What an utterly baffling spring season it’s been in the NASL. Halfway through, there were clear divisions starting to form. Then, as if someone flipped a switch, the top teams through the first half became the bottom teams for the second. Soccer is a game with significant random variation baked into each match, and the…

The NASL continues to confound as the spring season appears to be wrapping up. On any given week, anyone can beat anyone else, it seems. For those of us who predicted this year would be more lopsided than the one before (and seemed vindicated four or five weeks in), recent results have pushed against that…

It’s times like this that I think I owe readers (all five of you) a brief explanation of my perspective. I generally believe (in more than just sports) that three things influence results: fundamentals, systems, and luck. Fundamentals are simple—some rosters are better than others, some coaches are more prepared than others. Systems are more…