5-1 is both a harsh scoreline, yet well-deserved in how Real Madrid collapsed in the final 10 minutes of the match. We were looking for a new superstar to appear, but instead, it was just Luis Suarez dominating. Read more »
Soccer Analysis
La Liga Match Abstract: Barcelona 5, Real Madrid 1
La Liga Title Dreaming: Can Pablo Machin Balance Sevilla Into Europe?
Say Machin gets Sevilla in and around the Champions League places for the next three seasons - what's the next step for him? And is this the best way to develop a top level manager on the forefront of European football tactics? Read more »
Gareth Southgate And England Reap The Rewards Of Player Development
Immediacy aside, England's draw against Croatia and win over Spain were grounded in the reality of youth player development, and not just from their teenagers. Read more »
Carlo Ancelotti Rediscovers His Serenity In Serie A
How differently Carlo Ancelotti has been perceived by two different sets of players and management highlights the unique culture at each club, and the importance of finding both players and managers who fit those unspoken rules. Read more »
Premier League Match Abstract: Liverpool 0, Manchester City 0
It's fascinating how despite the all the tactics, pressing and previews, it's disconnected, individual moments that change the entire narrative of a match. Read more »
Jose Mourinho And The Loyalty Of His Center Backs
In a classic Jose Mourinho paradox, he is both right in his analysis yet also shoulders the blame. Read more »
Premier League Match Abstract: Liverpool 1, Chelsea 1
Klopp revealed the joy of his locker room in stealing a point. Sarri, on the other hand, admits Chelsea are much closer to Liverpool and Manchester City than he imagined. Read more »
Possession, Pressing, Powerplays: Julen Lopetegui Puts The Past Behind
Strangely, in a roundabout way, Julen Lopetegui lost his chance to lead Spain on the world's biggest stage but he finds himself firmly in the national team picture. Read more »
Jurgen Klopp Refines Liverpool's Pressure For Four Competitions
Two matches spanning just four days crystalized the difference between this season and last for Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool side. Read more »
Luis Enrique's Spain: Like The Old Spain But Renewed
Possession or transition? Why not both? It is a modern style that gets goals and results, as last weekend can attest. Read more »
UEFA Nations League Match Abstract: Portugal 1, Italy 0
Italy have won just once in their last seven matches, highlighting a player development problem beyond changing managers. Read more »
Manuel Pellegrini Plays Catch Up To The Premier League After Two Years
The critics say that Manuel Pellegrini needs to "become brutal" to survive this season in England, both in his docile personality and in his side's physicality and activity out of possession. Read more »
La Liga Match Abstract: Real Betis 1, Sevilla 0
It may be an over-exaggeration to say that the result saved Quique Setien's job, but he badly, badly needed these points. Betis finished the match with 62% possession and nearly doubled Sevilla with 436 completed passes. Read more »
Monchi, Backheels & Retweets: Roma Push Further Into Modern Sports Age
Tweet after tweet, back heel after back heel, undervalued signing after undervalued signing, Roma push the boundaries of the modern sports fandom through a holistic approach. Read more »
Premier League Match Abstract: Spurs 3, United 0
Despite the 3-0 loss at home, surely there is a quality team within the United roster for Jose Mourinho to unlock. Read more »
La Liga Preview, Part II: Messi Carries Barcelona For Another Season
There may be no longing analysis of a side other than having the best player in the world, or no glowing recaps of a playing philosophy the way there was when Messi played with Xavi and Iniesta. But there will be trophies. Read more »
End-To-End Stuff: Christian Pulisic
Christian Pulisic's career is still firmly in its developmental phase, and he's a star only in terms of the attention he gets from folks who are eager for the USMNT to finally have a world-class player. Read more »
Premier League Match Abstract: Chelsea 3, Arsenal 2
As managers new to England quickly discover, Maurizio Sarri will need to figure out his defending off scrambles and second balls to prevent what he described as a "horrible" 15 minutes in which Arsenal evened the score in the first half. Read more »
La Liga Preview, Part 1: Atletico Madrid's Most Dangerous Team
This upcoming season doesn't feel like an iteration of Atleti, but an entirely new sequence. Atleti can still win matches 1-0, but they can also score four goals if necessary. Read more »
End-To-End Stuff: Gareth Bale
Gareth Bale exists in the two states: recovering from a calf injury and on the verge of a pulled hamstring. He's somehow been somehow invisible at the biggest club in the world, but that's changed with Ronaldo leaving for Italy. Read more »