There is a unity between Jurgen Klopp’s philosophy of pressure and his ability to shape raw material, to turn the potential of Cody Gakpo into something tangible and match-winning at a Premier League and Champions League level. Read more »
Soccer Analysis
Jurgen Klopp Constructs A Second Liverpool Era With Cody Gakpo
Eden Hazard And The Real Madrid Transfer To Exit Cycle
The same drumbeat that carried Eden Hazard to Real Madrid will try, in a syncopated cadence, to push him out. It is the peculiar thing that Madrid does. Read more »
The World Is Made Of Both Heavy And Buoyant Things
El Gran Derbi is the best rivalry hardly anyone outside Spain cares about. Given that Sevilla and Real Betis have both been pretty good over the past half-decade or so, their matches are intense and well-played. Read more »
Gianni Infantino's Amateur Hour
Gianni Infantino has a greedy proposal to host more World Cups with shockingly cynical justifications for it. Read more »
Inter Milan On The Verge
Clubs like Inter Milan are always in a tenuous position in the tier right below the behemoths who will poach the players who contribute to whatever fleeting success befalls them. Read more »
Barcelona Is Asking A Lot Of Club Legend Turned Novice Manager
Coaching hires are a crapshoot and Xavi doesn't have much of a record to go on. But he's Xavi. So, sure, why wouldn't Barcelona give him a shot? Maybe he'll turn out like his old boss Pep, or like Simeone. Read more »
Kane, Mbappe And Their Gilded Cages
Kylian Mbappe is on the verge of joining Real Madrid, either now or next summer while Harry Kane must wait for Daniel Levy to decide his fate for him. Read more »
La Liga's Big Three Enter Season In Varying Degrees Of Chaos
Real Madrid have some healing to do, Barcelona are hard up for cash, and Atleti simply need to prep for the season. Read more »
Poets, Heavy Metal & Suffering: The Journey To Find A Different Way
There is always a search for a new way, new ideas to reconcile Platonic playing ideals with the pragmatism of an everyday budget. The compromise leads to a larger discussion of what football actually means. Read more »
Kylian Mbappe Enters His Redemption Arc
Going through a penalty miss trauma in front of the world is part of a soccer hero's journey. We always knew Kylian Mbappe was world class, but now he has a familiar narrative that invites us along with him. Read more »
The Euros As A More Generous Reading Of The Game And Its Players
Tournaments like the Euros function as an exploration of what the gifted but not quite great are capable of, when they're asked to do everything. Read more »
Spain Fill Sergio Ramos' Absence With Missed Penalties, Goals
As Spain struggled for goals and a definitive penalty taker through the group stages, Sergio Ramos was giving his final goodbye at Real Madrid as he was also left off the Euro roster. Read more »
Italy & Roberto Mancini Reap The Rewards Of Modern Serie A
Roberto Mancini reaping the benefits of Serie A's emphasis towards versatile, direct players adds another wrinkle to what a national team should represent. Read more »
Portrait Of A Manager Over 15 Years: Joachim Low's Final Tournament
Joachim Low's character arc, from World Cup winner to wanderer, is portrayed as a tragedy. There are even questions as to whether 2014 was a byproduct of a country-wide development program as widely venerated throughout the football world, or just a lucky Golden Age of players. Read more »
Luis Campos, Christophe Galtier, And Lille Paint Another Masterpiece
The constraints of the modern game make it almost impossible for midtable sides to build long-lasting dynasties. But Lille present a blueprint for what can happen when smart player recruitment and a manager ready to take the next step peak together for one season. Read more »
Pep Guardiola Vs. Thomas Tuchel: A UCL Final Years In The Making
Tactically, this Champions League Final represents a reunion of a mid-2010s philosophy, which is even more poignant now considering how far we are from that style. Read more »
La Liga Ain't What It Used To Be
As ever, Real Madrid and Barcelona will decide which direction this whole enterprise goes. And Atleti will have their days, knowing that they don't run the show but do occasionally get to star in it. Read more »
With Or Without Lionel Messi, Barcelona Embark On A New Era
All beginnings need to start somewhere. A new era of Barcelona was overdue whether it was structured by Laporta, forced by debt, and with or without Messi. Read more »
Roma Aim For Realism Under Jose Mourinho
Jose Mourinho's personality, the mind games and doublespeak, are now features. His understanding of the pushes, pulls, and politics may end up setting Roma free. Read more »
Inter & Antonio Conte's Modern, Rehearsed Football Unlock Serie A
There are openings for challengers to become the incumbent, however scarce. All you need is Antonio Conte to transform a vulnerable moment into its own dominant era. Read more »