares All Her Favorite Things
It's not often you come across an athlete who moves effortlessly between the disparate worlds of sports and modeling. Ryann Torrero is a pro goalkeeper whose recent stints include winning...
Spotlight
Denmark’s Jakob Semajer-Garic is a New Kind of Freestyle ‘Wrapper’
At 18 years old, Danish freestyler Jakob Semajer-Garic is a rising star in the uber-talented Scandinavian freestyle scene. Jakob's unique style that incorporates numerous variations of Wraps and V-Stalls...
Spotlight
Urban Spotlight: One-on-One with Futsaler Jade Elliott, Youthful Pioneer in UK’s Football League Trust
Youngsters from the UK are continuing to pioneer new avenues in women’s football. We recently spotlighted teen talent Liv Cooke, the UK’s first and only professional female freestyler. Today, we’re featuring Urban Pitch’s...
Spotlight
Patience, Persistence, and Passion: Argentina’s Charly Iacono is Finally World Freestyle Champ
Carlos Alberto Iacono, aka Charly, is a persistent man. A tried-and-true competitor, Charly is well-known and well-liked on the freestyle circuit, someone who has earned respect for his athleticism, composure,...
Spotlight
Finding the Perfect Balance of Art and Sport With Incredibly Accomplished Pro Freestyler Laura Biondo
The first woman to hold a Guinness World Record in freestyle, Laura Biondo has gone from competing in some of the world's biggest freestyle events to performing with the...
Urban Hype
Hip-Hop and Football: L.A. Rapper Jez Dior Talks His Love for the Beautiful Game
In the diverse city of Los Angeles, the football community football collides with music, art, and culture in an enigmatic way. The city paves avenues and pathways for just...
Spotlight
The Man Behind the Camera: Why Everyone Needs Jannis Gasser in Their Instafeed
It's fair to say social media has been a catalyst for the rise of freestyle football in recent years, the chief culprit being everyone's favourite photo/video sharing app, Instagram. Every day,...
Spotlight
Getting to Know Andrew McEwen, Multi-Talented Social Media Star and Entrepreneur
Whether it is creating custom boots, viral content, or his own lifestyle apparel brand, Andrew McEwen's ambition and creativity has led him to become one of social media's fastest-rising...
Spotlight
Thiago Saltori is Unlike Any Freestyler You’ll Ever Meet
Brazilian veteran freestyler Thiago Saltori is a true original. Whether it’s his unorthodox style or his vast knowledge in Chinese medicine, Saltori has always gone against the grain —...
