Just before the start of the World Cup, I posted an exploration of the United States’ roster through its last five qualifying cycles. Now that the tournament has finished, here is an updated version that includes the four games played by Jurgen Klinsmann’s team.
Category: Roster Management
Examining players used in World Cup qualifying cycles
The American roster for the World Cup has been named, and the intense discussion over Donovan’s exclusion (and that of Eddie Johnson before him) has begun to subside. This seems an opportune time to look back over how this World Cup cycle compares to the last few.
Revisiting playing time: how important is a stable lineup in Major League Soccer?
Two weeks ago, I published an article that analysed the distribution of playing time for Columbus Crew teams over the past 14 years. One of the apparent conclusions of that investigation was that, for a team to be successful, it is necessary to have a relatively stable core of players. The underlying charts identified that… Continue reading Revisiting playing time: how important is a stable lineup in Major League Soccer?
An analysis of playing time for the 2009 Columbus Crew
With the end of the year quickly approaching, and the 2009 season starting to recede into memories both good and bad, this seems to be a good time to look back and begin to consider how the Crew’s performance this season compares to previous years. One way to do this is to examine how playing time… Continue reading An analysis of playing time for the 2009 Columbus Crew