<![CDATA[Simulation Soccer League - Articles]]> https://forum.simulationsoccer.com/ Tue, 16 Jun 2026 23:38:37 +0000 MyBB <![CDATA[Hit Me With Your Best Shot! (or pass, or free kick, or...)]]> https://forum.simulationsoccer.com/showthread.php?tid=9960 Tue, 16 Jun 2026 20:39:19 +0100 DidYouSeeThatLudicrousDisplay?]]> https://forum.simulationsoccer.com/showthread.php?tid=9960 Breaking The Walls Down

Okay, so I know, I know, a Wall in soccer is a defensive formation. That's not what I'm talking about here.  I'm talking about those players who are putting their bodies on the line to get the ball the hell away from their defensive end.  The players who frustrate offensive players, making them wonder what they have to do to get past them.  Over my next few independent media pieces, we're going to look at The Walls, the top 10 players from Season 25 who deflected the most soccer balls in the Majors. This time up, we're going to just focus on SSL Division 1.

When looking at these stats, we see that there are actually two different statistics for blocks for non-goalkeepers.  One just called Blocks, which is any deflection they cause, be it off a pass, a free kick, etc., and Shots Blocked. There is no explanation to say specifically if Shots Blocked's numbers are included in Blocks, but a quick scan through each player, all the way down to someone with zero blocks and zero shots blocked, there's no one who has more Shots Blocked than Blocks, so I'm going to assume that it is indeed included.

To start, we're going to just look at Shots Blocked, though. Players who helped their Keeper out by keeping the balls out of harm's way.  The top 10 players in this stat, we almost instantly see that there are some teams whose coaches might be teaching their players reverse dodgeball. União São Paulo leads the firing squad recipients, having three of the top 10, the trio of Slab Head, Ben Nelson, and Ryan Kerpatrick, with a combined 36 Shots Blocked between them.  Reykjavik United, Xelajú Cósmico FC,  and Hollywood FC all had two representatives as well. CF Catalunya had one, but it was a very special one.

CF Catalunya's Pablo Kawasaki led the SSL Division 1 in Shots Blocked with 17.  That's a lot of being pelted by some of the best shooters in the world. Seventeen shots that their keeper didn't have to dive for, saving them and the team some extra wear and tear. People don't often talk about saving the goalkeeper work instead of the keeper saving balls themselves, but I feel it's a fun thing to look at. Granted, we don't know how many of these shots were indeed going to end up in the back of the net, but thinking of how CF Catalunya had a Goal Differential of -12 with these shots blocked, one has to wonder if they would have ended up losing a few more games than they had won. These 17 shots blocked alone might have kept them from finishing worse than their third-place finish, not even mentioning any from Pablo's teammates.

Now, what I found extra surprising was when I sorted the index to show me the Top 10 Blocks list.  You'd expect to see the same names on that list as the Shots Blocked list, but in reality, only half of them show up on this list as well!  That means five players snuck their way into the Top 10 by deflecting passes, clears, free kicks, in more regularity than shots!  In fact, União São Paulo drops from three players to only one representative in the Top 10 with their defender, Slab Head.

One of those players that shows up on both lists is Reykjavik's Ilya Prusikin, with a league-leading 21 blocks! Ilya's 16 Shots Blocked were good enough for second on that list, but adding in five more deflections, and that gives them the league lead in total Blocks!

Coming soon, we'll see how Division 2 did. Will they give Division 1 a run for its money?

Code:
Word Count: 623 words
]]> Breaking The Walls Down

Okay, so I know, I know, a Wall in soccer is a defensive formation. That's not what I'm talking about here.  I'm talking about those players who are putting their bodies on the line to get the ball the hell away from their defensive end.  The players who frustrate offensive players, making them wonder what they have to do to get past them.  Over my next few independent media pieces, we're going to look at The Walls, the top 10 players from Season 25 who deflected the most soccer balls in the Majors. This time up, we're going to just focus on SSL Division 1.

When looking at these stats, we see that there are actually two different statistics for blocks for non-goalkeepers.  One just called Blocks, which is any deflection they cause, be it off a pass, a free kick, etc., and Shots Blocked. There is no explanation to say specifically if Shots Blocked's numbers are included in Blocks, but a quick scan through each player, all the way down to someone with zero blocks and zero shots blocked, there's no one who has more Shots Blocked than Blocks, so I'm going to assume that it is indeed included.

To start, we're going to just look at Shots Blocked, though. Players who helped their Keeper out by keeping the balls out of harm's way.  The top 10 players in this stat, we almost instantly see that there are some teams whose coaches might be teaching their players reverse dodgeball. União São Paulo leads the firing squad recipients, having three of the top 10, the trio of Slab Head, Ben Nelson, and Ryan Kerpatrick, with a combined 36 Shots Blocked between them.  Reykjavik United, Xelajú Cósmico FC,  and Hollywood FC all had two representatives as well. CF Catalunya had one, but it was a very special one.

CF Catalunya's Pablo Kawasaki led the SSL Division 1 in Shots Blocked with 17.  That's a lot of being pelted by some of the best shooters in the world. Seventeen shots that their keeper didn't have to dive for, saving them and the team some extra wear and tear. People don't often talk about saving the goalkeeper work instead of the keeper saving balls themselves, but I feel it's a fun thing to look at. Granted, we don't know how many of these shots were indeed going to end up in the back of the net, but thinking of how CF Catalunya had a Goal Differential of -12 with these shots blocked, one has to wonder if they would have ended up losing a few more games than they had won. These 17 shots blocked alone might have kept them from finishing worse than their third-place finish, not even mentioning any from Pablo's teammates.

Now, what I found extra surprising was when I sorted the index to show me the Top 10 Blocks list.  You'd expect to see the same names on that list as the Shots Blocked list, but in reality, only half of them show up on this list as well!  That means five players snuck their way into the Top 10 by deflecting passes, clears, free kicks, in more regularity than shots!  In fact, União São Paulo drops from three players to only one representative in the Top 10 with their defender, Slab Head.

One of those players that shows up on both lists is Reykjavik's Ilya Prusikin, with a league-leading 21 blocks! Ilya's 16 Shots Blocked were good enough for second on that list, but adding in five more deflections, and that gives them the league lead in total Blocks!

Coming soon, we'll see how Division 2 did. Will they give Division 1 a run for its money?

Code:
Word Count: 623 words
]]> <![CDATA[Who (might) want me?]]> https://forum.simulationsoccer.com/showthread.php?tid=9959 Tue, 16 Jun 2026 14:37:40 +0100 Pelochyta]]> https://forum.simulationsoccer.com/showthread.php?tid=9959
I don't think the draft is for like ten weeks but you can never start looking at your options too early. As the season starts I was interested in what organizations / clubs (I don't really know the right terms) might be interested in drafting me.

CLUB DEFENDERS

The average club has 8.67 defenders in their organization, and I apologize to anybody who got cut in thirds to make that statistic possible. This doesn't consider active vs inactive. Based on the average, I can hazard a guess that the teams with double digit number of defenders wouldn't be interested in drafting another one since they're well set. (I will apologize here that I am writing this in notepad and don't think I can make the fancy symbols some of the team names have)

Those teams are: Schwarzwaelder & Montreal, Buenos Aires & Athenai, Reykjavik & North Shore, Shanghai & Magyar. That's a total of 4.

There's also a good number of organizations with only 7, which means they could probably use a defender or two, which is good for me. Those are: Xelaju & Masques,  Sao Paulo & Paris, Hollywood & Cape Town, Catalunya & Seoul for another 4 organizations.

FIT (A DEEPER LOOK)

I'm not sure how much teams draft for minors needs or if they even consider it at all, or if it's just a happy coincidence if things work out as they draft for the majors roster. Based on some skimming of the SSL Budget Sheet, it looks like minors organizations roughly mirror their majors, with a couple big exceptions. But, generally, within a player or two they're the same composition.

Minors Fit

This section will operate under the assumption that teams care about their minors success and team composition. It's really hard for me to guess when teams will promote players but I don't see many teams with players older than season 20/21 or so. Except for North Shore United. They're like, all in the teens. That makes me think they're not really invested in their minors, since it's mostly old IA players...? I'll break teams down into a couple tiers for this just for the sake of time.

I should also mention now that I have no idea how effective older players are, or how aggressive regression is. I just know it starts after 8 seasons (which I guess is actually draft season + 7 because of the Academy season?). Additionally, I think the earliest minors players move to the majors after roughly 4 or 5 seasons, based on the ages I've seen from the budget sheet, where there aren't many season 24 and on players.

Definite Need:

Athenai Football Club
North Shore United
Association Sportive de Paris
Krung Thep Football Club

I liked typing out the full names. Just going in order here; Athenai FC has 5 defenders on the squad, but 2 of those are inactive (and older) which puts them at 3. They run a lot of defenders in the majors so I'm assuming that they'll want to restock in the minors. Especially as some of the majors players are hitting regression.
As I mentioned in the intro, North Shore United is almost entirely aging players in the minors? I'm really confused by that one. Either way, they have a ton of defenders in regression (3 in the minors, 3 in the majors) so much like Kaapstad I think they'll need to replenish at defense soon.
AS Paris has only 2 defenders. That's the fewest of any minors squad. I assume they'll want more.
There are no defenders younger than season 23 on the Krung Thep FC squad. Their major roster is barely any older than the minors, so I don't think they'll need any help soon. BUT. Two of their four defenders are inactive, so I fully expect them to be in the market for another one.

Probable Need:

Football Club Kaapstad
Academie de Football Masques Scares de Duekoue

FC Kaapstad, which I'm just realizing is Cape Town, only has 3 defenders on their minor roster. They only have 4 defenders on their major team, but one is hitting the 10 season mark, so I expect there will be a slot or two open in the near term to back-fill.
What a name on this last club. They took 3 defenders last draft so you'd think they were set, especially since they only run 3 in the majors, but their fourth defender is IA. And I'm not sure the crop from last season are great earners - I just remember seeing them go late in the draft from my deep dive. So I would not be surprised if the Academie end up picking up one more defender.


Possible Need:

Inter London
Cairo City Football Club

Inter London has 3 very young defenders on their minors and only have 4 in the majors, but 2 are IA, and 3 are into regression. I don't think it's an immediate need, but I think they'll be interested in restocking the defender depth in the near future. It's not completely out of the question they pick one up this season, I just am not sure there's much urgency.
Despite having 6 defenders on Rapid Magyar SC, half of them are inactive. They did just take 2 defenders in the season 26 draft but they might need one more to flesh out the development system.
Cairo has taken 4 defenders in the last 3 drafts. They have three total inactive players, including two in regression. I could see them grabbing one more defender to sit in the minors for a little bit longer after their recent selections end up in the majors in two to three seasons. I could also see them not doing that. Thus, possible.

Not-So-Possible Need:

Montreal United
Seoul Mythic Football Club
Club Sportif Rova Mpanjaka

Montreal United has a lot of young players (4 in the last 3 drafts) in the minors at defender, and their oldest defenders are just starting to hit regression in the majors. I don't see a need for them to take a defender at all.
Seoul actually has more defenders in their minors than their majors. They're also not regressing in the majors, and pretty young in the minors. I don't see them needing a defender.
Much like the Seoul Mythic, CS Rova Mpanjaka (is that right?) has more defenders in the minors, and even more than that, none are older than season 23. So maybe in two or three seasons once they start getting into the majors there will be a spot, but for this draft I don't see it.

FINAL VERDICT (MOST LIKELY TEAM(S))

Combining the two categories of high need + lack of depth in the organization, my best guess is that the following two team is most likely to go defender in this draft. Which means they might pick me!

Uniao Sao Paulo & Association Sportive de Paris

See you in my DMs soon!]]>
I don't think the draft is for like ten weeks but you can never start looking at your options too early. As the season starts I was interested in what organizations / clubs (I don't really know the right terms) might be interested in drafting me.

CLUB DEFENDERS

The average club has 8.67 defenders in their organization, and I apologize to anybody who got cut in thirds to make that statistic possible. This doesn't consider active vs inactive. Based on the average, I can hazard a guess that the teams with double digit number of defenders wouldn't be interested in drafting another one since they're well set. (I will apologize here that I am writing this in notepad and don't think I can make the fancy symbols some of the team names have)

Those teams are: Schwarzwaelder & Montreal, Buenos Aires & Athenai, Reykjavik & North Shore, Shanghai & Magyar. That's a total of 4.

There's also a good number of organizations with only 7, which means they could probably use a defender or two, which is good for me. Those are: Xelaju & Masques,  Sao Paulo & Paris, Hollywood & Cape Town, Catalunya & Seoul for another 4 organizations.

FIT (A DEEPER LOOK)

I'm not sure how much teams draft for minors needs or if they even consider it at all, or if it's just a happy coincidence if things work out as they draft for the majors roster. Based on some skimming of the SSL Budget Sheet, it looks like minors organizations roughly mirror their majors, with a couple big exceptions. But, generally, within a player or two they're the same composition.

Minors Fit

This section will operate under the assumption that teams care about their minors success and team composition. It's really hard for me to guess when teams will promote players but I don't see many teams with players older than season 20/21 or so. Except for North Shore United. They're like, all in the teens. That makes me think they're not really invested in their minors, since it's mostly old IA players...? I'll break teams down into a couple tiers for this just for the sake of time.

I should also mention now that I have no idea how effective older players are, or how aggressive regression is. I just know it starts after 8 seasons (which I guess is actually draft season + 7 because of the Academy season?). Additionally, I think the earliest minors players move to the majors after roughly 4 or 5 seasons, based on the ages I've seen from the budget sheet, where there aren't many season 24 and on players.

Definite Need:

Athenai Football Club
North Shore United
Association Sportive de Paris
Krung Thep Football Club

I liked typing out the full names. Just going in order here; Athenai FC has 5 defenders on the squad, but 2 of those are inactive (and older) which puts them at 3. They run a lot of defenders in the majors so I'm assuming that they'll want to restock in the minors. Especially as some of the majors players are hitting regression.
As I mentioned in the intro, North Shore United is almost entirely aging players in the minors? I'm really confused by that one. Either way, they have a ton of defenders in regression (3 in the minors, 3 in the majors) so much like Kaapstad I think they'll need to replenish at defense soon.
AS Paris has only 2 defenders. That's the fewest of any minors squad. I assume they'll want more.
There are no defenders younger than season 23 on the Krung Thep FC squad. Their major roster is barely any older than the minors, so I don't think they'll need any help soon. BUT. Two of their four defenders are inactive, so I fully expect them to be in the market for another one.

Probable Need:

Football Club Kaapstad
Academie de Football Masques Scares de Duekoue

FC Kaapstad, which I'm just realizing is Cape Town, only has 3 defenders on their minor roster. They only have 4 defenders on their major team, but one is hitting the 10 season mark, so I expect there will be a slot or two open in the near term to back-fill.
What a name on this last club. They took 3 defenders last draft so you'd think they were set, especially since they only run 3 in the majors, but their fourth defender is IA. And I'm not sure the crop from last season are great earners - I just remember seeing them go late in the draft from my deep dive. So I would not be surprised if the Academie end up picking up one more defender.


Possible Need:

Inter London
Cairo City Football Club

Inter London has 3 very young defenders on their minors and only have 4 in the majors, but 2 are IA, and 3 are into regression. I don't think it's an immediate need, but I think they'll be interested in restocking the defender depth in the near future. It's not completely out of the question they pick one up this season, I just am not sure there's much urgency.
Despite having 6 defenders on Rapid Magyar SC, half of them are inactive. They did just take 2 defenders in the season 26 draft but they might need one more to flesh out the development system.
Cairo has taken 4 defenders in the last 3 drafts. They have three total inactive players, including two in regression. I could see them grabbing one more defender to sit in the minors for a little bit longer after their recent selections end up in the majors in two to three seasons. I could also see them not doing that. Thus, possible.

Not-So-Possible Need:

Montreal United
Seoul Mythic Football Club
Club Sportif Rova Mpanjaka

Montreal United has a lot of young players (4 in the last 3 drafts) in the minors at defender, and their oldest defenders are just starting to hit regression in the majors. I don't see a need for them to take a defender at all.
Seoul actually has more defenders in their minors than their majors. They're also not regressing in the majors, and pretty young in the minors. I don't see them needing a defender.
Much like the Seoul Mythic, CS Rova Mpanjaka (is that right?) has more defenders in the minors, and even more than that, none are older than season 23. So maybe in two or three seasons once they start getting into the majors there will be a spot, but for this draft I don't see it.

FINAL VERDICT (MOST LIKELY TEAM(S))

Combining the two categories of high need + lack of depth in the organization, my best guess is that the following two team is most likely to go defender in this draft. Which means they might pick me!

Uniao Sao Paulo & Association Sportive de Paris

See you in my DMs soon!]]> <![CDATA[SSL Org Beauty Contest]]> https://forum.simulationsoccer.com/showthread.php?tid=9958 Tue, 16 Jun 2026 10:50:14 +0100 Rylakn]]> https://forum.simulationsoccer.com/showthread.php?tid=9958 Introduction

I am seemingly on a quest to tank my draft stocks as much as possible, so I am back at it with another article that risks upsetting some people. If yesterday’s article predicting season results wasn’t bad enough, I have decided to back it up by ranking each organisation aesthetically from my least favourite to favourite. I will put a friendly reminder in here that I know nothing about these teams or orgs and this article is meant to be light hearted. I will be ranking them purely based on logo, colour scheme and kit. Basically the teams visual identity and branding, rather than anything to do with their history, where they play, who runs them or plates for them, or even the style of football they play. If it helps, the team I said I liked least aesthetically in the ISFL was the team I was picked up by immediately and I wouldn’t change it for the world, so maybe it is a good sign if I rank you last below?

Additionally, I didn’t really spend a tonne of time on the below rankings, so there is every chance I would change my mind if I spent more time looking at the finer details. This is more of a vibe based rankings, so I figured I would go with the flow and make quick decisions. I am doing the commentary a day later than when I did the rankings also, so please forgive me if it is a little wonky or disjointed. To generate the overall ranking, I listed each team in the three categories and gave them a score from 1 to 12 based on position. I then sorted by total points and there were a couple of ties. I split the ties by looking at which org had the most higher ranks.

Rank 12
Schwarzwälder FV and Montréal United
Kit - 12th
I ranked this org last for kits, pretty much because of the Montreal pink kit. The main Montreal and SFV kits are ok, but nothing stood out as cool or unusual. The white SFV kit with the stripe is quite classic, but not enough to rank these higher.

Colour Scheme - 12th
The colour scheme ranking was all based on the banners on the home page of the forums and on the dark mode background these guys kind of just didn't stand out. Definitely not ugly, but just lacking some pop on that dark background.

Logo - 11th
I do like the symmetry between Major and Minor teams with the logo design, but otherwise these didn’t really jump out at me. I don’t really like the red lining on the SFV logo. It says something when a team can rank nearly last in all categories and still actually look good. There really are no ugly teams in this league, just ones that don’t resonate with me as much. Certainly different horses for different courses and I bet I end up playing here and loving it, now that I have been so brutal.

Rank 11
CF Catalunya and Seoul MFC
Kit - 9th
The red and yellow striped Catalunya kit may actually be one of my favourites in the SSL, but the Seoul ones bring this ranking down a couple of pegs for me. Liking one kit out for the org isn’t enough to rank higher than 9th.

Colour Scheme - 11th
The green and blue of Seoul is what brings this down for me, something about the mix is a little jarring and the white/red combo from Catalunya isn’t exciting enough to make up for it.

Logo - 9th
Much like the other categories for this Org, I don’t mind the Catalunya side, but not a big fan of the Seoul one. Again, it is a cool concept and the artwork itself is clean, but it isn’t my vibe.

Rank 10
Shanghai Dragons FC and Rapid Magyar SC
Kit - 10th
The Magyar blue and yellow kit is my favourite from this org and the dragon on the Shanghai kit looks fantastic, but I am not huge on the Bronze or Gold colouring overall for Shanghai, so it brings down the rankings a little for most categories.

Colour Scheme - 9th
Overall this org has some good colouring, but again, it is the bronze colour that prevents them from being higher up the list. The lilac contrasts well with the black for Magyar and I actually think the Shanghai colouring looks better in their banner and logo than on the kit.

Logo - 7th
Almost into the top half for Logos and it all comes down to the style. Both look like interesting takes on genuine football club logos. They are both well done and memorable.

Rank 9
Tokyo S.C. and Cairo City
Kit - 11th
I am pretty sure this ranking was harsh now that I am writing the commentary the next day, but I’m not huge on any of the Tokyo kits (red/rainbow is the best of the bunch), but I do really like all of the Cairo ones in terms of colouring and design. I think this one should be higher, but I’m not going back to change it now.

Colour Scheme - 10th
Banners on the forum site don’t really do this org any favours as their branding is much more exciting than the banner. I rated them lower due to the brown, gold and white of Cairo not really standing out and the bright colours of Tokyo being at odds with the minor team. Seems like an org with two personalities.

Logo - 3rd
Top 3 for logos largely based on Cairo. I think the pyramids are cool and generally speaking I like fantasy and history themes over generic looking football logos. Spoilers for later in the article I guess. The Tokyo logo is nice and colourful, but doesn’t add too many style points that the Cairo logo didn't already win.

Rank 8
Liffeyside Celtic FC and CS Rova Mpanjaka
Kit - 7th
The grey Liffeyside kit with the celtic cross on is great, very stylish and the logo really pops. However, I am not huge on many of the rest. The Rova ones are all OK and I like the paint splash one the best.

Colour Scheme - 8th
Green and white is a classic, looks great and Green is also my favourite colour, so bonus points there for Liffeyside. Aside from reminding me of Christmas colours, the green and red of Rova is doing nothing for me. Somehow it just looks a little off.

Logo - 6th
Logo wise top notch. I love the celtic feel of Liffeyside, as well as the tree on Rova. The thing keeping these guys from being higher is the red and green clash I called out in the colour scheme for Rova. Both are great looking logos though.

Rank 7
CD Tenochtitlan and Krung Thep FC
Kit - 3rd
This org doesn’t have any one of my top 4 or 5 kits, but the Red and green kit is not far off. The big boost they get is that I actually quite like all of their kits, so they get a really good average ranking here. Most teams have a kit I don’t like but even my least favourite here is great.

Colour Scheme - 7th
Middle of the pack for colour scheme though, as Krung Thep being maroon and silver/grey reminds me of my high school uniform and that is not a stylish time in my life. Teno though has some great colouring, can’t go wrong with green and gold. Aussie Aussie Aussie.

Logo - 10th
This one may be the most impacted by me using the banners on the forum to rank logos, as I can only see an odd coloured golden snitch when I look at Krung Thep. I quite like the Teno logo, but not enough to drag the org up the list too far.

Rank T-5
Xelajú Cósmico FC and AF Masques Sacrés
Kit - 5th
Top 5 when it comes to kit, and I have to say it is because the Teal and purple look fantastic. All three Xelaju kits look fantastic and the white patterned Masques kit is also cool. They lose out on a rank or two because of the plain looking other Masques kit.

Colour Scheme - 6th
I think Masques colour scheme looks better in the forum than how it is implemented on the kits and you already know I like the colours of the Xelaju branding. Top half here again and you can see why they are so high up the list for me.

Logo - 8th
I like the Bird and colouring on the Xelaju logo, but nothing really calls out to me on the Masques logo. Colouring is ok, but otherwise it is bringing the overall ranking down just a little. Cool design again, but not my style.

Rank T-5
Hollywood FC and F.C. Kaapstad
Kit - 6th
The Camo Hollywood kit may be the only one I don’t like. The other two Hollywood ones are clean and I especially like the Blue one. As for Kaapstad they all look like Soccerroos tops and I am partial to the colouring. No real standouts for this org, but overall most are very nice kits.

Colour Scheme - 1st
Our first first place on the list. I already covered Green and gold in the article earlier, I think they look great next to each other and navy with a vibrant yellow is also really clean. Both teams in this org have fantastic colouring.

Logo - 12th
Almost the exact opposite for the logos for me though. I think both actually look like they could be real club logos, but that is what brings it down to last for me. They are both great, clean and very functional, they’re just not as fun as some of the others in the SSL. In a league where you have min and max height and weight players running around you lose points for real world looking logos. Sorry.

Rank 4
União São Paulo and AS Paris
Kit - 4th
These kits are rated highly because they are all a little different to others in the league. Some have sashes, but ASP have a few extra details on the edge to stand out. I also am very partial to red and blue generally speaking as my lifelong Aussie football team shares those colours. Sao Paulo is a little more plain, but still very clean.

Colour Scheme - 4th
Red and black, red and blue, both contrast very well individually and together as an org. The branding for this org is very well done. Unsure if these two orgs found each other or came as a package, but either way they are very cohesive.

Logo - 5th
These look like some very classic football club logos. Not quite in the same way that Hollywood/Kaapstad does but it seems like this one may be a little off or maybe I was just too harsh on the last one. Either way, I like these logos both and they get my 5th rank.

Rank 3
Reykjavik United and North Shore United
Kit - 8th
I like the Reykjavik kits, especially the green one, but this org is held back by its Minor team kits. I do appreciate that the black and gold kit shares a design with the green Reykjavik one, but I have already covered that I’m not huge on gold/bronze kits in this article. The black North Shore one is a little plain for my liking and the wavy/cloud one is funky but not my style. A real shame because this could have been the top ranked org if not for their kits. Still, a spot on the podium is nothing to scoff at.

Colour Scheme - 2nd
Black and white is always a great contrast, if not very imaginative. Massive boost here for the green of Reykjavik as it is literally my favourite colour. Big fan of all teams that make use of this shade of green.

Logo - 2nd
North Shore is cool, but really this high ranking is due to the longboat and styling of the Major team. My family history goes back to the vikings that settled in Britain and I will always love viking mythology and themes anywhere I see them. Huge shout out to Reykjavik for nailing the colour and theme.

Rank T-1
CA Buenos Aires and Athênai F.C.
Kit - 1st
I know I have called out a lot of odd or different kits in this ranking for being cool, but the three CBA kits are so clean and uniform. They all look amazing and are by far the best single team kit collection in my opinion. Coming a close second is Athenai, with three very different and cool kits, to compliment the clean CBA ones. This org has my two favourite team sets of kits so it was a no brainer to put them at the top of the list for this category. The warrior silhouette kit is my absolute favourite of any in the league.

Colour Scheme - 3rd
I was tempted to put these guys higher for colours, as the red and orange works really well against the dark background of the forums. I have called out almost every use of gold so far in these rankings, but with blue I think it actually works really well. Congratulations to Athenai for making great use of a tough colour.

Logo - 4th
Realistically this probably could have been a little higher. Both logos are great and I especially like the Athenai one. Big fan of Ancient Greek and Roman theming, so tough to go past it here. CBA is clean, but not too eye-catching, preventing the org from ranking a little higher.

Rank T-1
A.C. Romana and Inter London
Kit - 2nd
A little disappointed I didn’t get a cool roman legionary 3rd kit or something, but overall this is a great collection of kits for this org. All of the London ones are neat and tidy, as are the Roma ones. The Roses are a little different and not really my style, but overall a nice collection of kits. Looking back, this probably could have been a little lower down, but a very high average gets them up to 2nd.

Colour Scheme - 5th
I probably would have these colours a little higher up if I redid the rankings, as both are pretty nice. Unsure why I didn’t have them higher, but maybe just too much gold when you put both teams next to each other. I like each individually, but too much when sitting right on top of each other.

Logo - 1st
I’ll start with London first, very clean logo, great design and I like the lions. Colouring is great with enough white to balance out the gold. Romana though is the real reason why this org takes top spot for logos. Gold and purple is very imperial, fitting the theme of the team perfectly. Gladiators are sick and the laurel really caps it off. Maybe I have a soft spot for this style and colouring because it is very similar to a family crest I made for a TTRPG that I played with mates. Either way I am a big fan and it would be tough to decide between Romana and Reykjavik for my favourite logo in the SSL.

Conclusion
So there you have it, the beauty contest is over. Congratulations to the podium winners. There is no prize and at the end of the day it doesn’t really impact where I would like to play. Ultimately I want to play for a team with people I get along well with and that is what matters most. I may have ranked you last on looks, but I’m no shallow Hal. Feel free to comment away below and tell me I suck or am blind. These rankings were a goof and purely vibe based. I wrote them over two days and even I have issues with my choices looking back.]]> Introduction

I am seemingly on a quest to tank my draft stocks as much as possible, so I am back at it with another article that risks upsetting some people. If yesterday’s article predicting season results wasn’t bad enough, I have decided to back it up by ranking each organisation aesthetically from my least favourite to favourite. I will put a friendly reminder in here that I know nothing about these teams or orgs and this article is meant to be light hearted. I will be ranking them purely based on logo, colour scheme and kit. Basically the teams visual identity and branding, rather than anything to do with their history, where they play, who runs them or plates for them, or even the style of football they play. If it helps, the team I said I liked least aesthetically in the ISFL was the team I was picked up by immediately and I wouldn’t change it for the world, so maybe it is a good sign if I rank you last below?

Additionally, I didn’t really spend a tonne of time on the below rankings, so there is every chance I would change my mind if I spent more time looking at the finer details. This is more of a vibe based rankings, so I figured I would go with the flow and make quick decisions. I am doing the commentary a day later than when I did the rankings also, so please forgive me if it is a little wonky or disjointed. To generate the overall ranking, I listed each team in the three categories and gave them a score from 1 to 12 based on position. I then sorted by total points and there were a couple of ties. I split the ties by looking at which org had the most higher ranks.

Rank 12
Schwarzwälder FV and Montréal United
Kit - 12th
I ranked this org last for kits, pretty much because of the Montreal pink kit. The main Montreal and SFV kits are ok, but nothing stood out as cool or unusual. The white SFV kit with the stripe is quite classic, but not enough to rank these higher.

Colour Scheme - 12th
The colour scheme ranking was all based on the banners on the home page of the forums and on the dark mode background these guys kind of just didn't stand out. Definitely not ugly, but just lacking some pop on that dark background.

Logo - 11th
I do like the symmetry between Major and Minor teams with the logo design, but otherwise these didn’t really jump out at me. I don’t really like the red lining on the SFV logo. It says something when a team can rank nearly last in all categories and still actually look good. There really are no ugly teams in this league, just ones that don’t resonate with me as much. Certainly different horses for different courses and I bet I end up playing here and loving it, now that I have been so brutal.

Rank 11
CF Catalunya and Seoul MFC
Kit - 9th
The red and yellow striped Catalunya kit may actually be one of my favourites in the SSL, but the Seoul ones bring this ranking down a couple of pegs for me. Liking one kit out for the org isn’t enough to rank higher than 9th.

Colour Scheme - 11th
The green and blue of Seoul is what brings this down for me, something about the mix is a little jarring and the white/red combo from Catalunya isn’t exciting enough to make up for it.

Logo - 9th
Much like the other categories for this Org, I don’t mind the Catalunya side, but not a big fan of the Seoul one. Again, it is a cool concept and the artwork itself is clean, but it isn’t my vibe.

Rank 10
Shanghai Dragons FC and Rapid Magyar SC
Kit - 10th
The Magyar blue and yellow kit is my favourite from this org and the dragon on the Shanghai kit looks fantastic, but I am not huge on the Bronze or Gold colouring overall for Shanghai, so it brings down the rankings a little for most categories.

Colour Scheme - 9th
Overall this org has some good colouring, but again, it is the bronze colour that prevents them from being higher up the list. The lilac contrasts well with the black for Magyar and I actually think the Shanghai colouring looks better in their banner and logo than on the kit.

Logo - 7th
Almost into the top half for Logos and it all comes down to the style. Both look like interesting takes on genuine football club logos. They are both well done and memorable.

Rank 9
Tokyo S.C. and Cairo City
Kit - 11th
I am pretty sure this ranking was harsh now that I am writing the commentary the next day, but I’m not huge on any of the Tokyo kits (red/rainbow is the best of the bunch), but I do really like all of the Cairo ones in terms of colouring and design. I think this one should be higher, but I’m not going back to change it now.

Colour Scheme - 10th
Banners on the forum site don’t really do this org any favours as their branding is much more exciting than the banner. I rated them lower due to the brown, gold and white of Cairo not really standing out and the bright colours of Tokyo being at odds with the minor team. Seems like an org with two personalities.

Logo - 3rd
Top 3 for logos largely based on Cairo. I think the pyramids are cool and generally speaking I like fantasy and history themes over generic looking football logos. Spoilers for later in the article I guess. The Tokyo logo is nice and colourful, but doesn’t add too many style points that the Cairo logo didn't already win.

Rank 8
Liffeyside Celtic FC and CS Rova Mpanjaka
Kit - 7th
The grey Liffeyside kit with the celtic cross on is great, very stylish and the logo really pops. However, I am not huge on many of the rest. The Rova ones are all OK and I like the paint splash one the best.

Colour Scheme - 8th
Green and white is a classic, looks great and Green is also my favourite colour, so bonus points there for Liffeyside. Aside from reminding me of Christmas colours, the green and red of Rova is doing nothing for me. Somehow it just looks a little off.

Logo - 6th
Logo wise top notch. I love the celtic feel of Liffeyside, as well as the tree on Rova. The thing keeping these guys from being higher is the red and green clash I called out in the colour scheme for Rova. Both are great looking logos though.

Rank 7
CD Tenochtitlan and Krung Thep FC
Kit - 3rd
This org doesn’t have any one of my top 4 or 5 kits, but the Red and green kit is not far off. The big boost they get is that I actually quite like all of their kits, so they get a really good average ranking here. Most teams have a kit I don’t like but even my least favourite here is great.

Colour Scheme - 7th
Middle of the pack for colour scheme though, as Krung Thep being maroon and silver/grey reminds me of my high school uniform and that is not a stylish time in my life. Teno though has some great colouring, can’t go wrong with green and gold. Aussie Aussie Aussie.

Logo - 10th
This one may be the most impacted by me using the banners on the forum to rank logos, as I can only see an odd coloured golden snitch when I look at Krung Thep. I quite like the Teno logo, but not enough to drag the org up the list too far.

Rank T-5
Xelajú Cósmico FC and AF Masques Sacrés
Kit - 5th
Top 5 when it comes to kit, and I have to say it is because the Teal and purple look fantastic. All three Xelaju kits look fantastic and the white patterned Masques kit is also cool. They lose out on a rank or two because of the plain looking other Masques kit.

Colour Scheme - 6th
I think Masques colour scheme looks better in the forum than how it is implemented on the kits and you already know I like the colours of the Xelaju branding. Top half here again and you can see why they are so high up the list for me.

Logo - 8th
I like the Bird and colouring on the Xelaju logo, but nothing really calls out to me on the Masques logo. Colouring is ok, but otherwise it is bringing the overall ranking down just a little. Cool design again, but not my style.

Rank T-5
Hollywood FC and F.C. Kaapstad
Kit - 6th
The Camo Hollywood kit may be the only one I don’t like. The other two Hollywood ones are clean and I especially like the Blue one. As for Kaapstad they all look like Soccerroos tops and I am partial to the colouring. No real standouts for this org, but overall most are very nice kits.

Colour Scheme - 1st
Our first first place on the list. I already covered Green and gold in the article earlier, I think they look great next to each other and navy with a vibrant yellow is also really clean. Both teams in this org have fantastic colouring.

Logo - 12th
Almost the exact opposite for the logos for me though. I think both actually look like they could be real club logos, but that is what brings it down to last for me. They are both great, clean and very functional, they’re just not as fun as some of the others in the SSL. In a league where you have min and max height and weight players running around you lose points for real world looking logos. Sorry.

Rank 4
União São Paulo and AS Paris
Kit - 4th
These kits are rated highly because they are all a little different to others in the league. Some have sashes, but ASP have a few extra details on the edge to stand out. I also am very partial to red and blue generally speaking as my lifelong Aussie football team shares those colours. Sao Paulo is a little more plain, but still very clean.

Colour Scheme - 4th
Red and black, red and blue, both contrast very well individually and together as an org. The branding for this org is very well done. Unsure if these two orgs found each other or came as a package, but either way they are very cohesive.

Logo - 5th
These look like some very classic football club logos. Not quite in the same way that Hollywood/Kaapstad does but it seems like this one may be a little off or maybe I was just too harsh on the last one. Either way, I like these logos both and they get my 5th rank.

Rank 3
Reykjavik United and North Shore United
Kit - 8th
I like the Reykjavik kits, especially the green one, but this org is held back by its Minor team kits. I do appreciate that the black and gold kit shares a design with the green Reykjavik one, but I have already covered that I’m not huge on gold/bronze kits in this article. The black North Shore one is a little plain for my liking and the wavy/cloud one is funky but not my style. A real shame because this could have been the top ranked org if not for their kits. Still, a spot on the podium is nothing to scoff at.

Colour Scheme - 2nd
Black and white is always a great contrast, if not very imaginative. Massive boost here for the green of Reykjavik as it is literally my favourite colour. Big fan of all teams that make use of this shade of green.

Logo - 2nd
North Shore is cool, but really this high ranking is due to the longboat and styling of the Major team. My family history goes back to the vikings that settled in Britain and I will always love viking mythology and themes anywhere I see them. Huge shout out to Reykjavik for nailing the colour and theme.

Rank T-1
CA Buenos Aires and Athênai F.C.
Kit - 1st
I know I have called out a lot of odd or different kits in this ranking for being cool, but the three CBA kits are so clean and uniform. They all look amazing and are by far the best single team kit collection in my opinion. Coming a close second is Athenai, with three very different and cool kits, to compliment the clean CBA ones. This org has my two favourite team sets of kits so it was a no brainer to put them at the top of the list for this category. The warrior silhouette kit is my absolute favourite of any in the league.

Colour Scheme - 3rd
I was tempted to put these guys higher for colours, as the red and orange works really well against the dark background of the forums. I have called out almost every use of gold so far in these rankings, but with blue I think it actually works really well. Congratulations to Athenai for making great use of a tough colour.

Logo - 4th
Realistically this probably could have been a little higher. Both logos are great and I especially like the Athenai one. Big fan of Ancient Greek and Roman theming, so tough to go past it here. CBA is clean, but not too eye-catching, preventing the org from ranking a little higher.

Rank T-1
A.C. Romana and Inter London
Kit - 2nd
A little disappointed I didn’t get a cool roman legionary 3rd kit or something, but overall this is a great collection of kits for this org. All of the London ones are neat and tidy, as are the Roma ones. The Roses are a little different and not really my style, but overall a nice collection of kits. Looking back, this probably could have been a little lower down, but a very high average gets them up to 2nd.

Colour Scheme - 5th
I probably would have these colours a little higher up if I redid the rankings, as both are pretty nice. Unsure why I didn’t have them higher, but maybe just too much gold when you put both teams next to each other. I like each individually, but too much when sitting right on top of each other.

Logo - 1st
I’ll start with London first, very clean logo, great design and I like the lions. Colouring is great with enough white to balance out the gold. Romana though is the real reason why this org takes top spot for logos. Gold and purple is very imperial, fitting the theme of the team perfectly. Gladiators are sick and the laurel really caps it off. Maybe I have a soft spot for this style and colouring because it is very similar to a family crest I made for a TTRPG that I played with mates. Either way I am a big fan and it would be tough to decide between Romana and Reykjavik for my favourite logo in the SSL.

Conclusion
So there you have it, the beauty contest is over. Congratulations to the podium winners. There is no prize and at the end of the day it doesn’t really impact where I would like to play. Ultimately I want to play for a team with people I get along well with and that is what matters most. I may have ranked you last on looks, but I’m no shallow Hal. Feel free to comment away below and tell me I suck or am blind. These rankings were a goof and purely vibe based. I wrote them over two days and even I have issues with my choices looking back.]]> <![CDATA[Meet the S26 AF Masques Sacres]]> https://forum.simulationsoccer.com/showthread.php?tid=9957 Tue, 16 Jun 2026 04:05:41 +0100 PidgeyDestined]]> https://forum.simulationsoccer.com/showthread.php?tid=9957

Irepsej Imeinaktok - CM
User: @Seany148
TPE: 678

Imeinaktok is the senior member of the Masques. A season 18 player who is deep into regression, this may just be his last chance before retirement.


Resetti Moretti - CD
User: @spooked
TPE: 1021

Moretti has the highest TPE of any player playing for the Masques this season. At 1021 TPE he laps most of his teammates in TPE at this moment. Moretti should be the defensive anchor for the squad this season until one of the younger defenders can usurp him.


Remi Taarel - ST
User: @Alecory  
TPE: 921

Another Season 22 guy, just like Moretti, Taarel should be the top striker for the Masques this season. Sitting at 921 TPE at this moment, this could very well be Taarel's last season in the Minors.


Nico Lam - RAM
User: @Zucker  
TPE: 998

Lam locks in as the second highest TPE player on the squad, and the highest TPE Midfielder. With 998 TPE already for a Season 23 guy, I could see Lam making the jump before long as well.


Scat Cat - ST
User: @Soviet Sexpot  
TPE: 874

The number 2 striker on the squad, Cat should see plenty of scoring opportunities this season. The Masques have two more strikers in waiting, so this could be Cat's last season in the minors as well.


Karlach Cliffgate - ST
User: @Jackienape  
TPE: 596

Getting to those two Strikers in waiting, we have Cliffgate. This will only be Cliffgates second season in the Minors, but he's on pace to blow just about every other striker on the Masques out of the water in just a season or two. Cliffgate should stick around for a few more seasons in the Minors but will be a terror while down.


Nacho Kusora - ST
User: @Wahgao  
TPE: 344

Kusora is the first of our many Season 26 guys rostered this season. Another striker, but Kusora's user in IA at the moment. Hopefully we can get them back into the league and make them love the sim leagues as much as we do. I would love to see Kusora reach his full potential. 


Sadie Black - RD
User: @Rezo950inat0r2  
TPE: 406

Sadie Black comes in as part of the all-new defender package that the organization brought in this past draft. Black will cover the Right side of the backfield for season to come.


Saphira Brightscales - LD
User: @PidgeyDestined  
TPE: 467

The ying to Sadie Black's yang, Saphira Brightscales will cover the left side of the backfield. I personally know this player, and I know she will give the team her all for the rest of her career.


Isaiah Ali - CDM
User: @Turbanator  
TPE: 424

The main defensive midfielder for the future, Ali also doubles as having a user as the AM of the team. With all these active defenders, the Masques are going to make it hard for teams in the near future.


Lencho Ash - GK
User: @lorenzomora94  
TPE: 340

The newest goalkeeper of the Masques, Lencho Ash! Ash will have the pleasure of growing next to his backfield defenders and learning the ropes all together. It may be rough at first, but this team should be a force in just a few short seasons with these defenders.


Le Chonk - CD
User: @amjohnson636  
TPE: 376

The last, but certainly not the least, piece of the all-new defense is Le Chank. Le Chonk will cover the middle while Black, Brightscales, and Ash play all around him.]]>

Irepsej Imeinaktok - CM
User: @Seany148
TPE: 678

Imeinaktok is the senior member of the Masques. A season 18 player who is deep into regression, this may just be his last chance before retirement.


Resetti Moretti - CD
User: @spooked
TPE: 1021

Moretti has the highest TPE of any player playing for the Masques this season. At 1021 TPE he laps most of his teammates in TPE at this moment. Moretti should be the defensive anchor for the squad this season until one of the younger defenders can usurp him.


Remi Taarel - ST
User: @Alecory  
TPE: 921

Another Season 22 guy, just like Moretti, Taarel should be the top striker for the Masques this season. Sitting at 921 TPE at this moment, this could very well be Taarel's last season in the Minors.


Nico Lam - RAM
User: @Zucker  
TPE: 998

Lam locks in as the second highest TPE player on the squad, and the highest TPE Midfielder. With 998 TPE already for a Season 23 guy, I could see Lam making the jump before long as well.


Scat Cat - ST
User: @Soviet Sexpot  
TPE: 874

The number 2 striker on the squad, Cat should see plenty of scoring opportunities this season. The Masques have two more strikers in waiting, so this could be Cat's last season in the minors as well.


Karlach Cliffgate - ST
User: @Jackienape  
TPE: 596

Getting to those two Strikers in waiting, we have Cliffgate. This will only be Cliffgates second season in the Minors, but he's on pace to blow just about every other striker on the Masques out of the water in just a season or two. Cliffgate should stick around for a few more seasons in the Minors but will be a terror while down.


Nacho Kusora - ST
User: @Wahgao  
TPE: 344

Kusora is the first of our many Season 26 guys rostered this season. Another striker, but Kusora's user in IA at the moment. Hopefully we can get them back into the league and make them love the sim leagues as much as we do. I would love to see Kusora reach his full potential. 


Sadie Black - RD
User: @Rezo950inat0r2  
TPE: 406

Sadie Black comes in as part of the all-new defender package that the organization brought in this past draft. Black will cover the Right side of the backfield for season to come.


Saphira Brightscales - LD
User: @PidgeyDestined  
TPE: 467

The ying to Sadie Black's yang, Saphira Brightscales will cover the left side of the backfield. I personally know this player, and I know she will give the team her all for the rest of her career.


Isaiah Ali - CDM
User: @Turbanator  
TPE: 424

The main defensive midfielder for the future, Ali also doubles as having a user as the AM of the team. With all these active defenders, the Masques are going to make it hard for teams in the near future.


Lencho Ash - GK
User: @lorenzomora94  
TPE: 340

The newest goalkeeper of the Masques, Lencho Ash! Ash will have the pleasure of growing next to his backfield defenders and learning the ropes all together. It may be rough at first, but this team should be a force in just a few short seasons with these defenders.


Le Chonk - CD
User: @amjohnson636  
TPE: 376

The last, but certainly not the least, piece of the all-new defense is Le Chank. Le Chonk will cover the middle while Black, Brightscales, and Ash play all around him.]]> <![CDATA[Dive into Teams, TPE, Age, & Success]]> https://forum.simulationsoccer.com/showthread.php?tid=9956 Tue, 16 Jun 2026 03:18:37 +0100 Quitolis]]> https://forum.simulationsoccer.com/showthread.php?tid=9956
One of my first thoughts is to look at other players playing my position and see what kind of builds they have gone for. I could see how they are doing now and also see how they did at the start of their career. I found absolutely no trends during my first look into this, so I did not push much farther.

My good idea came after some more poking around the portal when I came across the teams! This page was brilliant for someone brand new. I have a totally new outlook so I thought I would give my initial opinions on the teams as I see them. To aid in this I also pulled out the average TPE and the average draft class for each major and minor team. I wanted to see what teams are in their championship window, or in their rebuild, or anywhere in between.

BA AFC
First up we have CA Buenos Aires. For theme they are a classic with a nice shield for both their major and minor club, Athenai F.C. CS Buenos Aires currently has the 8th highest average TPE at 1350 and they are the 5th oldest main roster. The minor league club Athenai F.C. does not do too much to change these overall ranks, so this org is solidly right in the middle of the league for now. This makes sense as three season ago they finished 11th of 12, but the last two seasons have been better finishing 3rd in league 2 both times. They are close to a chance to play for promotion, hopefully an infusion from Athenai will help them reach that target.

HFC KAP
Second on the teams we have Hollywood FC and their minor league affiliate F.C. Kaapstad. A good old fashioned USA team that has somehow been successful as I see 5 stars on their logo. No idea if that is on purpose or if they just want you to think they have won championships. Hollywood very notably has the oldest major league team with an average class of 17.2. Fortunately when i look at Kaapstad they seem to have the pieces in place to replenish some of their geriatric roster. They have also made good use of their window. Three years ago I see they dominated the league with a crazy 57 points, 8 higher than the next best, but losing The Cup must have hurt. Two years ago they finished in 3rd and lost to CD Tenochtitlan in the playoffs again. I see a rivalry. Last year ended the same but at least the season was better. They seem to be a classic team of performing really well overall in the regular season but not successfully bringing home a championship.

ACROLD LON
A.C. Romania and Inter London have a very pleasing symmetry in their shields. I can see the similarities and it makes sense graphically that the teams are related. Both have the same shape with their name and imagery of important aspects of their cities. A.C. Romana is another bottom half team in terms of average TPE ranking 9th, which a very average player age. Their oldest players are keeper and 3 defensive players, and they do have some of these in the pipeline. Should make for a good transition if those players keep earning. On the field, A.C. Romana also finally saw some good success on the field reaching the Semi Final of the last Cup. Their regular seasons however have been less than spectacular before this. We will see if they can build on this in the next season.

RKV NSU
Next up are the small island clubs for Reykjavik in Iceland and Auckland in New Zealand. These teams could not be farther apart in the world for their Major / Minor affiliation. I quite love the Reykjavik logo and color pallet. It is easy to read and understand what I am seeing. The team logo for North Shore United looks to be a reference to the Mauri people of New Zealand, and the completely unique shape really sticks out, reminding me of Tottenham. Reykjavik is certainly in their window right now. They have the 3rd highest average TPE and the 2nd oldest roster. North Shore is the oldest Minor league club by a huge amount because they have a staggering 9 players from before S20 including two from S14 and two from S13. This appears to be the league's retirement home. Reykjavik United has been maintaining their place in League 1 but their results in the Cup have been quite disappointing.  In each of the last two seasons they have been eliminated in their first game of the tournament. It might be time for a frustrating rebuild since they only have 8 players in their entire program younger than S20.

Shanghai Magyar
Another very high TPE team here is the Shanghai Dragons FC. They have a lovely color and logo, embracing some Chinese text in their logo is also a great idea. It does appear to be a doubling up of their team name, which I would expect helps to bring in the local fans. Shanghai Dragons FC has the second highest TPE but only the 6th oldest team, which really puts them in a good place for both the present and the future. It seems to me they are at the very start of maybe 5 seasons where they should always be completing for the best record and the Cup. Unfortunately for them they were just relegated to the league 2. Quite a shame after Seasons 23 and 24 were quite successful with strong season finishes and reaching the quarter finals in the Cup. In season 25 they had a very poor regular season and then got eliminated from the Cup in their first game. That must have been disappointing, but I expect they will find themselves back to the top league if their tactics can live up to their roster.

XLC MSD
The next team to discuss is the Xelaju Cosmico FC, which is one of the newer teams in the league established in S22. The logos for both Xelaju and their minor league team AF Masques Sacres are both quite modern with their unique shames and color palets. I do quite like the use of the Quetzal bird in the Cosmico's logo. They sit at an average TPE of 1250, which is good for 11th in the league, but fortunately they are also on the younger side. I would say this club has been really outperforming their TPE. In their second season in the league they may not have done super, but then it started to improve. In Season 24 they were the first ever team to be promoted up to league 1. Last season they managed to hold off the Dragons and avoid relegation. Their Cup performances were living up to the hype until this past season with a one-and-done in the round of 16. If they can keep growing their TPE as their roster matures it seems their manager has them in a strong position to make use of it.

TSC CFC
To start the second half of teams we have a fun comparison to the last. If you thought the Cosmico had the 11th lowest TPE because they were a recent expansion, then you might think that Tokyo S.C. would not be the lowest TPE in major league, since they were a Season 1 team. They must be in the middle of a big rebuild since they do also have the 3rd youngest roster. Many teams have a few old guys on the minor league team, but not Cairo City. The youth may not be ready for the big time just yet, but it is going to get there before long. The last few seasons have not been pretty. In all 3 most resent seasons Tokyo S.C. finished at the very bottom of the league and then got eliminated in the qualifying round of the Cup. Somtimes they lost to Minor league clubs, which is not where you want to be. In total they have 6 wins, 5 draws, and 37 losses in the last 3 seasons. Appologies for rubbing it in.

CFCat SEO
Onward we go to CF Catalunya and their Minor affiliate Seoul MFC. These clubs have very old looking crests and at least to me, it is not super clear what is happening in them. The logo for Seoul looks like a person with fangs, which I have to imagine has something important to do with the folklore of their culture. The shield for Catalynya has a knight riding his horse pointing his spear at a half dragon, half fox. CF Catalunya is the only team with a top half TPE and a bottom half roster age, which is where you want to be. The eye test proves this out, and their main team looks to have a lot of players in their prime, while Soul has a load of good players ready to go in a few more seasons. Their last few regular seasons have been interesting at the least. They have been competing for promotions and then trying to avoid relegations which at least is fun. The results in the Cup have not been interesting however since they have been eliminated in only 1 game each of the last 3 seasons. Lots of room to grow into their strengthening roster if their manager can keep up.

USP Paris
Uniao Sao Paulo has the highest average TPE in the league and it isn't close. The TPE gap between 1 and 2 is the same gap between 2 and 7. But before I digress into their team more, I do just want to comment on the quality of the logos for both Uniao Sao Paulo and AS Paris. They are very simple and calm logos without being minimalistic. The red door in the AS Paris logo also makes me think about how Paris is the entryway to Uniao, who of course are a red themes team. I would also be remis if I did not mention just how many ISFL players I recognize in this system. I have only been doing ISFL for just over a year so I would not say I know everyone, but off the top of my head I see 13 players in this system that I have seen before. Anyway, as we have seen with other teams, with great TPE also comes great age, and these guys prove it as the second oldest Major league team. In the last three regular seasons they have finished 2nd, 1st, and second, while Paris has finished in the Minors 1st, 2nd, 1st. Nice symmetry. In the cup Uniao has finished in the semifinals, twice and won it all this past season. Paris has also been very strong with a round of 16 finsh, a quarterfinal appearance, and last season was a wild one. Both of these teams met in one of the semifinal matches and Uniao won 4-3 on penalties. That must have been thrilling. I see no reason why these teams should not continue their runs at the top of their respective leagues for the foreseeable future.

SFV MTL
Nearing the end of this adventure brings us to Schwarzwalder FV and their affiliate Montreal United. Like usual there is probably something I am missing in the Schwarzwalder logo but it seems a little confusing. It is fine I guess. I do quite like the Montreal United logo though. In the opposite situation as our last team, Schwarzwalder has the 10th most TPE and then the 2nd youngest age. Montreal United is also loaded up with players just waiting for their chance to join the main squad in a few more seasons. I have to imagine the club is ready for the rebuild to activate since they have finished dead last for both of the most recent seasons. They just got beat by a Minor league team in the S25 Cup, so I suppose it is only up from here. They are getting the players in place, just need to make it happen.

Tenochtitlan Krung Thep
Now we can go over CD Tenochtitlan and their Minor league affiliate Krung Thep FC in Thailand. These teams were established in Season 20 and interestingly enough, there are seven S20 players on the CD Tenochtitlan roster. That looks to have been a quite effective entry draft for them. They rank 4 in average TPE for the Major league squad, but Krung Thep FC themselves are also loaded with high TPE players. These guys have definitely found success. Three years ago CD Tenochtitlan finished 3rd overall, but then went on to win the Cup. Then they got relegated but still somehow got to the cup final, this time losing it. This last season did not have any big rebounds, but there is no reason to think they can't still be on an upward trajectory for a while longer.

Liffeyside RMP
Last up is a pretty exciting pair of clubs in Liffeyside Celtic FC and CS Rova Mpanjaka. The Madagascar to Ireland connection is unique but something about it is working. Both logos are just great. No notes. Liffeyside Celtic FC is right in the middle of the pack in terms of average TPE and roster age. CS Rova Mpanjaka is a pretty experienced bunch but much of the team is already the same age as the Major league club, so I do wonder if they could have an aging problem in the future. For now though, they have only been a club for 4 full seasons and Celtic has done reasonably well. in just 4 seasons they went from 12th to 5th, to 5 and being relegated to then dominating in league 2 and being promoted right back. In the Cup they have improved every year since their creation including losing the Cup Finals this last season. Lilleyside Celtic FC is looking to be continuing on their run and will be a very strong contender to win the Cup in the next few seasons.

Going through this exercise does tell me that a team's TPE certainly has some meaningful impact on your chance of success. At least based on my snapshot of data, this last season's League 1 had the rank 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, and 11 teams in average TPE. Then by the end of the season 2 and 11 got relegated and replaced by 4 and 7. There can be some outliers like Xelaju Cosmico getting into league 1 without any players over 1500TPE, but then again they did fall back down after 1 season. 

I suppose I should try to summarize my thoughts. It is clear that there are a lot of things that contribute to success on the field. As far as I have learned so far, I would say the big 3 seem to be TPE total, proper player builds, and proper team tactics. At least as far as this little experiment has gone, I have validated to myself that overall team TPE likely has a high correlation to team success. Maybe proving that out would be a statistical task for the future.]]>
One of my first thoughts is to look at other players playing my position and see what kind of builds they have gone for. I could see how they are doing now and also see how they did at the start of their career. I found absolutely no trends during my first look into this, so I did not push much farther.

My good idea came after some more poking around the portal when I came across the teams! This page was brilliant for someone brand new. I have a totally new outlook so I thought I would give my initial opinions on the teams as I see them. To aid in this I also pulled out the average TPE and the average draft class for each major and minor team. I wanted to see what teams are in their championship window, or in their rebuild, or anywhere in between.

BA AFC
First up we have CA Buenos Aires. For theme they are a classic with a nice shield for both their major and minor club, Athenai F.C. CS Buenos Aires currently has the 8th highest average TPE at 1350 and they are the 5th oldest main roster. The minor league club Athenai F.C. does not do too much to change these overall ranks, so this org is solidly right in the middle of the league for now. This makes sense as three season ago they finished 11th of 12, but the last two seasons have been better finishing 3rd in league 2 both times. They are close to a chance to play for promotion, hopefully an infusion from Athenai will help them reach that target.

HFC KAP
Second on the teams we have Hollywood FC and their minor league affiliate F.C. Kaapstad. A good old fashioned USA team that has somehow been successful as I see 5 stars on their logo. No idea if that is on purpose or if they just want you to think they have won championships. Hollywood very notably has the oldest major league team with an average class of 17.2. Fortunately when i look at Kaapstad they seem to have the pieces in place to replenish some of their geriatric roster. They have also made good use of their window. Three years ago I see they dominated the league with a crazy 57 points, 8 higher than the next best, but losing The Cup must have hurt. Two years ago they finished in 3rd and lost to CD Tenochtitlan in the playoffs again. I see a rivalry. Last year ended the same but at least the season was better. They seem to be a classic team of performing really well overall in the regular season but not successfully bringing home a championship.

ACROLD LON
A.C. Romania and Inter London have a very pleasing symmetry in their shields. I can see the similarities and it makes sense graphically that the teams are related. Both have the same shape with their name and imagery of important aspects of their cities. A.C. Romana is another bottom half team in terms of average TPE ranking 9th, which a very average player age. Their oldest players are keeper and 3 defensive players, and they do have some of these in the pipeline. Should make for a good transition if those players keep earning. On the field, A.C. Romana also finally saw some good success on the field reaching the Semi Final of the last Cup. Their regular seasons however have been less than spectacular before this. We will see if they can build on this in the next season.

RKV NSU
Next up are the small island clubs for Reykjavik in Iceland and Auckland in New Zealand. These teams could not be farther apart in the world for their Major / Minor affiliation. I quite love the Reykjavik logo and color pallet. It is easy to read and understand what I am seeing. The team logo for North Shore United looks to be a reference to the Mauri people of New Zealand, and the completely unique shape really sticks out, reminding me of Tottenham. Reykjavik is certainly in their window right now. They have the 3rd highest average TPE and the 2nd oldest roster. North Shore is the oldest Minor league club by a huge amount because they have a staggering 9 players from before S20 including two from S14 and two from S13. This appears to be the league's retirement home. Reykjavik United has been maintaining their place in League 1 but their results in the Cup have been quite disappointing.  In each of the last two seasons they have been eliminated in their first game of the tournament. It might be time for a frustrating rebuild since they only have 8 players in their entire program younger than S20.

Shanghai Magyar
Another very high TPE team here is the Shanghai Dragons FC. They have a lovely color and logo, embracing some Chinese text in their logo is also a great idea. It does appear to be a doubling up of their team name, which I would expect helps to bring in the local fans. Shanghai Dragons FC has the second highest TPE but only the 6th oldest team, which really puts them in a good place for both the present and the future. It seems to me they are at the very start of maybe 5 seasons where they should always be completing for the best record and the Cup. Unfortunately for them they were just relegated to the league 2. Quite a shame after Seasons 23 and 24 were quite successful with strong season finishes and reaching the quarter finals in the Cup. In season 25 they had a very poor regular season and then got eliminated from the Cup in their first game. That must have been disappointing, but I expect they will find themselves back to the top league if their tactics can live up to their roster.

XLC MSD
The next team to discuss is the Xelaju Cosmico FC, which is one of the newer teams in the league established in S22. The logos for both Xelaju and their minor league team AF Masques Sacres are both quite modern with their unique shames and color palets. I do quite like the use of the Quetzal bird in the Cosmico's logo. They sit at an average TPE of 1250, which is good for 11th in the league, but fortunately they are also on the younger side. I would say this club has been really outperforming their TPE. In their second season in the league they may not have done super, but then it started to improve. In Season 24 they were the first ever team to be promoted up to league 1. Last season they managed to hold off the Dragons and avoid relegation. Their Cup performances were living up to the hype until this past season with a one-and-done in the round of 16. If they can keep growing their TPE as their roster matures it seems their manager has them in a strong position to make use of it.

TSC CFC
To start the second half of teams we have a fun comparison to the last. If you thought the Cosmico had the 11th lowest TPE because they were a recent expansion, then you might think that Tokyo S.C. would not be the lowest TPE in major league, since they were a Season 1 team. They must be in the middle of a big rebuild since they do also have the 3rd youngest roster. Many teams have a few old guys on the minor league team, but not Cairo City. The youth may not be ready for the big time just yet, but it is going to get there before long. The last few seasons have not been pretty. In all 3 most resent seasons Tokyo S.C. finished at the very bottom of the league and then got eliminated in the qualifying round of the Cup. Somtimes they lost to Minor league clubs, which is not where you want to be. In total they have 6 wins, 5 draws, and 37 losses in the last 3 seasons. Appologies for rubbing it in.

CFCat SEO
Onward we go to CF Catalunya and their Minor affiliate Seoul MFC. These clubs have very old looking crests and at least to me, it is not super clear what is happening in them. The logo for Seoul looks like a person with fangs, which I have to imagine has something important to do with the folklore of their culture. The shield for Catalynya has a knight riding his horse pointing his spear at a half dragon, half fox. CF Catalunya is the only team with a top half TPE and a bottom half roster age, which is where you want to be. The eye test proves this out, and their main team looks to have a lot of players in their prime, while Soul has a load of good players ready to go in a few more seasons. Their last few regular seasons have been interesting at the least. They have been competing for promotions and then trying to avoid relegations which at least is fun. The results in the Cup have not been interesting however since they have been eliminated in only 1 game each of the last 3 seasons. Lots of room to grow into their strengthening roster if their manager can keep up.

USP Paris
Uniao Sao Paulo has the highest average TPE in the league and it isn't close. The TPE gap between 1 and 2 is the same gap between 2 and 7. But before I digress into their team more, I do just want to comment on the quality of the logos for both Uniao Sao Paulo and AS Paris. They are very simple and calm logos without being minimalistic. The red door in the AS Paris logo also makes me think about how Paris is the entryway to Uniao, who of course are a red themes team. I would also be remis if I did not mention just how many ISFL players I recognize in this system. I have only been doing ISFL for just over a year so I would not say I know everyone, but off the top of my head I see 13 players in this system that I have seen before. Anyway, as we have seen with other teams, with great TPE also comes great age, and these guys prove it as the second oldest Major league team. In the last three regular seasons they have finished 2nd, 1st, and second, while Paris has finished in the Minors 1st, 2nd, 1st. Nice symmetry. In the cup Uniao has finished in the semifinals, twice and won it all this past season. Paris has also been very strong with a round of 16 finsh, a quarterfinal appearance, and last season was a wild one. Both of these teams met in one of the semifinal matches and Uniao won 4-3 on penalties. That must have been thrilling. I see no reason why these teams should not continue their runs at the top of their respective leagues for the foreseeable future.

SFV MTL
Nearing the end of this adventure brings us to Schwarzwalder FV and their affiliate Montreal United. Like usual there is probably something I am missing in the Schwarzwalder logo but it seems a little confusing. It is fine I guess. I do quite like the Montreal United logo though. In the opposite situation as our last team, Schwarzwalder has the 10th most TPE and then the 2nd youngest age. Montreal United is also loaded up with players just waiting for their chance to join the main squad in a few more seasons. I have to imagine the club is ready for the rebuild to activate since they have finished dead last for both of the most recent seasons. They just got beat by a Minor league team in the S25 Cup, so I suppose it is only up from here. They are getting the players in place, just need to make it happen.

Tenochtitlan Krung Thep
Now we can go over CD Tenochtitlan and their Minor league affiliate Krung Thep FC in Thailand. These teams were established in Season 20 and interestingly enough, there are seven S20 players on the CD Tenochtitlan roster. That looks to have been a quite effective entry draft for them. They rank 4 in average TPE for the Major league squad, but Krung Thep FC themselves are also loaded with high TPE players. These guys have definitely found success. Three years ago CD Tenochtitlan finished 3rd overall, but then went on to win the Cup. Then they got relegated but still somehow got to the cup final, this time losing it. This last season did not have any big rebounds, but there is no reason to think they can't still be on an upward trajectory for a while longer.

Liffeyside RMP
Last up is a pretty exciting pair of clubs in Liffeyside Celtic FC and CS Rova Mpanjaka. The Madagascar to Ireland connection is unique but something about it is working. Both logos are just great. No notes. Liffeyside Celtic FC is right in the middle of the pack in terms of average TPE and roster age. CS Rova Mpanjaka is a pretty experienced bunch but much of the team is already the same age as the Major league club, so I do wonder if they could have an aging problem in the future. For now though, they have only been a club for 4 full seasons and Celtic has done reasonably well. in just 4 seasons they went from 12th to 5th, to 5 and being relegated to then dominating in league 2 and being promoted right back. In the Cup they have improved every year since their creation including losing the Cup Finals this last season. Lilleyside Celtic FC is looking to be continuing on their run and will be a very strong contender to win the Cup in the next few seasons.

Going through this exercise does tell me that a team's TPE certainly has some meaningful impact on your chance of success. At least based on my snapshot of data, this last season's League 1 had the rank 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, and 11 teams in average TPE. Then by the end of the season 2 and 11 got relegated and replaced by 4 and 7. There can be some outliers like Xelaju Cosmico getting into league 1 without any players over 1500TPE, but then again they did fall back down after 1 season. 

I suppose I should try to summarize my thoughts. It is clear that there are a lot of things that contribute to success on the field. As far as I have learned so far, I would say the big 3 seem to be TPE total, proper player builds, and proper team tactics. At least as far as this little experiment has gone, I have validated to myself that overall team TPE likely has a high correlation to team success. Maybe proving that out would be a statistical task for the future.]]> <![CDATA[This Draft Analysis is coming from inside the class (S26)]]> https://forum.simulationsoccer.com/showthread.php?tid=9954 Mon, 15 Jun 2026 22:04:57 +0100 nckkss]]> https://forum.simulationsoccer.com/showthread.php?tid=9954
I mean... I didn't purposefully tank myself, but I did get drafted by the reigning champs. Maybe they're tanking their own chances?

It also became clear as I went on that there were many users and players I was unfamiliar with. My comments are all meant to be positive and in good faith. So sorry if I don't know you now, I do hope to know more about you soon.


Round 1

1.   SFV Schwarzwälder FV - Barry McGlynn - @Definia
2.  SFV Schwarzwälder FV - Reece Munro - @Riipsaw

Sorry to lump the lads together, buts its a joint pick from SFV, and obviously arbitrary who goes 1oa and who goes 2nd.

That said, there are a number of reasons the Definia was predicted to go 1oa, and any future academy stars take note. Not only has he been up there all season as a TPE leader, but he’s become an ever present yet unassuming user on Discord. He’s affable, approachable, sends messages without taking up space, as well as taking up the BoD intern job (surely he’ll be heavily involved in SSL for years to come). In summary, certainly no one was surprised to see him be the well deserved top pick.

Not that anyone should be sleeping on Riipsaw. While not quite as active on the discord, he is part of this S26 group that (possibly includes myself) contributes meaningfully to conversation without the need to scroll past 100 messages. A graphics wizz, and just as pleasant as his brother. A well deserved 2nd pick. Also fascinating to seem move over to the left, more on that later...

3.  ACR A.C. Romana - Jimothy Erickson - @GingerJLD

In a pick that surprised few (although I secretly was hoping for a call to my hometown with minor team Inter London), Ginger’s Thanos like collection of SSL jobs and seeming to be available on discord 24/7 means he’s virtually already part of the furniture here. Another great PTE earner (but also being a simmer, he’s got tons of cash for traits etc.), his only negative, small that it is, would be the average prediction earning, meaning you could probably map his TPE graph for the next few seasons. But that is me looking for the tiniest negative. A fantastic pick.
It also helped that he was one of the few centre backs – a hugely desirable position.

4.  USP União São Paulo - Ignignokt - @AustinP0027

I don’t know huge amounts about this user or player, but what I have seen has all been positive. Not one of the top 10 TPE earners, but as I understand their reputation from other leagues precedes them, enough for USP to trade up for the pick, and prioritise them. Their stat-heavy media has been some of the best I've seen.

5.   Shanghai Shanghai Dragons FC - S Sei - @xyan

Another great discord user, high TPE earner AND plays in other leagues (right?), xyan has been a great class member, with some of the best emotes, media and conversation. A worthy pick at 5.

6. XLC  Xelajú Cósmico FC - Saphira Brightscales - @PidgeyDestined 

Where my analysis breaks down again is I am not familiar with my draft class, clearly! Definitely having some presence on discord, as well the fact they are a freaking dragon! Xelaju’s first pick clearly prioritised Pidgey, who I understand also plays in other leagues, perhaps with affiliations I’m not clear with. Looking forward to following them more closely!

7. Shanghai Shanghai Dragons FC - Joe Mormor - @Haramcha

Haramcha just about steals the crown of nicest user of the class from Definia. Their media weaves a beautiful, heartfelt narrative, their discord conversations are almost always positive, in DMs, extremely helpful and kind. I had no jealousy (no, really) of how Joe Mormor also consistently and constantly outperformed Nick Kasak in the Academy as LAM. Almost a shame for them to drop back to LD.
(Plus they are, at time of writing, top TPE of the class, although not at the time of the draft)

8.   Liffeyside Liffeyside Celtic FC - Jack Pow - @Jack_Pow

Another great user who says everything I agree with, sometimes before I’ve had the chance to say it myself. Consistent, pleasant, high earner, another great character on discord with some solid media pieces too.
I genuinely look forward to battling him on the pitch at some point in the future.
And he’ll be pleased to be picked above...

9.   RKV Reykjavik United - Kairo Vox - @Hoodz_91

Apparently in a surprise to no one but me, Hoodz got picked up by Reykjavik’s first pick. I’m not sure of the details, but Hoodz took up the mantle of Academy Manager in their first ever season, and doing a pretty good job in what was an absolutely bonkers few weeks. Huge presence on discord too, great character to have. Would have thought they would have gone higher earlier in the season, but obviously I’ve missed something.

10.  HFC  Hollywood FC - Nick Kasak - @nckkss

There was a time about a third of the way into our academy season when I thought there was a clear path for me to be TPE leader and somehow make my way to be first pick overall. 

Scouting conversations had begun and were coming thick and fast: I was honest about how flexible my build could be, I received positive feedback about some of my media and I made it clear I wanted to stick around for the long term.

But of course, there’s a bit more too it than that, and I hadn’t made myself as well known as I should have and needed to step up my discord game, and stop relying so much on my player’s performance, which almost doesn’t matter.

A lot of the scouting conversations seemed to get down to: “We don’t think we’ll be able to get you, you’ll go too early”, which felt nice to hear, but ultimately 7 teams passed on me before I got picked.

But I definitely do not feel hard done by, I have already been made to feel at home in this org, but as a word to the current academy crop – I had absolutely no idea that they actually wanted me and it was a great surprise. My scouting conversation was lovely, but so were most of them, as this community is full of really positive people. 

11.  BA  CA Buenos Aires - Moew enBach - @Moew

Some controversial comments either side of the draft, but Moew has been consistent throughout the academy class. They ma or may not have had another destination in mind, but this is a draft, not free agency. He will be a great user for CABA, I’m sure, and good luck to him in Athenai’s net this season.

12.   HFC Hollywood FC - Joshua Homme III Esquire Limited - @o1playz

Right up until nearly the draft itself, o1 seemed destined to be a great early pick up for somebody, and go top three. One of the top earners, podcaster, very present on discord and defender as well! Then he (publicly) made it known his ambition to manage an expansion team, meaning he would only spend his rookie season with whoever drafted him.

Now of course, I’m not privy to anything said privately, but this is surely the reason for this relatively low pick for such a great user. That all said, I’m so pleased that everyone else’s loss is my gain, and he is already going to be a fantastic teammate at Kaapstad, and its possible the expansion manager ambition has disappeared.


Round 2

13. SFV  Schwarzwälder FV - Christopher Bergmann - @Bergmau

Round 2 opened with another user I’m not familiar with, but they had solid media, consistent TPE earn and were playing as a defender. I have no idea how scouting conversations went, but I can only assume: very well.

14.  USP  União São Paulo - Owen Goal - @anjro

Round 2 continues with another chill user, although I get the impression anjro has some simulation experience? Some higher earners still haven’t been picked, but Owen Goal is actually about spot on here with there draft position compared to TPE.

15.  HFC Hollywood FC - Dante Von Wolfe - @Bloodless

With this pick, Hollywood now have 2/3 of the three musketeers, the podcast Bloodless makes with Ginger and o1. Another high earning super active user, although no SSL jobs I’m aware of… yet. A great personality who could have probably gone higher in the draft, but presumably did not because of wanting to stick to their guns and play as a striker.

Once again, very happy to now call this simulation league veteran a teammate.

16.  CFCat CF Catalunya - Dennis van Huntelrooy - @Jeanious

Catalunya’s first pick is the S26 class’s stat king Jeanious and their player honouring Netherland’s greatest strikers. Another positive voice in the draft class with fantastic media and solid discord presence, the fact they are currently second (at time of writing) in TPE in draft class means this could be the steal of the draft.

17.   Shanghai Shanghai Dragons FC - Cory Stevens - @Toast

I feel bad for saying this, but as a newbie to these things, I just don’t know Toast. Is he a legend? Possibly. Could he be? Probably.
Arrived pretty late on the scene and as it stands over 125 TPE off the top of the class, there is clearly a lot I don’t know about Toast.

18.   XLC  Xelajú Cósmico FC - Isaiah Ali - @Turbanator

I’m afraid once again this was not a player I was familiar with, but one can assume they had some great scout conversations and/or is a known simulation player. Sorry, King, I’m just not up on your game.

19.   Tenochtitlan CD Tenochtitlan - Blaise N'Kufo - @McTruffles

My old Accra teammate, and I’m very pleased to find them this high up in the draft. Accra wasn’t blessed with a large number of very active players, but McTruffles has always checked in now and again, and always been very nice to talk with.
Known as MCLumberjack’s friend as well, I imagine this is one of those sleeper picks thats going to be shown to be a top on in seasons to come.

20.  Liffeyside  Liffeyside Celtic FC - Slabko Plačkovič - @sc1zzO

A relatively late joiner to the class, but playing in a desirable position surely boosted their draft stock. I think Liffeyside were the only organisation that I never spoke to, so I have no idea of their needs. Or why they didn’t need me. Mysterious indeed.

21.   RKV Reykjavik United - Alex Peña - @CRMO15

If we were going on player performance alone, this is first round pick all day long. Record breaking assists, absolutely huge numbers. Present on the discord and consistent all season long.

22.   CFCat CF Catalunya - STAR SCREAM - @Starscream

An absolute steal of a high earner here. I think Starscream joined the same day I did, or very close to it, because I think their player name was one of the first I saw. High TPE earner, which is great for their position too. Great pickup for Catalunya, surely.

23.  TSC Tokyo S.C. - Scorp E. Unshark - @hhh81

A returning player with an enforced second round pick straight into AM position for the org. Although somehow they’ve ended up roughly where their TPE earnings would have put them anyway.

24.   HFC Hollywood FC - Kaz Okada - @DidYouSeeThatLudicrousDisplay?

I absolutely love this username, and am so pleased to welcome another teammate. And a defender too.


From this point on I’m afraid there were many names I wasn’t as familiar with as I thought, I suppose as what happens with such a large class. Although the headlines from the remaining picks are Bruce McAllister joining his IRL brothers at Schwarzwalder, which is a fantastic story anyway you cut it. I’m reliably informed these three will now form up as a horrifying midfield triple that we shall all learn to be fearful of.
Another regen, but a teammate from Accra, Mullet Man goes to CABA, where I sincerely hope he brings forth his Mullet blessings and converts them all to the ways of the Mullet. The hair at the back of my head grew longer every week we player together.

Round 3

25.   Shanghai Dragons FC - Tim Quackareedoo - @canard101
26.  Tokyo S.C. - Leonardo Stone - @Frostbite
27.  Hollywood FC - Felix Pedro - @Artemis
28.  Tokyo S.C. - Eric Duic - @Roboeric562
29.  Shanghai Dragons FC - Josh Harper - @JCPro
30.  Xelajú Cósmico FC - Sadie Black - @Rezo950inat0r2
31. A.C. Romana - Maurjiro Rivers - @Maur Rivers
32.  Schwarzwälder FV - Bruce McAllister - @Spree
33.  Reykjavik United - Martin Krpan - @ChiefVito
34.  Tokyo S.C. - Baptiste Azzola - @Liscore
35.  União São Paulo - Saba Kvekvetsia - @Jepox
36.   CF Catalunya - Jayson Bryzski - @JaytheGreat

Round 4

37.  Schwarzwälder FV - Luis Fonseca - @BackpackPlays
38.  Tokyo S.C. - Umaq Yupanqui - @Rancidbudgie
39.  Hollywood FC - John McDougal - @EggBert1899
40.  CA Buenos Aires - Mullet Man - @Ogreishh
41.  Shanghai Dragons FC - Owen Bryant - @deadlymuffin_man
42.  Xelajú Cósmico FC - Nacho Kusora - @Wahgao
43.  PASS - -
44.  Xelajú Cósmico FC - Le Chonk - @amjohnson636
45.  PASS - -
46.  CA Buenos Aires - Gold Ship - @Liath The Squirrel
47.  PASS - -
48.  PASS - -


Conclusion:

To the class of S27, if there are lessons to be learned from this draft to increase their draft position, they would be this:

-Earn the maximum TPE you can. Activity checks every week, but also doing more than the bare minimum PT activity so that you can earn the money to buy the max TPE per season. Also consider an SSL job, which will earn money, help you learn and raise your visibility.

-Be active on discord. They really are a nice bunch and they will answer questions with only minimal levels of snark.

-Consider how desirable the position you are playing is, or how flexible you are about changing that position. Defenders tend be rare, because they get so little of the glory, but they go early in drafts, with every team needing to play two every match. You can reroll in the academy, or during your first "proper" season.

-Bring your brothers with you.]]>
I mean... I didn't purposefully tank myself, but I did get drafted by the reigning champs. Maybe they're tanking their own chances?

It also became clear as I went on that there were many users and players I was unfamiliar with. My comments are all meant to be positive and in good faith. So sorry if I don't know you now, I do hope to know more about you soon.


Round 1

1.   SFV Schwarzwälder FV - Barry McGlynn - @Definia
2.  SFV Schwarzwälder FV - Reece Munro - @Riipsaw

Sorry to lump the lads together, buts its a joint pick from SFV, and obviously arbitrary who goes 1oa and who goes 2nd.

That said, there are a number of reasons the Definia was predicted to go 1oa, and any future academy stars take note. Not only has he been up there all season as a TPE leader, but he’s become an ever present yet unassuming user on Discord. He’s affable, approachable, sends messages without taking up space, as well as taking up the BoD intern job (surely he’ll be heavily involved in SSL for years to come). In summary, certainly no one was surprised to see him be the well deserved top pick.

Not that anyone should be sleeping on Riipsaw. While not quite as active on the discord, he is part of this S26 group that (possibly includes myself) contributes meaningfully to conversation without the need to scroll past 100 messages. A graphics wizz, and just as pleasant as his brother. A well deserved 2nd pick. Also fascinating to seem move over to the left, more on that later...

3.  ACR A.C. Romana - Jimothy Erickson - @GingerJLD

In a pick that surprised few (although I secretly was hoping for a call to my hometown with minor team Inter London), Ginger’s Thanos like collection of SSL jobs and seeming to be available on discord 24/7 means he’s virtually already part of the furniture here. Another great PTE earner (but also being a simmer, he’s got tons of cash for traits etc.), his only negative, small that it is, would be the average prediction earning, meaning you could probably map his TPE graph for the next few seasons. But that is me looking for the tiniest negative. A fantastic pick.
It also helped that he was one of the few centre backs – a hugely desirable position.

4.  USP União São Paulo - Ignignokt - @AustinP0027

I don’t know huge amounts about this user or player, but what I have seen has all been positive. Not one of the top 10 TPE earners, but as I understand their reputation from other leagues precedes them, enough for USP to trade up for the pick, and prioritise them. Their stat-heavy media has been some of the best I've seen.

5.   Shanghai Shanghai Dragons FC - S Sei - @xyan

Another great discord user, high TPE earner AND plays in other leagues (right?), xyan has been a great class member, with some of the best emotes, media and conversation. A worthy pick at 5.

6. XLC  Xelajú Cósmico FC - Saphira Brightscales - @PidgeyDestined 

Where my analysis breaks down again is I am not familiar with my draft class, clearly! Definitely having some presence on discord, as well the fact they are a freaking dragon! Xelaju’s first pick clearly prioritised Pidgey, who I understand also plays in other leagues, perhaps with affiliations I’m not clear with. Looking forward to following them more closely!

7. Shanghai Shanghai Dragons FC - Joe Mormor - @Haramcha

Haramcha just about steals the crown of nicest user of the class from Definia. Their media weaves a beautiful, heartfelt narrative, their discord conversations are almost always positive, in DMs, extremely helpful and kind. I had no jealousy (no, really) of how Joe Mormor also consistently and constantly outperformed Nick Kasak in the Academy as LAM. Almost a shame for them to drop back to LD.
(Plus they are, at time of writing, top TPE of the class, although not at the time of the draft)

8.   Liffeyside Liffeyside Celtic FC - Jack Pow - @Jack_Pow

Another great user who says everything I agree with, sometimes before I’ve had the chance to say it myself. Consistent, pleasant, high earner, another great character on discord with some solid media pieces too.
I genuinely look forward to battling him on the pitch at some point in the future.
And he’ll be pleased to be picked above...

9.   RKV Reykjavik United - Kairo Vox - @Hoodz_91

Apparently in a surprise to no one but me, Hoodz got picked up by Reykjavik’s first pick. I’m not sure of the details, but Hoodz took up the mantle of Academy Manager in their first ever season, and doing a pretty good job in what was an absolutely bonkers few weeks. Huge presence on discord too, great character to have. Would have thought they would have gone higher earlier in the season, but obviously I’ve missed something.

10.  HFC  Hollywood FC - Nick Kasak - @nckkss

There was a time about a third of the way into our academy season when I thought there was a clear path for me to be TPE leader and somehow make my way to be first pick overall. 

Scouting conversations had begun and were coming thick and fast: I was honest about how flexible my build could be, I received positive feedback about some of my media and I made it clear I wanted to stick around for the long term.

But of course, there’s a bit more too it than that, and I hadn’t made myself as well known as I should have and needed to step up my discord game, and stop relying so much on my player’s performance, which almost doesn’t matter.

A lot of the scouting conversations seemed to get down to: “We don’t think we’ll be able to get you, you’ll go too early”, which felt nice to hear, but ultimately 7 teams passed on me before I got picked.

But I definitely do not feel hard done by, I have already been made to feel at home in this org, but as a word to the current academy crop – I had absolutely no idea that they actually wanted me and it was a great surprise. My scouting conversation was lovely, but so were most of them, as this community is full of really positive people. 

11.  BA  CA Buenos Aires - Moew enBach - @Moew

Some controversial comments either side of the draft, but Moew has been consistent throughout the academy class. They ma or may not have had another destination in mind, but this is a draft, not free agency. He will be a great user for CABA, I’m sure, and good luck to him in Athenai’s net this season.

12.   HFC Hollywood FC - Joshua Homme III Esquire Limited - @o1playz

Right up until nearly the draft itself, o1 seemed destined to be a great early pick up for somebody, and go top three. One of the top earners, podcaster, very present on discord and defender as well! Then he (publicly) made it known his ambition to manage an expansion team, meaning he would only spend his rookie season with whoever drafted him.

Now of course, I’m not privy to anything said privately, but this is surely the reason for this relatively low pick for such a great user. That all said, I’m so pleased that everyone else’s loss is my gain, and he is already going to be a fantastic teammate at Kaapstad, and its possible the expansion manager ambition has disappeared.


Round 2

13. SFV  Schwarzwälder FV - Christopher Bergmann - @Bergmau

Round 2 opened with another user I’m not familiar with, but they had solid media, consistent TPE earn and were playing as a defender. I have no idea how scouting conversations went, but I can only assume: very well.

14.  USP  União São Paulo - Owen Goal - @anjro

Round 2 continues with another chill user, although I get the impression anjro has some simulation experience? Some higher earners still haven’t been picked, but Owen Goal is actually about spot on here with there draft position compared to TPE.

15.  HFC Hollywood FC - Dante Von Wolfe - @Bloodless

With this pick, Hollywood now have 2/3 of the three musketeers, the podcast Bloodless makes with Ginger and o1. Another high earning super active user, although no SSL jobs I’m aware of… yet. A great personality who could have probably gone higher in the draft, but presumably did not because of wanting to stick to their guns and play as a striker.

Once again, very happy to now call this simulation league veteran a teammate.

16.  CFCat CF Catalunya - Dennis van Huntelrooy - @Jeanious

Catalunya’s first pick is the S26 class’s stat king Jeanious and their player honouring Netherland’s greatest strikers. Another positive voice in the draft class with fantastic media and solid discord presence, the fact they are currently second (at time of writing) in TPE in draft class means this could be the steal of the draft.

17.   Shanghai Shanghai Dragons FC - Cory Stevens - @Toast

I feel bad for saying this, but as a newbie to these things, I just don’t know Toast. Is he a legend? Possibly. Could he be? Probably.
Arrived pretty late on the scene and as it stands over 125 TPE off the top of the class, there is clearly a lot I don’t know about Toast.

18.   XLC  Xelajú Cósmico FC - Isaiah Ali - @Turbanator

I’m afraid once again this was not a player I was familiar with, but one can assume they had some great scout conversations and/or is a known simulation player. Sorry, King, I’m just not up on your game.

19.   Tenochtitlan CD Tenochtitlan - Blaise N'Kufo - @McTruffles

My old Accra teammate, and I’m very pleased to find them this high up in the draft. Accra wasn’t blessed with a large number of very active players, but McTruffles has always checked in now and again, and always been very nice to talk with.
Known as MCLumberjack’s friend as well, I imagine this is one of those sleeper picks thats going to be shown to be a top on in seasons to come.

20.  Liffeyside  Liffeyside Celtic FC - Slabko Plačkovič - @sc1zzO

A relatively late joiner to the class, but playing in a desirable position surely boosted their draft stock. I think Liffeyside were the only organisation that I never spoke to, so I have no idea of their needs. Or why they didn’t need me. Mysterious indeed.

21.   RKV Reykjavik United - Alex Peña - @CRMO15

If we were going on player performance alone, this is first round pick all day long. Record breaking assists, absolutely huge numbers. Present on the discord and consistent all season long.

22.   CFCat CF Catalunya - STAR SCREAM - @Starscream

An absolute steal of a high earner here. I think Starscream joined the same day I did, or very close to it, because I think their player name was one of the first I saw. High TPE earner, which is great for their position too. Great pickup for Catalunya, surely.

23.  TSC Tokyo S.C. - Scorp E. Unshark - @hhh81

A returning player with an enforced second round pick straight into AM position for the org. Although somehow they’ve ended up roughly where their TPE earnings would have put them anyway.

24.   HFC Hollywood FC - Kaz Okada - @DidYouSeeThatLudicrousDisplay?

I absolutely love this username, and am so pleased to welcome another teammate. And a defender too.


From this point on I’m afraid there were many names I wasn’t as familiar with as I thought, I suppose as what happens with such a large class. Although the headlines from the remaining picks are Bruce McAllister joining his IRL brothers at Schwarzwalder, which is a fantastic story anyway you cut it. I’m reliably informed these three will now form up as a horrifying midfield triple that we shall all learn to be fearful of.
Another regen, but a teammate from Accra, Mullet Man goes to CABA, where I sincerely hope he brings forth his Mullet blessings and converts them all to the ways of the Mullet. The hair at the back of my head grew longer every week we player together.

Round 3

25.   Shanghai Dragons FC - Tim Quackareedoo - @canard101
26.  Tokyo S.C. - Leonardo Stone - @Frostbite
27.  Hollywood FC - Felix Pedro - @Artemis
28.  Tokyo S.C. - Eric Duic - @Roboeric562
29.  Shanghai Dragons FC - Josh Harper - @JCPro
30.  Xelajú Cósmico FC - Sadie Black - @Rezo950inat0r2
31. A.C. Romana - Maurjiro Rivers - @Maur Rivers
32.  Schwarzwälder FV - Bruce McAllister - @Spree
33.  Reykjavik United - Martin Krpan - @ChiefVito
34.  Tokyo S.C. - Baptiste Azzola - @Liscore
35.  União São Paulo - Saba Kvekvetsia - @Jepox
36.   CF Catalunya - Jayson Bryzski - @JaytheGreat

Round 4

37.  Schwarzwälder FV - Luis Fonseca - @BackpackPlays
38.  Tokyo S.C. - Umaq Yupanqui - @Rancidbudgie
39.  Hollywood FC - John McDougal - @EggBert1899
40.  CA Buenos Aires - Mullet Man - @Ogreishh
41.  Shanghai Dragons FC - Owen Bryant - @deadlymuffin_man
42.  Xelajú Cósmico FC - Nacho Kusora - @Wahgao
43.  PASS - -
44.  Xelajú Cósmico FC - Le Chonk - @amjohnson636
45.  PASS - -
46.  CA Buenos Aires - Gold Ship - @Liath The Squirrel
47.  PASS - -
48.  PASS - -


Conclusion:

To the class of S27, if there are lessons to be learned from this draft to increase their draft position, they would be this:

-Earn the maximum TPE you can. Activity checks every week, but also doing more than the bare minimum PT activity so that you can earn the money to buy the max TPE per season. Also consider an SSL job, which will earn money, help you learn and raise your visibility.

-Be active on discord. They really are a nice bunch and they will answer questions with only minimal levels of snark.

-Consider how desirable the position you are playing is, or how flexible you are about changing that position. Defenders tend be rare, because they get so little of the glory, but they go early in drafts, with every team needing to play two every match. You can reroll in the academy, or during your first "proper" season.

-Bring your brothers with you.]]> <![CDATA[ACADEMY TASK 5: Understanding Positional Importance]]> https://forum.simulationsoccer.com/showthread.php?tid=9950 Mon, 15 Jun 2026 19:59:18 +0100 Pelochyta]]> https://forum.simulationsoccer.com/showthread.php?tid=9950 real context for how important that position is, other than some people mentioning that apparently academy GMs don't get many CD creates). Which then lead me down the thought path of what ARE the most desired/important positions, and how to check that. I figured the draft is as good of a place as any, so I pulled the last 3 first rounds, grabbed the players, and looked up their positions. Then just ran some quick numbers.

If it's an important position then, presumably, good users will a) create at that position (if they're aware of the importance) and b) be drafted at that position. Obviously there's a few confounding variables here, namely:

1) User preference -> some people who are good users, and therefore will be drafted high, prefer to play certain positions/archetypes, even if they're not explicitly "high demand". (I prefer playing defense).
2) Club needs -> Every club will have different needs at different times, and when this intersects with what high earners have actually created at it can be hard to get a feel for what positions are actually the most important. 
3) Out of Position / Swaps -> I believe the information I have is just an "as of now" view, which would inflate the totals of certain positions toward the most important ones (which is fine, ultimately). I also have no insight into what role these players are actually filling on the team, but that might be irrelevant.
4) User Fit -> Related to point 2, sometimes teams will draft for user fit much more than position fit.
5) Sample Size -> There's 36 total picks reviewed here, 3 first rounds out of 26 in the history of the league.

A lot of this writing is stream of conscious that got tidied up a bit after, so come on this journey with me. Also I accidentally started by looking at the S26 draft so we're just going backwards in time instead of forwards. It is what it is.

Season 26 Draft:

Unique Positions: CAM (1), LAM (2), CD (1), CDM (3), LD (2), RAM (1), GK (1), LWB (1)

A lot of midfielders went in the first round of this draft, with 7 of twelve players at midfield. Or what I assume is midfield based on the M. 3 of the other 5 were pure defenders with a bias towards left defense, and then a goalie and a LWB. I have no clue what LWB means. Left Wing/Wide Back? Is that offense?

Thoughts: Midfield is the runaway winner here, with an almost even split between attacking (what I assume the A means) and defending. This makes sense to me since midfield seems like it would generally be the most involved with the highest responsibility, ergo teams want high earners, and high earners want it for lots of touches? I'm a little surprised a goalie would go in the first since that's very counterintuitive to how other sim leagues work, with goalies in SHL almost never going round 1, and the same for special teamers in ISFL.

Season 25 Draft:

Unique Position: LD (1), CAM (1), CDM (1), ST (3), CD (3), GK (2), RAM (1)

There were 3 more CDs taken in this draft, bringing the total to 4 where it will stay. And again 2 goalkeepers - I guess they are just worth a lot more in the SHL? There must be an actual big impact to a max earning GK vs a lower/mid earning one. This is also the second LD taken, but no RD is far, and there's more LAM than RAM (and a rogue LWB). Is that just small sample size, or are left side positions more desirable? I guess if offensive players are right footed more often, they would end up going to the left side of the defense? I'd also be remiss to not mention the 3 strikers, the first true offensive players taken and a healthy 3 of 12 picks. I'm guessing now that strikers just aren't as important as midfielders, and teams can get by with less TPE at the position.

Season 24 Draft:

Unique Position: CDM (2), GK (1), LM (1), LAM (1), ST (1), CAM (3), RM (1), RWB (1), RAM (1)

Alright there's now a run of 3 players on the right side via RM/RWB/RAM. And even with 2 more joining on the left side, LM/LAM, I'm thinking it was just small sample size before since it's a 5/3 split now between the two sides. But, notably, there's only 2 LM/RM and 2 LWB/RWB so I think those positions don't matter too much in the grand scheme of things. However, there were 5 (!) more CAM/CDM taken in these twelve picks which just serves to reinforce my thinking about how important the midfield position(s) are.

Total: CDM (6), CAM (5), CD (4), GK (4), ST (4), LAM (3), LD (3), RAM (3), LWB (1), LM (1), RM (1), RWB (1)

Midfielders absolutely run away with it, being taken for just over half of the total picks at 19 out of 36. As I've said, the more I think on it the more sense that makes. From there, it's center defenders + goal keepers + strikers at 4 a piece, then left defender as the last multi-picked position. I'm coming around on the idea of LWB/RWB being offense positions because then you'd be at 7 defenders and 6 attackers for a near perfect balance.

Conclusions (if you're inclined to call it that): There seems to be a decent enough split between the four types of positions (Midfield, Offense, Defense, Goalkeeper) especially when you consider there's only one starting GK per squad. The power positions, as it were, appear to be CDM/CAM at the top of the pyramid followed by CD/GK/ST - from there it's kind of a dart throw at what people create/get drafted as. I'm a little surprised at CD being third most common based on the anecdotes I mentioned in the beginning. It seems like it's the most in demand defensive position, and it barely averaged one per draft, so I guess that's the root cause? But there's a pretty big spread of positions so I'm not sure. Last takeaway is that it seems like creating as an RD is trolling if you're trying to get drafted high, but again it could be sample size.]]> real context for how important that position is, other than some people mentioning that apparently academy GMs don't get many CD creates). Which then lead me down the thought path of what ARE the most desired/important positions, and how to check that. I figured the draft is as good of a place as any, so I pulled the last 3 first rounds, grabbed the players, and looked up their positions. Then just ran some quick numbers.

If it's an important position then, presumably, good users will a) create at that position (if they're aware of the importance) and b) be drafted at that position. Obviously there's a few confounding variables here, namely:

1) User preference -> some people who are good users, and therefore will be drafted high, prefer to play certain positions/archetypes, even if they're not explicitly "high demand". (I prefer playing defense).
2) Club needs -> Every club will have different needs at different times, and when this intersects with what high earners have actually created at it can be hard to get a feel for what positions are actually the most important. 
3) Out of Position / Swaps -> I believe the information I have is just an "as of now" view, which would inflate the totals of certain positions toward the most important ones (which is fine, ultimately). I also have no insight into what role these players are actually filling on the team, but that might be irrelevant.
4) User Fit -> Related to point 2, sometimes teams will draft for user fit much more than position fit.
5) Sample Size -> There's 36 total picks reviewed here, 3 first rounds out of 26 in the history of the league.

A lot of this writing is stream of conscious that got tidied up a bit after, so come on this journey with me. Also I accidentally started by looking at the S26 draft so we're just going backwards in time instead of forwards. It is what it is.

Season 26 Draft:

Unique Positions: CAM (1), LAM (2), CD (1), CDM (3), LD (2), RAM (1), GK (1), LWB (1)

A lot of midfielders went in the first round of this draft, with 7 of twelve players at midfield. Or what I assume is midfield based on the M. 3 of the other 5 were pure defenders with a bias towards left defense, and then a goalie and a LWB. I have no clue what LWB means. Left Wing/Wide Back? Is that offense?

Thoughts: Midfield is the runaway winner here, with an almost even split between attacking (what I assume the A means) and defending. This makes sense to me since midfield seems like it would generally be the most involved with the highest responsibility, ergo teams want high earners, and high earners want it for lots of touches? I'm a little surprised a goalie would go in the first since that's very counterintuitive to how other sim leagues work, with goalies in SHL almost never going round 1, and the same for special teamers in ISFL.

Season 25 Draft:

Unique Position: LD (1), CAM (1), CDM (1), ST (3), CD (3), GK (2), RAM (1)

There were 3 more CDs taken in this draft, bringing the total to 4 where it will stay. And again 2 goalkeepers - I guess they are just worth a lot more in the SHL? There must be an actual big impact to a max earning GK vs a lower/mid earning one. This is also the second LD taken, but no RD is far, and there's more LAM than RAM (and a rogue LWB). Is that just small sample size, or are left side positions more desirable? I guess if offensive players are right footed more often, they would end up going to the left side of the defense? I'd also be remiss to not mention the 3 strikers, the first true offensive players taken and a healthy 3 of 12 picks. I'm guessing now that strikers just aren't as important as midfielders, and teams can get by with less TPE at the position.

Season 24 Draft:

Unique Position: CDM (2), GK (1), LM (1), LAM (1), ST (1), CAM (3), RM (1), RWB (1), RAM (1)

Alright there's now a run of 3 players on the right side via RM/RWB/RAM. And even with 2 more joining on the left side, LM/LAM, I'm thinking it was just small sample size before since it's a 5/3 split now between the two sides. But, notably, there's only 2 LM/RM and 2 LWB/RWB so I think those positions don't matter too much in the grand scheme of things. However, there were 5 (!) more CAM/CDM taken in these twelve picks which just serves to reinforce my thinking about how important the midfield position(s) are.

Total: CDM (6), CAM (5), CD (4), GK (4), ST (4), LAM (3), LD (3), RAM (3), LWB (1), LM (1), RM (1), RWB (1)

Midfielders absolutely run away with it, being taken for just over half of the total picks at 19 out of 36. As I've said, the more I think on it the more sense that makes. From there, it's center defenders + goal keepers + strikers at 4 a piece, then left defender as the last multi-picked position. I'm coming around on the idea of LWB/RWB being offense positions because then you'd be at 7 defenders and 6 attackers for a near perfect balance.

Conclusions (if you're inclined to call it that): There seems to be a decent enough split between the four types of positions (Midfield, Offense, Defense, Goalkeeper) especially when you consider there's only one starting GK per squad. The power positions, as it were, appear to be CDM/CAM at the top of the pyramid followed by CD/GK/ST - from there it's kind of a dart throw at what people create/get drafted as. I'm a little surprised at CD being third most common based on the anecdotes I mentioned in the beginning. It seems like it's the most in demand defensive position, and it barely averaged one per draft, so I guess that's the root cause? But there's a pretty big spread of positions so I'm not sure. Last takeaway is that it seems like creating as an RD is trolling if you're trying to get drafted high, but again it could be sample size.]]> <![CDATA[Majors Top 10s Over History]]> https://forum.simulationsoccer.com/showthread.php?tid=9949 Mon, 15 Jun 2026 18:36:16 +0100 AustinP0027]]> https://forum.simulationsoccer.com/showthread.php?tid=9949 Majors Rankings Over History

Interestingly enough (to me at least), I actually started writing this article for the Academy. However, the index is still a little out of sorts, so as I was starting to fill in the stats, I didn’t like that the s25 data was wrong.

So we pivot!

Originally, I pulled the latest stats to look over my class. The first thing I thought of was “Are these stats any good?” The numbers by themselves compared to the rest of the class might look impressive, but how do they rank in history? From here, I pivot to Majors, as the Academy data isn’t correct, so let’s look at the data that is correct for the season.

Step 2 was to pull the stats for every Majors player that has ever played at the Majors level. From s1 until s25, it returns 3022 rows of data, which works out to be 573 unique players.

Interesting Stats when you’re looking across history:

Most Goals
Mikko Rashford II has the most goals with 30 in season 22.
Julian Rubio had 26 in season 23 and tied with Owen Forty-Four from season 4.
Mikko Rashford II also claims third place with 24 goals in season 23.

Most Assists
Yoma Hashimoto leads everyone in Majors in assists with 22 in season 23.
Henry Andrews takes second place in season 17 with 19.
Santos Neymarinho ties Jalen Brooks with 17 for third. Neymarinho accomplished theirs in season 21, while Brooks did it in season 22.

Best Passer
12 different players show up with 100% pass rate.

Wait a minute, how can someone have 100 percent? Well, the answer is that none of them played more than 25 minutes total in that season, and all but 1 of them was a Bot.

You immediately notice the problem. First, get rid of all these bots! No one cares what the robots did, we want player data!

Secondly, for some stats raw count is fine because players who had a limited number of matches won’t have a high number. But for any of the success percent metrics, it’s a problem that those players are at the top of the list with so few stats.

The solution for both is more filters. First, no Bot or Supersub players get to be included. Second, we’ll apply a minimum limit of 450 minutes played to be included in the list. That’s 5 matches, which is enough that most Majors players should have more minutes than that if they were truly an active player to be considered.

Doing that, I was going to spit out the top stats again, but then I realized, this is just ranking by a raw number still. It would be more meaningful to try and rank across a combination of multiple stats, with weighting applied to make sure things like Goals are still very important as a raw stat, but that they can be included with other things.

Almost immediately as I look to group players into roles, I see another issue. You still have the problem of raw stats being higher the more a player is on the field. That’s great if you are looking for “Who has the highest number”, but I’m actually looking to apply some player impact versus just the player who played the most/longest.

This leads me to another tweak, per match averages. Accounting for minutes played gives a better average for statistical impact than just looking at the raw stats.

For example:
Player A has played 1800 minutes and has 12 goals.
Player B has played 900 minutes and has 8 goals.

In a top 10 list, A always beats B.

But if you get a per 90mins average (p90)....
A - (12/1800) * 90 = 0.60
B - (8/900) * 90 = 0.80

If you think about it, B was the better player because they almost scored as much as A with half the minutes. But that needs to be represented with some metric so that the new metric can be used to generate the lists.

The Final Filter Process
As mentioned:
Get all stats for all Majors players from beginning till now (s25)
Remove any bot or supersub players
Filter down so only players with 450 or more minutes show up
Generate p90 metrics for all the raw stats so we have a comparable measurement for every stat regardless of how many minutes the different players played

For the 4th item, what I’m specifically doing is converting raw stats into a percentile within the eligible pool of players in that role. What this means is the score doesn't reward raw production directly. It rewards how exceptional a player is compared to everyone else in each category, then combines those rankings using the chosen weights.

I’ll point out where this matters when I talk about results. But first, the roles!

The Roles
As mentioned above, the intent of roles is to combine similar metrics to show all around rating of players, not just take the top X of Goals, and then Assists, and so on.

Scorer Role
Measures a player's ability to generate and convert scoring opportunities. This role is designed to identify the most dangerous attacking players by combining goal production, shot volume, finishing efficiency, and ability to outperform expected goals.

Stats Included:
Goals (p90) - 30% Weight
XG (p90) - 20% Weight
Shots on Target (p90) - 15% Weight
Shot Accuracy% - 15% Weight
XG Overperformance - 10% Weight
Goals Outside Box (p90) - 10% Weight

Goals is obviously the most important stat here. Second is expected goals, as that means the player is performing in situations that should lead to a goal. Shots on Target and Shot Accuracy % might seem like the same stat, but they are included separately because while accuracy is important, just getting those shots in should also count, even if your accuracy is low. Finally, Overperformance and Goal Outside the Box were included as small bonuses to really elevate the elite players.

Playmaker Role
Measures a player's ability to create chances and generate attacking opportunities for teammates. This role rewards creativity, vision, and progressive passing that leads to dangerous situations.

Stats Included:
Assists (p90) - 25% Weight
XA (p90) - 20% Weight
Key Passes (p90) - 20% Weight
Chances Created (p90) - 15% Weight
Progressive Passes (p90) - 10% Weight
Pass% - 10% Weight

Assists and Expected Assists are the easy stats here, both lead to goals (or expected goals). Key passes are right up there, however, as it’s close to being an assist itself. Chances created is a combo of Assists and Key Passes, so it’s included as a means of getting an extra bump to those two stats. Progressive passes and Pass % are included as a minor increase to reward Playmakers for good passing.

Passer Role
Measures a player's effectiveness in controlling possession and distributing the ball. This role identifies players who are heavily involved in buildup play and can reliably progress possession.

Stats Included:
Successful Passes (p90) - 30% Weight
Pass% - 30% Weight
Progressive Passes (p90) - 20% Weight
Key Passes (p90) - 10% Weight
Attempted Passes (p90) - 10% Weight

Passing, passing, and more passing. Obvious tatts are obvious. Successful passes and pass % are the two most important stats here, but progressive passes are right behind that as it’s moving towards the opponent goal. Chances Created gets a boost, but as a passer role isn’t completely focused on scoring, it’s not the top weight. Then finally, Key passes and Attempted passes are little boosts that raise up any elite passers even further.

Defender Role
Measures a player's ability to stop opposition attacks through tackling, interceptions, positioning, and defensive actions. This role is focused on defensive reliability and disruption.

Stats Included:
Tackles Won (p90) - 25% Weight
Tackle% - 20% Weight
Interceptions (p90) - 20% Weight
Clearances (p90) - 10% Weight
Blocks (p90) - 10% Weight
Successful Presses (p90) - 10% Weight
Header% - 5% Weight

Tackles are the top stat. % are won lead the way in defining defender success. Right behind that are interceptions, which is self-explanatory as well. Clearances, Blocks, and Successful Presses are all included to give another bump. Then finally, I’ve included Header % as a small bonus just because situationally it might matter.

Presser Role
Measures a player's work rate, pressing intensity, and ability to regain possession. This role rewards players who consistently apply pressure and disrupt opposition buildup.

Stats Included:
Successful Presses (p90) - 35% Weight
Press% - 20% Weight
Distance Run (p90) - 20% Weight
Tackles Won (p90) - 10% Weight
Interceptions (p90) - 10% Weight
Fouls Against (p90) - 5% Weight

This role is hyperfocused on pressing, which is why it has the high weights on Successful presses and Press %. Distance Run makes an appearance as a means of showcasing someone who is moving around across the field to break up the opponents offense. Tackles Won and Interceptions are added as smaller bonuses to use success as a means of distinguishing the best players for this role. Finally, Fouls Against adds some extra flavor for players who are successful in getting the ball and the other team to commit a foul to stop them.

Aerial Role
Measures a player's effectiveness in aerial duels and ability to dominate in the air. We want to see the jumpers here.

Stats Included:
Successful Headers (p90) - 35% Weight
Header% - 35% Weight
Key Headers (p90) - 20% Weight
Clearances (p90) - 10% Weight

Headers are the key stat for anything Aerial, so it’s obvious why they have the most weight. 3 of the 4 stats are header related. Clearances are thrown in mostly as an additional stat that looks at the ball flying through the air.

Wide Creator Role
Measures a player's ability to create chances from wide areas through crossing and attacking delivery. This role is designed for wingers and wing-backs who provide service into dangerous areas.

Stats Included:
Successful Crosses (p90) - 35% Weight
Cross% - 25% Weight
Chances Created (p90) - 15% Weight
Open Play Key Passes (p90) - 15% Weight
Assists (p90) - 10% Weight

Crosses are the key stat here, holding the first and second most important weights. Chances created and Open Play Key passes follow that by giving more emphasis on creating shots. Finally, assists is the cherry on top, giving an extra boost when a goal is actually scored.

Dribbler Role
Measures a player's ability to progress the ball through carrying, beating defenders, and creating opportunities through individual actions. This role highlights players who can break defensive lines on their own.

Stats Included:
Dribbles (p90) - 40% Weight
Chances Created (p90) - 20% Weight
Key Passes (p90) - 15% Weight
Progressive Passes (p90) - 15% Weight
Assists (p90) - 10% Weight

Dribbles being the largest weight is obvious here. Layered into that are the results of getting the ball ahead with Chances Created, Key Passes, and Progressive passes. Like the Wide Creator role above, Assists is added to give a bonus for actually leading to a goal.

Goalkeeper Role
Measures a goalkeeper's shot-stopping quality, efficiency, and ability to prevent goals beyond expectation. This role focuses on individual goalkeeping performance rather than team results.

Stats Included:
Average Rating - 25% Weight
Save% - 25% Weight
XSave% - 15% Weight
XG Prevented (p90) - 20% Weight
Clean Sheets (p90) - 10% Weight
Penalties Saved (p90) - 5% Weight

Probably the most self-explanatory stats, as they’re all about stopping goals. I noted it’s about individual performance, but it’s important to note that all the roles above play into Goalkeeper stats. If they don’t do their jobs, the Goalkeeper has to work a lot harder, and probably ends up with worse stats because of it. The summary there, Good stats, good GK. Bad stats, probably the team’s fault.

Top 10 In Roles
Now that we have our roles setup and their stats and stat weights assigned, it’s time to apply those against every player in Majors who has ever played and meets our filter criteria (Not a bot, 450+ mins played).

Scorer Role
RankNameClubSeasonPositionScoreGoals p90xG p90Shots on Target p90Shot Accuracy %xG OverperformanceGoals Outside Box p90
1Gerd KloseHollywood FC17AM (RL), ST ( C )98.601.140.812.1478.954.630.14
2Mikko Rashford IIReykjavik United22AM (RL), ST ( C )98.201.390.862.5564.7111.430.09
3Julian RubioUnião São Paulo23AM (LC), ST ( C )97.801.180.932.3261.455.600.14
4Jean-Claude GoddamnReykjavik United16M/AM ( C ), ST ( C )97.601.361.172.7963.932.670.07
5Jake BradfordCA Buenos Aires17AM (RL), ST ( C )97.001.000.832.3657.892.450.29
6Julian RubioUnião São Paulo21AM (LC), ST ( C )96.801.171.112.5070.311.030.06
7Wang ZhihaoSchwarzwälder FV20AM (RC), ST ( C )96.701.170.612.0061.029.990.11
8Pete MartellHollywood FC21M/AM ( C ), ST ( C )96.701.000.792.3956.583.840.17
9Predrag DobrićA.C. Romana23AM (LC), ST ( C )96.400.950.671.4568.096.210.09
10Zlatan IbruhimovicTokyo S.C.18AM (LC), ST ( C )96.200.790.563.2960.533.230.14

Right away we have our first test of logic. Gerd Klose in season 17 topping Mikko Rashford II’s season 22 performance. I’m sure most of you reading this article can tell why that seems off, but for those who haven’t looked at the history, above I pointed out that the most goals in a season in Major’s history was s22 Mikko Rashford II. As you look at the p90s, you see that Mikko has higher values for goals, xg, shots on target, and xg overperformance. Gerd only led the categories of shot accuracy% and goals outside the box when compared to Mikko.

So why is Gerd barely edging out Mikko for 1st? The answer is the weighted category differences. The stats you see above are the raw p90 stats. Then, those stats are put into a percentile of everyone in the group. So for Mikko, the 1.39 p90 for goals is the 99.9th percentile of everyone. Then, you apply the weight of 30% for Goals and you get a weighted goals score of 29.97.

Where this matters is when you do the same for Gerd (1.14 is 99.38th) you get a weighted goals score of 29.81. Only a 0.16 difference.

This matters the most because as you go across the categories that Mikko won, the difference between the two is a total of 0.48. When you look at the two categories that Gerd won (accuracy and shots outside the box), Gerd actually won those by 0.87. So all in all, it’s a 0.39 difference in Gerd’s favor, which you see in the final score difference of 0.4 (rounding).

I explain this in depth because looking at raw numbers above isn’t enough to explain the order, but I can’t put all of this data in the table because then you couldn’t really read it.

The short version is, Mikko was an elite goal scorer but Gerd was close enough that his much better accuracy pushed them into the top slot.

The rest of the list isn’t that far behind, either, with s23’s Julian Rubio only 0.4 away from tying Mikko. S18’s Zlatan Ibruhimovic, the 10th place finisher, is only 2.4points out of tying for 1st place. There is not a huge gap between these players.

Playmaker Role
RankNameClubSeasonPositionScoreAssists p90xA p90Key Passes p90Chances Created p90Progressive Passes p90Pass %
1Marco TentaclesReykjavik United22D/M/AM (L)93.300.550.555.321.236.0986.07
2Furious ChickenReykjavik United16D (RL), AM (L)93.200.710.505.641.505.5785.16
3Jude GreerTokyo S.C.18D/WB/AM (L)92.900.710.564.431.507.2184.36
4Furious ChickenReykjavik United18D (RL), AM (L)92.700.640.505.071.297.8684.18
5Kimi HäkkinenSchwarzwälder FV15AM (RLC)92.500.600.624.741.963.3987.52
6Marco TentaclesReykjavik United20D/M/AM (L)92.300.830.686.831.566.2882.68
7Marco TentaclesReykjavik United21D/M/AM (L)92.100.610.586.781.068.1783.58
8Furious ChickenReykjavik United17D (RL), AM (L)91.900.500.384.501.149.4385.32
9Fara DianSchwarzwälder FV16M ( C ), AM (RC)91.800.360.606.501.435.2187.07
10Roquefort CotswoldUnião São Paulo22D ( R ), WB (RL)91.700.610.664.981.797.8082.32

The Playmaker rankings ended up being one of the most concentrated categories in the entire project. Of the ten spots available, six belong to just two players: Marco Tentacles and Furious Chicken. When one player appears three times in the top ten, that's impressive. When two players combine for more than half of the list, it tells you they were operating on a completely different level from their peers. Remember, this is over all seasons, so not only were they able to better their own group of same season players, but everyone before and after them as well.

At the top sits Marco Tentacles' s22 season for Reykjavik United, narrowly edging out Furious Chicken's s16 campaign by just 0.1 points. Looking at the raw numbers, there isn't much separating them. Chicken produced more assists, more key passes, and more chances created, while Tentacles held advantages in expected assists, progressive passes, and passing percentage. Since the weighting favors assists, expected assists, and key passes most heavily, both players end up scoring exceptionally well across the board, leaving only tiny percentile differences to determine first place.

That theme continues throughout the rankings. These aren't players winning because they dominate a single category. They're winning because they're elite in all of them. The Playmaker score rewards players who consistently create opportunities through multiple methods, whether that's directly providing assists, generating quality chances, progressing the ball into dangerous areas, or simply retaining possession efficiently enough to keep attacks flowing.

The player who manages to break up the Reykjavik monopoly is Jude Greer's s18 season for Tokyo S.C. Greer actually matches Furious Chicken's assist rate and posts the highest progressive passing figure among the top three. However, a noticeably lower key pass total and slightly weaker passing efficiency leave them just behind the two Reykjavik legends. It's a perfect example of how the weighted percentile system works. Being the best in one category is helpful, but the rankings heavily reward players who can maintain elite percentile rankings across every category.

One of the more interesting observations from this list is how frequently the same players reappear. Tentacles occupies first, sixth, and seventh. Furious Chicken claims second, fourth, and eighth. Rather than identifying one-off peak seasons, the rankings are highlighting players who sustained elite creative production year after year. That's arguably more impressive than a single dominant campaign.

The margins are also incredibly thin. Only 1.6 points separate first place from tenth, meaning virtually every player on this list has a legitimate argument for belonging among the greatest creative seasons in league history. The order matters, but the real takeaway is just how small the gap is between these performances once they are converted into weighted percentile scores.

Passer Role
RankNameClubSeasonPositionScoreSuccessful Passes p90Pass %Progressive Passes p90Key Passes p90Attempted Passes p90
1Karl SchenkingerSchwarzwälder FV16D ( C ), DM, M ( C )86.7068.2192.905.790.7973.43
2David BrukspatronCA Buenos Aires18D ( C ), DM, M ( C )84.8062.7193.604.641.0067.00
3Momo AdamuTokyo S.C.17D (LC), WB (RL)84.5069.9391.925.860.2976.07
4Nicolás MuñozCA Buenos Aires20D ( C ), DM, M ( C )84.4053.9493.914.392.5657.44
5Sami ZerhouniSchwarzwälder FV13D ( C ), DM, M ( C )84.0059.7592.764.001.6764.42
6Karl SchenkingerSchwarzwälder FV13D ( C ), DM, M ( C )83.4070.7191.844.640.5077.00
7Dombrofski MaximilianoSchwarzwälder FV20D ( R ), DM, M ( C )82.9060.7289.375.941.4467.94
8Henrik LindCA Buenos Aires13D ( C ), DM82.8071.3691.575.210.1477.93
9Beaklie EilishUnião São Paulo19D (RC), DM82.4062.0090.895.710.7168.21
10Jude GreerTokyo S.C.14D/WB/AM (L)82.2051.0791.085.503.2156.07

Unlike the Scorer and Playmaker roles, the Passer rankings are dominated by deeper-lying players. Successful Passes p90 and Pass % account for 60% of the score by themselves, so this category is heavily geared toward players who can move the ball efficiently and consistently over large volumes.

At the top of the list sits s16 Karl Schenkinger of Schwarzwälder FV. Looking at the raw numbers, it's easy to see why. He combines an elite 68.21 successful passes per 90 with a 92.90% completion rate while also maintaining strong progressive passing numbers. What separates them from the rest of the field is that they have no obvious weakness. Some players have higher passing volume, some have slightly higher completion percentages, and some offer more key passes, but nobody matches their combination across all five categories.

David Brukspatron's s18 season finishes second, just 1.9 points behind. Their passing accuracy is actually higher than Schenkinger's, but the gap in successful passes per 90 and progressive passes is enough to keep them from the top spot. Momo Adamu rounds out the podium with perhaps the most unusual profile in the top three. Despite playing primarily as a wide defender (compared to center like everyone else), they posted the highest successful passes per 90 among the top three and nearly matched Schenkinger's progressive passing output. What ultimately costs them is a much lower key pass rate, which carries a 10% weight in the formula.

One of the more interesting patterns here is how little key passes seem to matter relative to the playmaker rankings. Jude Greer's s14 season, for example, leads the entire top ten in key passes p90 at 3.21, yet only finishes tenth overall. The reason is simple: key passes only account for 10% of the Passer score, while successful passes and pass percentage account for 60%. A player can create chances, but if they aren't also completing huge numbers of passes efficiently, they will struggle to climb this list.

The clubs represented here also tell an interesting story. Schwarzwälder FV places four seasons in the top ten, including the top spot and two appearances from Schenkinger. CA Buenos Aires contributes three entries, while Tokyo S.C. places two. Unlike the Playmaker rankings, which were largely a battle between Marco Tentacles and Furious Chicken, the Passer category is spread across several clubs and player archetypes.

Perhaps the biggest takeaway from this list is how compressed the scores are. Schenkinger's league-leading 86.7 is only 4.5 points clear of Jude Greer's tenth-place finish at 82.2. While the names are different from the Playmaker rankings, the same trend appears again: once a player reaches an elite level in the weighted categories, small percentile differences become the deciding factor.

Defender Role
RankNameClubSeasonPositionScoreTackles Won p90Tackle %Interceptions p90Clearances p90Blocks p90Successful Presses p90Header %
1Ilya PrusikinCF Catalunya16D/WB ( R ), DM87.203.1786.365.331.831.003.8322.22
2Matthew MayhemUnião São Paulo14D (RLC)86.804.9382.143.791.431.504.5753.70
3Dina SkovgaardSchwarzwälder FV23D (RL), WB ( R )86.703.1889.743.681.680.733.4546.15
4Jude GreerTokyo S.C.19D/WB/AM (L)86.103.9384.624.291.501.072.9350.00
5Kofi AnshahUnião São Paulo13D/WB/AM (L)85.703.4382.764.071.501.433.6442.25
6Milton NúñezA.C. Romana21D (LC), WB (L)85.703.8384.153.331.671.443.3346.97
7Hippity HoppityA.C. Romana19D (RL), WB ( R )85.503.4384.212.863.001.572.4376.83
8Felix ArasovReykjavik United18D (L), AM (RL)85.003.3990.383.900.870.654.3344.55
9Hippity HoppityA.C. Romana22D (RL), WB ( R )84.503.7380.393.271.500.954.3269.35
10Milton NúñezA.C. Romana19D (LC), WB (L)84.303.2178.953.502.572.213.2959.72

The Defender rankings produced one of the most balanced top tens of any category. Unlike Playmaker, which was dominated by a handful of names, or Scorer, where a few elite attacking seasons separated themselves from the pack, the Defender list is filled with players who arrived at elite scores in very different ways.

Sitting at the top is Ilya Prusikin's s16 season for CF Catalunya. What's interesting about Prusikin is that they don't actually lead many of the raw categories. Matthew Mayhem wins comfortably in tackles won, Hippity Hoppity dominates the aerial game, and several players post similar pressing numbers. What Prusikin does have is perhaps the most complete defensive profile in the group. Their combination of elite interception numbers, strong tackling efficiency, and solid production across every weighted category allows them to narrowly claim first place.

The margins at the top are incredibly thin. Just 0.5 points separate first place Prusikin from third place Dina Skovgaard. In fact, only 2.2 points separate the entire top ten. That is the smallest spread we've seen so far and highlights how difficult it is to distinguish between elite defensive seasons once they are converted into weighted percentile scores.

Matthew Mayhem's s14 campaign is a good example of how the weighting influences the results. Their 4.93 tackles won per 90 is comfortably the best figure in the top ten and one of the strongest individual numbers in any category we've examined. However, tackles won only account for 25% of the Defender score. Prusikin's advantages in interceptions and tackling efficiency are enough to overcome Mayhem's massive lead in raw tackling volume and secure the top spot.

A.C. Romana is perhaps the biggest winner here, placing four seasons in the top ten. Hippity Hoppity appears twice, while Milton Núñez also claims two spots.

What stands out most from this list is the absence of a truly dominant defensive season. No player separates from the field. Instead, the Defender rankings are defined by consistency. Every player in the top ten excelled in multiple defensive categories, and the final order ultimately comes down to tiny percentile differences spread across seven separate metrics.

Presser Role
RankNameClubSeasonPositionScoreSuccessful Presses p90Press %Distance Run p90Tackles Won p90Interceptions p90Fouls Against p90
1Tamanna WhittingtonSchwarzwälder FV16D ( C ), WB (RL)94.405.0138.1815.113.583.741.11
2Shinji KaidoTokyo S.C.15M (L), AM (LC)94.305.3636.2315.033.004.211.79
3Tom PedersenSchwarzwälder FV15D (RL), WB (L)93.405.0036.6515.243.003.860.93
4Puma SuperhoopsTokyo S.C.21D/WB/M ( R )93.305.2236.2915.012.723.501.83
5Puma SuperhoopsTokyo S.C.22D/WB/M ( R )92.605.2933.3315.182.854.471.57
6Puma SuperhoopsTokyo S.C.20D/WB/M ( R )91.805.6834.2314.803.513.681.23
7Felix ArasovReykjavik United14D (RL), AM ( R )91.704.5038.4114.683.144.210.93
8Tom PedersenSchwarzwälder FV16D (RL), WB (L)91.705.0040.2315.022.293.141.07
9Hun PossibleReykjavik United13D/WB/M ( R )91.604.5042.0014.892.293.571.07
10Tamanna WhittingtonSchwarzwälder FV17D (LC), WB (RL)91.204.5734.4114.843.143.711.36

If the Defender rankings rewarded complete defensive profiles, the Presser rankings reward pure work rate. Successful Presses p90 alone accounts for 35% of the score, while Press %, Distance Run, Tackles Won, and Interceptions make up another 60%. The result is a list dominated by players who seemed determined to make life miserable for anyone trying to keep possession.

At the top sits Tamanna Whittington's s16 season for Schwarzwälder FV, edging out Shinji Kaido's s15 campaign by the slimmest of margins. Just 0.1 points separate the two. Looking at the numbers, it's easy to see why. Kaido actually records more successful presses and interceptions, while Whittington holds advantages in pressing efficiency, distance covered, and tackles won. Neither player has a meaningful weakness, and the final ranking comes down to tiny percentile differences across six different categories.

What immediately stands out from this list is how concentrated it is around a specific player profile. Nearly every player here has the defender or wing back position. That isn't a coincidence. These positions naturally favor players operating in larger spaces and covering greater distances, and the metrics used in this category heavily reward those responsibilities.

No player embodies that more than Puma Superhoops. Tokyo's relentless right-sided engine appears three times in the top six, including fourth, fifth, and sixth place. What's remarkable is how similar the three seasons are. Each year produced elite pressing numbers, excellent work rate, and strong defensive contributions. Rather than a single standout campaign, the rankings suggest Superhoops maintained an elite pressing standard for several consecutive seasons.

Distance covered also plays a larger role here than it has in any previous category. Hun Possible's s13 season provides a great example. Their 42.00 distance run per 90 is the highest figure in the entire top ten, helping them secure a place despite more modest tackling and pressing numbers than some of the players above them. Likewise, Tom Pedersen's s16 season posts the second-highest pressing efficiency in the group at 40.23%, allowing them to remain competitive despite lower tackle numbers.

The club distribution is also noteworthy. Schwarzwälder FV places four seasons in the top ten, while Tokyo S.C. claims another four. Between Whittington, Pedersen, Kaido, and Superhoops, these two clubs essentially define the category. Whatever tactical systems they employed, they consistently produced players capable of sustaining elite defensive pressure over an entire season.

Perhaps the most impressive takeaway is just how high the overall standard is. First place sits at 94.4, while tenth still clears 91.0. Unlike the Defender rankings, where the field was tightly packed but varied in style, the Presser rankings are packed with specialists who excelled at the exact same job.

Aerial Role
RankNameClubSeasonPositionScoreSuccessful Headers p90Header %Key Headers p90Clearances p90
1Henrik LindAthênai F.C.10D ( C ), DM99.7023.0792.294.6419.36
2Bob DivesinalotInter London9D ( C ), DM99.6018.0092.313.5717.71
3Cole MertzSeoul MFC9D ( C ), DM, M (L)99.6017.6492.863.9315.86
4Henrik LindAthênai F.C.9D ( C ), DM99.5021.4391.193.4316.64
5Henrik LindAS Paris11D ( C ), DM99.4018.5091.523.2115.29
6Pierre HoudeCairo City8D (LC), DM99.3017.1492.662.5715.29
7Henrik LindAthênai F.C.8D ( C ), DM99.1015.7993.253.8613.07
8Jökull JúlíussonCF Catalunya8D (RLC)99.1015.7392.802.8714.94
9Spack JarrowHollywood FC12D (RLC)99.1017.0090.493.5716.64
10Sator FreddySydney City5D ( C ), DM, M ( C )99.0017.7191.182.0016.29

The Aerial rankings may be the most lopsided category in the entire project. While other roles featured players from across multiple eras and clubs competing on relatively even footing, the Aerial list is almost entirely dominated by a small group of early league central defenders who appear to have been playing a different sport from everyone else.

At the center of it all is Henrik Lind. Four of the top ten spots belong to them, including the number one overall ranking from their s10 campaign at Athênai F.C. Their numbers are absurd across the board. More than 23 successful headers per 90, a 92.29% success rate, 4.64 key headers per 90, and over 19 clearances per match. Those figures aren't just elite within this ranking, they're outliers even compared to the rest of an already aerially dominant top ten.

In fact, Henrik's greatest competition comes from players who posted nearly identical profiles. Bob Divesinalot, Cole Mertz, Pierre Houde, Jökull Júlíusson, and Spack Jarrow all combine exceptional heading volume with success rates above 90%. The result is one of the closest finishes we've seen so far. Only 0.7 points separate first place from tenth, despite the category spanning multiple clubs and seasons.

What's particularly interesting is how compressed the scores become when a category is built around only four metrics. Successful Headers p90 and Header % account for 70% of the score by themselves, meaning players who dominate aerial duels start with a massive advantage. Key Headers and Clearances then serve primarily as tiebreakers between players who are already elite in the air. Once a player reaches the low 90s in Header % while maintaining enormous volume, there simply isn't much room left to separate them from their peers.

The recurring names tell the story. Henrik Lind appears four times while several other defenders appear with seasons that would have comfortably topped later eras. Rather than highlighting a single dominant year, the rankings suggest that a specific generation of defenders consistently produced aerial numbers that have rarely been matched since.

The other thing that jumps out is how traditional these players are. Unlike the Defender or Presser rankings, where wing backs and wide players frequently appeared, the Aerial category belongs almost exclusively to center-backs and defensive midfielders. That's not surprising given the weighting. Winning headers, winning them efficiently, and then turning those wins into defensive actions are exactly the traits the formula is designed to reward.

More than any other role so far, the Aerial rankings feel like a snapshot of a particular era. Whether that reflects tactical differences, league evolution, or simply a generation of great players roaming the back lines is up for debate. What isn't debatable is Henrik Lind's place at the top. When one player claims four of the top ten spots, including the best score ever recorded in the category, the discussion begins with them and works downward from there.

Wide Creator Role
RankNameClubSeasonPositionScoreSuccessful Crosses p90Cross %Chances Created p90Open Play Key Passes p90Assists p90
1Furious ChickenReykjavik United19D (RL), AM ( R )96.304.5034.431.292.290.86
2Yoma HashimotoUnião São Paulo22D/WB (L), DM95.904.7331.521.452.910.68
3Henry AndrewsReykjavik United17WB/M/AM ( R )95.202.6432.742.574.931.36
4Furious ChickenReykjavik United16D (RL), AM (L)94.904.0730.481.502.140.71
5Jude GreerTokyo S.C.21D/WB/AM (L)94.804.1129.481.332.560.72
6Marco TentaclesReykjavik United20D/M/AM (L)94.703.8928.571.562.890.83
7Yoma HashimotoUnião São Paulo21D/WB (L), DM94.603.9428.981.502.440.83
8Fara DianSchwarzwälder FV17M ( C ), AM (RC)94.404.0030.271.362.210.50
9Evan HuntHollywood FC23WB (RL), DM, AM ( C )94.402.6840.971.091.680.64
10Yoma HashimotoUnião São Paulo23D/WB (L), DM94.403.7628.031.853.761.02

The Wide Creator rankings feel like the natural mix between the Playmaker and Passer categories. Crossing volume and crossing efficiency account for 60% of the score, but players are also rewarded for creating chances, generating open-play key passes, and producing assists. The result is a category that favors players who consistently create attacking opportunities from wide areas, whether through traditional crossing or more modern creative play.

At the top sits Furious Chicken's s19 season for Reykjavik United. While several players on this list post stronger numbers in individual categories, Chicken's profile is remarkably complete. They combine elite crossing volume with strong accuracy, solid chance creation, and the highest assist rate among the top two finishers. As we've seen throughout these rankings, having no weaknesses often matters more than dominating a single category.

The battle for first is surprisingly close. Yoma Hashimoto's s22 season finishes just 0.4 points behind despite posting more successful crosses and creating more chances. The difference ultimately comes down to crossing efficiency and assists, where Chicken maintains a small edge. Given how heavily crossing metrics are weighted, even minor percentile advantages can make the difference between first and second place.

The most fascinating player on the list may be Henry Andrews. Unlike the players around them, Andrews doesn't rely on crossing volume at all. Their 2.64 successful crosses per 90 is nearly two full crosses behind the leaders. Instead, they compensated with extraordinary creative numbers: 2.57 chances created, 4.93 open-play key passes, and 1.36 assists per 90. Those figures are among the best in the entire table and demonstrate that there is more than one path to success in this category.

Much like the Playmaker rankings, certain names appear repeatedly. Furious Chicken claims two spots in the top four, while Yoma Hashimoto appears three times in the top ten. Marco Tentacles, Jude Greer, and Fara Dian also make appearances after already showing up in earlier creative categories. This suggests that many of the league's best creators were capable of producing chances in multiple ways rather than fitting neatly into a single role.

One player who stands out from the rest is Evan Hunt's s23 season. Their crossing accuracy of 40.97% is comfortably the highest in the top ten, yet they only ranks ninth overall. That's a perfect illustration of how the weighting system works. Cross percentage is important, but it only accounts for 25% of the score. Lower crossing volume and fewer chance creation numbers prevent Hunt from climbing higher despite his exceptional efficiency.

The club distribution also tells an interesting story. Reykjavik United claims four of the top ten spots, while União São Paulo contributes three. Together they account for seven of the ten best wide-creator seasons ever recorded.

Unlike the Aerial rankings, where a handful of historical outliers separated themselves from the field, the Wide Creator category remains remarkably competitive. Only 1.9 points separate first place from tenth, and nearly every player on the list has a compelling argument built around a different strength. Some overwhelmed opponents with crossing volume, others with efficiency, and a few through pure creativity. The rankings ultimately reward the players who managed to do all three at once.



Dribbler Role
RankNameClubSeasonPositionScoreDribbles p90Chances Created p90Key Passes p90Progressive Passes p90Assists p90
1Yoma HashimotoUnião São Paulo21D/WB (L), DM98.003.721.505.067.670.83
2Furious ChickenReykjavik United16D (RL), AM (L)97.804.431.505.645.570.71
3Roquefort CotswoldUnião São Paulo22D ( R ), WB (RL)97.803.671.794.987.800.61
4Jude GreerTokyo S.C.18D/WB/AM (L)97.603.711.504.437.210.71
5Yoma HashimotoUnião São Paulo19D/WB (L), DM97.503.701.564.447.480.52
6Yoma HashimotoUnião São Paulo23D/WB (L), DM97.203.291.856.317.371.02
7Roquefort CotswoldUnião São Paulo23D ( R ), WB (RL)96.703.181.616.589.120.60
8Hun PossibleReykjavik United13D/WB/M ( R )96.605.141.362.437.930.43
9Yoma HashimotoUnião São Paulo22D/WB (L), DM96.603.551.455.735.820.68
10Felix ArasovReykjavik United16D (RL), AM ( R )96.303.861.293.149.070.36

The Dribbler rankings may have the most misleading name of any category in the project. Dribbles account for 40% of the score, making them the single most important metric, but the remaining 60% comes from chance creation, key passes, progressive passes, and assists. The result isn't a ranking of players who simply beat opponents off the dribble. It's a ranking of players who turn ball progression into attacking production.

At the top sits Yoma Hashimoto's s21 season for União São Paulo. What makes Hashimoto's performance so impressive is how balanced it is. They don’t lead the table in dribbles, assists, or chance creation, but they rank near the top in every category. As we've seen repeatedly throughout these rankings, the weighted percentile system heavily rewards players who avoid weaknesses. Being elite everywhere is often more valuable than being historically great in a single area.

The race for first is exceptionally close. Furious Chicken's s16 campaign finishes just 0.2 points behind despite posting the highest dribble rate among the top contenders. In many ways, Chicken's season is exactly what people imagine when they hear "dribbler." They attack defenders relentlessly, create chances, and generate key passes at an elite rate. What ultimately costs them is a lower progressive passing contribution compared to Hashimoto, whose ability to consistently move the ball into dangerous areas boosts their overall profile.

One of the biggest surprises is how heavily the rankings are dominated by defenders and wing backs. Nine of the ten entries come from players whose primary positions are in defense or wide areas. Rather than traditional wingers or attacking midfielders, the formula consistently rewards players who can carry the ball forward from deeper positions while also contributing creatively.

No player embodies that better than Yoma Hashimoto. They appeared four times in the top ten, including the number one spot. Roquefort Cotswold adds two more appearances for União São Paulo, meaning the club claims six of the ten positions outright. For a category built around ball progression and creativity, that's a staggering level of dominance by a single club.

Roquefort's two appearances are particularly interesting because they demonstrate a different route to success. Their s23 season records the highest progressive passing figure in the entire top ten at 9.12 per 90 while also leading the table in key passes. The dribbling numbers themselves are relatively modest compared to some of the players around them, but their ability to advance attacks through passing compensates for that and keeps them firmly among the elite.

Hun Possible's s13 campaign provides another example of the formula at work. They lead the entire top ten in dribbles per 90 with an incredible 5.14, yet only finish eighth overall. The reason is simple: dribbling may be the largest individual category, but it is still only worth 40% of the score. Lower creative output in the remaining metrics prevents them from climbing higher despite posting the category's most eye-catching headline statistic.

Perhaps the biggest takeaway from the Dribbler rankings is how closely intertwined dribbling and creativity have become. The players at the top aren't simply carrying the ball. They're using those carries to create chances, generate assists, and progress attacks. That's why the list feels less like a ranking of flashy dribblers and more like a ranking of the league's most effective ball progressors.

The margins reflect that quality. Only 1.7 points separate first place from tenth, and several players are separated by just a few tenths of a point. As with many of the creative categories, the difference between the best and the tenth-best season is remarkably small once everything is converted into weighted percentile scores.

Goalkeeper Role
RankNameClubSeasonPositionScoreAverage RatingSave %xSave %xG Prevented p90Clean Sheets p90Penalties Saved p90
1Bartholomew TwinkletoesCF Catalunya2491.107.2484.6284.950.960.570.14
2Shingo TakechiShanghai Dragons FC2488.807.2782.2886.330.660.300.00
3Denis MobekXelajú Cósmico FC2488.207.3081.2585.710.480.400.00
4Elmis The HereticA.C. Romana1387.508.2977.65107.270.680.140.07
5Duncan WalrussonHollywood FC2586.407.4583.1282.910.680.600.00
6Muunokhoi SarantsatsralSchwarzwälder FV1584.507.2781.9784.810.380.360.00
7Certified ProblemSydney City684.007.8791.1887.740.000.430.00
8Duncan WalrussonHollywood FC2383.207.2582.1183.190.460.560.00
9Dexter HallHollywood FC1881.507.3078.8183.730.520.210.14
10Jannik AndersenAthênai F.C.980.407.2783.9686.820.000.360.00

The Goalkeeper rankings produced one of the most interesting results in the entire project because they highlight a fundamental difference between evaluating outfield players and evaluating goalkeepers. While most of the other categories are built around volume statistics, the Goalkeeper score is much more heavily influenced by efficiency. Average Rating and Save Percentage alone account for half of the total score, while xSave%, xG Prevented, Clean Sheets, and Penalties Saved fill out the remainder.

At the top of the rankings is Bartholomew Twinkletoes' s24 season for CF Catalunya. Unlike some of the runaway winners we've seen in other categories, Twinkletoes doesn't dominate every individual statistic. Shingo Takechi, Denis Mobek, and even several lower-ranked goalkeepers hold advantages in specific categories. What separates Twinkletoes is their combination of elite shot-stopping, strong xG prevention, and an outstanding clean sheet rate. they don't simply excel in one area, they rank near the top across almost all of them.

The most striking aspect of the list is how heavily it favors recent seasons. Three of the top four spots belong to season 24 goalkeepers, and four of the top five come from seasons 24 and 25. Whether that reflects improved goalkeeping quality, tactical evolution, or changes in the way teams defend is difficult to say, but the rankings clearly suggest modern keepers are producing stronger all-around statistical profiles than many of their predecessors.

The biggest outlier on the list is undoubtedly Elmis The Heretic's s13 season for A.C. Romana. While most goalkeepers cluster in the mid-80s for xSave%, Elmis posts an astonishing 107.27%. That number immediately jumps off the page because it implies they saved substantially more goals than expected over the course of the season. Despite posting by far the most eye-catching xSave% figure in the rankings, he only finishes fourth overall. That's a perfect illustration of how the weighting works. xSave% is important, but it only accounts for 15% of the score. Lower save percentage and clean sheet numbers prevent them from challenging for first place.

Another interesting case is Certified Problem's s6 campaign for Sydney City. They own the highest save percentage in the top ten at 91.18%, an absurd figure by any standard. Yet he only finishes seventh overall because their xG prevented value is zero and their clean sheet rate trails several of the players above them. Once again, the rankings reward complete goalkeeping profiles rather than singular standout statistics.

Hollywood FC quietly places three separate seasons in the top ten, led by Duncan Walrusson's s25 and s23 campaigns and Dexter Hall's s18 season. No other club matches that level of representation, suggesting Hollywood enjoyed sustained excellence in goal rather than relying on a single elite season.

Perhaps the most surprising takeaway is the gap at the top. Unlike many of the outfield categories where a point or two separated the entire top ten, Twinkletoes finished 2.3 points ahead of second place. In weighted percentile terms, that's a significant margin. While the rest of the rankings are tightly contested, the numbers suggest that their s24 season stands alone as the strongest goalkeeping campaign on record.

Whether that makes Bartholomew Twinkletoes the greatest goalkeeper in league history is a debate for another day. What this ranking does show is that no other season combined elite shot-stopping, goal prevention, and team success quite as effectively as they did.


Conclusion
If you made it to this point, then I hope you enjoyed the deep statistics dump. There was a lot more to look at here than I thought there would be, but similar to when I made scouting profiles for the Academy class, I really enjoy looking at players more by the type of role they are playing rather than trying to map into raw positions.

Given how many different tactics setups I have seen examples of, I'm not sure positions are ever consistent enough to be useful in actually categorizing.

More importantly, I'm still extremely happy with the index and the ability to get it via API. I have a massive Google sheet for this and it wouldn't be possible to write articles like this if I could get table summary data that I can then visually determine what I think is worth exploring further.

If the s25 Academy Index gets fixed, I might do this article again for the Academy class so that my class can see where we rank in terms of the all time Academy classes.]]> Majors Rankings Over History

Interestingly enough (to me at least), I actually started writing this article for the Academy. However, the index is still a little out of sorts, so as I was starting to fill in the stats, I didn’t like that the s25 data was wrong.

So we pivot!

Originally, I pulled the latest stats to look over my class. The first thing I thought of was “Are these stats any good?” The numbers by themselves compared to the rest of the class might look impressive, but how do they rank in history? From here, I pivot to Majors, as the Academy data isn’t correct, so let’s look at the data that is correct for the season.

Step 2 was to pull the stats for every Majors player that has ever played at the Majors level. From s1 until s25, it returns 3022 rows of data, which works out to be 573 unique players.

Interesting Stats when you’re looking across history:

Most Goals
Mikko Rashford II has the most goals with 30 in season 22.
Julian Rubio had 26 in season 23 and tied with Owen Forty-Four from season 4.
Mikko Rashford II also claims third place with 24 goals in season 23.

Most Assists
Yoma Hashimoto leads everyone in Majors in assists with 22 in season 23.
Henry Andrews takes second place in season 17 with 19.
Santos Neymarinho ties Jalen Brooks with 17 for third. Neymarinho accomplished theirs in season 21, while Brooks did it in season 22.

Best Passer
12 different players show up with 100% pass rate.

Wait a minute, how can someone have 100 percent? Well, the answer is that none of them played more than 25 minutes total in that season, and all but 1 of them was a Bot.

You immediately notice the problem. First, get rid of all these bots! No one cares what the robots did, we want player data!

Secondly, for some stats raw count is fine because players who had a limited number of matches won’t have a high number. But for any of the success percent metrics, it’s a problem that those players are at the top of the list with so few stats.

The solution for both is more filters. First, no Bot or Supersub players get to be included. Second, we’ll apply a minimum limit of 450 minutes played to be included in the list. That’s 5 matches, which is enough that most Majors players should have more minutes than that if they were truly an active player to be considered.

Doing that, I was going to spit out the top stats again, but then I realized, this is just ranking by a raw number still. It would be more meaningful to try and rank across a combination of multiple stats, with weighting applied to make sure things like Goals are still very important as a raw stat, but that they can be included with other things.

Almost immediately as I look to group players into roles, I see another issue. You still have the problem of raw stats being higher the more a player is on the field. That’s great if you are looking for “Who has the highest number”, but I’m actually looking to apply some player impact versus just the player who played the most/longest.

This leads me to another tweak, per match averages. Accounting for minutes played gives a better average for statistical impact than just looking at the raw stats.

For example:
Player A has played 1800 minutes and has 12 goals.
Player B has played 900 minutes and has 8 goals.

In a top 10 list, A always beats B.

But if you get a per 90mins average (p90)....
A - (12/1800) * 90 = 0.60
B - (8/900) * 90 = 0.80

If you think about it, B was the better player because they almost scored as much as A with half the minutes. But that needs to be represented with some metric so that the new metric can be used to generate the lists.

The Final Filter Process
As mentioned:
Get all stats for all Majors players from beginning till now (s25)
Remove any bot or supersub players
Filter down so only players with 450 or more minutes show up
Generate p90 metrics for all the raw stats so we have a comparable measurement for every stat regardless of how many minutes the different players played

For the 4th item, what I’m specifically doing is converting raw stats into a percentile within the eligible pool of players in that role. What this means is the score doesn't reward raw production directly. It rewards how exceptional a player is compared to everyone else in each category, then combines those rankings using the chosen weights.

I’ll point out where this matters when I talk about results. But first, the roles!

The Roles
As mentioned above, the intent of roles is to combine similar metrics to show all around rating of players, not just take the top X of Goals, and then Assists, and so on.

Scorer Role
Measures a player's ability to generate and convert scoring opportunities. This role is designed to identify the most dangerous attacking players by combining goal production, shot volume, finishing efficiency, and ability to outperform expected goals.

Stats Included:
Goals (p90) - 30% Weight
XG (p90) - 20% Weight
Shots on Target (p90) - 15% Weight
Shot Accuracy% - 15% Weight
XG Overperformance - 10% Weight
Goals Outside Box (p90) - 10% Weight

Goals is obviously the most important stat here. Second is expected goals, as that means the player is performing in situations that should lead to a goal. Shots on Target and Shot Accuracy % might seem like the same stat, but they are included separately because while accuracy is important, just getting those shots in should also count, even if your accuracy is low. Finally, Overperformance and Goal Outside the Box were included as small bonuses to really elevate the elite players.

Playmaker Role
Measures a player's ability to create chances and generate attacking opportunities for teammates. This role rewards creativity, vision, and progressive passing that leads to dangerous situations.

Stats Included:
Assists (p90) - 25% Weight
XA (p90) - 20% Weight
Key Passes (p90) - 20% Weight
Chances Created (p90) - 15% Weight
Progressive Passes (p90) - 10% Weight
Pass% - 10% Weight

Assists and Expected Assists are the easy stats here, both lead to goals (or expected goals). Key passes are right up there, however, as it’s close to being an assist itself. Chances created is a combo of Assists and Key Passes, so it’s included as a means of getting an extra bump to those two stats. Progressive passes and Pass % are included as a minor increase to reward Playmakers for good passing.

Passer Role
Measures a player's effectiveness in controlling possession and distributing the ball. This role identifies players who are heavily involved in buildup play and can reliably progress possession.

Stats Included:
Successful Passes (p90) - 30% Weight
Pass% - 30% Weight
Progressive Passes (p90) - 20% Weight
Key Passes (p90) - 10% Weight
Attempted Passes (p90) - 10% Weight

Passing, passing, and more passing. Obvious tatts are obvious. Successful passes and pass % are the two most important stats here, but progressive passes are right behind that as it’s moving towards the opponent goal. Chances Created gets a boost, but as a passer role isn’t completely focused on scoring, it’s not the top weight. Then finally, Key passes and Attempted passes are little boosts that raise up any elite passers even further.

Defender Role
Measures a player's ability to stop opposition attacks through tackling, interceptions, positioning, and defensive actions. This role is focused on defensive reliability and disruption.

Stats Included:
Tackles Won (p90) - 25% Weight
Tackle% - 20% Weight
Interceptions (p90) - 20% Weight
Clearances (p90) - 10% Weight
Blocks (p90) - 10% Weight
Successful Presses (p90) - 10% Weight
Header% - 5% Weight

Tackles are the top stat. % are won lead the way in defining defender success. Right behind that are interceptions, which is self-explanatory as well. Clearances, Blocks, and Successful Presses are all included to give another bump. Then finally, I’ve included Header % as a small bonus just because situationally it might matter.

Presser Role
Measures a player's work rate, pressing intensity, and ability to regain possession. This role rewards players who consistently apply pressure and disrupt opposition buildup.

Stats Included:
Successful Presses (p90) - 35% Weight
Press% - 20% Weight
Distance Run (p90) - 20% Weight
Tackles Won (p90) - 10% Weight
Interceptions (p90) - 10% Weight
Fouls Against (p90) - 5% Weight

This role is hyperfocused on pressing, which is why it has the high weights on Successful presses and Press %. Distance Run makes an appearance as a means of showcasing someone who is moving around across the field to break up the opponents offense. Tackles Won and Interceptions are added as smaller bonuses to use success as a means of distinguishing the best players for this role. Finally, Fouls Against adds some extra flavor for players who are successful in getting the ball and the other team to commit a foul to stop them.

Aerial Role
Measures a player's effectiveness in aerial duels and ability to dominate in the air. We want to see the jumpers here.

Stats Included:
Successful Headers (p90) - 35% Weight
Header% - 35% Weight
Key Headers (p90) - 20% Weight
Clearances (p90) - 10% Weight

Headers are the key stat for anything Aerial, so it’s obvious why they have the most weight. 3 of the 4 stats are header related. Clearances are thrown in mostly as an additional stat that looks at the ball flying through the air.

Wide Creator Role
Measures a player's ability to create chances from wide areas through crossing and attacking delivery. This role is designed for wingers and wing-backs who provide service into dangerous areas.

Stats Included:
Successful Crosses (p90) - 35% Weight
Cross% - 25% Weight
Chances Created (p90) - 15% Weight
Open Play Key Passes (p90) - 15% Weight
Assists (p90) - 10% Weight

Crosses are the key stat here, holding the first and second most important weights. Chances created and Open Play Key passes follow that by giving more emphasis on creating shots. Finally, assists is the cherry on top, giving an extra boost when a goal is actually scored.

Dribbler Role
Measures a player's ability to progress the ball through carrying, beating defenders, and creating opportunities through individual actions. This role highlights players who can break defensive lines on their own.

Stats Included:
Dribbles (p90) - 40% Weight
Chances Created (p90) - 20% Weight
Key Passes (p90) - 15% Weight
Progressive Passes (p90) - 15% Weight
Assists (p90) - 10% Weight

Dribbles being the largest weight is obvious here. Layered into that are the results of getting the ball ahead with Chances Created, Key Passes, and Progressive passes. Like the Wide Creator role above, Assists is added to give a bonus for actually leading to a goal.

Goalkeeper Role
Measures a goalkeeper's shot-stopping quality, efficiency, and ability to prevent goals beyond expectation. This role focuses on individual goalkeeping performance rather than team results.

Stats Included:
Average Rating - 25% Weight
Save% - 25% Weight
XSave% - 15% Weight
XG Prevented (p90) - 20% Weight
Clean Sheets (p90) - 10% Weight
Penalties Saved (p90) - 5% Weight

Probably the most self-explanatory stats, as they’re all about stopping goals. I noted it’s about individual performance, but it’s important to note that all the roles above play into Goalkeeper stats. If they don’t do their jobs, the Goalkeeper has to work a lot harder, and probably ends up with worse stats because of it. The summary there, Good stats, good GK. Bad stats, probably the team’s fault.

Top 10 In Roles
Now that we have our roles setup and their stats and stat weights assigned, it’s time to apply those against every player in Majors who has ever played and meets our filter criteria (Not a bot, 450+ mins played).

Scorer Role
RankNameClubSeasonPositionScoreGoals p90xG p90Shots on Target p90Shot Accuracy %xG OverperformanceGoals Outside Box p90
1Gerd KloseHollywood FC17AM (RL), ST ( C )98.601.140.812.1478.954.630.14
2Mikko Rashford IIReykjavik United22AM (RL), ST ( C )98.201.390.862.5564.7111.430.09
3Julian RubioUnião São Paulo23AM (LC), ST ( C )97.801.180.932.3261.455.600.14
4Jean-Claude GoddamnReykjavik United16M/AM ( C ), ST ( C )97.601.361.172.7963.932.670.07
5Jake BradfordCA Buenos Aires17AM (RL), ST ( C )97.001.000.832.3657.892.450.29
6Julian RubioUnião São Paulo21AM (LC), ST ( C )96.801.171.112.5070.311.030.06
7Wang ZhihaoSchwarzwälder FV20AM (RC), ST ( C )96.701.170.612.0061.029.990.11
8Pete MartellHollywood FC21M/AM ( C ), ST ( C )96.701.000.792.3956.583.840.17
9Predrag DobrićA.C. Romana23AM (LC), ST ( C )96.400.950.671.4568.096.210.09
10Zlatan IbruhimovicTokyo S.C.18AM (LC), ST ( C )96.200.790.563.2960.533.230.14

Right away we have our first test of logic. Gerd Klose in season 17 topping Mikko Rashford II’s season 22 performance. I’m sure most of you reading this article can tell why that seems off, but for those who haven’t looked at the history, above I pointed out that the most goals in a season in Major’s history was s22 Mikko Rashford II. As you look at the p90s, you see that Mikko has higher values for goals, xg, shots on target, and xg overperformance. Gerd only led the categories of shot accuracy% and goals outside the box when compared to Mikko.

So why is Gerd barely edging out Mikko for 1st? The answer is the weighted category differences. The stats you see above are the raw p90 stats. Then, those stats are put into a percentile of everyone in the group. So for Mikko, the 1.39 p90 for goals is the 99.9th percentile of everyone. Then, you apply the weight of 30% for Goals and you get a weighted goals score of 29.97.

Where this matters is when you do the same for Gerd (1.14 is 99.38th) you get a weighted goals score of 29.81. Only a 0.16 difference.

This matters the most because as you go across the categories that Mikko won, the difference between the two is a total of 0.48. When you look at the two categories that Gerd won (accuracy and shots outside the box), Gerd actually won those by 0.87. So all in all, it’s a 0.39 difference in Gerd’s favor, which you see in the final score difference of 0.4 (rounding).

I explain this in depth because looking at raw numbers above isn’t enough to explain the order, but I can’t put all of this data in the table because then you couldn’t really read it.

The short version is, Mikko was an elite goal scorer but Gerd was close enough that his much better accuracy pushed them into the top slot.

The rest of the list isn’t that far behind, either, with s23’s Julian Rubio only 0.4 away from tying Mikko. S18’s Zlatan Ibruhimovic, the 10th place finisher, is only 2.4points out of tying for 1st place. There is not a huge gap between these players.

Playmaker Role
RankNameClubSeasonPositionScoreAssists p90xA p90Key Passes p90Chances Created p90Progressive Passes p90Pass %
1Marco TentaclesReykjavik United22D/M/AM (L)93.300.550.555.321.236.0986.07
2Furious ChickenReykjavik United16D (RL), AM (L)93.200.710.505.641.505.5785.16
3Jude GreerTokyo S.C.18D/WB/AM (L)92.900.710.564.431.507.2184.36
4Furious ChickenReykjavik United18D (RL), AM (L)92.700.640.505.071.297.8684.18
5Kimi HäkkinenSchwarzwälder FV15AM (RLC)92.500.600.624.741.963.3987.52
6Marco TentaclesReykjavik United20D/M/AM (L)92.300.830.686.831.566.2882.68
7Marco TentaclesReykjavik United21D/M/AM (L)92.100.610.586.781.068.1783.58
8Furious ChickenReykjavik United17D (RL), AM (L)91.900.500.384.501.149.4385.32
9Fara DianSchwarzwälder FV16M ( C ), AM (RC)91.800.360.606.501.435.2187.07
10Roquefort CotswoldUnião São Paulo22D ( R ), WB (RL)91.700.610.664.981.797.8082.32

The Playmaker rankings ended up being one of the most concentrated categories in the entire project. Of the ten spots available, six belong to just two players: Marco Tentacles and Furious Chicken. When one player appears three times in the top ten, that's impressive. When two players combine for more than half of the list, it tells you they were operating on a completely different level from their peers. Remember, this is over all seasons, so not only were they able to better their own group of same season players, but everyone before and after them as well.

At the top sits Marco Tentacles' s22 season for Reykjavik United, narrowly edging out Furious Chicken's s16 campaign by just 0.1 points. Looking at the raw numbers, there isn't much separating them. Chicken produced more assists, more key passes, and more chances created, while Tentacles held advantages in expected assists, progressive passes, and passing percentage. Since the weighting favors assists, expected assists, and key passes most heavily, both players end up scoring exceptionally well across the board, leaving only tiny percentile differences to determine first place.

That theme continues throughout the rankings. These aren't players winning because they dominate a single category. They're winning because they're elite in all of them. The Playmaker score rewards players who consistently create opportunities through multiple methods, whether that's directly providing assists, generating quality chances, progressing the ball into dangerous areas, or simply retaining possession efficiently enough to keep attacks flowing.

The player who manages to break up the Reykjavik monopoly is Jude Greer's s18 season for Tokyo S.C. Greer actually matches Furious Chicken's assist rate and posts the highest progressive passing figure among the top three. However, a noticeably lower key pass total and slightly weaker passing efficiency leave them just behind the two Reykjavik legends. It's a perfect example of how the weighted percentile system works. Being the best in one category is helpful, but the rankings heavily reward players who can maintain elite percentile rankings across every category.

One of the more interesting observations from this list is how frequently the same players reappear. Tentacles occupies first, sixth, and seventh. Furious Chicken claims second, fourth, and eighth. Rather than identifying one-off peak seasons, the rankings are highlighting players who sustained elite creative production year after year. That's arguably more impressive than a single dominant campaign.

The margins are also incredibly thin. Only 1.6 points separate first place from tenth, meaning virtually every player on this list has a legitimate argument for belonging among the greatest creative seasons in league history. The order matters, but the real takeaway is just how small the gap is between these performances once they are converted into weighted percentile scores.

Passer Role
RankNameClubSeasonPositionScoreSuccessful Passes p90Pass %Progressive Passes p90Key Passes p90Attempted Passes p90
1Karl SchenkingerSchwarzwälder FV16D ( C ), DM, M ( C )86.7068.2192.905.790.7973.43
2David BrukspatronCA Buenos Aires18D ( C ), DM, M ( C )84.8062.7193.604.641.0067.00
3Momo AdamuTokyo S.C.17D (LC), WB (RL)84.5069.9391.925.860.2976.07
4Nicolás MuñozCA Buenos Aires20D ( C ), DM, M ( C )84.4053.9493.914.392.5657.44
5Sami ZerhouniSchwarzwälder FV13D ( C ), DM, M ( C )84.0059.7592.764.001.6764.42
6Karl SchenkingerSchwarzwälder FV13D ( C ), DM, M ( C )83.4070.7191.844.640.5077.00
7Dombrofski MaximilianoSchwarzwälder FV20D ( R ), DM, M ( C )82.9060.7289.375.941.4467.94
8Henrik LindCA Buenos Aires13D ( C ), DM82.8071.3691.575.210.1477.93
9Beaklie EilishUnião São Paulo19D (RC), DM82.4062.0090.895.710.7168.21
10Jude GreerTokyo S.C.14D/WB/AM (L)82.2051.0791.085.503.2156.07

Unlike the Scorer and Playmaker roles, the Passer rankings are dominated by deeper-lying players. Successful Passes p90 and Pass % account for 60% of the score by themselves, so this category is heavily geared toward players who can move the ball efficiently and consistently over large volumes.

At the top of the list sits s16 Karl Schenkinger of Schwarzwälder FV. Looking at the raw numbers, it's easy to see why. He combines an elite 68.21 successful passes per 90 with a 92.90% completion rate while also maintaining strong progressive passing numbers. What separates them from the rest of the field is that they have no obvious weakness. Some players have higher passing volume, some have slightly higher completion percentages, and some offer more key passes, but nobody matches their combination across all five categories.

David Brukspatron's s18 season finishes second, just 1.9 points behind. Their passing accuracy is actually higher than Schenkinger's, but the gap in successful passes per 90 and progressive passes is enough to keep them from the top spot. Momo Adamu rounds out the podium with perhaps the most unusual profile in the top three. Despite playing primarily as a wide defender (compared to center like everyone else), they posted the highest successful passes per 90 among the top three and nearly matched Schenkinger's progressive passing output. What ultimately costs them is a much lower key pass rate, which carries a 10% weight in the formula.

One of the more interesting patterns here is how little key passes seem to matter relative to the playmaker rankings. Jude Greer's s14 season, for example, leads the entire top ten in key passes p90 at 3.21, yet only finishes tenth overall. The reason is simple: key passes only account for 10% of the Passer score, while successful passes and pass percentage account for 60%. A player can create chances, but if they aren't also completing huge numbers of passes efficiently, they will struggle to climb this list.

The clubs represented here also tell an interesting story. Schwarzwälder FV places four seasons in the top ten, including the top spot and two appearances from Schenkinger. CA Buenos Aires contributes three entries, while Tokyo S.C. places two. Unlike the Playmaker rankings, which were largely a battle between Marco Tentacles and Furious Chicken, the Passer category is spread across several clubs and player archetypes.

Perhaps the biggest takeaway from this list is how compressed the scores are. Schenkinger's league-leading 86.7 is only 4.5 points clear of Jude Greer's tenth-place finish at 82.2. While the names are different from the Playmaker rankings, the same trend appears again: once a player reaches an elite level in the weighted categories, small percentile differences become the deciding factor.

Defender Role
RankNameClubSeasonPositionScoreTackles Won p90Tackle %Interceptions p90Clearances p90Blocks p90Successful Presses p90Header %
1Ilya PrusikinCF Catalunya16D/WB ( R ), DM87.203.1786.365.331.831.003.8322.22
2Matthew MayhemUnião São Paulo14D (RLC)86.804.9382.143.791.431.504.5753.70
3Dina SkovgaardSchwarzwälder FV23D (RL), WB ( R )86.703.1889.743.681.680.733.4546.15
4Jude GreerTokyo S.C.19D/WB/AM (L)86.103.9384.624.291.501.072.9350.00
5Kofi AnshahUnião São Paulo13D/WB/AM (L)85.703.4382.764.071.501.433.6442.25
6Milton NúñezA.C. Romana21D (LC), WB (L)85.703.8384.153.331.671.443.3346.97
7Hippity HoppityA.C. Romana19D (RL), WB ( R )85.503.4384.212.863.001.572.4376.83
8Felix ArasovReykjavik United18D (L), AM (RL)85.003.3990.383.900.870.654.3344.55
9Hippity HoppityA.C. Romana22D (RL), WB ( R )84.503.7380.393.271.500.954.3269.35
10Milton NúñezA.C. Romana19D (LC), WB (L)84.303.2178.953.502.572.213.2959.72

The Defender rankings produced one of the most balanced top tens of any category. Unlike Playmaker, which was dominated by a handful of names, or Scorer, where a few elite attacking seasons separated themselves from the pack, the Defender list is filled with players who arrived at elite scores in very different ways.

Sitting at the top is Ilya Prusikin's s16 season for CF Catalunya. What's interesting about Prusikin is that they don't actually lead many of the raw categories. Matthew Mayhem wins comfortably in tackles won, Hippity Hoppity dominates the aerial game, and several players post similar pressing numbers. What Prusikin does have is perhaps the most complete defensive profile in the group. Their combination of elite interception numbers, strong tackling efficiency, and solid production across every weighted category allows them to narrowly claim first place.

The margins at the top are incredibly thin. Just 0.5 points separate first place Prusikin from third place Dina Skovgaard. In fact, only 2.2 points separate the entire top ten. That is the smallest spread we've seen so far and highlights how difficult it is to distinguish between elite defensive seasons once they are converted into weighted percentile scores.

Matthew Mayhem's s14 campaign is a good example of how the weighting influences the results. Their 4.93 tackles won per 90 is comfortably the best figure in the top ten and one of the strongest individual numbers in any category we've examined. However, tackles won only account for 25% of the Defender score. Prusikin's advantages in interceptions and tackling efficiency are enough to overcome Mayhem's massive lead in raw tackling volume and secure the top spot.

A.C. Romana is perhaps the biggest winner here, placing four seasons in the top ten. Hippity Hoppity appears twice, while Milton Núñez also claims two spots.

What stands out most from this list is the absence of a truly dominant defensive season. No player separates from the field. Instead, the Defender rankings are defined by consistency. Every player in the top ten excelled in multiple defensive categories, and the final order ultimately comes down to tiny percentile differences spread across seven separate metrics.

Presser Role
RankNameClubSeasonPositionScoreSuccessful Presses p90Press %Distance Run p90Tackles Won p90Interceptions p90Fouls Against p90
1Tamanna WhittingtonSchwarzwälder FV16D ( C ), WB (RL)94.405.0138.1815.113.583.741.11
2Shinji KaidoTokyo S.C.15M (L), AM (LC)94.305.3636.2315.033.004.211.79
3Tom PedersenSchwarzwälder FV15D (RL), WB (L)93.405.0036.6515.243.003.860.93
4Puma SuperhoopsTokyo S.C.21D/WB/M ( R )93.305.2236.2915.012.723.501.83
5Puma SuperhoopsTokyo S.C.22D/WB/M ( R )92.605.2933.3315.182.854.471.57
6Puma SuperhoopsTokyo S.C.20D/WB/M ( R )91.805.6834.2314.803.513.681.23
7Felix ArasovReykjavik United14D (RL), AM ( R )91.704.5038.4114.683.144.210.93
8Tom PedersenSchwarzwälder FV16D (RL), WB (L)91.705.0040.2315.022.293.141.07
9Hun PossibleReykjavik United13D/WB/M ( R )91.604.5042.0014.892.293.571.07
10Tamanna WhittingtonSchwarzwälder FV17D (LC), WB (RL)91.204.5734.4114.843.143.711.36

If the Defender rankings rewarded complete defensive profiles, the Presser rankings reward pure work rate. Successful Presses p90 alone accounts for 35% of the score, while Press %, Distance Run, Tackles Won, and Interceptions make up another 60%. The result is a list dominated by players who seemed determined to make life miserable for anyone trying to keep possession.

At the top sits Tamanna Whittington's s16 season for Schwarzwälder FV, edging out Shinji Kaido's s15 campaign by the slimmest of margins. Just 0.1 points separate the two. Looking at the numbers, it's easy to see why. Kaido actually records more successful presses and interceptions, while Whittington holds advantages in pressing efficiency, distance covered, and tackles won. Neither player has a meaningful weakness, and the final ranking comes down to tiny percentile differences across six different categories.

What immediately stands out from this list is how concentrated it is around a specific player profile. Nearly every player here has the defender or wing back position. That isn't a coincidence. These positions naturally favor players operating in larger spaces and covering greater distances, and the metrics used in this category heavily reward those responsibilities.

No player embodies that more than Puma Superhoops. Tokyo's relentless right-sided engine appears three times in the top six, including fourth, fifth, and sixth place. What's remarkable is how similar the three seasons are. Each year produced elite pressing numbers, excellent work rate, and strong defensive contributions. Rather than a single standout campaign, the rankings suggest Superhoops maintained an elite pressing standard for several consecutive seasons.

Distance covered also plays a larger role here than it has in any previous category. Hun Possible's s13 season provides a great example. Their 42.00 distance run per 90 is the highest figure in the entire top ten, helping them secure a place despite more modest tackling and pressing numbers than some of the players above them. Likewise, Tom Pedersen's s16 season posts the second-highest pressing efficiency in the group at 40.23%, allowing them to remain competitive despite lower tackle numbers.

The club distribution is also noteworthy. Schwarzwälder FV places four seasons in the top ten, while Tokyo S.C. claims another four. Between Whittington, Pedersen, Kaido, and Superhoops, these two clubs essentially define the category. Whatever tactical systems they employed, they consistently produced players capable of sustaining elite defensive pressure over an entire season.

Perhaps the most impressive takeaway is just how high the overall standard is. First place sits at 94.4, while tenth still clears 91.0. Unlike the Defender rankings, where the field was tightly packed but varied in style, the Presser rankings are packed with specialists who excelled at the exact same job.

Aerial Role
RankNameClubSeasonPositionScoreSuccessful Headers p90Header %Key Headers p90Clearances p90
1Henrik LindAthênai F.C.10D ( C ), DM99.7023.0792.294.6419.36
2Bob DivesinalotInter London9D ( C ), DM99.6018.0092.313.5717.71
3Cole MertzSeoul MFC9D ( C ), DM, M (L)99.6017.6492.863.9315.86
4Henrik LindAthênai F.C.9D ( C ), DM99.5021.4391.193.4316.64
5Henrik LindAS Paris11D ( C ), DM99.4018.5091.523.2115.29
6Pierre HoudeCairo City8D (LC), DM99.3017.1492.662.5715.29
7Henrik LindAthênai F.C.8D ( C ), DM99.1015.7993.253.8613.07
8Jökull JúlíussonCF Catalunya8D (RLC)99.1015.7392.802.8714.94
9Spack JarrowHollywood FC12D (RLC)99.1017.0090.493.5716.64
10Sator FreddySydney City5D ( C ), DM, M ( C )99.0017.7191.182.0016.29

The Aerial rankings may be the most lopsided category in the entire project. While other roles featured players from across multiple eras and clubs competing on relatively even footing, the Aerial list is almost entirely dominated by a small group of early league central defenders who appear to have been playing a different sport from everyone else.

At the center of it all is Henrik Lind. Four of the top ten spots belong to them, including the number one overall ranking from their s10 campaign at Athênai F.C. Their numbers are absurd across the board. More than 23 successful headers per 90, a 92.29% success rate, 4.64 key headers per 90, and over 19 clearances per match. Those figures aren't just elite within this ranking, they're outliers even compared to the rest of an already aerially dominant top ten.

In fact, Henrik's greatest competition comes from players who posted nearly identical profiles. Bob Divesinalot, Cole Mertz, Pierre Houde, Jökull Júlíusson, and Spack Jarrow all combine exceptional heading volume with success rates above 90%. The result is one of the closest finishes we've seen so far. Only 0.7 points separate first place from tenth, despite the category spanning multiple clubs and seasons.

What's particularly interesting is how compressed the scores become when a category is built around only four metrics. Successful Headers p90 and Header % account for 70% of the score by themselves, meaning players who dominate aerial duels start with a massive advantage. Key Headers and Clearances then serve primarily as tiebreakers between players who are already elite in the air. Once a player reaches the low 90s in Header % while maintaining enormous volume, there simply isn't much room left to separate them from their peers.

The recurring names tell the story. Henrik Lind appears four times while several other defenders appear with seasons that would have comfortably topped later eras. Rather than highlighting a single dominant year, the rankings suggest that a specific generation of defenders consistently produced aerial numbers that have rarely been matched since.

The other thing that jumps out is how traditional these players are. Unlike the Defender or Presser rankings, where wing backs and wide players frequently appeared, the Aerial category belongs almost exclusively to center-backs and defensive midfielders. That's not surprising given the weighting. Winning headers, winning them efficiently, and then turning those wins into defensive actions are exactly the traits the formula is designed to reward.

More than any other role so far, the Aerial rankings feel like a snapshot of a particular era. Whether that reflects tactical differences, league evolution, or simply a generation of great players roaming the back lines is up for debate. What isn't debatable is Henrik Lind's place at the top. When one player claims four of the top ten spots, including the best score ever recorded in the category, the discussion begins with them and works downward from there.

Wide Creator Role
RankNameClubSeasonPositionScoreSuccessful Crosses p90Cross %Chances Created p90Open Play Key Passes p90Assists p90
1Furious ChickenReykjavik United19D (RL), AM ( R )96.304.5034.431.292.290.86
2Yoma HashimotoUnião São Paulo22D/WB (L), DM95.904.7331.521.452.910.68
3Henry AndrewsReykjavik United17WB/M/AM ( R )95.202.6432.742.574.931.36
4Furious ChickenReykjavik United16D (RL), AM (L)94.904.0730.481.502.140.71
5Jude GreerTokyo S.C.21D/WB/AM (L)94.804.1129.481.332.560.72
6Marco TentaclesReykjavik United20D/M/AM (L)94.703.8928.571.562.890.83
7Yoma HashimotoUnião São Paulo21D/WB (L), DM94.603.9428.981.502.440.83
8Fara DianSchwarzwälder FV17M ( C ), AM (RC)94.404.0030.271.362.210.50
9Evan HuntHollywood FC23WB (RL), DM, AM ( C )94.402.6840.971.091.680.64
10Yoma HashimotoUnião São Paulo23D/WB (L), DM94.403.7628.031.853.761.02

The Wide Creator rankings feel like the natural mix between the Playmaker and Passer categories. Crossing volume and crossing efficiency account for 60% of the score, but players are also rewarded for creating chances, generating open-play key passes, and producing assists. The result is a category that favors players who consistently create attacking opportunities from wide areas, whether through traditional crossing or more modern creative play.

At the top sits Furious Chicken's s19 season for Reykjavik United. While several players on this list post stronger numbers in individual categories, Chicken's profile is remarkably complete. They combine elite crossing volume with strong accuracy, solid chance creation, and the highest assist rate among the top two finishers. As we've seen throughout these rankings, having no weaknesses often matters more than dominating a single category.

The battle for first is surprisingly close. Yoma Hashimoto's s22 season finishes just 0.4 points behind despite posting more successful crosses and creating more chances. The difference ultimately comes down to crossing efficiency and assists, where Chicken maintains a small edge. Given how heavily crossing metrics are weighted, even minor percentile advantages can make the difference between first and second place.

The most fascinating player on the list may be Henry Andrews. Unlike the players around them, Andrews doesn't rely on crossing volume at all. Their 2.64 successful crosses per 90 is nearly two full crosses behind the leaders. Instead, they compensated with extraordinary creative numbers: 2.57 chances created, 4.93 open-play key passes, and 1.36 assists per 90. Those figures are among the best in the entire table and demonstrate that there is more than one path to success in this category.

Much like the Playmaker rankings, certain names appear repeatedly. Furious Chicken claims two spots in the top four, while Yoma Hashimoto appears three times in the top ten. Marco Tentacles, Jude Greer, and Fara Dian also make appearances after already showing up in earlier creative categories. This suggests that many of the league's best creators were capable of producing chances in multiple ways rather than fitting neatly into a single role.

One player who stands out from the rest is Evan Hunt's s23 season. Their crossing accuracy of 40.97% is comfortably the highest in the top ten, yet they only ranks ninth overall. That's a perfect illustration of how the weighting system works. Cross percentage is important, but it only accounts for 25% of the score. Lower crossing volume and fewer chance creation numbers prevent Hunt from climbing higher despite his exceptional efficiency.

The club distribution also tells an interesting story. Reykjavik United claims four of the top ten spots, while União São Paulo contributes three. Together they account for seven of the ten best wide-creator seasons ever recorded.

Unlike the Aerial rankings, where a handful of historical outliers separated themselves from the field, the Wide Creator category remains remarkably competitive. Only 1.9 points separate first place from tenth, and nearly every player on the list has a compelling argument built around a different strength. Some overwhelmed opponents with crossing volume, others with efficiency, and a few through pure creativity. The rankings ultimately reward the players who managed to do all three at once.



Dribbler Role
RankNameClubSeasonPositionScoreDribbles p90Chances Created p90Key Passes p90Progressive Passes p90Assists p90
1Yoma HashimotoUnião São Paulo21D/WB (L), DM98.003.721.505.067.670.83
2Furious ChickenReykjavik United16D (RL), AM (L)97.804.431.505.645.570.71
3Roquefort CotswoldUnião São Paulo22D ( R ), WB (RL)97.803.671.794.987.800.61
4Jude GreerTokyo S.C.18D/WB/AM (L)97.603.711.504.437.210.71
5Yoma HashimotoUnião São Paulo19D/WB (L), DM97.503.701.564.447.480.52
6Yoma HashimotoUnião São Paulo23D/WB (L), DM97.203.291.856.317.371.02
7Roquefort CotswoldUnião São Paulo23D ( R ), WB (RL)96.703.181.616.589.120.60
8Hun PossibleReykjavik United13D/WB/M ( R )96.605.141.362.437.930.43
9Yoma HashimotoUnião São Paulo22D/WB (L), DM96.603.551.455.735.820.68
10Felix ArasovReykjavik United16D (RL), AM ( R )96.303.861.293.149.070.36

The Dribbler rankings may have the most misleading name of any category in the project. Dribbles account for 40% of the score, making them the single most important metric, but the remaining 60% comes from chance creation, key passes, progressive passes, and assists. The result isn't a ranking of players who simply beat opponents off the dribble. It's a ranking of players who turn ball progression into attacking production.

At the top sits Yoma Hashimoto's s21 season for União São Paulo. What makes Hashimoto's performance so impressive is how balanced it is. They don’t lead the table in dribbles, assists, or chance creation, but they rank near the top in every category. As we've seen repeatedly throughout these rankings, the weighted percentile system heavily rewards players who avoid weaknesses. Being elite everywhere is often more valuable than being historically great in a single area.

The race for first is exceptionally close. Furious Chicken's s16 campaign finishes just 0.2 points behind despite posting the highest dribble rate among the top contenders. In many ways, Chicken's season is exactly what people imagine when they hear "dribbler." They attack defenders relentlessly, create chances, and generate key passes at an elite rate. What ultimately costs them is a lower progressive passing contribution compared to Hashimoto, whose ability to consistently move the ball into dangerous areas boosts their overall profile.

One of the biggest surprises is how heavily the rankings are dominated by defenders and wing backs. Nine of the ten entries come from players whose primary positions are in defense or wide areas. Rather than traditional wingers or attacking midfielders, the formula consistently rewards players who can carry the ball forward from deeper positions while also contributing creatively.

No player embodies that better than Yoma Hashimoto. They appeared four times in the top ten, including the number one spot. Roquefort Cotswold adds two more appearances for União São Paulo, meaning the club claims six of the ten positions outright. For a category built around ball progression and creativity, that's a staggering level of dominance by a single club.

Roquefort's two appearances are particularly interesting because they demonstrate a different route to success. Their s23 season records the highest progressive passing figure in the entire top ten at 9.12 per 90 while also leading the table in key passes. The dribbling numbers themselves are relatively modest compared to some of the players around them, but their ability to advance attacks through passing compensates for that and keeps them firmly among the elite.

Hun Possible's s13 campaign provides another example of the formula at work. They lead the entire top ten in dribbles per 90 with an incredible 5.14, yet only finish eighth overall. The reason is simple: dribbling may be the largest individual category, but it is still only worth 40% of the score. Lower creative output in the remaining metrics prevents them from climbing higher despite posting the category's most eye-catching headline statistic.

Perhaps the biggest takeaway from the Dribbler rankings is how closely intertwined dribbling and creativity have become. The players at the top aren't simply carrying the ball. They're using those carries to create chances, generate assists, and progress attacks. That's why the list feels less like a ranking of flashy dribblers and more like a ranking of the league's most effective ball progressors.

The margins reflect that quality. Only 1.7 points separate first place from tenth, and several players are separated by just a few tenths of a point. As with many of the creative categories, the difference between the best and the tenth-best season is remarkably small once everything is converted into weighted percentile scores.

Goalkeeper Role
RankNameClubSeasonPositionScoreAverage RatingSave %xSave %xG Prevented p90Clean Sheets p90Penalties Saved p90
1Bartholomew TwinkletoesCF Catalunya2491.107.2484.6284.950.960.570.14
2Shingo TakechiShanghai Dragons FC2488.807.2782.2886.330.660.300.00
3Denis MobekXelajú Cósmico FC2488.207.3081.2585.710.480.400.00
4Elmis The HereticA.C. Romana1387.508.2977.65107.270.680.140.07
5Duncan WalrussonHollywood FC2586.407.4583.1282.910.680.600.00
6Muunokhoi SarantsatsralSchwarzwälder FV1584.507.2781.9784.810.380.360.00
7Certified ProblemSydney City684.007.8791.1887.740.000.430.00
8Duncan WalrussonHollywood FC2383.207.2582.1183.190.460.560.00
9Dexter HallHollywood FC1881.507.3078.8183.730.520.210.14
10Jannik AndersenAthênai F.C.980.407.2783.9686.820.000.360.00

The Goalkeeper rankings produced one of the most interesting results in the entire project because they highlight a fundamental difference between evaluating outfield players and evaluating goalkeepers. While most of the other categories are built around volume statistics, the Goalkeeper score is much more heavily influenced by efficiency. Average Rating and Save Percentage alone account for half of the total score, while xSave%, xG Prevented, Clean Sheets, and Penalties Saved fill out the remainder.

At the top of the rankings is Bartholomew Twinkletoes' s24 season for CF Catalunya. Unlike some of the runaway winners we've seen in other categories, Twinkletoes doesn't dominate every individual statistic. Shingo Takechi, Denis Mobek, and even several lower-ranked goalkeepers hold advantages in specific categories. What separates Twinkletoes is their combination of elite shot-stopping, strong xG prevention, and an outstanding clean sheet rate. they don't simply excel in one area, they rank near the top across almost all of them.

The most striking aspect of the list is how heavily it favors recent seasons. Three of the top four spots belong to season 24 goalkeepers, and four of the top five come from seasons 24 and 25. Whether that reflects improved goalkeeping quality, tactical evolution, or changes in the way teams defend is difficult to say, but the rankings clearly suggest modern keepers are producing stronger all-around statistical profiles than many of their predecessors.

The biggest outlier on the list is undoubtedly Elmis The Heretic's s13 season for A.C. Romana. While most goalkeepers cluster in the mid-80s for xSave%, Elmis posts an astonishing 107.27%. That number immediately jumps off the page because it implies they saved substantially more goals than expected over the course of the season. Despite posting by far the most eye-catching xSave% figure in the rankings, he only finishes fourth overall. That's a perfect illustration of how the weighting works. xSave% is important, but it only accounts for 15% of the score. Lower save percentage and clean sheet numbers prevent them from challenging for first place.

Another interesting case is Certified Problem's s6 campaign for Sydney City. They own the highest save percentage in the top ten at 91.18%, an absurd figure by any standard. Yet he only finishes seventh overall because their xG prevented value is zero and their clean sheet rate trails several of the players above them. Once again, the rankings reward complete goalkeeping profiles rather than singular standout statistics.

Hollywood FC quietly places three separate seasons in the top ten, led by Duncan Walrusson's s25 and s23 campaigns and Dexter Hall's s18 season. No other club matches that level of representation, suggesting Hollywood enjoyed sustained excellence in goal rather than relying on a single elite season.

Perhaps the most surprising takeaway is the gap at the top. Unlike many of the outfield categories where a point or two separated the entire top ten, Twinkletoes finished 2.3 points ahead of second place. In weighted percentile terms, that's a significant margin. While the rest of the rankings are tightly contested, the numbers suggest that their s24 season stands alone as the strongest goalkeeping campaign on record.

Whether that makes Bartholomew Twinkletoes the greatest goalkeeper in league history is a debate for another day. What this ranking does show is that no other season combined elite shot-stopping, goal prevention, and team success quite as effectively as they did.


Conclusion
If you made it to this point, then I hope you enjoyed the deep statistics dump. There was a lot more to look at here than I thought there would be, but similar to when I made scouting profiles for the Academy class, I really enjoy looking at players more by the type of role they are playing rather than trying to map into raw positions.

Given how many different tactics setups I have seen examples of, I'm not sure positions are ever consistent enough to be useful in actually categorizing.

More importantly, I'm still extremely happy with the index and the ability to get it via API. I have a massive Google sheet for this and it wouldn't be possible to write articles like this if I could get table summary data that I can then visually determine what I think is worth exploring further.

If the s25 Academy Index gets fixed, I might do this article again for the Academy class so that my class can see where we rank in terms of the all time Academy classes.]]> <![CDATA[S26 Team Analysis and Tiers]]> https://forum.simulationsoccer.com/showthread.php?tid=9948 Mon, 15 Jun 2026 16:06:01 +0100 anjro]]> https://forum.simulationsoccer.com/showthread.php?tid=9948
I actually started this article as just for division 1 teams across both leagues.  I know what you’re thinking, why not just do majors, minors, or the whole league?  I wanted to do something that was relevant to my organization and it just so happens we’re in division 1 for both majors and minors.  Also, it is not as overwhelming for me to only look at a subset of the league, which is already 12 teams.  Turns out I really want that sweet sweet money so I ended up powering through to complete the whole league.

I’ll start first with the major league, look at the teams by division, and then their tiers.  I’ll finish by repeating the process with the minor league.


Majors

Division 1

Hollywood FC
[Image: OzpHEbA.png]
Surprisingly, at least to me, one of the few bell curve distributions in division 1.  I thought this shape would be more common.  They share the most players in regression in division 1 with União São Paulo.  As evidenced by winning last season, their window is now. 

União São Paulo
[Image: FBh6ZxJ.png]
Most of their players are clustered around draft season 17-20 with a TPE around 1500-2000.  They also have the most players around 2000 TPE across all of division 1.  Given where their players are clustered, they are currently in contention and may even be considered the favorites after coming in 2nd last season.

CF Catalunya
[Image: yGYx8Xf.png]
CF Catalunya has the second tightest clustering of players.  All their players are between 18-22 and 1350-1850 TPE.  They have the second most players below 1500 TPE in division 1 behind Liffeyside.  If their young core develops nicely, they could be a force in a couple seasons.

Reykjavik United
[Image: PnUUmJI.png]
The most slanted distribution award goes to Reykjavik United.  It looks like the majority of their players are earning at the same rate.  They are entering their window as most of their players have not hit regression yet.

Liffeyside Celtic FC
[Image: HPNRfLL.png]
Their distribution is similar to Hollywood FC except compared to Hollywood FC they have lower TPE and are younger.  As I understand, Liffeyside is one of the most recent expansion teams.  I believe it is an achievement to get to division 1.  Unfortunately for Liffeyside, they also have the most players under 1500 TPE in division 1.  They may need some help to stay in the division this season.

CD Tenochtitlan
[Image: TgfZFRM.png]
We have reached the tightest grouping.  Most of their players are from classes 20 or 21 with one exception who is from class 22.  There is a similar clustering in terms of TPE as well as most are around 1500-1850 except for that class 22 player.  CD Tenochtitlan is probably a dark horse this season and looks to be entering their window.  If their core continues to develop, they should be in the hunt for seasons to come.

Division 2

Xelajú Cósmico FC
[Image: vrBRsrz.png]
All but one of their players is between 1000-1500 TPE.  Most of their players have not hit regression yet.  Unfortunately, they are the only team in division 2 without any players over 1500 TPE.  It may be a tough season for them.

Shanghai Dragons FC
[Image: jcoNdUH.png]
With their distribution, it is crazy that they even got relegated.  Shanghai have the only player in division 2 above 2000 TPE.  Not only that, but they also have the most players above 1500 TPE in the division.  The main outlier is their youngest player, which is still over 1000 TPE, the only team in the division to have all their players above 1000 TPE.  They are the favorites to win division 2 this season and get promoted.

CA Buenos Aires
[Image: mHi8EMQ.png]
CA Buenos Aires is probably right behind Shanghai Dragons FC.  Their distribution is more spread out than Shanghai, with what would probably be a lower trendline (lower TPE and older).

A.C. Romana
[Image: 8r3zYUj.png]
I kept flipping between A.C. Romana and Schwarzwälder FV and they look so similar, maybe they are siblings.  They both have most of their players (8) between 1000-1500 TPE.  A.C. Romana is maybe a touch younger.

Tokyo S.C.
[Image: RXcttzE.png]
To me, Tokyo S.C. looks like a slightly more spread out version of Xelajú Cósmico FC.  They have a player over 1500 TPE, but also 3 players below 1000 TPE.  The highs of Tokyo S.C. are not much higher than Xelajú Cósmico FC so I’d probably give Xelajú the edge as they have less lower TPE players.  It’s very close though.

Schwarzwälder FV
[Image: RR2FJSJ.png]
I kept flipping between Schwarzwälder FV and A.C. Romana and they look so similar, maybe they are siblings.  They both have most of their players (8) between 1000-1500 TPE.  Schwarzwälder FV is maybe a touch older.

Majors Tiers

The tiers are local to their league and division. Below I have listed the teams in different tiers and in no specific order within the tiers.  The gap in tiers is not very large, but to me there seemed to be a noticeable difference to warrant the groupings.  Also these tiers only reflect my perception of the strength of the roster, it does not consider how well the team utilizes their roster.

Division 1

Tier 1
União São Paulo
Hollywood FC
CD Tenochtitlan
Reykjavik United

Tier 2
Liffeyside Celtic FC
CF Catalunya

Division 2

Tier 1
Shanghai Dragons FC
CA Buenos Aires

Tier 2
A.C. Romana
Schwarzwälder FV

Tier 3
Tokyo S.C.
Xelajú Cósmico FC

Minors

Division 1

AS Paris
[Image: UBZvdMc.png]
What stands out immediately is AS Paris is the only minor division 1 team with a player above 2000 TPE.  AS Paris also has the most players above 1000 TPE, which is also most of their players at 8.  The next closest is 5.  The trendline (not visible) is probably the steepest among all minor division 1 teams.  They seem to have a solid pipeline.  In the future, they may still be a competitive minor team despite losing players to the major team.  Probably the favorites this season.

North Shore United
[Image: rPyAc7H.png]
North Shore United has the player with the 2nd highest TPE in minors division 1 at around 1700 TPE.  They also have by far the oldest roster in this group with all their higher TPE players also in regression. 

Krung Thep FC
[Image: 21U0W8t.png]
This team is mostly distributed around 1000 TPE.  You could maybe even argue they are the most mid team in minors division 1.  They don’t have too many players aging out and not too many prospects from the most recent classes.  Their TPE is not too high and not too low.  If Goldilocks was rating this team, she would think it is just right.

F.C. Kaapstad
[Image: PrZuDTG.png]
Their distribution is similar to North Shore United in that they have a decent number of aging higher TPE players.  However, unlike North Shore United, they have much more youth.  It is fitting that Krung Thep FC and F.C. Kaapstad are listed next to each other.  They are kind of like opposites.  Where F.C. Kaapstad has a young cluster and an old cluster, Krung Thep FC mostly has one cluster in the middle.

Rapid Magyar SC
[Image: DUmJUEs.png]
They have the 2nd most players above 1000 TPE at 5.  However, they are also tied for the most rookies at 6.  They are kind of like F.C Kaapstad in that they have a ton of rookies, however Rapid Magyar SC’s other players are mostly younger.  If they don’t lose all their higher TPE players to their major team, I think they have one of the brightest futures in division 1. 

Inter London
[Image: n5gfeuc.png]
I bet Inter London’s distribution probably looks like what Krung Thep FC’s distribution was several seasons ago.  Inter London is in a tough spot with by far the fewest players above 1000 TPE at 1.  They have a couple around 1000 TPE but that can be said about all the teams too.  It may be worthwhile to pray to the sim gods if you are an Inter London fan.

Division 2

AF Masques Sacrés
[Image: T1zqedO.png]
In this division, there are teams with a lot of rookies and AF Masques Sacrés is no exception.  They have an equal number of rookies compared to their other players.  That also means that they have the largest percentage of rookies making up their team.

Cairo City
[Image: fReZoGu.png]
The only team without a player above 1000 TPE in division 2.  That said, I wouldn’t put them that far behind any of the other teams.  Not many teams in this division have many players above 1000 TPE anyways.

CS Rova Mpanjaka
[Image: XlHn0mt.png]
CS Rova Mpanjaka is a lot like Cairo City.  CS Rova is probably a season or two ahead of development compared to Cairo City. 

Montréal United
[Image: NCGjci0.png]
Montréal United has the honor of rostering the oldest player in division 2 who is from draft class 13.  Beyond that player and their highest TPE player, their roster looks a lot like AF Masques Sacrés.

Seoul MFC
[Image: nsWDF3z.png]
One of the few teams with several players above 1000 TPE in division 2.  Seoul MFC
are probably the favorites as they have the most players above 1000 TPE and everyone in the division has a fair number of rookies and young players which is to be expected.

Athênai F.C.
[Image: jDXWsih.png]
Athênai F.C. seem to have a flatter trendline than the other teams.  However, they also have the second most players above 1000 TPE at 2.  They have two clusters, an older cluster and a younger cluster.

Minors Tiers

Again, tiers are localized to their division and teams are not ordered within the tiers. 

Division 1

Tier 1
AS Paris

Tier 2
North Shore United
Rapid Magyar SC
Krung Thep FC
F.C. Kaapstad

Tier 3
Inter London

Division 2

Tier 1
Seoul MFC

Tier 2
Athênai F.C.
Montréal United
CS Rova Mpanjaka
AF Masques Sacrés

Tier 3
Cairo City

Closing

If you made it this far, that is amazing.  Unfortunately, I don’t have a prize for you.  While I did try to predict where teams are in their lifecycle to some extent.  It is a bit challenging due to how players move within their organization here.  In SSL it seems like players can go back and forth depending on the needs of the organization, whereas in ISFL they typically go from DSFL to ISFL.  Also, as I was going through the exercise, it became apparent that it was a lot easier to discuss the teams at the top and bottom.  A lot of the teams in the middle seem very similar, which is good for league parity but made it tough to write about.  I did consider combining the tier lists – as in an organization tier list, just to see a broader picture since they share players.  However, I felt like this view was the most relevant for this season.

Does the analysis sound about right?  Do you agree with the tiers?  Did I miss anything?]]>
I actually started this article as just for division 1 teams across both leagues.  I know what you’re thinking, why not just do majors, minors, or the whole league?  I wanted to do something that was relevant to my organization and it just so happens we’re in division 1 for both majors and minors.  Also, it is not as overwhelming for me to only look at a subset of the league, which is already 12 teams.  Turns out I really want that sweet sweet money so I ended up powering through to complete the whole league.

I’ll start first with the major league, look at the teams by division, and then their tiers.  I’ll finish by repeating the process with the minor league.


Majors

Division 1

Hollywood FC
[Image: OzpHEbA.png]
Surprisingly, at least to me, one of the few bell curve distributions in division 1.  I thought this shape would be more common.  They share the most players in regression in division 1 with União São Paulo.  As evidenced by winning last season, their window is now. 

União São Paulo
[Image: FBh6ZxJ.png]
Most of their players are clustered around draft season 17-20 with a TPE around 1500-2000.  They also have the most players around 2000 TPE across all of division 1.  Given where their players are clustered, they are currently in contention and may even be considered the favorites after coming in 2nd last season.

CF Catalunya
[Image: yGYx8Xf.png]
CF Catalunya has the second tightest clustering of players.  All their players are between 18-22 and 1350-1850 TPE.  They have the second most players below 1500 TPE in division 1 behind Liffeyside.  If their young core develops nicely, they could be a force in a couple seasons.

Reykjavik United
[Image: PnUUmJI.png]
The most slanted distribution award goes to Reykjavik United.  It looks like the majority of their players are earning at the same rate.  They are entering their window as most of their players have not hit regression yet.

Liffeyside Celtic FC
[Image: HPNRfLL.png]
Their distribution is similar to Hollywood FC except compared to Hollywood FC they have lower TPE and are younger.  As I understand, Liffeyside is one of the most recent expansion teams.  I believe it is an achievement to get to division 1.  Unfortunately for Liffeyside, they also have the most players under 1500 TPE in division 1.  They may need some help to stay in the division this season.

CD Tenochtitlan
[Image: TgfZFRM.png]
We have reached the tightest grouping.  Most of their players are from classes 20 or 21 with one exception who is from class 22.  There is a similar clustering in terms of TPE as well as most are around 1500-1850 except for that class 22 player.  CD Tenochtitlan is probably a dark horse this season and looks to be entering their window.  If their core continues to develop, they should be in the hunt for seasons to come.

Division 2

Xelajú Cósmico FC
[Image: vrBRsrz.png]
All but one of their players is between 1000-1500 TPE.  Most of their players have not hit regression yet.  Unfortunately, they are the only team in division 2 without any players over 1500 TPE.  It may be a tough season for them.

Shanghai Dragons FC
[Image: jcoNdUH.png]
With their distribution, it is crazy that they even got relegated.  Shanghai have the only player in division 2 above 2000 TPE.  Not only that, but they also have the most players above 1500 TPE in the division.  The main outlier is their youngest player, which is still over 1000 TPE, the only team in the division to have all their players above 1000 TPE.  They are the favorites to win division 2 this season and get promoted.

CA Buenos Aires
[Image: mHi8EMQ.png]
CA Buenos Aires is probably right behind Shanghai Dragons FC.  Their distribution is more spread out than Shanghai, with what would probably be a lower trendline (lower TPE and older).

A.C. Romana
[Image: 8r3zYUj.png]
I kept flipping between A.C. Romana and Schwarzwälder FV and they look so similar, maybe they are siblings.  They both have most of their players (8) between 1000-1500 TPE.  A.C. Romana is maybe a touch younger.

Tokyo S.C.
[Image: RXcttzE.png]
To me, Tokyo S.C. looks like a slightly more spread out version of Xelajú Cósmico FC.  They have a player over 1500 TPE, but also 3 players below 1000 TPE.  The highs of Tokyo S.C. are not much higher than Xelajú Cósmico FC so I’d probably give Xelajú the edge as they have less lower TPE players.  It’s very close though.

Schwarzwälder FV
[Image: RR2FJSJ.png]
I kept flipping between Schwarzwälder FV and A.C. Romana and they look so similar, maybe they are siblings.  They both have most of their players (8) between 1000-1500 TPE.  Schwarzwälder FV is maybe a touch older.

Majors Tiers

The tiers are local to their league and division. Below I have listed the teams in different tiers and in no specific order within the tiers.  The gap in tiers is not very large, but to me there seemed to be a noticeable difference to warrant the groupings.  Also these tiers only reflect my perception of the strength of the roster, it does not consider how well the team utilizes their roster.

Division 1

Tier 1
União São Paulo
Hollywood FC
CD Tenochtitlan
Reykjavik United

Tier 2
Liffeyside Celtic FC
CF Catalunya

Division 2

Tier 1
Shanghai Dragons FC
CA Buenos Aires

Tier 2
A.C. Romana
Schwarzwälder FV

Tier 3
Tokyo S.C.
Xelajú Cósmico FC

Minors

Division 1

AS Paris
[Image: UBZvdMc.png]
What stands out immediately is AS Paris is the only minor division 1 team with a player above 2000 TPE.  AS Paris also has the most players above 1000 TPE, which is also most of their players at 8.  The next closest is 5.  The trendline (not visible) is probably the steepest among all minor division 1 teams.  They seem to have a solid pipeline.  In the future, they may still be a competitive minor team despite losing players to the major team.  Probably the favorites this season.

North Shore United
[Image: rPyAc7H.png]
North Shore United has the player with the 2nd highest TPE in minors division 1 at around 1700 TPE.  They also have by far the oldest roster in this group with all their higher TPE players also in regression. 

Krung Thep FC
[Image: 21U0W8t.png]
This team is mostly distributed around 1000 TPE.  You could maybe even argue they are the most mid team in minors division 1.  They don’t have too many players aging out and not too many prospects from the most recent classes.  Their TPE is not too high and not too low.  If Goldilocks was rating this team, she would think it is just right.

F.C. Kaapstad
[Image: PrZuDTG.png]
Their distribution is similar to North Shore United in that they have a decent number of aging higher TPE players.  However, unlike North Shore United, they have much more youth.  It is fitting that Krung Thep FC and F.C. Kaapstad are listed next to each other.  They are kind of like opposites.  Where F.C. Kaapstad has a young cluster and an old cluster, Krung Thep FC mostly has one cluster in the middle.

Rapid Magyar SC
[Image: DUmJUEs.png]
They have the 2nd most players above 1000 TPE at 5.  However, they are also tied for the most rookies at 6.  They are kind of like F.C Kaapstad in that they have a ton of rookies, however Rapid Magyar SC’s other players are mostly younger.  If they don’t lose all their higher TPE players to their major team, I think they have one of the brightest futures in division 1. 

Inter London
[Image: n5gfeuc.png]
I bet Inter London’s distribution probably looks like what Krung Thep FC’s distribution was several seasons ago.  Inter London is in a tough spot with by far the fewest players above 1000 TPE at 1.  They have a couple around 1000 TPE but that can be said about all the teams too.  It may be worthwhile to pray to the sim gods if you are an Inter London fan.

Division 2

AF Masques Sacrés
[Image: T1zqedO.png]
In this division, there are teams with a lot of rookies and AF Masques Sacrés is no exception.  They have an equal number of rookies compared to their other players.  That also means that they have the largest percentage of rookies making up their team.

Cairo City
[Image: fReZoGu.png]
The only team without a player above 1000 TPE in division 2.  That said, I wouldn’t put them that far behind any of the other teams.  Not many teams in this division have many players above 1000 TPE anyways.

CS Rova Mpanjaka
[Image: XlHn0mt.png]
CS Rova Mpanjaka is a lot like Cairo City.  CS Rova is probably a season or two ahead of development compared to Cairo City. 

Montréal United
[Image: NCGjci0.png]
Montréal United has the honor of rostering the oldest player in division 2 who is from draft class 13.  Beyond that player and their highest TPE player, their roster looks a lot like AF Masques Sacrés.

Seoul MFC
[Image: nsWDF3z.png]
One of the few teams with several players above 1000 TPE in division 2.  Seoul MFC
are probably the favorites as they have the most players above 1000 TPE and everyone in the division has a fair number of rookies and young players which is to be expected.

Athênai F.C.
[Image: jDXWsih.png]
Athênai F.C. seem to have a flatter trendline than the other teams.  However, they also have the second most players above 1000 TPE at 2.  They have two clusters, an older cluster and a younger cluster.

Minors Tiers

Again, tiers are localized to their division and teams are not ordered within the tiers. 

Division 1

Tier 1
AS Paris

Tier 2
North Shore United
Rapid Magyar SC
Krung Thep FC
F.C. Kaapstad

Tier 3
Inter London

Division 2

Tier 1
Seoul MFC

Tier 2
Athênai F.C.
Montréal United
CS Rova Mpanjaka
AF Masques Sacrés

Tier 3
Cairo City

Closing

If you made it this far, that is amazing.  Unfortunately, I don’t have a prize for you.  While I did try to predict where teams are in their lifecycle to some extent.  It is a bit challenging due to how players move within their organization here.  In SSL it seems like players can go back and forth depending on the needs of the organization, whereas in ISFL they typically go from DSFL to ISFL.  Also, as I was going through the exercise, it became apparent that it was a lot easier to discuss the teams at the top and bottom.  A lot of the teams in the middle seem very similar, which is good for league parity but made it tough to write about.  I did consider combining the tier lists – as in an organization tier list, just to see a broader picture since they share players.  However, I felt like this view was the most relevant for this season.

Does the analysis sound about right?  Do you agree with the tiers?  Did I miss anything?]]> <![CDATA[Back on the beach with Sandro]]> https://forum.simulationsoccer.com/showthread.php?tid=9946 Mon, 15 Jun 2026 12:44:03 +0100 gucci]]> https://forum.simulationsoccer.com/showthread.php?tid=9946
To train, Sandro traded the swampy Mexico City where he’s made his home for his childhood home of Natal. Sandro didn’t go home last year, and he felt himself fall off over the course of the season, even as he played at a much lower level than he had in the past. He remembered how he used to train to get to this level in the first place. In both Brazil and Sydney, he was out at the beach every morning, strengthening his legs in the sand. Improving his agility and balance as well as his speed and stamina. He’d gotten away from this, and his body is no longer the machine it once was.

Sandro is up before the sunrise each morning, fighting his inner demons in the sand. Thoughts of not being good enough, never reaching his ambitions in the game, not representing his country and family well enough… Nothing a bit of early morning sand sprints and agility training can’t fix. By the time he’s back in Mexico City, he will be ready to take the first division by storm. He can only hope that his teammates are just as prepared.]]>
To train, Sandro traded the swampy Mexico City where he’s made his home for his childhood home of Natal. Sandro didn’t go home last year, and he felt himself fall off over the course of the season, even as he played at a much lower level than he had in the past. He remembered how he used to train to get to this level in the first place. In both Brazil and Sydney, he was out at the beach every morning, strengthening his legs in the sand. Improving his agility and balance as well as his speed and stamina. He’d gotten away from this, and his body is no longer the machine it once was.

Sandro is up before the sunrise each morning, fighting his inner demons in the sand. Thoughts of not being good enough, never reaching his ambitions in the game, not representing his country and family well enough… Nothing a bit of early morning sand sprints and agility training can’t fix. By the time he’s back in Mexico City, he will be ready to take the first division by storm. He can only hope that his teammates are just as prepared.]]> <![CDATA[How getting drafted went as a first time player]]> https://forum.simulationsoccer.com/showthread.php?tid=9944 Mon, 15 Jun 2026 09:55:52 +0100 Bergmau]]> https://forum.simulationsoccer.com/showthread.php?tid=9944
From an entertainment stand point the draft is fun to watch, even if you, like me, were unable to watch it live and just rewatched it later. I think it was well done with the renders of the players and the commentary. I decided against watching previous drafts as I wanted to experience it for the first time with my draft class, so I can not comment on other drafts but I would recommend watching or rewatching this one and I will make sure to tune in for future drafts. 

On the more personal side, getting to know the players at SFV, whether they are veterans or fellow draft class members, has been a lot of fun. I felt welcomed from the first second of setting foot on the discord, the chat is lovely and active, lots of interesting topics are discussed, both football related an non-football related. Obviously I got drafted into an organization which is in the middle of a rebuild, but I believe this to be a great opportunity. Given time, I am sure we will be competing for titles again.]]>
From an entertainment stand point the draft is fun to watch, even if you, like me, were unable to watch it live and just rewatched it later. I think it was well done with the renders of the players and the commentary. I decided against watching previous drafts as I wanted to experience it for the first time with my draft class, so I can not comment on other drafts but I would recommend watching or rewatching this one and I will make sure to tune in for future drafts. 

On the more personal side, getting to know the players at SFV, whether they are veterans or fellow draft class members, has been a lot of fun. I felt welcomed from the first second of setting foot on the discord, the chat is lovely and active, lots of interesting topics are discussed, both football related an non-football related. Obviously I got drafted into an organization which is in the middle of a rebuild, but I believe this to be a great opportunity. Given time, I am sure we will be competing for titles again.]]> <![CDATA[Jayson Bryzski's Draft Experience]]> https://forum.simulationsoccer.com/showthread.php?tid=9942 Mon, 15 Jun 2026 06:23:40 +0100 JaytheGreat]]> https://forum.simulationsoccer.com/showthread.php?tid=9942
On draft night I was at my house with my family knowing I wouldn't be a top pick. The first real excitement of the night was seeing one of my teammates, Ignignokt get picked #4 overall by my dad's old team Sao Paulo/Paris. Two more of my teammates Maurjiro Rivers, and Saba Kvekvetsia got picked in the 3rd round and I was super happy for them but at the same time starting to get nervous for myself. The 3rd round was ending and I started having doubts, did I join the draft class too late, did I not play well enough to get noticed unlike my teammates? Thankful I didn't have to wait too much longer as with the last pick in the 3rd round the Catalyuna/Seoul organization decided to take a chance on this hard-workingng Polish midfielder. My family freaked out when the call came in, my dad who didn't go through the draft when he joined the SSL was probably more nervous and relieved then I was. After getting done talking to the GM I was immediately in a group chat with the other Catalyuna/Seoul draft picks; ST Dennis van Huntelrooy and RB STAR SCREAM, we all seemed to click pretty well together and the three of us were very excited to get to play together. Training Camp was a blur, but I did learn a lot and really grew as a player. Now tomorrow for the first time I put on a Seoul uniform, playing alongside my childhood friend and a bunch of great players. I'm ready to make my dad and the Catalyuna/Seoul organization proud as I begin to carve out my legacy.]]>
On draft night I was at my house with my family knowing I wouldn't be a top pick. The first real excitement of the night was seeing one of my teammates, Ignignokt get picked #4 overall by my dad's old team Sao Paulo/Paris. Two more of my teammates Maurjiro Rivers, and Saba Kvekvetsia got picked in the 3rd round and I was super happy for them but at the same time starting to get nervous for myself. The 3rd round was ending and I started having doubts, did I join the draft class too late, did I not play well enough to get noticed unlike my teammates? Thankful I didn't have to wait too much longer as with the last pick in the 3rd round the Catalyuna/Seoul organization decided to take a chance on this hard-workingng Polish midfielder. My family freaked out when the call came in, my dad who didn't go through the draft when he joined the SSL was probably more nervous and relieved then I was. After getting done talking to the GM I was immediately in a group chat with the other Catalyuna/Seoul draft picks; ST Dennis van Huntelrooy and RB STAR SCREAM, we all seemed to click pretty well together and the three of us were very excited to get to play together. Training Camp was a blur, but I did learn a lot and really grew as a player. Now tomorrow for the first time I put on a Seoul uniform, playing alongside my childhood friend and a bunch of great players. I'm ready to make my dad and the Catalyuna/Seoul organization proud as I begin to carve out my legacy.]]> <![CDATA[Fry is ready to be seasoned]]> https://forum.simulationsoccer.com/showthread.php?tid=9941 Mon, 15 Jun 2026 06:04:25 +0100 CuriousShadow]]> https://forum.simulationsoccer.com/showthread.php?tid=9941
Bernardo sank into his chair with a strong beverage to consider the new role.  Tackling was already a strength - but now he will need to position himself on defense. marking enemy players, and maybe even heading the ball once in a while.  His 20 passing skill will still be excellent, and might even work better from the midfield.  All of the physical skills should still be fine, even if Fry should hit the weight room a bit more often.

Next week goals and performance targets will be announced.  Probably going to be assists, tackles, and dribbles, but we'll see.  I have not yet tallied the results from the season target generator.]]>
Bernardo sank into his chair with a strong beverage to consider the new role.  Tackling was already a strength - but now he will need to position himself on defense. marking enemy players, and maybe even heading the ball once in a while.  His 20 passing skill will still be excellent, and might even work better from the midfield.  All of the physical skills should still be fine, even if Fry should hit the weight room a bit more often.

Next week goals and performance targets will be announced.  Probably going to be assists, tackles, and dribbles, but we'll see.  I have not yet tallied the results from the season target generator.]]> <![CDATA[Academy Task 5: Reykjavik goalscorers]]> https://forum.simulationsoccer.com/showthread.php?tid=9940 Mon, 15 Jun 2026 05:37:18 +0100 RussDrivesTheBus]]> https://forum.simulationsoccer.com/showthread.php?tid=9940
And in an attempt to continue that tradition, I previously created my player, Bimitar Derbatov as a Striker. Across my entire sim league career (dating back to my start with the ISFL in early 2020), I had never really had an offensive threat of a player. All of my ISFL players had been on the Defensive side of the ball, and even Tata Youre was more of a Cm roamer, than a creative goal threat. So, when I created Bimi, it was as a Striker with one thing in mind; Ball in net! Things started pretty hot and heavy in the Div 2 where I bagged 23 goals and 15 assists across a couple seasons. But, somewhere along the way, Bimi lost his hunger for ball in net, and felt a need to help others feel the joy of ball in net. I moved to a more Central Midfield role in order to help make some moves during expansion, but with that came a big drop off in sniffing the goal. But now, the time has come for Karry Hane to enter the league and start adding goals to his register in order to find himself among the ranks of the other goal-scoring kings of Reykjavik. I want to tally goals and bring silverware back to Iceland at the same time. And while some of you may find yourselves trying to make jokes about my doppelganger, Harry Kane, not winning things for most of his career, I'd like to point out that he's broken his curse in Germany while also racking up more goals than ever! And his former club Tottenham also broke their streak by winning a European trophy in 2024. If there ever was a time to bring this player to life, it's now!]]>
And in an attempt to continue that tradition, I previously created my player, Bimitar Derbatov as a Striker. Across my entire sim league career (dating back to my start with the ISFL in early 2020), I had never really had an offensive threat of a player. All of my ISFL players had been on the Defensive side of the ball, and even Tata Youre was more of a Cm roamer, than a creative goal threat. So, when I created Bimi, it was as a Striker with one thing in mind; Ball in net! Things started pretty hot and heavy in the Div 2 where I bagged 23 goals and 15 assists across a couple seasons. But, somewhere along the way, Bimi lost his hunger for ball in net, and felt a need to help others feel the joy of ball in net. I moved to a more Central Midfield role in order to help make some moves during expansion, but with that came a big drop off in sniffing the goal. But now, the time has come for Karry Hane to enter the league and start adding goals to his register in order to find himself among the ranks of the other goal-scoring kings of Reykjavik. I want to tally goals and bring silverware back to Iceland at the same time. And while some of you may find yourselves trying to make jokes about my doppelganger, Harry Kane, not winning things for most of his career, I'd like to point out that he's broken his curse in Germany while also racking up more goals than ever! And his former club Tottenham also broke their streak by winning a European trophy in 2024. If there ever was a time to bring this player to life, it's now!]]> <![CDATA[Getting Better]]> https://forum.simulationsoccer.com/showthread.php?tid=9939 Mon, 15 Jun 2026 04:17:35 +0100 jason97]]> https://forum.simulationsoccer.com/showthread.php?tid=9939 London, England

As the portal ticks over for the new season, Mendes is using the off-season to work on a lot of his attributes. Although he had a great rookie season, he knows the second season is always the toughest. The sophomore slump will always find you unless you work on your craft every day.

Mendes sat down with management at the end of the season, where they had a good conversation regarding last season and the outlook for the new season. They loved the development of Mendes and were very complimentary of how he fit into their midfield as a rookie. They were impressed with his attitude and commitment to getting better. They gave Mendes a great off-season plan and things to work on.

Most of the off-season was spent working on the physical side of Mendes' game, more specifically, speed. With Inter London being in Division One next season, the game is going to be a lot quicker, and the players will be a lot better. Mendes was working with a speed coach to increase his pace and acceleration. Secondly, he worked on his mental attributes, especially on the defensive side of the ball. This includes work on his tackling and anticipation. A lot of work on the practice field with specialized drills really helped Mendes.

Inter London will be facing off against F.C. Kaapstad and Krung Thep FC in preseason, two new opponents in the first division. They will use these games to get back into game shape as well as test themselves and their tactics. They also found out their first-round opponent for The Cup, where they will be facing off against Schwarzwälder FV in the qualifying round. With the season fast approaching, Mendes is back in London with his team and will use the remaining days to settle in to what should be a fun but grueling season.  

[311 words]]]> London, England

As the portal ticks over for the new season, Mendes is using the off-season to work on a lot of his attributes. Although he had a great rookie season, he knows the second season is always the toughest. The sophomore slump will always find you unless you work on your craft every day.

Mendes sat down with management at the end of the season, where they had a good conversation regarding last season and the outlook for the new season. They loved the development of Mendes and were very complimentary of how he fit into their midfield as a rookie. They were impressed with his attitude and commitment to getting better. They gave Mendes a great off-season plan and things to work on.

Most of the off-season was spent working on the physical side of Mendes' game, more specifically, speed. With Inter London being in Division One next season, the game is going to be a lot quicker, and the players will be a lot better. Mendes was working with a speed coach to increase his pace and acceleration. Secondly, he worked on his mental attributes, especially on the defensive side of the ball. This includes work on his tackling and anticipation. A lot of work on the practice field with specialized drills really helped Mendes.

Inter London will be facing off against F.C. Kaapstad and Krung Thep FC in preseason, two new opponents in the first division. They will use these games to get back into game shape as well as test themselves and their tactics. They also found out their first-round opponent for The Cup, where they will be facing off against Schwarzwälder FV in the qualifying round. With the season fast approaching, Mendes is back in London with his team and will use the remaining days to settle in to what should be a fun but grueling season.  

[311 words]]]>