October 28, 2020

A Look into the Efficiency of the Major League Soccer SuperDraft

October 28, 2020/ Scott Knuth

In this series of articles, we are going to look at the efficiency of the Major League Soccer SuperDraft. For this research, we analyzed the 2013-2019 MLS SuperDraft along with the 2013 MLS Supplemental Draft. We will evaluate draft efficiency by looking at several different success factors for both draftees and teams. Over this 7-year period there were 30 rounds of drafts and 632 allocated draft picks, from which 576 players were selected-approximately 91%. We can deduce that the majority of Major League Soccer teams use their allocated draft picks when available. However, the number of players actually signed to contracts by their drafting club is significantly lower. According to Figure 1, there is a sharp contrast between the number of players drafted versus the number that are signed to MLS contracts. Out of the 576 total selected players, only 269 were signed to an MLS Contract by the club that drafted them.

February 26, 2019

Seattle Sounders 2019 Season Preview

February 26, 2019/ Ian L.

I suppose that by Seattle’s lofty standards you could consider last season to be a bit of a disappointment. For the first time in three years, they weren’t contesting the MLS Cup final, having been knocked from the competition in heartbreaking fashion by Portland on penalties after 120 minutes of what can very reasonably be called the most exciting playoff match in team history. So how do you bounce back? Is there actually anything to bounce back from? Why don’t teams have long-sleeved jersey options all of a sudden? What’s actually going on with Adidas anyway? If the Seattle Sounders were a character in Game of Thrones which one would they be? We shall endeavor to answer some of these questions within.

April 02, 2018

The Elusive Advanced Defensive Metric

April 02, 2018/ Mark Asher Goodman

It all started with Micheal Azira.

At the conclusion of the 2017 MLS season, I sifted through the wreckage of the Colorado Rapids awful season, player by player, to see what could be learned. Who, among these players was actually a high-quality soccer player? Who should the team retain for next year? Who should be jettisoned? Why? How can I know the difference? And, most importantly for readers of a data-obsessive website like American Soccer Analysis, can I find a credible way of answering those questions using advanced metrics?

February 24, 2017

Seattle Sounders 2017 Season Preview

February 24, 2017/ Benjamin Harrison

One is tempted - given the Seattle Sounders' dramatic recovery of a seemingly lost 2016 season to seize a playoff berth, and, ultimately, the MLS Cup - to take those last 14 games (plus the playoffs) as the best sign of what the team has to offer in the coming season. But with new acquisitions bolstering the bench, players developing in key positions, others returning from injury, and still others adjusting adjusting to the league, the team could easily see improvements over the championship campaign. Designated Player Clint Dempsey was available for only four games of Seattle's stretch run thanks to a heart condition, but is now cleared to play. Brad Evans struggled with injuries throughout the last half of the season. Young starters Jordan Morris and Cristian Roldan are a year older and more experienced. Left back Joevin Jones is entering his physical prime. Even if the Sounders have not put the dire days fully behind them, this is a team that should expect to make the playoffs and contend in the postseason.