We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Saahil and Raahi Sheth. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Saahil and Raahi below.

Saahil and Raahi, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

We decided to start this podcast after it dawned on us that soccer, or football as it is known globally, was such a formative part of our childhood and how we learned about the world. Since the ’94 World Cup which, was here in the US, we have been more than a little obsessed with the sport: both playing and following. Being first generation kids, the World Cup and major international tournaments such as the European Championships have felt like religious occasions; for our family the rest of the world stops during these times. For both of us and for our sister, a writer and actor who has been a correspondent on our podcast a few times, soccer forms such a firm fabric of who we are as people. It was the lens by which we were able to learn about the world and look beyond an American centric view. The countries, the players, the celebration dances helped us experience the broader world and stoked a curiosity in the voices and the places we didn’t often hear about. And it reminded us to value the culture our parents carried with them as much as the one we lived in. In a sense soccer has made us part of a global community and this podcast is our way of connecting with those who share our love for the sport and, perhaps more importantly, our curiosity and appreciation for the diversity of cultures that define it.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

– We have always had the creative gene in our family even if we’ve sometimes tried to suppress it. Growing up, we’ve always been fond of speaking, whether in school plays or public events. Saahil was a television host in college at Columbia covering the university’s men’s and women’s soccer and basketball games, and the men’s football games for the campus television network. Raahi, who also attended Columbia, was a radio host for the campus station also covering sports. Our sister is a writer, actress, and director who has been developing a variety of creative projects for years. Inspired by our sister’s creative confidence, it was the recent World Cup that was the catalyst for realizing that we owed it to ourselves to create something that captured the uniqueness of our experience while speaking to the communities that share our passion.

– The podcast, “International Soccer Break” is designed to give fans from around the world our perspective on soccer, or as they call it “football”. It’s interesting because we initially had a lot of comments about us calling it “soccer” so we’ve kept it as a tongue in cheek homage to the fact that we’re American. The purpose of the podcast and the brand is to discuss major topics in world soccer but done from an American lens; a lens that’s rooted in an upbringing as first generation Americans and a cultural connection to a variety of countries across the world. Our parents are from India, our other member of the podcast Roy’s family is from Argentina and Peru, and we’ve all lived abroad and traveled extensively. Whenever we have guests, we try to provide a platform for those that share the experience of having a different cultural background. Saahil worked in soccer for about a decade for a sports television company, working with all the major leagues including Major League Soccer and the Premier League as well as major soccer associations such as US Soccer, UEFA and FIFA. Raahi coached at the youth level for many years as well. And our other team member, Roy, both worked in soccer, continues to coach and played collegiately.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

-The particular goal of the podcast is to bring a different perspective on soccer. We wanted to cover the global game from an American lens, but a lens that is rooted in a multicultural experience. We traveled quite a bit when we were young, often to watch international tournaments abroad [such as the European Championships in Switzerland in ’08 and the recent World Cup in Qatar last year] so that has formed our opinion of the beautiful game. We are first and foremost of course fans of the US National Team (women’s and men’s!) but we are also fans of a variety of national teams around the world based on the random affinities we’ve developed over the years. Raahi’s first love was the Nigerian national team and the both of us have always loved Croatia! One of the most fascinating things about international soccer is the coming together of nations and the cultural expression on display; these tournaments feel like a time to share the joys with your fellow citizens, neighbors, and fans. You just can’t beat the drama!

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

-The most rewarding aspect of being a creative is being able to provide others with a sense of being heard whether actually or implicitly. In our show we have guests, so far those have been limited to people in our expanded circles or who have been suggested, but we hope to expand that to others out there as well. Particularly those with a diverse perspective and a quirky love for some aspect of this sport. In addition, it can be empowering for fans of the game to hear someone analyzing a game the same way they did or expressing the very opinion they have. In addition we want to be educational in some capacity as well. Soccer is not the most popular game in the US as it is in the rest of the world, so we want to share our knowledge and perspectives in the hope that they may develop a similar affinity. We love to host viewing parties during major tournaments to bring people together and give them a taste of the joy and emotion that this game can evoke. And this podcast is our way of bringing even more people along for the ride!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/internationalsoccerbreak
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/intlsoccerbreak
• Youtube: YouTube.com/@internationalsoccerbreak
• Other: TikTok.com/@internationalsoccerbreak