CAF
Soccer Potpourri
Message from Peter
Sorry if some of these are a tad dated. Computer committed suicide and I’m just getting back up and running.
Did You Know?
After going unbeaten last season, Juventus ran its unbeaten streak to 49 before losing to Inter.
MLS
- WV Hooligan: MLS International Recap
- Noah Davis: Is MLS Making the Rest of CONCACAF Better at the Expense of the U.S. National Team?
- Reserve League: Houston Dynamo and LA win MLS Reserve League division titles
- Jonah Freedman: MLS, NASL closer to working partnership
- Expansion: Merritt Paulson Forecasts Increase in MLS Soccer Franchise Fees
- J Hutcherson: Canada’s WC exit is an MLS problem
- TheStar.com: Toronto FC’s hands tied by meddling MLS
- MLS Talk: Will MLS Benefit From NBC’s Premier League Deal?
- Devin Pleuler: Pythagorean Expectation tested in MLS
Interesting Reads
Soccer Potpourri
MLS
- Shin Guardian: A Treatise: The State of American Youth Soccer
- Simon Borg: MLS Managers Survey: The verdict on Copa Libertadores
- Ben Berger: Beginning an Objective Analysis of MLS Player Performance
- Earl Reed: Stats In MLS: Completed Passes and the Standings
- GiveMeFootball.com: MLS cash could lure top Premier League refs
Interesting Reads
- David Hills: Said and Done
- US Soccer Players: World League Association Announced
- Newcastle Utd Blog: Big Clubs Trying To Circumvent Financial Fair Play Rules
- Just-Football.com: How Financial Fair Play could reshape the Premier League (good for Arsenal & Spurs, bad for Manchester City..)
- EPL Talk: The Flaws in Modern Soccer
- Serie A Talk: Bari Scandal Could Cripple Serie A
- SoccerLens: Most efficient football clubs in England, Spain, Italy and Germany in 2011/2012
- SoccerLens: Most efficient Premier League clubs in the last three seasons (2009 to 2012)
The Business of Soccer
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Soccer Potpourri
Guests in town, so don’t expect any posts for the next 9 days.
MLS
- The Guardian: Tim Ream and the MLS to EPL journey
- Hot Time in Old Town: How the Fire’s New Sponsor Deal Compares to Other MLS Clubs
- Brian Lewis: Red Bulls explore residence academy
Interesting Reads
- David Conn: Uefa’s fair play rules will help clubs rein in spending
- J Hutcherson: UEFA And The Fairness Of Transfer Fees
- US Soccer Players: What American Soccer Fans Should Be Watching
- SI.com: Relegation is part of K-League overhaul
Tournaments
- African Cup of Nations
- FA Cup: FA Cup Update
- Olympics: US Women qualify for Olympics
Soccer Potpourri
MLS
- Jason Davis: The Evolving Role Of The MLS SuperDraft
- Tweed Thornton: A look at how each Eastern Conference team has done between 2008-2011 – Western Conference
- Steve Davis: At the 10-year anniversary of very dark MLS days
- Kyle McCarthy: Application of the Home Grown player rule keeps the overarching goal in mind
- TFC Blog: MLS can Learn from the CHL – a Case for Single Entity Player Development
- Las Vegas Review Journal: Five years later, Beckham’s U.S. impact up for debate
- Duane Rollins: A MLS mockery draft
- Dynamo Theory: Implications of the Richards Decision for Major League Soccer & Houston
- Brian Quarstad: Etienne Barbara Frustrated with Montreal Impact and MLS Rules
Interesting Reads
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Soccer Potpourri
MLS
- Ridge Mahoney: New MLS playoff format comes with risks worth taking
Interesting Reads
- Guardian: Why Dagestan’s FC Anzhi Makhachkala is seen as a cure for all ills
- Stuart James: David Beckham targets MLS Cup as his LA Galaxy adventure nears an end
- David Falk: The short life and slow death of the Spokane Spiders – An older post, but one well worth reading.
- Guardian: Has football lost its soul?
- Viva la Futbol: How the Free Beer Movement May Have Ruined My Marriage
Tournaments
- Asian Champions League: Al Sadd wins it’s first ACL, defeating Jeonbuk Motors
- African Cup of Nations: ACN draw
- Copa Sudamericana: Copa Sud quarterfinal update
The Business of Soccer
- SoccerLens: English Football Wages: 1984 to 2010
- Simon Jordon – former chairman of Crystal Palace: Carry on cherry-picking: field day for Premier League talent poachers
- Ian Winwood: Why some Football League clubs only have themselves to blame for dwindling attendances
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
- MLS_UK: Diary of an MLS Convert(East) – Diary of an MLS Convert(West) – Week 7 of Glenn Williams’ brilliant series.
Interesting Reads
- Soccermetrics: Howard Hamilton Updates his CONCACAF Club/League Coefficients in the Wake of Monterrey’s CCL Victory
- Independent: Crisis? What crisis? Debt-ridden Portugal profits from Europa League
Tourneys
- UEFA Champions League: Man U and Barca win 1st legs in semifinals
- Guardian: Has the UEFA Champions League Become Uncompetitive?
- Copa Libertadores: Copa Lib Update
- CONCACAF Champions League: Monterrey Wins at Rio Tinto
- Monterrey won the CCL in impressive fashion. They were undefeated in the tourney. They came into RSL’s stronghold, where the home team hadn’t lost in 37 matches covering all competitions, and walked away with a 1-0 victory to claim the title.
- CAF: AFC moves closer to final 16
- US Open Cup: New England eliminates DC United
- Nutralite Canadian Championship: Toronto, Vancouver Win Openers
Friday Oct 22
MLS
- CJ Brown retiring
- Jaime Moreno’s career in DC comes to a close
- Steve Davis’ 5 Things
- Attendance v NBA/NHL in shared cities
Just for argument’s sake, a 2011 conference proposal
| Columbus | Chicago | Chivas USA |
| DC United | Colorado | Los Angeles |
| New England | Dallas | Portland |
| NJ Red Bull | Houston | San Jose |
| Philadelphia | Kansas City | Seattle |
| Toronto | Salt Lake | Vancouver |
Conference winners and next best 5 teams in playoffs, seeded 1-8 based on points.
Schedule Plan A: Balanced, home and home vs all teams.
Schedule Plan B: 4 games vs Conference opponents, 1 each vs all others(alternating home games in alternate years). And yes, I do know that league has announced a 34 game schedule for 2011.
Interesting
- Liverpool: John Henry’s day, when he bought Liverpool A good read
Tournaments
- CONCACAF: Champions League Results – Knockout draw on Nov 30.
- Asian Champions League Finals Set
- Copa Sudamerica
- CAF: Orange CAF Champions League(Africa) – T.P. Mazembe vs E.S.T. in final
- UEFA: Champions League
- UEFA: Europa League
- Digicel Caribbean Cup
Club Tourneys redux
MLS
- Klein, Lewis, McBride, Petke retiring
- Steve Davis’ 5 Things
- Wondo hat trick secures Quakes win over Chivas USA
- Andrea Canales on MLS and the CCL
Interesting
- In Case You’ve Never Visited: Zonal Marking
- Best Headline: Liverpool traded to Red Sox
Club Tournaments
- CONCACAF: Champions League Results – Toluca, Olimpia secure final spots in Quarters.
- Asian Champions League Finals Set
- Copa Sudamerica
- CAF: Orange CAF Champions League(Africa) – T.P. Mazembe vs E.S.T. in final
- UEFA: Champions League
News and Views from Thursday Mar 11
Openers
- You may read how the DC United win at Santos Laguna is the first club victory for a US team in Mexico. When the feat is repeated in a game that means something, I’ll make a point of it, but for now, so what.
- Word is out that the MLS players have voted to strike if no labor agreement is reached by March 25, the scheduled opening day. More meetings with the Federal mediator have been set, so again, it’s wait and see. If you want to read every smidgeon or rumor, use Google or Bing.
MLS Preseason
- DC United beats Santos Laguna 3-2.
- TFC heads to Carolina Challenge Cup.
- LA defeats Puntarenas FC of Costa Rica.
- Houston/Chicago scrimmage relocated.
- RBNY/Miami FC scrimmage relocated.
- Timbers beat Sounders 1-0.
MLS
- ChivasUSA report.
Player Moves
- RBNY signs former TFC keeper Sutton.
- RBNY makes Carl Robinson move official.
- Eskandarian’s career likely over.
- ChivasUSA signs Costa Rican international defender Michael Umana.
Interesting Reads
- Last week I linked to Goal.com’s first post in a series called Where Would the USA be Without… when it addressed the Netherlands influence on football in the US. This week, it’s Argentina.
- FIFA says costs preclude goal-line technology.
The Business of Soccer
- In the 4th post in the series on fan ownership of football clubs: the Bundesliga model.
Club Tournaments
Around the World