Without a doubt, the book that Simon Kuper (British author and Financial Times sportswriter) is most famous for is Soccernomics. Soccernomics takes a look at the analytical side of the sport; the statistics, the psychology, and the economics behind why certain trends and results in soccer are the way they are.

Greetings, Googlebot, spiders, monkeys, SEO linkbuilders, webcrawlers, and click-jackers. I have been asked, in a consultancy role, to spread the blackhat gospel and decide a contest winner. John Terry FA Captain. Harry Redknapp Trial. Mourinho to England. I will now do so.

First, the depressing news.

The violence at Port Said last night has generated enormous commentary on twitter, and a beginning of media coverage of varying quality. One of the best summaries came last night at The Lede blog of New York Times it's quality largely due to the fact that it is composed of the tweets and videos generated on the ground in Egypt.

As we discussed when commenting on the new MLS Spring destination in Arizona, preseason is a great opportunity to sell the sport and the league in a less formal setting. MLS seems to be making use of this opportunity and allowing fans to connect to players and teams in the off season. Over the weekend, the New York Times took a look at the league's relationship with the City of Tucson, where a number of MLS franchises are spending a portion of the preseason.

STORY OF THE DAY
James Montague of the New York Times with an article on one of the surprise teams in all of world soccer right now - Ironi Kiryat Shmona in Israel.
Argentine-American Bryan Gerzicich is a key member of the team.
LANDON DONOVAN V CLINT DEMPSEY
FA Cup Match
-Fri Jan 27
Everton v Fulham - live at 2pm CT on Fox Soccer
TEAM USA - EL EQUIPO DE TODOS
The team is done with the annual January training camp.

Development Academy alumni Villyan Bijev was a Cal Odyssey player before he signed for Liverpool.

Villyan Bijev was a part of the Under-20 MNT camp that met in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., from Jan. 2-9. The former Cal Odyssey forward signed with Liverpool over the summer and is spending the 2011-12 season on loan with Fortuna Dusseldorf while he works to secure his British work permit.

By Tony Edwards - San Jose, CA (Dec 20, 2011) US Soccer Players -- In Tuesday's questions, Tony starts in the boardroom, and then travels to Canada, Italy, and England. Which organization offered MLS the most money during recent broadcast rights negotiations? Fox Soccer, according to this article in the New York Times.

STARTERS
Big Apple Soccer alerts us to a an interview that former New York Red Bulls goalkeeper Bouna Coundoul is accusing his former team of having a racist attitude when it comes to dealing with him and other players of African decent.
dN
Edson Buddle who was given an early winter vacation by the new coach at Ingolstadt last week is in London for a try out with West Ham.

One of the big weekend stories involves America's most well known soccer player, Landon Donovan, and his decision to accept a short term loan deal to English side Everton. Though not a business story in the traditional sense, Donovan's temporary move has the added benefit of shining a global light upon Major League Soccer and bringing attention to the league.

Perhaps it only fitting that I learned about it on Twitter, the preferred destination of choice today for breaking sports news and story distribution.

The Great George Vecsey....

The great and incomparable New York Times sports reporter and event recorder George Vecsey retiring his weekly column.

Following the International Soccer League's solid beginnings in a New York relatively starved of sporting competition in the summer of 1960, the nascent league consisting of the New York Americans and a variety of high-profile visiting international clubs had begun 1961 with expanded horizons. This including growing the league from 12 to 15 teams, and moving beyond its home at the Polo Grounds in Manhattan by setting up a second location in Montreal, Canada.

Also file under: brilliant stadium porn

I have a deep connection with traditional media, having been raised reading newspapers, then launching a journalism career at what was then considered the country's best sports section.

Now the industry is a shambles and, in some ways, shamefully complicit in its own demise.

Dr. Jay Martin and his Ohio Wesleyan team went on an amazing journey this season, which culminated with a National Championship on Sunday.
The story to get there was amazing, and a tremendous tribute to Martin's ability to keep his players focused on the process and to not get distracted when adversity struck during the week leading to the Final.

I had the honor of working with Robbie Church for four years at Duke University, and not only is he one of the top coaches in the women's game, but is also one of the true gentlemen in the sport.
Although his Duke Blue Devils fell short in the national title game to Paul Ratcliffe and Stanford, it was clear that Church has firmly placed his Duke side among the nation's elite.

Esta es una traducción personal del artículo que The New York Times publicó el 26 de noviembre bajo el título "In Argentina, Violence Is Part of the Soccer Culture", escrito por Alexei Barrionuevo y Charles Newbery:
El mes pasado, tres hinchas de San Lorenzo de Almagro evadieron a los guardias de seguridad luego de una práctica a puertas cerradas y, en la cancha, le recriminaron a los jugadores por sus derrotas recientes.

Keep calm and read on, Kickettes. Image Credit: AP.

Sadly, it was anything but quiet on the news front for us this past weekend, but as always, we're ready and willing to help you bounce back into work action.

Although if you require posts in addition to this one, know that we'll only resume work upon receipt of our mandatory compensation (in this case that would be Thanksgiving leftovers from our U.

TIGRE 3 RAFAELA 0ALL BOYS 0 LANÚS 0NEWELLS 0 SAN LORENZO 0RACING 2 BELGRANO 3OLIMPO 0 SAN MARTIN (SJ) 3ARSENAL 1 ESTUDIANTES 2VELEZ 1 COLON 1GODOY CRUZ 1 BOCA 2BANFIELD 2 ARGENTINOS 2UNION - INDEPENDIENTE NEW YORK TIMES: VIOLENCIA EN EL FÚTBOL ARGENTINONACIONAL B: RIVER 1 CENTRAL 1ROMA: OSVALDO VS LAMELALA HISTORIA DEL NOMBRE DE VELEZ SARSFIELD BIELSA EN BILBAO (XX): ATHLETIC 0 GRANADA 1MARCELO BIELSA EN CARICATURAS ESPAÑA: REAL MADRID 6 PUNTOS SOBRE BARCELONAJHONNY SAELUA Y LA BREVE AVENTURA DE SAMOA AMERICANA.

This morning's news of the death of Gary Speed at just forty-two years of age is too recent and too raw to pass comment upon in any detail and this particular piece is not here to speculate on the reasons why Gary Speed may have chosen to take his life, but to look at recent comments made by Stan Collymore and The Secret Footballer on the subject of depression in football.

27.11.2011 - Domingo... para descansar, tomar unos mates, leer el diario... de aquí y de allá... New York Times y su nota de título estremecedor (?) "En Argentina, la violencia es parte de la cultura del fútbol", firmada by Alexei Barrionuevo and Charles Newbery (que no se enteraron de esto).

Arsenal 2-1 Borussia Dortmund

A fine win against a very decent side means that our last group game (Matchday 6 aah, the romance of the cup) will be all stations to Dead Rubbersville.

In fact, it will be a reprise of 2009 when an Arsenal side already assured of top spot sent out the kids and lost 1-0 in Olympiakos.

Can't shake it.

Just can't shake it.

The US Men's team came under fire after Friday's loss to France for its inability to create attacking chances and it's failure to scintillate under new manager Jurgen Klinsmann. For a brief moment now, with a 3-2 victory on the road in Slovenia, the nervous fidgeting that was beginning to surround the team and it's new manager has quelled.

Philadelphia Union

Sebastien Le Toux hopes there won't be the same roster turnover there was last year, because it was difficult to adjust to.

U.S. France

Recaps from yesterday's U.S.-France match:

• Associated Press
• The New York Times
• Goal.com
• MLSsoccer.

Charles N'Zogbia has revealed that he prefers to play on the right, aims to qualify for Europe with Aston Villa and harbours ambitions of being on the French team plane to Brazil in 2014.
N'Zogbia spoke with The New York Times during a recent international break and showed his appreciation for the size of the boots he had to fill following the exits of Ashley Young and Stewart Downing.

STARTERS
The stars have aligned and we are getting 3 of the top 5 teams in the MLS Semifinals this weekend. Both games are on Sunday evening. Should be fantastic!
Join me to watch both games on Sunday evening at the Sweetwater in St Paul.
dN
How excited is Houston manager Dominic Kinear that his team is advancing?

Looks like there's a new player in the analyzing-US-National-Team-player-ratings game. They may be three years late, but we'd like to welcome the New York Times Goal blog to the party! What took you so long, boys?

NYT's John Godfrey seems to be taking the approach outlined in our post from 2008.

While everyone now agrees that the 2011-12 NBA season won't feature 82 games, the New York Post is reporting that a 78-game regular season is still possible. Of course, that is assuming that an agreement can be reached before next weekend.

Since all NBA games are canceled until Nov. 30, to squeeze in the needed games, David Stern would have to push back the start of the playoffs and limit the number of off days during the season.

While everyone now agrees that the 2011-12 NBA season won't feature 82 games, the New York Post is reporting that a 78-game regular season is still possible. Of course, that is assuming that an agreement can be reached before next weekend.

Since all NBA games are canceled until Nov. 30, to squeeze in the needed games, David Stern would have to push back the start of the playoffs and limit the number of off days during the season.

If you believe Howard Beck of The New York Times, the NBA labor deal is 95% complete. The writer says that the main stumbling block remains the BRI split but that most every other issue has been agreed upon by both sides. If that is true, the NBA lockout could end rather quickly if the two sides can agree on the split.

STARTERS
The man who led the charge of the re-formed New York Cosmos Paul Kemsley has resigned from the organization. This is not a good sign for the struggling proposition.
And since the Cosmos have fallen out of the race for the 20th MLS team, guess who has emerged as the man behind a new bid to bring a team to New York City.

From the Evansville Courier Press, October 23, 2011
When adults look back on those who were most influential on their lives growing up, it is not uncommon to hear a reference about a significant little league or high school sports memory.
Saying that, there is a strong sentiment that youth coaches of this era don't always offer the same level of support.

The New York Red Bulls are in danger of missing out on the postseason despite fielding a high-priced roster with international appeal in a league where more than half of the teams make the playoffs.

Even with that, it appears that manager Hans Backe isn't going anywhere.

STARTERS
Kasey Keller will play his last regular season game in Seattle on Saturday night and they are expecting over 60,000! Wow! He is retiring from playing at the end of the season.
-They probably won't break their own attendance record set this past summer against Manchester United of over 67,000.

Se acerca el partido de México contra Brasil , asi que es pertinente mostrarles un encuentro con un brasileño, pues en el Campus Party México 2011 tuve la oportunidad de platicar y recibir consejos de el twitero mas influyente del mundo Rafinha Bastos.
¿Pero quien es este brasileño?

NASL Commissioner David Downs In New York Times On D2 Soccer In USA

Touches on business issues, pro/rel and his failed bid for a future World Cup in the United States.

STARTERS
Stuart Holden has suffered an injury setback in his recovery from the badly broken and lacerated knee he incurred last spring. No word on the exact nature of the new injury but it will require surgery and another 6 weeks of rehab. Damn!
dN
Since its 2011/12 season kicked off in all competitions on Aug 1 Bayern Munich has won 11 and lost 1, and only conceded 1 goal!

Every so often, we like to take a look around the web to see how local newspapers are covering soccer in the United States. This was an extremely interesting time to take a look, given the rare soccer controversy that became a big story (Rafa Marquez's scathing comments directed to his own teammates), on some of the national sports websites.

STARTERS
Bob Bradley is scheduled to be in Cairo on Wednesday. Will this seal the deal?
-Andrew Das of the New York Times looks at the situation Bradley will face.
dN
Holy Gasperini Batman! Inter Milan has now started their new season with a 2nd loss in 3 games, this time 3-1 to newly promoted Novara.

By J Hutcherson - WASHINGTON, DC (Sep 13, 2011) US Soccer Players -- For those of you that read The Upside, you might have noticed that we followed links to two stories on how European leagues are embracing a new austerity as financial regulations loom and financial pictures reveal themselves to be somewhat less than flattering with the New York Times telling us about Samuel Eto'o in Makhachkala.

Hot robot Vida in a Dries Van Noten coat, Georgio Armani shirts, and Diesel jeans? We'll have two please. Extra sauce. All images via NYTimes.com/T Magazine.

Normally The New York Times is too editorially complex and verbose for us to read amidst the haze of our weekend hangovers.

My goodness, what a feeding frenzy we're witnessing in the media. These headlines are all from the past 24 hours:

Pressure Mounts on Wenger (Irish Times)

Arsène Wenger: I Will Not Quit (Daily and Sunday Express)

Wenger.