FIFA
Soccer Potpourri
Quick Note
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Take Me Out to the Ballgame, my weekly MLS attendance report, will not post on Monday after Week 8 as I will be otherwise occupied. I will post it along with Week 9 sometime around April 29 or 30.
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MLS
- Through 7 games Sporting KC have yet to yield a 2nd half goal
- Through 5 games New England have yet to yield a 1st half goal
- Through 7 games Dallas has conceded 7 goals, all in the 2nd half and 6 in the final 15 minutes
- MLSSoccer: MLS introduces intra-league loan system for first time in league history
- Graham Parker: Can MLS escape the violent side of soccer’s globalization?
- Kyle McCarthy: Recent revelations about the top Mexican earners obscure the financial differences between Liga MX and MLS
- Dave Zeitlin: Is the Philadelphia Union’s Amobi Okugo the future of the US national team defense?
- medium.com: Perception versus reality in Major League Soccer – Thanks to Drew Epperly for pointing me to this.
- Earl Reed: Quantifying early 2013 MLS season ugliness
Interesting Reads
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Soccer Potpourri
MLS
- 3rd Degree: The Persistent Plague of MLS
- Scott French: LA Galaxy stunned by sudden departure of AEG CEO/president Tim Leiweke
- Matthew Doyle: Why we often miss the point when we talk formations
- Devin Pleuler: The true measure of passing efficiency has nothing to do with completion rate
Interesting Reads
- Bill Archer: Jack Warner, Daddy Dearest and the Sinking Ship
- SI.com: CONCACAF financial scandal could hurt U.S.
- US Soccer Players: Tell Me About: Belgium’s Playoff System
- SoccerLens: Manchester United’s depth in squad has outdone their rivals
- EPL Talk: Where the Trequartista Fits in With Premier League Sides
- SI.com: CONCACAF wants a bigger say at FIFA
- Soccer Training Info: Barcelona’s Playmaker Factory
- Ginge Talks the Footie: The story surrounding Malaga is fascinating, but no one is telling it
The Business of Soccer
- Owen Gibson: Premier League warned over ‘rich and poor’ split in wake of TV deal
- Owen Gibson: Football League is to lessen the advantage of parachute payments
- SI.com: FIFA makes $89 million profit on $1.16 billion income in 2012
Soccer Potpourri
MLS
- Will Parchman: A statistical look at MLS Week 1
- MLSSoccer.com: MLS announces partnership with French Football Federation
- Kyle McCarthy: Buying or selling? MLS seeks the best of both worlds
- SI.com: MLS fills spring training void left by MLB teams in Tucson
- Earl Reed: The Designated Player Rule: How Is It Working?
- Steve Goff: Major League Soccer’s second generation
- Matthew Doyle: Why we often miss the point when we talk formations
- Alex Labidou: Five observations from MLS Commissioner Don Garber’s press conference
- Tropics of Meta: An MLS Moment: What the Chivas USA Controversy Tells US About the State of US Soccer
Interesting Reads
Soccer Potpourri
MLS
- Kyle McCarthy: Squaring up to the difficulties of cutting ties with a Designated
- LA Galaxy: LA Galaxy create Academy Alliance – No favoritism towards the Galaxy here. MLS teams are finding their way in developing their organization’s development model. Here is LA’s vision.
- Shin Guardian: MLS 2013: A Technical Evaluation of Strength of Schedule
- Hot Time in Old Town: Goal Scoring From A Positional Perspective
- All Things Football: MLS Salary Analysis
Interesting Reads
- Simon Kuper: Why I’ve fallen out of love with football
- Doherty Soccer: Comparing USL-Pro and NASL Schedules from 2012 and 2013
- Soccer Newsday: New Directions for NASL, USL PRO & NPSL
- SoccerLens: The resurrection of a footballing genius: Ronaldinho
- All About Angles: FIFA Works ‘Just Like a Little Mafia’
- Will Parchman: American Soccer in 1985: The End of the Beginning – Part 1 of a 3 part series
- Sporting Intelligence: Barcelona No1 for producing players for clubs in Europe’s elite leagues
The Dark Side
- David Conn: Europol’s match-fixing bombshell leaves football authorities in the dark
- Grantland: Soccer’s New Match-Fixing Scandal
The Business of Soccer
- Owen Gibson: Premier League vote on controlling wage inflation on a knife-edge
- Guardian: Majority of Premier League clubs vote to introduce spending controls
- David Conn: New Premier League rules derived from self-interest, not fair play
Soccer Potpourri
MLS
- MLS Cup: Match Stats
- US Soccer Players: Fixing US soccer’s ‘donut hole’
- Jason Davis: Taking advantage of transfer season in MLS
- Jonah Freedman: Is MLS turning into the EPL? Not quite yet
The Dark Side
Interesting Reads
Soccer Potpourri
Starters
- Arizona: Can Soccer Heal Tucson’s Wounds?
- NASA: Soccer Balls in Space
MLS
- World Soccer Reader: 2012 MLS Team Previews
- WV Hooligan: 2012 MLS Roster Rule Changes
- US Soccer Players: Putting A Value On The Designated Player – A very interesting idea.
- Free Beer Movement: Soccer Marketing 101 – Turning Around the Chivas USA Brand
- Jason Davis: Major League Soccer’s Player Search
- Brian Quarstad: MLS Reserve League Possibility of Integration into America’s Lower Divisions; Continuing the Discussion
- US Soccer Players: Simplifying MLS
- Chicago Fire: Chicago Fire cuts ties with and sues youth soccer league
Interesting Reads
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Soccer Potpourri
Some older story links, as I’ve been out of circulation for about 10 days.
MLS
- Jason Davis: The Murky MLS Acquisition Rules
- Ridge Mahoney: Is salary space an issue for Galaxy? Who knows?
- Kyle McCarthy: Generation adidas players bring short-term benefits and long-term budget concerns
- Kyle McCarthy: Marked philosophical shift creates additional options for the SuperDraft class of 2009
- The Guardian: Is this a brave new dawn for Major League Soccer?
Interesting Reads
- Kenn Tomasch: A Brief History Of Promotion And Relegation In American Soccer
- goalWA.net: US Youth Soccer debuts Player Development Model
- David Hills: Said and Done(Feb 4)
- David Hills: Said and Done(Jan 28)
- J Hutcherson: FIFA’s Rules Of The Game
- J Hutcherson: Fox Tries Again
Soccer Potpourri
MLS
- Steve Davis: Offseason Notes
- Drew Epperly: More Offseason Notes
- Grant Wahl: Even More Offseason Notes
- Nick Green found this: MLS’ competition for big name players – China
- Grant Wahl: MLS team ambition rankings – Lots of talking points
- Tweed Thornton: Chris Paul(NBA) trade saga provides Major League Soccer insights
- J Hutcherson: The EPL As MLS
Interesting Reads
- A Football Report: How The SOPA Will Stifle Soccer In The United States
- Brian Quarstad: San Antonio, SAISD, SS&E and Alamo Stadium Back in the News
- Steve Goff: U.S. Soccer Federation budget revealed
- David Hills: Said and Done
- La Liga: Atlético’s dead coach walking is not all that is wrong with the club
- SI.com: Former Atalanta captain Doni, 16 others arrested
- Sam Wallace: Is the power of the Premier League in Europe waning?
- Frank Tigani: Is Italian Serie A Dying A Slow Death? Part II Baggio Prophecy
Tournaments
- FIFA Club World Cup: Magic Messi helps Barca conquer the world
- Copa Sudamericana: Universidad de Chile wins Copa
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