Coming off a comprehensive thrashing where FC Dallas dominated to San Jose (5-nil this past weekend) Dallas has thrown down the gauntlet that the woeful run last year, and missing the playoffs, is not a likely scenario this year. And some might offer that San Jose aren't exactly 'top flight' this year - I disagree... Continue Reading →
New York – New York, Defense gone pear shaped?
It's half-way into the season and clearly the Red Bulls are not the team they were last year. First and foremost, what sticks out to me, is their overall performance in team defense; like Portland their overall Goal Differential (0) pretty much tells the story that their attack is doing fine but their defense is... Continue Reading →
MLS Soccer – PWP through Week 14 – A deep dive on Dom’s Houston Dynamo…
It's hard for me to fathom a team wearing orange kits not doing good - just seems wrong to me. And after making the Playoffs last year it seemed reasonable they'd be knocking at the door again this year. Not true - at least not yet - so this week is a Study in Orange, to... Continue Reading →
MLS Soccer – Fouls in the Defending Third Part II (Ratios to Penetration)
I hadn't considered a Part II (here's Part I) to this evaluation until receiving a some great questions from one of my readers, Oliver Page. His two-part question, yesterday, centered on this "Is there some data on passes conceded in final 3rd compared to fouls. For example I would imagine that Chivas concede many final... Continue Reading →