What are soccer analytics and how are teams in MLS using them?
MLSsoccer.com helped answer those questions over the last month showing you how MLS teams are using data to find players, construct balanced rosters, prevent injury and even win games. MLSsoccer.com took you behind the curtain once a week for five weeks to show how North American clubs are pushing the envelope in the world of soccer analytics.
- April 6:How data is helping Atlanta United FC build a team from scratch
- April 13:How a Harvard student is helping the Timbers navigate the transfer market
- April 20:How buy-in from coaches helps New England get an edge
- April 27:How the Sounders built a world-class sports science department
- May 4:How video analysis helped the Red Bulls win the Supporters' Shield
Of course, they aren't the only clubs making an investment in data analysis, performance analysis and sports science. But what exactly does that mean?
- Data Analysis: Interpret and provide context for the event data collected by statistics providers such as Opta. Data analysis can help teams be more efficient in player recruitment and is also a valuable tool for coaches as they scout and gameplan for matches and evaluate player, team and opponent performances.
- Performance Analysis: Performance analysts film games and collect specific events from broadcasts for timely review by coaches and players. The clips and insight gleaned can be used to reinforce coaching points during the pregame scouting process, make in-game adjustments or evaluate performances.
- Sports Science: The use of training and game data to ensure players are at their physical peak and help prevent injuries. Players wear fitness tracking technology to accumulate data used to evaluate the state of their bodies, with analysts providing regular reports to the coaching and training staffs to evaluate injury risk as well as optimum training and match load.
Wondering where your club stands? Below is a list of current MLS data analysts, performance analysts and sports scientists:
Data Analyst
CHI - Michael Bertin
COL - Padraig Smith
DC - Stewart Mairs
NE - Tim Crawford
PHI - Kyle McCarthy
POR - Brendan Kent
SKC - Ashley Wallace
TOR - Bret Myers
TOR - Devin Pleuler
Performance Analyst
ATL - Lucy Rushton
CLB - Adin Osmanbasic
HOU - Oliver Gage
MTL - Massimo Di Ioia
NYC - Daniel Fradley
NY - Victor Bertini
PHI - BJ Callaghan
PHI - Jay Cooney
SJ - Vasili Cremanzidis
SEA - Tom Childs
SEA - Jarryd Phillips
SEA - Ravi Ramineni
SKC - Patrick Mannix
TOR - Clark Thompson
VAN - Daniel Stenz
Sports Science
CLB - Steve Tashjian
COL - Miguel Motolongo
DAL - Skylar Richards
HOU - Paul Caffrey
LA - Ivan Pierra
POR - Nick Milonas
POR - Nick Lewis
PHI - Garrison Draper
RSL - Dan Barlow
SEA - Chad Kolarcik
SEA - David Tenney
SKC - Mateus Manoel
TOR - Jim Liston
VAN - Carl Bergstrom
