Richard Whittall

Football Writer

Toronto

Soccer features writer. Guardian US, 21st Club, BettingExpert, Foreign Policy, Howler magazine, ESPNFC. Focus on Football Analytics and Finance.

Richard Whittall

Football Writer

Toronto

Soccer features writer. Guardian US, 21st Club, BettingExpert, Foreign Policy, Howler magazine, ESPNFC. Focus on Football Analytics and Finance.

DC United out for Red Bulls revenge: MLS weekend preview
It’s safe to say that MLS may be garnering more than a few curious fans this season in Blighty, what with a Manchester City-owned team debuting in New York, plus the option for night-crawlers to catch football in the wee weekend hours on Sky Sports. And, as every year, there are sure to be a few more North American fans interested in seeing what the fuss is about.
The Guardian
Turf war escalates as New York City FC makes home debut in week two
Around the 18th minute of New York City FC’s home debut on Sunday at Yankee Stadium, the New York Red Bulls’ Twitter account posted a link asking “Who are the best 20 players in 20 years of metro soccer?”. As an attempt to remind New Yorkers that there was another area team with two decades of history, rather than two matches, it was a reasonable jibe, but as it turned out, rather ill-timed.
The Guardian
http://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/mar/09/seattle-sounders-toronto-fc-impress-on-mls-kickoff-weekend
Hope springs eternal: Five things to look for during MLS opening weekend
After some major doubts over whether the 2015 Major League Soccer season would start on schedule after collective bargaining agreement talks went down to the wire, news broke Wednesday evening that a deal had been reached. No doubt fans will be relieved to no longer have to think about age cut-offs, hard caps and free agency.
The Guardian
2015 MLS team previews: San Jose Earthquakes to Vancouver Whitecaps
Players in: D Paulo Renato, Marvell Wynne; M Leandro Barrera, Sanna Nyassi, Fatai Alashe; F Innocent Emeghara, Mark Sherrod. Out: GK Jon Busch, Billy Knutsen; D Jason Hernandez, Andreas Gorlitz, Tommy Muller, M Atiba Harris, Yannick Djalo, Sam Cronin; F Billy Schuler. Summary: San Jose will be hoping the opening of their new Avaya Stadium will help fans to forget the misery of 2014, when they sank to a club-record 16 defeats and a last-place finish in the Western Conference.
The Guardian
2015 MLS team previews: New York Red Bulls to Real Salt Lake
Players in: GK Kyle Reynish; D Andrew Jean-Baptiste, Damien Perrinelle, Ronald Zubar; M Sal Zizzo, Sean Davis, Leo Stolz, Felipe Martins, Sacha Kljestan; F Mike Grella. Out: GK Ryan Meara; D Kosuke Kimura, Damien Perrinelle, Ibrahim Sekagya, Richard Eckersley, Jamison Olave, Ambroise Oyongo; M Bobby Convey, Marius Obekop, Eric Alexander, Tim Cahill, Eric Stevenson, Ian Christianson; F Thierry Henry, Saer Sene.
The Guardian
2015 MLS team previews: Houston Dynamo to New York City FC
Players in: GK Joe Willis; D Raul Rodriguez, Oumar Ballo, Taylor Hunter; M Zach Steinberger, Memo Rodriguez, Nathan Sturgis, Leonel Miranda, Rob Lovejoy; F Chandler Hoffman. Out: GK Tally Hall; D Eric Brunner, Anthony Arena; M Servando Carrasco, Andrew Driver; F Omar Cummings, Brian Ownby, Bryan Salazar, Mark Sherrod.
The Guardian
2015 MLS team previews: Chicago Fire to FC Dallas
Players in: GK Jon Busch; D Matt Polster, Patrick Doody, Adaílton, Eric Gehrig; D/M Joevin Jones; M Michael Stephens, Collin Fernandez, Shaun Maloney; F Kennedy Igboananike, David Accam, Guilherme do Prado. Out: GK Kyle Reynish; D Marco Franco, Patrick Ianni, Hunter Jumper, Steven Kinney, Gonzalo Segares, Bakary Soumare; M Benji Joya, Victor Pineda, Logan Pause, Grant Ward, Sanna Nyassi; F Juan Luis Anangono, Robert Earnshaw, Matt Fondy, Florent Sinama-Pongolle.
The Guardian
Zardes shines while Yedlin struggles: what we learned from USA v Panama
Let’s state the obvious caveat to all this: it was a February friendly against Panama, a team that the United States is expected to regularly beat in competitive qualifiers, let alone end-of-winter camp runabouts. Moreover, home-field advantage clearly applied in a sunny, full-voiced StubHub Center in Carson California.
The Guardian
Why risk isn't always the enemy in player recruitment
Let’s pretend for moment you’re a technical scout, preparing to add to a dossier of reasonable transfer targets for your club to cover the next three seasons. Being an analytics minded person, you are armed in your search with statistics on the effects of age on performance, advanced metrics that measure innate skill in individual players, informal data on player “agreeability”, and filters for realistic transfer fees etc. etc.
Messiah complex: why it's a joy to sing Handel's classic every Christmas
It is a gorgeous, contemplative moment in the centre of George Frideric Handel’s beloved oratorio Messiah. It is a passage as beautiful as it is haunting. Yet, if at that moment you look past the conductor and orchestra to the ranks of singers in the back row, you may catch several yawns, perhaps even an eye roll or two.
The Guardian
MLS Cup: how LA Galaxy crushed dreams of the Revolution
It was, on the surface, a classic Hollywood ending. After one of Landon Donovan’s best seasons in recent years, he retired a champion in front of a home crowd. Fireworks, fanfare and fade to black. And yet Donovan was not the star of the show against the Revs on Sunday; his team-mate and captain Robbie Keane yet again proved his MVP status, scoring the winner in the second period of extra time.
The Guardian
MLS Cup final: LA Galaxy v New England Revolution – which team is stronger?
LA Galaxy are clear favourites to win another MLS Cup on Sunday – but is the match a mere formality? Our writers assess each team’s strengths and weaknesses. New England Revolution: Bobby Shuttleworth. When veteran Matt Reis (so veteran he was in goal the last time these two met in the final in 2005) retired at the end of last year, Shuttleworth got the full-time promotion from deputizing for the big man, as he’d done ably in Reis’s absence the previous season.
The Guardian
MLS Cup: Jay Heaps' success built on Bruce Arena's foundations
On the surface, the two opposing coaches in this weekend’s MLS Cup final between the LA Galaxy and the New England Revolution could not be more different. The Galaxy’s Bruce Arena is 63, the Revs’ Jay Heaps is 38. On the touchline, the fatherly Arena maintains a blank look of vague disapproval, even if his team is winning, while the athletic Heaps has a terrifying, electric, wide-eyed stare.
The Guardian
MLS playoffs: Thierry Henry in control - even as he leaves Red Bulls
The cavernous bowels of Gillette Stadium are made for driving forklift trucks through – they’re not made for intimate farewells. As the New England and New York teams left the field, an emotional New York coach Mike Petke could be seen stalking the corridors composing himself before what would be his last post-game interview of the year.
The Guardian
Landon Donovan leads LA Galaxy past Seattle Sounders to MLS Cup final
Landon Donovan extended his half-season long retirement party to the final game of the season, helping the LA Galaxy to their 9th MLS Cup final appearance with a second half assist against the Seattle Sounders at CenturyLink Field on Sunday. Donovan’s 54th minute corner found Juninho, whose shot from distance gave LA the crucial away goal as they took home the Western Conference final.
The Guardian

About

Richard Whittall

Writing

Online Journalism

Editing

Research

Richard Whittall is an award-winning writer, researcher, and editor with a special focus on football analytics and finance. He wrote a column (“The State of Analytics”) for theScore.com that was weekly reading for industry professionals, leading soccer journalists, and the general public. Richard’s work has appeared in publications including the Guardian, ESPN, and Howler magazine, and he has also coordinated research at Rethink Management for a report commissioned by the CSA.