Countdown to 10k goals: Update #2

We were at 9,544 goals scored by MLS players before the first competitive game of the season. 2011 totals: MLS - 262 goals in 106 games. Open Cup qualifying - 25 goals in 8 games. Canadian Championship - 8 goals in 5 games. Hassli's in the canceled game doesn't count. CONCACAF Champions League - 10 goals in 6 games. Total through May 2011: 9,849 When we reach the final 100, I'll start listing each individual one to help build the tension. In June, there are 44 league games and the Open Cup round of 16 (eight games) on June 28th. We need about 2.9 goals per game to get there that month. However, don't forget that that the Open Cup games will only feature one MLS team each, so they won't average that many for sure. In fact, the last four years suggests only about 11-12 from the eight MLS teams combined in that round. So that means MLS games would need to average an unlikely 3.15 goals per game to reach this in June, making July far more likely. Using an average of 2.5 goals per league game, that suggests Wednesday, July 6th could be the historic date. Four games are scheduled then: NY-TOR, KC-COL, VAN-CLB, and CHV-SJ. If it doesn't happen, then certainly it will on July 9th, when a further seven games are played.

YA Premiership Appearances (1992/93 - 2010/11)

Updated to include this past season's numbers. Thanks to Numerista on Bigsoccer for originally compiling the list through 2005/6, to which I've been adding to it since (so if anything's wrong, take it up with him :P). This does not include data for any seasons before the formation of the Premiership. I've also decided to leave out the non-USMNT Americans like Giuseppe Rossi. Ten Americans saw action in the EPL this past season, one more than in 2009/10. Clint Dempsey finished with 12 goals, and is now only three away from tying McBride for the most by an American. He's also one appearance away from matching McBride for the most by a field player. Brad Friedel has now played 400 games exactly, more than anyone in the MLS regular season (Ralston-378). Stuart Holden and Tim Howard also were full time starters, while Michael Bradley, Jermaine Jones, and Eric Lichaj played for the first time in England's highest level. Marcus Hahnemann, Eddie Johnson, and Jonathan Spector played on occasion, completing the list of ten. That's everyone, right? Games Goals Clubs 1 Brad Friedel 400 1 Liverpool, Blackburn, Aston Villa 2 Tim Howard 231 0 Manchester Utd, Everton 3 Kasey Keller 201 0 Leicester, Tottenham, Southampton, Fulham 4 Brian McBride 148 36 Everton, Fulham 5 Clint Dempsey 147 33 Fulham 6 Jonathan Spector 124 2 Manchester Utd, Charlton, West Ham 7 Carlos Bocanegra 116 8 Fulham 8 Marcus Hahnemann 115 0 Reading, Wolves 9 Claudio Reyna 104 7 Sunderland, Manchester City 10 Roy Wegerle 75 13 Blackburn, Coventry 11 Joe-Max Moore 52 8 Everton 12 Preki 46 4 Everton 13 John Harkes 43 2 Sheff Wed, West Ham, Nottingham 14 Jay DeMerit 33 2 Watford 14 Juergen Sommer 33 0 QPR 16 Bobby Convey 29 0 Reading 17 Jozy Altidore 28 1 Hull 17 Stuart Holden 28 2 Bolton 19 Eddie Lewis 25 0 Fulham, Derby 20 Jovan Kirovski 23 2 Birmingham 21 Cobi Jones 21 2 Coventry 22 Eddie Johnson 19 0 Fulham 23 DaMarcus Beasley 18 3 Manchester City 24 Jermaine Jones 15 0 Blackburn 25 Oguchi Onyewu 12 0 Newcastle 26 Landon Donovan 10 2 Everton 26 Benny Feilhaber 10 0 Derby 28 Ian Feuer 5 0 West Ham, Derby 28 Jemal Johnson 5 0 Blackburn 28 Eric Lichaj 5 0 Aston Villa 31 Michael Bradley 3 0 Aston Villa 32 Brad Guzan 1 0 Aston Villa 32 Johann Smith 1 0 Bolton

OTFATT 2011: Update #2

Previous Updates #1 4/11 66 players remaining In these updates throughout the season, I'll be keeping track of which MLS players have played every minute of every game in the regular season. That feat has been accomplished only 42 times in 15 seasons. Click here for the complete list. This month, three more teams have exhausted their supply of remaining OTFATT players. They are DC, Vancouver, and KC. As it stands now, there are 26 players left spread across 13 MLS teams. Eight keepers remain, along with 18 field players. One player who will certainly be dropping off the list is Chicago's Marco Pappa, who was called up by Guatemala for next month's CONCACAF Gold Cup. Houston's Lovel Palmer, however, was not named in Jamaica's squad. It's likely that Andrew Hainault will join Canada, while there's an outside chance for several Americans to be named in Bob Bradley's squad (to be announced later today). My picks for last remaining keeper (Nielsen) and field player (J.Hernandez) are already out. On average, about three players survive each season, but this year it seems like it could be fewer with the combination of the international callups and the longer schedule. Will there be a sole survivor, or even none like in 1998? Remaining Candidates (26) 1 CHI Pappa 1 CHV Pearce 3 CLB Hesmer, James, Marshall 4 COL Kimura, Larentowicz, Moor, Pickens 3 DAL Hartman, Hernandez, John 3 HOU Hainault, Hall, Palmer 1 LA Dunivant 1 NY Solli 3 PHI Le Toux, Mondragon, Valdes 2 POR Brunner, Jewsbury 2 SEA Alonso, Keller 1 SJ Busch 1 TOR Frei Order of teams being totally wiped out for 2011, with last surviving player: 1. RSL - Kyle Beckerman, Nat Borchers, Javier Morales, Nick Rimando, Chris Wingert (4/9) 2. NE - Pat Phelan (4/9) 3. DC - Marc Burch (5/4) 4. VAN - Alain Rochat (5/14) 5. KC - Jimmy Nielsen (5/14)

MLS: Number of Games Where Both Teams Led

There hasn't been too many so far this year, did you notice? It's only happened five times in 86 games. PCT GPG 1996 18.1% 3.37 1997 24.4% 3.26 1998 21.9% 3.57 1999 12.5% 2.86 2000 17.2% 3.19 2001 19.6% 3.28 2002 18.6% 3.01 2003 19.3% 2.89 2004 16.7% 2.61 2005 15.6% 2.87 2006 15.6% 2.62 2007 15.4% 2.66 2008 15.7% 2.81 2009 12.9% 2.54 2010 11.7% 2.46 2011 5.8% 2.38 Obviously, it's related to the number of goals, since at least three are needed in a match.. This year's seen a smaller percentage than would be normal so far, though it should creep back up to at least at ten percent eventually. One note about this data. I used the MLS method of counting each game as exactly 90 minutes, regardless of how long stoppage time is. So if one team were took a lead and then gave it up during that time in either half, then I'm not able to include it here. It can't have happened too many times in league history, though. Also, games from 2000-03 that went into overtime are affected. Since some of the games ended with a golden goal, I don't count those winners as a lead. If a game was 0-0 until a golden goal in the 97th minute, then I would record it as 97 tied minutes. There have been several MLS teams to only have one game in an entire season where both teams led, but never has a team gone the whole season without one. Although, NY and RSL each had only one last year and zero this year so far (not including the RSL-Dallas playoff game). Seven teams have broken double digits, and it's fair to say that these teams were exciting to watch, right? Even though some weren't very good: RSL 2006 10 NY 2005 10 CHI 2000 10 KC 1998 11 NY 1998 10 NE 1997 10 NY 1997 11

Alternate History 4: UEFA Champions League

The tournament formerly known as the European Cup used to be limited to only one team per country. Prior to the mid-90s, it actually was a competition for champions only (imagine that), along with the title holders. 1997-98 was the first tournament to include teams that didn't win their domestic championships, and Manchester United was the first team to win who wouldn't have qualified under the old standard. What if the old rules had remained in effect? Who would've won in each season from 1998 until today? Find out after the jump. Read more »