King Ant!

Great writeup. I've been fascinated by how Hormiga has fit in the team's system this past season.

✍️ Armando "Hormiga" González: A 22-year-old reaching Erling Haaland levels of output ✅ Excellent off-ball movement to get in-behind defensive lines ✅ Attacking the blindside when Chivas cross ✅ Frequently adjusts positioning to gain advantages cambiodejuegoenglish.beehiiv.com/p/armando-go...

✍️ Why Club América's attack isn't working 1️⃣ More crosses from deep & wide 2️⃣ More shots from distance 3️⃣ No replacement for Henry's combination of goals & creativity 4️⃣ Fewer runs into the box from interior midfielders 5️⃣ Too pragmatic in big games? cambiodejuegoenglish.beehiiv.com/p/club-am-ri...

Pass and move 🏃 🔷 Whilst tracking data is needed to fully assess off-ball movement, we can visualize movement during a pass combo with event data 🔷 I split pass & move into 2 types: 1️⃣ Wall pass (1-2) 2️⃣ ABCA combo (Player A makes pass 1 & receive pass 3) 👇 Example from Messi at past 2 World Cups

xG p90 leaders in Europe's "big 5" leagues plus Liga MX, 2025-26 (Data from FBref, minimum 500 minutes): ▫️ Erling Haaland - 1.03 🇲🇽 Armando "Hormiga" González - 0.75 ▫️ Kylian Mbappe - 0.73 The 22-year-old should be Mexico's next export to Europe

🧵 Thread: I recently explored a few ideas to analyze a team's press in more detail 👇 1️⃣ Pressing triggers ▫️By focusing on the opponent's pass before a 1st pressing action in a sequence, it's possible to separate different triggers 👇 The graphic shows an example, with the 8 triggers that I defined

✍️ Pressing triggers, orientation & defensive positioning: Developing opposition analysis ideas 👇 ▫️Focusing on the pass before a pressure to analyze triggers ▫️How the trigger impacts outcomes ▫️Orientation & positioning can add more layers of detail cambiodejuegoenglish.beehiiv.com/p/pressing-t...

Welcome new people, here are some soccer analytics and tactics accounts to follow if you're into that

2 goals for the extraordinary Gilberto Mora in the U20 World Cup yesterday. Back in February, I profiled the 16-year-old, analysing his underlying numbers, remarkable ball retention, shot locations and performances in the Tijuana academy 👇 cambiodejuegoenglish.beehiiv.com/p/the-best-p...

✏️ Studying tempo in a high press, inspired by tactical analysis from @jonmackenzie.bsky.social & @liamtharme.bsky.social ▫️Pressing a ball reception = Less progression & more recoveries ▫️More time on the ball = More long passes & better success % cambiodejuegoenglish.beehiiv.com/p/tempo-and-...

🤔🤔🤔

This one is good And applies to the importance of shots from the likes of DJJ and Lukic from outside the box #doop

✍️ Pressing the ball reception can improve high press efficiency ▫️Limiting time on the ball before a pressing action reduces opposition ball progression ▫️Generating turnovers is more complex, as increased time pre-press leads to more long passes cambiodejuegoenglish.beehiiv.com/p/tempo-and-...

You may well have seen this but I enjoyed this recently bsky.app/profile/tomh...

A pleasure to provide some quotes for the @cesarhfutbol.bsky.social piece on Gilberto Mora Check it out below 👇

Nothing I love more than when analytics research backs up things that just obviously completely make sense

I, and I can't stress this enough, love this shit.

Yes, and I know it's simple, but I've seen coaches teaching "ball, body, goal" positioning (or something along the same lines) to both goalkeepers and defenders. This naturally results in the defender blocking the keeper's view. So it's something that hasn't been considered enough in my opinion.

This is v cool. Reminds me of Dyche’s Burnley doing a neat funnelling thing where there was no pressure but the Gk sightline was kept clear.

Fun example of the kind of thing you can look into with the Statsbomb public dataset

This is neat

✍️ Blocking the goalkeeper's sightline can increase goal probability ▫️Defensive positioning study with @statsbomb.com data ▫️Pressuring shots reduces goal probability ▫️If a defender can't pressure the shot they should move to clear the keeper's view cambiodejuegoenglish.beehiiv.com/p/blocking-t...

✍️ Free-kicks: Where should teams shoot from? ▫️Analyzing StatsBomb open data to find the most efficient decision based on the location of the free-kick ▫️How Messi has out-performed the average ▫️Should teams attempt more indirect free-kicks? cambiodejuegoenglish.beehiiv.com/p/free-kicks...

✍️ 10 ways that football clubs should be using analytics 🆕Recruitment & contracts ✅Pre-game, live, collective & individual analysis ❓Predicting young player potential 📈Training data & overall trends 👇Exploring each type with Liga MX case studies cambiodejuegoenglish.beehiiv.com/p/10-ways-th...

✍️ Is Alexis Gutiérrez good enough for América? ▫️Less attacking output than current options Álvaro Fidalgo & Érick Sánchez ▫️Very little impact in build-up ▫️Few dribbles, lots of sideways/backwards passes 👇Complete analysis of América's new signing cambiodejuegoenglish.beehiiv.com/p/alexis-gut...

✍️ Re-building Juárez: Where should they try to strengthen? ▫️Left-back options to replace Orquin ▫️Replacement if Campillo leaves ▫️How to improve central creation ▫️Better striker than Zaldívar Article analyzing the squad & possible signings below 👇 cambiodejuegoenglish.beehiiv.com/p/re-buildin...

✍ Re-building Club América: Where should they try to strengthen? ▫️ Orquín should take Chicote's minutes ▫️ Another midfielder to boost options? ▫️ A direct replacement if Brian leaves ▫️ Various options to improve cover out wide Article below 👇 cambiodejuegoenglish.beehiiv.com/p/re-buildin...

✍️ Re-building León: Where should they try to strengthen? ▫️Left-back with more attacking output ▫️A better ball-winning midfielder ▫️Younger wingers to add creativity ▫️Backup striker options 👇 Link below, analyzing the squad & potential signings cambiodejuegoenglish.beehiiv.com/p/re-buildin...

Enjoying this series from Tom. I would take the question mark off the new striker, though I agree it's wise to not set out to find 'a new Gignac' It's also still very funny that Pizarro needs to replace a lot of the production he himself was providing over the last several tournaments.

✍️ Re-building Tigres: What does Guido Pizarro need to improve next season? ▫️ A holding-midfielder to replace Carioca ▫️ More creativity in the squad ▫️ A new striker? 👇 Analyzing the squad, the contract decisions and potential signings cambiodejuegoenglish.beehiiv.com/p/re-buildin...

🆕 Re-building Pumas 👇 ✍️ Analyzing the current situation, squad, and profiles they should be looking for ⬆️ Improvements needed at full-back ❌ Why Héctor Moreno shouldn't be signed 💪 Assessing defensive midfield options ⬅️ Ruvalcaba should stay cambiodejuegoenglish.beehiiv.com/p/re-buildin...

✍️ The most frequent passes for every Liga MX team ▫️Using StatsBomb's pass clustering graphic to analyze build-ups ▫️Brunetta's passing tendency leads to Tigres attacking more on the right ▫️Necaxa the most direct side in liguilla 👇 Full analysis cambiodejuegoenglish.beehiiv.com/p/the-most-f...

✍️ Lucas Ocampos: A disappointing season or a bad signing? ❌ 0 goals or assists in 15 of his 18 starts 📉 His output had already declined greatly in La Liga, did Rayados fail to analyze this drop, and the impact of age curves? 👇 Full article below cambiodejuegoenglish.beehiiv.com/p/lucas-ocam...

19yr old Elias Montiel tonight against Monterrey. Excited for his future. He was a big topic in my podcast this week with @tomh36.bsky.social open.spotify.com/episode/6TNK...

🆕 Article 👉 Analyzing the fall in parity in Liga MX 👇 🔷 Clausura 23 was the 1st season with 6 teams reaching 30 points 🔷 It's happened 3 more times since 🔷 2 teams under 10 points this season 🔷 Financial inequality to blame? Removing relegation? cambiodejuegoenglish.beehiiv.com/p/parity-in-...

🆕✍️ 🔴Necaxa are the most improved Liga MX team this season, right? Well, not really ❌No improvement in their xG difference 📈A story of xG under-performance becoming xG over-performance ❓But given a change in style, is this still a success? Read 👇 cambiodejuegoenglish.beehiiv.com/p/nicol-s-la...

🎙️ @thecolorfulkit.com and I talking through a list of the most exciting young Mexicans in Liga MX right now. Plus we get sidetracked on the youth minutes rule, contract decisions, and how teams can analyze their fuerzas básicas talents. Check it out 👇

✍️ My team of the season for Liga MX Clausura 2025...but with just 1 player per team 👇 🔵 A 39-year-old keeper 🔴 The full/wing-back who's ready to make a step-up 🟡 How Fidalgo became even more influential 🔴 The stand-out Mexican player this season cambiodejuegoenglish.beehiiv.com/p/liga-mx-cl...

3 tactical/analytical takeaways from Liga MX Jornada 16 🧵👇

✍️ Data & tactical review of Liga MX Jornada 16 👇 ⬇️ 5 games without winning for América, it seems that the Valdés false-9 experiment isn't working ⬆️ Toluca secure 1st place, switching to a back-5 to beat San Luis 🔴🔵Chivas or Pumas for the last spot cambiodejuegoenglish.beehiiv.com/p/jornada-16...

✍️ Efraín Álvarez may be in high demand this summer, where could he move to? ⬅️ Left-footed right-wingers are rare & often key for tactical ideas ✅ Frequent creator, able to cross with little space ❔ Analyzing his options in Liga MX 👇 Article below cambiodejuegoenglish.beehiiv.com/p/who-s-goin...

✍️ Article reviewing Liga MX Jornada 15 👇 🐯 Late Tigres comeback in the clásico, as indiscipline hurts Rayados 🐐 Analyzing Chivas' problems out of possession ⬇️ América's attack struggles again versus Cruz Azul ⚽ 8 goal thriller in Aguascalientes cambiodejuegoenglish.beehiiv.com/p/jornada-15...

❌ Two-thirds of Luka Romero's shots with Cruz Azul have been blocked, what's he doing wrong? 👇 ▫️Tries to shoot with power, using a long run-up & back-lift ▫️His shooting action takes a long time ▫️Poor decision making, shooting when he should pass cambiodejuegoenglish.beehiiv.com/p/why-do-so-...

✍️ Analyzing the defensive tactics behind a successful Juárez season 👇 5️⃣ Using the left-winger to create a back-5 in their low block ✅ Improved performances after adjusting their 1st line of pressure 📈 Impact of a short-term xG over-performance cambiodejuegoenglish.beehiiv.com/p/the-defens...

✍️ Previewing the second legs of the Champions Cup quarter-finals 👇 🟡 Will Jardine stick with a back-five? And can Cruz Azul break them down? ⚪ How LA Galaxy tried to hit Tigres in counter-attacks 🔵 Vancouver's rotations & how Pumas adjusted cambiodejuegoenglish.beehiiv.com/p/champions-...

3️⃣ tactical takeaways from Liga MX Jornada 14 🧵👇

✍️ Liga MX Jornada 14 review in the link below👇 🔵 Rotondi's far-post arrivals help Cruz Azul beat Pumas, with Monroy at fault for both goals 🔷 Demichelis switches to a 4-4-2 diamond with great success 🟢 Berizzo struggling to find León's best system cambiodejuegoenglish.beehiiv.com/p/jornada-14...

📈 A major part of Alexis Vega's outstanding form has been due to him getting into better shot and assist locations ⚽ Few long shots in the past 5 matches, and goals from high xG locations 👇 5 assists from passes inside the box Full analysis 👉 cambiodejuegoenglish.beehiiv.com/p/alexis-veg...