From the Touchline: Augsburg, Baum Beat Leipzig Before the Match Begins
One of the things I love most about the Bundesliga – and this may be falling into a stereotype but it’s true – is how…
Articles by Robert Hay Jr
Serie A Matchday 4 Preview: Defending Our Selections This Week
The matches in Italy are coming hard and fast now, as European competitions give way to three games in eight days time of the year….
From the Touchline: Milan Drenched by Torrent of Lazio Goals
The match was billed as a true test for both sides. Lazio of course already had a big victory over Juve but in the league…
Serie A Matchday 3 Preview: Everything is Awesome
The wandering in the international break desert is over and the clubs are ready to resume the season. The Azzurri had a rough go over…
US National Team Shows Consistency is Key for World Cup Qualifying Success
How do you solve the enigma wrapped in a puzzle that is the U.S. Men’s National Team? With two opposite coaches in pedigree, style, and…
Serie A Matchday 2: Italian League Looks Like the Usual Suspects
One week into the Serie A season and everything looks normal. Spots one through four are (in order) Internazionale, Juventus, Milan, and Napoli. Even with…
Liverpool Use Two Goal Advantage to Beat Hoffenheim’s Gamble
Much ink has been spilled about the away goal advantage in a knockout competition, and we will not relitigate it here. What we will say…
Serie A Matchday 1: Will Juve Start as the Don of Serie A?
Not too long ago, Serie A was considered a selling league. The league’s brightest young stars left for larger clubs and Serie A sides collected…
From the Touchline: Know When to Hold ‘Em at the Transfer Deadline
The end of the summer transfer window is an insane time for a manager. January is a short burst of insanity in player acquisitions but…
From the Touchline: Benfica Begin Title Defence with 3-1 Win over Braga
The Liga Nos season started with an intriguing matchup, as the defending title holders Benfica hosted Braga, who finished fifth in the league last season….
From the Touchline: For High Scoring Miami FC, Tactics Fail Against FC Cincinnati
The U.S. Open Cup is not held in the same esteem as other league cups around the world. However, there are times when the matches…
From the Touchline: Shouldn’t a Manager Only Manage?
The modern manager is part showman, part lawyer, part negotiator, and part masochist. At any level, from the Premier League to the semi-professional leagues, the…
From the Touchline: How a Manager Can Save His Job By Befriending the Media
As we have mentioned repeatedly in this column, managers have an incredible survival instinct. They seek whatever advantage they can on the pitch and in…
From the Touchline: How to Increase Diversity on the Touchline
Two weeks ago, I wrote about two interesting statistics about football managers. First was the large number of unemployed one-time managers and how hard it…
From the Touchline: Why Clubs Hire the Same Men and Will Always Do So
This week two news articles from different sides of the Atlantic caught my eye. They were about different subjects in football but they play into…
In Memoriam: Tony DiCicco
On Tuesday, a legend of the game of football passed away rather suddenly at the young age of 68. This man was a manager extraordinaire,…
Why Bruce Arena Succeeds with the U.S. National Team Where Klinsmann Failed
The U.S. got a much-needed result in World Cup qualifying this weekend with a 1-1 draw with Mexico. The Azteca has long been a house…
NISA is the Latest (and Best) Attempt to Disrupt American Professional Soccer
As a growing football/soccer nation, the United States is still going through some growing pains. If it were a person, MLS would have just graduated…
From the Touchline: Sometimes the Manager and Tactics Don’t Matter
Like many of you, I watched the Champions League final with intense interest to see what promised to be a fascinating tactical battle. Like most…
From the Touchline – David Wagner Shows Results Outweigh Ideals
Huddersfield Town were having a fairy tale season before defeating Reading on penalties to win promotion to the Premier League. They had finished near the…