3.10.14
ASN Morning Read: Bright Lights for the USMNT
Oh hey, documentary time for the American squad; Which Major League Soccer owner is the biggest star of the group?; How computers are taking over the English game.
BY
Noah Davis
Posted
March 10, 2014
8:18 AM
The United States men's national team is getting the star treatment. Documentary filmmaker Jonathan Hock will give the world an inside look with “Inside: US Soccer’s March to Brazil,” a five-part series. It's all about the balance between access and not bothering the squad. “That was a critical thing for Jurgen, that he doesn’t have to worry about turning a corner in the hotel and find a camera there that he wasn’t expecting,” Hock told The New York Times. “We know intuitively where the lines are and when not to violate personal space. But we can still get the human story without crossing that line. We can recede into the background. We won’t be thrusting boom mikes out at them all the time.”
The Portland Timbers owner Merritt Paulson just might be the most important man in American soccer. Next MLS Commissioner, anyone?
We'll have plenty of MLS opening week action throughout the day, but satisfy yourself with Matty Doyle's three things for now.
The Guardian goes deep on computers taking over the top clubs in Britain. Your biggest takeaway is probably this: "There is a clear shift of power taking place at some clubs, and the use of data analytics is at the heart of it. At a time when the average tenure of a Premier League manager is just over one year – seven have already been sacked this season – the idea of entrusting all elements of player recruitment and long-term strategy to the manager is anachronistic. That certainly seems to have been the conclusion of the owners at Manchester City and Liverpool, as well as a club such as West Bromwich Albion, which shares power between the manager and a director of football, or sporting and technical director as they now call the position."
You might have missed Brian Sciaretta's fun piece on former Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder Michael Stephens who is now playing for Bob Bradley in Staebek, but check it out. Our favorite part: the club's supporters are paying part of his salary.
