Soccerblog 08 October @ 12:00 AM EST
When the analytical nerds get going, it's best to smile and step out of the way.
According to them, the best soccer team in the world has only a 28 percent chance of
winning the World Cup even if it makes it through to the knockout stages.
So how do they explain the fact that Brazil has won five World Cups?
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I haven't checked the numbers myself, but some other pedantic nerds over at BigSoccer used the
maths and the latest list of player salaries to figure out how much teams were spending. I give you
the list in order of ascending wage bill by team:
Salt Lake $1,861,029
Kansas City $1,907,213
New York $1,981,937
San Jose $2,035,803
Dallas $2,192,327
Colorado $2,208,967
Seattle $2,289,712
Chicago $2,308,326
New England $2,317,903
Chivas $2,369,294
Columbus $2,435,820
Houston $2,455,840
DC $2,770,707
Los Angeles $2,837,439
Toronto $3,241,416
So the guys in Toronto are complaining about having their hands tied why?
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I didn't expect the Richard Whittall post to get the play it did, engendering considerable traffic,
a long response from Whittall, and a wildly entertaining BA Duane & Bill Archer blood feud in the
comments. It was like unlocking a secret area in a video game.
Naturally, I was interested in the response to my handiwork.
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New post from Richard Whittall this morning that is an altogether better effort than what lead to
my takedown yesterday.
I think we can all agree that the bizarre world of North American soccer, from the
Hexagonal to the USL Premier Development league, is a niche interest pretty much completely absent
in any meaningful way from mainstream print media in North America.
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AMSL Hard at Work
It's not often you get honoured with your name in a post title.
How did we get here exactly?
Well, last Sunday morning, as part of my weekend gig writing the Sweeper at pitchinvasion.net, I
attempted to reveal what I thought were the underlying ideological fault lines in the on-going
salary cap debate in Em El Es between Ben Knight and Fake Sigi.
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Richard Whittall over at Pitch Invasion draws an interesting conclusion from the salary cap debate
that's been going on, characterizing yours truly, among others, as American Exceptionalists:
For the former group—let's call them MLS Exceptionalists (includes Dan Loney, Fake
Sigi and Bill Archer)—MLS should be the embodiment of an exceptional American Soccer
identity.
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Du Nord 13 August @ 06:29 PM EST
What's up? Dang here ridin' a blast of DuNord hot air off into the nerdtastic blogosphere (I am
down with nerds by the way). Slainte to Bruce for the opportunity.
Today on DuNord we are going to look at a few essays articulating the decision not to support any
U.S. National Team.
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We will also get a first hand report from Section 8's adventure out West.
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I've often thought that in our worst moments, the American soccer community often resembles comic
book nerds complete with heroes, villains, memes that make no sense to anyone else, bizarre
costumes, fan-fiction,
slash-fiction, pin-ups who aren't nearly as attractive as their fans
think they are, questions that really deserve no answer, our own DC v.
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So one of my summer records is the debut from Aussie band Empire of the Sun. It's got Luke Steele
from The Sleepy Jackson on vocals and it's like the antipodean MGMT. To call them extravagant,
art-damaged nerds is an understatement; their videos are like freaked-out fantasy movies that make
Fischerspooner's look like some high school drama student's class project.
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The new Bundesliga season is about to kick-off in a few minutes. There are the usual new teams, new
coaches and new players to be excited about. There is a lot of football and a few trophies to be
excited about. And finally, for the footie nerds, there are also some organisational changes to be
[...]
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If any of you don't visit UEFA.com's coverage of Euro 2008, you should because it's full of a lot of interesting things like articles, photos, trivia, statistics, and all those other details that we footie nerds find so gripping (or maybe it's just me...).
One of the newer features is
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The first three days of the European Champions yielded only nine goals, but on the 4th day seven goals were scored. Goals are good. Goals are right. Goals work. Goals clarify, cut through, and capture the the essence of the evolutionary spirit. Goals, in all forms, goals for life, for money, for love, knowledge have marked the upward surge of mankind.
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According to Mark Lawrenson, yes they are. Lawro and John Motson sparked up a conversation during
last night's commentary about Steven Gerrard being voted England's player of the year by fans.
Lawro was curious to find out who had voted and when Motty revealed it was 'done online', he
replied that it had been awarded by 'geeks'.
Click to continue reading...
According to Mark Lawrenson, yes they are. Lawro and John Motson sparked up a conversation during
last night's commentary about Steven Gerrard being voted England's player of the year by fans.
Lawro was curious to find out who had voted and when Motty revealed it was 'done online', he
replied that it had been awarded by 'geeks'.
Click to continue reading...
According to Mark Lawrenson, yes they are. Lawro and John Motson sparked up a conversation during
last night's commentary about Steven Gerrard being voted England's player of the year by fans.
Lawro was curious to find out who had voted and when Motty revealed it was 'done online', he
replied that it had been awarded by 'geeks'.
Click to continue reading...
According to Mark Lawrenson, yes they are. Lawro and John Motson sparked up a conversation during
last night's commentary about Steven Gerrard being voted England's player of the year by fans.
Lawro was curious to find out who had voted and when Motty revealed it was 'done online', he
replied that it had been awarded by 'geeks'.
Click to continue reading...
According to Mark Lawrenson, yes they are. Lawro and John Motson sparked up a conversation during
last night's commentary about Steven Gerrard being voted England's player of the year by fans.
Lawro was curious to find out who had voted and when Motty revealed it was 'done online', he
replied that it had been awarded by 'geeks'.
Click to continue reading...
According to Mark Lawrenson, yes they are. Lawro and John Motson sparked up a conversation during
last night's commentary about Steven Gerrard being voted England's player of the year by fans.
Lawro was curious to find out who had voted and when Motty revealed it was 'done online', he
replied that it had been awarded by 'geeks'.
Click to continue reading...
According to Mark Lawrenson, yes they are. Lawro and John Motson sparked up a conversation during
last night's commentary about Steven Gerrard being voted England's player of the year by fans.
Lawro was curious to find out who had voted and when Motty revealed it was 'done online', he
replied that it had been awarded by 'geeks'.
Click to continue reading...
According to Mark Lawrenson, yes they are. Lawro and John Motson sparked up a conversation during
last night's commentary about Steven Gerrard being voted England's player of the year by fans.
Lawro was curious to find out who had voted and when Motty revealed it was 'done online', he
replied that it had been awarded by 'geeks'.
Click to continue reading...
According to Mark Lawrenson, yes they are. Lawro and John Motson sparked up a conversation during
last night's commentary about Steven Gerrard being voted England's player of the year by fans.
Lawro was curious to find out who had voted and when Motty revealed it was 'done online', he
replied that it had been awarded by 'geeks'.
Click to continue reading...
According to Mark Lawrenson, yes they are. Lawro and John Motson sparked up a conversation during
last night's commentary about Steven Gerrard being voted England's player of the year by fans.
Lawro was curious to find out who had voted and when Motty revealed it was 'done online', he
replied that it had been awarded by 'geeks'.
Click to continue reading...
According to Mark Lawrenson, yes they are. Lawro and John Motson sparked up a conversation during
last night's commentary about Steven Gerrard being voted England's player of the year by fans.
Lawro was curious to find out who had voted and when Motty revealed it was 'done online', he
replied that it had been awarded by 'geeks'.
Click to continue reading...
According to Mark Lawrenson, yes they are. Lawro and John Motson sparked up a conversation during
last night's commentary about Steven Gerrard being voted England's player of the year by fans.
Lawro was curious to find out who had voted and when Motty revealed it was 'done online', he
replied that it had been awarded by 'geeks'.
Click to continue reading...
According to Mark Lawrenson, yes they are. Lawro and John Motson sparked up a conversation during
last night's commentary about Steven Gerrard being voted England's player of the year by fans.
Lawro was curious to find out who had voted and when Motty revealed it was 'done online', he
replied that it had been awarded by 'geeks'.
Click to continue reading...
According to Mark Lawrenson, yes they are. Lawro and John Motson sparked up a conversation during
last night's commentary about Steven Gerrard being voted England's player of the year by fans.
Lawro was curious to find out who had voted and when Motty revealed it was 'done online', he
replied that it had been awarded by 'geeks'.
Click to continue reading...
