Ottoman, Armchair Analyst's

standing side by side with the pro rel zealots facing down the Soccer United Marketing war profiteers what has the world come to

Really easy to just give in to cynicism tbh but we've got to keep pushing back and one of those places of pushback has to be @mls.bsky.social getting the fuck off polymarket

Not later, not after discussions

Right fucking now, my dogs

A clipping of a spreadsheet titled "2026 POWER RANKINGS FORM GUIDE" POWER RANKINGS freaks are going to get some mileage out of this and they don't deserve it to be honest

we're dealing with a lot of POWER in a spreadsheet it's getting dangerous

And here are the offseason grades for the Western Conference.

Lots of *good* work, but one truly outstanding job happening out there. And yeah, it's LAFC.

Got to praise John Thorrington for his work this window – and every window, pretty much.
tacticsfreezone.ghost.io/west-offseas...

Offseason grades are in (one week late).

We're starting with the Eastern Conference, and folks, I'm finally about to give out some Fs. Including one to a Union team that's not playing to win the game.

tacticsfreezone.ghost.io/east-offseas...

The Sunday night column is back!

Matchday 1 saw LAFC make a statement, Cincy dive into The Discourse & plenty more around MLS.

Including a performance for the ages by the wrong guy late on Sunday night.
tacticsfreezone.ghost.io/lafc-send-a-...

His stack of 5 books is really incredible work

Early returns suggest a lack of a funny commercial this season, but the overly serious home depot one and Idris sitting on zoom from his spare office bedroom at gunpoint might have some legs

Here it is, my favorite column of the year: the 2026 Tiers of MLS!

All 30 teams, ranked by tier, with about 9000 words of analysis on why it’ll work — and why, quite possibly, it won’t — for each.

tacticsfreezone.ghost.io/ranking-all-...

Season preview time! Today I've got my 2026 predictions – MVP, Goalkeeper of the Year, Best XI and such.

Including a pretty damn compelling battle for Young Player of the Year.
tacticsfreezone.ghost.io/2026-predict...

Putting forward an award for future consideration: the "COME BACK!" Player of the Year, awarded to the outgoing transfer a team misses the most

Fifteen years ago, I got my dream job writing for MLSsoccer. Last week, that came to an end.

I'm off on my own, and it's time to build something new – with a little help from all of you.
tacticsfreezone.ghost.io/an-end-to-my...

Every MLS team's biggest tactical question for 2026 For some the question is "what are tactics" but we'll dig a little deeper than that.

Free newsletter: Every MLS team's biggest tactical question for 2026

My first launch on the Ghost ship!

tacticsfreezone.ghost.io/every-mls-te...

DO NOT ghost your inbox today,
there is a delivery on its way
okay

Tim Weah Controversy, Pepi's Spot in Jeopardy, and World Cup Starting XI with Marcelo Balboa Podcast Episode · Inside American Soccer with Tom Bogert and Tab Ramos · 02/04/2026 · 59m

Filled in for @tombogert.bsky.social yesterday hosting Inside American Soccer with Tab Ramos, and we invited Marcelo Balboa along as well.

Me, Tab & Chelo. You know, just three legends who have all contributed roughly the same amount to the growth of US soccer.
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...

2026 MLS Points Over/Unders I joined Tom & Gass for in-depth 2026 prediction show on Soccerwise

Free newsletter: 2026 MLS Points Over/Unders, which in some ways is a measure of POWER!

Plus we're just hours away from our first installment of #MLSAfterDark for 2026.

We're back, baby!

open.substack.com/pub/tacticsf...

No sportsbook is brave enough to come up with MLS points total over/unders... but I am!

Me, @tombogert.bsky.social & @empiregass.bsky.social break it down in what has rapidly become my favorite podcast of the entire year. All 30 teams. Let's fuckin' go.

Every MLS team's biggest remaining roster question for 2026 Truth be told, there's not much left (except for the Quakes)

Free newsletter: With First Kick three weeks away I went team-by-team through MLS addressing the biggest remaining roster needs.

For some, it's quite a bit. For others, all the work seems done.
open.substack.com/pub/tacticsf...

Chucky Lozano is going through the MLS equivalent of Infernal Affairs III (2003) as the Andy Lau (Senior Inspector Lau Kin-Ming) to Carlos Vela's Tony Leung (Chan Wing-Yan)

I've been thinking about this for a year

Hearing that 6-7 usa based mls clubs will be wearing USA69 and USA420 patches. I'm not sure what significance the years 1957 and 1606 have, but in a very real sense it might have something to do with the Sinai Peninsula and Greenland, respectively

SOCCERWISER RETURNS 🚨

Friends of the show @mattdoyle.bsky.social & Bobby Warshaw join @empiregass.bsky.social for a MLS roster building spectacular 🎉

Every MLS team's best Breakout Player candidate for 2026 Coming off a very bad week that made it hard to think about soccer

Free newsletter: Every MLS team's best Breakout Player candidate for 2026

(and an mea culpa on the lack of a newsletter last week)
open.substack.com/pub/tacticsf...

More like MBA sucker partnership with Polyfartket

Sometimes I think about how the *good* outcome is that, for the rest of my life, our country is involved in a mass de-Nazification project. If we're lucky, that's what being an American is for the next 40 years.

Every single game this year. Make them hear you

It’s time for teams and leagues to leave X Remaining on the platform condones horrific racist and sexist abuse.

We quit Twitter a long time ago but this still struck a nerve with some. That said, we’ve never regretted our decision.

www.sounderatheart.com/2026/01/its-...

BREAKING: Year not even through second day and Armchair Analyst's Ottoman acknowledged as "the very best poster" in TACTICS FREE ZONE footnote

The Ottoman knows how to spell scythe and would never forget the e, not a chance in h*ll Happy New Year, Bitches we move 2026 is another one REJOICE SCYTHE-ONARA, 2025 REPENT the year of VOLAR is now upon us!

yeah the Knockout Round Spooktacular pic is 7 years old so what

here's to the more POWER full spooktaculars ahead

happy new year

And here's the final grades fro the Western Conference! Again, this isn't just MLS play – it's everything they did over the course of the season.

Including a 'Caps team that basically blew up the curve.
www.mlssoccer.com/news/western...

One Year of the Tactics Free Zone™ Launching a newsletter was a pretty good idea

Free Newsletter: One Year of the Tactics Free Zone!

Nothing to it but a big thank you, and a promise that more is on the way.
open.substack.com/pub/tacticsf...