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IQ - Soccer Analysis

Halfway To 100 Points: Luis Suarez Pushes Diego Simeone Forward

Feb 12, 2021 4:23 PM

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 »

Tags: Atlético Madrid, IQ

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Where Does Thomas Tuchel Go From Here?

Jan 15, 2021 2:25 PM

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 »

Tags: Paris Saint-Germain, IQ

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A 2020 Year In Review: How Pressing, And a Pandemic,Will Shape 2021

Jan 1, 2021 9:22 PM

The emphasis on eschewing safety for pressing is why Hansi Flick's Bayern were the team that both dominated and defined 2020. Read more »

Tags: Bayern Munich, Liverpool, IQ

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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 »

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 »

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 »

12 Seconds Or Less: Julian Nagelsmann Adds Wrinkles To RB Leipzig

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 »

Serie A In The Time Of Coronavirus

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 »

Vincius Junior Drives Real Madrid & El Clasico Into A New Decade

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 »

Building A Modern Club From Scratch, Part 2: Inter Miami

There is no better symbol for the state of MLS than David Beckham, branding power, and Liga MX's influence. The superstars will arrive one day. But in the meantime, Inter Miami have quietly built a foundation tested and honed for success in the Americas. Read more »

Building A Modern Club From Scratch, Part 1: Nashville SC

Nashville SC has a chance to embody their high-pressing philosophy in its purest form, showing the soccer world what it could look like when starting from the very foundation. Read more »

Will Diego Simeone Ever Leave Atletico Madrid?

Those demanding Diego Simeone leave Atleti must be careful. It's not just the role that must be replaced, but also the meaning. Read more »

8 Shots, 8 Goals & Open Nets: Erling Haaland Develops At Dortmund

Represented by superagent Mino Raiola, every beat of his career, from Salzburg, to Dortmund, to the eventual big money transfer, has been carefully planned in advance. All Erling Haaland has to do is score goals. Read more »

Lukaku, Lautaro, Conte Transform Inter Milan

Romelu Lukaku and Lautaro Martinez represent a throwback from a tactical perspective. And leave it to Antonio Conte to walk his own path at the expense of modernity and trends. Read more »

Building Adama Traore, The Dribbler With A Final Ball

Athletic feats aside, Adama Traore's potential is being actualized in real time. The mixtape dribbles and bursts of pace are turning into real assists and goals. Read more »

Liverpool Become The First Signature Club Of The Twenties

Liverpool aren't attempting to submit opponents through passing, but through an exertion of physicality and energy. The combination of high-tempo, pressing, attacking fullbacks, and a fluid front-three makes them a "distillation of the modern game." Read more »

Paul Pogba Isn't Young Anymore But He's Still An Enigma

by Colin McGowan

Paul Pogba is 26 years old and should be in his prime. Yet what he is, at present, and what he still could be, in the future, remains hazy. Read more »

2010s Soccer: A Decade Of Pressing, Branding & The Champions League

A concoction of pressing, modern branding principles, and an emphasis on winning the Champions League created the modern game over the decade. Read more »

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