Events

Goals win games, possession creates opportunities, and pressing forces mistakes, but how do you quantify the intangibles that define success in soccer? While analytics have redefined strategy in American sports, soccer remains a game of nuance, shaped by fluid movement, dynamic decision-making, and a long-standing reliance on intuition. Yet, clubs across the world are beginning to shift, integrating data into scouting, recruitment, and tactical analysis. Some teams are embedding analytics deeper into their strategic DNA, while others remain skeptical of its impact. What are the real barriers to full adoption? Is the resistance cultural, structural, or a product of the game itself? This panel will explore the evolving role of analytics in soccer, the tension between data-driven insights and traditional decision-making, and how clubs can strike the right balance between statistical models and on-the-pitch realities.