Have you started to take in MLS this year – surprised by what you see?

With but a few exceptions, and those about 7 to 10 years ago, no team in Mediocre League Soccer shows any patience and possession with purpose – it’s all flash and dash and get the ball forward based on IMPECT – a statistical system originated in Germany, created by defensive midfielders, to help them better ‘sell’ their value to a team in the transfer market.

Yes – 95% to 100% of every team in MLS operates to this standard – they do it because they simply can’t get good players who think and make their own decisions on the pitch as they do in La Liga, the Bundeslige, Serie A, or the English Premier League.

And yes, that should also kind of remind you of what we see from our US Men’s National Team… As someone who has coached footy for over 20 years I can safely say our developmental program does not teach ‘independent’ thinking and decision making by players starting at the age of 6 all the way through the entire US Academy.

What is the most frequent activity taken by a player on a football pitch? Running, Ball Touches, Passes, Tackles, … NO – the most frequent activity a player does on a football pitch is “MAKE DECISIONS” – in every instance, in every touch of the ball, in every opportunity to move or actual movement every single player on the pitch makes a singular decision that can make or break a game.

So when just one single player touches a ball with their foot – every other player on the pitch will have to make a decision – so for every touch of the ball that’s 21 other ‘decisions’.

Have you ever heard a football coach tell you that? How about an Academy coach or even the US MNT Head Coach?

If the United States wants to WIN the World Cup in 2026 then the bottom of the pyramid MUST start teaching decision making – and for effs sake – let the players know that mistakes NOW and far better than mistakes later.

Berhalter should have never been hired to begin with – that decision was more about nepotism than anything else – if you want the most winningest American to head coach our team hire Jesse Marsch – over a four year period of time when he coached New York Red Bulls NO other American had earned more points across all four measured areas of possession: (40%-45%; 45%-50%, 50%-55%, and 55%-60%)

I’ll say that again, slightly differently – across all major categories of possession with the intent to penetrate and score (as a method of controlling the game) no other American has surpassed Jesse Marsch in earning points in all four of those categories.

Best, Chris

I offered 6 years ago Jesse Marsch should have been hired by the USMNT back in 2017, we’re six years on from that article (here).

Gregg Berhalter, over the four year time measured, averaged the lowest points per season – while Marsch averaged the highest per season AND the best ‘average spread of earning points’ given 4 different categories of possession!

But DUE to ‘nepotism’ Berhalter got hired.

Yeah – he’s done okay but there remains no conclusive identity with our country’s team – under Marsch there will be a clear identity.

He has shown a propensity to win in a number of extremely competitive leagues – AND – (this does not include Major League Soccer). While Marsch operates a negative possession type game – he had to with Leeds given his budget – he has shown he can win.

I wonder if Jesse Marsch has ever kicked his wife?

Best, Chris

If you’re in the market for a football analyst that will help identify positional weaknesses based on the concepts of building platforms for possession and penetration, within and into the attacking final third, leading to shot creation and shots taken, please contact me at the earliest opportunity.

I perform video analyses as well as statistical analyses on team as well as individual players; and am willing sign an NDA.

While I’m not going to list every personal accomplishment here I would offer my greatest achievement has been having my own work presented, twice, at the World Conference on Science and Soccer – both in 2014 (Oral Presentation) as well as 2017 (Poster Presentation).

No other private analyst, in the United States, has ever developed a Total Team Performance Soccer Index that has greater correlation to points earned and possession/non-possession based soccer; that can also be used to predict future performance.

Kind regards, Chris Gluck

Awhile ago – like 4 years ago I wrote this article and made a list as to why the US Soccer team didn’t qualify for WC 2018; here’s my short list of ‘on-pitch’ reasons to refresh your memory:

• They lack on field leadership.
• They lack the ability to possess the ball with any sense of conviction.
• They lack the ability to penetrate with any sense of continuity in possession leading to that penetration.
• They are predictable.
• They lack “controlled aggression”.
• Their team passing statistics are horrible.
• They lack a pure #9, #8, #7, and #6 in the traditional sense of soccer.
• They lack ‘shut-down’ fullbacks.
• They lack center-backs who can not only possess the ball, but control space in and around their own 18 yard box with pace and fortitude.
• They have a great goalkeeper.
• Some of the players are really-really fast, many are slow or really slow.
• Some of the players have a great first touch, many don’t.
• Both Head Coaches have shown an inability to use the right tactics against opponents.

I’ll revisit each of them as an update ‘four years later’:

• On field leadership – there’s no question Pulisic provides this leadership – as does Adams – so tick this box as fixed.
• Possessing the ball with conviction – yes, this too appears fixed to some extent – but NO – the Men’s National Team does not CONTROL the game through possession – they continue to rely more on counter-attacking than in ‘controlling’ the game through possession. I see this as a function of coaching weakness not only with the current head coach but also within the overall development of players in our country.
• Possessing with the intent to penetrate – yes, as much as you can associate the intent behind ‘breaking the lines’ with penetrating passes and/or dribble drives based upon the talent of some individual players – this is more a function of the players and their individual development playing in Europe it is not a function of players playing in Major League Soccer.
• Predictability – this remains an issue – as long as the Americans cannot control a game through possession they will always be predictable. This fault lies directly with the head coach.
• Controlled aggression – yes, this has been fixed to a degree – no-one was issued a red card and opposing players, were, to a good extent, pressured, physically, by the midfielders. But for the most part the central defenders lacked considerable presence – lest we forget the penalty awarded for Zimmerman’s ignorance in leaving his feet inside his own 18 yard box – a tackle that led to a penalty – a reminder for all that players who play in MLS simply don’t have the appropriate nous to play at the very highest levels of competition.
• Passing – overall the team passed the ball better – at times – but what remains the major weakness – “not being able to control a game through possession with purpose” remains. This, again, is the fault of the head coach.
• Pure #9, etc – while the midfielders and ‘outside forwards’ add great value to this team their REMAINS a considerable weakness in having a dominating #9. WHY? Well the reason is simple, there remains absolutely no proper coaching, at any level, in our country, where a #9 can learn how to play the game. This is the fault of the head coach and every other head coach in our country. Somewhere, anywhere, there MUST be at least 10 or 20 young players who have the nous to be a dominating #9 – most likely those types of players are playing a different sport than soccer. OR, they simply aren’t ‘rich’ enough to play at the very highest levels, in America, within the youth soccer programs. Bottom line here, this is down to poor head coaching and poor organizational leadership.
• Shut down fullbacks – For the most part, yes – both Dest and Robinson did well at times – but as pure, pedigree – shut down fullbacks – no. And when you consider Yedlin was still in the team squad there remains a considerable weakness in that area.
• Center-backs – NO – THIS area remains as much of a weakness as our #9 situation – and, again, I put the force force of blame on this down to the head coach and the entire
  US soccer organization. Surely there are faster and stronger lads who can learn to play the game of soccer that are currently playing other sports in our country – look at all the wide receivers and tight ends playing youth American Football” that could be playing, learning to play, center-back in our country – oddly enough the same caliber of player who could play as a #9 is the very same caliber of player who could be playing as a center-back.
• Goalkeeper – Not an issue – never has been and likely never will be.
• Speed of players – as noticed by any non-educated’ watcher – the Center-backs are slow – very slow – otherwise the majority of other field players have good to great foot speed.
• First touch – apart from our center-backs and our center forwards the rest of the players on the pitch have a good first and second touch (for the most part). I don’t see this as a weakness outside of those two general areas.. I don’t see this as a strength of American coaching – I see it as a strength of players who are learning how to be successful in Europe – as for MLS, no way – this league remains a pedantic, pedestrian league for American plyers to ‘survive’ in alongside imported players who actually create the nous we don’t see with Americans. I blame this on American coaching and the general US Soccer organization.
• Tactics – outside of the game against England – where it appeared Southgate was just as much afraid of the US as Berhalter was afraid of the English I’d offer the tactical nous of Berhalter lacked. I said it back in 2017 – Jesse Marsch should have been selected as the US Men’s National Team Head Coach. I remain STUBBORNLY STEADFAST and STEADFASTLY STUBBORN Jesse Marsch should be leading our Country. Oh, wait, Marsch is now a head coach for Leeds United, a position likely never to be held by Gregg Berhalter!

So, on pitch, the reason why the US Men’s National Team failed is strictly down to poor coaching and poor player development within the overall US Soccer Organization. Every positional weakness we see is down to the Coach and the US Soccer Organization in player position development. The fault of our team is not, I repeat, not down to the players.

MEDIA:

Finally – perhaps the greatest culprit in why Soccer simply doesn’t get better in our country is down to our media and, in particular, the absolute bollocks offered up by FOX Sports and the likes of Alexi Lalas, Clint Dempsey, Rob Stone, Stu Holden, Landon Donovan, John Strong, Chad Ocho-Cinco (who the fuck is this guy?) and the rest of the (not named) crew.

I have never heard a more condescending, pedantic, over-hyped group of hyperbole (bullshit and bollocks) in my life. What was gratifying was reading Aaron Timms article in the Guardian offering the same views.

While it may not make sense to many I put at least 50% of the blame on our nation’s failure, in the World Cup, down to the absolute bullshit (offered year in, year out) by our media. And a good portion of that bullshit media starts with Twitter and the ‘click-bait’ environment it has created.

Best, Chris

I won’t offer a whole lot here today – just this little nugget.

How many articles has MLS.Soccer.com written about Merritt Paulson that address the latest issues: NONE…

In case you missed it here’s the most recent list of articles written about Merritt Paulson by MLS writers:

And, again, in case you missed it here’s the most recent list of articles written about Gavin Wilkinson by MLS writers.

Huh, is it unreasonable to believe www.mls.soccer.com is condoning his behavior?

I think so, Major League Soccer is nothing but minor league in every shape; from it’s analytics to it’s operational construct. What a joke!

Kind regards, Chris

Well, I won’t say I told everyone so but beginning in 2012, when I first started covering the Portland Timbers, I always figured Paulson, Wilkinson, Golub, and others (to remain nameless) offered timely lip service, always with the intent to get what they wanted regardless of who it impacted.

In case you missed it – here’s what I’m referring to: Portland Thorns dismiss…

I really do hope the Timbers get their arse kicked this next weekend in Salt Lake – couldn’t happen to a better organization.

Later… Chris

Well, the new tournament has started and already some upsets in the mix:

CHICAGO (April 7, 2022) – The final matchday of the 2022 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Second Round brought three more cupsets and was capped off by an explosion of goals (11 in total) in the last two games of the evening. In all, eight final teams punched their ticket to the Third Round, which will see the entrance of 17 lower seeded U.S. based Division I (MLS) clubs when play takes place from April 19-21 on ESPN+.

• The match between Charleston Battery (USLC) and South Georgia Tormenta FC (USLL1) originally scheduled for Wednesday, April 6 was postponed to Thursday morning due to inclement weather. Tormenta FC won the match 1-0 at Patriots Point Soccer Stadium in Mt. Pleasant, S.C. to kick off the final Second Round matchday with a cupset. They were followed by impressive upsets from Chattanooga FC (NISA), who dispatched Memphis 901 FC (USLC) 3-1, and Greenville Triumph SC (USLL1) who slipped past Oakland Roots (USLC) 2-0.

• Elsewhere, Rochester New York FC (MLSNP), Hartford Athletic (USLC) and Birmingham Legion FC (USLC) all cruised to victory before the fireworks began out west where Sacramento Republic FC (USLC) scored a 6-0 rout of Portland Timbers U23 with all the goals coming in the first half — and California United Strikers FC (NISA) blanking local qualifiers San Fernando Valley FC (Calif.) 5-0.

• Besides the 17 MLS squads, the Third Round will feature 15 clubs from Div. II (USL Championship), 14 from Div. III: USL League One – 8, NISA – 4, MLS NEXT Pro – 2, and two Open Division amateurs: USL League Two – 1, NPSL – 1.

All that offered above is pure information about the US Open Cup as things stand today – now for some editorial opinion.

This tournament approach is the biggest ripoff of an “Open” soccer tournament in the world – since when does geographic location have anything to do with how a tournament is organized – oops – there’s the Men’s and Women’s World Cup I guess…

Okay, I’m convinced the idea is a good one, but the United States is NOT the size of the entire world – it’s fifty states all pretty much located within a reasonable geographical boundary where it’s usually no more than a five hour flight between the east and west coast.

So WHY it is that EVERY YEAR this tournament is played small/medium/large teams from the northeastern coast of the United States never-ever face their counterparts from the southeastern US, middle America or the West Coast until much later in the competition?

Every year we usually see the bigger MLS teams make a run for the cup no differently than they do in a geographically organized MLS. Meaning the US Open Cup is really no different that MLS Playoffs. (Boring)….

If it’s a true Open Cup then the geographical boundaries need to be removed. It’s just not proper cricket that we, as a nation of growing soccer supporters, have to put up with this bollocks.

Isn’t it ironic that a mostly purely capitalistic country has the MOST socialistically developed soccer league – while the primarily socialistically developed continent of Europe (the big land across the Atlantic pond that Donald Trump was trying to abandon as part of NATO) has the most purely capitalistic soccer leagues in the World.

And we wonder why the United States Men’s National Team gets routinely thrashed by most European football teams… As for the Women’s team – well it’s likely, given league development in Europe, the dominance of ‘athleticism’ by our great female athletes will be surpassed by a large margin in 2023.

US Soccer is a pathetically rich organization that sustains the status quo…

Maybe NEXT year we will see a true Open Cup that drops geographical boundaries and completely opens up the game.

Best, Chris

Ever since their thrashing at the hands of Seattle Sounders around mid-season this year the Portland Timbers have been a team on a mission. Win, Win, and then Win again.

No team in MLS has done better since August 21st than Portland… No one.

Why is this and how, exactly, did that manifest itself in Colorado Thanksgiving day yesterday?

Well, it WASN’T down to Expected Goals (like www.mlssoccer.com Charles Boehm offers) just exactly how ignorant does he think the American soccer supporter really is, lest I forget about all you “full kit wankers”? Nor was it down to failed progression in penetrating possession by Colorado (based off statistics).

_{In case you didn’t know “Expected Goals” is NOT a statistical forecasting tool. Sorry, I just can’t NOT diss any writer who uses a statistical tool that has absolutely NO CORRELATION to points earned/lost…}

In short……….. It was down to grist, grit, and nous knowing that set-pieces can win games. And with their star player taking a fall from a hamstring injury it was clear that grist was their avenue to victory.So what’s next for Portland? Well, to be honest, the opponent doesn’t matter – Savarese will take the same approach but use a few different players. I’ll not comment about Dairon Asprilla, just say I told you so.

Here’s what I hope – Diego Valeri gets a start and offers his magic for at least 60 minutes of play – what better way to end a swan song of a season than to go out with his boots on and a sweaty man-bun.

Good luck to Portland.

Best, Chris Gluck