Alan Jacobs teaches, writes, and watches soccer in Wheaton, Illinois. His homepage is here: ayjay.jottit.com. His most recent book is The Pleasures of Reading in an Age of Distraction.
When to keep the ball, and when not to. By Alan Jacobs.
December 14, 2011
The demon and the daimon, by Alan Jacobs.
December 6, 2011
What makes a great referee, by Alan Jacobs.
November 10, 2011
How to react to a missed sitter. By Alan Jacobs.
October 16, 2011
Alan Jacobs on the diversions of history.
October 3, 2011
Alan Jacobs on Arsenal’s defense.
September 17, 2011
Alan Jacobs on soccer and body type.
August 22, 2011
Alan Jacobs on the Xavi of defending.
August 3, 2011
Can Jürgen Klinsmann’s philosophy of liberation work at the USMNT?
July 29, 2011
The rise of Liverpool and the decline of Arsenal.
July 11, 2011
Can other teams learn anything from the way Barcelona play football?
May 30, 2011
We all know what Barcelona’s style is like. What about Manchester United’s?
May 28, 2011
What makes for a prodigy?
May 9, 2011
Alan Jacobs on the feedback loop that’s ruining El Clásico.
April 30, 2011
Fernando Torres and what makes a player fall short of expectations. By Alan Jacobs.
April 13, 2011
The top teams have better players, but second-tier teams often have better stories.
April 9, 2011
The word that links José Mourinho and the creation of the universe.
March 17, 2011
On the wonder of left-footed players, by Alan Jacobs.
March 7, 2011
Goalkeepers aren’t the only ones who second-guess themselves during penalties.
March 1, 2011
What children walking home from school can tell us about Zlatan Ibrahimović.
February 21, 2011
Alan Jacobs on the temporal dislocations of the American soccer fan.
February 13, 2011
He may be crazy, but he’s a stabilizing force on the pitch, Alan Jacobs writes.
January 19, 2011
Run of Play internal wire #2791.3: the infamous “Hodgson Memo.”
December 30, 2010
A great defense is a mathematics of frustration, Alan Jacobs writes.
December 16, 2010
They’re a swarm intelligence, Alan Jacobs writes.
November 30, 2010
He’s been a joy to watch this year, despite the British press, writes Alan Jacobs.
November 19, 2010
Alan Jacobs on the invisible Grand Canyon.
August 16, 2010
This World Cup was a lot of things. Boring was not one of them.
July 12, 2010
Alan Jacobs on Spain’s style, Sneijder’s luck, and the irrelevance of total football.
July 9, 2010
A thought experiment featuring Luis Suárez.
July 3, 2010
Alan Jacobs on chance and the identity of the England team.
June 27, 2010
What do we mean when we say a referee’s decision is “harsh”?
June 21, 2010
Alan Jacobs on Koman Coulibaly, Alex Massie, and the Bigger Picture.
June 19, 2010
Alan Jacobs on why Barcelona’s style has no rival.
April 8, 2010
Watching people watch football on TV.
March 9, 2010
Sir Alex, a king most tragical.
November 14, 2009
Alan Jacob on following sports after you grow up.
August 18, 2009