Eight FIFA World Cup matches are coming to East Rutherford, New Jersey in June and July. Soccer is certainly on the minds of many fans right now. The World Cup Final will be played on July 19 (MetLife Stadium).
Jeffrey Saunders, the latest guest on SportsJam with Doug Doyle, has a unique perspective on the sport.
Jeffrey Saunders was a two-time 1st team All-American soccer player at Hobart and Smith Colleges before playing overseas.
After working in strategic development, innovation, and entertainment with companies like MLB, Nike, and ESPN, Saunders founded a sports consulting and sports data analytics company. He was the President of Estoril Praia of the Portuguese 1st division and then President of Yverdon Sport of the Swiss Super League. Now he serves as the Sporting Director at Metropolitan Oval.
Met Oval, a true jewel in the fabric of New York Sports history, sits in Maspeth, Queens. The five-acre Metropolitan Oval is the oldest continuous-use soccer facility in the country. It's been
a haven for every level of soccer for more than 100 years.
Saunders says while soccer has become quite popular for the families of those who can afford it, the foundation has made sure that Met Oval is not an exclusive club. The Sporting Director stresses it’s a true community hub where kids from dozens of cultural backgrounds come together through the universal language of soccer.
"I feel very lucky that I discovered the Met Oval. I entered through the gates for the first time because my son (Balthazar) was a young player starting off in his development cycle 15 to 20 years ago. I was just astounded to find this kind of place that reeked of history, but a the same time, it's one of those rare places where the history of the game and the future of the game are happening at the exact same time. It has this intensity, passion and physical geography that is quite unique. It's the only club-owned field in the boroughs. It resonated with me. It has an European feel with a passion and history that I think drives soccer and soccer development in this country. It gives access to all kids."
The Metropolitan Oval Academy sets the standard for youth player development in the U.S. It provides a daily training environment that builds well-rounded, technically skilled players, while through MLS NEXT, and other leagues, the Academy delivers top-tier competition and curriculum for every age group, starting as early as U6 through U23.
American soccer legends like Shep Messing, Claudio Reyna, Tony Meola and Tim Howard are amongst the literally hundreds of professional men and women athletes who have graced the pitch of the Oval over the years.
Saunders' mother recently sent him a newspaper article that somewhat foreshadowed what path he would take in life. At the time the article was written, 14-year old Jeffrey Saunders and his friend Matthew Smith were leaders on and off the soccer field. They had no other choice. In the middle of their the youth season, the Richmond Raiders coach transferred to another city. That's when Jeffrey and his teammate Matthew took over the team.
"My mom reminds me of this period in my life quite often. I was an avid youth soccer player. I found a love for the game and was obsessed by every aspect of it, particularly the cognitive and strategic elements. You know the team was in jeopardy of not continuing in midseason and so Matthew and I took over the team as kind of player-coaches."
That energy eventually led Jeffrey to become a Hall of Famer at Hobart. Under Jeffrey's guidance, his son Balthazar became soccer star at Villanova and later at UCONN.
With the 2026 FIFA World Cup matches coming to New Jersey, Saunders expects soccer to get even more attention in the area.
"I think it's always an amazing opportunity for the media and social focus to be on soccer. Here is the U.S. there are a lot of competing sports and interests. It's a time where we can single out and talk about soccer, the importance of it and what it represents. It's a world game. It's a global game but it's been living here in the U.S. for a century. It is here every day in places like Met Oval where the World Cup exists every day. Kids from all those countries have played at Met Oval over the years and transited through this development environment. Now the light will shine of the U.S. role and capability when it comes to development and passion for the game.
Saunders expects to be in the stands when the World Cup matches come to East Rutherford.
You can SEE the entire SportsJam interview with Jeffrey Saunders below:
