In the end, the most important aspect of style is having one, to look like you're trying to do something a specific way, and succeeding. Liverpool and Atleti had styles in their UCL matches this week against Bayern and Juventus. Read more »
IQ - Soccer Analysis
The Presence Or Absence Of Imagination
Gasperini's Atalanta Project: Fitness, Failure & Regional Inspiration
That Gasperini is finding success at this relatively late age shows there are foundational truths of the game, about pressure and fitness, regardless of the current tactical moment. Read more »
The Fundamental, Unavoidable Problem Of VAR
VAR is exhausting and the on-pitch litigating has only intensified, because the players don’t know (or don’t care) what’s supposed to be reviewable and not. Read more »
Spygate and PowerPoint: Marcelo Bielsa Impacts The Championship
Marcelo Bielsa's press conference quickly gained momentum online, turning into a uniquely 2019 moment. Read more »
How Cesc Fabregas Revolutionized The Premier League Midfielder
The beginning of Cesc Fabregas' career coincided with an era where the footballing world was obsessed with replicating Spain's passing model. Read more »
Premier League Match Report: Manchester City 2, Liverpool 1
City’s pressure wasn’t necessarily a thunderstorm, but a looming danger. In fact, that looming feeling described both sides with and without the ball. Read more »
The Expanding Goalkeeper Position Into 2019
With keepers increasingly called upon to play through the first line of defensive pressure, 2018 was defined by ball-playing goalies. Read more »
Dribbling Intuition, Youthful Instincts & The Return Of Ajax In Europe
The movement, quick passing, and possession is Ajax's signature influence on the European game, yet Frenkie De Jong elevates that foundational philosophy with his x-factor unpredictability. Read more »
Liverpool Has Become The World's Most Stylish Team
It's satisfying when a plan comes together at a big club like Liverpool because it's a broad canvas finally being utilized properly. Read more »
Atlanta United Cap Off The 'Tipping Point' Of MLS
This season shows that the combination of Bundesliga-style pressing with a South-and-Latin American influence, and a backbone of American development, is more than enough for MLS to draw attraction. Read more »
Thierry Henry Learns How To Struggle As A Manager With Monaco
The success of Thierry Henry's time at Monaco may come down to how much he's willing to bend his Pep Guardiola influenced philosophy to the reality of his roster. Read more »
Atleti's Confused Identity
Diego Simeone has a team that could soar, given a little more liberty, with a few new ideas. He's either reluctant to provide what they need because he's holding fast to some fading identity the club no longer embodies. Read more »
Zlatko Dalic And The Croatian Miracle Prepare For 2022
The role of Zlatko Dalic and future national team managers is to steer a team as opposed to implementing paradigm shifting formational innovations. Read more »
Lucien Favre, Marco Reus And A Sustainable, Clever Dortmund
The manner of Dortmund's success under Lucien Favre this season - counter attacking, intense, pacy yet technical - is a return to their core principles that enthralled us their first time around in Europe. Read more »
Zlatan, Drogba & Rooney Complete Their Soccer Story In America
Drogba, Ibrahimovic and Rooney recontextualized the move in terms of those viral moments that only superstars can create, those plays that define seasons, teams and eras that burn in supporters' minds long after they've gone. Read more »
Replacing 50 Goals: How Real Madrid Failed To Rebuild Their Attack
There were supposed to be ready-made replacements for Cristiano Ronaldo, and not just in striker Mariano Diaz taking Ronaldo’s #7 jersey. 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 »