Rory Smith
Posts
At Euro 2022, Full Stadiums and a Big Hole: Scouting
Most of the continent’s richest teams do not employ a single full-time women’s scout. Others outsource recruitment to agents. The Euros have offered a rare...
Does Soccer Still Need Headers?
New rules, new science and new tactics are already beginning to push heading out of the game. But doing so could have unintended consequences.
Report Questions Links Between Manchester, the City, and Manchester City
A real estate joint venture has been profitable for the soccer club’s Gulf owners, researchers contend, but less so for its English hometown.
The Problem in Coaching Style Without Substance
England’s 8-0 thrashing of Norway was a stunning triumph. But it also exposed a failure of leadership.
Science and Data Change Soccer’s Definition of Old
Top clubs have long looked to shed players once they hit age 30. But those presumptions rely on outdated logic, statistics show.
Science and Data Change Soccer’s Definition of Old
Top clubs have long looked to shed players once they hit age 30. But those presumptions rely on outdated logic, statistics show.
Ronaldo and United, de Jong and Barcelona: Three Transfer Lessons
Cristiano Ronaldo’s loyalty, Manchester United’s vision and Barcelona’s complete inability to stop spending explain a lot about the business of modern soccer.
Women’s Euros Offer a Soccer Free-for-All
England will be expecting to win its first major women’s title on home soil this summer. But the field is deep, and filled with contenders.
Paulo Dybala, Juventus and the Problem With Italy
The travails of Dybala, whose contract with Juventus runs out this month, are emblematic of a soccer ecosystem that is often a world apart.
Erling Haaland, Darwin Núñez and Rediscovering the No. 9
The signings of Erling Haaland and Darwin Núñez were not mere summer coups for Manchester City and Liverpool. They could signal the start of a...