

Art by John W. Tomac | Website | @johnwtomac

Ever wonder who’s behind all the live stats on the MLSsoccer.com Matchcenter on Saturday nights?

The latest episode of the Emmy-nominated series MLS Insider goes behind the scenes with the number crunchers at Opta Sports, the world’s leading live sports data company. When supporters are watching games from the stands there’s an army of soccer-savvy minds breaking down the action into sensible stats for fans and, in the case of the New England Revolution, MLS teams willing to embrace the new numbers revolution.

For more on the numbers game, check out the latest column from Opta Sports analyst Devin Plueler, who breaks down the statistic that differentiates one of the best teams in MLS this season from one of the worst. And don’t miss the rest of the MLS Insider series, including past episodes on New York Red Bulls striker Bradley Wright-Phillips, the rise of MLS academies and Thierry Henry’s memorable matchup against former club Arsenal.