World Cup
Soccer Potpourri
MLS
- Black and Red United: Is MLS’s Unbalanced Schedule also Competitively Unequal? “Third Games”
- Brian Strauss: Reborn to run: Sporting Kansas City finds glory with innovative approach
- US Soccer Players: Questions: Rosters, Limits, and Markets
The Business of Soccer
- ESPN FC: Clubs demand more World Cup cash
- Liga MX: Slim buys stake in Mexican soccer
- 200 Percent: Financial Fair Play, Salary Caps & The Polarisation Of Footballs Financial Model
- Guardian: UEFA withholds prize money from 23 clubs in first fair play sanctions
- SoccerBlog.com: Salary cap restrictions on the table for the Premiership
- ESPN FC: Footballers not exempt from 75% tax
- La Liga: Valencia’s Academy Generates €159 million In Transfer Fees
Soccer Potpourri
MLS
- MLSSoccer.com: 49 MLS Players Called Up For FIFA International Dates
- Wired: Soccer Embraces Big Data to Quantify the Beautiful Game
Interesting Reads
- Inside Minnesota Soccer: NASL Changes to Split Season Format in 2013, Traditional Playoff System Eliminated
- Who Ate All the Pies: MARCA Compile List Of Top 10 Highest Paid Players In The World
- A Football Report: Russia’s millions will be beneficial for Portugal, but meaningless for Hulk or Witsel
- Off the Post: Vieri has been awarded €1 million in damages after the club allegedly spied on him
- Who Ate All the Pies: Scottish Sun Pull Book Serialisation After Rangers’ Fans Kick Up A Stink
The Business of Soccer
- Independent: Premier League clubs to discuss spending limits
- David Conn: Portsmouth’s fans reach out for landmark solution to club’s collapse
The Dark Side
- Yahoo Sports: Kevin Pezzoni quits Cologne after fans threaten beating outside his home
- BBC: Egypt football fans attack association for resuming league
Soccer Potpourri
MLS
- Kyle McCarthy: Shalrie Joseph’s new deal reflects the continued evolution of the Designated Player model
- Steve Davis: Re-calibrating the DP rules in Major League Soccer
Interesting Reads
- Bill Archer: Goodbye New York: CONCACAF Heading South
- FIFA: Transparency International cuts ties with FIFA
- FMF: Mexican Playoffs: Too Hot to Handle?
- David Hills: Said and Done
- Americanize Soccer: Orlando City Causing Shakeup in US Soccer’s Minor Leagues
Around the World
- Brasil: Corinthians win title on emotional day
- Argentina: Boca Juniors claim Apertura title
- Japan: Kashiwa wins J-League title
- Central America: A roundup of Central American playoff action
The Business of Soccer
- Graham Ruthven: Beckham, Branding and a Player’s True Value
- Alex Miller: Average Premier League player picks up £1.1m a year
Tournaments
Soccer Potpourri
A little post with a few links as I head off to LA and the MLS Cup Final.
Stuff with too many posts to pick one. Google and get overwhelmed.
- Sepp Blatter says there is no racism in soccer
- Soooo many MLS Cup final previews
MLS
- Shin Guardian: A Review of MLS playoffs.
- Kyle McCarthy: The 4-4-2 formation and its variations remain the preferred tactical choice in MLS
- Pedro Gomes: Making MLS a ‘Hotbed’ for Young International Experience
- Climbing the Ladder: The role of US players in MLS
- NY Daily News: Red Bulls GM oversaw a tumultuous season
Interesting Reads
- The Best Eleven: FIFA Confederation Ranking Comparison – October 2011
- David Hills: Said and Done
- twohundredpercent: Words of Worthlessness: Football’s Perpetual White Noise
- twohundredpercent: If They’re Going To Cover Non-League Football, The Media Has To Get It Right
Tournaments
- WC14: 2014 World Cup Qualifying Updates
- CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying: CONCACAF 2014 World Cup Qualifying
Soccer Potpourri
MLS
- Steve Davis: Tactics: As postseason looms, goals dry up
- Tactics in Seattle: Using Forward Rotations To Achieve Tactical Dominance
- Shin Guardian: More Possession, More Winning?
- Ginge Talks the Footy: MLS Playoff Schedule Has Train Wreck Potential – Don’t particularly care for the title, but Zach makes some excellent points here.
- WV Hooligan: 2011 Re-Entry Process Dates and Procedures – Drew does his usual fine work untangling MLS’ player drafts.
Interesting Reads
- Grant Wahl: World Cup rights bidding to have major implications for U.S. soccer
- David Conn: More by David on Liverpool and John Henry – My post from last week with the earlier Liverpool/Red Sox stories
- Attendance: Euro 2012 qualification attendances
- Rules of the Game: Passive offside adds a shade of gray
- David Hills: Said and Done
- Sid Lowe: Levante are back and this time they’re ready to take on the world
- Jonathan Freedland: In the Premier League the endgame of rampant capitalism is being played out
Tourneys
- CONCACAF Champions League: LA, Seattle and Toronto thru to Quarters
- UEFA CL: UEFA Champs League update
- Europa League: Europa League update
- AFC CL: Asian Champs League update
- CAF CL: African Champs League update
- Copa Sudamericana: Arsenal in last eight
Soccer Potpourri
MLS
- As you probably know by now, the LA Galaxy have repeated as Supporters’ Shield winners. Any doubt they are the best team in the league? Shouldn’t be.
- Well, seems like the West won’t get seven teams into the MLS Cup playoffs. Ran out of fingers and toes counting all the folks that seemed sure the season would play out like that.
- Philly sure shocked me with their win in Seattle. They have been my adopted team since their inception. I’m headed to MLS Cup next month, maybe I’ll get a chance to see them.
- Grant Wahl: MLS’ regular season and playoff schedule structure needs fixing
– I linked to the first part when it originally was posted in September, here are both parts.
Tourneys
- WC14: World Cup Qualifying
- Euro12: Euro 2012 Qualifying
- African Nations Cup 2012: Touré brothers score in Africa Cup of Nations final qualifier
Interesting Reads
- David Hills: Said and Done
- Brian Phillips: Ronaldo vs. Messi
- Elliott Turner: Hispanic identity and US Soccer (Part 1) – Part 2
The Business of Soccer
- Daily Mail: ‘Moneyball’ concept can inspire Premier League success, insists pioneer Beane
- David Conn: Tearing up the pooled TV deal is a recipe for the rich to get richer
- Owen Gibson: What Premier League big clubs must do to increase TV money
- Martin Lipton: Prem officially world’s most viewed league with TV audience of 4.7 BILLION
Soccer Potpourri
MLS
- MLS soccer to train at Kino Stadium in Tucson
- Academy: Evaluations of the MLS Academies
- J Hutcherson: The Brooklyn Nets, San Jose Earthquakes, And Building Stadiums
Interesting Reads
- WC14-CONCACAF: David Beckham, MLS and the North Atlantic sporting chasm
- Shin Guardian: It’s Departure Time Again For MLS Scheduling
- David Hills: Said and Done
- Euro Club Attendance: Average Attendances Across Europe
Tourneys
- CONCACAF CL: Seattle and Santos book spots in quarterfinals
- Copa Sudamericana: Copa Sud Update
- UEFA CL: UEFA Champs League update
- Europa League: Europa League update/strong>
- WC18-Asia: Myanmar thrown out of 2018 WC qualifying
The Business of Soccer
- Guardian: Premier League TV deal relies on clubs’ exploits in Champions League
- Howard Hamilton: Entrepreneurship and Soccer Analytics
Soccer Potpourri
MLS
- The next Take Me Out to the Ballgame post will include MLS matches from Sep 3-10.
Interesting Reads
- Independent: Euro Clubs demand fewer international dates
- David Hills: Said and Done
- Greg Seltzer: American Exports: Top five transfer-deadline questions
- Stats: Passing Analysis (And Introducing Radial Graphs)
Around the World
- Spain: Real Madrid and Barcelona’s Dominance: A Financial Look Into La Liga
- Italy: Temporary contract ends Serie A strike
- Jakarta Casual: Cambodian Champions
- North America: Orlando City Takes Inaugural USL PRO Championship
- Europe: Trying to Make Sense of Financial Fair Play
Tourneys
- WC14-Asia: Iraq and North Korea win in WC qualifying
- WC14-CONCACAF: T&T and Guatemala win in WC qualifying
- EURO ’12: Spain and Italy qualify
- Copa Sudamericana: Argentina’s Arsenal progress
Tourneys, Strikes, DP’s, Tevez and more
MLS
- Sounder at Heart: Rule Change and New DP Strategies
- Sounder at Heart: DP Strategies in the Western Conference
- Kyle McCarthy: On RBNY’s woes and other MLS items. – A good read.
- Steve Davis: Talking Tactics: True holding midfielder re-emerges in MLS. – A good read.
Interesting Reads
- Fascinating Read: Carlos Tevez: The billionaires’ fight over his ownership revealed
- David Hills: Said and Done
- Strategy: The Catenaccio Myth
The Business of Soccer
Tourneys
- CONCACAF Champions League: CCL Group Day 2 Update
- UEFA Champions League: UCL Preliminaries Leg 2 Update
- UEFA Champions League: Fenerbahce out of Champions League after Uefa steps in
- Copa Sudamericana: Botafogo through to round of 16
- Football Marketing: FA Cup Prize Money For Clubs
Around the World
- NASL: Is the $750,000 NASL Start-up Franchise Fee Priced Right?
- Guardian: The barra bravas: the violent Argentinian gangs controlling football
- Mexico: Mexican soccer match suspended due to gunfire
- Spain: In a game of two halves Spain’s haves and have-nots need to stand together
- Uzbekistan: Bunyodkor as good as seal fourth straight title
- Italy: Italian players stand firm with strike threat
- Spain: Still no deal to end Spanish league strike
- Spain: La Liga’s future at a crossroads
World Cups, League Strikes, etc
MLS
- J Hutcherson: Playing In The CCL – A Good Read
When 140 Characters Doesn’t Quite Cut It
- @TheVipersNest: Gonna say this and probably get people violently disagreeing with me, but if @TheNYCosmos want to join #MLS a groundshare at RBA makes sense
It only makes sense for the owners’ pocketbooks. Queens is the place for the team from the start. I say that as something that grew up in the area and despite the enormous obstacles in getting any project started in the Metro area, the Cosmos, should they actually ever field a team, should set their stake as close as possible to their permanent home, and Harrison is not that.
Around the World
- La Liga: Spanish season delayed after players, officials fail to strike deal
- Serie A: Serie A Postpones Talks to Avoid Players Strike
Tourneys
- No Short Corners: Portugal v Brasil in U20 World Cup Final
- WC14-CONCACAF: Bahamas withdraws from 2014 World Cup qualifying!
- WC14: Syria Disqualified From 2014 World Cup
- Copa Sudaméricana: LDU advances