Can Stats Finally Make Soccer a Success in the U.S.?

This might prove interesting. Moneyball is still in my queue. (pic via Wikipedia)

Doing A Number On Soccer - 04.07.08 - SI Vault: "Stats companies have been calculating all manner of soccer indicators for years, and, upon inspection, they turn out to be fascinating. (Though you'd never know it, as MLS doesn't release or track them for reasons 'more technical than philosophical,' says deputy commissioner Ivan Gazidis, which in essence means, We're too cheap to pay the stat trackers.) Among other things, players are rated by touches per 90 minutes, possessions won and passing percentage. In Europe, companies even track how far each player runs, with top midfielders logging more than 7.2 miles per game, or 7.19 more than David Ortiz on any given day."