Stats
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
Read the rest of this entry »
Soccer Potpourri
Starters
- It appears we are headed to a repeat of Monterrey v Santos Laguna in the finals of the 2012-13 CONCACAF Champions League after both Mexican clubs won on the road at MLS representatives Los Angeles and Seattle. Monterrey is seeking to cement its place as a regional power as it vies for its 3rd consecutive CCL title.
As for MLS, it seems the league still has a way to go before it can compete(and win) consistently vs top LigaMX clubs.
MLS
- L.E. Eisenmenger: DC United leads MLS in community soccer development
- Howard Hamilton: Which path to success in MLS?
- J Hutcherson: What Seattle Lost
Interesting Reads
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
Recent stories I don’t link to because I’d only be adding churn to a widely covered topic
- Robbie Rogers declares his sexuality and leaves futbol
- Anything about Landon Donovan
MLS
- FC Dallas: The FC Dallas Way: Affiliate Program – Last week I linked to a story of LA’s youth program. Here’s a look at the very successful program in Dallas.
- Dave Laidig: Money & Performance in MLS – Part 1 – Part 2 – Part 3
- WV Hooligan: Get your 2013 MLS team previews here.
- Matthew Doyle: Opta Chalkboards a new MLS feature
- Central Winger: More to possession stats than meets eye
- Kitsap Sun: Tucson turning into MLS’s Cactus League site
- L.E. Eisenmenger: MLS and diversity in media
- WV Hooligan: The Mess Of Discovery Claims
Interesting Reads(or Views)
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Soccer Potpourri
MLS
- WV Hooligan: MLS and USL-PRO Talking Partnership – I love this move. It’s something I’ve commented on in the past. Make so much sense, which makes it almost surprising that MLS is going for it, given their penchant for questionable past developmental decision.
- Stumptown Footy: The MLS SuperDraft: Why It Means Less Each Year
- Andrew Wiebe: Opta Spotlight: Statistical look at RSL’s 2012 season
Interesting Reads
- Guardian: Uefa hits Málaga with one-season European ban for missing payments
- Zac Lee Rigg: A survival guide to retirement
- Spiegel Online: Violence Against Referees Spikes in Germany
- Guardian: FC Union Berlin: a remarkable club with their very own Christmas tradition
- SI.com: Zenit fans demand all-white, non-gay team
- NY Times: In Wake of Deadly Riot, Egyptian Team Plays On
Gotta See It to Believe It
The Business of Soccer
Soccer Potpourri
MLS
- WV Hooligan: Making Sense of the Generation Adidas Program
- Brent Latham: The Chivas model doesn’t work in the United States
- Dan Loney: After Everyone’s Gone – MLS 1.0 is within measurable reach of its end
- The Lowry Lowdown: Insight on Trades as a Professional Footballer
The Business of Soccer
- Owen Gibson: Premier League TV deal in danger of perpetuating ‘a culture of greed’
- James Riach: Premier League clubs discuss plans to curb spending on player wages
- ESPN FC: Arsenal sign £150m deal with Emirates
Interesting Reads
- Michael Lewis: This writer did not want to cover soccer in the first place
- Dave Laidig: NASL: Recent History & Near Future
- Jonathan Wilson: Why are more goals being scored?
- Spirit of Mirko: CAF Club Coefficients
- SoccerLens: The Rise of the Hybrid Formation
- Bill Archer: Just Say No to Serbia
- Barney Ronay: NextGen is that rarest of things in football – a genuinely good idea
MLS End of Year Bits with Numbers
CCL Impact on MLS Performance
| CCL Impact on MLS Performance – ’12-13 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Group Begins | After Group Play | ||||
| GP | PPG | GP | PPG | +/- | |
| Los Angeles | 23 | 1.43 | 34 | 1.59 | 10.70% |
| Seattle | 21 | 1.62 | 34 | 1.65 | 1.73% |
| Houston | 22 | 1.68 | 34 | 1.56 | -7.31% |
| Real Salt Lake | 23 | 1.83 | 34 | 1.68 | -8.19% |
| Toronto FC | 21 | 0.90 | 34 | 0.68 | -25.23% |
Day by Day Breakdown
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
MLS Performance Bits
As MLS resumes action after the international break, here are some random stats. As usual, if you find any errors please let me know in the comment section. Enjoy.
The Player Performance bits are for those with at least 700 minutes played
You can generate your own Top 20 in Points, Goals, or Assists per 90 minutes for any season in league history on the MLS Player Statistics page of this site.
Team Bits – Scoring First and more
MLS teams’ point differential from 2011 after 303 games
Note: The 2011 season had 306 games
| Points Difference 2012 v 2011 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 2011 | Pts | |||
| Pts | PPG | Pts | PPG | Diff | |
| San Jose | 64 | 2.00 | 35 | 1.06 | 29 |
| Kansas City | 59 | 1.84 | 51 | 1.50 | 8 |
| Chicago | 56 | 1.75 | 43 | 1.26 | 13 |
| Real Salt Lake | 55 | 1.72 | 53 | 1.56 | 2 |
| DC United | 54 | 1.69 | 39 | 1.15 | 15 |
| NY Red Bull | 53 | 1.66 | 46 | 1.35 | 7 |
| Seattle | 52 | 1.68 | 60 | 1.82 | -8 |
| Los Angeles | 50 | 1.56 | 67 | 2.03 | -17 |
| Houston | 50 | 1.56 | 46 | 1.39 | 4 |
| Columbus | 49 | 1.53 | 47 | 1.38 | 2 |
| Vancouver | 42 | 1.31 | 28 | 0.82 | 14 |
| Dallas | 38 | 1.19 | 52 | 1.58 | -14 |
| Philadelphia | 36 | 1.16 | 48 | 1.41 | -12 |
| Colorado | 31 | 0.97 | 49 | 1.44 | -18 |
| Portland | 30 | 0.94 | 42 | 1.24 | -12 |
| New England | 29 | 0.91 | 28 | 0.82 | 1 |
| Chivas USA | 29 | 0.91 | 36 | 1.09 | -7 |
| Toronto FC | 22 | 0.69 | 33 | 0.97 | -11 |
How the CONCACAF Champions League has effected MLS teams
| CCL Impact on MLS Performance – ’12-13 | |||||
| Group Begins | After Group Play | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | PPG | GP | PPG | +/- | |
| Los Angeles | 23 | 1.43 | 32 | 1.56 | 8.90% |
| Real Salt Lake | 23 | 1.83 | 32 | 1.72 | -5.88% |
| Seattle | 21 | 1.62 | 31 | 1.68 | 3.61% |
| Houston | 22 | 1.68 | 32 | 1.56 | -7.09% |
| Toronto FC | 21 | 0.90 | 32 | 0.69 | -24.01% |
Wondo’s season is good enough for 10th all time in goals per 90 minutes, Alan Gordon is on track for 7th best all time.
| All Time Top 20 Goals/90(700 Minutes Minimum) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | Player | Mins | G | A | Pts | Pts/90 | Year |
| CLB | Stern John | 2170 | 26 | 5 | 57 | 1.078 | 1998 |
| COL | Wolde Harris | 1133 | 13 | 4 | 30 | 1.033 | 1998 |
| TB | Mamadou Diallo | 2405 | 26 | 4 | 56 | 0.973 | 2000 |
| TOR | Danny Koevermans | 756 | 8 | 1 | 17 | 0.952 | 2011 |
| TB | Roy Lassiter | 2580 | 27 | 4 | 58 | 0.942 | 1996 |
| LA | Carlos Ruiz | 2376 | 24 | 1 | 49 | 0.909 | 2002 |
| SJ | Alan Gordon | 1297 | 13 | 8 | 34 | 0.902 | 2012 |
| DC | Raul Diaz Arce | 2351 | 23 | 2 | 48 | 0.880 | 1996 |
| NE | Taylor Twellman | 2418 | 23 | 6 | 52 | 0.856 | 2002 |
| SJ | Chris Wondolowski | 2633 | 25 | 8 | 58 | 0.855 | 2012 |
| LA | Landon Donovan | 2136 | 20 | 9 | 49 | 0.843 | 2008 |
| DC | Jaime Moreno | 1725 | 16 | 8 | 40 | 0.835 | 1997 |
| MIA | Alex Pineda Chacon | 2055 | 19 | 9 | 47 | 0.832 | 2001 |
| CHI | Hristo Stoitchkov | 987 | 9 | 7 | 25 | 0.821 | 2000 |
| LA | Eduardo Hurtado | 2323 | 21 | 7 | 49 | 0.814 | 1996 |
| NY | Juan Pablo Angel | 2125 | 19 | 5 | 43 | 0.805 | 2007 |
| LA | Cobi Jones | 2136 | 19 | 13 | 51 | 0.801 | 1998 |
| NE | Joe-Max Moore | 1238 | 11 | 1 | 23 | 0.800 | 1996 |
| KC | Miklos Molnar | 1353 | 12 | 1 | 25 | 0.798 | 2000 |
| DAL | Jeff Cunningham | 1,918 | 17 | 8 | 42 | 0.798 | 2009 |