Soccer Analysis

Though Arsene Wenger only left Arsenal in 2018, this feels like a completely different footballing world, even if he played an essential role in shaping it. Read more »

In lieu of nine figure superstars, Edinson Cavani's free transfer could end up being the best value in the window for a club that doesn't need to do value. Even when the process is incomplete, you can still arrive at the correct answer. Read more »

Diego Simeone is a smart guy, but intensely stubborn, and he hasn't considered the inverse of his formulation: players dictate styles, but styles also dictate players. Read more »

With Ronaldo as Nike's lifetime top earner, and Sancho and Mbappe its future, what was Neymar's role in the hierarchy? You either are the legacy act or the future. Now he gets more money and a bigger role with Puma. Read more »

Pep Guardiola is an excellent coach, but he can't make a credible argument that his successes are not bought as much as they are earned. Read more »

What becomes of an identity if it is no longer true? We could find out this season as the state of La Liga's two superpowers has opened up a space for a host of other clubs. Read more »

We've concluded that this past season and this current season should be analyzed as two parts of one continuous timeline with the richest clubs having even a bigger advantage than in a typical season. Read more »

Lionel Messi is staying, but the storylines, rumors and narratives aren't over. We'll go through the cycle again next summer as Messi's contract expires. Between now and then, we'll examine everything. Read more »

Their 3-4-3 attacking style defied narratives of Serie A's defensive reputation. They’ve built further upon that excitement this season, straddling the gap between the mainstream and keeping their indie spark. Read more »

Even with the trophies and virality, are we right to believe that Thiago is still underrated? He's akin to a critically acclaimed indie movie or classic novel: we've heard of him, we've heard critics talk glowing about him, but have we really understood? Read more »

Lionel Messi is both demanding and passive-aggressive in the way that star athletes often are, and he's right to be upset about how Barcelona have wasted his unparalleled talents with squads that haven't worked or even made much sense. Read more »

Several European clubs-turned-global brands who made the Champions League their obsession fall short every season. So why are we so fixated on Pep Guardiola, who at least won two titles with Barcelona last decade? Read more »

More than a top-down branding exercise of the original MLS is Back Tournament name, the tournament found itself organically, through late-night matches, stoppage time goals, and young U.S. internationals showcasing themselves in front of a nationwide audience on television and social media. Read more »

In analyzing the what-ifs in not challenging Juventus for Serie A, as Simone Inzaghi states, you can never be truly disappointed if you didn't believe something was possible in the first place. Read more »

The regret for Leicester City must be in knowing how close they came to cracking the top four, and considering the economics of this summer, how far away a Champions League place now seems. Read more »

In studying the signature ways in which world class players create goals out of nothing, Karim Benzema is a combination of unhurried touches and balletic elegance. Read more »

It's unclear what this particular title is going to mean. It is certainly something, upon which we will probably never totally agree. Read more »

Wouldn't we rather blame important losses on referee bias? Which side a supporter empathizes with becomes a footballing Rorschach test of how the world works, whether the smaller club always falling short, or the champion pulling every string to victory. Read more »

In uncovering and refining Marcos Llorente's match-winning ability in the final third seemingly out of thin air, Diego Simeone attempted to remind critics that he too had an eye for attacking talent despite his defensive reputation. Read more »

The 32-year-old's first season with Leipzig was what we envisioned from a precocious, innovative manager when backed by a precocious, innovative footballing empire. Read more »