Professional Soccer Team Analytics
You have to be an analytical expert to recognize that Expected Goals has ABSOLUTELY NO CORRELATION to earning points, either by draw or through winning. Statistically, Expected Goals correlation to earning points is: .3012 - translated for the common person that means the correlation is ZERO. On the other hand - pure possession with purpose... Continue Reading →
Good initial summary by Gregg Berhalter after the match. In my words it'd be: "US Men's National Team NEVER controlled the game. This has been the issue, (MY ISSUE) with the US Men's National Team FOREVER. You simply can't win games at the very highest level WITHOUT CONTROLLING the game, either WITH or WITHOUT the... Continue Reading →
If there was ever a time for US Soccer to step up and identify themselves as an International Giant, it's in the next year or so by landing Pep Guardiola as their new Head Coach. There is strength in Pep saying yes to this challenge too... At NO TIME has the US Men's National Team... Continue Reading →
Look, expected goals is a predictive model that predicts goals based upon previous goals scored. NO predictive model uses the outcome generated to predict the outcome expected - a predictive model MUST use the underlying statistics generated prior to the outcome. So when you see articles written by uneducated pundits (like those working for MLS... Continue Reading →
Portland Timbers 2, Seattle Sounders 6 At no point as an analyst or writer covering the Portland Timbers have I EVER seen such a complete dismantling of a team. Regardless of the two goals scored by Portland, they were organizationally, strategically, and tactically hammered... Organizationally - Portland is a direct team - note that specific... Continue Reading →
Probably the biggest leader in soccer analytics (Prozone Sports) have released two products in the last year, or so, that should begin to change the landscape of soccer statistics. I applaud their actions but I'm still not convinced they scratch the right itch, or at least my question; what are the best statistics available to better... Continue Reading →
It's been some time since I put pen to paper talking Timbers; I want to offer my thanks to the guys on the Outer Roses Podcast for re-energizing my passion in watching and offering thoughts about Portland. I said this back in 2012 and it's worth repeating, the single greatest soccer stadium for atmosphere, in... Continue Reading →
Each year for the last two years I've offered some thoughts on current soccer statistics, their strengths and weaknesses, how current efforts are taking shape, and how English Premier League team statistics (in a limited measurement period) offer that one size / type of statistic doesn't show equally. Here's a link to those previous articles in case you missed... Continue Reading →
Soccer is a global sport - and some say it's the largest, organized, youth sport in the United States. Why, in a country with such a huge population of youth soccer players, do we see ourselves failing to qualify for the World Cup? I don't think it's because we aren't teaching players the mechanics of technical... Continue Reading →
There has to be a change in the Head Coach for US Soccer; and up front not just Jurgen Klinsmann but Sunil Gulati!. In my 20 odd years of watching soccer, four year of analyzing professional soccer and seven years of coaching youth soccer I don't think I've ever seen a team so uncoordinated in... Continue Reading →
