What are soccer analytics and how are teams in MLS using them?

MLSsoccer.com helped answer those questions over the last month showing you how MLS teams are using data to find players, construct balanced rosters, prevent injury and even win games. MLSsoccer.com took you behind the curtain once a week for five weeks to show how North American clubs are pushing the envelope in the world of soccer analytics.

Of course, they aren't the only clubs making an investment in data analysis, performance analysis and sports science. But what exactly does that mean?

Data Analysis: Interpret and provide context for the event data collected by statistics providers such as Opta. Data analysis can help teams be more efficient in player recruitment and is also a valuable tool for coaches as they scout and gameplan for matches and evaluate player, team and opponent performances.

Interpret and provide context for the event data collected by statistics providers such as Opta. Data analysis can help teams be more efficient in player recruitment and is also a valuable tool for coaches as they scout and gameplan for matches and evaluate player, team and opponent performances. Performance Analysis: Performance analysts film games and collect specific events from broadcasts for timely review by coaches and players. The clips and insight gleaned can be used to reinforce coaching points during the pregame scouting process, make in-game adjustments or evaluate performances.

Performance analysts film games and collect specific events from broadcasts for timely review by coaches and players. The clips and insight gleaned can be used to reinforce coaching points during the pregame scouting process, make in-game adjustments or evaluate performances. Sports Science: The use of training and game data to ensure players are at their physical peak and help prevent injuries. Players wear fitness tracking technology to accumulate data used to evaluate the state of their bodies, with analysts providing regular reports to the coaching and training staffs to evaluate injury risk as well as optimum training and match load.

Wondering where your club stands? Below is a list of current MLS data analysts, performance analysts and sports scientists:

Data Analyst

CHI - Michael Bertin

COL - Padraig Smith

DC - Stewart Mairs

NE - Tim Crawford

PHI - Kyle McCarthy

POR - Brendan Kent

SKC - Ashley Wallace

TOR - Bret Myers

TOR - Devin Pleuler

Performance Analyst

ATL - Lucy Rushton

CLB - Adin Osmanbasic

HOU - Oliver Gage

MTL - Massimo Di Ioia

NYC - Daniel Fradley

NY - Victor Bertini

PHI - BJ Callaghan

PHI - Jay Cooney

SJ - Vasili Cremanzidis

SEA - Tom Childs

SEA - Jarryd Phillips

SEA - Ravi Ramineni

SKC - Patrick Mannix

TOR - Clark Thompson

VAN - Daniel Stenz

Sports Science

CLB - Steve Tashjian

COL - Miguel Motolongo

DAL - Skylar Richards

HOU - Paul Caffrey

LA - Ivan Pierra

POR - Nick Milonas

POR - Nick Lewis

PHI - Garrison Draper

RSL - Dan Barlow

SEA - Chad Kolarcik

SEA - David Tenney

SKC - Mateus Manoel

TOR - Jim Liston

VAN - Carl Bergstrom