Even through the on-field impact of the pandemic, going in direct contrast to contemporary styles, Pep Guardiola has always played at his own tempo. This season of contradictions presents Guardiola at his most and least expressive. Read more »
Soccer Analysis
Pep Guardiola Finds His Rhythm In A Pressing, Modern World
Halfway To 100 Points: Luis Suarez Pushes Diego Simeone Forward
We all got what we wanted. Analysts were proven right that Diego Simeone needed to update his style, while Simeone could argue that he's never been able to work with a striker like Luis Suarez. With Atleti topping the table, we'll agree to split the difference. Read more »
It's Getting Pretty Late For Sergio Ramos
The relationship, as productive and mutually gratifying as it's been, might be at an end. For now, Sergio Ramos will get himself healthy while not knowing exactly what he's getting healthy for. Read more »
Barcelona Balance Revenue And Debt For The Super League Era
Why wouldn't Barcelona’s board spend recklessly: is the club actually going to go out of business? European football needs Barcelona as much as Barcelona needs European football. Read more »
Frank Lampard Can Be A Normal Manager Again
What does the perfect Chelsea manager look like? Somewhere between Jose Mourinho's ability to message to the masses, with Carlo Ancelotti's laissez-faire approach, and Antonio Conte's clear structure? Yet even if Chelsea were to find perfection, it would only be for a couple seasons anyway. Read more »
Chelsea Hires A Real Manager With A Real Shot To Succeed
At the bleary and miserable end, there wasn't much left to recommend Frank Lampard, beyond the fact that he's one of the best players in club history. Read more »
Pressure Makes Goals: Liverpool's Structure Falls Apart
Giving up goals signals a poor defense, scoring goals means a dangerous attack. So what then, to make of Liverpool failing to score a goal in four consecutive matches for the first time since the 1999-00 season? Read more »
Where Does Thomas Tuchel Go From Here?
Thomas Tuchel admittedly knows what he wants now in the future: to go back to just managing on the field, to reconnect with the traits that made him such a compelling managerial figure in the first place. His time at PSG was a blip of fantasy, now it's time to go back to simplicity. Read more »
Iago Aspas: From Liverpool To Somewhere Among Messi And Benzema
Iago Aspas is of a region, as close to a folkloric player as we want in the social media age. He gives space to secrets, that a player could be one of the best in the league and still go unnoticed. Read more »
A 2020 Year In Review: How Pressing, And a Pandemic,Will Shape 2021
The emphasis on eschewing safety for pressing is why Hansi Flick's Bayern were the team that both dominated and defined 2020. Read more »
Ted Lasso: 2013's Soccer Avatar Crossing Into The Digital Age
An American manager taking over a large Premier League club seemed impossible in 2013. Again, just in over seven years, it seems only a matter of time. Read more »
Dortmund Returns To Emotional Football
Lucien Favre's legacy at Dortmund was of a stabilizing manager who attempted to play attractive football, developed young talent, and almost won. Read more »
Lionel Messi, Advertising & The Weight Of Jersey Numbers
When Messi and Tevez paid tribute with their jerseys, it was to bring Maradona to the present. But it was also Tevez and Messi, along with us, reaching back to the simplicity of the past. Read more »
Roberto De Zerbi Builds The Answer To Pressing
Playing with a signature, possession-based style, against any opponent, is the victory for Roberto De Zerbi in itself. How that translates onto the table is for the rest of us. Read more »
Diego Maradona, Who Gave Us Meaning
There was always a distance, an invisible glass, that could never be breached with Maradona. We were below, and he stood above as we never intersected on the same plane. Read more »
Building The USMNT In A Global Footballing World
Through a combination of happenstance and planning, the USMNT looked outward, and the results are beginning to match the expectations we'd built up this entire time. Read more »
From Red Bull To Red Zones: Ralph Hasenhuttl's Own Pressing Brand
Ralph Hasenhuttl has said he prefers his side to fly under the radar, adding that it’s more fun to be a pirate "than to join the navy." While the outsider status suits him, big clubs are seeking him out and they would have to conform to him. Read more »
The Meaning Of Zlatan Ibrahimovic In 2020
Even during a pandemic, even on his last legs, Zlatan Ibrahimovic is playing how he's always played, embodying the character he's always been, making us feel close but keeping a distance, as he's always done. Read more »
Mikel Arteta, Jose Mourinho And The Missing No. 10s
But where, if anywhere, are 10s thriving? Even articles about the demise of the No. 10 are decreasing as we move on to analyzing structure. Read more »
The Value Of Building American Soccer Pipeline Into Europe
Our discussions over the existential future of American soccer revolved around player development, though less exciting, non-viral topics like infrastructure and pathways were equally as essential for sustainability. Read more »