Fresh off the release of his book Net Gains: Inside the Beautiful Game’s Analytics Revolution, ESPN staff writer Ryan O’Hanlon joins our podcast to discuss the difficulties of analyzing and quantifying soccer, the process behind writing the book, and stories of playing pickup against Julio.
Why is it so hard to quantify soccer? Advanced stat gurus have been able to do so with other sports, but still have issues in analyzing the beautiful game from a metrics perspective.
However, more clubs at the highest level are beginning to utilize next gen stats and data in player evaluation and on-pitch tactics, and the sport that is so steeped in tradition has evolved rapidly as a result.
In his new book Net Gains: Inside the Beautiful Game’s Analytics Revolution, ESPN staff writer Ryan O’Hanlon explores how some of the world’s biggest clubs have begun to use cutting edge analytics and statistics to play more efficiently and effectively, ultimately in search of “the right way to play.”
He joins the Urban Pitch Podcast to discuss the process behind the book, his journey into becoming enthralled with soccer analytics, and why Julio’s soccer skills are perfect for pickup games.
You can watch the entire podcast on YouTube, or listen to the audio on streaming services including Apple and Spotify.
Net Gains: Inside the Beautiful Game’s Analytics Revolution is available for purchase here.
