Soccer Analysis

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 »

With a core group currently in their late-20s prime, and already taking advantage of marginal gains from set pieces and throw-ins for a record points-per-game average, how does a team get better than historic? Read more »

Regardless of whether there are 32 straight days of matches in empty stadiums, or the slow drip of a season played out over nine months, the fundamental truths remain, of how clubs with the most resources somehow always find their way to the top. Read more »

Though the action resembles an intermittently buffering version of midseason soccer, the context in which that action takes place is noticeably strange. Read more »

Bayern's style feels aspirational within the context of post-pandemics and ghost games, that this is the level that a team can reach within the new normal. Read more »

Maybe the emptiness within the stadiums has given the space for player tributes and protests to gain extra resonance. Will this moment continue to build momentum as other European leagues return in the upcoming weeks? Read more »

Maybe Aritz Aduriz was never going to be what he became without a decade of struggle and study. And maybe his career unfolded exactly as it should have. Read more »

The Bundesliga may have been the perfect league to restart without supporters. Its frenetic, pressing energy translating through our televisions displays the players' commitment despite a lack of noise. Read more »

Jürgen Klopp's got a great career and a lot of money. Anybody trying to cut the line- to have their concerns addressed before those truly in need- is worthy of scorn. Read more »

It is appropriate that the Bundesliga would be the first major league to return due to its forward-thinking, innovative reputation. How German soccer unfolds over the next several weeks could influence the sports schedule for the rest of this summer at the very least. Read more »

The immediate financial implications are obvious, yet spiteful, behind-the-scenes memories may last even longer. Read more »

If there was any athlete who needed to tell their own story considering the gap between how they're perceived and how good they actually are, it was Sergio Ramos. Read more »

There is no good reason why leagues can't hit the ground running whenever they get the all-clear. The sooner the planning starts, the more enjoyable the soccer will be upon its return. Read more »

Though much of Sunderland's financial situation was self-inflicted, thus one could raise a question of why certain clubs should be saved if they were so unsustainable in the first place. This also raises discussions about the meaning of lower league football in a country's footballing ecosystem. Read more »

Has the global nature of the league, with its billion dollar television rights and record-breaking branding campaigns, changed something fundamental in the relationship between players and club? Read more »

One consequence of this lockdown, and life without sport, could be a re-examination of our relationship with athletes. Javier Tebas played up the unity by saying "there are no first-class and second-class citizens" despite examples that the pandemic could further economic inequality. Read more »

Soccer wasn't always just about the result, was it? The background, interconnected cycle between matches, television, and revenue has also been made explicit as leagues scramble for solutions. Read more »

The silence and emptiness could reset, or remind us of the relationship between players, teams, and its supporters. The players provide the goals and the three points; the supporters add the context and meaning that turns players into stories that live on for years. Read more »

Liverpool were doing what they needed to do to come out on top. Dominating possession, driving Atleti into their own box, pulling even before halftime, working Jan Oblak, finally breaking through early in extra time. It was all very intelligible. Read more »

The latest Clasico highlighted how Real Madrid are investing heavily into developing young players, while Barcelona are the ones buying established, superstar names that may or may not fit into the larger team. Read more »